Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards biofeedback-controlled self-rewarding learning with mobile devices

Over the past decades, reinforcement learning has been applied in several fields of computer science (especially in machine learning) as a learning algorithm. The same model can be used in cognitive neuroscience. In this case, neurotransmitters are providing the rewarding signal, and therefore in the background a similar learning process occurs as in reinforcement learning. According to previous studies, the same chemicals are produced through playing video games. In this paper, we aim to show a few methods and promising approaches to advance a biofeedback-controlled self-rewarding learning framework, which can be established in numerous applications. In recent times, mobile devices (phones and tablets as well) acquire more and more popularity among teenagers. Our objective is to develop a framework on these devices to measure and interpret neural activity and learning progress in general, so a related system can be developed to sustain attention and as a result, adaptive computer games may be developed in the near future.
Surpass Flow Diverter for Treatment of Posterior Circulation Aneurysms

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Flow diverters for the treatment of posterior circulation aneurysms remain controversial. We aimed to identify factors contributing to outcome measures in patients treated with the Surpass flow diverter for aneurysms in this location. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted an observational study of 53 patients who underwent flow-diverter treatment for posterior circulation aneurysms at 15 centers. Key outcome measures were mortality, complete aneurysm occlusion, and modified Rankin Scale score at follow-up. RESULTS: At follow-up (median, 11.3 months; interquartile range, 5.9–12.7 months), 9 patients had died, resulting in an all-cause mortality rate of 17.3% (95% CI, 7%–27.6%); 7 deaths (14%) were directly related to the procedure and none occurred in patients with a baseline mRS score of zero. After adjusting for covariates, a baseline mRS of 3–5 was more significantly (P = .003) associated with a higher hazard ratio for death than a baseline mRS of 0–2 (hazard ratio, 17.11; 95% CI, 2.69–109.02). After adjusting for follow-up duration, a 1-point increase in the baseline mRS was significantly (P < .001) associated with higher values of mRS at follow-up (odds ratio, 2.93; 95% CI, 1.79–4.79). Follow-up angiography in 44 patients (median, 11.3 months; interquartile range, 5.9–12.7 months) showed complete aneurysm occlusion in 29 (66%; 95% CI, 50.1%–79.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical results of flow-diverter treatment of posterior circulation aneurysms depend very much on patient selection. In this study, poorer outcomes were related to the treatment of aneurysms in patients with higher baseline mRS scores. Angiographic results showed a high occlusion rate for this subset of complex aneurysms.
High-level expression and secretion of recombinant mouse endostatin by Escherichia coli.

The expression of murine endostatin was achieved by placing its gene downstream of an alkaline phosphatase gene (phoA) promoter. To ensure proper folding and secretion of the recombinant protein, the mouse endostatin was fused with alkaline phosphatase signal peptide. SDS/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of the culture medium of recombinant Escherichia coli cells revealed that endostatin was efficiently secreted. The signal peptide was efficiently cleaved during secretion as demonstrated by N-terminal amino acid sequencing. The maximum yield of secreted endostatin during fermentation was 40 mg/liter. Up to 28 mg of endostatin was purified from 1 liter of cell culture broth. The biological activity of recombinant protein was tested in a bovine aortic endothelial (BAE) cell proliferation assay. The recombinant endostatin inhibited the growth of BAE cells stimulated by basic fibroblast growth factor, and its ED50 was comparable to that from a previous report. Flow cytometric measurements of BAE cells cultivated in medium with endostatin demonstrated a cell cycle arrest mainly in the G0/G1 phase and a decrease in the S phase.
Long-term effects of implanted cardioverter-defibrillators on health status, quality of life, and psychological state.

BACKGROUND Living with an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator increases survival, but the effects of the device on health status, quality of life, and psychological state over time are not clear. OBJECTIVES To investigate changes in health status, quality of life, and psychological state associated with implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator from implantation to 4 years later. METHODS A prospective, longitudinal design was used to measure changes in scores on the Short Form 36 of the Medical Outcomes Study, the Quality of Life Index-Cardiac III, and the Profile of Moods States short form at implantation, 6 months, and 1, 2, 3, and 4 years later. RESULTS A total of 30 men and 11 women (mean age, 60.4 years) completed all 4 years of follow-up. The physical and mental health composite summary scores of the Short Form 36 changed significantly over time; the mental health score improved (F = 2.95; P = .03), and the physical score worsened (F = 3.69; P = .003). Scores on the Quality of Life Index-Cardiac III did not change significantly. Negative moods were significantly fewer, and the total psychological distress score was significantly lower (F = 10.21; P < .001) during the 4 years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Patients had improved mental health and reduced psychological distress by 6 months after implantation. Perception of physical health declined during the 4 years after implantation; the role physical subscore of the Short Form 36 indicated significant improvement in functioning at 6 months and a trend toward reduced functioning at 3 and 4 years after implantation.
Cell autonomous requirement for PDGFRα in populations of cranial and cardiac neural crest cells

