Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Visual Evoked Potentials and Perimetry Changes in Patients with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension

Article history: Received: 22 May 2013 Accepted: 12 June 2013 Available online: 26 Oct 2013 ZJRMS 2014; 16(11): 24-27 Background: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is associated with visual loss in 25% of patients. Some studies point to frequent visual evoked potentials abnormality and its value in management of patients with IIH. Due to the lack of adequate research in this area, in the present study we assessed visual evoked potentials and perimetry changes in patients with IIH at admission and one month later. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on 30 patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension. The diagnosis was confirmed according to Friedman and Jacobson criteria. Perimetry and visual evoked potentials were performed at admission and one month later. Results were analyzed by Independent t-test and χ tests. Results: In this study, 27 (90%) of patients were female and the others were male. Perimetry abnormality was found in 24 (80%) patients at admission and 16 (53.3%) patients one month later. Also, visual evoked potential abnormality was seen in 7(23.3%) patients at admission and 5 (16.6%) patients one month later. There was no significant difference between mean waves’ latency (P100, N75 and N135) with perimetry changes at admission and one month later (p≤0.05). P100 latency abnormality was more frequent in men at one month follow up (p=0.009). Conclusion: Visual evoked potentials abnormality is less frequent than perimetry abnormality at admission and one month later. So, visual evoked potential is less sensitive than perimetry for follow up of patients with IIH. Maybe, men are more prone to optic nerve damage. Copyright © 2014 Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.
Balance and Pressure Distribution under the Foot during Standing and Walking with no Orthotics Compared to Custom and off the Shelf Orthotics, A Pilot Study

Objective: Potential pain relief from foot pain can come from a shoe insert foot orthotic. This study assessed foot pressure distribution and balance in off the shelf foot orthotics versus a custom made foot orthotic compared to no orthotic. Methods: The subjects (8) were both men and women. The average age was 25.1 ± 2.8 years, the average weight was 68.8 ± 13.7 kg, and BMI 24.5 ± 6.4. Each patient was fit for both off the shelf and custom shoe insert foot orthotics and needed orthotics to reduce pain. Once fit, they were evaluated by standing and then walking 12 meters on a level surface while being monitored by a Tactilus Pressure Mapping system. Balance was also evaluated with a pressure platform during 8 balance tests. Results: With the subjects accomplishing quiet standing, the average pressure and peak pressure was shifted from the hind foot and forefoot to the mid foot when wearing foot inserts (p<0.05). During walking, the average pressure was significantly shifted from the forefoot and hind foot to the mid foot in both orthotic groups with the greatest reduction in forefoot pressure in the off the shelf orthotic group (p<0.05). This is especially seen when measuring the peak pressures on the foot, where, during standing the peak pressures on the fore foot were 20% higher with no orthotic than seen for the 2 orthotics tested here. Balance was best in the custom orthotic group while both orthotic groups had better balance than the no orthotic studies for the most difficult balance tests. Conclusion: At least in this small group of subjects, off the shelf foot orthotics help gait or balance but custom orthotics are better.
Evidence for the presence of fimbriae (pili) on vibrio species.

SUMMARY: Three strains of Vibrio were found to agglutinate both guinea-pig and human red cells. The vibrios differed in haemagglutination tests from fim-briated enterobacteria by showing only partial inhibition by mannose and by agglutinating guinea-pig and human red cells equally well. Electron microscopy of the vibrios revealed filamentous appendages which resembled the common fimbriae of Escherichia coli in having average diameters between 6 and 10 mμ and in being more numerous on organisms from liquid media than from solid media. The fimbriae on vibrios also had some characteristics of F fimbriae of enterobacteria. In comparative studies fimbriae which resembled common fimbriae of E. coli were found on Pseudomonas multi-vorans and Aeromonas liquefaciens.
Minor Histocompatibility Antigen DBY Elicits a Coordinated B and T Cell Response after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation

We examined the immune response to DBY, a model H-Y minor histocompatibility antigen (mHA) in a male patient with chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant from a human histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA)-identical female sibling. Patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells were screened for reactivity against a panel of 93 peptides representing the entire amino acid sequence of DBY. This epitope screen revealed a high frequency CD4+ T cell response to a single DBY peptide that persisted from 8 to 21 mo after transplant. A CD4+ T cell clone displaying the same reactivity was established from posttransplant patient cells and used to characterize the T cell epitope as a 19-mer peptide starting at position 30 in the DBY sequence and restricted by HLA-DRB1*1501. Remarkably, the corresponding X homologue peptide was also recognized by donor T cells. Moreover, the T cell clone responded equally to mature HLA-DRB1*1501 male and female dendritic cells, indicating that both DBY and DBX peptides were endogenously processed. After transplant, the patient also developed antibodies that were specific for recombinant DBY protein and did not react with DBX. This antibody response was mapped to two DBY peptides beginning at positions 118 and 536. Corresponding DBX peptides were not recognized. These studies provide the first demonstration of a coordinated B and T cell immune response to an H-Y antigen after allogeneic transplant. The specificity for recipient male cells was mediated by the B cell response and not by donor T cells. This dual DBX/DBY antigen is the first mHA to be identified in the context of chronic GVHD.
A NEW SOURCE OF STRUCTURED SINGULAR VALUE DECOMPOSITION PROBLEMS

The computation of the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) of structured matrices has become an important line of research in numerical linear algebra. In this work the problem of inversion in the context of the computation of curve intersections is considered. Although this problem has usually been dealt with in the field of exact rational computations and in that case it can be solved by using Gaussian elimination, when one has to work in finite precision arithmetic the problem leads to the computation of the SVD of a Sylvester matrix, a different type of structured matrix widely used in computer algebra. In addition only a small part of the SVD is needed, which shows the interest of having special algorithms for this situation. 1. Introduction and basic results. The singular value decomposition (SVD) is one of the most valuable tools in numerical linear algebra. Nevertheless, in spite of its advantageous features it has not usually been applied in solving curve intersection problems. Our aim in this paper is to consider the problem of inversion in the context of the computation of the points of intersection of two plane curves, and to show how this problem can be solved by computing the SVD of a Sylvester matrix, a type of structured matrix widely used in computer algebra. It must also be stressed that only a small part of the SVD will be needed. Our approach to the intersection of parametric curves uses algebraic methods, and an important step of the process consists of the implicitization of one of the curves by using resultants. The process leads to the computation of the roots of a polynomial of (usually) high degree, and so these roots will usually be floating point numbers. Therefore, although we employ algebraic methods the use of floating point arithmetic is unavoidable, contrarily to the idea expressed in the last section of (20), where it is indicated that the algebraic methods assume the procedure is carried out using exact (integer or rational number) arithmetic. In fact, it is clear that the solution of practical problems of not small size needs the combination of symbolic computations and numerical computations, although historically those two classes of algorithms were developed by two distinct groups of people having very little interaction with each other. In connection with the problem we are dealing with, it can be read in (20) that inversion -computing the parameter for a point known to lie on the curve- can be performed using Gauss elimination or Cramer's rule. While that assert may be correct when working with exact arithmetic and problems of small size, the suggested procedure is far from being adequate with problems of large size which lead to polynomial roots given as floating point numbers. As it will be seen in Section , the use of algebraic methods will allow us to formulate the problem of inversion in terms of the computation of the nullspace of a Sylvester matrix of
Xampling: Compressed Sensing of Analog Signals

