Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gold coated SU-8-based microelectrodes for in vivo electrophysiological studies: Rapid prototyping protocol-specific microelectrode designs

Microelectrodes are widely used to record biological signals from living tissue, namely in neuroscience where researches need to record brain signals in vivo. Several types of microelectrodes are available in the market. Unfortunately, most of the microelectrode developing processes are time consuming and expensive. This work presents a rapid low-cost prototyping technology for protocol-specific microelectrode designs. The suggested fabrication process combines SU-8 photoresist patterning in multiple layers with the deposition of intermediate conductive layers (Au layer in the presented case). The fabricated microelectrodes were specifically designed for an electrophysiological experiment that required simultaneous recording in the pre-frontal cortex (PFC) and stimulation in the hippocampus of the rat brain. After electrode implantation surgery in an anesthetized rat, local-field potentials (LFP) from the PFC were acquired. The power spectra of the LFPs using the SU-8-based microelectrode and using a commercially available Pt-Ir electrode are comparable in a great extent. Staining of perfusion fixed brain slices showed that the electrodes targeted the correct brain regions. SU-8-based microelectrodes appear to be valuable as a rapid prototyping technology to design low-cost protocol-specific microelectrodes.
A Flexible Count Data Regression Model for Risk Analysis

In many cases, risk and reliability analyses involve estimating the probabilities of discrete events such as hardware failures and occurrences of disease or death. There is often additional information in the form of explanatory variables that can be used to help estimate the likelihood of different numbers of events in the future through the use of an appropriate regression model, such as a generalized linear model. However, existing generalized linear models (GLM) are limited in their ability to handle the types of variance structures often encountered in using count data in risk and reliability analysis. In particular, standard models cannot handle both underdispersed data (variance less than the mean) and overdispersed data (variance greater than the mean) in a single coherent modeling framework. This article presents a new GLM based on a reformulation of the Conway‐Maxwell Poisson (COM) distribution that is useful for both underdispersed and overdispersed count data and demonstrates this model by applying it to the assessment of electric power system reliability. The results show that the proposed COM GLM can provide as good of fits to data as the commonly used existing models for overdispered data sets while outperforming these commonly used models for underdispersed data sets.
The efficacy of two different doses of vaginal isosorbide mononitrate in pre induction cervical ripening: a double blind randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE Nitric oxide donors have been shown to cause cervical ripening. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects on the mother and the fetus when isosorbide mononitrate (ISMN) 40 mg or the sustained release ISMN (ISMN - SR) 60 mg was administered vaginally for preinduction cervical ripening. METHODS A double blind randomised controlled trial. Consecutive women (n=156) with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies between 40 weeks +5 days and 41 weeks' gestation with modified Bishop Scores (MBS) <5 were allocated by stratified (primp/multip) block randomisation to receive ISMN 40 mg, ISMN - SR 60 mg or the placebo vitamin C 100 mg vaginally. RESULTS At the commencement of the study the parity and mean age, MBS, pulse rate (PR), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), umbilical artery resistance index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) were similar among the three treatment groups. There was significant increase (p<0.001) of mean MBS by 1.3 (95% CI 0.8, 1.7) in primips and by 1.7 (95% CI 1.3, 2.0) in multips at 6 hours and by 2.4 (95% CI 1.9, 2.7 ) in primips and by 2.3 (95% CI 2.0, 2.6) in multips at 48 hours. Greater proportions of primips (42% with ISMN - SR 60 mg and 31% with ISMN 40 mg, p<0.05) were favourable for induction of labour (IOL) after 48 hours in comparison with the controls (7.6%). Greater proportions of multips (46% with ISMN - SR 60 mg and 40% with ISMN 40 mg, p<0.05) were favourable for IOL after 48 hours in comparison with the controls (16%). A mean increase of PR by 6.7-10.2 bpm (95% CI 5.0 - 12.5, p<0.001) in both ISMN groups at 180 minutes persisted up to 360 minutes. A mean reduction of SBP by 7.3 - 10 mmHg (95% CI = 8.0-11.5, p<0.001) in both ISMN groups at 180 minutes persisted up to 360 mins. No significant change was seen in DBP, RI or PI. Frequency of maternal side effects (mainly headache) were higher in ISMN groups. CONCLUSIONS When compared with the placebo Vitamin C 100 mg, vaginal ISMN 40 mg and ISMN - SR 60 mg lead to significantly greater cervical ripening after 6 hours and 48 hours respectively. Therefore vaginal ISMN leads to more women becoming favourable for IOL. Vaginal ISMN does not affect placental blood flow but causes headaches and clinically insignificant maternal haemodynamic changes.
Argentine Patagonia: prevalence and clinical features of multiple sclerosis

