Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of APD- and SPAD-Based Receivers for Visible Light Communications

Visible light communications is an alternative method of indoor wireless communications that requires sensitive receivers. Ideally, single photon avalanche detectors (SPADs) could be used to create more sensitive receivers. However, the dead time, finite output pulse width, and photon detection efficiency of existing SPAD arrays limit their sensitivity and bandwidth. In this paper, an accurate equation for the impact of dead time on the sensitivity of a SPAD array is presented. In addition, the impact of the width of the output pulses on the on–off keying data rate is investigated. Finally, a comparison between receivers containing an avalanche photo-diode (APD) and a large array of SPADs shows that although the receiver containing the SPAD is more sensitive in the dark, the APD-based receiver is more sensitive in a normal operating condition. However, the models that predict the performance of both receivers suggest that newer SPAD arrays will enable significant improvements in receiver sensitivity.
Immunohistochemical Expression of TGF-Β1, SMAD4, SMAD7, TGFβRII and CD68-Positive TAM Densities in Papillary Thyroid Cancer

BACKGROUND: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) accounts for 80% of the thyroid malignancies that are characterised by slow growth and an excellent prognosis. Over-expression of SMAD4 protein restores TGF-β signalling, determines a strong increase in anti-proliferative effect and reduces invasive potential of tumour cells expressing it. AIM: The study aimed to analyse the immunohistochemical expression of TGF-β1 and its downstream phosphorylated SMAD4, element and of the inhibitory SMAD7 PTC variants and their association with the localisation of TAMs within the tumour microenvironment. METHODS: For this retrospective study we investigated 69 patients immunohistochemistry with antibodies against TGF-β, TGF – β-RII, SMAD4, SMAD7, CD68+ macrophages. RESULTS: Patients with low infiltration with CD68+ cells in tumour stroma has significantly shorter survival (median of 129.267 months) compared to those with high CD68+ cells infiltration (p = 0.034). From the analysis of CD68+ cells in tumour border and tumour stroma correlated with expression of TGF-β1 / SMAD proteins, we observed that the positive expression of TGF-β1 in tumour cytoplasm, significantly correlated with increased number of CD68+ cells in tumour border (X2 = 5,945; p = 0.015). CONCLUSION: TGF-β enhances motility and stimulates recruitment of monocytes, macrophages and other immune cells while directly inhibiting their anti-tumour effector functions.
Detection of chronic lung allograft dysfunction using ventilation‐weighted Fourier decomposition MRI

Chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality after lung transplantation. Diagnosis requires spirometric change, which becomes increasingly difficult with advancing CLAD. Fourier decomposition magnetic resonance imaging (FD‐MRI) permits acquisition of ventilated‐weighted images during free‐breathing. This study evaluates FD‐MRI in detecting CLAD in selected patients after bilateral lung transplantation (DLTx). DLTx recipients demonstrating CLAD at various stages participated. Radiologists remained blinded to clinical status until completion of image analysis. Image acquisition used a 1.5‐T MR scanner using a spoiled gradient echo sequence. After FD processing and regional fractional ventilation (RFV) quantification, the volume defect percentage at 2 thresholds (VDP1,2), median lung RFV and quartile coefficient of dispersion (QCD) were calculated. Sixty‐two patients participated. CLAD was present in 29/62 (47%) patients, of whom 17/62 (27%) had forced expiratory volume in 1 second ≤65% at image acquisition. VDP1 was higher among these participants compared to other groups (P < .001). Increased VDP1 was associated with subsequent graft loss, with values >2% showing reduced survival, independent of degree of graft dysfunction (P = .005). VDP2 discriminated between presence or absence of CLAD (area under the curve = 0.71; P = .03). QCD increased significantly with advancing disease (P < .001). In conclusion, FD‐MRI‐derived parameters demonstrate potential in quantitative CLAD diagnosis and assessment after DLTx.
Comparison of Electroconvulsive Therapy with Imipramine in Endogenous Depression: A Double Blind Study

Summary Electroconvulsive therapy was compared with imipramine in the treatment of endogenous depression in a double blind randomized controlled trial. Both treatments produced equally significant improvement which was equally maintained till the end of six months. However ECT produced its effects quicker with lesser subjective side effects to the patient. ECT did not cause any organic brain dysfunction as assessed at the end of three and six months.
Correlates and consequences of central sleep apnea in a national sample of US veterans

