Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long-term intramuscular electrical activation of the phrenic nerve: efficacy as a ventilatory prosthesis

The efficacy of a system for long-term intramuscular activation of the phrenic nerve as a ventilatory prosthesis was evaluated in seven dogs. Five dogs underwent chronic bilateral intramuscular diaphragm stimulation (IDS) for 61 to 183 days at stimulus parameters selected to evoke at least 120% of the animal's basal ventilation. Two dogs maintained as controls did not undergo chronic stimulation. The ability of IDS to provide long-term ventilation without diaphragm fatigue was evaluated in terms of the ventilatory capacity of IDS, the effects of chronic IDS on diaphragm contractile properties, and the phrenic nerve recruitment properties of chronic IDS electrodes. Hemi-diaphragms with electrodes placed within 2 cm of the phrenic nerve trunk could be completely activated by 25 mA pulses having a 100 /spl mu/s pulse width. The tidal volume evoked by IDS in this study was 167% (/spl plusmn/48 s.d.) of that required for full-time basal ventilation without diaphragm fatigue. Evoked tidal volume increased after 8 to 9 weeks of chronic IDS for stimulus pulse intervals longer than 50 ms. Electrode recruitment properties were stable for both active and passive implanted electrodes. It is concluded from these studies that with properly placed electrodes IDS is capable of providing reliable full-time ventilatory support without fatiguing the diaphragm. <<ETX>>
Endotoxin-induced suppression of pulmonary antibacterial defenses against Staphylococcus aureus.

In order to evaluate the effect of endotoxin on lung host defenses, Sprague-Dawley rats were intravenously injected with either placebo or 5 mg/kg of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide B. Two hours after treatment, animals were challenged with Staphylococcus aureus by either low dose aerosol inhalation or high dose intratracheal instillation of the bacteria into the lungs. Quantitative lung bacteriologic examination and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) for total and differential cell counts were performed immediately (zero hour) and at 4 h after bacterial challenge. Lung phagocytic defenses against aerosolized S. aureus challenges are provided solely by the alveolar macrophage (AM) in the absence of inflammation. In aerosol-challenged control rats, 20.6 +/- 2.0% of the initial deposited bacterial challenge remained viable in the lung at 4 h. Animals pretreated with endotoxin, however, showed a significant decrease in pulmonary bactericidal activity (31.3 +/- 3.4% bacteria remaining at 4 h), indicating a defect in alveolar macrophage (AM) function. Further assessment of the bactericidal oxidative metabolism of endotoxin-treated AM by luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence indicated an increased production of free radical oxygen species when compared with control nontreated cells in both the unstimulated (66 +/- 4 versus 38 +/- 7 x 10(3) cpm in control) and stimulated (250.5 +/- 17.1 versus 147.1 +/- 6.2 x 10(3) cpm in control) states. Total and differential cell counts in both control and endotoxin-treated aerosol-challenged rats were similar. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Laboratory and clinical evaluation of isolation media for Campylobacter jejuni

Six selective isolation media were evaluated for their ability to support the growth of Campylobacter jejuni. Colony counts of 70 isolated strains of C. jejuni and recovery studies on these strains in simulated positive feces samples demonstrated that Bolton and Hutchinson' charcoal, cefoperazone, deoxycholate agar and Karmali's charcoal-based selective medium produced the highest recovery rates with the greatest suppression of other fecal flora. C. jejuni colonies were more easily recognized on charcoal-based selective medium. A clinical evaluation performed on 2,780 human, animal, and avian feces specimens confirmed the results of the laboratory investigation. From human samples, 4 more strains of C. jejuni were isolated on charcoal-based selective medium than were isolated on Skirrow medium, and 19 more strains of C. jejuni or C. coli were isolated on charcoal-based selective medium from animal specimens. Suppression of normal fecal flora was also greater on charcoal-based selective medium.
Macroeconomic news surprises, business cycles, and interest rate swap spreads

This study examines the response of Australian interest rate swap spreads to the arrival of macroeconomic news information during the economic expansion and contraction periods. We find that the impact of news announcements on swap spread change differs and largely depends on the state of the economy. The unexpected inflation rate is the only news released that has significant impact on swap spreads across all maturities during contractions and remains the important news announcement throughout the business cycles. The unanticipated unemployment rate tends to be more relevant to the 10-year swap and the unanticipated change in money supply tends to be more relevant to the 4-and 7-year swaps during expansions. We also find shocks from these news surprises appear to have significant impact on the conditional volatility of the swap spread change during both economic phases. The macroeconomic shocks in general are negatively related to the conditional volatility of the swap spread change, suggesting that the news worthy announcements tend to reduce uncertainty on the news announcement days in the swap market during expansion and contraction periods.
Public–private innovation: barriers in the case of mobility as a service in West Sweden

