Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in an Aboriginal Australian population: results from the Katherine Region Diabetic Retinopathy Study (KRDRS). Report no. 1

Background: The Katherine Region Diabetic Retinopathy Study (KRDRS) was carried out in the Lower Top End of the Northern Territory of Australia between 1993 and 1996 as part of the Northern Territory Eye Health Program. It investigated diabetic eye conditions and its determinants in the Aboriginal Australian population of the region.
Universal consistency and minimax rates for online Mondrian Forests

We establish the consistency of an algorithm of Mondrian Forests, a randomized classification algorithm that can be implemented online. First, we amend the original Mondrian Forest algorithm, that considers a fixed lifetime parameter. Indeed, the fact that this parameter is fixed hinders the statistical consistency of the original procedure. Our modified Mondrian Forest algorithm grows trees with increasing lifetime parameters $\lambda_n$, and uses an alternative updating rule, allowing to work also in an online fashion. Second, we provide a theoretical analysis establishing simple conditions for consistency. Our theoretical analysis also exhibits a surprising fact: our algorithm achieves the minimax rate (optimal rate) for the estimation of a Lipschitz regression function, which is a strong extension of previous results to an arbitrary dimension.
Increased monocyte actin polymerization in rat blood after intratracheal instillation of air pollution particles.

BACKGROUND Exposure to particulate air pollution is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The mechanism by which exposure increases risk is poorly understood but could involve changes in the flow properties of blood. OBJECTIVE The aim of this investigation was to assess the effect, in rats, of intratracheal instillation of particulate air pollution on leukocyte flow properties by measurement of polymorphonucleocyte (PMN) and monocyte actin polymerisation. METHODS Rats were exposed to particulate air pollution by intratracheal instillation of PM10. Blood was collected from test and control animals at 3 days (n=10) and 6 weeks (n=10) after dust instillation. Partial differential leukocyte counts were performed. The intracellular F-actin content of blood PMNs and monocytes was determined by staining with FITC-phalloidin and flow cytometric determination of mean florescence intensity (MFI). RESULTS There were no significant changes in PMN MFI (p=0.369, ANOVA) or cell counts (p=0.753, ANOVA). There was a significant increase in monocyte MFI (p=0.004, ANOVA) and a decrease in monocyte cell count (p=0.003, ANOVA) in instilled rats. CONCLUSIONS Intratracheal instillation of air pollution particles resulted in an increase in blood monocyte actin polymerisation, which may cause trapping of monocytes. This could be a mechanism by which exposure to air pollution increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The role of renal function reserve estimation in children with hydronephrosis

Background: Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the most widely used indicator of kidney function although it does not invariably reflect the functional status after renal injury. The concept of renal function reserve (RFR) as the ability of the kidney to increase GFR following a protein load was introduced in 1980s. In hydronephrotic children, the acute hemodynamic response to intravenous protein load can cause changes in renal function that are different from changes in normal controls. Materials and Methods: RFR was evaluated in 21 children with hydronephrosis (group I - study group) and in 20 healthy children (group II - control group) by subtracting the baseline GFR from the stimulated GFR following an intravenous protein load. GFR was determined by double compartment-2 plasma sample method using 99m Tc DTPA (diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid) radioisotope as the filtration agent. Results: The baseline GFR, stimulated GFR and RFR of hydronephrotic children (group I) was found to be significantly lower ( P = 0.01, P = 0.001 and P = 0.03 respectively) as compared with healthy normal children (group II). The stimulated GFR shows a strong correlation with the baseline GFR in both the groups, but the RFR shows a high inverse correlation to the baseline GFR in controls and a very low correlation in study group. Conclusion: RFR is preserved in children with hydronephrosis, but it is reduced in comparison to healthy children. However, its clinical utility to unmask the severity of hydronephrosis is limited by the various limiting factors.
Nasal polyps do not contain olfactory structures.

