Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nonsaphenous superficial vein reflux.

BACKGROUND Information on nonsaphenous superficial venous reflux is lacking. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of reflux in nonsaphenous veins, their association and correlation with risk factors, and signs and symptoms of chronic venous disease (CVD). METHODS Information on 835 limbs in patients with signs and symptoms of CVD were prospectively entered into a customized database. These patients had been referred from the venous clinic to the vascular laboratory for color-flow duplex scanning evaluation of the lower-limb veins. All patients were examined for reflux in the standing and sitting positions. Nonsaphenous reflux was defined as that in superficial veins that are not part of the greater or lesser saphenous systems. Particular attention was paid to the patterns of reflux and anatomy of the nonsaphenous veins from the proximal to the distal ends, including their connections with the saphenous and deep veins. RESULTS Nonsaphenous venous reflux was found in 84 limbs (10%) of 72 patients, 67 of whom were women. The mean number of pregnancies in these patients was higher than that of 100 randomly selected women with saphenous reflux (3.2 vs 2.2). According to CEAP classification, 90% of the limbs were in CVD classes 1 through 3 and only 10% had skin damage (classes 4-6). Symptoms were present in 67 limbs (80%). Forty-two limbs (50%) had reflux in tributaries of lateral, posterior, and medial thigh. These veins were connected with perforators uniting with the deep femoral, femoral, and muscular veins of the thigh in 36 limbs. Reflux in these perforators was detected in 19 limbs. Reflux arising from the pelvic veins was found in 29 limbs (34%), 18 of which were from vulvar veins medial to saphenofemoral junction and 11 of which were from veins in the gluteal area. Incompetent veins from the sciatic nerve were found in nine limbs (10%). Reflux in the vein of the popliteal fossa was found in seven limbs (8%). Reflux in knee tributaries was detected in three limbs (4%), two of which were connected with posterolateral knee perforators and one with the posterior tibial nerve veins. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of nonsaphenous reflux in our practice was 10%. The vast majority of these patients (93%) were women with a mean of 3.2 pregnancies. Ninety percent of these limbs have signs and symptoms assigned to CVD classes 1 to 3. These data may simply reflect the referral pattern, but also a possible association with female sex and number of pregnancies. The unusual anatomy of these veins stresses the importance of color-flow duplex scanning before surgery.
White matter microstructural integrity and cognitive function in a general elderly population.

CONTEXT The role of macrostructural white matter changes, such as atrophy and white matter lesions, in cognitive decline is increasingly being recognized. However, in the elderly population, these macrostructural changes do not account for all variability in cognition. Measures reflecting white matter microstructural integrity may provide additional information to investigate the relation between white matter changes and cognition. OBJECTIVE To study the relation between white matter integrity and cognition in the general elderly population, using diffusion tensor imaging and taking into account macrostructural white matter changes. DESIGN Cross-sectional population-based study. SETTING A general community in the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS A population-based sample of 860 persons, older than 60 years, free of dementia. We performed multisequence magnetic resonance imaging, which included diffusion tensor imaging, and extensive neuropsychological testing. Fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, and directional diffusivities were measured globally in white matter lesions and normal-appearing white matter. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Performance on neuropsychological tests in the following cognitive domains: memory, executive function, information processing speed, global cognition, and motor speed. RESULTS Regardless of macrostructural white matter changes, a higher mean diffusivity or higher axial and radial diffusivities within white matter lesions or normal-appearing white matter were related to worse performance on tasks assessing information processing speed and global cognition. In addition, diffusivity within white matter lesions related to memory, while in normal-appearing white matter, it furthermore related to executive function. Lower mean fractional anisotropy in white matter lesions or normal-appearing white matter related to worse information processing speed and motor speed. CONCLUSIONS Microstructural integrity of both white matter lesions and normal-appearing white matter is associated with cognitive function, regardless of white matter atrophy and white matter lesion volume. This suggests that measuring white matter integrity has added value beyond macrostructural assessment of white matter changes to study the relation between white matter and cognition.
Neuronal calcium sparks and intracellular calcium "noise".

Intracellular calcium ions are involved in many forms of cellular function. To accommodate so many control functions, a complex spatiotemporal organization of calcium signaling has developed. In both excitable and nonexcitable cells, calcium signaling was found to fluctuate. Sudden localized increases in the intracellular calcium concentration-or calcium sparks-were found in heart, striated and smooth muscle, Xenopus Laevis oocytes, and HeLa and P12 cells. In the nervous system, intracellular calcium ions were found important in key processes such as transmitter release, repetitive firing, and gene expression. Hence, we examined whether calcium sparks also exist in neurons. Using confocal laser-scanning microscopy and fluorescent probes, we found that calcium sparks exist in two types of neuronal preparations: the presynaptic boutons of the lizard neuromuscular junction and rat hippocampal neurons in cell culture. Control experiments exclude the possibility that these calcium sparks originate from instrumental or biological artifacts. Calcium sparks seem to be just the tip of the iceberg of a more general phenomenon of intracellular calcium "noise. " We speculate that calcium sparks and calcium noise may be of key importance in calcium signaling in the nervous system.
Fermi Surface Nesting and Nanoscale Fluctuating Charge/Orbital Ordering in Colossal Magnetoresistive Oxides

