Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Histological evaluation of ovine mammary tissue xenografted into cyclosporine-treated mice.

Histological and pathological alterations of ovine mammary parenchyma xenografted into cyclosporine-treated mice were studied. Forty-two mature, virgin female mice were assigned randomly to one of four treatments: 1) control, 2) control + estrogen/progesterone, 3) cyclosporine, and 4) cyclosporine + estrogen/progesterone. All mice received two subcutaneous mammary tissue explants taken from an estrogen and progesterone-primed ewe. After 3, 7, 14, 21, and 35 d, mice were killed and tissue was removed for an evaluation of epithelial morphology on a scale from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). Leukocyte type and number were determined in subepithelial stroma. The mean epithelial score for tissue collected on d 7 and d 21 were higher (P less than .05) for cyclosporine treatments (3.0) than for controls (1.6). Scores also were greater (P less than .01) when cyclosporine was combined with estrogen and progesterone than when cyclosporine was the sole treatment (3.8 vs 2.3). Epithelial scores for tissue recovered from mice given cyclosporine and steroids up to 35 d were not different from those of explants fixed at zero time. However, scores were lower (P less than .05) for three of five time periods for explants recovered from mice given cyclosporine alone. Lymphocyte number was higher (P less than .07) in controls (66) than in mice given cyclosporine and steroids (13 per field). The correlation between lymphocyte number and epithelial score was -. 55. These results indicate that ovine mammary tissue xenografted into mice treated with cyclosporine can maintain a normal histological structure for an extended period of time.
Sequential Morphological Changes in Pancreatic Islets of Spontaneously Diabetic Rats

This study describes the sequential morphological changes in pancreaticislets from 1-, 6-, and 18-month-old male eSS rats, as compared to aged-matched control animals. Spontaneous diabetes mellitus was confirmed in 6- and 18-month-old eSS rats after an oral glucose tolerance test. Lightmicroscopic immunocytochemical and morphometric techniques were used to study islet-cell populations. The pancreas was normal, and the morphometric methods did not reveal significant changes in islets from 1-month-old rats. However, 6-month-old eSS animals showed disruption of islet architecture and fibrosis in the stroma. The volume density (Vvi) of endocrine tissue and the Vvi and percentage of B cells were increased, whereas the Vvi of exocrinetissue and the Vvi and percentage of A cells were diminished. Eighteen month-old eSS rats also exhibited conspicuous islet lesions. Nevertheless, the Vvi of endocrine tissue and the Vvi and percentage of B cells were diminished, while the Vvi of exocrine tissue and the Vvi and percentage of D cells were increased. Our results provide further quantitative evidence for the sequentialmor phological events occurring in the pancreatic islets of a useful animalmodel of diabetes mellitus.
On the logarithmic derivative of the ζ-determinant ∗ †

A formula for the derivative of the logarithm of the ζ-determinant of the quotient of two elliptic pseudodifferential operators with the same boundary condition, acting between the fibers of a vector bundle over a n-dimensional manifold M with boundary X, is here presented. ∗AMS Subject Classification: Primary 58J52; Secondary 58J32, 58J40. †
Mixed noise removal filter for multi-channel images based on halfspace deepest location

In this study, the authors propose a novel method for removing mixed (mixture of impulse and Gaussian) multi-channel noise from multi-channel digital images based on a modified version of the algorithm introduced by Struyf and Rousseeuw (Comput. Stat. Data Anal. (2000), 34, pp. 415–426) for finding approximate halfspace deepest location (Tukey's median). Denoising results of this new nonlinear spatial domain filtering method applied to benchmark images corrupted by multi-channel mixed noise outperform currently used spatial domain filters and state-of-the-art wavelet transform domain filters in terms of both peak signal-to-noise ratio and visual quality. Unlike most of the existing algorithms which remove the noise from multi-channel digital images on each of the channels separately, our method, because of its multivariate/multi-dimensional nature, eliminates the noise on all channels simultaneously without their separation, thus preserving the spectral correlation between channels in a multi-channel image. Proposed denoising method is very effective for removal of very wide range of powers of mixed multi-channel noise, but can be also successfully implemented for reduction of other forms of multi-channel noise since it is independent of the source or distribution of the noise.
A hybrid switching scheme for LLC series-resonant half-bridge dc-dc converter in a wide load range

