Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ossification of the Ligamenta Flava With Severe Myelopathy in a Black Patient: A Case Report

Study Design. A case of symptomatic ossification of ligamenta flava in a black man from Martinique (French West Indies) is reported. Objectives. To show that ossification of ligamenta flava may be observed in racial groups other than Japanese people and that the postoperative prognosis of symptomatic ossification of ligamenta flava is not always excellent. Summary of Background Data. Ossification of ligamenta flava causing slowly progressive myelopathy or radiculopathy is rare. It usually occurs in the lower thoracic spine. Ossification of ligamenta flava has mainly been described as occurring in Japanese people and very rarely in Caucasians. Diagnosis is based on a computed tomographic scan or magnetic resonance imaging, and postoperative prognosis is usually good. Methods. Low thoracic ossification of ligamenta flava was diagnosed in a black man from Martinique, based on the computed tomographic scan data and on the histopathologic examination of the removed tissue. The patient was clinically evaluated before and 1 year after the operation. A postoperative computed tomographic scan was performed. A magnetic resonance image was not available in this case. Results. The patient exhibited severe subacute myelopathy. After decompression, the neurologic recovery was incomplete. A postoperative computed tomographic scan showed complete excision of ossification of ligamenta flava and decompression of the spinal cord. Conclusions. Ossification of ligamenta flava may occur in black people. An incomplete postoperative recovery may be observed in such cases of unusual subacute compressive myelopathy.
Optimization of Analytical Parameters for Inferring Relationships among Escherichia coli Isolates from Repetitive-Element PCR by Maximizing Correspondence with Multilocus Sequence Typing Data

ABSTRACT Repetitive-element PCR (rep-PCR) is a method for genotyping bacteria based on the selective amplification of repetitive genetic elements dispersed throughout bacterial chromosomes. The method has great potential for large-scale epidemiological studies because of its speed and simplicity; however, objective guidelines for inferring relationships among bacterial isolates from rep-PCR data are lacking. We used multilocus sequence typing (MLST) as a “gold standard” to optimize the analytical parameters for inferring relationships among Escherichia coli isolates from rep-PCR data. We chose 12 isolates from a large database to represent a wide range of pairwise genetic distances, based on the initial evaluation of their rep-PCR fingerprints. We conducted MLST with these same isolates and systematically varied the analytical parameters to maximize the correspondence between the relationships inferred from rep-PCR and those inferred from MLST. Methods that compared the shapes of densitometric profiles (“curve-based” methods) yielded consistently higher correspondence values between data types than did methods that calculated indices of similarity based on shared and different bands (maximum correspondences of 84.5% and 80.3%, respectively). Curve-based methods were also markedly more robust in accommodating variations in user-specified analytical parameter values than were “band-sharing coefficient” methods, and they enhanced the reproducibility of rep-PCR. Phylogenetic analyses of rep-PCR data yielded trees with high topological correspondence to trees based on MLST and high statistical support for major clades. These results indicate that rep-PCR yields accurate information for inferring relationships among E. coli isolates and that accuracy can be enhanced with the use of analytical methods that consider the shapes of densitometric profiles.
Anatomical evidence for the involvement of medial cerebellar output from the interpositus nuclei in cognitive functions

Although the cerebellar interpositus nuclei are known to be involved in cognitive functions, such as associative motor learning, no anatomical evidence has been available for this issue. Here we used retrograde transneuronal transport of rabies virus to identify neurons in the cerebellar nuclei that project via the thalamus to area 46 of the prefrontal cortex of macaques in comparison with the projections to the primary motor cortex (M1). After rabies injections into area 46, many neurons in the restricted region of the posterior interpositus nucleus (PIN) were labeled disynaptically via the thalamus, whereas no neuron labeling was found in the anterior interpositus nucleus (AIN). The distribution of the labeled neurons was dorsoventrally different from that of PIN neurons labeled from the M1. This defines an anatomical substrate for the contribution of medial cerebellar output to cognitive functions. Like the dentate nucleus, the PIN has dual motor and cognitive channels, whereas the AIN has a motor channel only.
Depletion of Rictor, an essential protein component of mTORC2, decreases male lifespan

