Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunocytochemical localization of the alpha 1 and beta 2/3 subunits of the GABAA receptor in relation to specific GABAergic synapses in the dentate gyrus.

Dentate granule cells receive spatially segregated GABAergic innervation from at least five types of local circuit neurons, and express mRNA for at least 11 subunits of the GABAA receptor. At most two to four different subunits are required to make a functional pentamer, raising the possibility that cells have on their surface several types of GABAA receptor channel, which may not be uniformly distributed. In order to establish the subcellular location of GABAA receptors on different parts of dentate neurons, the distribution of immunoreactivity for the alpha 1 and beta 2/3 subunits of the receptor was studied using high-resolution immunocytochemistry. Light microscopic immunoperoxidase reactions revealed strong GABAA receptor immunoreactivity in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. Pre-embedding immunogold localization of the alpha 1 and beta 2/3 subunits consistently showed extrasynaptic location of the GABAA receptor on the somatic, dendritic and axon initial segment membrane of granule cells, but failed to show receptors in synaptic junctions. Using a postembedding immunogold technique on freeze-substituted, Lowicryl-embedded tissue, synaptic enrichment of immunoreactivity for these subunits was found on both granule and non-principal cells. Only the postembedding immunogold method is suitable for revealing relative differences in receptor density at the subcellular level, giving approximately 20 nm resolution. The immunolabelling for GABAA receptor occupied the whole width of synaptic junctions, with a sharp decrease in labelling at the edge of the synaptic membrane specialization. Both subunits have been localized in the synaptic junctions between basket cell terminals and somata, and between axo-axonic cell terminals and axon initial segments of granule cells, with no qualitative difference in labelling. Receptor-immunopositive synapses were found at all depths of the molecular layer. Some of the boutons forming these dendritic synapses have been shown to contain GABA, providing evidence that some of the GABAergic cells that terminate only on the dendrites of granule cells also act through GABAA receptors. Double immunolabelling experiments demonstrated that a population of GABA-immunopositive neurons expresses a higher density of immunoreactive GABAA receptor on their surface than principal cells. Interneurons were found to receive GABAA receptor-positive synapses on their dendrites in the hilus, molecular and granule cell layers. Receptor-immunopositive synapses were also present throughout the hilus on presumed mossy cells. The results demonstrate that both granule cells and interneurons exhibit a compartmentalized distribution of the GABAA receptor on their surface, the postjunctional membrane to GABAergic terminals having the highest concentration of receptor. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Attention computation model for coal-mine surveillance video based on non-uniform sampling in spatial domain and time domain

There are few methods to deal with the coal-mine surveillance video, the only few existing methods all make use of the traditional image engineering ideas. Visual attention has the prominent functions that can reduce computation and accelerate the computing speed. This paper firstly analyzes the limitations of existing down-top attention model in the application of coalmine surveillance video, then proposes a new visual attention computation model based on sequential scale space and multi-features. Different from the existing model, non-uniform sampling in spatial domain of our algorithm is expressed as discrete structure of sequential scale space, and we choose the modified Bessel function as the smooth kernel, in time domain, we establish a threshold for frame sampling. About feature extraction, we choose the motion conspicuity, wavelet package decomposition and gray intensity as measures of saliency, DOG (Difference of Gaussian) operator as the generalized method. Finally, a global saliency map for the interesting objects is formed. The experiment results show the flexibility and effectiveness of this model.
Adjunctive dexamethasone therapy for bacterial meningitis in adults: a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials

The objective of this review was to study the effectiveness of dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with bacterial meningitis. Data was extracted from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing dexamethasone with placebo or no treatment and pooled using meta‐analysis techniques. Treatment with dexamethasone was associated with a non‐significant lower mortality than placebo or no treatment [odds ratio (OR) = 0.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.45–1.04]. If a RCT conducted in Malawi was excluded from the analysis, dexamethasone was associated with lower mortality than placebo or no treatment (OR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.40–0.83). Dexamethasone was associated with lower mortality in patients with definite meningitis (OR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.31–0.96), short duration of symptoms (OR = 0.61, 95% CI 0.38–1.00), Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis (OR = 0.26, 95% CI 0.08–0.78), patients in countries with high (OR = 0.45, 95% CI 0.23–0.87) and medium Human Development Index (OR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.42–1.00). No benefit was seen in patients with longer duration of symptoms (OR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.47–1.36) or no antibiotic use (OR = 0.68, 95% CI 0.36–1.28). Dexamethasone was associated with fewer episodes of hearing impairment in high quality RCTs (OR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.43–0.94). The currently available evidence suggests that dexamethasone should be administered to all adult patients with bacterial meningitis. Large studies are needed to clarify the role of the duration of symptoms, disease severity, and antibiotic administration before the initiation of treatment with dexamethasone on modifying the outcomes.
cCluster: A highly scalable and elastic OpenFlow control plane

