Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Netherlands XTC Toxicity (NeXT) study: objectives and methods of a study investigating causality, course, and clinical relevance

This paper describes the objectives and methods of The Netherlands XTC Toxicity (NeXT) study focussing on the causality, course, and clinical relevance of ecstasy neurotoxicity. Previous studies suggest that ecstasy (3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA, XTC) is toxic toward brain serotonin axons, but most of these studies have serious methodological limitations. The current study is a combination of different approaches with three substudies: (1) a cross‐sectional substudy among heavy ecstasy users and controls with variation in drug use, which will provide information about potential neurotoxic consequences of ecstasy in relation to other drugs; (2) a prospective cohort substudy in ecstasy‐naive subjects with high risk for future ecstasy use, which will provide information on the causality and short‐term course of ecstasy use and potential neurotoxicity, and (3) a retrospective cohort substudy in lifetime ecstasy users and matched controls of an existing epidemiological sample that will provide information on long‐term course and outcome of ecstasy use in the general population. Neurotoxicity is studied using (a) different imaging techniques (β‐CIT SPECT, [In this paper, the term ‘MDMA’ is used for ecstasy known to contain pure MDMA (laboratory conditions); the term ‘ecstasy’ is used for tablets/powder thought to be ecstasy although containment of MDMA only was not confirmed (general practice). ]H‐MR spectroscopy, diffusion tensor imaging, perfusion weighted imaging and functional magnetic resonance imaging), and (b) neuropsychological and psychiatric assessments of memory, depression, and personality. The combined results will lead to conclusions that can be used in prevention messages, clinical decision making, and the development of an (inter)national ecstasy policy. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Microvascular function regulates intestinal crypt response to radiation.

Recent evidence suggests that microvascular endothelial apoptosis represents the primary lesion in radiation damage to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Rescue of endothelium by depletion of acid sphingomyelinase or i.v. treatment with basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF) prevented the lethal GI syndrome in C(57)Bl/6 mice. Here we show that basic FGF increased crypt survival after irradiation by 2-3 fold, with a dose modification factor at D(10) of 1.15 (P < 0.01). Basic FGF inhibited initial crypt damage, assessed by crypt shrinkage at 18-24 h, but did not significantly affect the regeneration of surviving crypts at 3.5 days after irradiation. These data suggest that microvascular function regulates expression of radiation-induced crypt stem cell clonogen damage in the evolution of radiation injury to the GI mucosa.
Comparison of cell lines deficient in antigen presentation reveals a functional role for TAP-1 alone in antigen processing

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) recognize antigenic peptides bound to major histocompatibility complex class I antigens on the cell surface of virus-infected cells. It is believed that the majority of peptides originate from cytoplasmic degradation of proteins assumed to be mediated by the "20S" proteasome. Cytosolic peptides are then translocated, presumably by transporters associated with antigen processing (TAP-1 and -2), into the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) where binding and formation of the ternary complex between heavy chain, beta2-microglobulin (beta 2m) and peptide occurs. In this study, we have analyzed and compared the phenotype of two mutant cell lines, the thymoma cell line RMA-S and a small lung carcinoma cell line CMT.64, in order to address the mechanism that underlies the antigen processing deficiency of CMT.64 cells. Unlike RMA-S cells, vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-infected CMT.64 cells are not recognized by specific CTL. Interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) treatment of CMT.64 cells restores the ability of these cells to process and present VSV in the context of Kb. We show that although CMT.64 cells express a low level of beta 2m, the recognition of VSV-specific CTL is not restored by increasing the amount of beta 2m synthesized in CMT.64 cells. In addition, we find that CMT.64 cells express moderate levels of Kb heavy chain molecules, but most of it is unstable and rapidly degraded in the absence of IFN-gamma treatment. We infer that the antigen processing deficiency does not lie at the level of beta 2m or Kb production. We find also that the mRNAs for both TAP-1 and -2 are present in RMA and RMA-S cells but are absent in uninduced CMT.64 cells. Upon IFN-gamma induction, both mRNAs are highly expressed in CMT-64 cells. In addition, we find that the low molecular mass polypeptides 2 and 7, and additional components of the proteasome are induced by IFN-gamma in CMT- 64 cells. Finally, introduction of the rat TAP-1 gene in CMT.64 cells restores CTL recognition of VSV-infected cells. These results indicate that a TAP-1 homodimer may translocate peptides in the ER and explain partially the CMT.64 defect and the RMA-S phenotype. These findings link a dysfunction in the transport and/or generation of antigenic peptides to the capacity of tumor cells to evade immunosurveillance and provide a unique model system to dissect this phenomenon.
A Generalized Parallel Task Model for Recurrent Real-time Processes

