Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High--cadence observations of spicular-type events on the Sun

Chromospheric observations taken at high cadence and high spatial resolution show a range of spicule like features, including Type I, Type II (as well as RBEs and RREs) and those which seem to appear within a few seconds, which if interpreted as flows would imply mass flow velocities in excess of 1000 km/s. This article seeks to quantify and study rapidly appearing spicular type events. We also compare the MOMFBD and speckle reconstruction techniques in order to understand if such spicules are more favourably observed using a particular technique. We use spectral imaging observations taken with the CRISP on the Swedish 1 m Solar Telescope. Data was sampled at multiple positions within the Halpha line profile for both an ondisk and limb location. The data is host to numerous rapidly appearing features which are observed at different locations within the Halpha line profile. The feature's durations vary between 10 and 20 s and lengths around 3500 km. Sometimes, a time delay in their appearance between the blue and red wings of 3 and 5 s is evident, whereas sometimes they are near simultaneous. In some instances features are observed to fade and then re emerge at the same location several tens of seconds later. We provide the first statistical analysis of these spicules and suggest that these observations can be interpreted as the LOS movement of highly dynamic spicules moving in and out of the narrow 60 mA transmission filter used to observe in different parts of the Halpha line profile. The LOS velocity component of the observed fast chromospheric features, manifested as Doppler shifts, are responsible for their appearance in the red and blue wings of Halpha line. Additional work involving data at other wavelengths is required to investigate the nature of their possible wavelike activity.
Populations of migratory bird species that did not show a phenological response to climate change are declining

Recent rapid climatic changes are associated with dramatic changes in phenology of plants and animals, with optimal timing of reproduction advancing considerably in the northern hemisphere. However, some species may not have advanced their timing of breeding sufficiently to continue reproducing optimally relative to the occurrence of peak food availability, thus becoming mismatched compared with their food sources. The degree of mismatch may differ among species, and species with greater mismatch may be characterized by declining populations. Here we relate changes in spring migration timing by 100 European bird species since 1960, considered as an index of the phenological response of bird species to recent climate change, to their population trends. Species that declined in the period 1990–2000 did not advance their spring migration, whereas those with stable or increasing populations advanced their migration considerably. On the other hand, population trends during 1970–1990 were predicted by breeding habitat type, northernmost breeding latitude, and winter range (with species of agricultural habitat, breeding at northern latitudes, and wintering in Africa showing an unfavorable conservation status), but not by change in migration timing. The association between population trend in 1990–2000 and change in migration phenology was not confounded by any of the previously identified predictors of population trends in birds, or by similarity in phenotype among taxa due to common descent. Our findings imply that ecological factors affecting population trends can change over time and suggest that ongoing climatic changes will increasingly threaten vulnerable migratory bird species, augmenting their extinction risk.
Homozygosity for a CHEK2*1100delC mutation identified in familial colorectal cancer does not lead to a severe clinical phenotype

It has recently been suggested that the frequency of the germline CHEK2*1100delC mutation is higher among breast cancer families with colorectal cancer, although the mutation does not seem to be significantly associated with familial colorectal cancer. Five hundred and sixty‐four familial colorectal tumours were studied for expression of CHEK2 using tissue microarrays and an antibody against the NH2‐terminal SQ regulatory domain of the CHEK2 protein. Normal colonic tissue from patients whose tumours showed loss of CHEK2 expression was investigated further using fragment and sequence analysis for the presence of a CHEK2*1100delC mutation and five other (R117G, R137Q, R145W, I157T, and R180H) known germline variants in CHEK2. Twenty‐nine tumours demonstrated loss of expression for CHEK2. Analysis of matched normal colonic tissue from these patients revealed germline CHEK2*1100delC mutation in three cases. In two of these, the mutation was heterozygous but, interestingly, the third patient proved to be homozygous for the deletion, using six different primer pair combinations. None of the other tested germline variants were identified. No CHEK2*1100delC mutations were found in patients whose tumours stained positive. Homozygosity for the CHEK2*1100delC mutation appears not to be lethal in humans. No severe clinical phenotype was apparent, although the patient died from colonic carcinoma at age 52 years. This observation is in line with recent knockout mouse models, although in the latter, cellular defects in apoptosis and increased resistance to irradiation seem to exist. It is also concluded that CHEK2 protein abrogation is not caused by the CHEK2 germline variants R117G, R137Q, R145W, I157T, and R180H in familial colorectal cancer. Copyright © 2005 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Physical workload and risk of long-term sickness absence in the general working population and among blue-collar workers: prospective cohort study with register follow-up

