Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Relationship between Blood Flow and Neuronal Activity in the Rodent Olfactory Bulb

In the brain, neuronal activation triggers an increase in cerebral blood flow (CBF). Here, we use two animal models and several techniques (two-photon imaging of CBF and neuronal calcium dynamics, intracellular and extracellular recordings, local pharmacology) to analyze the relationship between neuronal activity and local CBF during odor stimulation in the rodent olfactory bulb. Application of glutamate receptor antagonists or tetrodotoxin directly into single rat olfactory glomeruli blocked postsynaptic responses but did not affect the local odor-evoked CBF increases. This suggests that in our experimental conditions, odor always activates more than one glomerulus and that silencing one of a few clustered glomeruli does not affect the vascular response. To block synaptic transmission more widely, we then superfused glutamate antagonists over the surface of the olfactory bulb in transgenic G-CaMP2 mice. This was for two reasons: (1) mice have a thin olfactory nerve layer compared to rats and this will favor drug access to the glomerular layer, and (2) transgenic G-CaMP2 mice express the fluorescent calcium sensor protein G-CaMP2 in mitral cells. In G-CaMP2 mice, odor-evoked, odor-specific, and concentration-dependent calcium increases in glomeruli. Superfusion of glutamate receptor antagonists blocked odor-evoked postsynaptic calcium signals and CBF responses. We conclude that activation of postsynaptic glutamate receptors and rises in dendritic calcium are major steps for neurovascular coupling in olfactory bulb glomeruli.
Sexual Dysfunction among Latino Men and Women with Poorly Controlled Diabetes

Latinos are the largest minority population in the United States and are diagnosed with diabetes at nearly twice the rate of non-Hispanic whites. Latinos not only suffer disproportionately from diabetes but also from diabetes related complications, including sexual dysfunction. Much of the existing literature on sexual dysfunction among Latinos with diabetes has focused on erectile dysfunction (ED). There is a dearth of information on sexual functioning among Latina women with diabetes or information on both genders in other sexual domains. Our study examined the prevalence of sexual dysfunction among a cohort of 106 poorly controlled Latino diabetics in South Florida who participated in the Miami Healthy Heart Initiative, an NIH/NLBI sponsored clinical trial addressing diabetes management among Latinos. We explored gender differences in various domains of sexual health and examined the role of poor glycemic control and depression on sexual dysfunction. A large proportion of both genders in our sample met the criteria for sexual dysfunction though females exhibited a greater prevalence than males. Depression affected more than one third of our sample, but we did not find any significant associations between sexual dysfunction and depression. We also did not find a linear correlation between glycemic control and sexual dysfunction. We concluded that interventions are needed to address high rates of sexual dysfunction among Latinos with diabetes with particular emphasis on Latina women, who were much more likely than men
Techniques for Leakage Energy Reduction in Deep Submicrometer Cache Memories

The techniques known in literature for the design of SRAM structures with low standby leakage typically exploit an additional operation mode, named the sleep mode or the standby mode. In this paper, existing low leakage SRAM structures are analyzed by several SPEC2000 benchmarks. As expected, the examined SRAM architectures have static power consumption lower than the conventional 6-T SRAM cell. However, the additional activities performed to enter and to exit the sleep mode also lead to higher dynamic energy. Our study demonstrates that, due to this, the overall energy consumption achieved by the known low-leakage techniques is greater than the conventional approach. In the second part of this paper, a novel low-leakage SRAM cell is presented. The proposed structure establishes when to enter and to exit the sleep mode, on the basis of the data stored in it, without introducing time and energy penalties with respect to the conventional 6-T cell. The new SRAM structure was realized using the UMC 0.18-mum, 1.8-V, and the ST 90-nm 1-V CMOS technologies. Tests performed with a set of SPEC2000 benchmarks have shown that the proposed approach is actually energy efficient
Normalized difference spectral indices and partial least squares regression to assess the yield and yield components of peanut

