Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections in Lumbosacral Radiculopathy: A Prospective Randomized Study

Study Design. A prospective study randomized by patient choice from the private practice of a single physician affiliated with a major teaching hospital was conducted. Objectives. To compare transforaminal epidural steroid injections with saline trigger-point injections used in the treatment of lumbosacral radiculopathy secondary to a herniated nucleus pulposus. Summary of Background Data. Epidural steroid injections have been used for more than half a century in the management of lumbosacral radicular pain. At this writing, however, there have been no controlled prospective trials of transforaminal epidural steroid injections in the treatment of lumbar radiculopathy secondary to a herniated nucleus pulposus. Methods. Randomized by patient choice, patients received either a transforaminal epidural steroid injection or a saline trigger-point injection. Treatment outcome was measured using a patient satisfaction scale with choice options of 0 (poor), 1 (fair), 2 (good), 3 (very good), and 4 (excellent); a Roland-Morris low back pain questionnaire that showed improvement by an increase in score; a measurement of finger-to-floor distance with the patient in fully tolerated hip flexion; and a visual numeric pain scale ranging from 0 to 10. A successful outcome required a patient satisfaction score of 2 (good) or 3 (very good), improvement on the Roland-Morris score of 5 or more, and pain reduction greater than 50% at least 1 year after treatment. The final analysis included 48 patients with an average follow-up period of 16 months (range, 12–21 months). Results. After an average follow-up period of 1.4 years, the group receiving transforaminal epidural steroid injections had a success rate of 84%, as compared with 48% for the group receiving trigger-point injections (P < 0.005). Conclusion. Fluoroscopically guided transforaminal injections serve as an important tool in the nonsurgical management of lumbosacral radiculopathy secondary to a herniated nucleus pulposus.
Cross-Reactions Among Group a Streptococci

Antigens in type 43 streptococci were studied, which were responsible for confusing cross-reactions among numerous strains isolated during recent years from patients with streptococcal illness, notably pyodermas, sometimes complicated by acute glomerulonephritis. Bactericidal activity, which was either reciprocal or in one direction only, accompanied precipitin cross-reactions between type 43 and the other cross-protective types 33, 41, 52, 53, 56, Ross, C506 and G1. The experiments reported here showed that the cross-protective antibodies could be separated from the type-specific M antibodies by absorption with a strain which shared cross-protection, leaving only type-specific M antibodies. Absorption with one of these strains removed precipitin antibodies for the rest of the cross-reacting strains as well. This indicates that these reactions depend on the same antigenic determinants, and as far as tested, the cross-protective antibodies were removed also. The precipitin reactions between type 43 and strains P24037A and AD996 depended upon one of two non-protective R antigens, R1, which these strains shared with the type 43 representative strain, C126/21. The second R antigen, R2, has not been found in types other than 43 or independent of R1. In other work, a non-protective antigen was also found on M+ and M- variants of strain C107/24, the type 33 representative strain. This antigen accounted for positive precipitin tests with M- variants and anti-M sera. It has not been found in cocci of other types.
The association of serum vascular endothelial growth factor and ferritin in diabetic microvascular disease.

BACKGROUND Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic microvascular disease. Most diabetes patients have higher serum levels of ferritin that may participate in diabetic vascular complications through high oxidative stress induced by iron. However, the mechanistic link between ferritin and VEGF is obscure. The study investigated the association of VEGF and ferritin in patients with diabetic microvascular disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS Sixty patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 26 healthy individuals were selected in this study. Serum ferritin, VEGF, hematological parameters, and clinical data were assessed in this cohort. The Spearman rank method was used to evaluate the associations among them. RESULTS Serum levels of VEGF and ferritin were significantly higher in diabetes patients compared with the controls; levels of both were elevated with development of the disease. There were positive correlations between VEGF and glucose levels and between VEGF and ferritin in diabetes groups, especially in patients with diabetic retinopathy. Positive correlations were also found between VEGF level and the parameters of age, hemoglobin, and albumin in patients with diabetes hypertension. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that high ferritin levels in T2DM are closely related to the development of diabetic vascular complications through interaction with VEGF.
Ablative Therapies for Liver Metastases of Gastroenteropancreatic Endocrine Tumors

