Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Combination of BDNF and NT-3 Promotes Supraspinal Axonal Regeneration into Schwann Cell Grafts in Adult Rat Thoracic Spinal Cord

We previously demonstrated that Schwann cells (SCs) in semipermeable guidance channels promote axonal regeneration in adult rat spinal cord transected at the mid-thoracic level. Propriospinal but not supraspinal axons grew into these channels. Here, we tested the ability of exogenous brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) to promote axonal regeneration in this novel model. The two neurotrophins were delivered simultaneously into the channel by an Alzet minipump at a rate of 12 micrograms/day for each neurotrophin for 14 of 30 days tested; phosphate-buffered saline, the vehicle solution, was used as a control. Significantly more myelinated nerve fibers were present in SC/neurotrophin grafts than in SC/vehicle grafts (1523 +/- 292 vs 882 +/- 287). In the graft, at least 5 mm from the rostral cord-graft interface, some nerve fibers were immunoreactive for serotonin, a neurotransmitter specific to raphe-derived axons in rat spinal cord. Fast blue retrograde tracing from SC/neurotrophin grafts revealed labeled neurons in 10 nuclei of the brain stem, 67% of these being in the lateral and spinal vestibular nuclei. The mean number of labeled brain stem neurons in the SC/neurotrophin group (92; n = 3) contrasted with the mean in the SC/vehicle group (6; n = 4). Our results clearly demonstrate that BDNF and NT-3 infusion enhanced propriospinal axonal regeneration and, more significantly, promoted axonal regeneration of specific distant populations of brain stem neurons into grafts at the mid-thoracic level in adult rat spinal cord.
The Short-Run Price Behaviour of Securities: Some Evidence on Efficiency of Indian Capital Market

This paper examines the serial independence of shortrun changes in the prices of securities and the stock market mdex to establish the efficiency of the Indian capital markets in assimilating information. Common statistical techniques have been used to test the hypothesis of serial independence of these changes. While the securities showed independence of price changes, the changes in the market index exhibited statistically significant serial dependence. Despite this difference in the behaviour of individual securities and the index it is argued that the Indian capital market is efficient in incorporating information in the price structure of securities.
Design and Development of Polyethylene Oxide Based Matrix Tablets for Verapamil Hydrochloride

In the present investigation an attempt has been made to increase therapeutic efficacy, reduced frequency of administration and improved patient compliance by developing controlled release matrix tablets of verapamil hydrochloride. Verapamil hydrochloride was formulated as oral controlled release matrix tablets by using the polyethylene oxides (Polyox WSR 303). The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of polymer level and type of fillers namely lactose (soluble filler), swellable filler (starch 1500), microcrystalline cellulose and dibasic calcium phosphate (insoluble fillers) on the release rate and mechanism of release for verapamil hydrochloride from matrix tablets prepared by direct compression process. Higher polymeric content in the matrix decreased the release rate of drug. On the other hand, replacement of lactose with anhydrous dibasic calcium phosphate and microcrystalline cellulose has significantly retarded the release rate of verapamil hydrochloride. Biopharmaceutical evaluation of satisfactory formulations were also carried out on New Zealand rabbits and parameters such as maximum plasma concentration, time to reach peak plasma concentration, area under the plasma concentration time curve(0-t) and area under first moment curve(0-t) were determined. In vivo pharmacokinetic study proves that the verapamil hydrochloride from matrix tablets showed prolonged release and were be able to sustain the therapeutic effect up to 24 h.
Morphology of mouse subplate cells with identified projection targets changes with age

During embryonic and early postnatal development subplate neurons integrate into the developing intra‐ and extracortical circuitry in a dynamic fashion. They extend long‐range projections to adjacent cortical regions, the contralateral hemisphere through the corpus callosum, and to subcortical structures through the internal capsule. Here we studied the developmental changes of the somatodendritic morphology of subplate neurons with specified projection target in the mouse. To do so we used carbocyanine dye tracing from the callosum, the internal capsule, or the primary somatosensory cortex. The morphology of subplate cells with projections to any of these targets is very diverse and includes pyramidal, multipolar, and neurogliaform cells. Here we demonstrate that a subpopulation of subplate cells in the mouse cortex undergoes significant changes in somatodendritic morphology during the critical period for experimental modification of the cytoarchitectonic development of the barrel cortex. Between P2 and P7 the mean maximal extent of the primary dendrite decreases significantly for subplate cells with an axon projecting through the internal capsule. Moreover, at P2 some subplate cells extend a primary dendrite to the marginal zone, whereas all dendrites of P7 subplate cells end in or below layer 4. Additionally, by tracing connections from multiple targets with different carbocyanine dyes we identified subplate cells with multiple long‐range projections. J. Comp. Neurol. , 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Protection Profile for Security Enhancement of Embedded Operating System for Mobile Terminals

