Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Author ' s personal copy Preservation of immune function in cervical cancer patients during chemoradiation using a novel integrative approach q

Patients receiving chemoradiation for cervical cancer are at risk for distress, chemoradiation-related sideeffects, and immunosuppression. This prospective randomized clinical trial examined effects of a complementary therapy, Healing Touch (HT), versus relaxation training (RT) and usual care (UC) for (1) supporting cellular immunity, (2) improving mood and quality of life (QOL), and (3) reducing treatment-associated toxicities and treatment delay in cervical cancer patients receiving chemoradiation. Sixty women with stages IB1 to IVA cervical cancer were randomly assigned to receive UC or 4 /weekly individual sessions of either HT or RT immediately following radiation during their 6-week chemoradiation treatment. Patients completed psychosocial assessments and blood sampling before chemoradiation at baseline, weeks 4 and 6. Multilevel regression analyses using orthogonal contrasts tested for differences between treatment conditions over time. HT patients had a minimal decrease in natural killer cell cytotoxicity (NKCC) over the course of treatment whereas NKCC of RT and UC patients declined sharply during chemoradiation (group by time interaction: p = 0.018). HT patients showed greater decreases in two different indicators of depressed mood (CES-D depressed mood subscale and POMS depression scale) compared to RT and UC (group by time interactions: p < 0.05). No between group differences were observed in QOL, treatment delay, or clinically-rated toxicities. HT may benefit cervical cancer patients by moderating effects of chemoradiation on depressed mood and cellular immunity. Effects of HT on toxicities, treatment delay, QOL, and fatigue were not observed. Long-term clinical implications of findings are not known. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Immune Suppression Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells To Promote A GpC-Rich Oligonucleotide Acts on

Maria L. BelladonnaRomani, Bruno Gran, Ursula Grohmann, Paolo Puccetti andOrabona, Antonella De Luca, Carmine Vacca, Luigina Claudia Volpi, Francesca Fallarino, Roberta Bianchi, Cirianaol.1200497http://www.jimmunol.org/content/early/2012/07/27/jimmunJ Immunol€ published online 27 July 2012Subscriptionshttp://jimmunol.org/subscriptionsInformation about subscribing to The Journal of Immunology is online at: Permissionshttp://www.aai. org/ji/copyright.htmlSubmit copyright permission requests at: Email Alertshttp://jimmunol.org/cgi/alerts/etocReceive free email-alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up at:
Assessing the association between the geographic distribution of deer ticks and seropositivity rates to various tick-transmitted disease organisms in dogs.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether the geographic distribution of deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis) was associated with the distribution of dogs seropositive for various tick-transmitted disease organisms (ie, Borrelia burgdorferi, Rickettsia rickettsii, the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis [HGE] agent, Ehrlichia canis, and Bartonella vinsonii subsp berkhoffii). DESIGN Serologic survey. SAMPLE POPULATION Serum samples from 277 dogs in animal shelters and veterinary hospitals in Rhode Island. RESULTS Overall, 143 (52%) dogs were seropositive for B burgdorferi, 59 (21.3%) were seropositive for R rickettsii, 40 (14.4%) were seropositive for the HGE agent, 8 (2.9%) were seropositive for E canis, and 6 (2.2%) were seropositive for B vinsonii. Regression analysis indicated that the natural logarithm of nymphal deer tick abundance was correlated with rate of seropositivity to the HGE agent and to B burgdorferi but not to rate of seropositivity to R rickettsii, E canis, or B vinsonii. Percentages of samples seropositive for B burgdorferi, R rickettsii, the HGE agent, and E canis were significantly higher for samples from the southwestern part of the state where ticks in general and deer ticks in particular are abundant than for samples from the northern and eastern portions of the state, where ticks are relatively rare. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested that all 5 disease agents are in Rhode Island and pose a risk to dogs and humans. Knowledge concerning tick distributions may be useful in predicting the pattern of disease associated with particular tick species and may aid diagnostic, prevention, and control efforts.
Neural networks in control systems

