Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intrastromal corneal ring--one-year results of first implants in humans: a preliminary nonfunctional eye study.

BACKGROUND The Intrastromal Corneal Ring (ICR) is a new investigational medical device designed to alter corneal curvature without surgical intervention in the central cornea. The ring is inserted between the layers of the stroma in the cornea's periphery at two-thirds depth through an approximately 2-millimeter incision. METHODS To investigate the safety and refractive effect of implanting an ICR of a given thickness (0.30 mm) and outer diameter (7.70 mm) into human corneas, an ICR was implanted into one nonfunctional eye of each of three patients during the period of March to May, 1991. One predesignated ICR was successfully explanted 5 months after implantation to evaluate the feasibility of ICR removal and to observe the effect of ring removal on corneal curvature. Patients were followed for 1 year after the initial implant procedure. RESULTS The three implant procedures and postoperative courses proceeded without any significant complications. Approximately 2.00 D of central corneal flattening was achieved in all eyes. No adverse reactions or other medically-significant complications were observed over a 1-year follow-up period. The patient who underwent ICR removal experienced no perioperative complications, and the patient's cornea has remained stable with a return to its preoperative curvature. CONCLUSION Although this study is preliminary and limited in scope, we have demonstrated that the ICR can be tolerated safely in the human cornea and results in a flattening of the corneal curvature that is stable for up to a year after insertion. The successful removal of the ICR begins to establish reversibility of the procedure and induced refractive effect.
Voltage-dependent gating and single-channel conductance of adult mammalian atrial gap junctions.

In the heart, the rapid propagation and synchronization of action potentials necessary for a normal heart rhythm and an effective cardiac output are mediated by specialized ionic channels that link adjacent cells and are known collectively as gap junctions. Cardiac gap junctions are gated by various physiological and pharmacological agents, but the role of voltage in their gating is unclear. Whereas embryonic or neonatal ventricular cells have voltage-gated gap junctions, adult cells are reported to have only voltage-independent gap junctions. We studied the voltage dependence of adult rat atrial gap junctions by individually voltage clamping each cell of a connected cell pair and controlling the transjunctional voltage (Vj), measuring transjunctional current (Ij), and calculating junctional conductance (gj). Two distinct populations of cell pairs were observed: highly coupled pairs with the peak gjs ranging from 3.4 to 40 nS and weakly coupled pairs with the peak gjs ranging from 0.3 to 2.0 nS. gj was dependent on Vj, and Ij decayed exponentially, with the time constants being voltage dependent. Voltage dependence was most apparent when cells were poorly coupled. The gj did not decrease to zero. The normalized conductance--Vj plot was fit with a two-state Boltzmann model as a first approximation, resulting in a half-inactivation potential and gating charge of 42.5 mV and 1.14 eV, respectively, for the weakly coupled cell pairs. For highly coupled cell pairs, the half-inactivation potential shifted to 53.3 mV. Single gap junctional channels had a gj of 36.2 +/- 7.6 pS (range, 27-49 pS), which was Vj independent. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Elimination graphs

In this article we study graphs with inductive neighborhood properties. Let <i>P</i> be a graph property, a graph <i>G</i> = (<i>V, E</i>) with <i>n</i> vertices is said to have an inductive neighborhood property with respect to <i>P</i> if there is an ordering of vertices <i>v</i><sub>1</sub>, &dots;, <i>v<sub>n</sub></i> such that the property <i>P</i> holds on the induced subgraph <i>G</i>[<i>N</i>(<i>v<sub>i</sub></i>)∩ <i>V<sub>i</sub></i>], where <i>N</i>(<i>v<sub>i</sub></i>) is the neighborhood of <i>v<sub>i</sub></i> and <i>V<sub>i</sub></i> = {<i>v<sub>i</sub></i>, &dots;, <i>v<sub>n</sub></i>}. It turns out that if we take <i>P</i> as a graph with maximum independent set size no greater than <i>k</i>, then this definition gives a natural generalization of both chordal graphs and (<i>k</i> + 1)-claw-free graphs. We refer to such graphs as inductive <i>k</i>-independent graphs. We study properties of such families of graphs, and we show that several natural classes of graphs are inductive <i>k</i>-independent for small <i>k</i>. In particular, any intersection graph of translates of a convex object in a two dimensional plane is an inductive <i>3</i>-independent graph; furthermore, any planar graph is an inductive <i>3</i>-independent graph. For any fixed constant <i>k</i>, we develop simple, polynomial time approximation algorithms for inductive <i>k</i>-independent graphs with respect to several well-studied NP-complete problems. Our generalized formulation unifies and extends several previously known results.
Dopamine and Serotonin-Induced Modulation of GABAergic and Glutamatergic Transmission in the Striatum and Basal Forebrain

