Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Roles of Glutamate Receptor δ2 Subunit (GluRδ2) and Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Subtype 1 (mGluR1) in Climbing Fiber Synapse Elimination during Postnatal Cerebellar Development

Climbing fiber (CF) synapse formation onto cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) is critically dependent on the synaptogenesis from parallel fibers (PFs), the other input to PCs. Previous studies revealed that deletion of the glutamate receptor δ2 subunit (GluRδ2) gene results in persistent multiple CF innervation of PCs with impaired PF synaptogenesis, whereas mutation of the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 1 (mGluR1) gene causes multiple CF innervation with normal PF synaptogenesis. We demonstrate that atypical CF-mediated EPSCs (CF-EPSCs) with slow rise times and small amplitudes coexisted with typical CF-EPSCs with fast rise times and large amplitudes in PCs from GluRδ2 mutant cerebellar slices. CF-EPSCs in mGluR1 mutant and wild-type PCs had fast rise times. Atypical slow CF responses of GluRδ2 mutant PCs were associated with voltage-dependent Ca2+ signals that were confined to PC distal dendrites. In the wild-type and mGluR1 mutant PCs, CF-induced Ca2+ signals involved both proximal and distal dendrites. Morphologically, CFs of GluRδ2 mutant mice extended to the superficial regions of the molecular layer, whereas those of wild-type and mGluR1 mutant mice did not innervate the superficial one-fifth of the molecular layer. It is therefore likely that surplus CFs of GluRδ2 mutant mice form ectopic synapses onto distal dendrites, whereas those of wild-type and mGluR1 mutant mice innervate proximal dendrites. These findings suggest that GluRδ2 is required for consolidating PF synapses and restricting CF synapses to the proximal dendrites, whereas the mGluR1-signaling pathway does not affect PF synaptogenesis but is involved in eliminating surplus CF synapses at the proximal dendrites.
The Narcotrend Index Indicates Age-Related Changes During Propofol Induction in Children

BACKROUND: The Narcotrend® electr oencephalogram monitor is designed to measure hypnotic state during anesthesia. We performed this study to evaluate the effectiveness and reliability of the Narcotrend monitor in assessing hypnotic state and loss of consciousness (LOC) during propofol anesthesia induction in children. METHODS: Sixty-two children, aged 1–5 (n = 17), 6–12 (n = 23), and 13–16 (n = 21) yr, scheduled for elective surgery were studied. The patients were premedicated with oral midazolam 0.5 mg/kg. After IV access, propofol target controlled infusion (TCI) was started with 0.5 &mgr;g/mL and increased by 0.5 &mgr;g/mL increments every 2 min until the child did not respond to any verbal command or physical stimuli. A manual scheme was used for children weighing <15 kg. Hypnotic state was measured every minute from the start of the propofol infusion using the University of Michigan Sedation Scale (UMSS). LOC was defined as a transition of UMSS scale value 2 to 3. The Narcotrend index (NI) was recorded before the start of induction and during the whole study period. NI values were noted simultaneously, yet independently of the sedation measurements. Prediction probability (PK) was used to assess the correspondence between NI and UMSS. Sensitivity and specificity of NI for differentiating between consciousness and unconsciousness were calculated. NI values at specific UMSS levels were compared between the different age groups and the relationships between TCI propofol concentrations and sedation levels were assessed using correlation analysis. RESULTS: A PK-value of 0.84 (95% CI [0.80–0.88]) of NI was calculated from the data for the detection of LOC. Similarly, a PK value of 0.82 (95% CI [0.78–0.86]) indicated agreement between NI and UMSS values. The average NI values differed between successive UMSS sedation levels 0 and 1 and levels 1 and 2 (P < 0.01). In the youngest age group, the NI discriminated between UMSS levels 2 and 3, in the second age group between levels 1 and 2 and 2 and 3, and in the oldest age group between 0 and 1. Furthermore, the NI values differed significantly between age groups at UMSS levels 1–4 (P < 0.005), with the NI values being higher in younger compared with older children. The average NI value at LOC was 68. For the detection of consciousness, a sensitivity of 0.67 and specificity of 0.79 were achieved. Spearman correlation coefficients indicated higher association between TCI propofol concentrations and UMSS (0.96) than between NI and UMSS (−0.68). CONCLUSIONS: During propofol induction in children, the Narcotrend electroencephalogram monitor was capable of following changes in the sedation level of children to some extent, but also had a relatively high probability (0.18) of incorrectly predicting changes in conscious state. Therefore, the monitor should not solely be used to guide sedation and anesthesia. NI was age-dependent and younger children had higher NI-values than older children at the same level of sedation.
Expression of Cytokines by Recombinant Vaccinia Viruses: A Model for Studying Cytokines in Virus Infections in vivo

