Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intercondylar shelf angle in adult black Malawian subjects

In this study, we determined the intercondylar shelf angle of the femur in adult black Malawian subjects as measured in lateral radiographs of the knee joint. A total of 856 radiographs were used: 464 from men and 392 from women, aged 18–70 years. A goniometer measured the intercondylar shelf angle at the intersection between Blumensaat's line and a line drawn along the edge of the distal third of the femur parallel to the posterior cortex of the bone. The mean intercondylar shelf angle of 136.60° ± 5.90° in Malawians of both sexes was significantly different from 142.57° ± 5.86° for American subjects (P < 0.001), as given by Craig (1995, J. Forensic Sci. 40:777–782), but the level of statistical significance between black Malawian females and black American females was at P < 0.01. Using the intercondylar shelf angle, 66.67% of male Malawians were correctly identified as such and 50.00% of Malawians females as such. Eighty‐three percent of males and 81.30% of females were correctly identified as blacks. This angle has been shown to exhibit sexual dimorphism in Malawian subjects. Its importance in forensic anthropology is stressed. Clin. Anat. 14:254–257, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sensitivity of an Epstein-Barr Virus-Positive Tumor Line, Daudi, to Alpha Interferon Correlates with Expression of a GC-Rich Viral Transcript

ABSTRACT The exquisite sensitivity of the Burkitt’s lymphoma (BL)-derived cell line Daudi to type I interferons has not previously been explained. Here we show that expression of an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) transcript, designated D-HIT (Y. Gao et al., J. Virol. 71:84–94, 1997), correlates with the sensitivity of different Daudi cell isolates (or that of other EBV-carrying cells, where known) to alpha interferon (IFN-α). D-HIT, transcribed from a GC-rich repetitive region (IR4) of the viral genome, is highly structured, responding to RNase digestion in a manner akin to double-stranded RNA. Comparing EBV-carrying BL cell lines with differing responses to IFN-α, we found the protein levels of the dsRNA-activated kinase, PKR, to be similar, whereas the levels of the autophosphorylated active form of PKR varied in a manner that correlated with endogenous levels of D-HIT expression. In a classical in vitro kinase assay, addition of either poly(I)-poly(C) or an in vitro-transcribed D-HIT homolog stimulated the autophosphorylation activity of PKR from IFN-α-treated cells in both EBV-positive and EBV-negative B lymphocytes. By transfection experiments, these RNAs were shown to reduce cell proliferation and to sensitize otherwise relatively insensitive Raji cells to IFN-α. The data lead to a model wherein the D-HIT viral RNA also serves as a possible transcriptional activator of IFN-α or cellular genes regulated by this cytokine.
Characteristics of Short-Term Phase Noise of MIMO Channel Sounding and Its Effect on Capacity Estimation

Multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) radio channel sounders commonly employ a time-division-multiplexing (TDM) technique to switch between transmit (TX) and receive (RX) antennas. The TDM-based switching enables very cost-effective solutions. Nevertheless, it can cause measurement errors due to phase noise in the local oscillators. In typical MIMO applications with a relatively small number of TX and RX antennas, the measurement cycle for a single snapshot of a MIMO radio channel is so short that independent or white Gaussian noise samples cannot be assumed. Indeed, the characteristics of the phase noise depend on the observing-time scale and the local oscillator design in the TX and the RX. In free-running systems, in which the local oscillators of the TX and the RX employ their own clocks, the properties of the phase noise have a strong dependence on the scale of the observing time. In particular, the short-term characteristics of the phase noise have not been considered in literature regarding MIMO measurements. In this paper, the characteristics of the short-term phase noise in time-switched MIMO radio channel measurements are disclosed. We show also that the Allan deviation, which commonly characterizes the frequency stability of the local oscillators, does not apply well to the short-term scale. Instead, an autoregressive model that is well suited for modeling of correlated noise is applied to characterize the short-term behavior of the phase noise. Finally, the effect of short-term phase noise on the estimation of MIMO channel capacity is analyzed. We also derive an upper bound for the ergodic channel capacity and show that it is dependent on the distribution of the largest eigenvalue of the noise covariance matrix. The results reveal that the effect of short-term phase noise always overestimates MIMO channel capacity.
5-Isopropylimidazolidine-2,4-dione monohydrate

In the title compound, C6H10N2O2·H2O, the imidazole ring is essentially planar, with a maximum deviation of 0.012 (2) Å. In the crystal, molecules are connected via N—H⋯O and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a supramolecular tape along the a axis.
Clinical evaluation of cefotaxime for therapy of lower respiratory tract infections

