Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Knee joint changes after meniscectomy.

Changes in the knee joint after meniscectomy include ridge formation, narrowing of the joint space, and flattening of the femoral condyle. Investigations suggest that these changes are due to loss of the weight-bearing function of the meniscus. Meniscectomy is not wholly innocuous; it interferes, at least temporarily, with the mechanics of the joint. It seems likely that narrowing of the joint space will predispose to early degenerative changes, but a connection between these appearances and later osteoarthritis is not yet established and is too indefinite to justify clinical deductions.
A new methodology for determining point-of-gaze in head-mounted eye tracking systems

The ability to determine point-of-gaze with respect to an observed scene provides significant insight into human cognitive processes, since shifts in gaze position are generally guided by shifts in attentional focus. Using a head-mounted eye tracking system, a new methodology based on four or more point correspondences in two views was developed to reconstruct the subject's point-of-gaze. For exact point correspondences, 95% of the reconstruction errors are less than 0.32/spl deg/ when the homography algorithm with distortion compensation is used to determine gaze position. In a typical visual scanning experiment, 95% of the reconstruction errors are less than 0.90/spl deg/. Analysis of normalization techniques that reduce the sensitivity of the homography algorithm to input errors suggests that the point correspondences should be arranged in a radially symmetric distribution around the area to be scanned. The new methodology was used in a clinical study on visual selective attention and mood disorders; this study showed that depressed subjects spent significantly more time looking at images with dysphoric themes than normal control subjects.
Patch-based image reconstruction for PET using prior-image derived dictionaries

In PET image reconstruction, regularization is often needed to reduce the noise in the resulting images. Patch-based image processing techniques have recently been successfully used for regularization in medical image reconstruction through a penalized likelihood framework. Re-parameterization within reconstruction is another powerful regularization technique in which the object in the scanner is re-parameterized using coefficients for spatially-extensive basis vectors. In this work, a method for extracting patch-based basis vectors from the subject’s MR image is proposed. The coefficients for these basis vectors are then estimated using the conventional MLEM algorithm. Furthermore, using the alternating direction method of multipliers, an algorithm for optimizing the Poisson log-likelihood while imposing sparsity on the parameters is also proposed. This novel method is then utilized to find sparse coefficients for the patch-based basis vectors extracted from the MR image. The results indicate the superiority of the proposed methods to patch-based regularization using the penalized likelihood framework.
Protection from oral herpes simplex virus infection by a nucleic acid-free virus vaccine

The effect of immunization with inactivated herpes virus vaccines, including a vaccine free of all nucleic acid, was investigated in a mouse model system. Protection against oral lesions induced by herpes simplex virus type 1 was demonstrated by several criteria: (i) reduction in the incidence and severity of primary oral lesions; (ii) decrease in acute and latent infection of the regional sensory ganglia; and (iii) protection from viral encephalitis and death. The immune response of mice to the vaccine and to subsequent virus challenge was measured by following serum-neutralizing antibody titers.
The Effect of Driving Restrictions on Air Quality in Mexico City

In 1989, the government of Mexico City introduced a program, Hoy No Circula, that bans most drivers from using their vehicles one weekday per week on the basis of the last digit of the vehicle’s license plate. This article measures the effect of the driving restrictions on air quality using high‐frequency measures from monitoring stations. Across pollutants and specifications there is no evidence that the restrictions have improved air quality. Evidence from additional sources indicates that the restrictions led to an increase in the total number of vehicles in circulation as well as a change in composition toward high‐emissions vehicles.
Computation of Static Execute After Relation with Applications to Software Maintenance

In this paper, we introduce static execute after (SEA) relationship among program components and present an efficient analysis algorithm. Our case studies show that SEA may approximate static slicing with perfect recall and high precision, while being much less expensive and more usable. When differentiating between explicit and hidden dependencies, our case studies also show that SEA may correlate with direct and indirect class coupling. We speculate that SEA may find applications in computation of hidden dependencies and through it in many maintenance tasks, including change propagation and regression testing.
Management of Type 2 Diabetes in the Primary Care Setting: A Practice-Based Research Network Study

