Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Endoscopic Sinus Surgery with and without Image Guidance

Background Image guidance based on preacquired computed tomography scans of the patient is a technique used to assist the physician during endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). This study seeks to compare ESS with and without image guidance, analyzing a number of parameters that can impact on efficacy. Methods Retrospective chart review took place at a tertiary care referral center. The study group consisted of 97 consecutive patients confirmed to have undergone ESS using an electromagnetic intraoperative image guidance system (IGS). The control group consisted of 61 consecutive patients who underwent ESS, before the IGS was available at the study hospital. The main outcomes measured were analysis of patient profile, including coexisting conditions such as asthma and polyposis, assessment of which specific sinuses underwent surgical treatment; major and minor complications; estimated blood loss (EBL); operative time; and the need for repeat surgery. Results The IGS group had 74% of patients with polyposis; more sinuses, on average, which underwent surgical revision; one major and three minor complications; an average EBL of 134 cc, an average procedure time of 154 minutes; and one patient who needed repeat surgery in a 3-month follow-up period. The non-IGS group had 40% of patients with polyposis; seven major complications and one minor complication; an average EBL of 94 cc; and three patients who needed repeat surgery within 3 months. Conclusions The use of an IGS for endoscopic sinus surgery may reduce the complications associated with the procedure and allow for a more thorough operation. However, operative time and EBL may be increased.
Familial Hypercholesterolemia Patients Treated With Statins at No Increased Risk for Intracranial Vascular Lesions Despite Increased Cholesterol Burden and Extracranial Atherosclerosis

Background and Purpose— To correlate known vascular disease risk factors and the signs of extracranial and intracranial changes of vascular origin in young patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). Methods— 39 DNA test-verified heterozygous FH North Karelian patients (FH-NK), aged 6 to 48, 28 of them treated with statins, and 25 healthy controls underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and carotid ultrasound. Results— Common carotid intima-media thickness was significantly greater in the patients (P=0.005). MR angiography showed no pathological changes, other than 1 incidental aneurysm. The number and size of white matter hyperintensities on T2-weighted MR images, considered as markers of microvascular alterations, did not differ between patients and controls. Conclusions— FH-NK patients treated with statins seem to be at no increased risk for brain infarcts or other brain lesions of vascular origin when younger than age 50.
Active Repression of Methylated Genes by the Chromosomal Protein MBD1

ABSTRACT MBD1 belongs to a family of mammalian proteins that share a methyl-CpG binding domain. Previous work has shown that MBD1 binds to methylated sites in vivo and in vitro and can repress transcription from methylated templates in transcription extracts and in cultured cells. In the present study we established by several experimental criteria that, contrary to a previous report, MBD1 is not a component of the MeCP1 repressor complex. We identified a powerful transcriptional repression domain (TRD) at the C terminus of MBD1 that can actively repress transcription at a distance. Methylation-dependent repression in vivo depends on the presence of both the TRD and the methyl-CpG binding domain. The mechanism is likely to involve deacetylation, since the deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A can overcome MBD1-mediated repression. Accordingly, we found that endogenous MBD1 is particularly concentrated at sites of centromeric heterochromatin, where acetylated histone H4 is deficient. Unlike MBD2 and MeCP2, MBD1 is not depleted by antibodies to the histone deacetylase HDAC1. Thus, the deacetylase-dependent pathway by which MBD1 actively silences methylated genes is likely to be different from that utilized by the methylation-dependent repressors MeCP1 and MeCP2.
Neuroprotective effect of Brahmi, an ayurvedic drug against oxidative stress induced by methyl mercury toxicity in rat brain mitochondrial-enriched fractions

The present study evaluates the neuroprotective effect of Brahmi against methyl mercury (MeHg) toxicity. The results demonstrated that MeHg-decreased mitochondrial viability in MTT assay and IC50 value was found to be 2.5 μg/mL. However, Brahmi at 250 μg/mL concentration effectively prevented mitochondrial damage caused by MeHg in MTT assay. Our results also demonstrated MeHg significantly inhibited catalase enzyme activity, glutathione content and increased the level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in mitochondrial-enriched fractions of rat brain. These alterations were prevented by preincubation with Brahmi. In addition, Brahmi reverted glutathione level to normal that was depleted by MeHg, confirming its chelating effect, one of the molecular mechanisms that underlie protection against oxidative damage. Our study also focused on total phenolic and flavonoid contents of Brahmi, and it was found to contain significant amount of phenols and flavonoids. The presence of saponins was detected by HPLC which might be responsible for neuroprotection against MeHg.
Morphometric discrimination of females of five species of Anopheles of the subgenus Nyssorhynchus from Southern and Northwest Colombia.

