Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Shape of the right ventricular Doppler envelope predicts hemodynamics and right heart function in pulmonary hypertension.

RATIONALE Systolic deceleration or "notching" of the right ventricular outflow tract Doppler flow velocity envelope (FVE(RVOT)) relates to pathologic wave reflection in the setting of elevated pulmonary artery impedance. OBJECTIVES We investigated whether simple visual assessment of FVE(RVOT) morphology aids in hemodynamic differentiation and detection of pulmonary vascular disease among a referral pulmonary hypertension (PH) cohort. METHODS We reviewed hemodynamics, echocardiography, and clinical data for 88 patients referred for PH and 32 subjects with systolic heart failure and PH. The FVE(RVOT) was categorized as normal (no notch [NN]); late systolic notch (LSN); or midsystolic notch (MSN). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) was highest in the MSN group (9.2 ± 3.5 Wood's units [WU]; P < 0.001) versus the LSN (5.7 ± 3.1 WU) and NN (3.3 ± 2.4 WU) groups. The ratio of stroke volume to pulse pressure (compliance) also differed by FVE(RVOT) morphology (MSN = 1.2 ± 0.5; LSN = 1.7 ± 0.8; NN = 2.6 ± 1.7; P = 0.001 and 0.04, respectively, vs. NN). MSN was 96% specific and 71% sensitive for a PVR >5 WU (positive predictive value, 98%). The MSN group had severe right ventricular dysfunction (tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion 1.6 ± 0.5 cm) relative to the LSN and NN groups (tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion 1.9 ± 0.6 vs. 2.2 ± 0.6 cm; both P < 0.05). In the PH cohort, any FVE(RVOT) notching (MSN or LSN) was highly associated with PVR >3 WU (odds ratio, 22.3; 95% confidence interval, 5.2-96.4), whereas the NN pattern predicted a PVR less than or equal to 3WU and pulmonary artery wedge pressure greater than 15 mm Hg (odds ratio, 30.2; 95% confidence interval, 6.3-144.9). CONCLUSIONS Visual inspection of the shape of the FVE(RVOT) provides insight into the hemodynamic basis of PH in a referral PH cohort. MSN is associated with the most severe pulmonary vascular disease and right heart dysfunction.
Thrombosis and Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by the presence of sickle hemoglobin, which has the unique property of polymerizing when deoxygenated. The pathophysiology of acute and chronic clinical manifestations of SCD have shown the central role of dense, dehydrated red cells in acute and chronic clinical manifestations of this pathology. Recent studies have indicated that SCD is characterized by a hypercoagulable state that contributes to the vaso-occlusive events in microcirculation, leading to acute and chronic sickle cell-related organ damage. This review discusses, in the context of SCD, (1) abnormalities in the coagulation system, (2) perturbation of platelet activation and aggregation, (3) vascular endothelial dysfunction, (4) the contribution of cell inflammatory responses, and (5) the connection with nitric oxide metabolism. We also review the available studies on the therapeutic approaches in clinical management of hypercoagulability in SCD.
POSITION DEPENDENCY OF SURFACE ROUGHNESS IN PARTS FROM LASER BEAM MELTING SYSTEMS

Laser Beam Melting is a promising Additive Manufacturing technology for the production of complex metal components. During batch production of multiple identical parts in a single build job, we observed parts with deviating surface roughness in certain areas, which all faced away from the laser. This suggests a dependency of surface roughness on the part position in the build chamber. In this work we systematically reproduce and analyze this effect. We place hollow pyramids with twelve faces and two different overhanging angles at nine positions on the substrate plate and build this setup twice, using an imaging setup for process documentation. Surface roughness is measured by contact profilometry on three lines for each pyramid face. Our experiments reproduce the effect. Based on these findings we present a hypothesis for the cause and show metallographic images to support our theory. As a consequence, the position relative to the laser should be considered in the design phase for parts with high surface quality requirements.
γδ T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of patients with tuberculosis with and without HIV co-infection

