Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pneumatic retinopexy outcomes as primary or secondary surgical option for treating rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

Purpose: To report the outcomes of pneumatic retinopexy (PR) performed as a primary surgical procedure for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) or as a secondary procedure for recurrent RRD. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed case records of 54 patients (54 eyes) who underwent PR for RRD by injecting 0.3 ml of perfluoropropane (C3F8) in the vitreous cavity and cryopexy to break in the same sitting, followed by positioning. Results: A total 54 eyes of 54 patients aged between 17 and 84 years (mean - 51.3, median - 53 years) were included in the study. Except five eyes, all had breaks in the superior quadrants. The RRD ranged from 1 quadrant to 4 quadrants. Twenty-eight eyes (51.8%) were phakic and 26 (48.1%) were pseudophakic. The follow-up ranged from 6 to 144 months. In 25 eyes (46.2%), PR was the primary intervention and was successful in 15 (60%) eyes with a significant visual improvement (P = 0.023). Twenty-nine eyes (52.7%) with failed scleral buckle or failed pars plana vitrectomy underwent PR with a success rate of 65.5% and significant visual improvement (P = 0.0017). Progression of proliferative vitreoretinopathy changes (40%) was the most common cause of failure. The success rate was higher in phakic eyes, eyes with attached macula, superior breaks, superior RRD, and RRD limited to 3 quadrants or less. Conclusion: PR remains a minimally invasive procedure which can be used primarily or as a salvage procedure in failed surgery with moderately good success rate and minimal complications. One-step procedure reduces patient visits and ensures adequate treatment of the break.
Integrated control-path design and error recovery in the synthesis of digital microfluidic lab-on-chip

Recent advances in digital microfluidics have led to tremendous interest in miniaturized lab-on-chip devices for biochemical analysis. Synthesis tools have also emerged for the automated design of lab-on-chip from the specifications of laboratory protocols. However, none of these tools consider control flow or address the problem of recovering from fluidic errors that can occur during on-chip bioassay execution. We present a synthesis method that incorporates control paths and an error-recovery mechanism in the design of a digital microfluidic lab-on-chip. Based on error-propagation estimates, we determine the best locations for fluidic checkpoints during biochip synthesis. A microcontroller coordinates the implementation of the control-flow-based bioassay by intercepting the synthesis results that are mapped to the software programs. Real-life bioassay applications are used as case studies to evaluate the proposed design method. For a representative protein assay, compared to a baseline chip design, the biochip with a control path can reduce the completion time by 30% when errors occur during the implementation of the bioassay.
Anti‐donor antibody induction following intramuscular injections of allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells

Allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells (allo‐MSC) are a promising “off‐the‐shelf” therapy with anti‐inflammatory and pro‐repair properties. This study investigated humoral immune responses to intramuscular (IM) injections of allo‐MSC. Total and isotype‐specific anti‐donor IgG and donor‐specific complement‐mediated lysis were determined in sera from healthy mice 2 weeks after single or repeated IM injections of fully mismatched‐MHC allo‐MSC with comparison to mice receiving syngeneic MSC, allogeneic splenocytes or saline. In mice subjected to hind limb ischemia (HLI), anti‐donor IgG was analyzed following IM allo‐MSC injection with and without administration of the T‐cell immunosuppressant tacrolimus. Recipients of single and repeated IM allo‐MSC developed readily‐detectable anti‐donor IgG. Serum anti‐donor IgG levels were similar to those of allo‐splenocyte recipients but had higher IgG1/IgG2a ratio and variable capacity for complement‐mediated lysis of donor cells. The induced anti‐donor IgG bound readily to allo‐MSC and this binding was increased following allo‐MSC pretreatment with interferon gamma. In mice with HLI, IM injection of allo‐MSC into the ischemic limb was also associated with induction of anti‐donor IgG but this was abrogated by tacrolimus (FK‐506). The results indicate that allo‐MSC are inherently immunogenic when delivered intramuscularly to healthy and ischemic mouse hind limb, but induce an IgG1‐skewed humoral response that is suppressed by tacrolimus.
Echinodermata

