Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Ophthalmology Microscalpel versus Standard Scalpels and Wound Healing in a Rat Model

Objective We tested the hypothesis that the ophthalmology microscalpel, compared to standard incisional instruments, causes less trauma during incisions resulting in decreased inflammation and greater tensile strength of wounds. Study Design Prospective animal study. Setting Animal laboratory. Subjects and Methods Thirty-four Sprague-Dawley rats received dorsum skin incisions with the microscalpel, electrosurgical device, 11 blade scalpel, and 15 blade scalpel. Wounds were harvested at 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, and 6 weeks, then analyzed histologically in a blinded manner for inflammation markers and tested for tensile strength. Results The microscalpel wounds had significantly higher tensile strength compared to the 15 blade (P = .045) and electrocautery device (P = .000) but equivocal strength to the 11 blade (P = .457). The electrocautery wounds were weaker than all 3 steel blades. No significant difference was found between the microscalpel, 11 blade, and 15 blade incisions for the 5 markers of inflammation. Electrocautery wounds had significantly worse inflammatory scores, specifically, higher angiogenesis and larger wound gap compared to the microscalpel (P = .004, P = .002), 11 blade (P = .007, P = .023), and 15 blade (P = .010, P = .003), respectively. Conclusion Microscalpel incisions result in less inflammation and increased tensile strength compared with electrocautery and higher tensile strength compared to the 15 blade in the rat model. Inflammation scores were equivocal between the microscalpel, 11 blade, and 15 blade. Our findings support the use of the microscalpel blade for facial plastic and reconstructive procedures. Prospective, randomized human studies are warranted.
Design of a motion compensation unit for H.264 decoder using 2-dimensional circular register files

H.264 video coding standard is widely used due to the high compression rate and quality. The motion compensation is the most time-consuming and complex unit in the H.264 decoder. The performance of the motion compensation is determined by the calculation of pixel interpolation and management of the reference pixels. The reference pixels read from external memory and efficient memory management for data reuse is necessary. We propose the architecture of a motion compensation for H.264 decoders. It is composed of 2-dimensional circular register files, a motion vector predictor and interpolators with dual-channel pipelined processing elements. The processing elements can interpolate integer-, half- and quarter-pixel data. The 2-dimensional circular register files reuse reference pixel data as much as possible, and feed reference pixel data to interpolators without any latency and complex logic circuits. The motion compensation unit has dual processing pipelines for luminance and chroma data. We design a motion compensation unit for the baseline profile using Verilog-HDL.
Barriers to the Use of Trastuzumab for HER2+ Breast Cancer and the Potential Impact of Biosimilars: A Physician Survey in the United States and Emerging Markets

Trastuzumab in combination with chemotherapy has become a standard of care for patients with HER2+ breast cancer. The cost of therapy, however, can limit patient access to trastuzumab in areas with limited financial resources for treatment reimbursement. This study examined access to trastuzumab and identified potential barriers to its use in the United States, Mexico, Turkey, Russia and Brazil via physician survey. The study also investigated if the availability of a biosimilar to trastuzumab would improve access to and use of HER2 monoclonal antibody therapy. Across all countries, a subset of oncologists reported barriers to the use of trastuzumab in a neoadjuvant, adjuvant or metastatic setting. Common barriers to the use of trastuzumab included issues related to insurance coverage, drug availability and cost to the patient. Overall, nearly half of oncologists reported that they would increase the use of HER2 monoclonal antibody therapy across all treatment settings if a lower cost biosimilar to trastuzumab were available. We conclude that the introduction of a biosimilar to trastuzumab may alleviate cost-related barriers to treatment and could increase patient access to HER2-directed therapy in all countries examined.
The USDA Scholars Program: Innovations in a Summer Undergraduate Research Program1

