Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human Retinal Pigment Epithelium Transplantation: Outcome after Autologous RPE-Choroid Sheet and RPE Cell-Suspension; A Randomized Clinical Study.

Aims: To evaluate the outcome after two types of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) transplantation techniques. Methods: Fourteen consecutive patients with advanced exsudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) were randomly assigned to RPE-choroid sheet transplantation (group 1) or RPE cell-suspension transplantation (group 2). Outcome measurers included best–corrected distance and near visual acuity (BCVA), complication and recurrence rates, autofluorescence (AF), angiography, and time-domain (TD) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Results: A three or more lines gain in BCVA at 24 months was found in two patients in group 1 and in one patient in group 2, whereas a three or more lines vision loss occurred in one patient in each group. Revision surgery for proliferative vitreoretinopathy was required in one patient in group 1. Epiretinal membranes developed in two patients in group 1 and in one patient in group 2. No recurrence occurred in this series. AF showed hyperfluorescence coincident with the graft in group 1, and hyper- and hypofluorescence in irregular patterns in group 2. Revascularization of the graft was present in all patients in group 1, and a normal choroidal vasculature in the area of RPE atrophy in all patients in group 2. OCT showed a decrease of retinal thickness in all patients, with an improved visualization of inter- and intralaminar structures in the SD-OCT. Conclusion: The anatomic and functional outcome after both RPE transplantation techniques was comparable. Intrastructural irregularities of the sheet assesed using SD-OCT might explain the rather limited visual gain in otherwise successful sheet transplants. Analyses of variance used association between of A 2-sided p-value less than . 05 statistically areas of RPE-atrophy. This increased permeability is absent in the area of the graft. No signs of fluid leakage are visible in both groups. The retinal thickness (RT) anterior to the graft seems normal (except for a small area) compared to subnormal in the area of the cell-suspension. The outer retinal zone was absent in an abnormal retina overlying the transplant in both groups. These cell irregularities and the retinal and subretinal layers are more clearly shown in the SD OCT scans.
Enhancement of aflatoxin B 1 and N-methy 1N '-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine hepatocarcinogenesis in rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri by 17B-estradiol and other organic chemicals *

Twenty-one-day-old rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri embryos were exposed to static solutions of aflatoxin B, (AFB,) (0.5 pprn for 30 min) or N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) (50 ppm for 60 min) to initiate neoplasms of the liver (AFB1 and MNNG) and other organs (MNNG). Ten weeks after the onset of feeding (14 wk after carcinogen exposure) the fish were started on diets containing 500 pprn beta-naphthoflavone (BNF), 1000 pprn phenobarbital (PB), 100 pprn p,pf-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), 1000 pprn indole-3-carbinol (I3C), or 20 pprn 17-beta-estradiol (E,), (AFB1-exposed fish) or PB, DDT and E2 (MNNG-exposed fish) and fed until the experiment was terminated 12mo after embryo exposure. E2 was a significant enhancer of both AFB, and MNNG hepatocarcinogenesis. I3C, DDT and BNF also enhanced carcinogenesis to a lesser degree, and PB had no effect. Dietary BNF. PB and E2 reduced the growth rate, while DDT, BNF and E2 caused elevated mortalities. E2 appears to have powerful enhancing or promoting properties on trout liver carcinogenesis, an observation that is consistent with elevated incidence5 of experimentally initiated hepatic neoplasms seen in sexually mature female salmonids.
C 5 a Receptors in Renal Transplantation

