Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regret-Based Decision-Making Style Acts as a Dispositional Factor in Risky Choices

People who anticipate the potential regret of one’s decisions are believed to act in a more risk-averse manner and, thus, display fewer risk-taking behaviors across many domains. We conducted two studies to investigate whether individual differences in regret-based decision-making (a) reflect a unitary cognitive-style dimension, (b) are stable over time, and (c) predict later risk-taking behavior. In Study 1, 332 participants completed a regret-based decision-making style scale (RDS) to evaluate its psychometric qualities. In Study 2, participants (N = 119) were tested on two separate occasions to assess the association between RDS and risk-taking. At Time 1, participants completed the RDS, as well as trait measures of anxiety and depression. One month later, they completed the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) and state mood (Positive/Negative affect) scales. The RDS had a sound unidimensional factorial structure and was stable over time. Further, higher reported RDS scores were significantly associated with less risk-taking on the BART, holding other variables constant. These studies suggest that individual differences in regret-based decision-making may lead to a more cautious approach to real-world risk behaviors.
Inhibition of SHIP2 activity inhibits cell migration and could prevent metastasis in breast cancer cells

ABSTRACT Metastasis of breast cancer cells to distant organs is responsible for ∼50% of breast cancer-related deaths in women worldwide. SHIP2 (also known as INPPL1) is a phosphoinositide 5-phosphatase for phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate [PI(3,4,5)P3] and phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2]. Here we show, through depletion of SHIP2 in triple negative MDA-MB-231 cells and the use of SHIP2 inhibitors, that cell migration appears to be positively controlled by SHIP2. The effect of SHIP2 on migration, as observed in MDA-MB-231 cells, appears to be mediated by PI(3,4)P2. Adhesion on fibronectin is always increased in SHIP2-depleted cells. Apoptosis measured in MDA-MB-231 cells is also increased in SHIP2-depleted cells as compared to control cells. In xenograft mice, SHIP2-depleted MDA-MB-231 cells form significantly smaller tumors than those formed by control cells and less metastasis is detected in lung sections. Our data reveal a general role for SHIP2 in the control of cell migration in breast cancer cells and a second messenger role for PI(3,4)P2 in the migration mechanism. In MDA-MB-231 cells, SHIP2 has a function in apoptosis in cells incubated in vitro and in mouse tumor-derived cells, which could account for its role on tumor growth determined in vivo. Summary: There is a general role for SHIP2 in the control of cell migration in breast cancer cells, and this protein acts through a mechanism that involves PI(3,4)P2 as a secondary messenger.
Thermally Fixed Holograms in LiNbO3

Normally recorded phase holograms in undoped LiNbO3 can be made optically stable, i.e. fixed, by heating the crystal to roughly 100°C. A detailed study of the temperature dependence of this process, coupled with conductivity measurements, suggests a model in which the fixed holograms are associated with ionic charge patterns formed by drift of thermally activated ions in the electric field pattern of the original hologram. These ions would have an activation energy of ∼ 1.1 eV and a concentration in excess of 2 × 1013 cm-3 in fair agreement with previous measurements of ionic conductivity. The room temperature conductivity of the LiNbO3 used in our experiments is concluded to be less than 10-17 Ω cm)-1.
The Propagation of Radio Waves over the Surface of the Earth and in the Upper Atmosphere

Completely general formulas are given for computing at any point above a plane earth of finite conductivity the vector electric field for a source which may be a combination of vertical and horizontal electric dipoles or a loop antenna with its axis parallel or perpendicular to the earth. As illustrations of the above general methods, formulas are derived for the ground-wave radiation from (1) a grounded vertical antenna carrying a sinusoidal current distribution and (2) elevated vertical and horizontal half-wave antennas. The "effective height" of the grounded vertical antenna is determined as a function of the ground constants, and this formula is then used to determine the effect of the ground constants on the groundwave field intensity in the neighborhood of a quarter-wave antenna. The formulas are also used to show the influence of antenna height on the attenuation of high and ultra-high frequencies. The forward tilt, i.e., Er/Ez, which occurs for the electric vector lying in the vertical plane passing through the antenna, is also easily computed from the formulas given and is shown graphically. An expression for the Poynting vector is derived, and it is shown that a part of the energy in the wave near the ground flows downward into the ground.
Frequency of in‐hospital adverse outcomes and cost utilization associated with cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator implantation in the United States

