Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electron Microscopy of Dural and Arachnoid Disruptions After Subarachnoid Block

Background It has been customary to attribute postdural puncture headache (PDPH) incidence and severity to size and nature of the dural hole produced during major neuraxial blockade or diagnostic dural puncture. Needle orientation in relation to the direction of dural fibers was thought to be of importance because of the propensity for horizontal bevel placement to cause cutting rather than splitting of the dural fibers. Methods In vitro punctures of stringently quality-controlled human dural sac specimens were obtained with 27-gauge (27G) Whitacre needle (n = 33), with 29G Quincke used parallel to the spinal axis (n = 30), and with 29G Quincke in perpendicular approach (n = 40). The samples were studied with a scanning electron microscope, and the perimeter, appearance, and area (%) of the lesion were calculated. Results When using small 27G to 29G needles, neither needle tip characteristics nor needle orientation had a substantial bearing on the damage to dural fibers in the dural lesion. Of ultimate importance was the characteristic and size of the hole in the arachnoid. Arachnoid layer lesions produced by different types of spinal needles were not markedly different. Conclusions Accepted theories of the etiology of PDPH need to be revised. This article marks the first time that arachnoid layer damage has been quantified. Dural fibers tend to have sufficient “memory” to close back the hole created by a spinal needle, whereas arachnoid has diminished capacity to do so. The pathogenesis of PDPH and its resolution algorithm are a far more complex process that involves many more “stages” of development than hitherto imagined.
Community Structure of Skipper Butterflies (Lepidoptera, Hesperiidae) along Elevational Gradients in Brazilian Atlantic Forest Reflects Vegetation Type Rather than Altitude

Species turnover across elevational gradients has matured into an important paradigm of community ecology. Here, we tested whether ecological and phylogenetic structure of skipper butterfly assemblages is more strongly structured according to altitude or vegetation type along three elevation gradients of moderate extent in Serra do Mar, Southern Brazil. Skippers were surveyed along three different mountain transects, and data on altitude and vegetation type of every collection site were recorded. NMDS ordination plots were used to assess community turnover and the influence of phylogenetic distance between species on apparent community patterns. Ordinations based on ecological similarity (Bray-Curtis index) were compared to those based on phylogenetic distance measures (MPD and MNTD) derived from a supertree. In the absence of a well-resolved phylogeny, various branch length transformation methods were applied together with four different null models, aiming to assess if results were confounded by low-resolution trees. Species composition as well as phylogenetic community structure of skipper butterflies were more prominently related to vegetation type instead of altitude per se. Phylogenetic distances reflected spatial community patterns less clearly than species composition, but revealed a more distinct fauna of monocot feeders associated with grassland habitats, implying that historical factors have played a fundamental role in shaping species composition across elevation gradients. Phylogenetic structure of community turned out to be a relevant additional tool which was even superior to identify faunal contrasts between forest and grassland habitats related to deep evolutionary splits. Since endemic skippers tend to occur in grassland habitats in the Serra do Mar, inclusion of phylogenetic diversity may also be important for conservation decisions.
Allele Frequencies of Variants in Ultra Conserved Elements Identify Selective Pressure on Transcription Factor Binding

Ultra-conserved genes or elements (UCGs/UCEs) in the human genome are extreme examples of conservation. We characterized natural variations in 2884 UCEs and UCGs in two distinct populations; Singaporean Chinese (n = 280) and Italian (n = 501) by using a pooled sample, targeted capture, sequencing approach. We identify, with high confidence, in these regions the abundance of rare SNVs (MAF<0.5%) of which 75% is not present in dbSNP137. UCEs association studies for complex human traits can use this information to model expected background variation and thus necessary power for association studies. By combining our data with 1000 Genome Project data, we show in three independent datasets that prevalent UCE variants (MAF>5%) are more often found in relatively less-conserved nucleotides within UCEs, compared to rare variants. Moreover, prevalent variants are less likely to overlap transcription factor binding site. Using SNPfold we found no significant influence of RNA secondary structure on UCE conservation. All together, these results suggest UCEs are not under selective pressure as a stretch of DNA but are under differential evolutionary pressure on the single nucleotide level.
Geometry induced sequence of nanoscale Frank–Kasper and quasicrystal mesophases in giant surfactants

