Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The GDF5 rs143383 polymorphism is associated with osteoarthritis of the knee with genome-wide statistical significance

Osteoarthritis of the knee is a major cause of pain, disability and the use of healthcare resources among middle-aged and older people.1 Although osteoarthritis is multifactorial, it is known to have a significant genetic contribution and a number of studies have attempted to dissect such a contribution (see Valdes and Spector2 for review). The GDF5 gene encodes the growth differentiation factor 5, a bone morphogenetic protein involved in joint formation, expressed in different joint structures, which has been shown to ameliorate tendon, ligament and bone healing after trauma in mice.3 4 A promoter polymorphism (rs143383) in GDF5 has been found to be strongly associated with both hip and knee osteoarthritis in Asian individuals,4 and is the most widely replicated genetic association with knee osteoarthritis, although much less so for hip and hand osteoarthritis.5 This variant is functional, with the lower gene expression variant having increased genetic risk.4 A large-scale meta-analysis reported the association of the major (T) allele with knee osteoarthritis achieved OR 1.15 p=9.7×10−7 and achieved p=9×10−5 (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.20) when Asian subjects were excluded.5 The genome-wide statistical significance level of p<5×10−8 is increasingly …
Effects of interleukin (IL)-17A and IL-17F in human rheumatoid arthritis synoviocytes

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease where the contribution of T cells is now supported by clinical results. Among the cytokines produced by T cells, interleukin (IL)-17A (previously known as IL-17) and IL-17F constitute the signature cytokines of the newly described Th17 T helper cell subset. While the effects of IL-17A on RA synoviocytes been well described, those of IL-17F remain less studied. The present review describes the effects of IL-17A and IL-17F on synoviocytes and their contribution to RA pathogenesis. Although IL-17F is less active than IL-17A when used alone, IL-17A and IL-17F induce in synoviocytes a rather similar expression pattern in the presence of tumour necrosis factor α. They enhance their response by stabilising mRNA of cytokines and enhancing receptor expression. They increase the migration, chemokine gene expression and invasiveness of synoviocytes. They contribute to disease chronicity by inhibiting synoviocyte apoptosis. Finally, they enhance metalloprotease secretion leading to cartilage damage. These properties support the combined inhibition of IL-17A and -F to control RA inflammation and joint destruction.
STUDIES OF LUNG VOLUME. I

On page 65, Vol. XXVII, No. 1, January 1, 1918, the last two sentences of the second paragraph should read: The difference between the total capacity and the middle capacity (all that can be breathed in after a half expiration) is called the "complementary air. "2 The difference between middle capacity and residual air (all that can be breathed out after a half expiration) is called the "reserve air. "
Collaborative Business Process Modeling with CoMoMod - A Toolkit for Model Integration in Distributed Cooperation Environments

Business Process Management (BPM) has gained remarkable importance in research and practice in the last years. Innovative information and communication technology (ICT) is a driver for the effectiveness and efficiency of enterprise collaboration and the management of inter-organizational business processes. In this context, cooperating enterprises need a shared understanding of their own processes, those of their partners as well as of emerging inter-organizational process structures. In order to create such a shared understanding, the concept of collaborative modeling can serve as a useful approach. This article introduces a concept for collaborative business process modeling and its implementation in the CoMoMod tool. The tool supports several aspects of collaborative process modeling, such as simultaneous work of spatially distributed modelers on one process model diagram. Furthermore the tool permits synchronously creating a collaborative model with different modeling languages by automatically mapping and converting the different model representations. The proof of concept utilizes Event-driven Process Chains (EPC) and Petri Nets. The usage of an integrated chat messaging service supports communication during the process of collaboratively modeling business process.
An anytime-anywhere approach for maximal clique enumeration in social network analysis

Social network analysis (SNA) is a set of broadly used techniques designed for analyzing structural information contained in interactions. However, current SNA tools have a poor ability to handle large and dynamic social networks. One particular problem of interest is that of maximal clique enumeration used for studying modularity/community. Critical challenges for this problem include limited scalability and poor ability for handling dynamism. In this paper, we design and implement an anytime anywhere approach for maximal clique enumeration problem in SNA. Through a set of experiments on random graphs, we validate and demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach.
Clonal expansion of immunoglobulin M+CD27+ B cells in HCV-associated mixed cryoglobulinemia.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is associated with B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders such as mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) and B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). The pathogenesis of these disorders remains unclear, and it has been proposed that HCV drives the pro-liferation of B cells. Here we demonstrate that certain HCV(+)MC(+) subjects have clonal expansions of immunoglobulin M (IgM)(+)kappa(+)IgD(low/-)CD21(low)CD27(+) B cells. Using RT-PCR to amplify Ig from these singly sorted cells, we show that these predominantly rheumatoid factor-encoding V(H)1-69/J(H)4 and V(kappa)3-20 gene segment-restricted cells have low to moderate levels of somatic hypermutations. Ig sequence analysis suggests that antigen selection drives the generation of mutated clones. These findings lend further support to the notion that specific antigenic stimulation leads to B-cell proliferation in HCV MC and that chronic B-cell stimulation may set the stage for malignant transformation and the development of B-NHL. The finding that these hypermutated, marginal zone-like IgM(+)CD27(+) B cells are clonally expanded in certain subjects with MC offers insight into mechanisms of HCV-associated MC and B-cell malignancy. This study was registered at www.clinicaltrials. gov as NCT00219999.
Does Self-Rated Addiction and the Heaviness of Smoking Index Predict Nicotine Replacement Therapy Product Use in Adolescent Smokers?

