Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The neural crest cell cycle is related to phases of migration in the head

Embryonic cells that migrate long distances must critically balance cell division in order to maintain stream dynamics and population of peripheral targets. Yet details of individual cell division events and how cell cycle is related to phases of migration remain unclear. Here, we examined these questions using the chick cranial neural crest (NC). In vivo time-lapse imaging revealed that a typical migrating NC cell division event lasted ∼1 hour and included four stereotypical steps. Cell tracking showed that dividing NC cells maintained position relative to non-dividing neighbors. NC cell division orientation and the time and distance to first division after neural tube exit were stochastic. To address how cell cycle is related to phases of migration, we used FACs analysis to identify significant spatiotemporal differences in NC cell cycle profiles. Two-photon photoconversion of single and small numbers of mKikGR-labeled NC cells confirmed that lead NC cells exhibited a nearly fourfold faster doubling time after populating the branchial arches. By contrast, Ki-67 staining showed that one out of every five later emerging NC cells exited the cell cycle after reaching proximal head targets. The relatively quiescent mitotic activity during NC cell migration to the branchial arches was altered when premigratory cells were reduced in number by tissue ablation. Together, our results provide the first comprehensive details of the pattern and dynamics of cell division events during cranial NC cell migration.
Dimensionality Reduction for Emotional Speech Recognition

The number of speech features that are introduced to emotional speech recognition exceeds some thousands and this makes dimensionality reduction an inevitable part of an emotional speech recognition system. The elastic net, the greedy feature selection, and the supervised principal component analysis are three recently developed dimensionality reduction algorithms that we have considered their application to tackle this issue. Together with PCA, these four methods include both supervised and unsupervised, as well as filter and projection-type dimensionality reduction methods. For experimental reasons, we have chosen VAM corpus. We have extracted two sets of features and have investigated the efficiency of the application of the four dimensionality reduction methods to the combination of the two sets, besides each of the two. The experimental results of this study show that in spite of a dimensionality reduction stage, a longer vector of speech features does not necessarily result in a more accurate prediction of emotion.
Clinical and procedural characteristics associated with higher radiation exposure during percutaneous coronary interventions and coronary angiography

Background We aim to study the clinical and procedural characteristics associated with higher radiation exposure in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) and coronary angiography. Methods and Results Our present study included all coronary angiography and PCI procedures in 5 PCI centers in the Western part of Sweden, between January 1, 2008, and January 19, 2012. The radiation exposure and clinical data were collected prospectively in these 5 PCI centers in Sweden as part of the Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry (SCAAR). A prediction model was made for the radiation exposure (dose–area product) expressed in Gy ∙cm2. A total of 20 669 procedures were included in the present study, consisting of 9850 PCI and 10 819 coronary angiography procedures. In multivariable analyses, body mass index (β=1.04; confidence interval [CI], 1.04–1.04; P<0.001); history of coronary artery bypass graft surgery (β=1.32; CI, 1.28–1.32; P<0.001); 2, 3, or 4 treated lesions (2 treated lesions: β=1.95; CI, 1.84–2.03; P<0.001; 3 treated lesions: β=2.34; CI, 2.16–2.53; P<0.001; and 4 treated lesions: β=2.83; CI, 2.53–3.16; P<0.001); and chronic total occlusion lesions (β=1.39; CI, 1.31– 1.48; P<0.001) were associated with the highest radiation exposure. After adjusting for procedural complexity, radial access route was not associated with increased radiation exposure (β=1.00; CI, 0.98–1.03; P=0.67). Conclusions In the largest study population to assess radiation exposure, we found that high body mass index, history of coronary artery bypass graft surgery, number of treated lesions, and chronic total occlusions were associated with the highest patient radiation exposure. Radial access site was not associated with higher radiation exposure when compared with femoral approach.
Draft Genome Sequences of 10 Strains of the Genus Exiguobacterium

ABSTRACT High-quality draft genome sequences were determined for 10 Exiguobacterium strains in order to provide insight into their evolutionary strategies for speciation and environmental adaptation. The selected genomes include psychrotrophic and thermophilic species from a range of habitats, which will allow for a comparison of metabolic pathways and stress response genes.
Scaling of graphene field-effect transistors supported on hexagonal boron nitride: radio-frequency stability as a limiting factor