OpenFlow has been widely used in Software Defined Networking (SDN) to customize data plane behaviors through policies given by a logically centralized controller. The centralized control plane design brings the potential of simplifying network management, but it also raises scalability concern for large-scale networks. In this paper, we aim to build a highly scalable and flexible OpenFlow control plane. We propose the design and implementation of cCluster, which leverage the parallelism of cluster to balance the control plane load. Compared with existing solutions, cCluster can achieve better scalability, and can enable elastic management. We evaluated the scalability and response time of cCluster using Mininet, and our results show that cCluster can serve thousands of flow entries simultaneously, with only slightly latency penalty.
Comparison of conventional transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and chemoembolization with doxorubicin drug eluting beads (DEB) for unresectable hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC)

Chemoembolization with doxorubicin drug eluting beads (DEB) is a novel locoregional treatment modality for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Initial animal studies and clinical trials suggest that treatment with DEB may provide safer and more effective short‐term outcomes than conventional chemoembolization. Current study explores long‐term survival benefits.
Metabolic syndrome, undiagnosed diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance are highly prevalent in urbanised South African blacks with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND The prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) is low in South African blacks, despite increasing westernisation and the accompanying rise in risk factors that are common to CAD and the metabolic syndrome (MS). AIM To assess the prevalence of the MS and abnormal glucose regulation in black patients with established CAD, who had no previously known diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS In 40 patients, anthropometric and biochemical variables were measured by standard methods. MS risk factors were analysed according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines. Glucose regulation was assessed by the oral glucose tolerance test, and insulin resistance was evaluated using the hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamp technique (M-value). RESULTS MS was present in 24 patients (60%) and absent in 16 patients (40%). Abdominal obesity, measured as increased waist circumference (WC), was the risk factor that differentiated the two groups and, together with hypertension and elevated glucose, formed the most frequent risk-factor combination. No significant differences were found in the proportions of males or females above and below the various cut-off points for gender-associated risk factors (WC and HDL cholesterol). There was a significant correlation between WC and M-value (r = -0.3595; p = 0.02). Half the patients had abnormal glucose regulation, comprising impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in 30% and DM in 20% of the patient cohort. CONCLUSIONS MS was highly prevalent in our black patients with CAD. Increased WC was the most important risk factor and, together with hypertension and elevated glucose, formed the most frequent risk-factor combination. Abdominal obesity was significantly related to insulin resistance. Previously undiagnosed impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and DM were common abnormalities.
Chemoaffinity capture of pre‐targeted prostate cancer cells with magnetic beads

Prostate circulating tumor cells (PCTCs) in circulation are shed from either a primary tumor or metastases, which are directly responsible for most prostate cancer deaths. Quantifying exfoliated PCTCs may serve as an indicator for the clinical management of prostate cancer, isolating and removing of PCTCs could potentially reduce prostate cancer metastasis, and culturing and characterizing captured PCTCs could facilitate the development of personalized treatment options. Prostate‐specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is an established biomarker for prostate cancer being strongly expressed on prostate tumor cells associated with high‐grade primary, androgen independent, and metastatic tumors.
Earliest Evolution of Multituberculate Mammals Revealed by a New Jurassic Fossil

Early Multi Multituberculate mammals (multis) first arose in the Jurassic and became extinct in the Oligocene, a span of over 100 million years, which makes them the longest-living order of mammals known. This highly diverse and abundant group filled many niches occupied by today's similarly diverse rodents. Multis are known for their complex dentition and unique locomotor adaptations, which facilitated their divergence into a suite of ecosystems. Yuan et al. (p. 779) describe a new basal multi from a nearly complete skeleton that shows that the underpinnings of these adaptations arose early in the evolution of the order, setting the stage for the major diversification and radiation of the group that came during the Cretaceous and Paleogene. A fossilized skeleton reveals the origins of diverse feeding and locomotor adaptations of once-common rodent-like multituberculates. Multituberculates were successful herbivorous mammals and were more diverse and numerically abundant than any other mammal groups in Mesozoic ecosystems. The clade also developed diverse locomotor adaptations in the Cretaceous and Paleogene. We report a new fossil skeleton from the Late Jurassic of China that belongs to the basalmost multituberculate family. Dental features of this new Jurassic multituberculate show omnivorous adaptation, and its well-preserved skeleton sheds light on ancestral skeletal features of all multituberculates, especially the highly mobile joints of the ankle, crucial for later evolutionary success of multituberculates in the Cretaceous and Paleogene.
Microsomal ethanol-oxidizing system (MEOS): the first 30 years (1968-1998)--a review.

