Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Skew deviation following vestibular nerve surgery

Eighteen consecutive patients undergoing vestibular nerve surgery underwent pre‐ and postoperative examination of ocular motility. Five patients developed a skew deviation following surgery, with the lower eye on the operated side and an incomitant pattern of deviation in all cases. Three patients experienced diplopia lasting from 1 day to 6 months. The magnitude of skew deviation was increased by head tilt away from the operated side in only 1 case. The development of skew deviation was not determined by preoperative ocular alignment or binocular function, or any particular type or pattern of vestibular disease. There was an association with large changes in ocular torsion and subjective visual vertical, which correlated with lesser degrees of canal paresis to preoperative caloric testing on the operated side. No patient developed a head tilt postoperatively. There is a gradation of responses to surgical vestibular deafferentation in humans, skew deviation only occurring in patients suffering marked changes in subjective visual vertical and ocular torsion.
LEARNING TO TRUST THE EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE - LESSONS FROM THE GERMAN CASE

Even though the European Court of Justice has always played a significant role in European integration, its importance is bound to increase further as the European Union enlarges and the constitutionalization process continues. Yet despite the Court’s growing importance, we still know very little about why and how European publics tolerate the rule of any unelected, let alone a supranational, court. Even less is known about how newly democratized countries first learn to trust institutions such as the ECJ. This paper utilizes a quasi-experimental design to analyze the development of public support for the ECJ by comparing the nature, levels and development of support in West Germany to those in East Germany. Particular attention is given to the question of how support for the Court differs from support for the other institutions of European government and to how support for the supranational institutions compares to support for their national counterparts, as well as how perceptions at both levels square with a popular wish for “stealth democracy. ” Based on evidence from two ALLBUS public opinion surveys and a series of focus groups conducted in West and East Germany, it appears that people make a functional connection between the national and the supranational court, evaluating them along similar dimensions. Unlike the other institutions of government both courts are seen as neutral, technical arbiters of the law that are fundamentally trustworthy because they do not benefit from their decisions. The European Court of Justice is considered as the functional equivalent of the Bundesverfassungsgericht at a different level of government. There are some differences between East and West Germany, but they are slight. The evidence suggests that citizens learn to trust supranational courts by first learning to trust the national constitutional court as a disinterested arbiter of political conflict.
U1 small nuclear ribonucleoproteins are required early during spliceosome assembly

U1 small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) are required for in vitro splicing of pre-mRNA. Sequences within U1 RNA hybridize to, and thus recognize, 5' splice junctions. We have investigated the mechanism of association of U1 snRNPs with the spliceosome. U1-specific antibodies detected U1 association with precursor RNA early during assembly. Removal of the 5' terminal sequences of U1 RNA by oligo-directed cleavage or removal of U1 snRNPs by immunoprecipitation prior to the addition of precursor RNA depressed the association of all snRNPs with precursor RNA as detected by immunoprecipitation of splicing complexes by either Sm or U1-specific antibodies. Assembly of the spliceosome as monitored by gel electrophoresis was also depressed after cleavage of U1 RNA. The dependency of Sm precipitability of precursor RNA upon the presence of U1 snRNPs suggests that U1 snRNPs participate in the early recognition of substrate RNAs by U2 to U6 snRNPs. Although removal of the 5'-terminal sequences of U1 depressed U1 snRNP association with precursor RNA, it did not eliminate it, suggesting semistable association of U1 snRNPs with the assembling spliceosome in the absence of U1 RNA hybridization. This association was not dependent upon 5' splice junction sequences but was dependent upon 3' intronic sequences, indicating that U1 snRNPs interact with factors recognizing 3' intronic sequences. Mutual dependence of 5' and 3' recognition factors suggests significant snRNP-snRNP communication during early assembly.
Body mass index and waist circumference predictors of cardiovascular risk in African Americans.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to determine which measure of obesity is better at predicting cardiovascular risk in African Americans. We hypothesized that BMI alone would be significantly associated with cardiovascular reactivity. We also hypothesized that waist circumference alone would be significantly associated with cardiovascular reactivity. Lastly, we hypothesized that BMI and waist circumference together would be more associated with cardiovascular reactivity and account for more of the variance than the two measures alone. DESIGN BMI and waist circumference were measured in 105 African American college students (21 men and 84 women) aged 18-27. In addition, heart rate, cardiac output, stroke volume, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured as the participants viewed a racially noxious scene on videotape. RESULTS BMI and waist circumference analyzed separately were significantly associated with stroke volume, cardiac output, and systolic blood pressure. These positive associations showed that heavier participants had higher systolic blood pressure and their hearts pumped out greater blood volume compared to their thinner counterparts. Body mass index also completely mediated the relationship between waist circumference and cardiovascular activity. CONCLUSIONS The findings may be attributed to the premise that the waist circumference standards are different for African Americans than for Whites. Future research should establish waist circumference thresholds that are better predictors of cardiovascular disease in African Americans.
Microsurgical anatomy of the infratemporal fossa as viewed laterally and superiorly.

