Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alterations in food and water intake after hypothalamic lesions in the rat.

Electrolytic lesions in the lateral hypothalamus produced aphagia and adipsia. One rat remained adipsic until sacrifice 283 days after operation; 11 rats with lesions continued to drink water while refusing ground laboratory chow. This effect lasted until sacrifice, 8–13 days postlesions, suggesting that areas regulating water and food intake are separable. Lesions designed to induce diabetes insipidus were produced in rats in which variable renal water loss had been eliminated by prior nephrectomy. Rats with lesions drank significantly more than nephrectomized controls during the 2-day observation period. The experiment was repeated, but food was withheld and controls were subjected to sham hypothalamic operation. In this group water intake was greater and weight loss less in rats with lesions than in sham-operated controls, though the difference was less than that in the presence of food. Although the difference in water intake was small, the results suggest that destruction of an inhibitory drinking center may contribute to polydipsia in diabetes insipidus. Water intake may be stimulated by lateral and inhibited by medial areas in the hypothalamus.
A population‐based case‐control study of isolated primary congenital glaucoma

We studied the possible etiological factors of isolated primary congenital glaucoma (IPCG) using data from the Hungarian Case‐Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities, 1980–2002. The study group consisted of 52 cases with IPCG compared to 52 matched control pairs without any defects, and 22,744 malformed controls with non‐ocular defects and 37,837 population controls with no defect. Exposure data and family history were collected (i) prospectively by prenatal logbook and other medical records, (ii) retrospectively through a structured questionnaire completed by mothers, and (iii) from supplementary information obtained by regional nurses visiting the homes of non‐respondent mothers. Autosomal recessive inheritance of IPCG was suspected on the basis of sib occurrence and parental consanguinity in 15% of cases. The shorter gestational age (with high proportion of preterm birth), higher birth order, large proportion of births among unmarried women, low socioeconomic status, and high rate of unemployment may be related to Gypsy origin of at least 54% of cases of IPCG. We conclude that the higher incidence of IPCG in the Hungarian Gypsy population is associated with their inbreeding and the possible founder effect of a gene mutation. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Preliminary geological prospects on the geothermal water in Lebanon

The geothermal water can be considered as a potential for an alternative energy source in Lebanon. This is based on the geological data of the existence of igneous rocks at depth in contact with groundwater reservoirs. There are several indicators of geothermal water in different geographic localities of Lebanon. This was evidenced in drilled wells or discharging springs inland and offshore in the littoral water. This research represents an inventory for assessing the geographic distribution of geothermal water in Lebanon, which exists mainly in four geographic domains. It aims, in a broad sense, to characterize these domains by considering the hydrogeologic mechanism for groundwater heating. A detailed assessment and investigation are still required for better implementation of such energy sources.
Impact of respiratory illness on expiratory flow rates in normal, asthmatic, and allergic children

We examined the effects of current respiratory illness (RI) on pulmonary function (PF) in 1,103 subjects who underwent spirometry at schools twice within a 4‐month period. Before spirometry, subjects were asked if they had a “cold or other chest illness” during the previous month, and if so, whether they had fully recovered. Those who had not recovered were considered to have an RI.
Enhancement of protein modeling by human intervention in applying the automatic programs 3D‐JIGSAW and 3D‐PSSM

Fourteen models were constructed and analyzed for the comparative modeling section of Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction (CASP4). Sequence identity between each target and the best possible parent(s) ranged between 55 and 13%, and the root‐mean‐square deviation between model and target was from 0.8 to 17.9 Å. In the fold recognition section, 10 of the 11 remote homologues were recognized. The modeling protocols are a combination of automated computer algorithms, 3D‐JIGSAW (for comparative modeling) and 3D‐PSSM (for fold recognition), with human intervention at certain critical stages. In particular, intervention is required to check superfamily assignment, best possible parents from which to model, sequence alignments to those parents and take‐off regions for modeling variable regions. There now is a convergence of algorithms for comparative modeling and fold recognition, particularly in the region of remote homology. Proteins 2001;Suppl 5:39–46. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Lymphocyte trafficking to inflamed skin – molecular mechanisms and implications for therapeutic target molecules

Tissue-selective recruitment of lymphocytes to peripheral organs, such as the skin, is crucial for spatial compartmentalisation within the immune system as well as immune surveillance under normal conditions. In addition, this process plays a key role for the pathogenesis of various diseases including common inflammatory disorders such as atopic dermatitis or psoriasis, but also malignancies such as cutaneous T cell lymphomas. Recruitment of lymphocytes to the skin is a highly complex process that involves adhesion to the endothelial lining, extravasation, migration through the connective tissue, and, finally, localisation of a subpopulation of lymphocytes to the epithelial compartment, the epidermis. An intertwined network of constitutively expressed and inducible cytokines, chemokines and other mediators provides guidance for lymphocyte migration, and a large number of adhesion receptors mediate sequential steps of cell–cell- and cell–substrate-interactions resulting in tissue-specific localisation of immune cells. Selectively targeting the functions of one or several key molecules involved in this complex cascade promises exciting new therapeutic options for treating inflammatory disorders, but at the same time, bears considerable imponderables which will be discussed in this article.
Elastic and viscoelastic properties of non-bulk polymer interphases in nanotube-reinforced polymers

