Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mindfulness-based interventions for chronic pain: a systematic review of the evidence.

OBJECTIVES Chronic pain is a common disabling illness that does not completely respond to current medical treatments. As a consequence, in recent years many alternative interventions have been suggested. Among them, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are receiving growing attention. The aim of the present article is to review controlled studies investigating the efficacy of MBIs for the reduction of pain and the improvement of depressive symptoms in patients suffering from chronic pain. METHODS A literature search was undertaken using MEDLINE,(®) ISI web of knowledge, the Cochrane database, and references of retrieved articles. The search included articles written in English published up to July 2009. The data were independently extracted by two reviewers from the original reports. Quality of included trials was also assessed. RESULTS Ten (10) studies were considered eligible for the present review. Current studies showed that MBIs could have nonspecific effects for the reduction of pain symptoms and the improvement of depressive symptoms in patients with chronic pain, while there is only limited evidence suggesting specific effects of such interventions. Further findings evidenced some improvements in psychologic measures related to chronic pain such as copying with pain following MBIs as well. DISCUSSION There is not yet sufficient evidence to determine the magnitude of the effects of MBIs for patients with chronic pain. Main limitations of reviewed studies include small sample size, absence of randomization, the use of a waiting list control group that does not allow distinguishing of specific from nonspecific effects of MBI as well as differences among interventions. CONCLUSIONS However, because of these preliminary results, further research in larger properly powered and better designed studies is warranted.
Transistor reliability variation correlation to threshold voltage

MOSFET reliability data are often represented as a function of gate overdrive (VG-VT) with the implicit assumption that overdrive is the appropriate normalizing parameter. While this can be true for some specific sources of variation, reliability does not necessarily track gate overdrive. This paper explores systematic and random sources of variation in TDDB, BTI, and hot carrier degradation data in Intel's tri-gate technologies. We find that random variation captured within a baseline of reliability data does not, in general, trend with overdrive. However, some sources of systematic variation are correlated or, interestingly, anti-correlated with overdrive.
Ehrlichia species, probable emerging human pathogens in sub-Saharan Africa: environmental exacerbation

Abstract Ehrlichiae are obligate intracellular Gram-negative tick-borne bacteria that are responsible for life-threatening emerging human zoonoses and diseases of veterinary importance worldwide, collectively called ehrlichioses. The genus Ehrlichia consists of five recognized species, including E. canis, E. chaffeensis, E. ewingii, E. muris, and E. ruminantium. The recent discoveries of Ehrlichia species in new areas and of tick species that were previously thought to be uninfected by these agents have suggested that these agents may have wider distribution than originally thought. Environmental factors like temperature, migration, control failure, and host population have been known to exacerbate the spread of Ehrlichia species. Human cases of moderate to severe disease caused by E. chaffeensis have been reported mainly in North America. In this article, we present an overview of ehrlichiae as emerging pathogens in sub-Saharan Africa, where E. ruminantium, the causative agent of heartwater, a disease of domestic and wild ruminants, is most established. Molecular evidence indicates that E. ruminantium may be an emerging pathogen of a life-threatening human disease. Ehrlichia ruminantium is considered an agricultural biothreat, with several strains reported throughout sub-Saharan Africa, where the infection is considered endemic. Understanding the diversity of E. ruminantium and other Ehrlichia species from all geographically distinct areas of sub-Saharan Africa may enhance our knowledge of the pathogenesis and epidemiology of these pathogens.
Air-sea exchange of high-molecular weight organic pollutants: laboratory studies.

W Laboratory studies have determined air-water partition coefficients and mass-transfer rates of predominant organic pollutants. Results demonstrate the rapid volatilization of certain high molecular weight organic compounds from distilled water and seawater solutions. Behavior of these compounds can be interpreted in terms of the Whitman resistance model of mass transfer across the air-water interface.
Placement of tracheobronchial silicone Y-stents: Multicenter experience and systematic review of the literature

