Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sleep EEG alterations: effects of different pulse‐modulated radio frequency electromagnetic fields

Previous studies have observed increases in electroencephalographic power during sleep in the spindle frequency range (approximately 11–15 Hz) after exposure to mobile phone‐like radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF). Results also suggest that pulse modulation of the signal is crucial to induce these effects. Nevertheless, it remains unclear which specific elements of the field are responsible for the observed changes. We investigated whether pulse‐modulation frequency components in the range of sleep spindles may be involved in mediating these effects. Thirty young healthy men were exposed, at weekly intervals, to three different conditions for 30 min directly prior to an 8‐h sleep period. Exposure consisted of a 900‐MHz RF EMF, pulse modulated at 14 Hz or 217 Hz, and a sham control condition. Both active conditions had a peak spatial specific absorption rate of 2 W kg−1. During exposure subjects performed three different cognitive tasks (measuring attention, reaction speed and working memory), which were presented in a fixed order. Electroencephalographic power in the spindle frequency range was increased during non‐rapid eye movement sleep (2nd episode) following the 14‐Hz pulse‐modulated condition. A similar but non‐significant increase was also observed following the 217‐Hz pulse‐modulated condition. Importantly, this exposure‐induced effect showed considerable individual variability. Regarding cognitive performance, no clear exposure‐related effects were seen. Consistent with previous findings, our results provide further evidence that pulse‐modulated RF EMF alter brain physiology, although the time‐course of the effect remains variable across studies. Additionally, we demonstrated that modulation frequency components within a physiological range may be sufficient to induce these effects.
Calcineurin preferentially synergizes with PKC‐θ to activate JNK and IL‐2 promoter in T lymphocytes

Costimulation of the T cell receptor (TCR) and CD28 is required for optimal interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) induction. These signals, which can be replaced by the pharmacological agents phorbol ester (PMA) and Ca2+ ionophore, synergistically activate the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) JNK. Cyclosporin A, an inhibitor of the Ca2+‐dependent phosphatase calcineurin which blocks IL‐2 induction, abrogates Ca2+‐triggered synergistic JNK activation. As protein kinase C (PKC) downregulation inhibits PMA+ionophore‐induced JNK activation, we examined whether a particular PKC isoform is preferentially involved in this response. We found that PKC‐θ but neither PKC‐α nor PKC‐ϵ participates in JNK activation, whereas all three PKCs lead to ERK MAPK activation. PKC‐θ specifically cooperates with calcineurin, and together their signals converge on (or upstream of) Rac leading to potent JNK activation. Similarly, calcineurin and PKC‐θ specifically synergize to induce transcription of reporters driven by the c‐jun and IL‐2 promoters. PKC‐θ and calcineurin are also partially responsible for the synergistic activation of JNK following TCR and CD28 ligation. Preferential cooperation between PKC‐θ and calcineurin is observed in Jurkat T cells but not in HeLa cells. These results indicate that PKC isozymes have distinct biological functions and suggest that synergistic JNK activation is an important function for PKC‐θ in T‐cell activation.
Optimum Coordination of Directional Overcurrent Relays Using the Hybrid GA-NLP Approach

The time of operation of overcurrent relays (OCRs) can be reduced, and at the same time, the coordination can be maintained, by selecting the optimum values of time multiplier setting (TMS) and plug setting (PS) of OCRs. This paper presents hybrid genetic algorithm (GA) - nonlinear programming (NLP) approach for determination of optimum values of TMS and PS of OCRs. GA has a drawback of, sometimes, converging to the values which may not be optimum, and NLP methods have a drawback of converging to local optimum values, if the initial choice is nearer to local optimum. This paper proposes a hybrid method to overcome the drawback of GA and NLP method, and determine the optimum settings of OCRs. The main contributions of this paper are - 1) systematic method for formulation of problem of determining optimum values of TMS and PS of OCRs in power distribution network as a constrained nonlinear optimization problem, 2) determining initial values of TMS and PS using GA technique and finding final (global optimum) values using NLP method, thus making use of the advantages of both methods (and at the same time overcoming the drawbacks of the methods).
Many-to-one matching with complementarities and peer effects

