Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Polyneuronal innervation of spiny stellate neurons in cat visual cortex

Our hypothesis was that spiny stellate neurons in layer 4 of cat visual cortex receive polyneuronal innervation. We characterised the synapses of four likely sources of innervation by three simple criteria: the type of synapse, the target (spine, dendritic shaft), and the area of the presynaptic bouton. The layer 6 pyramids had the smallest boutons and formed asymmetric synapses mainly with the dendritic shaft. The thalamic afferents had the largest boutons and formed asymmetric synapses mainly with spines. The spiny stellates had medium‐sized boutons and formed asymmetric synapses mainly with spines. We used these to make a “template” to match against the boutons forming synapses with the spiny stellate dendrite. Of the asymmetric synapses, 45% could have come from layer 6 pyramidal neurons, 28% from spiny stellate neurons, and 6% from thalamic afferents. The remaining 21% of asymmetric synapses could not be accounted for without assuming some additional selectivity of the presynaptic axons. Additional asymmetric synapses may come from a variety of sources, including other cortical neurons and subcortical nuclei such as the claustrum. Of the symmetric synapses, 84% could have been provided by clutch cells, which form large boutons. The remainder, formed by small boutons, probably come from other smooth neurons in layer 4, e.g., neurogliaform and bitufted neurons. Our analysis supports the hypothesis that the spiny stellate receives polyneuronal innervation, perhaps from all the sources of boutons in layer 4. Although layer 4 is the major recipient of thalamic afferents, our results show that they form only a few percent of the synapses of layer 4 spiny stellate neurons.
Outcomes following childhood head injury: a population study

Objectives: To identify outcomes following head injury (HI) among a population of children admitted to one hospital centre and to compare outcomes between different severity groups. Methods: A postal follow up of children admitted with HI to one National Health Service Trust, between 1992 and 1998, was carried out. Children were aged 5–15 years at injury (mean 9.8), followed up at a mean of 2.2 years post-injury. Parents of 526 injured children (419 mild, 58 moderate, 49 severe) and 45 controls completed questionnaires. Outcomes were assessed using the King’s Outcome Scale for Childhood Head Injury (KOSCHI). Results: Frequent behavioural, emotional, memory, and attention problems were reported by one third of the severe group, one quarter of the moderate, and 10–18% of the mild. Personality change since HI was reported for 148 children (28%; 21% mild HI, 46% moderate, 69% severe). There was a significant relationship between injury severity and KOSCHI outcomes. Following the HI, 252 (48%) had moderate disability (43% mild HI, 64% moderate, 69% severe), while 270 (51%) made a good recovery (57% mild HI, 36% moderate, 22% severe). There was a significant association between social deprivation and poor outcome (p = 0.002). Only 30% (158) of children received hospital follow up after the HI. All children with severe disability received appropriate follow up, but 64% of children with moderate disability received none. No evidence was found to suggest a threshold of injury severity below which the risk of late sequelae could be safely discounted. Conclusions: Children admitted with mild HI may be at risk of poor outcomes, but often do not receive routine hospital follow up. A postal questionnaire combined with the KOSCHI to assess outcomes after HI may be used to identify children who would benefit from clinical assessment. Further research is needed to identify factors that place children with mild HI at risk of late morbidity.
Resisting the Inter-American Human Rights System

International human rights law today is being questioned on the basis of the regime’s scope of authority and enforceability. Since 1988, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has seen its case law and its influence expand. The Court’s opinions, along with the reports of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, have become widely seen by domestic courts as authoritative, thereby realizing many of the promises of international norms and holding Latin American States accountable for their unwillingness or inability to fulfill their international obligations. Along with the significant institutionalization of human rights law in other regions, as well as at the global level, human rights law in the Americas has become part of the legal and political landscape of States and the individual, creating a kind of inter-American constitutionalism. Despite this trend, the system of human rights protection has recently come under fire, as have other regional human rights regimes and international courts. States in general, and their courts in particular, have become less receptive and at times even opposed to what they perceive as an overly aggressive approach to adjudication. Drawing on interviews with current constitutional judges from three Latin American countries, this Article identifies and analyzes three core facets of resistance and backlash in the inter-American human rights system. It then offers two avenues for reform to strengthen the system: first, the reformulation of legal doctrines used by the international human rights courts to mediate their relations with member States; and second, the adoption of new mechanisms to monitor compliance with decisions by international courts.
Enhancing service firm performance through customer involvement capability and innovativeness

