Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Review: Innovative Techniques in Preventing and Salvaging Neurovascular Pedicle Flaps in Reconstructive Foot and Ankle Surgery

Pedicle flaps to cover soft tissue defects of the foot, ankle, and lower extremity are invaluable. However, venous congestion and flap necrosis, a common complication, poses greater morbidity to the patient as few remaining options for attempted limb salvage remain. The authors discuss how to prevent flap failure by allowing close observation and strict offloading of the pedicle flap through current external fixation designs. This article also discusses the role of medicinal leeches in reestablishing blood flow through the pedicle flap to prevent tissue necrosis. In addition, the use of hydrosurgery as an innovative technique offers the surgeon another option if faced with pedicle flap necrosis.
Phylogeography of West Nile Virus: from the Cradle of Evolution in Africa to Eurasia, Australia, and the Americas

ABSTRACT West Nile virus (WNV) is the most widely distributed of the encephalitic flaviviruses and is a major cause of encephalitis, with isolates obtained from all continents, apart from Antarctica. Subsequent to its divergence from the other members of the Japanese encephalitis virus complex, presumably in Africa, WNV has diverged into individual lineages that mostly correspond with geographic distribution. Here we elucidate the phylogeography and evolutionary history of isolates from lineage 1 of WNV. Interestingly, there are many examples of the same amino acid having evolved independently on multiple occasions. In Africa, WNV exists in an endemic cycle, whereas it is epidemic in Europe, being reintroduced regularly from Africa either directly (in western Europe) or via the Middle East (in eastern Europe). Significantly, introduction into other geographic areas has occurred on one occasion only in each region, leading to subsequent establishment and expansion of the virus in these areas. Only one endemic genotype each is present in India and Australia, suggesting that WNV was successfully introduced into these locations once only. Each introduction occurred many centuries ago, probably due to trade and exploration during the 19th century. Likewise, in the Americas, WNV was successfully introduced in 1999 and subsequently became endemic across most temperate regions of North America (NA). In contrast to previous suggestions, an isolate from the epidemic in Israel in 1998 was not the direct progenitor of the NA epidemic; rather, both epidemics originated from the same (unknown) location.
β-d-N4-Hydroxycytidine Is a Potent Anti-alphavirus Compound That Induces a High Level of Mutations in the Viral Genome

ABSTRACT Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) is a representative member of the New World alphaviruses. It is transmitted by mosquito vectors and causes highly debilitating disease in humans, equids, and other vertebrate hosts. Despite a continuous public health threat, very few compounds with anti-VEEV activity in cell culture and in mouse models have been identified to date, and rapid development of virus resistance to some of them has been recorded. In this study, we investigated the possibility of using a modified nucleoside analog, β-d-N4-hydroxycytidine (NHC), as an anti-VEEV agent and defined the mechanism of its anti-VEEV activity. The results demonstrate that NHC is a very potent antiviral agent. It affects both the release of genome RNA-containing VEE virions and their infectivity. Both of these antiviral activities are determined by the NHC-induced accumulation of mutations in virus-specific RNAs. The antiviral effect is most prominent when NHC is applied early in the infectious process, during the amplification of negative- and positive-strand RNAs in infected cells. Most importantly, only a low-level resistance of VEEV to NHC can be developed, and it requires acquisition and cooperative function of more than one mutation in nsP4. These adaptive mutations are closely located in the same segment of nsP4. Our data suggest that NHC is more potent than ribavirin as an anti-VEEV agent and likely can be used to treat other alphavirus infections. IMPORTANCE Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) can cause widespread epidemics among humans and domestic animals. VEEV infections result in severe meningoencephalitis and long-term sequelae. No approved therapeutics exist for treatment of VEEV infections. Our study demonstrates that β-d-N4-hydroxycytidine (NHC) is a very potent anti-VEEV compound, with the 50% effective concentration being below 1 μM. The mechanism of NHC antiviral activity is based on induction of high mutation rates in the viral genome. Accordingly, NHC treatment affects both the rates of particle release and the particle infectivity. Most importantly, in contrast to most of the anti-alphavirus drugs that are under development, resistance of VEEV to NHC develops very inefficiently. Even low levels of resistance require acquisition of multiple mutations in the gene of the VEEV-specific RNA-dependent RNA polymerase nsP4.
Characterization of a Xenopus tropicalis Endogenous Retrovirus with Developmental and Stress-Dependent Expression

