Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regrowth of the Rostral Spinal Axons into the Caudal Ventral Roots through a Collagen Tube Implanted into Hemisected Adult Rat Spinal Cord

OBJECTIVEA collagen tube was used to guide axonal regrowth from the spinal cord to the periphery to contribute to improvement of paralysis after lower thoracic spinal cord injury. METHODSThe spinal cords of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were lesioned by removing the left hemicord from T12 to 5 mm below this level and additionally sectioning all left lumbar ventral roots. In experimental animals (n = 9), a collagen tube was inserted into this gap, spanning the rostral hemisected cord to the caudal sectioned lumbar ventral roots (gap, 7 mm). In control animals (n = 6), no treatment was performed. RESULTSSix months after surgery, the return of some tension and resistance of the paralyzed hindlimb muscles was observed in all experimental rats except the untreated controls. Nine months postoperatively, muscle action potentials were recorded from the target muscles of the experimental animals while electrostimulating the tissue continuity within the collagen tube. Horseradish peroxidase retrograde labeling showed that the neurons in the rostral cord near the implantation site regrew into the reconnected lumbar ventral roots. Histological examination indicated numerous myelinated axons in the reconnected root pathways and newly formed endplates in the target muscles. No axonal regeneration was found in the control rats. CONCLUSIONThese results indicate that the rostral spinal axons can regrow into the caudal sectioned and reconnected ventral roots through a collagen tube, thus innervating the denervated peripheral targets in adult rats after spinal cord injury. This surgical repair model also provides a means for testing the use of trophic factors that may further promote axonal regeneration.
Some misconceptions concerning differences in the racial prevalence of mental disease.

Reported racial differences in occurrence of mental disorder have been attributed to inferiority, too rapid acculturation or striving for equality. Data from Baltimore studies indicate that Negroes do not have higher rates for psychoses, psychoneuroses or psychophysiological disorders, but do for mental deficiency. These findings have implications for epidemiology and prevention.
Data-flow Concurrency on Distributed Multi-core Systems

The Dynamic Data-Flow model of execution has many inherit properties, such as tolerance to latencies and distributed concurrency, which make it suitable for distributed execution. Data-Driven Multithreading (DDM) is a hybrid Data-flow/Control-flow model that implements the Data-Flow principles at the Thread level on sequential processors. In this paper we demonstrated that the DataDriven Multithreading Virtual Machine (DDM-VM), can achieve high performance in Distributed Nodes (multi-core systems). A shared Global Address Space is supported across all the Nodes in the system to facilitate data movement. We have evaluated our work on both Homogeneous and Heterogeneous systems. The performance evaluation shows that the distributed execution achieves 80-84% of the maximum possible speedup using off-the-shelf networking.
Do online access panels really need to allow and adapt surveys to mobile devices

Researchers are more and more interested in the possibility of using mobile web for completing surveys, because they have observed that some respondents already try to complete web surveys via mobile devices, even when this is unintended. However, there is only little evidence of how large is the need for mobile surveys nowadays (in general and, mostly, in different countries) and what is the potentiality of using mobile web in survey completion. This lack of knowledge is even more important in the frame of commercial panels that do not provide mobile devices to people if they do not have them at their disposal yet. In this chapter, data from the Netquest online panel, collected in a wide set of countries (Spain, Portugal and Latin American countries), are used in order to evaluate what is the current need to offer web panellists the option of taking part in surveys via mobile devices. Revilla et al. (2014) studied the spread of smartphones and tablets among the Netquest panellists and examine to which kind of devices people have prevalently access to. However, they show that a large proportion of panellists have access to several devices (PC and mobile). Therefore, their participation through mobile to a survey not only depends on the access but also on their preferences. Thus, we go one step further and we evaluate how common is the use of mobile devices in current Netquest surveys. Next, we look at the willingness of the panellists to participate in surveys specifically adapted to mobile devices. Finally, we compare the propensity of respondents to participate in a survey by computers rather than by mobile devices, when the choice between the two options is available. This overview of what is the current situation is a first important step in order to determine which strategies commercial online panels should develop in the future for the mobile devices surveys.
A Survey of Ethical Issues Experienced by Nurses Caring for Terminally Ill Elderly People

This study examined the ethical issues experienced by nurses working in a small group of elderly persons’ care settings in the UK, using a survey questionnaire previously used in other countries for examining the cultural aspects of ethical issues. However ‘culture’ relates not only to ethnicity but also the organizational culture in which care is delivered. Nurses working in elderly persons’ care settings described a range of issues faced when caring for elderly terminally ill people, which illustrated the different needs of patients, relatives, professionals and society. These issues related to the unique needs of elderly people (such as dementia sufferers) and could have an impact on patients’ quality of death.
Mechanically adaptive intracortical implants improve the proximity of neuronal cell bodies

