Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Earthquake Rupture in Fault Zones With Along‐Strike Material Heterogeneity

Geological and geophysical observations reveal along‐strike fault zone heterogeneity on major strike‐slip faults, which can play a significant role in earthquake rupture propagation and termination. I present 2‐D dynamic rupture simulations to demonstrate rupture characteristics in such heterogeneous fault zone structure. The modeled rupture is nucleated in a damaged fault zone and propagates on a preexisting fault toward the zone of intact rocks. There is an intermediate range of nucleation lengths that only allow rupture to spontaneously propagate in the damaged fault zone but not in a homogeneous medium given the same stresses and frictional parameters. Rupture with an intermediate nucleation length tends to stop when it reaches the zone of intact rocks for uniform fault stress conditions, especially when the rupture propagation distance in the damaged fault zone is relatively short and when the damaged fault zone is relatively narrow or smooth in the fault‐normal direction. Pronounced small‐scale heterogeneity within the damaged fault zone also contributes to such early rupture termination. In asymmetric fault zones bisected by a bimaterial fault, rupture moving in the direction of slip of faster rocks tends to terminate under the same conditions as in symmetric fault zones, whereas rupture moving in the direction of slip of slower rocks can penetrate into the zone of intact rocks. A sufficiently large asperity located at the edge of the zone of intact rocks also allows break‐through rupture. The results suggest that the along‐strike fault zone heterogeneity can play a critical role in seismicity distribution.
The Role of CD44 and ERM Proteins in Expression and Functionality of P-glycoprotein in Breast Cancer Cells

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is often attributed to the over-expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), which prevents the accumulation of anticancer drugs within cells by virtue of its active drug efflux capacity. We have previously described the intercellular transfer of P-gp via extracellular vesicles (EVs) and proposed the involvement of a unique protein complex in regulating this process. In this paper, we investigate the role of these mediators in the regulation of P-gp functionality and hence the acquisition of MDR following cell to cell transfer. By sequentially silencing the FERM domain-binding proteins, Ezrin, Radixin and Moesin (ERM), as well as CD44, which we also report a selective packaging in breast cancer derived EVs, we have established a role for these proteins, in particular Radixin and CD44, in influencing the P-gp-mediated MDR in whole cells. We also report for the first time the role of ERM proteins in the vesicular transfer of functional P-gp. Specifically, we demonstrate that intercellular membrane insertion is dependent on Ezrin and Moesin, whilst P-gp functionality is governed by the integrity of all ERM proteins in the recipient cell. This study identifies these candidate proteins as potential new therapeutic targets in circumventing MDR clinically.
Optical Imaging of the Heart

Optical techniques have revolutionized the investigation of cardiac cellular physiology and advanced our understanding of basic mechanisms of electrical activity, calcium homeostasis, and metabolism. Although optical methods are widely accepted and have been at the forefront of scientific discoveries, they have been primarily applied at cellular and subcellular levels and considerably less to whole heart organ physiology. Numerous technical difficulties had to be overcome to dynamically map physiological processes in intact hearts by optical methods. Problems of contraction artifacts, cellular heterogeneities, spatial and temporal resolution, limitations of surface images, depth-of-field, and need for large fields of view (ranging from 2×2 mm2 to 3×3 cm2) have all led to the development of new devices and optical probes to monitor physiological parameters in intact hearts. This review aims to provide a critical overview of current approaches, their contributions to the field of cardiac electrophysiology, and future directions of various optical imaging modalities as applied to cardiac physiology at organ and tissue levels.
Pharmacogenetics of ustekinumab in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

Aim/Materials & methods: Few studies have evaluated the influence of pharmacogenetics in psoriatic patients treated with ustekinumab. We evaluated 121 polymorphisms to study a possible association between these SNPs and the response to ustekinumab (PASI75 at 4 months; n = 69). RESULTS/CONCLUSION The adjusted results (false discovery rate) showed an association between five SNPs in TNFRSF1A, HTR2A, NFKBIA, ADAM33 and IL13 genes, and poor response to ustekinumab. Furthermore, six SNPs in CHUK, C17orf51, ZNF816A, STAT4, SLC22A4 and Corf72 genes were associated with better response to ustekinumab. However, there was no significant association between response to ustekinumab and SNPs in HLA-C as it has been recently described. Finally, a higher weight was obtained in nonresponders than responders (p = 0.018). Further studies would be necessary to be closer to personalized medicine.
Optic nerve enlargement and leukodystrophy: an unusual finding of the infantile form of Krabbe disease.

