Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Brain imaging of 18F‐fallypride in normal volunteers: Blood analysis, distribution, test‐retest studies, and preliminary assessment of sensitivity to aging effects on dopamine D‐2/D‐3 receptors

Human studies of dopamine D2/D3 receptors using 18F‐fallypride‐PET in normal volunteers were performed to evaluate brain distribution in striatal and extrastriatal regions, evaluate metabolites in blood plasma, establish PET imaging protocol for this new radiotracer, evaluate graphical methods of analysis to quantitate D2/D3 receptors, and assess the ability of 18F‐fallypride to measure changes in D2/D3 receptors with aging as a model. Subjects (6; 21–63 years) had a PET scan on a Siemens HR+ scanner with 18F‐fallypride and a T1‐weighted MRI scan on a 1.5T GE scanner for purposes of anatomical coregistration with PET. A 3‐h PET scan with 18F‐fallypride (0.07 mCi/Kg) was carried out on each subject and repeated in 4–6 weeks. Arterial or arterialized venous blood was obtained in all subjects in order to evaluate blood activity levels and analyze metabolites in the plasma. Brain regions‐of‐interest were identified and drawn using PET and PET‐MR coregistered images. PET data was analyzed using graphical methods in which cerebellum was used as the reference region providing distribution volume ratios (DVR) from which binding potential (BP) was derived and used as a measure of concentration of receptors. Distribution of 18F‐fallypride was consistent in all subjects studied and the rank order of receptor concentration was putamen > caudate > thalamus = pituitary > amygdala > colliculi > substantia nigra > hippocampus = temporal cortex > parietal cortex = occipital cortex = orbitofrontal cortex. For younger subjects, BP ranged from 37 for the putamen to 0.4 for orbitofrontal cortex, with a test–retest error of about 10%. Both hydrophilic and lipophilic metabolites were observed in arterial blood plasma and analyses showed approx. 30–40% of plasma radioactivity at 3 h was 18F‐fallypride. With aging, all brain regions exhibited a significant decrease (>10% per decade) in binding of 18F‐fallypride. PET studies with 18F‐fallypride are thus suitable to study changes in D2/D3 receptors in striatal and extrastriatal brain regions. Synapse 46:170–188, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Scenarios of diffusion and control of an influenza pandemic in Italy

SUMMARY To predict the spread of a pandemic strain of influenza virus in Italy and the impact of control measures, we developed a susceptible–exposed, but not yet infectious–infectious–recovered, and no longer susceptible (SEIR) deterministic model with a stochastic simulation component. We modelled the impact of control measures such as vaccination, antiviral prophylaxis and social distancing measures. In the absence of control measures, the epidemic peak would be reached about 4 months after the importation of the first cases in Italy, and the epidemic would last about 7 months. When combined, the control measures would reduce the cumulative attack rate to about 4·2%, at best, although this would require an extremely high number of treated individuals. In accordance with international findings, our results highlight the need to respond to a pandemic with a combination of control measures.
Identification of a LFA‐1 region involved in the HIV‐1‐induced syncytia formation through phage‐display technology

We have identified a peptide region on CD18 molecule (the β subunit of the LFA‐1 molecule) involved in syncytia formation of HIV‐1‐infected lymphocytes. Several phage clones mimicking an epitope of the CD18 cell‐surface determinant were isolated from two 9‐mer random peptide phage‐displayed libraries via their binding to the CD18‐specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) MHM23, which in in vitro assay inhibits syncytia formation in HIV‐1‐infected cells. The peptide sequences displayed on phages that blocked immunolabeling of this mAb on LFA‐1‐expressing cells were used to identify the epitope recognized by mAb MHM23 by sequence comparison. On the basis of this analysis, two peptides which inhibited syncytia formation in HIV‐1‐infected cells in vitro were synthesized, thus confirming that they mimic a CD18 domain that is involved in this phenomenon. The results here presented highlight the potential of phage‐display technology for the study of biological processes at the basis of virus infection, but also suggest new approaches for the therapy of AIDS.
Research into telehealth applications in speech-language pathology

A literature review was conducted to investigate the extent to which telehealth has been researched within the domain of speech-language pathology and the outcomes of this research. A total of 13 studies were identified. Three early studies demonstrated that telehealth was feasible, although there was no discussion of the cost-effectiveness of this process in terms of patient outcomes. The majority of the subsequent studies indicated positive or encouraging outcomes resulting from telehealth. However, there were a number of shortcomings in the research, including a lack of cost benefit information, failure to evaluate the technology itself, an absence of studies of the educational and informational aspects of telehealth in relation to speech-language pathology, and the use of telehealth in a limited range of communication disorders. Future research into the application of telehealth to speech-language pathology services must adopt a scientific approach, and have a well defined development and evaluation framework that addresses the effectiveness of the technique, patient outcomes and satisfaction, and the cost benefit relationship.
Regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (Flk-1) expression in vascular endothelial cells.

