Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Responses by lactating cows in commercial dairy herds to recombinant bovine somatotropin.

Cows (890) in 15 US herds were assigned randomly in equal numbers to control or bST injections (500 mg in a prolonged-release form every 14 d for 12 wk) within three stages of lactation (57 to 100, 101 to 140, and 141 to 189 d postpartum) and two parity groups (primiparous and multiparous). Yield and milk composition were monitored 1 d/wk for 16 wk including 2 wk pretreatment and 2 wk posttreatment. Increases in milk and FCM due to bST injections were less at 57 to 100 d than at 101 to 189 d postpartum (milk 3.6 vs. 5.5; FCM 3.9 vs. 6.1 kg/d per cow), and increases in milk and FCM were more for multiparous than for primiparous cows (milk 5.5 vs. 4.2; FCM 6.0 vs. 4.7 kg/d cow). Temporarily, concentration of milk fat increased and protein decreased; later, concentrations for control and injected cows were similar. Postinjection milk fat concentration decreased, but milk protein concentration increased temporarily. The net increase in milk (and FCM) varied significantly among herds from 2.9 to 7.6 kg/d per cow (mean, 4.9 kg). Responses in FCM were similar over a wide range of pretreatment yields. A great variety of feed ingredients were fed as total mixed rations, and nutrient concentrations varied greatly. The SCC were similar before, during, and after treatment, but increase in FCM of injected cows exhibited a negative correlation with pretreatment SCC. Changes in body condition score of sometribove-injected cows varied among herds (.25 to -.45) and averaged -. 02 compared with . 07 for controls. There was no pattern in incidence of mastitis during sometribove injections.
Minors in graphs of large girth

We show that for every odd integer g ≥ 5 there exists a constant c such that every graph of minimum degree r and girth at least g contains a minor of minimum degree at least cr(g+1)/4. This is best possible up to the value of the constant c for g = 5, 7, and 11. More generally, a well‐known conjecture about the minimal order of graphs of given minimum degree and large girth would imply that our result gives the correct order of magnitude for all odd values of g. The case g = 5 of our result implies Hadwiger's conjecture for C4‐free graphs of sufficiently large chromatic number. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg. , 22: 213–225, 2003
Neuropsychology in India

Abstract Objective: This is an invited paper for a special issue with the objective to provide information on neuropsychology in India. Method: Information was gathered from a literature search and personal communication with professionals working in the field of neuropsychology. Results: Neuropsychology as a specialization started in India approximately 40 years ago. The early years witnessed the use of Western tools for assessing patients with organic brain damage. Subsequent years saw the development of indigenous tools for use with the vast majority of the Indian population and also a few Western tests adapted to suit the needs of the unique Indian clientele. The starting of the Neuropsychology unit at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore in 1975 resulted in changing of the course of training and practice of Neuropsychology. The field of assessments has witnessed indigenous tests being developed, while rehabilitation programs have brought about a decline in cognitive deficits in several clinical conditions. Currently, work within the field of neuropsychology has focused on child, geriatric, acquired brain injury, and forensic populations with a development of unique rehabilitations to suit needs of several clinical conditions. However, there are very few neuropsychologists in the country, and only one nodal training center, which limits the availability of training to the large population of the country. Conclusion: Despite the shortcomings, the field of neuropsychology has received much attention in the recent years with the number of referrals and professionals increasing.
Expression of hepatitis B virus middle and large surface antigen genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The hepatitis B virus genome carries the surface antigen (SAg) gene and an open reading frame that encodes two SAg-related polypeptides: SAg with a 55-amino-acid N-terminal extension polypeptide and SAg with a 174-amino-acid N-terminal extension polypeptide. These are termed middle S and large S, respectively. These polypeptides or their glycosylated derivatives have been detected in Dane particles, but their chemical and biological properties have remained largely unknown because of their limited availability. We attempted to produce these proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by placing the coding regions under the control of the promoter of the yeast glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene. Yeast cells carrying middle S and large S coding sequences produced 33,000- and 42,000-dalton products, respectively, each of which reacted with anti-S antibody and bound to polymerized human serum albumin, in accordance with the known properties of pre-S proteins from particles in human sera (K. H. Heermann, U. Goldmann, W. Schwartz, T. Seyffarth, H. Baumgarten, and W. H. Gerlich, J. Virol. 52:396-402, 1984; A. Machida, S. Kishimoto, H. Ohnuma, K. Baba, Y. Ito, H. Miyamoto, G. Funatsu, K. Oda, S. Usuda, S. Togami, T. Nakamura, Y. Miyakawa, and M. Mayumi, Gastroenterology 86:910-918, 1984). The middle S polypeptide is glycosylated and can be assembled into particles whose size and density are similar to those of SAg. However, this polypeptide was highly susceptible to proteolytic degradation into 29,000- and 26,000-dalton polypeptides, of which only the former retained the binding activity to polymerized albumin. The large S polypeptides are nonglycosylated, relatively stable, and do not seem to assemble into particles by themselves.
Evidence for the Involvement of Central I1 Imidazoline Receptor in Ethanol Counteraction of Clonidine Hypotension in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

