Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis: Immunopathological Insights and Therapeutic Applications of Immunomodulators

Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a complex and multifactorial disease process that employs Th2 cell-mediated immunologic processes, which involves the overexpression of interleukin 4 (IL-4), IL-5, IL-9, IL-13, and IL-31, and the activation of mast cells that release IL-5 and CCL-11, recruiting eosinophils to the site of inflammation. The disease primarily affects young males and is more common in regions with warm climates. VKC is characterized by persistent and recurrent conjunctival inflammation that can adversely affect the patient’s quality of life, and, when inadequately treated, may lead to a host of ocular complications, such as corneal shield ulcers and scarring. The major distinct forms of VKC include limbal or palpebral, which may occur in combination. The clinicopathological features of VKC include the presence of pseudogerontoxon, limbal gelatinous hyperplasia, and perilimbal hyperpigmentation. Topical immunomodulators are effective anti-steroidal options for controlling severe and chronic cases of VKC. This review will provide a brief overview of topical immunomodulators, including cyclosporin and tacrolimus, and will highlight the clinical manifestations, pathological mechanisms, and fibroproliferative changes in the conjunctiva that can result from recurrent disease.
Restoration of Muscle Mitochondrial Function and Metabolic Flexibility in Type 2 Diabetes by Exercise Training Is Paralleled by Increased Myocellular Fat Storage and Improved Insulin Sensitivity

OBJECTIVE Mitochondrial dysfunction and fat accumulation in skeletal muscle (increased intramyocellular lipid [IMCL]) have been linked to development of type 2 diabetes. We examined whether exercise training could restore mitochondrial function and insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Eighteen male type 2 diabetic and 20 healthy male control subjects of comparable body weight, BMI, age, and Vo2max participated in a 12-week combined progressive training program (three times per week and 45 min per session). In vivo mitochondrial function (assessed via magnetic resonance spectroscopy), insulin sensitivity (clamp), metabolic flexibility (indirect calorimetry), and IMCL content (histochemically) were measured before and after training. RESULTS Mitochondrial function was lower in type 2 diabetic compared with control subjects (P = 0.03), improved by training in control subjects (28% increase; P = 0.02), and restored to control values in type 2 diabetic subjects (48% increase; P < 0.01). Insulin sensitivity tended to improve in control subjects (delta Rd 8% increase; P = 0.08) and improved significantly in type 2 diabetic subjects (delta Rd 63% increase; P < 0.01). Suppression of insulin-stimulated endogenous glucose production improved in both groups (−64%; P < 0.01 in control subjects and −52% in diabetic subjects; P < 0.01). After training, metabolic flexibility in type 2 diabetic subjects was restored (delta respiratory exchange ratio 63% increase; P = 0.01) but was unchanged in control subjects (delta respiratory exchange ratio 7% increase; P = 0.22). Starting with comparable pretraining IMCL levels, training tended to increase IMCL content in type 2 diabetic subjects (27% increase; P = 0.10), especially in type 2 muscle fibers. CONCLUSIONS Exercise training restored in vivo mitochondrial function in type 2 diabetic subjects. Insulin-mediated glucose disposal and metabolic flexibility improved in type 2 diabetic subjects in the face of near–significantly increased IMCL content. This indicates that increased capacity to store IMCL and restoration of improved mitochondrial function contribute to improved muscle insulin sensitivity.
Improved berry and wine quality of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Gewürztraminer grown in an arid climate using a Y-shaped training system