ABSTRACT Departing from open innovation (OI), this case study explores the development of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) in West Sweden. An analysis of 19 interviews reveals how representatives from involved actors perceive internal and external barriers as hampering the regional public transport authority’s attempts to collaborate with private actors, and that the perception of barriers is incongruent across public and private actors. Transferability to other cases of public–private OI is discussed, and implications for public actors are proposed. The paper expands the knowledge of preconditions for MaaS’ development and of the unique conditions for OI in public–private settings.
A KALDOR-SCHUMPETER MODEL OF CUMULATIVE GROWTH: COMBINING INCREASING RETURNS AND NON-PRICE COMPETITIVENESS WITH TECHNOLOGICAL CATCH-UP AND RESEARCH INTENSITY

Taking into account the relevance of the Kaldorian and the Schumpeterian contributions to macroeconomic growth theory, this paper proposes a growth model that consistently combines the insights of these two traditions while solving some of the most important limitations of the original Kaldor-Dixon-Thirlwall model. This model takes into account the main factors emphasized by the Kaldorian and the Schumpeterian literatures, while keeping the importance of both demand and supply-side factors for economic growth. The proposed Kaldor-Schumpeter growth model was also transposed to a multi-sectoral setting that indicates that: (i) changes in the performance of a given sector affect the performance of the other sectors through inter-sector demand externalities by easing the BOP constraint; and (ii) an increase in the growth rate of foreign output can exert a negative impact on the domestic economy, provided that the negative effect of higher foreign nonprice competitiveness is larger than the positive demand effect.
Acute ethanol intoxication in a model of traumatic brain injury: The protective role of moderate doses demonstrated by immunoreactivity of synaptophysin in hippocampal neurons

Abstract Although ethanol intoxication is reported to be a complicating factor in traumatic brain injury, some recent studies are indicating its possible protective role especially at lower doses. Ethanol inhibition of NMDA-mediated excitotoxicity which predominates at lower doses is believed to be responsible for this protection. The aim of this study was to demonstrate this neuroprotective role of alcohol using immunoreactivity for synaptophysin as an indirect marker for severity of injury. Acute ethanol intoxication at moderate doses was performed 2 h prior to trauma. Severe traumatic brain injury was administrated using an impact acceleration model in Sprague–Dawley rats. At post-traumatic 48th hour, immunorectivity for synapthophysin in the rat hippocampi was evaluated under light microscopy. According to our results there were slight increases in immunoreactivity for synaptophysin in the stratum oriens and striatum radiatum of CA1 subfield of hippocampus when ethanol was administered prior to trauma comparing to moderate increase in the trauma-only group. On the other hand vacuolar degeneration and red neuron formation was more prominent in the pyramidal cell layer of CA1 and CA3 when ethanol was not administered. Ethanol may have a neuroprotective role when administered at moderate doses prior to traumatic brain injury. This effect of ethanol may primarily be due to inhibition of NMDA receptors.
Technological Spillover Effects of State Renewable Energy Policy: Evidence from Patent Counts

We examine the effect of in-state and out-of-state renewable energy policies on wind energy patenting. Using a semiparametric fixed-effects Tobit model, we regress patent counts on a series of policy variables within a state and a spatially weighted average for each of these policies implemented in other states. We develop a lower bound for the marginal effects and find important differences across policy types. For renewable portfolio standards, overall demand matters. Policies in other states increase innovation, but own-state policies do not. In contrast, for financial incentives such as tax incentives and subsidy policies, own-state policies induce innovation.
In utero repair of fetal rat myelomeningocele affects neuromuscular development in the bladder

Fetal repair of myelomeningocele (MMC) has been proven to be beneficial for the central nervous system development; however, the effect of fetal MMC repair on bladder function remains controversial. The objective of the present study was to establish an early timepoint for in utero MMC repair using a rat model, and to investigate the changes in bladder development subsequent to that intervention. Sprague Dawley rats were divided into the MMC, MMC repair and control groups. MMC rat fetus models were created by treating pregnant rats with all-trans retinoic acid. The MMC defect was then repaired in utero at embryonic day 17 (E17) using a chitosan-gelatin membrane patch. Fetal rat bladders were removed at E19 and E21 in each group, as well as at stage E17 in the MMC and control groups. Differential expression of β-III-tubulin, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), nerve growth factor (NGF) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) mRNA, and β-III-tubulin and α-SMA protein in the bladder following fetal repair was measured and compared among the three groups. In addition, the expression of NGF mRNA was significantly elevated at E21 in the MMC group compared with that of the control group, however, the level decreased in the repair group at stage E21. The expression of α-SMA mRNA significantly increased at E19 and then decreased at E21 in the repair group compared with that of the MMC group; however, there were no significant changes in α-SMA protein following the repair. Furthermore, the repair enhanced β-III-tubulin mRNA expression at E19, but ameliorated the decrease of β-III-tubulin protein at E21. The expression of AChE mRNA increased in the MMC group at E19 and E21 compared with that of the control group, although it was not significantly altered following repair as compared with that of the MMC group. In conclusion, in the current study, abnormal neuromuscular development was observed in the MMC bladder, which enabled a certain degree of improvement in the in utero MMC repair.
Consensus in networked multi-agent systems via model predictive control with horizon one

