Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
eHealth in Modern Patient-Caregiver Communication: High Rate of Acceptance Among Physicians for Additional Support of Breast Cancer Patients During Long-Term Therapy

Background Lack of adherence and compliance with drug regimens among breast cancer patients represent substantial problems in oral therapies, leading to significant impacts on mortality. Where other systems have failed, electronic health (eHealth) could be a possible solution to improve medication intake, along with the doctor-patient relationship. Initial results from studies concerning new interventions for therapy support are promising, but reports suggest that general acceptance of new treatment support tools is needed among patients and physicians alike. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the actual use of the Internet and other modern media among physicians involved in breast cancer treatment. Methods Using a standardized questionnaire, actual utilization of new media among physicians was analyzed. Internet-related behaviors in private, as well as in business life, were investigated. Attention was focused on physicians’ opinions regarding modern eHealth tools and how patients could be best supported to enhance adherence. Results A total of 120 physicians, all participating in breast cancer care, completed the questionnaire (median age 41 years). Almost all participants (99.2%, 119/120) used the Internet for general purposes and 98.3% (118/120) used it for medical issues as well. Virtually all medical professionals (99.2%, 119/120) reported that they owned a computer, while more recently invented technologies such as tablets and smartphones were owned by 31.9% (38/119) and 73.1% (87/119), respectively. The Internet was favored by 66.4% (79/119) of the physicians in our survey as a source for patient support; 71.2% (84/118) would also favor modern media for side effect registration. Based on our analysis, the most frequent Internet-utilizing physicians were characterized by age <60, worked in a hospital, and were employed as a junior physician. Conclusions This study demonstrated a high usage of Internet-related technologies among physicians, indicating that the use of eHealth for advanced and individualized support in breast cancer care is a promising addition to treatment management. Such technologies have the potential to enhance adherence and compliance in therapy among cancer patients.
Rapid Adaptation with Conditionally Shifted Neurons

We describe a mechanism by which artificial neural networks can learn rapid adaptation - the ability to adapt on the fly, with little data, to new tasks - that we call conditionally shifted neurons. We apply this mechanism in the framework of metalearning, where the aim is to replicate some of the flexibility of human learning in machines. Conditionally shifted neurons modify their activation values with task-specific shifts retrieved from a memory module, which is populated rapidly based on limited task experience. On metalearning benchmarks from the vision and language domains, models augmented with conditionally shifted neurons achieve state-of-the-art results.
CSX Railway Uses OR to Cash In on Optimized Equipment Distribution

Each day, CSX Railway allocates hundreds of empty railcars among hundreds of customer car orders. In 1997, it implemented the US rail industry's first real-time, fully integrated equipment-distribution optimization system, the dynamic car-planning system (DCP). DCP seamlessly integrates operations research modeling into CSX's process that assigns empty cars to customer car orders. CSX estimates that the DCP system saves the company more than $51 million annually and has saved $561 million since its implementation. DCP has also provided $1.4 billion in capital-expenditure avoidance because of more efficient car allocation. Fewer railcars yield improved return on assets and reduced congestion on the CSX rail network. Customer satisfaction has also increased because of improved empty-car delivery. Public benefits include improved highway safety; reductions in congestion, pollution, and greenhouse gases; and reduced tax-supported road maintenance, thus saving an estimated $600 million.
Trust in AV: An Uncertainty Reduction Model of AV-Pedestrian Interactions

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) have the potential to improve road safety. Trust in AVs, especially among pedestrians, is vital to alleviate public skepticism. Yet much of the research has focused on trust between the AV and its driver/passengers. To address this shortcoming, we examined the interactions between AVs and pedestrians using uncertainty reduction theory (URT). We empirically verified this model with a user study in an immersive virtual reality environment (IVE). The study manipulated two factors: AV driving behavior (defensive, normal and aggressive) and the traffic situation (signalized and unsignalized). Results suggest that the impact of aggressive driving on trust in AVs depends on the type of crosswalk. At signalized crosswalks the AV»s driving behavior had little impact on trust, but at unsignalized crosswalks the AV»s driving behavior was a major determinant of trust. Our findings shed new insights on trust between AVs and pedestrians.
Ozonation of unstretched natural rubber: Part I. Effect of film thickness

