Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Three-dimensional printing of stem cell-laden hydrogels submerged in a hydrophobic high-density fluid

Over the last decade, bioprinting technologies have begun providing important tissue engineering strategies for regenerative medicine and organ transplantation. The major drawback of past approaches has been poor or inadequate material-printing device and substrate combinations, as well as the relatively small size of the printed construct. Here, we hypothesise that cell-laden hydrogels can be printed when submerged in perfluorotributylamine (C12F27N), a hydrophobic high-density fluid, and that these cells placed within three-dimensional constructs remain viable allowing for cell proliferation and production of extracellular matrix. Human mesenchymal stem cells and MG-63 cells were encapsulated into agarose hydrogels, and subsequently printed in high aspect ratio in three dimensional structures that were supported in high density fluorocarbon. Three-dimensional structures with various shapes and sizes were manufactured and remained stable for more than six months. Live/dead and DAPI stainings showed viable cells 24 h after the printing process, as well as after 21 days in culture. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses after 14 and 21 days revealed viable cells with marked matrix production and signs of proliferation. The compressive strength values of the printed gels consequently increased during the two weeks in culture, revealing encouraging results for future applications in regenerative medicine.
Evaluating Driving Performance of Outpatients with Alzheimer Disease

Background: Alzheimer disease (AD) is a progressive disease, with multiple physiologic, psychologic, and social implications. A critical issue in its management is when to recommend restrictions on autonomous functioning, such as driving an automobile. This study evaluates driving performance of patients with AD and its relation to patient scores on the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE). Methods: This study compared 29 outpatients with probable AD with 21 age-matched control participants on an interactive driving simulator to determine how the two groups differed and how such differences related to mental status. Results: Patients with AD (1) were less likely to comprehend and operate the simulator cognitively, (2) drove off the road more often, (3) spent more time driving considerably slower than the posted speed limit, (4) spent less time driving faster than the speed limit, (5) applied less brake pressure in stop zones, (6) spent more time negotiating left turns, and (7) drove more poorly overall. There were no observed differences between AD patients and the control group in terms of crossing the midline and driving speed variability. Among the AD patients, those who could not drive the simulator because of confusion and disorientation (n = 10) had lower MMSE scores and drove fewer miles annually. Those AD patients who had stopped driving also scored lower on their MMSE but did not perform more poorly on the driving simulator. Factor analysis revealed five driving factors associated with AD, explaining 93 percent of the variance. These five factors correctly classified 27 (85 percent) of 32 AD patients compared with the control group. Of the 15 percent who were improperly classified, there were three false positives (control participants misclassified as AD patients) and two false negatives (AD patients misclassified as control participants). The computed total driving score correlated significantly with MMSE scores (r = -.403, P = 0.011). Conclusion: Driving simulators can provide an objective means of assessing driving safety.
Sequences in sigma(54) region I required for binding to early melted DNA and their involvement in sigma-DNA isomerisation.

The bacterial sigma(54) RNA polymerase functions in a transcription activation mechanism that fully relies upon nucleotide hydrolysis by an enhancer binding activator protein to stimulate open complex formation. Here, we describe results of DNA-binding assays used to probe the role of the sigma(54) amino terminal region I in activation. Of the 15 region I alanine substitution mutants assayed, several specifically failed to bind to a DNA structure representing an early conformation in DNA melting. The same mutants are defective in activated transcription and in forming an isomerised sigma-DNA complex on the early opened DNA. The mechanism of activation may therefore require tight binding of sigma(54) to particular early melted DNA structures. Where mutant sigma(54) binding to early melted DNA was detected, activator-dependent isomerisation generally occurred as efficiently as with the wild-type protein, suggesting that certain region I sequences are largely uninvolved in sigma isomerisation. DNA-binding, sigma isomerisation and transcription activation assays allow formulation of a functional map of region I.
Inhibitory synaptic transmission in isolated patches of membrane from cultured rat spinal cord and medullary neurons.

