Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Posterior identification and exposure of the V3 segment of the vertebral artery

Objective: The purpose of this study was to define the anatomy of the V3 segment of the vertebral artery (VA) from the posterior approach. Methods: Ten formalin-fixed cadavers were carefully dissected bilaterally using landmark features to identify and safely expose the VA from the posterior. Measurements regarding morphometric characteristics of landmark features and feasible resection quantifications were obtained and analyzed. The C2 pars was resected completely in all cadavers, averaging 15.03 ± 1.06 mm in thickness. Results: The average diameter of the VA at the midline of C2 on the right side was 4.66 ± 0.51 mm compared to the left 5.2 ± 0.49 mm (P = 0.002). The distance of the VA from the midline increased from caudal to rostral. The distance between the VA to the lateral edge of the dura in the middle of the window of approach was 9.67 ± 0.81 mm. The rostral-caudal length of the window of approach was 21.94 ± 1.60 mm. The percentage of C2 body removal was 28.04% ± 6.09% through each side (249.55 ± 55.5/898.2 ± 146.17 mm2). While carefully exposing the VA, a posterior approach can be feasible in cases of injury during C1–C2 instrumentation or during resection of tumors of the C2 pars with or without extension into the C2 body. Discussion: The posterior approach for a C2 partial corpectomy can also be used as an adjunct to anterior approaches when necessary to widen the extent of bone resection. Conclusion: Exposure of the V3 segment of the vertebral artery was defined as well as the extent of C2 corpectomy through the posterior approach.
Detection of NPM 1 exon 12 mutations and FLT 3 – internal tandem duplications by high resolution melting analysis in normal karyotype acute myeloid leukemia

Background: Molecular characterisation of normal karyotype acute myeloid leukemia (NK-AML) allows prognostic stratification and potentially can alter treatment choices and pathways. Approximately 45–60% of patients with NK-AML carry NPM1 gene mutations and are associated with a favourable clinical outcome when FLT3-internal tandem duplications (ITD) are absent. High resolution melting (HRM) is a novel screening method that enables rapid identification of mutation positive DNA samples. Results: We developed HRM assays to detect NPM1 mutations and FLT3-ITD and tested diagnostic samples from 44 NK-AML patients. Eight were NPM1 mutation positive only, 4 were both NPM1 mutation and FLT3-ITD positive and 4 were FLT3-ITD positive only. A novel point mutation Y572C (c.1715A>G) in exon 14 of FLT3 was also detected. In the group with de novo NKAML, 40% (12/29) were NPM1 mutation positive whereas NPM1 mutations were observed in 20% (3/15) of secondary NK-AML cases. Sequencing was performed and demonstrated 100% concordance with the HRM results. Conclusion: HRM is a rapid and efficient method of screening NK-AML samples for both novel and known NPM1 and FLT3 mutations. NPM1 mutations can be observed in both primary and secondary NK-AML cases. Background Acute myeloid leukemia with a normal karyotype (NKAML) is considered to have an intermediate prognostic risk with 5 year disease free survival (DFS) ranging between 24–42% [1,2]. However, there is marked variability in outcome suggesting significant biological and molecular heterogeneity within this group of AML [3]. In 2005, Falini et al. described a set of common mutations within the final exon of the NPM1 gene in primary NKPublished: 29 July 2008 Journal of Hematology & Oncology 2008, 1:10 doi:10.1186/1756-8722-1-10 Received: 20 May 2008 Accepted: 29 July 2008 This article is available from: http://www.jhoonline. org/content/1/1/10 © 2008 Tan et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Stem cells from apical papilla and their properties in two primary culture methods

