Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Miniaturized high-intensity focused ultrasound device in patients with glaucoma: a clinical pilot study.

PURPOSE To evaluate the relative safety and potential efficacy of high-intensity focused ultrasound cyclocoagulation by a miniaturized annular device containing six piezoceramic transducers in patients with refractory glaucoma. METHODS This was a three-center prospective interventional pilot study. Twelve eyes of 12 patients with refractory glaucoma were insonified using a ring-shaped probe containing six miniaturized high-frequency transducers operating at 21 MHz. Ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) and a complete ophthalmic examination were performed before the procedure and at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after the procedure. Additional visits were performed 6 and 12 months after the procedure. RESULTS Intraocular pressure was significantly reduced (P < 0.01) from a mean preoperative value of 37.9 ± 10.7 mm Hg to a mean postoperative value of 27.3 ± 12.4, 25.2 ± 11.3, 25.2 ± 7.7, 24.8 ± 9.8, and 26.3 ± 5.1 mm Hg at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months, respectively, and to a mean value of 24.7 ± 8.5 at the last follow-up visit. No major intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred. Minor postoperative corneal complications developed in four patients with previous corneal abnormalities: superficial punctate keratitis (n = 3) and central superficial corneal ulceration (n = 1). UBM showed cystic involution of the ciliary body in 9 of the 12 eyes and a suprachoroidal fluid space in 8 of the 12 eyes. CONCLUSIONS Ultrasonic circular cyclocoagulation using high-intensity focused ultrasound delivered by a circular miniaturized device containing six piezoceramic transducers seems to be an effective and well-tolerated method to reduce intraocular pressure in patients with refractory glaucoma.
Systemic Immunity Requires SnRK2.8-Mediated Nuclear Import of NPR1 in Arabidopsis

Phosphorylation of NPR by the protein kinase SnRK2.8 allows nuclear import of NPR1, an essential step in systemic acquired resistance. In plants, necrotic lesions occur at the site of pathogen infection through the hypersensitive response, which is followed by induction of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in distal tissues. Salicylic acid (SA) induces SAR by activating NONEXPRESSER OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES1 (NPR1) through an oligomer-to-monomer reaction. However, SA biosynthesis is elevated only slightly in distal tissues during SAR, implying that SA-mediated induction of SAR requires additional factors. Here, we demonstrated that SA-independent systemic signals induce a gene encoding SNF1-RELATED PROTEIN KINASE 2.8 (SnRK2.8), which phosphorylates NPR1 during SAR. The SnRK2.8-mediated phosphorylation of NPR1 is necessary for its nuclear import. Notably, although SnRK2.8 transcription and SnRK2.8 activation are independent of SA signaling, the SnRK2.8-mediated induction of SAR requires SA. Together with the SA-mediated monomerization of NPR1, these observations indicate that SA signals and SnRK2.8-mediated phosphorylation coordinately function to activate NPR1 via a dual-step process in developing systemic immunity in Arabidopsis thaliana.
C/EBPβ Mediates Osteoclast Recruitment by Regulating Endothelial Progenitor Cell Expression of SDF-1α

Integration of tissue-engineered bone grafts with the host bone is vital for the healing of critical-size bone defects. An important aspect of this process is bone resorption, which must be carried out by osteoclasts derived from the host. However, the mechanism underlying recruitment of host osteoclast precursors to graft sites remains unclear. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) mobilize from the bone marrow into the circulation and home to sites of angiogenesis such as tissue remodeling. Since EPCs express SDF-1, and C/EBPβ is known to regulate SDF-1α expression, we hypothesized that EPCs may recruit CXCR4-expressing host osteoclast precursors to the repair area and that this recruitment may be mediated through C/EBPβ signaling. Using an inflammatory EPC model we showed that EPCs upregulate protein levels of both SDF-1α and C/EBPβ. A luciferase assay confirmed that C/EBPβ acts on the SDF-1α promoter in these cells, and that binding is increased under conditions of inflammation, while silencing of C/EBPβ reduces expression of SDF-1 α and C/EBPβ. Using RAW264.7 cells as a model of osteoclastic monocyte precursors, we investigated their responses to migratory factors in EPC conditioned medium. We showed that RAW264.7 cells migrate towards conditioned medium from EPCs treated with IL-1β, an effect which could be abolished by silencing C/EBPβ in EPCs, and was almost completely blocked by silencing CXCR4 in RAW264.7 cells. These findings show that EPCs respond to inflammatory stimuli by signaling to osteoclast precursors via SDF-1, and that C/EBPβ mediates this response.
High‐Performance Perovskite–Graphene Hybrid Photodetector

