Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of responses to acetylcholine and serotonin on isolated canine and human coronary arteries.

Canine and human coronary arteries were studied in organ baths to compare the responses to acetylcholine and serotonin in the two species. The human coronary rings were isolated from seven patients without cardiac disease (mean age 15 years, range 7-20). In one set of experiments canine and human preparations were incubated with phentolamine, propranolol and ketanserin (all at 1 mumol.litre-1 concentration) and precontracted with prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha 1-2 mumol.litre-1). Acetylcholine (0.1-10 mumol.litre-1) and serotonin (0.1-100 mumol.litre-1) relaxed canine preparations dose dependently, the maximum responses (expressed as % of depression of PGF2 alpha response) being 84 (SEM 6)% (n = 9) and 51(5)% (n = 6) respectively. In the same experimental conditions, acetylcholine and serotonin failed to relax the human coronary rings (n = 11) while substance P and bradykinin induced relaxations of 72(4)% (n = 11) and 66(7)% (n = 11) of PGF2 alpha response respectively. In another set of experiments, dose-contraction curves were constructed for acetylcholine or serotonin (in presence of phentolamine and propranolol). On human rings with endothelium, methylene blue (10 mumol.litre-1), a non-specific inhibitor of endothelium derived relaxing factor (EDRF), potentiated these dose-contraction curves: markedly for serotonin, the EC50 decreasing from 1.2(0.2) to 0.22(0.08) mumol.litre-1 (n = 11, p less than 0.01) with a significant increase in the maximal response); and slightly for acetylcholine, EC50 decreasing from 0.84(0.11) to 0.40(0.13) mumol.litre-1 (n = 10, p less than 0.05) without significant change in the maximal response. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Stability analysis of nonlinear multivariable Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy control systems

Points out how the nonlinearities involved in multivariable Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy control systems could originate complex behavior phenomena, such as multiple equilibrium points or limit cycles, that cannot be detected using conventional stability analysis techniques. In the paper, the application of MIMO frequency-domain methods to predict the existence of multiple equilibria and of limit cycles are presented. The proposed method is based on the formulation of a Lur'e problem from the original structure of a T-S fuzzy system with a fuzzy controller. Furthermore, this technique makes straightforward the application of input-output stability techniques such as the multivariable circle criterion, also called the conicity criterion, and the harmonic balance method. Moreover, in the paper, the application of the harmonic balance method has been generalized to the case of a MIMO fuzzy system with asymmetric nonlinearities and improved by the decreasing conservatism. A new and more general stability index which could be used to perform a bifurcation analysis of fuzzy control systems is presented. The paper includes a collection of examples where the advantages of the proposed approach are made explicit comparing it to the input-output conicity criterion and the Lyapunov direct method.
Recent advances in understanding of meiosis initiation and the apomictic pathway in plants

Meiosis, a specialized cell division to produce haploid cells, marks the transition from a sporophytic to a gametophytic generation in the life cycle of plants. In angiosperms, meiosis takes place in sporogenous cells that develop de novo from somatic cells in anthers or ovules. A successful transition from the mitotic cycle to the meiotic program in sporogenous cells is crucial for sexual reproduction. By contrast, when meiosis is bypassed or a mitosis-like division occurs to produce unreduced cells, followed by the development of an embryo sac, clonal seeds can be produced by apomixis, an asexual reproduction pathway found in 400 species of flowering plants. An understanding of the regulation of entry into meiosis and molecular mechanisms of apomictic pathway will provide vital insight into reproduction for plant breeding. Recent findings suggest that AM1/SWI1 may be the key gene for entry into meiosis, and increasing evidence has shown that the apomictic pathway is epigenetically controlled. However, the mechanism for the initiation of meiosis during sexual reproduction or for its omission in the apomictic pathway still remains largely unknown. Here we review the current understanding of meiosis initiation and the apomictic pathway and raised several questions that are awaiting further investigation.
Knowledge-based land use and transport planning? Consistency and gap between “state-of-the-art” knowledge and knowledge claims in planning documents in three Scandinavian city regions

The central concern of this paper is the relationship between research-driven “state-of-the-art” knowledge, and knowledge claims made in practice, in planning for sustainability. The paper approaches this topic from a critical realist perspective, which is used to provide criteria for positing “state-of-the-art” knowledge validity, and assessing the quality of situated knowledge claims in planning practice. In this way the paper contributes to debates about an ontological turn in planning knowledge. By reviewing key planning documents in three Scandinavian city regions, the paper shows that the knowledge claims about travel behavioral impacts of proposed land use and transport infrastructure presented in the documents are, to varying extents, in accordance with “state-of-the-art” academic knowledge on these topics. Some long-standing “planning myths” are encountered in the investigated planning documents. In one of the cities, residential and workplace location close to suburban public transport stops is highlighted as a traffic-reducing measure, rather than proximity to inner-city concentrations of jobs and other facilities, and density is discussed at a neighborhood scale rather than at a city scale. In all three cities, planning documents depict road capacity increases as having no traffic-generating effect. These latter claims are used in support of more decentralized land-use patterns and considerable road development. Since the likelihood of achieving sustainability goals relies heavily on whether the measures chosen are productive or counter-productive, knowledge obviously matters. A stronger focus on how well suited proposed strategies for spatial development are to produce their purported outcomes should be welcomed in planning research and practice.
Positional Relationship between Recurrent Intracerebral Hemorrhage/Lacunar Infarction and Previously Detected Microbleeds

