Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Coenzyme Q10 in Conjunction With Vitamin E on Retinal-evoked and Cortical-evoked Responses in Patients With Open-angle Glaucoma

Purpose:To evaluate pattern-evoked retinal and cortical responses [pattern electroretinogram (PERG) and visual-evoked potential (VEP), respectively] after treatment with coenzyme Q10 in conjunction with vitamin E in open-angle glaucoma (OAG) patients. Methods:Forty-three OAG patients (mean age, 52.5±5.29 y; intraocular pressure <18 mm Hg with &bgr;-blocker monoterapy only) were enrolled. At baseline and after 6 and 12 months, simultaneous recordings of PERG and VEPs were obtained from 22 OAG patients who underwent treatment consisting of coenzyme Q10 and vitamin E (Coqun, 2 drops/d) in addition to &bgr;-blocker monoterapy (GC group), and from 21 OAG patients who were only treated with &bgr;-blockers (GP group). Results:At baseline, intraocular pressure, PERG, and VEP parameters were similar in both GC and GP groups (analysis of variance, P>0.05). After 6 and 12 months, PERG and VEP response parameters of GP patients were unchanged when compared to baseline. In GC patients, PERG P50 and VEP P100 implicit times were decreased, whereas PERG P50-N95 and VEP N75-P100 amplitudes were increased (P<0.01) when compared to baseline. In the GC group, the differences in implicit times and amplitudes with respect to baseline were significantly larger (P<0.01) than those recorded in the GP group. The improvement (12 mo minus baseline) of VEP implicit time was significantly correlated with the changes of PERG P50-N95 amplitude (r=−0.66171, P=0.0008) and P50 implicit time (r=0.68364, P=0.00045) over a period of 12 months. Conclusions:Coenzyme Q10 associated with vitamin E administration in OAG shows a beneficial effect on the inner retinal function (PERG improvement) with consequent enhancement of the visual cortical responses (VEP improvement).
FPGA-based software profiler for Hardware/Software co-design

Embedded systems are a mixture of software running on a microprocessor and application-specific hardware. Hardware/Software co-design requires an appropriate profiler to detect the functions that contribute to a large percentage of program execution. Software based profiling tools, such as the well-known GNU gprof profiler, integrates an extra code with the software program to be profiled causing a significant performance overhead. To address this issue, this paper proposes a software profiler called AddressTracer. This profiler is an adaptation of a non-intrusive, real time profiler called SnoopP. The AddressTracer is accurately able to evaluate the performance matrices of any specific software function. A software benchmark, Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA), is profiled using AddressTracer and other software profiling tools, Airwolf, and GNU software profiling tool (gprof), for a quantitative comparison and their performance overhead are studied. The achieved results show that AddressTracer provides accurate profiling results with no performance overhead. Airwolf causes a very low remarkable performance overhead compared with that incurred by gprof.
Neoteric pharmacotherapeutic targets in fibromyalgia

Introduction: Fibromyalgia is a debilitating, chronic pain disorder typically present with allodynia and hyperalgesia. Estimates from the USA suggest that fibromyalgia affects about 5% of women, and is the third most common rheumatic disorder after lower back pain and osteoarthritis. Recent research advances highlighted a role for aberrant central pain processing in fibromyalgia, and consistent with this, the first three drugs (pregabalin, duloxetine and milnacipran) approved by the FDA for fibromyalgia over the past 2 years have a predominantly central mode of action. Despite progress in understanding of fibromyalgia and the long-awaited introduction of three medications for treating it, fibromyalgia continues to pose a significantly unmet medical need, negatively affecting the lives of millions of individuals worldwide in all ethnic groups and all economic classes. Areas covered: Prevailing theories of pathogenesis of fibromyalgia, existing therapies and the potential of current research on novel targets. Expert opinion: Current research on novel sedative–hypnotics, anti-epileptic medications, various reuptake inhibitors, growth hormone agonists, canabinoid agonists, non-opiate analgesics and 5-HT3 antagonists offers hope for the the next generation of therapeutic options for fibromyalgia. With regards to the development of novel pharmacotherapies, there seem to be grounds for increased optimism regarding prospective treatments of the disorder.
Prediction of engraftment after autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation: CD34, colony‐forming unit–granulocyte‐macrophage, or both?

