Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experiences of young people who have undergone the Lightning Process to treat chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis--a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a serious condition characterized by debilitating but unexplained fatigue. Treatment alternatives are few, and especially so for young people. The aetiology of CFS/ME is still unclear and controversial, but rehabilitative interventions seem so far most promising. The Lightning Process is a 3-day training programme that has recently become available, but no outcome studies have yet been published. It is a non-medical training programme that combines concepts from Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Life Coaching and Osteopathy. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of young people with CFS/ME after they had undergone the Lightning Process. DESIGN Qualitative research study. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with an opportunistic sample recruited through open advertisements of nine young people, aged 14-26, who had undergone the treatment, and three of their parents. Inductive thematic analysis was used to evaluate the content of the interviews. RESULTS Mostly positive experiences were reported of the Lightning Process. Two reported dissatisfaction and no improvement, while seven were satisfied and were much improved. Particular helpful aspects were the theoretical rationale, practical exercises, and the technique they learned. Less helpful aspects were the intensity and short duration of the treatment with little follow-up, the secrecy surrounding it, and feelings of being blamed if the treatment did not work. CONCLUSIONS As this is the first report of young people's experiences with the Lightning Process, it will be important to consider the helpful and unhelpful treatment components for future refinement of interventions for CFS/ME.
Cholecystokinin octapeptide increases rectal sensitivity to pain in healthy subjects

Abstract Hypersensitivity during rectal distension has been demonstrated in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Studies performed in animals and indirect data in humans suggest that cholecystokinin (CCK) could modulate visceral sensations. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of i.v. infused sulphated cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK‐OP) on rectal sensitivity in response to distension. In eight healthy subjects, rectal sensitivity and compliance were determined during a randomized double‐blind study, with four sessions each separated by 7 days. Sensory thresholds and rectal compliance were assessed during slow‐ramp (40 mL min−1) and rapid‐phasic distensions (40 mL s−1, 5 mmHg stepwise, 1‐min duration), and were compared before and during continuous infusion of either saline or CCK‐OP at 5, or 20 or 40 ng kg−1 h−1. During rapid phasic distension but not during slow ramp distension, CCK‐OP at 40 ng kg−1 h−1 produced a significant decrease in sensory thresholds compared with the basal period. Rectal compliance was not modified by any infusion. At pharmacological doses, CCK‐OP decreases sensory thresholds during rapid phasic distension that may preferentially stimulate serosal mechanoreceptors, but has no effect on mucosal mechanoreceptors stimulated during slow ramp distensions. Modulation of rectal sensitivity by CCK could be implicated in the pathogenesis of the rectal hypersensitivity observed in IBS.
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Presenting as a Pituitary Mass Lesion

ABSTRACT: We describe a unique case of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in a patient who presented with bitemporal hemianopsia, adrenal insufficiency, and gonadotrophin deficiency. Studies revealed an enhancing intrasellar mass with suprasellar extension and displacement of the optic chiasm. Peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) studies disclosed a monoclonal IgM kappa expressing B-cell CLL. Biopsy of the pituitary mass revealed dense infiltration of the pituitary gland by leukemic cells. This is, to our knowledge, the first reported case of CLL presenting as a pituitary mass lesion.
of Clinico-Radiological

: Introduction: Elderly age group is one of the risk factor for tuberculosis. The presentation of tuberculosis in elderly may vary at times from young adults. Such atypical presentation may delay the diagnosis in elderly patients. Aim of the study is to compare the clinico-radiological pattern of smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis in the adults (18-50 years) and elderly (> 50 years). Methods: This prospective observational study was carried out on all new smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients in the Department of pulmonary medicine, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chennai. Results: Malesare predominantly affected in both the groups.Loss of appetite, loss of weight, breathlessness and chest pain, weremore frequently reported in the elderly group (age > 50 years) whereas hemoptysis was found significantly higher in younger patients group. Bacillary load was higher in elderly. Radiologically bilateral involvement,lower zone predominance and far advanced disease were noted in elderly. Conclusion
Traffic Jam: Handling the Increasing Volume of Mobile Data Traffic

Today's mobile operators face significant challenges with handling the ever increasing volume of mobile data traffic. With new mobile communication standards, the mobile backhaul architecture has a clear split of a packet-only data plane and a management plane. Although this new backhaul architecture yields to easier management, we find that this architecture can be improved further by applying the principles of software-defined networking (SDN). SDN allows for better evolvability of the data plane without depending on a slew of management or control protocols, allows for centralized control of the overall infrastructure, and allows for a richer feature set based on its programmable nature. This article investigates the redesign and illustrates its potential with mobility management as an example.
Dyslipidemia in type II Diabetes: Implications for Therapeutic Intervention

