Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
European Clinical Experience with a Dual Chamber Single Pass Sensing and Pacing Defibrillation Lead

GRADAUS, R. , et al.: European Clinical Experience with a Dual Chamber Single Pass Sensing and Pacing Defibrillation Lead. Dual chamber ICDs are increasingly implanted nowadays, mainly to improve discrimination between supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias but also to maintain AV synchrony in patients with bradycardia. The aim of this study was to investigate a new single pass right ventricular defibrillation lead capable of true bipolar sensing and pacing in the right atrium and integrated bipolar sensing and pacing in the right ventricle. The performance of the lead was evaluated in 57 patients (age 61 ± 12 years; New York Heart Association 1.9 ± 0.6, left ventricular ejection fraction 0.38 ± 0.15) at implant, at prehospital discharge, and during a 1‐year follow‐up. Sensing and pacing behavior of the lead was evaluated in six different body positions. In four patients, no stable position of the atrial electrode could intraoperatively be found. The intraoperative atrial sensing was 2.3 ± 1.6 mV and the atrial pacing threshold 0.8 ± 0.5 V at 0.5 ms. At follow‐up, the atrial sensing ranged from 1.5 mV to 2.2 mV and the atrial pacing threshold product from 0.8 to 1.7 V/ms. In 11 patients, an intermittent atrial sensing problem and in 24 patients an atrial pacing dysfunction were observed in at least one body position. In 565 episodes, a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 96.5% were found for ventricular arrhythmias. In conclusion, this single pass defibrillation lead performed well as a VDD lead and for dual chamber arrhythmia discrimination. However, loss of atrial capture in 45% of patients preclude its use in patients depending on atrial pacing.
Altered P2X7‐receptor level and function in mouse models of Huntington's disease and therapeutic efficacy of antagonist administration

The precise mechanism by which mutant huntingtin elicits its toxicity remains unknown. However synaptic alterations and increased susceptibility to neuronal death are known contributors to Huntington's disease (HD) symptomatology. While decreased metabolism has long been associated with HD, recent findings have surprisingly demonstrated reduced neuronal apoptosis in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila models of HD by drugs that diminish ATP production. Interestingly, extracellular ATP has been recently reported to elicit neuronal death through stimulation of P2X7 receptors. These are ATP‐gated cation channels known to modulate neurotransmitter release from neuronal presynaptic terminals and to regulate cytokine production and release from microglia. We hypothesized that alteration in P2X7‐mediated calcium permeability may contribute to HD synaptic dysfunction and increased neuronal apoptosis. Using mouse and cellular models of HD, we demonstrate increased P2X7‐receptor level and altered P2X7‐mediated calcium permeability in somata and terminals of HD neurons. Furthermore, cultured neurons expressing mutant huntingtin showed increased susceptibility to apoptosis triggered by P2X7‐receptor stimulation. Finally, in vivo administration of the P2X7‐antagonist Brilliant Blue‐G (BBG) to HD mice prevented neuronal apoptosis and attenuated body weight loss and motor‐coordination deficits. These in vivo data strongly suggest that altered P2X7‐receptor level and function contribute to HD pathogenesis and highlight the therapeutic potential of P2X7 receptor antagonists. —Diaz‐Hernandez, M. , Diez‐Zaera, M. , Sanchez‐Nogueiro, J., Gomez‐Villafuertes, R. , Canals, J.M. , Alberch, J., Miras‐Portugal, M.T. , Lucas, J.J. Altered P2X7‐receptor level and function in mouse models of Huntington's disease and therapeutic efficacy of antagonist administration. FASEB J. 23, 1893–1906 (2009)
Anatomical and sensory experiential determinants of synaptic plasticity in layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons of mouse barrel cortex

