Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vertical Cup-to-Disc Ratio: Agreement between Direct Ophthalmoscopic Estimation, Fundus Biomicroscopic Estimation, and Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopic Measurement

Purpose. Ophthalmoscopic estimation of the vertical cup-to-disc ratio (VCDR) of the optic nerve head is important in the management of patients with glaucoma or who are glaucoma suspects. The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of estimation of VCDR obtained with direct ophthalmoscopy with that obtained with fundus biomicroscopy through undilated pupils. Measurements of VCDR obtained with the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph (HRT), a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope, were used as a standard. Methods. Thirty young, healthy adults had their optic discs photographed and then imaged and analyzed with the HRT. Due to HRT software limitations, the VCDR could not be calculated automatically, and so a validated VCDR measurement was derived. This was used as the standard against which ophthalmoscopic estimations were compared. Two months later, the subjects had their VCDRs estimated using direct ophthalmoscopy and fundus biomicroscopy performed in random order after varying time intervals. Agreement between ophthalmoscopic VCDR estimation and HRT-derived VCDR measurement was assessed by means of bias plots and the weighted kappa statistic. Results. Compared with the HRT-derived VCDR measurement, both ophthalmoscopic techniques tended to underestimate VCDR. The bias with direct ophthalmoscopy was statistically significant. There were also wide variations in VCDR estimation with direct ophthalmoscopy and fundus biomicroscopy, which were more pronounced with direct ophthalmoscopy. The weighted kappa statistic indicated moderate agreement between fundus biomicroscopy and HRT-derived VCDR measurement. There was poor to fair agreement between direct ophthalmoscopy and HRT-derived VCDR measurement. The level of disagreement was independent of HRT-derived VCDR, optic nerve head size and pupil size for both direct ophthalmoscopy and fundus biomicroscopy. Conclusions. Fundus biomicroscopy enables more accurate, less variable VCDR estimation than direct ophthalmoscopy. The clinician should record which method they used to examine the optic nerve head so that subsequent clinical decisions are not influenced by apparent VCDR changes.
Maintenance modeling and optimization for wind turbine systems: A review

Wind power is a clean and sustainable energy resource to meet the growing electricity needs in the next 20-30 years. However operation and maintenance (O&M) of wind power systems counts for as much as 25-30% of the total energy production cost, which creates intensive interests in lowering the lifecycle costs. This paper reviews the maintenance methodologies recently developed for wind power industry. The review aims at surveying recent reliability analysis and maintenance models underpinning the decision on equipment inspection, repair and replacement. We also discuss the applications and limitations of these models. Based on the review some future research areas are proposed.
[Detection of visfatin level of plasma in patients with coronary artery diseases].

OBJECTIVE To study the plasma visfatin level in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and evaluate the correlation between plasma visfatin level and coronary lesion severity. METHODS The level of plasma visfatin of 48 patients with CAD (proved by angiography) and 41 normal controls were detected and compared. Plasma visfatin was determined by an enzyme immunoassay. The lesion severity of coronary arteries was assessed by Gensini coronary scoring system, and the correlation between plasma visfatin level and coronary lesion severity was evaluated. RESULTS Plasma visfatin level in the CAD group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(28.58 +/- 14.53) ng/mL vs. [16.01 +/- 6.09) ng/mL, P < 0.01]. A significant positive correlation was found between coronary lesion severity score and Plasma visfatin level (r = 0.906, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION Plasma visfatin level may be related to the pathogenesis of CAD. Detection of plasma visfatin might be helpful for early diagnosis of CAD, and patients with higher Plasma visfatin level may have more severe coronary lesion.
Combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin is highly active in women with endometrial carcinoma

Although we recognize the reported impressiveactivityofthisregimen,webelievethereareseveralaspectsthat should lead to a cautious interpretation of thedata. First, the study by Brown et al was a rathersmall phase 2 study, with dose modifications performedduring an ongoing trial. Moreover, despite modificationof the protocol, 80% of the evaluable patientsstill required dose reductions and grade 3/4 hematotoxic-ity was observed in nearly 50% of the treated women.In total, 18 of 20 patients experienced grade 3/4 toxiceffects.Although the authors viewed the high toxicity ratesin thecontext of thepretreatment ofthese patients,we donotagreethatthisisasatisfyingargumentinthepalliativesetting. For one, the combination of weekly carboplatinand paclitaxel has also shown remarkable activity but lesstoxicity.
Hyperoxia inhibits nitric oxide treatment effects in alveolar epithelial cells via effects on L-type amino acid transporter-1.