NACTA Journal • March 2013 Abstract The USDA Scholars Program is an innovative summer undergraduate research program at Virginia Tech, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), that integrates undergraduate research with peer mentoring, grantsmanship, a specialized summer course and a summer multi-institutional symposium. The results of a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the USDA Scholars Program, which consisted of 42 undergraduates over a 5-year period from 2007-2011, are presented. Students participating in the program were co-authors on eight peer-reviewed publications and three additional articles in preparation, as well as 17 posters at national and international scientific meetings. USDA Scholars self-assessed themselves with a 6568% gain in perceived confidence in research ability and in one of the assessed years, a slight, but significant increase in perceived public speaking ability. Seventyfive percent of USDA Scholars continued research in the following academic year and the department hosting the program showed a significant increase in the total number of students (including non-Scholars) engaged in undergraduate research. Overall, the USDA Scholars Program can serve as a model for other departments interested in designing a comprehensive summer undergraduate research program.
Toll-like Receptors and Their Signaling Mechanisms

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a crucial role in the recognition of invading pathogens and the activation of subsequent immune responses against them. Individual TLRs recognize distinct pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). The TLR family harbors an extracellular leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain as well as a cytoplasmic domain that is homologous to that of interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R). Upon stimulation, TLR recruits IL-1R-associated protein kinases via adaptor MyD88, and finally induces activation of nuclear factor-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinases. However, the response to TLR ligands varies, indicating the diversity of TLR signaling pathways. Besides MyD88, several novel adaptor molecules have recently been identified. Differential utilization of these adaptor molecules may provide the specificity in the TLR signaling. Characterization of each TLR signaling pathway will reveal the molecular mechanism of self-tolerance as well as cross-tolerance in response to a variety of PAMPs.
Treating posttraumatic stress disorder with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy: A preliminary meta-analysis and comparison to prolonged exposure therapy

Since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has become a major area of research and development. The most widely accepted treatment for PTSD is prolonged exposure (PE) therapy, but for many patients it is intolerable or ineffective. ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy (MDMA-AP) has recently re-emerged as a new treatment option, with two clinical trials having been published and both producing promising results. However, these results have yet to be compared to existing treatments. The present paper seeks to bridge this gap in the literature. Often the statistical significance of clinical trials is overemphasized, while the magnitude of the treatment effects is overlooked. The current meta-analysis aims to provide a comparison of the cumulative effect size of the MDMA-AP studies with those of PE. Effect sizes were calculated for primary and secondary outcome measures in the MDMA-AP clinical trials and compared to those of a meta-analysis including several PE clinical trials. It was found that MDMA-AP had larger effect sizes in both clinician-observed outcomes than PE did (Hedges’ g=1.17 vs. g=1.08, respectively) and patient self-report outcomes (Hedges’ g=0.87 vs. g=0.77, respectively). The dropout rates of PE and MDMA-AP were also compared, revealing that MDMA-AP had a considerably lower percentage of patients dropping out than PE did. These results suggest that MDMA-AP offers a promising treatment for PTSD.
Ipsilateral cortical connections of motor, premotor, frontal eye, and posterior parietal fields in a prosimian primate, Otolemur garnetti

The ipsilateral connections of motor areas of galagos were determined by injecting tracers into primary motor cortex (M1), dorsal premotor area (PMD), ventral premotor area (PMV), supplementary motor area (SMA), and frontal eye field (FEF). Other injections were placed in frontal cortex and in posterior parietal cortex to define the connections of motor areas further. Intracortical microstimulation was used to identify injection sites and map motor areas in the same cases. The major connections of M1 were with premotor cortex, SMA, cingulate motor cortex, somatosensory areas 3a and 1, and the rostral half of posterior parietal cortex. Less dense connections were with the second (S2) and parietal ventral (PV) somatosensory areas. Injections in PMD labeled neurons across a mediolateral belt of posterior parietal cortex extending from the medial wall to lateral to the intraparietal sulcus. Other inputs came from SMA, M1, PMV, and adjoining frontal cortex. PMV injections labeled neurons across a large zone of posterior parietal cortex, overlapping the region projecting to PMD but centered more laterally. Other connections were with M1, PMD, and frontal cortex and sparsely with somatosensory areas 3a, 1–2, S2, and PV. SMA connections were with medial posterior parietal cortex, cingulate motor cortex, PMD, and PMV. An FEF injection labeled neurons in the intraparietal sulcus. Injections in posterior parietal cortex revealed that the rostral half receives somatosensory inputs, whereas the caudal half receives visual inputs. Thus, posterior parietal cortex links visual and somatosensory areas with motor fields of frontal cortex. J. Comp. Neurol. 490:305–333, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Factors Affecting Income from Selected Salad Vegetables Marketing in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria

The study investigated the factor affecting selected salad vegetable (Lettuce and cabbage) in Umuahia Main market, Abia State, Nigeria. The objective is to determine the variables that influence the income of salad marketers in the study area. Estimates of factors that influence the income of cabbage and that for lettuce was separately done to components of the salad vegetable. Both functional forms were significant at 1.0% alpha levels implying they were adequate in explaining variation in the dependent variable. The result of the estimate of factor that affect income of cabbage marketers showed that marketing experience and rent on storage, were positive and significantly related to income of the marketers. This implied that the higher the year of marketing experience and rent on storage, the higher the income of salad marketers. The coefficient of household size and transportation cost were however significant but negatively related to income of marketing implying that as both decreases income increase. The result of the estimates of factors influencing income of lettuce marketers showed that household size and educational level and transportation cost were positive and significantly related while variable cost are negative related. It is recommended that policy directed at the enlightenment and encouragement of formal education to farmers and marketers will help to improve their level of marketing and their income. It is also recommended that macroeconomic measure by government to reduce inflation should be in place to check the high cost of input thereby reducing high price of consumer goods.
Low-level laser therapy induces dose-dependent reduction of TNFalpha levels in acute inflammation.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate if low-level laser therapy (LLLT) can modulate acute inflammation and tumor necrosis factor (TNFalpha) levels. BACKGROUND DATA Drug therapy with TNFalpha-inhibitors has become standard treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, but it is unknown if LLLT can reduce or modulate TNFalpha levels in inflammatory disorders. METHODS Two controlled animal studies were undertaken, with 35 male Wistar rats randomly divided into five groups each. Rabbit antiserum to ovalbumin was instilled intrabronchially in one of the lobes, followed by the intravenous injection of 10 mg of ovalbumin in 0.5 mL to induce acute lung injury. The first study served to define the time profile of TNFalpha activity for the first 4 h, while the second study compared three different LLLT doses to a control group and a chlorpromazine group at a timepoint where TNFalpha activity was increased. The rats in LLLT groups were irradiated within 5 min at the site of injury by a 650-nm Ga-Al-As laser. RESULTS There was a time-lag before TNFalpha activity increased after BSA injection. TNFalpha levels increased from < or =6.9 (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.6-8.2) units/mL in the first 3 h to 62.1 (95% CI, 60.8-63.4) units/mL (p < 0.001) at 4 h. An LLLT dose of 0.11 Joules administered with a power density of 31.3 mW/cm(2) in 42 sec significantly reduced TNFalpha level to 50.2 (95% CI, 49.4-51.0), p < 0.01 units/mL versus control. Chlorpromazine reduced TNFalpha level to 45.3 (95% CI, 44.0-46.6) units/mL, p < 0.001 versus control. CONCLUSION LLLT can reduce TNFalpha expression after acute immunocomplex lung injury in rats, but LLLT dose appears to be critical for reducing TNFalpha release.
Sotrastaurin (AEB071) Alone and in Combination With Cyclosporine A Prolongs Survival Times of Non-Human Primate Recipients of Life-Supporting Kidney Allografts