Objective To determine the prospective association between physical workload—in terms of specific physical exposures and the number of exposures—and long-term sickness absence (LTSA). Methods Using cox-regression analyses, we estimated the risk of register-based incident LTSA (at least 3 consecutive weeks) from self-reported exposure to different physical workloads among 11 908 wage earners from the general working population (Danish Work Environment Cohort Study year 2000 and 2005). Results The incidence of LTSA was 8.9% during two-year follow-up. Spending 25% or more of the total work time with a bent or twisted back (HR 1.59 (95% CI 1.39 to 1.83)), arms above shoulder height (HR 1.35 (95% CI 1.14 to 1.59)), squatting or kneeling (HR 1.30 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.54)), pushing/pulling or lifting/carrying (HR 1.40 (95% CI 1.22 to 1.62)) and standing in the same place for 50% or more of total work time (HR 1.19 (95% CI 1.00 to 1.42), were risk factors for LTSA when adjusted for baseline age, gender, psychosocial work environment, lifestyle, musculoskeletal and mental disorders, and socioeconomic status. HR increased from 1.25 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.51) for one to 1.94 (95% CI 1.56 to 2.41) for four combined physical workloads. Results largely remained stable in subgroup analyses including only blue-collar workers (n=5055). Population attributable risks for LTSA from one or more physical workloads were 26% and 40% in the general working population and among blue-collar workers, respectively. Conclusions Several of the investigated types of physical workload were risk factors for LTSA when exceeding 25% of the work time. A higher number of combined physical workloads was associated with progressively increased risk. Our study underscores the importance of physical workload as risk factors for LTSA in the general working population as well as among blue-collar workers.
Minimal Access Versus Open Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion in the Treatment of Spondylolisthesis

OBJECTIVETo compare the safety and effectiveness of minimal access posterior lumbar interbody fusion (MAPLIF) with open posterior lumbar interbody fusion (OPLIF) in patients with spondylolisthesis and radicular pain. METHODSA prospective study was performed of 47 patients with radicular pain resulting from lumbar spondylolisthesis with a slip of less than 50% who underwent either MAPLIF (n = 23) or OPLIF (n = 24). At 12 months after treatment, clinical outcomes were measured using the Short-Form Health Survey 36 and the visual analog score for both leg pain and back pain, and the degree of reduction of spondylolisthesis, restoration of disc height, and presence of fusion were assessed. RESULTSBoth groups were similar in demographic and baseline clinical features. Both exhibited statistically and clinically significant improvements in back pain (OPLIF, 64%; MAPLIF, 78%), and leg pain (88% for both groups). This was corroborated by improvements in social and physical functioning, which were similar for both groups. The reduction of spondylolisthesis and fusion rates were also similar between the 2 groups. MAPLIF patients commenced mobilization sooner, achieved independent mobilization earlier, and had a shorter hospital stay (4 days versus 7 days). CONCLUSIONMAPLIF and OPLIF both reduce leg and back pain and restore function to a similar extent. MAPLIF is as effective as OPLIF in reducing the slip in patients with spondylolisthesis of less than 50%. MAPLIF promotes faster recovery and shortens hospital stay.
MDC-L, a Novel Metalloprotease Disintegrin Cysteine-rich Protein Family Member Expressed by Human Lymphocytes*

