Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epidural injection with or without steroid in managing chronic low back and lower extremity pain: ameta-analysis of ten randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND Chronic low back and lower extremity pain is mainly caused by lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and radiculitis. Various surgery and nonsurgical modalities, including epidural injections, have been used to treat LDH or radiculitis. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to assess the effects of the two interventions in managing various chronic low and lower extremity pain. METHODS A systematic literature search was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which compared the effect of local anesthetic with or without steroids. The outcomes included pain relief, functional improvement, opioid intake, and therapeutic procedural characteristics. Pooled estimates were calculated using a random-effects or fixed-effects model, depending on the heterogeneity between the included studies. RESULTS 10 RCTs (involving 1111 patients) were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled results showed that 41.7% of patients who received local anesthetic with steroid (group 1) and 40.2% of patients who received local anesthetic alone (group 2) had significant improvement in pain relief. And the Numeric Rating Scale pain scales were significantly reduced by 4.09 scores (95% CI: -4.26, -3.91), and 4.12 (95% CI: -4.35, -3.89) scores, respectively. Similarly, 39.8% of patients in group 1 and 40.7% of patients in group 2 achieved significantly improved functional status. The Oswestry Disability Index in the two groups were reduced by 14.5 (95% CI: -15.24, -13.75) and 12.37 (95% CI: -16.13, -8.62), respectively. The average procedures per year in group 1 was 3.68 ± 1.17 and 3.68 ± 1.26 in group 2 with an average total relief per year of 31.67 ± 13.17 weeks and 32.64 ± 13.92 weeks, respectively. The opioid intake decreased from baseline by 8.81 mg (95% CI: -12.24, -5.38) and 16.92 mg (95% CI: -22.71, -11.12) in the two groups, respectively. CONCLUSION This meta-analysis confirms that epidural injections of local anesthetic with or without steroids have beneficial but similar effects in the treatment of patients with chronic low back and lower extremity pain.
Effects of Ginkgo biloba Extract Ingestion on the Pharmacokinetics of Talinolol in Healthy Chinese Volunteers

Background Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE), the best selling herbal medicine in the world, has been reported to inhibit P-glycoprotein in vitro. However, the effects of GBE on P-glycoprotein activity in humans have not been clarified. Objective To investigate the effects of single and repeated GBE ingestion on the oral pharmacokinetics of talinolol, a substrate drug for P-glycoprotein in humans. Methods Ten unrelated healthy male volunteers were selected to participate in a 3-stage sequential study. Plasma concentrations of talinolol from 0 to 24 hours were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography after talinolol 100 mg was administrated alone, with a single oral dose of GBE (120 mg), and after 14 days of repeated GBE ingestion (360 mg/day). Results A single oral dose of GBE did not affect the pharmacokinetics of talinolol. Repeated ingestion of GBE increased the talinolol maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) by 36% (90% CI 10 to 68; p = 0.025), the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC)0-24 by 26% (90% CI 11 to 43; p = 0.008) and AUC0-∞ by 22% (90% CI 8 to 37; p = 0.014), respectively, without significant changes in elimination half-life and the time to Cmax. Conclusions Our results suggest that long-term use of GBE significantly influenced talinolol disposition in humans, likely by affecting the activity of P-glycoprotein and/or other drug transporters.
Improving functional magnetic resonance imaging motor studies through simultaneous electromyography recordings