1. To quantify the variability in the characteristics of inhibitory glycinergic and GABAergic currents at single synaptic connections between cultured rat embryonic spinal cord or medullary neurons, we have used patch-clamp techniques to record miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) in cell-attached patches. Experiments were performed with the patch pipette containing either a low-calcium internal saline to allow comparison with subsequent whole cell recordings or external saline with tetrodotoxin, DL-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid, and 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, a solution that is more appropriate for bathing a nerve terminal. 2. The mIPSCs recorded from the synapses restricted to the cell-attached patches were characterized by their times to peak, amplitudes, and time constants of decay. The degree of variability in these characteristics was quantified with the use of the following model-independent parameters: the coefficient of variation, skewness, and kurtosis. The distribution of time to peak values has a mean value of 5.6 +/- 0.5 (SE) ms, has the lowest coefficient of variation (0.33 +/- 0.01), is fairly symmetrical, and has a Gaussian shape with respect to peakedness. On the other hand, both the amplitude and decay time constant distributions are highly skewed and more peaked than Gaussian distributions. The mean amplitude is -6.6 +/- 0.6 pA with a coefficient of variation of 0.60 +/- 0.05, whereas the mean decay time constant is 22.8 +/- 1.0 ms with a coefficient of variation of 0.81 +/- 0.03. 3. The amplitude distributions for spontaneous inhibitory currents recorded from cell-attached patches are best fitted by the sum of multiple Gaussians. The coefficient of variation for the first Gaussian peak fitted to the amplitude distributions is 0.290 +/- 0.028. 4. Decay time distributions were consistently best fitted by the sum of four Gaussians with decay constants as follows: D1 = 5.7 +/- 0.2 ms (n = 12), D2 = 11.2 +/- 0.7 ms (n = 11), D3 = 20.6 +/- 0.8 ms (n = 12), and D4 = 43.8 +/- 2.3 ms (n = 16). These mean values are essentially identical to those reported in the preceding paper for mIPSCs recorded in the whole cell configuration. 5. In eight neurons we were able to record mIPSCs both in cell-attached patches and in subsequent whole cell configurations. The properties of mIPSCs recorded from single synapses (i.e., times to peak, amplitude, and time constants of decay) show as much variability as those of mIPSCs recorded subsequently in the whole cell mode; that is, there are no statistically significant differences in the coefficients of variation, skewness, or kurtosis for the three different distributions.
Comparing children’s and parents’ perspectives of health outcome in paediatric hydrocephalus

This study exampled the properties of a child‐completed version of the Hydrocephalus Outcome Questionnaire (cHOQ) and compared these with parental responses to the HOQ (parent version). This was a cross‐sectional study in the outpatient clinics at three Canadian paediatric hospitals (Toronto, Vancouver, and Halifax). All cognitively‐capable children with previously treated hydrocephalus who were aged between 6 and 19 years were eligible. Parents completed the HOQ and the Health Utilities Index Mark 3; children completed the cHOQ. A total of 273 children participated (146 males, 127 females; mean age 14y 1mo, SD 2y 7mo). Internal consistency of the cHOQ was 0.93 and test–retest reliability was 0.86 (95% confidence interval 0.78–0.92). Mother–child agreement and father–child agreement were 0.57 (0.40–0.68) and 0.62 (0.48–0.73) respectively. Agreement was higher for assessments of physical health, but lower for assessments of cognitive health and social–emotional health. There was greater parent–child agreement for older children. When there was disagreement, it seemed that children tended to rate their health better than their parents did. In older children with hydrocephalus, the cHOQ appears to be a scientifically reliable means of assessing long‐term outcome. The differences in child and parent perceptions of health need to be appreciated when conducting outcome studies in this population.
Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners by assessment: attitudes of members and non-members in one faculty area.

