Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Goal Selection vs. Process Control while Learning to Use a Brain-Computer Interface

A brain-computer interface (BCI) can be used to accomplish a task without requiring motor output. Two major control strategies used by BCIs during task completion are process control and goal selection. In process control, the user exerts continuous control and independently executes the given task. In goal selection, the user communicates their goal to the BCI and then receives assistance executing the task. A previous study has shown that goal selection is more accurate and faster in use. An unanswered question is, which control strategy is easier to learn? This study directly compares goal selection and process control while learning to use a sensorimotor rhythm based BCI. Twenty young healthy human subjects were randomly assigned either to a goal selection or a process control based paradigm for 8 sessions. At the end of the study, the best user from each paradigm completed 2 additional sessions using all paradigms randomly mixed. The results of this study were that goal selection required a shorter training period for increased speed, accuracy, and information transfer over process control. These results held for the best subjects as well as in the general subject population. The demonstrated characteristics of goal selection make it a promising option to increase the utility of BCIs intended for both disabled and able bodied users.
Education Program Using Commercial Television

HealthScope is a health education program based on the Health Belief Model that uses television and print materials. It was designed for a number of agendas-(a) a desire by health educators to provide health information to a broad audience at a reasonable cost, (b) a desire by the local medical association to promote its role in prevention and primary care, and (c) a desire by commercial television to expand its coverage of local health issues in a cost-effective way.
Potential roles of noncoding RNAs in environmental epigenetic transgenerational inheritance

“Epigenetic Transgenerational Inheritance” (ETI) has been defined as germline (sperm or egg) transmission of epigenetic information between generations in the absence of direct exposures or genetic manipulations. Among reported cases of ETI in mammals, the majority are induced by environmental factors, including environmental toxicants [e.g. agricultural fungicide vinclozolin, plastic additive bisphenol A, pesticide methoxychlor, dioxin, di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, and hydrocarbons] and poor nutritional conditions. Although the ETI phenomenon is well established, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Putative epimutations, including changes in DNA methylation and histone modification patterns, have been reported, but it remains unclear how these epimutations are formed in the first place, and how they are memorized in the germline and then get transmitted to subsequent generations. Based on recent advances in our understanding of regulatory noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), I propose that ncRNAs are involved in ETI, during both the initial epimutation formation and the subsequent germline transmission of epimutations. ncRNAs can function at epigenetic levels by affecting DNA methylation and histone modifications, thereby changing gene transcriptional activities, which can lead to an altered mRNA transcriptome associated with a disease phenotype. Alternatively, novel or altered ncRNA expression can cause dysregulated post-transcriptional regulation, thus directly affecting the mRNA transcriptome and inducing a disease phenotype. Sperm-borne ncRNAs are potential mediators for epigenetic memory across generations, but they alone may not be sufficient for stable transmission of epimutations across generations. Overall, research on ncRNAs in the context of ETI is urgently needed to shed light on the underlying mechanism of ETI.
Lecture Notes in Math

Une notion très importante pour la géometrie algébrique est celle de fibré projectif. Si f : X → S est un morphisme lisse entre variétés algébriques lisses, dont toute fibre est isomorphe à P, on se demande: existe-t-il un fibré vectoriel E sur S tel que X est isomorphe au fibré projectif P(E) → S? La réponse est non, et en fait l’obstruction est donnée par un élément α du groupe de Brauer cohomologique de S, Br(S). Il devient donc naturel de considérer une nouvelle famille de faisceaux, les faisceaux α-tordus. Dans l’exposé on introduira les notions fondamentales de fibrés projectifs et vectoriels, pour aborder plus facilement la définition et l’esprit géométrique des faisceaux tordus.
AJA180068 534..547

Purpose: The selection and design of control conditions are critical factors in minimizing the influence of unwanted variables in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). This article describes the rationale, design, and content of a standard of care control condition in a Phase III RCT of tinnitus retraining therapy. Method: Existing tinnitus practices at military hospitals were identified and aligned with the American SpeechLanguage-Hearing Association’s (2006) preferred practice patterns for tinnitus management and counseling
Impact of red blood cell variants on childhood malaria in Mali: a prospective cohort study

Tatiana M Lopera-Mesa, PhD1, Saibou Doumbia, MD2, Drissa Konaté, MD2, Jennifer M Anderson, PhD1, Mory Doumbouya, PharmD2, Abdoul S Keita, MS2, Seidina AS Diakité, PharmD2, Karim Traoré, PharmD2, Michael A Krause, BS1, Ababacar Diouf, MS1,6, Samuel E Moretz, MS1,6, Gregory STullo, BS1,6, Kazutoyo Miura, MD PhD1,6, Wenjuan Gu, MS3, Michael P Fay, PhD4, Steve M Taylor, MD, MPH5, Carole A Long, PhD1, Mahamadou Diakité, PharmD, DPhil2, and Rick M Fairhurst1,* 1Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
Estimates on weight-decay regularization by variable-basis schemes

