Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of callosal activity on units in the auditory cortex of ferret (Mustela putorius).

1. Callosal neurons in primary auditory cortex project heavily to regions of the contralateral homotopic field that are excited by stimulation of one or both ears and minimally to regions that are excited by stimulation of one ear and inhibited by stimulation of the other ear. The intent of this study is to begin assessing the function of this extensive intercortical projection in determining the response properties of single units in the recipient auditory cortex. 2. Callosal neurons in the right auditory cortex of barbiturate-anesthetized ferrets were stimulated electrically through a pair of monopolar microelectrodes that were separated by 2-3 mm and whose uninsulated tips were located 500 microns below the pial surface. Electrical stimuli consisted of a single 100-microseconds pulse delivered at a fixed intensity and temporal relationship to the onset of each of a set of monaural or binaural acoustic stimuli. Pulse amplitude was almost always < 350 microA. Acoustic stimuli consisted of 100-ms best-frequency tones delivered monaurally or binaurally at 1-s intervals. The influence exerted by electrical stimulation of the right auditory cortex on responses of single units isolated in the left auditory cortex was assessed by comparing responses evoked by the same acoustic stimuli delivered alone and when accompanied by the electrical stimulation. In addition, the latencies of discharges evoked by the electrical stimuli delivered alone were assessed. Three categories of influence were observed: suppression, excitation, and a mixed class consisting of both suppression and excitation. 3. Suppression was the most commonly observed influence of callosal input on acoustically evoked responses. Depending on the strength of the acoustic stimuli and electrical pulse and the temporal relationship between the two kinds of stimulation, responses to acoustic stimuli could be completely suppressed or reduced to a smaller version of the control responses. The duration of the inhibitory influence was often > 100 ms and the suppression was frequently effective at latencies of 2-4 ms. 4. Although unit activity was commonly excited by electrical stimulation of the right auditory cortex, facilitation of acoustically evoked responses was infrequently observed. Apparent facilitation usually was the result of the summation of acoustically and electrically evoked discharges. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Preoperative antiviral treatment and postoperative prophylaxis in HBV-DNA positive patients undergoing liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND Despite passive immunoprophylaxis a significant number of patients, especially if hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA is positive prior to transplantation, develop HBV recurrence. This number might be reduced by lowering viral replication pretransplant with antiviral agents and by postoperative combination of antiviral agents and passive immunoprophylaxis. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 74 HBV-DNA positive patients who underwent liver transplantation between 9/88 and 4/00 were analyzed retrospectively. Before lamivudine or famciclovir were available, in total 40 patients did not receive any preoperative antiviral therapy. Since 11/93, 17 patients were treated with famciclovir 1500 mg daily, after 4/96 17 patients with lamivudine 150 mg daily prior liver transplantation. Posttransplant all patients received passive immunoprophylaxis aiming at a titer of more than 100 U/liter. In the 34 patients with preoperative antiviral therapy an additional prophylaxis with the respective antiviral agent was applied. RESULTS Under preoperative famciclovir and lamivudine 30 and 71% of patients became HBV-DNA negative, respectively. Actuarial reinfection rate 2 years after liver transplantation was 48% without antiviral prophylaxis, which was not statistically different from 55% under perioperative famciclovir therapy. In contrast only 18% developed HBV recurrence under perioperative lamivudine treatment. During both antiviral regimens neither pre nor posttransplant severe side effects were observed. CONCLUSION Perioperative application of famciclovir is not recommendable, whereas lamivudine seems to lower recurrence rates significantly. Whether the observed effect is due to pre- or postoperative application remains to be addressed in further studies. In addition the long-term course has to be awaited.
SPICE analysis of dense memristor crossbars for low power neuromorphic processor designs

