Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vibrotactile thresholds of the Non-Pacinian I channel: I. Methodological issues

Thresholds of the Non-Pacinian I (NP I) channel were measured using a two-interval forced-choice paradigm, a technique independent of the subject's criterion. The studies were performed using the terminal phalanx of the human middle finger with a 40-Hz vibratory stimulus. Unlike most of the previous experiments performed in our laboratory, a contactor surround was not used. This was done to enable comparison with population models of mechanoreceptive fibers in the literature. Since the Pacinian (P) channel and NP I channel have similar vibrotactile thresholds at 40 Hz, a forward-masking procedure was used to elevate the thresholds of the P channel with respect to the NP I channel. While it has been established that the Pacinian fibers are entrained at high stimulus levels, the P channel can be perceptually masked using a 250-Hz stimulus presented prior to the 40-Hz test stimulus. The masking functions were found to be approximately linear on log-log axes and the threshold shifts were found to increase as the masking-stimulus levels increased. The results are discussed in relation to previous studies that were performed at various stimulation sites by using a contactor surround or not. A companion paper presents the variation of NP I-channel thresholds, measured using the methods described herein, and addresses the effects of stimulation along the proximo-distal axis of the phalanx. The companion paper also discusses the predictions of a computational model, recently proposed, in light of the empirical results presented.
Demonstration that IgG memory is carried by IgG‐bearing cells

Memory B cells which give rise to JgG antibody‐producing cells were generally assumed to be IgG‐bearing cells. However, recent studies indicating that very few IgG‐bearing cells exist in lymphoid tissue brought this assumption into question. In this study, we examined directly the question whether IgG‐bearing cells contain functional precursors of IgG antibody‐producing cells. Using the adoptive secondary immune response, we demonstrated that Ig‐1b‐bearing cells, isolated with the fluorescence‐activated cell sorter (FACS), are the functional precursors of Ig‐1b‐producing cells. Further, we have enriched IgG2 and IgG1 memory B cells using the FACS. The results show that IgG2‐bearing cells are the functional precursors of the IgG2 antibody‐producing cells. Likewise, the IgG1‐bearing cells are the functional precursors of IgG1 antibody‐producing cells. Thus, IgG memory cells have surface IgG which indicates the class and allotype commitment of the memory cell and its progeny antibody‐forming cells.
Diversity of nitrite reductase genes (nirS) in the denitrifying water column of the coastal Arabian Sea

Denitrification often occurs in the water column, underlying zones of intense productiv- ity and decomposition in upwelling regions. In the denitrifying zone off the southwest coast of India, high concentrations of nitrite (>15 µM) and nitrous oxide (>500 nM) have been reported near the sediment-water interface (<80 m). We investigated the chemical and molecular indicators of denitri- fication along the southwest coast of India during the southwest monsoon season of October 2001. Nitrite reduction to nitric oxide is the key step in the denitrification pathway, and is catalyzed by the enzyme nitrite reductase, which is encoded by the genes nirS and nirK. Here we report the diversity and distribution of nirS genes in relation to nitrite and nitrate distribution in the Arabian Sea coastal denitrifying region. nirS gene fragments were PCR-amplified, cloned, and sequenced from DNA extracted from the water column. Clone libraries were also subjected to restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and rarefaction analyses. These are the first nitrite reductase sequences reported from a water column denitrifying regime. nirS was amplified from DNA extracted from all water samples in which nitrite was present at high concentrations within the low oxygen waters, but was only rarely amplified from waters containing hydrogen sulfide or from well-oxygenated waters. Phylogenetic analysis grouped 132 nirS Arabian Sea sequences into 12 major clusters. Most of the nirS sequences from the coastal water column did not show a high level of identity with other nirS sequences previously reported from marine and estuarine sediments. Identities of the Arabian Sea sequences to those in the public database ranged from 44 to 99% at the amino acid level. The domi- nant sequence type from 1 surface sample showed 99% identity to the nirS sequence of the cultivated denitrifier Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Rarefaction analysis, based on both sequence and RFLP data, indicated the highest diversity in a sample in which relatively high nitrite concentrations implied the presence of active denitrification, and the lowest diversity in a surface sample where nitrite was undetectable, suggesting a link between functional diversity and ecosystem chemistry.
Spinal cord injury without radiologic abnormality in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Spinal cord injury in children is associated with severe morbidity and immense socioeconomic burden. In spinal cord injury without radiologic abnormalities (SCIWORA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can detect intramedullary or extramedullary pathologies or show absence of neuroimaging abnormalities. However, the prognostic and therapeutic consequences of specific MRI patterns are unclear. A comprehensive systematic literature search was performed to examine patient characteristics and imaging patterns of pediatric SCIWORA and to evaluate the prognostic value of a MRI-based classification system. METHODS MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Google Scholar were searched for studies on SCIWORA in children. Inclusion criteria were (1) traumatic spinal cord injury with acute neurologic deficit, (2) absence of fractures and/or dislocations of the spine, and (3) an immature skeleton or age of less than 18 years. MRI patterns and clinical course were correlated. RESULTS Forty articles reporting 114 patients were identified. At admission, neurologic deficit assessed by the American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale was A in 28%, B in 17%, C in 31%, and D in 25%. At final follow-up, these were 19%, 6%, 10%, and 16%, respectively. In 43%, no MRI abnormalities (Type I) were detected, and 57% exhibited abnormal scan results (Type II): 6% revealed extraneural (Type IIa), 38% intraneural (Type IIb), and 13% combined abnormalities (Type IIc). At admission and follow-up, American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale differed significantly between the imaging types. CONCLUSION This systematic review emphasizes the prognostic value of spinal MRI for children with SCIWORA. It highlights the role of the MRI classification system in improving the comparability and interpretability. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Systematic review, level IV.
Improving search in Wikipedia through quality and concept discovery

