Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using Digital Tags With Integrated Video and Inertial Sensors to Study Moving Morphology and Associated Function in Large Aquatic Vertebrates

The anatomy of large cetaceans has been well documented, mostly through dissection of dead specimens. However, the difficulty of studying the world's largest animals in their natural environment means the functions of anatomical structures must be inferred. Recently, non‐invasive tracking devices have been developed that measure body position and orientation, thereby enabling the detailed reconstruction of underwater trajectories. The addition of cameras to the whale‐borne tags allows the sensor data to be matched with real‐time observations of how whales use their morphological structures, such as flukes, flippers, feeding apparatuses, and blowholes for the physiological functions of locomotion, feeding, and breathing. Here, we describe a new tag design with integrated video and inertial sensors and how it can be used to provide insights to the function of whale anatomy. This technology has the potential to facilitate a wide range of discoveries and comparative studies, but many challenges remain to increase the resolution and applicability of the data. Anat Rec, 300:1935–1941, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Adefovir dipivoxil in chronic hepatitis B infection

Adefovir dipivoxil, an acyclic nucleotide analogue, is effective for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B in both hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive and -negative patients, with improvement in liver histology, hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels, alanine aminotransferase levels, and HBeAg seroconversion (for HBeAg-positive patients). It is also effective against lamivudine-resistant strains of hepatitis B mutations. It has been studied in pre- and post-liver transplant patients. Compared to lamivudine, adefovir dipivoxil is associated with a much lower risk of emergence of drug-resistant HBV. Adefovir-associated resistant virus is susceptible to lamivudine therapy. The recommended dose of adefovir dipivoxil 10 mg is associated with low risk of nephrotoxicity. Adefovir dipivoxil can be recommended as a first-line treatment but can also be used in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection who are failing lamivudine therapy.
OGSSim: open generic data storage systems simulation tool

In this paper, an open and generic storage simulator is proposed. It simulates with accuracy multi-tiered storage systems based on heterogeneous devices including HDDs, SSDs and the connecting buses. The target simulated system is constructed from the hardware configuration input, then sent to the simulator modules along with the trace file and the appropriate simulator functions are selected and executed. Each module of the simulator is executed by a thread, and communicates with the others via ZeroMQ, a message transmission API using sockets for the information transfer. The result is an accurate behavior of the simulated system submitted to a specific workload and represented by performance and reliability metrics. No restriction is put on the input hardware configuration which can handle different levels of details and makes this simulator generic. The diversity of the supported devices, regardless to their nature: disks, buses, . etc and organisation: JBOD, RAID, . etc makes the simulator open to many technologies. The modularity of its design and the independence of its execution functions, makes it open to handle any additional mapping, access, maintenance or reconstruction strategies. The conducted tests using OLTP and scientific workloads show accurate results, obtained in a competitive runtime.
Development of Neuraminidase Subtype-Specific Reference Antisera by Recombinant Protein Expressed in Baculovirus

ABSTRACT Outbreaks of avian influenza A virus infection, particularly the H5N1 strains that have affected birds and some humans for the past 15 years, have highlighted the need for increased surveillance and disease control. Such measures require diagnostic tests to detect and characterize the different subtypes of influenza virus. In the current study, a simple method for producing reference avian influenza virus antisera to be used in diagnostic tests was developed. Antisera of nine avian influenza A virus neuraminidases (NA) used for NA subtyping were produced using a recombinant baculovirus. The recombinant NA (rNA) proteins were expressed in Sf9 insect cells and inoculated intramuscularly into specific-pathogen-free chickens with the ISA70 adjuvant. The NA inhibition antibody titers of the rNA antiserum were in the ranges of 5 to 8 and 6 to 9 log2 units after the primary and boost immunizations, respectively. The antisera were subtype specific, showing low cross-reactivity against every other NA subtype using the conventional thiobarbituric acid NA inhibition assay. These results suggest that this simple method for producing reference NA antisera without purification may be useful for the diagnosis and surveillance of influenza virus.
The influence of induced hypocapnia and sleep on the endogenous respiratory rhythm in humans.

