Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ultrasound disease activity of bilateral wrist and finger joints at three months reflects the clinical response at six months of patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs

Abstract Objective: We evaluated whether the early responsiveness of ultrasound synovitis can predict the clinical response in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs). Methods: Articular synovitis was assessed by ultrasound at 22 bilateral wrist and finger joints in 39 RA patients treated with bDMARDs. Each joint was assigned a gray-scale (GS) and power Doppler (PD) score from 0 to 3, and the sum of the GS or PD scores was considered to represent the ultrasound disease activity. We investigated the correlation of the change in ultrasound disease activity at three months with the EULAR response criteria at six months. Results: GS and PD scores were significantly decreased at three months (p < 0.0001). The % changes of the GS and PD scores at three months were significantly higher at six months in moderate and good responders compared with non-responders (p < 0.05). These tendencies were numerically more prominent if clinical response was set as good responder or Disease Activity Score 28 remission. Poor improvement of ultrasound synovitis scores had good predictive value for non-responders at six months. Conclusions: The responsiveness of ultrasound disease activity is considered to predict further clinical response in RA patients treated with bDMARDs.
Escherichia coli RecQ Is a Rapid, Efficient, and Monomeric Helicase*

RecQ family helicases play a key role in chromosome maintenance. Despite extensive biochemical, biophysical, and structural studies, the mechanism by which helicase unwinds double-stranded DNA remains to be elucidated. Using a wide array of biochemical and biophysical approaches, we have previously shown that the Escherichia coli RecQ helicase functions as a monomer. In this study, we have further characterized the kinetic mechanism of the RecQ-catalyzed unwinding of duplex DNA using the fluorometric stopped-flow method based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer. Our results show that RecQ helicase binds preferentially to 3′-flanking duplex DNA. Under the pre-steady-state conditions, the burst amplitude reveals a 1:1 ratio between RecQ and DNA substrate, suggesting that an active monomeric form of RecQ helicase is involved in the catalysis. Under the single-turnover conditions, the RecQ-catalyzed unwinding is independent of the 3′-tail length, indicating that functional interactions between RecQ molecules are not implicated in the DNA unwinding. It was further determined that RecQ unwinds DNA rapidly with a step size of 4 bp and a rate of ∼21 steps/s. These kinetic results not only further support our previous conclusion that E. coli RecQ functions as a monomer but also suggest that some of the Superfamily 2 helicases may function through an “inchworm” mechanism.
Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA): expression in samples of human astrocytic gliomas

In this retrospective study, 55 astrocytic tumours were stained with monoclonal antibody PC10 which recognizes the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in formalin fixed, paraffin‐wax embedded sections. All the cases were graded using the Daumas‐Duport system and the PCNA labelling indices (LIs) were correlated with tumour grades. Mean PCNA LI was 4.1% in the grade II, 8.1 % in the grade III and 26.1% in the grade IV group. Six juvenile and cerebellar (grade I) astrocytomas had a mean PCNA LI of 5.6%. In general PCNA LI increased with tumour grade, but there was considerable variation of LIs especially in grade IV tumours which often had very high PCNA LIs (up to 72.7%). PC10 may be a useful complementary technique in surgical neuropathology, but the significance of the high LIs, seen in a proportion of glioblastomas, needs to be further determined.
HMM Based On-Line Handwriting Recognition

Hidden Markov model (HMM) based recognition of handwriting is now quite common, but the incorporation of HMM's into a complex stochastic language model for handwriting recognition is still in its infancy. We have taken advantage of developments in the speech processing field to build a more sophisticated handwriting recognition system. The pattern elements of the handwriting model are subcharacter stroke types modeled by HMMs. These HMMs are concatenated to form letter models, which are further embedded in a stochastic language model. In addition to better language modeling, we introduce new handwriting recognition features of various kinds. Some of these features have invariance properties, and some are segmental, covering a larger region of the input pattern. We have achieved a writer independent recognition rate of 94.5% on 3,823 unconstrained handwritten word samples from 18 writers covering a 32 word vocabulary.
Guidance path scheduling using particle swarm optimization in crowd simulation

In this paper, we propose a method for using particle swarm optimization (PSO) to compute optimal guidance paths for various crowd densities in an agent‐based crowd simulation. The inputs of our system are guidance paths that provide hints for the movement directions of agents. Input guidance paths may not be located correctly (e.g., leading to congestion or high traveling cost); therefore, our method adjusts the guidance paths by using PSO. We consider several factors for evaluating the quality of a guidance path, including the average traveling time and interaction distance between agents. We apply our method in several examples. Experimental results show that our method can compute adaptive guidance paths for various crowd densities. Our system can simulate organized crowds that move in directions specified by the guidance paths. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Molecular mechanisms of leukotriene synthesis: the changing paradigm

