Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EEG Coherence Obtained From an Auditory Oddball Task Increases With Age

Summary: Changes in coherence with aging during cognitive tasks have, until now, not been investigated. However, several fMRI and positron emission tomography studies of cognitive tasks have found increased bilateral activity in elderly subjects. Changes in coherence with aging during a cognitive task were investigated to see if EEG coherence was present in older adults. An auditory oddball task, which is a widely used test for cognitive function, was used. Eleven young adults (27.8 ± 4.8 years, six females) and 10 older adults (61.3 ± 4.6 years, six females) were studied, and both interhemispheric and long- and short-range intrahemispheric coherence were considered. Higher interhemispheric coherence was found in the older subjects in the delta band. Short intrahemispheric coherence was also increased in the theta, delta, and alpha bands. Higher coherence, although not significantly different, was also found for all other coherence types and bands, except for long intrahemispheric coherence in the low gamma band. The results presented here provide the first evidence that aging is associated with increased EEG coherence during a relatively easy cognitive task.
Visual Field Size Criteria for Mobility Rehabilitation Referral

Purpose. To investigate evidence-based visual field size criteria for referral of low-vision (LV) patients for mobility rehabilitation. Methods. One hundred and nine participants with LV and 41 age-matched participants with normal sight (NS) were recruited. The LV group was heterogeneous with diverse causes of visual impairment. We measured binocular kinetic visual fields with the Humphrey Field Analyzer and mobility performance on an obstacle-rich, indoor course. Mobility was assessed as percent preferred walking speed (PPWS) and number of obstacle-contact errors. The weighted kappa coefficient of association (&kgr;r) was used to discriminate LV participants with both unsafe and inefficient mobility from those with adequate mobility on the basis of their visual field size for the full sample and for subgroups according to type of visual field loss and whether or not the participants had previously received orientation and mobility training. Results. LV participants with both PPWS <38% and errors >6 on our course were classified as having inadequate (inefficient and unsafe) mobility compared with NS participants. Mobility appeared to be first compromised when the visual field was less than about 1.2 steradians (sr; solid angle of a circular visual field of about 70° diameter). Visual fields <0.23 and 0.63 sr (31 to 52° diameter) discriminated patients with at-risk mobility for the full sample and across the two subgroups. A visual field of 0.05 sr (15° diameter) discriminated those with critical mobility. Conclusions. Our study suggests that: practitioners should be alert to potential mobility difficulties when the visual field is less than about 1.2 sr (70° diameter); assessment for mobility rehabilitation may be warranted when the visual field is constricted to about 0.23 to 0.63 sr (31 to 52° diameter) depending on the nature of their visual field loss and previous history (at risk); and mobility rehabilitation should be conducted before the visual field is constricted to 0.05 sr (15° diameter; critical).
Impacts of Poly-Si Nanowire Shape on Gate-All-Around Flash Memory With Hybrid Trap Layer

This letter demonstrates the shape effect of suspended poly-Si nanowires (NWs) on gate-all-around TFT Flash memory. The NWs are bent into a bimodal shape by process-induced strain. The proposed dual-gate (DG) and single-gate (SG) electrodes are located on the twin peaks and single valley of the bimodal shape of the NWs. The DG structure has better program/erase characteristics and reliability than the SG structure owing to the impact of the bent NWs on the dielectric strength of tunnel oxide. Moreover, incorporation of the hybrid trap layer in the DG device yields a long retention time, with only 17% charge loss over ten years.
Chronic Lymphocytic Inflammation Specifies the Organ Tropism of Prions

