Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inflammatory Mediators Sensitize Acutely Axotomized Nerve Fibers to Mechanical Stimulation in the Rat

Many axotomized myelinated as well as unmyelinated cutaneous nerve fibers are sensitive to mechanical stimuli applied to the cut nerve end within a few hours after nerve lesion. Here we investigated the influence of inflammatory mediators on this ectopic mechanosensitivity after cutting and ligating the sural nerve in anesthetized rats. Neural activity was recorded from single axons in filaments teased from the sural or sciatic nerve proximally to the lesion site 2–33 hr after axotomy. Using calibrated von Frey hairs (1.0–128.5 mN), 30 sec trains of phasic stimuli were applied to the cut nerve end immediately before and after local application of a mixture of inflammatory mediators [inflammatory soup (IS), consisting of bradykinin, 5-HT, prostaglandin E2, histamine (all 10 μm), and K+ 7 mm, pH 7.0] for 2 min. Before as well as after IS application, von Frey thresholds were significantly lower in myelinated (A) fibers than in unmyelinated (C) fibers. IS application enhanced the ectopic mechanical excitability, as expressed in reduced von Frey thresholds and increased response magnitudes, of most severed mechanosensitive C fibers (77%) and some mechanosensitive A fibers (46%). The sensitization lasted for 10–40 min after a 2 min IS application. Additionally, among axotomized nerve fibers unresponsive to probing of the nerve lesion site before IS application, 1 of 63 (1.6%) A and 3 of 106 (2.8%) C fibers became mechanosensitive immediately after IS application. The results indicate that after axotomy, inflammatory processes augment touch-evoked ectopic activity in lesioned sensory nerve fibers. Because many affected afferents are presumably of nociceptive function, their enhanced neural barrage may contribute to neuropathic pain states.
Serious Video Games for Health: How Behavioral Science Guided the Development of a Serious Video Game

Serious video games for health are designed to entertain players while attempting to modify some aspect of their health behavior. Behavior is a complex process influenced by multiple factors, often making it difficult to change. Behavioral science provides insight into factors that influence specific actions that can be used to guide key game design decisions. This article reports how behavioral science guided the design of a serious video game to prevent Type 2 diabetes and obesity among youth, two health problems increasing in prevalence. It demonstrates how video game designers and behavioral scientists can combine their unique talents to create a highly focused serious video game that entertains while promoting behavior change.
Methodology and Early Findings of the Fourth Survey of Childhood and Adolescence Surveillance and Prevention of Adult Non-Communicable Disease in Iran: The CASPIAN-IV Study

Background: The fourth survey of the surveillance system named “childhood and adolescence surveillance and prevention of adult non-communicable disease” (CASPIAN-IV study), was conducted among a national representative sample of Iranian students. This paper describes the methods and early findings of this survey. Methods: This nationwide school-based study was conducted in 2011-2012 in 30 provinces of Iran among 13,486 students, 6-18 years (6640 girls, 75.6% from urban areas) and one of their parents. Results: Mean age of students was 12.5 years. Based on the World Health Organization growth curves, 12.2% were underweight, 9.7% overweight and 11.9% were obese. Abdominal obesity was observed in 19.1% of students. The dominant type of cooking oil in urban families was liquid oil and hydrogenated fat (39% and 32%), most rural families used hydrogenated fat (53%), respectively. A total of 18% of students had at least 30 min of daily physical activity; 41% of students used computer in weekdays and 44% used it in weekends. Almost 34.5% of students reported to have at least one cigarette smoker and 21.5% reported to have a waterpipe smoker in their relatives. Moreover, 20.3% of students reported that they had suffered an injury needing the help of school health providers during the year prior to the study. Conclusions: Current evidence on the health risky behaviors among Iranian children and adolescents confirms the importance of conducting comprehensive surveillance surveys to identify health risk behaviors. Data of this survey and the trend of variables provide necessary information for health policy makers to implement action-oriented interventions.
Does adjustment of GFR to extracellular fluid volume improve the clinical utility of cystatin C?