Background: Several recent studies suggest that γδ T lymphocytes play an important role in immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, the dynamics of these cells in the peripheral blood of patients with tuberculosis (TB) with and without HIV infection is not fully understood. A study was undertaken to evaluate the profile of the γδ T cell population in patients at the time the diagnosis of TB was established. Methods: A cross sectional study was performed in consecutive TB patients from the Department of Infectious Diseases, Spedali Civili, Brescia. CD4+, CD8+ and Vδ1 and Vδ2 T cell counts were analysed. Lymphocyte surface membrane expression was evaluated with the FITC-TCRγδ, -Vδ1, -Vδ2 and PE-Vδ1 monoclonal antibodies. Blood donors and HIV seropositive asymptomatic individuals acted as controls. Results: Seventy four TB patients were evaluated, 20 of whom (27%) were co-infected with HIV. HIV seronegative TB patients (n=54) had total γδ T cells and Vδ1 subsets comparable to those in blood donors (n=39). However, the percentage with the Vδ2 subset was significantly lower in patients with TB than in controls (median 1.5 v 2.1; p=0.05). Responsiveness to PPD was not associated with predominance of a specific γδ T cell subset. HIV seropositive individuals had a decreased percentage of circulating Vδ2 cells at a level similar to that in HIV seronegative TB patients, regardless of the presence of active TB. Conclusions: HIV seronegative TB patients and HIV infected individuals (with or without active TB) have a reduced number of circulating Vδ2 T cells compared with healthy individuals. Whether TB and HIV infection share a common mechanism causing Vδ2 T cell depletion still needs to be established.
Toward more insight into the tension between policy and practice regarding the police network function of community police officers in The Netherlands

According to formal police policy in the Netherlands, the police should focus on their core business, i.e. criminal investigation and maintaining public order. According to the same policy community police officers should thus participate in local security networks with two tasks: first, gathering relevant information from the network for the core police tasks, and second, making sure that tasks deemed to be non-core policing tasks are left to other network actors. In this article we examine how community police officers implement this policy and the extent to which their network function actually contributes to the core police tasks. Based on five weeks of participative research conducted in the Netherlands, we observed that the network function did not contribute demonstrably to core police tasks, although it did contribute to quality of life and the local security in the neighbourhood. This can be partly explained by network theories that suggest that community police officers also have to ‘give’ in order to ‘get’ information and support. We conclude that neighbourhoods benefit from community police officers with a broad networking remit, at the same time moving away from the illusion that perceived non-primary policing tasks can thus be left to other parties.
When will Academics Learn about Quality?

Previous research provides evidence of grassroots academics adopting a variety of behaviours in response to quality-led change initiatives in higher education. Although administrators may seek answers to the question ‘when will academics learn about quality? ’, perhaps there is a need to address a more fundamental question: ‘How do academics conceive quality in higher education? ’.
Ontological user profiling in recommender systems

We explore a novel ontological approach to user profiling within recommender systems, working on the problem of recommending on-line academic research papers. Our two experimental systems, Quickstep and Foxtrot, create user profiles from unobtrusively monitored behaviour and relevance feedback, representing the profiles in terms of a research paper topic ontology. A novel profile visualization approach is taken to acquire profile feedback. Research papers are classified using ontological classes and collaborative recommendation algorithms used to recommend papers seen by similar people on their current topics of interest. Two small-scale experiments, with 24 subjects over 3 months, and a large-scale experiment, with 260 subjects over an academic year, are conducted to evaluate different aspects of our approach. Ontological inference is shown to improve user profiling, external ontological knowledge used to successfully bootstrap a recommender system and profile visualization employed to improve profiling accuracy. The overall performance of our ontological recommender systems are also presented and favourably compared to other systems in the literature.
The distribution and fate of 131 I‐labelled liposomes