Aims The complement system, and especially C5a, plays an important role in the pathophysiology of renal diseases and post-transplant renal injury. The two receptors for C5a are C5a receptor (C5aR) and C5a-like-receptor-2 (C5L2). Only renal C5aR expression has been reported, although exact localization and alterations in expression after transplantation are unknown. Materials and Results Renal C5aR and C5L2 expression and localization were analyzed immunohistochemically. C5aR and C5L2 expression was analyzed in human kidney biopsies obtained from living donors and patients suffering from acute tubular necrosis, acute cellular and vascular rejection or IF/TA. C5aR was expressed in the thick ascending limb of Henle’s loop and first part of the distal convoluted tubule (DCT). Under inflammatory conditions, C5aR was de novo expressed in proximal tubuli. C5L2 was expressed in the kidney and localized to DCT1, DCT2 and connecting tubule. Persistent distal tubular expression of both receptors was demonstrated after renal transplantation. Conclusions This study shows distinct renal expression patterns for C5aR and C5L2. Our findings suggest a functional role for renal C5L2 rather than being a C5a decoy receptor. Future studies focusing on renal C5a-C5aR interaction should take differential C5aR and C5L2 expression into account, alongside abundant C5aR expression on infiltrating cells.
Association between bisphosphonate use and implant survival after primary total arthroplasty of the knee or hip: population based retrospective cohort study

Objectives To test whether bisphosphonate use is related to improved implant survival after total arthroplasty of the knee or hip. Design Population based retrospective cohort study. Setting Primary care data from the United Kingdom. Participants All patients undergoing primary total arthroplasty of the knee (n=18 726) or hip (n=23 269) in 1986-2006 within the United Kingdom’s General Practice Research Database. We excluded patients with a history of hip fracture before surgery or rheumatoid arthritis, and individuals younger than 40 years at surgery. Intervention Bisphosphonate users were classified as patients with at least six prescriptions of bisphosphonates or at least six months of prescribed bisphosphonate treatment with more than 80% adherence before revision surgery. Outcome measures Revision arthroplasties occurring after surgery, identified by READ and OXMIS codes. Parametric survival models were used to determine effects on implant survival with propensity score adjustment to account for confounding by indication. Results Of 41 995 patients undergoing primary hip or knee arthroplasty, we identified 1912 bisphosphonate users, who had a lower rate of revision at five years than non-users (0.93% (95% confidence interval 0.52% to 1.68%) v 1.96% (1.80% to 2.14%)). Implant survival was significantly longer in bisphosphonate users than in non-users in propensity adjusted models (hazard ratio 0.54 (0.29 to 0.99); P=0.047) and had an almost twofold increase in time to revision after hip or knee arthroplasty (time ratio 1.96 (1.01 to 3.82)). Assuming 2% failure over five years, we estimated that the number to treat to avoid one revision was 107 for oral bisphosphonates. Conclusions In patients undergoing lower limb arthroplasty, bisphosphonate use was associated with an almost twofold increase in implant survival time. These findings require replication and testing in experimental studies for confirmation.
THE EFFECTS OF URBAN TREES ON AIR QUALITY

Temperature Reduction: Tree transpiration and tree canopies affect air temperature, radiation absorption and heat storage, wind speed, relative humidity, turbulence, surface albedo, surface roughness and consequently the evolution of the mixing-layer height. These changes in local meteorology can alter pollution concentrations in urban areas b . Although trees usually contribute to cooler summer air temperatures, their presence can increase air temperatures in some instances c . In areas with scattered tree canopies, radiation can reach and heat ground surfaces; at the same time, the canopy may reduce atmospheric mixing such that cooler air is prevented from reaching the area. In this case, tree shade and transpiration may not compensate for the increased air temperatures due to reduced mixing d . Maximum mid-day air temperature reductions due to trees are in the range of 0.04 o C to 0.2 o C per percent canopy cover increase e . Below individual and small groups of trees over grass, mid-day air temperatures at 1.5 m above ground are 0.7 o C to 1.3 o C cooler than in an open area f . Reduced air temperature due to trees can improve air quality because the emission of many pollutants and/or ozone-forming chemicals are temperature dependent. Decreased air temperature can also reduce ozone formation.
The Formation, Development and Spatial Heterogeneity Patterns for the Structures System of Urban Agglomerations in China

