Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Automated Strategy for Unbiased Morphometric Analyses and Classifications of Growth Cones In Vitro

During neural circuit development, attractive or repulsive guidance cue molecules direct growth cones (GCs) to their targets by eliciting cytoskeletal remodeling, which is reflected in their morphology. The experimental power of in vitro neuronal cultures to assay this process and its molecular mechanisms is well established, however, a method to rapidly find and quantify multiple morphological aspects of GCs is lacking. To this end, we have developed a free, easy to use, and fully automated Fiji macro, Conographer, which accurately identifies and measures many morphological parameters of GCs in 2D explant culture images. These measurements are then subjected to principle component analysis and k-means clustering to mathematically classify the GCs as “collapsed” or “extended”. The morphological parameters measured for each GC are found to be significantly different between collapsed and extended GCs, and are sufficient to classify GCs as such with the same level of accuracy as human observers. Application of a known collapse-inducing ligand results in significant changes in all parameters, resulting in an increase in ‘collapsed’ GCs determined by k-means clustering, as expected. Our strategy provides a powerful tool for exploring the relationship between GC morphology and guidance cue signaling, which in particular will greatly facilitate high-throughput studies of the effects of drugs, gene silencing or overexpression, or any other experimental manipulation in the context of an in vitro axon guidance assay.
An online survey to study the relationship between patients’ health literacy and coping style and their preferences for self-management-related information

Objective To evaluate patients’ preferences for message features and assess their relationships with health literacy, monitor–blunter coping style, and other patient-dependent characteristics. Methods Patients with coronary heart disease completed an internet-based survey, which assessed health literacy and monitor–blunter coping style, as well as various other patient characteristics such as sociodemographics, disease history, and explicit information preferences. To assess preferences for message features, nine text sets differing in one of nine message features were composed, and participants were asked to state their preferences. Results The survey was completed by 213 patients. For three of the nine text sets, a relationship was found between patient preference and health literacy or monitor–blunter coping style. Patients with low health literacy preferred the text based on patient experience. Patients with a monitoring coping style preferred information on short-term effects of their treatment and mentioning of explicit risks. Various other patient characteristics such as marital status, social support, disease history, and age also showed a strong association. Conclusion Individual differences exist in patients’ preferences for message features, and these preferences relate to patient characteristics such as health literacy and monitor–blunter coping style.
Automatic Segmentation of the Ventricular System from MR Images of the Human Brain

An algorithm was developed that automatically segments the lateral and third ventricles from T1-weighted 3-D-FFE MR images of the human brain. The algorithm is based upon region-growing and mathematical morphology operators and starts from a coarse binary total brain segmentation, which is obtained from the 3-D-FFE image. Anatomical knowledge of the ventricular system has been incorporated into the method in order to find all constituting parts of the system, even if they are disconnected, and to avoid inclusion of nonventricle cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) regions. A test of the method on a synthetic MR brain image produced a segmentation overlap of 0.98 between the simulated ventricles ("model") and those defined by the algorithm. Further tests were performed on a large data set of 227 1.5 T MR brain images. The algorithm yielded useful results for 98% of the images. The automatic segmentations had intra-class correlation coefficients of 0.996 for the lateral ventricles and 0.86 for the third ventricle, with manually edited segmentations. Comparison of ventricular volumes of schizophrenia patients compared with those of healthy control subjects showed results in agreement with the literature.
The Year in Cardiology 2015: Prevention

