Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis induced in a patient treated with infliximab for Crohn’s disease

Abstract The induction of psoriasis as a side effect of treatment with TNF-alpha inhibitors is one of a few rare complications of treatment, the pathogenic mechanism of which has not yet been completely clarified. The clinical presentation of these reactions may show the typical characteristics of psoriasis, palmoplantar pustulosis and psoriasiform exanthema; the individual variations of which may combine to give different presentations in individual patients. We present the case of a patient who, after administration of infliximab indicated for Crohn’s disease, developed not only skin manifestations but also those of psoriatic arthritis.
Virtualization of heterogeneous wireless-optical network and IT infrastructures in support of cloud and mobile cloud services

This article proposes a next generation ubiquitous converged infrastructure to support cloud and mobile cloud computing services. The proposed infrastructure facilitates interconnection of fixed and mobile end users with data centers through a heterogeneous network integrating optical metro networks, based on time shared optical network technology, and wireless access networks, based on Long Term Evolution access technology. To support the infrastructure as a service paradigm, the proposed architecture adopts the concept of virtualization across the technology domains involved. Planning of virtual infrastructures considering jointly the presence of all network technology domains and IT resources is proposed, with the aim to offer globally optimized virtual infrastructures (VIs) in terms of energy consumption and resource requirements. The holistic VI planning approach proposed ensures allocation of the required resources across all technology domains to support not only the volume of service requests, but also their specific characteristics such as end users' mobility. Our modeling results clearly show that both the volume and characteristics of services have a direct impact on the energy consumption and resource requirements of all the technology domains of the planned VIs.
The process of developing a research questionnaire to measure attitudes to shared learning

This article discusses the process by which a questionnaire was developed specifically to measure attitude to shared learning. Over a three-year period the attitude questionnaire was developed and tested using pre-registration students who were engaged in a shared learning programme. These pre-registration students were from three professional groups, namely occupational therapy (OT), diagnostic radiography (DR), and therapeutic radiography (TR). While the study hypothesis was that shared learning would improve attitudes over the three-year period, the focus of this article is to discuss the process by which the research instrument was developed. The rationale for focusing on the process is a simple one. After a diligent literature search it was clear that there were no attitude questionnaires specific to attitude measurement in relation to shared learning. Thus without an already validated attitude to a shared learning questionnaire, it became imperative to create systematically a credible attitude measure of shared learning. The process centred on understanding how monadic scales are constructed and used to measure attitudes and perceptions of participants. Amongst a number of processes to be followed was the need also to check the reliability of the developed questionnaire. This was done using the Cronbach alpha coefficient. A Cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.7 was set as a minimum reliability requirement, which was duly satisfied. The outcome of this process was that it very useful to learn how to produce a suitable instrument to measure attitude to shared learning and to add in a small way to the range of attitude questionnaires available.
Platelet aggregation according to body mass index in patients undergoing coronary stenting: should clopidogrel loading-dose be weight adjusted?

BACKGROUND A 300 mg clopidogrel loading-dose (LD) is widely used as an adjunct antithrombotic treatment to reduce the risk of thrombotic events early after coronary stenting (CS). Antithrombotic drugs commonly used during percutaneous coronary interventions, such as heparin and platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, but not clopidogrel LD, are weight-adjusted, and few data are available on which is the most effective clopidogrel LD regimen. The aim of this study was to assess whether body mass index (BMI) influenced platelet response to clopidogrel LD in patients undergoing CS. METHODS Adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced platelet aggregation (PA) was assessed by light transmittance aggregometry in 48 patients on aspirin treatment undergoing CS receiving a 300 mg clopidogrel LD at intervention time. PA was assessed at baseline and up to 24 hours after intervention. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to BMI: overweight (BMI greater than or equal to 25 kg/m2; 29 patients) and normal weight (BMI<25 kg/m2; 19 patients). PA was significantly higher in overweight than in normal weight patients at baseline (60.1+/-18.6%; versus 47.6+/-13.5%; p=0.01), at 24 hours (42.3+/-18.4% versus 38.5+/-18.3%; p=0.02) and during the overall study time (p=0.025). Percentage of inhibition of PA 24 hours following clopidogrel LD was suboptimal (<40%) in 59% and 26% of overweight and normal weight patients, respectively (p=0.04). An elevated BMI was the only independent predictor of suboptimal platelet response. CONCLUSION These data suggest that overweight patients may need a higher loading-dose of clopidogrel and/or an adjunct antithrombotic treatment to adequately inhibit platelet aggregation early after CS.
The effects of lumbar facet dowels on joint stiffness: a biomechanical study.

