Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HLA‐DRB1 genes and disease severity in rheumatoid arthritis in Turkey

Objective: Association with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐DRB alleles, implicated in the aetiopathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), is found to be different in various ethnic groups. This study aimed to investigate DRB1 alleles in RA patients in Turkey, and to examine the effect of these alleles on disease severity. Methods: We performed PCR‐based DRB1 genotyping of 104 RA patients recruited from clinical settings and 110 healthy controls. HLA DRB1 alleles frequencies in RA patients and healthy controls were determined. Phenotype frequencies of patients and controls were compared. Disease severity was assessed by radiological erosion, presence of extra‐articular involvement, and functional index. Results: Significant differences were in the frequencies of DRB1*04 (46.2% versus 20.9%, p<0.001), DRB1*0401 (10.6% versus 0%, p<0.001), DRB1*0405 (8.7% versus 0%, p=0.001), DRB1* 0404 (15.4% versus 3.6%, p<0.01), DRB1*01 (21.2% versus 10.9%, p<0.05) and DRB1*0101 (16.3% versus 5.5%, p = 0.01) between RA patients and controls. HLA‐DRB1 alleles did not show any association with seropositivity, extra‐articular involvement, radiological erosion, or functional index. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the HLA‐DRB1 alleles, particularly HLA‐DRB1*04 and subtypes, were associated with RA.
SOA-Based Label Extractor for Optical Burst Switching Application

This letter presents experimental results of a label extractor for labeled-optical burst switching (OBS) applications. The extractor uses a semiconductor optical amplifier in the amplifying detection mode to extract the label part of a burst with attached payload. More than 4-dB input power range is obtained with two burst sizes proving that the proposed solution is suitable for label detection in OBS nodes with asynchronous arrival of bursts. In addition, the solution brings an optical gain that is an interesting feature in such architectures.
Medical Image Classification Using Neuro & Image Contrast Enhancement using Fuzzy Technique

It is a challenging task to analyze medical images because there are very minute variations & larger data set for analysis. It is a quite difficult to develop an automated recognition system which could process on a large information of patient and provide a correct estimation. The conventional method in medicine for brain MR images classification and tumor detection is by human inspection. Fuzzy logic technique is more accurate but it fully depends on expert knowledge, which may not always available. Here we extract the feature using PCA. Here the result confirmed that the proposed ANFIS classifier with accuracy greater than 90 percentage has potential in detecting the tumors. This paper surveys image contrast enhancement using a literature review of articles from 19992013 with the keywords fuzzy set theory and fuzzy rule-based and explore an idea how fuzzy set theory and fuzzy rule-based improve the contrast enhancement technique in different areas during this period. Image enhancement improves the visual representation of an image and enhances its interpretability . Low contrast images generally occur in poor or nonuniform lighting environment and sometimes due to the non-linearity or small dynamic range of the imaging system. Vagueness in an image appears in the form of uncertain boundaries and color values.Fuzzy sets (Zadeh, 1973) present a problem solving tool between the accuracy of classical mathematics and the inherent imprecision of the real world. In this review paper we survey different types of enhancement technique applied for enhancing the contrast of an image based on applied different fuzzy techniques, i.e., fuzzy Intensification operator (INT), fuzzy inference system, “index of fuzziness”, etc.
Revised assay for serum phenyl phosphatase activity using 4-amino-antipyrine.

A modified method for the assay of serum phosphatase activity utilising disodium phenyl phosphate as substrate is described. This is based upon the reaction of free phenol with 4-amino-antipyrine and alkaline potassium ferricyanide. Study of the kinetics of the colour reaction has led to an alteration in the concentration of the reagents used; the colour is formed instantaneously and shows a very slow rate of decay. Sodium arsenate incorporated with the amino-antipyrine reagent effectively abolishes further enzyme activity and prevents the dilution of the colour inherent in earlier methods.
Multiple UAV navigation with finite sensing zone

