Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biologically active collagen-based scaffolds: advances in processing and characterization

A small number of type I collagen–glycosaminoglycan scaffolds (collagen–GAG scaffolds; CGSs) have unusual biological activity consisting primarily in inducing partial regeneration of organs in the adult mammal. Two of these are currently in use in a variety of clinical settings. CGSs appear to induce regeneration by blocking the adult healing response, following trauma, consisting of wound contraction and scar formation. Several structural determinants of biological activity have been identified, including ligands for binding of fibroblasts to the collagen surface, the mean pore size (which affects ligand density) and the degradation rate (which affects the duration of the wound contraction-blocking activity by the scaffold). Processing variables that affect these determinants include the kinetics of swelling of collagen fibres in acetic acid, freezing of the collagen–GAG suspension and cross-linking of the freeze-dried scaffold. Recent developments in the processing of CGSs include fabrication of scaffolds that are paucidisperse in pore size, scaffolds with gradients in physicochemical properties (and therefore biological activity) and scaffolds that incorporate a mineral component. Advances in the characterization of the pore structure of CGSs have been made using confocal and nonlinear optical microscopy (NLOM). The mechanical behaviour of CGSs, as well as the resistance to degradative enzymes, have been studied. Following seeding with cells (typically fibroblasts), contractile forces in the range 26–450 nN per cell are generated by the cells, leading to buckling of scaffold struts. Ongoing studies of cell-seeded CGSs with NLOM have shown an advantage over the use of confocal microscopy due to the ability of the former method to image the CGS surfaces without staining (which alters its surface ligands), reduced cell photodamage, reduced fluorophore photobleaching and the ability to image deeper inside the scaffold.
Granger Causality between Multiple Interdependent Neurobiological Time Series: Blockwise versus Pairwise Methods

Granger causality is becoming an important tool for determining causal relations between neurobiological time series. For multivariate data, there is often the need to examine causal relations between two blocks of time series, where each block could represent a brain region of interest. Two alternative methods are available. In the pairwise method, bivariate autoregressive models are fit to all pairwise combinations involving one time series from the first block and one from the second. The total Granger causality between the two blocks is then derived by summing pairwise causality values from each of these models. This approach is intuitive but computationally cumbersome. Theoretically, a more concise method can be derived, which we term the blockwise Granger causality method. In this method, a single multivariate model is fit to all the time series, and the causality between the two blocks is then computed from this model. We compare these two methods by applying them to cortical local field potential recordings from monkeys performing a sensorimotor task. The obtained results demonstrate consistency between the two methods and point to the significance potential of utilizing Granger causality analysis in understanding coupled neural systems.
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Parental Influences on Adolescent Physical Activity: a Longitudinal Study

Background: Physical inactivity is increasing among adolescents in the U.S., especially among girls. Despite growing evidence that parents are an important influence on adolescent health, few longitudinal studies have explored the causal relationship between parental influence and physical activity. This study examines how the relationships between parental influences and adolescent physical activity differ by gender and tests whether these relationships are mediated by adolescents' self-esteem and depression.
Analysis of triangular sharkskin profiles according to second law

This paper presents the analysis of a case of sharkskin effect, caused by a turbulent flow over rough engineered surfaces. From a large bibliographic analysis, the paper describes the preliminary CFD simulations of a series of profiles such as sawtooth profile (12x6 mm), scalloped (R=6mm) and triangular (6x2 mm). Although a best solution has not been identified, different geometries and dimensions have been analysed and the initial results have shown the potential of a triangular profile with a 90° angle on top implemented on Coanda affected surfaces. The reference test profile adopted is an elevated surface with an inclined step placed upwind. The corrugated surface has been applied to analyse the coupled effect of sharkskin on both the viscous and pressure terms of drag. The results allow the assessment of a mathematical model of the sharkskin behaviour, assuming a continuous profile of the riblets. Results have also been assessed against a flat planar surface with the same measurements. The outcome has demonstrated a potential reduction up to 30% in the wall shear stress. The analysis has led to the formulation of a new equation to calculate the drag and lift force as a function of Bejan number. This model opens the possibility of applying a second law of analysis method to aerodynamic and fluid dynamic effects. Although this model has not been sufficiently demonstrated, it can allow a theoretical calculation of entropy generation in the case of the specific fluid dynamic phenomenon.
Vector Competence of Some Mosquito Species From Canada For Zika Virus