Host defence against virus infection occurs in three distinct but sometimes interacting phases: innate resistance that is non-inducible and immediate; an early, inducible phase that is largely antigen non-specific; and a relatively late T celldependent phase that is inducible, highly antigen-specific and generates immunological memory (Janeway 1988, 1989). Natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages are active participants in the innate and early, interferon-inducible phases of the response (reviewed in Welsh 1986) and begin to exert their antiviral function before the generation of antigen-specific immune responses, namely antibody and cytotoxic T cells (CTL). The latter are generally believed to be crucial in the control of and recovery from most primary viral infections (Blanden 1971a, b, 1974).
One more bit is enough

Achieving efficient and fair bandwidth allocation while minimizing packet loss in high bandwidth-delay product networks has long been a daunting challenge. Existing end-to-end congestion control (eg TCP) and traditional congestion notification schemes (eg TCP+AQM/ECN) have significant limitations in achieving this goal. While the recently proposed XCP protocol addresses this challenge, XCP requires multiple bits to encode the congestion-related information exchanged between routers and end-hosts. Unfortunately, there is no space in the IP header for these bits, and solving this problem involves a non-trivial and time-consuming standardization process.In this paper, we design and implement a simple, low-complexity protocol, called Variable-structure congestion Control Protocol (VCP), that leverages only the existing two ECN bits for network congestion feedback, and yet achieves comparable performance to XCP, ie high utilization, low persistent queue length, negligible packet loss rate, and reasonable fairness. On the downside, VCP converges significantly slower to a fair allocation than XCP. We evaluate the performance of VCP using extensive ns2 simulations over a wide range of network scenarios. To gain insight into the behavior of VCP, we analyze a simple fluid model, and prove a global stability result for the case of a single bottleneck link shared by flows with identical round-trip times.
The workplace as an arena for universal alcohol prevention--what can we expect? An evaluation of a short educational intervention.

BACKGROUND The workplace is repeatedly being referred to as an appropriate arena for alcohol prevention and dissemination of information. Whether the pressure on employers to work with prevention is realistic or if these kinds of measures have any potential in real life is however rarely discussed. An alcohol education at a company in Sweden was to be evaluated in terms of effectiveness and this study reports the findings. OBJECTIVE The primary aim of this study was to evaluate whether an alcohol education program provided to all employees at a company in Stockholm, Sweden had any effect on alcohol consumption and alcohol-related knowledge. The increasing pressure on employers to work with alcohol prevention and on the concurrent problems of implementing and evaluating these types of interventions in real life is reviewed. METHODS Pre- and post-test questionnaires were employed in a quasi-experimental design using a sample of convenience from two companies: one intervention and one control. Data was analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA-tests focused on the participants' AUDIT-scores, frequency of binge drinking and alcohol-related knowledge. RESULTS Significant improvement in the employees' alcohol-related knowledge was shown, but there were no significant effects on alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS Results of this study confirms most previous findings, but also raises the importance of considering the value of educating all employees and the willingness of employers to initiate preventive measures. Evaluating interventions of this kind is complicated, and it is also difficult to find results showing behavioural change in populations whose alcohol consumption is moderate.
Evaluation of the Washington State Workers' Compensation Managed Care Pilot Project II: medical and disability costs.

OBJECTIVES This study examined the effect of managed care on medical and disability costs as part of an evaluation of the Washington State Workers' Compensation Managed Care Pilot (MCP). METHODS One hundred twenty firms (7,041 employees) agreed to have their injured workers treated in managed care plans. Managed care introduced two changes from the fee-for-service (FFS) delivery system currently used by injured workers in Washington State: experience- rated capitation and a primary occupational medicine delivery network. The FFS control group included injured workers employed at 392 firms (12,000 employees). Medical and disability costs were compared for 1,058 injuries in the managed care group and 1,159 injuries in the FFS group occurring between April 1995 and June 1996. Univariate and multivariate statistical methods were used to analyze the effects of managed care on medical and disability costs. RESULTS The mean unadjusted medical cost per injury ($587) for the managed care group was 21.5% lower (P = 0.06) than for the FFS group ($748). Adjustment for differences in worker and firm-level characteristics through multivariate analysis had little effect on the unadjusted results, except that the difference in costs between managed care and FFS groups became statistically significant (P<0.01). The major cost differences were for outpatient surgery (cost per surgery) and ancillary services (pharmacy, x-ray, physical therapy, and all other costs). In addition, disability costs, particularly percent on time loss and time-loss cost per injury, were significantly lower (P<0.01) in the managed care group. CONCLUSIONS The results from the MCP suggest that substantial savings in workers' compensation medical and disability costs may be realized using the type of managed care intervention designed for this study. Delivering occupational health services through managed care arrangements whose design is based on an integrated, occupational health-centered delivery model may offer a viable approach for improving delivery systems, reducing costs and encouraging greater attention to disability prevention.
Hydra: a decentralised group key management

Hydra is a scaleable decentralised architecture to create and distribute symmetric cryptographic keys to large multicast-based groups. The group is divided into a number of TTL-scoped regions in order to achieve flexible and efficient key management, particularly in face of group membership changes. Hydra does not employ a manager for subgroup managers, and hence, it is not vulnerable to failures of single entities.
Postpneumonectomy syndrome: recognition and management.

