Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automated localisation of the optic disc, fovea, and retinal blood vessels from digital colour fundus images

AIM To recognise automatically the main components of the fundus on digital colour images. METHODS The main features of a fundus retinal image were defined as the optic disc, fovea, and blood vessels. Methods are described for their automatic recognition and location. 112 retinal images were preprocessed via adaptive, local, contrast enhancement. The optic discs were located by identifying the area with the highest variation in intensity of adjacent pixels. Blood vessels were identified by means of a multilayer perceptron neural net, for which the inputs were derived from a principal component analysis (PCA) of the image and edge detection of the first component of PCA. The foveas were identified using matching correlation together with characteristics typical of a fovea—for example, darkest area in the neighbourhood of the optic disc. The main components of the image were identified by an experienced ophthalmologist for comparison with computerised methods. RESULTS The sensitivity and specificity of the recognition of each retinal main component was as follows: 99.1% and 99.1% for the optic disc; 83.3% and 91.0% for blood vessels; 80.4% and 99.1% for the fovea. CONCLUSIONS In this study the optic disc, blood vessels, and fovea were accurately detected. The identification of the normal components of the retinal image will aid the future detection of diseases in these regions. In diabetic retinopathy, for example, an image could be analysed for retinopathy with reference to sight threatening complications such as disc neovascularisation, vascular changes, or foveal exudation.
Acetyl-l-carnitine: a pathogenesis based treatment for HIV-associated antiretroviral toxic neuropathy

Background: Nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) disrupt neuronal mitochondrial DNA synthesis, impairing energy metabolism and resulting in a distal symmetrical polyneuropathy (DSP), an antiretroviral toxic neuropathy (ATN) that causes significant morbidity in HIV disease. Serum acetyl-l-carnitine (ALCAR) levels are decreased in neuropathy associated with NRTI therapy. ALCAR enhances neurotrophic support of sensory neurons and promotes energy metabolism, potentially causing nerve regeneration and symptom relief. Objective: To assess the efficacy of oral ALCAR (1500 mg twice daily) for up to 33 months in an open cohort of 21 HIV-positive patients with established ATN. Methods: Skin biopsies were excised from the leg before ALCAR treatment, at 6–12 month intervals thereafter and from HIV-negative non-neuropathic controls. Fibre types in epidermal, dermal and sweat gland innervation were quantified immunohistochemically. Results: After 6 month's treatment, mean immunostaining area for small sensory fibres increased (epidermis 100%, P = 0.006; dermis 133%, P < 0.05) by more than that for all fibre types (epidermis 16%, P = 0.04; dermis 49%, P < 0.05; sweat glands 60%, P < 0.001) or for sympathetic fibres (sweat glands 41%, P < 0.0003). Compared with controls, epidermal, dermal and sweat gland innervation reached 92%, 80% and 69%, respectively, after 6 month's treatment. Innervation improvements continued (epidermis and dermis) or stabilized (sweat glands) after 24 month's treatment. Neuropathic grade improved in 76% of patients and remained unchanged in 19%. HIV RNA load, CD4 and CD8 cell counts did not alter significantly throughout the study. Conclusions: ALCAR treatment improves symptoms, causes peripheral nerve regeneration and is proposed as a pathogenesis-based treatment for DSP.
Recognition Of Indian Currency Note Using Grid Technique

In recent years it has become a very essential to develop an automatic methods for paper currency recognition as its more likely to be used in most of the areas such as vending machines, shopping centers, educational sectors, banking systemsin case of huge transactions and so on. As the technology is growing fastly it has become more easy to use such systems. Now-a-days using automated machines any one can easily get to know whether the currency is a genuine or counterfeit and also the denomination of that currency. The technology has also provided a better way of life for peoples. There is a need to design a system that is helpful in recognition of paper currency notes with fast speed and in less time. This approach basically provides an easy method for recognizing the denomination of an Indian currency note . This proposed approach works on all the notes such as Rs.10, Rs,20, Rs.50, Rs.100, Rs.500, Rs.1000. Indian currency features such as extracting geometric shape ,denomination object are extracted from a 4*4 grid of Indian currency image. Feature extraction plays an important role in successfully achieving value/ denomination of an Indian note. The approach consists of a number of components including image acquisition ,converting RBG to HSV image ,image pre-processing, ,Feature extraction, images are compared. The Artificial neural network is used to identify value / denomination of an Indian currency note.
Diagnostic Implications of Transcription Factor Pax 2 Protein and Transmembrane Enzyme Complex Carbonic Anhydrase IX Immunoreactivity in Adult Renal Epithelial Neoplasms

