Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Markov Switching for Position Dependent Random Maps with Application to Forecasting

A Markov switching random map consists of a collection of transformations and a controlling stochastic matrix. In this process, at each time step, one transformation is selected randomly and applied. The selection of the transformations is controlled by the stochastic matrix of the process. In this note, we first prove the existence of absolutely continuous invariant measures (acims) for random maps, whose underlying transformations are piecewise monotonic, controlled by a position dependent stochastic matrix and study the ergodic properties of the acim. In particular, we prove a Birkhoff type ergodic theorem. Then we prove the existence of an acim for another class of Markov switching random maps based on geometric properties of the underlying transformations. We apply these results to forecasting in financial markets.
In vitro activity of linezolid, clarithromycin and moxifloxacin against clinical isolates of Mycobacterium kansasii.

OBJECTIVES To compare the activity of linezolid with a range of drugs used in the treatment of Mycobacterium kansasii infections. RESULTS The percentages of resistant isolates against isoniazid, rifampicin and ethambutol were 2.9%, 1.9% and 2.9%, respectively. All isolates were susceptible to clarithromycin and moxifloxacin both with MIC(90) values of 0.125 mg/L. Linezolid was active against all isolates with MIC(50) and MIC(90) values of 0.5 and 1 mg/L, respectively, both below the susceptibility breakpoint established for mycobacteria. CONCLUSION Linezolid, clarithromycin or moxifloxacin, could be used as alternative drugs for treatment of infections due to rifampicin-resistant isolates as well as short-course or intermittent therapy of M. kansasii lung disease.
Keratectasia after LASIK but not after PRK in one patient.

PURPOSE To report a case of keratectasia in a patient who underwent LASIK in the right eye and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in the left eye for correction of compound myopic astigmatism. METHODS A 30-year-old man underwent LASIK in the right eye and PRK in left eye for refraction of -1.75 -1.50 x 48 degrees and -1.00 -1.75 x 100 degrees, respectively. Preoperative corneal thickness was 447 microm in the right eye and 446 microm in the left eye. RESULTS Postoperative corneal thickness decreased to 341 microm and 384 microm in the right and left eye, respectively. Uncorrected visual acuity in the left eye was 20/20, but the right eye developed keratectasia, which led to severe visual loss (20/400). CONCLUSIONS Photorefractive keratectomy may be better than LASIK for ablative refractive surgery for low myopic astigmatism in eyes with low central corneal thickness.
Effects of erdosteine on hemostasis

Aim: In this study, the effects of erdosteine (ED) on the platelet function and coagulation were investigated in adult rats. Materials and Method: Twenty-eight male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups. The control rats in group I (n = 7) were given only 0.5 cc of normal saline daily through oral gavage. Group II (n = 7) rats were administered 3 mg/kg ED through oral gavage for 3 days; while group III (n = 7) rats were given 10 mg/kg ED through oral gavage for 3 days; and group IV (n = 7) rats were administered 30 mg/kg ED through oral gavage for 3 days. Prothrombin time (PT), activated prothromboplastin time (aPTT), international normalized ratio (INR), coagulation factors and complete blood counts were measured from the blood drawn. Results: There were a lot of differences between ED groups and control group, and among ED groups. The found differences were level of PT, aPTT, INR, coagulation factors, and number of platelets. Discussion: We consider that ED which is used as a mucolytic agent in child clinics may affect hemostasis and coagulation in a dose-dependent manner. ED should be used carefully by the patients with coagulation disorders, since there is no information available in the package insert and literature screening regarding the effect of ED.
Cionni endocapsular ring implantation in Marfan’s Syndrome

