Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Objective functional results in patients with knee osteoarthritis submitted to a 2-day educational programme: a prospective randomised clinical trial

Background Although education is recommended for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA), its effectiveness in osteoarthritis (OA) remains low according to subjective questionnaires. The timed-up-and-go (TUG) and five-times-sit-to-stand tests (FTSST) reflect muscle strength and balance and could be used as objective measures of effectiveness. Aim To measure the effect of an educational programme in patients with KOA by TUG and FTSST and correlate these results to those of subjective questionnaires. Methods Prospective randomised controlled trial of patients with KOA. Participants (n=198) were allocated into four groups. Three groups participated in 2 days of lectures with 1 (group 1), 2 (group 2) and 3-month (group 3) intervals between classes. Group 4 had no classes. Participants were asked to exercise at least three times a week. Half of the patients from all groups received bimonthly telephone calls reinforcing diet and exercise instructions. All four groups received the printed and video material presented in the classes. At baseline and at 1 year after initial assessment, patients performed the FTSST and TUG and answered WOMAC, Lequesne, SF-36 and Visual Analogue Scale questionnaires. Results The TUG results did not change at 1 year follow-up, whereas FTSST improved (average difference of 4.66, p<0.001) irrespective of the implementation of classes or telephone calls. Both baseline and 1 year TUG and FTSST results correlated weakly (r<0.3) to the subjective functional, pain and quality of life results (p<0.001). Conclusions This educational programme improved function as determined by lower limb muscle strength (FTSST) irrespective of the patients’ subjective non-improvement. Trial registration number Clinical trials registration number: NCT01572051. Level of evidence Level 1A.
The evolution of material properties during physical aging

Reference LTC-ARTICLE-1995-007doi:10.1002/pen.760350505 URL: http://www3.interscience. wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/107639236 Record created on 2006-06-26, modified on 2016-08-08
Sprouty2 inhibits amphiregulin-induced down-regulation of E-cadherin and cell invasion in human ovarian cancer cells

Similar to Drosophila Sprouty (SPRY), mammalian SPRY proteins inhibit the receptor tyrosine kinase-mediated activation of cellular signaling pathways. SPRY2 expression levels have been shown to be down-regulated in human ovarian cancer, and patients with low SPRY2 expression have significantly poorer survival than those with high SPRY2 expression. In addition, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in human ovarian cancer and is associated with more aggressive clinical behavior and a poor prognosis. Amphiregulin (AREG), the most abundant EGFR ligand in ovarian cancer, binds exclusively to EGFR and stimulates ovarian cancer cell invasion by down-regulating E-cadherin expression. However, thus far, the roles of SPRY2 in AREG-regulated E-cadherin expression and cell invasion remain unclear. In the present study, we show that treatment with AREG up-regulated SPRY2 expression by activating the EGFR-mediated ERK1/2 signaling pathway in two human ovarian cancer cell lines, SKOV3 and OVCAR5. In addition, overexpression of SPRY2 attenuated the AREG-induced down-regulation of E-cadherin by inhibiting the induction of the E-cadherin transcriptional repressor, Snail. Moreover, SPRY2 overexpression attenuated AREG-stimulated cell invasion and proliferation. This study reveals that SPRY2 acts as a tumor suppressor in human ovarian cancer and illustrates the underlying mechanisms that can be used as possible targets for the development of novel therapeutics.
Multiphase Distribution Feeder Reduction

Quasi-static time-series simulations (QSTS) of distribution feeders are a critical element of distributed solar PV integration studies. QSTS are typically carried out through computer simulation tools, such as OpenDSS. Since a typical feeder contains thousands of buses, for long investigation periods or at fine time scales such simulations are computationally costly. Simulation times are reduced in this paper through a reduction of the number of buses in the model. The feeder reduction algorithm considers p-phase distribution feeders with unbalanced loads and generation, unbalanced wire impedance, and mutual coupling, while preserving the spatial variation of load and generation. An extensive Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis was performed on a real feeder from a California utility. All bus voltage differences are found to be less than 1.13% with a root mean square error of 0.21%. Simulation time savings were up to 96% when only one bus is selected to remain in the model. Example applications of the proposed algorithm are interconnection studies of utility-scale photovoltaic system to the distribution grid, siting analyses of other distributed energy resources and dynamic behavior of devices in large systems, such as smart inverters on distribution grids.
Efficient polynomial regression algorithm for LTE turbo decoding

