Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electrocochleographic Study in Patients with Vestibular Schwannomas and U-shaped Audiograms

To determine the nature of sensorineural hearing loss in the middle-frequency range (U-shaped audiogram), we compared the differences in electrocochleographic findings for 15 ears with vestibular schwannomas and 10 ears without tumours. Short-tone bursts of 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz were used to evoke cochlear microphonics (CM). Ears with tumours had normal or lower CM detection thresholds than ears without tumours. Input-output curves for 1-kHz frequency were normal in 10 ears with tumours and in 1 ear without tumours. These indicate that tumour ears have no or mild cochlear dysfunction. In addition, CM detection thresholds of ears with tumours were lower than audiometric thresholds, particularly at the 1- and 2-kHz region. These findings suggest that the loss seen by audiometry in ears with vestibular schwannomas was from a retrocochlear component.
Sister Mary Joseph Nodule and peritoneal carcinomatosis from squamous cell cervical carcinoma

Sister Mary Joseph nodule is an eponym assigned to a nurse, first reported in 1949, denoting a rare form of cutaneous umbilical metastasis. The primary neoplasm is usually adenocarcinoma and the gastrointestinal tract is the most common primary site. The present case report describes a 79 year old woman with squamous cell cervical carcinoma. Her disease was managed with radiation and concurrent chemotherapy and no evidence of loco-regional recurrent disease was noted on follow-up examination. Eight months after treatment, gynecological examination suggested recurrent disease. Three weeks later, the patient presented with a painless umbilical nodule and the biopsy revealed a poorly differentiated carcinoma. Computed tomography showed ascites, diffuse peritoneal carcinomatosis including an umbilical nodule, multiple pulmonary nodules, bilateral pleural effusion, and retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. She died 63 days after this manifestation. Review of the literature shows that a Sister Mary Joseph nodule is a sign of advanced neoplastic disease and is associated with poor prognosis. The treatment remains palliative either by radiation, chemotherapy or surgery.
Extracellular vesicles as a platform for ‘liquid biopsy’ in glioblastoma patients

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-secreted vesicles that range from 30–2000 nm in size. These vesicles are secreted by both normal and neoplastic cells. Physiologically, EVs serve multiple critical biologic functions, including cellular remodeling, intracellular communication, modulation of the tumor microenvironment and regulation of immune function. Because EVs contain genetic and proteomic contents that reflect the cell of origin, it is possible to detect tumor-specific material in EVs secreted by cancer cells. Importantly, EVs secreted by cancer cells transgress anatomic compartments and can be detected in the blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and other biofluids of cancer patients. In this context, there is a growing interest in analyzing EVs from the biofluid of cancer patients as a means of disease diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring. In this article, we review the development of EVs as a diagnostic platform for the most common form of brain cancer, glioblastoma, discuss potential clinical translational opportunities and identify the central challenges associated with future clinical applications.
Computational Studies of DNA Separations in Micro-Fabricated Devices: Review of General Approaches and Recent Applications

DNA separation techniques have drawn attention because of their uses in applications such as gene analysis and manipulation. There have been many studies utilizing micro-fabricated devices for faster and more efficient separations than traditional methods using gel electrophoresis. Although many experimental studies have presented various new devices and methods, computational studies have played a pivotal role in this development by identifying separation mechanisms and by finding optimal designs for efficient separation conditions. The simulation of DNA separation methods in micro-fabricated devices requires the correct capture of the dynamics and the structure of a single polymer molecule that is being affected by an applied flow field or an electric field in complex geometries. In this work, we summarize the polymer models (the bead-spring model, the bead-rod model, the slender-body model, and the touching-bead model) and the methods, focusing on Brownian dynamics simulation, used to calculate inhomogeneous fields taking into consideration complex boundaries (the finite element method, the boundary element method, the lattice-Boltzmann method, and the dissipative particle dynamics simulation). The worm-like chain model (adapted from the bead-spring model) combined with the finite element method has been most commonly used but other models have shown more efficient and accurate results. We also review the applications of these simulation approaches in various separation methods and devices: gel electrophoresis, post arrays, capillary electrophoresis, microchannel flows, entropic traps, nanopores, and rotational flows. As more complicated geometries are involved in new devices, more rigorous models (such as incorporating the hydrodynamic interactions of DNA with solid boundaries) that can correctly capture the dynamic behaviors of DNA in such devices are needed.
'AIDS anxiety'. New faces for old fears.

