Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Baseline Characteristics of the Fellow Eye in Patients with Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Post Hoc Analysis of the VIEW Studies

Purpose: The aim was to describe baseline characteristics of the fellow eye of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Methods: A pooled, post hoc analysis of patients with nAMD enrolled in the VIEW studies was carried out. The VIEW studies compared intravitreal aflibercept (monthly or every 2 months after 3 monthly injections) with monthly ranibizumab. Baseline choroidal neovascularization (CNV) status of fellow eyes and baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and lens status of all eyes were evaluated. Additional analyses evaluated the presence of drusen and pigment in fellow eyes. Results: When comparing both eyes, baseline BCVA was worse in 23.8% of fellow eyes and in 75.2% of study eyes. Lens status of fellow eyes and study eyes was similar. Baseline visual acuity of the study eye and that of the fellow eye were not correlated. Most fellow eyes had signs of early AMD, with 34.6% (n = 843) of fellow eyes having evidence of scarring. Conclusions: In patients in the VIEW studies, most fellow eyes had evidence of AMD, highlighting the importance of examining both eyes, with close follow-up thereafter, in order to detect and treat CNV earlier as needed.
Obtaining pulse oximetry data in neonates: a randomised crossover study of sensor application techniques

Pulse oximetry may be useful during neonatal resuscitation. A randomised crossover study was performed to determine the most efficient method of applying the sensor. Applying it to the infant before connecting to the oximeter resulted in quickest acquisition of accurate heart rate. This technique should be preferred during resuscitation.
Inhibition of sodium transport by Henle's loop after intravenous saline infusion.

Abstract The effects of saline and hyperoncotic albumin infusion given to dogs during a stable water diuresis were compared. Both inhibited proximal tubule-sodium reabsorption and caused an increase in free water clearance. Only saline caused a rise in the concentration of sodium in the urine. This finding strongly suggests that the saline infusion resulted in inhibition of sodium reabsorption by the loop of Henle. As previously noted, the U Na V rose only slightly after albumin and quite markedly following the saline infusion. These data are interpreted as indicating that more than sodium reabsorption by the proximal tubule (Factor III) is operative in the renal response to a saline infusion.
Botulinum toxin assessment, intervention and aftercare for paediatric and adult niche indications including pain: international consensus statement

Evidence is emerging for the use of botulinum neurotoxin type‐A (BoNT‐A) for niche indications including pain independent of spasticity. Pain indications such as chronic nociceptive back pain, piriformis syndrome, chronic myofascial pain, pelvic pain, complex regional pain syndrome, facial pain and neuropathic pain are outlined in this paper. Of these, class I evidence is available for the treatment of chronic nociceptive low back pain, piriformis syndrome, myofascial pain, facial pain, neuropathic pain and plantar fasciitis. Peri‐operative use of BoNT‐A is emerging, with indications including planning for surgery and facilitating surgery, as well as healing and improving analgesia post‐operatively. Evidence is limited, although there are some reports that clinicians are successfully using BoNT‐A peri‐operatively. There is class I evidence showing pre‐operative use of BoNT‐A has a beneficial effect on outcomes following adductor‐release surgery. The use of BoNT for treatment of tremor, other than neck tremor in the setting of cervical dystonia, including evidence for upper limb tremor, cranial tremor and non‐dystonic neck tremor is reviewed. The evidence is variable at this stage, and further study is required to develop definitive recommendations for the clinical utility of BoNT‐A for these indications.
Long-Term Care and Family Bargaining

We present a structural model of how families decide who should care for elderly parents. We use data from the National Long-Term Care Survey to estimate and test the parameters of the model. Then we use the parameter estimates to simulate the effects of the existing long-term trends in terms of the common but untested explanations for them. Finally, we simulate the effects of alternative family bargaining rules on individual utility to measure the sensitivity of our results to the family decision-making assumptions we make.
Vertical Diabatic Heating Structure of the MJO: Intercomparison between Recent Reanalyses and TRMM Estimates