ABSTRACT We report on the identification and characterization of XTERV1, a full-length endogenous retrovirus (ERV) within the genome of the western clawed frog (Xenopus tropicalis). XTERV1 contains all the basic genetic elements common to ERVs, including the classical 5′-long terminal repeat (LTR)-gag-pol-env-3′-LTR architecture, as well as conserved functional motifs inherent to each retroviral protein. Using phylogenetic analysis, we show that XTERV1 is related to the Epsilonretrovirus genus. The X. tropicalis genome harbors a single full-length copy with intact gag and pol open reading frames that localizes to the centromeric region of chromosome 5. About 10 full-length defective copies of XTERV1 are found interspersed in the genome, and 2 of them could be assigned to chromosomes 1 and 3. We find that XTERV1 genes are zygotically transcribed in a regulated spatiotemporal manner during frog development, including metamorphosis. Moreover, XTERV1 transcription is upregulated under certain cellular stress conditions, including cytotoxic and metabolic stresses. Interestingly, XTERV1 Env is found to be homologous to FR47, a protein upregulated following cold exposure in the freeze-tolerant wood frog (Rana sylvatica). In addition, we find that R. sylvatica FR47 mRNA originated from a retroviral element. We discuss the potential role(s) of ERVs in physiological processes in vertebrates.
Is Goniometry Suitable for Measuring Ankle Range of Motion in Female Ballet Dancers? An Initial Comparison With Radiographic Measurement

Female ballet dancers require extreme ankle motion to attain the demi-plié (weight-bearing full dorsiflexion [DF]) and en pointe (weight-bearing full plantar flexion [PF]) positions of ballet. However, techniques for assessing this amount of motion have not yet received sufficient scientific scrutiny. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine possible differences between weight-bearing goniometric and radiographic ankle range of motion measurements in female ballet dancers. Ankle range of motion in 8 experienced female ballet dancers was assessed by goniometry and 2 radiographic measurement methods. The latter were performed on 3 mediolateral x-rays, in demi-plié, neutral, and en pointe positions; one of them used the same landmarks as goniometry. DF values were not significantly different among the methods, but PF values were (P < .05). Not only was PF of the talocrural joint significantly less than the other 2 measurements (P < .001), PF from the goniometric method applied to the x-rays was significantly less than PF obtained from clinical goniometry (P < .05). These data provide insight into the extreme ankle and foot motion, particularly PF, required in female ballet dancers and suggest that goniometry may not be ideal for assessing ankle range of motion in these individuals. Therefore, further research is needed to standardize how DF and PF are measured in ballet dancers. Level of Evidence: Diagnostic, Level I
Closed Total Talar Extrusion After Ankle Sprain

Closed total talus dislocation from tibiotalar, subtalar, and talonavicular joints is a very rare injury. A 25-year-old young man, who had severe ankle distortion while walking down a flight of stairs, was brought to the emergency room complaining of a deformity and pain in his ankle joint. Roentgenographies revealed total talar body extrusion. The patient was treated urgently with open reduction in the authors’ clinic. Tibialis posterior tendon might prevent closed reduction so open reduction with retraction of the tendon may be necessary. Level of Evidence : Therapeutic Level IV
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 UL41 Protein Suppresses the IRE1/XBP1 Signal Pathway of the Unfolded Protein Response via Its RNase Activity