Xampling generalizes compressed sensing (CS) to reduced-rate sampling of analog signals. A unified framework is introduced for low rate sampling and processing of signals lying in a union of subspaces. Xampling consists of two main blocks: Analog compression that narrows down the input bandwidth prior to sampling with commercial devices followed by a nonlinear algorithm that detects the input subspace prior to conventional signal processing. A variety of analog CS applications are reviewed within the unified Xampling framework including a general filter-bank scheme for sparse shift-invariant spaces, periodic nonuniform sampling and modulated wideband conversion for multiband communications with unknown carrier frequencies, acquisition techniques for finite rate of innovation signals with applications to medical and radar imaging, and random demodulation of sparse harmonic tones. A hardware-oriented viewpoint is advocated throughout, addressing practical constraints and exemplifying hardware realizations where relevant. It will appear as a chapter in a book on "Compressed Sensing: Theory and Applications" edited by Yonina Eldar and Gitta Kutyniok.
Register-based research: Some methodological considerations

Aims: Collecting new research data is often time consuming and expensive and it may be difficult to recruit volunteers to provide data for research. We should therefore make sure that we do not collect data that already are available and in the Nordic countries we have an opportunity to use national registers for certain types of research. In some situations using these population-based registers is preferable to collecting primary data since selection bias due to nonresponders is not a problem in these registers. Methods: Register-based data can be used in most designs available in observational studies and even add important data to randomised trials. Getting access to using the valuable data sources stored in national registers is much easier now that it was in the past. However, we still need better documentation and we should to a much larger extent be able to use research files that combine data from two or more of the Nordic countries. Linking primary research data to public registers will also provide new research opportunities. Results: Nordic registers have been used in several landmark papers over the years. Conclusions: Register-based research can be done without risk of unwanted disclosure of personal data and it involves no invasive procedures. It is a valuable gift given by the people to be used for the people.
Multi-view SDI Assessment Framework

When developing Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI) initiatives it is increasingly important to assess their outcomes in order to justify the resources spent on those infrastructures. Many researchers throughout the world have been struggling with the issue of assessing SDIs. The task is difficult due to complex, dynamic and constantly evolving nature of SDI. As SDI can be treated as a Complex Adaptive System, the assessment should include strategies for evaluating those kinds of systems. One strategy is to use multiple assessment approaches and methods. The general evaluation research and experience provide additional motives for adopting such a strategy. We present the multi-view framework for assessing SDI initiatives around the world, and argue that the strength of this assessment design lies in its flexibility, its multidisciplinary view on SDI and a reduced bias in the assessment results. The multi-view framework contains methods that not only evaluate SDI performance, but also deepen our knowledge about SDI functioning, and may assist in its development. The article presents the assessment framework and describes its theoretical grounding in complexity theory and evaluation research. The application of the framework is beyond the scope of this paper.
Return to work after gastric bypass in Medicaid-funded morbidly obese patients.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether medically disabled (Medicaid-funded) morbidly obese patients return to the workforce after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). DESIGN Retrospective clinical data review. SETTING A tertiary referral center. PATIENTS From January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2002, 38 medically disabled patients underwent RYGB performed by a single surgeon. Sixteen medically disabled patients seen by the same surgeon did not undergo surgery and served as a control group. INTERVENTION Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Full-time employment. RESULTS The patients who underwent RYBG were more likely to return to work, with 14 (37%) working, compared with 1 (6%) of the nonoperative control patients (P = .02). Elimination of comorbidities was associated with a greater likelihood of return to work. Patients who had greater than the mean decrease in comorbid conditions at the time of follow-up were statistically more likely to return to work than those who did not have a reversal in comorbid conditions (P = .001). Health-related quality of life was very poor preoperatively and improved in all domains after surgery. CONCLUSIONS Morbid obesity is associated with many medical conditions that often render patients disabled. We found that 37% of morbidly obese patients with Medicaid coverage returned to work after RYGB, compared with 6% of patients in the nonoperative control group. This study suggests that RYGB, the most effective available means to achieve durable weight loss and reduction of comorbidities in morbidly obese patients, results in significant rehabilitation of Medicaid-funded morbidly obese individuals.
A Novel Spatial Autocorrelation Model of Shadow Fading in Urban Macro Environments

