Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and Safety of Intravitreal Therapy in Macular Edema Due to Branch and Central Retinal Vein Occlusion: a Systematic Review

Background Intravitreal agents have replaced observation in macular edema in central (CRVO) and grid laser photocoagulation in branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). We conducted a systematic review to evaluate efficacy and safety outcomes of intravitreal therapies for macular edema in CRVO and BRVO. Methods And Findings: MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched for RCTs with no limitations of language and year of publication. 11 RCTs investigating anti-VEGF agents (ranibizumab, bevacizumab, aflibercept) and steroids (triamcinolone, dexamethasone implant) with a minimum follow-up of 1 year were evaluated. Efficacy: CRVO Greatest gain in visual acuity after 12 months was observed both under aflibercept 2 mg: +16.2 letters (8.5 injections), and under bevacizumab 1.25 mg: +16.1 letters (8 injections). Ranibizumab 0.5 mg improved vision by +13.9 letters (8.8 injections). Triamcinolone 1 mg and 4 mg stabilized visual acuity at a lower injection frequency (-1.2 letters, 2 injections). BRVO Ranibizumab 0.5 mg resulted in a visual acuity gain of +18.3 letters (8.4 injections). The effect of dexamethasone implant was transient after 1.9 implants in both indications. Safety Serious ocular adverse events were rare, e.g., endophthalmitis occurred in 0.0-0.9%. Major differences were found in an indirect comparison between steroids and anti-VEGF agents for cataract progression (19.8-35.0% vs. 0.9-7.0%) and in required treatment of increased intraocular pressure (7.0-41.0% vs. none). No major differences were identified in systemic adverse events. Conclusions Anti-VEGF agents result in a promising gain of visual acuity, but require a high injection frequency. Dexamethasone implant might be an alternative, but comparison is impaired as the effect is temporary and it has not yet been tested in PRN regimen. The ocular risk profile seems to be favorable for anti-VEGF agents in comparison to steroids. Because comparative data from head-to-head trials are missing currently, clinicians and patients should carefully weigh the benefit-harm ratio.
Epithelial–mesenchymal transition in tumor metastasis

The epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a developmental program that enables stationary epithelial cells to gain the ability to migrate and invade as single cells. Tumor cells reactivate EMT to acquire molecular alterations that enable the partial loss of epithelial features and partial gain of a mesenchymal phenotype. Our understanding of the contribution of EMT to tumor invasion, migration, and metastatic outgrowth has evolved over the past decade. In this review, we provide a summary of both historic and recent studies on the role of EMT in the metastatic cascade from various experimental systems, including cancer cell lines, genetic mouse tumor models, and clinical human breast cancer tissues.
Scaling Patterns in Exotic and Native Bird Species Distribution and Abundance

Scaling phenomena are at the core of a great variety of ecological processes ranging from individual physiology to population, community and ecosystems, and emerge as the result of the operation of general principles governing their structure and functioning. In this chapter, we assess the generality of scaling relationships in the distribution and abundance of species by comparing invasive exotics and native species recorded in the Breeding Bird Survey within the North American continent. To do this we compare scaling patterns in nine exotic species (the exotic set) and compare them to a set of native species chosen to maximize taxonomic and ecological similarity (the similar set) and to a random set of native species (the random set). For each set of species we assessed the scaling of the spatial characteristics of range occupancy, the intraspecific and interspecific scaling between distribution and abundance and the scaling of the abundance frequency distribution. Our results indicate that exotic and native species show similar scaling patterns in their distribution and abundance, which suggests they are under the influence of similar process thus supporting the generality of these scaling relationships. However, exotic species do differ from natives in a key aspect of their ecology; they are able to reach higher maximum abundances and show a more even abundance-distribution relationship, probably as a result of having broad ecological tolerances, which could be a key to their successful establishment and further spread.
D ec 2 00 1 SNUTP 01-042 Supersymmetry-based Approach to Quantum Particle Dynamics on a Curved Surface with Non-zero Magnetic Field

We present the N = 2 supersymmetric formulation for the classical and quantum dynamics of a nonrelativistic charged paritcle on a curved surface in the presence of a perpendicular magnetic field. For a particle moving on a constant-curvature surface in a constant magnetic field, our Hamiltonian possesses the shape-invariance property in addition. On the surface of a sphere and also on the hyperbolic plane, we exploit the supersymmetry and shape-invariance properties to obtain complete solutions to the corresponding quantum mechanical problems. ∗Email address: calaf2@snu.ac.kr †Email address: cklee@phya.snu.ac.kr 1
A new hierarchical method for music genre classification

