Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ciclesonide for the treatment of asthma

Ciclesonide is a nonhalogenated corticosteroid that is converted to its clinically active metabolite, desisobutyryl-ciclesonide, by esterases in the airways. Pharmacodynamic studies have shown that inhaled ciclesonide has potent antiinflammatory activity in patients with asthma, and does not appear to have clinically relevant systemic effects, even at high doses. It is highly protein-bound and rapidly metabolized by the liver, and thus has a low oral bioavailability. Ciclesonide is formulated as a solution for inhalation using a hydrofluoroalkane pressurized metered-dose inhaler. This formulation delivers a high fraction of respirable particles that yield high lung deposition with even distribution throughout the lungs and minimal oropharyngeal deposition. Results from numerous 12-week trials in patients (including children) with varying degrees of asthma show that morning or evening dosing with ciclesonide is more effective than placebo, and at least equivalent to other inhaled corticosteroids such as budesonide and fluticasone, with regard to improved spirometry, symptom scores, and less need for rescue medication. Results with once-daily ciclesonide are similar to those with twice-daily budesonide or fluticasone. At the dosages used in clinical trials, ciclesonide did not exert any untoward adverse effects and did not affect cortisol production. The favorable pharmacological properties of ciclesonide help explain the low incidence of adverse events, which are mostly mild to moderate in nature. Once-daily ciclesonide offers an efficacious treatment option for stepwise asthma management when inhaled corticosteroids are required.
Modal analysis of a periodic array of metallic pins embedded within a grounded dielectric substrate — An asymptotic solution for vanishing unit-cell size

In this paper, it is shown that the TM mode characteristic equation of the pin-lattice embedded in grounded dielectric substrate obtained by vector-potential method is identical to that presented in a classical book [1] derived by the transverse resonance technique (TRT). Here, we derive the characteristic equation of a grounded plain dielectric substrate by analyzing the electric and magnetic field instead of TRT. With the same threshold, we can extend it to the rectangular waveguide with pin-lattice loaded on the sidewalls in the future.
A Study on the Practice of Guessing Word Meanings from a Context

Author's summary. — (Part I) The proportion of words whose meaning can be derived by inference in a context is much higher than is generally assumed. (Part II) The guessing of word meanings by inference involves a series of mental processes which can be analysed and classified so they can be used in teaching the technique to the students. (Part III) The author gives the reproduction verbatim of a lesson in which the students are shown some of the techniques by which word meanings can be guessed by inference.
Increased Susceptibility of Mice Lacking T-bet to Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis Correlates with Increased IL-10 and Decreased IFN-γ Production1

A sustained CD4+ Th1-dominated type 1 immune response is required to successfully control Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Considerable work has demonstrated that the transcription factor, T-bet, is required for IFN-γ expression and fundamental to the generation of type 1 immunity in multiple cell types. Mice lacking T-bet are susceptible to virulent M. tuberculosis infection. Susceptibility of T-bet-deficient mice is associated with increased systemic bacterial burden, diminished IFN-γ production, and the striking accumulation of eosinophilic macrophages and multinucleated giant cells in the lung. Interestingly, T-bet−/− mice did not develop a fully polarized Th2 response toward M. tuberculosis, but exhibited selective elevation of IL-10 production. These results indicate that T-bet plays a central role in controlling M. tuberculosis disease progression, in part through the regulation of both IFN-γ and IL-10.
The year's work in stylistics 2004

