Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential Frequency Conditioning Enhances Spectral Contrast Sensitivity of Units in Auditory Cortex (Field Al) of the Alert Mongolian Gerbil

Differential aversive auditory conditioning in the awake Mongolian gerbil was performed during single‐ and multi‐unit recording in field Al of the primary auditory cortex. Presentations of pure tone stimuli of a given frequency (reinforced conditioned stimulus; CS+) paired with electrocutaneous stimulation (unconditioned stimulus) were combined with several other non‐reinforced tone stimuli (non‐reinforced conditioned stimulus; CS‐). Stimulus presentation during training and testing was optimized for constancy of the probability of occurrence of both the CS+ and the CS‐ stimulus. The paradigm led to a reorganization of both the spectral and temporal response characteristics of auditory cortical neurons with the following basic results. First, tone‐evoked responses of Al neurons recorded after multiple acoustic stimulation under these conditions varied statistically around a mean value (stationarity). Conditioning produced a shift in mean values of evoked responses. The altered tone responses were also stationary (stability of the plastic effects). Second, the frequency‐receptive fields (FRFs) of neurons were reorganized in a frequency‐specific way such that the CS+ frequency became located in a local minimum of the FRF after training. This resulted from a training‐induced increase in the responses to frequencies adjacent to the CS+ frequency in the FRF relative to the CS+ response. The effect can be interpreted as an enhancement of the ‘spectral contrast’ sensitivity of the unit in the CS+ neighbourhood. Third, apart from this frequency‐specific plastic effect, responses to other frequencies also underwent changes during training. The non‐frequency‐specific changes were not generally predictable but the post‐trial responses were stationary. Fourth, the analysis of the long‐term behaviour of FRF reorganization revealed the stability of plastic effects under retention training and the gradual re‐establishment of the pretrial FRF during extinction training. Fifth, not only the spectral characteristics but also the temporal structure of the tone‐evoked responses could be affected by the training. In most cases the training‐induced changes measured within the first tens of milliseconds of the response corresponded to the response changes obtained by integration over the total response period. There were some cases, however, in which the direction of the response change varied with time, indicating that excitatory and inhibitory influences on the temporal response pattern were differently affected by training.
Pushing boundaries—culture‐sensitive care in oncology and palliative care: a qualitative study

In increasingly globalized societies, patient‐centered cancer care requires culture‐sensitive approaches in order to ensure patients well‐being. While migrant patients' needs are frequently reported in the literature, staff members' perception of work with migrant patients, associated challenges, or individual work approaches are largely unknown. This study addresses this research gap through qualitative exploration of experiences of multicultural health care professionals in supportive oncology and palliative care, working with patients from different cultural backgrounds. This study aims to understand staff experience of the impact of culture on cancer care.
Plasma Leptin Levels and Risk of Breast Cancer in Premenopausal Women

Body mass index (BMI) is inversely related to the risk of premenopausal breast cancer, but the underlying biological mechanisms of this association are poorly understood. Leptin, a peptide hormone produced primarily by adipocytes, is a potential mediator of the BMI association because BMI and total body fat are positively associated with circulating leptin levels and leptin and its receptor are overexpressed in breast tumors. We conducted a prospective case–control study nested within the Nurses' Health Study II cohort examining the association between plasma leptin levels in premenopausal women and breast cancer risk. Leptin was measured in blood samples collected between 1996 and 1999. The analysis included 330 incident breast cancer cases diagnosed after blood collection and 636 matched controls. Logistic regression models, controlling for breast cancer risk factors, were used to calculate ORs and 95% CIs. After adjustment for BMI at age 18, weight change since age 18 to blood draw, and other breast cancer risk factors, plasma leptin levels were inversely associated with breast cancer risk (OR for top vs. bottom quartile = 0.55; 95% CI = 0.31–0.99; Ptrend = 0.04). Adjustment for BMI at blood draw attenuated the association (OR = 0.69; 95% CI = 0.38–1.23; Ptrend = 0.26). Our results suggest that leptin may be inversely associated with breast cancer risk, but it is unclear whether any part of this association is independent of BMI. Cancer Prev Res; 4(9); 1449–56. ©2011 AACR.
Asteroid–comet continuum objects in the solar system

