Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tuberculous versus pyogenic arthritis: MR imaging evaluation.

PURPOSE To assess magnetic resonance (MR) imaging features in differentiating tuberculous arthritis from pyogenic arthritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Findings in 29 patients with tuberculous arthritis were compared with those of 13 patients with pyogenic arthritis. Bone erosion, marrow signal intensity, synovial lesion signal intensity, boundaries (smooth or irregular) for extraarticular extension of infection, and abscess rim enhancement (thin and smooth or thick and irregular) were analyzed. RESULTS Bone erosion was more common in patients with tuberculous arthritis (24 [83%] of 29) than in those with pyogenic arthritis (six [46%] of 13) (P =.026), while subchondral marrow signal intensity abnormality was seen more frequently in patients with pyogenic arthritis (12 [92%] of 13) than in those with tuberculous arthritis (17 [59%] of 29) (P =.036). On T2-weighted images, there was no significant difference between the synovial lesion signal intensities of tuberculous arthritis and pyogenic arthritis. Lesions in 16 (70%) of 23 patients with tuberculous arthritis and two (17%) of 12 patients with pyogenic arthritis had smooth extraarticular boundaries, while those in seven (30%) of 23 patients with tuberculous arthritis and 10 (83%) of 12 patients with pyogenic arthritis had irregular boundaries (P =.005). Tuberculous abscesses (16 [100%] of 16) had thin and smooth rim enhancement, while most pyogenic abscesses (five [71%] of seven) had thick and irregular rims (P =.001). CONCLUSION MR imaging of bone abnormalities, extraarticular lesions, and associated abscesses provides useful information in the differentiation of tuberculous arthritis and pyogenic arthritis.
Inhibitory and structural studies of novel coenzyme‐substrate analogs of human histidine decarboxylase

Histamine, a biogenic amine with important biological functions, is produced from histidine by histidine decarboxylase (HDC), a pyridoxal 5′‐phos‐phate‐dependent enzyme. HDC is thus a potential target to attenuate histamine production in certain pathological states. Targeting mammalian HDC with novel inhibitors and elucidating the structural basis of their specificity for HDC are challenging tasks, because the three‐dimensional structure of mammalian HDC is still unknown. In the present study, we designed, synthesized, and tested potentially membrane‐permeable pyridoxyl‐substrate conjugates as inhibitors for human (h) HDC and modeled an active site of hHDC, which is compatible with the experimental data. The most potent inhibitory compound among nine tested structural variants was the pyridoxyl‐histidine methyl ester conjugate (PHME), indicating that the binding site of hHDC does not tolerate groups other than the imidazole side chain of histidine. PHME inhibited 60% of the fraction of 12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol‐13‐acetate‐induced newly synthesized HDC in human HMC‐1 cells at 200 μM and was also inhibitory in cell extracts. The proposed model of hHDC, containing phosphopyridoxyl‐histidine in the active site, revealed the binding specificity of HDC toward its substrate and the structure‐activity relation‐ship of the designed and investigated compounds. —Wu F. , Yu, J., Gehring H. Inhibitory and structural studies of novel coenzyme‐substrate analogs of hHDC. FASEB J. 22, 890–897 (2008)
Blood Groups and Susceptibility to Disease

During subsequent years a large literature accumu lated, but it would probably be true to say that during nearly 30 years only one positive association emerged, and that not very clearly, for the numbers were relatively small and the result was obscured in the growing volume of negative and conflicting findings. It is instructive to look back in the light of our present knowledge and to consider what the difficulties were that delayed for 30 years the dis covery of associations that now seem so obvious and for which overwhelming evidence had rapidly been forthcoming. The principal difficulties may be listed as follows:
Multisensory Integration in Self Motion Perception

Self motion perception involves the integration of visual, vestibular, somatosensory and motor signals. This article reviews the findings from single unit electrophysiology, functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging and psychophysics to present an update on how the human and non-human primate brain integrates multisensory information to estimate one's position and motion in space. The results indicate that there is a network of regions in the non-human primate and human brain that processes self motion cues from the different sense modalities.
Prevalence of and factors affecting postpreparation pain in patients undergoing two-visit root canal treatment.

