Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of transsynaptic viral labeling of central nervous system structures from the uterine horn in virgin, pregnant, and lactating rats

Using the transneuronal viral tracing method, the central nervous system (CNS) connections of the uterine horn were studied in virgin, pregnant, and in lactating rats. The frequency of viral labeling in the brain and the distribution of virus‐infected neurons from the uterine horn were compared among groups. There was a marked difference in the frequency of viral labeling in the brain stem. In virgin rats more than half of the brain stems (5 out of 9) were labeled. In contrast, in pregnant animals viral‐labeled neurons were detected in only a few cases (3 out of 16) and almost each brain stem of the lactating group was labeled (12 out of 13). A similar, less marked difference was observed in the hypothalamus. The pattern of distribution of infected neurons was similar in each group. In the brain stem, the nucleus of the solitary tract, dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, area postrema, gigantocellular and paragigantocellular nucleus, ventrolateral medulla, A5 cell group, and caudal raphe nuclei were the most frequently labeled structures. In the diencephalon, viral‐infected neurons were detected primarily in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. The telencephalon was devoid of infected cells. Data suggest that the CNS control of the uterine horn varies depending on reproductive status. The low frequency of brain labeling in pregnant rats may be related to the almost complete lack of sympathetic fibers in the uterus prior to parturition and the very high frequency of labeling in lactating animals to the postpartum hyperinnervation of the uterus. Microsc. Res. Tech. 63:244–252, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Comparison of three incisions to repair complete unilateral cleft lip.

BACKGROUND The incision design for correcting a unilateral cleft lip is important because all subsequent stages of surgery depend on the access and maneuverability of the incision. This prospective cohort study compares the aesthetic and functional outcomes of three different skin incisions for primary unilateral cleft lip repair. METHODS Patients with complete unilateral cleft lips (n = 1200) were enrolled and divided into three groups of 400 patients. Each group of patients was operated on with the Millard incision, Pfeifer wave line incision, or Afroze incision. Outcome assessments were performed 2 years postoperatively and consisted of assessment of the white roll, vermilion border, scar, Cupid's bow, lip length, nostril symmetry, and appearance of alar dome and base. RESULTS With regard to white roll, vermilion border, scar, Cupid's bow, and lip length, the Afroze incision always gave superior results compared with the Millard or Pfeifer incision. Depending on the cut-off for treatment success, the Afroze incision also showed better results regarding nostril symmetry. With respect to the alar base and alar dome, all three incisions showed comparable outcomes. CONCLUSION The Afroze incision is superior regarding a broad spectrum of outcomes in a heterogeneous population of patients with unilateral cleft lip.
Color Reproduction Quality Metric on Printing Images Based on the S-CIELAB Model

The just-perceived color difference in a pair of printing images, the reproduction and its original, has been confirmed, subjectively by a paired-comparison psychological experiment and objectively by the S-CIELAB color quality metric. For one color image, a total number of 53 pairs of test images, simulating a number of varieties in C, M, Y, and K ink amounts, were produced, and determined their corresponding color difference recognizing probabilities by visual paired-comparison. Also, the image color difference Delta Es values, presented in the S-CIELAB model, for each pairs of images were calculated and correlated with their color difference recognizing probability. The results showed that the just-perceived image color difference Delta Es, when 0.9 color difference recognizing probability being considered as the just-perceived level, was about 1.4 Delta Eab units for the experiment image, being the image color fidelity threshold parameter.
Chronic Pelvic Pain in Women *

CASE VII. A young man developed a brawny fluctuating swelling of the left upper eyelid, ptosis and downward displacement of the eyeball. A nodule was palpable over the right parietal eminence. Nothing abnormal was seen on rhinoscopy. Temperature 990 F. , pulse 108. Recently there had been intense headaches culminating in brief periods of unconsciousness. No other relevant history was obtained, though it is perhaps proper to mention that sclerocorneal trephining operations for buphthalmos had been performed on both eyes. X-ray examination showed perios,titis of the frontal bone with absence or complete obliteration of the left frontal sinus. An exploratory incision revealed the state of affairs to which the small parietal nodule was the real clue. Intravenous treatment was commenced; the Wassermann reaction was strongly positive. The condition subsided under treatment.
Plasma Angiotensins and Blood Pressure During Converting Enzyme Inhibition

