Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF OCT IN MACULAR HOLE SURGERY

PURPOSE: To pre-operatively stage macular hole based on OCT and to calculate Macular Hole Index and Hole Form Factor. To determine post-operative visual outcome and macular hole closure. METHODS: Prospectively reviewed 25 eyes of Macular Hole. All the patients with complain of diminution of vision and defective central field of vision were examined. Before and after surgery complete clinical examination and OCT was performed which included macular hole diameter at the level of RPE(base diameter) and at the minimal extent of hole(minimum diameter),Vertical Height, Horizontal Diameter, Left Arm Length, Right Arm Length ,Macular Hole Index and Hole Form Factor. 21 Gauge Pars Plana Vitrectomy with ILM peeling was performed in all patients. RESULTS: 25 eyes of 25 consecutive patients were studied. There were 14 (56%) men and 11(44%) women, with an average age of 60 years (50 to 75 years, median 60 years) Mean follow up time was 1 month. At 3 months 6 of 25 patients (24%) attained a visual acuity greater than or equal to 6/36. Patients of macular hole were found to be most in idiopathic (18/25, 72%) in nature . On OCT most of the macular hole in stage 3 and stage 4 were associated with subretinal fluid, epiretinal membrane.12% patients had Grade II,40% had Grade III, 48% had Grade IV Macular Hole.Negative co-relation was found between both the base and minimum diameterand post-operative visual acuity. Post-operative outcome is better in pateints with MHI >0.5, HFF>0.9.
An empirical prediction approach for seasonal fire risk in the boreal forests

The ability to predict forest fire risk at monthly, seasonal and above‐annual time scales is critical to mitigate its impacts, including fire‐driven dynamics of ecosystem and socio‐economic services. Fire is the primary driving factor of the ecosystem dynamics in the boreal forest, directly affecting global carbon balance and atmospheric concentrations of the trace gases including carbon dioxide. Resilience of the ocean–atmosphere system provides potential for advanced detection of upcoming fire season intensity. Here, we report on the development of a probabilistic empirical prediction system for forest fire risk on monthly‐to‐seasonal timescales across the circumboreal region. Quasi‐operational ensemble forecasts are generated for monthly drought code (MDC), an established indicator for seasonal fire activity in the Boreal biome based on monthly maximum temperature and precipitation values. Historical MDC forecasts are validated against observations, with good skill found across northern Eurasia and North America. In addition, we show that the MDC forecasts are an excellent indicator for satellite‐derived observations of burned area in large parts of the Boreal region. Our discussion considers the relative value of forecast information to a range of stakeholders when disseminated before and during the fire season. We also discuss the wider role of empirical predictions in benchmarking dynamical forecast systems and in conveying forecast information in a simple and digestible manner.
Proteomic Analysis Identifies Translationally Controlled Tumor Protein as a Potential Novel Mediator of Occlusive Vascular Remodeling in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

