Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the Analgesic Efficacy of Dexketoprofen Trometamol and Meperidine HCl in the Relief of Renal Colic

In this study, the analgesic effects of dexketoprofen trometamol and meperidine hydrochloride were compared in patients diagnosed with renal colic. This study was a prospective, randomized, double-blind study. Fifty-two patients, between the ages of 18 and 70 years who were diagnosed with renal colic, were enrolled in the study after obtaining ethics committee approval. Before drug injection, dexketoprofen trometamol and meperidine hydrochloride were placed in closed envelopes, and the patients were randomly given a single dose of intravenous infusion for 20 minutes. Severity of pain and symptoms was evaluated with the numerical rating scale and renal colic symptom score for each patient immediately before administration of drugs and 30 minutes after the end of the application. At the same time, systolic arterial blood pressure, diastolic arterial pressure, respiratory rate, heart rate, nausea, vomiting, and reactions due to drug administration were recorded before and after drug administration. In statistical methods, t test, analysis of variance, and repeated measure analysis were used for the analysis of normally distributed continuous variables and the Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis and Friedman tests were used for analysis of not-normally distributed continuous variables. In the analysis of discrete variables, the &khgr;2 test was used. In both groups, a significant decrease was found in numerical rating scale values measured 30 minutes after drug administration, but the decline in dexketoprofen trometamol group (P = 0.02) was found to be more. Although a significant decrease was found in the renal colic symptom score (P < 0.001) values measured after drug administration in the dexketoprofen trometamol group, no significant decrease was found in the meperidine HCl (P = 0.058) group. After drug administration, a statistically significant decrease was found in the systolic arterial blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate in both groups. Also, a statistically significant decrease was found in the diastolic arterial pressure in the meperidine group. But these changes in vital findings were not serious enough to disrupt patients' clinical status. With this study, we concluded that dexketoprofen trometamol, from the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug group, can be within the primary treatment options for renal colic because of better analgesic efficacy, being well tolerated by patients compared with meperidine hydrochloride.
Using Delay Estimation to Reduce Comb Filtering of Arbitrary Musical Sources

Multiple microphones are often used to record a single source in live and studio productions. Because such microphones are often at different distances from the source, the sum of their signals creates a comb filter response with flanging effect. These effects can be avoided if there is automated delay compensation. This article analyzes the accuracy of the Generalized Cross Correlation with Phase Transform (GCC-PHAT) as a delay-estimation technique when applied to arbitrary music signals. The authors show that the window function used in the GCC-PHAT calculation influences the interferences between frequency components with different amplitudes, which results in spectral leakage and errors in the GCC-PHAT calculation. This interference is greatest when the input signal is narrowband and when the window function has high-amplitude side lobes.
Characterization of Implicit Sequence Learning and the Influence of Individual Differences on Performance

This work aimed to understand the limits and capabilities of implicit sequence learning, or internalizing statistically-defined regularities in a stream of stimuli without awareness or intention to learn. Both spatial and nonspatial informational components were manipulated in presented streams of stimuli, and undergraduates learned regularities in both categories of information and applied this knowledge to test trials. Evidence for a unique contribution of a spatial component to visual implicit sequence learning was presented, and changes in performance across the quarter were examined. This work supported a model of implicit learning as a general principle of neural processing (Reber, 2013) and a model of unidimensional and multidimensional systems involved in implicit sequence learning (Keele et al., 2003).
Replacement recombination in Lactococcus lactis

In the pUC18-derived integration plasmid pML336 there is a 5.3-kb chromosomal DNA fragment that carries the X-prolyl dipeptidyl aminopeptidase gene (pepXP). The gene was inactivated by the insertion of an erythromycin resistance determinant into its coding sequence. Covalently closed circular DNA of pML336 was used for the electrotransformation of Lactococcus lactis. In 2% of the erythromycin-resistant transformants the pepXP gene was inactivated by a double-crossover event (replacement recombination) between pML336 and the L. lactis chromosome. The other transformants in which the pepXP gene had not been inactivated carried a Campbell-type integrated copy of the plasmid. Loss of part of the Campbell-type integrated plasmid via recombination between 1.6-kb nontandem repeats occurred with low frequencies that varied between less than 2.8 x 10(-6) and 8.5 x 10(-6), producing cells with a chromosomal structure like that of cells in which replacement recombination had taken place.
Brassinosteroids control male fertility by regulating the expression of key genes involved in Arabidopsis anther and pollen development

