Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sigmoid sinus diverticulum and pulsatile tinnitus: analysis of CT scans from 15 cases

Background Although the imaging features of sigmoid sinus diverticulum induced pulsatile tinnitus (PT) have been presented in some extent, detailed imaging findings still have not been systematically evaluated and precise diagnostic radiographic criteria has not been established. Purpose To examine the computed tomography (CT) characteristics of sigmoid sinus diverticulum accompanied with PT. Material and Methods Fifteen PT patients with sigmoid sinus diverticula proven by surgery were recruited after consenting. CT images of 15 patients were obtained and analyzed, including features of diverticula, brain venous systems, integrity of the sigmoid plate, and the degree of temporal bone pneumatization. Results Sigmoid sinus diverticulum was located on the same side of PT in 15 patients. Diverticula originated at the superior curve of the sigmoid sinus in 11 patients and the descending segment of the sigmoid sinus in four patients. Sigmoid sinus diverticula focally eroded into the adjacent mastoid air cells in 12 patients and mastoid cortex in three patients. Among eight patients with unilateral dominant brain venous systems, the diverticula were seen on the dominant side in seven patients and non-dominant side in one patient. In contrast, the other seven patients showed co-dominant brain venous systems, with three presenting diverticula on the right side and four on the left. More notably, dehiscent sigmoid plate on the PT side was demonstrated in all patients. In addition, temporal bone hyper-pneumatization was found in nine patients, good and moderate pneumatization in three patients, respectively. Conclusion Dehiscent sigmoid plate and extensive temporal bone pneumatization are two important imaging characteristics of the PT induced by sigmoid sinus diverticulum.
Genetic Variation, C-Reactive Protein Levels, and Incidence of Diabetes

C-reactive protein (CRP) has been shown to be associated with type 2 diabetes, but whether CRP has a causal role is not yet clear. We examined the association in the Rotterdam Study, a population-based prospective cohort study. The association of baseline serum CRP and incident diabetes during follow-up was investigated, and a meta-analysis was conducted on the BMI-adjusted relation of CRP and diabetes. Furthermore, the association of CRP haplotypes with serum CRP and risk of diabetes was assessed. The age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratio for diabetes was 1.41 (95% CI 1.29–1.54) per 1 SD increase in natural logarithm of CRP, and it was 1.88, 2.16, and 2.83 for the second, third, and fourth quartiles of CRP, respectively, compared with the first quartile. The risk estimates attenuated but remained statistically significant after additional adjustment for obesity indexes, which agreed with the results of the meta-analysis. The most common genetic haplotype was associated with a significantly lower CRP level compared with the three other haplotypes. The risk of diabetes was significantly higher in the haplotype with the highest serum CRP level compared with the most common haplotype (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.08–1.96). These findings support the hypothesis that serum CRP enhances the development of diabetes.
Review article: Kidney dendritic cells: Their role in homeostasis, inflammation and transplantation

There is definitive experimental proof that a lattice of dendritic cells (DC) exist within the renal parenchyma. Kidney‐resident DC (KDC) are an important constituent of passenger leucocytes that initiate the direct component of allograft rejection in transplantation and form a central element of the innate immune response following injurious stimuli to the kidney. DC are recruited to the kidney in pathophysiological states such as glomerulonephritis and ischaemia–reperfusion injury. However, the exact mechanism for engaging and attracting DC to infectious and transplant antigens, and whether specific DC subsets are involved remains unresolved. In addition, the extent to which resident and infiltrating DC contribute to the propagation of injury or rejection is also unclear. Despite consistently expanding published work regarding DC location, phenotype and function, there are a number of deficiencies in our knowledge base, particularly in relation to KDC.
Fifth Koro epidemic in India : A review report

