Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enhanced Effectiveness of Radiochemotherapy with Tirapazamine by Local Application of Electric Pulses to Tumors

Abstract Maxim, P. G. , Carson, J. J. L. , Ning, S. , Knox, S. J., Boyer, A. L. , Hsu, C. P., Benaron, D. A. and Walleczek, J. Enhanced Effectiveness of Radiochemotherapy with Tirapazamine by Local Application of Electric Pulses to Tumors. Radiat. Res. 162, 185–193 (2004). Tumor hypoxia is associated with resistance to radiotherapy and anticancer chemotherapy. However, it can be exploited to therapeutic advantage by concomitantly using hypoxic cytotoxins, such as tirapazamine (TPZ). Tumor electroporation offers the means to further increase tumor hypoxia by temporarily reducing tumor blood flow and therefore increase the cytotoxicity of TPZ. The primary objective of this work was to determine whether electric pulses combined with TPZ and radiotherapy (electroradiochemotherapy) was more efficacious than radiochemotherapy (TPZ + radiation). In these studies using the SCCVII tumor model in C3H mice, electroradiochemotherapy produced up to sixfold more tumor growth delay (TGD) than TPZ + radiation. In these studies, (1) large tumors (280 ± 15 mm3) responded better to electroradiochemotherapy than small tumors (110 ± 10 mm3), (2) TGD correlated linearly with tumor volume at the time of electroradiochemotherapy, (3) electric pulses induced a rapid but reversible reduction in O2 saturation, and (4) the electric field was highest near the periphery of the tumor in a 3D computer model. The findings suggested that electroradiochemotherapy gained its therapeutic advantage over TPZ + radiation by enhancing the cytotoxic action of TPZ through reduced tumor oxygenation. The greater antitumor effect achieved in large tumors may be related to tumor morphology and the electric-field distribution. These results suggest that electro-pulsation of large solid tumors may be of benefit to patients treated with radiation in combination with agents that kill hypoxic cells.
Supplemental Data Ephrin-As Guide the Formation of Functional Maps in the Visual Cortex

To image mouse cortical retinotopy maps, we followed the method developed by Kalatsky and Stryker (2003). Adult mice were anesthetized with an intraperitoneal injection of urethane (1.0 g/kg in 10% saline solution) supplemented by chlorprothixene (0.2 mg/mouse i.m.). In addition, lidocaine (2% xylocaine jelly) was applied locally to all incisions. Atropine (5 mg/kg mouse) and dexamethasone (0.2 mg/mouse) were injected subcutaneously. The animals were placed in a stereotaxic apparatus, their temperature was maintained at 37.5°C, and electrocardiograph leads were attached to monitor the heart rate continuously throughout the experiment. A tracheotomy was performed in some experiments. A craniotomy was made over the visual area of the left hemisphere; the dura mater was left intact. Low-melting point agarose (3% in saline) and a glass coverslip were placed over the exposed area. All experimental procedures were approved by the UCSF Committee on Animal Research. Optical images of the cortical intrinsic signal were obtained using a Dalsa 1M30 CCD mm image area) and " high-resolution " (135 × 50 mm lenses, 4.6 × 4.6 mm image area) images were acquired. The surface vascular pattern or intrinsic signal images were visualized with illumination wavelengths set by a green (546 ± 10 nm) or red (610 ± 10 nm) interference filter, respectively. After acquisition of a surface image, the camera was focused 400–600 µm below the pial surface, an additional red filter was interposed between the brain and the CCD camera, and intrinsic signal images were acquired. Frames were acquired by 1M30 camera at the rate of 30 fps and were stored as 512 × 512 pixel images after binning the 1024 × 1024 camera pixels by
Socio-demographic and behavioral variation in barriers to leisure-time physical activity

Introduction: We examined the socio-demographic and behavioral determinants of perceived barriers to leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in a population-based sample of working-aged adults. Methods: Data comprised the National FINRISK 2002 Study, a population-based health examination study. Analyses were restricted to those aged 25–64 years and who perceived that their amount of LTPA did not reach sufficient levels. They reported barriers to LTPA, defined as a lack of time, motivation and lack of companionship to be active with, as well as high expenses. Age, education, household income, employment status, family type, physical activity, smoking and body mass index (BMI) were included as explanatory variables. Results: Lack of time was the most frequent barrier. Each barrier was explained by a different set of factors that also varied between genders. The strongest and most systematic associations with the barriers were found for age, employment status and family type. Lack of time was less often reported as a barrier among the unemployed, singles without children and older people. Lacking motivation as a barrier was most common among singles without children. High expenses as a barrier was more often reported by the unemployed, and less often reported in the highest income group. Conclusions: When considering actions to promote LTPA, there is not one single solution, because the perceived barriers vary by population subgroups.
Television Advertising and Online Shopping