&NA; Our previous studies have shown that ethanol counteracts centrally mediated hypotensive responses to clonidine. In this study, we investigated the relative roles of central &agr;2‐adrenergic and I1 imidazoline receptors in the antagonistic ethanol‐clonidine hemodynamic interaction. The effects of selective blockade of &agr;2‐ or I1 receptor by 2‐methoxyidazoxan and efaroxan, respectively, on the blood pressure and heart rate responses to clonidine and subsequent ethanol administration were evaluated in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats. Intracisternal administration of clonidine (1.5 &mgr;g/kg) produced significant (30 mm Hg; p < 0.05) and sustained (at least 60 min) decreases in blood pressure and heart rate. Systemic ethanol (1 g/kg), administered 10 min after clonidine, counteracted the hypotensive response and restored blood pressure to the preclonidine levels. Treatment with 2‐methoxyidazoxan (0.16 &mgr;g/kg, intracisternal) or efaroxan (0.45 &mgr;g/kg, intracisternal) produced similar attenuation of the hypotensive and bradycardic responses to clonidine. The ability of ethanol to counteract the hypotensive action of clonidine was significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated in rats pretreated with efaroxan. The pressor response to ethanol lasted only 10 min compared with at least 60 min in the absence of efaroxan. In contrast, ethanol counteraction of clonidine‐evoked hypotension was not altered when &agr;2‐adrenoceptors were blocked by 2‐methoxyidazoxan. These findings suggest that centrally mediated hypotensive and bradycardic effects of clonidine in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats involve activation of both &agr;2‐adrenergic and I1 imidazoline receptors. Furthermore, the findings suggest the dependence of a fully expressed ethanol counteraction of the hypotensive action of clonidine on functional I1 receptor within the central nervous system.
A novel metal-free low molecular weight superoxide dismutase mimic.

2-Ethyl-1-hydroxy-2,5,5-trimethyl-3-oxazolidine (OXANOH), the one-electron reduction product of the stable nitroxide radical, 2-ethyl-2,5,5-trimethyl-3-oxazolidinoxyl (OXANO), is reportedly oxidized by superoxide, and its oxidation has been proposed as a method for assaying superoxide. We find that superoxide can both reduce OXANO and oxidize OXANOH. The respective rate constants, k1 and k2, were determined using two superoxide-generating systems (xanthine oxidase/xanthine as well as ionizing radiation). OXANOH oxidation and OXANO reduction are both inhibitable by superoxide dismutase, pH-dependent (4.5-9.3), and result in a steady state distribution of [OXANO] and [OXANOH], independent of their initial concentrations, i.e. the OXANO/OXANOH couple exhibits a metal-independent superoxide dismutase-like function. Thus it provides a prototype for future development of improved low molecular weight superoxide dismutase mimics which will also function in cellular hydrophobic (aprotic) compartments such as membranes.
Revictimization and Self-Harm in Females Who Experienced Childhood Sexual Abuse