OBJECTIVE Benign tumors involving cavernous sinus, trigeminal nerve, and middle cranial fossa occasionally extend to the infratemporal fossa (ITF). In this study, we describe the microsurgical anatomy and dissection of the ITF, as viewed laterally and superiorly. We also describe a new bypass graft to the supraclinoid internal carotid artery using the internal maxillary artery (IMA), which is found in the ITF. METHODS Twelve cadaver specimens were used. Dissection required zygomatic arch osteotomy, downward displacement of the temporalis muscle, extensive subtemporal craniectomy, and mild elevation of the temporal lobe together with the dura. RESULTS The anatomic relationships between the lateral and medial pterygoid muscles and the neurovascular bundle of the ITF are demonstrated. The neurovascular bundle contains the IMA, which runs horizontally, and the main branches of the mandibular nerve, which run vertically. The course and anatomic variations of the IMA and inferior alveolar, lingual, auriculotemporal, and buccal nerves are shown. The distal IMA was quite tortuous and, when the artery straightened, we were able to perform a tension-free in situ IMA graft to the supraclinoid carotid artery in 9 of 12 specimens. CONCLUSIONS Knowledge of the anatomy of the ITF is a prerequisite for tumor resection in this area. The IMA may serve as a bypass graft to the supraclinoid internal carotid artery if the cavernous or petrous carotid artery is involved by tumor and needs to be sacrificed.
Long term effect of monosodium glutamate in liver of albino mice after neonatal exposure

Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG) is a naturally occurring excitatory neurotransmitter. It is extensively used as a food additive and flavoring agent for its UMAMI taste. Simaltaneously it is being implicated for varied pathological condition like obesity, gonadal dysfunction, learning difficulty etc. It produces oxygen derived free radicals and metabolized in liver. Neonate mice are sensitive and suffer from adverse effects. Present work was undertaken to study the long term effects on histology of liver following MSG injection in neonates. The changes in the liver parenchyma of 75 days old mice showed variable changes. Areas around central vein were most affected. The liver cords were disrupted, dialated sinusoids, prominent Kupffer cells with accumulation of particulate matter.There were inflammatory cells around central vein. The hepatocyte cell membrane were disrupted, cytoplasm vacuolated, nucleus were pyknotic. Even the normal looking cells showed depletion of PAS +ve material in the cytoplasm.The long term effect on histology showed moderate and patchy hepatocellular damage.
Institutional and structural forms of HIV-related discrimination in health care: A study set in Beijing