Background. Sotrastaurin (STN), a novel oral protein kinase C inhibitor that inhibits early T-cell activation, was assessed in non-human primate recipients of life-supporting kidney allografts. Methods. Cynomolgus monkey recipients of life-supporting kidney allografts were treated orally with STN alone or in combination with cyclosporine A (CsA). Results. STN monotherapy at 50 mg/kg once daily prolonged recipient survival times to the predefined endpoint of 29 days (n=2); when given at 25 mg/kg twice daily, the median survival time (MST) was 27 days (n=4). Neither once-daily monotherapy of STN 20 mg/kg nor CsA 20 mg/kg was effective (MST 6 days [n=2] and 7 days [n=5], respectively). In combination, however, STN 20 mg/kg and CsA 20 mg/kg prolonged MST to more than 100 days (n=5). By combining lower once-daily doses of STN (7 or 2 mg/kg) with CsA (20 mg/kg), MST was more than 100 (n=3) and 22 days (n=2), respectively. Neither in single-dose pharmacokinetic studies nor the transplant recipients were STN or CsA blood levels for combined treatment greater than when either drug was administered alone. STN blood levels in transplant recipients during combination therapy were dose related (20 mg/kg, 30–182 ng/mL; 7 mg/kg, 7–41 ng/mL; and 2 mg/kg, 3–5 ng/mL). STN at a daily dose of up to 20 mg/kg was relatively well tolerated. Conclusions. STN prolonged survival times of non-human primate kidney allograft recipients both as monotherapy and most effectively in combination with CsA. Pharmacokinetic interactions were not responsible for the potentiation of immunosuppressive efficacy by coadministering STN and CsA.
Corporate social responsibility, financial performance and risk in Indonesian natural resources industry

Purpose With an attempt to give a deeper explanation regarding the manifestation of socially and environmentally responsible cultures among Indonesian natural resources industry, this paper aims to highlight the empirical confirmation on the correlation of corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate financial performance (CFP) and risk. Likewise, corporate risk’s role as a mediating variable in the indirect effect of CSR on CFP is also examined. Design/methodology/approach Kinder, Lydenberg and Domini’s (KLD) measurement approach is used as a basis to assess social responsibility activities as it gives more social rating transparency. CFP captures both accounting- and market-based measurements, whereas volatility of stock return is adopted as a proxy of firm risk. Partial least squares analysis is conducted on 40 Indonesian listed firms in natural resources sector, with observation years from 2008 to 2016. Findings It is revealed that CSR positively affects CFP, although the correlation is stronger in the long run. Significant negative influence to risk is also discovered. However, risk has a significant adverse correlation with CFP when two years’ lagged value is used. Hence, CSR affects CFP through risk in the long-term, both directly and indirectly. Practical implications The empirical result suggests that CSR serves as a tool in managing the risk of enterprises and performance, especially in the long-term. Accordingly, firms should incorporate CSR as a strategic investment and manage a strong relationship with stakeholders. Originality/value This report expands further prior works and contributes to CSR and financial management literature by discovering the true nature of CSR effects as an investment in the future. This is the first study which tests and proves that CSR in Indonesian natural resources industry plays a significant role as a strategic risk management instrument that leads to a sustainable and long-lasting financial performance.
CSF tau protein and β‐amyloid (1–42) in Alzheimer's disease diagnosis: discrimination from normal ageing and other dementias in the Greek population

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of tau protein and amyloid β(1–42) peptide (Aβ42) have been suggested as possible diagnostic markers of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In order to evaluate their diagnostic potential in clinical practice, we measured tau and Aβ42 levels in the CSF of 49 AD patients, 15 patients with non‐AD neurodegenerative dementias (NAND), six patients with vascular dementia (VD) and 49 elderly controls. All the subjects were of Greek origin. A marked increase in tau, a decrease in Aβ42 and a marked increase in the tau/Aβ42 ratio was noted in AD. Aβ42 alone had a specificity of 80% and a sensitivity of 82% in differentiating AD from normal ageing, whilst the corresponding values for differentiating AD from NAND or VD were 80 and 71, or 67 and 82%, respectively. Tau was better in differentiating AD, from normal ageing (specificity 96%, sensitivity 88%), NAND (specificity 93%, sensitivity 71%) and VD (specificity 83%, sensitivity 94%). The tau/Aβ42 ratio achieved values comparable or even better than tau for differentiating AD from normal ageing (specificity 86%, sensitivity 96%) and VD (specificity 83%, sensitivity 90%) and definitely better than any of the candidate markers alone, for differentiating AD from NAND (specificity 100%, sensitivity 71%). Thus, the combined use of CSF tau and Aβ42 in the form of the tau/Aβ42 ratio is a simple, safe and useful adjuvant to clinical criteria for dementia diagnosis.
Genetic analysis of human and swine influenza A viruses isolated in Northern Italy during 2010–2015

