Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early chronic lead exposure reduces exploratory activity in young C57BL/6J mice

Research has suggested that chronic low‐level lead exposure diminishes neurocognitive function in children. Tests that are sensitive to behavioral effects at lowest levels of lead exposure are needed for the development of animal models. In this study we investigated the effects of chronic low‐level lead exposure on exploratory activity (unbaited nose poke task), exploratory ambulation (open field task) and motor coordination (Rotarod task) in pre‐adolescent mice. C57BL/6J pups were exposed to 0 ppm (controls), 30 ppm (low‐dose) or 230 ppm (high‐dose) lead acetate via dams’ drinking water administered from birth to postnatal day 28, to achieve a range of blood lead levels (BLLs) from not detectable to 14.84 µg dl–1). At postnatal day 28, mice completed behavioral testing and were killed (n = 61). BLLs were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The effects of lead exposure on behavior were tested using generalized linear mixed model analyses with BLL, sex and the interaction as fixed effects, and litter as the random effect. BLL predicted decreased exploratory activity and no threshold of effect was apparent. As BLL increased, nose pokes decreased. The C57BL/6J mouse is a useful model for examining effects of early chronic low‐level lead exposure on behavior. In the C57BL/6J mouse, the unbaited nose poke task is sensitive to the effects of early chronic low‐level lead exposure. This is the first animal study to show behavioral effects in pre‐adolescent lead‐exposed mice with BLL below 5 µg dl–1. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Type I collagen synthesis and degradation in peritendinous tissue after exercise determined by microdialysis in humans

1 Physical activity is known to increase type I collagen synthesis measured as the concentration of biomarkers in plasma. By the use of microdialysis catheters with a very high molecular mass cut‐off value (3000 kDa) we aimed to determine local type I collagen synthesis and degradation in the peritendinous region by measuring interstitial concentrations of a collagen propeptide (PICP; 100 kDa) and a collagen degradation product (ICTP; 9 kDa) as well as an inflammatory mediator (PGE2). 2 Seven trained human runners were studied before and after (2 and 72 h) 3 h of running (36 km). Two microdialysis catheters were placed in the peritendinous space ventral to the Achilles’ tendon under ultrasound guidance and perfused with a Ringer‐acetate solution containing 3H‐labelled human type IV collagen and [15‐3H(N)]PGE2 for in vivo recovery determination. Relative recovery was 37–59% (range of the s.e.m. values) for both radioactively labelled substances. 3 PICP concentration decreased in both interstitial peritendinous tissue and arterial blood immediately after exercise, but rose 3‐fold from basal 72 h after exercise in the peritendinous tissue (55 ± 10 μg l−1, mean ± s.e.m. (rest) to 165 ± 40 μg l−1 (72 h), P < 0·05) and by 25% in circulating blood (160 ± 10 μg l−1 (rest) to 200 ± 12 μg l−1 (72 h), P < 0·05). ICTP concentration did not change in blood, but decreased transiently in tendon‐related tissue during early recovery after exercise only. PGE2 concentration increased in blood during running, and returned to baseline in the recovery period, whereas interstitial PGE2 concentration was elevated in the early recovery phase. 4 The findings of the present study indicate that acute exercise induces increased formation of type I collagen in peritendinous tissue as determined with microdialysis and using dialysate fibre with a very high molecular mass cut‐off. This suggests an adaptation to acute physical loading also in non‐bone‐related collagen in humans.
The Health Consequences of Multiple Morbidity in the Elderly

Longitudinal data from the Alameda County Study are used to examine three health consequences of multiple or co-morbidity, defined as the coexistence of two or more chronic conditions and/or symptoms. Age-adjusted analyses of the consequences of baseline co-morbidity show significant associations in both age groups with 17-year mortality, and with the development of multiple new conditions and the occurrence of depression over a 9-year follow-up. After adjustments for sociodemographic characteristics and health behaviors, all associations with multiple new conditions remain significant. The association with depressive symptoms. however, remains significant for the younger age group only and the associations with mortality become nonsignificant in both age groups.
Dual-Band WLAN Diversity Antenna System With High Port-to-Port Isolation