ii TABLE OF CONTENTS . iv LIST OF TABLES . viii LIST OF FIGURES . ix LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS . xi LIST OF APPENDICES . xii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . xiv LIST OF ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONS . xviii CONTRIBUTIONS OF COLLABORATORS. xx ACKNOWLEGMENTS . xxi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) . 2 1.1.1 General Overview . 2 1.1.2 Clinical Classification of Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) . 2 1.1.3 Epidemiological Profile of PAH . 3 1.1.4 Current PAH Therapies: Targeting Vascular Cell Dysfunction . 6 1.1.4.1 Prostacyclin: Decreased Levels in PAH . 6 1.1.4.2 Endothelin-1: Increased Levels in PAH . 7 1.1.4.3 Phosphodiesterase-type 5 and Nitric Oxide Levels in PAH . 8 1.1.4.4 Need for New Therapies . 9 1.1. 5 Pathogenesis of PAH . 10 1.1. 6 Genetic Susceptibility of PAH . 10 1.1. 6.1 Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptor 2 (BMPR-II) . 11 1.1. 6.2 Other Genes Belonging to the TGF/BMP Signaling: ALK-1/6, ENG and SMADs 1, 4, 8 and 9 . 12 1.1. 7 BMPR-II-mediated Signal Transduction . 13 1.1. 8 BMPR-II Signaling in Vascular Cells . 15 1.1. 9 Pulmonary Vascular Homeostasis and Vascular Remodeling . 15 1.1.10 Endothelial Cell Apoptosis . 16 1.2 In Vitro System: Blood-Outgrowth Endothelial Cells (BOECs) . 18 1.2.1 Relevance . 18 1.2.2 Derivation . 20 1.3 Proteomics and Genomics Studies in PAH . 21 1.4 Overview . 24 CHAPTER 2: PHENOTYPIC AND PROTEOMIC ANALYSES OF BOECs FROM HEALTHY CONTROLS AND PATIENTS WITH HPAH . 25 2.1 Specific Aims . 26 2.2 Material and Methods . 27 2.2.1 Isolation and Culture of Blood-Outgrowth Endothelial Cells . 27 2.2.2 Two-Dimensional Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (2-D PAGE) . 27 2.2.2.1 Protein Lysate Preparation . 27 2.2.2.2 Isoelectric Focusing and 2-D PAGE . 28 2.2.2.3 ProQ Diamond and Sypro Ruby Gel Stains . 29 2.2.2.4 Image and Data Preprocessing . 29 2.2.2.5 Mass Spectrometry and Protein Identification . 30 2.2.3 Immunoblotting and Reagents . 31 2.2.4 AnnexinV/Propidium Iodide Staining and Flow Cytometry . 32 2.2.5 Human Cleaved Caspase-3 Infrared Immunoassay . 32
The impact of third-hand smoke education in a pediatric emergency department on caregiver smoking policies and quit status: a pilot study

Abstract Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure is an international problem. Parental smoking is the primary exposure for children. While the adverse health effects of secondhand smoke to children are well recognized and used to educate caregivers, the concept of “third-hand smoke” (THS) and its use as an educational tool has been less studied. The purpose of this project was to determine the impact of brief THS intervention on smoking behaviors of caregivers of children seen in an urban pediatric ED. A convenience sample of children <36 months with caregivers who smoke brought to a pediatric ED was recruited. Consented caregivers were randomized to a control group who received routine education or intervention group who received brief THS education. Follow-up phone assessments were completed to evaluate smoking behavior changes. Of 40 caregivers analyzed, 85% were female, 72% were non-white, and mean age was 29 years. Results revealed the treatment group was more likely to change smoking policies (OR 2.0, 95% CI 0.166–24.069), reduce the number of cigarettes (OR 4.88, 95% CI 0.785–30.286), or quit smoking (OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.346–3.590). This study demonstrated that a brief THS intervention in our sample influenced smokers to change smoking behaviors. These changes would ultimately decrease ETS exposure to children and its adverse health effects. With the limitations of small sample size and high loss to follow-up, the study does not show statistical significance for generalizability.
Indol-3-Carbinol – ein Glucosinolat-Derivat aus Kreuzblütler-Gemüsen zur Vorbeugung und komplementär-onkologischen Behandlung von Brustkrebs

Zusammenfassung Brustkrebs ist der häufigste maligne Tumor der Frau. Trotz verbesserter Therapien kann heute nur etwa die Hälfte der Betroffenen mit Heilung rechnen. Wenn der Tumor mit Metastasen zurückkommt, bleiben nur noch palliative Maßnahmen. Lebensqualität und Überlebenszeit der Patientinnen sind dann in der Regel stark reduziert. Vor diesem Hintergrund lohnt es sich für Betroffene und Ärzte sowie die Gesellschaft als Ganzes, nach besseren und weniger toxischen Behandlungswegen zu suchen sowie eine effektive Strategie zur Vorbeugung der Brustkrebserkrankung aufzubauen. Ein guter Kandidat für ein solches Vorhaben scheint Indol-3-Carbinol, ein Glucosinolat-Derivat der Kreuzblütler-Gemüse, zu sein. Es steht durch sein üppiges Vorkommen in den beliebten Gemüsesorten der breiten Masse recht einfach zur Verfügung, es ist gut verträglich und auch in höheren Dosen unschädlich. Es kann in therapeutisch ausreichender Menge durch täglichen Gemüseverzehr oder in angereicherter Form als „Functional Food“ oder als „Food Supplement“ zugeführt werden. Es hat eine krebsverhütende Wirkung, vermindert die Metastasenbildung und verstärkt die Wirksamkeit verschiedener chemotherapeutischer Standardtherapien.
the true and false of climate change