AbstractCapitalizing on recently released reanalysis datasets and diabatic heating estimates based on Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), the authors have conducted a composite analysis of vertical anomalous heating structures associated with the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO). Because diabatic heating lies at the heart of prevailing MJO theories, the intention of this effort is to provide new insights into the fundamental physics of the MJO. However, some discrepancies in the composite vertical MJO heating profiles are noted among the datasets, particularly between three reanalyses and three TRMM estimates. A westward tilting with altitude in the vertical heating structure of the MJO is clearly evident during its eastward propagation based on three reanalysis datasets, which is particularly pronounced when the MJO migrates from the equatorial eastern Indian Ocean (EEIO) to the western Pacific (WP). In contrast, this vertical tilt in heating structure is not readily seen in the three TRMM product.
The Influence of Immune Complex-Bearing Follicular Dendritic Cells on the IgM Response, Ig Class Switching, and Production of High Affinity IgG1

It is believed that Ag in immune complexes (ICs) on follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) selects high affinity B cells and promotes affinity maturation. However, selection has been documented in the absence of readily detectable ICs on FDCs, suggesting that FDC-ICs may not be important. These results prompted experiments to test the hypothesis that IC-bearing murine FDCs can promote high affinity IgG responses by selecting B cells after stimulating naive IgM+ cells to mature and class switch. Coculturing naive λ+ B cells, FDCs, (4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl)acetyl-chicken γ-globulin (CGG) + anti-CGG ICs, and CGG-primed T cells resulted in FDC-lymphocyte clusters and production of anti-4-hydroxy-5-iodo-3-nitrophenyl acetyl. Class switching was indicated by a shift from IgM to IgG, and affinity maturation was indicated by a change from mostly low affinity IgM and IgG in the first week to virtually all high affinity IgG anti-4-hydroxy-5-iodo-3-nitrophenyl acetyl in the second week. Class switching and affinity maturation were easily detectable in the presence of FDCs bearing appropriate ICs, but not in the absence of FDCs. Free Ag plus FDCs resulted in low affinity IgG, but affinity maturation was only apparent when FDCs bore ICs. Class switching is activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) dependent, and blocking FDC-CD21 ligand-B cell CD21 interactions inhibited FDC-IC-mediated enhancement of AID production and the IgG response. In short, these data support the concept that ICs on FDCs can promote AID production, class switching, and maturation of naive IgM+ B cells, and further suggest that the IC-bearing FDCs help select high affinity B cells that produce high affinity IgG.
Responses of Hyalella azteca to acute and chronic microplastic exposures

Limited information is available on the presence of microplastics in freshwater systems, and even less is known about the toxicological implications of the exposure of aquatic organisms to plastic particles. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of microplastic ingestion on the freshwater amphipod, Hyalella azteca. Hyalella azteca was exposed to fluorescent polyethylene microplastic particles and polypropylene microplastic fibers in individual 250‐mL chambers to determine 10‐d mortality. In acute bioassays, polypropylene microplastic fibers were significantly more toxic than polyethylene microplastic particles; 10‐d lethal concentration 50% values for polyethylene microplastic particles and polypropylene microplastic fibers were 4.64 × 104 microplastics/mL and 71.43 microplastics/mL, respectively. A 42‐d chronic bioassay using polyethylene microplastic particles was conducted to quantify effects on reproduction, growth, and egestion. Chronic exposure to polyethylene microplastic particles significantly decreased growth and reproduction at the low and intermediate exposure concentrations. During acute exposures to polyethylene microplastic particles, the egestion times did not significantly differ from the egestion of normal food materials in the control; egestion times for polypropylene microplastic fibers were significantly slower than the egestion of food materials in the control. Amphipods exposed to polypropylene microplastic fibers also had significantly less growth. The greater toxicity of microplastic fibers than microplastic particles corresponded with longer residence times for the fibers in the gut. The difference in residence time might have affected the ability to process food, resulting in an energetic effect reflected in sublethal endpoints. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:2564–2572. © 2015 SETAC
Sleeping Pattern of Kindergartners and Nursery School Children: Function of Daytime Nap

