Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Life 20 years after unsuccessful infertility treatment.

BACKGROUND This study explores the long-term experience of involuntary childlessness among 14 Swedish women 20 years after their infertility treatment. METHODS In-depth interviews were conducted. RESULTS The childlessness had had a strong impact on all the women's lives and was for all a major life theme. The effects were experienced both on a personal level and on interpersonal and social levels. Half of the women were separated, and in all but one, sexual life was affected in negative and long-lasting ways. The effects of childlessness were especially increased at the time the study was conducted, as the women's peer group was entering the 'grandparent phase'. Many coped with their childlessness by caring for others, such as the children of friends or relatives, elderly parents or animals. CONCLUSION These findings represent a small sample, but they point towards the need for developing models of counselling and support that stimulate self-reflection and strengthen personal resources and empowerment for individuals and couples experiencing involuntary childlessness.
Mortality among tuberculosis patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

SETTING Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. OBJECTIVE To identify programmatic interventions for improved survival in patients receiving treatment for tuberculosis (TB) at primary care clinics. DESIGN Retrospective cohort of adult patients initiating anti-tuberculosis treatment between January 2006 and May 2007. RESULTS Among 5685 patients, 390 deaths occurred during anti-tuberculosis treatment, of which half (52%) did so during the first 2 months. Patients with smear-negative pulmonary TB were at greater risk of death in the first 2 months of treatment (human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] positive HR 1.49, 95%CI 0.89-2.49; HIV-negative HR 1.77 95%CI 1.06-2.95), but not thereafter. Patients with extra-pulmonary TB were at increased risk of death in the first 2 months of anti-tuberculosis treatment if they were non-HIV-infected (HR 2.42, 95%CI 1.52-3.85), and were half as likely to die during the remainder of treatment (HIV-positive HR 0.46, 95%CI 0.22-0.97; HIV-negative HR 0.47, 95%CI 0.23-0.94). Antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduced the risk of death by an estimated 36% (HR 0.64, 95%CI 0.37-1.11). CONCLUSION High mortality in the first months of anti-tuberculosis treatment could be reduced by addressing diagnostic delays, particularly for extra-pulmonary and smear-negative TB cases and, in HIV-infected patients, by initiation of ART soon after starting anti-tuberculosis treatment.
Genetic Diversity in Honey Bee Colonies Enhances Productivity and Fitness

Honey bee queens mate with many males, creating numerous patrilines within colonies that are genetically distinct. The effects of genetic diversity on colony productivity and long-term fitness are unknown. We show that swarms from genetically diverse colonies (15 patrilines per colony) founded new colonies faster than swarms from genetically uniform colonies (1 patriline per colony). Accumulated differences in foraging rates, food storage, and population growth led to impressive boosts in the fitness (i.e., drone production and winter survival) of genetically diverse colonies. These results further our understanding of the origins of polyandry in honey bees and its benefits for colony performance.
Eye contact sensing glasses for attention-sensitive wearable video blogging

We present ECSGlasses: eye contact sensing glasses that report when people look at their wearer. When eye contact is detected, the glasses stream this information to appliances to inform these about the wearer's engagement. We present one example of such an appliance, eyeBlog, a conversational video blogging system. The system uses eye contact information to decide when to record video from the glasses'; camera.
Nine-Year Surveillance of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a Hospital Suggests Instability of mecA DNA Region in an Epidemic Strain

ABSTRACT The distributions of the antibiotic resistance patterns in a population of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from a teaching hospital were studied over a 9-year period. The results indicate the existence of successive major epidemic methicillin-resistant strains and the emergence of a methicillin-susceptible strain with an unusual resistance pattern. Our findings suggest that this methicillin-susceptible S. aureus strain could be derived from the dominant gentamicin-susceptible methicillin-resistant S. aureus strain with the loss of a 40-kb DNA fragment.
Comparison between auto-cross-correlation coefficients and coherence methods applied to the EEG for diagnostic purposes.