Abstract This paper presents key findings of a situational analysis of institutional and structural levels of HIV/AIDS-related discrimination in Beijing, China, with a focus on the area of health care. Initially slow to respond to the presence of HIV, China has altered its approach and enacted strict legislative protection for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). In order to determine whether this has altered discrimination against PLWHA, this study examined existing legislation and policy, and interviewed key informants working in health care and PLWHA. The overall findings revealed that discrimination in its many forms continued to occur in practice despite China's generally strong legislative protection, and it is the actual practice that is hindering PLWHAs’ access to health services. A number of legislative and policy gaps that allow discrimination to occur in practice were also identified and discussed. The paper concludes with a call to rectify specific gaps between legislation, policy and practice. An understanding of the underlying factors that drive discrimination will also be necessary for effective strategic interventions to be developed and implemented.
E-commerce adoption by non-profit organisations: key dimensions of facilitators

E-commerce for the non-profit organisations is a relatively new research niche in the general e-commerce stream. It denotes the use of e-commerce by not-for-profit organisations to reduce their expenses or to improve their operations and customer service. A survey of Malaysian universities was conducted to determine the key factors that facilitate the adoption of e-commerce. Sixty-five schools and centres responded to the survey and supplied usable data for the study. Factor and regression analyses were conducted. From the factor analysis, five factors emerged namely, relative advantage, network orientation, information efficiency, innovativeness and competitiveness. The regression result identified three dimensions with significant relationship with adoption; they are relative advantage, network orientation and information efficiency. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Longitudinal change in CSF biomarkers in a presymptomatic carrier of an APP mutation

Persons inheriting fully penetrant autosomal dominant mutations causing familial Alzheimer disease (AD) provide the opportunity to characterize presymptomatic biomarker changes in a population where studies might be performed to efficiently identify preventative interventions. Decreased Aβ42 and increased total tau (t-tau) and phosphorylated tau (p-tau) in CSF are associated with incident1 and established AD.2 These markers have been increasingly incorporated as outcome measures for clinical trials, but further characterization of their natural course is necessary to interpret such studies. Though longitudinal changes in these markers are expected for individuals developing AD, such changes have yet to be thoroughly documented prospectively. Here we report changes in AD CSF biomarkers over time in a presymptomatic carrier of the V717I mutation in the amyloid precursor protein ( APP ) gene.3 ### Methods. Due to confidentiality issues, the gender and chronological age of this individual are not disclosed. As the age of disease onset can be consistent within families harboring this APP mutation,3 we report the individual's age relative to the median age of dementia diagnosis within their family. The subject was enrolled in a UCLA institutional review board– approved study of persons at risk for …
Structure and Function of a Novel Voltage-gated, Tetrodotoxin-resistant Sodium Channel Specific to Sensory Neurons (*)

Small neurons of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) are known to play an important role in nociceptive mechanisms. These neurons express two types of sodium current, which differ in their inactivation kinetics and sensitivity to tetrodotoxin. Here, we report the cloning of the α-subunit of a novel, voltage-gated sodium channel (PN3) from rat DRG. Functional expression in Xenopus oocytes showed that PN3 is a voltage-gated sodium channel with a depolarized activation potential, slow inactivation kinetics, and resistance to high concentrations of tetrodotoxin. In situ hybridization to rat DRG indicated that PN3 is expressed primarily in small sensory neurons of the peripheral nervous system.
Estimation of chlorophyll-a concentration in estuarine waters: case study of the Pearl River estuary, South China Sea

