Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serum Levels of IL-10 and IL-22 Cytokines in Patients with Psoriasis.

BACKGROUND As a chronic inflammatory condition, psoriasis results from an interaction between genetic and immunologic factors in a predisposing environment. In spite of compelling evidence for the role of T cells and cytokines in psoriasis, interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-22 have not been sufficiently investigated. OBJECTIVE To assess the serum levels of IL-10 and IL-22 in patients with psoriasis compared to healthy controls. METHODS A total of 28 patients with psoriasis were compared with 28 age and sex-matched healthy subjects. Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) criteria were used to measure the severity of the disease. Serum levels of IL-10 and IL-22 were measured in both groups and compared. RESULTS The mean serum level of IL-10 was 89.5±18.7 in patients compared to 117.2±23.4 pg/ml in the controls (p=0.36). Also, serum level of IL-22 was 284.1±49.7 in patients versus 425.4±82.8 pg/ml in control group (p=0.17). There was a significant direct correlation between levels of IL-10 and IL-22 in patients group (p=0.0005). The clinical severity of psoriasis was significantly correlated with high levels of IL-22 (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION The direct correlation between higher levels of IL-22 and disease severity supports the clinical implication of this cytokine in psoriasis.
A comparison of the s- and r-process element evolution in local dwarf spheroidal galaxies and in the Milky Way

Aims. We study the nucleosynthesis of several neutron capture elements (barium, europium, lanthanum, and yttrium) in local group dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies and in the Milky Way by comparing the predictions of detailed chemical evolution models with the observed data. We analyse the differences in the abundance patterns of these two types of galaxies in order to understand their formation and evolution. Methods. We compare the evolution of [Ba/Fe], [Eu/Fe], [La/Fe], [Y/Fe], [Ba/Y], [Ba/Eu], [Y/Eu], and [La/Eu] observed in dSph galaxies and in our Galaxy with predictions of detailed chemical evolution models. The models for all dSph galaxies and for the Milky Way are able to reproduce several observational features of these galaxies, such as a series of abundance ratios and the stellar metallicities distributions. The Milky Way model adopts the two-infall scenario, whereas the most important features of the models for the dSph galaxies are the low star-formation rate and the occurrence of intense galactic winds. Results. We predict that the [s-r/Fe] ratios in dSphs are generally different than the corresponding ratios in the Milky Way, at the same [Fe/H] values. This is interpreted as a consequence of the time-delay model coupled with different star formation histories. In particular, the star-formation is less efficient in dSphs than in our Galaxy and it is influenced by strong galactic winds. Our predictions are in very good agreement with the available observational data. Conclusions. The time-delay model for the galactic chemical enrichment coupled with different histories of star formation in different galaxies allow us to succesfully interpret the observed differences in the abundance ratios of s -a ndr-process elements, as well as of α-elements in dSphs and in the Milky Way. These differences strongly suggest that the main stellar populations of these galaxies could not have had a common origin and, consequently, that the progenitors of local dSphs might not be the same objects as the building blocks of our Galaxy.
Ketogenic Diet in Epileptic Encephalopathies

The ketogenic diet is a medically supervised high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that has been found useful in patients with refractory epilepsy. It has been shown to be effective in treating multiple seizure types and epilepsy syndromes. In this paper, we review the use of the ketogenic diet in epileptic encephalopathies such as Ohtahara syndrome, West syndrome, Dravet syndrome, epilepsy with myoclonic atonic seizures, and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
Adapting Resilient Propagation for Deep Learning

The Resilient Propagation (Rprop) algorithm has been very popular for backpropagation training of multilayer feed-forward neural networks in various applications. The standard Rprop however encounters difficulties in the context of deep neural networks as typically happens with gradient-based learning algorithms. In this paper, we propose a modification of the Rprop that combines standard Rprop steps with a special drop out technique. We apply the method for training Deep Neural Networks as standalone components and in ensemble formulations. Results on the MNIST dataset show that the proposed modification alleviates standard Rprop's problems demonstrating improved learning speed and accuracy.
Cannabinoid Analgesia as a Potential New Therapeutic Option in the Treatment of Chronic Pain