Significance How far can we push self-assembly toward unusual nanostructures? Frank–Kasper and quasicrystal phases represent unconventional phases of ordered spheroids originally identified in metal alloys. We report that Frank–Kasper and quasicrystal phases and their transition sequence are observed in one-component giant surfactants by introducing variations in molecular geometry. Both X-ray scattering and electron microscopy techniques are used to identify the self-assembled nanostructures. Combining molecular dynamics simulations, we attribute the appearance of these phases to molecular geometry as a result of tail number variation. Our findings lay the foundation for rational design of unconventional soft-matter phases and for exploiting them for unusual properties and functions. Frank–Kasper (F-K) and quasicrystal phases were originally identified in metal alloys and only sporadically reported in soft materials. These unconventional sphere-packing schemes open up possibilities to design materials with different properties. The challenge in soft materials is how to correlate complex phases built from spheres with the tunable parameters of chemical composition and molecular architecture. Here, we report a complete sequence of various highly ordered mesophases by the self-assembly of specifically designed and synthesized giant surfactants, which are conjugates of hydrophilic polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane cages tethered with hydrophobic polystyrene tails. We show that the occurrence of these mesophases results from nanophase separation between the heads and tails and thus is critically dependent on molecular geometry. Variations in molecular geometry achieved by changing the number of tails from one to four not only shift compositional phase boundaries but also stabilize F-K and quasicrystal phases in regions where simple phases of spheroidal micelles are typically observed. These complex self-assembled nanostructures have been identified by combining X-ray scattering techniques and real-space electron microscopy images. Brownian dynamics simulations based on a simplified molecular model confirm the architecture-induced sequence of phases. Our results demonstrate the critical role of molecular architecture in dictating the formation of supramolecular crystals with “soft” spheroidal motifs and provide guidelines to the design of unconventional self-assembled nanostructures.
What Can Parents Do? Examining the Role of Parental Support on the Negative Relationship Among Racial Discrimination, Depression, and Drug Use Among African American Youth

African American youth who experience racial discrimination are at heightened risk to use drugs as a coping response to distress. Based on the buffer-stress hypothesis, we proposed that parental support would attenuate this effect. Participants were 1,521 African American youth between 4th and 12th grade. As hypothesized, a mediation pathway was observed among racial discrimination, depression symptoms, and drug use. This effect was observed for both genders, although the pathway was partially mediated for males. In addition, as hypothesized, parental support buffered the negative effect of depression symptomatology on drug use as a consequence of discrimination. Our findings highlight the impact racial discrimination has on health outcomes for African American youth and the importance of managing youths’ emotional responses to discrimination. Moreover, findings illuminate the protective role of supportive parenting within the risk model and should thus be considered as an important component within prevention programming for this population of youth.
Using Multi-Compartment Ensemble Modeling As an Investigative Tool of Spatially Distributed Biophysical Balances: Application to Hippocampal Oriens-Lacunosum/Moleculare (O-LM) Cells

Multi-compartmental models of neurons provide insight into the complex, integrative properties of dendrites. Because it is not feasible to experimentally determine the exact density and kinetics of each channel type in every neuronal compartment, an essential goal in developing models is to help characterize these properties. To address biological variability inherent in a given neuronal type, there has been a shift away from using hand-tuned models towards using ensembles or populations of models. In collectively capturing a neuron's output, ensemble modeling approaches uncover important conductance balances that control neuronal dynamics. However, conductances are never entirely known for a given neuron class in terms of its types, densities, kinetics and distributions. Thus, any multi-compartment model will always be incomplete. In this work, our main goal is to use ensemble modeling as an investigative tool of a neuron's biophysical balances, where the cycling between experiment and model is a design criterion from the start. We consider oriens-lacunosum/moleculare (O-LM) interneurons, a prominent interneuron subtype that plays an essential gating role of information flow in hippocampus. O-LM cells express the hyperpolarization-activated current (I h). Although dendritic I h could have a major influence on the integrative properties of O-LM cells, the compartmental distribution of I h on O-LM dendrites is not known. Using a high-performance computing cluster, we generated a database of models that included those with or without dendritic I h. A range of conductance values for nine different conductance types were used, and different morphologies explored. Models were quantified and ranked based on minimal error compared to a dataset of O-LM cell electrophysiological properties. Co-regulatory balances between conductances were revealed, two of which were dependent on the presence of dendritic I h. These findings inform future experiments that differentiate between somatic and dendritic I h, thereby continuing a cycle between model and experiment.
Volumetric and Fatty Infiltration Imbalance of Deep Paravertebral Muscles in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Background Several studies have described the differences in electromyographic activity and histological changes of paravertebral muscles in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). However, there is little knowledge about the muscle volumetric and fatty infiltration imbalance of patients with AIS. Material/Methods Thirty-four patients with AIS were evaluated with standardized anteroposterior (AP) and lateral standing films for the location and direction of the apex of scoliosis, coronal Cobb angle, apex vertebra translation, and thoracic kyphosis; and with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the spine at the level of T4–L1. The muscle volume and fatty infiltration rate of bilateral deep paravertebral muscles at the level of upper end, apex, and lower end vertebra were measured. Results All patients had major thoracic curve with apex of curves on the right side. The muscle volume on the convex side was larger relative to the concave side at the three levels, while the fatty infiltration rate was significantly higher on the concave side. The difference index of the muscle volume was significantly larger at the apex vertebra level than at the upper end vertebra level (p=0.002) or lower end vertebra level (p<0.001). The difference index of muscle volume correlated with apex vertebra translation (r=−0.749, p=0.032), and the difference index of fatty involution correlated with apex vertebra translation (r=0.727, p=0.041) and Cobb angle (r=0.866, p=0.005). Conclusions Our findings demonstrated significant imbalance of muscle volume and fatty infiltration in deep paravertebral muscles of AIS patients. Moreover, these changes affected different vertebra levels, with the most imbalance of muscle volume at the apex vertebra. We interpreted this as morphological changes corresponding with known altered muscle function of AIS.
The Future of Emotion Regulation Research

