Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Occult Cancer and Venous Thromboembolism

treated with NaSal (5 mM; 30 min) prior to LPS (100 ng/ml; 5 h) and TF expression measured (Table 1). Pre-treatment of monocytes with NaSal (5 mM) produced a significant enhancement of TF expression at a range of LPS concentrations (0.1-100 ng/ml), but had no effect on control TF expression (data not shown). When HWB was pre-treated with NaSal, the LPS(100 ng/ml)-induced, TF-dependent decrease in clotting time was potentiated (Table 1). The possible role of cyclo-oxygenase (COX) inhibition in these effects of NaSal was explored in subsequent experiments. Indomethacin (10 mM), a COX inhibitor, produced a much less marked potentiation of the LPS response but completely inhibited LPS-stimulated PGE2 release in HWB (data not shown). Moreover, NaSal had no effect on PGE2 production, suggesting that this pathway is not involved in the NaSal-induced potentiation of TF expression. Our findings are discordant with those in which NaSal or aspirin inhibited the inducible expression of TF in isolated monocytes (2, 3). However, in support of our findings, aspirin enhanced LPS-induced pro-coagulant and pro-inflammatory activity in HWB (4, 5). Thus, the potentiation of LPS-induced TF expression in HWB appears to be a consistent finding, but it is not clear why sodium salicylate or aspirin are inhibitory in some studies involving isolated monocyte/mononuclear cells (2, 3), but not others (present study) using isolated monocytes/ mononuclear cells. Differences in culture conditions or the use of cells in different states of differentiation may result in some signalling pathways becoming more or less prominent and it is therefore possible that the effects of compounds such as sodium salicylate may vary under different conditions. Kevin W. Buchan, Nicholas B. Pike, Michael J. Sumner From the Department of Vascular Diseases, Glaxo-Wellcome Medicines Research Centre, Herts, UK
Design and Field Test of a 256-QAM DIV Modem

The increasing demand for digital transmission facilities has led to the development of modems which allow the transmission of T1 (1.544 Mbit/s) data streams over the existing analog FM and AM/SSB links. The DTS model 2001 data in voice (DIV) modem uses 256-QAM modulation to transmit a T1 data stream in a single supergroup. This paper describes the technical requirements and design of the modem. A number of particularly interesting aspects of the design are discussed in more detail. These items are 1) the extensive use of digital signal processing in the implementation; 2) the techniques used in the demodulator control loops; 3) the use of a low-rate error correction codec and interleaver for random and burst error correction; and 4) the use of signaling constellation customization as a design tool.
A Brain-Computer Interface as Input Channel for a Standard Assistive Technology Software

Recently brain-computer interface (BCI) control was integrated into the commercial assistive technology product QualiWORLD (QualiLife Inc., Paradiso-Lugano, CH). Usability of the first prototype was evaluated in terms of effectiveness (accuracy), efficiency (information transfer rate and subjective workload/NASA Task Load Index) and user satisfaction (Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with assistive Technology, QUEST 2.0) by four end-users with severe disabilities. Three assistive technology experts evaluated the device from a third person perspective. The results revealed high performance levels in communication and internet tasks. Users and assistive technology experts were quite satisfied with the device. However, none could imagine using the device in daily life without improvements. Main obstacles were the EEG-cap and low speed.
Let’s Empower and Prepare (LEAP): Evaluation of a Structured Transition Program for Young Adults With Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of a structured transition program compared with usual care in improving routine follow-up, clinical, and psychosocial outcomes among young adults with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Eighty-one young adults in their last year of pediatric care were recruited from three clinics. Intervention group (IG) participants (n = 51) received a structured transition program incorporating tailored diabetes education, case management, group education classes, and access to a newly developed young adult diabetes clinic and transition website. Control group (CG) participants (n = 30) received usual care. The primary outcome was the number of routine clinic visits. Secondary outcomes included glycemic control, hypoglycemia, health care use, and psychosocial well-being. Assessments were conducted at baseline, and 6 and 12 months. RESULTS Limitations in CG follow-up prevented direct comparisons of adult care visits; however, at the 12-month follow-up among IG participants discharged from pediatric care (n = 32), 78% had one or more adult visits. Among IG participants, the total number of clinic visits did not differ between those who transitioned and those who remained in pediatric care (3.0 ± 1.24 vs. 3.11 ± 0.94, P = 0.74). IG compared with CG participants had improved glycemic control (−0.40 ± 1.16% vs. 0.42 ± 1.51% [4.4 ± 12.7 mmol/mol vs. 4.6 ± 16.5 mmol/mol], P = 0.01), incidence of severe hypoglycemia (0.0% vs. 16%, P = 0.02), and global well-being (P = 0.02) at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS A structured transition program was successful in facilitating transition to adult care without a decrease in clinical follow-up. Compared with usual care, the transition program facilitated improvements in glycemic control, hypoglycemia, and psychosocial well-being.
Studies on the Effect of Maleic Hydrazide on Root Tip Cells and Pollen Fertility in Trigonella foenum-graecum L.