In this review presented at the Royal Society meeting, ‘Cometary science after Rosetta’, I present an overview of studies of small solar system objects that exhibit properties of both asteroids and comets (with a focus on so-called active asteroids). Sometimes referred to as ‘transition objects’, these bodies are perhaps more appropriately described as ‘continuum objects’, to reflect the notion that rather than necessarily representing actual transitional evolutionary states between asteroids and comets, they simply belong to the general population of small solar system bodies that happen to exhibit a continuous range of observational, physical and dynamical properties. Continuum objects are intriguing because they possess many of the properties that make classical comets interesting to study (e.g. relatively primitive compositions, ejection of surface and subsurface material into space where it can be more easily studied, and orbital properties that allow us to sample material from distant parts of the solar system that would otherwise be inaccessible), while allowing us to study regions of the solar system that are not sampled by classical comets. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Cometary science after Rosetta’.
Mild Cognitive Impairment in General Practice: Age-Specific Prevalence and Correlate Results from the German Study on Ageing, Cognition and Dementia in Primary Care Patients (AgeCoDe)

Background: Although mild cognitive impairment (MCI) represents a high-risk factor for developing dementia, little is known about the prevalence of MCI among patients of general practitioners (GPs). Aims: Estimation of age-specific prevalence for original and modified concepts of MCI and their association with sociodemographic, medical and genetic (apoE Ε4 genotype) factors among patients of GPs. Methods: A GP practice sample of 3,327 individuals aged 75+ was assessed by structured clinical interviews. Results: Prevalence was 15.4% (95% CI = 14.1–16.6) for original and 25.2% (95% CI = 23.7–26.7) for modified MCI. Rates increased significantly with older age. Positive associations were found for apoE Ε4 allele, vascular diseases and depressive symptoms. Conclusion: MCI is frequent in elderly patients of GPs. GPs have a key position in secondary prevention and care of incipient cognitive deterioration up to the diagnosis of dementia.
Towards system-wide implementation of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in routine practice: Developing simple, intuitive descriptions of ICF categories in the ICF Generic and Rehabilitation Set.

OBJECTIVE A national, multi-phase, consensus process to develop simple, intuitive descriptions of International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) categories contained in the ICF Generic and Rehabilitation Sets, with the aim of enhancing the utility of the ICF in routine clinical practice, is presented in this study. METHODS A multi-stage, national, consensus process was conducted. The consensus process involved 3 expert groups and consisted of a preparatory phase, a consensus conference with consecutive working groups and 3 voting rounds (votes A, B and C), followed by an implementation phase. In the consensus conference, participants first voted on whether they agreed that an initially developed proposal for simple, intuitive descriptions of an ICF category was in fact simple and intuitive. RESULTS The consensus conference was held in August 2014 in mainland China. Twenty-one people with a background in physical medicine and rehabilitation participated in the consensus process. Four ICF categories achieved consensus in vote A, 16 in vote B, and 8 in vote C. DISCUSSION This process can be seen as part of a larger effort towards the system-wide implementation of the ICF in routine clinical and rehabilitation practice to allow for the regular and comprehensive evaluation of health outcomes most relevant for the monitoring of quality of care.
Pseudocyst of the auricle: a new method of treatment

Abstract Pseudocyst of the auricle is a condition where spontaneous serous fluid collection is seen on the lateral surface of the pinna. The aetiology of this condition is not known. Several methods of treatment have been advocated in the past. We report 10 cases of unilateral pseudocyst who were treated with aspiration and pressure dressing by a plaster of Paris cast over the pinna for two weeks.
Apoptosis in Mouse Amniotic Epithelium Is Induced by Activated Macrophages Through the TNF Receptor Type 1/TNF Pathway1

