Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High Incidence of Neuroendocrine Dysfunction in Long-Term Survivors of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Background and Purpose— To investigate the incidence, pattern, and magnitude of neuroendocrine changes in long-term survivors of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Methods— Thirty patients (16 women) with a mean age of 50±13 years underwent endocrine assessment between 12 and 24 months after aneurysmal SAH. SAH severity was graded clinically by the Hunt & Hess scale (median, II) and radiologically by the Fisher classification (median, II). Patients underwent measurement of basal hormone levels and dynamic assessment by the low-dose (1 &mgr;g) corticotropin stimulation test. Functional outcome was examined concurrently with endocrine testing by the modified Rankin Scale and the Barthel Index. Results— Of the 30 patients tested, 14 patients (47%) showed isolated or combined endocrine abnormalities. These included low insulin-like growth factor 1 levels compatible with growth hormone deficiency in 37%, hypogonadism in 13%, and cortisol hyporesponsiveness to the low-dose corticotropin stimulation test in 10%; thyroid dysfunction in the form of subclinical hypothyroidism was observed in 7% of patients. Median modified Rankin Scale and Barthel Index at the time of endocrine testing were 1 and 100, respectively. There was no correlation between the presence of endocrine dysfunction and SAH severity indices or functional outcome scores. Conclusions— Long-term survivors of aneurysmal SAH frequently exhibit endocrine changes, with growth hormone and gonadal deficiencies predominating. Thus, screening of pituitary function is recommended in patients surviving SAH. The relationship between late hormonal alterations and functional outcome in patients with SAH warrants further study.
The Influence of Sex and Fly Species on the Development of Trypanosomes in Tsetse Flies

Unlike other dipteran disease vectors, tsetse flies of both sexes feed on blood and transmit pathogenic African trypanosomes. During transmission, Trypanosoma brucei undergoes a complex cycle of proliferation and development inside the tsetse vector, culminating in production of infective forms in the saliva. The insect manifests robust immune defences throughout the alimentary tract, which eliminate many trypanosome infections. Previous work has shown that fly sex influences susceptibility to trypanosome infection as males show higher rates of salivary gland (SG) infection with T. brucei than females. To investigate sex-linked differences in the progression of infection, we compared midgut (MG), proventriculus, foregut and SG infections in male and female Glossina morsitans morsitans. Initially, infections developed in the same way in both sexes: no difference was observed in numbers of MG or proventriculus infections, or in the number and type of developmental forms produced. Female flies tended to produce foregut migratory forms later than males, but this had no detectable impact on the number of SG infections. The sex difference was not apparent until the final stage of SG invasion and colonisation, showing that the SG environment differs between male and female flies. Comparison of G. m. morsitans with G. pallidipes showed a similar, though less pronounced, sex difference in susceptibility, but additionally revealed very different levels of trypanosome resistance in the MG and SG. While G. pallidipes was more refractory to MG infection, a very high proportion of MG infections led to SG infection in both sexes. It appears that the two fly species use different strategies to block trypanosome infection: G. pallidipes heavily defends against initial establishment in the MG, while G. m. morsitans has additional measures to prevent trypanosomes colonising the SG, particularly in female flies. We conclude that the tsetse-trypanosome interface works differently in G. m. morsitans and G. pallidipes.
Shear bond strength of one 4th and two 7th generation bonding agents when used by operators with different bonding experience.

