Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pilot experimental study on amniotic epithelial mesenchymal cell transplantation in natural occurring tendinopathy in horses. Ultrasonographic and histological comparison.

BACKGROUND amnion-derived stem cells are considered a promising alternative source for tendon tissue regeneration. PURPOSE aims of this paper were to illustrate the ultrasound and histological outcomes following the treatment of acute and chronic superficial digital flexor tendon spontaneous lesions in horses with ovine amniotic epithelial cells xenotransplantation. METHODS six adult horses suffering from unilateral acute (4 cases) and chronic (2 cases) tendinopathy (clinical and ultrasound diagnosis) were enrolled. At baseline, ovine amniotic epithelial cells were grafted, in sterile conditions and under ultra-sound control, into the most damaged area. Ultra-sound controls were performed at 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 days after cells implantation; after horse euthanasia (180 days) tendon samples were collected and submitted to histological examination (cellularity, extracellular matrix fiber organization, blood vessels). RESULTS at baseline, in the acute cases, the ultra-sound exam showed a focal, dis-homogeneous, hypo-echoic area into the superficial digital flexor tendon, with loss of the normal fibrillar pattern, while in the chronic cases the damaged tendon area appeared thickened and completely hyper-echoic. At the final follow-up tendon echotexture was more regular, the cross-sectional area similar to the contra-lateral limb, and the collagen fibers were oriented in parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tendon both in the acute and chronic cases, suggesting a positive healing response. These findings were supported by the histological analyses which showed an almost complete restoration of normal tendon architecture with an optimal alignment of tendon fibers. CONCLUSIONS the present pilot study supports the hypothesis that amniotic epithelial cells are provided of an excellent healing potential and shows a very good correlation between the ultrasound findings and the histologic features.
Low-complexity high throughput VLSI architecture of soft-output ML MIMO detector

In this paper a VLSI architecture of a high throughput and high performance soft-output (SO) MIMO detector (the recently presented Layered ORthogonal Lattice Detector, LORD) is presented. The baseline implementation includes optimal (i.e. maximum-likelihood - ML - in the max-log sense) SO generation. A reduced complexity variant of the SO generation stage is also described. To the best of the authors' knowledge, the proposed architecture is the first VLSI implementation of a max-log ML MIMO detector which includes QR decomposition and SO generation, having the latter a deterministic very high throughput thanks to a fully parallelizable structure, and parameterizability in terms of both the number of transmit and receive antennas, and the supported modulation orders. The two designs achieve a very high throughput making them particularly suitable for MIMO-OFDM systems like e.g. IEEE 802.11n WLANs: the most demanding requirements are satisfied at a reasonable cost of area and power consumption.
Efficient No-dictionary Verifiable SSE

In the model of no-dictionary verifiable searchable symmetric encryption (SSE) scheme, a client does not need to keep the set of keywords W in the search phase, where W is called a dictionary. Still a malicious server cannot cheat the client by saying that “your search word w does not exist in the dictionary W” when it exists. In the previous such schemes, it takes O(logm) time for the server to prove that w ̸∈ W , where m = |W| is the number of keywords. In this paper, we show a generic method to transform any SSE scheme (that is only secure against passive adversaries) to a no-dictionary verifiable SSE scheme. In the transformed scheme, it takes only O(1) time for the server to prove that w ̸∈ W. keywords. searchable symmetric encryption, verifiable, dictionary
Art Theft: An Exploratory Study of the Illegitimate Art Market in Australia

The stolen art market is a large and highly profitable illegitimate industry. Despite the costs of art theft to the art industry and to society as a whole, little research has been conducted in this field. The present study gathered information about the prevalence, frequency and characteristics of art theft in Australia, as well as the types of people involved in the illegitimate art market; suppliers, distributors and purchasers. Data were collected from 27 interviews with art market and other professionals, including representatives from public and private galleries, auction houses, insurance firms, private dealers and law enforcement. A market system model is proposed as a framework within which art thefts that occur in Australia can be considered.
The effects of appraisal instrument, feedback and goal‐setting on worker satisfaction and commitment