A high-performance novel photodetector is demonstrated, which consists of graphene and CH3 NH3 PbI3 perovskite layers. The resulting hybrid photodetector exhibits a dramatically enhanced photo responsivity (180 A/W) and effective quantum efficiency (5× 10(4) %) over a broad bandwidth within the UV and visible ranges.
A phase II trial of perioperative chemotherapy involving a single intraperitoneal administration of paclitaxel followed by sequential S‐1 plus intravenous paclitaxel for serosa‐positive gastric cancer

We carried out a phase II trial to evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and tolerability of perioperative chemotherapy including single intraperitoneal(IP) administration of paclitaxel(PTX) followed by intravenous(IV) administrations of PTX with S‐1 in a neoadjuvant setting for serosa‐positive gastric cancer.
Arabidopsis Vegetative Storage Protein Is an Anti-Insect Acid Phosphatase

Indirect evidence previously suggested that Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) vegetative storage protein (VSP) could play a role in defense against herbivorous insects. To test this hypothesis, other AtVSP-like sequences in Arabidopsis were identified through a Basic Local Alignment Search Tool search, and their transcriptional profiles were investigated. In response to methyl jasmonate application or phosphate starvation, AtVSP and AtVSP-like genes exhibited differential expression patterns, suggesting distinct roles played by each member. Arabidopsis VSP2 (AtVSP2), a gene induced by wounding, methyl jasmonate, insect feeding, and phosphate deprivation, was selected for bacterial expression and functional characterization. The recombinant protein exhibited a divalent cation-dependent phosphatase activity in the acid pH range. When incorporated into the diets of three coleopteran and dipteran insects that have acidic gut lumen, recombinant AtVSP2 significantly delayed development of the insects and increased their mortality. To further determine the biochemical basis of the anti-insect activity of the protein, the nucleophilic aspartic acid-119 residue at the conserved DXDXT signature motif was substituted by glutamic acid via site-directed mutagenesis. This single-amino acid alteration did not compromise the protein's secondary or tertiary structure, but resulted in complete loss of its acid phosphatase activity as well as its anti-insect activity. Collectively, we conclude that AtVSP2 is an anti-insect protein and that its defense function is correlated with its acid phosphatase activity.
Report of a Consensus Meeting on Human Brain Temperature After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: Its Measurement and Management During Pyrexia

Temperature disturbances are common in patients with severe traumatic brain injury. The possibility of an adaptive, potentially beneficial role for fever in patients with severe brain trauma has been dismissed, but without good justification. Fever might, in some patients, confer benefit. A cadre of clinicians and scientists met to debate the clinically relevant, but often controversial issue about whether raised brain temperature after human traumatic brain injury (TBI) should be regarded as “good or bad” for outcome. The objective was to produce a consensus document of views about current temperature measurement and pyrexia treatment. Lectures were delivered by invited speakers with National and International publication track records in thermoregulation, neuroscience, epidemiology, measurement standards and neurocritical care. Summaries of the lectures and workshop discussions were produced from transcriptions of the lectures and workshop discussions. At the close of meeting, there was agreement on four key issues relevant to modern temperature measurement and management and for undergirding of an evidence-based practice, culminating in a consensus statement. There is no robust scientific data to support the use of hypothermia in patients whose intracranial pressure is controllable using standard therapy. A randomized clinical trial is justified to establish if body cooling for control of pyrexia (to normothermia) vs moderate pyrexia leads to a better patient outcome for TBI patients.
Genetic Modulation of Training and Transfer in Older Adults: BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism is Associated with Wider Useful Field of View