This paper provides an analysis of neuromorphic circuits that are capable of learning logic functions. In this paper the training simulations are carried out in SPICE. Our simulations capture low level circuit functionality within the memristor crossbars as well as wire resistances between memristors. This is essential when properly modeling crossbar circuits. Wire resistances, wire capacitances, output comparators, and the number of data inputs are all investigated in this paper to show how these may impact a larger neuromorphic crossbar. Furthermore, it was shown that neural networks can properly train the passive memristor-based crossbars without having to use virtual ground mode operational amplifiers as suggested in previous work. This reduces the number of transistors required by the circuit by about 3 times and reduces the circuit power consumption by about 50 times when compared to the virtual ground design. The key impact of this study is the demonstration through low level circuit simulations that dense memristor crossbars can be effectively utilized to build neuromorphic processors.
G Protein-coupled Receptor Kinase GRK4

G protein-coupled receptor kinase 4 (GRK4) presents some peculiar characteristics that make it a unique member within the GRK multigene family. For example, this is the only GRK for which four splice variants (GRK4α, −β, −γ, −δ) have been identified. We developed a simple assay to study kinase activity, and we found that GRK4α, but not GRK4β, −γ, and −δ, was able to phosphorylate rhodopsin in an agonist-dependent manner. GRK4α kinase activity was inhibited by Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM) (IC50 = 80 nM), and a direct interaction between GRK4α and Ca2+/CaM was revealed using CaM-conjugated Sepharose 4B. The other three GRK4 isoforms did not interact with CaM in parallel experiments. The present investigation also aimed to define cellular and ultrastructural localization of GRK4. A substantial expression of GRK4 mRNA was only found in testis and in the spermatogonia cell line GC-1 spg. Specific GRK4 immunoreactivity was only found on sperm membranes, and immunochemical and ultrastructural analyses showed that it is associated to the acrosomal membranes and to the outer mitochondrial membranes. GRK4γ was the only detectable isoform in human sperm. We concluded that: i) only GRK4α can phosphorylate rhodopsin and that this activity is inhibited by CaM; ii) the other three isoforms do not phosphorylate rhodopsin and do not interact with CaM; and iii) the association of GRK4 with highly specialized sperm organelles, which are essential for fertilization, strongly indicates that this kinase is involved in this process.
Three‐Dimensional Folded Free‐Flap Reconstruction of Complex Facial Defects Using Intraoperative Modeling

Free-tissue transfer has emerged as the ideal way of reconstructing complex facial defects. Multifaceted free flaps are often needed, and we have developed a simple technique to determine both the volume of tissue required and the localization of the various epithelial surfaces, thereby simplifying these complex reconstructions.We report our experience in reconstructing 19 complex facial defects in which we have used an intraoperative alginate moulage that has provided an accurate three-dimensional model of the defect, helping to determine the volume of the flap required. The reconstruction was further simplified by converting this three-dimensional model into a two-dimensional pattern by wrapping the model with a piece of Esmarch bandage, thereby determining the locations and sizes of the epithelial surfaces. The pattern was then transferred to the donor site and the flap deepithelialized and thinned in situ with complete confidence that the tissue was “tailor-made” for the defect. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 93: 285, 1994.)
The Effect of Self-Monitoring of Blood Pressure on Medication Adherence and Lifestyle Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND Self-monitoring of blood pressure (SMBP) can contribute to reduced blood pressure in people with hypertension. Potential mediators include increased medication, improved adherence, and changes in lifestyle factors including dietary change and increased physical activity. The objective of this review was to determine the effect of SMBP on medication adherence, medication persistence, and lifestyle factors in people with hypertension. METHODS Electronic bibliographic databases were searched through February 2014 to identify randomized controlled trials that compared SMBP to control/usual care in ambulatory hypertensive patients and reported medication or nonpharmacologic treatment adherence measures. RESULTS Twenty-eight trials with 7,021 participants fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Medication adherence was assessed in 25 trials (89%), dietary outcomes in 8 (29%), physical activity in 6 (21%), and medication persistence in 1 (4%). Blood pressure was assessed in 26 studies (93%). Follow-up ranged from 2 weeks to 12 months. Pooled results of 13 studies demonstrated a small but significant overall effect on medication adherence in favor of SMBP interventions (standardized mean difference 0.21, 95% CI 0.08, 0.34), with moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 43%). Standardized mean difference was used to express the size of intervention effect in each study relative to the variability observed, and was used to combine the results of studies where different measures of medication adherence were used. Where SMBP interventions had a significant effect on lifestyle factor change, the effect was unlikely to be clinically significant. Pooled results of 11 studies demonstrate a significant overall effect on diastolic blood pressure in favor of SMBP (weighted mean difference -2.02, 95% CI -2.93, -1.11), with low heterogeneity (I2 = 0%). A test for subgroup differences showed no difference when studies were grouped according to whether medication adherence was significantly improved or not. CONCLUSIONS SMBP may contribute to improvements in medication adherence in hypertensives. However, evidence for the effect of SMBP on lifestyle change and medication persistence is scarce, of poor quality, and suggests little clinically relevant benefit.
Intra-individual variability of cardiac uptake on serial whole-body 18F-FDG PET