We investigate two complementary approaches to improving Wikipedia’s search engine, each of which takes advantage of community efforts to ensure that the encyclopedia is tagged for quality and maintains a rich and highly coherent link structure. Using the Random Forest (RF) classifier [1], we attempt to predict community ratings of quality using surface-level features. The benefit of RF is that we can analyze the classifier’s decision making process in order to determine the features underlying quality and derive a ranking based on these decisions. We use Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) [2] to infer the topic structure underlying the encyclopedia and use those topics to not only predict quality, but to improve recall through pseudo-relevance feedback and clustering on top of the vector space model. While we are able to achieve modest performance in classification and extract interesting decision weights from RF, we find that the present rating scheme at Wikipedia lacks the distinctiveness necessary to use these quality heuristics in document ranking. We further find that the latent topics derived from LDA are just as good if not better at predicting community ratings, and that the same topics used in prediction can be used to improve a qualitative assessment of recall in search.
Enhanced Decoupled Double Synchronous Reference Frame Current Controller for Unbalanced Grid-Voltage Conditions

In the last few years, restrictive grid codes have arisen to ensure the performance and stability of electrical networks, which experience a massive integration of renewable energy sources and distributed generation systems that are normally connected to the grid through electronic power converters. In these codes, the injection of positive- and negative-sequence current components becomes necessary for fulfilling, among others, the low-voltage ride-through requirements during balanced and unbalanced grid faults. However, the performance of classical dq current controllers, applied to power converters, under unbalanced grid-voltage conditions is highly deficient, due to the unavoidable appearance of current oscillations. This paper analyzes the performance of the double synchronous reference frame controller and improves its structure by adding a decoupling network for estimating and compensating the undesirable current oscillations. Experimental results will demonstrate the validity of the proposed decoupled DSRF controller.
Asymptomatic Herpes Simplex Virus Infection in Iranian Mothers and Their Newborns

ABSTRACT This study aims to determine the prevalence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection among pregnant women as well as congenital infection of their newborns in Tehran. One hundred samples of blood sera from pregnant women were analyzed for the presence of HSV specific antibodies. Umbilical cord blood samples from the newborns were analyzed for the presence of HSV DNA using real-time PCR. HSV IgG and IgM antibodies were found in 97% and 2% of pregnant women, respectively. Of all the 100 cord blood samples, 6 were positive for HSV DNA in which 2 cases were from mothers who had detectable IgM. It was notable that all corresponding mothers of six HSV positive infants had detectable IgG antibodies in their sera. It was demonstrated that the presence of HSV DNA in cord blood of newborns could be a risk marker for maternal-fetal transmission of the virus in asymptomatic pregnant women.
Reversal of Parenteral Nutrition–Associated Liver Disease in Two Infants With Short Bowel Syndrome Using Parenteral Fish Oil: Implications for Future Management

Here we report the reversal of cholestasis in 2 infants with intestinal failure and parenteral nutrition–associated liver disease. Treatment involved the substitution of a conventional intravenous fat emulsion with one containing primarily omega-3 fatty acids. Biochemical tests of liver function improved significantly. One child was removed from the liver transplantation list because of improved hepatic function, and the second child had complete resolution of cholestasis while solely on parenteral nutrition. This suggests that fat emulsions made from fish oils may be an effective means of treating and preventing this often-fatal condition. A randomized, controlled trial is necessary to study the efficacy of this new approach to parenteral nutrition–associated liver disease.
Modeling of a series hybrid excited synchronous structure using two different hybrid analytical models