Large collections of music bring new challenges for people to choose the favorite songs. Music genre explicitly defined can help people to solve this problem. However, classifying the music genre automatically is a challenging problem since many genres do not have any special features. This paper presents a new music genre classification method which utilizes hierarchical analysis of the spectrograms features extracted from the audio signals. First support vector machines are used to build the classification tree, then K nearest neighbors are implemented to improve the accuracy of the classification. The GTZAN genre collection music database is used to evaluate the proposed model, and the results show that this model can get comparable results compared with some other existing music genre classification methods.
Safety and Efficacy of a Membrane-Tube-Type Glaucoma Shunt Device: An Animal Trial

ABSTRACT Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a membrane-tube-type glaucoma shunt device (MT-device), which was developed to control intraocular pressure (IOP) with a lower chance of complications than conventional glaucoma surgery, in a rabbit model. Materials and Methods: The MT-device consists of an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane (thickness 0.2 mm, area 2.5 × 2.5 mm2) and a tube (internal diameter 76 µm, external diameter 175.5 µm, length 7 mm) attached to the membrane. The device was implanted into the left eyes of nine New Zealand white rabbits. The tube was placed in the anterior chamber through paracentesis, and the membrane was fixated on the scleral surface; this induces aqueous drainage from the anterior chamber to the subconjunctival space. IOP, filtering bleb morphology, depth and inflammation of the anterior chamber, and possible complications were evaluated periodically for 8 weeks after surgery. Histological sections were analyzed at 2 and 8 weeks after the surgery. Results: Mean IOP decreased from a preoperative value of 8.7 ± 1.2–4.7 ± 0.6 mmHg at postoperative 8 weeks (p < 0.05). The filtering bleb was maintained during the study period. There were no major postoperative complications. Histologic assessment revealed that 2 weeks after the surgery, fibrous encapsulation, inflammatory cells, and fibroblasts were observed around the MT-device; however, 8 weeks after the surgery, minimal inflammation was observed. Conclusions: The MT-device showed good biocompatibility and effective IOP reduction with a low risk of complications in a rabbit model.
The Acquisition of hMLH1 Methylation in Plasma DNA after Chemotherapy Predicts Poor Survival for Ovarian Cancer Patients

Aberrant epigenetic regulation, such as CpG island methylation and associated transcriptional silencing of genes, has been implicated in a variety of human diseases, including cancer. Methylation of genes involved in apoptosis, including the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) gene hMLH1, can occur in tumor models of resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. However, the relevance for acquired resistance to chemotherapy of patients’ tumors remains unsubstantiated. Plasma DNA from cancer patients, including those with ovarian cancer, often contains identical DNA changes as the tumor and provides a means to monitor CpG island methylation changes. We have examined plasma DNA of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer enrolled in the SCOTROC1 Phase III clinical trial for methylation of the hMLH1 CpG island before carboplatin/taxoid chemotherapy and at relapse. Methylation of hMLH1 is increased at relapse, and 25% (34 of 138) of relapse samples have hMLH1 methylation that is not detected in matched prechemotherapy plasma samples. Furthermore, hMLH1 methylation is significantly associated with increased microsatellite instability in plasma DNA at relapse, providing an independent measure of function of the MMR pathway. Acquisition of hMLH1 methylation in plasma DNA at relapse predicts poor overall survival of patients, independent from time to progression and age (hazard ratio, 1.99; 95% confidence interval, 1.20–3.30; P = 0.007). These data support the clinical relevance of acquired hMLH1 methylation and concomitant loss of DNA MMR after chemotherapy of ovarian cancer patients. DNA methylation changes in plasma provide the potential to define patterns of methylation during therapy and identify those patient populations who would be suitable for novel epigenetic therapies.
Does Cruciate-Retaining Total Knee Arthroplasty Show Better Quadriceps Recovery than Posterior-Stabilized Total Knee Arthroplasty? - Objective Measurement with a Dynamometer in 102 Knees

Background Cruciate-retaining (CR) prostheses have been considered to produce more physiologic femoral rollback, provide better proprioception, and result in better quadriceps recovery than posterior-stabilized (PS) prostheses after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, there are very few studies demonstrating these benefits in an objective manner. We investigated whether CR-TKA could result in (1) better quadriceps recovery; (2) a greater proportion of patients with beyond the preoperative level of recovery; and (3) better clinical outcomes than PS-TKA. Methods This was a prospective non-randomized comparative study on the results of CR-TKA and PS-TKA. CR prostheses were used in 51 knees and PS prostheses in 51 knees. Quadriceps force was measured with a dynamometer preoperatively and at postoperative 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months consecutively. The Knee Society score (KSS) and range of motion (ROM) were also evaluated. Results There were no differences between two groups in terms of the objective quadriceps force during the follow-up period. The proportion of patients with beyond the preoperative level of recovery was similar between groups. Moreover, the KSS and ROM were not significantly different between two groups. Conclusions CR-TKA did not result in better quadriceps recovery than PS-TKA during the 6-month follow-up. In other words, PS-TKA could lead to comparable quadriceps recovery despite greater preoperative weaknesses such as more restricted ROM and more severe degenerative changes of the knee.
Physical activity, sedentary behavior and their correlates in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A systematic review

