Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multislice diffusion mapping for 3-D evolution of cerebral ischemia in a rat stroke model

Article abstract-Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) can quantitatively demonstrate cerebral ischemia within minutes after the onset of ischemia. The use of a DWI echo-planar multislice technique in this study and the mapping of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of water, a reliable indicator of ischemic regions, allow for the detection of the three-dimensional (3-D) evolution of ischemia in a rat stroke model. We evaluated 13 time points from 5 to 180 minutes after occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and monitored the 3-D spread of ischemia. Within 5 minutes after the onset of ischemia, regions with reduced ADC values occurred. The core of the lesion, with the lowest absolute ADC values, first appeared in the lateral caudoputamen and frontoparietal cortex, then spread to adjacent areas. The volume of ischemic tissue was 224 +\- 48.5 mm3 (mean +\- SEM) after 180 minutes, ranging from 92 to 320 mm3, and this correlated well with the corrected infarct volume at postmortem (194 +\- 23.1 mm3, r = 0.72, p < 0.05). This experiment demonstrated that 3-D multislice diffusion mapping can detect ischemic regions noninvasively 5 minutes after MCA occlusion and follow the development of ischemia. The distribution of changes in absolute ADC values within the ischemic region can be followed over time, giving important information about the evolution of focal ischemia. NEUROLOGY 1995;45: 172-177
SALIVARY COMPONENTS OF TREATED CANCER PATIENTS AND PATIENTS WITH PRECANCEROUS LESIONS

SUMMARY Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) accounts for nearly 50 % of all newly diagnosed cancers in India. In Bulgaria OSCC reaches nearly 75% of malignant tumours in the oral cavity (Ugrinov, 2006). The prognosis of this cancer remains relatively unchanged for the past 30 years, despite advances in diagnosis and management. Salivary analysis holds promise as a non-invasive approach to identify biomarkers for human oral cancer. Salivary levels of immunoglobulins and acute phase proteins may have significant prognostic value in early cancer diagnostics.
Retinal ganglion cells: mechanisms underlying depolarization block and differential responses to high frequency electrical stimulation of ON and OFF cells

Objective. ON and OFF retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are known to have non-monotonic responses to increasing amplitudes of high frequency (2 kHz) biphasic electrical stimulation. That is, an increase in stimulation amplitude causes an increase in the cell’s spike rate up to a peak value above which further increases in stimulation amplitude cause the cell to decrease its activity. The peak response for ON and OFF cells occurs at different stimulation amplitudes, which allows differential stimulation of these functional cell types. In this study, we investigate the mechanisms underlying the non-monotonic responses of ON and OFF brisk-transient RGCs and the mechanisms underlying their differential responses. Approach. Using in vitro patch-clamp recordings from rat RGCs, together with simulations of single and multiple compartment Hodgkin–Huxley models, we show that the non-monotonic response to increasing amplitudes of stimulation is due to depolarization block, a change in the membrane potential that prevents the cell from generating action potentials. Main results. We show that the onset for depolarization block depends on the amplitude and frequency of stimulation and reveal the biophysical mechanisms that lead to depolarization block during high frequency stimulation. Our results indicate that differences in transmembrane potassium conductance lead to shifts of the stimulus currents that generate peak spike rates, suggesting that the differential responses of ON and OFF cells may be due to differences in the expression of this current type. We also show that the length of the axon’s high sodium channel band (SOCB) affects non-monotonic responses and the stimulation amplitude that leads to the peak spike rate, suggesting that the length of the SOCB is shorter in ON cells. Significance. This may have important implications for stimulation strategies in visual prostheses.
Program Disturb Phenomenon by DIBL in MLC NAND Flash Device

We have investigated a new program disturb phenomenon by DIBL (drain-induced barrier lowering) in MLC NAND Flash device. It is found that lower programmed state cell shows large DIBL effect and its BVdss measurement results in unwanted programming of nearby erased state cells. It is attributed to punch-through leakage of programmed state cell during BVdss measurement. Electrons from this leakage are accelerated by high drain bias, which leads to hot carrier programming. The results indicate that excessive boosted channel potential by local self-boosting scheme creates 'DIBL induced program disturb' by punch-through of channel cut-off cell. This paper suggests that excessive boosted channel potential should be controlled in short channel device for high density MLC NAND Flash operation.
Corotation Lag in Jupiter's Magnetosphere: Comparison of Observation and Theory

Voyager 1 plasma flow data are compared with a recent theory that predicted measurable departures from rigid corotation in Jupiter's magnetosphere as a consequence of rapid plasma production and weak atmosphere-magnetosphere coupling. The comparison indicates that the theory can account for the observed corotation lag, provided that the plasma mass production rate during the Voyager 1 encounter was rather larger than expected, namely ∼ 1030 atomic mass units per second.
Time-Frequency Analysis of Heart Rate Variability Signal in prognosis of Type 2 Diabetic Autonomic Neuropathy

