Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression Pattern of Enkephalinergic Neurons in the Developing Spinal Cord Revealed by Preproenkephalin-Green Fluorescent Protein Transgenic Mouse and Its Colocalization with GABA Immunoreactivity

To gain better insight into the ontogenic function of enkephalin (ENK) in the spinal cord, it is necessary to have a clear picture of the developing pattern of the ENKergic neurons. To address this question, we used transgenic mice which reveal ENKergic neurons easily by expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the specific transcriptional control of the preproenkephalin (PPE) gene. GFP-positive neurons first appeared at embryonic day (E) 11.5 in the ventromedial part of the cervical ventral gray matter. At E13, they were mainly present in the intermediate zone. Thereafter, GFP-positive neurons increased progressively in number and extended from ventral to dorsal regions. Quantitative analysis showed that GFP-positive neurons peaked in number at postnatal day (P) 7 at the cervical level. The number of GFP-positive neurons reached a peak at P3 at the lumbar level. At P21, the distribution pattern of GFP immunoreactivity was similar to that in the adult spinal cord. Double-labeling results showed that about one-third of the total γ-aminobutyric acid cell population colocalized with GFP: 34.9 ± 3.5% at E16 and 32.4 ± 3.7% at P3. Double-labeled neurons accounted for nearly half of the GFP-positive neurons: 42.4 ± 2.4% at E16 and 44.1 ± 2.9% at P3. Taken together, the present results suggest that ENKergic neurons develop according to a rostrocaudal and ventrodorsal gradient. These results have broad implications for understanding the functional roles of ENKergic neurotransmission in the developing spinal cord.
Redefining massive transfusion when every second counts

BACKGROUND The massive transfusion (MT) concept (>10-U packed red blood cells per 24 hours) is retrospective, arbitrary, and prone to survivor bias. Accounting for rate and timing is a more accurate conceptual framework. We redefined MT as a critical administration threshold (CAT) of 3 U/h, which is clinically pertinent and reflects hemorrhagic shock. The purpose of this study was to compare the traditional form of MT to a CAT definition in predicting mortality. METHODS Patients receiving transfusion in the first 24 hours were included. Precise transfusion times for each unit, in minutes, were calculated from time of injury. MT and CAT were compared to determine risk of death. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine inpatient mortality. RESULTS A total of 169 patients(70%, >10 New Injury Severity Score [NISS]) were studied; 46% were CAT+; 22% met the MT criteria. With logistic regression, a CAT of 3 U/h (CAT+) was more predictive of death compared with 2, 4, 5, or 6 U/h. CAT was met once (CAT 1), twice (CAT 2) or more than 3 times (CAT 3) in 21%, 14%, and 11%, respectively. Increasing CAT was associated with increased mortality. CAT identified 75% of all deaths; MT only identified 33% and failed to identify 42% of CAT+ deaths. CAT (relative risk [RR] 3.58; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.80–7.15) had a stronger association with mortality compared with MT(RR, 1.82; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–3.26). CONCLUSION The traditional definition of MT is inadequate to reflect illness severity. Using CATs allows prospective identification of critically ill trauma patients and eliminates survivor bias. CAT may serve as an activation trigger for transfusion protocols, allowing early identification of patients with critical transfusion requirements. Clinical trials involving transfusion strategies should consider CAT as an instrument for evaluating outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Diagnostic/prognostic study, level II.
Colon Cryptogenesis: Asymmetric Budding

The process of crypt formation and the roles of Wnt and cell-cell adhesion signaling in cryptogenesis are not well described; but are important to the understanding of both normal and cancer colon crypt biology. A quantitative 3D-microscopy and image analysis technique is used to study the frequency, morphology and molecular topography associated with crypt formation. Measurements along the colon reveal the details of crypt formation and some key underlying biochemical signals regulating normal colon biology. Our measurements revealed an asymmetrical crypt budding process, contrary to the previously reported symmetrical fission of crypts. 3D immunofluorescence analyses reveals heterogeneity in the subcellular distribution of E-cadherin and β-catenin in distinct crypt populations. This heterogeneity was also found in asymmetrical budding crypts. Singular crypt formation (i.e. no multiple new crypts forming from one parent crypt) were observed in crypts isolated from the normal colon mucosa, suggestive of a singular constraint mechanism to prevent aberrant crypt production. The technique presented improves our understanding of cryptogenesis and suggests that excess colon crypt formation occurs when Wnt signaling is perturbed (e.g. by truncation of adenomatous polyposis coli, APC protein) in most colon cancers.
[Nd:YAG laser surgery in treatment of allergic rhinitis].