Mobile telecommunication industry in Korea has 39 millions of users by the end of 2006 and over 4,000 million is expected by 2007. Voice services using a cell phone have become saturated. Industry prospects data show that use of data communication using mobile terminals such as a cell phone or PDA is continuously increasing. Now a mobile terminal provides a large variety of functions such as multimedia data (e.g. MP3, videos) and games as well as voice service; it is used to connect to the Internet using mobile telecommunication (3.5G) and wireless broadband Internet (Wibro) to search information and download lots of applications and games. Since the Internet has many malicious codes and security vulnerabilities, mobile terminals are exposed to those risks. F-secure reports that the number of mobile viruses that have been known by Sep. 2007 is 376 and rapidly increasing. This paper intends to develop security functional requirements of a security system to enhance the security of mobile terminals. To this purpose, the TOE will be defined, its environment will be analyzed, and security objectives appropriate for the environment will be defined. A rationale is provided to show how the requirements satisfy the security objectives.
ZCS $LCC$-Compensated Resonant Inverter for Inductive-Power-Transfer Application

Inductive power transfer (IPT) is commonly used to transmit power from an extended loop (track) to a number of galvanically isolated movable pick-ups. To maximize the power transfer and minimize converter requirements, various compensation circuits have been proposed for both the track (primary) and the pick-up (secondary). This paper investigates the suitability of the LCC series-parallel compensation for IPT primary design. A new compensation-circuit design procedure is proposed that considers high-order current harmonics and results in inverter zero-current switching. The proposed compensation is compared with the classical compensation designed for zero phase angle between the inverter voltage and current fundamental components. Expressions for the bifurcation boundary, voltampere rating of reactive-compensation elements, and the current at the moment of switching are derived and analyzed. Analytical results are verified both via PSpice simulations and experimentally using a 1-hp MOSFET-based prototype.
Glutamine and recombinant human growth hormone protect intestinal barrier function following portal hypertension surgery.

AIM To evaluate the effects of combined treatment of glutamine (Gln) and recombinant human growth hormone(rhGH) on intestinal barrier function following portal hypertension surgery. METHODS This study was designed as a prospective, randomized and controlled clinical trial. Forty two patients after portal hypertension surgery were randomly assigned into 2 groups: control group (n = 20) and supplemental group (adding Gln and rhGH, n = 22). Every patient received isocaloric and isonitrogenous standard total parenteral nutrition (TPN) starting 3 d after surgery for 7 d. Blood samples were obtained before surgery and at the 3rd and 10th day postoperatively. Host immunity was evaluated by measuring levels of CD4, CD8, CD4/CD8, IgG, IgM and IgA, and the inflammatory responses were determined by assessing IL-2, TNF-alpha and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Intestinal permeability and integrity was evaluated by L/M test and histological examination, respectively. RESULTS On postoperative d 10, CD4, CD4/CD8, IgG and IL-2 levels in supplemental group were significantly higher than those in control group (33.7 +/- 5.5 vs 31.0 +/- 5.4, P < 0.05, (1.17 +/- 0.32 vs 1.05 +/- 0.15, P < 0.05, 13.94 +/- 1.09 vs 12.33 +/- 1.33, P < 0.05, and 368.12 +/- 59.25 vs 318.12 +/- 45.65, P < 0.05, respectively), whereas the increase in serum TNF-alpha concentration was significantly reduced (41.02 +/- 27.56 vs 160.09 +/- 35.17, P < 0.05). The increase in L/M ratio was significantly lower in the supplemental group than in the control group (0.0166 +/- 0.0017 vs 0.0339 +/- 0.0028, P < 0.05). Moreover, mucosal integrity in the supplemental group was better than in the control group. CONCLUSION Postoperative administration of TPN supplemented with Gln and rhGH in patients after portal hypertension surgery improves immune function, modulates inflammatory response, prevents the intestinal mucous membrane from atrophy and preserves intestinal integrity.
Assessing Mismatches in the Provision of Urban Ecosystem Services to Support Spatial Planning: A Case Study on Recreation and Food Supply in Havana, Cuba

Integrating information about how ecosystem services (ES) are provided and benefited from in spatial planning is essential to enhance quality of life in urban areas. This study aims to assess mismatches in the provision of urban ES. Specifically, it compares the amount of services that urban dwellers currently benefit from with the capacity of green spaces to provide service and the ES demand, in order to assess two mismatches: “unsustainable flow” and “unsatisfied demand”, respectively. We focus on two ES, recreation and food supply, and conduct an empirical study in two adjacent municipalities of the city of Havana, Cuba. The methodological approach includes: the identification of services providing and demanding areas; and the quantification of mismatches by carrying out a spatial comparison between critical capacity and flow, and demand and flow. Results show that urban green spaces may be potentially exposed to overcrowding. Concerning food supply, a mismatch between demand and flow emerged in both of the municipalities. The assessment can support planners in addressing the sustainable use of green spaces and the equitable distribution of ES benefits. However, its applicability requires a deep understanding of local specificities, including demand levels, accessibility to ES, and sustainability thresholds.
Unmanned aerial system architecture for maritime missions. design & hardware description

