Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nonmotor Disorders and Their Correlation With Dopamine: Can They Be Treated by Currently Available Methods?

Many of the nonmotor symptoms in Parkinson disease have a dopaminergic basis, whether the result of dopaminergic degeneration or as a result of dopaminergic treatment. In the latter case, the symptoms may be genuine side effects of drugs (hypotension, pathologic gambling, etc.) or they may be secondary either to the pathoplastic effect they have on the natural course of the disease (nonmotor fluctuations) or to the lack of dopamine (apathy, depression, dopamine withdrawal syndrome, etc.). In all these cases, dopaminergic treatment can be helpful. However, many other nonmotor (and motor) symptoms will have no correlation with dopamine; therefore, they require different treatments, very often with little efficacy, as in apathy or cognitive decline.
Asynchronous design using commercial HDL synthesis tools

New design technologies rely on truly reusable IP blocks with simple means of assembly. Asynchronous methodologies could be a promising option to implement these requirements. Promotion of asynchronous design strongly depends upon the "level of service" delivered to the designer. Current asynchronous design tools require a significant re-education of designers and their capabilities are far behind synchronous commercial tools. One solution to these problems, which we advance in this paper, is to stick to a conventional design flow as closely as possible and to use commercial design tools as much as possible. The paper considers a particular subclass of asynchronous circuits (Null Convention Logic or NCL) and suggests a design flow which is completely based on commercial CAD tools. It argues about the trade-off between the simplicity of design flow and the quality of obtained implementations.
Temporal effects of vascular endothelial growth factor and 3,5‐cyclic monophosphate on blood–brain barrier solute permeability in vivo

To test the hypothesis that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) can transiently increase the blood–brain barrier permeability, P, as for peripheral microvessels and that the elevation of 3,5‐cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) levels can inhibit the VEGF‐induced acute hyperpermeability, we employed multiphoton microscopy to quantify the cerebral microvessel permeability P to various‐sized solutes under VEGF and cAMP treatments. The cerebral microcirculation was observed through a section of frontoparietal bone thinned with a microgrinder. Fluorescein (MW 376Da), fluorescein isothioyanate‐dextran‐20k (FITC‐Dex‐20k), FITC‐Dex‐70k, or Alexa Fluor 488‐IgG in 1% bovine serum albumin mammalian Ringer's solution was injected into the cerebral circulation via the ipsilateral carotid artery with a syringe pump. Simultaneously, temporal images were collected from the brain parenchyma ∼100–200 μm below the pia mater. P was determined from the rate of tissue solute accumulation around individual microvessels. Exposure to 1 nM VEGF transiently increased P to 2.2, 10.5, 9.8, and 12.8 times control values, for fluorescein, Dex‐20k, Dex‐70k, and IgG, respectively, within 30 sec, and all returned to control levels within 2 min. After 20 min of pretreatment with 2 mM of the cAMP analog 8‐bromo‐cAMP, the initial increase by 1 nM VEGF was completely abolished in P of all solutes. The response pattern of P to VEGF and cAMP and the ratios of the peak to control values for rat cerebral microvessels are similar to those for rat mesenteric (peripheral) microvessels, except that the ratios are higher in P of cerebral microvessels for the intermediate and large solutes. These results imply a new approach for delivering large therapeutic agents to the brain. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Noninvasive Imaging Approach to Assess Plaque Severity: The Carotid Atherosclerosis Score

