Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lithium and Valproate Levels Do Not Correlate with Ketamine's Antidepressant Efficacy in Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Depression

Ketamine and lithium both inhibit glycogen synthase kinase 3. In addition, lithium and ketamine have synergistic antidepressant-like effects at individually subeffective doses in rodents. We hypothesized that ketamine's antidepressant effects would be improved by therapeutic doses of lithium versus valproate and that serum lithium levels would positively correlate with ketamine's antidepressant efficacy. Thirty-six patients with treatment-resistant bipolar depression maintained on therapeutic-dose lithium (n = 23, 0.79 ± 0.15 mEq/L) or valproate (n = 13, 79.6 ± 12.4 mg/mL) received 0.5 mg/kg ketamine infusion in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. The primary depression outcome measure—the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)—was assessed before infusion and at numerous postinfusion time points. Both lithium (F 1,118 = 152.08, p < 0.001, and d = 2.27) and valproate (F 1,128 = 20.12, p < 0.001, and d = 0.79) significantly improved depressive symptoms, but no statistically significant difference was observed between mood stabilizer groups (F 1,28 = 2.51, p = 0.12, and d = 0.60). Serum lithium and valproate levels did not correlate with ketamine's antidepressant efficacy. Although the study was potentially underpowered, our results suggest that lithium may not potentiate ketamine's antidepressant efficacy in treatment-resistant bipolar depression.
The n-of-1 randomized controlled trial: clinical usefulness. Our three-year experience.

OBJECTIVE To review the feasibility and effectiveness of n-of-1 randomized controlled trials (n-of-1 trials) in clinical practice. DESIGN Individual trials were double-blind, randomized, multiple crossover trials. The impact of n-of-1 trials was determined by eliciting physicians' plans of management and confidence in those plans before and after each trial. SETTING Referral service doing n-of-1 trials at the requests of community and academic physicians. OBJECT of ANALYSIS All trials were planned, started, and completed by the n-of-1 service. MEASURES OF OUTCOME The proportion of planned n-of-1 trials that were completed and the proportion that provided a definite clinical or statistical answer. A definite clinical answer was achieved if an n-of-1 trial resulted in a high level of physician's confidence in the management plan. Specific criteria were developed for classifying an n-of-1 trial as providing a definite statistical answer. MAIN RESULTS Seventy-three n-of-1 trials were planned in various clinical situations. Of 70 n-of-1 trials begun, 57 were completed. The reasons for not completing n-of-1 trials were patients' or physicians' noncompliance or patients' concurrent illness. Of 57 n-of-1 trials completed, 50 provided a definite clinical or statistical answer. In 15 trials (39% of trials in which appropriate data were available), the results prompted physicians to change their "prior to the trial" plan of management (in 11 trials, the physicians stopped the drug therapy that they had planned to continue indefinitely). CONCLUSION We interpret the results as supporting the feasibility and usefulness of n-of-1 trials in clinical practice.
Software Process Extraction and Identification

Industrial software is planned, managed, and created using a variety of approaches: sometimes a formal Software Development Life-cycle (SDLC) model is used, sometimes an approach that is less formal but has clearly identifiable stages is employed, and sometimes little if any discernible process is followed. In this paper, we extract and correlate the software development process with behaviour and data found within a project’s source control repository. We do so by analyzing fine grained changes, revisions, and aggregations of revisions, so that we can correlate them with the stage of the software development process that the project was in at the time they were made. To label intervals of revisions we use machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques including N-Nearest Neighbours classifiers, Markov models, Hidden Markov Models, Markov Decision Processes and Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes. These techniques initially learn the stages from annotated data and then classify unknown data. We describe how to pose the problem using these tools and we evaluate their effectiveness on several case studies.
An application of HOMER and ACMANT for homogenising monthly precipitation records in Ireland

Climate change studies based only on raw long-term data are potentially flawed due to the many breaks introduced from non-climatic sources, consequently quality controlled and homogenised climate data is desirable for basing climate related decision making on. Seasonal cycles of precipitation in Ireland and the UK are projected to become more marked as the climate changes, and regional extremes in summer dry spells and winter precipitation have been recorded in recent years. Therefore to analyse and monitor the evolution of precipitation patterns across Ireland, quality controlled and homogenous climate series are needed.
The “Domestication Syndrome” in Mammals: A Unified Explanation Based on Neural Crest Cell Behavior and Genetics