The prevalence and consequences of central sleep apnea (CSA) in adults are not well described. By utilizing the large Veterans Health Administration (VHA) national administrative databases, we sought to determine the incidence, clinical correlates, and impact of CSA on healthcare utilization in Veterans. Analysis of a retrospective cohort of patients with sleep disorders was performed from outpatient visits and inpatient admissions from fiscal years 2006 through 2012. The CSA group, defined by International Classification of Diseases-9, was compared with a comparison group. The number of newly diagnosed CSA cases increased fivefold during this timeframe; however, the prevalence was highly variable depending on the VHA site. The important predictors of CSA were male gender (odds ratio [OR] = 2.31, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.94-2.76, p < 0.0001), heart failure (HF) (OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.64-1.92, p < 0.0001), atrial fibrillation (OR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.69-2.00, p < 0.0001), pulmonary hypertension (OR = 1.38, 95% CI:1.19-1.59, p < 0.0001), stroke (OR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.50-1.82, p < 0.0001), and chronic prescription opioid use (OR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.87-2.13, p < 0.0001). Veterans with CSA were at an increased risk for hospital admissions related to cardiovascular disorders compared with the comparison group (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.16-1.95, p = 0.002). Additionally, the effect of prior HF on future admissions was greater in the CSA group (IRR: 4.78, 95% CI: 3.87-5.91, p < 0.0001) compared with the comparison group (IRR = 3.32, 95% CI: 3.18-3.47, p < 0.0001). Thus, CSA in veterans is associated with cardiovascular disorders, chronic prescription opioid use, and increased admissions related to the comorbid cardiovascular disorders. Furthermore, there is a need for standardization of diagnostics methods across the VHA to accurately diagnose CSA in high-risk populations.
Antibiotic Persistence as a Metabolic Adaptation: Stress, Metabolism, the Host, and New Directions

Persistence is a phenomenon during which a small fraction of a total bacterial population survives treatment with high concentrations of antibiotics for an extended period of time. In conjunction with biofilms, antibiotic persisters represent a major cause of recalcitrant and recurring infections, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. In this review, we discuss the clinical significance of persister cells and the central role of bacterial metabolism in their formation, specifically with respect to carbon catabolite repression, sugar metabolism, and growth regulation. Additionally, we will examine persister formation as an evolutionary strategy used to tolerate extended periods of stress and discuss some of the response mechanisms implicated in their formation. To date, the vast majority of the mechanistic research examining persistence has been conducted in artificial in vitro environments that are unlikely to be representative of host conditions. Throughout this review, we contextualize the existing body of literature by discussing how in vivo conditions may create ecological niches that facilitate the development of persistence. Lastly, we identify how the development of next-generation sequencing and other “big data” tools may enable researchers to examine persistence mechanisms within the host to expand our understanding of their clinical importance.
Sex Differences in Adipose Tissue CD8+ T Cells and Regulatory T Cells in Middle-Aged Mice

