Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Low-level laser therapy for chronic non-specific low back pain: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Objective The efficacy of low-level laser treatment (LLLT) for chronic back pain remains controversial due to insufficient trial data. We aimed to conduct an updated review to determine if LLLT (including laser acupuncture) has specific benefits in chronic non-specific low back pain (CNLBP). Methods Electronic databases were searched for randomised trials using sham controls and blinded assessment examining the intervention of LLLT in adults with CNLBP. Primary outcomes were pain and global assessment of improvement with up to short-term follow-up. Secondary outcomes were disability, range of back movement, and adverse effects. A random effects meta-analysis was conducted. Subgroup analyses were based on laser dose, duration of baseline pain, and whether or not laser therapy used an acupuncture approach. Results 15 studies were selected involving 1039 participants. At immediate and short-term follow-up there was significant pain reduction of up to WMD (weighted mean difference) −1.40 cm (95% CI −1.91 to −0.88 cm) in favour of laser treatment, occurring in trials using at least 3 Joules (J) per point, with baseline pain <30 months and in non-acupuncture LLLT trials. Global assessment showed a risk ratio of 2.16 (95% CI 1.61 to 2.90) in favour of laser treatment in the same groups only at immediate follow-up. Conclusions We demonstrated moderate quality of evidence (GRADE) to support a clinically important benefit in LLLT for CNLBP in the short term, which was only seen following higher laser dose interventions and in participants with a shorter duration of back pain. Rigorously blinded trials using appropriate laser dosage would provide greater certainty around this conclusion.
Repair of the Ruptured Distal Biceps Tendon

Background Reinsertion of the acutely ruptured distal biceps is the preferred method of treatment for most patients and is designed to restore flexion and supination strength. It is not clear which, if any, method of fixation is superior or whether a 2-incision or single-incision approach is associated with fewer complications or better outcomes. Hypotheses (1) There is no difference in biomechanical performance between currently used fixation methods, (2) there is no difference in incidence of complications between the 2-incision and single-incision approach, and (3) there is no difference in clinical outcomes between the 2-incision and single-incision approach. Study Design Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods The authors performed a systematic review of the literature studying treatment of the ruptured distal biceps tendon to determine optimal fixation method as well as surgical approach with lowest incidence of complications and highest proportion of satisfactory results. Results The review identified 8 articles that had relevant biomechanical data, 23 with relevant complication data, and 19 with relevant clinical results data. EndoButton fixation performed best in comparative biomechanical studies. There was no difference in overall incidence of complications between 2-incision approaches (16%) and single-incision approaches (18%), but there were significantly more instances of significant loss of forearm rotation with the 2-incision approach. There were significantly more unsatisfactory clinical results in the 2-incision repair group (31 % vs 6%; odds ratio, 7.6; 95% confidence interval, 3.2-17.7), with the majority of unsatisfactory results in the 2-incision group due to loss of forearm rotation or rotational strength. Conclusion EndoButton fixation has the highest load and stiffness of currently available fixation methods. Two-incision repairs have a significantly greater proportion of unsatisfactory results than do single-incision repairs.
Preliminary Analyses of Hebrew Verbal Fluency Measures

Hebrew language versions of phonemic and semantic fluency were administered to samples of normal control participants and individuals who had been hospitalized for 24 hr following a head injury. For the control sample, verbal fluency tasks were normally distributed and significantly correlated with education. The head injury sample's word generation was significantly lesser than that of the control's and not at all related to educational attainment. The findings provide evidence for the use of Hebrew fluency measures for clinical assessment and the need for collection of normative data across education levels.
NMR chemical shifts of ice and liquid water: The effects of condensation