The objective of this work is to estimate chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentration in the Pearl River estuary in China. To test the performance of algorithms for the estimation of the chl-a concentration in these productive turbid waters, the maximum band ratio (MBR) and near-infrared–red (NIR–red) models are used in this study. Specific focus is placed on (a) comparing the ability of the models to estimate chl-a in the range 1–12 mg m − 3, which is typical for coastal and estuarine waters, and (b) assessing the potential of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) and Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) to estimate chl-a concentrations. Reflectance spectra and water samples were collected at 13 stations with chl-a ranging from 0.83 to 11.8 mg m − 3 and total suspended matter from 9.9 to 21.5 g m − 3. A close relationship was found between chl-a concentration and total suspended matter concentration with the determining coefficient (R2) above 0.89. The MBR calculated in the spectral bands of MODIS proved to be a good proxy for chl-a concentration (R2 > 0.93). On the other hand, both the NIR–red three-band model, with wavebands around 665, 700, and 730 nm, and the NIR–red two-band model (with bands around 665 and 700 nm) explained more than 95% of the chl-a variation, and we were able to estimate chl-a concentrations with a root mean square error below 1 mg m − 3. The two- and three-band NIR–red models with MERIS spectral bands accounted for 93% of the chl-a variation. These findings imply that the extensive database of MODIS and MERIS images could be used to quantitatively monitor chl-a in the Pearl River estuary.
Comparative transcriptome analysis provides insights into the molecular mechanism underlying double fertilization between self-crossed Solanum melongena and that hybridized with Solanum aethiopicum

Wild relatives represent a source of variation for many traits of interest for eggplant (Solanum melongena) breeding, as well as for broadening its genetic base. However, interspecific hybridization with wild relatives has been barely used in eggplant breeding programs, and reproductive barriers have resulted in reduced seed numbers in interspecific combinations. The mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains unclear. We hybridized females of cultivated eggplant 177 (Solanum melongena) with males of wild relatives 53 and Y11 (Solanum aethiopicum). Self-crossed 177 was the control. The seed number per control fruit was significantly higher than that of the hybrids. Paraffin sections showed no significant difference between control and 177×53 and 177×Y11. Double fertilization began 4 days post-pollination. Sperm cells were fused with egg cells 6 days post-pollination. To understand the differences in molecular mechanisms underlying this process, transcriptomes of ovaries at 0, 4, and 6 days after self-crossing and hybridization were analyzed. We screened 22,311 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the control and hybrids 4 and 6 days post-pollination. A total of 497 DEGs were shared among all pollination combinations. These DEGs were enriched in plant hormone transduction, cell senescence, metabolism, and biosynthesis pathways. DEG clustering analysis indicated distinct expression patterns between the control and hybrids but not between the hybrids. The DEGs in hybrids involved secondary metabolic process, phenylpropanoid metabolic process, and carboxypeptidase activity, while those in the control involved xyloglucan metabolic process, auxin-activated signaling pathway, cell wall polysaccharide metabolic process, and xyloglucosyl transferase activity. Additionally, 1683 transcription factors, including members of the AP2-ERF, MYB, bHLH, and B3 families may play important roles in self-crossing and hybridization. Our results provide insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying variations between ovaries of self-crossed and hybrid eggplants and a basis for future studies on crossbreeding Solanum and genetic mechanisms underlying double fertilization.
AKT inhibition mitigates GRP78 (glucose‐regulated protein) expression and contribution to chemoresistance in endometrial cancers

Overexpression of the unfolded protein response master regulator GRP78 is associated with poor prognosis and therapeutic resistance in numerous human cancers, yet its role in endometrial cancers (EC) is undefined. To better understand the contribution of GRP78 to EC, we examined its expression levels in EC patient samples and EC cell lines. We demonstrate that GRP78 overexpression occurs more frequently in EC tissues compared with that found in normal endometrium, and that GRP78 expression occurs in most EC cell lines examined. Functional analysis demonstrated that GRP78 is inducible by cisplatin in EC cells, and siRNA knockdown of GRP78 augments chemotherapy‐mediated cell death. Examination of AKT and GRP78 expression demonstrated that inhibition of AKT activity by MK2206 blocks GRP78 expression in EC cells. SiRNA studies also revealed that knockdown of GRP78 reduces but does not abrogate AKT activity, demonstrating that GRP78 is required for optimal AKT activity. In the presence of MK2206, siRNA knockdown of GRP78 does not augment AKT mediated survival in response to cisplatin treatment, suggesting that GRP78′s antiapoptosis functions are part of the AKT survival pathway. Targeted therapies that reduce GRP78 expression or activity in cancers may serve to increase the effectiveness of current therapies for EC patients.
Contribution to the study of the use of brain-computer interfaces in virtual and augmented reality. (Contribution à l'étude de l'utilisation des interfaces cerveau-ordinateur en réalité virtuelle ou augmentée)

