Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in Astigmatism Before and After Pterygium Surgery

Introduction: Pterygium is a degenerative condition of the subconjuctival tissue, which proliferates as vascularised granulation tissue to invade the cornea resulting in destruction of the superficial layer of the corneal stroma and bowman's membrane. This change in cornea leads to corneal opacity, visual impairment and significant induced astigmatism. The ensuing pathologic changes consist of elastoid degeneration of collagen and the appearance of subepithelial fibrovascular tissue Objective: To measure the change in corneal astigmatism after pterygium surgery and the relationship of astigmatism with respect to size of pterygium. Methodology: Hospital based prospective, non-randomized study, comprising 61 eyes of 56 patients who underwent pterygium excision and autologus conjuctival graft during the period October 2009 to September 2010. A total of 56 participants were enrolled and followed upto 3 months after surgery. Corneal topography was used to measure corneal astigmatism before and after pterygium surgery. Results: The mean age of patient was 46.11 years, standard deviation was 18.86 Male: female ratio: 0.8:1 Preexisting induced astigmatism among study group patients was 2.6D and mean astigmatism after pterygium surgery was 0.8D. This finding was found to be statistically significant(P value <0.001). Over all change in mean astigmatism was 1D in our study. In grade I Mean astigmatism before surgery was 0.96D and Mean astigmatism after surgery was 0.46D, Changes in mean astigmatism after surgery was 0.50D. In grade II Mean astigmatism before surgery was 1.99D and Mean astigmatism after surgery was 0.54D, Changes in mean astigmatism after surgery was 1.45D. In grade III Mean astigmatism before surgery was 10.71D and Mean astigmatism after surgery was 3.10D, Changes in mean astigmatism after surgery was 7.61D. The change in mean astigmatism is greatest in patients with grade III pterygium. Conclusion: After pterygium surgery astigmatism significantly reduces and astigmatism increases with the grade of pterygium.
pULB113, an RP4::mini-Mu plasmid, mediates chromosomal mobilization and R-prime formation in Erwinia amylovora, Erwinia chrysanthemi, and subspecies of Erwinia carotovora

The RP4::mini-Mu plasmid pULB113, transferred from Escherichia coli strain MXR, was stable and transfer proficient in Erwinia amylovora strain EA303, E. carotovora subsp. atroseptica strain ECA12, E. carotovora subsp. carotovora strain ECC193, and E. chrysanthemi strain EC183. The plasmid mobilized an array of Erwinia sp. chromosomal markers (E. amylovora: his+,ilv+,rbs+,ser+,thr+;E. chrysanthemi:arg+,his+,ilv+,leu+; E. carotovora subsp. atroseptica: arg+,gua+,leu+,lys+,pur+,trp+; E. carotovora subsp. carotovora: arg+,gua+,leu+,lys+,out+[export of enzymes],pur+,trp+), suggesting random interactions of the plasmid with the chromosomes. In E. carotovora subsp. carotovora, pULB113-mediated two-factor crosses revealed linkage between three auxotrophic markers and the out loci. The export of pectate lyase, polygalacturonase, and cellulase and the maceration of potato tuber tissue occurred with Out+, but not Out-, strains of E. carotovora subsp. carotovora, indicating the importance of enzyme export in plant tissue maceration. Erwinia sp. donors harboring pULB113 complemented mutations in various biosynthetic and catabolic genes (arg, gal, his, leu, met, pro, pur, thy) in Escherichia coli recA strains. Escherichia coli transconjugants harbored pULB113 primes as indicated by the cotransfer of Erwinia genes and pULB113 markers and a change in plasmid mass. Moreover, the PstI and SmaI cleavage patterns of selected pULB113 primes were different from those of pULB113. pULB113 primes carried DNA insertions ranging from 3 to about 160 kilobases. These findings indicate that pULB113 is useful for in vivo gene cloning and genetic analysis of various enterobacterial phytopathogens.
Acute Coronary Care in the Elderly, Part II: ST-Segment–Elevation Myocardial Infarction A Scientific Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association Council on Clinical Cardiology