Catecholamine receptor-mediated modulation of glutamatergic or GABAergic transmission in the striatum as well as basal forebrain (BF) has been intensively studied during these two decades. In the striatum, activation of dopamine (DA) D2 receptors in GABAergic terminals inhibits GABA release onto cholinergic interneurons by selective blockade of N-type calcium channels. In the BF, glutamatergic transmission onto cholinergic projection neurons is inhibited via DA D1-like receptors by selective blockade of P/Q-type calcium channels. On the other hand, presynaptic inhibition of the GABA release onto cholinergic neurons mediated by D1-like receptors or 5-HT1B receptors is independent of calcium influx. In addition, the DA receptor-mediated calcium influx dependent presynaptic inhibition mentioned above decreases with postnatal development, with selective coupling between DA receptors and each subtype of calcium channels being unchanged. Furthermore, the precise origin of these GABAergic or glutamatergic inputs to postsynaptic neurons can be identified by recent optogenetic approaches. Thus, modulatory mechanisms in specific synaptic connections between certain types of neurons in the striatum and BF are being identified.
A competency-based approach to expanding the cancer care workforce.

L ike nursing, many health care professions are experiencing significant workforce shortages, including social work, public health, pharmacy, medicine, basic science, and other allied health disciplines. Simultaneously, the aging population is creating an increased demand for health care services. At the intersection of these trends are vulnerable patient populations such as older adults experiencing chronic disease and cancer. C-Change, a coalition of cancer organizations, recognized these trends and has embarked upon several initiatives to address shortages in the cancer workforce. In addition to recruitment efforts targeting students to choose health careers, the Cancer Core Competency Initiative aims to bolster the basic cancer care knowledge and skills of the general health workforce. This article serves as an introduction to the initiative, including the project development methods, competency definitions, and future implementation plans. Subsequent columns will delve into specific aspects of the core curriculum with continuing nursing education offerings.
Geomorphological origin of recession curves

We identify a previously undetected link between the river network morphology and key recession curves properties through a conceptual‐physical model of the drainage process of the riparian unconfined aquifer. We show that the power‐law exponent, α, of −dQ/dt vs. Q curves is related to the power‐law exponent of N(l) vs. G(l) curves (which we show to be connected to Hack's law), where l is the downstream distance from the channel heads, N(l) is the number of channel reaches exactly located at a distance l from their channel head, and G(l) is the total length of the network located at a distance greater or equal to l from channel heads. Using Digital Terrain Models and daily discharge observations from 67 US basins we find that geomorphologic α estimates match well the values obtained from recession curves analyses. Finally, we argue that the link between recession flows and network morphology points to an important role of low‐flow discharges in shaping the channel network.
Variable Basal Melt Rates of Antarctic Peninsula Ice Shelves, 1994–2016

We have constructed 23‐year (1994–2016) time series of Antarctic Peninsula (AP) ice‐shelf height change using data from four satellite radar altimeters (ERS‐1, ERS‐2, Envisat, and CryoSat‐2). Combining these time series with output from atmospheric and firn models, we partitioned the total height‐change signal into contributions from varying surface mass balance, firn state, ice dynamics, and basal mass balance. On the Bellingshausen coast of the AP, ice shelves lost 84 ± 34 Gt a−1 to basal melting, compared to contributions of 50 ± 7 Gt a−1 from surface mass balance and ice dynamics. Net basal melting on the Weddell coast was 51 ± 71 Gt a−1. Recent changes in ice‐shelf height include increases over major AP ice shelves driven by changes in firn state. Basal melt rates near Bawden Ice Rise, a major pinning point of Larsen C Ice Shelf, showed large increases, potentially leading to substantial loss of buttressing if sustained.
Weather, Climate (Change) and Zoo Visitation: A Case Study of the Toronto Zoo (Ontario, Canada)