1. Ventilation has been studied during hypocapnia produced by passive mechanical ventilation in ten normal human subjects. 2. During wakefulness, disconnection of the ventilator led to inconsistent apnoea of only brief duration. During sleep, at a similar degree of hypocapnia, disconnection of the ventilator led more consistently to apnoea which was also of much longer duration; the deeper the sleep stage, the longer the apnoea. 3. The resumption of breathing during sleep could precede or follow arousal or be unaccompanied by arousal; in the absence of prior arousal, the evidence suggests that a starting end‐tidal CO2 pressure (PET, CO2) less than 41 mmHg could result in an apnoea during sleep stages I and II. 4. Subjects did not report any common sensation which led them to breathe following an apnoea whilst awake. 5. Prior hyperoxia in one subject prolonged the apnoea duration in both slow‐wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep. 6. The results are interpreted as showing that even during light sleep, the maintenance of the respiratory rhythm is critically dependent on the arterial CO2 and O2 tensions. During wakefulness, other behavioural drives, which may not reach consciousness, supervene.
Learning Mathematics with Interactive Whiteboards and Computer-Based Graphing Utility

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of a technology-supported learning environment utilizing an interactive whiteboard (IWB) and NuCalc graphing software compared to a traditional direct instruction-based environment on student achievement in graphs of quadratic functions and attitudes towards mathematics and technology. Sixty-five high school graduates attending cram schools (called dershane in Turkish) to study for the university entrance examination participated in the study. The significant interaction effect between time of testing and groups indicated that student performance across time of testing was dependent upon the presence or absence of the treatment. Comparisons suggest that although both experimental and control group students' performances increased from pre-test to post-test and then decreased from post-test to retention test, the rate of decrease was about the same and the rate of increase was different, with students showing a greater rate of increase in the experimental group. The results also revealed that the treatment had positively affected students' attitudes towards technology and mathematics. Moreover, students' reasoning and interpretation skills regarding graphs of quadratic functions were better in the experimental group as compared to those in the control group.
Photosystem II and Pigment Dynamics among Ecotypes of the Green Alga Ostreococcus1

We investigated the photophysiological responses of three ecotypes of the picophytoplankter Ostreococcus and a larger prasinophyte Pyramimonas obovata to a sudden increase in light irradiance. The deepwater Ostreococcus sp. RCC809 showed very high susceptibility to primary photoinactivation, likely a consequence of high oxidative stress, which may relate to the recently noted plastid terminal oxidase activity in this strain. The three Ostreococcus ecotypes were all capable of deploying modulation of the photosystem II repair cycle in order to cope with the light increase, but the effective clearance of photoinactivated D1 protein appeared to be slower in the deepwater Ostreococcus sp. RCC809, suggesting that this step is rate limiting in the photosystem II repair cycle in this strain. Moreover, the deepwater Ostreococcus accumulated lutein and showed substantial use of the xanthophyll cycle under light stress, demonstrating its high sensitivity to light fluctuations. The sustained component of the nonphotochemical quenching of fluorescence correlated well with the xanthophyll deepoxidation activity. Comparisons with the larger prasinophyte P. obovata suggest that the photophysiology of Ostreococcus ecotypes requires high photosystem II repair rates to counter a high susceptibility to photoinactivation, consistent with low pigment package effects in their minute-sized cells.
Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications

Abstract: This paper reviews the composition and synthesis of hydrogels, the character of their absorbed water, and permeation of solutes within their swollen matrices. The most important properties of hydrogels relevant to their biomedical applications are also identified, in particular for use of hydrogels as drug and cell carriers, and as tissue engineering matrices.
Die kognitiven Defizite in einem Sepsismodell bei Ratten sind auf eine Herunterregulierung der nNOS zurückzuführen

