Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pattern of systemic lupus erythematosus in Egyptian patients: the impact of disease activity on the quality of life

Introduction Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) afflicts young people disproportionately, often at a crucial time in their lives when they are trying to establish relationships, start families and launch careers. As a result, persons with SLE may experience a wide range of physical and psychosocial problems that are not always fully captured by descriptions of the disease’s physiological consequences alone. Methods In order to characterize the spectrum of the effects of SLE with regards to disease activity and its impact on the quality of life (QoL), a case control study involving 59 SLE Egyptian patients (mean age 28.6 years, 94.9% females) and 20 healthy controls was undertaken. Disease activity was measured by SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), and quality of life was measured by Short Form–36 health questionnaire (SF-36). Results Mucocutaneous and hematological manifestations were present in most of the patients and arthralgia in half of them. All domains of SF-36 including general health, physical functions, physical limitations, energy/fatigue, emotional well-being, pain, social functions, and health changes were significantly lower in SLE patients compared to controls. Except for emotional limitations, all domains were correlated with disease activity and low in class IV-V lupus nephritis. Conclusion Physicians should focus on QoL and how to improve it; health education regarding the negative impact of disease activity on the patients should be given attention. The results of QoL studies help physicians to understand and provide better support to SLE patients beside rapid meticulous control of disease activity.
In vivo treatment of (NZB X NZW)F1 lupus-like nephritis with monoclonal antibody to gamma interferon

The (NZB X NZW)F1 mouse is recognized as an important animal model of the human disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Groups of NZB/W F1 mice were treated either with IFN-gamma or with PBS. The results demonstrate that IFN-treated animals have accelerated development of fatal immune complex glomerulonephritis relative to age-matched controls. On the other hand, administration of mAbs specific for IFN- gamma to such mice from 4 to 7 mo of age resulted in significant remission. Development of both proteinuria and anti-DNA antibodies were delayed and survival at 11 mo was increased from less than 20% to 95% in treated mice relative to controls (p less than or equal to 0.001). These findings may have therapeutic implications for the treatment of SLE.
FUSION AND PERCEPTUAL ORGANISATION OF FEATURES FROM MULTI-SENSOR DATA: GENERAL CONCEPTS AND NEW DEVELOPMENTS

While the available, eventually multi-source data from remo t sensing systems yield the advantage of producing more feat ures, he crucial point in the scene interpretation workflow is still t he big, application dependent gap between these features and the rela ted object characteristics. The necessary bridging process of pe rceptual organisation as well as the fusion of features have been neglected too much in the past. In this contribution we will pres ent our methodological developments concentrating on the perceptual organisation of features that have been derived from multi-sensor data aiming at the extraction and classificati on of topographic surface edges. The algorithm we are proposing cons ists of a segmentation and classification of the raster-ba sed elevation and image data, transforming the resulting polygon o utlines into vector format and performing some post-processi ng steps (dilation, smoothing).
Spironolactone and hydrochlorothiazide exert antioxidant effects and reduce vascular matrix metalloproteinase‐2 activity and expression in a model of renovascular hypertension

Background and purpose: Increased oxidative stress and up‐regulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) may cause structural and functional vascular changes in renovascular hypertension. We examined whether treatment with spironolactone (SPRL), hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) or both drugs together modified hypertension‐induced changes in arterial blood pressure, aortic remodelling, vascular reactivity, oxidative stress and MMP levels and activity, in a model of renovascular hypertension.
Writing, the Feminine and Organization

Summary We consider how genre and gender are implicated in academic writing about work organizations, noting that masterful, rational and penetrating masculine forms have long been dominant. The result is the privileging of a masculine style of writing that has come to be seen both as gender neutral and mandatory. This has served both to marginalize women's writing and to disable men's femininity. To subvert and undermine this, we consider the possibilities of a feminine writing of organization that defies rational categorization so as to enable a multitude of affectual voices and texts to cross over from exclusion. This creates a space where feminine writing can be encouraged and published and where issues surrounding the feminine can flourish.
Measures matter: the relative contribution of anxiety and depression to suicidal ideation in clinically referred anxious youth using brief versus full length questionnaires

