Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integrated Multi-Network Modeling Environment for Spectrum Management

We describe a first principles based integrated modeling environment to study urban socio-communication networks which represent not just the physical cellular communication network, but also urban populations carrying digital devices interacting with the cellular network. The modeling environment is designed specifically to understand spectrum demand and dynamic cellular network traffic. One of its key features is its ability to support individual-based models at highly resolved spatial and temporal scales. We have instantiated the modeling environment by developing detailed models of population mobility, device ownership, calling patterns and call network. By composing these models using an appropriate in-built workflow, we obtain an integrated model that represents a dynamic socio-communication network for an entire urban region. In contrast with earlier papers that typically use proprietary data, these models use open source and commercial data sets. The dynamic model represents for a normative day, every individual in an entire region, with detailed demographics, a minute-by-minute schedule of each person's activities, the locations where these activities take place, and calling behavior of every individual. As an illustration of the applicability of the modeling environment, we have developed such a dynamic model for Portland, Oregon comprising of approximately 1.6 million individuals. We highlight the unique features of the models and the modeling environment by describing three realistic case studies.
Adipose Stromal Cell Tubule Network Model Provides a Versatile Tool for Vascular Research and Tissue Engineering

The current limitation in designing three-dimensional tissue models is the lack of adequate vascularization with mature and stable vessels. Adipose tissue is known to secrete several angiogenic factors, and human adipose stromal cells (hASC) are known to promote vessel growth, maturation and stabilization. In this study, hASC were induced to angiogenesis with growth factor-enriched medium either in monoculture or in coculture with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and analyzed for vascular, pericytic and smooth muscle cell markers. hASC and HUVEC cocultures showed an accelerated proliferation rate and the cells self-assembled, independent of the cell passage number, into multilayered three-dimensional tubular networks. The networks of hASC and HUVEC expressed endothelial markers, a complete basement membrane and vessel-supporting cells with contractile properties. A hASC and green fluorescence protein-HUVEC-infection model revealed that cocultures consisted of a mosaic of von Willebrand factor-positive cells derived from both cell populations – hASC and HUVEC. hASC monoculture had passage- and donor-dependent ability to form tubular networks, with half of the cultures presenting tubule structures and basement membrane formation. Pericytic and smooth muscle cell markers were expressed in hASC monoculture even when tubules were absent. By combining the potential properties of hASC and features from the present angiogenesis assays, we generated a natural-like, xeno-free, prevascular-like network in vitro model with excellent reproducibility and minimal limitations in technical performance. This tubular network model is an excellent tool for studying cell interactions during vascular development, for chemical and drug testing and for developing natural-like, multilayered, vascularized, scaffold-free tissue models.
QT interval and antidepressant use: a cross sectional study of electronic health records

Objective To quantify the impact of citalopram and other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on corrected QT interval (QTc), a marker of risk for ventricular arrhythmia, in a large and diverse clinical population. Design A cross sectional study using electrocardiographic, prescribing, and clinical data from electronic health records to explore the relation between antidepressant dose and QTc. Methadone, an opioid known to prolong QT, was included to demonstrate assay sensitivity. Setting A large New England healthcare system comprising two academic medical centres and outpatient clinics. Participants 38 397 adult patients with an electrocardiogram recorded after prescription of antidepressant or methadone between February 1990 and August 2011. Main outcome measures Relation between antidepressant dose and QTc interval in linear regression, adjusting for potential clinical and demographic confounding variables. For a subset of patients, change in QTc after drug dose was also examined. Results Dose-response association with QTc prolongation was identified for citalopram (adjusted beta 0.10 (SE 0.04), P<0.01), escitalopram (adjusted beta 0.58 (0.15), P<0.001), and amitriptyline (adjusted beta 0.11 (0.03), P<0.001), but not for other antidepressants examined. An association with QTc shortening was identified for bupropion (adjusted beta 0.02 (0.01) P<0.05). Within-subject paired observations supported the QTc prolonging effect of citalopram (10 mg to 20 mg, mean QTc increase 7.8 (SE 3.6) ms, adjusted P<0.05; and 20 mg to 40 mg, mean QTc increase 10.3 (4.0) ms, adjusted P<0.01). Conclusions This study confirmed a modest prolongation of QT interval with citalopram, and identified additional antidepressants with similar observed risk. Pharmacovigilance studies using electronic health record data may be a useful method of identifying potential risk associated with treatments.
Reassessing Melanonychia Striata in Phototypes IV, V, and VI Patients