Media multitasking competes with television advertising for consumers' attention, but may also facilitate immediate and measurable response to some advertisements. This paper explores whether and how television advertising influences online shopping. We construct a massive data set spanning $3.4 billion in spending by 20 brands, measures of brands' website traffic and transactions, and ad content measures for 1,224 commercials. We use a quasi-experimental design to estimate whether and how TV advertising influences changes in online shopping within two-minute pre/post windows of time. We use nonadvertising competitors' online shopping in a difference-in-differences approach to measure the same effects in two-hour windows around the time of the ad. The findings indicate that television advertising does influence online shopping and that advertising content plays a key role. Action-focus content increases direct website traffic and sales. Information-focus and emotion-focus ad content actually reduce website traffic while simultaneously increasing purchases, with a positive net effect on sales for most brands. These results imply that brands seeking to attract multitaskers' attention and dollars must select their advertising copy carefully. Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx.doi. org/10.1287/mksc.2014. 0899 .
Short-term memory is modulated by the spontaneous release of endocannabinoids: evidence from hippocampal population codes

Population codes derived from ensembles of hippocampal neurons were assessed to determine whether endocannabinoids were active when rats performed a delayed-nonmatch-to-sample (DNMS) short-term memory task. Multivariate discriminant analyses of the firing patterns of ensembles of CA1 and CA3 hippocampal neurons extracted representations of information encoded at the time of the sample response (SmR codes) during individual DNMS trials. The ‘strength’ or distinctiveness of trial-specific SmR codes in normal sessions was compared with sessions in which either rimonabant, the well-characterized cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist, or WIN 55212-2 (WIN-2), a cannabinoid CB1 receptor agonist, were administered. Results show that performance on trials with delay intervals longer than 10 s was facilitated by rimonabant (2.0 mg/kg) owing to a significantly increased frequency of trials with stronger SmR codes. In contrast, WIN-2 (0.35 mg/kg) suppressed the strength of SmR codes necessary to perform trials with delays greater than 10 s. The positive influence of rimonabant on performance indicated that the action of endocannabinoids was to reduce SmR code strength, resulting in trials that were at risk for errors if the delay exceeded 10 s. Thus endocannabinoids, like exogenously administered cannabinoids, reduced hippocampal encoding necessary to perform long-delay trials. The findings therefore indicate a direct relationship between the actions of endocannabinoids on hippocampal processes and the ability to encode information into short-term memory.
Efficient Path Interpolation and Speed Profile Computation for Nonholonomic Mobile Robots

This paper studies path synthesis for nonholonomic mobile robots moving in two-dimensional space. We first address the problem of interpolating paths expressed as sequences of straight line segments, such as those produced by some planning algorithms, into smooth curves that can be followed without stopping. Our solution has the advantage of being simpler than other existing approaches, and has a low computational cost that allows a real-time implementation. It produces discretized paths on which curvature and variation of curvature are bounded at all points, and preserves obstacle clearance. Then, we consider the problem of computing a time-optimal speed profile for such paths. We introduce an algorithm that solves this problem in linear time, and that is able to take into account a broader class of physical constraints than other solutions. Our contributions have been implemented and evaluated in the framework of the Eurobot contest.
Memory activation reveals abnormal EEG in preclinical Huntington's disease

The EEG is potentially useful as a marker of early Huntington's disease (HD). In dementia, the EEG during a memory activation challenge showed abnormalities where the resting EEG did not. We investigated whether memory activation also reveals EEG abnormalities in preclinical HD. Sixteen mutation carriers for HD and 13 nonmutation carriers underwent neurological, neuropsychological, MRI and EEG investigations. The EEG was registered during a rest condition, i.e. eyes closed, and a working memory task. In each condition we determined absolute power in the theta (4–8 Hz) and alpha (8–13 Hz) bands and subsequently calculated relative alpha power. The EEG during eyes closed did not differ between groups. The EEG during memory activation showed less relative alpha power in mutation carriers as compared to nonmutation carriers, even though memory performance was similar [F (1,27) = 10.87; P = 0.003]. Absolute powers also showed less alpha power [F (1,27) = 7.02; P = 0.013] but similar theta power. No correlations were found between absolute and relative alpha power on the one hand and neuropsychological scores, motor scores or number of CAG repeats on the other. In conclusion, memory activation reveals functional brain changes in Huntington's disease before clinical signs become overt. © 2007 Movement Disorder Society
Development of a hybrid cost estimation model in an iterative manner