Rapamycin, an inhibitor of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), robustly extends the lifespan of model organisms including mice. We recently found that chronic treatment with rapamycin not only inhibits mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1), the canonical target of rapamycin, but also inhibits mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2) in vivo. While genetic evidence strongly suggests that inhibition of mTORC1 is sufficient to promote longevity, the impact of mTORC2 inhibition on mammalian longevity has not been assessed. RICTOR is a protein component of mTORC2 that is essential for its activity. We examined three different mouse models of Rictor loss: mice heterozygous for Rictor, mice lacking hepatic Rictor, and mice in which Rictor was inducibly deleted throughout the body in adult animals. Surprisingly, we find that depletion of RICTOR significantly decreases male, but not female, lifespan. While the mechanism by which RICTOR loss impairs male survival remains obscure, we find that the effect of RICTOR depletion on lifespan is independent of the role of hepatic mTORC2 in promoting glucose tolerance. Our results suggest that inhibition of mTORC2 signaling is detrimental to males, which may explain in part why interventions that decrease mTOR signaling show greater efficacy in females.
The Effect of Changes in Observational Coverage on the Association between Surface Temperature and the Arctic Oscillation

Abstract The effect of changes in observational coverage on the association between the Arctic oscillation (AO) and extratropical Northern Hemisphere surface temperature is examined. A coupled atmosphere–ocean model, which produces a realistic simulation of the circulation and temperature patterns associated with the AO, is used as a surrogate for the real climate system. The association between the AO and spatial mean temperature, as quantified by regressing the latter on the AO index, is subject to a positive bias due to the incomplete spatial coverage of the observational network. The bias is largest during the early part of the twentieth century and decreases, but does not vanish, thereafter.
Sensory design for virtual environments

The Sensory Environments Evaluation (SEE) Project seeks to formulate a new design methodology for virtual environments that utilize multiple sensory inputs to induce presence. Deviating from virtual reality's twenty-year focus on photo-realism, our "feels-real" design alternative aims directly at understanding the interdependencies of sensory stimuli in their creation of mental constructs, and the subsequent degree of realism perceived.
Compressed Sensing-Based Multi-Layer Data Communication in Smart Grid Systems

Compressed sensing is a novel technology used in the field of wireless communication and sensor networks for channel estimation, signal detection, data gathering, network monitoring, and other applications. It plays a significant role in highly secure, real-time, well organized, and cost-effective data communication in smart-grid (SG) systems, which consist of multi-tier network standards that make it challenging to synchronize in power management communication. In this paper, we present a multi-layer communication model for SG systems and propose compressed-sensing based data transmission at every layer of the SG system to improve data transmission performance. Our approach is to utilize the compressed-sensing procedure at every layer in a controlled manner. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed monitoring devices need less transmission power than conventional systems. Additionally, secure, reliable, and real-time data transmission is possible with the compressed-sensing technique.
Intravenous lipopolysaccharide challenge alters ruminal bacterial microbiota and disrupts ruminal metabolism in dairy cattle

In the present study, three primiparous lactating Holstein cows (260–285 d in lactation) were used in a 3 × 3 Latin square design to assess the effects of three doses (0·0, 0·4 and 0·8 μg/kg body weight) of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, Escherichia coli 0111:B4) on changes in ruminal microbiota and ruminal fermentation. Ruminal pH was linearly decreased (P< 0·001) by LPS challenge, and the concentrations of acetate, propionate, butyrate, total volatile fatty acids and amino N increased linearly (P< 0·001) according to the LPS dose. LPS infusion linearly decreased (P< 0·001) the organic matter degradability of alfalfa hay and soyabean meal in the rumen, but did not affect (P>0·10) the gene expression of Na + /K +-ATPase and monocarboxylic acid transporter-1, -2 and -4. A plot of principal coordinate analysis based on unweighted UniFrac values and analysis of molecular variance revealed that the structure of ruminal bacterial communities in the control was distinct from that of the ruminal microbiota in the cattle exposed to LPS. At the phylum level, when compared with the control group, LPS infusion in the tested cows linearly increased (P< 0·05) the abundance of Firmicutes, and linearly decreased (P< 0·05) the percentage of Bacteroidetes, Tenericutes, Spirochaetes, Chlorobi and Lentisphaerae. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report that intravenously LPS challenge altered the ruminal bacterial microbiota and fermentation profiles. The present data suggest that systemic LPS could alter ruminal environment and ruminal microbiota composition, leading to a general decrease in fermentative activity.
Dynamic nature of SecA and its associated proteins in Escherichia coli