Purpose Because of the paucity of empirical research on firm-level capabilities of firms for effective customer involvement, the purpose of this study is to evaluate service firms’ capacity to coopt customers to enhance the innovativeness and firm performance relationship. This study conceptualizes involvement capabilities of service firms as a strategic driver that exploits their internal firm assets, which in turn facilitates the positive relationship between innovativeness and firm performance. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 344 managers of service firms across different sub-sectors in an emerging economy. The study first confirmed the constructs through confirmatory factor analysis before analyzing hypothesized relationships. Regression models were specified with robust standard errors to test the hypothesized relationships. Findings The study found that involvement capability of service firms helps them to exploit their relational assets and create and manage strong customer participation. Additionally, it was found that involvement capabilities enable service firms to capitalize on the competencies of customers, which in turn improves the outcomes of their innovativeness. The results showed that the interaction between involvement capability and innovativeness enhances firm performance significantly. Practical implications Service firms can enhance customer participation in the value creation process by increasing their involvement capabilities. The increase in such capabilities will enhance the innovativeness of service firms, thereby improving their financial and non-financial performance. Originality/value This study offers guidance on how a firm’s innovativeness and customer involvement work together within the service operation to enhance firm performance.
Food , drug , insect sting allergy , and anaphylaxis The prevalence of plant food allergies : A systematic review

Laurian Zuidmeer, PhD, Klaus Goldhahn, MD, Roberto J. Rona, FFPH, David Gislason, MD, Charlotte Madsen, DVM, Colin Summers, BSc, Eva Sodergren, PhD, Jorgen Dahlstrom, PhD, Titia Lindner, MD, Sigurveig T. Sigurdardottir, MD, Doreen McBride, MBA, and Thomas Keil, MD Utrecht and Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Berlin, Germany, London and Manchester, United Kingdom, Reykjavik and Hringbaut, Iceland, Lyngby, Denmark, and Uppsala, Sweden
Quicksand or Bedrock for Behavioral Economics? Assessing Foundational Empirical Questions

Behavioral economics lacks empirical evidence on some foundational empirical questions. We adapt standard elicitation methods to measure multiple behavioral factors per person in a representative U.S. sample, along with financial condition, cognitive skills, financial literacy, classical preferences and demographics. Individually, B-factors are prevalent, distinct from other decision inputs, and correlate negatively with financial outcomes in richly-conditioned regressions. Conditioning further on other B-factors does not change the results, validating common practice of modeling B-factors separately. Corrections for low task/survey effort modestly strengthen the results. Our findings provide bedrock empirical foundations for behavioral economics, and offer methodological guidance for research designs.
Regional brain tissue composition in children with hydrocephalus. Relationships with cognitive development.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether children with shunted hydrocephalus show variations in regional brain tissue composition that relate to cognitive functions. DESIGN Nonequivalent control group. PATIENTS AND METHODS Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cognitive skills assessments were obtained on 28 children, 6 to 9 years of age, with shunted hydrocephalus and 13 normal control subjects comparable in age, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Three consecutive MRI slices below the vertex were segmented using a fuzzy clustering algorithm to separate pixels into gray matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in quadrants representing left and right anterior and posterior brain regions. The cognitive skills assessments included the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised verbal and performance IQ scores, neuropsychological composites of language and visuospatial skills, a measure of visuomotor dexterity, and 2 measures of problem-solving abilities. The MRI data were analyzed in a group x tissue x hemisphere x region analysis of variance. Spearman rho correlations were computed within the hydrocephalus group between the MRI and cognitive measures. RESULTS Children with hydrocephalus showed reductions in overall gray matter percentages and corresponding increased CSF percentages that were more pronounced in posterior than anterior regions of both hemispheres. White matter percentages were reduced in children with hydrocephalus only in the left posterior quadrant. Correlations of posterior, but not anterior, CSF and gray matter percentages were significant with verbal and performance IQ scores and language, visuospatial, and visuomotor dexterity skills, but not with problem-solving abilities. Children with hydrocephalus who had proportionately greater posterior than anterior CSF percentages had significantly poorer visuomotor dexterity and visuospatial skills than did hydrocephalic children with proportionate CSF percentages. CONCLUSION Regional variations in brain tissue composition in children with shunted hydrocephalus correlate with a variety of cognitive and visuomotor functions.
Deep Koalarization: Image Colorization using CNNs and Inception-ResNet-v2

