Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Descending projections from the dysgranular zone of rat primary somatosensory cortex processing deep somatic input

In the mammalian somatic system, peripheral inputs from cutaneous and deep receptors ascend via different subcortical channels and terminate in largely separate regions of the primary somatosensory cortex (SI). How these inputs are processed in SI and then projected back to the subcortical relay centers is critical for understanding how SI may regulate somatic information processing in the subcortex. Although it is now relatively well understood how SI cutaneous areas project to the subcortical structures, little is known about the descending projections from SI areas processing deep somatic input. We examined this issue by using the rodent somatic system as a model. In rat SI, deep somatic input is processed mainly in the dysgranular zone (DSZ) enclosed by the cutaneous barrel subfields. By using biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) as anterograde tracer, we characterized the topography of corticostriatal and corticofugal projections arising in the DSZ. The DSZ projections terminate mainly in the lateral subregions of the striatum that are also known as the target of certain SI cutaneous areas. This suggests that SI processing of deep and cutaneous information may be integrated, to a certain degree, in this striatal region. By contrast, at both thalamic and prethalamic levels as far as the spinal cord, descending projections from DSZ terminate in areas largely distinguishable from those that receive input from SI cutaneous areas. These subcortical targets of DSZ include not only the sensory but also motor‐related structures, suggesting that SI processing of deep input may engage in regulating somatic and motor information flow between the cortex and periphery. J. Comp. Neurol. 520:1021–1046, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Chief executive officer participative leadership and the performance of new venture teams

In this article, we examine the mediating role played by affective and cognitive trust in chief executive officer (CEO) and intra-group trust, on the relationship between CEO participative leadership and the performance of the top management team (TMT) and its members within entrepreneurial new ventures. Drawing on four waves of multilevel, multi-source data, our study extends social exchange theory by teasing out the trust-based social exchange mechanisms linking CEO participative leadership to performance outcomes. Specifically, the data analysis revealed that intra-group trust mediated the relationship between CEO participative leadership and TMT performance, while affective trust mediated the relationship between CEO participative leadership and performance of TMT members. However, cognitive trust did not mediate this relationship. This suggests that it is important for CEOs of new ventures to use participative leadership to create strong levels of affective trust with TMT members and intra-group trust within the TMT.
Histological Spectrum of Large Intestinal Lesions with Clinicopathological Correlation.

INTRODUCTION Large intestine is affected by various types of lesions, both non-neoplastic and neoplastic. Due to vague symptoms, the clinical diagnosis is usually delayed. A battery of laboratory tests including biopsy is essential to arrive at a specific diagnosis for appropriate management. MATERIALS AND METHODS This five years study was done during the period of 2005 to 2010 in a tertiary care centre which included 124 biopsies and resected specimens of large intestine and 64 from Anal canal. All tissues were fixed in formalin, stained with H&E and special stains like Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS), Reticulin, Zeihl Neelsen (ZN) along with Immunohistochemistry (IHC) were done as and when required. RESULTS Out of the 124 cases of large intestine 38 were non-neoplastic, 77 were neoplastic and 9 were inadequate biopsies. Sixty four cases from Anal canal included 55 non-neoplastic and 9 neoplastic lesions. The non-neoplastic conditions included congenital anomalies, infective and ischaemic lesions while neoplastic included benign and malignant lesions. Most of the cases presented with symptoms like abdominal pain, vomiting and constipation. CONCLUSION We observed that neoplastic lesions were more common in large intestine while non-neoplastic lesions were frequently seen in Anal canal. Present study emphasizes the need for early histopathological diagnosis for appropriate treatment.
Trypanosoma evansi causes thyroxin imbalance with biochemical alterations in wistar rats.

Animals affected with Trypanosoma evansi show rare serum hormonal disturbances. One of the important hormones for livestock is thyroxin, and the level of thyroxin may be reduced during the T. evansi infection. The objective of the study was to investigate thyroxin level during experimentally induced T. evansi infection in Wister albino rats. Wistar albino white rats (n=12) were challenged with the local strain of T. evansi (at 5x105 trypanosomes/animal subcutaneously). At the high parasitemia, blood was collected from the rats, and serum was separated, which was subjected for biochemical evaluation. Decreased total serum thyroxin (2.91 ±0.04 µg/dL) and free thyroxin (1.30 ±0.05 ng/dL) levels (p
Transporter (TAP)‐independent processing of a multiple membrane‐spanning protein, the Epstein‐Barr virus latent membrane protein 2