A minority of layer 2/3 (L2/3) pyramidal neurons exhibit spike‐timing‐dependent long‐term potentiation (LTP) in normally reared adolescent mice. To determine whether particular subtypes of L2/3 neurons have a greater capacity for LTP than others, we correlated the morphological and electrophysiological properties of L2/3 neurons with their ability to undergo LTP by using a spike‐timing‐dependent protocol applied via layer 4 inputs from the neighboring barrel column. No correlation was found between the incidence of LTP and the cell's electrophysiological properties, nor with their laminar or columnar location. However, in cortex of normal, undeprived mice, neurons that exhibited LTP had dendrites that extended farther horizontally than those that showed no plasticity, and this horizontal spread was due to off‐axis apical dendrites. From a sample of reconstructed neurons, two‐thirds of neurons' dendritic arborizations reached into at least one adjacent barrel column. We also tested whether this relationship persisted following a short period of whisker deprivation. The probability of inducing LTP increased from 33% in cortex of undeprived mice to 53% following 7 days of whisker deprivation, and the incidence of LTD with the same protocol decreased from 49% to 9%. In deprived cortex, neurons exhibiting LTP did not extend any farther horizontally than those that showed no plasticity. Whisker deprivation did not affect horizontal spread of dendrites nor dendritic structure in general but did produced an increase in spine density, both on basal and on apical dendrites, suggesting a possible substrate for the increased levels of LTP observed in deprived cortex. J. Comp. Neurol. 519:2090–2124, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Multilayer Neuromodulated Architectures for Memory-Constrained Online Continual Learning

We focus on the problem of how to achieve online continual learning under memory-constrained conditions where the input data may not be known a priori. These constraints are relevant in edge computing scenarios. We have developed an architecture where input processing over data streams and online learning are integrated in a single recurrent network architecture. This allows us to cast metalearning optimization as a mixed-integer optimization problem, where different synaptic plasticity algorithms and feature extraction layers can be swapped out and their hyperparameters are optimized to identify optimal architectures for different sets of tasks. We utilize a Bayesian optimization method to search over a design space that spans multiple learning algorithms, their specific hyperparameters, and feature extraction layers. We demonstrate our approach for online non-incremental and class-incremental learning tasks. Our optimization algorithm finds configurations that achieve superior continual learning performance on Split-MNIST and Permuted-MNIST data as compared with other memory-constrained learning approaches, and it matches that of the state-of-the-art memory replay-based approaches without explicit data storage and replay. Our approach allows us to explore the transferability of optimal learning conditions to tasks and datasets that have not been previously seen. We demonstrate that the accuracy of our transfer metalearning across datasets can be largely explained through a transfer coefficient that can be based on metrics of dimensionality and distance between datasets.
Fever in returned travelers: results from the GeoSentinel Surveillance Network.

BACKGROUND Fever is a marker of potentially serious illness in returned travelers. Information about causes of fever, organized by geographic area and traveler characteristics, can facilitate timely, appropriate treatment and preventive measures. METHODS Using a large, multicenter database, we assessed how frequently fever is cited as a chief reason for seeking medical care among ill returned travelers. We defined the causes of fever by place of exposure and traveler characteristics. RESULTS Of 24,920 returned travelers seen at a GeoSentinel clinic from March 1997 through March 2006, 6957 (28%) cited fever as a chief reason for seeking care. Of patients with fever, 26% were hospitalized (compared with 3% who did not have fever); 35% had a febrile systemic illness, 15% had a febrile diarrheal disease, and 14% had fever and a respiratory illness. Malaria was the most common specific etiologic diagnosis, found in 21% of ill returned travelers with fever. Causes of fever varied by region visited and by time of presentation after travel. Ill travelers who returned from sub-Saharan Africa, south-central Asia, and Latin America whose reason for travel was visiting friends and relatives were more likely to experience fever than any other group. More than 17% of travelers with fever had a vaccine-preventable infection or falciparum malaria, which is preventable with chemoprophylaxis. Malaria accounted for 33% of the 12 deaths among febrile travelers. CONCLUSIONS Fever is common in ill returned travelers and often results in hospitalization. The time of presentation after travel provides important clues toward establishing a diagnosis. Preventing and promptly treating malaria, providing appropriate vaccines, and identifying ways to reach travelers whose purpose for travel is visiting friends and relatives in advance of travel can reduce the burden of travel-related illness.
What Periodic Signals Can an Exponentially Stabilizable Linear Feedforward Control System Asymptotically Track?