Cost estimation is a very crucial field for software developing companies. The acceptance of an estimation technique is highly dependent on estimation accuracy. Often, this accuracy is only determined after an initial application. Possible further steps for improving the underlying estimation model typically do not influence the decision on whether to discard the technique or deploy it. In addition, most estimation techniques do not explicitly support the evolution of the underlying estimation model in an iterative manner. This increases the risk of overlooking some important cost drivers or data inconsistencies. This paper presents an enhanced process for developing a CoBRA® cost estimation model by systematically including iterative analysis and feedback cycles, and its evaluation in a software development unit of Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd., Japan. During the model improvement cycles, estimation accuracy was improved from an initial 120% down to 14%. In addition, lessons learned with the iterative development approach are described.
A Quantitative Study of Muscle Nerve Sympathetic Activity in Resting Normotensive and Hypertensive Subjects

SUMMARY Recordings of multi-unit sympathetic activity were made from muscle branches of the peroneal or median nerves in 33 healthy and 12 hypertensive subjects resting in tbe recumbent position. Simultaneous recordings of intra-arterial blood pressure were made on 17 nonnotensive and all hypertensive subjects. The neural activity, quantified by counting the number of sympathetic pulse-synchronous impulse bursts in the mean voltage neurogram (burst incidence) was plotted against the age and the arterial blood pressure level of the subjects. Between different subjects there were marked differences in mean burst incidence, from less than 10 to more than 90 bursts/100 heart beats and there was a tendency for increasing values with increasing age. Taking the age differences into account there was no significant correlation between the amount of activity and the blood pressure level. The effect of spontaneous temporary blood pressure fluctuations was studied by correlating different pressure parameters of individual heart beats to the probability occurrence a sympathetic burst and to the mean voltage amplitude of tbe occurring burst. Irrespective burst incidence, the occurrence of the bursts and their mean voltage amplitudes were determined mainly by fluctuations of the diastollc blood pressure. The diastolic blood pressure threshold for sympathetic outflow was found to be reset to higher blood pressure values in the hypertensive subjects and the variability of their thresholds was also greater than for the normotensive controls. At a given diastolic blood pressure, more sympathetic activity occurred if diastolic blood pressure was falling than it was rising, and this directional dependence was more pronounced in the hypertensive subjects. We suggest that the increased directional dependence accounts for the greater variability of the blood pressure threshold for sympathetic outflow in the hypertensive subjects. The differences can be explained on the basis of findings in animals with experimental hypertension, and it appears that they are secondary to the hypertension.
Analysis and implications of student contact patterns derived from campus schedules

Characterizing mobility or contact patterns in a campus environment is of interest for a variety of reasons. Existing studies of these patterns can be classified into two basic approaches - model based and measurement based. The model based approach involves constructing a mathematical model to generate movement patterns while the measurement based approach measures locations and proximity of wireless devices to infer mobility patterns. In this paper, we take a completely different approach. First we obtain the class schedules and class rosters from a university-wide Intranet learning portal, and use this information to infer contacts made between students. The value of our approach is in the population size involved in the study, where contact patterns among 22341 students are analyzed. This paper presents the characteristics of these contact patterns, and explores how these patterns affect three scenarios. We first look at the characteristics from the DTN perspective, where we study inter-contact time and time distance between pairs of students. Next, we present how these characteristics impact the spread of mobile computer viruses, and show that viruses can spread to virtually the entire student population within a day. Finally, we consider aggregation of information from a large number of mobile, distributed sources, and demonstrate that the contact patterns can be exploited to design efficient aggregation algorithms, in which only a small number of nodes (less than 0.5%) is needed to aggregate a large fraction (over 90%) of the data.
Design and Implementation of Probabilistic Programming Language Anglican

Anglican is a probabilistic programming system designed to interoperate with Clojure and other JVM languages. We introduce the programming language Anglican, outline our design choices, and discuss in depth the implementation of the Anglican language and runtime, including macro-based compilation, extended CPS-based evaluation model, and functional representations for probabilistic paradigms, such as a distribution, a random process, and an inference algorithm. We show that a probabilistic functional language can be implemented efficiently and integrated tightly with a conventional functional language with only moderate computational overhead. We also demonstrate how advanced probabilistic modelling concepts are mapped naturally to the functional foundation.
Adaptive DCTNet for audio signal classification

