Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pseudophakic Cystoid Macular Edema

In 1953, Irvine described a syndrome of vitreous changes after cataract extraction associated in some cases with ‘‘macular degeneration. ’’ This degeneration, he speculated, was likely due to vitreous traction on the macula, and he described an association with an ‘‘irritation’’ of the eye. Gass et al in 1966 described cystoid macular changes seen clinically and a pattern of fluorescein leakage observed in some patients weeks or months after cataract surgery. All of these characteristics describe the entity now well known as pseudophakic cystoid macular edema (CME). Though still far from complete, our understanding of this syndrome and our strategies for managing it have certainly grown over the intervening years. At the same time, as patient expectations for visual acuity outcomes after cataract extraction continue to rise, particularly with the use of ‘‘premium’’ intraocular lenses (IOLs), the level of tolerance for a decline in vision due to this surgical complication continues to decline. Though the precise mechanistic details underlying pseudophakic CME remain to be elucidated, 2 primary hypothetical components have been implicated in its pathogenesis. The first of these is ocular inflammation, as alluded to by Irvine’s classical description of an ‘‘irritated’’ eye. This hypothesis has been supported by several points of evidence. In a comparative study of patients with bilateral cataract
Impact of Toxic Cyanobacterial Blooms on Eurasian Perch (Perca fluviatilis): Experimental Study and In Situ Observations in a Peri-Alpine Lake

Due to the importance of young-of-the-year (YOY) perch in the peri-alpine regions where they are consumed, the microcystin (MC) contamination of YOY perch was analysed both in field (Lake Bourget, France) and experimentally using force-feeding protocols with pure MCs. In-situ, schools of YOY perch present in the epilimnion of the lake were never found in direct contact with the P. rubescens blooms that were present in the metalimnion. However, MCs were detected in the muscles and liver of the fish and were thus assumed to reach YOY perch through dietary routes, particularly via the consumption of MC-containing Daphnia. Force-feeding experiment demonstrates the existence of MC detoxification/excretion processes and suggests that in situ, YOY perch could partly detoxify and excrete ingested MCs, thereby limiting the potential negative effects on perch populations under bloom conditions. However, because of chronic exposure these processes could not allow for the complete elimination of MCs. In both experimental and in situ studies, no histological change was observed in YOY perch, indicating that MC concentrations that occurred in Lake Bourget in 2009 were too low to cause histological damage prone to induce mortality. However, Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damages were observed for both the high and low experimental MC doses, suggesting that similar effects could occur in situ and potentially result in perch population disturbance during cyanobacterial blooms. Our results indicate the presence of MCs in wild perch, the consumption of this species coming from Lake Bourget is not contested but more analyses are needed to quantify the risk.
Minimally interrupted cardiac resuscitation by emergency medical services for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

CONTEXT Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is a major public health problem. OBJECTIVE To investigate whether the survival of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest would improve with minimally interrupted cardiac resuscitation (MICR), an alternate emergency medical services (EMS) protocol. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS A prospective study of survival-to-hospital discharge between January 1, 2005, and November 22, 2007. Patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in 2 metropolitan cities in Arizona before and after MICR training of fire department emergency medical personnel were assessed. In a second analysis of protocol compliance, patients from the 2 metropolitan cities and 60 additional fire departments in Arizona who actually received MICR were compared with patients who did not receive MICR but received standard advanced life support. INTERVENTION Instruction for EMS personnel in MICR, an approach that includes an initial series of 200 uninterrupted chest compressions, rhythm analysis with a single shock, 200 immediate postshock chest compressions before pulse check or rhythm reanalysis, early administration of epinephrine, and delayed endotracheal intubation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Survival-to-hospital discharge. RESULTS Among the 886 patients in the 2 metropolitan cities, survival-to-hospital discharge increased from 1.8% (4/218) before MICR training to 5.4% (36/668) after MICR training (odds ratio [OR], 3.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-8.9). In the subgroup of 174 patients with witnessed cardiac arrest and ventricular fibrillation, survival increased from 4.7% (2/43) before MICR training to 17.6% (23/131) after MICR training (OR, 8.6; 95% CI, 1.8-42.0). In the analysis of MICR protocol compliance involving 2460 patients with cardiac arrest, survival was significantly better among patients who received MICR than those who did not (9.1% [60/661] vs 3.8% [69/1799]; OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.9-4.1), as well as patients with witnessed ventricular fibrillation (28.4% [40/141] vs 11.9% [46/387]; OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 2.0-5.8). CONCLUSIONS Survival-to-hospital discharge of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest increased after implementation of MICR as an alternate EMS protocol. These results need to be confirmed in a randomized trial.
Lipopolysaccharide Animal Models for Parkinson's Disease