BACKGROUND Nasal polyposis can lead to olfactory dysfunction, either due to physical obstruction of the olfactory cleft or physiological disruption of the olfactory neuroepithelium. Where medical therapy has failed to relieve symptoms of nasal polyposis, surgical excision can be considered. However, removal of polyps medial to the middle turbinate is controversial: some believe this will relieve physical obstruction to odourants, others state that removal here risks excising olfactory neuroepithelium. METHODS We stained 25 nasal polypectomy samples from the area medial to the middle turbinate with olfactory marker protein. RESULTS We confirmed that our staining method worked on normal olfactory tissue. However, no positive staining of nasal polyps was demonstrated. CONCLUSION We conclude that nasal polyps medial to the middle turbinate do not contain olfactory neurons, and surgical excision is not contraindicated.
"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who...?": towards a model of visual self-recognition.

Self-recognition and self-awareness are processes fundamental to human development. This report describes the case of an 80-year-old woman who demonstrated the ''mirror sign'', an inability to recognise the reflection of oneself in a mirror. An attempt has been made to provide a cognitive neuropsychological explanation for this profound impairment in visual self-recognition, incorporating current cognitive theories of delusion formation and, specifically, delusions involving distorted appreciation of the self or others. We speculate that the impairment in visual self-recognition arises from deficits in visual and personal semantic memory related to bilateral hippocampal lesions, and that the greater extent of impairment in visual self-recognition compared with that for other familiar persons is possible evidence for a specific self-recognition process, represented as a separate ''self-identity node'' in the current face-processing model of Bruce and Young (1986).
Introduction of project based learning approach in PhD program of electrical engineers

Nowadays high schools graduates need to be self directed and possess lifelong learning skills. They need to be creative, critical thinkers, problem solvers and analytical in their approach. Problem based learning (PBL) is one of the constructivist approaches where cooperation among learners plays important role in the learning method. The project based learning approach in PhD program of electrical engineers program "Computerized control of electrical Technologies” is discussed in this article. Lifelong learning educations, additional training offered by the university, as well as introduction of ICT tools are also discussed.
Mutations of the Connexin43 gap-junction gene in patients with heart malformations and defects of laterality.

BACKGROUND Gap junctions are thought to have a crucial role in the synchronized contraction of the heart and in embryonic development. Connexin43, the major protein of gap junctions in the heart, is targeted by several protein kinases that regulate myocardial cell-cell coupling. We hypothesized that mutations altering sites critical to this regulation would lead to functional or developmental abnormalities of the heart. METHODS Connexin43 DNA from 25 normal subjects and 30 children with a variety of congenital heart diseases was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. Mutant DNA was expressed in cell culture and examined for its effect on the regulation of cell-cell communication. RESULTS The 25 normal subjects and 23 of the 30 children with heart disease had no amino acid substitutions in connexin43. All six children with syndromes that included complex heart malformations had substitutions of one or more phosphorylatable serine or threonine residues. Four of these children had two independent mutations, suggesting an autosomal recessive disorder. Five of these children had substitutions of proline for serine at position 364. A seventh child, with a different heart condition, also had a point mutation in connexin43. Transfected cells expressing the Ser364Pro mutant connexin43 sequence showed abnormalities in the regulation of cell-cell communication, as compared with cells expressing normal connexin43. CONCLUSIONS Mutations in the connexin43 gap-junction gene, which lead to abnormally regulated cell-cell communication, are associated with visceroatrial heterotaxia.
EFFECTS OF OPTICALLY ACTIVE GOSSYPOL ON CONIDIA GERMINATION AND GROWTH OF Aspergillus flavus