The metalloprotease disintegrin cysteine-rich (MDC) proteins are a recently identified family of transmembrane proteins that function in proteolytic processing of cell surface molecules and in cell adhesion. Since lymphocytes must interact with a constantly changing environment, we hypothesized that lymphocytes would express unique MDC proteins. To identify MDC proteins expressed in human lymph node, a polymerase chain reaction-based strategy combined with degenerate oligonucleotide primers was employed. We report here the identification of MDC-L (ADAM 23), a novel member of the MDC protein family. The results obtained from cDNA cloning and Northern blot analysis of mRNA isolated from various lymphoid tissues indicate that a 2.8-kilobase mRNA encoding a transmembrane form, MDC-Lm, and a 2.2-kilobase mRNA encoding a secreted form, MDC-Ls, are expressed in a tissue-specific manner. MDC-L mRNA was shown to be predominantly expressed in secondary lymphoid tissues, such as lymph node, spleen, small intestine, stomach, colon, appendix, and trachea. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining with an anti-MDC-L antibody demonstrated that cells with typical lymphocyte morphology are responsible for expression of the MDC-L antigen in these lymphoid tissues. MDC-Lm was found to be expressed on the surface of human peripheral blood lymphocytes and transformed B- and T-lymphocyte cell lines as an 87-kDa protein. Thus, we have identified a novel lymphocyte-expressed MDC protein family member.
Polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation for ADHD? Fishy, fascinating, and far from clear.

This is the age of “translational” medicine, when we attempt to apply new basic science discoveries to clinical therapeutics. For many of us, this requires updating some of our basic science concepts. If you have not reviewed the neurobiology of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) lately, the thought-provoking article by Sinn and Bryan in this issue1 may motivate you to do so, since some understanding of the functional biochemistry of LC-PUFAs is crucial to a critical reading of their paper. In reviewing the background material for this commentary, I was struck by two things: first, very few of the articles in Sinn and Bryan’s references were published in journals routinely read by pediatric clinicians and second, our current understanding of the importance of essential fatty acids (EFAs) and their metabolites to optimal brain function is based on an enormously complex set of interlinked biochemical, neurological, and laboratory observations. These are summarized, very briefly, by Sinn and Bryan. However, I would caution readers that the majority of research in humans on omega-3 fatty acid supplementation has been with adult patients with schizophrenia and severe mood disorders. The applicability of these research findings to children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is unknown. In this commentary, I will add a few introductory details to further explain why LC-PUFAs are thought to be so important to brain structure and function and describe the original hypothesis that prompted the first therapeutic human studies of EFA/LC-PUFA supplementation in adults (with a cautionary comment about its application to pediatric neurodevelopmental disorders). Then, we can consider the existing ADHD-related treatment studies and where we might direct our future research efforts to further clarify the role of LC-PUFA supplementation as a possible treatment for children with ADHD.
Acquired and inherited lipodystrophies.

Lipodystrophies, heterogeneous acquired or inherited disorders characterized by the selective loss of adipose tissue, predispose affected patients to insulin resistance and its attendant complications. This review focuses on the clinical features, underlying pathogenetic mechanisms, and management of various types of acquired and inherited lipodystrophies.
Disseminated Mycobacterium lentiflavumInfection in a Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patient

ABSTRACT We report the first case of Mycobacterium lentiflavumdisseminated infection in a human immunodeficiency virus-infected patient. Conventional identification procedures failed to identify the mycobacterial strain, but sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene led to the species identification. Furthermore, we describe here the analysis of the 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer sequence of M. lentiflavum.
Enhancing embedded systems simulation: a Chip hardware-in-the-loop simulation framework