We study asymptotic tracking and rejection of continuous periodic signals in the context of exponentially stabilizable linear infinite-dimensional systems. Our reference signals are in Sobolev-type spaces $H(\omega_n,f_n)$ and they (as well as the disturbance signals) are generated by an infinite-dimensional exogenous system. We show that there exists a feedforward controller which achieves output regulation if and only if the so-called regulator equations are satisfied and a decomposability condition holds. For SISO systems this result allows us to completely answer the question posed in the title: We show that if the stabilized plant does not have transmission zeros at the frequencies $i\omega_n$ of the reference signals, then all reference signals in $H(\omega_n,f_n)$ can be asymptotically tracked in the presence of disturbances if and only if \[ \bigl(H_K(i\omega_n)^{-1}[1-H_d(n)]f_n^{-1}\bigr)_{n \in I} \in \ell^2. \] Here $H_K(i\omega_n)$, $n \in I$, is the transfer function of the stabilized plant evaluated at $i\omega_n$, and $(H_d(n))_{n \in I}$ is a sequence of disturbance coefficients for the stabilized plant. Moreover, the sequence $(f_n)_{n\in I}$ consists of weights for the Fourier coefficients of the reference signals. We give four examples to illustrate the theory.
Effect of surgical timing on recovery and associated injuries after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

This study was undertaken to determine the optimal time after injury for arthroscopically assisted anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using a double semi tendinosus graft. We analyzed 87 patients. Time from injury to surgery was established as acute, subacute, or chronic; the three groups were matched. Meniscal damage and treatment were categorized. Chondral le sions were graded, postoperative parameters of mo tion, strength recovery, and stability were tabulated at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months. Complications were com pared. Six percent of the patients with chronic knee injuries had two normal menisci at surgery, compared with 29% of the acute and subacute groups. Reparable tears were found in 37.8% of the knees. Chondral lesions were found in the tibiofemoral joint in 17% of acute, 7% of subacute, and 44% of the chronic knees. Postoperative motion recovery was significantly less at all time intervals for the acute group. Quadriceps strength recovery was slower in the acute knees. Sta bility was similar in all groups. Arthrofibrosis was found in 22% of acute, 0 subacute, and 12.5% of the chronic knees. Patellofemoral pain was noted in 17% of the acute, 0 of the subacute, and 9.3% of the chronic knees. This study showed that surgery done within 6 months of injury does not jeopardize the knee. Recovery after acute anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is sig nificantly slower than after subacute or chronic recon struction.
[Correlations between features of social network and outcomes in those suffering from schizophrenia seven years from the first hospitalisation].

AIM A research had been conducted upon the correlations between selected parameters of social networks of 64 patients ill with schizophrenia who were diagnosed according to DSM-III, and the aims of treatment such as: motivation to receive treatment, insight, compliance in taking medication, satisfaction with treatment, and treatment outcomes in the area of clinical and social functioning as well as family functioning seven years after the first admission. METHOD The indices of social networks were studied with Bizon's questionnaire. It serves storing of data on persons who have supportive functions as well as allows to work out characteristic properties of the support system such as: range of the network, size of the extra-familial network, level and localisation of the support, network and support system age. RESULTS A compound system of social support and large social network, with a high level of support, correlate in a beneficial way with higher subjective satisfaction with treatment. Whereas a large extra-familial network with high level of support, correlates with better insight into illness. The larger the social network was (its range to be precise), including extra-familial network and the high level of incoming support, the fewer positive and negative symptoms the patients had and much more remissions appeared then. The larger network's range correlates with smaller number of relapses and global time of being hospitalised. People with a larger network, with high level of support located in family and outside the family, have been rarely hospitalised. The connection between network's parameters and number of daily hospitalisations had been rated. CONCLUSION People with a larger network, including extra-familial network, with high level of social support function better in the society didn't become regressive in their professional lives and they have smaller burden in their family life. The high level of social support correlates with better family function. In families of people ill with schizophrenia having larger extra-familial network with a high level of support there is less deterioration and disintegration, criticism and rejection.
Comparison of the accuracy of plastic and metal stock trays for implant impressions.

