Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantitative evaluation of volume augmentation in the tear trough with a hyaluronic Acid-based filler: a three-dimensional analysis.

BACKGROUND Despite the prevalent use of hyaluronic acid-based filling materials for facial soft-tissue augmentation and favorable reports of durability in the infraorbital region, no quantitative data exist on the long-term durability of these products following injection. This study represents the first attempt to use three-dimensional imaging to quantify augmentation achieved and duration of effect with one hyaluronic acid product in the tear trough. METHODS The authors conducted a prospective, blinded case series in a clinical setting. One non-animal stabilized hyaluronic acid material was used to augment 20 tear troughs to address cosmetic deficiency in this region. Patients were followed long term with three-dimensional imaging. Posttreatment and pretreatment images were compared, volume change was calculated at each time point, and percentage change between immediate and long-term posttreatment was evaluated. All measurements and calculations were performed independent of the injector. RESULTS Residual effect from the hyaluronic acid product was demonstrable on three-dimensional imaging in 100 percent of tear troughs augmented in this study at the final follow-up visit. Average follow-up was 14.4 months (range, 8.5 to 22.75 months). Average initial augmentation measured by three-dimensional imaging was 0.21 cc per site. Average maintenance of effect for patients at the final follow-up visit was 85 percent. CONCLUSIONS The long-term durability of a small gel particle-based hyaluronic acid in the tear trough is substantiated for the first time in an objective, quantitative fashion using three-dimensional imaging for evaluation of volumetric facial rejuvenation. Three-dimensional photographic imaging offers clinicians a precise and expeditious method for quantitatively evaluating volumetric changes in the face, and represents a significant advance in technology for studying the effects of facial aging.
REAL-PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION USING STIGMERGY

This paper describes the so-called Differential Ant-Stigmergy Algorithm (DASA), which is an extension of the Ant-Colony Optimization for continuous domain. A performance study of the DASA on a benchmark of real-parameter optimization problems is presented. The DASA is compared with a number of evolutionary optimization algorithms including covariance matrix adaptation evolutionary strategy, differential evolution, real-coded memetic algorithm, and continuous estimation of distribution algorithm. The DASA is also compared to some other ant-based methods for continuous optimization. The result obtained indicate a promising performance of the new approach.
Association of blood pressure increases during hemodialysis with 2-year mortality in incident hemodialysis patients: a secondary analysis of the Dialysis Morbidity and Mortality Wave 2 Study.

BACKGROUND Intradialytic increases in blood pressure (BP) can complicate the management of hypertension in hemodialysis (HD) patients. However, the long-term consequences are uncertain. Thus, we sought to determine whether BP increases during HD were associated with greater 2-year mortality in incident HD patients. STUDY DESIGN Secondary analysis of a prospective dialysis cohort. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS Incident HD patients in the Dialysis Morbidity and Mortality Wave 2 Study. PREDICTORS Changes in systolic BP (SBP) during HD (ie, postdialysis SBP -- predialysis SBP), averaged from 3 HD sessions before enrollment. OUTCOME Time to 2-year all-cause mortality. MEASUREMENTS Cox regression was used to model hazard ratios for mortality associated with changes in SBP during HD while adjusting for demographics, comorbid conditions, interdialytic weight gain, laboratory variables, and antihypertensive agents. RESULTS Of 1,748 patients, 12.2% showed greater than 10-mm Hg increases in SBP during HD. In adjusted analyses, every 10-mm Hg increase in SBP during HD was associated independently with a 6% increased hazard of death (hazard ratio, 1.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 1.11). When also adjusted for diastolic BP and postdialysis SBP, the adjusted hazard of death associated with increasing SBP during HD remained significant (hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.05 to 1.21 per 10-mm Hg increase in SBP during HD). However, in analyses adjusted for predialysis SBP, there was a significant interaction between change in SBP and predialysis SBP. In analyses stratified by predialysis SBP, trends for increased mortality associated with increasing SBP during dialysis were present in patients with predialysis SBP less than 160 mm Hg. However, this relationship was significant only in patients with predialysis SBP less than 120 mm Hg. LIMITATIONS Secondary analysis with a limited number of baseline BP measurements and limited information about dialysis prescription. CONCLUSIONS Increasing SBP by more than 10 mm Hg during HD occurs in approximately 10% of incident patients, and although increasing SBP during HD was associated with decreased 2-year survival, these findings were limited to patients with predialysis SBP less than 120 mm Hg.
Evaluation of Health Literacy among Females in Outpatient Clinics