ion is the most effective way to speed up a simulation. If the events, which are exchanged inside a simulation, can be reduced, the simulation will be faster. This is done by raising the level of abstraction. The same issue, speeding up a simulation, is addressed if the events have to be exchanged between hardware and simulation. The task is to define the right level of abstraction for a certain application. Chapter 4 presents the CHILS concept of interface realization between the μC and the environment. 2.6. 3 Event Exchange Optimization The goal of the HIL simulation system analysis is to find an optimized setup for the data exchange between hardware and simulation. This is primarily a compromise between accuracy and performance. An optimized setup covers the type and amount of exchanged data and the step size between two data exchanges. The first claim can be obtained by choosing the highest level of interface abstraction which is suitable for the desired functionality. The second claim concerns the rate of changes of the exchanged data and the necessity of change distribution. Two techniques can be used, an analysis
Structural abnormalities in deficit and nondeficit schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE Previous studies have suggested the involvement of the frontal and parietal cortices and thalamus in a neural circuit underlying the production of primary enduring negative or deficit symptoms of schizophrenia. The purpose of this study was to examine whether structural changes in the proposed circuit are associated with the production of deficit symptoms. METHOD Magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure the volume of selected circuit brain regions (i.e., the prefrontal region and caudate) and noncircuit brain regions (i.e., the amygdala/hippocampus complex) in 17 deficit and 24 nondeficit schizophrenic outpatients and 30 normal comparison subjects. RESULTS Right and left total prefrontal volumes discriminated deficit from nondeficit patients, with prefrontal volumes being smaller in nondeficit patients. There were no differences between the two schizophrenic subgroups in left caudate or right and left amygdala/hippocampus complex volumes. The right caudate was larger in deficit patients, but the difference between the two schizophrenic subgroups was not significant. There were no differences between deficit and normal subjects on any prefrontal region measure. Nondeficit patients had smaller total right and left prefrontal volumes than normal subjects. Both schizophrenic subgroups had larger left caudate volumes and smaller right and left amygdala/hippocampus complex volumes than the normal subjects. There was a trend for deficit patients to have larger right caudate volumes. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that structural changes in the prefrontal region are not responsible for deficit symptoms. The caudate, particularly the right caudate, may be associated with the production of these symptoms.
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Controversies in the Use of Diagnostic Procedures

The term inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) denotes a genetically, immunologically and histopathologically heterogeneous group of inflammatory bowel disorders classified at present time as ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn’s disease (CD) and indeterminate colitis (IC). Diagnosis of IBD is based on a non-strictly defined combination of clinical and diagnostic parameters. In order to guide the treatment, patients must be assessed by determining IBD phenotype, disease extension and distribution, extraintestinal manifestations, disease behavior, disease severity and drug responsiveness. Each element of the diagnostic process cannot be looked at alone, but has to be incorporated into general clinical assessment, bearing in mind that different phenotypes and age groups require specific diagnostic solutions. Advances in technology provided the possibility for the assessment of the entire digestive system with endoscopy leading the way. Sophisticated imaging methods made the analysis of the bowel wall with its vascularity and adjacent mesentery possible. The challenge is still the small bowel, where a combination of endoscopy and imaging methods is used. The use of imaging methods should be, among other things, guided by level of irradiation which is especially important in young patients and in patients requiring repeated investigations. Using abdominal ultrasound as a low-cost, noninvasive procedure, one has to take into account that it is very operator-dependent method. In UC, endoscopy is used for the evaluation of the extent and activity of the disease and to assess complications like stricture, dysplasia and cancer. UC is classified by the disease extent into proctitis, left-sided colitis and extensive colitis beyond the splenic flexure. Pediatric patients with UC have more extensive disease than adults with rectal sparing in up to 30% of patients. The severity of mucosal changes are reported as Baron endoscopic score. Endoscopic findings correlate well with clinical activity and are commonly incorporated into Mayo index, combination of clinical Truelove Witts index and Baron score. Complications like strictures require imaging methods as supplement to endoscopy. The incidence of CD, particularly in children and adolescents, has risen during the past decade, with children often having extensive and severe disease The nature of CD requires the use of wide array of endoscopic and imaging methods, placed properly in the diagnostic algorithms for specific disease phenotypes and complications and adapted for specific age groups. Endoscopic features of CD are very variable and can be quantified as Crohn’s Disease Endoscopic Index of Severity (CDEIS) or Simple Endoscopic Score for CD (SES-CD). Disease activity is most commonly assessed by CDAI. Perianal disease activity should be measured by PDAI due to low CDAI scores in these patients. The activity of CD in children should be assessed by the Pediatric Activity Index. IC is part of the IBD spectrum where chronic colitis cannot be defined as either UC or CD after sequential colonoscopies and colonic biopsies or at colectomy.
Efficacy of CT in diagnosis of transudates and exudates in patients with pleural effusion.