Hepatic metastases are frequent in patients with gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) endocrine tumors. The presence of hepatic metastases affects overall prognosis and quality of life especially in the presence of debilitating functional syndromes. Surgery, although the method of choice for hepatic metastases, is usually impossible due to disease extent. Results of systemic chemotherapy are also disappointing especially in patients with metastases from midgut GEP tumors. These latter patients usually have carcinoid syndrome which can be controlled by somatostatin analogues. Other therapeutic options in the treatment of highly vascular liver metastases from GEP tumors are locoregional strategies by inducing vascular occlusion resulting in ischemia and necrosis of tumoral tissue. Surgical ligation of the hepatic artery or transient hepatic ischemia has been replaced by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). TACE has proven effective in controlling symptoms and gives objective tumor response in about half of patients. Other regional destructive methods, used either alone or in combination with surgery, include radiofrequency ablation and cryotherapy. The latter strategies are poorly evaluated to date and are usually adjuncts to surgery and reserved for limited disease.
Fluoride supplements, dental caries and fluorosis: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND In this review, the authors examine evidence regarding the effectiveness of fluoride supplements in preventing caries and their association with dental fluorosis. METHODS Using tested search filters, the authors searched MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, OVID Evidence-based Reviews and EMBASE. The authors agreed on the inclusion of 20 reports from 12 trials that met defined criteria. They also included five studies published since 1997 regarding the association between dental fluorosis and supplements. RESULTS Eleven of the reports evaluated dosage schedules similar to that recommended by the American Dental Association. One potentially highly biased study of primary teeth of children during the first three years of life reported a 47.2 percent reduction in dental caries experience. Investigators in one trial involving 3- to 6-year-old children found a 43.0 percent difference, and another trial of children in this age group did not find a significant benefit. Researchers in several studies involving older children detected a significant reduction in caries increments in permanent teeth with the use of fluoride supplements. Fifteen of the studies had withdrawal rates of 30 percent or higher. All of the five included studies that evaluated the association between use of fluoride supplements and dental fluorosis found that use of the supplements increased the risk of mild-to-moderate fluorosis. CONCLUSIONS There is weak and inconsistent evidence that the use of fluoride supplements prevents dental caries in primary teeth. There is evidence that such supplements prevent caries in permanent teeth. Mild-to-moderate dental fluorosis is a significant side effect. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS The current recommendations for use of fluoride supplements during the first six years of life should be re-examined.
Cyber-intrusion response

Cyber response technologies are a relatively new area of research. This paper provides a high level description of the hard problems associated with responding to a cyber intrusion, identifies several questions that need to be addressed in order to solve these hard problems, provides a few examples of current response technologies, and describes an approach that can be taken to fill the gaps between the current response state of practice and the desired capabilities.
Drought changes nutrient sources, content and stoichiometry in the bryophyte Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. growing in a Mediterranean forest

Abstract We conducted a 6 year field experiment in an evergreen Quercus ilex forest where we simulated the increased drought projected by Global Circulation Models (GCM) and ecophysiological models for the immediate decades. We tested the hypothesis that enhanced drought will change C, N, P, K, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mo and S concentrations of the widespread moss Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. and its capacity to absorb nutrients of soil-borne or airborne origin. During the period of study, from 1999 to 2005, the soil moisture in the drought treatment was on average 9% lower than the soil moisture in the control plots. Drought increased the K concentration by 10% and the C concentration by 6%, and decreased the Fe and Mo concentrations by 33% and 18%, respectively, and the N/P content ratio by 15%. A principal component analysis showed that 69% of the variation in moss elemental concentrations is explained by the drought treatment. Drought increased the enrichment factors of several elements, mainly of P, K, Ca, Mg, S and Mo, relative to bedrock extracts, thus showing that the proportion of these elements absorbed from the atmosphere had been increased by drought. The results show that drought increased the concentration of elements linked to drought resistance such as C and K, and decreased the contents of others important for plant productivity such as Mo and Fe. Drought thereby changed moss stoichiometry, and this could also affect the palatability and quite probably, the moss–herbivore relationships and decomposition rates.
Modeling Scalar D iversity : Q uantifying A mbiguous Scalar S emantics

