Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are two ears necessary for localization of sound sources on the median plane?

Several investigators have shown that monaural localization of sound sources on the median plane (MP) is inferior to binaural MP localization, causing speculation that two ears are necessary for MP localization, and further, that two ears may allow binaural processing of asymmetrical pinna filtering making localization of unfamiliar sounds possible. The purpose of the two experiments reported in this paper is (1) to test the hypothesis that binaural subjects can localize unfamiliar sounds more accurately than monaural subjects, and (2) to evaluate monaural localization accuracy after training. The results show that binaural and monaural subjects have similar difficulty in localizing unfamiliar sounds and show that monaural subjects can easily be trained to localize as well as they normally localize with two ears. The results indicate MP localization is fundamentally a monaural process.
rs2476601 polymorphism in PTPN22 is associated with Crohn’s disease but not with ulcerative colitis: a meta-analysis of 16,838 cases and 13,356 controls

Background Although the rs2476601 polymorphism of PTPN22 has been reported to be a susceptibility gene for Crohn’s disease (CD), results from different studies vary and remain inconclusive. Also, no association has been found between rs2476601 and the risk of ulcerative colitis (UC). The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the association between this PTPN22 polymorphism (rs2476601) and the risk of inflammatory bowel disease, UC and CD. Methods We performed a meta-analysis by identifying relevant candidate gene-based studies from EMBASE and MEDLINE. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to estimate the strength of associations between rs2476601 and inflammatory bowel diseases, using a fixed effect or random effect model. Publication bias was also assessed. Results By pooling 14 different studies, 13,356 controls, 8182 patients with CD, and 8656 with UC were included. We found that the T allele of PTPN22 was not significantly associated with a higher risk of developing UC (OR 1.06, 95%CI 0.98-1.14) but was associated with a decreased risk of developing CD (OR 1.28, 95%CI 1.17-1.40). The T allele in rs2476601 lowered the risk of CD by 22%. Conclusion This study shows that PTPN22 (rs2476601) is significantly associated with the risk of developing CD, but has no association with UC. This suggests that these diseases have different pathways involved in their pathophysiology.
Examining New Preoperative Assessment Tools

Nguyen Phuong, BSN; N Macian, MSc; F Giron, BSN. The investigators wish to thank all of the staff on the participating geriatric and palliative care wards. A poster was presented and an oral presentation was made at the French Pain Society SFETD Annual Meeting, November 2014, Toulouse, France. Conflict of Interest: None. Author Contributions: Pickering had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. Pickering, Wary, Rat, Capriz-Ribi ere, Guillaum e, Lefebvre-Chapiro, Michel: study concept and design. All authors: acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content. Pickering, Martin: drafting of manuscript; administrative, technical, or material support. Pereira: statistical analysis. Pickering: study supervision. Sponsor’s Role: None.
Array-antenna of microstrip patches fed by a tunable quasi-lumped hybrid coupler

A 360° phase shifter using a tunable quasi-lumped hybrid coupler was successfully designed. The phase shifter circuit delivers two evenly-split signals phase shifted over a 368° controllable range. The phase shifter was connected to an antenna array made with two printed patches. The feasibility of pattern reconfiguration was validated by the Sij and radiation pattern measurements.
Scholarship@Western Scholarship@Western

An automated method is described for the behavioral testing of mice in an apparatus that allows computer-graphic stimulus material to be presented. Mice responded to these stimuli by making a nose-poke toward a computer monitor that was equipped with a touchscreen attachment for detecting responses. It was found that C57BL/6 mice were able to solve single-pair visual discriminations as well as 3-pair concurrent visual discriminations. The finding that mice are capable of complex visual discriminations introduces the possibility of testing mice on nonspatial tasks that are similar to those used with rats, monkeys, and humans. Furthermore, the method seems particularly well suited to the comprehensive behavioral assessment of transgenic and gene-knockout models.
Rapid protein extraction from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We have developed and evaluated an easy and rapid method for extraction of proteins from yeast cells for sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)–gel electrophoresis and Western blotting. The procedure comprises a centrifugation step to harvest the cells, addition of a sample buffer and heating, then another centrifugation step before applying the extracted proteins found in the supernatant to an SDS gel. It is applicable to the study of large numbers of samples in 1 day. This procedure is easier, quicker, and as efficient as procedures using base and 2‐mercaptoethanol, but somewhat less efficient than lysis with glass beads under certain conditions.
Primary cutaneous leiomyosarcoma. A histological and immunohistochemical study of 9 cases, with ultrastructural correlation

Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) of dermal and subcutaneous tissues is an uncommon neoplasm. In order to analyze the specialized pathologic features of this tumor, we undertook a histological, ultrastructural, and immunohistochemical study of 9 superficial LMS, including 7 dermal lesions and 2 subcutaneous neoplasms. These were compared with 12 examples of “deep” extracutane‐ous LMS. Metastases to the skin from two of the latter neoplasms were also examined. Immunohistochemistry was found to be a useful diagnostic adjunct to light microscopic and ultrastructural studies in that all LMS coexpressed vimentin and des‐min, regardless of site, and 90% also expressed muscle‐specific actin. Variable expression of cathepsin B and niyelin basic protein was noted in 8 and 10 tumors, respectively, whereas none contained cytokeratin. Weak cytoplasmic positivity for epithelial membrane antigen was seen in 1 dermal and 3 extracutaneous LMS. Of 7 dermal LMS, 4 contained S‐100 protein, whereas this determinant was found in only 1 of 12 extracutaneous tumors. Conversely, Leu 7 reactivity was present in 7 of 12 extracutaneous LMS, but only 2 of 9 superficial lesions. Review of clinical features confirmed that subcutaneous LMS is capable of aggressive behaviour, whereas dermal LMS was more likely to behave in an indolent fashion. However, one example of dermal LMS exhibited aggressive local recurrences and distant metastasis, ultimately leading to the death of the patient. Therefore, careful clinical followup is indicated in all cases.
Age at stroke

Objectives: We describe temporal trends in stroke incidence stratified by age from our population-based stroke epidemiology study. We hypothesized that stroke incidence in younger adults (age 20–54) increased over time, most notably between 1999 and 2005. Methods: The Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region includes an estimated population of 1.3 million. Strokes were ascertained in the population between July 1, 1993, and June 30, 1994, and in calendar years 1999 and 2005. Age-, race-, and gender-specific incidence rates with 95 confidence intervals were calculated assuming a Poisson distribution. We tested for differences in age trends over time using a mixed-model approach, with appropriate link functions. Results: The mean age at stroke significantly decreased from 71.2 years in 1993/1994 to 69.2 years in 2005 (p < 0.0001). The proportion of all strokes under age 55 increased from 12.9% in 1993/1994 to 18.6% in 2005. Regression modeling showed a significant change over time (p = 0.002), characterized as a shift to younger strokes in 2005 compared with earlier study periods. Stroke incidence rates in those 20–54 years of age were significantly increased in both black and white patients in 2005 compared to earlier periods. Conclusions: We found trends toward increasing stroke incidence at younger ages. This is of great public health significance because strokes in younger patients carry the potential for greater lifetime burden of disability and because some potential contributors identified for this trend are modifiable.
Autonomous Vision‐based Micro Air Vehicle for Indoor and Outdoor Navigation

