Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Olfactory Modulation by Dopamine in the Context of Aversive Learning Gorman at Kansas State University) in Pbst with 1% Triton X-100

Olfactory modulation by dopamine in the context of aversive learning. need to detect and process sensory cues varies in different behavioral contexts. Plasticity in sensory coding can be achieved by the context-specific release of neuromodu-lators in restricted brain areas. The context of aversion triggers the release of dopamine in the insect brain, yet the effects of dopamine on sensory coding are unknown. In this study, we characterize the morphology of dopaminergic neurons that innervate each of the antennal lobes (ALs; the first synaptic neuropils of the olfactory system) of the moth Manduca sexta and demonstrate with electro-physiology that dopamine enhances odor-evoked responses of the majority of AL neurons while reducing the responses of a small minority. Because dopamine release in higher brain areas mediates aversive learning we developed a naturalistic, ecologically inspired aversive learning paradigm in which an innately appetitive host plant floral odor is paired with a mimic of the aversive nectar of herbivor-ized host plants. This pairing resulted in a decrease in feeding behavior that was blocked when dopamine receptor antagonists were injected directly into the ALs. These results suggest that a transient dopaminergic enhancement of sensory output from the AL contributes to the formation of aversive memories. We propose a model of olfactory modulation in which specific contexts trigger the release of different neuromodulators in the AL to increase olfactory output to downstream areas of processing. insect; antennal lobe; biogenic amines WHILE SEARCHING for food and mates, animals encounter a huge diversity of sensory stimuli that the nervous system must encode and decide whether, and in what manner, to respond. This task is made all the more difficult because most resources have patchy distributions and varying reward values. This variability establishes different behavioral contexts in which sensory information is encoded by the nervous system. The nervous system must therefore adjust its activity so that be-havioral output is maximally beneficial for survival within the present context. This plasticity is often accomplished when a given context triggers the release of specific neuromodulators within restricted brain regions from a small population of neurons. Modulators can modify neural processing by altering the efficacy with which neurons respond to stimuli or communicate with each other without directly causing inhibition or excitation (Kupfermann 1979). For instance, in the mammalian brain neurons from the ventral tegmental area project to many other areas and release dopamine (DA) within the context of The insect olfactory system …
Approximately Bisimilar Symbolic Models for Incrementally Stable Switched Systems

Switched systems constitute an important modeling paradigm faithfully describing many engineering systems in which software interacts with the physical world. Despite considerable progress on stability and stabilization of switched systems, the constant evolution of technology demands that we make similar progress with respect to different, and perhaps more complex, objectives. This paper describes one particular approach to address these different objectives based on the construction of approximately equivalent (bisimilar) symbolic models for switched systems. The main contribution of this paper consists in showing that under standard assumptions ensuring incremental stability of a switched system (i.e., existence of a common Lyapunov function, or multiple Lyapunov functions with dwell time), it is possible to construct a finite symbolic model that is approximately bisimilar to the original switched system with a precision that can be chosen a priori. To support the computational merits of the proposed approach, we use symbolic models to synthesize controllers for two examples of switched systems, including the boost dc-dc converter.
Isozymes of cytochrome P-450 that metabolize naphthalene in liver and lung of untreated mice.

Four isozymes, designated P-450m50a, P-450m50b, P-450m51a, and P-450m51b, have been isolated from liver microsomes of untreated male CD-1 mice. Electrophoretograms revealed that the molecular weights of P-450m51a and P-450m51b were about 51,000, whereas those of P-450m50a and P-450m50b were about 49,700 and 49,500, respectively. The present study is concerned mainly with the elucidation of the characteristics of P-450m50b and P-450m51a, since they appear to be major forms of cytochrome P-450 in mouse liver. End group analyses have revealed that these forms differ not only from P1-450, isolated previously from mouse liver, but also from any other known isozymes of cytochrome P-450. Naphthalene was metabolized by both P-450m50b and P-450m51a, but the turnover number of P-450m50b was 2-4 times greater than that of P-450m51a. Moreover, P-450m50b formed predominantly (1R,2S)-naphthalene 1,2-oxide, as determined by the formation of trans-1(R)-hydroxy-2(R)-glutathionyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene, whereas P-450m51a formed both (1R,2S)- and (1S,2R)-naphthalene 1,2-oxide in about equal amounts. Although cytochrome P-450c, isolated from rat liver, is also known to convert naphthalene predominantly to (1R,2S)-naphthalene 1,-2-oxide, an antibody prepared against cytochrome P-450c failed to inhibit the formation of the glutathione conjugate when the 1R,2S-oxide was formed by either pure P-450m50b or by microsomes from mouse lung. Thus, P-450m50b probably is not orthologous to cytochrome P-450c. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Mangrove canopy density analysis using Sentinel-2A imagery satellite data