Some of the problems that arise in the control of nonlinear systems in the presence of uncertainty are considered. Multilayer neural networks and radial basis function networks are used in the design of identifiers and controllers, and gradient methods are used to adjust their parameters. For a restricted class of nonlinear systems, it is shown that globally stable adaptive controllers can be determined. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate that the methods presented can be used for the effective control of complex nonlinear systems. <<ETX>>
Aboriginalising the parole process: ‘Culturally appropriate’ adaptations and the Canadian federal parole system

The increasing ‘diversity’ of penal populations in most western countries over the past three decades raises questions as to the fairness and appropriateness of established penal programmes and practices. In some jurisdictions, penal policy-makers and administrators are being forced to deal with the implications of offender diversities, including race, ethnicity, gender, culture and religion, in policy and planning. In Canada, the pervasive over-representation of Aboriginal individuals in prisons has led to calls for change in how the corrections and parole systems deal with Aboriginal prisoners. This article examines the advent of one ‘culturally appropriate’ adaptation of the parole process, the Elder assisted hearing, introduced in 1992 by the Parole Board of Canada as a means of (1) addressing the problem of over-representation and (2) being responsive to Aboriginal difference. It shows that the ‘Aboriginalisation’ of parole hearing formats is by no means a straightforward process, and is illustrative of the broader challenges that racial, cultural and gender differences pose to contemporary penality.
Spontaneous Post‐anesthetic Tremor Does Not Resemble Thermoregulatory Shivering

Spontaneous post-anesthetic tremor that resembles shivering is common during recovery from anesthesia. Risks to postoperative patients include an increase in metabolic rate of up to 400%, hypoxemia, wound dehiscence, dental damage, and disruption of delicate surgical repairs. The etiology of spontaneous post-anesthetic tremor is most commonly attributed to normal thermoregulatory shivering in response to intraoperative hypothermia. However, the mechanism of this tremor remains unknown, hampering prevention and treatment. The present study was designed to determine whether mechanisms other than thermoregulation contribute to the tremor. The electromyograms (EMGs) of eight muscles were observed in nine women during recovery from isoflurane anesthesia. Signals from each muscle were compared to those of pathologic clonus induced by plantar flexion in unanesthetized patients with spinal cord transections and to those of cold-induced shivering in normal, unanesthetized subjects. Two distinct EMG patterns were identified: 1) regular, bursting signals of 5–7 11z similar to those produced by pathologic clonus in patients with spinal cord transertions; and 2) tonic, irregular signals of 5–15 Hz which had poorly defined hursts that did not demonstrate the synchronous 4–8-cycle/min waxing and waning pattern typical of normal shivering. EMG activity occurred most often at expired isoflurane concentrations of 0.1–0.19%, and was not related to rectal temperature. During the later part of recovery when isoflurane concentrations were ±0.1%, hypothermic patients frequently demonstrated no clinical or EMG evidence of muscular activity. These data suggest that during recovery from general anesthesia: 1) the normal thermoregulatory responses to cold are inhibited, and 2) generalized tremor is a combination of spontaneous clonus and a tonic activity that differs from normal shivering. Neither observation is consistent with the conventional theory that post-anesthetic tremor represents a classical thermoregulatory response.
A far-infrared molecular and atomic line survey of the Orion KL region