The collection of Sea-urchins and Starfishes from the island of Rodriguez, although comprising but few species, contains some of considerable interest, among which may he mentioned a very remarkable new Comatula, two apparently undescribed species of Ophiocoma, and the fine Ophiomastix venosa, described by Dr. Peters from Mozambique. The rest of the forms are well-known inhabitants of the Indian Ocean, certain of them being also common in the Pacific.
Solid-State Dewetting of Thin Films

Solid films are usually metastable or unstable in the as-deposited state, and they will dewet or agglomerate to form islands when heated to sufficiently high temperatures. This process is driven by surface energy minimization and can occur via surface diffusion well below a film's melting temperature, especially when the film is very thin. Dewetting during processing of films for use in micro- and nanosystems is often undesirable, and means of avoiding dewetting are important in this context. However, dewetting can also be useful in making arrays of nanoscale particles for electronic and photonic devices and for catalyzing growth of nanotubes and nanowires. Templating of dewetting using patterned surface topography or prepatterning of films can be used to create ordered arrays of particles and complex patterns of partially dewetted structures. Studies of dewetting can also provide fundamental new insight into the effects of surface energy anisotropy and facets on shape evolution.
Shear stress induced stimulation of mammalian cell metabolism

A flow apparatus has been developed for the study of the metabolic response of anchorage‐dependent cells to a wide range of steady and pulsatile shear stresses under well‐controlled conditions. Human umbilical vein endothelial cell monolayers were subjected to steady shear stresses of up to 24 dynes/cm2, and the production of prostacyclin was determined. The onset of flow led to a burst in prostacyclin production which decayed to a long term steady state rate (SSR). The SSR of cells exposed to flow was greater than the basal release level, and increased linearly with increasing shear stress. This study demonstrates that shear stress in certain ranges may not be detrimental to mammalian cell metabolism. In fact, throughout the range of shear stresses studied, metabolite production is maximized by maximizing shear stress.
TURBULENT FLOW OVER SUPERHYDROPHOBIC SURFACES - ROUGHNESS VERSUS SLIP

Superhydrophobic surfaces have the potential to reduce drag both in the laminar and turbulent regimes. However, the slip at the air-water interface can be adversely affected by the roughness of the structure of the surface which is needed to support the air layer. The conflicting effects of roughness and slip are investigated by direct numerical simulations of turbulent channel flow over patterned slip - no-slip surfaces. It is found that even a relatively small exposed roughness height can counteract the drag reducing effects of the slip at an air-water interface.
Design and modeling of a light powered biomimicry micropump

The design of compact micropumps to provide steady flow has been an on-going challenge in the field of microfluidics. In this work, a novel micropump concept is introduced utilizing bacteriorhodopsin and sugar transporter proteins. The micropump utilizes light energy to activate the transporter proteins, which create an osmotic pressure gradient and drive the fluid flow. The capability of the bio inspired micropump is demonstrated using a quasi 1D numerical model, where the contributions of bacteriorhodopsin and sugar transporter proteins are taken care of by appropriate flux boundary conditions in the flow channel. Proton flux created by the bacteriorhodopsin proteins is compared with experimental results to obtain the appropriate working conditions of the proteins. To identify the pumping capability, we also investigate the influences of several key parameters, such as the membrane fraction of transporter proteins, membrane proton permeability and the presence of light. Our results show that there is a wide bacteriorhodopsin membrane fraction range (from 0.2 to 10%) at which fluid flow stays nearly at its maximum value. Numerical results also indicate that lipid membranes with low proton permeability can effectively control the light source as a method to turn on/off fluid flow. This capability allows the micropump to be activated and shut off remotely without bulky support equipment. In comparison with existing micropumps, this pump generates higher pressures than mechanical pumps. It can produce peak fluid flow and shutoff head comparable to other non-mechanical pumps.
Snow stratigraphic heterogeneity within ground‐based passive microwave radiometer footprints: Implications for emission modeling