The relationship between plasma angiotensin and the reduction of blood pressure with the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor enalapril was studied in rats. Blood pressure was measured in conscious rats with indwelling arterial catheters. To measure angiotensin II, plasma was analyzed by physical separation of angiotensins using high performance liquid chromatography followed by radioimmunoassay. The effects of both single (acute) and long-term (chronic) dosages of enalapril were measured. After a single oral dose of enalapril (10 mg/kg), mean arterial pressure fell from 111 ± 3 to 86 ± 3 nun Hg (p < 0.005). Despite the blood pressure reduction, plasma angiotensin II was unaffected (control, 9.9 ± 1.8 vs 9.7 ±1.1 pg/ml). After a higher single oral dose of enalapril (30 mg/kg), there was a reduction in both mean arterial pressure (81 ± 5 mm Hg, p < 0.005) and plasma angiotensin II concentration (2.3 ± 0.6 pg/ml, p < 0.01). The chronic effects of converting enzyme inhibition were evaluated in rats given enalapril in their drinking water (30 mg/kg/24 hr) for 1 week or 2 months. Mean arterial pressure remained equally low after chronic administration (for 1 week or 2 months), but plasma angiotensin II increased above normal (after 1 week, 28.9 ±8.7, p < 0.01 vs control; after 2 months, 43.1 ± 16.2 pg/ml, p < 0.05 vs control). Although plasma angiotensin converting enzyme activity was undetectable at any time after enalapril administration, there was a partial return of the angiotensin I pressor response with chronic administration. The data are most compatible with actions of converting enzyme inhibitors independent of the blockade of plasma angiotensin II formation.
Deletion of the WD40 Domain of LRRK2 in Zebrafish Causes Parkinsonism-Like Loss of Neurons and Locomotive Defect

LRRK2 plays an important role in Parkinson's disease (PD), but its biological functions are largely unknown. Here, we cloned the homolog of human LRRK2, characterized its expression, and investigated its biological functions in zebrafish. The blockage of zebrafish LRRK2 (zLRRK2) protein by morpholinos caused embryonic lethality and severe developmental defects such as growth retardation and loss of neurons. In contrast, the deletion of the WD40 domain of zLRRK2 by morpholinos targeting splicing did not induce severe embryonic developmental defects; rather it caused Parkinsonism-like phenotypes, including loss of dopaminergic neurons in diencephalon and locomotion defects. These neurodegenerative and locomotion defects could be rescued by over-expressing zLRRK2 or hLRRK2 mRNA. The administration of L-dopa could also rescue the locomotion defects, but not the neurodegeneration. Taken together, our results demonstrate that zLRRK2 is an ortholog of hLRRK2 and that the deletion of WD40 domain of zLRRK2 provides a disease model for PD.
Genetic influences on premature parturition in an Australian twin sample

Abstract We investigated possible genetic influences on women's liability to preterm birth, using data from a large sample of Australian female twin pairs. In a 1988–90 questionnaire survey, both members of 905 parous twin pairs (579 monozygotic and 326 dizygotic) reported on whether deliveries had been more than two weeks preterm. Tetrachoric twin pair correlations for first birth were rMZ = 0.20 ± 0.11 and rDZ = −0.03 ± 0.14, and for any birth were rMZ = 0.30 ± 0.08 and rDZ = 0.03 ± 0.11. Best-fitting models to data contained only additive genetic influences and individual environmental effects. Heritability was 17% for preterm delivery in first pregnancy, and 27% for preterm delivery in any pregnancy. In the former case, however, we could not reject a model without genetic influences. Although our data did not allow for differentiation of the varying aetiologies of premature parturition, results from this exploratory analysis suggest that further investigation of genetic influences on specific reasons for preterm birth is warranted. Twin Research (2000) 3, 80–82.
The speech gene FOXP2 is not imprinted

