Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cortical Alterations by the Abnormal Visual Experience beyond the Critical Period: A Resting-state fMRI Study on Constant Exotropia

ABSTRACT Purpose: The pathological mechanisms of constant exotropia (XT) are still not understood. This study aimed to critically investigate whether patients with XT express neuronal activity changes after the critical period of visual development and further explore how these alterations are associated with behavioral performance. Materials and methods: Fourteen patients with XT and 16 healthy controls (HCs) underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The regional homogeneity (ReHo) method was used to evaluate spontaneous brain activities. The association between significantly altered mean ReHo values and behavioral performance was assessed using Pearson’s correlation analysis. Results: Compared with HCs, the right secondary visual cortex (V2) in patients with XT exhibited increased ReHo values, whereas the left Brodmann area 47 (BA47) demonstrated decreased spontaneous ReHo values. In patients with XT, the correlation between the left BA47’s mean ReHo value and duration of strabismus was positively significant. Conclusions: These findings indicate that patients with XT have severe neural dysfunction in the right V2 and left BA47, and pathological severity in the left BA47 is likely influenced by duration of ongoing strabismus. Therefore, these results may provide clinically important information toward understanding the underlying pathological mechanisms of XT and thus can be fundamental in future XT research.
Implementing "Quick add" feature in calendar application using Flex and Natural language processing

With the advent of Natural language processing communications between human and computers become much at ease. Natural Language Processing (NLP) is automated process for analyzing text based on set of theories and technologies. This paper proposes natural language processing for calendar application. This NLP application lets a user add an eve nt in a calendar without filling manual form for adding a new event. The proposed system accepts a phrase in natural language, interpret it, derive logical meaning and add a ne w event in the calendar application. The input phrase is processed using patte rn matching technique of natural language processing to generate tokens which are formal representations that are easier to be manipulated by the application. Flex is explored and used to automate the lexical analysis process.
Leukocyte transcriptional signatures dependent on LPS dosage in human endotoxemia

The host immune response is characterized by a complex interplay of signal‐specific cellular transcriptional responses. The magnitude of the immune response is dependent on the strength of the external stimulus. Knowledge on leukocyte transcriptional responses altered in response to different stimulus dosages in man is lacking. Here, we sought to identify leukocyte transcriptional signatures dependent on LPS dose in humans. Healthy human volunteers were administered 1 ng/kg (n = 7), 2 ng/kg (n = 6), or 4 ng/kg (n = 7) LPS intravenously. Blood was collected before (pre‐LPS) and 4 h after LPS administration. Total RNA was analyzed by microarrays and generalized linear models. Pathway analysis was performed by using Ingenuity pathway analysis. Leukocyte transcriptomes altered per LPS dosage were predominantly shared, with 47% common signatures relative to pre‐LPS. A univariate linear model identified a set of 3736 genes that exhibited a dependency on differing LPS dosages. Neutrophil, monocyte, and lymphocyte counts explained 38.9% of the variance in the LPS dose‐dependent gene set. A multivariate linear model including leukocyte composition delineated a set of 295 genes with a dependency on LPS dose. Evaluation of the 295 gene signature in patients with sepsis due to abdominal infections showed significant correlations. Promoter regions of the LPS dose gene set were enriched for YY1, EGR1, ELK1, GABPA, KLF4, and REL transcription factor binding sites. Intravenous injection of 1, 2, or 4 ng/kg LPS was accompanied by both shared and distinct leukocyte transcriptional alterations. These data may assist in assessing the severity of the insult in patients with abdominal sepsis.
Desarrollo de entornos virtuales inteligentes basados en el Meta-Modelo MAM5

Intelligent Virtual Environments (IVE) are simulation and entertainment tools that are becoming more and more popular. They allow individuals and enterprises to design simulation envrionments that model real life features. These IVEs simulate a real world, taking into account physical restrictions in order to offer big realism that maximizes as far as possible the user’s feeling of immersion. In order to achieve that, the simulation must allow the interaction between users, objects and entities populating the virtual environment. These virtual entities can have some intelligence that increases user’s immersion feeling. One of the most used techniques to model these intelligent entities is Multi-Agent Systems. This kind of application are among the most demanded ones, not only for being the key for multi-user games like World of Warcraft (with more than 7 millions of users in 2013), but also as the foundation of virtual social networks like Second Life (with 36 millions of users in its 10 years of history). These applications have to tackle with a huge number of entities and objects to simulate. Because of that it is important to have tools that facilitate the design and implementation of this kind of systems. Moreover, they must be able to adapt to changes not only in the amount of entities but also in the user needs. Current technology used for developing this kind of systems lacks of elements facilitating the adaptation and management of the system. Tradicionally, this kind of applications uses the client / server paradigm, but due to its features, a distrubuted approach, like Multi-Agent Systems, will allow the developing of components evolving autonomously. The present work proposes a tool that deals with these open issues helping the modelling, programming and simulation of IVEs. This tool is called JaCalIVE (Jason Cartago to implement Intelligent Virtual Environments), and provides a method to develop IVEs along with an execution platform to simulate them. JaCalIVE is based on the MAM5 meta-model that describes a method to design IVEs based on A&A. Moreover, it introduces a physical simulation engine allowing realistic IVEs that includes physical restrictions that bound the behaviour of the entities populating the IVE.
Patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Recruited from Both Hospital and Primary Care Settings: A Controlled Longitudinal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Abstract With an emphasis on traumatic axonal injury (TAI), frequency and evolution of traumatic intracranial lesions on 3T clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were assessed in a combined hospital and community-based study of patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The findings were related to post-concussion symptoms (PCS) at 3 and 12 months. Prospectively, 194 patients (16–60 years of age) were recruited from the emergency departments at a level 1 trauma center and a municipal outpatient clinic into the Trondheim mTBI follow-up study. MRI was acquired within 72 h (n = 194) and at 3 (n = 165) and 12 months (n = 152) in patients and community controls (n = 78). The protocol included T2, diffusion weighted imaging, fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), and susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI). PCS was assessed with British Columbia Post Concussion Symptom Inventory in patients and controls. Traumatic lesions were present in 12% on very early MRI, and in 5% when computed tomography (CT) was negative. TAI was found in 6% and persisted for 12 months on SWI, whereas TAI lesions on FLAIR disappeared or became less conspicuous on follow-up. PCS occurred in 33% of patients with lesions on MRI and in 19% in patients without lesions at 3 months (p = 0.12) and in 21% with lesions and 14% without lesions at 12 months (p = 0.49). Very early MRI depicted cases of TAI in patients with mTBI with microbleeds persisting for 12 months. Patients with traumatic lesions may have a more protracted recovery, but the study was underpowered to detect significant differences for PCS because of the low frequency of trauma-related MRI lesions.
International Journal of Advance Research in Computer Science and Management Studies

Quality of software is dependent on various attributes such as testing, metric and prediction of bugs before deployment which will lead to effective maintenance. Software complexity and bugs again are interrelated. In this paper we are making a comparative study of defect prediction mechanisms. We propose few design ideas for empirical prediction of defect decay. Our research direction will be triggered by the design ideas we are going to propose. We intend to propose a holistic model for correct prediction of defect decay. We also want to perform empirical validation of our model and fine tune it so that its estimates are better than state-of-the-art.
The Effect of Extranodal Extension on Survival in Laryngeal Carcinoma

It is known that lymph node metastasis lowers the survival rates in laryngeal carcinoma. This study aimed to investigate the effect of extranodal extension in lymph node metastasis on survival. The demographic characteristics and histopathologic results of 81 patients who underwent total laryngectomy and neck dissection due to advanced larynx squamous cell carcinoma between 2011 and 2018 were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were divided into 3 groups by lymph node metastasis status as reactive lymph node (group 1), lymph node metastasis without detected extranodal extension (group 2), and lymph node metastasis with detected extranodal extension (group 3). Survival analysis was performed between these 3 groups. In the patient population with a mean age of 61.56 years consisting of 6 females and 75 males, demographic characteristics between groups were comparable. Overall survival (OS) rates were detected to be 81% in group 1, 69.2% in group 2, and 61.5% in group 3. Two-year OS rates were detected to be 66.7% in group 1, 46.2% in group 2, and 38.5% in group 3. Statistical difference was detected between group 1 and group 3 both for OS and 2-year OS (P = .014, P = .008, respectively). No statistical difference was detected between group 2 and group 1, and between group 2 and group 3. In this study, we found a negative effect of detecting neck lymphadenopathy metastasis and extranodal extension on survival in patients who underwent total laryngectomy and neck dissection due to advanced laryngeal carcinoma.
Association of Intracranial Artery Calcification with Cognitive Impairment in Hemodialysis Patients

Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of risk factors for dementia and cognitive decline. Cardiovascular and dialysis-related factors might also be involved in the mechanism of cognitive impairment in hemodialysis patients. The objective of this study was to investigate whether cardiovascular risk factors including intracranial artery calcification and dialysis-related factors such as fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) might be associated with cognitive impairment in hemodialysis patients. Material/Methods A cross-sectional observational study included patients receiving in-center hemodialysis over 6 months at our hospital. All patients underwent non-contrast computed tomography (CT) examinations. Internal carotid artery (ICA) calcium scores were measured using the Agatston method. The Korean version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment was used for measurement of cognitive function at each study visit. Serum concentrations of FGF23, osteoprotegerin, and klotho were analyzed using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Results This study included 69 patients. Cognitive impairment was observed in 22 patients (31.9%), including 3 patients with dementia. ICA calcium score in patients with cognitive impairment was higher than that in those without cognitive impairment (177.3 versus 87.6, P=0.022). Intracranial artery calcification was significantly associated with cognitive impairment after adjusting for FGF23 and 25-OH vitamin D, but not significant after adjusting for age, FGF23, and 25-OH vitamin D. Low level of FGF23 was associated with cognitive impairment. Conclusions Intracranial artery calcification and low FGF23 could be associated with cognitive impairment in hemodialysis patients. Longitudinal studies are needed to investigate whether intracranial artery calcification and FGF23 could affect cognitive function of hemodialysis patients.
A computer-aided design environment for distributed realtime systems

The author presents a distributed project support environment for the design of fault-tolerant distributed realtime systems. The innovative aspects of this environment relate to the handling of realtime from the requirements phase to the detailed implementation stage and to the integration of the design tools with the evaluation of the design tools with the evaluation tools. Data refinement, function refinement, evaluation, and project management are supported by an open, but coherent tool set, shared by different computers. A uniform man-machine interface is one of the integrating factors of the whole environment. The design environment is implemented under the Unix operating system. The X-window system supports the creation of the window and icon-driven user interface of the design tools. The entire information gained and used during the design process is stored in an entity-relationship model implemented by a hybrid data-management approach that is based on a relational database system and the Unix file system. <<ETX>>
Feasibility of HIV self-testing: experiences of people seeking HIV testing in rural and urban KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

HIV status awareness is a rate limiting step in HIV treatment and prevention initiatives aimed at addressing the global HIV epidemic. Uptake of HIV testing remains suboptimal despite global campaigns aimed at improving uptake. HIV self-testing (HIVST) displays the potential to increase uptake of HIV testing in public health care facilities, which are the main access points for HIV testing, but evidence to support this notion is limited. Therefore, this study determined the factors that influence the feasibility of introducing HIVST into public facilities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, through a mixed method crossover study design, implemented among 40 consenting adults who were either regular HIV testers or HIV testing naïve. Qualitative assessments were conducted using a topic guide centred on the feasibility of HIVST. Usability of HIVST was quantitatively assessed by means of a HIVST usability assessment checklist. Technical, environmental and economic factors were found to influence HIVST feasibility. The majority of participants were able to conduct unsupervised HIVST but training may be required for those unable to follow instructions. Accessibility of HIVST was associated with affordability and convenience. Environmental factors such as storage and location to perform the test and a disposal kit require further consideration in limited resource settings due to lack of privacy and confidentiality. While we demonstrated that HIVST is feasible, and identified factors that may influence its feasibility, these factors require further consideration in primary health care facilities in resource limited settings prior to scale-up.
Challenges and opportunities for antimicrobial stewardship in resource-rich and resource-limited countries

ABSTRACT Introduction: Inappropriate prescription practices, patient and provider knowledge and attitudes, variable availability of diagnostic and surveillance systems, and the unrestricted use of antimicrobials in animals and plants are contributory factors to the global crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Areas covered: Notwithstanding that interventions to revert AMR should be tailored to the socio-politico-economic landscape, there is a global consensus for the implementation and enhancement of antimicrobial stewardship strategies. Yet the implementation of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASPs) remains relatively limited within healthcare settings and faces complex challenges in resource-limited countries. The current review summarizes the limitations of current ASPs, translation challenges in resource-limited countries, and potential solutions. Expert opinion: Suboptimal ASP implementation in hospitals is multifactorial. Restriction of antimicrobial use should be informed by risk-benefit analyses, including the potential for substitute prescribing, and displacement of selection pressures. Thresholds in population use of antibiotics above which AMR increases may provide quantitative targets for ASPs. Horizontal and vertical collaborations involving policymakers and the general public are of paramount importance. While impactful prescribing changes require sustained engagement of the public and health-care professionals, we warn against over-estimating the benefits of behavioral interventions. We advocate for population-level stewardship interventions in addition to investment in structural factors that will aid ASP implementation.
Evaluation of the early warning indicators of HIV drug resistance surveillance system in Manicaland province, Zimbabwe