ObjectiveTo measure the variability of cardiac uptake on serial whole-body 18F-FDG PET scans. MethodsTwo hundred and eighteen whole-body PET scans were performed in 47 patients with different primary malignancies between October 1996 and April 2003 on a dedicated PET system. The number of scans per patient ranged between four and nine. Two experienced nuclear medicine physicians reviewed the scans retrospectively using the non-attenuation corrected images to assess the cardiac FDG uptake. Patients with cardiac uptake less or equal to lung uptake were assigned in the ‘low’ uptake group, and those with cardiac uptake more than the lung uptake were assigned to the ‘high’ uptake group. The reproducibility of cardiac uptake on serial whole-body PET scans and the effect of age, sex, weight, diabetes and primary diagnosis on cardiac uptake was evaluated. ResultsThere was very good reproducibility (intra-class correlation coefficient=0.77) of individual cardiac FDG uptake on serial whole-body PET scans. Diabetics (n=6) in comparison to non-diabetics were less likely to have high cardiac uptake (odds ratio (OR)=0.24, P<0.05). Patients with lymphoma (n=12) in comparison to patients with other primary diagnoses were more likely to have high cardiac uptake (OR=8.6, P<0.05). There was no association between cardiac uptake and age, sex or weight. ConclusionCardiac FDG uptake on whole-body PET does not appear to change significantly over time. It is likely that uptake is determined by individual characteristics; these likely include diabetes and primary diagnosis of lymphoma.
Laplace approximation for logistic Gaussian process density estimation and regression

Logistic Gaussian process (LGP) priors provide a flexible alternative for modelling unknown densities. The smoothness properties of the density estimates can be controlled through the prior covariance structure of the LGP, but the challenge is the analytically intractable inference. In this paper, we present approximate Bayesian inference for LGP density estimation in a grid using Laplace's method to integrate over the non-Gaussian posterior distribution of latent function values and to determine the covariance function parameters with type-II maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation. We demonstrate that Laplace's method with MAP is sufficiently fast for practical interactive visualisation of 1D and 2D densities. Our experiments with simulated and real 1D data sets show that the estimation accuracy is close to a Markov chain Monte Carlo approximation and state-of-the-art hierarchical infinite Gaussian mixture models. We also construct a reduced-rank approximation to speed up the computations for dense 2D grids, and demonstrate density regression with the proposed Laplace approach.
Germination and seedling growth of maize ( Zea mays L . ) seeds in toxicity of aluminum and nickel

Effect of Nickel and Aluminum toxicity on root, shoot and seedling length, seed germination and seedling dry biomass of maize was studied, compared to control values. Nickel and Aluminum treatments at 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200mg/L affected on seed germinaton and seedling growth of maize as compared to control. Nickel treatments at 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200mg/L concentrations produce significant (p<0.05) effects on seed germination and seedling length of maize while nickel treatment at 150mg/L significantly affected root growth and seedling dry biomass as compared to control. Similarly Aluminum treatment from 50 to 200 mg/L affected the root, shoot and seedling length, seed germination and seedling dry biomass of maize as compared to control. Aluminum treatments revealed adverse effects on seedlings of maize as compared to Nickel. Nickel and Aluminum treatment at 200mg/L showed lowest percentage of tolerance in seedlings of maize as compared to control.
Solution of a 200-Node p-Cycle Network Design Problem with GA-Based Pre-Selection of Candidate Structures