We have carried out a high spectral resolution (�/�� � 6800 9700) line survey towards the Orion Kleinmann-Low (KL) cluster from 44-188 µm. The observations were taken with the Long Wavelength Spectrometer (LWS) in Fabry-Perot mode, on board the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO). A total of 152 lines are clearly detected and a further 34 features are present as possible detections. The spectrum is dominated by the molecular species H2O, OH and CO, along with (O i) and (C ii) lines from PDR or shocked gas and (O iii), (N iii) lines from the foreground M42 H ii region. Several isotopic species, as well as NH3, are also detected. HDO and H3O + are tentatively detected for the first time in the far-infrared range towards Orion-KL. A basic analysis of the line observations is carried out, by comparing with previous measurements and published models and deriving rotational temperatures and column densities in the case of the molecular species. Analysis of the (O i) and (C ii) fine structure lines indicates that although a shock model can reproduce the observed (O i) surface brightness levels, it falls short of the observed (C ii) level by more than a factor of 30. A PDR model can reproduce the (O i) 63.2 µm and (C ii) surface brightness levels within 35%, although over- predicting the LWS (O i) 145.5 µm emission by a factor of 2.7. The 70 water lines and 22 OH lines detected by the survey appear with mainly P Cygni profiles at the shortest survey wavelengths and with mainly pure emission profiles at the longest survey wavelengths. The emission and absorption velocity peaks of the water and OH lines indicate that they are associated with gas expanding in the outflow from the KL cluster. The estimated column densities are (2-5)×10 14 cm 2 for H2O and (2.5-5.1)×10 16 cm 2 for OH. The 26 detected CO lines confirm the presence of three distinct components, with temperature and column density combinations ranging from 660 K, 6×10 17 cm 2 to 360 K, 2×10 19 cm 2 . Comparison of the surface brightnesses and integrated fluxes of the CO lines measured in the 80-arcsec LWS beam with those measured previously by the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) in a 44 arcsec beam shows similar surface brightnesses in the different beams for the lowest-J CO lines and similar integrated fluxes in the different beams for the highest-J CO lines, indicating that emission from the former lines has a uniform surface brightness within the LWS beam, while the latter lines originate from a region less than 44 arcsec in diameter. The complexity of the region requires more sophisticated models for the interpretation of all the line observations.
Symptom Monitoring With Patient-Reported Outcomes During Routine Cancer Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE There is growing interest to enhance symptom monitoring during routine cancer care using patient-reported outcomes, but evidence of impact on clinical outcomes is limited. METHODS We randomly assigned patients receiving routine outpatient chemotherapy for advanced solid tumors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to report 12 common symptoms via tablet computers or to receive usual care consisting of symptom monitoring at the discretion of clinicians. Those with home computers received weekly e-mail prompts to report between visits. Treating physicians received symptom printouts at visits, and nurses received e-mail alerts when participants reported severe or worsening symptoms. The primary outcome was change in health-related quality of life (HRQL) at 6 months compared with baseline, measured by the EuroQol EQ-5D Index. Secondary endpoints included emergency room (ER) visits, hospitalizations, and survival. RESULTS Among 766 patients allocated, HRQL improved among more participants in the intervention group than usual care (34% v 18%) and worsened among fewer (38% v 53%; P < .001). Overall, mean HRQL declined by less in the intervention group than usual care (1.4- v 7.1-point drop; P < .001). Patients receiving intervention were less frequently admitted to the ER (34% v 41%; P = .02) or hospitalized (45% v 49%; P = .08) and remained on chemotherapy longer (mean, 8.2 v 6.3 months; P = .002). Although 75% of the intervention group was alive at 1 year, 69% with usual care survived the year (P = .05), with differences also seen in quality-adjusted survival (mean of 8.7 v. 8.0 months; P = .004). Benefits were greater for participants lacking prior computer experience. Most patients receiving intervention (63%) reported severe symptoms during the study. Nurses frequently initiated clinical actions in response to e-mail alerts. CONCLUSION Clinical benefits were associated with symptom self-reporting during cancer care.
Optimal sequences and total weighted square correlation of synchronous CDMA systems