In this paper, we propose a novel spatial autocorrelation model of the shadow fading process in urban macro environments. The proposed model is based on the empirical results obtained from extensive wideband radio channel measurement campaigns at 2.35 GHz in an urban area of a typical medium-sized Chinese city. The shadow fading component was extracted assuming a single-slope log-distance path loss model. The consistency with the level crossing theory of Gaussian processes is achieved by an implicit constraint on the parameters of the model. The proposed model gives a better fit to the empirical results in individual measurement routes than the widely reported exponential and double exponential models. An heuristic explanation of the proposed autocorrelation property is also presented.
Which symptoms contribute the most to patients’ perception of health in multiple sclerosis?

Background Multiple sclerosis is a polysymptomatic disease. Little is known about relative contributions of the different multiple sclerosis symptoms to self-perception of health. Objectives To investigate the relationship between symptom severity in 11 domains affected by multiple sclerosis and self-rated health. Methods Multiple sclerosis patients in two multiple sclerosis centers assessed self-rated health with a validated instrument and symptom burden with symptoMScreen, a validated battery of Likert scales for 11 domains commonly affected by multiple sclerosis. Pearson correlations and multivariate linear regressions were used to investigate the relationship between symptoMScreen scores and self-rated health. Results Among 1865 multiple sclerosis outpatients (68% women, 78% with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis, mean age 46.38 ± 12.47 years, disease duration 13.43 ± 10.04 years), average self-rated health score was 2.30 (‘moderate to good’). Symptom burden (composite symptoMScreen score) highly correlated with self-rated health (r = 0.68, P < 0.0001) as did each of the symptoMScreen domain subscores. In regression analysis, pain (t = 7.00), ambulation (t = 6.91), and fatigue (t = 5.85) contributed the highest amount of variance in self-rated health (P < 0.001). Conclusions Pain contributed the most to multiple sclerosis outpatients’ perception of health, followed by gait dysfunction and fatigue. These findings suggest that ‘invisible disability’ may be more important to patients’ sense of wellbeing than physical disability, and challenge the notion that physical disability should be the primary outcome measure in multiple sclerosis.
Sex Difference in Open-Water Ultra-Swim Performance in the Longest Freshwater Lake Swim in Europe

Abstract Eichenberger, E, Knechtle, B, Knechtle, P, Rüst, CA, Rosemann, T, Lepers, R, and Senn, O. Sex difference in open-water ultra-swim performance in the longest freshwater lake swim in Europe. J Strength Cond Res 27(5): 1362–1369, 2013—This study examined participation and performance trends in the 26.4-km open-water ultra-swim “Marathon Swim in Lake Zurich,” Switzerland. A total of 461 athletes (157 women and 304 men) finished the race between 1987 and 2011. The mean age of the finishers during the studied period was 32.0 ± 6.5 years for men and 30.9 ± 7.2 years for women. The mean age of finishers and the age of winners increased significantly across years for both sexes (p < 0.01). The winner times were significantly lower for men (403 ± 43 minutes) compared with women (452 ± 63 minutes) (p < 0.01). In contrast, the mean swimming time of the finishers did not differ between men (530 ± 39 minutes) and women (567 ± 71 minutes) (p > 0.05). The swimming time performance remained stable (p > 0.05) for both sexes across years. A higher age was associated with an increased risk for not finishing the race (odds ratio = 0.93, p = 0.045). Swim time was negatively associated with water temperature in the top 3 swimmers (ß = −9.87, p = 0.025). These results show that open-water ultra-swimming performance of elite swimmers over 26.4 km in a freshwater lake is affected by age, sex, and water temperature. The sex difference in open-water ultra-swimming performance (approximately 11.5%) remained unchanged these last 25 years. It seems unlikely that elite female swimmers will achieve the same performance of elite male swimmers competing in open-water ultra-swimming in water of approximately 20° C. Anthropometric and physiological characteristics such as skeletal muscle mass and thermoregulation need additional investigations in female and male open-water ultra-swimmers.
Evaluation of Quality of Life in Dogs with Idiopathic Epilepsy

