Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reliability and validity of the INFOOT three-dimensional foot digitizer for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

BACKGROUND Abnormal foot posture and deformities are identified as important features in rheumatoid arthritis. There is still no consensus regarding the optimum technique(s) for quantifying these features; hence, a foot digitizer might be used as an objective measurement tool. We sought to assess the validity and reliability of the INFOOT digitizer. METHODS To investigate the validity of the INFOOT digitizer compared with clinical measurements, we calculated Pearson correlation coefficients. To investigate the reliability of the INFOOT digitizer, we calculated intraclass correlation coefficients, SEMs, smallest detectable differences, and smallest detectable difference percentages. RESULTS Most of the 38 parameters showed good intraclass correlation coefficients, with values greater than 0.9 for 30 parameters and greater than 0.8 for seven parameters. The left heel bone angle expressed a moderate correlation, with a value of 0.609. The SEM values varied between 0.31 and 3.51 mm for the length and width measures, between 0.74 and 5.58 mm for the height data, between 0.75 and 5.9 mm for the circumferences, and between 0.78° and 2.98° for the angles. The smallest detectable difference values ranged from 0.86 to 16.36 mm for length, width, height, and circumference measures and from 2.17° to 8.26° for the angle measures. For the validity of the INFOOT three-dimensional foot digitizer, Pearson correlation coefficients varied between 0.750 and 0.997. CONCLUSIONS In this rheumatoid arthritis population, good validity was demonstrated compared with clinical measurements, and most of the obtained parameters proved to be reliable.
Gay men ’ s attitudes to and perceptions of pre-exposure prophylaxis ( PrEP ) and post-exposure prophylaxis ( PEP ) Question

 There were fewer studies published on the potential use of nonoccupational PEP (nPEP) among men who have sex with men than those on PrEP.  Although 47% to 64% of men who have sex with men were aware of nPEP, fewer than 5% had used nPEP (1-3).  The proportion of men who have sex with men aware of PrEP ranged from 13% to 64% (2;4-8), but reported use of PrEP was much lower: from 0.4% to 2% (4-6;8). Men were more likely to be aware of PrEP if they: had a high numbers of sexual partners; and had a care provider who was aware of their sexual behaviours (2;6).  The proportion of men who have sex with men who were interested in using PrEP ranged from 40% to 79% (4;5;7-10). Men were more likely to be interested in using PrEP if they were involved in high-risk activities (5-8;1113), such as greater numbers of sexual partners and participating in unprotected anal sex with casual partners.  The primary concern about using PrEP was a false sense of security, which could lead to increased risk compensation (5;12;14), particularly through decreased use of condoms during intercourse. Other perceived challenges to PrEP adoption included cost and accessibility of the medication, side effects, and adverse effects of irregular PrEP use (14).
Blue in the skin.

BACKGROUND The most prevalent theory explaining blue colors in skin is that of bluish scatter. If this accounted for blue perception, it would be measurable since a predominance of scattered blue light should emerge as a measurable reflectance. When objects are viewed with chromatic surround, there may be an increased perception of the hue complementary to their background. This effect, known as color contrast, is a well-established phenomenon and depends on the size, lightness, and intensity of the surrounding color. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this article is to determine the effect of background on the perception of blue color from a superficial vein. METHODS Fifteen subjects were asked to observe the color of skin overlying a vein on the hand. This was performed with a variety of achromatic backgrounds and with variable amounts of surrounding normal skin. Color was also measured by direct matching with standardized Munsell chips and then estimated with normal skin surround. RESULTS Color matching revealed the hue of the vein to be yellowish-gray, and not blue or green. Although few subjects observed green or blue with neutral backgrounds, as the vein was viewed with progressively larger areas of normal surrounding skin, there was an increasing perception of these colors. CONCLUSION The bluish color of superficial veins is more clearly explained by color contrast than by scattering. Contrast may also account for the color of certain blue nevi and may help explain some purplish colors in the skin.
Determination of benzene, toluene and N-hexane in urine and blood by headspace solid-phase microextration/gas-chromatography for the biomonitoring of occupational exposure

