Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantifying lip-read-induced suppression and facilitation of the auditory N1 and P2 reveals peak enhancements and delays.

Lip-read speech suppresses and speeds up the auditory N1 and P2 peaks, but these effects are not always observed or reported. Here, the robustness of lip-read-induced N1/P2 suppression and facilitation in phonetically congruent audiovisual speech was assessed by analyzing peak values that were taken from published plots and individual data. To determine whether adhering to the additive model of AV integration (i.e., A+V ≠ AV, or AV-V ≠ A) is critical for correct characterization of lip-read-induced effects on the N1 and P2, auditory data was compared to AV and to AV-V. On average, the N1 and P2 were consistently suppressed and sped up by lip-read information, with no indication that AV integration effects were significantly modulated by whether or not V was subtracted from AV. To assess the possibility that variability in observed N1/P2 amplitudes and latencies may explain why N1/P2 suppression and facilitation are not always found, additional correlations between peak values and size of the AV integration effects were computed. These analyses showed that N1/P2 peak values correlated with the size of AV integration effects. However, it also became apparent that a portion of the AV integration effects was characterized by lip-read-induced peak enhancements and delays rather than suppressions and facilitations, which, for the individual data, seemed related to particularly small/early A-only peaks and large/late AV(-V) peaks.
Postmenopausal hormone therapy is associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer lacking CDKN 1 A expression

Experimental studies have shown that estrogenor progesterone-activated signaling leads to growth inhibition effects on colon cancer cells through the upregulation of several cell cycle regulators. However, epidemiologic studies evaluating hormone therapy (HT) use and colorectal cancer risk by the status of cell cycle regulators are lacking. In this study, we used data from the prospective Nurses' Health Study to evaluate whether the association between HT use and colorectal cancer risk differs by the molecular pathological status of microsatellite instability (MSI) and expression of cell cycle-related tumor biomarkers, including CDKN1A (p21, CIP1), CDKN1B (p27, KIP1), and TP53 (p53) by immunohistochemistry. Duplication Cox regression analysis was used to determine an association between HT use, cancer risk, and specific tumor biomarkers in 581 incident colon and rectal cancer cases that occurred during 26 years of follow-up among 105520 postmenopausal women. We found a difference between HT use and colorectal cancer risk according to CDKN1A expression (p-value for heterogeneity=0.01). Current HT use was associated with a reduced risk for CDKN1Anonexpressed (multivariate relative risk (RR)=0.61, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.460. 82), but not for CDKN1A-expressed (RR=1.32, 95% CI, 0.76-2.31) tumors. The lower risk for CDKN1A-nonexpressed, but not for CDKN1A-expressed cancers was also present among current users of estrogen-alone therapy. We found no significant difference in the relations between HT use and cancer risk according to MSI, CDKN1B, or TP53 status. Together, our molecular epidemiology findings suggest a preventive effect of HT against colorectal carcinogenesis which depends, in part, on loss of cyclindependent kinase inhibitor CDKN1A. on May 2, 2017. © 2012 American Association for Cancer Research. cancerres.aacrjournals. org Downloaded from Author manuscripts have been peer reviewed and accepted for publication but have not yet been edited. Author Manuscript Published OnlineFirst on April 17, 2012; DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-11-2619
Use of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification for Detection of Ophiostoma clavatum, the Primary Blue Stain Fungus Associated with Ips acuminatus

ABSTRACT Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is an alternative amplification technology which is highly sensitive and less time-consuming than conventional PCR-based methods. Three LAMP assays were developed, two for detection of species of symbiotic blue stain fungi associated with Ips acuminatus, a bark beetle infesting Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), and an additional assay specific to I. acuminatus itself for use as a control. In common with most bark beetles, I. acuminatus is associated with phytopathogenic blue stain fungi involved in the process of exhausting tree defenses, which is a necessary step for the colonization of the plant by the insect. However, the identity of the main blue stain fungus vectored by I. acuminatus was still uncertain, as well as its frequency of association with I. acuminatus under outbreak and non-outbreak conditions. In this study, we employed LAMP technology to survey six populations of I. acuminatus sampled from the Southern Alps. Ophiostoma clavatum was detected at all sampling sites, while Ophiostoma brunneo-ciliatum, reported in part of the literature as the main blue stain fungus associated with I. acuminatus, was not detected on any of the samples. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that O. clavatum is the main blue stain fungus associated with I. acuminatus in the Southern Alps. The method developed in the course of this work provides a molecular tool by which it will be easy to screen populations and derive important data regarding the ecology of the species involved.
Pattern of ocular dominance columns in human striate cortex in strabismic amblyopia

