Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A simulation frame work to optimize volumetric cardiac imaging on a multiplexed system

Cardiac volumetric ultrasound imaging using 2D matrix array transducers makes use of probes containing thousands of elements. For maximal beam forming flexibility, fully wired systems are preferable but cabling remains an issue in terms of practicality, as does the number of electronic channels in terms of cost. Multiplexed (MUXed) systems could offer an attractive solution as they limit the number of electronic channels as well as the cable dimensions while keeping all transducer elements individually accessible. However, as not all transducer elements can be controlled or read out independently, optimizing beam forming on a multiplexed system is not trivial. In this paper, a framework to find an optimal MUXed configuration for a 3D ultrasound system is presented. The framework has been applied to optimize a 32×32 element phased array transducer combined with a 256-channel front-end using a 1:4 MUX for cardiac imaging. In this initial study, we concentrated on transmit multiplexing as repeated acquisitions could provide the complete channel data set. As such, effects of receive MUX could be avoided assuming motion is limited. The transmit MUXed optimized solution showed a pressure field with a narrow main lobe and 6dB lower side lobes compared to a bench mark beam profile obtained from a fully wired configuration (i.e. without transmit MUX).
Pupil size, information overload, and performance differences.

As a test of the hypothesis that pupil dilation during performance is partially due to a task related anxiety component, pupillary patterns were measured while subjects (Ss) processed digit strings of various lengths for immediate recall. Information overload resulted in a leveling of the dilation pattern which suggested a momentary suspension of processing effort. In addition, significant correlations were observed between individual differences in pupil size and recall performance.
Modulation of rat erg1, erg2, erg3 and HERG K+ currents by thyrotropin‐releasing hormone in anterior pituitary cells via the native signal cascade

1 The mechanism of thyrotropin‐releasing hormone (TRH)‐induced ether‐à‐go‐go‐related gene (erg) K+ current modulation was investigated with the perforated‐patch whole‐cell technique in clonal somatomammotroph GH3/B6 cells. These cells express a small endogenous erg current known to be reduced by TRH. GH3/B6 cells were injected with cDNA coding for rat erg1, erg2, erg3 and HERG K+ channels. The corresponding erg currents were isolated with the help of the specific erg channel blockers E‐4031 and dofetilide and their biophysical properties were determined. 2 TRH (1 μm) was able to significantly reduce the different erg currents. The voltage dependence of activation was shifted by 15 mV (erg1), 10 mV (erg2) and 6 mV (erg3) to more positive potentials without strongly affecting erg inactivation. TRH reduced the maximal available erg current amplitude by 12 % (erg1), 13 % (erg2) and 39 % (erg3) and accelerated the time course of erg1 and erg2 channel deactivation, whereas erg3 deactivation kinetics were not significantly altered. The effects of TRH on HERG currents did not differ from those on its rat homologue erg1. In addition, coinjection of rat MiRP1 with HERG cDNA did not influence the TRH‐induced modulation of HERG channels. 3 Rat erg1 currents recorded in the cell‐attached configuration were reduced by application of TRH to the extra‐patch membrane in the majority of the experiments, confirming the involvement of a diffusible second messenger. 4 Application of the phorbol ester phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA; 1 μm) shifted the voltage dependence of erg1 activation in the depolarizing direction, but it did not reduce the maximal current amplitude. The voltage shift could not be explained by a selective effect on protein kinase C (PKC) since the PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide I did not block the effects of TRH and PMA on erg1. In addition, cholecystokinin, known to activate the phosphoinositol pathway similarly to TRH, did not significantly affect the erg1 current. 5 Various agents interfering with different known TRH‐elicited cellular responses were not able to completely mimic or inhibit the TRH effects on erg1. Tested substances included modulators of the cAMP‐protein kinase A pathway, arachidonic acid, inhibitors of tyrosine kinase and mitogen‐activated protein kinase, sodium nitroprusside and cytochalasin D. 6 The results demonstrate that all three members of the erg channel subfamily are modulated by TRH in GH3/B6 cells. In agreement with previous studies on the TRH‐induced modulation of the endogenous erg current in prolactin‐secreting anterior pituitary cells, the TRH effects on overexpressed erg1 channels are not mediated by any of the tested signalling pathways.
A novel uracil‐DNA glycosylase with broad substrate specificity and an unusual active site