Pax 2, expressed by metanephric mesenchyme is vital for renal tubule formation and development. Carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) is implicated in cell proliferation, adhesion, and invasion. Data regarding expression in renal epithelial tumors other than clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are limited, conflicting, from tissue microarrays, and do not encompass the entire spectrum or novel uncommon variants. Conventional sections from 200 renal tumors comprising clear cell RCC (n=30), oncocytoma (n=17), papillary RCC (n=30), chromophobe RCC (n=50), urothelial carcinomas (n=30), collecting duct carcinomas (n=5), renal tumors with Xp11.2 translocation (n=15), tubulocystic carcinoma (n=19), and mucinous tubular spindle cell carcinoma (n=4) were immunostained for Pax 2 and CA IX. Clear cell RCC (28/30, 93%), oncocytoma (17/17, 100%), papillary RCC (16/30, 53%), and mucinous tubular spindle cell carcinoma (3/4, 75%) demonstrated nuclear immunoreactivity with Pax 2, whereas the other subtypes were nonreactive. Clear cell RCC (30/30, 100%), urothelial carcinoma (27/30, 90%), papillary RCC (17/30, 57%), and renal tumors with Xp11.2 translocation (6/15, 40%) exhibited membranous immunoreactivity with CA IX, whereas the other subtypes were nonreactive. This suggests potential diagnostic utility of Pax 2 in distinction of (i) oncocytoma (positive) from chromophobe RCC (negative), (ii) clear cell RCC and papillary RCC (positive) from renal tumors with Xp11.2 translocation (negative), and (iii) high-grade clear cell RCC (positive) from urothelial carcinoma (negative). CA IX expression has potential diagnostic implications including (i) clear cell RCC (positive) versus chromophobe RCC (negative) and (ii) urothelial carcinoma (positive) versus collecting duct carcinoma (negative). These antibodies may reliably discriminate between clinically significant subtypes of RCC with overlapping cytoarchitectural features.
Productivity Dynamics and Rural Industrialization in India

Since the late 1990s, industrialization in India has been driven by the rural organized manufacturing sector. This paper examines the effects of firms’ dynamics on rural industrialization in India, using plant-level panel data, to investigate the characteristics of rural industrialization in India in recent years. In particular, the paper focuses on productivity differences among continuing, entering, and exiting firms. The results show that both labour and total factor productivity of the organized manufacturing sector in rural areas increased during 2000–2006 and the aggregate productivity growth is supported by the productivity growth of the continuing firms, the entry of productive firms, and the exit of less-productive firms. The paper can conclude that firms’ productivity dynamics contributed to the current rural industrialization in India. JEL: O14, O47, O53
Implementation of Pit Crew Approach and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Metrics for Out‐of‐Hospital Cardiac Arrest Improves Patient Survival and Neurological Outcome

