Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multifactorial predictors and outcome variables of vision restoration training in patients with post-geniculate visual field loss.

PURPOSE Systematic stimulation of the visual field border in patients with visual field loss after cerebral lesions improves visual function even years after the onset of partial blindness. However, computer-based training programs like Vision Restoration Training (VRT) are not equally effective in all patients. We therefore tested which factors determine training outcome and which visual and cognitive functions are changed by VRT. METHODS Multiple outcome measures were predicted using a multifactorial regression approach. Nineteen patients with post-geniculate visual system lesions performed six months of VRT and underwent extensive testing before and after treatment, including visual field measurements, attention functions, and subjective parameters. RESULTS Visual field size increased significantly during training, but a number of cognitive, especially attentional, variables also improved, as did subjective visual function. The size of areas of residual vision was the strongest predictor variable for visual field increase. Demographic and lesion-related variables had little influence on training success. CONCLUSIONS With multivariate regression models, training outcome on different variables can be accurately predicted. Moreover, visual field increase is sufficiently predictable based on a set of variables readily available to the clinician: age of the patient, time since lesion, number of absolute perimetric defects, eccentricity of the visual field border, size of areas of residual vision, and average reaction time to perimetric stimuli.
The nontoxic tripeptide glycyl-prolyl-glycine amide inhibits the replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether short peptides corresponding to the RGPGR motif of the V3 loop of gp 120 have anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (anti-HIV-1) activity. DESIGN/METHODS Short peptides were tested against the HIV-1 laboratory strains and clinical isolates. RESULTS The tripeptide glycyl-prolyl-glycine amide (GPG-NH2) inhibited the replication of both laboratory strains and 47 clinical isolates, including 19 strains that were resistant to other drugs or that were from patients with failing therapy. The 50% inhibitory concentrations values were 2.7 to 37 microM. Phenotypic change of two isolates from nonsyncytia-inducing to syncytia-inducing did not change their sensitivity to GPG-NH2. The tripeptide added to the antiviral effect of both zidovudine and ritonavir. CONCLUSIONS The tripeptide GPG-NH2 is a nontoxic compound that inhibits the replication of HIV-1 by an apparently new mode of action. Glycyl-prolyl-glycine-NH2 might prove useful by itself or as a lead compound for the treatment of drug-resistant HIV-1. Glycyl-prolyl-glycine-NH2 is currently undergoing phase I/II human clinical trials in Sweden.
Solving the inclination sign ambiguity in three dimensional Polarized Light Imaging with a PDE-based method

Three dimensional Polarized Light Imaging (3D-PLI) is a contrast-enhancing technique that measures the spatial fiber architecture in the human postmortem brain or heart at a submillimeter resolution. In a voxel, the 3D fiber orientation is defined by the direction angle and the inclination angle whose sign is unknown. To have an accurate explanation of fiber orientation, it is compulsory to clear up this sign ambiguity. A tilting process provides information about the true inclination sign, however the technique is highly sensitive to noise. In this work, a partial differential equations based method is proposed to reduce the noise: the total variation model of Rudin-Osher-Fatemi is extended to 3D orientation vector images to restore the sign. The proposed algorithm is evaluated on synthetic and human heart data and results show that the true sign of the inclination angle can be successfully extracted.
CMOS active transformer current-mode phase-locked loops

This paper introduces active transformer current- mode phase-locked loops. The proposed current-mode PLLs differ from voltage-mode PLLs by replacing their RC loop filter with an active transformer loop filter to take the advantage of the large self and mutual inductances, and small silicon area of active transformers. Implemented in TSMC-0.18 mum CMOS technology, the simulation results of a 3 GHz active transformer current-mode PLL demonstrate that the PLL has the lock time 50 ns, silicon area 2800 mum2, dc power consumption 12.2 mW, and phase noise of -81.5 dBc at 1 MHz frequency offset.
Aggregate and Distributional Dynamics of Consumer Credit in the U. S

This paper develops stylized facts on the dynamics of consumer credit in the United States in the period 2001-2013. The data allows to separate two distinct period: Pre and post Great Recession. We place special emphasis documenting the participation decision (extensive margin), the volume (intensive margin), and default. The analysis of the data reveals some key findings: Between 1999 and 2013, the fraction of individual with only unsecured debt has been decreasing in terms of participation and the size of their balances. The balances for individuals with mortgages increased until 2008, but then dramatically decreased during the Great Recession. The evidence allows to test existing theories of consumer (unsecured) credit by checking their consistency with the data (at the aggregate and distributional levels). This allows determining the relative importance of different factors driving the dynamics of credit. The baseline model calibrated for the period 2001-2008 and tested to capture the deleverage episode during the Great Recession.
Exploring the Job Satisfaction of Municipal Clerks

