Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Treatment Outcomes and Prognostic Factors of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty for Open-angle Glaucoma Receiving Maximal-tolerable Medical Therapy

Purpose:To evaluate the efficacy of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) for patients with open-angle glaucoma receiving maximal-tolerable medical therapy. Patients and Methods:Consecutive patients with open-angle glaucoma who were followed up for at least 1 year after SLT were retrospectively evaluated. The effectiveness was assessed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with 2 criteria for failure: (1) intraocular pressure (IOP) equal to or more than baseline; and (2) <20% reduction from baseline, on 2 consecutive visits. Those 2 failure criteria also included loss of light perception, reoperation of SLT, and glaucoma surgery. Influence of baseline factors on success were assessed using mixed-effects Cox proportional hazard models. Results:Seventy-five eyes [39 primary open-angle glaucoma, 23 exfoliation glaucoma, and 13 secondary open-angle glaucoma (SOAG)] of 59 patients (21 females) aged 65.5±15.9 (mean±SD) were included. Preoperative mean IOP was 23.3±6.5 mm Hg with 3.4±1.3 IOP lowering medications. The overall success ratio at the end of study period was 45.3% by criterion 1 and 14.2% by criterion 2. The success ratio by criterion 1 and 2 was 61.1% and 21.7% in primary open-angle glaucoma, 29.3% and 14.5% in exfoliation glaucoma, and 15.4% and 7.7% in SOAG, respectively. Higher preoperative IOP and diagnosis of SOAG were significantly associated with treatment failure (P<0.01 and 0.04, respectively). Conclusions:One-year efficacy of SLT in controlling IOP was very limited in patients with maximal-tolerable medical therapy. Types of glaucoma and preoperative IOP were significant prognostic factors for treatment success.
IL-21–Producing Th Cells in Immunity and Autoimmunity

IL-21 is a member of the common γ-chain signaling family of cytokines. Analyses of the behavior of immune cells in response to IL-21 in vitro and studies of mice deficient in IL-21 or its receptor indicate that IL-21 has a role in lymphocyte activation, proliferation, differentiation, and survival. IL-21–producing CD4+ Th cells constitute a broad array of helper subtypes including T follicular helper cells and Th17 cells. Both autocrine and paracrine utilization of IL-21 contributes to the overall signal transduction pathways of the Ag receptor to influence the growth and survival of lymphocytes. The redundancy that IL-21 exhibits in lymphoid organs during immune responses is in stark contrast to the evidence that pharmacological neutralization of this cytokine can halt inflammation in nonlymphoid organs where IL-21 becomes the dominant voice.
Incorporation of Conductor Loss in the Unconditionally Stable ADI-FDTD Method

A surface-impedance boundary condition (SIBC) is presented for an unconditionally stable alternating-direction implicit (ADI) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The conformal SIBC formulation based on locally conformal grids is capable of modeling the conductor loss of arbitrarily-shaped lossy metal structures. The work is described in the framework of the finite-integration technique (FIT) formulation of the ADI-FDTD. The paper focuses on the proposed ADI-FDTD SIBC formulation and its extensive validation. For this purpose, cylindrical and spherical cavity resonators are used for numerical tests. The quality factor Q is directly proportional to wall loss and is particularly sensitive to the accuracy of loss calculation. The resonator structure consists only of a vacuum-filled metal cavity and is thus free of additional sources of error that are caused by other extensions to the basic ADI-FDTD algorithm. The formulation is validated by comparison with analytic results and numerical data calculated using CST Microwave Studio (MWS). The convergence rate of the results is of second order, i.e., the error reduces to one quarter as the mesh resolution is doubled.
Wide area multilateration and ADS-B proves resilient in Afghanistan

