Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High‐Frequency Sonography in the Evaluation of Psoriasis

Objective. The purpose of this study was to show the potential of the latest sonographic equipment using high‐frequency probes and a very sensitive power Doppler (PD) technique in depicting both skin and nail changes in patients affected by psoriasis. Methods. The study was conducted in 30 patients with a diagnosis of psoriasis clinically performed by an experienced dermatologist and 15 healthy participants, using a currently available sonography system equipped with a variable‐frequency transducer ranging from 6 to 18 MHz and a Doppler frequency ranging from 7 to 14 MHz. Results. The images illustrated in this presentation are representative examples of the ability of sonography to show and characterize even minimal morphostructural and blood flow changes in patients with both psoriatic plaques and onychopathy. Conclusions. This report provides pictorial evidence that high‐resolution gray scale sonography with a PD technique is a real‐time and noninvasive imaging technique that can be used as an adjunct to the clinical evaluation in assessing psoriatic disease.
Urodynamic results and clinical outcomes with intradetrusor injections of onabotulinumtoxina in a randomized, placebo‐controlled dose‐finding study in idiopathic overactive bladder

We assessed the effects of onabotulinumtoxinA (BOTOX®) on clinical and urodynamic variables in patients with idiopathic overactive bladder (OAB) and urinary urgency incontinence (UUI) with or without detrusor overactivity (DO), inadequately managed with anticholinergics.
Serum osteoinductive factor ( OIF ) as a predictive biomarker for type II diabetic patients with osteopenia or osteoporosis

Objective: Increased risk of osteoporosis in patients with diabetes is confirmed. However, earlier biomarker as a diagnostic tool for diabetic osteopenia and osteoporosis is absent on clinical diagnosis. Osteoinductive factor (OIF) is known to be an essential component of the bone matrix. We aimed to investigate the relationship between OIF and 2 diabetes mellitus in combination with osteopenia or osteoporosis, and discussed the availability of the serological markers for diabetic osteopenia or osteoporosis screening. Methods: One hundred and twenty subjects were divided into four groups, including healthy controls group (Control, n = 30), patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus group (DM, n = 30), type 2 diabetes mellitus with osteopenia (DOA, n = 42) and type 2 diabetes mellitus with osteoporosis (DOP, n = 18). Serum OIF levels were examined by ELISA, and other clinical biochemical parameters were tested based on standard methods. Results: OIF concentration in diabetic osteopenia and osteoporotic patients was significantly increased as compared to diabetic patients and healthy controls. Serum OIF was strongly correlated for urine calcium in diabetic osteopenia (r = 0.517, P = 0.0005) and osteoporosis patients (r = 0.779, P < 0.0001). Moreover, we observed a significant and negative correlation between serum OIF and T-score in osteopenia and osteoporosis patients. Furthermore, the ROC curves illustrated strong separation between the control group and diabetic osteopenia group, with an AUC of 0.793 (95% CI: 0.668-0.919; P < 0.001) for OIF. Moreover, the ROC curves indicated that there was strong separation between the control group and diabetic osteoporosis group, with an AUC of 0.878 (95% CI: 0.776-0.977; P < 0.001) for OIF. Conclusions: OIF provided the highly diagnostic power for the detection of diabetic osteopenia or osteoporosis, suggesting that serum OIF could serve as a promising marker for diabetic osteopenia or osteoporosis diagnosis.
Gas-liquid chromatography of d-biotin.

A rapid and specific gas chromatographic method has been developed for the detection and determination of d-biotin. This technique has been found applicable to agricultural premixes and pharmaceutical injectable preparations. After suitable preliminary extraction, the biotin silyl ester is prepared using bis-(trimethylsilyl)acetamide (BSA) reagent. The silyl ester of d-biotin exhibited good peak symmetry and a linear response when utilizing a hydrogen flame ionization detector with a 2% OV-17 column operated at a temperature of 190°. The conditions for the assay of d-biotin in several preparations are described employing n-octa-cosane as the internal standard. The standard deviation of the developed procedure under the conditions studied was ±2.7%.
A two-sample test for high-dimensional data with applications to gene-set testing

