Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Magnetoencephalography in Neurosurgery

OBJECTIVE:To present applications of magnetoencephalography (MEG) in studies of neurosurgical patients. METHODS:MEG maps magnetic fields generated by electric currents in the brain, and allows the localization of brain areas producing evoked sensory responses and spontaneous electromagnetic activity. The identified sources can be integrated with other imaging modalities, e.g., with magnetic resonance imaging scans of individual patients with brain tumors or intractable epilepsy, or with other types of brain imaging data. RESULTS:MEG measurements using modern whole-scalp instruments assist in tailoring individual therapies for neurosurgical patients by producing maps of functionally irretrievable cortical areas and by identifying cortical sources of interictal and ictal epileptiform activity. The excellent time resolution of MEG enables tracking of complex spaciotemporal source patterns, helping, for example, with the separation of the epileptic pacemaker from propagated activity. The combination of noninvasive mapping of subcortical pathways by magnetic resonance imaging diffusion tensor imaging with MEG source localization will, in the near future, provide even more accurate navigational tools for preoperative planning. Other possible future applications of MEG include the noninvasive estimation of language lateralization and the follow-up of brain plasticity elicited by central or peripheral neural lesions or during the treatment of chronic pain. CONCLUSION:MEG is a mature technique suitable for producing preoperative “road maps” of eloquent cortical areas and for localizing epileptiform activity.
Anthropometric measures and absolute cardiovascular risk estimates in the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle (AusDiab) Study

Background Framingham risk functions are widely used for prediction of future cardiovascular disease events. They do not, however, include anthropometric measures of overweight or obesity, now considered a major cardiovascular disease risk factor. We aimed to establish the most appropriate anthropometric index and its optimal cutoff point for use as an ancillary measure in clinical practice when identifying people with increased absolute cardiovascular risk estimates. Design Analysis of a population-based, cross-sectional survey was carried out. Methods The 1991 Framingham prediction equations were used to compute 5 and 10-year risks of cardiovascular or coronary heart disease in 7191 participants from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (1999-2000). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to compare measures of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio in identifying participants estimated to be at ‘high’, or at ‘intermediate or high’ absolute risk. Results After adjustment for BMI and age, waist-to-hip ratio showed stronger correlation with absolute risk estimates than waist circumference. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for waist-to-hip ratio (0.67-0.70 in men, 0.64-0.74 in women) were greater than those for waist circumference (0.60-0.65, 0.59-0.71) or BMI (0.52-0.59, 0.53-0.66). The optimal cutoff points of BMI, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio to predict people at ‘high’, or at ‘intermediate or high’ absolute risk estimates were 26kg/m2, 95 cm and 0.90 in men, and 25-26 kg/m2, 80-85 cm and 0.80 in women, respectively. Conclusions Measurement of waist-to-hip ratio is more useful than BMI or waist circumference in the identification of individuals estimated to be at increased risk for future primary cardiovascular events. Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil 14: 740-745 © 2007 The European Society of Cardiology
Brain tumour necrosis factor-alpha modulates neurotransmitters in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus in heart failure.