PURPOSE We wanted to describe how primary care clinicians care for patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS We undertook a cross-sectional study of 95 primary care clinicians and 822 of their established patients with type 2 diabetes from 4 practice-based, primary care research networks in the United States. Clinicians were surveyed about their training and practice. Patients completed a self-administered questionnaire about their care, and medical records were reviewed for complications, treatment, and diabetes-control indicators. RESULTS Participating clinicians (average age, 45.7 years) saw an average of 32.6 adult patients with diabetes per month. Patients (average age, 59.7 years) reported a mean duration of diabetes of 9.1 years, with 34.3% having had the disease more than 10 years. Nearly one half (47.5%) of the patients had at least 1 diabetes-related complication, and 60.8% reported a body mass index greater than 30. Mean glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level was 7.6% (SD 1.73), and 40.5% of patients had values <7%. Only 35.3% of patients had adequate blood pressure control (<130/85 mm Hg), and only 43.7% had low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels <100 mg/dL. Only 7.0% of patients met all 3 control targets. Multilevel models showed that patient ethnicity, practice type, involvement of midlevel clinicians, and treatment were associated with HbA1c level; patient age, education level, and practice type were associated with blood pressure control; and patient ethnicity was associated with LDL-C control. CONCLUSIONS Only modest numbers of patients achieve established targets of diabetes control. Reengineering primary care practice may be necessary to substantially improve care.
Modification of host cell membrane lipid composition by the intra-erythrocytic human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.

The phospholipid and fatty acid compositions of the host infected erythrocyte plasma membrane (IEPM) have been determined for erythrocytes infected with the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. IEPM were prepared by selective lysis of the host erythrocyte (but not of the parasite membranes) with 0.1% saponin, followed by differential centrifugation. The purity of the IEPM was determined by measuring the membrane-specific enzyme markers acetylcholinesterase, glutamate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase, and by immunoelectron microscopy using monoclonal antibodies specific for human erythrocyte glycophorin A (4E7) and for a 195 kDa parasite membrane glycoprotein (Pf6 3B10.1). Both approaches demonstrated that the host erythrocyte plasma membrane preparation was free from contamination by parasite membranes. During intra-erythrocytic development of the parasite, the phospholipid composition of the erythrocyte membrane was strikingly altered. IEPM contained more phosphatidylcholine (38.7% versus 31.7%) and phosphatidylinositol (2.1% versus 0.8%) and less sphingomyelin (14.6% versus 28.0%) than normal uninfected erythrocytes. Similar alterations in phospholipid composition were determined for erythrocyte membranes of parasitized cells isolated by an alternative method utilizing polycationic polyacrylamide microbeads (Affigel 731). The total fatty acid compositions of the major phospholipids in IEPM were determined by g.l. c. The percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids in normal erythrocyte phospholipids (39.4%) was much higher than in phospholipids from purified parasites (23.3%) or IEPM (24.0%). The unsaturation index of phospholipids in IEPM was considerably lower than in uninfected erythrocytes (107.5 versus 161.0) and was very similar to that in purified parasites (107.5 versus 98.5). Large increases in palmitic acid (C16:0) (from 21.88% to 31.21%) and in oleic acid (C18:1) (from 14.64% to 24.60%), and major decreases in arachidonic acid (C20:4) (from 17.36% to 7.85%) and in docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6) (from 4.34% to 1.8%) occurred as a result of infection. The fatty acid profiles of individual phospholipid classes from IEPM resembled in many instances the fatty acid profiles of parasite phospholipids rather than those of uninfected erythrocytes. Analysis of IEPM from P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes (trophozoite stage) revealed that, during intra-erythrocytic maturation of the parasite, the host erythrocyte phospholipid composition was markedly refashioned. These alterations were not dependent on the method used to isolate the IEPM, with similar results obtained using either a saponin-lysis method or binding to Affigel beads. Since mature erythrocytes have negligible lipid synthesis and metabolism, these alterations must occur as a result of parasite-directed metabolism of erythrocyte lipids and/or trafficking of lipids between the parasite and erythrocyte membranes.
Endovascular stroke therapy: a single-center retrospective review.

OBJECT Endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke delivers direct therapy at the site of an occluded cerebral artery and can be employed beyond the 3-4.5-hour window limit set for intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator. In this paper, the authors report their experience with various endovascular therapies in acute ischemic stroke. METHODS The authors conducted a retrospective review of their clinical database for acute ischemic stroke in large-vessel cerebral territories that underwent endovascular treatment between May 2005 and February 2009. Endovascular treatment was defined as pharmacological and/or mechanical intervention, angioplasty, stenting, or a combination of these methods. Admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and the modified Rankin Scale scores were recorded. Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) scores of 0, 1, 2A, 2B, and 3 were used to define recanalization. RESULTS Forty procedures were performed in 39 patients, with 1 patient having sequential bilateral strokes. Nine patients were lost to follow-up after discharge. Strokes in the carotid artery circulation occurred in 82.5% of cases, and those in the vertebral-basilar territory occurred in 17.5%. The Merci device was used in 22 (55%) of 40 procedures, and the Penumbra device in 9 (22.5%) of 40. Angioplasty was performed in 15 (37.5%) of 40 procedures, and intraarterial recombinant tissue plasminogen activator was administered in 23 (57.5%) of 40 procedures. In 23 (57.5%) of 40 cases, multiple recanalization methods were used. The recanalization rate for all methods was 60%. The recanalization rate from TIMI Score 0/1 occlusions was 71.4% (20 of 28). An estimated modified Rankin Scale score of ≤ 2 was obtained in 11 (36.7%) of 30 cases. The overall mortality rate was 26.7% (8 of 30). Intracerebral hemorrhage at 24 hours postprocedure was noted in 17 (42.5%) of 40 cases, 3 (7.5%) of which were symptomatic. CONCLUSIONS The authors' institution performs endovascular stroke treatment with a safety and efficacy profile comparable to those of other major endovascular stroke therapy studies. Recanalization was associated with an improved clinical outcome. Protocols to maximize efficient triage of patients and better documentation of stroke treatments can assist in further studies.
Mining high average-utility itemsets