Objectives: To evaluate the visual outcomes, intraoperative and postoperative complications of Cionni ring implantation in eyes with a subluxated lens associated with Marfan Syndrome. Methods: This case series included 15 eyes of 12 patients aged 19–56 years with a subluxated lens secondary to Marfan’s syndrome operataed at the Departament of Ophtalmology, Toronto Western Hospital between 2003 and 2007. A 2-eyelet Cionni ring and an AcrySof® (Alcon) foldable intraocular lens (IOL) were implanted in 13 eyes. Two eyes had trans-scleral IOL fixation in the ciliary sulcus. Best-corrected visual acuity, wavefront evaluation of eye aberration and complication rates were analysed. Results: In all eyes, capsular bag centration was excellent. Preoperative visual acuity ranged from 20/50 to counting fingers, and improved to better than 20/40 in all eyes. The mean follow-up duration was 14±9.49 months. The most frequent postoperative complication was posterior capsule opacification, which occurred in 3 eyes (18.7%), 2 of which required a neodymium:YAG posterior capsulotomy. No eye developed retinal detachment. Total eye aberration, tilt and high-order aberrations with a 6-mm pupil diameter decreased significantly after surgery (n = 5): Total eye aberration decreased from a mean of 14.8±5.5 preoperatively to 2.1±4.3 microns after the operation. Tilt was decreased from 4.1±2.5 to 0.12±2.1 microns, and high-order aberrations decreased from 4.37±3.8 microns, before the operation, to 1.47±3.5 after the operation. Conclusion: Cionni ring implantation is an effective procedure to correct partial lens subluxation and has few complications (during 14 months of follow-up) in patients with Marfan’s Syndrome.
Exploring the Relationships Between Health Status, Illness Perceptions, Coping Strategies and Psychological Morbidity in a Chronic Kidney Disease Cohort

Background:Using the common sense model of illness adjustment, this study aimed to explore the impact of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on individual illness perceptions, coping styles and psychological well-being. Methods:Eighty individuals (50 men and 30 women) with an average age of 62.66 years (standard deviation, 11.98) were included in the study. All participants were under the care of the Renal Unit of a metropolitan tertiary referral hospital. Twenty-nine patients (36%) had CKD stage 3b-4, and 51 (64%) had CKD stage 5 (or end stage kidney disease [ESKD]). Disease severity was evaluated using the health perceptions questionnaire, coping styles assessed with the Carver brief COPE scale, illness perceptions explored with the brief illness perceptions questionnaire and anxiety and depression measured using the hospital anxiety and depression scale. Results:The hospital anxiety and depression scale assessment revealed 13 patients (16.3%) with moderate or severe anxiety and 6 (7.5%) with moderate depression. Consistent with the common sense model, disease activity had a significant direct influence on illness perceptions, while, in turn, illness perceptions had a significant direct influence on depression and anxiety. Adaptive and maladaptive coping were found to mediate the relationship between illness perceptions, and anxiety and depression. Conclusions:The results provide evidence that it is the perception of an illness rather than the actual symptoms themselves that best account for adaption to CKD. These findings suggest that intervention strategies aimed at increasing psychological well-being need to focus on changing illness perceptions rather than improving symptoms of CKD or coping mechanisms.
Adenovirus Serotype 5 Neutralizing Antibodies Target both Hexon and Fiber following Vaccination and Natural Infection

ABSTRACT The immunogenicity of adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) vectors has been shown to be suppressed by neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) directed primarily against the hexon hypervariable regions (HVRs). However, the role of NAbs directed against other capsid components, particularly the adenovirus fiber, remains unclear. Here we show that Ad5 NAbs target both hexon and fiber following vaccination and natural infection. Utilizing neutralization assays with capsid chimeric vectors, we observed that NAb responses to hexon appeared dominant and NAb responses against fiber were subdominant in sera from vaccinated mice, vaccinated humans, and naturally exposed humans. A novel chimeric Ad5 vector in which both the hexon HVRs and the fiber knob were exchanged nearly completely evaded Ad5-specific NAbs both in vitro and in vivo.
Cognitive and default‐mode resting state networks: Do male and female brains “rest” differently?