Twenty managers and 125 subordinates participated in a field experiment performed in the Israel Airport Authority. The managers received intensive training in giving performance feedback and setting specific goals when conducting appraisals of their subordinates. Following training, the managers were assigned randomly to one of four conditions: feedback and goals using BOS-based appraisal; feedback using BOS-based appraisal with no goals; feedback and goals using GRS-based appraisal; feedback alone using GRS-based appraisal. Work satisfaction and organizational commitment were measured before and after the performance appraisals were conducted. A two-way analysis of variance followed by univariate analyses by means of a studentized range test revealed that (1) the use of BOS-based appraisal increased work satisfaction significantly more than the use of GRS-based appraisal, (2) feedback followed by goal-setting resulted in significantly higher work satisfaction and organizational commitment than feedback alone, regardless of the appraisal scale that was used, and (3) the combination of BOS-based appraisal, feedback and goal-setting led to significantly higher work satisfaction than was the case in the other experimental conditions.
Prevention of Atelectasis Formation During Induction of General Anesthesia

General anesthesia promotes atelectasis formation, which is augmented by administration of large oxygen concentrations. We studied the efficacy of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) application during the induction of general anesthesia (fraction of inspired oxygen [Fio2] 1.0) to prevent atelectasis. Sixteen adult patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Both groups breathed 100% O2 for 5 min and, after a general anesthesia induction, mechanical ventilation via a face mask with a Fio2 of 1.0 for another 5 min before endotracheal intubation. Patients in the first group (PEEP group) had continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) (6 cm H2O) and mechanical ventilation via a face mask with a PEEP of 6 cm H2O. No CPAP or PEEP was applied in the control group. Atelectasis, determined by computed radiograph tomography, and analysis of blood gases were measured twice: before the beginning of anesthesia and directly after the intubation. There was no difference between groups before the anesthesia induction. After endotracheal intubation, patients in the control group showed an increase of the mean area of atelectasis from 0.8% ± 0.9% to 4.1% ± 2.0% (P = 0.0002), whereas the patients of the PEEP group showed no change (0.5% ± 0.6% versus 0.4% ± 0.7%). After the intubation with a Fio2 of 1.0, Pao2 was significantly higher in the PEEP group than in the control (591 ± 54 mm Hg versus 457 ± 99 mm Hg; P = 0.005). Atelectasis formation is prevented by application of PEEP during the anesthesia induction despite the use of large oxygen concentrations, resulting in improved oxygenation.
Cognitive therapy as an adjunct to medication in bipolar disorder

Background There is increasing support for the use of cognitive behaviour therapy as an adjunct to medication for patients with bipolar disorder. Aims To explore current psychological models of bipolar disorder, describing the clinical rationale for using cognitive therapy and providing a brief overview of the approach. Method Results from outcome studies are discussed. Results Preliminary findings indicate that cognitive therapy may be beneficial for patients with bipolar disorder. The collaborative, educational style of cognitive therapy, the use of a stepwise approach and of guided discovery is particularly suitable for patients who wish to take an equal and active role in their therapy. Conclusions Randomised, controlled trials of cognitive therapy in bipolar disorder are required to establish the short-term and long-term benefits of therapy, and whether any reported health gain exceeds that of treatment as usual.
Elongation of Axon Extension for Human iPSC-Derived Retinal Ganglion Cells by a Nano-Imprinted Scaffold

Optic neuropathies, such as glaucoma and Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) lead to retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss and therefore motivate the application of transplantation technique into disease therapy. However, it is a challenge to direct the transplanted optic nerve axons to the correct location of the retina. The use of appropriate scaffold can promote the proper axon growth. Recently, biocompatible materials have been integrated into the medical field, such as tissue engineering and reconstruction of damaged tissues or organs. We, herein, utilized nano-imprinting to create a scaffold mimicking the in vitro tissue microarchitecture, and guiding the axonal growth and orientation of the RGCs. We observed that the robust, long, and organized axons of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived RGCs projected axially along the scaffold grooves. The RGCs grown on the scaffold expressed the specific neuronal biomarkers indicating their proper functionality. Thus, based on our in vitro culture system, this device can be useful for the neurophysiological analysis and transplantation for ophthalmic neuropathy treatment.
Rapid determination of monozygous twinning with a microfabricated capillary array electrophoresis genetic-analysis device.