The average utility measure is adopted in this paper to reveal a better utility effect of combining several items than the original utility measure. A mining algorithm is then proposed to efficiently find the high average-utility itemsets. It uses the summation of the maximal utility among the items in each transaction including the target itemset as the upper bounds to overestimate the actual average utilities of the itemset and processes it in two phases. As expected, the mined high average-utility itemsets in the proposed way will be fewer than the high utility itemset under the same threshold. Experiments results also show the performance of the proposed algorithm.
Interaction of insulin and AMPK in the ischemic heart: another chapter in the book of metabolic therapy?

See related article, pages 61–68 There has been a longstanding interest in the development of metabolic modulations to improve the outcome of myocardial ischemia. The glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) regimen presents the classic example of such a quest. For more than four decades since GIK was first described, substantial evidence from animal research and small size clinical studies has supported the efficacy of GIK treatment for acute myocardial ischemia.1–3 However, a recent large clinical trial, CREATE-ECLA, showed no effect of GIK in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.1,4 Although this is extremely disappointing for supporters of metabolic treatment, careful evaluations of why GIK got lost in translation will benefit future development of therapeutic strategies based on metabolic principles. The study by Folmes et al published in this issue of Circulation Research sheds some light on this matter.5 Decreased perfusion during myocardial ischemia limits the delivery of oxygen and nutrients and decreases oxidative metabolism. Under these conditions, increased glycolytic ATP production becomes a critical energy source (Figure). Several mechanisms have been proposed to account for the increases in glucose uptake and glycolysis during myocardial ischemia. These include: α-adrenergic mechanisms, p38 activation, and, more recently, stimulation of AMPK-activated protein kinase (AMPK). 6–9 AMPK acts as an intracellular energy sensor. Its activity is highly sensitive to the cellular AMP to ATP ratio. AMPK activity markedly increases in response to energy depletion (increased AMP/ATP) during myocardial ischemia.8,10 Previous studies suggested that the increased AMPK activity promoted glycolytic ATP production and, thereby, protected against ischemic injury.8,11 It was also suggested, …
Discovery of a Long-Lived, High Amplitude Dusty Infrared Transient

We report the detection of an infrared-selected transient which has lasted at least five years, first identified by a large mid-infrared and optical outburst from a faint X-ray source detected with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. In this paper we rule out several scenarios for the cause of this outburst, including a classical nova, a luminous red nova, AGN flaring, a stellar merger, and intermediate luminosity optical transients, and interpret this transient as the result of a young stellar object (YSO) of at least solar mass accreting material from the remains of the dusty envelope from which it formed, in isolation from either a dense complex of cold gas or massive star formation. This object does not fit neatly into other existing categories of large outbursts of YSOs (FU Orionis types) which may be a result of the object's mass, age, and environment. It is also possible that this object is a new type of transient unrelated to YSOs.
Effects of Solar Particle Event Proton Radiation on Parameters Related to Ferret Emesis

The effectiveness of simulated solar particle event (SPE) proton radiation to induce retching and vomiting was evaluated in the ferret experimental animal model. The endpoints measured in the study included: (1) the fraction of animals that retched or vomited, (2) the number of retches or vomits observed, (3) the latency period before the first retch or vomit and (4) the duration between the first and last retching or vomiting events. The results demonstrated that γ ray and proton irradiation delivered at a high dose rate of 0.5 Gy/min induced dose-dependent changes in the endpoints related to retching and vomiting. The minimum radiation doses required to induce statistically significant changes in retching- and vomiting-related endpoints were 0.75 and 1.0 Gy, respectively, and the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of proton radiation at the high dose rate did not significantly differ from 1. Similar but less consistent and smaller changes in the retching- and vomiting-related endpoints were observed for groups irradiated with γ rays and protons delivered at a low dose rate of 0.5 Gy/h. Since this low dose rate is similar to a radiation dose rate expected during a SPE, these results suggest that the risk of SPE radiation-induced vomiting is low and may reach statistical significance only when the radiation dose reaches 1 Gy or higher.
METHOD OF HORIZONTAL GENE TRANSFER DETERMINATION USING PHYLOGENETIC DATA