The amniotic epithelium is in direct contact with the amniotic fluid and has tight junctions. The amniotic tight junctions function as a barrier to restrict fluid flux via the amniotic membrane during midpregnancy in the mouse. However, during late pregnancy, amniotic fluid volume significantly decreases in association with the disruption of amniotic tight junctions. The disruption of amniotic tight junctions is caused by apoptosis in the amniotic epithelium on Embryonic Day 17 (E17). In this study, we examine the molecular mechanisms underlying apoptosis of the amniotic epithelium of the mouse. We found that from E16, the number of activated macrophages that express high levels of NOS2 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) increase in amniotic fluid. TNF receptor type 1 (TNFR1) was detectable from E16 onward. On E17, amniotic epithelial cells expressing TNFR1 became TUNEL positive, suggesting that TNF/TNFR1 signaling may initiate apoptosis. To further confirm the role of TNF/TNFR1 signaling, WP9QY, a TNFR1 antagonist, was injected into the amniotic cavity and was found to significantly reduce the numbers of apoptotic cells in the E17 amniotic epithelium. Furthermore, dehydroxymethylepoxyquinomicin, a specific nuclear factor-kappa B inhibitor, was found to inhibit TNF production in macrophages and amniotic apoptosis in vivo. Finally, we showed that injection of TNF into the amniotic cavity induces early onset of apoptosis. These results indicate that amniotic apoptosis is induced by the TNF pathway via TNFR1 expressed in the amniotic epithelial cells and that activation of macrophages may trigger amniotic apoptosis.
Elucidation of seventeen human peripheral blood B‐cell subsets and quantification of the tetanus response using a density‐based method for the automated identification of cell populations in multidimensional flow cytometry data

Advances in multiparameter flow cytometry (FCM) now allow for the independent detection of larger numbers of fluorochromes on individual cells, generating data with increasingly higher dimensionality. The increased complexity of these data has made it difficult to identify cell populations from high‐dimensional FCM data using traditional manual gating strategies based on single‐color or two‐color displays.
Specific and cross over effects of massage for muscle soreness: randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND Muscle soreness can negatively interfere with the activities of daily living as well as sports performance. In the working environment, a common problem is muscle tenderness, soreness and pain, especially for workers frequently exposed to unilateral high repetitive movements tasks. The aim of the study is therefore to investigate the acute effect of massage applied using a simple device Thera-band roller Massager on laboratory induced hamstring muscle soreness, and the potential cross over effect to the non-massaged limb. METHODS 22 healthy untrained men (Mean age 34 +/- 7 years; mean height 181.7 +/- 6.9 cm; mean weight 80.6 +/- 6.4 kg; BMI: 24.5 +/- 1.3) with no prior history of knee, low back or neck injury or other adverse health issues were recruited. Participants visited the researchers on two separate occasions, separated by 48 hours, each time providing a soreness rating (modified visual analog scale 0-10), and being tested for pressure pain threshold (PPT) and active range of motion (ROM) of the hamstring muscles. During the first visit, delayed onset muscular soreness of the hamstring muscles was induced by 10 x 10 repetitions of the stiff-legged dead-lift. On the second visit participants received either 1) 10 minutes of roller massage on one leg, while the contralateral leg served as a cross over control, or 2) Resting for 10 minutes with no massage at all. Measurement of soreness, PPT and ROM were taken immediately before and at 0, 10, 30 and 60 min. after treatment. RESULTS There was a significant group by time interaction for soreness (p < 0.0001) and PPT (p = 0.0007), with the massage group experiencing reduced soreness and increasing PPT compared with the control group. There was no group by time interaction for ROM (p = 0.18). At 10 min. post massage there was a significant reduction in soreness of the non-massaged limb in the cross over control group compared to controls but this effect was lost 30 minutes post massage. CONCLUSION Massage with a roller device reduces muscle soreness and is accompanied by a higher PPT of the affected muscle. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2c; outcomes research.
Characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana stellacyanin: A comparison with umecyanin