There are few studies reporting multiple sclerosis prevalence rates in the Buenos Aires region, Argentina (latitude 34°S) (between 12–18.5/100 000 inhabitants), and no studies have been performed in the larger region between parallels 36° and 55°S. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence rates and clinical features of multiple sclerosis in residents of the Argentine Patagonia. Four cities from the region were selected for this study, giving a sample population of 417 666 inhabitants (~24% of the total Patagonia population). 1st March 2002 was determined as prevalence day. Patients were ascertained using multiple case-finding methods. The point prevalence rate was 17.2/100 000 (17.2 age-adjusted to the world population). Prevalence rates were higher for women than for men, 22.1 versus 12.2/100 000 inhabitants (21.4 versus 12.7 sex-adjusted to the world population). The study population was mainly of European descent and mestizoes. Clinical features were similar to those reported in other countries. This study shows that Argentine Patagonia is a medium-risk area with no south–north gradient between parallels 55° and 36°S. The Patagonia population shows recent internal migration that makes it difficult to determine whether the exposure to potential risk factors has been long enough to modify the disease incidence.
Induction of vitellogenin synthesis in an Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) hepatocyte culture: a sensitive in vitro bioassay for the oestrogenic and anti-oestrogenic activity of chemicals

A variety of organic compounds have been documented to bind to the oestrogen receptor and induce oestrogenic effects in different vertebrates. The presence of these environmental oestrogens or oestrogen mimics in the aquatic environment has been suspected of disrupting the normal endocrinology of wild populations of fish. In this study, induction of vitellogenin synthesis in primary hepatocytes from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) was optimized and validated as an oestrogenic in vitro bioassay using a sensitive capture vitellogenin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. After proper optimization (cell media supplements, cell density, temperature and exposure time), this assay gave a sensitive and reproducible response to both endogenous steroids (relative potency: 17β-oestradiol≫oestriol>oestrone>17α-oestradiol) and a range of common oestrogen mimics (relative potency: ethynyloestradiol and diethylstilboestrol≫genistein and zearalenone≫bisphenol A and 4-t-octylphenol>4-n-nonylphenol and 2′-chloro,4-chloro-diphenyltrichloroethane (o,p′-DDT). However, the androgen testosterone and the putative oestrogen mimics dieldrin and toxaphene were not shown to be oestrogenic using this hepatocyte bioassay. Oestrogen-induced vitellogenin synthesis was efficiently inhibited by the anti-oestrogen ZM 189.154, suggesting that this bioassay may be used for testing both the oestrogenic and the anti-oestrogenic properties of chemicals.
LRRC8 proteins share a common ancestor with pannexins, and may form hexameric channels involved in cell‐cell communication

Leucine‐rich repeat‐containing 8 (LRRC8) proteins are composed of four transmembrane helices and 17 leucine‐rich repeats (LRR). Although LRRC8 proteins have been associated with important processes, like maturation of B cells or adipocyte differentiation, their biology and molecular function are largely unknown. We found that LRRC8 proteins originated from the combination of a pannexin and an LRR domain (most likely related to the SHOC2, LAP, RSU1 and LRRIQ4 protein families) before the diversification of chordates. We propose that, like pannexins, LRRC8 proteins form hexameric channels, which participate in cell‐cell communication processes. According to the inferred topological model, and contrary to what was previously assumed, the six LRR domains are located in the cytoplasm, and could participate in the organisation of signalling cascades. By compiling available proteomics and gene expression data, and on the basis of the LRRC8 proposed hexameric channel structure, we present clues to the function of this family.
Effects of physiological or pathological pressure load in vivo on myocardial expression of ET-1 and receptors

