Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Basolateral amygdala lesions block the memory‐enhancing effect of 8‐Br‐cAMP infused into the entorhinal cortex of rats after training

There is extensive evidence suggesting that the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala plays a critical role in modulating memory consolidation processes in other brain regions. The present experiments examined interactions between the basolateral amygdala and the entorhinal cortex in modulating memory consolidation for inhibitory avoidance training. Several studies have reported that activation of the second messenger system adenosine 3′,5′‐cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) in several brain regions enhances memory and induces long‐term plasticity. In the present experiments, a unilateral infusion of the cAMP analogue, 8‐Br‐cAMP (0.25 or 1.25 µg in 0.5 µL), administered into the entorhinal cortex of male Sprague–Dawley rats immediately after training, enhanced 48‐h retention. An N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate‐induced lesion of the ipsilateral basolateral amygdala did not impair retention, but blocked the memory‐enhancing effect of 8‐Br‐cAMP (infused into the entorhinal cortex) post‐training. A lesion of the contralateral basolateral amygdala did not block the 8‐Br‐cAMP‐induced retention enhancement. These findings indicate that an intact basolateral amygdala is essential for modulation of memory consolidation involving the entorhinal cortex, and are consistent with evidence that the basolateral amygdala regulates memory consolidation mediated by other brain regions.
Age Effect on Retina and Optic Disc Normal Values

Purpose: To investigate retinal thickness and optic disc parameters by the Retinal Thickness Analyzer (RTA) glaucoma program in older normal subjects and to determine any age effect. Methods: Subjects over 40 years of age without any prior history of eye diseases were recruited. Only subjects completely normal on clinical ophthalmologic examination and on visual field testing by Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA) using the SITA 24-2 program were included. A total of 74 eyes from 74 subjects with even age distribution over the decades were enrolled and underwent topographic measurements of the posterior pole and of the optic disc by RTA. The ‘glaucoma full’ program in software version 4.11B was applied. Results: Mean patient age was 59.9 ± 10.3 years with a range from 40 to 80 years. The only parameter intraocular pressure (IOP) correlated with was retinal posterior pole asymmetry (r = 0.27, p = 0.02). IOP itself increased significantly with age (r = 0.341, p = 0.003). Mean defect and pattern standard deviation of the HFA did not correlate with any of the retinal or optic disc measurements. Increasing age correlated significantly with some of the morphologic measurements of the RTA: decreasing perifoveal minimum thickness (r = –0.258, p = 0.026), increased cup-to-disc area ratio (r = 0.302, p = 0.016) and increased cup area (r = 0.338 p = 0.007). Conclusions: An age effect exists for some of the retina and optic disc measurements obtained by the RTA.
Application of noise tolerant code to biometric data to verify the authenticity of transmitting information

Remote authentication of IT users requires keeping authentication data at a server that brings forth an issue of trust. In this paper we present a method of verifying the user's authenticity at a remote server that allows refusing to keep sample biometric attributes and passwords (both at the server and the client computer). The method allows using different biometric attributes and methods of their processing. The reliability of the authentication directly depends on the stability of biometric data. Peculiarities of handwritten passwords may be used as biometric attributes.
Risk of Intracranial Hemorrhage and Cerebrovascular Accidents in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Brain Metastasis Patients