The hypothesis is that the mechanical mismatch between brain tissue and microelectrodes influences the inflammatory response. Our unique, mechanically adaptive polymer nanocomposite enabled this study within the cerebral cortex of rats. The initial tensile storage modulus of 5 GPa decreases to 12 MPa within 15 min under physiological conditions. The response to the nanocomposite was compared to surface-matched, stiffer implants of traditional wires (411 GPa) coated with the identical polymer substrate and implanted on the contralateral side. Both implants were tethered. Fluorescent immunohistochemistry labeling examined neurons, intermediate filaments, macrophages, microglia and proteoglycans. We demonstrate, for the first time, a system that decouples the mechanical and surface chemistry components of the neural response. The neuronal nuclei density within 100 µm of the device at four weeks post-implantation was greater for the compliant nanocomposite compared to the stiff wire. At eight weeks post-implantation, the neuronal nuclei density around the nanocomposite was maintained, but the density around the wire recovered to match that of the nanocomposite. The glial scar response to the compliant nanocomposite was less vigorous than it was to the stiffer wire. The results suggest that mechanically associated factors such as proteoglycans and intermediate filaments are important modulators of the response of the compliant nanocomposite.
Learning human behaviors from motion capture by adversarial imitation

Rapid progress in deep reinforcement learning has made it increasingly feasible to train controllers for high-dimensional humanoid bodies. However, methods that use pure reinforcement learning with simple reward functions tend to produce non-humanlike and overly stereotyped movement behaviors. In this work, we extend generative adversarial imitation learning to enable training of generic neural network policies to produce humanlike movement patterns from limited demonstrations consisting only of partially observed state features, without access to actions, even when the demonstrations come from a body with different and unknown physical parameters. We leverage this approach to build sub-skill policies from motion capture data and show that they can be reused to solve tasks when controlled by a higher level controller.
Chapter 7 Does Happiness Change ? Evidence from Longitudinal Studies

Subjective well-being (SWB) reflects a person’s subjective evaluation of the quality of his or her life as a whole. This construct is typically measured using global questions that ask respondents how they feel in general, or through intensive assessments of how a person feels on a moment-tomoment basis. SWB is important partly because laypeople value it; in general, people prefer to be happy with their lives rather than unhappy. In addition, an increasing amount of research suggests that SWB is actually good for people. It can lead to additional positive outcomes in people’s lives such as better health or increased productivity (Lyubomirsky, King, & Diener, 2005). If SWB is something that people value, either for intrinsic reasons or as a means to obtain other outcomes, then an important goal for research is to understand how SWB can be improved. The applied value of well-being research would be dramatically reduced if there was ultimately nothing that could be done to improve it. In addition, some have suggested that it might be useful to track well-being for policy purposes (Diener, Lucas, Schimmack, & Helliwell, 2009), but such programs would provide little value if well-being was unaffected by policies or features of daily life that these policies directly affect. Therefore, one of the most fundamental questions that well-being researchers must tackle is whether SWB can change. Historically, there has been some amount of skepticism regarding the possibility of change in SWB. This skepticism was due, in part, to early research that emphasized the relatively strong role that personality traits played as predictors of subjective well-being, at least in comparison to the role that situational and environmental factors played (Diener & Lucas, 1999).
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for osteosarcoma of the extremities with metastases at presentation: recent experience at the Rizzoli Institute in 57 patients treated with cisplatin, doxorubicin, and a high dose of methotrexate and ifosfamide.

BACKGROUND Effective adjuvant or neoadjuvant regimens of chemotherapy have dramatically improved the prognosis of patients with high-grade osteosarcoma of the extremity, localized at diagnosis. Currently, little is known about patients with metastatic disease at presentation. PATIENTS AND METHODS From May 1995 to May 2000, 57 patients with osteosarcoma of the extremity, metastatic at presentation, were treated according to the following scheme: primary chemotherapy, restaging, simultaneous resection of primary tumor and metastatic lesions, and maintenance chemotherapy. RESULTS Thirty-five patients achieved remission. At a follow-up ranging from 2 to 7 years, seven remained continuously free of disease, one died of chemotherapy-related toxicity and 27 patients relapsed. Twenty-one of the 22 patients who never achieved remission died as a result of the tumor, as well as 20 of the 27 who achieved remission but then relapsed. Of the remaining seven relapsing patients, six are alive with uncontrolled disease, while one is alive and free of disease 24 months after the last post-relapse treatment. Two-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were 21% and 55%, respectively. These results are significantly poorer than those achieved in 128 contemporary patients with non-metastatic disease at presentation, treated with the same chemotherapy protocol (2-year EFS and OS of 75% and 94%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The results of our study confirm that the prognosis of patients with osteosarcoma of the extremity, metastatic at presentation, remains poor, despite the use of aggressive treatments.
Identification of Technological Gatekeepers in the Information Technology Profession