The most important vectors of human Plasmodium in the neotropics belong to the subgenus Nyssorhynchus. These species are generally sympatric in terms of their geographical distributions. Some are difficult to identify based solely on examination of adult females using the available morphological keys, in these cases examination of immature stages and male genitalia is required to make correct determinations. However, in epidemiological studies it is necessary to identify the species of adult females which are found near humans, i.e. in studies of malaria transmission or evaluation of control measures. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the discrimination of adult females of different species of Nyssorhynchus isolated mainly from Southern Colombia (department of Putumayo), using morphometric analysis. Adult females were obtained after rearing larvae collected in natural breeding places and from the progeny of females collected on humans. The morphological characteristics of the immature stages allowed the identification of four species of the subgroup Oswaldoi from Southern Colombia: Anopheles rangeli Gabaldon, Cova Garcia & Lopez, An. oswaldoi (Peryassu), An. benarrochi Gabaldon, Cova Garcia & Lopez and An. triannulatus (Neiva & Pinto). The species An. nuneztovari (Gabaldon) from the Northwest of Colombia was included for comparison. Morphometric analysis allowed differentiation of the females of all species to a confidence level approaching 90% using principal components analysis of 10 wing and leg variables, followed by canonical variate analysis of the first four principal components. We conclude that morphometrics may represent a useful taxonomic tool for this group and that its use should be further studied.
In vivo reprogramming of hepatic myofibroblasts into hepatocytes attenuates liver fibrosis: back to the future?

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) represents the standard curative treatment for human patients affected by an end-stage form of life-threatening liver disease involving, whatever the etiology (acquired or inborn) and development (acute or chronic), significant loss of hepatocytes and organ failure (1,2). The need for reliable therapeutic approaches alternative to OLT, in particular involving cell therapy, has become progressively more urgent because of the increasing worldwide incidence of liver diseases, particularly end-stage chronic liver diseases (CLDs), which is unfortunately associated to a significant shortage in organ availability (1,2). In the last two decades, several laboratories have performed studies designed to establish cell therapy procedures able to provide stable and reliable sources of functional hepatocytes or of hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) to be used for repopulation of damaged liver parenchyma. To this purpose intra- or extrahepatic cells have been used in pre-clinical studies as a potential source of functional HLCs to be transplanted, including primary hepatocytes, liver sinusoidal-endothelial cells, mesenchymal stem cells, endothelial progenitor cells, liver progenitor cells and even macrophages. However, due to several limitations [reviewed in (3-6)], these procedures offered sometimes positive results in animal models but, with few limited exceptions, were not always translated to successful clinical therapeutic approaches.
Comparative efficacy of ivermectin plus clorsulon and nitroxynil against naturally infected cattle.

Arastirmanin amaci sigirlarda helmintlere karsi uygun enjektabl formulasyonunun belirlenmesidir. Ellialti adet sigir uc gruba ayrildi. Birinci grup (n: 27), ikinci grup (n: 16) ve ucuncu grup (n: 14) sirasi ile ivermektin+klorsulan, nitroksinil ve her iki urun birlikte uygulandi. Her uc grupta da ilaclar ilaclar Fasciola turlerine karsi %100 etkili bulundu. Birinci grupta Paramphistomum turlerine ait yumurtalar arastirma suresince belirlendi ve ilac %80 oraninda etkinlik gosterdi. Srongyles turlerine ait yumurtalar 60 gun suresince tespit edildi. Ikinci grupta Paramphistomum ve strongyles turlerine karsi %100 etkinlik gozlenmedi. Ucuncu grupta strongles karsi 30. gunden sonra arastirma sonuna kadar %100 etkinlik belirlendi. Paramphistomum yumurtalari uygulama sonrasi 60. gunde kayboldu. Paramphistomum turlerine karsi kombine ilac uygulamalarinin ivermektin+klorsulon uygulamalarindan daha etkili (p<0.05) bulundu. Ivermektin, klorsulon ve nitroksinil kombinasyonu kontrol programlarinda basarili bir sekilde kullanilabilir.
Human Macrophages Do Not Require Phagosome Acidification to Mediate Fungistatic/Fungicidal Activity against Histoplasma capsulatum1

Histoplasma capsulatum (Hc) is a facultative intracellular fungus that modulates the intraphagosomal environment to survive within macrophages (Mφ). In the present study, we sought to quantify the intraphagosomal pH under conditions in which Hc yeasts replicated or were killed. Human Mφ that had ingested both viable and heat-killed or fixed yeasts maintained an intraphagosomal pH of ∼6.4–6.5 over a period of several hours. These results were obtained using a fluorescent ratio technique and by electron microscopy using the 3-(2,4-dinitroanilo)-3′-amino-N-methyldipropylamine reagent. Mφ that had ingested Saccharomyces cerevisae, a nonpathogenic yeast that is rapidly killed and degraded by Mφ, also maintained an intraphagosomal pH of ∼6.5 over a period of several hours. Stimulation of human Mφ fungicidal activity by coculture with chloroquine or by adherence to type 1 collagen matrices was not reversed by bafilomycin, an inhibitor of the vacuolar ATPase. Human Mφ cultured in the presence of bafilomycin also completely degraded heat-killed Hc yeasts, whereas mouse peritoneal Mφ digestion of yeasts was completely reversed in the presence of bafilomycin. However, bafilomycin did not inhibit mouse Mφ fungistatic activity induced by IFN-γ. Thus, human Mφ do not require phagosomal acidification to kill and degrade Hc yeasts, whereas mouse Mφ do require acidification for fungicidal but not fungistatic activity.
Task allocation in Distributed computing VS distributed database systems : A Comparative study

