Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Treating multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: compliance and side effects.

To the Editor. —The recent article by Mahmoudi and Iseman 1 highlights avoidable pitfalls in the care of patients with Mycobacterium tuberculosis . In particular, we would like to underscore their recommendation for greater commitment to TB control programs such as those involving directly observed therapy (DOT). The authors recommend, among other things, that "directly observed therapy should be provided in situations when noncompliance is demonstrated or deemed likely. " However, since many studies suggest that predicting a patient's potential for compliance with therapy is itself fraught with difficulties, and since DOT is a proven strategy for TB management, 2 we recommend implementing DOT more broadly throughout the community. The impact of such a strategy can be demonstrated in the city of Baltimore, Md. Between 1965 and 1978, Baltimore consistently ranked among the first three major US cities in the incidence of TB. In 1978, Baltimore began a clinic-based DOT program for
Localization of myocilin/trabecular meshwork--inducible glucocorticoid response protein in the human eye.

PURPOSE To study distribution and cellular localization of myocilin/trabecular meshwork-inducible glucocorticoid response protein (TIGR) in the human eye. METHODS A peptide antibody against a portion of the myosin-like domain of myocilin/TIGR was developed. Different ocular tissues from three human donors were investigated by one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and Western blot analysis. Immunohistochemistry was performed on 25 human eyes enucleated because of posterior choroidal melanoma and on 7 normal human donor eyes. RESULTS By Western blot analysis, a band at approximately 57 kDa was visualized in cornea, trabecular meshwork, lamina cribrosa, optic nerve, retina, iris, ciliary body, and vitreous humor. By immunohistochemistry, immunoreactivity for myocilin/TIGR was observed in cells of the corneal epi- and endothelium and extracellularly in the corneal stroma and sclera. In the trabecular meshwork, cells of the uveal and corneoscleral meshwork were stained, as was the cribriform area directly adjacent to Schlemm's canal. Positive staining was seen in cells of the ciliary epithelium, ciliary muscle, lens epithelium, and in stromal and smooth muscle cells of the iris. Throughout the entire vitreous body, fine filamentous material was positively labeled. In the retina, staining was seen along the outer surface of rods and cones, in neurons of the inner and outer nuclear layer, and in the axons of optic nerve ganglion cells. Optic nerve axons were stained in the prelaminar, laminar, and postlaminar parts of the nerve. In the region of the lamina cribrosa, astrocytes in the glial columns and cribriform plates were positively labeled. CONCLUSIONS Myocilin TIGR is expressed in almost every ocular tissue. Depending on the respective tissue, it is observed extra- or intracellularly. The presence of myocilin/TIGR in optic nerve axons and lamina cribrosa astrocytes indicates that the trabecular meshwork might not be the only target of abnormal myocilin/TIGR in GLC1A-linked open-angle glaucoma.
Um modelo computacional com base em métricas oculares para detecção da distração em ambientes de e-learning durante as atividades de leitura

Um dos vetores importantes nas pesquisas sobre tecnologias para a educacao e a criacao de mecanismos defeedback automatizados. A hipotese e que estes mecanismos poderiam complementar ou substituir o feedback que ocorrenaturalmente entre aprendizes e tutores, professores e alunos, o que consequentemente ampliaria a insercao da educacaona sociedade atraves da disponibilizacao de novas configuracoes de ambientes de aprendizagem. Este trabalho procuraintroduzir avancos tecnologicos na area de eye-tracking para criar um modelo computacional da distracao com base emmetricas oculares. Este modelo permitira o monitoramento e a deteccao da distracao sofrida pelo aluno durante atividadesde leitura em ambientes de e-learning. O monitoramento abre espaco para o desenvolvimento de metodos e ferramentaspara ampliar a metacognicao do aluno e atenuar os efeitos afetivos negativos durante o uso de ambiente de e-learning emsituacoes de aprendizagem individual.
Towards sparse coding of natural movements for neuroprosthetics and brain-machine interfaces

