Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hyaluronan Protects Bovine Articular Chondrocytes Against Cell Death Induced by Bupivacaine at Supraphysiologic Temperatures

Background: Bupivacaine and supraphysiologic temperature can independently reduce cell viability of articular chondrocytes. In combination, these 2 deleterious factors could further impair cell viability. Hypothesis: Hyaluronan may protect chondrocytes from death induced by bupivacaine at supraphysiologic temperatures. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Bovine articular chondrocytes were treated with hyaluronan at physiologic (37°C) and supraphysiologic temperatures (45°C and 50°C) for 1 hour and then exposed to bupivacaine for 1 hour at room temperature. Cell viability was assessed at 3 time points: immediately after treatment, 6 hours later, and 24 hours later using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. The effects of hyaluronan on the levels of sulfated glycosaminoglycan in the chondrocytes were determined using Alcian blue staining. Results: (1) Bupivacaine alone did not induce noticeable chondrocyte death at 37°C; (2) bupivacaine and temperature synergistically increased chondrocyte death, that is, when the chondrocytes were conditioned to 45°C and 50°C, 0.25% and 0.5% bupivacaine increased the cell death rate by 131% to 383% in comparison with the phosphate-buffered saline control group; and (3) addition of hyaluronan reduced chondrocyte death rates to approximately 14% and 25% at 45°C and 50°C, respectively. Hyaluronan’s protective effects were still observed at 6 and 24 hours after bupivacaine treatment at 45°C. However, at 50°C, hyaluronan delayed but did not prevent the cell death caused by bupivacaine. One-hour treatment with hyaluronan significantly increased sulfated glycosaminoglycan levels in the chondrocytes. Conclusion: Bupivacaine and supraphysiologic temperature synergistically increase chondrocyte death, and hyaluronan may protect articular chondrocytes from death caused by bupivacaine. Clinical Relevance: This study provides a rationale to perform preclinical and clinical studies to evaluate whether intra-articular injection of a mixture of bupivacaine and hyaluronan after arthroscopic surgery may protect against bupivacaine’s chondrotoxicity.
Effects of Organic Acid Supplemented Diets on Growth Performance, Egg Production and Quality and on Serum Parameters in Laying Hens

La presente etude a ete conduite afin de determiner les effets d'une supplementation alimentaire en acides organiques (0.5, 1.0 et 1.5%) sur les performances zootechniques (croissance, consommation et efficacite de la ration, production en oeufs), les qualites des oeufs et sur les parametres seriques des poules pondeuses. Au total, 180 poules pondeuses blanches Lohman LSL âgees de 20 semaines ont ete reparties en 4 groupes de 45 animaux. Les poules ont recu une ration (caracterisee par 17% de proteines brutes et 2800 kcal/kg en energie metabolisable) supplementee par 0% (groupe controle), 0.5% (groupe I), 1.0% (groupe II) et 1.5% (groupe III) d'un melange d'acides organiques (acides formique et propionique et sels ammoniaques correspondants) pendant 18 semaines. Le traitement en acides organiques de la ration n'a pas affecte de facon significative les parametres de croissance (poids vif et quantite de l'ingere), mais il a ameliore notablement la production en oeufs en accelerant la capacite de ponte chez les poules de 24 a 28 semaines et en prolongeant la periode de ponte des poules de 36 et 38 semaines, ainsi que l'efficacite alimentaire a un moindre degre. La proteinemie, l'albuminemie et l'activite serique de l'AST ont ete significativement augmentees alors que les autres parametres seriques testes (activite de l'ALT, cholesterolemie, triglyceridemie, lipidemie totale et concentrations en HDL et LDL) n'ont pas varie. L'ensemble de ces resultats montre qu'une supplementation de la ration en acides organiques peut etre envisagee chez la poule pondeuse afin d'ameliorer la production en oeufs et l'efficacite du metabolisme protidique.
Fiscalidad de la vivienda en España