With a questionnaire answered by parents this study investigated the sleeping pattern of children attending kindergartens or nursery schools and the function of an afternoon nap. Sleeping pattern was investigated by a questionnaire with 441 young children (229 boys and 212 girls) attending kindergartens or nursery schools at the ages of 3 to 6 years old. Nighttime sleep did not show any significant change, while daytime naps decreased drastically and almost disappeared by the age of 6. Nursery school children went to bed later at night, so nighttime sleep was shorter than that of kindergartners. They also reported having more ‘difficulty to fall asleep’, more frequent ‘staying-up at late night’, less ‘not getting enough sleep’, worse ‘mood at rising’, and more ‘unwillingness to go to their schools’. To investigate whether afternoon naps, which are routine at Japanese nursery schools, can compensate for sleep insufficiency on the previous night and whether they have the effect of delaying the onset of the subsequent nighttime sleep, we compared sleep duration on the previous night and the sleep onset time between the days with and without an afternoon nap. The afternoon nap appeared to cause delayed sleep onset but was nor a result of sleep deficiency.
On scaling pipe flows with sinusoidal transversely corrugated walls: analysis of data from the laminar to the low-Reynolds-number turbulent regime

Direct numerical simulation was used to study laminar and turbulent flows in circular pipes with smoothly corrugated walls. The corrugation wavelength was kept constant at $0.419D$ , where $D$ is the mean diameter of the wavy-wall pipe and the corrugation height was varied from zero to $0.08D$ . Flow rates were varied in steps between low values that generate laminar flow and higher values where the flow is in the post-transitional turbulent regime. Simulations in the turbulent regime were also carried out at a constant Reynolds number, $\mathit{Re}_{{\it\tau}}=314$ , for all corrugation heights. It was found that even in the laminar regime, larger-amplitude corrugations produce flow separation. This leads to the proportion of pressure drop attributable to pressure drag being approximately 50 %, and rising to approximately 85 % in transitional rough-wall flow. The near-wall structure of turbulent flow is seen to be heavily influenced by the effects of flow separation and reattachment. Farther from the wall, the statistical profiles examined exhibit behaviours characteristic of smooth-wall flows or distributed roughness rough-wall flows. These observations support Townsend’s wall-similarity hypothesis. The organized nature of the present roughness allows the mean pressure drop to be written as a function of the corrugation height. When this is exploited in an analysis of the mean dynamical equation, the scaling problem is explicitly revealed to result from the combined influences of roughness and Reynolds number. The present results support the recent analysis and observations of Mehdi et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 731, 2013, pp. 682–712), indicating that the length scale given by the distance from the wall at which the mean viscous force loses leading order is important to describing these combined influences, as well as providing a dynamically self-consistent connection to the scaling structure of smooth-wall pipe flow.
Complete quadriceps tendon ruptures.

Forty-four patients with 53 quadriceps tendon ruptures were studied retrospectively with an average follow up of 67.2 months (range: 24 to 155). The type of repair was not associated with differences in functional outcome, patient satisfaction, range of motion, or isokinetic testing. Patients with a delay in surgical treatment in comparison to those immediately repaired had significantly worse functional results (P < .05), lower satisfaction scores (P < .05), and lower isokinetic data for both the injured and uninjured extremities, however, their range of motion and comparative extensor power results were nearly identical. On reviewing all patients, the ultimate range of motion was within an average of 2 degrees of the uninjured side in nearly all patients. Based on the results of this study, all surgical methods can be expected to give comparable results as long as treatment is begun within 1 week of the injury. Regaining range of motion comparable to the uninjured side was not a problem in this series despite a delay in treatment.
Interferon-mediated, double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase is inhibited in extracts from vaccinia virus-infected cells