Emotion regulation has been conceptualized as a process by which individuals modify their emotional experiences, expressions, and physiology and the situations eliciting such emotions in order to produce appropriate responses to the ever-changing demands posed by the environment. Thus, context plays a central role in emotion regulation. This is particularly relevant to the work on emotion regulation in psychopathology, because psychological disorders are characterized by rigid responses to the environment. However, this recognition of the importance of context has appeared primarily in the theoretical realm, with the empirical work lagging behind. In this review, the author proposes an approach to systematically evaluate the contextual factors shaping emotion regulation. Such an approach consists of specifying the components that characterize emotion regulation and then systematically evaluating deviations within each of these components and their underlying dimensions. Initial guidelines for how to combine such dimensions and components in order to capture substantial and meaningful contextual influences are presented. This approach is offered to inspire theoretical and empirical work that it is hoped will result in the development of a more nuanced and sophisticated understanding of the relationship between context and emotion regulation.
Speed of Language Comprehension at 18 Months Old Predicts School-Relevant Outcomes at 54 Months Old in Children Born Preterm

Objective: Identifying which preterm (PT) children are at increased risk of language and learning differences increases opportunities for participation in interventions that improve outcomes. Speed in spoken language comprehension at early stages of language development requires information processing skills that may form the foundation for later language and school-relevant skills. In children born full-term, speed of comprehending words in an eye-tracking task at 2 years old predicted language and nonverbal cognition at 8 years old. Here, we explore the extent to which speed of language comprehension at 1.5 years old predicts both verbal and nonverbal outcomes at 4.5 years old in children born PT. Method: Participants were children born PT (n = 47; ⩽32 weeks gestation). Children were tested in the “looking-while-listening” task at 18 months old, adjusted for prematurity, to generate a measure of speed of language comprehension. Parent report and direct assessments of language were also administered. Children were later retested on a test battery of school-relevant skills at 4.5 years old. Results: Speed of language comprehension at 18 months old predicted significant unique variance (12%–31%) in receptive vocabulary, global language abilities, and nonverbal intelligence quotient (IQ) at 4.5 years, controlling for socioeconomic status, gestational age, and medical complications of PT birth. Speed of language comprehension remained uniquely predictive (5%–12%) when also controlling for children's language skills at 18 months old. Conclusion: Individual differences in speed of spoken language comprehension may serve as a marker for neuropsychological processes that are critical for the development of school-relevant linguistic skills and nonverbal IQ in children born PT.
Trait emotional intelligence: behavioural validation in two studies of emotion recognition and reactivity to mood induction

This paper presents two experiments concerning trait emotional intelligence (‘trait EI’). In study 1, ten high and ten low trait EI individuals were selected from a sample of 85 persons to participate in a computerized experiment involving the recognition of morphed emotional expressions. As hypothesized, high trait EI participants were faster at identifying the expressions than their low trait EI counterparts. In study 2, trait EI scores from 102 persons were residualized on the Big Five and subsequently 15 high and 15 low trait EI individuals were selected to participate in a mood induction experiment. As hypothesized, high trait EI participants exhibited greater sensitivity to the mood induction procedure than their low trait EI counterparts. The findings are discussed in terms of the construct validity of trait EI, with particular emphasis on the issue of incremental validity vis‐à‐vis broad personality traits. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Theoretical and finite element studies of interfacial stresses in reinforced concrete beams strengthened by externally FRP laminates plate