BACKGROUND: The rate of hematologic recovery after peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) transplantation is influenced by the dose of progenitor cells. Enumeration of cells that express CD34+ on their surface is the most frequently used method to determine progenitor cell dose. In vitro growth of myeloid progenitor cells (colony‐forming unit–granulocyte‐macrophage [CFU‐GM]) requires more time and resources, but may add predictive information.
Valine of the YVDD motif of moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase: role in the fidelity of DNA synthesis.

The YXDD motif is highly conserved in the reverse transcriptase family. The variable X residue is occupied by valine and methionine in MuLV RT and HIV-1 RT, respectively. Previous studies have shown that Tyr 222, the Y residue of the YXDD motif in MuLV RT, constitutes a major component of the fidelity center of the enzyme [Kaushik, N. , Singh, K. , Alluru, I. , and Modak, M. J. (1999) Biochemistry 38, 2617-2627]. In this work, we present evidence that reverse transcriptases containing valine in the "X" position of the YXDD motif generally catalyze DNA synthesis with greater fidelity than those containing methionine or alanine. In the MuLV RT system, the two mutants V223M and V223A exhibited an overall reduced fidelity of DNA synthesis, specifically for RNA-templated reactions. Further analysis revealed that these mutants exhibit a higher efficiency of misinsertion on MS2 RNA than the wild-type enzyme for every mispair tested. However, unlike HIV-1 RT, the insensitivity of the wild-type MuLV RT to all four ddNTPs remained unchanged by mutation of V223 to Met or Ala. A 3D molecular model of the ternary complex of MuLV RT, template primer, and dNTP suggests that Val 223 along with its neighboring Tyr 222 stabilizes the substrate binding pocket via hydrophobic interactions with the dNTP substrate and template-primer.
Brain structure and function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a multimodal cranial magnetic resonance imaging study.

RATIONALE Brain pathology is a poorly understood systemic manifestation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Imaging techniques using magnetic resonance (MR) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting state functional MR imaging (rfMRI) provide measures of white matter microstructure and gray functional activation, respectively. OBJECTIVES We hypothesized that patients with COPD would have reduced white matter integrity and that functional communication between gray matter resting-state networks would be significantly different to control subjects. In addition, we tested whether observed differences related to disease severity, cerebrovascular comorbidity, and cognitive dysfunction. METHODS DTI and rfMRI were acquired in stable nonhypoxemic patients with COPD (n = 25) and compared with age-matched control subjects (n = 25). Demographic, disease severity, stroke risk, and neuropsychologic assessments were made. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Patients with COPD (mean age, 68; FEV(1) 53 ± 21% predicted) had widespread reduction in white matter integrity (46% of white matter tracts; P < 0.01). Six of the seven resting-state networks showed increased functional gray matter activation in COPD (P < 0.01). Differences in DTI, but not rfMRI, remained significant after controlling for stroke risk and smoking (P < 0.05). White matter integrity and gray matter activation seemed to account for difference in cognitive performance between patients with COPD and control subjects. CONCLUSIONS In stable nonhypoxemic COPD there is reduced white matter integrity throughout the brain and widespread disturbance in functional activation of gray matter, which may contribute to cognitive dysfunction. White matter microstructural integrity but not gray matter functional activation is independent of smoking and cerebrovascular comorbidity. The mechanisms remain unclear, but may include cerebral small vessel disease caused by COPD.
Inferences of evolutionary history of a widely distributed mangrove species, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, in the Indo-West Pacific region