Pediatric Neurology Unit, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre RS, Brazil; Genetic Department, HCPA; Medical Genetic Service, HCPA; Professor of the Genetic Department, HCPA; Neuroradiology Department of Hospital Moinhos de Vento, Porto Alegre RS, Brazil; Pediatric Neurologist, Head of the Pediatric Neurology Unit, HCPA. Adjunct Professor, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre RS, Brazil; Pediatric Neurologist, Adjunct Professor, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre RS, Brazil. Leukodystrophies are a heterogeneous group of inherited neurological disorders characterized by progressive demyelination that causes loss of motor, sensory and intellectual functions leading to a fatal outcome. These disorders result from dysfunctions in myelin metabolism as a consequence of genetic enzymatic defects specific to each leukodystrophy subtype. Krabbe disease (KD), also called globoid cell leukodystrophy (GCL), is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern and has an estimated incidence of 1 in each 100,000/200,000 live births. It affects the peripheral and central nervous system (CNS). We report on two cases of the infantile form of KD and describe MRI findings that suggest optic nerve enlargement (ONE).
THE ORIGIN AND KINEMATICS OF COLD GAS IN GALACTIC WINDS: INSIGHT FROM NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS

We study the origin of Na i-absorbing gas in ultraluminous infrared galaxies motivated by the recent observations by Martin of extremely superthermal linewidths in this cool gas. We model the effects of repeated supernova explosions driving supershells in the central regions of molecular disks with Md = 1010 M☉, using cylindrically symmetric gas dynamical simulations run with ZEUS-3D. The shocked swept-up shells quickly cool and fragment by Rayleigh–Taylor (R–T) instability as they accelerate out of the dense, stratified disks. The numerical resolution of the cooling and compression at the shock fronts determines the peak shell density, and so the speed of R–T fragmentation. We identify cooled shells and shell fragments as Na i-absorbing gas and study its kinematics along various sightlines across the grid. We find that simulations with a numerical resolution of ⩽0.2 pc produce multiple R–T fragmented shells in a given line of sight that appear to explain the observed kinematics. We suggest that the observed wide Na i absorption lines, 〈v〉 = 320 ± 120 km s−1, are produced by these multiple fragmented shells traveling at different velocities. We also suggest that some shell fragments can be accelerated above the observed average terminal velocity of 750 km s−1 by the same energy-driven wind with an instantaneous starburst of ∼109 M☉. The mass carried by these fragments is only a small fraction of the total shell mass, while the bulk of mass is traveling with velocities consistent with the observed average shell velocity 330 ± 100 km s−1. Our results show that an energy-driven bubble causing R–T instabilities can explain the kinematics of cool gas seen in the Na i observations without invoking additional physics relying primarily on momentum conservation, such as entrainment of gas by Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities, ram pressure driving of cold clouds by a hot wind, or radiation pressure acting on dust.
Over-Complete Discrete Wavelet Transformation of the Normal Auditory Brainstem Response Improves Prediction of Outcome following Severe Acute Closed Head Injury