This paper addresses the problem of consensus by using the model predictive control (MPC) with horizon one. We propose centralized and distributed MPC consensus protocols, and prove that both of them asymptotically solve the consensus problem. We also give numerical examples to show that the convergence speed can be significantly increased by simply adjusting the parameter in the MPC consensus protocols.
[Clinical application of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation for the treatment of neonatal pneumothorax].

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical effect of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) for the treatment of neonatal pneumothorax. METHODS Retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 23 neonates with pneumothorax who received HFOV from January 2007 to June 2011. Of the 23 cases, 19 cases were treated by HFOV as soon as they were diagnosed with pneumothorax, and 4 cases were treated by HFOV after the occurrence of pneumothorax during conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) ventilation. Another 23 neonates with pneumothorax who received CMV in the same period were selected as controls. The HFOV group and control group were compared with respect to oxygenation index (OI) and arterial/alveolar oxygen tension ratio (a/APO(2)) before and after 1, 12, 24, and 48 hours of ventilation as well as mechanical ventilation time, gas absorption time, complication, and prognosis. RESULTS Both groups showed significantly decreased OI and significantly increased a/APO(2) after ventilation (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the HFOV group had significantly lower OI and significantly higher a/APO(2) after 1, 12, 24, and 48 hours of ventilation (P<0.05). Mechanical ventilation and gas absorption times were significantly shorter in the HFOV group than in the control group (P<0.05). Twenty-two cases were cured in the HFOV group and 21 in the control group. Each group included one case of ventilator-associated pneumonia that was later cured with antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS Compared with CMV, HFOV performs better in improving the pulmonary oxygenation function of neonates with pneumothorax and can shorten both mechanical ventilation time and gas absorption time without increasing the incidence of adverse effects.
Who Shares and Comments on News?: A Cross-National Comparative Analysis of Online and Social Media Participation

In this article, we present a cross-national comparative analysis of which online news users in practice engage with the participatory potential for sharing and commenting on news afforded by interactive features in news websites and social media technologies across a strategic sample of six different countries. Based on data from the 2016 Reuters Institute Digital News Report, and controlling for a range of factors, we find that (1) people who use social media for news and a high number of different social media platforms are more likely to also engage more actively with news outside social media by commenting on news sites and sharing news via email, (2) political partisans on both sides are more likely to engage in sharing and commenting particularly on news stories in social media, and (3) people with high interest in hard news are more likely to comment on news on both news sites and social media and share stores via social media (and people with high interest in any kind of news [hard or soft] are more likely to share stories via email). Our analysis suggests that the online environment reinforces some long-standing inequalities in participation while countering other long-standing inequalities. The findings indicate a self-reinforcing positive spiral where the already motivated are more likely in practice to engage with the potential for participation offered by digital media, and a negative spiral where those who are less engaged participate less.
Gompertzian growth pattern correlated with phenotypic organization of colon carcinoma, malignant glioma and non‐small cell lung carcinoma cell lines

Abstract. In the current study we present a Gompertzian model for cell growth as a function of cell phenotype using six human tumour cell lines (A‐549, NCI‐H596, NCI‐H520, HT‐29, SW‐620 and U‐251). Monolayer cells in exponential growth at various densities were quantified over a week by sulforhodamine B staining assay to produce cell‐growth curves. A Gompertz equation was fitted to experimental data to obtain, for each cell line, three empirical growth parameters (initial cell density, cell‐growth rate and carrying capacity – the maximal cell density). A cell‐shape parameter named deformation coefficient D (a morphological relationship among spreading and confluent cells) was established and compared by regression analysis with the relative growth rate parameter K described by the Gompertz equation. We have found that coefficient D is directly proportional to the growth parameter K. The fit curve significantly matches the empirical data (P < 0.05), with a correlation coefficient of 0.9152. Therefore, a transformed Gompertzian growth function was obtained accordingly to D. The degree of correlation between the Gompertzian growth parameter and the coefficient D allows a new interpretation of the growth parameter K on the basis of morphological measurements of a set of tumour cell types, supporting the idea that cell‐growth kinetics can be modulated by phenotypic organization of attached cells.
Heaney’s Mythic Method: Modernist Afterlives in The Burial at Thebes