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an endotoxin from Gram-negative bacteria, acts as a potent stimulator of microglia and has been used to study the inflammatory process in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and anti-inflammatory therapy for PD treatment. Here, we review the growing body of literature on both in vitro and in vivo LPS PD models. Primary cell cultures from mesencephalic tissue were exposed to LPS in vitro; LPS was stereotaxically injected into the substantia nigra, striatum, or globus pallidus of brain or injected into the peritoneal cavity of the animal in vivo. In conclusion, the LPS PD models are summarized as (1) local and direct LPS treatment and (2) systemic LPS treatment. Mechanisms underlying the PD models are investigated and indicated that LPS induces microglial activation to release a variety of neurotoxic factors, and damaged neurons may trigger reactive microgliosis, which lead to progressive dopaminergic neurodegeneration.
Regeneration Approaches for Dental Pulp and Periapical Tissues with Growth Factors, Biomaterials, and Laser Irradiation

In current dental practice, restorative and endodontic procedures have been developed in an attempt to preserve the vitality of dental pulp after exposure to external stimuli such as caries infection. When damage to dental pulp is reversible, pulp wound healing can proceed, whereas irreversible damage induces pathological changes in dental pulp, eventually requiring its removal. Furthermore, dentists sometimes extract non-vital teeth because of severe caries progression, critical size of periapical lesion, and tooth fracture. To overcome the limitations of presently available therapies, it is important to develop regeneration therapy for dental pulp and periapical tissues. In this review, we focus on the regeneration of dental pulp and periapical tissues by application of exogenous growth factors and scaffolds, as well as low-intensity laser irradiation as an auxiliary therapy for regeneration therapy.
Estrogen receptor β and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 6, a growth regulatory pathway that is lost in prostate cancer

Estrogen receptor β (ERβ) is activated in the prostate by 5α-androstane-3β,17β-diol (3β-Adiol) where it exerts antiproliferative activity. The proliferative action of the androgen receptor is activated by 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Thus, prostate growth is governed by the balance between androgen receptor and ERβ activation. 3β-Adiol is a high-affinity ligand and agonist of ERβ and is derived from DHT by 3-keto reductase/3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzymes. Here, we demonstrate that, when it is expressed in living cells containing an estrogen response element-luciferase reporter, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 6 (17βHSD6) converts the androgen DHT to the estrogen 3β-Adiol, and this leads to activation of the ERβ reporter. This conversion of DHT occurs at concentrations that are in the physiological range of this hormone in the prostate. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that 17βHSD6 is expressed in ERβ-positive epithelial cells of the human prostate and that, in prostate cancers of Gleason grade higher than 3, both ERβ and 17βHSD6 are undetectable. Both proteins were present in benign prostatic hyperplasia samples. These observations reveal that formation of 3β-Adiol via 17βHSD6 from DHT is an important growth regulatory pathway that is lost in prostate cancer.
Particle animation and rendering using data parallel computation