The cupredoxin domain of a putative type 1 blue copper protein (BCB) from Arabidopsis thaliana was overexpressed and purified. A recursive polymerase chain reaction method was used to synthesize an artificial coding region for the cupredoxin domain of horseradish stellacyanin (commonly known as umecyanin), prior to overexpression and purification. The recombinant proteins were refolded from inclusion bodies and reconstituted with copper, and their in vitro characteristics were studied. Recombinant umecyanin, which is nonglycosylated, has identical spectroscopic and redox properties to the native protein. The UV/Vis and EPR spectra of recombinant BCB and umecyanin demonstrate that they have comparable axial type 1 copper binding sites. Paramagnetic 1H NMR spectroscopy highlights the similarity between the active site architectures of BCB and umecyanin. The reduction potential of recombinant BCB is 252 mV, compared to 293 mV for recombinant umecyanin. Identical pKa values of 9.7 are obtained for the alkaline transitions in both proteins. This study demonstrates that BCB is the A. thaliana stellacyanin and the results form the biochemical basis for a discussion of BCB function in the model vascular plant. Proteins 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Trilogy: Data placement to improve performance and robustness of cloud computing

Infrastructure as a Service, one of the most disruptive aspects of cloud computing, enables configuring a cluster for each application for each workload. When the workload changes, a cluster will be either underutilized (wasting resources) or unable to meet demand (incurring opportunity costs). Consequently, efficient cluster resizing requires proper data replication and placement. Our work reveals that coarse-grain, workload-aware replication addresses over-utilization but cannot resolve under-utilization. With fine-grain partitioning of the dataset, data replication can reduce both under- and over-utilization. In our empirical studies, compared to a näive uniform data replication a coarse-grain workload-aware replication increases throughput by 81% on a highly-skewed workload. A fine-grain scheme further reaches 166% increase. Furthermore, a surprisingly small increase in granularity is sufficient to obtain most benefits. Evaluations also show that maximizing the number of unique partitions per node increases robustness to tolerate workload deviation while minimizing this number reduces storage footprint.
Modeling and Measurement of Radiated Field Emission From a Power/Ground Plane Cavity Edge Excited by a Through-Hole Signal Via Based on a Balanced TLM and Via Coupling Model

A balanced transmission line model (TLM) and via coupling model is proposed for efficient simulation of radiated field emission from a power/ground plane cavity edge, where the radiated field emission is excited by a through-hole signal via in a multilayer package and printed circuit board (PCB). The radiated field emission is simulated and measured with a series of test boards. The simulation agrees fairly well with the measurement confirming the preciseness and usefulness of the proposed model. It is shown that the through-hole signal via is a considerable source of the radiated field emission as well as the signal loss. When the signal trace is switching vertically stacked reference planes, the signal return current path is disconnected at the via and the impedance becomes extremely high. A significant amount of insertion loss and radiated field emission is generated at resonance frequencies of the plane cavity. The effect of a decoupling capacitor fence (De-Cap Fence) at the edge of the board to mitigate the radiated field emission is examined. The proposed model confirms that the De-Cap Fence changes the resonance mode and frequency of the plane cavity, and reduces the radiated field emission
Buck or boost tracking power converter

A cascade of buck and boost converter is presented here. The control operates in a manner that the converter is either in buck or boost (BOB) mode on a cycle by cycle basis. It transitions between the modes seamlessly to provide a tracking power conversion function for modulating the power supply of a variable envelope radio frequency (RF) power amplifier. The control algorithm and its implementation using switched capacitor circuits is described. Simulation and measured experimental results including converter efficiency, tracking accuracy, and spectrum at the output of the RF power amplifier are provided. This control technique allows seamless transition between the buck and boost modes while tracking RF envelopes with bandwidth greater than 100 kHz, and maintaining extreme accuracy and extremely low ripple. The efficiency of this converter operating at 1.68 MHz is close to 90% over a wide range of conversion ratios. The area of the power converter is extremely small allowing this to be integrated into a cellular telephone. The controller was integrated as part of a larger power management IC as well as a discrete IC.
The complex between a four‐way DNA junction and T7 endonuclease I