The quality of graphene in nanodevices has increased hugely thanks to the use of hexagonal boron nitride as a supporting layer. This paper studies to which extent hBN together with channel length scaling can be exploited in graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs) to get a competitive radio-frequency (RF) performance. Carrier mobility and saturation velocity were obtained from an ensemble Monte Carlo simulator that accounted for the relevant scattering mechanisms (intrinsic phonons, scattering with impurities and defects, etc). This information is fed into a self-consistent simulator, which solves the drift-diffusion equation coupled with the two-dimensional Poisson’s equation to take full account of short channel effects. Simulated GFET characteristics were benchmarked against experimental data from our fabricated devices. Our simulations show that scalability is supposed to bring to RF performance an improvement that is, however, highly limited by instability. Despite the possibility of a lower performance, a careful choice of the bias point can avoid instability. Nevertheless, maximum oscillation frequencies are still achievable in the THz region for channel lengths of a few hundreds of nanometers.
Complement Mutation‐Associated De Novo Thrombotic Microangiopathy Following Kidney Transplantation

Mutations in one or more genes encoding complement‐regulatory proteins predispose to atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) and its recurrence following kidney transplantation. We evaluated plasma complement level and performed a screening for mutations in genes encoding complement Factors H and I (CFH, CFI) and membrane cofactor protein (MCP) in 24 kidney transplant recipients experiencing de novo thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). Six patients presented with low C3 and/or low Factor B levels suggestive complement alternative pathway. A mutation in the CFH or CFI gene was found in 7/24 patients (29%), two of whom had a mutation in both genes. On the contrary, no mutation was identified in a control kidney transplant patients group (n = 25) without TMA. Patients with or without mutations were similar with regard to clinical features. Eight out of 24 patients lost their graft within 1 year of posttransplantation including six patients with a CFH mutation or a decrease of C3 or CFB in plasma. To conclude, kidney transplant patients with de novo TMA exhibit an unexpectedly high frequency of CFH and CFI mutations. These results suggest that genetic abnormalities may represent risk factors for de novo TMA after kidney transplantation and raise the question of the best therapeutic strategy.
Quality of life during first-line FOLFOX4±panitumumab in RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal carcinoma: results from a randomised controlled trial

Introduction Metastatic colorectal cancer is rarely curable. Improving quality of life is therefore a key treatment goal. We report quality of life for patients with RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer in the PRIME study. Methods A randomised phase 3 open-label study of first-line panitumumab+FOLFOX4 vs FOLFOX4 enrolled adults with untreated metastatic colorectal cancer and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0–2. This analysis includes patients with wild-type RAS tumours (n=505). Quality of life (prespecified end point) was assessed using the EuroQoL 5-domain health state index and overall health rating in all patients and by early tumour shrinkage status (≥30% reduction in size by week 8; exploratory end point). Differences in quality of life were assessed using analysis of covariance and a mixed-effect piecewise linear model, and were also analysed by skin toxicity severity. Results There were no statistically significant differences between treatment arms from baseline to progression or to discontinuation. Grade 3+ skin toxicity was reported by 38% of patients receiving panitumumab+FOLFOX4 and 2% receiving FOLFOX4 alone. There were no significant differences in quality of life between patients with grade 0–2 skin toxicity and those with grade 3+ skin toxicity. More patients receiving panitumumab+FOLFOX4 vs FOLFOX4 had early tumour shrinkage (p<.001). In patients with tumour symptoms at baseline, there were statistically significant improvements in quality of life in those with early tumour shrinkage versus those without early tumour shrinkage. Conclusions Addition of panitumumab to FOLFOX4 in first-line therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer prolongs survival and has no negative effect on overall quality of life compared with FOLFOX4 alone. Specific quality of life assessments for skin toxicity should be included in study designs to better define the direct effect of these adverse events. Trial registration number NCT00364013.
Colocalization of androgen receptors and mating‐induced FOS immunoreactivity in neurons that project to the central tegmental field in male rats