Resume Motivation: An algorithm for comparative analysis of multiple trees reconstructed for representative protein families are discussed. This algorithm is based on the hypotheses of gene loss and horizontal gene transfers and uses stochastic methods and optimization. Some practical results are discussed. We describe a species tree comprising 40 prokaryotic organisms constructed by our algorithm on the basis of 132 individual groups of orthologous proteins (COGs) from GenBank of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (USA). We also describe a method for determination of horizontally transferred genes and its practical applications. Results: An algorithm for horizontal gene transfer determination is developed. Several horizontally transferred genes were detected using this algorithm. Availability: The software is available on request from the authors.
The evolution of evolvability in genetic programming

The notion of ``evolvability''---the ability of a population to produce variants fitter than any yet existing---is developed as it applies to genetic algortithms. A theoretical analysis of the dynamics of genetic programming predicts the existence of a novel, emergent selection phenomenon: the evolution of evolvability. This is produced by the proliferation, within programs, of blocks of code that have a higher chance of increasing fitness when added to programs. Selection can then come to mold the variational aspects of the way evolved programs are represented. A model of code proliferation within programs is analyzed to illustrate this effect. The mathematical and conceptual framework includes: the definition of evolvability as a measure of performance for genetic algorithms; application of Price's Covariance and Selection Theorem to show how the fitness function, representation, and genetic operators must interact to produce evolvability---namely, that genetic operators produce offspring with fitnesses specifically correlated with their parent's fitnesses; how blocks of code emerge as a new level of replicator, proliferating as a function of their ``constructional fitness,'' which is distinct from their schema fitness; and how programs may change from innovative code to conservative code as the populations mature. Several new selection techniques and genetic operators are proposed in order to give better control over the evolution of evolvability and improved evolutionary performance.
Features of structural brain abnormality detected in first-episode psychosis.

OBJECTIVE Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies that focus on first-episode psychosis avoid some common confounds, such as chronicity of illness, treatment effects, and long-term substance abuse. However, such studies may select subjects with poor short-term treatment response or outcome. In this study, the authors focus on structural brain abnormalities in never or minimally treated patients who underwent MRI scanning early in their first episode of psychosis. METHOD The authors examined 37 patients (13 medication naive, 24 previously treated) who were experiencing their first episode of psychosis; the mean duration of symptoms was short (31 weeks). These patients were comparable in age, gender, handedness, ethnicity, and parental socioeconomic status to a group of 25 healthy comparison subjects. A three-dimensional, inversion recovery prepared, fast spoiled gradient/recall in the steady state scan of the whole brain that used 1.5-mm contiguous sections was performed to acquire a T(1)-weighted data set. Human ratings of volumetric measurement of brain structures were performed with stereological techniques on three-dimensional reconstructed MRIs. RESULTS The patient group had significant deficits in cortical gray matter, temporal lobe gray matter, and whole brain volume as well as significant enlargement of the lateral and third ventricles. Structural deviations were found in both treatment-naive and minimally treated subjects. No relationships were found between any brain matter volumes and positive or negative symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Structural brain abnormalities were distributed throughout the cortex with particular decrement evident in gray matter. This feature is consistent with altered cell structure and disturbed neuronal connectivity, which accounts for the functional abnormality of psychosis.
Accurate linear interpolation in the extended split-step migration

We present an implementation of the extended split-step migration method for strong lateral velocity gradients. Steep events are imaged by using the evanescent energy in the linear interpolation of different downward continued wavefields in every depth step and between reference velocities. The 3-D algorithm is a 3-D prestack operator based on common-azimuth continuation at every depth step. We show the extended split-step impulse response with a strong lateral velocity gradient of 0.5 s−1, and we apply the migration algorithm over two synthetic data sets: a 2-D salt dome model and the 3-D SEG-EAEG data set. In addition, we show the resulting prestack migrated image of the real data set that used to built the 2-D salt dome model. Our results show that the evanescent energy is important in the linear interpolation to preserve steep events in a strong lateral velocity gradient.
Solar Irradiance Modelling with NASA WW GIS Environment

In this work we present preliminary results regarding a proof-of-concept project which aims to provide tools for mapping the amount of solar radiation reaching surfaces of objects, accounting for obstructions between objects themselves. The implementation uses the NASA World Wind development platform (NASA WW) to model the different physical phenomena that participate in the process, from the calculation of the Sun’s position relative to the area that is being considered, to the interaction between atmosphere and solid obstructions, e.g., terrain or buildings. A more complete understanding of the distribution of energy from the Sun illuminating elements on the Earth’s surface adds value to applications ranging from planning the renewable energy potential of an area to ecological analyses.