Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Acute Taurine Ingestion on Human Maximal Voluntary Muscle Contraction

Purpose This study aimed to examine the effect of taurine ingestion on maximal voluntary muscle torque and power in trained male athletes with different caffeine habits. Methods Fourteen male athletes 21.8 ± 2.5 yr old were separated into caffeine and noncaffeine consumers to control for the effect of caffeine withdrawal on muscle function. On separate occasions, participants performed four isokinetic or three maximal isometric knee extensions with and without taurine (40 mg·kg−1 body mass) after a double-blind, counterbalanced design. Muscle contractile performances were compared between the first sets as well as between the sets where these variables scored best. Results In response to isokinetic contraction, taurine treatment in the noncaffeine consumers resulted in a significant fall in first (−16.1%; P = 0.013) and best peak torque (−5.0%; P = 0.016) as well as in first (−17.7%; P = 0.015) and best power output (−8.0%; P = 0.008). In the caffeine consumers deprived of caffeine, taurine intake improved best power (5.2%; P = 0.045). With respect to the isometric variables, there was a significant decrease in the first (−5.1%; P = 0.002) and best peak torque (−4.3%; P = 0.032) in the noncaffeine group, but no effect in the group of caffeine consumers deprived of caffeine. Taurine ingestion increased blood taurine levels but had no effect on plasma amino acid levels. Conclusions Taurine ingestion is detrimental to maximal voluntary muscle power and both maximal isokinetic and isometric peak torque in noncaffeine consumers, whereas taurine ingestion in caffeine-deprived caffeine consumers improves maximal voluntary muscle power but has no effect on other aspects of contractile performance.
p37mos-associated serine/threonine protein kinase activity correlates with the cellular transformation function of v-mos

A serine/threonine-specific protein kinase activity is closely associated with v-mos-encoded proteins. Experiments were conducted with several mutant forms of p37mos to determine whether or not the kinase function correlates with the biological activity of the mutant v-mos genes. Two mutants lacking cell transformation activity, one an arginine substitution for lysine-121 in the putative ATP-binding site and the other a 23-amino acid deletion from the C-terminal end of p37mos, had no kinase activity associated with their mutant proteins. However, a third mutant with reduced biological activity had drastically less kinase activity than the wild-type protein. The latter mutant was able to phosphorylate the kinase-inactive p37mos(Arg-121) protein in vitro. These results indicate that even though p37mos(Arg-121) can be phosphorylated in trans by other kinase molecules, it lacks the ability to phosphorylate itself in vitro. This provides a compelling argument that the protein kinase function of p37mos is an intrinsic property of the protein. Moreover, since the kinase function correlates with the cellular transformation activity of the v-mos gene, we predict that it is required for the biological activity of the v-mos gene.
Correlation between epidermal growth factor receptor mutations and nuclear expression of female hormone receptors in non-small cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Compared with male, female non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients have better response when treated with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), suggesting a potential association between female hormones and EGFR mutation. However, the results provided by previous studies were inconclusive and controversial. We sought to examine the link between the expression of nuclear female hormone receptors and EGFR mutations in NSCLC. METHODS Electronic databases were used to search the relevant articles. The involved hormone receptors included estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR). The primary endpoint was the occurrence of ER/PR expression and EGFR mutation in NSCLC patients. RESULTS Five studies fulfilled the criteria and were included in our analysis. Patients with high ER-β expression had higher positive EGFR mutation than low ER-β patients (44.2% vs. 23.7%), and there was a significant difference between the two groups [odds radio (OR) 3.44, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.40-4.93, Z=6.72, P<0.001]. However, there is no significant correlation between EGFR mutations and ER-α (when included ER-α3, OR 1.20, 95% CI: 0.62-2.33, Z=0.55, P=0.58; and when included ER-α4, OR 1.18, 95% CI: 0.62-2.25, Z=0.51, P=0.61) or PR (OR 1.29, 95% CI: 0.40-4.10, Z=0.43, P=0.67). No significant publication bias was observed. CONCLUSIONS High nuclear expression of ER-β, but not ER-α or PR is correlated with EGFR mutations in NSCLC. The underlying mechanism and potential translational relevance warrant further investigation.
Authorship verification using deep belief network systems

