Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Femtosecond Laser-assisted Lamellar Keratoplasty: Early Results

Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes and safety of lamellar keratoplasty (LK) assisted by a femtosecond laser. Methods: Twenty-one eyes of 21 patients affected by different corneal pathologies (5 posttraumatic corneal scar, 3 postkeratitis corneal leucoma, and 13 keratoconus) underwent LK procedures by using a femtosecond laser. The mean thinnest corneal thickness, evaluated with ultrasound corneal pachymetry and with confocal microscopy, was 434.19 ± 62.60 (SD) μm (range, 333-548 μm). Mean preoperative uncorrected visual acuity was 0.09 ± 0.28 SD and mean preoperative best spectacle-corrected visual acuity was 0.28 ± 0.15 SD. A femtosecond laser was used to perform corneal cuts on both donor and recipient corneas. The donor corneal lamella diameters were 0.20-mm larger and thicker than the recipient to restore a physiologic corneal thickness and shape: mean donor diameter was 8.34 ± 0.28 mm (range, 8.2-8.7 mm) and mean thickness was 352 ± 40.27 μm (range, 220-400 μm). Mean follow-up was 20.86 ± 5.76 months (range, 12-30 months). Results: Early postoperative evaluation showed a clear graft in all cases. A normal corneal pattern topography and a physiologic thickness (mean corneal pachymetry, 542.48 ± 33.20 μm) and transparency were restored. Twelve months after surgery, the mean postoperative uncorrected visual acuity was 0.45 ± 0.34 SD, and the mean best spectacle-corrected visual acuity was 0.63 ± 0.16 SD. Conclusions: Although the numbers in our study are small, our early results indicate that femtosecond laser-assisted lamellar keratoplasty shows promise as a safe and effective surgical choice in the treatment of various corneal pathologies.
Localisation of hypogastric nerves and pelvic plexus in relation to rectal cancer surgery

Urinary, bowel, and sexual dysfunction caused by iatrogenic lesions of the pelvic plexus remain a common complication of radical pelvic surgery. Preservation of these nerves during surgery is hampered by their poor visualisation within the pelvic cavity and their small size. Recently, increased awareness of the high incidence of post-operative autonomic dysfunction has led to the development of nerve-sparing surgical techniques. This study aims to expand our knowledge of the anatomy of the pelvic plexus, to contribute to further enhancement of nerve sparing surgical techniques. Dissections of the hypogastric nerves and pelvic plexuses were performed on 10 cadavers. We showed that nerves from the pelvic plexus that supply the rectum can be mobilised to a length of 10-15 mm and thus can be identified and safely divided, leaving the pelvic plexus intact following the extrafascial excision of the rectum. Likewise, the hypogastric nerves, which are enveloped in a layer of parietal fascia, also remain intact. The fascia containing the hypogastric nerves was separated from the fascia propria by a loose areolar layer. Pelvic plexuses measured about 30 by 30 mm in size. Radiological images showed the plexuses to be positioned about 5 mm below a line joining the upper surfaces of two acetabula. This study shows that extrafascial excision does not damage the hypogastric nerves or the pelvic plexuses and provides a way to radiologically assess the proximity of a tumour to the pelvic plexus. Such knowledge aids in preoperative planning to reduce the incidence of post-operative pelvic autonomic dysfunction.
Hand and paw preferences in relation to the lateralized brain

Hand preferences of primates are discussed as part of the broad perspective of brain lateralization in animals, and compared with paw preferences in non-primates. Previously, it has been suggested that primates are more likely to express a species-typical hand preference on complex tasks, especially in the case of coordinated hand use in using tools. I suggest that population-level hand preferences are manifested when the task demands the obligate use of the processing specialization of one hemisphere, and that this depends on the nature of the task rather than its complexity per se. Depending on the species, simple reaching tasks may not demand the obligate use of a specialized hemisphere and so do not constrain limb/hand use. In such cases, individuals may show hand preferences that are associated with consistent differences in behaviour. The individual's hand preference is associated with the expression of behaviour controlled by the hemisphere contralateral to the preferred hand (fear and reactivity in left-handed individuals versus proactivity in right-handed individuals). Recent findings of differences in brain structure between left- and right-handed primates (e.g. somatosensory cortex in marmosets) have been discussed and related to potential evolutionary advances.
Deep Visual-Semantic Quantization for Efficient Image Retrieval

