Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantitation of ICAM-1 expression in mouse lung during pneumonia.

In the systemic circulation, neutrophil emigration into sites of acute inflammation is mediated through the leukocyte adhesion complex, CD11/CD18. ICAM-1 is an inducible endothelial ligand for CD11a/CD18 and CD11b/CD18. Streptococcus pneumoniae elicits neutrophil emigration through a CD18-independent mechanism whereas Escherichia coli endotoxin elicits emigration through a CD18-dependent mechanism in rabbit lungs. To determine whether ICAM-1 is up-modulated in the lung during CD18-independent and CD18-dependent emigration, ultrastructural immunogold-labeling studies were performed on BALB/c mice given airway instillates of S. pneumoniae or E. coli endotoxin. Ultrathin cryosections of frozen lung tissue were immunogold labeled with the mAb YN1/1.7. 4 against the murine homologue of human ICAM-1. Gold particles on the plasma membranes of alveolar endothelial and epithelial cells were quantitated by transmission electron microscopy. Capillary endothelial ICAM-1 expression did not change during neutrophil emigration toward S. pneumoniae, a CD18-independent pathway in rabbits. In contrast, ICAM-1 expression increased 4.2-fold in response to E. coli endotoxin (known to elicit CD18-dependent emigration in mice), suggesting that the mechanism of adhesion may be regulated by the expression of endothelial rather than neutrophil adhesion molecules. Constitutive expression of ICAM-1 on alveolar epithelial cells was 22-fold greater than on capillary endothelium. Epithelial expression was mainly restricted to type I pneumocytes, whereas type II pneumocytes, the precursors of type I cells, expressed little or no ICAM-1. However, during pneumonia, type II but not type I pneumocytes showed increased ICAM-1 expression, suggesting that ICAM-1 expression represents an early differentiation even in response to epithelial injury.
WARM MOLECULAR HYDROGEN EMISSION IN NORMAL EDGE-ON GALAXIES NGC 4565 AND NGC 5907

We have observed warm molecular hydrogen in two nearby edge-on disk galaxies, NGC 4565 and NGC 5907, using the Spitzer high-resolution infrared spectrograph. The 0–0 S(0) 28.2 μm and 0–0 S(1) 17.0 μm pure rotational lines were detected out to 10 kpc from the center of each galaxy on both sides of the major axis, and in NGC 4565 the S(0) line was detected at r = 15 kpc on one side. This location is beyond the transition zone where diffuse neutral atomic hydrogen starts to dominate over cold molecular gas and marks a transition from a disk dominated by high surface-brightness far-infrared (far-IR) emission to that of a more quiescent disk. It also lies beyond a steep drop in the radio continuum emission from cosmic rays (CRs) in the disk. Despite indications that star formation activity decreases with radius, the H2 excitation temperature and the ratio of the H2 line and the far-IR luminosity surface densities, Σ(L)/Σ(LTIR), change very little as a function of radius, even into the diffuse outer region of the disk of NGC 4565. This suggests that the source of excitation of the H2 operates over a large range of radii and is broadly independent of the strength and relative location of UV emission from young stars. Although excitation in photodissociation regions is the most common explanation for the widespread H2 emission, CR heating or shocks cannot be ruled out. At r = 15 kpc in NGC 4565, outside the main UV- and radio-continuum-dominated disk, we derived a higher than normal H2 to 7.7 μm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission ratio, but this is likely due to a transition from mainly ionized PAH molecules in the inner disk to mainly neutral PAH molecules in the outer disk. The inferred mass surface densities of warm molecular hydrogen in both edge-on galaxies differ substantially, being 4(–60) M☉ pc−2 and 3(–50) M☉ pc−2 at r = 10 kpc for NGC 4565 and NGC 5907, respectively. The higher values represent very unlikely point-source upper limits. The point-source case is not supported by the observed emission distribution in the spectral slits. These mass surface densities cannot support the observed rotation velocities in excess of 200 km s−1. Therefore, warm molecular hydrogen cannot account for dark matter in these disk galaxies, contrary to what was implied by a previous Infrared Space Observatory study of the nearby edge-on galaxy NGC 891.
Festschrift edition of the Journal of Medical Ethics in honour of Raanan Gillon