We proposed a two sample test for means of high dimensional data when the data dimension is much larger than the sample size. The classical Hotelling's $T^2$ test does not work for this ``large p, small n" situation. The proposed test does not require explicit conditions on the relationship between the data dimension and sample size. This offers much flexibility in analyzing high dimensional data. An application of the proposed test is in testing significance for sets of genes, which we demonstrate in an empirical study on a Leukemia data set.
The associations between resilience, social capital and self-rated health among HIV-positive South Africans

This study examined the relationship between resilience, social capital and self-rated health among 263 HIV-positive South Africans living in poverty, using questionnaires. Self-rated good health was predicted by younger age, trust in community-based organizations and having contacts of different religions. The findings highlight the importance of community-based networks and resources for care and support for persons living with HIV/AIDS in poor, rural areas. Furthermore, resilience, which also related positively to education and income, contributed positively to self-rated health, drawing attention to the interplay between resources at individual and community levels.
Considerations for Using Research Data to Verify Clinical Data Accuracy

Collected to support clinical decisions and processes, clinical data may be subject to validity issues when used for research. The objective of this study is to examine methods and issues in summarizing and evaluating the accuracy of clinical data as compared to primary research data. We hypothesized that research survey data on a patient cohort could serve as a reference standard for uncovering potential biases in clinical data. We compared the summary statistics between clinical and research datasets. Seven clinical variables, i.e., height, weight, gender, ethnicity, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and diabetes status, were included in the study. Our results show that the clinical data and research data had similar summary statistical profiles, but there are detectable differences in definitions and measurements for individual variables such as height, diastolic blood pressure, and diabetes status. We discuss the implications of these results and confirm the important considerations for using research data to verify clinical data accuracy.
Tagungsband 16. Kolloquium Programmiersprachen und Grundlagen der Programmierung (KPS'11): 26. bis 28. September 2011, Schloss Raesfeld, Münsterland

Dieser Arbeitsbericht fasst die Beitrage des 16. Kolloquium 'Programmiersprachen und Grundlagen der Programmierung (KPS'11)' zusammen, das vom 26. bis 28. September 2011 auf Schloss Raesfeld im Munsterland in Deutschland stattgefunden hat.
Low Use of Analgesics in Alzheimer’s Disease: Possible Mechanisms

This article discusses three possible mechanisms that might underlie the often observed low use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and other analgesics in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), compared with nondemented elderly: (a) AD patients are progressively less able to communicate about pain; (b) AD patients suffer from fewer painful conditions than nondemented elderly subjects; and (c) considering the neuropathology, AD patients might actually experience pain to a lesser extent. Suggestions for future pain assessment in AD are made.
Comparison of soluble and placental transferrin receptors as standards for the determination of soluble transferrin receptor in humans

Transferrin receptor is a transmembrane protein that mediates iron transport from blood into cells. The extracellular part of this receptor circulates in blood as soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) and the immunological determination of this parameter is widely used in clinical practice. This study aimed at comparing the properties of sTfR and placental TfR (pTfR) and to evaluate the validity of pTfR as a standard for the determination of sTfR in human serum. sTfR and pTfR were studied by immunofluorescent assay and fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) gel filtration. Serum sTfR levels were calculated using sTfR or pTfR as a standard. The immunological activity of pTfR was lower than that of sTfR in all anti‐TfR monoclonal antibody pairs. Upon FPLC gel filtration, pTfR eluted in a void volume of the column as a protein with a molecular weight (MW) of >1500 kDa, whereas the MW of sTfR corresponded to 237 kDa. This could be a result of micelle formation by pTfR because of its hydrophobic intracellular part. The serum sTfR levels calculated against sTfR were 2.5 times lower than those calculated against pTfR. Serum sTfR levels are overestimated when pTfR is used as the standard.
The isolation of Listeria species from fresh-water sites in Cheshire and North Wales