The prevalence of cardiovascular disease has increased among middle-aged women in the United States, yet has declined in middle-aged men. In experimental stroke, middle-aged females have larger strokes and greater inflammation than age-matched males or younger females. The mechanism underlying this shift from an “ischemia-protected” to an “ischemia-sensitive” phenotype in aging females is unknown. One potential factor is an age-related increase in systemic factors that induce inflammation. Increased abdominal fat deposition is seen in women during middle age. Adipose tissue plays a key role in obesity-induced systemic inflammation, including increased pro-inflammatory cytokines. We hypothesized that age and sex differences in adipose immune cells promote an augmented pro-inflammatory milieu in middle-aged females driven by a balance shift between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory T cells. Abdominal adipose tissue immune cells from young (3–4 months) and middle-aged (15–16 months) male and female C57BL/6J mice were analyzed by flow cytometry. Plasma triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were determined with colorimetric assays. Middle-aged mice had higher adipose tissue mass compared to young mice. Lipid profiling showed no sex differences in TG and LDL, but middle-aged females had lower HDL (0.84 ± 0.07 μg/μl) than middle-aged males (1.35 ± 0.06 μg/μl). Flow cytometry data demonstrated an age-associated increase in adipose tissue CD8+ T cells that was augmented by female sex, with middle-aged females having a higher percentage of CD8+ cells (34.4 ± 3.2% of CD3+ T cells) than middle-aged males (24.4 ± 2.2%). This increase in CD8+ T-cell proportion was adipose tissue-specific, as this change was not observed in blood. Middle-aged females had higher numbers of activated (CD69+) CD8+ T cells than males. In addition, female CD8+ T cells produced higher levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and granzyme B ex vivo, and females had higher adipose levels of IFN-γ, RANTES and MIP-1β than middle-aged males. In parallel, females had lower levels of regulatory T cells (Tregs), an anti-inflammatory T-cell subtype, compared to age-matched males. In conclusion, middle-aged females have a detrimental combination of elevated pro-inflammatory T cells and decreased anti-inflammatory Tregs in adipose tissue, which may promote a pro-inflammatory milieu and contribute to increased cardiovascular disease burden in aging females.
Co-infection with filarial nematodes in Sapajus macrocephalus and Cebus albifrons (Primates: Cebidae) from the Peruvian Amazon

Abstract Dipetalonema caudispina (Molin, 1858) and D. gracile (Rudolphi, 1809) (Filarioidea: Onchocercidae) are two of six known species of filarial nematodes that parasitize Neotropical non-human primates. Adult filariae were collected from the thoracic and abdominal cavities of 38 of 44 specimens of Sapajus macrocephalus (Spix, 1823) and nine of ten specimens of Cebus albifrons (Humboldt, 1812) (Primates: Cebidae), distributed in the Yavarí-Mirín river basin and used locally for human consumption. Co-occurrence of D. caudispina and D. gracile is reported for the first time, with a prevalence of 18.5% (10 of 54 hosts examined). Our finding of D. caudispina and D. gracile in cebids from the Peruvian Amazon constitutes a new geographical record for both filariae, two new host records for D. caudispina, and the first report of D. gracile in S. macrocephalus. In addition, we provide morphometric data for D. caudispina, complementing the original description, as well as scanning electron microscopy details on the structure of the area rugosa and number of caudal papillae in males.
Heart Rate Variability Responses of Individuals With and Without Saline-Induced Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Postoperative development of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been attributed to the fluid overloaded state of patients during the postoperative period. In this context, alterations in cardiac autonomic regulation caused by OSA may explain the increased postoperative risk for adverse cardiovascular events. This study tests the hypothesis that individuals with fluid overload-induced OSA will experience autonomic dysregulation, compared to those without fluid overload-induced OSA. METHODS Twenty-one normotensive, nonobese (mean body mass index 24.5 kg/m2) males (mean age 37 years) underwent a sleep study. Participants were randomly assigned to infusion with saline during sleep either at the minimum rate (control) or as a bolus of 22 mL/kg body weight (intervention). Participants were blinded to the intervention and crossed over to the other study arm after 1 week. Measures of heart rate variability were calculated from electrocardiography recordings presaline and postsaline infusion in the intervention arm. Heart rate variability measures computed were: standard deviation of the RR interval; root mean square of successive differences; low-frequency, high-frequency, and total power; and the ratio of low-frequency to high-frequency power. RESULTS Although presaline infusion values were similar, postsaline infusion values of the standard deviation of the RR interval and high-frequency power were lower in the group whose apnea-hypopnea index increased in response to saline infusion, compared to the group whose apnea-hypopnea index did not increase in response to saline infusion (P < .05 for both). CONCLUSIONS Fluid overload-induced OSA is accompanied by a reduction in heart rate variability, consistent with vagal withdrawal. Future work should explore autonomic dysregulation in the postoperative period and its association with adverse events.
In vivo H1 MR spectroscopy using 3 Tesla to investigate the metabolic profiles of joint fluids in different types of knee diseases

