Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk of hepatobiliary disease in adults with severe α1-antitrypsin deficiency (PiZZ): is chronic viral hepatitis B or C an additional risk factor for cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma?

Objectives: To assess homozygous α1-antitrypsin deficiency (PiZZ) as a risk factor for cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and gallstone disease, and to analyse the respective interrelationships and those suggested to exist between PiZZ, α1-antitrypsin and chronic hepatitis B and C. Design/methods: This study was based on 31 autopsied adults with severe α1-antitrypsin deficiency diagnosed during the period 1963-94, in the city of Malmö, Sweden. For each autopsied PiZZ individual, four age- and sex-matched controls were selected from the same autopsy register. The autopsy rate during the study period was 57.2% of all deaths in the city and 85% of deaths at the hospital. Relative risks were estimated in terms of Mantel-Haenszel odds ratios (ORmh). Results: In the PiZZ group, we found 13 cases of cirrhosis (ORmh=8.3; 95% Cl, 3.8–18.3; P<0.0001), 5 cases of HCC (ORmh=5.0; 95% Cl, 1.6–15.8; P=0.008), and 8 cases of gallstone disease (ORmh=1 0; 95% Cl, 0.4–2.3; P=0.924), compared with 7, 4 and 29 cases, respectively, in the control group. Stratification of the data by age and sex showed the difference in relative risk of cirrhosis between the PiZZ and control groups to be significant in both sexes, but that of HCC to be significant only in the male subgroup. There was no correlation between PiZZ state and gallstone disease in either sex. All PiZZ patients with cirrhosis and HCC had had negative tests for antihepatitis B core antigen and/or hepatitis B surface antigen. Of the homozygotes with cirrhosis or HCC for whom frozen sera were available (54% (7/13) and 60% (3/5), respectively), none had antihepatitis C antibodies, as tested both with ELISA-2 and RIBA-3. The prevalence of cirrhosis was higher in the PiZZ group than in controls for all ages above 50 years (P<0.05). The occurrence of gallstone disease increased steadily with age in the two populations. Conclusions: Although males and females with severe α1-antitrypsin deficiency are not at significantly greater risk of gallstone disease, they are at greater risk of cirrhosis and HCC, the risk of HCC being more manifest in males. The risk of cirrhosis or HCC was unrelated to the presence of hepatitis B or C infection.
A Study of Clinical Profile, Risk Factors and Outcome in Patients of Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis

Background: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is an uncommon cause of stroke with extremely varied clinical features, predisposing factors and outcomes. With the widespread use of neuroimaging and hematological work up more and more patients are being confidently diagnosed. Objective: To study the clinical profile, risk factors, radiological findings and outcome in patients of CVST at tertiary care center in Haryana. Study Design: Prospective study. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients with radiologically proven CVST were studied over a period of 12 months. The demographical, clinical, radiological and laboratory data was recorded and analyzed. Follow up was done for a period of 6 months. Results: Of the 30 patients, 23 (76.7%) were female and the mean age was 29.1 years (range 14-52 years). Most common presenting features were headache (73.3%), focal deficit (56.7%) and seizures (46.7%). Stroke like presentation was seen in 11 patients (36.7%), benign intracranial hypertension was seen in 2 patients (6.7%) and isolated headache was seen in 2 patients (6.7%). Papilledema was most common neurological sign seen in 14 patients (46.7%). Common risk factors were puerperium (33.3%), hyperhomocysteinemia (13.3%), infections (10%). Mortality was noted in 3 patients (10%). Good outcome (modified Rankin Scale 0-2) at 6 months was observed in 22 patients (88%) out of 25 patients available for follow up. Conclusion: CVST can affect all age groups, particularly women of child bearing age. Puerperium, hyperhomocysteinemia and infection were the most common risk factors. Overall prognosis was good, but a small percentage of patients died.
Recommendation for severity assessment following liver resection and liver transplantation in rats: Part I

