Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Tractable Framework for Exact Probability of Node Isolation and Minimum Node Degree Distribution in Finite Multihop Networks

This paper presents a tractable analytical framework for the exact calculation of the probability of node isolation and the minimum node degree distribution when N sensor nodes are independently and uniformly distributed inside a finite square region. The proposed framework can accurately account for the boundary effects by partitioning the square into subregions, based on the transmission range and the node location. We show that for each subregion, the probability that a random node falls inside a disk centered at an arbitrary node located in that subregion can be analytically expressed in closed form. Using the results for the different subregions, we obtain the exact probability of node isolation and minimum node degree distribution that serves as an upper bound for the probability of k-connectivity. Our theoretical framework is validated by comparison with the simulation results and shows that the minimum node degree distribution serves as a tight upper bound for the probability of k-connectivity. The proposed framework provides a very useful tool to accurately account for the boundary effects in the design of finite wireless networks.
Double blind comparison of combination of 0.1% ropivacaine and fentanyl to combination of 0.1% bupivacaine and fentanyl for extradural analgesia in labour

Background and Aims: Ropivacaine is considered as a safe alternative to bupivacaine for labor analgesia. The aim was to compare epidural ropivacaine and bupivacaine in intermittent doses for obstetric analgesia. Material and Methods: In this prospective, randomized, double-blind study, 60 women in labor were randomly allocated to receive either bupivacaine 0.1% with fentanyl 2 μg/mL (BF), or ropivacaine 0.1% with fentanyl 2 μg/mL (RF). Bromage scale, loss of cold sensation to ether swab in midclavicular line, visual analog scale were used to test for motor block, sensory block and pain, respectively. Hemodynamic parameters, onset of analgesia, dose requirement of drug to produce analgesia, duration of labor, and incidence of side effects were also recorded. Data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation and analyzed using students unpaired t-test, Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U-tests at P < 0.05. Results: Both drugs were similar with respect to hemodynamic stability, onset of analgesia, quality of analgesia, sensory blockade, neonatal outcome, requirement of drugs, duration of labor, and incidence of side effects. Three parturient in bupivacaine (B-F) group had a motor block of Bromage 1 and were delivered using forceps. None of the parturient in ropivacaine (R-F) group had any motor block, and all had spontaneous vaginal delivery, but this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.081). Conclusions: Bupivacaine and ropivacaine provide equivalent analgesia in low (0.1%) concentration.
Placental Histopathology Differences and Neonatal Outcome in Dichorionic–Diamniotic as Compared to Monochorionic–Diamniotic Twin Pregnancies

Objective: We aimed to compare the differences in placental histopathology lesions and pregnancy outcome in dichorionic–diamniotic (DCDA) versus uncomplicated monochorionic–diamniotic (MCDA) twin gestations. Study Design: Maternal characteristics, neonatal outcome, and placental histopathology reports of all twin deliveries between 24 and 41 weeks were reviewed. Excluded were pregnancies complicated by twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, twin anemia–polycythemia sequence, selective intrauterine growth restriction, placenta previa, intrauterine fetal death, and malformation. Placental lesions were classified to maternal/fetal vascular malperfusion lesions. Umbilical cord abnormalities included hypo-/hypercoiling and abnormal insertion. Composite adverse neonatal outcome was defined as 1 or more early complications. Small for gestational age (SGA) was defined as birth weight ≤10th percentile. Results: The DCDA group (n = 362) was characterized by higher rates of assisted reproductive techniques (P < .001) and nulliparity (P = .03) as compared to the MCDA group (n = 65). Gestational age at delivery was similar between groups. Placental maternal vascular malperfusion lesions were more common in placentas from DCDA group (38.2% vs 23.1%; P = .016), while fetal vascular malperfusion lesions and abnormal cord insertion were more common in placentas from MCDA group (P = .027; P< .001). The SGA and composite adverse neonatal outcome were more common in the MCDA group (P = .031 and P = .038, respectively). By multivariate regression analysis, composite adverse neonatal outcome was found to be independently associated with the MCDA group, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04 to 1.89, P = . 041, and with placental fetal malperfusion lesions aOR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.1 to 2.09, P = . 038. Conclusion: Placental pathology differs between MCDA and DCDA twin pregnancies. Adverse neonatal outcome in uncomplicated MCDA twins, as compared to DCDA twins, could be related to increased placental fetal malperfusion lesions and abnormal cord insertion.
An exploratory study of input configuration and group process in a negotiation task using a large display

