Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relationship between dry eye and glycosylated haemoglobin among diabetics in Ibadan, Nigeria

Introduction dry eye is a fairly common ocular surface disorder which significantly affects the quality of life of patients. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, and relationship between dry eye and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) among patients with diabetes mellitus. Methods this was a descriptive hospital-based study conducted among patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and attending the Diabetic Clinic at a tertiary health facility in Ibadan, south-western Nigeria. Dry eye was assessed using the standardized Ocular Surface Disease Index Questionnaire administered to the eligible respondents on dry eye symptoms. Detailed ocular examination including the tear break-up time (TBUT) and Schirmer I test were carried out and a recent glycosylated haemoglobin value was also obtained. Results one hundred and eighty-nine Type 2 diabetic patients were studied, with 68.8% female and a mean age of 60.2 ± 10.3 years. The frequency of dry eye among patients was 21.7% (95% CI, 15.8-27.6). The most commonly reported symptoms of dry eye were “feeling of gritty sensation” (78%, 95% CI, 65.4-90.7) and “blurred vision” (73.2%, 95% CI, 59.6-86.7) while “discomfort in windy areas” (61%, 95% CI, 46.0-75.9) was the most common environmental trigger. No statistically significant correlation was noted between dry eye and HbA1c (r = 0.086, p= 0.239), and age (r = 0.096, p = 0.1) Conclusion dry eye is fairly common among patients with diabetes mellitus with most frequent symptoms being gritty sensation and blurred vision. No significant correlation was noted between dry eye and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c).
Role of the spleen in the peripheral vascular response to severe exercise in untethered dogs.

The effects of severe, spontaneous exercise were studied on mesenteric and renal blood flows and resistances before and after splenectomy in six unrestrained, healthy dogs instrumented with miniature pressure gauges in the aorta and ultrasonic Doppler flow probes on the mesenteric and renal arteries. Before splenectomy, exercise increased haematocrit from 40 to 49%, heart rate from 76 to 290/min, mean arterial pressure from 93 to 134 mm Hg, mesenteric (+ 57%) and renal (+ 55%) resistances, while mesenteric and renal flows remained essentially constant. After splenectomy, exercise failed to increase haematocrit and increased vascular resistances to a far greater extent in the mesenteric (+144%) and renal (+199%) beds than in the intact dog, while reducing mesenteric flow by an average of 33% and renal flow by an average of 44%. Thus, in the dog the spleen contributes to the response to exercise by increasing haematocrit sufficiently to obviate reduction and diversion of visceral flows.
Intestinal Macrophages Lack CD14 and CD89 and Consequently Are Down-Regulated for LPS- and IgA-Mediated Activities1

The intestinal mucosa normally displays minimal inflammation despite the close proximity between mucosal macrophages and lumenal bacteria. Macrophages interact with bacteria and their products through CD14, a surface receptor involved in the response to LPS, and CD89, the receptor for IgA (FcαR). Here we show that resident macrophages isolated from normal human intestine lack CD14 and CD89. The absence of CD14 and CD89 was not due to the isolation procedure or mucosal cell products, but was evident at the transcriptional level, as the macrophages expressed neither CD14- nor CD89-specific mRNAs, but did express Toll-like receptor 2 and 4 transcripts. Consistent with their CD14− phenotype, lamina propria macrophages displayed markedly reduced LPS-induced cytokine production and LPS-enhanced phagocytosis. In addition, IgA-enhanced phagocytosis was sharply reduced in lamina propria macrophages. Thus, the absence of CD14 and CD89 on resident intestinal macrophages, due to down-regulated gene transcription, causes down-modulated LPS- and IgA-mediated functions and probably contributes to the low level of inflammation in normal human intestinal mucosa.
The engineering of personhood

Any subset of reality can potentially be interpreted as a computer, so when we speak about a particular computer, we are merely speaking about a portion of reality we can understand computationally. That means that computation is only identifiable through the human experience of it. User interface is ultimately the only grounding for the abstractions of computation, in the same way that the measurement of physical phenomena provides the only legitimate basis for physics. But user interface also changes humans. As computation is perceived, the natures of self and personhood are transformed. This process, when designers are aware of it, can be understood as an emerging form of applied philosophy or even applied spirituality.
CpxRA Contributes to Xenorhabdus nematophila Virulence through Regulation of lrhA and Modulation of Insect Immunity