There is considerable interest in using carbon nanotubes (NTs) to create multifunctional polymer composite materials with outstanding mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. A hurdle in modeling the behavior of these systems is the non-bulk interphase region in these systems that forms due to nanoscale interactions between the embedded NTs and adjacent polymer chains. This interphase region comprises a substantial portion of the volume fraction of the composite due to the tremendous NT surface area per unit volume available for interaction with local polymer chains and results in significant changes in the viscoelastic properties of the nanotube-polymer composite compared to those of the bulk polymer. However, the mechanical properties of this interphase region are unknown and very difficult to measure directly from experimental testing due to the size scale of this interphase region. Thus a three-phase (fiber/nanotube – annular interphase – matrix) MoriTanaka micromechanical model has been developed such that the properties of this interphase region can be inferred from macroscale viscoelastic data obtained using dynamic mechanical analysis. Such analysis will be particularly useful as a means to assess changes in the mobility and mechanical behavior of this interphase region and as a means to characterize the impact of chemical functionalization on interphase formation in these systems.
Capacitance-to-digital converter based on power detection

High resolution capacitance-to-digital converters (CDC) usually have severe capacitance range limitations or high power consumption. This paper presents a power detection based 16-bit CDC with a maximum capacitance range superior to 1 nF and a capacitance resolution as small as 0.27 fF. This work's multi-stage power detector provides the CDC with three different sensitivity rates making it highly versatile. An on-chip low-pass filter was added to prove the method's reliability for on-chip applications. The circuit was designed using a 0.25-μm CMOS technology, operates at a single 2.5-V supply, and consumes less than 1.86 mW.
Development of a control method for a renewable energy system with fuel cell

The combination of an electrolyser, a fuel cell, a stack of batteries and renewable energy sources can provide peak power control in a decentralized/distributed power system. The electrolyser stores the off-peak energy as hydrogen and the fuel cell uses this energy to produce on-peak electricity, while the batteries are used to provide short term storage. This paper presents a complete control system that uses two DC/DC converters to control the operating power of the electrolyser and the fuel cell. We present the simulation results of PID controller and a fuzzy logic controller to manage the flow of energy in the system. The paper also presents the design of a boost converter that is to be used between the fuel cell and the DC bus.
Intraperitoneal injection of ethanol results in drastic changes in bone metabolism not observed when ethanol is administered by oral gavage.

BACKGROUND Chronic alcohol abuse is associated with increased risk of osteoporosis while light-to-moderate alcohol intake correlates with reduced osteoporosis risk. Addition of alcohol to a liquid diet is often used to model chronic alcohol abuse. Methods to model intermittent drinking (including binge drinking and light-to-moderate consumption) include (i) intragastric administration of alcohol by oral gavage or (ii) intraperitoneal (ip) administration of alcohol by injection. However, it is unclear whether the latter 2 methods produce comparable results. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the skeletal response to alcohol delivered daily by oral gavage or ip injection. METHODS Ethanol (EtOH) or vehicle was administered to 4-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats once daily at 1.2 g/kg body weight for 7 days. Following necropsy, bone formation and bone architecture were evaluated in tibial diaphysis (cortical bone) and proximal tibial metaphysis (cancellous bone) by histomorphometry. mRNA was measured for bone matrix proteins in distal femur metaphysis. RESULTS Administration of alcohol by gavage had no significant effect on body weight gain or bone measurements. In contrast, administration of the same dose of alcohol by ip injection resulted in reduced body weight, total suppression of periosteal bone formation in tibial diaphysis, decreased cancellous bone formation in proximal tibial metaphysis, and decreased mRNA levels for bone matrix proteins in distal femur. CONCLUSIONS Our findings raise concerns regarding the use of ip injection of EtOH in rodents as a method for modeling the skeletal effects of intermittent exposure to alcohol in humans. This concern is based on a failure of the ip route to replicate the oral route of alcohol administration.
The Mitral Leaflet Separation Index for Assessment of Mitral Stenosis during Percutaneous Mitral Commissurotomy: Validation of the Index in the Immediate Post‐PMC Period

