Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Placebo‐ and Amitriptyline‐Controlled Evaluation of Central Nervous System Effects of the NK1 Receptor Antagonist Aprepitant and Intravenous Alcohol Infusion at Pseudo‐Steady State

Recent interest in NK1 receptor antagonists has focused on a potential role in the treatment of drug addiction and substance abuse. In the present study, the potential for interactions between the NK1 receptor antagonist aprepitant and alcohol, given as an infusion at a target level of 0.65 g/L, was evaluated. Amitriptyline was included as positive control to provide an impression of the profile of central nervous system (CNS) effects. In a double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐ and amitriptyline‐controlled study, the pharmacokinetics and CNS effects of aprepitant and alcohol were investigated in 16 healthy volunteers. Cognitive and psychomotor function tests included the visual verbal learning test (VVLT), Bond and Lader visual analogue scales (VAS), digit symbol substitution test (DSST), visual pattern recognition, binary choice reaction time, critical flicker fusion (CFF), body sway, finger tapping, and adaptive tracking. Alcohol impaired finger tapping and body sway. Amitriptyline impaired DSST performance, VAS alertness, CFF, body sway, finger tapping, and adaptive tracking. No impairments were found after administration of aprepitant. Co‐administration of aprepitant with alcohol was generally well tolerated and did not cause significant additive CNS effects, compared with alcohol alone. Therefore, our study found no indications for clinically relevant interactions between aprepitant and alcohol.
The Diagnostic Value of Cytokeratin 5/6, 14, 17, and 18 Expression in Human Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Objectives: The expression patterns of cytokeratin (CK) filaments in human epithelial neoplasms are complex and distinctive. The aims of this study were to analyze CK expression and to evaluate the diagnostic application of CKs in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: mRNA expression of CK5, CK6, CK14, CK15, CK17, and CK19 was analyzed by Northern blotting. Protein expression of CK5/6, CK7, CK14, CK17, and CK18 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays. Results: Northern blotting showed that CKs were highly expressed in human bronchial epithelial cells and/or small airway epithelial cells. In NSCLC cell lines, the expression pattern of CKs was heterogeneous. Regarding protein expression of CKs in 95 primary lung tumors, expression of CK5/6, CK14, and CK17 proteins was increased in squamous cell carcinomas compared to adenocarcinomas (ADC; p = 0.001, p = 0.030, and p = 0.001, respectively), and higher expression was significantly associated with lower grading (p = 0.006, p = 0.002, and p = 0.001, respectively), while increased expression of CK7 and CK18 was observed in ADC (p = 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Our data suggest that CK5/6, CK7, CK14, CK17, and CK18 have diagnostic value in the subclassification of NSCLC.
Computer Vision and Image Understanding

In this paper, we aim to obtain a dense piecewise planar reconstruction of the scene from multiple image frames based on a factorization framework. Integrating all the relevant constraints in a global objective function, we are able to e ﬀ ectively leverage on the scene smoothness prior a ﬀ orded by the dense formulation, as well as imposing the necessary algebraic constraints required by the shape matrix. These constraints also help to robustly de-compose the measurement matrix into the underlying low-rank subspace and the sparse outlier part. Numerically, we achieve the constrained factorization and decomposition via modifying a recently proposed proximal alternating robust subspace minimization algorithm. The results show that our algorithm is e ﬀ ective in handling real life sequences, and outperforms other algorithms in recovering motions and dense scene estimate.
Identification of peptides present in sour milk whey that ameliorate scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice

Abstract Cognitive impairment is treated with cholinesterase inhibitors that slow cognitive decline but cause significant adverse effects. Functional foods that improve memory without such effects would therefore be valuable. We reported that unidentified components of sour milk whey produced by fermentations using Lactobacillus helveticus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae improved memory in a mouse model of scopolamine-induced memory impairment. Here, we show that casein-derived peptides were the most active components of orally administered fractions of this milk product. Of five peptides tested, β-casein (residues 73–91) was the most effective for ameliorating scopolamine-induced cognitive deficits, as indicated by a significantly higher percentage of alternations of mice orally administered 0.05 nmol/kg peptide (58.0 ± 9.3%) versus vehicle (51.0 ± 5.8%). This orally active peptide may improve cognitive function of patients with dementia. Graphical Abstract
Self-Monitoring of Oral Anticoagulation Therapy in Children