The aim of this contribution is to compare two hybrid analytical models for the study of a series hybrid excited synchronous structure performance. Hybrid excited synchronous machines, due to their advantageous characteristics and performance, are good candidates in a large variety of applications. The goal of this study is to address two problems related to the use of analytical models for design and analysis purposes. The first is to find methods helping to overcome numerical problems met when analytical models based on the formal resolution of Maxwell's equations are used for the analysis and design of series double excitation machines. The second goal is to find methods allowing speeding up of the pre-design and analysis of series double excitation machines.
Clinimetrics: the science of clinical measurements

‘Clinimetrics’ is the term introduced by Alvan R. Feinstein in the early 1980s to indicate a domain concerned with indexes, rating scales and other expressions that are used to describe or measure symptoms, physical signs and other clinical phenomena. Clinimetrics has a set of rules that govern the structure of indexes, the choice of component variables, the evaluation of consistency, validity and responsiveness. This review illustrates how clinimetrics may help expanding the narrow range of information that is currently used in clinical science. It will focus on characteristics and types of clinimetric indexes and their current use. The clinimetric perspective provides an intellectual home for clinical judgment, whose implementation is likely to improve outcomes both in clinical research and practice.
Calibration of blood pressure data after replacement of the standard mercury sphygmomanometer by an oscillometric device and concurrent change of cuffs

Oscillometric blood pressure (BP) measurement devices are increasingly replacing standard mercury sphygmomanometers and generalizability of validation studies to other environments, for example, national survey environments, is assumed. We compared BP measurements according to two highly standardized German national survey BP protocols: a standard mercury sphygmomanometer and an oscillometric device, Datascope Accutorr Plus, each with specific manufacturer-provided cuffs and cuff-selection rules. A sample of 105 adults were subjected to alternate same-arm BP measurements according to the principles of the International Protocol revision 2010 for the validation of BP-measuring devices in adults of the European Society of Hypertension. In all, 315 BP measurement pairs were obtained. The mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were higher by the standard mercury old protocol and increased with BP, age, and pulse pressure, and were associated with the ratios of the cuff width to the arm circumference. The mean systolic difference (datascope new protocol−standard mercury old protocol) in participants with old protocol: for SBP<120 was −3.5±4.9 mmHg (n=162), for SBP 120–139 (n=108) was −6.4±5.8 mmHg, and for SBP≥140 (n=45) was −11.9±7.2 mmHg. For DBP<80/80–89/≥90 in 230/67/18 participants, the differences were −1.9±5.0/−6.8±5.9/−7.6±5.2 mmHg. A calibration formula for SBP derived from linear regression modeling includes SBP, sex, age, pulse pressure, and the difference in the cuff-width to arm-circumference ratios for the two devices (for DBP without age). Our study suggests that even in a highly standardized national survey environment, reported agreement from validation studies may not be replicable and comparisons in the specific clinical or research setting can be useful before replacing the mercury device completely.
A novel and conserved salt‐induced protein is an important determinant of salt tolerance in yeast.

We have isolated a novel yeast gene, HAL1, which upon overexpression improves growth under salt stress. In addition, disruption of this gene decreases salt tolerance. Therefore HAL1 constitutes a rate‐limiting determinant for halotolerance. It encodes a polar protein of 32 kDa located in the yeast cytoplasm and unrelated to sequences in data banks. The expression of this gene is increased by high concentrations of either NaCl, KCl or sorbitol. On the other hand, the growth advantage obtained by overexpression of HAL1 is specific for NaCl stress. In cells overexpressing HAL1, sodium toxicity seems to be counteracted by an increased accumulation of potassium. The HAL1 protein could interact with the transport systems which determine intracellular K+ homeostasis. The HAL1 gene and encoded protein are conserved in plants, being induced in these organisms by salt stress and abscisic acid. These results suggest that yeast serves as a convenient model system for the molecular biology of plant salt tolerance.
Activation of autologous leukemia‐specific T cells in acute myeloid leukemia: monocyte‐derived dendritic cells cocultured with leukemic blasts compared with leukemia‐derived dendritic cells

In acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts can be differentiated into dendritic cell (DC) like cells (AML‐DC). These cells have a mature DC‐like phenotype, are strong stimulators in mixed leukocyte reactions and can be used to generate leukemia‐specific cytotoxic T cells. However, recent reports about naturally existing leukemic DC with immunoregulatory dysfunctions in peripheral blood of AML patients caused concerns about the use of AML‐DC for therapeutic purposes.
Looking at an Oft-Overlooked Part of the Eye: A New Perspective on Ciliary Body Development in Chick

The ciliary body is an essential tissue for the development and homeostasis of the vertebrate eye. Embryonically, the epithelial portion of the ciliary body derives from the neuroepithelium of the optic cup, however, it differentiates into a secretory tissue and produces an aqueous humor that sustains the lens and cornea, and maintains the requisite pressure within the orb. The unique differentiation of this portion of the optic cup is little understood. This article reviews what is known about the development of the ciliary body and presents some preliminary findings that may lead to a new model for the formation of the ciliary body.
Urinary excretion half-life of delta 1-tetrahydrocannabinol-7-oic acid in heavy marijuana users after smoking.