Recent global climatic changes have highlighted viticulture in arid/semiarid regions as an increasingly relevant study model. Grapes in arid regions face excessive solar irradiance, leading to more than 50 °C berry surface temperatures in exposed berries. The resultant oxidative stress, sunburn necrosis, and browning consistently reduce berry quality. Adapting an adequate training system to the climate and cultivar is a simple and inexpensive method to control the radiation regime. This study compares the berry and wine characteristics and compositional components of desert-grown Vitis vinifera L. cv. Gewürztraminer, trained on either a Vertical Shoot Positioning (VSP) system or a Y-shaped training system (SAYM, Sistema di Allevamendo ad Ypsilon Integralmente Meccanizzabile), a method with a higher canopy light interception. The SAYM training reduced direct radiation and concomitant heat in the cluster zone and significantly alleviated oxidative stress in berries in the 2016/17 season. In addition, SAYM-grown berries were preferable in terms of quality and productivity. Correspondingly, a sensorial analysis rated SAYM wines higher than VSP wines in all categories. Photosynthetic pigment content in the berries' skin showed similarities between VSP and SAYM, and a volatile compound analysis of the wines by GC-MS revealed a higher ester content in the wines derived from SAYM vines, along with a higher content of compounds linked to Gewürztraminer wine typicity (varietal characteristics such as esters, terpenoids, and alcohols).
Genotype Matrix Mapping: Searching for Quantitative Trait Loci Interactions in Genetic Variation in Complex Traits

Abstract In order to reveal quantitative trait loci (QTL) interactions and the relationship between various interactions in complex traits, we have developed a new QTL mapping approach, named genotype matrix mapping (GMM), which searches for QTL interactions in genetic variation. The central approach in GMM is the following. (1) Each tested marker is given a virtual matrix, named a genotype matrix (GM), containing intersecting lines and rows equal to the total allele number for that marker in the population analyzed. (2) QTL interactions are then estimated and compared through virtual networks among the GMs. To evaluate the contribution of marker combinations to a quantitative phenotype, the GMM method divides the samples into two non-overlapping subclasses, S0 and S1; the former contains the samples that have a specific genotype pattern to be evaluated, and the latter contains samples that do not. Based on this division, the F-measure is calculated as an index of significance. With the GMM method, we extracted significant marker combinations consisting of one to three interacting markers. The results indicated there were multiple QTL interactions affecting the phenotype (flowering date). GMM will be a valuable approach to identify QTL interactions in genetic variation of a complex trait within a variety of organisms.
Surgical Periodontal Management of Peripheral Ossifying Fibroma: A Series of Three Cases

Peripheral ossifying fibroma (POF) is a benign swelling of the gingival connective tissue commonly associated with dental biofilm and biofilm-retentive dental appliances. In the present case report, we described three cases of POF with different clinical presentations and treatment approaches. The treatment consisted of the removal of supra- and subgingival calculus, followed by a flap surgery with excision of the entire lesion ensuring the inclusion of the periosteal bed. The first patient developed POF during her pregnancy that remained clinically noticeable postpartum. The second case represented a rare case of POF appearing on the palatal aspect of the anterior maxilla of an African American male. The third case represented POF that developed on the mandible, and contrary to the first two cases, it was excised using a diode laser and not a scalpel blade. All patients showed uneventful healing during follow-up appointments; however, poor patient compliance did not allow for evaluation of long-term healing responses and possible recurrence of the lesion. Within the limitations of this clinical report, it is evident that the periodontal surgical approach was effective in managing POF with stable short-term clinical outcomes.
Chronic Cannabis Use in the Compassionate Investigational New Drug Program: An Examination of Benefits and Adverse Effects of Legal Clinical Cannabis

The Missoula Chronic Clinical Cannabis Use Study was proposed to investigate the therapeutic bepnefits and adverse effects of prolonged use of "medical marijuana" in a cohort of seriously ill pa- tients. Use of cannabis was approved through the Compassionate Inves- tigational New Drug (IND) program of the Food and Drug Administra- tion (FDA). Cannabis is obtained from the National Institute on Drug
Uniform speaker normalization using frequency-dependent scaling function

In this paper, we present improvements in the estimation of frequency-dependent scaling function for non-uniform speaker normalization when compared to the method in S. Umesh et al. (2002). Further, using the estimated frequency-dependent scaling function, /spl gamma/(f), we estimated the universal warping function that is necessary to separate out the speaker-dependent term as a translation factor and show that it is similar to mel-scale. Since, the proposed warping function is similar to mel-scale, we argue that our study "justifies" the usage of mel-scale in speech recognition, not only from the point of view of psychoacoustics but also from the viewpoint of speaker normalization. Finally, we have assumed the commonly used formula for mel-scale, mel = 2595 log/sub 10/1+f/700 for the universal warping function. In this paper, we have tried to fit a mel-like formula to the estimated universal warping function and use it to do non-uniform speaker normalization. We present the recognition results using these different universal warping functions with word error rate as the performance measure.
Simultaneous Measurement of Neural Spike Recordings and Multi-Photon Calcium Imaging in Neuroblastoma Cells