This paper reports on an exploratory study of the effects of input configuration on group behavior and performance in a collaborative task performed by a collocated group using a large display. Twelve groups completed a mixed-motive negotiation task under two conditions: a single, shared mouse and one mouse per person. Results suggest that the multiple mouse condition allowed for more parallel work, but the quality of discussion was higher in the single mouse condition. Moreover, participants were more likely to act in their own best interest in the multiple mouse condition.
Is Paromomycin an Effective and Safe Treatment against Cutaneous Leishmaniasis? A Meta-Analysis of 14 Randomized Controlled Trials

Background High cost, poor compliance, and systemic toxicity have limited the use of pentavalent antimony compounds (SbV), the treatment of choice for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Paromomycin (PR) has been developed as an alternative to SbV, but existing data are conflicting. Methodology/Principal Findings We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, without language restriction, through August 2007, to identify randomized controlled trials that compared the efficacy or safety between PR and placebo or SbV. Primary outcome was clinical cure, defined as complete healing, disappearance, or reepithelialization of all lesions. Data were extracted independently by two investigators, and pooled using a random-effects model. Fourteen trials including 1,221 patients were included. In placebo-controlled trials, topical PR appeared to have therapeutic activity against the old world and new world CL, with increased local reactions, when used with methylbenzethonium chloride (MBCL) compared to when used alone (risk ratio [RR] for clinical cure, 2.58 versus 1.01: RR for local reactions, 1.60 versus 1.07). In SbV-controlled trials, the efficacy of topical PR was not significantly different from that of intralesional SbV in the old world CL (RR, 0.70; 95% confidence interval, 0.26–1.89), whereas topical PR was inferior to parenteral SbV in treating the new world CL (0.67; 0.54–0.82). No significant difference in efficacy was found between parenteral PR and parenteral SbV in the new world CL (0.88; 0.56–1.38). Systemic side effects were fewer with topical or parenteral PR than parenteral SbV. Conclusions/Significance Topical PR with MBCL could be a therapeutic alternative to SbV in selected cases of the old world CL. Development of new formulations with better efficacy and tolerability remains to be an area of future research.
Constraining scale-dependent non-Gaussianity with future large-scale structure and the CMB

We forecast combined future constraints from the cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure on the models of primordial non-Gaussianity. We study the generalized local model of non-Gaussianity, where the parameter fNL is promoted to a function of scale, and present the principal component analysis applicable to an arbitrary form of fNL(k). We emphasize the complementarity between the CMB and LSS by using Planck, DES and BigBOSS surveys as examples, forecast constraints on the power-law fNL(k) model, and introduce the figure of merit for measurements of scale-dependent non-Gaussianity.
Forward and Backward Inference in Spatial Cognition

This paper shows that the various computations underlying spatial cognition can be implemented using statistical inference in a single probabilistic model. Inference is implemented using a common set of ‘lower-level’ computations involving forward and backward inference over time. For example, to estimate where you are in a known environment, forward inference is used to optimally combine location estimates from path integration with those from sensory input. To decide which way to turn to reach a goal, forward inference is used to compute the likelihood of reaching that goal under each option. To work out which environment you are in, forward inference is used to compute the likelihood of sensory observations under the different hypotheses. For reaching sensory goals that require a chaining together of decisions, forward inference can be used to compute a state trajectory that will lead to that goal, and backward inference to refine the route and estimate control signals that produce the required trajectory. We propose that these computations are reflected in recent findings of pattern replay in the mammalian brain. Specifically, that theta sequences reflect decision making, theta flickering reflects model selection, and remote replay reflects route and motor planning. We also propose a mapping of the above computational processes onto lateral and medial entorhinal cortex and hippocampus.
Chapter 1 Astrocyte Heterogeneity or Homogeneity ?

