Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Treatment of Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head with Core Decompression and Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein

A retrospective evaluation was done of 15 patients (17 hips) with symptomatic osteonecrosis of the hip treated with core decompression combined with an allogeneic, antigen-extracted, autolyzed fibula allograft and 50 mg of partially purified human bone morphogenetic protein and noncollagenous proteins. The average duration of clinical followup of the patients was 53 months (range, 26-94 months). The osteonecrotic involvement of the hip was classified by plain radiographs using a modification of the Ficat staging system and MRI evaluations. Fifteen hips were classified as Ficat Stage IIA, one hip (one patient) was classified as Ficat Stage IIB, and one hip (one patient) was classified as Ficat Stage III. Fourteen hips had involvement of 50% or less of the femoral head and 2/3 or less involvement of the weight-bearing surface of the femoral head, based on a magnetic resonance imaging evaluation. The procedures were a clinical success in 14 of 15 hips (93%; 13 patients) with Stage IIA disease. Three of 17 hips (three patients) had radiographic progression (Ficat Stages IIA, IIB, and III) of the femoral head and were converted to total hip replacements. Only one of seven hips (six patients) with 50% or less involvement of the femoral head and between 1/3 and 2/3 of the weightbearing surface of the femoral head developed radiographic progression of the femoral head. There was no radiographic progression in the 3 hips with less than 1/3 involvement of the weightbearing surface of the femoral head. Further evaluation of the potential efficacy of bone morphogenetic protein is required in randomized trials.
Neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of itch

ABSTRACT: The specific pathway of “pure,” histaminergic itch is traced from the mechano‐insensitive nerve fibers in the skin to their central cortical projections. Neuropathic itch created at different levels of this anatomical pathway is reviewed. In this review the present author discusses damage to pruritoceptors in the skin, entrapment syndromes, damage to spinal ganglia, nerve root impingement, injury of the spinal cord, and cerebral damage in the distribution of the middle cerebral artery, capsula interna, or thalamus. Itch in inflamed skin resulting from interactions between nerve transmitters and other mediators of inflammation is described.
Etude du rôle de la cytokine thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) produite par les keratinocytes dans la marche atopique

La marche atopique designe la progression sequentielle des maladies atopiques, en particulier l’apparition d’asthme chez les enfants precedee par celle d’une dermatite atopique (DA) severe chez les nourrissons. De plus, l’asthme est influence par le degre de severite de la DA, qui pourrait ainsi etre consideree comme la porte d’entree pour le developpement ulterieur d’une inflammation allergique des voies aeriennes.Mon travail de these a consiste a determiner l’implication de la cytokine TSLP produite par les keratinocytes pendant la marche atopique et implication de la cytokine TSLP pendant le developpement de la DA. Pour atteindre ces objectifs, j’ai utilise des modeles murins de maladies atopiques, en combinaison avec plusieurs lignees de souris genetiquement modifiees.Dans la premiere partie de mon travail de these, nous avons montre que la production de la cytokine TSLP dans les keratinocytes est un facteur necessaire, non seulement pour l’inflammation cutanee, mais aussi pour generer une reponse immunitaire systemique a l’allergene.Dans la deuxieme partie de mon travail de these, nous avons montre que la cytokine TSLP induise un recrutement de basophiles d’une facon innee, suite d’une augmentation de ce recrutement induit par l'immunite adaptative. De plus, nous avons montre que la reponse de type “Th2” induit par la cytokine TSLP ce le resultat de une cooperation coordonnee de cellules dendritiques, de cellules T CD4+ et de basophiles. Des etudes cliniques sont necessaires pour determiner si l’inhibition de l’expression de la cytokine TSLP et/ou son activite pendant une DA peut reduire l’inflammation cutanee et prevenir la sensibilisation aux allergenes.
Rapid automatic segmentation of the human cerebellum and its lobules (RASCAL)—Implementation and application of the patch‐based label‐fusion technique with a template library to segment the human cerebellum

