Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Evaluation of the Clinical, Laboratory, and Radiological Findings of 16 Cases of Brucellar Spondylitis

Objective. To evaluate the clinical, laboratory, and radiological presentation of 16 cases of brucellar spondylitis. Methods. The clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, and imaging findings of 16 patients (aged from 24 to 66 years) with brucellar spondylitis treated between September 2012 and September 2014 at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University (Xi'an, China) were retrospectively analyzed. Results. Clinical manifestations included high fever, severe pain, sweating, and fatigue. One patient had epididymitis, and two showed clear signs of spinal nerve damage. Laboratory tests showed elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein content. Serum brucella agglutination tests were positive, and 11 brucella blood cultures were positive. Imaging manifestations mainly consisted of abnormal signals in the intervertebral space or abnormal signals in the adjacent vertebral bodies (16/16, 100%) in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), disc space narrowing (14/16, 88%) in X-ray and MRI, or bone destruction and sclerosis around the damaged zone (13/16, 81%) in computed tomography, with rare cases of psoas abscess (2/16, 13%) and sequestrum (1/16, 6%). Conclusion. Since brucellar spondylitis exhibited characteristic clinical and imaging manifestations, it could be diagnosed with specific laboratory tests. Early MRI examination of suspected cases could improve rapid diagnosis.
Plasma Membrane Voltage-dependent Anion Channel Mediates Antiestrogen-activated Maxi Cl– Currents in C1300 Neuroblastoma Cells*

The cell membrane large conductance voltage-dependent chloride channel (Maxi Cl– channel) has been recorded in different cell types following excision of membrane patches or stimulation by antiestrogens under whole-cell recording conditions. However, both its molecular nature and relevance to cell physiology await elucidation. Its electrophysiological properties resemble those of the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) of the outer mitochondrial membrane. This observation has led to the controversial hypothesis that VDAC could be the molecular correlate of the plasma membrane Maxi Cl– channel. We have investigated the cellular localization of VDAC and its relationship with the antiestrogen-activated Maxi Cl– current in C1300 neuroblastoma cells. The presence of a plasma membrane VDAC was demonstrated by immunoblotting of membrane fractions with monoclonal antibodies against the VDAC and by reverse transcription-PCR using primers that hybridize to a VDAC sequence coding for an N-terminal leader peptide required for its plasma membrane sorting. Besides, VDAC colocalized with markers of plasma membrane lipid rafts (cholera toxin β subunit) but not caveolin-1. Transfection of C1300 cells with an antisense oligonucleotide directed against the specific membrane leader sequence of VDAC markedly reduced both VDAC immunostaining and antiestrogen-activated Maxi Cl– currents, suggesting that VDAC forms the plasma membrane Maxi Cl– channel or a part thereof.
Experience of miscarriage: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Objective The objective of the study was to explore the experiences of those who have experienced miscarriage, focusing on men's and women's accounts of miscarriage. Design This was a qualitative study using a phenomenological framework. Following in-depth semistructured interviews, analysis was undertaken in order to identify superordinate themes relating to their experience of miscarriage. Setting A large tertiary-level maternity hospital in Ireland. Participants A purposive sample of 16 participants, comprising 10 women and 6 men, was recruited. Results 6 superordinate themes in relation to the participant's experience of miscarriage were identified: (1) acknowledgement of miscarriage as a valid loss; (2) misperceptions of miscarriage; (3) the hospital environment, management of miscarriage; (4) support and coping; (5) reproductive history; and (6) implications for future pregnancies. Conclusions One of the key findings illustrates a need for increased awareness in relation to miscarriage. The study also indicates that the experience of miscarriage has a considerable impact on men and women. This study highlights that a thorough investigation of the underlying causes of miscarriage and continuity of care in subsequent pregnancies are priorities for those who experience miscarriage. Consideration should be given to the manner in which women who have not experienced recurrent miscarriage but have other potential risk factors for miscarriage could be followed up in clinical practice.
Workplace representatives in service sector organizing campaigns : roles and tensions

Introduction This paper considers the roles of workplace activists in the process of union organising, and in union renewal activity more widely. There is a long history of studies that examine the role of amongst many others). Similarly, there is a wider literature that debates and reflects on processes of union renewal of various forms In the UK, the mid-1990s saw a " turn to organising " as the preferred narrative of unions seeking to renew themselves (Martinez Lucio and Stuart 2008). This fitted with a broader political change and the election of the New Labour government in 1997. The change of government after a period of 18 years (1979-1997) of right-wing Conservative Party rule brought with it a significant shift of political and policy context (see Smith and Morton 2002 for further discussion). The most relevant change for the purpose of this analysis was the introduction of statutory trade union recognition legislation in 1999, subsequently amended in 2004. The combination of the more politically and legislatively supportive context of trade unionism underpinned a significant investment in organising activity and a notable shift of emphasis towards promoting organising policies (Heery et al 2003).
Clinical validation of the tempus xT next-generation targeted oncology sequencing assay