The analysis of the heart rate variability (HRV) signal is an important tool for studying the autonomic nervous system, as it allows the evaluation of the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic influences on the heart rhythm. Time-frequency analysis of HRV makes it easier for us to evaluate how this balance varies with time. Heart disease occurs eventually in majority of patients with diabetes mellitus and to be the outstanding factor in over all diabetes morbidity and mortality rates. Thus the timely detection of diabetic autonomic neuropathy and the use of effective means to improve autonomic nervous system function become of almost significance. In this work Electrocardiogram (ECG) data of 20 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and 20 normal control volunteers were recorded and autonomic nervous system activity is quantified by means of frequency and time domain analysis. Time domain measures, Standard deviation of NN interval (SDNN), Successive NN intervals differing more than 50ms (NN50) , Percentage value of NN50 count (pNN50), HRV triangular index, show a lower variation in the DM patient group compared to normal subjects and p value <0.01. The frequency domain measures indicate significant differences in very low frequency (VLF), low frequency (LF) power and high frequency (HF) power.
γH2Ax: Biomarker of Damage or Functional Participant in DNA Repair “All that Glitters Is not Gold!”

The phosphorylation of H2Ax on its S139 site, γH2Ax, is important for the assembly of repair complexes at DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). The formation and functional role of γH2Ax after other kinds of DNA damage, especially UV light, where DSBs are rare, is less clear. Following UV light in the UVB and UVC ranges, complex distributions of γH2Ax can be identified, quite unlike the discrete enumerable foci seen after ionizing radiation. Several distinct distributions of γH2Ax occur: a low level nuclear‐wide distribution of γH2Ax occurs during nucleotide excision repair; irregular focal distributions occur at arrested replication forks; high intensity nuclear‐wide γH2Ax occurs in association with S‐phase apoptosis. The intensity and distributions of γH2Ax vary according to the activity of excision repair, bypass polymerase and apoptotic caspases. The frequency of DSBs at arrested replication forks is low but highly variable in different cell types, and probably caused by enzymatic action. Despite the prominence of S139 phosphorylation following UV damage, mutation of this site has no influence on the UV damage response indicating that γH2Ax is a biomarker but not a participant in the UV‐DNA damage response.
The Pathomechanics of Chronic, Recurrent Cervical Nerve Root Neurapraxia

This study defined chronic recurrent cervical nerve root neurapraxia, the chronic burner syndrome, character ized the clinical findings, and described the responsible pathomechanics. We studied a subset of 55 athletes (mean age, 22 years) for evaluation of recurrent burn ers. Eleven subjects were professional athletes. The mechanism of injury was extension combined with ip silateral-lateral deviation in 46 patients (83%). Spurl ing's sign was positive in 39 patients (70%). Twenty- nine patients (53%) had developmentally narrowed cervical canals, and 48 patients (87%) had evidence of disk disease by magnetic resonance imaging. The disk disease was in the form of a disk bulge, disk protrusion, or a frank disk herniation deforming the cord. Fifty-one patients (93%) had disk disease or narrowing of the intervertebral foramina secondary to degenerative disk disease. Although burners may be the result of a bra chial plexus stretch injury in high school and collegiate football players seen with acute symptoms, nerve root compression in the intervertebral foramina secondary to disk disease is a more common cause in collegiate and professional players who have recurrent or chronic burner syndromes. There is a high incidence of cervi cal canal stenosis in football players with recurrent burner syndrome. The combination of disk disease and cervical spinal canal stenosis may lead to an alteration in normal cervical spine mechanics that may make these athletes more prone to chronic burner syndromes.
The Effect of Environmental, Social, Governance and Sustainability Initiatives on Stock Value – Examining Market Response to Initiatives Undertaken by Listed Companies

This paper examines the impact of environmental, social, governance (ESG) and sustainability initiatives on stock value of listed companies in Hong Kong. Event methodology is used to examine whether the market responses significantly to the implementation of these initiatives. Our result shows that the market reacts more positively to ESG initiatives than sustainability initiatives. This brings several implications to corporates' strategy as well as development of socially responsible investments (SRI). To facilitate the development of SRI, companies should communicate the value and returns of these initiatives clearly with investors; financial institutions should also equip investors with knowledge to understand non-financial information. Enhancing the transparency of sustainability index will also give investors more credible information to relate firms' CSR performance with firm value. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Characterization of β-N-acetylglucosaminidase from a marine Pseudoalteromonas sp. for application in N-acetyl-glucosamine production

