Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Importance of Considering the Middle Capillary Plexus on OCT Angiography in Diabetic Retinopathy

Purpose To quantify microvasculature changes in the superficial (SCP), middle (MCP), and deep capillary plexuses (DCP) in diabetic retinopathy (DR). Methods Retrospective cross-sectional study at a tertiary academic referral center, in which 26 controls (44 eyes), 27 diabetic subjects without retinopathy (44 eyes), 32 subjects with nonproliferative retinopathy (52 eyes), and 27 subjects with proliferative retinopathy (40 eyes) were imaged with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Outcome measures included parafoveal vessel density (VD), percentage area of nonperfusion (PAN), and adjusted flow index (AFI) at the different plexuses. Results MCP VD and MCP AFI decreased with worsening DR, while PAN increased, mirroring changes within the DCP. The fitted regression line for MCP and DCP AFI were significantly different than the SCP, while DCP PAN differed from SCP PAN with disease progression. Higher SCP AFI and PAN were different in eyes with diabetes without retinopathy compared with controls. Unexpectedly, sex was found to independently influence MCP VD and AFI with worsening disease. Conclusions OCTA parameters in the MCP and DCP displayed parallel changes with DR progression, different from the SCP, emphasizing the importance of physiologic considerations in the retinal capillaries. Thus, segmentation protocols that include the MCP within the SCP may be confounded. A difference in DCP PAN with worsening DR was unmasked relative to a prior study that included the MCP with SCP. We confirm that SCP AFI and PAN may serve as early indicators of microvascular changes in DR and identify an interaction between sex and the MCP deserving further study.
Extracting Chemical-Protein Interactions using Long Short-Term Memory Networks

Automatic relation extraction from biomedical literature is required for collecting structured information from the growing number of published works. Interactions between chemicals and genes or proteins are particularly important, namely for expediting work on precision medicine and drug discovery. In this paper, we present an approach based on long short-term memory networks with syntactic information for extracting chemical-gene relations from scientific abstracts. The proposed approach achieved an f-score of 0,5181 on the BioCreative VI CHEMPROT task corpus. Keywords—relation extraction; chemical-gene interactions; deep learning; long short-term memory networks
Qualitative Research Findings as Evidence: Utility in Nursing Practice

Background—The use of qualitative research methods in nursing research is common. There is a need for Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) to become informed regarding how such qualitative findings can serve as evidence for nursing practice changes. Purpose—To inform CNSs of the meaning and utility of qualitative research findings. Implications for qualitative research findings as evidence in nursing practice are particularly discussed.
SEX, STRESS AND HORMONES: INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF THE EARLY ENVIRONMENT IN SHAPING BRAIN AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGES LINKED TO NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS

xii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS USED . xiii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . xv CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1. Developmental Origins of Health and Disease . 10 1.1.2. Prenatal Stress and Anxiety/Depressive Disorders . 13 1.1.3. Factors mediating the response to Early Life Stress . 18 1.2. Brain Regions Involved in the Effects of Early Life Stress on Depression . 23 1.3. The Role of Epigenetic Changes in the Effects of Early Life Stress . 32 1.3. 1. Overview of Epigenetic Mechanisms . 32 1.3. 1. Epigenetic Changes Linked to Neuropsychiatric Disorders . 34 1.3. 2. Epigenetic Changes Linked to the Early Environment . 36 1.4. Sexual Differentiation and Early Life Development . 39 1.4. 1. The Role of Gonadal Hormones in Sexual Differentiation . 40 1.4. 2. Early Life Gonadal Hormones and Anxiety/Depressive Behaviours . 42 1.4. 3. Early Life Gonadal Hormones and the Ontogeny of Stress Responding . 45 1.4. 4. Early Life Gonadal Hormones and Epigenetic Changes . 47 1.5. GABA as a Mechanism Linking Stress, Sex and Depression . 49 1.5. 1. GABA Changes Linked to Neuropsychiatric Disorders . 52 1.5. 2. GABA Changes Linked to the Early Environment . 56 1.5. 3. GABA Changes Linked to Sexual Differentiation . 59 1.5. 4. GABA Changes Linked to the Epigenetic Regulation . 61 1.6. – Chapter Conceptual Summary . 63 CHAPTER 2 – DEVELOPMENTAL EXPRESSION OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE BEHAVIOURS AFTER PRENATAL PREDATOR EXPOSURE AND EARLY LIFE HOMECAGE ENHANCEMENT . 67 2.
Psgan: A Generative Adversarial Network for Remote Sensing Image Pan-Sharpening