Racemic, (−)-, and (+)-gossypol were evaluated over a concentration range of 0 to 400 μg per mL for effects on several Aspergillus flavus growth parameters. In the concentration range tested, racemic gossypol did not stimulate conidial germination on water agar alone. In a germination stimulatory environment (potato dextrose medium), racemic gossypol concentrations of ≥ 200 μg per mL decreased the number of germinated conidia, germ tube length and conidiophore development, and increased frequency of hyphal branching. (−)-Gossypol elicited the same fungal responses as racemic gossypol, but at lower concentrations (≥ 50 μg/mL). (+)-Gossypol was less active than racemic gossypol. Activity differences exhibited by the different enantiomers of gossypol were quantitative in nature and activity of racemic gossypol equaled the sum of activities of the individual optical isomers. The observed inhibitory effects on A. flavus development were temporal, and were partially reversed with longer incubation. Thus, A. flavus appeared to adapt to the presence of gossypol to overcome its inhibitory growth effects.
Women Are More Likely Than Men to Use Tentative Language, Aren’t They? A Meta-Analysis Testing for Gender Differences and Moderators

Robin Lakoff proposed that women are more likely than men to use tentative speech forms (e.g., hedges, qualifiers/disclaimers, tag questions, intensifiers). Based on conflicting results from research testing Lakoff’s claims, a meta-analysis of studies testing gender differences in tentative language was conducted. The sample included 29 studies with 39 independent samples and a combined total sample of 3,502 participants. Results revealed a statistically significant but small effect size (d = .23), indicating that women were somewhat more likely than men to use tentative speech. In addition, methodological moderators (operational definition, observation length, recording method, author gender, and year of study) and contextual moderators (gender composition, familiarity, student status, group size, conversational activity, and physical setting) were tested. Effect sizes were significantly larger in studies that (a) observed longer (vs. shorter) conversations, (b) sampled undergraduates (vs. other adults), (c) observed groups (vs. dyads), and (d) occurred in research labs (vs. other settings). The moderator effects are interpreted as supporting proposals that women's greater likelihood of tentative language reflects interpersonal sensitivity rather than a lack of assertiveness. In addition, the influence of self-presentation concerns in the enactment of gender-typed behavior is discussed.
Treatment of viral warts by intralesional injection of zinc sulphate.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to verify the efficacy of the intralesional injection of 2% zinc sulphate as compared to an injection of 7% hypertonic sodium chloride solution in the treatment of viral warts. PATIENTS AND METHODS One hundred patients (53 females and 47 males) aged 4-45 years (mean+/-SD 19.93+/-7.92) and diagnosed with multiple verruca vulgaris (common warts) were the subject of the study. The duration of the viral warts ranged from 0.1-17 years (mean+/- SD 1.87+/-2.73). A total of 623 lesions were included in the study (mean+/- SD of lesions, 10.8+/-8.05). The treated number of lesions were 316 (mean+/- SD 4.78+/-5.09), with the untreated 307 lesions left as control. RESULTS In 53 patients (30 females, 23 males), 173 lesions were treated with 2% zinc sulphate intralesionally, while 176 lesion were left untreated as control. The total clearance rate of the treated lesions were 98.2% within 6 weeks of follow-up (80.92% of lesions needed a single injection and showed total clearance within 2 weeks), while none of the control lesions showed any spontaneous clearance within the same period. In 47 patients (27 females, 20 males), 143 lesions were treated with 7% hypertonic sodium chloride solution intralesinally, with the remaining 131 lesions left untreated as control. Only 8.3% of treated lesions showed total clearance within 10 weeks of follow-up. CONCLUSION Two percent zinc sulphate can be recommended as a new and effective local mode of therapy of viral warts, especially for the recalcitrant form.
Pathophysiology of Haemostasis and Thrombosis HIT : Lessons Learned

The peculiar pathogenesis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), involving a “self” antigen—platelet factor 4 (PF4) bound to heparin—and resulting antibody-mediated platelet activation, is a model for thrombosis triggered by drug-induced autoimmunity. The high probability of forming an immune response to heparin, and the highly-variable clinical significance of a positive laboratory test—depending on the type of assay and the magnitude of a given positive test result—provides lessons regarding appropriate interpretation of diagnostic laboratory testing in the context of pretest probability. The relatively high risk of inducing microvascular thrombosis due to coumarininduced vitamin K antagonism attests to the dangers of a compromised protein C natural anticoagulant system in the setting of a hypercoagulability state such as HIT. Unusual immunologic features of HIT, such as the dissociation between immunogenicity (induction of immune response) and cross-reactivity (capacity to form the antigens recognized by HIT antibodies) of the implicated polysaccharide anticoagulants, and the generally rapid formation and disappearance of anti-PF4/heparin antibodies, suggest that further lessons regarding HIT immunopathogenesis remain to be learned Copyright © 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel
Increased expression of T cell antigens on T cells in classical Hodgkin lymphoma