We used high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to reveal the Fermi surface and key transport parameters of the metallic state of the layered colossal magnetoresistive oxide La1.2Sr1. 8Mn2O7. With these parameters, the calculated in-plane conductivity is nearly one order of magnitude larger than the measured direct current conductivity. This discrepancy can be accounted for by including the pseudogap, which removes at least 90% of the spectral weight at the Fermi energy. Key to the pseudogap and to many other properties are the parallel straight Fermi surface sections, which are highly susceptible to nesting instabilities. These nesting instabilities produce nanoscale fluctuating charge/orbital modulations, which cooperate with Jahn-Teller distortions and compete with the electron itinerancy favored by double exchange.
Three laboratory assessments of a new triple-head toothbrush and the Oral-B 40 toothbrush.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this series of laboratory studies was to assess a new triple-head toothbrush, the DR BEST FreiKopf, compared to the Oral-B 40 toothbrush, for interproximal access efficacy (IAE), gingival margin cleaning (GMC), and subgingival access (SA) as measures of toothbrush efficacy. METHODOLOGY In each procedure, six toothbrushes of each product were tested four times for a total of twenty-four tests on each toothbrush design. In the IAE assay, the tooth brushing technique involved independent evaluations of each toothbrush in a vertical or horizontal brushing motion, tooth shapes simulating anterior and posterior teeth, and a brushing weight of 250 g. The brushing apparatus was set to brush 15 seconds at two strokes per second with a 50 mm stroke. In the GMC assay, the tooth brushing technique involved independent evaluations of each toothbrush in a horizontal brushing motion, tooth shapes simulating posterior teeth, and a brushing weight of 500 g. Simulated gingivae were prepared from self-curing dental acrylic. The brushing apparatus was set to brush for 60 seconds at two strokes per second with a 15 mm stroke. In the SA evaluations, the tooth shapes simulating posterior teeth were used, as well as a brushing weight of 500 g for 60 seconds at two strokes per second with a 15 mm stroke. All readings were measured with 3x magnification by one investigator. RESULTS The mean IAE value on anterior and posterior tooth shapes, with vertical and horizontal brushing, and overall, was significantly (p < 0.001) higher for the triple-head toothbrush than for the Oral-B 40 toothbrush. In the GMC assay, the triple-head toothbrush had a significantly (p < 0.001) superior mean value compared to the Oral-B 40 product tested. In the SA study, the triple-head toothbrush was significantly (p < 0.001) superior compared to the Oral-B 40 toothbrush product tested. CONCLUSIONS The triple-head toothbrush has demonstrated superiority to a traditional flat-head toothbrush for access into interproximal areas, and for removing deposits from the gingival margin, as well as below the gumline, in these laboratory assays.
Gaussian broadcast channels with receiver cache assignment

This paper considers a K-user Gaussian broadcast channel (BC) where receivers are equipped with cache memories. Lower and upper bounds are established on the capacity-memory tradeoff, i.e., the largest rate achievable for given cache-memories. The lower bound is based on a joint cache-channel coding scheme which generalizes the recently proposed piggyback coding to Gaussian BCs with unequal cache sizes. This paper also establishes lower and upper bounds on the global capacity-memory tradeoff, i.e., the maximum capacity-memory tradeoff over all possible cache assignments subject to a total cache memory constraint. The bounds match when the total cache memory is sufficiently large. It is shown that significantly larger rates can be achieved by carefully assigning larger cache memories to weaker receivers. In particular, cache allocation allows communication at rates that are (fundamentally) impossible to achieve with equal cache assignment. This shows the merit in carefully designing the cache size allocation in conjunction with channel qualities.
Dynamic Properties of Nucleosomes during Thermal and ATP-Driven Mobilization

ABSTRACT The fundamental subunit of chromatin, the nucleosome, is not a static entity but can move along DNA via either thermal or enzyme-driven movements. Here we have monitored the movements of nucleosomes following deposition at well-defined locations on mouse mammary tumor virus promoter DNA. We found that the sites to which nucleosomes are deposited during chromatin assembly differ from those favored during thermal equilibration. Taking advantage of this, we were able to track the movement of nucleosomes over 156 bp and found that this proceeds via intermediate positions spaced between 46 and 62 bp. The remodeling enzyme ISWI was found to direct the movement of nucleosomes to sites related to those observed during thermal mobilization. In contrast, nucleosome mobilization driven by the SWI/SNF and RSC complexes were found to drive nucleosomes towards sites up to 51 bp beyond DNA ends, with little respect for the sites favored during thermal repositioning. The dynamic properties of nucleosomes we describe are likely to influence their role in gene regulation.
South american programme: Brazil.

