Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cellular physiology of the neonatal rat cerebral cortex: Intrinsic membrane properties, sodium and calcium currents

The cellular physiology of the primary somatosensory cortex was studied in postnatal day (P) 0 to P5 rats using whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings. Visually identified Cajal‐Retzius, subplate, bifurcated pyramidal, and immature, putatively migrating neurons showed resting membrane potentials between –44 and –50 mV and TTX‐sensitive action potentials. Immature pyramidal neurons with the smallest surface area (∼1,600 μm2) revealed the largest input resistance (∼1.8 GΩ), and subplate cells with the largest surface area (∼6,200 μm2) showed an input resistance of ∼1 GΩ. Ontogenetically older Cajal‐Retzius and subplate cells revealed shorter and larger action potentials compared to bifurcated and immature pyramidal neurons. Whereas Cajal‐Retzius and subplate cells responded to injection of depolarizing current pulses with a repetitive nonadapting and fast spiking firing pattern, immature pyramidal neurons showed strong adaptation. Subplate cells revealed the fastest action potentials, largest sodium current amplitude (–714 pA), and highest sodium current density (–38 μA/cm2), enabling these cells to transmit afferent activity faithfully to postsynaptic neurons. Whereas all cell types expressed a high‐voltage‐activated (HVA) calcium current, none of them showed a significant low‐voltage‐activated calcium current. The largest peak (–25.5 μA/cm2) and steady‐state (–7.6 μA/cm2) HVA calcium current density could be observed in immature presumed migrating neurons. In contrast, Cajal‐Retzius and subplate neurons showed a significantly lower peak (−4.9 μA/cm2) and steady‐state (<−3.3 μA/cm2) HVA calcium current density. Whereas a large HVA calcium current may promote neuronal migration of immature neurons, low intracellular calcium levels may provoke apoptosis in Cajal‐Retzius and subplate cells. J. Neurosci. Res. 62:574–584, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The receptor activator of nuclear factor (NF)κB ligand (RANKL) is a new chemotactic factor for human monocytes

Bone resorption is regulated by the immune system, where receptor activator of nuclear factor (NF)κB ligand (RANKL), a new member of the tumor‐necrosis factor family, may contribute to pathological conditions. Due to the role of RANKL in the maturation of monocyte‐derived osteoclasts, we hypothesized that RANKL could exert chemotactic properties toward monocytic cells. Our results demonstrate that RANKL induces the migration of MonoMac‐6 monocytic cells as well as human freshly isolated total peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and CD14+ purified PBMC. RANKL induces the migration of MonoMac‐6 cells in a dose‐dependent manner and with an efficacy similar to MCP‐1. After an 8‐h incubation, the soluble form of RANKL (sRANKL) started to exhibit a chemoattractive effect on MonoMac‐6 cells, with an increased effect observed up to 24 h. RANKL elicits an additive chemotactic effect to MCP‐1. Furthermore, addition of the RANKL decoy receptor osteoprotegerin in the lower well or RANKL in the upper well abrogates the RANKL‐induced migration of MonoMac‐6 cells, hallmarking a true specific activity. RNase protection assay experiments indicate that exposure of MonoMac‐6 cells to RANKL had no significant effect on the expression of a variety of chemokines, known to attract monocytes. This study provides evidence that RANKL behaves as a chemotactic factor for monocytic cells, emphazing the cross‐talk between bone and immune systems.
Public Safety Communications: Enhancement Through Cognitive Radio and Spectrum Sharing Principles

Wireless communications technologies play an irreplaceable role in emergency and disaster relief situations. It is generally acknowledged that the existing public safety (PS) wireless communications facilities frequently fall short of meeting users' needs in many critical situations. Emergency scenarios usually lead to exceptionally high traffic loads, and the lack of network capacity is one of the major limitations to overcome. In this context, this article first discusses about several dimensions that enable increased capacity in emergency scenarios, and then the attention is placed on the role of spectrum sharing as one of these key dimensions. In this regard, a comprehensive view of possible spectrum-sharing models for emergency communications is developed. The key principles underlying each sharing model are given, and its applicability is described through illustrative examples, where it is made evident that cognitive radio (CR) technology constitutes a major technological enabler for their realization. Finally, a discussion on the feasibility of each of the spectrum sharing models is addressed.
Research on the Impacts of Analyst Forecasts on Management Earnings Forecasts—Evidence from China

This paper investigates the effects of analyst forecasts on management earnings forecasts in Chinese forecasting environment. The empirical results show that: The pessimistic forecasts bias encourage listed firms disclose earnings forecasts more timely and accurate to correct the market expectation of earnings; managers will make more precised forecasts when analyst forecasts dispersions are high. The results imply that, analyst forecasts have great impacts on management earnings forecasts, which is not only restricted by government, but also affected by other market participants. This paper sheds new light on the research on the relationship between analyst forecasts and management earnings forecasts in China.
Acute kidney injury in critically ill obstetric patients: a cross-sectional study in an intensive care unit in Northeast Brazil.