Analysis of unchanged toluene, benzene and n-hexane in human blood and urine can be useful to evaluate occupational exposure to these solvents. A simple method was developed using headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) for simultaneous gas-chromatography analysis of toluene, benzene and n-hexane in urine and blood; with purpose of biological monitoring of occupational exposure. Carboxen/polidimethylsiloxane fiber (CAR-PDMS) and PDMS fiber coating were employed in this analysis. Blood and urine samples were collected from handling glue workers. The toluene was detected in all blood samples collected from workers handling glue in shoe repair shops, when using CAR-PDMS fibers (16.0-55.2 μg L-1, n=7). n-Hexane was only detected in two blood samples (33.0 and 41.3 μg L-1) and benzene was not detected in anyone. No solvent could be quantified in urine samples.
Comparative study of serum lactic dehydrogenase activity in mice with transplanted and induced tumors.

Lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) of mouse serum has been determined in animals with induced and transplanted tumors as well as in pregnant ones. It was found that only with malignant tumors, whether transplanted or induced, did serum LDH increase. Mice with papillomas or in stages of epidermal hyperplasia resulting from the application of methylcholanthrene gave normal serum LDH values. Pregnancy seemed to have no significant effect on serum LDH.
Efficacy and safety of raltegravir in treatment-experienced HIV-1-infected patients switching from enfuvirtide-based regimens: 48 week results of the randomized EASIER ANRS 138 trial.

OBJECTIVES To assess the sustainable efficacy and safety of a switch from enfuvirtide to raltegravir in patients with multidrug-resistant HIV infection. METHODS One hundred and seventy patients with multidrug-resistant HIV infection and suppressed plasma HIV RNA levels < 400 copies/mL under an enfuvirtide-based regimen were randomized to maintain their regimen or to switch to a raltegravir-based regimen (immediate group) in a 48 week prospective, randomized, open-label trial. At week 24, patients in the maintenance arm also switched to raltegravir (deferred group). Baseline genotypic susceptibility scores (GSSs) were calculated using available historical resistance tests. Efficacy was assessed by the cumulative proportion of patients with virological failure, defined as a confirmed plasma HIV RNA ≥ 400 copies/mL up to week 48. The EASIER ANRS 138 trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00454337). RESULTS At baseline, 86% of patients had plasma HIV RNA levels <50 copies/mL and 86% had a GSS ≥ 1. Through to week 48, in the on-treatment analysis, only one patient in the immediate group, with a GSS of 0, developed virological failure. At week 48, 90% of patients in both the immediate and deferred groups had plasma HIV-1 RNA levels <50 copies/mL. Median CD4 cell counts remained stable during follow-up. Of note, 12 of 66 (18.2%) patients receiving a regimen combining raltegravir and ritonavir-boosted tipranavir experienced alanine aminotransferase elevations, which led to a switch from tipranavir to darunavir in 8 cases, without discontinuation of raltegravir. CONCLUSIONS In well-suppressed patients with multidrug-resistant HIV infection, a switch from enfuvirtide to raltegravir is generally well tolerated and has sustained antiviral efficacy when combined with a potent background regimen.
CMC Influence on Voluntarily Collaborating Knowledge Workers' Perception of Equivocal Tasks

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is a crucial coordination option for knowledge workers who rotate at their discretion across locations and projects. Through field-based research, we find that this discretion may encompass even the act of communication. As incoming information from knowledge worker colleagues overwhelms the recipients, conciseness and brevity communication norms arise to signal sender competency and reduce the receivers’ efforts to review and respond, thereby encouraging the receiver’s participation. These meticulous communication norms result in highly structured exchanges, biasing the workers’ shared meaning of the task nature from equivocal to routine. Contributions to theory include theory-building regarding the use of CMC in a specific but increasingly prevalent innovative knowledge work context. Practical implications include that those knowledge workers who adopt effective face-to-face communication norms to complement these CMC norms will achieve greater innovative success.
Locating Sugar cane Loading Stations under Variations in cane Supply