The correlation structure of natural hand & finger movements suggests that their motion is controlled in a lower-dimensional space than would be possible given their mechanical nature. Yet, it is unclear whether this low dimensional embedding is relevant to how the brain represents motor actions and how we can decode it for Brain-Machine Interface applications. We collected large data set of natural hand movement kinematics and analysed it using a novel sparse coding and dictionary learning approach - Sparse Movement Decomposition (SMD), which captures the embedding of the data in terms of spatial and temporal structure. We show that our sparse codes over natural movement statistics give a more parsimonious representation than the simple correlation structure. This suggest that, like V1 neuron receptive fields can be predicted from sparse code over natural image statistics, motor control may be encoded in such a manner. We further show how our sparse coding can help understand the temporal structure of behaviour, and thus our technique may be used for behavioural fingerprinting in diagnostics and for more naturalistic neuroprosthetic control.
Efficient low-frequency inversion of 3-D buried objects with large contrasts

An efficient inversion method is proposed using Cui et al.'s high-order extended Born approximations to reconstruct the conductivity object function of three-dimensional dielectric objects buried in a lossy Earth. High-order solutions of the object function are obtained, which have closed-form relations to the linear inverse-scattering solution. Because such relations can be evaluated quickly using the fast Fourier transform, the high-order solutions have similar simplicity as the linear inversion. When the contrasts of buried objects are large, the high-order solutions are much more accurate due to the approximate consideration of multiple-scattering effects within the objects. Hence, good-resolution images can be obtained for large-contrast objects using the new method by only solving a linear inverse problem. Numerical experiments have shown the validity and efficiency of the proposed method.
The development of PARP as a successful target for cancer therapy

ABSTRACT Introduction: PARP1 and BRCA genes are essential genome caretakers and their interaction has been the first example of synthetic lethality, a genetic concept proposed in the early 20th century, but deeply explored in cancer patients only in the last decade. Areas covered: This review describes PARP1 and BRCA main functions and different roles in genome protection. Furthermore, an overview of the principle mechanisms of action and resistance to PARP inhibitors (PARPi) is presented. This review illustrates the concept of BRCAness, and how this discovery has broadened the routes of PARPi to several different malignancies such as ovarian, breast and prostate cancer. Finally, an insight is provided into the key data of PARPi in these distinctive clinical settings. Expert commentary: PARP inhibition could be a new therapeutic option for a number of tumors in the near future. However, several aspects will be of paramount interest for future investigations, including the molecular bases for PARPi synthetic lethality, the DNA repair independent functions of PARP and BRCA genes, the resistance and biomarkers of response to PARP inhibition, and the mechanisms of interaction between PARPi and antiangiogenic or immunotherapeutic agents.
Evidence for a Role for Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide in Active Vasodilatation in the Cutaneous Vasculature of Humans

Active vasodilatation (AVD) in human, non‐glabrous skin depends on functional cholinergic fibres but not on acetylcholine (ACh). We tested whether AVD is a redundant system in which ACh and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) are co‐released from cholinergic nerves. (1) We administered VIP by intradermal microdialysis to four discrete areas of skin in the presence of different levels of the VIP receptor antagonist, VIP(10−28), also delivered by microdialysis. Skin blood flow (SkBF) was continuously monitored by laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF). Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was measured non‐invasively and cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) calculated as LDF/MAP. Subjects were supine and wore water‐perfused suits to control whole‐body skin temperature (Tsk) at 34 °C. Concentrations of 54 μm, 107 μM, or 214 μM VIP(10−28) were perfused via intradermal microdialysis at 2 μl min−1 for approximately 1 h. Then 7.5 μM VIP was added to the perfusate containing VIP(10−28) at the three concentrations or Ringer solution and perfusion was continued for 45‐60 min. At the control site, this level of VIP caused approximately the vasodilatation typical of heat stress. All VIP(10−28)‐treated sites displayed an attenuated dilatation in response to the VIP. The greatest attenuation was observed at the site that received 214 μM VIP(10−28) (P < 0.01). (2) We used 214 μM VIP(10−28) alone and with the iontophoretically administered muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine (400 μA cm−2, 45 s, 10 mM) in heated subjects to test the roles of VIP and ACh in AVD. Ringer solution and 214 μM VIP(10−28) were each perfused at two sites, one of which in each case was pretreated with atropine. After 1 h of VIP(10−28) treatment, individuals underwent 45−60 min of whole‐body heating (Tsk to 38.5 °C). VIP(10−28), alone or in combination with atropine, attenuated the increase in CVC during heat stress, suggesting an important role for VIP in AVD.
Health literacy: concept analysis.