We review some of the most recent approaches to colorize gray-scale images using deep learning methods. Inspired by these, we propose a model which combines a deep Convolutional Neural Network trained from scratch with high-level features extracted from the Inception-ResNet-v2 pre-trained model. Thanks to its fully convolutional architecture, our encoder-decoder model can process images of any size and aspect ratio. Other than presenting the training results, we assess the "public acceptance" of the generated images by means of a user study. Finally, we present a carousel of applications on different types of images, such as historical photographs.
Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma Associated With Breast Implants: A Report of 13 Cases

We report 13 cases of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) associated with breast implants. Patient age ranged from 39 to 68 years, and the interval from implant to ALCL was 4 to 29 years. All tumors were composed of large, pleomorphic cells that were CD30+ and ALK1−, and all 7 cases assessed had monoclonal T-cell receptor &ggr;-chain rearrangements. Two patient subgroups were identified. Ten patients presented with effusion surrounded by fibrous capsule without a grossly identifiable tumor mass. Nine patients had stage I and 1 had stage II disease. Eight patients underwent implant removal and capsulectomy. Four patients received chemotherapy and 4 radiation therapy. All patients were alive without disease at last follow-up. A second subgroup of 3 patients had effusion and a distinct mass adjacent to the implant. One patient had stage I and 2 stage II disease. One patient had a 3-year history of lymphomatoid papulosis, and 1 patient had a 1-year history of CD30+ T-cell lymphoma adjacent to the breast before the diagnosis of ALCL associated with breast implant. Two patients received chemotherapy and 1 radiation therapy. Two patients died 2 and 12 years after diagnosis, respectively. We conclude that the clinical behavior of ALCL associated with breast implants is heterogeneous. Patients who present with effusion without a distinct mass have an indolent disease course, similar to CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorder of skin. In contrast, patients who present with a distinct mass may have advanced stage or possibly systemic disease and have a poorer prognosis.
In vivo suppression by cholera toxin of cell-mediated and foreign body inflammatory responses.

Cholera toxin (CT) injected i.v. into mice resulted in a rise in cyclic AMP levels in splenic white cells. This was associated with and followed by a marked and relatively prolonged decrease in both the spleen cells and circulating lymphocytes. The effect of CT on a series of cell-mediated immunologic reactions related to the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis was then tested. CT profoundly suppressed dermal footpad swelling to soluble schistosome egg antigens, granuloma formation around schistosome eggs injected into the pulmonary microvasculature of unsensitized and sensitized mice, production of macrophage migration inhibition factor by intact granulomas (obtained from the livers of infected mice) maintained in vitro in tissue culture, and it ameliorated portal hypertension and esophageal varices in hepatosplenic schistosomiasis. In addition CT significantly prolonged allograft survival in mice even though it was first administered 6 days after grafting. Finally, CT completely eliminated foreign body granuloma formation around plastic beads (used as controls for the egg granulomas) which is a nonimmunologic reaction due to activation of chemical mediators of inflammation.
Cooperative Modulation of [3H]MK‐801 Binding to the N‐Methyl‐d‐Aspartate Receptor‐Ion Channel Complex by l‐Glutamate, Glycine, and Polyamines

