Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
USE OF ENHANCED COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY TO EVALUATE OSMOTIC BLOOD–BRAIN BARRIER DISRUPTION

Enhanced computerized tomography (CT) is a noninvasive means of monitoring blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. In the present study this technique was used to monitor the degree, distribution, extent, and reversibility of osmotic BBB disruption. With a canine model, the timing of administration of iodinated contrast agent was shown to be crucial to optimize enhancement by CT of the disrupted BBB. Meglumine iothalamate given intravenously resulted in excellent enhancement on CT scan. Intracarotid infusion of this contrast agent was less satisfactory. Under similar conditions, enhancement due to metrizamide was less marked and more transient than that observed with meglumine iothalamate. Systemically administered methotrexate after osmotic BBB disruption resulted in increased brain levels in areas that closely correlated with CT scan enhancement. These results suggest that the CT scan provides an excellent noninvasive monitor of both BBB disruption and the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to the brain. (Neurosurgery 6: 49--56, 1980)
Prostate cancer: body-array versus endorectal coil MR imaging at 3 T--comparison of image quality, localization, and staging performance.

PURPOSE To prospectively compare image quality and accuracy of prostate cancer localization and staging with body-array coil (BAC) versus endorectal coil (ERC) T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at 3 T, with histopathologic findings as the reference standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS After institutional review board approval and written informed consent, 46 men underwent 3-T T2-weighted MR imaging with a BAC (voxel size, 0.43 x 0.43 x 4.00 mm) and an ERC (voxel size, 0.26 x 0.26 x 2.50 mm) before radical prostatectomy. Four radiologists independently evaluated data sets obtained with the BAC and ERC separately. Ten image quality characteristics related to prostate cancer localization and staging were assigned scores. Prostate cancer presence was recorded with a five-point probability scale in each of 14 segments that included the whole prostate. Disease stage was classified as organ-confined or locally advanced with a five-point probability scale. Whole-mount-section histopathologic examination was the reference standard. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) and diagnostic performance parameters were determined. A difference with a P value of less than . 05 was considered significant. RESULTS Forty-six patients (mean age, 61 years) were included for analysis. Significantly more motion artifacts were present with ERC imaging (P<.001). All other image quality characteristics improved significantly (P<.001) with ERC imaging. With ERC imaging, the AUC for localization of prostate cancer was significantly increased from 0.62 to 0.68 (P<.001). ERC imaging significantly increased the AUCs for staging, and sensitivity for detection of locally advanced disease by experienced readers was increased from 7% (one of 15) to a range of 73% (11 of 15) to 80% (12 of 15) (P<.05), whereas a high specificity of 97% (30 of 31) to 100% (31 of 31) was maintained. Extracapsular extension as small as 0.5 mm at histopathologic examination could be accurately detected only with ERC imaging. CONCLUSION Image quality and localization improved significantly with ERC imaging compared with BAC imaging. For experienced radiologists, the staging performance was significantly better with ERC imaging.
Relationship between eosinophil cationic protein and infection intensity in a schistosomiasis endemic community in Ghana

(unported, v3.0) License. The full terms of the License are available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. Permissions beyond the scope of the License are administered by Dove Medical Press Limited. Information on how to request permission may be found at: http://www.dovepress. com/permissions.php Research and Reports in Tropical Medicine 2015:6 1–10 Research and Reports in Tropical Medicine
Effect of Starter Culture , Milk Fat and Storage Time on the Rheological Behaviour of Kefir

