Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reliability and repeatability of thermographic examination and the normal thermographic image of the thoracolumbar region in the horse.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY Thermographic imaging is an increasingly used diagnostic tool. When performing thermography, guidelines suggest that horses should be left for 10-20 mins to 'acclimatise' to the thermographic imaging environment, with no experimental data to substantiate this recommendation. In addition, little objective work has been published on the repeatability and reliability of the data obtained. Thermography has been widely used to identify areas of abnormal body surface temperature in horses with back pathology; however, no normal data is available on the thermographic 'map' of the thoracolumbar region with which to compare horses with suspected pathology. OBJECTIVES To i) investigate whether equilibration of the thermographic subject was required and, if so, how long it should take, ii) investigate what factors affect time to equilibration, iii) investigate the repeatability and reliability of the technique and iv) generate a topographic thermographic 'map' of the thoracolumbar region. METHODS A total of 52 horses were used. The following investigations were undertaken: thermal imaging validation, i.e. detection of movement around the baseline of an object of constant temperature; factors affecting equilibration; pattern reproducibility during equilibration and over time (n = 25); and imaging of the thoracolumbar region (n = 27). RESULTS A 1 degrees C change was detected in an object of stable temperature using this detection system, i.e the 'noise' in the system. The average time taken to equilibrate, ie. reach a plateau temperature, was 39 mins (40.2 in the gluteal region, 36.2 in lateral thoracic region and 40.4 in metacarpophalangeal region). Only 19% of horses reached plateau within 10-20 mins. Of the factors analysed hair length and difference between the external environment and the internal environment where the measurements were being taken both significantly affected time to plateau (P<0.05). However, during equilibration, the thermographic patterns obtained did not change, nor when assessed over a 7 day period. A 'normal' map of the surface temperature of the thoracolumbar region has been produced, demonstrating that the midline is the hottest, with a fall off of 3 degrees C either side of the midline. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that horses may not need time to equilibrate prior to taking thermographic images and that thermographic patterns are reproducible over periods up to 7 days. A topographical thermographic 'map' of the thoracolumbar region has been obtained. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE Clinicians can obtain relevant thermographic images without the need for prior equilibration and can compare cases with thoracolumbar pathology to a normal topographic thermographic map.
Tbx18 function in epicardial development.

AIMS The embryonic epicardium is a source of smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts of the coronary vasculature and of the myocardium, but the molecular circuits that direct the temporal and spatial generation of these cell types from epicardium-derived cells are only partly known. We aimed to elucidate the functional significance of the conserved epicardial expression of the T-box transcription factor gene Tbx18 using transgenic technology in the mouse. METHODS AND RESULTS We show by cellular and molecular analyses that in Tbx18-deficient mice the epicardium is formed normally and that epicardial cells undergo an epithelial-mesenchymal transition, differentiate into smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts, and form a normal coronary vasculature and fibrous skeleton. Prolonged expression of Tbx18 in epicardium-derived cells by a transgenic approach in vivo does not affect the differentiation and migratory behaviour of these cells. In contrast, epicardial misexpression of a transcriptional activator version of Tbx18, Tbx18VP16, results in premature smooth muscle differentiation of epicardial cells. Inhibition of Notch and transforming growth factor beta receptor signalling in Tbx18VP16 expressing epicardial cells in explant cultures reverts this phenotype. CONCLUSION Tbx18 is dispensable for epicardial development, yet a repressive T-box function may be required to prevent premature smooth muscle cell differentiation by repressing transforming growth factor beta receptor and Notch signalling in the embryonic epicardium.
Stimulation Mapping via Implanted Grid Electrodes prior to Surgery for Gliomas in Highly Eloquent Cortex

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether preoperative mapping of higher cortical functions with subdural grid electrodes can help to maximize resection in functional areas and avoid permanent injury. METHODS: A consecutive series of 16 patients (female: n = 7, male: n = 9, mean age of 38 yr) with a history of seizures and without focal deficit was reviewed, harboring gliomas located in the dominant hemisphere adjacent to or in the F3 gyrus/Broca area (n = 11), parietal/perisylvian area (n = 5) and additionally the pre- or postcentral area (n = 15). All patients in this series were operated for cytoreductive purposes only and not for treatment of intractable seizures. To preoperatively define and intraoperatively tailor the extent of resection all patients had a presurgical grid implantation for functional brain mapping. RESULTS: No permanent morbidity/mortality was observed after grid implantation and resective surgery. On postoperative MRI the resection was complete (100%), nearly complete (>90%) in n = 9 and subtotal (60% to <90%) in n = 5 cases. Twice, only biopsies were taken according to the results of mapping. All patients with high-grade gliomas had adjuvant treatment with radiation and chemotherapy. After a mean follow up of 20.4 months, no tumor relapse or growth was seen in all cases of resection. CONCLUSION: Preoperative grid mapping is a safe and precise instrument to evaluate language and/or associated left perisylvian functions in patients with gliomas. It may be considered a valid alternative to awake craniotomy to maximize safe resection.
The noncoding RNA, miR‐126, suppresses the growth of neoplastic cells by targeting phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase signaling and is frequently lost in colon cancers

