Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vision Dominates at the Preresponse Level and Audition Dominates at the Response Level in Cross-modal Interaction: Behavioral and Neural Evidence

There are ongoing debates on the direction of sensory dominance in cross-modal interaction. In the present study, we demonstrate that the specific direction of sensory dominance depends on the level of processing: vision dominates at earlier stages, whereas audition dominates at later stages of cognitive processing. Moreover, these dominances are subserved by different neural networks. In three experiments, human participants were asked to attend to either visual or auditory modality while ignoring simultaneous stimulus inputs from the other modality. By manipulating three levels of congruency between the simultaneous visual and auditory inputs, congruent (C), incongruent at preresponse level (PRIC), and incongruent at response level (RIC), we differentiated the cross-modal conflict explicitly into preresponse (PRIC > C) and response (RIC > PRIC) levels. Behavioral data in the three experiments consistently suggested that visual distractors caused more interference to auditory processing than vice versa (i.e., the typical visual dominance) at the preresponse level, but auditory distractors caused more interference to visual processing than vice versa (i.e., the typical auditory dominance) at the response level regardless of experimental tasks, types of stimuli, or differential processing speeds in different modalities. Dissociable neural networks were revealed, with the default mode network being involved in the visual dominance at the preresponse level and the prefrontal executive areas being involved in the auditory dominance at the response level. The default mode network may be attracted selectively by irrelevant visual, rather than auditory, information via enhanced neural coupling with the ventral visual stream, resulting in visual dominance at the preresponse level.
Effects of topical administration of latanoprost, timolol, or a combination of latanoprost and timolol on intraocular pressure, pupil size, and heart rate in clinically normal dogs.

OBJECTIVE To determine effects after topical administration of latanoprost, timolol, or a commercially available latanoprosttimolol combination twice daily on intraocular pressure (IOP), pupil size (PS), and heart rate (HR) in clinically normal dogs. ANIMALS 17 clinically normal dogs. PROCEDURES A randomized controlled clinical trial was performed with a treatment (n=9) and saline (0.9% NaCl) solution group (8). Each dog in the treatment group received 3 treatments (latanoprost, timolol, and the latanoprost-timolol combination), with a 14-day washout period between treatments. Baseline values were established on day 1 of each treatment period. On days 2 through 5, drugs were administered topically every 12 hours to 1 eye of each dog in the treatment group. In both groups, IOP PS, and HR were measured at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 9 hours on days 2 and 5. RESULTS Eyes treated with latanoprost or the latanoprost-timolol combination had a significant decrease in IOP and a significantly smaller PS, compared with results for dogs receiving only timolol or dogs in the saline solution group. Timolol and the latanoprost-timolol combination both significantly lowered HR, compared with HR following administration of latanoprost and the saline solution. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Topical administration of latanoprost alone was as effective at lowering IOP as was administration of the latanoprost-timolol combination when both were given every 12 hours to clinically normal dogs. Timolol, either alone or in combination with latanoprost, appeared to have little or no effect on IOP in clinically normal dogs but was associated with a reduction in HR.
Safety and tolerability of bivalent HPV vaccine: An Italian post-licensure study

