Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intraarticular Botulinum Toxin A for the Treatment of Painful Ankle Osteoarthritis-A Pilot Study

Purpose: Ankle osteoarthritis (OA) can cause substantial pain and functional limitations. Effective therapy has been a key therapeutic challenge. The aim of this pilot study is to investigate the effects of intra articular Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) for the treatment of patients with painful ankle OA. Methods: This was a prospective study conducted in a university-affiliated tertiary care medical center with 6- month follow-up. Patients with painful ankle OA for at least 6 months and radio graphically verified as having stage II OA according to the Kellgren-Lawrence classification were enrolled. Eligible patients received single intraarticular injections of BoNT-A (100 units). The primary outcome was the Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale (AOS) score at 6-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes measures included American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle/ hindfoot score, Visual analog scale (VAS) for ankle pain, single leg stance test (SLS), Timed “Up-and-Go” test (TUG) and consumption of rescue analgesics. Patients were evaluated at baseline, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months post injection. Patients’ global satisfaction about therapy was assessed at 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months post injection. Adverse events during the study period were recorded also. Results: Thirty-six patients completed the study. All patients showed significant improvements in AOS, AOFAS, VAS, SLS, TUG scores and consumption of rescue analgesics at 2 weeks, 1, 3 and 6 months respectively after the injection (p < 0.001 for each value compared with baseline). Patients’ global satisfaction rate was high with no serious adverse events. Conclusion: BoNT-A injection to the ankle joint is associated with improvement in pain, function and balance in patients with painful ankle OA. These effects can last for 6 months. This pilot study supports a possible role for BoNT-A as a treatment option for painful ankle OA. Future studies are needed to confirm the results.
Virtual instrument for measurement of firing pulse of electric detonators

Measurement system for testing detonators firing pulse is presented. According to the standard, it is not necessary to measure the actual pulse value, as long as certain pulse parameters are within error limits. It is shown that these error limits are substantial and that actual measurement of delivered current pulse is a better solution. Measurement system is implemented as virtual instrument using some hardware and software for calculation of delivered pulse to the detonator. It is imperative that current measuring transducer has good accuracy and sufficient rise time to measure the energy pulse correctly.
International Conference on Knowledge Based and Intelligent Information and Engineering Systems , KES 2017 , 6-8 September 2017 , Marseille , France Graph Planning Based Composition For Adaptable Semantic Web Services

This paper proposes a context-aware semantic planning graph technique for Web services composition. We first use an ontology based context model for extending Web services descriptions with information about the most suitable context for its use. Then, we transform the composition problem into a semantic context aware graph planning problem to build a set of best composed Web services based on user's context. The construction of the planning graph is based on semantic context-aware Web service discovery. This allow, for each step of the construction, to add most suitable Web services in terms of semantic compatibility between the services parameters, and their context similarity with the user's context. In the backward search step, semantic and contextual similarity scores are used to find composed Web services list. Finally, in the ranking step, a score is calculated for each candidate solution and a set of ranked solutions is returned to the user. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Peer-review under responsibility ofKES International.
Managing Poststroke Fatigue Using Telehealth: A Case Report.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of delivering Managing Fatigue: A Six-Week Course for Energy Conservation via telehealth for a 70-yr-old man with poststroke fatigue (PSF). METHOD For this pilot case study, a questionnaire developed by the authors and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Fatigue Short Form 7a were used for screening. The study was implemented via teleconference over an 8-wk period. The Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS) and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) were used to gather pretest and posttest data. RESULTS After the participant completed the course, decreased fatigue impact was noted on the FIS, and modestly improved occupational performance and satisfaction were evidenced by the COPM. CONCLUSION For this single participant experiencing PSF, performance and satisfaction on the COPM guardedly improved and fatigue impact decreased after participation in the energy conservation course offered by teleconference, a form of telehealth delivery. Further research is recommended with larger sample sizes.
Direct and indirect consequences on gene expression of a thyroid hormone receptor alpha 1 mutation restricted to Sertoli cells

Thyroid hormone is required for the timely transition of Sertoli cells from proliferative to differentiating and maturing. This transition takes place during a critical developmental period in mammals, which in mice is the first post‐natal week. In order to identify the underlying molecular mechanisms of this differentiation process, we used Cre/loxP technology to selectively block the function of the thyroid hormone receptor TRα1 in Sertoli cells. We then used RNA‐seq to analyze the changes in gene expression induced in the post‐natal testis. This differential analysis provides genetic clues to the initial testicular defects resulting from disrupted thyroid hormone signaling, and suggests that Sertoli cells influence germ cells soon after their birth. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 81: 1159–1166, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Social innovation: the process development of knowledge-intensive companies