BACKGROUND Racial melanonychia striata is a nail plate dyschromia described as a gray coloration of the background in dermatoscopy and hypermelanosis in histology. However, many cases with brown or black coloration of the background in the dermatoscopic examination have been followed. OBJECTIVE Evaluate racial melanonychia striata dermatoscopical patterns and histological diagnosis in Fitzpatrick skin Types IV, V, or VI population. MATERIALS AND METHODS 482 Fitzpatrick skin Types IV, V, or VI patients, between 19 and 72 years of age, were clinically evaluated and underwent nail plate dermatoscopic examination. Fifty-eight patients presenting melanonychia striata and dermatoscopic patterns with brown or black coloration of the background were submitted to a nail matrix biopsy. When occurring in more than 1 digit, biopsy was performed in the lesion with the darkest coloration presented in dermatoscopy. RESULTS All skin Types IV, V, or VI patients who had melanonychia striata, with brown or black coloration of the background in the dermatoscopic examination, revealed histopathological analysis compatible with hypermelanosis. CONCLUSION Racial melanonychia in skin Types IV, V, or VI patients, resulting from hypermelanosis, may present brown or black coloration of the background in the dermatoscopic examination.
Smad3-Deficient CD11b+Gr1+ Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells Prevent Allograft Rejection via the Nitric Oxide Pathway

Immunosuppressive CD11b+Gr1+ myeloid-derived suppressor cells and TGF-β have been shown to negatively regulate host immunity against allografts. Our results demonstrated that Smad3-deficient mice or mice reconstituted with Smad3-deficient hematopoietic cells rejected allogeneic skin or heart grafts in a significantly slower manner compared with littermates or wild-type (WT) control mice. Transplanted Smad3−/− recipients produced markedly less anti-donor IgG Abs, especially IgG1 and IgG2b subclasses. T cells in alloskin-grafted Smad3-deficient mice were more likely to participate in a Th2-type immune response, as evidenced by more Th2-specific transcription factor, GATA3 expression, and increased IL-4 and IL-10 production, as well as less Th1-specific transcription factor, T-bet expression, and decreased IL-2 and IFN-γ production. More CD11b+Gr1+ neutrophil infiltration and less monocyte/macrophage and T cell infiltration in allografts were observed in Smad3−/− recipients compared with WT recipients. Increased CXCL1 and CXCL2 as well as decreased CCL3, MCP-1, and RANTES chemokines in allografts of Smad3−/− recipients were consistently detected by real-time PCR. Further studies indicated that the increased CD11b+Gr1+ myeloid cells in Smad3-deficient mice were immunosuppressive and responsible for the delayed allograft rejection mainly via an NO-dependent pathway. Thus, this study identifies Smad3 as an intrinsic negative regulator that critically inhibits the differentiation and function of immunosuppressive CD11b+Gr1+ myeloid-derived suppressor cells.
Lichen Planus: A Clinical and Epidemiological Study

Clinical and epidemiological data from 232 patients with lichen planus is presented. Lichen planus constituted 0.38% of the total dermatology outpatients diagnosed. The patient ages ranged from 8 to 76 years, most being in the age range from 20 to 49 years. Duration of disease varied from 1 month to 7 years. Both sexes were equally affected. The majority of the patients (47.4%) had classical lesions followed by hypertrophic and actinic lichen planus next in frequency. Itching was the predominant symptom in 79.3%. Limbs were the most frequent initial site of onset (55.6%). Mucosal involvement along with cutaneous lesions were observed in 16.8% and genital involvement in only 5.2%. Nail changes were observed in 15.1% of patients. A history of recurrence of the disease was obtained from 10.3% of patients. Liver disease was found to be associated in 2.2% of patients. No malignant changes were observed in any of the lesions of lichen planus.
Canine ureteral ectopia: an analysis of 175 cases and comparison of surgical treatments

The case histories of 175 dogs with ureteral ectopia were reviewed; there were 156 females and 19 males. Golden retrievers, labrador retrievers and Skye terriers appeared to be over-represented. Their median age when examined was 10 months, and the males were significantly older than the females. Fifty-six animals were affected bilaterally, 50 were affected on the left side alone and 69 on the right side alone. One hundred and twenty-two cases had other abnormalities and 67 had more than one; they included hydro-ureter, hydronephrosis, pyelonephritis, bladder hypoplasia and congenital incompetence of the urethral sphincter mechanism. Forty-one cases were not treated, and the other 134 were treated by ureteronephrectomy, extravesicular ureteric transplantation or intravesicular ureteric transplantation. One hundred and twelve cases were available for follow-up for a median period of over two years (range one month to 15 years). The response to surgery and the incidence of complications was similar after each method of treatment. Sixty-five of the 112 cases were cured of incontinence and 26 were improved. The complication rate (14 per cent overall) was similar for each procedure although different types of complications occurred. Hydronephrosis occurred most commonly after extravesicular transplantation and dysuria occurred most commonly after intravesicular transplantation.
Modeling oxyanion adsorption on ferralic soil, part 1: Parameter validation with phosphate ion