Bilateral lesions of the central tegmental field (CTF) in male rats virtually eliminate mating behavior. This study examined if mating‐induced Fos expression (a measure of neuronal activation) and androgen receptors (AR) are colocalized in brain and spinal cord neurons which project to the CTF. Animals received unilateral injections of the retrograde tracer Fluorogold (FG) in the lateral part of the CTF (CTFl), and 10 days later were killed after ejaculating with females. Brains and spinal cords were examined for FG transport, AR‐immunoreactivity (AR‐ir), and Fos‐immunoreactivity (Fos‐ir). AR‐ir and Fos‐ir were visualized with fluorescence microscopy using cyanine‐conjugated and fluorescein‐conjugated secondary antibodies. The CTFl received projections from AR‐containing neurons in forebrain structures (bed nucleus of stria terminalis, medial preoptic area, lateral and ventromedial hypothalamus), in the central amygdala and various mid‐ and hindbrain structures (dorsolateral tegmentum, superior and inferior colliculi, pedunculopontine nucleus), and in the lumbosacral spinal cord (lamina X). Some of the AR‐containing neurons in bed nucleus of stria terminalis and in the dorsal part of the medial preoptic area with projections to the CTFl were activated by mating. Most AR‐containing neurons in spinal lamina X with projections to the CTFl were also activated by mating. Information from spinal cord and pontine nuclei and from outputs descending from the forebrain may be relayed in the CTFl. Thus, as part of a network of hormone‐sensitive neurons linking brain and spinal cord mechanisms for mating, the CTFl could participate in the integration of visceral and somatic information relevant for sexual behavior. J. Comp. Neurol. 408:220–236, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cyclic GMP levels and guanylate cyclase activity in pheromone-sensitive antennae of the silkmoths Antheraea polyphemus and Bombyx mori

Female sex pheromones applied to freshly isolated, living antennae of male Antheraea polyphemus and Bombyx mori led to an increase of cGMP. A 1:1 mixture of 2 pheromone components of Antheraea polyphemus blown for 10 sec in physiological concentrations over their antennal branches raised cGMP levels about 1.34-fold (+/- 0.08 SEM, n = 23) from a basal level of 3.0 +/- 0.6 (SEM, n = 20) pmol/mg protein. Similarly, bombykol elicited a 1.29-fold (+/- 0.13 SEM, n = 23) cGMP increase in antennae of male Bombyx mori from a basal level of 2.7 +/- 0.5 (SEM, n = 24) pmol/mg protein. No cross-sensitivity was found with respect to pheromones from either species. In antennae of female silkmoths, the cGMP response was missing upon stimulation with their own respective pheromones according to the known lack of pheromone receptor cells in the female. cAMP levels in the male antennae of 14.2 +/- 2.9 (SEM, n = 4) pmol/mg protein in A. polyphemus and 15.0 +/- 3.0 (SEM, n = 5) pmol/mg protein in B. mori were not affected by pheromone stimulation. Within 1–60 sec, the extent of cGMP increase in B. mori was independent of the duration of pheromone exposure. The levels of cGMP in pheromone- stimulated antennae of both species remained elevated for at least 10 min, i.e., much longer than the duration of the receptor potential measured in single-cell recordings. Guanylate cyclase activity was identified in homogenates of male and female antennae from both species. The Km of the guanylate cyclase from male B. mori for the preferential substrate MnGTP was 175 microM. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Solving the Problem of the K Parameter in the KNN Classifier Using an Ensemble Learning Approach

This paper presents a new solution for choosing the K parameter in the k-nearest neighbor (KNN) algorithm, the solution depending on the idea of ensemble learning, in which a weak KNN classifier is used each time with a different K, starting from one to the square root of the size of the training set. The results of the weak classifiers are combined using the weighted sum rule. The proposed solution was tested and compared to other solutions using a group of experiments in real life problems. The experimental results show that the proposed classifier outperforms the traditional KNN classifier that uses a different number of neighbors, is competitive with other classifiers, and is a promising classifier with strong potential for a wide range of applications.
The effect of glycerol and desmopressin on exercise performance and hydration in triathletes.