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar los incentivos fiscales a la adquisicion de viviendas en Espana, mediante la construccion de una medida de la cuna fiscal sobre el coste de uso, para el periodo 1986-2004, a partir de un conjunto amplio de casos particulares. Los resultados confirman la existencia de una subvencion neta global, aunque diferente segun regimen de tenencia y nivel de renta, y decreciente durante este periodo como consecuencia, principalmente, de la reduccion en los tipos de interes. No parece pues que la fiscalidad haya contribuido de manera determinante a la ultima fase alcista del precio de la vivienda.
The preclinical phase of PsA: a challenge for the epidemiologist

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory arthritis and, like many chronic diseases, often has an insidious onset. The disease likely begins well before patients first present to a rheumatologist and even before they first have symptoms. Several studies have confirmed the presence of subclinical joint and entheseal inflammation in patients with psoriasis.1–5 However, relatively little is known about the preclinical phase of PsA. The ‘preclinical phase’ is emerging as an important issue in many rheumatic diseases and is an important area of ongoing research. A preclinical phase in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been fairly well described. Current research suggests that, among predetermined or genetically susceptible individuals, an inciting agent (eg, smoking) ignites asymptomatic inflammation. This is followed by asymptomatic synovitis, development of symptoms, a transition to clinically apparent RA and subsequent diagnosis, and then a chronic inflammatory phase.6–8 The preclinical phase of RA is supported by studies identifying the presence of autoantibodies ≥10 years prior to presentation of clinically apparent disease in RA.9 In this issue of the Annals of Rheumatic Disease , Kristensen et al 10 provide a population-based description of the period leading up to the diagnosis of PsA, potentially the ‘preclinical phase’ of PsA in their paper ‘Societal costs and patients’ experience of health inequities before and after diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis’. In this paper, we see that healthcare costs begin to rise approximately 5 years prior to the diagnosis of PsA, peak around the time of diagnosis, improve slightly (likely from institution of therapy and appropriate care) but then remain high (figure 1). Additionally, the investigators demonstrate an elevated prevalence of comorbidities compared with the general population both in the three years before and three years after diagnosis of PsA. Figure 1 A preclinical phase of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) likely includes an asymptomatic inflammatory phase followed …
The Effects of Spatial Correlation on Multiple Antenna Techniques with Multiuser Scheduling

This letter investigates the effects of spatial correlation on several multiple antenna schemes in multiuser environments. Using an order statistics upper bound on achievable capacity, we quantify the interaction among spatial correlation, spatial diversity, spatial multiplexing and multiuser diversity. Also, it is verified that the upper bound is tighter than asymptotic capacity when the number of users is relatively small.
Clinical Outcomes and Complications Associated with TORS for OSAHS: A Benchmark for Evaluating an Emerging Surgical Technology in a Targeted Application for Benign Disease

Background: The aim of this study was to create benchmarks for evaluating clinical outcomes and complications of transoral robotic surgeries (TORS) in a multicenter setting. Methods: 243 TORS for obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) operations, carried out between 2008 and 2012, were analyzed at 7 different centers. The average hospitalization was 3.5 days. The mean patient age was 50 ± 12 years, the average BMI at the time of the procedure was 28.53 ± 3.87 and the majority of the patients were men (81%). Results: The mean preoperative and postoperative apnea/hypopnea index was 43.0 ± 22.6 and 17.9 ± 18.4, respectively (p < 0.001). The mean preoperative and postoperative Epworth Sleepiness Scale score was 12.34 ± 5.19 and 5.7 ± 3.49, respectively (p < 0.001). The mean pre- and postoperative lowest O2 saturation was 79.5 ± 8.77 and 83.9 ± 6.38%, respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Patients undergoing TORS as part of a multilevel approach for the treatment of OSAHS have a reasonable expectation of success with minimal long-term morbidity.
Gesture Laterality in Aphasic and Apraxic Stroke Patients

Limb preference during conversational gestures may be a reflection of functional hemispheric asymmetries. In right-handers, speech and praxis are usually mediated by the left hemisphere and in conversation, right-handers gesture more with their right than left hand. However, patients with left hemisphere brain damage, who are aphasic and apraxic but not hemiplegic, may use their right hemisphere to compensate for their left. Therefore, we investigated spontaneous lateralized gesture production during conversation in a group of left hemisphere-damaged stroke patients, who were aphasic and apraxic but not hemiparetic, and compared their performance to a group of matched controls. Whereas the control group had a strong right-hand preference, the nonparetic but apraxic and aphasic stroke patients were as likely to produce gestures with the right, left, or both hands.
Supporting members of online communities through the use of visualisations