In this letter, an innovative technique is proposed to enhance the port-to-port isolation of two closely spaced dual-band radiating elements in the WLAN 2.4-2.5-GHz and 5.15-5.825-GHz frequency bands. This broadband technique consists in inserting an optimized parasitic element between the two antennas of a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) set-top box. High port-to-port isolation is obtained, and the computation of the diversity performance shows suitability for enhanced diversity and MIMO applications.
The Actions of a Novel Potent Islet β-Cell–Specific ATP-Sensitive K+ Channel Opener Can Be Modulated by Syntaxin-1A Acting on Sulfonylurea Receptor 1

Islet β-cell–specific ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channel openers thiadiazine dioxides induce islet rest to improve insulin secretion, but their molecular basis of action remains unclear. We reported that syntaxin-1A binds nucleotide binding folds of sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR1) in β-cells to inhibit KATP channels. As a strategy to elucidate the molecular mechanism of action of these KATP channel openers, we explored the possibility that 6-chloro-3-(1-methylcyclobutyl)amino-4H-thieno[3,2-e]-1,2,4-thiadiazine 1,1-dioxide (NNC55-0462) might influence syntaxin-1A–SUR1 interactions or vice versa. Whole-cell and inside-out patch-clamp electrophysiology was used to examine the effects of glutathione S-transferase (GST)-syntaxin-1A dialysis or green fluorescence protein/syntaxin-1A cotransfection on NNC55-0462 actions. In vitro pull-down binding studies were used to examine NNC55-0462 influence on syntaxin-1A–SUR1 interactions. Dialysis of GST–syntaxin-1A into the cell cytoplasm reduced both potency and efficacy of extracellularly perfused NNC55-0462 in a HEK cell line stably expressing Kir6.2/SUR1 (BA8 cells) and in rat islet β-cells. Moreover, inside-out membrane patches excised from BA8 cells showed that both GST–syntaxin-1A and its H3 domain inhibited KATP channels previously activated by NNC55-0462. This action on KATP channels is isoform-specific to syntaxin-1A because syntaxin-2 was without effect. Furthermore, the parent compound diazoxide showed similar sensitivity to GST–syntaxin-1A inhibition. NNC55-0462, however, did not influence syntaxin-1A–SUR1 binding interaction. Our results demonstrated that syntaxin-1A interactions with SUR1 at its cytoplasmic domains can modulate the actions of the KATP channel openers NNC55-0462 and diazoxide on KATP channels. The reduced levels of islet syntaxin-1A in diabetes would thus be expected to exert a positive influence on the therapeutic effects of this class of KATP channel openers.
Field comparison of inhalable and total dust samplers for assessing airborne dust in swine confinement barns.

Inhalable and total dust sampling devices were compared for evaluating airborne dust in swine confinement buildings. Measurements from three swine facilities (n = 77 paired means) were obtained by area sampling using the IOM (Institute of Occupational Medicine, Edinburgh, U.K.) inhalable dust sampler and a 37-mm closed-face total (TCF) dust sampler. The overall geometric mean IOM concentration (1.18 mg/m(3), geometric standard deviation [GSD] = 2.00) was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than the overall geometric mean TCF concentration (1.08 mg/m(3), GSD = 1.98). Regression analysis with IOM and TCF values as independent and dependent variables, respectively, yielded a factor of 0.86 (+/-0.04 95% confidence interval), which can be used to estimate TCF values from the IOM measurements. Additional paired sampling data were obtained to compare the following pairs of dust samplers: (1) IOM sampler and conical inhalable sampler (CIS) (n = 20 paired means), (2) IOM and open-face total (TOF) dust samplers (n = 14), (3) CIS and TCF samplers (n = 19), and (4) TCF and TOF samplers (n = 8). Paired t-tests showed significantly (P < 0.05) higher IOM concentrations than the CIS sampler; no significant difference (P > 0.05) was found for the other three pairs compared. It may be necessary to establish work-specific conversion coefficients to obtain a reasonable estimate of worker exposure to total dust from measurements using other types of dust sampling devices.
A Reproducible Model of Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in Mice: Hemodynamic, Biochemical, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging

A reproducible model of thread occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) was established in C57 Black/6J mice by matching the diameter of the thread to the weight of the animals. For this purpose, threads of different diameter (80 to 260 μm) were inserted into the MCA of animals of different weights (18 to 33 g), and the success of vascular occlusion was evaluated by imaging the ischemic territory on serial brain sections with carbon black. Successful occlusion of the MCA resulted in a linear relationship between body weight and thread diameter (r = 0.46, P < 0.01), allowing precise selection of the appropriate thread size. Laser-Doppler measurements of CBF, neurological scoring, and 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining confirmed that matching of animal weight and suture diameter produced consistent cerebral infarction. Three hours after MCA occlusion, imaging of ATP, tissue pH, and cerebral protein synthesis allowed differentiation between the central infarct core, in which ATP was depleted, and a peripheral penumbra with reduced protein synthesis and tissue acidosis but preserved ATP content. Perfusion deficits and ischemic tissue alterations could also be detected by perfusion- and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, demonstrating the feasibility of dynamic evaluations of infarct evolution. The use of multiparametric imaging techniques in this improved MCA occlusion model opens the way for advanced pathophysiological studies of stroke in gene-manipulated animals.
Re: External carotid artery territory ischemia impairs outcome in the endovascular filament model of middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats.

To the Editor: We read with interest the article by Dittmar et al1 on body weight loss after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) by the intraluminal filament method. The authors provided evidence that transection of the external carotid artery (ECA), which is necessary for thread insertion, produced ischemic tissue damage of the lingual and pharyngeal musculature leading to impaired mastication and swallowing functions and eventually loss of body weight. Loss of body weight, however, was also severe in rats subjected to MCAO with no evidence of damage in the ECA territory, suggesting that other factors are involved. We have investigated whether dehydration, postoperative stress, or altered hormonal secretion contribute to body weight loss after 120 minutes MCAO (Figure). 2 Based on plasma osmolality measurements (OSMOL), our rats were not dehydrated, perhaps due in part to the supplemental 0.9% NaCl given to the rats. Corticosterone levels (CORT) were increased only transiently after MCAO, indicating that extensive surgical procedures and postoperative stress do not contribute to weight loss. Unilateral damage to the hypothalamus is typical in MCAO rats and might contribute to postoperative hyperthermia,3 but according to …
Consumer Inertia, Firm Growth and Industry Dynamics

We develop a model of firm size, based on the hypothesis that consumers are "locked in" because of search costs, with firms they have patronized in the past. As a consequence, older firms have a larger clientele and are able to extract higher profits. The equilibrium of this model yields: (i) A downward sloping density of firm sizes. (ii) Older firms are less likely to exit than younger firms. (iii) Larger firms spend more on R&D.
Withdrawal of alcohol promotes regression while continued alcohol intake promotes persistence of LPS-induced pancreatic injury in alcohol-fed rats

Background and aims Administration of repeated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injections in alcohol-fed rats leads to significant pancreatic injury including fibrosis. However, it remains unknown whether alcoholic (chronic) pancreatitis has the potential to regress when alcohol is withdrawn. The aims of the study were (1) to compare the effect of alcohol withdrawal/continuation on pancreatic acute injury and fibrosis; and (2) to assess the effects of alcohol ± LPS on pancreatic stellate cell (PSC) apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. Methods Rats fed isocaloric Lieber–DeCarli liquid diets ± alcohol for 10 weeks were challenged with LPS (3 mg/kg/week for 3 weeks) and then either switched to control diet or maintained on an alcohol diet for 3 days, 7 days or 3 weeks. Pancreatic sections were assessed for acute tissue injury, fibrosis, PSC apoptosis and activation. Cultured rat PSCs were exposed to 10 mM ethanol ± 1 μg/ml LPS for 48 or 72 h and apoptosis was assessed (Annexin V, caspase-3 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL)). Results Withdrawal of alcohol led to resolution of pancreatic lesions including fibrosis and to increased PSC apoptosis. Continued alcohol administration perpetuated pancreatic injury and prevented PSC apoptosis. Alcohol and LPS significantly inhibited PSC apoptosis in vitro, and the effect of LPS on PSC apoptosis could be blocked by Toll-like receptor 4 small interfering RNA. Conclusions Induction of PSC apoptosis upon alcohol withdrawal is a key mechanism mediating the resolution of pancreatic fibrosis. Conversely, continued alcohol intake perpetuates pancreatic injury by inhibiting apoptosis and promoting activation of PSCs. Characterisation of the pathways mediating PSC apoptosis has the potential to yield novel therapeutic strategies for chronic pancreatitis.
Effect of a comprehensive surgical safety system on patient outcomes.