The number of blind people in Brazil is estimated at 0.4 to 0.5% of the population, or 4,000 to 5,000 per million. For a population of 160 million the total estimated number who are blind is approximately 640,000, using the criteria of vision < 20/400 (< 3/60). Due to regional socio-economic differences we find areas of estimated prevalence of blindness similar to developed countries of 0.25% and areas of poor economy and health services of 0.75%.
Immunohistochemical Analysis and Prognostic Value of Cathepsin D Determination in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Cathepsin D, a protease with the capability of degrading matrix proteins, is implicated in the process of breast and colorectal cancer invasion and metastasis. Biochemical studies in laryngeal cancer have shown a potential prognostic significance of cathepsin D content determination. We studied immunohistochemical positivity of cathepsin D in tumor epithelium and stroma of 61 surgical specimens of squamous cell laryngeal cancer. Immunohistochemical reaction was quantitatively assessed using a PC-based image analysis system SFORM-VAMS. The results were correlated to clinical and morphological parameters and survival. Immunohistochemical positivity was noted in neoplastic cells and tumor stroma. Significant prognostic value for cathepsin D was established separately for epithelial tumor component and tumor stroma using log-rank test, the Cox proportional hazards regression model, and C4.5 machine learning system. In all groups, patients above the median cathepsin D staining showed significantly shorter survival time. C4.5 machine learning system extracted cutoff values for the decision tree that defines the probabilities of patients survival and death with high sensitivity (92.8% alive, 73.6% dead), 100% specificity, and 86.9% accuracy. This makes immunohistochemical cathepsin D estimation an independent prognostic parameter in laryngeal carcinomas within a 5-year period from the time of tumor surgery.
Characterization of Cellulosic Fibers by FTIR Spectroscopy for Their Further Implementation to Building Materials

Nowadays, the material recycling is a growing trend in development of building materials and therefore using of secondary raw materials for production new building materials is in accordance with sustainable development in civil engineering. Therefore, it is increasingly becoming crucial to accelerate the transition from application of non-renewable sources of raw materials to renewable raw materials. One fast renewable resource is natural plant fibers. The use of the cellulosic fibers as environmentally friendly material in building products contributes to the environmental protection and saves non-renewable resources of raw materials. Wood fibers and recycled cellulose fibers of waste paper appear as suited reinforcing elements for cement-based materials. In this paper, there is used application of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) on cellulose fibers coming from different sources. FTIR spectra of cellulose fiber samples are investigated and compared with reference sample of cellulose.
Epidemiology of involuntary placement of mentally ill people across the European Union

Background Despite the tendency for harmonisation of strategies for mental health care delivery, rules and regulations for involuntary placement or treatment of mentally ill persons still differ remarkably internationally. Rapid European integration and other political developments require valid and reliable international overviews, sound studies and profound analyses of this controversial issue. Aims To give an overview of compulsory admission data from official sources across the European Union (EU). Method Data on the legal frameworks for involuntary placement or treatment of people with mental illness and their outcomes were provided and assessed by experts from all EU member states. Results Total frequencies of admission and compulsory admission rates vary remarkably across the EU. Variation hints at the influence of differences in legal frameworks or procedures. Time series suggest an overall tendency towards more or less stable quotas in most member states. Conclusions Further research is greatly needed in this field. Common international health reporting standards are essential to the compilation of basic data.
Chronic low-back pain: intercorrelation of repeated measures for pain and disability.

Subjective experience of pain and disability was assessed for 4-5 weeks on a weekly basis in 14 consecutive out-patients complaining of low-back pain and/or leg pain that had lasted for at least 6 months. The following measures were used for assessment: a visual analogue scale (VAS) (present pain and worst pain during preceding 2 weeks), a short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), the Pain Disability Index (PDI) and the pain drawing. In addition, psychological variables of pain experience were evaluated with the Comprehensible Psychopathological Rating Scale (CPRS). When the median of the variation coefficient for repeated measures was compared, the most stable measures were, in rank order: PDI, total number of words chosen in the SF-MPQ and worst pain during the preceding two weeks (VAS). The Spearman correlation showed statistically significant intercorrelation for present pain assessed with the VAS score, for the sensory word score of the SF-MPQ and for the PDI. Especially the PDI, which represents a global score for disability, showed very little test-retest variability and a high intercorrelation with the other methods of assessment, i.e. the pain drawing, the VAS scale for pain and the SF-MPQ. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Mutations in MYH7 reduce the force generating capacity of sarcomeres in human familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