Growing numbers of people around the world are using online communities to stay in touch with each other. Online communities are now widespread, enabling meaningful communication, around various domains of interest, between users who are separated by time and distance. Despite the increasing numbers of people using online communities, there are many examples of communities which suffer from problems of falling levels of contributions from members. This book presents the use of visualisations as a means of supporting users of online communities. The results of the experiments contained within this work show that different visualisations are useful in different circumstances, pointing to the fact that the needs and requirements of users, and the tasks they undertake, should be considered when designing the exact nature of any potential visualisation intended to support users of online communities
3rd International Workshop on Socially-Aware Multimedia (SAM'14)

Multimedia social communication is becoming commonplace. Television is becoming smart and social; media sharing applications are transforming the way we converse and recall events and videoconferencing is a common application on our computers, phones, tablets and even televisions. The confluence of computer-mediated interaction, social networking, and multimedia content are radically reshaping social communications, bringing new challenges and opportunities. This workshop, in its third edition, provides an opportunity to explore socially-aware multimedia, in which the social dimension of mediated interactions between people are considered to be as important as the characteristics of the media content. Even though this social dimension is implicitly addressed in some current solutions, further research is needed to better understand what makes multimedia socially-aware.
High Contrast Stellar Observations within the Diffraction Limit at the Palomar Hale Telescope

We report on high-accuracy, high-resolut ion ( < 20mas) stellar measurements obtained in the near infrared (~ 2.2 microns) at the Palomar 200 inch telescope using two elliptical (3 m x 1.5 m) sub-apertures located 3.4 m apart . Our interferometric coronagraph, known as the "Palomar Fiber Nuller" (PFN), is located downstream of the Palomar adaptive optics (AO) system and recombines the two separate beams into a common singlemode fiber. The AO system acts as a " fr inge tracker", maintaining the optical path difference (OPD) between the beams around an adjustable value, which is set to the central dark interference fringe. AO correction ensures high efficiency and stable inject ion of the beams into the single-mode fi ber. A chopper wheel and a fast photometer are used to record short ( < 50ms per beam) interleaved sequences of backgro.und, individual beam and interferometric signals. In order to analyze these chopped null data sequences, we developed a new statistical method , baptized "Null Self-Calibration" (NSC), which provides astrophysical null measurements at the 0.001 level, wi th 1 a uncertainties as low as 0.0003. Such accuracy translates into a dynamic range greater than 1000:1 within the diffraction limit , demonstrating that the approach effectively bridges the tradit ional gap between regular coronagraphs, limited in angular resolution , and long baseline visibility interferometers, whose dynamic range is restricted to ~ 100:1. As our measurements are extremely sensitive to the brightness distribution very close to the opt ical axis, we were able to constrain the stellar diameters and amounts of circumstellar emission for a sample of very bright stars. With the improvement expected when the PALM-3000 extreme AO system comes on-line at Palomar, the same instrument now equipped with a state of the art low noise fast read-out near IR camera, will yield 104 to 103 contrast as close as 30 mas for stars with K magnitude brighter than 6. Such a system will provide a unique and ideal tool for the detection of young ( < 100 Myr) self-luminous planets and hot debris disks in the immediate vicinity (0.1 to a few A Us) of nearby ( < 50pc) stars. K eywords: infrared: stars instrumentation: coronagraphs, interferometers stars: circumstellar matter stars: individual (a Boo, Vega, p Per)
Diffusion of Opinions in a Complex Culture System