Previous research has shown that complex statistical analysis (discriminant function analysis) of a ‘normal’ auditory brainstem response (ABR) result can improve this measure’s ability to predict subject outcome following severe acute closed head injury (ACHI). We hypothesized that adding the ABR’s time-frequency information to such an analysis would improve this predictive value even further. ‘Normal’ ABR results were sampled from 69 severe ACHI subjects (22 of whom died and 47 of whom lived) and their time-frequency information extracted using an over-complete discrete wavelet transformation (OCDWT). A series of logistic regression analyses then showed correct predictions of death and survival as follows: ABR measures only 72 and 89% (respectively), ABR OCDWT measures only 82 and 89% (respectively), and ABR and ABR OCDWT measures combined 86 and 93% (respectively). These results showed that the addition of time-frequency information can improve the ability of the ‘normal’ ABR result to predict outcome following severe ACHI.
A comparison of the quantitative anatomy of the bronchi in normal subjects, in status asthmaticus, in chronic bronchitis, and in emphysema

The quantitative anatomy of the bronchi has been studied in sudden deaths in normal subjects, in deaths from status asthmaticus and chronic bronchitis, and in patients with emphysema. In the normal bronchi the observed range of values for the percentage volume of mucous glands was between 7·6 and 16·7. In the status asthmaticus group the mucous gland volume was greatly increased and in no case was there an overlap with the normal subjects. In the 19 cases of chronic bronchitis, two cases had values of 15·2 and 15·4% respectively, but all the others had values higher than the normal range and, in two instances, values of over 40% were obtained. The values obtained for mucous gland volume in the bronchi in emphysema were variable, approximately half being within the normal range. The bronchial smooth muscle accounted for 4·6±2·2% of the volume of the normal bronchial wall. The values obtained in chronic bronchitis and emphysema did not differ significantly from this but in those dying of status asthmaticus there was a very significant increase with a mean value of 11·9±3·36.
Judging Strangers’ Trustworthiness is Associated with Theory of Mind Skills

Trusting people requires evaluating them to assess their trustworthiness. Evaluating a stranger’s intentions is likely to be one method of assessing trustworthiness. The present study tested the hypothesis that judgments of trustworthiness are associated with mind reading skills, also called theory of mind (ToM). We tested a group of healthy participants and a group of patients with paranoid schizophrenia. Both groups made ToM judgments and judged the trustworthiness of strangers. Participants were also assessed for their disposition to trust as well as levels of paranoid belief. As anticipated, healthy participants had a normal ToM scores and patients with paranoid schizophrenia had poor ToM scores. In paranoid patients, better ability to read others’ minds was associated with judging others as more trustworthy, while the reverse was found in the healthy participants (better mind reading was associated with judging others as less trustworthy), suggesting a non-linear relationship between trust in others and being able to read their intentions.
Surgical and Audiologic Outcomes in Endoscopic Stapes Surgery across 4 Institutions

Objectives To investigate intra- and postoperative outcomes of endoscopic stapes surgery. Study Design Case series with chart review. Setting Four tertiary care otologic centers. Subjects and Methods Sixty-five subjects 18 years and older who underwent endoscopic stapes surgeries were analyzed. Variables analyzed included surgical techniques and intraoperative findings. Outcomes measured included postoperative hearing and complications to date. Results Fifty-one patients met inclusion and exclusion criteria. The average patient age was 48.1 years (range, 26-87 years), with 60.0% female patients. Patients had a median follow-up of 5.13 months (range, 0.8-57.4 months). Of the subjects, 71.7% required scutum removal. The chorda tympani nerve was manipulated in 94.0% of subjects and transected in 12.0%. At last follow-up visit, the median air-bone gap decreased from 34.5 dB hearing level (HL) preoperatively to 9.0 dB HL postoperatively (P < .0001). Ninety percent of subjects had closure of their air-bone gap ≤20 dB HL. Intraoperative complications included tympanic membrane tears in 8.0% of subjects, all of which resolved at first follow-up. Postoperatively, 10.0% of subjects complained of altered taste. Conclusions The present multicentered study of endoscopic stapes surgery demonstrates similar audiometric and postoperative outcomes previously published in the literature, with a median postoperative air-bone gap of 9.0 dB HL. Future prospective endoscopic stapes surgery studies, addressing the need for scutum removal, postoperative taste changes, and pain scores, are merited.
Biased finger trees and three-dimensional layers of maxima: (preliminary version)

We present a method for maintaining biased search trees so as to support fast finger updates (i.e., updates in which one is given a pointer to the part of the tree being changed). We illustrate the power of such biased finger trees by showing how they can be used to derive an optimal <italic>O</italic>(<italic>n</italic>log<italic>n</italic>) algorithm for the 3-dimensional layers-of-maxima problem and also obtain an improved method for dynamic point location.
Integration of thermal imaging with subsurface radiofrequency thermistor heating for the purpose of skin tightening and contour improvement: a retrospective review of clinical efficacy.