AIMS Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), frequently caused by sarcomeric gene mutations, is characterized by cellular dysfunction and asymmetric left-ventricular (LV) hypertrophy. We studied whether cellular dysfunction is due to an intrinsic sarcomere defect or cardiomyocyte remodelling. METHODS AND RESULTS Cardiac samples from 43 sarcomere mutation-positive patients (HCMmut: mutations in thick (MYBPC3, MYH7) and thin (TPM1, TNNI3, TNNT2) myofilament genes) were compared with 14 sarcomere mutation-negative patients (HCMsmn), eight patients with secondary LV hypertrophy due to aortic stenosis (LVHao) and 13 donors. Force measurements in single membrane-permeabilized cardiomyocytes revealed significantly lower maximal force generating capacity (Fmax) in HCMmut (21 ± 1 kN/m²) and HCMsmn (26 ± 3 kN/m²) compared with donor (36 ± 2 kN/m²). Cardiomyocyte remodelling was more severe in HCMmut compared with HCMsmn based on significantly lower myofibril density (49 ± 2 vs. 63 ± 5%) and significantly higher cardiomyocyte area (915 ± 15 vs. 612 ± 11 μm²). Low Fmax in MYBPC3mut, TNNI3mut, HCMsmn, and LVHao was normalized to donor values after correction for myofibril density. However, Fmax was significantly lower in MYH7mut, TPM1mut, and TNNT2mut even after correction for myofibril density. In accordance, measurements in single myofibrils showed very low Fmax in MYH7mut, TPM1mut, and TNNT2mut compared with donor (respectively, 73 ± 3, 70 ± 7, 83 ± 6, and 113 ± 5 kN/m²). In addition, force was lower in MYH7mut cardiomyocytes compared with MYBPC3mut, HCMsmn, and donor at submaximal [Ca²⁺]. CONCLUSION Low cardiomyocyte Fmax in HCM patients is largely explained by hypertrophy and reduced myofibril density. MYH7 mutations reduce force generating capacity of sarcomeres at maximal and submaximal [Ca²⁺]. These hypocontractile sarcomeres may represent the primary abnormality in patients with MYH7 mutations.
Monazomycin-induced single channels. I. Characterization of the elementary conductance events

Monazomycin (a positively charged, polyene-like antibiotic) induces voltage-dependent conductance changes in lipid bilayer membranes when added to one of the bathing solutions. These conductance changes have generally been attributed to the existence of channels spanning the membrane. In this article we characterize the behavior of the individual conductance events observed when adding small amounts of monazomycin to one side of a lipid bilayer. We find that there are several apparent channel types with one or sometimes two amplitudes predominating. We find further that these fairly similar amplitudes represent two different states of the same fundamental channel entity, presumed to be the monazomycin channel. The current-voltage characteristics of these channels are weakly hyperbolic functions of applied potential. The average lifetimes are essentially voltage independent (between 50 and 400 mV). The average channel intervals, on the other hand, can be strongly voltage dependent, and we can show that the time-averaged conductance of a membrane is proportional to the average channel frequency.
On a relation between shape recognition algorithms based on distributions of distances

Recent works have shown the use of difiusion geometry for various pattern recognition applications, including non-rigid shape analysis. In this paper, we analyze two recent methods for shape similarity due to Rustamov and Mahmoudi & Sapiro. We show the relations between the methods and propose a new shape similarity criterion combining the advantages of both methods.
Cholinesterase inhibition: is there evidence for disease-modifying effects?

Abstract Background: Cholinesterase inhibitors are broadly established as first-line symptomatic therapy for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Symptomatic effects are mediated by the inhibition of acetyl- and/or butyryl-cholinesterase (AChE and/or BuChE) – the enzymes that degrade acetylcholine (ACh) in the synapse. However, ACh is also found outside the synapse (‘extracellular ACh’) where, among other activities, it plays a role in controlling inflammation and might impact on pathological changes. Objective/scope: New data and clinical findings are reviewed and discussed to build a preliminary case for possible disease-modifying effects of cholinesterase inhibition. Findings: Trials seeking to demonstrate disease-modifying effects in subjects with mild cognitive impairment failed to reach their primary endpoints, but these failures might relate to aspects of trial methods and analyses. A re-analysis of one of these trials, using a more sensitive model controlling for factors that predict progression to AD, showed a significant delay in progression to AD with dual cholinesterase inhibition over 3 to 4 years. Taken with other evidence, it is plausible that cholinesterase inhibition might contribute to disease modification. The detection of putative disease-modifying effects may be most easily implemented in certain patient subpopulations, and genotyping studies suggest a particular role for BuChE. Conclusion: Long-term inhibition of BuChE might be especially important when exploring any disease-modifying effects of cholinesterase inhibitors. Elucidation of the mechanisms involved could provide insights leading to the development of new treatments that modify the development and progression of AD.