Cynics amongst the Language and Literature readership, in the UK at any rate, will perhaps be unsurprised that 2004 saw something of an explosion in publications in stylistics. The clock is now audibly ticking for the British Research Assessment Exercise 2008, and the closer the deadline for submissions looms, the more industrious many academics in the field necessarily become. However, even those most pessimistic about the possible negative effects of the ever-increasing pressure to publish on long-term innovation and experimentation in the field may have been comforted somewhat by 2004’s prolific offerings. In stylistics, at least, it would appear that the correlation between quantity and quality remains incontrovertible, with originality and proficiency paralleling the abundance of contributions to the field. Perhaps most encouraging of all have been the pioneering offerings made by those stylisticians with the least to prove – a number of which, interestingly, can themselves be collected around the theme of creativity. Two such texts form the focus of a special review section of this volume of Language and Literature. Rob Pope’s review article ‘The Return of Creativity: Common, Singular, and Otherwise’ is a combined consideration of both Derek Attridge’s (2004) The Singularity of Literature and Ron Carter’s (2004) Language and Creativity. It arises partly out of the recent Creativity symposium, held at the University of Nottingham in May 2005 as part of the Poetics and Linguistics Association’s 25th anniversary celebrations. Pope’s own Creativity: Theory, History, Practice (Pope, 2005) is also newly released and has already claimed its place in next year’s ‘Year’s Work’. The Nottingham symposium brought together these three PALA veterans in an attempt to explore how, why, and to what extent their individual thoughts happened to converge on the notion of creativity in its literary and non-literary contexts. Both Carter and Attridge have provided responses to Pope’s evaluation of their texts as part of this volume’s special review section, as well as commenting on some of the more generally applicable issues surrounding creativity and language use that surfaced during the symposium discussion. For both parties, their recent publications can be recognized as the culmination, to some extent, of long-term concerns. Any reader of Language and Literature will certainly be no stranger to Attridge’s long-standing focus on literary form, or Carter’s ongoing involvement with the CANCODE project. However, those expecting a reiteration of familiar observations and opinions from these two authors will be pleasantly disappointed. Where Attridge’s preoccupation with the peculiarities of literary REVIEW ARTICLE
Virtual Worlds: A Performative Perspective on Globally Distributed, Immersive Work

Virtual worlds are immersive, simulated, persistent and dynamic environments that include rich graphical 3-D spaces, high fidelity audio, motion, viewpoint, and interactivity. Initially dismissed as environments of play, virtual worlds have gained legitimacy in business and educational settings for their application in globally-distributed work, project management, online learning, and real-time simulation. Understanding the emergent aspects of these virtual worlds and their implications for organizations will require both new theories and new methods. We propose that a performative perspective may be particularly useful as it challenges the existence of independent objects with fixed or given properties and boundaries, and focuses instead on situated and relational practices that enact entangled and contingent boundaries, entities, identities, and effects.
A randomized, prospective, blinded comparison of postoperative pain, metabolic response, and perceived health after laparoscopic and small incision cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND We have previously shown that in a randomized comparison of laparoscopic (LC) versus small incision (SC) cholecystectomy, postoperative hospital stay is comparable. This randomized prospective study compares the postoperative pain, analgesic and antiemetic consumption, perceived health, and metabolic and respiratory responses after these two procedures. METHODS Two hundred patients were recruited; postoperative stay, pain scores, analgesic and antiemetic consumption were recorded. Nottingham Health Profile questionnaires were completed by a subgroup of 100 patients, and the metabolic and respiratory responses were also compared in a further subgroup of 20 patients. RESULTS Pain scores in both groups were low. LC, however, was associated with lower postoperative pain scores and analgesic requirements compared with SC, but the antiemetic requirements were greater after LC. The duration of hospital stay and the perceived health after operation were the same in both groups, and both procedures were associated with a similar reduction of respiratory function. Twenty-four hours after operation the inflammatory (C-reactive protein, CRP) response to LC (22 +/- 20 mg/L) was significantly lower than after SC (68 +/- 30 mg/L), but the neuroendocrine (cortisol) response was similar (LC, 475 +/- 335 nmol/L, compared with SC, 710 +/- 410 nmol/L). Independent of the technique used, the duration of postoperative hospital stay correlated significantly with the magnitude of both the 24-hour postoperative cortisol and CRP responses (cortisol: rs = 0.678, p < 0.001; CRP: rs = 0.566, p = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS LC appears to be associated with less tissue destruction and pain than SC, but this did not confer any advantage in the degree of postoperative respiratory impairment, length of hospital stay, or postoperative perceived health. The neuroendocrine component of the metabolic response evoked by each procedure was similar and had a significant correlation to patient's postoperative hospital stay. This finding may explain the similar postoperative recovery after LC and SC.
Software engineering, HCI techniques and Java technologies joined to develop web-based 3D-collaborative virtual environments