AIM This longitudinal, prospective study (i) investigated the prevalence of postpreparation pain during root canal treatment and (ii) evaluated the influence of factors affecting the pain experience. METHODOLOGY Twenty practitioners, comprising general dental practitioners, MSc graduates and endodontists, participated in this study. The patient sample (n=272) was derived from consecutive patients attending the practitioners' surgeries for a two-visit root canal treatment on a single tooth. Demographic, medical history, preoperative and intraoperative data as well as pain experience on days 1 and 2 after root canal preparation were recorded. Intensity of pain experienced was recorded on a visual analogue scale (VAS) of 0-5. The data were analysed using logistic regression models. RESULTS The prevalence of postpreparation pain within 48 h after treatment was 64.7% (n=176), but less than 10% of patients experienced severe pain (VAS 4 or 5) on either day 1 or day 2. The presence of preoperative pain (OR=2.841, P<0.001), tooth type (OR=2.008, P=0.009), systemic steroid therapy for other medical reasons (OR=0.181, P=0.023) and preoperative swelling (OR=2.433, P=0.040) were the only factors to significantly influence postpreparation pain experience. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of postpreparation pain was high, and the important prognostic determinants were presence of preoperative pain, tooth type, systemic steroid therapy and preoperative swelling.
Climbing and Falling Off the Ladder: Asset Pricing Implications of Labor Market Event Risk

This paper proposes state-dependent, idiosyncratic tail risk as a key driver of asset prices. I provide new evidence on the importance of tail events in explaining the shape of the idiosyncratic distribution of income growth rates and its evolution over time. I then formalize its role within a tractable affine, jump-diffusion asset pricing framework with recursive preferences, heterogeneous agents and incomplete markets, making my results immediately applicable to a wide class of existing models for aggregate dynamics. Next, I demonstrate its importance using a calibrated model in which agents are exposed to a time-varying probability of experiencing a rare, idiosyncratic disaster. The model, whose parameters are disciplined by the data, matches the level and dynamics of the equity premium. Empirically, stock returns are highly informative about labor market event risk, and, consistent with the model’s predictions, initial claims for unemployment, a proxy for labor market uncertainty, is a highly robust predictor of returns.
Striatal dysfunction increases basal ganglia output during motor cortex activation in parkinsonian rats

During movement, inhibitory neurons in the basal ganglia output nuclei show complex modulations of firing, which are presumptively driven by corticostriatal and corticosubthalamic input. Reductions in discharge should facilitate movement by disinhibiting thalamic and brain stem nuclei while increases would do the opposite. A proposal that nigrostriatal dopamine pathway degeneration disrupts trans‐striatal pathways' balance resulting in sustained overactivity of basal ganglia output nuclei neurons and Parkinson's disease clinical signs is not fully supported by experimental evidence, which instead shows abnormal synchronous oscillatory activity in animal models and patients. Yet, the possibility that variation in motor cortex activity drives transient overactivity in output nuclei neurons in parkinsonism has not been explored. In Sprague–Dawley rats with 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA)‐induced nigrostriatal lesions, approximately 50% substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNpr) units show abnormal cortically driven slow oscillations of discharge. Moreover, these units selectively show abnormal responses to motor cortex stimulation consisting in augmented excitations of an odd latency, which overlapped that of inhibitory responses presumptively mediated by the trans‐striatal direct pathway in control rats. Delivering D1 or D2 dopamine agonists into the striatum of parkinsonian rats by reverse microdialysis reduced these abnormal excitations but had no effect on pathological oscillations. The present study establishes that dopamine‐deficiency related changes of striatal function contribute to producing abnormally augmented excitatory responses to motor cortex stimulation in the SNpr. If a similar transient overactivity of basal ganglia output were driven by motor cortex input during movement, it could contribute to impeding movement initiation or execution in Parkinson's disease.
Effect of Ciclesonide Treatment on Allergen-Induced Changes in T Cell Regulation in Asthma

