Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Treatment of Chronic, Intractable Pain With a Conventional Implantable Pulse Generator: A Meta-analysis of 4 Clinical Studies

Objective:To provide further short-term (6 mo) and long-term (1 y) evidence for the use of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) with a conventional implantable pulse generator in the management of chronic, intractable pain. Materials and Methods:We conducted a meta-analysis of 4 prospective, multicenter studies that collected outcome data from patients implanted with SCS to treat chronic pain of the trunk and/or limbs (Genesis IPG system). Two of these were conducted as long-term studies lasting 1 year, and 2 as shorter term studies lasting 6 months. A total of 300 patients from 28 investigational sites were prospectively evaluated for efficacy at 3 months after implant and safety at 6 months after implant. None of the sites participated in more than one study. Outcome measures included patient-reported percent of pain relief, patient satisfaction, quality of life improvement, pain evaluation (0 to 10 rating), pain relief rating, Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, visual analog scale, the Short Form-36, and the total number of adverse events (AEs). Results:At 3 months after implantation of the permanent system, 75.4% of the patients (190/252) reported a 50% or greater pain relief as determined by the patient-reported degree of pain relief. Similarly, assessment of patient satisfaction with SCS therapy showed that 86.1% of patients (217/252) in all 4 studies were satisfied or very satisfied with the therapy at 3 months. In the 2 long-term studies, 80.9% of patients (140/173) were satisfied or very satisfied with the therapy at the 1-year evaluation point. Quality-of-life (QoL) data indicated that at 3 months after implant, 77.8% of patients (196/252) reported QoL as improved or greatly improved. Similarly, QoL was improved or greatly improved for 74.0% patients in the long-term study at 1 year (128/173). In the safety analysis, AEs were reviewed for all 4 studies. A total of 190 AEs were reported in 117 of 300 patients during all studies. Conclusions:This analysis provides further evidence of the safety and effectiveness of SCS in treating chronic intractable pain of the trunk and/or limbs. Specifically, it underscores a high level of effectiveness and acceptable safety concerns in the use of nonrechargeable SCS devices.
Selection-free genome editing of the sickle mutation in human adult hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells

Hematopoietic stem cells from patients with sickle cell disease can be edited by CRISPR/Cas9 and maintain the edits in vivo. Hammering out the sickle cell mutation Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder caused by a mutation in one of the hemoglobin genes, which causes deformation of red blood cells and results in occlusion of blood vessels, severe pain crises, and progressive organ injury. To correct the mutation that causes this disease, DeWitt et al. modified hematopoietic stem cells from sickle cell disease patients using a CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing approach. The authors showed that the corrected cells successfully engrafted in a mouse model and produced enough normal hemoglobin to have a potential clinical benefit in the setting of sickle cell disease. Genetic diseases of blood cells are prime candidates for treatment through ex vivo gene editing of CD34+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs), and a variety of technologies have been proposed to treat these disorders. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a recessive genetic disorder caused by a single-nucleotide polymorphism in the β-globin gene (HBB). Sickle hemoglobin damages erythrocytes, causing vasoocclusion, severe pain, progressive organ damage, and premature death. We optimize design and delivery parameters of a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex comprising Cas9 protein and unmodified single guide RNA, together with a single-stranded DNA oligonucleotide donor (ssODN), to enable efficient replacement of the SCD mutation in human HSPCs. Corrected HSPCs from SCD patients produced less sickle hemoglobin RNA and protein and correspondingly increased wild-type hemoglobin when differentiated into erythroblasts. When engrafted into immunocompromised mice, ex vivo treated human HSPCs maintain SCD gene edits throughout 16 weeks at a level likely to have clinical benefit. These results demonstrate that an accessible approach combining Cas9 RNP with an ssODN can mediate efficient HSPC genome editing, enables investigator-led exploration of gene editing reagents in primary hematopoietic stem cells, and suggests a path toward the development of new gene editing treatments for SCD and other hematopoietic diseases.
Transferability of Tag SNPs to Capture Common Genetic Variation in DNA Repair Genes Across Multiple Populations

