Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Photometric and Weak Lensing Analysis of the z=0.42 Supercluster MS0302+17

We perform a weak lensing and photometric study of the z=0.42 supercluster MS0302+17 using deep I and V band images taken with the UH8K CCD mosaic camera at the CFHT. We use archival ROSAT HRI data to estimate fluxes, gas masses and, in one case, the binding mass of the three major clusters. We then use our CCD data to determine the optical richness and luminosities of the clusters and to map out the spatial distribution of the early type galaxies in the supercluster and in other foreground and background structures. We measure the gravitational shear from a sample of \simeq 30,000 faint background galaxies in the range 22 < m_I < 26 and find this correlates strongly with that predicted from the early type galaxies if they trace the mass with M/L_B \simeq 250 h. We make 2-dimensional reconstructions of the mass surface density. These recover all of the major concentrations of galaxies and indicate that most of the supercluster mass, like the early type galaxies, is concentrated in the three X-ray clusters, and we obtain mean mass-to-light ratios for the clusters of M/L_B \simeq 260 h. Cross-correlation of the measured mass surface density with that predicted from the early type galaxy distribution shows a strong peak at zero lag (significant at the \simeq 9-sigma level), and that at separations \gsim 200 h^{-1}$kpc the early galaxies trace the mass very accurately. This conclusion is supported by cross-correlation in Fourier space; we see little evidence for any variation of M/L or `bias' with scale, and from the longest wavelength modes with \lambda = 1.5-6 h^{-1}Mpc we find M/L \simeq (280 \pm 40)h, quite similar to that obtained for the cluster centers. We discuss the implication of these results for the cosmological density parameter.
Functional and Morphologic Comparison of Two Methods to Produce Transient Retinal Ischemia in the Rat

Objectives Much of our knowledge of the pathophysiology of retinal ischemic injury is from a multitude of studies that use in vitro or in vivo animal models of retinal ischemia followed by reperfusion. The objective of this study was to compare histopathologic and electrophysiologic (electroretinography) parameters using two different models of transient retinal ischemia: high intraocular pressure (HIOP) and suture ligation of the optic nerve (SL). Methods Transient retinal ischemia was induced using the HIOP model or the SL model in the Sprague–Dawley rat for either 30 or 60 minutes. Histopathologic outcome was determined at 1 and 7 days after ischemia. In addition, electroretinography (ERG) was performed at 2 hours, 1 day, 3 days, and 7 days after ischemia. Results At 1 and 7 days after 30 minutes of ischemia, there were no significant histopathologic abnormalities in the retina with either model, except for a slight decrease of the cell count in the ganglion cell layer (GCL) with the SL method. After 60 minutes of ischemia, there was significant thinning of the inner retina. There was a significant early dropout of cells at 1 day in the inner nuclear layer (INL) in the HIOP method compared to the SL method where the dropout was delayed and gradually progressive. Dropout of cells in the GCL was early (1 day) and gradually progressive in both models but more severe in HIOP than SL. There was a significant decrease in the ERG b-wave amplitudes as early as 2 hours after both 30 and 60 minutes of ischemia compared to preischemic baselines. Conclusions The degree of retinal injury after transient retinal ischemia was more severe at 1 day after reperfusion in the HIOP method compared to the SL method but was similar at 7 days in both models. Furthermore, our data suggests that functional assessment of ischemic damage by electroretinography may be a more sensitive parameter than conventional histopathologic quantification. The timing of either measurement relative to the ischemic stimulus is critical because histologic measurements performed too early after ischemia may underestimate the degree of injury.
FAμST: Speeding up linear transforms for tractable inverse problems

In this paper, we propose a technique to factorize any matrix into multiple sparse factors. The resulting factorization, called Flexible Approximate MUlti-layer Sparse Transform (FAμST), yields reduced multiplication costs by the matrix and its adjoint. Such a desirable property can be used to speed up iterative algorithms commonly used to solve high dimensional linear inverse problems. The proposed approach is first motivated, introduced and related to prior art. The compromise between computational efficiency and data fidelity is then investigated, and finally the relevance of the approach is demonstrated on a problem of brain source localization using simulated magnetoencephalography (MEG) signals.
A challenge to web accessibility metrics and guidelines: putting people and processes first

This paper argues that web accessibility is not an intrinsic characteristic of a digital resource but is determined by complex political, social and other contextual factors, as well as technical aspects which are the focus of WAI standardisation activities. It can therefore be inappropriate to develop legislation or focus on metrics only associated with properties of the resource. The authors describe the value of standards such as BS 8878 which focus on best practices for the process of developing web products and include a user focus. The paper concludes with a case study that illustrates how learning analytics could provide data to support the improvement of the inclusivity of learning resources, providing a broader perspective beyond the digital resource.
M. tuberculosis molecular variation in CNS infection