We characterize total weighted square correlation (TWSC) for a given signature set used in synchronous code division multiple access (S-CDMA) systems. A new theorem for TWSC and a new algorithm for obtaining real sequences that meet Welch inequality with equality are presented. Using this algorithm optimal sequences, which achieve sum capacity for overload S-CDMA systems are obtained. Numerical examples for unitary power constraint case and for arbitrary (unequal) power sets are given.
Association between prepayment systems and emergency medical services use among patients with acute chest discomfort syndrome. For the Rapid Early Action for Coronary Treatment (REACT) Study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE Cost concerns may inhibit emergency medical services (EMS) use. Novel tax-based and subscription prepayment programs indemnify patients against the cost of EMS treatment and transport. We determine whether the presence of (or enrollment in) prepayment plans increase EMS use among patients with acute chest discomfort, particularly those residing in low-income areas, those lacking private insurance, or both. METHODS This study uses a subset of baseline data from the REACT trial, a multicenter, randomized controlled community trial designed, in part, to increase EMS use. The sample includes 860 consecutive noninstitutionalized patients (>30 years old) presenting with nontraumatic chest discomfort to hospital emergency departments in 4 Oregon/Washington communities. The association between prepayment systems and EMS use was analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS Overall EMS use was 52% (n=445). Among EMS users, 338 (75%) were subsequently admitted to the hospital and 110 (25%) were released from the ED. Prepayment was not associated with increased EMS use in the overall patient sample. However, patients residing in low-income census block groups (median annual income <$30,000) were 2.6 times (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4 to 4.8) more likely to use EMS when a prepayment system was available than when no system was present. No association was noted among higher-income block group residents. Among low-income block group residents lacking private insurance, prepayment systems were associated with 3.8 times (95% CI 1.2 to 13.4) greater EMS usage. CONCLUSION Economic considerations may affect EMS system utilization among underinsured and low-income patients experiencing a cardiac event. Prepayment systems may increase EMS utilization among these groups.
The Load Of The Wingate Test: According To The Body Weight Or Lean Body Mass?

Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine if it was more appropriate assignment of the load of the Wingate test according to the lean body mass in young males. Methods: Wingate tests were performed on a Monark cycle ergometer by using loads of 75, 85, 95 g.kg-1 for the body weight and 90, 100, 110 g.kg-1 for the lean body mass on 24 untrained young males. These loads were applied randomly to the participants. Pedal revolutions for every 5-second were counted during the test and the peak power, the mean power and the fatigue index were calculated. Results: The peak power outputs of the Wingate tests in which 100 and 110 g.kg-1 loads were used for the lean body mass were significantly higher than the peak power outputs obtained from the tests in which 75 g.kg-1 loads were used for the body weight. None of the mean power outputs obtained from the loads was significantly higher than the others. Conclusion: We concluded that assignment of the load of the Wingate test according to the lean body mass would be more appropriate in young males. 100 or 110 g.kg-1 loads for the lean body mass can be used as they result in significantly higher peak power outputs.
Diversity-multiplexing tradeoff of stacked cyclic delay diversity schemes

In addition to orthogonal and quasi-orthogonal space-time block codes (OSTBC, QSTBC), cyclic delay diversity (CDD) is a transmit diversity scheme that achieves full diversity gain of NnR, with N transmit antennas and nR receive antennas. The performance in terms of spatial multiplexing gain is quite limited, since all degrees of freedom are used to obtain diversity. Thus the gap between the diversity-multiplexing tradeoff (DMT) of these codes and the optimal DMT increases significantly for higher spatial multiplexing gain. In order to overcome this problem, we propose the so called stacked CDD (SCDD), where K blocks of standard CDD codes of size nT , with N = KnT , are stacked on top of each other. The DMT achievable with the proposed scheme for asymptotically high SNR is analyzed. Depending on the system parameters K, nT , and nR, the gains obtained over the standard CDD are significant and close to the optimal DMT curve.
An Unprecedented Aggregation of Whale Sharks, Rhincodon typus, in Mexican Coastal Waters of the Caribbean Sea

Whale sharks, Rhincodon typus, are often perceived as solitary behemoths that live and feed in the open ocean. To the contrary, evidence is accumulating that they are gregarious and form seasonal aggregations in some coastal waters. One such aggregation occurs annually north of Cabo Catoche, off Isla Holbox on the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. Here we report a second, much denser aggregation of whale sharks (dubbed “the Afuera”) that occurs east of the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Caribbean Sea. The 2009 Afuera event comprised the largest aggregation of whale sharks ever reported, with up to 420 whale sharks observed in a single aerial survey, all gathered in an elliptical patch of ocean approximately 18 km2. Plankton studies indicated that the sharks were feeding on dense homogenous patches of fish eggs, which DNA barcoding analysis identified as belonging to little tunny, Euthynnus alletteratus. This contrasts with the annual Cabo Catoche aggregation nearby, where prey consists mostly of copepods and sergestid shrimp. Increased sightings at the Afuera coincide with decreased sightings at Cabo Catoche, and both groups have the same sex ratio, implying that the same animals are likely involved in both aggregations; tagging data support this idea. With two whale shark aggregation areas, high coastal productivity and a previously-unknown scombrid spawning ground, the northeastern Yucatán marine region is a critical habitat that deserves more concerted conservation efforts.
Effects of exercise on bone mineral content in postmenopausal women.