A clinical trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cefotaxime, a new semisynthetic, broad-spectrum cephalosporin, in the therapy of community-and hospital-acquired pneumonias. Thirty-nine males (mean age, 65 years) were treated for 41 episodes of pneumonia. Only five patient did not have a serious underlying disease; 15 had two or more significant disorders. Sixty-six percent of these pneumonias were due to Streptococcus pneumoniae or Haemophilus influenzae. The minimal inhibitory concentrations for all bacterial isolates ranged from 0.008 to 4 micrograms/ml. Peak serum cefotaxime levels during therapy ranged from 12 to 124 micrograms/ml 1 h after a 1-g dose. Satisfactory bacteriological and clinical responses were observed in 85% of the cases. Four episodes of pulmonary superinfections due to cefotaxime-resistant gram-negative bacilli were noted, each in a patient being mechanically ventilated. Pseudomonas was involved in each of these superinfections, and three were fatal. No serious toxicity or adverse reaction to cefotaxime was seen. The results of this study suggest that cefotaxime is an affective and well-tolerated new cephalosporin antimicrobial agent for the therapy of pneumonia due to susceptible organisms.
A focal source of atrial fibrillation treated by discrete radiofrequency ablation.

BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation is usually thought to be due to multiple circulating reentrant wavelets. From previous studies, a focal mechanism is considered to be very unlikely. In this report, focal atrial fibrillation is defined on an ECG pattern of atrial fibrillation and later demonstrated to be due to a focal source. METHODS AND RESULTS Nine patients (five men and four women, age, 38 +/- 7 years) with paroxysmal focal atrial fibrillation are reported here. All were free of structural heart disease and had frequent episodes of atrial fibrillation despite the use of a mean of 4 +/- 2 antiarrhythmic drugs. Atrial fibrillation was associated with runs of irregular atrial tachycardia or monomorphic extrasystoles. The electrophysiological study demonstrated that all the atrial arrhythmias were due to the same focus firing irregularly and exhibiting a consistent and centrifugal pattern of activation. Three foci were found to be located in the right atrium, two near the sinus node and one in the ostium of the coronary sinus. Six others were located in the left atrium at the ostium of the right pulmonary veins (n = 5) and at the ostium of the left superior pulmonary vein (n = 1). All atrial arrhythmias were successfully treated by use of a mean of 4 +/- 4 radiofrequency pulses. CONCLUSIONS In some patients, the surface ECG pattern of atrial fibrillation is due to a focal rapidly firing source of activity that can be eliminated by discrete radiofrequency energy applications.
Small animal positron emission tomography imaging and in vivo studies of atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a growing health challenge globally, and despite our knowledge of the disease has increased over the last couple of decades, many unanswered questions remain. As molecular imaging can be used to visualize, characterize and measure biological processes at the molecular and cellular levels in living systems, this technology represents an opportunity to investigate some of these questions in vivo. In addition, molecular imaging may be translated into clinical use and eventually pave the way for more personalized treatment regimes in patients. Here, we review the current knowledge obtained from in vivo positron emission tomography studies of atherosclerosis performed in small animals.
Rice and perfluorocarbon liquid pads: Comparison of fat suppression effects

Background: With the chemical shift selective (CHESS) method, lingering fat signals remain because of the effects of nonuniformity in the magnetic field. One method to reduce this phenomenon is the use of pads filled with rice (rice pad), but the improvement in fat suppression effects with rice pads, as compared with conventional perfluorocarbon liquid pads, remains unclear. Purpose: To investigate whether rice pads are superior to perfluorocarbon liquid pads in improving fat suppression effects in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination of the knee. Material and Methods: Subjects were 10 healthy volunteers (5 men, 5 women; aged 20–45 years), from whom images taken using the CHESS methods were collected. Two images were taken for each subject; one with a rice pad placed under the knee and the knee flexed, and the other with a perfluorocarbon liquid pad placed under the knee and the knee flexed. Images were visually assessed by one radiologist and one radiologic technologist. Kendall's W and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for statistical comparisons. Results: Of the 20 evaluations made by the 2 observers, scores for images obtained with the rice pad were higher than those with the perfluorocarbon liquid pad in 18 cases, while the scores were equal in 2 cases. Images with the rice pad were not inferior in any cases. The mean score for visual assessment was 4.65 for the rice pad and 3.0 for the perfluorocarbon liquid pad. The rice pad was thus confirmed to be superior to the perfluorocarbon liquid pad (P=0.0039). Conclusion: The rice pad exhibited better performance in improving the fat suppression effect. Thus, the rice pad is a superior product that is inexpensive and simple to use.
Nutritional therapy improves function and complements corticosteroid intervention in mdx mice