BACKGROUND Cystatin C measurement has been proposed as a replacement for creatinine as a serum measure of glomerular filtration rate (GFR). It has also been suggested that GFR itself should be adjusted to the extracellular fluid volume (ECV) of a child rather than the body surface area (BSA). AIMS To assess the potential of cystatin C compared to serum creatinine in assessing GFR and to establish whether adjustment of GFR to ECV rather than BSA affects the potential usefulness of cystatin C. METHODS Cystatin C and plasma creatinine were measured in 64 paediatric patients undergoing 7751Cr-EDTA GFR measurements over a six month period. RESULTS 1/cystatin C concentrations were more closely related to GFR (median 98 ml/min/1.73 m2, range 8–172) after adjustment for patient BSA (r = 0.81 versusr = 0.44). 1/Creatinine concentrations appeared to be an inferior estimate of BSA adjusted GFR (r = 0.41), even following the use of the Schwartz formula (r = 0.37). Bland Altman statistics showed cystatin C could still only predict 95% of GFR values to within ±41 ml/min/1.73 m2 of the51Cr-EDTA method. The relation between GFR and 1/cystatin C was not improved by adjusting 51Cr-EDTA GFR to ECV rather than BSA (r = 0.76 versusr = 0.81). CONCLUSIONS Cystatin C appears superior to serum creatinine in paediatric subjects although its performance is unlikely to supplant 51Cr-EDTA GFR measurement. This performance is not being underestimated because of adjusting GFR to BSA rather than ECV.
Prolonged maintenance of 2,3‐diphosphoglycerate acid and adenosine triphosphate in red blood cells during storage

BACKGROUND: Current additive solutions (ASs) for red cells (RBCs) do not maintain a constant level of critical metabolites such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and 2,3‐diphosphoglycerate acid (2,3‐DPG) during cold storage. From the literature it is known that the intracellular pH is an important determinant of RBC metabolism. Therefore, a new, alkaline, AS was developed with the aim to allow cold storage of RBCs with stable product characteristics.
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased autoimmune response in healthy individuals and in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Objectives Vitamin D deficiency is widespread and has been associated with many chronic diseases, including autoimmune disorders. A study was undertaken to explore the impact of low vitamin D levels on autoantibody production in healthy individuals, as well as B cell hyperactivity and interferon α (IFNα) activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods Serum samples from 32 European American female patients with SLE and 32 matched controls were tested for 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels, lupus-associated autoantibodies and serum IFNα activity. Isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells were tested for intracellular phospho-ERK 1/2 as a measure of B cell activation status. Results Vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D <20 ng/ml) was significantly more frequent among patients with SLE (n=32, 69%) and antinuclear antibody (ANA)-positive controls (n=14, 71%) compared with ANA-negative controls (n=18, 22%) (OR 7.7, 95% CI 2.0 to 29.4, p=0.003 and OR 8.8, 95% CI 1.8 to 43.6, p=0.011, respectively). Patients with high B cell activation had lower mean (SD) 25(OH)D levels than patients with low B cell activation (17.2 (5.1) vs 24.2 (3.9) ng/ml; p=0.009). Patients with vitamin D deficiency also had higher mean (SD) serum IFNα activity than patients without vitamin D deficiency (3.5 (6.6) vs 0.3 (0.3); p=0.02). Conclusions The observation that ANA-positive healthy controls are significantly more likely to be deficient in vitamin D than ANA-negative healthy controls, together with the finding that vitamin D deficiency is associated with certain immune abnormalities in SLE, suggests that vitamin D plays an important role in autoantibody production and SLE pathogenesis.
Multifactorial central nervous system recurrence susceptibility in patients with HER2‐positive breast cancer

A series of retrospective studies have reported that patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)‐positive breast cancer are at a greater risk of central nervous system (CNS) metastases. Trastuzumab, which does not cross the blood‐brain barrier, has been associated with this increased risk.
Effects of Vagal Stimulation on Experimentally Induced Seizures in Rats