One of the most important scientific discoveries of the last century was that persistent infection by some types of HPV is a precondition for the development of cervical cancer. The oncogenic types of HPV are also associated with other tumours (vaginal, vulvar and anal carcinomas, tumours of the head and neck, urethra and penis). Two preventive vaccines are currently available (Cervarix® and Gardasil®). Both have shown very good efficacy, safety and tolerability profiles. Nonetheless, extensive vaccination requires long-term monitoring of safety and tolerability. The aim of our study was to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the bivalent vaccine Cervarix® in Italy. Every participant in the study completed a questionnaire after each dose of vaccine received, with a view to recording adverse events during the first 7 days after vaccination. We registered local (pain, redness, swelling) and systemic symptoms (fever, headache, myalgia, fatigue, arthralgia, itching, gastrointestinal disorders, rash and urticaria). A total of 4,643 subjects were recruited. In all, 7,107 questionnaires were collected: 3,064 after the first dose, 2,367 after the second and 1,676 after the third. No serious adverse events were observed. The most frequent local symptom was pain at the injection site, while fatigue, headache and myalgia were the most common systemic reactions. Pain was reported more frequently after the first dose than after the others, while all the other local and general symptoms were reported most frequently after the third dose. Almost all of the local and general reactions proved to be of negligible intensity and duration and required no medical intervention. Our results show better tolerability of the vaccine in comparison with the data from some controlled clinical studies and from other surveillance programmes conducted internationally. That tolerability proved to be better than in clinical studies could be explained by the absence of the typical apprehension felt by subjects involved in clinical experimentation.
Acute Dynamic Exercise Increases Fibrinolytic Activity

Summary The influence of acute bouts of dynamic exercise on plasma tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) and fibrinogen was investigated on nine healthy non-smoking men aged 23 to 37 years. Subjects performed maximal and two submaximal (duration 30 min, intensity 50% [aerobic threshold] and 78% [anaerobic threshold] V02max) bicycle ergospirometry tests separated by seven days. The order of the submaximal tests was randomized. Blood samples were drawn before, immediately after and 24 h after each test. Plasma tPA and PAI activities were measured amidolytically, and fibrinogen concentration by thrombin method. All postexercise values were corrected for the change in plasma volume. The pre-exercise tPA and PAI activities and fibrinogen concentration were similar in each tests. tPA activity increased during each test (from 2.0 [SEM 0.24] IU/ml to 20.3 [3.14] during maximal, 2.0 [0.22] to 19.0 [2.59] during anaerobic threshold test, 1.8 [0.22] to 5.5 [0.82] during aerobic threshold; p <0.001 during all tests, p = 0.01 aerobic threshold vs maximal and anaerobic threshold). PAI activity decreased during maximal (from 6.6 [2.51] AU/ml to 2.0 [2.00], p <0.05) and anaerobic threshold (5.0 [2.07] to 0.2 [0.22], p <0.01) tests but not during aerobic threshold test (7.0 [3.69] to 4.5 [2.93], p = 0.123). One subject had clearly higher pre-exercise PAI activity and smaller tPA response to exercise as compared to other subjects. All 24 h post-exercise activities were similar to pre-exercise values. Plasma fibrinogen concentration did not change during any tests. Single acute bouts of dynamic exercise transiently increase tPA and decrease PAI activity without affecting plasma fibrinogen concentration in healthy young men.
Giant-Cell Arteritis: Immunopathogenic Mechanisms Involved in Vascular Inflammation and Remodeling

Giant-cell arteritis (GCA) is a large-vessel granulomatous vasculitis in which aging, gender and genetics likely play a significant role. The association with polymorphisms in the major histocompatibility complex suggests that GCA may be an antigen-driven disease. Immunopathology studies performed with temporal artery biopsies from patients with GCA have generated relevant clues regarding to pathogenesis by indicating participation of Th1 and Th17-mediated pathways, a prominent role for macrophages in tissue injury, and the relevance of vascular response to inflammation. Vascular wall elements, especially endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells are not passive bystanders. Through expression of chemokines and adhesion molecules vascular cells contribute to the continuous recruitment of inflammatory cells that are able to enter the artery wall through newly formed neovessels. Inflammatory cell products, as well as vascular injury, trigger a vascular remodelling process. This eventually leads to the development of intimal hyperplasia and vascular lumen obliteration, source of ischemic complications.
Color correction for automatic fibrosis quantification in liver biopsy specimens