Corticosteroid therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy is effective but associated with long‐term side effects. To determine the potential therapeutic benefit from four nutritional compounds (creatine monohydrate, conjugated linoleic acid, α‐lipoic acid, and β‐hydroxy‐β‐methylbutyrate) alone, in combination, and with corticosteroids (prednisolone), we evaluated the effects on several variables in exercising mdx mice. Outcome measures included grip strength, rotarod performance, serum creatine kinase levels, muscle metabolites, internalized myonuclei, and retroperitoneal fat pad weight. In isolation, each nutritional treatment showed some benefit, with the combination therapy showing the most consistent benefits. Prednisolone and the combination therapy together provided the most consistent evidence of efficacy; increased peak grip strength (P < 0.05), decreased grip strength fatigue (P < 0.05), decreased number of internalized myonuclei (P < 0.01), and smaller retroperitoneal fat pad stores (P < 0.001). This study provided evidence for therapeutic benefit from a four‐compound combination therapy alone, and in conjunction with corticosteroids in the mdx model of DMD. Muscle Nerve, 2005
Ultrasound-Guided Subclavian Vein Catheterization: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective:Although ultrasound guidance for subclavian vein catheterization has been well described, evidence for its use has not been comprehensively appraised. Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine whether ultrasound guidance of subclavian vein catheterization reduces catheterization failures and adverse events compared to the traditional “blind” landmark method. All forms of ultrasound were included (dynamic 2D ultrasound, static 2D ultrasound, and Doppler). Data Sources:Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and CINAHL (from inception to September 2014). Study Selection:Randomized controlled trials of ultrasound compared to landmark technique for subclavian catheterization in adult populations were considered. Outcomes of interest included safety and failure of catheterization. Data Extraction:Adverse event data were analyzed according to Peto’s method and expressed as odd ratios and 95% CIs. Failure of catheterization was analyzed with inverse variance random effects modeling and expressed as risk ratios and 95% CI. Data Synthesis:Six hundred and one studies were reviewed and 10 met inclusion criteria (n = 2,168 participants). Six used dynamic 2D ultrasound (n = 719), one used static 2D ultrasound (n = 821), and three used Doppler-guided insertion techniques (n = 628). Overall complication rates were reduced with ultrasound use compared to the landmark group (odd ratio, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.41–0.69). Subgroup analysis demonstrated that dynamic 2D ultrasound reduced inadvertent arterial puncture, pneumothorax, and hematoma formation. No difference in failure of catheterization was noted between the ultrasound group and the landmark method (risk ratio, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.48–1.51). Subgroup analysis of dynamic 2D ultrasound demonstrated a significant decrease in failed catheterization (risk ratio, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.06–0.92). Conclusions:Ultrasound-guided subclavian catheterization reduced the frequency of adverse events compared with the landmark technique. Our findings support the use of dynamic 2D ultrasound for subclavian catheterization to reduce adverse events and failed catheterization.
The impact of switching on family caregivers of children with cerebral palsy

Purpose: This study aimed to enhance our knowledge and understanding of switching, as assistive technology, and how it impacts on family caregivers of children with cerebral palsy with GMFCS levels four or five. Methods: A qualitative method using a constructivist approach was adopted. Purposive sampling was used to recruit five caregivers to participants in this study. Framework analysis was applied to the data collection of semistructured interviews conducted with each caregiver. Findings: The three main themes identified were an investment in the future, resulting in joy and hope. The learning process of switching is resource intensive, time consuming and effortful for caregivers. If caregivers do not perceive this as an investment, then they may not experience the joy switching can bring to their child, and in turn the joy, hope, and caregiver satisfaction it can offer for the future. Conclusion: This research indicates that caregivers often have the greatest impact on whether switching will be adopted in the home. The greatest impact on caregivers is related to their perception on the competence of therapists and coordination of services provided. Implications for Rehabilitation Switching has the potential to increase caregiver satisfaction, decrease burden and provide hope for the future. Therapists need to guide family caregivers through the time consuming and resource intensive learning phase of switching. The greatest impact of assistive technology on caregivers is related to the competence of therapists and coordination of services provided.
Replicative function and neutralization sensitivity of envelope glycoproteins from primary and T-cell line-passaged human immunodeficiency virus type 1 isolates