Over the last decade, experimental and computational investigations of scalar implicature have focused on a few exemplar cases, such as <some, all>. Recent experimental work suggests a high degree of variability in implicature rates for different lexical scales. This amounts to a greater degree of “scalar diversity” than was previously assumed. We argue that the difficulty in addressing scalar diversity from a computational perspective stems from difficulty quantifying ambiguous scalar semantics for items such as <good, excellent> or <palatable, delicious>. We present two possible methodologies for quantifying ambiguous scalar semantics using an experimental paradigm and corpus based approach with application to rational speech-act theory.
In-Shoe Plantar Pressures During Activities of Daily Living: Implications for Therapeutic Footwear Design

Pressures on the plantar surface of the foot during activities of daily living were measured in 12 young, healthy subjects using an in-shoe pressure-measuring device. The tasks chosen were standing, slow and fast walking, slow running, walking up and down stairs, rising from and sitting in a chair, and walking in a circle. All except the sitting tasks showed significantly higher pressures in all regions of the foot compared with standing, with the exception of walking up stairs and walking down stairs in the heel region. Both running and walking in a circle led to higher pressures (up to 1.42 times greater) in the total foot compared with “normal” walking. Furthermore, pressures during other activities were not always well predicted by walking pressures (r 2 = 0.10–0.77). Therefore, measurement during level walking alone cannot be considered to fully define the plantar pressure affecting a foot in a particular shoe during activities of daily life.
Pharmacological profile of SCH39166: a dopamine D1 selective benzonaphthazepine with potential antipsychotic activity.

SCH39166 [(-)-trans-6,7,7a,8,9,13b-hexahydro-3-chloro-2-hydroxy-N-methyl- 5H-benzo[d]naptho-(2,1-b)azepine] is a benzonaphthazepine that has been evaluated as a selective D1 dopamine receptor antagonist. In vitro, SCH39166 (Ki = 3.6 nM) inhibited the binding of [3H]SCH23390 (a D1 specific compound) and blocked dopamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase (Ki = 9.1 nM); in contrast the Ki for SCH39166 to displace [3H]spiperone (D2) was greater than 1 microM and its Ki vs. [3H]-ketanserin (5-hydroxytryptamine2) binding was greater than 300 nM. In vivo, SCH39166 inhibited both rat and squirrel monkey conditioned avoidance responding (minimal effective dose = 10 and 1.78 mg/kg p.o., respectively) and had a duration of at least 6 hr in both species. In addition, SCH39166 antagonized apomorphine-induced stereotypy in rats (minimal effective dose = 10 mg/kg p.o.). These in vivo actions of SCH39166 are similar to the activity of typical dopamine antagonists. However, in contrast to D2-selective antagonists, SCH39166 failed to increase plasma prolactin levels, did not block apomorphine-induced emesis in the dog and had minimal effects on the striatal levels of homovanillic acid or dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. Furthermore, although immobility was seen after p.o. administration of SCH39166 using the inclined screen test, the drug did not cause catalepsy at doses up to 10 times its minimal effective dose in the rat conditioned avoidance response test. Additionally, SCH39166 inhibited apomorphine-induced climbing at lower doses than it inhibited apomorphine-induced sniffing in mice. The results from these latter two tests suggest that SCH39166 may have a reduced liability to produce extrapyramidal side effects. Therefore, based on this profile of activity, SCH39166 is a selective D1 dopamine receptor antagonist both in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, because this compound is longer acting in the primate than previously available D1 antagonists, it has potential utility as a clinically useful drug.
Analysis of cancers missed at screening mammography.