This study aimed to investigate the accuracy of home International Normalized Ratio (INR) self-monitoring in pediatric patients on long-term oral anticoagulation therapy. Statistical and clinical agreement of INR values from capillary whole blood samples measured by 2 different portable prothrombin time monitors (CoaguChek S and XS) and venous blood samples measured by a laboratory coagulation analyzer were evaluated using the Bland-Altman analysis. Eighty-three INR comparisons (56 using the CoaguChek S and 27 using the CoaguChek XS) were obtained from 35 children aged 4 months to 18 years. Mean differences between venous and capillary INR values and their limits of agreement were –0.04 (–0.63 to 0.55) overall, 0.006 (–0.63 to 0.65) for the CoaguChek S and –0.13 (–0.57 to 0.31) for the CoaguChek XS. The Pearson correlation coefficients were 0.88 overall, 0.84 for the CoaguChek S and 0.95 for the CoaguChek XS. Expanded and narrow agreements for all patients were 97.6 and 94%, respectively. In conclusion, home INR self-monitoring is accurate for children requiring long-term oral anticoagulation therapy. Our data suggest that INR self-monitoring with the newer CoaguChek XS is more accurate than with the older CoaguChek S monitor.
Measuring the Impact of ISIS Social Media Strategy

Terrorist groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have exploited social media such as Twitter to spread their propaganda and to recruit new members. In this work we study the extent to which ISIS is able to spread their message beyond their immediate supporters. Are they operating in their own sphere with limited interaction with the overall community? Or are they well rooted among normal users? We find that three-quarters of the interactions ISIS received on Twitter in 2015 actually came from eventually suspended accounts raising questions about the potential number of ISIS-related accounts and how organic ISIS audience is. Towards tackling these questions, we have created a unique dataset of 17 million ISIS-related tweets posted in 2015. This dataset is available for research purposes upon request.
Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation: Scaffold-Based Solutions

Autologous chondrocyte implantation is a surgical technique utilized for repair of artic- ular cartilage defects. The originally described technique for autologous chondrocyte implantation involves applying a liquid suspension of the cultured chondrocytes to a cartilage defect and sealing the defect with a periosteum or collagen patch. Scaffolds for housing chondrocytes were introduced to allow for increased ease of delivery and appli- cation, to avoid leakage of chondrocytes out of the defect, and to allow for an implant that more closely mimics the non-uniform tissue architecture of healthy articular cartilage. In this chapter we describe the design, clinical outcomes, and commercial availability of various scaffolds reported in the clinical literature for autologous chondrocyte implantation.
Effect of salt water exposure on foam-cored polyurethane sandwich composites

This study investigated the effect of moisture absorption on the mechanical performance of polyurethane sandwich composites. The core material was a closed cell polyurethane foam. Face sheets were made of E-glass/polyurethane composite laminates. Vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process was used to manufacture specimens for testing. The foam core, laminates, and sandwich composites were submerged in salt water for prolonged periods of time. Mechanical property degradation due to moisture absorption for each constituent was evaluated. Compression test was performed on the foam core samples. Laminates were evaluated by three-point bending tests. The interfacial bond strength in the sandwich structure was evaluated by double cantilever beam mode-I interfacial fracture test. The testing results revealed that the effect of salt water exposure on the compressive properties of the foam core is insignificant. The flexural modulus of polyurethane laminates degraded 8.9% and flexural strength degraded 13.0% after 166 days in 50% salinity salt water at 34°C conditioning. The interfacial fracture toughness of polyurethane sandwich composites degraded 22.4% after 166 days in 50% salinity salt water at 34°C conditioning.
Modelling soft body impact of through-thickness reinforced composites