Abstract Previous experiments in animals have shown that early unilateral eyelid suture, a model of amblyopia induced by cataract, causes shrinkage of ocular dominance columns serving the deprived eye in the striate cortex. It is unknown whether the ocular dominance columns are affected in amblyopia produced by strabismus. We examined specimens of striate cortex obtained postmortem from a 79-year-old woman with a history of amblyopia in her left eye (20/800) since age 2 from accommodative esotropia. Four years prior to her death, she suffered an ischemic infarct of the left optic disc. This injury to the left optic disc made it possible to label the ocular dominance columns using cytochrome oxidase histochemistry. The pattern of ocular dominance columns was reconstructed throughout most of the right striate cortex. No shrinkage of columns was found. In the left cortex only half the column mosaic was labelled, because the patient had some residual vision in the temporal retina of her left eye. The columns within the labelled portion of the overall mosaic appeared normal. These findings indicate that shrinkage of ocular dominance columns does not occur in humans with amblyopia caused by accommodative esotropia. The ocular dominance columns are probably no longer susceptible to shrinkage at the age when most children with this condition begin to develop amblyopia.
Three-Dimensional Gradient-Index Materials and Their Applications in Microwave Lens Antennas

In this paper, we introduce a method to realize 3-D inhomogeneous and nearly isotropic gradient-index materials in the microwave regime. The unit cells of such gradient-index materials are drilled-hole dielectric structures, which can be easily fabricated by using the traditional printed circuit boards. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method, we design and realize two functional devices in the microwave frequencies—a half-spherical Luneburg lens and a half Maxwell fisheye lens—based on 3-D gradient-index materials. The measurement results show that both devices have very good performance, which have good agreements to the numerical simulations, illustrating the great application potentials of the 3-D gradient-index materials.
Impurity profiling of amphetamine and methamphetamine using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) harmonised methods

Impurity profiling of drug seizures is a scientific approach employed to understand drug trafficking networks thus has becoming increasingly important in criminal investigation. This paper presents the feasibility of using the Collaborative Harmonisation of Methods for the Profiling of AmphetamineType Stimulants (CHAMP) established by the European Commission authority for impurity profiling of amphetamine and methamphetamine samples. Both drugs were analysed using similar extraction procedure and analytical conditions. The impurities were extracted from an alkaline buffer solution (pH8.1) using toluene prior to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses. The results showed that the reproducibility of the method for detecting amphetamine and methamphetamine ranged between 7.4-8.9 and 6.2-8.4 %RSD, respectively. Identification of impurities was performed by referencing against the available MS databases as well as to previous reported impurity profiling studies. Phenyl-2-propanone (P2P), also known as benzyl-methyl-ketone (BMK), as well as other specific impurities such as 4-methyl-5-phenylpyrimidine, bis-(1-phynelisopropyl) amine, N-formylamphetamine and N,N-di (b-phenylisopropyl) amines were identified in the amphetamine samples, indicating Leuckart’s pathway as the route of synthesis. Because P2P was also detected in the methamphetamine samples, the possible route of synthesis of the methamphetamine samples being Leuckart’s, nitrostyrene synthesis or reductive amination could not be ruled out.
Cell cycle regulation of the Escherichia coli nrd operon: requirement for a cis-acting upstream AT-rich sequence

