Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Functional Connectivity of EEG Signals Under Laser Stimulation in Migraine

In previous studies, migraine patients showed abnormalities in pain-related evoked responses, as reduced habituation to repetitive stimulation. In this study, we aimed to apply a novel analysis of EEG bands synchronization and directed dynamical influences under painful stimuli in migraine patients compared to non-migraine healthy volunteers. Thirty-one migraine without aura outpatients (MIGR) were evaluated and compared to 19 controls (CONT). The right hand was stimulated by means of 30 consecutive CO2 laser stimuli. EEG signal was examined by means of Morlet wavelet, synchronization entropy (SE), and Granger causality (GC), and the statistically validated results were mapped on the corresponding scalp locations. The vertex complex of averaged laser-evoked responses (LEPs) showed reduced habituation compared to CONT. In the prestimulus phase, enhanced SE in the 0, 5–30 Hz range was present in MIGR and CONT between the bilateral temporal–parietal and the frontal regions around the midline. Migraine patients showed an anticipation of EEG changes preceding the painful stimulation compared to CONT. In the poststimulus phase, the same cortical areas were more connected in MIGR vs CONT. In both groups of patients and CONT, the habituation index was negatively correlated with the GC scores. A different pattern of cortical activation after painful stimulation was present in migraine. The increase in cortical connections during repetitive painful stimulation may subtend the phenomenon of LEPs reduced habituation. Brain network analysis may give an aid in understanding subtle changes of pain processing under laser stimuli in migraine patients.
Language Mapping in Multilingual Patients: Electrocorticography and Cortical Stimulation During Naming

Multilingual patients pose a unique challenge when planning epilepsy surgery near language cortex because the cortical representations of each language may be distinct. These distinctions may not be evident with routine electrocortical stimulation mapping (ESM). Electrocorticography (ECoG) has recently been used to detect task-related spectral perturbations associated with functional brain activation. We hypothesized that using broadband high gamma augmentation (HGA, 60–150 Hz) as an index of cortical activation, ECoG would complement ESM in discriminating the cortical representations of first (L1) and second (L2) languages. We studied four adult patients for whom English was a second language, in whom subdural electrodes (a total of 358) were implanted to guide epilepsy surgery. Patients underwent ECoG recordings and ESM while performing the same visual object naming task in L1 and L2. In three of four patients, ECoG found sites activated during naming in one language but not the other. These language-specific sites were not identified using ESM. In addition, ECoG HGA was observed at more sites during L2 versus L1 naming in two patients, suggesting that L2 processing required additional cortical resources compared to L1 processing in these individuals. Post-operative language deficits were identified in three patients (one in L2 only). These deficits were predicted by ECoG spectral mapping but not by ESM. These results suggest that pre-surgical mapping should include evaluation of all utilized languages to avoid post-operative functional deficits. Finally, this study suggests that ECoG spectral mapping may potentially complement the results of ESM of language.
Sources of Diplodia pinea endophytic infections in Pinus patula and P. radiata seedlings in South Africa

Diplodia pinea, an opportunistic and latent pathogen, can significantly affect Pinus productivity worldwide. Despite being studied in South Africa for almost 100years, the source of D. pinea inoculum responsible for seedling infection is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the role of seed in vertical transmission of D. pinea and to investigate sources of inoculum leading to horizontal transmission to pine seedlings. Surface-disinfected seeds were inoculated with spore and mycelium suspensions of D. pinea to determine its effect on germination. In addition, isolation of the fungus was performed from surface-disinfected seeds, asymptomatic seedlings collected from nurseries, plantations where pines naturally regenerate and recently established fields, to assess transmission and incidence of endophytic D. pinea infections. Inoculation of seeds with D. pinea spore suspensions affected speed and rate of germination. The fungus was isolated from surface-disinfected seeds in only a few instances (2-3%) and was not found in healthy seedlings collected from greenhouses and nurseries, suggesting that vertical transmission of the fungus does not occur or is rare. In contrast, D. pinea was isolated from 40% of seedlings obtained from the understory of mature P. patula trees showing that horizontal transmission from mature to young trees sustains the D. pinea inoculum in South African pine plantations.
Attention to the body depends on eye-in-orbit position

