LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Behavioural, hyperthermic and neurotoxic effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine analogues in the wistar rat

1. The ability of N-ethyl (MDEA) and N-butyl (MDBA) analogues of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'Ecstasy') to induce acute behavioural changes and increases in body temperature, and to cause serotonergic neurotoxicity, was assessed in young adult male Wistar rats. The in vitro ability of MDMA analogues to evoke presynaptic monoamine release from crude rat forebrain synaptosomal preparations pre-labelled with [3H]5-HT or [3H]DA was also measured. 2. In behavioural experiments, acute MDMA and MDEA (20 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly increased rat open-field locomotion scores, decreased open-field rearing, and induced stereotypy, Straub tail and head weaving. MDBA did not produce any of these behaviours. 3. After repeated dosing (8 x 20 mg/kg, i.p., twice daily for 4 days), MDMA > MDEA >> MDBA > or = saline at decreasing forebrain [3H]paroxetine binding levels and concentrations of 5-HT and 5-HIAA at 14 days post-treatment. None of the analogues caused any long-term changes in dopamine or noradrenaline concentrations in the forebrain. 4. Acute MDMA and MDEA (20 mg/kg, i.p.) produced significant acute increases in rat aural temperature compared with saline-treated animals, while 20 mg/kg MDBA caused no significant effects. 5. MDA, MDMA and MDEA were equipotent at inducing [3H]5-HT release from frontal cortex/hippocampal synaptosomes, while MDBA only evoked a significant release at 100 microM concentrations. The potency order for inducing [3H]DA release from striatal synaptosomes was MDA > MDMA > MDEA = MDBA. 6. This study shows that large N-alkyl substitution decreases the ability of MDMA analogues to evoke presynaptic 5-HT and DA release, induce acute hyperthermia, hyperlocomotion and behavioural changes, and cause long-term serotonergic neurotoxicity. 7. The structure-activity relationship data presented here indicate that the neurotoxic damage caused by substituted amphetamines requires a combination of acute hyperthermia and increased neurotransmitter release. Induction of one of these effects in isolation is not sufficient to cause serotonergic nerve terminal degradation.
Investigating Factors Influencing Students' Intention to Dropout Computer Science Studies

Research in the area of Computer Science (CS) education, has focused on identifying the reasons that students do not finish their studies in CS. Although there is increasing demand for CS professionals, there is not enough knowledge to explain the high dropout rates in CS education. This study aims to empirically examine how students' intention to complete their studies (retention) in CS is affected by variables playing a key role in higher education. By identifying which variables contribute to dropout in CS studies, we will be able to focus on how to improve aspects related with them in order to reduce dropout rates. To do so we identified the following variables: Year of studies, Gender, Age, Students' Effort, Absence from Classes, Expected Grade point average (GPA), and Current GPA, and tested their effect on retention, based on the responses collected from 241 CS student. Year of studies and Effort have positive effects on students' intention to finish their studies in CS. Interestingly, the expected GPA has a negative effect on students' intentions to finish their studies. The findings contribute to theory and practice, as they offer CS educators and policy makers insights that may aid towards increased student retention and reduced dropout rates.
Evaluation of a community-based automated blood pressure measuring device.

BACKGROUND
Automated devices are widely available in the community for people to measure their blood pressure. We assessed the accuracy and reproducibility of a brand of community-based automated device against the standard mercury sphygmomanometer.


METHODS
Same-arm pairs of blood pressure readings were obtained with the Vita-Stat 90550 automated device, a sphygmomanometer and the Omron HEM-705CP automated device in random order on volunteers in 3 community pharmacies using a modified protocol for evaluating blood pressure devices. Comparison of readings between the Omron device and the sphygmomanometer served as a positive control of how well a laboratory-validated automated device could perform in the community. Both the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) and British Hypertension Society (BHS) criteria were used to assess the accuracy and reproducibility of readings.


RESULTS
The mean blood pressure reading and standard error (SE) of the mean for the 108 volunteers (66 women and 42 men) was 133/77 (SE 2/1) mm Hg with the Vita-Stat device, 131/77 (SE 2/1) mm Hg with the Omron device and 129/76 (SE 2/1) mm Hg with the sphygmomanometer. The mean difference in readings was 4.4/1.0 (standard deviation [SD] 9.4/6.2) mm Hg between the Vita-Stat device and the sphygmomanometer and 1.6/0.6 (SD 9.3/6.4) mm Hg between the Omron device and the sphygmomanometer. Neither automated device met the AAMI accuracy criteria for the systolic readings. The BHS grades were C/A (systolic unacceptable/diastolic acceptable) for each automated device. According to the BHS analytical criterion, all devices achieved acceptable reproducibility grades.