Background: The World Health Organization considered health literacy as one of the most important determinant factors to promote various aspects of public health. Low health literacy can contribute to increased rates of hospitalization, reduced rates of medication adherence, decreased capacity to manage chronic diseases and increased the rate of emergency department visit. Objective: To evaluate the degree of health literacy among the sample, and to examine the relation between age and education level of the participants and health literacy level. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted, by using an Arabic version of SAHL scale. Data were collected between November 2015 to December 2015 with 105 females in outpatient clinics. Result: The selected females in outpatient clinics have adequate health literacy levels, with a mean score (15.13±1.856). Moreover, there is no relation between the level of health literacy with age and education level of the participants. Conclusion: This study provides knowledge that can be applied to evolve schemes to encourage the health literacy level among females in Saudi Arabia.
A 2.7μW/MIPS, 0.88GOPS/mm2 distributed processor for implantable brain machine interfaces

This paper presents a scalable architecture in 0.18 μm CMOS for implantable brain machine interfaces (BMI) that enables micro controller flexibility for data analysis at the sensor interface. By introducing more generic computational capabilities the system is capable of high level adaptive function to potentially improve the long term efficacy of invasive implants. This topology features a compact ultra low power distributed processor that supports 64-channel neural recording system on chip (SOC) with a computational efficiency of 2.7 μW/MIPS with a total chip area of 6.2 mm2. This configuration executes 1024 instructions on each core at 20 MHz to consolidate full spectrum high precision recordings from 4 analogue channels for filtering, spike detection, and feature extraction in the digital domain.
Measuring negative symptom change in schizophrenia: considering alternatives to self-report

Treatment of negative symptoms in schizophrenia is a priority, but is approaching stagnation, due in part to the methods used to assess change in these symptoms. Traditional methods for assessing negative symptoms employ subjective self-report and/or clinician-rated scales, both of which are contaminated by considerable measurement error. The purpose of this article is to highlight the limitations in current assessment measures for negative symptoms and discuss the advantages of quantitative objective measurement, particularly in the context of clinical trial research. Recent research from psychology, neuroscience and computer technology has produced objective quantitative measures such as facial analysis and virtual reality that are more precise and sensitive to change; these objective measures are poised to revolutionize the measurement of this critical symptom.
Novel Germline Mutation (Q1260X) in APC Gene Causes Familial Adenomatous Polyposis in a Ukrainian Family

Colorectal Cancer (CRC) in developed countries is the major causes of cancer death. It may have sporadic or hereditary origin. Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) is a very frequent hereditary syndromes predisposing to Colorectal Cancer and is characterized by the development of numerous precancerous polyps (from hundreds to thousands) in the second decade of life. Classical FAP is caused by germline mutations in the APC gene (Adenomatous Polyposis Coli) a tumor suppressor gene. Often the results of the genetic mutation are a truncating protein that lacks functional domains, such losing its function and promoting tumorigenesis. A subject who presents a monoallelic germline variation in APC gene inherits in a dominant manner the predisposition to polyps, which will turn in CRC, through the occurrence of a somatic alteration in the wild-type copy of gene. Molecular analyses of APC gene confirms diagnosis in FAP patients and allow to detect the specific pathological mutation in order to screen the unaffected members of the same family, identify pre-symptomatic highrisk subjects and insert them in endoscopic surveillance protocols. We analyzed the APC mutational status in a Ukrainian woman with a history of CRC and proctocolectomy. By direct sequencing of the encoding exons of APC gene we found a c.3778 C>T heterozygous substitution which causes the substitution of a Glutamine with a stop codon, resulting in a premature truncation of APC protein (Q1260X). This mutation had never been described before and it may be considered as a “novel mutation”. We extended the analyses to 1st grade related, proving that one of the patient’s son was heterozygous for the same mutation and that to the endoscopic evaluation he showed an early develop of hundreds of polyps. This finding confirmed our speculation about the pathologic effect of Q1260X.
Bit allocation and encoding for vector sources