Uracil‐DNA glycosylases (UDGs) catalyse the removal of uracil by flipping it out of the double helix into their binding pockets, where the glycosidic bond is hydrolysed by a water molecule activated by a polar amino acid. Interestingly, the four known UDG families differ in their active site make‐up. The activating residues in UNG and SMUG enzymes are aspartates, thermostable UDGs resemble UNG‐type enzymes, but carry glutamate rather than aspartate residues in their active sites, and the less active MUG/TDG enzymes contain an active site asparagine. We now describe the first member of a fifth UDG family, Pa‐UDGb from the hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon Pyrobaculum aerophilum, the active site of which lacks the polar residue that was hitherto thought to be essential for catalysis. Moreover, Pa‐UDGb is the first member of the UDG family that efficiently catalyses the removal of an aberrant purine, hypoxanthine, from DNA. We postulate that this enzyme has evolved to counteract the mutagenic threat of cytosine and adenine deamination, which becomes particularly acute in organisms living at elevated temperatures.
DUCT-TO-DUCT BILIARY RECONSTRUCTION WITHOUT A STENT IN PEDIATRIC LIVING DONOR LIVER TRANSPLANTATION: 729

Introduction: In pediatric liver transplantation (LT), Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy is often preferred for biliary reconstruction especially in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Duct-to-duct (DD) biliary reconstruction in pediatric recipients is presented in very limited numbers in some studies. We retrospectively reviewed our experiences with DD biliary reconstruction without a stent in pediatric LDLT recipients. Methods: Since September 2006, 28 LDLTs were performed using DD biliary reconstruction without a stent for 27 recipients (13 boys and 14 girls; mean age 8.3 ± 5.5.1 years) at our center. All grafts were obtained from living-related donors. Seventeen left lobe grafts, 10 left lateral segment, and 1 reduced-size right lobe graft were transplanted. Twenty-five grafts had single bile duct, and the remaining 3 grafts had 2 bile ducts. We created a single orifice at the back-table in the grafts which had 2 bile ducts. Results: Two recipients developed bile leakage in the early postoperative period, and 4 bile duct stenoses occurred in the late postoperative period. All biliary complications were successfully treated with interventional radiological approaches. There was no morbidity and no graft loss owing to biliary complications. Three children died during follow-up at 21.6±10.6 months (range, 10 to 39 months); 24 (89%) are doing well, with optimal liver function. Conclusion: Our results show that duct-toduct biliary reconstruction without a stent is a safe and easy technique for biliary reconstruction even in pediatric cases.
Preserved Recognition Memory for Small Sets, and Impaired Stimulus Identification for Large Sets, Following Rhinal Cortex Ablations in Monkeys