Autism Spectrum Disorder affects up to 2.5% of children and is associated with harmful health outcomes (e.g. obesity). Low levels of physical activity and high levels of sedentary behaviors may contribute to harmful health outcomes. To systematically review the prevalence and correlates of physical activity and sedentary behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, electronic databases (PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, EMBASE, Medline) were searched from inception to November 2015. The review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42014013849). Peer-reviewed, English language studies were included. Two reviewers screened potentially relevant articles. Outcomes of interest were physical activity and sedentary behaviour levels and their potential correlates. Data were collected and analysed in 2015. Of 35 included studies, 15 reported physical activity prevalence, 10 reported physical activity correlates, 18 reported sedentary behavior prevalence, and 10 reported sedentary behavior correlates. Estimates of children’s physical activity (34–166 mins/day, average 86 mins/day) and sedentary behavior (126–558 mins/day in screen time, average 271 mins/day; 428–750 mins/day in total sedentary behavior, average 479 mins/day) varied across studies. Age was consistently inversely associated, and sex inconsistently associated with physical activity. Age and sex were inconsistently associated with sedentary behavior. Sample sizes were small. All but one of the studies were classified as having high risk of bias. Few correlates have been reported in sufficient studies to provide overall estimates of associations. Potential correlates in the physical environment remain largely unexamined. This review highlights varying levels of physical activity and sedentary behavior in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Research is needed to consistently identify the correlates of these behaviors. There is a critical need for interventions to support healthy levels of these behaviors.
Regularization of bellman equations for infinite-horizon probabilistic properties

This work studies Bellman integral equations arising in infinite-horizon probabilistic verification problems for discrete time homogeneous Markov processes over general state spaces. The problems of interest are expressed via specifications such as probabilistic reachability, invariance, reach-avoid and mean exit time. The contribution shows that the uniqueness of the solutions of the corresponding Bellman equations depends on the presence of absorbing sets within the state space. Furthermore, the work puts forward methods to modify the integral equations to obtain unique solutions for them, techniques to compute such solutions with explicit bounds on the approximation error, and conditions to characterize the possible presence of absorbing sets over the state space.
Mutation of the ER retention receptor KDELR1 leads to cell-intrinsic lymphopenia and a failure to control chronic viral infection

Significance Chaperones in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are essential for protein folding and for the maintenance of an efficient secretory pathway. These chaperones can also accompany their substrates during transit from the ER to the Golgi. The prototypical mammalian KDEL receptor (KDELR1) functions by returning chaperones and other proteins to the ER. We show that a recessive missense mutation of Kdelr1 in mice is associated with low numbers of lymphocytes in the blood (lymphopenia), reduced expression of the T-cell receptor, and compromised antiviral immunity. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident proteins are continually retrieved from the Golgi and returned to the ER by Lys-Asp-Glu-Leu (KDEL) receptors, which bind to an eponymous tetrapeptide motif at their substrate's C terminus. Mice and humans possess three paralogous KDEL receptors, but little is known about their functional redundancy, or if their mutation can be physiologically tolerated. Here, we present a recessive mouse missense allele of the prototypical mammalian KDEL receptor, KDEL ER protein retention receptor 1 (KDELR1). Kdelr1 homozygous mutants were mildly lymphopenic, as were mice with a CRISPR/Cas9-engineered frameshift allele. Lymphopenia was cell intrinsic and, in the case of T cells, was associated with reduced expression of the T-cell receptor (TCR) and increased expression of CD44, and could be partially corrected by an MHC class I-restricted TCR transgene. Antiviral immunity was also compromised, with Kdelr1 mutant mice unable to clear an otherwise self-limiting viral infection. These data reveal a nonredundant cellular function for KDELR1, upon which lymphocytes distinctly depend.
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Technical Note: the Libradtran Software Package for Radiative Transfer Calculations – Description and Examples of Use

The libRadtran software package is a suite of tools for radiative transfer calculations in the Earth's atmosphere. Its main tool is the uvspec program. It may be used to compute radiances, irradiances and actinic fluxes in the solar and terrestrial part of the spectrum. The design of uvspec allows simple problems to be easily solved using defaults and included data, hence making it suitable for educational purposes. At the same time the flexibility in how and what input may be specified makes it a powerful and versatile tool for research tasks. The uvspec tool and additional tools included with libRadtran are described and realistic examples of their use are given. The libRadtran software package is available from http://www.libradtran. org.
Location and Activity Recommendation by Using Consecutive Itinerary Matching Model