This paper explores the use of deep belief networks for authorship verification model applicable for continuous authentication (CA). The proposed approach uses Gaussian units in the visible layer to model real‐valued data on the basis of a Gaussian‐Bernoulli deep belief network. The lexical, syntactic, and application‐specific features are explored, leading to the proposal of a method to merge a pair of features into a single one. The CA is simulated by decomposing an online document into a sequence of short texts over which the CA decisions happen. The experimental evaluation of the proposed method uses block sizes of 140, 280, 500 characters, on the basis of the Twitter and Enron e‐mail corpuses. Promising results are obtained, which consist of an equal error rate varying from 8.21% to 16.73%. Using relatively smaller forgery samples, an equal error rate varying from 5.48% to 12.3% is also obtained for different block sizes.
Effects of stimulus intensity and electrode placement on the efficacy and cognitive effects of electroconvulsive therapy.

BACKGROUND The efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy in major depression is established, but the importance of the electrical dosage and electrode placement in relation to efficacy and side effects is uncertain. METHODS In a double-blind study, we randomly assigned 96 depressed patients to receive right unilateral or bilateral electroconvulsive therapy at either a low electrical dose (just above the seizure threshold) or a high dose (2.5 times the threshold). Symptoms of depression and cognitive functioning were assessed before, during, immediately after, and two months after therapy. Patients who responded to treatment were followed for one year to assess the rate of relapse. RESULTS The response rate for low-dose unilateral electroconvulsive therapy was 17 percent, as compared with 43 percent for high-dose unilateral therapy (P = 0.054), 65 percent for low-dose bilateral therapy (P = 0.001), and 63 percent for high-dose bilateral therapy (P = 0.001). Regardless of electrode placement, high dosage resulted in more rapid improvement (P < 0.05). Compared with the low-dose unilateral group, the high-dose unilateral group took 83 percent longer (P < 0.001) to recover orientation after seizure induction, whereas the combined bilateral groups took 252 percent longer (P < 0.001). During the week after treatment, there was three times more retrograde amnesia about personal information with bilateral therapy (P < 0.001). There were no differences between treatment groups in cognitive effects two months after treatment. Forty-one of the 70 patients who responded to therapy (59 percent) relapsed, and there were no differences between treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS Increasing the electrical dosage increases the efficacy of right unilateral electroconvulsive therapy, although not to the level of bilateral therapy. High electrical dosage is associated with a more rapid response, and unilateral treatment is associated with less severe cognitive side effects after treatment.
Defect detection on images using multiple reference images: solving a binary labeling problem using graph-cuts algorithm

Abstract. We present a new formulation to solve a defect detection problem on images using multiple reference images. The reference images are defect-free images obtained from the same position of other products. The defect detection problem is reformulated as a binary labeling problem, where each pixel is labeled with “one” if it contains a defect and with “zero” otherwise. The formulation of the energy function used for the labeling problem is defined. Then, the graph-cuts algorithm is used to obtain the optimal label set minimizing the energy function that becomes the defect detection result. The presented approaches are robust to noises taken from several sources, including image-taking, transmission process, environmental lighting, and pattern variation. It does not suffer from the alignment problem for the conventional comparison methods using references. These approaches are illustrated with real data sets, semiconductor wafer images collected by scanning electron microscope equipment, and compared to other defect detection approach.
A Time-Varying Potential-Based Demand Response Method for Mitigating the Impacts of Wind Power Forecasting Errors

