Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Erector Spinae Plane Block on Postoperative Pain Following Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy : A Randomized Controlled Study

Objective: Erector spinae plane block (ESP) is a novel technique for postoperative pain management. Primary aim of this study is to evaluate efficacy of ultrasound -guided ESP for providing postoperative analgesia in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) procedures. Methods: Forty-six ASA I-II patients aged 20-70, who were scheduled to undergo elective LC were included in the study. Patients were randomized into two groups as ESP and Control group. Patients in the ESP group received ultrasound (US)guided ESP block with 20 ml 0.25% bupivacaine. An intravenous patient-controlled analgesia device containing morphine was provided for all the patients in both groups. Morphine consumptions at postoperative 24th hour and postoperative numeric rating scale (NRS) scores for pain were recorded. Results: Mean morphine consumptions at postoperative 24th hour were 7.5 mg±5.8 in the ESP group while it was 13.2±5.6 mg in the control group (p<0.01). There was also a significant difference between the groups as for NRS scores at 12th and 24th hours (p=0.016, p=0.003 respectively). None of the patients in the ESP group complained about shoulder pain; but in the control group 9 patients reported shoulder pain. Conclusion: This study has shown that ESP block at T8 level has reduced the opioid consumption and showed a significant analgesic effect in patients undergoing LC.
Visual Cortex and Deep Networks: Learning Invariant Representations

The ventral visual stream is believed to underlie object recognition in primates. Over the past fifty years, researchers have developed a series of quantitative models that are increasingly faithful to the biological architecture. Recently, deep learning convolution networks -- which do not reflect several important features of the ventral stream architecture and physiology -- have been trained with extremely large datasets, resulting in model neurons that mimic object recognition but do not explain the nature of the computations carried out in the ventral stream. This book develops a mathematical framework that describes learning of invariant representations of the ventral stream and is particularly relevant to deep convolutional learning networks. The authors propose a theory based on the hypothesis that the main computational goal of the ventral stream is to compute neural representations of images that are invariant to transformations commonly encountered in the visual environment and are learned from unsupervised experience. They describe a general theoretical framework of a computational theory of invariance (with details and proofs offered in appendixes) and then review the application of the theory to the feedforward path of the ventral stream in the primate visual cortex.
The impact of mitotane therapy on serum-free proteins in patients with adrenocortical carcinoma

Introduction Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignancy of the adrenal cortex. Whilst surgery is the preferred treatment, adjunctive therapy with mitotane may be offered post-surgically to minimise the risk of recurrence or, in the absence of surgery, to attenuate progression. Aim The objective was to evaluate the effects of mitotane treatment on serum protein concentrations in patients treated for ACC with mitotane therapy and compare this to patients with other adrenal neoplasms and a normal pregnant cohort. Methods Serum cortisol, thyroid function tests, adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), cortisol-binding globulin (CBG), thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG), gonadotrophins and androgens were measured on plasma and serum samples. Thirty-five patients with ACC were included, and mitotane levels were noted to be sub-/supra-therapeutic. Data were tested for normality, reported as mean ± s.d. , and compared to other two cohorts using paired-sample t-test with a 5% P-value for significance and a 95% CI. Results Patients on mitotane therapy had a higher mean serum CBG concentration compared to the adrenal neoplasm group (sub-therapeutic: 79.5 (95% CI: 33.6, 125.4 nmol/L), therapeutic: 85.3 (95% CI: 37.1–133.6 nmol/L), supra-therapeutic: 75.7 (95% CI: −19.3, 170.6 nmol/L) and adrenal neoplasm: 25.5 (95% CI: 17.5, 33.5 nmol/L). Negative correlations between serum cortisol and CBG concentration were demonstrated within the supra-therapeutic plasma mitotane and adrenal neoplasm groups. Conclusion Patients with ACC and therapeutic plasma mitotane concentrations had higher serum CBG concentrations compared to those with adrenal neoplasms or pregnant women, and higher serum cortisol. Whilst there was no direct correlation with cortisol and mitotane level, the negative correlation of cortisol with CBG may suggest that the direct effect of mitotane in increasing cortisol may also reflect that mitotane has a direct adrenolytic effect.
Comparison of the efficacy of continuous radiofrequency thermocoagulation, pulsed radiofrequency denervation applications, and TENS therapies for lumbar facet syndrome: A single-blind randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES We aimed to compare the effectiveness of TENS, used in physical therapy departments, and continuous radiofrequency thermocoagulation (CRF) and pulsed radiofrequency denervation (PRF), used in algology departments, in patients with lumbar facet syndrome (LFS). METHODS Subjects were selected from patients with LFS visiting outpatient clinics of physical therapy and algology departments at Ege University School of Medicine, whose pain was refractory to medical treatment for at least 3 months. Subjects were randomized into 3 groups. A total of 60 patients, with 20 in each group, were enrolled. The first group received CRF, the second group received TENS for 30 minutes a day for 15 days, and the third group received PRF. Patients were assessed at baseline, at the end of the first and sixth months, for a total of three times. RESULTS Improvements at month 1 and month 6 were found to be statistically significant in all three treatment groups with respect to their pain scores, Oswestry Disability Indexes, hand-floor distance measurements, 20-meter walking times, 6-min walking distances, Beck Depression Inventory, and most of the SF-36 domain scores (p<0.05). A comparison of the treatment groups showed no superiority of any group over the others in any assessment parameters (p>0.05). CONCLUSION We suggest that it might be more appropriate to use TENS, a non-invasive treatment, before trying more invasive procedures like CRF and PRF in these patients. However, it has been stated that further studies involving a larger patient sample are needed.
Serological And Haematological Responses To Experimental Fascioliasis And Treatment