AIMS The aims of this study were to determine hyperoxia effects on S-nitrosothiol (SNO) accumulation and L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) expression/function in alveolar epithelium and to determine whether hyperoxia impairs exogenous nitric oxide (NO) treatment effects in alveolar epithelium through effects on LAT1 expression and/or function. RESULTS SNO accumulation in vitro and in vivo after NO treatment was dependent on the LAT1 system transport. Hyperoxia (60% or 90%) impaired NO effects on SNO accumulation and soluble guanylyl cyclase activation in proportion to the magnitude of hyperoxia and the duration of exposure, up to 12 h, in type I-like (R3/1) and type II-like (L2) rat and human (A549) alveolar epithelial cells. LAT function, determined by sodium-independent (3)H-leucine uptake, was impaired in a parallel manner. Hyperoxia impaired LAT1 expression in alveolar epithelial cells, determined by immunoblots and immunofluorescence, and in newborn rats exposed to 60% O2 for 4 days, determined by immunohistochemistry. INNOVATION Despite significant preclinical evidence, inhaled NO has shown disappointing limitations in clinical applications. Our studies suggest an important explanation: oxidative stress, a common feature of diseases in which therapeutic NO would be considered, impairs LAT1 expression and function, blocking a major route for inhaled NO (iNO) action, that is, the uptake of S-nitrosocysteine via LAT1. CONCLUSIONS SNO uptake after NO treatment is dependent on LAT1. Hyperoxia impairs SNO uptake and NO effects during NO exposure and impairs LAT system function and LAT1 expression. Effects on SNO formation and transport must be considered for rational optimization of NO-based therapeutics.
Subcutaneous Injection of the Incretin Hormone Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Abolishes Postprandial Glycemia in NIDDM

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of subcutaneously injected glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) (7–36)amide on postprandial plasma glucose, insulin, and C-peptide levels in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and a secondary failure to sulfonylureas. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS GLP-1 (25 nmol) was injected subcutaneously into either the abdominal wall or the gluteal region at a standardized depth and speed. The injection device was guided by the ultrasound determination of the depth of the fat layer. The peptide was given 5 min before a standard meal. Plasma concentrations of glucose, C-peptide, insulin, glucagon, and GLP-1 were followed during 240 min after the injection. RESULTS In control experiments, a significant hyperglycemia was attained after the meal. GLP-1 given into the abdominal wall not only virtually abolished the postprandial blood glucose rise but significantly decreased glucose concentrations, with a nadir at ∼25 min after the injection. A rapid rise of C-peptide and insulin levels was observed 10-15 min after the injection of GLP-1. The stimulatory effect of GLP-1 was transient, and, at 45 min after the meal, both insulin and C-peptide levels were almost identical in GLP-1 and control experiments. Significantly lower glucagon concentrations were observed 35-65 min after the peptide injection. GLP-1 concentration in plasma increased from 10 pM to a peak concentration (Cmax) of 70 pM at Tmax 30 min after injection. Then GLP-1 levels rapidly decreased to 25 pM at 95 min and returned to basal at 215 min. The gluteal injection of GLP-1 had similar effects compared with the abdominal administration on plasma levels of glucose, insulin, C-peptide, and glucagon. CONCLUSIONS GLP-1 is promptly absorbed from the subcutaneous tissue. It exerts a significant blood glucose lowering effect when administered before meals in overweight patients with NIDDM.
Is the Effect of Parental Education on Offspring Biased or Moderated by Genotype?