High-throughput hyperspectral passive reflectance sensing can acquire timely information to make more informed management decisions in real time compared with the more laborious destructive measurements. Early prediction of yield and yield components of peanut by spectral reflectance measurements prior to harvest could reduce the phenotyping time and expenses compared to destructive measurements. In this study, the performance of hyperspectral passive reflectance sensing was tested at three growth stages, the beginning of pod development and at 50% and 80% pod development, to assess their relationship to the pod yield, seed protein content, seed oil content, and straw yield of peanut cultivars Two peanut cultivars, Giza 5 and Giza 6, were grown under field conditions and subjected to three levels of nitrogen application. Simple linear regression and partial least squares regression (PLSR) models were compared to analyse the spectral data. The closest relationships were obtained for the spectral index (R610 - R424)/(R610 + R424) with the pod yield (R2 = 0.70, significant at p = 0.001), as well as the straw yield (R2 = 0.53, significant at p <= 0.001) and the protein content (R2 = 0.69, significant at p = 0.001. For the relationships between PLSR with the pod yield, protein content and oil content and the straw yield of peanut cultivars, the coefficients of determination reached values up to R2 = 0.82 (significant at p <= 0.001) through the individual measurements. Both, the PLSR and normalized difference spectral index analysis of spectral data performed better for assessing the pod yield and protein content than the oil content and straw yield of peanut cultivars. In conclusion, phenotyping yield and quality related parameters of peanut by PLSR analysis of non-invasive reflectance measurements represent a promising strategy for management action as well as for screening peanut cultivars.
Isoflurane Enhances the Expression and Activity of Glutamate Transporter Type 3 in C6 Glioma Cells

Background Glutamate transporters play an important role in maintaining extracellular glutamate homeostasis. Volatile anesthetics have been shown to affect glutamate transporter activity acutely (within minutes after the exposure). It is not known whether volatile anesthetics affect the expression of glutamate transporters. Methods Rat cultured C6 glioma cells that express excitatory amino acid transporter type 3 (EAAT3) were exposed to isoflurane at various concentrations (0.5–4.0%) or for different periods (1–24 h) at 37°C. EAAT3 mRNA, proteins, and activity were quantified. Results Isoflurane induced a time- and concentration-dependent increase in the mRNA and protein levels of EAAT3 in C6 cells. The maximal increase was induced by 2% isoflurane, and the cells incubated with 2% isoflurane for 3 and 7 h expressed the highest levels of EAAT3 mRNA and proteins, respectively. Similarly, glutamate uptake was higher in C6 cells exposed to 2% isoflurane for 7 h than in control cells. Actinomycin D and cycloheximide, inhibitors for mRNA and protein synthesis, respectively, did not affect the isoflurane-induced increase in EAAT3 mRNA and protein expression. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, a protein kinase C activator, also enhanced EAAT3 expression. The combination of 2% isoflurane and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate caused a higher level of EAAT3 expression than that induced by 2% isoflurane alone. Neither staurosporine, a protein kinase C inhibitor, nor wortmannin, a phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase inhibitor, inhibited the isoflurane-induced increase in EAAT3 expression. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that isoflurane increases the expression and activity of EAAT3 by stabilizing EAAT3 mRNA and proteins via protein kinase C– and phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase–independent pathways.
Bronchial and nonbronchial systemic arteries at multi-detector row CT angiography: comparison with conventional angiography.