ABSTRACT The recent introduction of Zika virus (ZIKV) into the Americas and the occurrence of birth defects associated with infection during pregnancy have created a concern about the spread of this virus into more northern countries in the Americas. Therefore, we examined several species of mosquitoes found in southern Manitoba, Canada, for their susceptibility to infection and their ability to transmit ZIKV. Aedes cinereus, Ae. euedes, Ae. fitchii, Ae. sticticus, Ae. vexans, Coquillettidia perturbans, Culex restuans, and Cx. tarsalis were captured in the vicinity of Winnipeg, Manitoba; brought to the laboratory; and allowed to feed on a ZIKV–sheep blood suspension to determine oral susceptibility. In addition, some of the nonfed individuals were inoculated intrathoracically to examine for the presence of a salivary gland barrier. Despite ingesting blood containing 105.4 plaque-forming units/ml, infection rates were very low, and infected individuals were only detected for Ae. vexans. Transmission was observed for Ae. vexans, Cq. perturbans, and Cx. restuans that had been inoculated with ZIKV, although rates were low. Based on the extremely low vector competence found in this study and the lack of a preferential feeding on humans, it is unlikely than any of the mosquito species tested in this study would be involved in any large-scale transmission of ZIKV in Canada.
Patient and Hospitalization Characteristics Associated With Increased Postacute Care Facility Discharges From US Hospitals

Background/Objectives:The number of patients discharged to postacute care (PAC) facilities after hospitalization increased by 50% nationally between 1996 and 2010. We sought to describe payors and patients most affected by this trend and to identify diagnoses for which PAC facility care may be substituting for continued hospital care. Design:Retrospective analysis of the National Hospital Discharge Survey from 1996 to 2010. Setting:Adult discharges from a national sample of non-Federal hospitals. Participants/Exposures:Adults admitted and discharged to a PAC facility between 1996 and 2010. Our analysis includes 2.99 million sampled discharges, representative of 386 million discharges nationally. Measurements:Patient demographic and hospitalization characteristics, including length of stay (LOS) and diagnoses treated. Results:More than half (50.7%) of all patients discharged to PAC facilities were 80 years old or older in 2010; 40% of hospitalizations in this age group ended with a PAC stay. Decreases in LOS and increases in PAC facility use were consistent across payors and patient demographics. PAC facilities may be substituting for continued inpatient care for patients with pneumonia, hip fracture, and sepsis as these diagnoses demonstrated the clearest trends of decreasing LOS and increasing discharges to PAC facilities. Conclusions:The rise in discharges to PAC facilities is occurring in all age groups and payors, though the predominant population is the very old Medicare patient, for whom successful rehabilitation may be most unsure. PAC facility care may be increasingly substituted for prolonged hospitalizations for patients with pneumonia, hip fracture, and sepsis.
Clarithromycin Resistance and Eradication ofHelicobacter pylori in Children

ABSTRACT Outcome of Helicobacter pylori infection was analyzed in 61 children treated with a triple therapy including clarithromycin. Bacterial eradication was obtained in all children with clarithromycin-susceptible strains but not in children with clarithromycin-resistant ones (P = 0.0001). H. pylori antimicrobial susceptibility is mandatory before choosing a treatment, and clarithromycin should be avoided in case of resistance.
Preparation and properties of short natural fiber reinforced poly(lactic acid) composites