Attentional selectivity in touch is modulated by the position of the body in external space. For instance, during endogenous attention tasks in which tactile stimuli are presented to the hands, the effect of attention is reduced when the hands are placed far apart than when they are close together and when the hands are crossed as compared to when they are placed in their anatomical position. This suggests that both somatotopic and external spatial reference frames coding the hands’ locations contribute to the spatial selection of the relevant hand. Here we investigate whether tactile selection of hands is also modulated by the position of other body parts, not directly involved in tactile perception, such as eye-in-orbit (gaze direction). We asked participants to perform the same sustained tactile attention task while gazing laterally toward an eccentric fixation point (Eccentric gaze) or toward a central fixation point (Central gaze). Event-related potentials recorded in response to tactile non-target stimuli presented to the attended or unattended hand were compared as a function of gaze direction (Eccentric vs. Central conditions). Results revealed that attentional modulations were reduced in the Eccentric gaze condition as compared to the Central gaze condition in the time range of the Nd component (200–260 ms post-stimulus), demonstrating for the first time that the attentional selection of one of the hands is affected by the position of the eye in the orbit. Directing the eyes toward an eccentric position might be sufficient to create a misalignment between external and somatotopic frames of references reducing tactile attention. This suggests that the eye-in-orbit position contributes to the spatial selection of the task relevant body part.
Evolving decision-making functions in an autonomous robotic exploration strategy using grammatical evolution

Customising navigational control for autonomous robotic mapping platforms is still a challenging task. Control software must simultaneously maximise the area explored whilst maintaining safety and working within the constraints of the platform. Scoring functions to assess navigational options are typically written by hand and manually refined. As navigational tasks become more complex this manual approach is unlikely to yield the best results. In this paper we explore the automatic derivation of a scoring function for a ground based exploration platform. We show that it is possible to derive the entire structure of a scoring function and that allowing structure to evolve yields significant performance advantages over the evolution of embedded constants alone.
Possible determinants and spatial patterns of anaemia among young children in Nigeria: a Bayesian semi-parametric modelling.

BACKGROUND Anaemia is a global public health problem affecting both developing and developed countries with major consequences for human health and socioeconomic development. This paper examines the possible relationship between Hb concentration and severity of anaemia with individual and household characteristics of children aged 6-59 months in Nigeria; and explores possible geographical variations of these outcome variables. METHODS Data on Hb concentration and severity of anaemia in children aged 6-59 months that participated in the 2010 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey were analysed. A semi-parametric model using a hierarchical Bayesian approach was adopted to examine the putative relationship of covariates of different types and possible spatial variation. Gaussian, binary and ordinal outcome variables were considered in modelling. RESULTS Spatial analyses reveal a distinct North-South divide in Hb concentration of the children analysed and that states in Northern Nigeria possess a higher risk of anaemia. Other important risk factors include the household wealth index, sex of the child, whether or not the child had fever or malaria in the 2 weeks preceding the survey, and children under 24 months of age. CONCLUSIONS There is a need for state level implementation of specific programmes that target vulnerable children as this can help in reversing the existing patterns.
High Entrepreneurship, Leadership, and Professionalism (HELP): Toward an Integrated, Empirically Based Perspective

This article evaluates the psychometric properties of a new measure for assessing the constructs of entrepreneurship, leadership, and professionalism, from an integrated point of view, the High Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Professionalism Questionnaire (HELP-Q). Exploratory factor analysis indicated a factor structure with three principal dimensions, and confirmatory factor analysis and goodness of fit indices indicated a good fit of the model to the data. All the dimensions showed good values of internal consistency. The results of the study thus indicate that the HELP-Q is a short and easily administered instrument with good psychometric properties that can promote entrepreneurship, leadership, and professionalism in workers as well as in those who are preparing to enter the turbulent 21st century labor market.
Pathological response and safety of two neoadjuvant strategies with bevacizumab in MRI-defined locally advanced T3 resectable rectal cancer: a randomized, noncomparative phase II study.