This paper presents a hybrid switching scheme for LLC series-resonant half-bridge (SRHB) dc-dc converter. The concept of the proposed hybrid switching scheme is changing the switching mode to improve power efficiency in a wide load range. The SRHB converter operates in three different switching modes depending on the output load condition. Digital control of the system facilitates the implementation of the proposed hybrid switching scheme. High efficiency is achieved with a constant output voltage over wide load range. Experimental results on a 5 kW prototype are presented to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed switching scheme for the SRHB converter.
Diabetes education and care management significantly improve patient outcomes in the dialysis unit.

BACKGROUND The incidence of diabetes mellitus, particularly type 2, is increasing in the general population. Similarly, the incidence of patients with diabetes mellitus who develop end-stage renal disease has increased concomitantly in the dialysis facility to 44% of patients starting dialysis therapy with diabetes mellitus as their primary diagnosis. The aim of this study is to determine whether intensive education and care management of diabetes could improve glycemic control, alter patient behavior, and reduce complications in the setting of the dialysis unit. METHODS Eighty-three patients were allocated to either the control group or study group based on their day of dialysis treatment. All patients were followed up for a year. Patients in the study group underwent a diabetes education program and were followed up by a care manager who provided self-management education, diabetes self-care monitoring/management, motivational coaching, and foot checks. RESULTS The control group baseline foot risk category worsened from 2.7 to 3.3 (P < 0.05), whereas it was unchanged in the study group (2.2 to 2.0). There were no amputations in the study group versus five amputations in the control group (P < 0.05). Ten patients in the control group were hospitalized with diabetes- or vascular-related admissions versus one patient in the study group (P < 0.002). Hemoglobin A(1c) levels declined from 6.9 to 6.3 in the study group, whereas results of the control group were unchanged (P < 0.005). Diabetes-related quality-of-life scores increased in the study group from 76 to 86 (P < 0.001 versus the control group). There was a significant improvement in self-management behavior in all six categories evaluated in the study group versus the control group. Dialysis centers were recognized by the American Diabetes Association to provide diabetes education. CONCLUSION A program of intensive diabetes education and care management in a dialysis unit is effective in providing significant improvements in patient outcomes, glycemic control, and better quality of life in patients with diabetes mellitus.
Broadband wireless local loop evaluation via an active TCP connection monitoring methodology

Active monitoring of TCP connections aids in the study of the stability of such connections over a given setup. With the advent of access technologies aiming to provide solutions to the last mile problem, there needs to be a method by which an ISP can study TCP connections over such equipment. TCP in itself has been designed to be stable and has been proven to be stable over many access technologies. But in many cases, the connections are not stable enough from a customer's perspective. Our effort has been to develop a TCP connection monitoring methodology that the ISP can study the rate at which connections are lost. We develop a connection monitoring tool (ConMon) that measures round trip time and throughput apart from detecting connections drops. The path to the end point is also traced in order to study reasons for possible connection drops. We test this tool over wired LAN, cable modem and broadband wireless technologies.
System-Equation ADL Tests for Threshold Cointegration

In this paper we develop new system-equation tests for threshold cointegration based on a threshold vector autoregressive distributed lag (ADL) model. The proposed tests do not require weak exogeneity, and can be applied when cointegrating vector is unknown. The asymptotic null distributions of the tests are expressed as functionals of two-parameter Brownian motion. The distributions are free of nuisance parameters, and critical values are tabulated. Monte Carlo simulations show good finite-sample performances. The new tests are illustrated with long term and short term interest rates. We show that the system-equation model can accommodate more types of asymmetry than the single-equation model.
Recovery of Oil with Unsaturated Fatty Acids and Polyphenols from Chaenomelessinensis (Thouin) Koehne: Process Optimization of Pilot-Scale Subcritical Fluid Assisted Extraction