Mechanical properties such as physical constraint and pushing of chromosomes are thought to be important for chromosome segregation in Escherichia coli and it could be mediated by a hypothetical molecular “tether. ” However, the actual tether that mediates these features is not known. We previously described that SecA (Secretory A) and Secretory Y (SecY), components of the membrane protein translocation machinery, and AcpP (Acyl carrier protein P) were involved in chromosome segregation and homeostasis of DNA topology. In the present work, we performed three-dimensional deconvolution of microscopic images and time-lapse experiments of these proteins together with MukB and DNA topoisomerases, and found that these proteins embraced the structures of tortuous nucleoids with condensed regions. Notably, SecA, SecY, and AcpP dynamically localized in cells, which was interdependent on each other requiring the ATPase activity of SecA. Our findings imply that the membrane protein translocation machinery plays a role in the maintenance of proper chromosome partitioning, possibly through “tethering” of MukB [a functional homolog of structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) proteins], DNA gyrase, DNA topoisomerase IV, and SeqA (Sequestration A).
Treatment of pregnancy-related lumbar and pelvic girdle pain by the yoga method: a randomized controlled study.

OBJECTIVE Pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain is a major problem for the majority of pregnant women. Complementary medicine has been used to alleviate pain, and yoga is one of the most commonly chosen alternative methods. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of Hatha yoga in the reduction of lumbopelvic pain in pregnancy. METHODS A randomized controlled trial with 60 pregnant women (age range, 14-40 years) who reported lumbopelvic pain at 12 to 32 weeks of gestation was conducted from June 2009 to June 2011. Pregnant women who had twin pregnancies, had medical restrictions for exercise, used analgesics, and participated in physical therapy were excluded from the study. Pregnant women were divided into two groups: the yoga group, practicing exercises guided by this method, and the postural orientation group, performing standardized posture orientation according to instructions provided in a pamphlet. Treatment in each group lasted 10 weeks. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to measure pain intensity. Lumbar pain and posterior pelvic pain provocation tests were used to confirm the presence of pain. Statistical analysis included the Mann-Whitney test, the McNemar test, a paired Wilcoxon test, and analysis of covariance. RESULTS The median pain score was lower in the yoga group (p<.0058) than the postural orientation group. Lumbar pain provocation tests showed a decreased response in relation to posterior pelvic pain provocation tests and a gradual reduction in pain intensity during 10 yoga sessions (p<.024). CONCLUSIONS The yoga method was more effective at reducing lumbopelvic pain intensity compared with postural orientation.
A Detailed Algorithm for Vital Sign Monitoring of a Stationary/Non-Stationary Human through IR-UWB Radar

The vital sign monitoring through Impulse Radio Ultra-Wide Band (IR-UWB) radar provides continuous assessment of a patient’s respiration and heart rates in a non-invasive manner. In this paper, IR UWB radar is used for monitoring respiration and the human heart rate. The breathing and heart rate frequencies are extracted from the signal reflected from the human body. A Kalman filter is applied to reduce the measurement noise from the vital signal. An algorithm is presented to separate the heart rate signal from the breathing harmonics. An auto-correlation based technique is applied for detecting random body movements (RBM) during the measurement process. Experiments were performed in different scenarios in order to show the validity of the algorithm. The vital signs were estimated for the signal reflected from the chest, as well as from the back side of the body in different experiments. The results from both scenarios are compared for respiration and heartbeat estimation accuracy.
The Organic Brain Syndrome (OBS) scale: a systematic review