Abstract: In extensively washed rat cortical membranes [3 H](+)‐ 5 ‐ methyl ‐ 10,11 ‐ dihydro ‐ 5 H‐ dibenzo [a,d]cyclohepten‐5,10‐imine ([3H]MK‐801) labeled a homogeneous set of sites (Bmax=1.86 pmol/mg protein) with relatively low affinity (KD= 45 nM). l‐Glutamate, glycine. and spermidine produced concentration‐dependent increases in specific [3H]MK‐801 binding due to a reduction in the Kd of the radioligand. In the presence of high concentrations of l‐glutamate, glycine, or spermidine, the KD values for [3H]MK‐801 were reduced to 11 nM, 18 nM, and 15 nM, respectively. Maximally effective concentrations of combinations of the three compounds further increased [3H]MK‐801 binding affinity as follows: l‐glutamate + glycine, KD= 6.2 nM; l‐glutamate + spermidine, KD= 2.2 nM:
Equations of Substrate-inhibition Kinetics Applied to Pig Kidney Diamine Oxidase (DAO, E.C. 1.4.3.6)

Pig kidney diamine oxidase (DAO) and other semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidases (SSAO) show clear substrate-inhibition kinetics and a reaction-scheme mechanism based on two substrate binding sites. We evaluated several reaction scheme mechanisms with a non-linear regression program (NCSS), estimating R2, the constants of the equations and their standard errors and we determined the deviation of experimental data from theoretical equations. The best fit was obtained with a “dead end” mechanism with two binding sites. Based on this scheme, other schemes for a two-substrate reaction and for mechanisms of inhibition were constructed. These reaction schemes, even at low substrate concentration, fitted experimental data better than Michaelis-Menten kinetics, and provided information on the mechanisms of action of inhibitors. The presence of two substrate-binding sites on pig kidney DAO was confirmed by all experimental data.
Evidence that rehydrated, lyophilized red blood cells are sufficiently deformable for normal microcirculation transit

A method was developed for the preparation of rehydratable lyophilized red blood cells (RL RBCs) that hold promise as cell‐based oxygen carriers for transfusion medicine. The maintenance of normal cellular deformability is essential for the successful development of cell‐based oxygen delivery systems. Improper deformability of RBCs can lead to hemolysis if too fragile or microvascular occlusion if too rigid. We developed an aldehyde stabilization method that is based on the use of paraformaldehyde polymers that complement the function of spectrin as a structural unit with conformational flexibility. Three types of in vitro deformability studies (filter transit, pipette aspiration, and atomic force microscopy) and in vivo intravital microscopy were performed to characterize the deformability of RL RBCs. When considered with safety data from previously reported studies in dogs, the results of these studies indicate that paraformaldehyde‐modified RL RBCs have visco‐elastic deformability properties that are in the nonpathological range. Microsc. Res. Tech. 65:62–71, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sensitivity of Purchasing Power Parity Estimates to Estimation Procedures and their Effect on Living Standards Comparisons