Objective: To review the literature concerning the physiology of the endocannabinoid system, current drug development of cannabinoid agonists, and current clinical research on the use of cannabinoid agonists for analgesia. Data Sources: Articles were identified through a search of MEDLINE (1966–August 2005) using the key words cannabis, cannabinoid, cannabi*, cannabidiol, nabilone, THC, pain, and analgesia. No search limits were included. Additional references were located through review of the bibliographies of the articles identified. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Studies of cannabinoid agonists for treatment of pain were selected and were not limited by pain type or etiology. Studies or reviews using animal models of pain were also included. Articles that related to the physiology and pharmacology of the endocannabinoid system were evaluated. Data Synthesis: The discovery of cannabinoid receptors and endogenous ligands for these receptors has led to increased drug development of cannabinoid agonists. New cannabimimetic agents have been associated with fewer systemic adverse effects than delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, including recent development of cannabis medicinal extracts for sublingual use (approved in Canada), and have had promising results for analgesia in initial human trials. Several synthetic cannabinoids have also been studied in humans, including 2 cannabinoid agonists available on the international market. Conclusions: Cannabinoids provide a potential approach to pain management with a novel therapeutic target and mechanism. Chronic pain often requires a polypharmaceutical approach to management, and cannabinoids are a potential addition to the arsenal of treatment options.
A study of colonic transit time in patients with chronic idiopathic constipation.

Background: To determine the colon transit time (CTT) in patients complaining of functional constipation and to evaluate the correlation between abnormal transit times and the types of constipation and the correlation with age and sex. Materials and Methods: The signs and symptoms of 84 patients with infrequent or difficult defecation, 33 males and 51 females, with a median age of 33.7 were recorded by means of a questionnaire. After ingestion of radioopaque material, 20 markers per day for 3 days, abdominal X-rays were taken on days 4 and 7. If more than 5 markers remained in the segment of colon, another X-ray was taken in day 10. The numbers of markers in the X-ray and per segment (right and left hemi-colon and rectosigmoid colon) were counted; the CTT in hours was calculated by multiplying this number by 1.2. Results: The total CTT was normal in 61 patients (72.6%) and prolonged in 23 (27.4%) ones. The CTT was prolonged in the rectosigmoid colon in 8 patients with an average total CTT of 81.3 Â± 21.52 h, in 8 patients in the left colon with an average total CTT of 98.5 Â± 40.083 h and in 7 patients in the right colon with an average total CTT of 19.94 Â± 19.35 h. Of the patients with a normal total CTT, 41 (67.2%) ones had Rome III criteria for IBS. No statistically significant correlation could be demonstrated between CTT and age or sex. Conclusion: Functional constipationmay be associatedwith a normalCTT.Disorders of colonicmotility and rectal evacuation could be distinguished bymeasuring the total and segmental colonic transit times.
Learning joint query interpretation and response ranking

Thanks to information extraction and semantic Web efforts, search on unstructured text is increasingly refined using semantic annotations and structured knowledge bases. However, most users cannot become familiar with the schema of knowledge bases and ask structured queries. Interpreting free-format queries into a more structured representation is of much current interest. The dominant paradigm is to segment or partition query tokens by purpose (references to types, entities, attribute names, attribute values, relations) and then launch the interpreted query on structured knowledge bases. Given that structured knowledge extraction is never complete, here we choose a less trodden path: a data representation that retains the unstructured text corpus, along with structured annotations (mentions of entities and relationships) on it. We propose two new, natural formulations for joint query interpretation and response ranking that exploit bidirectional flow of information between the knowledge base and the corpus. One, inspired by probabilistic language models, computes expected response scores over the uncertainties of query interpretation. The other is based on max-margin discriminative learning, with latent variables representing those uncertainties. In the context of typed entity search, both formulations bridge a considerable part of the accuracy gap between a generic query that does not constrain the type at all, and the upper bound where the "perfect" target entity type of each query is provided by humans. Our formulations are also superior to a two-stage approach of first choosing a target type using recent query type prediction techniques, and then launching a type-restricted entity search query.
Identificación de las estructuras corticales implicadas en la generación de la actividad epiléptica crítica e intercrítica en pacientes con epilepsia fármacorresistente: un estudio de resonancia magnética funcional con EEG simultáneo.

IDENTIFICACION DE LAS ESTRUCTURAS CORTICALES IMPLICADAS EN LA GENERACION DE LA ACTIVIDAD EPILEPTICA CRITICA E INTERCRITICA EN PACIENTE CON EPILEPSIAS RARMACORRESISTENTE. UN ESTUDIO DE RESONANCIA MAGNETICA FNCIONAL CON EEG SIMULTANEO.
Effect of Photorefractive Keratectomy on Optic Nerve Head Topography and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness Measured by Heidelberg Retina Tomograph 3