The interferon-inducible, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-dependent protein kinase which phosphorylates an endogenous HeLa 69 kilodalton polypeptide or exogenous initiation factor eIF2 was inhibited during vaccinia virus infection. High interferon doses (20,000 reference units per ml) did not prevent this inhibition. The inhibition required protein synthesis but not viral DNA synthesis during infection, suggesting that an early vaccinia virus gene function was responsible. An active dsRNA-dependent protein kinase could be recovered from an inactive extract by purification on polyinosinate X polycytidylate-cellulose. An inhibitor of the protein kinase, therefore, must be present in the inactive extract. Similar results have been obtained with mouse L929 cells. At early time points of infection, the protein kinase in cell extracts required exogenous dsRNA for activity. This argues against endogenous viral dsRNA and activation of the kinase in the intact cell. At late time points of infection (when vaccinia virus dsRNA was almost certainly formed), the inhibitor of the kinase is present. Accordingly, it seems unlikely that the kinase played any role in the interferon-mediated inhibition of virus growth observed in these cells under these particular conditions.
A Retrospective Renal Study from a Lupus Vasculitis Clinic

Aim: In July 2009, a combined Renal Rheumatology Lupus Vasculitis (RRLV) clinic, the first of its kind for adult patients in Australia, was started at Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital. This is an audit of progression of renal disease to assess if patients attending this clinic had comparable results to published studies of similar cohorts with lupus Nephritis (LN) and vasculitis. Methods: We conducted a retrospective audit of all the patients who attended this clinic from July 2009 to October 2013. There were 33 patients followed up in the vasculitis group and 36 in the LN group. Patients with other connective tissue disorders were excluded from the analysis as the numbers were insignificant. Results: The mean estimated glomerular filtration rate of vasculitis and LN patients improved from 32.06 to 45.82 ml/min/1.73m2 and 62.42 to 65.53 ml/min/1.73m2 respectively. The mean urine protein/creatinine ratio of vasculitis and LN patients improved from 420 to 85 and 406 to 70 respectively. No patients died in either group. One vasculitis and two LN patients required maintenance dialysis. Three LN patients underwent renal transplantation. Conclusion: The results show excellent patient and renal survival and support the concept of a combined renal rheumatology clinic in managing renal disease from systemic connective tissue disorders.
Architecture of the Replication Complex and DNA Loops at the Fork Generated by the Bacteriophage T4 Proteins*

Rolling circle replication has previously been reconstituted in vitro using M13 duplex circles containing preformed forks and the 10 purified T4 bacteriophage replication proteins. Leading and lagging strand synthesis in these reactions is coupled and the size of the Okazaki fragments produced is typical of those generated in T4 infections. In this study the structure of the DNAs and DNA-protein complexes engaged in these in vitro reactions has been examined by electron microscopy. Following deproteinization, circular duplex templates with linear tails as great as 100 kb are observed. The tails are fully duplex except for one to three single-stranded DNA segments close to the fork. This pattern reflects Okazaki fragments stopped at different stages in their synthesis. Examination of the DNA-protein complexes in these reactions reveals M13 duplex circles in which 64% contain a single large protein mass (replication complex) and a linear duplex tail. In 56% of the replicating molecules with a tail there is at least one fully duplex loop at the replication complex resulting from the portion of the lagging strand engaged in Okazaki fragment synthesis folding back to the replisome. The single-stranded DNA segments at the fork bound by gene 32 and 59 proteins are not extended but rather appear organized into highly compact structures (“bobbins”). These bobbins constitute a major portion of the mass of the full replication complex.
Secretion of human hepatitis B virus is inhibited by the imino sugar N-butyldeoxynojirimycin.

The imino sugar N-butyldeoxynojirimycin (NBDNJ) is a potent inhibitor of the oligosaccharide-trimming enzyme alpha-glucosidase I. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) contains three surface proteins (HBs proteins) of different sizes that are singly or doubly N-glycosylated and are essential for the formation of infectious virus. Therefore, the replication and secretion of HBV in the human hepatoma cell line HepG2 were studied in the presence of NBDNJ. In the stably HBV-transfected HepG 2.2. 15 cells and in HBV-infected HepG2 cells, NBDNJ suppressed secretion of HBV particles and caused intracellular retention of HBV DNA. The secretion of subviral particles was less affected. These data suggest that inhibitors of oligosaccharide trimming may be useful for antiviral therapy of hepatitis B and for the study of the intracellular transport of the viral glycoproteins.
Universal space-time scaling symmetry in the dynamics of bosons across a quantum phase transition