Score sheets were first introduced 30 years ago to assess pain, distress and suffering in animals. To date, however, there is still no general agreement on their use in research practice, and only a few publications can be found on this topic. In the present work, we demonstrate the use of a special score sheet for severity assessment in the first three postoperative days in two showcased studies performed on Wistar and Lewis rats undergoing liver resection or orthotopic liver transplantation, respectively. Scoring of different criteria and the total score were evaluated within each intervention. Additionally, both procedures were compared regarding their degree of severity. Suitability of these score sheets was evaluated for assessing severity of the procedures and these showed a minor severity within each investigated study. A comparison of both studies showed slightly higher scores involving liver transplantation. In contradiction to the common classification of these procedures as a moderate severity grade the score sheets applied here indicates a minor severity grade within each investigated study. Also, limitations and possible improvements in the design of our score sheets for defined interventions are reconsidered.
Vocalisation in Verbal Hallucinations: Case Report and Theoretical Model

Perception of one’s speech or the speech of others reflects an intrinsic process and should not to be seen as a product of information processing of external sensory input. From this perspective, the perception of one’s own or others’ speech is fundamentally equivalent to the experience of verbal hallucinations. Speech perception is generated primarily in the focus of attention, but auditory and proprioreceptive input from verbal articulations play an important constraining role, ensuring that perception remains adaptive to interaction with the external world. In verbal hallucinations these constraints may be partially disrupted. Perceptual qualities of hallucinatory voices may be generated in the focus of attention alone (in ignorance of actual acoustic stimulation from the environment), whilst content and grammatical aspects of hallucinatory speech perception may continue to be constrained adequately by proprioreceptive reafferentation from the speech apparatus. Thus subvocal speech may play a role in the elaboration and maintenance of verbal hallucinations.
Investigation of Acute Phase Reactants and Antioxidant Capacity in Calves Infected with Cryptosporidium parvum

Cryptosporidiosis is a zoonotic infection contaminating via fecal-oral route. Cryptosporidium parvum has a wide host prevalance, but is more epidemic in calves. This disease courses with high morbidity and mortality resulting considerable economic losses. In this study, halofuginon (100 μg /kg/day for 7 days) was applied to calves infected with C. parvum and the effect of this treatment on acute phase proteins and antioxidant capacity were investigated. Study group was comprised of sera of 10 Holstein calves aged 1-3 weeks, infected with C. parvum. Blood samples were obtained from the animals before and after treatment of 7 days and serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (Hp), C-reactive protein (CRP), ceruloplasmin (CP), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) activities were measured in sera. Obtained data showed that there was no statistical difference between pre and post treatment SAA, CRP and MDA levels, but a decrease was determined in post treatment Hp (P<0.001) and CP (P<0.05) levels, with ADA (P<0.05) and SOD (P<0.001) activities. Eventually, it was determined that ADA and SOD activities and Hp and CP levels decreases by treatment in calves infected with C. parvum.
QoS guarantee over DQCA for Wireless LANs with heterogeneous traffic

Distributed Queuing Collision Avoidance (DQCA) is an efficient MAC protocol designed for infrastructure Wireless LANs. In this paper, four algorithms are proposed that alter the FIFO scheduling order of DQCA in order to meet specific network requirements. The proposed schemes combine the efficiency of opportunistic scheduling with the QoS provisioning through service differentiation. The throughput and delay performance has been evaluated through simulations for a scenario with heterogeneous traffic.
Preliminary Findings of Feasibility of a Wearable Soft-robotic Glove Supporting Impaired Hand Function in Daily Life - A Soft-robotic Glove Supporting ADL of Elderly People

Elderly people frequently encounter difficulties in independently performing activities of daily living (ADL) due to a reduced hand function. Robotic assistive devices have the potential to provide the assistance that is necessary to perform ADL independently without the need of personal assistance. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to explore feasibility of a wearable soft-robotic glove (ironHand (iH) system) that can support hand function of elderly people in daily life. Thirty elderly people (>56 years) with a reduced hand function resulting in difficulties in performing ADL were recruited to perform six functional tasks three times with and without the iH system. Evaluation measurements consisted of functional tasks performance times and user-acceptance of the iH system, measured by the System Usability Scale (SUS). Participants improved their functional task performance after multiple attempts either with and without the glove, but performed significantly faster without the glove (p≤0.032). Besides, the mean of the SUS score for the iH system was 70.1%. Although this indicates a good probability for acceptance in the field, several design adaptations are necessary to have a user-friendly and accepted assistive device.
Nck1 deficiency accelerates unloading‐induced bone loss