The uncertainty of wind power results in wind power forecasting errors (WPFE) which lead to difficulties in formulating dispatching strategies to maintain the power balance. Demand response (DR) is a promising tool to balance power by alleviating the impact of WPFE. This paper offers a control method of combining DR and automatic generation control (AGC) units to smooth the system’s imbalance, considering the real-time DR potential (DRP) and security constraints. A schematic diagram is proposed from the perspective of a dispatching center that manages smart appliances including air conditioner (AC), water heater (WH), electric vehicle (EV) loads, and AGC units to maximize the wind accommodation. The presented model schedules the AC, WH, and EV loads without compromising the consumers’ comfort preferences. Meanwhile, the ramp constraint of generators and power flow transmission constraint are considered to guarantee the safety and stability of the power system. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach, simulations are performed in an IEEE 24-node system. The results indicate that considerable benefits can be realized by coordinating the DR and AGC units to mitigate the WPFE impacts.
The Management of Refractory Idiopathic Epilepsies

Summary: Idiopathic epilepsies comprise a wide variety of partial and generalized syndromes that have in common a known or presumed genetic etiology and the lack of overt abnormalities other than the epilepsy itself. Most of these epilepsies have a benign natural history and/or show a favorable response to antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy, but pharmacoresistance does occur in some patients. In general, therapeutic algorithms in idiopathic partial epilepsies (IPEs) are similar to those used for symptomatic partial epilepsies, but aggressive pharmacologic therapy is rarely indicated in these patients. In self‐limited conditions such as benign epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal spikes or some forms of benign epilepsy with occipital paroxysms, AED treatment may not even be indicated unless seizures interfere significantly with quality of life. Valproate (VPA) is usually regarded as the drug of choice in idiopathic generalized epilepsies (IGEs). Most patients become rapidly seizure free, and poor compliance or prescription of an inappropriate AED because of misdiagnosis are the most common causes of treatment failure in IGEs. In those patients who did not respond well to VPA (or in whom VPA is considered contraindicated), the choice of alternative AEDs is guided by syndromic diagnosis and associated possible coexistence of multiple seizure types. Lamotrigine is establishing itself as a useful agent for many refractory IGEs, and might be considered for first‐line use in selected patients. Topiramate (TPM) is another promising new agent in the management of refractory tonic–clonic seizures of nonfocal onset, but its potential efficacy against other primarily generalized seizure types has not been clearly established. Some of the older drugs, particularly ethosuximide (ESM), barbiturates, and benzodiazepines (BZDs), still have an important role in the management of refractory IGEs, especially in combination with VPA. Because carbamazepine (CBZ), phenytoin (PHT), tiagabine (TGB), vigabatrin (VGB), and gabapentin (GBP) may precipitate or aggravate absence and/or myoclonic jerks, their role in IGE syndromes associated with multiple seizure types is limited mostly to adjunctive use in patients unresponsive to first‐line therapy.
A population-based study of health care-seeking behavior for treatment of urinary symptoms. The Olmsted County Study of Urinary Symptoms and Health Status Among Men.

OBJECTIVE To determine the extent to which severity of urinary symptoms predicts a man's decision to seek medical care for urinary symptoms. DESIGN Cross-sectional, population-based survey; the baseline component of a prospective cohort study. SETTING Olmsted County, Minnesota (1990 population, 105,720), including the city of Rochester (population, 69,995) and surrounding rural townships. SUBJECTS A population-based sample of men aged 40 to 79 years randomly selected within age- and residence-specific strata. INTERVENTION A previously validated questionnaire that elicited information about the frequency and bother of urinary symptoms, sociodemographic information, and information regarding use of physician services in the last year. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE An affirmative response to any of 12 questions asking the subject if he had seen a physician in the last year because of specific urinary symptoms. MAIN RESULT Symptom severity, whether measured by American Urologic Association frequency or bother score or by interference with daily activities, was a significant predictor of health care-seeking behavior for urinary symptoms, but was neither as sensitive nor as specific as would be ideal. After adjusting for symptom severity and sociodemographic characteristics, men aged 70 to 79 years were 4.6 times as likely (95% confidence interval, 2.1 to 10.1) as men aged 40 to 49 years to have sought health care because of urinary symptoms in the last year. CONCLUSION While symptom severity is an important determinant of health care-seeking behavior for men with urinary symptoms, some additional factor or factors associated with age remain that may drive men to seek care for urinary symptoms. These factors may prove important in understanding the small-area variations in treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia that have been noted by others.
PRIMARY T-CELL LYMPHOMA OF THE BRAIN IN CHILDREN: A Case Report and Literature Review