Remote sensing image fusion (also known as pan-sharpening) aims to generate a high resolution multi -spectral image from inputs of a high spatial resolution single band panchromatic (PAN) image and a low spatial resolution multi-spectral (MS) image. In this paper, we propose PSGAN, a generative adversarial network (GAN) for remote sensing image pansharpening. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt at producing high quality pan-sharpened images with GANs. The PSGAN consists of two parts. Firstly, a two-stream fusion architecture is designed to generate the desired high resolution multi -spectral images, then a fully convolutional network serving as a discriminator is applied to distinct “real” or “pan-sharpened” MS images. Experiments on images acquired by Quickbird and GaoFen-1 satellites demonstrate that the proposed PSGAN can fuse PAN and MS images effectively and significantly improve the results over the state of the art traditional and CNN based pan-sharpening methods.
Antibacterial and antioxidant activity of different types of honey derived from Mount Olympus in Greece

The aim of the present study was to examine the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of 21 types of honey derived from Mount Olympus (Mt. Olympus), a region with great plant biodiversity. The antibacterial activity was examined against the growth of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) by the agar well diffusion assay and the determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The antioxidant activity was assessed by using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS•+) free radical scavenging assays. These activities were compared to Manuka honey which is used as an alternative medicine. The results revealed that all tested honey types exhibited antibacterial activity against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. The MIC of the tested honey types against S. aureus ranged from 3.125 to 12.5% (v/v), while MIC of Manuka honey was determined to be 6.25% (v/v). The MIC values of the tested honey types against P. aeruginosa ranged from 6.25 to 12.5% (v/v) and the MIC of Manuka honey was determined at 12.5% (v/v). Moreover, the results suggested that the presence of hydrogen peroxide and proteinaceous compounds in the honey types accounted, at least in part, for the antibacterial activity. In addition, the total polyphenolic content (TPC) of the honey types seemed to contribute to the antibacterial activity against P. aeruginosa. Furthermore, some of the tested honey types exhibited potent free radical scavenging activity against DPPH and ABTS•+ radicals, which was greater than that of Manuka honey. The results indicated that not only the quantity, but also the quality of the polyphenols were responsible for the antioxidant activity. Moreover, four honey types exhibiting great antioxidant activity were converted to powder using a freeze drying method. The results indicated that following conversion to powder all honey types, apart from one, retained their antioxidant activity, although their TPC was reduced. On the whole, and at least to the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first that extensively examined the bioactivities of different types of honey derived from Mt. Olympus.
On the Origin of Eukaryotic Species' Genotypic and Phenotypic Diversity: Genetic Clocks, Population Growth Curves, and Comparative Nuclear Genome Analyses Suggest Created Heterozygosity in Combination with Natural Processes as a Major Mechanism

More than 150 years after the publication of On the Origin of Species, the origin of species remains an unsolved puzzle. Uncovering the source of eukaryotic species’ genotypic and phenotypic diversity would be of tremendous aid in understanding the larger species’ origin picture. In this study, we demonstrate that the comparison of mitochondrial DNA clocks to nuclear DNA clocks necessitates the existence of created nuclear DNA heterozygosity within the ‘kinds’ of the Creation week. We also show that created heterozygosity, together with the operation of natural processes that are observable today, is sufficient to account for species’ phenotypic and genotypic diversity. Our Created Heterozygosity and Natural Processes (CHNP) model significantly advances the young-creation explanation for the origin of species, and it makes testable predictions by which it can be further confirmed or rejected in the future.
Influence of Manufacturing Parameters on Microstructure and Hydrogen Sorption Behavior of Electron Beam Melted Titanium Ti-6Al-4V Alloy