In the present investigation, the effect of maleic hydrazide (MH) has been studied on seed germination, mitosis, and pollen fertility of Trigonella foenum-graecum L. to test its cytotoxicity. Six different concentrations (0.01%, 0.02%, 0.03% 0.04%, 0.05%, and 0.06%) of maleic hydrazide (MH) were given at seed level. The abnormalities noticed were both physiological and clastogenic. Fragments, stickiness of chromosomes, univalents, multivalents, and anaphase bridges were the most frequent abnormalities. The decrease in seed germination and pollen fertility was found significant at 0.05 level. Mitotic index reduced gradually as the concentrations of Maleic Hydrazide increased and it was found significant at 0.01 and 0.05 levels.
Evaluation of Severe Insomnia In The General Population — Implications for The Management of Insomnia: Focus on Results From Belgium

With regard to the methodology of the SOFRES study, screening of the general population of each country was carried out on a sample of randomly selected individuals in accordance with the quota method. This method attempts to respect the 'representativeness' of the general population in each subgroup according to criteria such as gender, age, social and economic levels, etc. The selection was made through the use of face-to-face interviews at home in order to increase the reliability of the study. Replies were given voluntarily without pressure or incentives or gifts in order to avoid biased answers. To select individuals in the general population who were suffering from sleep disorders, four questions were asked. The' first question concerns the difficulty of sleeping over the last month. The second concerns the problem of continuity of sleep during the last month. The third concerns reduction in sleep duration (less than 6 h). The fourth is on the negative effects of sleeping problems on day-time activities. A schematic representation of the screening procedure allows us to describe the decision tree as follows. In order to qualify as suffering from severe insomnia, the subject had to manifest at least one adverse effect on daytime functioning resulting from at least two major insomnia complaints and this situation had to have occurred at least three times a week over the last month. This procedure allowed us to note three groups of patients: those with severe or mild-moderate insomnia, and asymptomatic subjects.
Caudal Epidural Analgesia using Lidocaine alone and in Combination with Tramadol in Dromedary Camels

Objective- This study was performed to investigate the analgesic effects of lidocaine and lidocaine/tramadol combination in epidural anaesthesia in dromedary camels. Design- Experimental Study Animals- Eight healthy immature dromedary camels Procedures- The camels were randomly designed in 2 equal groups. In group L: lidocaine 2% (0.22 mg/kg) and in group LT: a combination of lidocaine 2% (0.22 mg/kg) and tramadol (1 mg/kg) were injected into the first inter-coccygeal (Co1–Co2) epidural space. Onset time and duration of caudal analgesia, sedation and ataxia levels were recorded after drug administration. Results- Epidural lidocaine and co-administration of lidocaine and tramadol produced complete analgesia in the tail, anus and perineum. There were no significant differences in onset and duration of caudal analgesia parameters between groups L and LT (p>0.05). Epidural administration of the lidocaine– tramadol combination resulted in mild to moderate sedation, whilst the animals that received epidural lidocaine alone were alert and nervous during the study. Ataxia was observed in all test subjects and was slightly more severe in camels that received the lidocaine–tramadol mixture. Conclusion and Clinical Relevance- It was concluded that epidural administration of lidocaine plus tramadol resulted in sedation and unnoticeable longer caudal analgesia in standing conscious dromedary camels compared with the effect of administering lidocaine alone.
Intravenous immunoglobulin‐induced neutropenia

Editor, The article by Sonia Lemos and colleagues mentions autoimmune and drug-induced causes of neutropenia in primary immunodeficient patients (1), but it is important to consider that autoantibodies in intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) preparations can also cause neutropenia. IVIG products from various manufacturers when used in high doses (2 g/kg) have been reported to induce neutropenia and reports to date are tabulated (Table 1). In a retrospective comparative cohort study on children with immune thrombocytopenic purpura, IVIG therapy resulted in significantly more neutropenic episodes (18 of 64 IVIG courses, 28%) than anti-D therapy (0 of 64, 0%) (8). However, anti-D IVIG therapy can also cause neutropenia (15, 16). The reassuring fact is that IVIG-induced neutropenia is transient (counts return to normal within 2 wk) and apart from oral ulcers, no severe infectious complications have been reported to occur during the episode. The autoantibodies in IVIG preparations that potentially lead to neutropenia are: (i) antineutrophil antibodies (6, 7); (ii) atypical antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) (17, 18); and anti-Siglec-9 (sialic acid binding Ig-like lectin, Siglec) antibodies (19). Others have
Endogenous galectin‐1 enforces class I‐restricted TCR functional fate decisions in thymocytes