Western society has an increasing proportion of older adults. Increasing age is associated with a general decrease in the control over task-relevant mental processes. In the present study we investigated the possibility that successful transfer of game-based cognitive improvements to untrained tasks in elderly people is modulated by preexisting neuro-developmental factors as genetic variability related to levels of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), an important neuromodulator underlying cognitive processes. We trained participants, genotyped for the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism, on cognitive tasks developed to improve dynamic attention. Pre-training (baseline) and post-training measures of attentional processes (divided and selective attention) were acquired by means of the useful field of view task. As expected, Val/Val homozygous individuals showed larger beneficial transfer effects than Met/-carriers. Our findings support the idea that genetic predisposition modulates transfer effects.
Resources sharing in optical packet switches with limited-range wavelength converters

This paper compares selected optical packet switching architectures that use the wavelength conversion technique to solve the packet contention problem. The architectures are equipped with shared and limited-range wavelength converters (LRWCs). This paper focuses on two architectures: the shared per node (SPN) and the shared per output fiber (SPOF) architectures, in which the wavelength converters are SPN and output fiber, respectively. Packet loss probability is expressed as a function of the number of wavelength converters used, by means of analytical models validated by simulations. The analytical results show how the use of a reduced number of LRWCs with small range allows the switch to obtain the same performances of an architecture equipped with all of the wavelength converters and using a full wavelength conversion.
Large-Scale IP Traffic Matrix Estimation Based on Fratar Model and ART

This paper proposes a novel method of large-scale IP traffic matrix estimation, called FratarArt method by us, which is based on Fratar model and Algebraic Reconstruction Technique (ART). Firstly, we model OD flows as Fratar model and introduce the constrained relations between traffic matrix and link loads. At the same time, we consider the nonnegative constraints of traffic matrix. By Fratar model, we can get a good prior of network tomography. As a consequence, a good estimation of traffic matrix is attained with ART. Finally, we use the real data in true network Abilene to validate our method. The results show that our method can perform fast the accurate estimation of traffic matrix and track its dynamics. In contrast to TomoGravtiy (Zhang et al., 2003), our method improves remarkably and the estimation of traffic matrix is closer to real data.
A standard, single dose of inhaled terbutaline attenuates hyperpnea-induced bronchoconstriction and mast cell activation in athletes

This study provides the first in vivo evidence for a mast cell stabilizing effect of the short-acting inhaled β2-adrenoceptor agonist terbutaline, when administered prophylactically at a clinically recommended dose (0.5 mg) before bronchial provocation with dry air. Our data therefore support the proposal that β2-adrenoceptor agonist-mediated mast cell stabilization is a major contributor to bronchoprotection in individuals with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.
Overcoming visual reverberations

An image acquired through a glass window is a super-position of two sources: a scene behind the window, and a reflection of a scene in front of the window. Light rays incident on the window are reflected back and forth inside the glass. Such internal reflections affect the radiance of both sources: a spatial effect is created of dimmed and shifted replications. Our work generalizes the treatment of transparent scenes to deal with this effect. First, we present a physical model of the image formation. It turns out that each of the transmitted and reflected scenes undergoes a convolution with a particular point spread function (PSF), composed of distinct delta functions. Therefore, scene recovery involves inversion of these PSFs. We analyze the fundamental limitations faced by any attempt to solve this inverse problem. We then present a solution approach. The approach is based on deconvolution by linear filtering and simple optimization. The input to the algorithm is a pair of frames, taken through a polarizing filter. The method is demonstrated experimentally.
Perceptual training of singleton and geminate stops in Japanese language by Korean learners