V. Parpura and P.G. Haydon (eds.), Astrocytes in (Patho)Physiology of the Nervous System, 1 DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-79492-1_1, © Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2009 The history of the morphology and electrophysiology of the neuroglia , which was the historical term used for what are now termed astroglia or astrocytes, is briefly reviewed. The interpretation of these data around 1970 was that astroglia in situ represented a homogeneous electrophysiological phenotype with a major function, based on this, in maintaining a constant extracellular concentration of potassium ions ([K + ] o ). It was soon found that astroglia in situ played a major role in the uptake and inactivation of the synaptically released amino acid transmitters glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid. Subsequent studies in isolated systems, such as primary astrocyte cultures, greatly expanded this view to a more protean cell, with much wider properties in terms of transmitter uptake systems and release, a variety of voltage-dependent ion channels and varying membrane potentials and electrophysiological behaviour, and receptors for a large number of neurotransmitters.
A Survey of Inductive Biases for Factorial Representation-Learning

With the resurgence of interest in neural networks, representation learning has re-emerged as a central focus in artificial intelligence. Representation learning refers to the discovery of useful encodings of data that make domain-relevant information explicit. Factorial representations identify underlying independent causal factors of variation in data. A factorial representation is compact and faithful, makes the causal factors explicit, and facilitates human interpretation of data. Factorial representations support a variety of applications, including the generation of novel examples, indexing and search, novelty detection, and transfer learning. This article surveys various constraints that encourage a learning algorithm to discover factorial representations. I dichotomize the constraints in terms of unsupervised and supervised inductive bias. Unsupervised inductive biases exploit assumptions about the environment, such as the statistical distribution of factor coefficients, assumptions about the perturbations a factor should be invariant to (e.g. a representation of an object can be invariant to rotation, translation or scaling), and assumptions about how factors are combined to synthesize an observation. Supervised inductive biases are constraints on the representations based on additional information connected to observations. Supervisory labels come in variety of types, which vary in how strongly they constrain the representation, how many factors are labeled, how many observations are labeled, and whether or not we know the associations between the constraints and the factors they are related to. This survey brings together a wide variety of models that all touch on the problem of learning factorial representations and lays out a framework for comparing these models based on the strengths of the underlying supervised and unsupervised inductive biases.
Urinary estrogen and progesterone metabolite concentrations in menstrual cycles of fertile women with non-conception, early pregnancy loss or clinical pregnancy.

BACKGROUND Knowledge is limited of how estrogen and progesterone variability in fertile women are associated with achieving pregnancy. METHODS From 1996 to 1998, we enrolled 347 textile workers without hormone treatment in Anhui, China, who provided daily urine and data upon stopping contraception for up to 1 year until clinical pregnancy. Urinary hCG was assayed to detect conception and early pregnancy losses. We compared urinary concentrations of estrone conjugates (E(1)C) and pregnanediol-3-glucuronide (PdG) in 266 clinical pregnancies, 63 early pregnancy losses and 272 non-conception cycles from 347 women and also in 94 clinical pregnancy and 94 non-conception cycles from the same women. RESULTS Using generalized estimating equations and relative to 266 clinical pregnancy cycles, log(E(1)C) was lower in 272 non-conception cycles [beta = -0.3 ng/mg creatinine (Cr); SE = 0.1; P < 0.0001]. On average, daily E(1)C was 18 ng/mg Cr lower in non-conception cycles than in clinical pregnancy cycles. Relative to 94 clinical pregnancy cycles, log(E(1)C) was lower in 94 non-conception cycles (beta = -0.4 ng/mg Cr; SE = 0.1; P < 0.0001) from the same women (average difference in daily E(1)C was 20 ng/mg Cr). The odds of E(1)C less than the 10th percentile (<30 ng/mg Cr) were higher in early pregnancy loss cycles [odds ratio (OR) = 4.8; P = 0.0027] than in clinical pregnancy cycles in the early luteal phase. Compared with clinical pregnancy cycles, log(PdG) concentrations were lower in non-conception cycles during the follicular phase, but this analysis lacked power for multiple testing. CONCLUSIONS Estrogen concentrations varied from cycle to cycle, and higher estrogen was associated with achieving clinical pregnancy.
Controversies and challenges in the modern management of uterine fibroids

