Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High Sensitivity to Neuromodulator-Activated Signaling Pathways at Physiological [K+] of Confocally Imaged Respiratory Center Neurons in On-Line-Calibrated Newborn Rat Brainstem Slices

The pre-Bötzinger complex (PBC) inspiratory center remains active in a transverse brainstem slice. Such slices are studied at high (8–10 mm) superfusate [K+], which could attenuate the sensitivity of the PBC to neuromodulators such as opiates. Findings may also be confounded because slice boundaries, drug injection sites, or location of rhythmogenic interneurons are rarely verified histologically. Thus, we first generated PBC slices with defined boundaries using novel “on-line histology” based on our finding that rostrocaudal extensions of brainstem respiratory marker nuclei are constant in newborn rats between postnatal days 0–4. At physiological superfusate [K+] (3 mm), 500- and 600-μm-thick slices with the PBC in the center and the caudal boundary 0.70 and 0.76 mm caudal to the facial motonucleus generated rhythm for >2 and ∼4 h, respectively. Rhythm was abolished by low nanomolar concentrations of the μ-opiate receptor agonist DAMGO ([d-Ala2, N-Me-Phe4, Gly5-ol]enkephalin). After spontaneous arrest of bursting, rhythm was reactivated at clinically relevant or physiological concentrations by 3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine, thyrotropin-releasing hormone, or rolipram, each affecting distinct second-messenger pathways. Two-photon/confocal Ca2+ imaging revealed that these agents reactivated the same PBC neurons initially active in 3 mm [K+]. The data show that “calibrated” PBC slices at physiological [K+] generate rhythm with a high sensitivity to neuromodulators for extended time periods, whereas spontaneous “in vitro apnea” is an important tool to study the interaction of signaling pathways that modulate rhythm. Our approaches and findings provide the basis for a pharmacological and structure–function analysis of the isolated respiratory center in a histologically well defined substrate at physiological [K+].
Fatal Yersiniosis in Farmed Deer Caused by Yersinia Pseudotuberculosis Serotype O:3 Encoding a Mannosyltransferase-Like Protein WbyK

Sudden death of 9 deer occurred in a large enclosed deer farm with approximately 400 heads of cervids. Fatal yersiniosis was diagnosed in 2 deer that were submitted for laboratory diagnosis. Histopathologically, the disease was characterized by multifocal pulmonary hemorrhage and mild interstitial pneumonia, marked diffuse cholangiohepatitis, minimal myocarditis with mild myocardial degeneration, and mild multifocal suppurative cystic colitis. Yersinia pseudotuberculosis was isolated from the lungs and colon of the affected animals. The isolates were PCR-positive for genes virF, inv, yopB, and yopH, which are essential for invasion and colonization of host intestine and lung. The isolates reacted with polyclonal antibodies against serotype O:3 antigen. The O-genotyping patterns of the isolates were identical with each other, but different from those of the 21 O-genotypes (or serotypes) reported previously. In addition to the O-antigen genes possessed by classical serotype O:3, a gene (wbyK) encoding a mannosyltransferase-like protein was detected in these isolates. The wbyK gene of the isolates showed 94% of DNA sequence homology with the wbyK gene harbored by Y. pseudotuberculosis O:1b. On the basis of pathology, bacteriology, and serology, the authors concluded that the acute deaths of these deer were caused by Y. pseudotuberculosis infection. Molecular characterization of the isolate revealed a genetic heterogeneity in the O-antigen gene cluster of Y. pseudotuberculosis serotype O:3.
Alcohol, Tobacco, Other Drug Use, and Violent Behavior Among Native Hawaiians: Ethnic Pride and Resilience