Purpose: To determine whether photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) has a significant effect on optic nerve head (ONH) parameters and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measured by the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph 3 (Heidelberg Engineering GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany) in eyes with low to moderate myopia. Methods: This prospective, interventional case series, includes 43 consecutive myopic eyes which were assessed on the day of PRK and 3 months postoperatively using the HRT3. Among the stereometric parameters, we compared disc area, linear cup disc ratio, cup shape measure, global rim area, global rim volume, RNFL height variation contour and mean RNFL thickness; out of the Glaucoma Probability Score (GPS) we assessed changes in global value, rim steepness temporal/superior, and temporal/inferior, as well as cup size and cup depth before and after PRK. Results: Mean refractive error before and after PRK were −3.24 ± 1.31 and −0.20 ± 0.42 diopters, respectively. No significant change occurred in disc area, linear cup disc ratio, cup shape measure, rim area and rim volume among the stereometric parameters; and in rim steepness temporal/superior and rim steepness temporal/inferior in the GPS before and after PRK using the default average keratometry. However, RNFL height variation contour, mean RNFL thickness, and cup size and depth were significantly altered after PRK (P < 0.05). Conclusion: PRK can affect some HRT3 parameters. Although the most important stereometric parameters for differentiating normal, suspect or glaucomatous patients such as rim and cup measurements in stereometric parameters were not changed.
Early binding updates for mobile IPv6

The long latency associated with mobile IPv6 home-address and care-of-address tests can significantly impact delay-sensitive applications. This paper presents an optimization of mobile IPv6 correspondent registrations that evades the latency of both address tests. An optimized correspondent registration eliminates 50%, or more, of the additional delay that a standard correspondent registration adds to the network stack's overall latency. The optimization is realized as an optional, and fully backward-compatible, extension to mobile IPv6.
Plasmacytoma with Aberrant Expression of Myeloid Markers, T-cell Markers, and Cytokeratin

Plasmacytomas are localized neoplastic proliferations of monoclonal plasma cells. When multifocal, the process is referred to as multiple myeloma. These lesions exhibit a pattern of antigen expression and cytomorphology that usually leads to a ready diagnosis. However, potentially troublesome variations in immunophenotype occur. We describe a case of a plasmacytoma from a patient who presented with sudden onset of pain and a lytic lesion of the left proximal humerus. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections showed a lymphoproliferative lesion composed of large lymphoid cells, some with plasmacytoid and immunoblastic features. The lesion also showed significant mitotic activity. Immunohistochemical staining was positive for CD45 (LCA), CD56 (N-CAM), CD43 (MT1), and cytokeratin CAM5.2. There was also clonal staining for λ light chains. In addition, flow cytometric analysis showed positivity for myeloid markers such as CD13, CD33, CD38, and CD138. Significant negative markers include CD20 (L26), CD45RO (UCHL-1), and CD79α. The unusual phenotypic features of this plasmacytoma illustrate potential diagnostic pitfalls. It is important to fully study such lesions to correctly classify them, because this has significant impact on prognosis and management.
Don't Put Me in "Quotes": Examining Communication Episodes of Health-Related Stigma

This study examined communication episodes of health-related stigma, which includes instances where individuals were made to feel bullied, excluded, rejected, blamed, or embarrassed due to a health condition they or someone they know possesses. This study used the coordinated management of meaning (CMM) to approach this study; in particular the DICA model advanced by Pearce (2007), which moves through a process of description, interpretation, critique, and action was used in study design. Six research questions were developed that roughly correspond to the DICA model. This study used a grounded approach to data collection and analysis: data were collected in two stages that built upon each other. The first stage was a recruitment stage; used to inform individuals about the study and invite them to participate in the second stage: in-depth interviews. Two hundred thirty individuals took part in the recruitment phase of research, 24 individuals took part in in-depth interviews. Methods of grounded theory were used to analyze interview data, this included a circular three-step process of analysis: open coding, integration, and dimensionalization. Twenty-one themes and 25 related subthemes emerged to reveal the patterned nature of health-related stigma. Findings are presented in five context areas—description, meaning, interpretation, action, and stigma.
The Effect of Defendant Facial Expression on Mock Juror Decision-Making: The Power of Remorse