Background: Brain metastases confer significant morbidity and a poorer survival in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Vascular endothelial growth factor-targeted antiangiogenic therapies (AAT) have demonstrated benefit for patients with metastatic NSCLC and are expected to directly inhibit the pathophysiology and morbidity of brain metastases, yet patients with brain metastases have been excluded from most clinical trials of AAT for fear of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). The underlying risk of ICH from NSCLC brain metastases is low, but needs to be quantitated to plan clinical trials of AAT for NSCLC brain metastases. Methods: Data from MD Anderson Cancer Center Tumor Registry and electronic medical records from January 1998 to March 2006 was interrogated. Two thousand one hundred forty-three patients with metastatic NSCLC registering from January 1998 to September 2005 were followed till March 2006. Seven hundred seventy-six patients with and 1367 patients without brain metastases were followed till death, date of ICH, or last date of study, whichever occurred first. Results: The incidence of ICH seemed to be higher in those with brain metastasis compared with those without brain metastases, in whom they occurred as result of cerebrovascular accidents. However, the rates of symptomatic ICH were not significantly different. All ICH patients with brain metastasis had received radiation therapy for them and had been free of anticoagulation. Most of the brain metastasis-associated ICH’s were asymptomatic, detected during increased radiologic surveillance. The rates of symptomatic ICH, or other cerebrovascular accidents in general were similar and not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusions: In metastatic NSCLC patients, the incidence of spontaneous ICH appeared to be higher in those with brain metastases compared with those without, but was very low in both groups without a statistically significant difference. These data suggest a minimal risk of clinically significant ICH for NSCLC brain metastasis patients and proposes having more well designed prospective trail to see the role of AAT in this patient population.
Semiquantitation of Mouse Dendritic Cell Migration In Vivo Using Cellular MRI

Despite recent therapeutic advances, including the introduction of novel cytostatic drugs and therapeutic antibodies, many cancer patients will experience recurrent or metastatic disease. Current treatment options, particularly for those patients with metastatic breast, prostate, or skin cancers, are complex and have limited curative potential. Recent clinical trials, however, have shown that cell-based therapeutic vaccines may be used to generate broad-based, antitumor immune responses. Dendritic cells (DC) have proved to be the most efficacious cellular component for therapeutic vaccines, serving as both the adjuvant and antigen delivery vehicle. At present it is not possible to noninvasively determine the fate of DC-based vaccines after their administration to human subjects. In this study, we demonstrate that in vitro-generated mouse DC can be readily labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, Feridex, without altering cell morphology, or their phenotypic and functional maturation. Feridex-labeling enables the detection of DC in vivo after their migration to draining lymph nodes using a 1.5 T clinical magnetic resonance scanner. In addition, we report a semiquantitative approach for analysis of magnetic resonance images and show that the Feridex-induced signal void volume, and fractional signal loss, correlates with the delivery and migration of small numbers of in vitro-generated DC. These findings, together with ongoing preclinical studies, are key to gaining information critical for improving the efficacy of therapeutic vaccines for the treatment cancer, and potentially, chronic infectious diseases.
Generative networkload models for a single server environment

Any performance evaluation study requires a concise description of the workload under which the performance of the system is to be evaluated. Also, the repeatability of the experiments for different workload profiles, requires that the workload models generate the workload profiles parametrically. Such a model, should preferably be time-invariant, consistent and generative. We view the networkload as a sequence that can be generated from the rules of a Context Free Grammar (CFG). Our approach combines the established practice of viewing the workload as “consisting of a hierarchy” and the CFG description, to produce a generative networkload model. The networkload model is applied to a SingleServer-MultipleClients network by deriving the networkload model parameters from an operational SingleServer network of personal computers. The time-invariance and generative nature are verified experimentally. The usefulness of such a description of the networkload to study the resource management problems of a network, like the optimal allocation of clients to servers, is explored by using the generative model as input descriptor to a queueing network model of SingleServer network.
Why is the Shape of the Laffer Curve for Consumption Tax Different from that for Labor Income Tax?

Recent studies on Laffer curves (tax revenue curves) find that the Laffer curve for consumption tax might not be hump-shaped, but monotonically increasing, whereas the Laffer curve for labor income tax is hump-shaped. This study investigates the cause of this difference in the shapes of two Laffer curves, by decomposing the effects of an increase in a tax rate on the tax base as a product of two parts: (i) the effects on the relative price of leisure (RPL), and (ii) the substitution and income effects. It is shown that the first effect with respect to the consumption tax rate is completely different from that with respect to the labor income tax rate, while the second effect is common among the taxes and depends on the functional form of the utility. The elasticity of the RPL from an increasing consumption tax rate is at most 1, whereas it can be infinity as the tax rate increases in the case of labor income tax.
Prognostic Factors in Patients With Advanced Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Treated With Intra-Arterial Chemotherapy