Reliable and fast segmentation of the human cerebellum with its complex architecture of lobes and lobules has been a challenge for the past decades. Emerging knowledge of the functional integration of the cerebellum in various sensori‐motor and cognitive‐behavioral circuits demands new automatic segmentation techniques, with accuracies similar to manual segmentations, but applicable to large subject numbers in a reasonable time frame. This article presents the development and application of a novel pipeline for rapid automatic segmentation of the human cerebellum and its lobules (RASCAL) combining patch‐based label‐fusion and a template library of manually labeled cerebella of 16 healthy controls from the International Consortium for Brain Mapping (ICBM) database. Leave‐one‐out experiments revealed a good agreement between manual and automatic segmentations (Dice kappa = 0.82). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated to test reliability of segmented volumes and were highest (ICC > 0.9) for global measures (total and hemispherical grey and white matter) followed by larger lobules of the posterior lobe (ICC > 0.8). Further we applied the pipeline to all 152 young healthy controls of the ICBM database to look for hemispheric and gender differences. The results demonstrated larger native space volumes in men then women (mean (± SD) total cerebellar volume in women = 217 cm3 (± 26), men = 259 cm3 (± 29); P < 0.001). Significant gender‐by‐hemisphere interaction was only found in stereotaxic space volumes for white matter core (men > women) and anterior lobe volume (women > men). This new method shows great potential for the precise and efficient analysis of the cerebellum in large patient cohorts. Hum Brain Mapp 35:5026–5039, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The difference in amount of physical activity performed by children with and without asthma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Objective: Despite the benefits of a physically active lifestyle, some studies suggest fear of exacerbations by both children and their parents limit physical activity in children with asthma. We undertook a systematic review to quantify the difference in objectively measured physical activity levels of children and adolescents with and without asthma. Data Sources: MEDLINE, PubMed and EMBASE. Study Selection: English language observational studies of children and adolescents to the age of 18 that compared objectively measured physical activity (accelerometer or pedometer devices) between those with asthma and without asthma. Results: Overall 22,285 articles were retrieved with 12 studies being included in the review: 1 cohort, 1 case-control and 10 cross-sectional. A meta-analysis of accelerometry data from the single cohort study and 8 cross-sectional studies produced an overall mean difference of 0.01 (95% CI: −0.09–0.11) activity counts per minute in children and adolescents without asthma compared to those with asthma. Conclusion: We did not find any evidence that children and adolescents with and without asthma engaged in different amounts of physical activity when measured objectively by accelerometers. Children and adolescents with asthma may not require differentially targeted policies to encourage more physical activity, however further longitudinal studies are needed.
Can Community Leaders' Preferences be Used to Proxy Those of the Community as a Whole?

Background: Community-based distribution of ivermectin and other drugs requires people in the endemic communities who are capable of distributing the drug. It is essential also to collect information on local people's views concerning different financing mechanisms and approaches to distributing ivermectin. However, studies at household level are resource-intensive. Eliciting the preferences of the community by interviewing a smaller number of community leaders offers an alternative strategy. Methods: A comparison of information from community leaders and household heads on the financing and distribution of ivermectin through communities was conducted in three communities in Nigeria to determine whether rapidly collected information from key community leaders could represent broad community preferences. Results: The preferences of community leaders and household heads were comparable in relation to the method of collecting payments, managing payments and making payments, who should set the level of payments and the drug distribution mechanisms. However, there were differences between community leaders' views and those of heads of households concerning how the scheme should be supervised. Conclusions: This study has shown that community leaders' views can only be used as a partial substitute for more laborious methods of data collection insofar as they have the attraction of being quicker and less costly to use. However, they should not be assumed to be identical with the views of the community as a whole.
Electrocardiographic repolarization abnormalities in subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Electrocardiographic abnormalities, particularly in those waveforms representing ventricular repolarization, have been reported in subarachnoid hemorrhage. This study reports abnormalities on the initial electrocardiogram in 100 patients with SAH. Overall, one or more repolarization abnormalities occurred in 41% of patients. Analysis revealed prolonged QTc interval >460 ms in 16%, ST segment elevation in 9%, ST depression in 3%, T wave inversion in 7%, and U wave >or=100 microV in 15%. Electrocardiographic criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy were met in 14%, and 43% of those patients had no history of hypertension. Serum cardiac troponin I was elevated in 21%, and was significantly associated with QTc interval >460 ms (P <.001). Controlling for gender, those with QTc interval >460 ms were 5.5 times more likely to have elevated serum cardiac troponin I. It is concluded that repolarization abnormalities are present in a high proportion of patients with SAH. Some SAH patients also have left ventricular hypertrophy voltage unrelated to hypertension or coronary artery disease. Prolonged QTc interval after SAH is significantly related to myocardial injury, but unrelated to mortality, and there is no association between ST-T wave abnormalities and either myocardial injury or mortality.
Linguistics today : facing a greater challenge

1. Preface 2. Evidentiality: Problems and challenges (by Aikhenvald, Alexandra Y.) 3. Towards a less 'syntactic' morphology and a more 'morphological' syntax (by Anderson, Stephen R.) 4. Linguistic universals and particular (by Bach, Emmon) 5. Language planning and language policies: Issues and prospects (by Bamgbose, Ayo) 6. Computational lexicons and corpora: Complementary components in human language technology (by Calzolari, Nicoletta) 7. Historical linguistics: The state of the art (by Campbell, Lyle) 8. Coherent fieldwork (by Everett, Daniel L.) 9. State of the art in Computational Linguistics (by Ferrari, Giacomo) 10. State-of-the-art paper: Lexicology and lexicography: Milestones in metalexicography (by Gouws, Rufus H.) 11. Pragmatics: State of the art (by Harnish, Robert M.) 12. Phonological dialectics: A short history of generative phonology (by Hulst, Harry van der) 13. Types of languages and the simple pattern of the core of language (by Sgall, Petr) 14. Attempt at the revival of Warrungu ( Australia): Its cultural and scientific significance (by Tsunoda, Tasaku) 15. The future of creolistics (by Versteegh, Kees) 16. How the study of endangered languages will revolutionize linguistics (by Whalen, Douglas)
Is there a Future for Empirical Software Engineering?