First let us state that the authors are avid environmentalists. Every geologist we know loves nature and “The out-of-doors” and wants to protect and preserve our planet. Concern for the environment should not be confused with climate change. The popular media have been expounding on climate change for many years without considering the underlying data that could substantiate their presentation of the issue. The authors present a “CO2 is not the problem” approach to challenging the media about climate change, and look forward to a “CO2 is the problem” response.
First 2-D intrinsic and scattering attenuation images of Mt Etna volcano and surrounding region from active seismic data

We present 2-D attenuation images of the Mt Etna volcanic region on the basis of separation of intrinsic and scattering effects. The analysis presented here exploits a large active seismic database that fully covers the area under study. We observe that scattering effects dominate over intrinsic attenuation, suggesting that the region is very heterogeneous. Comparison with analyses conducted at other volcanoes reveals that the Mt Etna region is characterized by high intrinsic attenuation, resulting from the presence of large volcanoclastic deposits at shallow depth. The 2-D distributions of intrinsic and scattering anomalies show the presence of regions characterized by high and low attenuation effects, corresponding to several tectonic and volcanic features. In particular, we identify a high attenuation region in the SW sector of the Mt Etna volcanic complex, which is correlated with high seismicity rates and volcanism. This work supports the hypothesis of a link between the dynamics of the SW flank and the recharge of the volcano in the last decades, occurring under the summit crater and, secondarily, the upper South rift zone.
New Insights or Confusion—Is Butter Really Back?

Controversial systematic reviews such as ‘‘Association of Dietary, Circulating, and Supplement Fatty Acids With Coronary Risk’’ by Chowdhury et al cause confusion for the public and health professionals alike. However, a closer look at the question being addressed aswell as themethodology lends insights into why the these results may differ from other systematic reviews on fatty acids and heart disease. Evaluating research to independently connect individual fatty acids (either dietary or lipid levels) directly to coronary heart outcomes instead of connecting meal patterns with varying macronutrient content to cardiovascular risk factors such as circulating lipid levels will give quite different answers. Significant challenges common to nutrition systematic reviews are identified that cause us to question the systematic review conclusions. However, at the same time, it does raise questions about our assumptions that reducing cardiovascular risk factorswill always lead to changes in coronary heart disease outcomes. Nutr Today. 2015;50(1):12Y27
Characteristics and Sources of Hourly Trace Elements in Airborne Fine Particles in Urban Beijing, China

To better investigate the characteristics and sources of trace elements (TEs) in PM2.5 in urban Beijing, a 1‐year hourly observation was continuously made using an online multi‐element analyzer from 1 June 2016 to 31 May 2017. The average concentrations of 14 individual TEs ranged from 1.1 (V) to 900 ng/m3 (K). The occurrence levels of most TEs of interest in Beijing were lower than those in most domestic cities, but higher than those in most foreign countries. The formation of sulfate increased with the concentrations of all studied TEs during autumn and winter. Dust, industry, biomass burning and waste incineration, vehicle emissions, coal combustion, and oil combustion were identified by the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, which accounted for 36.3%, 10.7%, 27.1%, 13.7%, 7.6%, and 4.6%, respectively, of the total elements. All factors exhibited higher concentrations on weekends than on weekdays. Local vehicular emissions and industry contributed to the loading of TEs, but dust, biomass burning and waste incineration, coal combustion, and oil combustion from neighboring areas appeared to be dominant sources of TEs. Except for dust and industry, the four other sources of TEs were mainly located in the south and southeast areas of the sampling site. The analysis by conditional probability function and potential source contribution function showed that the distribution of the PMF sources of TEs roughly agreed with the location of the main point sources. Overall, this work provides more detailed information on the characteristics of the TEs for the scientific community and modelling work.
Diversity and distribution of coralline algae in southern New Zealand