Cardiovascular disease, and in particular ischemic heart disease, is the principal cause of morbidity, functional disability, and mortality in patients with non-insulin-dependent (type II) diabetes. The main risk factors for the macrovascular complications of diabetes are dyslipidemia, hypertension, and cigarette smoking. Although degree of hyperglycemia is a risk factor for microvascular complications, it is not a prominent risk factor for macrovascular complications. Nevertheless, there are theoretical reasons for believing that glycemic control could lower cardiovascular risk. For example, glycemic control may both improve clearance and suppress hepatic overproduction of very-low-density lipoprotein. Moreover, there is direct empirical evidence that improved glycemic control can favorably alter lipid profiles in type II diabetic patients. Despite this, the only clinical trial that has assessed cardiovascular mortality as an end point in diabetic subjects (i.e., the University Group Diabetes Program) failed to demonstrate a benefit of glycemic control. In this study, the insulin-variable group, which achieved sustained glycemic control relative to the placebo group, had essentially the same cardiovascular mortality as the latter group. All of the conventional lipid-lowering agents have been shown to produce favorable changes in lipid profiles in diabetic subjects. However, the optimum regimen remains to be defined. Metabolic differences between diabetic and nondiabetic subjects mean that the optimum lipid-lowering regimens for the two categories of patients may differ. For example, nicotinic acid, which is a powerful lipid-altering drug, may worsen glucose intolerance. The characteristic lipid abnormalities in type II diabetic subjects are hypertriglyceridemia and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, not hypercholesterolemia. Although the role of hypertriglyceridemia as a cardiovascular risk factor in the general population has been questioned, there is evidence that this lipid abnormality may play a stronger role in diabetic subjects. For all of the above reasons, there is an urgent need for large-scale clinical trials assessing cardiovascular end points and testing various strategies of improving lipid profiles in diabetic subjects, particularly given the fact that all of the current generation of lipid-lowering trials have systematically excluded diabetic patients.
INCREASING SLEEP DURATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH GEOGRAPHIC ATROPHY AND AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

Purpose: Sleeping too much or too little has been associated with adverse health outcomes including total mortality, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. This study explored the relationship between sleep patterns and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: One thousand and three consecutive patients in a retina practice were prospectively surveyed regarding sleep histories. Each patient then had a masked ophthalmic examination and was graded on the modified Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy System. The relationship between AMD grade and sleep hours was analyzed in a logistic regression model. Multivariable analysis was performed after adjustment for age, gender, and smoking history. Results: In multivariable analysis, controlling for age, gender, and smoking history, sleep hours are not associated with neovascular AMD (P = 0.97) but are associated with geographic atrophy (P = 0.02). Sleeping >8 hours is associated with geographic atrophy (age-adjusted odds ratio, 7.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.59–31.6) compared with patients without AMD. Conclusion: Longer sleep duration is associated with geographic atrophy secondary to AMD. These altered sleep patterns may be another morbidity of AMD, but further study is necessary.
Differences in the proteinase inhibition mechanism of human alpha 2-macroglobulin and pregnancy zone protein.

Different conformational states of human alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M) and pregnancy zone protein (PZP) were investigated following modifications of the functional sites, i.e. the 'bait' regions and the thiol esters, by use of chymotrypsin, methylamine and dinitrophenylthiocyanate. Gel electrophoresis, mAb (7H11D6 and alpha 1:1) and in vivo plasma clearance were used to describe different molecular states in the proteinase inhibitors. In alpha 2M, in which the thiol ester is broken by binding of methylamine and the 'trap' is closed, cyanylation of the liberated thiol group from the thiol ester modulates reopening of the 'trap' and the 'bait' regions become available for cleavage again. The trapping of proteinases in the cyanylated derivative indicates that the trap functions as in native alpha 2M. In contrast, cyanylation has no effect on proteinase-treated alpha 2M. As demonstrated by binding to mAb, the methylamine and dinitrophenylthiocyanate-treated alpha 2M exposes the receptor-recognition site, but the derivative is not cleared from the circulation in mice. The trap is not functional in PZP. In native PZP and PZP treated with methylamine, the conformational states seem similar. The receptor-recognition sites are not exposed and removal from the circulation in vivo is not seen for these as for the PZP-chymotrypsin complex. Tetramers are only formed when proteinases can be covalently bound to the PZP. Conformational changes are not detected in PZP derivatives in which the thiol ester is treated with methylamine and dinitrophenylthiocyanate. The results suggest that the conformational changes in alpha 2M are generated by mechanisms different to these in PZP. The key structure gearing the conformational changes in alpha 2M is the thiol ester, by which the events 'trapping' and exposure of the receptor-recognition site can be separated. In PZP, the crucial step for the conformational changes is the cleavage of the 'bait' region, since cleavage of the thiol ester does not lead to any detectable conformational changes by the methods used.
A Modified Band-Limited Digital Predistortion Technique for Broadband Power Amplifiers

