Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CLOCK GENES, CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS, AND MOOD DISORDERS: THE ROLE OF POSITIVE AFFECT

Background: The master circadian clock maintains a ~24 hour rhythm via genetic feedback loops. Polymorphisms in master clock genes have been associated with markers of delayed rhythms and depression, suggesting delayed rhythms originating from variants in the master clock may create vulnerability to depression. Further, evening chronotype, a marker of delayed rhythms, is associated with depression. Recent research has found positive affect (PA) to be an important mediator in the relationship between evening chronotype and depression severity. PA exhibits a diurnal rhythm that is delayed and blunted in those with evening chronotype, suggesting the same master clock polymorphisms that predict chronotype may also predict PA rhythms. Therefore, it is hypothesized that polymorphisms in master clock genes will predict variations in PA rhythms and further, chronotype will mediate this relationship. Methods: Affect was measured every 45 minutes during waking hours for at least two workdays and one non-workday in 381 healthy Caucasian adults. Participants completed questionnaires on affect and chronotype. Genetic information was extracted from blood samples and genotyped for four polymorphisms (CLOCK 3111 C/T, PER3 G647V, BMAL 1420 A/G, CRY1 rs8192440) that were used to create a gene risk score. Results: The PA rhythm on workdays differed significantly based on chronotype. PA phase timing, but not amplitude, significantly differed across chronotype. The proposed clock gene risk score did not predict either PA rhythm measures or chronotype. Discussion: Study results support the association between chronotype and PA rhythm, specifically in phase timing. Although the gene risk score was not predictive, other polymorphisms that may affect the circadian clock may be important for future studies. Results suggest that chronotype is more predictive of phase timing than amplitude, and may be an important factor in continuing research in vulnerabilities to depression.
Long‐circulating monensin nanoparticles for the potentiation of immunotoxin and anticancer drugs

The carboxylic ionophore monensin was formulated into long‐circulating nanoparticles with the help of polyethylene glycol/poly (dl‐lactide‐co‐glycolide) diblock copolymers, in an attempt to enhance the cytotoxicity of a ricin‐based immunotoxin, anti‐My9, and anticancer drugs like adriamycin and tamoxifen. This study looked into various aspects involving the preparation (using a homogenizer and an EmulsiFlex homogenizer‐extrusion device) and lyophilization of long‐circulating monensin nanoparticles (LMNP) of particle size < 200 nm in diameter. The particle size of LMNP was reduced from 194 nm to 160 nm by passing the nanoparticles through an EmulsiFlex, before freeze‐drying. There was a 4.8–83.7% increase in the particle size of LMNP after freeze‐drying, which was dependent upon the manufacturing conditions such as use of the EmulsiFlex for size reduction before freeze‐drying, the freezing method (rapid/slow) and the concentration of lyoprotectant (mannitol or trehalose) employed for freeze‐drying. LMNP freeze‐dried with 2.4% of trehalose showed minimal size change (< 9%) after freeze‐drying. Further, the freezing method was found to have negligible effect on the particle size of LMNP freeze‐dried with trehalose in comparison with mannitol. The entrapment efficiency of monensin in LMNP was found to be 14.2 ± 0.3%. The LMNP were found to be spherical in shape and smooth in surface texture as observed by atomic force microscopy. In‐vitro release of monensin from LMNP in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) pH 7.4 or PBS supplemented with 10% human serum indicated that there was an initial rapid release of about 40% in the first 8 h followed by a fairly slow release (about 20%) in the next 88 h. In‐vivo studies conducted with Sprague‐Dawley rats showed that 20% of monensin remained in circulation 4–8 h after the intravenous administration of LMNP. An in‐vitro dye‐based cytotoxicity assay (MTS/PMS method) showed that there was 500 times and 5 times potentiation of the cytotoxicity of anti‐My9 immunotoxin by LMNP (5 times 10−8 m of monensin) in HL‐60 sensitive and resistant human tumour cell lines, respectively. Further, LMNP (5 times 10−8 m of monensin) potentiated the cytotoxicity of adriamycin in MCF 7 and SW 620 cell lines by 100 fold and 10 fold, respectively, and that of tamoxifen by 44 fold in MCF 7 cell line as assessed by crystal violet dye uptake assay. Our results suggest that it is possibleto prepare LMNP possessing appropriate particlesize (< 200 nm), monensin content and in‐vitro and in‐vivo release characteristics with the help of a homogenizer and an EmulsiFlex homogenizer‐extrusion device. LMNP can be freeze‐dried with minimal increase in particle size by using a suitable concentration of a lyoprotectant like trehalose. Furthermore, LMNP could potentiate the cytotoxicity of immunotoxin, adriamycin and tamoxifen by 5–500 fold in‐vitro, which will be further investigated in‐vivo in a suitable animal model.
Computation of the energy detector threshold for various approximations of noise power distribution