Genetic association studies can be made more cost-effective by exploiting linkage disequilibrium patterns between nearby single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The International HapMap Project now offers a dense SNP map across the human genome in four population samples. One question is how well tag SNPs chosen from a resource like HapMap can capture common variation in independent disease samples. To address the issue of tag SNP transferability, we genotyped 2,783 SNPs across 61 genes (with a total span of 6 Mb) involved in DNA repair in 466 individuals from multiple populations. We picked tag SNPs in samples with European ancestry from the Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain, and evaluated coverage of common variation in the other samples. Our comparative analysis shows that common variation in non-African samples can be captured robustly with only marginal loss in terms of the maximum r2. We also evaluated the transferability of specified multi-marker haplotypes as predictors for untyped SNPs, and demonstrate that they provide equivalent coverage compared to single-marker tests (pairwise tags) while requiring fewer SNPs for genotyping. The efficacy of a tagging-based approach in studying genotype-phenotype correlations in complex traits is strongly supported by our empirical results.
Monitoring hepatic cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase activity by assay of the stable bile acid intermediate 7α-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one in peripheral blood Published, JLR Papers in Press, January 16, 2003. DOI 10.1194/jlr.D200043-JLR200

We describe an accurate method for monitoring the enzymatic activity of hepatic cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (C7αOH; CYP7A1), the rate-limiting and major regulatory enzyme in the synthesis of bile acids. Assay of 7α-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (C4), an intermediate in bile acid synthesis, revealed that the level of C4 in peripheral blood serum or plasma showed a strong correlation to the enzymatic activity of hepatic C7αOH, both at steady-state conditions (r = 0.929) as well as during the rapid changes that occur during the diurnal phases. This assay should be of value in clarifying the regulation of bile acid synthesis in vivo in laboratory animals and humans since it allows for the monitoring of hepatic C7αOH activity using peripheral blood samples.
Development and applications of the SWAN rating scale for assessment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a literature review

This study reviewed the use of the Strengths and Weaknesses of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity-symptoms and Normal-behaviors (SWAN) rating scale in diagnostic and evolutive approaches to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and in correlational studies of the disorder. A review of articles published in indexed journals from electronic databases was conducted and 61 articles on the SWAN scale were analyzed. From these, 27 were selected to a) examine use of SWAN in research on attention disorders and b) verify evidence of its usefulness in the areas of genetics, neuropsychology, diagnostics, psychiatric comorbidities, neuroimaging, pharmacotherapy, and to examine its statistical reliability and validity in studies of diverse populations. This review of articles indicated a growing use of the SWAN scale for diagnostic purposes, for therapy, and in research on areas other than ADHD, especially when compared with other reliable scales. Use of the scale in ADHD diagnosis requires further statistical testing to define its psychometric properties.
Combining Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process and GIS to Select the Best Location for a Wastewater Lift Station in El-Mahalla El-Kubra , North Egypt

Determining the best location is a complex process that faces the Decision makers. In El-Mahalla El-Kubra, Egypt this problem exists in selecting the best location for wastewater lift station of an under-construction industrial sewage system. The site selection problem comes with criteria that determine the best location. Dealing with real life situation and experts' judgments involves uncertainty. To solve this problem, we designed a model containing Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) technique that is Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) with fuzzy theory to handle the uncertainty situations and Geographical Information System (GIS) to determine the best location. An application adopting the FAHP idea was developed to calculate weights of the criteria of the site. The GIS was used to overlay and generate criteria maps and suitability map. The study ends with an assessment of proposed sites to the generated suitability map. Index Term— Geographical information system (GIS), multicriteria decision making (MCDM), and fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP).
The Atkinson Theorem in Hilbert C*-Modules over C*-Algebras of Compact Operators

