Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Minimum effective local anaesthetic dose of isobaric levobupivacaine and ropivacaine administered via a spinal catheter for hip replacement surgery.

BACKGROUND Continuous spinal anaesthesia with spinal catheters allows incremental dosing of local anaesthetic and, consequently, less haemodynamic changes. However, little is known about the required doses. Therefore, we designed a study to assess the minimum effective local anaesthetic dose (MLAD) of levobupivacaine and ropivacaine in this context. METHODS Forty-one patients undergoing hip replacement surgery were randomly allocated to one of the two local anaesthetic groups in a double-blind manner. The initial dose of local anaesthetic was determined by the response of the previous patient: the effective dose resulted in a 1 mg decrease in the dose of levobupivacaine or ropivacaine, and an ineffective dose resulted in a 1 mg increase. The MLAD was calculated by the Dixon up-and-down method. RESULTS The MLAD of levobupivacaine was 11.7 mg (95% CI, 11.1-12.4) and that of ropivacaine 12.8 mg (95% CI, 12.2-13.4). CONCLUSIONS These doses are significantly smaller than doses reported before for single-shot spinal anaesthesia. Continuous spinal anaesthesia allows the use of relatively small doses of local anaesthetic.
Digital Beamforming for Simultaneous Power and Information Transmission in Wireless Systems

This paper proposes a Beamforming algorithm for simultaneous transmission of information and power in multiantenna linear array system. Here we considered three node system in which transmitter and receiver are largely separated from each other whereas energy harvesting circuit is colocated with the information receiver i.e. encounters the same channel from the transmitter. Our primary motto is to maximize the energy harvested by the harvester circuit, at the same time maintaining the information rate above a certain threshold level. Firstly, we used an algorithm to steer the antenna beam in a desired direction. Secondly, we combined this algorithm with another algorithm that maximizes the harvested energy. The hybrid algorithm produces an improvement in the result in terms of received signal level and side-lobe level. Finally, simulation results are presented to justify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Finding potentially new multimorbidity patterns of psychiatric and somatic diseases: exploring the use of literature-based discovery in primary care research

BACKGROUND Multimorbidity, the co-occurrence of two or more chronic medical conditions within a single individual, is increasingly becoming part of daily care of general medical practice. Literature-based discovery may help to investigate the patterns of multimorbidity and to integrate medical knowledge for improving healthcare delivery for individuals with co-occurring chronic conditions. OBJECTIVE To explore the usefulness of literature-based discovery in primary care research through the key-case of finding associations between psychiatric and somatic diseases relevant to general practice in a large biomedical literature database (Medline). METHODS By using literature based discovery for matching disease profiles as vectors in a high-dimensional associative concept space, co-occurrences of a broad spectrum of chronic medical conditions were matched for their potential in biomedicine. An experimental setting was chosen in parallel with expert evaluations and expert meetings to assess performance and to generate targets for integrating literature-based discovery in multidisciplinary medical research of psychiatric and somatic disease associations. RESULTS Through stepwise reductions a reference set of 21,945 disease combinations was generated, from which a set of 166 combinations between psychiatric and somatic diseases was selected and assessed by text mining and expert evaluation. CONCLUSIONS Literature-based discovery tools generate specific patterns of associations between psychiatric and somatic diseases: one subset was appraised as promising for further research; the other subset surprised the experts, leading to intricate discussions and further eliciting of frameworks of biomedical knowledge. These frameworks enable us to specify targets for further developing and integrating literature-based discovery in multidisciplinary research of general practice, psychology and psychiatry, and epidemiology.
The neural basis of addiction: a pathology of motivation and choice.