Promoting respect for the four principles remains of great practical importance in ordinary medicine This is a special edition of the journal to celebrate the contribution of Raanan Gillon to the field of medical ethics. The papers in this issue are from a festspiel in honour of Raanan held on the 17th of October 2003. The theme of the festspiel was method in medical ethics. Colleagues of Raanan were asked to outline their own approach to medical ethics, and how this differed from the four principles approach advocated by Raanan, as applied to four hypothetical cases which are also reproduced in this issue of the journal.1 It is a great privilege to be able to publish this series of papers, and Raanan’s reply, in the journal for several reasons. The first and most important of these is that they are a tribute to the enormous contribution Raanan has made to the field of medical ethics. Raanan has been a pioneer in medical ethics in the United Kingdom and beyond. He edited the Journal of Medical Ethics for over 20 years, retiring in 2001. He has been instrumental in establishing medical ethics as a discipline, particularly within medical schools, in the United Kingdom.2 His book Philosophical Medical Ethics is one of the classics.3 While most people associate Raanan with his advocacy of the four principles, it is important to remember his approach is not restricted solely to application of the four principles. He is also one of the sharpest, wittiest, and most original thinkers in medical ethics. In a recent editorial,4—for example, Raanan disagreed with a judicial decision to impose separation of identical twins (against the wishes of their parents) which caused the death of one twin. He described it as “hubris”. He argued that the …
Bone Mineral Density in Girls with Forearm Fractures

In childhood, the most common site of fracture is the distal forearm. To determine whether young girls with these fractures have low bone density more commonly than fracture‐free controls, we measured bone density at the radius, spine, hip, and whole body and total body bone mineral content, lean tissue mass, and fat mass by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry in 100 Caucasian girls aged 3–15 years with recent distal forearm fractures and 100 age‐ and gender‐matched controls. Bone density (age‐adjusted ratios of all cases:controls with 95% confidence intervals) was lower in cases at the ultradistal radius 0.963 (0.930–0.996), 33% radius 0.972 (0.945–0.999), lumbar spine 0.945 (0.911–0.980), hip trochanter 0.952 (0.918–0.988), and total body 0.978 (0.961–0.995). Moreover, osteopenia (defined as Z score below −1), was more common in cases than controls (p < 0.05) in the forearm, spine, and hip, with one third of fracture cases having low spinal density. Odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for low bone density were: ultradistal radius, 2.2 (1.1–4.6); lumbar spine, L2‐L4, 2.6 (1.3–4.9); and femur trochanter, 2.0 (1.0–3.9). Fracture patients aged 8‐10 years weighed more (mean ± SD) than age‐matched controls (37.2 ± 8.0 kg vs. 32.5 ± 6.6 kg, p < 0.01) while older patients reported lower current and past calcium intakes than matched controls (p < 0.05). We conclude that low bone density is more common throughout the skeleton in girls with forearm fractures than in those who have never broken a bone, supporting the view that low bone density may contribute to fracture risk in childhood.
Extraction Force and Cortical Tissue Reaction of Silicon Microelectrode Arrays Implanted in the Rat Brain

Micromotion of implanted silicon multielectrode arrays (Si MEAs) is thought to influence the inflammatory response they elicit. The degree of strain that micromotion imparts on surrounding tissue is related to the extent of mechanical integration of the implanted electrodes with the brain. In this study, we quantified the force of extraction of implanted four shank Michigan electrodes in adult rat brains and investigated potential cellular and extracellular matrix contributors to tissue-electrode adhesion using immunohistochemical markers for microglia, astrocytes and extracellular matrix deposition in the immediate vicinity of the electrodes. Our results suggest that the peak extraction force of the implanted electrodes increases significantly from the day of implantation (day 0) to the day of extraction (day 7 and day 28 postimplantation) (1.68 plusmn 0.54 g, 3.99 plusmn 1.31 g, and 4.86 plusmn 1.49g, respectively; meanplusmnSD; n=4). For an additional group of four shank electrode implants with a closer intershank spacing we observed a significant increase in peak extraction force on day 28 postimplantation compared to day 0 and day 7 postimplantation (5.56 plusmn 0.76 g, 0.37 plusmn 0.12 g and 1.87 plusmn 0.88 g, respectively; n=4). Significantly, only glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression was correlated with peak extraction force in both electrode designs of all the markers of astroglial scar studied. For studies that try to model micromotion-induced strain, our data implies that adhesion between tissue and electrode increases after implantation and sheds light on the nature of implanted electrode-elicited brain tissue reaction
Size-dependent optical absorption modulation of Si/Ge and Ge/Si core/shell nanowires with different cross-sectional geometries