Background: Airway obstruction or tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) near the tracheal carina requires placement of Y-shaped stents. Herein, we describe our multicenter experience with the placement of Dumon silicone Y-stents. We also conduct a systematic review for studies describing the deployment of airway silicone Y-stents. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of consecutive subjects who underwent placement of silicone Y-stents. The clinical details including the underlying diagnosis, indication for the placement of silicone Y-stents, success of stent placement, and follow-up are presented. The PubMed and EMBASE databases were also reviewed for studies describing the placement of silicone Y-stents. Results: During the study, 27 silicone Y-stents were placed. The mean (standard deviation) age of the study population (85.2% males) was 57.7 (13.5) years. The stents were placed for airway obstruction in 77.8% and TEF in 29.6% of the patients. The most common underlying disease was carcinoma of the esophagus. The degree of airway obstruction was grade 3–4 in 18 subjects, and respiratory failure was encountered in 18 subjects. The stent was deployed successfully in all the subjects. No deaths were encountered during stent placement. Most subjects had rapid relief of symptoms following the procedure. Excessive secretions and mucostasis were the most common stent-related complications followed by the development of granulation tissue. The systematic review yielded nine studies (338 subjects with airway obstruction and/or TEF). The most common indication for silicone Y-stent placement was tracheobronchial obstruction and TEF due to malignancy. Benign disorders that necessitated stent placement included postintubation tracheal stenosis, airway malacia, and others. The stent was successfully placed in 98% with only one periprocedural death. Granulation tissue formation and mucostasis were the most common stent-related complications. Conclusion: Placement of silicone Y-stent is a safe and effective procedure that provides quick relief of symptoms in subjects presenting with airway obstruction and TEF at or near the tracheal carina.
Body-Cathexis and Self-Esteem

The relation between self-esteem and body-cathexis has been studied extensively (Fisher, 1986). Secord and Jourard (1953) devised a measure of attitudes toward the body by asking people whether they had positive or negative feelings about different body parts. They found positive attitudes were related to self-esteem, although Rosen and Ross (1968) found that this held only for body items rated as important. The present study involved a factor analysis of correlations based on the responses of 32 male and 27 female college students aged 17 to 23 yr. (M = 19.2 yr., SD = 1.2) to Secord and Jourard's body-cathexis scale (and identified 11 factors using a principal components extraction with varimax rotation on SPSSX). ' These factor scores were correlated with self-esteem as measured by Coopersmith's (1967) scale (M = 64.8, SD = 20.7). For women, self-esteem scores were correlated with a factor on which loadings were high for waist (loading 0.78), hips (0.75), and weight (0.77) (Pearson r = 0.35, p = .04). Imposing controls for age by using correlation coefficients, self-esteem was also correlated with a factor on which a high loading for distribution of body hair was observed (partial r = 0.41, p = .02). For men, self-esteem scores were correlated with factor scores on which loadings were high for voice (loading 0.78), resistance to illness (O.63), and profile (0.62) (Pearson r = 0.32, p = .04). The associations of self-esteem and body cathexis were different for the college men and women in this study and observed for only a limited number of the factors identified for body cathexis. However, this study needs to be replicated on a larger sample before the conclusions can be regarded as reliable. REFERENCES COOPERSMITH, S. (1967) The antecedents of selj-esteem. San Francisco, CA: Freeman. FISHER, S. (1986) Development and structure ofthe body image. Hillside, NY: Erlbaum. ROSEN, G . M. , & ROSS, A. 0. (1968) Relationship of body image to self-concept. 1. consult. clin. Psychol. , 32, 100. SECORD, P. F,, & JOURARD, S. M. (1953) The appraisal of body-cathexis. 1. consult. Psychol. , 17, 343-347.
GIS and Distributed Watershed Models. I: Data Coverages and Sources

The increasing proliferation of spatial data, geographic information systems (GIS), and models for hydrologic applications provide many new investigation opportunities but also present a number of challenges for the uninitiated water resources practitioner. This two-part paper is intended for the practicing engineer who wants to expand into the arena of spatial data and distributed watershed modeling. It provides an integrated overview of the multiple facets of data-GIS-modeling issues and a source of background information for selection and application of GIS in watershed modeling. This first paper addresses selected spatial data issues, data structures and projections, data sources, and information on data resolution and uncertainties. Spatial data that are covered include digital elevation data, stream and drainage data, soil data, digital orthophoto data, remotely sensed data, and radar precipitation data. The focus is on data and issues that are common to many data-GIS- modeling applications. The second paper presents issues on and examples of GIS and hydrologic models and provides recommendations with respect to organization and implementation of the integrated use of spatial data, GIS, and distributed watershed models.
CREB-1α Is Recruited to and Mediates Upregulation of the Cytochrome c Promoter during Enhanced Mitochondrial Biogenesis Accompanying Skeletal Muscle Differentiation

