Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How do cells interpret noisy signals ?

Stochasticity pervades life at the cellular level. Cells receive stochastic signals, perform detection and transductionwith stochastic biochemistry, and grow and die in stochastic environments. Here we review progress in going from the molecular details to the information-processing strategies cells use in their decision-making. Such strategies are fundamentally influenced by stochasticity. We argue that the cellular decision-making can only be probabilistic and occurs at three levels. First, cells must infer from noisy signals the probable current and anticipated future state of their environment. Second, they must weigh the costs and benefits of each potential response, given that future. Third, cells must decide in the presence of other, potentially competitive, decision-makers. In this context, we discuss cooperative responses where some individuals can appear to sacrifice for the common good. We believe that decisionmaking strategies will be conserved, with comparatively few strategies being implemented by different biochemical mechanisms in many organisms. Determining the strategy of a decision-making network provides a potentially powerful coarse-graining that links systems and evolutionary biology to understand biological design. Molecular Systems Biology 5: 326; published online 17 November 2009; doi:10.1038/msb.2009. 83 Subject Categories: signal transduction
Intramyocardial Implantation of bone marrow-derived stem cells enhances perfusion in chronic myocardial infarction: dependency on initial perfusion depth and follow-up assessed by gated pinhole SPECT.

UNLABELLED Cell therapy-induced changes in the perfusion of areas of myocardial infarction (MI) remain unclear. This study investigated whether an original pinhole SPECT technique could be applied to a rat MI model to analyze local improvement in myocardial perfusion relating to engraftment sites of bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs). METHODS Four-month-old MI rats were either untreated (n = 8) or treated (n = 10) by intramyocardial injection of (111)In-labeled BMSCs. Early distribution of (111)In-BMSCs within the MI target was evidenced by dual (111)In/(99m)Tc pinhole SPECT 48 h later. Myocardial perfusion was serially monitored by (99m)Tc-sestamibi pinhole gated SPECT up to 3 mo after transplantation. RESULTS Forty-eight hours after transplantation, (111)In-BMSCs were observed in all treated rats and in 18 of their 32 underperfused MI segments (<70% sestamibi uptake before transplantation). During the subsequent 3-mo follow-up, the perfusion of MI segments worsened in untreated rats (absolute change in sestamibi uptake, -3% +/- 3%; P < 0.05) but improved in treated rats (+4% +/- 7%; P < 0.05). This perfusion improvement was unrelated to the initial detection of (111)In-BMSCs (+2% +/- 6% in segments with (111)In-BMSCs vs. +5% +/- 7% in those without; not statistically significant) but was strongly associated with less severe perfusion defects before transplantation (+6% +/- 6% in segments with 60%-70% sestamibi uptake [n = 19] vs. -1% +/- 6% in those with <60% uptake [n = 13]; P = 0.003). CONCLUSION When BMSCs are injected within chronic MI, perfusion enhancement predominates in the MI areas showing a high enough residual perfusion before treatment but not in those of the initial cell engraftment, giving evidence of dependency on the perfusion and metabolic environment at implantation sites.
Missing values prediction with K2

Dealing with missing values is one important task in data mining. There are many ways to work with this kind of data, but the literature doesn't determine the best one to all kinds of data set. The aim of this work is to show the application of a bayesian algorithm (K2) in data mining problems as a data preparation and classification tool. In this paper, the algorithm generates a bayesian network which is used to substitute the missing values. It's done by predicting the most probable instance for the features in each object of the database. The prediction uses an heuristic bayesian conditioning algorithm generating a preprocessed sample. Having this preprocessed sample, the classification is done. The results of the classification with and without the data preparation are analyzed.
The Quest for Immortality in Triatomines: A Meta-Analysis of the Senescence Process in Hemimetabolous Hematophagous Insects

Paula Medone1, Jorge Rabinovich1, Eliana Nieves1, Soledad Ceccarelli1, Delmi Canale2, Raul L. Stariolo2 and Frederic Menu3 1Parasitological and Vector Studies Center (CEPAVE), National University of La Plata, La Plata, 2Vectors Reference Center, National Coordination of Vectors Control, Direction of Transmitted Vectors Diseases, National Ministry of Health, Cordoba, 3Laboratory of Biometry and Biology Evolutionary, CNRS, UMR 5558, Lyon University F-69000 Lyon, Claude Bernard University, Lyon 1 F-69622, Villeurbanne, 1,2Argentina 3France
Living-donor or deceased-donor liver transplantation for hepatic carcinoma: a case-matched comparison.