We aim to build up an effective perceptual training paradigm toward a computer-assisted language learning (CALL) system for second language. This study investigated the effectiveness of the perceptual training on Korean-speaking learners of Japanese in the distinction between geminate and singleton stops of Japanese. The training consisted of identification of geminate and singleton stops with feedback. We investigated whether training improves the learners’ identification of the geminate and singleton stops in Japanese. Moreover, we examined how perceptual training is affected by factors that influence speaking rate. Results were as follows. Participants who underwent perceptual training improved overall performance to a greater extent than untrained control participants. However, there was no significant difference between the group that was trained with three speaking rates and the group that was trained with normal rate only.
Linking Susceptibility to Infectious Diseases to Immune System Abnormalities among HIV-Exposed Uninfected Infants

HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) infants experience increased overall mortality from infectious causes when compared to HIV-unexposed uninfected (HU) infants. This is the case in both the resource-rich and resource-limited settings. Here, we explore the concept that specific types of infectious diseases that are more common among HEU infants could provide clues as to the potential underlying immunological abnormalities. The most commonly reported infections in HEU vs. HU infants are caused by encapsulated bacteria, suggesting the existence of a less effective humoral (antibody, complement) immune response. Decreased transplacental transfer of protective maternal antibodies has consistently been observed among HEU newborns, suggesting that this may indeed be one of the key drivers of their susceptibility to infections with encapsulated bacteria. Reassuringly, HEU humoral response to vaccination appears to be well conserved. While there appears to be an increase in overall incidence of acute viral infections, no specific pattern of acute viral infections has emerged; and although there is evidence of increased chronic viral infection from perinatal transmission of hepatitis C and cytomegalovirus, no data exist to suggest an increase in adverse outcomes. Thus, no firm conclusions about antiviral effector mechanisms can be drawn. However, the most unusual of reported infections among the HEU have been opportunistic infections, suggesting the possibility of underlying defects in CD4 helper T cells and overall immune regulatory function. This may relate to the observation that the immunological profile of HEUs indicates a more activated T cell profile as well as a more inflammatory innate immune response. However, both of these observations appear transient, marked in early infancy, but no longer evident later in life. The causes of these early-life changes in immune profiles are likely multifactorial and may be related to in utero exposure to HIV, but also to increased environmental exposure to pathogens from sicker household contacts, in utero and postnatal antiretroviral drug exposure, and, in certain circumstances, differences in mode of feeding. The relative importance of each of these factors will be important to delineate in an attempt to identify those HEU at highest risk of adverse outcomes for targeted interventions.
Recombinant vaccines of a CD4+ T-cell epitope promote efficient control of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis burden by restraining primary organ infection

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is an infectious disease endemic to South America, caused by the thermally dimorphic fungi Paracoccidioides. Currently, there is no effective human vaccine that can be used in prophylactic or therapeutic regimes. We tested the hypothesis that the immunogenicity of the immunodominant CD4+ T-cell epitope (P10) of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis gp43 antigen might be significantly enhanced by using a hepatitis B virus-derived particle (VLP) as an antigen carrier. This chimera was administered to mice as a (His)6-purified protein (rPbT) or a replication-deficient human type 5 adenoviral vector (rAdPbT) in an immunoprophylaxis assay. The highly virulent Pb18 yeast strain was used to challenge our vaccine candidates. Fungal challenge evoked robust P10-specific memory CD4+ T cells secreting protective Th-1 cytokines in most groups of immunized mice. Furthermore, the highest level of fungal burden control was achieved when rAdPbT was inoculated in a homologous prime-boost regimen, with 10-fold less CFU recovering than in non-vaccinated mice. Systemic Pb18 spreading was only prevented when rAdPbT was previously inoculated. In summary, we present here VLP/P10 formulations as vaccine candidates against PCM, some of which have demonstrated for the first time their ability to prevent progression of this pernicious fungal disease, which represents a significant social burden in developing countries.
Toxoplasmosis Neuroretinitis: A Case Report

