Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of respiratory syncytial virus infection with asthma and atopic allergy

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection may be associated with the development of asthma and atopy. The aim of the present study was to investigate this association and the related immunological mechanisms. Seventy-six children admitted to Oulu University Hospital in 1991–1994 for an RSV infection at an age of less than 12 months and healthy controls were called for a visit at the age of 6–10 years. Twenty subjects (26%) had asthma compared with 12 controls (16%) (difference 11%, 95% confidence interval (CI) –3% to 24%). Asthma had been diagnosed significantly earlier in the subjects. Eight per cent of the subjects had at least one positive skin prick test as compared with 43% of the controls (difference –35%, 95% CI –50% to –19%). Serum concentrations of interferon-γ and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 were significantly higher among the subjects than among the controls and among the subjects with asthma or current wheezing than among the corresponding controls. All children born in Finland in 1986–1995 were arranged in birth cohorts by month and year of birth and grouped by exposure to an RSV epidemic at age 0–6 months, resulting in 97 exposed and 23 unexposed cohorts. The proportions of children taking asthma medication or receiving special reimbursement for asthma medication in 1995–2002 were similar in the unexposed and exposed cohorts. Altogether 47 children born between August and November 2001 with a cord blood sample taken were admitted to hospital (n = 26) or seen in an outpatient department (n = 21) for RSV infection before the age of six months. Twenty-eight children had some other respiratory viral infection and 84 children formed a group of healthy controls. High scores on a factor combining the cord blood interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 responses (as derived by factor analysis) were shown in logistic regression analysis to predict hospitalization for RSV infection by comparison with the healthy controls (odds ratio 2.29, 95% CI 1.21 to 4.33). We suggest that RSV does not induce asthma but inborn features of immunity affect the severity of RSV infection and the postinfectious development of asthma.
Gradient Crystal Plasticity: A Grain Boundary Model for Slip Transmission

Interaction between dislocations and grain boundaries (GBs) in the forms of dislocation absorption, emission, and slip transmission at GBs significantly affects size-dependent plasticity in fine-grained polycrystals. Thus, it is vital to consider those GB mechanisms in continuum plasticity theories. In the present paper, a new GB model is proposed by considering slip transmission at GBs within the framework of gradient polycrystal plasticity. The GB model consists of the GB kinematic relations and governing equations for slip transmission, by which the influence of geometric factors including the misorientation between the incoming and outgoing slip systems and GB orientation, GB defects, and stress state at GBs are captured. The model is numerically implemented to study a benchmark problem of a bicrystal thin film under plane constrained shear. It is found that GB parameters, grain size, grain misorientation, and GB orientation significantly affect slip transmission and plastic behaviors in fine-grained polycrystals. Model prediction qualitatively agrees with experimental observations and results of discrete dislocation dynamics simulations.
Metabolic profile of plasma before and after induction of an isolated intra-articular bone injury in the rabbit knee: Potential to characterize the onset of osteoarthritis?

Background: Surgical models of bone injury-induced joint damage provide relevant insights into the biological pathways involved in the response to injury and development of subsequent degenerative joint conditions. Objective: To determine metabolic changes acutely following a bone injury to the rabbit knee in order to reveal key metabolites potentially associated with the chronic phase post-injury leading to post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Methods: Nine skeletally mature rabbits underwent surgery to create a repeatable, isolated intra-articular bone injury with intraarticular bleeding, without destabilizing the knee. Plasma samples were collected pre-operatively (baseline) and at 3 weeks post-injury. The samples were analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy-based metabolic profiling approach and multivariate statistical analysis. Results: Metabolic profiling found clear separation between pre-surgical and post-injury rabbits. The predictive ability of the statistical model reached 75%. The levels of twelve metabolites (adenine, choline, glutamine, glycine, pyroglutamate, ornithine, 1-methylhistidine, creatinine, acetate, glucose, taurine and glutamate) significantly changed in plasma samples collected from the rabbits 3 weeks post-injury compared to their baseline levels. Conclusions: Our study indicates that metabolomics may have important applications in the detection of early systemic changes following a localized joint injury, possibly enabling early intervention and preventing progression to more serious joint degeneration.
Data mining the Lombardia Public Health Database: a pilot case study on hospital discharge data for Acute Myocardial Infarctions

Clinical registers and the Public Health Database are the main data banks of the Lombardia Region; they house information about health-care processes, epidemiological incidence and prevalence of diseases, therapeutic procedures and clinical outcomes. We present a pilot data mining analysis, performed with generalized mixed effects models, on the subset of the Public Health Database concerning hospital discharge data relative to Acute Myocardial Infarctions.
A Novel cis Element Achieves the Same Solution as an Ancestral cis Element During Thiamine Starvation in Candida glabrata