BACKGROUND Hydration is an important determinant of athletic performance, and glycerol-containing solutions have been demonstrated to produce a state of hyperhydration. Secretions of arginine vasopressin (AVP) and/or other renal mechanisms may account for reduced urine output following glycerol ingestion. This study examined the effect of glycerol and the AVP analog desmopressin (DDAVP) on hydration and exercise performance in triathletes ingesting routine volumes of prerace fluids. METHODS Eight male triathletes ages 19 to 43 participated. After determination of their VO(2peak), each athlete completed a strenuous exercise protocol three times involving 60 min of exercise at 70% VO(2peak) followed immediately by an incremental increase in workload every 2 min until exhaustion. RESULTS Pretreatment with 1 gxkg(-1) glycerol or 20 microgram of DDAVP intranasally failed to produce hyperhydration or any enhancement of athletic performance. There was a significant difference in reduction in body mass between DDAVP and control (P < 0.05) but no change in sweat volume. No physiologically relevant differences in plasma sodium, renin, or hemoglobin were seen with either active agent. Plasma osmolality did have a different time course in response to exercise following glycerol (P < 0.03) owing to a smaller incremental increase. Urine osmolality was also raised at baseline following glycerol (P < 0.05). Responses to exercise of plasma AVP, cortisol, and indices of carbohydrate metabolism were similar, although AVP was elevated following DDAVP administration (P < 0.01) owing to assay cross-reactivity. CONCLUSION Although maintaining adequate hydration remains important for the endurance athlete, the routine use of either glycerol of DDAVP before athletic training or competition in a thermoneutral environment does not seem to confer any advantage over conventional fluid replacement.
VEPEMB in elderly Hodgkin's lymphoma patients. Results from an Intergruppo Italiano Linfomi (IIL) study.

BACKGROUND In advanced age the prognosis of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is poor, but, as a consequence of the low incidence of HL in the elderly, prospective studies are lacking and the best treatment strategy is difficult to define. PATIENTS AND METHODS One-hundred and five HL patients over 65 years of age were treated homogeneously with an original reduced-intensity regimen designed for HL in the elderly containing vinblastine, cyclophosphamide, procarbazine, etoposide, mitoxantrone and bleomycin (VEPEMB). Forty-eight early stage (IA-IIA) patients received three courses of VEPEMB followed by involved field irradiation. Fifty-seven advanced stage (IIB-IV) patients received six courses followed by radiotherapy limited to the areas of bulky disease. RESULTS Mean age was 71 years (range 66-83). Co-morbidities were present in 39 patients (37%). A treatment plan modification for poor tolerance or toxicity was needed in 18 patients. Results were satisfactory, even if they were better in early rather than in advanced stage disease: complete response rate 98% versus 58% (P <0.01); 5-year failure-free survival 79% versus 34% (P <0.01). The results were affected by advanced stage, systemic symptoms and co-morbidity but they were not influenced by age itself. CONCLUSIONS VEPEMB is an effective and low toxic regimen for HL in the elderly. Co-morbidity is a prognostic factor more important than age itself.
Instruction selection using binate covering for code size optimization

We address the problem of instruction selection in code generation for embedded DSP microprocessors. Such processors have highly irregular data-paths, and conventional code generation methods typically result in inefficient code. Instruction selection can be formulated as directed acyclic graph (DAG) covering. Conventional methods for instruction selection use heuristics that break up the DAG into a forest of trees and then cover them independently. This breakup can result in suboptimal solutions for the original DAG. Alternatively, the DAG covering problem can be formulated as a binate covering problem, and solved exactly or heuristically using branch-and-bound methods. We show that optimal instruction selection on a PAG in the case of accumulator-based architectures requires a partial scheduling of nodes in the DAG, and we augment the binate covering formulation to minimize spills and reloads. We show how the irregular data transfer costs of typical DSP data-paths can be modeled in the binate covering formulation.
Self-Motivated Relay Selection for a Generalized Power Line Monitoring Network