The new service development of knowledge-intensive companies in emerging economies is changing from processes with only economic goals to processes that combine economic and social needs. In this approach, processes are socially constructed through society, aiming at achieving innovation success. The main research goal is to explore how companies organise the development process of new services in order to achieve the economic and social needs. More specifically, how companies develop social processes that enable innovation supported by relevant social groups, in order to cope with latent social needs in emerging economies, and keep the competitive advantage under turbulent conditions? The main finding is the presentation of a model for process development of new services of knowledge-intensive companies in emerging economies. The integration of lead-users and relevant social groups in the innovation process can support companies in organising innovation processes for the achievement of economic and socia.
An Introduction to Course and/or Program Evaluation.

Program and/or course evaluation is, in fact, one of the essential aspects of any curriculum. It is a kind of quality control in which various aspects of an instructional program are explored. Program evaluation is an attempt in which different elements of a given curriculum are scrutinized in depth. To this end, an evaluator makes every effort to collect information from different sources such as students, teachers, administrators, course designers, program staff, and so on. Also, the evaluator tries to gather data through different procedures such as questionnaires, interviews, observations, course documentations etc. Collecting hybrid type of information helps increase validity and reliability of the study. The main concern of program evaluation is to ensure that acquisition is taking place, teaching techniques and strategies are useful, materials are relevant and interesting, resources are available and adequate, and so forth. In the beginning, program evaluation was merely quantitative and/or experimental in nature. However, with the passage of time it was realized that qualitative and/or natural approaches are more useful than laboratory-like artificial experimental methods. The important issue in any course evaluation is to bring about some necessary changes. This article tries to elaborate on the preliminary aspects of program evaluation.
A new practical interference mitigation scheme for interference cognitive radio networks

In this paper, a new practical dirty paper coding scheme and its extension is proposed for interference mitigation of a single TV broadcast station in uplink and downlink of a cognitive radio network using both a single secondary user (SU) and multiple SU scenarios. In the single SU scenario, which is called interference cognitive radio channel, derived simulation results show that the transmission rate of the SU archives the capacity of an AWGN channel with the cost of a 2.5 dB extra signal‐to‐noise ratio. In the sequel, the proposed scheme is extended to a multiple SU scenario using direct sequence spread spectrum technique in both uplink and downlink considering a TV band. Derived simulation results show that the number of supportable SUs in our proposed scheme increases to a fully loaded scenario of the same multiuser direct sequence spread spectrum system. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Esmolol reduces arterial elastance in septic shock

Purpose: Ventricular-arterial (V-A) decoupling decreases myocardial efficiency and is exacerbated by tachycardia that increases static arterial elastance (Ea). We thus investigated the effects of heart rate (HR) reduction on Ea in septic shock patients using the beta-blocker esmolol. We hypothesized that esmolol improves Ea by positively affecting the tone of arterial vessels and their responsiveness to HR-related changes in stroke volume (SV). Methods: After at least 24 hours of hemodynamic optimization, 45 septic shock patients, with a HR ≥95 bpm and requiring norepinephrine to maintain mean arterial pressure (MAP) ≥65 mmHg, received a titrated esmolol infusion to maintain HR between 80-94 bpm. Ea was calculated as MAP/SV. All measurements, including data from right heart catheterization, echocardiography, arterial waveform analysis and norepinephrine requirements, were obtained at baseline and at 4 hours after commencing esmolol. Results: The HR target was achieved in all patients and this was associated with a decrease in Ea (2.19 ± 0.77 vs. 1.72 ± 0.52 mmHg·l), arterial dP/dtmax (1.08 ± 0.32 vs. 0.89 ± 0.29 mmHg·ms) and a parallel increase in stroke volume (48 ± 14 vs. 59 ± 18 ml), all p<0.05. Cardiac output and ejection fraction remained unchanged whereas norepinephrine requirements were reduced (0.7 ± 0.7 to 0.58 ± 0.5 μg·kg·min, p<0.05). Conclusions: HR reduction with esmolol effectively improved Ea while allowing adequate systemic perfusion in patients with severe septic shock who remained tachycardic despite standard volume resuscitation. As Ea is a major determinant of V-A coupling, its reduction may contribute to improving cardiovascular efficiency in septic shock.
Acute Septicemia Caused by Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus in Turkey Poults