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Although MBs, ICH, and LI are secondary to cerebral microangiopathy, it remains unclear whether the location of subsequent ICH/LI corresponds to the previous location of MBs. We performed this study to clarify the positional relationship between recurrent ICH/LI and previously detected MBs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated patients with recurrent ICH/LI who had MBs, as shown on prior T2*-weighted MR imaging. We assessed retrospectively whether the location of recurrent ICH/LI corresponded to that of the prior MB. Patients with ICH were divided into the deep ICH group and the lobar ICH group, and the positional relationship between hematoma and previously detected MBs was evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 55 patients, including 34 with recurrent ICH and 21 with recurrent LI were evaluated. Although the location of the LI corresponded to prior MBs in only 1 patient (4.8%), the location of ICH corresponded to prior locations of MBs in 21 patients (61.8%) (OR, 32.3; 95% CI, 3.86–270.3; P < .001). Among the patients with ICH, the correspondence ratio was higher in the deep ICH group (19 of 24 patients, 79.2%) than in the lobar ICH group (2 of 10 patients, 20%) (OR, 15.2; 95% CI, 2.42–95.3; P < .002). CONCLUSIONS: The close positional association between recurrent ICH and prior MBs suggests that MBs represent hemorrhage-prone microangiopathy. In addition, different correspondence ratios between the deep ICH group and the lobar ICH group may be attributable to their different pathogenesis.
[Social skills training in psychosocial therapy of schizophrenia: a multicenter study for symptom management and medication management modules].

OBJECTIVE It is known that psychosocial skills training programs increase the efficacy of schizophrenia treatment. The aim of this study was to carry out the Turkish version of two modules of a commonly used program, Social Skills Training (Medication Management and Symptom Management Modules), and to determine its possible benefits. METHOD The study was carried out at three sites. Fifty schizophrenic patients who were at least literate and who did not have language problems or organic mental diseases, aged 18-60, using antipsychotic agents in a standard dose and in a stable phase were included in the study. Eight training groups were formed. Each group consisted of 5-7 individuals and the study took approximately eight months. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, the Quality of Life Scale: an instrument for rating the schizophrenic deficit syndrome, the Drug Treatment Compliance Scale and Pre- and Post-Tests of Social Skills Training were applied to the patients before and after the group education The scores of the rating scales were compared. RESULTS Thirty-eight (76%) patients completed the study. The mean age of the patients was 32 +/- 7, 84% were men, 58% had received less than 11 years, of education 84% had never married, and 97% were living with their families. The mean age of illness onset was 20 +/- 5 years, and the mean duration of the illness was 12 +/- 7 years. At the end of the study, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale scores (baseline 42.0, after the training 37.1, p<0.02), and the Quality of Life Scale scores (baseline 67.5, after the training 75.3, p<0.01) were significantly changed. The level of knowledge of the patients about the medication and symptoms of schizophrenia increased 20.6%. Drug treatment compliance had also increased by the end of the study. CONCLUSION The results show that this program contributed to the treatment compliance and treatment efficacy in schizophrenia. Increased treatment efficacy might have played a role in increasing of the quality of life a long with the group milieu. It may be concluded that this social skills training program, which did not encounter any problems in application, may contribute significantly to the treatment of schizophrenia.
Predicting the order in which contacts are broken during single molecule protein stretching experiments

We combine two methods to enable the prediction of the order in which contacts are broken under external stretching forces in single molecule experiments. These two methods are Gō‐like models and elastic network models. The Gō‐like models have shown remarkable success in representing many aspects of protein behavior, including the reproduction of experimental data obtained from atomic force microscopy. The simple elastic network models are often used successfully to predict the fluctuations of residues around their mean positions, comparing favorably with the experimentally measured crystallographic B‐factors. The behavior of biomolecules under external forces has been demonstrated to depend principally on their elastic properties and the overall shape of their structure. We have studied in detail the muscle protein titin and green fluorescent protein and tested for ten other proteins. First, we stretch the proteins computationally by performing stochastic dynamics simulations with the Gō‐like model. We obtain the force–displacement curves and unfolding scenarios of possible mechanical unfolding. We then use the elastic network model to calculate temperature factors (B‐factors) and compare the slowest modes of motion for the stretched proteins and compare them with the predicted order of breaking contacts between residues in the Gō‐like model. Our results show that a simple Gaussian network model is able to predict contacts that break in the next time stage of stretching. Additionally, we have found that the contact disruption is strictly correlated with the highest force exerted by the backbone on these residues. Our prediction of bond‐breaking agrees well with the unfolding scenario obtained with the Gō‐like model. We anticipate that this method will be a useful new tool for interpreting stretching experiments. Proteins 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Rationale and design of Diabetes Prevention with active Vitamin D (DPVD): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