Surface complexation models have proved to be valuable tools for predicting processes that occur at the solid–solution interface. Use of such models has become more widespread and nowadays more complex systems are studied, in an attempt to explain processes such as the competition between different species for mineral surfaces and the effect of the presence of organic matter. The aim of the present study was to analyze the mobility of phosphate in ferralic soils. The charge distribution model parameters for phosphate–goethite adsorption were used to predict phosphate mobility on samples from 2 horizons of a ferralic soil containing large amounts of iron oxides. The soil reactivity was attributed to the iron oxides, and some specific parameters were determined by means of phosphate adsorption–desorption experiments and included in the model. Adsorption of phosphate in the upper horizon, which contained more organic carbon and phosphate than the deeper one, was modeled by using the information obtained for the soil and the charge distribution model parameters derived for phosphate–goethite interaction with no need of further optimization. In contrast, some extra fitting parameters were required to improve the modeling of the phosphate adsorption in the deeper horizon. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;33:2208–2216. © 2014 SETAC
Development of heart failure is independent of K+ channel‐interacting protein 2 expression

• Previous studies have suggested that the K+ channel auxiliary subunit K+ channel‐interacting protein 2 (KChIP2) serves as a regulator of cardiac remodelling leading to heart failure and increased risk of arrhythmias. • The results presented here show that the progression of cardiac remodelling and heart failure induced by transverse aortic constriction follows a similar time course in wild‐type and KChIP2−/− mice. • Protein expression analysis shows that ventricular KChIP2 is significantly downregulated in heart failure in wild‐type mice. • The electrophysiological analysis reveals enlarged J and T wave amplitudes and lower vulnerability to pacing‐induced ventricular arrhythmias in KChIP2−/− control mice compared to wild‐type control mice. Heart failure in wild‐type and KChIP2−/− mice prompted comparable prolongation of QT intervals and ventricular effective refractory periods. • Collectively, these results demonstrate that KChIP2 does not influence the structural and functional development of heart failure. Moreover, in contrast to previously reported data, downregulation of KChIP2 expression in heart failure may reduce the risk of cardiac arrhythmia.
Biomechanical effects of stress shielding of the rabbit patellar tendon depend on the degree of stress reduction

A rabbit model was used to discover whether the effects of stress shielding on the mechanical properties of the patellar tendon depend on the degree of stress reduction. Ninety mature female Japanese White rabbits were divided into three groups: completely stress‐shielded, partially stress‐shielded, and shamoperation and contralateral controls. In the experimental groups, tension applied to the patellar tendon was 0%, approximately 30%, and 100%, of the normal tension, respectively, with a polyester artificial ligament. Tensile tests were carried out on patella‐patellar tendon‐tibia complexes harvested 1, 2, 3, 6, or 12 weeks after surgery. The tensile strength decreased in comparison with the sham‐operation group to 50.2, 13.5, 9.7, and 20.7% in the completely stress‐shielded group and to 75.2, 57.6, 59.6, 57.3, and 72.9% in the partially stress‐shielded group. The tensile strength in the completely stress‐shielded group was significantly less than that in the partially stress‐shielded group at 1, 2, 3, and 6 weeks. The cross‐sectional area of the patellar tendon significantly increased to 132, 206, 237, and 136% in the completely stress‐shielded group and to 136, 170, 175, 155, and 127% in the partially stress‐shielded group, compared with the sham‐operation group. The cross‐sectional area of the completely stress‐shielded tendon was significantly larger than that of the partially stress‐shielded tendon at 1, 2, and 3 weeks. This study demonstrated that effects of stress shielding on the mechanical properties of the patellar tendon were dependent on the degree of stress shielding.
THE SERUM PROTEIN FRACTIONS IN THYMOQUINONE TREATED RATS

Background: TQ has been used as treatment and preventive agent for many diseases over the years. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of TQ supplement on fractions of serum proteins. Materials and methods: Fourteen male Wistar-Albino rats (200-250 g weight) were used as material for two groups; (control (C) and thymoquinone (TQ) respectively. Each group contained seven rats. The control group had only corn oil, while the TQ group was dissolved in corn oil. 30 mg/kg/day were given by oral gavage for four weeks. The serum protein fractions were identified using cellulose acetate technique. Results: The total protein level and albumin, α-1, α-2 fractions and A/G ratio have showed no difference between groups (p>0.05). β-globulin fractions of TQ group were higher than control’s (p<0.05). In addition, it was observed that the γ-globulin levels of TQ group were lower than that of the control group’s (p<0.05). Conclusion: From the results, it was observed that the changes of these fractions may have originated from elevation or decline synthesis, or activities of containing proteins.
The German minimum wage: Effects on business expectations, profitability, and investments