The Organic Brain Syndrome (OBS) Scale was developed to determine elderly patients' disturbances of awareness and orientation as to time, place and own identity, and assessment of various emotional and behavioural symptoms appearing in delirium, dementia and other organic mental diseases. The aim of the study was to examine the OBS Scale, using the eight criteria and guidelines formulated by the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Medical Outcomes Trust (SAC), and to investigate its relevance and suitability for use in various clinical settings.
The Effect of Graded Doses of Insulin on Total Glucose Uptake, Glucose Oxidation, and Glucose Storage in Man

The dose-response relationship between plasma insulin concentration and total glucose uptake, glucose oxidation, and glucose storage was examined in 22 healthy young volunteers by employing the euglycemic insulin clamp technique in combination with indirect calorimetry. Insulin was infused at five rates to achieve steady-state hyperinsulinemic plateaus of 62 ± 4, 103 ± 5, 170 ± 10, 423 ± 16, and 1132 ± 47 μU/ml. With increasing plasma insulin concentrations within the physiologic range, there was a linear increase in glucose uptake with a half maximally effective insulin concentration of 72 μU/ml. Glucose uptake by all tissues of the body reached 80% of its maximum value (12.6 mg/kg · min) at a plasma insulin concentration of ∼200 μU/ml. In contrast to total glucose uptake, glucose oxidation plateaued more quickly, achieved a maximum rate of only 4.0 mg/kg · min, and displayed a lower half maximally effective insulin concentration of 40 μU/ml. The increase in glucose uptake with progressively increasing plasma insulin levels was primarily the result of an increase in glucose storage, with a half maximally effective insulin concentration of 105 μU/ml and maximum rate of 8.7 mg/kg · min. Glucose storage represented over 60–70% of total glucose uptake at all insulin concentrations. After achieving maximum rates of insulin-mediated glucose uptake (plasma insulin concentration = 1132 μU/ml), hyperglycemia (+125 mg/dl) was superimposed on hyperinsulinemia to further enhance glucose transport. Under these conditions, total glucose uptake (32.5 mg/kg · min, P < 0.001) was markedly augmented but no significant increase in glucose oxidation was observed. These results indicate a true saturation of the glucose oxidation pathway. With pro-gressively increasing doses of insulin, the glucose storage represents the major route of glucose disposal.
NHE3 mobility in brush borders increases upon NHERF2-dependent stimulation by lyophosphatidic acid

The epithelial brush border (BB) Na+/H+ exchanger NHE3 is associated with the actin cytoskeleton by binding both directly and indirectly to ezrin; indirect binding is via attachment to NHERF family proteins. NHE3 mobility in polarized epithelial cell BBs is restricted by the actin cytoskeleton and NHERF binding such that only ~30% of NHE3 in the apical domain of an OK cell line stably expressing NHERF2 is mobile, as judged by FRAP analysis. Given that levels of NHE3 are partially regulated by changes in trafficking, we investigated whether the cytoskeleton association of NHE3 was dynamic and changed as part of acute regulation to allow NHE3 trafficking. The agonist studied was lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), an inflammatory mediator, which acutely stimulates NHE3 activity by increasing the amount of NHE3 on the BBs by stimulated exocytosis. LPA acutely stimulated NHE3 activity in OK cells stably expressing NHERF2. Two conditions that totally prevented LPA stimulation of NHE3 activity only partially prevented stimulation of NHE3 mobility: the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002, and the NHE3F1 double mutant which has minimal direct binding of NHE3 to ezrin. These results show that LPA stimulation of NHE3 mobility occurs in two parts: (1) PI3K-dependent exocytic trafficking to the BB and (2) an increase in surface mobility of NHE3 in BBs under basal conditions. Moreover, the LPA stimulatory effect on NHE3 mobility required NHERF2. Although NHE3 and NHERF2 co-precipitated under basal conditions, they failed to co-precipitate 30 minutes after addition of LPA, whereas the physical association was re-established by 50-60 minutes. This dynamic interaction between NHERF2 and NHE3 was confirmed by acceptor photobleaching Förster Resonance energy Transfer (FRET). The restricted mobility of NHE3 in BBs under basal conditions as a result of cytoskeleton association is therefore dynamic and is reversed as part of acute LPA stimulation of NHE3. We suggest that this acute but transient increase in NHE3 mobility induced by LPA occurs via two processes: addition of NHE3 to the BB by exocytosis, a process which precedes binding of NHE3 to the actin cytoskeleton via NHERF2-ezrin, and by release of NHERF2 from the NHE3 already localized in the apical membrane, enabling NHE3 to distribute throughout the microvilli. These fractions of NHE3 make up a newly identified pool of NHE3 called the ‘transit pool’. Moreover, our results show that there are two aspects of LPA signaling involved in stimulation of NHE3 activity: PI3K-dependent stimulated NHE3 exocytosis and the newly described, PI3K-independent dissociation of microvillar NHE3 from NHERF2.
Networking in a Field of Introverts: The Egonets, Networking Practices, and Networking Technologies of Technical Communication Entrepreneurs