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effects of laser turbinectomy on local allergic inflammation by measuring the secretion of mediators (histamine, bradykinin, and TAME-esterase activity) in nasal lavage fluid after nasal provocation with different allergen concentrations. Our study included fifteen patients, aged fifteen to 35, who displayed perennial house-dust-mite rhinitis (positive prick test, RAST class > 2 and positive nasal provocation with Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus [D.p.] extract) and hypertrophic inferior turbinates. Rhinomanometry (Rhino-Test 441, Allergopharma, Reinbeck, Germany) and nasal provocation with D.p. extract (Allergopharma, Germany) followed by lavage were performed in all patients. The procedure was repeated three and twelve months after neodymium:YAG laser turbinectomy. Three and twelve months after laser turbinectomy, we found a significant improvement of nasal flow (p < 0.01, p < 0.05) and resistance (p < 0.01, p < 0.01) but no change of mediator levels in nasal lavage after allergen provocation, suggesting that laser turbinectomy has no effects on local allergic inflammation.
Cutting Edge: TLR4 Activation Mediates Liver Ischemia/Reperfusion Inflammatory Response via IFN Regulatory Factor 3-Dependent MyD88-Independent Pathway1

The triggering molecular mechanism of ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), which in clinical settings results in excessive and detrimental inflammatory responses, remains unclear. This study analyzes the role of the TLR system in an established murine model of liver warm ischemia followed by reperfusion. By contrasting in parallel TLR knockout mice with their wild-type counterparts, we found that TLR4, but not TLR2, was specifically required in initiating the IRI cascade, as manifested by liver function (serum alanine aminotransferase levels), pathology, and local induction of proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IFN-inducible protein 10). We then investigated the downstream signaling pathway of TLR4 activation. Our results show that IFN regulatory factor 3, but not MyD88, mediated IRI-induced TLR4 activation leading to liver inflammation and hepatocellular damage. This study documents the selective usage of TLR in a clinically relevant noninfectious disease model, and identifies a triggering molecular mechanism in the pathophysiology of liver IRI.
Regional Frontal Perfusion Deficits in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis with Cognitive Decline

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cortical dysfunction, quantifiable by cerebral perfusion techniques, is prevalent in patients with MS, contributing to cognitive impairment. We sought to localize perfusion distribution differences in patients with relapsing-remitting MS with and without cognitive impairment and healthy controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-nine patients with relapsing-remitting MS (20 cognitively impaired, 19 nonimpaired) and 19 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent a neurocognitive battery and MR imaging. Voxel-based analysis compared regional deep and cortical GM perfusion and volume among the cohorts. RESULTS: After we adjusted for localized volumetric differences in the right frontal, temporal, and occipital lobes, progressive CBF and CBV deficits were present in the left middle frontal cortex for all cohorts and in the left superior frontal gyrus for patients with cognitive impairment compared with patients without impairment and controls. Compared with healthy controls, reduced CBF was present in the limbic regions of patients with cognitive impairment, and reduced CBV was present in the right middle frontal gyrus in patients with cognitive impairment and in the temporal gyrus of relapsing-remitting MS patients without cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent regional frontal cortical perfusion deficits are present in patients with relapsing-remitting MS, with more widespread hypoperfusion in those with cognitive impairment, independent of structural differences, indicating that cortical perfusion may be a useful biomarker of cortical dysfunction and cognitive impairment in MS.
Validation of a Rat Model of Cardiopulmonary Bypass With a New Miniaturized Hollow Fiber Oxygenator

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is an essential component of cardiac surgery, with still unknown device/patient interactions. To evaluate the response of CPB to hemodynamic, biochemical, inflammatory, as well as thermo-pharmacodynamic interactions, a novel miniaturized oxygenator with controlled and standardized specifications has been developed together with an improved surgical central cannulation technique. A hollow-fiber small priming volume (6.3 ml) oxygenator was manufactured according to specifications resulting from engineering, heart surgery and perfusion expertise (Dideco-Sorin Group, Italy) with the following characteristics: Gas Exchange Surface—450 cm2, and Heat Exchange Surface— 16 cm2. The oxygenator was tested in vitro and in vivo in five anesthetized, ventilated, open-chest rats using a miniaturized roller pump. Pressures were monitored in the animal before and after the oxygenator. Central venous cannulation through the superior vena cava and aortic cannulation through the carotid artery were used. In vitro: blood oxygenation increased 10-fold (from room air to 100% O2) and PCO2 removal was 2.5-fold. In vivo: CPB was performed without blood prime for 90 minutes (no ventilation) maintaining stable hemodynamics. A maximal blood flow rate of 124 ml/min/kg was obtained. Arterio-venous PO2 gradients were 10-fold (O2 100%) with only small variations when changing blood flow rates. This new, standardized and miniaturized hollow fiber oxygenator, new cannulation technique and CPB circuit achieved optimal gas transfer with small asanguinous priming volumes. This study opens new potentials for various CPB-related study protocols in the small animal.
Effects Influencing Focusing in Synthetic Aperture Vector Flow Imaging