Micro air vehicles have become very popular in recent years. Autonomous navigation of such systems plays an important role in many industrial applications as well as in search‐and‐rescue scenarios. We present a quadrotor that performs autonomous navigation in complex indoor and outdoor environments. An operator selects target positions in the onboard map and the system autonomously plans an obstacle‐free path and flies to these locations. An onboard stereo camera and inertial measurement unit are the only sensors. The system is independent of external navigation aids such as GPS. No assumptions are made about the structure of the unknown environment. All navigation tasks are implemented onboard the system. A wireless connection is only used for sending images and a three‐dimensional (3D) map to the operator and to receive target locations. We discuss the hardware and software setup of the system in detail. Highlights of the implementation are the field‐programmable‐gate‐array‐based dense stereo matching of 0.5 Mpixel images at a rate of 14.6 Hz using semiglobal matching, locally drift‐free visual odometry with key frames, and sensor data fusion with compensation of measurement delays of 220 ms. We show the robustness of the approach in simulations and experiments with ground truth. We present the results of a complex, autonomous indoor/outdoor flight and the exploration of a coal mine with obstacle avoidance and 3D mapping.
FKG.js: A Plug-in Based on Freebase for a Knowledge Card Service

For better understanding user information needs, Google proposed the Knowledge Graph as supplements to the results returned by its search engine. Many search engines have also developed their own knowledge graph services. However, although there are many freely accessible structured datasets, such as Freebase, developers have to build the knowledge graph from scratch without any support from open source initiatives. Recently, in our preliminary work, we were trying to develop an open source Java Script plug-in, namely FKG.js (Free Knowledge Graph), for HTML5-based applications to easily extend their potential knowledge graph modules. In the plug-in, we also provided a visualization solution using freely accessible structured datasets from the Internet. In addition, we managed to propose server-side APIs for collecting user behavior patterns in order to optimize the display of the knowledge graph.
Electrostatic frequency tuning of thermal piezoresistive MEMS resonators

This paper presents a new technique for electrostatic tuning of the resonant frequency of in-plane thermal piezoresistive microelectromechanical resonators. The tuning method is based on applying a DC bias voltage between the underlying SOI handle layer and the suspended resonant structure. The DC bias voltage produces an electrostatic force which causes the bending of the resonant structure in the out of plane direction. The resulting stress in the structure causes a shift in its resonant frequency. The experiments were taken place under both atmospheric pressure and partial vacuum. Maximum upward and downward frequency shifts of +580ppm and -430ppm have been demonstrated. As a side product, due to minimized air damping, more than 2X resonator Q improvement was observed while tuning the resonator frequency.
A compatible fixed-frame ISDN gateway for broadband metropolitan area networks

A novel method (referred to as I-SWIFT) is presented for integrating the flow of synchronous voice streams into existing broadband cable systems using CATV (community antenna television) technology. The interface between the integrated voice subnetwork and the cable system is realized by a metropolitan area gateway (MAG) which is implemented at the broadband cable head-end. An intelligent scheduling algorithm in the MAG dynamically allocates channel bandwidth using a variation of the data-switch-filtering techniques first introduced by T. D. Todd (1987). The MAG accomplishes this by establishing a fixed voice frame (with realignment) which is implemented in an upwardly compatible fashion with respect to the existing CSMA/CD (carrier-sense multiple access with collision detection) data stations. Thus, previously installed stations require no modification. Results are presented which indicate that I-SWIFT performs significantly better than previous compatible voice/data integration methods. <<ETX>>
Bioactive annonaceous acetogenins from the bark of Xylopia aromatica.

Bioactive Annonaceous acetogenins have been isolated from the EtOH extract of the bark of Xylopia aromatica by bioactivity-directed fractionation using lethality to brine shrimp. These acetogenins include xylopianin [1 , xylopiacin [2], and xylomaticin [3], which are three new mono-tetrahydrofuran ring type acetogenins, in addition to the known compounds, annomontacin, gigantetronenin, gigantetrocin A, and annonacin. Compounds 1 and 2 are unusual in having hydroxylation at C-8; 3 has the same functionalities as annonacin but with 37 carbons instead of 35 carbons. The structures were elucidated by spectral analysis of the parent compounds and/or simple chemical derivatives. These acetogenins showed cytotoxicities, comparable to adriamycin, against three human solid tumor cell lines.
UK Renal Registry 16th Annual Report: Chapter 1 UK Renal Replacement Therapy Incidence in 2012: National and Centre-specific Analyses