Objective To determine the molecular diversity among Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates associated with central nervous system tuberculosis (CNS TB) in a defined cohort of HIV uninfected patients. Design/methods A retrospective analysis was performed of clinical and laboratory data for all patients with CNS TB diagnosed in Manitoba, Canada, between 1979 and 1996. Restriction fragment-length polymorphisms (RFLP) of archival isolates of M. tuberculosis from CNS TB patients were determined and interpreted against the frequency of different isolates from all TB patients in the years 1992 to 1996. Results Among 2,334 patients with active TB, CNS TB was diagnosed in 42 (1.8%); meningitis with or without tuberculoma in 76%; and tuberculoma alone in 24%. CNS TB patients were significantly more likely to be young (<40 years old), female, and of Aboriginal origin. Morbidity (fixedhecurrent CNS deficit) rate was 29% and mortality rate was 26%. An adverse outcome, either morbidity or mortality, was significantly more common in those with meningitis. RFLP analysis of isolates (n = 19) from CNS TB patients revealed 13 distinct restriction patterns with a predominance of the type 1 pattern (n = 6). The frequency of type 1 restriction pattern was significantly greater in patients with CNS TB compared to all TB patients in Manitoba. Conclusions CNS TB continues to have a high morbidity and mortality despite modern methods of detection and treatment. Although several strains of M. tuberculosis cause CNS TB, the current study suggests that the occurrence of CNS TB may be strain-dependent.
Evolutionary optimization of a bipedal gait in a physical robot

Evolutionary optimization of a gait for a bipedal robot has been studied, combining structural and parametric modifications of the system responsible for generating the gait. The experiment was conducted using a small 17 DOF humanoid robot, whose actuators consist of 17 servo motors. In the approach presented here, individuals representing a gait consisted of a sequence of set angles (referred to as states) for the servo motors, as well as ramping times for the transition between states. A hand-coded gait was used as starting point for the optimization procedure: A population of 30 individuals was formed, using the hand-coded gait as a seed. An evolutionary procedure was executed for 30 generations, evaluating individuals on the physical robot. New individuals were generated using mutation only. There were two different mutation operators, namely (1) parametric mutations modifying the actual values of a given state, and (2) structural mutations inserting a new state between two consecutive states in an individual. The best evolved individual showed an improvement in walking speed of approximately 65%.
Ankyrin-G Coordinates Intercalated Disc Signaling Platform to Regulate Cardiac Excitability In Vivo

Rationale: Nav1.5 (SCN5A) is the primary cardiac voltage-gated Nav channel. Nav1.5 is critical for cardiac excitability and conduction, and human SCN5A mutations cause sinus node dysfunction, atrial fibrillation, conductional abnormalities, and ventricular arrhythmias. Further, defects in Nav1.5 regulation are linked with malignant arrhythmias associated with human heart failure. Consequently, therapies to target select Nav1.5 properties have remained at the forefront of cardiovascular medicine. However, despite years of investigation, the fundamental pathways governing Nav1.5 membrane targeting, assembly, and regulation are still largely undefined. Objective: Define the in vivo mechanisms underlying Nav1.5 membrane regulation. Methods and Results: Here, we define the molecular basis of an Nav channel regulatory platform in heart. Using new cardiac-selective ankyrin-G-/- mice (conditional knock-out mouse), we report that ankyrin-G targets Nav1.5 and its regulatory protein calcium/calmodulin–dependent kinase II to the intercalated disc. Mechanistically, &bgr;IV-spectrin is requisite for ankyrin-dependent targeting of calcium/calmodulin–dependent kinase II-&dgr;; however, &bgr;IV-spectrin is not essential for ankyrin-G expression. Ankyrin-G conditional knock-out mouse myocytes display decreased Nav1.5 expression/membrane localization and reduced INa associated with pronounced bradycardia, conduction abnormalities, and ventricular arrhythmia in response to Nav channel antagonists. Moreover, we report that ankyrin-G links Nav channels with broader intercalated disc signaling/structural nodes, as ankyrin-G loss results in reorganization of plakophilin-2 and lethal arrhythmias in response to &bgr;-adrenergic stimulation. Conclusions: Our findings provide the first in vivo data for the molecular pathway required for intercalated disc Nav1.5 targeting/regulation in heart. Further, these new data identify the basis of an in vivo cellular platform critical for membrane recruitment and regulation of Nav1.5.
Modulation of Intestinal Microbiota by the Probiotic VSL#3 Resets Brain Gene Expression and Ameliorates the Age-Related Deficit in LTP

