Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Commentary: Atheroembolization and Peripheral Vascular Interventions: The Evidence is Mounting

The turn of the millennium has been marked by an ongoing shift toward endovascular procedures for the treatment of peripheral artery disease. This is mainly due to the multiple benefits of such procedures when compared with open surgical techniques. Nonetheless, less invasive percutaneous techniques do not lack complications. One of the most feared sequela is the dislodgement and distal embolization of atheromatous or thrombotic debris. Atherothrombotic emboli may potentially impede or completely block, depending on their size, either large feeding arteries or the distal microcirculation of the foot (Figure). The precise frequency of this phenomenon during peripheral revascularization procedures is still not fully understood. Published data report an incidence of 1.6% to 2.4% during peripheral endovascular procedures, but that rate may be even higher: ranging from 3.8% to almost 24% in cases of local intra-arterial thrombolysis. Several studies underpin a wide variety of independent risk factors for distal atheroembolization, which include but are not limited to chronic total occlusions, lesion length and reference vessel diameter, the use of mechanical thrombectomy and pharmaceutical thrombolysis, and finally the application of the SilverHawk atherectomy device. Up to now, there were no published reports regarding the rate and/or clinical significance of distal embolization with the application of the excimer laser for recanalization of chronic total occlusions. In an interesting study in this issue of JEVT, Shammas et al. have investigated this phenomenon in detail by utilizing a filter protection device in a pilot study of 20 patients. Of interest, the protocol included the application of 2 devices per case, one for protection during the laser ablation treatment and another during definitive treatment with angioplasty and provisional stenting. The authors categorized the collected atheroemboli as either microdebris or macrodebris, from which only those with a maximum axis $2 mm were considered as clinically significant. They documented a rate of ,20% for clinically significant debris during endovascular therapy with either laser ablation alone or after definitive angioplasty and provisional stenting. Furthermore, all filter devices used in the study were deployed and retrieved with no complication during the procedure. These results are in accordance with other amassed scientific data. Two recently published studies provided firm evidence of embolic showers during percutaneous interventions of the lower extremity arteries. Multiple microemboli ,100 mm were identified in almost the entire 50 filter baskets applied during various percutaneous infraaortic revascularization procedures. Most importantly, particles with a major axis . 1 mm were detected in 58.0% of the devices, whereas particles . 3 mm where recognized in 12.0% of the filters. Those findings are in direct agreement with the Doppler embolic signals reported by Lam et al., as well as with electron microscopy findings by Konig et al.
Autonomous robot-mediated imitation learning for children with autism

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) impact 1 in 88 children in the United States. The cost of ASD intervention is tremendous with huge individual and social consequences. In recent years, robotic systems have been introduced with considerable success for ASD intervention because of their potential to engage children with ASD. In this work, we present a novel closed-loop autonomous robotic system for imitation skill learning for ASD intervention. Children with ASD show powerful impairment in imitation, which has been associated with a host of neurodevelopmental and learning challenges over time. The presented robotic system offers dynamic, adaptive and autonomous interaction for learning of imitation skills with real-time performance evaluation and feedback. The system has been tested in a user study with young children with ASD and typically developing (TD) control sample. Further, the performance of the system was compared with that of a human therapist in the user study. The results demonstrate that the developed robotic system is well-tolerated by the target population, engaged the children with ASD more than a human therapist, and produced performances that were relatively better than that of a human therapist.
Thrombosis during pregnancy: risk factors, diagnosis and treatment

