Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Flare in axial spondyloarthritis. The dark side of the outcome

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease with many phenotypes,1 but the frame of the disease is still a matter of debate, particularly regarding the non-radiographic forms of axial SpA.2 ,3 The disease evolution may have several profiles, mainly related to the treatment strategy, balancing from periods of remission or low disease activity to flares of the disease. The recommended treatment strategies are supposed to be tailored to the disease activity, aiming to reach remission or low disease activity in a T2T strategy,4 with management of remission (reduction of dosage or increase in interval of administration), as well as treatment intensification in case of flares. Definition of a flare may be difficult, particularly in a multifaceted disease like SpA, and in fact there is currently no clear, universally recognised, definition of a flare in axial SpA. This is part of the research agenda of recent recommendations.5 Looking at a medical dictionary, flare is defined as a sudden intensification in disease. In first analysis, one may propose that flare represents a worsening of symptoms with an increase in disease activity. Taking this into consideration, many questions arise: should we consider relative variation or absolute value above a significant threshold? Should we consider only generalised increase in activity? Should we include extra rheumatic manifestations such as uveitis or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)? Are synovitis and enthesitis also part of this evaluation? Should we include biological markers (but reliable biomarkers are lacking in …
New Localization Technique for Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks Using Sectorized Antenna

Recently, there has been much focus on mobile sensor networks, and we have even seen the development of small-profile sensing devices that are able to control their own movement. Although it has been shown that mobility alleviates several issues relating to sensor network coverage and connectivity, many challenges remain. Among these, the need for position estimation is perhaps the most important. It is too expensive to include a GPS receiver with every sensor node. Hence, localization schemes for sensor networks typically use a small number of seed nodes that know their location and protocols whereby other sensor nodes estimate their location from the messages they receive. In this paper, we propose a new technique to localize mobile sensor nodes using sectorized antenna. We consider that both sensor nodes and seeds are mobile, and argue that mobility can be exploited to improve the accuracy and precision of localization. It is tested extensively in a simulation environment and compared with other existing methods. The results of our experiments clearly indicate that our proposed approach can achieve a high accuracy without need of high density of seeds.
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Gene Transfer With Adeno-Associated Viral and Lentiviral Vectors Prevents Rubrospinal Neuronal Atrophy and Stimulates Regeneration-Associated Gene Expression After Acute Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

Study Design. Experimental animal study. Objective. To determine if viral vectors carrying the gene for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) could be used to promote an axonal regenerative response in rubrospinal neurons after an acute cervical spinal cord injury. Summary of Background Data. Following axotomy in the cervical spinal cord, rubrospinal neurons undergo severe atrophy and fail to up-regulate important genes for regeneration. This can be attenuated or reversed with the infusion of BDNF to the injured cell bodies. This infusion technique, however, causes substantial parenchymal damage around the red nucleus and is limited by occlusion of the infusion pumps. This study examined whether viral vectors could be used to deliver the BDNF gene in a less damaging fashion and whether this could promote a regenerative response in injured rubrospinal neurons. Methods. Following a cervical spinal cord injury, the viral vectors were injected into the vicinity of the injured red nucleus. The extent of parenchymal damage around the red nucleus was assessed, as was the immunoreactivity to BDNF and cellular transfection patterns. Rubrospinal neuronal cross-ectional area was measured to determine if atrophy had been reversed, and in situ hybridization for GAP-43 and T&agr;1 tubulin was performed to determine if there genes, which are important for axonal regeneration, were up-egulated. Results. Parenchymal damage associated with viral injection was significantly less than with previous infusion techniques. BDNF immunoreactivity around the red nucleus indicated that the BDNF transgene was expressed. Both viral vectors reversed rubrospinal neuronal atrophy and promoted the expression of GAP-43 and T&agr;1 tubulin. Conclusions. Viral-ediated transfer of the BDNF gene was successful at promoting a regenerative response in rubrospinal neurons following acute cervical spinal cord injury, with significantly less parenchymal damage than previously observed when infusing the BDNF protein.
Sitagliptin, a Dipeptidyl Peptidase‐4 Inhibitor, Does Not Affect the Pharmacokinetics of Ethinyl Estradiol or Norethindrone in Healthy Female Subjects

