Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ranking hearing aid input-output functions for understanding low-, conversational-, and high-level speech in multitalker babble.

PURPOSE To determine the rankings of 6 input-output functions for understanding low-level, conversational, and high-level speech in multitalker babble without manipulating volume control for listeners with normal hearing, flat sensorineural hearing loss, and mildly sloping sensorineural hearing loss. METHOD Peak clipping, compression limiting, and 4 wide dynamic range compression (WDRC) input-output functions were compared in a repeated-measure design. Interactions among the compression characteristics were minimized. Speech and babble were processed and recorded at 3 input levels: 45, 65, and 90 dB sound pressure level. Speech recognition of 3 groups of listeners (n = 6/group) was tested for speech processed by each input-output function and at each input level. RESULTS Input-output functions that made low-level speech audible and high-level speech less distorted by avoiding peak clipping or severe compression yielded higher speech recognition scores. These results are consistent with previous findings in the literature. CONCLUSION WDRCs with the low compression ratio region extended to a high input level or with a high compression limiting threshold were the best for speech recognition in babble when the hearing aid user cannot or does not want to manipulate the volume control. Future studies on subjective preferences of different input-output functions are needed.
Common toxidromes of plant poisonings in Taiwan

Objective. To describe the toxidromes associated with plant poisonings in Taiwan. Methods. Retrospective review of acute single-plant exposures with clinical signs and symptoms reported between January 1987 and December 2006 by hospitals to the network of Taiwan Poison Control Centers. Recorded data included demographic data, intent of exposures, exposure routes, clinical findings, and therapeutic strategies. Results. There were 389 cases that met the criteria. Each case was placed into one of the expected toxidromes: anticholinergic, mucosal inflammation, gastroenteritis, acute multisystem organ failure, delayed multisystem organ failure, cholinergic, cardiac dysrhythmia, hepatotoxicity, dermatitis, seizures, and dyspnea. Anticholinergic poisoning was the most common toxidrome. Conclusion. Plant poisonings can be classified into recognizable toxicologic syndromes. These toxidromes may guide a clinician's evaluation and management before a botanist can confirm the actual plant identity.
Macrophage Metabolism As Therapeutic Target for Cancer, Atherosclerosis, and Obesity

Macrophages are not only essential components of innate immunity that contribute to host defense against infections, but also tumor growth and the maintenance of tissue homeostasis. An important feature of macrophages is their plasticity and ability to adopt diverse activation states in response to their microenvironment and in line with their functional requirements. Recent immunometabolism studies have shown that alterations in the metabolic profile of macrophages shape their activation state and function. For instance, to fulfill their respective functions lipopolysaccharides-induced pro-inflammatory macrophages and interleukin-4 activated anti-inflammatory macrophages adopt a different metabolism. Thus, metabolic reprogramming of macrophages could become a therapeutic approach to treat diseases that have a high macrophage involvement, such as cancer. In the first part of this review, we will focus on the metabolic pathways altered in differentially activated macrophages and link their metabolic aspects to their pro- and anti-inflammatory phenotype. In the second part, we will discuss how macrophage metabolism is a promising target for therapeutic intervention in inflammatory diseases and cancer.
Androgenic potential of human fetal adrenals at the end of the first trimester

The onset of steroidogenesis in human fetal adrenal glands (HFA) during the first trimester is poorly investigated. An unresolved question is the capacity of the HFA to produce potent androgen DHT via conventional and/or the backdoor pathway(s) at the end of first trimester, when androgen-responsive organs are developed. Our aim was to explore steroidogenesis and the expression of steroidogenic enzymes and transcription factors in HFA at gestational weeks (GW) 9–12 with focus on their androgenic potential. Steroids in the HFA were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The expression of steroidogenic enzymes and transcription factors in the HFA at GW9–12 was investigated by qPCR, automated Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. We demonstrated that during GW9–12 HFA produced steroids of the ∆5, ∆4 and the backdoor pathways of the biosynthesis of DHT, though the latter was limited to production of 17α-OH-dihydroprogesterone, androsterone and androstanedione without further conversion to DHT. The only androgens identified in the HFA were testosterone and androsterone, a precursor in the biosynthesis of DHT. We also observed higher levels of CYP17A1 but low expression of 3βHSD2 at GW11–12 in the HFA. Elevated levels of CYP17A1 were associated with an increased expression of SF-1 and GATA-6. Altogether, our data demonstrate that of those steroids analyzed, the only potent androgen directly produced by the HFA at GW9–12 was testosterone. The onset of steroidogenesis in the HFA is a complex process that is regulated by the coordinated action of related transcription factors.
Ieee Intelligent Transportation Systems Magazine @bullet 21 @bullet Fall 2013 Reliable Positioning Domain Computation for Urban Navigation Reliable Positioning Domain Computation for Urban Navigation