The Forkhead-box protein P2 ( FOXP2 ) was the first gene to be linked to an inherited form of speech and language disorder, described as developmental verbal dyspraxia (DVD). 1 In this study a point mutation was described in a three generation ‘KE’ family displaying autosomal dominant inheritance, while an unrelated but similar patient ‘CS’, had a translocation breakpoint at the same locus1. A subsequent report, described a series of patients with chromosomal anomalies involving FOXP2 that were inherited with parent specific origins. Although unconfirmed, this data strongly suggested that FOXP2 was likely to be maternally imprinted and therefore paternally expressed.2 Subsequently, these findings have been described as evidence supporting a theoretical role for imprinting in the evolution of language.3 DVD reflects impaired selection and sequencing of the orofacial muscle movements required for correctly articulating speech. Affected individuals have inherent problems with linguistic and grammatical processing, struggling to pronounce words, sounds and syllables correctly. FOXP2 is a transcriptional repressor that is widely distributed in the fetal and adult brain (as well as other tissues) where it is thought to regulate the expression of genes in the cortical, basal ganglia and cerebellar circuits.4 This gene has been of huge interest with evidence suggesting that evolutionary selection of FOXP2 has taken place in the human to …
February precipitation in the wintering grounds of the lesser whitethroat, Sylvia curruca: is it a cue for migration onset?

Numerous studies report shifts in bird migration phenology, presumably owing to global warming. However, most studies focus on migration patterns in the Northern Hemisphere. In this study, we investigated associations between weather conditions in African wintering grounds of the lesser whitethroat, Sylvia curruca, and spring arrival time in Eilat, Israel. Using multivariate regression models, we analysed a 30-year dataset in order to examine correlations between median springtime arrival and 46 climate variables of the wintering quarters. The model obtained exhibited a highly statistical fit, involving mean precipitation in February and March with negative effects and number of wet days during November–February. February precipitation levels were also the major factor associated with the interquartile range of arrival time. Interestingly and contrary to published results, annual or seasonal precipitation showed no correlation with spring arrival time, nor did temperature. Moreover, winter in this region falls into dry season with negligible rainfall quantities. Hence, it is unlikely that precipitation effect on habitat productivity is a driving force of migration, as suggested by other studies. Instead, we propose that precipitation in February acts as a cue for the birds, indicating the approach of spring and migration time.
Development of a psychological test to measure ability-based emotional intelligence in the Indonesian workplace using an item response theory

This study aimed to develop an emotional intelligence (EI) test that is suitable to the Indonesian workplace context. Airlangga Emotional Intelligence Test (Tes Kecerdasan Emosi Airlangga [TKEA]) was designed to measure three EI domains: 1) emotional appraisal, 2) emotional recognition, and 3) emotional regulation. TKEA consisted of 120 items with 40 items for each subset. TKEA was developed based on the Situational Judgment Test (SJT) approach. To ensure its psychometric qualities, categorical confirmatory factor analysis (CCFA) and item response theory (IRT) were applied to test its validity and reliability. The study was conducted on 752 participants, and the results showed that test information function (TIF) was 3.414 (ability level = 0) for subset 1, 12.183 for subset 2 (ability level = −2), and 2.398 for subset 3 (level of ability = −2). It is concluded that TKEA performs very well to measure individuals with a low level of EI ability. It is worth to note that TKEA is currently at the development stage; therefore, in this study, we investigated TKEA’s item analysis and dimensionality test of each TKEA subset.
Flow balancing in die design of wood flour/HDPE composite extrusion profiles with consideration of rheological effect

