Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proximal Femoral: Radiographic Changes After Lateral Transtrochanteric Intramedullary Nail Placement in Children

Background: Recent reports have described osteonecrosis of the femoral head after intramedullary nailing of the femur through the piriformis fossa in children. Other reports have raised concerns about the development of femoral neck narrowing and valgus deformity of the proximal part of the femur after intramedullary nailing through the tip of the greater trochanter. We evaluated the radiographic changes in the proximal part of the femur following intramedullary nailing through the lateral trochanteric area at a minimum of two years postoperatively in twenty-five affected extremities. The mean age of the patients at the time of the index procedure was ten years and six months. Methods: A retrospective radiographic review was performed to look for proximal femoral changes. Specifically, the radiographs were examined for evidence of osteonecrosis. The articulotrochanteric distance, femoral neck diameter, and neck-shaft angle were measured on the initial and final radiographs. Results: No patient had evidence of osteonecrosis of the femoral head. The articulotrochanteric distance decreased by a mean of 0.4 mm, the femoral neck diameter increased by a mean of 4.9 mm, and the neck-shaft angle decreased by a mean of 1.4°. Compared with a group of seventeen patients with adequate initial and final radiographs of the contralateral side, the final mean articulotrochanteric distance was 4.5 mm less on the involved side than on the uninvolved side, the mean femoral neck diameter was 0.7 mm less on the involved side than on the uninvolved side, and the mean neck-shaft angle was 3.2° less on the involved side than on the uninvolved side. No patient had development of clinically important femoral neck narrowing or valgus deformity. Statistically, the likelihood that these data represent a group with a mean 3-mm increase in the articulotrochanteric distance is <1%. The likelihood that these data represent a group with a mean 3.2-mm decrease in the ultimate femoral neck diameter is <1%. The likelihood that these data represent a group with a mean 5° increase in the neck-shaft angle is <1%. Conclusions: Lateral transtrochanteric intramedullary nailing in children who are nine years of age or older does not produce clinically important femoral neck valgus deformity or narrowing, and we did not observe osteonecrosis of the femoral head after this procedure. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic study, Level IV (case series [no, or historical, control group]). See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Permittivity and permeability measurements using stripline resonator cavities-a comparison

The permittivity and permeability of five materials were measured during a comparison of the stripline resonator cavity technique. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) organized this intercomparison in which a total of seven organizations participated. Each participant measured two dielectric materials and three magnetic materials. Results for this comparison suggest that when the stripline resonator is used, dielectric property measurements are not as accurate as magnetic property measurements, provided that a correction for demagnetization is made. The results are compared to 7 mm coaxial transmission line measurements which have an uncertainty of less than 10% for the relative permittivity, /spl epsiv//sub r/'<15.
Early treatment with arteriovenous extracorporeal lung assist and high‐frequency oscillatory ventilation in a case of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome

Background: Lung protective ventilation can reduce mortality in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, many patients with severe ARDS remain hypoxemic and more aggressive ventilation is necessary to maintain sufficient gas exchange. Pumpless arteriovenous extracorporeal lung assist (av‐ECLA) has been shown to remove up to 95% of the systemic CO2 production, thereby allowing ventilator settings and modes prioritizing oxygenation and lung protection. High‐frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) is an alternative form of ventilation that may improve oxygenation while limiting the risk of further lung injury by using extremely small tidal volumes (VT).
Innovations and strategies for the development of anticancer vaccines

In 1893, William Coley reported the spontaneous regression of a soft tissue sarcoma in several patients suffering from acute bacterial infections. Although this observation occurred over a century ago, the concept of anticancer vaccines and the immunotherapy of cancer has only recently seemed plausible. A myriad of specific and non-specific immunostimulatory approaches have been tested throughout the years with only a modicum of success. Most of these approaches were doomed from the outset since they were based on false or inadequate knowledge of tumour immunology. Recent advances in our understanding, most notably the identification of genes encoding for cancer regression antigens, currently permit investigators to pursue a more cogent strategy to develop novel and specific anticancer vaccine approaches. Several of these approaches are currently being tested in clinical trials and have already yielded exciting results. However, a number of immunologic and host obstacles to the successful application of anticancer vaccines remain. This editorial will provide an update on the clinical status of anticancer vaccines and review areas of promising research initiatives.
Identification of 14 novel mutations in DHCR7 causing the Smith‐Lemli‐Opitz syndrome and delineation of the DHCR7 mutational spectra in Spain and Italy