Abstract The paper presents the results of an analytical and numerical solution for interfacial stresses in carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP)–reinforced concrete (RC) hybrid beams studied by the finite element method. The analytical analysis is based on the deformation compatibility approach where both the shear and normal stresses are assumed to be invariant across the adhesive layer thickness. The adherend shear deformations are taken into account by assuming a parabolic shear stress through the thickness of both the concrete beam and the bonded plate. In numerical analysis, the mesh sensitivity test shows that the finite element results for interfacial stresses are not sensitive to the finite element mesh. The finite element analysis then is used to calculate the interfacial stress distribution and evaluate the effect of the structural parameters on the interfacial behavior. It is shown that both the normal and shear stresses at the interface are influenced by the material and geometry parameters of the composite beam. Numerical results from the present analysis are presented both to demonstrate the advantages of the present solution over existing ones and to illustrate the main characteristics of interfacial stress distributions. We can conclude that this research is helpful for the understanding the mechanical behavior of the interface and design of the FRP–RC hybrid structures.
Calcium supplements - an overview

Calcium is an essential nutrient required for numerous biological functions. Considering the important role that calcium plays in bone health, it is necessary to take special care to reach the daily recommended calcium intake. This overview describes the factors that can influence calcium absorption, the methodologies used to evaluate calcium absorption, bioavailability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, different calcium salts as well as the best approach to optimize the intake of calcium.
Temperature Control of Physiological Dwarfing in Peach Seedlings

ONE of the key problems in germination physiology is the mechanism of embryo ‘dormancy’ or rest. One aspect of this problem is the physiological dwarfing which has been reported to occur in the seedlings of woody plants, especially of such commercial fruits as peaches. These seeds normally require an extended period of low-temperature after-ripening to permit germination. However, if the seed-coat is removed from non-after-ripened seeds germination occurs, but the shoots of such plants are abnormal with telescoped internodes and leaves which may be deformed or sometimes reduced to a rosette of white, scale-like appendages1,2; the exact symptoms are a varietal characteristic3. Low-temperature after-ripening of the seed or seedling is commonly reported to be essential to produce a normal plant.
Mathematical Modeling of Cartilage Regeneration in Cell-Seeded Scaffolds.

HAUGH, JANINE M. Mathematical Modeling of Cartilage Regeneration in CellSeeded Scaffolds. (Under the direction of Dr. Mansoor Haider). Articular cartilage is the hydrated orthopaedic soft tissue lining the surfaces of bones in diarthrodial joints such as the knee, shoulder and hip. Cartilage degeneration due to osteoarthritis or injury can lead to osteochondral defects in the cartilage layer. Tissue engineering applications based on chondrocyte-biomaterial systems have the potential to regenerate cartilage in a controlled environment, but the optimal combination of diverse factors required to successfully regenerate articular cartilage is not known. Two approaches to mathematical modeling of articular cartilage regeneration in cell-seeded scaffold materials are presented. First, a spatio-temporal PDE model that combines a level set approach with a system of reaction-diffusion equations is developed for modeling the local environment of a single chondrocyte in a scaffold material. This approach accounts for spatial variability in hydrogel scaffold density and degradation, and the associated changes in diffusivities through the scaffold and regenerated extracellular matrix (ECM). The diffusive quantities considered are nutrients and newly synthesized matrix, and the creation of linked ECM is represented by an evolving gel-tissue interface. The model is nondimensionalized and solutions are computed numerically via finite difference methods. A parametric analysis is performed to quantify the effects of model parameters on a regeneration time for a targeted volume of regenerated ECM. A possible model simplification is also presented, where the nutrient concentration is assumed to remain constant. Second, a phenomenological ODE model that differentiates the ECM into its collagen and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) constituents, as well as the linked and unlinked components of each is developed. This model is calibrated using experimental data by way of a nonlinear least squares approach, and a parametric analysis to quantify the effects of model parameters on a regeneration time for a targeted value of linked ECM is performed. For both modeling approaches, results focus on characterizing the relationships between scaffold design and regeneration times for accumulation of cellsynthesized ECM to aid in cartilage regeneration optimization in tissue engineering applications for chondrocyte-biomaterial systems. Mathematical Modeling of Cartilage Regeneration in Cell-Seeded Scaffolds