Two‐dimensional measurements of snowpack properties (stratigraphic layering, density, grain size, and temperature) were used as inputs to the multilayer Helsinki University of Technology (HUT) microwave emission model at a centimeter‐scale horizontal resolution, across a 4.5 m transect of ground‐based passive microwave radiometer footprints near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. Snowpack stratigraphy was complex (between six and eight layers) with only three layers extending continuously throughout the length of the transect. Distributions of one‐dimensional simulations, accurately representing complex stratigraphic layering, were evaluated using measured brightness temperatures. Large biases (36 to 68 K) between simulated and measured brightness temperatures were minimized (−0.5 to 0.6 K), within measurement accuracy, through application of grain scaling factors (2.6 to 5.3) at different combinations of frequencies, polarizations, and model extinction coefficients. Grain scaling factors compensated for uncertainty relating optical specific surface area to HUT effective grain size inputs and quantified relative differences in scattering and absorption properties of various extinction coefficients. The HUT model required accurate representation of ice lenses, particularly at horizontal polarization, and large grain scaling factors highlighted the need to consider microstructure beyond the size of individual grains. As variability of extinction coefficients was strongly influenced by the proportion of large (hoar) grains in a vertical profile, it is important to consider simulations from distributions of one‐dimensional profiles rather than single profiles, especially in sub‐Arctic snowpacks where stratigraphic variability can be high. Model sensitivity experiments suggested that the level of error in field measurements and the new methodological framework used to apply them in a snow emission model were satisfactory. Layer amalgamation showed that a three‐layer representation of snowpack stratigraphy reduced the bias of a one‐layer representation by about 50%.
Techniques for epicardial mapping and ablation with a miniature robotic walker

Background Present treatments for ventricular tachycardia have significant drawbacks. To ameliorate these drawbacks, it may be advantageous to employ an epicardial robotic walker that performs mapping and ablation with precise control of needle insertion depth. This paper examines the feasibility of such a system. Methods This paper describes the techniques for epicardial mapping and depth-controlled ablation with the robotic walker. The mapping technique developed for the current form of the system uses a single equivalent moving dipole (SEMD) model combined with the navigation capability of the walker. The intervention technique provides saline-enhanced radio frequency ablation, with sensing of needle penetration depth. The mapping technique was demonstrated in an artificial heart model with a simulated arrhythmia focus, followed by preliminary testing in the porcine model in vivo. The ablation technique was demonstrated in an artificial tissue model and then in chicken breast tissue ex vivo. Results The walker located targets to within 2 mm by using the SEMD mapping technique. No epicardial damage was found subsequent to the porcine trial in vivo. Needle insertion for ablation was controlled to within 2 mm of the target depth. Lesion size was repeatable, with diameter varying consistently in proportion to the volume of saline injected. Conclusion The experiments demonstrated the general feasibility of the techniques for mapping and depth-controlled ablation with the robotic walker.
Characterization of Carbonated Beverages Associated to Corrosion of Aluminium Packaging

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the characteristics of commercial soft drinks related with the corrosion process of the aluminium packaging and based on that, propose model solutions for future studies of beverage/package interaction and corrosion process of metal packages. Therefore, the pH, acidity, concentration of chlorides and copper in six types of soft drinks were determined, as well as the corrosion potential of the aluminium and the current density corrosion obtained in polarization curves using the beverages as electrolyte. Based on the results obtained, a solution of citric acid (pH = 3) containing chloride (250 mg/kg) and copper ions (250 µg/kg) is proposed. The obtained results are potentially useful for the industry and future studies regarding the interaction process between soft drinks and aluminium cans. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Thirdhand Cigarette Smoke: Factors Affecting Exposure and Remediation

