Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trends in substance abuse treatment 1998-2008: increasing older adult first-time admissions for illicit drugs.

OBJECTIVES To see whether the percentage of older adults entering substance abuse treatment for their first time was increasing and whether there were changes in the use patterns leading to the treatment episode, particularly an increase in illicit drugs. SETTING The Treatment Episode Data Sets publicly available from the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration from 1998 to 2008. PARTICIPANTS Young adults age 30-54 years as a comparison group (N = 3,547,733) and those age 55 years or older (N = 258,542) with a first-time admission for a publicly funded substance abuse treatment. MEASUREMENTS Demographic and substance use history variables at admission. RESULT The proportion of older adults going for substance abuse treatment for the first time is increasing relative to younger adults. The pattern of drug use is also changing, with an increasing illicit drug involvement (cocaine and heroin) in older adult admissions. CONCLUSIONS We know little of these long-time users, their current medical state, cognitive abilities, and psychiatric symptoms after such a long exposure time. Previous studies on heroin and cocaine exposure focused on individuals identified much earlier in life, and the aging long-term users might represent a relatively large but unknown population.
Analysis of a database of DNA profiles of 734 hybrid tea rose varieties

Over 10,000 Hybrid Tea rose varieties have been described. The large number of varieties and the size of the reference collections may cause problems in DUS (Distinctiveness, Uniformity, and Stability) testing. Molecular markers may help to solve these problems by providing high power to identify and recognise seedling-derived varieties based on unique genotypes, while grouping mutants into groups with identical marker scores. Here we describe the use of a set of 11 rose microsatellite markers to generate a database of molecular profiles of Hybrid Tea varieties. The data were analysed with respect to reproducibility, discriminative power, genetic (sub) structure, and correlation between molecular and DUS characteristics. The use of the markers in the DUS context is discussed with respect to the options 2 and 3 as they were formulated by the UPOV-BMT working group. It is concluded that an option 3 approach (granting of PBR based on distinctness observed with molecular markers) is feasible for rose
Detection of interleukin‐6 and interleukin‐1 production in human thyroid epithelial cells by non‐radioactive in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical methods

Human endocrine thyroid epithelial cells have been described to produce cytokines in vitro. In order to determine whether they do so in vivo during thyroiditis. parallel studies on mRNA expression with a non‐radioactive in situ hybridization technique and immunohislochemical detection for the protein were performed on frozen sections of thyroid samples from autoimmune thyroiditis (Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis), non‐toxic goitre and normal thyroid tissue. cDNA probes were sulphonated and their hybridization with mRN A was detected with a sulphonyl‐specific monoclonal antibody. This signal was amplified and visualized with the alkaline phosphatase anti‐alkaline phosphatase (APAAP) system. The protein products were detected with immuno‐purified rabbit F(ab′)2 antibody fragments recognizing recombinant human cytokines, visualized by the immuno‐peroxidase technique. Each sample was studied at the two levels. Both interleukin‐6 mRNA and protein were found in the endocrine cells. There was no obvious difference between autoimmune thyroiditis and non‐toxic goitre. However, normal thyroid epithelial cells produced less interleukin‐6. Interleukin‐1α mRNA and its protein were found in epithelial cells from Hashimoto's thyroiditis samples, but not in the others, except one Graves' disease sample, in which only mRNA was detected. Interleukin‐ 1β was not detected in these cells, its mRNA was only found in one of the Graves' disease samples. These cytokines were also detected in some infiltrating cells.
Functional and neurochemical development in the normal and degenerating mouse retina

