Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serotonergic recovery after (+/-)3,4-(methylenedioxy) methamphetamine injury: observations in rats.

(+/-)-3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a recreational drug of abuse which damages serotonin (5-HT) neurons in animals. In monkeys, the damage appears to be permanent. By contrast, in rats there is indication that neuronal recovery takes place, although there is question as to whether the recovery is sustained. The purpose of the present study was to examine the fate of 5-HT neurons in MDMA-treated rats, and to compare findings in the rat with those in the monkey. Rats were treated with MDMA (10 mg/kg i.p.) every 2 hr for a total dose of 40 mg/kg. Two, 8, 16, 32 and 52 weeks later, groups (n = 8) of MDMA-treated rats, along with age-matched controls (n = 8), were analyzed for regional brain 5-HT, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and [3H]paroxetine-labeled 5-HT uptake sites. Two weeks after MDMA, 5-HT neuronal markers were reduced markedly. Reductions ranged from 42 to 82% depending on brain region. By 16 weeks, there was evidence of recovery in some brain regions (e.g., hypothalamus and striatum) and by 32 weeks, recovery was nearly complete in most brain regions examined. One year after MDMA, recovery was still evidence in all brain regions evaluated, although closer inspection of the group data revealed that whereas most MDMA-treated rats recovered, some did not. These few animals had severe and enduring serotonergic deficits in multiple brain regions. Morphologic immunocytochemical studies yielded results which corroborated the neurochemical findings. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Prognostic value of obstetric Doppler ultrasound in fetuses with fetal growth restriction: an observational study in a tertiary care hospital

Abstract Objective: To determine the prognostic value of umbilical artery Doppler (UAD) with fetal growth restriction (FGR) and their perinatal outcomes. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of fetuses with growth ≤ 5th centile from 2001 to 2012. Pregnancy outcomes were compared according to UAD findings for 253 cases. Doppler findings were categorized as; Normal End Diastolic Flow (NEDF), Reduced End Diastolic Flow (REDF) and Absent/Reverse End Diastolic Flow (AREDF). Mean and proportion were calculated and odds of perinatal complications were compared by using logistic regression for REDF and AREDF with NEDF at 5% level of significance. Results: The perinatal morality rate was 3.2%. Neonates with abnormal Doppler were at increased risk of cesarean delivery, low birth weights and low Apgar scores. Among the perinatal morbidity, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission was 4.2 and 15.3 times in neonates with REDF and AREDF and similarly the perinatal mortality of AREDF was 12.5 times higher as compared to NEDF. Other morbidities were also much higher in abnormal Doppler groups. Conclusion: There is a prognostic value of UAD in predicting the outcomes for FGR fetuses and therefore recommend its use in the conservative management of such pregnancies to reduce perinatal mortality and morbidity.
Stimulus-Locked Lateralized Readiness Potential and Performance: Useful Markers for Differentiating between Amnestic Subtypes of Mild Cognitive Impairment.

BACKGROUND The findings of previous studies, in which event-related potentials (ERPs) related to stimulus evaluation were measured, do not fully explain the behavioral decline observed in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI; prodromal stage of Alzheimer's Disease). OBJECTIVES Motor ERPs were evaluated in this study with the aim of discovering complementary explanations and identifying aMCI biomarkers. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. PARTICIPANTS Nineteen healthy control (52-81 years old), 21 single-domain aMCI (sdaMCI; 51-87 years old) and 12 multi-domain aMCI (mdaMCI, 62-85 years old) adults. MEASUREMENTS Reaction times (RTs), percentage of hits, and stimulus-locked and response-locked lateralized readiness potentials (sLRP and rLRP, indexes of response selection and preparation) were evaluated. RESULTS mdaMCI participants showed longer RTs than control adults and less hits than control and sdaMCI participants. In addition, the mdaMCI group showed lower sLRP amplitudes than the control participants, and the sdaMCI group showed longer sLRP peak latencies. CONCLUSIONS Control and sdaMCI groups did not differ in relation to RTs or hits, although sLRP peak latencies (sensitivity and specificity >.73) were longer in the sdaMCI group, which may be a sign of compensatory mechanisms or early indication of a decline in motor control. RTs were longer and sLRP amplitudes were smaller in the mdaMCI than in the Control group, and mdaMCI scored fewer hits than control and sdaMCI participants, indicating behavioral and neurocognitive deficits. The combination of hits and RTs discriminated mdaMCI from control adults (sensitivity and specificity >.82); and the combination of sLRP peak latency and hits discriminated mdaMCI from sdaMCI adults (sensitivity=1.00, specificity=.88).
Biologically Inspired Radio Signal Feature Extraction with Sparse Denoising Autoencoders

