Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of failed and successful dacryocystorhinostomy by using computed tomographic dacryocystography findings.

PURPOSE To compare the spiral computed tomographic dacryocystography (CT-DCG) findings of failed and successful dacryocystorhinostomies (DCR) and to detect the possible causes of failure before reoperation. METHODS Eighteen patients with failed and 15 patients with functional DCR were examined by spiral CT-DCG, a combination of contrast dacryocystography and spiral computed tomography. Radiologists, who were blinded to the clinical status of the patients, measured the diameter of the osteotomy window, evaluated its position relative to the lacrimal sac, and documented any abnormal findings around the osteotomy, which may contribute to the failure of DCR. RESULTS Location of the osteotomy window was inappropriate in 83% (15/18) of unsuccessful cases and in 7% (1/15) of successful cases and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.01). Presence of the ethmoid air cells medial to the ostium was detected to have a significantly higher frequency in the unsuccessful DCR group (78%, 14/18) than in the successful group (20%, 3/15) (p<0.01). The antero-posterior diameter of bony ostium was less than 15 mm in 94% (17/18) of failed DCR cases, but in only 60% (9/15) of successful DCR cases, and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Some additional findings that may contribute to the failure were noted in failed cases. There were ethmoid sinusitis in three, concha bullosa in two, nasal polyposis in two, mass in medial canthus in one, and extensive granulation tissue around the rhinostomy in one of the failed cases. CONSLUSIONS. CT-DCG is a valuable imaging tool to evaluate DCR failures before reoperation. In this series, CT-DCG showed that small size and inappropriate position of osteotomy, and also extension of ethmoid air cells medial to the lacrimal sac, were frequently seen causative factors of DCR failure. (Eur J Ophthalmol 2005; 15: 523-9).
An Improved Method of Myocardial Protection with Pulsation During Cardiopulmonary Bypass

A new valveless pulsatile assist device (PAD) has been developed that converts roller pump flow into synchronized pulsatile flow. The PAD can also be used as an arterial counterpulsator (ACtP) before and after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The PAD was employed in 100 adult patients undergoing open heart surgery for coronary artery and/or valvular heart disease. Seventythree of these patients were NYHA class III or IV, had ejection fractions of < 0.3, or an LVEDP k 18 mm Hg. Sixty-one patients underwent coronary artery bypass alone, 17 valve replacement alone, three ventricular aneurysm alone, 12 combined coronaries and valves, and seven combined coronaries and ventricular aneurysms. The device functioned as a hemodynamically effective ACtP before and after CPB. During CPB, pulse pressures of 40-50 mm Hg were readily obtained. Urinary outputs during CPB were increased on the PAD when compared to a control group (9.18 ± 0.68 cc/min vs 3.90 ± 0.34 cc/min). In addition, during CPB, coronary graft blood flow (CBF) increased an average of 21.4 ± 6.1% with the PAD, and after CPB, CBF increased an average of 25.0 i 5.9%. Free plasma hemoglobins after CPB were not elevated. Only one patient had a perioperative myocardial infarction, and this patient was successfully treated with intra-aortic balloon pumping. It is suggested from these data that use of the PAD may decrease both the incidence of perioperative myocardial infarction and the need for postoperative intraaortic balloon pumping.
Comment on “Widespread RNA and DNA Sequence Differences in the Human Transcriptome”

Li et al. (Research Articles, 1 July 2011, p. 53; published online 19 May 2011) reported large numbers of differences between DNA and messenger RNA in human cells, indicating unprecedented levels of RNA editing, and including sequence changes not produced by any of the known RNA editing mechanisms. However, common sources of systematic errors in high-throughput sequencing technology, which were not properly accounted for in this study, explain most of the claimed differences.
Matching Familiar and Unfamiliar Faces on Internal and External Features