Stickstoffmonoxid, einer der Hauptregulatoren im Nerven-, Immun- und kardiovaskularen System, wird im Korper durch die Stickstoffmonoxidsynthase (NO-Synthase) gebildet, von der es drei Isoenzyme gibt: die neuronale und endotheliale NO-Synthase, zusammengefast als konstitutive NO-Synthase (cNOS), und die induzierbare NO-Synthase (iNOS). Diese Induktion findet nach Stimulation durch sepsisassoziierte Mediatoren statt und fuhrt zur Produktion groser Mengen an NO. Fur vorliegende Arbeit wurde eine Anderung des NO-Stoffwechsels bei septischen Ratten im Vergleich zu einer Kontrollgruppe untersucht. Als Ausdruck der vermehrten NO-Produktion wiesen die septischen Tiere deutlich erhohte Werte fur Nitrit/Nitrat und Methamoglobin auf. Eine iNOS im Gehirn konnte weder in der Gruppe der gesunden noch in der Gruppe der infizierten Tiere nachgewiesen werden. Proteingehalt und Aktivitat der nNOS war bei den infizierten Tieren vor allem im prafrontalen Kortex deutlich reduziert. Es scheint, als fuhre die NO-Uberproduktion durch die (systemische) iNOS wahrend einer Sepsis zu einer feed-back-Hemmung der nNOS-Aktivitat und sogar nNOS-Proteinkonzentration v.a. im prafrontalen Kortex. Als Schlusfolgerung aus den Ergebnissen kann man zusammen mit der bei den septischen Tieren im Vorversuch beobachteten Beeintrachtigung des Arbeitsgedachtnisses, das seinen Sitz im prafrontalen Kortex hat, eine (Mit-) Ursache des veranderten NO-Stoffwechsels am Zustandekommen der septischen Enzephalopathie im Rahmen einer Sepsis vermuten.
Periodic TiO2 Nanostructures with Improved Aspect and Line/Space Ratio Realized by Colloidal Photolithography Technique

This paper presents substantial improvements of the colloidal photolithography technique (also called microsphere lithography) with the goal of better controlling the geometry of the fabricated nano-scale structures—in this case, hexagonally arranged nanopillars—printed in a layer of directly photopatternable sol-gel TiO2. Firstly, to increase the achievable structure height the photosensitive layer underneath the microspheres is deposited on a reflective layer instead of the usual transparent substrate. Secondly, an increased width of the pillars is achieved by tilting the incident wave and using multiple exposures or substrate rotation, additionally allowing to better control the shape of the pillar’s cross section. The theoretical analysis is carried out by rigorous modelling of the photonics nanojet underneath the microspheres and by optimizing the experimental conditions. Aspect ratios (structure height/lateral structure size) greater than 2 are predicted and demonstrated experimentally for structure dimensions in the sub micrometer range, as well as line/space ratios (lateral pillar size/distance between pillars) greater than 1. These nanostructures could lead for example to materials exhibiting efficient light trapping in the visible and near-infrared range, as well as improved hydrophobic or photocatalytic properties for numerous applications in environmental and photovoltaic systems.
Communication and Information Barriers to Health Assistance for Deaf Patients

In Brazil, recent regulations require changes in private and public health systems to make special services available to deaf patients. In the present article, the researchers analyze the perceptions of 25 sign language–using patients regarding this assistance. The researchers found communication difficulties between these patients and health services staff, as well as a culture clash and a harmful inability among the service providers to distinguish among the roles of companions, caretakers, and professional translator/interpreters. Thus, it became common for the patients to experience prejudice in the course of treatment and information exchange, damage to their autonomy, limits on their access to services, and reduced efficacy of therapy. The researchers conclude that many issues must be dealt with if such barriers to health access are to be overcome, in particular the worrying degree of exclusion of deaf patients from health care systems.
Combining Evolution Strategy with Ordinal Optimization