Most often in cognitive radio systems, the Neyman-Pearson energy detector is used. The test statistics compared with the threshold in this case has a chi-square distribution. At the same time, the threshold calculation in on-line mode is characterized by considerable computational complexity. In this paper, we investigate the accuracy of calculating the threshold for various approximations of the central chi-square distribution.
Analysis of Switched Memory B Cells in Patients with IgA Deficiency

Background: Selective IgA deficiency (SIGAD) is the most common primary antibody deficiency, characterized by significant decreased serum levels of IgA in the presence of normal IgG and IgM. Despite several investigations into the nature of the disease, the exact pathophysiology of SIGAD is still unknown. Methods: In this study, switched memory B cells (CD19+/CD27+/IgD– cell population) of 28 patients with SIGAD and 28 matched healthy controls were investigated using flow cytometry. Results: The percentage of switched memory B cells in all healthy controls was more than 0.4%. In SIGAD patients, who were classified as group I, the percentage of switched memory B cells was less than 0.4% (0.34 ± 0.06) in 7 patients (25%). The remaining 21 patients were designated as group II (1.74 ± 0.12%). The mean concentration of IgG in group I was significantly lower than in group II (1,014 ± 278 vs. 1,388 ± 406 mg/dl, p = 0.028). Comparison of clinical features between the 2 groups revealed that episodes of pneumonia during the course of disease were significantly higher in group I than in group II (p = 0.002). Autoimmune diseases in group I (57.1%) were also significantly higher (p = 0.01) than in group II (23.8%). The prevalence of bronchiectasis was 57% in group I, while only 1 patient (4.7%) in group II developed bronchiectasis (p = 0.006). Specific antibody deficiency in group I was documented in 5 patients and in group II in 4 patients (p = 0.01). Conclusions: The classification of SIGAD patients by assessment of switched memory B cells could help physicians with the clinical prognosis for these patients, whereas the patients with reduced switched memory B cells are prone to severe phenotypes.
Treatment of Refractory/Recurrent C. difficile-associated Disease by Donated Stool Transplanted Via Colonoscopy: A Case Series of 12 Patients

Purpose and Objective Over the past 20 years, Clostridium difficile has emerged as an important microbial cause of nosocomial diarrhea. Recurrence is common and management of recurrent disease is not standardized. In this case series, we describe 12 patients with refractory/recurrent C. difficile-associated disease (CDAD) treated at our institution by transplantation of donated stool via colonoscopy. Methods This is a retrospective study of 12 consecutive patients with refractory/recurrent C. difficile infection evidenced by recurrent symptoms and a history of a positive fecal C. difficile toxin assay that were treated by transplantation of donated stool administered during colonoscopy. Results Our cohort comprised 9 women and 3 men with a mean age of 66 years (range 30 to 86 y). Nine of the 12 patients had diverticulosis. Patients were symptomatically ill for 79 to 1532 days (mean 351 d, median 209 d) before fecal transplantation. The index infection for which antibiotics was prescribed varied widely along with the inciting antibiotic. All 12 patients (100%) experienced an immediate and durable clinical response to fecal transplantation. There were no adverse side effects from fecal transplantation. Conclusions Fecal transplantation via colonoscopy is a safe, effective treatment regimen for refractory/recurrent CDAD. Our 12 patients had an immediate and durable response rate of 100%. Fecal transplantation is a promising treatment for refractory/recurrent C. difficile infection. Its use and efficacy should be pursued in prospective controlled trials.
Effect of resuscitative mild hypothermia on glutamate and dopamine release, apoptosis and ischaemic brain damage in the endothelin‐1 rat model for focal cerebral ischaemia