BACKGROUND Microfabricated genetic-analysis devices have great potential for delivering complex clinical diagnostic technology to the point of care. As a demonstration of the potential of these devices, we used a microfabricated capillary array electrophoresis (microCAE) instrument to rapidly characterize the familial and genotypic relationship of twins who had been assigned fraternal (dizygous) status at birth. METHODS We extracted the genomic DNA from buccal samples collected from the twin sons, the parents, another sibling, and an unrelated control individual. We then carried out multiplex PCR amplification of sequences at 16 short tandem repeat loci commonly used in forensic identity testing. We simultaneously separated the amplicons from all of the individuals on a microCAE device and fluorescently detected the amplicons with single-base resolution in <30 min. RESULTS The genotypic analysis confirmed the identical status of the twins and revealed, in conjunction with the medical data, that their twin status arose from the rarer dichorionic, diamniotic process. CONCLUSIONS The ability to rapidly analyze complex genetic samples with microCAE devices demonstrates that this approach can help meet the growing need for rapid genetics-based diagnostics.
of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society Title Reasoning with Inconsistent Causal Beliefs Permalink

Causal reasoning is a critical part of everyday cognition. We ask how people reason about causes when faced with inconsistent sources of knowledge. Causal models arise from multiple sources of information regarding their constituent parameters. Knowledge sources may be inconsistent both within parameters (when one source says a variable should appear often and another says it should appear rarely), and between parameters (when dependencies among parameters result in an internally inconsistent causal model). We provide a normative model for resolving both these sources of conflict. An experiment found that our model of belief integration predicted the qualitative pattern of adults causal inferences under uncertainty.
Left ventricular response to mitral regurgitation: implications for management.

Mitral regurgitation (MR) burdens the left ventricle with a volume load that leads to a series of left ventricular (LV) compensatory adaptations and adjustments that vary considerably during the prolonged clinical course of MR.1–4 The early compensatory changes observed in acute MR (ie, utilization of the Frank-Starling mechanism) are gradually replaced by a chronic remodeling process with enlargement of the LV chamber. Eventually, these compensatory adaptations fail, LV dysfunction develops, and transition to a decompensated phase of chronic MR occurs (Table). In the present report, the LV response to MR will be described, the evolution from a compensated to a decompensated state will be discussed, and the therapeutic implications of these events will be considered. Published guidelines provide detailed recommendations for the evaluation and treatment of patients with MR, including those with a variety of comorbidities.5,6 The present review is limited to a discussion of the changes in LV size and function that develop as a result of degenerative disease of the mitral valve (recognized clinically as severe mitral valve prolapse with or without partial flail leaflet) or, less commonly, rheumatic mitral valve disease. Our primary goal is to review the rationale for the use of measurements of LV size and function as guides to the management of patients with MR. View this table: Table. LV Structure and Function in the 3 Stages of Chronic MR The clinical impact of MR is determined by the magnitude of the regurgitant leak (ie, the regurgitant volume) and the time course of development of the regurgitation. Patients with the abrupt onset of severe MR generally present with markedly elevated pulmonary venous pressure, whereas those with chronic MR exhibit prominent ventricular enlargement with increased chamber compliance and lower pulmonary venous pressure.2,7 In this section, the determinants of regurgitant flow will be defined and the …
Data correlation based noise level estimation for cone beam projection data.