The optimization problems associated with supervised learning from data by the weight-decay and related techniques are described. Suboptimal solutions expressed by connectionistic models with a given number of computational units are investigated. In the final part of the paper, improvements of some estimates obtained in [1] for the same optimization problems are given.
Cytoplasmic Expression of Mouse Prion Protein Causes Severe Toxicity in C. elegans

To test if Caenorhabditis elegans could be established as a model organism for prion study, we created transgenic C. elegans expressing the cytosolic form of the mouse prion . protein, MoPrP (23-231), which lacks the N-terminal signal sequence and the C-terminal glycosylphosphatidylinisotol (GPI) anchor site. We report here that transgenic worms expressing MoPrP(23-231)–CFP exhibited a wide range of distinct phenotypes: from normal growth and development, reduced mobility and development delay, complete paralysis and development arrest, to embryonic lethality. Similar levels of MoPrP (23-231)-CFP were produced in animals exhibiting these distinct phenotypes, suggesting that MoPrP (23-231)-CFP might have misfolded into distinct toxic species. In combining with the observation that mutations in PrP that affect prion pathogenesis also affect the toxic phenotypes in C. elegans, we conclude that the prion protein folding mechanism is similar in mammals and C. elegans. Thus, C. elegans can be a useful model organism for prion research.
Multidetector cT in a swine cardiomyopathy Model: Relationship to Cardiac MR Tagging and Myocardial Fibrosis1

Materials and Methods: All animal protocols were in accordance with the Principles for the Utilization and Care of Vertebrate Animals Used in Testing Research and Training and approved by the University of Missouri Animal Care and Use Committee. Strain analysis of cine multidetector CT images of the left ventricle was optimized and analyzed with featuretracking software. The standard of reference for strain was harmonic phase analysis of tagged cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) images at 3.0 T. An animal model of cardiomyopathy was imaged with both cardiac MR and 320-section multidetector CT at a temporal resolution of less than 50 msec. Three groups were evaluated: control group (n = 5), aortic-banded myocardial hypertrophy group (n = 5), and aortic-banded and cyclosporine A– treated cardiomyopathy group (n = 5). Histologic samples of the myocardium were obtained for comparison with strain results. Dunnett test was used for comparisons of the concentric remodeling group and eccentric remodeling group against the control group.
Inhibition of human a7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors by open channel blockers of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors

1 Human a7 nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors were expressed in Xenopus oocytes and the effects of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor open channel blockers memantine and cerestat on this receptor were examined using two-electrode voltage-clamp recordings and I-a-bungarotoxin (I-a-bgtx) binding. 2 Memantine and cerestat produced complete inhibition of ACh-induced inward currents with affinities similar to that reported for native NMDA receptors. Cerestat, IC50 1.7 ( 1; þ 2) mM, was more potent than memantine, IC50 5 ( 3;þ 8) mM, and the effects of both drugs were fully and rapidly reversible. 3 Inhibition of a7 receptor function was voltage-independent, and it occurred at concentrations far lower than those needed to inhibit (never completely) binding of I-a-bgtx to a7 receptors, suggesting that the effects of memantine or cerestat are noncompetitive. 4 These results provide evidence that human a7 receptors are inhibited by memantine and cerestat and suggest that caution should be applied when using these compounds to study systems in which NMDA and nACh receptors co-exist. British Journal of Pharmacology (2003) 140, 1313–1319. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp. 0705559
Short Communication In the Eye of Experimental Cerebral Malaria

Cerebral malaria is the most severe complication of Plasmodium falciparum infection, accounting for 1 million deaths per year. We characterized the murine disease using in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 4.7 T, proving that ischemic edema is responsible for fatality. The aim of the present study was to identify early markers of experimental cerebral malaria using very high field conventional MRI (11.75 T). CBA/J mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA were observed at an early stage of the disease, before the onset of detectable brain swelling and at the most acute stage of cerebral malaria. Herein, we report the first detection of damage to the optic and trigeminal nerves on T2-weighted MRI. The trigeminal nerves appeared hypointense, with significantly reduced diameter and cross-sectional area. The optic nerves were hypointense and often not visible. In addition, the internerve distance between the optic nerves was significantly and progressively reduced between the early and severest stages. Cranial nerve injury was the earliest anatomic hallmark of the disease, visible before brain edema became detectable. Thus, cranial nerve damage may manifest in neurologic signs, which may assist in the early recognition of cerebral malaria. (Am J Pathol 2011, 179:1104–1109; DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2011.05.044)
16TH INTERNATIONAL PROSTATE CANCER UPDATE Prostate Cancer: Epidemiology, Screening, and Biomarkers