OBJECTIVE A primary behavioral pathology in drug addiction is the overpowering motivational strength and decreased ability to control the desire to obtain drugs. In this review the authors explore how advances in neurobiology are approaching an understanding of the cellular and circuitry underpinnings of addiction, and they describe the novel pharmacotherapeutic targets emerging from this understanding. METHOD Findings from neuroimaging of addicts are integrated with cellular studies in animal models of drug seeking. RESULTS While dopamine is critical for acute reward and initiation of addiction, end-stage addiction results primarily from cellular adaptations in anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal glutamatergic projections to the nucleus accumbens. Pathophysiological plasticity in excitatory transmission reduces the capacity of the prefrontal cortex to initiate behaviors in response to biological rewards and to provide executive control over drug seeking. Simultaneously, the prefrontal cortex is hyperresponsive to stimuli predicting drug availability, resulting in supraphysiological glutamatergic drive in the nucleus accumbens, where excitatory synapses have a reduced capacity to regulate neurotransmission. CONCLUSIONS Cellular adaptations in prefrontal glutamatergic innervation of the accumbens promote the compulsive character of drug seeking in addicts by decreasing the value of natural rewards, diminishing cognitive control (choice), and enhancing glutamatergic drive in response to drug-associated stimuli.
Organic Self-Assembled Layer-by-Layer Thin Films for Second-Order Nonlinear Optics

This study demonstrates a hybrid deposition scheme relying on electrostatic interactions as well as covalent bonds for film growth. The hybrid scheme results in films that are nanostructured and through the inclusion of a nonlinear optical chromophore molecule, these films exhibit second order nonlinear optic properties. Materials used in the fabrication of these films were the polycation poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and Procion Red MX-5B as the chromophore. As typical for self-assembled thin films using electrostatic interactions, these films demonstrate linear growth in both thickness and absorbance as layers are deposited. The pH values of both the poly(allylamine hydrochloride) as well as the Procion Red are key processing variables for successful deposition of oriented chromophore molecules. Using measurements of second harmonic generation, a linear relationship between the number of layers deposited and the I2ω 1/2 has been observed, demonstrating the polar order. Measured values of χ from the SHG data as large as 11.3x10 esu, or 5.9 times that of quartz, are found.
Optimal business hours of the newsvendor problem for retailers

This paper proposes a new model for the classical newsvendor problem (NVP), focusing on retailers to discuss an optimal number of business hours per day as well as an optimal stocking quantity. The proposed model assumes that customers’ residences are uniformly distributed over the Hotelling unit interval, and individual customers depart from their residences for the store at a finite velocity. Each individual customer can purchase a single product only if she arrives at the retailer's store during business hours and if there still remain products on her arrival. Under these circumstances, this study explores the existence of an optimal strategy for the retailer—an optimal stocking quantity along with an optimal number of business hours. Numerical examples are also provided to illustrate the theoretical underpinnings of the proposed model formulation.
Morphological analysis of dentin tissue after Er, Cr: YSGG laser irradiation

The object of this study is to evaluate the morphological changes of dentin tissue after Er, Cr: YSGG laser Irradiation. The wavelength is 2.78 μm with pulse repetition rate of 20 Hz and pulse duration of 140 μs. The samples extracted from sound intact adult human premolars were cut into 1 mm thick dentin slices, and then polished by abrasive papers. After preparation, specimens were randomly divided into two groups: one group treated with conventional drills (a diamond drill and a fissure bur), and the other group treated with lasers at four different power settings (2W to 3.5W). The morphological alterations produced by the different treatments were observed and compared by scanning electron microscope (SEM). It showed that the dentin surfaces had distinct and characteristic morphological alteration with different power settings. Compared with the samples treated with conventional drills, the irradiated samples revealed an absent smear layer with open dentinal tubules. The ablation of intertubular dentin was more evident than that of peritubular dentin.
Tissue‐engineered buccal mucosa for substitution urethroplasty

To develop tissue‐engineered buccal mucosa (TEBM) for use in substitution urethroplasty, as urethral reconstruction is limited by the amount and type of tissue that is available for grafting, and BM has become the favoured tissue for use as a urethral substitute in the last decade.
A new class of hybrid AC/AC direct power converters