The distribution of 131 I‐labelled liposomes with sodium iodide entrapped in the aqueous core has been compared with that of a preparation containing iodinated phospholipid, following i.v. administration to rabbits. Liver uptake was observed initially with both liposomes, but the distribution of the former preparation soon became indistinguishable from that of [131 I] sodium iodide. Iodine‐131 was still detectable in the liver 150 h after administration of the phospholipid labelled material. Scintigrams showing the distributions of the radionuclides following administration of 131 I‐labelled liposomes and 99m Tc‐DTPA liposomes indicate that there may be some biliary clearance.
The Effects of Hands-On Experience On Students' Preferences for Assessment Methods

This study investigates the effects of student teachers' hands-on experience with evaluation on their preferences for assessment methods. A course on child development within the 1st year of the elementary teacher education program provides the quasi-experimental learning/teaching setting. Five research conditions are linked to four assessment modes, namely, portfolio, case-based, peer assessment, and multiple-choice evaluations. Data collection was obtained by questionnaires, adopting a longitudinal design that involves three moments of measurement. Results show initially negative responses to unknown assessment methods. As familiarity with the assessment tool grew, student teachers' preferences changed positively. Although the extent differs, every assessment method benefited significantly from the teacher candidates' experience with the format during the course. Moreover, student teachers' perceptions of the appropriateness of the assessment method for evaluation purposes are congruent with their preferences. Consequently, to change student teachers' preferences for unknown assessment methods, hands-on experiences are fundamental and need to be positive. Results are particularly encouraging for teacher education instructors who use a variety of assessment modes.
Adenine versus guanine DNA adducts of aristolochic acids: role of the carcinogen–purine linkage in the differential global genomic repair propensity

Computational modeling is employed to provide a plausible structural explanation for the experimentally-observed differential global genome repair (GGR) propensity of the ALII-N2-dG and ALII-N6-dA DNA adducts of aristolochic acid II. Our modeling studies suggest that an intrinsic twist at the carcinogen–purine linkage of ALII-N2-dG induces lesion site structural perturbations and conformational heterogeneity of damaged DNA. These structural characteristics correlate with the relative repair propensities of AA-adducts, where GGR recognition occurs for ALII-N2-dG, but is evaded for intrinsically planar ALII-N6-dA that minimally distorts DNA and restricts the conformational flexibility of the damaged duplex. The present analysis on the ALII adduct model systems will inspire future experimental studies on these adducts, and thereby may extend the list of structural factors that directly correlate with the propensity for GGR recognition.
The Polls: Attitudes toward Homosexuality

HUMAN RIGHTS, legitimately claimed by everybody, are withheld from homosexuals in our society. Considering the outcome of the public opinion polls, improvements in this situation are not likely to occur in the near future. In the United States, for instance, there has been hardly any change in attitudes toward homosexuals in the period from 1970 to 1977. In 1970, as well as in 1973, 1974, and 1977, around 70 percent of the population found homosexual relations between two adults always wrong. Public opinion surveys in Great Britain and the United States, held at about the same time in 1977, indicate that the attitude of the British toward homosexuals is more liberal than that of the Americans when confronted with general questions, but this British tolerance boils down to very little when specific questions are asked about the admission of homosexuals into a number of professions (AIPO and SOC, 1977). The 1970 survey of the Institute for Sex Research in the United States points up some reasons why homosexuals are not desired in certain professions. For example, 73.5 percent express themselves in agreement with the statement, "Homosexuals are dangerous as teachers or youth leaders because they try to get sexually involved with children. " Harris, in a survey conducted in July 1977, asked which of a number of different groups were considered to be discriminated against. Homosexuals headed the list. When asked whether discrimination against the same groups should be prohibited by law, however, homosexuals appeared at the bottom of the list; in other words, homosexuals were seen to be discriminated against more than the other groups, but it was not felt necessary to do something about it. Homosexuality is rejected in the Netherlands, too-44 percent of the population felt in 1969 that homosexuals would do better not to give any evidence of their disposition, and this percentage had hardly changed by 1972. In Norway, about half the population in 1967 considered it harmful for homosexuals to talk about their sex life.
Effects of Carbohydrate Intake before and during an Ice Hockey Game on Blood and Muscle Energy Substrates