We report the results of ab initio density functional theory calculations of the NMR chemical shift of liquid water and hexagonal ice. Depending on the structural model used, the calculated isotropic shift of ice Ih with respect to the gas phase is −8.0 ± 0.2 or −8.1 ± 0.1 ppm for the proton, and −48.6 ± 0.02 or −48.1 ± 0.02 ppm for oxygen. The proton anisotropy is −33.4 ± 0.2 or −33.6 ± 0.2 ppm. Using snapshots from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, we find a gas-to-liquid shift of −5.8 ± 0.1 ppm for hydrogen, and −36.6 ± 0.5 ppm for oxygen. Molecules beyond the first solvation shell influence the proton chemical shift predominantly via the electric field generated by their permanent electric dipole moment. Finally, we show that it is possible to reproduce the proton chemical shifts in the condensed phases by an empirical function of the local molecular geometry.
Online multiple people tracking-by-detection in crowded scenes

Multiple people detection and tracking is a challenging task in real-world crowded scenes. In this paper, we have presented an online multiple people tracking-by-detection approach with a single camera. We have detected objects with deformable part models and a visual background extractor. In the tracking phase we have used a combination of support vector machine (SVM) person-specific classifiers, similarity scores, the Hungarian algorithm and inter-object occlusion handling. The proposed method does not require prior training and does not impose any constraints on environmental conditions. Our evaluation showed that the proposed method outperformed the state of the art approaches by 10% and 15% or achieved comparable performance.
Amoxicillin-induced aseptic meningitis: case report and review of published cases .

OBJECTIVE Amoxicillin-induced aseptic meningitis (AIAM) is an extremely rare adverse reaction with only 12 reported cases. The term aseptic meningitis refers to patients who have clinical and laboratory evidence for meningeal inflammation with negative routine bacterial cultures. Since the exact pathogenesis is still unknown and clinical signs and cerebrospinalfluid (CSF) findings vary greatly, AIAM is usually a diagnosis of exclusion. CASE SUMMARY We report a clinical case of a patient referred to the clinical pharmacology outpatient clinic for consultation on suspected recurrent AIAM and a review of published cases. CONCLUSIONS This report adds to the evidence-base of AIAM and emphasizes the importance of taking a thorough medication history in individuals with suspected meningitis. Considering the wide utilization of amoxicillin, it is important that healthcare providers are aware of AIAM.
Interaction of genotype and environment as determinants of corticosteroid response to stress.

The temporal pattern of plasma corticosterone concentrations following electric shock was studied in 10-week old mice from two inbred strains (C57BL/10J and DBA/2) and their reciprocal crosses, half of which had been subjected to infantile stimulation. The roles of genotype, maternal factors, and handling were assessed as determinants of corticosteroid response to stress. Highly significant and opposing genetic and maternal effects interacted to limit extreme plasma corticosterone concentrations following stress. Infantile stimulation also acted to produce intermediate steroid responses.
Javanese Women and the Veil in Post-Soeharto Indonesia

This article examines the practice and meanings of the new veiling and of Islamization more generally for young Muslim Javanese women in the new middle class. Drawing on eight months of ethnographic research in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta in 1999 and three subsequent one-month visits during 2001, 2002, and 2003, I explore the social and religious attitudes of female students at two of Yogyakarta's leading centers of higher education: Gadjah Mada University, a nondenominational state university, and the nearby Sunan Kalijaga National Islamic University. The ethnographic and life-historical materials discussed here underscore that the new veiling is neither a traditionalist survival nor an antimodernist reaction but rather a complex and sometimes ambiguous effort by young Muslim women to reconcile the opportunities for autonomy and choice offered by modern education with a heightened commitment to the profession of Islam.
Measurement and correction of ultrasonic pulse distortion produced by the human breast.