A massive Koro epidemic has hit India again in 2010. It affected four States, viz. Assam, Maharasthra (Mumbai), West Bengal and Tripura. This is the fifth Koro epidemic in India. The present paper deals with the study of 55 epidemic Koro cases of West Bengal. The different aspects of the epidemic including clinical presentation, sufferer’s health seeking behaviour, explanatory model of Koro illness and folk treatments are discussed from transcultural perspective. A future preventive public health strategy of such an epidemic is also discussed.
Potential side effects of renin inhibitors – mechanisms based on comparison with other renin–angiotensin blockers

Angiotensin (Ang) II plays important roles in the development of hypertension and cardiovascular and renal injury. Pharmaceutical approaches to block its activity led to the development of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers. Numerous trials have documented their efficacy in controlling blood pressure, minimising left ventricular remodelling, preventing progression to heart failure, ameliorating proteinuria and retarding renal disease progression. Although they are considered safe in general, there remain concerns about the potential for adverse events in certain target populations. Recently, several novel, low molecular weight renin inhibitors without the extended peptide-like backbone of previous renin inhibitors were developed with favourable pharmacokinetic properties. They have been shown to successfully reduce Ang II levels in normal volunteers and to lower blood pressure in patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension. In this review, the authors summarise current knowledge about these renin inhibitors.
Brain Stem Auditory Evoked Potentials in Jaundiced Gunn Rats

Bilirubin encephalopathy causes potentially preventable brain damage and hearing loss. The site of auditory dysfunction is controversial, despite pathologic studies showing damage to brain stem auditory nuclei in humans and experimental animals. We studied the effects of bilirubin toxicity on the auditory system of homozygous jaundiced Gunn rats by use of brain stem auditory evoked potentials. Small but statistically significant abnormalities were found for wave latencies, interwave intervals, and amplitudes.
Reliability of Self-Reported Attachment Style in Patients With Severe Psychopathology

Little is known about whether severe psychopathology influences the assessment of self-reported attachment style. Fifty-eight randomly selected adult psychiatric inpatients completed the Experiences in Close Relationship questionnaire (ECR; Brennan, Clark, & Shaver, 1998) and were administered the 24-item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS; Ventura et al., 1993) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS; Hamilton, 1960) at both admission and discharge. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM–IV (SCID–I; First, Spitzer, Gibbon, & Williams, 1996) was used to establish Axis I diagnoses. The ECR scales showed good internal consistency and absolute stability both in patients with (n = 24) and without (n = 34) a psychotic disorder. Relative stability was only fair among patients with psychotic disorders but good among patients without psychotic disorders. Neither higher BPRS or HDRS scores, nor the presence of a psychotic disorder, significantly reduced the retest reliability of the ECR scales. These findings suggest that self-report measures might provide a reliable assessment of attachment style in patients with severe psychopathology, except for the most severely impaired patients.
A theoretical photocathode emittance model including temperature and field effects

A recently developed model of emittance & brightness of photocathode based on "moments" of the electron emission distribution is extended here to non-zero temperatures and fields. Temperature impacts scattering and affects quantum efficiency. Fields affect emission probability and are important in the presence of low-work function coatings characteristic of cesiated dispenser photocathodes under development. Extensions of theoretical models are given, followed by analysis of their comparison with numerical simulations of the intrinsic emittance and brightness of a photocathode. The methodology is designed to facilitate development of photoemission models into comprehensive particle-in-cell (PIC) to address variation in surface coverage and topology.
The role of leukotriene inhibitors in allergic rhinitis and paranasal sinusitis