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The presence of IPH and/or FCR in the carotid atherosclerotic plaque indicates a high-risk lesion. The aim of this multicenter cross-sectional study was to establish the characteristics of lesions that may precede IPH and/or FCR. We further sought to construct a CAS that stratifies carotid disease severity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred forty-four individuals from 4 imaging centers with 16%–99% carotid stenosis by duplex sonography underwent carotid MR imaging. In approximately 60% of the study sample (training group), multivariate analysis was used to determine factors associated with IPH and FCR. Statistically significant parameters identified during multivariate analysis were used to construct CAS. CAS was then applied to the remaining arteries (40%, test group), and the accuracy of classification for determining the presence versus absence of IPH or, separately, FCR was determined by ROC analysis and calculation of the AUC. RESULTS: The maximum proportion of the arterial wall occupied by the LRNC was the strongest predictor of IPH (P < .001) and FCR (P < .001) during multivariate analysis of the training group. The subsequently derived CAS applied to the test group was an accurate classifier of IPH (AUC = 0.91) and FCR (AUC = 0.93). Compared with MRA stenosis, CAS was a stronger classifier of both IPH and FCR. CONCLUSIONS: LRNC quantification may be an effective complementary strategy to stenosis for classifying carotid atherosclerotic disease severity. CAS forms the foundation for a simple imaging-based risk-stratification system in the carotid artery to classify severity of atherosclerotic disease.
Effect of feed intake on ovine hindlimb protein metabolism based on thirteen amino acids and arterio–venous techniques

It has been suggested that protein synthesis in peripheral tissues: (1) responds in a curvilinear manner to increasing feed intake over a wide range of feeding levels; and (2) has a greater sensitivity to intake than protein breakdown. The aim of the present experiment was to test these hypotheses across the ovine hindlimb. Six growing sheep (6–8 months, 30–35 kg), with catheters in the aorta (two), posterior vena cava and jugular vein, received each of four intakes of dried grass pellets (0·5, 1·0, 1·5 and 2·5×maintenance energy; M) for a minimum of 7 d. A U-13C-labelled algal hydrolysate was infused intravenously for 10 h and from 3–9 h para-aminohippuric acid was infused to measure plasma flow. Arterial and venous plasma were obtained over the last 4 h and the concentrations and enrichments of thirteen 13C-labelled amino acids (AA) were determined by GC–MS. As intake increased, a positive linear response was found for plasma flow, arterial concentrations of the aromatic and branched-chain AA, total flow of all AA into the hindquarters and net mass balance across the hindquarters (except glycine and alanine). Based on two separate statistical analyses, the data for protein synthesis showed a significant linear effect with intake (except for phenylalanine, glycine and alanine). No significant curvilinear effect was found, which tends not to support hypothesis 1. Nonetheless, protein synthesis was not significantly different between 0·5, 1·0 and 1·5×M and thus the 2·5×M intake level was largely responsible for the linear relationship found. There was no significant response in protein breakdown to intake, which supports hypothesis 2.
Association of Escherichia coli J5-Specific Serum Antibody Responses with Clinical Mastitis Outcome for J5 Vaccinate and Control Dairy Cattle

ABSTRACT Dairy cattle in two commercial Holstein herds were randomly selected to be vaccinated twice with J5, at approximately 60 days and 28 days before the expected calving date, or to be untreated controls. Based on whether milk production changed following clinical mastitis or whether cows were culled or died within 30 days after onset, 51 mastitis cases were classified as severe or mild. J5-specific antibody responses were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of all 32 severe and 19 mild cases. The amounts of J5-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgG1, and IgG2 antibodies in sera from the 27 J5 vaccinates were compared with those of the 24 controls. At drying off (before J5 vaccination), all cows had similar amounts of J5-specific antibody. Immediately after calving (approximately 28 days after the second vaccination), J5 vaccinates had significantly higher production of J5-specific IgG1 and IgG2 than controls. When cows were tested following clinical mastitis, none of the three antibody classes differed significantly between the controls and the vaccinates. Vaccinates that contracted Escherichia coli mastitis had 75% less milk loss than controls. The cows that contracted clinical mastitis later in lactation, the unvaccinated controls, and those infected with E. coli had more milk loss following mastitis. The hazards of being culled for all reasons and of being culled for mastitis were significantly lower for J5 vaccinates. Vaccination with J5 was associated with protection against milk production loss and culling following clinical mastitis, and it was also significantly associated with changes in J5-specific IgM, IgG1, and IgG2 antibodies in sera of vaccinated cows.
Strained FDSOI CMOS technology scalability down to 2.5nm film thickness and 18nm gate length with a TiN/HfO2 gate stack