This study addresses the problem of locating sugar cane loading stations and allocating cane fields to those stations. The problem is different from the general location–allocation problem in so far as this framework takes into account the different maturity periods of each cane field. If the loading station is improperly located, it can result in high transportation costs from cane fields to the station and significant fluctuations in the station utilization rate. A modification of the well-known "fuzzy c-means" (FCM) method, which takes into account both the cane supply and the different cane maturity periods, is proposed to solve this problem. The objective of the model is to minimize the sum of the transportation and station utilization costs. The performance of this method is compared to that of the traditional FCM method. The results show that the proposed approach is practical for solving the problem and that it provides a better solution than the FCM method.
Pioglitazone Mimics Preconditioning in the Isolated Perfused Rat Heart: A Role for the Prosurvival Kinases PI3K and P42/44MAPK

Ischemic preconditioning, the most powerful protection against infarction, activates PI3Kinase (PI3K)/AKT and P42/44MAPK. Pioglitazone, a thiazolidinedione and PPARγ receptor agonist used in Type II diabetes treatment, has been shown to activate these kinase cascades. We therefore hypothesized that pioglitazone could protect the myocardium when given prior to myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. Langendorff perfused rat hearts underwent 40 minutes of stabilization then 35 minutes of regional ischemia and 120 minutes of reperfusion (control) or Pioglitazone (1, 2, 5, and 10 μM)-given before ischemia. Additional groups underwent the same protocol but with either PI3K inhibitors (15 μM LY294002 or 100 nM wortmannin) or P42/44MAPK inhibitors (10 μM U0126 or 10 μM PD98059) given either during stabilization or at reperfusion. Infarct size was determined as a percentage of risk zone (I/R%). Pioglitazone (2 μM) significantly reduced I/R% compared with control (25.4 ± 3.1 versus 47.3 ± 3.4; P < 0.05). This protection was abolished by PI3K inhibitors (pioglitazone+LY294002 46.5 ± 5.0, pioglitazone + wortmannin 48.8 ± 4.6 versus pioglitazone alone 25.4 ± 3.1; P ≤ 0.05) but not by P42/44MAPK inhibitors (pioglitazone+U0126 30.7 ± 5.7, pioglitazone + PD98059 28.5 ± 6.3 versus pioglitazone alone 25.4 ± 3.1; P ≤ 0.05) given in stabilization. However when the inhibitors were given at reperfusion, the protection was abrogated by blocking either pathway (pioglitazone+LY294002 49.8 ± 3.1, pioglitazone+U0126 48.7 ± 3.7 versus pioglitazone alone 25.4 ± 3.1; P ≤ 0.05). In conclusion pioglitazone induced significant protection against ischemia/reperfusion injury when administered prior to ischemia. This protection appears to involve PI3K and P42/44MAPK.
SoC implementation of an autonomous identification and control system for DC/DC power converters

The control system described in this work implements automatically a digital controller that achieves the highest possible cross-over frequency for the specified phase margin by applying a design method based on the measured frequency response of the DC/DC converter, identified by the system itself. The algorithms for the design, identification process and control of the converter are implemented on a SoC (System on Chip). The proposed algorithm to calculate the controller is described and the identification process and the designed compensator are validated through measurements on an actual converter.
Profile of Ascorbic Acid, Beta-Carotene and Lycopene in Guava, Tomatoes, Honey and Red Wine

Consumption of fruits and vegetables containing antioxidants has been reported to provide protection against a wide range of degenerative disease including ageing, cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Ulbricht and Basch, 2005). The defensive effect of these natural antioxidants in fruits and vegetables are related to three major groups, vitamins, phenolics and carotenoids. Beta carotene and lycopene are carotenoids and they are known as lipophilic antioxidants (Halliwell, 1996). Food is composed of several groups of constituents including carbohydrates, protein, fat, inorganic mineral components and organic substances presents in very small amount. The organic components generally functions as flavour, pigments, enzymes, emulsifier, acids, oxidant and antioxidants (Saniah, 2005). Increasing emphasis on health maintenance is in part due to hiked cost of health care and has led to greater awareness on the effect of diet on health and longevity. Oxidation is essential to many living organisms for the production of energy to fuel biological processes. However, ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 4 Number 2 (2015) pp. 39-43 http://www.ijcmas. com
Mixed-methods resistance training increases power and strength of young and older men.