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of a 10-month exercise program on bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral content/bone width (BMC/BW) of postmenopausal women. Thirty-one women (ages 57-83) completed either a general aerobics exercise program (n = 10), a general aerobics plus upper body weight training exercise program (n = 10), or served as nonexercising control subjects (n = 11). Average compliance rates for the exercise subjects ranged from 72 to 80%. All subjects were pre- and posttested for BMC and BMC/BW in the radius of the nondominant forearm. ANOVA results indicated that there were significant differences between the exercise and control subjects in the amount of change in BMC and in BMC/BW (p less than .05) during the course of the study. The exercise subjects experienced mean increases of 1.38% and 1.33% in BMC and BMC/BW, respectively, whereas the control group had decreases of 2.50% and 2.58%. No significant differences were found for subjects in the two types of exercise programs, suggesting that the effects of exercise relative to maintenance of bone density may be general as well as localized.
Switch bootstrapping technique for voltage doublers and double charge pumps

In this work we propose a technique for bootstrapping CMOS switches in voltage doublers and double charge pumps. The technique prevents short-circuit losses, improves driving capability, and enables efficient operation at low supply voltages. The effectiveness of our approach is verified through simulations of design examples, which also illustrate the improvements in conversion efficiency, voltage gain, and output resistance.
Measurement of Precuneal and Hippocampal Volumes Using Magnetic Resonance Volumetry in Alzheimer's Disease

Background and Purpose Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with structural alterations in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and functional alterations in the posterior cortical region, especially in the early stages. However, it is unclear what mechanisms underlie these regional discrepancies or whether the posterior cortical hypometabolism reflects disconnection from the MTL lesion or is the result of local pathology. The precuneus, an area of the posteromedial cortex that is involved in the early stages of AD, has recently received a great deal of attention in functional neuroimaging studies. To assess the relationship between the precuneus and hippocampus in AD, we investigated the volumes of these two areas using a magnetic resonance volumetric method. Methods Twenty-three subjects with AD and 14 healthy age-matched controls underwent T1-weighted three-dimensional volumetric brain magnetic resonance imaging. Volumetric measurements were performed in the precuneus and hippocampus. Results Compared to controls, AD patients exhibited a significant reduction in total precuneal volume, which was more prominent on the right side, and significant bilateral reductions in hippocampal volume. No correlation was found between the total volumes of the precuneus and hippocampus in the AD group. Conclusions These results suggest that volumetric measurements of both the precuneus and hippocampus are useful radiological indices for the diagnosis of AD. Furthermore, the lack of correlation is attributable to local pathology rather than being a secondary consequence of MTL pathology.
Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacology of Lepidium meyenii (Maca), a Plant from the Peruvian Highlands

Lepidium meyenii (maca) is a Peruvian plant of the Brassicaceae family cultivated for more than 2000 years, which grows exclusively in the central Andes between 4000 and 4500 m altitude. Maca is used as a food supplement and also for its medicinal properties described traditionally. Since the 90s of the XX century, an increasing interest in products from maca has been observed in many parts of the world. In the last decade, exportation of maca from Peru has increased from 1,415,000 USD in 2001 to USD 6,170,000 USD in 2010. Experimental scientific evidence showed that maca has nutritional, energizer, and fertility-enhancer properties, and it acts on sexual dysfunctions, osteoporosis, benign prostatic hyperplasia, memory and learning, and protects skin against ultraviolet radiation. Clinical trials showed efficacy of maca on sexual dysfunctions as well as increasing sperm count and motility. Maca is a plant with great potential as an adaptogen and appears to be promising as a nutraceutical in the prevention of several diseases.