Improved prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is of critical importance, as coronary heart disease (CHD) still represents the most common cause of death worldwide, engendering inestimable socioeconomic cost. The year 2015 has witnessed dramatic progress in CVD prevention on several fronts. Notably, this includes (i) event reduction in high-risk patients in general practice following introduction of a comprehensive strategy to attenuate modifiable risk factors, including lifestyle and dietary habits; (ii) the study of hybrid imaging to detect subclinical atherosclerosis, with potential improvement in risk prediction/management; (iii) the clinical demonstration, that culprit plaque rupture was observed in only 50–77% of patients with acute coronary syndromes; (iv) the emergence of ‘omics’ technologies to identify new causal biofactors; (v) the validation in clinical trials of the efficacy of monoclonal antibodies targeted to proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) in markedly reducing levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) across a spectrum of patients at high risk of premature CVD, with preliminary findings strongly suggestive of reduction in cardiovascular events; (vi) significant reduction of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in diabetic patients in the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial with the anti-hyperglycaemic agent, empagliflozin, a selective sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLAT-2) inhibitor; (vii) new pharmacotherapeutic strategies for superior control of hypertension emanating from the PATHWAY-2 and PATHWAY-3 clinical trials involving spironoloactone add-on therapy in resistant hypertension, and amiloride plus hydrochlorothiazide in hypertensive patients requiring a diuretic, respectively; and finally (viii) a reduced mortality associated with a lower blood pressure target of 120 mmHg in patients at high cardiovascular risk in the SPRINT trial. Considered together, such progress augurs well for the future control of dyslipidaemia, hyperglycaemia, and hypertension, and with it, progressive reduction in atherosclerotic vascular disease and associated cardiovascular events in high-risk patients.
Evolving aggregation behaviors for swarm robotic systems: a systematic case study

When one attempts to use artificial evolution to develop behaviors for a swarm robotic system, he is faced with decisions to be made regarding the parameters of the evolution. In this paper, aggregation behavior is chosen as a case, where performance and scalability of aggregation behaviors of perceptron controllers that are evolved for a simulated swarm robotic system are systematically studied with different parameter settings. Four experiments are conducted varying some of the parameters, and rules of thumb are derived, which can be of guidance to the use of evolutionary methods to generate other swarm robotic behaviors.
West Nile Virus Infection in a Green-Winged Macaw (Ara chloropterus)

Abstract A 29-year-old female green-winged macaw (Ara chloropterus) was presented for acute pelvic limb lameness. On physical examination the bird was found to be mildly dehydrated with paraparesis and proprioceptive deficits of the pelvic limbs. Antemortem diagnostics included a complete blood count and plasma biochemistry panel, fecal Gram and Ziehl-Neelsen acid fast stains, plasma heavy metal concentrations, reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR testing for West Nile virus (WNV) RNA and PCR testing for Chlamydophila psittaci DNA from choanal/cloacal swabs, and survey radiography. Abnormal findings included a heterophilic leukocytosis, elevated kidney and muscle enzyme values, and a positive RT-PCR result for West Nile viral RNA. Although the bird showed some improvement with supportive care, on the fourth day it began having seizures and was euthanatized. There were no abnormal findings detected on gross necropsy; however, histopathology revealed mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltration in multiple organs including brain, heart, and pancreas. WNV antigen and RNA were detected using immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR in various tissues including brain, pancreas, and spleen. WNV was successfully isolated from brain, pancreas, spleen, and liver. To our knowledge, this is the first report characterizing WNV disease in a green-winged macaw and one of few reports of this disease in a psittacine bird.
Discourse Deixis: Reference to Discourse Segments

Computational approaches to discourse understanding have a two-part goal: (1) to identify those aspects of discourse understanding that require process-based accounts, and (2) to characterize the processes and data structures they involve. To date, in the area of reference, process-based accounts have been developed for subsequent reference via anaphoric pronouns and reference via definite descriptors. In this paper, I propose and argue for a process-based account of subsequent reference via deictic expressions. A significant feature of this account is that it attributes distinct mental reality to units of text often called discourse segments, a reality that is distinct from that of the entities described therein.
Intramuscular ketamine in acute depression: A report on two cases