Leukotrienes (LTs) are potent lipid mediators which modulate a multitude of fundamental intracellular processes. While their pathophysiological role has been best established in asthma, they are probably important participants in many other disease processes characterized by inflammation, cellular proliferation, and fibrogenesis. They also subserve a homoeostatic role in antimicrobial host defence1. In view of the actions and importance of LTs, substantial effort over the last several years has been directed at increasing our understanding of their synthesis. The purpose of this brief chapter will be to review these recent advances in LT synthesis, with an emphasis on the biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology of the key enzymes involved.
Engineering the niche for stem cells

Abstract Much has been made about the potential for stem cells in regenerative medicine but the reality is that the development of actual therapies has been slow. Adult stem cells rely heavily on the assortment of biochemical and biophysical elements that constitute the local microenvironment in which they exist. One goal of biomedicine is to create an artificial yet biofunctional niche to support multipotency, differentiation and proliferation. Such tools would facilitate more conclusive experimentation by biologists, pharmaceutical scientists and tissue engineers. While many bioengineering techniques and platforms are already in use, technological innovations now allow this to be done at a higher resolution and specificity. Ultimately, the multidisciplinary integration of engineering and biology will allow the niche to be generated at a scale that can be clinically exploited. Using the systems that constitute the intestinal, hematopoietic and epidermal tissues, this article summarizes the various approaches and tools currently employed to recreate stem cell niches and also explores recent advances in the field.
Characterization of antibiotic resistance in Listeria spp. isolated from slaughterhouse environments, pork and human infections.

INTRODUCTION Listeria species are susceptible to most antibiotics. However, over the last decade, increasing reports of multidrug-resistant Listeria spp. from various sources have prompted public health concerns. The objective of this study was to characterize the antibiotic susceptibility of Listeria spp. and the genetic mechanisms that confer resistance. METHODOLOGY Forty-six Listeria spp. isolates were studied, and their minimal inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics were determined by microdilution using Sensititre standard susceptibility MIC plates. The isolates were screened for the presence of gyrA, parC, lde, lsa(A), lnu(A), and mprF by PCR, and the amplified genes were sequenced. RESULTS All isolates were susceptible to penicillin, ampicillin, tetracycline, erythromycin, and carbapenems. Resistance to clindamycin, daptomycin, and oxacillin was found among L. monocytogenes and L. innocua, and all species possessed at least intermediate resistance to fluoroquinolones. GyrA, parC, and mprF were detected in all isolates; however, mutations were found only in gyrA sequences. A high daptomycin MIC, as reported previously, was observed, suggesting an intrinsic resistance of Listeria spp. to daptomycin. CONCLUSIONS These results are consistent with reports of emerging resistance in Listeria spp. and emphasize the need for further genotypic characterization of antibiotic resistance in this genus.
Considerations for the use of progestin‐only contraceptives

Purpose: To highlight the characteristics of progestin‐only contraceptives (POCs) currently available in the United States, and to explore the potential of these agents as first‐line contraceptive options for women seeking health promotion by prevention of an unwanted pregnancy. The progestin‐only pills (Micronor and Ovrette), depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) injections (Depo‐Provera and depo‐subQ provera 104), levonorgestrel intrauterine system (IUS) (Mirena), and etonogestrel implant (Implanon) will be reviewed. The use of levonorgestrel (Plan B) as an emergency contraceptive will also be considered briefly. Data sources: Worldwide medical literature and the prescribing information for the specified products. Conclusions: A number of POCs are currently available for routine birth control in the United States, ranging from the daily progestin‐only pill to nondaily contraceptive options such as injectable DMPA, the levonorgestrel‐releasing IUS, and the etonogestrel‐releasing contraceptive implant. Each of these methods has specific advantages, but also specific drawbacks that can result in discontinuation of treatment if users are not given adequate information about what to expect in terms of side effects. It is critical that clinicians provide adequate and accurate information along with detailed counseling to women who are considering using POCs, as well as providing periodic reinforcement of the information at regular clinic visits for those already using POCs. Implications for practice: Given that a large number of pregnancies are unplanned and create a significant impact on social, economic, and health outcomes, it is important for the clinician to have a vast knowledge of contraceptive options. POCs offer significant choices in contraception. By proactively addressing common concerns (such as potential effects on weight, mood, menstrual bleeding patterns, and bone mineral density), clinicians may improve the likelihood of adherence and continuation with POCs for routine birth control.
Effects of asphaltum (shilajit) combined with vitamin E and selenium on the reproductive parameters of female rabbits.