AIM This paper reports an analysis of the concept of health literacy in order to clarify its meaning, reduce ambiguities associated with references to it, and promote consistency in using the concept in nursing dialogue and research. BACKGROUND Health literacy is a relatively new concept in health promotion research. Only within the last decade have researchers identified the problems associated with health literacy, the role it plays in an individual's ability to comprehend health and self-care information, and its relationship to health outcomes. Clarifying the concept is essential so that nurses develop an awareness of the phenomenon and its relationship to the outcomes of their communication and health education efforts. METHOD The method used for this concept analysis was that of Walker and Avant (1995). FINDINGS Health literacy empowers people to act appropriately in new and changing health-related circumstances through the use of advanced cognitive and social skills. The defining attributes of health literacy are reading and numeracy skills, comprehension, the capacity to use information in health care decision-making, and successful functioning as a healthcare consumer. Antecedents of health literacy are literacy and a health-related experience. Consequences of health literacy include improved self-reported health status, lower health care costs, increased health knowledge, shorter hospitalizations, and less frequent use of health care services. Empirical referents of the concept are the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults and the health literacy component of the National Assessment of Adult Literacy. CONCLUSIONS An analysis of the concept of health literacy enhances nurses' ability to assess more accurately their clients' levels of health literacy, thus identifying those at risk for misunderstanding health care instructions, shame associated with inadequate reading skills, and inability to adhere to health care recommendations.
Minimisation du nombre de tâches d'un système temps réel par regroupement. (Minimizing the number of tasks of a real-time system by clustering)

Les systemes embarques des domaines de l'aeronautique ou de l'automobile sont en interaction permanente avec leur environnement. Ils recuperent de l'information depuis leurs capteurs, traitent les donnees et reagissent par le biais de leurs actionneurs. Ces systemes critiques se doivent non seulement de produire des resultats corrects du point de vue logique mais aussi de les realiser dans le temps imparti. Cette particularite les classe dans la famille des systemes temps reel. Dans les domaines cites, les fonctionnalites sont a l'origine definies au regard de la dynamique du systeme et leur nombre peut atteindre plusieurs milliers. Les systemes d'exploitation temps reel, logiciels responsables du traitement de ces fonctionnalites sur le materiel, limitent generalement le nombre de traitements implantables, en raison des surcouts engendres par leur gestion. Dans ce travail, nous nous interessons donc a des techniques de reduction du nombre de ces traitements, de maniere a passer outre les limitations des systemes d'exploitation temps reel. Nous proposons des algorithmes de regroupement qui assurent que les contraintes de temps soient respectees. Ces methodes visent des architectures monoprocesseurs et multiprocesseurs pour des traitements communicants.
Pregabalin for painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy: strategies for dosing, monotherapy vs. combination therapy, treatment-refractory patients, and adverse events