PURPOSE To retrospectively evaluate bronchial and nonbronchial systemic arteries at multi-detector row helical computed tomography (CT) compared with conventional angiography in patients undergoing endovascular treatment of hemoptysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Neither institutional board approval nor informed consent was required. Forty-eight consecutive patients (39 men, nine women; mean age, 55.7 years; range, 20-82 years) with hemoptysis of bronchial and nonbronchial systemic artery origin underwent multi-detector row helical CT angiography of the thorax with use of a four-detector row (n = 31) or 16-detector row (n = 17) scanner prior to embolization. Findings on CT angiograms, including CT scans, maximum intensity projections, and three-dimensional volume-rendered images, were used to evaluate the depiction of bronchial and nonbronchial systemic arteries. Retrospective analysis of the ostium and the course of bronchial and/or nonbronchial systemic arteries on CT angiograms enabled evaluation of the accuracy of this technique in identification of the relevant vasculature. RESULTS Among the 46 patients initially treated with bronchial artery embolization, 58 bronchial arteries were identified at CT and/or angiography. In 50 (86%) cases, concordant findings were observed with both modalities. In five (9%) cases, CT could not be used to identify the ostia of bronchial arteries. In three (5%) cases, CT depicted bronchial arteries that could not be selectively catheterized. Three-dimensional images were found to be superior to transverse CT scans in depicting the ectopic origin of the bronchial arteries, which enabled the interventional radiologists to perform successful embolization after direct catherization of the ectopic vessel in every case. In five (11%) patients, the nonbronchial systemic origin of bronchial bleeding was identified on CT angiograms. CONCLUSION Multi-detector row helical CT angiography provides more precise depiction of bronchial and nonbronchial systemic arteries than does conventional angiography.
Dual control of subtilin biosynthesis and immunity in Bacillus subtilis

The production of the peptide antibiotic (lantibiotic) subtilin in Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 is highly regulated. Transcriptional organization and regulation of the subtilin gene cluster encompassing 11 genes was characterized. Two polycistronic mRNAs encoding transcript spaBTC (6.8 kb) and encoding transcript spaIFEG (3.5 kb) as well as the monocistronic spaS (0.3 kb) mRNA were shown by Northern hybridization. Primer extension experiments and β‐galactosidase fusions confirmed three independent promoter sites preceding genes spaB, spaS and spaI. β‐Galactosidase expression of spaB, spaS and spaI promoter lacZ fusions initiated in mid‐exponential growth. Maximal activities were reached at the transition to stationary growth and were collinear with subtilin production. The lacZ activity was dependent on co‐expression with the two‐component regulatory system spaRK. The presence of subtilin was needed for efficient expression of all three promoter lacZ fusions. This suggests a transcriptional autoregulation according to a quorum‐sensing mechanism with subtilin as autoinducer and signal transduction via SpaRK. Additionally, spaR expression was found to be under positive control of the alternative sigma factor H. Deletion of sigma H strongly decreased subtilin production. Full subtilin production could be restored after in‐trans complementation of spaR. Deletion of the major B. subtilis transition state regulator AbrB strongly increased subtilin production. These results show that the spaRK two‐component regulatory system, and hence subtilin biosynthesis and immunity, is under dual control of two independent regulatory systems: autoinduction via subtilin and transcriptional regulation via sigma factor H.
Potentials and Pitfalls Using High Affinity Radioligands in PET and SPET Determinations on Regional Drug Induced D2 Receptor Occupancy—A Simulation Study Based on Experimental Data

The D2 dopamine receptor density ranges from 0.2 to 40 nM among human brain regions. For high density regions radioligands like [(11)C]raclopride provide accurate and reliable estimates of the receptor density. In research on neuropsychiatric disorders there is, however, a growing need for quantitative approaches that accurately measure D2 dopamine receptor occupancy induced by drugs or endogenous dopamine in regions with low receptor density. The new high affinity radioligands [(11)C]FLB 457 and [(123)I]epidepride have been shown to provide a signal for extrasriatal D2 dopamine receptor populations in the human brain in vivo. Initial observations indicate, however, that the time required to reach equilibrium is dependent on receptor density. Ratio analyses may thus not be readily used for comparisons among different brain regions. The aim of the present simulation study was to examine commonly used approaches for calculation of drug induced D2 dopamine receptor occupancy among regions with widely different receptor density. The input functions and the rate constants of [(11)C]FLB 457 and the reference ligand [(11)C]raclopride were first used in a simulation estimating the effect of receptor density on equilibrium time. In a second step we examined how errors produced by inaccurate determination of the binding potential parameter propagate to calculations of drug induced receptor occupancy. The simulations showed a marked effect of receptor density on equilibrium time for [(11)C]FLB 457, but not for [(11)C]raclopride. For [(11)C]FLB 457, a receptor density above about 7 nM caused the time of equilibrium to fall beyond time of data acquisition (1 h). The use of preequilibrium data caused the peak equilibrium and the end time ratio approaches but not the simplified reference tissue model (SRTM) approach to underestimate the binding potential and thus also the drug occupancy calculated for high-density regions. The study supports the use of ratio and SRTM analyses in extrastriatal low-density receptor regions for which the high affinity ligand [(11)C]FLB 457 was developed. However, in high-density regions such as the human striatum simple ratio approaches cannot be validly applied, whereas the SRTM approach has higher potential to provide valid estimates. Interestingly, the results suggest that published data on a proposed extrastriatal selectivity for the antipsychotic drugs clozapine and olanzapine may be due to erroneous estimations of the binding potential when using ratio approaches.
Bandwidth Compression for a Bivariate Gaussian Source with Shannon-Kotel’nikov Mappings