Empirical studies of different kinds are nowadays regularly published in software engineering journals and conferences. Many empirical studies have been published, but are this sufficient? Individual studies are important, but the actual potential in relation to evidence-based software engineering [1] is not fully exploited. As a discipline we have to be able to go further to make our individual studies more useful. Other research should be able to leverage on the studies and industry should be able to make informed decisions based on the empirical research. There are several challenges related to making individual empirical studies useful in a broader context. Anyone having conducted a systematic literature review [2] has most likely experienced the problem of being able to synthesize the relevant studies. In all too many cases, we end up with a systematic mapping study [3], or in the best case something on the borderline between a review and a mapping study. This illustrates the need to write for synthesis [4], and in particular including sufficient contextual information to allow for synthesis [4]. Evidence-based software engineering [1] through the use of systematic literature studies (reviews and maps) has emerged. Methodological support and guidelines (e.g. [2], [3], [6] and [7]) for conducting systematic literature studies have been formulated and they should be carefully followed. However, more is needed! We still need to improve! The keynote is focused on the needs for the future as seen by the presenter. Synthesis has proven hard, and improvements are needed when it comes to both primary studies and secondary studies. It has been shown that the reliability of secondary studies can be challenged [8]. However, if we do manage to publish high quality primary studies, and we truly manage to conduct strong systematic literature reviews, we have a good basis for both building theories in software engineering and to enable industry to make informed decisions using scientific evidence. Unfortunately, this is not the situation today. Theories are mostly based on our own research, as exemplified by [9]. This is fine, but much more can be done if we can easier leverage on the research done by others to build theories. Furthermore, industry is often making decision related to processes, methods, techniques and tools before we manage to obtain sufficient evidence for recommendations. The points made above are highlighted using personal experiences from conducting systematic literature studies, collaborating with industry and research on developing an empirically based software engineering theory.
Does routine follow up after head injury help? A randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the Medical Disability Society's 1988 recommendation that "every patient attending hospital after a head injury should be registered and offered an outpatient follow up appointment" by determining whether offering a routine follow up service to patients presenting to hospital with a head injury of any severity affects outcome six months later. DESIGN: A randomised controlled trial design with masked assessment of outcome. SETTING: A mixed rural and urban health district with a population of about 560000. PATIENTS: 1156 consecutive patients resident in Oxfordshire aged between 16 and 65 years presenting over 13 months to accident and emergency departments or admitted to hospital and diagnosed as having a head injury of any severity, including those with other injuries. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were registered and randomised to one of two groups. Both groups continued to receive the standard service offered by the hospitals. The early follow up group were approached at 7-10 days after injury and offered additional information, advice, support, and further intervention as needed. All randomised patients were approached for follow up assessment six months after injury by independent clinicians blind to their group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Validated questionnaires were used to elicit ratings of post-concussion symptoms (the Rivermead postconcussion symptoms questionnaire), and changes in work, relationships, leisure, social, and domestic activities (the Rivermead head injury follow up questionnaire). RESULTS: The two groups were comparable at randomisation. Data was obtained at six months on 226 of 577 "control" patients and 252 of 579 "trial" patients (59% were lost to follow up). There were no significant differences overall between the trial and control groups at follow up, but subgroup analysis of the patients with moderate or severe head injuries (posttraumatic amnesia > or = one hour, or admitted to hospital), showed that those in the early intervention group had significantly fewer difficulties with everyday activities (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The results from the 41% of patients followed up do not support the recommendation of offering a routine follow up to all patients with head injury, but they do suggest that routine follow up is most likely to be beneficial to patients with moderate or severe head injuries. Some of those with less severe injuries do continue to experience difficulties and need access to services. A further trial is under way to test these conclusions.
Scheduling service function chains for ultra-low latency network services