ABSTRACT To further understand pathways coordinating the expression of nuclear genes encoding mitochondrial proteins, we studied mitochondrial biogenesis during differentiation of myoblasts to myotubes. This energy-demanding process was accompanied by a fivefold increase of ATP turnover, covered by an eightfold increase of mitochondrial activity. While no change in mitochondrial DNA copy number was observed, mRNAs as well as proteins for nucleus-encoded cytochrome c, cytochrome c oxidase subunit IV, and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) increased, together with total cellular RNA and protein levels. Detailed analysis of the cytochrome c promoter by luciferase reporter, binding affinity, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays as well as mutagenesis studies revealed a critical role for cyclic AMP responsive element binding protein 1 (CREB-1) for promoter activation. Expression of two CREB-1 isoforms was observed by using specific antibodies and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, and a shift from phosphorylated CREB-1Δ in myoblasts to phosphorylated CREB-1α protein in myotubes was shown, while mRNA ratios remained unchanged. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirmed preferential binding of CREB-1α in situ to the cytochrome c promoter in myotubes. Overexpression of constitutively active and dominant-negative forms supported the key role of CREB-1 in regulating the expression of genes encoding mitochondrial proteins during myogenesis and probably also in other situations of enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis.
Curcumin nanoparticles attenuate cardiac remodeling due to pulmonary arterial hypertension

Abstract Herein, we investigate whether curcumin nanoparticles (Cur NPs) are effective for the treatment of monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension in Sprague Dawley rat. Echocardiography was performed at the start of the study and 28 days after MCT injection. Compared to MCT only animals, Cur NP administration was associated with reduced right ventricular (RV) wall thickness and a decreased right ventricle weight/body weight ratio. Cur NPs also attenuated MCT induced increase in RV mRNA expression of TNF-α and IL-1β. These changes were also associated with decreased RV expression of nitrotyrosine, fibronectin and myosin heavy chain-β.
Identification of mutations in SLC40A1 that affect ferroportin function and phenotype of human ferroportin iron overload.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Patients with ferroportin iron overload due to loss-of-function mutations in SLC40A1 have macrophage iron overload, hyperferritinemia, and normal transferrin saturation. In contrast, hepatocellular iron storage, hyperferritinemia, and increased saturation of transferrin are a distinct clinical presentation of ferroportin iron overload that results from SLC40A1 mutations that confer resistance of ferroportin to hepcidin-mediated inactivation. METHODS SLC40A1 was sequenced in patients from 2 independent pedigrees affected by hepatic iron overload unrelated to HFE. Functions of the ferroportin variants were tested in vitro. RESULTS A patient heterozygous for the variant p.W158C in SLC40A1 presented with macrophage iron overload, hyperferritinemia, and normal transferrin saturation. A patient with hepatocellular iron storage, hyperferritinemia, and increased transferrin saturation was heterozygous for p.H507R. Expression of the p.W158C form of ferroportin in 293T cells resulted in defective trafficking to the plasma membrane and reduced iron export activity; the iron export activity of cells that expressed the p.H507R form of ferroportin did not differ from cells that expressed ferroportin without this mutation. The p.H507R of ferroportin localizes normally to the plasma membrane but is resistant to hepcidin-mediated inactivation. Addition of a synthetic peptide derived from ferroportin without these mutations (amino acids 500-518) decreased the inhibitory activity of hepcidin in cells, whereas a peptide from the same region, with p.H507R, had no effect on hepcidin activity. CONCLUSIONS The variant p.W158C in SLC40A1 impairs intracellular trafficking of ferroportin, resulting in reduced iron export. The variant p.H507R does not bind hepcidin in vitro and results in apparent hepcidin resistance.
Efficient Speaker and Noise Normalization for Robust Speech Recognition