Multilateration is a proven technology for air traffic surveillance with hundreds of site installations world-wide. However, most, if not all, installations have been in secure areas with basic, dedicated infrastructure in place. Wide area multilateration (WAM) has not been fully appraised in more challenging areas like Afghanistan where robust power, communications, and security are not available. It is important that Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) understand how external factors like intermittent power impact WAM in order to respond to outages appropriately while operating the system. In this paper, we present the lessons learned from deploying WAM in a war zone backed by performance results from a series of flight tests proving WAM, when properly designed and implemented, is a very adaptable and robust surveillance solution.
Complicated Cholecystitis: The Complementary Roles of Sonography and Computed Tomography

Acute cholecystitis is a common cause of abdominal pain in the Western world. Unless treated promptly, patients with acute cholecystitis may develop complications such as gangrenous, perforated, or emphysematous cholecystitis. Because of the increased morbidity and mortality of complicated cholecystitis, early diagnosis and treatment are essential for optimal patient care. Nevertheless, complicated cholecystitis may pose significant challenges with cross-sectional imaging, including sonography and computed tomography (CT). Interpreting radiologists should be familiar with the spectrum of sonographic findings seen with complicated cholecystitis and as well as understand the complementary role of CT. Worrisome imaging findings for complicated cholecystitis include intraluminal findings (sloughed mucosa, hemorrhage, abnormal gas), gallbladder wall abnormalities (striations, asymmetric wall thickening, abnormal gas, loss of sonoreflectivity and contrast enhancement), and pericholecystic changes (echogenic fat, pericholecystic fluid, abscess formation). Finally, diagnosis of complicated cholecystitis by sonography and CT can guide alternative treatments including minimally invasive percutaneous and endoscopic options.
The impact of the 2014 increase in the real estate transfer taxes on the French housing market

This paper estimates the effects of an increase in the share of the real estate transfer taxes (RETT) rates going to the French departements from 3.80% to 4.50%. Not all the departe-ments voted the RETT increase on the same date, which is the starting point of a natural experiment. Using a difference-indifferences design, we estimate two main effects. (1) An anticipation effect, one month before the implementation of the reform, in order to avoid the RETT increase. (2) A retention effect in the post-reform period. In the end, the net effect (retention minus anticipation) corresponds to an average drop in transactions of around 6% over the first three months after the reform, that is, approximately 15,000 transactions lost at national level. If we find a short term effect of the reform, we do not find evidence of a medium-or long-term effect. JEL Classification: H71, R21, R31, R51
The Gray Problem: Should athletes be punished for their social media posts?

This article discusses athletes’ use of social media and how their parent organizations have dealt with their social media activities. This article argues that sports associations may not need to regulate athletes’ use of social media. Athletes have their own private incentives: they want to maximize their financial gains and career opportunities provide stronger deterrent to post detrimental social media posts. Sports associations who punish athletes for their speech could also deter socially beneficial speeches. This article discusses how sports leagues have face antitrust challenges and how a similar antitrust challenge could potentially force leagues to revise their social media policy. It also argues that contract law limits how leagues should punish athletes for their social media activities. Finally, this article argues that policymakers have a role to play. They can encourage sports leagues – and employers in general – to adopt a clear social media policy instead of retrofitting vague and overbroad “best interest of the sports” standards. DePaul J. of Sports Law, Volume 13 Issue 1 33
Left to interest groups? On the prospects for enforcing environmental law in the European Union

ABSTRACT There have been important changes in the enforcement of European Union environmental law over the last 25 years. Environmental law has traditionally been reliant on the European Commission, but the Commission has started to withdraw from enforcement. Instead, it is undertaking efforts to ‘outsource’ enforcement to environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs) by systematically promoting access for such groups to national courts. While the Commission has indicated that it sees centralised and private enforcement as substitutes, the advantages and drawbacks of each mechanism are evaluated and it is concluded that both mechanisms have an important role to play. In particular, the private enforcement of EU environmental law is dependent on national opportunity structures that are unlikely to ever be fully liberalised and harmonised by EU procedural law. Private enforcement is therefore not a panacea for compliance problems, and the growing absence of a central enforcing authority is a cause for concern.
The Lead-Lag Relationship between Volatility Index Futures and Spot in the Korean Stock Market