This paper considers the problem of efficient transmission of vector sources over a digital noiseless channel. It treats the problem of optimal allocation of the total number of available bits to the components of a memoryless stationary vector source with independent components. This allocation is applied to various encoding schemes, such as minimum mean-square error, sample-by-sample quantization, or entropy quantization. We also give the optimally decorrelating scheme for a source whose components are dependent and treat the problems of selecting the optimum characteristic of the encoding scheme such that the overall mean-squared error is minimized. Several examples of encoding schemes, including the ideal encoder that achieves the rated istortion bound, and of sources related to a practical problem are discussed.
Melatonin Prevents Postovulatory Oocyte Aging in the Mouse and Extends the Window for Optimal Fertilization In Vitro1

ABSTRACT The quality of metaphase II oocytes deteriorates rapidly following ovulation as the result of an aging process associated with impaired fertilizing potential, disrupted developmental competence, and increased likelihood of embryonic resorption. Because oxidative stress accelerates the onset of apoptosis in oocytes and influences their capacity for fertilization, this study aimed to characterize the significance of such stress in the postovulatory aging of mouse oocytes in vitro. We investigated the ability of the potent antioxidant melatonin to arrest the aging process when used to supplement oocyte culture medium. This study demonstrated that oxidative stress may occur in oocytes after as little as 8 h in culture and coincides with the appearance of early apoptotic markers such as phosphatidylserine externalization, followed 16 h later by caspase activation (P < 0.05) and morphological evidence of oocyte senescence. Importantly, supplementation of oocyte culture medium with 1 mM melatonin was able to significantly relieve the time-dependent appearance of oxidative stress in oocytes (P < 0.05) and, as a result, significantly delay the onset of apoptosis (P < 0.05). Furthermore, melatonin supplementation extended the optimal window for fertilization of oocytes aged for 8 and 16 h in vitro (P < 0.05) and significantly improved the quality of the resulting embryos (P < 0.01). We conclude that melatonin may be a useful tool in a clinical setting to prevent the time-dependent deterioration of oocyte quality following prolonged culture in vitro.
Estimation of noisy gene regulatory networks

Biological systems possess highly complex characteristics which are usually nonlinear and stochastic. How to estimate the states of that kind of systems is attractive to control engineers when the sensors are unavailable to measure desired information. In this paper, a robust estimation scheme based on the extended Kalman filter to estimate the state variables of a class of noisy gene regulatory networks are presented while the protein concentration is not individually measured. A numerical simulation is provided to confirm the proposed method.
The Eclipse and Recovery of Beauty: A Lonergan Approach