A navigation function based path planner is developed in this paper for the navigation of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the presence of known stationary obstacles and unknown enemy assets (EAs). Specifically, the motion of UAVs are planned in a centralized fashion. The standard navigation function approach is extended to a multiple navigation strategy with an analytical switch among different cases due to the limited sensing zone of the UAVs. A differentiable controller is proposed based on this navigation function that yields asymptotic convergence. A discussion for avoiding moving EAs is presented
Rapid Generation of Single-Tumor Spheroids for High-Throughput Cell Function and Toxicity Analysis

Spheroids are widely used in biology because they provide an in vitro 3-dimensional (3D) model to study proliferation, cell death, differentiation, and metabolism of cells in tumors and the response of tumors to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The methods of generating spheroids are limited by size heterogeneity, long cultivation time, or mechanical accessibility for higher throughput fashion. The authors present a rapid method to generate single spheroids in suspension culture in individual wells. A defined number of cells ranging from 1000 to 20,000 were seeded into wells of poly-HEMA-coated, 96-well, round-or conical-bottom plates in standard medium and centrifuged for 10 min at 1000g. This procedure generates single spheroids in each well within a 24-h culture time with homogeneous sizes, morphologies, and stratification of proliferating cells in the rim and dying cells in the core region. Because a large number of tumor cell lines form only loose aggregates when cultured in 3D, the authors also performed a screen for medium additives to achieve a switch from aggregate to spheroid morphology. Small quantities of the basement membrane extract Matrigel, added to the culture medium prior to centrifugation, most effectively induced compact spheroid formation. The compact spheroid morphology is evident as early as 24 h after centrifugation in a true suspension culture. Twenty tumor cell lines of different lineages have been used to successfully generate compact, single spheroids with homogenous size in 96-well plates and are easily accessible for subsequent functional analysis.
A consistent algorithm based on similarity measure with thresholds

The property of being consistent is most important for any fuzzy reasoning method. In this paper, the definitions of the consistencies of Generalized Modus Ponens (GMP) and Generalized Modus Tollens (GMT) for multiple rules with thresholds are proposed. Then some examples are given to show the existing fuzzy reasoning methods are not generally consistent for multiple rules. Consequently, a consistent algorithm based on similarity measure with thresholds is proposed, which is proved to be consistent for multiple rules. Finally, some results are given to show that the consistent algorithm based on similarity measure with thresholds is workable.
Compatible-Solute-Supported Periplasmic Expression of Functional Recombinant Proteins under Stress Conditions

ABSTRACT The standard method of producing recombinant proteins such as immunotoxins (rITs) in large quantities is to transform gram-negative bacteria and subsequently recover the desired protein from inclusion bodies by intensive de- and renaturing procedures. The major disadvantage of this technique is the low yield of active protein. Here we report the development of a novel strategy for the expression of functional rIT directed to the periplasmic space of Escherichia coli. rITs were recovered by freeze-thawing of pellets from shaking cultures of bacteria grown under osmotic stress (4% NaCl plus 0.5 M sorbitol) in the presence of compatible solutes. Compatible solutes, such as glycine betaine and hydroxyectoine, are low-molecular-weight osmolytes that occur naturally in halophilic bacteria and are known to protect proteins at high salt concentrations. Adding 10 mM glycine betaine for the cultivation of E. coliunder osmotic stress not only allowed the bacteria to grow under these otherwise inhibitory conditions but also produced a periplasmic microenvironment for the generation of high concentrations of correctly folded rITs. Protein purified by combinations of metal ion affinity and size exclusion chromatography was substantially stabilized in the presence of 1 M hydroxyecotine after several rounds of freeze-thawing, even at very low protein concentrations. The binding properties and cytotoxic potency of the rITs were confirmed by competitive experiments. This novel compatible-solute-guided expression and purification strategy might also be applicable for high-yield periplasmic production of recombinant proteins in different expression systems.
High-Linearity K-Band Absorptive-Type MMIC Switch Using GaN PIN-Diodes