The urinary excretion of the total amount of delta 1-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 1-THC) metabolites, with special emphasis on delta 1-tetrahydrocannabinol-7-oic acid (delta 1-THC-7-oic acid), was studied in thirteen heavy Cannabis users after smoking administration of delta 1-THC, followed by a four week discontinuation period. The total amount of delta 1-THC metabolites and the levels of delta 1-THC-7-oic acid could be followed up to 25 days after abstinence using EMIT d.a. u. cannabinoid assay and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The urinary excretion half-life, calculated from the concentrations of delta 1-THC-7-oic acid versus time, ranged from 0.8-9.8 days with a mean (+/- SD) of 3.0 +/- 2.3 days. Most of the delta 1-THC-7-oic acid was excreted as conjugate and only trace amounts of unconjugated delta 1-THC-7-oic acid were detected. The total concentrations of delta 1-THC-7-oic acid in urine were compared to the concentrations of "cross-reacting cannabinoids", within the linear range of 20-75 ng/mL, obtained in the semiquantitative EMIT d.a. u. cannabinoid assay. The average ratio of "EMIT concentrations"/delta 1-THC-7-oic acid concentrations obtained by HPLC analysis was 1.23 +/- 84% (C.V.) for 78 urine samples. A total of 83% of the samples with positive EMIT levels (cutoff 20 ng/mL) was confirmed by HPLC analysis (cutoff 7 ng/mL).
Comparing the Use of Feature Structures in Nativism and in Database Semantics

Linguistics has always been a field with a great diversity of schools and sub-schools. This has naturally led to the question of whether different grammatical analyses of the same sentence are in fact equivalent or not. With the formalization of grammars as generative rule systems, beginning with the “Chomsky revolution” in the late nineteen fifties, it became possible to answer such questions in those fortunate instances in which the competing analyses were sufficiently formalized. An early example is the comparison of Context-Free Phrase Structure Grammar (CF-PSG) and Bidirectional Categorial Grammar (BCG), which were shown to be weakly equivalent by Gaifman 1961. More recently, the question arose with respect to the language classes and the complexity hierarchies of Phrase Structure Grammar (PS-grammar) and of Left-Associative Grammar (LA-grammar), which were shown to be orthogonal to each other (TCS'92). Here we apply the question to the use of feature structures in contemporary schools of Nativism on the one hand, and in Database Semantics (DBS) on the other. The practical purpose is to determine whether or not the grammatical analyses of Nativism based on constituent structure can be used in Database Semantics.
Depression and anxiety through the climacteric period: An epidemiological study (HUNT-II)

Aim. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of anxious and depressive symptoms related to menstruational status in a large community sample. Method. In the HUNT-II study all adults in Nord-Trøndelag County of Norway were asked about demographic factors, lifestyle, physical symptoms and somatic diseases, a total of 94 197 persons. Anxious and depressive symptoms were recorded by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Of female persons invited aged 35–60 years (N = 19 677), 16 080 (82%) took part. The menstruation status were defined as pre-, peri- and postmenopausal periods, calculated as the time period from last menstruation to examination date. Results. There was a significantly higher score on depression and anxiety in the peri- and the postmenopausal period compared to the premenopausal period. Comparing the postmenopausal period with the perimenopausal period, the score for depressive symptoms was somewhat higher while the score for anxious symptoms was somewhat lower. These differences did not reach significance. Conclusion. There was a general effect of age on the scores on HADS-D. For scores on HADS-A there was a peak in the score in the perimenopausal period, indicating a high degree of anxiety symptoms in this time period which is especially connected to fluctuations in the serum level of gonadal hormones.
Trauma history as a predictor of psychologic symptoms in women with breast cancer.

PURPOSE To identify predictors of psychiatric problems in women with early-stage breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS One hundred sixty women with early-stage breast cancer were recruited from three treatment centers. They filled out self-report questionnaires, including a medical history and demographic survey, the Trauma History Questionnaire, Life Event Questionnaire, Brief Symptom Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, and Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire, and were evaluated using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R. RESULTS Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that four of five variable sets made a significant incremental contribution to outcome prediction, with 35% to 37% of the variance explained. Outcomes were predicted by demographic variables, trauma history variables, precancer psychiatric diagnosis, recent life events, and perceived social support. Cancer treatment variables did not predict outcome. CONCLUSION The findings highlight the important roles of trauma history and recent life events in adjustment to cancer and have implications for screening and treatment.