We read the work by Seegmiller et al. (1) with interest regarding the increased expression of CD7 on reactive T cells in classical Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL). We had also observed an increase in CD7 in conjunction with increased CD45 expression on a subset of CD4þ T cells in lymph nodes involved by CHL (Fig. 1), raising the question whether the expression levels of other T-cell associated antigens might also be altered in CHL. To further examine this finding, T cell populations were retrospectively evaluated in 50 lymph nodes involved by CHL and 50 reactive lymph nodes. The immunophenotypes of CD4þ and CD8þ T cells were quantitatively evaluated by normalizing the expression of a given antigen to a reference population (non-T cell lymphocytes). The normalized ratio was calculated as the median fluorescence intensity (MFI) of the CD4þ or CD8þ T cells for a given antigen divided by the MFI of the reference lymphocytes for that antigen. Statistically significant (P < 0.05, measured by student’s t test) increased expression of CD2, CD5, CD7, and CD45 on the CD4þ T cells and CD5 and CD45 on the CD8þ T cells were demonstrated when T cells from lymph nodes involved by CHL and reactive (nonneoplastic) lymphadenopathies were compared (Fig. 2). Both the CD4þ and CD8þ T cells from CHL demonstrated statistically significant decreased expression of CD3 when compared to reactive lymphadenopathies. Next, we evaluated lymph nodes specimens for increased expression of CD7 and CD45 on CD4þ T cells in five patients who had multiple tissue biopsies (evaluated by both flow cytometry and morphology). Each patient had at least one biopsy without evidence of lymphoma and one biopsy involved by CHL, yielding a total of 8 reactive and 10 CHL-involved lymph nodes studied. All the lymph nodes involved by CHL showed CD4þ T cells with increased CD7 and CD45, while none of the reactive lymph nodes showed this finding. This result suggests the reactive CD4þ, increased CD7þ and CD45þ T cell population is present only in lymph nodes involved by CHL but not globally in all the tissues from CHL patients in the absence of the neoplastic population. The inference is that the microenvironment (possibly mediated chemokines) is responsible for the induction of this population. In clinical practice, this reactive CD4þ T cell population in CHL can be readily identified on a plot of CD45 vs. CD7 (Fig. 1), provides support for the diagnosis of CHL, and serves a screening tool to prompt further definitive evaluation for the neoplastic Hodgkin and ReedSternberg cells of CHL by flow cytometry (2,3) or immunohistochemistry (4). Studies are underway in our laboratory to determine the biological significance of this reactive T cell population.
On the Photochemistry of Purine Nucleobases

We present R2PI spectra of a series of purine nucleobases, nucleosides, and related derivatives, including adenine, guanine, guanosine, 2-aminopurine, 2,6-diaminopurine, 9-ethyladenine, and 9-methylguanine. We compare the results with models involving two interacting excited states, which have been proposed to explain the short excited-state lifetime of most nucleobases. The amino group in the 2 position appears to have a strong effect on the excited-state potentials, as does any substitution in the 9 position. This explains the very different fluorescence characteristics of 2-aminopurine, but it raises new questions concerning the short lifetime of guanine in solution.
Parents, Migrant Domestic Workers and Children's Speaking of a Second Language: Evidence from Hong Kong

