Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Corneal Aberration Changes After Laser In Situ Keratomileusis Performed With Mechanical Microkeratome and IntraLase Femtosecond Laser: 1-Year Follow-up

Purpose: To compare corneal aberration changes 1 year after myopic laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) performed with a mechanical microkeratome and IntraLase femtosecond laser. Methods: Twenty four eyes of 15 patients underwent LASIK with the Hansatome microkeratome, and 23 eyes of 13 patients underwent LASIK with the IntraLase femtosecond laser. A standard ablation was performed with the Bausch & Lomb Technolas 217 excimer laser. Topography data were used to calculate corneal aberrations with a 3.0 mm and 5.00 mm pupil, before and 12 months after surgery. The increasing factor (IF), defined as the ratio between the postoperative and preoperative mean value of the optical aberration, was calculated. The method of Mulhern et al was used to evaluate the centration of ablation. The comalike aberration was correlated with the decentration of ablation. The Student t test was used for the statistical anaylsis. Results: The postoperative mean decentration of ablation was <0.5 mm. The comalike aberration appeared to be positively correlated with the decentration of ablation in both groups with a 5.0-mm pupil (P < 0.05). With a 3.00-mm pupil, the comalike aberration changed in the Hansatome group, whereas with a 5.00-mm pupil, all aberrations statistically significantly changed in both groups (P < 0.05). The IF similarly increased in 2 groups for spherical-like aberration, whereas IF greatly increased for total and comalike aberrations in the Hansatome group. Conclusions: Wavefront corneal aberrations change significantly 1 year after myopic LASIK performed with the Hansatome microkeratome as well as with IntraLase femtosecond lasers. Both of the procedures induce higher-order aberrations in the anterior corneal surface, but the amount of comalike aberration increases more with the Hansatome mechanical microkeratome.
The role of gefitinib in the management of Asian patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND Lung cancer is the most common cause of death in cancer patients worldwide. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for approximately 85% of lung cancer cases. The prognosis of NSCLC is still poor, albeit slow and steady improvement achieved in the past three decades by chemotherapy. Recently, the importance of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in the pathogenesis and progression in NSCLC was identified particularly in those cancer cells with EGFR mutation and/or increased gene copy number. Gefitinib was the first EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for treating advanced NSCLC [corrected] It has become a popular choice in treating Asian patients after a higher response rate was reported in Japanese patients than in non-Japanese patients in the first Phase II trial. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the role of gefitinib in the treatment of Asian patients with NSCLC. METHODS A review of published papers in PubMed and Embase (2000-2007) and meeting reports of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and World Conference on Lung Cancer (2000-2007) was carried out. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS In general, gefitinib is well tolerated. As the second- or third-line treatment, gefitinib has proven survival benefits in Asian patients with advanced NSCLC, when compared with placebo. It has equivalent efficacy to docetaxel with less toxicity as the second-line therapy. As the first-line therapy, it yielded encouraging results but its final role is pending on the results of the ongoing randomised Phase III trial. Gefitinib should be considered as the treatment of choice for second- or third-line therapy in advanced NSCLC in Asian patients after progression from previous chemotherapy. Its role as the first-line, adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy remains to be determined.
Fibrinogen Gene Mutations Accounting for Congenital Afibrinogenemia

Abstract: This article reviews recent progress made in understanding the molecular basis of congenital afibrinogenemia, an autosomal recessive coagulation disorder characterized by the complete absence of detectable fibrinogen. We have identified the first causative mutations for this disorder in a non‐consanguineous Swiss family; these were homozygous deletions of approximately 11 kb of the fibrinogen alpha chain (FGA) gene. Haplotype data implied that the deletions occurred on distinct ancestral chromosomes, suggesting that this region may be susceptible to deletion by a common mechanism. All the deletions were identical to the base pair, and probably resulted from non‐homologous (illegitimate) recombination. In a subsequent study of 13 unrelated patients with congenital afibrinogenemia we analyzed the FGA gene in order to identify the causative mutations, and to determine the prevalence of the 11‐kb FGA deletion. Although this deletion was found in an additional unrelated patient, the most common mutation was at the donor splice site of FGA intron 4 (IVS411 G>T). Three frameshift mutations, two nonsense mutations, and one other splice site mutation were also characterized. Other studies identified one further FGA nonsense mutation, two FGB missense mutations, and one FGG nonsense mutation, all in homozygosity in a single patient. In conclusion, the majority of patients have truncating mutations in the FGA gene although, intuitively, all three fibrinogen genes could be predicted to be equally implicated. These results will facilitate molecular diagnosis of the disorder, permit prenatal diagnosis for families who so desire, and pave the way for new therapeutic approaches such as gene therapy.
Non-radiative perforated dielectric waveguide (NRPD) with integrated transition to slotline for millimetre-wave components