Context: For a precise and objective quantification of liver fibrosis, quantitative evaluations through image analysis have been utilized. However, manual operations are required in most cases for extracting fiber areas because of color variation included in digital pathology images. Aims: The purpose of this research is to propose a color correction method for whole slide images (WSIs) of Elastica van Gieson (EVG) stained liver biopsy tissue specimens and to realize automated operation of image analysis for fibrosis quantification. Materials and Methods: Our experimental dataset consisted of 38 WSIs of liver biopsy specimens collected from 38 chronic viral hepatitis patients from multiple medical facilities, stained with EVG and scanned at ×20 using a Nano Zoomer 2.0 HT (Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., Hamamatsu, Japan). Color correction was performed by modifying the color distribution of a target WSI so as to fit to the reference, where the color distribution was modeled by a set of two triangle pyramids. Using color corrected WSIs; fibrosis quantification was performed based on tissue classification analysis. Statistical Analysis Used: Spearman′s rank correlation coefficients were calculated between liver stiffness measured by transient elastography and median area ratio of collagen fibers calculated based on tissue classification results. Results: Statistical analysis results showed a significant correlation r = 0.61-0.68 even when tissue classifiers were trained by using a subset of WSIs, while the correlation coefficients were reduced to r = 0.40-0.50 without color correction. Conclusions: Fibrosis quantification accompanied with the proposed color correction method could provide an objective evaluation tool for liver fibrosis, which complements semi-quantitative histologic evaluation systems.
Dual Band-Notch UWB Antenna With Single Tri-Arm Resonator

A microstrip line-fed planar antenna with dual notched bands is designed and prototyped for ultrawideband (UWB) communication applications. The dual band-notch characteristic is achieved by etching a single tri-arm resonator below the patch. The simulated and experimental results show that the designed antenna has achieved a wide bandwidth (return loss ≤ -10 dB) ranging from 2.98 to 10.76 GHz with two notched bands operating at 3.5 and 5.5 GHz. The proposed antenna uses only one simple filter element to create and control dual notched bands, which give it advantages over the recently proposed band-notch antennas. In addition, the designed antenna achieved a good gain and exhibits omnidirectional radiation patterns except at notched bands, which make it a suitable candidate for UWB applications.
Regional Differences in the CBF and BOLD Responses to Hypercapnia: A Combined PET and fMRI Study

Previous fMRI studies of the cerebrovascular response to hypercapnia have shown signal change in cerebral gray matter, but not in white matter. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to compare (15)O PET and T *(2)-weighted MRI during a hypercapnic challenge. The measurements were performed under similar conditions of hypercapnia, which were induced by inhalation of 5 or 7% CO(2). The baseline rCBF values were 65.1 ml hg(-1) min(-1) for temporal gray matter and 28.7 ml hg(-1) min(-1) for white matter. By linear regression, the increases in rCBF during hypercapnia were 23.0 and 7. 2 ml hg(-1) min(-1) kPa(-1) for gray and white matter. The signal changes were 6.9 and 1.9% for the FLASH sequence and were 3.8 and 1. 7% for the EPI sequence at comparable echo times. The regional differences in percentage signal change were significantly reduced when normalized by regional flow values. A deconvolution analysis is introduced to model the relation between fMRI signal and end-expiratory CO(2) level. Temporal parameters, such as mean transit time, were derived from this analysis and suggested a slower response in white matter than in gray matter regions. It was concluded that the differences in the magnitude of the fMRI response can largely be attributed to differences in flow and that there is a considerable difference in the time course of the response between gray and white matter.
Intracerebral steal phenomenon associated with global hyperemia in moyamoya disease during revascularization surgery.