The present study includes data from a sample of 88 Native Hawaiians living in a rural community on an outer island. Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use, and violent behavior were examined, including age at first experience, lifetime and 30-day frequency of experience, and interference related to substance use, along with other resilience indicators such as self-reported health, happiness, and ethnic identity. The data suggested that age at first use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs appeared to occur within the same period of time, at approximately age 16. With respect to violent behavior, educational attainment was higher for individuals whose age at first victimization was later. Two relationships were found between ATOD use and violent behavior. First, the data suggest that the age at first use of alcohol was significantly correlated with lifetime frequency of violence exposure including witnessing, perpetrating, and being a victim of violence. Second, age at first victimization was correlated with current marijuana use, while age at first perpetration of violence was correlated with current crystal methamphetamine use. Lastly, individuals reporting very strong ethnic pride had significantly fewer lifetime instances of witnessing, perpetrating, and being the victim of violence. Thirty-day frequencies of perpetrating and being the victim of violence were also significantly different between respondents who reported very strong ethnic pride and those who reported being less proud, suggesting that ethnic pride is an important protective factor against experiencing violent behavior and may encourage resilience in this group.
Advancements in the management of pancreatic cancer.

Management of pancreatic cancer remains the most challenging work in oncology. Though pancreatic cancer represents only 2-3% of all cancers, it is the most fatal one accounting for the 6% of all cancer death. It remains the 4th cause of death by cancer since 1970s in the U.S. Gemcitabine remains the only standard of care for this disease. More and more combination therapies containing gemcitabine have been tested or undergoing investigation. The interest in treating pancreatic cancer is apparently global. Over 75 abstracts were presented in the 2009 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium at San Francisco in the field of pancreatic cancer. In this highlights article, authors summarize the critical studies in the management of pancreatic cancer. A large retrospective study evaluated the role of post-operative adjuvant radiation (Abstract #181) and correlated the receipt of radiation with survival benefit. Borderline resectable pancreatic cancer remains an area that requires multi-disciplinary approach. Neo-adjuvant therapy very likely plays a role to downstage to a resectable state in these subgroup patients (Abstracts #197 and #248). In advanced or metastatic setting, studies aiming at the gemcitabine-based triplet or doublet combinations are still the mainstream. FFCD 0301 trial (Abstract #180), the only large phase III trial presented in the first-line setting, failed to demonstrate any survival advantage of either 5-FU and leucovorin plus cisplatin followed by gemcitabine or vice versa. Biologic agents containing regimens were also presented. Of note, gemcitabine and oxaliplatin plus bevacizumab achieved a high response rate of 39% (Abstract #182) while gemcitabine with dual monoclonal antibody regimen was disappointing (Abstract #183). The clear benefit of all other combinations over gemcitabine alone remains questionable given most studies are small. Newer agents, especially S-1 (Abstracts #213 and #251), are very promising, and further studies are warranted. In a nut shell, pancreatic cancer continues to pose an enormous challenge to clinicians and cancer scientists. With a more affluent world the global incidence of pancreatic cancer is rising. This meeting again emphasizes us that it is urgent to make big inroads into what still remains the most lethal of the common.
Comparison of Karydakis technique with Limberg Flap Procedure in Pilonidal Sinus Disease: Advantages of Karydakis technique

Objective: Several surgical techniques are being performed in the treatment of pilonidal sinus disease; however there is no single agreed technique that could be used in all patients. In this study we compared the results of the patients on which we implemented Karydakis Technique and Limberg flap procedure, the two most common techniques and tried to find the better operative modality. Methodology: One hundred thirty three patients operated between January 2004 and November 2008 and followed up regularly were included in the study. Patients who came applied due to recurrence were not included. Seventy three patients were operated with Karydakis technique and 60 patients were operated with Limberg flap procedure. Two groups were compared in terms of hospitalization period, work loss period, recurrence rate, infection rate, and whether seroma and hematom formed or not. Results: Operation period, hospitalization period, work loss period were shorter for the patients on which Karydakis technique was implemented (P<0.05). While no statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of recurrence rate (P=0.034), wound dehiscence, wound infection, hematom/seroma rate were more in Limberg flap group (P=0.001, P=0.032, P=0.022, respectively). Conclusion: Karydakis technique, which is one of the most practiced surgical techniques in treatment of Pilonidal sinus disease, should be a preferred method in terms of shorter operation time, hospitalization period and less work loss and lower complication.
Reviewing Person's Value of Privacy of Online Social Networking