Background and Objective: Stem cells from the apical papilla (SCAP) are a unique population of dental mesenchymal stem cells and also different to dental pulp stem cells. Study and application of this cell type are extremely important in natural tooth root regeneration, especially in the treatment of oral diseases. Studies have isolated and characterized stem cell properties of SCAP by only one culture method- enzymatic dispersal method. The purpose of this study was to compare two primary culture methods in isolation and characterization of SCAP.Materials and Methods: The effects of two methods on the cell viability, colony-forming efficiency, proliferation rate and multilineage differentiation potential and profiles of mesenchymal stem cell markers in vitro have been examined.Result: We found that cultured cells adhered to the surface and developed with the same proliferation rate and formed colony units in both methods. In the enzymatic dispersal method, time for primary culture is shorter, differentiation potential is also higher than in outgrowth method. However, the cultured population of cells by outgrowth method is more homogenous with high expression of CD44, CD73, CD90 and negative with CD34, CD45, HLADR (<2%). Conclusion: We conclude that two methods are available for primary culture of SCAP and in different situations, we should use more appropriate method.
Sex Differences in Emergent Literacy and Reading Behaviour in Junior Kindergarten

In a sample of 128 Canadian junior kindergarten children (66 boys), we examined sex differences in emergent literacy and behaviour when listening to and interacting with books of four types: alphabet books with simple text and illustrations, traditional alphabet books with complex text and illustrations, alphabet eBooks, and illustrated storybooks. Girls outperformed boys on tests of emergent literacy. Engagement while listening to books being read was highest for storybooks but there was a sex by condition effect: Boys were less engaged with complex alphabet books than the other book types, whereas girls were less engaged with simple alphabet books than storybooks. During independent reading, both sexes spent significantly more time on-task in the eBook condition but less of their activity involved letter-related behaviours (e.g., saying letter names). Boys spent less time involved in letter-related behaviour than girls. This research contributes to identifying and promoting factors related to early academic success.
Homeostatic Feedback Modulates the Development of Two-State Patterned Activity in a Model Serotonin Motor Circuit in Caenorhabditis elegans

Neuron activity accompanies synapse formation and maintenance, but how early circuit activity contributes to behavior development is not well understood. Here, we use the Caenorhabditis elegans egg-laying motor circuit as a model to understand how coordinated cell and circuit activity develops and drives a robust two-state behavior in adults. Using calcium imaging in behaving animals, we find the serotonergic hermaphrodite-specific neurons (HSNs) and vulval muscles show rhythmic calcium transients in L4 larvae before eggs are produced. HSN activity in L4 is tonic and lacks the alternating burst-firing/quiescent pattern seen in egg-laying adults. Vulval muscle activity in L4 is initially uncoordinated but becomes synchronous as the anterior and posterior muscle arms meet at HSN synaptic release sites. However, coordinated muscle activity does not require presynaptic HSN input. Using reversible silencing experiments, we show that neuronal and vulval muscle activity in L4 is not required for the onset of adult behavior. Instead, the accumulation of eggs in the adult uterus renders the muscles sensitive to HSN input. Sterilization or acute electrical silencing of the vulval muscles inhibits presynaptic HSN activity and reversal of muscle silencing triggers a homeostatic increase in HSN activity and egg release that maintains ∼12–15 eggs in the uterus. Feedback of egg accumulation depends upon the vulval muscle postsynaptic terminus, suggesting that a retrograde signal sustains HSN synaptic activity and egg release. Our results show that egg-laying behavior in C. elegans is driven by a homeostat that scales serotonin motor neuron activity in response to postsynaptic muscle feedback. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The functional importance of early, spontaneous neuron activity in synapse and circuit development is not well understood. Here, we show in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans that the serotonergic hermaphrodite-specific neurons (HSNs) and postsynaptic vulval muscles show activity during circuit development, well before the onset of adult behavior. Surprisingly, early activity is not required for circuit development or the onset of adult behavior and the circuit remains unable to drive egg laying until fertilized embryos are deposited into the uterus. Egg accumulation potentiates vulval muscle excitability, but ultimately acts to promote burst firing in the presynaptic HSNs which results in egg laying. Our results suggest that mechanosensory feedback acts at three distinct steps to initiate, sustain, and terminate C. elegans egg-laying circuit activity and behavior.
Joint Hybrid Transmission and Adaptive Routing for Lifetime Extension of WSNs