Influence of manufacturing parameters (beam current from 13 to 17 mA, speed function 98 and 85) on microstructure and hydrogen sorption behavior of electron beam melted (EBM) Ti-6Al-4V parts was investigated. Optical and scanning electron microscopies as well as X-ray diffraction were used to investigate the microstructure and phase composition of EBM Ti-6Al-4V parts. The average α lath width decreases with the increase of the speed function at the fixed beam current (17 mA). Finer microstructure was formed at the beam current 17 mA and speed function 98. The hydrogenation of EBM Ti-6Al-4V parts was performed at the temperatures 500 and 650 °С at the constant pressure of 1 atm up to 0.3 wt %. The correlation between the microstructure and hydrogen sorption kinetics by EBM Ti-6Al-4V parts was demonstrated. Lower average hydrogen sorption rate at 500 °C was in the sample with coarser microstructure manufactured at the beam current 17 mA and speed function 85. The difference of hydrogen sorption kinetics between the manufactured samples at 650 °C was insignificant. The shape of the kinetics curves of hydrogen sorption indicates the phase transition αH + βH→βH.
Distribution and fluxes of aggregates >100 μm in the upper kilometer of the South-Eastern Pacific

Abstract. Large sinking particles transport organic and inorganic matter into the deeper layers of the oceans. Between 70 and 90% of the aggregates exported from the surface mixed layer are disaggregated within the upper 1000 m. This decrease with depth indicates that fragmentation and remineralization processes are intense during sedimentation. Generally, the estimates of vertical flux rely on sediment trap data but difficulties inherent in their design limit the reliability of this information. During the BIOSOPE study in the south-eastern Pacific, 76 vertical casts using the Underwater Video Profiler (UVP) and deployments of drifting sediment traps provided an opportunity to fit the UVP data to sediment trap flux measurements. We applied the calculated UVP flux in the upper 1000 m to the whole 8000 km BIOSOPE transect. Comparison between the large particulate material (LPM) abundance and the estimated fluxes from both UVP and sediment traps showed different patterns in different regions. On the western end of the BIOSOPE section the standing stock of particles in the surface layer was high but the export between 150 and 250 m was low. Below this layer the flux values increased. High values of about 30% of the calculated UVP maximum surface zone flux were observed below 900 m at the HNLC station. The South Pacific Gyre exported about 2 mg m−2 d−1. While off Chilean coast 95% of the surface mixed layer matter was disaggregated, remineralized or advected in the upper kilometer, 20% of the surface zone flux was observed below 900 m near the Chilean coast. These results suggest that the export to deep waters is spatially heterogeneous and related to the different biotic and abiotic factors.
Exotic properties of a voltage-gated proton channel from the snail Helisoma trivolvis

Voltage-gated proton channels, HV1, were first reported in Helix aspersa snail neurons. These H+ channels open very rapidly, two to three orders of magnitude faster than mammalian HV1. Here we identify an HV1 gene in the snail Helisoma trivolvis and verify protein level expression by Western blotting of H. trivolvis brain lysate. Expressed in mammalian cells, HtHV1 currents in most respects resemble those described in other snails, including rapid activation, 476 times faster than hHV1 (human) at pHo 7, between 50 and 90 mV. In contrast to most HV1, activation of HtHV1 is exponential, suggesting first-order kinetics. However, the large gating charge of ∼5.5 e0 suggests that HtHV1 functions as a dimer, evidently with highly cooperative gating. HtHV1 opening is exquisitely sensitive to pHo, whereas closing is nearly independent of pHo. Zn2+ and Cd2+ inhibit HtHV1 currents in the micromolar range, slowing activation, shifting the proton conductance–voltage (gH-V) relationship to more positive potentials, and lowering the maximum conductance. This is consistent with HtHV1 possessing three of the four amino acids that coordinate Zn2+ in mammalian HV1. All known HV1 exhibit &Dgr;pH-dependent gating that results in a 40-mV shift of the gH-V relationship for a unit change in either pHo or pHi. This property is crucial for all the functions of HV1 in many species and numerous human cells. The HtHV1 channel exhibits normal or supernormal pHo dependence, but weak pHi dependence. Under favorable conditions, this might result in the HtHV1 channel conducting inward currents and perhaps mediating a proton action potential. The anomalous &Dgr;pH-dependent gating of HtHV1 channels suggests a structural basis for this important property, which is further explored in this issue (Cherny et al. 2018. J. Gen. Physiol. https://doi.org/10.1085/jgp.201711968).
Tofacitinib induction and maintenance therapy in East Asian patients with active ulcerative colitis: subgroup analyses from three phase 3 multinational studies