Background— Age is an important determinant of outcomes for patients with acute coronary syndromes. However, community practice reveals a disproportionately lower use of cardiovascular medications and invasive treatment even among elderly patients who would stand to benefit. Limited trial data are available to guide care of older adults, which results in uncertainty about benefits and risks, particularly with newer medications or invasive treatments and in the setting of advanced age and complex health status. Methods and Results— Part II of this American Heart Association scientific statement summarizes evidence on presentation and treatment of ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction in relation to age (<65, 65 to 74, 75 to 84, and ≥85 years). The purpose of this statement is to identify areas in which the evidence is sufficient to guide practice in the elderly and to highlight areas that warrant further study. Treatment-related benefits should rise in an elderly population, yet data to confirm these benefits are limited, and the heterogeneity of older populations increases treatment-associated risks. Elderly patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction more often have relative and absolute contraindications to reperfusion, so eligibility for reperfusion declines with age, and yet elderly patients are less likely to receive reperfusion even if eligible. Data support a benefit from reperfusion in elderly subgroups up to age 85 years. The selection of reperfusion strategy is determined more by availability, time from presentation, shock, and comorbidity than by age. Additional data are needed on selection and dosing of adjunctive therapies and on complications in the elderly. A “one-size-fits-all” approach to care in the oldest old is not feasible, and ethical issues will remain even in the presence of adequate evidence. Nevertheless, if the contributors to treatment benefits and risks are understood, guideline-recommended care may be applied in a patient-centered manner in the oldest subset of patients. Conclusions— Few trials have adequately described treatment effects in older patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction. In the future, absolute and relative risks for efficacy and safety in age subgroups should be reported, and trials should make efforts to enroll the elderly in proportion to their prevalence among the treated population. Outcomes of particular relevance to the older adult, such as quality of life, physical function, and independence, should also be evaluated, and geriatric conditions unique to this age group, such as frailty and cognitive impairment, should be considered for their influence on care and outcomes. With these efforts, treatment risks can be minimized, and benefits can be placed within the health context of the elderly patient.
Isolation of Cytomegalovirus from a Cohort of 100 Infants Throughout the First Year of Life 1

Summary A cohort of 100 apparently normal newborn infants was studied five times during the first year of life to determine the incidence of cytomegalovirus infection. Virus was isolated from oropharyngeal or urine specimens at least once from 15 of the infants. Initial isolations were obtained as follows: one infant on hospital day 2, two at one month, nine at 3 months, three at 6 months, and none later. Most children once positive continued to shed the virus. CMV CF antibodies were demonstrated in 8 of 11 virus excretors and none of 39 nonexcretors. One of the 3 excretors without CF antibody had CMV neutralizing antibody and the other 2 had virus isolated only once. Both sets of twins included in the study became infected. Virus isolation was not related to sex, maternal age or parity, breast feeding, or occupation of father. The mean birth weight of babies who subsequently excreted virus (with or without the twins) was significantly lower than that of the nonexcretors. During the follow-up period, the general health and development of the infected infants did not differ from the noninfected infants. Studies of the families of the CMV excretors and matched control families of nonexcreting infants suggested the mothers as the most likely source of the infants'infections.
Leading Differentiated Learning for the Gifted

This study examined similarities and differences in the perceptions of principals and teachers about the use of differentiated strategies for gifted learners and studied principals’ perceptions about schoolwide differentiation. Comparisons of these perceptions have been undocumented to date. Participants included 867 teachers and 120 principals from government schools in Sydney, Australia. A mixed methods approach was used, including online questionnaires and case studies of principals. Results revealed significant differences between the perceptions of principals and teachers about differentiated practices. The case studies demonstrate that exemplary principals continually enhance their understanding of differentiated learning and build their teachers’ collective capacity for educating gifted learners. The findings indicate the need for stronger pedagogical congruence between principals and teachers in educating the gifted, ongoing professional education of principals and teachers in gifted education, and effective leadership actions for schoolwide differentiated learning.
HST/NICMOS IMAGING OF BRIGHT HIGH-REDSHIFT 24 μm SELECTED GALAXIES: MERGING PROPERTIES