the author applies it to the two selected texts: Asterius of Amasea’s Homily I and Jerome’s Homily 86. Both these homilies concern the story of the rich man and Lazarus. In choosing to apply the models directly to these texts, Matz provides two case studies in which the general problem of interpreting patristic texts in the optic of social ethics is illustrated. In the end he comes down in favour of the ‘Normativity of the Future’ model, while acknowledging real value also in ‘Distanciation. ’ Alongside these considerable merits, the work has some fairly obvious limitations. The first of these concerns is the sheer range of issues addressed. The title alone includes reference to Patristics, CST, and Hermeneutics, each of which is a complex matter in its own right. When all three together are involved in a discussion, this complexity increases considerably. As if all this were not enough, Matz introduces various other ethical, cultural, pastoral, and ecclesiological considerations as the argument unfolds. It is difficult to avoid at times a sense of thematic dispersion and wish that the author had narrowed his field of enquiry so as to keep the issues better in focus. A second limitation concerns the rather swift treatment of the hermeneutical models. This may well be justified in the cases of authors who themselves propose and name a model. In the case of Ricoeur or Gadamer, however, there is a striking discrepancy between the complexity of their hermeneutical positions and the stance which is attributed to them in this work, a difficulty which the author himself acknowledges (p. 95). A final limitation worth noting is the very feasibility of the kind of dialogue here proposed. This comes out in the somewhat lame attempts at rewriting certain passages of Caritas in veritate in the concluding chapter. Perhaps the problem is the way Matz understands the very nature and function of CST. He seems to assume that the fruits of a possible dialogue must find explicit expression in magisterial texts. But there may well be good theological, ethical, pastoral, and stylistic reasons for not including such direct references in CST documents. In other words, there is little attention paid in this book to the necessary forms of (moral-) theological mediation between such rich sources as the patristic texts and such urgent pastoral concerns as those treated in CST.
Active integrated probes for tumor detection and ablation

This paper presents micromachined planar coaxial probes integrated with the active circuits for tumor detection and low-power cancer ablation. A multi-state reflectometer (MSR) consisting of a dual-band PLL, an impedance tuner, two power detectors, and a directional coupler is employed to extract broadband dielectric parameters of the tumor cells. The active circuits are integrated on the micromachined silicon planar probe with an open-ended coaxial aperture. A similar active probe is also demonstrated for cancer ablation, where a voltage controlled oscillator, power amplifiers are integrated on a micromachined silicon probe together with power detectors and a directional coupler. To further enhance the contrast and sensitivity, magnetic nanoparticle (MNP)-assisted hyperthermia has been demonstrated using microwave integrated heat applicator for the first time.
Histopathological and Molecular Changes During Apoptosis Produced by 7H-Dibenzo[c,g]-Carbazole in Mouse Liver

The topical administration of 7H-dibenzo[c,g]carbazole (7H-DBC) at very low but repeated doses causes genotoxic effects such as DNA adduct formation and produces hepatocellular apoptosis in mouse liver. The purpose of this work was to investigate the alterations in gene expression and protein levels of biomarkers associated with the p53 pathway in mouse liver after exposure to cumulative low doses of 7H-DBC by skin paint applications. The compound was administered topically at the dose of 13.35 μg per animal every 2 days to give either 6, 8, 10, or 12 applications. Animals were sacrificed 48 hours after the different treatments. The apoptotic index increased with the number of applications, with a major proportion of apoptotic cells in the periportal areas. A significant increase of Bax mRNA and protein expression was observed after the 8th application whereas the expression of mRNA levels of Fas and p53 did not show significant differences between treated and control animals. Nuclear staining of p53 was detected in hepatocyte nuclei showing the activation of this protein. Later in the apoptosis process we observed the up-regulation of TGF-β1 in parenchymal cells. In addition to the induction of the p53 apoptosis pathway in vivo by 7H-DBC, we have observed molecular changes related to cell proliferation such as the overexpression of the antiapoptotic gene Bcl-2.
Genetic Analyses of Proteolysis, Hemoglobin Binding, and Hemagglutination of Porphyromonas gingivalis

