Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spectrum and Management of Hypertriglyceridemia Among Children in Clinical Practice

OBJECTIVES. The prevalence and identification of hypertriglyceridemia in youths will likely will increase in the future as a consequence of childhood obesity and increased screening for dyslipidemias. We sought to review our clinical experience with hypertriglyceridemia, evaluate factors associated with increased triglyceride levels, and review treatment options to provide guidance for management. METHODS. Clinical review of data for all patients who had ≥1 elevated triglyceride level (>4 mmol/L [>350 mg/dL]) while being monitored in a specialized lipid disorders clinic was performed. RESULTS. The study population consisted of 76 patients with 761 clinic visits. Hypertriglyceridemia was secondary to lifestyle factors for 13 patients. The rest had primary hypertriglyceridemia, with 32 patients having familial combined hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia (type II), 25 patients having primary hypertriglyceridemia (type IV), 4 patients having familial lipase deficiency (type I), and 2 patients having hyperlipoproteinemia E2/E2 phenotype (type III). Triglyceride levels were highest in type I and III hypertriglyceridemia (>10 mmol/L [>900 mg/dL]), followed by type IV and adiposity-related hypertriglyceridemia (>4 mmol/L [>350 mg/dL]) and finally type II familial combined hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia (>2 mmol/L [>180 mg/dL]). A total of 34 patients received 37 trials of drug therapy as part of triglyceride level management (bile acid–binding resins, n = 12; fibrates, n = 19; statins, n = 6). Triglyceride levels were found to decrease over time with the use of fibrates, to increase with the use of bile acid–binding resins, and not to change with the use of statins. CONCLUSIONS. Lifestyle modifications remain the primary therapeutic avenue for the management of pediatric hypertriglyceridemia. We propose an algorithm for the management of this heterogeneous population to guide clinicians in their treatment decisions.
Different Filling Patterns of the Choriocapillaris in Fluorescein and Indocyanine Green Angiography in Primate Eyes Under Elevated Intraocular Pressure.

Purpose To investigate the hemodynamics of the choriocapillaris in primate eyes under elevated intraocular pressure. Methods Indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) and fluorescein angiography (FA) were performed in two monkeys after elevation of the intraocular pressure (IOP) to 35 and 60 mm Hg. Results ICGA and FA showed no perfusion delays in the choriocapillaris at 35 mm Hg. The slow dye filling at 60 mm Hg made it possible to observe the early phase angiography sequence. During ICGA, C-shaped precapillary arterioles multiplied in numbers and emerged in the posterior pole, forming the outer rim of the numerous mosaics or lobules. Dye subsequently infiltrated into the lobules. During FA, after numerous hyperfluorescent spots emerged in the posterior pole, each of the spots enlarged and became numerous mosaics with a dark outer rim. When the FA and ICGA images were superimposed, the C-shaped arterioles observed during the ICGA were shown to correspond to the outer dark rim of the mosaics seen during the FA. The earliest dye emergence was delayed during FA compared to ICGA, with 13 seconds elapsing in monkey 1 and 4 seconds in monkey 2. The horizontal diameter of the optic disc contained three to four mosaics in both monkeys. Conclusions The choriocapillaris lobules appear to be supplied from peripheral arterioles, not central. After blood perfuses the lobules, it drains into the venules at the center. Mosaic or lobular patterns during FA may reflect extravasated fluorescein from the fenestrated choriocapillaris.
A discrete Hidden Markov models recognition module for temporal series: Application to real-time 3D hand gestures

This work studies, implements and evaluates a gestures recognition module based on discrete Hidden Markov Models. The module is implemented on Matlab and used from Virtools. It can be used with different inputs therefore serves different recognition purposes. We focus on the 3D positions, our devices common information, as inputs for gesture recognition. Experiments are realized with an infra-red tracked flystick. Finally, the recognition rate is more than 90% with a personalized learning base. Otherwise, the results are beyond 70%, for an evaluation of 8 users on a real time mini-game. The rates are basically 80% for simple gestures and 60% for complex ones.
Effects of Repeated Administration of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on Avoidance Memory and Cell Density in Rats’ Hippocampus