The potential effects of three modern extraction technologies (cold-pressing, microwaves and subcritical fluids) on the recovery of oil from Chaenomelessinensis (Thouin) Koehne seeds have been evaluated and compared to those of conventional chemical extraction methods (Soxhlet extraction). This oil contains unsaturated fatty acids and polyphenols. Subcritical fluid extraction (SbFE) provided the highest yield—25.79 g oil/100 g dry seeds—of the three methods. Moreover, the fatty acid composition in the oil samples was analysed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. This analysis showed that the percentages of monounsaturated (46.61%), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (42.14%), after applying SbFE were higher than those obtained by Soxhlet, cold-pressing or microwave-assisted extraction. In addition, the oil obtained under optimized SbFE conditions (35 min extraction at 35 °C with four extraction cycles), showed significant polyphenol (527.36 mg GAE/kg oil), and flavonoid (15.32 mg RE/kg oil), content, had a good appearance and was of high quality.
Establishment of Diagnostic Cutoff Points for Levels of Serum Antibodies to Pertussis Toxin, Filamentous Hemagglutinin, and Fimbriae in Adolescents and Adults in the United States

ABSTRACT Numerous reports have documented that serologic methods are much more sensitive than culture for the diagnosis of pertussis in adolescents and adults. However, a standardized serologic test for pertussis is not routinely available to most clinicians, and the serologic test levels or cutoff points correlated with diseases have not been determined. The goal of the present study was to examine the distribution of immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels against three Bordetella pertussis antigens (pertussis toxin [PT], filamentous hemagglutinin [FHA], and fimbria types 2 and 3 [FIM]) and to determine population-based antibody levels for the purpose of establishing such diagnostic cutoff points. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were performed with sera from >6,000 U.S. residents aged 6 to 49 years who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Mixture models were developed to identify hypothesized exposure groups and establish diagnostic cutoffs. Quantifiable (>20 ELISA units/ml [EU]) anti-FHA and anti-FIM IgG antibodies were common (65 and 62% of individuals, respectively), but quantifiable anti-PT IgG antibodies were less frequent (16%). Given the distributions of antibody levels, an anti-PT IgG level of ≥94 EU was proposed as the diagnostic cutoff point. Application of this cutoff point to culture-confirmed illness in a prior study investigating cough illness yielded a high diagnostic sensitivity (80%) and specificity (93%). A standardized ELISA for anti-PT IgG with a single serum sample appears to be useful for the identification of recent B. pertussis infection in adolescents and adults with cough illness. The PT cutoff point will be further evaluated in prospective studies of confirmed B. pertussis infection.
Intracerebroventricular passive immunization. I. The effect of intracerebroventricular administration of an antiserum to tumor necrosis factor-alpha on the plasma adrenocorticotropin response to lipopolysaccharide in rats.

The present study tested the hypothesis that the cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is an important central nervous system mediator of the rat hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response to the i.v. administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 5 microg/kg). LPS produced a rapid (within 30 min) rise in plasma TNF-alpha levels, which preceded elevations in plasma ACTH (commencing at 45 min). Despite a lack of detectable TNF-alpha biological activity in the brain 30 min to 2 h after LPS administration, intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) pretreatment (-20 h) with 5 microl anti-TNF-alpha antiserum significantly delayed the onset of the plasma ACTH response to LPS, suggesting that TNF-alpha acts within the brain. However, we also noted that the i.c. v. infusion of anti-TNF-alpha 20 h earlier produced experimentally significant concentrations of the same anti-TNF-alpha antibodies in systemic blood. This suggested the possibility that the effect of this antiserum was due to its leakage to the periphery. Indeed, 5 microl anti-TNF-alpha administered i.v. at -20 h produced an inhibition of the ACTH response to LPS that was temporally and quantitatively similar to that produced by i.c. v. anti-TNF-alpha. Intracerebroventricular administration of anti-TNF-alpha immediately before LPS produced only low systemic blood levels of corresponding anti-TNF-alpha antibodies and did not significantly alter the plasma ACTH response, whereas i.v. administration of anti-TNF-alpha immediately before LPS was clearly effective. Collectively, these results show that 1) biologically active levels of TNF-alpha in systemic plasma and the ensuing ACTH responses to LPS were always temporally and qualitatively related; and 2) even though i.c. v. administration of anti-TNF-alpha could inhibit the HPA axis response to LPS, this was apparent only when substantial amounts of anti-TNF-alpha antibodies had reached systemic blood. We, therefore, conclude that at the dose of LPS used in this study (5 microg/kg), TNF-alpha is an important mediator of the HPA axis response to LPS by an action within the periphery, but probably not within the brain.
Helminths, hygiene hypothesis and type 2 diabetes