In vivo proton (H1) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has not yet been systematically used to study joint fluids in human knees. The objective of this study, therefore, was to assess the ability of proton MRS to identify the apparent heterogeneous characteristics of metabolic spectra in the joint fluid regions in human knees using a high‐field MRI system. Eighty‐four patients with effusion lesions who were referred for routine knee MR imaging underwent proton MRS with point‐resolved, single‐voxel MR spectroscopy using a clinical 3.0 Tesla MRI system. Thirty‐eight patients were confirmed to have the following: degenerative osteoarthritis, 21 patients (Group 1); traumatic diseases, 12 patients (Group 2); infectious diseases, 4 patients and an inflammatory disease, 1 patient (Group 3). Spectroscopy data were analyzed using the public jMRUI freeware software to obtain lipid metabolites. Nonparametric statistical comparisons were performed to investigate any differences in metabolites among the three disease groups. The major metabolites were vinylic CH=CH lipids around 5.1−5.5 ppm, CH2 lipids around 1.1−1.5 ppm, and CH3 lipids around 0.7−1.0 ppm. Each patient had either a CH=CH lipid peak, CH2 and CH3 lipid peaks, or all three peaks. There were no significant differences among the three groups for the CH3 (p=0.9019), CH2 (p=0.6406), and CH=CH lipids (p=0.5467) and water (p=0.2853); none of the metabolites could differentiate between any of the three types of diseases. The CH2 lipids in the 38 patients who had confirmed fluid characteristics were significantly correlated with CH3 lipids (rho=0.835, p<0.0001). The ratio of CH3 to CH2 was highest in the degenerative disease. In both the degenerative and traumatic diseases, metabolite peaks of the vinylic CH=CH lipids around 5.1−5.5 ppm and of the sum of the CH2 and CH3 lipids around 0.7−1.5 ppm were observed, but in the infectious disease, only a metabolite peak of the sum of the CH2 and CH3 lipids was detected. Although none of the metabolites could statistically significantly differentiate between the three types of diseases, the different lipid metabolite peaks and their ratios in the three disease groups may give us a hint at the different mechanisms of joint fluids in the infectious, degenerative, and traumatic diseases. PACS number(s): 87.61. Ff, 33.25. +k, 87.14. Cc
The Use of Microwave Energy in Dental Prosthesis

Acrylic resins are used as denture base materials since 1937 (Craig, 1993) and heat-cured Poly(methyl-methacrylate) (PMMA) (Lay et al., 2004) composed by methyl methacrylate monomers chains is the most popular of them. Virtually, dentures are constructed from conventional polymer/monomer (Lay et al., 2004) processed by heat water-bath system and compression molding technique (Ganzarolli et al., 2002). It is prepared by mixing the monomer and polymer in a specific ratio, resulting in a dough mass that is packed and pressed in a flask for polymerization (Ganzarolli et al., 2007). Addition polymerization of PMMA requires the activation of the initiator (benzoyl peroxide) to provide free radicals. Polymerization takes place as the free radicals open the double bonds of the methyl methacrylate, creating a chain reaction where the monomer attaches to polymer free radicals (Bartoloni et al., 2000). When the polymerization reaction is activated by heat, the monomers form polymeric chains joined by high energy linkings (crossed-links) and this reaction would finish when all monomers have supposal been reacted (Machado et al., 2004). Although water-bath polymerization is extensively used to process PMMA, new resins and processing methods have been proposed in order to obtain better physical properties and to simplify the technique (Souza Jr. et al., 2006). Heating curing, chemical curing by pouring technique, light curing and microwave curing resin have been extensively studied for denture base processing (Harman, 1949; Nishii, 1968; Jerolimov et al., 1989; Urabe et al., 1999). Polymerization of heat-cured PMMA is usually carried out in a temperature-controlled water bath for at least 9 hours. However, the use of microwave energy to polymerize PMMA decreases the time to three minutes only, producing acrylic resin bases with the same quality as those polymerized by water bath technique (Nishii, 1968; Kimura et al, 1983; Hayden, 1986; Jerolimov et al., 1989; Del Bel Cury et al., 1994; Rizzatti-Barbosa et al., 1995; Braun et al., 1988; Ganzarolli et al., 2002; Yunus et al., 2005; Rizzatti-Barbosa et al., 2009). The microwave polymerization technique has advantages such us less equipment is required (Schnieder et al., 2002), the method is fast and clean, the final product has the same quality of physical properties, and it presents better accuracy of fit, resulting in improvement adaptation of denture base (Rizzatti-Barbosa et al., 1995; Rodrigues-Garcia et al., 1996; Compagnoni et al., 2004; Shibayama et al., 2009). The advantages of microwave heating over conventional heating are: (1) the inside and outside of substance are almost equally heated,
Development of Multifaceted Risk Taking and the Relations to Sex Steroid Hormones: A Longitudinal Study.

