Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of age on click-evoked otoacoustic emission

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to investigate the changes of the total intensity of transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) and signal-to-noise ratio in various frequency bands as a function of aging, and to explore the role of age-related decline of cochlear outer hair cells. DATA SOURCES: The literature was searched using the PubMed database using ‘transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions’ as a keyword. Articles were limited as follows: Species was ‘Humans’; languages were ‘English and Chinese’; publication date between 1990-01-01 and 2010-12-31. The references of the found were also searched to obtain additional articles. DATA SELECTION: Inclusion criteria: (1) Articles should involve the total TEOAE level or signal-to-noise ratio. (2) The measurement and analysis system used was Otodynamics ILO analysis system (ILO88, ILO92, ILO96 or ILO292). (3) Studies involved groups of greater than 10 subjects and TEOAE results were from normally hearing ears. (4) If more papers from the same author or laboratory analyzed the same subjects, only one was used. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The correlations of the age scale with the total level and signal-to-noise ratio of TEOAE was determined, respectively. RESULTS: (1) TEOAE total level gradually increased until 2 months of age, and then decreased with increasing age. Significant negative correlations between total TEOAE level and age were found (r = –0.885, P = 0.000). (2) The most rapid decrease of TEOAE amplitude occurred at 1 year old. The total TEOAE level decreased about 4.25 dB SPL between 2 months to 1 year old, then about 0.26–0.52 dB SPL from 1 year to 10 years old, about 0.23 dB SPL from 11 years to 25 years old, and about 0.14 dB SPL from 26 years to 60 years old. (3) The signal-to-noise ratio in the frequency bands centered at 1.5, 2, 3 and 4 kHz decreased with increasing age after 2 months of age. Significant negative correlations between the signal-to-noise ratio and age were found for frequency bands ranging from 1.5 kHz to 4 kHz, with the highest correlations at 4 kHz (r = –0.890, P < 0.01), then at 3 kHz (r = –0.889, P < 0.01), at 2 kHz (r = –0.850, P < 0.01) and at 1.5 kHz (r = –0.705, P < 0.05). Conversely, a positive correlation between the signal-to-noise ratio centered at 1 kHz and age was found, but was not statistically significant (r = 0.298, P = 0.374). CONCLUSION: The total TEOAE response level decreased with increasing age after the first 2 months of age. The signal-to-noise ratio also decreased with increasing age in frequency bands above 1.5 kHz. The signal-to-noise ratio in higher frequencies decreased faster than in lower frequencies, leading to the maximum signal-to-noise ratio shift form 3.2–4.0 kHz in neonates to 1.5 kHz in adults, and further decreasing the total TEOAE response level. The age-related TEOAE spectrum peak shift is most likely because the outer hair cells functioning in higher frequencies are more prone to damage than those for lower frequencies.
A Warning About Metamaterials for Users of Frequency-Domain Numerical Simulators

It is shown that users of frequency-domain numerical simulators should be warned of the danger of using models with adjacent complementary media since such a configuration of materials can be a cause of a numerical instability which cannot be overcome by the presence of other lossy media or absorbing boundary conditions. The physical realizability at any frequency of models considering complementary media with sharp interfaces is then questioned by the contradiction between the deduced result and the one which holds true when the actual dielectric structure of metamaterials is considered.
The Unique Heart Sound Signature of Children with Pulmonary Artery Hypertension

We hypothesized that vibrations created by the pulmonary circulation would create sound like the vocal cords during speech and that subjects with pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) might have a unique sound signature. We recorded heart sounds at the cardiac apex and the second left intercostal space (2LICS), using a digital stethoscope, from 27 subjects (12 males) with a median age of 7 years (range: 3 months–19 years) undergoing simultaneous cardiac catheterization. Thirteen subjects had mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAp) < 25 mmHg (range: 8–24 mmHg). Fourteen subjects had mPAp ≥ 25 mmHg (range: 25–97 mmHg). We extracted the relative power of the frequency band, the entropy, and the energy of the sinusoid formants from the heart sounds. We applied linear discriminant analysis with leave-one-out cross validation to differentiate children with and without PAH. The significance of the results was determined with a t test and a rank-sum test. The entropy of the first sinusoid formant contained within an optimized window length of 2 seconds of the heart sounds recorded at the 2LICS was significantly lower in subjects with mPAp ≥ 25 mmHg relative to subjects with mPAp < 25 mmHg, with a sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 92%. The reduced entropy of the first sinusoid formant of the heart sounds in children with PAH suggests the existence of an organized pattern. The analysis of this pattern revealed a unique sound signature, which could be applied to a noninvasive method to diagnose PAH.
Cytokeratins as Markers of Follicular Differentiation: An Immunohistochemical Study of Trichoblastoma and Basal Cell Carcinoma