Received: Revised: Accepted: Online available: January 28, 2015 May 14, 2015 October 13, 2015 January 13, 2016 Aim of this study was to find out the effects of asphaltum alone and in combination with vitamin E and Se, on reproductive parameters of female rabbits. Female rabbits (n=30) were divided into five groups (A, B, C, D and E). Group A was kept as a control, while group B, C, D and E were given asphaltum (50 mg/kg/BW), Se with asphaltum (0.45+50 mg/kg/BW), vitamin E with asphaltum (150+50 mg/kg/BW) and asphaltum, Se and vitamin E (50+0.45+150 mg/kg/BW), respectively for 32 days. Clinical signs were observed twice daily. Three animals from each group were euthanized at 12 day and the remaining at 24 day of gestation, serum samples were collected for progesterone concentration determination. Ovaries of each animal were examined for the presence of CL, while uterus was observed for number of implantation sites and viable fetuses. Weight of embryo, placental fluid and total (embryo+placental fluid) were also recorded. In group E, a significant (P<0.05) increase was observed in the number of CL, implantation sites, recovered fetuses, fetal weight, placental fluid and total weights at 12 and 24 day of gestation as compared to all other groups. In group C, a significant (P<0.05) increase was observed only in the number of implantation sites and recovered fetuses as compared to control group. However, significantly higher concentrations of serum progesterone were observed in all treated groups as compared to group A at 12 as well as at 24 day of gestation. It was concluded that the asphaltum has no toxic effects on reproductive parameters, however, if asphaltum is used in combination with vitamin E and Se, it potentiates female reproduction. ©2015 PVJ. All rights reserved
Pre-metrological (Pre-analytical) Variation of Some Biochemical Quantities

Abstract It is customary to assume that pre-metrological variation is negligible if all pre-metrological sources of variation have been standardised. The aim of this study was to quantify the pre-metrological variation of some biochemical quantities frequently measured in clinical laboratories. The experimental design considers the different sources of pre-metrological variation that usually act day-to-day on samples from patients. The results demonstrate that, for many quantities, the pre-metrological variance is not negligible; consequently, it is suggested that these variances should be taken into account when estimating the uncertainty of measurement of patients' results.
Effects of Armature Characteristics on Armature-Rail Contact Performance

Armature-rail contact performance determines contact resistance between the armature and rail in electromagnetic launch, and the contact resistance directly affects the efficiency of the launch system. Besides, poor contact performance between the armature and rail will results in erosion, gouging, and other issues in launch. These issues will induce surface damage for the rail, and affect the repetitive launch. So it’s important to improve the armature-rail contact performance. As the characteristics of the rail are relatively stationary in the system, more research was done on the effect of armature characteristics (such as material, shape of the contact, thickness of the neck, and structure of the empennage). In this paper, method of combining ANSYS and pressure test paper was used to study the armature-rail contact performance. The dynamic changing process of the armature-rail contact state was observed by ANSYS, and the final contact state in the case of prepressed experiment was observed by pressure test paper and pressure analysis system. Results from ANSYS and pressure test paper would be comparative analyzed in order to get a more accurate conclusion in the condition of actual experiments. The conclusion of this paper is instructive on optimizing armature design and improving armature-rail contact performance.
Replication Fork Stalling at Natural Impediments

SUMMARY Accurate and complete replication of the genome in every cell division is a prerequisite of genomic stability. Thus, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic replication forks are extremely precise and robust molecular machines that have evolved to be up to the task. However, it has recently become clear that the replication fork is more of a hurdler than a runner: it must overcome various obstacles present on its way. Such obstacles can be called natural impediments to DNA replication, as opposed to external and genetic factors. Natural impediments to DNA replication are particular DNA binding proteins, unusual secondary structures in DNA, and transcription complexes that occasionally (in eukaryotes) or constantly (in prokaryotes) operate on replicating templates. This review describes the mechanisms and consequences of replication stalling at various natural impediments, with an emphasis on the role of replication stalling in genomic instability.
Optimal power control in OFDMA cellular networks