People take descriptive norms into account when making decisions, even when they do not personally believe in the norms; when the norms do not correspond to the actual preferences of the group; and when the decision is a high stake one. A prevailing challenge in culture and norm research is to identify the sociocultural processes through which ideas spread and become part of the descriptive norms in the society, as well as the processes through which the diffusion of ideas is contained. In the present article, the authors review two emerging communication perspectives on idea diffusion and norm emergence: neo-diffusionism and complexity theory. In addition, the authors illustrate in an agent-based modeling study how complexity theory can shed new light on how opinions spread through interpersonal communication in a complex cultural system. Preliminary results show that as long as most agents in the system prefer talking to others sharing the same opinion, the relative distribution of majority and minority opinions in the system will not change. Interestingly, when egocentric speech is coupled with the preference to communicate with dissimilar others, the level of cognitive homogeneity level (i.e., opinion consensus) in the system increases. In contrast, when audience design is coupled with the preference to communicate with dissimilar others, the level of cognitive diversity level in the system increases. The implications of the results for emergence of descriptive norms are discussed.
Influenza Virus Evades Innate and Adaptive Immunity via the NS1 Protein

ABSTRACT Both antibodies and T cells contribute to immunity against influenza virus infection. However, the generation of strong Th1 immunity is crucial for viral clearance. Interestingly, we found that human dendritic cells (DCs) infected with influenza A virus have lower allospecific Th1-cell stimulatory abilities than DCs activated by other stimuli, such as lipopolysaccharide and Newcastle disease virus infection. This weak stimulatory activity correlates with a suboptimal maturation of the DCs following infection with influenza A virus. We next investigated whether the influenza A virus NS1 protein could be responsible for the low levels of DC maturation after influenza virus infection. The NS1 protein is an important virulence factor associated with the suppression of innate immunity via the inhibition of type I interferon (IFN) production in infected cells. Using recombinant influenza and Newcastle disease viruses, with or without the NS1 gene from influenza virus, we found that the induction of a genetic program underlying DC maturation, migration, and T-cell stimulatory activity is specifically suppressed by the expression of the NS1 protein. Among the genes affected by NS1 are those coding for macrophage inflammatory protein 1β, interleukin-12 p35 (IL-12 p35), IL-23 p19, RANTES, IL-8, IFN-α/β, and CCR7. These results indicate that the influenza A virus NS1 protein is a bifunctional viral immunosuppressor which inhibits innate immunity by preventing type I IFN release and inhibits adaptive immunity by attenuating human DC maturation and the capacity of DCs to induce T-cell responses. Our observations also support the potential use of NS1 mutant influenza viruses as live attenuated influenza virus vaccines.
Impact to lung health of haze from forest fires: The Singapore experience

From late July to the beginning of October 1997, countries of Southeast Asia experienced severe smoke haze pollution from uncontrolled forest fires mainly in the Indonesian states of Kalimantan and Sumatra. In Singapore, the impact of the 1997 haze was felt in the period from the end of August to the first week of November 1997 as a result of prevailing winds.
Grouped Gene Selection of Cancer via Adaptive Sparse Group Lasso Based on Conditional Mutual Information

This paper deals with the problems of cancer classification and grouped gene selection. The weighted gene co-expression network on cancer microarray data is employed to identify modules corresponding to biological pathways, based on which a strategy of dividing genes into groups is presented. Using the conditional mutual information within each divided group, an integrated criterion is proposed and the data-driven weights are constructed. They are shown with the ability to evaluate both the individual gene significance and the influence to improve correlation of all the other pairwise genes in each group. Furthermore, an adaptive sparse group lasso is proposed, by which an improved blockwise descent algorithm is developed. The results on four cancer data sets demonstrate that the proposed adaptive sparse group lasso can effectively perform classification and grouped gene selection.
Drugs Targeting Protein–Protein Interactions

Most biological processes involve permanent and nonpermanent interactions between different proteins, and many protein complexes play a key role in various human diseases. Therefore, molecules that prevent the formation of these protein complexes could be valuable new therapeutic agents to treat these diseases. Protein interfaces have not evolved to bind low‐molecular‐weight molecules, as is the case with enzyme catalytic sites. It is therefore difficult to identify small compounds that inhibit protein–protein interactions. However, there is considerable diversity in the structure of protein interfaces, some of which may be more attractive than others for medicinal chemistry. One of the main challenges in drug discovery is to identify these interfaces and to exploit their properties to make marketable drugs. Herein, the properties of protein interfaces are discussed in light of their use as drug targets.
Theoretical and experimental analysis of the fabrication tolerance on deeply etched silicon/air Bragg micromirrors