This empirical study examines the short-run lead-lag relationship between the VKOSPI index futures and its underlying spot index and KOSPI index using daily data from September 17, 2014 to May 2017. We used the unit root test, Johansen-Juselius cointegration test, Granger causality analysis, impulse response function analysis, and variance decomposition analysis to test the hypothesis that the futures market with no market frictions leads the spot market in this analysis. The results of these analyses using level variables show that there is a bi-directional lead-lag relationship between the VKOSPI futures and VKOSPI index, but in the analysis using first-difference variables, there is only a unidirectional lead-lag relationship form VKOSPI index to VKOSPI futures. This means that the VKOSPI spot market is more efficient than the futures market. Also, there are no lead-lag relationship from VKOSPI futures or VKOSPI index to KOSPI index. It is inconsistent with the main expected hypothesis in our study and the conclusions of previous studies which argue that the VIX futures lead the VIX index and S&P 500 index. This results are related to a lack of liquidity of VKOSPI futures contracts in the Korean derivatives market. Because generally, the Korean institutional investors prefer option trading, to hedge market risk rather than VKOSPI futures. Change in the price of the option will result in the change in the VKOSPI index and subsequently the mechanism that alters the VKOSPI futures or the KOSPI index.
Cyclophilins and their possible role in the stress response

Cyclophilins are proteins which are remarkably conserved through evolution; moreover they have been found in every possible existing organism, which indicates their fundamental importance. Due to their enzymatic properties, multiplicity, cellular localization and role in protein folding they belong to the group of proteins termed molecular chaperones. All the proteins of the cyclophilin family possess enzymatic peptidyl‐prolyl isomerase activity (PPI‐ase), which is essential to protein folding in vivo. Recently PPI‐ase activity was suggested as playing a role in regulation of transcription and differentiation. However, not all cyclophilin functions are explained by PPI‐ase activity. For instance, one of the cyclophilins plays a regulatory role in the heat shock response and the mitochondrial cyclophilin (Cyclophilin D) is an integral part of the mitochondrial permeability transition complex, which is regarded as having a crucial role in mechanisms of cell death. In support of a role in the stress response, the expression of certain cyclophilins has recently been shown to be up‐regulated under various stressful conditions. Current evidence of functional involvement of cyclophilins in various intracellular pathways is reviewed along with the indications that cyclophilin D (Cyp D) represents a crucial part of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, which is detrimental in apoptotic and necrotic cell death. This review does not attempt to cover all the existing information related to cyclophilin family of proteins, but focus on the existing evidence of the involvement of these proteins in the intracellular stress response.
Incremental exercise test for the evaluation of peak oxygen consumption in paralympic swimmers.

BACKGROUND Peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) is a fundamental parameter used to evaluate physical capacity. The objective of this study was to explore two types of incremental exercise tests used to determine VO2peak in four Paralympic swimmers: arm ergometer testing in the laboratory and testing in the swimming pool. METHODS On two different days, the VO2peak values of the four athletes were measured in a swimming pool and by a cycle ergometer. The protocols identified the VO2peak by progressive loading until the volitional exhaustion maximum was reached. The results were analyzed using the paired Student's t-test, Cohen's d effect sizes and a linear regression. RESULTS The results showed that the VO2peak values obtained using the swimming pool protocol were higher (P=0.02) than those obtained by the arm ergometer (45.8±19.2 vs. 30.4±15.5; P=0.02), with a large effect size (d=3.20). When analyzing swimmers 1, 2, 3 and 4 individually, differences of 22.4%, 33.8%, 60.1% and 27.1% were observed, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Field tests similar to the competitive setting are a more accurate way to determine the aerobic capacity of Paralympic swimmers. This approach provides more sensitive data that enable better direction of training, consequently facilitating improved performance.
A novel compact single layer semi-ring slot Yagi-like antenna with high front-to-back ratio