MicroRNAs (miRNA/miR) are a class of small noncoding RNAs implicated in the pathogenesis of various malignancies. In the current study, using micro(RNA) arrays, we found a ubiquitous loss of miR‐126 expression in colon cancer lines when compared to normal human colon epithelia. Reconstitution of miR‐126 in colon cancer cells resulted in a significant growth reduction as evidenced in clonogenic assays. A search for miR‐126 gene targets revealed p85β, a regulatory subunit involved in stabilizing and propagating the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K) signal, as one of the potential substrates. Restoration of miR‐126 in cancer cells induced a ≥3‐fold reduction in p85β protein levels, with no concomitant change in p85α, a gene that is functionally related to p85β but not a supposed target of miR‐126. Additionally, using reporter constructs, we show that the p85β‐3′ untranslated region is directly targeted by miR‐126. Furthermore, this miR‐126 mediated reduction of p85β was accompanied by a substantial reduction in phosphorylated AKT levels in the cancer cells, suggesting an impairment in PI3K signaling. Finally, in a panel of matched normal colon and primary colon tumors, each of the tumors demonstrated miR‐126 down‐regulation together with an increase in the p85β protein level. Taken together, we propose that miR‐126 regulates PI3K signaling partly by targeting p85β, and that the loss of miR‐126 may provide a selective growth advantage during colon carcinogenesis. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Asymmetric resource allocation for collaborative relay OFDMA networks with imperfect CSI

This paper addresses the resource allocation problem in collaborative relay-assisted OFDMA networks. Recent works on the subject have mainly considered symmetric source-to-relay and relay-to-destination resource allocations, which limits the achievable gains through relaying. In this paper our focus is two-fold. Firstly, we consider the problem of asymmetric radio resource allocation, where the objective is to maximize the system throughput of the source-to-destination link under various constraints. In particular, we consider optimization of the set of collaborative relays and link asymmetries together with subcarrier and power allocation. Secondly, we pay attention to the effects of imperfections in the channel-state information needed in the resource allocation decisions. We derive theoretical expressions for the solutions and illustrate them through simulations. The results validate clearly the additional performance gains through asymmetric cooperative scheme compared to the other recently proposed resource allocation schemes.
The Impact of Different Surgical Techniques on Outcomes in Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomies: The First Report from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP)

Objective: Questions remain regarding best surgical techniques to use for a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) including the use of staple line reinforcement (SLR), bougie size (BS), and distance from the pylorus (DP) where the staple line is initiated. Our objectives were to assess the impact of these techniques on 30-day outcomes and to evaluate the impact of these techniques on weight loss and comorbidities at 1 year. Methods: Using the MBSAQIP data registry, univariate analyses and hierarchical logistical regression models were developed to analyze outcomes for techniques of LSG at patient and surgeon-level. Results: A total of 189,477 LSG operations were performed by 1634 surgeons at 720 centers from 2012 to 2014. Eighty percent of surgeons used SLR, 20% did not. SLR cases were associated with higher leak rates (0.96% vs 0.65%, odds ratio [OR] 1.20 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00–1.43) and lower bleed rates (0.75% vs 1.00%, OR 0.74 95% CI 0.63–0.86) compared to no SLR at patient level. At the surgeon level, leak rates remained significant, but bleeding events became nonsignificant. BS ≥38 was associated with significantly lower leak rates compared to BS <38 at patient and surgeon level (patient level: 0.80% vs 0.96%, OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.62–0.94; surgeon level: 0.84% vs 0.95%, OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.80–0.99). BS ≥40 was associated with increased weight loss. DP had no impact on leaks or bleeds but showed an increase in weight loss with increasing DP. Conclusion: LSG is a safe procedure with a low morbidity rate. SLR is associated with increased leak rates. A surgeon should consider risks, benefits, and costs of these surgical techniques when performing a LSG and selectively utilize those that, in their hands, minimize morbidity while maximizing clinical effectiveness.
Role of Transpedicular Percutaneous Vertebral Biopsy for Diagnosis of Pathology in Vertebral Compression Fractures