Inference of genetic structure and demographic history is fundamental issue in evolutionary biology. We examined the levels and patterns of genetic variation of a widespread mangrove species in the Indo-West Pacific region, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, using ten nuclear gene regions. Genetic variation of individual populations covering its distribution range was low, but as the entire species it was comparable to other plant species. Genetic differentiation among the investigated populations was high. They could be divided into two genetic clusters: the West and East clusters of the Malay Peninsula. Our results indicated that these two genetic clusters derived from their ancestral population whose effective size of which was much larger compared to the two extant clusters. The point estimate of speciation time between B. gymnorrhiza and Bruguiera sexangula was two times older than that of divergence time between the two clusters. Migration from the West cluster to the East cluster was much higher than the opposite direction but both estimated migration rates were low. The past Sundaland and/or the present Malay Peninsula are likely to prevent gene flow between the West and East clusters and function as a geographical or land barrier.
Molecular characterization of chicken infectious anemia virus from contaminated live‐virus vaccines

&NA; The aim of this study was to investigate possible causes of the pervasiveness of chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV) infection in chickens in recent years in China. A total of 14 batches of live‐virus vaccines were examined using PCR to detect CIAV contamination, of which only 2 samples (a Newcastle disease vaccine and a fowl pox vaccine) tested positive for CIAV. These Newcastle and fowl pox vaccines were then inoculated into 1‐day‐old specific‐pathogen‐free chickens. Serum samples were collected from chickens infected with the PCR‐positive vaccines, and these tested positive for CIAV‐specific antibodies as tested using ELISA. In addition, DNA samples isolated from the serum samples also tested positive by PCR. The results indicated that the samples were contaminated with CIAV and identified 2 exogenous CIAV strains, designated CIAV‐N22 and CIAV‐F10, in the respective samples. The full genome sequences of these novel CIAV strains were sequenced and analyzed. Phylogenetic tree analysis indicated that the CIAV‐F10 strain might represent a recombinant viral strain arising from the parental CIAV strains JQ690762 and KJ728816. Overall, the results suggested that vaccination with CIAV‐contaminated vaccines contributed to the prevalence and spread of CIAV infection in chickens. Furthermore, the CIAV contaminant was likely subsequently transmitted to commercial chickens through congenital transmission. Our findings therefore highlight the need for more extensive screening of live‐virus vaccines for poultry in China to reduce the threat of contamination with exogenous viruses.
Identifying barriers to psychosocial spiritual care at the end of life: A physician group study

Objective. The recent literature addresses the need to improve care for dying patients. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers to the psychosocial spiritual care of these patients by their physicians. Psychosocial spiritual care is defined as aspects of care concerning patient emotional state, social support and relationships, and spiritual well-being. The study was an exploratory means for generating hypotheses and identifying directions for interventions, research, and training in care for the dying. Design and participants. The study used a qualitative group discussion format. Seventeen physicians at a university-based health sciences center representing 10 areas of medical specialty—including internal medicine, oncology, pediatrics, and geriatrics—met in two groups for 20 75-minute discussion sessions over the course of one year. Discussions were recorded, analyzed, and categorized. Results. Barriers to psychosocial spiritual care were grouped into three domains and seven themes. The cultural domain included the themes of training, selection, medical practice environment, and debt/delay. Participants believed that medical selection and training combine to marginalize psychosocial spiritual approaches to patient care, while the practice environment and debt/delay augment emotional isolation and dampen idealism. The organizational domain included the themes of dissatisfaction and time/busyness. Physicians indicated that the current reimbursement climate and time pressures contribute to dissatisfaction and the tendency to avoid patient psychosocial spiritual issues. The clinical domain included the theme of communication. Physicians were concerned about their ability to communicate nonmedical issues effectively and manage the patient’s reactions and needs in the psychosocial spiritual arena. Conclusions. This study suggests that research and educational approaches to improving the psychosocial spiritual care of the dying by physicians should address barriers at the cultural, organizational, and clinical levels. Suggestions for interventions at various levels are offered.
Perceptual Estimates of Motor Skill Proficiency Are Constrained by the Stability of Coordination Patterns