In this article, we analyze the effects of the introduction of the German minimum wage using difference-in-differences estimations applied to the IAB Establishment Panel. The treatment effects on the treated establishments show a slight reduction in the employers' expected development of business volume. When we analyze the effects of the minimum wage on the net sales of intermediates and wages costs, we observe a reduction, which is fully explained by the increase in wage costs induced by the minimum wage. The results do not point to effects on establishment-level productivity or capital investments. Looking at investments in human capital, we do not observe any effects on apprenticeship offers or the placement of apprentices. If anything, the results point at a slight reduction in the provision of further training.
Critical review on the mechanisms of maturation stress generation in trees

Trees control their posture by generating asymmetric mechanical stress around the periphery of the trunk or branches. This stress is produced in wood during the maturation of the cell wall. When the need for reaction is high, it is accompanied by strong changes in cell organization and composition called reaction wood, namely compression wood in gymnosperms and tension wood in angiosperms. The process by which stress is generated in the cell wall during its formation is not yet known, and various hypothetical mechanisms have been proposed in the literature. Here we aim at discriminating between these models. First, we summarize current knowledge about reaction wood structure, state and behaviour relevant to the understanding of maturation stress generation. Then, the mechanisms proposed in the literature are listed and discussed in order to identify which can be rejected based on their inconsistency with current knowledge at the frontier between plant science and mechanical engineering.
Testicular growth and development in puberty

Purpose of review To describe pubertal testicular growth in humans, changes in testicular cell populations that result in testicular growth, and the role of testosterone and gonadotrophins follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in testicular growth. When human data were not available, studies in nonhuman primates and/or rodents were used as surrogates. Recent findings Testicular growth in puberty follows a sigmoidal growth curve, with a large variation in timing of testicular growth and adult testicular volume. Testicular growth early in puberty is due to increase in Sertoli cell number and length of seminiferous tubules, whereas the largest and fastest growth results from the increase in the diameter of the seminiferous tubules first due to spermatogonial proliferation and then due to the expansion of meiotic and haploid germ cells. FSH stimulates Sertoli cell and spermatogonial proliferation, whereas LH/testosterone is mandatory to complete spermatogenesis. However, FSH and LH/testosterone work in synergy and are both needed for normal spermatogenesis. Summary Testicular growth during puberty is rapid, and mostly due to germ cell expansion and growth in seminiferous tubule diameter triggered by androgens. Pre-treatment with FSH before the induction of puberty may improve the treatment of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, but remains to be proven.
[Effects of intermittent nasogastric feeding with nonnutritive sucking on nutrient and gastrointestinal tract transit time in premature infants].

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of nonnutritive sucking (NNS) on the nutrient intake, physical growth, feeding-related complications and whole gastrointestinal transit time (WGTT) in premature infants. METHODS Thirty eight healthy appropriate for gestational age premature infants (birth weights ranged from 1 050 g to 1 790 g) accepting intermittent nasogastric feeding (INGF) were randomized into NNS group and N-NNS group according to INGF with and without NNS and fed with the same milk formula. The following data were collected and recorded, the physical growth parameters (e.g, body weight, length and head circumference) and the birth-weight regaining time, the fluid intake (including both intravenous and oral), caloric intake, time of reaching 418.4 kJ/(kg.d) by enteral feeding, time of putting nasogastric tube, stool frequency and characters, and relevant complications. WGTT were monitored. RESULTS The birth-weight regaining time in NNS group was significantly shorter than that in N-NNS group [(8.8 +/- 3.7) d vs (11.1 +/- 3.0) d, P < 0.05]. Within two weeks after feeding, there was no significant difference in the increase of body weight, length and head circumference between the two groups (P > 0.05). The time of reaching 418.4 kJ/(kg.d) by enteral feeding in NNS group was significantly shorter than that in N-NNS group [(12.3 +/- 5.1) d vs (15.7 +/- 5.2) d, P < 0.05]; the times of putting nasogastric tube were respectively (13 +/- 10) d and (17 +/- 12) d, but the difference was not significant (P > 0.05). The morbidity of such complications as vomiting and abdominal distension was lower in NNS group than that in N-NNS group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). However, the morbidity of gastric residue in NNS was significantly lower than that in N-NNS (P < 0.05). WGTT of the second week in NNS group was significantly shorter than that in N-NNS [(33 +/- 13) h vs (45 +/- 20) h, P < 0.05]. Stool frequencies of the second week in NNS group were significantly more than those in N-NNS group [(2.26 +/- 0.17) times/d vs (1.79 +/- 0.58) times/d, P < 0.05]. However, there were no significantly differences in WGTT and stool frequencies of the first week between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION NNS was recommended as a beneficial intervention for premature infants during intermittent nasogastric tube feeding.