Trichoblastoma(s) (TB) are benign neoplasms of follicular differentiation frequently found in nevus sebaceus. Many morphologic features are shared with nodular basal cell carcinoma(s) (BCC), sometimes rendering the differential diagnosis difficult. Because both neoplasms can simulate components of mature hair follicles histologically, we attempted to corroborate this by immunohistochemical examination of cytokeratins and hair keratins differentially expressed in the hair follicle. Trichoblastoma(s) and BCC showed homogenous expression of CK14 and CK17. The innermost cells of the tumor nodules in all TB and in 72% of BCC were positive for CK6hf. Using a specific CK15 antibody, 38% of TB showed a focal labeling and all BCC remained negative; 70% of TB and 22% of BCC expressed CK19. CK8 was expressed by numerous Merkel cells present in all TB but in none of the BCC examined. All type I and II hair keratins tested, (especially hHa1, hHa5, and hHa8) remained negative in all tumors examined. Trichoblastoma(s) and BCC show consistent expression of CK6hf, CK14, and CK17; variable expression of CK15 and CK19; and absence of hair keratins. This indicates a differentiation toward the outer root sheath epithelium or the companion layer and not toward the inner root sheath, matrix, or cortex.
Precipitation and air temperature extremes in the Amazon and northeast Brazil

The occurrence of extreme climate events (ECEs) in the Amazon basin (AMZ) and northeast Brazil (NEB), such as torrential rains and severe droughts, varies in both spatial and temporal scales. Spatial analysis of trends allows observing changes in behaviour and determining in which regions a particular variable has been experiencing changes over time. Thus, the objective of this study is to analyse trends of 21 climate extremes indices, relative to maximum and minimum precipitation and temperature, as defined by the World Meteorological Organization, for the AMZ and NEB. The 21 indices were selected according to meteorological and climate characteristics of the regions. Through annual analysis it was possible to observe an increase in most of the climate extremes indices for air temperature in all AMZ and NEB subregions. As for extreme precipitation, only a few of the selected indices presented significant increase and/or decrease in their values. Overall, the eastern Amazon subregion in the AMZ presented the highest significant indices for temperature and precipitation. In NEB, both Northern Coast and Southern Coast subregions presented substantial increase or decrease in precipitation and temperature indices.
Cricket Song in Sympatry: Species Specificity of Song without Reproductive Character Displacement in Gryllus rubens

Abstract Previous work with the cryptic sister species pair of field crickets, Gryllus texensis Cade & Otte and Gryllus rubens Scudder, has implicated sexual selection in the speciation process. That study examined reproductive character displacement (RCD) in male song and female preference for song in G. texensis. No evidence of RCD was found. Here, we provide a similar analysis of RCD in G. rubens song and examine the songs of both species from areas of sympatry in an effort to document the species-specificity of song in sympatry and to look for individuals with songs indicative of F1 hybrid status. We 1) find no evidence for RCD in G. rubens song, 2) demonstrate the distinctness of song in sympatry, and 3) document the rarity of songs typical of F1 hybrids.
Intuitive Ethics and Political Orientations: Testing Moral Foundations as a Theory of Political Ideology

Originally developed to explain cultural variation in moral judgments, moral foundations theory (MFT) has become widely adopted as a theory of political ideology. MFT posits that political attitudes are rooted in instinctual evaluations generated by innate psychological modules evolved to solve social dilemmas. If this is correct, moral foundations must be relatively stable dispositional traits, changes in moral foundations should systematically predict consequent changes in political orientations, and, at least in part, moral foundations must be heritable. We test these hypotheses and find substantial variability in individual-level moral foundations across time, and little evidence that these changes account for changes in political attitudes. We also find little evidence that moral foundations are heritable. These findings raise questions about the future of MFT as a theory of ideology.
External Tufted Cells: A Major Excitatory Element That Coordinates Glomerular Activity