INTRODUCTION Radiofrequency has remained a staple procedure for the treatment of skin laxity as therapeutic heat thresholds effectively promote collagen remodeling. Nevertheless, comprehensive skin tightening involves both dermal and hypodermal collagen remodeling. However, transcutaneous radiofrequency is unable to deliver consistent and measurable temperatures to the hypodermal layers. Herein, we evaluated a newly emerging approach that provides precise and controlled subdermal heating is thermistor-controlled subdermal skin tightening (ThermiTight) using a percutaneous radiofrequency treatment probe. METHODS A retrospective analysis of 35 patients was completed on patients having undergone ThermiTight for submental skin tightening. Treated sites included under-chin and under-chin and jowls. The ThermiTight probe temperature was set between 50 to 60 °C and was maintained using the thermistor integrated electrode. The probe was guided at a deliberate pace, treating a surface area of 3.0 cm2 every two minutes. The clinical endpoint was an epidermal temperature of 42 °C. Two blinded reviewers assessed photographs taken at baseline and 30 days post-procedure. They were randomly presented with a photograph and asked to rate the photograph using a 4.0 skin laxity scale. RESULTS The combined mean change comparing baseline and post-procedure skin laxity scores was -0.78, which was statistically significant (Table 2; P<0.0001). Each blinded reviewer correctly categorized photographs as either being "baseline" or "post-procedure" 89% of the time. No adverse events were reported. DISCUSSION These data demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the ThermiTIght procedure for the treatment of skin laxity.
The Weight-Inclusive versus Weight-Normative Approach to Health: Evaluating the Evidence for Prioritizing Well-Being over Weight Loss

Using an ethical lens, this review evaluates two methods of working within patient care and public health: the weight-normative approach (emphasis on weight and weight loss when defining health and well-being) and the weight-inclusive approach (emphasis on viewing health and well-being as multifaceted while directing efforts toward improving health access and reducing weight stigma). Data reveal that the weight-normative approach is not effective for most people because of high rates of weight regain and cycling from weight loss interventions, which are linked to adverse health and well-being. Its predominant focus on weight may also foster stigma in health care and society, and data show that weight stigma is also linked to adverse health and well-being. In contrast, data support a weight-inclusive approach, which is included in models such as Health at Every Size for improving physical (e.g., blood pressure), behavioral (e.g., binge eating), and psychological (e.g., depression) indices, as well as acceptability of public health messages. Therefore, the weight-inclusive approach upholds nonmaleficience and beneficience, whereas the weight-normative approach does not. We offer a theoretical framework that organizes the research included in this review and discuss how it can guide research efforts and help health professionals intervene with their patients and community.
Speech segmentation using a hypothesis test based on Random Matrix Theory

Speech segmentation to covariance-stationary regions is of interest, for example in subspace-based speech enhancement. However as the true covariance matrices of speech segments are unknown, it is usual to use their sample estimates. To check whether two sample covariance matrices have been drawn from the same distribution or not, we have used a test statistic previously proposed for image segmentation. We have derived a new expression for the decision threshold using Random Matrix Theory. Finally, a novel segmentation procedure is proposed and applied to both synthetic and speech data. The presented simulation results show the low computational cost and good performance.
Overexpression of leptin mRNA in mesenteric adipose tissue in inflammatory bowel diseases.