The statistical relationship between weather, climate and zoo visitation was determined and the impact of projected climate change was assessed, based on a case study of the Toronto Zoo (Ontario, Canada). This research was conducted in three independent study stages. The first study determined the weather sensitivity and temperature thresholds associated with visitation to the zoo, based on a statistical analysis of historical data. Temperature was found to be the most influential weather variable, positively affecting daily zoo visitation; however, when temperatures exceeded 26 °C in the shoulder season or 28 °C in the peak season, negative effects on visitation were observed. The second study used a modelling approach to assess the impact of projected climate change on future visitation to the zoo. The output from a series of seasonal multivariate regression models suggests that annual visitation to the zoo will likely increase over the course of the 21st century due to projected climate change. The main increases in visitation were projected during the shoulder seasons, with some potential losses during the peak season, especially if warming exceeds 3.5 °C. The third study used a multi-year temporal climate analogue approach to explore zoo visitor responses to seasonal climatic anomalies and reassess the impacts of projected climate change on zoo visitation. When anomalously warm winters and
Connectivity keeping paths in k-connected graphs

A result of G. Chartrand, A. Kaugars, and D. R. Lick [Proc Amer Math Soc 32 (1972), 63–68] says that every finite, k-connected graph G of minimum degree at least ⌊3k-2⌋ contains a vertex x such that G-x is still k-connected. We generalize this result by proving that every finite, k-connected graph G of minimum degree at least ⌊3k-2⌋+m-1 for a positive integer m contains a path P of length m-1 such that G-V(P) is still k-connected. This has been conjectured in a weaker form by S. Fujita and K. Kawarabayashi [J Combin Theory Ser B 98 (2008), 805–811]. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 65: 61–69, 2010.
RESPIRATION AND PROTEIN SYNTHESIS IN ESCHERICHIA COLI MEMBRANE-ENVELOPE FRAGMENTS

Membranes obtained from Escherichia coli have been solubilized with deoxycholate. The solubilized dehydrogenases and cytochromes are not sedimented at 105,000 g. These components readily penetrate the "included space" of Sepharose 4B (Pharmacia Fine Chemicals Inc., Uppsala, Sweden) and polyacrylamide gels and have been fractionated on the basis of molecular size. Solubilization destroys nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, reduced form (NADH) oxidase and D-lactate oxidase activities, but leaves an appreciable part of the original succinoxidase activity intact. Evidence for a succinate dehydrogenase-cytochrome b 1 complex is given. Menadione added to the solubilized preparation does not elicit NADH oxidase activity nor stimulate the existing succinoxidase activity, but does provoke an active D-lactate oxidase activity. This D-lactate oxidase activity, however, does not use cytochromes and is not sensitive to cyanide.
How Processor Speedups Can Slow Down I/O Performance

Power states in power-scalable systems are managed to maximize performance and reduce energy waste. Power-scalable processor capabilities (e.g., Intel Turbo Boost) embrace a "faster is better" approach to power management. While these technologies can vastly improve performance and energy efficiency, there is a growing body of evidence that "faster is not always better". For example, in some I/O intensive benchmarks, we observe up to 47% performance loss when running codes at faster (higher power) frequencies versus slower (lower power) frequencies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to systematically and accurately pinpoint the root cause of these types of slowdowns. The lack of such studies is likely due to three challenges we overcome in this work: 1) high runtime system variance, 2) bottleneck isolation across user- and system-space boundaries, and 3) non-determinism in parallel codes. Our analytical model-driven approach isolates resource contention as the root cause of slowdowns at higher processor speeds and suggests solutions we test empirically. We propose and evaluate the use of a power-aware that can increase performance more than 3-fold over the default Linux kernel while maintaining comparable reliability in the I/O subsystem. Our work motivates the need for more studies that potentially reconsider the "faster is better" design paradigm.
CLONIDINE STIMULATION TEST FOR GH DEFICIENCY: A NEW LOOK AT SAMPLE TIMING.

