Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Short-term effect and adverse events of adalimumab versus placebo in inducing remission for moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Adalimumab is used in an attempt to maintain remission for Ulcerative colitis. This study was to evaluate the efficacy and adverse events of adalimumab compared with placebo in inducing remission of Ulcerative colitis. METHODS MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, OVID, BIOSIS, CNKI, and Google were searched. All randomized trials comparing adalimumab with placebo in inducing remission of moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis were included. RESULTS Two randomized controlled trials with a total of 754 participants met the inclusion criteria. The pooled risk ratio (RR) of clinical remission was 1.85 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.26 to 2.72) following adalimumab treatment. RR of clinical response was 1.40 (95% CI 1.19 to 1.65) while that of mucosal healing was 1.23 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.47). RR of any adverse events was 1.00 (95% CI 0.93 to 1.09). CONCLUSION Compared with placebo, administration of adalimumab may increase the proportion of patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis attaining clinical remission, clinical response and mucosal healing. Adalimumab is also tolerated well in these patients.
Trends in nosocomial bloodstream infections following health care restructuring in Alberta between 1999 and 2005.

OBJECTIVE A previous study at the University of Alberta Hospital/Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, revealed an increase in hospital-acquired bloodstream infection (BSI) rates associated with an increase in patient acuity during a period of public health care delivery restructuring between 1993 and 1996. The present study assessed trends in BSIs since the end of the restructuring. DESIGN Prospective surveillance for BSIs was performed using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USA) criteria for infection. BSI cases between January 1, 1999, and December 31, 2005, were reviewed. Available measures of patient volumes, acuity and BSI risk factors between 1999 and 2005 were also reviewed from hospital records. SETTING The University of Alberta Hospital/Stollery Children's Hospital (617 adult and 139 pediatric beds, respectively). PATIENTS All pediatric and adult patients admitted during the above-specified period with one or more episodes of BSIs. RESULTS There was a significant overall decline in the BSI number and rate over the study period between 1999 and 2005. The downward trend was widespread, involving both adult and pediatric populations, as well as primary and secondary BSIs. During this period, the number of hospital-wide and intensive care unit admissions, intensive care unit central venous catheter-days, total parenteral nutrition days and number of solid-organ transplants were either unchanged or increased. Gram-positive bacterial causes of BSIs showed significant downward trends, but Gram-negative bacterial and fungal etiologies were unchanged. CONCLUSIONS These data imply that, over time, hospitals can gradually adjust to changing patient care circumstances and, in this example, control infectious complications of health care delivery.
Passive Overconsumption Fat Intake and Short‐Term Energy Balance a

In considering the relationship between fat intake and energy balance, two sets of issues come into prominence. In the “real world”-here meaning natural circumstances surrounding living, working, and relaxingwhat happens when people are enveloped in a food supply containing an abundance of high-energy-dense foods (usually high in fat), which are extremely palatable and actively promoted, and which form part of modem culture? Under these circumstances, are people able to maintain an energy intake equivalent to (but no greater than) their energy expenditure (which may be quite low)? Can people eat freely without fear of overconsumption? In addition, what happens when people try to reduce their fat intake? Is it possible to undereat without inducing compensatory eating responses? It is accepted that “real world events are often very difficult to monitor and measure. This is exemplified by the problems involved in achieving good estimates of habitual energy intakes. Indeed, it is widely recognized that reported values of food intake derived from various techniques represent substantial underestimates of the actual energy and nutrients consumed. ’ Moreover, considering the alarming and continuing increase in the frequency of obesity (which can be accurately measured), it can be surmised that people experience great difficulty in preventing their energy intakes from rising above their energy expenditure. It is relevant to inquire what features of human beings-biological, psychological, or both-allow them to drift with apparent ease into a positive energy balance with the inevitable gain in weight. ’ In this domain of science, one of the objectives of laboratory‘ research should be to model the happenings in the real world. In practice, what usually happens is that researchers attempt to demonstrate how the physiological system responds when subjected to various nutritional challenges. What happens when people under experimental protocols are forced to consume particular amounts of fat or allowed to eat
The role of deliberate practice in chess expertise