Introduction Survival from out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) varies by community and emergency medical services (EMS) system. We hypothesized that the adoption of multiple best practices to focus EMS crews on high‐quality, minimally interrupted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) would improve survival of OHCA patients in Salt Lake City. Methods and Results In September 2011, Salt Lake City Fire Department EMS providers underwent a systemwide restructuring of care for OHCA patients that focused on the adoption of high‐quality CPR with minimal interruptions and offline medical review of defibrillator data and feedback on CPR metrics. Victims were directed to ST‐elevation myocardial infarction receiving centers. Prospectively collected data on patient survival and neurological outcome for all OHCAs were compared. In the postintervention period, there were 407 cardiac arrests with 65 neurologically intact survivors (16%), compared with 330 cardiac arrests with 25 neurologically intact survivors (8%) in the preintervention period. Among patients who survived to hospital admission, a higher proportion in the postintervention period survived to hospital discharge (71/141 [50%] versus 36/98 [37%], P=0.037) and had a favorable neurological outcome (65 [46%] versus 25 [26%], P=0.0005) compared with patients treated before the protocol changes. The univariate odds ratio or the association between neurologically intact survival (cerebral performance category 1 and 2) and protocol implementation was 2.3 (95% CI 1.4 to 3.7, P=0.001). Among discharged patients, the distribution of cerebral performance category scores was more favorable in the postintervention period (P<0.0001). Conclusions A multifaceted protocol, including several American Heart Assocation best practices for the resuscitation of patients with OHCA, was associated with improved survival and neurological outcome.
Veto Override Requirements and Executive Success*

Presidential systems around the world vary in the proportion of legislators required to override an executive veto. We argue that the nature of the override provision affects executive influence in policymaking; as the proportion needed to override a veto increases, so should executive influence. We leverage varying override requirements across the US states to conduct a comparative study of executive influence over budgetary outcomes. Using governors’ budget requests and enacted appropriations for fiscal years 1987–2011, we provide evidence that state legislatures better accommodate budgetary requests in states with higher override requirements. Further, governors whose preferences are extreme relative to the legislature are more likely to have their budgetary goals met in states with a higher veto threshold.
Novel Roles in Human MD-2 of Phenylalanines 121 and 126 and Tyrosine 131 in Activation of Toll-like Receptor 4 by Endotoxin*

Potent mammalian cell activation by Gram-negative bacterial endotoxin requires sequential protein-endotoxin and protein-protein interactions involving lipopolysaccharide-binding protein, CD14, MD-2, and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). TLR4 activation requires simultaneous binding of MD-2 to endotoxin (E) and the ectodomain of TLR4. We now describe mutants of recombinant human MD-2 that bind TLR4 and react with E·CD14 but do not support cellular responsiveness to endotoxin. The mutants F121A/K122A MD-2 and Y131A/K132A MD-2 react with E·CD14 only when co-expressed with TLR4. Single mutants K122A and K132A each react with E·CD14 ± TLR4 and promote TLR4-dependent cell activation by endotoxin suggesting that Phe121 and Tyr131 are needed for TLR4-independent transfer of endotoxin from CD14 to MD-2 and also needed for TLR4 activation by bound E·MD-2. The mutant F126A MD-2 reacts as well as wild-type MD-2 with E·CD14 ± TLR4. E·MD-2F126A binds TLR4 with high affinity (Kd ∼ 200 pm) but does not activate TLR4 and instead acts as a potent TLR4 antagonist, inhibiting activation of HEK/TLR4 cells by wild-type E·MD-2. These findings reveal roles of Phe121 and Tyr131 in TLR4-independent interactions of human MD-2 with E·CD14 and, together with Phe126, in activation of TLR4 by bound E·MD-2. These findings strongly suggest that the structural properties of E·MD-2, not E alone, determine agonist or antagonist effects on TLR4.
The effect of race and sex on physicians' recommendations for cardiac catheterization.