This letter describes the design and fabrication of a high-linearity GaN PIN MMIC switch. In order to achieve good input/output matching and high-linearity characteristics at the K-band, a GaN PIN-diode-based switch was employed with an absorptive-type topology. The fabricated GaN PIN MMIC switch demonstrated good performance characteristics such as input/output return losses of higher than 10.5 dB and a high IIP3 of 52.0 dBm. To our knowledge, this is the first GaN PIN-diode based MMIC switch demonstrated up to the K-band.
Depression screening and risk profile in diabetic patients

Depression is more common and severe in people with diabetes, decreasing the glycemic control and quality of life and increasing the risk for long-term complications. In the same time, it can lead to acute life threatening medical crises, including suicidal risk. The aim of our study was estimate the prevalence of depression and asses its severity on a group of diabetic patients. In addition we aimed to identify clinical factors associated with the risk for depression. The study group included 198 diabetic patients. Depression screening was performed with the 21-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The mean BDI score was 11.4, indicating mild depression. 58% of patients had significantly elevated levels of depressive symptomatology. Severe depression score was found in 25% of recently diagnosed (< 1 year) patients and 28% of patients with short duration diabetes (1-4 years). Patients not performing self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), those with 2 or 3 chronic complications and those who were overweight showed the highest prevalence of depression. Instead of labeling the patient as "non-compliant", the diabetologists might develop the ability to easily and accurately diagnose depression.
Collective scattering in hybrid nanostructures with many atomic oscillators coupled to an electromagnetic resonance

There is considerable interest in collective effects in hybrid systems formed by molecular or atomic ensembles strongly coupled by an electromagnetic resonance. For analyzing such collective effects, we develop an efficient and general theoretical formalism based on the natural modes of the resonator. The main strength of our approach is its generality and the high level of analyticity enabled by modal analysis, which allows one to model complex hybrid systems without any restriction on the resonator shapes or material properties, and to perform statistical computations to predict general properties that are robust to spatial and polarization disorders. Most notably, we establish that superradiant modes remain even after ensemble averaging and act as an invisibility cloak with a spectral bandwidth that scales with the number of oscillators and the spatially-averaged Purcell factor.
SITUATION-BASED SURVEILLANCE: ADAPTING INVESTIGATIONS TO ACTUAL EPIDEMIC SITUATIONS

Surveillance approaches for wildlife diseases often are based on strategies devised for livestock diseases. Following standard protocols, surveillance sometimes continues after apparent disease elimination. However, in the case of recurrent wildlife diseases that cause decisive morbidity and mortality, efficient and effective surveillance strategies might need to be more dynamic and adaptable to the actual epidemic situation. Here, we evaluated existing surveillance schemes by reanalyzing historic data on three wildlife diseases in Europe: rabies, classical swine fever, and avian influenza. We analyzed the aims of different surveillance activities and the way in which they were performed. Our analyses revealed that static, nonadaptive surveillance was a suboptimal approach. Consequently, we propose and discuss a more adaptive alternative scheme of situation-based surveillance for recurrent wildlife diseases that cause readily recognizable morbidity and mortality.
Clinical utility of sperm DNA fragmentation testing: a requisite to infertility practice

Conventional semen analysis is the routine test performed during the evaluation of a couple’s fertility status. The test is cost-effective and easy to perform and at the same time provides essential information on quantitative semen parameters such as semen volume, sperm motility, concentration, viability and morphology. Most practitioners consider a male partner normal or abnormal merely looking at a semen report. Notwithstanding that a semen analysis can provide significant information on sperm fertility parameters as predictive for fertilization; it does not forecast sperm functional and qualitative defects such as sperm DNA integrity, oxidative stress and antisperm antibodies (1,2). It also makes decision making difficult for the providers in certain clinical situations because of it’s inherit variability (3). Further, the advent of assisted reproductive technology (ART) has revolutionized the infertility treatment by offering, classic In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) in patients with abnormal semen parameters (4). On the other hand failed Intra Uterine Insemination (IUI), IVF/ICSI cycles and pregnancy loss have been reported in cases where semen parameters were normal (4,5). Additionally, the limitations of conventional semen analysis are extended into unexplained infertility cases where men had normal sperm parameters (6,7).
The Relations of Temperamental Effortful Control and Anger/Frustration to Chinese Children's Academic Achievement and Social Adjustment: A Longitudinal Study