Teluk Jor has alluvium surface sediment that came from volcanic materials. Sea wave that relatively calm and the closed beach shape support the existence of mangrove forest at Teluk Jor. Sentinel-2A imagery has a good spatial and spectral resolution for mangrove density study. The regression between samples and the NDVI values of Sentinel-2A used to analyze the mangrove canopy density. Mangrove canopy density was identified using field survey with transect method. The regression analysis shows field data and NDVI value has correlation R=0.7739 and coefficient of determination R2=0.5989. The result of the analysis shows area of low density 397,900 m2, moderate density 336,200 m2, the high density has 110,300 m2 and very high density has 500 m2. This research also found that mangrove genus in Teluk Jor consists of Rhizopora, Ceriops, Aegiceras and Sonneratia.
Measures of sun exposure and sun protection practices for behavioral and epidemiologic research.

OBJECTIVE To develop, in a collaborative project, core measures of sun exposure and sun protection habits, since the lack of standard outcome measures hampers comparison of population surveys and interventions used in skin cancer prevention research. DESIGN A work group of investigators evaluated available questionnaire measures of sun exposure and protection. Their deliberations led to a proposed set of core questionnaire items for adults, adolescents aged 11 to 17 years, and children 10 years or younger. These core items were used in cognitive testing by the investigators. Cross-site summaries of methods, response samples, and descriptive data were prepared. SETTING Nine locations across the United States. PARTICIPANTS The study population comprised 81 individuals. RESULTS No unusual response patterns were detected in any of the respondent groups or for any specific question. Some revisions to the survey items resulted from the need for clarification or emphasis of frames of reference such as adding or underlining key phrases in a question. CONCLUSIONS The combination of expert review followed by cognitive interviewing yielded standardized core survey items with good clarity and applicability for measuring sun exposure and sun protection behaviors across a broad range of populations. They are appropriate for studies tracking morbidity and/or mortality and evaluating prevention program effects.
An Adaptive Multilevel Wavelet Solver for Elliptic Equations on an Optimal Spherical Geodesic Grid

An adaptive multilevel wavelet solver for elliptic equations on an optimal spherical geodesic grid is developed. The method is based on second-generation spherical wavelets on almost uniform optimal spherical geodesic grids. It is an extension of the adaptive multilevel wavelet solver [O. V. Vasilyev and N. K. -R. Kevlahan, J. Comput. Phys., 206 (2005), pp. 412-431] to curved manifolds. Wavelet decomposition is used for grid adaption and interpolation. A hierarchical finite difference scheme based on the wavelet multilevel decomposition is used to approximate the Laplace-Beltrami operator. The optimal spherical geodesic grid [Internat. J. Comput. Geom. Appl. , 16 (2006), pp. 75-93] is convergent in terms of local mean curvature and has lower truncation error than conventional spherical geodesic grids. The overall computational complexity of the solver is $O(\mathcal{N})$, where $\mathcal{N}$ is the number of grid points after adaptivity. The accuracy and efficiency of the method is demonstrated for the spherical Poisson equation. Although the present paper considers the sphere, the strength of this new method is that it can be extended easily to other curved manifolds by choosing an appropriate coarse approximation and using recursive surface subdivision.
Long-term follow-up review of patients who underwent laminectomy for lumbar stenosis: a prospective study.

OBJECT Decompressive laminectomy for stenosis is the most common operation performed in the lumbar spine in older patients. This prospective study was designed to evaluate long-term results in patients with symptomatic lumbar stenosis. METHODS Between January 1984 and January 1995, 170 patients underwent surgery for lumbar stenosis (86 patients), lumbar stenosis and herniated disc (61 patients), or lateral recess stenosis (23 patients). The male/female ratio for each group was 43:43, 39:22, and 14:9, respectively. The average age for all groups was 61.4 years. For patients with lumbar stenosis, the success rate was 88.1 % at 6 weeks and 86.7% at 6 months. For patients with lumbar stenosis and herniated disc, the success rate was 80% at 6 weeks and 77.6% at 6 months, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups. For patients with lateral recess stenosis, the success rate was 58.7% at 6 weeks and 63.6% at 6 months; however, the sample was not large enough to be statistically significant. One year after surgery a questionnaire was sent to all patients; 163 (95.9%) responded. The success rate in patients with stenosis had declined to 69.6%, which was significant (p = 0.012); the rate for patients with stenosis and herniated disc was 77.2%; and that for lateral recess stenosis was 65.2%. Another follow-up questionnaire was sent to patients 1 to 11 years after surgery (average 5.1 years); 146 patients (85.9%) responded, 10 (5.9%) were deceased, and 14 (8.2%) were lost to follow-up review. At 1 to 11 years the success rate was 70.8% for patients with stenosis, 66.6% for those with stenosis and herniated disc, and 63.6% for those with lateral recess stenosis. Eleven patients who underwent reoperation were included in the group of patients whose surgeries proved unsuccessful, regardless of their ultimate outcome. There was no statistically significant difference in outcome between 1 year and 1 to 11 years with respect to stenosis, stenosis with herniated disc, and lateral recess stenosis. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, long-term improvement after laminectomy was maintained in two-thirds of these patients.
Decision Making in Child Protective Services: A Risky Business?