Parental education is the strongest measured predictor of offspring education, and thus many scholars see the parent–child correlation in educational attainment as an important measure of social mobility. But if social changes or policy interventions are going to have dynastic effects, we need to know what accounts for this intergenerational association, that is, whether it is primarily environmental or genetic in origin. Thus, to understand whether the estimated social influence of parental education on offspring education is biased owing to genetic inheritance (or moderated by it), we exploit the findings from a recent large genome-wide association study of educational attainment to construct a genetic score designed to predict educational attainment. Using data from two independent samples, we find that our genetic score significantly predicts years of schooling in both between-family and within-family analyses. We report three findings that should be of interest to scholars in the stratification and education fields. First, raw parent–child correlations in education may reflect one-sixth genetic transmission and five-sixths social inheritance. Second, conditional on a child’s genetic score, a parental genetic score has no statistically significant relationship to the child’s educational attainment. Third, the effects of offspring genotype do not seem to be moderated by measured sociodemographic variables at the parental level (but parent–child genetic interaction effects are significant). These results are consistent with the existence of two separate systems of ascription: genetic inheritance (a random lottery within families) and social inheritance (across-family ascription). We caution, however, that at the presently attainable levels of explanatory power, these results are preliminary and may change when better-powered genetic risk scores are developed.
Fast dense stereo correspondences by binary locality sensitive hashing

The stereo correspondence problem is still a highly active topic of research with many applications in the robotic domain. Still many state of the art algorithms proposed to date are unable to reasonably handle high resolution images due to their run time complexities or memory requirements. In this work we propose a novel stereo correspondence estimation algorithm that employs binary locality sensitive hashing and is well suited to implementation on the GPU. Our proposed method is capable of processing very high-resolution stereo images at near real-time rates. An evaluation on the new Middlebury and Disney high-resolution stereo benchmarks demonstrates that our proposed method performs well compared to existing state of the art algorithms.
DESIGN of HIGH SPEED , LOW AREA , CARRY FLOW BCD ADDER in QCA

We can overcome the CMOS scaling problems with emerging Nanotechnology. In Nanotechnology the basic building block of digital design is QCA. The problem in design of decimal adders on Quantum dot cellular automata with reduction of QCA primitives is very limited. In this paper we present a BCD adder with less number of QCA primitives and it is compared with existing BCD adder designs. Our proposed 4-bit QCA-BCD adder results yield increase in speed 66% and reduction in area approximately and 93% respectively compared to the best existing design [1].
Maximum power processes for multi-source endoreversible heat engines

The maximum power processes of multi-source endoreversible engines with stationary temperature reservoirs are investigated. We prove that the optimal solution is always time independent with a single hot and a cold engine contact temperature. The heat reservoirs fall into three groups: the hot reservoirs which are connected at all times for heat delivery, the cold reservoirs which are connected at all times for heat drain, and possibly a group of reservoirs at intermediate temperatures which are unused. This phenomenon is demonstrated for a three-source system. We find that for a commonly used class of heat transfer functions, including Newtonian, Fourier, and radiative heat transport, the efficiencies at maximum power are the same as for two-reservoir engines with appropriately chosen properties.
Raw material selection for object construction

An important step in the construction of novel objects is the ability to recognise combinations of raw materials which are likely to be useful. We aim to exploit the intuition that the visual characteristics of candidate raw materials provide useful cues to their potential combinations. Toward this end, we present a Siamese neural network based model that is able to recognise unseen raw materials present in objects given a list of candidate material images. We demonstrate the utility and efficacy of our model within two domains. The first being a proof-of-concept within Minecraft where we predict the combinations of objects that will result in a target object. The second, more realistic domain, uses the ShapeNet 3D model dataset where we attempt to recover the materials present in a model. We empirically demonstrate that our model is able to learn from a subset of object material pairs and generalise to unseen objects, materials, texture packs. Under these conditions of high visual variation, we show that our model outperforms chance and baseline methods.
An exploration of binder jetting of copper