Analysis of 320 cancers found in a screened population between August 1985 and May 1990 revealed 77 cancers that were "missed" at screening mammography. The missed lesions consisted of cancers incorrectly diagnosed after mammography (false-negative results) but visible in retrospect (n = 19); cancers correctly diagnosed after mammography but visible in retrospect on an earlier mammogram (n = 47); and cancers that went undetected by the first of two readers (n = 11). Missed lesions were categorized according to type of miss, reason for the miss, breast density, lesion features, and lesion location. The missed lesion were compared with 121 cancers that were correctly diagnosed at screening mammography. The missed cancers occurred in women with denser breasts (P = .046), were less likely to demonstrate malignant microcalcifications, and were more likely to demonstrate a developing opacity as an indication of cancer (P = .005). An understanding of the characteristics of missed lesions may be a valuable aid in increasing the sensitivity of screening mammography.
Greening of arctic Alaska, 1981–2001

Here we analyzed a time series of 21‐yr satellite data for three bioclimate subzones in northern Alaska and confirmed a long‐term trend of increase in vegetation greenness for the Alaskan tundra that has been detected globally for the northern latitudes. There was a 16.9% (±5.6%) increase in peak vegetation greenness across the region that corresponded to simultaneous increases in temperatures. We also examined the changes for four specific vegetation types using an 11‐yr finer resolution (1‐km) satellite data and found that the temporal changes in peak and time‐integrated greenness were greatest in areas of moist nonacidic tundra. These changes in greenness between 1981 and 2001 correspond approximately to a 171 g/m2 (±81 g/m2) increases in aboveground plant biomass for Alaskan tundra. This remotely sensed interpretation is conducted in the absence of long‐term biomass records in the region.
Pliant Active and Reactive Power Control for Grid-Interactive Converters Under Unbalanced Voltage Dips

During voltage dips continuous power delivery from distributed generation systems to the grid is desirable for the purpose of grid support. In order to facilitate the control of inverter-based distributed power generation adapted to the expected change of grid requirements, generalized power control strategies based on symmetric-sequence components are proposed in this paper, aiming to manipulate the delivered instantaneous power under unbalanced voltage dips. It is shown that active and reactive power can be independently controlled with two individually adaptable parameters. By changing these parameters, the relative amplitudes of oscillating power can be smoothly regulated, as well as the peak values of three-phase grid currents. As a result, the power control of grid-interactive inverters becomes quite flexible and adaptable to various grid requirements or design constraints. Furthermore, two strategies for simultaneous active and reactive power control are proposed that preserve flexible controllability; an application example is given to illustrate the simplicity and adaptability of the proposed strategies for online optimization control. Finally, experimental results are provided that verify the proposed power control.
Specificity of Virus‐Immune Effector T Cells for H‐2K or H‐2D Compatible Interactions: Implications for H‐Antigen Diversity

Our interest in immunogenetics started with the quite fortuitous finding that cytotoxic thymus-derived lymphocytes (T cells) from mice infected acutely with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) interact only with H-2 compatible virus-infected target cells (Doherty & Zinkemagel 1974, Zinkemagel & Doherty 1974b). The idea underlying our original experiment was that, because acute LCM is apparently a T cell-mediated immunopathol ogical process, variations in susceptibility to LCM disease may be due to genetically determined differences in T cell responsiveness (Tosolini & Mims 1971, Doherty & Zinkemagel 1974, McDevitt et al. 1974). We found, however, that there was an all-or-none effect: virus-infected L-929 fibroblasts (L cells, H-2'') were lysed only by H-Z" compatible virusimmune T cells. The significance of this result was immediately recognized, not least because the paper of Katz et al. (1973) on H-2 restriction of T cell helper activity had recently appeared. The immediate reaction was
Factors Affecting Steady-state Plasma Concentrations of Enantiomeric Mirtazapine and its Desmethylated Metabolites in Japanese Psychiatric Patients