The concept of unbounded Fredholm operators on Hilbert C*-modules over an arbitrary C*-algebra is discussed and the Atkinson theorem is generalized for bounded and unbounded Feredholm operators on Hilbert C*-modules over C*-algebras of compact operators. In the framework of Hilbert C*-modules over C*-algebras of compact operators, the index of an unbounded Fredholm operator and the index of its bounded transform are the same.
ASSESSMENT OF MATERIAL LIVING CONDITIONS BY THE MEANS OF INTEGRATED INDICES IN THE VISEGRAD GROUP Šoltés V., Nováková B. *

Assessment of quality of life (QOL) has been recently subject to extensive research and discussion. According to many authors, QOL includes different aspects of life which implies its multidimensional character. The main aim of the paper is to provide assessment framework for the QOL dimension of material living conditions and to calculate integrated indices of material living conditions quality in the Visegrad Group (V4). We use Additive Ratio Assessment (ARAS) method to calculate partial and integrated indices in the V4 and analyse its development over the period of 2005-2013. Analysis of dynamics of material living indices point out differences and facilitate comparison between the V4. Analytical framework of material living conditions assessment can help to develop policy and management recommendations which improve material living conditions and consequently QOL.
Group actions on curves and the lifting problem Arizona winter school 2012

1.1 The lifting problem The problem we are concerned with in our lectures and which we shall refer to as the lifting problem was originally formulated by Frans Oort in [17]. To state it, we fix an algebraically closed field κ of positive characteristic p. Let W (κ) be the ring of Witt vectors over κ. Throughout our notes, o will denote a finite local ring extension of W (κ) and k = Frac(o) the fraction field of o. Note that o is a complete discrete valuation ring of characteristic zero with residue field κ.
A single intra-articular injection of liposomally conjugated methotrexate suppresses joint inflammation in rat antigen-induced arthritis.

In this study, we sought to determine whether liposomal preparations containing a phospholipid conjugate of methotrexate and dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (MTX-gamma-DMPE) incorporated within their lipid membranes are effective in suppressing established joint inflammation in a monoarticular model of arthritis in the rat. Arthritis was induced in the right knee joint of Lewis rats. The rats were treated with a single intra-articular injection of either free methotrexate (MTX), liposomal MTX [MTX-multilamellar vesicles (MLV)-1.2 microns or MTX-small unilamellar vesicles (SUV)-100 nm], control liposomes (E-LIPO) or saline into the inflamed knee 7 days after arthritis induction. There was no significant difference in knee swelling in MTX-, saline- and E-LIPO-treated rats up to 21 days after treatment. However, MTX-MLV treatment produced a significant reduction in knee swelling (26.5 +/- 6.0%: mean +/- S.E.M.) 1 day after intra-articular injection compared with MTX (3.5 +/- 3.5%) and MTX-SUV (14.4 +/- 2.4%), respectively. Over the next 20 days, knee swelling in MTX-MLV-treated rats fell progressively and almost returned to normal. MTX-MLV treatment also inhibited the cellular infiltration associated with the arthritis. Large multilamellar liposomal preparations of MTX-gamma-DMPE are more effective than free MTX and MTX-SUV in suppressing inflammation. Their differential effects in treating the antigen-induced arthritis model are related to their retention within the joint space.
Effects of nitric oxide on steroidogenesis in porcine granulosa cells during different stages of follicular development.