In this paper, an efficient turbo decoding technique is proposed based on the polynomial regression method. The most known Logarithmic Maximum A Posteriori (Log-MAP) algorithms for turbo decoding in the Third Generation Partnership Project Long Term Evolution (3GPP LTE) is tested against most recent approaches in this area. The main reason for this work is to find the most suitable turbo decoding algorithm where the logarithmic-domain correction function is replaced with an approximation function with less complexity and close performance to the Log-MAP algorithm. One of the recent approaches replaces the logarithmic term in the Jacobian logarithmic function based on Taylor series. In the proposed approach, the approximation of the logarithmic function is performed by the polynomial regression procedure. The results show that the Taylor series algorithm achieved a satisfying bit error rate (BER) performance when compared to the Log-MAP with much less complexity and a gain of 0.38 dB when compared to the Max-Log-MAP algorithm. Moreover, the proposed efficient polynomial regression method results show that after a certain polynomial degree value the BER performance can be better than that of the Log-MAP algorithm with a 0.01 dB difference and decreased complexity as well. Also, the proposed algorithm shows an improvement of 0.07 dB compared to the recent Taylor series algorithm. A polynomial degree n = 4 is chosen according to the BER performance, processing time and the complexity of additions and multiplications procedures.
Ultrahigh Sensitivity of Anomalous Hall Effect Sensor Based on Cr-Doped Bi2Te3 Topological Insulator Thin Films

Anomalous Hall effect (AHE) was recently discovered in magnetic element-doped topological insulators (TIs), which promises low power consumption and high efficiency spintronics and electronics. This discovery broadens the family of Hall sensors. In this paper, AHE sensors based on Cr-doped Bi2Te3 topological insulator thin films are studied with two thicknesses (15 and 65 nm). It is found, in both cases, that ultrahigh Hall sensitivity can be obtained in Cr-doped Bi2Te3. Hall sensitivity reaches 1666 Ω/T in the sensor with the 15 nm TI thin film, which is higher than that of the conventional semiconductor HE sensor. The AHE of 65 nm sensors is even stronger, which causes the sensitivity increasing to 2620 Ω/T. Furthermore, after comparing Cr-doped Bi2Te3 with the previously studied Mn-doped Bi2Te3 TI Hall sensor, the sensitivity of the present AHE sensor shows about 60 times higher in 65 nm sensors. The implementation of AHE sensors based on a magnetic-doped TI thin film indicates that the TIs are good candidates for ultrasensitive AHE sensors.
Information Support for Health Management in Regional Sri Lanka: Health Managers' Perspectives

Good management, supported by accurate, timely and reliable health information, is vital for increasing the effectiveness of Health Information Systems (HIS). When it comes to managing the under-resourced health systems of developing countries, information-based decision making is particularly important. This paper reports findings of a self-report survey that investigated perceptions of local health managers (HMs) of their own regional HIS in Sri Lanka. Data were collected through a validated, pre-tested postal questionnaire, and distributed among a selected group of HMs to elicit their perceptions of the current HIS in relation to information generation, acquisition and use, required reforms to the information system and application of information and communication technology (ICT). Results based on descriptive statistics indicated that the regional HIS was poorly organised and in need of reform; that management support for the system was unsatisfactory in terms of relevance, accuracy, timeliness and accessibility; that political pressure and community and donor requests took precedence over vital health information when management decisions were made; and use of ICT was unsatisfactory. HIS strengths included user-friendly paper formats, a centralised planning system and an efficient disease notification system; weaknesses were lack of comprehensiveness, inaccuracy, and lack of a feedback system. Responses of participants indicated that HIS would be improved by adopting an internationally accepted framework and introducing ICT applications. Perceived barriers to such improvements were high initial cost of educating staff to improve computer literacy, introduction of ICTS, and HIS restructure. We concluded that the regional HIS of Central Province, Sri Lanka had failed to provide much-needed information support to HMS. These findings are consistent with similar research in other developing countries and reinforce the need for further research to verify causes of poor performance and to design strategic reforms to improve HIS in regional Sri Lanka.
Binary Constrained Deep Hashing Network for Image Retrieval without Human Intervention