The rd1 mouse is a well‐established animal model for human retinitis pigmentosa (RP). We used electroretinography (ERG) to evaluate retinal function and postembedding immunocytochemistry to determine the changes in cellular amino acid expression in the normal (C57Bl6) and degenerating mouse retina (rd1), as a function of age during development and the onset of degeneration. In the normal mouse retina, photoreceptoral and post‐photoreceptoral ERG responses improved simultaneously from eye‐opening until adult levels were achieved at approximately postnatal day (P) 30. Maturation of amino acid neurochemistry preceded the development of retinal function in the normal retina. Amino acid levels increased immediately from birth and reached stable levels by eye‐opening. In contrast, in the rd1 mouse, both rod and cone pathway function rapidly reduced from eye‐opening and by P21 became undetectable. Interestingly, at P18 cone responses were still comparable between the normal and degenerating retina. Before eye opening, the pattern of amino acid immunoreactivity in the rd1 retina was similar to the normal retina. Alterations in neurochemistry were observed after the onset of rod photoreceptor cell death. The most obvious change was the reduction in neurotransmitter immunoreactivity within the synaptic layers and some cell classes of the rd1 retina. Reduction of glutamine and glutamate was observed in Müller cells before established gliosis markers. Overall, these results suggest the rapid maturation of neurochemistry by eye opening followed by functional maturation by P30 in the normal retina. The dystrophic retina displays similar neurochemistry to control retina before eye opening but a subsequent decline. J. Comp. Neurol. 521:1251–1267, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On Stationary Strategies in Countable State Total Reward Markov Decision Processes

This paper deals with total reward Markov decision processes with countable state space. Various partial results from the literature are connected and extended in the following theorem. If in each state where the value is nonpositive a conserving action exists then there exists a stationary strategy f which is uniformly nearly optimal in the following sense: vf ≥ v*-eu*, where u* is the value of the problem if only the positive rewards are counted. Further, the following result is established: if an optimal strategy exists then also an optimal stationary strategy exists.
Overestimation of carotid artery stenosis with magnetic resonance angiography compared with digital subtraction angiography.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Three-dimensional time-of-flight (3D TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is generally considered to overestimate the degree of stenosis in the internal carotid artery (ICA) in comparison with the reference standard intraarterial digital subtraction angiography (DSA). We evaluated whether the degree of stenosis was more accurately assessed with 3D TOF MRA if corresponding projections on MRA and DSA were compared instead of comparison of maximal stenosis at MRA with maximal stenosis at DSA. METHODS From February 1997 to December 1999, we included 186 symptomatic and 17 asymptomatic consecutive patients suspected of having carotid artery stenosis on the basis of clinical presentation and screening with duplex ultrasound scan examination. All patients subsequently underwent DSA and MRA imaging. From each ICA, 12 maximum intensity projections with 3D TOF MRA and two or three projections with DSA were obtained. First, we compared the maximal stenosis at MRA with the maximal stenosis at DSA. Subsequently, we used the stenosis at MRA measured on the projection corresponding with the DSA projection that showed the maximal stenosis. For both strategies, the mean differences in stenosis and sensitivity and specificity for assessment of severe stenosis (70% to 99%) were calculated and compared. RESULTS The MRA and DSA images of 354 ICAs could be compared. The sensitivity and specificity of MRA with the projection that showed the maximal stenosis were 92.6% (95% CI, 85.3% to 97.0%) and 82.7% (95% CI, 78.1% to 87.3%), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity with the MRA projection, corresponding with the DSA projection showing the maximal stenosis, were 88.3% (95% CI, 81.8% to 94.8%) and 89.6% (95% CI, 85.9% to 93.3%), respectively. The mean difference between maximal stenosis at MRA and DSA was 7.5% (95% CI, 5.2% to 9.9%). The mean difference between stenosis at MRA and DSA in corresponding projections was 0.4% (95% CI, -2.0% to 2.7%). CONCLUSION If corresponding MRA and intraarterial DSA projections are compared, 3D TOF MRA does not overestimate carotid stenosis.
Central beta-adrenergic receptors mediate renal nerve activity during stress in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The effects of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists (d,l-propranolol or timolol, 30 micrograms in 2 microL of isotonic saline) on the increased renal sympathetic nerve activity and decreased urinary sodium excretion (UNaV) responses to stressful environmental stimulation (air jet to head) in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were examined. Before i.c. v. d,l-propranolol or timolol, air stress increased renal activity (68% from 10.6 +/- 2.1 and 63% from 8.2 +/- 0.9 integrator resets/min respectively). In contrast, after i.c. v. d,l-propranolol or timolol in the same conscious SHR, air stress had no effect on renal sympathetic nerve activity (+7% from 8.1 +/- 1.7 and +7% from 5.5 +/- 1.0 integrator resets/min respectively). Air stress decreased UNaV in conscious SHR given i.c. v. saline vehicle (25% from 2.8 +/- 0.5 microEq/min/100 g body weight), but had no effect on effective renal plasma flow or glomerular filtration rate. In contrast, after i.c. v. d,l-propranolol or timolol, air stress had no effect on UNaV (0% from 2.8 +/- 0.5 and +9% from 3.3 +/- 0.3 microEq/min/100 g body weight respectively). Mean arterial pressure increased similarly during air stress with i.c. v. saline-vehicle or beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists. Intravenous administration of the same doses of d,l-propranolol or timolol did not prevent the increased renal sympathetic nerve activity or decreased UNaV responses resulting from air stress. These results suggest that central nervous system beta-adrenergic receptors mediate the increased renal sympathetic nerve activity and decreased UNaV responses resulting from stressful environmental stimulation in conscious SHR.
Patterning Barriers to Lateral Diffusion in Supported Lipid Bilayer Membranes by Blotting and Stamping