Efficient power line monitoring is essential for reliable operation of the Smart Grid. A Power Line Monitoring Network (PLMN) based on wireless sensor nodes can provide the necessary infrastructure to deliver data from the extension of the power grid to one or several control centers. However, the restricted physical topology of the power lines constrains the data paths, and has a great impact on the reporting performance. We discuss the features of power-lines and their impact on the performance of monitoring and transmissions. We present a comprehensive design to guide efficient and flexible relay selection in PLMNs to ensure reliable and energy efficient transmissions while taking into account the restricted topology of power-lines. Specifically, our design applies probabilistic power control along with flexible transmission scheduling to combat the poor channel conditions around power line while maintaining the energy level of transmission nodes. We evaluate the impact of different channel conditions, non-uniform topologies for a power line corridor and the effect of reporting events. Our performance results demonstrate that our data forwarding scheme can well control the energy consumption and delay while ensuring reliability and extended lifetime.
Inhibition of melanoma tumor growth in vivo by survivin targeting.

A role of apoptosis (programmed cell death) in tumor formation and growth was investigated by targeting the apoptosis inhibitor survivin in vivo. Expression of a phosphorylation-defective survivin mutant (Thr(34)-->Ala) triggered apoptosis in several human melanoma cell lines and enhanced cell death induced by the chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin in vitro. Conditional expression of survivin Thr(34)-->Ala in YUSAC2 melanoma cells prevented tumor formation upon s.c. injection into CB.17 severe combined immunodeficient-beige mice. When induced in established melanoma tumors, survivin Thr(34)-->Ala inhibited tumor growth by 60-70% and caused increased apoptosis and reduced proliferation of melanoma cells in vivo. Manipulation of the antiapoptotic pathway maintained by survivin may be beneficial for cancer therapy.
A Simple Technique for the Inactivation of IgM Antibodies Using Dithiothreitol 1

Abstract. This report describes a simple method for inactivating 19S red cell antibodies using the odorless compound dithiothreitol (DTT). 30 sera which contained antiglobulin‐active red cell antibodies showed virtually no alteration in activity after DTT treatment, while 30 different sera containing cold‐active red cell antibodies showed almost total elimination of activity following DTT treatment. Six sera were separated into IgG and IgM fractions. All red cell activity was eliminated in the IgM fraction, but was unaffected by DTT treatment of the IgG fraction. This method of inactivating IgM antibodies should be of value in investigating cases of hemolytic disease of the newborn and in studying sera containing mixtures of warm and cold red cell antibodies.
Impact of the RTS,S Malaria Vaccine Candidate on Naturally Acquired Antibody Responses to Multiple Asexual Blood Stage Antigens

Background Partial protective efficacy lasting up to 43 months after vaccination with the RTS,S malaria vaccine has been reported in one cohort (C1) of a Phase IIb trial in Mozambique, but waning efficacy was observed in a smaller contemporaneous cohort (C2). We hypothesized that low dose exposure to asexual stage parasites resulting from partial pre-erythrocytic protection afforded by RTS,S may contribute to long-term vaccine efficacy to clinical disease, which was not observed in C2 due to intense active detection of infection and treatment. Methodology/Principal Findings Serum collected 6 months post-vaccination was screened for antibodies to asexual blood stage antigens AMA-1, MSP-142, EBA-175, DBL-α and variant surface antigens of the R29 laboratory strain (VSAR29). Effect of IgG on the prospective hazard of clinical malaria was estimated. No difference was observed in antibody levels between RTS,S and control vaccine when all children aged 1–4 years at enrollment in both C1 and C2 were analyzed together, and no effects were observed between cohort and vaccine group. RTS,S-vaccinated children <2 years of age at enrollment had lower levels of IgG for AMA-1 and MSP-142 (p<0.01, all antigens), while no differences were observed in children ≥2 years. Lower risk of clinical malaria was associated with high IgG to EBA-175 and VSAR29 in C2 only (Hazard Ratio [HR]: 0.76, 95% CI 0.66–0.88; HR: 0.75, 95% CI 0.62–0.92, respectively). Conclusions Vaccination with RTS,S modestly reduces anti-AMA-1 and anti-MSP-1 antibodies in very young children. However, for antigens associated with lower risk of clinical malaria, there were no vaccine group or cohort-specific effects, and age did not influence antibody levels between treatment groups for these antigens. The antigens tested do not explain the difference in protective efficacy in C1 and C2. Other less-characterized antigens or VSA may be important to protection. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00197041