Unstretched films of natural rubber from Hevea brasiliensis were exposed to ozone flow of 5 and 15 mL/min for 4 to 60 min The effect of reaction time and the film thickness was studied by viscometry and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) For film thicknesses, in the range of 40 to 350 μm, an initial increase in the intrinsic viscosity, [η], was observed within 8 min of reaction, followed by a decrease for longer times. For thin films, only a decrease in the [η] was observed. The viscosity increase, followed by its decrease, suggests the formation of crosslinking and chain cleavage, respectively, both expected by Criegge mechanism. The plot of [η] versus film thickness and the chromatographic analysis, related either to 8 or to 60 min of reaction, show that the ozone penetration and the ozone reaction progresses into deeper layers than those previously described in the literature (∼0.5 μm), in this case, 170 and 250 μm, respectively. One model was proposed to explain the viscosity, GPC and attenuated total reflection (ATR) results.
Humidity and Inspired Oxygen Concentration During High-Flow Nasal Cannula Therapy in Neonatal and Infant Lung Models

BACKGROUND: High-flow nasal cannula therapy (HFNC) for neonate/infants can deliver up to 10 L/min of heated and humidified gas, and FIO2 can be adjusted to between 0.21 and 1.0. With adults, humidification and actual FIO2 are known to vary according to inspiratory and HFNC gas flow, tidal volume (VT), and ambient temperature. There have been few studies focused on humidification and FIO2 in HFNC settings for neonates/infants, so we performed a bench study to investigate the influence of gas flow, ambient temperature, and respiratory parameters on humidification and actual FIO2 in a neonate/infant simulation. METHODS: HFNC gas flow was set at 3, 5, and 7 L/min, and FIO2 was set at 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7. Spontaneous breathing was simulated using a 2-bellows-in-a-box model of a neonate lung. Tests were conducted with VT settings of 20, 30, and 40 mL and breathing frequencies of 20 and 30 breaths/min. Inspiratory time was 0.8 s with decelerating flow waveform. The HFNC tube was placed in an incubator, which was either set at 37°C or turned off. Absolute humidity (AH) and actual FIO2 were measured for 1 min using a hygrometer and an oxygen analyzer, and data for the final 3 breaths were extracted. RESULTS: At all settings, when the incubator was turned on, AH was greater than when it was turned off (P < .001). When the incubator was turned off, as gas flow increased, AH increased (P < .001); however, VT did not affect AH (P = .16). As gas flow increased, actual FIO2 more closely corresponded to set FIO2. When gas flow was 3 L/min, measured FIO2 decreased proportionally more at each FIO2 setting increment (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: AH was affected by ambient temperature and HFNC gas flow. Actual FIO2 depended on VT when gas flow was 3 L/min.
Coupled Atmosphere–Biophysics–Hydrology Models for Environmental Modeling

The formulation and implementation of LEAF-2, the Land Ecosystem‐Atmosphere Feedback model, which comprises the representation of land‐surface processes in the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS), is described. LEAF-2 is a prognostic model for the temperature and water content of soil, snow cover, vegetation, and canopy air, and includes turbulent and radiative exchanges between these components and with the atmosphere. Subdivision of a RAMS surface grid cell into multiple areas of distinct land-use types is allowed, with each subgrid area, or patch, containing its own LEAF-2 model, and each patch interacts with the overlying atmospheric column with a weight proportional to its fractional area in the grid cell. A description is also given of TOPMODEL, a land hydrology model that represents surface and subsurface downslope lateral transport of groundwater. Details of the incorporation of a modified form of TOPMODEL into LEAF-2 are presented. Sensitivity tests of the coupled system are presented that demonstrate the potential importance of the patch representation and of lateral water transport in idealized model simulations. Independent studies that have applied LEAF-2 and verified its performance against observational data are cited. Linkage of RAMS and TOPMODEL through LEAF-2 creates a modeling system that can be used to explore the coupled atmosphere‐biophysical‐ hydrologic response to altered climate forcing at local watershed and regional basin scales.
Ly6CHi Blood Monocyte/Macrophage Drive Chronic Inflammation and Impair Wound Healing in Diabetes Mellitus