This paper studies many-to-one matching problems such as between students and colleges, and workers and firms in the general case, in which both peer effects and complementarities are allowed. In a matching, an agent on one side, say a firm, employs a subset of agents from the other side (workers), thus forming a coalition. The paper interprets an agent’s payoff in a matching as determined by a division rule applied to the value created by the agent’s coalition. The main results relate stability to pairwise alignment. A matching is stable if no group of agents can profitably deviate. Agents’ preferences are pairwise aligned if any two agents in the intersection of any two coalitions prefer the same one of the two coalitions. The results say that under mild regularity conditions (i) if the division rule generates pairwise-aligned preferences then there exists a stable matching, and (ii) if there exists a stable matching for all profiles of coalitional values then the division rule generates pairwise-aligned preferences. The Nash bargaining and Tullock rent-seeking are examples of division rules that satisfy the proposed pairwise-alignment condition and were not previously linked to stability. 1Department of Economics, Penn State, 418 Kern Graduate Bldg, University Park, PA 16802. Email: pycia@psu.edu. This paper is a revised draft of the first chapter of my dissertation at MIT and was circulated as Pycia (2005). I would like to thank Bengt Holmström, Glenn Ellison, Robert Gibbons, Haluk Ergin, Sergei Izmalkov, Abhijit Banerjee, Michael Piore, and Jean Tirole for their advice and support. For their comments, I am also grateful to Edward Green, Anna Myjak-Pycia, Marco Ottaviani, Alvin Roth, Hannu Vartiainen, and Birger Wernerfelt, as well as William Hawkins, Fuhito Kojima, David McAdams, Guy Michaels, Catherine Tucker, Eric Van den Steen, Zaki Wahhaj, Muhamet Yildiz, William Zame, and lecture and seminar participants at MIT, MIT Sloan, HBS, UCL, Penn State, UCLA, Harvard, Mannheim, the Bonn Matching Conference 2006, Suny Stony Brook Game Theory Festival 2006, and the Society for Economic Design Conference 2006. This project was supported in part by grants from the MIT Industrial Performance Center and Leon Kózmiński Academy of Entrepreneurship and Management in Warsaw.
Spectrum opportunity forecasting for energy efficient sensing in cognitive radio networks

Energy efficiency in cognitive radio networks (CRN) is of paramount importance since secondary users (SU) are often likely to be energy constrained. While spectrum sensing (SS) is a critical CRN function, repetitive SS events can significantly reduce the battery life of sensing devices. However, energy efficiency can be improved by employing spectrum opportunity forecasting (SOF) and optimal scheduling for sensor node activation to reduce the required number of SS events. In this paper, a combination of SOF and optimal scheduling is thus explored. The application of SOF to cooperative SS is one of the unique contributions of this paper. Results indicated that this combination could significantly reduce sensor node energy consumption and in so doing increase CRN lifetime. A positive linear relationship was found between forecast length and CRN lifetime. A very large improvement in the collective lifetime of the sensor network was observed when SOF was employed (roughly 21.2 time samples longer than when only optimal scheduling was employed) for a forecast length of ten SS events, using implicit enumeration under the uniform sensor node distribution.
The diverse faces of violence: minority women and domestic abuse

In research and clinical practice, the failure to detect and/or elicit information about domestic abuse is exacerbated by social, economic, and cultural factors. Because domestic violence cannot be separated from the cultural and social context in which it occurs, such factors must be integrated into research studies and the development of interventions. The National Institutes of Health's expanded guidelines on the inclusion in its clinical trials of women from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, along with an increased recognition of the importance of socioeconomic and psychosocial factors in health and disease, has strengthened efforts to improve understanding of domestic violence in diverse communities. The involvement of researchers from minority communities is crucial to the success of such efforts. Study of the relationships among race, ethnicity, culture, and domestic violence must be fully incorporated into medical school curricula to sensitize students and enable them to develop the skills needed to detect more effectively deal with, and ultimately prevent, family and intimate violence.
Towards Empathic Music Provision for Computer Users