Introduction Recent research suggests that vitamin D deficiency may cause both bone diseases and a range of non-skeletal diseases. However, most of these data come from observational studies, and clinical trial data on the effects of vitamin D supplementation on individuals with pre-diabetes are scarce and inconsistent. The aim of the Diabetes Prevention with active Vitamin D (DPVD) study is to assess the effect of eldecalcitol, active vitamin D analogue, on the incidence of type 2 diabetes among individuals with pre-diabetes. Methods and analysis DPVD is an ongoing, prospective, multicentre, randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled outcome study in individuals with impaired glucose tolerance. Participants, men and women aged ≥30 years, will be randomised to receive eldecalcitol or placebo. They will also be given a brief (5–10 min long) talk about appropriate calorie intake from diet and exercise at each 12-week visit. The primary end point is the cumulative incidence of type 2 diabetes. Secondary endpoint is the number of participants who achieve normoglycaemia at 48, 96 and 144 weeks. Follow-up is estimated to span 144 weeks. Ethics and dissemination All protocols and an informed consent form comply with the Ethics Guideline for Clinical Research (Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The study protocol has been approved by the Institutional Review Board at Kokura Medical Association and University of Occupational and Environmental Health. The study will be implemented in line with the CONSORT statement. Trial registration number UMIN000010758; Pre-results.
Effect of distinctive encoding on false recognition, discrimination, and decision criteria in young and elderly adults

In order to examine the effects of distinctive encoding on age-related differences in false memory and decision criteria, we used a standard recognition paradigm and manipulated three encoding conditions: control, general, and distinctive. The results revealed main effects of age and encoding condition on hits and false recognition, and interactions between these variables, with elderly adults benefiting more than young adults from the encoding tasks. In the distinctive encoding condition, the age-related difference on false recognition was eliminated. These findings are discussed in terms of an age-related deficit in self-initiated distinctive processing. Further analyses showed that elderly adults used a more lenient decision criterion than young adults. Distinctive encoding led all subjects to use stringent decision criteria, but did not eliminate age differences.
Postoperative surveillance in patients with colorectal cancer who have undergone curative resection: a prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial.

PURPOSE Although systematic postoperative surveillance of patients with colorectal cancer has been demonstrated to improve survival, it remains unknown whether a more intensive strategy provides any significant advantage. This prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial was aimed at comparing the efficacy of two different surveillance strategies in terms of both survival and recurrence resectability. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with stage II or III colorectal cancer were allocated randomly to either a simple surveillance strategy including clinical evaluation and serum carcinoembryonic antigen monitoring, or an intensive strategy in which abdominal computed tomography or ultrasonography, chest radiograph, and colonoscopy were added. RESULTS A total of 259 patients were included: 132 were observed according to the simple strategy and 127 were observed according to the intensive strategy. Both groups were similar with respect to baseline characteristics and rate and type of tumor recurrence. After a median follow-up of 48 months, there was no difference in the probability of overall survival in the whole series (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.87; 95% CI, 0.49 to 1.54; P = .62). However, the intensive strategy was associated with higher overall survival in patients with stage II tumors (HR = 0.34; 95% CI, 0.12 to 0.98; P = .045) and in those with rectal lesions (HR = 0.09; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.81; P = .03), mainly due to higher rate of resectability for recurrent tumors. Colonoscopy was responsible for the detection of the highest proportion (44%) of resectable tumor recurrence in the intensive arm. CONCLUSION A more intensive surveillance strategy improves the prognosis of patients with stage II colorectal cancer or those with rectal tumors. Inclusion of regular performance of colonoscopy seems justified up to the fifth year of follow-up, at least.
Prostate cancer detection using multiparametric 3 – tesla MRI and fusion biopsy: preliminary results