Variability in human behavior related to sex is supported by neuroimaging studies showing differences in brain activation patterns during cognitive task performance. An emerging field is examining the human connectome, including networks of brain regions that are not only temporally‐correlated during different task conditions, but also networks that show highly correlated spontaneous activity during a task‐free state. Both task‐related and task‐free network activity has been associated with individual task performance and behavior under certain conditions. Therefore, our aim was to determine whether sex differences exist during a task‐free resting state for two networks associated with cognitive task performance (executive control network (ECN), salience network (SN)) and the default mode network (DMN). Forty‐nine healthy subjects (26 females, 23 males) underwent a 5‐min task‐free fMRI scan in a 3T MRI. An independent components analysis (ICA) was performed to identify the best‐fit IC for each network based on specific spatial nodes defined in previous studies. To determine the consistency of these networks across subjects we performed self‐organizing group‐level ICA analyses. There were no significant differences between sexes in the functional connectivity of the brain areas within the ECN, SN, or the DMN. These important findings highlight the robustness of intrinsic connectivity of these resting state networks and their similarity between sexes. Furthermore, our findings suggest that resting state fMRI studies do not need to be controlled for sex. Hum Brain Mapp, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Congenital chylothorax with hydrops: postnatal care and outcome following antenatal diagnosis

We consecutively managed 25 cases of fetal chylothorax with hydrops (pleuroamniotic shunting in 20/25 cases). Three of the 16 liveborn infants died before day 5 from malformations (n = 1) or complications of antenatal origin (n= 2). Eleven of the 13 survivors were treated in our unit. Four infants whose chylothorax had resolved before birth following antenatal shunting were delivered at term, and had no respiratory disease. Seven infants, whose chylothorax persisted, were delivered prematurely and required intensive respiratory care (with mechanical ventilation for a median duration of 34 days). The 11 infants were maintained on total parenteral nutrition for a median duration of 31 days. They were discharged home after complete clinical recovery at a median age of 64 days. Antenatal pleuroamniotic shunting may improve the prognosis of congenital chylothorax with hydrops. Chylothorax persisting at birth resolves progressively with medical management. Congenital chylothorax, critical care, non‐immunologic fetal hydrops, pleuroamnotic shunting, preterm newborn
Hormone therapy use after the Women's Health Initiative

Objective To continue surveillance of hormone therapy (HT) use in an Australian population and to assess the impact of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) and associated reports on HT use 16 months after the results of the WHI were first reported. Methods Data were obtained from the 2003 South Australian Health Omnibus Survey, which involves a representative, population face-to-face interview survey. Data were compared to five surveys undertaken between 1991 and 2000, which had consistent methods and quality-control procedures. A total of 907 interviews were conducted with women over 40 years in their own homes by trained health interviewers. Results In association with the timing of media reporting of the WHI, current HT use rates dropped from 28% in women over 50 years in 2000 to an estimated 10.2% in 2002. By October 2003, current use rates had returned to 18.8% in this age group. The media had been the main influence in the women's decision-making. Half of those who restarted therapy changed to another type of HT. Only 2.8% changed to an alternative/complementary therapy. Conclusions Nearly two-thirds (64%) of those currently using HT in 2002 stopped therapy, mostly in response to the media reporting of the WHI. Nearly half of those who stopped HT in 2002 have since restarted. Media reporting greatly influences the use of hormonal therapies.
Archaeocete-like jaws in a baleen whale

The titanic baleen whales (Cetacea, Mysticeti) have a bizarre skull morphology, including an elastic mandibular symphysis, which permits dynamic oral cavity expansion during bulk feeding. How this key innovation evolved from the sutured symphysis of archaeocetes has remained unclear. Now, mandibles of the Oligocene toothed mysticete Janjucetus hunderi show that basal mysticetes had an archaeocete-like sutured symphysis. This archaic morphology was paired with a wide rostrum typical of later-diverging baleen whales. This demonstrates that increased oral capacity via rostral widening preceded the evolution of mandibular innovations for filter feeding. Thus, the initial evolution of the mysticetes' unique cranial form and huge mouths was perhaps not linked to filtering plankton, but to enhancing suction feeding on individual prey.
Prevalence of asymptomatic syringomyelia in Cavalier King Charles spaniels