This article presents an experimental study on the flow balance of an extrusion die for various wood flour (WF)/high-density polyethylene (HDPE) compositions. Flow balancing, in the design of a thermoplastic extrusion die, is dependent on the material rheological properties so that a change in the material, in some cases, may result in a total redesign of the die. To investigate the importance of this particular effect, the flow balance of an extrusion die, with a U-shaped profile having uneven wall thicknesses, was undertaken. The main feature of the die was an adjustable restrictor implemented for fine balancing similar to that employed in the slit dies. The rheological influence of wood plastic composites (WPCs) on the flow balance of the die via loading various WF contents, 40, 60, and 70% by weight, was experimentally investigated; flow balancing was performed via varying the height of the restrictor bar. Interestingly, the results showed that, for a high WF content (above 60%), the issue of flow balancing for an uneven wall thickness profile is much less complicated because of the plug flow behavior of the composite. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2010. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers
Rituximab-associated immune myelopathy.

Rose et al recently reported a case of agranulocytosis following autologous transplantation for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma after in vivo purging with rituximab. [1][1] Agranulocytosis developed on day 122 after transplantation after prompt trilineage engraftment; the bone marrow (BM) was
Social mixing patterns in rural and urban areas of southern China

A dense population, global connectivity and frequent human–animal interaction give southern China an important role in the spread and emergence of infectious disease. However, patterns of person-to-person contact relevant to the spread of directly transmitted infections such as influenza remain poorly quantified in the region. We conducted a household-based survey of travel and contact patterns among urban and rural populations of Guangdong, China. We measured the character and distance from home of social encounters made by 1821 individuals. Most individuals reported 5–10 h of contact with around 10 individuals each day; however, both distributions have long tails. The distribution of distance from home at which contacts were made is similar: most were within a kilometre of the participant's home, while some occurred further than 500 km away. Compared with younger individuals, older individuals made fewer contacts which tended to be closer to home. There was strong assortativity in age-based contact rates. We found no difference between the total number or duration of contacts between urban and rural participants, but urban participants tended to make contacts closer to home. These results can improve mathematical models of infectious disease emergence, spread and control in southern China and throughout the region.
In situ neutron diffraction during tensile straining of fine grained ferrite - pearlite steel

Abstract In situ neutron diffraction during tensile deformation was performed on a steel with ferrite grain size 3.6 μm, which was close to the achievable minimum size for a ferrite - pearlite structure. The lattice plane strain, microstrain related to dislocation density, and the size of coherently diffracting blocks related to dislocation cell size were determined from the profile analysis of (110) diffraction spectra, as a function of the applied stress. The change in lattice plane strain revealed that grain refining strongly influences 'grain to grain yielding' behaviour with respect to Luders deformation. The increase in dislocation density estimated in the uniformly extending regime was similar to that observed in another specimen with ferrite grain size 46.2 μm.
Singularity-Consistent Parameterization of Robot Motion and Control

The inverse kinematics problem is formulated as a parameterized autonomous dynamical system problem, and respective analysis is carried out. It is shown that a singular point of work space can be mapped either as a critical or a noncritical point of the autonomous system, depending on the direction of approach to the singular point. Making use of the noncritical mapping, a closed-loop kinematic controller with asymptotic stability and velocity limits along degenerate singular or near-singular paths is designed. The authors introduce a specific type of motion along the reference path, the so-called natural motion. This type of motion is obtained in a straightforward manner from the autonomous dynamical system and always satisfies the motion constraint at a singular point. In the vicinity of the singular point, natural motion slows down the end-effector speed and keeps the joint velocity bounded. Thus, no special trajectory replanning will be required. In addition, the singular manifold can be crossed, if necessary. Further on, it is shown that natural motion constitutes an integrable motion component. The remaining, nonintegrable motion component is shown to be helpful in solving a problem related to the critical point mapping of the autonomous system. The authors design a singularity-consistent resolved acceleration controller, which they then apply to singular or near-singular trajectory tracking under torque limits. Finally, the authors compare the main features of the singularity-consistent method and the damped-least-squares method. It is shown that both methods introduce a so-called algorithmic error in the vicinity of a singular point. The direction of this error is, however, different in each method. This is shown to play an important role for system stability.
Highly unsaturated n-3 fatty acids status of Canadian Inuit: International Polar Year Inuit Health Survey, 2007–2008