BACKGROUND Power-spectrum and coherence analysis of the EEG has often been applied in the study of various forms of brain dysfunction. The examination of differences in intra-hemispheric coherence and a novel method based on auto-cross-correlation algorithms between the left and right hemispheres of the same EEG are investigated in this paper. MATERIAL/METHODS Both coherence and the proposed method are computed from the same EEG segment across the EEG spectrum (0-64 Hz). In this experiment, five EEGs of different patients with severe brain damage were used. The novelty of this study lies in the fact that the autocorrelation coefficients are extracted in a particular spectrum, in contrast to the traditional coherence method, which is based on a measure of the square of the linear association between the two EEG signals from the entire EEG spectrum. RESULTS The results of the application of coherence and the proposed method showed that particular pairs of symmetrical cortex channels differed dramatically in specific damaged areas. CONCLUSIONS Statistical analysis of the above results showed that the proposed method is more accurate than coherence because it could recognize the cases of the patients to a significant statistical degree, whereas the coherence method showed weakness in recognizing them.
Effect of continuous positive airway pressure on intrathoracic and left ventricular transmural pressures in patients with congestive heart failure.

BACKGROUND Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) can improve cardiac function in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). We hypothesized that this effect might be related to CPAP-induced increases in intrathoracic pressure, which would reduce left ventricular transmural pressure (LVPtm) during systole, thereby decreasing left ventricular afterload. METHODS AND RESULTS The effect of graduated CPAP from 0 to 10 cm H2O on the above variables was examined over a 75-minute period and compared with a 75-minute time control period without CPAP in two groups of subjects: 15 patients with CHF and 9 healthy subjects. Intrathoracic pressure was estimated from esophageal pressure (Pes), and systolic LVPtm, a determinant of left ventricular afterload, was assessed by subtracting Pes during systole from systolic blood pressure. Cardiac index (CI) was assessed by Doppler echocardiography. At baseline, inspiratory Pes amplitude, which reflects inspiratory muscle force generation, was greater in the patients with CHF than in the healthy group (9.9 +/- 0.8 versus 5.5 +/- 0.4 mm Hg, P < .001). In addition, systolic Pes, which represents the relative contribution of intrathoracic pressure to LVPtm, was more negative in the patients with CHF than in the healthy group (-4.1 +/- 0.3 versus -2.2 +/- 0.1 mm Hg, P < .001). While on CPAP of 10 cm H2O, inspiratory Pes amplitude decreased and systolic Pes increased significantly in the group with CHF (from 11.1 +/- 1.1 to 7.5 +/- 1.1 mm Hg, P < .025 and from -4.7 +/- 0.6 to 0.6 +/- 0.6 mm Hg, P < .001, respectively), but CPAP had no effect on these variables in the healthy subjects. Compared with the equivalent time control period, Pes amplitude x respiratory rate decreased significantly while on CPAP in both the group with CHF (from 188 +/- 22 to 112 +/- 17 mm Hg x breaths per minute, P < .005) and the healthy group (from 82 +/- 8 to 60 +/- 6 mm Hg x breaths per minute, P < .05). Compared with time control, systolic LVPtm decreased significantly while on CPAP, from 116.0 +/- 5.3 to 110.3 +/- 4.5 mm Hg (P < .025) in the group with CHF, but did not change in the healthy group. Moreover, systolic LVPtm x heart rate decreased significantly in the group with CHF (from 80.55 +/- 5.27 to 71.83 +/- 4.73 mm Hg x beats per minute/100, P < .005) but not in the healthy group. CI decreased significantly while on CPAP in the healthy group (P < .025) but did not change in the group with CHF. CONCLUSIONS In patients with CHF, the inspiratory muscles generate greater force per breath and systolic Pes contributes more to LVPtm than in healthy subjects. By increasing intrathoracic pressure in patients with CHF, CPAP unloaded inspiratory muscles and reduced left ventricular afterload without compromising CI.
The control of chondrogenesis