Previously, a synthetic aperture vector velocity estimation method was proposed. Data are beamformed at different directions through a point, where the velocity is estimated. The flow direction is estimated by a search for the direction where the normalized cross-correlation peaks and the velocity magnitude along this direction are found. In this paper, different effects that influence the focusing in this method are investigated. These include the effect of phase errors in the emitted spherical waves, motion effects, and the effect of various interpolation methods in beam- forming. A model based on amplitude drop and phase error for spherical waves created using the virtual source concept is derived. This model can be used to determine the opening angle of a virtual source. Simulations for different virtual source placements are made, and it is recommended that the virtual sources be placed behind the aperture when shallow structures are imaged, and when deeper-lying structures are imaged the virtual sources be placed in front of the aperture. Synthetic aperture methods involve summation of data from numerous emissions. Motion between these emissions results in incoherence and affects resolution, contrast, and the signal-to-noise ratio. The effects of motion on the synthetic aperture vector velocity estimation method are investigated, and it is shown that for both axial and lateral motion, the contrast and signal-to-noise ratio can be seriously affected. A compensation method using the previous vector velocity estimate, when new data are beamformed, is implemented and tested. It is shown from a number of flow phantom experiments that a significant improvement with respect to bias and standard deviation of the velocity estimates can be obtained by using this compensation. Increased performance is gained at the expense of computation time. Different interpolation methods can be used for beam- forming the data. In this paper, the velocity estimation performance using various more complex interpolation schemes are compared to that using linear interpolation. No significant difference in the performance of the method is seen when other interpolation methods are used.
[Effects of different carbohydrates on the simulation of human intestinal bacterial flora with in vitro culture].

OBJECTIVE To investigate the optimal growth condition of human fecal bacterial flora in vitro by comparing the effect of different carbohydrates as cultural media. METHODS Three fecal samples (1, 2, 3) were collected and inoculated into a single-stage chemostat system, in which starch medium (VI) and starch polysaccharide medium(XP) were used. Samples were collected for bacterial genomic DNA extraction and polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) analysis. Bacterial composition and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) were then analyzed. RESULTS The single stage chemostat system reached steady after operating 8 days, when evaluated by the PCR-DGGE. Bacterial 16s rRNA high-throughput sequencing showed that the intestinal bacteria of these three volunteers was mainly composed of four bacterial phyla, namely, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. When the influence of bacterial abundance was considered, the similarity of bacterial composition between the original fecal samples to the harvested flora after culture was 0.847, 0.825, 0.968 in VI medium and 0.927, 0.926, 0.836 in XP medium, respectively. The similarity was decreased to 0.553, 0.580, 0.623 with VI medium and 0.617, 0.520, 0.574 with XP medium, when the number of bacterial species was considered. The variation of host individual also influenced the simulation. VI medium favored fecal sample 3, while XP medium more benefited sample 1 and 2. Bacteroides and Lachnospiraceae_incertae_sedis grew in both VI and XP medium. However, some species were only detected in VI medium and some were specifically found in the XP medium. The SCFA concentration in fermenters was 15-35 mmol/L, mainly propionate and butyrate. CONCLUSIONS The chemostat system works for stimulating human gut bacterial flora in vitro. The bacterial composition is affected by different carbohydrate in the culture medium yet with close simulation higher than 80%.
Electronic design for portable electrical capacitance sensor: A multiphase flow measurement

The earlier research shows that the electrical capacitance sensor through the tomography technique is applicable in flow visualization or image reconstruction, named as Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT). ECT can be used for imaging industrial multi-component processes involving nonconducting fluids and solids in pipelines. The electrical capacitance sensor is a non-invasive device that uses non-intrusive technique to measure the concentration of flow inside a closed pipe by measuring variations in the dielectric permittivity of the material. The capacitance of the sensor changes when the mean dielectric constant between the electrodes varies due to variations in the percentage of gas and liquid flowing in the pipe. The acquired concentration profile that obtains from capacitance measurements is able to imaging liquid and gas mixture in pipelines, meanwhile the system development is designed to attach on a vessel. The electrode plates which act as the sensor previously has been assemble fixed on the pipeline, thus it causes difficulty for the production to have any new process installation in the future. Therefore on-board sensing plate offers a new design and idea on ECT system which is portable to be assembled in different diameter sizes of pipeline, and it's flexible to apply in any number due to different size of pipeline without redesign the sensing module. The on-board sensing plate development contains signal conditioning circuit and sensing electrode built in a single module (embedded on single plate). In this paper, the details on fabricating the sensors electrodes, had been described, including signal conditioning circuit/electronic part of measurement, such as stray immune capacitance measurement circuit, amplifying circuit, AC to DC converter circuit and filter circuit.
The Impact of the Yuan‐Dollar Exchange Rate on Mexican Manufacturing Exports to the Us: A Cointegration Approach