Preview“AIDS anxiety,” which has been described in populations at increased risk for the acquired immune deficiency syndrome, can include not only symptoms of typical panic attacks but also a hypochondriacal conviction of the presence of undiagnosed AIDS. Dr Frolkis describes three patients—none at risk for AIDS—who sought medical attention because of an intense fear and unshakable certainty that they had the disease. In their nonspecific “functional” symptoms, somatic preoccupation, persistence in seeking a confirmatory diagnosis, and failure to find reassurance in normal physical and laboratory studies, they demonstrate many attributes of the somatoform disorders.
Indonesian students’ perceptions of choice criteria in the selection of a tertiary institution: strategic implications

Intense competition for full‐fee‐paying foreign students in higher education in many countries mandates the need for the identification of the criteria considered important by this customer group for the purpose of strategy development. Past research in this area has overlooked the needs of this important segment and has focused mainly on either administrators or the faculty’s perspective. A sample of potential students from Indonesia participated in this study and a number of choice criteria were identified. Also discusses strategic implications.
Reconsidering Neuroprotection in the Reperfusion Era

Neuroprotection to prevent infarct progression as a potential treatment for acute ischemic stroke carries a long and disappointing history. The failures of these prior neuroprotection trials have many potential explanations that encompass both problems with the preclinical assessment of these drugs and the design/implementation of clinical trials.1 Prior development of neuroprotection has focused primarily on its use as a monotherapy, and no clinical trial was designed to determine whether neuroprotection could extend the time window for successful reperfusion or ameliorate the consequences of reperfusion. Acute stroke therapy has now entered the era of highly effective reperfusion with the recent publication of 5 positive thrombectomy trials.2 Combining neuroprotection with intravenous or intra-arterial reperfusion therapy is now an important next step in the development of acute stroke therapies. One approach to neuroprotection would be to initiate therapy early after ischemic stroke onset, either in the ambulance or at a primary stroke center/community hospital to potentially extend the time window for intravenous or intra-arterial therapy. A second approach would be to use neuroprotection during or after partial or complete reperfusion to reduce the consequences of reperfusion injury. Both future neuroprotective approaches will require preclinical studies that anticipate novel clinical trial designs and trials that will be organized and evaluated differently than past monotherapy neuroprotection trials. Acute ischemic stroke therapy is designed to reduce infarction of hypoperfused brain tissue and limit the expansion of already irreversibly injured tissue when treatment is initiated, leading to smaller infarction and improved clinical outcomes.3,4 Severely hypoperfused but still potentially viable ischemic brain represents the ischemic penumbra, whereas irreversibly injured tissue is the ischemic core.5 Early after stroke onset, most patients with a large vessel occlusion (LVO) have an extensive ischemic penumbra that can be salvaged by timely reperfusion. This concept was proven …
Potentiation of antibacterial activity of azithromycin and other macrolides by normal human serum