The glomeruli of the olfactory bulb are the first site of synaptic processing in the olfactory system. The glomeruli contain three types of neurons that are referred to collectively as juxtaglomerular (JG) cells: external tufted (ET), periglomerular (PG), and short axon (SA) cells. JG cells are thought to interact synaptically, but little is known about the circuitry linking these neurons or their functional roles in olfactory processing. Single and paired whole-cell recordings were performed to investigate these questions. ET cells spontaneously fired rhythmic spike bursts in the theta frequency range and received monosynaptic olfactory nerve (ON) input. In contrast, all SA and most PG cells lacked monosynaptic ON input. PG and SA cells exhibited spontaneous, intermittent bursts of EPSCs that were highly correlated with spike bursts of ET cells in the same but not in different glomeruli. Paired recording experiments demonstrated that ET cells provide monosynaptic excitatory input to PG/SA cells; the ET to PG/SA cell synapse is mediated by glutamate. ET cells thus are a major excitatory linkage between ON input and other JG cells. Spontaneous bursting is highly correlated among ET cells of the same glomerulus, and ET cell activity remains correlated when all fast synaptic activity is blocked. The findings suggest that multiple, synchronously active ET cells synaptically converge onto single PG/SA cells. Synchronous ET cell bursting may function to amplify transient sensory input and coordinate glomerular output.
Electrical Stimulation in Treatment of Pharyngolaryngeal Dysfunctions

Objective: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has been proposed in the treatment of laryngopharyngeal dysfunctions (dysphonia, dyspnoea, dysphagia) for more than 40 years. Several studies have investigated possible therapeutic effects. Some researchers described favourable results, whereas others did not find relevant benefits. This article aims to review available studies to give an overview regarding the current state of knowledge. Methods: We conducted a selective literature search using PubMed. Results: In total, 356 papers were identified: 6 case reports, 11 reviews, 43 prospective clinical trials and 3 retrospective trials were found. Conclusion: Due to different stimulation protocols, electrode positioning and various underlying pathological conditions, summarizing the present studies appears to be difficult. However, there is evidence that NMES is a valuable adjunct in patients with dysphagia and in patients with vocal fold paresis. Nevertheless, more empirical data is needed to fully understand the benefits provided by NMES. Further research suggestions are put forward.
Activities of enzymes of the pancreas, and the lumen and mucosa of the small intestine in growing broiler cockerels fed on tannin-containing diets

Diets containing vegetable tannins, predominantly hydrolysable gallotannins, at levels of 13.5, 25 and 50 g/kg were fed to growing broiler cockerels to examine their effect on enzymes in the pancreas, the intestinal lumen and the intestinal mucosa. Pancreas weight per unit live weight showed a significant (P < 0.05) increase with increasing level of dietary tannin while that of the liver remained unaffected. Trypsin (EC 3.4.21.4) and α-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) activities in the pancreas of birds fed at the highest level of tannins were more than double those from birds fed on a tannin-free control diet. In the intestinal lumen inhibition of trypsin activity increased with increasing level of dietary tannin; α-amylase activity was inhibited at intermediate tannin levels but was restored at the highest level. Dipeptidase (EC 3.4.13.11) and sucrose α-glucosidase (disaccharidase) (EC 3.2.1.48) in the intestinal mucosa were both inhibited by tannins. Growth of the birds and digestibility of nitrogen were adversely affected by the tannin-containing diets.
Refractive Errors Affect the Vividness of Visual Mental Images

The hypothesis that visual perception and mental imagery are equivalent has never been explored in individuals with vision defects not preventing the visual perception of the world, such as refractive errors. Refractive error (i.e., myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism) is a condition where the refracting system of the eye fails to focus objects sharply on the retina. As a consequence refractive errors cause blurred vision. We subdivided 84 individuals according to their spherical equivalent refraction into Emmetropes (control individuals without refractive errors) and Ametropes (individuals with refractive errors). Participants performed a vividness task and completed a questionnaire that explored their cognitive style of thinking before their vision was checked by an ophthalmologist. Although results showed that Ametropes had less vivid mental images than Emmetropes this did not affect the development of their cognitive style of thinking; in fact, Ametropes were able to use both verbal and visual strategies to acquire and retrieve information. Present data are consistent with the hypothesis of equivalence between imagery and perception.
Survival outcomes after extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation instituted during active chest compressions following refractory in-hospital pediatric cardiac arrest*