Variable voltage and variable frequency conversion of electrical energy from an AC source to an AC load is done in traditional power converters via a DC-link where an energy storage element (electrolytic capacitors) is situated. Despite its well-known benefits, it has the disadvantage of being bulky and to limit the converter lifetime. On the other hand Direct Power Conversion (DPC) is an attractive concept, which doesn't need an energy storage buffer, but has two main disadvantages: reduced voltage transfer ratio (<0.86) and low immunity to voltage supply disturbances. This paper proposes a new approach to perform the power conversion by mixing various standard topologies of well-known power converters in order to improve their performance/behavior. Simulation and experimental results prove that the hybrid structures are able to boost the output voltage capability (some above unity) and/or to fully compensate unbalanced voltage supply.
Regenerationof Inflammation during Skeletal Muscle Myeloid HIFs Are Dispensable for Resolution

Besides their role in cellular responses to hypoxia, hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are involved in innate immunity and also have anti-inﬂammatory (M2) functions, such as resolution of inﬂammation preceding healing. Whereas the ﬁrst steps of the inﬂammatory response are associated with proinﬂammatory (M1) macrophages (MPs), resolution of inﬂammation is associated with anti-inﬂammatory MPs exhibiting an M2 phenotype. This M1 to M2 sequence is observed during postinjury muscle regeneration, which provides an excellent paradigm to study the resolution of sterile inﬂammation. In this study, using in vitro and in vivo approaches in murine models, we demonstrated that deletion of hif1a or hif2a in MPs has no impact on the acquisition of an M2 phenotype. Furthermore, using a multiscale methodological approach, we showed that muscles did not require macrophagic hif1a or hif2a to regenerate. These results indicate that macrophagic HIFs do not play a crucial role during skeletal muscle regeneration induced by sterile tissue damage. The Journal of Immunology , 2015, 194: 000–000.
Tensile testing of thin-film materials on a silicon chip

We describe a uniaxial tensile testing method which is performed on a single-crystal silicon chip, in order to evaluate the mechanical properties of thin films such as silicon and silicon compounds that have been formed on the chip. This method eliminates troublesome manipulation of small, fragile specimens as in previous tensile testing methods. The chip has been designed so that uniaxial tensile force is applied to a thin-film specimen when the lever structure on the same chip is loaded perpendicular to the chip surface. We developed a process to fabricate the chip using chemical anisotropic etching. We also developed a load and displacement measuring system and were able to measure fracture strain from 1%-1.8% for <110> single crystal silicon using this system.
Analysis of the influence of radio beacon placement on the accuracy of indoor positioning system

This paper discusses factors influencing accuracy of estimating localization of radio networks terminals in indoor environment. It introduces parameters that can be useful to describe the quality of localization of radio landmarks. The paper presents a software for computer aided reference radio stations placement inside the buildings and shows the results of exemplary simulations carried out with the use of proposed algorithms.
Oncometabolites‐driven tumorigenesis: From genetics to targeted therapy

Although the alteration of cellular metabolism in cancer was reported by Warburg in the early 1930s, a regain of interest in cancer metabolism has more recently followed the discovery of germline or somatic mutations in genes coding for metabolic enzymes (succinate dehydrogenase, fumarate hydratase and isocitrate dehydrogenase) that are associated with tumor susceptibility. Mutations in these genes are found in numerous tumor types including paragangliomas, kidney cancers, leiomyomas, glioblastomas and acute myeloid leukemia. They lead to the accumulation of so‐called oncometabolites that behave as competitors of 2‐oxoglutarate‐dependent dioxygenases, involved in a broad spectrum of pathways such as hypoxic response and epigenetic reprogramming. Here, we review the diverse pathways affected by oncometabolites, their potential role in cancer formation, maintenance, metastasis and sensitivity to chemotherapies, as well as emerging new therapeutic strategies.
Distributed Space-Time Coding Based on Amplify-and-Forward Protocol