Compact coding has been widely applied to approximate nearest neighbor search for large-scale image retrieval, due to its computation efficiency and retrieval quality. This paper presents a compact coding solution with a focus on the deep learning to quantization approach, which improves retrieval quality by end-to-end representation learning and compact encoding and has already shown the superior performance over the hashing solutions for similarity retrieval. We propose Deep Visual-Semantic Quantization (DVSQ), which is the first approach to learning deep quantization models from labeled image data as well as the semantic information underlying general text domains. The main contribution lies in jointly learning deep visual-semantic embeddings and visual-semantic quantizers using carefully-designed hybrid networks and well-specified loss functions. DVSQ enables efficient and effective image retrieval by supporting maximum inner-product search, which is computed based on learned codebooks with fast distance table lookup. Comprehensive empirical evidence shows that DVSQ can generate compact binary codes and yield state-of-the-art similarity retrieval performance on standard benchmarks.
Semiautomatic 3-D Prostate Segmentation from TRUS Images Using Spherical Harmonics

Prostate brachytherapy quality assessment procedure should be performed while the patient is still on the operating table since this would enable physicians to implant additional seeds immediately into the prostate if necessary thus reducing the costs and increasing patient outcome. Seed placement procedure is readily performed under fluoroscopy and ultrasound guidance. Therefore, it has been proposed that seed locations be reconstructed from fluoroscopic images and prostate boundaries be identified in ultrasound images to perform dosimetry in the operating room. However, there is a key hurdle that needs to be overcome to perform the ultrasound and fluoroscopy-based dosimetry: it is highly time-consuming for physicians to outline prostate boundaries in ultrasound images manually, and there is no method that enables physicians to identify three-dimensional (3-D) prostate boundaries in postimplant ultrasound images in a fast and robust fashion. In this paper, we propose a new method where the segmentation is defined in an optimization framework as fitting the best surface to the underlying images under shape constraints. To derive these constraints, we modeled the shape of the prostate using spherical harmonics of degree eight and performed statistical analysis on the shape parameters. After user initialization, our algorithm identifies the prostate boundaries on the average in 2 min. For algorithm validation, we collected 30 postimplant prostate volume sets, each consisting of axial transrectal ultrasound images acquired at 1-mm increments. For each volume set, three experts outlined the prostate boundaries first manually and then using our algorithm. By treating the average of manual boundaries as the ground truth, we computed the segmentation error. The overall mean absolute distance error was 1.26plusmn0. 41 mm while the percent volume overlap was 83.5plusmn4. 2. We found the segmentation error to be slightly less than the clinically-observed interobserver variability
Locality condensation: a new dimensionality reduction method for image retrieval

Content-based image similarity search plays a key role in multimedia retrieval. Each image is usually represented as a point in a high-dimensional feature space. The key challenge of searching similar images from a large database is the high computational overhead due to the "curse of dimensionality". Reducing the dimensionality is an important means to tackle the problem. In this paper, we study dimensionality reduction for top-k image retrieval. Intuitively, an effective dimensionality reduction method should not only preserve the close locations of similar images (or points), but also separate those dissimilar ones far apart in the reduced subspace. Existing dimensionality reduction methods mainly focused on the former. We propose a novel idea called Locality Condensation (LC) to not only preserve localities determined by neighborhood information and their global similarity relationship, but also ensure that different localities will not invade each other in the low-dimensional subspace. To generate non-overlapping localities in the subspace, LC first performs an elliptical condensation, which condenses each locality with an elliptical shape into a more compact hypersphere to enlarge the margins among different localities and estimate the projection in the subspace for overlap analysis. Through a convex optimization, LC further performs a scaling condensation on the obtained hyperspheres based on their projections in the subspace with minimal condensation degrees. By condensing the localities effectively, the potential overlaps among different localities in the low-dimensional subspace are prevented. Consequently, for similarity search in the subspace, the number of false hits (i.e., distant points that are falsely retrieved) will be reduced. Extensive experimental comparisons with existing methods demonstrate the superiority of our proposal.
Enhanced Control of Bladder-Associated Tumors Using Shrimp Anti-Lipopolysaccharide Factor (SALF) Antimicrobial Peptide as a Cancer Vaccine Adjuvant in Mice

Shrimp anti-lipopolysaccharide factor (SALF) is an antimicrobial peptide with reported anticancer activities, such as suppression of tumor progression. In this study, we prepared a potential cancer vaccine comprised of SALF in conjunction with the cell lysate of inactivated murine bladder carcinoma cells (MBT-2), and evaluated its efficacy in a mouse tumor model. Our study shows that SALF added to cell culture media inhibits growth progression of MBT-2, and that SALF together with inactivated MBT-2 lysate elevates the level of inflammasome activity, and modulates the levels of IL-1β, MCP-1, IL-6, IL-12, and TNF-α in mouse macrophages. Immunization of 7, 14, and 21 day-old mice with the vaccine prevented growth of MBT-2 cell-mediated tumors. The vaccine was found to enhance expression of T-cell, cytotoxic T cells, and NK cells in the immunized mice groups. Recruitment of macrophages, T-helper cells, and NK cells was enhanced, but levels of VEGF were decreased in immunized mice. This report provides empirical evidence that our SALF as vaccine adjuvant enhances antitumor immunity in mice.
Antigen Affinity Controls Rapid T-Dependent Antibody Production by Driving the Expansion Rather than the Differentiation or Extrafollicular Migration of Early Plasmablasts1