Charles Darwin, while trying to devise a general theory of heredity from the observations of animal and plant breeders, discovered that domesticated mammals possess a distinctive and unusual suite of heritable traits not seen in their wild progenitors. Some of these traits also appear in domesticated birds and fish. The origin of Darwin’s “domestication syndrome” has remained a conundrum for more than 140 years. Most explanations focus on particular traits, while neglecting others, or on the possible selective factors involved in domestication rather than the underlying developmental and genetic causes of these traits. Here, we propose that the domestication syndrome results predominantly from mild neural crest cell deficits during embryonic development. Most of the modified traits, both morphological and physiological, can be readily explained as direct consequences of such deficiencies, while other traits are explicable as indirect consequences. We first show how the hypothesis can account for the multiple, apparently unrelated traits of the syndrome and then explore its genetic dimensions and predictions, reviewing the available genetic evidence. The article concludes with a brief discussion of some genetic and developmental questions raised by the idea, along with specific predictions and experimental tests.
El Parque Natural del Carrascal de la Font Roja como laboratorio para investigar el impacto del cambio climático en la vegetación mediterránea

Este trabajo que se esta desarrollando esta financiado dentro del marco de los proyectos Alteraclim (CGL2015-69773-C2-1-P) y Survive-2 (CGL2015-69773-C2-2-P) con fondos del ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologia (MINECO/FEDER).
Reachability-based control for the active SLIP model

One of the key topics in robotics is legged locomotion, taking inspiration from walking and bouncing gaits of bipeds and quadrupeds. A fundamental tool for analyzing running and hopping is the spring loaded inverted pendulum (SLIP), thanks to its simplicity but also effectiveness in modeling bouncing gaits. Being completely passive, the SLIP model does not have the ability to modify its net energy, which, for example, can be a prohibitive obstacle when traveling on a terrain with varying heights. The actuated version of the SLIP model, the active SLIP, considered in this paper, includes a series actuator that allows energy variations via compressing or extending the spring. In this work, we investigate how different actuator motions can affect the system’s state, and we propose a control strategy, based on graphical and numerical studies of the reachability space, and updated throughout the stance phase, to drive the system to a desired state. We quantify its performance benefits, particularly in serving as an error-recovering method. The objective of our control strategy is not to replace any leg-placement approach proposed by other works, but rather to be paired with any other leg-placement or path planning method. Its main advantage is the ability to reduce the effects of sensing errors and disturbances happening at landing as well as during the stance phase.
Aug-2016 Final Report : High Performance Computing and Visualization Infrastructure for Simultaneous Parallel Computing and Parallel Visualization

Number of Papers published in peer-reviewed journals: Final Report: High Performance Computing and Visualization Infrastructure for Simultaneous Parallel Computing and Parallel Visualization Research Report Title The objective of this DURIP project was to acquire an HPC cluster and Mini CAVE to support research involving simultaneous parallel computing and parallel visualization at the University of Kansas (KU). We acquired HPC and visualization infrastructure that form a system for simultaneous parallel computing and parallel visualization research. The HPC cluster is composed of 17 compute nodes with 340 cores, 20 NVIDIA GPGPU’s, and 14 Intel Co-Phi processors. The visualization infrastructure is a next generation tiled Mini CAVE for semiimmersive visualization. Our infrastructure leverages and extends existing KU infrastructure available to researchers through the KU Advanced Computing Facility. The HPC and visualization system has supported research in five Department of Defense (DoD) missioncritical thematic areas involving simultaneous parallel computing and parallel visualization: unstructured meshing, scientific visualization, computational fluid dynamics, elastodynamics, and materials chemistry. The infrastructure has enhanced the research supported by and of interest to the DoD. It has enabled research projects involving: serial and parallel adaptive and moving mesh simulations, scientific visualizations, large eddy simulations of turbulent flows in gas engines, long-range acoustic propagation simulations, numerical modeling of nonlinear nanophotonic devices, and molecular dynamics simulations of solidification. (a) Papers published in peer-reviewed journals (N/A for none) Enter List of papers submitted or published that acknowledge ARO support from the start of the project to the date of this printing. List the papers, including journal references, in the following categories: (b) Papers published in non-peer-reviewed journals (N/A for none) Received Paper
Cumulative Risks of Foster Care Placement for Danish Children