Automatic modulation classification (AMC) is an important task for modern communication systems; however, it is a challenging problem when signal features and precise models for generating each modulation may be unknown. We present a new biologically-inspired AMC method without the need for models or manually specified features --- thus removing the requirement for expert prior knowledge. We accomplish this task using regularized stacked sparse denoising autoencoders (SSDAs). Our method selects efficient classification features directly from raw in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) radio signals in an unsupervised manner. These features are then used to construct higher-complexity abstract features which can be used for automatic modulation classification. We demonstrate this process using a dataset generated with a software defined radio, consisting of random input bits encoded in 100-sample segments of various common digital radio modulations. Our results show correct classification rates of > 99% at 7.5 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and > 92% at 0 dB SNR in a 6-way classification test. Our experiments demonstrate a dramatically new and broadly applicable mechanism for performing AMC and related tasks without the need for expert-defined or modulation-specific signal information.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, EMOTION! AN EXAMINATION ON FILM LIGHTING AND ITS IMPACT ON AUDIENCES’ EMOTIONAL RESPONSE

The current study examined the impact of three film lighting styles on participants’ emotional responses. The light styles High Key, Low Key, and Available Light – were selected based on Film theory. Thus, this study combines Media Effects and Film literature to empirically study the impact of structural elements of film on media audiences. An experiment was conducted manipulating three levels of lighting. The According to film theory, a film presented in high key will cause audiences to feel higher levels of uplifting emotions such as happiness, joy, or humor, a film in low key will cause more feelings of suspense, mystery, and intrigue, and a film presented in available light will illicit feelings of realness or grittiness. A total of 162 participants viewed the film, 54 people watched each stimulus piece. Significant relationship between different lighting styles and the emotional response of viewers was found. Participants who viewed the film in Low-Key lighting reported significantly more feelings of mystery, suspense, malice, intrigue, and other
The Validity of Sleeping Hours of Healthy Young Children as Reported by Their Parents

The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of sleeping hours of young children as reported by their parents. The subjects were 21 healthy children aged 3 to 4 years. They were asked to attach a small instrument for calculating sleeping hours objectively, over 3 consecutive nights. Parents reported the sleeping hours of their children during the study periods. The mean values were used in the analysis. Pearson’s correlation coefficients and paired t-tests were used to evaluate the correlations and differences between the reported and objectively measured sleeping hours. The correlation coefficient and difference between the reported and assumed (objective sleeping hours representing the difference between times for falling asleep and waking) sleeping hours were 0.90 (p<0.001) and 0.79 hours (95% confidence interval: 0.59-0.99), respectively. The correlation coefficient and difference between the reported and actual (the assumed, sleeping hours minus the sum of epochs being scored as awake during the assumed sleep) sleeping hours were 0.90 (p<0.001) and 0.92 hours (0.73-1.10), respectively. Although parents tended to overestimate the sleeping hours of their children, the correlation between the reported and objective sleeping hours is high, which indicates that reported sleeping hours could be used in a survey that requires data on relative differences in sleeping hours amongst a given population.
A prospective study of laboratory and clinical measures of postural stability to predict community-dwelling fallers.