PURPOSE To test the hypothesis that simpler-to-use dentin adhesives (7th-generation adhesives) perform better when used by inexperienced operators than do the more complex 4th-generation adhesives. MATERIALS AND METHODS Six operators with no previous experience regarding dental adhesives, three residents in pediatric dentistry, and three experienced dentists used one 4th-generation dentin adhesive (MA) and two 7th-generation adhesives (MB and MC). With each adhesive, each operator performed 6 bondings to enamel and 6 bondings to dentin. After 24 h of storage in water at 37 degrees C, the shear bond strength was determined. RESULTS The pooled results showed that the bond strength to dentin was higher (p < 0.05) than that to enamel (dentin mean value = 14.0 MPa, SD = 9.1 MPa; enamel mean value = 11.9 MPa, SD = 7.1 MPa), and that adhesive MA performed better (p < 0.05) than adhesives MB and MC (inexperienced operators = 16.2 +/- 10.9 MPa; residents in pedodontics = 12.0 +/- 6.8 MPa, and experienced operators = 10.7 +/- 4.8 MPa). Of the two 7th-generation adhesives, one performed better on enamel than on dentin, while the other 7th-generation adhesive performed better on dentin than on enamel. Regarding operators, there were large individual variations. The inexperienced bonders performed as well as the residents (p > 0.05), while the experienced operators performed best (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION In general, the tested 4th-generation adhesive performed better than the 7th-generation adhesives. Even inexperienced operators performed better with the more difficult-to-use 4th-generation adhesives than with the 7th-generation adhesives. Dentin adhesion was stronger than enamel adhesion.
Development of Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric carcinoma in Mongolian gerbils.

Helicobacter pylori is classified by IARC/WHO as a definite human gastric carcinogen, despite "inadequate experimental evidence. " To obtain direct evidence concerning this relationship, we investigated the histopathological findings of gastric mucosa using a model of H. pylori infection in Mongolian gerbils. The animals were challenged p.o. with H. pylori ATCC-43504 and sacrificed at 6, 12, and 18 months after inoculation for histological examination. All inoculated animals were infected with H. pylori. Severe infiltration of the lamina propria by polymorphonuclear and mononuclear cells appeared in the lesser curvature of the antrum, with an increase in epithelial cell proliferation, and the infiltration extended to the body. Atrophic gastritis and focal intestinal metaplasia also appeared in the lesser curvature of the antral mucosa at 6 months after inoculation. Intestinal metaplasia became severe, with dysplasia, after that. At 18 months after H. pylori inoculation, two of five infected animals showed three well-differentiated gastric cancers. The uninfected control animals showed no abnormal findings throughout the entire observation period. Here, it was confirmed that H. pylori infection alone causes gastric cancer in an animal model.
Endometriosis and Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review

Introduction. Endometriosis is one of the most common benign disorders which affects 10–15% of all women in reproductive age. The association between endometriosis and ovarian cancer has been frequently described in the medical literature. Purpose. To evaluate the literature for evidence of a correlation between endometriosis and ovarian cancer. Method. the English language literature (online MEDLINE and EMBASE database) was searched using the keywords endometriosis combined with cancer, tumour, tumor, carcinoma, or adenocarcinoma. All abstracts between January 1985 and August 2010 were reviewed. Full relevant articles were critically assessed. Reference lists of included studies were checked. Results. Seven out of the eight studies, included in our review, have shown an increased risk of ovarian cancer. However, the effect size is modest (OR, RR, and SIR) ranging between 1.32 and 1.9 (95% CI). A causative relationship between the two incidences cannot be confirmed. There is increasing evidence on the role of genetic mutations in ovarian clear-cell and endometrioid carcinoma developing from endometriosis. Conclusion. More evidence is needed before suggesting any change in the current management of endometriosis.
Detection of unexpected events during spatial navigation in humans: bottom‐up attentional system and neural mechanisms

Navigation is a complex cognitive ability requiring the processing and integration of several different types of information extracted from the environment. While navigating, however, an unexpected event may suddenly occur, which individuals are required to detect promptly in order to apply an appropriate behavioural response. The alerting mechanism that is integral to the detection of unexpected events is referred to as the bottom‐up attentional system. Using event‐related functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated the neural basis of bottom‐up detection of unexpected events while individuals moved within a virtual environment. We identified activation within a right fronto‐temporo‐parietal network in response to unexpected events while navigating in this virtual environment. Furthermore, when an unexpected event requires an adjusted behavioural response, a region of the right ventrolateral pre‐frontal cortex (areas 45 and 47/12) is selectively activated. Our data replicate earlier findings on the neural mechanisms underlying visual attention and extend these findings to the more complex real‐life ability of spatial navigation, thereby suggesting that these neural mechanisms subserve the bottom‐up attentional systems that are crucial for effective locomotion in real surroundings.
An overview of video shot clustering and summarization techniques for mobile applications