Antigen presentation to CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) usually involves proteolytic cleavage of antigen in the cytosol and the delivery of epitope peptides onto major histocompatibility complex class I molecules in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) via the heterodimeric peptide transporter TAP1/TAP2. In the few exceptional cases where TAP‐independent presentation of an endogenously expressed protein has been observed, the epitope‐containing domain of the protein either has naturally accessed or has been directed into the ER lumen where it is thought to become susceptible to ER proteases. Here, we describe a novel example of TAP‐independent processing involving the Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein LMP2, a multiple membrane‐spanning protein with minimal projection into the ER. Expression of LMP2 in the TAP− T2 cell line, whether from the resident EBV genome or from a recombinant vaccinia virus vector vacc‐LMP2, rendered the cells sensitive to recognition by CTL clones specific for two HLA‐A2.1‐restricted peptide epitopes, LMP2 329–337 or 426–434. Vacc‐LMP2‐mediated sensitization to lysis required expression of the antigen de novo in T2 cells and was blocked by brefeldin A. In the same experiments, two other EBV‐specific CTL epitopes, one derived from LMP2 but restricted through a different HLA allele (A11), the other restricted through A2.1 but derived from a different viral protein (BMLF1), did not display TAP‐independent processing. The results are discussed in relation to the unusual topology of LMP2 in the membrane and the position of the epitope peptides within that structure.
Haemolysis in haemodialysis

Haemolysis in haemodialysis, although rare in current times, is associated with significant mortality and morbidity. As such prompt recognition, treatment, analysis of root cause and correction of underlying causative factors is crucial. Dialysate, extracorporeal circuit and patient related factors all contribute to haemolysis risk. Haemolysis can manifest with non‐specific signs and symptoms including but not restricted to hypertension, nausea, pain (abdominal, chest, back) and dyspnoea. It may present acutely during the dialysis session or may take a protracted course. Potential life threating consequences include; hyperkalaemia induced cardiac arrhythmias, profound anaemia and associated acute coronary events and respiratory distress, and severe necrotizing pancreatitis. Chronic haemolysis results in impaired endothelial function thus contributing to the long‐term cardiovascular risk profile in haemodialysis patients. Stringent national and international standards, technological advancements in membrane and dialysis equipment design, dialyser purification methods and water treatment systems have greatly reduced the incidence of haemolysis. Despite these improvements recognition of haemolysis risk and ongoing clinical vigilance is important.
The evaluation of sewage sludge and compost toxicity to Heterocypris incongruens in relation to inorganic and organic contaminants content

Sewage sludges and the composts were evaluated chemically and ecotoxicologically to determine their suitability as fertilizers for land application. Four municipal sewage sludges with various properties and pollutant contents were composted in aerobic conditions for 76 days. The content of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Cr, Pb, Ni, Zn) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (14 from US EPA List) was analyzed in the sewage sludges and composts as well as together with their physico–chemical properties (total organic carbon, total nitrogen, pH, available forms of magnesium, phosphorus and potassium, cations content, cation exchange capacity, total of exchangeable bases). To evaluate the toxicity of the materials, bioassays with crustacean Heterocypris incongruens (Ostracodtoxkit test) were performed. Neither physical–chemical properties nor heavy metal content underwent any significant changes during the composting process. However, composting significantly influenced the range of losses of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The magnitude and the ranges of changes in the toxicity H. incongruens were found to be dependent on the tested parameter as well as on sewage sludge type and its dose. It was noted that composting could even increase the toxicity of sewage sludges. Sewage sludge toxicity was mainly determined by the presence of heavy metals, although for some sludges the contribution of organic pollutants as well as the synergistic activity of several factors could not be excluded. According to proposed classification (on the basis of Ostracodtoxkit test) only one sewage sludge/compost was suitable for land application. The studies conducted provide interesting information pointing to the necessity to supplement chemical studies with biological assays. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 22: 587–596, 2007.
Mortality risk for operated and nonoperated vertebral fracture patients in the medicare population

Vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are associated with increased mortality risk, but the association between surgical treatment and survivorship is unclear. We evaluated the mortality risk for VCF patients undergoing conservative treatment (nonoperated), kyphoplasty, and vertebroplasty. Survival of VCF patients in the 100% U.S. Medicare data set (2005–2008) was estimated by the Kaplan‐Meier method, and the differences in mortality rates at up to 4 years were assessed by Cox regression (adjusted for comorbidities) between operated and nonoperated patients and between kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty patients. An instrumental variables analysis was used to evaluate mortality‐rate difference between kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty patients. A total of 858,978 VCF patients were identified, including 119,253 kyphoplasty patients and 63,693 vertebroplasty patients. At up to 4 years of follow‐up, patients in the operated cohort had a higher adjusted survival rate of 60.8% compared with 50.0% for patients in the nonoperated cohort (p < .001) and were 37% less likely to die [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 0.63, p < . 001]. The adjusted survival rates for VCF patients following vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty were 57.3% and 62.8%, respectively (p < .001). The relative risk of mortality for kyphoplasty patients was 23% lower than that for vertebroplasty patients (adjusted HR = 0.77, p < .001). Using physician preference as an instrument, the absolute difference in the adjusted survival rate at 3 years was 7.29% higher in patients receiving kyphoplasty than vertebroplasty (p < .001), compared with a crude absolute rate difference of 5.09%. This study established the mortality risk associated with VCFs diagnosed between 2005 and 2008 with respect to different treatment modalities for elderly patients in the entire Medicare population. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
An RT6a Gene Is Transcribed and Translated in Lymphopenic Diabetes-Prone BB Rats

T-cells expressing the RT6 surface alloantigen appear to perform important immunoregulatory functions in the rat. Diabetes-prone BB rats lack circulating RT6+ T-cells and spontaneously develop autoimmune diabetes mellitus and thyroiditis. The coisogenic diabetes-resistant BB rat does circulate RT6+ T-cells and is free of disease. Transfusions leading to engraftment of RT6+ T-cells prevent both diabetes and thyroiditis in the diabetes-prone rat. To investigate the absence of this subset in the lymphopenic BB rat, we used both molecular and biochemical procedures and made the following observations: 1) an mRNA encoding RT6 protein is present in diabetes-prone spleen cells; 2) nucleotide sequencing of this transcript reveals an intact coding sequence for the RT6.1 alloantigen; 3) sensitive chemiluminescent assay of diabetes-prone lymph node cell detergent extracts shows that diabetes-prone RT6 mRNA is translated in vivo; 4) quantitatively, diabetes-prone lymph node cells express ≤ 10% of the RT6.1 protein found on similar numbers of diabetes-resistant BB cells; and 5) finally, we obtained evidence of an intact phosphatidylinositol linkage of the molecule to the cell surface and successfully immunoprecipitated the phosphatidylinositol-linked protein with DS4.23 monoclonal antibody, indicating that the RT6.1 antigen is correctly processed and folded in diabetes-prone lymph node cells. We conclude that the near total absence of RT6+ T-cells in the diabetes-prone BB rat is unlikely to be because of a defect in RT6 gene expression per se. Defects in RT6 gene regulation or other cellular defects leading to premature cell death in the T-cell lineage, alone or in combination, may instead be responsible.
Weight perception in overweight adolescents: Associations with body change intentions, diet and physical activity

This study examined the association of weight perception and weight satisfaction with body change intentions and weight-related behaviours in 928 overweight adolescents (aged 11–18 years, 44% female). Accurate perception of weight was associated with trying to lose weight and inaccurate perception was associated with trying to gain muscle. Weight dissatisfaction was associated with trying to lose weight and gain muscle. Accurate weight perception and weight dissatisfaction were not associated with healthy weight-related behaviours. Awareness of overweight and body dissatisfaction may be detrimental to the adoption of healthy weight-control behaviours. Interventions with overweight adolescents should encourage body satisfaction, rather than promoting awareness of overweight.
Ensemble Learning From Synthetically Mixed Training Data for Quantifying Urban Land Cover With Support Vector Regression

Generating synthetically mixed data from library spectra provides a direct means to train empirical regression models for subpixel mapping. In order to best represent the subpixel composition of image data, the generation of synthetic mixtures must incorporate a multitude of mixing possibilities. This can lead to an excessive amount of training samples. We show that increasing mixing complexity in the training set improves model performance when quantifying urban land cover with support vector regression (SVR). To cope with the challenging increase in the number of training samples, we propose the use of ensemble learning based on bootstrap aggregation from synthetically mixed training data. The workflow is tested on simulated spaceborne imaging spectrometer data acquired over Berlin, Germany. Comparisons to SVR without bagging and multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis reveal the usefulness of the methodology for quantitative urban mapping.
Sustainable agribusiness: developing local solutions to global challenges in the regional agribusiness sector in Australia