Regulatory networks often converge on very similar cis sequences to drive transcriptional programs due to constraints on what transcription factors are present. To determine the role of constraint loss on cis element evolution, we examined the recent appearance of a thiamine starvation regulated promoter in Candida glabrata. This species lacks the ancestral transcription factor Thi2, but still has the transcription factor Pdc2, which regulates thiamine starvation genes, allowing us to determine the effect of constraint change on a new promoter. We identified two different cis elements in C. glabrata - one present in the evolutionarily recent gene called CgPMU3, and the other element present in the other thiamine (THI) regulated genes. Reciprocal swaps of the cis elements and incorporation of the S. cerevisiae Thi2 transcription factor-binding site into these promoters demonstrate that the two elements are functionally different from one another. Thus, this loss of an imposed constraint on promoter function has generated a novel cis sequence, suggesting that loss of trans constraints can generate a non-convergent pathway with the same output.
An Integrated Child Nutrition Intervention Improved Growth of Younger, more Malnourished Children in Northern Viet Nam *

Integrated nutrition programs are widely used to prevent and/or reverse childhood malnutrition, but rarely rigorously evaluated. The impact of such a program on the physical growth of young rural Vietnamese children was measured. We randomized six communes to receive an integrated nutrition program implemented by Save the Children. We matched six communes to serve as controls. Our sample consisted of 238 children (n = 119 per group) who were 5 to 30 months old on entry. Between December 1999 and December 2000, we measured weight and height monthly for six months and again at month 12. Principle outcomes were weight-for-age Z score (WAZ), height-for-age Z score (HAZ), and weight-for-height Z score (WHZ), and the changes among these measures. As expected, anthropometric indicators relative to international references worsened as the children aged. Overall, children in the intervention communes who were exposed to the integrated nutrition program did not show statistically significant better growth than comparison children. Intervention children who were younger (15 months or less) and more malnourished (less than –2 Z) at baseline, however, deteriorated significantly less than their comparable counterparts. Between baseline and month four, for example, intervention children who were malnourished and less than 15 months old at entry lost on average 0.05 WAZ while similar comparison children lost 0.25 WAZ (p = .02). Lack of overall impact on growth may be due to a lower than expected prevalence of malnutrition at baseline and/or deworming of comparison children. Targeting nutrition interventions at very young children will have the maximum impact on growth.
Effect of Upper arm Brachial Basilic and Prosthetic Forearm Arteriovenous Fistula on Left Ventricular Hypertrophy

Background Creation of an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) may increase left ventricular hypertrophy in the hemodialysis population. Aim of this study was to compare the effects of a brachial-basilic (BB) AVF and the prosthetic brachial-antecubital forearm loop access (PTFE) on cardiac performance. Methods Patients were randomized to receive BB-AVF or prosthetic brachial-antecubital forearm loop access. Before and three months after AVF creation patients underwent an echocardiographic examination. Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare relative increase between the measured cardiac parameters for the two groups. Results Twenty-seven patients participated in the study. The relative increase in left ventricular parameters was not significantly different between the two groups. Only left ventricular end-diastolic diameter tended to be of significance. Mean blood flow through the brachial artery was 1680±156 and 1450±221 mL/min three months after surgery for the PTFE and the BB-AVF group, respectively. Conclusion After three months of follow-up, changes in cardiac structure were comparable between patients with BB and PTFE AVFs. Also access flow was comparable at this time. In general, the effects of creation of a fistula on LV structure were limited. Longer follow up time may be needed to explore the long term effects of different vascular accesses on cardiac function.
Simulation of Dialysis Access (SoDA)

