Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of cell:cell competition and BAFF expression on peripheral B cell tolerance and B‐1 cell survival in transgenic mice expressing a low level of Igκ‐reactive macroself antigen

In mice carrying a synthetic Igκ‐reactive superantigen (“κ macroself antigen”), low level expression induced split peripheral B cell tolerance in the sIgκ+ compartment, with striking reductions in follicular and marginal zone (MZ) B cells and the retention of significant numbers of sIgκ+ B‐1a but not B‐1b cells in the peritoneum. Here, we characterize the transgenic line pKκ with this split tolerance phenotype and assess the effects of B cell competition and the survival cytokine BAFF (B cell activating factor belonging to the TNF family) on peripheral tolerance. In pKκ mice the surviving peritoneal and splenic κ+ B cells were largely lost in mice carrying one copy of the human Cκ exon in place of the mouse version, a maneuver that generates additional antigen non‐reactive competitor B cells in this model. Furthermore, overexpression of BAFF suppressed κ‐macroself antigen‐induced deletion and promoted production of both IgM,κ and IgA,κ antibodies in mice with normal Igκ alleles but not in mice carrying one copy of the human Cκ allele. These findings suggest that BAFF overexpression has minimal effects on the survival of autoreactive B cells in a polyclonal immune system and that B cell:B cell competition plays a potent role in suppressing the survival of B‐1 and splenic B cells with excessive autoreactivity.
Predicting dissolution patterns in variable aperture fractures: Evaluation of an enhanced depth‐averaged computational model

Water‐rock interactions within variable aperture fractures can lead to dissolution of fracture surfaces and local alteration of fracture apertures, potentially transforming the transport properties of fractures over time. Because fractures often provide dominant pathways for subsurface flow and transport, developing models that effectively quantify the role of dissolution on changing transport properties over a range of scales is critical to understanding potential impacts of natural and anthropogenic processes. Dissolution of fracture surfaces is controlled by surface reaction kinetics and transport of reactants and products to and from the fracture surfaces. We present a depth‐averaged model of fracture flow and reactive transport that explicitly calculates local dissolution‐induced alterations in fracture apertures. The model incorporates an effective mass transfer relationship that represents a smooth transition from reaction‐limited dissolution to transport‐limited dissolution. We evaluate the model through direct comparison to previously reported physical experiments in transparent analog fractures fabricated by mating an inert, transparent rough surface with a smooth single crystal of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP). These experiments allowed direct measurement of fracture aperture during dissolution experiments using well‐established light transmission techniques. Comparison of experiments and simulations at different flow rates demonstrates the relative impact of the dimensionless Peclet and Damkohler numbers on fracture dissolution and the ability of the computational model to simulate dissolution. Despite some discrepancies in the small‐scale details of dissolution patterns the simulations predict the evolution of large‐scale features quite well for the different experimental conditions. This suggests that the depth‐averaged approach is useful for modeling fracture dissolution in the context of geological processes and applied problems such as CO2 sequestration and fracture acidization.
Buckling of Double-walled Carbon Nanotubes

This paper is concerned with the buckling of double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) under axial load. The DWCNTs are modelled as two cylindrical shells, one shell nested in the other and Winkler springs are introduced to connect them in order to simulate the van der Waals forces between the two nanotubes. By using the Donnell thin shell theory, we derive the governing equations for the buckling of the aforementioned double-shell model under axial compression. The equations are solved together with the boundary conditions and the critical buckling strains for cylindrical shells with different diameters and lengths. The critical strains are compared with the results obtained from molecular dynamic simulations and were found to be not so good in agreement. Better shell models have to be found for predicting more accurate results.
Commuter Cyclist's Sensitivity to Changes in Weather: Insight from Two Cities with Different Climatic Conditions

This study examines the relationship between various weather conditions and commuter bicyclist volume in two cities (Portland, Oregon and Brisbane, Australia), which fall into different climatic zones. Investigating the variation in day-to-day bicycle ridership can help to understand factors influencing demand and in particular how base climatic conditions may condition bicyclist’s responsiveness to changes in weather and climate. Temporal variations in bicycle usage and key weather parameters (temperature and rainfall) are analyzed. Ridership counts and weather data are then used to develop an aggregate demand model that provides quantitative insight into the effects of weather on bicyclist volumes. The results indicate that daily bicyclist volume varies across hours of the day as well as days of the week. Both temperature and rainfall are found to have significant influence on daily bicyclist volume but with different degrees of sensitivity in these two cities which correspond to their base climates. The results are discussed in view of their implications for government strategies that seek to increase the role of bicycle in urban areas.
Performance comparison of two controllers for a modular voltage balancing circuit