This article addresses the problem of allocating users to radio resources in the downlink of an OFDMA cellular system. We consider a classical multicellular environment with a realistic interference model and a margin adaptive approach, i.e., we aim at minimizing total transmission power while maintaining a certain given rate for each user. We discuss computational complexity issues of the resulting model and present a heuristic approach that finds optima under suitable conditions or reasonably good solutions in the general case. Computational experiments show the effectiveness of the proposed heuristic in a comparison with both a commercial state‐of‐the‐art optimization solver and other approaches from the literature. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, 2011
A Review of Supportive Interventions Targeting Individuals or Couples Undergoing Infertility Treatment: Directions for the Development of Interventions

The purpose of this systematic review is to explore the types, content, and outcomes of different psychosocial approaches used in existing interventions for infertile individuals or couples. Relevant intervention studies published in English between 2000 and 2014 were searched using the electronic databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINHAL Plus. A total of 23 articles were identified and included in this review. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and counseling were the most commonly adopted psychosocial interventions for infertile individuals or couples. After reviewing the various approaches, directions are given on the development of interventions for couples suffering from infertility.
Concept Study of a Shorted Annular Patch Antenna: Design and Fabrication on a Conducting Cylinder

This paper presents the shorted annular patch (SAP) antenna on an electrically conducting cylinder. The SAP antenna has been credited with superior multipath suppressing properties which makes it interesting for global navigation satellite system (GNSS) applications. GNSS applications demand integration of filters and low noise amplifiers as close to the radiating structure as possible. To this goal, the SAP is mounted on an electrically conducting cylinder which serves as a quality shielded housing for accompanying electronics.
High-Resolution Three-Dimensional Imaging of Space Targets in Micromotion

High-resolution three-dimensional (3-D) radar imaging of space targets in micromotion plays a significant role in space target recognition and space situation awareness; thus, it has attracted extensive attention in recent years. Because of the fast rotation, some scattering centers are occluded by others, i.e., the scattering centers cannot be continuously illuminated by radar in the imaging interval, and their radar echoes are discontinuous. In this paper, a nonparametric 3-D imaging method based on scattering center trajectory association is proposed. It deals with target occlusion using the Riemannian manifold optimization and obtains focused imaging of targets in complex micromotion. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated using simulated data.
Nanoscale electrical properties of wide-bandgap Cu(In,Ga)Se2 and Cu2ZnSn(SSe)4 thin films

We report microscopic characterization studies of wide-bandgap Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGSe) and wide-bandgap Cu2ZnSn(SSe)4 (CZTSS) thin films using the nanoscale electrical probes of scanning Kelvin force microscopy and scanning spreading resistance microscopy. These films were deposited by the co-evaporation of the elements in a vacuum. The CIGSe films are NREL's recently improved wide-bandgap devices. The potential imaging shows significant increase in surface potential roughness with increasing the bandgaps, indicating degradation of the film surface by charge-trapping defects. These defects are expected to significantly affect open-circuit voltage after the surfaces are turned to junction upon device completion. The resistance imaging shows increase in both the overall resistance and resistance nonuniformity, likely because of defect scattering to carrier transport.
Étude et contrôle cohérent du champ proche optique de milieux diélectriques désordonnés et de films semi-continus métal-diélectriques

Un defi actuel dans le domaine de l'optique est de mieux comprendre les effets de champ proches optiques des systemes et de pouvoir agir dessus. C'est dans ce contexte que j'explore tout au long de cette these ces notions appliquees aux milieux 3D dielectriques desordonnes et aux films desordonnes metal-dielectriques. Pour les milieux 3D, nous avons choisi une approche par un montage de microscopie de champ proche pour faire la mesure du champ proche optique. Nous avons pour cela du faire un travail en amont sur la preparation des echantillons pour eviter les artefacts de mesure. Ces mesures ont reveles des structures interessantes. Nous avons ensuite etudie les modes optiques sur les films metal-dielectriques et montre qu'il existe des modes etendus pour certaine valeurs de la faction surfacique de metal deposee. Nous avons quantifie leur extension par la mesure de la longueur d'interaction et mesure des valeurs de l'ordre de la dizaine de microns, suffisant pour etre controle depuis le champ lointain. Ces mesures ont ouvert la voie au controle du front d'onde du faisceau incident dans l'objectif de la focalisation en champ proche de la lumiere. Ceci a pu etre realise grâce a l'utilisation d'un modulateur spatial de lumiere pour le controle du front d'onde et a un signal non-lineaire de luminescence a deux photons pour la mesure du champ proche optique. Nous obtenons la focalisation en champ proche de l'energie d'un facteur superieur a dix. Enfin, la technique de microscopie de champ proche a pu etre implementee et couplee au controle de front d'onde et une premiere optimisation a pu etre obtenue. Cela reste neanmoins un travail preliminaire.