Background: The allergen-induced release of CCL17/thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) may be crucial in asthmatic airway inflammation by recruitment of Th2 cells. In addition, it might lead to aberrant Th2 cell activity through impairment of β2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR) control. We questioned how chemokine patterns change upon allergen challenge and whether treatment with the inhaled steroid ciclesonide can reduce chemokine release and subsequently prevent allergen-induced changes in Th2 cell regulation and migration. Methods: Asthma patients were double-blindly treated with placebo or 80 µg ciclesonide for 7 days. We studied allergen-induced changes in sputum chemokines, migration of peripheral blood T cells and control of β2-agonist fenoterol over T cell migration and α-CD3/α-CD28-induced cytokine production. Results: Treatment with 80 µg ciclesonide significantly diminished the late asthmatic response. The late asthmatic response was associated with increased sputum levels of CCL17 and CCL4 (but none of the other chemokines measured) and loss of β2-AR control over T cell migration and Th2-type cytokine production. Although ciclesonide treatment did not prevent chemokine release nor altered β2-AR function in circulating T cells, it exerted an inhibitory effect on TARC-induced T cell migration and α-CD3/α-CD28-induced cytokine production. Conclusion: Our data support the hypothesis that CCL17 is involved in allergen-induced dysregulation of Th2 cell migration and cytokine production. Ciclesonide treatment inhibits T cell migration and cytokine production upon allergen inhalation, which is regulated independently from reducing CCL17 release, but may contribute to beneficial effects of ciclesonide on Th2-mediated airway inflammation.
Attitudes Toward Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Persons Among Heterosexual Liberal Arts College Students

Abstract This research focuses on attitudes toward homosexuals and homosexuality among 692 heterosexual students at six liberal arts colleges. Attitudes, assessed in a variety of ways, are examined in relation to students' Greek affiliation, sex role attitudes, religion and religiosity, and contact with and knowledge of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. Results suggest that attributes predicting acceptance of gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons are female sex, liberal sex-role attitudes, lower religiosity as measured both by beliefs and by attendance, membership in more liberal Protestant denominations, attendance at colleges that do not have Greek letter social organizations, and having positive contacts with gay, lesbian, and/or bisexual persons.
Effect of Interpregnancy Interval on Low Birth Weight in Gondar and Bahir Dar Referral Hospital: A Case Control Study from North West Ethiopia

Background : Study findings on interpregnancy interval and its effect on low birth weight are contradictory. Some studies report that it is a risk factor for low birth weight while others say it has no association. Still less attention has been given to the way in which changes in family planning related behavior may affect low birth weight. Identifying the interpregnancy interval at which risk of low birth weight is occurred may benefit developing countries to prioritize family planning services. Methods : unmatched case control study design was used in a sample of 453 mothers (88 cases and 365 controls) who gave birth two or more times in Gondar and Bahir Dar teaching-referral hospital, Ethiopia. Cases were mothers who gave birth to low birth weight and controls were mothers who gave normal birth weight. Data was processed and analyzed using EPI Info and SPSS statistical software. A logistic regression was performed to identify the independent effect of interpregnancy interval on low birth weight. Result: The median of interpregnancy interval for cases and controls were 30 and 38 months respectively. The odd of low birth weight was 2.67 (95% CI = 1.36, 5.01) when interpregnancy interval was less than 24 months compared to the interval 24 and above months. Multivariate analysis showed that women who had interpregnancy interval less than 24 months were about 2.7 times more likely in delivering low birth weight infant compared to the interval 24 and above. Likewise women who were age of 20 or less, daily laborer, being moderately or severely food insecure and having pregnancy complication had a significant effect on low birth weight. Conclusion: interpregnancy interval less than 24 months had a significant effect on low birth weight. So mothers at the study area; not be pregnant before 24 months of the birth preceding child. Keywords: birth weight, interpregnancy interval, referral hospital, Ethiopia
Effects of Combined Resistance and Endurance Training Versus Resistance Training Alone on Strength, Exercise Capacity, and Quality of Life in Patients With COPD

