Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Theory of Electric Resonance in the Neocortical Apical Dendrite

Pyramidal neurons of the neocortex display a wide range of synchronous EEG rhythms, which arise from electric activity along the apical dendrites of neocortical pyramidal neurons. Here we present a theoretical description of oscillation frequency profiles along apical dendrites which exhibit resonance frequencies in the range of 10 to 100 Hz. The apical dendrite is modeled as a leaky coaxial cable coated with a dielectric, in which a series of compartments act as coupled electric circuits that gradually narrow the resonance profile. The tuning of the peak frequency is assumed to be controlled by the average amplitude of voltage-gated outward currents, which in turn are regulated by the subthreshold noise in the thousands of synaptic spines that are continuously bombarded by local circuits. The results of simulations confirmed the ability of the model both to tune the peak frequency in the 10–100 Hz range and to gradually narrow the resonance profile. Considerable additional narrowing of the resonance profile is provided by repeated looping through the apical dendrite via the corticothalamocortical circuit, which reduced the width of each resonance curve (at half-maximum) to approximately 1 Hz. Synaptic noise in the neural circuit is discussed in relation to the ways it can influence the narrowing process.
Work related distal airway obstruction in an agricultural population.

OBJECTIVE--To assess the prevalence of distal airway obstruction and its risk factors in agricultural areas. METHODS--A cross sectional study of respiratory symptoms and lung function was performed among French farmers and their spouses (1122 subjects) who came for preventive medicine examinations. They answered a respiratory questionnaire and performed pulmonary function tests on a portable spirometer. Diagnoses of chronic bronchitis were made on the basis of reported chronic respiratory symptoms. Airway obstruction was determined from predicted values. Odds ratio (OR) and linear regression coefficients were calculated after stratification by smoking and history of cardiac and other respiratory diseases. RESULTS--Of respiratory symptoms prevalence of chronic cough was 8.47%, and chronic bronchitis 7.66%. Prevalence of distal airway obstruction was 11.4%, and overall airflow obstruction 3.2%. Smokers were 20.2% men, and 5.7% women. Linear regressions showed high association between pack-years in smokers or exsmokers and forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/VC) and forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of vital capacity (FEF25-75). In non-smokers without any history of cardiac or respiratory diseases, age and the size of farms had the highest correlations with these variables. OR for distal airway obstruction was 2.1 in subjects > 50 years old v the younger ones and 3.02 in the smaller farms v the larger ones. CONCLUSION--After stratification by smoking and history of cardiac and respiratory diseases, distal airway obstruction is present in agricultural areas. The age, and the size of farm are the highest respiratory risk factors in non-smokers.
Diagnostic value of B‐RAFV600E in difficult‐to‐diagnose thyroid nodules using fine‐needle aspiration: Systematic review and meta‐analysis

Fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) is routinely used in the preoperative evaluation of thyroid nodules. However, approximately 5–20% of thyroid nodules are considered indeterminate or suspicious cases that do not meet clinical standards. The B‐RAFV600E mutation has been reported in FNA specimens. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the diagnostic value of testing for B‐RAFV600E in thyroid nodules that are difficult to diagnose by FNA. A systematic literature search was performed from January 1, 2002 to June 30, 2012. Articles were obtained by searching two electronic databases (MEDLINE and EMBASE), hand searching selected journals, and contacting authors. Article quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS) tool. Sensitivity, specificity, and other measures of accuracy were pooled using random effects models. Summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves were used to summarize overall diagnostic accuracy. A total of 16 studies incorporating 1131 patients were included in a meta‐analysis on diagnostic accuracy of B‐RAFV600E tests. Pooled sensitivity was 0.60 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.556–0.634), pooled specificity was 0.99 (95% CI 0.976–0.997), and the area under the curve of the SROC curve was 0.8376. Q index value was 0.7696. Our data suggest a potentially useful adjunct to evaluating thyroid nodules that are difficult to diagnose. The B‐RAFV600E test has a high positive predictive value and could help clinicians formulate a more individualized treatment schedule. When supplemented with other noninvasive test methods, the B‐RAFV600E test could be a powerful adjunct with extensive clinical applications. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2014;42:94–101. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Human chorionic gonadotrophin luteal support overcomes luteal phase inadequacy after gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist-induced ovulation in gonadotrophin-stimulated cycles.

Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa)-induced ovulation after gonadotrophin ovarian stimulation is used to prevent ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and multiple pregnancy in polyfollicular cycles. However, one of the major problems to be resolved is corpus luteum function after follicular maturation and ovulation by mid-cycle GnRHa administration. The present report investigated the luteal phase in non-conceptual polyfollicular cycles in 26 patients (group 1) receiving a single dose of 0.5 mg leuprolide acetate to induce ovulation and in a control group of patients (n = 26) (group 2) who were given human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) (10,000 IU i.m.) for ovulation induction. All of them were normal ovulatory women undergoing gonadotrophin ovarian stimulation because of unexplained infertility or male factor. In both groups of patients two doses of 2500 IU HCG i.m. were given 6 and 10 days after the ovulatory dose of HCG or GnRHa to support the luteal phase. All cycles were ovulatory as shown by mid-luteal serum progesterone concentrations >10 ng/ml. Mean serum progesterone concentrations were 62% higher in group 2 than in group 1, but this difference was not statistically significant. The mean length of the luteal phase was similar in groups 1 and 2. It is concluded that HCG luteal support is a useful tool to overcome the luteal phase inadequacy that characterizes GnRHa-triggered cycles after gonadotrophin stimulation.
The extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) and virulence genes of intestinal enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) in healthy elderly individuals.

AIM to analyze the detection rate of intestinal enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) in healthy elderly (≥60 years) individuals in the Hangzhou area of China, and to investigate the extended spectrum β-lactamases and virulence genes of EAEC. METHODS Stool specimens provided by healthy elderly individuals were cultured on blood agar, SS, and MAC plates. The bacterial strains were identified using Vitek-2 Compact automatic microorganism identification system and mass spectrometry. The resistance phenotypes of the bacteria were determined using the double-disk synergy method. The resistance genes and the EAEC virulence gene, astA and aggR, were amplified by PCR and compared to the sequences available in Gen Bank. RESULTS Among the 1050 healthy volunteers, the majority of bacteria were E. coli, accounting for 960 strains, with an ESBL-positive rate of 36.3% (348/960). The EAEC detection rate was 10% (96/960); among them, 84 strains were astA, the detection rate of which was 8.75%; 12 strains were aggR, the detection rate of which was 1.25%. The ESBL-positive rate of EAEC strains were 56.25% (54/96), all of which carried the CTX-M type, with the CTX-M-14 predominating at 66.7% (36/54). CONCLUSIONS The ESBL-positive rate of intestinal E. coli in healthy elderly individuals in the Hangzhou area of China was higher than the rate detected in other regions of china; and there was a high rate of antibiotic resistance among the intestinal EAEC in healthy elderly individuals. The results of this study suggest that EAEC is not only a pathogenic bacteria detected in diarrhea patients, but can also be present in healthy individuals, and high-resistance clinical strains have spread to the healthy population in the Hangzhou area. So vigilance is critical.
Water Impingement Erosion of Deep-Rolled Ti64

In this work, the Liquid Impingement Erosion (LIE) performances of deep-rolling (DR) treated and non-treated Ti64 were investigated. Various erosion stages, from the incubation to the terminal erosion stages, could be observed. A full factorial design of experiments was used to study the effect of DR process parameters (Feed Rate, Spindle Velocity, Number of Passes, Pressure) on the residual stress distribution, microhardness and surface roughness of the treated Ti64 specimens. The DR-treated Ti64 specimens exhibited improved surface microhardness, surface roughness, and large magnitude of compressive residual stresses, which were attributed to the amount of cold work induced by the DR process. Although DR improved the mechanical properties of the Ti64, the results showed that the treatment has little or no effect on the LIE performance of Ti64 but different damage modes were observed in these two cases. Evolution of the erosion stages was described based on water-hammer pressure, stress waves, radial wall jetting, and hydraulic penetration modes. The initial erosion stages were mainly influenced by water-hammer pressure and stress waves, whereas the intermediate erosion stages were influenced by the combination of the four modes together. The final erosion stages contain the four modes, however the erosion was greatly driven by the radial jetting and hydraulic penetration modes, where more material was removed. The failure mechanism of the final stages of the LIE test of both DR-treated and non-treated Ti64 was characterized as fatigue fracture. However, a brittle fracture behavior was observed in the initial and intermediate erosion stages of the DR-treated Ti64, whereas a ductile fracture behavior was observed in the non-treated Ti64. This was concluded from the micrographs of the LIE damage through different erosion stages.
The Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-PLC in Trypanosoma brucei Forms a Linear Array on the Exterior of the Flagellar Membrane Before and After Activation

Bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei contain a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (GPI-PLC) that cleaves the GPI-anchor of the variable surface glycoprotein (VSG). Its location in trypanosomes has been controversial. Here, using confocal microscopy and surface labelling techniques, we show that the GPI-PLC is located exclusively in a linear array on the outside of the flagellar membrane, close to the flagellar attachment zone, but does not co-localize with the flagellar attachment zone protein, FAZ1. Consequently, the GPI-PLC and the VSG occupy the same plasma membrane leaflet, which resolves the topological problem associated with the cleavage reaction if the VSG and the GPI-PLC were on opposite sides of the membrane. The exterior location requires the enzyme to be tightly regulated to prevent VSG release under basal conditions. During stimulated VSG release in intact cells, the GPI-PLC did not change location, suggesting that the release mechanism involves lateral diffusion of the VSG in the plane of the membrane to the fixed position of the GPI-PLC.
What's New in Evaluation Research? A Note on the Pawson and Tilley Article