The aim of this study was to determine the utility of the mitral leaflet separation index (MLSI), for determining the results of percutaneous mitral commissurotomy (PMC) in the acute setting, in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Forty‐eight patients undergoing PMC were studied and 96 examinations were performed. The overall correlation with the MLSI was 0.95. The mitral valve area (MVA) was determined by 2D echo planimetry (MVAPLM) and 0.83 of the MVA was derived using Gorlin's formula (MVAGOR). The MLSI was significantly different in patients with severe mitral stenosis (MS) (MVAPLM <1 cm2, MLSI of 0.70 mm) compared with those with mild MS (MVAPLM >1.5 cm2, MLSI of 0.92 mm). The MLSI is a simple and effective method for assessment of the MVA. An MLSI >0.92, immediately after PMC, had an excellent sensitivity and specificity for the prediction of an effective MVA of >1.5 cm2.
Transdifferentiation of smooth muscle cells into chondrocytes in atherosclerotic arteries in situ: implications for diffuse intimal calcification

Several hypotheses have been offered to explain the occurrence of arteriosclerotic calcification but the mechanisms involved are still not well understood. Using a combination of electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry, atherosclerotic plaques from human arteries as well as atherosclerotic‐like lesions from aortas of apo‐E‐deficient mice were examined to identify cell type(s) associated with calcification. Electron microscopic analysis showed that, in human atherosclerotic plaques, chondrocyte‐like cells were present in areas surrounding the necrotic cores. In these areas, some smooth muscle cells displayed features of their transdifferentiation into chondrocyte‐like cells. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed that smooth muscle cells with a reduced content of α‐smooth muscle actin expressed Sox‐9. Destruction of chondrocytes resulted in the accumulation of numerous membrane‐bound vesicles in the extracellular space. Membrane‐bound vesicles originating from chondrocytes were found to undergo calcification. Similar processes were found to occur in atherosclerotic‐like lesions in apo‐E‐deficient mice. These observations suggest that transdifferentiation of smooth muscle cells into chondrocytes contributes to atherosclerotic calcification. Copyright © 2005 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Double hit lymphoma: the MD Anderson Cancer Center clinical experience

We report our experience with 129 cases of double hit lymphoma (DHL), defined as B‐cell lymphoma with translocations and/or extra signals involving MYC plus BCL2 and/or BCL6. All cases were reviewed for histopathological classification. Median age was 62 years (range, 18–85), 84% of patients had advanced‐stage disease, and 87% had an International Prognostic Index score ≥2. Fourteen patients (11%) had a history of low‐grade follicular lymphoma. MYC translocation was present in 81%, and extra signals of MYC in 25% of patients. IGH‐BCL2 translocation was present in 84% and extra signals of BCL2 in 12% of patients. Two‐year event‐free survival (EFS) rates in all patients and patients who received R‐CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone), R‐EPOCH (rituximab, etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin), and R‐HyperCVAD/MA (rituximab, hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, dexamethasone, alternating with cytarabine plus methotrexate) were 33%, 25%, 67% and 32%, respectively. In patients achieving complete response with initial therapy (n = 71), 2‐year EFS rates in patients who did (n = 23) or did not (n = 48) receive frontline stem cell transplantation were 68% and 53%, respectively (P = 0·155). The cumulative incidence of central nervous system involvement was 13% at 3 years. Multivariate analysis identified performance status ≥2 and bone marrow involvement as independent adverse prognostic factors for EFS and OS. Further research is needed to identify predictive and/or targetable biological markers and novel therapeutic approaches for DHL patients.
‘The nourishing soil of the soul’: The role of horticultural therapy in promoting well-being in community-dwelling people with dementia

Two-thirds of people with dementia reside in their own homes; however, support for community-dwelling people with dementia to continue to participate in everyday activities is often lacking, resulting in feelings of depression and isolation among people living with the condition. Engagement in outdoor activities such as gardening can potentially counteract these negative experiences by enabling people with dementia to interact with nature, helping to improve their physical and psychological well-being. Additionally, the collaborative nature of community gardening may encourage the development of a sense of community, thereby enhancing social integration. Despite increasing evidence supporting its therapeutic value for people with dementia in residential care, the benefits of horticultural therapy have yet to be transposed into a community setting. This paper will examine the theoretical support for the application of horticultural therapy in dementia care, before exploring the potential of horticultural therapy as a means of facilitating improved physical and psychological well-being and social integration for people living with dementia within the community.
Approaches for Primary Total Hip Replacement

