Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differentiated Baroreflex Modulation of Sympathetic Nerve Activity During Deep Brain Stimulation in Humans

Targeted electric deep brain stimulation in midbrain nuclei in humans alters cardiovascular parameters, presumably by modulating autonomic and baroreflex function. Baroreflex modulation of sympathetic outflow is crucial for cardiovascular regulation and is hypothesized to occur at 2 distinct brain locations. The aim of this study was to evaluate sympathetic outflow in humans with deep brain stimulating electrodes during ON and OFF stimulation of specific midbrain nuclei known to regulate cardiovascular function. Multiunit muscle sympathetic nerve activity was recorded in 17 patients undergoing deep brain stimulation for treatment of chronic neuropathic pain (n=7) and Parkinson disease (n=10). Sympathetic outflow was recorded during ON and OFF stimulation. Arterial blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory frequency were monitored during the recording session, and spontaneous vasomotor and cardiac baroreflex sensitivity were assessed. Head-up tilt testing was performed separately in the patients with Parkinson disease postoperatively. Stimulation of the dorsal most part of the subthalamic nucleus and ventrolateral periaqueductal gray resulted in improved vasomotor baroreflex sensitivity, decreased burst frequency and blood pressure, unchanged burst amplitude distribution, and a reduced fall in blood pressure after tilt. Stimulation of the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray resulted in a shift in burst amplitude distribution toward larger amplitudes, decreased spontaneous beat-to-beat blood pressure variability, and unchanged burst frequency, baroreflex sensitivity, and blood pressure. Our results indicate that a differentiated regulation of sympathetic outflow occurs in the subthalamic nucleus and periaqueductal gray. These results may have implications in our understanding of abnormal sympathetic discharge in cardiovascular disease and provide an opportunity for therapeutic targeting.
The Representation and Processing of Order Information in Memory.

The current study sought to uncover how temporal information is represented in our knowledge about routine events. In Study 1a we collected norming data on eight routines taken from Galambos (1983). In Study 1b participants were presented with two actions of varying distance from a routine and asked “Are the actions in the correct order? ”. We found that a number of variables interact with distance including action position, routine familiarity, and experimental block. These data suggest that sometimes participants are faster when the actions are far apart in the routine, while at other times they are faster when actions are closer together, providing evidence for both distance and reverse-distance effects, respectively. A model is presented to help interpret these data in which temporal information for routine events is both: (1) coarsely coded, and processed by an estimation mechanism, as well as; (2) represented serially, and processed by a scanning mechanism.
Holistic optimization by prefetching query results

In this paper we address the problem of optimizing performance of database/web-service backed applications by means of automatically prefetching query results. Prefetching has been performed in earlier work based on predicting query access patterns; however such prediction is often of limited value, and can perform unnecessary prefetches. There has been some earlier work on program analysis and rewriting to automatically insert prefetch requests; however, such work has been restricted to rewriting of single procedures. In many cases, the query is in a procedure which does not offer much scope for prefetching within the procedure; in contrast, our approach can perform prefetching in a calling procedure, even when the actual query is in a called procedure, thereby greatly improving the benefits due to prefetching. Our approach does not perform any intrusive changes to the source code, and places prefetch instructions at the earliest possible points while avoiding wasteful prefetches. We have incorporated our techniques into a tool for holistic optimization called DBridge, to prefetch query results in Java programs that use JDBC. Our tool can be easily extended to handle Hibernate API calls as well as Web service requests. Our experiments on several real world applications demonstrate the applicability and significant performance gains due to our techniques.
Distributive Politics and the Law of 1/n*

Distributive politics models often predict that legislators will demand inefficiently large projects, with inefficiency increasing in the number of districts, and that this will translate into larger projects and higher spending. The relationship between efficiency and legislature size is often referred to as the “law of 1/n”(Weingast, Shepsle, and Johnsen 1981). We demonstrate that the “law of 1/n” result with respect to project sizes and total spending is dependent on several factors, including the type of good being provided, the costs of raising revenue, and whether the local government has to share in the project's cost with the central government. In general, the “law of 1/n” need not hold for total government spending, and in fact a “reverse law of 1/n” often holds. In light of our theoretical findings, we reassess the empirical literature on this topic. The results have implications for a wide variety of applications in American and comparative politics.
NC100668, a New Tracer Tested for Imaging of Venous Thromboembolism: Pharmacokinetics and Metabolism in Humans