The interaction of azithromycin with normal human serum was examined in relation to serum protein binding, MIC, and kinetics of killing of bacteria. While the binding of azithromycin to serum proteins is low (8.5% at a concentration of 0.01 mM in 95% serum), the presence of 40% serum during the MIC test decreased MICs by 26-fold for serum-resistant Escherichia coli and 15-fold for Staphylococcus aureus. Erythromycin had a similar but lesser effect, while roxithromycin was less active against S. aureus in the presence of serum. The rate of killing of E. coli and S. aureus by azithromycin was increased in the presence of serum. The enhancement of antibiotic activity by serum was pH independent, and heat inactivation and preabsorption with homologous bacteria failed to inhibit enhancement by serum. The macromolecular incorporation of [3H]thymidine by E. coli continuously exposed to 2 micrograms of azithromycin per ml (0.25x the MIC) and 40% serum was decreased by 80% at pH 7.8 and by 48% at pH 7.2, while azithromycin alone failed to inhibit incorporation. Inhibition of nucleic acid biosynthesis at pH 7.2 in the presence of serum was also detected with sub-MICs of erythromycin, norfloxacin, and gentamicin but not roxithromycin. A diffusible serum factor was shown to interact with azithromycin to inhibit the growth of E. coli in an agar diffusion assay to detect antibiotic-serum synergy.
Red cell polymorphisms in nonhuman primates: A review

Abstract: Development as well as current status of the knowledge of nonhuman primate blood groups are discussed together with some practical implications of the red cell antigen polymorphisms in anthropoid apes, Old and New World monkeys and prosimians. Recent data on molecular biology and genetics throw light on the relationships among simian and human red cell antigens and their evolutionary pathways.
Supplemental Material for “A Fast, Massively Parallel Solver for Large, Irregular Pairwise Markov Random Fields”

Plane Sweep. Plane sweeping is a standard method in stereo reconstruction. Given a base image and a set of reference images with corresponding camera parameters, the reference images are iteratively projected onto planes parallel to the base image at different depths. A photometric difference metric between these projections and the base view yields the unary costs. For regularization, one commonly assumes a fronto-parallel, piecewise-planar prior, which can be expressed by a truncated linear model. To improve runtime, the unary cost matrix can be sparsified. In our dataset, we used the “Arts” images from the Middlebury Stereo benchmark [SP07]. The unary costs are given by the cost volume, discretized into 100 labels. On average each node has 32 feasible labels. As binary costs, a truncated linear term V{i, j}(`1, `2) = min(|`1− `2|,2) was used. As such, these datasets are the prototypical example of pixel-based grid topologies which were the workhorse for parallel solvers in recent years.
Prefrontal — STN projections, the highway for emotion and cognition control

Our comprehension of the functional organization of the basal ganglia has increased progressively since the first consistent models in the 80s. These models demonstrated an anatomical and functional segregation of parallel corticobasal ganglia loops, which comprise motor, limbic and associative circuits, suggesting an important role of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) in motor, cognitive and emotional function. Nambu subsequently “complemented” our knowledge of the previously described direct and indirect pathways by including in the model a hyperdirect pathway, which projects from the cortex to the STN and is thought to act as a decisional threshold for motor programs which use the direct pathway. In their recent milestone paper, Hayne and Haber shed more light on the role of the hyperdirect pathway by focusing on the hitherto grey area of its limbic and associative subdomains. By injecting viral tracers into 48 prefrontal cortical sites in monkeys, they revealed the existence of projections from the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex to the limbic part of the STN, of dorsal prefrontal cortical fibers descending to the medial half of the nucleus, i.e. the associative subregion, and of ventromedial prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortical projections terminating medially to the medial boundary of the STN, in the area corresponding to the lateral hypothalamus. These findings indicate the presence of massive hyperdirect parallel projections between the prefrontal cortex and the STN. The authors place emphasis on the strategic position of the STN in the control of nonmotor behavior, and thus provide basic evidence for the potential of STN-DBS in the treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder. Importantly, the viral tracing technique used by the authors demonstrated a significant overlap of functional territories within the STN. Although these were anatomically organized, they were less segregated than was previously believed. This overlap may well enable the hyperdirect pathway to combine movement with both emotion and cognition, an association which is constant in involuntary or “subconscious” behaviors. It also has significant therapeutic implications, and would explain why deep brain stimulation via an electrode located in any region of the STN has an impact (either therapeutic or as a side effect) beyond the motor system in patients with Parkinson’s disease. With the allure of continuous new contributions in the field, more research using original new approaches like that of Hayne and Haber is needed to further improve our understanding of the basal ganglia and optimize patient management.
Mutant SNAP25B causes myasthenia, cortical hyperexcitability, ataxia, and intellectual disability