BACKGROUND The identification of specific risk factors for falls in community-dwelling elderly persons is required to detect early changes and permit a preventative approach to management. This study determines the ability of various laboratory measures and clinical tests of postural stability to prospectively predict fallers in community-dwelling elderly women. METHODS One hundred elderly women (65-86 years, mean age 73 +/- 5 years) performed a reaction-time step task, a limits of stability, and a quiet stance balance task. Postural muscle timing and movement speed were recorded during the step task. Center of pressure (COP) motion was recorded in quiet stance and at the limits of stability. Four common clinical balance tests were performed, and balance confidence, medical and activity history questionnaires were completed. Subjects were followed up regularly for a 6-month period following testing to determine the frequency and characteristics of any falls that occurred. Predictive capabilities of the balance measures to determine fallers were determined through logistic regression models. RESULTS The clinical balance tests investigated were not able to predict fallers in this community-dwelling elderly population. A combination of variables from the laboratory tasks provided the best overall prediction rate (77%) of fallers (sensitivity 51%) and nonfallers (specificity 91%) from laboratory measures. Of these, step movement time and gluteus medius onset times were the factors best able to predict fallers. Alone, measures of COP motion in quiet stance and at the limits of stability had a poor ability to predict fallers, although they could correctly identify most nonfallers. Prediction was not significantly improved when clinical balance test results were added to the most predictive laboratory measures. CONCLUSIONS Not all older adults with a reduction in balance ability reported a fall over a 6-month period. Of those who did, a combination of measures reflective of different aspects of mediolateral postural stability during a rapid step task, quiet stance, and movement to the limits of stability were best able to predict faller status, with nonfallers better predicted than fallers. These results emphasize the importance of the multifactorial nature of falls in the community-dwelling elderly population in that the clinical and laboratory measures did not predict a high proportion of fallers.
Temporary Response of Localized Intracranial Mast Cell Sarcoma to Combination Chemotherapy

Cerebral involvement of systemic mastocytosis and intracranial sarcoma of myelogenic origin are well known entities. An 8-year-old girl with an isolated cerebral mast cell tumor is presented. Specific histopathologic stains were used to confirm the diagnosis detecting immunophenotype and proliferative activity. Treatment with irradiation, intrathecal cytarabine, and interferon-&agr;2b did not induce regression whereas polychemotherapy did. Systemic combination chemotherapy led to marked transient tumor regression in this proliferating mast cell sarcoma in an unusual intracranial location.
Simultaneous Comparison of Two Roller Compaction Techniques and Two Particle Size Analysis Methods

A new dry granulation technique, gas-assisted roller compaction (GARC), was compared with conventional roller compaction (CRC) by manufacturing 34 granulation batches. The process variables studied were roll pressure, roll speed, and sieve size of the conical mill. The main quality attributes measured were granule size and flow characteristics. Within granulations also the real applicability of two particle size analysis techniques, sieve analysis (SA) and fast imaging technique (Flashsizer, FS), was tested. All granules obtained were acceptable. In general, the particle size of GARC granules was slightly larger than that of CRC granules. In addition, the GARC granules had better flowability. For example, the tablet weight variation of GARC granules was close to 2%, indicating good flowing and packing characteristics. The comparison of the two particle size analysis techniques showed that SA was more accurate in determining wide and bimodal size distributions while FS showed narrower and mono-modal distributions. However, both techniques gave good estimates for mean granule sizes. Overall, SA was a time-consuming but accurate technique that provided reliable information for the entire granule size distribution. By contrast, FS oversimplified the shape of the size distribution, but nevertheless yielded acceptable estimates for mean particle size. In general, FS was two to three orders of magnitude faster than SA.
Body Condition Indices Predict Reproductive Success but Not Survival in a Sedentary, Tropical Bird