The expression of the nrd operon encoding ribonucleotide reductase in Escherichia coli has been shown to be cell cycle regulated. To identify the cis-acting elements required for the cell cycle regulation of the nrd promoter, different 5' deletions as well as site-directed mutations were translationally fused to a lacZ reporter gene. The expression of beta-galactosidase from these nrd-lacZ fusions in single-copy plasmids was determined with synchronously growing cultures obtained by repeated phosphate starvation as well as with exponentially growing cultures by flow cytometry analysis. Although Fis and DnaA, two regulatory proteins that bind at multiple sites on the E. coli chromosome, have been found to regulate the nrd promoter, the results in this study demonstrated that neither Fis nor DnaA was required for nrd cell cycle regulation. A cis-acting upstream AT-rich sequence was found to be required for the cell cycle regulation. This sequence could be replaced by a different sequence that maintained the AT richness. A flow cytometry analysis that combined specific immunofluorescent staining of beta-galactosidase with a DNA-specific stain was developed and employed to study the nrd promoter activity in cells at specific cell cycle positions. The results of the flow cytometry analysis confirmed the results obtained from studies with synchronized cells.
Amygdala activation during recognition of emotions in a foreign ethnic group is associated with duration of stay

Abstract Cultural differences in emotion recognition performance have frequently been reported, whereby duration of stay in a foreign culture seems to be a crucial factor. Furthermore, cultural aspects influence the neural correlates of face and emotion processing thereby also affecting the response of the amygdala. Here, the exposure to a foreign culture and its influence on the cerebral correlates of facial emotion recognition were examined in 24 Asian and 24 age-matched European males. Subjects performed an explicit emotion recognition task and were imaged with a 3 T MR-scanner. Results demonstrate a significant cultural influence on the specific recognition of disgust and anger, with higher accuracy among the Europeans, while the functional data indicate generally elevated amygdala activation in Asians compared to Europeans. Moreover, a significant inverse correlation between duration of stay and amygdala response emerged, with stronger activation in those subjects with shorter duration of stay in Europe. The observed amygdala hyperactivation in Asians may reflect novelty aspects but might also be associated with greater effort and motivation in immigrants, thus it possibly reflects one neural correlate of the “alien-effect”. We conclude that exposure to a foreign culture and duration of stay affect the behavioral and neural response to facial expressions of emotions.
Education and Optimal Dynamic Taxation

We study optimal tax and educational policies in a dynamic private information economy, in which ex-ante heterogeneous individuals make an educational investment early in their life and face a stochastic wage distribution. We characterize labor and education wedges in this setting analytically and numerically, using a calibrated example. We present ways to implement the optimum. In one implementation there is a common labor income tax schedule, and a repayment schedule for government loans given out to agents during education. These repayment plans are contingent on loan size and income and capture the history dependence of the labor wedges. Applying the model to US-data and a binary education decision (graduating from college or not) we characterize optimal labor wedges for individuals without college degree and with college degree. The labor wedge of college graduates as a function of income lies first strictly above their counterparts from high-school, but this reverses at higher incomes. The loan repayment schedule is hump-shaped in income for college graduates.
Sleep habits, daytime sleepiness and sleep quality of high school teachers

aim of this study was to characterize the sleep-wake cycle, daytime sleepiness and sleep quality of high school teachers. Ninety-eight high school teachers participated in this study. They were asked to complete the Health and Sleep, Horne & Ostberg, Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaires and to keep a 14-day sleep diary. This study showed that high-school teachers wake up on average 1 h 12 min earlier (ANOVA; p 0.05), respectively. Therefore, high-school teachers show characteristics of partial sleep deprivation that may contribute to excessive daytime sleepiness and poor sleep quality. This situation may compromise health and quality of life, in addition to teaching performance that can affect the education of their students.
Therapeutic Modulation of Aortic Stiffness

Aortic stiffness (AS) is an important predictor of cardiovascular morbidity in humans. The present review discusses the possible pathophysiological mechanisms of AS and focuses on a survey of different therapeutic modalities for decreasing AS. The influence of several nonpharmacological interventions is described: decrease body weight, diet, aerobic exercise training, music, and continuous positive airway pressure therapy. The effects of different pharmacological drug classes on AS are also discussed: antihypertensive drugs—renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system drugs, beta-blockers, alpha-blockers, diuretics, and calcium channel blockers (CCBs)—advanced glycation end product cross-link breakers, statins, oral anti-diabetics, anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamin D, antioxidant vitamins, and endothelin-1 receptor antagonists. All of these have shown some effect in decreasing AS.
A concise total synthesis of the natural carbazole clauraila A