It takes about 2 weeks for the onset of antidepressant action of drugs while electroconvulsive therapy though faster, is a cumbersome procedure requiring an anaesthetist and at least a minor operation theatre. Recent studies have shown that Ketamine, when given to severely depressed patients in the dose of 0.5 mg/kg as a slow intravenous infusion over 40 minutes, brought about acute relief from depression and amelioration of suicidal risk within a few hours. The improvement, however, was transient and lasted for up to a week but could be sustained by further weekly or biweekly injections. As the dose of ketamine administered was found to be safe, it was now tried in the intramuscular route in two severely depressed patients with similar rapid improvement. The cases are reported here which pave way for an easier mode of treating acute depression.
An Exploration of the Paradigm for the 2-3 Hour Period Gap in Cataclysmic Variables

We critically examine the basic paradigm for the origin of the 2-3 hr period gap in cataclysmic variables (CVs), i.e., binary systems in which a white dwarf accretes from a relatively unevolved, low-mass donor star. The observed orbital period distribution for ~300 CVs shows that these systems typically have orbital periods, Porb, in the range of ~80 minutes to ~8 hr but a distinct dearth of systems with 2 ≲ Porb(hr) ≲ 3. This latter feature of the period distribution is often referred to as the "period gap. " The conventional explanation for the period gap involves a thermal bloating of the donor star for Porb ≳ 3 hr due to mass transfer rates that are enhanced over those that could be driven by gravitational radiation (GR) losses alone (e.g., magnetic braking). If for some reason the supplemental angular momentum losses become substantially reduced when Porb decreases below ~3 hr, the donor star will relax thermally and shrink inside of its Roche lobe. This leads to a cessation of mass transfer until GR losses can bring the system into Roche lobe contact again at Porb ~ 2 hr. We carry out an extensive population synthesis study of CVs, starting from ~3 × 106 primordial binaries and evolving some ~2 × 104 surviving systems through their CV phase. In particular we study current-epoch distributions of CVs in the Porb, R2-Porb, M2-Porb, q-Porb, Teff-Porb, and L2-Porb planes, where is the mass transfer rate, q is the mass ratio M2/M1, and M2, R2, Teff, and L2 are the donor star mass, radius, effective temperature, and luminosity, respectively. This work presents a new perspective on theoretical studies of the long-term evolution of CVs. In particular, we show that if the current paradigm is correct, the secondary masses in CVs just above the period gap should be as much as ~50% lower than would be inferred if one assumes a main-sequence radius-mass relation for the donor star. We quantify the M2-Porb relations expected from models wherein the donor stars are thermally bloated. Finally, we propose specific observations, involving the determination of secondary masses in CVs, that would allow for a definitive test of the currently accepted model (i.e., interrupted thermal bloating) for the period gap in CVs.
Medical Home Disparities Are Not Created Equal: Differences in the Medical Home for Children from Different Vulnerable Groups

Objective. To identify components of the medical home that contribute to medical home disparities for vulnerable children. Methods. Cross-sectional analysis of 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health. Prevalence of components of the medical home were estimated by special health care needs (SHCN), race/ethnicity, primary language, and health insurance. Results. Medical home disparities for children with SHCN were driven by differences in getting help with care coordination, when needed (71% vs. 91% children without SHCN, p<.001). Medical home disparities for other groups were largely attributable to less family-centered care (Hispanic 49% and African American 55% vs. White 77%, p<.001; non-English primary language 37% vs. English 72%, p<.001; uninsured 45% and publicly insured 57% vs. privately insured 75%, p<.001). Conclusions. The components of the medical home that contribute to medical home disparities differ between groups of vulnerable children. Medical home implementation may benefit from focusing on the specific needs of target populations.
Golden Berry Juice Attenuates the Severity of Hepatorenal Injury