INTRODUCTION Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a complication still poorly studied in the setting of obstetric patients, which is associated with increased mortality. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and risk factors of AKI among critically ill obstetric patients. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted with all patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) due to obstetric complications, in Fortaleza, Brazil, in the period between January 2012 and December 2014. AKI was defined according to AKIN criteria. RESULTS A total of 389 patients were included, aged between 13 and 45 years. The main causes of ICU admission were pregnancy-related hypertensive syndromes (54.5%), hemorrhage and hemorrhagic shock (12.3%), heart diseases (9.0%), respiratory insufficiency (8.2%) and sepsis (5.4%). AKI was found in 92 cases (24%), and this was the most frequent complication. General mortality was 7.5%, and mortality due to AKI was 21% (p = 0.0007). In the multivariate analysis, risk factors for AKI were cesarian delivery (95% CI = 0.23-0.85, p = 0.01) and thrombocythopenia (95% CI = 1.50-4.36, p = 0.001). AKI was an independent risk factor for death (OR = 6.64, 95% CI = 3.11-14.15, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION AKI was the main complication among critically ill obstetric patients and it was associated with increased mortality. Most cases were associated with pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders, which are complications that can be easily identified and treated during prenatal care.
An Optical Network Architecture With Distributed Switching Inside Node Clusters Features Improved Loss, Efficiency, and Cost

The novel core network architecture presented in this paper realizes distributed all-optical switching of payload by partitioning the network into a number of geographically limited domains, where two-way reservations are effective. Thus, inside each domain, loss is eliminated, while traffic from many nodes can be aggregated into single bursts, improving efficiency. Clustered nodes contribute contiguous optical slots, which are marshaled into composite optical frames destined for other clusters, under the guidance of a reservation-based control protocol. The lossless aggregation of traffic from several core nodes allows the use of cost-effective bufferless all-optical transport among the domains with electrical buffers employed at the periphery of the system. The end result is a triple improvement in loss probabilities, efficiency, and cost. This is achieved by exploiting three features of the architecture: the distributed switching functionality (as in early LANs when centralized switching was expensive), localized reservations (avoiding the intolerable delays of end-to-end reservations), and a reduced number of source-destination pairs (by means of node clustering into reservation domains)
Screening sigmoidoscopy: a randomised trial of invitation style.

OBJECTIVES To examine uptake rates for screening sigmoidoscopy and whether offering prior consultation about sigmoidoscopic screening improves the uptake rate. DESIGN Patients between 50.5-60.5 years of age registered with one practice were identified and offered screening sigmoidoscopy. Patients were randomly allocated to one of two groups. The first group was sent an invitation to have screening sigmoidoscopy along with an explanatory leaflet. The second group was sent the same invitation and leaflet but with an added option to discuss the test in the first instance with their general practitioner. Response rates (regarding reply to initial invitation and subsequent attendance for screening) in the two groups were measured. SETTING Urban General Practice, Dundee, Scotland, UK. RESULTS The overall uptake rate was low at 24%. Significantly fewer people in the second group (i.e. those with the option to discuss first) replied to the initial invitation. Assessing those who did reply, there was no difference between the two groups in numbers who thereafter went on to attend for screening. Only two percent of people took up the offer to find out more about the test from their general practitioner. CONCLUSIONS The offer of flexible sigmoidoscopy as a screening test for colorectal cancer generates little interest in this population at present and compliance rates are low. The offer of prior consultation about the procedure with a patient's own general practitioner is not sufficient to generate interest. These results highlight potential difficulties with the introduction of a mass screening program.
A three-tier information management architecture for mobile grid environments

A three-tier information management architecture for mobile grid environments and ad-hoc networks is presented in this paper. We address a key challenge in such highly dynamic environments with a high degree of fluctuation in the hardware infrastructure: how to store information consistently, persistently, and at the same time efficiently. Most currently available approaches are based on replication strategies. These strategies achieve persistency even in highly dynamic environments, but have to pay a high price in terms of redundancy. Our proposed architecture is based on the adaptation of fault-tolerant data distribution strategies utilizing erasure codes, such as RAID or Reed-Solomon, and thus combines consistency and persistency with high storage efficiency.
Dynamic Pricing with Service Unbundling