SUMMARY Two large, diverse samples of tournament-rated chess players were asked to estimate the frequency and duration of their engagement in a variety of chess-related activities. Variables representing accumulated time spent on serious study alone, tournament play, and formal instruction were all significant bivariate correlates of chess skill as measured by tournament performance ratings. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that among the activities measured, serious study alone was the strongest predictor of chess skill in both samples, and that a combination of various chessrelated activities accounted for about 40% of the variance in chess skill ratings. However, the relevance of tournament play and formal instruction to skill varied as a function of skill measurement time (peak vs. current) and age group (above vs. below 40 years). Chess players at the highest skill level (i.e. grandmasters) expended about 5000 hours on serious study alone during their first decade of serious chess play—nearly five times the average amount reported by intermediate-level players. These results provide further evidence to support the argument that deliberate practice plays a critical role in the acquisition of chess expertise, and may be useful in addressing pedagogical issues concerning the optimal allocation of time to different chess learning activities. Copyright # 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. How long does it take to become an expert in chess? Based on theoretical arguments about information processing efficiency and computer simulations of pattern recognition in chess, Simon and colleagues (Simon & Chase, 1973; Simon & Gilmartin, 1973) proposed a ‘10-year rule’ for the development of chess expertise. In other words, one needs about a decade of study in order to acquire the necessary knowledge base to perform at very high levels of tournament play (see F. Gobet & N. Charness, submitted; Expertise in chess. In K. A. Ericsson, N. Charness, P. Feltovich, & R. Hoffman (Eds.), Cambridge handbook of expertise and expert performance. New York: Cambridge University Press; Gobet, de Voogt, & Retschnitzki, 2004, for review).
A Simple and Effective Method to Estimate the Model Parameters of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Ozone Chamber

This paper presents a simple yet effective method to determine the electrical model parameters of the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) ozone chamber at frequencies above 20 kHz. The method is an alternative to the conventional Lissajous plot estimation method which appears to yield unsatisfactory results in this frequency range. Furthermore, the proposed technique allows for the chamber parameters to be determined at different frequencies-a flexibility which is not easily achievable using the typical Lissajous method. The measurement setup consists of a full-bridge inverter and a high-frequency variable inductor connected to the DBD chamber. The inductor can be adjusted to allow for parameter determination at different frequencies. The chamber parameters obtained from experimental results are validated by applying them in a high-voltage power supply for ozone generator.
The Immediate Effects of Thoracic Spine and Rib Manipulation on Subjects with Primary Complaints of Shoulder Pain

Abstract Shoulder pain is a common orthopedic condition seen by physical therapists, with many potential contributing factors and proposed treatments. Although manual physical therapy interventions for the cervicothoracic spine and ribs have been investigated for this patient population, the specific effects of these treatments have not been reported. The purpose of this investigational study is to report the immediate effects of thoracic spine and rib manipulation in patients with primary complaints of shoulder pain. Using a test-retest design, 21 subjects with shoulder pain were treated during a single treatment session with high-velocity thrust manipulation to the thoracic spine or upper ribs. Post-treatment effects demonstrated a 51% (32mm) reduction in shoulder pain, a corresponding increase in shoulder range of motion (30°-38°), and a mean patient-perceived global rating of change of 4.2 (median 5). These immediate post-treatment results suggest that thoracic and rib manipulative therapy is associated with improved shoulder pain and motion in patients with shoulder pain, and further these interventions support the concept of a regional interdependence between the thoracic spine, upper ribs, and shoulder.
Phase 1 pharmacokinetic and drug‐interaction study of dasatinib in patients with advanced solid tumors