The 99mTc-complex of NC100668 [Acetyl-Asn-Gln-Glu-Gln-Val-Ser-Pro-Tyr(3-iodo)-Thr-Leu-Leu-Lys-Gly-NC100194] is a new tracer tested for nuclear medical imaging of venous thromboembolism. NC100668 is a 13-amino acid peptide with a Tc-binding chelator [NC100194; -NH-CH2-CH2-N(CH2-CH2-NH-C(CH3)2-C(CH3)=N-OH)2] linked to the C-terminal end. The present study was performed following injection of 99mTc-NC100668 in healthy human volunteers with five dose levels of NC100668 (20-2000 μg) and a constant radioactivity dose. The rate at which the radioactivity was cleared from blood was independent of gender and dose of NC100668; more than half of the 82% urinary clearance of radioactivity was obtained 2 h postinjection. The radioactivity in blood was reduced to 50% of initial values within 12 min; this was followed by a more gradual decrease with a half-life of 1.2 h and a terminal elimination half-life of 10.5 h. The plasma concentration of NC100668 decreased rapidly with an initial half-life of 5 to 10 min. The half-life after this initial phase could be estimated for only two of the subjects in the highest-dose group because the NC100668 concentration in the other samples at these time points was below the limit of detection of the liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) method. LC/MS analyses of urine samples revealed the identity of two metabolites generated from the C-terminal end of the molecule; Gly-NC100194 was identified as the major metabolite and NC100194 as a minor metabolite. The estimated sum of these two metabolites is in the same magnitude as the recoveries of 99mTc in these samples, indicating that most of the 99mTc excreted in urine is bound to one of these metabolites.
Corneal Graft Rejection 10 Years After Penetrating Keratoplasty in the Cornea Donor Study

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of donor and recipient factors on corneal allograft rejection and evaluate whether a rejection event was associated with graft failure. Methods: One thousand ninety subjects undergoing penetrating keratoplasty for a moderate risk condition (principally Fuchs dystrophy or pseudophakic corneal edema) were followed for up to 12 years. Associations of baseline recipient and donor factors with the occurrence of a rejection event were assessed in univariate and multivariate proportional hazards models. Results: Among 651 eyes with a surviving graft at 5 years, the 10-year graft failure (±99% confidence interval) rates were 12% ± 4% among eyes with no rejection events in the first 5 years, 17% ± 12% in eyes with at least 1 probable, but no definite rejection event, and 22% ± 20% in eyes with at least 1 definite rejection event. The only baseline factor significantly associated with a higher risk of definite graft rejection was a preoperative history of glaucoma, particularly when previous glaucoma surgery had been performed and glaucoma medications were being used at the time of transplant (10-year incidence 35% ± 23% compared with 14% ± 4% in eyes with no history of glaucoma/intraocular pressure treatment, P = 0.008). Conclusions: Patients who experienced a definite rejection event frequently developed graft failure raising important questions as to how we might change acute and long-term corneal graft management. Multivariate analysis indicated that previous use of glaucoma medications and glaucoma filtering surgery was a significant risk factor related to a definite rejection event.
Stress ulcer, gastritis, and gastrointestinal bleeding prophylaxis in critically ill pediatric patients: A systematic review

Objective: To identify and evaluate the quality of evidence supporting prophylactic use of treatments for stress ulcers and upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Stress ulcers, erosions of the stomach and duodenum, and upper gastrointestinal bleeding are well-known complications of critical illness in children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit. Data Sources: Studies were identified from the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PUBMED; LILACS; Scirus. We also scanned bibliographies of relevant studies. Study Selection: This systematic review of randomized controlled trials assessed the effects of drugs for stress-related ulcers, gastritis, and upper gastrointestinal bleeding in critically ill children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit. Data Extraction and Synthesis: Two reviewers independently extracted the relevant data. Most randomized controlled trials were judged as having unclear risk of bias. When pooling two randomized controlled trials, treatment was significantly more effective in preventing upper gastrointestinal bleeding (macroscopic or important bleeding) compared with no treatment (two studies = 300 participants; relative risk, 0.41; 95% confidence interval, 0.19–0.91; I2 = 12%). Meta-analysis of two studies found no significant difference in death rates among groups (two randomized controlled trials = 132 participants; relative risk, 1.39; 95% confidence interval, 0.70–2.79; I2 = 4%). The rate of pneumonia was not significantly different when comparing treatment and no treatment in one study. When comparing ranitidine with no treatment, significant differences were found in the proportion of mechanically ventilated children with normal gastric mucosal endoscopic findings by histologic specimens (one randomized controlled trial = 48 participants; relative risk, 3.53; 95% confidence interval, 1.34–9.29). No significant differences were found when comparing different drugs (omeprazole, ranitidine, sucralfate, famotidine, amalgate), doses, or regimens for main outcomes (deaths, endoscopic findings of erosion or ulcers, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, or pneumonia). Conclusions: Although pooled data of two studies suggested that critically ill pediatric patients may benefit from receiving prophylactic treatment to prevent upper gastrointestinal bleeding, we found that high-quality evidence to guide clinical practice is still limited.
Clinical Features of Seizures in Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have a higher burden of seizures, but few studies have examined seizures in HIV-infected individuals in Korea. A retrospective study was conducted to determine the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of seizures in patients with HIV infection. Among a total of 1,141 patients, 34 (3%) had seizures or epilepsy; 4 of these individuals had epilepsy before HIV infection, and the others showed new-onset seizures. Most patients exhibited moderate (200 to 500, n = 13) or low (below 200, n = 16) CD4 counts. The most common seizure etiology was progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (n = 14), followed by other HIV-associated central nervous system (CNS) complications (n = 6). Imaging studies revealed brain lesions in 21 patients. A total of 9 patients experienced only one seizure during the follow-up period, and 25 patients experienced multiple seizures or status epilepticus (n = 2). Multiple seizures were more common in patients with brain etiologies (P = 0.019) or epileptiform discharges on EEG (P = 0.032). Most seizures were controlled without anticonvulsants (n = 12) or with a single anticonvulsant (n = 12). Among patients with HIV infection, seizures are significantly more prevalent than in the general population. Most seizures, with the exception of status epilepticus, have a benign clinical course and few complications. Graphical Abstract
Path planning and design for AFM based nano-manipulation using probability distribution