The work in this paper simulates the soft-body impact response of pristine and z-pin reinforced composite beams based on a novel 3-point bend type test called the ‘soft body beam bend’ (SBBB). Numerical results of unreinforced composite beams were compared to experimental impact tests results yielding good agreement in terms of delamination threshold velocity and global deformation behaviour. In the case of reinforced composite beams, previously validated z-pin bridging maps were applied to predict the large-scale bridging response. The numerical results predicted an enhancement to delamination suppression, raising the threshold by almost 15%. However, correlation with experiment test data was only moderately good due to the strain rate effects not being included in the model for the base composite material and z-pins.
A quantitative review of neurocognition in euthymic late‐life bipolar disorder

A sizeable body of work has consistently documented that a number of euthymic mixed‐age bipolar disorder subjects exhibit prominent impairments in a variety of cognitive domains. By contrast, knowledge about neuropsychological functioning in elderly patients is scant, despite being necessary for the adequate treatment of this population and the understanding of illness evolution. The aim of this study was to combine findings from the available literature in order to examine the pattern and extent of cognitive deficits in euthymic late‐life bipolar disorder subjects.
Time-domain geoacoustic inversion of high-frequency chirp signal from a simple towed system

An inversion method using a towed system consisting of a source and two receivers is presented. High-frequency chirp signals that have been emitted from the source are received after multiple penetrations and reflections from the shallow water sub-bottom structure and are processed for geoacoustical parameter estimation. The data are processed such that a good resolution and robustness is achieved via matched filtering, which requires information about the source signal. The inversion is formulated as an optimization problem, which maximizes the cost function defined as a normalized correlation between the measured and modeled signals directly in the time domain. The very fast simulated reannealing optimization method is applied to the global search problem. The modeled time signal is obtained using a ray approach. An experiment was carried out in the Mediterranean Sea using a towed source and receiver system. The inversion method is applied to the experimental data and results are found to be consistent with previous frequency-domain analyses using measurements from a towed horizontal array of receivers and measurements on a vertical array.
Ethylenediammonium chloride thiocyanate

In the ethylenediammonium dication of the title salt, C2H10N2 2+·Cl−·SCN−, the N—C—C—N torsion angle is 72.09 (12)°. In the crystal, an extensive three-dimensional hydrogen-bonding network, formed by N—H⋯Cl and N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds, holds all the ions together.
Multiple symmetric lipomatosis: a paradigm of metabolically innocent obesity?

Excessive fat storage (obesity) is associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (1). Paradoxically, inability to store fat (lipodystrophy) is also associated with insulin resistance (2). In both obesity and lipodystrophy, the adipocyte’s storage capacity is exceeded and lipids accumulate in liver, muscle, and β-cells. Hypothetically, if adipose tissue had an intrinsic propensity to proliferate, rather than passively respond to energy excess, calories should be extracted from the circulation and the system should become (or remain) insulin sensitive. Such a process would be particularly effective if it occurred preferentially in subcutaneous adipose tissue, which, metabolically, is the least harmful site (3). We performed extensive metabolic studies in two patients (Table 1) with multiple symmetric lipomatosis (MSL), a condition characterized by regional excess of subcutaneous adipose tissue (4). Patient 1 had massive symmetrical subcutaneous fat accumulation in the thoracic, abdominal, and upper arm region (Fig. 1 A ) that had begun to develop about 15 years earlier. Patient …
Synergy in Efficacy of Fungal Entomopathogens and Permethrin against West African Insecticide-Resistant Anopheles gambiae Mosquitoes