Mechanical stress is an important signal to determine the levels of bone mass. Unloading‐induced osteoporosis is a critical issue in bed‐ridden patients and astronauts. Many molecules have been suggested to be involved in sensing mechanical stress in bone, though the mechanisms involved in this phenomenon are not fully understood. Nck1 is an adaptor protein known to mediate signaling from plasma membrane‐activated receptors to cytosolic effectors regulating actin cytoskeleton remodeling. Nck1 has also been implicated in cellular responses to endoplasmic reticulum stress. In vitro, in case of cell stress the actin cytoskeleton is disrupted and in such cases Nck1 has been reported to enter the nucleus of the cells to mediate the nuclear actin polymerization. However, the role of Nck1 in vivo during the bone response to mechanical stimuli is unknown. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of Nck1 in unloading‐induced bone loss in vivo. Sciatic and femoral nerve resection was conducted. Neurectomy‐based unloading enhanced Nck1 gene expression in bone about twofold. Using the Nck1 deficient mice and control Nck1+/+, effects of neurectomy‐based unloading on bone structure were examined. Unloading reduced bone volume in wild type mice by 30% whereas the levels in bone loss were exacerbated to 50% in Nck1 deficient mice due to neurectomy after 4 weeks. These data demonstrate that Nck1 gene deficiency accelerates the mechanical unloading‐induced bone loss suggesting Nck1 to be a crucial molecule in mechanical stress mediated regulation in bone metabolism. J. Cell. Physiol. 228: 1397–1403, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Designer driving: drivers' conceptual models and level of trust in adaptive cruise control

A driving simulator study was completed in order to examine drivers' level of trust and the type of Conceptual Model (CM) they held of an Adaptive Cruise Control system (ACC). Fifteen drivers participated in a ten days study where they were allocated to varying percentage of ACC reliability conditions (100%, 50%, 0%). Results demonstrated inappropriate levels of self-reported trust in relation to the corresponding level of reliability. In addition the DCMs were consolidated over a short period of time, but they did not match that of designers' model of ACC, thus better design solutions may be warranted.
Lymphangiogenic growth factors as markers of tumor metastasis

Understanding the complex process of tumor metastasis is a problem which has challenged both clinician and scientist for well over 100 years. Defining molecular markers which reflect the metastatic potential of a tumor has also proved elusive. Recently, members of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family of glycoproteins have been demonstrated to be potent mediators of both blood vessel and lymphatic vessel formation in the context of tumor biology. Experimental studies in animal models combined with extensive clinicopathological data provide a compelling case indicating that members of the VEGF family play a key role in the formation of metastases in a broad range of solid tumors. The question of whether VEGF signaling pathways can now serve as therapeutic targets alone, or in combination with other forms of anti‐cancer agents, needs to be addressed.
PowerTrader: Enforcing Autonomous Power Management for Future Large-Scale Many-Core Processors

Existing power management approaches for modern many-core processors resort to “centralized” design concept, aiming to optimize chip performance under fixed power budget. Unfortunately, the centralized power management approach, which usually relies on a dedicated on-chip power manager, faces various limitations such as poor scalability and high implementation overhead, and hence cannot be deployed in future large-scale manycores. This article proposes PowerTrader, an autonomous power management scheme. PowerTrader endows each core with self autonomy to issue the power control at any time to harvest the desirable power quota through negotiating with vicinity cores. It does not incur the overheads introduced by power allocation and statistics collection that are inevitable in centralized approaches, meanwhile chip power consumption could be well kept beneath the preset power budget. This article also elaborates on the key design tradeoff in autonomous power management (i.e., Mean-Time-to-Stable versus application power efficiency), and provides thorough design space exploration to justify the efficacy of the proposed approach. Experimental results show that PowerTrader achieves substantial improvements in both performance and power, and exhibits superior scalability compared with the state-of-the-arts.
Anti-delay closed-loop input shaper to improve manual control of flexible system