In this paper, we investigate DCTNet for audio signal classification. Its output feature is related to Cohen's class of time-frequency distributions. We introduce the use of adaptive DCTNet (A-DCTNet) for audio signals feature extraction. The A-DCTNet applies the idea of constant-Q transform, with its center frequencies of filterbanks geometrically spaced. The A-DCTNet is adaptive to different acoustic scales, and it can better capture low frequency acoustic information that is sensitive to human audio perception than features such as Mel-frequency spectral coefficients (MFSC). We use features extracted by the A-DCTNet as input for classifiers. Experimental results show that the A-DCTNet and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) achieve state-of-the-art performance in bird song classification rate, and improve artist identification accuracy in music data. They demonstrate A-DCTNet's applicability to signal processing problems.
The features of myasthenia gravis with autoantibodies to MuSK

Objectives: To determine if myasthenia gravis (MG) with antibodies to MuSK is a distinct subgroup of seronegative MG. Methods: We assayed antibodies to muscle specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK) in 55 MG patients who had no antibodies to acetylcholine receptors and looked for the specific phenotype, comparing clinical features of anti-MuSK positive and anti-MuSK negative MG patients. Results: MG with anti-MuSK antibodies was characterised by a striking prevalence of female patients (15 women, two men). Age at onset ranged from 22 to 52 years, with 70.6% of patients presenting at <40 years of age. The majority of patients (82.4%) had prevalent involvement of facial and bulbar muscles. One third of them did not respond well to anticholinesterase drugs. Steroid immunosuppression was effective in eight patients (44.4%). Nine patients underwent thymectomy; six of these had no thymus pathology, while three had a hyperplastic thymus. At the end of the observation period, six (35.3%) patients were in remission, five (29.4%) improved, four (23.6%) did not change, and two (11.7%) had died. Conclusions: MG patients with antibodies to MuSK have characteristic clinical features that are different from features of the remaining seronegative MG patients. This emphasises the predictive value of anti-MuSK antibody analysis in seronegative MG patients.
Clinical practice guidelines for hypothyroidism in adults: cosponsored by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the American Thyroid Association.

BACKGROUND Hypothyroidism has multiple etiologies and manifestations. Appropriate treatment requires an accurate diagnosis and is influenced by coexisting medical conditions. This paper describes evidence-based clinical guidelines for the clinical management of hypothyroidism in ambulatory patients. METHODS The development of these guidelines was commissioned by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) in association with American Thyroid Association (ATA). AACE and the ATA assembled a task force of expert clinicians who authored this article. The authors examined relevant literature and took an evidence-based medicine approach that incorporated their knowledge and experience to develop a series of specific recommendations and the rationale for these recommendations. The strength of the recommendations and the quality of evidence supporting each was rated according to the approach outlined in the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists Protocol for Standardized Production of Clinical Guidelines-2010 update. RESULTS Topics addressed include the etiology, epidemiology, clinical and laboratory evaluation, management, and consequences of hypothyroidism. Screening, treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism, pregnancy, and areas for future research are also covered. CONCLUSIONS Fifty-two evidence-based recommendations and subrecommendations were developed to aid in the care of patients with hypothyroidism and to share what the authors believe is current, rational, and optimal medical practice for the diagnosis and care of hypothyroidism. A serum thyrotropin is the single best screening test for primary thyroid dysfunction for the vast majority of outpatient clinical situations. The standard treatment is replacement with L-thyroxine. The decision to treat subclinical hypothyroidism when the serum thyrotropin is less than 10 mIU/L should be tailored to the individual patient.
Experimental Chlamydia trachomatis infection causes apoptosis in human sperm.

BACKGROUND Chlamydia trachomatis is responsible for a widespread sexually transmitted infection. In men, it is associated with a wide clinical spectrum causing infertility. Furthermore, C. trachomatis serovar E infection decreases motility and increases the number of non-viable sperm. No other effects of C. trachomatis have been reported on sperm despite the crucial role of DNA integrity for sperm function. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of C. trachomatis on sperm apoptosis. METHODS Sperm from eight normozoospermic men were incubated with increasing concentrations of C. trachomatis serovar E elementary bodies (EB) for 6 and 24 h. Sperm were then collected to evaluate phosphatidylserine (PS) membrane translocation and DNA fragmentation by Annexin V-propidium iodide staining, TUNEL assay and flow cytometry. RESULTS After 6 h of incubation, C. trachomatis had no effect on the percentage of sperm showing PS externalization. However, a significant effect on this parameter was observed after 24 h. C. trachomatis also significantly increased the number of sperm with DNA fragmentation both after 6 and 24 h of incubation. CONCLUSIONS C. trachomatis causes sperm PS externalization and DNA fragmentation. These effects may explain the negative direct impact of C. trachomatis infection on sperm fertilizing ability.