The intestinal microbiota is increasingly recognized as a complex signaling network that impacts on many systems beyond the enteric system modulating, among others, cognitive functions including learning, memory and decision-making processes. This has led to the concept of a microbiota-driven gut–brain axis, reflecting a bidirectional interaction between the central nervous system and the intestine. A deficit in synaptic plasticity is one of the many changes that occurs with age. Specifically, the archetypal model of plasticity, long-term potentiation (LTP), is reduced in hippocampus of middle-aged and aged rats. Because the intestinal microbiota might change with age, we have investigated whether the age-related deficit in LTP might be attenuated by changing the composition of intestinal microbiota with VSL#3, a probiotic mixture comprising 8 Gram-positive bacterial strains. Here, we report that treatment of aged rats with VSL#3 induced a robust change in the composition of intestinal microbiota with an increase in the abundance of Actinobacteria and Bacterioidetes, which was reduced in control-treated aged rats. VSL#3 administration modulated the expression of a large group of genes in brain tissue as assessed by whole gene expression, with evidence of a change in genes that impact on inflammatory and neuronal plasticity processes. The age-related deficit in LTP was attenuated in VSL#3-treated aged rats and this was accompanied by a modest decrease in markers of microglial activation and an increase in expression of BDNF and synapsin. The data support the notion that intestinal microbiota can be manipulated to positively impact on neuronal function.
Clinical Ophthalmology Dovepress Dovepress Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Evaluation in Multiple Sclerosis with Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography

Purpose: Histopathologic studies have reported retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thinning in various neurodegenerative diseases. Attempts to quantify this loss in vivo have relied on time-domain optical coherence tomography (TDOCT), which has low resolution and requires substantial interpolation of data for volume measurements. We hypothesized that the significantly higher resolution of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) would better detect RNFL changes in patients with multiple sclerosis, and that RNFL thickness differences between eyes with and without optic neuritis might be identified more accurately. Methods: In this retrospective case series, patients with multiple sclerosis were recruited from the Judith Jaffe Multiple Sclerosis Center at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. Patients with a recent clinical diagnosis of optic neuritis (less than three months) were excluded. Eyes with a history of glaucoma, optic neuropathy (other than multiple sclerosis-related optic neuritis), age-related macular degeneration, or other relevant retinal and/or optic nerve disease were excluded. Both eyes of each patient were imaged with the Heidelberg Spectralis ® HRA + OCT. RNFL and macular thickness were measured for each eye using the Heidelberg OCT software. These measurements were compared with validated published normal values, and were modeled as linear functions of duration of disease. The odds of an optic neuritis diagnosis as a function of RNFL and macular thickness were calculated. Results: Ninety-four eyes were prospectively evaluated using OCT. Ages of patients ranged from 26 to 69 years, with an average age of 39 years. Peripapillary RNFL thinning was demonstrated in multiple sclerosis patients; mean RNFL thickness was 88.5 µm for individuals with multiple sclerosis compared with a reported normal value of 97 µm (P , 0.001). Eyes with a history of optic neuritis had more thinning compared with those without optic neuritis (83.0 µm versus 90.5 µm, respectively, P = 0.02). No significant differences were observed in macular thickness measurements between eyes with and without optic neuritis, nor were macular thickness measurements significantly different from normal values. As a function of multiple sclerosis duration and controlling for age, RNFL thickness was decreased in patients with a duration of multiple sclerosis greater than five years compared with those with a duration less than or equal to one year (P = 0.008). Conclusions: Patients with a history of multiple sclerosis had RNFL thinning that was detectable on SDOCT. Decreasing RNFL thickness in eyes with optic neuritis was found, and the odds of having optic neuritis …
Evaluation of injectable silica-embedded nanohydroxyapatite bone substitute in a rat tibia defect model

In clinical practice, vertebral compression fractures occur after trauma and osteoporosis. Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure using bone filler material for the treatment of such fractures. A full synthetic injectable bone substitute (SIBS) was manufactured by means of spray drying. The aim of this study was to characterize the SIBS and to analyze the remodelling process during degradation of the biomaterial and new bone formation after implantation. SIBS is an aqueous suspension of donut-like microparticles. These microparticles consist of nanocrystallites of synthetic hydroxyapatite embedded in amorphous silica gel. After implantation of SIBS in a proximal tibial diaphyseal defect in 52 rats, grafts were harvested for subsequent analysis on different days. Newly formed bone originating from endosteum was observed on day 6. Hematomas in the medullary space and cortical wounds disappeared on day 12. The wound region was completely replaced by a composite of newly formed cancellous bone, extracellular matrix, and SIBS. At day 63 the cortical defect was fully healed by bone, while newly formed bone in the medullary space almost disappeared and was replaced with bone marrow. In conclusion, SIBS demonstrated a unique structure with osteoinductive and bioresorbable properties, which induced fast bone regeneration. Therefore, a clinical application of SIBS for kyphoplasty is promising.
Longitudinal changes in body composition in older men and women: role of body weight change and physical activity.