We present an atomic-level and quantitative study of the absorption properties in Si/Ge and Ge/Si core/shell nanowires (CSNWs) along [110] direction with different cross-sectional geometries using the atomic bond relaxation method. We find that the strain existing in self-equilibrium state of CSNWs and associated with elastic energy originating from interface mismatch and surface relaxation affect the band shift and absorption properties. Compared to the CSNWs with tetragonal, hexagonal and circular shapes, the triangular CSNWs have the largest band gap shift at a fixed strain and the smallest absorption coefficient at a determinate incident light wavelength. The tunable absorption property, realized by controlling the size and geometry structure, could be helpful for nanoelectronic applications.
Microbiology's scarred revolutionary.

Microbial biology is undergoing a renaissance, and in this special section we explore bursts of progress in areas ranging from how pathogens invade cells to the origins of life. News reports beginning on this page focus on the extremophiles--unusual microbes that flourish in harsh conditions--while the Articles that follow probe a broad range of topics, including plant-microbe interactions and the astonishing diversity of microbes.
Feature Unweaving: Refactoring Software Requirements Specifications into Software Product Lines

The design of the variability of a software product line is crucial to its success and evolution. Meaningful variable features need to be elicited, analyzed, documented and validated when an existing software or reference system evolves into a software product line. These variable features are the main discriminators between individual products and they need to reflect the needs of a large variety of stakeholders adequately. In this paper we present a novel approach, called feature unweaving, that supports the identification and extraction of variable features from a given graphical software requirements model. We have extended our aspect-oriented software product line modeling tool [9] [10] such that it supports feature unweaving: it takes a set of model elements that a domain requirements engineer considers to constitute a variable feature and automatically refactors the model into a semantically equivalent one in which the model elements belonging to this feature are grouped into an aspect. This allows the identification and modeling of variable features in an incremental style. It also substantially reduces both the intellectual and clerical effort required for constructing the variable parts of a software product line requirements model.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension among Filipino patients with connective tissue diseases

We describe the clinical features, therapies, and clinical course of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in a group of Filipinos with connective tissue diseases (CTDs). We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients diagnosed with PAH by a two-dimensional echocardiogram as a tricuspid regurgitant jet of more than 25 mmHg. All patients had underlying CTDs, defined by the American College of Rheumatology criteria, and were seen at the rheumatology clinics of the University of Santo Tomas Hospital and the St. Luke's Medical Center, Philippines. Of the 33 patients (32 women) included in the analysis, there were 14 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 12 with scleroderma, 5 with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), 1 with primary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), and 1 with dermatomyositis. The average age at PAH diagnosis was 38 ± 14 years (mean ± SD), and the mean duration of illness from CTD to PAH diagnosis was 53 ± 52 months. Twelve patients had died at the time of this report, with a median duration of 15 months (range 1–57 months) from PAH diagnosis to mortality: six of these had scleroderma, five with SLE, and one with APS. The following therapies were used in this group of patients: low molecular weight heparin, warfarin, calcium-channel blockers, aspirin, cyclophosphamide, bosentan, iloprost, and sildenafil. We have described the clinical profile of PAH in a group of Filipino patients with CTDs, most commonly SLE. Various forms of pharmacologic therapies were used among these patients. Mortality remains high, particularly among those with underlying scleroderma. Early recognition and treatment are crucial in order to provide a better outcome for these patients.
Antidepressant discontinuation-related mania: critical prospective observation and theoretical implications in bipolar disorder.