Background: The utilization of cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT‐D) has increased significantly, since its initial approval for use in selected patients with heart failure. Limited data exist as for current trends in implant‐related in‐hospital complications and cost utilization. The aim of our study was to examine in‐hospital complication rates associated with CRT‐D and their trends over the last decade.
Improving Texture-Based NPR

This paper presents a real-time procedural texturing algorithm for hatching parametrized surfaces. We expand on the concept of Tonal Art Maps to deﬁne self-similar, procedural tonal art maps that can service any required level-of-detail, allowing to zoom in on surfaces indeﬁnitely. We explore the mathematical requirements arising for hatching placement and propose algorithms for the generation of the procedural models and for real-time texturing.
Predictable Thread Coarsening

Thread coarsening on GPUs combines the work of several threads into one. We show how thread coarsening can be implemented as a fully automated compile-time optimisation that estimates the optimal coarsening factor based on a low-cost, approximate static analysis of cache line re-use and an occupancy prediction model. We evaluate two coarsening strategies on three different NVidia GPU architectures. For NVidia reduction kernels we achieve a maximum speedup of 5.08x, and for the Rodinia benchmarks we achieve a mean speedup of 1.30x over 8 of 19 kernels that were determined safe to coarsen.
Working memory in older adults declines with age, but is modulated by sex and education

Working memory (WM), which underlies the temporary storage and manipulation of information, is critical for multiple aspects of cognition and everyday life. Nevertheless, research examining WM specifically in older adults remains limited, despite the global rapid increase in human life expectancy. We examined WM in a large sample (N = 754) of healthy older adults (aged 58-89) in a non-Western population (Chinese speakers) in Taiwan, on a digit n-back task. We tested not only the influence of age itself and of load (1-back vs. 2-back) but also the effects of both sex and education, which have been shown to modulate WM abilities. Mixed-effects regression revealed that, within older adulthood, age negatively impacted WM abilities (with linear, not nonlinear, effects), as did load (worse performance at 2-back). In contrast, education level was positively associated with WM. Moreover, both age and education interacted with sex. With increasing age, males showed a steeper WM decline than females; with increasing education, females showed greater WM gains than males. Together with other findings, the evidence suggests that age, sex, and education all impact WM in older adults, but interact in particular ways. The results have both basic research and translational implications and are consistent with particular benefits from increased education for women.
Distributed Amplification

This paper presents a new principle in wide-band amplifier design. It is shown that, by an appropriate distribution of ordinary electron tubes along artificial transmission lines, it is possible to obtain amplification over much greater bandwidths than would be possible with ordinary circuits. The ordinary concept of "maximum bandwidth-gain product" does not apply to this distributed amplifier. The high-frequency limit of the distributed amplifier appears to be determined by the grid-loading effects. The distributed amplifier provides means for designing amplifiers either of the low-pass or band-pass types. The low-pass amplifiers can be made to have a uniform frequency response from dc to frequencies as high as several hundred Mc using commercially available tubes. The general design considerations included in this paper are: The effect of improper termination of transmission lines; methods for controlling the frequency response and phase characteristic; the design which provides the required gain with fewest possible number of tubes; and a discussion of high-frequency limitations. The noise factor of the amplifier is evaluated. Practical amplifiers, designed according to the principles described in this paper, have been built and have verified the theoretical predictions. Experimental work will be described in a forthcoming paper.
Electromagnetic Waves in Hollow Metal Tubes of Rectangular Cross Section