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of transrectal ultrasonography (US) biopsy with imaging fusion using multiparametric (mp) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with suspicion of prostate cancer (PCa), with an emphasis on clinically significant tumors according to histological criteria. Materials and Methods: A total of 189 consecutive US/MRI fusion biopsies were performed obtaining systematic and guided samples of suspicious areas on mpMRI using a 3 Tesla magnet without endorectal coil. Clinical significance for prostate cancer was established based on Epstein criteria. Results: In our casuistic, the average Gleason score was 7 and the average PSA was 5.0ng/mL. Of the 189 patients that received US/MRI biopsies, 110 (58.2%) were positive for PCa. Of those cases, 88 (80%) were clinically significant, accounting for 46.6% of all patients. We divided the MRI findings into 5 Likert scales of probability of having clinically significant PCa. The positivity of US/MRI biopsy for clinically significant PCa was 0%, 17.6% 23.5%, 53.4% and 84.4% for Likert scores 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in terms of biopsy results between different levels of suspicion on mpMRI and also when biopsy results were divided into groups of clinically non-significant versus clinically significant between different levels of suspicion on mpMRI (p-value <0.05 in both analyzes). Conclusion: We found that there is a significant difference in cancer detection using US/MRI fusion biopsy between low-probability and intermediate/high probability Likert scores using mpMRI.
FOR HOTSPOT SEGMENTATION FROM BONE SCINTIGRAPHY

Bone scintigraphy is widely used to diagnose bone diseases. Accurate hotspot segmentation is a critical task for tumor metastasis diagnosis. In this paper, we propose an interactive approach to detect and extract hotspots in thoracic region based on a new multiple instance learning (MIL) method called EM-MILBoost. We convert the segmentation problem to a multiple instance learning task by constructing positive and negative bags according to the input bounding box. In order to be robust against noisy input, we train a region-level hotspot classifier with EM-MILBoost and develop several segmentation strategies based on it. The experimental results demonstrate that our method outperforms other methods and is robust against various noisy input.
Geodesic Mapping for Dynamic Surface Alignment

This paper presents a novel approach that achieves dynamic surface alignment by geodesing mapping. The surfaces are 3D manifold meshes representing non-rigid objects in motion (e.g., humans) which can be obtained by multiview stereo reconstruction. The proposed framework consists of a geodesic mapping (i.e., geodesic diffeomorphism) between surfaces which carry a distance function (namely the global geodesic distance), and a geodesic-based coordinate system (namely the global geodesic coordinates) defined similarly to generalized barycentric coordinates. The coordinates are used to recursively choose correspondence points in non-ambiguous regions using a coarse-to-fine strategy to reliably locate all surface points and define a discrete mapping. Complete point-to-point surface alignment with smooth mapping is then derived by optimizing a piecewise objective function within a probabilistic framework. The proposed technique only relies on surface intrinsic geometrical properties, and does not require prior knowledge on surface appearance (e.g., color or texture), shape (e.g., topology) or parameterization (e.g., mesh connectivity or complexity). The method can be used for numerous applications, such as visual information (e.g., texture) transfer between surface models representing different objects, dense motion flow estimation of 3D dynamic surfaces, wide-timeframe matching, etc. Experiments show compelling results on challenging publicly available real-world datasets.
Synthesis of force-closure grasps on 3-D objects based on the Q distance

The synthesis of force-closure grasps on three-dimensional (3-D) objects is a fundamental issue in robotic grasping and dextrous manipulation. In this paper, a numerical force-closure test is developed based on the concept of Q distance. With some mild and realistic assumptions, the proposed test criterion is differentiable almost everywhere and its derivative can be calculated exactly. On this basis, we present an algorithm for planning force-closure grasps, which is implemented by applying descent search to the proposed numerical test in the grasp configuration space. The algorithm is generally applicable to planning optimal force-closure grasps on 3-D objects with curved surfaces and with arbitrary number of contact points. The effectiveness and efficiency of the algorithm are demonstrated by using simulation examples.
the canonic formula of myth and nonmyth

Levi-Strauss's canonic formula for the structure of myth, fx(a): fy(b) ≅ fx(b): fa-1(y), was boldly intended to bring a “kind of order to what was previously chaos” (1963a [1955]:202, 228). Rarely, however, has Levi-Strauss or have others systematically examined the formula's suitability for interpreting authentic mythic texts or—more puzzling, perhaps, given myth's centrality—seriously considered the potentially homologous structuring of nonmythical ethnographic data. In this article I attempt a detailed reinterpretation of the canonic formula and, after appropriately modifying it for the analysis of nonmythical materials, illustrate its empirical suitability with respect to diverse sociocultural contexts of North Mekeo (Papua New Guinea) tradition: notions and practices regarding the human body (eating, excretion, health, illness, sexuality, reproduction), space and time, social classification, political organization, and, finally, myth. By means of these controlled comparisons of nonmyth and myth internal to a single sociocultural system, I show that the revised canonic formula increases the empirical and methodological precision of Levi-Straussian structural analyses. The structure of myth, therefore, is not restricted to myths. [dualism (recursion/inversion), myth, social classification, structural analysis, ethnographic method, Melanesia]