This study explores the automatic provision of music based on a person's music preferences and activities on a computer. This research presents two classification models: music-general activity and music-specific activity. General activities were classified as leisurely and academic while specific activities as the name of the computer program/application itself. During data-gathering sessions, a test subject was asked to listen to a variety of songs while engaging in different computer activities in a naturalistic manner. An activity-music tracker program logged all the songs played by the user along with the computer application that he was using at that moment as well as the time stamp. The models classified the activity of the user based on the audio features of the songs, which were extracted using JAudio and Music Miner. Classification algorithms were applied using Weka. The algorithm that obtained the highest accuracy was J48. The music-general activity model obtained an accuracy of 84.376% and kappa value of 0.6857 while the music-specific activity model obtained an accuracy of 71.7417% and kappa value of 0.6888. This research serves as part of a separate study of an an empathic music player system that plays songs based on the computer activity, emotion, in the form of electroencephalograph signals (EEG), and past music preferences of a computer user.
Multivalent epigenetic marks confer microenvironment-responsive epigenetic plasticity to ovarian cancer cells

“Epigenetic plasticity” refers to the capability of mammalian cells to alter their differentiation status via chromatin remodeling-associated alterations in gene expression. While epigenetic plasticity has been best associated with lineage commitment of embryonic stem cells, recent studies have demonstrated chromatin remodeling even in terminally differentiated normal cells, and advanced-stage melanoma and breast cancer cells, in context-dependent responses to alterations in their microenvironment. In the current study, we extend this attribute of epigenetic plasticity to aggressive ovarian cancer cells, by using an integrative approach to associate cellular phenotypes with chromatin modifications (“ChIP-chip”) and mRNA and microRNA expression. While we identified numerous gene promoters possessing the well-known “bivalent mark” of H3K27me3/H3K4me2, we also report 14 distinct, lesser-known bi-, tri-, and tetravalent combinations of activating and repressive chromatin modifications, in platinum-resistant CP70 ovarian cancer cells. The vast majority (>90%) of all the histone marks studied localized to regions within 2000 bp of transcription start sites, supporting a role in gene regulation. Upon a simple alteration in the microenvironment, transition from two- to three-dimensional culture, an increase (17% to 38%) in repressive-only marked promoters was observed, concomitant with a decrease (31% to 21%) in multivalent (i.e., juxtaposed permissive and repressive histone marked) promoters. Like embryonic/tissue stem and other (non-ovarian) carcinoma cells, ovarian cancer cell epigenetic plasticity reflects an inherent transcriptional flexibility for context-responsive alterations in phenotype. It is possible that this plasticity could be therapeutically exploited for the management of this lethal gynecologic malignancy.
Brief-duration rituximab/chemotherapy followed by maintenance rituximab in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who are poor candidates for R-CHOP chemotherapy: a phase II trial of the Sarah Cannon Oncology Research Consortium.

INTRODUCTION Patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who are very elderly or have poor performance status are difficult to treat with a full course of R-CHOP (rituximab plus cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine/ prednisone) therapy. In this phase II trial, we treated this group of patients with a novel regimen containing 3 courses of rituximab/chemotherapy followed by maintenance rituximab. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with newly diagnosed stage II-IV DLBCL were eligible if they were considered poor candidates for 6-8 cycles of R-CHOP therapy. Patients who were eligible for anthracycline therapy received 3 cycles of rituximab plus cyclophosphamide/ mitoxantrone/vincristine/prednisone (CNOP); the remainder of patients received R-CVP (rituximab plus cyclophosphamide/ vincristine/prednisone). Patients without progression after completion of 3 cycles received 4 courses of maintenance rituximab (375 mg/m2 weekly x 4, repeated every 6 months) for 24 months. RESULTS Between May 2003 and July 2007, 51 patients were enrolled. The median age was 78 years, and 43% of patients were > 80 years of age. Nineteen patients (37%) had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 2, and 72% had high-intermediate or high-risk International Prognostic Index scores. After a median follow-up of 48 months, the 2-, 3-, and 4-year progression-free survival rates are 71%, 65%, and 56%, respectively. The 2-, 3-, and 4-year overall survival rates are 72%, 67%, and 67%, respectively. Treatment was well tolerated, with few severe toxicities and no treatment-related deaths. CONCLUSION This abbreviated course of rituximab/chemotherapy, followed by maintenance rituximab, was active and well tolerated in these very elderly patients. Brief-duration rituximab/chemotherapy as well as maintenance rituximab merit further evaluation in this setting.
The Restrictiveness of State Tax and Expenditure Limitations and State Debt