Study Design Retrospective observational study. Purpose To identify the role of percutaneous vertebral biopsy in histopathological diagnosis of vertebral compression fractures and to identify the frequency of unexpected malignancy in vertebral compression fractures. Overview of Literature Vertebral compression fractures are common in the Indian population. Magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear imaging have some limitations in the diagnosis of definitive pathology of vertebral compression fractures. Therefore, histological confirmation is necessary for definitive diagnosis and to plan appropriate management for patient. Methods A retrospective observational study was conducted involving 84 patients who underwent percutaneous vertebral biopsy between 2010 and 2014. We performed C-arm guided percutaneous transpedicular core vertebral biopsy of vertebral compression fractures under combination of local anesthesia and intravenous conscious sedation. Results Sufficient biopsy material was obtained in 79 of the 84 cases. In the other five cases, biopsy material was not sufficient for reporting. Out of the 79 cases, osteoporotic pathology was detected in 69 patients, malignancy was detected in 8 patients and no pathology was found in 2 patients. Two patients with distant metastases to vertebra were identified. Primary spinal malignancy was detected in 6 patients (1 unsuspected plasmacytoma, 5 diagnosed malignancy preoperatively). So, the frequency of unsuspected malignancy of this study was 1.19% (1/84). None of the patients had any complications. Conclusions C-arm guided percutaneous transpedicular vertebral biopsy is useful in obtaining definitive histopathological diagnosis of vertebral compression fractures, especially in differentiating malignant and non-malignant vertebral compression fractures and helping plan appropriate management of patients. The rate of unexpected malignancy in vertebral compression fracture was 1.19%.
Research Data Management at the University of Warwick: recent steps towards a joined-up approach at a UK university

This paper charts the steps taken and possible ways forward for the University of Warwick in its approach to research data management, providing a typical example of a UK research university’s approach in two strands: requirements and support. The UK government approach and funding landscape in relation to research data management provided drivers for the University of Warwick to set requirements and provide support, and examples of good practice at other institutions, support from a central national body (the UK Digital Curation Centre) and learning from other universities’ experiences all proved valuable to the University of Warwick. Through interviews with researchers at Warwick, various issues and challenges are revealed: perhaps the biggest immediate challenges for Warwick going forward are overcoming scepticism amongst researchers, overcoming costs, and understanding the implications of involving third party companies in research data management. Building technical infrastructure could sit alongside and beyond those immediate steps and beyond the challenges that face one University are those that affect academia as a whole. Researchers and university administrators need to work together to address the broader challenges, such as the accessibility of data for future use and the reward for researchers who practice data management in exemplary ways, and indeed it may be that a wider, national or international but disciplinary technical infrastructure affects what an individual university needs to achieve. As we take these steps, universities and institutions are all learning from each other.
The police on Twitter: image management, community building, and implications for policing in Canada

ABSTRACT Technology has always played an important role in policing. In recent years, various types of new social networking sites have become important tools for police departments. For example, social networking sites have been used to help solve crimes and communicate directly with the public circumventing the traditional news media. At the same time, the public can more easily communicate directly with, or about, the police. This article examines the use of Twitter by police departments on an everyday basis. Drawing on a content analysis of Canadian police departments’ Twitter accounts, this article discusses the types of information sent out to the public (i.e. on crimes/investigations, police work, safety/traffic, and community) as well as police attempts to interact with citizens (i.e. through invitations to attend events, asking for responses, and responding to and/or mentioning others). The findings suggest that Twitter was used to help manage the image of the police and build community. The implications of these findings are also discussed.
QoS Aware Query Processing Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Networks

In sensor networks, continuous query is commonly used for collecting periodical data from the objects under monitoring. This sort of queries needs to be carefully designed, in order to minimize the power consumption and maximize the lifetime of the sensor nodes. Data reduction techniques can be employed to decrease the size and frequency of data to be transferred in the network, and therefore save energy. This paper presents a novel method for optimizing sliding window based continuous queries. In particular, we deal with two categories of aggregation operations: stepwise aggregation (e.g. MAX, MIN, SUM, COUNT, AVERAGE, etc.) and direct aggregation (e.g. MEDIAN). Our approach is, by using packet merging or compression techniques, to reduce the data size to the best extent, so that the total performance is optimal. A QoS weight item is specified together with a query, in which the importance of the four factors, power, delay, accuracy and error rate can be expressed. Then an optimal query plan can be obtained by studying all the factors simultaneously, leading to the minimum cost. System models for energy and time consumptions of communication are created. Problem is formalized and algorithm is described in detail. Finally, experiments are conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Studying the Features of Collaboration in the VirCa Immersive 3D Environment