This study was established to evaluate and monitor both the humoral and haematological responses to Fascioliasis and its treatment in rabbit model. Rabbits were orally inoculated with viable F. gigantica metacercariae and then divided into four groups. Infected rabbits were orally administered a single dose of Triclabendazole (TCBZ) (10 mg kg-1) at week 4, 8 or 12 post- infection (pi), respectively. Antibody (Ab) response against infection was monitored using enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA). Total red blood cell counts (Rbcs), haemoglobin content (Hb) and total and differential white blood cells (Wbcs) were also determined. Infected rabbits were found to produce Ab against excretory-secretory products (ESP) of adult flukes two weeks pi where ELISA enabled the early diagnosis of infection. Ab level reached to the peak at week 10 pi. In TCBZ-treated groups, the early Ab responses prior to treatments were similar to response of infected-untreated rabbits. But, after different treatment regimens, Ab levels showed a significant decreases that were depended mainly on both time and hence efficacy of the treatment. In addition, significant reductions in both Rbcs and Hb values accompanied with mild anemia were found among infected group at week 12 &10 pi, respectively. TCBZ-treatment prevented the development of anaemia. Eosinophil numbers significantly increased starting from week 2 pi and peaking at week 4 or 6 pi in all groups. Hence, both eosniophilia and anaemia might be characteristic aspects for experimental fascioliasis.
TGFβ prevents IgE-mediated allergic disease by restraining T follicular helper 2 differentiation

Allergic diseases are common, affecting more than 20% of the population. Genetic variants in the TGFβ pathway are strongly associated with atopy. To interrogate the mechanisms underlying this association, we examined patients and mice with Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) who harbor missense mutations in the kinase domain of TGFΒR1/2. We demonstrate that LDS mutations lead to reduced TGFβ signaling and elevated total and allergen-specific IgE, despite the presence of wild-type T regulatory cells in a chimera model. Germinal center activity was enhanced in LDS and characterized by a selective increase in type 2 follicular helper T cells (TFH2). Expression of Pik3cg was increased in LDS TFH cells and associated with reduced levels of the transcriptional repressor SnoN. PI3Kγ/mTOR signaling in LDS naïve CD4+ T cells was elevated after T cell receptor cross-linking, and pharmacologic inhibition of PI3Kγ or mTOR prevented exaggerated TFH2 and antigen-specific IgE responses after oral antigen exposure in an adoptive transfer model. Naïve CD4+ T cells from nonsyndromic allergic individuals also displayed decreased TGFβ signaling, suggesting that our mechanistic discoveries may be broadly relevant to allergic patients in general. Thus, TGFβ plays a conserved, T cell–intrinsic, and nonredundant role in restraining TFH2 development via the PI3Kγ/mTOR pathway and thereby protects against allergic disease. TGFβ controls allergic disease by divergently restraining TFH2 development via the PI3Kγ/mTOR pathway, thus limiting IgE production. Editor’s summary The production of IgE antibodies is a hallmark of allergy, and variants in the TGFβ pathway are associated with atopic conditions. To determine how TGFβ signaling regulates IgE production in allergic disease, Haque et al. studied Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) patients and mice with a single gene defect leading to partially attenuated canonical TGFβ signaling. CD4+ T cells from LDS patients and mice had impaired TGFβ signaling, which correlated with atopy. LDS mutations resulted in increased T follicular helper 2 cells, exaggerated humoral immune responses and production of allergen specific IgE. LDS variants resulted in dysregulated PI3Kγ/mTOR signaling, and this was rescued by pharmacological inhibition. Together these findings identify TGFβ as an essential regulator of Tfh2 differentiation through the PI3Kγ/mTOR pathway in T cells. — Hannah Isles
GWAS of ~30,000 samples with bone mineral density at multiple skeletal sites and its clinical relevance on fracture prediction, genetic correlations and prioritization of drug targets