The prospective relations of temperamental effortful control and anger/frustration to Chinese children's (N = 425, age range = 6.6-9.1 years) academic achievement (grade point average, or GPA) and social adjustment (externalizing problems and social competence) were examined in a 2-wave (3.8 years apart) longitudinal study. Parents and teachers rated children's temperament, and parents, teachers, and/or peers rated children's externalizing problems and social competence. Effortful control positively predicted children's GPA, controlling for prior level of GPA. Analyses examining the potential mechanisms underlying the temperament-achievement associations suggested that effortful control positively predicted social competence, and social competence positively predicted GPA. Moreover, anger/frustration positively predicted externalizing problems, and externalizing problems negatively predicted GPA. Mediational analyses suggested that the relations between temperament and GPA were mediated by social competence and externalizing problems. Evidence for the reciprocal relations between externalizing problems and GPA was also found. The study suggested that there are complex interplays among temperament, academic achievement, and social adjustment for school-age children.
Clinicopathological Correlations and Concomitant Pathologies in Rapidly Progressive Dementia: A Brain Bank Series

Background: Rapidly progressive dementia (RPD) is caused by a heterogeneous group of both neurodegenerative and non-neurodegenerative disorders. The presence of concomitant pathologies, mainly Alzheimer's disease (AD), may act as a confounding variable in the diagnostic process of this group of diseases. Objectives: We aimed to describe clinicopathological features, including Alzheimer's co-pathology, and diagnostic accuracy in a postmortem series of RPD. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 160 brain donors with RPD (defined as 2 years of disease duration from the first symptom to death) registered at the Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS, from 2001 to 2011. Results: Prion diseases were the most frequent neuropathological diagnosis (67%), followed by non-prion neurodegenerative pathologies (17%), mostly AD and dementia with Lewy bodies, and non-neurodegenerative diseases (16%). We observed clinicopathological diagnostic agreement in 94% of the patients with prion RPD but only in 21% of those with non-prion RPD. Four patients with potentially treatable disorders were diagnosed, while still alive, as having Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Concomitant pathologies were detected in 117 (73%). Among all RPD cases, 51 presented moderate or frequent mature β-amyloid plaques (neuritic plaques), which are considered to be associated with positive amyloid biomarkers in vivo. Conclusions: Prion diseases were accurately identified in our series. In contrast, non-prion RPD diagnosis was poor while the patients were still alive, supporting the need for better diagnostic tools and confirmatory neuropathological studies. The presence of concomitant AD pathology in RPD should be taken into account in the interpretation of amyloid biomarkers.
15 years of BCI research at graz university of technology: current projects

Over the last 15 years, the Graz Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) has been developed and all components such as feature extraction and classification, mode of operation, mental strategy, and type of feedback have been investigated. Recent projects deal with the development of asynchronous BCIs, the presentation of feedback and applications for communication and control.
Effect of Laparoscopic Hysterectomy on the Vascularization of the Lower Urinary Tract

Introduction: The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the changes in the vascularization of the lower urinary tract following laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH). Methods: Seventy women undergoing LH not under the indication of a uterine myoma were included. All subjects underwent urinalysis, pelvic examination, and introital color Doppler ultrasonography and completed a urinary questionnaire before and 6 months after LH. One-hour pad tests and urodynamic studies were performed in clinically incontinent women pre- and postoperatively. Results: Evaluation of the Doppler velocimetric parameters of bladder neck and periurethral vessels before and after LH, including number of vessels, pulsatility index, systolic peak, and minimum diastole, revealed no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05). In addition, the prevalence of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) decreased significantly from 37.1% (n = 26) preoperatively to 17.1% (n = 12) postoperatively (p < 0.01). A total of 19 patients reported no further SUI following LH. Their urinary leakages on the pad tests had all <10 g before surgery. When we analyzed the data of the women reporting no further SUI (n = 19) and de novo SUI (n = 5) following LH, the changes in the pulsatility index also showed no significant difference from the pre-LH values (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The results of our study suggest that LH has little impact on the blood flow of bladder neck and urethra. Although some women experienced relief of the symptoms of mild or de novo SUI after LH, this being unrelated to changes in the vascularization of the lower urinary tract.
Return migration in a Scottish context.