A compact semi-ring slot Yagi-like directive antenna is presented. The center frequency of operation is 3.6 GHz targeting the WiMAX band. It has a measured bandwidth of 374 MHz which covers from 3.522–3.896 GHz. A very simple and compact reflector element having a size of 14 × 9.5 mm2 is introduced. A high front-to-back ratio (FBR) of 12.6 dB is achieved without using any complex back-lobe reduction technique or additional reflector layer which is usually used to get high FBR in slot antennas. The design has directivity of 4.2 dB. The proposed antenna is very compact having an overall size of 40 × 40 × 0.8 mm2.
Functional Analysis of Surfactant Protein B (SP-B) Promoter

Surfactant protein B (SP-B) is essential for maintenance of biophysical properties and physiological function of pulmonary surfactant. SP-B mRNA expression is restricted to alveolar type II epithelial cells and bronchiolar epithelial cells (Clara cells) of adult lung. We previously (Margana, R. K., and Boggaram, V. (1996) Am. J. Physiol. 270, L601-L612) found that a minimal promoter region (−236 to +39) of rabbit SP-B gene is sufficient for high level expression of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene in NCI-H441 cells, a cell line with characteristics of Clara cells. In the present study we used mutational analysis, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and DNase I footprinting to identify cis-DNA regulatory elements and trans-acting protein factors required for lung cell-specific expression of SP-B gene. We found that in addition to thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1) and hepatocyte nuclear factor 3α (HNF-3α) binding sites, two spatially separate DNA sequences that bind Sp1 and Sp3 factors are necessary for the maintenance of SP-B promoter activity. Mutation of any one of the transcription factor binding sites caused a significant reduction in SP-B promoter activity suggesting that Sp1, Sp3, and TTF-1 and HNF-3α interact cooperatively with SP-B promoter to activate gene transcription.
The Catalytically Active Domain in the A Subunit of Calcineurin

Abstract Calcineurin (CaN) is a heterodimer composed of a catalytic subunit A (CaNA) and a regulatory subunit B (CaNB). We report here an active truncated mutation of the rat CaNAδ that contains only the catalytic domain (residues 1-347, also known as a/CaNA). The pnitrophenyl phosphatase activity and protein phosphatase activity of a/CaNA were higher than that of CaNA. Both pnitrophenyl phosphatase activity and protein phosphatase activity of a/CaNA were unaffected by CaM and the B-subunit; the B-subunit and CaM have relatively little effect on pnitrophenyl phosphatase activity and a crucial effect on protein phosphatase activity of CaNA. Mn[2+] and Ni[2+] ions effeciently activated CaNA. The Km of a/CaNA was about 16 mM, and the kcat of a/CaNA was 10.03 1/s using pNPP as substrate. With RII peptide as a substrate, the Km of a/CaNA was about 21 uM and the kcat of a/CaNA was 0.51 1/s. The optimum reaction temperature was about 45C, and the optimum reaction pH was about 7.2. Our results indicate that a/CaNA is the catalytic core of CaNA, and CaN and the Bsubunit binding domain itself might play roles in the negative regulation of the phosphatase activity of CaN. The results provide the basis for future studies on the catalytic domain of CaN.
An Overview of Regular Dialysis Treatment in Japan (as of 31 December 2004)