AIM To compare the surgical outcomes between living-donor and deceased-donor liver transplantation in patients with hepatic carcinoma. METHODS From January 2007 to December 2010, 257 patients with pathologically confirmed hepatic carcinoma met the eligibility criteria of the study. Forty patients who underwent living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) constituted the LDLT group, and deceased-donor liver transplantation (DDLT) was performed in 217 patients. Patients in the LDLT group were randomly matched (1:2) to patients who underwent DDLT using a multivariate case-matched method, so 40 patients in the LDLT group and 80 patients in the DDLT group were enrolled into the study. We compared the two groups in terms of clinicopathological characteristics, postoperative complications, long-term cumulative survival and relapse-free survival outcomes. The modified Clavien-Dindo classification system of surgical complications was used to evaluate the severity of perioperative complications. Furthermore, we determined the difference in the overall biliary complication rates in the perioperative and follow-up periods between the LDLT and DDLT groups. RESULTS The clinicopathological characteristics of the enrolled patients were comparable between the two groups. The duration of operation was significantly longer (553 min vs 445 min, P < 0.001) in the LDLT group than in the DDLT group. Estimated blood loss (1188 mL vs 1035 mL, P = 0.055) and the proportion of patients with intraoperative transfusion (60.0% vs 43.8%, P = 0.093) were slightly but not significantly greater in the LDLT group. In contrast to DDLT, LDLT was associated with a lower rate of perioperative grade II complications (45.0% vs 65.0%, P = 0.036) but a higher risk of overall biliary complications (27.5% vs 7.5%, P = 0.003). Nonetheless, 21 patients (52.5%) in the LDLT group and 46 patients (57.5%) in the DDLT group experienced perioperative complications, and overall perioperative complication rates were similar between the two groups (P = 0.603). No significant difference was observed in 5-year overall survival (74.1% vs 66.6%, P = 0.372) or relapse-free survival (72.9% vs 70.9%, P = 0.749) between the LDLT and DDLT groups. CONCLUSION Although biliary complications were more common in the LDLT group, this group did not show any inferiority in long-term overall survival or relapse-free survival compared with DDLT.
Risk Factors for Falls in Community-dwelling Older People: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background: Falls are the main cause of accidental death in persons aged 65 years or older. Methods: Using MEDLINE and previous reviews, we searched for prospective studies investigating risk factors for falls among community-dwelling older people. For risk factors investigated by at least 5 studies in a comparable way, we computed pooled odds ratios (ORs) using random-effects models, with a test for heterogeneity. Results: A total of 74 studies met the inclusion criteria and 31 risk factors were considered, including sociodemographic, mobility, sensory, psychologic, and medical factors and medication use. The strongest associations were found for history of falls (OR = 2.8 for all fallers; OR = 3.5 for recurrent fallers), gait problems (OR = 2.1; 2.2), walking aids use (OR = 2.2; 3.1), vertigo (OR = 1.8; 2.3), Parkinson disease (OR = 2.7; 2.8), and antiepileptic drug use (OR = 1.9; 2.7). For most other factors, the ORs were moderately above 1. ORs were generally higher for recurrent fallers than for all fallers. For some factors, there was substantial heterogeneity among studies. For some important factors (eg, balance and muscle weakness), we did not compute a summary estimate because the measures used in various studies were not comparable. Conclusions: This meta-analysis provides comprehensive evidence-based assessment of risk factors for falls in older people, confirming their multifactorial etiology. Some nonspecific indicators of high baseline risk were also strong predictors of the risk of falling.
Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes

Pretreatment of serotype Ib group B streptococci with benzylpenicillin, other beta-lactam antibiotics, or vancomycin increased the susceptibility of these bacteria to the bactericidal activity of a mixture of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes and normal human serum. Increased susceptibility of the bacteria to killing by phagocytes was elicited even by exposure to subinhibitory levels of the beta-lactam antibiotics. Inhibitors of protein synthesis did not induce such susceptibility. We investigated the possible biochemical basis of penicillin-induced susceptibility to phagocytosis. Penicillin treatment induced the release of substantial quantities of group B streptococcal surface components into the growth medium (lipoteichoic acid, lipid, and capsular polysaccharide). Labeling of the live streptococci with 3H-labeled penicillin was used to evaluate the effect of exposure to subinhibitory concentrations of this antibiotic on the penicillinbinding proteins. Our results suggested that beta-lactam antibiotics and components of the immune system may act in concert to eliminate invading bacteria.
T-slot PIFA with excitation of the ground plane resonant modes and considerations of the interaction between antenna, mobile handset and user's head

This paper presents a T-slot planar inverted F antenna (PIFA) for wireless mobile communications GSM/UMTS/WCDMA systems. A modified ground plane is used to increase the bandwidth. A prototype is implemented and the differences in performance of the antenna with and without the presence of the mobile handset and the user's head are estimated. The simulations are performed using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method.
Improved full-bridge neutral point clamped transformerless inverter for photovoltaic grid-connected system

Characterized by high efficiency and low cost, single-phase transformerless inverters are suitable for grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) generation especially at low power (<;5kW). Since galvanic isolation is omitted, leakage current can flow through stray capacitance between the PV array terminals and the ground. Therefore, the leakage current generated by transformerless inverter has to be regulated in order to meet the safety requirements. Full-bridge neutral point clamped (NPC) inverter topologies feature reduced input voltage and low leakage current. Hence, they are preferred in the applications like transformerless grid-connected PV systems. In this paper an improved full-bridge NPC transformerless inverter, which eliminates leakage current is presented. Unipolar sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM) is used to achieve high efficiency and three-level output voltage. The detailed operating principle and the effect of parasitic capacitance of switches on common-mode voltage are described. Finally, the improved leakage current performance of full-bridge NPC inverter is verified by simulation studies and results are presented for peak power rating of 1kW.
Chemotherapy and supportive care versus supportive care alone for advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND Since our individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis of supportive care and chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), published in 1995, many trials have been completed. We have carried out an updated IPD meta-analysis to assess newer regimens and determine conclusively the effect of chemotherapy. OBJECTIVES To assess the effect on survival of supportive care and chemotherapy versus supportive care alone in advanced NSCLC. SEARCH STRATEGY All randomised controlled trials (RCTs), published or unpublished. We searched bibliographic databases, trials registers, conference proceedings and reference lists of relevant trials. Searches were completed to November 2009. SELECTION CRITERIA Trials had to have commenced accrual on or after 1 January 1965 and should have included patients with NSCLC who had received either chemotherapy and supportive care or supportive care alone. Patients should have not received any previous chemotherapy or had any prior malignancy. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS For trials included in 1995 we sought updated follow up. For new trials we sought survival and baseline characteristics for all patients. We combined results from RCTs to calculate individual and pooled hazard ratios (HRs). MAIN RESULTS We obtained data on 2714 patients from 16 RCTs. There were 1293 deaths among 1399 patients assigned supportive care and chemotherapy and 1240 among 1315 assigned supportive care alone. Results showed a significant benefit of chemotherapy (HR = 0.77; 95% CI 0.71 to 0.83, P < 0.0001), equivalent to a relative increase in survival of 23%, an absolute improvement in survival of 9% at 12 months, increasing survival from 20% to 29% or an absolute increase in median survival of 1.5 months (from 4.5 months to six months). There was no clear evidence that this effect was influenced by the drugs used (P = 0.63) or whether they were used as single agents or in combination (P = 0.40). Despite changes in patient demographics, the effect of chemotherapy in recent trials did not differ from those included previously (P = 0.77). There was no clear evidence of a difference in the relative effect of chemotherapy across patient subgroups. Quality of life could not be formally assessed. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS All trials were of good methodological quality with no risk of bias. This meta-analysis of chemotherapy in the supportive care setting demonstrates that chemotherapy improves overall survival in all patients with advanced NSCLC. Patients who are fit enough and wish to receive it should be offered chemotherapy.
Distributed Practice and Procedural Memory Consolidation in Musicians’ Skill Learning