Oxidation of ethanol via alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) explains various metabolic effects of ethanol but does not account for the tolerance and a number of associated disorders that develop in the alcoholic. These were elucidated by the discovery of the microsomal metabolism of ethanol. The physiologic role of this system comprises gluconeogenesis from ketones, fatty acid metabolism, and detoxification of xenobiotics, including ethanol. After chronic ethanol consumption, the activity of the microsomal ethanol-oxidizing system (MEOS) increases, with an associated rise in cytochromes P-450, especially CYP2E1. This induction is associated with proliferation of the endoplasmic reticulum, both in experimental animals and in humans. The role of MEOS in vivo and its increase after chronic ethanol consumption was shown most conclusively in alcohol dehydrogenase-negative deer mice. Enhanced ethanol oxidation is associated with cross-induction of the metabolism of other drugs, resulting in drug tolerance. Furthermore, there is increased conversion of known hepatotoxic agents (such as CCl4) to toxic metabolites, which may explain the enhanced susceptibility of alcoholics to the adverse effects of industrial solvents. CYP2E1 also has a high capacity to activate some commonly used drugs, such as acetaminophen, to their toxic metabolites, and to promote carcinogenesis (e.g., from dimethylnitrosamine). Moreover, catabolism of retinol is accelerated and there also is induction of microsomal enzymes involved in lipoprotein production, resulting in hyperlipemia. Contrasting with the chronic effects of ethanol consumption, acute ethanol intake inhibits the metabolism of other drugs through competition for the at least partially shared microsomal pathway. In addition, metabolism by CYP2E1 results in a significant free radical release and acetaldehyde production which, in turn, diminish reduced glutathione (GSH) and other defense systems against oxidative stress. Acetaldehyde also forms adducts with proteins, thereby altering the functions of mitochondria and of repair enzymes. Increases of CYP2E1 and its mRNA prevail in the perivenular zone, the area of maximal liver damage. CYP1A2 and CYP3A4, two other perivenular P-450s, can also sustain the metabolism of ethanol, thereby contributing to MEOS activity and possibly liver injury. By contrast, CYP2E1 inhibitors oppose alcohol-induced liver damage, but heretofore available compounds were too toxic for clinical use. Recently, however, polyenylphosphatidylcholine (PPC), an innocuous mixture of polyunsaturated lecithins extracted from soybeans, was discovered to decrease CYP2E1 activity. PPC (and its active component dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine) also oppose hepatic oxidative stress and fibrosis. PPC is now being tested clinically for the prevention and treatment of liver disease in the alcoholic.
Medical student interest in internal medicine. Initial report of the Society of General Internal Medicine Interest Group Survey on Factors Influencing Career Choice in Internal Medicine.

OBJECTIVE To determine the factors that attract students toward and push students away from a career in internal medicine. DESIGN National survey of senior U.S. medical students using a stratified random cluster sampling of medical schools. PARTICIPANTS The survey included 1650 U.S. senior students from 16 medical schools, of whom 1244 (76%) responded. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS A survey instrument was developed and pilot tested at 17 medical schools. Twenty-four percent of the respondents to the final survey chose a career in general internal medicine (9%) or subspecialty internal medicine (15%). A career in internal medicine had been "seriously considered" by 608 respondents (50%) who finally chose a career other than internal medicine (the "switchers"). Compared with other specialties, internal medicine was perceived as being more stressful to residents, more demanding of time and workload as a career and a residency, and as an easier residency to enter. Internal medicine was also seen as providing less satisfaction for residents, having lower income potential, and allowing less leisure time. For the 608 switchers, the most important influences leading to their decision to switch were the type of patient seen in internal medicine (for example, chronically ill, alcohol and drug abusing patients) as well as dissatisfaction and stress among internal medicine residents. Factor analysis showed that three factors, "intellectual challenge of internal medicine," "primary care interests," and "the medicine clerkship" attracted students toward internal medicine, whereas three others, "taking care of chronically ill patients," "level of satisfaction among internists and medical residents," and "workload and stress" pushed students away from internal medicine. Factors pushing students away from internal medicine were significantly more negative with regard to a career in general as opposed to subspecialty internal medicine (P less than 0.001). CONCLUSION Medical students have serious reservations about internal medicine as a career choice. Perceptions about the medical residency, the patients they expect to see, and the dissatisfaction among residents and internists are foremost in their thinking. Changes to improve the attractiveness of internal medicine should address these adverse perceptions while building on the positive influences identified by the respondents.
Knowledge acquisition from many-attribute data by genetic programming with clustered terminal symbols

Rule extraction from database by soft computing methods is important for knowledge acquisition. For example, knowledge from the web pages can be useful for information retrieval. When genetic programming (GP) is applied to rule extraction from a database, the attributes of data are often used for the terminal symbols. However, the real databases have a large number of attributes. Therefore, the size of the terminal set increases and the search space becomes vast. For improving the search performance, we propose new methods for dealing with the large-scale terminal set. In the methods, the terminal symbols are clustered based on the similarities of the attributes. In the beginning of search, by using the clusters for terminals instead of original attributes, the number of terminal symbols can be reduced. Therefore, the search space can be reduced. In the latter stage of search, by using the original attributes for terminal symbols, the local search is performed. We applied our proposed methods to two many-attribute datasets, the classification of molecules as a benchmark problem and the page rank learning for information retrieval. By comparison with the conventional GP, the proposed methods showed the faster evolutional speed and extracted more accurate rules.
The flow cytometry of Bacillus anthracis spores revisited.