The purpose of this work is to investigate integrated waveguide structures for low loss millimetre wave components. The guides are based around periodic dielectric structures (non-radiative perforated dielectric waveguides) formed by cylindrical air columns in the material surrounding the dielectric core of an NRD guide. Furthermore, in the centre of the guide, a transition to slotline is introduced to demonstrate one possible technique to integrate 3D waveguides with planar circuitry and microwave monolithic integrated circuits (MMICs).
The Metanovel: Writing Stories by Computer

Abstract : People draw on many diverse sources of real-world knowledge in order to make up stories, including the following: knowledge of the physical world; rules of social behavior and relationships; techniques for solving everyday problems such as transportation, acquisition of objects, and acquisition of information; knowledge about physical needs such as hunger and thirst; knowledge about stories their organization and contents; knowledge about planning behavior and the relationships between kinds of goals; and knowledge about expressing a story in a natural language. This thesis describes a computer program which uses all information to write stories. The areas of knowledge, called problem domains, are defined by a set of representational primitives, a set of problems expressed in terms of those primitives, and a set of procedures for solving those problems. These may vary from one domain to the next. All this specialized knowledge must be integrated in order to accomplish a task such as storytelling. The program, called TALE-SPIN, produces stories in English, interacting with the user, who specifies characters, personality characteristics, and relationships between characters. Operating in a different mode, the program can make those decisions in order to produce Aesop-like fables. (Author)
Lidocaine Disrupts Axonal Membrane of Rat Sciatic Nerve In Vitro

Highly concentrated lidocaine has been reported to induce irreversible loss of membrane potential in crayfish nerve, which implies membrane disruption as one of the direct mechanisms of lidocaine-induced neurotoxicity. To confirm lidocaine-induced membrane disruption in mammalian nerve, a lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage from rat sciatic nerve was measured in vitro. Before applying lidocaine, the desheathed nerve was incubated for 60 min in Krebs-Ringer solution at 37°C to examine basal LDH activity. It was then incubated in 80 mM lidocaine solution at pH 7.3 for 15, 30, 60, or 120 min. Other nerves were immersed in 800 mM choline solution for 120 min. Total LDH activity per wet weight of nerve tissue was assayed using spectrophotometry. It was also determined using nerves cut into 10 segments and incubated in distilled water for 60 min. The LDH activity in the lidocaine group showed a time-dependent increase. After the 60- and 120-min incubation with lidocaine, the amount of LDH activity was significantly increased compared with the choline group and was similar to that of the group incubated in distilled water. We conclude that 80 mM lidocaine may be sufficient to cause membrane damage and facilitate the leakage of enzymes from cytoplasm. Implications This study demonstrates that exposing the rat myelinated nerve to lidocaine at a clinically used concentration for more than 30 min causes enough membrane damage to allow enzyme leakage. In clinical practice, the smallest effective dose should be used.
The development of the Fan-in Package-on-Package

Package-on-package (PoP) has become the preferred means of stacking logic processors and memory for advanced mobile phones. The challenge is to reduce size, thickness, and cost of this PoP solution. The fan-in package-on-package (FiPoP) has been developed to address such concerns as well as enable more device integration while maintaining the desirable PoP business model. This paper will detail the development of the FiPoP to meet the size, thickness, flatness, and package level and board level reliability requirements of the typical handset application.
Boundary feedback stabilization of Navier-Stokes equations