Objectives. Previous studies suggest that dietary patterns and the extent of reliance upon traditional food vary among Inuit communities. Inuit traditional foods are an important source of nutrients such as highly unsaturated n-3 fatty acids (HUFA n-3), whose beneficial effects include protection against ischemic heart disease. Dietary transition is occurring with younger generations consuming less traditional foods and more market foods with low nutrient density. Utilizing erythrocyte membrane fatty acid composition as an indicator of body HUFA n-3 status, which reflects dietary intake levels of traditional Inuit foods, we explored the regional and age variability of highly unsaturated n-3 fatty acids (HUFA n-3) in the International Polar Year Inuit Health Survey. Study design. Cross-sectional health survey. Methods. Participants were recruited through random sampling of households. Fatty acid data were available among 2,200 adults (≥18 yr). Results. HUFA n-3 levels in the Eastern Arctic were significantly higher than in the Western Arctic, with Nunatsiavut (northern Labrador) and Baffin showing the highest HUFA n-3 status compared to Kivalliq, Kitikmeot and Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR) (p&0.0001). Fatty acid proportion in erythrocyte membranes showed pronounced differences between coastal communities and inland communities, including a higher HUFA n-3 status among the coastal communities (p&0.0001). Additionally, the HUFA n-3 status showed a strong positive association with age, particularly in Baffin and Kivalliq. HUFA n-3 were inversely associated with saturated (β=-0.98 [SE=0.03], R2=0.36, p&0.0001) and trans fatty acids (β=-0.06 [SE=0.004], R2=0.07, p&0.0001). Conclusions. The present study results provided biochemical support for varying dietary patterns and dietary transition among Inuit across the Canadian Arctic. The analyses also suggested multifactorial determinants of HUFA n-3 status among Canadian Arctic Inuit. A nutritional intervention strategy with multiple approaches may be needed to improve and maintain their HUFA n-3 status.
Does a solitary lobar collapse give pressure–lung volume relationship similar to that found in acute respiratory distress syndrome? A porcine experimental study

Background: The underlying pathophysiology causing different shapes of static pressure–lung volume (PV) curves is not fully elucidated. In this study the aim was to examine the influence of a solitary lobar collapse on inflation–deflation PV curves. The hypothesis was that a lobar collapse would induce the same changes in the PV‐curve as those found in experimental acute lung injury (ALI) and in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
The influence of organizational factors on patient safety: Examining successful handoffs in health care.

BACKGROUND Although patient handoffs have been extensively studied, they continue to be problematic. Studies have shown poor handoffs are associated with increased costs, morbidity, and mortality. No prior research compared perceptions of management and clinical staff regarding handoffs. PURPOSE Our aims were (a) to determine whether perceptions of organizational factors that can influence patient safety are positively associated with perceptions of successful patient handoffs, (b) to identify organizational factors that have the greatest influence on perceptions of successful handoffs, and (c) to determine whether associations between perceptions of these factors and successful handoffs differ for management and clinical staff. METHODOLOGY/APPROACH A total of 515,637 respondents from 1,052 hospitals completed the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture that assessed perceptions about organizational factors that influence patient safety. Using weighted least squares multiple regression, we tested seven organizational factors as predictors of successful handoffs. We fit three separate models using data collected from (a) all staff, (b) management only, and (c) clinical staff only. FINDINGS We found that perceived teamwork across units was the most significant predictor of perceived successful handoffs. Perceptions of staffing and management support for safety were also significantly associated with perceived successful handoffs for both management and clinical staff. For management respondents, perceptions of organizational learning or continuous improvement had a significant positive association with perceived successful handoffs, whereas the association was negative for clinical staff. Perceived communication openness had a significant association only among clinical staff. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Hospitals should prioritize teamwork across units and strive to improve communication across the organization in efforts to improve handoffs. In addition, hospitals should ensure sufficient staffing and management support for patient safety. Different perceptions between management and clinical staff with respect to the importance of organizational learning are noteworthy and merit additional study.