Ultrasonic wavefront distortion produced by transmission through breast tissue specimens was measured in a two-dimensional aperture. Differences in arrival time and energy level between the measured waveforms and references that account for geometric delay and spreading were calculated. Also calculated was a waveform similarity factor that is decreased from 1.0 by changes in waveform shape. For nine different breast specimens, the arrival time fluctuations had an average (+/- s.d.) rms value of 66.8 (+/- 12.6) ns and an associated correlation length of 4.3 (+/- 1.1) mm, while the energy level fluctuations had an average rms value of 5.0 (+/- 0.5) dB and a correlation length of 3.4 (+/- 0.8) mm. The corresponding waveform similarity factor was 0.910 (+/- 0.023). The effect of the wavefront distortion on focusing and the ability of time-shift compensation to remove the distortion were evaluated by comparing parameters such as the -30-dB effective radius, the -10-dB peripheral energy ratio, and the level at which the effective radius departs from an ideal by 10% for the focus obtained without compensation, with time-shift estimation and compensation in the aperture, and with time-shift estimation and compensation performed after backpropagation. For the nine specimens, the average -10-dB peripheral energy ratio of the focused beams fell from 3.82 (+/- 1.83) for the uncompensated data to 0.96 (+/- 0.18) with time-shift compensation in the aperture and to 0.63 (+/- 0.07) with time-shift compensation after backpropagation. The average -30-dB effective radius and average 10% deviation level were 4.5 (+/- 0.8) mm and -19.2 (+/- 3.5) dB, respectively, for compensation in the aperture and 3.2 (+/- 0.7) mm and -22.8 (+/- 2.8) dB, respectively, for compensation after backpropagation. The corresponding radius for the uncompensated data was not meaningful because the dynamic range of the focus was generally less than 30 dB in the elevation direction, while the average 10% deviation level for the uncompensated data was -4.9 (+/- 4.1) dB. The results indicate that wavefront distortion produced by breast significantly degrades ultrasonic focus in the low MHz frequency range and that much of this degradation can be eliminated using wavefront backpropagation and time-shift compensation.
Input/output stability theory for direct neuro-fuzzy controllers

In an input/output (I/O) setting, we undertake a detailed theoretical investigation of the stability of a given direct static multiple-input single-output neuro-fuzzy controller operating under feedback control, dependent only on the functional gain of the plant to be controlled. It is shown that various stability regions in weight space are convex, and necessary and sufficient conditions are given for these stability regions to be open and bounded. The convexity results coupled with the stability test give a practical method for constructing the stability regions. We show that an adaptive neuro-fuzzy controller is stable under feedback if we constrain the weights of the controller to lie within any compact set within the stability region. Combining a projection operator with any standard training law can thus give a stable adaptive controller.
Detection of low numbers of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica in environmental water and sewage samples by nested polymerase chain reaction

A.S. WAAGE, T. VARDUND, V. LUND and G. KAPPERUD.1999. Isolation of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica from water and sewage by traditional culture techniques is time‐consuming and subsequent differentiation between pathogenic and non‐pathogenic strains can be difficult and unreliable. A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure was used for the detection of low numbers of Y. enterocolitica in spiked samples from natural surface sources with variable background flora ranging from oligotrophic water to sewage. Water and sewage samples were filtered and filters enriched overnight in a non‐selective medium. Nested PCR conducted on enriched broth, prepared by use of a rapid and simple preparation step consisting of centrifugation, proteinase K treatment and boiling, enabled the detection of 8–17 cfu 100 ml−1 water with background levels of up to 8700 heterotrophic organisms ml−1 and 10 000 cfu coliform organisms 100 ml−1 water. The analysis can be completed within 2–3 d and should be a significant tool in monitoring environmental waters and drinking water sources for the presence of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica.
The Earlier Prehistoric Settlement of Cranborne Chase-the First Results of Current Fieldwork

Summary This paper offers a provisional assessment of the development of settlement in part of Cranborne Chase between the Mesolithic and the Late Bronze Age. It builds upon the results of Pitt Rivers' work in this region between 1880 and 1900, as well as more recent excavation and field survey. Special emphasis is placed on three factors: the relationship between activity in this area and settlement both in central Wessex and on the coastal plain; the place of the more prominent ‘public’ monuments in contemporary patterns of settlement and exchange; and the relationship between cemeteries and contemporary living sites. We present the first results from the extensive excavation of two Deverel-Rimbury enclosures and associated barrows, and a new analysis of Pitt Rivers' work on the urnfield at Handley Barrow 24.
A Genetic Algorithm for a Special Class of the Quadratic Assignment Problem