Introduction Neuroretinitis (NR) is considered to be an inflammatory condition which is characterized by optic disc edema and, as a result, formation of a macular star figure. NR is an atypical presentation of toxoplasmosis infection, and such cases are quite rare. Case Presentation A 13-year-old girl presented with painless subacute visual loss in her right eye for a week at Khatam-Al-Anbia eye hospital in Mashhad, Iran. Following comprehensive evaluation, a diagnosis of toxoplasmic NR was made. The NR favorably responded to classic anti-toxoplasmosis treatment. A juxtapapillary retinochoroidal scar appeared after disc swelling resolution. Conclusions Although toxoplasmosis NR is rare, it should be considered in the differential diagnoses of NR.
A mapping path for multi-GPGPU accelerated computers from a portable high level programming abstraction

Programmers for GPGPU face rapidly changing substrate of programming abstractions, execution models, and hardware implementations. It has been established, through numerous demonstrations for particular conjunctions of application kernel, programming languages, and GPU hardware instance, that it is possible to achieve significant improvements in the price/performance and energy/performance over general purpose processors. But these demonstrations are each the result of significant dedicated programmer labor, which is likely to be duplicated for each new GPU hardware architecture to achieve performance portability. This paper discusses the implementation, in the R-Stream compiler, of a source to source mapping pathway from a high-level, textbook-style algorithm expression method in ANSI C, to multi-GPGPU accelerated computers. The compiler performs hierarchical decomposition and parallelization of the algorithm between and across host, multiple GPGPUs, and within-GPU. The semantic transformations are expressed within the polyhedral model, including optimization of integrated parallelization, locality, and contiguity tradeoffs. Hierarchical tiling is performed. Communication and synchronizations operations at multiple levels are generated automatically. The resulting mapping is currently emitted in the CUDA programming language. The GPU backend adds to the range of hardware and accelerator targets for R-Stream and indicates the potential for performance portability of single sources across multiple hardware targets.
Comparison of rapamycin schedules in mice on high-fat diet

At a wide range of doses, rapamycin extends life span in mice. It was shown that intraperitoneal injections (i.p.) of rapamycin prevent weight gain in mice on high-fat diet (HFD). We further investigated the effect of rapamycin on weight gain in female C57BL/6 mice on HFD started at the age of 7.5 months. By the age of 16 and 23 months, mice on HFD weighed significantly more (52 vs 33 g; p = 0.0001 and 70 vs 38 g; p < 0.0001, respectively) than mice on low fat diet (LFD). The i.p. administration of 1.5 mg/kg rapamycin, 3 times a week every other week, completely prevented weight gain, whereas administration of rapamycin by oral gavash did not. Rapamycin given in the drinking water slightly decreased weight gain by the age of 23 months. In addition, metabolic parameters were evaluated at the age of 16 and 23 months, 6 and 13 days after last rapamycin administration, respectively. Plasma leptin levels strongly correlated with body weight, (P < 0.0001, r=0.86), suggesting that the difference in weight was due to fat tissue mass. Levels of insulin, glucose, triglycerides and IGF1 were not statistically different in all groups, indicating that these courses of rapamycin treatment did not impair metabolic parameters at least after rapamycin discontinuation. Despite rapamycin discontinuation, cardiac levels of phospho-S6 and pAKT(S473) were low in the i.p.-treated group. This continuous effect of rapamycin can be explained by prevention of obesity in the i.p. group. We conclude that intermittent i.p. administration of rapamycin prevents weight gain without causing gross metabolic abnormalities. Intermittent gavash administration minimally affected weight gain. Potential clinical applications are discussed.
A Unified Approach to Japanese and English Question Answering

We present our unied approach to question answering in different languages and describe our experiments on the Japanese language NTCIR-3 Question Answering Challenge (QAC-1) tasks 1 and 2. The model we use for Japanese language question answering (QA) is identical to the one we have applied successfully on the English language TREC QA tasks, based on a novel statistical, non-linguistic and datadriven approach to question answering. Using this method on the formal run of QAC-1 we obtain an MRR of 0.340 on task 1 and an average F-score of 0.159. The top1 accuracy of 26.5% compares very well with results obtained using an identical approach on the TREC evaluations.