Two experiments are reported in which subjects were asked to match a photograph of a complete face and a simultaneously presented photograph of internal or external features of a face, deciding whether or not the two photographs were pictures of the same person. In experiment 1 ‘same’ pairs were derived from different pictures of the same face, so that subjects had to match the faces and not the particular photographs used. Matches based on internal features were found to be faster for familiar than for unfamiliar faces, whereas there was no difference in reaction time between matches based on the external features of familiar and unfamiliar faces. Faster matching of internal features of familiar faces was found to hold equally for pairs of photographs that differed in orientation of the face or in facial expression. In experiment 2 ‘same’ pairs were derived from the same photograph, which gave subjects the choice of matching on the basis of the features of the depicted faces or matching the photographs. Reaction times were faster than in experiment 1, and there were no differences between familiar and unfamiliar faces. The study confirms reports of differential saliency of the internal features of familiar faces, and shows that this only holds when stimuli are treated as faces. The finding thus reflects properties of structural rather than pictorial codes.
The autopsy: A useful tool or an old relic?

In a combined retrospective and prospective study, clinical and autopsy data were collected to assess the changes in autopsy rate in recent years, the attitudes of clinicians and pathologists to the autopsy, and the accuracy of ante‐mortem diagnosis when compared with autopsy findings. Between 1962 and 1986, the total autopsy rate for hospital patients remained relatively constant, with an increase in Coroner's and a decrease in the hospital autopsy rate. Analysis of 5064 deaths over a 6‐year period showed a significantly greater number of males than females coming to autopsy and a decrease in autopsy rate with age for both sexes.
2+ Removal of iron (Fe ) from aqueous solutions using siliceous waste sorbent

INTRODUCTION 2+ Novel waste-derived sorbent for removal of Fe ion from aqueous solutions was developed in this present study. Three types of ashes, rice husk ash (RHA), palm oil fuel ash (PFA) and coal fly ash (CFA) were used in the preparation of sorbent. Batch studies were performed to illustrate the effect of various experimental parameters, i.e., initial concentration of iron, pH, agitation time, agita2+ tion rate and sorbent dosage. Result showed that pH 2 gave optimum conditions to remove Fe ion -1 from solutions. The agitation time was found to be 40 min. At 60 mg L the removal efficiency was the highest while 0.9 g of sorbent the highest removal efficiency. The higher removal efficiency achieved was 99.8%. Comparing both data fitted to the Freudlich and Langmuir isotherm models, it is found that the Langmuir isotherm model had the best fit to the experimental data since 2 this isotherm exhibited the highest value of correlation coefficient (R = 0.9988). This present study proved that RHA/PFA/CFA sorbents are able to remove iron from aqueous solutions. exhibited
Five New Species of Urocleidoides (Monogenoidea) (Mizelle and Price 1964) Kritsky, Thatcher, and Boeger, 1986, Parasitizing the Gills of Panamanian Freshwater Fishes

During an investigation of gill monogenoidean parasites from freshwater fishes in central Panama, 5 new species of Urocleidoides (sensu stricto) were found: Urocleidoides cultellus n. sp. , Urocleidoides visiofortatus n. sp. , and Urocleidoides advenai n. sp. from the gymnotiform Brachyhypopomus occidentalis (Hypopomidae); Urocleidoides neotropicalis n. sp. and Urocleidoides piriatiu n. sp. from the characiforms Saccodon dariensis (Parodontidae) and Ctenolucius beani (Ctenoluciidae), respectively. Our findings represent the first known species of Urocleidoides from these fishes in Central America and demonstrate that they are morphologically linked to their South American congeners.
Irrational Behavior and Economic Theory

ALTHOUGH it has long been agreed that traditional economic theory "assumes" rational behavior, at one time there was considerable disagreement over the meaning of the word "rational. " To many, the word suggested an outdated psychology, lightning-fast calculation, hedonistic motivation, and other presumably unrealistic behavior. As economic theory became more clearly and precisely formulated, controversy over the meaning of the assumptions diminished greatly, and now everyone more or less agrees that rational behavior simply implies consistent maximization
Growth, Development and Structural Change of Innovator Networks - The Case of Jena

We attempt to extend the static analysis of innovator networks by providing case study based insights into the dynamic, developmental or evolutionary pattern of such networks. In the theoretical part, we develop some building blocs that are considered central to a theory of network evolution. Especially, we focus on the growth of innovator networks and their structural change over time, i.e. how new relationships come into existence and existing ties are cut, how new actors join the system, and other actors leave it. The factors shaping these structural properties, can explain how coherence might increase in some periods while it might decrease in others. We exemplify these patterns for the case of the Jena network of innovators during the period 1995-2001.
Regulation of CYP1A1 by Indolo[3,2-b]carbazole in Murine Hepatoma Cells (*)