PURPOSE This in vitro study evaluated the dimensional accuracy of two impression techniques (tapered and splinted) with two stock trays (plastic and metal) for implant-supported prostheses. MATERIALS AND METHODS A master cast with four parallel abutment analogs and a passive framework were fabricated. Polyvinyl siloxane impression material was used for all impressions with two metal stock trays and two plastic stock trays (closed and open trays). Four groups (tapered plastic, splinted plastic, tapered metal, and splinted metal) and a control group (master cast) were tested (n = 5 for each group). After the framework was seated on each of the casts, one abutment screw was tightened, and the marginal gap between the abutment and framework on the other side was measured with a stereomicroscope. The measurements were analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance on ranks test followed by the Dunn method. RESULTS The mean values (± standard deviations) for the abutment/framework interface gaps were: master cast, 32 ± 2 Μm; tapered metal, 44 ± 10 Μm; splinted metal, 69 ± 28 Μm; tapered plastic, 164 ± 58 Μm; splinted plastic, 128 ± 47 Μm. No significant difference was detected between the master cast, tapered metal, and splinted metal groups or between the tapered and splinted plastic groups. CONCLUSIONS In this study, the rigidity of the metal stock tray ensured better results than the plastic stock tray for implant impressions with a high-viscosity impression material (putty). Statistically similar results were obtained using tapered impression copings and splinted squared impression copings. The tapered impression copings technique and splinted squared impression copings technique with a metal stock tray produced precise casts with no statistically significant difference in interface gaps compared to the master cast.
Dispelling a myth on dense neutrino media: fast pairwise conversions depend on energy

Pairwise conversions of neutrinos have complicated the challenging goal of quantifying the relevance of neutrino microphysics in compact astrophysical objects, limiting the ability to perform numerical simulations and encouraging the employment of semi-analytical tools, such as the linear stability analysis. Given the high neutrino density, the dependence of pairwise conversions on the neutrino energy has been deemed to play a negligible role. We show that fast pairwise conversions are affected by the neutrino energy, especially in the non-linear regime. An earlier onset of flavor conversions and a higher oscillation frequency are found as the vacuum frequency increases (i.e., the neutrino energy decreases); the oscillation periodicity, otherwise present, is gradually destroyed as the vacuum frequency increases. Such effects are, however, not further exacerbated by the inclusion of spectral energy distributions for neutrinos, contrary to what was found for “slow” neutrino-neutrino conversions. In addition, our findings highlight the dependence of fast pairwise conversions on the neutrino mass ordering for realistic values of the neutrino vacuum frequency. Our findings highlight the limitations intrinsic to widely adopted approximations and extrapolations based on the linear regime of fast conversions. In order to gauge their possible impact on the source physics, a more sophisticated modeling of pairwise conversions is necessary.
A Novel Small Molecular STAT3 Inhibitor, LY5, Inhibits Cell Viability, Cell Migration, and Angiogenesis in Medulloblastoma Cells*