The Structures Systems of Urban Agglomerations (SSUAs) in China are the spatialand synthetic polymers coupled organically by Urban Agglomerations with differentdevelopment degrees, grades, political relationship, formative reasons and spatial locationsthrough various flows of substance, power, information and knowledge. Based on the syntheticanalysis of the SSUAs at home and abroad, it is found out that world SSUAs are in theprocess of formation, the functions with different grades for Urban Agglomerations arefabricating profoundly now through new international division of labor and region, and at thesame time, although Urban Agglomerations are in the incipient phase as a whole, they are themost vigorous strategic strong point and growth pole with the greatest potential in theeconomic development framework in the future, and they will dominate the economicdevelopment orientation in China. The paper identifies three grades according to thecalculating results using of model subject to the index of development degree for UrbanAgglomerations in China. The first grade group constitutes Urban Agglomerations on theYangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta and of capital Metropolitan Coordinating Region. Thesecond grade consists of 11 Urban Agglomerations in Shandong Peninsula, Chengdu andWuhan metropolitan coordinating regions. The third grade group is composed of 14 UrbanAgglomerations in the central Yunnan Province and the north Tianshan Mountains. Furtheranalyses indicate that there are great differences among the 28 Urban Agglomerations, butsuch differences are reasonable to some degree. They have showed some characteristics ofregional heterogeneities including different development phases, non-equilibrium in overalldistribution, regularities in regional heterogeneous pattern, distinct disintegration andheterogeneity in inter-conglomeration. Based on the above analyses, the paper suggests thatfuture studies should focus on the theoretical studies of the multi-dimension, regularity andphase subject of the SSUAs in China, enhance studies on the differences in heterogeneity andcompetitiveness in the formation and development of the SSUAs and reinforce research ontheir internationalization, globalization and dynamic monitoring.
Hydraulic performance of sand–clay mixtures: soil fabric perspective

Soil fabric plays a fundamental role in the hydraulic conductivity of sand–clay mixtures. Current techniques for the examination of soil fabric are categorised as quantitative (e.g. mercury intrusion porosimetry) or qualitative (e.g. scanning electron microscopy (SEM)), and both types require special equipment and a skilled operator. In addition, during preparation for these techniques, specimen disturbance is of concern. This article introduces a rational approach to evaluate the effect of soil fabric on the hydraulic behaviour of sand–clay mixtures using key void ratios, namely the clay void ratio ec and the skeletal void ratio esk. A detailed experimental programme was devised to evaluate the hydraulic conductivity of a sand–natural clay mixture under different test parameters (clay content, initial compaction conditions and effective confining pressure). The information on mixture fabric inferred using key void ratios was observed to correlate well with the results of hydraulic conductivity tests. To .
Status of tigers, co-predators, and prey in India

This report evaluates the current status of tigers, co-predators and their prey in India. It is the outcome of a country-wide effort to scientifically determine the occupancy, population limits, habitat condition and connectivity, so as to guide conservation planning for ensuring the survival of free ranging tigers. The study shifts the focus from tiger number and protected area oriented conservation practices to landscape level holistic conservation strategies.
How much crime is drug or alcohol related? Self-reported attributions of police detainees

The Australian criminological literature is replete with evidence of associations between illicit drugs and crime. For more than 13 years the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC), through the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia program (DUMA), has collected both self-report and urinalysis data from more than 40,000 police detainees. In its most recent annual report the AIC presented findings that two in every three offenders (66%) detained by the police tested positive to at least one drug, not including alcohol (Gaffney et al. 2010); female detainees were more likely to test positive (73% vs. 65%) and almost half (47%) of those who had been charged with an offence in the preceding 12 months reported having taken drugs at the time of that prior offending. The findings from the DUMA program leave little doubt that substance misuse is more prevalent among offenders than in the general community (see comparative data at AIHW 2008).
On the Profitability and Cost of Relationship Lending

We provide evidence on the costs and profitability of relationship lending by banks. We derive bank-specific measures of loan rate smoothing for small business borrowers in response to exogenous shocks to their credit risk and to interest rates, and then estimate cost and profit functions to examine how smoothing affects bank costs and profits. Our results suggests that, in general, loan rate smoothing in response to a credit risk shock is not part of an optimal long-term contract between a bank and its borrower, while loan rate smoothing in response to an interest rate shock is.
Seller Compound Search for Bidders

This article studies a seller's compound search for bidders by a deadline. We show that the optimal search outcomes can be implemented by a sequence of second‐price auctions, characterized by declining reserve prices and increasing search intensities (sample sizes) over time. The monotonicity results are robust in both cases of short‐lived and long‐lived bidders. Furthermore, a seller with short‐lived bidders sets lower reserve prices and searches more intensively than one with long‐lived bidders. We also show that the inefficiency of an optimal search auction can stem from its inefficient search rule.
Topographical factors, meteorological variables and human factors in the control of the main snow avalanche events in the Făgăraş Massif (Southern Carpathians - Romanian Carpathians): Case studies

Snow avalanches are a common geomorphic process and natural hazard in the Southern Carpathians (Romanian Carpathians). The spatial distribution of avalanches is controlled by topographical factors, meteorological variables and human factors. This study examines the occurrence of avalanches in two glacial areas in the Făgăras massif, Bâlea (on the northern slope) and Capra (on the southern slope). During the period from 1963 to 2015 a total of 27 serious avalanche accidents were recorded in the months November-June in the Făgăras massif resulting in 76 fatalities and 50 burials/injuries. From these avalanches, we examined five major avalanche accidents: the avalanche of June, 1974 which caused 6 fatalities and 8 burials/injuries; the avalanche of April 17, 1977 which caused 23 fatalities; the avalanche of December 23, 1988 which caused 3 fatalities; the avalanche of December 28, 2002 which caused 4 fatalities and the avalanche of February 20, 2010 which caused one fatality and 2 burials/injuries. Our results indicate a good correlation between some topographical factors. On the other hand, an increase in snowfall and snowstorms in particular are factors responsible for one avalanche event; early snowfall and a sudden increase in temperature are factors responsible for two avalanche events and snowfall and a sudden increase in temperature are factors responsible for one avalanche event. Using the weather scenarios we found high snowstorm frequency in one case, early-season weak layers of faceted crystals and depth hoar in two cases and well above-average total snowfall for one case.
Tilburg University An Empirical Analysis of Incremental Capital Structure Decisions Under Managerial Entrenchment

We study incremental capital structure decisions of Dutch companies. From 1977 to 1996 these companies have made 110 issues of public and private seasoned equity and 137 public issues of straight debt. Managers of Dutch companies are entrenched. For this reason a discrepancy exists between managerial decisions and shareholder reactions. Confirming Zwiebel (1996) we find that Dutch managers avoid the disciplining role of debt allowing them to overinvest. However, the market reactions show that this overinvestment behavior is recognized. Our findings also confirm the signalling model of Ross (1977) and the static trade-off model. We do not find a confirmation of the adverse selection model of Myers and Majluf (1984). This is probably due to the entrenchment of managers and the prevalence of rights issues.
The Francisco Formation and an Oxfordian ammonite faunule from the Artemisa Formation, Sierra del Rosario, western Cuba

The Francisco Formation of Oxfordian age is proposed for the strata separating the San Cayetano and the Artemisa Fm. in the Sierra del Rosario, western Cuba. Moreover, an Oxfordian ammonite faunule with Mirosphinctes Schindewolf and Cubaspidoceras Myczynski is described from the basal part of the Artemisa Formation. The stratigraphy of the Jurassic sediments from the Sierra del Rosario is briefly discussed on the basis of the new data. There appears to be a sedimentary continuity from the (? ) Lower/Middle Jurassic-Oxfordian San Cayetano Fm. Through the Oxfordian Francisco Fm. to the Oxfordian–Lower Cretaceous Artemisa Fm. which indicates that this area has not been affected by the Nevadan orogeny. From the new stratigraphic correlations of the Jurassic formations of the Sierra del Rosario and the Sierra de los Organos it follows that the lithology of isochroneous sediments of these regions is markedly less contrasted than it was hitherto assumed.
How Long Did it Take the United States to Become an Optimal Currency Area?