ABSTRACT The gammaproteobacterium Xenorhabdus nematophila is a blood pathogen of insects that requires the CpxRA signal transduction system for full virulence (E. E. Herbert et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73:7826-7836, 2007). We show here that the ΔcpxR1 mutant has altered localization, growth, and immune suppressive activities relative to its wild-type parent during infection of Manduca sexta insects. In contrast to wild-type X. nematophila, which were recovered throughout infection, ΔcpxR1 cells did not accumulate in hemolymph until after insect death. In vivo imaging of fluorescently labeled bacteria within live insects showed that ΔcpxR1 displayed delayed accumulation and also occasionally were present in isolated nodes rather than systemically throughout the insect as was wild-type X. nematophila. In addition, in contrast to its wild-type parent, the ΔcpxR1 mutant elicited transcription of an insect antimicrobial peptide, cecropin. Relative to phosphate-buffered saline-injected insects, cecropin transcript was induced 21-fold more in insects injected with ΔcpxR1 and 2-fold more in insects injected with wild-type X. nematophila. These data suggest that the ΔcpxR1 mutant has a defect in immune suppression or has an increased propensity to activate M. sexta immunity. CpxR regulates, directly or indirectly, genes known or predicted to be involved in virulence (E. E. Herbert et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73:7826-7836, 2007), including lrhA, encoding a transcription factor necessary for X. nematophila virulence, motility, and lipase production (G. R. Richards et al., J. Bacteriol. 190:4870-4879, 2008). CpxR positively regulates lrhA transcript, and we have shown that altered regulation of lrhA in the ΔcpxR1 mutant causes this strain's virulence defect. The ΔcpxR1 mutant expressing lrhA from a constitutive lac promoter showed wild-type virulence in M. sexta. These data suggest that CpxR contributes to X. nematophila virulence through the regulation of lrhA, immune suppression, and growth in Insecta.
La mise en place de bases de données des génotypes circulants du complexe Mycobacterium tuberculosis et des outils web permettant de mieux surveiller, comprendre et contrôler l'épidémie de la tuberculose dans le monde

Dans cet article, nous presenterons rapidement plusieurs bases de donnees de genotypage du complexe Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTBC), elaborees au cours des quinze dernieres annees a l'Institut Pasteur de la Guadeloupe (IPG), dans le cadre d'une grande initiative concertee visant a lutter contre l'epidemie mondiale de la tuberculose. De la toute premiere version au format Excel en 1999 (SpolDB1 ; n = 610 isolats cliniques) a la quatrieme au format MySQL en 2006 (SpolDB4; n = 39 295 isolats cliniques), ces bases de donnees ont brosse un premier tableau de la phylogeographie des lignees genotypiques de MTBC en circulation, en utilisant le typage oligonucleotidique des espaceurs (spoligotypage) qui permet d'etudier le polymorphisme du locus DR (Direct Repeat). Les deux dernieres versions multimarqueurs sous MySQL constituent respectivement la 5 eme version de SITVITWEB, publiee en 2012 (n = 62 582 isolats cliniques), qui repose sur le spoligotypage et le typage MIRU-VNTR (Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Units/Variable Number of Tandem Repeats) 12 loci, et la 6eme version, denommee SITVIT2, qui sera publiee en 2014 (n = 111 635 isolats cliniques) et qui contient des donnees de spoligotypage et de MIRU-VNTR 12, 15 ou 24 loci. Sur ces dernieres versions, une interface en ligne permet a l'utilisateur de rechercher des souches dans la base de donnees au moyen de criteres tels que l'annee, le pays d'isolement, le pays d'origine ou le nom du chercheur. Cette interface permet en outre d'effectuer des recherches mixtes dans SITVIT2, permettant d'obtenir les donnees de genotypage de certaines souches, conjointement avec leur repartition geographique, ainsi que les donnees disponibles sur la resistance aux antibiotiques ou les caracteristiques demographiques et epidemiologiques. Notre initiative de recherche a ainsi pour but d'ameliorer la caracterisation phylogenetique detaillee des lignees du MTBC, ainsi que l'epidemiologie des clones en circulation, afin d'elaborer une cartographie geographique factuelle des isolats cliniques predominants pour les bacilles tuberculeux principalement impliques dans la maladie, a l'echelle nationale et regionale. La superposition ulterieure de ces cartes avec des donnees sociopolitiques, economiques et demographiques obtenues aupres de Systemes d'information geographique (SIG) dressera un portrait precis des disparites actuelles par sous-region, selon la classification des Nations Unies. Il est important de comprendre le detail de ces disparites et faiblesses pour que les decideurs politiques et les autorites de sante publique puissent prendre les mesures qui s'imposent pour mieux surveiller, comprendre et controler l'epidemie mondiale de la tuberculose.
LC-Tank Colpitts Injection-Locked Frequency Divider With Record Locking Range