AIMS Increased proinflammatory cytokines after myocardial infarction augment the progression of heart failure (HF) and are of prognostic significance. Recently, we demonstrated that increased proinflammatory cytokines in the brains of HF rats increased paraventricular nucleus (PVN) superoxide and down-regulated neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), contributing to sympathoexcitation. In this study, we explored the possible roles of brain proinflammatory cytokines and their effects on modulating PVN neurotransmitters in the exaggerated sympathetic activity in HF. METHODS AND RESULTS Sprague-Dawley rats with HF or sham-operated control (SHAM) rats were treated for 4 weeks with a continuous intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of the cytokine blockers-pentoxifylline (PTX, 10 microg/h and 40 microg/h), etanercept (ETN, 5 microg/h and 10 microg/h), or vehicle. Another set of HF and SHAM rats were treated with intraperitoneal (ip) infusion of a similar dose of PTX or ETN. HF rats had increased neuronal excitation accompanied by higher levels of glutamate, norepinephrine (NE), and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and lower levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), nNOS, and 67-kDa isoform of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD67) in the PVN when compared with SHAM rats. Plasma cytokines, NE, epinephrine, angiotensin II, and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) were also increased in HF rats. ICV treatment with low doses of PTX or ETN attenuated, and high doses prevented, increases in levels of glutamate, NE, and TH, and decreases in levels of GABA, nNOS, and GAD67 in the PVN in HF rats. The same ICV treatments also attenuated the increased RSNA seen in HF rats. IP treatment with similar doses of PTX or ETN did not affect glutamate, NE, TH, GABA, nNOS, and GAD67 in the PVN and had no effect on RSNA of HF rats. CONCLUSION This study, for the first time, demonstrates that proinflammatory cytokines modulate neurotransmitters in the PVN and contribute to sympathoexcitation in HF.
Should Robots be Obedient?

Intuitively, obedience -- following the order that a human gives -- seems like a good property for a robot to have. But, we humans are not perfect and we may give orders that are not best aligned to our preferences. We show that when a human is not perfectly rational then a robot that tries to infer and act according to the human's underlying preferences can always perform better than a robot that simply follows the human's literal order. Thus, there is a tradeoff between the obedience of a robot and the value it can attain for its owner. We investigate how this tradeoff is impacted by the way the robot infers the human's preferences, showing that some methods err more on the side of obedience than others. We then analyze how performance degrades when the robot has a misspecified model of the features that the human cares about or the level of rationality of the human. Finally, we study how robots can start detecting such model misspecification. Overall, our work suggests that there might be a middle ground in which robots intelligently decide when to obey human orders, but err on the side of obedience.
The use and effectiveness of environmental management accounting

ABSTRACT This study examines the extent of use of both physical and monetary aspects of environmental management accounting (EMA) and the influence of the comprehensiveness of the environmental management system (EMS), size, and top management support, on the use of EMA. The study also investigates the impact of EMA use on environmental performance. Data were collected from 208 Australian organisations across different industries using a mail survey questionnaire. The results indicate a moderate extent of physical EMA use, and a low extent of monetary EMA (MEMA) use. The comprehensiveness of the EMS and top management support were found to influence the use of EMA. In addition, organisations using EMA to a greater extent, in particular MEMA, were found to experience higher levels of environmental performance. The findings provide support for the promotion of the dissemination of EMA in practice.
Hereditary Pancreatitis Caused by a Novel PRSS1 Mutation (Arg-122 → Cys) That Alters Autoactivation and Autodegradation of Cationic Trypsinogen*

Hereditary pancreatitis has been found to be associated with germline mutations in the cationic trypsinogen (PRSS1) gene. Here we report a family with hereditary pancreatitis that carries a novel PRSS1 mutation (R122C). This mutation cannot be diagnosed with the conventional screening method using AflIII restriction enzyme digest. We therefore propose a new assay based on restriction enzyme digest with BstUI, a technique that permits detection of the novel R122C mutation in addition to the most common R122H mutation, and even in the presence of a recently reported neutral polymorphism that prevents its detection by the AflIII method. Recombinantly expressed R122C mutant human trypsinogen was found to undergo greatly reduced autoactivation and cathepsin B-induced activation, which is most likely caused by misfolding or disulfide mismatches of the mutant zymogen. The K m of R122C trypsin was found to be unchanged, but its k catwas reduced to 37% of the wild type. After correction for enterokinase activatable activity, and specifically in the absence of calcium, the R122C mutant was more resistant to autolysis than the wild type and autoactivated more rapidly at pH 8. Molecular modeling of the R122C mutant trypsin predicted an unimpaired active site but an altered stability of the calcium binding loop. This previously unknown trypsinogen mutation is associated with hereditary pancreatitis, requires a novel diagnostic screening method, and, for the first time, raises the question whether a gain or a loss of trypsin function participates in the onset of pancreatitis.
Management of suspected hemodialysis graft dysfunction: usefulness of diagnostic US.