The aim of this work is to design an explicit finite dimensional boundary feedback controller for stabilizing the equilibrium solutions to Navier-Stokes equations on a bounded and open domain in R, under the assumption that the unstable eigenvalues of the Stokes-Oseen operator are semisimple. The form of the stabilizing feedback is related to that one in [V. Barbu, 2012, [1]]. In comparison to [1], here, we drop the linear independence assumption of the normal derivatives of the unstable eigenvectors of the dual Stokes-Oseen operator. An example of the periodic flow in 2-D channel is given in order to illustrate the acquired results.
Nonlinear Network Optimization—An Embedding Vector Space Approach

This paper proposes a normed-space vector representation of networks which allows defining evolutionary operators for network optimization that resemble continuous-space operators. These operators are employed here to build a genetic algorithm which becomes generic for the optimization of tree networks, without the requirement of any special encoding scheme. Such a genetic algorithm has been compared with several encoding-based genetic algorithms, on 25 and 50-node instances of the optimal communication spanning tree and of the quadratic minimum spanning tree, and has been shown to outperform all other algorithms in a stochastic dominance analysis. The proposed approach has also been applied to an electric power distribution network design (a multibranch problem), outperforming the results presented in a former reference (which have been obtained with an Ant Colony algorithm). The results of some landscape dispersion analysis suggest that the proposed normed-space network vector representation is analogous to some continuous-variable space dilation operations, which define favorable space coordinates for optimization.
An intravascular photoacoustic imaging catheter

We developed an integrated intravascular photoacoustic (IVPA) and ultrasound (IVUS) catheter to image atherosclerotic plaque structure and composition, which are important determinants of plaque vulnerability. Our catheter comprises an angle-polished optical fiber and a 30 MHz single-element piezoelectric transducer. The ultrasonic transducer was optically isolated to eliminate artifacts in the photoacoustic (PA) image. We showed its imaging performance using a vessel phantom and quantified its imaging characteristics by doing measurements on isolated point targets. The axial and lateral point spread function widths were 110 µm and 550 µm respectively for IVPA imaging and 89 µm and 420 µm respectively for IVUS imaging. The signal to noise ratios were 50 dB (PA) and 54 dB (US).
Utility of serum CA19-9 in diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma: in comparison with CEA.

AIM The diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma is often difficult, making management approaches problematic. A reliable serum marker for cholangiocarcinoma would be a useful diagnostic test. The aims of our study were to evaluate the usefulness of a serum CA19-9 determination in the diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma. METHODS We prospectively measured serum CA19-9 and CEA concentrations in patients with cholangiocarcinoma (n=35), benign biliary diseases (n=92), and healthy individuals (n=15). Serum CA19-9 and CEA concentrations were measured by an immunoradiometric assay without knowledge of the clinical diagnosis. RESULTS The sensitivity of a CA19-9 value >37 KU/L(-1) and a CEA value >22 microg/L(-1) in diagnosing cholangiocarcinoma were 77.14% and 68.57%, respectively. When compared with the benign biliary diseases group, the true negative rates of serum CA19-9 and CEA were 84.78% and 81.52%, respectively. The false positive rates of serum CA19-9 and CEA were 15.22% and 18.48%, whereas the accuracy of serum CA19-9 and CEA were 82.68% and 77.95%, respectively. Serum CA19-9 and CEA concentrations were significantly elevated (P<0.001 and P<0.05) in patients with cholangiocarcinoma (290.31+/-5.34 KU/L(-1) and 36.46+/-18.03 microg/L(-1)) compared with patients with benign biliary diseases (13.38+/-2.59 KU/L(-1) and 13.84+/-3.85 microg/L(-1)) and healthy individuals (12.78+/-3.69 KU/L(-1) and 11.48+/-3.37 microg/L(-1)). In 15 patients undergoing curative resection of cholangiocarcinoma, the mean serum CA19-9 concentration was decreased from a preoperative level of 286.41+/-4.36 KU/L(-1) to a postoperative level of 62.01+/-17.43 KU/L(-1) (P<0.001), and the mean serum CEA concentration from 39.41+/-24.35 microg/L(-1) to 28.69+/-11.03 microg/L(-1) (P<0.05). In patients with cholangiocarcinoma, however, no correlation was found between serum CEA and CA19-9 concentrations (r=0.036). CONCLUSION These data suggest that the serum CA19-9 determination is a useful addition to the available tests for the differential diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma. Serum CA19-9 is an effective tumor marker in diagnosing cholangiocarcinoma, deciding whether the tumor has been radically resected and monitoring effect of treatment.
A study in two centres of variations in the time of apical barrier detection and barrier position in nonvital immature permanent incisors.