As a research challenge we have sought to create and solve p-cycle network design problems involving 200 or more nodes. At such problems sizes, the space of all simple cycle structures on the network graph cannot even be known in practice, let alone put into a conventional ILP problem instance. The approach being taken is a combination of GA methods with ILP; GA is guided by a subsidiary ILP surrogate problem to preselect a set of collectively high merit candidate cycles to populate a size-reduced final fully detailed ILP. Feasible solutions of high quality have been obtained for an initial 200- node test case. Comparison of the result by other workers is invited.
Optimization and audit of radiation dose during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

The percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is one of the interventional procedures which impart high radiation doses to patients compared to the other cardiologic procedures. This study intends to audit and optimize radiation dose imparted to patients undergoing PTCA. Forty-four patients who underwent PTCA involving single or multiple stent placement guided under cardiovascular X-ray machine were included in the study. Radiation doses were measured using dose area product (DAP) meter for patients undergoing single and multiple stent placements during PTCA. A dose reduction of 27-47% was achieved using copper filters and optimal exposure parameters. The mean DAP values before optimization were 66.16 and 122.68 Gy cm(2) for single and multiple stent placement respectively. These values were 48.67 and 65.44 Gy cm(2) respectively after optimization. In the present scenario, due to the increase in the number of PTCAs performed and the associated risk from radiation, periodical audit of radiation doses for interventional procedures are recommended.
Long-term Outcome of Local Excision After Preoperative Chemoradiation for ypT0 Rectal Cancer

BACKGROUND:Local excision, as an alternative to radical resection for patients with pathological complete response (ypT0) after preoperative chemoradiation, is under investigation. OBJECTIVE:The aim of the present study was to evaluate the long-term clinical outcome of a selected group of patients with ypT0 rectal cancer who underwent local excision with transanal endoscopic microsurgery as a definitive treatment. PATIENTS:Between 1993 and 2013, 43 patients with rectal adenocarcinoma underwent complete full-thickness local excision with a transanal endoscopic microsurgery procedure after a regimen of chemoradiation. In all patients, rectal wall penetration was preoperatively assessed by endorectal ultrasound and/or magnetic resonance. Chemoradiation and transanal endoscopic microsurgery were indicated in patients refusing radical procedures or patients unfit for major abdominal procedures. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Patient characteristics, operative record, pathology report, and tumor recurrence were analyzed at a median follow-up of 81 months. The potential prognostic factors for recurrence, screened in univariate analysis, were analyzed by multivariate analysis by using the Cox regression model. RESULTS:Thirteen patients (30.2%), without residual tumor in the surgical specimen (ypT0), were treated with transanal endoscopic microsurgery only. In this ypT0 group, 2 patients (15.4%) had postoperative complications: 1 bleeding and 1 suture dehiscence. Postoperative mortality was nil. No local and distal recurrences were observed, and no tumor-related mortality occurred. In 30 patients (69.8%), partial tumor chemoradiation response or the absence of tumor chemoradiation response was observed. In this group, recurrence occurred in 17 patients (56.7%). LIMITATIONS:The study was limited by its retrospective nature, different protocols of chemoradiation and preoperative staging over time, and the small sample size. CONCLUSIONS:Local excision with transanal endoscopic microsurgery can be considered a definitive therapeutic option in patients with rectal cancer treated with preoperative chemoradiation, when no residual tumor is found in the specimen. In this selected group, local excision offers excellent results in terms of survival and recurrence rates. In the presence of residual tumor, transanal endoscopic microsurgery should be considered as a large excisional biopsy (see Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/DCR/A157).
The catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met genotype modulates working memory‐related dorsolateral prefrontal response and performance in bipolar disorder