The Smith‐Lemli‐Opitz syndrome (SLOS) is a phenotypically variable metabolic malformation and mental retardation syndrome for which more than 80 mutations in the DHCR7 disease‐causing gene have been described. The DHCR7 mutational spectra differ significantly in different areas of Europe, and several common putative founder mutations account for a substantial fraction of all mutations in some ethnic groups. Here we have analysed 47 SLOS patients and describe 14 newly identified mutations in 18 SLOS patients of Ashkenazi Jewish, Austrian, British, German, Italian, Irish, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish origins. Half of the new mutations are in the transmembrane domains of the protein. In addition, there were two null mutations, one mutation in the 4th cytoplasmic loop, two mutations in the first and last codons, and three mutations in other regions such as the second cytoplasmic loop and the first endoplasmic loop. The analysis included 20 Spanish and 12 Italian SLOS patients and revealed very different mutation spectra in these patients compared to previously described patients from Czechoslovakia, Germany, Poland, and the UK and implicated p.Thr93Met on the J haplotype as the most frequent Mediterranean founder mutation. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Capacitive MEMS energy harvesters for structural monitoring: Design and fabrication

The implementation of MEMS energy harvesters as a key enabling technology for self-sustained continuous structural health monitoring has attracted tremendous attention from both academia and industries. This work describes the design and fabrication of vibration energy harvesters using electroplated nickel as the structural layer to allow simple post-CMOS modular device fabrication by avoiding excessive thermal budget. The capacitive transducers were adopted for ease of fabrication and efficient conversion of the ambient vibration into electricity. In addition, some strategies to improve the dynamic performances in terms of the resonance frequency and bandwidth are also presented.
Can I twist your arm? The influence of target orientation on the magnitude of the right-hand advantage

Controversy exists concerning whether handedness is a unidimensional trait or a multidimensional trait. However, researchers espousing the view that handedness is multidimensional are in disagreement regarding what the dimensions are that underlie handedness. Healey, Liederman, and Geschwind (1986) have provided some evidence that the type of musculature utilised (i.e., proximal versus distal) may be an underlying factor in determining handedness. The present research attempted to test this notion by examining the effects of target orientation on the relative performance of the two hands, using a peg-moving task. Target orientation was examined by utilising key-shaped pegs that fit securely into key-shaped holes. The results showed that the presence of target orientation increased the preferredhand advantage. It is considered that this increased advantage for the right hand may be due to the hemispheric control of proximal versus distal musculature suggested by Geschwind and Galaburda (1985).
Complex NF-κB Interactions at the Distal Tumor Necrosis Factor Promoter Region in Human Monocytes*

We describe a dense cluster of DNA-protein interactions located 600 nucleotides upstream of the transcriptional start site of the human tumor necrosis factor (TNF) gene. This area was identified as being of potential importance for lipopolysaccharide-inducible TNF expression in the human monocyte cell line Mono Mac 6, based on reporter gene analysis of point mutations at a number of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB)-like motifs within the human TNF promoter region. The area contains two NF-κB sites, which are here shown by DNase I and methylation interference footprinting to flank a novel binding site. UV cross-linking studies reveal that the novel site can also bind NF-κB as well as an unknown protein(s) of approximately 40 kDa. We show that these three adjacent κB-binding sites differ markedly in their relative affinities for p50/p50, p65/p65, and p65/p50, yet this 39-nucleotide segment of DNA appears capable of binding up to three NF-κB heterodimers simultaneously. Reporter gene studies indicate that each element of the cluster contributes to lipopolysaccharide-induced transcriptional activation in Mono Mac 6 cells. These findings suggest that NF-κB acts in a complex manner to activate TNF transcription in human monocytes.
Magnetic-nanoparticle-doped carbogenic nanocomposite: an effective magnetic resonance/fluorescence multimodal imaging probe.