Procedural simulation continues a field in evolution. Education of medical students and residents has involved simulation of one level or another for many years. Knot tying is a good example of practicing a technical skill in preparation for participating in actual surgery. Suturing skills are often initiated on inanimate models as well. Advanced Trauma and Life Support (ATLS) is an intense simulation system to prepare surgeons and others to care for trauma victims using scenarios to coordinate teamwork and specific procedures, such as chest tube insertion and airway management. Surgical simulation is being practiced for several endpoints including training, board certification, credentialing, maintenance of certification, and malpractice insurance premium discounts. An enlightening article by Pandey et al (1), discovered that technical skill tested with standardized simulation did not correlate well with oral exam scores or reported surgical case logs in a group of candidates for European vascular surgery boards. Further, a follow up paper demonstrated that candidates self assessment of surgical skill was correlated poorly with the examiners’ assessments (2). Surgical simulation in vascular surgery has been validated in a series of studies. Further validation of assessment of surgical skill by simulation was shown in a model of carotid endarterectomy demonstrating predictable differentiation of scores based on levels of previous training (3). The European Board of Vascular Surgery has subsequently required demonstration with simulation of procedural skills for several years as part of board certification. In 2010, the American Board of Surgery, required Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) certification for initial board certification. The FLS certification process involves didactic and procedural training and ultimately an assessment module. Credentialing at some facilities requires demonstration of technical skill by simulation, such as the endoscopy center at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. Carotid stenting also has been targeted with need for simulation prior to credentialing. Maintenance of certification (MOC) has been enacted to try to ensure continued competence in multiple specialties by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Simulation plays a role in MOC for Anesthesia, Family Practice, and Interventional Cardiology. Although not specifically required, simulation fulfills requirements of ongoing education for these specialties. Malpractice rates at various institutions including University of Kansas and and the Harvard system can both be reduced with participation in ongoing education and evaluation by simulation. Clearly simulation is going to play a role in future surgical education, assessment of skils, and maintenance of ongoing skills. The potential benefit to patients, trainees, and practicing physicians is obvious. The real question will remain of how to best standardize and fund simulation in today’s health economic environment to maximize its benefit and potential.
Assessment of Gross Motor Development in the who Multicentre Growth Reference Study

The objective of the Motor Development Study was to describe the acquisition of selected gross motor milestones among affluent children growing up in different cultural settings. This study was conducted in Ghana, India, Norway, Oman, and the United States as part of the longitudinal component of the World Health Organization (WHO) Multicentre Growth Reference Study (MGRS). Infants were followed from the age of four months until they could walk independently. Six milestones that are fundamental to acquiring self-sufficient erect locomotion and are simple to evaluate were assessed: sitting without support, hands-and-knees crawling, standing with assistance, walking with assistance, standing alone, and walking alone. The information was collected by both the children’s caregivers and trained MGRS fieldworkers. The caregivers assessed and recorded the dates when the milestones were achieved for the first time according to established criteria. Using standardized procedures, the fieldworkers independently assessed the motor performance of the children and checked parental recording at home visits. To ensure standardized data collection, the sites conducted regular standardization sessions. Data collection and data quality control took place simultaneously. Data verification and cleaning were performed until all queries had been satisfactorily resolved.
Validation Study of a Finnish Version of the Western Ontario and McMasters University Osteoarthritis Index

The aim of the study was to validate a Finnish version of the internationally used Western Ontario and McMasters University osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) questionnaire, by testing its reliability validity and responsiveness. The subjects of the study were patients scheduled for elective total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA). The patients completed the WOMAC questionnaire twice prior to surgery and once postoperatively to enable reliability construct validity and responsiveness analysis. Test-retest reliability could be calculated for 67 patients (37 TKA and 30 THA). The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCa) exceeded 0.9 with the exception of the stiffness subscale which averaged 0.8. Correlation of the preoperative WOMAC total score with the Harris Hip Score (HHS) in 30 patients and American Knee Society Score (AKSS) in 37 patients were mediocre ranging from 0.48 to 0.53. To test responsiveness, the first preoperative and the postoperative WOMAC scores of 74 subjects were compared (41 TKA and 33 THA). Standard response means (SRM) and effect sizes (ES) exceeded the recommended score of 0.8, ranging from 1.15 to 2.35. In conclusion the Finnish translation of the WOMAC questionnaire performs as the original, is valid and can be used in future studies of osteoarthritis.
Dissection of the differential mechanisms of apoptosis used during B cell maturation.

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A pilot study of PLX3397, a selective colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) kinase inhibitor, in pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS).

10503^ Background: PLX3397 is a novel, oral small molecule that potently and selectively inhibits CSF1R, Kit, and Flt3 kinases. CSF1R and Kit regulate key components of both the tumor and its microenvironment (macrophages, osteoclasts, mast cells). PVNS is a rare proliferative neoplasm involving the synovium of joints or tendon sheaths. Tumors contain CSF1R-bearing macrophages recruited by local overexpression of CSF-1 due to a gene translocation. Methods: Patients (pts) with advanced PVNS were enrolled onto an expansion cohort of an ongoing single-arm, multicenter, clinical study. PLX3397 was given orally, 1000 mg daily (600 mg AM, 400 mg PM – 28 day cycles). MRI assessment by a central musculoskeletal radiologist blinded to chronology was performed every 2 cycles using a novel Tumor Volume Score (TVS) developed specifically for PVNS. Partial response (PR) was defined as ≥50% decrease in TVS compared to screening and progressive disease was ≥30% increase relative to lowest score. Patients remained on tre.
Convolutional Neural Networks for Multimode Fiber Study: A Review