OBJECTIVE In the glucagon stimulation test (GST), the occurrence of peak growth hormone (GH) levels at typical times is an indication of normal secretion. This has not been studied for the clonidine stimulation test (CST). The 120-minute time is rarely the peak, and previous reports suggest it can be omitted. This study aimed to evaluate the meaning and utility of peak time in the CST and the significance of shortening the test. METHODS CSTs performed on 250 consecutive subjects in a single center were evaluated for results (GH sufficient or deficient) and result of confirmatory GST with respect to the peak time of the CST. RESULTS Peak GH occurred typically at 30, 60, and 90 minutes (91.6% of tests, versus 60% expected) (P<.001). A total of 132 of 155 (85.15%) sufficient tests occurred at typical times, versus 66 of 97 (68%) deficient tests (P<.05). Typicality of timing did not follow in the confirmatory GST and did not predict the final result of testing. Removal of the 120-minute sample affected the final result in 0.4% of evaluations. CONCLUSION The timing of the GH peak is not useful when interpreting the CST. The CST is equally effective when terminated at 90 minutes from stimulation.
Development of characteristics of laterite soil-based mixtures for the removal of nitrate from drinking water

The main objective of this study is to investigate surface adsorption characteristics and physical conditions of laterite for the removal of nitrate in aqueous solutions with the appropriate amendment for the effective removal of nitrate from drinking water. The physico-chemical properties of later-ite soil were analyzed. The effects of various operational parameters such as solution pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, and the initial concentration of nitrate were examined on nitrate adsorption by laterite and laterite-limestone soil mixtures using the batch experiments. The obtained results showed that the maximum percentage of nitrate adsorption attained by raw laterite was at initial pH 3, after 60 min of contact time, and with an adsorbent dose of 2 g. Pseudo-first-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model showed the best fit for the experimental adsorption data, and a maximum adsorption capacity of 0.628 mg/g was observed. Laterite-limestone mixture containing 60% laterite showed the highest removal efficiency. The results obtained by the limestone-laterite mixture showed that the maximum removal efficiency attained was at pH 3, after 180 min of contact time, and with an adsorbent dose of 2 g. Although the optimum pH was similar in both soil samples, the final pH of the solution had increased to 6.75 ± 0.17. Pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Freundlich isotherm model showed the best fit for the experimental adsorption data. This soil mixture was used to determine the effect of competing anions on the nitrate removal efficiency. It was found that phosphate ions have shown maximum influence.
Advances in Electronic-Nose Technologies Developed for Biomedical Applications

The research and development of new electronic-nose applications in the biomedical field has accelerated at a phenomenal rate over the past 25 years. Many innovative e-nose technologies have provided solutions and applications to a wide variety of complex biomedical and healthcare problems. The purposes of this review are to present a comprehensive analysis of past and recent biomedical research findings and developments of electronic-nose sensor technologies, and to identify current and future potential e-nose applications that will continue to advance the effectiveness and efficiency of biomedical treatments and healthcare services for many years. An abundance of electronic-nose applications has been developed for a variety of healthcare sectors including diagnostics, immunology, pathology, patient recovery, pharmacology, physical therapy, physiology, preventative medicine, remote healthcare, and wound and graft healing. Specific biomedical e-nose applications range from uses in biochemical testing, blood-compatibility evaluations, disease diagnoses, and drug delivery to monitoring of metabolic levels, organ dysfunctions, and patient conditions through telemedicine. This paper summarizes the major electronic-nose technologies developed for healthcare and biomedical applications since the late 1980s when electronic aroma detection technologies were first recognized to be potentially useful in providing effective solutions to problems in the healthcare industry.
Immunoreactivity for interleukin 3 and 5 and granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor of intestinal mucosa in bronchial asthma