Summary Task allocation in Distributed computing systems (DCS) is an important research problem . When resource to be shared in DCS is a database that system is classified as Distributed database system(DDBS) . In DDBS systems Data & operation allocation are both closely interrelated & highly dependent on each other. Here it is represented along with model of allocation and development of such a model in general . DCS & DDBS are compared in this paper with reference to task allocation Models , Algorithms, Issues and Tools . General models and objective function explained in this paper can be treated as basic platform for research in this area of task allocation. Major issues in DCS have been explored by research in this area so far, while in DDBS the main issues are high lighted in this paper. The characteristics of DDBS like distributed data, distributed operations from query tree and result file are mentioned as tools to be taken in this field of research. An objective function can be derived by modifying the terms present in general model ,which inturn depend on characteristics of the system concerned ex. Distributed computing system ,distributed database system ,parallel system & multiprocessors etc.
Changes of parameters during composting of bio-waste collected over four seasons

ABSTRACT This study investigated the evolution of several main parameters during the composting of separately collected household bio-waste originating from urban settlements (U-bio-waste) and family houses (F-bio-waste) from four climate seasons. When comparing both types of composts, U-bio-waste compost contained a higher amount of nutrients, however F-bio-waste compost was characterized by greater yield, greater availability of phosphorus and magnesium, and faster stability. In terms of seasons, compost from bio-waste collected in spring contained the highest amount of nutrients, reflecting the high content of nutrients in plant feedstock. Dissolved organic carbon and pH in U- and F-bio-waste compost, respectively, frequently showed close relationships with other parameters. The seasonal variations of most of the parameters in the composts were found to be lower compared to the variations observed in the feedstocks. The greatest seasonal variation was found in nitrate nitrogen, which is the reason for the more frequent analysis of this parameter.
Parathyroid surgery in familial hyperparathyroid disorders *

The management of hyperparathyroidism (HPT) in the setting of familial HPT differs between the specific syndromes and is generally complex because of the underlying disease, which predisposes patients to persistent and recurrent HPT. The basic principles of surgery include achieving and maintaining normocalcaemia for the longest time possible, avoiding both iatrogenic hypocalcaemia and operative complications, and facilitating future surgery for recurrent disease. Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is treated with either subtotal parathyroidectomy or total parathyroidectomy with immediate heterotopic autotransplantation of parathyroid tissue. MEN2A, familial isolated HPT and HPT‐associated with the hyperparathyroidism‐jaw tumour (HPT‐JT) syndrome typically can be treated with parathyroidectomy, i.e. subtotal or less. The increased risk of parathyroid cancer in HPT‐JT requires special attention. Parathyroid surgery in familial HPT syndromes in the setting of underlying mutations in the calcium receptor (CASR) gene involves radical subtotal parathyroidectomy. Intraoperative parathyroid hormone (PTH) measurements may help guide the extent of parathyroid resection, particularly in the case of multigland HPT. The vast majority of patients with familial HPT who require surgery are best served with bilateral cervical explorations. However, minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP) techniques that have become routine for sporadic HPT at selected institutions may be extrapolated to a subset of cases of familial HPT.
Biliary tract carcinoma complicating primary sclerosing cholangitis: evaluation with CT, cholangiography, US, and MR imaging.

PURPOSE To assess the value of computed tomography (CT), cholangiography, ultrasonography (US), and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the demonstration of biliary tract carcinoma complicating primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty patients were studied who had PSC and biliary tract carcinoma. Twenty-six patients had cholangiocarcinoma, and four had gallbladder carcinoma. Sixty-four CT scans, 41 cholangiograms, 40 US studies, and seven MR studies were reviewed retrospectively for evidence of tumor and PSC. Imaging results were correlated with pathologic findings from whole liver specimens and biopsies. Presence of mass was rated as definite, probable, possible, or doubtful or absent. RESULTS On CT scans, cholangiocarcinomas produced hypoattenuating masses in 17 of 23 cases, delayed contrast enhancement in six of 12, progressive biliary dilatation in five of 15, and thickened bile duct wall in two of 23. On cholangiograms, dominant strictures were present in 18 of 21 cases of cholangiocarcinoma; 13 were malignant, and five were benign. Cholangiocarcinoma formed polypoid bile duct masses in two of 21 cases. Biliary dilatation was caused by cholangiocarcinoma in 10 of 12 cases and by benign stricture in two. Gallbladder carcinomas demonstrated masses on CT scans, cholangiograms, and US images, and wall thickening on CT and US images. Overall, definite or probable tumor was demonstrated in 25 of 30 patients (83%). CONCLUSION Most biliary tract carcinomas complicating PSC can be demonstrated on imaging studies.
A Role for MST Neurons in Heading Estimation