Using data from a survey of municipal clerks across the United States, this research tests a model of job satisfaction for municipal employees based on research by Ellickson and Logsdon (2001). The primary hypothesis is that the model will not hold true for this subgroup of municipal employees because municipal clerks are different from other public sector employees. Clerks are different in part because their job duties and responsibilities are set out by statute, there is a great deal of autonomy, and the position is one most often held by females. To test the research hypotheses, multivariate regression analysis was employed. Results suggest that this model does not explain the variation in job satisfaction of municipal clerks across the United States as fully as the Ellickson and Logsdon’s model did in their study of municipal employees in one city.
Conquering the cube: learning to sketch primitives in perspective with an intelligent tutoring system

Design sketching is a powerful tool for expressing ideas from pen and paper effectively and becoming a more well-rounded communicator. Sketching instructors conventionally employ pen and paper in their classrooms to convey these fundamentals to students. However this traditional approach limits the bandwidth and capability of instructors to give timely and individualized feedback. An intelligent tutoring system can leverage the knowledge of domain expert design sketching instructors so that students can practice and receive real-time feedback outside of classroom hours. Our system leverages consulted instructor insights and observed pedagogical practices of an active university design sketching curriculum, and applies them in a mastery-based progression of exercises that utilize sketch recognition to give real-time feedback. An evaluation of our system's usability in a class of engineering students studying design sketching showed that it performed very well, was seen by the students as a motivating and intuitive practice tool, and allowed the students to improve the accuracy and speed of their sketches.
Overlaying Quantitative Measurement on Networks: An Evaluation of Three Positioning and Nine Visual Marker Techniques

We report results from an experiment on ranking visual markers and node positioning techniques for network visualizations. Inspired by prior ranking studies, we rethink the ranking when the dataset size increases and when the markers are distributed in space. Centrality indices are visualized as node attributes. Our experiment studies nine visual markers and three positioning methods. Our results suggest that direct encoding of quantities improves accuracy by about 20% compared to previous results. Of the three positioning techniques, circular was always in the top group, and matrix and projection switch orders depending on two factors: whether or not the tasks demand symmetry, or the nodes are within closely proximity. Among the most interesting results of ranking the visual markers for comparison tasks are that hue and area fall into the top groups for nearly all multi-scale comparison tasks; Shape (ordered by curvature) is perhaps not as scalable as we have thought and can support more accurate answers only when two quantities are compared; Lightness and slope are least accurate for quantitative comparisons regardless of scale of the comparison tasks. Our experiment is among the first to acquire a complete picture of ranking visual markers in different scales for comparison tasks.
Quality assessment of building roof segmentation from Airborne LIDAR data

Roof segmentation, i.e. separating building roofs, is a key step in deriving building models as it directly influences the precision and accuracy of the final building models. Even though various segmentation methods have been proposed, convincing and completing evaluations of the segmentation results are rarely discussed. This paper proposes several approaches to provide quantitative evaluation of building roof segmentation results, which can help to assess the quality of the building models reconstructed from LiDAR data. The popular segmentation method, i.e. the RANSAC algorithm, is employed to segment building points. Firstly, the number of invalid planes is counted to provide an intuitive assessment of segmentation methods. Then the roof intersection lines are also estimated in order to provide an accurate evaluation of the accuracy of the segmentation method. 15 buildings with various shapes of complexity that were selected from three different LiDAR datasets are utilized to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the RANSAC method. Finally, the geometric accuracy of the intersection lines derived from segmentation is evaluated through a comparison with the corresponding intersection lines obtained from 25cm resolution aerial images using photogrammetric method.
PEG–lipid micelles as drug carriers: physiochemical attributes, formulation principles and biological implication