ABSTRACT This study demonstrated that motor skill proficiency ratings are constrained by the same order parameter dynamics that constrain action production and action perception processes. Participants produced rhythmic actions simulated by an animated stick figure of the human arm. The primary finding was that participants’ proficiency ratings covaried most with relative phase (φ) variability compared to mean relative phase. In-phase (φ = 0°) was produced with the least variability and received the highest proficiency rating, whereas the patterns φ = ±150° were attempted with the most variability and received the lowest proficiency ratings. A temporal delay in attempting to produce the animated pattern had a large impact on produced relative phase, yet had little impact on the proficiency ratings. Proprioceptive processes provide individuals information on motor skill proficiency. The lead or lag motion of the hand to forearm segment of the animated arm was identified consistently through visual processes and revealed asymmetries in the mapping of visual input to motor output. The results are consistent with concepts from the dynamic pattern theory of coordination and are discussed with regard to relative phase as an informational variable that constraints the perception-action system across many levels.
Phase-compensation-circuit design using iterative linear-programming scheme

This paper proposes a new method for designing recursive all-pass (AP) phase-compensation-network that is useful in equalizing non-linear phase communication channels. For a given phase specification, we first derive a new phase-error that is an explicit non-linear function of the phase-compensation-network coefficients, and then propose an iterative scheme for minimizing the maximum phase-error such that the maximum phase-error can be minimized by utilizing a linear-programming (LP) technique. Such a design is called minimax design. Therefore, the resulting AP phase-compensation-network minimizes the worst-case phase-error and the iterative LP scheme obtains the optimal coefficients. As compared to the existing LP design and second-order-cone-programming (SOCP) design, the iterative LP scheme can achieve much more accurate minimax design. An example is given to show the improved performance of the iterative LP design over the existing LP and SOCP designs.
Order Flow Toxicity and Informed Trading around Known Market Manipulation Events: Evidence from Interest Rate Futures

The objective of this paper is an ex-post review of the effectiveness of PIN and VPIN in determining changes in the information structure and order flow of a futures market around documented episodes of recorded manipulation of the reference rate, from the various publicly available regulatory reports. In keeping with previous studies on interest rate derivatives, this analysis finds that the average PIN is far higher for futures than for the equity market at or above 60%. Furthermore, I find a very strong connection between PIN, VPIN and time to maturity of the contract that is not fully explained by the time variation in activity in the market. However, an event study using both a new bootstrap approach and asymptotic standard error on the VPIN and PIN respectively around documented LIBOR manipulation cases has mixed results. For certain events I see a substantial change in the average detected levels of PIN and VPIN, however a cross sectional analysis of all reported cases up to mid-2015, indicates no significant change in the PIN and VPIN for the contracts in this Eurodollar sample.
Attenuation correction of myocardial SPECT perfusion images with low-dose CT: evaluation of the method by comparison with perfusion PET.

UNLABELLED In cardiac SPECT, specificity is significantly affected by artifacts due to photon absorption. As the success of attenuation correction depends mainly on high-quality attenuation maps, SPECT low-dose CT devices are promising. We wanted to evaluate the usefulness of a SPECT low-dose CT device in myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. For the evaluation of attenuation correction systems, primarily comparisons with coronary angiography are used. Because the comparison of a method showing myocardial perfusion with an investigation displaying the morphology of vessels yields some difficulties, we chose perfusion PET with (13)N-ammonia as the reference method. METHODS We prospectively analyzed 23 patients (6 women, 17 men) with known or suspected coronary artery disease. Rest studies and studies under pharmacologic stress with adenosine were performed. After simultaneous injection of (13)N-ammonia and (99m)Tc-sestamibi, a dynamic PET acquisition was started. The SPECT study was performed about 2 h later. Based on 20-segment polar maps, SPECT with and without attenuation correction was compared with PET-derived perfusion values and ammonia uptake values. The PET uptake images were also smoothed to adjust their resolution to the resolution of the SPECT images. RESULTS The concordance of SPECT and PET studies was improved after attenuation correction. The main effect was seen in the inferior wall. Especially in the apex and anterolateral wall, there were differences between SPECT and PET studies not attributable to attenuation artifacts. Because these differences diminished after smoothing of the PET studies, they might be due to partial-volume effects caused by the inferior resolution of the SPECT images. CONCLUSION The x-ray-derived attenuation correction leads to SPECT images that represent myocardial perfusion more accurately than nonattenuation-corrected SPECT images. The benefit of the method is seen primarily in the inferior wall. The low resolution of the SPECT system may lead to artifacts due to partial-volume effects. This phenomenon must be considered when perfusion PET is used as a reference method to investigate the effect of attenuation correction.
Distinct roles of an alternative sigma factor during both free‐swimming and colonizing phases of the Vibrio cholerae pathogenic cycle

Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera, has a pathogenic cycle consisting of a free‐swimming phase outside its host, and a sessile virulent phase when colonizing the human small intestine. We have cloned the V. cholerae homologue of the rpoN gene (encoding σ54) and determined its role in the cholera pathogenic cycle by constructing an rpoN null mutant. The V. cholerae rpoN mutant is non‐motile; examination of this mutant by electron microscopy revealed that it lacks a flagellum. In addition to flagellar synthesis, σ54 is involved in glutamine synthetase expression. Moreover, the rpoN mutant is defective for colonization in an infant mouse model of cholera. We present evidence that the colonization defect is distinct from the non‐motile and Gln phenotypes of the rpoN mutant, implicating multiple and distinct roles of σ54 during the V. cholerae pathogenic cycle. RNA polymerase containing σ54 (σ54‐holoenzyme) has an absolute requirement for an activator protein to initiate transcription. We have identified three regulatory genes, flrABC (flagellar regulatory proteins ABC ) that are additionally required for flagellar synthesis. The flrA and flrC gene products are σ54‐activators and form a flagellar transcription cascade. flrA and flrC mutants are also defective for colonization; this phenotype is probably independent of non‐motility. An flrC constitutive mutation (M114→I) was isolated that is independent of its cognate kinase FlrB. Expression of the constitutive FlrCM114→I from the cholera toxin promoter resulted in a change in cell morphology, implicating involvement of FlrC in cell division. Thus, σ54‐holoenzyme, FlrA and FlrC transcribe genes for flagellar synthesis and possibly cell division during the free‐swimming phase of the V. cholerae life cycle, and some as yet unidentified gene(s) that aid colonization within the host.
Behavior and Severity of Adjuvant Arthritis in Four Rat Strains

Previous research has suggested that behavioral traits of the histocompatible Lewis and Fischer strains of rats could be related to the difference in their susceptibility to adjuvant arthritis (AA). In the present study, the predictive value of behavioral markers in susceptibility to AA was investigated in nonhistocompatible inbred DA, Lewis, Albino Oxford (AO), and outbred Wistar strain. Behavioral profiles (open filed test and forced swim test) were determined prior to immunization with a single intradermal injection of complete Freund's adjuvant. Animals were daily scored for clinical signs of AA. The occurrence of certain behaviors and clinical indices of AA was significantly associated with strain membership. Discriminant analysis identified strain-related behavioral and illness profiles with very few overlaps among the phenotypes. Discriminant classification significantly exceeded the proportion of cases, which could have been correctly classified on the basis of chance. Open field behavior, in particular, exploration and grooming, differentiated among AA-susceptible and AA-resistant strains. Multiple regression analysis indicated that severity of AA (maximum clinical sign) can be predicted by the latency time and grooming behavior in the open field independently of strain membership. No clear distinction between AA-susceptible and AA-resistant strains was found with respect to forced swim test immobility. It was concluded that (a) strain-related genetic predisposition is important for the expression of certain behavioral traits and for susceptibility to AA and (b) open field behaviors, particularly grooming and latency, predict susceptibility to AA across different rat strains.