INTERPRETATION
Neither automated device met the AAMI or BHS criteria for accuracy while in use in the community, and neither performed as well in the community as in the laboratory.
Techniques and results of urethroplasty for female urethral strictures: our experience with 17 patients.

OBJECTIVES
To report our experience with urethroplasty in women with urethral stricture and discuss the therapeutic considerations and outcomes of various flap- and graft-based techniques.


METHODS
A total of 17 patients with mid to distal urethral stricture (urethral caliber <14F, maximal urinary flow rate <12 mL/s, and detrusor pressure >20 cm H(2)O during voiding) underwent urethroplasty from 2004 to 2010. Of the 17 patients, 7 had undergone previous instrumentation and 10 were repaired primarily. The preoperative workup included American Urological Association symptom score assessment, uroflowmetry, voiding cystourethrography, and urethrocystoscopy. Of the 17 patients, 10 received anterior vaginal wall mucosa inlay urethroplasty. Proximally, the dilated urethral mucosa was used in 1 patient. A Martius flap reinforced ventral buccal mucosa graft (BMG) onlay urethroplasty was used in 2 patients with previous synthetic midurethral slings. Two patients with an atrophic vagina received a dorsal BMG onlay. A circular BMG reconstruction was used in 2 patients with severe distal urethral stricture. The preoperative findings were compared with the postoperative data at the last follow-up using the Wilcoxon sign test.


RESULTS
With a median follow-up of 24 months (range 6-78), an objective and subjective cure was achieved in 17 (100%) and 15 (88%) patients, respectively. At the last follow-up, the mean maximal urinary flow rate increased from 10.8 ± 3.2 mL/s preoperatively to 28.9 ± 7.4 mL/s (P = .001), and the mean postvoid residual urine volume had decreased from 120 ± 30 mL preoperatively to 30 ± 12 mL (P = .001). The mean American Urological Association score had decreased from 27.1 ± 3.9 preoperatively to 7.1 ± 3.5 postoperatively (P < .0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Primary urethroplasty can be considered a first-line option for treatment of female urethral strictures. Local mucosal flaps will cure the problem in most situations. BMG offers an excellent alternative when viable local tissue is absent.
Genital findings in prepubertal girls evaluated for sexual abuse. A different perspective on hymenal measurements.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the usefulness of the horizontal transhymenal diameter as a screening parameter to differentiate between prepubertal girls with and without other definitive signs of sexual abuse.


DESIGN
Case comparison study using transhymenal measurements as a diagnostic screening test referenced against prior publications of criterion standards.


SETTING
A primary care (family practice) clinic in association with an academic program in northern California.


PATIENTS
A consecutive, referred sample of 1058 prepubertal girls aged 6 months to 10 years who were examined as allegedly having been sexually molested between 1987 and 1994.


RESULTS
Girls with no definitive signs of genital trauma exhibited a mean transhymenal diameter of 2.3 mm and in general showed an increase of approximately 1 mm per year of age. Girls with definitive signs of genital trauma exhibited a mean transhymenal diameter of 9.0 mm and no significant variance with age. Correcting for age differences, the transhymenal diameter was highly significant as a differentiating factor (F = 1079, P < .001). When compared against the criterion standard, the transhymenal measurement is 99% specific and 79% sensitive as a screening tool.


CONCLUSION
Although not independently diagnostic of sexual molestation, the transhymenal diameter, when compared against the criterion standard for age, is a useful screening parameter for primary care physicians evaluating children of potential sexual abuse.
Short-Term and Long-Term Psychosocial Adjustment and Quality of Life in Women Undergoing Different Surgical Procedures for Breast Cancer

The various surgical procedures for early-stage breast cancer are equivalent in terms of survival. Therefore, other factors, such as the procedures’ effect on psychosocial adjustment and quality of life (QOL), take on great importance. The aim of the current study was to prospectively examine the short- and long-term effects of mastectomy with reconstruction, mastectomy without reconstruction, and breast conservation therapy on aspects of psychosocial adjustment and QOL in a sample of 258 women with breast cancer. Participants completed questionnaires before surgery and then again 1, 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery. Questionnaires assessed depressive symptoms, anxiety, body image, sexual functioning, and QOL. Adjustment patterns differed throughout the 2-year period after surgery. Some short-term changes in adjustment (less anxiety, less overall body satisfaction) were similar across surgery groups, whereas others (satisfaction with chest appearance, QOL in physical health domain) were higher for women who had breast conservation therapy. However, women who had mastectomy with reconstruction reported greater satisfaction with their abdominal area. During the long-term follow-up period (6 months to 2 years after surgery), women in all three groups experienced marked improvements in psychosocial adjustment (depressive symptoms, satisfaction with chest appearance, sexual functioning) and QOL in physical and mental health domains. In fact, the level for most variables returned to baseline levels or higher. Overall, the general patterns of psychosocial adjustment and QOL are similar among the three surgery groups.
Using perceptrons to explore the reorientation task