The relationship between glutamate and dopamine release, apoptosis and ischaemic damage was studied following induction of transient focal cerebral ischaemia under normothermic (37°C) and postischaemic (resuscitative) mild hypothermic (34°C for 2 h) conditions in sevoflurane anaesthetized male Wistar rats. Focal ischaemia was induced by infusing endothelin‐1 adjacent to the middle cerebral artery. In vivo microdialysis was used to sample glutamate and dopamine from striatum and parietal cortex of the ipsilateral hemisphere. The volume of ischaemic damage and the degree of apoptosis were determined 24 h after the insult. In both striatum and cortex of the normothermic group an initial increase in extracellular glutamate and dopamine levels following endothelin‐1 infusion was observed. Striatal glutamate levels remained enhanced (250% of baseline) throughout the experiment, while the other neurotransmitter levels returned to baseline values. Hypothermia significantly attenuated the endothelin‐1 induced glutamate release in the striatum. It also reduced apoptosis and infarct volume in the cortex. These results indicate that: (i) postischaemic mild hypothermia exerts its neuroprotective effect by inhibiting apoptosis in the ischaemic penumbral region; and (ii) this effect is not associated with an attenuation of glutamate or dopamine release in the cortex.
Supervision of Students May Protect Academic Physicians from Cognitive Bias: A Study of Decision Making and Multiple Treatment Alternatives in Medicine

Objective. To determine how professional characteristics and practices of physicians alter the selection of medical treatments involving multiple alternatives. Situations involving multiple alternatives can increase the difficulty of making a decision, resulting in more choice deferral than when fewer alternatives are available. Design, Setting, Participants. A survey and scenario were mailed to a random sample of 314 primary and emergency care physicians affiliated with the Indiana University Medical Center. Using a scenario involving treatment decisions for a patient with osteoarthritis, the effects of multiple treatment alternatives on decision making were explored. Other physician factors included experience, workload, fatigue, continuing education, and supervision. Main Outcome Measures. Physicians’ treatment decisions. Results. Physician response was 61% (n = 192). In contrast to previous studies, physicians in the present study were equally likely to prescribe a new medication, regardless of whether they were deciding about 1 medication or between 2 similar medications (54.5% v. 56.0%, P = 0.841). However, physicians who supervise medical students were far less influenced by the cognitive bias associated with multiple choices than those who did not supervise medical students. Supervising physicians were more likely to defer making a decision when there was only 1 treatment option than when there were 2 (49.3% v. 37%, P = 0.143), whereas the opposite was true for nonsupervising physicians (33.3% v. 63%, P = 0.040). The number of hours spent supervising medical students and the number of years as a physician were also important factors in the decision-making process. Conclusions. Multiple treatment alternatives may result in a deferral of choice. However, this cognitive bias is attenuated by experience and supervision, thus enhancing decision making. Implicit and explicit learning gained through experience and the supervisory process appears to be a central mechanism by which the physicians are protected from this cognitive bias
Institutional Pathology Consultation