A novel and facile approach is developed to synthesize a magnetic nanoparticle (iron oxide)-doped carbogenic nanocomposite (IO-CNC) for magnetic resonance (MR)/fluorescence imaging applications. IO-CNC is synthesized by thermal decomposition of organic precursors in the presence of Fe(3) O(4) nanoparticles with an average size of 6 nm. IO-CNC shows wavelength-tunable fluorescence properties with high quantum yield. Magnetic studies confirm the superparamagnetic nature of IO-CNC at room temperature. IO-CNC shows MR contrast behavior by affecting the proton relaxation phenomena. The measured longitudinal (r(1) ) and transverse (r(2) ) relaxivity values are 4.52 and 34.75 mM(-1) s(-1) , respectively. No apparent cytotoxicity is observed and the nanocomposite shows a biocompatible nature. In vivo MR studies show both T(1) and T(2) * contrast behavior of the nanocomposite. Fluorescence imaging indicates selective uptake of IO-CNC by macrophages in spleen.
Screening for carriers of Tay-Sachs disease among Ashkenazi Jews. A comparison of DNA-based and enzyme-based tests.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS The prevention of Tay-Sachs disease (GM2 gangliosidosis, type 1) depends on the identification of carriers of the gene for this autosomal recessive disorder. We compared the enzyme-based test widely used in screening for Tay-Sachs disease with a test based on analysis of DNA. We developed methods to detect the three mutations in the HEXA gene that occur with high frequency among Ashkenazi Jews: two mutations cause infantile Tay-Sachs disease, and the third causes the adult-onset form of the disease. DNA segments containing these mutation sites were amplified with the polymerase chain reaction and analyzed for the presence of the mutations. RESULTS Among 62 Ashkenazi obligate carriers of Tay-Sachs disease, the three specific mutations accounted for all but one of the mutant alleles (98 percent). In 216 Ashkenazi carriers identified by the enzyme test, DNA analysis showed that 177 (82 percent) had one of the identified mutations. Of the 177, 79 percent had the exon 11 insertion mutation, 18 percent had the intron 12 splice-junction mutation, and 3 percent had the less severe exon 7 mutation associated with adult-onset disease. The results of the enzyme tests in the 39 subjects (18 percent) who were defined as carriers but in whom DNA analysis did not identify a mutant allele were probably false positive (although there remains some possibility of unidentified mutations). In addition, of 152 persons defined as noncarriers by the enzyme-based test, 1 was identified as a carrier by DNA analysis (i.e., a false negative enzyme-test result). CONCLUSIONS The increased specificity and predictive value of the DNA-based test make it a useful adjunct to the diagnostic tests currently used to screen for carriers of Tay-Sachs disease. Although some false positive results may be desirable on an enzyme-based test that is used in screening, the DNA test allows precise definition of the carrier state for the known mutations.
Identification of Candida albicans and Candida glabrata within 1.5 Hours Directly from Positive Blood Culture Bottles with a Shortened Peptide Nucleic Acid Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization Protocol

ABSTRACT Candida albicans and Candida glabrata can be identified in blood culture bottles within 2.5 h using peptide nucleic acid fluorescence in situ hybridization. A 1.25-h protocol was compared to the standard with 40 positive (clinical and spiked) blood culture bottles tested in batches of 5. All C. albicans (15) and C. glabrata (16) isolates, alone or mixed, were identified correctly using both protocols, whereas 18 isolates (five other species) were negative by both protocols. This shortened method will significantly reduce the time to identification.
Biometric Image Encryption Using DNA Sequences and Chaotic Systems

Emerging communication technologies in distributed network systems require transfer of biometric digital images with high security. Network security is identified by the changes in system behavior which is either Dynamic or Deterministic. Performance computation is complex in dynamic system where cryptographic techniques are not highly suitable. Chaotic theory solves complex problems of nonlinear deterministic system. Several chaotic methods are combined to get hyper chaotic system for more security. Chaotic theory along with DNA sequence enhances security of biometric image encryption. Implementation proves the encrypted image is highly chaotic and resistant to various attacks.
Markers of oxidative stress in obese men with and without hypertension