BACKGROUND Fewer than half of the principals in general practice in the United Kingdom are members of the Royal College of General Practitioners. As the membership examination is closely linked to the endpoint of vocational training, a case can be made for another method of entry to the RCGP for established principals. Such a method could be membership by assessment. AIM A study was undertaken to examine the attitudes of existing members and fellows of the RCGP to membership by assessment and to determine whether there was any demand from general practitioner principals who were not RCGP members to join by this route. METHOD One questionnaire was sent to all RCGP members and fellows in the Vale of Trent faculty area and another questionnaire was sent to those principals in general practice in the Vale of Trent faculty area who were not RCGP members. RESULTS In total, 396 (83%) of the 480 RCGP members and fellows responded, as did 543 (81%) of the 671 non-members in the faculty area. When asked if they were in favour of the concept of membership by assessment, 245 of the members and fellows replied yes (62%) and 138 replied no (35%). Of the non-members, 91 (17%) ahd previously been members of the RCGP; the main reason given by these general practitioners for relinquishing membership was that the annual subscription was too high (65% of 91 general practitioners). When the 451 general practitioners who had never been members were asked if they would be interested in joining the RCGP by an assessment method, 271 replied positively (60%). CONCLUSION There was widespread support from the members and fellows of the Vale of Trent faculty of the RCGP for the concept of membership by assessment. Principals in general practice in this area who had never been members of the RCGP showed a high degree of interest in joining by this method. Despite the caveats that must be applied, for example, to ensure that the standards are set appropriately, these results indicate that membership by assessment should be explored by the RCGP, and indeed a working party on the meaning of membership of the RCGP has been convened.
Typing and selection of wild strains of Trichoderma spp. producers of extracellular laccase

Using the ITS region and the gene tef1, 23 strains of the genus Trichoderma were identified as belonging to the species T. harzianum (n = 14), T. olivascens (n = 1), T. trixiae (n = 1), T. viridialbum (n = 1), T. tomentosum (n = 2), T. koningii (n = 1), T. atroviride (n = 1), T. viride (n = 1), and T. gamsii (n = 1). Strains expressing extracellular laccase activity were selected by decolorization/oxidation assays in solid media, using azo, anthraquinone, indigoid, and triphenylmethane dyes, and the phenolic substances tannic acid and guaiacol. No strain decolorized Direct Blue 71 or Chicago Blue 6B, but all of them weakly oxidized guaiacol, decolorized Methyl Orange, and efficiently oxidized tannic acid. Based in decolorization/oxidation assays, strains CMU‐1 (T. harzianum), CMU‐8 (T. atroviride), CMU‐218 (T. viride), and CMU‐221 (T. tomentosum) were selected for evaluating their extracellular laccase activity in liquid media. Strain CMU‐8 showed no basal laccase activity, while strains CMU‐1, CMU‐218, and CMU‐221 had a basal laccase activity of 1,313.88 mU/mL, 763.88 mU/mL, and 799.53 mU/mL, respectively. Addition of sorghum straw inhibited laccase activity in strain CMU‐1 by 34%, relative to the basal culture, while strains CMU‐8, CMU‐21, and CMU‐221 increased their laccase activity by 1,321.5%, 64%, and 47%, respectively. These results show that assayed phenolic substrates are good tools for selecting laccase producer strains in Trichoderma. These same assays indicate the potential use of studied strains for bioremediation processes. Straw laccase induction suggests that analyzed strains have potential for straw delignification in biopulping and other biotechnological applications. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog. , 32:787–798, 2016
DETERMINANTS OF INDONESIA’S INCOME VELOCITY OF MONEY

Using monthly time-series data and both short- and long-run models, our paper examines the determinants of Indonesia’s income velocity of money. Our findings strongly suggest that in the long-run, tax revenue, short-term interest rates, and industrial production, and in the short-run, money demand significantly determines income velocity of money. Our analysis suggests that the effect on income velocity is mostly over the long-run as most determinants are dormant in the short-run. The implication from a policy perspective is that shocks that are transitory are unlikely to burden income velocity.
Differentiation of Xylella fastidiosa Strains via Multilocus Sequence Analysis of Environmentally Mediated Genes (MLSA-E)