We have previously reported the existence of a synergistic interaction between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in the induction of angiogenesis in vitro. Here we demonstrate that bFGF increases VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2/Flk-1) expression: mRNA levels were increased by 4.5- to 8.0-fold and total protein by 2.0- to 3.5-fold, in bovine microvascular endothelial (BME), aortic endothelial (BAE), and transformed fetal aortic (GM7373) endothelial cells. VEGF itself did not affect VEGFR-2 expression, and neither bFGF nor VEGF altered expression of FGF receptor-1. We also show that synergism occurs at the level of proliferation when this is measured in a three-dimensional but not in a conventional two-dimensional assay. Differences in the level of VEGFR-2 expression were also observed when cells were grown on or within collagen gels under different conditions: mRNA levels were lowest under sparse conditions, increased 20- to 26-fold at confluence, and increased even further (57-fold) when cells were cultured in suspension in three-dimensional collagen gels. Finally, a synergistic increase was seen in the level of expression of urokinase and urokinase receptor mRNAs when cells were exposed to bFGF and VEGF for 4 days. These findings demonstrate that the level of VEGFR-2 expression can be modulated by environmental factors including cytokines and the geometry of the culture conditions and provide some insight into the mechanisms of synergism between bFGF and VEGF in the induction of angiogenesis in vitro.
Retinal Abnormalities in Newly Diagnosed Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Retinal abnormalities (RA) are very frequently observed in adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but the clinical significance of these findings has not been fully investigated. We examined the fundus oculi in a cohort of 122 adult patients with AML at presentation and analyzed some clinical and biological features to assess whether there was any association with RA. For this purpose, we subdivided the patients into two groups according to the presence or absence of RA (groups 1 and 2, respectively). We considered current laboratory parameters such as white blood cell (WBC) count, hemoglobin (Hb), platelets and serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Moreover, we subdivided the patients into two groups according to age <60 (group A) or ≧60 years (group B) to evaluate a possible association between RA and response to treatment and/or overall survival (OS). In our series, a higher median age and a lower Hb value were associated with group 1 (p = 0.001 and p = 0.04, respectively); the median LDH value was 812 U/l (range 224–5,551) and 607 (range 181–5,244) for groups 1 and 2, respectively (p = 0.02). There was no association between RA and karyotypic alterations. In terms of outcome, in group A (<60 years), 80% patients who achieved complete remission (CR) were in group 2 vs. 13% nonresponders (NR) (p < 0.0001). Median OS of group 2 patients was 49.7 months compared with 7.2 months for those in group 1 (p = 0.002). In group B, 58% patients who achieved CR were in group 1 vs. 15% NR (p < 0.006). Median OS of patients in group 2 was 14.6 months compared with 2.9 months in group 1 (p = 0.02). Our data show that RA are significantly associated with some biological features and with shorter OS in AML patients and this parameter seems to be an effective clinical sign of poor prognosis in terms of CR.
Mode of occurrence of traumatic head injuries in male patients with cluster headache or migraine: Is there a connection with lifestyle?

Introduction: Our study objective was to investigate the mode of occurrence of traumatic head injury in episodic cluster headache and migraine patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on 400 male patients, 200 with cluster headache (cases) and 200 with migraine (controls). We investigated the frequency and mode of occurrence of traumatic head injury and some lifestyle habits. Results: The number of traumatic head injuries was significantly higher in cases than in controls (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.5–2.8). Cases were more often responsible for the head traumas (adjusted OR = 2.6; 95% CI = 1.3–4.9) and reported a significantly higher proportion of injuries during scuffles or brawls (OR = 6.5; 95% CI = 2.9–14.8). Compared with other cluster headache patients, cases responsible for traumatic head injuries were more frequently heavy alcohol (p = .000), heavy tobacco (p = .03) and heavy coffee consumers (p = .003). Conclusions: Cluster headache patients (a) had traumatic head injuries more frequently than migraineurs; and (b) were more often responsible for them, perhaps due to particular behaviours related to their lifestyles.
Effect of TRFK-5 on Airway Responsiveness in Ovalbumin-Treated Guinea Pigs Exposed to Tobacco Smoke

Tobacco smoke (TS) exposure can induce airway hyperresponsiveness, especially in asthma. A feature of asthma is eosinophilia. We hypothesized that tobacco smoke exposure enhances eosinophil responsiveness in sensitized guinea pigs. Tobacco smoke-exposed, ovalbumin (OA)-sensitized guinea pigs were treated with TRFK-5 (1.0 mg/kg, intraperitoneal), an anti-interleukin (IL)-5 agent, or its vehicle. Guinea pigs were challenged with aerosols of OA, capsaicin, histamine, and methacholine. TRFK-5 attenuated airway responsiveness to OA but not to capsaicin, histamine, or methacholine. Bronchial alveolar lavage fluid analysis confirmed TRFK-5 attenuated airway eosinophilia in OA-treated guinea pigs. Therefore, airway responsiveness to OA is enhanced by eosinophils or IL-5 itself.
Long‐term efficacy of adalimumab in generalized pustular psoriasis

