Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of the BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism on Gray Matter Volume in Typically Developing Children and Adolescents

The Val66Met polymorphism of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is associated with psychiatric disorders and regional gray matter volume (rGMV) in adults. However, the relationship between BDNF and rGMV in children has not been clarified. In this 3-year cross-sectional/longitudinal (2 time points) study, we investigated the effects of BDNF genotypes on rGMV in 185 healthy Japanese children aged 5.7–18.4 using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analyses. We found that the volume of the right cuneus in Met homozygotes (Met/Met) was greater than in Val homozygotes (Val/Val) in both exams, and the left insula and left ventromedial prefrontal cortex volumes were greater in Val homozygotes versus Met homozygotes in Exam l. In addition, Met homozygous subjects exhibited higher processing speed in intelligence indices than Val homozygotes and Val/Met heterozygotes at both time points. Longitudinal analysis showed that the left temporoparietal junction volume of Val/Met heterozygotes increased more substantially over the 3-year study period than in Val homozygotes, and age-related changes were observed for the Val/Met genotype. Our findings suggest that the presence of 2 Met alleles may have a positive effect on rGMV at the developmental stages analyzed in this study.
Radiolunate Fusion; The Forgotten Partial Arthrodesis

Radiolunate fusion has been used successfully in the treatment of rheumatoid ulnar translation of the carpus and degenerative radiolunate arthritis. Fusing the lunate to the radius places the keystone of the carpus in an aligned and stable position. The use of radiolunate fusion has been introduced here for other treatment challenges including traumatic ulnar translation of the carpus, dynamic midcarpal instability, volar and static intercalated segment instability. Pain relief was excellent and preoperative range of motion was maintained with radiolunate fusion.
Adaptation Aftereffects in the Perception of Radiological Images

Radiologists must classify and interpret medical images on the basis of visual inspection. We examined how the perception of radiological scans might be affected by common processes of adaptation in the visual system. Adaptation selectively adjusts sensitivity to the properties of the stimulus in current view, inducing an aftereffect in the appearance of stimuli viewed subsequently. These perceptual changes have been found to affect many visual attributes, but whether they are relevant to medical image perception is not well understood. To examine this we tested whether aftereffects could be generated by the characteristic spatial structure of radiological scans, and whether this could bias their appearance along dimensions that are routinely used to classify them. Measurements were focused on the effects of adaptation to images of normal mammograms, and were tested in observers who were not radiologists. Tissue density in mammograms is evaluated visually and ranges from "dense" to "fatty. " Arrays of images varying in intermediate levels between these categories were created by blending dense and fatty images with different weights. Observers first adapted by viewing image samples of dense or fatty tissue, and then judged the appearance of the intermediate images by using a texture matching task. This revealed pronounced perceptual aftereffects – prior exposure to dense images caused an intermediate image to appear more fatty and vice versa. Moreover, the appearance of the adapting images themselves changed with prolonged viewing, so that they became less distinctive as textures. These aftereffects could not be accounted for by the contrast differences or power spectra of the images, and instead tended to follow from the phase spectrum. Our results suggest that observers can selectively adapt to the properties of radiological images, and that this selectivity could strongly impact the perceived textural characteristics of the images.
How Do Z and Atoll X-Ray Binaries Differ?

Low-mass X-ray binaries containing weakly magnetized neutron stars may be divided into two classes, Z and atoll sources, based upon correlations between their X-ray timing properties and the patterns that they trace in plots of two X-ray colors. In this Letter we examine color-color diagrams of eight atoll sources and four Z sources using data from the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer. The 5 year span of data we have examined is significantly longer than the spans of previous studies. We find that the previous clear distinction between color-color diagrams from atoll and Z sources is an artifact of incomplete sampling, as those atoll sources that are sampled over a wide dynamic range in intensity (Fmax/Fmin ≳ 80) trace three-branched color-color patterns similar to the tracks for which Z sources are named. However, atoll sources trace this pattern over a larger range of luminosity and on much longer timescales than do Z sources and exhibit much harder spectra when they are faint, which argues against any simple unification scheme for the two classes of source.
Morphological and Morphometrical Study of the Human Ossicular Chain: A Review of the Literature and a Meta-Analysis of Experience Over 50 Years