The junction‐resolving enzyme endonuclease I is selective for the structure of the DNA four‐way (Holliday) junction. The enzyme binds to a four‐way junction in two possible orientations, with a 4:1 ratio, opening the DNA structure at the centre and changing the global structure into a 90° cross of approximately coaxial helices. The nuclease cleaves the continuous strands of the junction in each orientation. Binding leads to pronounced regions of protection of the DNA against hydroxyl radical attack. Using all this information together with the known structure of the enzyme and the structure of the BglI–DNA complex, we have constructed a model of the complex of endonuclease I and a DNA junction. This shows how the enzyme is selective for the structure of a four‐way junction, such that both continuous strands can be accommodated into the two active sites so that a productive resolution event is possible.
Genetic analysis of the chitinase system of Serratia marcescens 2170

To carry out a genetic analysis of the degradation and utilization of chitin by Serratia marcescens 2170, various Tn5 insertion mutants with characteristic defects in chitinase production were isolated and partially characterized. Prior to the isolation of the mutants, proteins secreted into culture medium in the presence of chitin were analyzed. Four chitinases, A, B, C1, and C2, among other proteins, were detected in the culture supernatant of S. marcescens 2170. All four chitinases and a 21-kDa protein (CBP21) lacking chitinase activity showed chitin binding activity. Cloning and sequencing analysis of the genes encoding chitinases A and B of strain 2170 revealed extensive similarities to those of other strains of S. marcescens described previously. Tn5 insertion mutagenesis of strain 2170 was carried out, and mutants which formed altered clearing zones of colloidal chitin were selected. The obtained mutants were divided into five classes as follows: mutants with (i) no clearing zones, (ii) fuzzy clearing zones, (iii) large clearing zones, (iv) delayed clearing zones, and (v) small clearing zones. Preliminary characterization suggested that some of these mutants have defects in chitinase excretion, a negatively regulating mechanism of chitinase gene expression, an essential factor for chitinase gene expression, and a structural gene for a particular chitinase. These mutants could allow researchers to identify the genes involved in the degradation and utilization of chitin by S. marcescens 2170.
Purification and Identification of Natural Chemokines

A novel family of chemotactic cytokines or chemokines, essential for the directed migration of leukocytes to sites of inflammation, has been identified during the past decade. To obtain microgram amounts of natural chemokines, normal (e.g., freshly isolated leukocytes, connective tissue cell cultures) or malignant cell lines have to be selectively induced with endogenous (cytokines) or exogenous (bacterial, viral, or plant) products. We have developed a four-step procedure that allows for the complete purification of active C-C (MCP-1, MCP-2, MCP-3, RANTES, MIP-1alpha and MIP-1beta) and C-X-C (IL-8, GRO-alpha, GRO-beta, GRO-gamma, GCP-2, ENA-78, IP-10, PF-4, and CTAPIII/betaTG/NAP-2) chemokines from bulk volumes of culture supernatant. This method is applicable for the isolation of recombinant chemokines. Conditioned medium was first concentrated and partially purified on silicic acid or controlled pore glass beads. Further purification to homogeneity was achieved using heparin-Sepharose or antibody affinity chromatography, cation exchange FPLC, and reverse-phase HPLC. Purification of chemokines was monitored by testing column fractions for biological (chemotaxis) or immuno (RIA, ELISA) activity and protein content (SDS-PAGE). Homogeneous proteins were identified by amino-terminal or internal protein sequence analysis.