PURPOSE To evaluate the role and usefulness of diagnostic ultrasonography (US) in the assessment of hemodialysis access grafts with an intermediate probability of graft malfunction. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred forty-seven complete US examinations were performed in 91 patients. Average volume of flow, peak systolic velocity, and diameter of residual lumen were recorded. Patients were referred by the nephrology department when clinical findings were suggestive, but not obviously, of graft malfunction. Study results were deemed normal if flow volume exceeded 1,300 mL/min without significant visualized stenosis of 50% of the diameter or greater or if flow approached 1,300 mL/min without peak systolic velocity greater than 400 cm/sec. RESULTS Of the 147 examinations, 49 (33%) had normal results, seven (5%) showed thrombosis at examination, and 91 (62%) had evidence of at least one significant visualized stenosis or diffuse notable degree of thrombus. Three patients with normal results required fistulography within 90 days, one for thrombosis. In the 91 studies with abnormal results, 69 patients underwent fistulography; results in 63 showed agreement, and three showed false-positive results. More central venous stenoses were found at fistulography than at US. CONCLUSION US is a useful and reliable first step in managing clinically suspected hemodialysis graft stenosis. One-third of the studies showed no significant stenosis and did not require angiographic evaluation. US should be the initial study in patients suspected of having hemodialysis access dysfunction without exceptional evidence of stenosis.
Low-dose, fractionated radioimmunotherapy for B-cell malignancies using 131I-Lym-1 antibody.

PURPOSE This trial was conducted to assess the toxicity and efficacy of 131I-Lym-1 in patients with either malignant B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) using low-dose, fractionated radioimmunotherapy (RIT). MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty adult patients who had advanced B-cell malignancies (25 NHL and 5 CLL) had progressed despite standard therapy; 12 patients entered the trial with Karnofsky performance status (KPS) of equal to or greater than 60. Patients were treated with a series of intravenous doses of 131I-Lym-1 with a goal of reaching a cumulative dose in each patient of at least 300 mCi. All patients were Lym-1 reactive. Clinical responses and immediate toxicity were evaluable in all 30 patients and delayed toxicity in 26. RESULTS Toxicity to Lym-1 antibody occurred with 28% of the 176 doses and was transient. Human antimouse antibodies (HAMA) were generated in 30% after a mean of 4 doses, but interrupted therapy in only 10% of the patients. Thrombocytopenia was dose-limiting; there were no deaths due to toxicity. Tumor regression occurred in 25 (83%) of the patients and was great enough, and durable enough, in 17 (57%) to qualify them as responders; 13 NHL patients and 4 CLL patients. Advanced disease often interrupted therapy prematurely. However, 18 patients received at least 180 mCi of 131I-Lym-1; 17 (94%) of these responded to the therapy. CONCLUSION Although advanced disease often interrupted therapy prematurely, the results from 131I-Lym-1 therapy are clearly promising and warrant additional trials.
Cyclosporine Inhibits Mouse Cytomegalovirus Infection via a Cyclophilin-Dependent Pathway Specifically in Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells

ABSTRACT The potential of neural stem and progenitor cell (NSPC) transplantation in neurodegenerative disease raises a concern about immunosuppressive agents and opportunistic neurotropic pathogens that may interfere with engraftment. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is an important opportunistic pathogen infecting the central nervous system, where it may remain latent for life, following transplacental transmission. Cyclosporine (Cs), an immunosuppressive drug used in organ transplantation, where its use is associated with CMV reactivation, suppressed murine CMV (MCMV) infection in cultured NSPCs but not in fibroblasts. This activity of Cs appears to be mediated via cyclophilin (CyP) rather than via calcineurin. First, the calcineurin-specific inhibitor FK506 failed to suppress replication. Second, the CyP-specific inhibitor NIM811 strongly suppressed replication in NSPC. NSPCs maintained in the presence of NIM811 retained viral genomes for several weeks without detectable viral gene expression or obvious deleterious effects. The withdrawal of NIM811 reactivated viral replication, suggesting that the inhibitory mechanism was reversible. Finally, inhibition of endogenous CyP A (CyPA) by small interfering RNA also inhibited replication in NSPCs. These results show that MCMV replication depends upon cellular CyPA pathways in NSPCs (in a specific cell type-dependent fashion), that CyPA plays an important role in viral infection in this cell type, and that inhibition of viral replication via CyP leads to persistence of the viral genome without cell damage. Further, the calcineurin-signaling pathway conferring immunosuppression in T cells does not influence viral replication in a detectable fashion.
Usefulness of Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance in Fulminant Invasive Fungal Rhinosinusitis

Fulminant invasive fungal rhinosinusitis is an aggressive, destructive process most commonly affecting the immunocompromised host. Although frequently fatal, prognosis is related directly to early recognition and aggressive treatment. Various reports advocate computed tomography (CT) scanning as the study of choice in evaluating suspected invasive fungal disease, reserving magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for select cases. Others report lack of correlation between CT and surgical or pathological findings. Our aim was to investigate the usefulness of CT and MR in the diagnosis of invasive fungal rhinosinusitis. We retrospectively reviewed four cases of biopsyproven invasive disease. Correlations between radiographic, endoscopic, and surgical findings were investigated. Rhizopus species were detected in three cases and mixed Mucor and Aspergillus species in another. Superimposed bacterial sinusitis was confirmed in all cases. CT findings were nonspecific, revealing pansinusitis; no bone destruction or intracranial extension was noted. Mild orbital cellulitis was noted in one case. Anterior rhinoscopy revealed nonviable tissue in two patients. Nasal endoscopy later confirmed tissue ischemia in a third patient, whereas a final patient had normal findings on both exams. Nonspecific findings resulted in delay of diagnosis by 48–72 hours in two patients with presumed bacterial sinusitis. MR revealed intracranial extension in two patients and better represented intraoperative findings. In conclusion, CT findings in invasive fungal rhinosinusitis may be nonspecific and underestimate extent of disease. A high index of suspicion and early endoscopic examination with biopsy are mandatory for evaluation. MRI may better represent disease progression and should be considered early.
Longitudinal In Vivo Effects of Growth Hormone Overexpression on Bone in Transgenic Mice

In this study we examined the effect of systemic overexpression of GH on bone in transgenic mice longitudinally in vivo over a period of 9 months. We observed substantially increased BMC in GH transgenic mice and a significant reduction in serum osteocalcin. GH effects on bone were strongly dependent on gender and developmental stage.
Financial Frictions, Interest Rate Dynamics, and International Business Cycle Synchronization

A two‐country real business cycle model with national endogenous borrowing constraints and working capital requirements can account for the high level of international co‐movements. The effects of technology shocks are transmitted internationally through the dynamics of the interest rate. Specifically, the borrowing mechanism brings about a wedge between the real interest rate and the expected marginal product of capital, such that interest rates fall following positive technology shocks. A lower interest rate induces more investment by Foreign firms, which in turn contribute to greater synchronization of economic activities across countries. Moreover, terms of trade amplify the effects of technology shocks.
Influence of Seated Rocking on Blood Pressure in the Elderly: A Pilot Clinical Study

Patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) who rock for 1—2 hr per day in a rocking chair demonstrate significant improvements in depression, anxiety, and balance and a decrease in pain medication usage; however, the underlying basis for their responses remains unclear. Rocking with plantar flexion uses the calf muscles, enhancing lower limb fluid return to the heart, which should increase blood pressure (BP) and may, then, also increase cerebral perfusion. Accordingly, we tested the efficacy of rocking activity for increasing BP in healthy, older persons. In a pilot laboratory study of 24 healthy, White men and women aged 55—87 years, we observed that 30 min of steady rocking led to an average 12 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure (SBP, p < .001) and a 3.6 mmHg average increase in diastolic blood pressure (DBP, p < .001). To determine the effect of using this intervention in a nonclinical setting, we tested a similar group of 7 participants at a senior center. In this setting, we observed an average increase in SBP of 27 mmHg (p < .001) and in DBP of 2.5 mmHg (p < .001) after 30 min of rocking. In a subgroup (n = 8) of hypotensive individuals (SBP < 110 mmHg after sitting quietly for 30 min) extracted from both settings, rocking raised the average SBP from <100 mmHg to approximately 120 mmHg. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that rocking can increase BP and, therefore, may enhance cerebral perfusion. This observation may play a fundamental role in designing nursing interventions focused on improvement of symptoms associated with AD.
Role of altholactone in inducing type II apoptosis signalling pathway and expression of cancer‐related genes in cervical carcinoma HeLa cell line

Goniothalamus species (Annonaceae) is a shrub that grows in the rainforest of tropical Asia. Several compounds have been isolated and exhibit the potential use for cancer treatment. In this work, altholactone isolated from Goniothalamus macrophyllus was investigated for its cytotoxicity, apoptosis signalling and the expression of cancer‐related genes in the cervical carcinoma HeLa cells. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay. Apoptotic characteristics were evaluated by morphological studies. Caspase‐3 activity was detected using a fluorogenic substrate. Cytochrome c release from mitochondria and protein Bid were determined by Western blotting and cancer‐related genes expression by RT‐PCR. The results demonstrated that altholactone was cytotoxic to HeLa (IC50 = 9.6 μg/mL), and apoptotic cell death was manifested by appearance of chromatin condensation and caspase‐3 activation, which was inhibited by specific inhibitors of both caspase‐8 and ‐9. Release into the cytosol of cytochrome and cleavage of Bid occurred. Altholactone also caused a decrease in bcl‐2 and an increase in p53 expression. These unique properties of altholactone suggest a potential for cancer chemotherapy.
The long-term safety of D-allulose administration in healthy dogs

The safety and biological effects of a long-term dose of D-allulose were evaluated in healthy dogs. For 12 weeks, the dogs were administered D-allulose (0.2 g/kg) or placebo daily. Plasma total cholesterol concentrations in the D-allulose group were significantly lower than those in the control group at and after week 2 (P<0.05). D-Allulose administration did not cause clinical signs or changes in hematological and biochemical levels, except for lipids. D-Allulose administration also did not influence body weight. Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations in the glucose tolerance test, performed one day after the termination of D-allulose administration, were not different between groups, suggesting no cumulative effects of D-allulose on glucose metabolism in healthy dogs. In conclusion, long-term administration of D-allulose caused no harmful effects in dogs.
Capital Structure Policy: Evidence from Taiwan

Capital structure literature shows that, in static tradeoff theory, a firmâ€™s target leverage is related to its size and profitability. However, it remains unclear as to whether target leverage even exists. Assuming that it does, two key questions arise. First, how does the company adjust to the target? Second, is there a contradiction between pecking order theory and static tradeoff theory? This study classifies a sample of companies listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange into four quadrant clusters by the average method based. The classification is based on factors related to firm size and profitability to determine whether firms in these clusters engage in different financing policies. This study explores whether pecking order or static tradeoff theory are conducted through independent and conventional four-factor joint testing. Results show the target-adjustment model is more efficient than the pecking order model. In addition, I conduct robustness checks by the quartile method. The results show the large firms with low profitability and no financing gaps adhere to both the pecking order and target-adjustment models. These results provide support for the hypothesis that financing policies employed by companies listed on the Taiwan stock market vary as a function of the quadrant in which they are classified