Prions typically accumulate in nervous and lymphoid tissues. Because proinflammatory cytokines and immune cells are required for lymphoid prion replication, we tested whether inflammatory conditions affect prion pathogenesis. We administered prions to mice with five inflammatory diseases of the kidney, pancreas, or liver. In all cases, chronic lymphocytic inflammation enabled prion accumulation in otherwise prion-free organs. Inflammatory foci consistently correlated with lymphotoxin up-regulation and ectopic induction of FDC-M1+ cells expressing the normal cellular prion protein PrPC. By contrast, inflamed organs of mice lacking lymphotoxin-α or its receptor did not accumulate the abnormal isoform PrPSc, nor did they display infectivity upon prion inoculation. By expanding the tissue distribution of prions, chronic inflammatory conditions may act as modifiers of natural and iatrogenic prion transmission.
Four potential business cases for demand side integration

In this study, we explore briefly four different business cases for smart power by means of simulations. For that reason three types of intelligent systems for household applications are modeled: electric devices with a storage capacity like boilers, shiftable loads like washing machines and batteries. A district of 300 houses is simulated. Agents, representing devices can trade power on virtual markets, like the PowerMatcher. First, the relation between load flows and smart power is examined. We found, as a rule of thumb, that the variations in load flow decreases proportionally to the fraction smart controlled power. This might have important consequences for investment policies in power networks. Next, the stability of a cluster is examined. Here it is estimated how long a cluster can remain stable if a constant power flux is imposed. This flexibility can be traded, directly on an imbalance market or through a balance responsible party (BRP). In the next two business cases, the implications for retailers and end-users are examined for three billing types: a fixed tariff, a two tariff structure and an hourly “real-time” tariff structure. Compared to the fixed tariff structure, the incentive to use smart devices is small in the double tariff structure. In a real-time tariff structure the income increases and the risk decreases for the retailer, while end-users have the potential to decrease costs.
Comparison of Three Anthrax Toxin Neutralization Assays

ABSTRACT Different types of anthrax toxin neutralization assays have been utilized to measure the antibody levels elicited by anthrax vaccines in both nonclinical and clinical studies. In the present study, we sought to determine whether three commonly used toxin neutralization assays—J774A.1 cell-, RAW 264.7 cell-, and CHO cell-based assays—yield comparable estimates of neutralization activities for sera obtained after vaccination with anthrax vaccines composed of recombinant protective antigen (rPA). In order to compare the assays, sera were assayed alongside a common reference serum sample and the neutralization titers were expressed relative to the titer for the reference sample in each assay. Analysis of sera from rabbits immunized with multiple doses of the rPA vaccine showed that for later bleeds, the quantitative agreement between the assays was good; however, for early bleeds, some heterogeneity in relative neutralization estimates was observed. Analysis of serum samples from rabbits, nonhuman primates, and humans immunized with the rPA vaccine showed that the relative neutralization estimates obtained in the different assays agreed to various extents, depending on the species of origin of the sera examined. We identified differences in the magnitudes of the Fc receptor-mediated neutralization associated with the J774A.1 cell- and RAW 264.7 cell-based assays, which may account for some of the species dependence of the assays. The differences in the relative neutralization estimates among the assays were relatively small and were always less than 2.5-fold. However, because toxin neutralization assays will likely be used to establish the efficacies of new anthrax vaccines, our findings should be considered when assay outputs are interpreted.
Pharmacy beyond the dispensary: general practitioners' views.

OBJECTIVES--To ascertain general practitioners' attitudes to an extended role for community pharmacists. DESIGN--Postal questionnaire to a 1 in 6 sample of general practitioners in the Northern, West Midlands, and Oxford regions (total sample size 1087). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Attitudes towards specific extended roles, pharmacist prescribing of particular drugs, the role of the pharmacist, and the relationship between the professions. RESULTS--744 questionnaires were returned in a usable form, an overall response rate of 68.4%. Attitudes varied, from a majority in favour of pharmacists reporting adverse drug reactions to a majority against their supervising repeat prescriptions (81% and 36% in agreement respectively). A similar range of attitudes was shown to pharmacist prescribing, from 84% in agreement with their prescribing nicotine chewing gum (deregulated since the survey) to 11% agreeing to their prescribing cimetidine. About half the respondents thought general practitioners should be allowed to dispense and a third that pharmacists "should stick to dispensing. " 27% agreed that pharmacists were too influenced by commercial pressures to give unbiased advice. CONCLUSIONS--Most doctors would favour an extension of the activities of community pharmacists but worry about their role in screening and counselling patients and in prescribing. Despite relationships being generally felt to be good, there may be a need for better communication and cooperation locally and for proper evaluation of initiatives to extend the role of the pharmacist.
A light-weight load-time weaving approach for OSGi