Background: Persistent STAT3 phosphorylation is detected in medulloblastoma and represents a viable target for therapeutic drug discovery. Results: LY5, a novel STAT3 inhibitor, suppressed STAT3 phosphorylation, nuclear translocation, target gene expression, cell migration, angiogenesis, and induced apoptosis in medulloblastoma cells. Conclusion: LY5 exhibited potent activity against STAT3 signaling in medulloblastoma cells. Significance: LY5 is a promising drug candidate for medulloblastoma therapy. Signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling is persistently activated and could contribute to tumorigenesis of medulloblastoma. Numerous studies have demonstrated that inhibition of the persistent STAT3 signaling pathway results in decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis in human cancer cells, indicating that STAT3 is a viable molecular target for cancer therapy. In this study, we investigated a novel non-peptide, cell-permeable small molecule, named LY5, to target STAT3 in medulloblastoma cells. LY5 inhibited persistent STAT3 phosphorylation and induced apoptosis in human medulloblastoma cell lines expressing constitutive STAT3 phosphorylation. The inhibition of STAT3 signaling by LY5 was confirmed by down-regulating the expression of the downstream targets of STAT3, including cyclin D1, bcl-XL, survivin, and micro-RNA-21. LY5 also inhibited the induction of STAT3 phosphorylation by interleukin-6 (IL-6), insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, IGF-2, and leukemia inhibitory factor in medulloblastoma cells, but did not inhibit STAT1 and STAT5 phosphorylation stimulated by interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and EGF, respectively. In addition, LY5 blocked the STAT3 nuclear localization induced by IL-6, but did not block STAT1 and STAT5 nuclear translocation mediated by IFN-γ and EGF, respectively. A combination of LY5 with cisplatin or x-ray radiation also showed more potent effects than single treatment alone in the inhibition of cell viability in human medulloblastoma cells. Furthermore, LY5 demonstrated a potent inhibitory activity on cell migration and angiogenesis. Taken together, these findings indicate LY5 inhibits persistent and inducible STAT3 phosphorylation and suggest that LY5 is a promising therapeutic drug candidate for medulloblastoma by inhibiting persistent STAT3 signaling.
Synbiotic (probiotic and ginger extract) loaded floating beads: a novel therapeutic option in an experimental paradigm of gastric ulcer

Objective This study investigated the use of a bioactive phytochemical, namely ginger extract (GE), for its antioxidant and antiulcer effects, and also for supporting probiotic growth and activity. Use of probiotics is limited in therapy because of their transience and inability to survive the adverse physiological conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. Packaging probiotics in a suitably designed pharmaceutical system with GE may facilitate their establishment in the stomach mucosa.
Psychometric Properties of Self-Regulated Learning Strategies in Learning English Grammar and English Grammar Self-Efficacy Scales

The study reports on the psychometric properties of instruments that can measure EFL students’ self-regulated learning strategy use and English grammar self-efficacy and examines the relationship between these two constructs. 350 male and 432 female students, aged between 16 and 17, from two high schools in Vietnam participated in the survey. The participants answered the Questionnaire of Self-Regulated Learning Strategies in Learning English Grammar (QSRLSLEG), and the Questionnaire of English Grammar Self-Efficacy (QEGSE). The disjoint two-stage approach for Partial Least Square-Structural Equation was used to analyze the data. The results showed that the 24-item QSRLSLEG and 8-item QEGSE have face, content, and construct validity and reliability. A moderate relationship between SRL strategies in English grammar learning and English grammar SE was found. Both instruments are reliable and valid assessment tools, providing useful information for researchers and English teachers to investigate important aspects of students’ self-regulation in learning English grammar.
Psoriasis treatment: traditional therapy

Even before the recent development of biological agents, a long list of effective treatments has been available for patients with psoriasis. Topical therapies such as corticosteroids, vitamin D analogues, and retinoids are used for localised disease. Phototherapy including broadband ultraviolet B (UVB), narrowband UVB, PUVA, and climatotherapy are effective for more extensive disease. Systemic therapies such as methotrexate, retinoids, and ciclosporin are effective for patients with refractory or extensive cutaneous disease.
Complex Markov Logic Networks: Expressivity and Liftability

We study expressivity of Markov logic networks (MLNs). We introduce complex MLNs, which use complex-valued weights, and we show that, unlike standard MLNs with real-valued weights, complex MLNs are fully expressive. We then observe that discrete Fourier transform can be computed using weighted first order model counting (WFOMC) with complex weights and use this observation to design an algorithm for computing relational marginal polytopes which needs substantially less calls to a WFOMC oracle than a recent algorithm.