Scalability of both unstrained and strained FDSOI CMOSFETs is explored for the first time down to 2.5 nm film thickness and 18 nm gate length with HfO2/TiN gate stack. Off-state currents in the pA/mum range are achieved for 18 nm short and 3.8nm thin MOSFETs thanks to outstanding electrostatic control: 67 mV/dec subthreshold swing and 75 mV/V DIBL. For such thin bodies, the buried oxide fringing field limitation on DIBL is experimentally evidenced and quantified for the first time. Furthermore, we demonstrate strain induced ION gain as high as 40% on the shortest transistors. An in-depth analysis of this gain as a function of the film thickness is carried out through mobility and ballisticity extractions.
What is XMRV and should we be worried about it?

R ecently there has been growing controversy surrounding the newly identified xenotropic murine leukemia virus–related virus (XMRV). XMRV is a retrovirus from the Gammaretrovirus genus of the Orthoretrovirinae subfamily, with its name derived from the high sequence similarity in its envelope gene to the xenotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV), an endogenous MLV that infects cells from nonmouse species including humans. Unrelated to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or the human Tlymphotropic virus (HTLV), XMRV is the first agent of its class to be identified in humans and is likely to have originated in mice. A possible association of XMRV with prostate cancer was first reported in 2006, followed by evidence published last year of its association with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The detection of XMRV in the lymphoid tissues of healthy individuals raised the concern that XMRV may be potentially transmissible by blood transfusion. Although these initial reports provided compelling evidence that XMRV is the first known example of an exogenous human gammaretrovirus, numerous subsequent studies could not confirm the detection of XMRV in human tissues or the association with human diseases. The potential threat from XMRV to blood safety has caused significant concerns in the blood transfusion community even though the verdict is still out regarding whether XMRV is a true human pathogen. This issue of TRANSFUSION includes two timely commentaries from expert working groups on XMRV and an original research article showing the absence of the XMRV in HIV-infected blood donors or individuals in Africa. Together, these commentaries provide muchneeded information on what we currently do and perhaps, more importantly, do not know about XMRV. The three most crucial questions about any pathogen of potential concern to blood safety are: Does the agent cause disease(s) in humans? Can this pathogen be transmitted through blood transfusion? How can we minimize the risk of transfusion-transmitted infection? Answers to these questions can only become available from substantial epidemiologic as well as laboratory studies. At present, results from the reported studies on XMRV are inconsistent and confusing.
Impact of Prior Ipsilateral Chest Wall Radiation on Pedicled TRAM Flap Breast Reconstruction

BackgroundThis study compares complication rates between transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flaps based on previously irradiated versus nonirradiated superior pedicles to assess the impact of prior ipsilateral chest wall radiation on pedicled TRAM flap breast reconstruction. MethodsA retrospective study of 302 consecutive TRAM flap reconstructions was performed; 76 TRAM flaps based on a previously irradiated superior epigastric pedicle were compared to 226 TRAM flaps based on a nonirradiated pedicle in medical comorbidities, oncologic data, and complications. ResultsPatients having undergone previous chest wall irradiation had a higher cancer stage, but demographic data were otherwise similar within the groups. Previous chest wall irradiation did not result in increased rate of flap loss, infection, and fat necrosis. However, there was a trend toward higher revision rate in the previously irradiated TRAM group. ConclusionsPrevious radiation to the superior epigastric pedicle is not associated with a significant increase in flap complications and should be considered a viable modality for pedicled TRAM flap breast reconstruction.
Reducing Antimicrobial Usage in Pig Production without Jeopardizing Production Parameters