Modelling and analysis of the technological tolerance and artifacts of deeply-etched Bragg micromirrors and their impact on the performance is presented. Si/Air Bragg micromirrors with 150 µm etching depth and Si/Air layer thickness of about 3.8 µm / 3.6 µm are fabricated on Si wafer using the Deep Reactive Ion Etching technology (DRIE); designed to operate at a central wavelength of 1600 nm. For such high aspect ratio DRIE, the side-effects of the technology such as over-etching and surface roughness can be significant. Optical measurements for the multi-band spectral response are used to characterize the performance of the fabricated micromirrors and estimate the technological parameters. It was found that the central wavelength shifts monotonically with the over-etching at a rate of 0.45 nm / nm. The dependence of the 3-dB bandwidth and mirror reflectivity is non-monotonic with the over-etching. The surface roughness leads to shift in the central wavelength in addition to degradation in the bandwidth and mirror reflectivity. The presented results are important to understand the technological impact on optical filters and sensors based on the Bragg micromirrors.
Temporomandibular disorders.

Temporomandibular joint, unlike other joints in the human body, is different in terms of its anatomy and management of ailments. Proficiency in the management of TMJ disorders has always created epoch among oral and maxillofacial surgeons worldwide. Due to lifestyle changes, TMJ pain has emerged as a big nuisance crippling our society. American Dental Association’s conference on temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) in 1983, discussed and highlighted the need for a reliable and valid diagnostic classification system to identify TMD and their specific subtypes. National Institutes of Health Technology Assessment Conference Statement, 1996 specified the need to identify the pathogenesis and risk factors for TMDs through epidemiological and experimental studies. Such studies have provided the basis for an etiology-based diagnostic classification system necessary to best facilitate management and treatments for these disorders. The Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) presented by Dworkin and LeResche, 1992, defines TMD cases and their specific subtypes. The RDC/TMD has been used in many epidemiologic and clinical studies of TMDs. This system includes two Axis; I (clinical TMD conditions) physical assessment and diagnostic protocol, and II (pain-related disability and psychological status) assessment of psychological status and pain-related disability. TMD pain should be distinguished from other pain conditions, such as referred pain, hyperalgesia, allodynia and central sensitization in the masticatory. Keeping this inmind, TMJ Conference &Mastercourse 2013 was conducted in Lucknow from 22nd to 24th Aug’ 2013. The whole scientific program revived and refreshed our minds with the knowledge of temporomandibular joint afflictions and its management. The 2 days program gave us a broad overview of varied topics ranging from the surgical anatomy of and approaches to TMJ, Myofascial and TMJ pain, arthritis and internal disc derangements, recurrent dislocations and ankylosis, diagnostic advancements such as MRIs, arthroscopy, non surgical treatment modalities, minimal invasive arthrocentesis and open joint surgery, rehabilitation of TMJ with TM joint replacement or reconstruction using various alloplastic & autogenous materials, correction of post ankylotic deformities and distraction osteogenesis, and biomedical tissue engineering. This issue contains the topics discussed by experts in the field and abstracts of various papers presented during the conference.
Evaluatie van disease management programma's in Nederland

markdownabstractIn het ZonMw programma ‘Disease Management Chronische Ziekten’ (DMCZ) zijn 22 praktijkprojecten ontwikkeld, gevolgd en geevalueerd. Deze ZonMw-praktijkprojecten hadden een looptijd van ongeveer drie jaar. Gedurende deze periode zijn de projecten systematisch gevolgd op een aantal proces- en effectmaten en kosten-effectiviteit. De verwachting is dat disease management programma's gebaseerd op Ed Wagner's chronische zorgmodel bijdragen aan betere kwaliteit van chronische zorgverlening. Inzicht in de korte en lange termijn effecten van implementatie van dit type programma's voor verschillende chronische aandoeningen is echter nog schaars. [. ]