Kefir is a natural probiotic dairy product, produced by the metabolic activity of bacteria and yeasts, reputed to have a variety of heath benefits for the consumers. In the present work the effects of starter culture, milk fat and storage time on the apparent viscosity, flow behavior index and sensory characteristics of kefir were investigated. Samples were prepared using commercial UHT bovine milk (with 0.0%, 1.5% and 3.5% fat content), inoculated with 3% fermented milk obtained through fermentation from two different kefir grain starter cultures (SC1, SC2). The samples were examined 24 hours after inoculation as well as after storage for 7 and 14 days at 4C. The acidity, the apparent viscosity and the organoleptic properties of the samples were assessed. The pH of the samples remained fairly stable over the period of the study. Storage time of the final product caused the decrease of the viscosity and the increase of the flow behaviour index. Increasing the fat content of the milk base resulted in increasing the apparent viscosity and decreasing the flow behaviour index. Differences to the above rheological properties were also displayed between kefir samples produced from different kefir grain starter cultures. The sensory characteristics of kefir were significantly affected by the fat content of the milk base used. Samples with 3.5% fat were perceived as more viscous, less acidic and more acceptable than those with less.
Coordinated expression of Abd-B subfamily genes of the HoxA cluster in the developing digestive tract of chick embryo.

To elucidate the molecular mechanism for determining the positional specificity and morphogenesis of the chicken digestive tract, we analyzed expression patterns of Hox genes during development of the digestive tract, focusing on the Abd-B subfamily genes of the HoxA cluster, Hoxa-9,-10,-11, and -13. Region-specific expression of these genes was found in the visceral mesoderm. In early development, before commencement of hindgut closure, they were expressed in a Russian doll pattern with the more 5' located gene on the cluster showing the more posterior restricted expression domain. At middle stage, when hindgut closure had occurred and morphological subdivision of the hindgut was gradually becoming distinct, the expression domains of each gene became mutually exclusive and restricted to the subdivisions; i.e., Hoxa-9 in the posterior part of the small intestine and the ceca, Hoxa-10 in the ceca, Hoxa-11 in the ceca, the large intestine, and the cloaca, and Hoxa-13 in the cloaca. At later stages, when the bilateral branches of the ceca had formed, the overlapping expression domains of Hoxa-10 and -11 were strongly correlated with the budding processes of the ceca. These observations suggest the possibility that Hox genes are responsible for determination of the position-specific differentiation of the visceral mesoderm of the digestive system and regulate the budding processes of the ceca.
Managing Posterior Price Matching: The Role of Customer Boundedly Rational Expectations

The posterior price-matching policy, whereby a firm promises to reimburse the price difference to a customer who purchases a product before the firm marks it down, has been used in practice. The extensive literature has offered the following explanations for why posterior price matching is adopted: to reduce inventory, to soften competition, to price discriminate consumers, and to eliminate consumer strategic waiting incentives. In this paper, we provide a novel explanation and investigate the role of consumer bounded rationality in the sense of anecdotal reasoning. We adopt a simple model that allows us to isolate the role of customer bounded rationality on using posterior price matching. We demonstrate that while it is never optimal to adopt posterior price matching when consumers have rational expectations, it can be optimal when they have boundedly rational expectations. We show when and how a seller can intentionally mark down with some probability and adopt price matching to make a profit. Ignoring customer bounded rationality can result in a significant profit loss. Then, we build a dynamic programming model to investigate how the firm should dynamically manage its markdowns over the long run. We show that a cyclic policy switching between a high and low markdown probability is typically optimal for exploiting customer bounded rationality. We characterize the nature of the cyclic policy and the range in which it is optimal. Our findings underscore the importance of consumer bounded rationality and provide managerial and practical guidelines on how to manage price matching when customers are boundedly rational. The online supplement is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2016. 0612 .
[Consumption of fruits and vegetables in Chinese adults from 2010 to 2012].