BACKGROUND Development of manic symptoms on antidepressant discontinuation has primarily been reported in unipolar patients. This case series presents preliminary evidence for a similar phenomenon in bipolar patients. METHOD Prospectively obtained life chart ratings of 73 bipolar patients at the National Institute of Mental Health were reviewed for manic episodes that emerged during antidepressant taper or discontinuation. Medical records were utilized as a corroborative resource. Six cases of antidepressant discontinuation-related mania were identified and critically evaluated. RESULTS All patients were taking conventional mood stabilizers. The patients were on antidepressant treatment a mean of 6.5 months prior to taper, which lasted an average of 20 days (range, 1-43 days). First manic symptoms emerged, on average, 2 weeks into the taper (range, 1-23 days). These 6 cases of antidepressant discontinuation-related mania involved 3 selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), 2 tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), and 1 serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. Mean length of the ensuing manic episode was 27.8 days (range, 12-49 days). Potential confounds such as antidepressant induction, phenomenological misdiagnosis of agitated depression, physiologic drug withdrawal syndrome, and course of illness were carefully evaluated and determined to be noncontributory. CONCLUSION These 6 cases suggest a paradoxical effect whereby antidepressant discontinuation actually induces mania in spite of adequate concomitant mood-stabilizing treatment. These preliminary observations, if replicated in larger and controlled prospective studies, suggest the need for further consideration of the potential biochemical mechanisms involved so that new preventive treatment approaches can be assessed.
Evidence that melanocortin 4 receptor mediates hemorrhagic shock reversal caused by melanocortin peptides.

Melanocortin peptides are known to be extremely potent in causing the sustained reversal of different shock conditions, both in experimental animals and humans; the mechanism of action includes an essential brain loop. Three melanocortin receptor subtypes are expressed in brain tissue: MC(3), MC(4,) and MC(5) receptors. In a volume-controlled model of hemorrhagic shock in anesthetized rats, invariably causing the death of control animals within 30 min after saline injection, the i.v. bolus administration of the adrenocorticotropin fragment 1-24 (agonist at MC(4) and MC(5) receptors) at a dose of 160 microg/kg i.v. (54 nmol/kg) produced an almost complete and sustained restoration of cardiovascular and respiratory functions. An equimolar dose of gamma(1)-melanocyte stimulating hormone (selective agonist at MC(3) receptors) was completely ineffective. The selective antagonist at MC(4) receptors, HS014, although having no influence on cardiovascular and respiratory functions per se, dose-dependently prevented the antishock activity of adrenocorticotropin fragment 1-24, with the effect being complete either at the i.v. dose of 200 microg/kg or at the i.c. v. dose of 5 microg/rat (17-20 microg/kg). We concluded that the effect of melanocortin peptides in hemorrhagic shock is mediated by the MC(4) receptors in the brain.
Prevalence of Liver Fluke (Fasciola hepatica) in Wild Red Deer (Cervus elaphus): Coproantigen ELISA Is a Practicable Alternative to Faecal Egg Counting for Surveillance in Remote Populations

Red deer (Cervus elaphus) are hosts of liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica); yet, prevalence is rarely quantified in wild populations. Testing fresh samples from remote regions by faecal examination (FE) can be logistically challenging; hence, we appraise frozen storage and the use of a coproantigen ELISA (cELISA) for F. hepatica surveillance. We also present cELISA surveillance data for red deer from the Highlands of Scotland. Diagnoses in faecal samples (207 frozen, 146 fresh) were compared using a cELISA and by FE. For each storage method (frozen or fresh), agreement between the two diagnostics was estimated at individual and population levels, where population prevalence was stratified into cohorts (e.g., by sampling location). To approximate sensitivity and specificity, 65 post-slaughter whole liver examinations were used as a reference. At the individual level, FE and cELISA diagnoses agreed moderately (κfrozen = 0.46; κfresh = 0.51), a likely reflection of their underlying principles. At the population level, FE and cELISA cohort prevalence correlated strongly (Pearson’s R = 0.89, p < 0.0001), reflecting good agreement on relative differences between cohort prevalence. In frozen samples, prevalence by cELISA exceeded FE overall (42.8% vs. 25.8%) and in 9/12 cohorts, alluding to differences in sensitivity; though, in fresh samples, no significant difference was found. In 959 deer tested by cELISA across the Scottish Highlands, infection prevalence ranged from 9.6% to 53% by sampling location. We highlight two key advantages of cELISA over FE: i) the ability to store samples long term (frozen) without apparent loss in diagnostic power; and ii) reduced labour and the ability to process large batches. Further evaluation of cELISA sensitivity in red deer, where a range of fluke burdens can be obtained, is desirable. In the interim, the cELISA is a practicable diagnostic for F. hepatica surveillance in red deer, and its application here has revealed considerable geographic, temporal, sex and age related differences in F. hepatica prevalence in wild Scottish Highland red deer.
Adapting to the Weather: Lessons from U.S. History