Sun Yat-Sen Cancer Center is the only cancer center in Taiwan. The hospital maintains a policy, and the division of oncology makes a concerted effort to obtain and review pertinent pathologic specimens in all patients who had pathologic diagnosis performed at other institution before rendering therapy. A 1-year retrospective study was undertaken to assess the frequency of discordant diagnosis of our second-opinion pathology slide review and determine its impact on patient care. Discrepancies were classified into four basic categories: A) no diagnostic disagreement; B) no diagnostic disagreement but pertinent information not included, such as tumor size, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, histologic grading, margin status, extracapsular spread in metastatic lymph nodes; and C) major diagnostic disagreement, which was defined as follows; 1) change from benign to malignant, 2) change from malignant to benign, 3) a different type of neoplasm, and 4) change in N and M classification in TMN staging framework. Of 715 cases, a total of 673 (94%) showed no discrepancy. However, 35 of 673 (5.2%) cases failed to offer pertinent information (category B). Major disagreement was found in 42 (6%) cases (category C). This study illustrated the fact that second pathology slide review prior to therapy can identify a small group of cases that result in a major change in their therapeutic plan. Admittedly, the review of pathology slides involves additional time and effort for both consulting and referring institutions. It can ensure quality medical care and limit medicolegal liability. As the Association of Directors of Anatomic and Surgical Pathology recommended, second pathology review should be standard practice. It is necessary that our major Pathology Association and Societies adopt a strong position on this matter to influence government or insurance company to pay for this service rendered by pathologists.
A 9 bit, 1.12 ps Resolution 2.5 b/Stage Pipelined Time-to-Digital Converter in 65 nm CMOS Using Time-Register

In this paper, a 2.5 b/stage pipelined time-to-digital converter (TDC) is presented. For pipelined operation, a novel time-register is proposed which is capable of storing, adding and subtracting time information with a clock signal. Together with a pulse-train time-amplifier, a 9-bit synchronous pipelined TDC is implemented, which consists of three 2.5 b/stage TDCs and a 3 b delay-line TDC. A prototype chip fabricated in 65 nm CMOS process achieves 1.12 ps of time resolution at 250 MS/s while consuming 15.4 mW. Compared to other high-resolution state-of-the-art TDCs, the proposed pipelined TDC achieves the best figure-of-merit (FoM) without any calibration.
Self-Concept in Adolescents—Relationship between Sport Participation, Motor Performance and Personality Traits

The relationship between sport participation, personality development, self-concept and self-esteem has been discussed repeatedly. In this research, a standardized written survey together with tests on motor performance were carried out with 1399 students (707 male; 692 female) in school years 7 (12.9 ± 0.6 years) and 10 (15.8 ± 0.6 years) to measure the extent of a relationship between physical self-concept (self-developed short scale) and sporting activity, measured motor performance (German motor performance test DMT (Deutscher Motorik-Test) 6–18) and report mark in physical education. Relationships were also analyzed between physical self-concept and general personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experiences, compatibility, and conscientiousness, measured with NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI)). The assessment of own physical attractiveness and own athleticism differs by sex (F(1, 962) = 35.21; p < 0.001), whereby girls assess themselves more critically. Weak significant relationships are displayed between motor performance and the assessment of own physical attractiveness (r(395) = 0.31; p < 0.01). Motor performance is given a higher predictive value with regard to a subject’s own self-concept, (physical attractiveness β = 0.37; t(249) = 5.24; p < 0.001; athleticism β = 0.40; t(248) = 6.81; p < 0.001) than the mark achieved in physical education (physical attractiveness β = −0.01; n.s.; athleticism β = −0.30; t(248) = 5.10; p < 0.001). Relationships were found overall between personality traits and physical self-concept. The influence of the ‘neuroticism’ trait is particularly strong (physical attractiveness β = −0.44; t(947) = −13.58; p < 0.001; athleticism β = −0.27; t(948) = −7.84; p < 0.001). The more pronounced this trait, the lower the assessment of own physical attractiveness and own athleticism.
Formation of geometrically complex lipid nanotube-vesicle networks of higher-order topologies

We present a microelectrofusion method for construction of fluid-state lipid bilayer networks of high geometrical complexity up to fully connected networks with genus = 3 topology. Within networks, self-organizing branching nanotube architectures could be produced where intersections spontaneously arrange themselves into three-way junctions with an angle of 120° between each nanotube. Formation of branching nanotube networks appears to follow a minimum-bending energy algorithm that solves for pathway minimization. It is also demonstrated that materials can be injected into specific containers within a network by nanotube-mediated transport of satellite vesicles having defined contents. Using a combination of microelectrofusion, spontaneous nanotube pattern formation, and satellite-vesicle injection, complex networks of containers and nanotubes can be produced for a range of applications in, for example, nanofluidics and artificial cell design. In addition, this electrofusion method allows integration of biological cells into lipid nanotube-vesicle networks.
Multivariate Two-Sided Tests for Normal Mean Vectors with Unknown Covariance Matrix