Cardiac and cephalic neural crest cells (NCCs) are essential components of the craniofacial and aortic arch mesenchyme. Genetic disruption of the platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα) results in defects in multiple tissues in the mouse, including neural crest derivatives contributing to the frontonasal process and the aortic arch. Using chimeric analysis, we show that loss of the receptor in NCCs renders them inefficient at contributing to the cranial mesenchyme. Conditional gene ablation in NCCs results in neonatal lethality because of aortic arch defects and a severely cleft palate. The conotruncal defects are first observed at E11.5 and are consistent with aberrant NCC development in the third, fourth and sixth branchial arches, while the bone malformations present in the frontonasal process and skull coincide with defects of NCCs from the first to third branchial arches. Changes in cell proliferation, migration, or survival were not observed in PDGFRα NCC conditional embryos, suggesting that the PDGFRα may play a role in a later stage of NCC development. Our results demonstrate that the PDGFRα plays an essential, cell-autonomous role in the development of cardiac and cephalic NCCs and provides a model for the study of aberrant NCC development.
Phosphorylation of Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 4E Is Critical for Growth

ABSTRACT Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) binds to the cap structure at the 5′ end of mRNAs and is a critical target for the control of protein synthesis. eIF4E is phosphorylated in many systems in response to extracellular stimuli, but biochemical evidence to date has been equivocal as to the biological significance of this modification. Here we use a genetic approach to this problem. We show that, in Drosophila melanogaster, homozygous eIF4E mutants arrest growth during larval development. In Drosophila eIF4EI, Ser251 corresponds to Ser209 of mammalian eIF4E, which is phosphorylated in response to extracellular signals. We find that, in vivo, eIF4EI Ser251 mutants cannot incorporate labeled phosphate. Furthermore, transgenic Drosophila organisms expressing eIF4ESer251Ala in an eIF4E mutant background have reduced viability. Escapers develop more slowly than control siblings and are smaller. These genetic data provide evidence that eIF4E phosphorylation is biologically significant and is essential for normal growth and development.
A placebo-controlled, parallel-group, randomized withdrawal study of subjects with symptoms of spasticity due to multiple sclerosis who are receiving long-term Sativex® (nabiximols)

Background: Open-label studies are not ideal for providing robust evidence for long-term maintenance of efficacy of medicines, especially where medicines provide symptom relief and where long-term use of a placebo may be problematic and not ethical. Objective: To evaluate the maintenance of efficacy of Sativex in subjects who have gained long-term symptomatic relief of spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS), and to assess the impact of sudden medicine withdrawal. Methods: An enriched enrolment randomized withdrawal study design was used. Eligible subjects with ongoing benefit from Sativex for at least 12 weeks entered this 5-week placebo-controlled, parallel-group, randomized withdrawal study. Each subjects’ previous effective and tolerated dose was continued. Results: A total of 18 subjects per group were enrolled. Demographics showed a mean duration of MS of 16.4 years, spasticity 12.7 years, mean duration of Sativex use of 3.6 years (median 3.4 years) and a mean daily dose of 8.25 sprays. Primary outcome of time to treatment failure was significantly in favour of Sativex (p = 0.013). Secondary endpoints showed significant changes in the Carer and Subject’s Global Impression of Change scales in favour of Sativex. Conclusions: Maintenance of Sativex efficacy in long-term symptomatic improvement of spasticity to a group of subjects with MS has been confirmed using this study design.
Electrostatically levitated spherical 3-axis accelerometer

MEMS-based electrostatically levitated spherical 3-axis accelerometer has been developed. Fabrication of the spherical MEMS device is made possible by incorporating Ball Semiconductor technology and a novel sacrificial etching process utilizing xenon difluoride gas etching through gas permeable layer. 1-millimeter diameter spherical proof mass is completely suspended without any mechanical support by closed-loop controlled electrostatic forcers. 3-axis acceleration is derived from intensity of servo feedback between capacitive position sensing and the electrostatic actuation. Noise floor is estimated as 40/spl mu/G/Hz/sup 1/2/ level. After calibrating geometrical misalignment, scale factor and zero-G offset errors, linear output with minimal cross-axis error is obtained.
The Endoplasmic Reticulum Is a Reservoir for WAVE/SCAR Regulatory Complex Signaling in the Arabidopsis Leaf1[W][OA]