The natural fiber/poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites were prepared with ramie and jute short fiber as reinforcement and PLA as matrix. The mechanical and thermal properties of the composites were investigated. The results show that the properties of the composites are better than those of plain PLA. When the content of the fiber is 30%, the composites can get the best mechanical properties. The dynamic mechanical analysis results show that the storage moduli of the PLA/ramie and PLA/jute composites increase with respect to the plain PLA. The Vicat softening temperature of the composites is greatly higher than that of PLA. The results of thermogravimetric analysis show that adding fiber to the PLA matrix can improve the degradation temperature of PLA.
Send Orders of Reprints at Reprints@benthamscience.org Internet Addiction: a Brief Summary of Research and Practice

Problematic computer use is a growing social issue which is being debated worldwide. Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) ruins lives by causing neurological complications, psychological disturbances, and social problems. Surveys in the United States and Europe have indicated alarming prevalence rates between 1.5 and 8.2% [1]. There are several reviews addressing the definition, classification, assessment, epidemiology, and co-morbidity of IAD [2-5], and some reviews [6-8] addressing the treatment of IAD. The aim of this paper is to give a preferably brief overview of research on IAD and theoretical considerations from a practical perspective based on years of daily work with clients suffering from Internet addiction. Furthermore, with this paper we intend to bring in practical experience in the debate about the eventual inclusion of IAD in the next version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
Paclitaxel-eluting versus uncoated stents in primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND Drug-eluting coronary-artery stents have been shown to decrease restenosis and therefore the likelihood that additional procedures will be required after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We evaluated the use of a drug-eluting stent in patients undergoing PCI for acute myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation. METHODS We randomly assigned 619 patients presenting with an acute myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation to receive either a paclitaxel-eluting stent or an uncoated stent. The primary end point was a composite of death from cardiac causes, recurrent myocardial infarction, or target-lesion revascularization at 1 year. RESULTS Baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics in both groups were well matched. There was a trend toward a lower rate of serious adverse events in the paclitaxel-stent group than in the uncoated-stent group (8.8% vs. 12.8%; adjusted relative risk, 0.63; 95% confidence interval, 0.37 to 1.07; P=0.09). A nonsignificant trend was also detected in favor of the paclitaxel-stent group, as compared with the uncoated-stent group, in the rate of death from cardiac causes or recurrent myocardial infarction (5.5% vs. 7.2%, P=0.40) and in the rate of target-lesion revascularization (5.3% vs. 7.8%, P=0.23). The incidence of stent thrombosis during 1 year of follow-up was the same in both groups (1.0%). CONCLUSIONS Although the use of paclitaxel-eluting stents in acute myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation reduced the incidence of serious adverse cardiac events at 1 year by 4.0 percentage points, as compared with uncoated stents, the difference was not statistically significant. (Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN65027270 [controlled-trials.com].).
Matrix completion from a few entries

Let M be an nα × n matrix of rank r ≪ n, and assume that a uniformly random subset E of its entries is observed. We describe an efficient algorithm that reconstructs M from |E| = O(r n) observed entries with relative root mean square error RMSE ≤ C(α) (nr/|E|)<sup>1/2</sup>. Further, if r = O(1) and M is sufficiently unstructured, then it can be reconstructed exactly from |E| = O(n log n) entries. This settles (in the case of bounded rank) a question left open by Candès and Recht and improves over the guarantees for their reconstruction algorithm. The complexity of our algorithm is O(|E|r log n), which opens the way to its use for massive data sets. In the process of proving these statements, we obtain a generalization of a celebrated result by Friedman-Kahn-Szemerédi and Feige-Ofek on the spectrum of sparse random matrices.
Down-Regulation Does Not Mediate Natriuretic Peptide-Dependent Desensitization of Natriuretic Peptide Receptor (NPR)-A or NPR-B: Guanylyl Cyclase-Linked Natriuretic Peptide Receptors Do Not Internalize