Summary: Repetitive stimulation of the vagus nerve inhibits chemically induced seizures in dogs. We report here the results and conclusions from studies designed to answer some of the immediate questions raised by this finding. (1) Maximal stimulation of vagal C fibers at frequencies greater than 4 Hz prevents or reduces chemically and electrically induced seizures in young male rats. (2) Antiepileptic potency is directly related to the fraction of vagal C fibers stimulated. (3) Vagal stimulation shortens but does not shut down a chemical seizure once it has begun. (4) In rats, optimal stimulus frequency is approximately 10–20 Hz; duration of stimulus, 0.5‐1 ms; and stimulus strength, 0.2‐0.5 mA/mm2 of nerve cross‐section. These results, when taken together with similar results obtained from dogs, monkeys, and humans, strongly suggest that periodic stimulation of the vagus nerve using appropriate stimulation parameters is a powerful method for preventing seizures. The data from the literature suggest that the antiepileptic actions of vagal stimulation are largely mediated by widespread release of GAB A and glycine in the brainstem and cerebral cortex. The probable pathway is via projections from the nucleus of the solitary tract to the reticular formation and thence by diffuse projections to the cortex and other areas. Intermittent vagal stimulation has the potentiality of reducing the number and/or the intensity of seizures in patients with intractable epilepsy. These results indicate that feasibility studies in humans should be continued and expanded.
Best management practices adoption to mitigate non-point source pollution: A conditional frailty model

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address the issues of correlated events and individual heterogeneity in multiple best management practices (BMPs) adoption. Design/methodology/approach The authors used survey data collected from broiler producers in Louisiana, USA. The authors estimated several duration models that either considered event dependence or heterogeneity or both. Findings Results from the conditional frailty model indicated that large farms adopt BMPs earlier, farmers who have been in broiler farming profession for a long time are late to adopt BMPs and more informed farmers, through contact with extension agents and education, are early adopters of BMPs. Research limitations/implications The limitation of this study is that the authors did not validate the robustness of the conditional frailty model using a more rigorous approach, such as empirical simulation method. Practical implications Many farmers do not adopt a new technology immediately after it becomes available. Duration models help to understand why farmers wait and how long they wait before adopting a new technology. In case of correlated events, where farmers adopt more than one technology, it is important to know the driving factors behind multiple technologies adoption. The findings from this study should help to properly target farmers to increase the adoption rate of a desired BMP. Originality/value This is the first study in agriculture technology adoption literature that uses a conditional frailty model to understand why farmers wait to adopt a new technology. This study also addresses both dependence in BMP adoption and heterogeneity in farmers’ quality that impact technology adoption.
The heterogeneous impacts of business cycles on educational attainment

ABSTRACT This study examines the impact of fluctuations in the unemployment rate before high school graduation on educational attainment measured 30 years later. I find evidence that important heterogeneity is masked by estimating average effects across the ability distribution. Using data from the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, this analysis identifies individuals who are on the boundary between pursuing and not pursuing additional education. Exposure to a higher unemployment rate at age 17 is associated with higher educational attainment for men in the 60–80th quintile of the ability distribution. There is no evidence of an effect beyond this quintile.
Separation of delayed parameterized sources

This paper addresses the delayed (or anechoic) source separation problem in the case of parameterized deterministic sources. An alternating least square scheme is proposed to estimate the source parameters, the mixing coefficients and the delays. For the challenging delay parameter we adapt a sparse approximation strategy. A first algorithm considers discrete delays; then an extension, inspired by the recent sparse deconvolution literature, allows for continuous delay estimation. Numerical simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms compared to state-of-the-art methods for highly correlated Gaussian sources.
Gonadotropins in insects: an overview.