SUMMARY Streptococcus gallolyticus, previously known as Streptococcus bovis biotypes I and II/2, is a well-known cause of sepsis and meningitis in humans and birds. The present case report describes an outbreak of fatal septicemia associated with S. gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus (S. bovis biotype II/2) in 11 turkey flocks in Pennsylvania between 2010 and 2013. Affected poults were 2–3 wk of age. Major clinical observation was sudden increase in mortality among turkey poults without any premonitory clinical signs. Postmortem examination findings revealed acute septicemia with lesions such as fibrinous pericarditis, meningitis, splenic multifocal fibrinoid necrosis, hepatitis, osteochondritis, myositis, and airsacculitis. Gram-positive cocci were isolated from several organs by routine bacterial culture. Biotyping identified bacteria as streptococci, whereas 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing identified them as S. gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus. Antibiotic susceptibility profiles revealed that all the strains isolated were sensitive to penicillin and erythromycin with different sensitivity profiles for other antibacterial agents tested. The present study reports the first confirmed case of acute septicemia in turkey poults caused by S. gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus. RESUMEN Reporte de Caso—Septicemia aguda causada por Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus en pavipollos. Streptococcus gallolyticus, anteriormente conocido como Streptococcus bovis biotipos I y II/2, es una causa muy conocida de sepsis y meningitis en los seres humanos y aves. El presente reporte de caso describe un brote de septicemia fatal asociada con S. gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus (S. bovis biotipo II/2) en 11 lotes de pavos en Pennsylvania entre los años 2010 y 2013. Los pavos afectados tenían entre 2 a 3 semanas de edad. La principal observación clínica fue el repentino incremento en la mortalidad entre los pavos jóvenes sin signos clínicos sugestivos. Los hallazgos durante el examen postmortem revelaron septicemia aguda con lesiones tales como pericarditis fibrinosa, meningitis, necrosis esplénica fibrinoide multifocal, hepatitis, osteocondritis, miositis y aerosaculitis. Se aislaron cocos gram positivos de varios órganos mediante el cultivo bacteriano de rutina. La biotipificación identificó a las bacterias como estreptococos, mientras que la secuenciación del gene de ARN ribosomal 16S las identificó como S. gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus. Los perfiles de susceptibilidad a los antibióticos revelaron que todas las cepas aisladas eran sensibles a la penicilina y a la eritromicina con diferentes perfiles de sensibilidad para otros agentes antibacterianos ensayados. El presente estudio reporta el primer caso confirmado de septicemia aguda en pavipollos causado por S. gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus.
A long‐term study examining the antibacterial effectiveness of Agion silver zeolite technology on door handles within a college campus

Laboratory studies have shown that small concentrations of silver are effective at inhibiting the growth micro‐organisms through the disruption of important cell structures and processes. The additional ability to incorporate silver into surfaces has increased the usage of silver in the medical field and expanded its use into the consumer market. To understand the impact of increased silver‐containing antimicrobial use, it is important to determine whether silver‐based consumer goods are effective at reducing bacterial populations. Our study examined the antibacterial effectiveness of Agion silver zeolite technology applied to 25 silver‐ and control‐coated door handles across a college campus. Door handles were sampled for 6 week periods in both the fall and spring semester, and bacteria were cultured and enumerated on tryptic soy agar (TSA), MacConkey agar (MAC) and mannitol salt agar (MSA). A significant difference was observed between the bacterial populations isolated from silver‐ and control‐coated door handles after 3 years. However, bacteria were consistently isolated from silver‐coated door handles suggesting that the silver zeolite was only effective against a portion of the bacterial populations, and further studies are necessary to determine the identities of the isolated bacteria and the prevalence of silver resistance.
Automated millimeter band spectrometer for scanning ESR-microscope with localized magnetic field

Automated spectrometer of scanning millimeter band ESR microscope is developed. The main features are high frequency resolution, small scanning step and high dynamic range. The system of controlling and monitoring allows tuning the generator frequency, moving test object in the resonator and recording amplitude of microwave field when moving object is relative to magnetic gap. Measurements of electron spin resonance in check paramagnetic samples having known saturation intensity are done.
Near-Field-Focused Microwave Antennas: Near-field shaping and implementation.