OBJECTIVES To study barrier formation in nonvital, immature permanent incisors being treated using the apexification technique in two centres, and to establish the effect of the frequency of change of calcium hydroxide (CaOH) on barrier detection times. DESIGN A retrospective study of the time of detection and the position of barriers. RESULTS There were no significant differences between the two centres in terms of the average frequency of change of each CaOH dressing, the distribution of barrier detection times or the position of barriers (P > 0.05). There was a total of 107 teeth and the time of barrier detection was significantly earlier in more frequently dressed teeth (P = 0.013). Of the teeth with a barrier detection time of less than 9 months, 60.7% were dressed more frequently than every 3 months, as opposed to 39.1% of teeth with longer barrier times (P = 0.027). The mean time of barrier detection for all cases was 43.3 weeks. The majority of barriers were located at or near the apex. CONCLUSION The frequency of change of CaOH can increase the speed of barrier detection but does not appear to affect the position.
Die Identifikation des „Wirtschaftlichen Vorteils“ in Kartellverfahren

Mittels der Abschopfung eines „Wirtschaftlichen Vorteils“ im Rahmen von Kartellstrafen sollen gleichermasen im Sinne einer Bebusung negative Anreize fur wettbewerbswidriges Handeln gesetzt und hierdurch aufgetretene Wettbewerbsvorteile ausgeglichen werden. Dabei ist die okonomische Feststellung eines Kartells wissenschaftlich auserst schwierig und die Moglichkeiten einer genauen Bestimmung hieraus entstandener eventueller Vorteile sind problematisch. Der Beitrag fuhrt in die theoretischen Grundlagen der Identifikation eines wirtschaftlichen Vorteils ein, zeigt mogliche Modellformulierungen auf und wertet diese am Beispiel des aktuellen Zementverfahrens aus, um die erheblichen Probleme einer Wettbewerbsbehorde zu verdeutlichen, eine okonomisch klare Beweisfuhrung bereitzustellen.
From flowering to dispersal: reproductive ecology of an endemic plant, Astragalus australis var. olympicus (Fabaceae).

Astragalus australis var. olympicus is an endemic plant of the Olympic Mountains, Washington. It is considered a Species of Concern by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This study focused on the reproductive biology of the plant from flower production through seed germination to identify possible weak points that might contribute to its rarity and impede its conservation. Most plants produced a large mean number of flowers and ovules (314.8 and 4106, respectively), but relatively few of these formed fruits and seeds (25.8 and 3.8%, respectively). In decreasing importance, ovules in fruits were lost to predation, seed abortion, and lack of fertilization. The percentages of these fates differed among sites and years. Excluding pollinators by bagging flowers reduced fruit set by ∼50%, but seed set per fruit and seed mass were unaffected. Germination was affected by scarification, temperature, and moisture availability. About 11% of seeds damaged by predispersal seed predators (weevil larvae) remained viable and were released from dormancy. I hypothesize that predispersal seed predation (over 80% at one site) has a negative effect on population growth. Conservation of this species could benefit from improved fruit set and decreased seed predation.
Letter by Safar and Fournier regarding article, "Differential impact of blood pressure-lowering drugs on central aortic pressure and clinical outcomes: principal results of the Conduit Artery Function Evaluation (CAFE) study".

