Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of disc damage likelihood scale, cup to disc ratio, and Heidelberg retina tomograph in the diagnosis of glaucoma

Aim: To evaluate the relative diagnostic strength of cup to disc (C/D) ratio, clinical disc damage likelihood scale (DDLS), a new clinical method of documenting glaucomatous optic disc changes, and Heidelberg retina tomograph (HRT-II) in patients with glaucoma, glaucoma suspects, and normal controls. Method: Consecutive observational case series. 110 eyes from 110 patients categorised as glaucoma, glaucoma suspect, or normal were examined clinically to grade the DDLS score. HRT-II examination was performed by an examiner masked to the clinical examination findings. Optic disc parameters and Moorfields regression analysis findings were recorded. Stereophotographs of the optic disc were examined independently by two glaucoma specialists in masked fashion to determine the C/D ratio. Zeiss SITA Standard 24-2 visual fields were obtained within 3 months of HRT-II and clinical examination. For each patient, the eye with the worse mean deviation of the visual field test was enrolled in the study, and each field was additionally graded by the four level Hodapp-Parrish-II-Anderson staging. Specificity and sensitivity were calculated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: Mean patient age was 58 years (SD 13.3) with 45 glaucoma patients, 23 glaucoma suspects, and 42 normals. The mean deviation on Humphrey visual field assessment using SITA-Standard was −4.95 D (SD 5 D) Clinical examination using DDLS had the best predictive power with an area under the ROC curve value of 0.95 when glaucoma patients and suspects were separated from borderline or normals. This was followed by clinical examination of C/D ratio (0.84), and HRT-II Moorfields analysis (0.68). The order of diagnostic strength did not change when definite glaucoma was compared to borderline and normals. Conclusions: The DDLS grading performs well compared to C/D ratio and HRT-II evaluation. Attention to disc diameter and to rim width may increase the value of clinical optic disc examination.
Forest Walk Methods for Localizing Body Joints from Single Depth Image

We present multiple random forest methods for human pose estimation from single depth images that can operate in very high frame rate. We introduce four algorithms: random forest walk, greedy forest walk, random forest jumps, and greedy forest jumps. The proposed approaches can accurately infer the 3D positions of body joints without additional information such as temporal prior. A regression forest is trained to estimate the probability distribution to the direction or offset toward the particular joint, relative to the adjacent position. During pose estimation, the new position is chosen from a set of representative directions or offsets. The distribution for next position is found from traversing the regression tree from new position. The continual position sampling through 3D space will eventually produce an expectation of sample positions, which we estimate as the joint position. The experiments show that the accuracy is higher than current state-of-the-art pose estimation methods with additional advantage in computation time.
Effect of intraocular pressure on rapid axoplasmic transport in monkey optic nerve.

Tritiated leucine was injected into the vitreous of owl monkeys (Aotus trivirgatus) to make it available to retinal ganglion cells for protein synthesis. Intraocular pressure was maintained for eight hours at selected levels between 15 and 105 mm. Hg. Autoradiography and scintillation counting were used to follow the movement of the labeled protein along the axons from the retinal ganglion cells to the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) by axoplasmic transport. At normal levels of intraocular pressure, label was distributed continuously along the retina, optic disc, and nerve, and radioactive label reached the LGN by eight hours. When the intraocular pressure was moderately elevated there was partial obstruction of axoplasmic transport in the region of the lamina cribrosa, but some label reached the optic nerve and LGN. When intraocular pressure was elevated to within 25 mm. Hg of mean blood pressure, there was complete obstruction of transport at the lamina cribrosa and label did not reach the LGN; retinal synthesis and transport along the axons to the optic nerve head continued. When the intraocular pressure approached or exceeded mean blood pressure, retinal synthesis stopped, as evidenced by absence of label in both the retina and disc. Our conclusions are that: (1) axoplasmic transport is affected by intraocular pressure, (2) there is a selective effect deep in the optic nerve head at the lamina cribrosa, and (3) a partial effect can be detected even at moderate elevations of intraocular pressure. Whether the obstruction is mechanical or is secondary to reduced blood flow has not been determined, and the exact relevance of these findings to the pathogenic mechanisms of glaucomatous cupping is not yet clear.
Online Condition Monitoring of Power MOSFET Gate Oxide Degradation Based on Miller Platform Voltage