In this paper, we describe a computationally efﬁcient approach for combining speaker and noise normalization techniques. In particular, we combine the simple yet effective Histogram Equalization (HEQ) for noise compensation with Vocal-tract length normalization (VTLN) for speaker-normalization. While it is intuitive to remove noise ﬁrst and then perform VTLN, this is difﬁcult since HEQ performs noise compensation in the cepstral domain, while VTLN involves warping in spectral domain. In this paper, we investigate the use of the recently proposed T-VTLN approach to speaker normalization where matrix transformations are directly applied on cepstral features. We show that the speaker-speciﬁc warp-factors estimated even from noisy speech using this approach closely match those from clean-speech. Further, using sub-band HEQ (S-HEQ) and T-VTLN we get a signiﬁcant relative improvement of 20% and an impressive 33.54% over baseline in recognition accuracy for Aurora-2 and Aurora-4 task respectively.
Compliance with hypertension guidelines in general practice in Slovenia.

INTRODUCTION Compliance with hypertension guidelines in clinical practice is generally poor, but there was no data about compliance with any guidelines in general practice in Slovenia. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to find out whether general practitioners in Slovenia managed their hypertensive patients according to the national guidelines, based on 1999 WHO/ISH guideline recommendations. METHOD 42 family physicians registered all patients with the diagnosis of arterial hypertension among 300 consecutive regular office visits. We used data about blood pressure management from paper medical records. RESULTS We collected data from 2752 patients with hypertension; the mean age was 64.1 years (SD = 12.4 years, from 21 to 97 years). All elements of the minimal diagnostic program in the last five years were performed in 23.8% of the patients. In 1809 (65.7%) patients, whose cardiovascular risk was estimated, the minimal diagnostic program was performed more frequently (p < 0.001). Non-pharmacological measures were performed in 1210 (47.0%) patients. 2649 (97.6%) patients had drug therapy in accordance with the guidelines. Follow-up in accordance with the guidelines was performed in 1492 (55.3%) patients. Only 256 (9.3%) patients were managed completely according to the guidelines and only 347 (15.5%) of study population reached the target values of blood pressure. CONCLUSION The impact of hypertension guidelines on patients' management in everyday primary care appears marginal. More emphasis should be placed on the efficient implementation of the guidelines.
Common peroneal nerve palsy associated with the fabella syndrome.

Chez une femme de 50 ans operee d'une lithiase biliaire, le 1er jour apres l'intervention apparition d'une symptomatologie du pied puis des signes d'un syndrome de compression du nerf peronier. Un sesamoide du jumeau est la cause des complications
Discovery of a High Affinity Radioligand for the Human Orphan Receptor, Bombesin Receptor Subtype 3, Which Demonstrates That It Has a Unique Pharmacology Compared with Other Mammalian Bombesin Receptors*

An orphan receptor discovered in 1993 was called bombesin receptor subtype 3 (BRS-3) because of 47–51% amino acid identity with bombesin (Bn) receptors. Its pharmacology is unknown, because no naturally occurring tissues have sufficient receptors to allow studies. We made two cell lines stably expressing the human BRS-3 (hBRS-3). hBRS-3 was overexpressed in the human non-small cell lung cancer cells, NCI-H1299, and the other was made in Balb 3T3 cells, which lack endogenous BRS-3. [d-Phe6,β-Ala11,Phe13,Nle14]Bn-(6–14) (where Nle represents norleucine) was discovered to have high potency for stimulating inositol phosphate formation in both cell lines. [125I-d-Tyr6,β-Ala11,Phe13, Nle14]Bn-(6–14) bound to both cell lines with high affinity. Neither Bn nor 14 other naturally occurring Bn peptides bound to hBRS-3 with aK d <1000 nm. Twenty-six synthetic peptides that are high affinity agonists or antagonists at other bombesin receptors had an affinity >1000 nm. Guanosine 5′-(β,γ-imido)triphosphate inhibited binding to both cells due to a change in receptor affinity. These results demonstrate hBRS-3 has a unique pharmacology. It does not interact with high affinity with any known natural agonist or high affinity antagonist of the Bn receptor family, suggesting the natural ligand is either an undiscovered member of the Bn peptide family or an unrelated peptide. The availability of these cell lines and the hBRS-3 ligand should facilitate identification of the natural ligand for BRS-3, its pharmacology, and cell biology.
Taper of full-veneer crown preparations by dental students at the University of the West Indies.