This paper proposes the design and implementation of a micro-electrode array (MEA) for neuroblastoma cell culturing. It also explains the implementation of a multi-photon microscope (MPM) customized for neuroblastoma cell excitation and imaging under ambient light. Electrical signal and fluorescence images were simultaneously acquired from the neuroblastoma cells on the MEA. MPM calcium images of the cultured neuroblastoma cell on the MEA are presented and also the neural activity was acquired through the MEA recording. A calcium green-1 (CG-1) dextran conjugate of 10,000 D molecular weight was used in this experiment for calcium imaging. This study also evaluated the calcium oscillations and neural spike recording of neuroblastoma cells in an epileptic condition. Based on our observation of neural spikes in neuroblastoma cells with our proposed imaging modality, we report that neuroblastoma cells can be an important model for epileptic activity studies.
Background Free‐Tropospheric Ice Nucleating Particle Concentrations at Mixed‐Phase Cloud Conditions

Clouds containing ice are vital for precipitation formation and are important in determining the Earth's radiative budget. However, primary formation of ice in clouds is not fully understood. In the presence of ice nucleating particles (INPs), the phase change to ice is promoted, but identification and quantification of INPs in a natural environment remains challenging because of their low numbers. In this paper, we quantify INP number concentrations in the free troposphere (FT) as measured at the High Altitude Research Station Jungfraujoch (JFJ), during the winter, spring, and summer of the years 2014–2017. INPs were measured at conditions relevant for mixed‐phase cloud formation at T = 241/242 K. To date, this is the longest timeline of semiregular measurements akin to online INP monitoring at this site and sampling conditions. We find that INP concentrations in the background FT are on average capped at 10/stdL (liter of air at standard conditions [T = 273 K and p = 1013 hPa]) with an interquartile range of 0.4–9.6/stdL, as compared to measurements during times when other air mass origins (e.g., Sahara or marine boundary layer) prevailed. Elevated concentrations were measured in the field campaigns of 2016, which might be due to enhanced influence from Saharan dust and marine boundary layer air arriving at the JFJ. The upper limit of INP concentrations in the background FT is supported by measurements performed at similar conditions, but at different locations in the FT, where we find INP concentrations to be below 13/stdL most of the time.
Assessing the Performance of a Cold Region Evapotranspiration Landfill Cover Using Lysimetry and Electrical Resistivity Tomography

In order to test the efficacy of a cold-region evapotranspiration (ET) landfill cover against a conventional compacted clay (CCL) landfill cover, two pilot scale covers were constructed in side-by-side basin lysimeters () at a site in Anchorage, Alaska. The primary basis of comparison between the two lysimeters was the percolation of moisture from the bottom of each lysimeter. Between 30 April 2005 and 16 May 2006, 51.5 mm of water percolated from the ET lysimeter, compared to 50.6 mm for the the CCL lysimeter. This difference was not found to be significant at the 95% confidence level. As part of the project, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) was utilized to measure and map soil moisture in ET lysimeter cross sections. The ERT-generated cross sections were found to accurately predict the onset and duration of lysimeter percolation. Moreover, ERT-generated soil moisture values demonstrated a strong linear relationship to lysimeter percolation rates (R–Squared = 0.92). Consequently, ERT is proposed as a reliable tool for assessing the function of field scale ET covers in the absence of drainage measurement devices.
Comment on ‘Treatment of Colorectal Cancer with and without Bevacizumab: A Phase III Study’