In Arabidopsis leaf pavement cells and trichomes, the ER is a reservoir for W/SRC signaling and may have a key role in the early steps of W/SRC activation. During plant cell morphogenesis, signal transduction and cytoskeletal dynamics interact to locally organize the cytoplasm and define the geometry of cell expansion. The WAVE/SCAR (for WASP family verprolin homologous/suppressor of cyclic AMP receptor) regulatory complex (W/SRC) is an evolutionarily conserved heteromeric protein complex. Within the plant kingdom W/SRC is a broadly used effector that converts Rho-of-Plants (ROP)/Rac small GTPase signals into Actin-Related Protein2/3 and actin-dependent growth responses. Although the components and biochemistry of the W/SRC pathway are well understood, a basic understanding of how cells partition W/SRC into active and inactive pools is lacking. In this paper, we report that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an important organelle for W/SRC regulation. We determined that a large intracellular pool of the core W/SRC subunit NAP1, like the known positive regulator of W/SRC, the DOCK family guanine nucleotide-exchange factor SPIKE1 (SPK1), localizes to the surface of the ER. The ER-associated NAP1 is inactive because it displays little colocalization with the actin network, and ER localization requires neither activating signals from SPK1 nor a physical association with its W/SRC-binding partner, SRA1. Our results indicate that in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaf pavement cells and trichomes, the ER is a reservoir for W/SRC signaling and may have a key role in the early steps of W/SRC assembly and/or activation.
Lattice-Based Monotone Comparative Statics on Precautionary Paying for Stochastic Improvements

This paper studies the effects of ambiguity aversion and ambiguity on optimal decisions, which must be taken in advance at a point when the future state of the world is ambiguous. Holding risk preferences, beliefs, and time preferences fixed, we use lattice-based monotone comparative statics to demonstrate the sufficient conditions for a change in ambiguity aversion alone to increase the strength of the precautionary paying motive. We also examine the effects of ambiguity changes on precautionary payment. Finally, we apply our results to saving, self-protection, and self-insurance problems.
Quantifying the Effect of Demand Response on Electricity Markets

It is widely agreed that an increased participation of the demand side in the electricity markets would produce benefits not only for the individual consumers but also for the market as a whole. This paper proposes a method for quantifying rigorously the effect that such an increase would have on the various categories of market participants. A new centralized complex-bid market-clearing mechanism has been devised to take into consideration the load shifting behavior of consumers who do submit price-sensitive bids. The effects of the proportion of demand response on the market are illustrated using a test system with ten generating units scheduled over 24 periods.
Altered penicillin-binding proteins in methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus

The penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) of a methicillin-resistant (MR) and a methicillin-susceptible (MS) Staphylococcus aureus were compared by various approaches involving the use of high-specific-activity [3H]penicillin as a reagent. The MR and MS strains were found to contain PBPs of the same number and electrophoretic mobilities. However, saturation of PBPs 1, 2, and 3 by methicillin in the MR strain required the use of several thousands of micrograms of antibiotic per milliliter, whereas 0.2 to 0.4 micrograms of methicillin per ml was sufficient to effectively compete with [3H]penicillin for the PBPs for the MS strain. Additional experiments indicate that these differences most likely reflect a greatly decreased affinity of the PBPs of the MR strain as compared to those of the MS strain. Shift of the pH of the culture medium of the MR strain from pH 7.0 to 5.2 resulted in an immediate drop in phenotypic resistance to methicillin (from a minimal inhibitory concentration value of 3,200 micrograms/ml at pH 7.0 to 0.8 microgram/ml at pH 5.2). Examination of the methicillin affinities of PBPs in MR bacteria grown at pH 5.2 showed the presence of the same low-affinity PBPs as in bacteria grown at pH 7.0. Thus, the pH-dependent resensitization to methicillin cannot be explained by a parallel increase in the antibiotic affinities of the PBPs.
Circadian coordination of cancer growth and metastatic spread

To understand whether mammalian circadian time structure measurably affects the host‐cancer balance, we studied tumor‐take frequency after s.c. tumor cell inoculation and the number of pulmonary tumor nodules after i.v. tumor cell injections at each of 6 equispaced times of day. We employed 2 genetically distinct mouse strains and 2 different tumor model systems, a methylcholanthrene A‐induced fibrosarcoma of C3HeJ mice and 2 B16 melanoma cell lines of vastly different metastatic efficiency in C57 Black/6 mice. Fibrosarcoma cells were injected s.c. in 1 of 8 different doses, at 1 of 8 permutated anatomic sites and at 1 of 6 equispaced circadian times, in 96 female C3HeJ mice maintained under a synchronizing schedule of 12 hr light alternating with 12 hr dark. Regardless of tumor cell dose and inoculum location, tumor‐take frequency depended strongly upon the circadian stage of tumor cell inoculation. Injections of between 2,000 and 50,000 live tumor cells inoculated near the daily sleep/wake interface resulted in the lowest incidence of tumor take compared with inoculation at other times of day. In the experimental i.v. B16 melanoma metastatic model (N = 110), the capacity of both high and low metastatic potential clones to successfully metastasize to lung depended, to a large extent, upon when in the day each of these clones was injected. Similar to the fibrosarcoma data, the daily sleep/wake boundary was the time of day associated with the greatest resistance to metastatic spread. Int. J. Cancer 83: 365–373, 1999.
Attention biases in female survivors of chronic interpersonal violence: relationship to trauma-related symptoms and physiology