In this paper, two hybrid multi-hop/single-hop opportunistic transmission strategies with adaptive routing are investigated for prolonging the network lifetime of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). To achieve this goal, a systematic decision model that contains a network distribution block, a routing algorithm block, a traffic pattern block, and an optimal policy block is presented to determine the optimal transmission probability of each node. With packet transmission via adaptive shortest paths, two optimization strategies are proposed in the optimal policy block: a power efficiency optimization strategy and a power utilization optimization strategy. The power efficiency strategy aims to minimize the overall power consumption and the power utilization strategy endeavors to minimize the maximum power consumption among nodes. Computer simulations show that the power utilization strategy can achieve almost triple the network lifetime extension compared with the power efficiency strategy. Furthermore, the power utilization strategy is superior to the power efficiency strategy in terms of residual energy utilization for various network sizes.
U‐Pb dating of interspersed gabbroic magmatism and hydrothermal metamorphism during lower crustal accretion, Vema lithospheric section, Mid‐Atlantic Ridge

New U/Pb analyses of zircon and xenotime constrain the timing of magmatism, magmatic assimilation, and hydrothermal metamorphism during formation of the lower crust at the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge. The studied sample is an altered gabbro from the Vema lithospheric section (11°N). Primary gabbroic minerals have been almost completely replaced by multiple hydrothermal overprints: cummingtonitic amphibole and albite formed during high‐temperature hydration reactions and are overgrown first by kerolite and then prehnite and chlorite. In a previous study, clear inclusion‐free zircons from the sample yielded Th‐corrected 206Pb/238U dates of 13.528 ± 0.101 to 13.353 ± 0.057 Ma. Ti concentrations, reported here, zoning patterns and calculated Th/U of the dated grains are consistent with these zircons having grown during igneous crystallization. To determine the timing of hydrothermal metamorphism, we dated a second population of zircons, with ubiquitous <1–20 µm chlorite inclusions, and xenotimes that postdate formation of metamorphic albite. The textures and inclusions of the inclusion‐rich zircons suggest that they formed by coupled dissolution‐reprecipitation of metastable igneous zircon during or following hydrothermal metamorphism. Th‐corrected 206Pb/238U dates for the inclusion‐rich zircons range from 13.598 ± 0.012 to 13.503 ± 0.018 Ma and predate crystallization of all but one of the inclusion‐free zircons, suggesting that the inclusion‐rich zircons were assimilated from older hydrothermally altered wall rocks. The xenotime dates are sensitive to the Th correction applied, but even using a maximum correction, 206Pb/238U dates range from 13.341 ± 0.162 to 12.993 ± 0.055 Ma and postdate crystallization of both the inclusion‐rich zircons and inclusion‐free igneous zircons, reflecting a second hydrothermal event. The data provide evidence for alternating magmatism and hydrothermal metamorphism at or near the ridge axis during accretion of the lower crust at a ridge‐transform intersection and suggest that hydrothermally altered crust was assimilated into younger gabbroic magmas. The results of this study show that high‐precision U‐Pb dating is a powerful method for studying the timing of magmatic and hydrothermal processes at mid‐ocean ridges.
Order of lipid phases in model and plasma membranes