ii Acknowledgements . iii Chapter 1: General Introduction . 1 1.1 Global change in the marine environment . 2 1.2 The importance of coralline algae . 3 1.2. 1 What are coralline algae? 3 1.2. 2 Coralline algal distribution . 7 1.2. 3 Ecosystem services provided by coralline algae . 8 1.3 Threats to coralline algae in a changing ocean . 9 1.3. 1 Direct global and local anthropogenic effects . 9 1.3. 2 Changing ecological relationships with changing environment (indirect effects) . 10 1.4 Current state of coralline algal identification . 12 1.4. 1 Global context . 12 1.4. 2 New Zealand context . 12 1.5 Study region . 13 1.6 Thesis Objective . 16 1.7 Thesis structure . 17 1.7. 1 Chapter 2 – The diversity of coralline algae in southern New Zealand . 17 1.7. 2 Chapter 3 – Broad scale abiotic factors associated with coralline algal community composition . 18 1.7. 3 Chapter 4 – Coralline algal abundance in a biogenic reef environment . 18 1.7. 4 Chapter 5 – Coralline algal community structure at small spatial scales . 18 1.7. 5 Chapter 6 – General discussion . 19 Chapter 2: The diversity of coralline algae in southern New Zealand . 20 2.
LONG TERM OUTCOME AFTER OPEN INGUINAL HERNIA REPAIR BY CONTINOUS SUTURE VERSUS INTERRUPTED SUTURE TO FIX THE MESH

BACKGROUND: Meshplasty for hernia repair is a must in adult patient. Prolene mesh is widely used and is fixed with prolene suture as well.The aim of this study was to compare the quality of life and pain felt in postoperative phase for 2 years after open inguinal hernia repair by interrupted sutures versus continuous sutures. METHODS: From Jan 2010 - Dec 2010, 15 patients were operated for hernia using prolene mesh and this mesh was fixed with prolene 2'0' in continuous waystarting at pubic tubercle and continued along inguinal ligament beyond deep inguinal ring, then lateral to deep inguinal ring, aboveit along conjoint tendon andending at the pubic tuberclewith only single knot. This type of repair was compared with 15 patients who underwent same procedure using prolene mesh fixed with prolene suture but in interrupted waywhich creates alot of knots (10-12Average). Patients were examined and followed up in OPD for 2 years. RESULTS: In the long run the patients treated with continuous suture had comparatively better quality of life with less pain and less foreign body sensation of mesh and knots & knots were not felt percutaneously,where as in routine procedure patients complained of painful sensation due to pressing of knots in subcutaneous space. CONCLUSION: In this study the quality of life in open hernia repair with prolene suture using continous suture technique versus interrupted suture technique is definitely better, less painful with feeling of less foreign body sensation.
HYPERTENSION: A BRIEF REVIEW

Hypertension is emerging as one of the severe epidemic disease. Hypertension occurs when blood pressure in the arteries is elevated which makes the heart to work harder than the normal heart. Blood pressure involves two measurements- systole and diastole which depend upon whether the heart is contracting (systole) or relaxing (diastole) between the beats. The purpose of this review is to study about various causes, signs and symptoms and treatment approaches of hypertension. This article includes pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical approaches to treat hypertension. Awareness about the disease could be the major approach to the treatment of the disease.
Why opt-in to a planting program? Long-term residents value street tree aesthetics

Many cities are making substantial capital investments in urban tree planting. Residents play active and diverse roles in enhancing and protecting the urban forest, and are therefore critical to many municipal-level policy objectives. The way residents perceive and value the urban forest can have implications for achieving urban forestry goals through residents and volunteers. However, urban residents are not a monolithic block or homogenous category; instead, they have diverse opinions, needs, and constraints. Moreover, relatively little is known about how residents hear about available resources, such as free trees, and decide to 'opt-in' to tree planting initiatives, choosing to plant and maintain trees on or near their properties. The focus of this study was to address three questions about participation in a request-driven program that provides free street trees to residents of New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.: 1) Who requests trees through this program? 2) How did the requesters hear about this program? 3) Why did residents request free street trees? Survey respondents were primarily long-term residents of New Haven; mostly learned about the opportunity from their neighbors; and requested a street tree to replace a removed tree, because they value the aesthetics, and to a lesser extent the environmental benefits. Future research should systematically investigate differences between participants and non-participants in local tree planting initiatives, exploring possible trends across cities and programs. Such studies would identify opportunities and barriers to engaging private residents in efforts aimed at increasing canopy.
Microwave measurements of variations in night mesospheric ozone over Moscow

