Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Healthy lifestyle behavior and risk of long duration troublesome neck pain or low back pain among men and women: results from the Stockholm Public Health Cohort

Background The role of healthy lifestyle behavior (HLB) in terms of physical activity, alcohol intake, smoking, and diet put together has not yet been explored for the risk of low back pain (LBP) and neck pain (NP). Our aim was to study if an HLB is protective against the onset of long duration troublesome LBP and NP in men and women. Methods Two cohorts from the Stockholm Public Health Cohort, free from LBP (n=12,483) and NP (n=10,539), respectively, in 2006, were surveyed with questionnaires. Baseline information about physical activity, alcohol intake, diet, and smoking were dichotomized into being healthy/not healthy and combined in a categorical variable according to the number of healthy behaviors present. Binomial regression analyses were used to evaluate the role of HLB for the outcomes 4 years later. Results When men with three or four healthy lifestyles were compared to men with none or one, the risk ratio (RR) of LBP was 0.63 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.39–1.02). The corresponding RR for LBP in women was 0.86 (95% CI: 0.56–1.32). When men with three or four healthy lifestyles were compared to men with none or one, the RR for NP was 1.13 (95% CI: 0.74–1.71). The corresponding RR for NP in women was 0.52 (95% CI: 0.35–0.77). Conclusion An HLB seems to be protective for long duration troublesome LBP in men, and for long duration troublesome NP in women.
An XMM-Newton view of the serendipitous sources in the PKS0312-770 field

We describe an XMM-Newton observation of the PKS0312-770 field, which facilitates the spectral analysis of serendipitous sources previously detected by CHANDRA. The combination of larger effective area and longer exposure duration allows a significant increase in detected photons, and a lower limit in source detection sensitivity. In particular the hard X-ray normal galaxy unveiled by Fiore et al. (2000) is most likely explained as a moderately absorbed ($N_{\rm H} \sim 10^{22}$ cm -2 ) AGN. We detect 52 sources (45 previously unreported) at a limiting flux of ~$2\times 10^{-15}$ ergs cm -2 s -1 in the 0.5-2 keV band. The Log N -Log S curve is consistent with that derived from by XMM-Newton observations of the Lockman Hole field. The flux determinations allow to check for any inconsistency between the calibrations of the two observatories, which is discussed.
Growth and survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 under acidic conditions

The effect of pH reduction with acetic (pH 5.2), citric (pH 4.0), lactic (pH 4.7), malic (pH 4.0), mandelic (pH 5.0), or tartaric (pH 4.1) acid on growth and survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in tryptic soy broth with 0.6% yeast extract held at 25, 10, or 4 degrees C for 56 days was determined. Triplicate flasks were prepared for each acid treatment at each temperature. At 25 degrees C, populations increased 2 to 4 log10 CFU/ml in all treatments except that with mandelic acid, whereas no growth occurred at 10 or 4 degrees C in any treatments except the control. However, at all sampling times, higher (P < 0.05) populations were recovered from treatments held at 4 degrees C than from those held at 10 degrees C. At 10 degrees C, E. coli O157:H7 was inactivated at higher rates in citric, malic, and mandelic acid treatments than in the other treatments. At the pH values tested, the presence of the organic acids enhanced survival of the pathogen at 4 degrees C compared with the unacidified control. E. coli O157:H7 has the ability to survive in acidic conditions (pH, > or = 4.0) for up to 56 days, but survival is affected by type of acidulant and temperature.
Blood pressure response to moderate physical activity is increased in obesity.

OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that in young, normotensive obese subjects, physical activity at a fixed, moderate workload, causes a more pronounced hypertensive effect than in lean subjects. PATIENTS AND METHODS 24 subjects (12 with BMI >30 kg/m(2), 12 with BMI <25 kg/m(2)), underwent a moderate-intensity physical activity protocol (cycling at 100 W). Blood pressure and oxygen consumption were monitored continuously. RESULTS In the obese subjects, physical activity caused a more pronounced increase in both systolic blood pressure (increase of 40.4 +/- 15.3 mmHg vs 21.2 +/- 10.2 mmHg in lean subjects; p=0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (17.5 +/- 17.9 mmHg vs 3.2 +/- 8.1 mmHg in lean subjects; p=0.02). In regression analyses, these differences were only partly explained by small differences in resting blood pressure. CONCLUSION Healthy obese subjects show an enhanced prohypertensive response of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure to moderate-intensity physical activity.
An integrated understanding of the immunology of allograft inflammation

Purpose of review The purpose of this review is to summarize recent advances in our understanding of the complex immunology of intestinal transplantation and allograft rejection. Recent findings Recent findings highlight the importance of the intestinal microbiome for intestinal homeostasis and the role of newly discovered innate lymphoid cells in intestinal transplantation. In addition, the role of host antimicrobial Th17 responses in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases and intestinal allograft rejection has been further elucidated. Summary Research on the complex immune system of the intestine has continued to reveal more intricacies and connections with each study performed, making treatment of intestinal transplant patients more multifaceted. The interaction, communication, and relationships between areas such as the microbiome, innate lymphoid cells, and Th17 cells reveal possible targets for therapy and further areas requiring ongoing research.
Patients and families as safety experts

See related research article by Daniels and colleagues on page [29][1] and at [www.cmaj. ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.110393][2] Patient safety is addressed and discussed from many perspectives. Lessons are sought from all manner of industries and experts, from the disciplines of psychology,
Cancer pain management: Newer perspectives on opioids and episodic pain

Cancer pain is significantly undertreated, but the current armamentarium of opioids and other analgesics are such that no cancer patient should be in pain. The guidelines for the treatment of cancer pain suggest that a long-acting, preferably oral, opioid be administered around the clock for persistent baseline pain, along with a short-acting oral opioid for episodes of breakthrough pain. Morphine is the gold standard for ATC opioid treatment, and OTFC is emerging as a potent agent for the management of breakthrough pain. The careful assessment and management of persistent cancer pain and breakthrough pain will help realize the goal of optimal pain management for all cancer patients.
Alterations of the salience network in obesity: A resting‐state fMRI study

Obesity is a major health problem in modern societies. It has been related to abnormal functional organization of brain networks believed to process homeostatic (internal) and/or salience (external) information. This study used resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis to delineate possible functional changes in brain networks related to obesity. A group of 18 healthy adult participants with obesity were compared with a group of 16 lean participants while performing a resting‐state task, with the data being evaluated by independent component analysis. Participants also completed a neuropsychological assessment. Results showed that the functional connectivity strength of the putamen nucleus in the salience network was increased in the obese group. We speculate that this abnormal activation may contribute to overeating through an imbalance between autonomic processing and reward processing of food stimuli. A correlation was also observed in obesity between activation of the putamen nucleus in the salience network and mental slowness, which is consistent with the notion that basal ganglia circuits modulate rapid processing of information. Hum Brain Mapp 34:2786–2797, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pseudogene rescue: an adaptive mechanism of codon reassignment

Alterations to the genetic code – codon reassignments – have occurred many times in life’s history, despite the fact that genomes are coadapted to their genetic codes and therefore alterations are likely to be maladaptive. A potential mechanism for adaptive codon reassignment, which could trigger either a temporary period of codon ambiguity or a permanent genetic code change, is the reactivation of a pseudogene by a nonsense suppressor mutant transfer RNA. I examine the population genetics of each stage of this process and find that pseudogene rescue is plausible and also readily explains some features of extant variability in genetic codes.
Design and Evaluation of Reduced Self-Capacitance Inductor in DC/DC Converters with Fast-Switching SiC Transistors

The paper presents an inductor with reduced self-capacitance, designed and evaluated with fast-switching SiC transistors in dc-dc converters. A conventional inductor with the same core and number of turns was also build for comparison. The two inductors are tested experimentally on two different 2 kW, 100 kHz dc-dc converters with silicon carbide switches-one with a junction field-effect transistor (JFET) and the other with a bipolar junction transistor (BJT). Replacing the conventional inductor with the one that has lower self-capacitance improved the switching performance of the converter and reduced its electromagnetic emissions. Furthermore, the efficiency of the converter is improved-in the case of the JFET boost converter the power losses were reduced by 16% and by 20% in the case of BJT.
Robust Iterative Learning Control: L1 adaptive feedback control in an ILC framework