—Reliable positioning is a key issue for intelligent vehicle navigation. Interval-based positioning methods have shown to be capable of computing relevant confidence domains used for integrity monitoring in environments which are challenging for Global Positioning System (GPS). The approach presented in this paper consists in tightly coupling a GPS receiver with a 3D-map of the drivable area. Interval analysis is employed to solve the constraint positioning problem using contractions and bisections. Integrity is provided through the use of a robust set-inversion scheme applied to a redundant measurement set. If the prior distribution of the measurement noise is known, it is possible to compute confidence domains that correspond to a given integrity risk, which is often set very low out of safety considerations. In this paper we examine a way of validating the proposed approach, using a real experimental dataset and a ground truth equipment. Different tunings of the method, corresponding to different risks, are assessed in terms of availability and integrity in order to compute statistical metrics. Results indicate that this methodology is relevant since the specified risk corresponds to experimental observations.
Detection of Cytomegalovirus in Liver Tissue by Polymerase Chain Reaction in Infants With Neonatal Cholestasis

Aim: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is associated with neonatal cholestasis (NC). Diagnosis of CMV infection is most often based on either positive blood CMV IgM or CMV blood polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Isolation of CMV in liver tissues in patients with NC has rarely been reported. This study was undertaken to see if CMV is present in liver tissues of patients with NC and evaluate the correlation between positive CMV PCR in liver tissue with the serology and blood PCR. Methods: This study was conducted in 31 infants with NC from June 2015 to December 2016. All patients underwent blood CMV IgM, blood CMV PCR and liver CMV PCR. Prevalence of CMV in NC based on positive liver CMV PCR was calculated. Sensitivity and specificity of the serologic markers and blood CMV PCR to identify CMV infection in the liver was determined. Results: CMV IgM was positive in 13 (42%) patients, CMV IgG was positive in 26 (84%) patients and blood CMV PCR was positive in 23 (74%) patients. Liver CMV PCR was positive in 16 (52%) patients. Fifteen (48%) patients had biliary atresia (BA), 10 (32%) patients had neonatal hepatitis, 5 (16%) had paucity of bile ducts and 1 (3%) had ascending cholangitis. Of the 16 patients with positive liver CMV PCR, 8 (50%) had BA, 4 (25%) had neonatal hepatitis, 3 (19%) had paucity of bile ducts and 1 (6%) had ascending cholangitis. Sensitivity of blood CMV IgM in relation to liver CMV PCR was 69% and specificity was 61%. Sensitivity of blood CMV PCR was 61% and specificity was 71% when compared with liver CMV PCR. Conclusion: CMV is present in the liver tissues of more than half the patients with NC. Serology or blood CMV PCR is apparently not an accurate marker of CMV in the liver tissue. Also, CMV infection in children seems to be associated equally with BA or non-BA neonatal hepatitis.
Past, present and future precipitation in the Middle East: insights from models and observations

Anthropogenic changes in precipitation pose a serious threat to society—particularly in regions such as the Middle East that already face serious water shortages. However, climate model projections of regional precipitation remain highly uncertain. Moreover, standard resolution climate models have particular difficulty representing precipitation in the Middle East, which is modulated by complex topography, inland water bodies and proximity to the Mediterranean Sea. Here we compare precipitation changes over the twenty-first century against both millennial variability during the Holocene and interannual variability in the present day. In order to assess the climate model and to make consistent comparisons, this study uses new regional climate model simulations of the past, present and future in conjunction with proxy and historical observations. We show that the pattern of precipitation change within Europe and the Middle East projected by the end of the twenty-first century has some similarities to that which occurred during the Holocene. In both cases, a poleward shift of the North Atlantic storm track and a weakening of the Mediterranean storm track appear to cause decreased winter rainfall in southern Europe and the Middle East and increased rainfall further north. In contrast, on an interannual time scale, anomalously dry seasons in the Middle East are associated with a strengthening and focusing of the storm track in the north Mediterranean and hence wet conditions throughout southern Europe.
On Noisy ARQ in Block-Fading Channels

Assuming noisy feedback channels, this paper investigates the data transmission efficiency and robustness of different automatic repeat request (ARQ) schemes using adaptive power allocation. Considering different block-fading channel assumptions, the long-term throughput, the delay-limited throughput, the outage probability, and the feedback load of different ARQ protocols are studied. A closed-form expression for the power-limited throughput optimization problem is obtained, which is valid for different ARQ protocols and feedback channel conditions. Furthermore, the paper presents numerical investigations on the robustness of different ARQ protocols to feedback errors. It is shown that many analytical assertions about the ARQ protocols are valid both when the channel remains fixed during all retransmission rounds and when it (in)dependently changes in each round. As demonstrated, optimal power allocation is crucial for the performance of noisy ARQ schemes when the goal is to minimize the outage probability.
Playing With Prejudice: The Prevalence and Consequences of Racial Stereotypes in Video Games