BACKGROUND Facet joint arthrosis may play a significant role in low back pain generation. The placement of facet dowels is a percutaneous treatment that aims to fuse the facets and increase joint stiffness. In this cadaveric study, we evaluated spine stiffness after facet dowel insertion in combination with several surgical procedures and determined which motions promote dowel migration. METHODS Six fresh frozen lumbar spines were tested in flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation. Spine stiffness was determined for the intact specimens, after L4 laminectomy, and after bilateral L4-L5 facet dowel placement, respectively. One specimen underwent a unilateral transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) construct and another underwent extreme lateral interbody fusion (XLIF) graft (22 mm) placement, followed by placement of facet dowels. Afterwards, the specimens were subjected to 10,000 cycles of fatigue testing in flexion-extension or axial rotation. RESULTS The overall decrease in stiffness after laminectomy was 4.6%. Facet dowel placement increased overall stiffness by 7.2%. The greatest increase was seen with axial rotation (13%), compared to flexion, extension, and lateral bending (9.5%, 2.3%, and 5.6%, respectively). The TLIF and XLIF plus dowel construct increased specimen stiffness to 266% and 163% of baseline, respectively. After fatigue testing, dowel migration was detected by computed tomography in the 2 uninstrumented specimens undergoing axial rotation cycling. CONCLUSION Facet dowels increase the stiffness of the motion segment to which they are applied and can be used in conjunction with laminectomy procedures to increase the stiffness of the joint. However, dowel migration can occur after axial rotation movements. Hybrid TLIF or XLIF plus facet dowel constructs have significantly higher stiffness than noninstrumented ones and may prevent dowel migration.
The existence of security market equilibrium non-atomic

We consider a finite horizon economy with incomplete markets and, at each period, a non-atomic continuum of states of nature. We combine backward recursion methods with a reformulation of the problem in terms of first-order conditions to establish the existence of a Radner equilibrium. One of our hypotheses, not required in the case of a finite number of states, says that in any date and state the position reached after any possible previous asset trades, but before spot trades, constitutes a feasible consumption. An example shows that this hypothesis cannot be dispensed with (even in the case of countable many states).
The Rate of Return on High and Low P/E Ratio Stocks

IN THE May-June, 1967, issue of the Financial Analysts Journal, Nicholas Molodovsky reviewed the existing studies on PE ratios. The studies in general supported the view that low PE ratio stocks outperformed high PE ratio stocks in terms of return on investment. However, Molodovsky discussed two procedures, at least one of which was used in each study, which could have inflicted serious bias in the results. The first was the tendency to select stocks for analysis on other than a random basis, i.e., the selection of quality issues by 1960 standards and seeing what has transpired since 1939. The other pertained to the practice of periodic cumulative reinvestment into high and low PE ratio stocks. Molodovsky indicated that this practice magnified any overpricing or underpricing in a specific group. To this should be added the comment that this procedure also promotes statistical interdependence among groups, and considerably complicates any analysis. The study described herein was aimed at eliminating these two discrepancies in studying the rate of return on high and low PE ratio stocks. In addition, it was desired to provide data in regard to the effect of buying in different years and in regard to the appropriate rate of retum.
Gastrointestinal Side Effects with Erythromycin Preparations

This study was designed to determine the incidence and severity of gastrointestinal (GI) side effects in patients taking erythromycin. More patients complained of GI side effects with the enteric-coated tablet (70.8 percent) than with the stearate (51.4 percent) or the ethylsuccinate (48.9 percent) salts. The enteric-coated tablet was associated with a higher incidence of individual adverse reactions; more patients discontinued it because of adverse GI effects. These data demonstrate a high incidence of GI side effects to erythromycin. Additionally, GI side-effect incidence appears to be higher with the enteric-coated tablet.
Fast Recovery Routing Algorithm for Software Defined Network based Operationally Responsive Space Satellite Networks

An emerging satellite technology, Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) is expected to provide a fast and flexible solution for emergency response, such as target tracking, dense earth observation, communicate relaying and so on. To realize large distance transmission, we propose the use of available relay satellites as relay nodes. Accordingly, we apply software defined network (SDN) technology to ORS networks. We additionally propose a satellite network architecture refered to as the SDN-based ORS-Satellite (Sat) networking scheme (SDOS). To overcome the issures of node failures and dynamic topology changes of satellite networks, we combine centralized and distributed routing mechanisms and propose a fast recovery routing algorithm (FRA) for SDOS. In this routing method, we use centralized routing as the base mode.The distributed opportunistic routing starts when node failures or congestion occur. The performance of the proposed routing method was validated through extensive computer simulations.The results demonstrate that the method is effective in terms of resoving low end-to-end delay, jitter and packet drops.
Small State Intelligence Dilemmas: Struggling between Common Threat Perceptions and National Priorities