In fact, most people have had the experience that they haven’t made detailed itinerary in advance before a journey, and as a result they don’t know what place or what kind of activity is suitable as the next visit location and activity after they engage in an activity in a certain place. To alleviate such problem, in this paper, we proposed the Consecutive Itinerary Matching Model to help mobile users find next locations and activities in line with their leisure needs. This model effectively utilizes time, location, user, and activity as features to find the most possible “Consecutive Itinerary” and then recommend mobile users next locations and activities. In this preliminary study, although our approach achieved only about 30% top-1 inclusion rate, however, to our knowledge, this work is novel for the recommendation of location and activity based on consecutive itinerary discovery from check-in data.
Safety of Atomoxetine in Combination With Intravenous Cocaine in Cocaine-Experienced Participants

Objectives:Atomoxetine has been considered as an agonist replacement therapy for cocaine. We investigated the safety of the interaction of atomoxetine with cocaine and also whether cognitive function was affected by atomoxetine during short-term administration. Methods:In a double-blind placebo-controlled inpatient study of 20 cocaine-dependent volunteers, participants received atomoxetine 80 mg daily followed by 100 mg daily for 5 days each. On the fourth and fifth day at each dose, cocaine (20 and 40 mg) was infused intravenously in sequential daily sessions. Results:Preinfusion mean systolic pressures showed a small but statistically significant difference between placebo and both doses of atomoxetine. Preinfusion mean diastolic pressures were significant between placebo and atomoxetine 80 mg only. The diastolic pressure response to 40 mg cocaine was statistically significant only between the 80- and 100-mg atomoxetine doses. All electrocardiogram parameters were unchanged. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores for “bad effect” in the atomoxetine group were significantly higher at baseline, then declined, and for “likely to use” declined with atomoxetine treatment. On the Addiction Research Center Inventory, the atomoxetine group scored significantly lower on amphetamine, euphoria, and energy subscales (P < 0.0001). Other VAS descriptors, Brief Substance Craving Scale, Profile of Moods State, and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale showed no differences. Atomoxetine did not affect cocaine pharmacokinetics. In tests of working memory, sustained attention, cognitive flexibility, and decision-making, atomoxetine improved performance on the visual n-back task. There were no differences in any pharmacokinetic parameters for cocaine with atomoxetine. Conclusions:Atomoxetine was tolerated safely by all participants. Certain cognitive improvements and a dampening effect on VAS scores after cocaine were observed, but should be weighed against small but significant differences in hemodynamic responses after atomoxetine.
Disease contact tracing in random and clustered networks

The efficacy of contact tracing, be it between individuals (e.g. sexually transmitted diseases or severe acute respiratory syndrome) or between groups of individuals (e.g. foot-and-mouth disease; FMD), is difficult to evaluate without precise knowledge of the underlying contact structure; i.e. who is connected to whom? Motivated by the 2001 FMD epidemic in the UK, we determine, using stochastic simulations and deterministic ‘moment closure’ models of disease transmission on networks of premises (nodes), network and disease properties that are important for contact tracing efficiency. For random networks with a high average number of connections per node, little clustering of connections and short latency periods, contact tracing is typically ineffective. In this case, isolation of infected nodes is the dominant factor in determining disease epidemic size and duration. If the latency period is longer and the average number of connections per node small, or if the network is spatially clustered, then the contact tracing performs better and an overall reduction in the proportion of nodes that are removed during an epidemic is observed.
Introducing particle swarm optimization into a genetic algorithm to evolve robot controllers

This paper presents Swarm-Assisted Behavior Graph Evolution (SABRE), a genetic algorithm which combines elements from genetic programming and neuroevolution to develop Behavior Graphs (BGs). SABRE evolves graph structure and parameters in parallel, with particle swarm optimization (PSO) being used for the latter. The algorithm's performance was evaluated on a set of black-box function approximation problems, one of which represents part of a robot controller. We found that SABRE performed significantly better in approximating the mathematically complex test functions than the reference algorithms genetic programming (GG) and NEAT.
Security Analysis and Improvements of Two-Factor Mutual Authentication with Key Agreement in Wireless Sensor Networks

User authentication and key management are two important security issues in WSNs (Wireless Sensor Networks). In WSNs, for some applications, the user needs to obtain real-time data directly from sensors and several user authentication schemes have been recently proposed for this case. We found that a two-factor mutual authentication scheme with key agreement in WSNs is vulnerable to gateway node bypassing attacks and user impersonation attacks using secret data stored in sensor nodes or an attacker's own smart card. In this paper, we propose an improved scheme to overcome these security weaknesses by storing secret data in unique ciphertext form in each node. In addition, our proposed scheme should provide not only security, but also efficiency since sensors in a WSN operate with resource constraints such as limited power, computation, and storage space. Therefore, we also analyze the performance of the proposed scheme by comparing its computation and communication costs with those of other schemes.