In this letter, a modified band-limited digital predistortion (DPD) technique is proposed to improve the performance of the conventional band-limited DPD method in wideband systems. The power amplifier's (PA's) spectral regrowth outside the passband of bandpass filter is unable to be compensated using the traditional band-limited DPD. To increase the overall linearized bandwidth and reduce the requirement for feedback signal path, this new technique introduced two modules of full-band model extraction and coefficient iteration based on the conventional structures of band-limited DPD. It provides higher linearization performance and also reduces the sampling rate of analog-to-digital converter. The experimental results for 30-W Class F PA and 40-W GaN Doherty PA with 40-MHz orthogonal frequency division multiplexing signal and 60-MHz long-term evolution signal, respectively, have shown the superiority of the modified band-limited DPD.
Approaches to Craniofacial-Specific Quality of Life Assessment in Adolescents

Objective To ascertain the domains that adolescents aged 11 to 18 years with congenital and acquired craniofacial differences (CFDs) consider important to their quality of life (QoL) to create a craniofacial-specific module. Design Interviews and inductive qualitative methods were used to guide the development of a conceptual and measurement model of QoL among adolescents with CFDs. Setting The Craniofacial Center at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. Patients, Participants Thirty-three in-depth interviews with adolescents (aged 11 to 18 years), one young adult interview (age 19 years), 14 in-depth interviews with parents, one young adult focus group, one parent focus group, and one panel of researchers and clinical professionals working in the field. Results Using the qualitative methodology, grounded theory, seven domains that adolescents with CFDs perceive are important to having a good QoL were found. Six of the domains (coping, stigma and isolation, intimacy and trust, positive consequences, self-image, and negative emotions) comprised the Youth Quality of Life Instrument–Facial Differences module. One other domain, surgery, was a salient issue for many of the youth, but not all, so it was made into a separate module, the Youth Quality of Life Instrument– Craniofacial Surgery module. This module relates to the experience of surgery, outcomes of surgery, and preferences for future surgery. Conclusions Using an established qualitative methodology, two QoL modules specific to adolescents with CFDs were developed and are ready for psychometric validation. Potential uses of the instruments are discussed.
The Influence of Progesterone Alone and in Combination With Estradiol on Ventricular Action Potential Duration and Triangulation in Response to Potassium Channel Inhibition

Progesterone Effects on Ventricular Action Potential. Introduction: Females are at increased risk for torsades de pointes (TdP). Some evidence suggests that progesterone may protect against TdP, but few data exist regarding the effects of progesterone on cardiac repolarization. We determined the effects of progesterone alone and in combination with estradiol on ventricular action potential duration (APD) and triangulation in response to potassium channel inhibition.
Additive Manufacturing of Casting Tools Using Powder-Binder- Jetting Technology

This chapter presents the use of the additive manufacturing (AM) method powder- binder-jetting (PBJ) for the generation of molds and cores for casting applications. Theoretical information on process steps and the binding of particles is given. For the based chemistry, examples are presented and the transfer from conventional produc‐ tion processes to powder-binder-jetting is explained. For sand as a material for metal casting, methods to determine key properties for the casting are in focus. The figures found by our research activities reach up to that of conventional production and indicate the readiness of the technology. These cavities produced by powder-binder-jetting can even be used for cold casting materials such as concrete. Several demonstrators show the impact of this application. A polymer process for the investment casting process is topic of an additional section. To understand this process, theoretical information and figures determined by measurements are presented.
Treatment with subantimicrobial dose doxycycline improves the efficacy of scaling and root planing in patients with adult periodontitis.