The problem of content characterization of video programmes is of great interest because video appeals to large audiences and its efficient distribution over various networks should contribute to widespread usage of multimedia services. In this paper we analyze several techniques proposed in literature for content characterization of video programmes, including movies and sports, that could be helpful for mobile media consumption. In particular we focus our analysis on shot clustering methods and effective video summarization techniques since, in the current video analysis scenario, they facilitate the access to the content and help in quick understanding of the associated semantics. First we consider the shot clustering techniques based on low-level features, using visual, audio and motion information, even combined in a multi-modal fashion. Then we concentrate on summarization techniques, such as static storyboards, dynamic video skimming and the extraction of sport highlights. Discussed summarization methods can be employed in the development of tools that would be greatly useful to most mobile users: in fact these algorithms automatically shorten the original video while preserving most events by highlighting only the important content. The effectiveness of each approach has been analyzed, showing that it mainly depends on the kind of video programme it relates to, and the type of summary or highlights we are focusing on.
Effect of Rotor Excitation Voltage on Steady-State Stability and Maximum Output Power of a Doubly Fed Induction Generator

The effect of rotor excitation voltage on steady-state stability and output power of a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) is investigated. Wind turbine mechanical torque-speed characteristics, as well as generator electromagnetic torque-speed characteristics, are considered in the derivation of the steady-state stability region for the magnitude and phase angle of the rotor excitation voltage. To evaluate the maximum output power of a DFIG, detailed expressions for stator power, rotor power, stator loss, rotor loss, and electrical power are derived as functions of the generator speed and the magnitude and phase angle of the rotor excitation voltage. The effect of stator resistance on the magnitude and phase angle of the resultant optimal rotor excitation voltage, which gives maximum output power and minimum loss, is examined. Experimental results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the theoretical analysis.
Thermal difference spectra: a specific signature for nucleic acid structures

We show that nucleic acid structures may be conveniently and inexpensively characterized by their UV thermal difference spectra. A thermal difference spectrum (TDS) is obtained for a nucleic acid by simply recording the ultraviolet absorbance spectra of the unfolded and folded states at temperatures above and below its melting temperature (Tm). The difference between these two spectra is the TDS. The TDS has a specific shape that is unique for each type of nucleic acid structure, a conclusion that is based on a comparison of >900 spectra from 200 different sequences. The shape of the TDS reflects the subtleties of base stacking interactions that occur uniquely within each type of nucleic acid structure. TDS provides a simple, inexpensive and rapid method to obtain structural insight into nucleic acid structures, which is applicable to both DNA and RNA from short oligomers to polynucleotides. TDS complements circular dichroism as a tool for the structural characterization of nucleic acids in solution.
Interpreting Semantic Relations in Noun Compounds via Verb Semantics

We propose a novel method for automatically interpreting compound nouns based on a predefined set of semantic relations. First we map verb tokens in sentential contexts to a fixed set of seed verbs using WordNet::Similarity and Moby's Thesaurus. We then match the sentences with semantic relations based on the semantics of the seed verbs and grammatical roles of the head noun and modifier. Based on the semantics of the matched sentences, we then build a classifier using TiMBL. The performance of our final system at interpreting NCs is 52.6%.
Dynamical facilitation governs glassy dynamics in suspensions of colloidal ellipsoids