Introduction: This chapter describes the characteristics of adult patients starting renal replacement therapy (RRT: kidney dialysis or a kidney transplant) in the UK in 2012 and the incidence rates for RRT in Primary Care Trusts and Health Boards (PCT/HBs) in the UK. Methods: Basic demographic and clinical characteristics are reported on patients starting RRT at all UK renal centres. Presentation time, defined as time between first being seen by a nephrologist and start of RRT, was also studied. Age and gender standardised ratios for incidence rates in PCT/HBs were also calculated. Results: In 2012, RRT was initiated in 6,891 patients across the UK, an incidence rate similar to 2011 at 108 per million population (pmp). There were wide variations between PCT/HBs in standardised incidence ratios. The median age for Whites was 66.1 and for non-Whites 57.8 years. Diabetic renal disease remained the single most common cause of renal failure (26%). By 90 days, 66.9% of patients were on haemodialysis (HD), 19.0% on peritoneal dialysis (PD), 8.3% had had a transplant and 5.9% had died or stopped treatment. There was variability between centres in the use of PD as an initial treatment (3-48%). The mean eGFR at the start of RRT was 8.5 ml/min/1.73 m2 similar to previous years. Late presentation (<90 days) fell from 23.9% in 2006 to 19.3% in 2012. Fifty-three percent of patients who started on HD had died within five years of starting. This compared to 30% and 4% for those starting on PD or transplant respectively. Conclusions: The incidence of new patients starting renal replacement therapy in the UK has remained unchanged for almost 10 years in contrast to the rising prevalence. The year on year increase in pre-emptive transplantation is encouraging but the variability between centres in the percentages starting on PD should be explored further.
Borrelia burgdorferi in tick cell culture: growth and cellular adherence.

Borrelia burgdorferi, strain 297, was incubated with tick cell lines isolated from Rhipicephalus appendiculatus (Neumann), R. sanguineus (Latreille), Anocentor nitens (Neumann), Dermacentor variabilis (Say), and Boophilus microplus (Canestrini). A tick cell culture medium, L-15B, was modified by the addition of gelatin and N'-acetylglucosamine (L-15B/S) to permit the cocultivation of B. burgdorferi and tick cells. Spirochetes continuously passaged axenically in L-15B/S had longer population doubling times (27.1 ± 4.5 h) than those grown in BSK medium (11.7 ± 2.2 h), which was unsuitable for tick cells. Growth of spirochetes cocultured with five of six lines did not change, but when B. burgdorferi was incubated with R. sanguineus cells, the spirochetes disappeared and could not be detected after 1 wk. Spirochetes bound themselves to tick cells by one end within 30 min after being added to cultures. Not all spirochetes attached to tick cells nor did all cells of a given line bind spirochetes. B. burgdorferi had the greatest affinity for embryonic R. appendiculatus cells and the least for D. variabilis cells. Scanning electron microscopy revealed numerous intertwined, coiled spirochetes attached to foci at the surface of R. appendiculatus cells, apparently causing the formation of round bodies. Fewer spirochetes attached to A. nitens cells. High spirochete concentrations (>107 per ml) elicited cytopathic effects—loss of surface membrane extensions, rounding up, detachment, and lysis. This system should be applicable in the study of tick cell-spirochete interactions and the analysis of spirochete tropism and binding to tick cells.
Invasive thymoma in myasthenia gravis as an almost completely calcified tumor.