Objective— Wound monocyte-derived macrophage plasticity controls the initiation and resolution of inflammation that is critical for proper healing, however, in diabetes mellitus, the resolution of inflammation fails to occur. In diabetic wounds, the kinetics of blood monocyte recruitment and the mechanisms that control in vivo monocyte/macrophage differentiation remain unknown. Approach and Results— Here, we characterized the kinetics and function of Ly6CHi [Lin− (CD3−CD19−NK1.1−Ter-119−) Ly6G−CD11b+] and Ly6CLo [Lin− (CD3−CD19−NK1.1−Ter-119−) Ly6G−CD11b+] monocyte/macrophage subsets in normal and diabetic wounds. Using flow-sorted tdTomato-labeled Ly6CHi monocyte/macrophages, we show Ly6CHi cells transition to a Ly6CLo phenotype in normal wounds, whereas in diabetic wounds, there is a late, second influx of Ly6CHi cells that fail transition to Ly6CLo. The second wave of Ly6CHi cells in diabetic wounds corresponded to a spike in MCP-1 (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1) and selective administration of anti-MCP-1 reversed the second Ly6CHi influx and improved wound healing. To examine the in vivo phenotype of wound monocyte/macrophages, RNA-seq–based transcriptome profiling was performed on flow-sorted Ly6CHi [Lin−Ly6G−CD11b+] and Ly6CLo [Lin−Ly6G−CD11b+] cells from normal and diabetic wounds. Gene transcriptome profiling of diabetic wound Ly6CHi cells demonstrated differences in proinflammatory and profibrotic genes compared with controls. Conclusions— Collectively, these data identify kinetic and functional differences in diabetic wound monocyte/macrophages and demonstrate that selective targeting of CD11b+Ly6CHi monocyte/macrophages is a viable therapeutic strategy for inflammation in diabetic wounds.
Polysomnography in Bolivian Children Native to High Altitude Compared to Children Native to Low Altitude.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To compare polysomnographic parameters in high altitude (HA) native Andean children with low altitude (LA) native peers in order to explain the nocturnal oxyhemoglobin saturation (SpO2) instability reported in HA native children and to study the effect on sleep quality. METHODS Ninety-eight healthy children aged 7-10 y and 13-16 y were recruited at LA (500 m) or HA (3,650 m) above sea level. Physical examination was undertaken and genetic ancestry determined from salivary DNA to determine proportion of European ancestry, a risk factor for poor HA adaptation. Attended polysomnography was carried out over 1 night for 58 children at their resident location. RESULTS Of 98 children recruited, 85 met inclusion criteria, 58 of 85 (68.2%) completed polysomnography, of which 56 were adequate for analysis: 30 at LA (17 male) and 26 at HA (16 male). There were no altitude differences in genetic ancestry, but a high proportion of European admixture (median 50.6% LA; 44.0% HA). SpO2 was less stable at HA with mean 3% and 4% oxygen desaturation indices greater (both P < 0.001) than at LA. This was not explained by periodic breathing. However, more obstructive hypopnea was observed at HA (P < 0.001), along with a trend toward more central apnea (P = 0.053); neither was explained by clinical findings. There was no difference in sleep quality between altitudes. CONCLUSIONS HA native Andean children have more respiratory events when scoring relies on SpO2 desaturation due to inherent SpO2 instability. Use of American Academy of Sleep Medicine scoring criteria may yield false-positive results for obstructive sleep-disordered breathing at HA.
Front-line therapy of advanced ovarian cancer: new approaches