Few studies have examined predictors of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) product use among adolescents. Using a population-based sample of 14- to 18-year-olds, we examined if self-rated addiction and Heaviness of Smoking Index (HSI) were associated with NRT use in 913 daily smokers. The ever-use prevalence of NRT was 24%. Boys smoked more cigarettes per day than girls and scored higher on HSI, but they perceived themselves to be less addicted. Compared to nonusers, a greater proportion of NRT users perceived themselves as addicted and demonstrated greater dependence on HSI. Perceiving oneself as addicted and having high HSI scores were associated with NRT use.
Targeting tumor vascular endothelium: an emerging concept for cancer therapy

Although traditional chemotherapeutic agents have saved thousands of lives over the years and delayed tumor progression, they have limited efficacy due to toxicity and lack of tumor cell selectivity. Recently some of the more promising anticancer therapy approaches tested and proven in clinical studies have used a combinatorial approach of using new molecularly targeted agents with standard therapies. In this regard, inhibition of angiogenesis represents a new approach to cancer therapy. To date, many anti‐angiogenic agents have been developed and are in different stages of clinical development. Targeting tumor cell‐associated endothelial cells may represent a potential powerful adjunct to traditional cancer therapy. In this review, we provide an overview of different approaches involved in discovery and development of anti‐angiogenic agents and discuss the clinical impact of these agents. Finally, we present and summarize some of the emerging concepts such as resistance to anti‐angiogenic drugs, anti‐angiogenic therapy‐related toxicity, and integrated treatment modalities. Drug Dev Res 69:340–351, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Induction of hypomethylation and molecular response after decitabine therapy in patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia.

Decitabine's mechanism of action in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia remains incompletely understood. We studied the dynamics of neoplastic cell clearance during decitabine treatment (100 mg/m(2) per course every 4 weeks) using quantitative monitoring of mutant alleles by pyrosequencing. Patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia were first screened for JAK2 and NPM1 mutations, and 3 patients with mutations were identified. Mutant allele percentages in mononuclear cell DNA were followed after treatment, along with methylation of LINE1 and 10 other genes. The clearance of mutant alleles was modest after the first cycle, despite induction of hypomethylation. Delayed substantial clearance was observed after 2 to 4 cycles that correlated with clinical response. Two patients had complete disappearance of mutant alleles and sustained clinical remissions. In another patient, mutant allele was detectable at clinical remission, which lasted for 8 months. Our data suggest a predominantly noncytotoxic mechanism of action for decitabine, leading to altered biology of the neoplastic clone and/or normal cells. This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials. gov as #NCT00067808.
An Unusual Second Rupture of the Achilles Tendon: A case report

This case report describes an unusual second rupture sustained after conservative treatment of an initial Achilles tendon rupture at the musculotendinous junction. The initial injury was successfully managed conservatively with an equinus cast for 6 weeks. The patient developed a tendonitis 10cm below the initial rupture and subsequently sustained a second traumatic rupture of the Achilles tendon at a new site after tripping on a curb. The patient had no known systemic diseases and was not on steroid or fluoroquinolone therapy. The site of this second rupture was repaired surgically using an open technique without any long term complications.
Concerns and Needs for Research in Herbal Supplement Pharmacotherapy and Safety