Ueno, Michihiko, Takashi Miyauchi, Satoshi Sakai, Tsutomu Kobayashi, Katsutoshi Goto, and Iwao Yamaguchi. Effects of physiological or pathological pressure load in vivo on myocardial expression of ET-1 and receptors. Am. J. Physiol. 277 (Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 46): R1321–R1330, 1999. —Endothelin (ET)-1 has potent positive inotropic and chronotropic activity in the heart and induces cardiac hypertrophy. The production of ET-1 in the heart is reported to be increased under some conditions. In normal circulation, the pressure load to the left ventricle (LV) is much greater than that to the right ventricle (RV). In this study, we investigated the gene expression of the myocardial ET-1 system (ET-1, ETA receptor, and ETB receptor) in the RV and LV of normal rats and also investigated these genes in hypertrophied RV due to pathological pulmonary hypertension (PH). Normal rats showed no differences between the RV and LV in the gene expression of either ET-1, ETA receptor, or ETB receptor in either the adult stage (11 wk old) or the neonatal stage (1 and 8 days old). On the other hand, the expression of both atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) mRNA and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) mRNA was significantly greater in the LV than in the RV in adult rats. Gene expression of ET-1, ETA receptor, and ETB receptor in the RV was markedly higher in rats with monocrotaline-induced (pathological) PH than that in control rats. The expression of ANP mRNA and BNP mRNA in the RV was also markedly higher in the rats with PH. In conclusion, the data suggest that gene expression of the ET-1 system in the myocardium is not affected by physiological pressure load in either the adult stage or neonatal stage; however, it is enhanced by pathological pressure overload such as that in PH.
Global surveillance of oral tobacco products: total nicotine, unionised nicotine and tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines

Objective Oral tobacco products contain nicotine and carcinogenic tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines (TSNAs) that can be absorbed through the oral mucosa. The aim of this study was to determine typical pH ranges and concentrations of total nicotine, unionised nicotine (the most readily absorbed form) and five TSNAs in selected oral tobacco products distributed globally. Methods A total of 53 oral tobacco products from 5 World Health Organisation (WHO) regions were analysed for total nicotine and TSNAs, including 4-(methyl-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL), using gas chromatography or liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. Unionised nicotine concentrations were calculated using product pH and total nicotine concentrations. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to help categorise or characterise some products. Results Total nicotine content varied from 0.16 to 34.1 mg/g product, whereas, the calculated unionised nicotine ranged from 0.05 to 31.0 mg/g product; a 620-fold range of variation. Products ranged from pH 5.2 to 10.1, which translates to 0.2% to 99.1% of nicotine being in the unionised form. Some products have very high pH and correspondingly high unionised nicotine (eg, gul powder, chimó, toombak) and/or high TSNA (eg, toombak, zarda, khaini) concentrations. The concentrations of TSNAs spanned five orders of magnitude with concentrations of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) ranging from 4.5 to 516 000 ng/g product. Conclusions These data have important implications for risk assessment because they show that very different exposure risks may be posed through the use of these chemically diverse oral tobacco products. Because of the wide chemical variation, oral tobacco products should not be categorised together when considering the public health implications of their use.
Power Control and Concurrent Transmission for Cognitive Ad Hoc Networks

Through location awareness, cognitive radio systems can establish a scanning free region where coexistence with a primary network is possible. Exploiting the power control capability of cognitive radio devices can expand this region, improving the system throughput. In this paper we investigate the impact of power control on the concurrent transmission probability. A new analytical model is proposed that allows to estimate the resulting expanded region when power adjustment is made between known limits. Computer simulations show that employing the proposed method the system performance is significantly improved compared to conventional fixed transmission power allocation.
Antiviral therapy and outcomes of influenza requiring hospitalization in Ontario, Canada.