Lifetime trauma histories were ascertained for females with confirmed histories of childhood sexual abuse and comparison females participating in a longitudinal, prospective study. Abused participants reported twice as many subsequent rapes or sexual assaults (p = .07), 1.6 times as many physical affronts including domestic violence (p = .01), almost four times as many incidences of self-inflicted harm (p = .002), and more than 20% more subsequent, significant lifetime traumas (p = .04) than did comparison participants. Sexual revictimization was positively correlated with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSD), peritraumatic dissociation, and sexual preoccupation. Physical revictimization was positively correlated with PTSD symptoms, pathological dissociation, and sexually permissive attitudes. Self-harm was positively correlated with both peritraumatic and pathological dissociation. Competing theoretical explanations for revictimization and self-harm are discussed and evaluated.
Deep brain stimulation in myoclonus–dystonia syndrome

Myoclonus–dystonia syndrome (MDS) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by bilateral myoclonic jerks. An 8‐year‐old boy presenting with early onset, medically intractable, MDS due to a mutation in the ϵ‐sarcoglycan gene (SGCE) underwent chronic bilateral stimulation of the globus pallidus internus, which eliminates both myoclonus and dystonia. We conclude that deep brain stimulation can be an effective and safe treatment for MDS. © 2004 Movement Disorder Society
Seeding risk following percutaneous approach to hepatocellular carcinoma

Tumour biopsy is usually considered mandatory for patient management by oncologists. Currently percutaneous ablation is used therapeutically for cirrhotic patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), not suitable for resection or waiting for liver transplantation. However malignant seeding is a recognized complication of both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in patients with HCC. Although percutaneous therapy whether with or without biopsy of a suspected HCC nodule may minimize the risk of seeding, this has not been confirmed.
Tracking Antigen-Specific CD8 T Lymphocytes in the Lungs of Mice Vaccinated with the Mtb72F Polyprotein

ABSTRACT This study used a major histocompatibility complex class I tetramer reagent to track antigen-specific CD8 T cells in the lungs of mice immunized with the tuberculosis vaccine candidate Mtb72F. The results show that CD8 T cells recognizing an immunodominant Mtb32-specific epitope could be detected in significant numbers over the course of infection in mice exposed to low-dose aerosol challenge with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and that prior vaccination substantially increased the numbers of these cells early in the lungs. The effector phenotype of the cells was shown by the demonstration that many secreted gamma interferon, but very few contained granzyme B. As the course of the infection progressed, many activated CD8 T cells down-regulated expression of CD45RB and upregulated expression of the interleukin-7 receptor alpha chain, indicating a transition of these cells to a state of memory. These data support the hypothesis that M. tuberculosis-specific CD8 T cells can be targeted by vaccination with the Mtb72F polyprotein.
Refraction corrected calibration for aquatic locomotion research: application of Snell’s law improves spatial accuracy

Images of underwater objects are distorted by refraction at the water–glass–air interfaces and these distortions can lead to substantial errors when reconstructing the objects’ position and shape. So far, aquatic locomotion studies have minimized refraction in their experimental setups and used the direct linear transform algorithm (DLT) to reconstruct position information, which does not model refraction explicitly. Here we present a refraction corrected ray-tracing algorithm (RCRT) that reconstructs position information using Snell’s law. We validated this reconstruction by calculating 3D reconstruction error—the difference between actual and reconstructed position of a marker. We found that reconstruction error is small (typically less than 1%). Compared with the DLT algorithm, the RCRT has overall lower reconstruction errors, especially outside the calibration volume, and errors are essentially insensitive to camera position and orientation and the number and position of the calibration points. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the RCRT, we tracked an anatomical marker on a seahorse recorded with four cameras to reconstruct the swimming trajectory for six different camera configurations. The RCRT algorithm is accurate and robust and it allows cameras to be oriented at large angles of incidence and facilitates the development of accurate tracking algorithms to quantify aquatic manoeuvers.
What can we learn from eye tracking data on 20,000 images?

Since traditional gaze tracking requires specific hardware, gathering image saliency data is expensive, tedious, and slow. Therefore, existing saliency prediction datasets are orders-of-magnitude smaller than typical datasets for other computer vision recognition tasks. The small size of these datasets limits the potential for training data-hungry saliency prediction algorithms, and may lead to over-fitting in benchmark evaluation. To address this deficiency, we introduce a webcam-based gaze tracking system that supports large-scale, crowd-sourced eye tracking deployed on Amazon Mechanical Turk. By a combination of careful algorithm and gaming protocol design, our system obtains eye-tracking data for saliency prediction with the same accuracy as in-lab webcam-based eye tracking systems, with relatively low cost and little effort on the part of the researchers. Using this tool, we construct the iSUN database with gaze data collected from 227 participants for 20,000 natural images - to our knowledge the largest eye tracking dataset available to date. This large data pool enables us to address the central bias of Internet photos, by choosing a subset of data to produce a uniform sampling as a benchmark. It also enables us to design a simple yet powerful data-driven label transfer algorithm from the nearest neighbor image for saliency prediction. Empirical results show that this simple algorithm can produce good results that are visually close to ground truth, although the current version of the algorithm does not outperform state-of-the-art saliency models. This is because data collection on the iSUN database is still ongoing, so many of the nearest-neighbor images have fixations from only 1 or 2 observers, which does not give a complete, accurate ground-truth saliency map for that image. We will open-source our tool and provide a web server where researchers can upload their own images to get gaze-tracking results from AMTurk. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.
Brownian motion at absolute zero.

We derive a general quantum formula giving the mean-square displacement of a diffusing particle as a function of time. Near 0 K we find a universal logarithmic behavior (valid for times longer than the relaxation time), and deviations from classical behavior can also be significant at larger values of time and temperature. Our derivation depends neither on the specific composition of the heat bath nor on the strength of the coupling between the bath and the particle. An experimental regime of microseconds and microdegrees Kelvin would elicit the pure logarithmic diffusion.
Design of an Environmentally Interactive Continuum Manipulator

Continuum manipulators are high degree of freedom structures that can use their increased degrees of freedom to navigate through an environment with obstacles. This type of manipulator is underactuated, which make them promising for adapting to their environments. However, current research is mainly focused on accurate positioning and obstacle avoidance, while the advantages of underactuated systems remain unused. Therefore this paper proposes a new design and approach of a continuum manipulator, which can navigate through an environment with obstacles by passively shaping the manipulator along the obstacles. The proposed design consists of a sequence of crosslink segments, where steering is done by an antagonistic pair of tendons and forward movement is done by a single pushing force at the base of the manipulator. Analytical models and a prototype show that this manipulator has a highly increased range of motion per segment compared with similar systems. The results also show that the manipulator is able to reach a target in a multi-obstacle environment using a simple binary control system with low input forces.
The Effect of Introducing the Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score in Routine Clinical Practice for Patients With Spinal Metastases.