ABSTRACT The aim of the present work is to investigate the potential of Physalis peruviana fruits as a hepatorenal protective agent against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatic and renal fibrosis. The phytochemical screening test revealed the presence of alkaloids, free withanolides, glycowithanolides, and flavonoids. Acute toxicity study (500, 1000, and 1500 mg/kg body weight) revealed extract safety. The biological evaluation was conducted on different animal groups: control, control treated with fruit, CCl4 group, CCl4 treated with fruit, and CCl4 treated with silymarin drug. The evaluation was done through measuring oxidative stress markers: malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and nitric oxide (NO). Liver function indices such as aspartate and alanine aminotransferases (AST & ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), bilirubin, and total protein were estimated. Kidney disorder biomarkers such as creatinine, urea, and serum protein were also evaluated. Treatment improved all the investigated parameters, and the histopathological analysis confirmed our results. In conclusion, Physalis peruviana fruit succeeded to protect liver and kidney against fibrosis. Further studies are needed to identify the molecules responsible for its pharmacological application.
A MEGACAM SURVEY OF OUTER HALO SATELLITES. VI. THE SPATIALLY RESOLVED STAR-FORMATION HISTORY OF THE CARINA DWARF SPHEROIDAL GALAXY

We present the spatially resolved star-formation history (SFH) of the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy, obtained from deep, wide-field g and r imaging and a metallicity distribution from the literature. Our photometry covers ∼2 deg2, reaching up to ∼10 times the half-light radius of Carina with a completeness higher than 50% at g ∼ 24.5, more than one magnitude fainter than the oldest turnoff. This is the first time a combination of depth and coverage of this quality has been used to derive the SFH of Carina, enabling us to trace its different populations with unprecedented accuracy. We find that Carina’s SFH consists of two episodes well separated by a star-formation temporal gap. These episodes occurred at old ( Gyr) and intermediate (2–8 Gyr) ages. Our measurements show that the old episode comprises the majority of the population, accounting for 54 ± 5% of the stellar mass within 1.3 times the King tidal radius, while the total stellar mass derived for Carina is , and the stellar mass-to-light ratio is 1.8 ± 0.2. The SFH derived is consistent with no recent star formation, which hints that the observed blue plume is due to blue stragglers. We conclude that the SFH of Carina evolved independently of the tidal field of the Milky Way, since the frequency and duration of its star-formation events do not correlate with its orbital parameters. This result is supported by the age–metallicity relation observed in Carina and the gradients calculated indicating that outer regions are older and more metal-poor.
Carotid Atherosclerosis, Endothelial Disfunction, and Arterial Stiffness in Young and Middle-Aged Men with Coronary Artery Disease

Background. To assess structural and functional status of the arteries in young and middle-aged men with recently developed CAD. Methods and Results. A total of 78 men aged 28 to 50 years underwent carotid ultrasound, endothelial function, and arterial stiffness measurements. Angiographically proven CAD was present in 49 patients. Carotid plaques were present in 45 (91.8%) patients with CAD and in 8 (27.6%) men without CAD (P < 0.001). Patients with CAD more often had multiple plaques (86.7% versus 13.8%, P < 0.001). The prevalence of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) ≥0.9 mm and of abnormal brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) was not differing in both groups. The mean aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) was 6.8 ± 1.3 m/s for patients with CAD and 5.8 ± 0.9 m/s for subjects without CAD (P < 0.001). Aortic PWV above the 75th percentile of the “normal” samples was found in 26 (53.1%) patients with CAD and in 7 (24.1%) subjects without CAD (P = 0.02). Aortic PWV was related to the severity of CAD. Conclusions. Carotid plaques and increased aortic PWV may be more powerful predictors of the occurrence of CAD in young and middle-aged men, than the presence of increased carotid IMT and abnormal brachial artery FMD.
Blood pressure variability as an adverse prognostic risk factor in end-stage renal disease.