ABSTRACT During viral infection, accumulation of viral proteins can cause stress in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and trigger the unfolded protein response (UPR) to restore ER homeostasis. The inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1)-dependent pathway is the most conserved of the three UPR signal pathways. Upon activation, IRE1 splices out an intron from the unspliced inactive form of X box binding protein 1 [XBP1(u)] mRNA and produces a transcriptionally potent spliced form [XBP1(s)]. Previous studies have reported that the IRE1/XBP1 pathway is inhibited upon herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection; however, the underlying molecular mechanism is still elusive. Here, we uncovered a role of the HSV-1 UL41 protein in inhibiting the IRE1/XBP1 signal pathway. Ectopic expression of UL41 decreased the expression of XBP1 and blocked XBP1 splicing activation induced by the ER stress inducer thapsigargin. Wild-type (WT) HSV-1, but not the UL41-null mutant HSV-1 (R2621), decreased XBP1 mRNA induced by thapsigargin. Nevertheless, infection with both WT HSV-1 and R2621 without drug pretreatment could reduce the mRNA and protein levels of XBP1(s), and additional mechanisms might contribute to this inhibition of XBP1(s) during R2621 infection. Taking these findings together, our results reveal XBP1 as a novel target of UL41 and provide insights into the mechanism by which HSV-1 modulates the IRE1/XBP1 pathway. IMPORTANCE During viral infection, viruses hijack the host translation apparatus to produce large amounts of viral proteins, which leads to ER stress. To restore ER homeostasis, cells initiate the UPR to alleviate the effects of ER stress. The IRE1/XBP1 pathway is the most conserved UPR branch, and it activates ER-associated protein degradation (ERAD) to reduce the ER load. The IRE1/XBP1 branch is repressed during HSV-1 infection, but little is known about the underlying molecular mechanism. Our results show for the first time that UL41 suppresses the IRE1/XBP1 signal pathway by reducing the accumulation of XBP1 mRNA, and characterization of the underlying molecular mechanism provides new insight into the modulation of UPR by HSV-1.
Mobilization of Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells Correlates with the Clinical Course of Hantavirus Disease

ABSTRACT Infections with hemorrhagic fever viruses are characterized by increased permeability leading to capillary leakage. Hantavirus infection is associated with endothelial dysfunction, and the clinical course is related to the degree of vascular injury. Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (cEPCs) play a pivotal role in the repair of the damaged endothelium. Therefore, we analyzed the number of cEPCs and their mobilizing growth factors in patients suffering from hantavirus disease induced by infection with Puumala virus. The numbers of EPCs of 36 hantavirus-infected patients and age- and gender-matched healthy controls were analyzed by flow cytometry. Concentrations of cEPC-mobilizing growth factors in plasma were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Laboratory parameters were correlated with the number of cEPCs. In patients infected with hantavirus, the number of cEPCs was significantly higher than that in healthy controls. Levels of mobilizing cytokines were upregulated in patients, and the mobilization of cEPCs is paralleled with the normalization of clinical parameters. Moreover, higher levels of cEPCs correlated with higher serum albumin levels and platelet concentrations. Our data indicate that cEPCs may play a role in the repair of hantavirus-induced endothelial damage, thereby influencing the clinical course and the severity of symptoms.
Reverse Converter Design via Parallel-Prefix Adders: Novel Components, Methodology, and Implementations

In this brief, the implementation of residue number system reverse converters based on well-known regular and modular parallel-prefix adders is analyzed. The VLSI implementation results show a significant delay reduction and area × time2 improvements, all this at the cost of higher power consumption, which is the main reason preventing the use of parallel-prefix adders to achieve high-speed reverse converters in nowadays systems. Hence, to solve the high power consumption problem, novel specific hybrid parallel-prefix-based adder components that provide better tradeoff between delay and power consumption are herein presented to design reverse converters. A methodology is also described to design reverse converters based on different kinds of prefix adders. This methodology helps the designer to adjust the performance of the reverse converter based on the target application and existing constraints.
On a lip print recognition by the pattern kernels with multiresolution architecture