This paper examines the criticisms of quasi-experimental design included in a recent article by Pawson and Tilley (1994). The note argues that the criticisms are poorly developed and unconvincing and concludes that the article provides us with little that is new and nothing that is useful in developing research methods in criminology.
Marijuana Use and Delinquency: A Test of the “Independent Cause” Hypothesis

This paper tests an “independent cause” hypothesis, that there is a degree of etiological independence between marijuana use and delinquency. Adolescent subjects are clustered into groups based upon their levels of marijuana use and delinquency over time. The independent cause hypothesis is supported. Specific mode of friends' deviance clearly differentiates between deviants who become more involved in marijuana use and those who become more involved in delinquency. On the other hand, while several personality variables reliably distinguish deviants from nondeviants, they do not differentiate between marijuana users and delinquents.
The Prevalence and Clinical Study of Galactosemia Disease in a Pilot Screening Program of Neonates, Southern Iran

Background The aim of the study was to research concerning the epidemiology of newborns’ galactosemia during 2007–2008 to find out whether screening was necessary for Iranian newborns or not and also what the symptoms of this disease before or after diet were. Methods: The data were collected from 24000 newborn babies from Fars Province, southern Iran. The enzymatic calorimetric test was done on their blood and Red questions from the children’s parents. For treatment, free lactose milk or soya milk have been used for the feeding of the newborns. Results: The prevalence of galactosemia in Fars Province was 5:24000 in neonates, being more than those reported among the white race are and Asians are. The maximum clinical symptoms before diet in 10 days after birth were vomiting and jaundice and those after using diet were sepsis, full fontanels, and hepatic failure. Conclusion: Consanguineous marriage is a major cause of inheritance of the disease in Iran. The number of familial marriage in children’s parents was very high. Screening should be executed for all of the families with a history of Galactosemia in Iran. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first large study report on the prevalence of Galactosemia in Iran.
Depolarization-Induced Long-Term Depression at Hippocampal Mossy Fiber-CA3 Pyramidal Neuron Synapses

Hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons receive two types of excitatory afferent innervation: mossy fibers (MFs) from granule cells of the dentate gyrus and recurrent collateral fibers (CFs) from other CA3 pyramidal neurons. At CF–CA3 pyramidal neuron synapses, membrane depolarization paired with low (0.33 Hz) presynaptic stimulation generated a heterogeneous response that ranged from long-term potentiation (LTP), long-term depression (LTD), to no alteration of synaptic strength. However, the same induction paradigm applied at MF–CA3 pyramidal neuron synapses consistently induced LTD. This novel form of LTD was independent of NMDARs, mGluRs, cannabinoid receptors, opioid receptors, or coincident synaptic activity, but was dependent on postsynaptic Ca2+ elevation through L-type Ca2+ channels and release from inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor-sensitive intracellular stores. Ca2+ imaging of both proximal and distal CA3 pyramidal neuron dendrites demonstrated that the depolarizing induction paradigm differentially elevated intracellular Ca2+ levels. L-type Ca2+ channel activation was observed only at the most proximal locations where mossy fibers make synapses. Depolarization-induced LTD did not occlude the conventional 1 Hz-induced LTD or vice versa, suggesting independent mechanisms underlie each form of plasticity. The paired-pulse ratio and coefficient of variation of synaptic transmission were unchanged after LTD induction, suggesting that the expression locus of LTD is postsynaptic. Moreover, peak-scaled nonstationary variance analysis indicated that depolarization-induced LTD correlated with a reduction in postsynaptic AMPA receptor numbers without a change in AMPA receptor conductance. Our results suggest that this novel form of LTD is selectively expressed at proximal dendritic locations closely associated with L-type Ca2+ channels.
Control of growth and gut maturation by HoxD genes and the associated lncRNA Haglr

Significance During development, transcription factors are necessary not only to pattern the body plan but also to control growth. However, the link between these two developmental components has been difficult to establish. Hox genes are involved in the emergence of a functional digestive system in metazoans, thus providing a potential impact on growth through nutrition. Also, genetic conditions involving these genes lead to important growth retardation. We analyzed several targeted mutant lines at the HoxD locus and found that stunted phenotypes can all be explained by the lack of function of Hoxd3, whose role seems to be critical in the developing gut of suckling mice, perhaps as an adaptation to the milk-dependent early postnatal period in mammals. During embryonic development, Hox genes participate in the building of a functional digestive system in metazoans, and genetic conditions involving these genes lead to important, sometimes lethal, growth retardation. Recently, this phenotype was obtained after deletion of Haglr, the Hoxd antisense growth-associated long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) located between Hoxd1 and Hoxd3. In this study, we have analyzed the function of Hoxd genes in delayed growth trajectories by looking at several nested targeted deficiencies of the mouse HoxD cluster. Mutant pups were severely stunted during the suckling period, but many recovered after weaning. After comparing seven distinct HoxD alleles, including CRISPR/Cas9 deletions involving Haglr, we identified Hoxd3 as the critical component for the gut to maintain milk-digestive competence. This essential function could be abrogated by the dominant-negative effect of HOXD10 as shown by a genetic rescue approach, thus further illustrating the importance of posterior prevalence in Hox gene function. A role for the lncRNA Haglr in the control of postnatal growth could not be corroborated.
Generating Test Cases for Android Applications through GUI Modeling, Usage Modeling, and Change Analysis