PURPOSE This study examined the effects of mixed-methods resistance training on young and older men to determine whether similar increases in muscle power were elicited. METHODS Effects of 10 wk of a periodized resistance-training program designed to increase muscle size, strength, and maximal power on isometric squat strength, time course of force development, muscle fiber characteristics, and muscle activation (iEMG), as well as force and power output during squat jumps, were compared in young (YM, 30 +/- 5 yr, N = 8) and older men (OM, 61 +/- 4 yr, N = 10). RESULTS Isometric squat strength was higher in the YM compared with OM at all testing occasions and increased over the training period by 23 +/- 15% and 40 +/- 42% for the YM and OM, respectively. The early phase of the force-time curve was shifted upward in both groups over the course of the training. During the squat jumps, the YM produced higher force and power at all test occasions and at all loads tested compared with the OM. The YM increased power output by 15 +/- 14%, 33 +/- 16%, and 26 +/- 12%, and the OM by 7 +/- 5%, 36 +/- 23%, and 25 +/- 16% for the 17 kg, and 30% and 60% 1RM loads, respectively. CONCLUSION Although the results of this study confirm age-related reductions in muscle strength and power, the older men did demonstrate similar capacity to young men for increases in these variables via an appropriate periodized resistance-training program that includes rapid, high-power exercises.
Recombinant human elastin polypeptides self‐assemble into biomaterials with elastin‐like properties

Processes involving self‐assembly of monomeric units into organized polymeric arrays are currently the subject of much attention, particularly in the areas of nanotechnology and biomaterials. One biological example of a protein polymer with potential for self‐organization is elastin. Elastin is the extracellular matrix protein that imparts the properties of extensibility and elastic recoil to large arteries, lung parenchyma, and other tissues. Tropoelastin, the ≈70 kDa soluble monomeric form of elastin, is highly nonpolar in character, consisting essentially of 34 alternating hydrophobic and crosslinking domains. Crosslinking domains contain the lysine residues destined to form the covalent intermolecular crosslinks that stabilize the polymer. We and others have suggested that the hydrophobic domains are sites of interactions that contribute to juxtaposition of lysine residues in preparation for crosslink formation. Here, using recombinant polypeptides based on sequences in human elastin, we demonstrate that as few as three hydrophobic domains flanking two crosslinking domains are sufficient to support a self‐assembly process that aligns lysines for zero‐length crosslinking, resulting in formation of the crosslinks of native elastin. This process allows fabrication of a polymeric matrix with solubility and mechanical properties similar to those of native elastin. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 70: 445–455, 2003
Microoxygraph Device for Biosensoristic Applications

Oxygen consumption rate (OCR) is a significant parameter helpful to determine in vitro respiratory efficiency of living cells. Oxygen is an excellent oxidant and its electrocatalytic reduction on a noble metal allows accurately detecting it. By means of microfabrication technologies, handy, low-cost, and disposable chip can be attained, minimizing working volumes and improving sensitivity and response time. In this respect, here is presented a microoxygraph device (MOD), based on Clark’s electrode principle, displaying many advantageous features in comparison to other systems. This lab-on-chip platform is composed of a three-microelectrode detector equipped with a microgrooved electrochemical cell, sealed with a polymeric reaction chamber. Au working/counter electrodes and Ag/AgCl reference electrode were fabricated on a glass slide. A microchannel was realized by photoresist lift-off technique and a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanoporous film was integrated as oxygen permeable membrane (OPM) between the probe and the microreaction chamber. Electrochemical measurements showed good reproducibility and average response time, assessed by periodic injection and suction of a reducing agent. OCR measurements on 3T3 cells, subjected, in real time, to chemical stress on the respiratory chain, were able to show that this chip allows performing consistent metabolic analysis.
Arm crank exercise with static leg FNS in persons with spinal cord injury.