Sitagliptin is a dipeptidyl peptidase‐IV (DPP‐4) inhibitor used for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This randomized, placebo‐controlled, 2‐period, crossover study evaluated the effect of sitagliptin on the pharmacokinetics of 17 α‐ethinyl estradiol (EE2) and norethindrone (NET) in healthy female subjects who were receiving oral contraceptives for >3 months prior to enrollment. A total of 18 subjects with normal menstrual cycles received the oral contraceptive pill ORTHO‐NOVUM® 7/7/7 on days 1 to 28 for 2 successive cycles, and on days 1 to 21 were randomly assigned to receive sitagliptin 200 mg/day (2 × 100 mg tablets) or placebo using a computer‐generated allocation schedule. Blood samples for determination of plasma EE2 and NET concentrations were collected predose and 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 18, and 24 hours postdose on day 20 or 21 of each treatment period. The GMRs (90% confidence interval [CI]) for the AUC0–24hr of EE2 and NET were 0.99 (0.93, 1.06) and 1.03 (0.97, 1.09), respectively, and for Cmax were 0.97 (0.86, 1.10) and 0.98 (0.89, 1.07), respectively. The coadministration of sitagliptin 200 mg/day with an oral contraceptive for 21 days did not lead to clinically meaningful alterations in the pharmacokinetics of EE2 and NET.
Atelectasis due to Bronchial Compression by the Vertebral Column

&NA; The authors report the case of an 18‐year‐old woman with a multicore‐minicore syndrome in acute respiratory distress. Initially, she was treated as having pneumonia, without a complete clinical response. Further investigation showed right lower lobe atelectasis associated with an extrinsic compression of the right mainstem bronchus secondary to thoracic lordoscoliosis. Therapeutic interventions involved respiratory therapy, noninvasive ventilation, cephalic traction, and orthopedic surgery, leading to clinical and functional improvement.
Lead retention in ancient Nubian and contemporary populations.

The lead concentration in bone and tooth has been determined in 105 well-preserved Nubian skeletons from the period 3300 B.C. - 750 A.D., as well as in 17 individuals from present-day Denmark. The analyses were performed blind in two different laboratories, and the results were in close agreement. Compared to contemporary lead levels in Denmark, the oldest Nubian bones contained about 10 times less lead, while the teeth contained about 30 times less lead. Small increases in lead retention of Nubians during historical time periods were associated with early uses of lead.
Reassessment of the Incidence of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type 1 Following Stroke

Previous literature has suggested that reflex sympathetic dystrophy, also known as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type 1, is a relatively common finding after a stroke. However, much of this data was obtained before patients routinely re ceived early intensive inpatient rehabilitation. The purpose of this study is to reeval uate the incidence of CRPS type 1 following an acute first stroke. Subjects admitted to an acute rehabilitation setting for stroke with no other concomitant neurologic or orthopedic injuries between October 1, 1996, and May 31, 1997, were studied. At admission and once a week until discharge, subjects were evaluated for shoulder pain, decreased passive range of motion of the shoulder, wrist/hand pain, edema, and skin changes. If three of these five criteria were positive, the subjects underwent a triple- phase bone scan (TPBS). Bone scan findings consistent with CRPS type 1 were taken as confirming the diagnosis. Of 64 subjects, 13 underwent bone scans, with only one positive result. Thus our study revealed a 1.56 percent incidence of CRPS type 1 fol lowing a first stroke. This incidence is much lower than the historically accepted 12.5 percent. We speculate that this low figure is related to early comprehensive rehabili tation that included proper upper extremity positioning and early mobilization with sensory stimulation.
Logistics technology transfer process model

