Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, unforced titration parallel trial of quetiapine for dopaminergic‐induced hallucinations in Parkinson's disease

We completed a single site, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, parallel design study of quetiapine for hallucinations in PD. Thirty‐one subjects with PD and prominent visual hallucinations and Mini‐Mental State Examination score >21 were randomly assigned in a 2:1 drug to placebo ratio, up to 200 mg daily of quetiapine or matching placebo given in two doses. They were seen at 3 weeks (100 mg/day) and 12 weeks (200 mg/day, with optional dose reduction). Evaluation included the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), the Baylor PD Hallucination Questionnaire, and a battery of neuropsychological tests. The demographics between subjects randomized to drug (n = 21) vs. placebo (n = 10) were similar. The final dose of active drug was 200 (n = 11), 150 (n = 2), 100 (n = 3), and 75 (n = 1) mg per day. All placebo subjects were on the equivalent of 200 mg per day. The UPDRS Activities of Daily Living and Motor scores did not significantly change compared to placebo. Compared to placebo, there were no significant changes in our hallucination questionnaire, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), or question 12 (hallucination item) of the BPRS. There were no significant changes on any of the neuropsychological measures. Adverse events on drug included sedation (n = 9), but no drug‐related adverse events precipitated discontinuation and none were rated as serious. Quetiapine, up to 200 mg daily, was well tolerated and did not worsen UPDRS scores; however, there was no significant improvement in psychosis rating scales compared to placebo. Larger doses of drug and greater sample sizes might be considered in future studies. © 2005 Movement Disorder Society
Placing Blame for Devastating Disease

IN October 1985 a long article entitled "Panic in the West: or, What Hides Behind the Sensationalism of AIDS" appeared in Literaturnaya Gazeta, the official journal of the Soviet Writers Union. Shortly thereafter the journal printed a detailed interview on the same topic with Professor S. Drozdov, the director of the Research Institute of Poliomyelitis and Encephalitis in Moscow.1 The theme of both articles was the sameAIDS was the result of a virus, man-made by the biological warriors at Fort Detrick, Maryland, in conjunction with the scientists at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia. That blame for this dread disease was placed on a political adversary is not very surprising in light of the freeze on American-Soviet relations during the summer of 1985. More fascinating are the associations evoked by the political cartoonist for Pravda, D. Agaeva. His cartoon represents an American general paying for a test tube of AIDS virus supplied to him by a venal-looking scientist. Swimming about in the test tube, representing the power of the AIDS virus, are a multitude of tiny swastikas; the dead, the victims of AIDS, appear in the cartoon as concentration-camp victims, their bare feet echoing the death-camp photographs of bodies stacked like cordwood with only their feet showing. Placing the blame for AIDS on America worked only until
A lens-integrated 430 GHz SiGe HBT source with up to −6.3 dBm radiated power

This paper presents a 430 GHz source implemented in a 0.13-µm SiGe BiCMOS technology with fT/fmax of 300 GHz/450 GHz. The source comprises a fundamental differential Colpitts cascode oscillator at 215 GHz driving a balanced common-collector doubler that utilizes inductive 2nd-harmonic feedback at the emitter output in order to boost the generated 2nd-harmonic current. The doubler is co-designed with a lens-coupled on-chip circular slot antenna providing the appropriate input impedance to the doubler output. In combination with a 3-mm diameter silicon-lens, the total peak radiated power is −6.3 dBm at a power dissipation of 165 mW. To the authors knowledge, the presented source shows the highest reported power for any silicon-based single-element radiator beyond 350 GHz.
On Incentives, Temptation and Self-Control

We consider a principal–agent model, where a single agent exhibits problems of self control modeled using Gul and Pesendorfer (2001) type temptation preferences. For a general class of preferences, we characterize the optimal contract in such a setting using standard Grossman and Hart (1983) techniques. Our analysis shows that the incentive compatibility constraint is not necessarily binding at the optimal solution. As a result, the solution to the relaxed problem (without the incentive compatibility constraint) provides a variable pay, which contrasts with the standard results for the separable utility case. These observations result from the fact that in our setting the principal trade-offs incentives and insurance, but also reduction of self control cost for the agent. Our results shed some light on the justification of randomized contracts (see Holmstrom, 1979), the literature on behavioral contracts, but also show that in the presence of strong self-control problems moral hazard cost can be mitigated.
Stable trait components of hopelessness: baseline and sensitivity to depression.