One example of the manual control of flexible system is the crane operator trying to move a swinging payload from point to point as fast and as accurate as possible. The payload swing definitely slows the task. Recent work has proposed placing an input shaper inside the feedback loop, so-called closed-loop signal shaping, to suppress the residual vibration of the flexible system. The residual vibration was successfully suppressed. However, there was a delay between the time the operator stops giving the command and the time the system actually stops. This is due to the modification of the command by placing the input shaper inside the feedback loop. The delay results in lower accuracy in placing the payload because the operator must guess where the system will stop. This paper presents an improvement on the present closed-loop signal shaping by placing the Smith predictor inside the feedback loop. The predictor significantly reduces the delay. Experiments have shown that operators can maneuver the flexible system using less time and with less subjective difficulty.
In defense of Narten roots

Abstract In this paper I argue that at least in Vedic, Narten roots existed. They were distinguished by lexically specified dominant accent, whereas non-Narten roots were underlyingly unaccented. Underlying lexical accent accounts for the static accent in the present tense as well as barytonesis in primary derivatives with recessively accented suffixes. The second characteristic feature of Narten roots, the lengthened grade in the strong stem of the present, is still best explained as an upgrading. This hypothesis is strengthened in a scenario where the analogy is fed by channel bias. In Vedic, the system of lexically accented roots was on the verge of collapse. This explains not only secondary thematic presents like rā́jati, but also sheds new light on forms like sā́hant- and sāhvā́ṃs-.
Replantation of 400 avulsed permanent incisors. 3. Factors related to root growth.

Four hundred avulsed and replanted permanent incisors were examined for pulpal and periodontal healing. In 30 teeth, root formation was incomplete at the time of injury. Two teeth were excluded from the study due to nonphysiological extraalveolar storage (i.e. homemade saline). Of the 28 remaining replanted incisors, 7 showed subsequently completed root development, 8 partially completed root development and 13 arrested root development. Completed root development subsequent to replantation was found to be significantly related to pulpal revascularization, being rare in cases with pulp necrosis (5 of 15 teeth) and frequent after pulpal healing (11 of 13 teeth) (p = 0.01). Root development was not found to be significantly related to the extraalveolar storage period; but occurred slightly more frequently when the dry storage period was less than 45 min. (p = 0.13). Ingrowth of bone and formation of an internal periodontal ligament (PDL) was found in 6 teeth and was related to arrested root formation in cases with pulpal healing. The explanatory factor for these findings appeared to be damage to the Hertwig's epithelial root sheath.
Incidence of Shwachman–Diamond syndrome

To the Editor: Shwachman–Diamond syndrome (SDS) (OMIM 260400) is a rare autosomal recessive disease first reported in 1964 [1,2]. Diagnostic criteria have been updated [3] to cope with a highly variable phenotype including abnormalities in exocrine pancreas, bones and bone marrow [4–6], an increased risk for myelodisplastic syndrome and leukemia and almost specific bone marrow chromosome abnormalities [7]. Data concerning the incidence of the disorder, all obtained before the identification of the SBDS gene [8], are scanty and outdated. Kent et al. [9] reported an incidence of 1/200,000; in 1995 a slightly higher estimate, 1/150,000, was suggested by LozadaMunoz and Del Pilar Aliaga, as cited by Cipolli [10]. Goobie et al. [11] estimated the incidence of SDS as 1/76,563. The collaboration of the laboratories performing molecular diagnoses of SDS in Italy (A.M., E.N.) allowed us to collect the birth dates for all Italian patients in whom the presence of two mutations in the SBDS gene was confirmed. We are well aware that some cases with a clinical diagnosis of SDS may have not been studied by molecular analyses, so that our ascer-
New approaches to assess selenium status and requirement.