BACKGROUND The potential use of Bacillus anthracis spores as a weapon of terror has rekindled interest in the rapid detection and identification of the spores of these bacteria. Prior efforts to utilize flow cytometry (FCM) for this purpose resulted in tedious and time-consuming protocols. Advances in rapid immunoassays suggest a reinvestigation of the use of FCM because this may allow for the development of a rapid and sensitive system for detection and/or identification of spores in suspect samples. METHODS In this study, antiserum was raised in goats using three different strains of B. anthracis spores as the immunogen. The resultant antibodies were purified, labeled with fluorescein, and evaluated for use in an immunoassay on a Coulter Epics XL flow cytometer. In the protocol that was developed, fluorescein-labeled antibodies are simply mixed with the sample, allowed to incubate, and then analyzed on the flow cytometer. Washes and centrifugation were eliminated. RESULTS The results showed that a rapid (5 min) and sensitive immunological analysis was feasible. The detection limit (approximately 10(3) colony-forming units [CFU]/ ml) varied with strain, but there was no difference in the detection limit between live and irradiated spores. In addition, the power of FCM was utilized to minimize false-positive reactions among similar species of Bacillus by placing constraints on scatter and fluorescence intensity. The data also suggest that scatter might be useful to determine spore viability. CONCLUSION This study shows that FCM may be an effective platform on which to perform immunological analysis for the detection and/or presumptive identification of B. anthracis spores. Published 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Retinal origins of the primate multifocal ERG: implications for the human response.

PURPOSE To better understand the cellular contributions to the human multifocal ERG (mfERG), rhesus monkey and human mfERGs were recorded using the same stimulus conditions. The monkey mfERGs were recorded before and after injections of pharmacologic agents known to selectively block activity of particular cells and circuits in the retina. METHODS Photopic mfERGs were recorded with Dawson-Trick-Litzkow (DTL) fiber electrodes from 16 eyes of 10 anesthetized adult rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) and from 4 normal humans. The display consisted of 103 equal-sized hexagons within 17 degrees of the fovea. Monkey mfERGs were obtained before and after inner retinal responses were suppressed with intravitreal injections of tetrodotoxin (TTX), TTX+N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA), TTX+NMDA with the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA(A&C)) antagonist picrotoxin (PTX), or the inhibitory amino acid GABA and after L-2 amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (APB) to block signal transmission to ON-bipolar cells. Finally, a combination of APB and cis-2,3 piperidine dicarboxylic acid (PDA) was used to isolate the contributions from the cone photoreceptors. RESULTS TTX, which blocks sodium-based action potentials, removes a large contribution from the monkey's mfERG, but it does not remove all inner retinal influences. After administration of TTX, the mfERG is further modified by the addition of NMDA. TTX+NMDA, TTX+NMDA+PTX, or GABA alone have similar effects, suggesting that, at the concentrations used, they are largely removing the inner retinal contributions. After removing the inner retinal influences, the monkey's mfERG is mainly composed of ON- and OFF-bipolar contributions, as revealed after APB and PDA were injected. The leading edge of the first negative potential (N1) is largely shaped by the initial hyperpolarization of the OFF-bipolar cells. The photoreceptors also contribute to the leading edge of N1, but this contribution is small, except in the central 6 degrees. The depolarization of the ON-bipolars and the recovery of the OFF-bipolars contribute to the leading edge of the major positive component (P1), with the recovery of the ON-bipolars being the dominant influence on the trailing edge. The waveform of the human mfERG most closely resembles the rhesus monkey's mfERG after administration of TTX. CONCLUSIONS The monkey's mfERG is shaped by large contributions from ON- and OFF-bipolar cells, combined with both spiking and nonspiking inner retinal contributions, and a small contribution from the photoreceptors. In comparison, the human mfERG resembles the monkey's mfERG after reduction of inner retinal contributions. Based on the pharmacologic dissection of the monkey's mfERG, a model of the waveform of the human mfERG is proposed. This model suggests that the waveform can be understood as a combination of overlapping ON- and OFF-bipolar cell contributions combined with smaller contributions from inner retina and photoreceptors.