Background: A cross‐sectional design was used to examine links between suicidal ideation, depression, and anxiety using brief [Stark and Laurent, 2001: J Clin Child Psychol 30:552–567] and full length versions of the Children's Depression Inventory [CDI; Kovacs, 1980/1981: Acta Paedopsychiatr 46:305–315] and Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale [RCMAS; Reynolds and Richmond, 1985: Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale. California: Western Psychological Services]. Methods: The sample consisted of 252 children and adolescents (ages 7–16 years, M=9.94 years (SD=2.4)) seeking treatment at a childhood anxiety disorders specialty research clinic. Results: Using structural equation modeling, results indicated that the relative contribution of anxiety and depression in the presence of suicidal ideation varies depending on the measures used. Specifically, anxiety had a significant direct and indirect effect on suicidal ideation presence using a brief version of the RCMAS, but only an indirect effect using the full length version. Depression had a significant direct effect on suicidal ideation presence using both brief and full versions of the CDI. Conclusions: These findings suggest that anxiety may play a role in predicting suicidal ideation in clinic‐referred anxious youth, but whether this role is detected depends on the measurement strategy. Given that “measures matter,” future studies using similar as well as different samples as the one used in this study need to consider careful measurement strategies, as different findings may emerge depending on whether brief or full length versions of questionnaires are used. Depression and Anxiety 25:E27–E35, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
New Multilevel Converters With Coupled Inductors: Properties and Control

In the paper, a new five-level (5L) converter is presented. It is called 5L-active-neutral-point-clamped with coupled-inductor (5L-ANPC-CI) and consists of a three-level bidirectional (3L-B) commutation cell connected to two parallel basic commutation cells. The proposed topology can be seen as two cascaded current stages controlled at different frequencies. The high-current stage is specific to the 3L-B cell controlled at low-frequency, while the low-current stage corresponds to the parallel cells with coupled-inductor controlled at high-frequency (HF). Due to this advantage, the new converter appears as a useful solution to increase the output current, while the switched current through the HF power devices is reduced. The operation principle of the new structure is verified by simulations both for single- and for three-phase topologies. Experimental results for single-phase 5L-ANPC-CI converter on a low-voltage test bench are also provided to validate the proper operation of this concept.
Health status as a potential effect modifier of the relation between noise annoyance and incidence of ischaemic heart disease

Aims: Traffic noise is a psychosocial stressor. Epidemiological studies suggest chronic noise stress to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disorders. Methods: In a prospective cohort study, the association between annoyance and disturbances due to road traffic noise and the incidence of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) was studied in 3950 middle aged men. Results: Depending on the questionnaire item, non-significant odds ratios for IHD incidence ranging from 0.9 to 1.4 were found for the highly noise annoyed/disturbed subjects when compared with the less annoyed/disturbed subjects, over the six year follow up period. However, this relation was strongly modified by the prevalence of pre-existing chronic diseases. In subjects free of any chronic disease at the beginning of the follow up, significant odds ratios between 1.7 and 3.0 were seen. In the subgroup with chronic diseases no such noise effects were seen. This surprising result of no effect in the group of people with a potential risk, due to pre-existing health problems, may be because of the dilution of the true effect due to recall bias. Conclusions: Annoyance and disturbance due to road traffic noise is associated with a higher incidence of IHD. Prevalence of disease can be an important effect modifier of the relation between noise annoyance and health outcomes.
Touch in Museums: Policy and Practice in Object Handling