Background: Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) is a rare form of psoriasis that may either be preceded by plaque psoriasis or arise de novo, classically after withdrawal of systemic glucocorticosteroids. Adalimumab is a fully human, anti‐TNF‐α monoclonal antibody that specifically blocks the interaction of TNF‐α with the p55 and the p75 TNF‐α cell surface receptors. Aim: To demonstrate the efficacy and tolerability of adalimumab in the treatment of GPP. Case report: A 50‐year‐old woman had suffered from severe pustular psoriasis for 10 years and psoriatic arthritis for 8 years and received treatment with adalimumab, in monotherapy, 40 mg subcutaneously once a week for 72 weeks. DLQI, PDI and SKINDEX 29 score were used to assess patient compliance and satisfaction. Results: In our case, control of disease manifestations was rapid and clinical remission persisted during the treatment course until the 72th week. Treatment tolerability and compliance were consistent. The patient experienced a dramatic improvement of quality of life instruments. Conclusion: In this case, adalimumab has been demonstrated to be effective, safe and appropriate for long‐term use, indicating a beneficial effect on quality of life parameters.
Risk management with machine-learning-based algorithms

We propose some machine-learning-based algorithms to solve hedging problems in incomplete markets. Sources of incompleteness cover illiquidity, untradable risk factors, discrete hedging dates and transaction costs. The proposed algorithms resulting strategies are compared to classical stochastic control techniques on several payoffs using a variance criterion. One of the proposed algorithm is flexible enough to be used with several existing risk criteria. We furthermore propose a new moment-based risk criteria.
Dynamic Impacts of Trade Liberalization: In the Framework of Eodogenous Growth with Productive Public Capital

The purpose of this study is to provide an assessment of a question how trade related policy changes, such as tariff liberalization and temporary protection, affect regional welfare levels, growth rates, and economic structure when the possible negative impacts through decelerated accumulation of public capital is important. We approach the question using a forward-looking Applied General Equilibrium (AGE) model of global trade that incorporates endogeneous growth with productive public capital. The model consists of three linked regional models: high-, middle-, and low-income countries. Each regional model has three sectors, i.e., primary industries, manufacturing, and services, and is linked to other regions through bilateral trade flows for all traded sectors. The parameters and exogenous variables are calibrated assuming that the benchmark data is obtained from the global economy in a stationary state. To construct the benchmark data, the Government Finance Statistics Yearbook (GFS), the International Financial Statistics (IFS), and the National Accounts Statistics (NAS) are used to obtain information on government revenue and public expenditure, in addition to the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) version 4 databases. Simulations with the model revealed that the role of middle-income countries to supply products to high-income countries with cheap prices, under the trade liberalization between high- and middle-income countries. If we look at economic growth, the trade liberalization has a positive impact on not only high- and middle-income countries, but also low-income economies. The temporary protections by high-income countries against low-income countries also have similar impacts to the tariff liberalization. Finally, the endogenous productivity change through productive public capital may have synergistic effects that enlarge the impacts of trade-related policies on both private and public investments.
Malware class recognition using image processing techniques

Increasing suspicious instructions of various malware through a challenge to the malware analysts to identify and classify samples belongs to the malicious family. They have witnessed the very fast increase in both the number and complexity of malware set of instructions. Malware invest profoundly in technology and capability to reorganize the process of building and mutate existing malware set of instructions to avoid traditional protection. Classify malware variants by applying image processing techniques. The textures play an important role in many image processing applications. In this paper we proposed the Support Vector Machine (SVM) multi-class malware image classification challenge from an image processing perspective. The multi-resolution and wavelets are used to build effective texture feature vector using Gabor Wavelet, GIST and Discrete wavelet Transform and other features. The proposed algorithm experimented on Malimg Dataset of malware total 12,470 samples are used. In that 1610 samples are trained and 1710 samples are tested on 8 malware family which is randomly selected from the dataset. We compare this approach to existing malware classification approaches previously published research work. This is an efficient and more accurate malware detection algorithm using Wavelet Transform with machine learning classifiers techniques to detect malware samples more capably compare to existing work.
Investigating the control of ocean-atmospheric oscillations over global terrestrial evaporation using a simple supervised learning method