BACKGROUND Epidemiologic studies have reported differences in the use of cardiovascular procedures according to the race and sex of the patient. Whether the differences stem from differences in the recommendations of physicians remains uncertain. METHODS We developed a computerized survey instrument to assess physicians' recommendations for managing chest pain. Actors portrayed patients with particular characteristics in scripted interviews about their symptoms. A total of 720 physicians at two national meetings of organizations of primary care physicians participated in the survey. Each physician viewed a recorded interview and was given other data about a hypothetical patient. He or she then made recommendations about that patient's care. We used multivariate logistic-regression analysis to assess the effects of the race and sex of the patients on treatment recommendations, while controlling for the physicians' assessment of the probability of coronary artery disease as well as for the age of the patient, the level of coronary risk, the type of chest pain, and the results of an exercise stress test. RESULTS The physicians' mean (+/-SD) estimates of the probability of coronary artery disease were lower for women (probability, 64.1+/-19.3 percent, vs. 69.2+/-18.2 percent for men; P<0.001), younger patients (63.8+/-19.5 percent for patients who were 55 years old, vs. 69.5+/-17.9 percent for patients who were 70 years old; P<0.001), and patients with nonanginal pain (58.3+/-19.0 percent, vs. 64.4+/-18.3 percent for patients with possible angina and 77.1+/-14.0 percent for those with definite angina; P=0.001). Logistic-regression analysis indicated that women (odds ratio, 0.60; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.4 to 0.9; P=0.02) and blacks (odds ratio, 0.60; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.4 to 0.9; P=0.02) were less likely to be referred for cardiac catheterization than men and whites, respectively. Analysis of race-sex interactions showed that black women were significantly less likely to be referred for catheterization than white men (odds ratio, 0.4; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.2 to 0.7; P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that the race and sex of a patient independently influence how physicians manage chest pain.
Serotonin, 5-HT1A Serotonin Receptors and Proliferation of Lymphocytes in Major Depression Patients

Serotonin receptors are present in lymphocytes and might be related to the functionality of these cells in health and in pathology. The serotonergic system is affected in the brain and in peripheral immune cells of depressed patients. The objectives of this work were to evaluate the basal proliferation of lymphocytes, the response to the mitogen concanavalin A, and the role of serotonin 5-HT1A receptors. Twenty-nine patients, 19–52 years old, were diagnosed for a major depression episode with the Statistical and Diagnostic Manual-IV of the American Psychiatric Association, approved by ethic committees and gave written consent. The Hamilton depression score was 30.60 ± 2.65. An apparently healthy group without a family history of psychiatric illness was included. Blood peripheral lymphocytes were isolated by density gradients with Ficoll/Hypaque and differential adhesion to plastic, cultured in 96-well plaques with RPMI-1640 medium with or without 4 µg/ml of concanavalin A. 8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (5–40 nM) and WAY-100,478 (0.1–100 µM), agonist and antagonist of 5-HT1A receptors, serotonin (12.5–100 nM) or imipramine (0.1–100 µM) were also added. Proliferation was evaluated at 72 h with 3-[4,5-dimethythiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, and the optical density was 570 nm. Basal proliferation was three times higher in depressed patients than in controls, whereas no response to mitogen was obtained, and 5-HT1A receptors significantly reacted to the agonist, with increases of about 31–54% at 10, 20 and 40 nM of the specific agonist, indicating initial activation probably in relation to autoimmunity and overreactivity of these receptors in depression. The antagonist reduced proliferation in mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes, 50% in controls and 70% in depressed patients, with a differential concentration dependency; probably, these receptors are more sensitive in depression due to increased 5-HT1A receptor transduction. The antagonist also reduced the stimulation produced by the 5-HT1A agonist. Imipramine caused biphasic effects according to concentrations, showing a possible dual role for serotonin, although all values were significantly higher in depressed subjects. The described alterations might be of relevance in the pathophysiology of depression.
Field Research on Complex Decision-Making Processes – The Phase Theorem

This is an abbreviated version of two German articles by E. Witte, MDie Organisation komplexer Entscheidungsverlaufe," and MPhasen-Theorem und Organisation komplexer Entscheidungsverlaufe/' Zeitschrift fur betriebswirtschaftliche Forschung (Saarbrucken, West Germany), 1968, pp. 581 and 625. Both are reprinted by permission of the publisher, and were translated by Norbert Joost and Alfred L. Thimm.
Herpesviridae and novel inhibitors