This paper explores the effects of different language home environments provided by English-speaking and non-English-speaking migrant domestic workers (MDWs) on Hong Kong children’s ability to speak English. To isolate MDWs’ language effect from parental and family effects, I use between-siblings comparisons and an empirical model of language acquisition. Results from between-siblings comparisons reveal a clear sign for the positive language effect of English-speaking MDWs. Estimates of the language acquisition model show that a child who is cared for by an English-speaking MDW and who has a bilingual mother is 45 percent more likely to speak English.
Retinoids Inhibit Human Epidermal Keratinocyte RNase P Activity

Abstract Ribonuclease P (RNase P) is a ubiquitous and essential enzyme that endonucleolytically cleaves all tRNA precursors to produce the mature 5'-end. We have investigated the effect of synthetic rertinoids (all-trans retinoic acid, acitretin) and arotinoids (Ro 13-7410, Ro 15-0778, Ro, 13-6298 and Ro 15-1570) on RNase P activity isolated for the first time from normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK). All tested compounds but one (Ro 15-1570) revealed a dose-dependent inhibition of RNase P activity, indicating that they may have a direct effect on tRNA biogenesis. Detailed kinetic analysis showed that all retinoids behave as classic competitive inhibitors. On the basis of the Ki values Ro 13-7410 was found to be the strongest inhibitor among all compounds tested.
Many Diabetic Patients With Recurrent Severe Hypoglycemias Hold a Valid Driving License. A Community-Based Study in Insulin-Treated Patients With Diabetes

Objective: We studied retrospectively the current driving license status in insulin-treated diabetic patients, who had severe hypoglycemia (SH) within an observation period of one year and who lived in two Finnish communities. Methods: The episodes of SH were identified from local ambulance registers, the databases of local health care units and from patient questionnaires in 680 insulin-treated diabetic patients. The data on current driving licenses were obtained from local police authorities. Results: Of type 1 and type 2 insulin-treated diabetic patients 31.0 and 12.3 percent, respectively, had at least one self-reported SH, whereas 53 (7.8%) of them reported even three or more episodes of SH. Of insulin-treated patients with clustering of SH 68 percent still held a driving license, and 21percent of them held even a license for commercial vehicles up to 3.5 tons. Conclusions: Recurrent episodes of SH occur in a minority of insulin-treated diabetic patients. However, two thirds of them still held a valid driving license even for commercial vehicles, which violates the medical standards for diabetes and driving.
A Simple Note on Informational Cascades Economics

Seminal models of herd behaviour and informational cascades point out existence of negative information externalities, and propose to ‘destroy’ information in order to achieve social improvements. Although in the last years many features of herd behaviour and informational cascades have been studied, this particular aspect has never been extensively analysed. In this article we try to fill this gap, investigating both theoretically and experimentally whether and to which extent destroying information can improve welfare. Our empirical results show that this decisional mechanism actually leads to a behaviour more consistent with the theory that in turn produces the predicted efficiency gain.
Roentgenographic considerations

patient with open epiphyses. These are typical avulsion fractures and usually heal with proper immobilization. The significance of this has been emphasized in our own experience by the large number of midshipmen with chronic lateral ankle instability, who unequivocally dated the onset of their symptoms to an untreated severe sprain in late childhood or early adolescence. Osteochondral fractures of the talus may also be missed if the x-ray is not carefully examined. These fractures may also account for chronic ankle symptoms so that follow-up x-rays are certainly warranted in the case of a sprain that fails to respond to the usual treatment. When dealing with a severe sprain with gross swelling and diffuse tenderness, the physician may feel that he needs additional information about the extent of ligamentous injury. When this occurs, the next procedure is usually a stress
A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF BED REST AND SEDATION OR NORMAL ACTIVITY AND NON‐SEDATION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF NON‐ALBUMINURIC HYPERTENSION IN LATE PREGNANCY

One hundred and thirty‐five patients took part in a randomized controlled trial designed to determine whether bed rest and sedat ion are of any general benefit to either the mother or the baby in pregnancies complicated by mild non‐albuminuric and non‐symptomatic hypertension after the 28th week. The results suggest that they are not.