Abstract This study was performed to determine whether carbohydrate (CHO) intake before and during an ice hockey game could spare muscle glycogen and improve performance. The effect of the CHO supplementation on blood glucose, lactate, triglycerides, and glycerol was also investigated. Seven elite collegiate ice hockey players were tested during two regular competitive league matches. The CHO supplement consisted of 100 g of glucose ingested during the 75–210 min period prior to the match and a total of 20 g glucose during the match. A lower blood glucose level before the game and higher glucose concentration after the game were measured in the experimental group. Muscle glycogen content was lowered in both groups. When the glycogen decrease was corrected for the distance skated, a greater sparing of this substrate was observed following the CHO-feeding. These data demonstrate that CHO intake can result in less glycogen usage per distance skated. This finding is of particular relevance for hockey tourname.
Anxiety, self-discrepancy, and regulatory focus theory: acculturation matters

Previous research has found that Asians (vs. Caucasians) exhibit higher levels of ought and undesired self-discrepancies and prevention focus, all of which have been linked with anxiety. We examined these ethnic differences in the context of acculturation. Participants (N=155) completed two sessions scheduled a week apart. In Session 1, participants completed a computer task to measure self-discrepancy and prevention focus. In Session 2, participants' ought self-discrepancies and closeness to an undesired self were primed. Moderation analyses indicated that Asian participants who were highly assimilated to an Asian culture exhibited higher levels of a prevention focus. Acculturation also had significant moderation effects for affect when self-discrepancies were primed. Our results suggest that interventions based on these systems (i.e., self-system therapy) should consider acculturation when treating diverse individuals.
Dynamics of Mismatch Correction in the Hippocampal Ensemble Code for Space: Interaction between Path Integration and Environmental Cues

Populations of hippocampal neurons were recorded simultaneously in rats shuttling on a track between a fixed reward site at one end and a movable reward site, mounted in a sliding box, at the opposite end. While the rat ran toward the fixed site, the box was moved. The rat returned to the box in its new position. On the initial part of all journeys, cells fired at fixed distances from the origin, whereas on the final part, cells fired at fixed distances from the destination. Thus, on outward journeys from the box, with the box behind the rat, the position representation must have been updated by path integration. Farther along the journey, the place field map became aligned on the basis of external stimuli. The spatial representation was quantified in terms of population vectors. During shortened journeys, the vector shifted from an alignment with the origin to an alignment with the destination. The dynamics depended on the degree of mismatch with respect to the full-length journey. For small mismatches, the vector moved smoothly through intervening coordinates until the mismatch was corrected. For large mismatches, it jumped abruptly to the new coordinate. Thus, when mismatches occur, path integration and external cues interact competitively to control place-cell firing. When the same box was used in a different environment, it controlled the alignment of a different set of place cells. These data suggest that although map alignment can be controlled by landmarks, hippocampal neurons do not explicitly represent objects or events.
High-throughput imaging of neuronal activity in Caenorhabditis elegans

Significance Most behaviors and neuronal responses are variable across individual animals and repeated presentation of the same stimulus. Current neuronal recording techniques examine one animal at a time, whereas hundreds to thousands of trials may be necessary to understand the probability and range of responses. We developed an imaging system to record neuronal activity, detected by genetically encoded calcium indicators, simultaneously from 20 Caenorhabditis elegans animals in microfluidic arenas. We used this system to characterize chemosensory neuron responses to odors and pharmacological manipulation. The system allowed recordings in freely moving animals, whose neuronal responses could be correlated with behavior. We found that behavioral variability is observed even when sensory responses are reproducible, and that sensitivity to specific odors varies among individual animals. Neuronal responses to sensory inputs can vary based on genotype, development, experience, or stochastic factors. Existing neuronal recording techniques examine a single animal at a time, limiting understanding of the variability and range of potential responses. To scale up neuronal recordings, we here describe a system for simultaneous wide-field imaging of neuronal calcium activity from at least 20 Caenorhabditis elegans animals under precise microfluidic chemical stimulation. This increased experimental throughput was used to perform a systematic characterization of chemosensory neuron responses to multiple odors, odor concentrations, and temporal patterns, as well as responses to pharmacological manipulation. The system allowed recordings from sensory neurons and interneurons in freely moving animals, whose neuronal responses could be correlated with behavior. Wide-field imaging provides a tool for comprehensive circuit analysis with elevated throughput in C. elegans.
Goal and Process Clarity: Specification of Multiple Constructs of Role Ambiguity and a Structural Equation Model of Their Antecedents and Consequences