A new wide locking range injection-locked frequency divider (ILFD) using a standard 0.18-mum CMOS process is presented. The ILFD is based on a differential voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) with two embedded injection metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) for coupling external signal to the resonators. The new VCO is composed of two single-ended VCOs coupled with cross-coupled MOSFETs and a transformer. Measurement results show that at the supply voltage of 1.5 V, the divider's free-running frequency is tunable from 5.85 to 6.17 GHz, and at the incident power of 0 dBm the locking range is about 7.1 GHz (65.4%), from the incident frequency 7.3 to 14.4 GHz. The ILFD has a record locking range percentage among published divide-by-2 . LC-tank ILFDs.
A Case of Acute Pancreatitis Associated with Risperidone Treatment

Acute pancreatitis with antipsychotic treatment is rare but sometimes causes a fatal adverse effect. Most cases of acute pancreatitis due to atypical antipsychotic agents are reported to occur within six months of starting antipsychotic administration. Acute pancreatitis caused by risperidone is rare. The patient had a high fever, stomachache and vomiting. The results of the abdominal computed tomograhpy scan were negative. The results of the abdominal ultrasonography were positive for gallstones in gallbladder and distention of the common bile duct. She had been fasting and received antibiotic intravenous injections. Amylase and lipase titers were high. After risperidone discontinuation, both the levels of the amylase and the lipase were gradually decreased. Three months later, the patient still maintains a good clinical balance. Although atypical antipsychotic-induced pancreatitis has been reported in conjunction with hyperglycemia, the pathophysiologic mechanism of these adverse events remains unclear. This case got pancreatitis 6 month after risperidone treatment. Using the antipsychotic agents, it is necessary to monitor pancreas function.
Enhancement of memory processes in Alzheimer's disease with multiple-dose intravenous physostigmine.

Physostigmine (.125 mg, .25 mg, or .50 mg) or placebo was administered intravenously to 10 neuroleptic-free patients with Alzheimer's disease over a 30-minute period. All patients performed better on a recognition memory task while receiving physostigmine. When placebo or the dose of physostigmine previously associated with an improvement in memory was readministered, physostigmine again enhanced performance on a recognition memory task. These results indicate that the acute augmentation of cholinergic activity in some patients with Alzheimer's disease can partially reverse the memory deficit of that disorder and may provide an approach to the eventual therapy of this condition.
A‐549 is a suitable cell line for primary isolation of coxsackie B viruses

A common receptor for coxsackie B virus and adenovirus has been described recently in cells of human and murine origin. Since the established cell line A‐549 is suitable for adenoviruses, the potential use of A‐549 cells for the isolation of coxsackie B viruses from clinical samples was investigated. All throat swabs sent to the laboratory between April 1998 and June 1999 were inoculated onto monolayers of MRC‐5 and A‐549 cells in tubes, and the enterovirus isolates obtained were typed. From April to June 1999, A‐549 cells were compared prospectively to Buffalo green monkey (BGM) cells, considered as the most susceptible cell line for isolating coxsackie B viruses. Fifty‐six out of 171 enterovirus isolates (33%) displayed a cytopathic effect (CPE) in the A‐549 monolayer only, 48 isolates (28%) in the MRC‐5 monolayer only, and 67 isolates (39%) in both cell lines. Most isolates that showed CPE in A‐549 cells only (48 out of 56, 86%) were coxsackie B viruses, belonging to four different serotypes (B1, B2, B4, and B6). When BGM and A‐549 cells were inoculated in parallel, both recovered the same number of coxsackie B isolates (n = 20), and the CPE was noted on approximately the same day. In conclusion, growth in A‐549 but not MRC‐5 cells identified coxsackie B viruses in most cases. A‐549 was comparable to BGM for primary isolation of coxsackie B viruses. J. Med. Virol. 65:534–536, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Helicity and Spin of Linearly Polarized Hermite-Gaussian Modes