The competitiveness of the agribusiness sector is critical to the social and economic sustainability of regional Australia, where agribusiness is directly responsible for one in five jobs (DNRE, 2002). Although it is recognised that environmental issues must be considered in order to 'sustain' the natural resources used to produce food, this paper focuses on the social and economic issues relating to sustainability (Cocklin et at., 2001). Social sustainability has only recently been upheld as an aim of agricultural and regional policy in Australia, however, it has typically been considered less important than economic and ecological sustainability (Cocklin et al., 2001). In rural Australia, social sustainability is typically reflected in the maintenance of social networks among residents of a rural area, the viability of the rural towns and the associated provision of infrastructure, facilities and services. The State Government of Victoria is actively encouraging the development and maintenance of sustainable networks of agribusiness-related entities in regional and rural Victoria. The Victoria Agribusiness Networks program is an example of how government is engaging agribusiness communities in regional Victoria.
TANF Funding Allocation Differences in Red vs. Blue States: Emphasis on Out-of-Wedlock Births and Divorces

TANF FUNDING ALLOCATION DIFFERENCES IN RED VS. BLUE STATES: EMPHASIS ON OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS AND DIVORCES by Camille Mindrum, Master of Science Utah State University, 2018 Major Professor: Dr. Peter McNamara Department: Political Science In 1996, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) after Republicans who had promised significant welfare reform captured the House of Representatives in 1994. Like AFDC, TANF serves as a safety net that provides cash assistance to needy families, but it also attempts to incentivize values such as work ethic and two-parent family formation in order to reduce government dependence. Previous studies of TANF have relied on shortterm economic trends and number of caseloads to measure success, but failed to analyze the program’s success based on its original goals. Many of its goals were driven by the consensus that family structure is important for economic and social stability, so this research examined TANF funding allocation and social outcome differences between predominantly Republican (red) and predominantly Democratic (blue) states in order analyze TANF’s ability to reduce out-of-wedlock birth rates and divorce rates. The analysis of variance tests (one and two-way ANOVAs) provided limited, but interesting, evidence that there were differences in the average funding allocation red and
Does concurrent in utero exposure to buprenorphine and antidepressant medications influence the course of neonatal abstinence syndrome?

Abstract Objective: To determine whether concurrent in utero exposure to buprenorphine and antidepressants impacts the course of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in infants. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 148 infants who were exposed to buprenorphine during pregnancy. Univariate and bivariate analyses were used to examine associations between concurrent maternal use of buprenorphine and antidepressants as compared to maternal use of buprenorphine alone. Results: The time to onset of NAS resolution was significantly longer in infants exposed to both buprenorphine and antidepressants during pregnancy when compared to those exposed to buprenorphine alone (129.8 h versus 70.2 h, p = 0.042). Conclusions: Women who are prescribed both antidepressants and buprenorphine during pregnancy should be counseled about the possibility of a prolonged course of neonatal abstinence syndrome.
Comparing QUS parameters to structural and functional changes in tumors during therapy

Tumor microstructure can potentially be evaluated with quantitative ultrasound (QUS) during therapy, but parameters are influenced by a complex combination of components and modifications in the tumor. To better understand how QUS parameters reflect tumor response to therapy, we estimated effective scatterer diameter (ESD, μm) and effective acoustic concentration (EAC, dB/cm) from ultrasound backscatter measurements in a murine Lewis Lung Carcinoma model on days 7 to 13 after the start of therapy by administration of: anti-angiogenic (AA) agent to inhibit new blood vessels (n = 21); a cytotoxic agent (CA) to damage tumor cells (n = 24) and placebo (n = 24). At D7, there was no significant difference between ESD and EAC for the different therapy groups. At D13, the AA group had higher mean ESD than for CA and placebo (p <; 0.005). At D13, the placebo group exhibited a significantly higher EAC compared to the AA (p <; 0.005) and was elevated compared to the CA group. Histology showed higher (p <; 0.05) necrosis and fibrosis in the AA group at D13 as compared to other groups but no significant differences at D7. Higher mean ESD and lower EAC in the AA group at D13 are consistent with thicker, more sparsely distributed fibrotic structures in the corresponding histology.
Analyzing agribusiness value chains: a literature review

The goal of our work is to review methodologies to analyze value chains, particularly within the agribusiness sector. The first part of the analysis delves into the value chain concept, with the aim of discovering how the concept has changed from an historical perspective, and what would be an acceptable narrow definition. The second and main part of the analysis seeks to study the methodological techniques for approaching and accurately analyzing a value chain in the agribusiness sector. To such end, we will review the literature for different existing methodologies, in order to understand what steps and dimensions should be considered in a value chain study. Finally, we will identify a set of outlines that are common to all the papers obtained from the literature review to help to determine the approaches or points of view that should be considered for an agribusiness value chain analysis.