A consecutive number of studies on the adoption trend of logistics technology since 1988 revealed that logistics organizations are not in the frontier when it comes to adopting new technology and this delayed adoption creates an information gap. Given the integrative nature of logistics technology, failure to implement the technology successfully could result in writing off major investments in developing and implementing the technology or even in abandoning the strategic initiatives underpinned by these innovations. Consequently, the need to employ effective strategies and models to cope with these uncertainties is crucial. This research addresses the aspect of uncertainty in implementation success by process research models. Process research approach focuses on the sequence of events in the technology transfer process that occur over time. Through the use of optimal matching from natural science and cluster analysis, this research revealed four patterns that organizations follow when transferring logistics technology namely, formal minimalist, mutual adaptation, development concerned, and organizational roles dispenser. Analysis of the relationship between these patterns and success pointed to a set of crucial and necessary events which differ from one pattern to another.
Neuroimaging the Serial Position Curve

Neuroimaging data could help clarify the longstanding dispute between dual-store and single-store models of the serial position curve. Dual-store models assume that retrieval from late positions is dependent on short-term memory (STM), whereas retrieval from early positions is dependent on long-term memory (LTM). Single-store models, however, assume that retrieval processes for early and late items are similar, but that early items are more difficult to discriminate than late items. The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine this question. Ten young adults were scanned while they recognized items from early or late serial positions. Recognition of early items uniquely activated brain areas traditionally associated with LTM, namely, regions within the hippocampal memory system. None of these areas was activated for retrieval of late items. These results indicate differential use of LTM retrieval processes, and therefore support dual-store models over single-store models.
Chronic administration of neuropeptide Y into the lateral ventricle inhibits both the pituitary-testicular axis and growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor I secretion in intact adult male rats.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is known to be involved in the central regulation of appetite, sexual behavior, and reproductive function. Whereas central administration of NPY strongly stimulates feeding in satiated animals, diet restriction or other unfavorable metabolic situations, such as diabetes, produce enhanced NPY gene expression and NPY release in the hypothalamus. Numerous studies have indicated that acute central administration of NPY results in various actions on LH secretion in the rat, either stimulatory or inhibitory. We recently demonstrated that chronic infusion of NPY into the lateral ventricle of adult intact female rats profoundly inhibited both the gonadotropic and somatotropic axes, with disruption of estrous cyclicity. Furthermore, we showed that central chronic infusion of NPY delayed sexual maturation in female rats. To analyze the effects of the same type of chronic NPY treatment on the pituitary-testicular axis, 45-day-old Sprague-Dawley male rats were implanted with stainless steel cannulas in the right lateral ventricle. Ten days later, Alzet osmotic minipumps were filled with different NPY solutions, adjusted to deliver 6, 18, or 36 micrograms/day, connected to the intracerebroventricular (icv) cannula, and sc implanted dorsally. The effects of these treatments were evaluated over 7 days. In one case, rats were castrated 5 days after initiation of NPY treatment, and the effect of castration was evaluated 2 days later. Chronic icv infusion of NPY produced the expected dose-related increases in food intake from 33.0 +/- 0.9 (basal) to 53.4 +/- 3.3 g/day (18 micrograms NPY/day) and body weight gain (5.7 +/- 0.7 to 10.5 +/- 1.2 d/day). As in female rats, this orexigenic action of NPY resulted in a significant dose-related decrease in pituitary weight, from 12.4 +/- 0.7 to 9.9 +/- 0.4 mg. The 7-day NPY infusion produced highly significant decreases in seminal vesicle weight (853 +/- 77 to 230 +/- 31 mg) and testis weight (3.82 +/- 0.09 to 3.18 +/- 0.15 g; P = 0.003). Plasma levels of testosterone (231 +/- 71 to 48 +/- 13 ng/dl), LH (20.7 +/- 3.7 to 9.1 +/- 1.2 ng/ml), and FSH (282 +/- 17 to 190 +/- 18 ng/ml) were markedly decreased at the 18 micrograms/day dosage, as also demonstrated for the 36 micrograms/day dosage. None of these effects was observed if vehicle was infused into the lateral ventricle instead of the NPY solution. When bilateral orchidectomy was performed 5 days after initiation of the NPY infusion (18 micrograms/day), the immediate LH and FSH rises usually seen after castration were seriously blunted. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia described by a new mathematical model

A new mathematical model of Plasmodium falciparum asexual parasitaemia is formulated and fitted to 35 malaria therapy cases making a spontaneous recovery after primary inoculation. Observed and simulated case-histories are compared with respect to 9 descriptive statistics. The simulated courses of parasitaemia are more realistic than any previously published. The model uses a discrete time-step of 2 days. Its realistic behaviour was achieved by the following combination of features (i) intra-clonal antigenic variation, (ii) large variations of the variants' baseline growth rate, depending on both variant and case, (iii) innate autoregulation of the asexual parasite density, variable among cases, (iv) acquired variant-specific immunity and (v) acquired variant-transcending immunity, variable among cases. Aspects of the model's internal behaviour, concerning variant dynamics, as well as the respective contributions of the three control mechanisms (iii) – (v), are displayed. Some implications for pathogenesis and control are discussed.
Exopolysaccharide Distribution of and Bioemulsifier Production by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus BD4 and BD413

The heavily encapsulated Acinetobacter calcoaceticus BD4 and the “miniencapsulated” single-step mutant A. calcoaceticus BD413 produced extracellular polysaccharides in addition to the capsular material. The molar ratio of rhamnose to glucose (3:1) in the extracellular BD413 polysaccharide fraction was similar to the composition of the capsular material. In both strains, the increase in capsular polysaccharide was parallel to cell growth and remained constant in stationary phase. The extracellular polysaccharides were detected starting from mid-logarithmic phase and continued to accumulate in the growth medium for 5 to 8 h after the onset of stationary phase. Strain BD413 produced one-fourth the total rhamnose exopolysaccharide per cell that strain BD4 did. Depending on the growth medium, 32 to 63% of the rhamnose polysaccharide produced by strain BD413 was extracellular, whereas in strain BD4 only 7 to 14% was extracellular. In all cases, strain BD413 produced more extracellular rhamnose polysaccharide than strain BD4 did. In glucose medium, strain BD413 also produced approximately 10 times more extracellular emulsifying activity than strain BD4 did. The isolated capsular polysaccharide obtained after shearing of BD4 cells showed no emulsifying activity. Thus, strain BD413 either produces a modified extracellular polysaccharide or excretes an additional substance(s) that is responsible for the emulsifying activity. Emulsions induced by the ammonium sulfate-precipitated BD413 extracellular emulsifier require the presence of magnesium ion and a mixture of an aliphatic and an aromatic hydrocarbon.
SIP Back to Back User Benchmarking

In the branch of performance testing of SIP based infrastructure no standardized methodology has been adopted yet. This is why we decided to develop a methodology suitable for testing and evaluating SIP server’s performance. This paper should open a discussion about defining the parameters and methodology for benchmarking SIP based infrastructure, because it is the keystone in modern NGN voice communications. The methodology presented in this paper focuses on one particular variant of the SIP server – the Back to Back User Agent (B2BUA), as it is one of the most commonly used solution in the VoIP. The method is enhanced by the definition of the performance rating factor, which allows for comparing the performance of the different B2BUAs platform independently. This factor utilizes one of the features of the B2BUA – the fact that media during the call are passing through the SIP server. The whole method is described in this paper and confirmed experimentally as well.
The Peculiar Velocity Function of Galaxy Clusters