Objectives: The aim of this study is to identify the prognostic factors of a large group of patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent the same regimen of intra-arterial chemotherapy. Methods: 5-Fluorouracil (1000 mg/m2), leucovorin (100 mg/m2), epirubicin (60 mg/m2), and carboplatin (300 mg/m2) were administered every 3 weeks into celiac axis (FLEC regimen). Kaplan-Meyer survival curve for univariate analysis and Cox regression model for multivariate one were used to determine factors predictive of survival. Results: Data of 211 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who underwent FLEC regimen were analyzed. Eighty-nine had locally advanced disease, and 112 had distant metastases. Median overall survival was 9.2 months. In both univariate and multivariate analyses, pain reduction after treatment (≤30% of baseline level vs >30%; overall survival, 7.6 vs 11.5 months), stage of disease (III vs IV; overall survival, 10.5 vs 6.6 months), and number of administered cycles (≤3 vs >3; overall survival, 5.9 vs 12.3 months) were significant and independent predictors of survival. Conclusions: Pain reduction, stage of disease, and number of administered cycles are independent prognostic factors of overall survival in a multivariate analysis of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer receiving FLEC regimen intra-arterially.
Cholesterol lowering in pigs through enhanced bacterial bile salt hydrolase activity

The effect of feeding live Lactobacillus reuteri cells containing active bile salt hydrolase (BSH) on plasma cholesterol levels was studied in pigs. During an experiment lasting 13 weeks, twenty pigs were fed on a high-fat, high-cholesterol, low-fibre diet for the first 10 weeks, and a regular pig diet for the last 3 weeks. One group of animals received, twice daily, 11·25 (SD 0·16) log10 colony forming units of the potential probiotic bacteria for 4 weeks (from week 3 until week 7). From week 8 onwards, the treated group was again fed on the same diet as the control group without additions. The total faecal Lactobacillus counts were only significantly higher in the treated pigs during the first 2 weeks of L. reuteri feeding. Based on limited data, it was suggested that the administered Lactobacillus species had caused a temporary shift within the indigenous Lactobacillus population rather than permanently colonizing the intestinal tract. The probiotic feeding brought about significant lowering (P ≤ 0·05) of total and LDL-cholesterol concentrations in the treated pigs compared with the control pigs, while no change in HDL-cholesterol concentration was observed. The data for faecal output of neutral sterols and bile salts were highly variable between the animals of each group, yet they indicated an increased output in the treated pigs. Although the blood cholesterol levels went up in both groups during the 3 weeks following the Lactobacillus administration period, significantly lower serum total and LDL-cholesterol levels were observed in the treated pigs. During the final 3 weeks of normalization to the regular diet, cholesterol concentrations significantly decreased in both animal groups and the differences in total and LDL-cholesterol concentrations between the groups largely disappeared.
Distortion of the Frequency Dependence of Bottom Attenuation $\alpha(f)$ Inverted From Modal Attenuation $\beta_{m}$ due to Bottom Model Mismatching

The geoacoustic (GA) parameters (sound speed <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$c$</tex-math> </inline-formula>, density <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\rho$</tex-math></inline-formula>, and attenuation <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\alpha$</tex-math></inline-formula>) of the bottom play crucial roles in broadband acoustical propagation in shallow water. In general, these parameters and their profiles are very hard to measure directly, especially the bottom attenuation at low frequencies. A common way to get these parameters is inverting them from the acoustical field data collected by a hydrophone array. Since the true bottom environment is not known, most inversions assume an approximate bottom model, such as a single layer or a half-space. It has been recognized that the “model mismatching” impact is an important issue to be investigated. This work will discuss the distortion of the frequency dependence of the bottom attenuation inverted from the modal attenuation due to the bottom model mismatching. It is found that if an inaccurate layered bottom model is used for the inversion the intrinsic dispersion character of GA parameters will be contaminated under the constraint of the forced data fitting. An analytic expression of the distortion factor <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX"> ${\mathfrak{D}_{\boldsymbol{m}}}(\boldsymbol{f})$</tex-math></inline-formula> is obtained using perturbation theory and numerical simulation examples are presented to show how the waveguide dispersion behavior is partially transferred to the intrinsic dispersion of the medium attenuation. A simple way is also suggested to compensate for the distortion factor.
ARX - A Comprehensive Tool for Anonymizing Biomedical Data