The recently developed the Src and Abelson (Abl) kinase inhibitor dasatinib has antitumor effects in epithelial and mesenchymal tumors. Preclinical data have indicated that dasatinib is metabolized primarily through cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) and may cause QT prolongation. In light of its improved tolerability, the authors were interested in the safety of a once‐daily dasatinib regimen.
A Proposed Framework based Electronic Medical Records (ERM) for Implementation of Technology Acceptance in Healthcare Service

This study extends applicability of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to test user acceptance of EMR in the hospital. This study aims to assess the EMR characteristics which could affect the healthcare professions belief in accepting the usage of EMR in UiTM Medical Specialist Centre, Malaysia (UiTMMSC), Malaysia. Besides measuring the effectiveness of the system towards the organizations excellence, this study expected to guide the UiTMMSC management in structuring the initiatives to promote the EMR usage among the healthcare professions. The significant of this study is to ensure future research by expanding the similar topic of research with the exploration on specific EMR characteristics or healthcare professions belief by focusing of particular programs for detail assessment.
Host cell properties and external pH affect proinsulin production by Saccharomyces yeast

The expression of a hybrid gene encoding an α‐factor prepro leader peptide‐miniproinsulin (MPI) fusion [MPI is the same as the LysArg human insulin precursor described by Thim et al. (1986)] was tested in a series of isogenic yeast strains to investigate the influence of some genetic and physiological factors on heterologous production in yeast. We found that: (i) an MFα1 gene disruption in haploid cells, as well as MFα1 gene product expression in diploid cells, do not affect the MPI secretion level; (ii) under conditions of exogenous leucine availability, MPI production is hindered by leucine auxotrophy (a leu2 mutation); (iii) rho− mutations increase the per‐cell MPI yield approximately three‐fold; (iv) the MPI yield is apparently dependent on the pH of the culture medium: the higher the external pH, the larger the per‐cell MPI yield.
Real-time support of continuous and variable bit rate traffic on an ATM network

There is growing interest in using switched network technology such as asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) to support both continuous bit rate multimedia data and variable bit rate burst traffic for distributed computing. Most previous work and studies have focused only on the real-time support imposed by the isochronous requirements of the video or audio sources. This paper reports the results of our early study on how ATM can support real-time and prioritized traffic. We describe some basic approaches in handling real-time quality of service parameters within the context of ATM, and observe from simulation experiments that simple priority-based scheduling approaches at the virtual circuit level provides improvement in the deadline guarantee for all real-time traffic, especially the burst traffic. We believe that additional techniques such as deadline-based scheduling will be necessary to provide better real-time support. <<ETX>>
The Use of Brazilian Medicinal Plants to Combat Schistosoma mansoni

Human schistosomiasis, which is caused by trematodes of the genus Schistosoma, is considered one of the most prevalent and debilitating neglected diseases in tropical and subtropical areas, being endemic to approximately 76 countries and territories and affecting more than 207 million people worldwide. About 800 million people live in infection risk areas and 280,000 die every year due to this disease (Engels et al., 2002, Steinmann et al., 2006). There are six main species of Schistosoma that can infect humans: S. mansoni, S. hematobium, S. japonicum, S. intercalatum, S. mekongi and S. malayensis. Among these, only S. mansoni is found in Brazil. S. mansoni schistosomiasis was probably brought to Brazil by the Atlantic slave trade. Afterwards, migration flows spread the disease from the shore to the interior of the country, including areas containing its intermediate hosts, planorbides of the genus Biomphalaria (Paraense, 1986, Coura & Amaral, 2004). According to Paraense (1966, 1981), ten species and one subspecies of Biomphalaria can be found in the country, three of them being natural intermediate hosts (B. glabrata, B. tenagophila, B. straminea) and two having already been experimentally infected (B. amazonica and B. peregrina). The life cycle of S. mansoni consists of an asexual reproduction stage in the intermediate hosts and a sexual reproduction stage in the definite ones. Under favourable conditions, it lasts 80 days (Katz & Almeida, 2003, Ministerio da Saude, 2005). Nowadays, there are 25 million people living in endemic areas in Brazil, and 4 to 6 million are infected. It is the most affected country in the Americas (Lambertucci, 2010, World Health Organization [WHO], 2010). According to data provided by Brazil’s Ministry of Health, there are cases of the disease in 19 states, from Rio Grande do Norte to Bahia and in the interior of Espirito Santo and Minas Gerais (Ministerio da Saude, 2005). Figure 1 shows the distribution of S. mansoni schistosomiasis in Brazil. A major problem in countries where schistosomiasis is endemic is the control of the disease. In this regard, isolated or combined measures could be taken, such as the control of the intermediate hosts using molluscicides, improvement of basic sanitation and water supply conditions, sanitary education of exposed populations, individual or mass treatment in
The fibromyalgia tender points: use them or lose them? A brief review of the controversy.

Chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain (CWP) has been recognized for centuries1-3, and may be as old as humanity. Controversy over the etiology and pathogenesis of CWP started in the 19th century3. Various terms used to describe somewhat similar clinical conditions included fibrositis, myofascial pain syndrome, muscular rheumatism, psychogenic rheumatism, and fibromyalgia (FM)3. Due to a lack of strict definition of these conditions, the same name was sometimes used to describe different clinical presentations, thus adding to the confusion. Smythe and Moldofsky essayed the first modern definition of FM, although still using the term “fibrositis”4. They proposed diagnostic criteria that included fatigue, widespread pain, and the presence of at least 12 of 14 tender points (TP) in specific anatomic locations. Other investigators suggested somewhat different criteria, varying the number of TP and their location, but the concept of a TP as an area of allodynia identifiable on physical examination was increasingly accepted5-9. In 1990 a committee of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) published a report that defined classification criteria for FM (chosen in preference to fibrositis)10 (see Table 1). The criteria included a minimum of 11 out of 18 TP. TP were defined in terms of their surface anatomical locations; the amount of pressure exerted by the examiner’s thumb was to be 4 kg/cm2; it was stipulated that a positive TP could only be so classified if the patient admitted to having pain rather than tenderness. These criteria were accepted by many, but disputed by others. At a 1992 meeting of a committee of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), several objections were raised: the minimum number and location of TP were arbitrary, and the control points mentioned in the ACR committee paper (but not further mentioned in the criteria) could also be painful11. Others have pointed out that 11 or more TP could be found in about 5% of healthy population controls, thus questioning their specificity12,13. TP were also interpreted as representing psychological distress rather than being a classification criterion for a condition called FM12. Wolfe suggested that FM should not be treated as a discrete disorder and TP should be interpreted as indicators of distress rather than part of the classification criteria14. Further, whatever one may think of the value of TP, it appears that many rheumatologists did not use them in their physical examination15,16. In view of the ongoing debate surrounding TP, it seems appropriate to review the evidence for their validity in assessing patients with CWP, and therefore the validity of both the ACR classification criteria for FM and indeed the concept of FM.
Predifferentiated Embryonic Stem Cells Prevent Chronic Pain Behaviors and Restore Sensory Function Following Spinal Cord Injury in Mice