Seven cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) performed a series of tasks designed to assess their visual memory and their ability to identify visual stimuli. Preoperatively they were trained and tested in delayed and simultaneous matching‐to‐sample, both with a large stimulus set and with a small stimulus set; there were ∼500 million possible stimuli in the large set, which effectively means that stimuli were trial‐unique with this set, while in the small set there were only four stimuli, which appeared repeatedly in every session of training with the small set. Three of the monkeys then had the cortex within and adjacent to the rhinal sulcus removed bilaterally, while the other four served as an unoperated control group. Postoperatively, the animals with ablation of the rhinal cortex showed severe impairment in delayed matching‐to‐sample with the large set. With the large set they were also impaired, however, in matching‐to‐sample with no delay between sample and test (0 s delay) and in simultaneous matching‐to‐sample, in which the sample and the two choice patterns were simultaneously present for inspection. The impairment in simultaneous matching‐to‐sample was particularly clear when the task was made more difficult by reducing the physical discriminability of the trial‐unique stimuli. With the small set of four stimuli, the animals with rhinal cortex ablation were not significantly impaired in overall performance level in delayed matching‐to‐sample, though their level was on average below that of the normal control animals. The stimulus set was then further restricted, so that there were now only two stimuli used throughout; in this condition, the animals with rhinal cortex ablation performed delayed matching‐to‐sample without any suggestion of impairment, showing indistinguishable performance levels from those of the control animals over a range of forgetting intervals. Subsequently, the animals were trained in trial‐unique non‐matching‐to‐sample with 0 s delay, which required reversal of the matching‐to‐sample rule they had previously learned; animals with rhinal cortex ablation showed a clear impairment in this rule‐reversal learning. The final experimental task was a concurrent discrimination learning task in which 20 pairs of stimuli were presented once per session; the animals with rhinal cortex ablation learned more slowly than the control animals on average, but the difference between the groups did not attain statistical significance. Overall, this pattern of deficits and of preserved abilities is clearly inconsistent with the idea that rhinal cortex ablation produces an impairment in all forms of visual recognition memory, and only in visual recognition memory. Instead, the present results indicate a general impairment in the capacity for knowledge about visual stimuli.
The Influence of Hearing Aid Cost on Perceived Benefit in Older Adults

Abstract Self-report hearing handicap scales are gaining widespread acceptance among clinicians as a technique for quantifying hearing aid benefit. Both auditory and nonauditory [e.g., personality, health, motivation) factors contribute to an individual's response to hearing loss and ultimately to perceived hearing aid benefit. Among the recognized extra-audiological variables, financial concerns may influence a hearing aid user's expectations regarding hearing aid benefit. The present study compared self-perceived benefit in 26 insured and 26 uninsured new hearing aid wearers using the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly [HHIE). HHIE scores at 3 weeks and 6 mo postfitting were equivalent between groups. The findings suggest that the HHIE may be used as an index of hearing aid benefit without concern that the source of funds required to purchase amplification may act as an uncontrolled variable.
Comparison of neonatal nurse practitioners' and pediatric residents' care of extremely low-birth-weight infants.

OBJECTIVE To compare outcomes and charges of health care delivery to extremely low-birth-weight infants by neonatal nurse practitioners (NNP) and pediatric residents. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING A 56-bed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in a university teaching hospital. METHODS Study population included all infants with birth weights less than 1000 g who were admitted to the NICU during the 2-year period between September 1, 1994, and August 31, 1996. Infants who died earlier than 12 hours of age, or who were admitted after 1 week of age or with major malformations, chromosomal abnormalities, or congenital infections were excluded. There were separate teams of NNPs and residents providing care around the clock. The study group included 201 infants with birth weights of less than 1000 g. The NNP team cared for 94 infants and the resident team cared for 107 infants. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Survival, length of stay, and total charges. RESULTS Survival to discharge occurred for 71 NNP team infants (76%) and 82 resident team infants (77%) (P =.87). The median total length of stay was 87 days (range, 39-230 days) for NNP team infants and 88 days (range, 41-365 days) for resident team infants (P =.54). There were no significant differences between NNP infants and resident team infants in the prevalence of severe intracranial hemorrhage, threshold retinopathy of prematurity, or chronic lung disease at 36 weeks postconceptual age. Median total NICU hospital charges were $141,624 (range, $52,020-$693,018) for NNP team infants and $139,388 (range, $50,178-$990,865) for resident team infants (P =.89). There were no significant differences between NNP team infants and resident team infants in NICU charges for laboratory, radiology, or pharmacy services. CONCLUSION Neonatal nurse practitioners and pediatric residents provided comparable patient care to extremely low-birth-weight infants, with similar outcomes and similar charges.
Adaptive access to robotic learning experiences in a remote laboratory setting