BACKGROUND Stable spinal metastases are effectively treated with radiotherapy, whereas unstable spinal metastases often need surgical fixation followed by radiotherapy for local control. The Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS) was developed as a tool to assess spinal neoplastic related instability with the goal of helping to guide referrals among oncology specialists. We compare the average degree of spinal instability between patients with spinal metastases referred for surgery or for radiotherapy and evaluate whether this difference changed after introduction of the SINS in clinical practice. METHODS All patients with spinal metastases treated with palliative surgery or radiotherapy in the period 2009-2013 were identified in two spine centers. For all patients, the SINS was scored on pretreatment imaging. The SINS before and after introduction of the SINS in 2011 were compared within the surgical and radiotherapy group. Furthermore, the overall SINS was compared between the two groups. RESULTS The overall SINS was significantly higher in the surgical group, with a mean SINS of 10.7 (median 11) versus 7.2 (median 8) for the radiotherapy group. The mean SINS decreased significantly for both groups after introduction of the SINS in clinical practice from 11.2 to 10.3 in the surgical group and from 8.4 to 7.2 in the radiotherapy group. CONCLUSION The SINS differed significantly between patients treated with surgery or radiotherapy. The introduction of SINS led to a decrease in SINS score for both groups, suggesting that using SINS in metastatic spinal disease increases awareness for instability and may subsequently result in earlier referrals for surgical intervention. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Spinal metastases can present with varying degrees of mechanical instability. Because unstable spinal metastases may respond insufficiently to palliative radiotherapy and can lead to loss of ambulation, timely detection and appropriate referral are important. The Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS) may help physicians caring for patients with metastasized disease to identify spinal instability before the onset of neurological deficits. In this study, it was shown that the introduction of SINS in routine practice led to a decrease in spinal instability in radiotherapy and surgical cohorts. The use of SINS may increase awareness of instability and subsequently result in earlier referrals.
Posterior hypoperfusion in migraine without aura?

Dear Sir A recent study published in Cephalalgia using positron emission tomography (PET) in migraine without aura (1) stated: ‘In conclusion, we found in migraine without aura (MoA) a posterior hypoperfusion similar to the changes found in other studies in migraine with aura (MA). If this hypoperfusion is specific to migraine, it favours the same pathophysiology in MA and MoA’. The authors prudently added: ‘However, the significance of this hypoperfusion needs to be specified’ (1). In a recent review in Lancet Neurology (2) it was stated that this study may question central tenets of migraine pathophysiology. Cortical spreading depression is widely thought to be the mechanism that underlies the aura of migraine. The findings of Denuelle et al. suggest that MA and MoA have similar underlying pathophysiological processes (2). The consequence must in our opinion be that a clinical silent cortical spreading depression is present in MoA. In contrast, several previous single photon emission computed tomography studies, with a lower spatial resolution than PET, found no decrease in regional cerebral blood flow during MoA (3,4). Furthermore, three PET studies in spontaneous (5,6) and nitroglycerininduced (7) migraine attacks have been performed. These studies concentrated on PET activation in the brainstem, but there is no mention of a decrease in occipital blood flow (5–7). It would be important if these investigators could confirm that no decrease in occipital flow was present in their studies. If that is the case, there is no need to reinterpret migraine mechanisms, but a need for replication of the French study.
Evaluation of a healthy-lifestyle approach to weight management.

BACKGROUND Obesity and overweight have reached near-epidemic proportions in the United States. There is a need to further investigate intervention strategies designed to help individuals manage their weight by improving diet and exercise behaviors. We designed a multidisciplinary weight management program that included healthy eating, regular exercise, and behavioral changes based on the Transtheoretical Model. The program focused on a healthy lifestyle rather than weight loss. METHODS Overweight and obese adults (n = 144; BMI = 32.5 +/- 3.8) participated in a 6-month clinic-based weight management program. The first 3 months of the program were intense (twice weekly for 2 h) followed by 3 months of reduced clinical contact. Assessments completed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months included weight, body composition, BMI, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, and 24-h diet recalls. VO(2max) was assessed at baseline and at 3 months. RESULTS Subjects experienced significant decreases in weight, percentage body fat, BMI, total cholesterol, LDL-C, total caloric intake, and the percentage of energy intake from dietary fat as well as a significant increase in VO(2max) (P < 0.05) at 3 months. Changes were maintained at 6 months, with weight, total cholesterol, and LDL-C demonstrating further improvement. CONCLUSIONS A clinic-based weight management program that focuses on lifestyle is successful at promoting changes in exercise and dietary behaviors. These changes appear to promote good health, as evidenced by moderate weight loss, increased cardiorespiratory fitness, and improved lipid profiles.