Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structural connectivity‐defined thalamic subregions have different functional connectivity abnormalities in multiple sclerosis patients: Implications for clinical correlations

In spite of the well‐known importance of thalami in multiple sclerosis (MS), only limited data on whole and subregional thalamic functional connectivity (FC) changes are available. Using diffusion tensor imaging, we performed a structural connectivity based thalamic parcellation and investigated subregional thalamic resting‐state (RS) FC alterations and their relationship with clinical/cognitive measures in MS. MRI data from a reference set of healthy controls (HC) were used to parcellate the thalami into five subregions, according to their structural connectivity. For each thalamic subregion, a seed‐based RS FC analysis was performed in 187 MS patients and 94 HC. Correlations between thalamic RS FC and clinical/cognitive variables were assessed. Compared to HC, MS patients showed increased intra‐ and inter‐thalamic RS FC for almost all thalamic subregions, and increased RS FC between all thalamic subregions and the left insula. Frontal and motor thalamic subregions also showed reduced RS FC with the caudate nucleus. For the temporal thalamic subregion, we observed reduced RS FC with the ipsilateral thalamus, anterior and middle cingulate cortex, and cerebellum. Compared to cognitively preserved, cognitively impaired MS patients had higher thalamic RS FC with several temporal areas. In MS patients, lower RS FC between thalamic subregions and the caudate and cingulate cortex correlated with worse motor performance, whereas higher RS FC with the insula correlated with better motor performance. The main thalamic subregions have different RS‐FC abnormalities in MS patients. Increased thalamic RS FC with the insula may have a compensatory role, whereas increased RS FC with temporal areas, observed in patients with cognitive impairment may reflect maladaptive mechanisms. Hum Brain Mapp 38:6005–6018, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Children's experiences with chat support and telephone support.

BACKGROUND In line with the wider trend of offering support via the Internet, many counseling and referral services for children have introduced online chat, often in addition to a traditional telephone service. METHODS A comparative study was conducted between the telephone service and the confidential one-on-one online chat service of the Dutch Kindertelefoon. The design included a concise pretest and a posttest (n = 902). The study also comprised a follow-up test (n = 213), which included the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. RESULTS Children experienced a higher sense of well-being and a reduced severity of their problems after consulting the Kindertelefoon. The results were slightly more favorable for the chat service than for the telephone service. The follow-up survey showed that many of the children who contact the Kindertelefoon suffer from relatively severe emotional problems. CONCLUSIONS Both the telephone and the web-based support improved the children's well-being and decreased their perceived burden of problem. The results of this study underline the need for closer cooperation between child helplines and mental health and child welfare services.
The Evaluation of Effect of Phototherapy on Serum Calcium Level.

Jaundice is one of the most common problem that can occur in the newborn. The study group included 200 term and 45 preterm). All had hyperbilirubinemia. with phototherapy. Neonate who had conjugate hyperbilirubinemia, asphyxia, respiratory distress, sepsis anemia were excluded from the study. Measurement of ionized serum calcium was done before and after 48 hours of institution of phototherapy. The prevalence of hypocalcemia after 48 hours of phototherapy was observed and compare between full term and preterm neonate. Afte term and 53% of preterm neonate was observed. It is suggested that calcium level be assessed in neonates treated with phototherapy for more than 48 hours and managed accordingly
Entrepreneurial Causation vs. Effectuation in a Business Incubation Context: Implications for Recruiting Policy and Management

Abstract Many business incubators aim to provide network resources and to stimulate the sharing of ideas, but previous research has shown that limited knowledge exchange takes place between incubated firms. In this paper, we examine if an entrepreneurial approach of causation vs. effectuation is associated with the proclivity to share ideas between firms and the perceived value of such inter-tenant network resources. A causation approach implies that entrepreneurs focus on a predefined goal and then aim to find the means to reach this goal. An effectuation approach implies that entrepreneurs focus on the means at hand, which they aim to materialize into one or more goals that were not necessarily predefined. We carry out a multiple case study of start-ups in a business incubator and find that entrepreneurs taking an effectuation approach have a proclivity to share ideas and they perceive such network resources as having a high value. Entrepreneurs taking a causation approach, on the other hand, have limited proclivity to share ideas with other incubator firms and they perceive such network resources as having a relatively low value. The findings are striking since many incubators implicitly or explicitly tend to recruit firms taking a causation approach by selecting candidates with a rigorous and predefined business plan. We discuss the findings’ implications for incubator recruiting policy and management.
The association of abdominal muscle with outcomes after scheduled abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Sarcopenia is the degenerative loss of core muscle mass. It is an aspect of frailty, which is associated with increased rates of peri‐operative harm. We assessed the association of the cross‐sectional areas of abdominal muscles, including psoas, with survival during a median (IQR [range]) follow‐up of 3.8 (3.2–4.4 [0.0–5.1]) years after scheduled endovascular (132) or open (5) abdominal aortic aneurysm repair in 137 patients. In multivariate analysis, mortality hazard (95%CI) was independently associated with: age, 1.06 (1.01–1.13) per year, p = 0.03; and the adjusted area of the left psoas muscle, 0.94 (0.81–1.01) per mm2.kg−0.83, p = 0.08. Shortened hospital stay was independently associated with haemoglobin concentration and adjusted left psoas muscle area, hazard ratio (95%) 1.01 (1.00–1.02) per g.l−1 and 1.05 (1.02–1.07) per mm2.kg−0.83, p = 0.04 and 0.001, respectively.
Effects of Trade and Exchange Rate Policies on Imports and Trade Tax Revenue in Nigeria