BACKGROUND Prospective and case-control studies show that blood-pressure variability is an independent risk factor for severe organ damage and cardiovascular events in hypertensives. We prospectively studied the association between systolic blood pressure variability and cardiovascular mortality and mortality from all causes in end-stage renal disease patients. METHODS AND RESULTS The subjects were 144 patients (86 men, 58 women; mean age+/-SD, 52+/-13 years) who underwent dialysis in the same dialysis centre and were examined for blood-pressure variability. The study period was 38 months beginning in January 1995, during which six cardiovascular and seven noncardiovascular fatalities occurred. Coefficient of variation in systolic blood pressure in 1994, as an indicator of systolic blood pressure variability, ranged from 7.8 to 14.6%. Cumulative incidence of death from all causes was related to coefficient of variation in systolic blood pressure. The difference between the maximum and minimum systolic blood pressure (deltaSBP) in 1994 ranged from 44 to 146 mmHg (mean+/-SD, 78+/-13 mmHg) and correlated significantly with coefficient of variation in systolic blood pressure (r = 0.65, P<0.0001). Cox regression analysis was used to identify the independent predictors for mortality. The hazard ratio for death from all causes increased 1.63 times per 1% increase in coefficient of variation in systolic blood pressure (hazard ratio; 95% confidence interval: 1.63; 1.05-2.53) and 1.03 times per 1 mmHg increase in deltaSBP (1.08; 1.03-1.14). CONCLUSION These results suggest that systolic blood pressure variability may be a significant prognostic factor in end-stage renal disease.
Credibility of Interest Rate Policies in Eight EMS Countries: An Application of the Markov Regime-Switching of a Bivariate Autoregressive Model

This paper uses the Markov regime-switching modelling in a bivariate Autoregressive framework to study the credibility of monetary policy in eight member countries of the European Monetary System (EMS) during the period 1979 to 1998. The eight countries are: Austria, Belgium, France, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain; a tenth country, Germany, is used as a benchmark case. The output-gap variability and the inflation variability variables are incorporated in the determination of the preferences of individual member countries of the EMS in the conduct of monetary policy. Our empirical evidence shows that although all countries in our sample follow a credible monetary policy in relation to price stability, not all of them have the same preferences regarding the trade-off between stabilisation of output-gap variability and inflation variability.
Communication of Intent in Assistive Free Flyers

Assistive free-flyers (AFFs) are an emerging robotic platform with unparalleled flight capabilities that appear uniquely suited to exploration, surveillance, inspection, and telepresence tasks. However, unconstrained aerial movements may make it difficult for colocated operators, collaborators, and observers to understand AFF intentions, potentially leading to difficulties understanding whether operator instructions are being executed properly or to safety concerns if future AFF motions are unknown or difficult to predict. To increase AFF usability when working in close proximity to users, we explore the design of natural and intuitive flight motions that may improve AFF abilities to communicate intent while simultaneously accomplishing task goals. We propose a formalism for representing AFF flight paths as a series of motion primitives and present two studies examining the effects of modifying the trajectories and velocities of these flight primitives based on natural motion principles. Our first study found that modified flight motions might allow AFFs to more effectively communicate intent and, in our second study, participants preferred interacting with an AFF that used a manipulated flight path, rated modified flight motions as more natural, and felt safer around an AFF with modified motion. Our proposed formalism and findings highlight the importance of robot motion in achieving effective human-robot interactions. Categories and Subject Descriptors H.1. 2 [Models and Principles]: User/Machine Systems— human factors, software psychology; H.5. 2 [Information Interfaces and Presentation]: User Interfaces— evaluation/ methodology, user-centered design General Terms Design, Human Factors
ON THE DIFFERENT ROLES OF VOWELS AND CONSONANTS IN SPEECH PROCESSING AND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Within the tradition of generative grammar, the notion of result in phonology has as minimal requirement the account of all and only the existing patterns that concern the phenomenon under investigation. A description represents a further advancement if the representation developed to account for a phenomenon can account also for other, previously unrelated, phenomena. One such step forward in the last 30 years consists in the enrichment of the levels of representation with different au-