SUMMARY We report a study to determine the presence of Listeria species in surface waters. One hundred ml volumes of 30 water samples taken from 21 different sites were analysed. Most of the samples examined were from ponds and lakes. Listeria species were isolated on eight (27%) occasions, six of these isolates were L. seeligeri, one was L. innocua and one L. welshimeri. Although not statistically significant, coliform and Escherichia coli counts were higher in waters that were positive than were negative for Listeria spp. It is suggested that the low isolation rate of listeria in this study reflects the fact that most waters examined did not receive sewage outfalls. Water sports activities are unlikely to be a risk factor for listeriosis.
A robust technique for contrast enhancement using Quaternionic Wavelet Transform with natural brightness

In this paper we propose a new methodology for contrast enhancement (CE) and edge preservation of an image using Quaternionic Wavelet Transform (QWT) and Singular Value Decomposition (SVD). Although there are many techniques like Global histogram equalization (GHE), Local histogram equalization (LHE) and other singular value based enhancement techniques, these methods are not robust as it fails to enhance very poor contrast images. By using Quaternionic Wavelet Transform the quality of the image is better enhanced compared to other wavelet transforms. QWT provides very good shift invariance and directionality than DWT. In addition to that the proposed technique maintains the brightness of the image and preserves the edges of the image with relatively fewer artifacts.
An efficient yield optimization method using a two step linear approximation of circuit performance

A novel method for the estimation of yield of integrated circuits based on a two step linear approximation of circuit performance is proposed. By using this method, only one complete circuit simulation is needed for the estimation of yield. A new algorithm for yield optimization is also presented. It is based on the random direction stochastic approximation and does not require the evaluation of yield gradients. Examples are given to demonstrate the efficiency of the algorithm. <<ETX>>
TraC of IncN Plasmid pKM101 Associates with Membranes and Extracellular High-Molecular-Weight Structures inEscherichia coli

ABSTRACT Conjugative transfer of IncN plasmid pKM101 is mediated by the TraI-TraII region-encoded transfer machinery components. Similar to the case for the related Agrobacterium tumefaciens T-complex transfer apparatus, this machinery is needed for assembly of pili to initiate cell-to-cell contact preceding DNA transfer. Biochemical and cell biological experiments presented here show extracellular localization of TraC, as suggested by extracellular complementation of TraC-deficient bacteria by helper cells expressing a functional plasmid transfer machinery (S. C. Winans, and G. C. Walker, J. Bacteriol. 161:402–410, 1985). Overexpression of TraC and its export in large amounts into the periplasm of Escherichia coliallowed purification by periplasmic extraction, ammonium sulfate precipitation, and column chromatography. Whereas TraC was soluble in overexpressing strains, it partly associated with the membranes in pKM101-carrying cells, possibly due to protein-protein interactions with other components of the TraI-TraII region-encoded transfer machinery. Membrane association of TraC was reduced in strains carrying pKM101 derivatives with transposon insertions in genes coding for other essential components of the transfer machinery,traM, traB, traD, andtraE but not eex, coding for an entry exclusion protein not required for DNA transfer. Cross-linking identified protein-protein interactions of TraC in E. coli carrying pKM101 but not derivatives with transposon insertions in essentialtra genes. Interactions with membrane-bound Tra proteins may incorporate TraC into a surface structure, suggested by its removal from the cell by shearing as part of a high-molecular-weight complex. Heterologous expression of TraC in A. tumefaciens partly compensated for the pilus assembly defect in strains deficient for its homolog VirB5, which further supported its role in assembly of conjugative pili. In addition to its association with high-molecular-weight structures, TraC was secreted into the extracellular milieu. Conjugation experiments showed that secreted TraC does not compensate transfer deficiency of TraC-deficient cells, suggesting that extracellular complementation may rely on cell-to-cell transfer of TraC only as part of a bona fide transfer apparatus.
An object-oriented approach to schema integration and data mining in multiple databases

In this paper, an object-oriented (OO) framework for integrating heterogeneous database schemas for data mining is proposed. The framework is constructed on the basis of the attribute equivalence theory. The work is motivated by the observation that current data mining systems are best for knowledge discovery tasks in single databases. However, the rich sources of information provided by an increasingly large number of distributed and heterogeneous databases present an urgent need for effective and efficient mining systems that can operate on multiple databases. In our framework, OO techniques are used. The intention is to take advantage of features offered by the OO methodology. It is shown that they can be utilised effectively in the implementation.
Endoscopic third ventriculostomy: outcome analysis in 368 procedures.