Two switching patterns are described for a non-dissipating modular battery voltage balancing topology. Each balancing bridge or cell consists of an asymmetrical half-bridge and a high frequency transformer connected across two batteries rated at around 4V each. This topology has the advantage of having one switch and one diode per a battery. There are two charge transfer paths, Intra-bridge charge transfer and interbridge charge transfer. The intra-bridge charge transfer happens automatically when two switches in a bridge are turned on and off simultaneously while, the inter-bridge charge transfer needs a control method. Two fundamental control methods are described for transferring electrical charge between cells: “2-switch flyback control” and “phase-shifted control”. Both methods assume that each module determines its own switching pattern by monitoring the dc voltages in each of its adjacent modules, therefore, avoids a central controller requiring to monitor each battery using isolated feedback signals. Simulation and experimental results are presented for both controllers to describe methods advantages and validate the charge transfer methods used.
Drug inhibition of memory formation in chickens II. Short-term memory

1. Memory in day-old-chickens during the first few hours after learning can be made to decline by the prior intracranial injection of two classes of drugs. 2. Sodium pump inhibitors in increasing doses cause increasingly rapid loss of memory. 3. Protein synthesis inhibitors in increasing doses attain a maximum potency in causing memory decline and the rate may not be further accelerated by higher doses. 4. Adding a sodium pump inhibitor to the inhibition of protein synthesis increases memory loss. 5. Adding a protein synthesis inhibitor to a sodium pump inhibitor causes no further loss. 6. Therefore within a few minutes of learning a short-term memory of limited time span but independent of protein synthesis becomes supplemented and eventually replaced by a long-term storage requiring protein synthesis. The amount of long-term store is set by the amount of short-term memory. 7. The short-term store could be directly dependent on post-activation enhancement of Na+ extrusion from neurons. Some physiological mechanisms by which this could be achieved and how this might activate protein synthesis are discussed.
Relationship between ethical work climate and nurses’ perception of organizational support, commitment, job satisfaction and turnover intent

Background: Healthcare organizations are now challenged to retain nurses’ generation and understand why they are leaving their nursing career prematurely. Acquiring knowledge about the effect of ethical work climate and level of perceived organizational support can help organizational leaders to deal effectively with dysfunctional behaviors and make a difference in enhancing nurses’ dedication, commitment, satisfaction, and loyalty to their organization. Purpose: This study aims to determine the relationship between ethical work climate, and perceived organizational support and nurses’ organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and turnover intention. Methods: A descriptive correlational research design was conducted in all inpatient care units at three major hospitals affiliated to different health sectors at Alexandria governorate. All nurses working in these previous hospitals were included in the study (N = 500). Ethical Climate Questionnaire, Survey of Perceived Organizational Support, Organizational Commitment Questionnaire, Index of Job Satisfaction, and Intention to Turnover scale were used to measure study variables. Ethical considerations: Approval was obtained from Ethics Committee at Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University. Privacy and confidentiality of data were maintained and assured by obtaining subjects’ informed consent to participate in the research before data collection. Findings: The result revealed positive significant correlations between nurses’ perception of overall ethical work climate and each of perceived organizational support, commitment, as well as their job satisfaction. However, negative significant correlations were found between nurses’ turnover intention and each of these variables. Also, approximately 33% of the explained variance of turnover intention is accounted by ethical work climate, organizational support, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction, and these variables independently contributed significantly in the prediction of turnover intention. Recommendation: Strategies to foster and enhance ethical and supportive work climates as well as job-related benefits are considered significant factors in increasing nurses’ commitment and satisfaction and decreasing their turnover intention.
Transient ischaemic attack: is routine use of computerised cerebral tomography worthwhile?

AIM To evaluate the role of routine computerised cerebral tomography (CCT) in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) following transient ischaemic attach (TIA). METHOD A retrospective review was carried out of data collected on patients with TIA who were managed at the Durban Metropolitan Vascular Service over an 11-year period. All patients underwent carotid duplex scanning and CCT, followed by carotid endarterectomy (CEA) under general anaesthesia. RESULTS The records of 140 patients were reviewed. There were 85 (61%) men and 55 (39%) women (F:M = 1:1.6). The mean age was 63 years (range 40-95 years). The presenting symptoms were amaurosis fugax, syncope and speech deficit. Risk factors for arterial disease were smoking (73%), hypertension (55%), diabetes mellitus (28%) and hyperlipidaemia (6%). Duplex ultrasonography showed significant internal carotid artery stenosis in 138 patients and occlusion in two. Arch angiography of the latter two patients showed pre-occlusive carotid stenosis. CCT scans showed abnormalities in 34 (24%) patients. These were lacunar infarcts (56%), old infarcts involving grey and white matter (32%), and cortical infarcts (12%). The findings did not influence management. All patients underwent routine CEA with selective shunting in 51 (36%) patients. Postoperative stroke rate was 2.9%. CONCLUSION Routine CCT scanning in patients with TIA did not influence patient management and outcome. It is not cost effective and its routine use is questioned.
Polarization in coopetitive networks of heterogeneous nonlinear agents