ABSTRACT Isolates of the plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa are genetically very similar, but studies on their biological traits have indicated differences in virulence and infection symptomatology. Taxonomic analyses have identified several subspecies, and phylogenetic analyses of housekeeping genes have shown broad host-based genetic differences; however, results are still inconclusive for genetic differentiation of isolates within subspecies. This study employs multilocus sequence analysis of environmentally mediated genes (MLSA-E; genes influenced by environmental factors) to investigate X. fastidiosa relationships and differentiate isolates with low genetic variability. Potential environmentally mediated genes, including host colonization and survival genes related to infection establishment, were identified a priori. The ratio of the rate of nonsynonymous substitutions to the rate of synonymous substitutions (dN/dS) was calculated to select genes that may be under increased positive selection compared to previously studied housekeeping genes. Nine genes were sequenced from 54 X. fastidiosa isolates infecting different host plants across the United States. Results of maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian phylogenetic (BP) analyses are in agreement with known X. fastidiosa subspecies clades but show novel within-subspecies differentiation, including geographic differentiation, and provide additional information regarding host-based isolate variation and specificity. dN/dS ratios of environmentally mediated genes, though <1 due to high sequence similarity, are significantly greater than housekeeping gene dN/dS ratios and correlate with increased sequence variability. MLSA-E can more precisely resolve relationships between closely related bacterial strains with low genetic variability, such as X. fastidiosa isolates. Discovering the genetic relationships between X. fastidiosa isolates will provide new insights into the epidemiology of populations of X. fastidiosa, allowing improved disease management in economically important crops.
EVALUATION OF BONE MINERALIZATION BY COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IN WILD AND CAPTIVE EUROPEAN COMMON SPADEFOOTS (PELOBATES FUSCUS), IN RELATION TO EXPOSURE TO ULTRAVIOLET B RADIATION AND DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS

Abstract Captive rearing programs have been initiated to save the European common spadefoot (Pelobates fuscus), a toad species in the family of Pelobatidae, from extinction in The Netherlands. Evaluating whether this species needs ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation and/or dietary supplementation for healthy bone development is crucial for its captive management and related conservation efforts. The bone mineralization in the femurs and the thickest part of the parietal bone of the skulls of European common spadefoots (n = 51) was measured in Hounsfield units (HUs) by computed tomography. One group, containing adults (n = 8) and juveniles (n = 13), was reared at ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo without UVB exposure. During their terrestrial lifetime, these specimens received a vitamin-mineral supplement. Another group, containing adults (n = 8) and juveniles (n = 10), was reared and kept in an outdoor breeding facility in Münster, Germany, with permanent access to natural UVB light, without vitamin-mineral supplementation. The HUs in the ARTIS and Münster specimens were compared with those in wild specimens (n = 12). No significant difference was found between the HUs in the femurs of both ARTIS and Münster adults and wild adults (P = 0.537; P = 0.181). The HUs in the skulls of both captive-adult groups were significantly higher than in the skulls of wild specimens (P = 0.020; P = 0.005). The HUs in the femurs of the adult ARTIS animals were significantly higher than the HUs in the femurs of the adult Münster animals (P = 0.007). The absence of UVB radiation did not seem to have a negative effect on the bone development in the terrestrial stage. This suggests that this nocturnal, subterrestrial amphibian was able to extract sufficient vitamin D3 from its diet and did not rely heavily on photobiosynthesis through UVB exposure.
The Antitrust Analysis of Grocery Slotting Allowances: The Procompetitive Case

Slotting allowances are a recent and controversial development in the grocery industry. An hypothesis that slotting allowances can be a means of communicating information and allocating risk between a manufacturer and retailer is offered. This hypothesis provides a plausible explanation for the emergence of slotting allowances. Appropriate antitrust policy toward the practice is discussed.
A Fast and Simple Echocardiographic Method of Determination of the Optimal Atrioventricular Delay in Patients After Biventricular Stimulation