The United States is often taken to be the exemplar of the benefits of a monetary union. Since 1788 Americans, with the exception of the Civil War years, have been able to buy and sell goods, travel, and invest within a vast area without ever having to be concerned about changes in exchange rates. But there was also a recurring cost. A shock, typically in financial or agricultural markets, would hit one region particularly hard. The banking system in that region would lose reserves producing a monetary contraction that would aggravate the effects of the initial disturbance. Plots of bank deposits by region show these patterns clearly. Often, an interregional debate over monetary institutions would follow. The uncertainty created by the debate would further aggravate the contraction. During these episodes the United States might well have been better off if each region had had its own currency: changes in exchange rates could have secured equilibrium in interregional payments while monetary policy was directed toward internal stability. It is far from clear, to put it differently, that the United States was an optimal currency area. This pattern held until the 1930s when institutional changes, such as increased federal fiscal transfers (which pumped high-powered money into regions that were losing reserves) and bank deposit insurance, addressed the problem of regional banking shocks. Political considerations, of course, ruled out separate regional currencies in the United States. But thinking about U.S. monetary history in this way clarifies the nature of the business cycle before World War II, and may suggest some lessons for other monetary unions.
ODU Digital Commons ODU Digital Commons

Using an eye tracker we examined decision-making processes during an internet search task. Twenty experienced homebuyers and twenty-five undergraduates from Old Dominion University viewed homes on a simulated real estate website. Several _o_f the hom~s included physical properties th~t had t~e potential to negatively impact individual perceptions. These negative exte~nalit1~s were either ea_sr to ch 0 a~ge (Level 1) or 1mposS1ble to change (Level 2). Eye movements were analyzed to examine the relat1~nsh1p between part1c1pa~ts stat~d preferences"(verbalized preferences], "revealed preferences"(actual decisions), and experience. Dwell times, fixation durations/counts, and saccade counts/amplitudes were analyzed. Results revealed that expe~enced homebuyer~ demonstmt~d a more refined search pattern than novice searchers. Experienced homebuyers were also less_ 1~pacted_ by negative exte~nailt1es: Furthermore, stated preferences were discrepant from revealed preferences; although part1c1pan~s initial(Y stated th~y llked/d1sllked a graphic, their eye movement patterns did not reflect this trend. These results have important 1mpllcat1ons for design of user-friendly web interfaces.
the effect of progressive drought on water relations and photosynthetic performance of two grapevine cultivars (Vitis vinifera l.)

Preliminary measurements were carried out in order to asses the effect of water deficit on photosynthesis and water relations of two grapevine cultivars (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Kek- frankos and Vitis vinifera L. cv. Portugieser grafted on 5BB rootstock) tolerance and sensitive to drought, respectively. Three treatments were applied on both cultivars such as 100%, 50% and 30% field capacity under glasshouse conditions. Pre-dawn water potential and gas-exchange parameters (assimilation rate, transpiration, stomatal conductance) were consistently lower in drought stressed plants indicating moderate water stress at 50% field capacity and severe water deficit at 30% field capacity. Midday water potential indicated "close to isohydric" characteristic of both cultivars. Moderate water deficit resulted in an increase in water-use efficiency (WUE). However, Kekfrankos had a significantly higher WUE than Portugieser. Acta Biol Szeged 52(2):321-322 (2008)