Objective: To identify and characterize the molecular basis of a syndrome associated with myasthenia, cortical hyperexcitability, cerebellar ataxia, and intellectual disability. Methods: We performed in vitro microelectrode studies of neuromuscular transmission, performed exome and Sanger sequencing, and analyzed functional consequences of the identified mutation in expression studies. Results: Neuromuscular transmission at patient endplates was compromised by reduced evoked quantal release. Exome sequencing identified a dominant de novo variant, p.Ile67Asn, in SNAP25B, a SNARE protein essential for exocytosis of synaptic vesicles from nerve terminals and of dense-core vesicles from endocrine cells. Ca2+-triggered exocytosis is initiated when synaptobrevin attached to synaptic vesicles (v-SNARE) assembles with SNAP25B and syntaxin anchored in the presynaptic membrane (t-SNAREs) into an α-helical coiled-coil held together by hydrophobic interactions. Pathogenicity of the Ile67Asn mutation was confirmed by 2 measures. First, the Ca2+ triggered fusion of liposomes incorporating v-SNARE with liposomes containing t-SNAREs was hindered when t-SNAREs harbored the mutant SNAP25B moiety. Second, depolarization of bovine chromaffin cells transfected with mutant SNAP25B or with mutant plus wild-type SNAP25B markedly reduced depolarization-evoked exocytosis compared with wild-type transfected cells. Conclusion: Ile67Asn variant in SNAP25B is pathogenic because it inhibits synaptic vesicle exocytosis. We attribute the deleterious effects of the mutation to disruption of the hydrophobic α-helical coiled-coil structure of the SNARE complex by replacement of a highly hydrophobic isoleucine by a strongly hydrophilic asparagine.
The Role of Footwear-independent Variations in Rearfoot Movement on Impact Attenuation in Heel–Toe Running

Impact forces and rearfoot eversion have been linked to overuse injuries in running. Modeling approaches suggest that both factors interact in that reduced foot eversion relates to increased impact maxima and vice versa. The aim of this study was to alter rearfoot eversion by applying three different combinations of ankle taping and bracing. Ten subjects were tested while running at 4 m/s on an instrumented treadmill. Sagittal plane kinematics, rearfoot eversion, tibial acceleration, pressure under the heel, and vertical ground reaction force (GRF) were collected simultaneously over 12 to 14 steps. All interventions reduced the maximum eversion significantly compared with unrestricted running. The largest effect was shown for combined bracing and taping, reducing rearfoot movement by 6.1° while impact force varied only marginally. Overall, relationships between parameters contradict predictions by existing models of foot–ground interaction. Changes in muscular activation remain as a candidate in the regulation of impact mechanics in running.
Photoelectron angular distributions: energy dependence for s subshells

An overview of the theory of photoelectron angular distributions for atoms is presented. Its features, which are embodied in a single asymmetry parameter . beta. in the electric dipole approximation, are examined within the framework of the angular momentum transfer formulation. The . beta. parameter is in principle always energy dependent. Within the LS coupling approximation, however, there are instances, each representing a multitude of particular photoionization processes, in which . beta. is an analytically determined constant. The energy dependence of the . beta. parameters in such instances is due entirely to spin-orbit and other relativistic interactions. It is shown that the asymmetry parameters for atomic s subshells are particularly suitable for distinguishing between purely geometrical effects on the photoelectron angular distribution, resulting from physical conservation laws, and dynamical effects arising from relativistic interactions and electron exchange and correlation. In general, the . beta. parameters for s subshells vary with energy; such variation is largest near minima in the cross sections for the corresponding photoelectron channels and in the vicinity of resonances. However, a number of atomic photoionization transitions are identified for which . beta. would be a constant (equal to one of the three values 2, 1/5, or -1) were it not for relativistic interactionsmore » and (in some cases) final-state interchannel coupling and/or initial-state electron correlations. Measurement or calculation of the . beta. parameters for such transitions thus provides a sensitive measure of the strength of relativistic interactions as well as of electron correlations. « less
Effect of running velocity on external mechanical power output.