The theory of the transmission of electromagnetic waves in hollow conducting pipes of rectangular cross section is derived for perfectly conducting and for imperfectly conducting materials. Special attention is given to the type of wave that has only one transverse and everywhere parallel component of electric intensity, and the results of experiments on this wave are reported. Expressions for the attenuation of the different types of waves allow comparisons to be made with corresponding waves in a pipe of circular cross section. In a rectangular pipe, no wave has been found whose attenuation decreases indefinitely as the frequency is increased, as does the H0wave in a circular pipe.
Enhanced Visible Light Driven Photocatalytic Behavior of BiFeO3/Reduced Graphene Oxide Composites

BiFeO3/Reduced Graphene Oxide (BFO/RGO) composites have been fabricated by a simple hydrothermal method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis reveal that graphene oxide was reduced in hydrothermal process and BFO/RGO composites were successfully synthesized. UV-visible absorption and photoluminescence properties show that the introduction of RGO can effectively reduce the recombination of photogenerated electron and hole pairs. Compared to the pristine BFO, the photocatalytic performance of BiFeO3 Graphene Oxide (BGO) composites is enhanced for the degradation of Methylene blue (MB) solution under visible light irradiation, and the result shows that the optimal amount of Graphene Oxide (GO) in the composites is 60 mg (BGO60). The excellent photocatalytic performance is mainly ascribed to improved light absorption, increased reactive sites, and the low recombination rate of electron-hole pairs. This work can provide more insights into designing advanced photocatalysts for wastewater treatment and environmental protection.
Proper conditional analysis in the presence of missing data: Application to large scale meta-analysis of tobacco use phenotypes

Meta-analysis of genetic association studies increases sample size and the power for mapping complex traits. Existing methods are mostly developed for datasets without missing values, i.e. the summary association statistics are measured for all variants in contributing studies. In practice, genotype imputation is not always effective. This may be the case when targeted genotyping/sequencing assays are used or when the un-typed genetic variant is rare. Therefore, contributed summary statistics often contain missing values. Existing methods for imputing missing summary association statistics and using imputed values in meta-analysis, approximate conditional analysis, or simple strategies such as complete case analysis all have theoretical limitations. Applying these approaches can bias genetic effect estimates and lead to seriously inflated type-I or type-II errors in conditional analysis, which is a critical tool for identifying independently associated variants. To address this challenge and complement imputation methods, we developed a method to combine summary statistics across participating studies and consistently estimate joint effects, even when the contributed summary statistics contain large amounts of missing values. Based on this estimator, we proposed a score statistic called PCBS (partial correlation based score statistic) for conditional analysis of single-variant and gene-level associations. Through extensive analysis of simulated and real data, we showed that the new method produces well-calibrated type-I errors and is substantially more powerful than existing approaches. We applied the proposed approach to one of the largest meta-analyses to date for the cigarettes-per-day phenotype. Using the new method, we identified multiple novel independently associated variants at known loci for tobacco use, which were otherwise missed by alternative methods. Together, the phenotypic variance explained by these variants was 1.1%, improving that of previously reported associations by 71%. These findings illustrate the extent of locus allelic heterogeneity and can help pinpoint causal variants.
A lateral flow strip based on gold nanoparticles to detect 6-monoacetylmorphine in oral fluid

We used lateral flow strips based on gold nanoparticles to detect 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM; heroin's unique metabolite) in oral fluid samples. In this competitive lateral chromatographic immunoassay, the 6-MAM was chemically synthesized and conjugated to bovine serum albumin. The results were qualitatively detected via the colour change of the test line. By using a proper sample pad, a suitable nitrocellulose membrane and a customized sponge device adsorbed the oral fluid directly from the mouth; the total test time was 3 min. The sensitivity of the assay was 4.0 ng ml−1 without any cross-reactivity with 10 normal drugs, which are widely subject to abuse, including morphine and codeine. This test could be easily used on site to detect heroin in oral fluid, and it could be a promising product in the future including for driving under the influence.
T‐box genes and retinoic acid signaling regulate the segregation of arterial and venous pole progenitor cells in the murine second heart field