This research was designed to determine whether musicians’ learning is affected by the time intervals interposed between practice sessions. Twenty-nine non-pianist musicians learned a 9-note sequence on a piano keyboard in three practice sessions that were separated by 5 min, 6 hr, or 24 hr. Significant improvements in performance accuracy were observed in Session 2 only in the group whose sessions were separated by 24 hr. There were significant increases in performance speed in Session 2 in all three practice conditions, results which likely were attributable to the inclusion of all Session 1 data in the analysis. Additional significant speed increases were observed in Session 3 only in the groups whose sessions were separated by 6 and 24 hr. These results suggest that sleep-based procedural memory consolidation may enhance performance accuracy in music skill learning, whereas enhancements in performance speed may be attributable to both wake- and sleep-based consolidation processes.
High-resolution electroencephalogram (EEG) mapping: scalp charge layer

The neural electrical signal related to the human brain function is one of the tracks to understanding ourselves. Various electroencephalogram imaging techniques have been developed to reveal spatial information on neural activities in the brain from scalp recordings, such as Laplacian, equivalent source layer and potential. Physically, these methods may be classified into two categories: scalp surface or cortical surface based techniques. In this work, the focus is on the scalp surface based equivalent charge layer (ECL), with a comparison to the scalp potential with different references and scalp Laplacian (SL). The contents include theoretical analysis and numeric evaluation of simulated data and real alpha (8–12 Hz) data. The results confirm the fact that SL and ECL are of higher spatial resolution than various scalp potential maps, and for SL and ECL, SL is of higher resolution but more sensitive to noise.
Can worksite nutritional interventions improve productivity and firm profitability? A literature review

Aims: This paper investigates whether and how worksite nutrition policies can improve employee productivity. Methods: The questions are pursued through a literature review, including a systematic search of literature – combined with literature identified from backward references – on randomized controlled or quasi-experimental worksite intervention trials and observational cross-sectional studies. Studies were selected on the basis of topic relevance, according to publication title and subsequently according to abstract content. A quality appraisal of the studies was based on study design and clarity in definition of interventions, as well as environmental and outcome variables. Results: The search identified 2,358 publications, 30 of which were found suitable for the review. Several of the reviewed studies suggest that diet-related worksite interventions have positive impacts on employees’ nutritional knowledge, food intake and health and on the firm’s profitability, mainly in terms of reduced absenteeism and presenteeism. Conclusions: Well-targeted and efficiently implemented diet-related worksite health promotion interventions may improve labour productivity by 1%–2%. On larger worksites, such productivity gains are likely to more than offset the costs of implementing such interventions. These conclusions are subject to some uncertainty due to the relatively limited amount of literature in the field.
Memory Extinction, Learning Anew, and Learning the New: Dissociations in the Molecular Machinery of Learning in Cortex

The rat insular cortex (IC) subserves the memory of conditioned taste aversion (CTA), in which a taste is associated with malaise. When the conditioned taste is unfamiliar, formation of long-term CTA memory depends on muscarinic and β-adrenergic receptors, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and protein synthesis. We show that extinction of CTA memory is also dependent on protein synthesis and β-adrenergic receptors in the IC, but independent of muscarinic receptors and MAPK. This resembles the molecular signature of the formation of long-term memory of CTA to a familiar taste. Thus, memory extinction shares molecular mechanisms with learning, but the mechanisms of learning anew differ from those of learning the new.
Management of essential thrombocythaemia during pregnancy