In this study, we discuss two kinds of multivariate two-sided tests for normal mean vectors with unknown covariance matrix. First, assuming that all components of a normal mean vector are simultaneously nonnegative or non positive, we consider a multivariate two-sided test for testing whether the normal mean vector is equal to zero or not. Next, assuming that all differences of components between two normal mean vectors are simultaneously non negative or non positive, we consider a multivariate two-sided test for testing whether the two normal mean vectors are equal or not. We construct methods for testing by referring to Glimm et al. (2002), Tamhane and Logan (2002) and Sasabuchi (2007). Finally, we give some simulation results regarding critical values and power of the test intended to compare the three methods.
Cooperative Multi-Subarray Beam Training in Millimeter Wave Communication Systems

This paper studies beam training design for a codebook- based beamforming millimeter wave (mmwave) system where multiple antenna arrays are employed and each array is capable of beamforming independently. To reduce the training overhead and the complexity of subsequent beam direction search, we propose a cooperative multi- subarray beam training method. Specifically, from the perspective of excluding noneffective beam direction combinations and thus reducing search space, method and criterion of beam superposition are proposed to construct a wide beam from multiple narrow beams corresponding to multiple subarrays. Then, a cooperative multisubarray beam training scheme is proposed based on the proposed criterion. Finally, simulation results show that the proposed scheme achieves a spectral efficiency close to that of the optimal exhaustive search scheme, while has greatly reduced training overhead and computational complexity.
Integrating enzymatic responses to organic chemical exposure with total oxyradical absorbing capacity and dna damage in the european eel Anguilla anguilla

In this work, susceptibility to oxidative stress was analyzed under laboratory conditions in the European eel Anguilla anguilla. Eels were treated with increasing concentrations of benchmark environmental pollutants, namely, benzo[a]pyrene ([BaP], at 0, 0.1, 1, 10, and 50 mg/kg), β‐naphthoflavone ([BNF], at 0, 0.1, 1, 10, and 50 mg/kg), Arochlor® 1254 (at 0, 0.1, 1, 10, and 50 mg/kg), and 2,3,7,8‐tetrachlorodibenzo p‐dioxin ([TCDD], at 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, and 2 μg/kg). The integral relationships were analyzed between induction of ethoxyresorufin O‐deethylase (EROD) activity, its involvement in perturbing oxyradical metabolism, and the role of cytochrome P450 and/or oxidative stress in mediating genotoxic effects. To reveal whether the oxidative status in exposed organisms was altered as a result of chemical exposure, measurements of the main endogenous antioxidant defenses were integrated with the measurement of total oxyradical scavenging capacity (TOSC) toward peroxyl radicals and hydroxyl radicals (·OH). This approach permits discriminating the resistance of a tissue toward different forms of oxyradicals, thereby indicating a differential role for specific reactive oxygen species (ROS) in perturbing the balance between prooxidant and antioxidant mechanisms. All the analyzed chemicals promoted EROD induction (reflective of CYP1A) and altered either the levels or the activities of the antioxidants studied, which might be anticipated to exert alterations in oxyradical metabolism. Analysis of TOSC suggested the prevalence of metabolic oxidative pathways leading to the more reactive ·OH on exposure to the chemicals studied. Of these chemicals, enhanced EROD activity correlated with genotoxic damage only in the cases of the nonhalogenated hydrocarbons BaP and BNF. The highest degree of genotoxic damage was consistently observed in organisms in which the capacity to absorb or scavenge ·OH was lowest. These data suggests a general relationship between oxidative stress and loss of DNA integrity in juvenile eels exposed to the chemicals studied herein.