Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
JEVT 13-4332 MR Quantification of Deformation of the Popliteal Arterial Tract During Leg Flexion in Subjects with Peripheral Arterial Disease : A Pilot Study

Purpose: To quantify the in-vivo deformations of the popliteal arterial segment (PAS) during leg flexion in subjects with clinically relevant (Fontaine Stage IIb) peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Methods: Five patients with varying calcification levels of the PAS undergoing endovascular revascularization underwent 3D rotational angiography. Image acquisition was performed with the leg straight and with a flexion of 70°/20° in the knee/hip joint. The arterial centerline and the corresponding branches in both positions were segmented to create 3D reconstructions of the arterial trees. Axial deformation, twisting, and curvatures were quantified. Furthermore, the relationships between the calcification levels and the deformations were investigated. Results: We observed an average shortening of the PAS of 5.9% ± 2.5% and twist rate of 3.8 ± 2.2 °/cm. Maximal curvatures in straight and flexed positions were 0.12 ± 0.04 cm and 0.24 ± 0.09 cm respectively. As the severity of arterial calcifications increased, the maximal curvature in straight position increased from 0.08 cm to 0.17 cm; while an increase from 0.17 cm to 0.39 cm was observed for the flexed position. Axial elongations and arterial twisting were not affected by the calcification levels. Conclusions: The PAS of patients with symptomatic PAD is exposed to significant deformations during flexion of the knee joint. The curvature is directly affected by the extent of arterial calcification. In contrast, the changes in arterial length and twisting angles are comparable to those of healthy arteries. These measurements have the potential to be used for realistic arterial modeling to improve stent designs.This study also showed the ability of rotational angiography to quantify the three-dimensional deformations of the PAS in patients with various levels of calcification, and that this technique can be used to collect data on larger groups of patients.
Expression of β-Amyloid Induced Age-Dependent Presynaptic and Axonal Changes in Drosophila

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is attributable to synapse dysfunction and loss, but the nature and progression of the presynaptic structural and functional changes in AD are essentially unknown. We expressed wild-type or arctic form of β amyloid1-42 (Aβ) in a small group of neurons in the adult fly and performed extensive time course analysis of the function and structure of both axon and presynaptic terminals at the identified single-neuron level. Aβ accumulated intracellularly and induced a range of age-dependent changes, including depletion of presynaptic mitochondria, slowdown of bi-directional transports of axonal mitochondria, decreased synaptic vesicles, increased large vacuoles, and elevated synaptic fatigue. These structural and functional synaptic changes correlated with age-dependent deficit in motor behavior. All these alterations were accelerated in flies expressing the arctic form of Aβ. The depletion of presynaptic mitochondria was the earliest detected phenotype and was not caused by the change in axonal transport of mitochondria. Moreover, axonal mitochondria exhibited a dramatic reduction in number but a significant increase in size in aged Aβ-expressing flies, indicating a global depletion of mitochondria in the neuron and an impairment of mitochondria fission. These results suggest that Aβ accumulation depletes presynaptic and axonal mitochondria, leading to other presynaptic deficits.
Using universe knowledge and arithmetic to get faster parallel algorithms

The authors provide algorithms that achieve better upper bounds for three classical parallel problems, i.e., searching, merging and maximum finding. The algorithms assume that the p parallel processors can use arithmetic and that the universe U of the input elements is bounded and known. They show that parallel searching is done in O(loglogU/logp), while parallel merging and maximum finding in O(logloglogU). The results hold for the CRCW and CREW PRAM models. <<ETX>>
Treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms: looking to the past to register the future.

OBJECTIVE The outcomes reported in the International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial (ISAT), a multicenter, prospective, randomized trial to directly compare surgical clipping with endovascular coiling as treatments for ruptured intracranial aneurysms, have been misinterpreted by many to indicate the superiority of coiling to surgical clipping in all instances. To better understand the results of ISAT and their implications for practice patterns, we compared the ISAT results with the results of other published studies regarding the treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms. METHODS Data from 19 published studies were compared with each other and with ISAT results. Outcomes examined were overall rates of mortality, rebleeding, poor outcome (disability and death), procedural complication rates, and rates of reoperation and nontotal occlusion. RESULTS In the 19 published studies, mean procedural complication rates were similar (surgical clipping, 11%; endovascular coiling, 9%); ISAT did not report procedural complications. ISAT rates were within the range of the other studies for overall mortality, total rebleeding, and poor outcome. Reoperation rates in the other studies were similar to those of ISAT (endovascular coiling, 12.5%; surgical clipping, 3.4%). The ISAT rate for less than 100% occlusion for endovascular coiling (6%) was below the range in the other studies (8.3-70.4%). CONCLUSION Discrepancies with the results of other published studies, procedural limitations in study design, and lack of some data endpoints and subgroup analysis raise concerns regarding extracting generalizations from the conclusions of ISAT. We think that the creation of a national registry would further the study of treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms.
Letter Cancellation Performance Across the Adult Life Span