In AFM nanomanipulation, the uncertainty of tip position in the task space can lead to inefficient nanomanipulation. To resolve this problem, the paper proposes a method which uses the local scan to obtain the observation distance. Then the landmark adjacency matrix is established for designing the observed landmarks. Next¡ colony optimization and Dijkstra's Algorithm are used to plan the tip trajectory, which reduces the cost greatly. Finally, the experiment results illustrate that the proposed algorithm can perform effective nano-manipulation.
Real-time communication in unconstrained shared Ethernet networks: the virtual token-passing approach

Traditional shared Ethernet networks have a non-deterministic behaviour, which impairs the support of real-time communication. In this paper, it is proposed a shared Ethernet deterministic architecture, able to interconnect sensors, controllers and actuators at the field level, allowing the coexistence of standard devices with enhanced (real-time) devices. Such solution is based on the control of the medium access right, by means of a virtual token passing procedure among enhanced stations, complemented by an underlying prioritization mechanism. Such underlying mechanism guarantees that, whenever an enhanced (real-time) station is contending for the bus access, it will be able to access the bus prior to any other station. Thus, it enables the traffic separation between standard and enhanced (real-time) stations, being able to guarantee real-time communication in unconstrained traffic environments
Topology and Function of CcmD in Cytochrome c Maturation

ABSTRACT The system I cytochrome c biogenesis pathway requires CcmD, a small polypeptide of 69 residues in Escherichia coli. Here it is shown that CcmD is a component of the CcmABC ATP-binding cassette transporter complex. CcmD is not necessary for the CcmC-dependent transfer of heme to CcmE in the periplasm or for interaction of CcmE with CcmABC. CcmD is absolutely required for the release of holo-CcmE from the CcmABCD complex. Evidence is presented that the topology of CcmD in the cytoplasmic membrane is the N terminus outside and the C terminus inside with one transmembrane domain.
At the crossroads of violence and aggression in the emergency department: perspectives of Australian emergency nurses.

OBJECTIVE Violence is widespread in Australian emergency departments (ED) and most prevalent at triage. The aim of the present study was to identify the causes and common acts of violence in the ED perceived by three distinct groups of nurses. METHODS The Delphi technique is a method for consensus-building. In the present study a three-phase Delphi technique was used to identify and compare what nurse unit managers, triage and non-triage nurses believe is the prevalence and nature of violence and aggression in the ED. RESULTS Long waiting times, drugs and alcohol all contributed to ED violence. Triage nurses also indicated that ED staff, including security staff and the triage nurses themselves, can contribute to violence. Improved communication at triage and support from management to follow up episodes of violence were suggested as strategies to reduce violence in the ED CONCLUSION :There is no single solution for the management of ED violence. Needs and strategies vary because people in the waiting room have differing needs to those inside the ED. Participants agreed that the introduction and enforcement of a zero tolerance policy, including support from managers to follow up reports of violence, would reduce violence and improve safety for staff. Education of the public regarding ED processes, and the ED staff in relation to patient needs, may contribute to reducing ED violence. What is known about the topic? Violence is prevalent in Australian healthcare, and particularly in emergency departments (ED). Several organisations and government bodies have made recommendations aimed at reducing the prevalence of violence in healthcare but, to date, these have not been implemented consistently, and violence continues. What does this paper add? This study examined ED violence from the perspective of triage nurses, nurse unit managers and non-triage nurses, and revealed that violence is experienced differently by emergency nurses, depending on their area of work. Triage nurses have identified that they themselves contribute to violence in the ED by their style of communication. Nurse unit managers and non-triage nurses perceive that violence is the result of drugs and alcohol, as well as long waiting times. What are the implications for practitioners? Strategies to reduce violence must address the needs of patients and staff both within the ED and in the waiting room. Such strategies should be multifaceted and include education of ED consumers and staff, as well as support from management to respond to reports of violence.
Separable Routes to Human Memory Formation: Dissociating Task and Material Contributions in the Prefrontal Cortex