Worldwide, there is little overlap between the prevalence of soil‐transmitted helminths and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Helminth‐induced type 2 immune responses and immune regulatory network might modulate the obesity‐induced activation of inflammatory pathways that are associated with the development of insulin resistance, a strong predictor of the development of T2D. However, other factors such as helminth‐associated changes in adiposity and gut microbiome might also contribute to improved metabolic outcomes. In this review, we summarize epidemiological evidence for the link between helminths and T2D and discuss the potential mechanisms, based on findings from experimental studies as well as the limited number of studies in humans.
Do valsartan and losartan have the same effects in the treatment of coronary artery disease?

BACKGROUND Many angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs) are available for clinical use, but because they do not all have the same effects, the present study investigated whether all benefits conferred by ARBs are class effects. METHODS AND RESULTS Study 1 was a case-control study of patients with coronary artery disease, which showed that a non-depressor dose of valsartan significantly decreased the rate of target lesion revascularization at 6 months after stenting compared with the control group without ARB treatment. In Study 2, 44 patients with acute myocardial infarction who randomly received an initial lower dose of either valsartan or losartan after stenting were evaluated. The late loss and decrease in %diameter stenosis in the valsartan group were significantly lower than those in the losartan group as assessed by quantitative coronary angiography after 6 months. In addition, the valsartan group showed a significantly lower expression of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 and L-selectin. CONCLUSION A non-depressor dose of ARB may have beneficial effects on coronary restenosis that are associated with the regulation of adhesion molecules, and these effects might not be a class effect of ARBs.
Peanut oil and peanut allergy, foes or folks?

Peanut allergy (PA) has become a major health concern, but the reasons for this increasing prevalence are not well understood.1 Although the consumption levels of peanuts in the USA and China are similar, the rate of PA was believed to be much lower in China.1 Hong Kong is one of the most Westernised city of China, and the prevalence in atopic disorders such as asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic eczema were comparable with most developed countries; yet PA was rarely encountered in the past decades until recently. A recent study showed a prevalence of PA of 0.52%–0.65% in preschoolers.2 We speculate that this could be related to changes in diet and culture over the past decades. …
The neural substrates of impaired prosodic detection in schizophrenia and its sensorial antecedents.

OBJECTIVE Individuals with schizophrenia show severe deficits in their ability to decode emotions based upon vocal inflection (affective prosody). This study examined neural substrates of prosodic dysfunction in schizophrenia with voxelwise analysis of diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHOD Affective prosodic performance was assessed in 19 patients with schizophrenia and 19 comparison subjects with the Voice Emotion Identification Task (VOICEID), along with measures of basic pitch perception and executive processing (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test). Diffusion tensor MRI fractional anisotropy valves were used for voxelwise correlation analyses. In a follow-up experiment, performance on a nonaffective prosodic perception task was assessed in an additional cohort of 24 patients and 17 comparison subjects. RESULTS Patients showed significant deficits in VOICEID and Distorted Tunes Task performance. Impaired VOICEID performance correlated significantly with lower fractional anisotropy values within primary and secondary auditory pathways, orbitofrontal cortex, corpus callosum, and peri-amygdala white matter. Impaired Distorted Tunes Task performance also correlated with lower fractional anisotropy in auditory and amygdalar pathways but not prefrontal cortex. Wisconsin Card Sorting Test performance in schizophrenia correlated primarily with prefrontal fractional anisotropy. In the follow-up study, significant deficits were observed as well in nonaffective prosodic performance, along with significant intercorrelations among sensory, affective prosodic, and nonaffective measures. CONCLUSIONS Schizophrenia is associated with both structural and functional disturbances at the level of primary auditory cortex. Such deficits contribute significantly to patients' inability to decode both emotional and semantic aspects of speech, highlighting the importance of sensorial abnormalities in social communicatory dysfunction in schizophrenia.
Analysis of bidirectional SEPIC/Zeta converter with coupled inductor