We developed and clinically validated a hybrid capture next generation sequencing assay to detect somatic alterations and microsatellite instability in solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. This targeted oncology assay utilizes tumor-normal matched samples for highly accurate somatic alteration calling and whole transcriptome RNA sequencing for unbiased identification of gene fusion events. The assay was validated with a combination of clinical specimens and cell lines, and recorded a sensitivity of 99.1% for single nucleotide variants, 98.1% for indels, 99.9% for gene rearrangements, 98.4% for copy number variations, and 99.9% for microsatellite instability detection. This assay presents a wide array of data for clinical management and clinical trial enrollment while conserving limited tissue.
The cost of email interruption

The use of email by employees at the Danwood Group was studied and it was found that the interrupt effect from emails is more than generally believed. Employees allowed themselves to be interrupted almost as frequently as telephone calls and the common reaction to the arrival of an email is to react almost as quickly as they would respond to telephone calls. This means the interrupt effect is comparable with that of a telephone call. The recovery time from an email interruption was found to be significantly less than the published recovery time for telephone calls. It is to be concluded, therefore, that while Email is still less disruptive than the telephone, the way the majority of users handle their incoming email has been shown to give far more interruption than expected. By analysing the data captured the authors have been able to create recommendations for a set of guidelines for email usage within the workplace that will increase employee efficiency by reducing the prominence of interruptions, restricting the use of email‐to‐all messages, setting‐up the email application to display three lines of the email and to check for email less frequently. It is recommended that training should be given to staff on how to use email more effectively to increase employee productivity.
The significance of splenectomy in experimental swine models of controlled hemorrhagic shock.

Abstract : Animal models of hemorrhagic shock are the cornerstone in understanding the complexities of molecular and cellular milieu associated with hemorrhage and in searching for new therapies. In the swine hemorrhage model, splenectomy is at times performed as part of the experimental procedure as in the recent article by Kheirabadi in which the authors used splenectomized swine to assess the efficacy of a Combat Ready Clamp to control hemorrhage and blood loss. Splenectomy has been advocated based on the notion that during hemorrhage, there is a release of variable amounts of sequestered erythrocytes, clotting factors, and platelets from the spleen. However, the necessity of splenectomy for a robust model of hemorrhageis not unanimously established, and a large number of experimental hemorrhage studies have been conducted in nonsplenectomized animals. In a letter to the editor, Devlin raised the question related to the necessity of splenectomy in these animal models and additionally stated that splenectomy may introduce a more confounding variable than what researchers are seeking to avoid with the procedure.
A FREEWAY TRAFFIC MODEL IN A FIRST ORDER HYBRID PETRI NET FRAMEWORK

The paper presents a model for traffic state estimation and control of the freeways. The model is based on a First-Order Hybrid Petri Net (FOHPN) framework, a hybrid Petri net formalism including continuous places holding fluid, discrete places containing a non-negative integer number of tokens and transitions, which are either discrete or continuous. In order to suitably describe the dynamics of the freeway traffic flow, we allow updating the transition firing speed as a function of the markings modeling the freeway traffic. Moreover, we propose an online optimal control coordination of speed limits with the objective of maximizing the flow density. The use of FOHPNs offers several significant advantages with respect to the model existing in the related literature: the graphical feature enables an easy modular modeling approach and the mathematical aspects efficiently allow simulating and optimizing the system. The effectiveness of the FOHPN formalism is shown by applying the proposed modeling technique to a stretch of a freeway in the North-East of Italy.
An Efficient Targeting Strategy for Multiobject Spectrograph Surveys: the Sloan Digital Sky Survey “Tiling” Algorithm

Large surveys using multiobject spectrographs require automated methods for deciding how to efficiently point observations and how to assign targets to each pointing. The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) will observe around 106 spectra from targets distributed over an area of about 10,000 deg2, using a multiobject fiber spectrograph that can simultaneously observe 640 objects in a circular field of view (referred to as a "tile") 1. °49 in radius. No two fibers can be placed closer than 55″ during the same observation; multiple targets closer than this distance are said to "collide. " We present here a method of allocating fibers to desired targets given a set of tile centers that includes the effects of collisions and that is nearly optimally efficient and uniform. Because of large-scale structure in the galaxy distribution (which form the bulk of the SDSS targets), a naive covering of the sky with equally spaced tiles does not yield uniform sampling. Thus, we present a heuristic for perturbing the centers of the tiles from the equally spaced distribution that provides more uniform completeness. For the SDSS sample, we can attain a sampling rate of greater than 92% for all targets, and greater than 99% for the set of targets that do not collide with each other, with an efficiency greater than 90% (defined as the fraction of available fibers assigned to targets). The methods used here may prove useful to those planning other large surveys.
Extending a Medical Language Processing System to the Functional Status Domain