Here, we conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-derived bone mineral density (BMD) traits at 11 skeletal sites, within over 30,000 European individuals from the UK Biobank. A total of 92 unique and independent loci were identified for 11 DXA-derived BMD traits and fracture, including 5 novel loci (i.e., ABCA1, CHSY1, CYP24A1, SWAP70 and PAX1) and 2 sex-specific loci (i.e., CYP19A1 and CYP3A7). We demonstrated that polygenic risk scores (PRSs) were independently associated with fracture risk. Although incorporating multiple PRSs (metaPRS) with the clinical risk factors (i.e., the FRAX model) exhibited the highest predictive performance, the improvement was marginal in fracture prediction. The metaPRS were capable of stratifying individuals into different trajectories of fracture risk, but clinical risk factors played a more significant role in the stratification. Additionally, we uncovered genetic correlation and shared polygenicity between head BMD and intracranial aneurysm. And the joint associated genes such as PLCE1 might play important roles in the shared genetic basis. Finally, by integrating gene expression, and GWAS datasets, we prioritized genes (e.g. ESR1, SREBF1, CCR1 and NCOR1) encoding druggable human proteins along with their respective inhibitors/antagonists. In conclusion, this comprehensive investigation revealed new genetic basis for BMD and its clinical relevance on fracture prediction. More importantly, it was suggested that head BMD was genetically correlated with intracranial aneurysm. The prioritization of genetically supported targets implied the potential repurposing drugs (e.g. the n-3 PUFA supplement targeting SREBF1) for the prevention of osteoporosis.
Influence of bacterial swimming and hydrodynamics on infection by phages

Bacteriophages (“phages”) are viruses that infect bacteria. Since they do not actively self-propel, phages rely on thermal diffusion to find target cells—but can also be advected by fluid flows, such as those generated by motile bacteria themselves in bulk fluids. How does the flow field generated by a swimming bacterium influence how it encounters and is infected by phages? Here, we address this question using coupled molecular dynamics and lattice Boltzmann simulations of flagellated bacteria swimming through a bulk fluid containing uniformly-dispersed phages. We find that while swimming increases the rate at which both the cell body and flagellar propeller are infected by phages, hydrodynamic interactions strongly suppress this increase at the cell body, but conversely enhance this increase at the flagellar bundle. Our results highlight the pivotal influence of hydrodynamics on the interactions between bacteria and phages, as well as other diffusible species in microbial environments.
The cytidine deaminase APOBEC3C has unique sequence and genome feature preferences

APOBEC proteins are cytidine deaminases that restrict the replication of viruses and transposable elements. Several members of the APOBEC3 family, APOBEC3A, APOBEC3B, and APOBEC3H-I, can access the nucleus and cause what is thought to be indiscriminate deamination of the genome, resulting in mutagenesis and genome instability. Although APOBEC3C is also present in the nucleus, its deamination target preferences are unknown. By expressing human APOBEC3C in a yeast model system, I have defined the APOBEC3C mutation signature, as well as the preferred genome features of APOBEC3C targets. The APOBEC3C mutation signature is distinct from those of the known cancer genome mutators APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B. APOBEC3C produces DNA strand-coordinated mutation clusters, and APOBEC3C mutations are enriched near the transcription start sites of active genes. Surprisingly, APOBEC3C lacks the bias for the lagging strand of DNA replication that is seen for APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B. The unique preferences of APOBEC3C constitute a mutation profile that will be useful in defining sites of APOBEC3C mutagenesis in human genomes.
Brine-Contaminated Soils in Western North Dakota: Site Assessment Methodology and a New In-Situ Remediation Method

iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . iv DEDICATION . v LIST OF TABLES . x LIST OF FIGURES . xi LIST OF APPENDIX TABLES . xii LIST OF APPENDIX FIGURES. xiii GENERAL INTRODUCTION . 1 LITERATURE REVIEW . 4 Williston Basin. 4 Oil and Gas Production in North Dakota . 4 Oil and Gas Production History . 4 Hydraulic Fracturing/Horizontal Drilling . 5 Current and Future Oil Production in North Dakota . 5 Oil and Gas Produced Waters (i.e., Brine). 6 Origin and Chemical Makeup . 6 Past and Present Brine Disposal . 8 Brine Contamination . 9 Effects on Soil and Vegetative Health . 10 Conversion Equations for Site Assessment . 11 Current Remediation Methods . 13 Topsoil Excavation . 13 vii Addition of Chemical/Organic Amendments, Leaching and Subsurface Drainage . 13 Crystallization Inhibitors and their Remediation Potential . 15 References . 18 COMPARISON OF SOIL-TO-WATER SUSPENSION RATIOS FOR DETERMINING ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF OIL-PRODUCTION WATER CONTAMINATED SOILS . 34 Abstract . 34. 34 Introduction . 35 Materials and Methods . 39 1:1 and 1:5 Soil-to-Water Suspensions (EC1:1; EC1:5) . 40 Saturated Paste Extract (ECe) . 42 Equation Development and Validation . 42 Results . 43 General Soil Properties and Soil EC Extract Relationships . 43 Validation of Equations . 47 Discussion . 51 Conclusions . 55 Acknowledgements . 56 References . 57 SALT EXTRACTION FROM BRINE-CONTAMINATED SOILS AMENDED WITH A CRYSTALLIZATION INHIBITOR . 61 Abstract . 61. 6
The Experimental Earthwork on Morden Bog, Wareham, Dorset, England: 1963 to 1972: Report of the Experimental Earthworks Committee of the British Association for the Advancement of Science

After the successful construction of the Overton Down Experimental Earthwork (Jewell 1963), the Experimental Earthworks Committee of the British Association for the Advancement of Science went ahead with plans to build a second earthwork. It was agreed to site this on acidic sands in lowland Britain, thus providing a contrast to the alkaline environment of Overton Down. The site chosen was the Morden Bog National Nature Reserve, Wareham, Dorset. This report is an account of the construction of the earthwork and of the results of the first four sections.
SOIL PROPERTIES OF THE EASTERN TOPOSEQUENCE OF MOUNT KELIMUTU, FLORES ISLAND, EAST NUSA TENGGARA AND THEIR POTENTIAL FOR AGRICULTURAL USE

Kelimutu stratovolcano is one of the young volcanoes extensively found in Flores island. Studies on volcanic soil properties and their suitability for agricultural development in the whole island are lacking. The research was conducted to evaluate the relationship of elevation and soil properties, and suitability for agricultural development. Five representative pedons at elevation of 550, 1,000, 1,200, 1,400, and 1,600 m above sea level (asl), respectively, were studied in the field, and 22 soil samples were analyzed in the laboratory. The results indicated that elevation significantly affected soil properties and degree of soil weathering. With decreasing elevation, sand content, amorphous material content, and phosphate retention decreased. Concomitantly, clay content, H2O-pH, exchangeable Ca and Mg, base saturation, and soil-CEC increased. A highly positive correlation was shown between P retention and NaFpH, Al, and (Al+0.5 Fe) contents extracted by acid ammonium oxalate. Soil-CEC also showed significant positive correlation with clay and silt contents, organic carbon, and exchangeable Ca and Mg. Degree of weathering increased with decreasing elevation as reflected by decreasing silt/clay ratio. Soils developed from Entisols (Lithic Udorthents) at 1,600 m asl, to Andisols (Typic Hapludands) at 1,000-1,400 m asl, and Mollisols (Typic Hapludolls) at lower elevation down to 550 m asl. Soils at 1,400-1,600 m asl are unsuitable for agriculture. Soils at 1,000-1,200 m are moderately suitable for food crops, horticulture, and estate crops. Dominant limiting factors are steep slopes and P retention. Soils at 550 m asl are suitable for food and estate crops, and also lowland horticulture.
Digital financial services adoption: a retrospective time-to-event analysis approach

