Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Macular Features in Retinitis Pigmentosa: Correlations Among Ganglion Cell Complex Thickness, Capillary Density, and Macular Function.

Purpose To investigate correlations among macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) layer thickness, macular capillary density, and macular function in patients affected by retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Methods Fourteen patients (28 eyes) with previous diagnosis of RP were enrolled. The diagnosis of these conditions was made based on both clinical features and electrophysiological examination. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination, including optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG). Main outcome measures were macular GCC layer thickness; superficial capillary plexus (SCP) vessel density; deep capillary plexus (DCP) vessel density; choriocapillaris plexus (CCP) vessel density; and amplitudes of mfERG N1 and P1 waves. Results Average GCC thickness was significantly thinner in RP patients (76.0 ± 25.1 and 109.2 ± 17.5 μm, P = 0.028). Superficial capillary plexus density was 42.2 ± 3.4% in the RP group and 51.4 ± 2.3% in the control group (P < 0.001). Deep capillary plexus density was reduced in RP patients (42.7 ± 6.2%) after the comparison with healthy subjects (56.6 ± 2.2%, P < 0.001). Choriocapillaris plexus density was significantly less in RP patients than in the control group (65.3 ± 2.7% and 67.2 ± 1.4%, P = 0.024). Superficial capillary plexus and DCP density were significantly correlated with both mfERG values and GCC thickness. Conclusions We showed that both choroid and retinal vessels were modified in RP patients after comparison with healthy subjects. Moreover, we demonstrated that the SCP and DCP vessel densities are correlated with the macular function, as well as with the GCC thickness.
Neuroprotection in Huntington's disease: a 2-year study on minocycline

Huntington's disease (HD), a relentlessly progressive neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by a clinical triad of psychiatric, cognitive and motor disturbances. The antibiotic minocycline, a caspase inhibitor exhibiting antiapoptotic properties, has been shown to prolong survival in the transgenic mouse model of HD. We administrated minocycline to 14 patients with genetically confirmed HD. The patients were psychiatrically, neurologically and neuropsychologically evaluated at baseline, and after 6 and 24 months of treatment, using the Unified HD Rating Scale and a neuropsychological test battery. After 12 months, three patients were lost to follow-up so that 11 patients were analysed at the endpoint. Minocycline was well tolerated. Unlike the expected natural course of HD, patients exhibited stabilization in general motor and neuropsychological function at endpoint, after improving in the first 6 months. Moreover, we found a significant amelioration of psychiatric symptoms that was not apparent after the first 6 months. In detail, the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Total Motor Score, the Total Functional Capacity Scale and the Independence Scale, as the most prominent scales in HD, were stabilized after 3 years of treatment. Our results confirm previous animal studies and indicate a neuroprotective effect of this agent in HD. A long-term, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial appears highly warranted for definitively establishing the value of minocycline in HD.
Cellular localisation of type XIII collagen, and its induced expression in human neoplasias and corneal diseases

Type XIII collagen belongs to the group of transmembrane collagens. In this thesis the plasma membrane localisation and function of type XIII collagen have been studied using cell biological methods. Type XIII collagen was found to reside in focal adhesions. It appeared in these structures at a very early stage of their assembly and disappeared from them concurrently with focal adhesion proteins talin and vinculin. Insect cells expressing type XIII collagen showed an enhanced adhesion to certain matrix components. These localisation and adhesion data suggested that the function of type XIII collagen is related to cell adhesion. Supporting this, in tissues type XIII collagen was found to localise to cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesion structures. Type XIII collagen was found to be partly present in cholesterol-enriched membrane microdomains. With other membrane proteins this localisation has been shown to be linked to ectodomain shedding. The connection between the membrane microdomain localisation and the ectodomain shedding of type XIII collagen was also characterised, and it was demonstrated that manipulation of the cellular cholesterol level affected the efficiency of the ectodomain shedding. Additionally, insights into intracellular shedding of type XIII collagen in the Golgi apparatus were obtained. The study of type XIII collagen expression in human cancers revealed that it was enhanced especially in the desmoplastic cancer stroma. Since the increased expression of type XIII collagen was detected during the dysplastic stages, type XIII collagen may be involved in the early pathogenesis of cancer. The result indicated that type XIII collagen is involved in the matrix remodelling. In support of this, the cell culture experiments showed that the soluble type XIII collagen ectodomain altered the vitronectin-rich matrix unfavourable for cell adhesion and spreading. This may enhance cancer metastasis. Type XIII collagen expression was also induced in the remodelled stroma of keratoconus and corneal wounds. Data suggested that myofibroblasts were responsible for the increased expression of type XIII collagen in these situations. Therefore both in cancer and in the corneal pathologies studied, type XIII collagen expression was induced by the activated stromal cells.
Active and Healthy Ageing and Independent Living 2016

1Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Federico II University and R&D, Federico II University Hospital, Naples, Italy 2Roessingh Research and Development, Telemedicine Group, Enschede, Netherlands 3Telemedicine Group, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands 4Centre for Gerontology and Rehabilitation, St. Finbarr’s Hospital, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland 5CIRFF, Center of Pharmacoeconomics, Federico II University, Naples, Italy 6Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy 7Department of Computing Science, Umeå University, Umea, Sweden
Autophagy mediated CoCrMo particle-induced peri-implant osteolysis by promoting osteoblast apoptosis

Wear particle-induced osteolysis is the leading cause of aseptic loosening, which is the most common reason for THA (total hip arthroplasty) failure and revision surgery. Although existing studies suggest that osteoblast apoptosis induced by wear debris is involved in aseptic loosening, the underlying mechanism linking wear particles to osteoblast apoptosis remains almost totally unknown. In the present study, we investigated the effect of autophagy on osteoblast apoptosis induced by CoCrMo metal particles (CoPs) in vitro and in a calvarial resorption animal model. Our study demonstrated that CoPs stimulated autophagy in osteoblasts and PIO (particle-induced osteolysis) animal models. Both autophagy inhibitor 3-MA (3-methyladenine) and siRNA of Atg5 could dramatically reduce CoPs-induced apoptosis in osteoblasts. Further, inhibition of autophagy with 3-MA ameliorated the severity of osteolysis in PIO animal models. Moreover, 3-MA also prevented osteoblast apoptosis in an antiautophagic way when tested in PIO model. Collectively, these results suggest that autophagy plays a key role in CoPs-induced osteolysis and that targeting autophagy-related pathways may represent a potential therapeutic approach for treating particle-induced peri-implant osteolysis.
Effects of non‐invasive pressure support ventilation (NI‐PSV) on ventilation and respiratory effort in very low birth weight infants

Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) is used to provide support to non‐intubated infants, but it often fails. Pressure support ventilation (PSV) is a mode of synchronized ventilation that can supplement the spontaneous breathing effort, but it is unknown if it is effective in non‐intubated very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.
Xanthine Oxidase Contributes to Host Defense against Burkholderia cepacia in the p47phox−/− Mouse Model of Chronic Granulomatous Disease

ABSTRACT Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an inherited disorder of the NADPH oxidase in which phagocytes are defective in generating superoxide and downstream microbicidal reactive oxidants, leading to recurrent life-threatening bacterial and fungal infections. Xanthine oxidase (XO) is another enzyme known to produce superoxide in many tissues. Using the p47phox−/− mouse model of CGD, we evaluated the residual antibacterial activity of XO. Clearance of Burkholderia cepacia, a major pathogen in CGD, was reduced in p47phox−/− mice compared to that in wild-type mice and was further inhibited in p47phox−/− mice by pretreatment with the specific XO inhibitor allopurinol. Hepatic B. cepaciaburden was similar in the two genotypes, but allopurinol significantly reduced net hepatic killing and killing efficiency only in p47phox−/− mice. Clearance and killing of intravenous Escherichia coli was intact in p47phox−/− mice and was unaffected by pretreatment with allopurinol. In CGD, XO may contribute to host defense against a subset of reactive oxidant-sensitive pathogens.
In Search of Explanations: Conceptualizing the Relationship between Service-oriented Architecture and Organizational Agility

Striving to survive in dynamic business environments, companies often aim to strengthen their organizational agility (OA) by making use of information systems (IS). While findings reported in pertinent literature regarding the relationship between IS and OA are inconclusive, many authors advocate service-oriented architecture (SOA) as a means to ultimately shape OA. However, research on this relationship lacks a systematic synthesis of explanatory results and theoretical contributions. To close this research gap, we synthesize literature in order to conceptualize the relationship between SOA and OA. The potential for establishing a definitive link between SOA and OA is limited because of the weak conceptualization of these two concepts in many studies and their merely association without providing any further explanation of their linkage. In addition to providing a conceptualization of the relationship between SOA and OA, we thus offer an agenda for future research to continue the search for explanations.
Bispecific antibodies engage T cells for antitumor immunotherapy

Introduction: Although considerable evidence supports the hypothesis that T cells play a critical role in the immune response against cancer, the ability to mount and sustain tumor-specific cellular responses in vivo remains a challenge. A strategy that harnesses the cytotoxic advantage of T cell therapy is the use of bispecific antibodies designed to engage and activate endogenous polyclonal T cell populations via the CD3 complex, but only in the presence of a tumor antigen. While antibody constructs with dual specificity were first described as anticancer therapeutics over 25 years ago, it was not until recently that one subclass of bispecific single-chain antibody, the bispecific T cell engager (BiTE), emerged as superior to previous iterations in achieving efficacy in animal models and early clinical trials. Areas covered: The evolution of bispecific antibodies in antitumor immunotherapy is reviewed and the greatest hurdles impeding their clinical translation are discussed, specifically in the context of immunoprivileged sites as is the case for intracerebral malignancy. Expert opinion: The BiTE platform has great potential in the treatment of malignant disease. Despite burgeoning interest in bispecific antibodies and permutations thereof, the issues of stability and cost-effective production persist as obstacles.
High Genetic Variability of Schistosoma haematobium in Mali and Nigeria

Schistosoma haematobium is one of the most prevalent parasitic flatworms, infecting over 112 million people in Africa. However, little is known about the genetic diversity of natural S. haematobium populations from the human host because of the inaccessible location of adult worms in the host. We used 4 microsatellite loci to genotype individually pooled S. haematobium eggs directly from each patient sampled at 4 endemic locations in Africa. We found that the average allele number of individuals from Mali was significantly higher than that from Nigeria. In addition, no significant difference in allelic composition was detected among the populations within Nigeria; however, the allelic composition was significantly different between Mali and Nigeria populations. This study demonstrated a high level of genetic variability of S. haematobium in the populations from Mali and Nigeria, the 2 major African endemic countries, suggesting that geographical population differentiation may occur in the regions.
Transparent Gas Barrier Technologies

Transparent gas barriers are receiving considerable attention in the plastics industry for roll coating applications. The three principle vacuum deposition processes, evaporation, sputtering and plasma processing are the focus of transparent gas barrier work at various converters, resin producers and equipment manufacturers. Evaporation produces coatings at very high rates, but plasma processing has reported the best gas barrier results to date [ < 0.06 cc/100 in2/day for single-sided coatings on 0.5 mil polyethylene terephthalate (PET)]. Sputtering rates are lower than evaporation rates, but can produce a wide range of transparent oxides including the material of interest, silica. Evaporated, sputtered and plasma deposited coatings were produced and com pared in terms of oxygen gas transmission and film stoichiometry. The plasma deposted coatings provided the best gas barriers and initial results show that the plasma processed barrier coatings are commercially feasible.
Assessing emotional status following acquired brain injury: The clinical potential of the depression, anxiety and stress scales

Primary objective: To investigate the clinical potential of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS 42) and its shorter version (DASS 21) for assessing emotional status following acquired brain injury. Methods and procedures: Participants included 23 individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI), 25 individuals with brain tumour and 29 non-clinical controls. Investigations of internal consistency, test–re-test reliability, theory-consistent differences, sensitivity to change and concurrent validity were conducted. Main outcomes and results: Internal consistency of the DASS was generally acceptable (r > 0.70), with the exception of the anxiety scale for the TBI sample. Test–re-test reliability (1–3 weeks) was sound for the depression scale (r > 0.75) and significant but comparatively lower for other scales (r = 0.60–0.73, p < 0.01). Theory-consistent differences were only evident between the brain tumour sample and non-clinical control sample on the anxiety scale (p < 0.01). Sensitivity to change of the DASS in the context of hospital discharge was demonstrated for depression and stress (p < 0.01), but not for anxiety (p > 0.05). Concurrent validity with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was significant for all scales of the DASS (p < 0.05). Conclusions: While the results generally support the clinical application of the DASS following ABI, further research examining the factor structure of existing and modified versions of the DASS is recommended.
Appl1 is essential for the survival of Xenopus pancreas, duodenum, and stomach progenitor cells

An understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing the survival of organ progenitor cells in vivo is crucial for in vitro tissue regeneration. Here, we have found that Xenopus appl1 and akt2 share a similar embryonic expression pattern, showing characteristic expression in the central nervous system as well as in the pancreas and part of the stomach/duodenum (SD) at tadpole stages of development. Specific knockdown of appl1 in endoderm or inhibition of akt activity did not affect the formation of endodermal organ primordia at tail bud stages of development, but led to a gut‐coiling defect, strong apoptosis in endodermal organs, and pancreas and SD hypoplasia or even aplasia at tadpole stages of development. Furthermore, appl1 is required for akt phosphorylation and akt2 in turn can rescue appl1 knockdown phenotypes. Together, our data suggest that appl1‐akt signaling is specifically required for the survival of pancreas and SD progenitor cells in Xenopus laevis embryos. Developmental Dynamics 239:2198–2207, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Bridging theory and practice: occupational justice and service learning.

OBJECTIVE This article presents a service learning pedagogy whereby students develop the skills of an evidence-based practice scholar committed to occupational justice as a means to transform occupational therapy practice, their clients, themselves and the world. PARTICIPANTS Fifty-four fourth year occupational therapy students in a five-year master's program. METHODS During a two-semester course in clinical reasoning, occupational therapy students participate in service learning with marginalized and vulnerable populations. During the fall semester, students spend time each week observing the population and staff, and conducting a needs assessment. At the end of the fall semester, students propose a ten-week evidence-based, occupation-focused program. During the spring semester, students carry out this project with an occupational justice lens. RESULTS Through qualitative analysis of guided reflections and a final service-learning report students identify links between clinical reasoning and occupational justice theories and practice in a community context and carryout an advocacy plan to promote justice. CONCLUSIONS Given the opportunity to learn new skills in a natural context with a vulnerable population, students demonstrate an understanding of occupational injustices and advocate for the rights of those they serve, witnessing the resulting changes in policies and practice within the community agency and beyond.
Gestational Age at Birth and Brain White Matter Development in Term-Born Infants and Children

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Studies on infants and children born preterm have shown that adequate gestational length is critical for brain white matter development. Less is known regarding how variations in gestational age at birth in term infants and children affect white matter development, which was evaluated in this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using DTI tract-based spatial statistics methods, we evaluated white matter microstructures in 2 groups of term-born (≥37 weeks of gestation) healthy subjects: 2-week-old infants (n = 44) and 8-year-old children (n = 63). DTI parameters including fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity were calculated by voxelwise and ROI methods and were correlated with gestational age at birth, with potential confounding factors such as postnatal age and sex controlled. RESULTS: Fractional anisotropy values, which are markers for white matter microstructural integrity, positively correlated (P < .05, corrected) with gestational age at birth in most major white matter tracts/regions for the term infants. Mean diffusivity values, which are measures of water diffusivities in the brain, and axial and radial diffusivity values, which are markers for axonal growth and myelination, respectively, negatively correlated (P < .05, corrected) with gestational age at birth in all major white matter tracts/regions excluding the body and splenium of the corpus callosum for the term infants. No significant correlations with gestational age were observed for any tracts/regions for the term-born 8-year-old children. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that longer gestation during the normal term period is associated with significantly greater infant white matter development (as reflected by higher fractional anisotropy and lower mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity values); however, similar associations were not observable in later childhood.
Participation of South African Youth in the Design and Development of AIDS Photocomics

In response to an increasing incidence in HIV prevalence among South Africa's youth, a group of interdisciplinary professionals have developed a series of photocomics to address issues around HIV/AIDS communication and sexually transmitted diseases. This article examines the theory behind the use of photocomics in health, and the way the stories work to influence behavior. Results from evaluation of the comics support their use as tools with which to increase information and knowledge while role modeling desirable behavior. Lastly, the article describes the participatory process by which youth were involved in the process of developing and producing the comics. This method of developing culturally relevant and appealing health media is recommended for use in future health promotion strategies that seek to transcend a narrower approach of provision of health information and work to address the social factors that influence youth's decision making.
Concurrent and consistent virtual machine introspection with hardware transactional memory

Virtual machine introspection, which provides tamperresistant, high-fidelity “out of the box” monitoring of virtual machines, has many prominent security applications including VM-based intrusion detection, malware analysis and memory forensic analysis. However, prior approaches are either intrusive in stopping the world to avoid race conditions between introspection tools and the guest VM, or providing no guarantee of getting a consistent state of the guest VM. Further, there is currently no effective means for timely examining the VM states in question. In this paper, we propose a novel approach, called TxIntro, which retrofits hardware transactional memory (HTM) for concurrent, timely and consistent introspection of guest VMs. Specifically, TxIntro leverages the strong atomicity of HTM to actively monitor updates to critical kernel data structures. Then TxIntro can mount introspection to timely detect malicious tampering. To avoid fetching inconsistent kernel states for introspection, TxIntro uses HTM to add related synchronization states into the read set of the monitoring core and thus can easily detect potential inflight concurrent kernel updates. We have implemented and evaluated TxIntro based on Xen VMM on a commodity Intel Haswell machine that provides restricted transactional memory (RTM) support. To demonstrate the effectiveness of TxIntro, we implemented a set of kernel rootkit detectors using TxIntro. Evaluation results show that TxIntro is effective in detecting these rootkits, and is efficient in adding negligible performance overhead.