Measures of 2 constructs of role ambiguity (process and goal clarity) were developed. Mental health workers (N = 402) from 2 organizations provided evidence that a confirmatory 2-factor model fit the data better than a 1 -factor model. A path model including antecedents (autonomy, job feedback, agent feedback, recognition) and consequences (job satisfaction, job search behavior, turnover) of process and goal clarity was proposed based on the model of role ambiguity developed by Bedeian and Armenakis (1981) and modified in light of evidence on role ambiguity reviewed by Fisher and Gitelson (1983) and Jackson and Schuler (1985). A structural equation model confirmed the fit of the hypothesized model and a slightly more restricted model. Job tenure, need for clarity, and job classification were investigated as moderators but did not moderate the structural paths of the model. In this article, I present a reconceptualiz ation of the role ambiguity construct that includes multiple constructs. The specific constructs are (a) the extent to which the individual's work goals and responsibilities are clearly communicated and (b) the degree to which the individual understands the processes required to achieve those goals. New measures of these two constructs are proposed, along with empirical evidence to support them. A nomological network of constructs, found by previous researchers to function as antecedents and consequences of role ambiguity, is proposed and tested in a structural equation model using the measures of goal and process clarity developed in this research. Finally, three variables proposed by previous researchers to be moderators of the ambiguity-satisfaction relationship are tested within the context of the structural model. Kahn, Wolfe, Quinn, Snoek, and Rosenthal (1964) summarized much of the research on role conflict and ambiguity and elaborated a theory of role dynamics that included their roleepisode model. To adequately perform his or her role, a person
A comparative study of a preservative-free latanoprost cationic emulsion (Catioprost) and a BAK-preserved latanoprost solution in animal models.

PURPOSE Benzalkonium chloride (BAK), a common preservative in eye drops, can induce ocular surface toxicity that may decrease glaucoma therapy compliance. The ocular hypotensive effect, pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles, and local tolerance of a preservative-free latanoprost 0.005% cationic emulsion (Catioprost(®)), and a BAK-preserved latanoprost 0.005% solution (Xalatan(®)), were compared. METHODS The ocular hypotensive effect was evaluated in monkeys with elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) induced by laser photocoagulation of the trabecular meshwork. Each monkey (n=8) received both latanoprost formulations once daily for 5 consecutive treatment days in a crossover design with at least a 2-week washout period between treatments. IOP was measured at baseline (on day 1, no instillation), on vehicle treatment day (day 0), and on treatment days 1, 3, and 5 before drug instillation and then hourly for 6 h. In rabbits, the ocular and systemic concentrations of latanoprost free acid were determined following a single instillation and the local tolerance of twice daily instillations over 28 days was assessed. RESULTS Both the preservative-free and BAK-preserved latanoprost formulations shared the same efficacy profile with the maximum IOP reduction occurring 2 h after each morning dose (-15%, -20%, and -26%; -15%, -23%, and -23% on days 1, 3, and 5, respectively) and lasting through 24 h. The equivalence in efficacy was confirmed by the PK data demonstrating similar area under the curves (AUCs). While both formulations were well tolerated, the incidence of conjunctival hyperemia was reduced by 42% with the BAK-free latanoprost cationic emulsion. CONCLUSIONS In animal models, a preservative-free latanoprost cationic emulsion was as effective as Xalatan(®) for lowering IOP with an improved ocular tolerance profile.