Described here are the clinical features and results of treatment in a 10-year-old Saudi Arabian girl with primary T-cell lymphoma of the central nervous system. At presentation the patient had nystagmus and ataxia. The diagnosis was established by tissue biopsy obtained from the cerebellum. Therapy included cranio-spinal irradiation and combination chemotherapy of a systemic high dose of methotrexate, cytosine, arabinoside, and L-asparaginase. Remission was obtained easily but was interrupted by a local intracranial relapse 57 months after diagnosis (37 months after cessation of therapy; at present the patient is still alive and receiving palliative treatment). This report is warranted be cause of the rarity of this condition in children.
Polymyoclonus resulting from possible accidental subdural injection of local anesthetic.

E pidural steroid injections are often used in the treatment of radicular back pain and are effective in the management of cervical and lumbosacral radiculopathy and spinal stenosis. Although considered relatively safe, they are not without risk. The most common complications are transient worsening of pain and postdural puncture headache. Rare but potentially serious complications include bleeding, infection, and unintentional intravenous, intrathecal, or subdural injections. Epidural steroid injections typically involve the injection of a depot steroid diluted in normal saline and/or local anesthetic. If local anesthetic is unintentionally injected intravascularly, agitation, perioral numbness, tinnitus, and even seizures occur almost immediately. Subdural injections are characterized by a high, patchy block of delayed onset often associated with a profound sympathetic block and resultant hypotension.
Lacidipine Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for Oral Delivery: Preparation, Characterization and In vivo Evaluation

The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate lacidipine (LD) loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (LD-SLNs) for improving the oral bioavailability. LD-SLNs were prepared in two steps. First step was hot homogenization and next by ultrasonication method, using triglycerides (tripalmitin and tristearin), monoglyceride and surfactants (Poloxamer 188 and egg lecithin E80). The prepared LDSLNs were characterized for particle size, PDI, zeta potential, drug content, entrapment efficiency (EE %). In vitro drug release studies using a dialysis bag method in 0.1N HCl and pH 6.8 phosphate buffer were conducted. In addition, long-term physical stability of the optimized SLNs was investigated at refrigerated and room temperature for 60 days. FTIR and DSC studies revealed that no interaction between the drug and lipids. LD-SLNs prepared with Dynasan-116 (F3), having the size of 141.86nm, PDI of 0.293, ZP of -22.3 m with 94.75% of EE was optimized and was stable for 60days. Scanning electron microscopic studies showed nearly spherical shaped particles. Further, pharmacokinetic studies were conducted in wistar rats. The relative bioavailability of LD in SLNs was 2.03 times when compared with that of the LD suspension. The results are indicative of SLNs as suitable lipid based carrier system for improving the oral bioavailability of LD.
On the asymptotic distribution of the L∞ estimator in linear regression

The L∞ (or Chebyshev) estimator minimizes the maximum absolute residual and is potentially useful in situations where the noise distribution is known to have bounded support. In this paper, we derive the asymptotic distribution of this estimator in cases where the noise distribution has bounded and unbounded support. We also discuss the lack of robustness and stability of the estimator and describe how to improve its robustness by convex regularization.
A new low cost phase shifter for land mobile satellite transceiver

This paper describes the design of a new low cost analog single stage phase shifter for affordable phased array antennas for mass-market land mobile satellite transceiver. A linear phase shift of more than 360-degree in Ku (12.2-12.7 GHz) band with less than 4.0 dB insertion loss is achieved. The phase shifter is composed of 3-dB hybrid coupler, novel compact reflective terminating loads and hyperabrupt junction varactor diodes. The effect of insertion loss variation of this phase shifter over noise figure of cascaded LNA is also studied and measured.
Age Forecasting Analysis - Over Microblogs

Age predictive analysis is to predict the age of the users who posted the message in any microblog. By using some keywords, we extract the messages as dataset and processed for predicting the age of the user. Here, the design and techniques to foreseen the age of the user by microblog dataset are presented. In recent years, microblogging services like Twitter and SinaWeibo become an essential part in everyone's life. Due to enormous growth in microblogging services, various challenges arise in research fields like detection, sentiment analysis, user classification, etc. due to the data produced by the huge number of microbloggers. In this paper, we used dataset from Twitter and showed promising results for predicting age ranges.
Determinant selection in murine experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis. Effect of the bm12 mutation on T cell recognition of acetylcholine receptor epitopes.

C57BL/6 (B6) mice respond to immunization with acetylcholine receptor (AChR) from Torpedo californica as measured by T cell proliferation, antibody production, and the development of muscle weakness resembling human myasthenia gravis. The congenic strain B6.C-H-2bm12 (bm12), which differs from B6 by three amino acid substitutions in the beta-chain of the MHC class II molecule I-A, develops a T cell proliferative response but does not produce antibody or develop muscle weakness. By examining the fine specificity of the B6 and bm12 T cell responses to AChR by using T cell clones and synthetic AChR peptides, we found key differences between the two strains in T cell epitope recognition. B6 T cells responded predominantly to the peptide representing alpha-subunit residues 146-162; this response was cross-reactive at the clonal level to peptide 111-126. Based on the sequence homology between these peptides and the T cell response to a set of truncated peptides, the major B6 T cell epitope was determined to be residues 148-152. The cross-reactivity of peptides 146-162 and 111-126 could also be demonstrated in vivo. Immunization of B6 mice with either peptide primed for T cell responses to both peptides. In contrast, immunization of bm12 mice with peptide 111-126 primed for an anti-peptide response, which did not cross-react with 146-162. Peptide-reactive T cells were not elicited after immunization of bm12 mice with 146-162. These results define a major T cell fine specificity in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis-susceptible B6 mice to be directed at alpha-subunit residues 148-152. T cells from disease-resistant bm12 mice fail to recognize this epitope but do recognize other portions of AChR. We postulate that alpha-148-152 is a disease-related epitope in murine experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis. In this informative strain combination, MHC class II-associated determinant selection, rather than Ag responsiveness per se, may play a major role in determining disease susceptibility.
Effects of Semont maneuver on benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: a meta-analysis

Abstract Background: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common type of peripheral vertigo. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the Semont maneuver (SM) for BPPV treatment, compared with other methods. Methods: Studies were selected in relevant databases under pre-defined criteria up to June 2015. The Cochrane evaluation system was used to assess the quality of the studies. Effect size was indicated as a risk-ratio (RR) with corresponding 95% confidential interval (CI). Statistical analysis was conducted under a randomized- or fixed-effects model. Sub-group analysis was performed. Results: Ten studies were included in the meta-analysis. All of the studies presented a low attrition bias, but a high selection and reporting bias. SM had a much higher recovery rate (SM vs no treatment: RR = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.97–3.44, p < 0.01; SM vs sham: RR = 4.89, 95% CI = 3.01–7.94, p < 0.01), and lower recurrence rate than those from controls (SM vs no treatment: RR = 0.11, 95% CI = 0.04–0.31, p < 0.01). Overall, SM had similar outcomes with Epley maneuver (EM) and Brandt-Daroff exercise (BDE) in terms of recovery rate, recurrence rate, and side-effects. Conclusion: SM is as effective as EM and BDE for BPPV treatment.