In total hip replacement surgeons can choose from a various number of approaches, from posterior, lateral or direct anterior. Excellent results can be achieved with all approaches and there is no evidence for the use of a specific approach. Minimally invasive operating techniques might further contribute to that success. Early rehabilitation and functional outcome can be improved by the introduction of evidence based clinical pathways irrespective to the used approach.
Ocular findings in Norwegian patients with ataxia-telangiectasia: a 5 year prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE To describe the outcome of ophthalmologic examination of 10 Norwegian children with ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) followed through 5 years. METHODS Ten Norwegian patients with AT aged 2-22 years (three females, seven males) were examined. The diagnosis was confirmed clinically as well as with molecular genetic studies. Conventional ophthalmologic examination was performed and supplemented by photographs of the conjunctiva, video recordings and registration of eye motility in five consecutive years. Additionally conjunctival biopsies were performed at the end of the follow-up period. RESULTS General ataxia was usually detected when the child started to walk. All children over the age of 4 years had abnormal saccade movements, a form of ocular motor apraxia. Conjunctival telangiectasias were mostly visible at 4-5 years, primarily within the palpebral fissure. Immunohistochemical examination of conjunctival biopsies showed an increased number of cross-sections of blood vessels and neurons surrounded by glial tissue. There was a tendency to slightly earlier onset of conjunctival telangiectasias in the patients homozygous for a founder mutation compared with the other patients. CONCLUSION The diagnosis of AT can be supported at preschool age by the onset of ocular motor apraxia and conjunctival telangiectasias. The findings become more prominent with age. The conjunctival telangiectasias seem to appear slightly earlier in the patients who are homozygous for a Norwegian founder mutation than in the rest of the patients.
A Framework for Comparison and Evaluation of Nonlinear Intra-Subject Image Registration Algorithms

Performance validation of nonlinear registration algorithms is a difficult problem due to the lack of a suitable ground truth in most applications. However, the ill-posed nature of the nonlinear registration problem and the large space of possible solutions makes the quantitative evaluation of algorithms extremely important. We argue that finding a standardized way of performing evaluation and comparing existing and new algorithms currently is more important than inventing novel methods. While there are already existing evaluation frameworks for nonlinear inter-subject brain registration applications, there is still a lack of protocols for intra-subject studies or soft tissue organs. In this work we present such a framework which is designed in an ”open-source” and ”open-data” manner around the Insight Segmentation & Registration Toolkit. The goal of our work is to provide the research community with the basis framework that should be extended by interested people in a community effort to gain importance for evaluation studies. We demonstrate our proposed framework on a sample evaluation and release its implementation and associated tools to the public domain.
Rare association of human herpesvirus 6 DNA with human papillomavirus DNA in cervical smears of women with normal and abnormal cytologies

We investigated by nested PCR the possible association of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and human papillomavirus (HPV) genomes in the cervixes of 109 women with normal and abnormal cytological smears. HPV DNA was detected in 8.33% of 24 women with normal cytologies and in 41.1% of 85 women with abnormal cytologies; the proportion of HPV DNA was directly related to the severity of the lesions. HHV-6 DNA was found in only one patient, who had a cytological pattern of koilocytosis. The HHV-6 genome was classified by restriction enzyme analysis as variant B. The study indicates that detection of the HHV-6 genome in the cervixes of women with a wide spectrum of gynecological complaints is a rare event and rules out the possible association between HHV-6 and HPV genomes in cervical cancer lesions.
Frequency of Multiple Sclerosis in Menorca, Balearic Islands, Spain

Objective: To establish prevalence and incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Menorca (Balearic Islands, Spain; population: 67,009). Methods: An extensive epidemiological study was undertaken using all available information sources. Patients were classified according to Poser’s criteria. Results: The prevalence rate of definite and probable MS was 68.6/100,000 (95% confidence interval 50.3–91.6). The incidence rate was 3.4/100,000/year (95% CI 2.2–5.3). The time lag between the first symptom and diagnosis was 10.2 years for patients with disease onset before 1987 and 2.1 years for patients with onset between 1987 and 1996. Conclusion: Menorca’s population has a moderately high MS risk, with a prevalence rate the highest reported for a Spanish region.
Quality of life in Indian women with fertility problems as assessed by the FertiQoL questionnaire: a single center cross sectional study

Abstract Purpose: Infertility and its treatment can significantly impact an individual's physical and psychological health; however, this has not been well-studied in the Indian population. This study aimed to assess the quality of life in women with infertility at a teaching hospital in Hyderabad, India. Methods: In this cross sectional study of women with infertility, the quality of life was measured using the ‘FertiQoL International’ questionnaire (English/Hindi). Results: The age ranged from 20 to 38 years and polycystic ovary syndrome was the most common cause of infertility. Core FertiQoL scores were analyzed in 215 women and Treatment FertiQoL in 156. The mean Total FertiQoL score in the study population was 66.1 (SD 13.0) and this overall score was not influenced by socio-demographic or infertility-specific factors. However, on subscale analysis, women who had living children and were university-educated had significantly better emotional scores while obese (≥35 kg/m2) women and those on ovulation induction treatment had poorer mind body and relational scores, respectively. Women with associated co-morbidities had worse quality of life on the Treatment Environment scale than those without. Conclusions: The results provide a baseline quality of life score in these women. Infertility had the greatest impact on the emotional domain.