During thymocyte development, the TCR can discriminate MHC/peptide ligands over a narrow range of affinities and translate subtle differences into functional fate decisions. How small differences in TCR input are translated into absolute differences in functional output is unclear. We examined the effects of galectin‐1 ablation in the context of class‐I‐restricted thymocyte development. Galectin‐1 expression opposed partial‐agonist‐driven positive selection, but promoted agonist‐driven negative selection of conventional CD8+ T cells. Further, galectin‐1 promoted TCR agonist‐driven CD8αα IEL development. Mechanistically, galectin‐1 opposed ERK activity in thymocytes undergoing positive selection and promoted the ERK negative‐selection‐signaling signature in thymocytes undergoing negative selection. We propose that galectin‐1 aids in discriminating TCR fate decisions by enforcing agonist and opposing partial‐agonist TCR signals, widening the distinction between TCR‐directed functional fate cues. This work was supported by grant NIH RO1A1056155 to M. C. Miceli. S. D. Liu was supported by the Microbial Pathogenesis Training Grant T32 AI07323‐15, Clinical and Fundamental Immunology Training Grant AI07126‐30, and Warsaw Fellowship.
Comparison of early and late term effects of hylan GF 20 in Achilles tendonitis : an experimental study

Objectives: The treatment of Achilles tendon disorders remains controversial. This study was designed to observe the local early and late term effects of intratendinous hylan G-F 20 injections on experimentally induced rat Achilles tendonitis. Materials and methods: After inducing Achilles degeneration with local corticosteroid injections in the Achilles tendons, 36 male Wistar rats were divided into two main groups for early (group 1) and late (group 2) term observations. The right Achilles tendons served as the hylan injection group, and the left Achilles tendons injected with saline as the control group. Injections were given at 5-day intervals until day 60 of the experiment. The tendons and paratenons were excised at the end of 60 and 75 days in group 1 and at the end of four and six months in group 2 for histopathologic and statistical evaluations. Results: Semiquantitative scoring of histopathological changes showed that histological appearances significantly differed between hylan and saline groups in the early term. Hylan-injected tendons and paratenons demonstrated significantly lower scores especially after 75 days. However, in the late period, the differences were mostly insignificant. Conclusion: Hylan G-F 20 appears to have a promising curative effect on degenerated tendon processes in the early acute and subacute periods. Further studies, either biomechanical or biochemical, will show how useful this chemical agent is in treating tendon disorders.
Ozone pollution from future ship traffic in the Arctic northern passages

With sea ice expected to recede in the Arctic during the 21st century as a result of projected climate warming, global shipping patterns will change considerably in the decades ahead. The opening of viable shipping routes through the Northern passages will generate new environmental problems including the degradation of air quality in the Arctic. The release of considerable amounts of carbon monoxide, nitric oxide and other chemical substances by the ship's combustion engines will enhance the level of atmospheric photooxidants and other secondary pollutants in this region. Here we show that, during the summer months, surface ozone concentrations in the Arctic could be enhanced by a factor of 2–3 in the decades ahead as a consequence of ship operations through the northern passages. Projected ozone concentrations of 40–60 ppbv from July to September are comparable to summertime values currently observed in many industrialized regions in the Northern Hemisphere.
Effect of hydrogen pickup on fracture behaviour of stainless steels

Hydrogen pickup influences plasticity and fracture properties and is one of the major causes for materials failure. In this study effect of hydrogen precharging on the initiation fracture toughness and crack growth resistance have been studied for austenitic stainless steel grade SS 304 and duplex stainless steel grade 2205. Fatigue precracked specimens were cathodically precharged and fracture toughness testing was done as per ASTM standard. Initiation J-integral could not be obtained by standard methods. Stretch zone width (SZW) was measured to get crack initiation toughness. After hydrogen charging SZW formation was not observed. Crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) showed a reduction due to hydrogen charging in both the grades of stainless steels. Crack growth resistance also reduced due to hydrogen pickup. It is concluded that in stainless steels hydrogen pickup leads to a reduction in the initiation fracture toughness and the crack growth resistance. CTOD is observed to be a better toughness criterion for study of hydrogen pickup effect.
Impairment of functional integration of the default mode network correlates with cognitive outcome at three months after stroke