Collaboration and data sharing have become core elements of biomedical research. Especially when sensitive data from distributed sources are linked, privacy threats have to be considered. Statistical disclosure control allows the protection of sensitive data by introducing fuzziness. Reduction of data quality, however, needs to be balanced against gains in protection. Therefore, tools are needed which provide a good overview of the anonymization process to those responsible for data sharing. These tools require graphical interfaces and the use of intuitive and replicable methods. In addition, extensive testing, documentation and openness to reviews by the community are important. Existing publicly available software is limited in functionality, and often active support is lacking. We present ARX, an anonymization tool that i) implements a wide variety of privacy methods in a highly efficient manner, ii) provides an intuitive cross-platform graphical interface, iii) offers a programming interface for integration into other software systems, and iv) is well documented and actively supported.
Shielding effect of power transformers tanks in the ultra-high-frequency detection of partial discharges

Partial discharges (PD) measurement is a well-known technique for judgment of the condition of power transformer offline. Phase-resolved PD measurement is a normalized technique for PD tests, but noise, especially by PD-measurements onsite is sometimes difficult to reject, and a post-processing of a pattern is necessary to separate different sources. Higher-frequency-detection devices and processing strategies are useful for PD classification and identification. Recently, ultra-high-frequency (UHF) detection by means of antennas has been shown to be a promising detection system for both offline and online PD-measurements. However, it is necessary to assess whether PD source separation and classification is possible by means of pulse analysis because some additional UHF noise sources are coupled to the detected signals, and it is not clear whether different sources produce different pulses. In this study, the attenuation effect of the metallic tank of a power transformer on the inner PD activity when measured outside the tank was studied. Additionally, experiments were conducted to detect and characterize two different PD sources (internal and external discharges) using two antennas measuring the same phenomenon inside and outside of a transformer. It will also be shown that broadband UHF signals are useful for PD recognition and that a deep study of frequencies below 500 MHz can separate PD occurring inside from those occurring outside when measured with an antenna outside the tank.
Biodegradation of keratinous waste by Chryseobacterium sp. RBT isolated from soil contaminated with poultry waste

In the present study, a feather degrading bacterial strain was isolated from poultry waste disposal site, Kolhapur, India. The bacterium was identified as Chryseobacterium sp. RBT using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Chryseobacterium sp. RBT showed rapid hydrolysis of native feathers within 30 h and produced the highest level of keratinase activity (98.3 U/ml). Keratin containing wastes viz. silk, human hair, wool and chicken feathers were tested for keratin degrading ability of the bacterium. Amongst the tested substrates, the Chryseobacterium sp. RBT showed more specificity towards chicken feathers (98.6% degradation) with maximum keratinase activity (98.3 U/ml) and solubilized protein concentration (3.84 mg/ml). Effect of various physico‐chemical parameters (temperature, pH, carbon and nitrogen sources) on keratinase production was monitored. The maximum keratinase activity was observed at pH (8.6) and temperature (50 °C). Molasses (1.0% w/v) acted as an inducer and enhanced the keratinolytic activity by two fold, while starch worked as an inhibitor. The goat skin when treated with crude keratinase enzyme (2% v/v), showed complete dehairing within 12 h. Hence, Chryseobacterium sp. RBT shows potential as a candidate for treating the keratinous waste in an ecofriendly manner.
Characterization and cloning of a receptor for BMP-2 and BMP-4 from NIH 3T3 cells

The bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are a group of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta)-related factors whose only receptor identified to date is the product of the daf-4 gene from Caenorhabditis elegans. Mouse embryonic NIH 3T3 fibroblasts display high-affinity 125I-BMP-4 binding sites. Binding assays are not possible with the isoform 125I-BMP-2 unless the positively charged N-terminal sequence is removed to create a modified BMP-2, 125I-DR-BMP-2. Cross-competition experiments reveal that BMP-2 and BMP-4 interact with the same binding sites. Affinity cross-linking assays show that both BMPs interact with cell surface proteins corresponding in size to the type I (57- to 62-kDa) and type II (75- to 82-kDa) receptor components for TGF-beta and activin. Using a PCR approach, we have cloned a cDNA from NIH 3T3 cells which encodes a novel member of the transmembrane serine/threonine kinase family most closely resembling the cloned type I receptors for TGF-beta and activin. Transient expression of this receptor in COS-7 cells leads to an increase in specific 125I-BMP-4 binding and the appearance of a major affinity-labeled product of approximately 64 kDa that can be labeled by either tracer. This receptor has been named BRK-1 in recognition of its ability to bind BMP-2 and BMP-4 and its receptor kinase structure. Although BRK-1 does not require cotransfection of a type II receptor in order to bind ligand in COS cells, complex formation between BRK-1 and the BMP type II receptor DAF-4 can be demonstrated when the two receptors are coexpressed, affinity labeled, and immunoprecipitated with antibodies to either receptor subunit. We conclude that BRK-1 is a putative BMP type I receptor capable of interacting with a known type II receptor for BMPs.
The motorcycle to car ownership ratio: inflation and it’s indirect effects

In the initial phase of economic development, motorcycle ownership rise with the growing demand in transportation. However, as income rose and perhaps due to convenience, safety and prestige, motorists opt to purchase car than motorcycle. Under high inflation, motorists tend to choose cheaper mode of transportation, like motorcycles and mopeds, which in turn leads to higher ownership ratio of motorcycle to passenger car (MTPC). On the other hand, economic studies indicate that the correlation between inflation and economic development is nonlinear; it is negative for high levels of inflation, but positive for low levels of inflation. Consequently, this may lead to a rise in MTPC ownership ratio at some levels of income and a decline at others. This study focused on understanding how inflation affects the MTPC ownership ratio indirectly and the factors underlie this relationship. The data used in this analysis contained a sample of 76 countries at various levels of economic development growth over the 51-year period between 1963 and 2013 using panel data analysis. The indirect effect of the inflation on the MTPC ownership ratio varied in accordance with increases in the inflation. Policy implications of the study were discussed in the conclusion part of the study.
Evaluation of population‐level ecological risks of dioxin‐like polychlorinated biphenyl exposure to fish‐eating birds in Tokyo Bay and its vicinity

Population‐level assessments of the ecological risks of dioxin‐like polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure to fish‐eating birds in Tokyo Bay and its vicinity were performed to judge the need for risk management measures to protect aquatic wildlife from dioxin‐like PCB contamination. Egg mortality risk and changes in the population growth rate (λ) in relation to the contamination levels of dioxin‐like PCBs in eggs of gray heron (Ardea cinerea), great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), osprey (Pandion halieaetus), and kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) were determined by integrating the results of exposure analysis, effect analysis, and a life‐history model for each species. The egg mortality risks for the gray heron, great cormorant, osprey, and kingfisher populations were calculated to be 5.8, 6.8, 12, and less than 1%, respectively. The estimated λ for those populations were calculated to be 1.061, 1.405, 1.024, and 1.131, respectively. The percentage changes in λ for those populations were estimated to be 1.2, 2.0, 1.6, and less than 1%, respectively. Our results implied that the levels of dioxin‐like PCBs observed in the Tokyo Bay area alone would not have significant population‐level effects on the fish‐eating bird populations. It is concluded that along with the trend toward decreasing dioxin and dioxin‐like PCB levels in Tokyo Bay, no urgent need exists for risk‐reduction measures to protect fish‐eating bird populations against dioxin‐like PCBs.