The prevalence of syringomyelia was investigated in a sample population of 555 Cavalier King Charles spaniels. All dogs, which were declared by their owners to be showing no clinical signs of syringomyelia, underwent MRI to determine the presence or absence of the condition. Data were analysed by logistic regression to determine the effects of sex and age on the prevalence of syringomyelia. Only increased age was found to have a significant effect. The prevalence of syringomyelia was 25 per cent in dogs aged 12 months, increasing to a peak of 70 per cent in dogs aged 72 months or more.
Cotinine as a biomarker of environmental tobacco smoke exposure.

A biomarker is desirable in quantitating systemic exposure both in smokers and nonsmokers to constituents of tobacco smoke. Self-report measures in smokers, such as cigarettes smoked per day, are highly imprecise owing to individual differences in how cigarettes are smoked, with ranges of nicotine intake per cigarette from 0.3 to 3.0 mg (1, 2). Self-report measures, such as hours per day exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) by nonsmokers, are also likely to be imprecise indicators of intake of tobacco smoke owing to variations in the number of cigarettes smoked, proximity of nonsmokers to smokers, room ventilation and other environmental characteristics, as well as individual differences in sensitivity to and/or concern about adverse effects of ETS. The optimal assessment of exposure to tobacco smoke would be by analysis of the concentrations of a component of smoke in the body fluids of an exposed individual— i.e., a biologic marker or biomarker. There are two broad questions that need to be considered in assessing the validity of a biomarker of tobacco smoke exposure. The first is how well does the concentration of a marker chemical in the air reflect exposure to toxic constituents of smoke that are of concern? The second is how well does a concentration of a particular chemical in a biologic fluid reflect an individual's intake of that chemical (or a related chemical) from tobacco smoke? The National Research Council (3) has proposed criteria for a valid marker of ETS in the air as follows: The marker 1) should be unique or nearly unique for ETS so that other sources are minor in comparison; 2) should be easily detectable; 3) should be emitted at similar rates for a variety of tobacco products; and 4)
Sensory ganglia from tadpoles but not adult bullfrogs synthesize heat shock‐like proteins in vitro at non‐heat shock temperature

Lumbar dorsal root ganglia (DRG) from premetamorphic bullfrog tadpoles showed a selectively enhanced accumulation of two radiolabeled proteins when incubated in vitro at 22°C for longer than 1 hr. During the first hour in vitro or after in vivo labeling, these polypeptides–of 25 and 68 kD molecular mass and slightly acidic isoelectric point–were detected in the DRG only at relatively low levels. Accumulation of the 25 kD species increased in lumbar DRG from tadpoles of all metamorphic stages but waned at stage XXV (completion of metamorphosis) and was absent from DRG of adult bullfrogs. In contrast, increased levels of the 68 kD species were detected only at premetamorphic stages. Tail DRG from premetamorphic tadpoles did not increase their synthesis of either polypeptide in vitro, which is consistent with the above findings because sensory neurons in tail DRG, but not in lumbar DRG, are mature at this developmental stage. Although the molecular sizes of the two polypeptides led us initially to consider them as heat shock‐like proteins, only the 68 kD species was further increased (by approximately 100‐fold) when premetamorphic lumbar DRG were incubated at 37°C. The 25 kD species, which was the predominant protein induced at 22°C, showed no further increase in response to hyperthermia. The enhanced in vitro synthesis of these polypeptides at control temperature (22°C) is an example of cellular stress responses that may occur not as a consequence of elevated temperature or exogenous chemical agents, but as a result of transplantation‐associated trauma. This phenomenon also represents an example of a cellular stress response that is “outgrown” during development.
Drawing Identity: Beginning Pre-Service Teachers' Professional Identities.