Background/Aims Tofacitinib is an oral, small-molecule Janus kinase inhibitor being investigated for ulcerative colitis (UC). In OCTAVE Induction 1 and 2, patients with moderately to severely active UC received placebo or tofacitinib 10 mg twice daily (BID) for 8 weeks. Clinical responders in OCTAVE Induction were re-randomized to 52 weeks' therapy with placebo, tofacitinib 5 mg BID, or tofacitinib 10 mg BID. Methods We conducted post-hoc efficacy and safety analyses of East Asian patients in OCTAVE Induction 1 and 2 and OCTAVE Sustain. Results A total of 121 East Asian (Japan, Korea, and Taiwan) patients were randomized in OCTAVE Induction 1 and 2 (placebo, n=26; tofacitinib 10 mg BID, n=95), and 63 in OCTAVE Sustain (placebo, n=20; tofacitinib 5 mg BID, n=22; tofacitinib 10 mg BID, n=21). At week 8 of OCTAVE Induction 1 and 2, 18.9% of patients (18/95) achieved remission with tofacitinib 10 mg BID versus 3.8% (1/26) with placebo. In OCTAVE Sustain, the week 52 remission rates were 45.5% (10/22), 47.6% (10/21), and 15.0% (3/20) with 5 mg BID, 10 mg BID, and placebo, respectively. Adverse event rates were similar between groups in OCTAVE Induction and numerically higher with tofacitinib in OCTAVE Sustain. Serious adverse event rates were similar across groups in all studies. Infections were numerically more frequent with tofacitinib than placebo. Increases in serum lipid levels were observed with tofacitinib. Conclusions In East Asian patients with UC, tofacitinib demonstrated numerically greater efficacy versus placebo as induction and maintenance therapy, with a safety profile consistent with the global study population. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01465763; NCT01458951; NCT01458574.
Voter Turnout and Preference Aggregation

We study how voter turnout affects the aggregation of preferences in elections. Under voluntary voting, election outcomes disproportionately aggregate the preferences of voters with low voting cost and high preference intensity. We show identification of the correlation structure among preferences, costs, and perceptions of voting efficacy, and explore how the correlation affects preference aggregation. Using 2004 US presidential election data, we find that young, low-income, less-educated, and minority voters are underrepresented. All of these groups tend to prefer Democrats, except for the less educated. Democrats would have won the majority of the electoral votes if all eligible voters had turned out. (JEL D12, D72)
American Thyroid Association statement on optimal surgical management of goiter.

BACKGROUND Goiter, or benign enlargement of the thyroid gland, can be asymptomatic or can cause compression of surrounding structures such as the esophagus and/or trachea. The options for medical treatment of euthyroid goiter are short-lived and are limited to thyroxine hormone suppression and radioactive iodine ablation. The objective of this statement article is to discuss optimal surgical management of goiter. METHODS A task force was convened by the Surgical Affairs Committee of the American Thyroid Association and was tasked with writing of this article. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS Surgical management is recommended for goiters with compressive symptoms. Symptoms of dyspnea, orthopnea, and dysphagia are more commonly associated with thyromegaly, in particular, substernal goiters. Several studies have demonstrated improved breathing and swallowing outcomes after thyroidectomy. With careful preoperative testing and thoughtful consideration of the type of anesthesia, including the type of intubation, preparation for surgery can be optimized. In addition, planning the extent of surgery and postoperative care are necessary to achieve optimal results. Close collaboration of an experienced surgical and anesthesia team is essential for induction and reversal of anesthesia. In addition, this team must be cognizant of complications from massive goiter surgery such as bleeding, airway distress, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, and transient hypoparathyroidism. With careful preparation and teamwork, successful thyroid surgery can be achieved.
Hyoid bone position in different facial skeletal patterns