Biometric systems are technologies that use unique human physical characteristics to automatically identify a person in some way, and which have sensors to pick up some physical characteristics, convert them into digital patterns, and compare them with patterns stored for personal identification. However lip print recognition has been less developed than recognition of other human physical attributes such as fingerprints, voice patterns, retinal blood vessel patterns or the face. The merit of lip print recognition by CCTV camera is to be linked with other recognition systems such as eye retina/iris and face. A new method with multiresolution architecture is proposed to recognize a lip print by pattern kernels. A set of pattern kernels is a function of some local lip print masks. This function converts the information from a lip print into digital data. Recognition in a multiresolution system is more reliable than recognition in a single-resolution system. The multiresolution architecture allows us to reduce the false recognition rate from 15% to 4.7%. This paper shows that a lip print is sufficiently useful for of biometric system measurements.
Real time skin-region detection with a single-chip digital camera

This article describes a 30 frames/second VGA format image sensor made in a standard CMOS process with an embedded massively parallel processor. The processor is fully programmable and therefore the sensor IC itself is able to run a variety of algorithms with data and processing in close vicinity of the sensor. Because of the parallel architecture comprising processor array and parallel memory accesses, high computational performances of up to 5 GOPS at 16 MHz are achieved. This high performance allowed us to implement skin tone detection on the camera itself as part of a larger system for face recognition, releasing the host computer of cumbersome pixel processing tasks and minimizing the data transfer between camera and computer.
Effects of Lucerne leaf concentrate supplementation on the nutritional status of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients.

Purpose – This paper aims to assess the effect of Lucerne leaf concentrate supplementation on the nutritional status of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) patients.Design/methodology/approach – The study was undertaken on 21 patients in the age group of 18‐60 years suffering from myeloid leukemia. At the baseline, data on weight, height, haemoglobin, RBC count, WBC, TLC, platelet count and nutrient intake were collected for all patients. Then they were given 10 gm LC (dark green extract from Lucerne) per day for three months and after that all parameters were assessed again.Findings – Statistical analysis revealed a significant increase in Hb (p<0.05) in women, while RBC increased significantly (p<0.01) in both males and females. Pre‐ and post‐assessment of diet of the patients revealed that there was a significant increase in the energy, protein, calcium, iron, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin C in female patients, while in male patients the difference was significant for niacin only.Originality/value – Lucer.
Augmentation strategies in geriatric depression

Approximately 30–40% of elderly patients with major depression have inadequate response to an initial therapeutic trial of antidepressant medication. In these cases augmentation of the antidepressant has been recommended as one way of improving the rate of response. This article reviews the literature on augmentation strategies in treatment‐resistant geriatric depression. Successful augmentation with lithium, triiodothyronine, stimulants, carbamazepine, valproate and a tricyclic–serotonin reuptake inhibitor combination have been described. However, there have been no controlled trials and, with the exception of two open prospective studies of lithium potentiation, the literature consists entirely of case reports and retrospective case series. As a result, it is difficult to draw conclusions about the efficacy of these strategies in late life, especially since treatment failures seldom get reported. Side‐effects may limit the usefulness of some augmentation regimens in old age—up to 25% of patients treated with lithium or carbamazepine discontinued these medications because of adverse events. There is a need for controlled studies to better determine the clinical utility of augmentation strategies in physically well depressed elderly, as well as those with depression complicating medical illness, dementia and other neurological disorders.
The control of Streptococcus agalactiae mastitis by milking-shed hygiene, with particular reference to hibitane: A preliminary report

Abstract Extract Since the advent of antibiotics, in particular penicillin, a great deal of experimental and field work on the control of Streptococcus agalactiae mastitis by these agents has been reported. The fact remains, however, that the incidence of mastitis seems as high as ever despite the marked advance in the treatment of clinical cases. This has led to the somewhat paradoxical situation where, on some dairy farms, more money is now being spent on penicillin than used to be lost through having to cull for mastitis or through the loss of quarters following infection.
Crossed-Screws Provide Greater Tarsometatarsal Fusion Stability Compared to Compression Plates