Abstract Objectives: The aim of our study was to investigate if the 24-hour excretion of the urinary markers for oxidative stress to DNA and RNA, measured as 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-guanosine (8-oxoGuo), respectively, were increased in obese individuals with or without hypertension compared to lean controls. Methods: A total of 63 obese hypertensive men (obeseHT), 40 obese normotensive men (obeseNT) and 27 lean normotensive men (leanNT) were included in the study. Body mass index (BMI) was between 20.0 and 24.9 kg/m2 in leanNT participants and ≥30 kg/m2 in obese participants. Hypertension was defined as a mean 24-hour systolic ambulatory blood pressure (AMBP) ≥ 130 mmHg or a mean 24-hour diastolic AMBP ≥80 mmHg and normotension as mean 24-hour AMBP <130/80 mmHg. Twenty-four hour urinary 8-oxoGuo and 8-oxodG excretion (nmol/24 h) were measured by a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method (UPLC-MS/MS). Results: Urinary 8-oxoGuo excretion was (median and [interquartile range]) 30.8 [27.8–32.2] nmol/24 h in leanNT, 36.8 [31.3–40.2] nmol/24 h in obeseNT and 40.6 [31.7–48.5] nmol/24 h in obeseHT. The difference was statistically significant (p = .002) and post hoc tests showed a significant difference between leanNT and obeseHT (p = .001) as well as obeseNT (p = .002), whereas the two obese groups did not differ (p = .6). No statistically significant differences in 8-oxodG concentrations were observed between the three groups (p = .3). Conclusion: The measurement of urinary excretion of 8-oxoGuo suggests that obesity in men, but not hypertension, is associated with increased oxidative damage to RNA.
Soluble CD163

Abstract CD163 is an endocytic receptor for haptoglobin-hemoglobin complexes and is expressed solely on macrophages and monocytes. As a result of ectodomain shedding, the extracellular portion of CD163 circulates in blood as a soluble protein (sCD163) at 0.7–3.9 mg/l in healthy individuals. The function of sCD163 is unknown, but during inflammation and macrophage activation, sCD163 levels increase acutely due to metalloproteinase-mediated cleavage near the cell membrane. It is now evident that sCD163 is very useful as a biomarker of macrophage activation in various inflammatory diseases, such as macrophage activation syndrome, sepsis, and liver disease. Moreover, sCD163 is a general risk marker of comorbidity and mortality in several chronic inflammatory disease states. Recently, sCD163 has been shown to be strongly associated with later development of type 2 diabetes in both lean and obese subjects, likely due to macrophage infiltration of adipose tissue and the liver. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the regulation of sCD163 in normal and pathological states and also deals with analytical aspects of sCD163 measurements in biological samples.
Heat shock proteins enriched-promastigotes of Leishmania major inducing Th2 immune response in BALB/c mice.

BACKGROUND Heat shock proteins (HSP) are highly conserved molecules with many immunological functions. They are highly immunogenic with important role in cancer immunotherapy and in vaccine development against infectious diseases. As adjuvant, HSP can augment the immunogenicity of weak antigens and can stimulate antigen presenting cells. Although vaccines have been successful for many infectious diseases, progress in leishmaniasis has not been achieved. In this report, the protective effect of HSP-enriched soluble leishmania antigen (SLA) was determined. METHODS BALB/c mice were immunized 3× with HSP-enriched SLA and SLA alone and 10 days after final boost. They were infected with 106 stationary phase promastigote of Leishmania major and immunological responses were followed until nine weeks. RESULTS No significant differences were observed in lymphocyte proliferation, footpad swelling, parasite burden, nitric oxide or IL-12 cytokine between HSP-enriched or SLA groups. Although the levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, TGF-β, IgG1 and IgG2b were increased in both groups, IFN-γ was significantly higher in SLA group and IgG2a in HSP-enriched SLA. CONCLUSION These results indicate that HSP direct the immune system towards Th2 pattern and does not have protective role in L. major infection.
Spatial modulation in high speed railway communication