Thirdhand smoke (THS) refers to components of secondhand smoke that stick to indoor surfaces and persist in the environment. Little is known about exposure levels and possible remediation measures to reduce potential exposure in contaminated areas. This study deals with the effect of aging on THS components and evaluates possible exposure levels and remediation measures. We investigated the concentration of nicotine, five nicotine related alkaloids, and three tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) in smoke exposed fabrics. Two different extraction methods were used. Cotton terry cloth and polyester fleece were exposed to smoke in controlled laboratory conditions and aged before extraction. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used for chemical analysis. Fabrics aged for 19 months after smoke exposure retained significant amounts of THS chemicals. During aqueous extraction, cotton cloth released about 41 times as much nicotine and about 78 times the amount of tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) as polyester after one hour of aqueous extraction. Concentrations of nicotine and TSNAs in extracts of terry cloth exposed to smoke were used to estimate infant/toddler oral exposure and adult dermal exposure to THS. Nicotine exposure from THS residue can be 6.8 times higher in toddlers and 24 times higher in adults and TSNA exposure can be 16 times higher in toddlers and 56 times higher in adults than what would be inhaled by a passive smoker. In addition to providing exposure estimates, our data could be useful in developing remediation strategies and in framing public health policies for indoor environments with THS.
Electrical dysfunctions in human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes from a patient with an arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Aims Our aim is to investigate the arrhythmogenic mechanism in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC)-patients by using human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs). Methods and results Human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes were generated from human skin fibroblasts of two healthy donors and an ARVC-patient with a desmoglein-2 (DSG2) mutation. Patch clamp, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and calcium imaging techniques were employed for the study. The amplitude and maximal upstroke velocity (Vmax) of action potential (AP) in ARVC-cells were smaller than that in healthy donor cells, whereas the resting potential and AP duration (APD) was not changed. The reduced Vmax resulted from decreased peak sodium current. The reason for undetected changes in APD may be the counter-action of reduced transient outward, small conductance Ca2+-activated, adenosine triphosphate-sensitive, Na/Ca exchanger (INCX) currents, and enhanced rapidly delayed rectifier currents. Isoprenaline (Iso) reduced INCX and shortened APD in both donor and ARVC-hiPSC-CMs. However, the effects of Iso in ARVC-cells are significantly larger than that in donor cells. In addition, ARVC-hiPSC-CMs showed more frequently than donor cells arrhythmogenic events induced by adrenergic stimulation. Conclusion Cardiomyocytes derived from the ARVC patient with a DSG2 mutation displayed multiple ion channel dysfunctions and abnormal cellular electrophysiology as well as enhanced sensitivity to adrenergic stimulation. These may underlie the arrhythmogenesis in ARVC patients.
'On the ground' in Sidi Bouzid: investigating social media use during the tunisian revolution

We present a study conducted in Sidi Bouzid, the Tunisian town where the Arab Revolution, also known as 'Arab Spring', started, and where the role of Web 2.0 and social media applications in the people's uprising have been much discussed. We identify four relevant phenomena: (1) the publication of classified materials via WikiLeaks challenged the regime's legitimacy, (2) Web 2.0 connected local activists with Arab satellite TV, (3) social media linked the young activists with actors in other cities in Tunisia, (4) social media allowed organizing resistance inside Sidi Bouzid. Methodologically, we question a too deterministic view of the role of the new media and the representativeness of investigative techniques that uniquely use the new media in order to assess their impact. At the same time, rigorous investigations 'on the ground' are extremely difficult. We present a modest and initial attempt to provide such an 'on the ground' approach, cognizant of necessary limitations. We compare our findings with studies which analyze data downloaded out of social media applications and suggest that studies of the kind we describe offer additional insight and play an essential role in better understanding political uses of social media.
Crucial role of Mer tyrosine kinase in the maintenance of SIGN‐R1+ marginal zone macrophages