Techniques are presented that are used to animate and render particle systems with the Connection Machine CM-2, a data parallel supercomputer. A particle behavior language provides an animator with levels of control from kinematic spline motions to physically based simulations. A parallel particle rendering system allows particles of different shapes, sizes, colors and transparencies to be rendered with antialiasing, hidden surfaces, and motion-blur. One virtual processor is assigned to each primitive data element: one to each particle, and during the rendering process, one to each pixel-sized particle fragment, and to each pixel. These tools are used to model dynamic phenomena such as wind, snow, water, and fire.
In Vivo Serial Assessment of Aortic Aneurysm Formation in Apolipoprotein E–Deficient Mice via MRI

Background—Hyperlipidimic mice administered angiotensin II have been used for the study of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). The purpose of this study was to examine the use of MRI for studying AAA development and for examining the effects of pharmacological intervention on AAA development in the apolipoprotein E–deficient mouse. Methods and Results—Suprarenal aortic aneurysms were generated in apolipoprotein E–deficient mice administered angiotensin II (1000 ng/kg per min) for up to 28 days. In vivo MRI was performed serially (once weekly) to assess AAA development and rupture. Comparison of AAA size as measured by in vivo and ex vivo MRI resulted in excellent agreement (r=0.96, P<0.0001). In addition, MRI correlated with histology-derived AAA area assessment (in vivo versus histology: r=0.84, P<0.0001; ex vivo versus histology: r=0.89, P<0.0001). In a separate study, angiotensin II–administered apolipoprotein E–deficient mice were treated with doxycycline (broad-based matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor; 30 mg/kg per day for 28 days). MRI was able to noninvasively assess a reduced rate of AAA development (46% versus 71%, P<0.05), a decreased AAA area (2.56 versus 4.02 mm2, P<0.01), and decreased incidence of rupture (43% versus 100%) in treated versus control animals. Inhibition of aorta matrix metalloproteinase 2/9 activity was observed in the treated animals. Conclusions—These results demonstrate the use of MRI to noninvasively and temporally assess AAA development on pharmacological intervention in this preclinical cardiovascular disease model.
Infection Breeds Reticence

Social living brings humans great rewards, but also associated dangers, such as increased risk of infection from others. Although the body’s immune system is integral to combating disease, it is physiologically costly. Less costly are evolved mechanisms for promoting avoidance of people who are potentially infectious, such as perceiving oneself as less social and increasing the tendency to make avoidant movements. In Experiment 1, exposure to a disease prime led participants to rate themselves as less extraverted than did exposure to a control prime, and led participants high in perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD) to rate themselves as less agreeable and less open to experience than did exposure to a control prime. In Experiment 2, a disease prime facilitated avoidant tendencies in arm movements when participants viewed photographs of faces, especially for participants high in PVD. Together, these findings reveal functional changes in perception and behavior that would serve to promote avoidance of potentially infectious individuals.
Sexual maturity modifies the responsiveness of the pituitary-interrenal axis to stress in male rainbow trout.

A significant reduction in stress-induced plasma cortisol levels is apparent in mature male rainbow trout compared to immature fish of both sexes and of the same age and strain. Mean plasma cortisol levels in groups of immature fish subjected to a standard 1-hr confinement stress were consistently higher (range 93.9 +/- 4.9-114.8 +/- 4.1 ng ml-1) than mean levels in mature males exposed to the same procedure (range 47.0 +/- 4.3-71.7 +/- 5.7 ng ml-1), throughout the 4-month period around spawning (P < 0.001). Body weight was not found to be a significant determinant of poststress cortisol level. The dissimilarity in plasma cortisol levels between mature and immature fish following confinement does not stem from differences in the dynamics of the response; during a 24-hr period of confinement the rate of elevation of plasma cortisol levels was similar for both mature male and immature fish, but mature male fish attained a significantly lower peak cortisol level (51.6 +/- 5.2 ng ml-1) than immature fish (89.5 +/- 7.7 ng ml-1), a disparity which was maintained throughout the period of stress (P < 0.05-P < 0.001). The reduced responsiveness of the interrenal tissue of mature male fish during stress appears to be modulated by the hypothalamus/pituitary. Plasma ACTH levels in mature male trout (44 +/- 9 pg ml-1) are significantly lower than those in immature fish (71 +/- 9 pg ml-1, P < 0.01) within 30 min of the onset of confinement and remain so during a 3-hr period of confinement. These data suggest that the cortisol/ACTH feedback equilibrium has been modified in mature fish to a lower "set point. " Furthermore, although stress caused a significant decline of plasma alpha-MSH levels in both immature fish and mature males, N-acetyl-beta-endorphin levels were reduced only in mature male fish during confinement stress.
Automated High-Resolution Satellite Image Registration Using Supraglacial Rivers on the Greenland Ice Sheet