The fifth generation (5G) of cellular networks is emerging as the key enabler of killer real-time applications, such as tactile Internet, augmented and virtual reality, tele-driving, autonomous driving, etc., providing them with the much needed ultra-reliable and ultra-low latency services. Such applications are expected to take full advantages of recent developments in the areas of cloud and edge computing, and exploit emerging industrial initiatives such as Software Defined Networks (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV). Often, these 5G applications require network functions (e.g., IDSs, load balancers, etc.) to cater for their end-to-end services. This paper focuses on chaining network functions and services for these applications, and in particular considers those delay sensitive ones. Here, we account for services with deadlines and formulate the joint problem of network function mapping, routing and scheduling mathematically and highlight its complexity. Then, we present an efficient method for solving these sub-problems sequentially and validate its performance numerically. We also propose and characterize the performance of a Tabu search-based approach that we design to solve the problem. Our numerical evaluation reveals the efficiency of our sequential method and the scalability of our Tabu-based algorithm.
Refractive plasticity of the developing chick eye

We have developed a lightweight plastic goggle with rigid contact lens inserts that can be applied to the eyes of newly hatched chicks to explore the range and accuracy of the developmental mechanism that responds to retinal defocus. Convex and concave lenses of 5, 10, 15, 20 and +30D were applied to one eye on the day of hatching. The chick eye responds accurately to defocus between ‐10 and + 15D. although hyperopia develops more rapidly than myopia. Beyond this range there is first a levelling off of the response and then a decrease. The resulting refractive errors are caused mainly by increases and decreases in axial length, although high levels of hyperopia are associated with corneal flattening. If ±10 D defocusing lenses are applied nine days after hatching the resulting myopia and hyperopia are equal to about 80% of the inducing power. After one week of inducing myopia and hyperopia with ±10 D lenses, the inducing lenses were reversed. In this case, the refractive error did not reach the power of the second lens after another week of wear. Instead, astigmatism in varying amounts (0–12 D) was produced, being greater when reversal was from plus to minus. Finally, astigmatism can also be produced by applying 9 D toric inducing lenses on the day of hatching. The astigmatism produced varies from 2 to 6 D. and the most myopic meridian coincides with the power meridian of the inducing lens. This astigmatism appears to be primarily due to corneal toricity. Furthermore, the greatest magnitude of astigmatism was produced when the piano meridian of the inducing lens was placed 45° from the line of the palpebral fissure.
Shining light on cell death processes – a novel biosensor for necroptosis, a newly described cell death program

Cell death contributes to the maintenance of homeostasis, but mounting evidence has confirmed the involvement of programmed cell death in some diseases. The concept of programmed cell death, which was coined several decades ago to refer to apoptosis, now also encompasses necroptosis, a newly characterized cell death program. Research on programmed cell death has become essential for the development of some new therapies. To study cell death signaling and its molecular mechanisms, new biochemical and fluorogenic approaches have been devised. Here, we first provide an overview of programmed cell death modes and the importance of dynamic cell death studies. Next, we focus on both apoptotic and necroptotic signaling and their mechanisms by providing a systematic review of all the methods and approaches that have been used. We emphasize the contribution of advanced approaches based on fluorescent probes, reporters, and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)‐based biosensors for studying programmed cell death. Because apoptosis and necroptosis signaling pathways share some effectors molecules, we discuss how these new tools could be used to discriminate between apoptosis and necroptosis. We also describe how we developed specific FRET‐based biosensors for detecting necroptosis. Finally, we touch on how dynamic measurement of biomolecules in living models will play a role in personalized prognosis and therapy.
Salaire minimum et emploi

Le salaire minimum est en effet suppose, lorsqu'il est effectivement fixe a un niveau superieur au salaire d'equilibre de marche, diminuer, d'une part, l'emploi des travailleurs dont la rpoductivite est jugee insuffisante au regard de leur qualification ou de leur experience professionnelle. Et d7autre part, la profitabilite de certaines activites de main-d'oeuvre, notamment dans le secteur des services. Ces critiques doivent cependant etre nuan cees. L'analyse theorique montre que les incidences du salaire minimum sur l'emploi restent en grande partie indeterminees du fait de la nature complexe de la relation emploi-salaire. Le salaire minimum peut ainsi bien diminuer qu'augmenter l'emploi. Les travaux empiriques etrangers effectues pour determiner l'impact du salaire minimum sur l'emploi viennent confirmer cette indetermination. Ils ne parviennent pas a des resultats concluants et ne permettent dons pas de repondre aux questions que la theorie laisse elle-meme en suspens. Cela tient essentiellement aux resultats contradictoires des etudes les plus recentes, surtout nord-americaines, qui n'arrivent plus a deceler d'effets ou qui revelent un effet positif. Les verifications empiriques francaises qui se sont principalement interessees aux jeumes viennent renforcer cette incertitude. Leurs resultats ne permettent pas de deceler un impact significatif et suffusamment solide du smic sur l'emploi et le chomage des jeunes. Les estimations additionnelles que nous avons effectuees sur la periode 1968-1990 parviennent a la meme conclusion.