The development of anther and pollen is important for male reproduction, and this process is coordinately regulated by many external and internal cues. In this study, we systematically examined the male reproductive phenotypes of a series of brassinosteroid biosynthetic and signaling mutants and found that, besides the expected cell-expansion defects, these mutants also showed reduced pollen number, viability, and release efficiency. These defects were related with abnormal tapetum and microspore development. Using both real-time quantitative RT-PCR and microarray experiments, we found that the expression of many key genes required for anther and pollen development was suppressed in these mutants. ChIP analysis demonstrated that BES1, an important transcription factor for brassinosteroid signaling, could directly bind to the promoter regions of genes encoding transcription factors essential for anther and pollen development, SPL/NZZ, TDF1, AMS, MS1, and MS2. Taken together, these data lead us to propose that brassinosteroids control male fertility at least in part via directly regulating key genes for anther and pollen development in Arabidopsis. Our work provides a unique mechanism to explain how a phytohormone regulates an essential genetic program for plant development.
Introduction: Globalisation, Value Chains and Development

Globalisation has become a catchword for the international economy at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The increasing importance of export-oriented industrialisation has made integration into the global economy virtually synonymous with development for a number of nations. However, there is an acute awareness that the gains from globalisation are very unevenly distributed within as well as between societies. A growing body of work analyses globalisation processes from the perspective of ‘value chains’; that is that international trade in goods and services should not be seen solely, or even mainly, as a multitude of arm’s-length market-based transactions but rather as systems of governance - involving multinational enterprises - that link firms together in a variety of sourcing and contracting arrangements. Understanding how these value chains operate is very important for developing country firms and policymakers because the way chains are structured has implications for newcomers trying to participate in the chain and to gain access to necessary skills, competences and supporting services. Most of the papers in this Bulletin build on the results of a workshop in Bellagio, Italy in September 2000, where all these issues were discussed.
Encoding of Sensory Prediction Errors in the Human Cerebellum

A central tenet of motor neuroscience is that the cerebellum learns from sensory prediction errors. Surprisingly, neuroimaging studies have not revealed definitive signatures of error processing in the cerebellum. Furthermore, neurophysiologic studies suggest an asymmetry, such that the cerebellum may encode errors arising from unexpected sensory events, but not errors reflecting the omission of expected stimuli. We conducted an imaging study to compare the cerebellar response to these two types of errors. Participants made fast out-and-back reaching movements, aiming either for an object that delivered a force pulse if intersected or for a gap between two objects, either of which delivered a force pulse if intersected. Errors (missing the target) could therefore be signaled either through the presence or absence of a force pulse. In an initial analysis, the cerebellar BOLD response was smaller on trials with errors compared with trials without errors. However, we also observed an error-related decrease in heart rate. After correcting for variation in heart rate, increased activation during error trials was observed in the hand area of lobules V and VI. This effect was similar for the two error types. The results provide evidence for the encoding of errors resulting from either the unexpected presence or unexpected absence of sensory stimulation in the human cerebellum.
A novel biomarker of amnestic MCI based on dynamic cross-frequency coupling patterns during cognitive brain responses

The detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), the transitional stage between normal cognitive changes of aging and the cognitive decline caused by AD, is of paramount clinical importance, since MCI patients are at increased risk of progressing into AD. Electroencephalographic (EEG) alterations in the spectral content of brainwaves and connectivity at resting state have been associated with early-stage AD. Recently, cognitive event-related potentials (ERPs) have entered into the picture as an easy to perform screening test. Motivated by the recent findings about the role of cross-frequency coupling (CFC) in cognition, we introduce a relevant methodological approach for detecting MCI based on cognitive responses from a standard auditory oddball paradigm. By using the single trial signals recorded at Pz sensor and comparing the responses to target and non-target stimuli, we first demonstrate that increased CFC is associated with the cognitive task. Then, considering the dynamic character of CFC, we identify instances during which the coupling between particular pairs of brainwave frequencies carries sufficient information for discriminating between normal subjects and patients with MCI. In this way, we form a multiparametric signature of impaired cognition. The new composite biomarker was tested using data from a cohort that consists of 25 amnestic MCI patients and 15 age-matched controls. Standard machine-learning algorithms were employed so as to implement the binary classification task. Based on leave-one-out cross-validation, the measured classification rate was found reaching very high levels (95%). Our approach compares favorably with the traditional alternative of using the morphology of averaged ERP response to make the diagnosis and the usage of features from spectro-temporal analysis of single-trial responses. This further indicates that task-related CFC measurements can provide invaluable analytics in AD diagnosis and prognosis.
Developmental Maturation of Calcium Transport by Rat Brush Border Membrane Vesicles