Risk taking is a multidimensional construct. It is currently unclear which aspects of risk-taking change most during adolescence and if/how sex hormones contribute to risk-taking tendencies. This study applied a longitudinal design with three time-points, separated by 2 years, in participants aged 8-29 years (670 observations). The Balloon Analogue Risk Task, a delay discounting task, and various self-report questionnaires were administered, to measure aspects of risk taking. Longitudinal analyses demonstrated mostly nonlinear age-related patterns in risk-taking behavior and approach-related personality characteristics (peaking in late adolescence). Increased testosterone and estradiol were found to increase risk-taking behavior and impulsive personality, but decrease avoidance-like personality. This study demonstrates that risk taking is most pronounced in mid-to-late adolescence and suggests that sex hormones accelerate this maturational process.
Synthesis, p38α MAP kinase inhibition, anti‐inflammatory activity, and molecular docking studies of 1,2,4‐triazole‐based benzothiazole‐2‐amines

Recent studies have demonstrated that inhibition of p38α MAP kinase could effectively inhibit pro‐inflammatory cytokines including TNF‐α and interleukins. Thus, inhibition of this enzyme can prove greatly beneficial in the therapy of chronic inflammatory diseases. A new series of N‐[3‐(substituted‐4H‐1,2,4‐triazol‐4‐yl)]‐benzo[d]thiazol‐2‐amines (4a–n) were synthesized and subjected to in vitro evaluation for anti‐inflammatory activity (BSA anti‐denaturation assay) and p38α MAPK inhibition. Among the compounds selected for in vivo screening of anti‐inflammatory activity (4b, 4c, 4f, 4g, 4j, 4m, and 4n), compound 4f was found to be the most active with an in vivo anti‐inflammatory efficacy of 85.31% when compared to diclofenac sodium (83.68%). It was also found to have a low ulcerogenic risk and a protective effect on lipid peroxidation. The p38α MAP kinase inhibition of this compound (IC50 = 0.036 ± 0.12 μM) was also found to be superior to the standard SB203580 (IC50 = 0.043 ± 0.27 μM). Furthermore, the in silico binding mode of the compound on docking against p38α MAP kinase exemplified stronger interactions than those of SB203580.
A High-Performance and Area-Efficient VLSI Architecture for the PRESENT Lightweight Cipher

Security and privacy are of prime concern in the emerging internet of things (IoT) and cyber-physical systems (CPS) based applications. Lightweight cryptography plays an essential role in securing the data in this emerging pervasive computing environments. In this paper, we propose a high-performance and area-efficient VLSI architecture with 64-bit datapath for the PRESENT block cipher. The proposed architecture performs an integrated encryption/decryption operation for both 80-bit and 128-bit key lengths. The architecture is synthesized for the Virtex-5 XC5VLX110T FPGA device, available on the Xilinx ML-505 platform. It has been observed that the proposed architecture utilizes 0.73% and 0.87% of FPGA slices for 80-bit and 128-bit key lengths, respectively. A throughput of 410 Mbps and power consumption is about 16 mW for both the key lengths.
The Implementation and Advancement of Palliative Care Nursing inTurkey

Over the last two decades the need for palliative care services has risen in the Middle East and surrounding countries, such as Turkey, driven largely by a dramatic increase in patients’ needs for late phase cancer care outside the walls of acute care centers. Nurses in Turkey are central to ensuring that the majority of these patients and families receive the highest quality palliative care possible. This manuscript describes the scope of palliative care nursing in Turkey highlighting pertinent legislation and the response of nursing education to provide quality care to patients and families in need. In order to describe in full the issues in providing palliative nursing care, the following areas are explored: (1) historical aspects of palliative care in Turkey, (2) organizational and legislative issues, (3) responses of educational programs, and (4) the research and clinical practice issues that impact palliative nursing care in Turkey. Conclusions are drawn and implications for the advancement of palliative nursing care in Turkey are discussed.