Expanding digital financial services (DFS) such as mobile money has become a key policy intervention for many developing and emerging countries as they seek to fast-track financial and economic inclusion. To date, adults in these markets have had more mobile money accounts than traditional bank accounts. Numerous studies have used binary approaches to understand the factors explaining DFS adoption. However, there is a dearth of studies, that investigate the time to DFS adoption and factors that predict time to adoption. To close this gap, this study used a time-to-event analysis approach to estimate the time to DFS adoption and investigate the factors that explain the variation in time to adoption. Using a sample of 1800 survey respondents from Zimbabwe, the study found that it took 4.4 and 8.5 years, respectively, for urban and rural residents to adopt DFS. Overall, the findings show that individuals who are significantly more likely to adopt DFS faster are those residing in urban areas, near mobile money agents, banked, with high levels of education and financial literacy, middle-aged, belonging to social groups, and self-employed. In addition, an expansionary macroeconomic environment was associated with greater DFS adoption intensities. The findings also show that gender and income level do not predict the time to DFS adoption in the studied market. This study provides policy and practitioner recommendations for possible actions to accelerate the adoption of DFS.
Geometry of the Deep Calabrian Subduction (Central Mediterranean Sea) From Wide‐Angle Seismic Data and 3‐D Gravity Modeling

The Calabrian subduction zone is one of the narrowest arcs on Earth and a key area to understand the geodynamic evolution of the Mediterranean and other marginal seas. Here in the Ionian Sea, the African plate subducts beneath Eurasia. Imaging the boundary between the downgoing slab and the upper plate along the Calabrian subduction zone is important for assessing the potential of the subduction zone to generate megathrust earthquakes and was the main objective of this study. Here we present and analyze the results from a 380‐km‐long, wide‐angle seismic profile spanning the complete subduction zone, from the deep Ionian Basin and the accretionary wedge to NE Sicily, with additional constraints offered by 3‐D gravity modeling and the analysis of earthquake hypocenters. The velocity model for the wide‐angle seismic profile images thin oceanic crust throughout the basin. The Calabrian backstop extends underneath the accretionary wedge to about 100 km SE of the coast. The seismic model was extended in depth using earthquake hypocenters. The combined results indicate that the slab dip increases abruptly from 2–3° to 60–70° over a distance of ≤50 km underneath the Calabrian backstop. This abrupt steepening is likely related to the rollback geodynamic evolution of the narrow Calabrian slab, which shows great similarity to the shallow and deep geometry of the Gibraltar slab.
Title: Optimizing aerial imagery collection and processing parameters for drone-based individual tree mapping in structurally complex conifer forests

: Recent advances in remotely piloted aerial system (“drone”) and imagery processing technologies have enabled individual tree mapping in forest stands across broad areas with low-cost equipment and minimal ground-based data collection. One such method, “structure from motion” (SfM), involves collecting many partially overlapping aerial photos over a focal area and using photogrammetric analysis to infer 3D structure and detect individual trees. SfM-based forest mapping involves myriad decisions surrounding the selection of methods and parameters for imagery acquisition and processing, but no studies have comprehensively and quantitatively evaluated the influence of these parameters on the accuracy of the resulting tree maps. We collected and processed drone imagery of a moderate-density, structurally complex mixed-conifer stand. We tested 22 imagery collection methods (altering flight altitude, camera pitch, and image overlap), 12 imagery processing parameterizations, and 286 tree detection methods (algorithms and their parameterizations) to create 7,568 tree maps. We compared these maps to a 3.23-ha ground-truth map of 1,916 trees > 5 m tall that we created using traditional field survey methods. We found that the accuracy of individual tree detection (ITD) and the resulting tree maps was generally maximized by collecting imagery at high altitude (120 m) with at least 90% image-to-image overlap, photogrammetrically processing images into a canopy height model (CHM) with a 2-fold upscaling (coarsening) step, and detecting trees from the CHM using a variable window filter after first applying a moving-window mean smooth to the CHM. Using this combination of methods, we mapped trees with an accuracy that exceeds expectations for our structurally complex forest based on other recent results (for overstory trees > 10 m tall, sensitivity = 0.69 and precision = 0