A model is considered for representing recurrent precedence-constrained tasks that are to execute on multiprocessor platforms. A recurrent task is specified as a directed a cyclic graph (DAG), a period, and a relative deadline. Each vertex of the DAG represents a sequential job, while the edges of the DAG represent precedence constraints between these jobs. All the jobs of the DAG are released simultaneously and need to complete execution within the specified relative deadline of their release. The task may release jobs in this manner an unbounded number of times, with successive releases occurring at least the specified period apart. The scheduling problem is to determine whether such a recurrent task can be scheduled to always meet all deadlines upon a specified number of processors that are dedicated for the use of this task. This problem is shown to be computationally intractable, but amenable to efficient approximate solutions. EDF is shown to be a good approximate scheduling algorithm. Polynomial and pseudo-polynomial schedulability tests, of differing effectiveness, are presented for determining whether a given task can be scheduled by EDF to always meet all deadlines on a specified number of processors.
A Welfare Evaluation of East Asian Monetary Policy Regimes Under Foreign Output Shock

Adverse foreign output shocks have a sizable impact on the welfare of small open economies. Therefore, one of the key roles of monetary policy in those economies is to minimize the welfare losses arising from such shocks. To assess the welfare impact of external shocks under different monetary policy regimes, we numerically solve and calculate the welfare loss function of a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model with complete exchange rate pass through. We find that consumer price index (CPI) inflation targeting minimizes welfare losses for import-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratios from 0.3 to 0.9. However, welfare under the pegged exchange rate regime is almost equivalent to CPI inflation targeting when the import-to-GDP ratio is 1, while the domestic inflation targeting minimizes welfare when the import-to-GDP ratio is 0.1. We calibrate the model and derive welfare implications for eight East Asian small open economies.
Assessing the value of oilseed meals for soil fertility and weed suppression

SUMMARY Recent projects in New England have shown that growing oilseed crops for on-farm biofuel production has the potential to increase the economic viability of farms through diversification. Oilseed meals would net the highest return if sold as a source of protein for a livestock ration, but there have been several barriers preventing the establishment of this market. There are small amounts of local oilseed meals that are inconsistent in quality detracting from the value of the meal to the feed industry. Farmers producing oilseeds need to find other markets and/or uses for their seed meal. There is a potential market for the oilseed meal to be used for fertilizer and weed control. In order to develop a market for the seed meal it will be necessary to determine the value of the meals as a fertilizer source and weed suppressant. The objective of this project was to determine the potential of local canola, mustard, and sunflower meals to provide nitrogen and suppress weeds in a high value sweet corn crop.
Three Decades of Money Demand Studies . Some Differences and Remarkable Similarities

By analyzing almost 1000 money demand estimations this paper attempts to summarize the disperse findings of this literature. Using both descriptive statistics and meta-regressions we derive several stylized facts about the two most prominent determinants of money demand–income and interest rate elasticities. In particular, we show that the size and signs of average elasticities are systematically related to the choice of included variables (e.g., M1 or M3, short-run or long-run interest rates), the country grouping (e.g., US vs. Germany) and the empirical specification (e.g., the inclusion of one or two interest rates). JEL-Code: E41; E52
Revenge after termination of a romantic relationship in young adults: a self-regulation perspective

39 Introduction.40 Methodology.45 Approach and Design.45 Participants.45 Data Collection.46 Data Analysis.47 Trustworthiness.48 Ethical Considerations.49 Results.50 Discussion.57 The Initial Phase.57 Theme 4: Initial shock and confusion.57 Theme 1: Self-doubt.58 Theme 9: Negative emotions.59 Theme 2: Isolation from family and friends.60 The Rumination Phase.61 Theme 14: Rumination.61 The Non-Revenge Route.62 Theme 13: Seeking social support.62 Theme 10: Insight and closure.62 Theme 11: Forgiveness.62 Theme 12: Self-improvement.63 The Revenge Route.64 Theme 6: Revenge fantasies.64 Theme 7: Revenge.65 Theme 5: Providing a justification for revenge.66 Theme 8: Following / stalking the ex-partner.66 The Intersection Between Revenge and Non-Revenge.67 Theme 3: Cutting ties.67 Limitations.68 Conclusion and Recommendations.69 References.71 3 CRITICAL REFLECTION.87 The Professor and The Topic.87 Methodology.89 Findings.91 Final Words.91 References.92 APPENDIX A: IQA QUESTIONNAIRE.94 APPENDIX B: DECLARATION OF LANGUAGE EDITING.106 TABLE 1: THEMES WITH VERBATIM EXAMPLES.50 TABLE 2: THE FREQUENCY TABLE.54 TABLE 3: INTER-RELATIONAL DIAGRAM (IRD). 56 FIGURE 1: THE SYSTMES INFLUENCE DIAGRAM (SID) / HYPOTHETICAL MODEL.57
Identification of dysregulated genes in rheumatoid arthritis based on bioinformatics analysis

Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic auto-inflammatory disorder of joints. The present study aimed to identify the key genes in RA for better understanding the underlying mechanisms of RA. Methods The integrated analysis of expression profiling was conducted to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in RA. Moreover, functional annotation, protein–protein interaction (PPI) network and transcription factor (TF) regulatory network construction were applied for exploring the potential biological roles of DEGs in RA. In addition, the expression level of identified candidate DEGs was preliminarily detected in peripheral blood cells of RA patients in the GSE17755 dataset. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was conducted to validate the expression levels of identified DEGs in RA. Results A total of 378 DEGs, including 202 up- and 176 down-regulated genes, were identified in synovial tissues of RA patients compared with healthy controls. DEGs were significantly enriched in axon guidance, RNA transport and MAPK signaling pathway. RBFOX2, LCK and SERBP1 were the hub proteins in the PPI network. In the TF-target gene network, RBFOX2, POU6F1, WIPF1 and PFKFB3 had the high connectivity with TFs. The expression status of 11 candidate DEGs was detected in GSE17755, the expression levels of MAT2A and NSA2 were significantly down-regulated and CD47 had the up-regulated tendency in peripheral blood cells of patients with RA compared with healthy individuals. qRT-PCR results of MAT2A, NSA2, CD47 were compatible with our bioinformatics analyses. Discussion Our study might provide valuable information for exploring the pathogenesis mechanism of RA and identifying the potential biomarkers for RA diagnosis.
Impact of Preoperative Function on Early Postoperative Outcome after Total Hip Arthroplasty

Purpose. To investigate the impact of preoperative functional status on early postoperative outcomes after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Methods. 39 men and 36 women aged 50 to 76 years who underwent cementless THA for osteoarthritis were followed up for at least 2 years. Patients were evaluated pre- and post-operatively (at 6, 12, and 24 months) using the Harris Hip Score (HHS), 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Patients were classified into 3 groups based on their preoperative HHS (poor, <45; intermediate, 45–55; good, >55). Differences between and within groups were compared. Results. Patients with a poor preoperative HHS had worse early postoperative outcomes in terms of HHS, SF-36, and WOMAC. Postoperative pain and function correlated with preoperative HHS, but postoperative range of motion and deformity did not. Conclusion. Poor preoperative function may affect recovery unfavourably and lead to prolonged pain. Earlier THA in the course of functional decline may associate with better outcomes.
Finding the weakest link – exploring integrin-mediated mechanical molecular pathways

Summary From the extracellular matrix to the cytoskeleton, a network of molecular links connects cells to their environment. Molecules in this network transmit and detect mechanical forces, which subsequently determine cell behavior and fate. Here, we reconstruct the mechanical pathway followed by these forces. From matrix proteins to actin through integrins and adaptor proteins, we review how forces affect the lifetime of bonds and stretch or alter the conformation of proteins, and how these mechanical changes are converted into biochemical signals in mechanotransduction events. We evaluate which of the proteins in the network can participate in mechanotransduction and which are simply responsible for transmitting forces in a dynamic network. Besides their individual properties, we also analyze how the mechanical responses of a protein are determined by their serial connections from the matrix to actin, their parallel connections in integrin clusters and by the rate at which force is applied to them. All these define mechanical molecular pathways in cells, which are emerging as key regulators of cell function alongside better studied biochemical pathways.
Epigenetics in diagnosis of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a third most common epithelial carcinoma. CRC is known to develop from the early precancerous lesion to full blown malignancy via definite phases due to cumulative mutations and aberrant methylation of number of genes. The use of serum biomarkers that is non-invasive to discriminate cancer patients from healthy persons will prove to be an important tool to improve the early diagnosis of CRC. This will serve as the boon to the clinical management of the disease.
Correlation between serum lipids and age-related macular degeneration: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of visual loss among people aged 65 yr and older. The pathophysiology of AMD is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between serum lipid concentrations and age-related macular degeneration. METHODS In this case-control study, total cholesterol (TCH), low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglyceride (TG) of 32 patients with AMD were compared with 32 subjects without AMD that were matched for age. Data were analyzed using Independent t and Chi-Square Tests. RESULTS TCH, LDL, and TG serum concentrations were significantly higher in AMD patients compared with control group (P<0.001, P<0.001 and P<0.017 respectively). There was no difference in HDL concentration between two groups (P=0.781). CONCLUSION High level of total cholesterol, TG and LDL were associated with increased risk of AMD. Results of this study suggest further research to better understand the underlying biological mechanisms of AMD related to serum cholesterol.
VLT/UVES Abundances in Four Nearby Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies. II. Implications for Understanding Galaxy Evolution