The ossicular chain has been known for 500 years and yet there are a small number of morphometrical studies. We reviewed the whole literature that is available online regarding the human ossicular chain from an anatomist perspective and correlated the data from all the papers that showed any relevance. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed a priori. A thorough description of all ossicular differences has been made and we present their variations in dimensions trying to associate measurements obtained with race. This research included papers spreading on a horizon of over 50 years of worldwide experience. Statistical analysis revealed that there is a great difference in measurements and the results cannot be sufficiently associated. The explanation of this variation in the measurements obtained might be due to errors in the procedure. We conclude that ossicular chain reveals a great variety, and propose that a measurement protocol for auditory ossicles must be widely performed.
On the capacity of hybrid wireless networks

This paper involves the study of the throughput capacity of hybrid wireless networks. A hybrid network is formed by placing a sparse network of base stations in an ad hoc network. These base stations are assumed to be connected by a high-bandwidth wired network and act as relays for wireless nodes. They are not data sources nor data receivers. Hybrid networks present a tradeoff between traditional cellular networks and pure ad hoc networks in that data may be forwarded in a multihop fashion or through the infrastructure. It has been shown that the capacity of a random ad hoc network does not scale well with the number of nodes in the system. In this work, we consider two different routing strategies and study the scaling behavior of the throughput capacity of a hybrid network. Analytical expressions of the throughput capacity are obtained. For a hybrid network of n nodes and m base stations, the results show that if m grows asymptotically slower than √n, the benefit of adding base stations on capacity is insignificant. However, if m grows faster than √n, the throughput capacity increases linearly with the number of base stations, providing an effective improvement over a pure ad hoc network. Therefore, in order to achieve nonnegligible capacity gain, the investment in the wired infrastructure should be high enough.
Evaluation of Atrial Natriuretic Peptide and Brain Natriuretic Peptide in Atrial Granules of Rats with Experimental Congestive Heart Failure

The natriuretic peptides are believed to play an important role in the pathophysiology of congestive heart failure (CHF). We utilized a quantitative cytomorphometric method, using double immunocytochemical labeling, to assess the characteristics of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in atrial granules in an experimental model of rats with CHF induced by aortocaval fistula. Rats with CHF were further divided into decompensated (sodium-retaining) and compensated (sodium-excreting) subgroups and compared with a sham-operated control group. A total of 947 granules in myocytes in the right atrium were analyzed, using electron microscopy and a computerized analysis system. Decompensated CHF was associated with alterations in the modal nature of granule content packing, as depicted by moving bin analysis, and in the granule density of both peptides. In control rats, the mean density of gold particles attached to both peptides was 347.0 ± 103.6 and 306.3 ± 89.9 gold particles/μm2 for ANP and BNP, respectively. Similar mean density was revealed in the compensated rats (390.6 ± 81.0 and 351.3 ± 62.1 gold particles/μm2 for ANP and BNP, respectively). However, in rats with decompensated CHF, a significant decrease in the mean density of gold particles was observed (141.6 ± 67.3 and 158.0 ± 71.2 gold particles/μm2 for ANP and BNP, respectively; p < 0.05 compared with compensated rats, for both ANP and BNP). The ANP:BNP ratio did not differ between groups. These findings indicate that the development of decompensated CHF in rats with aortocaval fistula is associated with a marked decrease in the density of both peptides in atrial granules, as well as in alterations in the quantal nature of granule formation. The data further suggest that both peptides, ANP and BNP, may be regulated in the atrium by a common secretory mechanism in CHF.
INDUCTION OF LACTOSE UTILIZATION IN STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

McClatchy, J. K. (The University of Texas, Dallas), and E. D. Rosenblum. Induction of lactose utilization in Staphylococcus aureus. J. Bacteriol. 86:1211–1215. 1963. —Adaptation to the utilization of lactose by Staphylococcus aureus has been compared with that by Escherichia coli. Lactose and galactose were found to be efficient inducers of the β-galactosidase and the postulated galactoside-permease of S. aureus; the thiogalactosides, active as gratuitous inducers for E. coli, were inactive and inhibited induction of staphylococci by lactose and galactose. Mutants lacking β-galactosidase or galactoside-permease, as well as a constitutive mutant for lactose utilization, were isolated. Like that in E. coli, the genetic system of staphylococcus seems to consist of two structural genes for the synthesis of the two enzymes and at least one regulatory gene simultaneously controlling the expression of the structural genes. The mutants were grouped by cross-transduction studies in three loci corresponding to the three phenotypes. Mutants of the pleiotropic locus were also isolated.
Effect of dopexamine on intestinal tissue concentrations of high-energy phosphates and intestinal release of purine compounds in endotoxemic rats

Objectives To determine the effect of dopexamine, a synthetic catecholamine ligand for dopaminergic and &bgr;2-adrenergic receptors, on intestinal release of adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) degradation products and on intestinal tissue concentrations of high-energy phosphates during endotoxemia. Design Randomized, controlled trial. Setting Experimental laboratory. Subjects Twenty-one male Wistar rats. Interventions Rats given endotoxin (Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide [LPS]; 1.5 mg/kg iv over 60 mins) were treated with a continuous infusion of dopexamine (DPX; 2.5 &mgr;g/kg/min, n = 7, group LPS + DPX) or 0.9% saline (n = 7, group LPS) during a study period of 120 mins. Animals in the control group (n = 7) received a volume-equivalent infusion of 0.9% saline without endotoxin. Measurements and Main Results In all groups, arterial and portal venous concentrations of adenosine, hypoxanthine, and uric acid were measured at baseline and at 60 and 120 mins after the endotoxin challenge, and we calculated the portal venous/arterial concentration differences as an indicator of the intestinal release of the purine compounds. Furthermore, at the end of the study, the intestinal tissue concentrations of the high-energy phosphates ATP, adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP), adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMP), creatine phosphate, and adenosine were determined, and we calculated the adenine nucleotide pool, the ATP/ADP and AMP/adenosine ratios, and the adenylate energy charge of the intestinal tissue. Endotoxemia decreases intestinal tissue ATP, ADP, AMP, and creatine phosphate concentrations, increases tissue adenosine content, and increases the release of hypoxanthine and uric acid from the intestinal tract. Dopexamine attenuates the endotoxin-induced decrease of the intestinal tissue adenine nucleotide pool, the AMP/adenosine ratio, and the release of the ATP-degradation products hypoxanthine and uric acid from the intestinal tract. Conclusions Normotensive endotoxemia is associated with a deterioration of the intestinal energy balance and an increased release of ATP degradation products, indicating intestinal tissue ischemia. Furthermore, these results suggest the beneficial effects of dopexamine on pathophysiologic alterations of the intestinal energy metabolism during endotoxemia.
Dengue Virus Type 4 Phylogenetics in Brazil 2011: Looking beyond the Veil

Dengue Fever and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever are diseases affecting approximately 100 million people/year and are a major concern in developing countries. In the present study, the phylogenetic relationship of six strains of the first autochthonous cases of DENV-4 infection occurred in Sao Paulo State, Parana State and Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, 2011 were studied. Nucleotide sequences of the envelope gene were determined and compared with sequences representative of the genotypes I, II, III and Sylvatic for DEN4 retrieved from GenBank. We employed a Bayesian phylogenetic approach to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships of Brazilian DENV-4 and we estimated evolutionary rates and dates of divergence for DENV-4 found in Brazil in 2011. All samples sequenced in this study were located in Genotype II. The studied strains are monophyletic and our data suggest that they have been evolving separately for at least 4 to 6 years. Our data suggest that the virus might have been present in the region for some time, without being noticed by Health Surveillance Services due to a low level of circulation and a higher prevalence of DENV-1 and DENV- 2.
Fluorescence-based Analyses of the Effects of Full-length Recombinant TAF130p on the Interaction of TATA Box-binding Protein with TATA Box DNA*

We have used a combination of fluorescence anisotropy spectroscopy and fluorescence-based native gel electrophoresis methods to examine the effects of the transcription factor IID-specific subunit TAF130p (TAF145p) upon the TATA box DNA binding properties of TATA box-binding protein (TBP). Purified full-length recombinant TAF130p decreases TBP-TATA DNA complex formation at equilibrium by competing directly with DNA for binding to TBP. Interestingly, we have found that full-length TAF130p is capable of binding multiple molecules of TBP with nanomolar binding affinity. The biological implications of these findings are discussed.
Multi-Operator Gesture Control of Robotic Swarms Using Wearable Devices

The theory and design of effective interfaces for human interaction with multi-robot systems has recently gained significant interest. Robotic swarms are multi-robot systems where local interactions between robots and neighbors within their spatial neighborhood generate emergent collective behaviors. Most prior work has studied interfaces for human interaction with remote swarms, but swarms also have great potential in applications working alongside humans, motivating the need for interfaces for local interaction. Given the collective nature of swarms, human interaction may occur at many levels of abstraction ranging from swarm behavior selection to teleoperation. Wearable gesture control is an intuitive interaction modality that can meet this requirement while keeping operator hands usually unencumbered. In this paper, we present an interaction method using a gesture-based wearable device with a limited number of gestures for robust control of a complex system: a robotic swarm. Experiments conducted with a real robot swarm compare performance in single and two-operator conditions illustrating the effectiveness of the method. Results show human operators using our interaction method are able to successfully complete the task in all trials, illustrating the effectiveness of the method, with better performance in the two-operator condition, indicating separation of function is beneficial for our method. The primary contribution of our work is the development and demonstration of interaction methods that allow robust control of a difficult to understand multi robot system using only the noisy inputs typical of smartphones and other on-body sensor driven devices.
Eurographics/ Acm Siggraph Symposium on Computer Animation (2007) Guided Time Warping for Motion Editing

Permission to make digital or hard copies of part or all of this wor k for per sonal or classr oom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for commer cial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this wor k owned by other s than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with cr edit is permitted. To copy other wise, to republish, to post on ser ver s, or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from Permissions Dept, ACM Abstract Time warping allows users to modify timing without affecting poses. It has many applications in animation systems for motion editing, such as refining motions to meet new timing constraints or modifying the acting of animated characters. However, time warping typically requires many manual adjustments to achieve the desired results. We present a technique which simplifies this process by allowing time warps to be guided by a provided reference motion. Given few timing constraints, it computes a warp that both satisfies these constraints and maximizes local timing similarities to the reference. The algorithm is fast enough to incorporate into standard animation workflows. We apply the technique to two common tasks: preserving the natural timing of motions under new time constraints and modifying the timing of motions for stylistic effects.
Finite Blocklength and Moderate Deviation Analysis of Hypothesis Testing of Correlated Quantum States and Application to Classical-Quantum Channels With Memory

Martingale concentration inequalities constitute a powerful mathematical tool in the analysis of problems in a wide variety of fields ranging from probability and statistics to information theory and machine learning. Here, we apply techniques borrowed from this field to quantum hypothesis testing, which is the problem of discriminating quantum states belonging to two different sequences, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\{\rho _{n}\}_{n}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\{\sigma _{n}\}_{n}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. We obtain achievability bounds on the finite blocklength type II Stein- and Hoeffding errors which, for i.i. d. states, are in general tighter than the corresponding bounds obtained by Audenaert, Mosonyi, and Verstraete. We also derive finite blocklength bounds and moderate deviation results for pairs of sequences of correlated states satisfying a (non-homogeneous) factorization property. Examples of such sequences include Gibbs states of spin chains with translation-invariant finite range interaction, as well as finitely correlated quantum states. We apply our results to find bounds on the capacity of a certain class of classical-quantum channels with memory, which satisfy a so-called <italic>channel factorization property</italic>—both in the finite blocklength and moderate deviation regimes.
FUNDUS AUTOFLUORESCENCE AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHIC FINDINGS IN ACUTE ZONAL OCCULT OUTER RETINOPATHY

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the fundus autofluorescence and optical coherence tomography findings in eyes with acute zonal occult outer retinopathy (AZOOR). Methods: A retrospective observational case series of the fundus autofluorescence and spectral domain optical coherence tomography in a series of patients with AZOOR. Results: There were 19 eyes of 11 patients (10 women), who had a mean age of 49.1 ± 13.9 years. Fundus autofluorescence abnormalities were seen in 17 of the 19 eyes, were more common in the peripapillary area, and were smaller in extent than the optical coherence tomography abnormalities. Nine eyes showed progression of hypoautofluorescence area during the mean follow-up of 69.7 months. The mean thickness of the photoreceptor layer at fovea was 177 μm in eyes with AZOOR, which was significantly thinner than controls (193 μm, P = 0.049). Abnormal retinal laminations were found in 12 eyes and were located over areas of loss of the photoreceptors. The subfoveal choroidal thickness was 243 μm, which is normal. Conclusion: Fundus autofluorescence abnormalities in AZOOR showed distinct patterns of retinal pigment epithelial involvement, which may be progressive. Thinning of photoreceptor cell layer with loss of the outer segments and abnormal inner retinal lamination in the context of a normal choroid are commonly found in AZOOR.
Circulating Clinical Strains of Human Parainfluenza Virus Reveal Viral Entry Requirements for In Vivo Infection

ABSTRACT Human parainfluenza viruses (HPIVs) cause widespread respiratory infections, with no vaccines or effective treatments. We show that the molecular determinants for HPIV3 growth in vitro are fundamentally different from those required in vivo and that these differences impact inhibitor susceptibility. HPIV infects its target cells by coordinated action of the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase receptor-binding protein (HN) and the fusion envelope glycoprotein (F), which together comprise the molecular fusion machinery; upon receptor engagement by HN, the prefusion F undergoes a structural transition, extending and inserting into the target cell membrane and then refolding into a postfusion structure that fuses the viral and cell membranes. Peptides derived from key regions of F can potently inhibit HPIV infection at the entry stage, by interfering with the structural transition of F. We show that clinically circulating viruses have fusion machinery that is more stable and less readily activated than viruses adapted to growth in culture. Fusion machinery that is advantageous for growth in human airway epithelia and in vivo confers susceptibility to peptide fusion inhibitors in the host lung tissue or animal, but the same fusion inhibitors have no effect on viruses whose fusion glycoproteins are suited for growth in vitro. We propose that for potential clinical efficacy, antivirals should be evaluated using clinical isolates in natural host tissue rather than lab strains of virus in cultured cells. The unique susceptibility of clinical strains in human tissues reflects viral inhibition in vivo. IMPORTANCE Acute respiratory infection is the leading cause of mortality in young children under 5 years of age, causing nearly 20% of childhood deaths worldwide each year. The paramyxoviruses, including human parainfluenza viruses (HPIVs), cause a large share of these illnesses. There are no vaccines or drugs for the HPIVs. Inhibiting entry of viruses into the human cell is a promising drug strategy that blocks the first step in infection. To develop antivirals that inhibit entry, it is critical to understand the first steps of infection. We found that clinical viruses isolated from patients have very different entry properties from those of the viruses generally studied in laboratories. The viral entry mechanism is less active and more sensitive to fusion inhibitory molecules. We propose that to interfere with viral infection, we test clinically circulating viruses in natural tissues, to develop antivirals against respiratory disease caused by HPIVs.