Introduction MDMA or ecstasy is a derivative of amphetamines used mostly by young people worldwide. Although the acute effects of this drug are known, the effect of chronic administration is not well studied. Therefor the aim of this study was to determine the effects of repeated (long term) administration of MDMA on rats’ memory and their hippocampal cell density. Method Young adult male Wistar rats 200 ± 20 g served as subjects. The rats were randomly distributed into three MDMA treated groups (3×2.5 mg/kg, 3×5 mg/kg, 3×10 mg/kg) and one control-saline group. All animals received MDMA intraperitoneally (3h apart; a challenge) 7th day of every week for consecutive 4 weeks. Animals were trained before and were tested after injections for their memory status using the standards passive avoidance method. Finally, 24hr after the memory test, rats were sacrificed and after tissue operations, the hippocampal astrocytes and neurons were counted. Results Results showed that the number of neurons in all experimental groups was lower than the control-saline group. The most decreased number of neurons was shown in 5 mg/kg MDMA group compared to control-saline in all the regions of hippocampus. Also we found that repeated administration of MDMA reduced the number of hippocampal astrocytes. Discussion It is concluded that repeated administration of MDMA can reduce density of neurons and astrocytes and this decrease is not dose dependence.
X-Ray Microbeam Strain Measurements in Polycrystalline Films

Introduction Integrated circuit (IC) devices are typically connected by patterned lines of a passivated polycrystalline metal, usually copper or aluminum. As IC devices and interconnects continue to decrease in size, electrical performance and mechanical reliability become greater concerns. Thermal strains develop in interconnects during fabrication and during operation at elevated temperatures because of the difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion between interconnects and surrounding layers. These strains can lead to failures from voids and hillocks in interconnects. X-ray diffraction is a well-established technique for measuring average elastic strains in polycrystalline materials. Recent advances in third-generation synchrotron sources and focusing optics now provide the means for grain-by-grain x-ray measurements [1-3]. We have carried out x-ray microbeam strain measurements in polycrystalline Cu and Al films [4, 5].
Ashkenazi Jewish Centenarians Do Not Demonstrate Enrichment in Mitochondrial Haplogroup J

Background Association of mitochondrial haplogroup J with longevity has been reported in several population subgroups. While studies from northern Italy and Finland, have described a higher frequency of haplogroup J among centenarians in comparison to non-centenarian, several other studies could not replicate these results and suggested various explanations for the discrepancy. Methodology/Principal Findings We have evaluated haplogroup frequencies among Ashkenazi Jewish centenarians using two different sets of matched controls. No difference was observed in the haplogroup J frequencies between the centenarians or either matched control group, despite adequate statistical power to detect such a difference. Furthermore, the lack of association was robust to population substructure in the Ashkenazi Jewish population. Given this discrepancy with the previous reported associations in the northern Italian and the Finnish populations, we conducted re-analysis of these previously published data, which supported one of several possible explanations: i) inadequate matching of cases and controls; ii) inadequate adjustment for multiple comparison testing; iii) cryptic population stratification. Conclusions/Significance There does not exist a universal association of mitochondrial haplogroup J with longevity across all population groups. Reported associations in specialized populations may reflect genetic or other interactions specific to those populations or else cryptic confounding influences, such as inadequate matching attributable to population substructure, which are of general relevance to all studies of the possible association of mitochondrial DNA haplogroups with common complex phenotypes.
Embedding Data in Video Stream using Steganography