STUDY OBJECTIVE Postpneumonectomy syndrome (PPS) results from extreme shift and rotation of the mediastinum after pneumonectomy producing symptomatic proximal airway obstruction and air trapping. Herein, we review our experience in the treatment of PPS. PATIENTS Five patients with PPS were treated at our institution between 1991 and 1997. Four patients had previous right pneumonectomy; one patient had left pneumonectomy. Dyspnea was the presenting symptom in all five patients. The time interval to onset of symptoms and to surgical correction ranged from 6 months to 9 years (median: 6 months) and 9 months to 29 years (median, 21 months) after pneumonectomy, respectively. INTERVENTION The clinical diagnosis of PPS was confirmed with chest radiograph, two-dimensional echocardiography, pulmonary function tests, CT scan, and awake fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Correction of PPS required reexploration of the pneumonectomy space followed by anterior pericardiorrhaphy and insertion of a saline solution-filled Silastic prosthesis (Dow Corning; Midland, MI) for the purpose of correcting the overshift of the mediastinum. There was no morbidity or mortality. RESULTS All patients had relief of dyspnea. Corrective repositioning of the mediastinum was confirmed by chest radiograph, CT scan, and awake fiberoptic bronchoscopy. There was a mean increase in the cross-sectional diameter, as measured by CT scan, of the obstructed bronchus by 166.7% (range, 100 to 300%) in four patients. One patient had no change in the measured diameter. Postoperatively, the peak expiratory flow rate increased by a mean of 44.2% (range, 40 to 49%) in all five patients. CONCLUSION The presence of PPS should be considered in all patients presenting with progressive dyspnea after pneumonectomy. Repositioning of the mediastinum with a saline solution-filled prosthesis and anterior pericardiorrhaphy is easily performed and provides immediate and lasting symptomatic relief.
Directional tuning interactions between moving oriented and textured stimuli in complex cells of feline striate cortex.

In sixty‐five complex cells recorded from striate cortex of lightly anaesthetized, paralysed cats we investigated directional selectivity for motion of oriented and textured stimuli, both alone and when moving simultaneously in the same direction and at the same velocity. Monocular comparisons were made over a range of velocities for the dominant eye in all cells, and for the other eye in fourteen instances. For oriented stimuli, response magnitude varied with velocity, but preferred directions(s) and sharpness of tuning remained constant. For background texture motion, directional selectivity was typically unimodal at low velocities, but became increasingly bimodal at high velocities: a trough of depressed response (in directions optimal for oriented stimuli) separated two progressively more widely disparate preferred directions. Preferred velocity and velocity bandpass were typically higher for texture than for bar motion. Directional tuning interactions revealed no important class‐ or layer‐specific differences and were similar for each monocular input. Results for bar and texture combinations moving in unison could not be predicted from selectivity for each stimulus alone. At all velocities they closely resembled those for bar motion alone. Tuning curves for the combination stimulus were only marginally broader than those for oriented stimuli: much sharper and totally different in profile from those for texture. It is concluded that an oriented stimulus in motion induces potent blockade of complex‐cell sensitivity to moving textured backgrounds. Complex cells insensitive to relative motion between objects and backgrounds (Hammond & Smith, 1982a, 1983b) may thus be excellent candidates for resolving motion of objects regardless of the context in which they are seen.
A Simple Method for Evaluating Within Sample Prognostic Balance Achieved by Published Comorbidity Summary Measures.

OBJECTIVE To demonstrate how a researcher can investigate the appropriateness of a published comorbidity summary measure for use with a given sample. DATA SOURCE Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results linked to Medicare claims data. STUDY DESIGN We examined Kaplan-Meier estimated survival curves for four diseases within strata of a comorbidity summary measure, the Charlson Comorbidity Index. DATA COLLECTION We identified individuals with early-stage kidney cancer diagnosed from 1995 to 2009. We recorded comorbidities present in the year before diagnosis. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The use of many comorbidity summary measures is valid under appropriate conditions. One condition is that the relationships of the comorbidities with the outcome of interest in a researcher's own population are comparable to the relationships in a published algorithm's population. The original comorbidity weights from the Charlson Comorbidity Index seemed adequate for three of the diseases in our sample. We found evidence that the Charlson Comorbidity Index might underestimate the impact of one disease in our sample. CONCLUSION Examination of survival curves within strata defined by a comorbidity summary measure can be a useful tool for determining whether a published method appropriately accounts for comorbidities. A comorbidity score is only as good as those variables included.
The Construction of The Facial Expression Video Database