BACKGROUND Adverse events in patients who have undergone surgery constitute a large proportion of iatrogenic illnesses. Most surgical safety interventions have focused on the operating room. Since more than half of all surgical errors occur outside the operating room, it is likely that a more substantial improvement in outcomes can be achieved by targeting the entire surgical pathway. METHODS We examined the effects on patient outcomes of a comprehensive, multidisciplinary surgical safety checklist, including items such as medication, marking of the operative side, and use of postoperative instructions. The checklist was implemented in six hospitals with high standards of care. All complications occurring during admission were documented prospectively. We compared the rate of complications during a baseline period of 3 months with the rate during a 3-month period after implementation of the checklist, while accounting for potential confounders. Similar data were collected from a control group of five hospitals. RESULTS In a comparison of 3760 patients observed before implementation of the checklist with 3820 patients observed after implementation, the total number of complications per 100 patients decreased from 27.3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 25.9 to 28.7) to 16.7 (95% CI, 15.6 to 17.9), for an absolute risk reduction of 10.6 (95% CI, 8.7 to 12.4). The proportion of patients with one or more complications decreased from 15.4% to 10.6% (P<0.001). In-hospital mortality decreased from 1.5% (95% CI, 1.2 to 2.0) to 0.8% (95% CI, 0.6 to 1.1), for an absolute risk reduction of 0.7 percentage points (95% CI, 0.2 to 1.2). Outcomes did not change in the control hospitals. CONCLUSIONS Implementation of this comprehensive checklist was associated with a reduction in surgical complications and mortality in hospitals with a high standard of care. (Netherlands Trial Register number, NTR1943.).
Abnormally wide confidence intervals in logistic regression: interpretation of statistical program results

This study describes the behavior of eight statistical programs (BMDP, EGRET, JMP, SAS, SPSS, STATA, STATISTIX and SYSTAT) when performing a logistic regression with a simulated data set that contains a numerical problem created by the presence of a cell value equal to zero. The programs respond in different ways to this problem. Most of them give a warning, although many simultaneously present incorrect results, among which are confidence intervals that tend toward infinity. Such results can mislead the user. Various guidelines are offered for detecting these problems in actual analyses, and users are reminded of the importance of critical interpretation of the results of statistical programs.
Electronic problem based learning of electromagnetics through software development

A computer‐assisted problem‐based learning (PBL) project is proposed to assist undergraduate student learning of electromagnetics through software development. The project employs the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method to model transmission line performance. The usefulness of this approach is evaluated from direct observation and formative assessment. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 16: 12–20, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20112
The DEXMART hand: Mechatronic design and experimental evaluation of synergy-based control for human-like grasping