Developing a professional teacher identity can be complex as pre-service teachers engage with a process informed by their previous experiences of teachers and teaching, by learning in their pre-service course, by field placements, and by societal expectations. Using drawing as the method for gathering data, pre-service teachers in an Australian university were asked, prior to their first professional experience, to draw themselves as the teacher they hoped to become. Drawings (N=125) were coded according to the presence or absence of teacher, students and artefacts of teaching. Representations indicated that pre-service teachers identified themselves as teachers who would conduct enjoyable learning experiences, have positive relationships with their students and who were confident in themselves as a teacher. There was little evidence of the potential complexities or challenges of teaching, raising a dilemma for teacher educators in how to prepare pre-service teachers for the reality of the workplace while maintaining their positive approach.
Aneurysm of an aberrant systemic artery to the lung.

Tatli S, Yucel EK, Couper GS, Henderson JM, Yolonda CL ystemic arterial supply to pulmonary parenchyma is a rare congenital anomaly [1]. Pulmonary sequestration is one of the most common congenital pulmonary malformations in which the involved lung parenchyma is supplied by an aberrant systemic artery [1– 5]. Rarely, an anomalous systemic artery may supply an area of otherwise normal lung, which is generally the posterobasal segment of the left lower lobe [5–8]. An aneurysm of the aberrant artery to lung is extremely rare with only three previously reported cases in the literature [9–11]. We report a case of a fusiform aneurysm of an aberrant systemic artery to the lung that arose from the distal descending thoracic aorta, supplying the posterobasal segment of the right lung, with maximal diameter of 3 cm. The diagnosis was accurately made using CT angiography using a multidetector scanner. The patient was treated successfully by right lower lobectomy and resection of the aneurysmal aberrant artery.
A Control Method for Inverter-Based Islanded Microgrids Based on V-I Droop Characteristics

Microgrids' performance and stability mostly depend on power-flow control strategy. In order to allow for coordinated control while maintaining reliable operation, decentralized control methods based on P and Q droop characteristics have been utilized. Inherently, the power droop control methods have slow dynamics. In this paper, a novel control method based on V-I characteristics is introduced to exploit the flexibility and fast dynamics of the inverter-based distributed energy resources. In the proposed method, the direct and quadrature axis voltage components are drooped with the corresponding currents according to a piecewise linear droop function. Eigenvalue analysis of a sample microgrid shows that the proposed method features faster dynamics and improved damping compared to the conventional droop scheme. Simulation results are presented to verify the efficacy of the proposed method.
Economic Costs of Air Pollution with Special Reference to India

Poor air quality is one of the most serious environmental problems in urban areas around the world, especially in developing countries. Recent studies that assess and value the adverse health impacts of exposure to particulates reveal the magnitude of the costs to society that calls for immediate actions. The paper shows that India appears to bear a very high level of these costs by international comparison. It reviews some latest findings in quantifying the impact of exposure to particulates on mortality with a special reference to India, and discusses the issues of economic valuation of sickness and premature death due to air pollution, with the focus on developing countries. Further, the paper analyzes, drawing upon a case study of Mumbai, the relative effects of various pollution sources on the exposure levels and health outcomes, as well as the health benefits of specific control measures and policies. The concluding section highlights a set of issues and recommendations regarding a better integration of environmental health considerations into pollution management decisions.
Electronic retina based vision system

Smart image sensing (electronic retina) is a valuable technique in real-time vision systems. But this technique can not be considered simply as an image sensor design problem because the local information processing in a smart sensor should be placed in more general context including algorithms, architectures, and applications. This paper tries to give an overview with concrete examples of our laboratory on the role that an electronic retina can play in real-time vision systems.