Background Exposure to chronic interpersonal violence (IPV) has been associated with psychiatric impairment; however, few studies have investigated attention processes and psychophysiology in this population. Objective We investigated self-report and physiological correlates of attention biases in 27 IPV-exposed women. Method Participants completed self-report measures of trauma history, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and dissociation; were monitored physiologically during baseline; and responded to an emotional dot probe task. Results Participants showed bias away from positive and anxiety words, and toward IPV words. Lower baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and higher skin conductance levels were associated with bias away from anxiety cues. Greater total PTSD symptoms were associated with bias toward IPV cues, and greater PTSD intrusion and avoidance symptoms were associated with lower RSA. Individuals exposed to more types of trauma had lower heart rates. Conclusions These data extend the research on emotion–cognition interactions in PTSD and other anxiety disorders to chronic IPV survivors, in part confirming avoidance and intrusion symptom and attention bias relations found in studies. The present work also draws attention to a group that tends to experience a range of severe symptoms associated with apparent blunting in autonomic activity, and suggests that self-report may not be sensitive to physiological and attention alterations in chronic IPV samples.
Employer Legitimacy and Recruitment Success in Small Businesses

Recruiting new employees is one of the biggest challenges facing small businesses, and a key component of organizational success. Unfortunately, existing human resource literature has almost entirely focused on medium and large firms. In addition, past recruitment research has neglected the possible influence of institutional forces on organizational recruitment success. This paper attempts to address these potential gaps in the literature by utilizing institutional theory to develop a strategic model of small business recruitment.
General Analysis of Multi-Phase Systems Based on Space Vector Approach

In this paper the space vector approach is applied to the analysis of multi-phase electric systems. This approach builds on an existing but non systematic knowledge base, partially available in literature. In particular, power and RMS are expressed in terms of space vectors, and a comparison is carried out with respect to the Fortescue's symmetrical components in the case of n-phase circuits with sinusoidal waveforms. The use of space vectors allows real time analysis and regulation of both multi-phase converters and multi-phase machines with an elegant and effective vectorial approach.
Evaluation of multi-level buck converters for low-power applications

This work investigates power losses in conventional and multi-level buck converters. Conduction and switching losses are modeled for conventional, 3-level and 5-level buck converters as a function of technology parameters, design variables and the operating point. It is shown that for a given set of technology parameters and optimized design variables, multi-level buck converters achieve higher efficiencies than the conventional buck converter at low output voltages and load currents. This shows that multi-level buck converters are more suitable for low power applications than the conventional buck converter. In addition, for low inductor quality factor (QF), multi-level buck converters achieve higher efficiencies than the conventional buck converter which makes them better suited for on-chip integration. The 65nm CMOS technology is employed. All models are validated against Spice simulations.
Newborn and carrier screening for spinal muscular atrophy

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a common autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorder caused by mutations in the survival motor neuron (SMN1) gene, affecting approximately 1 in 10,000 live births. The homozygous absence of SMN1 exon 7 has been observed in the majority of patients and is being utilized as a reliable and sensitive SMA diagnostic test. Treatment and prevention of SMA are complementary responses to the challenges presented by SMA. Even though a specific therapy for SMA is not currently available, a newborn screening test may allow the child to be enrolled in a clinical trial before irreversible neuronal loss occurs and enable patients to obtain more proactive treatments. Until an effective treatment is found to cure or arrest the progression of the disease, prevention of new cases through accurate diagnosis and carrier and prenatal diagnosis is of the utmost importance. The goal of population‐based SMA carrier screening is to identify couples at risk for having a child with SMA, thus allowing carriers to make informed reproductive choices. During this study we performed two pilot projects addressing the clinical applicability of testing in the newborn period and carrier screening in the general population. We have demonstrated that an effective technology does exist for newborn screening of SMA. We also provide an estimate of the carrier frequency among individuals who accepted carrier screening, and report on patient's knowledge and attitudes toward SMA testing. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.