The growing interest in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) research, alongside with increasingly affordable hardware, creates great opportunity for research facilities to compare algorithms and simulation results with applied in-flight performance. However, developing the necessary equipment for such endeavour requires significant effort, often beyond available resources and the main research focus. As a solution, a system architecture for enabling advanced experiments is presented, allowing researchers to reduce the amount of required effort in developing a UAS. The proposed architecture is compatible with current state-of-the-art research facilities and standards, promoting an increased cooperation between experts in the field. The capabilities of the presented setup have evolved and been verified during intensive field experiments over the past two years, considering various algorithms and distinct equipment. This paper provides a detailed description of both the architecture and implementation details, such as the used hardware and software, being therefore a potential reference for the research community and for facilities planning the development of their own UAS.
Mechanism by Which Phosphonoformic Acid Resistance Mutations Restore 3′-Azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) Sensitivity to AZT-resistant HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase*

The development of phosphonoformic acid (PFA) resistance against a background of 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) resistance in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) restores viral sensitivity to AZT. High level AZT resistance requires multiple mutations (D67N/K70R/T215F/K219Q). In order to characterize the mechanism of PFA resistance-mediated resensitization to AZT, the A114S mutation associated with PFA resistance was introduced into the reverse transcriptase (RT) of both wild type and drug-resistant virus. We previously showed that pyrophosphorolytic removal of chain-terminating AZT is the primary mechanism of the AZT resistance phenotype (Arion, D., Kaushik, N., McCormick, S., Borkow, G., and Parniak, M. A. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 15908–15917). Introduction of A114S into the AZT resistance background significantly diminishes both the enhanced pyrophosphorolytic activity and the DNA synthesis processivity associated with the AZT-resistant RT. The A114S mutation also alters the nucleotide-dependent phosphorolysis activity associated with AZT resistance. The presence of the A114S mutation therefore severely impairs the mutant enzyme's ability to excise chain-terminating AZT. The decrease in phosphorolytic activity of RT conferred by the PFA resistance A114S mutation resensitizes AZT-resistant HIV-1 to AZT by allowing the latter to again function as a chain terminator of viral DNA synthesis. These data further underscore the importance of phosphorolytic removal of chain-terminating AZT as the primary mechanism of HIV-1 AZT resistance.
TARGET BENEFICIARY PARTICIPATION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CDF FUNDED PROJECTS: A CASE STUDY OF LAMU EAST CONSTITUENCY

Purpose: The aim of this study was to establish the impact of beneficiary involvement and participation in CDF funded projects with specific reference of CDF projects in LAMU Constituency.Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive case study research design. The population of the study consisted of 107 projects in Lamu East constituency. This implied that 107 project management committees (PMC) were the target population. The preferred data collection instrument was a questionnaire. The data was analyzed by both statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) and excel spreadsheet.Results: The study findings indicated that the beneficiaries /community members of Lamu East constituency were not given the opportunity or right to participate in evaluating, Selecting and prioritizing projects. Overall, there was low beneficiary participation in CDF projects. From the findings, it is possible to conclude that that there is a low awareness of CDF projects in LAMU east constituency. Furthermore, the level of education of project beneficiaries was low. The low level of awareness may have led to the low participation of beneficiaries. To a large extent the level of education had affected the level of participation in CDF funded projects. It was also possible to conclude that the low level of education may have led to the low participation of beneficiaries in CDF projects. Finally, it was possible to conclude that, the low level of beneficiary participation affected CDF project implementation.Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: It was recommended that the project management committees should encourage the participation of beneficiaries in evaluating, selecting and prioritizing projects, determining the location of the projects, follow-up or monitor the project and participation of management of project funds. Furthermore, the Government through the CDF committee should carry out awareness campaigns to sensitize the beneficiaries of their right and obligation to participate in CDF projects.
Platelet lysate promotes in vitro wound scratch closure of human dermal fibroblasts: different roles of cell calcium, P38, ERK and PI3K/AKT