This paper presents a novel Iterative Learning Control (ILC) scheme for linear systems in the presence of parametric uncertainty. The developed ILC architecture is comprised of an £1 adaptive feedback controller combined with an ILC feedforward controller. The learning controller is designed to compensate for repetitive system uncertainties, while the adaptive controller compensates for non-repetitive uncertainties. Simulation results for a simplified motion control system illustrate the potential benefits of the architecture.
Cut-Down Operations on Bilattices

In this paper, Melvin Fitting's notion of a "cut-down" operation on a bilattice is considered. It is shown that the logic of cut-down operations on bilattices is equivalent to Harry Deutsch's four-valued Sfde, demonstrating that Sfde is as intimately connected to the theory of bilattices as is the Dunn-Belnap logic Efde. The paper concludes by observing that the "not ¬" operation of Carlos Damásio and Luís Pereira serves as a cut-down in Fitting's sense and that the logic of Damásio-Pereira cut-down operations on the bilattice NINE is equivalent to Richard Angell's AC.
Parsonnet score is a good predictor of the duration of intensive care unit stay following cardiac surgery

OBJECTIVE To investigate the value of the Parsonnet score (PS) in identifying preoperatively patients that are likely to spend < 24 hours on the intensive care unit (ICU) following cardiac surgery. METHOD Prospectively collected data on 5591 patients were analysed. PS, mortality, the length of stay on the ICU (ICU-LOS), number of patients with clinical evidence of stroke, need for haemofiltration, resternotomy for bleeding, tracheostomy, and use of intra-aortic balloon pump were documented as outcomes. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve constructed using PS as a predictor of ICU stay < 24 hours identified a PS of 10 as the best cut off point that would predict ICU-LOS < 24 hours. The patients were therefore stratified by PS into two groups, those with a PS of 0 to 9 (PS 0–9) and those with a PS of 10 and above (PS 10+). RESULTS The ROC curve constructed using PS as a predictor of ICU stay < 24 hours had an area under the curve of 0.70 (0.01). The maximum efficiency of the test was at a sensitivity of 0.68. This corresponded to PS 10. The positive predictive value of the test at this score was 90.5%. Patients with PS 0–9 had a mean ICU stay of 1.49 days, while patients with PS 10+ had a mean ICU stay of 2.89 days (p = 0.01). The risk of stroke, use of intra-aortic balloon pump, requirement for haemofiltration, need for tracheostomy, and risk of resternotomy for bleeding were each significantly less in patients with PS 0–9 versus those with a score of PS 10+ (p < 0.01 in all cases). The risk of a single complication was 4.7% (PS 0–9)v 15.2% (PS 10+) (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION PS is an impartial and objective method of predicting postoperative complications and ICU stay < 24 hours. This is of value in selecting a cohort of patients likely to maintain a smooth flow of patients through the cardiothoracic unit when resources are limited to a few free ICU beds.
Estudio de asociación mediante marcadores genéticos de la queratitis superficial crónica en perros de raza ovejero alemán