Porphyromonas gingivalis produces arginine-specific cysteine proteinase (Arg-gingipain, RGP) and lysine-specific cysteine proteinase (Lys-gingipain, KGP) in the extracellular and cell-associated forms. Two separate genes (rgpA and rgpB) and a single gene (kgp) have been found to encode RGP and KGP, respectively. We constructed rgpA rgpB kgp triple mutants by homologous recombination with cloned rgp and kgp DNA interrupted by drug resistance gene markers. The triple mutants showed no RGP or KGP activity in either cell extracts or culture supernatants. The culture supernatants of the triple mutants grown in a rich medium had no proteolytic activity toward bovine serum albumin or gelatin derived from human type I collagen. Moreover, the mutants did not grow in a defined medium containing bovine serum albumin as the sole carbon/energy source. These results indicate that the proteolytic activity of P. gingivalis toward bovine serum albumin and gelatin derived from human type I collagen appears to be attributable to RGP and KGP. The hemagglutinin gene hagA of P. gingivalis possesses the adhesin domain regions responsible for hemagglutination and hemoglobin binding that are also located in the C-terminal regions of rgpA and kgp. ArgpA kgp hagA triple mutant constructed in this study exhibited no hemagglutination using sheep erythrocytes or hemoglobin binding activity, as determined by a solid-phase binding assay with horseradish peroxidase-conjugated human hemoglobin, indicating that the adhesin domains seem to be particularly important for P. gingivalis cells to agglutinate erythrocytes and bind hemoglobin, leading to heme acquisition.
Recognizing plant species by leaf shapes-a case study of the Acer family

In this paper, a method for recognizing plant species by the shapes of the leaves is presented. The recognition is based on a hierarchical representation of shape features. First, the structures of the shapes of leaves are analyzed and the shapes of components are extracted in detail. The structures and detailed shapes of leaves are approximated by polygons whose vertices are critical points of curvature of contours of leaves. The method also takes variations of shapes of leaves of the same species into account. Experimental results using a number of species in the family of Acer (Maple) indicate that structures of leaves and shapes of their components can be considered as landmarks to recognize the species of plants.
Subsidies and awards in movie production

This article analyses the effect of subsidies and awards on the Spanish motion picture industry. We estimate a Cobb–Douglas production function using regional data and show that Spanish motion picture industry exhibits constant returns to scale and that awards positively affect movie production whereas subsidies have no effect. In fact, awards affect the productivity of the sector as they allow for an increase in the output, which is not explained by an increase in inputs.
Sleep Microarchitecture in Depression : Association with Response to Bupropion Treatment

There are a number of reasons to consider the regulation of sleep as an essential component for understanding the pathophysiology and treatment of depression (1). For instance, sleep complaints are commonly associated with depression and form an essential criterion of the diagnosis (2). Persistent sleep disturbances increase the vulnerability to depression (3,4). EEG sleep changes associated with major depressive disorder are the best replicated findings in biological psychiatry (5,6). Many antidepressant agents affect sleep, some on REM sleep and others on slow-wave sleep (SWS) (1,7-9). Also, antidepressant efficacy, for at least some drugs, can be predicted from baseline sleep polysomnographic measures (10), as well as from EEG sleep changes in Sleep Microarchitecture in Depression: Association with Response to Bupropion Treatment
Health literacy and sleep apnoea

Determining which of our patients struggle with numeracy or literacy is difficult and clinicians overestimate the levels of patient literacy.1 In a report in this journal, we demonstrate that 33% of new patients and 16% of serial users have difficulty completing the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). 2 To explore reasons for this we have assessed literacy in a further group of 122 patients attending either the Sleep Centre (Sleep group) or the Lung Function Laboratory (LF group). The level of functional literacy in medicine was assessed using the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) questionnaire.3 A REALM score ≤60 suggests that the patient would struggle with patient education materials and …
Bone Marrow Colonies: Stimulation in vitro by Supernatant from Incubated Human Blood Cells

A substance which stimulates growth of granulocytic and mononuclear cell colonies from mouse and human bone marrow was produced by incubated human blood cells. It is resistant to heat and freezing and is not dialyzable. Intact irradiated and unirradiated cells had very little activity, and sonically disrupted cells had no activity. The addition of plasma or sonically disrupted cells to the cell supernatant decreased its activity.