Background Increasing incidences of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors are threatening the sustainable use of contemporary chemical vector control measures. Fungal entomopathogens provide a possible additional tool for the control of insecticide-resistant malaria mosquitoes. This study investigated the compatibility of the pyrethroid insecticide permethrin and two mosquito-pathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae, against a laboratory colony and field population of West African insecticide-resistant Anopheles gambiae s.s. mosquitoes. Methodology/Findings A range of fungus-insecticide combinations was used to test effects of timing and sequence of exposure. Both the laboratory-reared and field-collected mosquitoes were highly resistant to permethrin but susceptible to B. bassiana and M. anisopliae infection, inducing 100% mortality within nine days. Combinations of insecticide and fungus showed synergistic effects on mosquito survival. Fungal infection increased permethrin-induced mortality rates in wild An. gambiae s.s. mosquitoes and reciprocally, exposure to permethrin increased subsequent fungal-induced mortality rates in both colonies. Simultaneous co-exposure induced the highest mortality; up to 70.3±2% for a combined Beauveria and permethrin exposure within a time range of one gonotrophic cycle (4 days). Conclusions/Significance Combining fungi and permethrin induced a higher impact on mosquito survival than the use of these control agents alone. The observed synergism in efficacy shows the potential for integrated fungus-insecticide control measures to dramatically reduce malaria transmission and enable control at more moderate levels of coverage even in areas where insecticide resistance has rendered pyrethroids essentially ineffective.
Comparative study on microstructuring of steel using pico-and femtosecond laser pulses

Results of investigations on microstructuring of steel using pico-and femtosecond laser pulses will be presented. For the experiments, lasers with high repetition rates in the 100 kHz range, but relatively small pulse energies were used. The pulse durations were 15 ps and 180 fs, respectively.Experiments showed that the volume of material ablated per pulse is always larger with femtosecond laser pulses compared to picosecond laser pulses using the same fluences and repetition rates, which suggests that the photons of femtosecond pulses are used more effectively for ablation.Moreover, the volume ablated per pulse using femtosecond laser pulses is from the beginning independent of the number of crossings used, whereas it increases at first with increasing number of crossings with picosecond pulses till a constant value is reached after 100 crossings of the laser beam over the structured area.The average roughness RA of comparatively deep structures produced with the femtosecond laser was generally found to be lower than with the picosecond laser. Thereby, the roughness increased with increasing depth of the structures, i.e. with increasing total number of laser pulses used, with both lasers.First investigations using burst mode with the picosecond laser have shown, however, that the quality of the structures with respect to surface roughness and also the ablation rates can be improved significantly by using this mode.Results of investigations on microstructuring of steel using pico-and femtosecond laser pulses will be presented. For the experiments, lasers with high repetition rates in the 100 kHz range, but relatively small pulse energies were used. The pulse durations were 15 ps and 180 fs, respectively.Experiments showed that the volume of material ablated per pulse is always larger with femtosecond laser pulses compared to picosecond laser pulses using the same fluences and repetition rates, which suggests that the photons of femtosecond pulses are used more effectively for ablation.Moreover, the volume ablated per pulse using femtosecond laser pulses is from the beginning independent of the number of crossings used, whereas it increases at first with increasing number of crossings with picosecond pulses till a constant value is reached after 100 crossings of the laser beam over the structured area.The average roughness RA of comparatively deep structures produced with the femtosecond laser was generally found to .
Perspective - Chance Explanations in the Management Sciences

We propose that random variation should be considered one of the most important explanatory mechanisms in the management sciences. There are good theoretical reasons to expect that chance events strongly impact organizational behavior and outcomes. We argue that models built on random variation can provide parsimonious explanations of several important empirical regularities in strategic management and organizational behavior. The reason is that random variation in a structured system can give rise to systematic patterns at the macro level. Here, we define the concept of a chance explanation; describe the theoretical mechanisms by which random variation generates patterns at the macro level; outline how key empirical regularities in management can be explained by chance models; and discuss the implications of chance models for theoretical integration, empirical testing, and management practice.
Ameliorating Role of Lycopene, Tomato Puree, and Spirulina + Tomato Puree on the Hematology of Fluoride-Exposed Swiss Albino Mice