Mer Tyrosine Kinase receptor (Mer) is involved in anti‐inflammatory efferocytosis. Here we report elevated spontaneous germinal center (Spt‐GC) responses in Mer‐deficient mice (Mer−/−) that are associated with the loss of SIGN‐R1+ marginal zone macrophages (MZMs). The dissipation of MZMs in Mer−/− mice occurs independently of reduced cellularity or delocalization of marginal zone B cells, sinusoidal cells or of CD169+ metallophillic macrophages. We find that MZM dissipation in Mer−/− mice contributes to apoptotic cell (AC) accumulation in Spt‐GCs and dysregulation of the GC checkpoint, allowing an expansion of DNA‐reactive B cells in GCs. We further observe that bone marrow derived macrophages from Mer−/− mice produce more TNFα, and are susceptible to cell death upon exposure to ACs compared to WT macrophages. Anti‐TNFα Ab treatment of Mer−/− mice is, however, unable to reverse MZM loss, but results in reduced Spt‐GC responses, indicating that TNFα promotes Spt‐GC responses in Mer−/− mice. Contrary to an anti‐TNFα Ab treatment, treatment of Mer−/− mice with a synthetic agonist for the transcription factor LXRα rescues a significant number of MZMs in vivo. Our data suggest that Mer‐LXRα signaling plays an important role in the differentiation and maintenance of MZMs, which in turn regulate Spt‐GC responses and tolerance.
Multiple losses of photosynthesis in Nitzschia (Bacillariophyceae)

In order to obtain insights into the evolution of colorless (apochlorotic) diatoms, we investigated newly established apochlorotic strains of Nitzschia spp. using light and electron microscopy and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Fluorescence microscopic observations demonstrated that the apochlorotic diatoms lack chlorophylls. Transmission electron microscopy of two apochlorotic strains also demonstrated that their plastids lacked thylakoids; instead, having four‐membrane‐bound organelles without thylakoids, similar to nonphotosynthetic plastid remnants. From the apochlorotic strains, we also found plastid small subunit rRNA genes that were unusually long branched in phylogenetic analyses, as observed in other nonphotosynthetic plastids. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the nucleus‐encoded large subunit rRNA genes showed eight distinct lineages for apochlorotic diatoms. The eight apochlorotic lineages were not monophyletic, suggesting that the loss of photosynthesis took place multiple times independently within Nitzschia. Several diatoms, including Nitzschia spp. , are mixotrophic, which is an expected mode of nutrition that would help explain the evolutionary switch from a photosynthetic lifestyle to a heterotrophic lifestyle.
PUBLIC EXPOSURE TO MULTIPLE RF SOURCES IN GHANA

This paper describes an effort to respond to the suggestion in World Health Organization (WHO) research agenda to better quantify potential exposure levels from a range of radiofrequency (RF) sources at 200 public access locations in Ghana. Wide-band measurements were performed-with a spectrum analyser and a log-periodic antenna using three-point spatial averaging method. The overall results represented a maximum of 0.19% of the ICNIRP reference levels for public exposure. These results were generally lower than found in some previous but were 58% (2.0 dB) greater, than found in similar work conducted in the USA. Major contributing sources of RF fields were identified to be FM broadcast and mobile base station sites. Three locations with the greatest measured RF fields could represent potential areas for epidemiological studies.
Floating-Point Shadow Value Analysis

Real-valued arithmetic has a fundamental impact on the performance and accuracy of scientific computation. As scientific application developers prepare their applications for exascale computing, many are investigating the possibility of using either lower precision (for better performance) or higher precision (for more accuracy). However, exploring alternative representations often requires significant code revision. We present a novel program analysis technique that emulates execution with alternative real number implementations at the binary level. We also present a Pin-based implementation of this technique that supports x86_64 programs and a variety of alternative representations.
Compression Moulding of Polypropylene Foams and Their Properties

Compression moulding was used to produce polypropylene foams using azodicarbonamide as a chemical blowing agent. The morphology of the foams is reported in terms of cell size, cell density, and skin thickness using 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3% of blowing agent. The resulting foams were characterized mechanically in terms of tensile and flexural moduli and comparison with mechanical models was made to predict foam performance. In general, mechanical properties, cell density, skin thickness and foam density decreased, while cell size increased with increasing amount of blowing agent. It was also found that simple mechanical models based solely on foam density and skin thickness were not able to correctly predict all the experimental data. For better prediction, foam density profile must be used.