Hopelessness (H) plays an important theoretical and practical role in depression. The authors hypothesized that a patient's H is comprised of (a) a baseline level of H when not depressed and (b) an increment in H related to the severity of depression at the time and the person's rate of increase in H as a function of severity of depression (sensitivity). Baseline and sensitivity are explanatory stable traits; H and depression are observed, time-varying states. The corresponding statistical model described well the longitudinal data of 316 participants. Baseline and sensitivity were uncorrelated and correlated with different clinical and demographic variables. Baseline predicted a future suicide attempt; sensitivity and H when depressed did not. It may be useful to ask "How hopeless is this person when not depressed and how much more hopeless is he or she when depressed? ", rather than simply "How hopeless is this depressed person? "
A unified sample preparation protocol for proteomic and genomic profiling of cervical swabs to identify biomarkers for cervical cancer screening

Cervical cancer screening is ideally suited for the development of biomarkers due to the ease of tissue acquisition and the well‐established histological transitions. Furthermore, cell and biologic fluid obtained from cervix samples undergo specific molecular changes that can be profiled. However, the ideal manner and techniques for preparing cervical samples remains to be determined. To address this critical issue a patient screening protein and nucleic acid collection protocol was established. RNAlater was used to collect the samples followed by proteomic methods to identify proteins that were differentially expressed in normal cervical epithelial versus cervical cancer cells. Three hundred ninety spots were identified via 2‐D DIGE that were expressed at either higher or lower levels (>three‐fold) in cervical cancer samples. These proteomic results were compared to genes in a cDNA microarray analysis of microdissected neoplastic cervical specimens to identify overlapping patterns of expression. The most frequent pathways represented by the combined dataset were: cell cycle: G2/M DNA damage checkpoint regulation; aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling; p53 signaling; cell cycle: G1/S checkpoint regulation; and the ER stress pathway. HNRPA2B1 was identified as a biomarker candidate with increased expression in cancer compared to normal cervix and validated by Western blot.
Speed-of-sound based sensors for environmental monitoring

Environmental sensors for gas composition analysis based on sound velocity measurement are simple, inexpensive and robust. Many potential applications have been outlined in literature, ranging from monitoring CO2 content in breathing apparatus, composition monitoring of anesthesia gas mixtures [1] to various leak detectors aimed at improving workplace safety [2]. The sensors can be in form of industrial instruments, small IoT (Internet of Things) sensors or wearable MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) based devices. Such sensors would be of no use without reliable models and algorithms for sound velocity prediction, which are accurate and easy to implement. This work aims to give an overview of technology available to construct speed-of-sound based sensors for industrial applications such as environmental monitoring, leak detection. We are involved in development and deployment of sensors for various applications at CERN (The European Organization for Nuclear Research, Geneva, Switzerland).
Genetically Controlled Removal of “Spore Photoproduct” from Deoxyribonucleic Acid of Ultraviolet-Irradiated Bacillus subtilis Spores

Previous genetic analysis indicated that at least two genes determine the ultraviolet (UV) sensitivity of Bacillus subtilis spores. The present study shows that these genes independently control two distinguishable processes for removing UV-induced spore photoproduct (5-thyminyl-5,6-dihydrothymine, or TDHT) from spore deoxyribonucleic acid. The first, is a spore repair mechanism by which TDHT is removed rapidly without appearing in acid-soluble form. This mechanism, which is demonstrated in both UV-resistant and excision-deficient strains, operates to a certain extent during germination without requiring vegetative growth. The second, demonstrated in a mutant which lacks the first mechanism, removes TDHT relatively slowly and only if germinated spores are allowed to develop toward vegetative cells. The latter mechanism appears identical to excision-resynthesis repair, since the mutation abolishing it renders the irradiated vegetative cells incapable of removing cyclobutane-type pyrimidine dimers. Blocking either one of these mechanisms only slightly affects the UV sensitivity of spores, but blocking both prevents TDHT removal and gives high UV sensitivity.
NOVEL PROCEDURE TO COMPUTE A CONTACT ZONE MAGNITUDE OF VIBRATIONS OF TWO-LAYERED UNCOUPLED PLATES

A novel iteration procedure for dynamical problems, where in each time step, a contacting plates' zone is improved, is proposed. Therefore, a zone and magnitude of a contact load are also improved. Investigations of boundary conditions' influence on externally driven vibrations of uncoupled two-layer plates, where for each of the layers, the Kirchhoff hypothesis holds, are carried out.
Selective lobar--bronchial blocking for pediatric video-assisted thoracic surgery.

FOR pediatric video-assisted thoracic surgery, surgical access has been conventionally accomplished by the total collapse of the ipsilateral lung via blocking 1,2 or intubation 3,4 of the selected main bronchus. However, single-lung ventilation includes possible detrimental effects on the physiologic conditions in small children. 5 More selected exposure of the targeted intrathoracic space may decrease these risks. Recently, we reported a newly devised double-accessport endotracheal tube (DAPT) for pediatric one-lung anesthesia. 6 The tube provides independent access for ventilation and bronchial blocking using a balloon-tipped catheter so that fiberoptic adjustment of the balloon position is possible during sufficient ventilation. The current report describes the successful use of this device for selective lobar-bronchial blocking.
Performance loss due to multipath propagation for IEEE 802.11 systems

In this work, we developed an analytical estimation of the performance loss due to multipath propagation for a narrowband OFDM system. The propagation characteristics required for this loss estimation, are experimentally determined by virtual SIMO measurements in a large conference room where repeated reception problems were reported for an IEEE 802.11 system, as well as in 2 other large conference rooms for comparison. The resulting losses due to multipath are calculated for IEEE 802.11a/n and related to the propagation characteristics.
Depression in the elderly in Vellore, South India: the use of a two-question screen

ABSTRACT Background: Depression in the elderly is a common and disabling condition. The aim of the study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of a two-question screen to identify depression and common mental disorders in the elderly. Method: Residents of a ward in the town of Vellore were identified by a door-to-door survey from which 204 subjects aged over 60 years were selected for the study by systematic random sampling. They were screened using the two-question screen. The Revised Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS-R) was employed to confirm the diagnosis. Results: The prevalence of depression and common mental disorder, using the CIS-R standard, was found to be 31.5%. The two-question screen has a sensitivity of 93.8% and specificity of 48.2%. Conclusions: The high sensitivity of the two-question screen makes it a useful screening method which can be employed by health workers in the field.
Impact of customer scattering on distribution system reliability with distributed generation

This paper proposes the impact of customer scattering on reliability level of distribution system with distributed generation (DG). Variations of customer scattering are formed into six cases. Each customer scattering case is analyzed for finding the reliability indices of the system when there is no DG, and when DG unit is installed at various locations along the feeder. In addition, the algorithm for restoration time assessment of load point is presented when DG unit is installed. The reliability of distribution system is presented in reliability indices that include SAIFI, SAIDI, CAIDI, ENS and AENS. The proposed algorithm is tested on a simple radial system with 9 load points. The results when DG is installed at various locations for variations of customer scattering are shown and compared with those of the system without DG. The results show that the customer scattering and restoration time effect the optimal location of DG unit in terms of system reliability.
Uncovering genomic trajectories with heterogeneous genetic and environmental backgrounds across single-cells and populations