The objective of this PhD thesis is to study the use of Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) within Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). Our goal is to evaluate the compatibility between systems based on a BCI and VR/AR, to design new tools for the visualization of the brain activity based on VR/AR, and nally to propose new uses for the BCIs, and especially in combination with smart clothes. In order to ful l these objectives, we have rst designed and performed a feasibility study concerning the combination of a BCI and VR. Our objective was to study the in uence of motor activity on a BCI. We have designed a system similar to a video game, serving as a base for a user study showing that this BCI can be successfully used, even when participants are performing a demanding muscular activity. We have also proposed three visualization tools for the brain activity based on VR/AR. Our rst system called the "Mind-Mirror" which enables the visualization of our own brain activity "inside our own head" by superimposition. A user study has shown that no signi cant drop in BCI performance occurred, even with the additional complexity due to our AR-based display. Our second contribution is called "Mind-Window" and extends the Mind-Mirror’s possibilities by enabling one or multiple users to visualize the brain activity of another person as if her skull was transparent. Our last contribution is called "Mind-Inside" and allows users to visualize their brain activity in real-time while being immersed in a virtual brain. Finally, we have studied how BCIs and the VR/AR can be applied to smart clothes. We have designed an experimental platform comprising a dressing room integrating a BCI. Following this work, we proposed an "invisibility cloak" inspired by the Harry Potter universe. This virtual cloak allows users to camou age themselves in AR using their mental state. Results from a preliminary study based on a simple video-game inspired by the Harry Potter universe could notably show that, compared to a standard control made with a keyboard, controlling the optical camou age directly with the BCI could enhance the user experience and the feeling of "having a super-power".
The metabolic and toxicological considerations for immunosuppressive drugs used during pancreas transplantation

Introduction: Pancreas-kidney transplant is an effective treatment for patients with insulin-dependent dabetes and chronic renal failure. Reduction in technical failure loss and early acute rejection rates contributed to prolong pancreas graft survival. However, drug toxicity affects negatively both short- and long-term follow-ups. Areas covered: This article reviews the existing literature and knowledge of the immunosuppressive drugs that are frequently used in pancreas transplant, including calcineurin inhibitors, sirolimus, corticosteroids, and mycophenolate. The article also discusses the short- and long-term adverse effects of these drugs. The article also reports and discusses the most relevant in vitro studies, providing additional information to in vivo findings. Some clinically relevant drug interactions with immunosuppressive drugs are also highlighted. Over- and underimmunosuppression effects will not be addressed. Expert opinion: Immunosuppressive regimen after pancreas transplant is very effective and contributed to pancreas allograft survival. However, they present several side effects that are potentiated when drugs are combined. Modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors can aggravate metabolic and toxicological effects of immunosuppressive drugs. It is important to critically analyze the results of clinical studies and investigate new immunosuppressive drugs and/or novel drug combinations. It is equally important to comprehend and interpret experimental data. Therefore, minimization of side effects, based on safe approaches, can prolong pancreas allograft survival.
Differential Structure for Temperature Sensing Based on Conductive Polymer Composites

A property-induced differential structure, which includes negative temperature coefficient unit (NTCU) and positive temperature coefficient unit (PTCU), is designed to increase the sensitivity of temperature sensor based on conductive polymer composite. The composite with/without cellular structure is used as the sensitive material in NTCU/PTCU, which results in a decrease/an increase of the electrical resistance with the increase of the temperature. Through using NTCU and PTCU as the neighboring arms of an electrical bridge, the temperature is converted into a voltage. The results verify the feasibility of using the property-induced differential structure to improve the sensitivity.