Canine chronic superficial keratitis (CSK) is an inflammatory corneal disease that leads to blindness if not treated. CSK occurs most frequently in the German Shepherd dog (GSDs). While the normal central cornea has little MHC class II expression, aberrant expression occurs in CSK, associated with secretion of gamma interferon by infiltrating CD4 expressing lymphocytes. Several evidences lend support to the hypothesis that CSK is an immune-mediated disease. Accordingly, to investigate the molecular genetic factors that may be associated to CSK development: 3 STRs (short tandem repeats) linked to DLA (Dog Leukocyte Antigen) class II region (FH2202, FH2054 y FH2975, upstream regulatory regions (URR) and ARS (exon 2) of DLA class II DLA-DRB1, DLA-DQA1 and DLADQB1 genes were genotyped in 73 dogs, including 43 CSK animals. Association was observed in all types of markers, allele FH2054*172 (p value =0.02) and FH2975*320 (p value = 0.005) were associated with a higher risk to develop CKS. The URR-DQB*TATC haplotype was significantly associated with CSK (p = 0.006), increasing almost three folds the risk to develop this disease (OR= 2.87, 95%, CI = 1.4381). Furthermore, the haplotype DRB1*00101/DQA1*00101/DQB1*00201 was associated with a low risk to develop CSK (p=0.02, OR= 0.2, 95%, CI = 0.070.81). Although, the haplotype conformed by promoter and exon 2 of DLA-DQB1 URR-DQB*TATC/*01302 was significant associated with CSK (p=0.003, OR= 4.56, 95%, CI = 1.7416.53) increasing five folds the risk to develop the disease. This study confirms the role of MHC class II in the development of CSK and provides new data about the local population of GSD. This genetic association also supports the previous clinical, histological and pharmacological studies of CSK as an immune-mediated disease and could potentially be used to identify susceptibly animals that require monitoring for early pathological changes to reduce blindness and to ameliorate reproductive management.
Tbx4/5 gene duplication and the origin of vertebrate paired appendages

Paired fins/limbs are one of the most successful vertebrate innovations, since they are used for numerous fundamental activities, including locomotion, feeding, and breeding. Gene duplication events generate new genes with the potential to acquire novel functions, and two rounds of genome duplication took place during vertebrate evolution. The cephalochordate amphioxus diverged from other chordates before these events and is widely used to deduce the functions of ancestral genes, present in single copy in amphioxus, compared to the functions of their duplicated vertebrate orthologues. The T-box genes Tbx5 and Tbx4 encode two closely related transcription factors that are the earliest factors required to initiate forelimb and hind limb outgrowth, respectively. Since the genetic components proposed to be responsible for acquiring a trait during evolution are likely to be involved in the formation of that same trait in living organisms, we investigated whether the duplication of an ancestral, single Tbx4/5 gene to give rise to distinct Tbx4 and Tbx5 genes has been instrumental in the acquisition of limbs during vertebrate evolution. We analyzed whether the amphioxus Tbx4/5 gene is able to initiate limb outgrowth, and assayed the amphioxus locus for the presence of limb-forming regulatory regions. We show that AmphiTbx4/5 is able to initiate limb outgrowth and, in contrast, that the genomic locus lacks the regulatory modules required for expression that would result in limb formation. We propose that changes at the level of Tbx5 and Tbx4 expression, rather than the generation of novel protein function, have been necessary for the acquisition of paired appendages during vertebrate evolution.
Effects of Body Composition on Insulin Sensitivity

We studied the effects of body composition and maximal aerobic power on insulin sensitivity in 23 normal-weight, healthy male subjects. Eight were weight lifters, eight were long-distance runners, and seven were untrained controls. In each subject, the percentage of body weight (BW) made up of muscle and fat tissue (% muscle and % fat, respectively), the maximal aerobic power (O2max), and the tissue sensitivity to insulin were measured. The weight lifters were characterized by 35% higher % muscle as compared with the runners or controls (P < 0.01). O2max in the runners was 30–40% higher than in the weight lifters or controls (P < 0.001). During the euglycemic clamp studies, similar steady-state plasma glucose and insulin levels were achieved in each group. When calculated per total BW, the rate of glucose metabolism (M) was virtually identical in the weight lifters (10.26 ± 1.02 mg/kg BW/min) and the runners (10.03 ± 0.86 mg/kg BW/min), and 40–45% higher than in the controls (7.10 ± 0.75 mg/kg BW/min, P < 0.05). When calculated per muscle mass (Mm), only the runners had a higher than normal rate of glucose metabolism (P < 0.02). M was directly proportional to % muscle (r = 0.54, P < 0.01) and inversely related to % fat (r = −0.72, P < 0.001). The multiple linear regression analysis revealed a highly significant multivariate correlation between M and the combined effect of % muscle, % fat, and VO2max (r = 0.78, P < 0.0005). In addition, a regression equation for the predicted M was obtained as follows: M (mg/kg BW/min) = 0.697 + 0.155 % muscle − 0.312 % fat + 0.065 VO2max (ml/kg/min). In conclusion, first, body sensitivity to insulin is directly related to muscle mass and inversely proportional to adiposity. Second, it may be possible in healthy man to predict the rate of glucose metabolism when body composition and O2max are known.
Trapshooter's cramp.