We describe the architecture of a small remote laboratory made available by means of a web-based adaptive system (Mindlab2). The system supports hands-on e-learning experiences with robotics and automation, performed via internet. It allows the learners to access and solve “problems”, submit their solutions and have them evaluated. The problems are defined by the teacher, also specifying instructional aspects, such as the learner's skills involved in producing a solution. For each individual learner a personal Student Model is maintained, recording learner's knowledge and skills, as shown by the solved problems. The access to the problem is guarded by the system, ensuring that the problems can all be “seen” by any student, whereas a learner can work on a problem only if its prerequisites are covered, or anyway “not too far” from her current competences. The available automata are modular structures of various origin (a robotic arm connected to an Arduino platform, and some Lego MindStorm builds, in various configurations). Such hardware is reasonably sophisticated in terms of functions, enjoys a wide provision of sensors and actuators, so allowing for presenting the learners with a good deal of problems, and is sufficiently affordable in terms of cost. Making the learner choose and sequence the problems to undertake, with the only limitation of the problem affordability measured by the student model, allows learners to follow a highly personalizable learning path in a pedagogically controlled setting, which we submit is conducive to better engagement and learning results.
Effect of angiotensin II receptor 1 antisense oligodoexynucleotides on physiological and pathophysiological growth of cardiomyocytes.

AIM To evaluate the role of angiotensin II receptor 1 antisense oligodexynucleotides (AT1R-AS-ODNs) on physiological and pathophysiological growth of cardiomyocytes from normotensive rats. METHODS Cardiomyocytes were transfected with AT1R-AS-ODNs (200 nmol/L) followed by treatment with or without angiotensin II (1 micromol/L). In situ hybridization and Western blot were used for AT1R mRNA and protein detection, respectively. c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK) activity was characterized by immune complex kinase assay. c-Jun protein expression was examined by immunocytochemistry. DNA content was detected by flow cytometric assay. Atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) expression was identified by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS Treatment with AT1R-AS-ODNs for 24 h resulted in 51.2 % decrease in AT1R mRNA and 60.7 % in protein (P<0.05 vs control). However, the basal level of JNK activity, c-Jun protein expression, and DNA content were not altered by AT1R-AS treatment in absence of overactive hormonal system. After treatment with angiotensin II for 30 min, both p46JNK and p54JNK were robustly activated. By 2 h, c-Jun protein expression was increased. By 24 h, angiotensin II caused a marked increase both in G0/G1 and G2/M DNA content, and increased ANF expression by 1.8-fold. All these were inhibited by AT1R-AS-ODNs pretreatment. In contrast, sense sequence was ineffective. CONCLUSION Decrease of AT1R expression by AS-ODNs did not interfere with normal growth, but protected cardiomyocytes from angiotensin II-dependent pathophysiological growth.
Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)‐associated cytogenetic abnormalities in pediatric chronic myelogenous leukemia

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is very rare in the pediatric population. We report the case of a 2‐year‐old female with CML and concurrent myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) associated cytogenetic abnormalities. The co‐existence of t(9;22) and chromosomal deletions that are associated with MDS poses a unique diagnostic challenge. Given the reported association of t(9;22) and genomic instability, we hypothesize that the chromosomal deletions represent clonal evolution of the CML. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013;60:E146–E148. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The role of targeted therapy for gastrointestinal tumors

Many targeted drugs have been studied to target the molecular pathways involved in the development of gastrointestinal cancers. Anti-VEGF, anti-EGFR agents, and recently also multi-kinase inhibitor regorafenib, have already been available for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer patients. To date, Her-2 positive, gastric cancer patients, are also treated with trastuzumab, while the multi-targeted inhibitor, sorafenib, represents the standard treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Finally, sunitinib and everolimus, have been approved for the treatment of the neuroendocrine gastroenteropancreatic tumors. Actually a great number of further drugs are under preclinical and clinical development. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the state of art, focusing on the new emerging strategies in the personalized treatment of gastrointestinal tumors.
EMOTIONS IN TEXT: DIMENSIONAL AND CATEGORICAL MODELS