Background Hyoid bone plays a significant role in physiological functions of craniofacial region and it’s position adapts to changes of the head. The purpose of this study was to determine the position of the hyoid bone among subjects with class I, class II and class III skeletal patterns and evaluate the gender differences. Material and Methods One hundred and ten lateral cephalograms (59 females and 51 males) from different skeletal patterns (class I, II and III) were selected. The skeletal patterns were determined according to ANB angle. Using MicroDicom software, different linear and angular measurements (6 variables) was carried out to determine the position of hyoid bone. Intraclass correlation coefficient was used to verify reliability. Descriptive statistics of the variables were calculated and analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Bonferroni statistical methods. Results The mean distance from the hyoid bone (H) to mandibular plane (MP), to palatal plane (PP), as well as to a third cervical vertebra (C3) was more in males than females (p=0.023, p<0.001, p<0.001 respectively). The mean H to PP distance was significantly more in skeletal class I compared to class III (P=0.01). The mean H to C3 distance was significantly more in skeletal class I compared to class II (P=0.008). The mean angle between H-MP and H-PP did not show any statistical difference among three skeletal classes (p=0.102, P=0.213) and among male and female groups (P=0.172, P=0.904). Conclusions The hyoid bone is positioned more superior and posterior in females than males and its location differs among different skeletal classes. It is placed more posterior in skeletal class II patterns and more inferior and anterior in skeletal class I patterns. Key words:Hyoid bone, Lateral cephalometry, Class III, Class II, skeletal pattern, Orthodontics.
Critical Role of Zinc as Either an Antioxidant or a Prooxidant in Cellular Systems

Zinc is recognized as an essential trace metal required for human health; its deficiency is strongly associated with neuronal and immune system defects. Although zinc is a redox-inert metal, it functions as an antioxidant through the catalytic action of copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase, stabilization of membrane structure, protection of the protein sulfhydryl groups, and upregulation of the expression of metallothionein, which possesses a metal-binding capacity and also exhibits antioxidant functions. In addition, zinc suppresses anti-inflammatory responses that would otherwise augment oxidative stress. The actions of zinc are not straightforward owing to its numerous roles in biological systems. It has been shown that zinc deficiency and zinc excess cause cellular oxidative stress. To gain insights into the dual action of zinc, as either an antioxidant or a prooxidant, and the conditions under which each role is performed, the oxidative stresses that occur in zinc deficiency and zinc overload in conjunction with the intracellular regulation of free zinc are summarized. Additionally, the regulatory role of zinc in mitochondrial homeostasis and its impact on oxidative stress are briefly addressed.
Oxidative mechanisms of biological activity of low-intensity radiofrequency radiation

ABSTRACT This review aims to cover experimental data on oxidative effects of low-intensity radiofrequency radiation (RFR) in living cells. Analysis of the currently available peer-reviewed scientific literature reveals molecular effects induced by low-intensity RFR in living cells; this includes significant activation of key pathways generating reactive oxygen species (ROS), activation of peroxidation, oxidative damage of DNA and changes in the activity of antioxidant enzymes. It indicates that among 100 currently available peer-reviewed studies dealing with oxidative effects of low-intensity RFR, in general, 93 confirmed that RFR induces oxidative effects in biological systems. A wide pathogenic potential of the induced ROS and their involvement in cell signaling pathways explains a range of biological/health effects of low-intensity RFR, which include both cancer and non-cancer pathologies. In conclusion, our analysis demonstrates that low-intensity RFR is an expressive oxidative agent for living cells with a high pathogenic potential and that the oxidative stress induced by RFR exposure should be recognized as one of the primary mechanisms of the biological activity of this kind of radiation.