The angular momentum content and propagation of linearly polarized Hermite-Gaussian modes are analyzed. The helicity gauge invariant continuity equation reveals that the helicity and flow in the direction of propagation are zero. However, the helicity flow exhibits nonvanishing transverse components. These components have been recently described as photonic wheels. These intrinsic angular momentum terms, depending on the criterion, can be associated with spin or orbital momentum. The electric and magnetic contributions to the optical helicity will be shown to cancel out for Hermite-Gaussian modes. The helicity ϱAC here derived is consistent with the interpretation that it represents the projection of the angular momentum onto the direction of motion.
GaN Nanowires Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

The unique properties of GaN nanowires grown by molecular beam epitaxy are reviewed. These properties include the absence of residual strain, exclusion of most extended defects, long photoluminescence lifetime, low surface recombination velocity, and high mechanical quality factor. The high purity of the nanowires grown by this method allows for controllable n-type doping. P-type doping presents more challenges but has been demonstrated in active light-emitting diode devices. The present understanding of nucleation and growth of these materials is also reviewed.
The effects of pollution on fish health

Potentially harmful substances‐e.g. pesticides, heavy metals and hydrocarbons‐are often released into the aquatic environment. When large quantities of pollutants are released there may be an immediate impact as measured by large‐scale sudden mortalities of aquatic organisms, e.g. fish kills resulting from contamination of waterways with agricultural pesticides. Lower levels of discharge may result in an accumulation of the pollutants in aquatic organisms. The end results, which may occur long after the pollutants have passed through the environment, include immunosuppression, reduced metabolism, and damage to gills and epithelia. However, the link between adverse water quality and fish diseases is not proven. Alleged pollution‐related diseases include epidermal papilloma, fin/tail rot, gill disease, hyperplasia, liver damage, neoplasia and ulceration. Many surveys have indicated a greater proportion of diseased fish in polluted compared to non‐polluted marine sites. Yet, the value of such surveys may be questioned. Specific examples of fish diseases thought to reflect the effects of pollution include surface lesions attributed to Serratia plymuthica, fin and tail rot caused by Aeromonas hydrophila and Pseudomonas fluorescens, gill disease resulting from the actvity of Flavobacterium spp. , vibriosis as caused by Vibrio anguillarum, and enteric redmouth (causal agent, Yersinia ruckeri). Research indicated that some of the diseases caused by Aeromonas, Flavobacterium and Pseudomonas resulted from generally adverse water quality, i.e. higher than usual quantities of organic material, oxygen depletion, changes in pH values and enhanced microbial populations. Some infections with Serratia and Yersina may well have reflected contamination of waterways with domestic sewage, e.g. leaking septic tanks. At least one outbreak of vibriosis was linked to high concentrations of copper, which may have debilitated the fish making them more susceptible to disease.
Synaptic connexions made by horizontal cells within the outer plexiform layer of the retina of the cat and the rabbit

Two ultrastructurally distinctive types of horizontal cells are described in the retinae of the cat and the rabbit. Evidence is presented that they have different synaptic connexions in the outer plexiform layer. The majority of the presynaptic structures identified in the outer plexiform layer of the rabbit (as defined on page 320) belong to a neurofilamentous type of horizontal cell. It is suggested that the cat may be the same. No synapses have been identified on to, or from, the second, predominantly neurotubular, type of horizontal cell. No chemical synapses on to, or between, horizontal cells have been found. Thus input of this kind to both types of horizontal cells is as yet only known to be from the photoreceptors. All positively identified postsynaptic processes were the dendrites or perikarya of bipolar cells. Other cell types that are possibly pre- or postsynaptic in the outer plexiform layer are discussed.
cis‐regulatory mutations are a genetic cause of human limb malformations