The peculiar velocity function of clusters of galaxies is determined using an accurate sample of cluster velocities based on Tully-Fisher distances of Sc galaxies. In contrast to previous results based on samples with considerably larger velocity uncertainties, the observed velocity function does not exhibit a tail of high peculiar velocity clusters. The results indicate a low probability of ≲5% of finding clusters with one-dimensional peculiar velocities greater than ~600 km s-1. The rms one-dimensional cluster peculiar velocity is 293 ± 28 km s-1. The observed cluster velocity function is compared with expectations from different cosmological models. The absence of a high-velocity tail in the observed function is most consistent with a low-mass-density (Ω ~ 0.3) CDM model and is inconsistent at the ≳3 σ level with Ω = 1.0 CDM and HDM models. The rms one-dimensional cluster peculiar velocities in these models correspond, respectively, to 314, 516, and 632 km s-1 (when convolved with the observational uncertainties). Comparison with the observed rms cluster velocity of 293 ± 28 km s-1 further supports the low-density CDM model.
Visual-Based Training Program for Motor Functions in Cerebral Palsied Children with Cortical Visual Impairment -

Background /Aim: Cortical visual impairment (CVI) is a temporary or permanent visual dysfunction resulting from damage to the visual systems in the brain that deal with processing and integrating visual information. The aim of current study was to investigate the effect of visual- based training program on motor functions in CP children with CVI. Methods: Twenty six spastic CP children with CVI from both sex, ranged in age from 2 to 4 years, participated in this study. They were randomly assigned to two groups of equal number; control (I) and study (II) groups. Children in group I received the conventional physical and occupational therapy program inside the normally lighted room. Children in group II received the same program given to group I using visual stimulation modalities inside the sensory room. Treatment duration for both groups was 2½ hours, 3 days per week for a successive three months. Gross and fine motor functions were evaluated before and after treatment using Gross Motor Function Measure Scale (GMFM) and Peabody Developmental Motor Scale (PDMS) respectively. Findings: This study showed a statistically significant improvement of gross motor skills in both groups (P=0.001), however, a significant difference was seen between both groups, but in favor to group II (P=0.000). Regarding fine motor skills, no significant improvement was seen in group I (P=0.15) however, significant improvement was obtained in group II (0.001) after treatment. Conclusion: Training of gross and fine motor skills using visual stimulation modalities inside sensory room is effective for CP children with CIV to improve their gross and fine motor functions. Key words: Cerebral palsy, Cortical visual impairment, Visual stimulation, Occupational therapy
Strong convergence of subgradient extragradient methods for the variational inequality problem in Hilbert space

We study two projection algorithms for solving the variational inequality problem in Hilbert space. One algorithm is a modified subgradient extragradient method in which an additional projection onto the intersection of two half-spaces is employed. Another algorithm is based on the shrinking projection method. We establish strong convergence theorems for both algorithms.
Protease degradation of Escherichia coli heat-stable, mouse-negative, pig-positive enterotoxin

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli produces three enterotoxins: heat-labile toxin, a mouse-positive heat-stable toxin, and a mouse-negative heat-stable toxin (STb). The only species in which a response to STb has been documented is the pig, and this response is inconsistent. When STb was placed in 60 ligated jejunal segments (loops) in six pigs, a positive response (net secretion) was observed in only 40 loops. In contrast, when the jejunal lumen was pre-rinsed with 50 ml of saline, the same STb preparation induced net secretion in 60 of 60 loops. STb did not induce secretion in rinsed loops when jejunal luminal washings were collected and mixed with STb in vitro. The anti-STb activity of jejunal luminal washings was filterable through 0.45-micron-pore-size filters, was destroyed by heating at 100 degrees C for 15 min, and was blocked by soybean trypsin inhibitor. STb was inactivated when incubated with trypsin in vitro for 60 min at 37 degrees C. It is concluded that STb is susceptible to trypsin degradation and that variable amounts of trypsin-like activity in swine jejuna are responsible for inconsistent responses to STb in jejunal loops of swine. These results also suggest that the concept of species specificity of the STb response should be reexamined.