Body condition may predict individual fitness because those in better condition have more resources to allocate towards improving their fitness. However, the hypothesis that condition indices are meaningful proxies for fitness has been questioned. Here, we ask if intraspecific variation in condition indices predicts annual reproductive success and survival. We monitored a population of Neochmia phaeton (crimson finch), a sedentary, tropical passerine, for reproductive success and survival over four breeding seasons, and sampled them for commonly used condition indices: mass adjusted for body size, muscle and fat scores, packed cell volume, hemoglobin concentration, total plasma protein, and heterophil to lymphocyte ratio. Our study population is well suited for this research because individuals forage in common areas and do not hold territories such that variation in condition between individuals is not confounded by differences in habitat quality. Furthermore, we controlled for factors that are known to impact condition indices in our study population (e.g., breeding stage) such that we assessed individual condition relative to others in the same context. Condition indices that reflect energy reserves predicted both the probability of an individual fledging young and the number of young produced that survived to independence, but only during some years. Those that were relatively heavy for their body size produced about three times more independent young compared to light individuals. That energy reserves are a meaningful predictor of reproductive success in a sedentary passerine supports the idea that energy reserves are at least sometimes predictors of fitness. However, hematological indices failed to predict reproductive success and none of the indices predicted survival. Therefore, some but not all condition indices may be informative, but because we found that most indices did not predict any component of fitness, we question the ubiquitous interpretation of condition indices as surrogates for individual quality and fitness.
Upper and lower airway remodelling mechanisms in asthma, allergic rhinitis and chronic rhinosinusitis: The one airway concept revisited

Allergic rhinitis (AR), chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and asthma often co‐exist. The one airway model proposes that disease mechanisms occurring in the upper airway may mirror lower airway events. Airway remodelling is the term used to describe tissue structural changes that occur in a disease setting and reflect the dynamic process of tissue restructuring during wound repair. Remodelling has been long identified in the lower airways in asthma and is characterized by epithelial shedding, goblet cell hyperplasia, basement membrane thickening, subepithelial fibrosis, airway smooth muscle hyperplasia and increased angiogenesis. The concept of upper airway remodelling has only recently been introduced, and data so far are limited and often conflicting, an indication that more detailed studies are needed. Whilst remodelling changes in AR are limited, CRS phenotypes demonstrate epithelial hyperplasia, increased matrix deposition and degradation along with accumulation of plasma proteins. Despite extensive research over the past years, the precise cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in airway remodelling remain incompletely defined. This review describes our current rather limited understanding of airway remodelling processes in AR, CRS and asthma and presents mechanisms both shared and distinct between the upper and lower airways. Delineation of shared and disease‐specific pathogenic mechanisms of remodelling between the sinonasal system and the lung may guide the rational design of more effective therapeutic strategies targeting upper and lower airways concomitantly and improving the health of individuals with inflammatory airway diseases.
Association of blood lactate concentration and outcome in foals.

BACKGROUND Lactate concentration in blood or plasma ([LAC]) and change in [LAC] are associated with survival in sick foals. HYPOTHESIS [LAC] and change in [LAC] over time are associated with survival at 96 hours and discharge in neonatal foals. Furthermore [LAC] and change in [LAC] over time correlate with blood culture results and blood pressure at admission. ANIMALS Two hundred and twenty-five foals consecutively admitted to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. METHODS Retrospective case review. Foals <or=30 days of age with [LAC] from arterial (190) or umbilical (35) blood gas analysis ([LAC](BG)) at admission, 24, and 48 hours. [LAC](BG), blood pressure, blood culture status, and outcome (survival versus nonsurvival at 96 hours and discharge) were recorded. Change in [LAC](BG) over time ([LAC](BG)DeltaT) was calculated. RESULTS [LAC](BG) was lower in survivors (96 hours and discharge) at all times. [LAC](BG)DeltaT was larger for survivors (96 hours). Odds of survival (96 hours and discharge) decreased 18, 39, 53 and 22, 38, and 47%, respectively, at each sample time for every 1 mmol/L increment in [LAC](BG) and increased 156% for each 1.0/day increment in [LAC](BG)DeltaT from admission to 24 hours at 96 hours. Blood pressure and [LAC](BG) were not correlated (P= .196) until removal of selected foals (mean arterial pressure <60 mmHg, admission [LAC](BG) <5.5 mmol/L) (P < .001). Bacteremia was not associated with [LAC](BG). Proposed admission [LAC](BG) cut-points for future studies were 6.5 mmol/L (96 hours) and 5.5 mmol/L (discharge). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Prospective studies evaluating [LAC], [LAC](BG)DeltaT, and cut-points in sick foals are warranted.
Mechanical induction of bi-directional orientation of primary porcine bladder smooth muscle cells in tubular fibrin-poly(vinylidene fluoride) scaffolds for ureteral and urethral repair using cyclic and focal balloon catheter stimulation