The reorientation task is a paradigm that has been used extensively to study the types of information used by humans and animals to navigate in their environment. In this task, subjects are reinforced for going to a particular location in an arena that is typically rectangular in shape. The subject then has to find that location again after being disoriented, and possibly after changes have been made to the arena. This task is used to determine the geometric and featural cues that can be used to reorient the agent in the arena. The purpose of the present paper is to present several simulation results that show that a simple neural network, a perceptron, can be used to generate many of the traditional findings that have been obtained using the reorientation task. These results suggest that reorientation task regularities can be explained without appealing to a geometric module that is a component of spatial processing.
Hematologic and hepatic toxicities associated with antenatal and postnatal exposure to maternal highly active antiretroviral therapy among infants.

OBJECTIVE
To assess hematologic and hepatic toxicities associated with in utero and breastfeeding exposure to maternal highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) among infants in Botswana.


DESIGN
A nested cohort study within a randomized clinical trial (the Mashi Study). Laboratory toxicities among infants born to women who initiated HAART before delivery were compared with toxicities among those born to women who received zidovudine and a single dose of nevirapine or placebo in labor. Infants were randomized to breastfeed with extended zidovudine or to formula-feed.


METHODS
Hemoglobin concentrations, absolute neutrophil and platelet counts, and alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels were recorded from birth to 7 months of age in infants. Grade 3 and 4 toxicities were compared by infant antiretroviral exposure status.


RESULTS
In-utero exposure to maternal HAART was associated with increased risk for neutropenia in infants up to 1 month of age; 21.7% of HAART-exposed infants were neutropenic, compared with 5.5% of the infants exposed to zidovudine (P < 0.01). However, neutropenia was no longer associated with antenatal exposure to HAART after 1 month of age. Postnatal exposure to HAART was not associated with hematologic or hepatic toxicities. Laboratory toxicities were clinically asymptomatic in all but one infant.


CONCLUSION
Exposure to maternal HAART in utero may increase the risk for infant neutropenia, particularly among breastfed infants, but the clinical significance of this finding is uncertain. The lack of association between exposure to HAART through breastfeeding and long-term toxicities in infants is reassuring but deserves study in larger cohorts.
Cephalic positioning of the lateral crura: implications for nasal tip-plasty.

OBJECTIVE
To apply a mathematical model to determine the relative effectiveness of various tip-plasty maneuvers while the lateral crura are in cephalic position compared with orthotopic position.


METHODS
A Matlab (MathWorks, Natick, Massachusetts) computer program, called the Tip-Plasty Simulator, was developed to model the medial and lateral crura of the tripod concept in order to estimate the change in projection, rotation, and nasal length yielded by changes in crural length. The following rhinoplasty techniques were modeled in the software program: columellar strut graft/tongue-in-groove, lateral crural steal, lateral crural overlay, medial/intermediate crural overlay, hinge release with alar strut graft, and lateral crural repositioning.


RESULTS
Using the Tip-Plasty Simulator, the directionality of the change in projection, rotation, and nasal length produced by the various tip-plasty maneuvers, as shown by our mathematical model, is largely the same as that expected and observed clinically. Notably, cephalically positioned lateral crura affected the results of the rhinoplasty maneuvers studied.


CONCLUSIONS
By demonstrating a difference in the magnitude of change resulting from various rhinoplasty maneuvers, the results of this study enhance the ability of the rhinoplasty surgeon to predict the effects of various tip-plasty maneuvers, given the variable range in alar cartilage orientation that he or she is likely to encounter.
Transaortic transcatheter aortic valve implantation - rationale and design of the multicenter, multinational prospective ROUTE registry

BACKGROUND
Transaortic transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAo-TAVI) is a recently developed approach that provides an alternative delivery route for valve replacement in patients with vascular abnormalities or existing comorbidities. While initial studies have shown the principal efficacy and safety, the real world effectiveness and safety of this approach remains to be fully assessed.


METHODS/DESIGN
In this regard, the Registry Of the Utilization of the TAo-TAVI approach using the Edwards SAPIEN Valve (ROUTE) represents the first multicenter, multinational prospective documentation of the course and outcome of patients with severe calcific aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing TAo-TAVI. ROUTE commenced in February 2013 with the goal of consecutively enrolling 300 patients at up to 22 sites across Europe. The primary objective of ROUTE is to determine the 30-day mortality associated with TAo-TAVI using the Edwards SAPIEN THV (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA). In addition, ROUTE aims to quantify complications, predictors of patient outcome and the value of CT guided valve sizing.