BACKGROUND We conducted a prospective cohort study to assess the impact of antiviral therapy on outcomes of patients hospitalized with influenza in southern Ontario, Canada. METHODS Patients admitted to Toronto Invasive Bacterial Diseases Network hospitals with laboratory-confirmed influenza from 1 January 2005 through 31 May 2006 were enrolled in the study. Demographic and medical data were collected by patient and physician interview and chart review. The main outcome evaluated was death within 15 days after symptom onset. RESULTS Data were available for 512 of 541 eligible patients. There were 185 children (<15 years of age), none of whom died and none of whom were treated with antiviral drugs. The median age of the 327 adults was 77 years (range, 15-98 years), 166 (51%) were male, 245 (75%) had a chronic underlying illness, and 216 (71%) had been vaccinated against influenza. Of the 327 adult patients, 184 (59%) presented to the emergency department within 48 h after symptom onset, 52 (16%) required intensive care unit admission, and 27 (8.3%) died within 15 days after symptom onset. Most patients (292 patients; 89%) received antibacterial therapy; 106 (32%) were prescribed antiviral drugs. Treatment with antiviral drugs active against influenza was associated with a significant reduction in mortality (odds ratio, 0.21; 95% confidence interval, 0.06-0.80; n=100, 260). There was no apparent impact of antiviral therapy on length of stay in survivors. CONCLUSIONS There is a significant burden of illness attributable to influenza in this highly vaccinated population. Treatment with antiviral drugs was associated with a significant reduction in mortality.
Interleukin‐4 single nucleotide polymorphisms in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus

Juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE) is a chronic, recurrent multisystem inflammatory disease, caused by a combination of environmental events and genetic risk factors. As cytokines, including interleukin‐4 (IL‐4), seem to have a role in the pathogenesis of JSLE, the investigation was performed to evaluate the associations of specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IL‐4 and IL‐4RA genes in a case–control study. Fifty‐nine patients with JSLE were recruited in this study as patients' group and compared with 140 healthy volunteers. Genotyping was performed for IL‐4 gene at positions −1098, −590 and −33, as well as IL‐4 receptor α (IL‐4RA) gene at position +1902, using polymerase chain reaction with sequence‐specific primers method. Following alleles were found to be more common among patients with JSLE: C at −590 and −33 and T at −1098 of IL‐4 gene (P value < 0.001; OR = 4.6, P value < 0.001; OR = 2.7 and P value < 0.001; OR = 2.1, respectively). Additionally, significant positive associations for the following genotypes were recognized in JSLE cases, compared with controls: C/C at −33, C/C at −590 and T/T at −1098 of IL‐4 gene (P value < 0.001; OR = 5.3, P value < 0.001; OR = 29.5 and P value < 0.001; OR = 3.3, respectively), while following genotypes were less frequent among patients with JSLE: T/C at −33 and −590 and T/G at −1098 of IL‐4 gene (P value < 0.001; OR = 0.1, P value < 0.001; OR = 0.03 and P value < 0.001; OR = 0.3, respectively). Furthermore, we noticed an astonishing negative haplotypic association for JSLE for IL‐4 (positions −1098, −509 and −33) TTC, GCC and TTT haplotypes (P value < 0.001). There was also a significant relationship between TCC haplotype (IL‐4 gene at positions −1098, −590 and −33) and having JSLE (P value < 0.001). On the other hand, we found no significant associations between IL‐4R polymorphisms and the susceptibility to JSLE. Cytokine gene polymorphisms may influence susceptibility to JSLE. Particular IL‐4 gene variants are associated with JSLE and might have a role in the pathophysiology of disease.
Player–Spectator Discrepancies on Risk Preference during Decision Making

ABSTRACT Risk preference during decision making depends not only on the potential risk and profits but also on the roles taken in the current task. Those who perform tasks are more risk-seeking than those who only watch. Given the prominent effect of experiencing the task, the player–spectator discrepancies are supposed to arise in the experiencing phase instead of the choosing phase. In the present study, the authors separated the experiencing role and the choosing role through a stylus maze task in which participants first performed in pairs—one as the player and the other as the spectator—and then chose from two rewarding options for themselves or their partners. The findings show that the experience as players induced a risk-seeking tendency in decision making, which suggests that it was the experiencing role, rather than the choosing role, that caused the difference of risk preference, at least for financially motivated groups and under similar task conditions.
Proteomic analysis of the thermophilic methylotroph Bacillus methanolicus MGA3