Significance Although glasses have been used for a plethora of applications since times immemorial, the basic physics underlying their formation remains mysterious. Furthermore, although competing theories are routinely tested in glass formers comprising spherical particles, little is known about anisotropic systems, despite the fact that most molecular liquids exhibit anisotropy in shape and interactions. Here, we have applied the dynamical facilitation (DF) approach, a prominent theory of the glass transition, to study glass formation in suspensions of colloidal ellipsoids with attractive interactions. We observe that DF can not only explain the phenomenology of glass formation in ellipsoids but also predict the existence of reentrant glass transitions, suggesting that DF can be the dominant mechanism of structural relaxation in realistic glass formers. One of the greatest challenges in contemporary condensed matter physics is to ascertain whether the formation of glasses from liquids is fundamentally thermodynamic or dynamic in origin. Although the thermodynamic paradigm has dominated theoretical research for decades, the purely kinetic perspective of the dynamical facilitation (DF) theory has attained prominence in recent times. In particular, recent experiments and simulations have highlighted the importance of facilitation using simple model systems composed of spherical particles. However, an overwhelming majority of liquids possess anisotropy in particle shape and interactions, and it is therefore imperative to examine facilitation in complex glass formers. Here, we apply the DF theory to systems with orientational degrees of freedom as well as anisotropic attractive interactions. By analyzing data from experiments on colloidal ellipsoids, we show that facilitation plays a pivotal role in translational as well as orientational relaxation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the introduction of attractive interactions leads to spatial decoupling of translational and rotational facilitation, which subsequently results in the decoupling of dynamical heterogeneities. Most strikingly, the DF theory can predict the existence of reentrant glass transitions based on the statistics of localized dynamical events, called excitations, whose duration is substantially smaller than the structural relaxation time. Our findings pave the way for systematically testing the DF approach in complex glass formers and also establish the significance of facilitation in governing structural relaxation in supercooled liquids.
Intuitiveness of vibrotactile speed regulation cues

Interpretations of vibrotactile stimulations were compared between two participant groups. In both groups, the task was to evaluate specifically designed tactile stimulations presented to the wrist or chest. Ascending, constant, and descending vibration frequency profiles of the stimuli represented information for three different speed regulation instructions: “accelerate your speed,” “keep your speed constant,” and “decelerate your speed,” respectively. The participants were treated differently so that one of the groups was first taught (i.e., primed) the meanings of the stimuli, whereas the other group was not taught (i.e., unprimed). The results showed that the stimuli were evaluated nearly equally in the primed and the unprimed groups. The best performing stimuli communicated the three intended meanings in the rate of 88% to 100% in the primed group and in the unprimed group in the rate of 71% to 83%. Both groups performed equally in evaluating “keep your speed constant” and “decelerate your speed” information. As the unprimed participants performed similarly to the primed participants, the results suggest that vibrotactile stimulation can be intuitively understood. The results suggest further that carefully designed vibrotactile stimulations could be functional in delivering easy-to-understand feedback on how to regulate the speed of movement, such as in physical exercise and rehabilitation applications.
Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency and Its Associations with Skin Color in Pregnant Women in the First Trimester in a Sample from Switzerland

Vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy has negative clinical consequences, such as associations with glucose intolerance, and has been shown to be distributed differently in certain ethnic groups. In some countries, a difference in the rate of vitamin D deficiency was detected in pregnant women depending on their skin color. We examined the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) in women in early pregnancy in Switzerland and evaluated the association of skin color with vitamin D deficiency. In a single-center cohort study, the validated Fitzpatrick scale and objective melanin index were used to determine skin color. Of the 204 pregnant women included, 63% were vitamin D deficient. The mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was 26.1 ng/mL (95% confidence interval (CI) 24.8–27.4) in vitamin D–sufficient women and 10.5 ng/mL (95% CI 9.7–11.5) in women with deficiency. In the most parsimonious model, women with dark skin color were statistically significantly more often vitamin D deficient compared to women with light skin color (OR 2.60; 95% CI 1.08–6.22; adjusted for age, season, vitamin D supplement use, body mass index, smoking, parity). This calls for more intense counseling as one policy option to improve vitamin D status during pregnancy, i.e., use of vitamin D supplements during pregnancy, in particular for women with darker skin color.
Function and Regulation of the Murine Lymphocyte CD2 Receptor