PURPOSE: To compare the effects of 12-week training periods (2 d·wk−1) involving resistance training only with the effects of 12-week training periods involving combined resistance (once weekly) and endurance (once weekly) training on strength, endurance performance, and quality of life. METHODS: Thirty-six patients with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were randomized to combined training (REG), resistance training alone (RG), or control (CG) groups. Patients were tested for maximal strength of the upper and lower extremities, power output of the lower extremities, maximal (W max) and submaximal exercise capacity, performance on a 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and quality of life. RESULTS: REG and RG induced similar maximal strength gains. Muscle power increased 19% (P ⩽ .01) and W max improved 13% (P < .05) in REG. Reductions (P < .05) in the heart rate and blood lactate at a given submaximal workload were observed in REG. Improvements in 6MWT and quality of life were similar in both training groups. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with a twice-weekly resistance training program, the combination of once-weekly resistance and once-weekly endurance training not only produced similar gains in maximal strength, 6MWT performance, and quality of life but also produced improvements in muscle power and endurance performance. These findings may have implications for the prescription of resistance and endurance exercise for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Work-Sampling: A Statistical Approach to Evaluation of the Effect of Computers on Work Patterns in Healthcare

Abstract: An increasing number of health-care institutions are in the process of implementing clinical computing systems. The need for an accurate assessment of the clinical, administrative, social, and financial effects of such systems has been recognized. Techniques have been developed to evaluate these effects on the work patterns of health-care workers including: time-motion analysis, subjective evaluations, review of departmental statistics, personal activity records, and work-sampling. This study reviews these techniques, discusses both positive and negative aspects, and presents a step-by-step description of work-sampling.
Nonnuclear subalgebras of AF algebras

We show that any non-type I separable unital AF algebra B can be modeled from inside by a nonnuclear C*-algebra and from outside by a nonexact C*-algebra. More precisely there exist unital separable quasidiagonal C*-algebras A ⊂ B ⊂ C of real rank zero, stable rank one, such that A is nonnuclear, C is nonexact, and both A and C are asymptotically homotopy equivalent to B . In particular A, B and C have the same ordered K-theory groups, hence isomorphic ideal lattices, and, A and B have (affinely) homeomorphic trace spaces.
A comprehensive fault-tolerant framework for wireless sensor networks

In the last decade, wireless sensor networks WSNs have increasingly gained the attention of researchers. Depending on the applications of WSNs, the sensor nodes are usually dispersed in harsh environments, which are prone to different types of faults. Hence, fault tolerance seems as an essential characteristic that should be considered in the architecture level of these networks. On the other hand, WSNs are battery-powered so that there is a trade-off between preserving the energy and meeting the quality of service requirements of the network. In this paper, we target these challenges through proposing a fault-tolerant scheme FTS for clustered sensor networks. First, all the nodes are grouped into some clusters, and then the FTS alongside the main operation of the network, that is, data acquisition, is performed by the cluster heads. The main idea of the FTS is to efficiently use different kinds of the redundancy, including the hardware, time, and space. We validate the FTS through simulation and probabilistic analysis. While the reliability is significantly improved, we show that a clustered WSN consumes about 5-19% more energy in order to perform the FTS. Copyright © 2015John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Thiopental Pharmacokinetics under Conditions of Long‐term Infusion

Thiopental was used in long-term infusion (3–4.5 mg · kg−1 · h−1 during 4–8 days) to protect the brain from injury following trauma. Thiopental plasma concentrations were measured during infusion (48 patients) and after infusion (14 patients) to determine the kinetics of the drug in continuous infusion. All mean values were mean ± SD. Steady state concentrations (C18) were 31.8 ± 10.7 mg/1 for an infusion rate of 3.05 ± 0.37 mg · kg−1 · h−1 and 48.9 ± 14.6 mg/1 for a rate of 4.2 ± 0.3 mg · kg−1 · h−1. Corresponding steady state clearance decreased when C18 increased, indicating possible saturation of the metabolic enzymatic system. Michaelis-Menten kinetics were confirmed by postinfusion data that give, for higher C18, a nonlinear decay of log C versus time. First-order kinetics were only obtained with C18, below 30 mg/1. The maximum rate of elimination (Vm) was 1.76 ± 1.15 mg · I−1 · h−1 (n = 11), and the Michaelis constant (Km) was 26.7 ± 22.9 mg/1 (n = 11). Hepatic enzyme saturation was between 35 and 85%. The volume of distribution at steady state was 4.35 ± 1.83 1/kg (n = 11). Apparent half-lives of elimination were between 18 and 36 h at the end of infusion, and predicted terminal half-lives were 10.15 ± 5.43 h (n = 11). Phases of burst-suppression were observed on electroencephalographic traces for concentrations greater than 40 mg/1. The authors' results suggest that a continuous infusion at a dose of 4 mg · kg−1 · h−1 induces EEG changes consistent with a near-maximum reduction in cerebral metabolism. Because of the thiopental Michaelis-Menten kinetics at doses above 4 mg · kg−1 · h−1, the authors suggest that thiopental plasma concentrations be measured and/or the drug effect be measured with the EEG to prevent excessive thiopental overdosage, causing a prolonged recovery time.
Effects of nano calcium carbonate and nano calcium citrate on toxicity in ICR mice and on bone mineral density in an ovariectomized mice model