The mechanical power output and work done in running were measured for eight athletic runners by means of a strain gauge platform and 16mm cine camera. The angle between the line connecting the centre of gravity of the body with the foot on the ground and the horizontal line was about 110 degrees at the moment of foot contact with the ground, independent of running velocity. The external work by velocity change (Wf) increased curvilinearly with the running velocity up to about 630 Joule kg-1 at maximum velocity. The mechanical power output per body weight in forward direction (Pf) increased as the 2nd power of the running velocity and the following equation was obtained Pf=0·436V2·01 f where Pf was expressed in Wkg-1 and Vf in ms-1. At the velocity higher than 6ms-1, the mechanical power by forward velocity changes (Pf) increased gradually greater than that against gravity (Pv) but at the lower velocity than 5ms-1 Pf was always less than Pv.
Lifetime cost-effectiveness analysis of ticagrelor in patients with acute coronary syndromes based on the PLATO trial: a Singapore healthcare perspective.

INTRODUCTION Ticagrelor is a novel antiplatelet drug developed to reduce atherothrombosis. The PLATO trial compared ticagrelor and aspirin to clopidogrel and aspirin in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Ticagrelor was found to be superior in the primary composite endpoint of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction or stroke, without increasing major bleeding events. The current study estimates the lifetime cost-effectiveness of ticagrelor relative to generic clopidogrel from a Singapore public healthcare perspective. METHODS This study used a two-part cost-effectiveness model. The first part was a 12-month decision tree (using PLATO trial data) to estimate the rates of major cardiovascular events, healthcare costs and health-related quality of life. The second part was a Markov model estimating lifetime quality-adjusted survival and costs conditional on events during the initial 12 months. Daily drug costs applied were SGD 1.05 (generic clopidogrel) and SGD 6.00 (ticagrelor). Cost per quality-adjusted life years (QALY) was estimated from a Singapore public healthcare perspective using life tables and short-term costs from Singapore, and long-term costs from South Korea. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. RESULTS Ticagrelor was associated with a lifetime QALY gain of 0.13, primarily driven by lower mortality. The resulting incremental cost per QALY gained was SGD 10,136.00. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis indicated that ticagrelor had a > 99% probability of being cost-effective, given the lower recommended WHO willingness-to-pay threshold of one GDP/capita per QALY. CONCLUSION Based on PLATO trial data, one-year treatment with ticagrelor versus generic clopidogrel in patients with ACS, relative to WHO reference standards, is cost-effective from a Singapore public healthcare perspective.
Mobile robot navigation with obstacle avoidance capability

Mobile robots are a very dynamic part of the robotics domain. Their navigation requires solutions for: establishment of the current position, motion planning and avoidance of obstacles. The paper describes a solution for mobile robot navigation with obstacle avoidance capability based on the X80 robot from Dr. Robot. The map and the trajectory are computed on a PC which will wirelessly control the motion of the robot. The robot senses the obstacles using its sensors, sends the information to the PC and a new trajectory is computed avoiding the obstacles. The algorithm was based on the odometry method.
No-Email-Collection Flag

One source major of email addresses for spammers involves “harvesting” them from websites. This paper describes a proposal to allow a website owner to make illegal such automated extraction of email addresses. We propose a “no-email-collection” standard for websites and a mechanism to track spammers violating the standard. There are four parts to this proposal. The first part is to create special restrictions for non-human visitors as part of the Terms and Conditions of Use page for the website. The second part is to add a Meta Tag specifying the “no-email-collection” flag referencing the Terms and Conditions of Use webpage to each web page of the website. The third part is to add “no-email-collection” flag referencing the Terms and Conditions of Use webpage to the robots.txt file. Finally, the fourth part of the proposal provides instructions on the creation of “honey pot” email addresses to track violators.