BACKGROUND We have previously demonstrated that nitric oxide (NO) inhibits steroidogenesis via a cGMP-independent process, by inhibiting P450 aromatase activity in porcine granulosa cells (PGCs) derived from medium-sized (3--5 mm) ovarian follicles (M-PGC). OBJECTIVE To determine whether the NO/NO synthase (NOS) system exerts any significant effects on steroidogenesis in PGCs derived from small follicles (<3 mm) (S-PGC) in comparison with those derived from medium follicles. DESIGN AND METHODS PGCs, namely S-PGC and M-PGC, were incubated with the NO donor, NOC18, and a competitive blocker of NOS, N(3)-monomethyl-l-arginine (LNMMA), either alone or in the presence of FSH (200 ng/ml) or hCG (5 IU/ml). RESULTS NOC18 significantly (P<0.01--0.001) suppressed basal (unstimulated) and gonadotropin-stimulated estradiol (E2) release from both S-PGC and M-PGC in a 2-h culture. NOC18 significantly (P<0.01--0.001) decreased basal and gonadotropin-stimulated progesterone release from S-PGC, but not from M-PGC. In addition, NOC18 significantly (P<0.05--0.001) inhibited aromatase activity in S-PGC. LNMMA had a significantly (P<0.01--0.001) stimulatory effect on the basal release of E2 and progesterone from M-PGC; however, it had no significant effect on basal steroidogenesis in S-PGC in a 24-h culture. In the presence of gonadotropin, LNMMA significantly (P<0.01--0.001) stimulated the release of E2 and progesterone from both S- and M-PGC, and this stimulatory effect was weaker in S-PGC than in M-PGC. These results demonstrate that NO inhibits E2 secretion by directly inhibiting the aromatase activity in S-PGC, as in M-PGC. It has been shown that the NO system suppresses the differentiation of S-PGC; however, the extent of suppression decreased with the progression of follicular growth. In addition, the activity of NOS in S-PGC was weaker than that in M-PGC. CONCLUSION We strongly suggest that the NO/NOS system in PGC regulates steroidogenesis differently during different phase of follicular development.
The statistics of the zeros of mobile channels: results and implications for equalizer design

In this paper, the distribution of zeros of mobile channels is investigated and the results obtained are applied to the channel models standardized for the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)/EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) system. The taps of the discrete-time overall impulse response can be modeled as correlated complex Gaussian random variables with zero or nonzero mean, where the correlations depend on the transmit filter, the power delay profile of the channel, and the receiver input filter. For calculation of the density of zeros of the overall transfer function results from the mathematical literature on the zeros of random polynomials are used. From this density two cumulative distributions which are relevant for the design of suboptimum receivers for intersymbol interference (ISI) channels are derived for the case of uncorrelated taps with exponential distribution of the tap variances. Finally, practical equalizer design rules for the GSM/EDGE system are deduced from the calculated statistical distributions.
Earthquake-related pelvic crush fracture vs. non-earthquake fracture on digital radiography and MDCT: a comparative study

OBJECTIVE: To determine the features of earthquake-related pelvic crush fractures versus non-earthquake fractures with digital radiography and multidetector row computed tomography. METHODS: One hundred and sixty-seven survivors with pelvic crush fractures in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake were entered in our study as the earthquake-related group (139 underwent digital radiography, 28 underwent multidetector row computed tomography); 70 victims with non-earthquake pelvic fractures were enrolled into this study as the non-earthquake group (54 underwent digital radiography, 16 underwent multidetector row computed tomography). Data were reviewed retrospectively between groups, focusing on anatomic distributions, status of pelvic bone fractures, numbers of pelvic bones involved, and classification of pelvic ring fractures according to the Tile classification system. RESULTS: Pelvic fractures occurred more frequently in the pubis in the earthquake-related group than in the non-earthquake group (135/167, 81% vs. 48/70, 69%). In addition, comminuted fractures were more common in the earthquake-related group than in the non-earthquake group (55/167, 33% vs. 10/70, 14%). Multiple fractures were less common in the earthquake-related group than in the non-earthquake group (81/167, 49% vs. 46/70, 66%). Regarding the classification of pelvic ring fractures, Type C predominantly composed of subtype C3 occurred more frequently (64/167, 38% vs. 12/70, 17%), and Type A was less common in the earthquake-related group than in the non-earthquake group (31/167, 19% vs. 23/70, 32%). All differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). No difference was found in Type B fractures between the groups (72/167, 43% vs. 35/70, 50%). CONCLUSION: Earthquake-related pelvic crush fractures can be characterized by a high incidence of pelvic fractures occurring in the pubis, comminuted fractures, and Type C fractures predominantly composed by subtype C3, despite a low incidence of multiple fractures.
The role of the environment in Parkinson's disease.