ABSTRACT. The developmental aspects of calcium transport across the intestinal brush membrane vesicles was studied utilizing a millipore filtration technique. Calcium transport represented uptake into the intravesicular space as evidenced by osmolality studies, calcium release by the calcium ionophore A23187, and temperature dependency. Calcium transport in both suckling and adolescent rats appears to occur by a saturable mechanism. Calcium uptake was similar in the presence of sodium and potassium gradients, but decreased in the presence of choline gradient. The imposition of negative membrane potential did not enhance calcium uptake compared to voltage clamp conditions indicating an electroneutral process. The initial rate of calcium uptake was linear up to 15 s. Kinetic analysis of calcium uptake at 7 s showed lower V max and lower Km in suckling rats compared to adolescent rats. These studies are the first to demonstrate the maturational aspects of calcium entry at the brush border level and are consistent with our previous kinetic studies utilizing whole tissue.
The information and reading preferences of North Carolina children

Children’s reading and information preferences have been a source of study for more than a century. This study is meant to add to this growing understanding of children’s preferences. Two thousand responses to an open-ended survey conducted by the State Library of North Carolina were analyzed. Surveyed children’s ages ranged from two to eighteen years old, and the distribution of genders was 53 percent female and 47 percent male. The results indicated that children’s subject preferences when entering a school or public library centered on animals, science, sports, and literature. Secondary preferences included biography, history, computers, careers, the library collection, and transportation. The findings are similar to other studies of children’s reading and information preferences, though this study indicated a higher preference for computers and poetry, and a lower preference for the supernatural than other research.
DESIGN AND PILOT STUDY OF AN ADVENTURE VIDEO GAME AS A TOOL IN PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC PROCESSES OF ADOLESCENT WOMEN WITH SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION

Aim: Technology and the internet are new platforms to deliver information, to interconnect people and to offer interactive media. The potential of technology has been explored, in promising ways, for the treatment and prevention of different psychological disorders. Also, since several decades ago, the potential of video games for the treatment and prevention of psychological disorders has been explored with positive results. The main goals of this study were two: a) to design an online adventure video game as complementary tool in psychotherapeutic processes of adolescent women with symptoms of depression; b) to evaluate the acceptability by female adolescents of an online video game as a complementary tool in psychotherapy. Methods: a) Design phase. The game design followed a user oriented iterative process. First, focus groups with teenage girls were conducted to obtained ideas for the video game story. The first prototypes were play tested with some girls. Besides, the video game design process was accompanied and reviewed by 5 psychotherapists. b) Pilot study. Therapist (5) invited patients (15) to play the game. After patients played the video game, they responded the online acceptability and game experience questionnaires. In the sessions that followed therapist and patients reflected on the relation of the video game and the patients’ situation. Later, psychotherapists were interviewed to obtain their opinions about the experience. Results: It was possible to design an adventure video game, sustained in psychological theory that provided a positive game experience for some depressive patients and that it was useful in the context of their psychotherapies. Discussion: One of the most important contributions of this work is that the video game prototype and the experiences presented provide evidence that future developments and research on video games for mental health are worthwhile. This was a very simple game, a prototype that recognizes a future in which interactive devices and artificial intelligence will offer vast possibilities for education and mental health. Keywords: Video game for mental health, interactive narratives, depression, psychotherapy with adolescents, psychoeducation.
QoS based light path provisioning and performance analysis in WDM network

In this paper, we explore the issue of connection provisioning and performance analysis in WDM network ensuring the QoS requirement of the connection requests from the client in the network. Each connection request can be specified with a Q-Factor requirement which is defined in terms of bandwidth and delay associated with the light path. The paper discusses the improvement in blocking probably for incoming requests while performing routing by proposed algorithm and the traditional shortest path algorithm.
Characterizing pseudoentropy

We provide a characterization of “pseudoentropy” in terms of hardness of sampling: Let (X, B) be jointly distributed random variables such that B takes values in a polynomial-sized set. We show that no polynomial-time algorithm can distinguish B from some random variable of higher Shannon entropy given X if and only if there is no probabilistic polynomial-time S such that (X, S(X)) has small KL divergence from (X, B). As an application of this characterization, we show that if f is a one-way function (f is easy to compute but hard to invert), then (f(Un),Un) has “next-bit pseudoentropy” at least n + log n, establishing a conjecture of Haitner, Reingold, and Vadhan (STOC '10). Plugging this into the construction of Haitner et al., we obtain a simpler construction of pseudorandom generators from one-way functions.
Enhancing State-of-the-Art Multi-Objective Optimization Algorithms by Applying Domain Specific Operators

To solve dynamic multi-optimization problems, optimization algorithms are required to converge quickly in response to changes in the environment without reducing the diversity of the found solutions. Most Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms (MOEAs) are designed to solve static multi-objective optimization problems where the environment does not change dynamically. For that reason, the requirement for convergence in static optimization problems is not as time-critical as for dynamic optimization problems. Most MOEAs use generic variables and operators that scale to static multi-objective optimization problems. Problems emerge when the algorithms can not converge fast enough, due to scalability issues introduced by using too generic operators. This paper presents an evolutionary algorithm CONTROLEUM-GA that uses domain specific variables and operators to solve a real dynamic greenhouse climate control problem. The domain specific operators only encode existing knowledge about the environment. A comprehensive comparative study is provided to evaluate the results of applying the CONTROLEUM-GA compared to NSGAII, ϵ-NSGAII and ϵ-MOEA. Experimental results demonstrate clear improvements in convergence time without compromising the quality of the found solutions compared to other state-of-art algorithms.
Manufacturing processes of soft magnetic composite cores for permanent magnet machines