List of Illustrations List of Contributors Introduction Helen Chatterjee PART I What Do We Mean By Touch? 1 Museums, modernity and the class politics of touching objects Fiona Candlin 2 Making sense of touch Charles Spence and Alberto Gallace 3 Emotional touch: A neuroscientific overview Hugo Critchley 4 Explorations in exploratory touch: The role of feeling in touching objects Francis McGlone PART II New Technologies for Enhancing Object Interpretation 5 The use of haptic interfaces in haptics research Christos Giachritsis 6 Tactual explorations: A tactile interpretation of a museum exhibit through tactile artworks and augmented reality Isil Onol 7 CONTACT: Digital modelling of object and process in artefact teaching Roger Doonan and Michael Boyd 8 Out of touch? Digital technologies, ethnographic objects and sensory orders Graeme Were 9 A versatile large-scale multimodal VR system for cultural heritage visualisation Celine Loscos 10 Touch technologies and museum access Robert Zimmer, Janis Jefferies and Mandayam Srinivasan PART III Touch and Memory 11 A memory for touch: The cognitive psychology of tactile memory Alberto Gallace and Charles Spence 12 Aesthetics of touch among the elderly Michael Rowlands 13 Reminiscence: Recent work at The British Museum Laura Phillips 14 Getting a handle on the past: The use of objects in reminiscence work Bernie Arigho PART IV Therapeutic Approaches to Touch 15 Enrichment programmes in hospitals: Using museum loan boxes in University College London Hospital Guy Noble and Helen Chatterjee 16 See, touch and enjoy: Newham University Hospital's nostalgia room, Jackie O'Sullivan 17 Measuring the 'difficult to measure' Caroline Selai PART V Knowledge Transfer in Object Handling 18 How accessible are museums today? Marcus Weisen. 19 The British Museum in Pentonville Prison: Dismantling barriers through touch and handling Jane Samuels, The British Museum. 20 The amenable object: working with diaspora communities through a psychoanalysis of touch Bernadette Lynch. The Future Touch and the value of object handling: Final conclusions for a new sensory museology Devorah Romanek and Bernadette Lynch. Index
Biased Survival Beliefs, Psychological and Cognitive Explanations, and the Demand for Life Insurances

This paper presents new findings on biased survival beliefs by constructing their individual-level objective counterparts. We find that biases can be modelled through age-dependent probability weighting functions as known in cumulative prospect theory. The dynamics of these probability weighting functions over age suggest that misconception is increasingly driven by pessimism and likelihood insensitivity. These findings are in line with rationalizations in the literature using structural behavioral learning models with psychological biases. Exploiting newly available data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) on psychological factors we provide further empirical evidence supporting these explanations. Finally, we show that misconception is relevant for the demand for life insurance.
The genetic blueprint of major depressive disorder: Contributions of imaging genetics studies

Abstract Objectives. To review neuroimaging intermediate phenotypes of MDD and their relation to genetic risk variants. Methods. A systematic literature search of peer-reviewed English language articels using PubMed (www.pubmed.org) was performed. Results. Comprehensive evidence on the influence of serotonergic genes (SLC6A4, HTR1A, MAOA, TPH2) and BDNF on the following neural intermediate phenotypes is displayed: amygdala reactivity, coupling of amygdala-anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activity, ACC volume, hippocampal volume and serotonin receptor 1A (5-HT1A) binding potential (BP). Conclusions. Intermediate phenotypes may bridge the gap between genotype and phenotype by reducing the impreciseness of psychiatric phenotypes and yield more insights into the underlying biology.
Motivations for healthful dietary change