This paper examines the impact of trade and exchange rate policies on import and trade tax revenue in Nigeria. This study, which covers 1970 – 2007, adopted the ordinary least squares (OLS) method, and some diagnostic tests were performed. Time series properties of the variables were tested and error correction models were estimated. Results show that the average tariff in Nigeria has a negative impact (hinders) on import, with an impact lag. Specifically, it produced a significant negative impact on consumer goods and raw material imports, but a significant positive effect on capital goods import. The case of capital goods import is different, perhaps because of the various waivers and low tariff on this type of import. Real exchange rate is found to have an unstable or unpredictable relationship with import of all categories. Real GDP produced a significant impact on all the four categories of imports. The coefficient of income elasticity of demand for import varies from 1.6 in the case of capital goods import to 1.2 in respect of consumer goods import. In the same vein, results show that tariff has a positive and significant relationship with trade tax revenue, with an impact lag. Real exchange rate is found to have an unstable or unpredictable relationship with trade tax revenue. Real GDP produced a positive and significant impact on trade tax revenue, with an impact lag. The foregoing therefore suggests that the link between import and trade tax revenue is trade and exchange rate policies. Some policy recommendations are made to inform the finetuning of existing policies.
Immunohistochemistry of connexin 43 throughout anterior pituitary gland in a transgenic rat with green fluorescent protein-expressing folliculo-stellate cells

Folliculo-stellate (FS) cells in the anterior pituitary gland have been speculated to possess multifunctional properties. Because gap junctions (GJ) have been identified between FS cells, FS cells may be interconnected electrophysiologically by GJ and serve as signal transmission networks to modulate hormone release in the anterior pituitary gland. But whether GJ are localized among FS cells from the pars tuberalis through the pars distalis is unclear. The S100b-GFP transgenic rat has recently been generated, which expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP) specifically in FS cells in the anterior pituitary. This model is expected to be a powerful tool for studies of FS cells. The purpose of the present paper was therefore to examine the localization of GJ on connexin 43 immunohistochemistry throughout the anterior pituitary gland of S100b-GFP rats under confocal laser microscopy. The localization patterns of FS cells was also observed in primary culture of anteiror pituitary cells and the question of whether GJ between FS cells are reconstructed in vitro was investigated. In vivo studies showed that GJ were present specifically between FS cells from the pars tuberalis to the pars distalis in the anterior pituitary gland. The appearance of FS cells was distinguished into two types, with localization of GJ differing between types. In vitro, it was observed for the first time that FS cells in primary culture could be categorized into two types. In vivo localization of GJ between FS cells was reconstructed in vitro. These morphological observations are consistent with the hypothesis that FS cells form an electrophysiological network throughout the anterior pituitary for signal transmission.
Explaining Communication Choices during Equity Offerings: Market Timing or Impression Management?

Opinions are divided on whether firms use corporate reports (1) to communicate with external parties in a clear and transparent manner (incremental information hypothesis), (2) to shape messages to suit their own agenda, or, worse still, (3) to mislead audiences (impression management hypothesis). Two competing hypotheses are considered in this chapter to explain why equity offerings coincide with stock overpricing. The dominant hypothesis to date – the market timing hypothesis – is that managers opportunistically time equity offerings to coincide with high stock prices. The empirical evidence supporting this hypothesis is ambiguous. The impression management hypothesis offers an alternative perspective. In this context, impression management entails the construction of an impression by organizations with the intention of influencing stockholders’ view of the firm as reflected in the stock price. Managers may engage in impression management, using persuasive language in pre-equity-offering communications (e.g., narrative disclosures), to drive up the stock price in advance of planned equity offerings.
Dose-Ranging Pharmacokinetic Study of Ciprofloxacin after 200-, 300-, and 400-mg Intravenous Doses