Two new methods are introduced for patterning fluid lipid bilayer membranes on solid supports. These methods are based on the observation that supported membranes undergo self-limiting lateral expansion when bilayer material is removed from the surface or when it is deposited in a pattern on a surface. Spatially selective (patterned) removal of bilayer material can be achieved by using a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) stamp. Following slight lateral expansion into the bilayer-free region created by this blotting process, stable barriers to lateral diffusion are formed. Inspection of the barrier regions indicates that nearly all of the bilayer material is removed, implying that it has been transferred to the stamp. As a consequence, it also proves possible to transfer the lifted material from the stamp onto a fresh surface. The transferred material retains the original pattern from the stamp and is also laterally mobile, and the mobility is confined to the printed region. Alternatively, bilayers assembled o.
Modelling Geographic Phenomena at Multiple Levels of Detail

Considerable interest remains in capturing once geographical information at the fine scale, and from this, automatically deriving information at various levels of detail and scale via the process of map generalisation. This research presents a model (database) generalisation approach able to support the derivation of phenomena typically present at 1:250,000 scale mapping directly from a large scale topographic database. Such transformation involves creation of composite objects, such a settlement, forest, hills and ranges, from component objects, such a buildings, trees, streets, and vegetation in the source database. In order to perform this transformation it is important to model the meaning and relationships among source database objects rather than to consider the object in terms of their geometric primitives (points, lines and polygons). The proposed approach involves identification of such relationships and then utilising these relationships to create higher order objects. The utility of the results obtained is demonstrated using spatial analysis techniques and the creation of ‘links’ between objects at different representations needed for MRDBs.
THROMBOSIS AND HEMOSTASIS SLAP / SLAP 2 prevent excessive platelet ( hem ) ITAM signaling in thrombosis and ischemic stroke in mice

Department of Experimental Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg and Rudolf Virchow Center for Experimental Biomedicine, Würzburg, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, and Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom; and Departments of Pediatrics and Immunology, University of Colorado, School of
Multimodal early onset stimulation combined with enriched environment is associated with reduced CNS lesion volume and enhanced reversal of neuromotor dysfunction after traumatic brain injury in rats