The condition monitoring problem of power devices is significant for diagnostics and prognostics of a switched-mode power supply (SMPS) system. For power mosfet, the gate oxide degradation often occurs in various applications. However, there is no online condition monitoring method for gate oxide degradation so far. In this paper, a new precursor that can be used for online condition monitoring of power mosfet gate oxide degradation is proposed. Gate oxide degradation mechanisms and effect are summarized, and the mosfet turn-on process is analyzed. Then, a theoretical model is established to describe the relationship between miller platform voltage and two types of gate oxide defects, and miller platform voltage is identified as a new precursor. The precursor can be extracted without impacting system operation, thus online condition monitoring can be accomplished. The accelerated degradation test is carried out for power mosfets with both high electric field and gamma irradiation methods, and the degraded devices injection and in situ monitoring of miller platform voltage are conducted on a BOOST circuit to verify the feasibility of the new precursor. Experimental results demonstrate that the new precursor can be applied to online condition monitoring of power mosfet gate oxide degradation in the SMPS system.
Hubble Space Telescope Observations of Heavy Elements in Metal-Poor Galactic Halo Stars

We present new abundance determinations of neutron-capture elements Ge, Zr, Os, Ir, and Pt in a sample of 11 metal-poor (-3.1 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤ -1.6) Galactic halo giant stars, based on Hubble Space Telescope UV and Keck I optical high-resolution spectroscopy. The stellar sample is dominated by r-process-rich stars such as the well-studied CS 22892-052 and BD +17°3248 but also includes the r-process-poor, bright giant HD 122563. Our results demonstrate that abundances of the third r-process peak elements Os, Ir, and Pt in these metal-poor halo stars are very well correlated among themselves and with the abundances of the canonical r-process element Eu (determined in other studies), thus arguing for a common origin or site for r-process nucleosynthesis of heavier (Z > 56) elements. However, the large (and correlated) scatters of [Eu, Os, Ir, Pt/Fe] suggest that the heaviest neutron-capture r-process elements are not formed in all supernovae. In contrast, the Ge abundances of all program stars track their Fe abundances, very well. An explosive process on iron peak nuclei (e.g., the α-rich freezeout in supernovae), rather than neutron capture, appears to have been the dominant synthesis mechanism for this element at low metallicities: Ge abundances seem completely uncorrelated with Eu. The correlation (with very small scatter) of Ge and Fe abundances suggests that Ge must have been produced rather commonly in stars, even at early times in the Galaxy, over a wide range of metallicity. The Zr abundances show much the same behavior as Ge with (perhaps) somewhat more scatter, suggesting some variations in abundance with respect to Fe. The Zr abundances also do not vary cleanly with Eu abundances, indicating a synthesis origin different than that of heavier neutron-capture elements. Detailed abundance distributions for CS 22892-052 and BD +17°3248, combining the new elemental determinations for Os-Pt and recently published Nd and Ho measurements, show excellent agreement with the solar system r-process curve from the elements Ba to Pb. The lighter n-capture elements, including Ge, in general fall below the same solar system r-process curve that matches the heavier elements.
Virulence test using nematodes to prescreen Nocardia species capable of inducing neurodegeneration and behavioral disorders