T lymphocytes and eosinophils are important components of the inflammatory cell infiltrate in bronchial mucosa in asthma. Because activated lymphocytes migrate through the thoracic duct and the general circulation to remote glandular and mucosal sites, we initiated this study to evaluate pathological abnormalities and immunoreactivity for interleukin (IL) 3, IL-5, and granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) of intestinal mucosa in bronchial asthma. 15 asthmatic patients, 8 nonasthmatic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 6 atopic nonasthmatic healthy controls, and 6 nonatopic healthy controls were studied. Duodenal biopsies were performed by endoscopy. A significantly increased number of intraepithelial lymphocytes and eosinophils and a significant accumulation of mononuclear cells (lymphocytes and mast cells) and eosinophils in the lamina propria were detected in asthmatics and atopic controls. Immunostaining with antibodies directed against IL-3, IL-5, and GM-CSF was positive in asthmatics and atopic controls, whereas no staining was observed in nonatopic controls and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Combined ultrastructural study and immunogold labeling demonstrated that IL-3, IL-5, and GM-CSF were localized in eosinophils and mast cells. Although devoid of gastrointestinal symptoms, asthmatics and asymptomatic atopics had duodenal pathological abnormalities mimicking those observed in the bronchial mucosa in asthma, suggesting that the whole mucosal immune system is involved in bronchial asthma.
Risk of Post-transplant Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence Is Higher in Recipients of Livers From Male Than Female Living Donors

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between donor sex and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after living donor liver transplantation. Background: HCC shows a male predominance in incidence and recurrence after tumor resection due to sex differences in hepatic sex hormone receptors. There have been no studies evaluating the importance of donor sex on post-transplant HCC recurrence. Methods: Of 384 recipients of livers, from living donors, for HCC: 104/120 who received grafts from female donors were matched with 246/264 who received grafts from male donors using propensity score matching, with an unfixed matching ratio based on factors like tumor biology. Survival analysis was performed with death as a competing risk event. The primary outcome was overall HCC recurrence. Results: The median follow-up time was 39 months. Before matching, recurrence probability at 1/2/5 years after transplantation was 6.1/9.7/12.7% in recipients with female donors and 11.7/19.2/25.3% in recipients with male donors. Recurrence risk was significantly higher with male donors in univariable analysis (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.04 [1.15–3.60], P = 0.014) and multivariable analysis (HR=2.10 [1.20–3.67], P = 0.018). In the matched analysis, recurrence risk was also higher with male donors (HR=1.92 [1.05–3.52], P = 0.034): both in intrahepatic recurrence (HR=1.92 [1.05–3.51], P = 0.034) and extrahepatic recurrence (HR=1.93 [1.05–3.52], P = 0.033). Multivariable analysis confirmed the significance of donor sex (HR=2.08 [1.11–3.91], P = 0.023). Interestingly, the significance was lost when donor age was >40 years. Two external cohorts validated the significance of donor sex. Conclusions: Donor sex appears to be an important graft factor modulating HCC recurrence after living donor liver transplantation.
The effect of storage time and freeze-thaw cycles on the stability of serum samples

Introduction: Optimal storage of serum specimens in central laboratories for a long period for multicenter reference interval studies, or epidemiologic studies remains to be determined. We aimed to examine the analytical stability of chemistry analytes following numerous freeze-thaw and long term storage. Materials and methods: Serum samples were obtained from 15 patients. Following baseline measurement, sera of each subject were aliquoted and stored at −20 °C for two experiments. A group of sera were kept frozen for up to 1, 2 and 3 months and then analyzed for stability. The other experiment consisted of one to ten times of freeze and thaw cycles. Total of 17 chemistry analytes were assayed at each time point. The results were compared with those obtained from the initial analysis of fresh samples. Median or mean changes from baseline (T0) concentrations were evaluated both statistically and clinically according to the desirable bias. Results: Of the analytes studied, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatine kinase (CK), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), direct bilirubin, glucose, creatinine, cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein (HDL) were stable in all conditions. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), uric acid, total protein, albumin, total bilirubin, calcium, lactate dehydrogenase (LD) were changed significantly (P < 0.005). Conclusions: As a result, common clinical chemistry analytes, with considering the variability of unstable analytes, showed adequote stability after 3 months of storage in sera at −20 °C, or up to ten times of freeze-thaw cycle. All the same, such analysis can only be performed for exceptional cases, and this should be taken into account while planning studies.