Pseudotime algorithms can be employed to extract latent temporal information from crosssectional data sets allowing dynamic biological processes to be studied in situations where the collection of genuine time series data is challenging or prohibitive. Computational techniques have arisen from areas such as single-cell ‘omics and in cancer modelling where pseudotime can be used to learn about cellular differentiation or tumour progression. However, methods to date typically assume homogenous genetic and environmental backgrounds, which becomes particularly limiting as datasets grow in size and complexity. As a solution to this we describe a novel statistical framework that learns pseudotime trajectories in the presence of non-homogeneous genetic, phenotypic, or environmental backgrounds. We demonstrate that this enables us to identify interactions between such factors and the underlying genomic trajectory. By applying this model to both single-cell gene expression data and population level cancer studies we show that it uncovers known and novel interaction effects between genetic and enironmental factors and the expression of genes in pathways. We provide an R implementation of our method PhenoPath at https://github.com/kieranrcampbell/phenopath
Dibutyl, Dimethyl, and Diethyl Phthalate and Butyl Benzyl Phthalate

In a 1985 safety assessment of dibutyl, diethyl, and dimethyl phthalate, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel stated that these ingredients are safe for use in cosmetics in the present practice of use and concentration. Subsequently, in 2005, the Panel conducted an extensive rereview of the newly available studies since that assessment, confirmed the decision, and determined to not reopen that report. In 1992, butyl benzyl phthalate was found safe in the present practice of use and concentration. The Panel reviewed studies performed since that assessment as well as updated the use and concentration data in 2007 and confirmed that conclusion. In 2012, the Panel reviewed 3 new studies on phthalates published in 2012 and confirmed that dibutyl, dimethyl, and diethyl phthalate and butyl benzyl phthalate are safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration. The Panel did not reopen the safety assessment.
Automatic Visual Detection of Incorrect Endoscope Adaptions in Chemical Disinfection Devices

This paper presents a complete analyzing system for detecting incorrect endoscope adaptions prior to the use of chemical disinfection devices to guarantee hygienic standards and to save resources. The adaptions are detected visually with the help of an image registration algorithm based on feature detection algorithms. On top of the processing pipeline, we implemented a k-nearest neighbor algorithm to predict the status of the adaption. The proposed approach shows good results in detecting the adaptions correctly.
Relationship between intracellular pH and metabolite concentrations during metabolic inhibition in isolated ferret heart.

1. Intracellular pH (pHi) and phosphorus metabolites were measured in isolated ferret hearts with 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). 2. The application of cyanide (to mimic hypoxia) produced a fall of the concentration of phosphocreatine ([PCr]) and a rise of those of inorganic phosphate ([Pi]) and sugar phosphates. These were accompanied by an intracellular acidosis. 3. If glycolysis was partly inhibited by prior exposure to a glucose‐free solution then the application of cyanide also produced a fall of [ATP]. The acidosis was similar to that observed in the presence of glucose. 4. If glycolysis was completely inhibited by iodoacetate then the acidosis produced by subsequent addition of cyanide developed more quickly. 5. The results are reproduced by a model which incorporates lactic acid production as well as the effects of protons released and absorbed by the changes in metabolite concentrations. The results suggest that the acidosis produced by cyanide (without inhibition of glycolysis) is largely due to lactic acid production. When glycolysis is partly inhibited (glucose‐free solution) the acidosis produced by cyanide is partly due to protons released by ATP breakdown. Finally, when glycolysis is entirely inhibited the acidosis is completely due to ATP breakdown. There is no need to postulate a contribution on this time scale from inhibition of pH regulating mechanisms.
Assessment of human atherosclerotic carotid plaque components with multisequence MR imaging: initial experience.