Using a panel data set of the 50 states from 1969 to 2005 we explore the impact of the restrictiveness of tax and expenditures limitation (TELs) on state debt. Using six characterizations of tax and expenditure limitations we build three unique indices of restrictiveness: one index for expenditure focused TELs, one for revenue focused TELs and one for TELs that limit both revenues and expenditures. We test whether the restrictiveness of TELs is associated with increased use of debt. Using two-way fixed and random effects estimators we find that more restrictive TELS on either expenditures or revenues are associated with higher levels of debt, as expected. States with more restrictive TELs that cover both revenues and expenditures have lower levels of debt.
Potentially Reversible Pseudoachalasia After Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding

Background Although esophageal dilation after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) has been reported, the effect of banding on esophageal peristalsis, including the development of aperistalsis and its potential reversibility, have received only little attention. Goals Our aim was to report our experience with 6 patients who developed manometric evidence of esophageal aperistalsis after LAGB. Study We retrospectively reviewed the clinical, manometric, and radiologic data of 6 patients referred between September 2005 and June 2007 to our Center for Esophageal Disease for evaluation of dysphagia or heartburn that developed after LAGB, and in whom manometric studies showed aperistalsis. Patients had the fluid in the band completely removed (N=5) or had the band removed (N=1). Reversibility of esophageal aperistalsis was then assessed. Clinical follow-up was obtained from 2009 to early 2010. Results Six patients (all female, age range, 37 to 55 y old) were evaluated because of dysphagia or heartburn after LAGB and had complete aperistalsis on manometry. Five of the 6 patients had manometry after removal of all the fluid from the band (N=4) or after surgical removal of the band (N=1). Two patients had partial return of peristalsis, 1 had normal peristalsis, and 2 others had continued aperistalsis but did show clinical improvement. Another patient had improvement of radiologic esophageal dilation but declined repeat manometry. Conclusions LAGB can cause an achalasia-like esophageal aperistalsis that may be reversible. Gastroenterologists caring for bariatric patients need be aware of this pseudoachalasia, as the treatment of such patients differs from those with primary achalasia.
Understanding the Role of Power during the Implementation of BRT Systems

This research is about power. It is completely immersed in modern societies, reflections on power have not settled its definition. Regardless of centuries of considerations about power, there is still much to learn about its exercise. For decades, power has been analysed by scholars all over the world; however, transport planners have avoided issues concerning power. This dissertation focuses on the use of power during planning and implementation processes of two Bus Rapid Transit Systems; one in Quito, Ecuador, and another in Cambridge, England. Using a multimethod phronetic approach, this research examines how decisions were made for the implementation of BRT in the selected case studies. Phronetic methodology aims to explain social phenomena by piecing together large and small details that shape the context of events; in this case, existing planning documentation and the narratives of key stakeholders and decision-makers —such as former Mayors, Council Members, and Heads of Transport Departments— were used to understand the reasons behind the adoption of bus systems. Despite the contextual differences of geography, population, and political and administrative terms between Quito and Cambridge, there are key themes found in both case studies. Solving congestion and improving economic growth is a key motivation for the implementation of the systems in both cases. A complex network of actors is formed during the planning processes of BRT systems that shape the way decisions are made. In both cases, an isolated group of actors that lack the opportunity to exercise power was also identified. A sophisticated mixture of power mechanisms were discovered, which contained actors that had more experience, training and opportunities to exercise power. The findings of the analysis of power in Quito and Cambridge suggest that stakeholders with opportunities to exercise power —from the beginning— are also actors with more opportunities to influence the final uptake of the systems. Planners interested in participatory processes need to focus efforts to involve different communities as early as possible in the planning processes. The inclusion of communities does not guarantee that their needs and objectives will be incorporated into the planning process. A set of power mechanisms need to be developed by all members involved in the process. An early participation of these communities can help focus planning on solving people’s needs rather than the implementation of a specific scheme.
Influence of Image Quality on the Accuracy of Real Time Three‐Dimensional Echocardiography to Measure Left Ventricular Volumes in Unselected Patients: A Comparison with Gated‐SPECT Imaging