OBJECT Although endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) has been accepted as a procedure of choice for the treatment of obstructive hydrocephalus, the outcome of this treatment remains controversial with regard to age, cause, and long-term follow-up results. The goal of this study was to assess the risk of failure associated with these factors in a retrospective cohort study. METHODS Between 1999 and 2007, 368 ETVs were performed in 350 patients (165 patients < 18 years of age) with hydrocephalus at the University Hospital of Toulouse. Failure of ETV was defined as cases requiring any subsequent surgical procedure for CSF diversion or death related to hydrocephalus management. RESULTS Tumors (53%), primary aqueductal stenosis (18%), and intracranial hemorrhage (13%) were the most common causes of hydrocephalus. The median follow-up period was 47 months (range 6-106 months), and the overall success rate was 68.5% (252 of the 368 procedures). Patients < 6 months of age had a 5-fold increased risk of ETV failure than older patients (adjusted hazard ratio [HRa] 5.0; 95% CI 2.4-10.4; p < 0.001). Hemorrhage-related (HRa 4.0; 95% CI 1.9-8.5; p < 0.001) and idiopathic chronic hydrocephalus (HRa 6.3, 95% CI 2.5-15.0, p < 0.001) had a higher risk of failure than other causes. Most failures (97%) occurred within 2 months of the initial procedure. The overall morbidity rate was 10%, although most complications were minor. Finally, the introduction of ETV in the authors' department reduced the number of shunt insertions and hospital admissions for shunt failures by half and was a source of cost savings. CONCLUSIONS Endoscopic third ventriculostomy is a safe procedure and an effective treatment option for hydrocephalus. Factors indicating potential poor ETV outcome seem to be very young children and hemorrhage-related and chronic hydrocephalus in adults.
Decrease of D2 receptor binding but increase in D2‐stimulated G‐protein activation, dopamine transporter binding and behavioural sensitization in brains of mice treated with a chronic escalating dose ‘binge’ cocaine administration paradigm

Understanding the neurobiology of the transition from initial drug use to excessive drug use has been a challenge in drug addiction. We examined the effect of chronic ‘binge’ escalating dose cocaine administration, which mimics human compulsive drug use, on behavioural responses and the dopaminergic system of mice and compared it with a chronic steady dose (3 × 15 mg/kg/day) ‘binge’ cocaine administration paradigm. Male C57BL/6J mice were injected with saline or cocaine in an escalating dose paradigm for 14 days. Locomotor and stereotypy activity were measured and quantitative autoradiographic mapping of D1 and D2 receptors, dopamine transporters and D2‐stimulated [35S]GTPγS binding was performed in the brains of mice treated with this escalating and steady dose paradigm. An initial sensitization to the locomotor effects of cocaine followed by a dose‐dependent increase in the duration of the locomotor effect of cocaine was observed in the escalating but not the steady dose paradigm. Sensitization to the stereotypy effect of cocaine and an increase in cocaine‐induced stereotypy score was observed from 3 × 20 to 3 × 25 mg/kg/day cocaine. There was a significant decrease in D2 receptor density, but an increase in D2‐stimulated G‐protein activity and dopamine transporter density in the striatum of cocaine‐treated mice, which was not observed in our steady dose paradigm. Our results document that chronic ‘binge’ escalating dose cocaine treatment triggers profound behavioural and neurochemical changes in the dopaminergic system, which might underlie the transition from drug use to compulsive drug use associated with addiction, which is a process of escalation.
Building better bone: The weaving of biologic and engineering strategies for managing bone loss