Venous thromboembolism occurs infrequently but is a leading cause of illness and death during pregnancy and the puerperium and remains a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. In the general population the incidence of pregnancy associated VTE has been estimated to vary from 1 in 1000 to 1 in 2000 deliveries. The risk of VTE is five times higher in a pregnant woman than in a nonpregnant woman of similar age. Postpartum VTE is more common than antepartum VTE. Women with congenital abnormalities or persistent presence of antiphospholipid antibodies have an increased risk of VTE during pregnancy and the puerperium. In individuals with well defined hereditary thrombosis risk factors, such as the factor V:R506Q mutation, the factor II:G20210A variation, antithrombin-deficiency or protein C-deficiency, a relative risk of pregnancy associated VTE between 3.4 and 15.2 has been found. Women with previous VTE have an approximately 3.5 fold increased risk of recurrent VTE during pregnancy compared to non-pregnant periods. Our ability to diagnose deep-vein thrombosis clinically is generally poor and is further hampered during pregnancy since dyspnea, tachypnea, swelling and discomfort in the legs are common. Objective diagnosis is essential for treatment decisions. Exposure to radiation of less than 50,000 microGy (5 rad) has not been associated with a significant risk of fetal injury. Therefore, besides sonography, routine diagnostic procedures should be performed, if clinically necessary. Heparin does not cross the placenta and is therefore the anticoagulant treatment of choice during pregnancy. In case of acute new onset of thrombosis during pregnancy, treatment is performed like in non-pregnant patients with acute deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. There is ongoing debate, whether or not pregnant women with previous venous thrombosis should routinely receive prophylactic anticoagulation. In patients who have hereditary antithrombin deficiency, antiphospholipid antibodies, a combined abnormality or a history of a severe thrombotic event (pulmonary embolism, extended deep vein thrombosis) should be advised to use prophylactic heparin during pregnancy, starting during the first trimester. Post partum prophylaxis should be given in all women with an increased risk for VTE.
Mycophenolate Mofetil for Renal Dysfunction after Pediatric Liver Transplantation

Background. Cyclosporine A (CsA) and tacrolimus (Tac) provide effective immunosuppression after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) but can cause renal dysfunction that may progress to end-stage renal failure (ESRF). Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is a newer immunosuppressant that does not affect renal function. Its long-term use in children with renal dysfunction after OLT has not yet been fully evaluated. Methods. A retrospective analysis was performed of all children begun on MMF for renal dysfunction and followed up for at least 1 year. Renal dysfunction was defined as calculated glomerular filtration rate (cGFR) of less than 65 mL/min/1.73 m2. cGFR and liver function were measured before and after transfer. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results. Forty-eight children (23 males) began MMF at a median age of 11.1 (0.9–18.1) years and at a median of 4.0 (0.3–12.4) years postOLT. Median baseline cGFR was 54 (range 29–65) mL/min/1.73 m2. Immunosuppression after transfer was MMF monotherapy in 36, MMF with steroids, in 4 and MMF with low-dose CsA or Tac in 8. In 44 (92%) patients, there was a statistically significant increase to a median cGFR of 69 (28–114) mL/min/1.73 m2 by 1 month and a further increase to a median cGFR of 77 (24–105) mL/min/1.73 m2 by 2 months of MMF treatment, after which time cGFR was maintained. Children aged less than 3 years at OLT or who were less than 5 years postOLT when MMF was begun demonstrated greater increases in cGFR. Four children with a median baseline cGFR of 34 (range 31–49) mL/min/1.73 m2 did not respond and progressed to ESRF. Mild side effects occurred in seven (15%) and gastrointestinal bleeding requiring discontinuation of MMF in one (2%). Liver function abnormalities occurred in seven (15%): transient transaminitis in three, acute rejection in two, and chronic rejection in two, of whom one required retransplantation. Conclusions. In 92% children with renal dysfunction after OLT, MMF treatment provided safe and effective immunosuppression and allowed CsA or Tac to be discontinued or reduced, leading to improvement of renal function. The improvement was greatest in younger children and those who began MMF early postOLT. Side effects were uncommon. Additional steroid cover during the transfer to MMF should be considered to prevent liver-allograft rejection.
ECC, an extended calculus of constructions

A higher-order calculus ECC (extended calculus of constructions) is presented which can be seen as an extension of the calculus of constructions by adding strong sum types and a fully cumulative type hierarchy. ECC turns out to be rather expressive so that mathematical theories can be abstractly described and abstract mathematics may be adequately formalized. It is shown that ECC is strongly normalizing and has other nice proof-theoretic properties. An omega -set (realizability) model is described to show how the essential properties of the calculus can be captured set-theoretically. <<ETX>>
Structure and Function of Human Erythrocyte Pyruvate Kinase