In the context of dynamic, component-based systems, the OSGi platform (Open Standard Gateway Initiative) supports the dynamic deployment of software services in form of so-called bundles. Since aspect-oriented programming offers facilities for managing crosscutting code adaptations efficiently, OSGi needs to be equipped with that kind of capabilities. Existing approaches (e.g. JBOSS-AOP) for aspect-oriented programming, however, have to be adapted due to restricted class visibility within OSGi. To that end, approaches that are intended to be used with OSGi have to be supported in terms of physically separating aspect code from concrete pointcut implementations. Existing efforts that aim at integrating AOP technology with OSGi have shown some insufficiencies. Some even require the OSGi specification to be extended. In this paper, we show a concept that enables a light-weight integration of AOP by enabling customized load-time weaving within OSGi without having to change the platform at all.
Temporal relationships between hormonal and hemodynamic changes in early human pregnancy.

BACKGROUND The systemic hemodynamic profile of human pregnancy is characterized by a decrease in mean arterial pressure, a rise in cardiac output and plasma volume in association with an increase in renal plasma flow and glomerular filtration rate. The factors and the time course responsible for the initial hemodynamic changes seen in human pregnancy have not been completely documented. We hypothesize that systemic and renal hemodynamic changes occur early, prior to the presence of the fetal-placental unit. METHODS Thirteen women were studied prior to and immediately following conception in identical fashion at gestational weeks 6, 8, 10, 12, 24 and 36. Individuals underwent mean arterial pressure, cardiac output, inulin and PAH clearance determinations. RESULTS Mean arterial pressure decreased by six weeks gestation (mid follicular 81.5 +/- 2.6 vs. six weeks 68.7 +/- 2.0 mm tig, P < 0.001) in association with a significant increase in cardiac output, a decrease in systemic vascular resistance and an increase in plasma volume. Renal plasma flow and glomerular filtration rate increased by six weeks gestation. Plasma renin activity and aldosterone concentration increased significantly by six weeks, whereas norepinephrine levels did not change throughout pregnancy. Atrial natriuretic peptide levels increased later, at 12 weeks gestation. Plasma cGMP levels decreased and cGMP clearance increased by six and eight weeks, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Peripheral vasodilation occurs early in pregnancy prior to full placentation in association with renal vasodilation and activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Plasma volume expansion occurs early, followed later by increases in ANP concentration, suggesting that ANP increases in response to changes in intravasular volume.
Drug Treatment of Epilepsy: When Does It Fail and How to Optimize Its Use?

Abstract Although modern community-based studies have shown that a majority of people with newly diagnosed epilepsy will enter long-term remission, seizures remain refractory to treatment in a substantial proportion of this population—perhaps as much as 40%. A consensus is being reached that, for operational purposes, pharmacoresistance can be suspected when two appropriately chosen, well-tolerated, first-line antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) or one monotherapy and one combination regimen have failed due to lack of efficacy. Poor prognostic factors include lack of response to the first AED, specific syndromes, symptomatic etiology, family history of epilepsy, psychiatric comorbidity, and high frequency of seizures. These observations suggest that prognosis can often be determined early in the course of the disorder. We propose a management paradigm that aims to maximize the chance of successful AED therapy, including the early use of “rational polytherapy” for patients not responding to monotherapy, and to identify efficiently patients suitable for “curative” resective surgery, in particular those with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. An orderly approach to each epilepsy syndrome will optimize the chance of perfect seizure control and help more patients achieve a fulfilling life.
Clinical Features and Treatment Outcomes of 81 Patients with Aggressive Type Adult T-cell Leukemia-lymphoma at a Single Institution over a 7-year Period (2006-2012).