Segmental bone loss remains a challenging clinical problem for orthopaedic trauma surgeons. In addition to the missing bone itself, the local tissues (soft tissue, vascular) are often highly traumatized as well, resulting in a less than ideal environment for bone regeneration. As a result, attempts at limb salvage become a highly expensive endeavor, often requiring multiple operations and necessitating the use of every available strategy (autograft, allograft, bone graft substitution, Masquelet, bone transport, etc.) to achieve bony union. A cost‐sensitive, functionally appropriate, and volumetrically adequate engineered substitute would be practice‐changing for orthopaedic trauma surgeons and these patients with difficult clinical problems. In tissue engineering and bone regeneration fields, numerous research efforts continue to make progress toward new therapeutic interventions for segmental bone loss, including novel biomaterial development as well as cell‐based strategies. Despite an ever‐evolving literature base of these new therapeutic and engineered options, there remains a disconnect with the clinical practice, with very few translating into clinical use. A symposium entitled “Building better bone: The weaving of biologic and engineering strategies for managing bone loss,” was presented at the 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society Conference to further explore this engineering‐clinical disconnect, by surveying basic, translational, and clinical researchers along with orthopaedic surgeons and proposing ideas for pushing the bar forward in the field of segmental bone loss. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:1855–1864, 2017.
A Multicenter Nominal Group Study to Rank Outcomes Important to Patients, and Their Representation in Existing Composite Outcome Measures for Psoriatic Arthritis

Objective. To rank outcomes identified as important to patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and examine their representation in existing composite measures. Methods. Seven nominal group technique (NGT) meetings took place at 4 hospital sites. Two sorting rounds were conducted to generate a shortlist of outcomes followed by a group discussion and final ranking. In the final ranking round, patients were given 15 points each and asked to rank their top 5 outcomes from the shortlist. The totals were summed across the 7 NGT groups and were presented as a percentage of the maximum possible priority score. Results. Thirty-one patients took part: 16 men and 15 women; the mean age was 54 years (range 24–77; SD 12.2), the mean disease duration was 10.3 years (range 1–40; SD 9.2), and mean Health Assessment Questionnaire was 1.15 (range 0–2.63; SD 0.7). The highest-ranked outcomes that patients wished to see from treatment were pain with 93 points (20.0%), fatigue 62 (13.3%), physical fitness 33 (7.1%), halting/slowing damage 32 (6.9%), and quality of life/well-being 29 (6.2%). Reviewing existing composite measures for PsA demonstrated that no single measure adequately identifies all these outcomes. Conclusion. Pain and fatigue were ranked as the outcomes most important to patients receiving treatment for PsA and are not well represented within existing composite measures. Future work will focus on validating composite measures modified to identify outcomes important to patients.
Ketamine and Lornoxicam for Preventing a Fentanyl-Induced Increase in Postoperative Morphine Requirement

BACKGROUND:N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonists and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are believed to prevent opioid-induced hyperalgesia and/or acute opioid tolerance, which could cause an increase in postoperative opioid requirement. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we investigated whether co-administration of ketamine or lornoxicam and fentanyl could prevent the increase of postoperative morphine requirement induced by fentanyl alone. METHODS:Ninety females undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy with spinal anesthesia were randomly assigned to six groups consisting of placebo (normal saline, C), fentanyl (three bolus of 1 &mgr;g · kg−1, F), ketamine (infusion of 15 &mgr;g · kg−1 · min−1, K), ketamine and fentanyl (infusion of 15 &mgr;g · kg−1 · min−1 ketamine plus three bolus of 1 &mgr;g · kg−1 fentanyl, FK), lornoxicam (one bolus of 8 mg, L), and lornoxicam and fentanyl (one bolus of 8 mg lornoxicam plus three bolus of 1 &mgr;g · kg−1 fentanyl, FL). Cumulative morphine consumption, pain score, and adverse effects were recorded at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h postoperatively. RESULTS:Cumulative morphine consumption in Group F was significantly more than that in Group C at 3, 6, and 12 h postoperatively (P < 0.05). Postoperative cumulative morphine consumption was similar in Groups C, K, FK, L, and FL. No differences in postoperative pain scores were observed among groups. More patients in Groups K and FK had hallucinations during and/or after surgery than those in Group C (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS:Our data suggest that the increase of postoperative morphine requirements induced by intraoperative administration of fentanyl could be prevented by ketamine or lornoxicam.