Leukotrienes (LTs) have been known in the field of immunology since the 1930s. At that time they were referred to as the slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis. However, they were not characterised until the 1980s, when they were noted to be formed during the breakdown of arachidonic acid (AA) by the enzyme 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO). There are 5 types of LT: LTA4, LTB4, LTC4, LTD4 and LTE4. LTs are so called because the molecules were originally isolated from leukocytes and their carbon backbones contain 3 double bonds in series (a trion). This structural information provided the key to the oxidative pathway of lipometabolism, known as the 5-LO pathway. LTs are classified as inflammatory mediators. They are produced by a number of cell types, particularly mast cells, eosinophils, basophils, macrophages and monocytes. With the identification disorders associated with inflammatory pathways, such as asthma, allergic rhinitis and paranasal sinusitis, the LTs have been implicated in the pathogenesis of these conditions and have become targets for therapeutic modulation. In this review we will look at the biological effects of LTs, how they are formed, their role in asthma patients, the first therapeutic use of LT inhibitors and finally LTs with reference to the paranasal sinus areas [1,2].
Use of the Steam as Gasifying Agent in Fluidized Bed Gasifier

Biomass energy is the oldest energy source used by humans. Biomass has evolved as one of the most promising sources of fuel for the future1. This has spurred the growth of research and development efforts in both federal and private sectors. This impetus is motivated by several factors; dwindling fossil fuels and thus an increased need of energy security, environmental concerns and promotion of socioeconomic benefits to rural areas. Another important fact is the somewhat uniformly distributed nature of biomass worldwide which means it is available locally and is helpful in reducing dependence on fossil fuel1. Biomass is potentially an attractive feedstock for producing transportation fuels as its use contributes little or no net carbon dioxide to the atmosphere2. Renewable biomass resources include short-rotation woody crops, herbaceous biomass, and agricultural residues. Biomass is available for exploitation for conversion to bio-fuels as well as for power generation applications. There are various conversion technologies that can convert biomass resources into power, heat, and fuels for potential use in UEMOA countries3. In view of this a variety of processes exists for biomass conversions. The most used of these are thermal conversions, bio-chemical and chemical conversions and direct combustion. The thermal conversion processes consist of fast and slow pyrolysis and biomass gasification. Biomass gasification is considered as one of the most promising routes for syngas or combined heat and power production because of the potential for higher efficiency cycles Gasification is a process for converting carbonaceous materials into a combustible or synthetic gas (H2, CO, CO2, CH4) 4. In general, gasification involves the reaction of carbon with air, oxygen, steam, carbon dioxide, or a mixture of these gases at 700 °C or higher to produce a gaseous product that can be used to provide electric power and heat or as a raw material for the synthesis of chemicals, liquid fuels, or other gaseous fuels such as hydrogen1.
Radiation exposure in patients with inflammatory bowel disease—primum non nocere?

Abstract Background. Patients with Inflammatory Bowel disease (IBD) are frequently exposed to diagnostic medical radiation for the diagnosis and evaluation of their disease. Despite increasing awareness of the potentially serious downstream effects, few studies have quantified radiation exposure in IBD patients. Methods. We conducted a retrospective review of 280 consecutive patients attending IBD clinics at our hospital. All incidences of diagnostic medical radiation from initial diagnosis until 30 June 2010 inclusive were recorded. The radiation dose for each procedure was obtained from standardized tables and the effective dose for each procedure calculated by multiplying this value by the number of procedures during the study period. The sum of doses received was the cumulative effective dose. Results. The mean and median cumulative effective radiation doses were 10.17 mSv and 4.12 mSv respectively. Crohn's disease patients had significantly higher cumulative effective radiation exposure than UC patients (p < 0.001) with exposure exceeding 10 mSv in 58.3%, 25 mSv in 18.1% and 50 mSv in 6.3%, respectively. Smoking status, disease duration, and previous surgery were significant predictors for increased radiation exposure even after adjusting for other predictors. 47 small bowel magnetic resonance (MR) studies were undertaken as an alternative to ionising radiation in the last 3 years. Conclusions. Patients with IBD, particularly those with Crohn's disease are exposed to significant amounts of diagnostic medical radiation in their lifetime. Clinicians must remain vigilant to the risk of cumulative radiation when evaluating these patients and consider non-ionizing alternatives such as intestinal ultrasound and MR imaging where clinically appropriate.
An Empirical Study on the Equivalence and Stability of Feature Selection for Noisy Software Defect Data