A content analysis of top-selling video game magazines (Study 1) and of 149 video game covers (Study 2) demonstrated the commonality of overt racial stereotyping. Both studies revealed that minority females are virtually absent in game representations. Study 1 revealed that, in video game magazines, minority males, underrepresented generally, were more likely to be portrayed as athletes or as aggressive, and less likely to be depicted in military combat or using technology, than White males. Study 2 also showed evidence of the “dangerous” minority male stereotype in video game covers. Again, underrepresented overall, minority males were overrepresented as thugs, using extreme guns, and also as athletes. Study 3, an experiment, exposed players to both violent and nonviolent games with both White and Black characters. Participants were faster at classifying violent stimuli following games with Black characters and at classifying nonviolent stimuli following games with White characters, indicating that images of popular video game characters evoke racial stereotypes.
Phase I Study of Everolimus in Combination with Gemcitabine and Split-Dose Cisplatin in Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma

Background: Cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy is standard first-line treatment for patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC). Molecular profiling studies reveal that the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is altered in a significant percentage of UCs. Objective: We conducted a phase I trial to evaluate the feasibility of combining the mTOR inhibitor everolimus with gemcitabine and split-dose cisplatin (GC) in advanced UC in the first-line setting. Methods: Patients received gemcitabine 800 mg/m2 and cisplatin 35 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 of 21-day cycles for a total of 6 cycles in combination with everolimus at increasing dose levels (DL1:5 mg QOD, DL2:5 mg daily, DL3:10 mg daily) following a standard 3+3 design. Responses were assessed every 2 cycles. Patients with at least stable disease (SD) continued everolimus until progression. Goals were to establish dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) for the combination. Results: 12 patients were enrolled, 3 at DL1, 3 at DL2, and an additional 6 at DL1 *(DL1 following de-escalation). 3/3 patients at DL2 had DLTs during cycle 1. 2/8 evaluable patients at DL1/DL1 * had DLTs during cycle 1. DLTs were primarily hematologic. Further toxicities, also primarily hematologic, were observed during later treatment cycles, leading to 8 chemotherapy dose reductions overall. Partial responses were observed in 4/10 evaluable patients, and SD in 5/10. Median overall survival was 10.8 months (95% CI 6.9, not reached). Conclusions: The maximum tolerated dose was reached at the lowest dose level, 5 mg QOD, for everolimus in combination with gemcitabine and split-dose cisplatin in advanced UC. The regimen was limited by hematologic toxicity.
Prediction of Decisions from Noise in the Brain before the Evidence is Provided

Can decisions be predicted from brain activity? It is frequently difficult in neuroimaging studies to determine this, because it is not easy to establish when the decision has been taken. In a rigorous approach to this issue, we show that in a neurally plausible integrate-and-fire attractor-based model of decision-making, the noise generated by the randomness in the spiking times of neurons can be used to predict a decision for 0.5 s or more before the decision cues are applied. The ongoing noise at the time the decision cues are applied influences which decision will be taken. It is possible to predict on a single trial to more than 68% correct which of two decisions will be taken. The prediction is made from the spontaneous firing before the decision cues are applied in the two populations of neurons that represent the decisions. Thus decisions can be partly predicted even before the decision cues are applied, due to noise in the decision-making process. This analysis has interesting implications for decision-making and free will, for it shows that random neuronal firing times can influence a decision before the evidence for the decision has been provided.
Human Brains Engaged in Rat Brains: Student-driven Neuroanatomy Research in an Introductory Biology Lab Course

Inquiry-based laboratory instruction has been shown to actively engage students in the content and skills being taught. These courses are further intended to teach students not only what is known, but also the process by which investigators come to know it. We sought to take this approach one step further and incorporate novel research questions into an inquiry-based laboratory model early in the undergraduate course of study. In this research-based introductory laboratory course, first-year students acquired basic lab skills not just for their own sake, but rather within the context of a research question of a member of the faculty. Student projects investigated potential neuroanatomical changes in animal models of dyslexia and aging and included measurements of neuron numbers and levels and distribution of neuronal proteins. Students played an active role in designing and implementing an experimental plan, explored data analysis techniques, and reflected on the results that they obtained in scholarly forms such as research papers and a departmental poster session. Student feedback on this approach has been extremely positive, and the data collected were research quality preliminary data that are being actively pursued for further study. Based on our encouraging experiences, we conclude that designing an introductory course around novel research, including some assessments modeled after scholarly practices, provides motivation and excitement for the students, instills good scientific habits, and can potentially benefit departmental research.
Revising the Representation of Fatty Acid, Glycerolipid, and Glycerophospholipid Metabolism in the Consensus Model of Yeast Metabolism.