Bacillus methanolicus MGA3 is a facultative methylotroph of industrial relevance that is able to grow on methanol as its sole source of carbon and energy. The Gram‐positive bacterium possesses a soluble NAD+‐dependent methanol dehydrogenase and assimilates formaldehyde via the ribulose monophosphate (RuMP) cycle. We used label‐free quantitative proteomics to generate reference proteome data for this bacterium and compared the proteome of B. methanolicus MGA3 on two different carbon sources (methanol and mannitol) as well as two different growth temperatures (50°C and 37°C). From a total of approximately 1200 different detected proteins, approximately 1000 of these were used for quantification. While the levels of 213 proteins were significantly different at the two growth temperatures tested, the levels of 109 proteins changed significantly when cells were grown on different carbon sources. The carbon source strongly affected the synthesis of enzymes related to carbon metabolism, and in particular, both dissimilatory and assimilatory RuMP cycle enzyme levels were elevated during growth on methanol compared to mannitol. Our data also indicate that B. methanolicus has a functional tricarboxylic acid cycle, the proteins of which are differentially regulated on mannitol and methanol. Other proteins presumed to be involved in growth on methanol were constitutively expressed under the different growth conditions. All MS data have been deposited in the ProteomeXchange with the identifiers PXD000637 and PXD000638 (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD000637, http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD000638).
Quantitative Analysis of Motor Status in Parkinson's Disease Using Wearable Devices: From Methodological Considerations to Problems in Clinical Applications

Long-term and objective monitoring is necessary for full assessment of the condition of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Recent advances in biotechnology have seen the development of various types of wearable (body-worn) sensor systems. By using accelerometers and gyroscopes, these devices can quantify motor abnormalities, including decreased activity and gait disturbances, as well as nonmotor signs, such as sleep disturbances and autonomic dysfunctions in PD. This review discusses methodological problems inherent in wearable devices. Until now, analysis of the mean values of motion-induced signals on a particular day has been widely applied in the clinical management of PD patients. On the other hand, the reliability of these devices to detect various events, such as freezing of gait and dyskinesia, has been less than satisfactory. Quantification of disease-specific changes rather than nonspecific changes is necessary.
Observability analysis for tracking of coordinated turn maneuvers

Various models for tracking coordinated turn maneuvers where suggested in the literature for two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) tracking with known or unknown target turn rate. In some papers a comparison of the estimation performance between several different models is made. Yet, it seems, that an observability check of coordinated turn (CT) models is lacking in the literature. In this paper to fill this gap. To begin with, we extend the survey paper of tracking maneuvering targets with recent new CT models. For each model, the observability matrix is constructed and a binary check of yes/no observability is made. In the linear models this check is a sufficient condition for global observability, yet in the nonlinear case it is only a necessary condition for observability at the current time step. Therefore, for the nonlinear models we calculate the observability Gramian. Whereas a full rank Gramian matrix indicates an observable system, a rank deficiency indicates that only a sub-space of the state-vector is observable. For proper estimation analysis, the question of which states (or some combination of them) are observable and which are not is of great importance. This question may be answered numerically or analytically by the null-space of the Gramian matrix. Herein, we employ the latter approach and derive the unobservable subspace for the models found to be incompletely observable.
Disinterring the Transition Debate in Maoist China

Abstract This article tries to extricate the rationale behind China’s transition debate in the Maoist era (1949–1978). Using a re-casted theory of historical materialism (HM) to posit the shared ground of engagement of Chinese Marxists, I unpack the emergence of two competing development strategies for socialist transition, one which foregrounds forces of production (FOP) as the prime mover of this transition and the other class struggle to change relations of production (ROP) as the determining factor. I conclude by briefly discussing the shift from Mao Tse-tung to Deng Xiaoping’s era as a resolution of the development strategy in favour of the development of FOP as the key to China’s socialist transition.