Multimode fiber is the one of the hottest research area in telecom and nonlinear optics. However, under most circumstances, the output of a multimode fiber is a speckle pattern which cannot be easily demodulated. To solve the problem and make multimode fibers practical, machine learning can be combined with multimode fibers. The deep neural network, when given enough input and the corresponding output data, can learn and inverse the transmission matrix of a fiber. In this way, the fiber’s complex properties can be studied automatically. In this paper, I will review several studies done by scientists on the topic and try to analyze and summarize them.
Revision Hip Surgery Using the Cls Expansion Shell

The aim of our study is to assess the outcomes using the uncemented CLS expansion shell in revision hip surgery for aseptic loosening of the acetabular component. Between 1991 and 2000 we used the CLS expansion shell in revision hip surgery in 215 patients (230 hips). We were able to evaluate 196 patients (211 hips) with failed acetabular components. The male/female ratio was 82/114 and the mean age of the patients was 63 years (range 38-71). The main reason for revision was aseptic loosening of the PE cup (184 patients). There were 79 hips with Paprosky defect of the acetabulum type I, 62 hips with type 2A, 57 hips with type 2B and 13 hips with type 2C in the study. The mean follow-up was 8.5 years (range 5-14). Plain radiographs using an AP view of the pelvis and AP and lateral views of the affected hip were taken immediately after surgery and at the latest follow-up. Clinical outcomes were determined using the Merlé d ́Aubigné and Postel score and the Harris Hip score. The mean preoperative Merle d ́Aubigné score was 7.8 points (range 6.9 to 9.9); at the latest followup it was 14.9 points (range: 12.5 to 15.9). The mean preoperative Harris Hip score was 38.6 points (range: 32 to 59); at the latest follow-up it was 82.5 points (range: 38 to 95). Osteointegration of the CLS expansion shell was present in 149 hips (70.6%) at the latest follow-up. There were 31 complications (15%) requiring a second revision. Clinical survivorship of the CLS expansion shell was 90% at five years and 84% at 8.5 years after revision surgery. Radiological survivorship was 78% at five years and 70% at 8.5 years after revision surgery. The CLS expansion shell offers a viable alternative for revision hip surgery with lower bone quality, insufficient bone at the bottom and cavitary defects of the acetabulum. (Hip International 2006; 16: 260-7)
The Importance of the Thickness of the Femoral Cement Mantle

The importance of mantle thickness in the long-term survival of cemented femoral components remains controversial. One complexity in evaluating mantle thickness alone is the dominating fact that so many other factors can influence the incidence of failure. Nonetheless, a cement grading system has been applied to the assessment of the intermediate and long-term follow-up series of the following cemented femoral stem designs HD-2 (Howmedica, Rutherford, NJ), CAD (Howmedica, Rutherford, NJ), Precoat (Zimmer, Warsaw, IN), Iowa (Zimmer, Warsaw, IN), Ti32 (Zimmer, Warsaw, IN), and DF80 (Zimmer, Warsaw, IN). In each series, a statistically significant increased risk of failure was found in those cases with cement mantles that were thin or deficient. While these data do not mean that all such cases fail, the data strongly support the concept of avoiding such deficiencies in the cement mantle of these stem designs.
Health Education for People with Macular Degeneration: Learning Experiences and the Effect on Daily Occupations

Background. Discovering New Ways, a program for people with macular degeneration, was developed based on a health education model incorporating occupation. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the participants' learning experience in the program and the significance for their daily occupations. Method. Within an experimental design format, a content analysis was performed. Ninety — two people with macular degeneration were interviewed 1 and 16 months after the intervention. Results. Participants in the individual intervention program stated that they mastered occupational tasks as a result of the provision of assistive devices. Participants in the health education program stated that the problem-solving toolbox provided them with hope and confidence to master daily occupations. The participants' experience of learning within the health education program has provided important feedback regarding the structure of the health education model and its learning process. Practice Implications. The health education model may be seen as a model to design early interventions for individuals with health conditions which can impact occupational performance.
Femoral Impaction Bone Grafting with the Elite plus Stem

This study evaluates the results of impaction grafting of the femoral stem with the Elite Plus system (DePuy, Leeds, UK) in revision hip arthroplasty with irradiated allograft. Nineteen hips in 19 patients (12 men and 7 women), at an average age of 59 years were followed for an average of 33 months. Endo-Klinik grading of bone stock loss was 5 grade 1, 6 grade 2, 8 grade 3 and no grade 4. Radiographic analysis revealed evidence of graft incorporation in 32% but no evidence of trabecular remodelling or cortical repair. Four patients have undergone revision of the femoral stem, one patient died while awaiting revision and one patient is unfit for revision. Most complications occurred in patients classified as Endo-Klinik grade 3. We found that impaction grafting with the Elite Plus system was associated with a high failure rate, especially in those cases with more severe bone stock loss. (Hip International 2002; 1: 11-6)