Abstract PEG–lipid micelles, primarily conjugates of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and distearyl phosphatidylethanolamine (DSPE) or PEG–DSPE, have emerged as promising drug-delivery carriers to address the shortcomings associated with new molecular entities with suboptimal biopharmaceutical attributes. The flexibility in PEG–DSPE design coupled with the simplicity of physical drug entrapment have distinguished PEG–lipid micelles as versatile and effective drug carriers for cancer therapy. They were shown to overcome several limitations of poorly soluble drugs such as non-specific biodistribution and targeting, lack of water solubility and poor oral bioavailability. Therefore, considerable efforts have been made to exploit the full potential of these delivery systems; to entrap poorly soluble drugs and target pathological sites both passively through the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect and actively by linking the terminal PEG groups with targeting ligands, which were shown to increase delivery efficiency and tissue specificity. This article reviews the current state of PEG–lipid micelles as delivery carriers for poorly soluble drugs, their biological implications and recent developments in exploring their active targeting potential. In addition, this review sheds light on the physical properties of PEG–lipid micelles and their relevance to the inherent advantages and applications of PEG–lipid micelles for drug delivery.
Prevalence of atrial fibrillation and associated factors in a population of long-term hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND Hemodialysis (HD) is associated with cardiovascular structural modifications; moreover, during HD, rapid electrolytic changes occur. Both factors may favor the onset of atrial fibrillation. METHODS To define the prevalence of atrial fibrillation and identify associated factors, 488 patients on long-term HD therapy (age, 66.6 +/- 13.4 years; men, 58.0%; duration of HD, 76.5 +/- 84.3 months) were studied. RESULTS Atrial fibrillation was reported in 27.0% of patients; paroxysmal in 3.5%, persistent in 9.6%, and permanent in 13.9%. Clinical and echocardiographic variables were considered: patients with atrial fibrillation were older (71.8 +/- 9.3 versus 64.7 +/- 14.2 years; P < 0.01), and its prevalence increased with age. Patients with arrhythmia had a longer duration of dialysis therapy (93.2 +/- 100.5 versus 70.2 +/- 76.7 months; P = 0.02). Atrial fibrillation was associated significantly with ischemic heart disease (P < 0.01), dilated cardiomyopathy (P < 0.01), acute pulmonary edema (P < 0.05), valvular disease (P < 0.05), cerebrovascular accidents (P < 0.05), and predialytic hyperkalemia (P < 0.05). Patients with atrial fibrillation more frequently showed left atrial dilatation (59.8% versus 34.5%; P < 0.0001), and in these subjects, left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly lower (53.9% versus 57.4%; P = 0.029). No association was found between arrhythmia and hypertension or diabetes. Multivariate analysis confirmed that patient age (P < 0.001), duration of HD therapy (P = 0.001), and left atrial dilatation (P < 0.001) were associated with atrial fibrillation. CONCLUSION Atrial fibrillation is much more frequent in HD patients than in the general population; age, duration of HD history, presence of some heart diseases, and left atrial dilatation are associated with the arrhythmia.
A genetic investigation of virulence in a rodent malaria parasite

The genetic basis of virulence in a line (YM) of Plasmodium yoelii yoelii was investigated in a cross with a mild line (A/C). The blood forms of the virulent line developed extensively in mature erythrocytes of mice, causing death of the host within 7 days; infections with the mild line were normally restricted to reticulocytes, infected animals recovering after three weeks. Lines YM and A/C differed additionally in enzyme and drug-sensitivity markers. Studies on infections established from each line alone from sporozoite mixtures of the two lines and from the cross between the lines showed that the appearance of virulence had been caused by a genetic change in the parasite, and not by other factors such as a concurrent infection with another organism. An analysis of the characters of 56 clones derived from the cross showed that the virulence character had undergone recombination with the other markers, and appeared to be inherited in Mendelian fashion. Three clones exhibited atypical virulence, although it was not clear whether this had been produced by genetic recombination.
Spatial Metrics of the Technological Transfer: Analysis and Strategic Management

The Triple Helix thesis states that research laboratories and universities can play an enhanced role in innovation in increasingly knowledge-based societies. In fact the locus of industrial innovation is shifting towards networks focused on technological transfer from public research laboratories to firms. This scenario presents challenges for investigating the new behaviour of research laboratories and the measurement and evaluation of their scientific and technological activity. This study analyses how the variable ‘space’ affects an important activity carried out within these laboratories: the technological transfer. The purpose of this research is to: (1) construct indicators, called sensors, starting from the geographical neo-classical approach based on physical distance, for measuring and studying the spatial dynamics of technological transfer;(2) apply the metrics to case studies using data from three institutes of the Italian National Council of Research operating in an industrialised region in the north-west Italy. The sensors are useful for understanding the spatial behaviour both of the technological transfer process, and the strategy of research laboratories. Some management implications conclude the research.
Evaluation of Long-Lasting Sensorimotor Consequences following Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury in Rats: The Neuroprotective Role of MgSO4