The underlying mutations that cause human limb malformations are often difficult to determine, particularly for limb malformations that occur as isolated traits. Evidence from a variety of studies shows that cis‐regulatory mutations, specifically in enhancers, can lead to some of these isolated limb malformations. Here, we provide a review of human limb malformations that have been shown to be caused by enhancer mutations and propose that cis‐regulatory mutations will continue to be identified as the cause of additional human malformations as our understanding of regulatory sequences improves. Developmental Dynamics 240:920–930, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Estimating the Burden of Congenital Rubella Syndrome in Costa Rica, 1996–2001

Background: The epidemiology of rubella in Costa Rica changed during recent decades, shifting the susceptible groups to the reproductive age. This study estimates the burden of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) from 1996 to 2001 in this country. Methods: Three methods to calculate CRS incidence were used. A retrospective search (“Observed cases”) was conducted using hospital discharge records of children born from 1996 to 2001 with selected codes of ICD9 and ICD10 consistent with CRS and children <3 months of age with a positive serologic test for rubella IgM antibody at the National Children′s Hospital (NCH). Cases were classified as either suspected, compatible or confirmed CRS and congenital rubella infection. “Expected” incidence of CRS was calculated using reported cases of rubella (women 15–45 years of age) and fertility rates, assuming CRS probability of 0.9 during the first trimester of pregnancy and 0.5 of asymptomatic rubella cases. “Estimated” CRS cases were calculated using incidence rates reported from modeling analysis during epidemic and endemic years. Results: Of the 577 discharge charts reviewed and the 66 children reported as rubella IgM(+), 40 compatible CRS cases, 45 confirmed, and 4 with congenital rubella infection cases were identified. The range of annual incidence rate of CRS (per 1000 live births) was as follows: “Observed” = 0.00–0.33, “Expected” = 0.00–0.35 and “Estimated” = 0.5–1.5. Compared with the estimated number of CRS cases, only 27.2% of CRS cases were detected from the retrospective search and 10.1% would be expected when calculated using rubella reported cases. Conclusions: The under-detection of CRS cases using rubella reported cases in women of reproductive age and retrospective search of CRS reinforces the importance of suspecting CRS in the presence of a single compatible manifestation. Laboratory confirmation is indispensable to implement CRS elimination strategies and should be done in every suspected case.
Polarization Guided Autoregressive Model for Depth Recovery

The Instant Dehaze method used polarized images to obtain a dehazed image and an estimated depth map of the scene. Haze due to atmospheric absorption and scattering causes degradation in image quality and the estimated depth. This estimated depth is misrepresented due to high degree of polarization and scene's objects directly illuminated by the sun. In this paper, a polarization guided autoregressive (AR) model for depth recovery is presented. This proposed method restores the estimated depth map by incorporating polarized data to an adaptive AR model. First a 90° polarized image is used in our polarization term of AR coefficient, then the Stokes vector component S1 is used in our polarization guided depth map in the depth term of AR coefficient. The experimental results show that our method outperforms existing state-of-the-art schemes and improves conventional polarization dehazing method.
Remote sensing image fusion: an update in the context of Digital Earth

Remote sensing image fusion has come a long way from research experiments to an operational image processing technology. Having established a framework for image fusion at the end of the 90s, we now provide an overview on the advances in image fusion during the past 15 years. Assembling information about new remote sensing image fusion techniques, recent technical developments and their influence on image fusion, international societies and working groups, and new journals and publications, we provide insight into new trends. It becomes clear that image fusion facilitates remote sensing image exploitation. It aims at achieving better and more reliable information to better understand complex Earth systems. The numerous publications during the last decade show that remote sensing image fusion is a well-established research field. The experiences gained foster other technological developments in terms of sensor configuration and data exploitation. Multi-modal data usage enables the implementation of the concept of Digital Earth. In order to advance in this respect, we recommend that updated guidelines and a set of commonly accepted quality assessment criteria are needed in image fusion.