To the Editor: The aims of this letter are to congratulate the authors for the results of Conduit Artery Function Evaluation (CAFE) study1 and to challenge the difference in heart rate as a preponderant explanation for the differences in central systolic blood pressure (SBP) between amlodipine- and atenolol-based treatment. On the basis of the Regression of Arterial Stiffness in a Controlled Double-Blind Study (REASON), in which perindopril plus indapamide (Per/Ind) was compared with atenolol alone for 12 months in hypertensive subjects,2 …
Operations in unselected patients with ulcerative colitis and indeterminate colitis. A long-term follow-up study.

OBJECTIVE To assess the need for operative treatment for ulcerative colitis and indeterminate colitis. DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING University Hospital, Sweden. SUBJECT All patients diagnosed from 1958 to 1982, in Malmö, Sweden-ulcerative colitis (n = 471) and indeterminate colitis (n = 100). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Incidence of colectomy. RESULTS The mean follow-up was 15 years. The incidence of colectomy was 7.51, 1.90 and 36.13/1000 person years for definite ulcerative colitis, probable ulcerative colitis and indeterminate colitis, respectively. The incidence of colectomy in patients with definite ulcerative colitis in the present study was low compared with other studies. In contrast to other reports, men had a threefold risk while extent of inflammation did not influence the incidence. Patients with indeterminate colitis were a high risk group with a high incidence of colectomy. The high incidence among patients with indeterminate colitis compared with that in patients with definite ulcerative colitis was also seen in subgroups such as patients with total colitis at diagnosis, in patients in remission after the first attack, and in patients with a severe attack. CONCLUSION As patients with indeterminate colitis seem to be at increased risk of colectomy it could be important to distinguish them from those with ulcerative colitis. Today, however, it is not possible to identify all patients with indeterminate colitis early in the course of the disease.
INNOVATIONS IN PRIMARY CARE Can Health Care Teams Improve Primary Care Practice ?

THE NOTION OF A HEALTH CARE team is as rarely challenged in principle as it is achieved in practice. Currently, a resurgence of interest in team-based care is evident. The Institute of Medicine has called for a New Health System for the 21st Century with primary care teams playing a central role. The quantum leap in the complexity of tasks prevents physicians alone from coping with the scope of practice. The imperative of cost containment leads provider organizations to favor lowerpaid clinicians over physicians. The demand for quality encourages primary care to add caregivers with skills that physicians may not possess. Will the primary care team come of age in the 21st century? This article in the series “Innovations in Primary Care” critically examines the primary care team. We begin by addressing the fundamental question: “What is a team? ” We describe 2 practice organizations that highlight key characteristics of highfunctioning teams. Discussions of teams generally include a consideration of 2 major issues: “Who is on the team? ” and “How does the team function? ” This article primarily focuses on the second question.
The sources of natural antioxidants

Intensive oxidative processes occuring in human organism lead to formation of oxygen reactive forms, which can damage systemic cells and tissues. It is shown, that body endogenous protective system can be supported in that case by natural antioxidant compounds provided from food. The assessment of food products as the potential sources of antioxidants was performed, taking into consideration the kinds of compounds supplied, and their significance in the diet of different nations.
Physiological Correlates of Multiple Parasitic Infections in Side-Blotched Lizards

We investigated the presence of ectoparasites and hemoparasites in side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana) across a large part of their range and measured how parasitic infection related to several key physiological indicators of health. Blood samples were collected from 132 lizards from central Arizona, southern Utah, and eastern Oregon. Hemoparasites were found in 22 individuals (3.2% prevalence in Arizona, 19.1% in Utah, and 6.3% in Oregon), and ectoparasites were found on 51 individuals (56.3% prevalence in Arizona, 56.1% in Utah, and 6.7% in Oregon), with 11 individuals infected with both. Hemoparasites and ectoparasites were found in all three states. Immunocompetence was higher in individuals infected with both hemoparasites and ectoparasites. Body condition, glucocorticoid levels, and reproductive investment were not related to infection status. Our study provides evidence that parasitic infection is associated with an active immune system in wild reptiles but may not impose other costs usually associated with parasites.