ABSTRACT The psychrotolerant Pseudoalteromonas issachenkonii PAMC 22718 was isolated for its high exo-acting chitinase activity in the Kara Sea, Arctic. An exo-acting chitinase (W-Chi22718) was homogeneously purified from the culture supernatant of PAMC 22718, the molecular weight of which was estimated to be approximately 112 kDa. Due to its β-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity, W-Chi22718 was able to produce N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) monomers from chitin oligosaccharide substrates. W-Chi22718 displayed chitinase activity from 0 to 37°C (optimal temperature of 30°C) and maintained activity from pH 6.0 to 9.0 (optimal pH of 7.6). W-Chi22718 exhibited a relative activity of 13 and 35% of maximal activity at 0 and 10°C, respectively, which is comparable to the activities of previously characterized, cold-adapted bacterial chitinases. W-Chi22718 activity was enhanced by K+, Ca2+, and Fe2+, but completely inhibited by Cu2+ and SDS. We found that W-Chi22718 can produce much more (GlcNAcs) from colloidal chitin, working together with previously characterized cold-active endochitinase W-Chi21702. Genome sequencing revealed that the corresponding gene (chi22718_IV) was 2,856 bp encoding a 951 amino acid protein with a calculated molecular weight of approximately 102 kDa.
Facial Expression Reactions to Feedback in a Human-Computer Interaction—Does Gender Matter?

The present study investigated facial expressions as reactions to positive and negative feedback during a human-computer interaction. Thirty subjects interacted in natural language with a computer system while conducting a mental task, which was designed in the style of a Wizard of Oz scenario. During six different experimental sequences from a well-known memory paradigm (“Concentration”), the wizard produced different feedback as a manipulative tactic to alter the users’ reactions, e.g., praising the subject was assumed to exert a positive influence on the subjects’ moods. To analyze the impact of various feedback on the emotional reaction, facial expressions from all subjects were coded with the Facial Expression Coding System (FACES). In general, the outcomes yielded more negative facial expressions in response to positive feedback as compared with negative feedback. Furthermore, a gender difference was evident: women showed significantly more negative facial expressions in response to praise (“Your performance is improving”) than men. The study and results show that when considering future companion technologies, it is important to carefully investigate users’ reactions to feedback, since paradoxical reactions may ensue.
The antecedants of broadband internet adoption and continuance usage in Malaysian household context

The Internet is simply a series of worldwide computer networks linked together, communicating almost instantly by using various access technologies. It is playing a major role in many areas of our lives, such as communication, entertainment and information which is supported by newer innovations and technology evolvement. While the broadband Internet penetration rate is encouraging in many countries, its adoption is still a notable issue in Malaysia. Therefore this research is focused on identification of two relevant research streams covering broadband Internet, which are adoption and continuance of usage (after initial adoption) in Malaysia. The theoretical framework which is utilized in this study is an integrated model of Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and IS- Continuance Model which has been further extended by integrating another 2 Independent Variables, namely Perceived Innovativeness and Perceived Playfulness. This study is trying to determine the relationship among the independent variables that influences the adoption and continuance usage of Broadband Internet technology among Malaysian individuals. Survey was used as the research instrument and the unit of analysis are existing broadband Internet subscribers in Malaysia. Data obtained from the survey was analyzed using Partial Least Square (PLS-SEM) and indicate that intention to adopt broadband have a significant positive influence on initial usage, Intention to continue using broadband have a significant positive influence on actual usage continuance and Initial broadband usage have a significant positive influence on usage continuance of broadband. This paper is concluded by some recommendations, limitations and directions for future study.
Occurrence of a Prolonged Nonepileptic Motor Status after a Febrile Seizure

Summary: Purpose: Febrile seizures are very common events in the pediatric population, and this disorder could be inherited. A previous article on nonepileptic status after a febrile seizure was published by Japanese authors. They described convulsive manifestations after a febrile seizure with an EEG counterpart characterized by delta activity and rhythmic theta discharges. We report two cases of nonepileptic prolonged motor status occurring after a simple febrile seizure, erroneously diagnosed as an epileptic status.
Infant Cries Rattle Adult Cognition

The attention-grabbing quality of the infant cry is well recognized, but how the emotional valence of infant vocal signals affects adult cognition and cortical activity has heretofore been unknown. We examined the effects of two contrasting infant vocalizations (cries vs. laughs) on adult performance on a Stroop task using a cross-modal distraction paradigm in which infant distractors were vocal and targets were visual. Infant vocalizations were presented before (Experiment 1) or during each Stroop trial (Experiment 2). To evaluate the influence of infant vocalizations on cognitive control, neural responses to the Stroop task were obtained by measuring electroencephalography (EEG) and event-related potentials (ERPs) in Experiment 1. Based on the previously demonstrated existence of negative arousal bias, we hypothesized that cry vocalizations would be more distracting and invoke greater conflict processing than laugh vocalizations. Similarly, we expected participants to have greater difficulty shifting attention from the vocal distractors to the target task after hearing cries vs. after hearing laughs. Behavioral results from both experiments showed a cry interference effect, in which task performance was slower with cry than with laugh distractors. Electrophysiology data further revealed that cries more than laughs reduced attention to the task (smaller P200) and increased conflict processing (larger N450), albeit differently for incongruent and congruent trials. Results from a correlation analysis showed that the amplitudes of P200 and N450 were inversely related, suggesting a reciprocal relationship between attention and conflict processing. The findings suggest that cognitive control processes contribute to an attention bias to infant signals, which is modulated in part by the valence of the infant vocalization and the demands of the cognitive task. The findings thus support the notion that infant cries elicit a negative arousal bias that is distracting; they also identify, for the first time, the neural dynamics underlying the unique influence that infant cries and laughs have on cognitive control.
Effect of exercise on blood pressure in pregnant women with a high risk of gestational hypertensive disorders.