We present new results on the physical nature of infrared-luminous sources at 0.5 < z < 2.8 as revealed by HST/NICMOS imaging and Infrared Spectrograph mid-infrared spectroscopy. Our sample consists of 134 galaxies selected at 24 μm with a flux of S(24 μm)>0.9 mJy. We find many (∼60%) of our sources to possess an important bulge and/or central point source component, most of which reveal additional underlying structures after subtraction of a best-fit Sérsic (or Sérsic+PSF) profile. Based on visual inspection of the NIC2 images and their residuals, we estimate that ∼80% of all our sources are mergers. We calculate lower and upper limits on the merger fraction to be 62% and 91%, respectively. At z < 1.5, we observe objects in early (pre-coalescence) merging stages to be mostly disk and star formation dominated, while we find mergers to be mainly bulge dominated and active galactic nucleus (AGN)–starburst composites during coalescence and then AGN dominated in late stages. This is analogous to what is observed in local ULIRGs. At z ⩾ 1.5, we find a dramatic rise in the number of objects in pre-coalescence phases of merging, despite an increase in the preponderance of AGN signatures in their mid-IR spectra and luminosities above 1012.5 L☉. We further find the majority of mergers at those redshifts to retain a disk-dominated profile during coalescence. We conclude that, albeit still driven by mergers, these high-z ULIRGs are substantially different in nature from their local counterparts and speculate that this is likely due to their higher gas content. Finally, we observe obscured (τ9.7 μm>3.36) quasars to live in faint and compact hosts and show that these are likely high-redshift analogs of local dense-core mergers. We find late-stage mergers to possess predominantly unobscured AGN spectra, but do not observe other morphological classes to carry any specific combination of τ9. 7 μm and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) equivalent width. This suggests a high degree of variation in the PAH emission and silicate absorption properties of these mergers, and possibly throughout the merging process itself.
Decreasing Predator Density and Activity Explains Declining Predation of Insect Prey along Elevational Gradients

Predation, which is a fundamental force in ecosystems, has been found to decrease in intensity with elevation and latitude. The mechanisms behind this pattern, however, remain unaddressed. Using visual sampling of potential predators and live flies as baits, we assessed predation patterns along 4,000-m elevation transects on either side of the equatorial Andes. At the lower elevations, we found that around 80% of predation events on our insect baits were due to ants. The decline in predation with elevation was driven mainly by a decline in the abundance of ants, whose importance relative to other predators also declined. We show that both predator density and activity (predation rate per individual predator) decreased with elevation, thus ascribing specific mechanisms to known predation patterns. We suggest that changes in these two mechanisms may reflect changes in primary productivity and metabolic rate with temperature, factors of potential relevance across latitudinal and other macroecological gradients, particularly for ectotherm predators and prey.
REVIEW ON CPP: Measuring reward with the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm: update of the last decade