Specially designed optoelectronic and data postprocessing methods are described that permit electromyography (EMG) of muscle activity simultaneous with functional MRI (fMRI). Hardware characterization and validation included simultaneous EMG and event‐related fMRI in 17 healthy participants during either ankle (n = 12), index finger (n = 3), or wrist (n = 2) contractions cued by visual stimuli. Principal component analysis (PCA) and independent component analysis (ICA) were evaluated for their ability to remove residual fMRI gradient‐induced signal contamination in EMG data. Contractions of ankle tibialis anterior and index finger abductor were clearly distinguishable, although observing contractions from the wrist flexors proved more challenging. To demonstrate the potential utility of simultaneous EMG and fMRI, data from the ankle experiments were analyzed using two approaches: 1) assuming contractions coincided precisely with visual cues, and 2) using EMG to time the onset and offset of muscle contraction precisely for each participant. Both methods produced complementary activation maps, although the EMG‐guided approach recovered more active brain voxels and revealed activity better in the basal ganglia and cerebellum. Furthermore, numerical simulations confirmed that precise knowledge of behavioral responses, such as those provided by EMG, are much more important for event‐related experimental designs compared to block designs. This simultaneous EMG and fMRI methodology has important applications where the amplitude or timing of motor output is impaired, such as after stroke. Hum Brain Mapp 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Behavioral Model of International Labor and Nonlabor Migration: The Case of Turkish Movements to West Germany, 1960–1986

In this paper behavioral models of international labor and nonlabor migration are presented. The models are based on the concept of chain migration, where the immigrant stock, differentiated by the duration of stay, induces and directs future migration flows. Three roles of the immigrant stock in inducing the inflow of potential migrants are identified: provider of assimilation aid; transmitter of information; and source of family reunification. Operationalized versions of the models are empirically tested for Turkish labor and nonlabor migration to West Germany, 1960–86. The results support the importance of information for labor migrants, and reunification ties for nonlabor migrants.
Prevalence of insulin resistance and prediction of glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes mellitus in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract Background: Diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) affects 10% of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of clinical and fasting biochemical parameters in screening for impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and DM2. Methods: Women with PCOS [n=244, age 27.4±7.5 years, body mass index (BMI) 27.5±6.9 kg/m2] and healthy women (n=57, age 26.8±5.8 years, BMI 21.3±2.1 kg/m2) underwent basal blood sampling and an oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT). Results: Insulin resistance was identified in 40.2% of PCOS women. Impaired fasting glucose (5.6–6.9 mmol/L) was found in 30 subjects (12.3%), but the oGTT revealed IGT in only six of these cases and DM2 in one subject. IGT was found in 23 (9.4%) and DM2 in four (1.6%) of the women with PCOS. The conventional upper limits for total cholesterol, triglycerides, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and fasting glucose revealed low sensitivity for the identification of impaired glucose metabolism. Conclusions: No single parameter nor any combination of them showed an accuracy sufficient for screening of IGT or DM2 in PCOS patients. All PCOS patients should be screened using an oGTT to identify disturbances in glucose metabolism. Clin Chem Lab Med 2007;45:639–44.
Efficiency in wine grape production: comparing long-established and newly developed regions of South Africa.

Efficiency, partly based on technology, is central to international competitiveness. This article applies a stochastic frontier inefficiency model to a panel of 77 wine grape farms in South Africa between 2005 and 2015 and allows the comparison of efficiency levels for the old established wine regions with those of newer entrants. Thus, we investigate whether experience plus first choice of location matters more than the follower's advantage of newer technology. In all regions, a greater share of permanent labor and increased supervision raised efficiency, while more inorganic fertilizer and less irrigation has the opposite effect. Innovations in trellising had insignificant effects (except in the old regions) but not replacing old vines reduced efficiency. However, a higher proportion of red varietals also lowered efficiency in the old regions due to a fall in the price of red wine as these farmers continued to concentrate on quality reds. The new regions compensated for falling prices by increasing crop size with irrigation and fertilizer and extending the area planted, but with less concern for quality. This appears to be more successful in efficiency terms, but as international demand for quality wine increases it may be a poor longâ€ term strategy.
The Measurement of Bulbar Hyperemia: Challenges and Pitfalls