Shaking the lattice uncovers universality Most of our knowledge of quantum phase transitions (QPTs)—which occur as a result of quantum, rather than thermal, fluctuations—comes from experiments performed in equilibrium conditions. Less is known about the dynamics of a system going through a QPT, which have been hypothesized to depend on a single time and length scale. Clark et al. confirmed this hypothesis in a gas of cesium atoms in an optical lattice, which was shaken progressively faster to drive the gas through a QPT. Science, this issue p. 606 The dynamics of a gas of cesium atoms in a shaken optical lattice follows a universality hypothesis. The dynamics of many-body systems spanning condensed matter, cosmology, and beyond are hypothesized to be universal when the systems cross continuous phase transitions. The universal dynamics are expected to satisfy a scaling symmetry of space and time with the crossing rate, inspired by the Kibble-Zurek mechanism. We test this symmetry based on Bose condensates in a shaken optical lattice. Shaking the lattice drives condensates across an effectively ferromagnetic quantum phase transition. After crossing the critical point, the condensates manifest delayed growth of spin fluctuations and develop antiferromagnetic spatial correlations resulting from the sub-Poisson distribution of the spacing between topological defects. The fluctuations and correlations are invariant in scaled space-time coordinates, in support of the scaling symmetry of quantum critical dynamics.
RcsCDB His‐Asp phosphorelay system negatively regulates the flhDC operon in Escherichia coli

The genes involved in flagellum synthesis, motility and chemotaxis in Escherichia coli are expressed in a hierarchical fashion. At the top of the hierarchy lies the master regulator FlhDC, required for the expression of the whole set of genes. The operon flhDC is controlled by numerous regulators including H‐NS, CRP, EnvZ/OmpR, QseBC and LrhA. In the present work, we report that the flhDC operon is also negatively regulated by the His‐Asp phosphorelay system RcsCDB. The regulation is potentiated by the RcsB cofactor RcsA. Genetic analysis indicates that an RcsAB box, located downstream of the promoter, is required for the regulation. The binding of RcsB and RcsA to this site was demonstrated by gel retardation and DNase I protection assays. In addition, mutation analysis suggests that RcsA‐specific determinants lie in the right part of the ‘RcsAB box’.
Botulinum Toxin Type A for the Treatment of Nummular Headache: Four Case Studies

Objective. — We assessed the efficacy and safety of botulinum toxin type A (BoNTA; BOTOX®: Allergan, Inc., Irvine, CA, USA) in patients with nummular headache who did not respond to other treatments including nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), local anesthetics, and/or gabapentin.
Diet and hip fracture risk: a case-control study. Study Group of the Multiple Risk Survey on Swedish Women for Eating Assessment.

BACKGROUND The role of diet as a risk factor for osteoporotic fractures is unclear. Earlier studies have yielded conflicting results. METHODS In two counties in central Sweden we investigated the association between dietary intake and the risk of proximal femoral fractures in a case-control study nested in a cohort. Women born in 1914-1948 were asked to fill out a food frequency questionnaire when invited to attend for mammographic screening between the years 1987 and 1990. More than 65,000 women completed the questionnaire. Those who had participated in the enquiry and subsequently sustained a first hip fracture were defined as cases. For every case, four individually matched controls, by age and county of residence, were selected from the cohort. A second questionnaire concerning confounding factors was mailed to controls and cases. In all, 247 cases and 893 controls could finally be included. Monthly intake of foods and daily intake of nutrients were calculated. RESULTS When highest quartile of intake was compared to lowest, intakes of iron (adjusted odds ratio [OR] of 3.3, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.6-6.9), magnesium (adjusted OR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.3-6.0) and vitamin C (adjusted OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.2-3.1) were found to be independent risk factors for hip fracture. High calcium intake did not protect against hip fracture. Smoking, low physical activity in leisure time, low body mass index, earlier fracture of the distal forearm and diabetes were all risk factors while postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy protected against hip fracture. DISCUSSION This large study indicates new dietary risk factors for hip fracture. The association between high dietary intake of iron, magnesium and vitamin C and risk of hip fracture has not been reported previously. Further clinical and experimental studies are needed to confirm these findings and to investigate their mechanism of action.