Background Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a disorder characterized by dopaminergic neuron programmed cell death. The etiology of PD remains uncertain—some cases are due to selected genes associated with familial heredity, others are due to environmental exposure to toxic components, but over 90% of cases have a sporadic origin. Nocardia are Actinobacteria that can cause human diseases like nocardiosis. This illness can lead to lung infection or central nervous system (CNS) invasion in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals. The main species involved in CNS are N. farcinica, N. nova, N. brasiliensis and N. cyriacigeorgica. Some studies have highlighted the ability of N. cyriacigeorgica to induce Parkinson’s disease-like symptoms in animals. Actinobacteria are known to produce a large variety of secondary metabolites, some of which can be neurotoxic. We hypothesized that neurotoxic secondary metabolite production and the onset of PD-like symptoms in animals could be linked. Methods Here we used a method to screen bacteria that could induce dopaminergic neurodegeneration before performing mouse experiments. Results The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans allowed us to demonstrate that Nocardia strains belonging to N. cyriacigeorgica and N. farcinica species can induce dopaminergic neurodegeneration. Strains of interest involved with the nematodes in neurodegenerative disorders were then injected in mice. Infected mice had behavioral disorders that may be related to neuronal damage, thus confirming the ability of Nocardia strains to induce neurodegeneration. These behavioral disorders were induced by N. cyriacigeorgica species (N. cyriacigeorgica GUH-2 and N. cyriacigeorgica 44484) and N. farcinica 10152. Discussion We conclude that C. elegans is a good model for detecting Nocardia strains involved in neurodegeneration. This model allowed us to detect bacteria with high neurodegenerative effects and which should be studied in mice to characterize the induced behavioral disorders and bacterial dissemination.
Ethnic differentials in under-five mortality in Nigeria

Objective. There are huge regional disparities in under-five mortality in Nigeria. While a region within the country has as high as 222 under-five deaths per 1000 live births, the rate is as low as 89 per 1000 live births in another region. Nigeria is culturally diverse as there are more than 250 identifiable ethnic groups in the country; and various ethnic groups have different sociocultural values and practices which could influence child health outcome. Thus, the main objective of this study was to examine the ethnic differentials in under-five mortality in Nigeria. Design. The study utilized 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) data. We analyzed data from a nationally representative sample drawn from 33,385 women aged 15–49 that had a total of 104,808 live births within 1993–2008. In order to examine ethnic differentials in under-five mortality over a sufficiently long period of time, our analysis considered live births within 15 years preceding the 2008 NDHS. The risks of death in children below age five were estimated using Cox proportional regression analysis. Results were presented as hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results. The study found substantial differentials in under-five mortality by ethnic affiliations. For instance, risks of death were significantly lower for children of the Yoruba tribes (HR: 0.39, CI: 0.37–0.42, p < 0.001), children of Igbo tribes (HR: 0.58, CI: 0.55–0.61, p < 0.001) and children of the minority ethnic groups (HR: 0.66, CI: 0.64–0.68, p < 0.001), compared to children of the Hausa/Fulani/Kanuri tribes. Besides, practices such as plural marriage, having higher-order births and too close births showed statistical significance for increased risks of under-five mortality (p < 0.05). Conclusion. The findings of this study stress the need to address the ethnic norms and practices that negatively impact on child health and survival among some ethnic groups in Nigeria.
Foreign ownership structure, technology upgrading and exports: Evidence from Chinese firms

We examine the role of foreign ownership structure in stimulating technology and skill upgrading, and exporting in Chinese manufacturing firms that were taken over by foreign owners. The analysis considers the period 2001 to 2007. We use a propensity score reweighted least squares estimation to control for the possible endogeneity of the acquisition decision. Our results indicate that there are strong effects on export activity post-acquisition for all types of ownership share. We also find that targets that are taken over with a less than 100 per cent foreign ownership share experience increases in new product development and R&D upgrading due to the acquisition. Overall, our results suggest that joint ventures between foreign owners and Chinese firms can contribute positively to China's 'science and technology take-off'.
Association between body weight and periodontal infection.