A distributed space-time coding (DSTC) scheme based on amplify-and-forward protocol (AF-DSTC) is proposed in this paper. The Alamouti code is used by the source and relay node. Without decoding and receding at relay node, this new scheme avoids the interference on destination due to the decision errors at the relay and reduces the power consumption. Moreover, we derive the approximate outage probability of AF-DSTC. Theoretical analysis and simulation results show that AF-DSTC outperforms the suboptimum detector of DSTC based on decode-and-forward protocol (DF-DSTC). When the SNR between source node and relay node is high enough, AF-DSTC provides the same performance as the ML detector of DF-DSTC before the BER floor of AF-DSTC occurs and achieves full diversity gain. In order to minimize the BER of AF-DSTC and achieve high diversity gain, we should choose the idle node which is close to the source node as relay node.
Macrophages express membrane bound form of APRIL that can generate immunomodulatory signals

Members of the tumour necrosis factor superfamily play an essential role in inducing various biological responses including proliferation, differentiation, survival and cell death. A proliferation‐inducing ligand (APRIL), first identified as a stimulant of tumour proliferation, is now known as a regulator of B‐cell‐mediated immune responses through the modulation of B‐cell survival and activation. However, the role of APRIL in macrophage function has not been explored. High level expression of APRIL was detected on the surface of cells of the monocytic lineage including the human macrophage‐like cell line, THP‐1. To identify the role of APRIL in macrophage functions, THP‐1 cells were stimulated with either its counterpart (TACI : Fc fusion protein) or a monoclonal antibody that is specific to APRIL. Stimulation of APRIL resulted in the expression of pro‐inflammatory mediators such as interleukin‐8 and matrix metalloproteinase‐9 through the activation of mitogen‐activated protein kinase and nuclear factor‐κB. In contrast, stimulation of APRIL had an inhibitory effect on processes that require cytoskeletal movement such as phagocytosis of opsonized zymosan and chemotaxis through an inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase activity. These observations demonstrate that macrophages express a membrane‐bound form of APRIL which, upon stimulation, modulates the activities of macrophages through stimulation or inhibition of processes associated with inflammation.
PrEstoCloud: Proactive Cloud Resources Management at the Edge for Efficient Real-Time Big Data Processing

: Among the greatest challenges of cloud computing is to automatically and efficiently exploit infrastructural resources in a way that minimises cloud fees without compromising the performance of resource demanding cloud applications. In this aspect the consideration of using processing nodes at the edge of the network, increases considerably the complexity of these challenges. PrEstoCloud idea encapsulates a dynamic, distributed, self-adaptive and proactively configurable architecture for processing Big Data streams. In particular, PrEstoCloud aims to combine real-time Big Data, mobile processing and cloud computing research in a unique way that entails proactiveness of cloud resources use and extension of the fog computing paradigm to the extreme edge of the network. The envisioned PrEstoCloud solution is driven by the microservices paradigm and has been structured across five different conceptual layers: i) Meta-management; ii) Control; iii) Cloud infrastructure; iv) Cloud/Edge communication and v) Devices, layers.
Comparison and Characterization of Immunoglobulin G Subclasses among Primate Species

ABSTRACT Little information is available on the immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclasses expressed in the sera of nonhuman primate species. To address this issue, we compared the IgG subclasses found in humans (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4) to those of nonhuman primates, such as baboons and macaques. Cross-reactive antihuman IgG subtype-specific reagents were identified and used to analyze purified IgG from sera by solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Protein A-purified human IgG obtained from sera was composed of IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4, whereas baboon and macaque IgG was composed of IgG1, IgG2, and IgG4. Protein G-purified human IgG was composed of IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4, whereas baboon and macaque IgG was composed of IgG1, IgG2, and IgG4. To test the possibility that baboon and macaque IgG3 is actually present, but is outcompeted for binding to proteins A and G by the other more abundant IgG subclasses, we repurified the IgG from sera that did not bind either protein A or protein G. We found a baboon IgG3 population in the sera that did not bind protein A, but bound protein G. No IgG3 subtype was detectable in macaque sera. These data suggest that baboon sera, like human sera, contain four IgG subtypes, whereas macaque sera exhibit only three of the human subclass analogs. In addition, the IgG subtype-specific reagents were shown to be useful in determining the IgG subclass distribution following vaccination of baboons with hepatitis B surface antigen.
How Learning to Read Changes the Cortical Networks for Vision and Language