To the Editor. — I think a novel and heretofore undescribed disorder of movement peculiar to trapshooters seems to be worthy of comment. As a neurologist and amateur trapshooter, I have long been cognizant of a problem that occurs in fellow competitors. It is restricted to participants in the sport who have a background of years of relatively uninterrupted competition. I believe that the disorder must be another example of that poorly understood collection of acquired motor afflictions, which have been variously named "writer's cramp," "scrivener's palsy," "habit spasm," "craft palsy," "occupational neurosis," "telegrapher's hand," and "violinist's cramp. " 1-5 By definition, these disorders are affections of specific learned, highly coordinated, skilled motor movements. They occur after years of extensive execution of a particular muscular activity. Manifestations are varied, but the individual will note a slowing of performance or inability to initiate the act. There is usually an associated spasm of the
Future Directions in Alcoholism Research

Alcohol affects the process by which genes direct the synthesis of proteins (i.e., expression). Therefore, patterns of gene expression in the presence of alcohol can help scientists identify the specific molecular sites of alcohol’s actions within the brain. New technologies can detect and quantify changes in the expression of thousands of genes simultaneously by scanning microscopic gene arrays applied to glass or silicon chips an inch or so square. However, genes whose activity is altered in the presence of alcohol may either be contributing to alcoholism development or may be reacting to alcohol’s presence. This question can be researched by observing the effects of manipulating the level of specific gene products. One way to accomplish this end is by means of viruses that have been engineered to express a specific gene in infected cells. This technique has been applied successfully in studying addictive behaviors. It is suggested that patterns of gene expression may become a diagnostic tool, with different disease states being characterized by distinct expression profiles.
Natural Sniffing Gives Optimum Odour Perception for Humans

The characteristics of human sniffing episodes during odour perception have been described in an earlier paper, where it has been suggested that the techniques used by individuals may be close to those providing optimum perception. To investigate this suggestion, threshold and intensity tests with butanol, cyclohexanone, and pentyl acetate have been carried out on twenty-one subjects. Olfactory responses obtained by using natural sniffing techniques were compared with those where the number of sniffs, interval between sniffs, and size of sniffs were varied. The results indicate that it is very difficult to improve on the efficiency of sniffing techniques of individuals and that a single natural sniff provides as much information about the presence and intensity of an odour as do seven or more sniffs. A single natural sniff and the first sniff of a a natural sniffing episode were shown to have similar characteristics and most significantly both were unaffected by changes in the concentration and type of odour. Overall, the results indicate that humans achieve optimum odour perception during threshold and intensity measures with their natural multiple-sniff technique or with a single sniff. For the ‘average’ human this occurs with a sniff of inhalation rate 30 1 min−1, volume 200 cm3, and duration 0.4 s. The use of several sniffs in a sniffing episode appears to be a confirmatory action rather than a necessary one, except for the perception of odour mixtures where several sniffs are likely to be needed to aid discrimination of the components. Data from the present and earlier study provide the information necessary for the development of a standard olfactometer and standard procedures for measuring the olfactory responses of humans.
Efficient Power-Electronic Converters for Electric Vehicle Applications

This paper introduces advanced power-electronic converter topologies for Electric Vehicles (EVs) using a four-phase DC/DC interleaved boost converter (FP-IBC) and a five-level T-type DC/AC multilevel converter. A comparison between the proposed topologies and other converter topologies is performed and discussed. The simulation results are analysed to evaluate the converters based on power loss calculations and harmonic analysis. The converters are studied at different switching frequencies and various loading conditions to reflect their effects on the converter losses. The results highlight the proposed converters' higher efficiency compared to other studied converter topologies in electric vehicle applications.