BACKGROUND Besides being a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers and type II diabetes, obesity has been suggested to be a risk factor for periodontitis. A number of epidemiological studies have studied the association between obesity and periodontitis, but the results have been partly inconclusive. The aim of this study was to examine the association of body weight with periodontal infection. MATERIAL AND METHODS The association between body weight and periodontal infection was examined using a nationally representative Health 2000 Health Examination Survey. The study was based on a subpopulation of dentate non-diabetic subjects aged 30-49 (n=2841). Periodontal infection was measured by the number of teeth with periodontal pockets of 4 mm or deeper and 6 mm or deeper. Body weight was measured using body mass index (BMI). RESULTS We detected a weak exposure-response association of BMI with teeth with deepened periodontal pockets after controlling for smoking habits by restricting the sample to subjects who have never smoked and for other potential confounders by including them in the multivariate models. CONCLUSIONS The results showed an association between body weight and periodontal infection among the non-diabetic, non-smoking population aged 30-49. Additional research is needed to determine the nature of this association.
Effectiveness of pyriproxyfen and olyset duo in controlling insecticide resistant mosquito populations in Burkina Faso

The escalation of Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) mass distribution marked the beginning of a period of malaria decline in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the emergence and spread of insecticide resistance in malaria mosquitoes is a threat to the effectiveness and sustainability of this vector control method. In this context, it is necessary to design and evaluate new compounds and methods that attenuate or even reverse the insecticide resistance trend. Olyset Duo is a novel LLIN that combines the insecticide properties of permethrin and the chemosterilising effect of pyriproxyfen (PPF). The rationale is that resistant mosquitoes that survive the contact with the net would not be able to transfer the resistance genes to the offspring, eventually influencing the resistant phenotype of the mosquito population. In the first part of this study the sterilising and sub-lethal effect of PPF and Olyset Duo was evaluated by a range of bioassays with laboratory and wild mosquito populations. PPF significantly affected the longevity, oogenesis, oviposition and hatching rate of susceptible and resistant mosquitoes, although the effect was partially diminished on the resistant colonies. The possible reasons and implications of PPF performance under controlled conditions are discussed. The second part of this thesis was done within the context of an Olyset Duo Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) set in Banfora District, Burkina Faso. The RCT had a stepped-wedge design which ensured that Olyset Duo nets gradually replaced Olyset nets in randomly allocated cluster of villages until the Olyset Duo coverage was total. Wild mosquitoes collected in sentinel sites with Olyset Duo showed evident signs of reproductive impairment even after 1 year of deployment. Insecticide resistance strength was monitored during the RCT in several sentinel sites, and time-response data showed an overall reduction of permethrin resistance strength after the distribution of Olyset Duo. This is the most detailed study on the effect of Olyset Duo on key entomological factors of wild mosquito populations. The standardised protocols as well as the dataset obtained are valuable information for ongoing evaluation of Olyset Duo and PPF as a tool for controlling malaria mosquitoes and as a potential alternative for insecticide resistance management.
Synaptic lability after experience-dependent plasticity is not mediated by calcium-permeable AMPARs

Activity- or experience-dependent plasticity has been associated with the trafficking of calcium-permeable α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (CP-AMPARs) in a number of experimental systems. In some cases it has been shown that CP-AMPARs are only transiently present and can be removed in an activity-dependent manner. Here we test the hypothesis that the presence of CP-AMPARs confers instability onto recently potentiated synapses. Previously we have shown that altered sensory input (single-whisker experience; SWE) strengthens layer 4-2/3 excitatory synapses in mouse primary somatosensory cortex, in part by the trafficking of CP-AMPARs. Both in vivo and in vitro, this potentiation is labile, and can be depressed by N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-activation. In the present study, the role of CP-AMPARs in conferring this synaptic instability after in vivo potentiation was evaluated. We develop an assay to depress the strength of individual layer 4-2/3 excitatory synapses after SWE, using a strontium (Sr++)-replaced artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) solution (Sr-depression). This method allows disambiguation of changes in quantal amplitude (a post-synaptic measure) from changes in event frequency (typically a presynaptic phenomenon). Presynaptic stimulation paired with post-synaptic depolarization in Sr++ lead to a rapid and significant reduction in EPSC amplitude with no change in event frequency. Sr-depression at recently potentiated synapses required NMDARs, but could still occur when CP-AMPARs were not present. As a further dissociation between the presence of CP-AMPARs and Sr-depression, CP-AMPARs could be detected in some cells from control, whisker-intact animals, although Sr-depression was never observed. Taken together, our findings suggest that CP-AMPARs are neither sufficient nor necessary for synaptic depression after in vivo plasticity in somatosensory cortex. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled “Calcium permeable AMPARs in synaptic plasticity and disease. ”
Interactions of inbreeding and stress by poor host quality in a root hemiparasite