The transmission of streaming data, because of its real-time nature, is subject to bandwidth constraints. We propose a MPEG-2 compliant decoder which uses data hiding to transmit additional data with no extra bandwidth while creating an almost imperceptible degradation of the picture. The additional data can be anything from subtitles to correction signals and watermarking.
Delayed Diagnosis of Adrenal Insufficiency Is Common: A Cross-Sectional Study in 216 Patients

Introduction:Little information is available on patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI) in regard to complaints before diagnosis, time until correct diagnosis, false diagnosis, and professional changes due to the diagnosis. Objective:We retrospectively evaluated circumstances before and at diagnosis of AI in patients with primary and secondary AI by using established Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Short Form-36 and Giessen Complaint List (GBB-24) questionnaires, and a self-established general registration form. Methods:In this cross-sectional study, questionnaire sets were available from 216 patients (primary AI, n = 99; secondary AI, n = 117). Time duration before treatment, underlying diagnoses, and disease symptoms were verified by questionnaires and review of medical records. Results regarding subjective health status (SHS) were compared with sex- and age-matched controls drawn from questionnaire-specific reference cohorts. Results:Less than 30% of woman and 50% of men with AI were diagnosed within the first 6 months after onset of symptoms. Twenty percent of patients suffered >5 years before being diagnosed. More than 67% of patients consulted at least 3 physicians, and 68% were primarily false diagnosed. The most common false diagnoses were of psychiatric and gastrointestinal origin. Overall, patients with AI showed an impaired SHS compared with controls, and patients who were diagnosed correctly within 3 months showed a significantly better SHS. Conclusions:Because of the unspecific symptoms, diagnosis is often delayed, not recognized by physicians or diagnosed falsely. An early diagnosis is necessary and might positively influence SHS in patients with AI.
Matrix Metalloproteinases Regulation and Dysregulation in the Failing Heart

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of proteolytic enzymes responsible for myocardial extracellular protein degradation. Several MMP species identified within the human myocardium may be dysregulated in congestive heart failure (CHF). For example, MMPs that are expressed at very low levels in normal myocardium, such as collagenase-3 (MMP-13) and the membrane-type-1 MMPs, are substantially upregulated in CHF. However, MMP species are not uniformly increased in patients with end-stage CHF, suggesting that a specific portfolio of MMPs are expressed in the failing myocardium. With the use of animal models of CHF, a mechanistic relationship has been demonstrated with respect to myocardial MMP expression and the left ventricular (LV) remodeling process. The tissue inhibitors of the MMPs (TIMPs) are locally synthesized proteins that bind to active MMPs and thereby regulate net proteolytic activity. However, there does not appear to be a concomitant increase in myocardial TIMPs during the LV remodeling process and progression to CHF. This disparity between MMP and TIMP levels favors a persistent MMP activation state within the myocardium and likely contributes to the LV remodeling process in the setting of developing CHF. The elucidation of upstream signaling mechanisms that contribute to the selective induction of MMP species within the myocardium as well as strategies to normalize the balance between MMPs and TIMPs may yield some therapeutic strategies by which to control myocardial extracellular remodeling and thereby slow the progression of the CHF process. (Circ Res. 2002;90:520-530.)
Adenylylation and Catalytic Properties of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Glutamine Synthetase Expressed in Escherichia coli versus Mycobacteria*