In this paper, we combine evolution strategy (ES) with ordinal optimization (OO), abbreviated as ES + OO, to solve real-time combinatorial stochastic simulation optimization problems with huge discrete solution space. The first step of ES + OO is to use an artificial neural network (ANN) to construct a surrogate model to roughly evaluate the objective value of a solution. In the second step, we apply ES assisted by the ANN-based surrogate model to the considered problem to obtain a subset of good enough solutions. In the last step, we use the exact model to evaluate each solution in the good enough subset, and the best one is the final good enough solution. We apply the proposed algorithm to a wafer testing problem, which is formulated as a combinatorial stochastic simulation optimization problem that consists of a huge discrete solution space formed by the vector of threshold values in the testing process. We demonstrate that (a) ES + OO outperforms the combination of genetic algorithm (GA) with OO using extensive simulations in the wafer testing problem, and its computational efficiency is suitable for real-time application, (b) the merit of using OO approach in solving the considered problem and (c) ES + OO can obtain the approximate Pareto optimal solution of the multi-objective function resided in the considered problem. Above all, we propose a systematic procedure to evaluate the performance of ES + OO by providing a quantitative result.
Protease Activity of in Vitro Transcribed and Translated Caenorhabditis elegans Cell Death Gene (ced-3) Product (*)

The Caenorhabditis elegans cell death gene, ced-3, encodes one of the two proteins required for apoptosis in this organism. The primary sequence similarities between Ced-3 and the mammalian interleukin-1β converting enzyme (ICE) suggest that these two proteins may have functionally similar active sites and that Ced-3 may function as a cysteine protease. Here we report that in vitro transcribed and translated Ced-3 protein (p56) underwent rapid processing to smaller fragments. Replacement of the predicted active site cysteine of Ced-3 with serine (C364S) prevented the generation of smaller proteolytic fragments, suggesting that the processing might be an autocatalytic process. Peptide aldehydes with aspartic acid at the P1 position blocked Ced-3 autocatalysis. Furthermore, the protease inhibition profile of Ced-3 was similar to the profile reported for ICE. These functional data demonstrate that Ced-3 is an Asp-dependent cysteine protease with substrate specificity similar to that of ICE. Aurintricarboxylic acid, an inhibitor of apoptosis in mammalian cells, blocked Ced-3 autocatalytic activity, suggesting that an aurintricarboxylic acid-sensitive Ced-3/ICE-related protease might be involved in the apoptosis pathway(s) in mammalian cells.
1 Update in Parkinson ’ s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) was first described in 1817 by James Parkinson, who described in his monograph entitled “An Essay on the Shaking Palsy“ the description of the clinical features of this disease (Parkinson, 1817). The cardinal clinical manifestations of PD are resting tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and gait dysfunction. It is now appreciated that PD is also associated with many nonmotor features, including autonomic dysfunction, pain and sensory disturbances, mood disorders, sleep impairment, and dementia (Olanow et al, 2009). PD is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, with an average age at onset of about 60 years and the mean duration of the disease from diagnosis to death is 15 years, with a mortality ratio of 2 to 1 (Katzenschlager et al, 2008). The incidence of the disease rises steeply with age, from 17 4 in 100 000 person years between 50 and 59 years of age to 93 1 in 100 000 person years between 70 and 79 years, with a lifetime risk of developing the disease of 1 5% (De Rijk et al, 1995). With the aging of the population and the substantial increase in the number of at-risk individuals older than 60 years, it is anticipated that the prevalence of PD will increase dramatically in the coming decades (De Lau and Breteler, 2006). The etiology remains obscure but important genetic and pathological clues have recently been found. This monograph is designed to make a comprehensive review of all aspects of both clinical as pathophysiological and therapeutic concerning PD, as well as an update on the innovative aspects of the disease primarily focused on identifying new genetic factors and new outlook therapeutics.
Acceptability and utilisation of voluntary HIV testing and nevirapine to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 integrated into routine clinical care.