In this paper, we describe a set of tools, based on software engineering, HCI techniques and Java technologies, to support the software development process of 3D Web-based collaborative virtual worlds (CVE) populated by non autonomous interactive entities. This work is a first effort to define a methodology supported by design, analysis and implementation tools that assist the development of Web-based CVE. Our proposal emphasizes on the collaboration aspects among the entities that populate the virtual world and the services that they offer to each other in order to carry out collaboration, rather than modeling and aesthetical aspects of the worlds. This is done from conceptual, operational and implementation points of view. The tools we propose are; a model for the conceptualization of the virtual world under the concept of social groups, a graph-based high level notation to specify the interactions among the entities, and a Java-based software framework that gives support to the model and the interaction graph in order to facilitate the implementation of the CVE. We describe the current implementation of our model. At the end, we outline how these tools could be part of a methodology for the construction of Web-based CVE and show an example of a CVE developed following the methodology and tools described.
Competence development by Haemophilus influenzae is regulated by the availability of nucleic acid precursors

DNA uptake by naturally competent bacteria provides cells with both genetic information and nucleotides. In Haemophilus influenzae, competence development requires both cAMP and an unidentified signal arising under starvation conditions. To investigate this signal, competence induction was examined in media supplemented with nucleic acid precursors. The addition of physiological levels of AMP and GMP reduced competence 200‐fold and prevented the normal competence‐induced transcription of the essential competence genes comA and rec‐2. The rich medium normally used for growth allows only limited competence. Capillary electrophoresis revealed only a subinhibitory amount of AMP and no detectable GMP, and the addition of AMP or GMP to this medium also reduced competence 20‐ to 100‐fold. Neither a functional stringent response system nor a functional phosphoenolpyruvate:glycose phosphotransferase system (PTS) was found to be required for purine‐mediated repression. Added cAMP partially restored both transcription of competence genes and competence development, suggesting that purines may reduce the response to cAMP. Potential binding sites for the PurR repressor were identified in several competence genes, suggesting that competence is part of the PUR regulon. These observations are consistent with models of competence regulation, in which depleted purine pools signal the need for nucleotides, and support the hypothesis that competence evolved primarily for nucleotide acquisition.
Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy-Associated Protein Diseases

Abstract The limb-girdle muscular dystrophies are a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of diseases. Most of these proteinopathies show wide inter- and intrafamilial phenotypic heterogeneity, so that limb-girdle involvement may be often considered as one of the possible clinical expressions of a determined protein defect. Review Summary This review reports an updated and comprehensive classification of these proteinopathies according to protein defect and transmission modality and focuses on the main associated clinical pictures. Conclusions An accurate diagnosis is often difficult because of the clinical and genetic variability characterizing this group of muscle diseases. Appropriate diagnostic approaches are essential to achieve the correct diagnosis.
The Relat ionship Between Swedish