Lipid rafts are nanoscopic assemblies of sphingolipids, cholesterol, and specific membrane proteins that contribute to lateral heterogeneity in eukaryotic membranes. Separation of artificial membranes into liquid-ordered (Lo) and liquid-disordered phases is regarded as a common model for this compartmentalization. However, tight lipid packing in Lo phases seems to conflict with efficient partitioning of raft-associated transmembrane (TM) proteins. To assess membrane order as a component of raft organization, we performed fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy with the membrane probes Laurdan and C-laurdan. First, we assessed lipid packing in model membranes of various compositions and found cholesterol and acyl chain dependence of membrane order. Then we probed cell membranes by using two novel systems that exhibit inducible phase separation: giant plasma membrane vesicles [Baumgart et al. (2007) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104:3165–3170] and plasma membrane spheres. Notably, only the latter support selective inclusion of raft TM proteins with the ganglioside GM1 into one phase. We measured comparable small differences in order between the separated phases of both biomembranes. Lateral packing in the ordered phase of giant plasma membrane vesicles resembled the Lo domain of model membranes, whereas the GM1 phase in plasma membrane spheres exhibited considerably lower order, consistent with different partitioning of lipid and TM protein markers. Thus, lipid-mediated coalescence of the GM1 raft domain seems to be distinct from the formation of a Lo phase, suggesting additional interactions between proteins and lipids to be effective.
Implications of Upstream Flow Availability for Watershed Surface Water Supply across the Conterminous United States

Although it is well established that the availability of upstream flow (AUF) affects downstream water supply, its significance has not been rigorously categorized and quantified at fine resolutions. This study aims to fill this gap by providing a nationwide inventory of AUF and local water resource, and assessing their roles in securing water supply across the 2,099 8‐digit hydrologic unit code watersheds in the conterminous United States (CONUS). We investigated the effects of river hydraulic connectivity, climate variability, and water withdrawal, and consumption on water availability and water stress (ratio of demand to supply) in the past three decades (i.e., 1981–2010). The results show that 12% of the CONUS land relied on AUF for adequate freshwater supply, while local water alone was sufficient to meet the demand in another 74% of the area. The remaining 14% highly stressed area was mostly found in headwater areas or watersheds that were isolated from other basins, where stress levels were more sensitive to climate variability. Although the constantly changing water demand was the primary cause of escalating/diminishing stress, AUF variation could be an important driver in the arid south and southwest. This research contributes to better understanding of the significance of upstream–downstream water nexus in regional water availability, and this becomes more crucial under a changing climate and with intensified human activities.
Rates of obstetric intervention and associated perinatal mortality and morbidity among low-risk women giving birth in private and public hospitals in NSW (2000–2008): a linked data population-based cohort study

Objectives To examine the rates of obstetric intervention and associated perinatal mortality and morbidity in the first 28 days among low-risk women giving birth in private and public hospitals in NSW (2000–2008). Design Linked data population-based retrospective cohort study involving five data sets. Setting New South Wales, Australia. Participants 691 738 women giving birth to a singleton baby during the period 2000–2008. Main outcome measures Rates of neonatal resuscitation, perinatal mortality, neonatal admission following birth and readmission to hospital in the first 28 days of life in public and private obstetric units. Results Rates of obstetric intervention among low-risk women were higher in private hospitals, with primiparous women 20% less likely to have a normal vaginal birth compared to the public sector. Neonates born in private hospitals were more likely to be less than 40 weeks; more likely to have some form of resuscitation; less likely to have an Apgar <7 at 5 min. Neonates born in private hospitals to low-risk mothers were more likely to have a morbidity attached to the birth admission and to be readmitted to hospital in the first 28 days for birth trauma (5% vs 3.6%); hypoxia (1.7% vs 1.2%); jaundice (4.8% vs 3%); feeding difficulties (4% vs 2.4%) ; sleep/behavioural issues (0.2% vs 0.1%); respiratory conditions (1.2% vs 0.8%) and circumcision (5.6 vs 0.3%) but they were less likely to be admitted for prophylactic antibiotics (0.2% vs 0.6%) and for socioeconomic circumstances (0.1% vs 0.7%). Rates of perinatal mortality were not statistically different between the two groups. Conclusions For low-risk women, care in a private hospital, which includes higher rates of intervention, appears to be associated with higher rates of morbidity seen in the neonate and no evidence of a reduction in perinatal mortality.
A Study on Universally Good Fractional Repetition Codes

Fractional repetition (FR) codes are introduced with the aim of facilitating node repairs in distributed storage systems, i.e., they enable uncoded exact repairs at the minimum bandwidth regenerating (MBR) point. In this letter, we investigate universally good FR (UGFR) codes, which can achieve the storage capacity of MBR codes. We show that UGFR codes are optimal with respect to a bound on the reconstruction degree, which is the number of nodes required for data retrieval. We also present a construction of UGFR codes by establishing a relation with regular packings.
Ethnic differences in glycemic control and diabetic ketoacidosis rate among children with diabetes mellitus type 1 in the Negev area.