In the U.S. legal system, juries are charged with the responsibility to decide if a person is guilty and sometimes to determine a sentence or damage awards. This task involves complex cognitive skills to weigh evidence, deliberate, and come to a conclusion. However, jurors may be impacted by factors beyond the evidence. One factor that we are interested in is the facial expression of the defendant. We experimentally manipulated the display of remorse and anger in defendant photographs to assess the impact on decision-making by mock jurors. A significant difference was found such that a remorseful defendant resulted in more lenient verdicts compared to an angry defendant. Headlines abound recounting how jurors, court personnel, and families are amazed, disgusted, and hurt that a particular defendant ‘showed no remorse. ’ Of course, remorse does nothing to change the end result; the crime cannot be undone. However, we have a sense that remorse is owed to us, and the lack of it is strong evidence of a person’s guilt, or at least, despicable character. In the U.S. legal system, juries are charged with the responsibility of deciding if a person is guilty and to determine a sentence or damage awards. This task involves complex cognitive skills to weigh evidence, deliberate, and come to a conclusion. Extralegal factors impact this process. Attractiveness of the defendant (Landy & Aronson, 1969; Sigall & Ostrove, 1975), similarity of the defendant to jurors (Byrne & Clore, 1970), and the likeability of the defendant (Davis, Bray, & Holt, 1977) are some of the factors that have been shown to affect jury decisions. One particular factor that we are interested in is facial expressions displayed by the defendant. Regardless of guilt, the defendant’s emotions may include anger over current circumstances, remorse (for having committed the crime, or for having been caught), fear, disgust, and frustration, among others. These emotional experiences are likely to be displayed on the face. These expressions may have an impact on jury decision making and prove to be a mitigating factor (Ward, 2003). In a courtroom setting, anger is also an
Catastrophic Decline of World's Largest Primate: 80% Loss of Grauer's Gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri) Population Justifies Critically Endangered Status

Grauer’s gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri), the World’s largest primate, is confined to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and is threatened by civil war and insecurity. During the war, armed groups in mining camps relied on hunting bushmeat, including gorillas. Insecurity and the presence of several militia groups across Grauer’s gorilla’s range made it very difficult to assess their population size. Here we use a novel method that enables rigorous assessment of local community and ranger-collected data on gorilla occupancy to evaluate the impacts of civil war on Grauer’s gorilla, which prior to the war was estimated to number 16,900 individuals. We show that gorilla numbers in their stronghold of Kahuzi-Biega National Park have declined by 87%. Encounter rate data of gorilla nests at 10 sites across its range indicate declines of 82–100% at six of these sites. Spatial occupancy analysis identifies three key areas as the most critical sites for the remaining populations of this ape and that the range of this taxon is around 19,700 km2. We estimate that only 3,800 Grauer’s gorillas remain in the wild, a 77% decline in one generation, justifying its elevation to Critically Endangered status on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Body Size, Extinction Risk and Knowledge Bias in New World Snakes

Extinction risk and body size have been found to be related in various vertebrate groups, with larger species being more at risk than smaller ones. We checked whether this was also the case for snakes by investigating extinction risk–body size relationships in the New World's Colubroidea species. We used the IUCN Red List risk categories to assign each species to one of two broad levels of threat (Threatened and Non-Threatened) or to identify it as either Data Deficient or Not-Evaluated by the IUCN. We also included the year of description of each species in our analysis as this could affect the level of threat assigned to it (earlier described species had more time to gather information about them, which might have facilitated their evaluation). Also, species detectability could be a function of body size, with larger species tending to be described earlier, which could have an impact in extinction risk–body size relationships. We found a negative relationship between body size and description year, with large-bodied species being described earlier. Description year also varied among risk categories, with Non-Threatened species being described earlier than Threatened species and both species groups earlier than Data Deficient species. On average, Data Deficient species also presented smaller body sizes, while no size differences were detected between Threatened and Non-Threatened species. So it seems that smaller body sizes are related with species detectability, thus potentially affecting both when a species is described (smaller species tend to be described more recently) as well as the amount of information gathered about it (Data Deficient species tend to be smaller). Our data also indicated that if Data Deficient species were to be categorized as Threatened in the future, snake body size and extinction risk would be negatively related, contrasting with the opposite pattern commonly observed in other vertebrate groups.
Power modulators and repetitive pulsed power

Presenters of papers at the 27th International Power Modulator Symposium and 2006 High Voltage Workshop (2006 International Power Modulator Conference or 2006 IPMC) are invited to submit papers for publication in a Special Issue of the IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation (TDEI) on Power Modulators and Repetitive Pulsed Power. Appropriate papers from other authors will be also considered for publication. Topics include, but not restricted to:
Decompositions of Automata and Transition Semigroups

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to describe structural properties of automatawhose transition semigroups have a zero, left zero, right zero or bi-zero, orare nilpotent extensions of rectangular bands, left zero bands or right zerobands, or are nilpotent. To describe the structure of these automata we usevarious well-known decomposition methods of automata theory – direct sumdecompositions, subdirect and parallel decompositions, and extensions of au-tomata. Automata that appear as the components in these decompositionsbelong to some well-known classes of automata, such as directable, deﬁnite,reverse deﬁnite, generalized deﬁnite and nilpotent automata. But, we alsointroduce some new classes of automata: generalized directable, trapped, one-trapped, locally directable, locally one-trapped, locally nilpotent and locallydeﬁnite automata. We explain relationships between the classes of all theseautomata.Keywords: automaton, transition semigroup, direct sum decomposition,directable automata, trapped automata, generalized directable automata, lo-cally directable automata, generalized varieties,