Communication in high speed railway (HSR) is a critical issue which could be used for traffic control and guarantee safety. Unfortunately, channel condition of HSR communication is extremely time-varying due to large Doppler effect from high mobility and fast environments alternating. In this paper, spatial modulation is introduced to HSR communication as a multi-antenna candidate technique for its many advantages. It indicates that high spectral efficiency and good robustness can be achieved by using spatial modulation in HSR communication. Then, we further provide some potential application scenarios for HSR communication system. Numerical results show that spatial modulation with proper receivers outperforms V-BLAST or space-time coding in certain cases. Furthermore, the results validate the potential of spatial modulation applying to HSR communication.
Depressive Symptoms Are Associated With Blunted Cortisol Stress Responses in Very Low-Income Women

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between depressive symptoms and salivary cortisol responses to stress in a high-risk population of very poor Mexican women. Methods: Adult women (N = 1109) between the ages of 18 and 44 years (mean age, 29) were identified in a house-to-house survey in low-income areas (income <20th percentile nationally) of urban Mexico. An interview containing the Spanish version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies—Depression Scale (CES-D) was administered to all women. The naturalistic stressor was defined as the unexpected arrival of a team of researchers at the participants’ homes followed by an in-depth interview and physical assessment, with saliva samples taken at time of arrival (baseline), 25 minutes, and 50 minutes after arrival. Results: The mean CES-D score was 19.42 (range, 0–53). Results of hierarchical linear modeling analyses revealed no effect of depressive symptoms on baseline salivary cortisol levels. However, a significant depressive symptom by time interaction revealed that women with elevations in depressive symptoms (CES-D scores = 35) failed to exhibit a cortisol response to the stressor. In contrast, in women with lower CES-D scores, cortisol levels significantly increased in response to the stressor. Conclusion: Consistent with research on individuals with major depressive disorder, results of this study demonstrate that women with very high levels of depressive symptoms exhibit blunted cortisol responses to a naturalistic psychological stressor. Results also contribute to previous research by generalizing findings to a high risk, underserved population of women. HPA = hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal; MDD = major depressive disorder; SES = socioeconomic status; CES-D = Center for Epidemiological Studies—Depression Scale; PSS = Perceived Stress Scale.
Clinical profiles of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis in the elderly

In 2012 we conducted a nationwide survey for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and isolated IgG4‐related sclerosing cholangitis (IgG4‐SC) in Japan, and demonstrated the young as well as the elderly individuals were at higher risk for development of PSC. In the current study we aimed to further clarify the clinical profiles of PSC in the elderly, compared with PSC in the young and IgG4‐SC.
Secondary Structure of the Human Cardiac Na+ Channel C Terminus

Little is known about the structure of the C terminus of the human cardiac voltage-gated sodium channel α subunit (SCN5A), but disease-linked mutations within this 244-amino acid intracellular region of the channel have marked effects on channel inactivation. Here we report a structural analysis of the C-terminal tail of the cardiac Na+ channel that sheds new light on mechanisms that control its inactivation gating. Homology modeling of the SCN5A C terminus predicts predominant α-helical structure (six helices) in the proximal half of this intracellular tail but little structure in the distal half. Circular dichroism of isolated and purified C terminus supports this prediction. Whole cell and single channel patch clamp recordings of wild type and mutant α subunits co-expressed with the hβ1 subunit in HEK 293 cells indicate that truncation of the distal, nonstructured, C terminus (L1921stop mutant) reduces current density but does not affect channel gating (n = 6). In contrast, truncation of the sixth helix containing a concentration of positively charged residues along with the distal C terminus (S1885stop mutant) also reduces current density but, in addition, has profound and selective effects on inactivation (no effect on activation). Channel availability is shifted (−11 ± 0.6 mV), and there is a 10-fold increase in the percentage of channels that burst (fail to inactivate) during prolonged depolarization (0.025% S1885stop (n = 7)versus 0.0028% wild type (n = 9),p < 0.005). These results suggest that the charged structured region of the SCN5A C terminus plays a major role in channel inactivation, stabilizing the inactivated state.