Antimicrobial usage (AMU) has been described to be high in pig production. Although farmers are aware of the high usage, little is known about intervention to improve the situation. This study evaluated the extent to which AMU could be reduced in pig production by the optimization of herd management, biosecurity status, vaccination strategy, anthelmintic therapy and advice on prudent AMU. Furthermore, the effects of these interventions on the herd production results were explored. This intervention study was conducted on 61 Flemish pig herds and included three visits per herd. During the initial visit, information was gathered on herd management, biosecurity status (quantified by means of the Biocheck.UGent™ risk‐based scoring system), vaccination strategy, anthelmintic therapy and AMU. This info was then translated into a herd‐specific action plan which was discussed with the farmer and herd veterinarian/other advisors during the second visit. In the final herd visit (±8 months later), comparable data were obtained to evaluate the progress. Overall, a significant improvement of 2.4 points external and 7 points internal biosecurity on the herds was obtained, combined with additional vaccination, anthelmintic therapy and prudent AMU. This was accompanied by a significant reduction in the AMU with a decrease of 52% for the pigs from birth till slaughter and 32% for breeding animals, based on treatment incidences (TIs) and included an important reduction in the use of critically important antimicrobials. More importantly, the increased biosecurity levels and decreased AMU were combined with significantly improved technical results such as the number of weaned piglets per sow per year (+1.1), daily weight gain (+5.9 g/day) and mortality in the finisher period (−0.6%). Guided interventions as a team effort of farmer and herd veterinarian/other advisors have shown to be a promising method in the reduction of AMU in pig production.
Poor Prognosis in Patients With Adenosquamous Cell Carcinoma of the Cervix

From 1 July 1974 to 31 December 1982, 127 patients with primary carcinoma of the cervix were assessed to determine the prognosis of patients with adenosquamous cell carcinoma. Of all patients, 34 are dead of disease for an overall corrected survival rate of 73.2%. The survival of 20 patients with adenosquamous cell carcinoma is 20%. Seventy-five percent of the adenosquamous cell patients had stage IB lesions. When patients with adenosquamous cell carcinoma were compared with patients with squamous cell carcinoma adenocarcinoma, there was a statistically significant decrease in survival. Patients with adenosquamous cell carcinoma were relatively young with a mean age of 41.1 years. A normal appearing cervix was noted in 30% of all patients with adenosquamous cell carcinoma. The majority of adenosquamous cell patients (87.5%) dead from cancer had distant metastases. This report emphasizes that, independent of stage, adenosquamous cell cervical carcinoma is an extremely aggressive neoplasm and carries a poor prognosis. (Obstet Gynecol 65:416, 1985)
CBIR and Sift Based Computer-Aided Diagnosis of Mammographic Masses

Computer-aided diagnosis of masses in mammograms is important to the prevention of breast cancer. Many approaches tackle this problem through content-based image retrieval techniques. However, most of them fall short of scalability in the retrieval stage, and their diagnostic accuracy is, therefore, restricted. To overcome this drawback, we propose a scalable method for retrieval and diagnosis of mammographic masses. Specifically, for a query mammographic region of interest (ROI), scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) features are extracted and searched in a vocabulary tree, which stores all the quantized features of previously diagnosed mammographic ROIs. In addition, to fully exert the discriminative power of SIFT features, contextual information in the vocabulary tree is employed to refine the weights of tree nodes. The retrieved ROIs are then used to determine whether the query ROI contains a mass. The presented method has excellent scalability due to the low spatial-temporal cost of vocabulary tree. Extensive experiments are conducted on a large dataset of 11 553 ROIs extracted from the digital database for screening mammography, which demonstrate the accuracy and scalability of our approach.
Neurocognitive Diagnostic Challenges and the DSM-5: Perspectives from the Front Lines of Clinical Practice