Purpose To review methods of assessing bulbar redness, particularly with respect to the practicality of comparing different rating systems. Methods The published literature was reviewed and discussed by a panel of experts and a narrative review prepared. Results Bulbar hyperemia is a common clinical sign and an important indicator of ocular disease. As bulbar hyperemia is a frequent side effect of topical glaucoma medications, accurate objective measurement is important to allow comparison of clinical studies. A number of different measurement systems have evolved to allow quantification of subjectively assessed redness to be rendered into a form that allows between-treatment comparisons and longitudinal changes in both clinical research and practice. Whereas widespread use of image-based rating scales has improved the assessment of bulbar redness in clinical practice and clinical research, these techniques are less than ideal. The scales are subject to an intrinsic subjectivity and are suboptimal in differentiating the physiologic phenomenon of bulbar hyperemia. There is also a degree of interobserver and intraobserver variation; in some studies, average variation in scores exceed half the extent of the whole scale. Moreover, a lack of interscale validation has led to confusion in comparing the results from clinical studies that use different scales. In a recent series of studies, cross-calibration between the various scales in use has been attempted. Conclusions Whereas naive comparisons between the results obtained in studies using different bulbar redness scales can lead to erroneous conclusions, the tools exist to permit meaningful comparisons between rating systems and scales.
Mode of Tolerance Induction and Requirement for Aire Are Governed by the Cell Types That Express Self-Antigen and Those That Present Antigen

Aire controls the fate of autoreactive thymocytes (i.e., clonal deletion or development into regulatory T cells [Tregs]) through transcriptional control of the expression of tissue-restricted self-antigens (TRAs) from medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) and bone marrow (BM)-derived cells. Although TRAs expressed by mTECs and BM-derived cells are suggested to complement each other to generate a full spectrum of TRAs, little is known about the relative contribution of TRAs from each component for establishment of self-tolerance. Furthermore, the precise role of Aire in specific types of Aire-expressing APCs remains elusive. We have approached these issues by generating two different types of transgenic mouse (Tg) model, which express a prefixed model self-antigen driven by the insulin promoter or the Aire promoter. In the insulin-promoter Tg model, mTECs alone were insufficient for clonal deletion, and BM-derived APCs were required for this action by utilizing Ag transferred from mTECs. In contrast, mTECs alone were able to induce Tregs, although at a much lower efficiency in the absence of BM-derived APCs. Importantly, lack of Aire in mTECs, but not in BM-derived APCs, impaired both clonal deletion and production of Tregs. In the Aire-promoter Tg model, both mTECs and BM-derived APCs could independently induce clonal deletion without Aire, and production of Tregs was impaired by the lack of Aire in mTECs, but not in BM-derived APCs. These results suggest that the fate of autoreactive thymocytes together with the requirement for Aire depend on the cell types that express self-antigens and the types of APCs involved in tolerance induction.
Religiosity and Spirituality During Cardiac Rehabilitation: A LONGITUDINAL EVALUATION OF PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES AND EXERCISE CAPACITY

PURPOSE: This study is a longitudinal evaluation of religiosity/spirituality (R/S) and religious coping in post–myocardial infarction and post–coronary artery bypass surgery patients during a 12-week cardiac rehabilitation program. This study examines change in R/S and the relationship between R/S and psychosocial outcomes and exercise capacity over time. METHODS: Cardiac rehabilitation patients (N = 105) completed measures of R/S, religious coping, quality of life (QOL), self-efficacy (SE), and energy expenditure (EE) at the beginning (baseline) and end of a 12-week program. Relationships between R/S and religious coping and QOL, SE, and EE were evaluated. RESULTS: A negative relationship emerged between baseline measures of R/S and religious coping and QOL, SE, and EE. There were significant increases in Good Deeds Coping, QOL, SE, and EE from baseline to end of program (Ps < .05). Baseline measures of Interpersonal Religious Support Coping were positively correlated with the change in EE from baseline to end (r = 0.21; P = .059), and there were positive correlations between the change in Experiential Religiosity (r = 0.32; P = .004) and Overall Religiosity (r = 0.25; P = .024) with the change in EE. DISCUSSION: The demonstrated relationships between R/S and Religious Coping and outcomes in cardiac patients provide compelling support for the development of spiritual care interventions for cardiac patients and evaluation of the impact of these interventions on physiological, medical, and psychological outcomes in these patients.
Heavy work and disability pension - a long term follow-up of Swedish construction workers.

OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of disability pensions over time among workers with physically demanding jobs. METHODS The occurrence of disability pension was prospectively studied between 1980-2008 among 325 549 Swedish construction workers. The risks for disability pension and years lost of working life were compared among 22 occupational groups, adjusting for age, body mass index, height, and smoking habits. RESULTS The risk varied considerably among blue-collar workers. For example, rock workers had double the risk of disability pension [relative risk (RR) 2.16, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.96-2.39] compared to electricians. Most working years lost due to disability pensions (about 75%) were found among men >50 years, mainly due to musculoskeletal and cardiovascular diseases. The years of working life lost due to disability pension varied from 0.7 (salaried employees) to 3.2 years (rock workers) among occupational groups. CONCLUSION Work environment is an important predictor for disability pension among construction workers with those in physically heavy jobs having the highest burden of disability. If the purpose is to increase labor force participation for workers with heavy jobs, strategies to reduce physical demands at work among elderly workers are important.
Decoding three-dimensional reaching movements using electrocorticographic signals in humans

Objective. Electrocorticography (ECoG) signals have emerged as a potential control signal for brain–computer interface (BCI) applications due to balancing signal quality and implant invasiveness. While there have been numerous demonstrations in which ECoG signals were used to decode motor movements and to develop BCI systems, the extent of information that can be decoded has been uncertain. Therefore, we sought to determine if ECoG signals could be used to decode kinematics (speed, velocity, and position) of arm movements in 3D space. Approach. To investigate this, we designed a 3D center-out reaching task that was performed by five epileptic patients undergoing temporary placement of ECoG arrays. We used the ECoG signals within a hierarchical partial-least squares (PLS) regression model to perform offline prediction of hand speed, velocity, and position. Main Results. The hierarchical PLS regression model enabled us to predict hand speed, velocity, and position during 3D reaching movements from held-out test sets with accuracies above chance in each patient with mean correlation coefficients between 0.31 and 0.80 for speed, 0.27 and 0.54 for velocity, and 0.22 and 0.57 for position. While beta band power changes were the most significant features within the model used to classify movement and rest, the local motor potential and high gamma band power changes, were the most important features in the prediction of kinematic parameters. Significance. We believe that this study represents the first demonstration that truly three-dimensional movements can be predicted from ECoG recordings in human patients. Furthermore, this prediction underscores the potential to develop BCI systems with multiple degrees of freedom in human patients using ECoG.
On Visual Stability and Visual Consistency for Progressive Visual Analytics

The emerging field of Progressive Visual Analytics (PVA in what follows) deals with the objective of progressively create the final visualization through a series of intermediate visual results, affected by a degree of uncertainty and, in some cases, a non monotonic behaviour. According to that, it is a critical issue providing the user with no confusing visualization and that results in a novel point of view on stability and consistency. This position paper deals with the novel and challenging issues that PVA poses in term of visual stability and consistency, providing a preliminary framework in which this problem can be contextualized, measured, and formalized. In particular, the framework proposes a set of metrics, able to explore both data and visual changes; a preliminary case study demonstrates their applicability and advantages in adequately representing data changes in a visualization.
99mTc-tetrofosmin assessment of myocardial perfusion and viability in canine models of coronary occlusion and reperfusion.