DISCUSSION
Findings from this landmark registry will provide important information regarding procedural success rates and early mortality in patients undergoing TAo-TAVI.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
Identifier: NCT01991431.
CASIA-OLHWDB1: A Database of Online Handwritten Chinese Characters

This paper describes a publicly available database, CASIA-OLHWDB1, for research on online handwritten Chinese character recognition. This database is the first of our series of online/offline handwritten characters and texts, collected using Anoto pen on paper. It contains unconstrained handwritten characters of 4,037 categories (3,866 Chinese characters and 171 symbols) produced by 420 persons, and 1,694,741 samples in total. It can be used for design and evaluation of character recognition algorithms and classifier design for handwritten text recognition systems. We have partitioned the samples into three grades and into training and test sets. Preliminary experiments on the database using a state-of-the-art recognizer justify the challenge of recognition.
DB2 Advisor: An Optimizer Smart Enough to Recommend Its Own Indexes

This paper introduces the concept of letting an RDBMS Optimizer optimize its own environment. In our project, we have used the DB2 Optimizer to tackle the index selection problem, a variation of the knapack problem. This paper will discuss our implementation of index recommendation, the user interface, and provide measurements on the quality of the recommended indexes.
On high energy scattering inside gravitational backgrounds

We analyze the high energy scattering inside gravitational backgrounds using 't Hooft's formalism. The scattering is equivalent to geodesic shifts accross Aichelburg-Sexl waves inside the gravitational backgrounds. We find solutions for A-S waves inside various backgrounds and analyze them.
Microwave vision: From RF safety to medical imaging

This article gives an overview of the activities of the company Microwave Vision, formerly Satimo, oriented to health-related applications. The existing products in terms of Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) measurement and RF safety are described in detail. The progress of the development of a new imaging modality for breast pathology detection using microwaves is shortly reported.
23. Reading the Imperial Revolution: Martial, Epigrams 10

The art of good reading requires the Roman reader to understand a text on more than one level. Flavian Latin texts presume complex rules for reading and require textually perceptive readers. Martial's text needs to be read as an integral part of Flavian Rome. The chapter addresses Martial's relationship to the political climate in the years 96-98 CE to see what can be deduced about the poet's reaction to the political upheaval of the time. In order to understand better the treatment of Trajan and Trajanic Rome in Epigrams 10 , it is necessary to examine Martial's preceding treatment of emperor and city. The silence about Trajan, the topographical dislocation and Martial's estrangement from political discourse contrast and coincide with Martial's poetic security. The price of that security as of the imperial revolution is the removal of Flavian Rome's most incisive commentator and its greatest wit. Keywords: Epigrams 10 ; Flavian Latin texts; imperial revolution; Martial's poetic security; Roman reader
Kronecker product approximations for image restoration with anti-reflective boundary conditions

The anti-re ective boundary condition for image restoration was recently introduced as a mathematically desirable alternative to other boundary conditions presently represented in the literature. It has been shown that, given a centrally symmetric point spread function (PSF), this boundary condition gives rise to a structured blurring matrix, a submatrix of which can be diagonalized by the discrete sine transform (DST), leading to an O(n log n) solution algorithm for an image of size n× n. In this paper, we obtain a Kronecker product approximation of the general structured blurring matrix that arises under this boundary condition, regardless of symmetry properties of the PSF. We then demonstrate the usefulness and e ciency of our approximation in an SVD-based restoration algorithm, the computational cost of which would otherwise be prohibitive. Copyright ? 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
People needs in the urban landscape: Analysis of Landscape and Urban Planning contributions.

The articles published in Landscape and Urban Planning during the past 16 years provide valuable insights into how humans interact with outdoor urban environments. This review paper explores the wide spectrum of human dimensions and issues, or human needs, addressed by 90 of these studies. As a basis for analysis, the major themes tapped by the findings were classified into two overarching groups containing three categories each. The Nature needs, directly linked with the physical features of the environmental setting, were categorized in terms of contact with nature, aesthetic preference, and recreation and play. The role of the environment is less immediate in the Human-interaction group, which includes the issues of social interaction, citizen participation in the design process, and community identity. Most significantly, the publications offer strong support for the important role nearby natural environments play in human well-being. Urban settings that provide nature contact are valuable not only in their own right, but also for meeting other needs in a manner unique to these more natural settings. In addition, although addressed in different ways, remarkable similarities exist concerning these six people requirements across diverse cultures and political systems. Urban residents worldwide express a desire for contact with nature and each other, attractive environments, places in which to recreate and play, privacy, a more active role in the design of their community, and a sense of community identity. The studies reviewed here offer continued evidence that the design of urban landscapes strongly influences the well-being and behavior of users and nearby inhabitants. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.