This paper summarizes recent activities carried out for the development of an innovative anthropomorphic robotic hand called the DEXMART Hand. The main goal of this research is to face the problems that affect current robotic hands by introducing suitable design solutions aimed at achieving simplification and cost reduction while possibly enhancing robustness and performance. While certain aspects of the DEXMART Hand development have been presented in previous papers, this paper is the first to give a comprehensive description of the final hand version and its use to replicate human-like grasping. In this paper, particular emphasis is placed on the kinematics of the fingers and of the thumb, the wrist architecture, the dimensioning of the actuation system, and the final implementation of the position, force and tactile sensors. The paper focuses also on how these solutions have been integrated into the mechanical structure of this innovative robotic hand to enable precise force and displacement control of the whole system. Another important aspect is the lack of suitable control tools that severely limits the development of robotic hand applications. To address this issue, a new method for the observation of human hand behavior during interaction with common day-to-day objects by means of a 3D computer vision system is presented in this work together with a strategy for mapping human hand postures to the robotic hand. A simple control strategy based on postural synergies has been used to reduce the complexity of the grasp planning problem. As a preliminary evaluation of the DEXMART Hand’s capabilities, this approach has been adopted in this paper to simplify and speed up the transfer of human actions to the robotic hand, showing its effectiveness in reproducing human-like grasping.
B‐lymphocyte suppression in multiple myeloma is a reversible phenomenon specific to normal B‐cell progenitors and plasma cell precursors

The reduced levels of normal immunoglobulin in patients with myeloma may be due to suppression of normal B‐cell differentiation. However, reports on the numbers of B cells vary, with some finding decreases consistent with immunoparesis, and others reporting expansions of phenotypically aberrant cells. We have therefore assessed the phenotype and levels of B lymphocytes in patients at presentation (n = 23), in plateau or complete remission (PB n = 42, BM n = 18), and in relapse (PB n = 17, BM n = 14), in comparison to normal individuals (n = 10). Phenotypic analysis was performed using five‐parameter flow cytometry, with CD14 used to exclude monocytes where necessary.
Guidance on management of asymptomatic neonates born to women with active genital herpes lesions.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection of the neonate is uncommon, but genital herpes infections in adults are very common. Thus, although treating an infant with neonatal herpes is a relatively rare occurrence, managing infants potentially exposed to HSV at the time of delivery occurs more frequently. The risk of transmitting HSV to an infant during delivery is determined in part by the mother’s previous immunity to HSV. Women with primary genital HSV infections who are shedding HSV at delivery are 10 to 30 times more likely to transmit the virus to their newborn infants than are women with recurrent HSV infection who are shedding virus at delivery. With the availability of commercial serological tests that reliably can distinguish type-specific HSV antibodies, it is now possible to determine the type of maternal infection and, thus, further refine management of infants delivered to women who have active genital HSV lesions. The management algorithm presented herein uses both serological and virological studies to determine the risk of HSV transmission to the neonate who is delivered to a mother with active herpetic genital lesions and tailors management accordingly. The algorithm does not address the approach to asymptomatic neonates delivered to women with a history of genital herpes but no active lesions at delivery. Pediatrics 2013;131:e635–e646
Cough and aspiration.

system in tandem with a local imaging method, such as endobronchial ultrasound, may also be useful. We appreciate the authors providing the 5-year experience of their institution. Preoperative diagnosis was made in 107 of 142 patients (75%) in advance of their lung cancer operations; the rate for preoperative diagnosis of peripheral lesions was 79% (58 of 73 patients). This rate is excellent by today’s standards; stratification of yield by size would be useful in view of the wide range in lesion size (1 to 10 cm). We support the idea of a bronchoscopy initiative that would allow our specialty to measure individual and collective lung cancer diagnostic performance and to work toward an even higher yield. At present, many clinicians send patients with stage T1 ( 3 cm) and T2 ( 3 cm) [N0] lesions to undergo resection without a preoperative tissue diagnosis. The most obvious limitation is that nonmalignant lesions (and normal lung) are occasionally resected. If neoadjuvant chemotherapy ever becomes the standard of care for these early-stage lesions, the need for improved preoperative diagnosis will become even more urgent.
Application of weighing matrices to simultaneous driving technique for capacitive touch sensors

This paper generalizes the capacitive touch sensing problem in a form of weighing matrices which cover Walsh-Hadamard, 4k-order Hadamard, and other types of weighing matrices. The existing regular Hadamard matrix, conference matrix, and other matrices that have a small sum of column weights, increase the signal sensitivity as well as signal-to-noise ratio for the capacitive signals. Experiments show that the proposed design approach and the various types of weighing matrices can meet the different design requirements. The results of this research show that a sophisticated weighing matrix improves sensitivity three times higher than the time-multiplexed method.