To determine the basis for unexpected differences in CYP1A1 inducing potencies and efficacies for the diet-derived indole derivative, indolo[3,2-b]carbazole (ICZ) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), we conducted a systematic analysis of events involved in the induced expression of CYP1A1 in murine hepatoma-derived cell lines (Hepa-1). In contrast to the effects of TCDD, induction kinetics and CYP1A1 mRNA half-life were dependent on ICZ concentration, and the response from low doses of inducer was transient due to rapid clearance of ICZ. TCDD and ICZ produced the same maximum response (i.e. equal efficacies) from a TCDD-responsive CAT reporter construct in Hepa-1 cells. When measured by the immediate responses associated with CYP1A1 expression, including cellular uptake of inducer, receptor transformation and binding to DRE (gel mobility shift assay), initiation of transcription (nuclear run-on assay), and short-term accumulation of mRNA (Northern blot assay), ICZ also exhibited an efficacy equal to that of TCDD and a potency that corresponds to its receptor affinity. ICZ is a potent and selective noncompetitive inhibitor of ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity (K = 1.5 nM). Taken together these results indicate that ICZ is a bifunctional modulator of CYP1A1 expression with intrinsic efficacy equal to that of TCDD.
Assessment of longitudinal left ventricular systolic function by different echocardiographic modalities in patients with newly diagnosed mild-to-moderate hypertension.

OBJECTIVE Standard echocardiographic methods reflect chamber dynamics and do not provide a direct measure of myocardial fiber shortening. Therefore we evaluated longitudinal left ventricular myocardial function by tissue Doppler echocardiography; strain (S), strain rate (SR), tissue Doppler velocity (TDV) in newly diagnosed mild to moderate hypertensive patients. METHODS Our cross-sectional and observational study population consisted of 57 patients and 48 normotensive control subjects. Patients with obesity, diabetes mellitus, regional wall motion abnormality, secondary hypertension and a history or clinical evidence of cardiovascular disease, arrhythmias or conduction abnormalities were excluded from the study. Ejection fraction, endocardial fractional shortening (eFS), meridional end-systolic stress (mESS), stress-adjusted eFS (observed /predicted eFS) were measured by M-mode echocardiography. Relationship between the left ventricular mass index and mESS was assessed by Pearson's linear regression model. RESULTS Hypertensive patients had significantly decreased longitudinal myocardial function compared to control subjects determined by septal (-1.25+/-0.30 vs. -1.02+/-0.33, p<0.001) and lateral (-1.20+/-0.28 vs. 1.02+/-0.41, p<0.01) SR (1/s) measurements. However, there was no significant correlation between the mESS and strain-strain rate measurements in both normal and hypertensive subjects. CONCLUSIONS Early impairment in longitudinal left ventricular systolic function can be expected despite normal endocardial left ventricular function indicated by M-mode echocardiography in patients with newly diagnosed and never treated mild to moderate hypertension.
Dynamic Codebook for Foreground Segmentation in a Video

The foreground segmentation in a video is a way to extract changes in image sequences. It is a key task in an early stage of many applications in the computer vision area. The information of changes in the scene must be segmented before any further analysis could be taken place. However, it remains with difficulties caused by several real-world challenges such as cluttered backgrounds, changes of the illumination, shadows, and long-term scene changes. This paper proposes a novel method, namely a dynamic codebook (DCB), to address such challenges of the dynamic backgrounds. It relies on a dynamic modeling of the background scene. Initially, a codebook is constructed to represent the background information of each pixel over a period of time. Then, a dynamic boundary of the codebook will be made to support variations of the background. The revised codebook will always be adaptive to the new background's environments. This makes the foreground segmentation more robust to the changes of background scene. The proposed method has been evaluated by using the changedetection.net (CDnet) benchmark which is a well-known video dataset for testing change-detection algorithms. The experimental results and comprehensive comparisons have shown a very promising performance of the proposed method.
Lipopolysaccharide activates matrix metalloproteinase-2 in endothelial cells through an NF-kappaB-dependent pathway.