Although recent research suggests that the cumulative risk of foster care placement is far higher for American children than originally suspected, little is known about the cumulative risk of foster care placement in other countries, which makes it difficult to gauge the degree to which factor foster care placement is salient in other contexts. In this article, we provide companion estimates to those provided in recent work on the US by using Danish registry data and synthetic cohort life tables to show how high and unequally distributed the cumulative risk of foster care placement is for Danish children. Results suggest that at the beginning of the study period (in 1998) the cumulative risk of foster care placement for Danish children was roughly in line with the risk for American children. Yet, by the end of the study period (2010), the risk had declined to half the risk for American children. Our results also show some variations by parental ethnicity and sex, but these differences are small. Indeed, they appear quite muted relative to racial/ethnic differences in these risks in the United States. Last, though cumulative risks are similar between Danish and American children (especially at the beginning of the study period), the age-specific risk profiles are markedly different, with higher risks for older Danish children than for older American children.
Loss of differentiation control in transformed 3T3 T proadipocytes.

Nontransformed 3T3 T mesenchymal/proadipocyte stem cells can be readily induced to differentiate, yet previous work has shown that 3T3 T cells that are spontaneously or virally transformed not only lose their normal growth control mechanisms but also lose the ability to differentiate. Loss of growth control can be due to autocrine mechanisms in some transformed cells, but the mechanisms involved in disrupting differentiation control are poorly understood. Our goal is to further define the growth and differentiation defects that arise in neoplastically transformed cells and the mechanisms underlying those defects. For example, exogenous transforming growth factor beta and tumor necrosis factor, both of which are secreted aberrantly by some tumor cells, are known inhibitors of different steps of the normal 3T3 T adipocyte differentiation process, suggesting a potential role as autocrine factors in disrupting differentiation of transformed 3T3 T cells. In the current study we transformed 3T3 T cells in vitro with chemical or UV irradiation treatment in order to determine if the acquisition of the transformed phenotype after these treatments is also associated with loss of differentiation control as it is with spontaneously or virally transformed cells. Four chemically and two UV-treated 3T3 T cell lines were isolated from type III foci and all have been found to be tumorigenic in syngeneic animals and to have lost the ability to differentiate. Relative to the parental cell line the differentiation abilities of the transformed clones ranged from 0 to less than 5%. In this regard, we also analyzed the normal and aberrant expression of three growth factors and differentiation inhibitors in transformed cells. Both transforming growth factor alpha and beta were found to be expressed in non-transformed 3T3 T cells as determined by Northern blot analyses. In addition, both were found to be down-regulated during differentiation of 3T3 T cells. Transformed/differentiation-defective 3T3 T cells expressed varied levels of transforming growth factor alpha and beta. Three of the new transformed clones expressed particularly high levels of transforming growth factor alpha. Very low levels of tumor necrosis factor expression were found in the normal cells and the transformed cells appeared to express tumor necrosis factor at similar levels. In contrast, none of the transformed cells expressed any of the differentiation-specific genes tested (lipoprotein lipase, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, etc.). Even a transformed clone which could undergo growth arrest but not morphological differentiation expressed no differentiation-specific genes. Together, these data suggest that neoplastic transformation in general disrupts differentiation control. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Allergic pulmonary inflammation in mice is dependent on eosinophil-induced recruitment of effector T cells

The current paradigm surrounding allergen-mediated T helper type 2 (Th2) immune responses in the lung suggests an almost hegemonic role for T cells. Our studies propose an alternative hypothesis implicating eosinophils in the regulation of pulmonary T cell responses. In particular, ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized/challenged mice devoid of eosinophils (the transgenic line PHIL) have reduced airway levels of Th2 cytokines relative to the OVA-treated wild type that correlated with a reduced ability to recruit effector T cells to the lung. Adoptive transfer of Th2-polarized OVA-specific transgenic T cells (OT-II) alone into OVA-challenged PHIL recipient mice failed to restore Th2 cytokines, airway histopathologies, and, most importantly, the recruitment of pulmonary effector T cells. In contrast, the combined transfer of OT-II cells and eosinophils into PHIL mice resulted in the accumulation of effector T cells and a concomitant increase in both airway Th2 immune responses and histopathologies. Moreover, we show that eosinophils elicit the expression of the Th2 chemokines thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine/CCL17 and macrophage-derived chemokine/CCL22 in the lung after allergen challenge, and blockade of these chemokines inhibited the recruitment of effector T cells. In summary, the data suggest that pulmonary eosinophils are required for the localized recruitment of effector T cells.
Comparative study of four modified timing metrics for the frame synchronization in OFDMA mode of WMAN