We have used the Ultraviolet Visual-Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) on Kueyen (UT2) of the Very Large Telescope to take spectra of 15 individual red giant stars in the centers of four nearby dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSph's): Sculptor, Fornax, Carina, and Leo I. We measure the abundance variations of numerous elements in these low-mass stars with a range of ages (1–15 Gyr old). This means that we can effectively measure the chemical evolution of these galaxies with time. Our results show a significant spread in metallicity with age, but an overall trend consistent with what might be expected from a closed- (or perhaps leaky-) box chemical evolution scenario over the last 10–15 Gyr. We make comparisons between the properties of stars observed in dSph's and in our Galaxy's disk and halo, as well as globular cluster populations in our Galaxy and in the Large Magellanic Cloud. We also look for the signature of the earliest star formation in the universe, which may have occurred in these small systems. We notice that each of these galaxies show broadly similar abundance patterns for all elements measured. This suggests a fairly uniform progression of chemical evolution with time, despite quite a large range of star formation histories. It seems likely that these galaxies had similar initial conditions, and that they evolve in a similar manner with star formation occurring at a uniformly low rate, even if at different times. With our accurate measurements we find evidence for small variations in abundances, which seem to be correlated to variations in star formation histories between different galaxies. The α-element abundances suggest that dSph chemical evolution has not been affected by very high mass stars (>15–20 M⊙). The abundance patterns we measure for stars in dSph's are significantly different from those typically observed in the disk, bulge, and inner halo of our Galaxy. This means that, as far as we can tell from the (limited) data available to date, it is impossible to construct a significant fraction of our disk, inner halo, or bulge from stars formed in dSph's such as we see today, which subsequently merged into our own. Any merger scenario involving dSph's has to occur in the very early universe while they are still gas-rich, so the majority of mass transfer is gas and few stars.
Robust detection and recognition of buildings in urban environments from LADAR data

Successful unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) navigation in urban areas requires the competence of the vehicle to cope with Global Positioning System (GPS) outages and/or unreliable position estimates due to multipathing. At the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) we are developing registration algorithms using LADAR (LAser Detection And Ranging) data to cope with such scenarios. In this paper, we present a building detection and recognition (BDR) algorithm using LADAR range images acquired from UGVs towards reliable and efficient registration. We verify the proposed algorithms using field data obtained from a Riegl LADAR range sensor mounted on a UGV operating in a variety of unknown urban environments. The presented results show the robustness and efficacy of the BDR algorithm.
Content and network-aware multicast over wireless networks

This paper proposes content and network-aware redundancy allocation algorithms for channel coding and network coding to optimally deliver data and video multicast services over error prone wireless mesh networks. Each network node allocates redundancies for channel coding and network coding taking in to account the content properties, channel bandwidth and channel status to improve the end-to-end performance of data and video multicast applications. For data multicast applications, redundancies are allocated at each network node in such a way that the total amount of redundant bits transmitted is minimised. As for video multicast applications, redundancies are allocated considering the priority of video packets such that the probability of delivering high priority video packets is increased. This not only ensures the continuous playback of a video but also increases the received video quality. Simulation results for bandwidth sensitive data multicast applications exhibit up to 10× reduction of the required amount of redundant bits compared to reference schemes to achieve a 100% packet delivery ratio. Similarly, for delay sensitive video multicast applications, simulation results exhibit up to 3.5dB PSNR gains in the received video quality.
Better Computer Go Player with Neural Network and Long-term Prediction

Competing with top human players in the ancient game of Go has been a long-term goal of artificial intelligence. Go's high branching factor makes traditional search techniques ineffective, even on leading-edge hardware, and Go's evaluation function could change drastically with one stone change. Recent works [Maddison et al. (2015); Clark & Storkey (2015)] show that search is not strictly necessary for machine Go players. A pure pattern-matching approach, based on a Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN) that predicts the next move, can perform as well as Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS)-based open source Go engines such as Pachi [Baudis & Gailly (2012)] if its search budget is limited. We extend this idea in our bot named darkforest, which relies on a DCNN designed for long-term predictions. Darkforest substantially improves the win rate for pattern-matching approaches against MCTS-based approaches, even with looser search budgets. Against human players, the newest versions, darkfores2, achieve a stable 3d level on KGS Go Server as a ranked bot, a substantial improvement upon the estimated 4k-5k ranks for DCNN reported in Clark & Storkey (2015) based on games against other machine players. Adding MCTS to darkfores2 creates a much stronger player named darkfmcts3: with 5000 rollouts, it beats Pachi with 10k rollouts in all 250 games; with 75k rollouts it achieves a stable 5d level in KGS server, on par with state-of-the-art Go AIs (e.g., Zen, DolBaram, CrazyStone) except for AlphaGo [Silver et al. (2016)]; with 110k rollouts, it won the 3rd place in January KGS Go Tournament.