Thymoma is a neoplasm arising from thymic epithelium and represents the most common primary tumor of the anterior mediastinum. Thymomas often occur in association with other abnormalities, of which myasthenia gravis is the most common. Although thymomas are often detectable on plain chest radiographs and MR examinations, CT is the best imaging modality for their evaluation. However, the present case illustrates an unusual CT manifestation of an invasive thymoma. We report a case of a 45-year-old man with myasthenia gravis associated with invasive thymoma occurring as an almost completely calcified tumor with regular contours and smooth surface.
Deep reinforcement learning for de novo drug design

We introduce an artificial intelligence approach to de novo design of molecules with desired physical or biological properties. We have devised and implemented a novel computational strategy for de novo design of molecules with desired properties termed ReLeaSE (Reinforcement Learning for Structural Evolution). On the basis of deep and reinforcement learning (RL) approaches, ReLeaSE integrates two deep neural networks—generative and predictive—that are trained separately but are used jointly to generate novel targeted chemical libraries. ReLeaSE uses simple representation of molecules by their simplified molecular-input line-entry system (SMILES) strings only. Generative models are trained with a stack-augmented memory network to produce chemically feasible SMILES strings, and predictive models are derived to forecast the desired properties of the de novo–generated compounds. In the first phase of the method, generative and predictive models are trained separately with a supervised learning algorithm. In the second phase, both models are trained jointly with the RL approach to bias the generation of new chemical structures toward those with the desired physical and/or biological properties. In the proof-of-concept study, we have used the ReLeaSE method to design chemical libraries with a bias toward structural complexity or toward compounds with maximal, minimal, or specific range of physical properties, such as melting point or hydrophobicity, or toward compounds with inhibitory activity against Janus protein kinase 2. The approach proposed herein can find a general use for generating targeted chemical libraries of novel compounds optimized for either a single desired property or multiple properties.
Visualizing key hinges and a potential major source of compliance in the lever arm of myosin

We have determined the 2.3-Å-resolution crystal structure of a myosin light chain domain, corresponding to one type found in sea scallop catch (“smooth”) muscle. This structure reveals hinges that may function in the “on” and “off” states of myosin. The molecule adopts two different conformations about the heavy chain “hook” and regulatory light chain (RLC) helix D. This conformational change results in extended and compressed forms of the lever arm whose lengths differ by 10 Å. The heavy chain hook and RLC helix D hinges could thus serve as a potential major and localized source of cross-bridge compliance during the contractile cycle. In addition, in one of the molecules of the crystal, part of the RLC N-terminal extension is seen in atomic detail and forms a one-turn alpha-helix that interacts with RLC helix D. This extension, whose sequence is highly variable in different myosins, may thus modulate the flexibility of the lever arm. Moreover, the relative proximity of the phosphorylation site to the helix D hinge suggests a potential role for conformational changes about this hinge in the transition between the on and off states of regulated myosins.
Distribution Voltage Control for DC Microgrids Using Fuzzy Control and Gain-Scheduling Technique

Installation of many distributed generations (DGs) could be detrimental to the power quality of utility grids. Microgrids facilitate effortless installation of DGs in conventional power systems. In recent years, dc microgrids have gained popularity because dc output sources such as photovoltaic systems, fuel cells, and batteries can be interconnected without ac/dc conversion, which contributes to total system efficiency. Moreover, high-quality power can be supplied continuously when voltage sags or blackouts occur in utility grids. We had already proposed a “low-voltage bipolar-type dc microgrid” and described its configuration, operation, and control scheme, through experiments. In the experiments, we used one energy storage unit with a dc/dc converter to maintain the dc-bus voltage under intentional islanding operation. However, dc microgrids should have two or more energy storage units for system redundancy. Therefore, we modified the system by adding another energy storage unit to our experimental system. Several kinds of droop controls have been proposed for parallel operations, some of which were applied for ac or dc microgrids. If a gain-scheduling control scheme is adopted to share the storage unit outputs, the storage energy would become unbalanced. This paper therefore presents a new voltage control that combines fuzzy control with gain-scheduling techniques to accomplish both power sharing and energy management. The experimental results show that the dc distribution voltages were within 340 V ± 5%, and the ratios of the stored energy were approximately equal, which implies that dc voltage regulation and stored energy balancing control can be realized simultaneously.