Deficiency of human erythrocyte isozyme (RPK) is, together with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, the most common cause of the nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia. To provide a molecular framework to the disease, we have solved the 2.7 Å resolution crystal structure of human RPK in complex with fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, the allosteric activator, and phosphoglycolate, a substrate analogue, and we have functionally and structurally characterized eight mutants (G332S, G364D, T384M, D390N, R479H, R486W, R504L, and R532W) found in RPK-deficient patients. The mutations target distinct regions of RPK structure, including domain interfaces and catalytic and allosteric sites. The mutations affect to a different extent thermostability, catalytic efficiency, and regulatory properties. These studies are the first to correlate the clinical symptoms with the molecular properties of the mutant enzymes. Mutations greatly impairing thermostability and/or activity are associated with severe anemia. Some mutant proteins exhibit moderate changes in the kinetic parameters, which are sufficient to cause mild to severe anemia, underlining the crucial role of RPK for erythrocyte metabolism. Prediction of the effects of mutations is difficult because there is no relation between the nature and location of the replaced amino acid and the type of molecular perturbation. Characterization of mutant proteins may serve as a valuable tool to assist with diagnosis and genetic counseling.
Effect of firocoxib or flunixin meglumine on recovery of ischemic-injured equine jejunum.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether treatment of horses with firocoxib affects recovery of ischemic-injured jejunum, while providing effective analgesia. ANIMALS 18 horses. PROCEDURES Horses (n = 6 horses/group) received saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (1 mL/50 kg, IV), flunixin meglumine (1.1 mg/kg, IV, q 12 h), or firocoxib (0.09 mg/kg, IV, q 24 h) before 2 hours of jejunal ischemia. Horses were monitored via pain scores and received butorphanol for analgesia. After 18 hours, ischemic-injured and control mucosa were placed in Ussing chambers for measurement of transepithelial resistance and permeability to lipopolysaccharide. Histomorphometry was used to determine denuded villus surface area. Western blots for cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and COX-2 were performed. Plasma thromboxane B(2) and prostaglandin E(2) metabolite (PGEM) concentrations were determined. RESULTS Pain scores did not significantly increase after surgery in horses receiving flunixin meglumine or firocoxib. Transepithelial resistance of ischemic-injured jejunum from horses treated with flunixin meglumine was significantly lower than in saline- or firocoxib-treated horses. Lipopolysaccharide permeability across ischemic-injured mucosa was significantly increased in horses treated with flunixin meglumine. Treatment did not affect epithelial restitution. Cyclooxygenase-1 was constitutively expressed and COX-2 was upregulated after 2 hours of ischemia. Thromboxane B(2) concentration decreased with flunixin meglumine treatment but increased with firocoxib or saline treatment. Flunixin meglumine and firocoxib prevented an increase in PGEM concentration after surgery. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Flunixin meglumine retarded mucosal recovery in ischemic-injured jejunum, whereas firocoxib did not. Flunixin meglumine and firocoxib were effective visceral analgesics. Firocoxib may be advantageous in horses recovering from ischemic intestinal injury.
Measurement error of visual field tests in glaucoma