OBJECTIVE: To assess the pharmacokinetics and tolerance of ciprofloxacin after the administration of single intravenous doses of 200, 300, and 400 mg. DESIGN: Double-blind, three-period, randomized, crossover trial. SETTING: Private, university-affiliated, hospital-based, clinical research center. PATIENTS: Normal healthy male volunteers, 18–40 years of age. INTERVENTIONS: Subjects received 200-, 300-, and 400-mg single intravenous doses of ciprofloxacin via 30-minute infusions in random sequence. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum ciprofloxacin concentrations were determined by HPLC after each dose and the results were used to derive pharmacokinetic parameters. Tolerance was assessed by reported and observed adverse events, urine microscopic examinations for crystals, and examination of intravenous infusion sites. RESULTS: The mean area under the time curve (AUC) values displayed linearity with respect to the administered dose. No statistical differences were observed in total body clearance, steady-state volume of distribution, or elimination half-life with respect to dose administered. The mean total body clearance, steady-state volume of distribution, or elimination half-life ranged from 36 to 41 L/h, 146 to 169 L, and 3.5 to 3.7 h for the 200-, 300-, and 400-mg doses, respectively. Adverse effects, including venous irritation (four subjects) and crystalluria (two subjects), were mild and did not require withdrawal of any subject from the study. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous ciprofloxacin in doses ranging from 200 to 400 mg demonstrated linear pharmacokinetics. These single doses were well tolerated, although cases of transient venous irritation and crystalluria were observed.
EWI-2 Is a Major CD9 and CD81 Partner and Member of a Novel Ig Protein Subfamily*

A novel Ig superfamily protein, EWI-2, was co-purified with tetraspanin protein CD81 under relatively stringent Brij 96 detergent conditions and identified by mass spectrometric protein sequencing. EWI-2 associated specifically with CD9 and CD81 but not with other tetraspanins or with integrins. Immunodepletion experiments indicated that EWI-2–CD9/CD81 interactions are highly stoichiometric, with ∼70% of CD9 and CD81 associated with EWI-2 in an embryonic kidney cell line. The EWI-2 molecule was covalently cross-linked (in separate complexes) to both CD81 and CD9, suggesting that association is direct. EWI-2 is part of a novel Ig subfamily that includes EWI-F (F2α receptor regulatory protein (FPRP), CD9P-1), EWI-3 (IgSF3), and EWI-101 (CD101). All four members of this Ig subfamily contain a Glu-Trp-Ile (EWI) motif not seen in other Ig proteins. As shown previously, the EWI-F molecule likewise forms highly proximal, specific, and stoichiometric complexes with CD9 and CD81. Human and murine EWI-2 protein sequences are 91% identical, and transcripts in the two species are expressed in virtually every tissue tested. Thus, EWI-2 potentially contributes to a variety of CD9 and CD81 functions seen in different cell and tissue types.
Menopausal experiences and bone density of Mayan women in Yucatan, Mexico

This cross‐sectional study reports on the menopausal transition of Mayan women from Yucatan, Mexico. A total of 228 women completed the study, and 118 women were classified by history as postmenopausal; the others were premenopausal. Demographic information, reproductive history, physical examination, hormone concentrations, radial bone density, food samples, and history of physical activity were obtained. The average age at which menopause occurred by history was 44.3 ± 4.4 years; this is reflected in the distribution of FSH levels by age. None of the women reported symptoms of hot flashes, and none recalled any history of significant symptoms associated with their menopausal transition. Hormone levels were similar to U.S. reference values with elevated FSH (66.6 ± 29.1 mIU/ml), low estradiol (9.4 ± 8.3 pg/ml) and estrone (13.3 ± 7.8 pg/ml), E1 > E2, and normal levels of testosterone and androstenedione. BMD declined with age, and values were lower than reference values for United States women. Clinical evidence of fracture was not detected by history or physical examination even for those who were 20 years postmenopausal. The endocrine characteristics of menopause among Mayan women in Yucatan are similar to hormonal changes reported for women in the United States, but signs, symptoms, and apparent consequences are different in the two populations. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 13:505–511, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The relative importance of global self-concept and self-concept of academic ability in predicting academic achievement.