BACKGROUND In T3 rectal cancer (RC), preoperative chemoradiotherapy [5-fluorouracil (5-FU-RT)] reduces local recurrences, but does not affect overall survival. New therapeutic options are still necessary to improve clinical outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS This randomized, noncomparative, open-label, multicenter, two arms, phase II study was conducted in MRI-defined locally advanced T3 resectable RC. In arm A, patients received 12-week bevacizumab plus 5-FU, leucovorin and oxaliplatin (Folfox-4) followed with bevacizumab-5-FU-RT before total mesorectal excision (TME). In arm B, patients received only bevacizumab-5-FU-RT before TME. Primary end point was pathological complete response (pCR) rate. RESULTS Forty-six patients were randomized in arm A and 45 patients in arm B. In arm A, the rate of pCR was 23.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 12.1% to 39.5%] statistically superior to the defined standard rate of 10%, P = 0.015. In arm B, the rate of pCR of 11.4% (95% CI 3.8% to 24.6%) was not different from 10%, P = 0.906. No death occurred during the study period, from the start until 8 weeks following surgery. Postoperative fistulas were reported for 16 patients (7 in arm A and 9 in arm B). CONCLUSION Even if the addition of bevacizumab induced manageable toxicities including an increased risk of postoperative fistula and no treatment-related death, arm B did not achieve the expected pCR rate in the population of patients included. Induction bevacizumab-Folfox-4 followed by bevacizumab-5-FU-RT is promising. It is however necessary to continue investigations in the management of locally advanced RC. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT 00865189.
Serum insulin, glucose, indices of insulin resistance, and risk of prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND The mitogenic and growth-stimulatory effects of insulin-like growth factors appear to play a role in prostate carcinogenesis, yet any direct association of circulating insulin levels and risk of prostate cancer remains unclear. METHODS We investigated the relationship of the level of serum insulin, glucose, and surrogate indices of insulin resistance (ie, the molar ratio of insulin to glucose and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance [HOMA-IR]) to the development of prostate cancer in a case-cohort study within the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study cohort of Finnish men. We studied 100 case subjects with incident prostate cancer and 400 noncase subjects without prostate cancer from the larger cohort. Fasting serum was collected 5-12 years before diagnosis. We determined insulin concentrations with a double-antibody immunochemiluminometric assay and glucose concentrations with a hexokinase assay. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated relative risks as odds ratios (ORs), and all statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS Insulin concentrations in fasting serum that was collected on average 9.2 years before diagnosis among case subjects were 8% higher than among noncase subjects, and the molar ratio of insulin to glucose and HOMA-IR were 10% and 6% higher, respectively, but these differences were not statistically significant. Among subjects in the second through fourth insulin quartiles, compared with those in the first quartile, increased insulin levels were associated with statistically significantly increased risks of prostate cancer (OR = 1.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.75 to 3.03; OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 0.86 to 3.56; and OR = 2.55, 95% CI = 1.18 to 5.51; for the second through fourth insulin quartiles, respectively; P(trend) = . 02). A similar pattern was observed with the HOMA-IR (OR = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.03 to 4.26; P(trend) = . 02) for the highest vs lowest quartiles. Risk varied inconsistently with glucose concentration (P(trend) = . 38). A stronger association between insulin level and prostate cancer risk was observed among leaner men and among men who were less physically active at work. Crude prostate cancer incidence was 154 prostate cancers per 100 000 person-years in the lowest quartile of fasting serum insulin vs 394 prostate cancers per 100 000 person-years in the highest quartile. CONCLUSION Elevated fasting levels of serum insulin (but not glucose) within the normal range appear to be associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer.
Visual gait analysis: the development of a clinical assessment and scale

Objectives: To develop and evaluate a four-point scale visual gait assessment form, the Rivermead Visual Gait Assessment (RVGA), for clinical use with patients with neurological deficits. Design: Preliminary clinical testing of reliability, validity and sensitivity to change. Setting: Patients were recruited from the Rivermead Rehabilitation Centre (RRC), a centre specializing in rehabilitation for patients with neurological disease. Patients: Ten inpatients were assessed by up to seven physiotherapists for the main reliability study, and eight different patients were also assessed by two raters one week apart. Twenty outpatients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who were receiving physiotherapy to improve their mobility and 27 inpatients with various neurological conditions were also assessed and the data used to examine validity, reliability and sensitivity to change. Outcome: The other comparative measures used were walking time, stride length, step length asymmetry, balance and the Rivermead Mobility Index. Results: Inter-rater reliability between multiple raters was reasonable both for the global scores from the gait assessment form (Kendall's coefficient of concordance; p <0.001), and for individual items (complete agreement occurred on 63.8% of all observations). There was a significant correlation between the global RVGA score and the various criterion measures (r = 0.53–0.79; p <0.001) and between change in the RVGA score and change in walking time in patients who received treatment (r = 0.68; p <0.01). Conclusions: The RVGA provides the clinician with a clinical assessment of the quality of gait which may be used in conjunction with other measures to inform and monitor the value of physiotherapy treatment for people with MS and stroke, and possibly other neurological deficits.
Graphical tools for the analysis of bi-objective optimization algorithms: [workshop on theoretical aspects of evolutionary multiobjective optimization]

A fundamentally different approach to the quality assessment of multi-objective SLS algorithms derives from the concept of attainment function. The attainment function extends the scalar concepts of mean and variance to random sets. The attainment function theory may completely characterize the statistical distribution of solutions in the objective space in terms of location, spread and mutual dependence. Moreover, statistical testing and inference are possible. However, the use of attainment functions is still rather limited in practice. We present here two practical applications of the first-order attainment function for analysing the output of SLS algorithms for bi-objective optimization problems. Programs implementing the techniques presented here are also available. Later, we discuss what would be necessary to extend this work for more than two objectives and for other types of analysis.
Effect of curcumin on the adhesion of platelets to brain microvascular endothelial cells in vitro