Chondrogenesis is the earliest phase of skeletal development, involving mesenchymal cell recruitment and migration, condensation of progenitors, and chondrocyte differentiation, and maturation and resulting in the formation of cartilage and bone during endochondral ossification. This process is controlled exquisitely by cellular interactions with the surrounding matrix, growth and differentiation factors, and other environmental factors that initiate or suppress cellular signaling pathways and transcription of specific genes in a temporal‐spatial manner. Vertebrate limb development is controlled by interacting patterning systems involving prominently the fibroblast growth factor (FGF), bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), and hedgehog pathways. Both positive and negative signaling kinases and transcription factors, such as Sox9 and Runx2, and interactions among them determine whether the differentiated chondrocytes remain within cartilage elements in articular joints or undergo hypertrophic maturation prior to ossification. The latter process requires extracellular matrix remodeling and vascularization controlled by mechanisms that are not understood completely. Recent work has revealed novel roles for mediators such as GADD45β, transcription factors of the Dlx, bHLH, leucine zipper, and AP‐1 families, and the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway that interact at different stages during chondrogenesis. J. Cell. Biochem. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Screening nasopharyngeal carcinoma by detection of the latent membrane protein 1 (LMP‐1) gene with nasopharyngeal swabs

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common head and neck cancer in Taiwan. The goals of the current study were to investigate whether a nasopharyngeal swab technique could provide enough DNA for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)–derived latent membrane protein 1 (LMP‐1) gene and to determine the feasibility and reliability of diagnosing NPC by detection of LMP‐1 in the nasopharynx.
Uptake of 36Cl and 22Na by the Choroid Plexus‐Cerebrospinal Fluid System: Evidence for Active Chloride Transport by the Choroidal Epithelium

Abstract: Cl and Na transport by the lateral ventricle (LVCP) and fourth ventricle (4VCP) choroid plexuses were examined by kinetic analysis of 36Cl and 22Na uptake into the choroid plexus‐CSF system of the adult rat. Both radioisotopes required more than 5 h to reach steady‐state distribution in the in vivo choroid plexuses and CSF after intraperitoneal injection. Whereas the LVCP and 4VCP 36Cl steady‐state spaces were comparable (55–56%), the 4VCP 22Na space (39%) tended to be greater than the LVCP 22Na space (36%). No evidence for inexchangeable Cl or Na was found for the choroid plexuses; the radioisotopic and chemical spaces were not significantly different. Choroid plexus 36Cl and 22Na uptake curves were resolved into two components, a fast component (t1/2 0.02–0.05 h) and a slow component (t1/2 0.85–1.93 h). By analysis of the distribution of [3H]inulin, [3H]mannitol, and 51Cr‐tagged erythrocytes within the choroid plexuses, the fast component of 36Cl and 22Na uptake was found to represent extracellular and erythrocyte contributions to the tissue radioactivity, whereas the slow component represented isotope movement into the epithelial cell compartment. The calculated cell [Cl] of LVCP and 4VCP, 67 mmol/kg cell water, was 3.9 times greater than that predicted by the membrane potential for passive distribution. It is postulated that Cl is actively transported into the choroid epithelial cell across the basolateral membrane; the energy source for active Cl transport may be the Na electrochemical potential gradient (˜90 mV), which is twice that of the Cl electrochemical potential gradient (˜45 mV).
Assessing supplier Performances under Partnership in Project-Type Procurement

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of a commercial partnership in a project‐type supply chain. The research focuses on the performance of suppliers who develop a partnering mechanism for procurement of complex manufacturing projects. In total, four supply chain metrics are evaluated: project scope change, ratio of actual‐to‐estimated project costs, gross profit margin, and delay in deliverable shipments. Hypotheses are formulated to contrast partnerships and arms‐length relationships for industrial procurement. Statistical results support the conclusion that supplier performances improve under partnership.Design/methodology/approach – Four supply chain metrics were generated through review of literature and in‐depth field study. The authors utilized the supply chain management, project management, and principal‐agent theory literature to develop hypotheses to examine effects of instituting a partnership agreement. A case study approach was employed to collect financial and o.
Brothers, Sisters and Antisocial Behaviour