Abstract The arterial and venous poles of the mammalian heart are hotspots of congenital heart defects (CHD) such as those observed in 22q11.2 deletion (or DiGeorge) and Holt‐Oram syndromes. These regions of the heart are derived from late differentiating cardiac progenitor cells of the Second Heart Field (SHF) located in pharyngeal mesoderm contiguous with the elongating heart tube. The T‐box transcription factor Tbx1, encoded by the major 22q11.2 deletion syndrome gene, regulates SHF addition to both cardiac poles from a common progenitor population. Despite the significance of this cellular addition the mechanisms regulating the deployment of common progenitor cells to alternate cardiac poles remain poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that Tbx5, mutated in Holt‐Oram syndrome and essential for venous pole development, is activated in Tbx1 expressing cells in the posterior region of the SHF at early stages of heart tube elongation. A subset of the SHF transcriptional program, including Tbx1 expression, is subsequently downregulated in Tbx5 expressing cells, generating a transcriptional boundary between Tbx1‐positive arterial pole and Tbx5‐positive venous pole progenitor cell populations. We show that normal downregulation of the definitive arterial pole progenitor cell program in the posterior SHF is dependent on both Tbx1 and Tbx5. Furthermore, retinoic acid (RA) signaling is required for Tbx5 activation in Tbx1‐positive cells and blocking RA signaling at the time of Tbx5 activation results in atrioventricular septal defects at fetal stages. Our results reveal sequential steps of cardiac progenitor cell patterning and provide mechanistic insights into the origin of common forms of CHD.
The Air Sac Primordium of Drosophila: A Model for Invasive Development

The acquisition of invasive properties preceding tumor metastasis is critical for cancer progression. This phenomenon may result from mutagenic disruption of typical cell function, but recent evidence suggests that cancer cells frequently co-opt normal developmental programs to facilitate invasion as well. The signaling cascades that have been implicated present an obstacle to identifying effective therapeutic targets because of their complex nature and modulatory capacity through crosstalk with other pathways. Substantial efforts have been made to study invasive behavior during organogenesis in several organisms, but another model found in Drosophila melanogaster has not been thoroughly explored. The air sac primordium (ASP) appears to be a suitable candidate for investigating the genes and morphogens required for invasion due to the distinct overlap in the events that occur during its normal growth and the development of metastatic tumor cells. Among these events are the conversion of larval cells in the trachea into a population of mitotically active cells, reduced cell–cell contact along the leading edge of the ASP, and remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) that surrounds the structure. Here, we summarize the development of ASPs and invasive behavior observed therein.
Inflammatory cytokine biomarkers of asymptomatic sexually transmitted infections and vaginal dysbiosis: a multicentre validation study

Objectives Vaginal dysbiosis and STIs are important drivers of the HIV epidemic and reproductive complications. These conditions remain prevalent, partly because most cases are asymptomatic. We have shown that inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β and interferon-γ-induced protein (IP)-10 are biomarkers for detecting asymptomatic STIs and vaginal dysbiosis (bacterial vaginosis (BV) or intermediate microbiota). This study aimed to validate the performance of these biomarkers in African women recruited regardless of symptoms. Methods IL-1α, IL-1β and IP-10 were measured in menstrual cup secretions, endocervical, lateral vaginal wall and vulvovaginal swabs from 550 women from Pretoria, Soweto and Cape Town, South Africa and Bondo, Kenya using Luminex and ELISA. STIs were assessed by PCR, BV by Nugent scoring and vaginal microbiota by 16S rRNA sequencing. Results Across four study populations and four types of genital specimens, the performance of IL-1α, IL-1β and IP-10 for identification of women with STIs, BV or intermediate microbiota was consistent. Of the genital samples assessed, biomarkers measured in lateral vaginal wall swabs performed best, correctly classifying 76%(95% CI 70% to 81%) of women according to STI, BV or intermediate microbiota status (sensitivity 77%, specificity 71%) and were more accurate than clinical symptoms (sensitivity 41%, specificity 57%) (p=0.0003). Women incorrectly classified as STI/BV positive using the biomarkers had more abundant dysbiosis-associated bacteria, including Prevotella bivia and Gardnerella sp, detected by 16S rRNA sequencing, but not Nugent scoring. Including vaginal pH with the cytokine biomarkers improved the accuracy of the test (82% (95% CI 75% to 88%) correctly classified), although pH alone had poor specificity (61%). Conclusions An inexpensive, point-of-care screening test including IL-1α, IL-1β and IP-10 (and potentially pH) could be used in resource-limited settings to identify women with asymptomatic STIs and dysbiosis. These women could then be referred for aetiological testing, followed by specific treatment.
Misery Loves Company: Presenting Symptom Clusters to Urgent Care by Patients Receiving Antineoplastic Therapy.