Abstract Objective: To describe scales that measure motivations for changing dietary behaviour, and to examine associations of these scales with current diet and dietary change. Design: A secondary analysis of a randomised trial of a self-help intervention to promote lower fat and higher fruit and vegetable consumption. Participants and setting: Participants were 1205 adults selected at random from enrolees of a large Health Maintenance Organization. At baseline, data were collected on motives for changing diet, fruit and vegetable intake, fat-related dietary habits, and demographic characteristics. Participants were then randomised to receive the intervention or to receive no materials. A follow-up survey was administered at 12 months. Results: A majority of participants reported that it was very important to make dietary changes to feel better (72%) and to control an existing medical problem (57%), but very few (4%) were motivated by pressure from others. Factor analysis of the diet motivation items yielded two intrinsic (‘self-image’ and ‘personal health’) and one extrinsic (‘social pressure’) scales with fair internal consistency reliabilities (Cronbach's α = 0.59 to 0.68). Motivation scales were statistically significantly associated with demographic characteristics and baseline diet. For example, desire for a better self-image was a stronger motivator for changing diet among females, while personal health was more important to older persons and men (P < 0.001). Social pressure to change diet was statistically significantly associated with higher fat intake (r = 0.11) and self-image was associated with lower fat intake (r = −0.14, both P < 0.001). Motivation by social pressure and self-image were both significantly associated with greater fat reduction at 12 months post-intervention (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The intrinsic and extrinsic motivation scales were weakly associated with current diet and predicted response to dietary intervention. More research is needed to better characterise and measure motives for dietary change, and to test whether tailoring interventions based on individuals' motives for dietary change would improve intervention effectiveness.
Activation of Receptor Activator of NF-κB Ligand Gene Expression by 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Is Mediated through Multiple Long-Range Enhancers

ABSTRACT RANKL is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-like factor secreted by mesenchymal cells, osteoblast derivatives, and T cells that is essential for osteoclastogenesis. In osteoblasts, RANKL expression is regulated by two major calcemic hormones, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] and parathyroid hormone (PTH), as well as by several inflammatory/osteoclastogenic cytokines; the molecular mechanisms for this regulation are unclear. To identify such mechanisms, we screened a DNA microarray which tiled across the entire mouse RankL gene locus at a 50-bp resolution using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-derived DNA precipitated with antibodies to the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and the retinoid X receptor (RXR). Five sites of dimer interaction were observed on the RankL gene centered at 16, 22, 60, 69, and 76 kb upstream of the TSS. These regions contained binding sites for not only VDR and RXR, but also the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). The most distant of these regions, termed the distal control region (RL-DCR), conferred both VDR-dependent 1,25(OH)2D3 and GR-dependent glucocorticoid (GC) responses. We mapped these activities to an unusual but functionally active vitamin D response element and to several potential GC response elements located over a more extensive region within the RL-DCR. An evolutionarily conserved region within the human RANKL gene contained a similar vitamin D response element and exhibited an equivalent behavior. Importantly, hormonal activation of the RankL gene was also associated with chromatin modification and RNA polymerase II recruitment. Our studies demonstrate that regulation of RankL gene expression by 1,25(OH)2D3 is complex and mediated by at least five distal regions, one of which contains a specific element capable of mediating direct transcriptional activation.
Thrombospondin type I domain containing 7A (THSD7A) mediates endothelial cell migration and tube formation

Angiogenesis is a highly organized process controlled by a series of molecular events. While much effort has been devoted to identifying angiogenic factors and their reciprocal receptors, far less information is available on the molecular mechanisms underlying directed endothelial cell migration. To search for novel proteins that participate in this process, we used the serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) transcript profiling approach to identify genes that are selectively expressed in endothelial cells (ECs). Two EC SAGE libraries were constructed from human umbilical vein and artery ECs to enable data‐mining against other non‐ECs. A novel endothelial protein, Thrombospondin Type I Domain Containing 7A (THSD7A), with preferential expression in placenta vasculature and in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was identified and targeted for further characterization. Overexpression of a THSD7A carboxyl‐terminal fragment in HUVECs inhibited cell migration and disrupted tube formation, while suppression of THSD7A expression enhanced HUVEC migration and tube formation. Immunohistological analysis revealed that THSD7A was expressed at the leading edge of migrating HUVECs, and it co‐localized with αVβ3 integrin and paxillin. This distribution was dispersed from focal adhesions after disruption of the actin cytoskeleton, suggesting the involvement of THSD7A in cytoskeletal organization. Our results show that THSD7A is a novel placenta endothelial protein that mediates EC migration and tube formation, and they highlight its potential as a new target for anti‐angiogenic therapy. J. Cell. Physiol. 222: 685–694, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Tight worst-case response-time analysis for ethernet AVB using eligible intervals