The ultimate goal of any genome-scale experiment is to provide a functional interpretation of the data, relating the available information with the hypotheses that originated the experiment. Thus, functional profiling methods have become essential in diverse scenarios such as microarray experiments, proteomics, etc. We present the FatiGO+, a web-based tool for the functional profiling of genome-scale experiments, specially oriented to the interpretation of microarray experiments. In addition to different functional annotations (gene ontology, KEGG pathways, Interpro motifs, Swissprot keywords and text-mining based bioentities related to diseases and chemical compounds) FatiGO+ includes, as a novelty, regulatory and structural information. The regulatory information used includes predictions of targets for distinct regulatory elements (obtained from the Transfac and CisRed databases). Additionally FatiGO+ uses predictions of target motifs of miRNA to infer which of these can be activated or deactivated in the sample of genes studied. Finally, properties of gene products related to their relative location and connections in the interactome have also been used. Also, enrichment of any of these functional terms can be directly analysed on chromosomal coordinates. FatiGO+ can be found at: http://www.fatigoplus. org and within the Babelomics environment http://www.babelomics. org
Widespread Over-Expression of the X Chromosome in Sterile F1 Hybrid Mice

The X chromosome often plays a central role in hybrid male sterility between species, but it is unclear if this reflects underlying regulatory incompatibilities. Here we combine phenotypic data with genome-wide expression data to directly associate aberrant expression patterns with hybrid male sterility between two species of mice. We used a reciprocal cross in which F1 males are sterile in one direction and fertile in the other direction, allowing us to associate expression differences with sterility rather than with other hybrid phenotypes. We found evidence of extensive over-expression of the X chromosome during spermatogenesis in sterile but not in fertile F1 hybrid males. Over-expression was most pronounced in genes that are normally expressed after meiosis, consistent with an X chromosome-wide disruption of expression during the later stages of spermatogenesis. This pattern was not a simple consequence of faster evolutionary divergence on the X chromosome, because X-linked expression was highly conserved between the two species. Thus, transcriptional regulation of the X chromosome during spermatogenesis appears particularly sensitive to evolutionary divergence between species. Overall, these data provide evidence for an underlying regulatory basis to reproductive isolation in house mice and underscore the importance of transcriptional regulation of the X chromosome to the evolution of hybrid male sterility.
Moisture harvesting and water transport through specialized micro-structures on the integument of lizards

Several lizard species that live in arid areas have developed special abilities to collect water with their bodies' surfaces and to ingest the so collected moisture. This is called rain- or moisture-harvesting. The water can originate from air humidity, fog, dew, rain or even from humid soil. The integument (i.e., the skin plus skin derivatives such as scales) has developed features so that the water spreads and is soaked into a capillary system in between the reptiles' scales. Within this capillary system the water is transported to the mouth where it is ingested. We have investigated three different lizard species which have developed the ability for moisture harvesting independently, viz. the Australian thorny devil (Moloch horridus), the Arabian toadhead agama (Phrynocephalus arabicus) and the Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum). All three lizards have a honeycomb like micro ornamentation on the outer surface of the scales and a complex capillary system in between the scales. By investigation of individual scales and by producing and characterising polymer replicas of the reptiles' integuments, we found that the honeycomb like structures render the surface superhydrophilic, most likely by holding a water film physically stable. Furthermore, the condensation of air humidity is improved on this surface by about 100% in comparison to unstructured surfaces. This allows the animals to collect moisture with their entire body surface. The collected water is transported into the capillary system. For Phrynosoma cornutum we found the interesting effect that, in contrast to the other two investigated species, the water flow in the capillary system is not uniform but directed to the mouth. Taken together we found that the micro ornamentation yields a superhydrophilic surface, and the semi-tubular capillaries allow for an efficient passive – and for Phrynosoma directed – transport of water.