The present study used fMRI to investigate functional dissociations across frontal regions during incidental memory formation. Subjects were imaged while encoding materials with differential access to phonological codes (nonfamous faces and nameable famous faces) under task conditions that encouraged elaborate (deep) or superficial (shallow) encoding strategies. Results revealed a functional dissociation between dorsal posterior regions of the prefrontal cortex (BA 6/44) that were sensitive to material type (famous vs. nonfamous), irrespective of the encoding task, and ventral anterior regions of the prefrontal cortex (BA 45/47) that were uniquely sensitive to task demands (deep vs. shallow), regardless of material type. Further, subjects realized a memorial advantage to the extent that they recruited these dissociable frontal regions. These results demonstrate a posterior/anterior dichotomy in the frontal cortex that underlies separable code-based routes to human memory formation.
Clinical features and treatment outcome of childhood T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia according to the apparent maturational stage of T-lineage leukemic blasts: a Children's Cancer Group study.

PURPOSE Leukemic cells from T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients are thought to originate from T-lymphocyte precursors corresponding to discrete stages of T-cell ontogeny. Here we sought to determine the influence of leukemic cell apparent maturational stage on treatment outcomes in pediatric T-lineage ALL. PATIENTS AND METHODS From 1983 through 1993, 407 pediatric T-lineage ALL patients were enrolled onto two sequential series of risk-adjusted treatment protocols of the Children's Cancer Group. In the current analysis, T-lineage ALL patients were immunophenotypically classified as follows: CD7+ CD2- CD5- pro-thymocyte leukemia (pro-TL), CD7+ (CD2 or CD5)+ CD3- immature TL, and CD7+ CD2+ CD5+ CD3+ mature TL. RESULTS Similar induction outcomes of 91.4%, 97.1%, and 98.3% were obtained by the pro-, immature, and mature TL groups, respectively. Four-year event-free survival (EFS) was lower for pro-TL patients (57.1%; SD = 8.4%,) compared with immature and mature TL patients (68.5%; SD = 3.5%; and 77.1%; SD = 4.0%, respectively) with an overall significance of . 05 (log-rank test) or . 04 (log-rank trend test). Relative hazards rates (RHR) were 2.11 and 1.22 for pro-TL and immature TL versus mature TL, respectively. Highly significant differences were found for overall survival (P = .005, log-rank test; P = .009, log-rank trend test). Multivariate analysis confirmed that the prognostic influence of ontogeny grouping was independent of that of other prognostic factors. CONCLUSION Leukemic cells of the pro-TL maturation stage identify a small subgroup of T-lineage ALL patients who have a significantly worse EFS outcome than patients whose cells are of a more mature stage of development.
Complexity of Multilevel Monte Carlo Tau-Leaping

Tau-leaping is a popular discretization method for generating approximate paths of continuous time, discrete space Markov chains, notably for biochemical reaction systems. To compute expected values in this context, an appropriate multilevel Monte Carlo form of tau-leaping has been shown to improve efficiency dramatically. In this work we derive new analytic results concerning the computational complexity of multilevel Monte Carlo tau-leaping that are significantly sharper than previous ones. We avoid taking asymptotic limits and focus on a practical setting where the system size is large enough for many events to take place along a path, so that exact simulation of paths is expensive, making tau-leaping an attractive option. We use a general scaling of the system components that allows for the reaction rate constants and the abundances of species to vary over several orders of magnitude, and we exploit the random time change representation developed by Kurtz. The key feature of the analysis that allows for the sharper bounds is that when comparing relevant pairs of processes we analyze the variance of their difference directly rather than bounding via the second moment. Use of the second moment is natural in the setting of a diffusion equation, where multilevel Monte Carlo was first developed and where strong convergence results for numerical methods are readily available, but is not optimal for the Poisson-driven jump systems that we consider here. We also present computational results that illustrate the new analysis.