Child Protective Services (CPS) in the United States has received a torrent of criticism from politicians, the media, child advocate groups, and the general public for a perceived propensity to make decisions that are detrimental to children and families. This perception has resulted in numerous lawsuits and court takeovers of CPS in 35 states, and calls for profound restructuring in other states. A widely prescribed remedy for decision errors and faulty judgments is an improvement of risk assessment strategies that enhance hazard evaluation through an improved understanding of threat potentials and exposure likelihoods. We examine the reliability and validity problems that continue to plague current CPS risk assessment and discuss actions that can be taken in the field, including the use of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve technology to improve the predictive validity of risk assessment strategies.
A study on the association of serum fibroblast growth factor-23 with various indices of chronic kidney disease patients not yet on dialysis

Introduction: Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23) is found as a bone derived hormone which can influence the serum levels of parathormone, phosphorous and 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D. FGF23 may be a cardiovascular biomarker in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). While, FGF23 is inversely correlated with serum adiponectin level, thus it is possible that FGF23 is correlated to fat mass and related to dyslipidemia in CKD. Objectives: In this investigation, we studied the association of serum levels of FGF23 with serum lipid profile, body mass index (BMI), and various cardiovascular risk factors in patients with CKD. Patients and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, which was conducted on 80 non-dialysis patients (glomerular filtration rate [GFR] <60 cc/min) with CKD. Laboratory results and demographic information recorded in pre-defined data sheets and their relationship with FGF23 were analyzed. Results: Eighty patients were studied. Mean ± standard deviation (SD) of serum creatinine and FGF23 were 2.18 ± 0.73 mg/dl and 15.028 ± 20.20 RU/ml respectively. The correlation between FGF23, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), ApoA, ApoB, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), calcium, phosphorous, alkaline phosphatase, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, BMI, waist girth, serum triglyceride and cholesterol was not significant (P > 0.05). In this study, the correlations of FGF23, with serum albumin (P = 0.036) and systolic blood pressure (P = 0.001) were significant. Conclusion: Our study showed that there are not any significant correlations among FGF23, BMI and lipid profile. There are not any significant correlations between FGF23 and age, sex, and level of calcium, phosphorous, vitamin D. However, the relationships between FGF23 and serum albumin was negatively significant. Additionally we detected a positive significant correlation of FGF23 with level of systolic blood presure.
Homicide of children in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND Although data are sparse, it has been estimated that the highest rates of homicide death amongst children are in Africa. Little information is available on ages 0-14 years. No known quantitative surveillance of early neonaticide (killed at less than one week) has been conducted previously in Africa. METHODS A Violent Death Survey following WHO/CDC Guidelines was completed in Dar es Salaam region, Tanzania (population 2.845 million) in 2005. Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered and analyzed. RESULTS The overall age adjusted rate of discarded and killed children in DSM was 2.05 per 100,000. The rate of early neonaticide was 27.7 per 100,000 while the rate of homicide incidence for children older than one week was 0.54 per 100,000 DISCUSSION The overall estimated homicide rate for Africa of children under age 15 was 4.53 per 100,000. The rate in DSM was closer to the estimated global rate of 1.7 per 100,000. The results in DSM show that broad age groupings such as "< 1 year", "0-4 years" and "0-14 years" may mask a high incidence of neonaticide and an otherwise low incidence of murdered children. The print media provided good in-depth coverage for a few cases but it is not known if the reported cases are representative. CONCLUSION Eighty percent of homicides of children in DSM were neonaticides. Since it is believed that the forces behind neonaticide are fundamentally different than homicides of older children, it is suggested that data of future surveys be parsed to include neonates, until the phenomenon is more clearly understood and addressed. Further understanding of the mother and father of the deceased is needed. Continued surveillance data collection is important to expand the sample size.
Differences in Fecal Microbiota in Different European Study Populations in Relation to Age, Gender, and Country: a Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACT A cross-sectional study on intestinal microbiota composition was performed on 230 healthy subjects at four European locations in France, Germany, Italy, and Sweden. The study participants were assigned to two age groups: 20 to 50 years (mean age, 35 years; n = 85) and >60 years (mean age, 75 years; n = 145). A set of 14 group- and species-specific 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes was applied to the analysis of fecal samples by fluorescence in situ hybridization coupled with flow cytometry. Marked country-age interactions were observed for the German and Italian study groups. These interactions were inverse for the predominant bacterial groups Eubacterium rectale-Clostridium coccoides and Bacteroides-Prevotella. Differences between European populations were observed for the Bifidobacterium group only. Proportions of bifidobacteria were two- to threefold higher in the Italian study population than in any other study group, and this effect was independent of age. Higher proportions of enterobacteria were found in all elderly volunteers independent of the location. Gender effects were observed for the Bacteroides-Prevotella group, with higher levels in males than in females. In summary, age-related differences in the microbiota makeup were detected but differed between the study populations from the four countries, each showing a characteristic colonization pattern.
Advantages of glutamate dehydrogenase as a blood biomarker of acute hepatic injury in rats