BACKGROUND Estimates of body-composition change in older adults are mostly derived from cross-sectional data. OBJECTIVE We examined the natural longitudinal patterns of change in fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) in older adults and explored the effect of physical activity, weight change, and age on these changes. DESIGN The body composition measured by hydrodensitometry and the level of sports and recreational activity (SRA) of 53 men and 78 women with a mean (+/-SD) initial age of 60.7 +/- 7.8 y were examined on 2 occasions separated by a mean (+/-SD) time of 9.4 +/- 1.4 y. RESULTS FFM decreased in men (2.0% per decade) but not in women, whereas FM increased similarly in both sexes (7.5% per decade). Levels of SRA decreased more in men than in women over the follow-up period. Baseline age and level of SRA were inversely and independently associated with changes in FM in women only. Neither age nor level of SRA was associated with changes in FFM in men or women. Weight-stable subjects lost FFM. FFM accounted for 19% of body weight in those who gained weight, even in the presence of decreased levels of SRA. Loss of FFM (33% of body weight) was pronounced in those who lost weight, despite median SRA levels >4184 kJ/wk. CONCLUSIONS On average, FM increased; however, the increase in women was attenuated with advancing age. The decrease in FFM over the follow-up period was small and masked the wide interindividual variation that was dependent on the magnitude of weight change. The contribution of weight stability, modest weight gains, or lifestyle changes that include regular resistance exercise in attenuating lean-tissue loss with age should be explored.
Prevalence and prognostic significance of hyponatraemia in outpatients with chronic heart failure

Hyponatraemia has been reported to be a potent predictor of poor outcome in patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF). The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and prognostic significance of hyponatraemia in a large cohort of HF outpatients followed in clinics participating in the Danish Heart Failure Clinics Network.
Pericardial Substitution After Cardiopulmonary Bypass Surgery: A Trial of an Absorbable Patch

Primary closure of the pericardium affords some protection against adhesion formation and the consequent hazards of resternotomy. However, its completion may be impractical and hazardous, and therefore the pursuit of an ideal pericardial substitute has prompted much research. Twenty calves were divided into 3 groups for the study. All animals underwent right posterolateral thoracotomy. The test group (group X), consisting of 6 animals, received a poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate patch (PHB) to close the pericardium following cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). In group Y (9 animals) the pericardium was left open following CPB. Group Z (5 animals) also had their pericardium left open but did not undergo CPB (non-CPB). The plasminogen activating activity (PAA) of homogenates of pericardial tissue samples were measured in 5 animals in group X, and 5 in group Z. Samples were taken at three time points from the time of pericardiotomy, and at reoperation 4 weeks later. In group X (CPB) there was a significant reduction in the PAA during the operation with some recovery at reoperation. The reduction in the pericardial PAA of group Z (non-CPB) animals did not reach significance. For both group X and group Z the progress of mesothelial damage, compared with that at zero time, showed a significant increase. In addition, their pericardial inflammatory features became more apparent in the later samples but more significantly in group Z. This study demonstrated no significant short-term differences in adhesion formation or postoperative coronary anatomy visibility between any of the groups. At reoperation the patch material contained pronounced macrophage activity but no regenerative mesothelium. There were no infective episodes in any of the animals studied. Furthermore, this study suggests that CPB in comparison to non-CPB has a significant affect on pericardial PAA.
Topological matching

There is a lot of practical and theoretical interest in designing algorithms to process digital pictures. Of particular interest are problems arising when one starts with an nxn array of pixels and stores it, one pixel per processor, in some sort of array-like parallel computer. In this paper we give an optimal &thgr;(n) time solution, based on a simpler &thgr;(n) time solution for a more powerful computer called a mesh computer. Beyer suggested that this problem was a prime candidate for a non-linear recognition problem, but our result shows that this is not true.
The Neurobiology of Addiction: Implications for Voluntary Control of Behavior

There continues to be a debate on whether addiction is best understood as a brain disease or a moral condition. This debate, which may influence both the stigma attached to addiction and access to treatment, is often motivated by the question of whether and to what extent we can justly hold addicted individuals responsible for their actions. In fact, there is substantial evidence for a disease model, but the disease model per se does not resolve the question of voluntary control. Recent research at the intersection of neuroscience and psychology suggests that addicted individuals have substantial impairments in cognitive control of behavior, but this “loss of control” is not complete or simple. Possible mechanisms and implications are briefly reviewed.
GPU Programming for Mathematical and Scientific Computing

Graphical processing units used for mathematical and scientific computing are known as general purpose graphical processing units (GPGPUs). This paper is an introduction to the most popular GPGPU technology, NVIDIA's Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA). We approach CUDA from the perspective of a software developer, discussing the structure and organization of programs to explain the function of the GPU. We propose a potential application of GPGPU programming, the parallel analysis of a Hidden Markov Model, and discuss arithmetic error on the graphical processing unit. GPU Programming for Mathematical and Scientific Computing