Carcinoma of the prostate continues to be a major health problem in the United States. Beginning in 1988, a marked increase in detection of prostate cancer occurred due to the development of a test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Controversy exists, however, about the value of PSA as a tumor marker. Although it has prognostic significance both before and after definitive therapy for prostate cancer, it is unclear whether routine PSA screening will translate into a survival advantage for patients. Because of its limitations, PSA may not ultimately be a good enough marker to be used as a screening tool. However, molecular biology has led to a rapid rise in the number of potential new prostate tumor markers, which may eventually overcome the weaknesses of PSA. Considerable progress has occurred in the diagnosis and management of prostate cancer: more is understood about the risk factors for the disease, possible ways to prevent it, and new ways to diagnose and monitor it. These developments have already translated into better patient care, while also identifying where further improvements are needed. [Rev Urol. 2006;8(suppl 2):S3-S8]
Characteristics and Performance of MinorityServing Dialysis Facilities

Objective. To examine the structure, processes, and outcomes of American dialysis facilities that predominantly treat racial-ethnic minority patients. Data Sources/Study Setting. Secondary analysis of data from all patients who initiated dialysis during 2005–2008 in the United States. Study Design. In this retrospective cohort study, we examined the associations of the racial-ethnic composition of the dialysis facility with facility-level survival and achievement of performance targets for anemia and dialysis adequacy. Data Collection/Extraction Methods. We obtained dialysis facilityand patientlevel data from the national data registry of patients with end-stage renal disease. We linked these data with clinical performance measures from the Centers for Medicare andMedicaid Services. Principal Findings. Overall, minority-serving facilities were markedly larger, more often community based, and less likely to offer home dialysis than facilities serving predominantly white patients. A significantly higher proportion of minority-serving dialysis facilities exhibited worse than expected survival as compared with facilities serving predominantly white patients (p < .001 for each). However, clinical performance measures for anemia and dialysis adequacy were similar across minority-serving status. Conclusions. While minority-serving facilities generally met dialysis performance targets mandated byMedicare, they exhibited worse than expected patient survival.
PART OF A SPECIAL ISSUE ON FUNCTIONAL–STRUCTURAL PLANT MODELLING An integrated method for quantifying root architecture of field-grown maize

† Background and Aims A number of techniques have recently been developed for studying the root system architecture (RSA) of seedlings grown in various media. In contrast, methods for sampling and analysis of the RSA of fieldgrown plants, particularly for details of the lateral root components, are generally inadequate. † Methods An integrated methodology was developed that includes a custom-made root-core sampling system for extracting intact root systems of individual maize plants, a combination of proprietary software and a novel program used for collecting individual RSA information, and software for visualizing the measured individual nodal root architecture. † Key Results Example experiments show that large root cores can be sampled, and topological and geometrical structure of field-grown maize root systems can be quantified and reconstructed using this method. Secondand higher order laterals are found to contribute substantially to total root number and length. The length of laterals of distinct orders varies significantly. Abundant higher order laterals can arise from a single first-order lateral, and they concentrate in the proximal axile branching zone. † Conclusions The new method allows more meaningful sampling than conventional methods because of its easily opened, wide corer and sampling machinery, and effective analysis of RSA using the software. This provides a novel technique for quantifying RSA of field-grown maize and also provides a unique evaluation of the contribution of lateral roots. The method also offers valuable potential for parameterization of root architectural models.
Swiss/3T3 Cells Overexpressing Protein Kinase C-a