A short and efficient total synthesis of naturally occurring carbazole clauraila A (1) is described. The approach is designed on the basis of the key regioselective Diels-Alder reaction of the properly substituted exo-2-oxazolidinone diene 3 with acrolein (4) to give the corresponding adduct 2. The latter is converted to functionalised diarylamine 8, which is cyclised to the desired carbazole 1 through a Pd-promoted or -catalysed double C–H bond activation process in a fairly good overall yield.
Thermal Comfort, Perceived Air Quality and Intensity of SBS Symptoms During Exposure to Moderate Operative Temperature Ramps

SUMMARY The objective of the presented research work was to study the effects of moderate operative temperature drifts on human thermal comfort, perceived air quality, and intensity of SBS symptoms. Experimental subjects (52, 50% female) were seated in a climatic chamber and exposed to operative temperature ramps with different slope, direction and duration during two related experiments (±0.6 K/h, ±1.2 K/h, +2.4 K/h, +4.8 K/h). The studied temperature ranges were 22-26.8oC (light clothing - 0.5 clo) and 17.8-25oC (heavier clothing - 0.7 clo). Exposure to steady temperatures (24.4, 21.4oC) corresponding with a neutral thermal sensation was included in the experimental design. Results of the experiment showed that all tested operative temperature ramps were perceived by sedentary subjects when the exposure time exceeded four hours. No significant effect on SBS symptoms related to local irritation of mucous membranes was found, while the intensity of headache, well feeling and concentration ability was significantly higher at the end of the exposure to the temperature ramps. A linear relation between perceived air quality and temperature (enthalpy) was found.
Three infants with rotavirus gastroenteritis complicated by severe gastrointestinal bleeding

Rotavirus gastroenteritis causes substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide in children. We report three infants with rotavirus gastroenteritis complicated by various severity of gastrointestinal bleeding. Two patients (cases 1 and 2) recovered completely without any specific treatments. One patient (case 3) died despite extensive treatments including a red blood cell transfusion and endoscopic hemostatic therapy. Rotavirus genotypes G1P[8] and G9P[8] were detected in cases 2 and 3, respectively. Rotavirus antigenemia levels were not high at the onset of melena, suggesting that systemic rotaviral infection does not play an important role in causing melena. J. Med. Virol. 88:171–174, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The fundamental link between pneumococcal carriage and disease

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a major cause of worldwide mortality and morbidity, and to a large extent is vaccine-preventable. Nasopharyngeal carriage of pneumococcus precedes disease and is the source of pneumococcal spread between people. The use of vaccine effect on carriage as part of the vaccine licensure and post-vaccine introduction evaluation could facilitate and expand the licensure of new, life-saving pneumococcal vaccines and enable a comprehensive estimate of population effects after vaccine introduction. The authors provide a review of the evidence supporting pneumococcal carriage at the individual level as an immediate and necessary precursor to pneumococcal disease. Based on such a causal link between carriage and disease, the authors emphasize the role of information on pneumococcal carriage in vaccine trials and in public health decision-making.
Role of dopamine D1 receptors in the lethal effects of cocaine and a quaternary methiodide analog.