Busy period analysis is often used as a basis for worst-case response time analysis of priority based systems. However, when shaping strategies are used to prevent starvation of lower priorities, it becomes difficult to achieve tightness results using this method. The reason for this is that a busy period is defined as the longest interval in which there exists pending load. It is exclusively based on execution time, and does not take the amount of provided bandwidth into account. As a consequence, it is less suitable for the study of idling systems. In particular, we do not yet have tightness results regarding the analysis of the Ethernet AVB standard, in which credit-based shaping is applied. In this paper, we propose an alternative to the use of busy periods. We show that, by defining an eligible interval in such a way that provisioning is taken into account, tight worst-case response time bounds can more easily be obtained for Ethernet AVB, at least in the case of either lower-or higher-priority interference.
A conserved role for the ARC1 E3 ligase in Brassicaceae self-incompatibility

Ubiquitination plays essential roles in the regulation of many processes in plants including pollen rejection in self-incompatible species. In the Brassicaceae (mustard family), self-incompatibility drives the rejection of self-pollen by preventing pollen hydration following pollen contact with the stigmatic surface. Self-pollen is recognized by a ligand-receptor pair: the pollen S-locus cysteine rich/S-locus protein 11 (SCR/SP11) ligand and the pistil S receptor kinase (SRK). Following self-pollen contact, the SCR/SP11 ligand on the pollen surface binds to SRK on the pistil surface, and the SRK-activated signaling pathway is initiated. This pathway includes the armadillo repeat containing 1 (ARC1) protein, a member of the plant U-box (PUB) family of E3 ubiquitin ligases. ARC1 is a functional E3 ligase and is required downstream of SRK for the self-incompatibility response. This mini review highlights our recent progress in establishing ARC1’s conserved role in self-pollen rejection in Brassica and Arabidopsis species and discusses future research directions in this field.
Thalassaemia of intermediate severity resulting from the interaction between a- and J-th alassaemia

SUMMARY A Sicilian family is described in which the a-thalassaemia gene is interacting in several members with fl-thalassaemia resulting in a balanced l/f chain production ratio. In one patient, affected by homozygous fl-thalassaemia, the presence of a-thalassaemia resulted in a less severe clinical expression of the disease, less marked imbalance in the a/non-a ratio, and a lower level ofHb F. Further studies of haemoglobin synthesis are needed to clarify the complex genetic picture that results from the interaction of different forms of thalassaemia. The
The effect of current flow direction on motor hot spot allocation by transcranial magnetic stimulation

The objective of this study was to investigate the significance of pulse configurations and current direction for corticospinal activation using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). In 11 healthy subjects (8 female), a motor map for the motor evoked potentials (MEPs) recorded from the first dorsal interosseus (FDI), abductor digiti minimi (ADM), extensor carpi radialis, and biceps brachii (BB) muscles of the dominant side was established. Starting from a manually determined hot spot of the FDI representation, we measured MEPs at equal oriented points on an hexagonal grid, with 7 MEPs recorded at each point, using the following pulse configurations: posteriorly directed monophasic (Mo‐P), anteriorly directed monophasic (Mo‐A), biphasic with the more relevant second cycle oriented posteriorly (Bi‐P) as well as a reversed biphasic condition (Bi‐A). For each pulse configuration, a hot spot was determined and a center of gravity (CoG) was calculated. We found that the factor current direction had an effect on location of the CoG‐adjusted hot spot in the cranio‐caudal axis but not in the latero‐medial direction with anteriorly directed pulses locating the CoG more anteriorly and vice versa. In addition, the CoG for the FDI was more laterally than the cortical representations for the abductor digiti minimi (ADM) and extensor carpi radialis (ECR) which were registered as well. The results indicate that direction of the current pulse should be taken into account for determination of the motor representation of a muscle by TMS.