Purpose – The paper aims at a multi‐faceted review of scholarly work, analyzing the current state of empirical studies dealing with privacy and online social networking (OSN) as well as the theoretical “puzzle” of privacy approaches related to OSN usage from the background of diverse disciplines. Drawing on a more pragmatic and practical level, aspects of privacy management are presented as well.Design/methodology/approach – Based on individual privacy concerns and also publicly communicated threats, information privacy has become an important topic of public and scholarly discussion. Beside diverse positive aspects of OSN sites for users, their information is for example also being used for data mining and profiling, pre‐recruiting information as well as economic espionage. This review highlights information privacy mainly from an individual point‐of‐view, focusing on the usage of OSN sites (OSNs). Findings – This analysis of scholarly work shows the following findings: first, adults seem to be more conce.
Catheter-Based Endomyocardial Delivery of Mesenchymal Precursor Cells Using 3D Echo Guidance Improves Cardiac Function in a Chronic Myocardial Injury Ovine Model

The administration of bone marrow-derived stem cells may provide a new treatment option for patients with heart failure. Transcatheter cell injection may require multi-imaging modalities to optimize delivery. This study sought to evaluate whether endomyocardial injection of mesenchymal precursor cells (MPCs) could be guided by real-time 3D echocardiography (RT3DE) in treating chronic, postinfarction (MI) left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in sheep. Four weeks after induction of an anterior wall myocardial infarction in 39 sheep, allogeneic MPCs in doses of either 25 × 106 (n = 10), 75 × 106 (n = 9), or 225 × 106 (n = 10) cells or nonconditioned control media (n = 10) were administered intramyocardially into infarct and border zone areas using a catheter designed for combined fluoroscopic and RT3DE-guided injections. LV function was assessed before and after injection. Infarct dimension and vascular density were evaluated histologically. RT3DE-guided injection procedures were safe. Compared to controls, the highest dose MPC treatment led to increments in ejection fraction (3±3% in 225M MPCs vs. −5±4% in the control group, p < 0.01) and wall thickening in both infarct (4±4% in 225M MPCs vs. −3±6% in the control group, p = 0.02) and border zones (4±6% in 225M MPCs vs. −8±9% in the control group, p = 0.01). Histology analysis demonstrated significantly higher arteriole density in the infarct and border zones in the highest dose MPC-treated animals compared to the lower dose or control groups. Endomyocardial implantation of MPCs under RT3DE guidance was safe and without observed logistical obstacles. Significant increases in LV performance (ejection fraction and wall thickening) and neovascularization resulted from this technique, and so this technique has important implications for treating patients with postischemic LV dysfunction.
Studies of biological functions in blood cells from individuals with large platelets

The present study was performed to explore differences in the expression of P-selectin and IL-8 production of blood cells in healthy individuals with large size platelets (MI-families) as compared to people having normal size platelets. A positive correlation between LPS-induced IL-8 production per platelet in whole blood and mean platelet volume (MPV) was found in the large platelet group (R = 0.74, P < 0.05). When the large and normal groups were combined the correlation was nearly, but not quite significant (R = 0.46, P < 0.06). There was also a positive correlation between sP-selectin and MPV (R = 0.42, P < 0.05). Furthermore, IL-8 in serum was positively correlated to sP-selectin in serum (R = 0.68, P < 0.005). sP-selectin baseline values in citrated plasma correlated significantly with values found in serum (R = 0.72, P < 0.0005), indicating that sP-selectin in blood originates from the platelets rather than from endothelial cells. Significant correlations were also found in both groups between P-selectin and CD40L (R = 0.44, P < 0.05) and P-selectin and RANTES (R = 0.44, P < 0.05). A significant correlation was also found between PDGF and RANTES (R = 0.44, P < 0.05). Our results suggest that larger platelets enhance the production of IL-8 more than normally sized platelets. This phenomenon is probably mediated through P-selectin exposed on platelets.
Rapid and High Sensitivity Malaria Diagnosis: A Microfluidics Approach