Business organizations have become interested in recognizing gatekeepers who may improve business prospects through informal external communication. Past research has identified gatekeepers within organizations, but no technique existed for identifying gatekeepers among groups of people working in an industry, profession, or other external group. This paper develops and tests a simple rule for identifying gatekeepers among members of a profession with a common group of potential interpersonal communication channels. The rule is used to classify gatekeepers among information technology professionals, based on self-reported information dissemination behavior. The rule passes five tests that compare the characteristics and information-seeking strategies of individuals classified using this rule with other members of the profession. The results of the study confirm that self-reported information dissemination behavior can be used to identify gatekeepers among individuals with diverse information-gathering behaviors, but a common group of potential interpersonal communication channels.
MMP-2, MMP-9 and TIMP-2 gene polymorphisms in Chinese patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis.

BACKGROUND Aggressive periodontitis (AgP) has a genetic basis. It has been reported that the functional gene polymorphisms of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) alter their expressions in transcriptional level and they are involved in the tissue destruction of periodontitis. The study was carried out to analyse the association of functional polymorphisms in MMP-2, MMP-9 and TIMP-2 with generalized AgP (G-AgP) in a Chinese population. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study population consisted of 79 Chinese patients with G-AgP and 128 healthy controls. DNA was obtained from oral mucosa swab samples. MMP-2 genotypes were determined by PCR-based denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography analysis while MMP-9 and TIMP-2 genotypes were identified by a PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism. Chi2 test after Yates' correction was used to investigate the possible association of the genotypes with the G-AgP. RESULTS Although gene polymorphisms for MMP-2 and MMP-9 did not show any association with the G-AgP, the analysis of the TIMP-2 -418G to C gene polymorphism revealed significant differences between the patients and controls. Compared with controls, a significant increasing trend of TIMP-2 -418C carrier in the G-AgP patients occurred (p=0.013). CONCLUSION It is suggested that the TIMP2 -418G to C gene polymorphism is associated with G-AgP in the Chinese subjects.
Scheduling analysis of fixed priority hard real-time systems with multiframe tasks

Scheduling analysis of real time systems has been studied by most researchers assuming the tasks of the systems have constant worst case execution time bounds during their cycle of execution. However, this is not the case in a multiframe task where the execution time could be different from one instance to another, as in multimedia applications like MPEG. Some researchers have introduced sufficient scheduling analyses for a restricted model of multiframe tasks. The contributions in this thesis present scheduling analysis for a less strict model of multiframe tasks. The analysis is presented in two steps. In the first step, exact scheduling analysis is presented by response time analysis; where the worst case response time of multiframe tasks is formulated. This formulation is then extended to multiframe tasks that are subjected to blocking, release jitter and arbitrary deadlines. Another extension of the formulation is given to cover frame specific deadlines; where a multiframe task has more than one deadline relative to its frames. With large systems of multiframe tasks, the exact response time analysis becomes computationally intractable. So, in the second step we present and compare some sufficient approaches that analyze the schedulability of large systems with multiframe tasks. In this step we first study the safety of each approach then we compare them to find out the schedulability performance each of them provides.
Role of antigen‐presenting cells in cross‐priming of cytotoxic T lymphocytes by apoptotic cells

Although the mechanisms regulating recognition and phagocytosis of apoptotic cells by scavenger cells are the subject of intense investigation, little is known about the fate of the antigens contained in apoptotic cells and the constraints defining their immunogenicity. We developed a model in C57BL/6 mice to evaluate whether phagocytosis of apoptotic tumor cells yielded antigens able to get access to the MHC class I pathway and activate a specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte response. Our results demonstrate that apoptotic tumor cells are antigenic in vitro and can be immunogenic in vivo. Their immunogenicity depends on the number of cells used for immunization and the antigen‐presenting cells involved in processing and presentation of antigens contained in the dying cells. The demonstration of the immunogenicity of apoptotic cells may have direct implications both in autoimmunity and cancer. J. Leukoc. Biol. 66: 247–251; 1999.
Volatilization of [14C]fluoranthene and [14C]diflufenican after soil surface application under field-like conditions: measurement and comparison with different model approaches