In this study, we investigate unbundling when a firm dynamically prices a basic service, while separating the sale of a fixed‐price add‐on. We characterize the optimal dynamic unbundling pricing policy and investigate its structural properties. We find that the value function with unbundling increases in the degree of dependence between consumers’ reservation prices for basic service and add‐on. However, there are no similar monotonicity properties for the optimal price of the basic service. For several families of commonly used joint distributions, we show that the influence of the dependence parameter on the optimal price of the basic service depends on a threshold, which is a function of the dependence parameter. Moreover, the price of the bundled service is higher under unbundling when the add‐on price is high, and vice versa. Our model is then compared with the bundling model through a numerical experiment. Among most cases where unbundling outperforms, the degree of dependence is non‐negative. It is further revealed that given the non‐negativity of dependence, unbundling is worth practicing under the following situations: (i) the variance of the reservation price for the basic service (add‐on) is low (high); (ii) the mean of the reservation price for the basic service (add‐on) is high (low); (iii) the demand intensity is low; (iv) the capacity of the basic service is high; and (v) the incremental cost of the basic service (add‐on) is low (high). Finally, unbundling can improve the firm's expected profit and the consumers’ surplus at the same time.
The Effect of Quality Attributes on Visiting Consumers’ Patronage Intentions of Green Restaurants

Green consumption has become increasingly popular. More and more green restaurants are entering the market. The development of mobile Internet and the application of location-based services leads customers to easily visit several restaurants before making choice. Retaining a visiting customer is very important to green restaurants in the mobile Internet era. This paper develops a theoretical model to explore how the food-related, service-related and ambiance-related attributes of green restaurants influence the confirmation of expectations regarding restaurant quality and subsequent patronage intentions of visiting consumers in the context of location-based recommendations. The theoretical model is tested using the partial least squares method. The results show that the confirmation of expectations of food quality is determined by food presentation, variety and freshness; the confirmation of expectations of service quality is determined by employees and service; and the confirmation of expectations of ambiance quality is determined by cleanliness, design and decor, in terms of a positive effect on the patronage intention of visiting consumers of green restaurants making use of location-based recommendations. Finally, theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Construct Validity of the Schwartz Outcome Scale: Validation Using a 28-Day Inpatient Chemical Rehabilitation Patient Sample

Abstract The Schwartz Outcome Scale–10 (SOS-10) is a 10-item self-report that measures quality of life and psychological well-being. It is easy to administer and score, and past research has revealed its utility, validity, and reliability with different samples (i.e., clinical and nonclinical) and in different clinical settings (i.e., inpatient, outpatient, nonpsychiatry medical settings). The present study looks to investigate the utility of the SOS-10 in measuring psychological well-being and quality of life with the 28-day inpatient chemical dependency sample. In addition, the current study looks to investigate its ability to be used as a treatment outcome measure for chemical-dependent inpatients. The results revealed that the SOS-10 was associated with aspects of interpersonal dependency and alexithymia in predicted ways. The SOS-10 was positively associated to “Healthy Dependence” and negatively related to alexithymia and “Destructive Overdependence” and “Dysfunctional Detachment. ” The results also showed that the SOS-10 showed healthy change from admission to discharge and that this change was paralleled by healthy change in interpersonal dependency and alexithymia.
[Studies on standardization of methods for screening molluscicides in laboratory IV sensitivity of Oncomelania snails from different months to niclosamide].

OBJECTIVE To understand the sensitivity of Oncomelania snails collected from different months to niclosamide, so as to provide the scientific evidence for the standardization of methods for molluscicide screening and efficacy evaluation in laboratory. METHODS The snails collected from the marshland of Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province month by month from June 2010 to May 2011. After being raised in laboratory for 24 h, the snails were randomly grouped, and then immersed in different concentrations of 50% wettable powder formulation of niclosamide ethanolamine salt at (25 +/- 1) degrees C with a humidity of 60%. The dead snails were identified and counted, and the mortality rate of snails and median lethal concentration (LC50) were calculated. RESULTS When the snails were immersed in the solutions of niclosamide at concentrations of more than 0.5 mg/L for 24 h, all the snails collected from different months were dead, while 60%-100% of the snail mortality was achieved for 0.250 mg/L niclosamide, 3%-27% for 0.125 mg/L niclosamide, and 3%-20% for 0.062 5 mg/L niclosamide. When the concentration was lower than 0.032 mg/L, the niclosamide was not toxic to the snails within 24 h. The LC50 value was 0.140-0.209 mg/L for 24 h. When the snails were immersed in the solutions of niclosamide at concentrations of more than 0.5 mg/L for 48 h, all the snails collected from different months were dead, while 90%-100% of the snail mortality was achieved for 0.250 mg/L niclosamide, 3%-57% for 0.125 mg/L niclosamide, 3%-13% for 0.062 5 mg/L niclosamide, and 0-10% for 0.032 mg/L niclosamide. When the concentration was lower than 0.016 mg/L, the niclosamide was not toxic to the snails within 48 h. The LC50 value was 0.112-0.170 mg/L for 48 h. There were no significant differences in the mortality of snails caused by niclosamide treatment observed at 24 and 48 h (P values = 0.374 and 0.267, respectively). CONCLUSIONS There are little changes in the sensitivity of snails collected from different months to niclosamide, with minor fluctuations in LC50 values. Such a finding indicates that the snails collected from different months have few effects on screening of molluscicides and efficacy evaluation.
Eye Disorders in Old People