To optimize the initial wave of Ab production against T-dependent Ags, primary B cell clones with the highest Ag affinity are selected to generate the largest extrafollicular plasmablast (PB) responses. The mechanism behind this remains undefined, primarily due to the difficulty of analyzing low frequency Ag-specific B cells during the earliest phases of the immune response when key differentiation decisions are made. In this study, a high resolution in vivo mouse model was used to characterize in detail the first 6 days of a T-dependent B cell response and to identify the steps at which initial Ag affinity has a major impact. Ag-specific B cells proliferated within splenic follicles from days 1.0 to 3.0 before undergoing a dynamic phase of multilineage differentiation (days 3.0–4.0) that generated switched and unswitched populations of germinal center B cells, early memory B cells, and extrafollicular PBs. PB differentiation was marked by synchronous up-regulation of CXCR4 and down-regulation of CXCR5 and the adoption of a unique BCRhigh phenotype by unswitched PBs. Differences in Ag affinity of >50-fold did not markedly affect the early stages of the response, including the differentiation and extrafollicular migration of PBs. However, high affinity PBs underwent significantly greater expansion within the splenic bridging channels and red pulp, due to both increased proliferation and decreased apoptosis. Extrafollicular PBs maintained class II MHC, but not IL-21R expression, and interacted directly with Ag-specific extrafollicular Th cells, suggesting that IL-21-independent T cell help may drive extrafollicular PB expansion in responses to foreign Ag.
Barn och ungdomars motivation till fysisk aktivitet

Fysisk aktivitet ar betydelsefullt, da det bade har positiva psykiska och fysiska effekter pa manniskan. De senaste aren har antalet aktiva unga minskat, denna trend behovs brytas. Det finns manga .
fingerT9: leveraging thumb-to-finger interaction for one-handed text entry on smartwatches

We introduce FingerT9, leveraging the action of thumb-to-finger touching and the surface of the finger segments, to support one-handed text entry on smartwatches. This is achieved by mapping a T9 keyboard layout on the surface of finger segments, combined with a predictive input method. Our solution avoids the problems of fat finger and screen occlusion, and enables text entry using a single hand. Eyes-free text entry is made possible once users are familiar with the keyboard layout. In other words, users can focus on the screen output during typing without looking at the keyboard layout mapped on the surface of finger segments.
An efficient processor partitioning and thread mapping strategy for mesh-connected multiprocessor systems

A b s t r a c t This paper considers the problem of processor partitioning and task mapping for large scale mesh networks. A simple adaptive partitioning and dynamic allocation strategy is proposed to provide constant closetoTe.qu. al resource allocation and, at the same time, to minimize communication distance within each partition. Several natural performance metrics are introduced to gauge fairness achieved in partitioning results in terms of resource allocation and expected communication cost. Compared with known techniques, results delivered by the proposed technique show mostly better performance readings and a much steadier performance spectrum when number of partitions changes. In addition, the technique is applicable to all sizes of mesh.
Planning as model checking: the performance of ProB vs NuSMV

In this paper we investigate the feasibility of using two different model-checking techniques for solving a number of classical AI planning problems. The ProB model checker, based on mathematical set theory and first-order logic, is specifically designed to validate specifications of concurrent programs written in the B specification language. ProB uses a constraint logic programming environment to perform model checking. NuSMV is the other model checker used in this work. It is an extension of SMV and makes use of symbolic model checking techniques to deal with the state explosion problem common to model checking in general. The problem is represented using Binary Decision Diagrams and model checking is performed using tableaux theorem proving techniques. The scope of the problems chosen is currently limited but it is envisaged that the methodology proposed could usefully be extended to larger planning problems.
The pituitary-gonad response of genetically obese mice in parabiosis with thin and obese siblings.

Gonadectomized mice that were either obese or nonobese, male or female were parabiosed to either obese or nonobese immature female siblings. The experiment was designed (a) to comparethe production of gonadotrophin by the pituitaries of the obese and nonobese gonadectomized animals and (b) to compare the relative responses of the reproductive systems of the obese and nonobese assay females to the gonadotrophin produced by the pituitary of the castrated partner. Results showed that, although the pituitaries of the gonadectomized obese mice of both sexes as well as thoseof the nonobese mice produced excess gonadotrophin, the obese animals elicited less ovarian hypertrophy in the assay female than did nonobese mice. Also, female animals elicited less response thanmales. The reproductive systems of the female obese and nonobese mice responded similarly to the excess gonadotrophin. It is concluded that, while the pituitaries of obese mice are competent to produce more gonadotrophin than they normally do, under.
Reliability Assessment of Radial distribution system incorporating weather effects