Abstract The motivation of this exercise is to compare the Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) calculated using different procedures and study the sensitivity of global rankings of regions based on living standards to the PPPs used. The empirical comparison involves the GEKS, weighted CPD, GK, EWGK and the True Cost of Living Index (TCLI) based PPP estimation procedures with the Indian Rupee used as the numeraire currency. The published ICP PPPs for 2011 are used as benchmark for the non ICP PPPs obtained in this study. Evidence confirming the “Gershenkeron effect,” that affects the additive GK procedure, is provided. The results suggest that the EWGK PPPs, which are also additive, do not suffer from the extent of bias of the GK PPPs. The paper also provides evidence on the large variation in the TCLI based PPPs across expenditure quintiles originating from variation in preferences between expenditure classes. This suggests departure from the current ICP practice of providing one PPP for the entire country and points to the need to estimate PPPs by different expenditure classes. The empirical evidence points to the rich potential for the rarely used TCLI in future PPP calculations.
Serum studies in man after administration of vitamin A acetate and vitamin A alcohol

Vitamin A acetate and vitamin A alcohol, triolein I131, oleic acid I131, and fat balance tests have been assessed in studies on cases of coeliac disease, pancreatic insufficiency, and some disorders of the small intestinal wall. In coeliac disease a very low serum carotene and flat vitamin A absorption curves have been noted. The contrast between vitamin A acetate and alcohol curves has been clearly shown in cases of pancreatic disorder showing maldigestion. The correlation between vitamin A and triolein I131 absorption (0·89) is closer than that between vitamin A and fat balance. In assessing intestinal absorption serum carotene figures are of value only if very low figures are found.
‘Does My Bump Look Big in This?’ the Meaning of Bodily Changes for First-time Mothers-to-be

Research on the impact of bodily changes during the transition to motherhood is contradictory. The aim of the study reported here was to provide more useful insights by employing an inductive qualitative approach. Interviews with six women in the latter stages of pregnancy were analysed drawing upon aspects of interpretative phenomenological analysis and Foucauldian discourse analysis. These analyses suggest generally negative consequence, and discursive constructions that have a greater potential to be limiting than empowering. The impact of gender ideologies on women’s ways of being while pregnant is highlighted, as is the importance of developing alternative representations of the female, and the pregnant body, which do not pathologize women.
Acoustics of Clear and Noise-Adapted Speech in Children, Young, and Older Adults.

Purpose This study investigated acoustic-phonetic modifications produced in noise-adapted speech (NAS) and clear speech (CS) by children, young adults, and older adults. Method Ten children (11-13 years of age), 10 young adults (18-29 years of age), and 10 older adults (60-84 years of age) read sentences in conversational and clear speaking style in quiet and in noise. A number of acoustic measurements were obtained. Results NAS and CS were characterized by a decrease in speaking rate and an increase in 1-3 kHz energy, sound pressure level (SPL), vowel space area (VSA), and harmonics-to-noise ratio. NAS increased fundamental frequency (F0) mean and decreased jitter and shimmer. CS increased frequency and duration of pauses. Older adults produced the slowest speaking rate, longest pauses, and smallest increase in F0 mean, 1-3 kHz energy, and SPL when speaking clearly. They produced the smallest increases in VSA in NAS and CS. Children slowed down less, increased the VSA least, increased harmonics-to-noise ratio, and decreased jitter and shimmer most in CS. Children increased mean F0 and F1 most in noise. Conclusions Findings have implications for a model of speech production in healthy speakers as well as the potential to aid in clinical decision making for individuals with speech disorders, particularly dysarthria.
Lithium-ion battery dynamic model for wide range of operating conditions

In order to analyze the dynamic behavior of a Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery and to determine their suitability for various applications, battery models are needed. An equivalent electrical circuit model is the most common way of representing the behavior of a Li-ion battery. There are different circuit models proposed and various techniques for parameterization of these models available in literature. Nevertheless, in this paper a second order equivalent circuit is proposed and the current pulse technique is used for its parameterization. This study shows results of extensive experimental characterization tests performed for a wide range of operating conditions (temperature, load current and state-of-charge) on a commercial available 13Ah high-power lithium titanate oxide battery cell. The obtained results were used to parametrize the proposed dynamic model of the battery cell. To assess the accuracy of the proposed dynamic model, simulation results are presented and compared against laboratory measurements, performed for different conditions.