The analog transmission of a bivariate Gaussian source over a white Gaussian channel with 2:1 bandwidth compression is addressed in this paper. We propose two nonlinear coding structures for bandwidth compression based on the Shannon-Kotel’nikov (S-K) mappings. For each coding structure, the closed-form expression of distortion at any given channel SNR is derived and the optimal energy scaling for each source is computed. We perform theoretical deduction and numerical evaluations to compare the performances of the proposed schemes with a baseline linear mapping scheme. Results show that nonlinear schemes are superior to the linear scheme when the channel condition is good and the difference between the two sources is not too large. Among the proposed nonlinear schemes, the design to combine the two sources for S-K mapping with the optimal energy scaling yields the best performance.
A triptan too far?

The past decade has seen a remarkable transition in neurological practice which has been driven in considerable measure by therapeutic developments. Clinical neurology, once driven primarily by the diagnostic process, is increasingly becoming a therapeutic speciality. Headache, so often the ugly sister, ubiquitous, ill-understood, and ever bothersome in the clinic, has given up some of its secrets to enrich our practice and improve the life of our patients. For headache treatment the 1990s will be the decade of the triptans: 3,5 substituted indole, selective serotonin (5HT1B/1D) agonists, sumatriptan and its relatives. As the second generation of the triptans emerge this editorial attempts to provide a summary of the new compounds and formulations which will be a basis for defining the new medicines’ place in clinical practice. I will start with the question of whether there is a need for newer treatments, outline the methods used for the clinical assessments, and conclude by suggesting some of the situations in which any or some of the new drugs have an advantage. To be practical I will consider the triptans that are actually available now in many parts of the world, particularly in Europe. As decisions to use these compounds are now faced daily by both neurologists and general practitioners this review will focus on sumatriptan, naratriptan, and zolmitriptan. Other compounds, including rizatriptan, which has completed phase III development and which should appear next, and eletriptan, which is currently in late phase III, as well as drugs less well known and still in development, such as VML251 and almotriptan, will not be considered because they are not currently available. The principles used to review the available compounds could be applied to newer compounds when they become available.
Antifungal Treatment Strategies in the ICU: Beyond Meta-analysis.

Turk J Anaesthesiol Reanim 2016; 44: 283-4 DOI: 10.5152/TJAR.2016. 0012 ©Copyright 2016 by Turkish Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Society Available online at www.jtaics. org Antifungal Treatment Strategies in the ICU: Beyond Meta-analysis Francesco Giuseppe De Rosa1*, Silvia Corcione1*, Giorgia Montrucchio2, Luca Brazzi2, Giovanni Di Perri1 1Department of Medical Sciences, Infectious Diseases, University of Turin, Turin, Italy 2Department of Surgical Sciences, Division of Anesthesia and Critical Care, City of Science and Health, Molinette Hospital, University of Turin, Italy
Gefitinib as first-line treatment for patients with epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated advanced lung adenocarcinoma: a single institution experience in Taiwan.