In a recent study in rats, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), the preferred plasma biomarker of hepatocellular injury in rats, was ineffective at detecting marked hepatic necrosis produced by acetaminophen (Human and Experimental Toxicology 19, 277-83, 2000). In contrast, glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) was markedly elevated. Accordingly, these enzymes were comprehensively evaluated as plasma biomarkers of hepatocellular injury in rats using several other models of hepatic injury, including partial hepatectomy and exposure to methapyrilene, dexamethasone, cyproterone, isoniazid, lead nitrate, and Wyeth-14643. Other enzymes also evaluated were aspartate aminotransferase (AST), sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH), and the hepatobiliary marker alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Compared to plasma ALT increases, plasma GLDH increases were up to 10-fold greater, up to 3-fold more persistent, and occurred at times following hepatocellular injury when plasma ALT was not increased. Plasma GLDH activity was not inhibited by the test compounds, whereas ALT was substantially inhibited by both isoniazid and lead nitrate. While plasma GLDH activity was unaffected by induction, ALT was induced by cyproterone and dexamethasone, and ALP was induced by Wyeth-14643 and partial hepatectomy. GLDH was concluded to be a more effective biomarker of acute hepatic injury than ALT, AST, SDH or ALP in the rat, based primarily on the large increase following hepatocellular injury, prolonged persistence in the blood following injury, high sensitivity for detection of injury (including pre-necrotic injury), high tissue specificity, and lower susceptibility to inhibition or induction.
Exploring Perception of Vibrations from Rail: An Interview Study

Rail transport is an environmentally responsible approach and traffic is expected to increase in the coming decades. Little is known about the implications for quality of life of populations living close to railways. This study explores the way in which vibrations from rail are perceived and described by these populations. The study took place in the Västra Götaland and Värmland regions of Sweden. A qualitative study approach was undertaken using semi-structured interviews within a framework of predetermined questions in participants’ homes. A 26.3% response rate was achieved and 17 participants were interviewed. The experience of vibrations was described in tangible terms through different senses. Important emerging themes included habituation to and acceptance of vibrations, worry about property damage, worry about family members and general safety. Participants did not reflect on health effects, however, chronic exposure to vibrations through multimodal senses in individual living environments may reduce the possibility for restoration in the home. Lack of empowerment to reduce exposure to vibrations was important. This may alter individual coping strategies, as taking actions to avoid the stressor is not possible. The adoption of other strategies, such as avoidance, may negatively affect an individual’s ability to cope with the stressor and their health.
Rictor Is Required for Early B Cell Development in Bone Marrow

The development of early B cells, which are generated from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in a series of well-characterized stages in bone marrow (BM), represents a paradigm for terminal differentiation processes. Akt is primarily regulated by phosphorylation at Thr308 by PDK1 and at Ser473 by mTORC2, and Akt signaling plays a key role in hematopoiesis. However, the role of mTORC2 in the development of early B cells remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the functional role of mTORC2 by specifically deleting an integral component, Rictor, in a hematopoietic system. We demonstrated that the deletion of Rictor induced an aberrant increase in the FoxO1 and Rag-1 proteins in BM B cells and that this increase was accompanied by a significant decrease in the abundance of B cells in the peripheral blood (PB) and the spleen, suggesting impaired development of early B cells in adult mouse BM. A BM transplantation assay revealed that the B cell differentiation defect induced by Rictor deletion was not affected by the BM microenvironment, thus indicating a cell-intrinsic mechanism. Furthermore, the knockdown of FoxO1 in Rictor-deleted HSCs and hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) promoted the maturation of B cells in the BM of recipient mice. In addition, we revealed that treatment with rapamycin (an mTORC1 inhibitor) aggravated the deficiency in B cell development in the PB and BM. Taken together, our results provide further evidence that Rictor regulates the development of early B cells in a cell-intrinsic manner by modifying the expression of FoxO1 and Rag-1.