OBJECTIVE To analyze the consumption of fruits and vegetables of Chinese adults. METHODS Data were collected from 2010-2012 China National Nutrition and Health Surveillance. Information on fruits and vegetables consumption was collected by using the 24 h recall method for 3 consecutive days. Using the multi-stage stratified cluster randomization sampling method. The participants selected were more than 18 years old of 150 counties from 31 provinces in China. Age and sex standardization was performed based on the China 2009 population published by National Statistics Bureau. The average consumption of vegetables or fruits after weight adjustment for complex sampling was reported to analyze the consumption of fruits and vegetables of Chinese adults (x ± Sx). RESULTS The average daily consumptions of vegetables and fruits for Chinese residents were (255 ± 6) and (36 ± 3)g/d, respectively. The total consumptions of fruits and vegetables were (291 ± 7)g/d, (295 ± 8)g/d for male, (286 ± 7)g/d for female. Rates on intake of vegetables in Chinese adults during the three survey days were 99.0%-99.8%. Rates on intake of fruits of urban and rural residents were 36.9%-51.5% and 21.3%-30.3%,respectively.The proportion of people whose total amount of vegetables and fruits intake reached 400 g/d were 24%-28% and 13%-23% in urban and rural areas, respectively. In urban and rural areas, the proportion of adults whose consumption reached Chinese dietary guidelines recommended level were 22%-26% and 14%-19% in vegetables, 2%-5% and 1%-2% in fruit, respectively. CONCLUSION The consumptions of vegetables and fruits were inadequate in Chinese adults.
Paleoclimate Data–Model Comparison and the Role of Climate Forcings over the Past 1500 Years*

The past 1500 years provide a valuable opportunity to study the response of the climate system to external forcings. However, the integration of paleoclimate proxies with climate modeling is critical to improving the understanding of climate dynamics. In this paper, a climate system model and proxy records are therefore used to study the role of natural and anthropogenic forcings in driving the global climate. The inverse and forward approaches to paleoclimate data–model comparison are applied, and sources of uncertainty are identified and discussed. In the first of two case studies, the climate model simulations are compared with multiproxy temperature reconstructions. Robust solar and volcanic signals are detected in Southern Hemisphere temperatures, with a possible volcanic signal detected in the Northern Hemisphere. The anthropogenic signal dominates during the industrial period. It is also found that seasonal and geographical biases may cause multiproxy reconstructions to overestimate the magnitude of the long-term preindustrial cooling trend. Inthesecondcasestudy,themodelsimulationsarecomparedwithacorald 18 OrecordfromthecentralPacific Ocean. It is found that greenhouse gases, solar irradiance, and volcanic eruptions all influence the mean state of the central Pacific, but there is no evidence that natural or anthropogenic forcings have any systematic impact on El Ni~ Oscillation. The proxy climate relationship is found to change over time, challenging the assumption of stationarity that underlies the interpretation of paleoclimate proxies. These case studies demonstrate the value of paleoclimate data–model comparison but also highlight the limitations of current techniques and demonstrate the need to develop alternative approaches.
Obtaining quantitative vapor emissions estimates of polychlorinated biphenyls and other semivolatile organic compounds from contaminated sites

Soils contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other semivolatile organic compounds (SVOs) represent a potentially major, ongoing source of these compounds to the environment, especially during warmer temperatures. A great deal of work has been devoted to understanding the mechanisms that govern the vaporization of SVOCs from soil, but to date, few quantitative estimates have been published regarding emissions from contaminated sites. The present paper describes methods for obtaining quantitative estimates of SVOCs from soils based on flux chamber measurements, modeling, and ambient air measurements. On wet (i.e., H2O) soils, SVOCs at very low chemical loading levels on the adsorption sites (the so‐called critical chemical concentration, critical loading, or saturation concentration) will behave, for volatilization purposes, as the pure‐liquid substance would. For one soil, the PCB critical concentration was determined to be 775 ppm (95% confidence interval, 5.40E+02). Flux chamber‐measured emissions from two contaminated sites were used and compared to model estimated values. The results agree reasonably well and indicate that the modeling approach used provided a conservative upper bound on the emissions. These approaches can be used to develop emissions estimates for SVOC‐contaminated sites and inputs to air dispersion models.
Banks' Use of Credit Derivatives and the Pricing of Loans: What Is the Channel and Does It Persist Under Adverse Economic Conditions? ∗