OBJECTIVE Despite the remarkable advances in chemotherapy and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL) is still associated with a high mortality rate. It is therefore essential to elucidate the current features of ATL. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed 81 patients with aggressive type ATL at our institution over a 7-year period based on Shimoyama's diagnostic criteria. RESULTS Eighty-one patients with a median age of 67.5 years were classified as having acute (n=47), lymphoma (n=32), or chronic type (n=2) ATL. They were initially treated by either palliative therapy (n=25) or systemic chemotherapy [n=56; cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) therapy (n=25)/vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone (VCAP)-doxorubicin, ranimustine, and prednisone (AMP)-vindesine, etoposide, carboplatin, and prednisone (VECP) therapy (VCAP-AMP-VECP) or CHOP-VMMV therapy (n=31)], and showed median survival durations of 16 and 277 days, respectively. Subsequent to the initial treatment, HSCT (n=6) was performed for certain patients, thus revealing that two-thirds (n=4) relapsed, and one-third (n=2) survived for 131 days and 203 days, respectively. The relapsed ATL patients were treated with conventional salvage therapy (n=29) or anti-CC chemokine receptor 4 antibody (mogamulizumab) (n=3). The patients treated with mogamulizumab demonstrated complete response (2) and partical response (1) with short duration periods of 82 days, 83 days, and 192 days, respectively. Among the five long-term survivors (>5 years) who received chemotherapy, most showed a low and intermediate risk according to the ATL prognostic index. CONCLUSION In our study, the overall survival of ATL remains poor due to the advanced age of the patients at diagnosis, a high proportion of patients receiving palliative therapy, and a small proportion of long-term survivors receiving chemotherapy and undergoing HSCT. This study illustrates the current clinical features, treatment strategies, and outcomes in clinical practice.
Sporadic gastric carcinomas with microsatellite instability display a particular clinicopathologic profile

Mutations in recently identified genes on chromosomes 2 and 3 seem to be responsible for repair errors (RER+) throughout the genome. This novel genetic mechanism was first reported in hereditary non‐polyposis colorectal cancer syndrome and in cancers that are characteristic of this syndrome, such as carcinomas of the right colon, stomach and endometrium. We investigated the frequency of RER+ phenotype in a series of 34 sporadic gastric carcinomas, in an attempt to see if the RER+ cases displayed any particular morphologic features and/or if they showed distinctive clinicopathologic characteristics. Twelve loci were investigated. We found 23 RER‐ cases (67.6%) and 11 RER+ cases (32.4%). A significant association was found between RER+ carcinomas and localization of the tumors: 9 of the 11 RER+ carcinomas (81.8%) were located at the antrum whereas all the cardiac tumors were RER‐. The RER+ phenotype was also significantly related to the presence of moderate/abundant T‐cell lymphoid infiltration within the tumors. The 3‐year survival rate of patients with RER+ tumors was suggestively longer than that of patients with RER‐ tumors. No significant relationship was found between several clinicopathologic characteristics of the cases, including age, sex, staging, histologic type and ploidy, despite a trend towards an association between RER+ phenotype and advanced age of the patients and poorly differentiated, intestinal type of the carcinomas. The high frequency of microsatellite instability in sporadic gastric carcinomas supports the involvement of this genetic mechanism in gastric carcinogenesis. Gastric carcinomas with the RER+ phenotype tend to occur as poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas in the antrum of elderly patients, display abundant T‐cell infiltration and carry a relatively good prognosis. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Advertising and Obesity: A Behavioral Perspective