Genome-scale metabolic models are built using information from an organism's annotated genome and, correspondingly, information on reactions catalyzed by the set of metabolic enzymes encoded by the genome. These models have been successfully applied to guide metabolic engineering to increase production of metabolites of industrial interest. Congruity between simulated and experimental metabolic behavior is influenced by the accuracy of the representation of the metabolic network in the model. In the interest of applying the consensus model of Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolism for increased productivity of triglycerides, we manually evaluated the representation of fatty acid, glycerophospholipid, and glycerolipid metabolism in the consensus model (Yeast v6.0). These areas of metabolism were chosen due to their tightly interconnected nature to triglyceride synthesis. Manual curation was facilitated by custom MATLAB functions that return information contained in the model for reactions associated with genes and metabolites within the stated areas of metabolism. Through manual curation, we have identified inconsistencies between information contained in the model and literature knowledge. These inconsistencies include incorrect gene-reaction associations, improper definition of substrates/products in reactions, inappropriate assignments of reaction directionality, nonfunctional β-oxidation pathways, and missing reactions relevant to the synthesis and degradation of triglycerides. Suggestions to amend these inconsistencies in the Yeast v6.0 model can be implemented through a MATLAB script provided in theSupplementary Materials, Supplementary Data S1(Supplementary Data are available online at www.liebertpub.com/ind).
Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy for Spine Radiosurgery: Superior Treatment Planning and Delivery Compared to Static Beam Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy

Purpose. Spine stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) delivers an accurate and efficient high radiation dose to vertebral metastases in 1–5 fractions. We aimed to compare volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) to static beam intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for spine SRS. Methods and Materials. Ten spine lesions of previously treated SRS patients were planned retrospectively using both IMRT and VMAT with a prescribed dose of 16 Gy to 100% of the planning target volume (PTV). The plans were compared for conformity, homogeneity, treatment delivery time, and safety (spinal cord dose). Results. All evaluated parameters favored the VMAT plan over the IMRT plans. D min in the IMRT was significantly lower than in the VMAT plan (7.65 Gy/10.88 Gy, p < 0.001), the Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) was found to be significantly better for the VMAT plans compared to the IMRT plans (0.77/0.58, resp., p value < 0.01), and an almost 50% reduction in the net treatment time was calculated for the VMAT compared to the IMRT plans (6.73 min/12.96 min, p < 0.001). Conclusions. In our report, VMAT provides better conformity, homogeneity, and safety profile. The shorter treatment time is a major advantage and not only provides convenience to the painful patient but also contributes to the precision of this high dose radiation therapy.
Control approaches for probabilistic gene regulatory networks - What approaches have been developed for addreassinig the issue of intervention?

This article presents a tutorial survey of some of the recent results on intervention in the context of probabilistic gene regulatory networks, which, owing to their original binary formulation and their usual application using binary and ternary gene-expression quantization, are generically called probabilistic Boolean networks (PBNs). These are essentially probabilistic generalizations of the standard Boolean networks introduced by Kauffman that allow the incorporation of uncertainty into the intergene relationships. Given a PBN, the transition from one state to the next takes place in accordance with certain transition probabilities and their dynamics, and hence intervention can be studied in the context of homogeneous Markov chains with finite state spaces
Terminal protein-primed amplification of heterologous DNA with a minimal replication system based on phage Φ29

The DNA amplification performed by terminal protein-primed replication systems has not yet been developed for its general use to produce high amounts of DNA linked to terminal protein (TP). Here we present a method to amplify in vitro heterologous DNAs using the Φ29 DNA replication machinery and producing DNA with TP covalently attached to the 5′ end. The amplification requires four Φ29 proteins, DNA polymerase, TP, single-stranded DNA binding protein and double-stranded DNA binding protein (p6). The DNA to be amplified is inserted between two sequences that are the Φ29 DNA replication origins, consisting of 191 and 194 bp from the left and right ends of the phage genome, respectively. The replication origins do not need to have TP covalently attached beforehand to be functional in amplification and they can be joined to the DNA to be amplified by cloning or ligation. The facts that two functional origins were required at the ends of a linear template DNA and that the kinetics of DNA synthesis was very similar to that obtained using the TP-containing Φ29 genome as template support the proposal that genuine amplification is taking place. Amplification factors of 30-fold have been obtained. Possible applications of DNAs produced by this method are discussed.