With increase in energy demand, the utilization of renewable energy sources like solar and wind energies become important. Energy Storage Systems (ESS) with bidirectional converters are essential to overcome the intermittent nature of these renewable sources. In this paper a coupled inductor based SEPIC/Zeta bidirectional converter having reduced ripple in output voltage and low voltage stress on switches is presented. This converter is suitable for use in distributed power system. A simulation study is carried out to compare the performance of the converter with and without coupled inductor, also for different values of coupling coefficients. Simulation results confirmed that performance of the modified converter is more reliable for renewable energy storage systems than conventional converters.
Frequency-agile directional coupler with good restraint outside the passband based on the coupled transmission line

A frequency-agile directional coupler incorporating the bandpass frequency response characteristic is proposed and characterized in this paper. This structure is modified from a conventional branch-line coupler and composed of two wide open-ended coupled lines. As such, it has good restraint performance outside the passband. Frequency tuning is achieved by modifying the electrical length of the open-ended coupled lines loaded with varactors. Measured results are in agreement with predictions, which validate the correctness of our theory and design.
[Selective exclusion of hepatic outflow and inflow in hepatectomy for huge hepatic tumor].

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of selective hepatic vascular exclusion (SHVE) on prevention of serious hemorrhage and air embolism during hepatectomy and on the liver function after operation. METHODS From January 2004 to March 2007, 29 huge hepatic tumors were resected in our department. Both SHVE and Pringle maneuver were used to control the blood loss during hepatectomy. They were divided into two groups: SHVE group (15 cases) and Pringle group (14 cases). Data regarding the intraoperative and postoperative courses of the patients were analyzed. RESULTS There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding the age, sex, tumor size, cirrhosis, HbsAg positive rate and operating time (P > 0.05). Intraoperative blood loss was reduced significantly in the SHVE group (P < 0.05). The serum prealbumin levels on the postoperative day 1, 3 and 7 in SHVE group were significantly higher than those in the Pringle group (P < 0.05). The serum ALT value in SHVE group was significantly lower than that in the Pringle group on postoperative day 1, 3 and 7. The mean drainage volume in SHVE group was significantly less than that in the Pringle group on postoperative day 1 and 2. Liver failure occurred in two cases of the Pringle group, while no one in the SHVE group. Rupture of hepatic vein with massive blood loss occurred in 3 cases and air embolism in one case of the Pringle group, but did not occur in any case of the SHVE group. CONCLUSION When the selective exclusion of hepatic outflow and inflow is applied in hepatectomy, the resection rate of huge hepatic tumors and operative tolerance of hepatectomy are improved. It is a safe and rational operation type, and provides an optimal choice for hepatectomy.
Interaction with simian Hck tyrosine kinase reveals convergent evolution of the Nef protein from simian and human immunodeficiency viruses despite differential molecular surface usage.

Simian and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (SIV and HIV-1) Nef proteins are thought to use different molecular surfaces to mediate the protein-protein interactions required for their otherwise similar functions. This genetically separable function suggests convergent evolution of primate lentiviruses and/or structural differences between human and nonhuman primate cellular target proteins. However, such comparative molecular analyses have not been undertaken so far using the respective natural host-derived cellular targets. We cloned simian Src family kinase Hck and analyzed structurally and biochemically its interaction with SIV Nef.