Essential thrombocythaemia is a rare myeloproliferative disorder that often presents with haemorrhagic or thrombotic complications. It may be detected incidentally in an asymptomatic younger adult and there are only a few case reports of essential thrombocythaemia in pregnant women. The risks posed by essential thrombocythaemia during pregnancy and its optimal management are uncertain. To determine if there is increased incidence of obstetric complications seen in women who have essential thrombocythaemia, we collected a large case series from a number of tertiary obstetric units in Australia and New Zealand.
Integrating pan-sharpening and classifier ensemble techniques to map an invasive plant (Spartina alterniflora) in an estuarine wetland using Landsat 8 imagery

Abstract. Accurate mapping of invasive species in a cost-effective way is the first step toward understanding and predicting the impact of their invasions. However, it is challenging in coastal wetlands due to confounding effects of biodiversity and tidal effects on spectral reflectance. The aim of this work is to describe a method to improve the accuracy of mapping an invasive plant (Spartina alterniflora), which is based on integration of pan-sharpening and classifier ensemble techniques. A framework was designed to achieve this goal. Five candidate image fusion algorithms, including principal component analysis fusion algorithm, modified intensity-hue-saturation fusion algorithm, wavelet-transform fusion algorithm, Ehlers fusion algorithm, and Gram–Schmidt fusion algorithm, were applied to pan-sharpening Landsat 8 operational land imager (OLI) imagery. We assessed the five fusion algorithms with respect to spectral and spatial fidelity using visual inspection and quantitative quality indicators. The optimal fused image was selected for subsequent analysis. Then, three classifiers, namely, maximum likelihood, artificial neural network, and support vector machine, were employed to preclassify the fused and raw OLI 30-m band images. Final object-based S. alterniflora maps were generated through classifier ensemble analysis of outcomes from the three classifiers. The results showed that the introduced method obtained high classification accuracy, with an overall accuracy of 90.96% and balanced misclassification errors between S. alterniflora and its coexistent species. We recommend future research to adopt the proposed method for monitoring long-term or multiseasonal changes in land coverage of invasive wetland plants.
Interaction between high power 532nm laser and prostatic tissue: in vivo evaluation for laser prostatectomy

A previous in vitro study demonstrated that 180W was the optimal power to reduce photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) time for larger prostate glands. In this study, we investigated anatomic and histologic outcomes and ablation parameters of 180W laser performed with a new 750-μm side-firing fiber in a survival study of living canines. Eight male canines underwent anterograde PVP with the 180W 532-nm laser. Four each animals were euthanized 3 hours or 8 weeks postoperatively. Prostates were measured and histologically analyzed after hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC), or Gomori trichrome (GT) staining. Compared to the previous 120W laser, PVP with the 180W laser bloodlessly created a 76% larger cavity (mean 11.8 vs. 6.7 cm3; p=0.014) and ablated tissue at a 77% higher rate (mean 2.3 vs. 1.3 cm3/min; p=0.03) while H&E- and TTC-staining demonstrated its 33% thicker mean coagulation zone (2.0±0.4 vs. 1.5±0.3 mm). H&E-stained cross-sectional prostatic tissue specimens from the 3-hour (acute) group showed histologic evolution of concentric non-viable coagulation zone, partially viable hyperemic transition zone of repair, and viable non-treated zone. H&E- and GT-stained specimens from the 8-week (chronic) group revealed healed circumferentially epithelialized, non-edematous, prostatic urethral channels with no increase in collagen in the subjacent prostatic tissue vis-á-vis the normal control. Our canine study demonstrates that 180W 532-nm laser PVP with its new fiber has a significantly higher ablation rate with a more hemostatic coagulation zone, but equally favorable tissue interaction and healing, compared with our previous 120W canine study.