Uterine fibroids are the most common tumour in women during the reproductive years, occurring in an estimated 20–50% of women over the age of 30 years, increasing with age and being more common in certain ethnic populations, especially the Afro-Caribbean. They have a major impact on women’s health, being the most common indication for hysterectomy in England in 1993–1994, while in the United States by the age of 60 years, 30% of women will have had a hysterectomy, of which 60% will have been performed to treat fibroids. Fibroids therefore have a significant cost implication, the 72,362 hysterectomies performed for fibroids in 1993–1994 costing the NHS an estimated £70 million. While there is no disputing that fibroids can cause menorrhagia, pelvic pain/discomfort and bladder and bowel compression symptoms, at least 50% remain asymptomatic, and it is uncertain whether they impair fertility or cause miscarriage. While myomectomy and hysterectomy are the mainstay treatment modalities, there are major uncertainties and controversies on optimal therapy and standard clinical outcome measures. The place of newer treatments such as uterine artery embolisation (UAE), laparoscopic and vaginal myomectomy has yet to be evaluated.
Neuronal Hypertrophy in Asymptomatic Alzheimer Disease

The pathologic changes of Alzheimer disease (AD) evolve very gradually over decades before the disease becomes clinically manifest. Thus, it is not uncommon to find substantial numbers of Aβ plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in autopsy brains of older subjects with documented normal cognition, a state that we define as asymptomatic AD (ASYMAD). The goal of this study is to understand the morphometric substrate of ASYMAD subjects compared with mild cognitive impairment and definite AD cases. We used designed-based stereology to measure the volumes of neuronal cell bodies, nuclei, and nucleoli in 4 cerebral regions: anterior cingulate gyrus, posterior cingulate gyrus, primary visual cortex, and CA1 of hippocampus. We examined and compared autopsy brains from 4 groups (n = 15 each) of participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging: ASYMAD, mild cognitive impairment, AD, and age-matched controls. We found significant hypertrophy of the neuronal cell bodies, nuclei, and nucleoli of CA1 of hippocampus and anterior cingulate gyrus neurons in ASYMAD subjects compared with control and mild cognitive impairment cases. In the posterior cingulate gyrus and primary visual cortex, the hypertrophy was limited to the nuclei and nucleoli. The hypertrophy of cortical neurons and their nuclei and nucleoli in ASYMAD may represent an early reaction to the presence of neurotoxic Aβ or tau, or a compensatory mechanism that prevents the progression of the disease into dementia.
Strigolactones Are Involved in Root Response to Low Phosphate Conditions in Arabidopsis[W][OA]