Vascular endothelial cells release proteinases that degrade the extracellular matrix, thus enabling cell migration during angiogenesis and vasculogenesis. Endothelial cells secrete mainly the proform of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (proMMP-2). In this report, we examined several growth factors, cytokines, and other molecules for activation of MMP-2 by human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Of these factors, we found that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the strongest activator of MMP-2. LPS induced MMP-2 activation in a time- and dose-dependent manner. While pretreatment with zinc chelators or nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) inhibitors suppressed LPS-induced MMP-2 activation, pretreatment with phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase inhibitors had no effect. These results indicate that, in endothelial cells, LPS can directly enhance angiogenesis by inducing MMP-2 activation mediated through an NF-kappaB pathway.
Resistance to Autolysis in Vancomycin-Selected Staphylococcus aureus Isolates Precedes Vancomycin-Intermediate Resistance

ABSTRACT Four clinical U.S. glycopeptide intermediate resistant Staphylococcus aureus (GISA) isolates were resistant to Triton X-100-induced autolysis. Similar resistance was demonstrated in an isolate obtained after a single passage of a susceptible clinical isolate in low-level vancomycin. Strains with the vancomycin-induced Triton X-100 resistance phenotype produced active murein hydrolases but were resistant to lysis by murein hydrolases.
Isotope and multiband effects in layered superconductors

In this review we consider three classes of superconductors, namely cuprate superconductors, MgB2 and the new Fe based superconductors. All of these three systems are layered materials and multiband compounds. Their pairing mechanisms are under discussion with the exception of MgB2, which is widely accepted to be a ‘conventional’ electron–phonon interaction mediated superconductor, but extending the Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer (BCS) theory to account for multiband effects. Cuprates and Fe based superconductors have higher superconducting transition temperatures and more complex structures. Superconductivity is doping dependent in these material classes unlike in MgB2 which, as a pure compound, has the highest values of Tc and a rapid suppression of superconductivity with doping takes place. In all three material classes isotope effects have been observed, including exotic ones in the cuprates, and controversial ones in the Fe based materials. Before the area of high-temperature superconductivity, isotope effects on Tc were the signature for phonon mediated superconductivity—even when deviations from the BCS value to smaller values were observed. Since the discovery of high Tc materials this is no longer evident since competing mechanisms might exist and other mediating pairing interactions are discussed which are of purely electronic origin. In this work we will compare the three different material classes and especially discuss the experimentally observed isotope effects of all three systems and present a rather general analysis of them. Furthermore, we will concentrate on multiband signatures which are not generally accepted in cuprates even though they are manifest in various experiments, the evidence for those in MgB2, and indications for them in the Fe based compounds. Mostly we will consider experimental data, but when possible also discuss theoretical models which are suited to explain the data.
Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence: a Successful or Deleterious Association in the Bacterial World?

SUMMARY Hosts and bacteria have coevolved over millions of years, during which pathogenic bacteria have modified their virulence mechanisms to adapt to host defense systems. Although the spread of pathogens has been hindered by the discovery and widespread use of antimicrobial agents, antimicrobial resistance has increased globally. The emergence of resistant bacteria has accelerated in recent years, mainly as a result of increased selective pressure. However, although antimicrobial resistance and bacterial virulence have developed on different timescales, they share some common characteristics. This review considers how bacterial virulence and fitness are affected by antibiotic resistance and also how the relationship between virulence and resistance is affected by different genetic mechanisms (e.g., coselection and compensatory mutations) and by the most prevalent global responses. The interplay between these factors and the associated biological costs depend on four main factors: the bacterial species involved, virulence and resistance mechanisms, the ecological niche, and the host. The development of new strategies involving new antimicrobials or nonantimicrobial compounds and of novel diagnostic methods that focus on high-risk clones and rapid tests to detect virulence markers may help to resolve the increasing problem of the association between virulence and resistance, which is becoming more beneficial for pathogenic bacteria.
Hot-working behavior of cast Pr-Fe-B magnets