Intra-annual and multi-decadal variations in the Earth's climate are to a large extent driven by periodic oscillations in the coupled state of atmosphere and ocean. Because changes in climate impact terrestrial ecosystems, these ocean-atmospheric oscillations are expected to influence land evaporation as well. In this study, we investigate the control of ocean-atmospheric oscillations over global terrestrial evaporation using a simple learning method and a large dataset of satellite-based observations of climatic variables. Our results show that the simple learning method is able to quantify this control and allows for a better understanding of the link between ocean-atmosphere dynamics and terrestrial bio-geochemical cycles. Finally, our approach may help improve the prediction of changes in the global water cycle.
Detecting major disease in public hospital using ensemble techniques

Hepatitis is chronic disease that becomes major problem in developing countries. Health experts estimate that more than 185 billion people have chronic hepatitis worldwide. This paper attempts to detect major disease such as hepatitis in public hospital using ensemble methods. Several ensemble techniques were applied to acquire knowledge from patient medical records. Afterwards, rule extraction from decision tree and neural network are summarized in order to assist experts in detecting hepatitis. Accuracy of those algorithms is also performed and from the experimental result shows that Bagging, with decision tree as base-classifier, denotes best performance among other classifiers.
Consumer Demand, Pollutant Emissions and Public Health under Increasing Block Tariffs and Time-of-Use Pricing Policies for Household Electricity in China

ABSTRACT In China, the proportion of coal power generation is too high, resulting in a conflict between the power generation structure and energy conservation and emission reduction. The pricing policy is an effective economic means of guiding consumer behaviors. Therefore, from the perspective of consumer demand, we use demand systems to study the consumer responses to different electricity price policies under three scenarios, to analyze the impact of changes in electricity prices on pollution emissions and public health. The results of elasticities show that TOU-IBTs in peak-periods in urban and rural areas are most flexible. The results of the scenario analyses show that taking into account the pollution emissions and public health, the gap of electricity tariff among different blocks should be limited, and that the coverage percentage is important in residential electricity consumption. Furthermore, based on the income levels and electricity consumption of different users, the electricity price policy reform should be taken to guide consumers to conserve electricity and reduce extravagant electricity consumption. Our framework, to the best of our knowledge, is the first attempt to quantify the mechanisms among electricity demand, pollution emission, and public health.
Changes in midwall systolic performance and cardiac hypertrophy reduction in hypertensive patients

Objective To investigate changes in left ventricular (LV) performance, as evaluated by measurement of midwall LV fractional shortening (FS), after reduction of cardiac hypertrophy. Design and methods Echocardiographic evaluation of LV anatomy and function was performed by M-mode echocardiography at baseline, after long-term antihypertensive therapy, and after treatment withdrawal in 68 asymptomatic hypertensive patients (50 males, 18 females, age range 22–62 years). Patients were divided according to the presence of LV hypertrophy (LVH) at baseline (LV mass index, LVMI ≥ 51 g/m2.7). Results At baseline patients with concentric (relative wall thickness >0.44) LV hypertrophy (n = 38) or remodelling (n = 7) had reduced midwall shortening with respect to patients with normal LV geometry (n = 4) or eccentric LVH (n = 19); no differences were observed for endocardial FS. After long-term treatment (average 15 months), in 11 patients LV mass remained within normal limits, in 45 patients LVH reduction was obtained, while in 12 patients LV mass remained persistently elevated. Midwall FS was significantly increased in patients with reduction of LVH both during treatment and after withdrawal of treatment, while it remained significantly lower in patients with persistently elevated LV mass. Changes in midwall fractional shortening were independently associated with modifications in relative wall thickness (P < 0.00001), with changes in end-diastolic dimensions (P < 0.0001) and those of LVMI (P < 0.02) as shown by multivariate analysis. Conclusion LV midwall systolic performance significantly improved after reduction of LVH, even in the presence of high blood pressure values. Modifications in relative wall thickness are more independently associated with changes, in LV diastolic dimensions and mass, to midwall improvement.
The three-dimensional hydrogen-bonded framework structure in the 1:1 proton-transfer compound of the drug quinacrine with 5-sulfosalicylic acid.

For the hydrated proton-transfer compound 6-chloro-9-[(4-diethylammonio-2-methylbutyl)amino]-2-methoxyacridinium 3-carboxylato-4-hydroxybenzenesulfonate dihydrate, C(23)H(32)ClN(3)O(2+). C(7)H(4)O(6)S(2-). 2H(2)O, (I), the conformational features, specifically those of the extended side chain at the 9-position of the acridine parent, have been compared with those of quinacrinium dichloride dihydrate (the drug atabrine or mepacrine). Racemic compound (I) has a three-dimensional hydrogen-bonded framework structure similar to atabrine but also involves the water molecules and both the carboxylate and sulfonate groups of the anion in structure extension. The comparable conformational features found in this uncommon derivative of quinacrine indicate that (I) has potential as a possible pharmaceutical substitute for atabrine.