Aim: Psychophysical strategies designed for clinical visual field testing produce rapid estimates of threshold with relatively few stimulus presentations and so represent a trade-off between test quality and efficiency. The aim of this study was to determine the measurement error of a staircase algorithm similar to full threshold with standard automated perimetry (SAP) and frequency doubling perimetry (FDP) in glaucoma patients. Methods: Seven patients with early open angle glaucoma (OAG) were prospectively recruited. All were experienced in laboratory based psychophysics. Three matched test locations were examined with SAP (externally driven Humphrey field analyser) and FDP (CRT) in a single arbitrarily selected eye of each subject. Each location was tested twice with a 4-2-2 dB staircase strategy, similar to full threshold, and then with the method of constant stimuli (MOCS). Accuracy (threshold estimation error) was quantified by determination of differences between “true” threshold measurements made by MOCS and single staircase threshold estimates. Precision (repeatability) was quantified by the differences between repeated staircase threshold estimates. Results: Precision was relatively high for both tests, although higher for FDP than SAP at depressed sensitivity levels. The staircase strategy significantly underestimated threshold sensitivity for both test types, with the mean difference (95% CI) between staircase and MOCS thresholds being 4.48 dB (2.35 to 7.32) and 1.35 dB (0.56 to 1.73) for SAP and FDP respectively. Agreement levels (weighted kappa) between MOCS and staircase thresholds were found to be 0.48 for SAP and 0.85 for FDP. Although this “bias” appeared constant for FDP across all sensitivity levels, this was not the case for SAP where accuracy decreased at lower sensitivity levels. Conclusion: Estimations of threshold sensitivity made using staircase strategies common to clinical visual field test instrumentation are associated with varying degrees of measurement error according to visual field test type and sensitivity. In particular, SAP significantly overestimates the “true” level of sensitivity, particularly in damaged areas of the visual field, suggesting that clinical data of this type should be interpreted with caution.
Negative pathology after endoscopic resection of gastric epithelial neoplasms: importance of pit dysplasia

Background/Aims Endoscopic resection (ER) is a well-established treatment modality for gastric epithelial neoplasm. However, there is a discrepancy between forceps biopsy and ER specimen pathology, including a negative pathologic diagnosis (NPD) after ER. It has been suggested that pit dysplasia (PD) is a subtype of gastric dysplasia, and the aim of this study was to assess the significance of PD in cases with NPD after ER for early gastric neoplasms. Methods After ER, 29 NPD lesions that had an associated pretreatment forceps biopsy specimen, were correctly targeted during ER, and had no cautery artifact on the resected specimen were included in this study. Results Sixteen lesions showed PD and 13 had no neoplastic pathology. The initial pretreatment forceps biopsy diagnoses of 29 NPD lesions were low-grade dysplasia (LGD) in 17 lesions, high-grade dysplasia (HGD) in seven lesions, and adenocarcinoma in five lesions, which after review were revised to PD in 19 lesions, LGD in four lesions, adenocarcinoma in two lesions, and no neoplastic pathology in four lesions. Overall, nine lesions (31%) were small enough to be removed by forceps biopsy, four NPD lesions (14%) were initially misinterpreted as neoplastic lesions, and 16 PD lesions (55%) were misinterpreted as NPD lesions on ER slides. Conclusions Approximately half of the lesions initially diagnosed as LGD or HGD were subsequently classified as PD. Therefore, including PD as a subtype of gastric dysplasia could reduce the diagnostic discrepancy between initial forceps biopsy and ER specimens.
Generation of a conditional knockout allele for the Janus kinase 2 (Jak2) gene in mice

To study biologically relevant functions of the Janus kinase 2 (Jak2) in multiple cytokine and hormone receptor signal transduction pathways, we generated a conditional knockout (floxed) allele of this gene by placing loxP sites around the first coding exon of Jak2. Homozygous floxed animals developed normally and exhibited no phenotypic abnormalities. The conversion of the floxed allele into a null mutation was achieved by transmitting the targeted allele through the female germline of MMTV‐Cre (line A) mice. Embryos that carry two Jak2 null alleles died around midgestation and exhibited impaired definitive erythropoiesis, which is a hallmark of Jak2 deficiency reported previously in conventional knockouts. This observation suggested that the Cre‐mediated deletion of the first coding exon results in a true null mutation that is incapable of mediating signals through the erythropoietin receptor. Using mouse embryonic fibroblasts derived from Jak2 null embryos and their wildtype littermate controls, we demonstrated that Jak2‐deficiency decouples growth hormone‐receptor signaling from its downstream mediators, the signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat) 5a and 5b. genesis 40:52–57, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Crude Oil Contaminated Water from Ese-Odo Offshore, Nigeria

Hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) are a class of ubiquitous compounds, which have posed high risk to the human health and ecological systems [1]. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous pollutants in urban atmospheres [2]. PAHs enter the environment via incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and accidental leakage of petroleum products, and as components of products such as creosote [3]. Due to PAHs carcinogenic activity, they have been included in the European Union (EU) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) priority pollutant lists. Benzo (a) pyrene (BaP) as a marker of the carcinogenic potency of the polycyclic aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) mixture [4].
Application of Multivariate Techniques in Horticulture Research-a Case Study of Apple Crop

The present study deals with the usefulness of Principal Component Analysis and Factor Analysis for determining the relative contribution of morphological characters responsible in increasing the apple productivity. The three different apple producing locations of Himachal Pradesh, viz., Shimla, Kotkhai, and Theog were considered for the study. Four of the thirteen principal components explained around 75.40, 86.58 and 89.40% of the total variation at Shimla, Kotkhai and Theog locations, respectively. The first principal component may be interpreted as Plant Vigour and Yield Component. The second component may be termed as Volume and Spurs of Plant and Yield component, while Fruitfulness and Size of Tree may be regarded as the third principal component. Factor analysis grouped the thirteen morphological characters into three main factors. At Shimla location, the first factor (Plant vigour and yield), the second factor (Fruitfulness) and the third factor (Size of Tree and Fruit) explained 37.55%, 21.43% and 9.33% of the total variation, respectively. At Kotkhai location, 55.01%, 17.37% and 7.92 % of total variation was explained by the Plant Vigour and Plant Growth (first factor), Fruitfulness (second factor) and Yield and Plant Vigour (third factor) characters, respectively. Factor analysis of Theog location showed that the first factor i.e. Plant Vigour, second factor i.e. Fruitfulness and the third factor i.e. Yield and Plant Growth explained 60.00%, 13.14% and 9.44% of the total variation, respectively. Total variance explained collectively by three factors was observed to be 68.31%, 80.29%, and 82.58% at Shimla, Kotkhai and Theog locations respectively.
A fast bit-vector algorithm for approximate string matching based on dynamic programming

The approximate string matching problem is to find all locations at which a query of length<italic>m</italic> matches a substring of a text of length <italic>n</italic> with <italic>k</italic>-or-fewer differences. Simple and practical bit-vector algorithms have been designed for this problem, most notably the one used in <italic>agrep</italic>. These algorithms compute a bit representation of the current state-set of the <italic>k</italic>-difference automaton for the query, and asymptotically run in either <italic>O</italic>(<italic>nm/w</italic>) or <italic>O</italic>(<italic>nm</italic> log &sgr;/<italic>w</italic>) time where <italic>w</italic> is the word size of the machine (e.g., 32 or 64 in practice), and &sgr; is the size of the pattern alphabet. Here we present an algorithm of comparable simplicity that requires only <italic>O</italic>(<italic>nm/w)</italic> time by virtue of computing a bit representation of the <italic>relocatable</italic> dynamic programming matrix for the problem. Thus, the algorithm's performance is independent of <italic>k</italic>, and it is found to be more efficient than the previous results for many choices of <italic>k</italic> and small<italic>m</italic>. Moreover, because the algorithm is not dependent on <italic>k</italic>, it can be used to rapidly compute blocks of the dynamic programming matrix as in the 4-Russians algorithm of Wu et al.(1996). This gives rise to an <italic>O(kn/w)</italic> expected-time algorithm for the case where <italic>m</italic> may be arbitrarily large. In practice this new algorithm, that computes a region of the dynamic progr amming (d.p.) matrx <italic>w</italic> entries at a time using the basic algorithm as a subroutine is significantly faster than our previous 4-Russians algorithm, that computes the same region 4 or 5 entries at a time using table lookup. This performance improvement yields a code that is either superior or competitive with <italic>all</italic> existing algorithms except for some filtration algorithms that are superior when <italic>k/m</italic> is sufficiently small.