To restore damaged organ function or to investigate organ mechanisms, it is necessary to prepare replicates that follow the biological role model as faithfully as possible. The interdisciplinary field of tissue engineering has great potential in regenerative medicine and might overcome negative side effects in the replacement of damaged organs. In particular, tubular organ structures of the genitourinary tract, such as the ureter and urethra, are challenging because of their complexity and special milieu that gives rise to incrustation, inflammation and stricture formation. Tubular biohybrids were prepared from primary porcine smooth muscle cells embedded in a fibrin gel with a stabilising poly(vinylidene fluoride) mesh. A mechanotransduction was performed automatically with a balloon kyphoplasty catheter. Diffusion of urea and creatinine, as well as the bursting pressure, were measured. Light and electron microscopy were used to visualise cellular distribution and orientation. Histological evaluation revealed a uniform cellular distribution in the fibrin gel. Mechanical stimulation with a stretch of 20% leads to a circumferential orientation of smooth muscle cells inside the matrix and a longitudinal alignment on the outer surface of the tubular structure. Urea and creatinine permeability and bursting pressure showed a non-statistically significant trend towards stimulated tissue constructs. In this proof of concept study, an innovative technique of intraluminal pressure for mechanical stimulation of tubular biohybrids prepared from autologous cells and a composite material induce bi-directional orientation of smooth muscle cells by locally and cyclically applied mechanical tension. Such geometrically driven patterns of cell growth within a scaffold may represent a key stage in the future tissue engineering of implantable ureter replacements that will allow the active transportation of urine from the renal pelvis into the bladder.
Corneal transplantation for keratoconus: a registry study.

OBJECTIVE To determine factors influencing long-term graft survival and visual acuity in 4834 eyes of 4060 patients receiving their first penetrating corneal graft for keratoconus. METHODS A large cohort study was performed from a national register of corneal grafts in which data were recorded prospectively and analyzed retrospectively. Main outcome measures were graft survival and Snellen visual acuity. Follow-up extended up to 23 years. RESULTS Kaplan-Meier survival rates of first grafts for keratoconus were 89%, 49%, and 17% at 10, 20, and 23 years, respectively. After 15 years, the graft survival rate was no better than that of all other penetrating grafts (P = .36). Multivariate risk factors influencing failure of first grafts for keratoconus included time to suture removal, postgraft uveitis or microbial keratitis, corneal vascularization prior to or after graft, geographic location of surgery and follow-up (center effect), recipient age at graft, occurrence of rejection episodes, graft size, and surgeon workload. The timing of bilateral grafts made no difference to the risk of rejection. A Snellen visual acuity of 20/40 or better at the most recent follow-up was recorded in 74% of grafts. CONCLUSIONS Penetrating grafts performed for keratoconus exhibited better visual outcome and graft survival than grafts performed for other indications. However, the Kaplan-Meier survival rate of first penetrating grafts for keratoconus was 17% at 23 years after graft and had not plateaued at this time, indicating that young patients are likely to need 1 or more repeated grafts during their lifetime.