By using the low mass density compaction, the electrical machine with soft magnetic composite (SMC) cores has shown its great advantage of the low manufacturing cost over that with silicon steels, especially in the mass production. For the laboratory prototype, wire cutting method is widely used to build the SMC cores for electrical machine. However, cutting the SMC preform block can destroy the magnetic properties of the SMC material, making that the electrical machine made in the laboratory cannot have the same performance as that in the mass production. To minimize the gap between the laboratory prototype and the mass production, the SMC cores should be made by the die compaction. However, to achieve high mass density, the compact pressure must be high and the productivity is low. On the other hand, low mass density compaction would greatly increase the productivity, but the core performance may deteriorate, which can be dealt with careful design and optimization of electrical machine. This paper presents our recent investigation on the manufacturing process of soft magnetic cores. The details of designing the die tools and building the SMC cores by using these tools are described.
The Role of the Small Ubiquitin-Related Modifier (SUMO) Pathway in Prostate Cancer

SUMO (small ubiquitin-related modifier) conjugation is a reversible three-step process of protein post-translational modifications mediating protein-protein interactions, subcellular compartmentalization and regulation of transcriptional events. Among divergent transcription factors regulated by SUMOylation and deSUMOylation, the androgen receptor (AR) is of exceptional significance, given its established role in prostate carcinogenesis. The enzymes of the SUMO pathway can have diverse effects on AR transcriptional activity, either via direct modification of the AR or through modification of AR co-regulators. Accumulating in vitro and in vivo evidence implicates the SUMO pathway in AR-dependent signaling. Prostate cancer cell proliferation and hypoxia-induced angiogenesis are also regulated by the SUMO pathway, through an AR-independent mechanism. Thus, an important role has been revealed for members of the SUMO pathway in prostate cancer (PCa) development and progression, offering new therapeutic targets.
Rabies immune globulin (human). Clinical trials and dose determination.

Due to the frequent complications associated with the use of rabies immune serum of equine origin, a human material, rabies immune globulin human (RIGH), has been developed. Dosage of RIGH is critical, because in excess, it may interfere with active immunity. This study was designed to determine an optimal dose of RIGH to be given in combination with a standard 16-shot series of duck embryo rabies vaccine. Serum samples for rabies antibody titration were obtained from all volunteers on days 0, 1, 3, 6, 9, 13, 23, 30, 40, 60, and 90. Combined early (passive) immunity and later (active) immunity appeared optimal in the group receiving 20 international units/kg of body weight. This is approximately one half the dose rate required with rabies immune serum of equine origin, and is consistent with an observed half-life of RIGH which is approximately twice the half-life of equine material.
Distribution of bisphenol A in the neuroendocrine organs of female rats

The distribution of 14C-bisphenol A (BPA) in plasma and neuroendocrine organs was determined in Fischer 344 female rats following three oral doses (0.1, 10 or 100 mg/kg). Plasma and tissue maximum concentrations (Cmax) were reached within 15-30 min of dosing. Plasma areas-under-the-curve (AUC) ranged from 0.06 to 53.9 mg-h/mL. The AUCs of the pituitary gland and uterus/gonads were 16-21% higher than that of plasma. The AUCs of hypothalamus and the rest of the brain were 43.7% and 77% of the plasma AUCs, respectively. In the brain tissue, the exposure increased linearly with the oral dose, as the dose was increased from 0.1 to 10 and 100 mg/kg; the exposure in the brain relative to the plasma increased by factors of 1, 1.19 and 1.24. This indicates that the brain barrier systems do not limit the access of the lipophilic BPA to the brain. The increases of the uterus/gonads relative to the plasma were 1, 1.07 and 1.04. Tissue partitioning was also examined in vitro by the uptake of 14C-BPA. The BPA tissue/blood partition coefficients were as follows: heart, 7.5; liver, 6.1; kidney, 6.4; fat, 3.6; muscle, 2.6; breast, 3.6; ovaries, 9.1; uterus, 5.9; stomach, 5.1; and small intestine, 6.7. The tissue/cerebrospinal fluid partition coefficients were as follows: pituitary gland, 12.8; brain stem, 6.1; cerebellum, 6.4; hippocampus, 7.1; hypothalamus, 6.1; frontal cortex, 4.9; and caudate nucleus, 6.8.