Reading, Writing, and Face Recognition Reading, not to mention writing and texting, is a relatively recent invention, and hence it is believed that a preliterate brain must adapt on the fly, so to speak, in learning how to process written words, rather than being able to rely upon evolutionarily ancient modifications of the visual system pathways. Dehaene et al. (p. 1359, published online 11 November) examined the neural response to a range of visual stimuli in three groups: illiterate adults, adults who learned to read as children, and adults who learned to read as adults. Reading induced a greater facility in processing horizontally oriented stimuli at early stages in the visual pathway and was also associated with the appearance of an area specialized for words. This gain of function appeared to occur at a cost—the area in the temporal cortex devoted to face processing shrank. Reading changes the mind. Does literacy improve brain function? Does it also entail losses? Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we measured brain responses to spoken and written language, visual faces, houses, tools, and checkers in adults of variable literacy (10 were illiterate, 22 became literate as adults, and 31 were literate in childhood). As literacy enhanced the left fusiform activation evoked by writing, it induced a small competition with faces at this location, but also broadly enhanced visual responses in fusiform and occipital cortex, extending to area V1. Literacy also enhanced phonological activation to speech in the planum temporale and afforded a top-down activation of orthography from spoken inputs. Most changes occurred even when literacy was acquired in adulthood, emphasizing that both childhood and adult education can profoundly refine cortical organization.
Neurotrophic‐4/5 is a survival factor for embryonic midbrain dopaminergic neurons in enriched cultures

Parkinson's disease is a prevalent neurological disease characterized by profound and incapacitating movement disorders. A common pathology in Parkinson's patients is degeneration of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons that innervate the striatum and a corresponding decrease in striatal dopamine content. We now report that NT‐4/5 can prevent the death of rat embryonic substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons in low density, enriched, primary cultures. Furthermore, these neurons express messenger RNA encoding the trkB receptor for NT‐4/5 and transcripts for NT‐4/5 are present in their environment. In addition, we demonstrate that NT‐4/5 protects embryonic dopaminergic neurons from the toxic effects of the neurotoxin MPP+ THUAS, nt‐4/5 could be a physiological survival factor for midbrain dopaminergic neurons and may be useful as a therapeutic agent for parkinson's disease. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Planning with the USA-Advisor

In this work we discuss planning performed by the USAAdvisor decision support system for the Space Shuttle. The USA-Advisor is a medium size, planning application for use by NASA flight controllers. This system contains over a dozen domain dependent and domain independent heuristics. A number of experimental results are presented, illustrating how this knowledge helps improve both the quality of plans as well as overall system performance.
Predicting null-pointer dereferences in concurrent programs

We propose null-pointer dereferences as a target for finding bugs in concurrent programs using testing. A null-pointer dereference prediction engine observes an execution of a concurrent program under test and predicts alternate interleavings that are likely to cause null-pointer dereferences. Though accurate scalable prediction is intractable, we provide a carefully chosen novel set of techniques to achieve reasonably accurate and scalable prediction. We use an abstraction to the shared-communication level, take advantage of a static lock-set based pruning, and finally, employ precise and relaxed constraint solving techniques that use an SMT solver to predict schedules. We realize our techniques in a tool, ExceptioNULL, and evaluate it over 13 benchmark programs and find scores of null-pointer dereferences by using only a single test run as the prediction seed for each benchmark.