PURPOSE The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) identifies suboptimal management of treatment toxicities as a care gap and proposes the measurement of hospital performance on the basis of emergency department visits for 10 common symptoms. Current management strategies do not address symptom co-occurrence. METHODS We evaluated symptom co-occurrence in three patient cohorts that presented to a cancer hospital urgent care center in 2016. We examined both the CMS-identified symptoms and an expanded clinician-identified set defined as symptoms that could be safely managed in the outpatient setting if identified early and managed proactively. The cohorts included patients who presented with a CMS-defined symptom within 30 days of treatment, patients who presented within 30 days of treatment with a symptom from the expanded set, and patients who presented with a symptom from the expanded set within 30 days of treatment start. Symptom co-occurrence was measured by Jaccard index. A community detection algorithm was used to identify symptom clusters on the basis of a random walk process, and network visualizations were used to illustrate symptom dynamics. RESULTS There were 6,429 presentations in the CMS symptom-defined cohort. The network analysis identified two distinct symptom clusters centered around pain and fever. In the expanded symptom cohort, there were 5,731 visits and six symptom clusters centered around fever, emesis/nausea, fatigue, deep vein thrombosis, pain, and ascites. For patients who newly initiated treatment, there were 1,154 visits and four symptom clusters centered around fever, nausea/emesis, fatigue, and deep vein thrombosis. CONCLUSION Uncontrolled symptoms are associated with unplanned acute care. Recognition of the complexity of symptom co-occurrence can drive improved management strategies.
2-Hydroxyglutarate MR spectroscopy for prediction of isocitrate dehydrogenase mutant glioma: a systemic review and meta-analysis using individual patient data

Background Noninvasive and accurate modality to predict isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutant glioma may have great potential in routine clinical practice. We aimed to investigate the diagnostic performance of 2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) for prediction of IDH mutant glioma and provide an optimal cutoff value for 2HG. Methods A systematic literature search of Ovid-MEDLINE and EMBASE was performed to identify original articles investigating the diagnostic performance of 2HG MRS up to March 20, 2018. Pooled sensitivity and specificity were calculated using a bivariate random-effects model. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were performed to explain heterogeneity effects. An optimal cutoff value for 2HG was calculated from studies providing individual patient data. Results Fourteen original articles with 460 patients were included. The pooled sensitivity and specificity for the diagnostic performance of 2HG MRS for prediction of IDH mutant glioma were 95% (95% CI, 85-98%) and 91% (95% CI, 83-96%), respectively. The Higgins I2 statistic demonstrated that heterogeneity was present in the sensitivity (I2 = 50.69%), but not in the specificity (I2 = 30.37%). In the meta-regression, echo time (TE) was associated with study heterogeneity. Among the studies using point-resolved spectroscopy (PRESS), a long TE (97 ms) resulted in higher sensitivity (92%) and specificity (97%) than a short TE (30-35 ms; sensitivity of 90%, specificity of 88%; P < 0.01). The optimal 2HG cutoff value of 2HG using individual patient data was 1.76 mM. Conclusion 2HG MRS demonstrated excellent specificity for prediction of IDH mutant glioma, with TE being associated with heterogeneity in the sensitivity. Key Points 1. HG MRS has excellent diagnostic performance in the prediction of IDH mutant glioma. 2. The pooled sensitivity was 95% and the pooled specificity was 91%. 3. Echo time was associated with study heterogeneity in the meta-regression.