OBJECT The collateral vessels in moyamoya disease appear to retain their ability to constrict during hypocapnia but not to dilate during hypercapnia. It has been claimed that hypercapnia, as well as hypocapnia, decreases the blood flow in regions perfused by collateral vessels, presumably because of intracerebral steal. If this holds true, the decrease in blood flow may be proportional to the global hyperemia in the brain. To establish appropriate hemodynamic control during revascularization surgery, the authors monitored the jugular bulb oxygen saturation (SjO2) intraoperatively, a method that could sensitively detect global hyperemia. METHODS A total of 17 patients, most of whom presented with transient ischemic attacks or fluctuating neurological deficits, underwent intraoperative monitoring of their SjO2 and end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) after a state of anesthesia had been induced with isoflurane (Group 1) or propofol (Group 2). In eight of these patients, the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) of the collateral vessel territory was also monitored by laser Doppler flowmetry during the period of cortical exposure, and a total of 113 data sets (averaged values during 2.5-minute intervals) was collected. There was fluctuation in the ETCO2 levels ranging from 36 to 44 mm Hg. The mean SjO2 level was clearly greater (p < 0.01) in Group 1 (71.8 +/- 2.2%) than in Group 2 (63.3 +/- 2.1%). An episodic fall in rCBF was observed in association with a transient increase in SjO2. Such an event was not uncommon in Group 1 and there was a greater risk of rCBF decreasing when SjO2 exceeded a cutoff level of 76% (p < 0.01). This level could sometimes be reached at a broad range of ETCO2 readings (37-44 mm Hg). In Group 2, similar events sometimes occurred when SjO2 increased beyond 70%. However, this level could be reached only with a higher ETCO2 (42-44 mm Hg). The rCBF level was negatively correlated to SjO2 (p < 0.01), but not always to ETCO2, indicating that the episodic fall in rCBF was closely related to global hyperemia rather than the absolute level of hypercapnia. CONCLUSIONS The observed association between a fall in rCBF and global hyperemia supports the intracerebral steal hypothesis and indicates that it is prudent to avoid excessive global hyperemia. The optimal range of CO2 for isoflurane is more restricted than that for propofol, presumably because isoflurane induces hyperemia by itself. Monitoring of SjO2 appears to represent the most practical technique for detecting global hyperemia as well as global ischemia, both of which may cause ischemic complications in moyamoya disease.
Prevalence of scoliosis among school students in a town in southern Brazil

ABSTRACT Context And Objective: Scoliosis is not a diagnosis, but a description of a structural alteration that occurs in a variety of conditions. Progression of the curvature during periods of rapid growth may result in severe deformity, which may be accompanied by cardiopulmonary compromise. This study had the aims of measuring the prevalence of scoliosis among students in the fifth to eighth school years and investigating possible associations between the presence of scoliosis, body overweight and the weight of school materials. Design And Setting: Analytical cross-sectional study developed in the municipality of Carlos Barbosa, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Methods: A total of 1340 students were evaluated. The variables studied were the prevalence of scoliosis, type of school, location of the school, age, school year, sex, body weight, prevalence of excessive school material weight, height, body mass index (BMI) and spinal alignment measurements. Results: The prevalence of scoliosis was 1.4%; shoulder and scapula asymmetry, 6.6%; forearm and trunk asymmetry, 4.0%; spinal misalignment, 1.9%; Thales triangle asymmetry, 6.4%; body overweight, 19.8%; and carrying of excessively heavy school materials, 27%. The study did not find any statistically significant association between scoliosis and body overweight, or between scoliosis and excessive weight of school materials. Conclusions: The prevalence of scoliosis in this school-based sample was low. No correlation was found between this clinical condition and the other variables.
Considerations on practical implementation of control system for switch mode current regulator

The conventional approach in modern LED drivers is the usage of voltage regulators with rapid current feedback (current limit). Previously, the authors hypothesized that the current regulators can provide some advantages compared to the voltage regulators in LED lighting applications. Previous studies were related with theoretical basis and experimental verification of this hypothesis. This paper refers to the several aspects for practical implementation of current regulators. The object of study is non-inverting buck-boost considered as a combination of two stages: constant current source and current regulator. Different approaches for the implementation of control system are considered in this paper and are compared at the end.
How Harmonious and Obsessive Passion for Alcohol and Marijuana Relate to Consumption and Negative Consequences.