Bacterial glutamine synthetases (GSs) are complex dodecameric oligomers that play a critical role in nitrogen metabolism, converting ammonia and glutamate to glutamine. Recently published reports suggest that GS from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTb) may be a therapeutic target (Harth, G., and Horwitz, M. A. (2003) Infect. Immun. 71, 456–464). In some bacteria, GS is regulated via adenylylation of some or all of the subunits within the aggregate; catalytic activity is inversely proportional to the extent of adenylylation. The adenylylation and deadenylylation of GS are catalyzed by adenylyl transferase (ATase). Here, we demonstrate via electrospray ionization mass spectrometry that GS from pathogenic M. tuberculosis is adenylylated by the Escherichia coli ATase. The adenylyl group can be hydrolyzed by snake venom phosphodiesterase to afford the unmodified enzyme. The site of adenylylation of MTb GS by the E. coli ATase is Tyr-406, as indicated by the lack of adenylylation of the Y406F mutant, and, as expected, is based on amino acid sequence alignments. Using electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy methodology, we found that GS is not adenylylated when obtained directly from MTb cultures that are not supplemented with glutamine. Under these conditions, the highly related but non-pathogenic Mycobacterium bovis BCG yields partially (∼25%) adenylylated enzyme. Upon the addition of glutamine to the cultures, the MTb GS becomes significantly adenylylated (∼30%), whereas the adenylylation of M. bovis BCG GS does not change. Collectively, the results demonstrate that MTb GS is a substrate for E. coli ATase, but only low adenylylation states are accessible. This parallels the low adenylylation states observed for GS from mycobacteria and suggests the intriguing possibility that adenylylation in the pathogenic versus non-pathogenic mycobacteria is differentially regulated.
A review of speech recognition with Sphinx engine in language detection

Speech recognition is the process of the computer i dentifying human speech to generate a string of wor ds or commands. The output of speech recognition syste ms can be applied in various fields. Besides, there are many artificial intelligent techniques available fo r Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) development, a d hybrid technology is one of it. The common hybrid t echnique in speech recognition is the combination o f Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) and Artificial Neural N etworks (ANNs). In this research, Sphinx approach is applied to integrate the advantage of t he sequential modeling structure and its pattern classification. Outcome from this paper will assist in next phase of the research which is focusing on building an Arab language speech recognizer by Sphi nx4 engine process approach.
Halitosis amongst students in tertiary institutions in Lagos state.

BACKGROUND Halitosis is defined as a noticeable unpleasant odor from the mouth. It is a medico-social problem that affects a significant number of people around the world. Research reveals that nearly 50% of the adult population has halitosis. OBJECTIVES To determine level of awareness of halitosis and prevalence of the condition amongst students in tertiary institutions as a baseline survey. METHODS For this project, 100 students from three tertiary institutions in Lagos state were chosen: University of Lagos, Lagos State University, Ojo campus and Yaba College of Technology. A semi-structured questionnaire and practical testing/diagnostic tool were utilized. Data collected was collated and analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2007 and SPSS statistical software. RESULTS Most of the respondents were single and Christian. Level of awareness of halitosis was high. Results showed that 15%, 2% and 22% from UNILAG, LASU and YCT respectively said they had halitosis. Using the diagnostic tool, 6%, 8% and 2% respectively were positive for halitosis. CONCLUSIONS There is high level of awareness of halitosis among the respondents. The prevalence of the disorder is low, however, it is recommended that enlightenment campaigns be mounted in schools to improve level of awareness and treatment seeking.
Vascularization of an Unsuccessful Case Following Guided Bone Regeneration

This study evaluated a case which was unsuccessful after guided bone regeneration (GBR) operation with non-resorbable barrier membranes in the extraction socket of a beagle dog. To clarify the relationship between bone and vascular regeneration, a vascular resin cast model was observed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM). At 30 days post-operation, vessels from the periosteum were seen migrating to the socket through the gap between the membrane and the bone wall. The regenerated bone height was no higher than that of the pre-existing alveolar crest.At 60 days post-operation, the height of the regenerated bone was in accordance with that of the Pre-existing bone. A vascular network of granulation tissue was seen between the membrane and the upper margin of the alveolar bone. This vascular network consisted of a densely arranged vascular loop. The tracing of the circulatory pathway revealed that this network was composed of arteries from the alveolar bone marrow and veins of large diameter, which drained to the oral mucosa. The surface of a granulation tissue vessel showed a rough configuration. Resin was found to be leaking from the vascular loops.The study of this unsuccessful case clearly showed that the membrane was neither in close contact to the surrounding bone wall nor sufficiently supported by it. This resulted in an ingrowth of vessels from the periosteum to the socket. Consequently, there was no increase in bone height growth and new bone apposition did not occur. To succeed with GBR, it is essential that vascularization of the periosteum occur and that the membrane gradually cover and seal the extraction socket.
Efficient implementation of anonymous credentials on Java Card smart cards