Conditioned place preference (CPP) continues to be one of the most popular models to study the motivational effects of drugs and non‐drug treatments in experimental animals. This is obvious from a steady year‐to‐year increase in the number of publications reporting the use this model. Since the compilation of the preceding review in 1998, more than 1000 new studies using place conditioning have been published, and the aim of the present review is to provide an overview of these recent publications. There are a number of trends and developments that are obvious in the literature of the last decade. First, as more and more knockout and transgenic animals become available, place conditioning is increasingly used to assess the motivational effects of drugs or non‐drug rewards in genetically modified animals. Second, there is a still small but growing literature on the use of place conditioning to study the motivational aspects of pain, a field of pre‐clinical research that has so far received little attention, because of the lack of appropriate animal models. Third, place conditioning continues to be widely used to study tolerance and sensitization to the rewarding effects of drugs induced by pre‐treatment regimens. Fourth, extinction/reinstatement procedures in place conditioning are becoming increasingly popular. This interesting approach is thought to model certain aspects of relapse to addictive behavior and has previously almost exclusively been studied in drug self‐administration paradigms. It has now also become established in the place conditioning literature and provides an additional and technically easy approach to this important phenomenon. The enormous number of studies to be covered in this review prevented in‐depth discussion of many methodological, pharmacological or neurobiological aspects; to a large extent, the presentation of data had to be limited to a short and condensed summary of the most relevant findings.
Patterns of univariate and multivariate plasticity to elevated carbon dioxide in six European populations of Arabidopsis thaliana

Abstract The impact of elevated carbon dioxide on plants is a growing concern in evolutionary ecology and global change biology. Characterizing patterns of phenotypic integration and multivariate plasticity to elevated carbon dioxide can provide insights into ecological and evolutionary dynamics in future human‐altered environments. Here, we examined univariate and multivariate responses to carbon enrichment in six functional traits among six European accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana. We detected phenotypic plasticity in both univariate and multivariate phenotypes, but did not find significant variation in plasticity (genotype by environment interactions) within or among accessions. Eigenvector, eigenvalue variance, and common principal components analyses showed that elevated carbon dioxide altered patterns of trait covariance, reduced the strength of phenotypic integration, and decreased population‐level differentiation in the multivariate phenotype. Our data suggest that future carbon dioxide conditions may influence evolutionary dynamics in natural populations of A. thaliana.
Familial macrophagic myofasciitis

Macrophagic myofasciitis is an emerging entity that was first reported in the Lancet in August 1998.1 Between May 1993 and 1999 more than 50 cases have been described in France.2 We report the first familial case of macrophagic myofasciitis. A 45 year old woman was first admitted to hospital in July 1997 for pain and swelling of the right foot lasting for few months. Muscle biopsy of the right foot showed interstitial fibrosis with marked perivascular lymphocytes infiltrate. Only a few macrophages were seen but not in the subcutaneous tissue, epimysium, perimysium, and perifascicular endomysium. Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining was negative. A diagnosis of focal myositis of the right foot was made3 and she received colchicine 1 mg daily. In November 1997 she was …
[Efficacy of tenofovir-based rescue therapy for patients with drug-resistant chronic hepatitis B].

BACKGROUND/AIMS Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) plays a pivotal role in the management of drug-resistant chronic hepatitis B. However, it remains unclear whether TDF-nucleoside analogue combination therapy provides better outcomes than TDF monotherapy. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of TDF monotherapy with that of TDF-nucleoside analogue combination therapy in patients with drug-resistant chronic hepatitis B. METHODS This retrospective cohort study included 76 patients receiving TDF-based rescue therapy for more than 12 months. Suboptimal response was defined as serum HBV-DNA level of > 60 IU/mL during prior rescue therapy. Multi-drug resistance was defined as the presence of two or more drug resistance-related mutations confirmed by mutation detection assay. The relationship between baseline characteristics and virologic response (HBV DNA < 20 IU/mL) at 12 months were evaluated using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS Fifty-five patients (72.4%) were suboptimal responders to prior rescue therapy, and 26 (34.2%) had multi-drug resistance. Forty-two patients (55.3%) received combination therapy with nucleoside analogues. Virologic response at 12 months was not significantly different between the TDF monotherapy group and TDF-nucleoside analogue combination therapy group (p = 0.098). The serum HBV DNA level was reduced to -4.49 ± 1.67 log10 IU/mL in the TDF monotherapy group and to -3.97 ± 1.69 log10 IU/mL in the TDF-nucleoside analogue combination therapy group at 12 months (p = 0.18). In multivariate analysis, female sex (p = 0.032), low baseline HBV-DNA level (p = 0.013), and TDF monotherapy (p = 0.046) were predictive factors for virologic response at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS TDF monotherapy showed similar efficacy to that of TDF-nucleoside analogue combination therapy in patients with drug-resistant chronic hepatitis B.
Impacts of Spatial Clusters on Certified Organic Farming in Taiwan