UNLABELLED The goal of this study was to determine whether 99mTc-tetrofosmin can assess regional flow heterogeneity when injected during sustained coronary artery occlusion and to estimate the degree of myocardial salvage and viability during coronary reperfusion. METHODS In protocol 1, 99mTc-tetrofosmin, 201 TI and microspheres were injected during total left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery occlusion in five anesthetized open-chested dogs. Protocol 2 dogs underwent LAD occlusion for either 60 min (n = 7) or 180 min (n = 6) followed by 105 min of reperfusion. 99mTc-tetrofosmin (10 mCi), 201TI (1 mCi) and microspheres were injected 90 min after reflow. In both protocols, myocardial 99mTc-tetrofosmin and 201TI activities were quantified from regions of interest on ex vivo images and by in vitro well counting. RESULTS In protocol 1, there was a linear relationship between 201TI (r = 0.96) and 99mTc-tetrofosmin (r 0.92) activities and microsphere flow during the occlusion. In protocol 2, the LAD/left circumflex (LCx) defect count ratios for 99mTc-tetrofosmin and 201TI from images of myocardial slices were comparable in dogs undergoing either 1 or 3 h of LAD occlusion and 105 min of reperfusion. Similarly, the LAD/LCx in vitro count ratios were comparable between 201TI and 99mTc-tetrofosmin in 1 and 3 h occluded dogs, and significantly lower than the reperfusion flow when these tracers were injected. Uptake of both tracers was depressed to a greater extent in areas of severe ischemic damage. CONCLUSION These data suggest that administration of 99mTc-tetrofosmin during coronary occlusion accurately delineates the flow heterogeneity. When given after reperfusion, 99mTc-tetrofosmin uptake was significantly reduced in reperfused, infarcted areas and was reflective of viability and the degree of myocardial salvage in addition to reperfusion flow. These experimental studies validate the clinical use of 99mTc-tetrofosmin for assessing persistent coronary artery occlusion, and infarct size and myocardial viability after reperfusion.
Somatic symptoms for predicting depression: One‐year follow‐up study in annual health examinations

Abstract It has recently been noted that screening for depression can improve clinical outcomes. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether somatic symptoms reported at health examinations predicted depression in the following year. Subjects were 1066 Japanese workers (732 men, mean age 35 years) attending annual health examinations at an institute in two successive years. A self‐administered questionnaire including items of 12 major somatic symptoms was given to all the subjects. Then clinical interviews of the DSM‐IV were used to diagnose major depression and minor depression in both years. In addition, the 17‐item Hamilton Depression Scale (HDS‐17) was measured as one of the outcomes of depression in the following year. The prevalence of major (minor) depression was 3.7 (7.8)% at baseline and 3.4 (5.9)% for the following year, respectively. The following year's HDS‐17 scores were higher (all P < 0.05) in those who had complained of each somatic symptom at baseline than in those who had not. Three somatic symptoms (low back pain, dizziness, and abdominal pain) at baseline were significant risk factors of major depression for the following year. Dizziness at baseline significantly predicted major and minor depression for the following year as well. Somatic symptoms may be good predictors to screen for depression at health examination.
Comprehensive Analysis of Human Endogenous Retrovirus Transcriptional Activity in Human Tissues with a Retrovirus-Specific Microarray

ABSTRACT Retrovirus-like sequences account for 8 to 9% of the human genome. Among these sequences, about 8,000 pol-containing proviral elements have been identified to date. As part of our ongoing search for active and possibly disease-relevant human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), we have recently developed an oligonucleotide-based microarray. The assay allows for both the detection and the identification of most known retroviral reverse transcriptase (RT)-related nucleic acids in biological samples. In the present study, we have investigated the transcriptional activity of representative members of 20 HERV families in 19 different normal human tissues. Qualitative evaluation of chip hybridization signals and quantitative analysis by real-time RT-PCR revealed distinct HERV activity in the human tissues under investigation, suggesting that HERV elements are active in human cells in a tissue-specific manner. Most active members of HERV families were found in mRNA prepared from skin, thyroid gland, placenta, and tissues of reproductive organs. In contrast, only few active HERVs were detectable in muscle cells. Human tissues that lack HERV transcription could not be found, confirming that human endogenous retroviruses are permanent components of the human transcriptome. Distinct activity patterns may reflect the characteristics of the regulatory machinery in these cells, e.g., cell type-dependent occurrence of transcriptional regulatory factors.