Abstract Introduction: This study evaluated the effects of the CYP2D6*10 genotype on steady-state plasma concentrations of enantiomeric mirtazapine (MIR) and N-desmethylmirtazapine (DMIR) in Japanese patients. Methods: Subjects were 77 Japanese patients treated with racemic MIR. Steady-state plasma concentrations of MIR and DMIR enantiomers were measured using stereoselective liquid chromatography. Polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the CYP2D6 genotypes. Results: After correcting for dose and body weight, smokers (n=15) had significantly lower S-(+)-MIR than nonsmokers (n=55) (15.1±17.8 vs. 23.9±17.8 ng/mL/mg/kg, Kruskal-Wallis test, p=0.034). One-way analysis of variance revealed that CYP2D6*10 homozygotes had significantly higher corrected plasma concentrations of S-(+)-MIR than the no-variant allele group (p=0.034). Multiple regression analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between the number of CYP2D6*10 alleles and corrected plasma concentrations of S-(+)-MIR. These results yielded the following final model: corrected plasma concentration of S-(+)-MIR=15.9+7.30×(number of CYP2D6*10 alleles) (R=0.279, p=0.023, coefficient of determination (R2)=0.078). Conclusion: Homozygous CYP2D6*10 alleles and smoking have a significant impact on the metabolism of S-(+)-MIR in Japanese patients.
Cytosolic phospholipase A2 is responsible for prostaglandin E2 and leukotriene B4 formation in phagocyte‐like PLB‐985 cells: studies of differentiated cPLA2‐deficient PLB‐985 cells

Our previously established model of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2)‐deficient, differentiated PLB‐985 cells (PLB‐D cells) was used to determine the physiological role of cPLA2 in eicosanoid production. Parent PLB‐985 (PLB) cells and PLB‐D cells were differentiated toward the monocyte or granulocyte lineages using 5 × 10−8 M 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 or 1.25% dimethyl sulfoxide, respectively. Parent monocyte‐ or granulocyte‐like PLB cells released prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) when stimulated by ionomycin, A23187, opsonized zymosan, phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate, or formyl‐Met‐Leu‐Phe (fMLP), and monocyte‐ or granulocyte‐like PLB‐D cells did not release PGE2 with any of the agonists. The kinetics of cPLA2 translocation to nuclear fractions in monocyte‐like PLB cells stimulated with fMLP or ionomycin was in correlation with the kinetics of PGE2 production. Granulocyte‐like PLB cells, but not granulocyte‐like PLB‐D cells, secreted leukotriene B4 (LTB4) after stimulation with ionomycin or A23187. Preincubation of monocyte‐like parent PLB cells with 100 ng/ml lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 16 h enhanced stimulated PGE2 production, which is in correlation with the increased levels of cPLA2 detected in these cells. LPS preincubation was less potent in increasing PGE2 and LTB4 secretion and did not affect cPLA2 expression in granulocyte‐like PLB cells, which may be a result of their lower levels of surface LPS receptor expression. LPS had no effect on monocyte‐ or granulocyte‐like PLB‐D cells. The lack of eicosanoid formation in stimulated, differentiated cPLA2‐deficient PLB cells indicates that cPLA2 contributes to stimulated eicosanoid formation in monocyte‐ and granulocyte‐like PLB cells.
Decline in verbal memory during preclinical Alzheimer's disease: Examination of the effect of APOE genotype

A subtle decline in episodic memory often occurs prior to the emergence of the full dementia syndrome in nondemented older adults who develop Alzheimer's disease (AD). The APOE-ε4 genotype may engender a more virulent form of AD that hastens this decline. To examine this possibility, we compared the rate of decline in episodic memory during the preclinical phase of AD in individuals with or without at least one APOE ε4 allele. Nondemented normal control (NC; n = 84) participants, nondemented older adults who subsequently developed dementia within 1 or 2 years (i.e., preclinical AD; n = 20), and patients with mild AD (n = 53) were examined with 2 commonly employed tests of episodic memory, the Logical Memory subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale–Revised and the California Verbal Learning Test. Results revealed a precipitous decline in verbal memory abilities 1 to 2 years prior to the onset of the dementia syndrome, but there was little effect of APOE genotype on the rate of this memory decline. The presence of an APOE-ε4 allele, however, did have a differential effect on the sensitivity of the 2 types of memory tests for tracking progression and made an independent contribution to the prediction of conversion to AD. (JINS, 2002, 8, 943–955.)