PURPOSE To prospectively determine, by using a stepwise logistic regression model, the optimal magnetic resonance (MR) weighting (ie, pulse sequence) combinations for plaque assessment and corresponding cutoff values of relative signal intensities (rSIs). MATERIALS AND METHODS Institutional review board approval and patient consent were obtained. Eleven patients (seven men, four women; mean age +/- standard deviation, 68 years +/- 4) with symptomatic carotid disease and stenosis of more than 70% were investigated at MR imaging before carotid endarterectomy. The MR images were matched with histologic features of the endarterectomy specimens (reference standard). The rSIs (compared with that of muscle tissue) from regions of interest were assessed qualitatively and semiquantitatively. For all major components (calcification, lipid core, intraplaque hemorrhage, and fibrous tissue), optimal cutoff points for the rSIs were determined for five MR weightings by means of receiver operating characteristic curves. The best predicting combinations of these five dichotomized MR weightings were selected by means of stepwise logistic regression analysis. The potential sensitivity and specificity of MR imaging for vulnerable plaque with hemorrhage and/or lipid core were determined. RESULTS The same optimal MR weighting combinations for identifying the four plaque components were found with qualitative and semiquantitative analysis. Sensitivity and specificity for vulnerable plaque were 93% (95% confidence interval: 77%, 99%) and 96% (95% confidence interval: 86%, 100%), respectively, for the qualitative analysis and 76% (95% confidence interval: 56%, 90%) and 100% (95% confidence interval: 93%, 100%) for the semiquantitative analysis. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates the potential of a systematic approach of atherosclerotic plaque assessment with multisequence MR imaging by using the information provided from five different MR weightings in a stepwise logistic regression model.
Linear antenna array, ranging and accelerometer for 3D GPS-less localization of wireless sensors

Localization algorithms for wireless sensors can use diverse measurement hardware as a source of geographical information in order to provide better location estimates. A relatively extensive set of measurement hardware comprises of machinery capable of measuring range, angle-of-arrival and earth gravity direction. Literature covers distance vector (DV) exchange algorithms for the measurements which provide the complete distance vector. In this work we develop a method for computing the complete DV in a distributed way, using linear antenna array and ranging to calculate a complete DV. We develop a localization algorithm that uses this concept. We also determine pathological situations of flip-error occurrence, but we incorporate this knowledge into the algorithm so that we prevent the flip-errors from occurring.
Rotation Invariant Indexing For Image Using Zernike Moments and R–Tree

The Zernike moment algorithm and R-Tree algorithm are known as state of the art in the recognition of images and in the multimedia database respectively. The methods of storing the images and retrieving the similar images based on a query image automatically are the problems in the image database. This paper proposes the method to combine the Zernike moments algorithm and the R–tree algorithm in the image database. The indices of images which are retrieved from the extraction process using Zernike moments algorithm are used as the multidimensional indices to recognize the images. The multidimensional indices of Zernike moments which are stored in the R–tree are compared to the magnitudes of Zernike moments of a query image for searching the similar images. The result shows that the combination of these algorithms can be used efficiently in the image database because the recognition accuracy rate using Zernike moments algorithm is 95.20%.
Analysis on greedy-search based service location in P2P service grid

Service location based on greedy search is studied. A model is built to analyze the influence of the network topologies on this location method, and different network topologies are constructed to validate the model by way of simulation. The results show that, though the model assumes a uniform degree distribution, it agrees with the simulation result well if the average degree of the network is reasonably big. Hops and relative QoS index of the node found in a service location process are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the location method as well as the probability of locating the first 5% nodes with higher QoS level. Both model and simulation result show that the performance of greedy search based service location improves significantly with the increase of the average degree of the network. If changes of both topology and the QoS level of nodes can be ignored during a location process, it can be guaranteed that the location has high probability of finding the nodes with relatively high QoS level in small number of hops in a big service community. Model extension under arbitrary network degree distribution is further studied. A "two-phase" topology construction and service location based on greedy-search is also put forward.