Background: Patient selection, often restricted to those with ideal image quality, and timing of studies in relation to reference methods may limit clinical applicability of cardiac volumes derived from 3D echocardiography. Methods: To test the influence of image quality on LV volumes by real time 3DE (RT3DE), we compared results obtained by RT3DE to those from gated‐SPECT imaging in 64 consecutive patients referred for clinically indicated nuclear perfusion imaging. To minimize hemodynamic effects, RT3DE was performed immediately following G‐SPECT. LV volumes by RT3DE were calculated using at least three orthogonal plane pairs. Image quality was rated as good if 75–100% of the endocardial border was visualized, fair if 60–74% was visualized, and poor if 50–60% was visualized. Results: Image quality was good in 25 (39%), fair in 20 (31%), and poor in 13 (20%) patients. Six patients (9%) were excluded for uninterpretable echo images. For the entire cohort, EDV and ESV agreed closely (all P = NS). When stratified by image quality, the EDV and ESV of those with good and fair image quality agreed closely with minimal bias (average 1 ± 9 mL and 2 ± 7 mL, respectively). Poor image was associated with less strong agreement and much greater bias for EDV and ESV (7 ± 25 mL and 7 ± 20 mL, respectively). Conclusions: When applied to patients studied in routine clinical practice, LV volumes by RT3DE compare favorably to G‐SPECT. RT3DE results are more reliable when >60% of endocardium is visualized.
Efficacy of p53 adenovirus-mediated gene therapy against human breast cancer xenografts.

In response to DNA damage, p53 protein accumulates in the cell nucleus causing cells to undergo DNA repair or apoptosis, programmed cell death. Reintroduction of wild-type p53 into tumors with null or mutant p53 offers a novel strategy for controlling tumor growth, by inducing apoptotic death in neoplastic cells. The efficacy of a replication-deficient p53 adenovirus construct was tested against three human breast cancer cell lines expressing mutant p53, MDA-MB-231, -468, and -435. 231 and 468 cells were both highly transduced at a multiplicity of infection of 10. By contrast, 435 cells were rarely transduced. p53 adenovirus-mediated gene therapy was highly effective against 231 and 468 tumor xenografts in nude mice. At a total dose of 2.2 x 10(9) cellular infectious units (CIU), inhibition of 231 tumor growth was 86% (P < or = .01). Thirty-seven percent of that growth inhibition was due to p53, while 49% was adenovirus-specific. Inhibition of 468 tumor growth was 74% (P < or = .001). Forty-five percent of that inhibition was p53-specific, while 28% was adenovirus-specific. The ED50 values for 231 tumors and 468 tumor growth inhibition were 3 x 10(8) CIU and 2 x 10(8) CIU, respectively. Injection of p53 Ad into 231 or 468 tumors induced apoptosis. By contrast, growth inhibition in 435 tumors treated with p53 adenovirus was not significant, probably due to low adenovirus transduction. 231 and 435 cells both expressed high levels of alpha v, beta 1, beta 3, and beta 5 integrin subunits, ruling out lack of the appropriate integrins as the reason for the low infection rate in 435 cells. Our results demonstrate the ability of wild-type p53 to curtail cancerous cell growth in vivo in tumors expressing mutant p53. The ability of beta-gal Ad to infect tumor cells in vitro was generally predictive of in vivo p53 Ad efficacy.