OBJECTIVE Although the concepts of harmonious and obsessive passion have been productive in explaining why people eagerly engage in such activities as sports, Internet use, and gambling, previous research has not yet extended these models to explain alcohol and marijuana use among college students. The current research was conducted to clarify the relationships among harmonious and obsessive passion, alcohol and marijuana use, and negative consequences. METHOD Two studies were conducted using online assessments. In Study 1, 748 heavy drinking college students (58% female) were recruited and completed measures of passion for drinking alcohol, alcohol use, and alcohol-related negative consequences. In Study 2, 352 regular marijuana-using students (54% female) were recruited and completed assessments of marijuana passion, marijuana use, and marijuana-related consequences. RESULTS Study 1 found that among heavy drinking college students, harmonious passion was a stronger predictor of increased consumption than was obsessive passion, whereas obsessive passion was a stronger predictor of alcohol-related problems than was harmonious passion. Study 2 revealed similar findings with regard to harmonious passion predicting marijuana consumption; however, unlike Study 1, no significant difference between the passions was found in predicting marijuana-related problems. CONCLUSIONS This research provides a novel perspective on motivation for alcohol and marijuana use. Findings suggest that understanding the locus of young adults' passion for substance use may be helpful in identifying those who are likely to develop a substance use disorder and therefore may be the most in need of assistance and intervention.
Distributed Computing: Fundamentals, Simulations and Advanced Topics

Stephen J. Hartley Oxford University Press, New York, 1998, 260 pp. ISBN 0-19-511315-2, $45.00 Concurrent Programming is a thorough treatment of Java multi-threaded programming for both a stand-alone and distributed environment. Designed mostly for students in concurrent or parallel programming classes, the text is also an excellent reference for the practicing professional developing multi-threaded programs or applets. Hartley first provides a complete explanation of the features of Java necessary to write concurrent programs, including topics such as exception handling, interfaces, and packages. He then gives the reader a solid background to write multi-threaded programs and also presents the problems introduced when writing concurrent programs—namely race conditions, mutual exclusion, and deadlock. Hartley also provides several software solutions that do not require the use of common process and thread mechanisms. Once the groundwork is laid for writing concurrent programs, Hartley then takes a different approach than most Java references. Rather than presenting how Java handles mutual exclusion with the synchronized keyword (although it is covered later), he first looks at semaphore-based solutions to classic concurrent problems such as bounded-buffer, readers-writers, and the dining philosophers. Hartley also uses the same approach to develop Java classes for monitors and message passing. This unique approach to introducing concurrency allows the readers to both understand how Java threads are synchronized and how the basic synchronization mechanism can be used to construct more abstract tools such as semaphores. If there is a shortcoming with the text it is with the lack of sufficient coverage of remote method invocation (RMI), although there is a section covering RMI. This is quite understandable as RMI is a fairly recent phenomenon with the Java community. Also, the classes that Hartley provides could easily implement RMI rather than sockets to handle communication. The strengths of the book include its ease in reading, several examples at the end of chapters, a package similar to Xtango that provides algorithm animation, and a supportive web site by the author (see www.mcs.drexel.edu/~shartley/ConcProgJava/index.html ) including compressed source code. As Java becomes more dominant on the server side of multi-tier applications, writing thread-safe concurrent applications becomes even more important. Concurrent Programming is a strong step towards teaching students and professionals such skills. Greg Gagne, Westminster College of Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, Utah
Tramadol-induced respiratory depression in a morbidly obese patient with normal renal function

On three occasions, when we failed to get a replacement, we bypassed the non-functioning inflation valve of the PLMA, by using the red plug [Figure 1] to inflate the cuff of the PLMA without any problem. The red plug is a vent device integrated into the inflation valve–pilot balloon assembly of the PLMA. [2,6] Till date, we have conducted 20 laparoscopic procedures using the red plug to inflate the PLMA cuff without compromising the safety of the patients.