The mechanisms of regular cooperative behavior in multi-agent networks, such as consensus and synchronization, have been thoroughly studied. However, many natural and engineered networks do not synchronize, exhibiting persistent disagreement or clustering. One of the reasons for this “irregular” behavior is competition among some pairs of agents. Whereas cooperative interactions are usually represented by attractive couplings, bringing the trajectories closer, competition between two agents is naturally modeled by a repulsive coupling, leading to disagreement among the agents and preventing their trajectories from convergence. Such couplings may e.g. describe interactions of antagonistic individuals in social groups, competing economic agents and repelling particles. Networks where agents can both cooperate and compete are said to be coopetitive. To study the dynamics of general coopetitive networks, in particular, mechanisms of agents' splitting into several clusters, remains a challenging problem. A simple yet insightful model of polarization under coopetitive interactions was proposed. These papers address consensus-type dynamics over signed graphs, where arcs of positive and negative weights correspond, respectively, to cooperative and competitive couplings between the agents. If the graph is structurally balanced, these protocols lead to either consensus or “bipartite consensus” (polarization): the agents split into two competing “camps”, and the values (opinions) of agents from different camps agree in modulus but differ in signs. The results are limited to single integrator agents, interacting over static signed graphs. In this paper, we extend these results to time-varying graphs and nonlinear heterogeneous agents that satisfy a relaxed passivity condition.
Detection of Drug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in Chinese Hares (Lepus sinensis)

Abstract We investigated an outbreak of acute pneumonia among adult Chinese hares (Lepus sinensis) and diarrhea among juvenile hares in Hebei Province, China, in 2012. Diagnosis was based on necropsy examination, microbial characteristics, biochemical identification, and nucleotide sequence analysis. The isolated bacteria from tissue samples of dead hares were identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae ssp. pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae). This K. pneumoniae was resistant to the antimicrobials imipenem, meropenem, penicillin, and vancomycin, but was highly sensitive to cefepime, cotrimoxazole, and enrofloxacin. Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important opportunistic pathogen, which often causes nosocomial infections in immunocompromised patients. However, the emergence of drug-resistant K. pneumoniae in hares indicates the existence of increasing risk of pathogen transmission between humans and wildlife. Given the close association between wildlife, livestock, and humans, it is important to identify epidemiologic factors associated with infection in these hares to minimize the risk of K. pneumoniae transmission.
The endometrial deficient secretory phase

The deficient secretory phase is a functional abnormality of the endometrium that has hitherto been poorly recognized. Endometrial curettings from 34 cases were examined in detail by histology. We also performed morphometric analyses of epithelial cell nuclei and assessed the oestrogen and progesterone receptor status of these cases compared with controls. Clinicopathological correlations were examined. The cases showing the deficient secretory phase were characterized histologically by the presence of elongated, hyperchromatic glandular cell nuclei, diminished or no secretory activity in the second half of the menstrual cycle and poorly developed stroma. Morphometry confirmed that the nuclei were different in shape from those seen at any time during the normal menstrual cycle and from basal endometrium. Nuclear expression of oestrogen and progesterone receptors in formalin‐fixed and paraffin‐embedded sections was reduced. It is apparent from this study that the endometrial appearances described represent a definable condition that may be linked to menstrual irregularities and, in some circumstances, infertility; it should be more widely recognized.
Treating hyperlipidemia for the primary prevention of coronary disease. Are higher dosages of lovastatin cost-effective?

OBJECTIVE To compare the average and marginal life-time cost-effectiveness of increasing dosages of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, such as lovastatin, for the primary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD). METHODS We estimated the lifelong costs and benefits of the modification of lipid levels achieved with lovastatin based on published studies and a validated CHD prevention computer model. Patients were middle-aged men and women without CHD, with mean total serum cholesterol levels of 6.67, 7.84, and 9.90 mmol/L (258, 303, and 383 mg/dL), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels of 1.19 mmol/L (46 mg/dL), as described in clinical trials. We estimated the cost per year of life saved for dosages of lovastatin ranging from 20 to 80 mg/d that reduced the total cholesterol level between 17% and 34%, and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level between 4% and 13%. RESULTS After discounting benefits and costs by 5% annually, the average cost-effectiveness of lovastatin, 20 mg/d, ranged from $11,040 to $52,463 for men and women. The marginal cost-effectiveness of 40 mg/d vs 20 mg/d remained in this range ($25,711 to $60,778) only for persons with baseline total cholesterol levels of 7.84 mmol/L (303 mg/dL) or higher. However, the marginal cost-effectiveness of lovastatin, 80 mg/d vs 40 mg/d, was prohibitively expensive ($99,233 to $716,433 per year of life saved) for men and women, irrespective of the baseline total cholesterol level. CONCLUSIONS Assuming that $50,000 per year of life saved is an acceptable cost-effectiveness ratio, treatment with lovastatin at a dosage of 20 mg/d is cost-effective for middle-aged men and women with baseline total cholesterol levels of 6.67 mmol/L (258 mg/dL) or higher. At current drug prices, treatment with 40 mg/d is also cost-effective for total cholesterol levels of 7.84 mmol/L (303 mg/dL) or higher. However, treatment with 80 mg/d is not cost-effective for primary prevention of CHD.
Double trisomy revisited—a multicenter experience