Learning compact binary codes for image retrieval problem using deep neural networks has attracted increasing attention recently. However, training deep hashing networks is challenging due to the binary constraints on the hash codes, the similarity preserving properties, and the requirement for a vast amount of labelled images. To the best of our knowledge, none of the existing methods has tackled all of these challenges completely in a unified framework. In this work, we propose a novel end-toend deep hashing approach, which is trained to produce binary codes directly from image pixels without human intervention. In particular, our main contribution is to propose a novel pairwise loss function, which simultaneously encodes the distances between pairs of binary codes, and the binary quantization error. We propose an efficient parameter learning algorithm for this loss function. In addition, to provide similar/dissimilar images for our pairwise loss function, we exploit 3D models reconstructed from unlabeled images for automatic generation of enormous similar/dissimilar pairs. Extensive experiments on three image retrieval benchmark datasets demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed method.
Impact of type of preadmission sulfonylureas on mortality and cardiovascular outcomes in diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND The impact of antidiabetic medications on clinical outcomes in patients developing acute myocardial infarction (MI) is controversial. We sought to determine whether in-hospital outcomes in patients who were on sulfonylureas (SUs) when they developed their MIs differed from that of diabetic patients not receiving SUs and whether clinical outcomes were related to the pancreatic cells specificity of SUs. METHODS AND RESULTS We analyzed the outcomes of the 1310 diabetic patients included in the nationwide French Registry of Acute ST-Elevation and Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in 2005. Medications used before the acute episode were recorded. In-hospital complications were analyzed according to prior antidiabetic treatment. Mortality was lower in patients previously treated with SUs (3.9%) vs. those on other oral medications (6.4%), insulin (9.4%), or no medication (8.4%) (P = 0.014). Among SU-treated patients, in-hospital mortality was lower in patients receiving pancreatic cells-specific SUs (gliclazide or glimepiride) (2.7%), compared with glibenclamide (7.5%) (P = 0.019). Arrhythmias and ischemic complications were also less frequent in patients receiving gliclazide/glimepiride. The lower risk in patients receiving gliclazide/glimepiride vs. glibenclamide persisted after multivariate adjustment (odds ratio 0.15; 95% confidence interval 0.04-0.56) and in propensity score-matched cohorts. CONCLUSION In this nationwide registry of patients hospitalized for acute MI, no hazard was associated with the use of SUs before the acute episode. In addition, patients previously receiving gliclazide/glimepiride had improved in-hospital outcomes, compared with those on glibenclamide.
Bacterial Internalization, Localization, and Effectors Shape the Epithelial Immune Response during Shigella flexneri Infection

ABSTRACT Intracellular pathogens are differentially sensed by the compartmentalized host immune system. Nevertheless, gene expression studies of infected cells commonly average the immune responses, neglecting the precise pathogen localization. To overcome this limitation, we dissected the transcriptional immune response to Shigella flexneri across different infection stages in bulk and single cells. This identified six distinct transcriptional profiles characterizing the dynamic, multilayered host response in both bystander and infected cells. These profiles were regulated by external and internal danger signals, as well as whether bacteria were membrane bound or cytosolic. We found that bacterial internalization triggers a complex, effector-independent response in bystander cells, possibly to compensate for the undermined host gene expression in infected cells caused by bacterial effectors, particularly OspF. Single-cell analysis revealed an important bacterial strategy to subvert host responses in infected cells, demonstrating that OspF disrupts concomitant gene expression of proinflammatory, apoptosis, and stress pathways within cells. This study points to novel mechanisms through which bacterial internalization, localization, and injected effectors orchestrate immune response transcriptional signatures.
Effect of Saccharomyces, Non-Saccharomyces Yeasts and Malolactic Fermentation Strategies on Fermentation Kinetics and Flavor of Shiraz Wines

The use of non-Saccharomyces yeasts to improve complexity and diversify wine style is increasing; however, the interactions between non-Saccharomyces yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have not received much attention. This study investigated the interactions of seven non-Saccharomyces yeast strains of the genera Candida, Hanseniaspora, Lachancea, Metschnikowia and Torulaspora in combination with S. cerevisiae and three malolactic fermentation (MLF) strategies in a Shiraz winemaking trial. Standard oenological parameters, volatile composition and sensory profiles of wines were investigated. Wines produced with non-Saccharomyces yeasts had lower alcohol and glycerol levels than wines produced with S. cerevisiae only. Malolactic fermentation also completed faster in these wines. Wines produced with non-Saccharomyces yeasts differed chemically and sensorially from wines produced with S. cerevisiae only. The Candida zemplinina and the one L. thermotolerans isolate slightly inhibited LAB growth in wines that underwent simultaneous MLF. Malolactic fermentation strategy had a greater impact on sensory profiles than yeast treatment. Both yeast selection and MLF strategy had a significant effect on berry aroma, but MLF strategy also had a significant effect on acid balance and astringency of wines. Winemakers should apply the optimal yeast combination and MLF strategy to ensure fast completion of MLF and improve wine complexity.
Smartphone technology: a reliable and valid measure of knee movement in knee replacement

Knee range of motion (ROM) following a knee arthroplasty is an important clinical outcome that directly relates to the patient’s physical function. Smartphone technology has led to the creation of applications that can measure ROM. The aim was to determine the concurrent reliability and validity of the photo-based application ‘Dr Goniometer’ (DrG) compared with a universal goniometer performed by a clinician. A smartphone camera was used to take photographs of the knee in full flexion and full extension, and the images were sent by participants to a study phone. Participants then rated the ease of participation. To assess validity, the patient’s knee was measured by a clinician using a goniometer. To examine reliability, four clinicians assessed each image using DrG on four separate occasions spaced 1 week apart. A total of 60 images of knee ROM for 30 unicondylar or total knee arthroplasty were assessed. The goniometer and DrG showed strong correlations for flexion (r=0.94) and extension (r=0.90). DrG showed good intrarater reliability and excellent inter-rater reliability for flexion (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.990 and 0.990) and good reliability for extension (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.897 and 0.899). All participants found the process easy. DrG was proven to be a valid and reliable tool in measuring knee ROM following arthroplasty. Smartphone technology, in conjunction with patient-reported outcomes, offers an accurate and practical way to remotely monitor patients. Benefit may be found in differentiating those who need face-to-face clinical consult to those who do not.
Effects of intramuscular administration of tiletamine-zolazepam with and without sedative pretreatment on plasma and serum biochemical values and glucose tolerance test results in Japanese black bears (Ursus thibetanus japonicus).