This essay analyses the relationship between myth and modernity in The Burial at Thebes (2004), Seamus Heaney’s adaptation of Antigone. It focuses on the poet’s cultivation of what T.S. Eliot, in his review of Ulysses, called the mythic method; that is, ‘the art of holding a classical safety net under the tottering data of the contemporary. ’ If, for Eliot, the mythic method was part of a reactionary disavowal of modernity, for Heaney it belongs to a more progressive political and aesthetic agenda. Drawing on debates from New Modernist Studies, the article traces and interrogates the significance of the mythic method within Heaney’s landmark play. In doing so it demonstrates the ways in which the legacies of modernism continue to shape Irish writing in the twenty-first century.
Diagnosis of urothelial tumors with a dedicated dual-source dual-energy MDCT protocol: preliminary results.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of a dedicated dual-source dual-energy MDCT (DECT) protocol for the detection of urothelial tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS A DECT protocol including furosemide and split-bolus contrast injection was used in 69 consecutive patients with suspected abnormalities of the urinary system. Thirteen patients were excluded because there was no follow-up available. In 56 patients, the final diagnosis was proven with endoscopy, biopsy, or follow-up and included urothelial tumors (n = 37) in 16 patients, other urinary tract pathologies (n = 9) in eight patients, and absence of lesions of the collecting system in 32 patients. The image series consisted of a dual-energy true unenhanced series, 35-second arterial phase, and 8-minute nephrographic-excretory phase and were analyzed retrospectively. True enhancement of all detected lesions was measured. On the basis of the DECT data of the contrast-enhanced images, virtual unenhanced series were created and iodine concentration was calculated using commercially available software. The attenuation difference between virtual unenhanced and contrast-enhanced images (virtual enhancement) was measured. CT findings were compared with the final diagnosis. RESULTS Urothelial tumors were identified on 35-second series, 8-minute series, and both series combined, with sensitivity of 91.9% (95% CI, 78.1-98.2%), 83.4% (68.0-93.8%), and 97.3% (85.8-100%), respectively. Urothelial tumors showed stronger virtual enhancement (p = 0.02) and higher iodine concentration (p = 0.03) than lesions of other origin. Distinction between urothelial tumors and nontumoral lesions was possible with sensitivity of 91.9% (78.1-98.2%) when using a threshold concentration of at least 1.0 mg I/mL. CONCLUSION Dual phase DECT with virtual unenhanced imaging and iodine concentration measurement appears to be a useful diagnostic test for urothelial tumors.
New innovations in public opinion research in the broader Mediterranean region

The academic study of public opinion in the broader Mediterranean and Middle East has flourished in recent decades. Seismic shifts in the region and methodological advancements in political science have created new interest in public opinion research, and polling has become more feasible and less expensive than in the past. However, with the proliferation of public opinion research comes a number of important methodological and ethical challenges for scholars to keep in mind when conducting and evaluating this type of work. This essay traces the historic trajectory of academic research on public opinion in the broader Middle East. It demonstrates the current state of research by highlighting the research agendas of two prominent, path-breaking scholars. Finally, it concludes with a reflection on future prospects for public opinion research in the region.
Syntrophic growth with direct interspecies electron transfer as the primary mechanism for energy exchange.

Direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) through biological electrical connections is an alternative to interspecies H2 transfer as a mechanism for electron exchange in syntrophic cultures. However, it has not previously been determined whether electrons received via DIET yield energy to support cell growth. In order to investigate this, co-cultures of Geobacter metallireducens, which can transfer electrons to wild-type G. sulfurreducens via DIET, were established with a citrate synthase-deficient G. sulfurreducens strain that can receive electrons for respiration through DIET only. In a medium with ethanol as the electron donor and fumarate as the electron acceptor, co-cultures with the citrate synthase-deficient G. sulfurreducens strain metabolized ethanol as fast as co-cultures with wild-type, but the acetate that G. metallireducens generated from ethanol oxidation accumulated. The lack of acetate metabolism resulted in less fumarate reduction and lower cell abundance of G. sulfurreducens. RNAseq analysis of transcript abundance was consistent with a lack of acetate metabolism in G. sulfurreducens and revealed gene expression levels for the uptake hydrogenase, formate dehydrogenase, the pilus-associated c-type cytochrome OmcS and pili consistent with electron transfer via DIET. These results suggest that electrons transferred via DIET can serve as the sole energy source to support anaerobic respiration.