Cell lines stably overexpressing protein kinase C (PKC)-a were previously described by us. These cell lines were generated by the introduction of the full length cDNA coding for PKC-a into Swiss/3T3 cells. Here we show that activation of PKC-a by phorbol-esters induced in these cells specific phosphorylation of two cellular proteins p90 and p52. Phosphorylation of p80 (MARCKS protein), previously identified as a substrate for PKC, was also enhanced. Phosphorylated p90 and p52 proteins were associated with particulate membrane-enriched fractions and were extractable with the use of nonionic detergents. Time course analysis of phorbol-ester induced phosphorylation of p90 and p52 revealed maximal stimulation of phosphorylation after 15-30 min. Phosphamino acid analysis showed that phosphorylation of p90 and p52 occurred mainly on serine residues. Phosphorylation of p52 was also on threonine residues. Whereas, phorbol ester activation induced phosphorylation of both p90 and p52, the mitogens platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) enhanced phosphorylation of p90, but not p52. Thus, our studies showed the involvement of PKC-a in the regulation of p90 and p52 phosphorylation and provided direct evidence for the role of PKC-a in cellular signaling by PDGF and FGF. Moreover, the fact that phosphorylation of p52 was specific to phorbol ester activation may suggest its involvement in tumor promotion. Characterization of p90 and p52 will enable us to reveal the phosphorylation cascade activated downstream to PKC-a and to determine their role in mitogenic signaling and tumor promotion.
Role of TRPC channels in Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder, which involves degeneration of dopaminergic neurons that are present in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) region. Many factors have been identified that could lead to Parkinson disease, however almost all of them are directly or indirectly dependent on Ca2+ signaling. Importantly, though disturbances in Ca2+ homeostasis have been implicated in Parkinson’s disease and other neuronal diseases, the identity of the calcium channel remains elusive. Members of the transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channel family have been identified as a new class of calcium channels and it could be anticipated that these channels could play a major role in neurodegenerative diseases, especially in PD. Thus, in this chapter we have entirely focused our attention on TRPC channels and elucidating its role in PD.
Fe(III) to ATP and AMP

ATP-Fe and AMP-Fe complexes in water (H20 and 2H20) at pH 7.5 were studied using Raman spectroscopy. Parallel and perpendicular polarization spectra were recorded in the spectral range 200-1650 cm-', and the depolarization ratios for most of the bands were calculated. The changes in the frequencies, intensities and depolarization ratios of the ATP and AMP bands after the addition of FeCl3 showed that the adenine moiety, in addition to the phosphate(s), was involved in the binding of Fe to both ATP and AMP. Direct interactions of Fe(III) with the phosphate chain and the N-7 nitrogen and indirect interaction (via water molecules) with the amide group were proposed for the ATP-Fe complex. In contrast, direct interaction with the phosphate group and indirect interaction with the amide group were observed for the AMP-Fe complex. The different interactions of the two complexes suggest an 'anti' conformation for the ATP-Fe complex and
IMPLIcAtIon oF MAtERnAL oBESItY

IntRoductIon Obesity is defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2. Severe obesity occurs when BMI is 35–39.9 kg/m2 while morbid obesity is BMI ≥40 kg/m2. Obesity is one of the leading causes of health related disorder and has reached epidemic proportions not only in developed nations but also in developing countries like India where morbid obesity affects atleast 5% of the population. The prevalence of morbid obesity increased by 50% in the United States from 2000 to 2005 [1]. The World Health Organization estimates that 54.3% of the women and 51.7% of the men in the USA will be obese in 2015. Overall prevalence of obesity in India among women is 12.6% according to NFHS 3 in 2005-6 [2]. The prevalence of obesity is increasingly rapidly among women all over the world and affecting more commonly the reproductive age group.
Restoration of Microcirculatory Patency after Myocardial Infarction

We sought to evaluate the restoration of microcirculatory patency after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in an unselected cohort of patients at a tertiary center. We retrospectively evaluated distributions of the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) myocardial perfusion grade (TMPG) and the myocardial blush grade (MBG) in all primary PCI procedures performed at our institution during 2008. We defined optimal microvascular perfusion as simultaneous TMPG 3 and MBG 3 at procedure’s end. Ninety-nine patients (mean age, 61.5 ± 12.7 yr; 64 men) underwent primary PCI. Microvascular perfusion was optimal in 69 patients (69.7%) and was associated with lower peaks of enzymes than those occurring in patients with suboptimal perfusion. When optimal microvascular perfusion was achieved, early spontaneous recanalization was more frequently observed, as expressed by a higher frequency of TIMI-3 flow (34.8% vs 10%; P=0.006), TMPG 3 (26% vs 3.3%; P=0.004), and MBG 3 (24.6% vs 3.3%; P=0.004) on the initial angiogram before primary PCI. A higher frequency of MBG 3 (50% vs 20%; P=0.005) was seen after initial recanalization in patients with optimal microvascular perfusion. Multiple regression analysis showed that MBG after initial recanalization and the use of drug-eluting stents were associated with optimal perfusion. Despite successful recanalization of the culprit coronary artery, optimal microvascular perfusion was achieved in less than 75% of the patients. Restoration of the microvasculature was associated with smaller infarcts. Procedure-related variables associated with suboptimal perfusion were unlikely to be causative. (Tex Heart Inst J 2012;39(3):342-50)