A special class of the quadratic assignment problem (QAP) is considered. This class of QAP describes the multiway partitioning problem which is the problem of partitioning a graph into disjoint subgraphs of prescribed sizes by removing the fewest number of edges. A genetic algorithm (GA) for solving this problem is described. A novel feature of this algorithm is the schema preprocessing phase that helps create important building blocks, which in turn improves the performance of the GA. Experimental tests on graphs with published solutions showed that the algorithm performed comparable to or better than the simulated annealing algorithm. Consider the quadratic assignment problem (QAP) where the n x n flow matrix F is a 0-1 symmetric matrix with O'son the main diagonal and the n x n distance matrix D is a block matrix of the form whereObi is a bi x bi matrix of all zeros, for integers b1, . , bk such that L:~=lbi = n. All other entries of Dare 1. This QAP can be easily seen to describe the followinggraph problem. Let G = (V,E) be an undirected graph on n vertices and k integers b1, . ,bk be given. The multiway partitioning problem is the 1993 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 65KlO; Secondary 68T05, 68RlO. This paper is in preliminary form. problem of finding the smallest set of edges in G whose removal separates G into k disjoint subgraphs Gi = (Vi, Ei), i = 1, . ,k such that (i) IViI = bi, for all i, (ii) U~=lVi = V, and (iii) Vj n Vi = 0 for j f. t. In other words, it is the problem of finding a partition of the vertex set V into k disjoint subsets of specified sizes and minimizing the number of edges with endpoints in different subsets of the partition. The number of edges having endpoints in different parts of the partition is called the size or cut size of the partition. The flowmatrix F in the QAP is simply the adjacency matrix of the graph G and the number of edges connecting different parts of the partition, Le. , the quantity to be minimized, is n L D[i,j)F[1r(i),1r(j)],
Combining features for RGB-D object recognition

Object category and instance recognition have received much attention in this era of modern technologies. Advanced image sensing technologies provide high resolution color and depth synchronized videos such as RGB-D (Kinect style) camera. At present, various features extraction schemes are introduced to improve classification performance. Extracting useful features from both color and depth images have recently gained much attention in this research area. In this paper, we proposed an approach to create new features using a feature combination of various feature extraction techniques: color autrocorrelogram, wavelet moments, local binary pattern (LBP) and principal component analysis (PCA) for RGB-D data. The experiments on benchmark dataset shows that the new features obtained by the proposed method using k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) classifier provide promising classification results.
Bayesian approach for flexible modeling of semicompeting risks data

Semicompeting risks data arise when two types of events, non‐terminal and terminal, are observed. When the terminal event occurs first, it censors the non‐terminal event, but not vice versa. To account for possible dependent censoring of the non‐terminal event by the terminal event and to improve prediction of the terminal event using the non‐terminal event information, it is crucial to model their association properly. Motivated by a breast cancer clinical trial data analysis, we extend the well‐known illness–death models to allow flexible random effects to capture heterogeneous association structures in the data. Our extension also represents a generalization of the popular shared frailty models that usually assume that the non‐terminal event does not affect the hazards of the terminal event beyond a frailty term. We propose a unified Bayesian modeling approach that can utilize existing software packages for both model fitting and individual‐specific event prediction. The approach is demonstrated via both simulation studies and a breast cancer data set analysis. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of Motion on the Performance of Pulse Oximeters in Volunteers