Background and Aims Populations of many hemiparasitic plants are fragmented and threatened by inbreeding depression (ID). In addition, they may also be strongly affected by a lack of suitable host species. However, nothing is known about possible interactive effects of inbreeding and host quality for parasitic plants. Poor host quality represents a special type of biotic stress and the magnitude of ID is often expected to be higher in more stressful environments. Methods We studied the effects of inbreeding and the quality of host species for the declining root hemiparasite Rhinanthus alectorolophus. Selfed and open-pollinated parasites from two natural populations were grown (1) with 13 potential host species and (2) with 15 four-species mixtures. Key Results ID differed among host species and mixtures. In the first experiment, ID was highest in parasites grown with good hosts and declined with stress intensity. In the second experiment, ID was not influenced by stress intensity, but was highest in mixtures of hosts from only one functional group and lowest in mixtures containing three functional groups. Both parasite performance with individual host species and the damage to these host species differed between parasites from the two study populations. Conclusions Our results contradict the common assumption that ID is generally higher in more stressful environments. In addition, they support the importance of diverse host communities for hemiparasitic plants. The differences in host quality between the two parasite populations indicate genetic variation in the adaptation to individual hosts and in host-specific virulence. However, inbreeding did not affect specific host–parasite interactions.
Investigating network architectures for body sensor networks

The choice of network architecture for body sensor networks is an important one because it significantly affects overall system design and performance. Current approaches use propagation models or specific medium access control protocols to study architectural choices. The issue with the first approach is that the models do not capture the effects of interference and fading. Further, the question of architecture can be raised without imposing a specific MAC protocol. In this paper, we first evaluate the star and multihop network topologies against design goals, such as power and delay efficiency. We then design experiments to investigate the behavior of electromagnetic propagation at 2.4 GHz through and around the human body. Along the way, we develop a novel visualization tool to aid in summarizing information across all pairs of nodes, thus providing a way to discern patterns in large data sets visually. Our results suggest that while a star architecture with nodes operating at low power levels might suffice in a cluttered indoor environment, nodes in an outdoor setting will have to operate at higher power levels or change to a multihop architecture to support acceptable packet delivery ratios. Through simple analysis, the potential increase in packet delivery ratio by switching to a multihop architecture is evaluated.
An adaptive filter based torque ripple minimization of a fuzzy logic controller for speed control of a PM synchronous motor

This paper presents an adaptive filter based torque ripple minimization (TRM) of a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) for speed control of an interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (BPMSM) drive. A simple and effective first order digital infinite impulse response (HR) filter is utilized to reduce the torque ripple introduced by the FLC. The gain of the filter is adapted online based on the magnitude of the torque ripple. The optimal position of the filter in the complete drive is also determined for effective TRM. The various sources of torque pulsations in a practical electric machine drive are described. The main cause of the torque ripple in an FLC is also explained A simulation model for closed vector control of an FLC based IPMSM drive incorporating the proposed TRM technique is developed in Matlab/Simulink. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is investigated extensively in simulation at different operating conditions. It is found that the performance of the FLC based IPMSM drive is improved significantly with the proposed TRM technique.