the study mentioned above was also presented as an abstract at the meeting. But instead of IFL, the abstract mentioned FOLFIRI [irinotecan, prolonged venous infusion 5-FU (pvi-5-FU), and leucovorin] and FOLFOX (oxaliplatin, pvi-5-FU, and leucovorin) as the regimen(s) used [3] . How could there be such an important difference in two reports about the same study? This finding moved us to go through the original article with greater scrutiny which led to the discovery of more troubling issues about the study. The article states that patients were randomized to chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab from September 2004. Yet, bevacizumab was first approved for use in Europe in January 2005 [4] . So how could the Greek group have used this drug in 2004? The article was first received by Oncology in January 2010, which is 64 months after the initiation of the study (September 2004). Yet, the Kaplan-Meier survival curve reported in the article shows observations for patients for as long as 72 months. This maximum follow-up of 72 months is repeated in the text. So, even if the authors had censored the survival data and done the statistical analysis on the same day they sent the article to Oncology they still report follow-up data for 8 months longer than the study actually ran. And they also have events (deaths) after the 64-month period. How can this survival Dear Editor, In September 2010, we were excited to see that results from a new phase III trial about first-line treatment with bevacizumab, irinotecan, and bolus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)/leucovorin (IFL) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) had been published, namely ‘Treatment of Colorectal Cancer with and without Bevacizumab: A Phase III Study’ by Stathopoulos et al. [1] . This study would potentially be the first to validate the findings from the seminal study by Hurwitz et al. [2] reported in 2004. Briefly, the article reported on 222 patients with stage IV CRC prospectively studied in a single Greek institution and randomized from September 2004 to IFL alone or IFL combined with bevacizumab as first-line treatment. Overall survival (OS) was the primary end point, and the result of the trial was that there was no difference in OS between the groups. Being both clinicians treating patients with CRC and researchers dealing with bevacizumab in CRC, this article was a must-read for us. At first glance, we were puzzled by the low number of study patients and the very low doses of chemotherapy used (irinotecan 125 mg/m 2 and bolus 5-FU 500 mg/m 2 once every 3 weeks), but we focused on the negative results (no difference in OS) and did not go through the article meticulously. Then at the Annual Meeting of the European Society of Medical Oncology in Milan in October of 2010, we noticed that Received: March 2, 2011 Accepted: March 4, 2011 Published online: June 15, 2011
Tsunami Wave Height Estimation from GPS‐Derived Ionospheric Data

Large underwater earthquakes (Mw>7) can transmit part of their energy to the surrounding ocean through large seafloor motions, generating tsunamis that propagate over long distances. The forcing effect of tsunami waves on the atmosphere generates internal gravity waves that, when they reach the upper atmosphere, produce ionospheric perturbations. These perturbations are frequently observed in the total electron content (TEC) measured by multifrequency Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) such as GPS, GLONASS, and, in the future, Galileo. This paper describes the first inversion of the variation in sea level derived from GPS TEC data. We used a least squares inversion through a normal‐mode summation modeling. This technique was applied to three tsunamis in far field associated to the 2012 Haida Gwaii, 2006 Kuril Islands, and 2011 Tohoku events and for Tohoku also in close field. With the exception of the Tohoku far‐field case, for which the tsunami reconstruction by the TEC inversion is less efficient due to the ionospheric noise background associated to geomagnetic storm, which occurred on the earthquake day, we show that the peak‐to‐peak amplitude of the sea level variation inverted by this method can be compared to the tsunami wave height measured by a DART buoy with an error of less than 20%. This demonstrates that the inversion of TEC data with a tsunami normal‐mode summation approach is able to estimate quite accurately the amplitude and waveform of the first tsunami arrival.
Differential Effect of Precursor Ribose Binding Protein of Escherichia coli and Its Signal Peptide on the SecA Penetration of Lipid Bilayer (*)