The aim of this study was to establish whether the relationship between self-concept of academic ability and academic achievement correlated more strongly than the relationship between global self-concept and academic achievement among high school students. Data on these variables were collected from 229 tenth-grade students in the U.S. Pacific Northwest public school district. The results indicate that global self-concept and self-concept of academic ability correlate positively with academic achievement, but the relationship between self-concept of academic ability and academic achievement correlated more strongly than the relationship between global self-concept and academic achievement. The results suggest that educational intervention strategies geared to raising academic achievement would probably be more likely to succeed if they were to focus on enhancement of the self-concept of academic ability rather than global self-concept.
Dendritic Cells Are Host Cells for Mycobacteria In Vivo That Trigger Innate and Acquired Immunity1

In the present study, we investigated in vivo the infection and APC functions of dendritic cells (DC) and macrophages (Mφ) after administration of live mycobacteria to mice. Experiments were conducted with Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) or a rBCG expressing a reporter Ag. Following infection of mice, DC and Mφ were purified and the presence of immunogenic peptide/MHC class II complexes was detected ex vivo on sorted cells, as was the secretion of IL-12 p40. We show in this study that DC is a host cell for mycobacteria, and we provide an in vivo detailed picture of the role of Mφ and DC in the mobilization of immunity during the early stages of a bacterial infection. Strikingly, BCG bacilli survive but remain stable in number in the DC leukocyte subset during the first 2 wk of infection. As Ag presentation by DC is rapidly lost, this suggests that DC may represent a hidden reservoir for mycobacteria.
Generalized KdV-type equations versus Boussinesq's equations for uneven bottom -- numerical study.

The paper's main goal is to compare the motion of solitary surface waves resulting from two similar but slightly different approaches. In the first approach, the numerical evolution of soliton surface waves moving over the uneven bottom is obtained using single wave equations. In the second approach, the numerical evolution of the same initial conditions is obtained by the solution of a coupled set of the Boussinesq equations for the same Euler equations system. We discuss four physically relevant cases of relationships between small parameters $\alpha,\beta,\delta$. For the flat bottom, these cases imply the Korteweg-de Vries equation (KdV), the extended KdV (KdV2), fifth-order KdV (KdV5), and the Gardner equation (GE). In all studied cases, the influence of the bottom variations on the amplitude and velocity of a surface wave calculated from the Boussinesq equations is substantially more significant than that obtained from single wave equations.
Ethanol‐induced changes in hepatic free radical defense mechanisms and fatty‐acid composition in the miniature pig

In the miniature pig, ethanol consumption has been reported to induce alterations in hepatic antioxidant defense capacity, which could result in increased risk of peroxidative damage. However, ethanol may also induce changes in membrane fatty acid composition, which could reduce the risk of peroxidative damage. This study examined lipid peroxidation, antioxidant defense and fatty acid composition in livers from miniature pigs fed ethanol in diets containing 12% of their calories as fat for 20 mo. After 12 and 20 mo of feeding, ethanol‐fed pigs had higher hepatic manganese–superoxide dismutase activity, lower hepatic copper concentrations and low hepatic copperzinc–superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities compared with controls. Lipid peroxidation as assessed by thiobarbituric acid reacting substance assay was lower in liver homogenate and mitochondrial and microsomal fractions from ethanol‐fed pigs than in controls. The percentage contribution of highly unsaturated fatty acids to total fatty acids in liver homogenates (after 12 mo of feeding) and microsome fractions (after 20 mo of feeding) was lower in the ethanol‐fed pigs than in the controls, resulting in a lower peroxidizability index. Ethanol‐fed pigs had minimal or no hepatic damage as assessed by histological methods. We suggest that the relative resistance of microsomes to lipid peroxidation is due to the lower peroxidizability index in the ethanol‐fed pigs and may account in part for the absence of significant histopathological findings after 20 mo of ethanol feeding. (HEPATOLOGY 1991;13:1185–1192.)
Regional Disparities in Education, Health and Human Development in India

This paper evaluates the relative performance of fifteen major Indian states on the issues of education, health and human development. It examines the regional disparities in human development and their association with per capita income and per capita social sector expenditure. The results show regional convergence in human development despite a divergence in real per capita income, indicating that the poor states, which have failed to catch up with the rich ones in terms of per capita income, have, however, managed to catch up in terms of human development. Female literacy is found to have a significant impact on human development. The effects of the per capita social sector expenditure on human development are found to be stronger than those of per capita income, suggesting that the strategy for improving various dimensions of human development by increasing the per capita government expenditure on social services would be more effective than the automatic improvement in human development resulting from the growth in per capita income.