Acute cocaine overdose can result in convulsions and death although the mechanisms associated with this toxicity are poorly understood. The role of D1 receptors in the central and peripheral actions in cocaine were investigated by comparisons of cocaine with the stable charged cocaine analog, cocaine methiodide. Both cocaine and cocaine methiodide produced dose-related increases in lethality in male, Swiss Webster mice, with cocaine methiodide being slightly more potent than cocaine; however, only cocaine produced convulsions. Several dopamine D1 antagonists ([R-(+)-7-chloro-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3- benzazepine] (SCH 23390), [(-)-trans-6,7,7a,8, 9,13b-hexahydro-3-chloro-2-hydroxy-N-methyl-5H-benzo[d]naptho++ +-(2-1-b)azepin e (SCH 39166), 1-(2-bromo-4,5-dimethoxybenzyl)-7-hydroxy-6-methoxy-2-methyl- 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline HBr (A-69024), [R-(+)-7-bromo-8-hydroxy-3- methyl-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine] (SK F83566)) produced dose-dependent protection against the lethal effects of both compounds. Protection against cocaine methiodide-induced lethality was conferred by lower doses of the D1 antagonists than those effective against cocaine. Stereoselectivity of this effect was demonstrated by the lack of activity of the inactive enantiomer of SCH 23390. The D2 antagonist haloperidol was ineffective against either cocaine- or cocaine methiodide-induced lethality. Lethal effects of the nondopaminergic local anesthetic, lidocaine, were not influenced by prior treatment with D1 antagonists. Lethal effects of cocaine were enhanced by both centrally and peripherally acting D1 agonists but not by the D2 agonist quinpirole. Cocaine methiodide-induced lethality was also enhanced by the peripherally active DA1 agonist, fenoldopam. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Effects of Second Messengers on Gap Junctional Intercellular Communication of Ovine Luteal Cells Throughout the Estrous Cycle1

Abstract Corpora lutea (CL) from Days 5, 10, and 15 after superovulation were enzymatically dispersed, and a portion of the cells were elutriated to obtain fractions enriched with small or large luteal cells. Mixed, small, and large luteal cell fractions were incubated with no treatment or with agonists or antagonists of cAMP (dbcAMP or Rp-cAMPS), protein kinase C (PKC; TPA or H-7), or calcium (A23187, EGTA, or A23187 + EGTA). The rate of contact-dependent gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) was evaluated by laser cytometry. Media were collected for progesterone (P4) radioimmunoassay, and luteal cells cultured with no treatment were fixed for immunocytochemistry or frozen for Western blot analysis. Luteal cells from each stage of the estrous cycle exhibited GJIC. The dbcAMP increased (P < 0.05) GJIC for all cell types across the estrous cycle. The Rp-cAMPS decreased (P < 0.05) GJIC for small luteal cells on Day 5 and for all cell types on Days 10 and 15. The TPA inhibited (P < 0.01), but H-7 did not affect, GJIC for all cell types across the estrous cycle. The A23187 decreased (P < 0.05) GJIC for large luteal cells touching only small or only large luteal cells, whereas A23187 + EGTA decreased (P < 0.05) GJIC for all cell types across the estrous cycle. For the mixed and large luteal cell fractions, dbcAMP increased (P < 0.05), but TPA and A23187 + EGTA decreased (P < 0.05), P4 secretion. The A23187 alone decreased (P < 0.05) P4 secretion by large, but not by mixed, luteal cells. For all days and cell types, the rate of GJIC and P4 secretion were correlated (r = 0.113–0.249; P < 0.01). Connexin 43 was detected in cultured luteal cells by immunofluorescence and Western immunoblotting. Thus, intracellular regulators like cAMP, PKC, or calcium appear to regulate GJIC, which probably is an important mechanism for coordinating function of the ovine CL.
Cochlear implantation in patients with prelingual hearing loss

Abstract Conclusion: The average age at the time of cochlear implantation is progressively being reduced. While cochlear obstruction and perilymph/cerebello-spinal fluid gusher were found in some cases, preoperative MRI and CT scans were predictive of such occurrences. The preoperative developmental quotient in the Cognitive-Adaptive Area was strongly correlated to the postoperative development in the Language-Social Area. Objective: To summarize the background, implant devices, intraoperative findings, and postoperative developmental quotients of prelingually deafened patients who underwent cochlear implantation. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 134 prelingually deafened cochlear implant recipients. Results: The median age at implantation was 3 years and 5 months. Most patients were born deaf without any known etiologies. In most cases, the transmastoid facial recess approach was utilized. Cochlear obstruction was identified in four patients, all of whom lost their hearing as a result of meningitis. Perilymph/cerebello-spinal fluid gusher was observed in six patients with inner ear anomalies. The preoperative developmental quotient for the Cognitive-Adaptive Area showed significant correlation with the postoperative developmental quotient in the Language-Social Area with a correlation coefficient of 0.71.