This paper studies whether active use of credit derivatives by banks has an impact on the loan spreads they charge to their corporate borrowers, and if so, through which channel(s) this occurs. We find that a bank’s gross position in credit derivatives is associated with significantly lower loan spreads, while the bank’s net position is not related to loan spreads. We argue that this is consistent with banks passing on risk management benefits to their corporate borrowers, but not with other channels through which credit derivatives may affect loan pricing. We also find that the risk management benefits extend to borrowers unlikely to be traded in the credit derivative markets (although to a smaller extent). The evidence further suggests that risk management remains effective throughout the crisis of 2007-2009 since i) the benefit of borrowing at lower spreads from credit-derivative active banks does not fall during the crisis, ii) active banks have persistently lower loan charge-offs, iii) active banks cut lending by less than other banks during the crisis. Taken together the evidence indicates significant risk management benefits from financial innovations that persist under adverse
Differential Time Course of Cytochrome P450 2D6 Enzyme Inhibition by Fluoxetine, Sertraline, and Paroxetine in Healthy Volunteers

The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) paroxetine, sertraline, and fluoxetine have varying degrees of potency in inhibiting the hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D6 enzyme. However, the time course for maximum inhibition to occur or for inhibition to dissipate when dosing is discontinued, requires clarification. In an open label, parallel group study of 45 healthy volunteers, the time course of CYP2D6 inhibition of the above SSRIs was evaluated. Subjects were randomized to receive paroxetine at 20 mg/day for 10 days; sertraline at 50 mg/day for 3 days, followed by sertraline at 100 mg/day for 10 days; or fluoxetine at 20 mg/day for 28 days. CYP2D6 activity was assessed using the dextromethorphan metabolic ratio (DMR) on antidepressant days 5 and 10 for sertraline and paroxetine and at weekly intervals for fluoxetine. Following SSRI discontinuation, calculation of a CYP2D6 inhibition half-life (t½inh) revealed the time course of fluoxetine inhibition (t½inh = 7.0 ± 1.5 days) to be significantly longer than either paroxetine (t½inh = 2.9 ± 1.9) or sertraline (t½inh = 3.0 ± 3.0) (p < 0.01), but the latter were not significantly different from each other (p > 0.05). Time for the extrapolated DMR versus time loglinear plots to return to baseline was significantly different between fluoxetine (63.2 ± 5.6 days) and both paroxetine (20.3 ± 6.4 days) and sertraline (25.0 ± 11.0 days) (p < 0.01), making the rank order (from longest to shortest) of time for CYP2D6 inhibition to dissipate: fluoxetine > sertraline ≥ paroxetine. Differences between mean baseline DMR values and measured values obtained after drug discontinuation for each drug group became nonsignificant on discontinuation day 5 for both paroxetine and sertraline and on discontinuation day 42 for fluoxetine. These data define the time course of a persistent effect that fluoxetine, sertraline, and paroxetine have on CYP2D6 following drug discontinuation and should be considered when initiating therapy with a CYP2D6 substrate.
Tg(Afp‐GFP) expression marks primitive and definitive endoderm lineages during mouse development

Alpha‐fetoprotein (Afp) is the most abundant serum protein in the developing embryo. It is secreted by the visceral endoderm, its derivative yolk sac endoderm, fetal liver hepatocytes, and the developing gut epithelium. The abundance of this protein suggested that Afp gene regulatory elements might serve to effectively drive reporter gene expression in developing endodermal tissues. To this end, we generated transgenic mouse lines Tg(Afp‐GFP) using an Afp promoter/enhancer to drive expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP). Bright GFP fluorescence allowed the visualization, in real time, of visceral endoderm, yolk sac endoderm, fetal liver hepatocytes, and the epithelium of the gut and pancreas. Comparison of the localization of green fluorescence with that of endogenous Afp transcripts and protein indicated that the regulatory elements used to generate these mouse lines directed transgene expression in what appeared to be all Afp‐expressing cells of the embryo, but only in a subset of fetal liver cells. The bright GFP signal permitted flow cytometric analysis of fetal liver hepatocytes. These mice represent a valuable resource for live imaging as well as identification, quantitation, and isolation of cells from the primitive and definitive endoderm lineages of the developing mouse embryo. Developmental Dynamics 235:2549–2558, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Risk Factors Associated with Cryptosporidium parvum Infection in Cattle