The hot working is done at a low strain rate (hot pressing) and a high strain rate (hot rolling). Magnetic alignment induced by the hot working is found to be closely related to the microstructure of the cast ingots and the direction of principal stress. The appropriate structure is a columnar structure. The c-axis of the Pr/sub 2/Fe/sub 14/B phase lies in the plane perpendicular to the growth direction of the dendrites. The principal stress during working should be given perpendicular to the growth direction. During hot pressing carried out in an open die, the following phenomena were observed: (1) crystal alignment along the c-axis, (2) pressing out of a liquid Pr-rich phase, (3) grain refinement, and (4) diffusing of the BCC-Fe phase. The addition of elements such as Cu, Ag, Au, or Pd lowers the melting point of the Pr-rich phase and encourages these phenomena. This results in a (BH)/sub max/ value of more than 30 MGOe in the starting composition of Pr/sub 17/Fe/sub 76.5/B/sub 5/M/sub 1.5/ (M=Cu, Ag, Au, or Pd). The above results were obtained by hot-pressing with a strain rate between 10/sup -3/ and 10/sup -4//s. High magnetic properties, i.e., B/sub r/=11.6 kG, i/sub Hc/=10.7 kOe, and (BH)/sub max/=30.2 MGOe, were obtained in the hot-rolled Pr/sub 15/Fe/sub 78/B/sub 5.5/Cu/sub 1.5/ magnet. >
Robust methods for the detection of genetic linkage for quantitative data from pedigrees

The robust method for detecting linkage developed by Haseman and Elston [The investigation of linkage between a quantitative trait and a marker locus. Behav Genet 2:3‐19, 1972] for data from sib pairs is extended to any type of noninbred relative pair. The regression of the squared relative‐pair trait difference on the estimated proportion of genes identical by descent (i.b.d.) at a marker locus is shown to depend upon the recombination fraction between the two loci; the regression coefficient is negative if the trait and marker loci are linked. A test for linkage based on data from any informative type of relative pair can thus be obtained by testing that this regression coefficient is less than zero. Formulae for the asymptotic power of such tests for linkage based upon independent relative pairs are developed. Results are also given for the special case in which the proportion of genes shared i.b. d. for relative pairs is known. Finally, a general algorithm is described that will incorporate all available pedigree data to calculate an estimate of the proportion of genes that a relative pair shares i.b. d. at a marker locus.
Hypofractionated Palliative Radiotherapy in Locally Advanced Inoperable Head and Neck Cancer: CMC Vellore Experience

Background: A novel, short duration, palliative radiotherapy schedule for inoperable head and neck cancer was evaluated in terms of palliation of cancer-related symptoms and acute toxicities. Materials and Methods: Thirty-six patients with inoperable head and neck cancer were included in the study (2010-2012). All patients received 40 Gy in 10 fractions (equivalent dose: 49.8 Gy in conventional fractionation) with 2 fractions per week. Treatment-related toxicity was assessed using Radiation Therapy Oncology Group criteria. Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (Head and Neck, FACT H and N) quality of life (QOL) tool was administered before starting and at the completion of radiotherapy. Mean value before and after treatment was compared (paired t-test, P = 0.05, two-tailed for significance). Results: Thirty-three patients (male: 29, female: 4, mean age: 57.8 ± 9.7 years) were included in the analysis (three patients discontinued treatment due to socioeconomic reasons). All patients had advanced inoperable head and neck cancers (27% IVA, 61% IVB, 9% IVC, TNM stage and 3% recurrent disease). Distressing pain at primary site (42%), dysphagia (18%), neck swelling (30%), and hoarseness (10%) were common presentations. Incidence of grade III mucositis and dermatitis and pain was 18%, 3%, and 24%, respectively. Planned radiotherapy without any interruptions was completed by 73% patients. QOL assessment showed improvement in social well-being (17.4 vs. 20.01, P = 0.03), but no significant change was observed in head and neck specific score (25.1 vs. 25.0, P = NS) after treatment. Reduction of pain was observed in 88% patients and 60% patients had improvement of performance status. Median overall survival of the cohort was 7 months. Conclusions: The study shows that this short duration palliative radiotherapy schedule is a clinically viable option for advanced inoperable head and neck cancer to achieve significant palliation of the main presenting symptoms like pain, dysphagia, and throat pain.