Abstract—Software Defect Data (SDD) are used to build defect prediction models for software quality assurance. Existing work employs feature selection to eliminate irrelevant features in the data to improve prediction performance. Previous studies have shown that different feature selection methods do not always yield similar prediction performance on SDD, which indicates that these methods are not equivalent. Also, previous studies have shown that SDD usually contains noise that may interfere the process of feature selection. In this work, we empirically investigate and measure the equivalence of different feature selection methods for SDD. Further, we intend to analyze the stability of the methods for noisy SDD. We perform statistical analyses on eight projects from NASA dataset with eight feature selection methods. For the equivalence analysis, we introduce Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and overlap index to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the equivalence of these methods respectively. For the stability analysis, we apply consistency index to measure the stability of these methods. Experimental results indicate that different feature selection methods are indeed not equivalent to each other, and Correlation and Fisher Score methods achieve better stability. Keywords—defect data; feature selection; equivalence analysis; stability analysis;
Children Who Do Well in School : Individual Differences in Perceived Competence and Autonomy in Above-Average Children

Self-determination theory and a motivational model of engagement were used to determine the impact of perceived competence and autonomy on engagement and performance in school of 77 3rd and 4th graders identified as above average in ability by scoring above the median on the Stanford Achievement Test. Despite this high ability, children who reported experiencing a lack of competence (those less certain of their abilities) or a lack of autonomy (being externally motivated) reported more negative affect and withdrawal behaviors than did children who perceived themselves as having ability or who perceived themselves to be autonomous. Implications for the achievement and adjustment of children in school are discussed.
Detoxification of olive mill wastewater using superabsorbent polymers

Abstract The detoxification of agro‐industrial effluents using superabsorbent polymers is a new and innovative process. Olive mill wastewater constitutes a major environmental problem in Mediterranean countries due to the large volumes generated, the seasonaliry of the industry, and the high content of polyphenols and organic matter. The application of superabsorbent polymers allows olive mill wastewater to be used as a fertilizer, as it is immobilized, increasing the biological activity that decreases its phytotoxicity, thus making its water, organic matter and mineral content usable for plant nutrition. Various parameters that characterise olive mill wastewater were evaluated after absorption in 2 different superabsorbent polymers (SAP, and SAP2). The organic matter was equally distributed in both phases, while there was a concentration of protein and sodium in solution. The K:Na ratio decreased from 70:1 to 2:1. The polyphenol desorption from the gel into solution was found to follow Fick's law. The mass transfer coefficients were 0.147 min‐1 and 0.0085 min‐1 for SAP, and SAP2, respectively. Phytotoxicity tests were carried out with SAP2. Olive mill wastewater in SAP2 with polyphenol concentrations up to 200 mg 1‐1 revealed no phytotoxicity, and even stimulated Lepidium sativum growth, while olive mill wastewater without superabsorbent polymer revealed growth inhibition for all concentrations tested. Caffeic acid degradation by the immobilised biomass followed zero order kinetics. Degradation constants of 0.087 mg 1‐1min‐1gSAP2 ‐1 and 1.156 mg 1‐1min‐1 gSAP2 ‐1 were found. Fungi that developed in the plant growth medium were identified as Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp.
Hitting the Road to Adulthood