Most malaria deaths could be prevented if the infection is detected early. Thus, it is important to have access to a fast, sensitive, and reliable detection tool for the diagnosis of malaria in the clinical settings. However, the current malaria diagnosis relies on microscopic examination of blood smear, which is time consuming and labor intensive. Here, we present a novel malaria diagnosis technique for the rapid detection and quantification of malaria infected red blood cells. The technique combines the use of margination for the separation of malaria infected cells and magnetic resonance relaxometry system for the detection of malaria parasites.
Clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of cyclosporine in dogs with atopic dermatitis.

OBJECTIVE To determine efficacy and safety of cyclosporine in the treatment of atopic dermatitis among dogs in North America. DESIGN Randomized controlled (phase 1) and open-label (phase 2) trials. ANIMALS 268 dogs with atopic dermatitis. PROCEDURE In phase 1, dogs were randomly assigned to be treated with cyclosporine (5 mg/kg [2.3 mg/Ib], PO, q 24 h) or a placebo. In phase 2, all dogs were treated with cyclosporine for 16 weeks. Frequency of cyclosporine administration was decreased if dogs improved clinically. RESULTS At the end of phase 1, canine atopic dermatitis extent and severity index (CADESI) scores for dogs treated with cyclosporine were significantly lower than scores for control dogs. Percentage of dogs with severe pruritus decreased from 67% to 16% for the cyclosporine group but from 66% to only 61% for the control group. During phase 2, cyclosporine dosage was decreased to every-other-day administration in 39% of the dogs after 4 weeks. After 12 weeks, 22% of the dogs were treated twice weekly and 36% were treated every other day. After 16 weeks, CADESI score had decreased > 50% in 68% of the dogs and 47% of dogs had no or mild pruritus. The most frequent adverse reactions were gastrointestinal tract signs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggest that cyclosporine is efficacious for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in dogs and that frequency of cyclosporine administration can be reduced following an initial induction period. The drug was well tolerated.
Job Creation and Job Destruction in EU Agriculture

This is the first paper to study job creation and destruction in EU agriculture. We disaggregate gross employment patterns and net job flows into detailed intra-sectoral labour adjustment dynamics based on a unique EU-wide farm level panel dataset for 1990–2005. We find that: (1) job creation and destruction rates in EU agriculture are comparable to other sectors; (2) there is some evidence of ongoing substitution of family labour for hired labour; (3) there are important differences in job creation and destruction rates between different Member States; (4) these differences can be attributed to structural differences across countries, sectors and farm types; (5) time variation of job reallocation fluctuates countercyclically; and (6) idiosyncratic effects are the main driver of time variance in job reallocation.
Is Conscientiousness Always—or Ever—a Virtue?

On most views of the nature of moral judgments, it is possible for a person to be mistaken in the belief that it is right to act in a certain way. When someone believes that it is right to do something, does that thing on the basis of such a belief, and yet in so doing commits deeds which are wrong by moral standards other than his own, we do not quite know whether to praise him for his conscientiousness while condemning his actions. He acts according to his conscience and does what he believes to be right, but his beliefs are erroneous and his actions wrong. Shall we praise the man for his conscientiousness while condemning his actions ?
[Neonatal hearing screening. A comparison of automatic auditory brainstem audiometry and otoacoustic emissions].