The proposed changes to the DSM-IV-TR are an attempt to advance a common language to be used by clinicians and researchers in psychiatry in the United States. Any improvement brought about by these changes may be jeopardized unless the ICD-10, which is used by non-psychiatric clinicians and researchers worldwide, and the DSM resolve the differences in the definitions and diagnostic criteria of most disorders. Unless there is congruence between the two manuals, debate is therefore likely to continue in the literature as to which provider is best suited to direct the care for the person with dementia: primary care providers, psychiatric providers, or neurologists. The changes to the DSM-IV-TR have the potential to promote preventive measures and early diagnosis, provided that the stigma associated with mental illnesses can be mitigated. A common language among psychiatric and primary care APRNs, other clinicians, and researchers will enhance effective communication and improve dementia care.
The Effect of Citric Acid , Phytase , and Their Interaction on Gastric pH , and Ca , P , and Dry Matter Digestibilities

Organic acids have been supplemented to weanling pig diets in an attempt to improve postweaning lag. Organic acids have proved beneficial in improving average daily gain (ADG) and increasing nutrient digestibility (Falkowski and Aherne, 1984; Edmonds et al., 1985; Geisting and Easter, 1985). There has also been interest in acidifying grower pig diets in an attempt to increase ADG and improve feed efficiency, but results are variable. Some studies report positive effects on ADG and feed efficiency (Jongbloed et al. 1996; Kirchgessner and Roth, 1989; Kirchgessner and Roth, 1990) while others do not (Thacker and Bowland, 1980).
Microfinance and Violence Against Women in Rural Guatemala

Violence against Women (VaW) has come to be recognized as a serious human rights abuse with important consequences not only for women but for whole societies. Since VaW has several manifestations, it is possible to differentiate among different types of violence. In this article, a broad theoretical framework with different dimensions of gender violence was adapted to a Latin American social and cultural context to measure three out of the five main types of violence: economic violence, emotional psychological violence, and coercive control. The goal of this article is to provide empirical evidence to determine whether access to microfinance services plays a role in reducing VaW. To this end, we designed and performed a cross-sectional study with a treatment and a control group in rural Guatemala. A sample of 883 rural women in the “Altiplano” area of Guatemala (448 women with microfinance services and 435 without) was surveyed from May to November 2012. The results of the bivariate logistic regression showed evidence of association between access to microfinance services and reduction of VaW. After adjusting for covariates, global, economic, and emotional psychological violence maintained a negative and statistically significant association with microfinance, while only coercive control showed no statistical association with microfinance services. Access to microcredits showed a very clear relationship to reducing economic and emotional violence but not coercive control, a factor that may be determined by social and cultural norms. In contrast to Status Inconsistency Theory, which has been tested primarily in Asia, our study of Guatemala showed that increased status and economic independence of women due to their participation in microfinance services reduced VaW.
Optimal transcostal high-intensity focused ultrasound with combined real-time 3D movement tracking and correction

Recent studies have demonstrated the feasibility of transcostal high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment in liver. However, two factors limit thermal necrosis of the liver through the ribs: the energy deposition at focus is decreased by the respiratory movement of the liver and the energy deposition on the skin is increased by the presence of highly absorbing bone structures. Ex vivo ablations were conducted to validate the feasibility of a transcostal real-time 3D movement tracking and correction mode. Experiments were conducted through a chest phantom made of three human ribs immersed in water and were placed in front of a 300 element array working at 1 MHz. A binarized apodization law introduced recently in order to spare the rib cage during treatment has been extended here with real-time electronic steering of the beam. Thermal simulations have been conducted to determine the steering limits. In vivo 3D-movement detection was performed on pigs using an ultrasonic sequence. The maximum error on the transcostal motion detection was measured to be 0.09 ± 0.097 mm on the anterior–posterior axis. Finally, a complete sequence was developed combining real-time 3D transcostal movement correction and spiral trajectory of the HIFU beam, allowing the system to treat larger areas with optimized efficiency. Lesions as large as 1 cm in diameter have been produced at focus in excised liver, whereas no necroses could be obtained with the same emitted power without correcting the movement of the tissue sample.