Selenium is one of the essential nutrients that may have beneficial effects on health at dietary intakes higher than the established Recommended Dietary Allowances in the United States. Dietary recommendations for this element have been the subject of much controversy, illustrating the difficulties involved in the definition of requirements based on the interpretation of biochemical markers. This review will show how concepts may differ and even change as a consequence of the evolution of the knowledge concerning classical parameters (e.g., identification of isoforms of the classical selenium-dependent enzyme glutathione peroxidase) or following the discovery of new biologic markers for selenium such as iodothyronine desiodinase, thioredoxin reductase, or the selenoproteins P and W.
Utilization of voluntary counseling and testing services in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

This analysis uses data from a population-based household survey and a government clinic survey in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa to examine attitudes towards voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services, patterns of utilization of VCT services and the relationships between HIV/AIDS-related stigma, VCT service availability and quality and the use of VCT. The household survey data are linked with clinic-level data to assess the impact of expanded VCT services and access to rapid testing on the likelihood of being tested in rural areas and on HIV/AIDS stigma. Our analysis finds that while overall use of VCT services is low, utilization of VCT services is positively associated with age, education, socioeconomic status, proximity to clinics, availability of rapid testing and outreach services and lower levels of HIV/AIDS stigma. Importantly, the effects of stigma appear considerably stronger for females, while men are more heavily influenced by the characteristics of the VCT services themselves.
Covered stent as an innovative tool for tumor devascularization and endovascular arterial reconstruction

Abstract A temporal paraganglioma was pre-operatively embolised with particles and due to the fact that the internal carotid artery was encased by the tumor and that multiple petrous feeders precluded safe embolization, we decided to implant a balloon-expandable covered stent. On immediate post-procedural angiography, the arterial diameter was restored and a complete devascularization of the tumor was achieved. The tumor was operated with minimal blood loss and the carotid artery was released from surrounding tumor using the frame of the stent as a surgical limit. Covered stents may become a valuable tool for pre-operative tumor devascularization and arterial reconstruction especially when dealing with hypervascular tumors of the cranial base that encase the carotid artery.
Hormonal Changes during Lactation in Sows: Influence of Spontaneous Suckling on Prolactin, Oxytocin and Corticoids Concentrations

Blood samples were collected from 8 lactating sows every 2 h for 24 h periods on the Days 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 of lactation. Additional samples were drawn from four sows during morning spontaneous sucklings on the same days. Prolactin (PRL), oxytocin (OT), estradiol 17-beta (E2) and estrone (E1) were measured by RIA. Corticosteroids (CS) were determined by competitive protein binding assay (CPBA). In 4 of 8 sows, elevated concentrations of PRL were concomitant with greater concentrations of CS and slightly larger concentrations of OT. Mean concentrations of E1 were markedly greater than those of E2 in 6 of 8 sows. A response of PRL to nursing was observed in 90% of all suckling events studied. A CS increase was observed in 64% of suckling occurrences. During suckling OT surges appeared with peripheral concentrations greater on day 5 and 10 of lactation versus days 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35.
Erreurs de mesure

Toute mesure comporte des erreurs inevitables et, surtout dans un contexte industriel, il importe de pouvoir evaluer leur importance. Dans une usine de transformation chimique, par exemple, on fait periodiquement des bilans de campagne a partir des masses de matiere entrees en fabrication, des masses de produits finis et des matieres restees dans l’installation. L’examen d’un tel bilan permet de deceler des pertes incontrolees (dans les effluents ou dans les fumees par exemple) a condition de savoir decider si les differences constatees sont explicables ou non par les erreurs de mesure. L’evaluation des erreurs de mesure doit tenir compte, en particulier, de l’existence eventuelle d’ erreurs constantes , par exemple dues a l’emploi systematique, pour stocker les liquides, d’une cuve dont le volume a ete determine plus ou moins precisement a la construction de l’usine. Le role de telles erreurs, en effet, devient preponderant quand on considere un grand nombre de resultats, notamment pour un bilan. On donne dans cet article des indications generales sur les methodes d’estimation des erreurs . Des references bibliographiques sont indiquees, en fin d’article, pour resoudre des problemes plus complexes.