INTRODUCTION The annual birth rate in Denmark is 65,000. Approximately 100 of these children have a congenital bilateral hearing loss which requires treatment. Furthermore, it is expected that yet another 150 newborns have a unilateral hearing loss. Treatment of the hearing loss within the first six months is fundamental in order to ensure optimal use of speech and language, as well as normal social adaptation. The purpose of this study is to compare the two screening methods for hearing loss in newborns as recommended in Denmark--ie. Transient-Evoked Oto-Acoustic Emission (TEOAE) and Automatic Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR). MATERIALS AND METHODS During a period of six months, 1627 children were bilaterally screened with both AABR and TEOAE. The equipment used was Bio-logic's ABaer hearing screening system. Time usage and the number of refers was recorded. RESULTS Of the 1627 children, 67 (4% ) were referred on one or both ears when using AABR, compared to 177 (11% ) when using TEOAE, which is a statistically significant difference (p = 2.43 x 10-16). Re-screening and further examinations in the Department of Audiology identified five children as suffering from a hearing loss. The average time used to perform AABR was 6.6 min.s compared to 3.8 min.s for TEOAE. CONCLUSION AABR is well chosen as primary screening method. The time usage and equipment costs related to AABR exceed those of TEOAE, but this seems acceptable considering the larger number of re-screenings and further examinations in the Department of Audiology when using TEOAE.
An Analysis of the NBTI-Induced Threshold Voltage Shift Evaluated by Different Techniques

Negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) is limiting the lifetime of pMOSFETs, and it is often monitored by the shift of threshold voltage DeltaV<sub>t</sub>. Different techniques have been developed to extract DeltaV<sub>t</sub>, including the conventional extrapolation of the quasi-dc transfer characteristic <i>I</i> <sub>d</sub> ~<i>V</i> <sub>g</sub> and the more recent extrapolation of ultrafast pulse <i>I</i> <sub>d</sub> ~<i>V</i> <sub>g</sub> and the on-the-fly evaluation at stress bias. After the same stress, these techniques can produce a DeltaV<sub>t</sub> difference of up to one order of magnitude. The interpretation of this large difference is still controversial. The objective of this paper is to bridge the gap between the DeltaV<sub>t</sub> values extracted from these techniques. Degradation and recovery during measurement, measurement and truncation errors, and calculation of transconductance are all examined. After taking these factors into account, the gap in DeltaV<sub>t</sub> still cannot be filled, and hence, the effect of sensing V<sub>g</sub> on DeltaV<sub>t</sub> must now be considered. It is found that | DeltaV<sub>t</sub> | increases with sensing | V<sub>g</sub> |, and therefore, the popular assumption of DeltaV<sub>t</sub> being independent of sensing V<sub>g</sub> is invalid. After taking both the effect of sensing V<sub>g</sub> and recovery into account, the gap in |DeltaV<sub>t</sub>| is successfully bridged. The difference between the effect of sensing V<sub>g</sub> and recovery is explored, and the results show that they are two different phenomena. This paper provides test engineers a method for determining the worst case DeltaV<sub>t</sub> under a given operation voltage.
Effects of acidosis, alkalosis, hyperthermia and hypothermia on haemostasis: results of point of care testing with the thromboelastography analyser

In this study we assessed the effects of changes in pH, temperature, and their combination in whole blood on thromboelastographic variables. Blood was collected from six healthy volunteers. Thromboelastograph (TEG series 5000; Haemoscope Corporation, Illinois, USA) channels were set at temperatures of 32, 37, and 39°C and each was filled with artificially acidified, alkalified, and neutral blood, respectively. Acidification (pH 6.95) significantly impairs thromboelastographic variables reaction time r (from 23.3 to 33.7 min; P = 0.0280), kinetic time k (from 8.7 to 16.1 min; P = 0.028), angle α (from 24.3° to 13.8°; P = 0.028), prothrombin time (from 11.4 to 12.1 s; P = 0.044), and activated partial thromboplastin time (from 29.3 to 45.0 s; P = 0.028). A temperature drop from 37 to 32°C in blood of neutral pH significantly impaired k (from 8.7 to 10.2 min; P = 0.028) and α (from 24.3° to 21.0°; P = 0.027), whereas maximum amplitude ma significantly increased (from 46.5 to 52.5 mm; P = 0.027). A temperature rise from 37 to 39°C at pH 7.37 did not affect any of the TEG variables. Artificial alkalization (pH 7.68) at a temperature of 37°C had no effect on any of the measured variables. Acidosis causes a significant impairment of clot formation and clot strength. Hypothermia had the same effects, but to a lesser extent. These findings emphasize the need for correction of acidosis and hypothermia to normalize haemostasis.