Natriuretic peptide receptor A (NPR-A/GC-A) and B (NPR-B/GC-B) are members of the transmembrane guanylyl cyclase family that mediate the effects of natriuretic peptides via the second messenger, cGMP. Despite numerous reports of these receptors being down-regulated in response to various pathological conditions, no studies have actually measured desensitization and receptor internalization in the same cell line. Furthermore, the ligand-dependent trafficking properties of NPR-A remain controversial, whereas nothing is known about the trafficking of NPR-B. In this report, we tested whether down-regulation explains the ligand-dependent desensitization of NPR-A and NPR-B and characterized their trafficking properties using a combination of hormone-binding and antibody-based assays. Quantitative partition analysis indicated that 125I-atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) was rapidly released into the medium after 293T cells stably expressing NPR-A were warmed from 4° to 37°C. High-performance liquid chromatography fractionation of medium supplemented with the protease inhibitor phosphoramidon indicated that the 125I-ANP was mostly intact. In contrast, 125I-ANP purified from medium bathing cells expressing NPR-C, a receptor known to internalize natriuretic peptides, was degraded. Cleavable biotinylation and noncleavable biotinylation assays indicated that neither NPR-A nor NPR-B was internalized or degraded in response to natriuretic peptide binding. In contrast, agonist-dependent internalization of a G protein-coupled receptor was clearly apparent in the same cell line. Finally, we show that NPR-A and NPR-B are desensitized in cells in which they are not internalized. We suggest that mechanisms other than receptor down-regulation account for the desensitization of NPR-A and NPR-B that occurs in response to various physiological and pathological stimuli.
Anti-inflammatory effects of oroxylin A on RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages induced with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid

Oroxylin A (5,7-dihydroxy-6-methoxy-2-phenylchromen-4-one; Baicalein 6-methyl ether) is an active flavonoid compound originally isolated from Scutellaria radix, which has been used to treat pulmonary infection in Korea, China, and Japan. Oroxylin A is known to possess dopamine reuptake inhibitor activity. However, the effects of oroxylin A on virus-induced macrophages has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, the anti-inflammatory effects of oroxylin A on double-stranded RNA-induced macrophages were examined. Production of nitric oxide (NO), various cytokines, as well as calcium release and the mRNA expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) in dsRNA polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (PIC)-induced RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages were evaluated. Oroxylin A restored the cell viability in PIC-induced RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages at concentrations of up to 50 µM. Additionally, oroxylin A significantly inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO), interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, interferon gamma-induced protein 10, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (CSF), granulocyte macrophage-CSF, leukemia inhibitory factor (IL-6 class cytokine), lipopolysaccharide-induced CXC chemokine (LIX), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, MIP-1β, MIP-2, Regulated on Activation, Normal T Expressed and Secreted, tumor necrosis factor-α, and vascular endothelial growth factor as well as calcium release and the mRNA expression of STAT1 in PIC-induced RAW 264.7 cells (P<0.05). Thus, the present results suggest that oroxylin A has anti-inflammatory properties, associated with its inhibition of NO, cytokines, chemokines and growth factors in PIC-induced macrophages via the calcium-STAT pathway.
Learning Continuous Control Policies by Stochastic Value Gradients

We present a unified framework for learning continuous control policies using backpropagation. It supports stochastic control by treating stochasticity in the Bellman equation as a deterministic function of exogenous noise. The product is a spectrum of general policy gradient algorithms that range from model-free methods with value functions to model-based methods without value functions. We use learned models but only require observations from the environment in- stead of observations from model-predicted trajectories, minimizing the impact of compounded model errors. We apply these algorithms first to a toy stochastic control problem and then to several physics-based control problems in simulation. One of these variants, SVG(1), shows the effectiveness of learning models, value functions, and policies simultaneously in continuous domains.
Activation of protein kinase C after fertilization is required for remodeling the mouse egg into the zygote