This paper presents a two-stage restoration technique incorporating weather effect considerations in reliability cost/worth evaluation of distribution systems. The weather conditions play a significant role on the reliability of a given power system leading to frequent incidence of failures to overhead system and their effectiveness. The physical stresses exerted by adverse weather increase the failure rates of transmission or distribution lines resulting in increased coincident failures of multiple circuits. Especially adverse weather can cause tremendous system damages and significantly strikes the reliability. Therefore, it is high time to address the issue by devising appropriate technique considering weather conditions. This paper briefly demonstrates the conventional two weather state models which are used for predictive reliability assessment incorporating normal and adverse weather conditions. The paper presents an approach to identify weather specific contributions to system reliability indices and illustrates the technique by utilizing a RBTS distribution system.
Evaluation of ontologies

The evaluation of ontologies is an emerging field. At present, there is an absence of a deep core of preliminary ideas and guidelines for evaluating ontologies. This paper presents a brief summary of previous work done on evaluating ontologies and the criteria (consistency, completeness, conciseness, expandability, and sensitiveness) used to evaluate and to assess ontologies. It also addresses the possible types of errors made when domain knowledge is structured in taxonomies in an ontology and in knowledge bases: circularity errors, exhaustive and nonexhaustive class partition errors, redundancy errors, grammatical errors, semantic errors, and incompleteness errors. It also describes the process followed to evaluate the standard‐units ontology already published at the Ontology Server. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Votes et paradoxes : Les élections ne sont pas monotones !

The aim of this paper is to illustrate some paradoxes arising from voting theory, in order to elect one person as well as several ones with a system of proportional representation. Based on simple examples, its ambition is to reach a large audience rather than researchers only. Some of these examples exploit the fact that voting procedures are not necessarily monotonous; some others illustrate other kinds of paradoxes.
Resolving Shifting Patterns of Muscle Energy Use in Swimming Fish

Muscle metabolism dominates the energy costs of locomotion. Although in vivo measures of muscle strain, activity and force can indicate mechanical function, similar muscle-level measures of energy use are challenging to obtain. Without this information locomotor systems are essentially a black box in terms of the distribution of metabolic energy. Although in situ measurements of muscle metabolism are not practical in multiple muscles, the rate of blood flow to skeletal muscle tissue can be used as a proxy for aerobic metabolism, allowing the cost of particular muscle functions to be estimated. Axial, undulatory swimming is one of the most common modes of vertebrate locomotion. In fish, segmented myotomal muscles are the primary power source, driving undulations of the body axis that transfer momentum to the water. Multiple fins and the associated fin muscles also contribute to thrust production, and stabilization and control of the swimming trajectory. We have used blood flow tracers in swimming rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to estimate the regional distribution of energy use across the myotomal and fin muscle groups to reveal the functional distribution of metabolic energy use within a swimming animal for the first time. Energy use by the myotomal muscle increased with speed to meet thrust requirements, particularly in posterior myotomes where muscle power outputs are greatest. At low speeds, there was high fin muscle energy use, consistent with active stability control. As speed increased, and fins were adducted, overall fin muscle energy use declined, except in the caudal fin muscles where active fin stiffening is required to maintain power transfer to the wake. The present data were obtained under steady-state conditions which rarely apply in natural, physical environments. This approach also has potential to reveal the mechanical factors that underlie changes in locomotor cost associated with movement through unsteady flow regimes.
Failure of Proglumide, a Cholecystokinin Antagonist, to Potentiate Clinical Morphine Analgesia: A Randomized Double‐Blind Postoperative Study Using Patient‐Controlled Analgesia (PCA)

The potential clinical utility of drug interactions between morphine and the cholecystokinin antagonist proglumide was examined in 80 postoperative patients suffering from moderate to severe pain. Four groups of ASA I-III patients (mean age 51 years, mean weight 72 kg) recovering from major abdominal or gynecological surgery (mean duration of surgery 141 minutes) performed under balanced anesthesia (midazolam, droperidol, fentanyl, N2O, enflurane) were randomly assigned to self-administer morphine-proglumide mixtures on the first postoperative day (ODAC; morphine demand dose 3 mg; infusion rate 0.36 mg/hr; lockout time 2 minutes; hourly maximum dose 15 mg/hr; proglumide doses per demand 0, 50 μg, 100 μg, or 50 mg). Morphine consumption, actual as well as retrospective pain scores (0–5) and side effects were evaluated. Mean duration of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) in the subgroups was 17–19 hours, during which time 24.6 ± 9.5 to 28.0 ± 3.4 μg morphine·kg−1·hr−1 was given. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups either for drug consumption, pain scores, or side effects. It is therefore concluded that proglumide does not potentiate morphine analgesia in a clinical (postoperative) setting.