The Direct Anonymous Attestation scheme allows to map procedures with an imperative requirement for anonymity, such as voting, to the electronic world while offering provable security. However, the scheme is complex and requires demanding computations to be performed on a tamper-proof device. Such devices, e.g. secure smart cards, are typically resource constrained. We present the first implementation of the (simplified) Direct Anonymous Attestation protocols suitable for contemporary Java Card smart cards. We point out performance bottlenecks and provide efficient solutions which allow our implementation to terminate within acceptable time.
On the Rank of Extreme Matrices in Semidefinite Programs and the Multiplicity of Optimal Eigenvalues

We derive some basic results on the geometry of semidefinite programming (SDP) and eigenvalue-optimization, i.e., the minimization of the sum of the k largest eigenvalues of a smooth matrix-valued function. We provide upper bounds on the rank of extreme matrices in SDPs, and the first theoretically solid explanation of a phenomenon of intrinsic interest in eigenvalue-optimization. In the spectrum of an optimal matrix, the kth and (k + 1)st largest eigenvalues tend to be equal and frequently have multiplicity greater than two. This clustering is intuitively plausible and has been observed as early as 1975. When the matrix-valued function is affine, we prove that clustering must occur at extreme points of the set of optimal solutions, if the number of variables is sufficiently large. We also give a lower bound on the multiplicity of the critical eigenvalue. These results generalize to the case of a general matrix-valued function under appropriate conditions.
Undecidability of context-sensitive data-dependence analysis

A number of program-analysis problems can be tackled by transforming them into certain kinds of graph-reachability problems in labeled directed graphs. The edge labels can be used to filter out paths that are not interest: a path <italic>P</italic> from vertex <italic>s</italic> to vertex <italic>t</italic> only counts as a“valid connection” between <italic>s</italic> and <italic>t</italic> if the word spelled out by <italic>P</italic> is in a certain language. Often the languages used for such filtering purposes are languages of matching parantheses. In some cases, the matched-parenthesis condition is used to filter out paths with mismatched calls and returns. This leads to so-called “context-<italic>sensitive</italic>” program analyses, such as context-<italic>sensitive</italic> interprocedural slicing and context-<italic>sensitive</italic> interprocedural dataflow analysis. In other cases, the matched-parenthesis condition is used to capture a graph-theoretic analog of McCarthy's rules: “car (cons(x,y)) = x” and “cdr(cons(x,y)) =y”. That is, in the code fragment c = cons(a,b); d = car(c); the fact that there is a “structure-transmitted data-dependence” from a to d, but not from b to d, is captured in a graph by (1) using a vertex for each variable, (2)an edge from vertex <italic>i</italic> to vertex <italic>j</italic> when <italic>i</italic> is used on the right-hand side of an assignment to <italic>j</italic>, (3) parentheses that match as the labels on the edges that run from a to c and c to d, and (4) parentheses that do not match as the labels on the edges that run from a to c and c to d. However, structure-transmitted data-dependence analysis is context-<italic>insensitive</italic>, because there are no constraints that filter out paths with mismatched calls and returns. Thus, a natural question is whether these two kinds of uses of parentheses can be combined to create a context-<italic>sensitive</italic> analysis for structure-transmitted data-dependences. This article answers the question in the negative: in general, the problem of context<italic>sensitive</italic>, structure-transmitted data-dependence analysis is undecidable. The results imply that in general, both context-<italic>sensitive</italic> set-based analysis and <inline-equation> <f> ∞</f> </inline-equation>-CFA (when data constructors and selectors and selectors are taken into account) are also undecidable.