BACKGROUND Leptin, a protein with a cytokine-like structure, is produced predominantly by adipocytes. It appears to play a key role in immune responses by increasing the secretion of Th1 and pro-inflammatory cytokines. As fat-wrapping is a characteristic feature of Crohn's disease (CD), and as increased leptin levels have been reported in animal models of intestinal inflammation, this study investigated whether mesenteric adipose tissue could be a source of leptin in human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). AIM To quantify the expression of leptin mRNA in mesenteric adipose tissue of patients with CD or ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS Specimens were obtained from mesenteric white adipose tissue close to healthy and inflammatory small intestine and/or colon in patients with CD or UC and, for controls, from apparently healthy mesentery of patients operated for carcinoma of the right colon. The expression of leptin mRNA was assessed by reverse transcription-competitive polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Leptin mRNA levels were significantly higher in mesenteric adipose tissue of CD and UC patients than in controls (P<0.05). In CD and UC, concentrations were not significantly different in mesenteric fat specimens, whether contiguous to macroscopically normal or grossly abnormal intestine. CONCLUSIONS This study provides the first evidence of a novel abnormality of the mesentery of patients with IBD. Overexpression of leptin mRNA in mesenteric adipose tissue may contribute to (a) the inflammatory process, (b) enhancement of mesenteric TNF alpha expression in CD (as recently reported), and/or (c) the anorexia frequently reported during flares of IBD.
Maintenance Immunosuppressive Agents as Risk Factors for BK Virus Nephropathy: A Case-Control Study

Background. The specific role of different immunosuppressive agents as risk factors for BK virus nephropathy (BKN) has not been well studied. Methods. In this case-control study, we examined the association of tacrolimus (TAC), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and prednisone with BKN in renal allograft recipients transplanted between 1997 and 2004 at our center who underwent biopsies for allograft dysfunction. Drug levels or doses were recorded during the 3 months before the index biopsy. Random effects logistic modeling was used for data analysis. Results. There were 33 cases with BKN, biopsied at 16.4±2.8 months and 66 matched controls with biopsies at 21.5±2.1 months posttransplant (P=0.16). After adjusting for sex, race, retransplant status, diabetes, donor source, and induction agent, TAC blood level was associated with increased risk of BKN (odds ratio [OR] 1.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.7, P=0.03), whereas MMF dose was not (OR 1.0, 95% CI 0.99-1.0, P=0.2). Moreover, prednisone dose was also found to be a significant risk factor for BKN (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.04-1.4, P=0.02). Conclusions. The results of this study show that BKN is associated with TAC level and prednisone dose and not with MMF dose. This suggests that reducing TAC and prednisone dose and maintaining MMF may be a more appropriate initial approach for the treatment of BKN. Further studies are needed to compare the efficacy and safety of this approach with the currently recommended one.
Fast Fully-Compressed Suffix Trees

We speed up the fully-compressed suffix tree representation (FCST),which is the only one using asymptotically optimal space. Classical representations of suffix trees are fast, but require too much space(O(nlog n) bits for a string of length n over an alphabet of size σ, which is considerably more than the n log σ bits needed to represent the string). Modern compressed suffix tree representations are smaller, getting close to the compressed string size, and achieve constant to sublogarithmic time for most operations. However, their space is not fully optimal. An exception is the FCST, which achieves fully optimal space but its times are super logarithmic. Our contribution significantly accelerates the FCST representation, achieving for many operations log-logarithmic times on typical texts. The resulting FCST variant becomes very attractive in terms of space and time, and a promising alternative in practice.
Blind System Identification Using Sparse Learning for TDOA Estimation of Room Reflections

Localization of early room reflections can be achieved by estimating the time-differences-of-arrival (TDOAs) of reflected waves between elements of a microphone array. For an unknown source, we propose to apply sparse blind system identification (BSI) methods to identify the acoustic impulse responses, from which the TDOAs of temporally sparse reflections are estimated. The proposed time- and frequency-domain adaptive algorithms based on crossrelation formulation are regularized by incorporating an l1 -norm sparseness constraint, which is realized using a split Bregman method. These algorithms are shown to outperform standard crossrelation-based BSI techniques when estimating TDOAs of reflections in the presence of background noise.