Persons with spinal cord injury experience considerable difficulty, during aerobic exercise, in achieving even moderate levels of oxygen uptake. Therefore, the effect of static functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS) on this parameter during arm crank exercise (ACE) was investigated. Eight subjects with spinal cord injury, lesion levels range C6-T12, performed ACE at 60% and 80% of VO2peak, both with and without concurrent FNS of the lower limbs. ACE was performed with no FNS, with FNS at 40 milliamperes (mA), and with FNS at 80 mA. Significant differences in oxygen uptake were found between ACE without FNS and ACE with FNS-80 mA at 60% VO2peak (10% increase, 12.5 ml.kg-1.min-1 to 13.7 ml.kg-1.min-1, P < 0.05), and between ACE without FNS and ACE with FNS-80 mA at 80% VO2peak (16%, increase, 14.8 ml.kg-1.min-1 to 17.2 ml.kg-1.min-1, P < 0.01). A 10% difference between ACE without FNS and ACE with FNS-40 mA, did not reach significance. These data indicate that, in this population of subjects with spinal cord injury, (a) FNS can increase submaximal ACE oxygen uptake, and (b) that such increases are enhanced both at higher levels of FNS and of work load. Implications for wellness are discussed.
“I Wouldn't Have Seen it If I Hadn't Believed it”

38 students enrolled in an introductory special education class in education of the emotionally disturbed were randomly assigned to two treatment conditions, a normal (control) condition and low expectancy condition. These teacher trainees participated in a two phase study. During phase 1 the teachers were asked to rate a hypothetical normal child (control group) or a hypothetical emotionally disturbed child (low expectancy group) on two dependent measures developed for this research. During phase 2, both groups independently viewed a videotape of the same normal child. The control group was told the child was normal; the low expectancy group was told the child was emotionally disturbed. Both groups completed the same dependent measures following observation of the child. Differences between the groups in both phases indicate that teacher trainees hold negative stereotypical expectations of children labeled emotionally disturbed. Observations of normal behavior alter these expectations to some extent, but the negative halo of the label still results in more negative perceptions of behavior than when the child is labeled normal.
On the formulation of the dynamic mixed subgrid-scale model

The dynamic mixed subgrid‐scale model of Zang et al. [Phys. Fluids A 5, 3186 (1993)] (DMM1) is modified with respect to the incorporation of the similarity model in order to remove a mathematical inconsistency. Compared to DMM1, the magnitude of the dynamic model coefficient of the modified model (DMM2) is increased considerably, while it is still significantly smaller than as occurs in the dynamic subgrid‐scale eddy‐viscosity model of Germano [J. Fluid Mech. 238, 325 (1992)] (DSM). Large eddy simulations(LES) for the weakly compressible mixing layer are conducted using these three models and results are compared with direct numerical simulation (DNS) data. LES based on DMM1 gives a significant improvement over LES using DSM, while even better agreement is achieved with DMM2.
Cell line‐specific control of recombinant monoclonal antibody production by CHO cells

In this study we compare the cellular control of recombinant human IgG4 monoclonal antibody (Mab) synthesis in different CHO cell lines. Based on comprehensive empirical analyses of mRNA and polypeptide synthetic intermediates we constructed cell line‐specific mathematical models of recombinant Mab manufacture in seven GS‐CHO cell lines varying in specific production rate (qMab) over 350‐fold. This comparative analysis revealed that control of qMab involved both genetic construct and cell line‐specific factors. With respect to the former, all cell lines exhibited excess production of light chain (LC) mRNA and polypeptide relative to heavy chain (HC) mediated by more rapid LC transcription and enhanced LC mRNA stability. Downstream of this, cell lines differed markedly in their relative rates of recombinant mRNA translation, Mab assembly and secretion although HC mRNA abundance and the rate of HC translation generally exerted most control over qMab—the latter being directly proportional to qMab. This study shows that (i) cell lines capable of high qMab exceed a threshold functional competency in all synthetic processes, (ii) the majority of cells in parental and transfected cell populations are functionally limited and (iii) cell engineering strategies to increase Mab production should be cell line specific. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;106: 938–951. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.