High-resolution satellite imagery raises new prospects for detailed study of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) surface processes and ice discharge. However, dramatic spatiotemporal variability of ice surface reflectance and features poses significant challenges for registration of satellite imagery. This study proposes a new feature-based registration method to register high-resolution panchromatic images of the ice sheet ablation zone. Its idea is to use relatively stable supraglacial rivers as tie points for automated image registration. A first demonstration is made using WorldView-1/2/3 panchromatic images (spatial resolution 0.5 m) as follows: first, supraglacial rivers are delineated using spectral analysis, nonlocal means denoising, Gabor filtering, and path opening. Next, buffer and overlay tools are combined to generate an area of interest and eliminate tie point outliers, yielding subset of high-confidence tie points for registration. Finally, a coherent point drift algorithm is applied to match these tie points and implement registration. Results show that the proposed method demonstrates good performance, despite a heterogeneous ice surface background that complicates river delineation. Accuracy of image registration negatively correlates with seasonal spatiotemporal variability of supraglacial river patterns, suggesting that for the best results, repeat images and time-adaptive techniques should be used. For time-stable meltwater channels, however, the method offers a novel, automated way to register high-resolution satellite imagery of the GrIS ablation zone. Well-registered ice surface high-resolution images reveal that short-term (1-2 week) variations in surface melting rate affect channel morphology (drainage densities and channel widths) significantly, whereas a signal from background advection by flowing ice is not apparent.
Unifying diffuse and specular reflections for the photometric stereo problem

After thirty years of researching, the photometric stereo technique for 3D shape recovery still does not provide reliable results if it is not constrained into very well-controlled scenarios. In fact, dealing with realistic materials and lightings yields a non-linear bidirectional reflectance distribution function which is primarily difficult to parametrize and then arduous to solve. With the aim to let the photometric stereo approach face more realistic assumptions, in this work we firstly introduce a unified irradiance equation describing both diffuse and specular reflection components in a general lighting setting. After that, we define a new equation we call unifying due to its basic features modeling the photometric stereo problem for heterogeneous materials. It is provided by making the ratio of irradiance equations holding both diffuse and specular reflections as well as non-linear light propagation features simultaneously. Performing a wide range of experiments, we show that this new approach overcomes state-of-the-art since it leads to a system of unifying equations which can be solved in a very robust manner using an efficient variational approach.
Helix-loop-helix transcription factors mediate activation and repression of the p75LNGFR gene

Sequence analysis of rat and human low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor p75LNGFR gene promoter regions revealed a single E-box cis-acting element, located upstream of the major transcription start sites. Deletion analysis of the E-box sequence demonstrated that it significantly contributes to p75LNGFR promoter activity. This E box has a dual function; it mediates either activation or repression of the p75LNGFR promoter activity, depending on the interacting transcription factors. We showed that the two isoforms of the class A basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor ME1 (ME1a and ME1b), the murine homolog of the human HEB transcription factor, specifically repress p75LNGFR promoter activity. This repression can be released by coexpression of the HLH Id2 transcriptional regulator. In vitro analyses demonstrated that ME1a forms a stable complex with the p75LNGFR E box and likely competes with activating E-box-binding proteins. By using ME1a-overexpressing PC12 cells, we showed that the endogenous p75LNGFR gene is a target of ME1a repression. Together, these data demonstrate that the p75LNGFR E box and the interacting bHLH transcription factors are involved in the regulation of p75LNGFR gene expression. These results also show that class A bHLH transcription factors can repress and Id-like negative regulators can stimulate gene expression.
Generic Architecture for Minimizing Drive Tests in Heterogeneous Networks