Control of gonad development in insects requires juvenile hormone, ecdysteroids, and a peptidic brain gonadotropin(s). Compared to vertebrates, the situation in insects with respect to the molecular structure of gonadotropins is far less uniform. Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH) of vertebrates are glycoproteins that are synthezised in the hypothalamus and released from the anterior pituitary. They stimulate gonad development, the production of progesterone or of sex steroids (estrogens, androgens). None of the known insect gonadotropins is a glycoprotein, neither can they be grouped into a single peptide family. In Drosophila, two G-protein coupled receptors, structurally related to the mammalian glycoprotein hormone receptors, have been identified. Nothing is known about their natural ligands. The sex-steroids of insects are likely to be ecdysteroids (20E in females, E in males of some species). Some of the identified gonadotropins speed up vitellogenesis (locust OMP and some -PF/-RFamide peptides) or stimulate ecdysteroid production by the ovaries (locust-OMP and Aedes- OEH) or testis (testis ecdysiotropin of Lymantria). In flies, the only as yet identified gonadotropin is the cAMP-generating peptide of Neobellieria. The seeming absence of uniformity in gonadotropins in insects might be due to a multitude of factors that can stimulate ecdysteroid production and/or to the use of different bioassays. Arch.
Incentives and disincentives for diversified agroforestry systems from different actors’ perspectives in Bolivia

ABSTRACT Even though diversified agroforestry systems can provide sustainable livelihoods and a resilient production of different goods, adoption remains limited in Bolivia. We examine major obstacles to agroforestry adoption and possible incentives proposed by farmers and civil-society organizations, and relate them to governance and international mechanisms that might play a role in agroforestry adoption. Market access for produce from diversified agroforestry remains difficult, as does its processing and transport. Moreover, farmers have difficulties in achieving the quantities and homogenous quality demanded by markets in the major cities. But most importantly, farmers and civil-society organizations saw little government support, although ‘ecological production in harmony with Mother Earth’ is prescribed by law and the constitution. Agroforestry farmers needed support most urgently in the initial phase, when investment costs are high and returns low. They suggested affordable credits, subsidies for diversified farming systems, and insurance against fire. We identified important albeit small steps towards developing markets for agroforestry products, but government support – mostly in the form of diesel subsidies, materials, and infrastructure – mainly benefitted large-scale monocultures and cattle ranching. In response to this, interviewees opted for strengthening farmers’ organizations, for demanding support with the help of civil-society organizations, and for disseminating best practices.
Surgical-Site Infection Due to Staphylococcus aureus Among Elderly Patients Mortality, Duration of Hospitalization, and Cost

Abstract Objectives: To examine the impact of surgical-site infection (SSI) due to Staphylococcus aureus on mortality, duration of hospitalization, and hospital charges among elderly surgical patients and the impact of older age on these outcomes by comparing older and younger patients with S. aureus SSI. Design: A nested cohort study. Setting: A 750-bed, tertiary-care hospital and a 350-bed community hospital. Patients: Ninety-six elderly patients (70 years and older) with S. aureus SSI were compared with 2 reference groups: 59 uninfected elderly patients and 131 younger patients with S. aureus SSI. Results: Compared with uninfected elderly patients, elderly patients with S. aureus SSI were at risk for increased mortality (odds ratio [OR], 5.4; 95% confidence interval [CI95], 1.5-20.1), postoperative hospital-days (2.5-fold increase; CI95, 2.0-3.1), and hospital charges (2.0-fold increase; CI95, 1.7-2.4; $41,117 mean attributable charges per SSI). Compared with younger patients with S. aureus SSI, elderly patients had increased mortality (adjusted OR, 2.9; CI95, 1.1-7.6), hospital-days (9 vs 13 days; P = .001), and median hospital charges ($45,767 vs $85,648; P < .001). Conclusions: Among elderly surgical patients, S. aureus SSI was independently associated with increased mortality, hospital-days, and cost. In addition, being at least 70 years old was a predictor of death in patients with S. aureus SSI.
Evaluating the performance of a multilocus Bayesian method for the estimation of migration rates