Data of night-time ground-based measurements of the atmospheric ozone spectral line 142.175 GHz over Moscow were used for detection of variations in the ozone mixing ratio (OMR) at altitudes of the secondary (near 90 km) and tertiary (near 65 km) night maxima in the OMR profile. The ozone spectra were recorded by low-noise microwave spectrometer MOS-4 with frequency resolution of 0.1 MHz and time resolution of 110 or 90 s, not quite evenly spaced in time. The spectra were averaged over groups of 6…60 ones. The OMR values at altitudes of 90 and 65 km were determined by the improved least-squares method applied to differences of brightness temperatures within ±0.5 MHz frequency offsets from the ozone line centre. Then special algorithm based on the Lomb periodograms with sliding data window was used to determine spectral power and frequencies of the ozone variations. Estimates of the OMR errors depending on the instrumental noise and number of averaged spectra were obtained by computer simulations and used to calculate detection thresholds of the Lomb algorithm. Wave-type variations in the OMR values with periods of 3…5 h were detected with probability of 85-90% at altitude of 90 km and 95-97% at 65 km. Spans of the variations were up to 9 ppm at 90 km and up to 2 ppm at 65 km. The paper presents descriptions of the instrumentation, observation procedure, data processing methods, and some results of the data analysis.
Labral Refixation: New Concepts and Techniques

Arthroscopic treatment of hip pathology has made significant advances over the past decade. Recognition of structural abnormalities is essential before treatment of labral lesions. Surgeons have developed novel techniques to restore the anatomy and function of the labrum during repair, which has recently been shown to improve clinical outcomes. Labral base refixation is a technique used to restore labral anatomy and is presented here. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic level IV.
Comparative Analysis of High Availability Solutions

The aim of the thesis was to perform a comparative analysis of selected high availability solutions. The issue of choosing the right HA solutions is an indispensable part of any company that uses IT infrastructure. As the most commonly used solutions are the virtualization solutions of Microsoft: Hyper-V and VMWare: vSphere, they have been subjected to in-depth analysis. For this purpose, we have performed performance tests of guest systems on the above hypervisors and we tested the behavior of the cluster in the event of failure of one of the hosts.
Vascular endothelial growth factor as a novel serum marker for hepatocellular carcinoma in Egyptian patients with HCV-related liver cirrhosis

Background Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a primary driving force for both physiological and pathological angiogenesis, and it is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Aim The aim of this study was to clarify the usefulness of serum VEGF levels as a tumor marker in patients with hepatitis C virus-related liver cirrhosis and HCC. Materials and methods Patients with hepatitis C virus-related liver cirrhosis were divided into two groups: 35 patients with liver cirrhosis and HCC and 35 patients with liver cirrhosis without HCC. The control group consisted of 35 healthy individuals. Results When serum VEGF levels were assessed in relation to the presence of HCC, the VEGF levels of the HCC group and the cirrhotic group were found to be significantly higher than that of the control group; there was also a significant difference between the control group and the cirrhotic group. The best cut-off point identified for VEGF was 210, with a sensitivity of 82.9% and a specificity of 80% for the detection of cancer, whereas for the detection of the disease (either HCC or cirrhosis) over controls, the best cut off value was 120, with a sensitivity of 97.5% and a specificity of 100%. Conclusion Plasma VEGF levels were significantly elevated in patients with HCC and mildly elevated in the cirrhotic group compared with the control group. This suggests that VEGF might be considered as a marker for the prediction of HCC.
ANOMALIES DE LA SUBSTÀNCIA BLANCA CEREBRAL I RENDIMENT NEUROPSICOLÒGIC DE LA SÍNDROME METABÒLICA.

Metabolic Syndrome is a cluster of vascular risk factors which has been related to dementia and cognitive decline. The aim of this study was to describe the neuropsychological profile of metabolic syndrome patients. An extensive neuropsychological protocol was administered to 55 patients and 35 controls assessing memory, executive, visuoperceptual and visuoconstructive functions, language and speed of eywords: geing erebrovascular disease ognition etabolic syndrome X europsychological assessment processing. There were differences between groups in speed of processing and some executive functions after controlling for the influences of education and gender. The results suggest that metabolic syndrome may be a prodromal state of vascular cognitive impairment. © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.