L'emission du [3- 14 C]fluoranthene et de [pyridine-2- 14 C]diflufenican apres application sur un sol nu a ete mesuree et comparee a des predictions de modeles. Les pertes gazeuses ont ete determinees dans une soufflerie en verre dans des conditions proches de celles au champ. Dans differentes experiences de 13 a 14 jours chacune, les composes ont ete pulverises sur la surface du sol et le taux de volatilisation cumulee du fluoranthene etait considerablement plus grande que celle du diflufenican. Les donnees obtenues ont ete comparees avec la sortie d'un modele de tri (BAM) et deux methodes d'estimation. Les variations dans les parametres les plus sensibles du modele (humidite du sol et temperature) ont ete analysees en changeant les valeurs par defaut du modele. L'influence sur la volatilisation predite est discutee en relation avec nos resultats experimentaux. Plusieurs limitations et insuffisances dans les outils courants de tri et d'estimation pour la volatilisation sont caracterisees et pointent la necessite d'un modele ameliore base sur des lois physiques qui decriraient de facon adequate les processus pertinents.
Physical Activity in Middle-aged and Young-old Adults

This study tests the associations of self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, perceived barriers, self-regulatory behaviors and social support with physical activity. Data from 116 married community-dwelling middle-aged and young-old couples (M = 58.86 years, SD = 7.16, range = 50 to 75) were collected via mail-in survey. The model indicated that self-efficacy was directly and indirectly related to physical activity through outcome expectancies, perceived barriers and self-regulatory behaviors. The results clarify the associations among the social cognitive constructs and physical activity, and suggest that interventions targeting multiple social cognitive constructs could increase the activity levels of middle-aged and young-old adults.
Heat shock protein 27 is involved in neurite extension and branching of dorsal root ganglion neurons in vitro

Alteration of the cytoskeleton in response to growth factors and extracellular matrix proteins is necessary for neurite growth. The cytoskeletal components, such as actin and tubulin, can be modified through interaction with other cellular proteins, including the small heat shock protein Hsp27. Our previous work suggested that Hsp27 influences neurite growth, potentially via its phosphorylation state interactions with actin. To investigate further the role of Hsp27 in neurite outgrowth of adult dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, we have both down‐regulated endogenous Hsp27 and expressed exogenous Hsp27. Down‐regulation of Hsp27 with Hsp27 siRNA resulted in a decrease of neuritic tree length and complexity. In contrast, expression of exogenous Hsp27 in these neurons resulted in an increase in neuritic tree length and branching. Collectively, these results demonstrate that Hsp27 may play a role in neuritic growth via modulation of the actin cytoskeleton. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Good habits gone bad: Explaining negative consequences associated with the use of mobile phones from a dual‐systems perspective

Information technology use is typically assumed to have positive effects for users, yet information technology use may also lead to negative consequences with various degrees of gravity. In the current work, we build on dual‐systems theories to investigate negative consequences associated with mobile phones use (MPU), defined as the extent to which the use of mobile phones is perceived to create problems in managing one's personal and social life. According to dual‐system theories, human behaviour is guided by two systems: reflexive (automatic) and reflective (control), which most of the time work in harmony. But when the two systems come into conflict, they will both complete to exert their influences over behaviour. Thus, we view the negative consequences associated with MPU as an outcome of the tug‐of‐war between the two systems influencing our day‐to‐day behaviours, where reflexive system is represented in our study by MPU habits and reflective system is represented by self‐regulation. We hypothesise that the influence of habit and self‐regulation on these negative consequences will be mediated through MPU. A partial least square analysis of 266 responses was used to validate and test our model. The study results generally support our model. The theoretical and practical implications of our study are discussed.
Rho Kinase Inhibitor Fasudil Regulates Microglia Polarization and Function

Macrophages/microglia exhibit phenotypic and functional heterogeneity under physiological and pathological conditions. Owing to this heterogeneity, the polarization of macrophages/microglia is capable of effecting both detrimental and beneficial outcomes in various disease processes. In this study, murine microglial cell line BV-2 and primary microglia were used as cell models to elucidate the polarization of microglia. Using flow cytometry, Western blot, chemical/enzymatic determination, and immunohistochemistry, treatment with LPS primed microglia into the M1 phenotype in both BV-2 cells and primary microglia, while fasudil skewed LPS-stimulated M1 toward M2 microglia, which showed lower NF-κB activity and inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-a, and increased anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. To examine whether the regulatory role of LPS and fasudil on microglia can occur in vivo, mice were administered LPS (25 µg/10 µl) via nasal instillation every other day for 1 month. The results demonstrated that LPS also triggered iNOS+/CD11b+ M1 microglia in the brain, while fasudil increased Arg-1+/CD11b+ M2 microglia, although the difference did not reach statistical significance. Fasudil-conditioned microglia medium promoted a neuroprotective effect against PC12 neurons, suggesting that fasudil-induced M2 microglia contribute to the survival of neurons. These results indicate a new treatment option whereby fasudil inhibits the inflammatory response by controlling a helpful polarization in microglia/macrophages.