ABSTRACT Plant species rich in antioxidants (vitamins, flavonoids, lignans, and carotenoids) have been explored for complementary therapy of chronic diseases (cancers, coronary heart disease) and mitigation of pollutant toxicity. This article investigates their ameliorative role on selective hematological and serum biochemical parameters in fluoride-exposed (190 mg/kg body weight) Swiss albino mice pretreated with the antioxidant-rich diet supplements tomato puree (with and without peels), spirulina (cyanobacteria), and lycopene (present in tomato) for 45 days prior to entry into experimental protocol. Compared with standard feed control, diet-modulated controls had more hairy and lustrous white fur, hemodilution, increase in platelet counts (2- to 5-fold), red blood cell (RBC) size (11%–14%), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (Hb) concentration (MCHC; 5%–14%), and serum albumin (23%–27%). Fluoride-exposed mice reared on standard feed had less hairy, pale white, lusterless fur and black nails, reduction in RBC and white blood cell (WBC) counts and Hb content, and morphological abnormalities in RBCs (poikilocytosis). By contrast, fur quality of fluoride-treated diet-modulated groups was similar to standard feed control; counts and morphology of their RBCs and Hb content similar to the respective controls, and increase in WBC counts greater than controls. In comparison to the fluoride-treated standard feed group, platelet counts were higher in the treated mice of the diet-modulated groups. This study thus revealed the hemoprotective role of diet supplements in fluoride-treated mice. Considering the prevalence of fluoride-induced chronic toxicity in developing countries, our findings have relevance in minimizing hematological disorders among people residing in the fluoride-affected areas, because indigenously cultivated low-price tomato fruits are easily available for consumption.
Adherence to adalimumab therapy in Crohn's disease: A French multicenter experience

Background: We evaluated adherence to adalimumab therapy in Crohn's disease (CD). Methods: This was an observational multicenter study conducted in four French university hospitals between April 4, 2008 and January 1, 2010. Patients were systematically asked, at each clinical visit, whether or not they delayed or missed an injection of adalimumab over the past 3 months. Patients were also asked about the reasons for their nonadherence. Results: Of the 108 patients analyzed, 33 (30.6%) delayed the administration of at least one injection and 16 (14.8%) missed at least one injection over the past 3 months. The main reasons for overall nonadherence were: forgetfulness (24.6%), infection (24.6%), and travel (20%). Other reasons for nonadherence were intentional nonadherence (10.8%), pharmaceutical supply issues (9.2%), side effects (7.7%), pregnancy (1.5%), and CD‐related hospitalization (1.5%). Adalimumab regimen of 40 mg every other week was a positive predictor for injection delays (P = 0.02, odds ratio [OR] = 3.76, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28–11.05), whereas having at least one relapse in the past 12 months was associated with fewer delays (P = 0.02, OR = 0.37, 95% CI, 0.15–0.87). [correction made here after initial online publication]. Disease duration over 90 months negatively predicted failure to inject adalimumab (P = 0.009, OR = 0.17, 95% CI, 0.05–0.64). Conclusions: The overall nonadherence rate for adalimumab use was 45.4%. Most of the reasons for nonadherent behaviors could be avoided. An adalimumab regimen of 40 mg every other week was negatively related to adalimumab adherence; both the occurrence of at least one relapse in the past 12 months and disease duration over 90 months were positively related to adherence. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2011;)
Microstructure and suppressed thermal depolarisation behaviours of lead-free Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3:ZnO ferroelectric composite ceramics

A 0–3 type 0.8Na0. 5Bi0.5TiO3(BNT):0.2ZnO lead-free ferroelectric composite ceramic structure was prepared by a solid-state oxide route. The X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy observation indicate that ZnO grains were scattered in the matrix consisting of BNT grains to form a (0–3) type composite structure, and a third phase Zn2TiO4 was formed due to the reaction ability of nano-sized ZnO with NBT compositions. The temperature-dependent electrical responses show that the dielectric anomaly at around 200°C inherited from NBT itself was suppressed as ZnO is composited, and the Pr of the specimen sintered at 1000°C keeps almost unchanged as the poling temperature is 175°C, while its retained piezoelectric strain d33 value maintains 77% of the initial as exposed to 125°C annealing. These results suggest that the thermal depolarisation of BNT is suppressed due to the introduction of ZnO, even though the third phase Zn2TiO4 exists.