In this paper, we adapt four existing timing metrics for frame synchronization in OFDMA mode of WMAN. Among the methods considered, first method uses cyclic prefix information present in the symbol, second method uses the symmetry in the time domain preamble data, third method exploits a priori knowledge of the preamble PN sequence, and the fourth method exploits the conjugate symmetry in the time domain preamble. It is shown that direct application of these timing metrics is not possible for frame synchronization of OFDMA mode of WMAN. Modifications to these timing metrics are presented to adapt them to OFDMA mode of WMAN. Simulations are conducted for AWGN and frequency selective channels to demonstrate the performance of the modified timing metrics.
Effects of Semantic Treatment on Verbal Communication and Linguistic Processing in Aphasia After Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background and Purpose— Semantic deficits, deficits in word meaning, have a large impact on aphasic patients’ verbal communication. We investigated the effects of semantic treatment on verbal communication in a randomized controlled trial. Methods— Fifty-eight patients with a combined semantic and phonological deficit were randomized to receive either semantic treatment or the control treatment focused on word sound (phonology). Fifty-five patients completed pretreatment and posttreatment assessment of verbal communication (Amsterdam Nijmegen Everyday Language Test [ANELT]). In an on-treatment analysis (n=46), treatment-specific effects on semantic and phonological measures were explored. Results— Both groups improved on the ANELT, with no difference between groups in overall score (difference, −1.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], −5.3 to 3.1). After semantic treatment, patients improved on a semantic measure (mean improvement, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.2 to 4.6), whereas after phonological treatment, patients improved on phonological measures (mean improvement, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.4 to 4.7, and 3.0; 95% CI, 1.2 to 4.7). Conclusions— No differences in primary outcome were noted between the 2 treatments. Our findings challenge the current notion that semantic treatment is more effective than phonological treatment for patients with a combined semantic and phonological deficit. The selective gains on the semantic and phonological measures suggest that improved verbal communication was achieved in a different way for each treatment group.
Lymphadenectomy and Ovarian Preservation in Low-Grade Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma

OBJECTIVE: To report the impact on overall survival of lymphadenectomy and ovarian preservation in patients with endometrial stromal sarcoma. METHODS: Data were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program from 1988 to 2005. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards analyses were used to identify possible predictors for survival. RESULTS: Nine hundred seventy women were reported with endometrial stromal sarcoma. The 384 women with low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma had a younger age, earlier stage, and longer survival than the 320 women with high-grade lesions. Among the low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma patients, the incidence of extrauterine disease was 25%, and lymph node metastasis was 7%. Univariable and multivariable analysis demonstrated lymph node metastasis and ovarian preservation were not significant prognostic factors for survival. CONCLUSION: In low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma, the risk of extrauterine spread and lymph node metastasis merit consideration for surgical staging. Neither lymph node metastasis nor ovarian preservation seems to affect the excellent overall survival of these patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II
The Variable Vector Countermeasure Suit (V2Suit) for space habitation and exploration

The “Variable Vector Countermeasure Suit (V2Suit) for Space Habitation and Exploration” is a novel system concept that provides a platform for integrating sensors and actuators with daily astronaut intravehicular activities to improve health and performance, while reducing the mass and volume of the physiologic adaptation countermeasure systems, as well as the required exercise time during long-duration space exploration missions. The V2Suit system leverages wearable kinematic monitoring technology and uses inertial measurement units (IMUs) and control moment gyroscopes (CMGs) within miniaturized modules placed on body segments to provide a “viscous resistance” during movements against a specified direction of “down”—initially as a countermeasure to the sensorimotor adaptation performance decrements that manifest themselves while living and working in microgravity and during gravitational transitions during long-duration spaceflight, including post-flight recovery and rehabilitation. Several aspects of the V2Suit system concept were explored and simulated prior to developing a brassboard prototype for technology demonstration. This included a system architecture for identifying the key components and their interconnects, initial identification of key human-system integration challenges, development of a simulation architecture for CMG selection and parameter sizing, and the detailed mechanical design and fabrication of a module. The brassboard prototype demonstrates closed-loop control from “down” initialization through CMG actuation, and provides a research platform for human performance evaluations to mitigate sensorimotor adaptation, as well as a tool for determining the performance requirements when used as a musculoskeletal deconditioning countermeasure. This type of countermeasure system also has Earth benefits, particularly in gait or movement stabilization and rehabilitation.