Mark Micale1,2* , Janet Insko1, Salah A. D. Ebrahim3, Adewale Adeyinka4, Cassandra Runke5 and Daniel L. Van Dyke5 1Department of Anatomic Pathology, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI, USA 2Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, MI, USA 3DMC University Laboratories and Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA 4Department of Medical Genetics, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA 5Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
Donor Cell Fate in Tissue Engineering for Articular Cartilage Repair

Articular cartilage repair is a clinical challenge because of its limited intrinsic healing potential. Considerable research has focused on tissue engineering and transplantation of viable chondrogenic cells to enhance cartilage regeneration. However, the question remains: do transplanted allogenic cells survive in the repair with time? This study assessed donor cell fate after transplantation of male New Zealand White rabbit perichondrium cell and polylactic acid constructs into osteochondral defects created in the medial femoral condyles of female New Zealand White rabbits. Repair tissue was harvested at 0, 1, 2, 3, 7, and 28 days after implantation and was evaluated for cell viability and total cell number using confocal microscopic analysis. The number of donor cells in each sample was estimated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction targeting a gender-specific gene present on the Y-chromosome, the sex-determining region Y gene, and a control deoxyribonucleic acid present in male and female cell deoxyribonucleic acid, the matrix metalloproteinase-1 gene promoter. Average cell viability was found to be 87% or more at all times. Donor cells were present in repair tissue for 28 days after implantation. However, the number of donor cells declined from approximately 1 million at Time 0 to approximately 140,000 at 28 days. This decline in donor cells was accompanied by a significant influx of host cells into the repair tissue. This study shows that the sex-determining region Y gene is a valuable marker for tracking the fate of transplanted allogenic cells in tissue engineering.
Composite effects of group drumming music therapy on modulation of neuroendocrine-immune parameters in normal subjects.

CONTEXT Drum circles have been part of healing rituals in many cultures throughout the world since antiquity. Although drum circles are gaining increased interest as a complementary therapeutic strategy in the traditional medical arena, limited scientific data documenting biological benefits associated with percussion activities exist. OBJECTIVE To determine the role of group-drumming music therapy as a composite activity with potential for alteration of stress-related hormones and enhancement of specific immunologic measures associated with natural killer cell activity and cell-mediated immunity. DESIGN A single trial experimental intervention with control groups. SETTING The Mind-Body Wellness Center, an outpatient medical facility in Meadville, Pa. PARTICIPANTS A total of 111 age- and sex-matched volunteer subjects (55 men and 56 women, with a mean age of 30.4 years) were recruited. INTERVENTION Six preliminary supervised groups were studied using various control and experimental paradigms designed to separate drumming components for the ultimate determination of a single experimental model, including 2 control groups (resting and listening) as well as 4 group-drumming experimental models (basic, impact, shamanic, and composite). The composite drumming group using a music therapy protocol was selected based on preliminary statistical analysis, which demonstrated immune modulation in a direction opposite to that expected with the classical stress response. The final experimental design included the original composite drumming group plus 50 additional age- and sex-matched volunteer subjects who were randomly assigned to participate in group drumming or control sessions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Pre- and postintervention measurements of plasma cortisol, plasma dehydroepiandrosterone, plasma dehydroepiandrosterone-to-cortisol ratio, natural killer cell activity, lymphokine-activated killer cell activity, plasma interleukin-2, plasma interferon-gamma, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory II. RESULTS Group drumming resulted in increased dehydroepiandrosterone-to-cortisol ratios, increased natural killer cell activity, and increased lymphokine-activated killer cell activity without alteration in plasma interleukin 2 or interferon-gamma, or in the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory II. CONCLUSIONS Drumming is a complex composite intervention with the potential to modulate specific neuroendocrine and neuroimmune parameters in a direction opposite to that expected with the classic stress response.
An Increase in Cortical Excitability with No Change in Spinal Excitability during Motor Imagery

During motor imagery, to estimate changes in excitability of flexor carpi radialis muscle motoneurons of the spinal and cortical levels, electrical stimuli for recording H-reflex and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for recording motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were used. In the absence of movement or detectable EMG activity during motor magery, there was an increase in cortical excitability with no change in spinal excitability