The World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) provides a common framework for describing functional status information (FSI) in health records. Given the expense of manual coding, we are investigating the use of natural language processing (NLP) for automated FSI coding. We used an existing NLP system that was originally designed to encode clinical information. The system's lexicon and coding table were modified and preprocessing and postprocessing programs were created, allowing for automated assignment of selected ICF codes.
Behavioral simulation of biological neuron systems using VHDL and VHDL-AMS

The investigation of neuron structures is an incredibly difficult and complex task that yields relatively low rewards in terms of information from biological forms (either animals or tissue). The structures and connectivity of even the simplest invertebrates are almost impossible to establish with standard laboratory techniques, and even when this is possible it is generally time consuming, complex and expensive. Recent work has shown how a simplified behavioural approach to modelling neurons can allow "virtual" experiments to be carried out that map the behaviour of a simulated structure onto a hypothetical biological one, with correlation of behaviour rather than underlying connectivity. The problems with such approaches are numerous. The first is the difficulty of simulating realistic aggregates efficiently, the second is making sense of the results and finally, it would be helpful to have an implementation that could be synthesised to hardware for acceleration. In this paper we present a VHDL implementation of Neuron models that allow large aggregates to be simulated. The models are demonstrated using a system level VHDL and VHDL-AMS model of the C. Elegans locomotory system.
Metabolic lipid muscle disorders: biomarkers and treatment

Lipid storage myopathies (LSMs) are metabolic disorders of the utilization of fat in muscles due to several different defects. In this review, a molecular update of LSMs is presented and recent attempts of finding treatment options are discussed. The main topics discussed are: primary carnitine deficiency, riboflavin-responsive multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency, neutral lipid storage disorders and carnitine palmitoyl transferase deficiency. The most frequent presentations and genetic abnormalities are summarized. We present their diagnosis utilizing biomedical and morphological biomarkers and possible therapeutic interventions. The treatment of these metabolic disorders is a subject of active translational research but appears, in some cases, still elusive.
Unified modeling and measurement of current-programmed converters

A unified model is established for a current-programmed converter, which is both a modification and an extension of familiar models. Inclusion of the sampling effect allows the presence of an additional pole in the current-loop gain to be inferred. The resulting final double-slope asymptote is fixed in position, and the crossover frequency cannot exceed half the switching frequency. A new stability parameter, Q/sub s/, determines the additional pole and describes the degree of peaking in the closed-loop transfer functions. Experimental verification uses an analog signal injection technique. <<ETX>>
Japanese cross-cultural validation study of the Pain Stage of Change Questionnaire

Introduction: Although evidence supports efficacy of treatments that enhance self-management of chronic pain, the efficacy of these treatments has been hypothesized to be influenced by patient readiness for self-management. The Pain Stage of Change Questionnaire (PSOCQ) is a reliable and valid measure of patient readiness to self-manage pain. However, there is not yet a Japanese version of the PSOCQ (PSOCQ-J), which limits our ability to evaluate the role of readiness for pain self-management in function and treatment response in Japanese patients with chronic pain. Objective: Here, we sought to develop the PSOCQ-J and evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods: We recruited 201 patients with chronic pain. The study participants were asked to complete the PSOCQ-J and other measures assessing pain severity, pain interference, catastrophizing, self-efficacy, and pain coping strategies. Results: The results supported a 4-factor structure of the PSOCQ-J. We also found good to excellent internal consistencies and good test–retest reliabilities for the 4 scales. The Precontemplation scale had weak to moderate positive correlations with measures of pain-related dysfunction and maladaptive coping. The Action and Maintenance scales had weak to moderate positive correlations with measures of self-efficacy and adaptive coping. The Contemplation scale had weak positive correlations with measures of pain interference and both adaptive and maladaptive coping. Conclusions: The PSOCQ-J demonstrated adequate psychometric properties in a sample of Japanese patients with chronic pain. This measure can be used to evaluate the role that readiness to self-manage pain may play in adjustment to chronic pain in Japanese pain populations.
Research Article Factors Associated with Insomnia among Elderly Patients Attending a Geriatric Centre in Nigeria