Letter cancellation tasks are paper and pencil tests widely used in clinical and research settings as quick measures of attention/concentration, visual-spatial scanning abilities, and visual-spatial dysfunctions such as spatial neglect. Despite their popularity, only a few studies have investigated effects of age on letter cancellation performance and no comprehensive large-scale adult life-span norms are available for any of the letter cancellation tasks. We have developed a letter cancellation test, and we report a normative data obtained from a partially stratified sample of 351 healthy adults between 18 and 91 years of age. The results show the expected large age-related decline in the speed of letter cancellation performance and no age-related differences in spatial distribution of cancellation errors. We also provide various equations for precise predictions of Cancel H test performance. The results of correlational analyses show high reliability and provide evidence for both convergent and divergent validity of our letter cancellation task.
Commentary: are callous unemotional traits all in the eyes? Examining eye contact in youth with conduct problems and callous unemotional traits-reflections on Dadds et al. (2011).

The presence of callous and unemotional (CU) traits (i.e., reduced guilt and empathy) are associated with a more severe form of conduct disorder (CD) than CD with low CU traits. As a consequence, youth with CD+CU are receiving increasing attention. Previous work had demonstrated that children with CU traits show impaired recognition of fearful expressions but that this impairment can be removed if the intensity of the stimulus is increased by asking the child to focus on the eye region of the fearful face. Such data suggested that problems in eye contact with signiﬁcant others might be a signiﬁcant feature associated with CU traits. In this important paper, Dadds and colleagues (2011) provide the ﬁrst evidence that children with high CU traits show reduced eye contact with both their mothers and fathers during real world interactions. In addition, they report that lev-els of eye contact to fathers related to both level of fear recognition and mothers’ reports of child empathy levels. attachment social-emotional parents empathy and important theoretical statement in marked to positions stressing the primacy of emotion (Blair, 2008). short, ﬁgures dysfunction
Broad‐Complex, E74, and E75 early genes control DNA puff BhC4‐1 expression in prepupal salivary glands

The DNA puff BhC4‐1 gene of the sciarid Bradysia hygida is induced in salivary glands prior to the pupal molt as a secondary response to the increase in ecdysone titers. Previous studies demonstrated that the BhC4‐1 promoter is activated in transgenic Drosophila melanogaster salivary glands as a late response to the ecdysone peak that triggers metamorphosis, revealing that this aspect of BhC4‐1 transcriptional regulation is conserved in the Drosophila background. To identify regulators of BhC4‐1 expression, we utilized a candidate gene approach and tested the roles of the ecdysone‐induced genes BR‐C, E74, and E75. Our results reveal that the BR‐C Z3 isoform is essential for BhC4‐1‐lacZ induction in prepupal salivary glands and constitute the first demonstration of the participation of early genes products on DNA puff genes regulation. genesis 44:505–514, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Training in virtual environments: putting theory into practice

Virtual training environments are used when training in reality is challenging because of the high costs, danger, time or effort involved. In this paper we argue for a theory-driven development of such environments, with the aim of connecting theory to practice and ensuring that the training provided fits the needs of the trained persons and their organisations. As an example, we describe the development of VirtualPolice (ViPOL), a training environment for police officers in a federal state of Germany. We provided the theoretical foundation for ViPOL concerning the feeling of being present, social context, learning motivation and perspective-taking. We developed a framework to put theory into practice. To evaluate our framework we interviewed the stakeholders of ViPOL and surveyed current challenges and limitations of virtual training. The results led to a review of a theory-into-practice framework which is presented in the conclusion. Practitioner Summary: Feeling of presence, social context, learning motivation and perspective-taking are relevant for training in virtual environments. The theory-into-practice framework presented here supports developers and trainers in implementing virtual training tools. The framework was validated with an interview study of stakeholders of a virtual training project. We identified limitations, opportunities and challenges.
Modulation of Yeast Genome Expression in Response to Defective RNA Polymerase III-Dependent Transcription

ABSTRACT We used genome-wide expression analysis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to explore whether and how the expression of protein-coding, RNA polymerase (Pol) II-transcribed genes is influenced by a decrease in RNA Pol III-dependent transcription. The Pol II transcriptome was characterized in four thermosensitive, slow-growth mutants affected in different components of the RNA Pol III transcription machinery. Unexpectedly, we found only a modest correlation between altered expression of Pol II-transcribed genes and their proximity to class III genes, a result also confirmed by the analysis of single tRNA gene deletants. Instead, the transcriptome of all of the four mutants was characterized by increased expression of genes known to be under the control of the Gcn4p transcriptional activator. Indeed, GCN4 was found to be translationally induced in the mutants, and deleting the GCN4 gene eliminated the response. The Gcn4p-dependent expression changes did not require the Gcn2 protein kinase and could be specifically counteracted by an increased gene dosage of initiator tRNAMet. Initiator tRNAMet depletion thus triggers a GCN4-dependent reprogramming of genome expression in response to decreased Pol III transcription. Such an effect might represent a key element in the coordinated transcriptional response of yeast cells to environmental changes.
Promoting responsiveness between mothers with depressive symptoms and their infants.