Focusing the electromagnetic field radiated by an antenna at a point in the antenna near-field (NF) region is a wellknown technique to increase the electromagnetic power density in a size-limited spot region close to the antenna aperture. This article encompasses the basic working principles and the applications of the NF-focused (NFF) microwave antennas as well as the synthesis procedures suggested for the NF shaping around the focal point and the technologies currently used for their implementation.
Signature Analysis for Online Motor Diagnostics: Early Detection of Rotating Machine Problems Prior to Failure

The Stator-current signature analysis of induction motors is a proven method to diagnose rotor squirrel-cage winding defects and air-gap-eccentricity problems. With this technology, specific frequency-current components can be identified as an indication of cage-winding defects as well as a nonuniform gap between the stator and rotor. Since these data are generally collected periodically, it is important to identify the components as early as possible. The trendable parameters can then be monitored more often to avoid in-service failure. With the application of new processing technologies, the ability to identify these critical current-signature frequency components and trend the deterioration that they indicate has improved. This allows for maintenance activities to be scheduled earlier and performed prior to failure, avoiding costly motor component damage and unplanned downtime.
Discrete drive selection for continuous sizing

Due to deep sub micron effects, accurate gate sizing is increasingly important. Most advanced methods for sizing assume that gates can be sized continuously, while most design is done with discrete gate array and standard cell libraries. To bridge this gap, this paper proposes a new approach to gate sizing which combines a small number of discrete gate sizes to approximate the ideal of continuous sizing. To date research has focussed on deciding an appropriate set of logic functions for the primitive gates in a library. The main contribution of this paper is the development of a theoretical framework for strategies of drive strength selection for libraries. We demonstrate that nearly continuous sizing can be achieved by combining gates of a small number of sizes. The experimental procedure is based on simulated annealing. The results show that with only 5 discrete sizes any continuous size within a range of two orders of magnitude can be approximated with an accuracy of 1.7%.
[The radical treatment of hepatic hydatidosis with deep and multiple locations. The role of new technologies particularly in the case of multiple locations].

Advanced technologies (intraoperative ultrasonography, CT scan, argon coagulator .) have changed the surgical approach of liver hydatid disease, allowing even multiple or deeply located cysts to be detected and treated successfully. Authors report a series of 4 patients with single (3) or multiple (1) unilocular hepatic cysts; and 1 patient with thoraco-pulmonary hydatid recurrent disease. Treatments of choice and surgical techniques are described. No infective compliances occurred. The mean period of hospitalization was 19 days (ranging between 10 days and 4 weeks). The longest hospitalization was observed in a patient with a post-operative biliary fistula at low out put. Total cysto-pericystectomy is emphasized as the gold standard procedure in the treatment of non complicated unilocular hydatid cysts of the liver. Modern means of investigation and technical equipment make it feasible and safe even in unfavorable localizations, allowing radical removal of the cysts preserving in the meantime all the surrounding liver parenchyma.
Genetic–epigenetic dysregulation of thymic TSH receptor gene expression triggers thyroid autoimmunity

Significance Graves disease (GD) is an autoimmune disease caused by interactions between genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. The thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) is the major autoantigen in GD and is a key GD susceptibility gene. SNPs in intron 1 of the TSHR are associated with GD, but the causative variant and the mechanisms are unknown. By mapping epigenetic modifications induced by IFNα, a viral-induced cytokine triggering GD, we pinpointed the causative variant in intron 1 of the TSHR. We demonstrate that the disease-associated variant interacts epigenetically with a transcriptional repressor, promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger protein, and reduces thymic TSHR expression, leading to escape from tolerance and autoimmunity to the TSHR. These genetic–epigenetic interactions leading to decreased thymic self-antigen expression reveal a universal mechanism in autoimmunity. Graves disease (GD) is an autoimmune condition caused by interacting genetic and environmental factors. Genetic studies have mapped several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are strongly associated with GD, but the mechanisms by which they trigger disease are unknown. We hypothesized that epigenetic modifications induced by microenvironmental influences of cytokines can reveal the functionality of GD-associated SNPs. We analyzed genome-wide histone H3 lysine 4 methylation and gene expression in thyroid cells induced by IFNα, a key cytokine secreted during viral infections, and overlapped them with known GD-associated SNPs. We mapped an open chromatin region overlapping two adjacent GD-associated SNPs (rs12101255 and rs12101261) in intron 1 of the thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) gene. We then demonstrated that this region functions as a regulatory element through binding of the transcriptional repressor promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger protein (PLZF) at the rs12101261 site. Repression by PLZF depended on the rs12101261 disease susceptibility allele and was increased by IFNα. Intrathymic TSHR expression was decreased in individuals homozygous for the rs12101261 disease-associated genotype compared with carriers of the disease-protective allele. Our studies discovered a genetic–epigenetic interaction involving a noncoding SNP in the TSHR gene that regulates thymic TSHR gene expression and facilitates escape of TSHR-reactive T cells from central tolerance, triggering GD.