BACKGROUND In regularized iterative reconstruction algorithms, the selection of regularization parameter depends on the noise level of cone beam projection data. OBJECTIVE Our aim is to propose an algorithm to estimate the noise level of cone beam projection data. METHODS We first derived the data correlation of cone beam projection data in the Fourier domain, based on which, the signal and the noise were decoupled. Then the noise was extracted and averaged for estimation. An adaptive regularization parameter selection strategy was introduced based on the estimated noise level. Simulation and real data studies were conducted for performance validation. RESULTS There exists an approximately zero-energy double-wedge area in the 3D Fourier domain of cone beam projection data. As for the noise level estimation results, the averaged relative errors of the proposed algorithm in the analytical/MC/spotlight-mode simulation experiments were 0.8%, 0.14% and 0.24%, respectively, and outperformed the homogeneous area based as well as the transformation based algorithms. Real studies indicated that the estimated noise levels were inversely proportional to the exposure levels, i.e., the slopes in the log-log plot were -1.0197 and -1.049 with respect to the short-scan and half-fan modes. The introduced regularization parameter selection strategy could deliver promising reconstructed image qualities. CONCLUSIONS Based on the data correlation of cone beam projection data in Fourier domain, the proposed algorithm could estimate the noise level of cone beam projection data accurately and robustly. The estimated noise level could be used to adaptively select the regularization parameter.
Expanding School-Based Problem-Solving Teams to Include Occupational Therapists

This study described the perspectives of school-based occupational therapists working with problem-solving teams in response to intervention (RtI) initiatives. Ten therapists were interviewed about their participation in RtI. Data analysis revealed four major themes: (1) “They Don't Really Know What I Do”; (2) “Can You Take a Quick Look at this Kid? ”; (3) “What Does It Really Look Like? ”; and (4) “Where is Participation Inhibited? ” The results of this study suggest that occupational therapists need to advocate for an expanded role in school-based practice in order to fully contribute to problem-solving teams in RtI.
Decreased dopamine brain reactivity in marijuana abusers is associated with negative emotionality and addiction severity

Significance Marijuana abusers show lower positive and higher negative emotionality scores than controls, which is consistent, on one hand, with lower reward sensitivity and motivation and, on the other hand, with increased stress reactivity and irritability. To investigate this aspect of marijuana’s impact on the human brain, we compared the brain’s reactivity in marijuana abusers vs. controls when challenged with methylphenidate (MP). We found that marijuana abusers display attenuated dopamine (DA) responses to MP, including reduced decreases in striatal distribution volumes. These deficits cannot be unambiguously ascribed to reduced DA release (because decreases in nondisplaceable binding potential were not blunted) but could reflect a downstream postsynaptic effect that in the ventral striatum (brain reward region) might contribute to marijuana’s negative emotionality and addictive behaviors. Moves to legalize marijuana highlight the urgency to investigate effects of chronic marijuana in the human brain. Here, we challenged 48 participants (24 controls and 24 marijuana abusers) with methylphenidate (MP), a drug that elevates extracellular dopamine (DA) as a surrogate for probing the reactivity of the brain to DA stimulation. We compared the subjective, cardiovascular, and brain DA responses (measured with PET and [11C]raclopride) to MP between controls and marijuana abusers. Although baseline (placebo) measures of striatal DA D2 receptor availability did not differ between groups, the marijuana abusers showed markedly blunted responses when challenged with MP. Specifically, compared with controls, marijuana abusers had significantly attenuated behavioral (“self-reports” for high, drug effects, anxiety, and restlessness), cardiovascular (pulse rate and diastolic blood pressure), and brain DA [reduced decreases in distribution volumes (DVs) of [11C]raclopride, although normal reductions in striatal nondisplaceable binding potential (BPND)] responses to MP. In ventral striatum (key brain reward region), MP-induced reductions in DVs and BPND (reflecting DA increases) were inversely correlated with scores of negative emotionality, which were significantly higher for marijuana abusers than controls. In marijuana abusers, DA responses in ventral striatum were also inversely correlated with addiction severity and craving. The attenuated responses to MP, including reduced decreases in striatal DVs, are consistent with decreased brain reactivity to the DA stimulation in marijuana abusers that might contribute to their negative emotionality (increased stress reactivity and irritability) and addictive behaviors.
Therapeutic effects of a horse riding simulator in children with cerebral palsy.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of horse ridding simulator on the sitting postural control of children with spastic diplegia. METHOD Forty children were randomly divided in a group using the simulator (RS) and a group performing conventional physical therapy (CT). FScan/Fmat equipment was used to register maximal displacement in antero-posterior (AP) and medio-lateral (ML) directions with children in sitting position. At the pre and post intervention stage both groups were classified according to the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) and, after intervention, by the AUQEI questionnaire (Autoquestionnaire Qualité de vie Enfant Image). RESULTS Comparison between groups disclosed statistically significant pos-intervention improvement both in the AP (p<0.0001) as in the ML (p<0.0069) direction in the RS group. CONCLUSION The horse ridding simulator produced significant improvement in the postural control of children in sitting position, additionally showing a higher motor functionality and a better acceptance of the therapeutic intervention.
Toward improvement of SDR accuracy using LDA and query expansion for SpokenDoc