PURPOSE We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of multidetector computed tomography (CT) imaging in diagnosis of pleural exudates and transudates using attenuation values. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective study included 106 patients who were diagnosed with pleural effusion between January 2010 and June 2012. After the patients underwent chest CT, thoracentesis was performed in the first week. The attenuation values of the pleural effusions were measured in all patients. RESULTS According to Light's criteria, 30 of 106 patients with pleural effusions had transudates, and the remaining patients had exudates. The Hounsfield unit (HU) value of the exudates (median, 12.5; range, 4-33) was significantly higher than that of the transudates (median, 5; range, 2-15) (P = 0.001). Additionally, when evaluated by disease subgroups, congestive heart failure and empyema were predictable in terms of median HU values of the pleural effusions with high and moderate sensitivity and specificity values (84.6% and 81.2%, respectively; 76.9% and 66.7%, respectively). Compared with other patients, the empyema patients had significantly more loculation and pleural thickening. CONCLUSION CT attenuation values may be useful in differentiating exudates from transudates. Although there is an overlap in most effusions, exudate can be considered when the CT attenuation values are >15 HU. Because of overlapping HU values, close correlation with clinical findings is essential. Additional signs, such as fluid loculation and pleural thickness, should be considered and may provide further information for the differentiation.
FREQUENCY OF HEPATITIS B AND C INFECTIONS IN THE GENERAL POPULATION OF LAHORE, PAKISTAN

In the recent times, viral hepatic infections (HBV and HCV) have become common and the most important cause of liver disease. It is posing a great health problem especially in the developing world. The importance of hepatitis B and hepatitis C is illustrated by the fact that these infections are imposing a heavy burden on national economy and individual families due to considerable morbidity and mortality from both acute infection and chronic sequelae including chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The present study was carried out to determine the frequency of HBV and HCV infections in the general population of Lahore and to highlight the magnitude of the problem. The study was conducted during the ‘Free Hepatitis Camp’ held at Services Hospital, Lahore - Pakistan for a period of one week from May 18 to May 25, 2007. It is a descriptive / cross sectional study. Blood specimens were collected using approved medical techniques and tested for HBsAg and anti-HCV on 3 rd generation ELISA system. This study was conducted in the general population of Lahore and a total of 992 subjects were screened for both hepatitis B and C. Sero-positivity for hepatitis B and C were detected in 30.94% of the subjects. The prevalence of HCV among the total subjects studied was 21.7%, hepatitis B, 8.06% and hepatitis B and C (dual infection) 1.31%. Sero-prevalence in females and males of HBsAg was 1.61% and 6.45% and of anti HCV antibodies 10.38% and 11.19% respectively. It is concluded that about 1/3rd of the studied population is sero-positive for hepatitis B or hepatitis C or both infections and this figure is alarmingly high. It further concludes that the frequency of HCV infection is much more common than that of HBV. It raises concern about the increasing disease burden in future and effectiveness of preventive programs/methodologies. Practical implementation of recommended preventive measures in true sense is crucial to prevent or at least reduce the consequences of viral hepatitis in risk groups. There is considerable HCV and HBV threat to our population and require a genuine need for strict adherence to preventive measures.