This study was designed to determine whether exposure to multimodal early onset stimulation (MEOS) combined with environmental enrichment (EE) after traumatic brain injury (TBI) would improve neurological recovery and to elucidate its morphological correlates. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were subjected to lateral fluid percussion (LFP) brain injury or to sham operation. After LFP, one‐third of the animals (injured and sham) were placed under conditions of standard housing (SH), one‐third were kept in EE only, and one‐third received EE + MEOS. Assessment of neuromotor function 24 h post‐injury using a standardized composite neuroscore test revealed an identical pattern of neurological impairment in all animals subjected to LFP. Neuromotor dysfunction in SH animals remained on a similar level throughout the experiment, while improvements were noted in both other groups 7 days post‐injury (dpi). On 15 dpi, reversal of neuromotor dysfunction was significantly better in EE + MEOS animals vs. SH‐ and EE‐only groups. In parallel, the comparison of lesion volume in EE + MEOS‐ vs. EE‐only vs. SH rats revealed that animals exposed to EE + MEOS had consistently the lowest values (mm3, mean ± SD; n = 6 rats in each group) as measured in serial brain sections immunostained for neuron‐specific enolase (5.2 ± 3.4 ≤ 5.5 ± 4.1 < 9.5 ± 1.9), caspase 3‐active/C3A (5.9 ± 4.0 ≤ 6.4 ± 3.9 < 10.3 ± 1.8) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (6.0 ± 3.4 ≤ 6.5 ± 4.3 < 10.7 ± 1.2). This first report on the effect of EE + MEOS treatment strongly indicates that the combined exposure reduces CNS scar formation and reverses neuromotor deficits after TBI in rats.
Experimental demonstration of fiber-accessible metal nanoparticle plasmon waveguides for planar energy guiding and sensing

Experimental evidence of mode-selective evanescent power coupling at telecommunication frequencies with efficiencies up to 75% from a tapered optical fiber to a metal nanoparticle plasmon waveguide is presented. The waveguide consists of a two-dimensional square lattice of lithographically defined Au nanoparticles on an optically thin silicon membrane. The dispersion and attenuation properties of the waveguide are analyzed using the fiber taper. The high efficiency of power transfer into these waveguides solves the coupling problem between conventional optics and plasmonic devices and could lead to the development of highly efficient plasmonic sensors and optical switches.
Increased methylphenidate usage for attention deficit disorder in the 1990s.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the increased use and the prevalence of methylphenidate (Ritalin) treatment of youth with attention deficit disorder (ADD) during the 1990s. DESIGN Using time-trend findings from two large population-based data sources, three pharmaceutical databases, and one physician audit, a best-fit estimate of the usage and the usage trends for methylphenidate treatment over the half decade from 1990 through 1995 was sought. SETTING Five regions in the United States (US) and the nation as a whole. PATIENTS Youths on record as receiving methylphenidate for ADD. RESULTS The findings from regional and national databases indicate that on average, there has been a 2.5-fold increase in the prevalence of methylphenidate treatment of youths with ADD between 1990 and 1995. In all, approximately 2.8% (or 1.5 million) of US youths aged 5 to 18 were receiving this medication in mid-1995. The increase in methylphenidate treatment for ADD appears largely related to an increased duration of treatment; more girls, adolescents, and inattentive youths on the medication; and a recently improved public image of this medication treatment. CONCLUSION The database findings presented serve to correct exaggerated media claims of a 6-fold expansion of methylphenidate treatment, although they do not clarify the issue of the appropriateness of this treatment.
Placental labyrinth formation in mice requires endothelial FLRT2/UNC5B signaling

The placental labyrinth is the interface for gas and nutrient exchange between the embryo and the mother; hence its proper development is essential for embryogenesis. However, the molecular mechanism underlying development of the placental labyrinth, particularly in terms of its endothelial organization, is not well understood. Here, we determined that fibronectin leucine-rich transmembrane protein 2 (FLRT2), a repulsive ligand of the UNC5 receptor family for neurons, is unexpectedly expressed in endothelial cells specifically in the placental labyrinth. Mice lacking FLRT2 in endothelial cells exhibited embryonic lethality at mid-gestation, with systemic congestion and hypoxia. Although they lacked apparent deformities in the embryonic vasculature and heart, the placental labyrinths of these embryos exhibited aberrant alignment of endothelial cells, which disturbed the feto-maternal circulation. Interestingly, this vascular deformity was related to endothelial repulsion through binding to the UNC5B receptor. Our results suggest that the proper organization of the placental labyrinth depends on coordinated inter-endothelial repulsion, which prevents uncontrolled layering of the endothelium. Highlighted article: Proper organization of the placental labyrinth in mice depends on coordinated inter-endothelial repulsion mediated by the binding of FLRT2 to the UNC5B receptor.
Emotion-aware computing using smartphone