This paper investigates several techniques for spoken document retrieval, toward improvement of retrieval performance based on the conventional method i.e. TF-IDF. The first approach employs rescaled unigrams of LDA to compute a similarity score. The second technique employs query expansion by web retrieval using Yahoo! API. And the third technique is Prioritized And-operator Retrieval based on TF-IDF techniques. We tested these methods using a dry-run data, then it turned out that the third technique is most promising.
Changes in left ventricular ejection fraction and coronary flow reserve after coronary microembolization

Introduction Although coronary microembolization (CME) is a frequent phenomenon in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, few data are available on the changes in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and coronary flow reserve (CFR) after CME. Material and methods In this study, six miniature swine of either sex (body weight 21-25 kg) were used to prepare a CME model. After coronary angiography, 1.2 × 105 microspheres (42 µm) were selectively infused into the left anterior descending artery via an infusion catheter. Left ventricular ejection fraction was evaluated using transthoracic echocardiography; myocardial blood flow was measured using coloured microspheres; and CFR and coronary pressure were measured using Doppler and a pressure wire. Results Left ventricular ejection fraction was 0.77 ±0.08 at baseline, 0.69 ±0.08 at 2 h, 0.68 ±0.08 at 6 h, and 0.76 ±0.06 at 1 week (2 h vs. baseline p < 0.05; 6 h vs. baseline p < 0.01). After CME, left ventricular end systolic volume (LVESV) and end diastolic volume (LVEDV) were significant larger 1 week later (p < 0.01 for both), while CFR was significantly reduced at 6 h (1.24 ±0.10 at 6 h vs. 1.77 ±0.30 at baseline, p < 0.01) and myocardial blood flow remained unchanged. Serum ET-1 level was significantly higher only at 6 h after CME (6 h vs. baseline p < 0.05). Conclusions Reduction of CFR and LVEF is significant at 6 h after CME and recovers 1 week later with left ventricular dilation.
Interactive access control for autonomic systems: From theory to implementation

Autonomic communication and computing is a new paradigm for dynamic service integration over a network. An autonomic network crosses organizational and management boundaries and is provided by entities that see each other just as partners. For many services no autonomic partner may guess a priori what will be sent by clients nor clients know a priori what credentials are required to access a service. To address this problem we propose a new interactive access control: servers should interact with clients, asking for missing credentials necessary to grant access, whereas clients may supply or decline the requested credentials. Servers evaluate their policies and interact with clients until a decision of grant or deny is taken. This proposal is grounded in a formal model on policy-based access control. It identifies the formal reasoning services of deduction, abduction and consistency. Based on them, the work proposes a comprehensive access control framework for autonomic systems. An implementation of the interactive model is given followed by system performance evaluation.