OBJECTIVE To establish a safe anesthetic protocol with little effect on blood biochemical values and IV glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) results in Japanese black bears (Ursus thibetanus japonicus). ANIMALS 16 captive female Japanese black bears (5 to 17 years of age). PROCEDURES Bears were randomly assigned to 4 treatment groups (4 bears/group) in which various treatment combinations were administered via blow dart: tiletamine HCl and zolazepam HCl (9 mg/kg) alone (TZ), TZ (6 mg/kg) and acepromazine maleate (0.1 mg/kg), TZ (6 mg/kg) and butorphanol tartrate (0.3 mg/kg), or TZ (3 mg/kg) and medetomidine HCl (40 μg/kg). Glucose injection for the IVGTT was started 130 minutes after TZ administration. Blood samples were obtained before, at, and intermittently after glucose injection for measurement of biochemical variables as well as plasma glucose and serum insulin concentrations during the IVGTT. Rectal temperature, pulse rate, and respiratory rate were assessed every 15 minutes during the experiment. RESULTS Induction and maintenance of anesthesia were safely achieved with little adverse effect on cardiopulmonary function when each of the 4 anesthetic regimens was used, although mild hypothermia was induced. No difference was evident between treatment groups in blood biochemical values. Blood glucose and insulin concentration profiles during the IVGTT were similar among the bears given TZ, with or without acepromazine or butorphanol, but hyperglycemia and hypoinsulinemia developed in bears given TZ with medetomidine. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE All 4 anesthetic regimens yielded chemical restraint without affecting clinical and biochemical values in bears, but medetomidine appeared to affect IVGTT results. For this reason, medetomidine should not be used when anesthetizing bears for IVGTTs.
DNA Methyltransferase 1–Dependent DNA Hypermethylation Constrains Arteriogenesis by Augmenting Shear Stress Set Point

Background Arteriogenesis is initiated by increased shear stress and is thought to continue until shear stress is returned to its original “set point. ” However, the molecular mechanism(s) through which shear stress set point is established by endothelial cells (ECs) are largely unstudied. Here, we tested the hypothesis that DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1)–dependent EC DNA methylation affects arteriogenic capacity via adjustments to shear stress set point. Methods and Results In femoral artery ligation–operated C57BL/6 mice, collateral artery segments exposed to increased shear stress without a change in flow direction (ie, nonreversed flow) exhibited global DNA hypermethylation (increased 5‐methylcytosine staining intensity) and constrained arteriogenesis (30% less diameter growth) when compared with segments exposed to both an increase in shear stress and reversed‐flow direction. In vitro, ECs exposed to a flow waveform biomimetic of nonreversed collateral segments in vivo exhibited a 40% increase in DNMT1 expression, genome‐wide hypermethylation of gene promoters, and a DNMT1‐dependent 60% reduction in proarteriogenic monocyte adhesion compared with ECs exposed to a biomimetic reversed‐flow waveform. These results led us to test whether DNMT1 regulates arteriogenic capacity in vivo. In femoral artery ligation–operated mice, DNMT1 inhibition rescued arteriogenic capacity and returned shear stress back to its original set point in nonreversed collateral segments. Conclusions Increased shear stress without a change in flow direction initiates arteriogenic growth; however, it also elicits DNMT1‐dependent EC DNA hypermethylation. In turn, this diminishes mechanosensing, augments shear stress set point, and constrains the ultimate arteriogenic capacity of the vessel. This epigenetic effect could impact both endogenous collateralization and treatment of arterial occlusive diseases.
Heavy‐element abundance patterns in hot DA white dwarfs

We present a series of systematic abundance measurements for 25 hot DA white dwarfs in the temperature range ∼20 000‐110 000 K, based on far-ultraviolet spectroscopy with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS)/Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) onboard Hubble Space Telescope, IUE and FUSE. Using our latest heavy-element blanketed non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) stellar atmosphere calculations we have addressed the heavy-element abundance patterns, making completely objective measurements of abundance values and upper limits using a χ 2 fitting technique to determine the uncertainties in the abundance measurements, which can be related to the formal upper limits in those stars