The popularity of Android applications (apps) has grown significantly in the last decade. These apps typically have short time-to-market release which may imply lesser time to check the quality of application particularly in the testing phase. Numerous test automation techniques have already been studied, implemented, and evaluated. However, such techniques did not consider the user's behavior towards the app as well as the frequently changing nature of apps. In this paper, we propose an approach to test case generation, which consists of 1) GUI modeling; 2) Usage modeling through app usage analysis; and 3) Change analysis of newer version of Android apps. Our goal is to reduce testing effort by generating an effective test suite using automated and manual techniques and supporting the evolution of Android apps.
Resurfacing THA for Patients Younger Than 50 Years: Results of 2- to 9-year Followup

Resurfacing THA is an attractive treatment option for young patients because it saves the femoral head and is easily revisable. We assessed the clinical outcome of metal-on-metal hybrid total hip resurfacing for the treatment of 295 patients (350 hips) younger than 50 years of age (average, 41.2 years) and compared these results with those of patients 50 years or older (average, 57.4 years) at the time of surgery who were implanted with the same design. Seventy-five percent of the patients were male. The minimum followup was 2 years (mean 5.5 years; range 2-9 years). UCLA hip scores improved to 9.4 for pain; 9.6 for walking; 9.5 for function; and 7.6 for activity. We found no differences in survivorship between younger and older patients, and postoperative clinical scores related to the patients' physical health were comparable. There was no acetabular component loosening. Ten hips (2.8%) were revised for femoral aseptic loosening and one for femoral neck fracture. The 5-year survivorship of hips with good bone quality was 97.8%. There has been no femoral component loosening when the femoral stems were cemented irrespective of bone quality. Metal-on-metal resurfacing THA performs well at short to midterm followup in young, active adults despite high activity levels.Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective comparative study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
When is a Face a Face? Schematic Faces, Emotion, Attention and the N170

Emotional facial expressions provide important non-verbal cues as to the imminent behavioural intentions of a second party. Hence, within emotion science the processing of faces (emotional or otherwise) has been at the forefront of research. Notably, however, such research has led to a number of debates including the ecological validity of utilising schematic faces in emotion research, and the face-selectively of N170. In order to investigate these issues, we explored the extent to which N170 is modulated by schematic faces, emotional expression and/or selective attention. Eighteen participants completed a three-stimulus oddball paradigm with two scrambled faces as the target and standard stimuli (counter-balanced across participants), and schematic angry, happy and neutral faces as the oddball stimuli. Results revealed that the magnitude of the N170 associated with the target stimulus was: (i) significantly greater than that elicited by the standard stimulus, (ii) comparable with the N170 elicited by the neutral and happy schematic face stimuli, and (iii) significantly reduced compared to the N170 elicited by the angry schematic face stimulus. These findings extend current literature by demonstrating N170 can be modulated by events other than those associated with structural face encoding; i.e. here, the act of labelling a stimulus a ‘target’ to attend to modulated the N170 response. Additionally, the observation that schematic faces demonstrate similar N170 responses to those recorded for real faces and, akin to real faces, angry schematic faces demonstrated heightened N170 responses, suggests caution should be taken before disregarding schematic facial stimuli in emotion processing research per se.
Intervening with fathers in the context of intimate partner violence: An analysis of ten programs and suggestions for a research agenda

ABSTRACT Clinical and scientific initiatives focused on fathers who exhibit violent and abusive behavior in the context of domestic violence have proliferated since 2000. The objective of this article is to review current intervention practices designed for violent fathers, to provide a critical analysis of the current intervention trends, and to identify research directions. Results reveal two main categories of objectives of programs intended for these fathers: (1) increasing accountability and empathy while decreasing violence; and (2) fostering positive fathering and father-child relationship. Ten programs targeting violent fathers using different intervention approaches (e.g., group intervention, family therapy) are identified and described. Finally, we discuss challenges related to research (i.e., program evaluation) and practice (i.e., co-parenting) that researchers, facilitators, and service providers need to address in order to preserve the safety and well-being of children, mothers, and fathers.