Abstract Objective: Primary care physicians face significant challenges when treating painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (pDPN). The physician must determine the best dosing strategy, consider the use of combination therapy, and decide how best to treat patients who have responded poorly to other treatment options in the past. With a focus on these issues, this paper will review the use of pregabalin for the treatment of pDPN in order to provide physicians with clinical data needed to develop, in combination with real-world prescribing data, effective treatment strategies for this common but challenging type of pain. Research design and methods: A formal PubMed search, along with a search of unpublished data from the Pfizer clinical trial database, was used to identify papers describing results from clinical trials of pregabalin in patients with pDPN. Papers were selected for inclusion in the review if they addressed the use of pregabalin in the context of a head-to-head treatment comparison, use in refractory patients, or as part of combination therapy. A discussion of pregabalin dosing and adverse events is also presented. Conclusions: There is some difference with respect to the maximum approved dose of pregabalin for the treatment of pDPN in the United States (300 mg/day) and European Union (600 mg/day), though clinical data demonstrate that pregabalin doses >300 mg/day may be beneficial in some patients. Pregabalin has shown efficacy (and is approved) as a monotherapy for pDPN, although several guidelines recommend combination therapy for challenging cases. However, evidence to support combination therapy is sparse and the decision of monotherapy vs. combination therapy should be at the physician’s discretion. There are data demonstrating the efficacy of pregabalin in some patients with pDPN who have not responded to other pharmacological treatments, including those unresponsive to treatment with gabapentin. Clinical guidelines acknowledge the paucity of head-to-head data among treatment options, but consistently recommend pregabalin as a first-tier treatment for pDPN.
Consolidation radiotherapy after carboplatin-based chemotherapy in radically operated advanced ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of additional radiotherapy after chemotherapy on the relapse-free and overall survival rates of patients with advanced ovarian cancer. METHODS Between 1985 and 1992 64 patients with radically operated ovarian cancers (4 stage IC, 2 stage II, 54 stage III, and 4 stage IV) were enrolled in a randomized study. Radical surgery comprised total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, omentectomy, and pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy. All patients received adjuvant chemotherapy with carboplatin IV 400 mg/m2, epirubicin IV 70 mg/m2 on day 1 and prednimustine orally 100 mg/m2 on days 3 to 7 at 1-month intervals. Thirty-two patients without residual disease were randomized to whole abdominal radiation (30 Gy, administered over 4 weeks). An additional 21.6 Gy were delivered to the pelvis and 12 Gy to the paraaortic region up to the diaphragm for total doses of 51.6 and 42 Gy, respectively. Cancer-related survival was calculated with the Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards methods. RESULTS The relapse-free and overall survival rates of patients who received adjuvant chemoradiotherapy were significantly higher than those of patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy only (68% vs 56% at 2 years and 49% vs 26% at 5 years, P = 0.013, and 87% vs 61% at 2 years and 59% vs 33% at 5 years, P = 0.029). The differences were most pronounced in patients with stage III disease (77% vs 54% at 2 years and 45% vs 19% at 5 years, P = 0. 0061, and 88% vs 58% at 2 years and 59% vs 26% at 5 years, P = 0. 012). Toxicities were acceptable. CONCLUSION Sequential combination of platinum-based chemotherapy with open-field abdominal radiotherapy is a promising adjuvant regimen for patients with advanced ovarian cancer.
Modulation of muscle and pulmonary O2 uptakes by circulatory dynamics during exercise.

The effect of cardiovascular adjustments on the coupling of cellular to pulmonary gas exchange during unsteady states of exercise remains controversial. Computer simulations were performed to assess these influences on O2 delivery and pulmonary O2 uptake (pVO2). Algorithms were developed representing muscle and "rest-of-body" compartments, connected in parallel by arterial and venous circulations to a pump-and-lungs compartment. Exercise-induced increases in VO2 and cardiac output went to the muscle compartment. Model parameters [e.g., time constants for blood flow and muscle O2 uptake (mVO2)] could be varied independently. Simulation results demonstrated that 1) the rise in pVO2 during exercise contains three phases; 2) the contribution of changes in venous O2 stores to pVO2 kinetics and the O2 deficit occur almost entirely in phase 1; 3) under a wide variety of manipulations, the kinetics of pVO2 in phase 2 were within a couple of seconds of that assigned to mVO2 (i.e., there is not an obligatory slowing of VO2 kinetics at the lungs relative to those at the muscles; 4) by use of available estimates of blood flow adjustment, O2 delivery would not limit mVO2 after exercise onset; and 5) blood flow could limit O2 delivery in recovery, if blood flow returned to base-line levels at rates similar to those during the on-transient phase.
Phosphorylation of Human m1 Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors by G Protein-coupled Receptor Kinase 2 and Protein Kinase C (*)