An increasing number of people in Sweden and in the rest of the world are becoming more interested in the mutual fund sector. Investments in mutual funds have grown rapidly these past few years. Nilsson (2004) wrote that 85 percent of the Swedish population invested in mutual funds in 2004. The Swedish Investment Fund Association also found an increase in investments in mutual funds; 83 billion Swedish crowns were invested in mutual funds in 2005, an increase from 56 billion in 2004. The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate whether or not there is a relationship between low fee, middle fee, and high fee charging Swedish Equity funds and their respective performance (unadjusted and risk-adjusted returns). The Modigliani & Modigliani (1997) risk-adjusted performance measurement was used to calculate the risk-adjusted performance of the 130 mutual funds. And the linear regression was used to analyze whether or not there was a relationship between the variables (management fee vs. returns/risk-adjusted returns). The mutual funds were also divided into three different categories, based on their management fees; low, middle and high fee mutual funds. The analysis illustrated that there was no clear relationship between the management fee and the returns/risk-adjusted returns. There was some connection found between the management fee and the low, middle fee category. However, this research confirms that investors should not believe that a mutual fund which charges higher fees necessarily generate higher returns.
Detection of oligomeric forms of α‐synuclein protein in human plasma as a potential biomarker for Parkinson's disease

To date there is no accepted clinical diagnostic test for Parkinson's disease (PD) based on biochemical analysis of blood or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). α‐Synuclein (α‐syn) protein has been linked to the pathogenesis of PD with the discovery of mutations in the gene encoding α‐syn in familial cases with early‐onset PD. Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites, which constitute the main pathological features in the brains of patients with sporadic PD and dementia with Lewy bodies, are formed by the conversion of soluble monomers of α‐syn into insoluble aggregates. We recently reported the presence of α‐syn in normal human blood plasma and in postmortem CSF. Here, we investigated whether α‐syn can be used as a biomarker for PD. We have developed a novel ELISA method that detects only oligomeric “soluble aggregates” of α‐syn. Using this ELISA, we report the presence of significantly elevated (P=0.002) levels of oligomeric forms of α‐syn in plasma samples obtained from 34 PD patients compared with 27 controls; 52% (95% confidence intervals 0.353–0.687) of the PD patients displayed signals >0.5 OD with our ELISA assay in comparison to only 14.8% (95% confidence intervals 0.014 –0.281) for the control cases. An analysis of the test's diagnostic value revealed a specificity of 0.852 (95% confidence intervals 0.662– 0.958), sensitivity of 0.529 (95% confidence intervals 0.351–0.702) and a positive predictive value of 0.818 (95% confidence intervals 0.597–0.948). These observations offer new opportunities for developing diagnostic tests for PD and related diseases and for testing therapeutic agents aimed at preventing or reversing the aggregation of α‐syn. —El‐Agnaf, O. M. A. , Salem, S. A. , Paleologou, K. W. , Curran, M. D. , Gibson, M. J., Court, J. A. , Schlossmacher, M. G. , Allsop, D. Detection of oligomeric forms of α‐synuclein protein in human plasma as a potential biomarker for Parkinson's disease. FASEB J. 20, 419 –425 (2006)
PHY+MAC channel sounding interval analysis for IEEE 802.11ac MU-MIMO

The emerging IEEE 802.11ac standard introduces spatial division multiplexing access, in its downlink version, to the wireless local access world. Through this multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO) technique the access point (AP) can simultaneously transmit multiple independent groups of streams to different stations. The consequent precoding requires precise channel knowledge and thus regular channel sounding and feedback. The interval to choose for this sounding procedure is an important factor. A compromise between precise channel knowledge at the AP and reduction of the associated overhead is needed. The first is a physical (PHY) layer parameter and the second is evaluated at the medium access control (MAC) layer. In this paper we present a PHY+MAC analysis of the impact of the channel sounding interval on MU-MIMO transmissions for different scenarios.
A Web-Based Approach to Address Cardiovascular Risks in Managers: Results of a Randomized Trial

Objectives:To examine whether a Web-based health and leadership development program—designed specifically for managers—was associated with changes in self-reported and biometric indicators of cardiovascular disease within the context of a randomized control trial. Methods:A total of 145 managers from 8 organizations participated in a 6-month Internet-based program or a control condition. They completed pre- and posttest assessments that included both self-reported attitudes (on diet, exercise, and mental health) and biometric measures (eg, body weight, waist circumference). Results:The intervention was associated with improvements in dietary attitudes, dietary self-efficacy, and exercise, and reductions in distress symptoms. Women in the program reduced their waist circumference significantly more than controls. Conclusions:The program showed promise for reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors. Similar results across diverse organizations suggest the program may be useful across industry types.
Human cadaveric pericardial graft for the surgical correction of Peyronie's disease.