PURPOSE To test the efficacy of an interactive coaching intervention to promote responsiveness between mothers experiencing postpartum depressive symptoms (PPDS) and their infants. DESIGN An experimental design with 117 postpartum women in the Northeastern United States. METHODS Participants were randomly assigned either to the treatment or control group. Both groups had home visits at 4-8 weeks, 10-14 weeks, and 14-18 weeks postpartum and mother-infant interaction was videotaped and coded for responsiveness. The treatment group also received a coached behavioral intervention designed to promote maternal-infant responsiveness. Measures included the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and the Dyadic Mutuality Code. FINDINGS The hypothesis, that the treatment group would show significantly higher maternal-infant responsiveness after the intervention, was supported. No effect of the intervention on depression scores was found. A significant increase in responsiveness and a significant decrease in depression scores occurred over time for both treatment and control groups. No interaction between group and time was detected. CONCLUSIONS The study showed that a coaching strategy had a positive effect on maternal-infant interaction in this sample. Future research is needed to test coaching interventions in conjunction with other strategies targeted to promote maternal-infant responsiveness and to reduce PPDS.
Occupational Exposure to Blood and Other Body Fluids Among Healthcare Workers in Three Teaching Hospitals, Southeast Iran

Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) regularly face the risk of exposure to sharp injuries and splashes as an occupational haz- ard, which presents a major risk for acquiring blood-borne infectious agents. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the occurrence of needlestick injuries (NSIs) and other high-risk occupational exposures to blood and body fluids (BBFs) among HCWs in three teaching hospitals aliated with the Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out from March 2013 to December 2014. Information on self-reported incidents, circumstances surrounding occupational exposure, and post-exposure management were collected from an ongoing surveillance system. Descriptive statistics and chi square tests were used for data analysis. Results: A total of 236 incidents of occupational exposure were registered during the study period. Nurses (82, 34.7%) were most fre- quently exposed to BBFs, followed by physicians (57, 24.2%). Two hundred and nineteen (92.8%) of the personnel sustained NSIs, and 17 (7.2%) had splashes to mucus membranes. The incidents were most frequently reported from the internal medicine ward (19.1%) followed by the operating theater (17.1%). Subjects with splashes to mucus membranes were more likely to postpone seeking medi- cal advice following exposure, as compared with needlestick cases (23.5% versus 5%, P < 0.016). A significantly greater proportion of pediatric and emergency department sta were found to delay post-exposure measures (P < 0.040). Conclusions: The relatively high prevalence of percutaneous injuries and splashes in this study emphasized the importance of im- proved prevention strategies, better hospital surveillance for occupational exposure, and enhanced training of healthcare workers.
A Plea for MERSQI: The Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument.

OBJECTIVE To describe the quality of educational scholarship presented at a large national conference of obstetrics and gynecology educators. METHODS We reviewed Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology-Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics annual meeting abstracts from 2015 and 2016, published as supplements to Obstetrics & Gynecology. For this uncontrolled observational study, abstracts were reviewed and scored using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI). Comparisons between types of submissions (oral presentations or posters), origin of the report (academic or community), setting (undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate), and focus of the study (tool development or evaluation) were made. Abstracts from award-winning presentations and full manuscripts were compared with the remaining abstracts. One- and two-tailed Student t tests with a two-sample unequal variance (heteroscedastic) test were performed with a significance threshold of P≤. 05. RESULTS One hundred eighty-six abstracts and articles were available, with 101 posters and 77 oral presentations that could be scored in all six of the MERSQI domains. The average MERSQI score was 9.05 (±1.90) with scores ranging from 5 to 13.5 (median 9). Abstracts from full-text articles scored more than 1 point higher than other abstracts (10.2 compared with 9.0, P<.001, Cohen's d=0.72). Statistically significant smaller magnitude differences were found comparing tool development with evaluation, academic with community studies, and for award with nonaward winners. No differences were found comparing oral and poster presentations. CONCLUSION The quality of educational scholarship presented at a national meeting of obstetrics and gynecology educators falls within the published range for other specialties. The MERSQI scoring system is a useful method for tracking and benchmarking the quality of medical education scholarship in obstetrics and gynecology.
Regionalism in the recent rock art of western Arnhem Land, Northern Territory