Human muscarinic acetylcholine receptor m1 subtypes (m1 receptors) were expressed in and purified from insect Sf9 cells and then subjected to phosphorylation by G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) expressed in and purified from Sf9 cells and by protein kinase C purified from rat brain (a mixture of α, β, and types, PKC). The m1 receptor was phosphorylated by either GRK2 or PKC in an agonist-dependent or independent manner, respectively. G protein β subunits stimulated the phosphorylation by GRK2 but did not affect the phosphorylation by PKC. The number of incorporated phosphates was 4.6 and 2.8 mol/mol of receptor for phosphorylation by GRK2 and PKC, respectively. The number of incorporated phosphates was 7.5 mol/mol receptor for phosphorylation by GRK2 followed by PKC, but was 5.8 mol/mol of receptor for the phosphorylation by PKC followed by GRK2. Major sites phosphorylated by GRK2 and PKC were located in the third intracellular loop and the carboxyl-terminal tail, respectively. These results indicate that GRK2 and PKC phosphorylate different sites of m1 receptors and that the phosphorylation by PKC partially inhibits the phosphorylation by GRK2, probably by affecting activation of GRK2 by agonist-bound receptors.
Stimulation of pancreatic growth by secretin, caerulein, and pentagastrin.

The primary hormonal regulators of pancreatic exocrine secretion are secretin and cholecystokinin. In addition, cholecystokinin is known to stimulate the growth of the exocrine pancreas. The current study examines whether secretin also alters pancreatic growth by itself and whether it influences the trophic response to caerulein, a structural and functional homolog of cholecystokinin. Rats were injected every 8 h for 7 days with either saline, secretin (50 U/kg), caerulein (320 ng/kg), or a combination of the above doses of secretin and caerulein. After sacrificing the animals, the pancreas was isolated, and the in vitro incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA was measured. The pancreas was weighed, and the pancreatic content of DNA and RNA were also determined. Secretin and caerulein administered alone both caused significant increases in DNA synthesis and the pancreatic concentrations of both RNA and DNA. The effects of the two hormones on total pancreatic RNA and DNA showed potentiation when combined.
Novel Kinetic Strategies Adopted in Asymmetric Split-Belt Treadmill Walking

ABSTRACT The hip and ankle strategies that affect learning of a novel gait have not been fully determined, and could be of importance in design of clinical gait interventions. The authors' purpose was to determine the effects of asymmetric split-belt treadmill walking on ankle and hip work during propulsion. Participants were randomized into either a gradual training group or a sudden training group and later returned for a retention test. The gradual training group performed significantly more work at the hip joint of the slow limb during acquisition, and decreased the hip joint work performed during retention. These findings reveal the hip joint on the slow limb during initial swing as a possible site of adaptation to a novel locomotor pattern.
The capacity of a class of broadcast channels

The capacity region is established for those discrete memoryless broadcast channels p(y,z \mid x) for which I(X;Y) \geq I(X;Z) holds for all Input distributions. The capacity region for this class of channels resembles the capacity region for degraded message sets considered by Korner and Marton.
A novel fully integrated antenna switch for 5-6 GHz wireless LAN systems

A novel Tx/Rx switch for single antenna 5-6 GHz wireless LAN is presented. The proposed solution allows to wire on-chip the output of the power amplifier and the input of the low noise amplifier directly to the antenna. The circuit is based on the so called boot strapped inductor approach and does not require any external components. It gives better performance with respect to the RF front-end which commonly use PIN diodes as switching element, it is fully integrated and does not require any additional technological steps. The operating principle is demonstrated and the most representative performances are summarized.
A synthesis method of gene regulatory networks by network learning -extension to generalized models

Investigating gene regulatory networks is important to understand mechanism of cellular functions. Recently, construction of artificial gene regulatory networks which have desired functions is of interest to many researchers because it is a complementary approach to understanding gene regulatory networks, and it could be the first step to develop a method for controlling living cells. We proposed a synthesis method of gene regulatory networks based on gene expression by network learning. This synthesis method can be applied to various synthesis problem of gene regulatory networks. In this paper, we extend the previously proposed synthesis method of gene regulatory networks such that it can be applied to a synthesis problem of a generalized model of gene regulatory networks. Numerical experiments are given to evaluate the performance of the proposed method.