In this project, we address the problem to determine human emotion states automatically using modern day smartphones. Sensor-rich smartphones have opened up the opportunity to unobtrusively collect user behaviour patterns, activity details and infer information about emotion states. Determining human emotion accurately and efficiently to build a scalable system is the major objective of the project. Towards that goal, we plan to develop an emotion detection model leveraging on different information sources present on smartphone.
Stability of Murine Cytomegalovirus Genome after In Vitro and In Vivo Passage

ABSTRACT While large DNA viruses are thought to have low mutation rates, only a small fraction of their genomes have been analyzed at the single-nucleotide level. Here, we defined the genetic stability of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) by whole-genome sequencing. Independently assembled sequences of three sister plaques showed only two single-base-pair substitutions after in vitro passage. In vivo-passaged MCMV likewise demonstrated low mutation rates, comparable to those after in vitro passage, indicating high genome stability of MCMV at the single-nucleotide level in the absence of obvious selection pressure.
Features Extraction of Pulse Acoustic Based on SPWVD

Pulse acoustic is characterized by high frequency, short duration and great impulse. Extracting effectively the features information in the pulse acoustic signal can improve the accuracy of the acoustic source type recognition. A new method based on wavelet and Smoothing Pseudo Wigner-Ville Distribution (SPWVD) is proposed to represent the distribution of signal energy over time and frequency in this paper. The features of the pulse acoustic signal are analyzed using wavelet transform and extracted by SPWVD. Using this method, we can suppress the noise well, eliminate the interference and make the time-frequency distribution more clear.
ITG Inc.Producing Seamless Multi-Source Quality-Dependent Digital Terrain Models

Digital Terrain Model (DTM) databases are one of the more common tools for precise and continuous representation of our natural environment. New data acquisition technologies yield rapid and frequent updating of existing topographic databases (from here on it will be referred to as DTMs). These technologies present high accuracies and resolution levels that were not known until recently. As a result, an updating process performed on an existing DTM has to answer a growing number of considerations, which are derived from the significant differences exist amongst the different DTMs. This yields the production of a multi-source seamless topographic DTM a data model nowadays maintained by several National Mapping Agencies (NMAs) as well as private companies.
Flow Routing for Delineating Supraglacial Meltwater Channel Networks

Growing interest in supraglacial channels, coupled with the increasing availability of high-resolution remotely sensed imagery of glacier surfaces, motivates the development and testing of new approaches to delineating surface meltwater channels. We utilized a high-resolution (2 m) digital elevation model of parts of the western margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) and retention of visually identified sinks (i.e., moulins) to investigate the ability of a standard D8 flow routing algorithm to delineate supraglacial channels. We compared these delineated channels to manually digitized channels and to channels extracted from multispectral imagery. We delineated GrIS supraglacial channel networks in six high-elevation (above 1000 m) and one low-elevation (below 1000 m) catchments during and shortly after peak melt (July and August 2012), and investigated the effect of contributing area threshold on flow routing performance. We found that, although flow routing is sensitive to data quality and moulin identification, it can identify 75% to 99% of channels observed with multispectral analysis, as well as low-order, high-density channels (up to 15.7 km/km2 with a 0.01 km2 contributing area threshold) in greater detail than multispectral methods. Additionally, we found that flow routing can delineate supraglacial channel networks on rough ice surfaces with widespread crevassing. Our results suggest that supraglacial channel density is sufficiently high during peak melt that low contributing area thresholds can be employed with little risk of overestimating the channel network extent.