Background The 5-year survival of ovarian cancer has slowly increased but to date much of this has been due to the use of more lines of treatment rather than better first-line therapy. In this setting, there has been little improvement over the past 15 years. The introduction of new treatments to extend time to first progression and overall survival remains a key objective of clinical research. Design The focus of research in the previous decade has been on the incorporation of anti-angiogenic therapy or dose-dense scheduling of paclitaxel (Taxol) to improve outcome. The new trials being conducted build on the knowledge gained and are focussing on two new areas of research, the use of PARP (poly-ADP ribose polymerase) inhibitors and immunotherapy. Results Ongoing randomised trials using PARP inhibitors or immune checkpoint inhibits are reviewed and the potential benefits and challenges of using these agents are discussed. Conclusions Improvements in outcome from some of the many open trials may present challenges; interpretation of the outcome data needs to be taken in the context of clinical benefit and a health-economic assessment. The latter is becoming ever-more important as the cost of trials with combinations of targeted therapy is very great.
Mitochondrial protective mechanism of simvastatin protects against amyloid β peptide-induced injury in SH-SY5Y cells.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in the pathology of neuronal damage during Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previous studies suggest that simvastatin (SV) ameliorates amyloid β (Aβ)‑mediated cognitive impairment in AD patients and transgenic mice; however, the mechanisms remain unknown. To investigate the potential mechanisms by which SV protects against AD neurotoxicity, the present study used a series of cellular and molecular assays to analyze the effects of SV in an in vitro model of Aβ1‑42-induced injury. The results demonstrated that SV protected against Aβ1‑42‑induced SH‑SY5Y cell injury by inhibiting the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria to the cytoplasm, and reducing the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species. In addition, SV downregulated cleaved‑caspase‑3 protein levels, increased the ratio of B cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) to Bcl-2-associated X protein, and increased the protein levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α in the Aβ1‑42‑treated cells. Furthermore, SV increased the mitochondrial membrane potential and adenosine triphosphate levels, and enhanced the cell respiratory function and mitochondrial mass of the cells. In conclusion, the present study revealed that SV protected SH‑SY5Y cells against Aβ1‑42-induced injury through regulating the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway and mitochondrial function.
Astrocyte sodium signaling and the regulation of neurotransmission

The transmembrane Na+ concentration gradient is an important source of energy required not only to enable the generation of action potentials in excitable cells, but also for various transmembrane transporters both in excitable and non‐excitable cells, like astrocytes. One of the vital functions of astrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) is to regulate neurotransmitter concentrations in the extracellular space. Most neurotransmitters in the CNS are removed from the extracellular space by Na+‐dependent neurotransmitter transporters (NeuTs) expressed both in neurons and astrocytes. Neuronal NeuTs control mainly phasic synaptic transmission, i.e., synaptically induced transient postsynaptic potentials, while astrocytic NeuTs contribute to the termination of phasic neurotransmission and modulate the tonic tone, i.e., the long‐lasting activation of extrasynaptic receptors by neurotransmitter that has diffused out of the synaptic cleft. Consequently, local intracellular Na+ ([Na+]i) transients occurring in astrocytes, for example via the activation of ionotropic neurotransmitter receptors, can affect the driving force for neurotransmitter uptake, in turn modulating the spatio‐temporal profiles of neurotransmitter levels in the extracellular space. As some NeuTs are close to thermodynamic equilibrium under resting conditions, an increase in astrocytic [Na+]i can stimulate the direct release of neurotransmitter via NeuT reversal. In this review we discuss the role of astrocytic [Na+]i changes in the regulation of uptake/release of neurotransmitters. It is emphasized that an activation of one neurotransmitter system, including either its ionotropic receptor or Na+‐coupled co‐transporter, can strongly influence, or even reverse, other Na+‐dependent NeuTs, with potentially significant consequences for neuronal communication. GLIA 2016;64:1655–1666
A BAYESIAN SYNTHESIS INVERSION OF CARBON CYCLE OBSERVATIONS : HOW CAN OBSERVATIONS REDUCE UNCERTAINTIES ABOUT FUTURE SINKS ?