BACKGROUND In a previous study, subantimicrobial dose doxycycline (SDD) significantly improved clinical parameters associated with periodontal health in patients with adult periodontitis (AP) when used as an adjunct to a maintenance schedule of supragingival scaling and dental prophylaxis. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multicenter study, the efficacy and safety of SDD were evaluated in conjunction with scaling and root planing (SRP) in patients with AP. METHODS Patients (n = 190) received SRP at the baseline visit and were randomized to receive either SDD 20 mg bid or placebo bid for 9 months. Efficacy parameters included the per-patient mean changes in clinical attachment level (CAL) and probing depth (PD) from baseline, the per-patient percentages of tooth sites with attachment loss (AL) > or = 2 mm and > or = 3 mm from baseline, and the per-patient percentage of tooth sites with bleeding on probing. Prior to analysis, tooth sites were stratified by the degree of disease severity evident at baseline RESULTS In tooth sites with mild to moderate disease and severe disease (n = 183, intent-to-treat population), improvements in CAL and PD were significantly greater with adjunctive SDD than with adjunctive placebo at 3, 6, and 9 months (all P <0.05). In tooth sites with severe disease, the per-patient percentage of sites with AL > or = 2 mm from baseline to month 9 was significantly lower with adjunctive SDD than with adjunctive placebo (P<0.05). Improvements in clinical outcomes occurred without detrimental shifts in the normal periodontal flora or the acquisition of doxycycline resistance or multiantibiotic resistance. SDD was well tolerated, with a low incidence of discontinuations due to adverse events. CONCLUSIONS The adjunctive use of SDD with SRP is more effective than SRP alone and may represent a new approach in the long-term management of AP.
Radial sliding‐window magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) with highly‐constrained projection reconstruction (HYPR)

Sufficient temporal resolution is required to image the dynamics of blood flow, which may be critical for accurate diagnosis and treatment of various intracranial vascular diseases, such as arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and aneurysms. Highly‐constrained projection reconstruction (HYPR) has recently become a technique of interest for high‐speed contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE‐MRA). HYPR provides high frame rates by preferential weighting of radial projections while maintaining signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) by using a high SNR composite. An analysis was done to quantify the effects of HYPR on SNR, contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR), and temporal blur compared to the previously developed radial sliding‐window technique using standard filtered backprojection or regridding methods. Computer simulations were performed to study the effects of HYPR processing on image error and the temporal information. Additionally, in vivo imaging was done on patients with angiographically confirmed AVMs to measure the effects of alteration of various HYPR parameters on SNR as well as the fidelity of the temporal information. The images were scored by an interventional radiologist in a blinded read and were compared with X‐ray digital subtraction angiography (DSA). It was found that with the right choice of parameters, modest improvements in both SNR and dynamic information can be achieved as compared to radial sliding‐window MRA. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Elevated fracture of skull in pediatric age group: A series of five patients with review of literature

Elevated fractures of skull in pediatric age group are rarely reported in the literature. In view of rarity, we present a series of five cases of elevated skull fracture in pediatric age group. Over a period of 1-year, we operated on five such cases. In this article, we have discussed the mode, mechanism and extent of injury, its clinico-radiological findings, course of the disease, and the management outcome. Four out of five cases improved after surgery and did not suffer any complications. Early recognition and appropriate management of compound elevated fracture in pediatric age group comes with good outcome and prevents unwanted morbidity and mortality.
Soil Compaction on Forest Soils from Different Kinds of Tires and tracks and Possibility of Accurate Estimate

Nacrtak An 8-WD forwarder loaded with 9,520 kg of timber, and fitted with low or high tire pressures, or tires rounded with tracks, was repeatedly driven on soil for 1, 8 and 24 passes to investigate mechanistic influences on soil compaction. Soil compaction occurred during the early passes, and heavy compaction occurred after 8 passes. High pressure tires caused heavy compaction in the deeper soil layer zones. The compacted zone for a loaded forwarder with tracks was shallow in depth and had the lowest degree of compaction. Linear regression between contact pressure and average depth of ruts after 24 passes was derived. An increase in contact pressure of 100 kPa caused a decrease of 5.7% in soil porosity at 10–15 cm depth after 24 passes. Maximum increment of cone index of 85 kPa, which occurred at depths of 14 to 28 cm, meant a decrease of 1% soil porosity between depths of 10-15 cm. Additionally, ruts of 10 cm in depth decreased porosity by 7%. Tracks kept original porosity with lowest compaction and should therefore be useful for preventing soil compaction.