OBJECTIVES Use of nevirapine for prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV-1 has been routine clinical care at Coronation Women and Children's Hospital since April 2000. We assessed the effect of regular audit and targeted interventions on the utilisation of the PMTCT programme. METHODS Review of antenatal cards and hospital records of women discharged following delivery, in three time periods between October 2000 and February 2002. Following the initial audit an intervention was implemented to eliminate weaknesses in our PMTCT service. Following the second audit the hospital became a pilot site for the Gauteng PMTCT programme. RESULTS In the initial audit 53.2% of women (159/299) were tested for HIV and received their results, while 56% (14/25) of identified HIV-infected women, and 16% (4/25) of their infants, received nevirapine. By the third audit 74.3% of women (266/358) received their results, and 86% (43/50) of HIV-positive women and 74% (37/50) of newborns were documented to have received nevirapine. In all three audits over 90% of women initiating antenatal care at the hospital were tested for HIV, while women who initiated care at district community clinics were less likely to receive testing. CONCLUSIONS Ongoing audit has been important for targeting obstacles to detection of HIV-infected women and documented nevirapine uptake by women and infants. Rates of HIV testing and nevirapine use have increased significantly. Voluntary counselling and testing for HIV and use of nevirapine are acceptable to pregnant women in our setting. Roll-out of the pilot programme to district community clinics is essential for further improvement.
Effect of Respiration on Cardiac Motion Determined by Cineangiography

Based on 39 cineangiographies in 23 patients performed during respiration with tracing of the cardiac chambers and the diaphragm, it has been found that the heart moves significantly with respiration, approximately half as much as the diaphragm during shallow or normal respiration. The cardiac respiratory motion indicates that gating of the respiratory cycle as well as the cardiac cycle is necessary in three-dimensional reconstruction of the heart using a large number of heart beats for recording.
The prevalence of Epstein-Barr Virus-positive lymphoid cells in nasal mucosa: an extremely rare event.

BACKGROUND The prevalence of EBV (Epstein-Barr virus)-positive lymphoid cells is unknown. Because EBV is implicated in the etiology of extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (nasal ENKL), the presence of EBV-positive lymphoid cells (EPLs) in nasal mucosa specimens is expected. This study evaluated the presence of EBV-positive lymphoid cells in the nasal mucosa of 420 patients who had undergone surgical resection of lesions of the nasal cavity due to nasal septal deviation, chronic paranasal rhinosinusitis, chronic hypertrophic rhinosinusitis, nasal polyps, allergic rhinitis, papillomas, and cysts. METHODOLOGY Three representative 1.0-mm-diameter core biopsies were taken from one paraffin-embedded donor tissue block per case and subsequently arranged in new recipient paraffin blocks with a trephine. EBV in situ hybridization study was performed to detect EPLs. RESULTS None of the cases demonstrated EPLs. CONCLUSION The presence of EPLs in the nasal mucosa is an extremely rare event in immunocompetent individuals. Therefore, the detection of EPLs in nasal biopsy specimens should prompt the pathologist to perform further testing to exclude the possibility of nasal ENKL.
COMMENTARY: Toward an emergency response to transient ischemic attacks

Small strokes, big risks Many recent studies2•8 confirm that patients who experience a TIA have a high risk of early recurrent stroke or other vascular events. The risk of stroke in the 90 days after a TIA is between 10% and 20%. 2•8 It is important to note that this risk is front-loaded-half the strokes that occur within 90 days happen in the first 48 hours after a TIA • (figure 1). Patients and their family members should be informed of this danger. Clinical risk factors associated with
Understanding the evolution of the windlass mechanism of the human foot from comparative anatomy: Insights, obstacles, and future directions.

Humans stand alone from other primates in that we propel our bodies forward on a relatively stiff and arched foot and do so by employing an anatomical arrangement of bones and ligaments in the foot that can operate like a "windlass. " This is a significant evolutionary innovation, but it is currently unknown when during hominin evolution this mechanism developed and within what genera or species it originated. The presence of recently discovered fossils along with novel research in the past two decades have improved our understanding of foot mechanics in humans and other apes, making it possible to consider this question more fully. Here we review the main elements thought to be involved in the production of an effective, modern human-like windlass mechanism. These elements are the triceps surae, plantar aponeurosis, medial longitudinal arch, and metatarsophalangeal joints. We discuss what is presently known about the evolution of these features and the challenges associated with identifying each of these specific components and/or their function in living and extinct primates for the purpose of predicting the presence of the windlass mechanism in our ancestors. In some cases we recommend alternative pathways for inferring foot mechanics and for testing the hypothesis that the windlass mechanism evolved to increase the speed and energetic efficiency of bipedal gait in hominins.