Bell D. N. F. and Kirwan F. X. (1979) Return migration in a Scottish context, Reg. Studies 13, 101–111. A model is specified which hypothesises that return migrants may be an important component of the flow of migration from higher to lower income regions. A measure of return migration between Scotland and the rest of Britain is derived from a reconciliation of data from the Census of Population and the National Health Central Register for Scotland. A three equation model is then estimated using quarterly data over the period 1961–1973 with encouraging results. With the exception of 1974 the model is shown to fit the post sample period reasonably well.
Recent Trends in Cosmetic and Surgical Procedure Volumes in Dermatologic Surgery

BACKGROUND The number of cosmetic and noncosmetic surgical procedures performed by dermatologic surgeons has been rising rapidly, but there are few consistent data sources allowing procedure volumes to be tracked over time. METHODS American Society for Dermatologic Surgery member survey in 2001 to 2007 reporting cosmetic and noncosmetic procedural volumes (300‐500 surgeons surveyed, response rate of 31‐44%). RESULTS In 2001, dermatologic surgeons performed an estimated 3.4 million cosmetic and noncosmetic surgical procedures; in 2007, it was estimated that a total of 7.6 million procedures were performed (120.2% rate of growth between 2001 and 2007). The procedures with the greatest increase during this time period were soft tissue augmentation (405.0% increase), botulinum toxin injections (324.4% increase), and nonablative skin rejuvenation (laser, light, and radiofrequency sources) (330.7% increase). More modest increases were noted in skin cancer procedures (85.8% increase) and ablative resurfacing procedures (66.8% increase). CONCLUSION The magnitude of growth in procedural volumes over the last 8 years reflects the advancements in dermatologic surgery in treatments for skin cancer and in treatment of photoaging and cosmetic enhancement of the skin.
Reproduction and morphogenesis of Rickettsiella chironomi, an unusual intracellular procaryotic parasite of midge larvae

The reproduction and morphogenesis of Rickettsiella chironomi, an unusual procaryotic parasite of midge larvae, was studied with electron microscopy. The morphogenic cycle was similar to that found in chlamydia and consisted of four major cell types: (i) medium-sized spherical initial bodies (ca. 1 micrometers in diameter), (ii) large spherical initial bodies (1.5-2 micrometers), (iii) spherical intermediate bodies (600 to 700 nm), and (iv) disk-shaped elementary bodies (60 X 600 nm). The primary mode of reproduction involved binary fission of initial bodies to form other initial bodies or intermediate bodies. Each intermediate body condensed, forming an elementary body. The morphogenesis of R. chironomi is compared with that of several other organisms to which it is possibly related, including vertebrate chlamydia and invertebrate pathogens of the genera Rickettsiella and Porochlamydia, and its taxonomic position in regard to these is discussed. Additionally, a brief description of the pathology caused by the development of R. chironomi in larvae of Chironomus decorus and Chironomus frommeri is given.
Compensation of fiber non linear impairments using Optical Back Propagation

The paper presents analysis of Kerr nonlinear impairments present in long haul Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) links and their compensation. A framework is proposed for transmission impairments compensation in optical domain by Optical Back Propagation (OBP) technique. In this technique, effective negative Kerr nonlinear coefficient is achieved using highly nonlinear fibers (HNLFs) and results depict that in nonlinear transmission regime, computational complexity is reduced by implementing OBP compared to digital back propagation (DBP).