Previous research suggests that normative life transitions have the potential to trigger personality maturation. But what exactly happens during such a transitional stage? The present study examined personality trait changes in a sample of 910 German high school students during their transition from school to adult life. Despite the short observation period of three semiannual measurements, growth curve analyses revealed significant mean-level changes in personality traits. These changes occurred primarily in a positive direction, were strongest for the trait of conscientiousness, and most pronounced in those students who were directly confronted with this transitional experience. Bivariate growth curve models indicated that individual differences in personality change were substantially associated with changes in students’ investments into achievement behavior. Supporting socioanalytic perspectives on personality development, these findings can be discussed with respect to process approaches to personality change assuming that consistent behavioral changes might lead to personality change in a bottom-up fashion.
Frequent methylation of Vimentin in well-differentiated gastric carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Recently, it was shown that the vimentin gene, usually activated in mesenchymal cells, was highly methylated in colorectal carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS The methylation status of the vimentin gene was examined in primary carcinomas and the corresponding normal tissues derived from 37 patients with gastric carcinoma using quantitative methylation-specific PCR (qMSP) and the correlation between the methylation status and the clinicopathological findings was evaluated. RESULTS Aberrant methylation of the vimentin gene was detected in 14 out of 37 (38%) primary gastric carcinomas. This result suggested that the aberrant methylation of the vimentin gene was frequent in gastric carcinomas. Subsequently, clinicopathological data were correlated with the methylation score. A significant difference was observed in histology (p=0.0429). In addition, a trend was shown toward advancement of gastric carcinomas with vimentin methylation (p=0.0588). CONCLUSION In gastric carcinomas, well-differentiated adenocarcinoma was significantly methylated compared to poorly differentiated.
Belief Space Reachability Heuristics for Conformant and Contingent Planning

Although reachability heuristics have been shown to be useful in conformant an contingent planning, the cost of heuristic computation is still an issue. We present several improvements of our previous work on planning graph heuristics for planning in belief space. One, we generalize our approach, based on using multiple planning graphs, to symbolically represent many planning graphs in a structure we call a “labelled uncertainty graph” ( LUG). TheLUG allows us to compactly represent a set of planning graphs, needed to extract a conformant relaxed plan. Two, we further generalize the LUG to represent a larger set of planning graphs, one for each state in the reachable state space, in a structure called the ”global labelled uncertainty graph” ( GLUG). The GLUG represents every planning graph we will ever need for a search episode and is only computed once. Three, we present a postprocessing routine to include sensory actions into conformant relaxed plans, making them contingent relaxed plans. We have implemented and evaluated the LUG and relaxed plans in a planner calledPOND. We comparePOND to several state of the art planners and show our approach is quite competitive.
Early intervention for children with autism.

Jody M. Classen EARLY INTERVENTION FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM 2007/2008 Dr. Roberta Dihoff Mental Health Counseling and Applied Psychology The purpose of this study was to examine early intervention programs for children with autism to determine if the program will have a successful outcome. This study involved 34 children from birth to three years of age. Each child participated in an early childhood intervention program in Southern New Jersey. The children were divided into two groups. An independent sample t-test was conducted from the data to find a statistically significant difference within the children. It was not, however, significant in the children of the early intervention
Therapies for inter-relating diabetes and obesity – GLP-1 and obesity

Introduction: The dramatic rise in the prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with increased mortality, morbidity as well as public health care expenses worldwide. The need for effective and long-lasting pharmaceutical treatment is obvious. The record of anti-obesity drugs has been poor so far and the only efficient treatment today is bariatric surgery. Research has indicated that appetite inhibiting hormones from the gut may have a therapeutic potential in obesity. The gut incretin hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), appears to be involved in both peripheral and central pathways mediating satiety. Clinical trials have shown that two GLP-1 receptor agonists exenatide and liraglutide have a weight-lowering potential in non-diabetic obese individuals. Furthermore, they may also hold a potential in preventing diabetes as compared to other weight loss agents. Areas covered: The purpose of this review is to cover the background for the GLP-1-based therapies and their potential in obesity and pre-diabetes. Up-to-date literature on incretin-based therapies will be summarized with a special mention of their weight-lowering properties. The literature updated to August 2014 from PubMed was identified using the combinations: GLP-1, GLP-1 receptor agonists, incretins, obesity and pre-diabetes. Expert opinion: The incretin impairment, which seems to exist in both obesity and diabetes, may link these two pathologies and underlines the potential of GLP-1-based therapies in the prevention and treatment of these diseases.