Digestion of vesicle-bound SecA by trypsin entrapped within the vesicles showed that refolding precursor ribose-binding protein (pRBP) of Escherichia coli retards the lipid bilayer penetration by SecA while the signal peptide enhances it. This discrepancy was found to be due to reduced SecA binding to the vesicles in the presence of the pRBP while the signal peptide induced a tight binding. Studies on the binding of 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonate (ANS) to SecA indicated that SecA assumes more closed conformation upon interaction with pRBP and signal peptide induces more open structure of SecA. Kinetic studies of ANS binding to SecA upon dilution of unfolded pRBP with SecA solution showed an initial fast ANS binding, which was followed by a slow release of ANS. This suggests that first the signal peptide portion of the pRBP binds with the SecA making its structure more open and then the subsequent binding of the mature domain makes the SecA structure more compact. The pRBP enhanced the digestion of SecA added to the E. coli inverted vesicles, suggesting an inhibition of SecA penetration while the signal peptide had an opposite effect, agreeing with the results from the model systems above. When the pRBP and ATP were present together, however, the penetration of SecA increased dramatically underlining the importance of the SecY/E complex for the membrane insertion of SecA.
Internal Waves in the Arctic: Influence of Ice Concentration, Ice Roughness, and Surface Layer Stratification

The Arctic ice cover influences the generation, propagation, and dissipation of internal waves, which in turn may affect vertical mixing in the ocean interior. The Arctic internal wavefield and its relationship to the ice cover is investigated using observations from Ice-Tethered Profilers with Velocity and Seaglider sampling during the 2014 Marginal Ice Zone experiment in the Canada Basin. Ice roughness, ice concentration, and wind forcing all influenced the daily to seasonal changes in the internal wavefield. Three different ice concentration thresholds appeared to determine the evolution of internal wave spectral energy levels: (1) the initial decrease from 100% ice concentration after which dissipation during the surface reflection was inferred to increase, (2) the transition to 70–80% ice concentration when the local generation of internal waves increased, and (3) the transition to open water that was associated with larger-amplitude internal waves. Ice roughness influenced internal wave properties for ice concentrations greater than approximately 70–80%: smoother ice was associated with reduced local internal wave generation. Richardson numbers were rarely supercritical, consistent with weak vertical mixing under all ice concentrations. On decadal timescales, smoother ice may counteract the effects of lower ice concentration on the internal wavefield complicating future predictions of internal wave activity and vertical mixing. Plain Language Summary This study addresses how seasonal changes in the Arctic Ocean’s floating sea ice influence the ocean’s small-scale, high-frequency currents. These motions can influence the distribution of heat and other water properties in the Arctic Ocean but are not resolved in numerical models and so need to be parameterized. Observations from the 2014 Marginal Ice Zone experiment are used to collectively analyze over 8,500 profiles of temperature and salinity, and over 5,000 profiles of velocity in the upper 250 m of the Arctic Ocean’s Canada Basin. These observations began in March beneath a contiguous ice sheet; by fall the measurement domain included regions of low ice concentration as well as open water. The ocean’s high-frequency currents changed abruptly in response to changes in the ice cover, with the lowest energy observed beneath a fractured ice cover and the largest energy in open water. The under-ice topography also influenced the ocean’s high-frequency currents, with smoother topography corresponding to weaker ocean currents. The primary implication is that contrasts between smoother versus rougher under-ice topography and a fractured versus continuous ice cover are critical for understanding the interactions between the ocean and sea ice, now and in the future.
Television Viewing at Mealtime Reduces Caloric Compensation in Peripubertal, But Not Postpubertal, Girls

The effect of television viewing (TVV) and pubertal status of 9- to 14-y-old girls on mealtime food intake (FI) after a premeal glucose drink was determined. On four separate mornings, girls randomly received equally sweetened drinks containing Sucralose (control) or glucose (1.0 g/kg body weight) in 250 mL of water 2 h after a standardized breakfast. FI from an ad libitum pizza meal was measured 30 min later with or without TVV. Appetite was measured at 15 min intervals to lunch and postmeal. TVV at mealtime had no effect on FI, however, glucose suppressed FI more with no TVV compared with TVV (24 versus 10%, p < 0.001), primarily because of its effect in peripubertal girls (p < 0.028). In postpubertal girls (n = 8), glucose reduced FI by ∼27% in both the no TVV and TVV conditions, but in peripubertal girls (n = 17), reduction in FI was 22% without TVV and only 1% while TVV. Appetite correlated with FI at 30 min only in postpubertal girls. TVV at mealtime reduced caloric compensation after consumption of the glucose drink in peripubertal, but not postpubertal, girls, with no effect on mealtime FI. (Clinical trial number NCT01025687.)