Summary The brothers of 73 delinquent boys were found themselves to be more antisocial than the brothers of 73 matched control boys. Further, the average antisocial score of the probands’ brothers increased with the number of brothers in the family, holding the number of sisters constant, and decreased with the number of sisters, holding the number of brothers constant. These results are interpreted in terms of male potentiation and female suppression of antisocial behaviour in boys. Results are also reported for 59 pairs of matched delinquent and control girls and their siblings.
STI Mechanical-stress induced subthreshold kink effect of 40nm PD SOI NMOS device

For nanometer-regime PD SOI CMOS devices, the S/D region may be very small-the influence of the STI-induced mechanical stress cannot be neglected. In this paper, the influence of STI-induced mechanical stress in the subthrehsold kink behavior of a 40nm PD SOI NMOS device is reported.
Evaluation of tests for serological diagnosis of scrub typhus

Two specific serological tests, a Dot enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and an immunoglobulin (Ig)M enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using the 56 kDa antigen and the Weil-Felix test were evaluated for diagnosis of scrub typhus. Sensitivity of 100, 86.5 and 43.5% were observed with Dot EIA, IgM ELISA and Weil-Felix test, respectively. False-positive reactions were observed in patients with falciparum malaria, pulmonary tuberculosis, S. viridans septicemia and typhoid fever using Dot EIA and IgM ELISA. Therefore, although Dot EIA and IgM ELISA are useful in the serodiagnosis of scrub typhus, efforts should be made to rule out other febrile illnesses.
Identification of alpha- and beta-cardiac myosin heavy chain isoforms as major autoantigens in dilated cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND Immunization with cardiac myosin induces experimental autoimmune heart disease in genetically predisposed mice. These mice produce heart-specific autoantibodies, some of which are directed against the cardiac myosin isoform. METHODS AND RESULTS We have reported the presence of circulating heart-specific autoantibodies in 26% of patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) using indirect immunofluorescence. To identify the autoantigen(s) recognized by heart-specific autoantibodies in human disease, we tested, by Western blotting, sera from 26 DCM patients, 14 of whom were cardiac antibody-positive and 12 antibody-negative, as well as sera from 12 patients with cardiac failure from ischemic or valvular heart disease and from 13 normal subjects who were cardiac antibody-negative. Crude myofibrillar proteins and myosin preparations extracted from human atrial or ventricular specimens were used as antigens. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was performed. The proteins were electrophoretically transferred to nitrocellulose sheets. The paper strips were incubated in sera from patients or controls at 1:100 dilution; the reaction was revealed with a peroxidase-labeled second antibody against human immunoglobulin. Twelve of the 14 DCM sera (86%) containing heart-specific antibodies reacted with both the alpha- (atrial specific) and beta- (ventricular and slow skeletal) myosin heavy chain isoforms; none of the 13 normal sera (p = 0.0001) and one of the 24 heart failure-negative control sera (4%, p = 0.0001) contained antibodies against myosin heavy chain. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that alpha- and beta-cardiac myosin heavy chain isoforms as in the murine model of autoimmune heart disease are major autoantigens in patients with idiopathic DCM.
Integrating image matching and classification for multimedia retrieval on the Web

With the recent explosive growth in the volume of images on the World Wide Web, it has become increasingly difficult to search for images of interest. The classification of images helps users to access a large image collection efficiently. Classification reduces search space by filtering unrelated images. We present a technique for image classification based on color, shape and composition using the primary objects. Our experimental results show that this approach can maintain 73% of recall just by searching 24% of the whole data set. The classification results are also used to improve the users' interaction. The retrieval candidates are categorized based on the primary objects and presented to the users. We also show how we apply such technique to assist users in navigation.
Nourishing the obese patient.