Perinatal asphyxia (PA) is a major determinant for long-term sensorimotor and locomotor deficits. The model of neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) in 7-day-old rats produces sensorimotor cortex, thalamus and striatum injury, which are all critical for the maintenance of sensory motor function. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term neurodevelopmental disturbances in the above experimental model and to assess the neuroprotective effect of MgSO4 in terms of long-term behavioral and morphological changes. Seven-day-old rats were separated into three groups: A (control), neither ligated nor exposed to hypoxia; B (HI/MgSO4) ligated, exposed to hypoxia and treated with MgSO4 (2 g/kg b.w., i.p.), and C (HI) ligated and exposed to hypoxia. At the age of 42 days, the behavior of the rats was evaluated using 5 sensorimotor tests. Muscle power, motor coordination, reflexes, and limb placing were tested to different sensory stimuli. The study was completed with the histopathological evaluation of brain tissue damage. In all individual tests the HI-treated rats performed significantly worse than the control and MgSO4-treated rats and this difference was more pronounced in the limb placing tests. Additionally, neonatal HI resulted in extensive neuronal damage that was limited after MgSO4 administration. Behavioral alterations represent a useful endpoint for studying the consequences of a perinatal HI insult and the efficacy of potential neuroprotective treatments. MgSO4 administration resulted in prevention of HI-induced sensorimotor deficits and brain injury.
Control of nucleosome movement: To space or not to space nucleosomes?

A key feature of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes is how they control the ability of the complex to translocate along DNA within the context of a nucleosome. Although these complexes generally initiate DNA translocation near the dyad axis of the nucleosome, the progression and eventual termination is regulated in quite distinct ways. The best studies examples of these are the ISWI type which has strong extranucleosomal DNA dependent activity or the SWI/SNF type which has no linker DNA requirement. Recent data provide more insights into the mechanism of regulation of DNA translocation by the ISWI type complexes and how the structure of the ISWI-nucleosome complex changes during chromatin remodeling.
Genotypic diversity in a non-native ecosystem engineer has variable impacts on productivity

Ecosystem engineers alter local community structure and ecosystem functioning, and these impacts can be magnified when engineer populations are genetically diverse. Introduced populations typically have lower genetic diversity, which in theory constrains the positive effect of genetic diversity on ecosystem functioning. We tested for genetic diversity–function relationships in the introduced red alga Gracilaria vermiculophylla. Within high-salinity mudflats of Atlantic estuaries of North America, dozens of G. vermiculophylla thalli are glued onto individual worm tubes by the polychaete Diopatra cuprea (Onuphidae). A field survey in one estuary showed that these algal patches represent clonal fragments of between 6 and 18 multi-locus microsatellite genotypes. Within-patch genotypic diversity correlated with G. vermiculophylla biomass and epibacterial density, but had little to no effect on invertebrate or epifloral abundances, nor invertebrate diversity. To experimentally confirm these variable effects, we outplanted monoclonal and polyclonal (8 genotypes) patches into the mid and low intertidal for 28 days in spring and summer. We detected no impacts of genotypic diversity on primary productivity in spring nor in the summer at the low intertidal, but net primary productivity increased 300% in polyclonal relative to monoclonal patches in the mid intertidal during the summer. Genotypic diversity had little to no effect on any metric of secondary productivity or diversity. We conclude that modest increases in genotypic diversity can increase productivity of an introduced ecosystem engineer, but these impacts vary temporally and spatially for reasons that remain unclear. We also conclude that positive effects of genotypic diversity on primary productivity may not necessarily translate into secondary productivity.
The association between thyroid malignancy and chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis: should it alter the surgical approach?

BACKGROUND The relation between thyroid neoplasms and chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (CLT) is controversial. While it is accepted that focal lymphocytic thyroiditis develops secondarily to malignancy, it is not clear whether diffuse lymphocytic thyroiditis has a tendency to develop into thyroid cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between CLT and malignant tumours of the thyroid and evaluate the surgical approach to CLT cases. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this study, 917 patients operated on for thyroid diseases were investigated retrospectively. Seventy-seven (8.4%) patients histopathologically diagnosed as having CLT (either non-specific or Hashimoto's thyroiditis) were investigated for any concurrent malignant neoplasm. Fifteen patients in whom CLT and thyroid malignancy were coexisting were included in the study. RESULTS In the pathological evaluation of 917 cases, malignancy in the thyroid was found in 97 (10.6%) cases. Seventy-seven cases were categorised as CLT. Of these 77, 16 (20.8%) were Hashimoto's thyroiditis (specific CLT) and the other 61 (79.2%) were non-specific CLT. In 15 cases, thyroid malignancy was found to be concurrent with CLT. Of the malignities, nine (60%) were papillary carcinoma, three (20%) medullar carcinoma, one (6.6%) follicular carcinoma, one (6.6%) Hurthle cell carcinoma, and one (6.6%) lymphoma. In our series, the rate of the development of malignancy against the background of CLT was 19.48%, while the rate in the groups without CLT was 9.76%, with a statistically significant difference between the groups (p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS CLT cases should be evaluated more carefully in terms of malignancy. If a nodule is detected on thyroiditis, the minimal surgical intervention should be lobectomy. Total thyroidectomy should be considered as preferable to subtotal thyroidectomy because of its many advantages such as controlling thyroiditis, removing the probability of reoperation, and hormonal stability.