Background: Visual impairment is one of a major public health problem among elderly people. Object: Aim of this study was determining the prevalence of visual impairment in median and old peoples in Qazvin (Iran). Method: In this cross sectional study, with a simple random sampling, 446 patients older than 5o years who were referred to outpatient ophthalmology clinics at Avecina hospital of Qazvin (a province of Iran) in 2010 were enrolled. Participants first complete a questionnaire with 25 questions toward demographic and past medical history and then were examined by ophthalmologist. These examinations includes direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy, slit lamp examination, measurement of uncorrected visual acuity and visual acuity with current glasses, lensometery of the previous glasses, refraction with and without the use of cycloplegic and determining the best corrected visual acuity. All slit lamp examinations were performed by the same ophthalmologist. Data were analyzed with SPSS16 with use of Chi – Square test with Pvalue <0.05. Results: In this study 446 patients were examined that 54.7% were male. Mean age of study population was 62+-9.3 years old. 96.4% of participants had refractory disorder. Prevalence of myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism were 33.6%, 45.9% and 16.8% respectively. Of patients 17.4% had diabetes. Of participants 28.9% had temporal headache, 37% red eye, 41.2% flashing, 27.3% and 28% had dryness and discharge of eye respectively. 31.1% of participants had eyelide problem, 4.7% Color Vision Deficiency (CVD) and 3.8% had family history of CVD. Of total 4.5% had glaucoma, 3.3% macular degeneration and 21.7% had hypertension. 0.6% of population had macular degeneration, 0.4% of population had glaucoma Of 892 eyes (446 individuals), 36.2% had visual acuity less than 7/10, 1.7% light perception (LP) and 0.22% no light perception (NLP) and 2.7% finger count. Conclusion: Refractory errors, cataract and amblyopia were most important eye disorders in older people in Qazvin.
Morphological Analysis and Differentiation of Benign Cystic Neoplasms of the Pancreas Using Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate morphologic characteristics and establish a standardized diagnostic algorithm to differentiate benign cystic pancreatic tumors (CPTs) in non-pancreatitis patients using multidetector computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and Methods: Patients with histopathologically proven CPTs who had undergone MRI and/or CT and subsequent tumor resection in our institution were retrospectively identified. Images were analyzed for morphology and enhancement patterns by three independent blinded observers. Preoperative image findings were correlated with histopathological results. Based on the evaluated morphologic parameters, a standardized diagnostic algorithm was designed to help characterize the lesions. Results: A total of 62 consecutive patients with 64 CPTs were identified from the surgical database (21 intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms; 10 mucinous cystic neoplasms; 12 serous microcystic adenomas; 3 serous oligocystic adenomas; 6 solid pseudopapillary tumors; 12 neuroendocrine neoplasms). The overall averaged accuracy for the 3 observers was 89.9 % for CT and 93.1 % for MRI with increasing overall accuracy in relation to the experience of the observer (88.2 %, 91.5 %, and 93.8 %, respectively). Overall, the generalized kappa value was 0.69 (CT, 0.64; MRI, 0.76); p < 0.001). The accuracy of the standardized diagnostic algorithm was 91.1 %. Conclusion: It is possible to characterize benign CPTs with MRI and CT, while MRI appears to be superior to CT. Diagnostic accuracy depends on the observer’s experience. The standardized algorithm can aid in the differential diagnosis but still needs to be tested in other patient populations.
Challenges and Approaches to the Identification of Traumatic Brain Injury Among Nursing Home Residents

The Minimum Data Set (MDS) is a standardized, federally mandated assessment tool used to identify the needs of nursing home residents and rehabilitation and nursing services received on a routine basis. These data can be used to identify people with traumatic brain injury (TBI), where a diagnosis is recorded. However, both limitations of the MDS and the presence of other neurological issues that can be confused with TBI can reduce the likelihood that brain injury is identified where it exists. The article discusses innovative methodological approaches and challenges to using the MDS data to identify people with TBI in nursing homes.