Cognitive dysfunction affects a substantial proportion of patients with bipolar disorder (BD), and genetic‐imaging paradigms may aid in the elucidation of mechanisms implicated in this symptomatic domain. The Val allele of the functional Val158Met polymorphism of the catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) gene is associated with reduced prefrontal cortex dopamine and exaggerated working memory‐related prefrontal activity. This functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study investigated for the first time whether the COMT Val158Met genotype modulates prefrontal activity during spatial working memory in BD.
Cemented versus screw-retained implant-supported single-tooth crowns: a 10-year randomised controlled trial.

PURPOSE The purpose of this randomised controlled trial was to compare the long-term clinical outcome of cemented and screw-retained implant-supported single-tooth crowns. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eighteen consecutive patients presenting with single-tooth bilateral edentulous sites in the canine/molar region with adequate bone width, similar bone height at the implant sites, and an occlusal scheme that allowed for the establishment of identical occlusal cusp/fossa contacts were treated. Each patient received two identical implants according to a split-mouth design. One side was randomly selected to be restored with a cemented implant-supported single crown, and the other was restored with a screw-retained implant-supported single crown. Outcome measures were implant success, complications, marginal bone levels and peri-implant soft tissue health. RESULTS Ten years after initial loading, 2 patients moved away and were lost to follow-up. Two implants placed in the same patient failed 5 years after their insertion; the remaining 30 implants survived, resulting in a cumulative implant success rate of 93.7%. No complication occurred. The mean marginal bone resorption at 10 years after implant placement, measured on intraoral radiographs, was 1.1 ± 0.2 mm for both types of restorations. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups with respect to peri-implant marginal bone level at the 10-year follow-up appointment (T2) (P = 0.58); at the 4-year follow-up appointment (T1) a statistically significant difference was observed (P = 0.01), but this was not considered clinically relevant (mean difference: -0.06 mm). The status of the soft tissue around the implants remained stable over the evaluation period. No statistically significant difference was identified for the facial keratinised gingiva between the two groups at T1 (P = 0.10) or at T2 (P = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS Within the limitations of this study, the results indicate that there was no evidence of a significant difference in the clinical behaviour of the peri-implant marginal bone or of the peri-implant soft tissues when cemented or screw-retained single-tooth implant restorations were provided.
Impact of Endoscopic Surgical Techniques on Efficiency in Pituitary Surgery

Objective. To assess the impact of the introduction of endoscopic surgical techniques into a neurosurgical practice for pituitary surgery on operative efficiency. Study Design. Case series with chart review. Setting. Tertiary referral center. Subjects and Methods. Patients undergoing transsphenoidal pituitary surgery over a 4-year period were identified. The approach over this period evolved from classic transseptal surgery to exclusively endoscopic techniques. Patients were classified as having transseptal surgery, endoscopic approach with microsurgical resection, aborted endoscopic resection with subsequent microsurgery, and exclusive endoscopic techniques. Patient and surgeon demographics, operative times, total operating room times, and room setup time were examined. Univariate analysis and multivariate regression modeling were used to assess outcome measures. Results. One hundred seven patients were identified. The use of the endoscope for either sphenoid exposure alone (n = 41) or for the entire procedure (n = 35) resulted in a significant reduction in operative and room times compared to transseptal approaches (n = 25). Exclusively endoscopic techniques resulted in a significant reduction in operative and room times independent of all other clinical and surgical parameters (P < .001). Progressive use of endoscopic techniques resulted in statistically significant progressive reduction in setup time (P = .001), operative time (P = .04), and total room time (P = .03) over the study period. Conclusion. The transition from transseptal transsphenoidal pituitary surgery to endoscopic techniques implies a learning process for both neurosurgeon and otolaryngologist. Despite this, a noteworthy reduction in operative times, operating room times, and room setup times is observed. The impact of endoscopic techniques on efficiency in pituitary surgery is discussed.