OBJECTIVE To prospectively determine whether moderate exercise during pregnancy lowers blood pressure. STUDY DESIGN A randomized, controlled trial with one test group and one control group. All subjects have a history of mild hypertension, gestational hypertensive disorders or a family history of hypertensive disorders. Subjects were recruited before 14 weeks' gestation. After four weeks of observation, the subjects were randomly assigned to either the exercise or control group. The exercise group visited the laboratory three times a week for 10 weeks (18-28 gestation weeks) to perform 30 minutes of exercise at Rating of Perceived Exertion level 13. RESULTS A total of 16 pregnant women (mean age, 30 years) participated. The mean metabolic equivalent during exercise sessions was 4.7 (SD = 0.8). Blood pressure measurements were compared before and after the 10-week exercise period in the two groups. Systolic blood pressures did not change significantly, but diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the exercise group decreased by 3.5 mm Hg, while that in the control group increased by 1.1 mm Hg. Thus, the pre-post change in DBP differed by 4.6 mm Hg between groups. Exercise treatment reduced the diastolic blood pressure to a near-significant level in the exercise group (t = 2.34, df = 7, P = .052). Percent body fat did not differ between the exercise and control groups either before or after exercise treatment. ANOVA revealed that pregnancy had a significant effect (F(1, 14) = 5.7, P = . 03) on increasing the percentage of fat, but exercise treatment did not (F(1, 14) = . 18, P = . 68). Estimated energy expenditure in overall daily physical activities during the intervention did not differ between the two groups despite the inclusion of exercise. CONCLUSION This study detected a strong trend that 10 weeks of moderate exercise lowered the diastolic blood pressure among pregnant women at risk of hypertensive disorders. The reductions were probably due to the effect of exercise itself, not to weight or overall daily physical activity levels.
The protective effect of black seed (Nigella sativa) against carbon tetrachloride-induced chromosomal aberrations and ultrastructural changes of bone marrow cells

The effect of the oral administration of aqueous suspension of Nigella sativa (50 mg/kg b.wt.) against chromosomal aberrations and ultrastructural changes of the bone marrow cells in mice treated with carbon tetrachloride CCl4 was studied. CCl4 was administered in two dose levels equivalent to¼ (1.9 ml/kg b.wt.) and ½ (3.8 ml/kg b.wt.) of the oral LD50 in mice. The data indicated a significant dose-dependent decrease in the mitotic activity of bone marrow cells in animals treated with CCl4. Also a significant dose-dependent increase in the number of bone marrow cells with different types of chromosomal aberrations was recorded in these animals. Ultrastructural changes were also dose-dependent including both nucleus and cytoplasm of erythroid and myeloid elements of the bone marrow cells. Treatment of the animals with N. sativa improved both genotoxicity and ultrastructural changes induced by the two dose levels of CCl4.
Directed Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells Toward Placode‐Derived Spiral Ganglion‐Like Sensory Neurons

The ability to generate spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) from stem cells is a necessary prerequisite for development of cell‐replacement therapies for sensorineural hearing loss. We present a protocol that directs human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) toward a purified population of otic neuronal progenitors (ONPs) and SGN‐like cells. Between 82% and 95% of these cells express SGN molecular markers, they preferentially extend neurites to the cochlear nucleus rather than nonauditory nuclei, and they generate action potentials. The protocol follows an in vitro stepwise recapitulation of developmental events inherent to normal differentiation of hESCs into SGNs, resulting in efficient sequential generation of nonneuronal ectoderm, preplacodal ectoderm, early prosensory ONPs, late ONPs, and cells with cellular and molecular characteristics of human SGNs. We thus describe the sequential signaling pathways that generate the early and later lineage species in the human SGN lineage, thereby better describing key developmental processes. The results indicate that our protocol generates cells that closely replicate the phenotypic characteristics of human SGNs, advancing the process of guiding hESCs to states serving inner‐ear cell‐replacement therapies and possible next‐generation hybrid auditory prostheses. © Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2017;6:923–936