The optimization of atrioventricular (AV) delay is known to signifcantly contribute to maximum cardiac performance. The aim of this study was to validate a new, fast, and simple echocardiographic method of identifying the AV delay that provides the maximum cardiac output (CO). Right heart catheterization and Doppler echocardiography of transmitral filling were performed simultaneously in 18 patients with heart failure and at least minimum functional mitral regurgitation treated with atrial synchronized biventricular pacing. CO derived from catheterization and Doppler filling parameters were measured at the predicted optimal AV delay (oAVD), the short AV delay (oAVD − 50 ms), and the long AV delay (oAVD + 28 ms on average/range, +10 ms to +50 ms) during a constant heart rate. The AV delay was regarded as optimal if the end of atrial contraction (represented by the end of A wave of transmitral filling) coincided with the beginning of ventricular contraction (heralded by the onset of the systolic component of mitral regurgitation). Prediction of the optimal AV delay included the following steps: (1) The maximum AV delay at which full ventricular capture is still preserved was found under electrocardiographic control. (2) This value, decreased by 5 to 10 ms, was designated as “the testing long AV delay,” and the time interval from the end of the A wave to the onset of the systolic component of mitral regurgitation (time t1) was measured at this setting. (3) oAVD was simply calculated as “the testing long AV delay”− time t1. The CO measured at the oAVD (4.5 ± 0.7 1 · min−1) significantly exceeded those at the short AV delay (4.3 ± 0.7 1 · min−1, P < 0.01) and the long AV delay (4.4 ± 0.8 1 · min−1, P < 0.01), respectively. The method correctly determined the maximum CO in 78% of the patients. In conclusion, Doppler echocardiography enables very rapid and accurate optimization of AV synchrony in patients after the implantation of a biventricular pacemaker. (PACE 2004; 27:58–64)
Systemic Immune Deviation in the Brain That Does Not Depend on the Integrity of the Blood-Brain Barrier1

OVA injected into the brain of normal mice evoked a deviant immune response (brain-associated immune deviation (BRAID)) that was deficient in OVA-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity. This response was not dependent on an intact blood-brain barrier since BRAID was induced even when OVA was injected into a newly created lesion site with extensive BBB leakage. However, newly activated microglia at the injection site 2 days after ablation of the striatum correlated with the loss of BRAID. At day 4 after trauma, when activated microglia were only visible further away from the injection site, BRAID was again able to be induced. In contrast to immune deviation elicited via the eye, an intact spleen was not required for BRAID, nor was BRAID adoptively transferable with spleen cells. In contrast i.v. injection of cervical lymph node cells harvested 8 days after OVA injection into the striatum was able to transfer BRAID into naive animals. Together, these data indicate that immune privilege in the brain is actively maintained and is mediated by an immune deviation mechanism that differs from eye-derived immune deviation and arises even when the BBB is compromised.
Heterogeneous Price Rigidities and Monetary Policy

This paper investigates the implications of heterogeneous price rigidities across sectors for the distributional and aggregate effects of monetary policy. First, we identify and characterize analytically a new set of earnings and expenditure channels of monetary policy that emerge in the presence of sectoral heterogeneity. Second, we establish empirically that (i) prices are more rigid in sectors selling to college-educated households, (ii) prices are more rigid in sectors employing college-educated households, and (iii) sectors that employ college-educated households also sell more to these households. These new facts suggest that monetary policy stabilizes sectors that matter relatively more for college-educated households, due to an expenditure channel (from (i)), an earnings channel (from (ii)), and their amplification by feedback loops (from (iii)). Finally, we develop a multi-sector incomplete-markets Heterogeneous Agent New Keynesian model, in which households of different education levels work and consume in different sectors. We quantify the aggregate and distributional effects from heterogeneous price rigidities using this model. In the baseline calibration, we find that the consumption of college-educated households is 22% more sensitive to monetary policy shocks as that of non-college households, while the aggregate real effect of monetary policy is 5% stronger than with homogeneous price rigidities.