PURPOSE The ideal taper recommended for a full-veneer crown is 4° to 14°, but this is very difficult to achieve clinically, and studies on taper achieved by dental students have found mean taper measurements ranging from 11° to 27°. The objective of this study was to examine and compare the taper of teeth prepared for full-veneer crowns by dental students on typodonts in the laboratory and on patients, and also to compare the results with those of other dental schools. MATERIALS AND METHODS Preparations were scanned by specialized metrology equipment that gave the taper of the preparation in a buccolingual (BL) and mesiodistal (MD) plane. RESULTS No undercut was detected on any of the laboratory specimens; however, 12.5% of clinical specimens were undercut. The mean taper of the laboratory anterior specimens were 26.7° BL and 14.9° MD, and the laboratory posterior specimens were 18.2° BL and 14.2° MD. The mean taper of the clinical anteriors were 31.6° BL and 16.8° MD, and the clinical posteriors were 16.8° BL and 22.4° MD. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that although the taper achieved by dental students in the University of the West Indies when preparing teeth for full-veneer crowns was outside the ideal range of 4° to 14°, it is comparable to those achieved by dental students in other schools.
High performance organic phototransistor based on regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene)

We fabricated solution processed organic phototransistors (OPT) by drop casting regioregular poly 3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) from three different solvents: p-xylene, dichlorobenzene and chloroform. The best performance was obtained for films drop-casted from p-xylene with a maximum photosensitivity (P) of 3.8 × 103 and responsivity (R) of 250 A W − 1 under white light illumination. For films deposited from dichlorobenzene and chloroform the values of P were 1.1 × 103 and 30, respectively, while the values of R were 150 and 35, respectively. The maximum responsivity value reported here is at least one order of magnitude higher than that of previously reported solution processed OPT devices. By analyzing the absorption spectra of different films, we conclude that the better device performance of OPT from p-xylene is due to better crystallinity of P3HT. Demonstration of high performance OPTs is a significant step forward in integrating these devices in various optoelectronic circuits.
Prostaglandin E2 prevents Helicobacter-induced gastric preneoplasia and facilitates persistent infection in a mouse model.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Persistent infection with the human pathogen Helicobacter pylori increases the risk of gastric cancer. In this study, we investigated the role of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and its main product, prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), in the development of Helicobacter-induced gastritis and gastric cancer precursor lesions. METHODS We utilized mouse models of Helicobacter-induced gastric preneoplasia and vaccine-induced protection to study the effects of COX-2 inhibition and PGE(2) treatment on the induction of Helicobacter-specific immune responses and gastric premalignant immunopathology. RESULTS COX-2 and PGE(2) are up-regulated upon Helicobacter infection in cultured epithelial cells and in the gastric mucosa of infected mice. Inhibition of COX-2 activity with celecoxib significantly accelerated early preneoplasia; conversely, systemic administration of synthetic PGE(2) prevented development of premalignant pathology and completely reversed preexisting lesions by suppressing interferon-gamma production in the infected stomachs. The protective effect of PGE(2) was accompanied by increased Helicobacter colonization in all models. All in vivo effects were attributed to immunosuppressive effects of PGE(2) on CD4(+) T-helper 1 cells, which fail to migrate, proliferate, and secrete cytokines when exposed to PGE(2) in vitro and in vivo. T-cell inhibition was found to be due to silencing of interleukin-2 gene transcription, and could be overcome by supplementation with recombinant interleukin-2 in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS COX-2-dependent production of PGE(2) has an important immunomodulatory role during Helicobacter infection, preventing excessive local immune responses and the associated immunopathology by inhibiting the effector functions of pathogenic T-helper 1 cells.