The strengths of future carbon dioxide (CO 2) sinks are highly uncertain. A sound characterization of this uncertainty and how they might be reduced is crucial for the design of efficient carbon management strategies. Here a Bayesian synthesis inversion of historical carbon cycle observations is used to (i) estimate probability density functions (PDFs) of key carbon cycle parameters, (ii) derive statistically sound probabilistic predictions of future CO 2 sinks and (iii) assess the utility of hypothetical observation systems to reduce the prediction uncertainties. We find that the PDFs of model parameter estimates are not normally distributed, and that the residuals show a statistically significant correlation. Previous studies that assume normally distributed PDFs are likely biased, and those that neglect autocorrelation are overconfident in parameter estimates and predictions. The interannual variability of global temperature and the resulting CO 2 variations provide important information: Terrestrial parameter estimates are more sharply constrained if historical temperature data are assimilated rather than a smooth temperature timeseries generated with a simple energy-balance model. The expected values of terrestrial parameters also change significantly if observed temperatures are used. Although CO 2 observations provide a strong constraint on the total carbon sink, adding independent observations of terrestrial and oceanic fluxes has the potential to reduce uncertainty in predictions of this total sink more rapidly. Hypothetical annual observations of terrestrial and oceanic CO 2 fluxes with realistic uncertainties reduce predictive uncertainties about CO 2 sinks in the year 2050 by as much as a factor of two compared to observing CO 2 alone.
REMOCEAN: A Flexible X-Band Radar System for Sea-State Monitoring and Surface Current Estimation

This letter deals with the use of the wave-radar REMOCEAN system for sea-state monitoring starting from images collected in the X-band at two different test sites. In particular, the measurement surveys were carried out at two coastal sites in the Gulf of Naples by means of the installation of the radar on a fixed and on a movable platform, respectively. The effectiveness of the system was also tested by means of a comparison between the REMOCEAN results and the high-frequency coastal radar observations, with emphasis to the sea surface current estimation.
Repair Id Gene Regulation and Function in the Prosensory Domains of the Chicken Inner Ear : A Link between Bmp Signaling and Atoh 1

Bone morphogenetic proteins (Bmps) regulate the expression of the proneural gene Atoh1 and the generation of hair cells in the developing inner ear. The present work explored the role of Inhibitor of Differentiation genes (Id1-3) in this process. The results show that Id genes are expressed in the prosensory domains of the otic vesicle, along with Bmp4 and Bmp7. Those domains exhibit high levels of the phosphorylated form of Bmp-responding R-Smads (P-Smad1,5,8), and of Bmp-dependent Smad transcriptional activity as shown by the BRE-tk-EGFP reporter. Increased Bmp signaling induces the expression of Id1-3 along with the inhibition of Atoh1. Conversely, the Bmp antagonist Noggin or the Bmp-receptor inhibitor Dorsomorphin elicit opposite effects, indicating that Bmp signaling is necessary for Id expression and Atoh1 regulation in the otocyst. The forced expression of Id3 is sufficient to reduce Atoh1 expression and to prevent the expression of hair cell differentiation markers. Together, these results suggest that Ids are part of the machinery that mediates the regulation of hair cell differentiation exerted by Bmps. In agreement with that, during hair cell differentiation Bmp4 expression, P-Smad1,5,8 levels and Id expression are downregulated from hair cells. However, Ids are also downregulated from the supporting cells which contrarily to hair cells exhibit high levels of Bmp4 expression, P-Smad1,5,8, and BRE-tk-EGFP activity, suggesting that in these cells Ids escape from Bmp/Smad signaling. The differential regulation of Ids in time and space may underlie the multiple functions of Bmp signaling during sensory organ development.