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of binder jetting to fabricate high-purity copper parts. The ability to fabricate geometrically complex copper shapes would have implications on the design and manufacture of components for thermal management systems and structural electronics. Design/methodology/approach – To explore the feasibility of processing copper via binder jetting, the authors followed an established material development process that encompasses powder selection and tuning process parameters in printing and thermal cycles. Specifically, the authors varied powder size and sintering cycles to explore their effects on densification. Findings – Three differently sized copper powders were successfully printed, followed by sintering in a reducing atmosphere. It was found that a 15-μm-diameter powder with a sintering cycle featuring a 1,080°C maximum temperature provides the most dense (85 per cent) and pure (97 per cent) final copper parts of the parameters tested. Research limi.
Concepts in Lipid Digestion and Metabolism in Dairy Cows

Fat and fatty acid metabolism and digestion in the dairy cow are of considerable interest, both to scientists and the dairy industry. This renewed interest is based on several reasons; first, the use of dietary fat supplements has increased, and will continue to do so, as nutritionists strive to increase the energy density of diets to meet requirements of the high producing dairy cow; second, we now recognize that fatty acids, both of dietary and rumen origin, can have specific and potent effects on ruminant metabolism and human health; and third, we now recognize that specific fatty acids produced in the rumen are potent regulators of milk fat synthesis in the mammary gland. Our objective in this review is to provide an overview of lipid metabolism in the dairy cow. Our focus will include the biological processes and quantitative changes occurring during the metabolism of fatty acids in the rumen and their subsequent absorption in the small intestine. In addition, we will discuss the interrelationship between rumen lipid metabolism and milk fat synthesis, and dietary factors that result in milk fat depression.
Stimulatory and inhibitory protein kinase C consensus sequences regulate the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator

Protein kinase C (PKC) phosphorylation stimulates the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) channel and enhances its activation by protein kinase A (PKA) through mechanisms that remain poorly understood. We have examined the effects of mutating consensus sequences for PKC phosphorylation and report here evidence for both stimulatory and inhibitory sites. Sequences were mutated in subsets and the mutants characterized by patch clamping. Activation of a 4CA mutant (S707A/S790A/T791A/S809A) by PKA was similar to that of wild-type CFTR and was enhanced by PKC, whereas responses of 3CA (T582A/T604A/S641A) and 2CA (T682A/S686A) channels to PKA were both drastically reduced (>90%). When each mutation in the 3CA and 2CA constructs was studied individually in a wild-type background, T582, T604, and S686 were found to be essential for PKA activation. Responses were restored when these three residues were reintroduced simultaneously into a 9CA mutant lacking all nine PKC consensus sequences (R6CA revertant); however, PKC phosphorylation was not required for this rescue. Nevertheless, two of the sites (T604 and S686) were phosphorylated in vitro, and PKC alone partially activated wild-type CFTR, the 4CA mutant, and the point mutants T582A and T604A, but not S686A channels, indicating that PKC does act at S686. The region encompassing S641 and T682 is inhibitory, because S641A enhanced activation by PKA, and T682A channels had 4-fold larger responses to PKC compared to wild-type channels. These results identify functionally important PKC consensus sequences on CFTR and will facilitate studies of its convergent regulation by PKC and PKA.
Probabilistic Power Flow Analysis of Power Systems Incorporating Tidal Current Generation

A probabilistic power-flow analysis method for power systems with tidal power sources is presented in this paper. The regularity of tidal power is modeled using a k-means clustering technique and the randomness of tidal power is modeled by using a nonparametric kernel density estimation method. A stochastic sampling method is also developed to generate random samples of tidal power time series for Monte Carlo based probabilistic power-flow analysis. The influence of tidal current generation on power flows is then evaluated and quantified considering both the regularity and randomness of tidal power. The measured tidal current speed data of two different locations in Florida and Alaska states, USA, and the IEEE 57-bus standard test system are used to verify the correctness and effectiveness of the presented probabilistic power-flow analysis method.
Low Temperature Storage of Southern Rice Black-Streaked Dwarf Virus-Infected Rice Plants Cannot Sustain Virus Transmission by the Vector