Obese patients are frequently encountered in hospitals. This is not unexpected given the fact that obesity currently constitutes a worldwide public health epidemic. The clinical indications for nutritional support and route of nutrition support selected should be similar in obese and normal weight patients. Determining nutritional requirements by conventional methods and formulas are often inaccurate in this population. For this reason, direct measurement of energy needs using indirect calorimetry when available has become the preferred method. A strategy employing hypocaloric nutrition support will be presented and discussed.
Distinct mechanisms for Ca2+ entry induced by OKT3 and Ca2+ depletion in Jurkat T cells.

Ca2+ influx triggered by antigen binding to T cell receptors (TCR) is an early event in T cell activation. An additional Ca2+ influx induced by depletion of intracellular Ca2+ (CDCI) has been characterized in human Jurkat T cells that is both temporally and mechanistically distinct from TCR-mediated Ca2+ influx (TCRCI). Both TCRCI and CDCI were insensitive to voltage-gated Ca2+ channel antagonists (e.g., nifedipine, verapamil, and omega-conotoxin G) and pertussis toxin, yet were voltage-sensitive and inhibited by SKF 96365 (a receptor-gated Ca2+ channel blocker) and cholera toxin. However, TCRCI but not CDCI was associated with a significant increase in inositol phosphate (IP chi) levels and inhibited by phorbol ester, while CDCI but not TCRCI was inhibited by Sr2+, forskolin (FSK), and 1,9-dideoxy FSK in a cAMP-independent fashion. Moreover, TCR stimulation did not deplete thapsigargin-sensitive Ca2+ stores, suggesting that TCRCI is not merely a consequence of Ca2+ depletion. These results indicate that Ca2+ entry following the depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores or TCR stimulation occur through distinct cellular mechanisms coexisting in Jurkat T cells.
Impairment of skin barrier function by depilatories.

It is shown in guinea pigs by measuring electrical conductivity and percutaneous absorption that after treating the skin with thioglycollic acid depilatories (pH 11.3–11.9), the barrier function is impaired. The electrical conductivity was raised to 40–60 μA/1 V and did not become normal until 5–7 days after depilation. The absorption rate of sodium chloride ( 22 Na) was increased about 3 times after depilation and 5 times after stripping compared with normal skin. The conclusion is that, if pre-depilation is used in absorption studies of when testing in delayed type of hypersensitivity, an increased absorption occurs, and augmented test reactions, which might be non-specific.
Accuracy of a 40 dB HL Audioscope™ and Audiometer Screening for Adults

This study determined the accuracy of an AudioScope™ (AS) and pure-tone audiometer (PTA) screening at 40 dB HL from 500 to 4000 Hz in reference to a pure-tone threshold (PlT) test on 121 0 ears of adult subjects 20 to 96 yr old. The overall results (averaged over age group and frequency) indicated that the AS and PTA screenings were equally accurate in reference to the PTT test. Averaged over the screening tests, the sensitivity was 91.4% with a false negative rate of 8.6% and the specificity was 93.5% with a false positive rate of 6.5%. As a function of age (averaged over frequency), the AS and PTA screenings had similar accuracy and decreased as age increased to about 60 yr old and then remained stable. As a function of frequency (averaged over age), each screening test had similar accuracy for each frequency. It was concluded that the results of a 40 dB HL AS or PTA screening are very accurate in reference to a PTT test.
QoS management SDN-based for LTE/EPC with QoE evaluation: IMS use case

The outstanding advances in computing as well as the explosion of devices and services requirements are making communication mobile networking more and more complex to manage. In addition, multimedia services such as provided by the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) require a dynamic Quality of Service (QoS) management. However, traditional Long Term Evolution (LTE) networking approaches have become too closed and limited in terms of providing Quality of Service (QoS). For this purpose, it has been necessary to look for new approaches. Among these approaches is the integration of the Software Defined Network (SDN) in the LTE network. With this approach the LTE mobile network will benefit from the SDN features to separate the control plane from the data plane and to enable a dynamic configuration of network resources and then a flexible QoS management. This paper presents a new architecture SDN-based for LTE packet core to enhance the QoS management. The architecture is implemented and evaluated for a Video on Demand (VoD) by testing the Quality of Experience (QoE) in terms of the Video Mean Opinion Score (VMOS).