Embryonic stem (ES) cells have been investigated in repair of the CNS following neuronal injury and disease; however, the efficacy of these cells in treatment of postinjury pain is far from clear. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of predifferentiated mouse ES cells to restore sensory deficits following spinal cord injury (SCI) in mice. The pain model used unilateral intraspinal injection of quisqualic acid (QUIS) into the dorsal horn between vertebral levels T13 and L1. Seven days later, 60,000 predifferentiated ES cells or media were transplanted into the site of the lesion. Histological analysis at 7, 14, and 60 days post-transplantation revealed that animals receiving ES cell transplants suffered significantly less tissue damage than animals receiving media alone. Transplanted cells provided immediate effects on both spontaneous and evoked pain behaviors. Treatment with ES cells resulted in 0% (n = 28) excessive grooming behavior versus 60% (18 of 30) in media-treated animals. In the acetone test (to assess thermal allodynia), mice recovered to preinjury levels by 12 days after ES cell transplant, whereas control animals injected with media after SCI did not show any improvement up to 60 days. Similarly, the von Frey test (to assess mechanical allodynia) and the formalin test (to assess nociceptive hyperalgesia) showed that transplantation of predifferentiated ES cells significantly reduced these pain behaviors following injury. Here we show that predifferentiated ES cells act in a neuroprotective manner and provide antinociceptive and therapeutic effects following excitotoxic SCI.
Fourth order debye model for the skin at the millimetre-wave band using heuristic genetic algorithm

As an initial step towards developing a portable diagnostic system for skin cancer, an optimum fourth order Debye model for the human skin at millimetre-wave band is presented. The model is obtained using heuristic genetic algorithm, which enables the precise estimation of the dispersive nature of the human skin tissue when irradiated at a high frequency band of 10 GHz to 45 GHz. The precise derivation of the realistic skin model, having frequency dependent electrical properties, is essential for monitoring electromagnetic wave propagation and scattering in the simulation environment. The reported study indicates that the proposed model yields superior fitting to experimental results (error = 8.9e−4) compared to the existing first order Debye model (error = 5e−3) for the band in consideration.
Major Histocompatibility Complex–Encoded Antigen Processing Gene Polymorphism in IDDM

Susceptibility to insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is greatly influenced by polymorphisms in the genes of the class II region of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex. The complexity of this genetic association and the lack of a direct proof of involvement of HLA class II genes in human IDDM have continued to support speculation on a possible role of genes encoded in the close vicinity of these loci in IDDM. Because the recently discovered transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) and large multifunctional protease (LMP) genes are encoded in the HLA class II region and are implicated in the processing of antigenic proteins for presentation by HLA class I molecules, they are additional candidates for a role in IDDM pathogenesis. We have analyzed genomic and coding sequence polymorphisms in the LMP2, TAP1, and TAP2 genes of 77 Danish IDDM patients and 102 control subjects. Although patients and control subjects did not differ in TAP1 and LMP2 alleles, we found a striking absence of the TAP2 allele B (long form) in IDDM patients. An analysis of the TAP2 alleles in individual DR types, however, revealed that this phenomenon is likely to be caused by linkage disequilibrium between the two loci. Thus, polymorphisms in the TAP and LMP genes are unlikely to be associated with IDDM.
Temperature-induced phase transitions in TlReO4: A Raman spectroscopic and x-ray diffraction study.

Temperature-induced phase transitions in TlReO 4 have been investigated by Raman spectroscopy and by x-ray powder diffraction. The data reveal the occurrence of a hitherto unreported phase transition from orthorhombic to the tetragonal scheelite-type structure near 200 K and this is a first-order transition. At temperatures above 400 K the orthorhombic phase is known to transform to the scheelite-type structure. These phase changes present a unique situation. The lattice parameters of the low-temperature (LT) scheelite phase are a 0 =5.798 A and c 0 =12.920 A at 70 K and for the tetragonal high-temperature (HT) scheelite phase are a 0 =5.761 A, and c 0 =13.33 A at 400 K. The corresponding unit-cell volumes are 434 A 3 and 442 A 3 . For the orthorhombic phase a 0 =5.623, b 0 =5.791, c 0 =13.295, and V=432 A 3 at 293 K. The orthorhombic-LT-scheelite and the orthorhombic-HT-scheelite phase boundaries drawn on the basis of the ΔV's at the transition point intersect at negative pressures in a P-T diagram. This intersection appears to satisfy the criteria required for the occurrence of an "isolated point" in the P-T plane; namely a point at which two first-order phase boundaries intersect to become a continuous transition. This is probably the first experimental indication for such a possibility.