Concern over the levels of obesity observed in Western countries has grown as researchers forecast a rapid growth in the medical care that a progressively more obese population will require. As health workers deal with increased incidences of diabetes and other obesity-related disorders, policymakers have examined the factors contributing to this problem. In particular, advertising that promotes high fat and high sugar products to children has come under increasing scrutiny. Advertisers have rejected claims that advertising contributes to obesity by arguing that it cannot coerce people into purchasing a product, and does not affect primary demand. This reasoning overlooks the role advertising plays in reinforcing and normalising behavior, however, and it assumes that only direct causal links merit regulatory attention. Ehrenberg's “weak” theory suggests advertising will support unhealthy eating behaviors, while the wide range of sales promotions employed will prompt trial and reward continued consumption. This article presents an alternative analysis of how marketing contributes to obesity and uses behavior modification theory to analyse the “fast-food” industry's promotions. We also review the New Zealand government's response to obesity and suggest policy interventions that would foster healthier eating behaviors.
The Potential of Adipose-Derived Adult Stem Cells as a Source of Neuronal Progenitor Cells

Summary: Adipose-derived adult stem cells are a population of mesenchymal stem cells extracted from discarded adipose tissue. Many have reported the differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells into chondrocytes, myocytes, osteoblasts, and, most recently, neural progenitor cells. This article covers the current state of the potential of the differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells into neuronal cells and an overview of their potential as adult stem therapies for neurological disorders. It has been reported that adipose-derived stem cells are capable of undergoing neuronal differentiation using protocols similar to that of Woodbury et al., which reported the differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells specifically into neurons. However, the transdifferentiation of bone marrow stromal cells into neuronal cells has recently fallen under intense criticism, which will likely place the plasticity of adipose-derived stem cells under scrutiny as well. To date, no group has produced evidence that adipose-derived stem cells are capable of differentiating to mature, functional neuronal cells in vitro. However, recent in vivo studies with adipose-derived stem cells are promising.
Self-aligned 0.12 /spl mu/m T-gate In/sub .53/Ga/sub .47/As/In/sub .52/Al/sub .48/As HEMT technology utilising a non-annealed ohmic contact strategy

An InGaAs/InAlAs based HEMT structure, lattice matched to an InP substrate, is presented in which drive current and transconductance has been optimized through a double-delta doping strategy. Together with an increase in channel carrier density, this allows the use of a non-annealed ohmic contact process. HEMT devices with 120 nm standard and self-aligned T-gates were fabricated using the non-annealed ohmic process. At DC, self-aligned and standard devices exhibited transconductances of up to 1480 and 1100 mS/mm respectively, while both demonstrated current densities in the range 800 mA/mm. At RF, a cutoff frequency f/sub T/ of 190 GHz was extracted for the self-aligned device. The DC characteristics of the standard devices were then calibrated and modelled using a compound semiconductor Monte Carlo device simulator. MC simulations provide insight into transport within the channel and illustrate benefits over a single delta doped structure.
Neural representations of movement intentions during brain-controlled self-motion

Using a brain-machine interface (BMI), a non-human primate (NHP) was trained to control a mobile robotic platform in real time using spike activity from the motor cortex, enabling self-motion through brain-control. The decoding model was initially trained using neural signals recorded when the NHP controlled the platform using a joystick. Using this decoding model, we compared the performance of the BMI during brain control with and without the use of a dummy joystick, and found that the success ratio dropped by 40% and time taken increased by 45% when the dummy joystick was removed. Performance during full brain control was only restored after a recalibration of the decoding model. We aimed to understand the differences in the underlying neural representations of movement intentions with and without the use of a dummy joystick, and showed that there were significant changes in both directional tuning, as well as global firing rates. These results indicate that the strategies used by the NHP for self-motion were different depending on whether a dummy joystick was present. We propose that a recalibration of the decoding model is an important step during the implementation of a BMI system for self-motion.