AbstractAim:To determine whether curcumin prevents the adhesion of platelets to brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) cultured in vitro.Methods:[3H]Adenine-labeled platelets were incubated with BMECs to investigate the role of curcumin in the adhesion of platelets to BMECs. The number of platelets adhering to the BMECs monolayer was determined by liquid scintillation spectroscopy. The thrombin-induced expression of platelets P-selectin, glycoprotein IIb (GPIIb), and glycoprotein IIIa (GPIIIa) on the cell surface, was measured by flow cytometry. P-selectin mRNA levels of BMECs were determined by RT-PCR. The TNF-α-induced expressions of P-selectin and E-selectin on the surface of BMECs were determined by Western blotting.Results:The adhesion between thrombin-activated platelets and normal BMECs, and that of TNF-α-activated BMECs and normal platelets were significantly increased, and this increase could be inhibited by curcumin (30–240 μmol/L) in a concentration-dependant manner. The platelets activated with thrombin and BMECs stimulated by TNF-α demonstrated an upregulated expressions of P-selectin and E-selectin, and this increase, when pretreated with curcumin for 30 min, could be restrained dose dependently. Curcumin also inhibited the increase of the GPIIb/GPIIIa expression of thrombin-activated platelets in a concentration-dependent manner.Conclusion:Curcumin can inhibit the platelets to BMECs. This effect may be related to the decreased expressions of P-selectin, E-selectin, and GPIIb/GPIIIa on platelets and BMECs.
Diagnostic accuracy and reliability of ultrasonography for the detection of fatty liver: A meta‐analysis

Ultrasonography is a widely accessible imaging technique for the detection of fatty liver, but the reported accuracy and reliability have been inconsistent across studies. We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta‐analysis of the diagnostic accuracy and reliability of ultrasonography for the detection of fatty liver. We used MEDLINE and Embase from October 1967 to March 2010. Studies that provided cross‐tabulations of ultrasonography versus histology or standard imaging techniques, or that provided reliability data for ultrasonography, were included. Study variables were independently abstracted by three reviewers and double checked by one reviewer. Forty‐nine (4720 participants) studies were included for the meta‐analysis of diagnostic accuracy. The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio of ultrasound for the detection of moderate‐severe fatty liver, compared to histology (gold standard), were 84.8% (95% confidence interval: 79.5‐88.9), 93.6% (87.2‐97.0), 13.3 (6.4‐27.6), and 0.16 (0.12‐0.22), respectively. The area under the summary receiving operating characteristics curve was 0.93 (0.91‐0.95). Reliability of ultrasound for the detection of fatty liver showed kappa statistics ranging from 0.54 to 0.92 for intrarater reliability and from 0.44 to 1.00 for interrater reliability. Sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound was similar to that of other imaging techniques (i.e., computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging). Statistical heterogeneity was present even after stratification for multiple clinically relevant characteristics. Conclusion: Ultrasonography allows for reliable and accurate detection of moderate‐severe fatty liver, compared to histology. Because of its low cost, safety, and accessibility, ultrasound is likely the imaging technique of choice for screening for fatty liver in clinical and population settings. (HEPATOLOGY 2011; 54:1082–1090)
In vitro Magnetic Stimulation: A Simple Stimulation Device to Deliver Defined Low Intensity Electromagnetic Fields

Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) by electromagnetic fields appears to benefit human neurological and psychiatric conditions, although the optimal stimulation parameters and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Although, in vitro studies have begun to elucidate cellular mechanisms, stimulation is delivered by a range of coils (from commercially available human stimulation coils to laboratory-built circuits) so that the electromagnetic fields induced within the tissue to produce the reported effects are ill-defined. Here, we develop a simple in vitro stimulation device with plug-and-play features that allow delivery of a range of stimulation parameters. We chose to test low intensity repetitive magnetic stimulation (LI-rMS) delivered at three frequencies to hindbrain explant cultures containing the olivocerebellar pathway. We used computational modeling to define the parameters of a stimulation circuit and coil that deliver a unidirectional homogeneous magnetic field of known intensity and direction, and therefore a predictable electric field, to the target. We built the coil to be compatible with culture requirements: stimulation within an incubator; a flat surface allowing consistent position and magnetic field direction; location outside the culture plate to maintain sterility and no heating or vibration. Measurements at the explant confirmed the induced magnetic field was homogenous and matched the simulation results. To validate our system we investigated biological effects following LI-rMS at 1 Hz, 10 Hz and biomimetic high frequency, which we have previously shown induces neural circuit reorganization. We found that gene expression was modified by LI-rMS in a frequency-related manner. Four hours after a single 10-min stimulation session, the number of c-fos positive cells increased, indicating that our stimulation activated the tissue. Also, after 14 days of LI-rMS, the expression of genes normally present in the tissue was differentially modified according to the stimulation delivered. Thus we describe a simple magnetic stimulation device that delivers defined stimulation parameters to different neural systems in vitro. Such devices are essential to further understanding of the fundamental effects of magnetic stimulation on biological tissue and optimize therapeutic application of human NIBS.