Herpesviridae comprises a large family of double-stranded DNA viruses that infect both animals and humans. Eight herpseviruses are known to infect humans: herpes simplex virus type-1 and -2, varicella zoster virus, human cytomegalovirus, Epstein–Barr virus, human herpesvirus 6 type-A and -B, human herpesvirus type-7 and -8 or Kaposi's sarcoma virus. Despite the fact that the past two decades have been evolutionary in the development of antiviral agents, therapeutic choices are restricted by limited efficacy and toxicity. Viral infections remain the cause of significant mortality worldwide, thus indicating the high medical need for the introduction of novel promising compounds in the antiviral chemotherapy era. This review focuses on recent data regarding several novel groups of agents that have proved to be effective as antiherpetic drugs. The agents mentioned are those considered to be the most likely candidates for entering clinical trials and those in the process of being granted approval by the US Food and Drug Administration. The diversity in their molecular mechanism of action highlights the different perspectives currently encountered in the era of antiviral therapy.
Lack of seasonal variation in serum sex hormone levels in middle-aged to older men in the Boston area.

CONTEXT Previous studies of seasonal variation of testosterone and other hormones in men have produced mixed results regarding the number and timing of peaks and nadirs and whether hormones vary seasonally at all. Wide variation in study designs, sample sizes, analytical methods, and characteristics of the study populations may account for the heterogeneity of results. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to determine whether serum total, free, and bioavailable testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, SHBG, LH, dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, estrone, estradiol, and cortisol vary seasonally in men. DESIGN Two blood samples were drawn 1-3 d apart at study entry and again 3 and 6 months later (maximum six samples per subject). Hormone levels 1-3 d apart were averaged to reduce short-term intrasubject variation. SETTING The study population consisted of a community-dwelling population (Boston, MA). STUDY PARTICIPANTS One hundred thirty-four men 30-79 yr old were randomly selected from the respondents to the Boston Area Community Health Survey. One hundred twenty-one men who completed all six visits were included in the analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES In a repeated-measures analysis, 3-month change in hormone levels, measured twice per subject, and in a sinusoidal nonlinear regression with random subject effects, average hormone level in samples 1-3 d apart were measured. RESULTS Aside from cortisol, no evidence of seasonal variation in hormone levels was found. The amplitude of seasonal variation was much smaller than total intraindividual variation for all hormones considered. CONCLUSIONS Seasonal variation is likely an unimportant source of variation clinically and in epidemiological studies of hormone levels.
Stability of miRNA in human urine supports its biomarker potential.

AIM miRNAs are showing utility as biomarkers in urologic disease, however, a rigorous evaluation of their stability in urine is lacking. Here, we evaluate the stability of miRNAs in urine under clinically relevant storage procedures. MATERIALS & METHODS Eight healthy individuals provided clean catch urine samples that were stored at room temperature or at 4°C for 5 days, or subjected to ten freeze-thaw cycles at -80°C. For each condition, two miRNAs, miR-16 and miR-21, were quantitated by quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS All conditions demonstrated a surprising degree of stability of miRNAs in the urine: by the end of ten freeze-thaw cycles, 23-37% of the initial amount remained; over the 5-day period of storage at room temperature, 35% of the initial amount remained; and at 4°C, 42-56% of the initial amount remained. Both miRNAs also showed degradation at approximately the same rate. CONCLUSION miRNAs are relatively stable in urine under a variety of storage conditions, which supports their utility as urinary biomarkers.
Loss minimization of an IPMSM drive using pre-calculated optimized current references

Interior permanent magnet synchronous machine drives provide a high efficiency over a wide speed range together with a high power-to-weight ratio which makes them the first choice in traction applications such as hybrid road vehicles. The energy efficient control of the drive however is a complex task due to changing machine parameters. It can be optimized for every drive individually to achieve maximum efficiency. This work presents an approach to calculate the loss distribution in the machine and the inverter explicitly. Special focus is set on the consideration of magnetic saturation in the stator and rotor iron. The results are used to modify the control strategy that is based on the Maximum-torque-per-ampere trajectory for minimal total losses over the whole speed range respecting the current and voltage limits. The resulting control structure is simple and easy to implement, ensuring operation of the machine with the most efficient stator current vector. It differs from the conventional trajectory and improves the overall efficiency of the drive.