A 2‐year, cross‐sectional study was conducted to identify risk factors for Cryptosporidium sp. infection in bovine farms in central Italy. Faecal samples were collected on 248 farms, from 2024 calves and analysed using ELISA and immunofluorescent assay (IFA) commercial kits. In all 101 samples confirmed to be positive with IFA, the aetiological agent was identified as Cryptosporidium parvumand a large genetic variability was detected by subtype analysis. The prevalence of farm infection ranged from 3.4% to 35.6%. Univariate analysis showed a number of putative risk factors, including the type of farm, stalling of calves, late supply of colostrum, number of heads and contact between calves and adults. However, multivariate analysis confirmed that the higher risk for calves was associated with housing calves separately from their dams, a characteristic practice of dairy herd, whereas calves being nursed by their dams, a characteristic of cow–calf herd resulted as a protective factor.
Thiosulphate improves yield of hydrogen production from glucose by the immobilized formate hydrogenlyase system of Escherichia coli.

Escherichia coli cells with formate hydrogenlyase activity that were immobilized in agar beads produced hydrogen from glucose at the approximate yield of 0.6 mole of hydrogen per mole. Succinate or thiosulphate added to glucose increased hydrogen production two-fold. Thiosulphate did not increase the rate of hydrogen production but reduced the consumption of glucose for the same amount of hydrogen produced compared to control. Oxaloacetate and traces of pyruvate instead of succinate accumulated at the end when thiosulphate was present.
Corticosteroids

lntracellular microelectrode recording of miniature end-plate potentials (MEPPs) was used to investigate the effect of prednisolone on neuromuscular transmission in the rat phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparation. Prednisolone facilitated spontaneous release of acetylcholine as manifested by a twofold to threefold increase in MEPP frequency, and it decreased MEPP amplitude by about 50 percent. Both effects were reversible after prednisolone washout. These data suggest that the early alterations and short-term fluctuations in myasthenic weakness seen in patients being treated with corticosteroids may 15e attributed at least in part to a direct effect on neuromuscular transmission.
Search Engines and Resource Discovery on the Web: Is Dublin Core an Impact Factor?

This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Dublin Core metadata elements on the retrieval of web pages in a suite of six search engines, AlltheWeb, AltaVista, Google, Excite, Lycos, and WebCrawler. The effectiveness of four elements, including title, creator, subject and contributor, that concentrate on resource discovery was experimentally evaluated. Searches were made of the keywords extracted from web pages of the Iranian International Journal of Science, before and after metadata implementation. In each search, the ranking of the first specific reference to the exact web page was recorded. The comparison of results and statistical analysis did not reveal a significant difference between control and experimental groups in the retrieval ranks of the web pages.
Dendritic morphology and axon collaterals of corticotectal, corticopontine, and callosal neurons in layer V of primary visual cortex of the hooded rat

Recent evidence indicates that corticotectal neurons belong to only one of the three morphological classes of pyramidal cells in layer V. The present study compares the dendritic morphology and axon collaterals of corticotectal, corticopontine, and layer V callosal neurons by using techniques based on the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase and fluorescent dyes as well as in vitro intracellular dye injections. Our results indicate that corticotectal and corticopontine neurons are located predominantly in the upper middle part of layer V. These neurons have medium to large somas with 5 or 6 primary basal dendrites and a single apical dendrite ascending to layer I. Approximately 60% of these cells send axon collaterals to both the superior colliculus and the pons. In contrast, callosal neurons form a heterogeneous group. In general, they have small pyramidal or ovoid cell bodies which give rise to 3 or 4 primary basal dendrites. Many cells have an apical dendrite that bifurcates and terminates in layer V or IV. We find that callosal neurons do not send an axon collateral to either the superior colliculus or the pons.