For at least a thousand years various areas within western Arnhem Land have been associated with a relative abundance of freshwater food resources. Aboriginal groups were thus able to subsist within the confines of territories that are much smaller than in many other parts of the Australian continent. As a consequence, the first Europeans to visit the area observed numerous regional language boundaries, many of which were associated with particular bands, clans and/or families. My recent research has found a strong correlation between forms and sub-styles of recent rock paintings, linguistics and mythology associated with Ancestral Beings, the landscape and events of the past. This relationship adds a new dimension to interpreting the prehistory of the region. I outline many of the most significant trends in the rock art body and then rock paintings and myths are examined to throw light on major events of the prehistoric record that are further removed in time. I conclude that there are implications for other areas of Australia.
Fat embolism sensitizes rats to a “second hit” with lipopolysaccharide: An animal model of pulmonary fibrosis

BACKGROUND Pulmonary fat embolism (FE) in patients after major bone fracture and other trauma may lead to acute respiratory distress, but few clinical evidence of lung injury remains, and there is a dearth of histopathologic information after the initial recovery. We recently reported histologic changes in the lungs of a patient who died after cesarian delivery, which were similar to a rat model of FE. In this model, we found that despite an apparent full recovery, modest fibrotic damage persisted up to 6 weeks. We tested whether at that time, an additional insult could exacerbate the effects. METHODS Triolein (0.2 mL intravenously administered) was given to 18 rats and saline to 18 controls. Six weeks later, each group received (intraperitoneal) lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 3 mg/kg; n = 9) or saline (n = 9). At necropsy 48 hours later, lungs and organs were harvested for study. Lung parenchymal, vascular, and bronchial damage was scored by two pathologists and by Image J analysis. RESULTS Animals given LPS after triolein showed reduced pulmonary arterial medial diameters compared with those that received LPS alone (p < 0.04). Lung small arterial patency (lumen) was reduced after triolein and even more after combined LPS and triolein (p = 0.018). Triolein increased fibrotic markers (trichrome and smooth muscle actin staining), and this was more severe after LPS. At 6 weeks, fat droplets remained in the lungs, localizing to the subpleural septa. These were smaller and more widespread after LPS. CONCLUSION This report describes an animal model to study exacerbation of lung histopathology induced by FE using a known pulmonary toxicant, LPS (a “second hit”). Vascular and fibrotic lung damage was more severe when LPS was given to rats 6 weeks after triolein compared with LPS alone. FE rendered the lungs extra sensitive to a second hit long after apparent clinical recovery. This experimental model of fat embolism provides useful informations for the treatment of patients suffering for similar conditions.
Discrepancies between Admission and Discharge Diagnoses in a University Hospital

Admission screening and certification systems for utilization review are based on acceptance of attending physicians’ admitting diagnoses. This study was conducted to: 1) determine the consistency of admission diagnosis as compared to discharge diagnosis: 2) identify the characteristics of patients and diagnoses subject to higher rates of diagnostic discrepancy; and 3) analyze the apparent reasons for such discrepancies. The following methods were used: direct comparison of admission and discharge diagnosis on a sample (n = 955) of university hospital patients using a rating scale to measure the degree of change in specificity and category of diagnosis; analysis of diagnostic change by hospital service, demographic characteristics of patients, length of stay, and source of payment; review of charts with the greatest diagnostic discrepancy. Diagnostic changes were found in 26.8 per cent of all admissions (n = 230) and were most frequent in neurological, medical and pediatric patients. The rate of change varied with patient age and length of stay and was lowest in Medicaid patients. Changes were usually from general to more specific diagnoses in related categories, with 4.3 per cent being discharged undiagnosed and 2.9 per cent with unrelated diagnoses. Major causes for discrepancies were related to clinical and laboratory findings. No evidence was found for deliberate diagnostic manipulation to gain admission or to improve financial coverage.
Evaluation of Phyllanthus, for Its Anti-Cancer Properties

1.1 Cancer Cancer is a name given to a group of diseases that arise from a single cell when it starts to grow abnormally in an uncontrollable manner to form a group of undifferentiated cells, known as tumour. Tumour can be classified into two categories; benign and malignant. Not all benign tumours are cancerous but all malignant tumours are (Hanahan & Weinberg, 2000). The main difference between these tumours is benign tumour lack the metastatic ability, grows locally and is less harmful. However, some benign tumours can transform into malignant tumours that possess the metastatic ability to invade and spread to other parts of the body via the blood or lymphatic circulation and form secondary tumour and eventually lead to death (Vincent & Gatenby, 2008).