Abstract: A statistical survey of 3932 nationwide hemodialysis (hereafter, dialysis) facilities was carried out at the end of 2004, and 3882 facilities (98.73%) responded. The population undergoing dialysis at the end of 2004 was 248 166, an increase of 10 456 patients (4.4%) from that at the end of 2003. The number of dialysis patients per million people was 1943.5. The crude death rate of dialysis patients from the end of 2003 to the end of 2004 was 9.4%. The mean age of patients who underwent dialysis in 2004 was 65.8 years, and that of the total dialysis population was 63.3 years. The percentage distribution of patients who underwent dialysis according to a newly underlying disease showed that 41.3% of patients had diabetic nephropathy and 28.1% had chronic glomerulonephritis. The frequency of calcium carbonate use for dialysis patients was 75.1% and that of sevelamer hydrochloride use was 26.2%. The frequency of sevelamer hydrochloride use does not necessarily have a strong correlation with the dose of calcium carbonate. Patients who received high doses of sevelamer hydrochloride tended to have a low concentration of arterial blood HCO3–. Approximately 15% of dialysis patients used an intravenous vitamin D preparation, generally maxacalcitol. The longer the patients had been on dialysis, the higher the frequency of use of an intravenous vitamin D preparation. When the concentration of serum intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) was more than 200 pg/mL, the frequency of use of an orally administered vitamin D preparation decreased; but that of intravenous vitamin D preparation increased. The percentage of dialysis patients who received percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT) was 1.4%. The percentage was more than 50% in the patients who had been on dialysis for more than 10 years. The percentage of patients who received PEIT again was 35.0%. The percentage of patients who had been on hemodialysis for more than 10 years and received PEIT again was more than 50%.
Antigens on rat spermatozoa with a potential role in fertilization

Eight monoclonal antibodies (McAbs), directed against antigens on rat cauda epididymal spermatozoa, were tested for their capacity to interfere with fertilization in vitro as a means of identifying molecules a potential role in sperm‐egg recognition and fusion. Antigens recognized by the McAbs were visualized on live spermatozoa by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) and characterized by immunoblotting. Five McAbs (designated 1B5, 2C4, 4B5, 5B1, and 8C4) recognized antigens specifically on the sperm acrosome and three (designated 2B1, 2D6, and 6B2) bound to the flagellum. Of the eight McAbs investigated, three (2B1, 2C4, and 6B2) were effective in blocking fertilization in vitro when added as culture supernalants to mixtures of sperm and eggs. McAb 6B2 was inhibitory due to its ability to agglutinate spermatozoa. McAbs 2B1 and 2C4 did not agglutinate capacitated spermatozoa, had no observable effect on motility, and yet blocked fertilization in a dose‐dependent manner. McAb 2C4 did not give a reaction on immunoblots, but the 2B1 antigen was identified as an Mr 40 kD glycoprotein. McAb 2B1 appeared to block fertilization at the level of zona binding, whereas the effects of 2C4 were directed more against zone penetration and/or fusion with the vitellus. When sperm‐egg complexes were stained with 2C4 or 2B1 McAbs and viewed by IIF, all spermatozoa that were attached to the zona showed fluorescence on the head. These results suggest that different antigens on the rat sperm head participate in different aspects of the fertilization process and that during capacitation there is either exposure of these antigens or else they migrate to their site of action from the flagellum.
Origin of tapetal-like reflexes in carriers of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa.

PURPOSE To determine the origin of the tapetal-like reflex (TLR) in carriers of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa. METHODS Spectral fundus reflectance of carriers of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa was measured and compared with that of normal subjects. The influence of visual pigment was determined by measuring the density difference, that is, the difference between the logarithmically scaled spectra of a bleached and a dark-adapted retina. In addition, fundus reflectance maps at 514 nm were made with a scanning laser ophthalmoscope in a bleached and a dark-adapted condition. Finally, the optical Stiles-Crawford effect was measured to determine the angular sensitivity of the TLR. RESULTS The tapetal-like reflex showed its spectral fingerprint in a high reflectance for wave-lengths smaller than 600 nm. The density difference measured at retinal sites of TLR was significantly larger than in normals, but the shape of the spectrum was similar. The optical Stiles-Crawford effect showed a similar peakedness for all retinal positions. However, in the TLR region, the amplitude of the directionally dependent part was increased dramatically. For the foveal region, no differences were observed. CONCLUSIONS An increase in reflectance of the outer segments of the photoreceptors in heterozygotes compared to normals can explain both the high-density difference and the large amplitude of the Stiles-Crawford effect. An earlier suggestion that only cones contribute to the TLR is unlikely.