To achieve a balance between agricultural production and environmental protection, organic farming has long been viewed as an alternative for sustainable agricultural development. This study aims to determine the key factors influencing the distribution of organic rice cultivation. Using a unique dataset for the production and environmental characteristics of organic farmland and operations, we assess the impact of spatial clusters, namely cold, hot, and neutral spots, on the certified areas of organic rice. Then, combining the local indicators of spatial association and a multinomial logistic model, we reveal that organic farming is likely to occur in agriculturally less-favored regions, and that improvements in natural productivity is not a favorable incentive for farmers to expand their certified areas. For hot spots, an efficient approach to expand the development of organic farming or certified areas is to increase the scale of agricultural production and marketing groups or even the proportion of individual farmers in operational patterns. Our findings have policy implications for the selection of special regions for organic farming in Taiwan. Further, the analysis of marginal effects provides insight on raising the effectiveness of agricultural sustainability policies.
“All my saints are within me”: Expressions of end-of-life spirituality

Abstract Objective: With spirituality being one of the most important components of end-of-life (EOL) care, this study explored the oral responses of 44 dying persons who expressed spirituality. Method: Four identified spiritual themes: religious systems of beliefs and values, life meaning, purpose and connections with others, nonreligious systems of beliefs and values, and metaphysical or transcendental phenomena served as a framework for a content analysis of 91 spiritual references. Results: From the content analysis, eight interrelated and separate themes emerged. Although the highest number of responses centered on religious beliefs and values, nonreligious beliefs and values that included reason, dignity, mental discipline, and communion were expressed. The themes of life meaning, purpose, and connections with others also surfaced as important aspects of EOL spirituality. Significance of results: The findings support the need for hospice/palliative care professionals to approach spirituality from other than a Judeo-Christian viewpoint, help dying persons create meaning and purpose within the context of their lives, and assist them in their desire for connectedness to faith communities and other significant individuals in their lives.
An unusual variant of congenital dyserythropoietic anaemia with mild maternal and lethal fetal disease

Summary. An unusual variant of congenital dyserythropoietic anaemia is described presenting as mild haemolytic anaemia with multinucleated erythroblasts in the marrow of the proband. The outcome of her non‐consanguineous pregnancy was a third trimester, in utero, fetal demise. The hydropic fetus had dyserythropoiesis with circulating multi‐nucleated erythroblasts, and haemosiderosis. Re‐evaluation of the proband revealed a variant of congenital dyserythropoietic anaemia with an inheritance pattern, and with morphological, serological and biochemical features which are not consistent with any of the three described variants of congenital dyserythropoietic anaemias.
Models Of Technology And Change In Higher Education

The aim of this paper is to present investigations about which scenarios are emerging with respect to the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in higher education (HE) and how future developments can be predicted and strategic choices can be made based on that. It seeks to answer the following questions: what strategic responses do institutions make with respect to the use of ICT; which external conditions and developments influence these choices; which external and internal conditions and measures are taken in order to achieve strategic targets; what are the implications for technology use, teaching and learning processes and staff? The main conclusions and recommendations defined are the base for implementing the most suitable scenario for the Technical University of Sofia's wide use of ICT.
DISEASE OF THE MONTH Smoking and the Kidney

Nephrologists “rediscovered” smoking as a major renal risk factor in 1997 (1), although investigators in the 19 and 20 centuries had noted an association between smoking and renal damage (2). In the past few years the knowledge about the renal risks of smoking has expanded rapidly. The patients who are at high risk to be affected by the adverse renal effects of smoking have been identified, and earlier observations in the 1970s and 1980s have been confirmed by prospective studies.