Abstract Southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV) is a novel virus transmitted by white-backed planthopper Sogatella furcifera (Hováth) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae). Due to low virus transmission efficiency by the planthopper, researchers are frequently confronted with shortage of viruliferous vectors or infected rice plants, especially in winter and the following spring. To find new ways to maintain virus-infected materials, viral rice plants were stored at –80°C for 45 or 140 d and evaluated as virus sources in virus transmission by the vector. SRBSDV virions were not degraded during storage at –80°C as indicated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and reverse transcription real-time PCR detection. The planthopper nymphs fed on the infected thawed plants for 48 h survived at about 40% and showed positive detection of SRBSDV, but they lost the virus after feeding for another 20 d (the circulative transmission period) on noninfected plants. Transmission electron microscope images indicated broken capsid of virions in infected thawed leaves in contrast to integrity capsid of virions in infected fresh leaves. These results show that low temperature storage of SRBSDV-infected rice plants cannot sustain virus transmission by white-backed planthopper.
Patient empowerment: a systematic review of questionnaires measuring empowerment in cancer patients

Abstract Background: There is an increased attention to and demand for patient empowerment in cancer treatment and follow-up programs. Patient empowerment has been defined as feeling in control of or having mastery in relation to cancer and cancer care. This calls for properly developed questionnaires assessing empowerment from the user perspective. The aim of this review was to identify questionnaires and subscales measuring empowerment and manifestations of empowerment among cancer patients. Materials and methods: We conducted a systematic search of the PubMed, PsycINFO and CINAHL databases. Empowerment and multiple search terms associated with empowerment were included. We included peer-reviewed articles published in English, which described questionnaires measuring empowerment or manifestations of empowerment in a cancer setting. In addition, the questionnaire had to be a patient-reported outcome measure for adult cancer patients. Results: Database searches identified 831 records. Title and abstract screening resulted in 482 records being excluded. The remaining 349 full text articles were retrieved and assessed for eligibility. This led to the inclusion of 33 individual instruments measuring empowerment and manifestations of empowerment. Of these, only four were specifically developed to measure empowerment, and two were originally developed for the cancer setting, whereas the remaining two were developed elsewhere, but adapted to the cancer setting. The other 29 questionnaires were not intended to measure the concept of empowerment, but focused on patient-centered care, patient competence, self-efficacy, etc. However, they were included because part of the instrument (at least five items) was considered to measure empowerment or manifestations of empowerment. Conclusion: Our study provides an overview of the available questionnaires, which can be used by researchers and practitioners who wish to measure the concept of empowerment among cancer patients. Very few questionnaires were explicitly developed to explore empowerment, and the review brings to light a significant lack of questionnaires that measure patient empowerment comprehensively.
Conversion of Lysophospholipids to Cyclic Lysophosphatidic Acid by Phospholipase D (*)

Phospholipase D from Streptomyces chromofuscus hydrolyzes lysophosphatidylcholine or lysophosphatidylethanolamine in aqueous 1% Triton X-100 solution. In situ monitoring of this reaction by P NMR revealed the formation of cyclic lysophosphatidic acid (1-acyl 2,3-cyclic glycerophosphate) as an intermediate which was hydrolyzed further by the enzyme at a functionally distinct active site to lysophosphatidic acid (lyso-PA). Synthetic cyclic lyso-PA (1-octanoyl 2,3-cyclic glycerophosphate) was found to be stable in aqueous neutral solutions at room temperature. It was hydrolyzed by the bacterial phospholipase D to lyso-PA at a rate which was approximately 4-fold slower than the rate of formation of cyclic lyso-PA. The addition of 5-10 mM sodium vanadate could partially inhibit the ring opening reaction and thus increase substantially the cyclic lyso-PA accumulation. Cyclic lyso-PA may act as a dormant configuration of the physiologically active lyso-PA or may even possess specific activities which await verification.