The CD2 receptor on T‐lymphocytes plays a major part in mediating adhesive interactions via the LFA‐3 ligand and in transducing signals for lymphocyte activation. In this study the expression, function, and internalization of the CD2 receptor was investigated in resting and activated murine T‐cells. Surface iodination of intact lymphocytes showed that both types of cell expressed this antigen as a single polypeptide of 63 KDa, and flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that there was four times as much CD2 on lymphoblasts as on resting cells. Moreover, the CD2 receptor had a more prominent role in the adhesion of the activated lymphocytes to extravascular cells than in the binding of resting cells. Only activated lymphocytes internalized CD2, in the presence or absence of the anti‐CD2 monoclonal antibody (mAb) 12‐15, more than 80% of the 12‐15/CD2 complex being removed from the cell surface within 24 hr. Application of 125l‐labelled mAb 12‐15 followed by subcellular fractionation on Percoll gradients showed that the complex was internalized initially into a low‐density compartment and subsequently transported to heavy‐density organelles, in which it was degraded. Immunogold electron microscopy revealed that immediately after the initial binding of mAb 12‐15 to the lymphoblasts, the gold particles were localized in clusters exclusively at the plasma membrane. After a short period of culture, the mAb 12‐15/CD2 complex was detected in small vesicles near the cell surface. Immunogold staining for a lysosomal enzyme β‐glucuronidase (Gus), for the lysosomal membrane protein LAMP‐1, and for the mannose 6‐phosphate targetting receptor (MPR) showed that the complex was transported from the endosomal compartment to lysosomal organelles in the activated T‐cell. Although mAb 12‐15 bound to CD2 in resting T‐lymphocytes, in these cells the complex remained associated with the plasma membrane compartment only, even after prolonged culture. These data show that activated but not resting lymphocytes endocytosed the receptor, thereby regulating the expression of this antigen at the plasma membrane. This suggests that the endocytic and lysosomal compartments of lymphocytes have major roles in immune functions, by controlling the level of receptors at the lymphocyte cell surface and thus their response to cytokines and inflammatory mediators as well as their direct interaction with other cells.
Real‐time elastography for assessment of uterine disorders

Sonoelastography is an ultrasound‐imaging technique that measures tissue strain. The aim of this study was to define, in a systematic manner, specific sonoelastographic characteristics of the myometrium, fibroids and adenomyosis, to evaluate the feasibility of sonoelastography in patients with suspected gynecological pathology and to compare the results with histology and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)‐based diagnoses.
Prospective Evaluation of Arthroscopic Stabilization of Acute, Initial Anterior Shoulder Dislocations in Young Athletes

From March 1992 to November 1998, 57 patients sustained 58 acute, initial, traumatic anterior shoulder dislocations at the United States Military Academy. Six patients selected nonoperative treatment. Three patients underwent primary open repair after diagnostic arthroscopy revealed no Bankart lesion amenable to repair with the bioabsorbable tissue tack. The remaining 48 patients with 49 anterior dislocations were treated with arthroscopic primary repair. There were 45 men and 3 women with an average age of 20 years (range, 17 to 23) and an average follow-up of 37 months (range, 24 to 60). The average Rowe score was 92 (range, 30 to 100). The average single assessment numeric evaluation patient rating was 95.5% (range, 50% to 100%). The average Short Form-36 score (physical function) for the stable shoulders was 99 (range, 95 to 100). Forty-three shoulders remained stable (88%). There were six failures (12%). Factors associated with failure included a history of bilateral shoulder instability, a 2+ sulcus sign, and poor capsulolabral tissue at the time of repair. All patients with stable shoulders returned to their preinjury levels of athletic activity. With follow-up of 5 years, we have observed significantly better results compared with nonoperative treatment in young, active adults at the United States Military Academy.