Text often expresses the writer's emotional state or evokes emotions in the reader. The nature of emotional phenomena like reading and writing can be interpreted in different ways and represented with different computational models. Affective computing (AC) researchers often use a categorical model in which text data are associated with emotional labels. We introduce a new way of using normative databases as a way of processing text with a dimensional model and compare it with different categorical approaches. The approach is evaluated using four data sets of texts reflecting different emotional phenomena. An emotional thesaurus and a bag‐of‐words model are used to generate vectors for each pseudo‐document, then for the categorical models three dimensionality reduction techniques are evaluated: Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA), Probabilistic Latent Semantic Analysis (PLSA), and Non‐negative Matrix Factorization (NMF). For the dimensional model a normative database is used to produce three‐dimensional vectors (valence, arousal, dominance) for each pseudo‐document. This three‐dimensional model can be used to generate psychologically driven visualizations. Both models can be used for affect detection based on distances amongst categories and pseudo‐documents. Experiments show that the categorical model using NMF and the dimensional model tend to perform best.
Does Basal Metabolic Rate Contain a Useful Signal? Mammalian BMR Allometry and Correlations with a Selection of Physiological, Ecological, and Life‐History Variables

Basal metabolic rate (BMR, mL O2 h−1) is a useful measurement only if standard conditions are realised. We present an analysis of the relationship between mammalian body mass (M, g) and BMR that accounts for variation associated with body temperature, digestive state, and phylogeny. In contrast to the established paradigm that BMR ∝ M3/4, data from 619 species, representing 19 mammalian orders and encompassing five orders of magnitude variation in M, show that BMR ∝ M2/3. If variation associated with body temperature and digestive state are removed, the BMRs of eutherians, marsupials, and birds do not differ, and no significant allometric exponent heterogeneity remains between orders. The usefulness of BMR as a general measurement is supported by the observation that after the removal of body mass effects, the residuals of BMR are significantly correlated with the residuals for a variety of physiological and ecological variables, including maximum metabolic rate, field metabolic rate, resting heart rate, life span, litter size, and population density.
Lp(a) Concentrations in NIDDM

NIDDM patients have a two- to fourfold increased risk of CHD relative to nondiabetic subjects. This excess risk is explained only partially by increased levels of standard risk factors. We compared the plasma concentrations of Lp(a) in NIDDM patients (n = 260) and nondiabetic subjects (n = 336) who participated in a population-based study (San Antonio Heart Study). Lp(a) was measured using a monoclonal anti-Lp(a) antibody. NIDDM patients and nondiabetic subjects had similar Lp(a) concentrations for both men (13.6 ± 1.5 vs. 16.1 ± 1.4 mg/dl) and women (12.6 ± 0.8 vs. 15.9 ± 1.3 mg/dl) (P = 0.361). Duration of diabetes and level of fasting glycemia were not significantly related to Lp(a) concentrations. Lp(a) levels were significantly higher in patients who had higher total and LDL cholesterol levels. We conclude that in a large population-based study, Lp(a) levels are not increased in NIDDM patients.
Chip-free singulation for medical application

Singulation is one of the most damaging process steps in IC assembly because of the torque and force applied by the saw blade to abrade away silicon material on all 4 sides of the IC die. The removed material around the die creates a gap which allows the die to be freed from the wafer. If the abrasive singulation process is not controlled, the freed die may exhibit low mechanical strength due to chipping damage. This is particularly a problem because newer medical devices are designed with dimensions that are long and narrow in order to fit into small implantable or insertable products. Compared to the more square shaped IC dies, chipping is more of a problem on high aspect ratio dies because of the its susceptibility to resonance and vibration during blade dicing on the longer sides. For this paper, conventional dicing and Dice Before Grind (DBG) are compared. Mechanical test dies prepared from blank silicon wafers cut to >3.5 mm long 0.5 mm wide and 0.150 mm thick are prepared. High aspect ratios of 10:1 with various backside finishes will be compared for dicing quality and mechanical integrity. Using the proper grind wheels with the finer grit size, 100% yield for singulation resulting in higher strength devices can be obtained with good efficiency with dice before grind method.