A template model of human visual self-motion perception (Perrone, JOSA, 1992; Perrone & Stone, Vis. Res., in press), which uses neurophysiologically realistic "heading detectors", is consistent with numerous human psychophysical results (Warren & Hannon, Nature, 1988; Stone & Perrone, Neuro. Abstr., 1991) including the failure of humans to estimate their heading (direction of forward translation) accurately under certain visual conditions (Royden et al., Nature, 1992). We tested the model detectors with stimuli used by others in- single-unit studies. The detectors showed emergent properties similar to those of MST neurons: 1) Sensitivity to non-preferred flow. Each detector is tuned to a specific combination of flow components and its response is systematically reduced by the addition of nonpreferred flow (Orban et al., PNAS, 1992), and 2) Position invariance. The detectors maintain their apparent preference for particular flow components over large regions of their receptive fields (e.g. Duffy & Wurtz, J. Neurophys., 1991; Graziano et al., J. Neurosci., 1994). It has been argued that this latter property is incompatible with MST playing a role in heading perception. The model however demonstrates how neurons with the above response properties could still support accurate heading estimation within extrastriate cortical maps.
EFFECT OF NAPHTHALENE ACETIC ACID (NAA) ON IN VITRO ROOTING OF REGENERATED MICROSHOOTS OF GROUNDNUT ( ARACHIS HYPOGAEA L.)

Successful utilization of tissue culture for the improvement and conservation of groundnut will be made possible only with an efficient shoot proliferation, formation of well-developed root system in microshoots, successful acclimatization and final establishment in field. A regeneration protocol ensuring a high frequency rooting of microshoots derived from embryonic axes of four groundnut genotypes was achieved using naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Microshoots of 3cm length were subcultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium plus 30% sucrose, supplement with 1.0 or 1.5mg/L NAA and compared with a hormone free medium (control). Rooting was significantly influenced by the presence and concentration of NAA. Microshoots subcultured in medium supplemented with 1mg/L NAA rooted within 2weeks of subculture, producing the highest number of roots/plantlet and root-induction frequency. However, increasing the concentration of the auxin suppressed root length with the hormone free medium having the longest roots. Significant genotypic effect was also observed, with Samnut 22 having more number of roots/plantlet and root-induction frequency. Key words : groundnut, microshoots, in vitro rooting, NAA
Magnetization transfer MRI: Application to treatment of middle cerebral artery occlusion in rat

The temporal profiles of MRI parameters which use quantitative estimates of magnetization transfer were measured in 22 male Wistar rats subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion, with and without therapeutic intervention with an anti‐ICAM‐1 monoclonal antibody. Two measures were used: the value of a magnetization transfer‐related parameter in a predetermined region of interest, and the area of damage, as measured by changes in this parameter. In both groups, the value and area of damage of the inverse of the apparent forward transfer rate for magnetization transfer (1/kfa) significantly increased from the preischemic values (P < 0.05), as did T1 under an off‐resonance partial saturation of the macromolecular pool (T1sat), and T1 (P < 0.05). Moreover, the increase in the value and total area of damage, as measured by 1/kfa, T1, and T1sat in the treated group, was smaller compared to that of the untreated group, with significant differences detected between groups at 5, 24, and 48 hours. Our data suggest that a quantitative measure of MT may provide a sensitive and early method to detect the efficacy of therapeutic intervention in experimental stroke. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2001;13:178–184. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Large-Signal Graphene FET Model

We propose a semi-empirical graphene field-effect-transistor (G-FET) model for analysis and design of G-FET-based circuits. The model describes the current-voltage characteristic for a G-FET over a wide range of operating conditions. The gate bias dependence of the output power spectrum is studied and compared with the simulated values. Good agreement between the simulated and the experimental power spectrums up to the third harmonic is demonstrated, which confirms the model validity. Moreover, S-parameter measurements essentially coincide with the results obtained from the simulation. The model contains a small set of fitting parameters, which can be straightforwardly extracted from S-parameters and dc measurements. The developed extraction method gives a more accurate estimation of the drain and source contact resistances compared with other approaches. As a design example, we use a harmonic balance load-pull approach to extract optimum embedding impedance values for a subharmonic G-FET mixer.