More than 1.1 million people currently receive lifelong antiretroviral treatment in Zimbabwe following the adoption of the test and treat strategy in 2017. The huge numbers of people on antiretroviral therapy (ART), combined with HIV’s error-prone replication, increases the probability of HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) developing. HIVDR in resource-limited settings like Zimbabwe has significant human and financial implications. The early warning indicators of HIV drug resistance surveillance system was set up to monitor the ART programme and to identify factors that could raise the risk of HIVDR. Fifty-one health workers at 12 health facilities were interviewed in a cross-sectional study that sought to describe how the system operates and also to identify gaps (knowledge, perceived system usefulness, sensitivity) within the system. The system was seen to have multiple weaknesses including inadequate training, difficulties navigating the system, long duration of data abstraction, and poor feedback mechanisms. Opportunities observed during the evaluation centered on integration and incorporation of indicators into the electronic patient monitoring system and strengthening ownership of the programme.
Endoscopic, radiologic, and histologic healing with vedolizumab in patients with active Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Vedolizumab is a gut-selective monoclonal antibody for the treatment of moderately to severely active Crohn's disease (CD). We performed a prospective study of endoscopic, radiologic, and histologic healing in patients with CD who received vedolizumab therapy. METHODS We performed a phase 3b, open-label, single-group study of 101 patients with at least 3 months of active CD (a CD Activity Index [CDAI] score of 220-450, a simple endoscopic score for CD [SES-CD] of 7 or more, 1 or more mucosal ulcerations [identified by endoscopy], and failure of conventional therapy) from March 2015 through December 2017. Among the patients enrolled, 54.5% had previous failure of 1 or more tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist and 44.6% had severe endoscopic disease activity (SES-CD scores above 15) at baseline. Participants received vedolizumab (300 mg intravenously) at weeks 0, 2, and 6, and then every 8 weeks thereafter, for 26 weeks (primary study) or 52 weeks (sub-study, 56 patients). The primary endpoint at week 26 was endoscopic remission (SES-CD score of 4 or less); other endpoints included endoscopic response (50% reduction in SES-CD), radiologic remission (magnetic resonance index of activity score below 7), and histologic response (modified-global histologic disease activity score of 4 or less). RESULTS At week 26, 11.9% of patients were in endoscopic remission (95% CI, 6.3-9.8); at week 52, 17.9% of the patients were in endoscopic remission (95% CI, 8.9-30.4). Higher proportions of patients naïve to TNF antagonists achieved endoscopic remission than patients with TNF antagonist failure at weeks 26 and 52. Higher proportion of patients with moderate CD (SES-CD scores, 7-15) achieved endoscopic remission at weeks 26 and 52 than patients with severe CD (SES-CD scores above 15). Proportion of patients with complete mucosal healing increased over time, with greater rates of healing in the colon than in the ileum. Remission was detected by magnetic resonance enterography in 21.9% of patients at week 26 (95% CI, 9.3-40.0) and in 38.1% at week 52 (95% CI, 18.1-61.6). At week 26, 24.4% of patients had a histologic response in the colon (95% CI, 15.3-35.4) and 28.3% of patients had a histologic response in the ileum (95% CI, 17.5-41.4). At week 52, 20.5% of patients had a histologic response in the colon (95% CI, 9.8-35.3) and 34.3% of patients had a histologic response in the ileum (95% CI, 19.1-52.2). There were no notable safety issues, including worsening of extraintestinal manifestations. CONCLUSIONS In a phase 3b trial, we found that 26 and 52 weeks of treatment with vedolizumab (300 mg, at weeks 0, 2, and 6, and then every 8 weeks thereafter) induces endoscopic, radiologic, and histologic healing in patients with moderately to severely active CD. ClinicalTrials.gov no: NCT02425111.
Significant differences between specular microscopy and corneal bank endothelial cell counts – a pilot study

It was shown recently that endothelial cell count performed by cornea banks overestimates the real number of endothelial cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the internal quality of preclinical ECD in human donor corneas using two widely used methods for endothelial cell counting, transmitted light microscopy used in organ culture tissue bank and clinically used specular microscopy.
Insights on modulators in perception of taste modalities: a review

Abstract A major challenge in taste research is to overcome the flavour imperfections in food products and to build nutritious strategies to combat against obesity as well as other related metabolic syndromes. The field of molecular taste research and chemical senses has contributed to an enormous development in understanding the taste receptors and mechanisms of taste perception. Accordingly, the development of taste-modifying compounds or taste modulators that alter the perception of basic taste modalities has gained significant prominence in the recent past. The beneficial aspects of these substances are overwhelming while considering their potential taste-modifying properties. The objective of the present review is to provide an impression about the taste-modulating compounds and their distinctive taste-modifying properties with reference to their targets and proposed mechanisms of action. The present review also makes an effort to discuss the basic mechanism involved in oro-gustatory taste perception as well as on the effector molecules involved in signal transduction downstream to the activation of taste receptors.