Objective: To report survival outcomes and to identify factors associated with survival following extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation for in-hospital pediatric cardiac arrest. Design: Retrospective chart review, consecutive case series. Main Outcome Measure: Survival to hospital discharge. Results: During a 7-yr study period, there were 66 cardiac arrest events in 64 patients in which a child was cannulated for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation during active cardiopulmonary resuscitation with chest compressions. A total of 33 of 66 events (50%) resulted in the child being decannulated and surviving at least 24 hrs; 21 of 64 (33%) children undergoing extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation survived to hospital discharge. A total of 19 of 43 children with isolated heart disease compared with two of 21 children with other medical conditions survived to hospital discharge (p < .01). Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category and Pediatric Overall Performance Category were determined for survivors >2 months old. Five of ten extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation survivors >2 months old had no change in Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category or Pediatric Overall Performance Category compared with admission. Three of six extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation patients who survived after receiving >60 mins of chest compressions before extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation had grossly intact neurologic function. During a 2-yr period in the same hospital, no patient who received >30 mins of cardiopulmonary resuscitation without extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation survived. In this case series, age, weight, or duration of chest compressions before extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation did not correlate with survival. Conclusions: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation can be used to successfully resuscitate selected children following refractory in-hospital cardiac arrest, and can be implemented during active cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Intact neurologic survival can sometimes be achieved, even when the duration of in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation is prolonged. In this series, children with isolated heart disease were more likely to survive following extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation than were children with other medical conditions.
Presenilin-2 Mutation Causes Early Amyloid Accumulation and Memory Impairment in a Transgenic Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease

In order to clarify the pathophysiological role of presenilin-2 (PS2) carrying the Volga German Kindred mutation (N141I) in a conventional mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) expressing amyloid precursor protein (APP) with the Swedish mutation (Tg2576 line), we generated a double transgenic mouse (PS2Tg2576) by crossbreeding the PS2 mutant with Tg2576 mice. Here, we demonstrate that the PS2 mutation induced the early deposition of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) at 2-3 months of age and progressive accumulation at 4-5 months of age in the brains of the mutant mice. The PS2 mutation also accelerated learning and memory impairment associated with Aβ accumulation at 4-5 months of age in Tg2576 mice. These results suggest that the PS2 mutation causes early cerebral amyloid accumulation and memory dysfunction. PS2Tg2576 mice are a suitable mouse model for studying amyloid-lowering therapies.
Functional Sympatholysis During Exercise in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes With Intact Response to Acetylcholine

OBJECTIVE Sympathetic vasoconstriction is blunted in contracting human skeletal muscles (functional sympatholysis). In young subjects, infusion of adenosine and ATP increases blood flow, and the latter compound also attenuates α-adrenergic vasoconstriction. In patients with type 2 diabetes and age-matched healthy subjects, we tested 1) the sympatholytic capacity during one-legged exercise, 2) the vasodilatory capacity of adenosine and ATP, and 3) the ability to blunt α-adrenergic vasoconstriction during ATP infusion. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In 10 control subjects and 10 patients with diabetes and normal endothelial function, determined by leg blood flow (LBF) response to acetylcholine infusion, we measured LBF and venous NA, with and without tyramine-induced sympathetic vasoconstriction, during adenosine-, ATP-, and exercise-induced hyperemia. RESULTS LBF during acetylcholine did not differ significantly. LBF increased ninefold during exercise and during adenosine- and ATP-induced hyperemia. Infusion of tyramine during exercise did not reduce LBF in either the control or the patient group. During combined ATP and tyramine infusions, LBF decreased by 30% in both groups. Adenosine had no sympatholytic effect. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and normal endothelial function, functional sympatholysis was intact during moderate exercise. The vasodilatory response for adenosine and ATP did not differ between the patients with diabetes and the control subjects; however, the vasodilatory effect of adenosine and ATP and the sympatholytic effect of ATP seem to decline with age.
A Characterization of the Oral Microbiome in Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant Patients

Background The mouth is a complex biological structure inhabited by diverse bacterial communities. The purpose of this study is to describe the effects of allogeneic stem cell transplantation on the oral microbiota and to examine differences among those patients who acquired respiratory complications after transplantation. Methodology/Principal Findings All patients were consented at the National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center. Bacterial DNA was analyzed from patients' oral specimens using the Human Oral Microbe Identification Microarray. The specimens were collected from four oral sites in 45 allogeneic transplantation patients. Specimens were collected at baseline prior to transplantation, after transplantation at the nadir of the neutrophil count and after myeloid engraftment. If respiratory signs and symptoms developed, additional specimens were obtained. Patients were followed for 100 days post transplantation. Eleven patients' specimens were subjected to further statistical analysis. Many common bacterial genera, such as Streptococcus, Veillonella, Gemella, Granulicatella and Camplyobacter were identified as being present before and after transplantation. Five of 11 patients developed respiratory complications following transplantation and there was preliminary evidence that the oral microbiome changed in their oral specimens. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis revealed this change in the oral microbiota. Conclusions/Significance After allogeneic transplantation, the oral bacterial community's response to a new immune system was not apparent and many of the most common core oral taxa remained unaffected. However, the oral microbiome was affected in patients who developed respiratory signs and symptoms after transplantation. The association related to the change in the oral microbiota and respiratory complications after transplantation will be validated by future studies using high throughput molecular methods.