Background. Hallux valgus is a common deformity that is often treated with a fusion of the first tarsometatarsal (TMT) joint. Crossed-screws are currently the accepted standard but advances in plate systems present opportunities for improved clinical outcomes; however, in vitro testing should be performed prior to clinical implementation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a locking plate with surgeon-mediated compression provides similar fusion stability compared to crossed-screws and if bone density or joint size are related to construct success. Methods. Ten matched-pair cadaveric specimens received first TMT fusions with either crossed-screws or a compression plate and were loaded for 1000 cycles to assess the amount of joint motion measured as plantar gapping. Bone density was quantified using computed tomography images of each specimen, and joint height was measured with calipers. Results. Crossed-screws provided 3 times greater resistance to plantar gapping compared to compression plates after 1000 cycles. Bone density and joint size did not affect resistance to plantar gapping for either construct. Conclusion. Lag screws or a plantarly applied plate are needed to maximize TMT fusion stability prior to osseous union. Dorsomedially applied plates are also effective when paired with a lag screw placed across the TMT joint. These constructs do not appear to depend on bone density or joint size, suggesting that patients with osteoporosis are viable candidates. Clinical Relevance. The results of this study suggest that traditional, lagged cross-screws provide greater stability to that of a dorsally place compression plate and may lead to better rates of union. Levels of Evidence: Therapeutic, Level V: Cadaveric Study
Images on the path to the digital museum

At first glance, a museum may appear to be a nice place to visit a painting or some dinosaur bones. However, museums are much more than warehouses of valuables. Museums create presentations of their holdings, supported by descriptive narratives; in aesthetically pleasing environments. Indeed, it is the presentation of museum holdings that provides us with the museum experience. To support the creation of presentations, museums engage in the creation, gathering, and organization of information about their holdings. This paper discusses how imaging technology has been used, primarily in IBM-related projects; to help museums research, organize and present their holdings. Can the digital museum be far away?
Human Dendritic Cells Infected with the Nonpathogenic Mopeia Virus Induce Stronger T-Cell Responses than Those Infected with Lassa Virus

ABSTRACT The events leading to death in severe cases of Lassa fever (LF) are unknown. Fatality seems to be linked to high viremia and immunosuppression, and cellular immunity, rather than neutralizing antibodies, appears to be essential for survival. We previously compared Lassa virus (LV) with its genetically close but nonpathogenic homolog Mopeia virus (MV), which was used to model nonfatal LF. We showed that strong and early activation of antigen-presenting cells (APC) may play a crucial role in controlling infection. Here we developed an in vitro model of dendritic-cell (DC)-T-cell coculture in order to characterize human T-cell responses induced by MV- or LV-infected DCs. Our results show very different responses to infection with LV and MV. MV strongly and durably stimulated CD8+ and CD4+ T cells, showing early and high activation, a strong proliferative response, and acquisition of effector and memory phenotypes. Furthermore, robust and functional CD4+ and CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) were generated. LV, however, induced only weak memory responses. Thus, this study allows an improved understanding of the pathogenesis and immune mechanisms involved in the control of human LV.
Hardware Architectural Support for Caching Partitioned Reconfigurations in Reconfigurable Systems

The efficiency of the reconfiguration process in modern field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) can improve drastically if an on-chip configuration memory is included in the system, because it can reduce both the reconfiguration latency and its energy consumption. However, the FPGA on-chip memory resources are very limited. Thus, it is very important to manage them effectively in order to improve the reconfiguration process as much as possible, even when the size of the on-chip configuration memory is small. This paper presents a hardware implementation of an on-chip configuration memory controller that efficiently manages run-time reconfigurations. In order to optimize the use of the on-chip memory, this controller includes support to deal with configurations that have been divided into blocks of customizable size. When a reconfiguration must be carried out, our controller provides the blocks stored on-chip and looks for the remaining blocks by accessing to the off-chip configuration memory. Moreover, it dynamically decides which blocks must be stored on-chip. To this end, the designed controller implements a simple but efficient technique that allows maximizing the benefits of the on-chip memories. Experimental results will demonstrate that its implementation cost is very affordable and that it introduces negligible run-time management overheads.