This paper makes use of three econometric methods and three time intervals to evaluate the longâ€ term effects of several key variables on Mexican manufacturing exports to the US. The evidence across econometric techniques and sample periods systematically indicates that: (i) a real depreciation of the yuanâ€ dollar exchange rate reduces Mexican manufacturing exports by lowering the price of Chinese goods in the US market; (ii) a depreciation of the pesoâ€ dollar real exchange rate generates a strong supplyâ€ side effect due to the high import content of Mexican manufacturing exports, which ultimately leads to lower (rather than higher) sales in the US; and (iii) external demand and labour productivity are positively related to manufacturing exports, whereas real wages are negatively related. Therefore, a falling external demand for Mexican manufacturing products or a real depreciation of the Chinese currency could, to some extent, be offset by increasing labour productivity faster than wages. These findings reflect two fundamental problems of the Mexican economy: (i) low investment in highâ€ quality formal instruction and proper training programs, which gives rise to severe bottleneck points for faster labour productivity growth and (ii) excessive reliance of the exportâ€ oriented manufacturing industry on foreign suppliers of intermediate inputs.
Polarimetric Multi-view Stereo

Multi-view stereo relies on feature correspondences for 3D reconstruction, and thus is fundamentally flawed in dealing with featureless scenes. In this paper, we propose polarimetric multi-view stereo, which combines per-pixel photometric information from polarization with epipolar constraints from multiple views for 3D reconstruction. Polarization reveals surface normal information, and is thus helpful to propagate depth to featureless regions. Polarimetric multi-view stereo is completely passive and can be applied outdoors in uncontrolled illumination, since the data capture can be done simply with either a polarizer or a polarization camera. Unlike previous work on shape-from-polarization which is limited to either diffuse polarization or specular polarization only, we propose a novel polarization imaging model that can handle real-world objects with mixed polarization. We prove there are exactly two types of ambiguities on estimating surface azimuth angles from polarization, and we resolve them with graph optimization and iso-depth contour tracing. This step significantly improves the initial depth map estimate, which are later fused together for complete 3D reconstruction. Extensive experimental results demonstrate high-quality 3D reconstruction and better performance than state-of-the-art multi-view stereo methods, especially on featureless 3D objects, such as ceramic tiles, office room with white walls, and highly reflective cars in the outdoors.
A comparison of information on motor vehicle crashes as reported by written or telephone interviews

Objective: To compare information about traffic crash injuries and kilometers driven reported in a written questionnaire with information reported in a telephone interview. Design: Telephone and paper surveys. Setting: The Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN, University of Navarra Follow-up) study, in Spain. The SUN study is an open enrollment cohort study with 17 000 enrolled graduates followed through biennial mailed questionnaires. Subjects: A sample of 542 individuals from the SUN study participants. Main outcome measure: Agreement on information about traffic crash injuries and mileage driven in a mailed questionnaire and a telephone survey. Results: Participation was 90.4%. Considering the phone survey as the gold standard, data on traffic crash injuries in the mailed questionnaire had 83% sensitivity (95% CI 77% to 89%), 77% specificity (95% CI 71% to 82%), 74% positive predictive value (95% CI 67% to 80%), and 89% negative predictive value (95% CI 83% to 93%). Agreement beyond chance, measured by the kappa statistic, was 0.63 (95% CI 0.56 to 0.70). Correlation between questionnaire and telephone surveys and kilometers driven on average during a year assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.64 (95% CI 0.57 to 0.70), p<0.001. Conclusions: Information on sustained traffic crash injuries and traveled mileage over the previous two years as reported through mailed questionnaires in a highly educated population could be used in the study of associations between traffic crash injuries and a variety of risk factors.
Student-Instructor Negotiations of Vulnerability in Higher Education

Brene Brown, author of Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead states, "Vulnerability is not weakness, and the uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure we face every day are not optional" (p. 2). The purpose of this study is to examine student-instructor negotiations of vulnerability via acts of self-disclosure both inside and outside of the classroom. For the traditional student, college is a transitional period that prove challenging, leaving one feeling vulnerable. This study offers a unique perspective of vulnerability and expands our limited knowledge on how vulnerable self-expression manifests within institutions for higher learning. I analyzed existing literature surrounding vulnerability to help guide my research. The literature includes topics such as communication apprehension, selfdisclosure, authenticity and personhood, empathic responsiveness, and communication beyond the classroom. For this study, I utilize grounded theory to uncover greater insight on student-instructor negotiations of vulnerability. Throughout the coding process, I found three emergent themes: (I) vulnerability is a process, (2) vulnerability as a pathway to connection, and (3) vulnerability invites vulnerability.