Finland’s defense and intelligence establishments are living in interesting times indeed. Edward Snowden’s leaks and revelations concerning the United States’s National Security Agency (NSA) might not have revealed anything new or astonishing about the ancient techniques of diplomacy, but they have awakened Europeans to the reality of life with first-class superpower(s). Even in Finland an unusual amount of media and civil interest has developed towards the Intelligence Community’s data and information gathering procedures, a focus made more interesting by the fact that two Finns were, in 2014, manning very high positions within the European Union’s (EU) Intelligence Community. The ex-chief of Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Suojelupoliisi, SUPO), Ilkka Salmi, has been the director of European Union’s Intelligence Analysis Center (INTCEN, former Situation Centre of the European Union, EU SITCEN) since February 2011. And the former commander of Finnish Military Intelligence, Commodore Georgij Alafuzoff, is head of the EU Military Staff’s Intelligence Directorate. Other events have also affected the discussion about intelligence. Neighboring Sweden is currently re-evaluating its earlier security policy decisions, including the professionalization of its armed forces in part
Physical and genetic characterization of the genome of Lactobacillus lactis bacteriophage LL-H

Bacteriophage LL-H is a virulent phage of Lactobacillus lactis LL23. A restriction map of the phage genome was constructed with various restriction endonucleases. This chromosome has a 34-kilobase size and seems to be circularly permuted. We used a bank of LL-H restriction fragments to study the expression of five of the seven main phage particle proteins. Immunoblotting experiments permitted the mapping on the chromosome of several genes coding for phage particle proteins. We also show that the gene of the main capsid protein is expressed from its own promoter in an Escherichia coli strain.
Globalization and Factor Mobility

Since the 1960s, increasing numbers of football players from Eastern Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia have been migrating to the top leagues in Western Europe (England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain). This development has been massively fostered by the ``Bosman ruling'' of the European Court of Justice in December 1995. Perhaps surprisingly, the decreasing playing time that is now available to ``local players'' has not yet resulted in an increasing competitive balance of the national teams of countries importing players and those exporting players.
Mammalian Photoperiodic System: Formal Properties and Neuroendocrine Mechanisms of Photoperiodic Time Measurement

Photoperiodism is a process whereby organisms are able to use both absolute measures of day length and the direction of day length change as a basis for regulating seasonal changes in physiology and behavior. The use of day length cues allows organisms to essentially track time-of-year and to “anticipate” relatively predictable annual variations in important environmental parameters. Thus, adaptive types of seasonal biological changes can be molded through evolution to fit annual environmental cycles. Studies of the formal properties of photoperiodic mechanisms have revealed that most organisms use circadian oscillators to measure day length. Two types of paradigms, designated as the external and internal coincidence models, have been proposed to account for photoperiodic time measurement by a circadian mechanism. Both models postulate that the timing of light exposure, rather than the total amount of light, is critical to the organism’s perception of day length. In mammals, a circadian oscillator(s) in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus receives photic stimuli via the retinohypothalamic tract. The circadian system regulates the rhythmic secretion of the pineal hormone, melatonin. Melatonin is secreted at night, and the duration of secretion varies in inverse relation to day length; thus, photoperiod information is “encoded” in the melatonin signal. The melatonin signal is presumably “decoded” in melatonin target tissues that are involved in the regulation of a variety of seasonal responses. Variations in photoperiodic response are seen not only between species but also between breeding populations within a species and between individuals within single breeding populations. Sometimes these variations appear to be the result of differences in responsiveness to melatonin; in other cases, variations in photoperiod responsiveness may depend on differences in patterns of melatonin secretion related to circadian variation. Sites of action for melatonin in mammals are not yet well characterized, but potential targets of particular interest include the pars tuberalis of the pituitary gland and the suprachiasmatic nuclei. Both these sites exhibit uptake of radiolabeled melatonin in various species, and there is some evidence for direct action of melatonin at these sites. However, it appears that there are species differences with respect to the importance and specific functions of various melatonin target sites.
Influence of individual investor sentiment on Taiwan option prices during 2007-2010 financial crisis

Purpose - – This paper investigates changes in risk-neutral distribution derived from Taiwan stockindex options under different market conditions. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether individual investor sentiment significantly influences the Taiwan option prices. Design/methodology/approach - – The authors adopt the optimization method to estimate the risk-neutral distribution from the Taiwan stock index options and use the Findings - – The authors find that errors in individual investors’ expectations significantly influence the Taiwan stock index option prices. Research limitations/implications - – The data concerning the sentiment of speculative institutional investors are incomplete for the Taiwan option market. Therefore, this paper focusses on the analysis of individual investor sentiment. Further research can study the impact of institutional investor sentiment in emerging markets. Social implications - – The previous literature has suggested that option prices reflect information before the information is revealed in stock prices. Therefore, an important implication is to analyze the information quality revealed in option prices by studying whether the changes in option prices are due to investor sentiment or non-sentiment-related components. Originality/value - – Most of the studies in the literature have focussed on the US option market, and their applicability may vary across different microstructures. This paper shows that the influence of individual investor sentiment in an emerging market is different from that in the US market.
Association of Interleukin‐18 Gene Promoter Polymorphisms in Type 1 Diabetes and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease

Abstract: Type 1 diabetes is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease and is often associated with other organ‐specific autoimmune diseases, including autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD). IL‐18 is a potent proinflammatory cytokine capable of inducing IFN‐γ production that is associated with the development of type 1 diabetes and AITD. The gene for IL‐18 is located near Idd2 and has been reported to be associated with a susceptibility to type 1 diabetes. To test the putative involvement of IL‐18 gene polymorphism in predisposition to type 1 diabetes and AITD, we conducted a case‐control study in Japanese population. The SNPs at position −607 (C/A) and −137 (G/C) in the promoter region of the IL‐18 gene were analyzed by sequence‐specific PCR in 74 nondiabetic patients with AITD, 47 type 1 diabetic patients with AITD, and 114 normal controls. There was no significant increase in the genotype and allele frequencies not only in nondiabetic patients with AITD compared with normal controls, but also in type 1 diabetic patients with AITD compared with normal controls. The distribution of IL‐18 gene haplotypes was also similar between both patient groups and normal controls. These results suggest that polymorphisms of the IL‐18 gene are not associated with a susceptibility to AITD and type 1 diabetes coexistent with AITD in Japanese population.
DNA vaccine: a promising new approach for chronic hepatitis B therapy.

Why is there an urgent need to develop therapeutic alternatives for chronic hepatitis B? Despite the existence of an effective vaccine, chronic HBV infection is still a global public health problem, with at least 370 million virus carriers who are at high risk of developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The efficacy of current anti-HBV therapies, which rely on IFN-α and nucleoside analogs (lamivudine and adefovir), is limited by the emergence of drugresistant mutants and the persistence of intranuclear covalently closed circular viral DNA (cccDNA) forms, which are responsible for viral relapse after treatment withdrawal [1]. Therefore, this cccDNA pool, which can be considered as a viral minichromosome, plays a crucial role in the persistence of HBV infection, and its elimination remains a major clinical challenge. In this regard, an increasing body of evidence from different animal models, such as HBV-replicating transgenic mice, HBV-infected chimpanzee, woodchuck HBV (WHV)-infected woodchucks and duck HBV (DHBV)-infected ducks, indicate that at least partial viral RNA and cccDNA clearance can be achieved by two mechanisms that are not mutually exclusive:
Market Equilibrium with Hidden Knowledge and Self-selection

The problem of the existence of a competitive equilibrium in models with hidden knowledge and self-knowledge has been discussed previously by M. Rothschild and J. E. Stiglitz_(1976), C. A. Wilson_(1977), and J. G. Riley_(1979). Recent analyses of such models by I. Cho and D. Kreps_(1986) and Riley argue for a particular outcome - the Pareto-dominant separating, zero-profit one. The authors prove the existence of such an outcome under very general conditions and, generalizing the reactive equilibrium concept introduced by Riley, they prove this outcome is the unique reactive equilibrium. Copyright 1987 by The Econometric Society.
Understanding Worker Participation and Organizational Performance at the Firm Level: In Search for an Integrated Model

Last decades scholars in the field of human resource management (HRM) have intensely examined the contribution of HRM to organizational performance. Despite their efforts, at least one major research shortcoming can be identified. In general, they have devoted far too little attention to an aspect of HRM potentially beneficial for organizational performance: worker participation, and especially its indirect or representative forms. In contrast, for academics embedded in the industrial relations tradition, worker participation is a prominent theme, even though less emphasized in its relationship with company objectives. One might defend traditional scholars' reservations by arguing that participations main goal concerns workplace democratization and not organizational prosperity. However, several writers state that industrial democracy involving worker participation can channel conflicts of interest between employees and employers and stimulate desired employee attitudes and behavior, consequently enhancing organizational performance (e.g., Gollan, 2006; Ramsay, 1991; Taras & Kaufman, 1999). And, indeed, several studies have shown positive effects of both direct participation (e.g., European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 1997) and indirect participation (e.g., Addison et al., 2000, 2003; Frick & Moller, 2003) on organizational performance. Nevertheless, to date, the absence of an integrated model explaining the connection between worker participation and organizational performance leads to the following question that still is in need of an answer: how do direct and indirect forms of participation – separate as well as in combination – affect organizational performance? This chapter aims to contribute to the filling of the aforementioned knowledge gaps. In so doing, we focus on direct and indirect, nonunion participation on the firm level, using a Western European and especially Dutch frame of reference.