To the conventionally trained clinician or basic scientist, herbal medicines (or phytomedicinals) represent the most conceptually accessible area of the exploding field known as complementary and alternative medicine. But despite the fact that numerous prescription and OTC pharmaceuticals are also natural products, herbal medicines are defined by U.S. regulatory authorities as dietary supplements and are, in fact, strictly prohibited from promotion as agents to treat, diagnose, or prevent disease. In this review, the argument is made that herbal supplements are indeed drugs, by strict pharmacological definition. However, this regulatory double standard has led to misconceptions among the public and the health care professions alike regarding the safety and efficacy of botanical agents. In cases where herbal remedies are demonstrated effective by double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trials, it should logically be appreciated that these agents also pose a risk of toxicity either when taken alone or in combination with prescription or OTC drugs. The most obvious drug-herb interactions are those that can be predicted as additive, dose-dependent extension of the biochemical actions of the offending agents. Less appreciated, but gaining considerable notoriety, are those adverse reactions that cannot be predicted a priori due to pharmacokinetic interactions at the level of altered absorption, metabolism, distribution, and/or excretion. The challenge in pharmaceutical care, particularly where the practitioner may be empathetic with a patient's desire to use herbal remedies, is to identify a mechanism by which unpredictable side effects and interactions can be evaluated for each specific herbal formulation. Until regulatory legislation dictates that this responsibility lies with herbal manufacturers, the prospective and retrospective studies on herb-drug interactions are left to academic and federal/state researchers and clinicians. In proposing that phytomedicinals be subjected to limited efficacy testing and pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic evaluation, the author also cautions that these studies be performed fairly and objectively, in the absence of the blind advocacy or intentional negative bias that characterizes the polarity of stakeholder viewpoints in this health care debate.
Deployment adviser tool for wireless sensor networks

This paper presents a system for the purpose of field deployment of nodes in wireless sensor networks. We propose a mobile phone based deployment adviser tool which is robust as well as practically implementable. The tool advises a layman deployer to create a optimized wireless sensor network by placing of the nodes according to application requirements. The tool is presented here as logically linked sub-modules. Each sub-modules are described in detail. Also we propose an algorithm which helps in distributing the power consumption among the nodes in the network, thus, increasing the network lifetime. The adviser tool has been verified by implementing it in IITH mote. The tool we propose has significant implication since it greatly eases, but more importantly extracts the best performance possible while deploying the wireless sensor networks.
Exploitation of social IoT for recommendation services

Internet of Things (IoT) applications are generally developed in a vertical manner, i.e., each IoT application is developed for a certain scenario which generally does not share data with IoT applications for recommendation services. This leads to an inefficient exploitation of other IoT service applications. In fact, such recommendation services can be achieved with the help of Social IoT (SIoT) by using data generated by various IoT applications. SIoT builds a profile of objects based on IoT applications data that can be exchanged with SIoT network for accessible to other IoT applications. In this manner, the SIoT network provides recommendation services for reusability of IoT applications' data among various IoT applications, as well as adapting IoT services according to users' needs which improve user experience. Additionally, the profiles built by a SIoT network can also help a single IoT application by looking for similar conditions that have been addressed in the past for the same IoT application. We propose a concept for exploiting the SIoT for recommendation services among various IoT applications with the help of a sample application scenario that highlights how the SIoT can help by providing recommendations. We also provide some implementation challenges for this concept.
Bowden Cable Actuator for Torque-Feedback in Haptic Applications

This paper introduces a novel type of actuator for force-reﬂection to haptic master interfaces. The actuator is based on a DC motor that is relocated from the mechanism joint by means of bowden cable transmissions. After an introduction and formulation of the project goals, the paper highlights some important bowden cable transmission characteristics that inﬂuence the design of the necessary hardware. Next, a hardware prototype is presented that has been built to analyze the transmission characteristics of the bowden cable transmissions between actuator and robotic joint. The prototype was used next to investigate achievable actuator performance in force-feedback control with a slave. Results are presented, which show good performance and contact stability in a 4 channel control scheme. The actuator has low movement resistance in free motion and can reﬂect high torques during hard contact situations with a slave.
Effects of different haptic modalities on students' understanding of physical phenomena

This paper describes investigation on the effectiveness of the haptic feedback in science education, involving 8th grade middle school students. For that study haptically enhanced presentations of the Coriolis Effect have been created based on MPEG-4 framework allowing creating, transmitting and displaying haptically enhanced multimedia educational contents. A special focus of the work is the comparison of the effect of different modalities - i.e. audiovisual feedback only, audiovisual feedback with tactile feedback and audiovisual feedback with kinesthetic feedback - on the learning. The result showed that multimedia contents including haptic feedback can improve student understanding of the Coriolis Effect better than when only the audiovisual feedback content was provided. However, there was no significant difference between tactile and kinesthetic modalities.
An evaluation of the effects on postural stability of a force feedback rendered by a low-cost haptic device in various tasks