Fertilization of the mammalian egg initiates numerous biochemical and structural changes which remodel the egg into a single‐celled zygote. To date, the most extensively studied phenomenon of fertilization in virtually all species has been the relationship between sperm penetration and the induction of the initial rise in intracellular‐free calcium ([Ca2+]i) concentration within the egg. In contrast, relatively few studies have focused on the biochemical events following this rise in calcium, and even fewer studies have directly linked the biochemical events to the structural changes which must ensue for proper development of the embryo. In this study, we exploited recently developed technologies to investigate the action of protein kinase C (PKC), a presumed downstream transducer of the initial rise in [Ca2+]i, during fertilization and artificial activation with calcium ionophore or phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA). The newly developed myristoylated PKC pseudosubstrate (myrPKCΨ) was used to specifically inhibit PKC, thereby averting the trauma of injecting the egg with nonmyristoylated PKCΨ. Following fertilization, eggs which were pretreated with myrPKCΨ were not capable of forming a second polar body and pronuclear formation was significantly inhibited. Spatial and temporal localization of PKC using confocal microscopy to visualize the PKC reporter dye, Rim‐1, demonstrated localization of PKC to the lateral aspects of the forming second polar body after fertilization, or after artificial activation with calcium ionophore or PMA. In vivo biochemical analysis of eggs which were fertilized or artificially activated demonstrated that PKC activity rose at the same time (40 min) as the second polar body formed and then subsided over the next 5 hr post activation. From these data, we conclude that PKC plays an integral role in directing the transformation from egg to embryo. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 46:587–601, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Postsynaptic Calcium Influx at Single Synaptic Contacts between Pyramidal Neurons and Bitufted Interneurons in Layer 2/3 of Rat Neocortex Is Enhanced by Backpropagating Action Potentials

Pyramidal neurons in layer 2/3 (L2/3) of the rat somatosensory cortex excite somatostatin-positive inhibitory bitufted interneurons located in the same cortical layer via glutamatergic synapses. A rise in volume-averaged dendritic [Ca2+]i evoked by backpropagating action potentials (APs) reduces glutamatergic excitation via a retrograde signal, presumably dendritic GABA. To measure the rise in local [Ca2+]i at synaptic contacts during suprathreshold excitation, we identified single synaptic contacts in the acute slice preparation in pairs of pyramidal and bitufted cells each loaded with a Ca2+ indicator dye. Repetitive APs (10-15 APs at 50 Hz) evoked in a L2/3 pyramidal neuron gave rise to facilitating unitary EPSPs in the bitufted cell. Subthreshold EPSPs evoked a transient rise in [Ca2+]i of 80-250 nm peak amplitude at the postsynaptic dendritic site. The local postsynaptic [Ca2+]i transient was restricted to ∼10 μm of dendritic length, lasted for ∼200 msec, and was mediated predominantly by NMDA receptor channels. When EPSPs were suprathreshold, the evoked AP backpropagated into the apical and basal dendritic arbor and increased the local [Ca2+]i transient at active contacts by approximately twofold, with a peak amplitude reaching 130-450 nm. This value is in the range of the half-maximal dendritic [Ca2+]i, evoking retrograde inhibition of glutamate release from boutons of pyramids. The localized enhancement of dendritic Ca2+ influx at synaptic contacts by synaptically evoked backpropagating APs could represent one mechanism by which a retrograde signal can limit the excitation of bitufted interneurons by L2/3 pyramids when these are repetitively active.
A broadcast approach for a single-user slowly fading MIMO channel

A broadcast transmission strategy for the slowly fading Gaussian multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel is introduced. This broadcast strategy is an extension of the single-input single-output (SISO) broadcast approach. Perfect channel state information (CSI) is assumed known at the receiver end only. This strategy facilitates to adapt the reliably decoded rate to the actual channel state without having any feedback link to the transmitter. Transmission of layered coded information is motivated by the theory of majorization. We derive the basic equations characterizing achievable rates of the strategy. Several ad hoc approximations to the achievable region are considered and their performance is compared with the SISO setting and the ergodic capacity. It has been demonstrated that a single-layer outage approach is reasonably efficient in the MIMO setting in terms of the average reliably decoded rate. A multiple-access channel (MAC) broadcast approach is also applied for the MIMO case, and demonstrated to be relatively efficient.