PURPOSE In patients with stable penile deformity secondary to Peyronie's disease (PD) penile straightening can be achieved with plaque incision or partial excision and grafting. We present our experience with human cadaveric pericardium for tunica albuginea grafting for men undergoing penile reconstruction for Peyronie's disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed our experience with 40 men with PD who underwent penile straightening with partial plaque excision and grafting using human cadaveric pericardium from January 1999 to January 2003. RESULTS All 40 men were evaluable for preoperative, operative and postoperative characteristics. Mean postoperative followup was 22.0 months. Mean preoperative penile curvature was 69.1 degrees. Subjectively 36 of the 40 patients (90%) graded preoperative erection as sufficiently rigid for coitus and 100% had sufficiently rigid erection for coitus following intracorporeal papaverine injection. Mean pericardial graft size was 4.9 x 4.8 cm. Postoperatively 39 of the 40 patients (98%) had successful penile straightening, 38 (95%) achieved coitus, 28 (70%) achieved full, unaided erection and 12 (30%) had some degree of erectile dysfunction (ED) requiring pharmacological assistance for intercourse. There were no significant differences in ED risk factors, plaque location, graft size or complications in men who did and did not have ED postoperatively (p >0.05). There were no major complications or graft related adverse events. CONCLUSIONS Human cadaveric pericardium is a safe, readily available and pliable tissue for tunica albuginea grafting following PD plaque incision or partial excision. Careful patient selection must be emphasized and particular attention must be given to deformity stability and preoperative erectile function to maximize surgical outcome.
Using a patient portal for electronic communication with patients with cancer: implications for nurses.

667 E-mail has revolutionized communication; however, nurses have been slow to adopt that type of communication in their clinical practice. Patients overwhelmingly report that they want electronic access to their healthcare providers, yet concerns exist among providers regarding the safety and security of such communication, along with the effect on workload (Bodenheimer & Grumbach, 2003; Hussain, Agyeman, & Das Carlo, 2004). Patient portals are Web applications that allow patients to interact with their providers and access various applications (Lin, Wittevrongel, Moore, Beaty, & Ross, 2005). At the start of this decade, significant growth occurred in the patient portal industry, with evidence of more large hospitals and small practices providing that type of service to patients (Sorensen, Shaw, & Casey, 2009; Weingart, Rind, Tofias, & Sands, 2006). One advantage of patient portals is the security that they provide for electronic messaging. Additionally, portals can build on e-mail communication by adding other features such as access to appointment information, test results, patient education materials, and online forms, as well as the ability to update demographic information and pay bills. Oncology nurses are well positioned to lead and participate in this practice change because they are able to articulate the elements that are most important to incorporate in the development of patient portals. Oncology nurses also play an important role in promoting patient autonomy in the management of their care. Engaging patients in communication through patient portals has the potential to enhance shared decision making by allowing patients access to their own healthcare information. Background
Ultra Temperature-Stable Bulk-Acoustic-Wave Resonators with SiO 2 Compensation Layer

This paper describes temperature compensated bulk acoustic-wave resonators (BAR) with temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF) less than 1 ppm/degC at above 3 GHz. The temperature compensation is produced from the unique physical property of silicon dioxide's positive TCF, unlike most other materials that have negative TCF. Two types of resonators have been explored: film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) composed of Al/ZnO/Al/SiO2 on a surface micromachined cantilever that is released by XeF2 vapor etching and high-overtone acoustic resonator (HBAR) composed of an Al/ZnO/Al resonator on a bulk micromachined SiO2/Si/SiO2 supporting substrate.