Bayesian methods have become extremely popular in molecular ecology studies because they allow us to estimate demographic parameters of complex demographic scenarios using genetic data. Articles presenting new methods generally include sensitivity studies that evaluate their performance, but they tend to be limited and need to be followed by a more thorough evaluation. Here we evaluate the performance of a recent method, bayesass, which allows the estimation of recent migration rates among populations, as well as the inbreeding coefficient of each local population. We expand the simulation study of the original publication by considering multi‐allelic markers and scenarios with varying number of populations. We also investigate the effect of varying migration rates and FST more thoroughly in order to identify the region of parameter space where the method is and is not able to provide accurate estimates of migration rate. Results indicate that if the demographic history of the species being studied fits the assumptions of the inference model, and if genetic differentiation is not too low (FST ≥ 0.05), then the method can give fairly accurate estimates of migration rates even when they are fairly high (about 0.1). However, when the assumptions of the inference model are violated, accurate estimates are obtained only if migration rates are very low (m = 0.01) and genetic differentiation is high (FST ≥ 0.10). Our results also show that using posterior assignment probabilities as an indication of how much confidence we can place on the assignments is problematical since the posterior probability of assignment can be very high even when the individual assignments are very inaccurate.
Improved shunt APF based on using adaptive RBF neural network and modified hysteresis current control

In this paper, a new combination is proposed to control shunt active power filters (APF). The recommended system has better specifications in comparison with other control methods. In the proposed combination, an RBF neural network is employed to extract compensation reference currents for a variable non-linear load. In order to make the employed model much simpler and tighter, an adaptive learning algorithm for RBF network is proposed. In addition, a modified hysteresis current control technique based on defining a variable hysteresis band is employed to avoid any power system resonance. In this method the hysteresis band is expressed as a function of source voltage, rate of reference current variations and voltage of DC link capacitor in such a way that the switching frequency of the inverter switches remains almost constant. In summary, extraction of compensation reference current is done with lower amount of computations. Beside, the threat of resonance occurrence is cancelled. The simulation results which are done by MATLAB/Simulink illustrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed combination.
Cortisol responses to social evaluation in 10- to 15-year-old boys and girls

Abstract This study investigated Cortisol responses and perceived stress of 10–15-year-olds to a computerized paradigm including elements of social evaluation, unpredictability, and uncontrollability. Both age and sex differences were examined. Participants were 52 children and adolescents (23 boys, mean age = 12.5 years). Over the course of an approximately 2-h testing session participants were exposed to a computerized testing paradigm, the social evaluative stress test (SEST), that lasted for 50 min and includes elements of social evaluation, unpredictability and uncontrollability. Seven saliva samples were obtained to measure cortisol concentrations before, during and after the SEST, to provide pre-stress values, cortisol reactivity to the stressor and recovery after stress. In addition, subjective emotional stress experiences were recorded. The results showed no effect of age on cortisol responses. Furthermore, although both sexes reported experiencing the paradigm as (equally) stressful, only boys reacted with significant cortisol increases (M = 163%). To our knowledge, this is the first computerized stressor that induces cortisol responses in 10- to 15-year-old boys. Whether the girls' perceived stress results in the activation of other biological systems, such as the sympathetic nervous system as well as in differential activation of brain regions, remains to be determined. Future studies investigating sex differences in stress reactivity during adolescence should include neuroimaging, as well as psychophysiological measures, to unveil some of the mechanisms behind the current findings.
Predicting the Need for Home Oxygen Therapy in Preterm Infants Born Before 28 Weeks' Gestation

Abstract Objective To discover a predictor, that could be used at least 3 to 4 weeks' before discharge, to identify infants who would need home oxygen therapy. We hypothesized that infants requiring a high level of respiratory support at 34 weeks' postmenstrual age (PMA) would require home oxygen. Study Design Single center retrospective study of 143 infants less than 28 weeks' gestation. We determined when infants weaned from each level of respiratory support (mechanical ventilation, nasal continuous airway pressure [nCPAP] or biphasic positive pressure, nasal cannula flow ≥ 2 L/min, nasal cannula flow < 2 L/min or no respiratory support). Our primary outcome was need for home oxygen. Result Infants who required nCPAP at 34 weeks' PMA had a 100% positive predictive value for home oxygen therapy. Conclusion Higher levels of respiratory support at 34 weeks' PMA can predict the need for home oxygen and is useful in preparing patients and families for discharge.