Collaborative examination and use of shared documents often happens in a common physical space like in a tourist office. We developed a 3D immersive space to study collaboration on an information task in a virtual environment. In our paper, we present the qualitative results about cooperative work in the VirCA virtual environment. Our research is aiming to show that a 3D virtual environment can appropriately support collaborative information interpretation and sharing activities.
Factors Affecting Attendance of Major League Baseball: II. A Within-Season Analysis

This study examines game-by-game attendance data for one National League team (St. Louis Cardinals) and one American League team (Texas Rangers) for the 1982 season to explore factors related to attendance at professional sporting events. Multiple regression analyses indicate that the major factors affecting attendance are day of the week, opponent, and type of promotion. Recent and season-long performance measures for both the home and visiting teams have relatively little effect on daily attendance.
On the homology theory of fiber spaces

In this paper the homology theory of fibre spaces is studied by introducing additional algebraic structure in homology and cohomology. All modules are assumed to be over an arbitrary associative ring Λ with unit; by a differential algebra, coalgebra, module, or comodule we mean these objects graded by non-negative integers; â denotes (−1). The category A(∞). An A(∞)-algebra in the sense of Stasheff [1] is defined to be a graded Λ-module M , endowed with a set of operations {mi : ⊗ M → M, i = 1, 2, . } satisfying the conditions mi((⊗ M)q) ⊂Mq+i−2 and
Sex differences in anxiety: testing a prenatal androgen hypothesis using behavioral and physiological markers

Sex Differences in Anxiety: Testing a Prenatal Androgen Hypothesis Using Behavioral and Physiological Markers. (May 2006) Milagros Evardone, B.S., University of Florida Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Gerianne M. Alexander The majority of studies examining the role of prenatal androgens on abnormal behavior have focused on developmental disorders showing large male to female ratios (i.e., autism and Tourette’s Syndrome). There is a scarcity of research examining the role of prenatal sex hormones on female-linked disorders or disorders showing adult onset. This study is the first to evaluate the organizational and activational influences of sex hormones on adult levels of anxiety, while simultaneously examining previously reported hormone-behavior associations. In addition, this study explores the relation between prenatal and postnatal sex hormones and two other female-linked disorders, depression and borderline personality. As part of this study, participants (n = 110) completed a battery of psychopathology questionnaires, gender role measures, and spatial/cognitive tasks. Prenatal androgen levels were indirectly measured by means of the index to ring finger ratio (2D:4D), and testosterone and estrogen levels were obtained from saliva samples. Results replicate previously reported sex differences in anxiety and gendered behavior and confirm various hormone-behavior associations. More importantly, results provide preliminary evidence for the organizational role of
Circular Coinduction

Circular coinduction is a new technique for behavioral reasoning that extends coinduction to specifications with circularities. We show that a congruence criterion due to Bidoit and Hennicker follows easily from circular coinduction, and we give some natural examples of circular coinductive proofs. A notation, called BOBJ, appropriate for our style of behavioral specification is also sketched. Finally, everything is conducted in a general framework that in a sense is the gcd of previous behavioral frameworks.
Transverse and bond strength of restorative resins.

One silicate, one acrylic resin, and five manually and two mechanically mixed composite resins were studied. The strength was tested by three point loading on rectangular specimens (2 × 2 × 12 mm) 24 hours after storage in water. The lateral thirds of the bond strength specimens consisted of old and the central third of newly added material. The transverse strength of the strongest composite resin was five times higher than that of the silicate cement, two times higher than that of the acrylic resin and of the weakest composite, but one third of the average strength of amalgam. There were no differences in strength between manual and mechanical mixing of the silicate cement or between using flow and brush technique for the acrylic resin. Using the recommended ratio of the base to catalyst paste of a composite resulted in the highest strength value compared with the strength when the amount of either base or catalyst paste was doubled. Varying the time of the ultrahigh-speed mixer for one composite did not.
Professional antigen presenting cells in human herpesvirus 8 infection

Professional antigen presenting cells (APC), i.e., dendritic cells (DC), monocytes/macrophages, and B lymphocytes, are critically important in the recognition of an invading pathogen and presentation of antigens to the T cell-mediated arm of immunity. Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is one of the few human viruses that primarily targets these APC for infection, altering their cytokine profiles, manipulating their surface expression of MHC molecules, and altering their ability to activate HHV-8-specific T cells. This could be why T cell responses to HHV-8 antigens are not very robust. Of these APC, only B cells support complete, lytic HHV-8 infection. However, both complete and abortive virus replication cycles in APC could directly affect viral pathogenesis and progression to Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and HHV-8-associated B cell cancers. In this review, we discuss the effects of HHV-8 infection on professional APC and their relationship to the development of KS and B cell lymphomas.