Research problem: Although labor statistics document a steady rise in contract, contingent, and entrepreneurial labor, knowledge about the professional communication practices that build and sustain independent careers in the field of technical communication (TC) largely emerges from broad survey analysis, cultural/social critiques, or individual anecdotes. From these statistics and stories, we already know that independent technical communicators face challenges ranging from legal issues to establishing marketing visibility when they start and maintain businesses. Drawing on thick qualitative description from semistructured interviews, this article responds to the need for more systematic research tracing the networking practices, technologies, and relationships that enable entrepreneurial work. Research question: How do established individual entrepreneurs in TC describe the social relationships, networking practices, and networking technologies that shape their careers over time? Literature review: This project extends prior research at the intersections of entrepreneurship, technical communication, and social networks. Entrepreneurial studies research indicates that strong social ties and embeddedness influence venture performance; however, systematic scholarship on the networks or networking practices of independent or entrepreneurial technical communication practice has been limited. Methodology: The project used semistructured interviews to analyze the professional communication practices of eight technical communicators with considerable experience working independently as consultants or small-business owners. We used an online search to identify experienced entrepreneurs in the interdisciplinary field of technical communication. After recruiting participants via email, we conducted semistructured interviews to gather employment narratives, while prompting participants to share information about career-relevant ties, networking practices, and networking technologies. We then analyzed data through two iterative qualitative coding passes. Results and conclusions: Our participants, made up of experienced TC entrepreneurs, have used networking over at least two decades to advance personal business outcomes and evolve technical communication as a field and profession. Findings detail how networking is central to professional social knowledge construction, as TC entrepreneurs establish transactional contact with others, practice learning, and enact exponential reputation-building that addresses the isolation of working outside traditional organizations. Since this is a qualitative study based on self-report, the results are not generalizable but provide a foundation for future larger-scale research building from these qualitative themes.
Sonographic Evaluation of Ocular Trauma in Ilorin, Nigeria

Purpose Ultrasound (US) evaluation of the eye and orbit has become an essential component of clinical ophthalmology. Requests for its use are frequent in the authors’ hospital in spite of the absence of a dedicated eye scanner. The extent to which this has influenced the authors’ patient management, especially for those with orbito-ocular trauma, informed the decision to carry out this study. Methods A retrospective review of cases of orbito-ocular trauma with media opacities and/or intraocular hemorrhage sent for ultrasonography over a 5-year period (January 1997–December 2001) at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Ilorin, Nigeria, was carried out. The sonographic diagnosis was reviewed with the management outcomes as found in the patients’ records. Results A total of 71 patients (45 male, 26 female) were included in the study (M:F=1:1.7). The minimum age was 1½ years and maximum was 70 years. The 11- to 20-year age group was mostly affected by trauma (31%). Retinal detachment (22.5%) was the most common posterior segment lesion diagnosed, followed by vitreous hemorrhage (18.3%) and hyphema (11.3%). Visual acuity improved to between 6/9 and 6/18 in 23 (41.4%) of the 56 injured eyes. Conclusions The usefulness of orbito-ocular ultrasonography in ophthalmic trauma management has been demonstrated in this study, especially using nondedicated eye scanners when a dedicated one is unavailable.