Rehabilitation for stroke patients with postural instability or balance disorders can be enhanced using game-based rehabilitative strategies. Our work explored the potential of commercially available haptic devices for a home rehabilitation system. One group of participants used a low-cost device (Falcon) while another group used a high-end device (Omega). Both groups performed various tasks with the haptic device, with the eyes either closed or open. Results showed that participants interacted somewhat differently with the two devices, although the analysis of the center of pressure showed qualitatively similar balance performance for the two groups. Light touch task increased the stability, whereas the force tasks decreased it. This study showed that a low-cost haptic device can affect postural stability in a controllable way.
LRU based small latency first replacement (SLFR) algorithm for the proxy cache

Today, many replacement algorithms have been proposed to improve the performance of Web caching. Most suggested algorithms replace documents through calculating the network cost by several parameters. These algorithms require many parameters and need a long time to select the document for replacement. We introduce new algorithm, called LRU based small latency first replacement (LRU-SLFR), which combines LRU policy with real latency to achieve the best overall performance. LRU-SLFR algorithm is an extension of LRU policy with real network latency and access-count. We make the linked-list as the LRU policy and make groups by our algorithms. If proxy must replace a certain document, proxy that uses our algorithm replaces the document that takes the smallest time to load in the same conditional group window.
Menstrual hygiene management in humanitarian emergencies: Gaps and recommendations

Over the last 15 years there has been increasing attention to adolescent girls' and women's menstrual hygiene management (MHM) needs in humanitarian response contexts. A growing number of donors, non-governmental organizations, and governments are calling attention to the importance of addressing girls' and women's MHM-related needs in post-disaster and post-conflict settings. However consensus on the most effective and culturally appropriate responses to provide for girls and women remains insufficiently documented for widespread sharing of lessons learned. This article is an effort to begin to document the recommendation of key multi-disciplinary experts working in humanitarian response on effective approaches to MHM in emergency contexts, along with a summarizing of the existing literature, and the identification of remaining gaps in MHM practice, research and policy in humanitarian contexts.
Incremental Collaborative Filtering for Binary Ratings

The use of collaborative filtering (CF) recommenders on the Web is typically done in environments where data is constantly flowing. In this paper we propose an incremental version of item-based CF for implicit binary ratings, and compare it with a non-incremental one, as well as with an incremental user-based approach. We also study the usage of sparse matrices in these algorithms. We observe that recall and precision tend to improve when we continuously add information to the recommender model, and that the time spent for recommendation does not degrade. Time for updating the similarity matrix is relatively low and motivates the use of the item-based incremental approach.
The design of object-oriented software with domain architecture reuse

The paper focuses the software reuse aspects when the object-oriented paradigm is used in the software development. The advantages and problems of reusable object-oriented software development are identified. A development environment for reusable object-oriented software is presented. This environment uses frameworks to construct domain models, in order to make possible the reuse of analysis information in future designs. Some basic implementation requirements for this environment, called DEROS (Design Environment for Reusable Object-oriented Software), are described. <<ETX>>
Corneal reshaping and myopia progression

Background/aims: Anecdotal evidence indicates that corneal reshaping contact lenses may slow myopia progression in children. The purpose of this investigation is to determine whether corneal reshaping contact lenses slow eye growth. Methods: Forty subjects were fitted with corneal reshaping contact lenses. All subjects were 8 to 11 years and had between −0.75 D and −4.00 D myopia with less than 1.00 D astigmatism. Subjects were age-matched to a soft contact lens wearer from another myopia control study. A-scan ultrasound was performed at baseline and annually for 2 years. Results: Twenty-eight of 40 (70%) subjects wore corneal reshaping contact lenses for 2 years. The refractive error and axial length were similar between the two groups at baseline. The corneal reshaping group had an annual rate of change in axial lengths that was significantly less than the soft contact lens wearers (mean difference in annual change = 0.16 mm, p = 0.0004). Vitreous chamber depth experienced similar changes (mean difference in annual change = 0.10 mm, p = 0.006). Conclusion: Results confirm previous reports of slowed eye growth following corneal reshaping contact lens wear.
Sex and relationships education in schools: the views and experiences of young people

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to investigate how young people are using school‐based sources of sex and relationships education (SRE) to obtain information and advice.Design/methodology/approach – The paper shows how anonymous self‐completion questionnaires were administered to young people aged between 12 and 19 years in three secondary school and six out‐of‐school youth settings (n=401). Follow‐up focus group interviews were conducted with 12 groups of young people from the school and out‐of‐school settings (n=57). Findings – The paper finds that school lessons were the most frequent source of sex and relationships information for many young people. Lessons were reported to be most useful for students who were male, younger and more educationally engaged. School lessons were widely criticised by young people as predominantly focusing on biological aspects of sex and relationships and lacking a discursive or participatory element. Young people perceived a diminishing commitment to SRE by teachers .