In recent years, we pay attention to the facial expressions which can show the intentions of the speakers unconsciously, and we are trying to presuppose the emotions by using those expressions. In order to further the research, we need a great deal of expression data. However there is a little kinds of expression data and available in the research. Moreover those data are always in the picture type but not the video type that we want. Therefore, we built an facial expression video database in which a lot of expression data had been filled. This paper introduces the facial expression video database built by us.
Examining transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) as a treatment for hallucinations in schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE Some 25%–30% of patients with schizophrenia have auditory verbal hallucinations that are refractory to antipsychotic drugs. Outcomes in studies of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation suggest the possibility that application of transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) with inhibitory stimulation over the left temporo-parietal cortex and excitatory stimulation over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex could affect hallucinations and negative symptoms, respectively. The authors investigated the efficacy of tDCS in reducing the severity of auditory verbal hallucinations as well as negative symptoms. METHOD Thirty patients with schizophrenia and medication-refractory auditory verbal hallucinations were randomly allocated to receive 20 minutes of active 2-mA tDCS or sham stimulation twice a day on 5 consecutive weekdays. The anode was placed over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the cathode over the left temporo-parietal cortex. RESULTS Auditory verbal hallucinations were robustly reduced by tDCS relative to sham stimulation, with a mean diminution of 31% (SD=14; d=1.58, 95% CI=0.76–2.40). The beneficial effect on hallucinations lasted for up to 3 months. The authors also observed an amelioration with tDCS of other symptoms as measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (d=0.98, 95% CI=0.22–1.73), especially for the negative and positive dimensions. No effect was observed on the dimensions of disorganization or grandiosity/excitement. CONCLUSIONS Although this study is limited by the small sample size, the results show promise for treating refractory auditory verbal hallucinations and other selected manifestations of schizophrenia.
p38α Senses Environmental Stress To Control Innate Immune Responses via Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin

The MAPK p38α senses environmental stressors and orchestrates inflammatory and immunomodulatory reactions. However, the molecular mechanism how p38α controls immunomodulatory responses in myeloid cells remains elusive. We found that in monocytes and macrophages, p38α activated the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in vitro and in vivo. p38α signaling in myeloid immune cells promoted IL-10 but inhibited IL-12 expression via mTOR and blocked the differentiation of proinflammatory CD4+ Th1 cells. Cellular stress induced p38α-mediated mTOR activation that was independent of PI3K but dependent on the MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 and on the inhibition of tuberous sclerosis 1 and 2, a negative regulatory complex of mTOR signaling. Remarkably, p38α and PI3K concurrently modulated mTOR to balance IL-12 and IL-10 expression. Our data link p38α to mTOR signaling in myeloid immune cells that is decisive for tuning the immune response in dependence on the environmental milieu.
Optimizing adjuvant endocrine therapy in postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer: a decision analysis.

PURPOSE The optimal adjuvant endocrine strategy for postmenopausal breast cancer is unknown. Options include the antiestrogen tamoxifen, estrogen deprivation with aromatase inhibitors, and sequential therapy with tamoxifen and then an aromatase inhibitor. METHODS We developed Markov models to simulate 10-year disease-free survival among postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. The treatment strategies analyzed were 5 years of tamoxifen alone, 5 years of an aromatase inhibitor alone, and sequential treatment consisting of tamoxifen with cross over to an aromatase inhibitor at 2.5 or 5 years. Risk estimates were derived from reported randomized clinical trials. RESULTS Sequential therapy with tamoxifen followed by cross over to an aromatase inhibitor at 2.5 years yielded a modest improvement in disease-free survival compared with planned aromatase inhibitor monotherapy. At 10 years, the cross-over strategy yielded absolute disease-free survival rates of 83.7% and 67.6% for node-negative and node-positive patients, respectively, compared with 82.6% and 65.5%, respectively, for aromatase inhibitor monotherapy, which is a 6% relative risk reduction. Sequential therapy improved disease-free survival estimates by year 6 after treatment initiation. Later cross over from tamoxifen to an aromatase inhibitor at 5 years did not further improve 10-year disease-free survival estimates. Sensitivity analyses suggest that sequential treatment strategies optimized 10-year disease-free and distant disease-free survival independent of the degree of the beneficial carryover effect after aromatase inhibitor therapy or the ratio of local to distant tumor recurrence. CONCLUSION Modeling estimates suggest that sequential adjuvant therapy with tamoxifen followed by an aromatase inhibitor after 2.5 years yields improved outcomes compared with either drug alone or cross-over treatment after 5 years of tamoxifen.