Background The impact of epilepsy and its treatment on the quality of life (QoL) is considered an important part of treatment supervision in human epilepsy. Objectives To develop a list of key questions evaluating QoL in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (IE) and their carers. Animals One hundred fifty‐nine dogs with IE. Methods Cross‐sectional study. An online project questionnaire was developed containing 90 QoL‐associated questions that were initially allocated to 14 themes representing specific areas associated with the treatment and care of an epileptic dog. Principal component analysis was applied with the aim of refining the questionnaire to the least number of questions representing useful themes without loss of descriptive value. Carers were recruited by paper mail, primary practices, and canine epilepsy websites. Data were acquired from January to November 2011. Results Principal component analysis removed 54 questions, leaving 7 themes with 36 questions with a minimum Cronbach's alpha value of 0.7 indicating a good internal consistency: “Seizure severity and frequency”, “Adverse effects of antiepileptic drug (AED)”, “Restrictions on the carer's life”, “Frustrations over caring for a dog with IE”, “Carer distaste of AED adverse effects”, “Carer anxiety around the seizure event”, “Perceptions on rectal diazepam use”. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Principal component analysis successfully reduced the number of questions without loss in descriptive value. The remaining questions correlate well with each other in capturing valuable details about aspects of QoL and represent valuable key questions (EpiQoL) in the assessment of QoL for the carers of dogs with IE.
A hybrid systems modeling framework for transport protocols

We present a scalable hybrid systems modeling framework to describe the flow of traffic in communication networks. To characterize network behavior, these models use averaging to continuously approximate discrete variables such as congestion window and queue size. Because averaging occurs over short time intervals, one still models discrete events such as the occurrence of a drop and the consequent reaction (e.g., congestion control). The proposed hybrid systems modeling framework fills the gap between packet-level and fluid-based models: by averaging discrete variables over a very short time scale (on the order of a round-trip time), our models are able to capture the dynamics of transient phenomena fairly accurately. This provides significant flexibility in modeling various congestion control mechanisms, different queuing policies, multicast transmission, etc. We validate our hybrid modeling framework by comparing simulations of the hybrid models against packet-level simulations. We find that the probability density functions produced by ns-2 and our hybrid model match very closely with an L1-distance. We also present complexity analysis of ns-2 and the hybrid model. These tests indicate that hybrid models are considerably faster. Finally, we provide software tools for the design, analysis, and evaluation of large-scale computer networks and their protocols.
Desert Dust, Industrialization, and Agricultural Fires: Health Impacts of Outdoor Air Pollution in Africa

The African continent continuously experiences extreme aerosol load conditions, during which the World Health Organization clean air standard of 10 μg/m3 of PM2.5 mass is systematically exceeded. Africa holds the world largest source of desert dust emissions, undergoes strong industrial growth, and produces approximately a third of the Earth's biomass burning aerosol particles. Sub‐Saharan biomass burning is driven by agricultural practices, such as burning fields and bushes in the postharvest season for fertilization, land management, and pest control. Thus, these emissions are predominantly anthropogenic. Here we use global atmospheric composition, climate, and health models to simulate the chemical composition of the atmosphere and calculate the mortality rates for Africa by distinguishing between purely natural, industrial/domestic, and biomass burning emissions. Air quality‐related deaths in Africa rank within the top leading causes of death in Africa. Our results of ~780,000 premature deaths annually point to the extensive health impacts of natural emissions, high mortality rate caused by industrialization in Nigeria and South Africa, and a smaller extent by fire emissions in Central and West Africa. In Africa, 43,000 premature deaths are linked to biomass burning mainly driven by agriculture. Our results also show that natural sources, in particular windblown dust emissions, have large impacts on air quality and human health in Africa.