Strigolactones (SLs) are plant hormones that suppress lateral shoot branching, and act to regulate root hair elongation and lateral root formation. Here, we show that SLs are regulators of plant perception of or response to low inorganic phosphate (Pi) conditions. This regulation is mediated by MORE AXILLARY GROWTH2 (MAX2) and correlated with transcriptional induction of the auxin receptor TRANSPORT INHIBITOR RESPONSE1 (TIR1). Mutants of SL signaling (max2-1) or biosynthesis (max4-1) showed reduced response to low Pi conditions relative to the wild type. In max4-1, but not max2-1, the reduction in response to low Pi was compensated by the application of a synthetic strigolactone GR24. Moreover, AbamineSG, which decreases SL levels in plants, reduced the response to low Pi in the wild type, but not in SL-signaling or biosynthesis mutants. In accordance with the reduced response of max2-1 to low Pi relative to the wild type, several phosphate-starvation response and phosphate-transporter genes displayed reduced induction in max2-1, even though Pi content in max2-1 and the wild type were similar. Auxin, but not ethylene, was sufficient to compensate for the reduced max2-1 response to low Pi conditions. Moreover, the expression level of TIR1 was induced under low Pi conditions in the wild type, but not in max2-1. Accordingly, the tir1-1 mutant showed a transient reduction in root hair density in comparison with the wild type under low Pi conditions. Therefore, we suggest that the response of plants to low Pi is regulated by SLs; this regulation is transmitted via the MAX2 component of SL signaling and is correlated with transcriptional induction of the TIR1 auxin receptor.
Paclitaxel, carboplatin and trastuzumab (TCH) achieves high pathological complete remission rate after in vivo response directed 2-4 cycles of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC) in breast cancer patients.

10583 Background: A pathological complete remission (pCR) predicts improved survival in breast cancer (BC). Treatment with AC followed by concurrent TCH improved pCR rates to 87.5% in Her2 positive 8-patient pilot study (SABCS 2004, abs #1110), confirmed by a subsequent phase II study. We hypothesized that response adjusted AC (2-4 cycles), TCH (3-4 cycles) sequence targets topoisomerase II alpha amplified and deleted clone, respectively (SABCS 2005, abs # 5056). We report here the combined analysis of the Her2 positive (fluorescence in situ hybridization + or immunohistochemistry 3+) subset of these studies. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty-one patients with stage IIB-IV BC were accrued. Twenty-eight of 31 patients received AC in a dose dense manner with GM-CSF support. Patients received carboplatin calculated at AUC of 2 and paclitaxel at 80 mg/m2 for 3 weeks followed by 1 week of rest (1 cycle) for a maximum of 4 cycles. Concurrent trastuzumab 4 mg/kg loading dose, then 2 mg/kg/wk was administered for 12-16 weeks. RESULTS Twenty-nine of 31(94%, CI, 0.79-1) patients showed a clinical complete or partial response (cCR, or cPR). Nineteen of 27 patients (70%, CI, 0.50-0.86) achieved a pCR at surgery; two additional patients had ≤3 mm residual invasive cancer; and lymph node negativity rate was 73%. Of the 3 additional patients with cCR, 1died (underlying cirrhosis), 1 refused surgery, and 1 awaits surgery. A fourth patient with cPR awaits surgery. Ninety percent of the patients (28/31, CI, 0.74-0.98) are alive, and 77% (24/31, CI, 0.59-0. 90) are progression free at median follow up of 19 months (range 6-35 months). Median ejection fraction by echocardiogram was 60% (range 50-74); no patient had clinical cardiac dysfunction. One patient each on GM-CSF and peg-GCSF developed neutropenic fever. CONCLUSION Short course of TCH following response adjusted 2-4 cycles of AC will have an improved therapeutic ratio with minimum cardiac toxicity and maximal response. [Table: see text] [Table: see text].
Quality of Life Measurement in Antidepressant Trials

Background: Quality of life (QoL) measurement in medicine has gone a long way. It has gained popularity as a more humanitarian outcome measurement. In this paper, a review is given of its historical backgrounds with a special focus on the use of QoL assessment in psychiatry. Different theoretical concepts are discussed. A closer look is taken at the use of QoL measurements in antidepressant trials. Methods: An analysis was performed on the use of QoL measurement in recent antidepressant trials of duloxetine and escitalopram. Results: QoL measurement was found to have abandoned its initial purposes, and to have been used without any theoretical framework. Conclusions: Although frequently used in antidepressant trials, the analysis and reporting of results is virtually non-existent. It remains unclear if QoL measurement, as currently used, gives any information that is not already captured by more formal depression rating scales. The question then remains whether QoL measurement in antidepressant trials has any added value and, if so, whether this is just a story of missed opportunities.