License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Background. Insomnia is a form of chronic sleep problem of public health importance which impacts the life of elderly people negatively. Methods. Cross-sectional study of 843 elderly patients aged 60 years and above who presented consecutively at Interview was used to diagnose insomnia. We assessed the following candidate variables which may be associated with insomnia such as socidemographic characteristics, morbidities, and lifestyle habits. Statistical analysis was done with SPSS 17. Results. The point prevalence of insomnia was 27.5%. Insomnia was significantly associated with being female, not being currently married, having formal education, living below the poverty line, and not being physically active. Health complaints of abdominal pain, generalized body pain, and persistent headaches were significantly associated with insomnia. Conclusion. The high prevalence of insomnia among elderly patients in this setting calls for concerted effort by healthcare workers to educate the elderly on lifestyle modification.
Targeting malignant glioma cells in vitro using platelet-derived growth factor AA-based conjugates

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an unusually aggressive brain tumor; it is also highly heterogeneous. Poor prognosis and a median survival of less than 1 year, using conventional treatment, calls for development of new treatment strategies. Overexpression and/or amplification of platelet-derived growth factor alpha receptors (PDGFαRs) in GBM might act as potential targets for a novel therapeutic approach. In this study, conjugates based on PDGFAA-ligand and dextran, of different sizes (10 and 40 kDa dextran), were prepared and investigated regarding targeting properties in vitro. Three human malignant glioma cell lines, U343MGa31L, U343MGaCl2:6, and U563MG, were used because of their previously reported differences in receptor expression and behavior. PDGFAA-based 10 kDa dextran iodine-125 radiolabeled conjugates showed the most favorable properties according to results achieved in accumulation, retention, and localization of cell-associated radioactivity. In comparison with dextran-125I-tyrosine delivered radioactivity, the PDGFAA-based dextran conjugates confirm the potential of receptor targeting.
The iliac apophysis and the evolution of curves in scoliosis.

1. The belief that the cessation of spinal growth and curve progression coincides with the completion of growth in the iliac apophyses has been confirmed in a review of material from 224 cases. This applies also to paralytic curves. 2. In a high number of cases this ossification centre showed an asymmetrical development on the two sides of the pelvis. The appearance of a separate posterior centre of ossification is also common, and probably represents an advanced stage in the growth of the iliac apophysis. 3. Menarche and the growth of the apophyses of the vertebral bodies almost always occurred in advance of the iliac apophyses. They should be regarded as early signs of maturation, not reliable in the prognosis of curve progression. 4. The growth of the iliac apophysis appeared to be unaffected by poliomyelitis.
Exponential Stabilization of a Rayleigh Beam Using Collocated Control

We consider a hinged elastic beam described by the Rayleigh beam equation on the interval [0,pi]. We assume the presence of two sensors: one measures the angular velocity of the beam at a point xi epsiv [0,pi] and the other measures the bending (curvature) of the beam at the same point. (If xi = 0 or xi = pi, then the second output is not needed.) The corresponding operator semigroup is unitary on a suitable Hilbert state space. These two measurements are advantageous because they make the open-loop system exactly observable, regardless of the point xi. We design the actuators and the feedback law in order to exponentially stabilize this system. Using the theory of collocated static output feedback developed in our recent paper , we design the actuators such that they are collocated, meaning that B = C*, where B is the control operator and C is the observation operator. It turns out that if xi epsiv [0,pi], then the actuators cause a discontinuity of the bending exactly at (this is the price, in this example, of having collocated actuators and sensors). This obliges us to use an extension of to define the output signal in terms of the left and right limit of the bending at xi. We prove that, for all static output feedback gains in a suitable finite range, the closed-loop system is well posed and exponentially stable. This follows from the general theory in our paper, whose main points are recalled here.
Hybrid Switching Diffusions: Properties and Applications

and Motivation. - Basic Properties, Recurrence, Ergodicity. - Switching Diffusion. - Recurrence. - Ergodicity. - Numerical Solutions and Approximation. - Numerical Approximation. - Numerical Approximation to Invariant Measures. - Stability. - Stability. - Stability of Switching ODEs. - Invariance Principles. - Two-time-scale Modeling and Applications. - Positive Recurrence: Weakly Connected Ergodic Classes. - Stochastic Volatility Using Regime-Switching Diffusions. - Two-Time-Scale Switching Jump Diffusions.
Twend: twisting and bending as new interaction gesture in mobile devices

In this work we present a hardware prototype that uses bending gestures as input for a mobile device and experimental setups that compare possible gestures with other, more traditional input methods in mobile computing. These will eventually result in guidelines for researchers and designers how to build bendable devices and show new interaction metaphors for computer user interfaces.