BACKGROUND The existent glycemic control of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T 1DM) patients in daily practice might not reach the goals determ ied in guidelines. Ethnic diversity was also shown to influence glycemic control. OBJECTIVES To evaluate glycemic control, prevalence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at presentation, diabetic complications rate, and associated autoimmune diseases in a pediatric Ti M patient population in the Negev area. METHODS Clinical and demographic details of 168 T1iDM patients were evaluated, including HbA1C levels, long-term complications, related autoimmune diseases, and insulin pump usage. The data were analyzed and the Jewish and Bedouin patient groups compared. RESULTS Only 13.1% of the patients had reached the HbA1C levels recommended by the current guidelines at the first and second year follow-up visits, and 9.5% and 7.1% at the third and fourth year visits, respectively. A significant difference in HbAlc levels between Jewish and Bedouin patients was found (P = 0.045 at the first year follow-up, P 0.01 thereafter). Significant difference was found between the Jewish and the Bedouin groups regarding presentation with DKA, 33% and 56% of the patients respectively (P= 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Existent glycemic control in daily practice is far from the guideline goals. Bedouin ethnicity was associated with less favorable diabetes control, emphasizing the need for better awareness of T1DM and its treatment options in this population. More resources should be directed to address T1DM in the general population, especially among the Bedouin.
Persuading students with emotional disabilities to write: a design study

An exploratory study was undertaken to examine the implementation of strategy instruction in persuasive writing with a class of 10 adolescent students with severe emotional/behavioral disabilities (EBD). Several learner characteristics were observed to interact with curriculum and instructional variables. Modifications were made, on an ongoing basis, to respond to these student characteristics. After approximately four months of instruction, findings indicated that all students had mastered the components of effective persuasive essay writing, and performed competently on criterion writing measures, greatly different from performance at the beginning of instruction. Although the design of this investigation does not allow for definitive causal explanations, insights were gained regarding the interaction between EBD characteristics and strategy instruction. Implications for further research are discussed.
Relative importance of population size, fishing pressure and temperature on the spatial distribution of nine Northwest Atlantic groundfish stocks

The spatial distribution of nine Northwest Atlantic groundfish stocks was documented using spatial indicators based on Northeast Fisheries Science Center spring and fall bottom trawl survey data, 1963–2016. We then evaluated the relative importance of population size, fishing pressure and bottom temperature on spatial distribution with an information theoretic approach. Northward movement in the spring was generally consistent with prior analyses, whereas changes in depth distribution and area occupancy were not. Only two stocks exhibited the same changes in spatiotemporal distribution in the fall as compared with the spring. Fishing pressure was the most important predictor of the center of gravity (i.e., bivariate mean location of the population) for the majority of stocks in the spring, whereas in the fall this was restricted to the east-west component. Fishing pressure was also the most important predictor of the dispersion around the center of gravity in both spring and fall. In contrast, biomass was the most important predictor of area occupancy for the majority of stocks in both seasons. The relative importance of bottom temperature was ranked highest in the fewest number of cases. This study shows that fishing pressure, in addition to the previously established role of climate, influences the spatial distribution of groundfish in the Northwest Atlantic. More broadly, this study is one of a small but growing body of literature to demonstrate that fishing pressure has an effect on the spatial distribution of marine resources. Future work must consider both fishing pressure and climate when examining mechanisms underlying fish distribution shifts.