This paper proposes a generic measurement architecture for automating the collection of User Equipment (UE) radio measurements to minimize the need of manual drive-tests in heterogeneous small cell networks consisting of LTE (Long Term Evolution) and WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) access nodes. The proposed architecture relies on Minimization of Drive Tests (MDT) functionality specified in Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and consists of user plane solution with trace assistance. In the proposed solution, trace assistance information, which is signaled to UE as part of MDT configuration, is provided to UE WLAN measurement unit allowing exchanging and correlating measurements later between LTE and WLAN network management systems. In addition, the prospects and the constraints of the architecture are discussed highlighting the importance in various operator use cases. Finally, the RF fingerprint positioning performance improvement of the proposed concept is analyzed by means of field measurements.
ORIENTED SITE PERCOLATION , PHASE TRANSITIONS AND PROBABILITY BOUNDS

We show that one half is a lower bound for the critical probability of an oriented site percolation process of Grimmett and Hiemer. This value improves the known lower bound of one third. We employ an Ansatz which we use also for a related oriented site percolation problem considered by Bishir. Monte Carlo simulation indicates a critical value of close to 0.535, so the bound appears to be fairly tight.
Characterization of LDPE Reinforced with Calcium Carbonate—Fly Ash Hybrid Filler

The synergetic effect of calcium carbonate (CC)-fly ash (FA) hybrid filler particles on the mechanical and physical properties of low density polyethylene (LDPE) has been investigated. Low density polyethylene is filled with varying weight percentages of FA and CC using melt casting. Composites are characterized for mechanical, thermal, microstructural and physical properties. Results show that the flexural strength increases with increases in FA content of the hybrid filler. It is evident from the study that to achieve optimum density a certain combination of both fillers need to be used. The optimum combination of CC and FA for a higher density (1.78 g/cm3) is found to be at 20 wt% FA and 30 wt% CC. An increase of 7.27% in micro-hardness over virgin polyethylene is obtained in composites with 10 wt% FA and 40 wt% CC. The presence of higher amount of CC is seen to be detrimental to the crystallinity of composites. X-ray, FTIR and DSC results show that composite with 45 wt% CC and 5 wt% FA exhibits a typical triclinic polyethylene structure indicating that the composite is amorphous in nature. There was the synergy between FA and CC fillers on flexural strength and crystallinity of composite. However, the fillers show the antagonistic effect on energy at peak and micro-hardness.
The Use of Guardianship Legislation for Anorexia Nervosa: A Report of 15 Cases

Objective: This paper investigates compulsory treatment under guardianship legislation for 15 anorexia nervosa patients admitted to four eating disorders units in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, between 1991 and 1994. Method: A retrospective follow-up was conducted. This involved an analysis of sociodemographic, clinical, eating and weight history, and Guardianship Order details obtained from medical records. This small sample was compared to a larger sample of anorexia nervosa patients admitted voluntarily to a specialised eating disorder unit in NSW. Further follow-up included a structured interview using the Morgan-Russell Assessment Outcome Schedule at least 1 year after admission for compulsory treatment. Results: For those treated involuntarily, a larger number came from metropolitan Sydney and a larger percentage were unemployed, were purgers and required specialist medical consultations. A significantly higher proportion came from higher socioeconomic groups, and the duration of stay in hospital while patients were under guardianship was significantly greater. A high degree of comorbidity was noted. There were similarities between those treated involuntarily and those treated voluntarily for the source of referral, marital status and Body Mass Index on admission and discharge. Only three patients accepted a follow-up interview using the Morgan-Russell Outcome Schedule. Two of them had made a good recovery. Conclusions: It was noted that the guardianship sample comprised a more severely ill group than anorexic patients treated voluntarily. The nature of guardianship legislation compared to mental health law was discussed and advice offered to clinicians contemplating and implementing compulsory treatment.