Influenza A virus (IAV) infection in swine plays an important role in the ecology of influenza viruses. The emergence of new IAVs comes through different mechanisms, with the genetic reassortment of genes between influenza viruses, also originating from different species, being common. We performed a genetic analysis on 179 IAV isolates from humans (n. 75) and pigs (n. 104) collected in Northern Italy between 2010 and 2015, to monitor the genetic exchange between human and swine IAVs. No cases of human infection with swine strains were noticed, but direct infections of swine with H1N1pdm09 strains were detected. Moreover, we pointed out a continuous circulation of H1N1pdm09 strains in swine populations evidenced by the introduction of internal genes of this subtype. These events contribute to generating new viral variants—possibly endowed with pandemic potential—and emphasize the importance of continuous surveillance at both animal and human level.
Quizalofop-p-ethyl-induced phytotoxicity and genotoxicity in Lemna minor and Lemna gibba

In this study, the effects of the herbicide, quizalofop-p-ethyl, on pigment contents (total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a/b, carotenoid), antioxidant enzyme [superoxide dismutase (SOD) and guaiacol peroxidase (POD)] activities, lipid peroxidation product (malondialdehyde: MDA) and DNA profiles were investigated in Lemna gibba and Lemna minor. Laboratory-acclimatized plants were treated with quizalofop-p-ethyl at 31.375, 62.75, 125 and 250 mg L−1 for 24 and 96 h. It was determined that quizalofop-p-ethyl affected both the physiological status and the DNA profiles of L. gibba and L. minor. The photosynthetic pigments of L. gibba were more sensitive to the herbicide than were those of L. minor at both treatment times. SOD and POD activities were elevated in both plants at 24 h. However at 96 h, SOD activity decreased in L. minor and had irregular changes in L. gibba. Significant increases in the amounts of MDA were observed in L. gibba, whereas the levels of this compound decreased in L. minor at 24 and 96 h. Polymorphism in DNA profiles was determined using the Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique. Four primers were used for scoring (appearance and disappearance of DNA polymorphic bands), and equally weighted maximum parsimony analyses were performed. Fewer differences were observed at 24 h, and more new bands were observed at 96 h in L. gibba. The RAPD profiles of L. minor produced by all of the primers were slightly less affected by the herbicide treatment than were those of L. gibba.
Bowel symptoms in women 1 year after sacrocolpopexy.

OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to evaluate changes in bowel symptoms after sacrocolpopexy. STUDY DESIGN This was a prospectively planned, ancillary analysis of the Colpopexy and Urinary Reduction Efforts study, a randomized trial of sacrocolpopexy with or without Burch colposuspension in stress continent women with stages II-IV prolapse. In addition to sacrocolpopexy (+/- Burch), subjects underwent posterior vaginal or perineal procedures (PR) at each surgeon's discretion. The preoperative and 1 year postoperative Colorectal-anal Distress Inventory (CRADI) scores were compared within and between groups using Wilcoxon signed-rank and rank-sum tests, respectively. RESULTS The sacrocolpopexy + PR group (n = 87) had more baseline obstructive colorectal symptoms (higher CRADI and CRADI-obstructive scores: P = .04 and < .01, respectively) than the sacrocolpopexy alone group (n = 211). CRADI total, obstructive, and pain/irritation scores significantly improved in both groups (all P < .01). Most bothersome symptoms resolved after surgery in both groups. CONCLUSION Most bowel symptoms improve in women with moderate to severe pelvic organ prolapse after sacrocolpopexy.