There is a growing interest for the clinical use of platelet derivates in wound dressing. Platelet beneficial effect is attributed to the release of growth factors and other bioactive substances, though mechanisms are mostly unknown. We studied wound‐healing processes of human primary fibroblasts, by exposing cells to a platelet lysate (PL) obtained from blood samples. Crystal violet and tetrazolium salt (MTS) assays showed dose–response increase of cell proliferation and metabolism. In scratch wound and transwell assays, a dose of 20% PL induced a significant increase of wound closure rate at 6 and 24 hrs, and had a strong chemotactic effect. BAPTA‐AM, SB203580 and PD98059 caused 100% inhibition of PL effects, whereas wortmannin reduced to about one third the effect of PL on wound healing and abolished the chemotactic response. Confocal imaging showed the induction by PL of serial Ca2+ oscillations in fibroblasts. Data indicate that cell Ca2+ plays a fundamental role in wound healing even without PL, p38 and ERK1/2 are essential for PL effects but are also activated by wounding per se, PI3K is essential for PL effects and its downstream effector Akt is activated only in the presence of PL. In conclusion, PL stimulates fibroblast wound healing through the activation of cell proliferation and motility with different patterns of involvement of different signalling pathways.
Oral health of young Alaska Native children and their caregivers in Southwestern Alaska.

OBJECTIVE We sought to determine the prevalence of caries and associated risk factors in young Native children and their caregivers in two communities in rural Alaska. METHODS A random sample of Alaska Native children between 12-36 months and a subset of their caregivers from two Southwestern Alaska communities were examined for dental decay. Caregivers completed a 43-item questionnaire about oral hygiene, dietary and other practices. RESULTS Of the 65 children examined, 59% had evidence of decay. Among the 41 primary caregivers examined, 98% had experienced dental decay with an average of 11.4 decayed, missing, and filled teeth. On linear regression analyses, factors significantly associated with more decay in the children included a child taking a juice-containing bottle to bed, eating candy 1 or more times per day, and higher caregiver oral S. mutans counts. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that preventive efforts for children at high risk for dental decay should begin early in life, should emphasize decreasing candy and bedtime juice bottle use, and should consider the caregivers' oral health status in addition to the child's.
Motion planning with movement primitives for cooperative aerial transportation in obstacle environment

This paper presents a motion planning approach for cooperative transportation using aerial robots. We describe a framework based on Parametric Dynamic Movement Primitives (PDMPs) for coordinating multiple aerial robots and their manipulators quickly in an environment cluttered with obstacles. In order to emulate the optimal motion, we combine PDMPs and Rapidly Exploring Randomized Trees star (RRT∗) by using the results of RRT∗ as demonstrations for PDMPs. For efficient description of the motions corresponding to the environment, we utilize Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) to acquire of the explicit relationship between environmental parameters and style parameters of PDMPs which decide the motions. Simulation and experiment results are attached to validate the proposed framework.
Creating a Translanguaging Space for High School Emergent Bilinguals.

Translanguaging is a rapidly developing concept in bilingual education. Working from the theoretical background of dynamic bilingualism, a translanguaging lens posits that bilingual learners draw on a holistic linguistic repertoire to make sense of the world and to communicate effectively with texts. What is relatively underdeveloped is the pedagogical aspects of translanguaging. This classroom-based study conducted in the southeastern US asks 2 questions: (a) How might teachers create a translanguaging space for students, and (b) what would this space look like? The authors, 1 classroom teacher and 1 researcher, engaged emergent bilingual students in small group reading of a culturally relevant text and observed students’ active participation through strategic and fluid translanguaging practices. The authors argue that the linguistic norms of schooling should reflect the discursive norms of emergent bilingual students, and that teachers create translanguaging spaces as a path to educational equity.
Portal Hypertension and Blood Viscosity

Previous studies, exploring the effect of blood viscosity on portal pressure in portal hypertensive humans and animal models, have shown conflicting results. In a series of studies, in portal vein constricted rats, we investigated effects of reduced blood viscosity on the hyperdynamic circulation, portal pressure, and vascular geometry. Blood was withdrawn at a rate of 0.3 mL/min for 15 minutes followed by 15 minutes of stabilization. The shed blood or Haemaccel was infused at the same rate and volume as used for withdrawal. Hemodynamic measurements were performed using radioactive microspheres. Blood viscosity was measured with an Ostwald viscometer. Vascular hindrance (reflecting vessel geometry) was calculated as resistance/viscosity ratio. In normal and portal hypertensive rats, acute volume replacement with Haemaccel, induced increase in systemic and splanchnic blood flows reflecting mainly changes in viscosity and not in blood vessel geometry. However, 24 hours later, in Haemaccel treated animals, an increased splanchnic arteriolar and porto-collateral vascular hindrance were observed. This indicated vasoconstriction in the porto-collateral vascular bed. The increase in portal venous inflow after acute volume restitution with Haemaccel was prevented by pretreatment with propranolol. Although, caution should be taken in extrapolating these results to humans, we would like to speculate that during a portal hypertensive-related bleeding episode: (1) volume replacement with low viscosity plasma expanders may aggravate the hyperdynamic circulation of portal hypertension. (2) Slow rate volume replacement enables hemodynamic adaptation to occur. (3) Volume replacement maybe more safe in a subject pretreated with propranolol.