The structure, replicative properties, and sensitivity to neutralization by soluble CD4 and monoclonal antibodies were examined for molecularly cloned envelope glycoproteins derived from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) viruses either isolated directly from patients or passaged in T-cell lines. Complementation of virus entry into peripheral blood mononuclear cell targets by primary patient envelope glycoproteins exhibited efficiencies ranging from that observed for the HXBc2 envelope glycoproteins, which are derived from a T-cell line-passaged virus, to approximately fivefold-lower values. The ability of the envelope glycoproteins to complement virus entry roughly correlated with sensitivity to neutralization by soluble CD4. Laboratory-adapted viruses were sensitive to neutralization by monoclonal antibodies directed against the CD4-binding site and the third variable (V3) loop of the gp120 glycoprotein. By comparison, viruses with envelope glycoproteins from primary patient isolates exhibited decreased sensitivity to neutralization by these monoclonal antibodies; for these viruses, neutralization sensitivity correlated with replicative ability. Subinhibitory concentrations of soluble CD4 and a CD4-binding site-directed antibody significantly enhanced the entry of viruses containing envelope glycoproteins from some primary patient isolates. The sensitivity of viruses containing the different envelope glycoproteins to neutralization by soluble CD4 or monoclonal antibodies could be predicted by assays dependent on the binding of the inhibitory molecule to the oligomeric envelope glycoprotein complex but less well by assays measuring binding to the monomeric gp120 glycoprotein. These results indicate that the intrinsic structure of the oligomeric envelope glycoprotein complex of primary HIV-1 isolates, while often less than optimal with respect to the mediation of early events in virus replication, allows a relative degree of resistance to neutralizing antibodies. The interplay of selective forces for higher virus replication efficiency and resistance to neutralizing antibodies could explain the temporal course described for the in vivo emergence of HIV-1 isolates with differing phenotypes.
Creatine therapy in myophosphorylase deficiency (McArdle disease): a placebo-controlled crossover trial.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether treatment with creatine can improve exercise intolerance in myophosphorylase deficiency (McArdle disease). DESIGN Double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study with oral creatine monohydrate supplementation. PATIENTS Nine patients with biochemically and genetically proven McArdle disease were treated. INTERVENTION Five days of daily high-dose creatine intake (150 mg/kg body weight) were followed by daily low-dose creatine intake (60 mg/kg). Each treatment phase with creatine or placebo lasted 5 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The effect of treatment was estimated at the end of each treatment phase by recording clinical scores, ergometer exercise test results, phosphorus 31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and surface electromyography. RESULTS Of 9 patients, 5 reported improvement of muscle complaints with creatine. Force-time integrals (P =.03) and depletion of phosphocreatine (P =.04) increased significantly during ischemic exercise with creatine. Phosphocreatine depletion also increased significantly during aerobic exercise (P =.006). The decrease of median frequency in surface electromyograms during contraction was significantly larger (P =.03) with creatine. CONCLUSION This is the first controlled study indicating that creatine supplementation improves skeletal muscle function in McArdle disease.
A Corporate Integrated Model Combing E-commerce with Internal Management Based on Knowledge Flow

This paper aims to construct a corporate integrated model combing E-commerce with internal management based on knowledge flow. The integrated model is a three-level framework linked by knowledge flow. The three levels are knowledge resource level, application level and interaction level, and every level is made up of a few specific modules. The effective running of all the modules is driven by different stages of knowledge flow. With this model corporate E-commerce and internal management are integrated together tightly with knowledge so that all information and knowledge from external and internal sources can be collected, extracted, processed and restored at higher efficiency, and then can be used to innovate or improve products, services in time.
Understanding the lack of understanding: invalidation from the perspective of the patient with fibromyalgia.

OBJECTIVE Patients with fibromyalgia have difficulty with the invisibility and medically unexplained character of the syndrome. Disbelief, lack of acceptance, and stigmatization by their spouse, family, colleagues, the health care system, and society are key issues in their lives. Nevertheless, the components of this phenomenon that we term "invalidation" are not clear. The aim of our study was to identify the definition and structure of invalidation as perceived by patients with fibromyalgia. METHODS A hierarchical cluster analysis was applied to examine everyday invalidation experiences of patients with fibromyalgia. Ninety-four statements about invalidation that were derived from interviews and a card-sorting (Q-sort) technique provided the input for this cluster analysis. RESULTS The hierarchical structure of invalidation showed a higher-order distinction between statements reflecting "discounting" and "understanding. " Discounting was subdivided into the components "denying" and "patronizing" (consisting of "lecturing" and "overprotecting"). Understanding was subdivided into "supporting" and "acknowledging. " These higher-order constructs were further subdivided into 15 lower-order clusters that reflected cognitive, affective, and behavioral aspects of invalidation. CONCLUSION Invalidation as perceived by patients with fibromyalgia includes active negative social responses (denying, lecturing, and overprotecting) as well as a lack of positive social responses (supporting and acknowledging) with respect to the patient and the condition of the patient. This definition of invalidation provides a basis to quantify invalidation and to study its impact on symptom severity, quality of life, therapy adherence, therapy outcome, and other important aspects of fibromyalgia.
Expression of the type III TGFbeta receptor during chick organogenesis.

Transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) is a regulator of embryonic development. The role of specific TGFbeta receptors is emerging, and a unique role for the type III TGFbeta receptor (TBRIII) has been suggested. We report the pattern of TBRIII expression in chicken embryos from 2 to 14 days in ovo.