Resting‐state studies conducted with stroke patients are scarce. The study of brain activity and connectivity at rest provides a unique opportunity for the investigation of brain rewiring after stroke and plasticity changes. This study sought to identify dynamic changes in the functional organization of the default mode network (DMN) of stroke patients at three months after stroke. Eleven patients (eight male and three female; age range: 48–72) with right cortical and subcortical ischemic infarctions and 17 controls (eleven males and six females; age range: 57–69) were assessed by neurological and neuropsychological examinations and scanned with resting‐state functional magnetic ressonance imaging. First, we explored group differences in functional activity within the DMN by means of probabilistic independent component analysis followed by a dual regression approach. Second, we estimated functional connectivity between 11 DMN nodes both locally by means of seed‐based connectivity analysis, as well as globally by means of graph‐computation analysis. We found that patients had greater DMN activity in the left precuneus and the left anterior cingulate gyrus when compared with healthy controls (P < 0.05 family‐wise error corrected). Seed‐based connectivity analysis showed that stroke patients had significant impairment (P = 0.014; threshold = 2.00) in the connectivity between the following five DMN nodes: left superior frontal gyrus (lSFG) and posterior cingulate cortex (t = 2.01); left parahippocampal gyrus and right superior frontal gyrus (t = 2.11); left parahippocampal gyrus and lSFG (t = 2.39); right parietal and lSFG (t = 2.29). Finally, mean path length obtained from graph‐computation analysis showed positive correlations with semantic fluency test (r s = 0.454; P = 0.023), phonetic fluency test (r s = 0.523; P = 0.007) and the mini mental state examination (r s = 0.528; P = 0.007). In conclusion, the ability to regulate activity of the DMN appears to be a central part of normal brain function in stroke patients. Our study expands the understanding of the changes occurring in the brain after stroke providing a new avenue for investigating lesion‐induced network plasticity. Hum Brain Mapp 36:577–590, 2015. © 2014 The Authors Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Stanley: The robot that won the DARPA Grand Challenge

This article describes the robot Stanley, which won the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge. Stanley was developed for high‐speed desert driving without manual intervention. The robot's software system relied predominately on state‐of‐the‐art artificial intelligence technologies, such as machine learning and probabilistic reasoning. This paper describes the major components of this architecture, and discusses the results of the Grand Challenge race. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Classifying subject ratings of emotional speech using acoustic features

This paper presents results from a study examining emotional speech using acoustic features and their use in automatic machine learning classification. In addition, we propose a classification scheme for the labeling of emotions on continuous scales. Our findings support those of previous research as well as indicate possible future directions utilizing spectral tilt and pitch contour to distinguish emotions in the valence dimension. Speech is a rich source of information, not only about what a speaker says, but also about what the speaker’s attitude is toward the listener and toward the topic under discussion — as well as the speaker’s own current state of mind. Until recently, most research on spoken language systems has focused on propositional content: what words is the speaker producing? Currently there is considerable interest in going beyond mere words to discover the semantic content of utterances. However, we believe it is important to go beyond semantic content as well, in order to fully interpret what human listeners infer from listening to other humans. In this paper we present results from some recent and ongoing experiments in the study of emotional speech, designed to elicit subjective judgments of tokens of emotional speech and to identify acoustic and prosodic correlates of such speech based on these classifications. We discuss previous research as well as show results from correlation and machine learning experiments, and conclude with the implications of this study 1 .
Exploring the substellar temperature regime down to ∼550 K

We report the discovery of three very late T dwarfs in the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Third Data Release: ULAS J101721.40+011817.9 (ULAS1017), ULAS J123828.51+095351.3 (ULAS1238) and ULAS J133553.45+113005.2 (ULAS1335). We detail optical and near-infrared photometry for all three sources, and mid-infrared photometry for ULAS1335. We use near-infrared spectra of each source to assign spectral types T8p (ULAS1017), T8.5 (ULAS1238) and T9 (ULAS1335) to these objects. ULAS1017 is classed as a peculiar T8 (T8p) due to appearing as a T8 dwarf in the J-band, whilst exhibiting H and K-band flux ratios consistent with a T6 classification. Through comparison to BT-Settl model spectra we estimate that ULAS1017 has 750K T8 dwarfs to the rest of the T dwarf sequence, the suggestion of the Y0 spectral class for these objects is premature. Comparison of model spectra with that of ULAS1335 suggest a temperature below 600K, possibly combined with low-gravity and/or high-metallicity. We find ULAS1335 to be extremely red in near to mid-infrared colours, with H [4.49] = 4.34 ± 0.04 . This is the reddest near to mid-infrared colour yet observed for a T dwarf. The near to mid-infrared spectral energy distribution of ULAS1335 further supports Teff < 600K, and we estimate Teff � 550 600K for ULAS1335. We estimate that ULAS1335 has an age of 0.6–5.3 Gyr, a mass of 15–31 MJ and lies at a distance of 8–12 pc.