Taking calcium supplements can reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis, but they are not readily absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. Nanotechnology is expected to resolve this problem. In the present study, we examined whether the bioavailability of calcium carbonate and calcium citrate can be improved by reducing the particle size. The morphology of nano calcium carbonate and nano calcium citrate was characterized by dynamic laser-light scattering (DLS), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The measurements obtained from DLS, FE-SEM and TEM were comparable. Acute and sub-chronic toxicity tests were performed to establish the safety of these products after oral administration. The no-observed-adverse-effect levels of nano calcium carbonate and nano calcium citrate were 1.3 and 2.3 g kg−1 body weight, respectively. The results of our in vivo studies indicate that administering nano calcium carbonate and nano calcium citrate can enhance the serum calcium concentration and maintain the whole-body bone mineral density in ovariectomized mice. These data suggest that nano calcium carbonate and nano calcium citrate are more bioavailable than micro calcium carbonate and micro calcium citrate, respectively.
Predicting risk severity and response of fetal neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia

Fetal neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT) is a devastating bleeding disorder in the fetus or neonate caused by transplacental transport of maternal alloantibodies to paternal‐derived antigen on fetal platelets. In Caucasians, up to 80% of FNAIT cases result from maternal immunization to human platelet antigen (HPA)‐1a. New methods have developed facilitating detection of common and private antibodies against HPAs triggering FNAIT. Understanding the pathogenesis of FNAIT made it possible to develop a novel strategy to treat this disorder. To date, recombinant monoclonal antibodies directed against the β3 integrin and Fc receptors have been tested in a mouse model of FNAIT, and seem to be promising. Whether those novel treatments will eventually replace the conventional high dose immunoglobulin G in women with FNAIT is yet unknown.
Inhibition of the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+-ATPase by thapsigargin analogs induces cell death via ER Ca2+ depletion and the unfolded protein response

Calcium (Ca2+) is a fundamental regulator of cell signaling and function. Thapsigargin (Tg) blocks the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA), disrupts Ca2+ homeostasis, and causes cell death. However, the exact mechanisms whereby SERCA inhibition induces cell death are incompletely understood. Here, we report that low (0.1 μm) concentrations of Tg and Tg analogs with various long-chain substitutions at the O-8 position extensively inhibit SERCA1a-mediated Ca2+ transport. We also found that, in both prostate and breast cancer cells, exposure to Tg or Tg analogs for 1 day caused extensive drainage of the ER Ca2+ stores. This Ca2+ depletion was followed by markedly reduced cell proliferation rates and morphological changes that developed over 2–4 days and culminated in cell death. Interestingly, these changes were not accompanied by bulk increases in cytosolic Ca2+ levels. Moreover, knockdown of two key store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) components, Orai1 and STIM1, did not reduce Tg cytotoxicity, indicating that SOCE and Ca2+ entry are not critical for Tg-induced cell death. However, we observed a correlation between the abilities of Tg and Tg analogs to deplete ER Ca2+ stores and their detrimental effects on cell viability. Furthermore, caspase activation and cell death were associated with a sustained unfolded protein response. We conclude that ER Ca2+ drainage and sustained unfolded protein response activation are key for initiation of apoptosis at low concentrations of Tg and Tg analogs, whereas high cytosolic Ca2+ levels and SOCE are not required.