Background Pulse oximetry is considered a standard of care in both the operating room and the postanesthetic care unit, and it is widely used in all critical care settings. Pulse oximeters may fail to provide valid pulse oximetry data in various situations that produce low signal‐to‐noise ratio. Motion artifact is a common cause of oximeter failure and loss of accuracy. This study compares the accuracy and data dropout rates of three current pulse oximeters during standardized motion in healthy volunteers. Methods Ten healthy volunteers were monitored by three different pulse oximeters: Nellcor N‐200, Nellcor N‐3000, and Masimo SET (prototype). Sensors were placed on digits 2, 3, and 4 of the test hand, which was strapped to a mechanical motion table. The opposite hand was used as a stationary control and was monitored with the same pulse oximeters and an arterial cannula. Arterial oxygen saturation rate was varied from 100% to 75% by changing the inspired oxygen concentration. While pulse oximetry was both constant and changing, the oximeter sensors were connected before and during motion. Oximeter errors and dropout rates were digitally recorded continuously during each experiment. Results If the oximeter was functioning before motion began, the following are the percentages of time when the instrument displayed a pulse oximetry value within 7% of control: N‐200 = 76%, N‐3000 = 87%, and Masimo = 99%. When the oximeter sensor was connected after the beginning of motion, the values were N‐200 = 68%, N‐3000 = 47%, and Masimo = 97%. If the alarm threshold was chosen as pulse oximetry less than 90%, then the positive predictive values (true alarms/total alarms) are N‐200 = 73%, N‐3000 = 81%, and Masimo = 100%. In general, N‐200 had the greatest pulse oximetry errors and N‐3000 had the highest dropout rates. Conclusions The mechanical motions used in this study significantly affected oximeter function, particularly when the sensors were connected during motion, which requires signal acquisition during motion. The error and dropout rate performance of the Masimo was superior to that of the other two instruments during all test conditions. Masimo uses a new paradigm for oximeter signal processing, which appears to represent a significant advance in low signal‐to‐noise performance.
Modulating the Functional Contributions of c-Myc to the Human Endothelial Cell Cyclic Strain Response

This study addresses whether pathological levels of cyclic strain activate the c-Myc promoter, leading to c-Myc transcription and downstream gene induction in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) or human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC). mRNA and protein expression of c-Myc under physiological (6–10%) and pathological cyclic strain conditions (20%) were studied. Both c-Myc mRNA and protein expression increased 2–3-fold in HUVEC cyclically strained at 20%. c-Myc protein increased 4-fold in HAEC. In HUVEC, expression of mRNA peaked at 1.5–2 h. Subsequently, the effect of modulating c-Myc on potential downstream gene targets was determined. A small molecular weight compound that binds to and stabilizes the silencer element in the c-Myc promoter attenuates cyclic strain-induced c-Myc transcription by about 50%. This compound also modulates c-Myc downstream gene targets that may be instrumental in induction of vascular disease. Cyclic strain-induced gene expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, proliferating cell nuclear antigen and heat shock protein 60 are attenuated by this compound. These results offer a possible mechanism and promising clinical treatment for vascular diseases initiated by increased cyclic strain.
Effect of practice on paw preference in a reaching task in cats.

Paw preference and performance were analyzed in twelve male adult cats during early and late practice of a complex visuo-motor reaching task towards a moving target. A strong bias towards left paw use was seen early in training: 80.7% of the trials being performed with the left paw, and left pawed cats (n = 11) significantly outnumbered right pawed cats (n = 1). After practice, a shift was observed towards right paw use, in that, overall, the proportion of trials executed using the left paw fell to 71.4%. Moreover two of the left pawed cats modified strongly their preference: one shifted to exclusive use of the right paw while the other one became ambidextrous. In non exclusive cats the comparison of visuo-motor scores for left and right paws during late practice showed that the usage of the paw which is both faster and more accurate had increased during training whether or not that paw was initially the preferred one. Furthermore, for cats where no systematic performance advantage was seen (i.e. one paw was faster, the other one more accurate) there was a shift towards ambidextry. As a conclusion, the results confirm a bias towards left paw use in cats performing a complex reaching task, and show that this bias is weakened by practice. The left hemisphere could take more importance when the new visuo-motor activity becomes progressively a well routinized one.