PURPOSE Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) represent a new treatment option for patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma. In this article we assessed the treatment response and tried to identify prognostic factors which may provide some information different from previously published reports in groups with better performance status (PS) than our enrolled patients. METHODS The records of 85 patients with EGFR-mutated advanced lung adenocarcinoma who received gefitinib 250 mg once daily as front-line monotherapy between October 2007 and October 2012 were analysed. Direct sequencing methods were used for detecting EGFR mutations. SPSS (version 20) software was used for all data analysis. RESULTS The median overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) were 25.6 and 6.9 months, respectively. No statistical significance between the two groups of exon 19 and exon 21 in OS and PFS was registered (p=0.414 and p=0.519, respectively). The group of patients treated > 3 months had a better median OS survival compared with those treated < 3 months (25.6 vs 4.9 months, p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, significant benefit on OS was observed in patients with ECOG PS scores of 0-2 (p=0.002) and those treated for longer time periods (p<0.001), rather than age, sex and smoking. Among the adverse effects (AEs), skin manifestation was correlated with significantly better OS (p=0.007) but insignificant effect on PFS (p=0.131). CONCLUSIONS Good ECOG PS, longer TKI use and skin rash were significant factors predictive for gefitinib antitumor activity.
Interrogating Race

We address long-standing debates on the utility of racial categories and color scales for understanding inequality in the United States and Latin America, using novel data that enable comparisons of these measures across both broad regions. In particular, we attend to the degree to which color and racial category inequality operate independently of parental socioeconomic status. We find a variety of patterns of racial category and color inequality, but that in most countries accounting for maternal education changes our coefficients by 5% or less. Overall, we argue that several posited divergences in ethnoracial stratification processes in the United States, compared with Latin America, might be overstated. We conclude that the comparison of the effects of multiple ethnoracial markers, such as color and racial categories, for the analysis of social stratification holds substantial promise for untangling the complexities of “race” across the Americas.
Hearing Voices in Different Cultures: A Social Kindling Hypothesis

This study compares 20 subjects, in each of three different settings, with serious psychotic disorder (they meet inclusion criteria for schizophrenia) who hear voices, and compares their voice-hearing experience. We find that while there is much that is similar, there are notable differences in the kinds of voices that people seem to experience. In a California sample, people were more likely to describe their voices as intrusive unreal thoughts; in the South Indian sample, they were more likely to describe them as providing useful guidance; and in our West African sample, they were more likely to describe them as morally good and causally powerful. What we think we may be observing is that people who fall ill with serious psychotic disorder pay selective attention to a constant stream of many different auditory and quasi-auditory events because of different "cultural invitations"-variations in ways of thinking about minds, persons, spirits and so forth. Such a process is consistent with processes described in the cognitive psychology and psychiatric anthropology literature, but not yet described or understood with respect to cultural variations in auditory hallucinations. We call this process "social kindling. "
Value of Information Analysis in Environmental Health Risk Management Decisions: Past, Present, and Future

Experts agree that value of information (VOI) analyses provide useful insights in risk management decisions. However, applications in environmental health risk management (EHRM) remain largely demonstrative thus far because of the complexity in modeling and solving VOI problems. Based on this comprehensive review of all VOI applications published in the peer‐reviewed literature of such applications, the complexity of solving VOI problems with continuous probability distributions as inputs in models emerges as the main barrier to greater use of VOI although simulation allows analysts to solve more complex and realistic problems. Several analytical challenges that inhibit greater use of VOI techniques include issues related to modeling decisions, valuing outcomes, and characterizing uncertain and variable model inputs appropriately. This comprehensive review of methods for modeling and solving VOI problems for applications related to EHRM provides the first synthesis of important methodological advances in the field. The insights provide risk analysts and decision scientists with some guidance on how to structure and solve VOI problems focused on evaluating opportunities to collect better information to improve EHRM decisions. They further suggest the need for some efforts to standardize approaches and develop some prescriptive guidance for VOI analysts similar to existing guidelines for conducting cost‐effectiveness analyses.