An important unknown in understanding the impact of climate change is the scope of adaptation, which requires observations on historical time scales. We consider how weather across U.S. history (1860–2000) has affected various measures of productivity. Using cross-sectional and panel methods, we document significant responses of agricultural and individual productivity to weather. We find strong effects of hotter and wetter weather early in U.S. history, but these effects have generally been attenuated in recent decades. The results suggest that estimates from a given period may be of limited use in forecasting the longer-term impacts of climate change.
The Magnitude of Thymic Output Is Genetically Determined through Controlled Intrathymic Precursor T Cell Proliferation1

The thymus plays a crucial role in providing the immune system with naive T cells showing a diverse TCR repertoire. Whereas the diversity of thymic production is mainly ensured by TCR rearrangement at both the TRA and TRB loci, the number of cells reaching the double-positive differentiation stage defines the extent of thymic output. A quantitative analysis of TCR excision circles (TREC; signal-joint TRECs and DJβTRECs) produced at different stages of thymopoiesis was performed in nine laboratory mouse strains. The results clearly demonstrate that the magnitude of thymic output is directly proportional to the extent of proliferation in the double-negative 4 thymocyte subset. Strikingly, intrathymic precursor T cell proliferation was found to be strain dependent, thus suggesting a genetic regulation of thymic output. The inherited character of thymic output was further confirmed by the transmission of the phenotype in a recessive fashion in F1 progeny of the different parental strains. Our results provide the first demonstration of the genetic regulation of thymic output.
Mental retardation and verbal dyspraxia in a new patient with de novo creatine transporter (SLC6A8) mutation

We report on a 9.5‐year‐old Italian boy affected by creatine transporter deficit (CT1), due to a de novo mutation in SLC6A8 gene. The patient was investigated by means of a comprehensive neuropsychological protocol and presented with an unusual alteration of speech and expressive‐language function, associated with mental retardation, that differed from CT1 patients described to date. In particular, he exhibited a developmental apraxia of speech (DAS) with motor planning and execution deficit, while receptive language was consistent with his mental age. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
IMPACT OF PARENT-CHILD INTERACTION THERAPY ON THE QUALITY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CAREGIVERS AND THEIR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM by AILA DOMMESTRUP ( Under the Direction of

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) has been shown to be an effective intervention for improving compliance for preschool-age children with autism spectrum disorders (Masse, 2009; Vess, 2008). Improvements in positive affect for both parents and children with autism have also been demonstrated for school-age children (Solomon, Ono, Timmer, & Goodlin-Jones, 2008). Evaluation of the effectiveness of PCIT is accomplished typically by using the Dyadic ParentChild Interaction Coding System (DPICS; Robinson & Eyberg, 1981) which consists of parent and child behavior codes that focus on changes in parenting skills and child compliance. The majority of studies using the DPICS to evaluate PCIT have focused on increasing child compliance and parent positive verbalizations (Vess, 2008). The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the efficacy of PCIT in improving the interactional quality of the parent-child relationship including documenting changes in parental sensitivity and child responsiveness. INDEX WORDS:Autism, PCIT, Sensitivity, Structuring, Responsiveness, Initiations IMPACT OF PARENT-CHILD INTERACTION THERAPY ON THE QUALITY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CAREGIVERS AND THEIR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM by AILA DOMMESTRUP B.A., Syracuse University, 2006 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree