Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Line-Field Optical Coherence Tomography Using Frequency-Sweeping Source

In this paper, we propose a line-field optical coherence tomography (OCT) with frequency-sweeping source, which uses imaging optics to form a line focus on the sample and obtains cross-sectional OCT images of biological tissues without any mechanical scanning. Therefore, real-time imaging becomes possible even when the sweeping rate of the source is not high. Moreover, a full 3-D volume image can be acquired by simply incorporating 1-D mechanical scanning. Our line-field OCT using frequency-sweeping source has a sensitivity of ~88 dB, an axial resolution of 8.3 mum, and an acquisition speed of 45 fps.
Comparative Studies of Two Nigerian Ecotypes Chicken Kept in Battery Cages for Laying Performance and Egg Quality Traits

This study was conducted to evaluate and determine the effects of ecotype on laying performance and some egg quality traits in two indigenous chickens ecotype commonly found in Kwara state Nigeria {Fulani Ecotype chicken (FE) and Yoruba Ecotype chicken (YE)}. They were kept in battery cages for a period of fifty two (52) weeks. It was observed that the YE matured earlier than FE with Age at First Egg (AFE) of 20.56 (20 – 23 weeks) compared to 26.73 weeks (22-31 wks) obtained for FE. Significant (p 0.05) differences in other egg quality traits.
Does the modality principle hold for different media? A test of the method-affects-learning hypothesis

Abstract Does the modality of instructional messages affect learning? How does it affect different media? In this paper, I offer an answer to these questions by first proposing a theoretical framework from which effective instructional methods can be derived. Then, I report a set of studies where one method, the modality principle, was tested across different media and found to produce significant learning benefits. Based on the findings and those of a recent meta-analysis of modality effects, I suggest future research directions to examine method and media contributions to learning.
EFFECTS OF SODIUM BICARBONATE ON STRIATED MUSCLE METABOLISM AND INTRACELLULAR pH DURING ENDOTOXIC SHOCK

The effects of HCO3Na load on acid-base balance and muscle intracellular bioenergetics have been investigated using 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy in an experimental model of endotoxinic shock. Anesthetized, mechanically ventilated, and paralyzed rats (n = 16) were given an intravenous bolus of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (15 mg/kg). When shock was established they were randomly assigned to receive either HCO3Na intravenously (2 mmol/kg in 2 min) or an equimolar saline injection. Lipopolysaccharide induced a significant decrease in the levels of mean arterial pressure (58 ± 6 vs. 120 ± 8 mmHg), arterial pH (7.20 ± .03 vs. 7.35 ± .01), intracellular pH (6.86 ± .04 vs. 7.08 ± .01), a marked hyperlactatemia (7 ± 3 vs. 1.2 ± .2 mmol/L) and a drop in the phosphocreatine-inorganic phosphate ratio. In the bicarbonate-loaded rats, mean arterial pressure further decreased whereas it remained unchanged in the saline group. Bicarbonate increased arterial pH and PaCO2 transiently. In the saline group, arterial pH decreased and PaCO2 remained stable. In both groups, intracellular pH and high energy phosphates had a similar evolution. In this model of septic shock, partial correction of arterial pH using HCO3Na did not reduce the metabolic cellular injury in skeletal muscle. Based on these results, HCO3Na may be of limited therapeutic value in severe septic metabolic acidosis.
Endocrine and neural control of estrus in dairy cows.

During proestrus, gonadotropins induce final follicular maturation, resulting in increased secretion of estradiol. Estradiol, in the relative absence of progesterone, acts on the hypothalamus to induce estrous behavior. The mean duration of estrus is 12 to 16 h and ranges from 3 to 28 h. The effects of estradiol appear to be "all or none". That is, once a threshold of estradiol is achieved, estrus is induced, and additional amounts of estradiol above threshold do not further enhance the estrous response (duration and intensity of estrus). Also, progesterone can block the estrus-inducing actions of estradiol. In addition, prior exposure to progesterone does not potentiate the estrus-inducing actions of estradiol except in the early postpartum period. In dairy cows, the first postpartum ovulation is often "silent". In other words, ovulation is not preceded by estrous behavior. High levels of estradiol during late gestation apparently induce a refractory state such that the brain cannot respond to the estrus-inducing actions of estradiol at the first postpartum ovulation. Progesterone can "reset" the brain, allowing it to respond to subsequent estradiol exposure. In the case of the postpartum cow, the corpus luteum formed after the first ovulation provides the progesterone that resets the brain. As a consequence, the second postpartum ovulation is preceded by estrous behavior. Finally, stress (or injection of ACTH) has been shown to delay, shorten, or inhibit completely the expression of estrus in the presence of estrus-inducing concentrations of estradiol. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Latitudinal gradients in species diversity: the search for the primary cause

Hypotheses that attempt to explain latitudinal gradients in species diversity are reviewed. Some hypotheses are circular, i.e. they are based on the assumption that some taxa have greater diversity in the tropics. These include explanations assuming different degrees of competition, mutualism, predation, epiphyte load, epidemics, biotic spatial heterogeneity, host diversity, population size, niche width, population growth rate, environmental harshness, and patchiness at different latitudes
Effects of the CETP inhibitor evacetrapib administered as monotherapy or in combination with statins on HDL and LDL cholesterol: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT Interest remains high in cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitors as cardioprotective agents. Few studies have documented the efficacy and safety of CETP inhibitors in combination with commonly used statins. OBJECTIVE To examine the biochemical effects, safety, and tolerability of evacetrapib, as monotherapy and in combination with statins, in patients with dyslipidemia. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Randomized controlled trial conducted among 398 patients with elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) or low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels from April 2010 to January 2011 at community and academic centers in the United States and Europe. INTERVENTIONS Following dietary lead-in, patients were randomly assigned to receive placebo (n = 38); evacetrapib monotherapy, 30 mg/d (n = 40), 100 mg/d (n = 39), or 500 mg/d (n = 42); or statin therapy (n = 239) (simvastatin, 40 mg/d; atorvastatin, 20 mg/d; or rosuvastatin, 10 mg/d) with or without evacetrapib, 100 mg/d, for 12 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The co-primary end points were percentage changes from baseline in HDL-C and LDL-C after 12 weeks of treatment. RESULTS The mean baseline HDL-C level was 55.1 (SD, 15.3) mg/dL and the mean baseline LDL-C level was 144.3 (SD, 26.6) mg/dL. As monotherapy, evacetrapib produced dose-dependent increases in HDL-C of 30.0 to 66.0 mg/dL (53.6% to 128.8%) compared with a decrease with placebo of -0.7 mg/dL (-3.0%; P < .001 for all compared with placebo) and decreases in LDL-C of -20.5 to -51.4 mg/dL (-13.6% to -35.9%) compared with an increase with placebo of 7.2 mg/dL (3.9%; P < .001 for all compared with placebo). In combination with statin therapy, evacetrapib, 100 mg/d, produced increases in HDL-C of 42.1 to 50.5 mg/dL (78.5% to 88.5%; P < .001 for all compared with statin monotherapy) and decreases in LDL-C of -67.1 to -75.8 mg/dL (-11.2% to -13.9%; P < .001 for all compared with statin monotherapy). Compared with evacetrapib monotherapy, the combination of statins and evacetrapib resulted in greater reductions in LDL-C (P <.001) but no greater increase in HDL-C (P =.39). Although the study was underpowered, no adverse effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS Compared with placebo or statin monotherapy, evacetrapib as monotherapy or in combination with statins increased HDL-C levels and decreased LDL-C levels. The effects on cardiovascular outcomes require further investigation. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01105975.
Allergic Skin Reactions to Anticonvulsant Medications in Patients Receiving Cranial Radiation Therapy

Summary: Purpose: Erythema multiforme and Stevens‐Johnson syndrome have been associated with anticonvulsant medications (AEDs) in patients with brain tumors receiving cranial irradiation. AEDs are also known to cause mild drug rashes. The incidence of these complications has not been well studied among patients with brain tumors. We reviewed the records of patients with brain tumors treated with cranial radiation and AEDs to assess the frequency of both severe and mild skin reactions.
Hyaluronan oligosaccharides sensitize lymphoma resistant cell lines to vincristine by modulating P‐glycoprotein activity and PI3K/Akt pathway

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is one of the main reasons for failure of cancer therapy. It may be mediated by overexpression of ATP‐dependent efflux pumps or by alterations in survival or apoptotic pathways. Fragments generated by enzymatic degradation of hyaluronan (oHA) were able to modulate growth and cell survival and sensitize MDR breast cancer cells to cytotoxic drugs. In this work the relationship between oHA and MDR in lymphoid malignancies was analyzed using murine lymphoma cell lines resistant to doxorubicin (LBR‐D160) or vincristine (LBR‐V160) and a sensitive line (LBR‐). After oHA treatment, higher apoptosis levels were observed in the resistant cell lines than in the sensitive one. Besides, oHA sensitized LBR‐D160 and LBR‐V160 to vincristine showing increased apoptosis induction when used in combination with vincristine. Native hyaluronan failed to increase apoptosis levels. As different survival factors could be modulated by hyaluronan, we investigated the PI3K/Akt pathway through PIP3 production and phosphorylated Akt (p‐Akt) and survivin expression was also evaluated. Our results showed that oHA decreased p‐Akt in the 3 cell lines while anti‐CD44 treatment abolished this effect. Besides, survivin was downregulated only in LBR‐V160 by oHA. When Pgp function was evaluated, we observed that oHA were able to inhibit Pgp efflux in murine and human resistant cell lines in a CD44‐dependent way. In summary, we report for the first time that oHA per se modulate MDR in lymphoma cells by decreasing p‐Akt as well as Pgp activity, thus suggesting that oHA could be useful in combination with classical chemotherapy in MDR hematological malignancies. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Transportation Barriers to Accessing Health Care for Urban Children

The Texas Children's Hospital Residents' Primary Care Group Clinic provides primary care to urban low-income children. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the impact of transportation problems on a family's ability to keep an appointment. One hundred eighty-three caregivers of children with an appointment were interviewed. Caregivers who kept their appointment were compared with those who did not with respect to demographic and transportation-related characteristics. Logistic regression modeling predicted caregivers with the following characteristics were more likely not to keep an appointment: not using a car to the last kept appointment, not keeping an appointment in the past due to transportation problems, having more than two people in the household, and not keeping an appointment in the past due to reasons other than transportation problems. Future research should focus on developing interventions to help low-income urban families overcome non-financial access barriers, including transportation problems.
Optimizing the Directivity of Multiway Loudspeaker Systems

In multiway loudspeaker systems, digital signal processing techniques have been used to correct the frequency response, the propagation time, and the lobbing errors. These solutions are mainly based on correcting the delays between the signals coming from loudspeaker system transducers, and they still show limited performances over the overlap frequency bands. In this paper, we propose an enhanced optimization of relevant directivity characteristics of a multiway loudspeaker system such as the frequency response, the radiation pattern, and the directivity index over an extended transducers' frequency overlap bands. The optimization process is based on applying complex weights to the crossover filter transfer functions by using an iterative approach.
Time course and regional expression of C‐FOS and HSP70 in hippocampus and piriform cortex following soman‐induced seizures

The time course of induction of the proto‐oncogene c‐fos and the inducible heat shock hsp70 gene was studied from 5 minutes to 24 hours at both transcriptional (c‐fos and hsp70 mRNA) and translational levels (C‐FOS and HSP72 proteins) in the rat hippocampus and piriform cortex (Pir) after soman‐induced seizures. Induction of c‐fos was noticed as early as 5 minutes after seizures onset in all fields of hippocampal formation (CA1, CA3, CA4, and dentate gyrus) and in piriform cortex. The most intense induction was observed in piriform cortex. A sustained activation of c‐fos occurred in Pir and in CA1, CA3, and CA4 areas of hippocampus. Nevertheless, histological analysis showed rare affected neurons in CA4, whereas damage was severe in Pir and in CA1 and CA3 hippocampal subfields. Induction of hsp70 mRNA occurred but was delayed in all areas previously exhibiting c‐fos expression. Nevertheless HSP72 protein was never expressed in the structures where injury was high (i.e., CA1 and piriform cortex) and mainly occurred in the less damaged structure (i.e., CA4 area of hippocampus). Regional expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein mRNA was also studied in order to exclude an astroglial origin of the c‐fos and hsp70 gene inductions. Our results demonstrated that after soman induced‐seizures 1) there was no strict correlation between time course or intensity of neuronal c‐fos induction and subsequent neuropathology, and 2) the most lesioned areas did not express HSP72 protein in spite of intense mRNA induction, suggesting that transcriptional and translational events for hsp70 gene might vary according to the severity of seizure insult. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A single amino acid change determines persistence of a chimeric Theiler's virus

The DA strain of Theiler's virus persists in the central nervous system of mice and causes chronic inflammation and demyelination. On the other hand, the GDVII strain causes an acute encephalitis and does not persist in surviving animals. Series of recombinants between infectious cDNA clones of the genomes of DA and GDVII viruses have been constructed. The analysis of the phenotypes of the recombinant viruses has shown that determinants of persistence and demyelination are present in the capsid proteins of DA virus. Chimeric viruses constructed by the different research groups gave consistent results, with one exception. Chimeras GD1B-2A/DAFL3 and GD1B-2C/DAFL3, which contain part of capsid protein VP2, capsid proteins VP3 and VP1, and different portions of P2 of GDVII in a DA background, were able to persist and cause demyelination. Chimera R4, whose genetic map is identical to that of GD1B-2A/DAFL3, was not. After exchanging the viral chimeras between laboratories and verifying each other's observations, new chimeras were generated in order to explain this difference. Here we report that the discrepancy can be attributed to a single amino acid difference in the sequence of the capsid protein VP2 of the two parental DA strains. DAFL3 (University of Chicago) and the chimeras derived from it, GD1B-2A/DAFL3 and GD1B-2C/DAFL3, contain a Lys at position 141, while TMDA (Institut Pasteur) and R4, the chimera derived from it, contain an Asn in that position. This amino acid is located at the tip of the EF loop, on the rim of the depression spanning the twofold axis of the capsid. These results show that a single amino acid change can confer the ability to persist and demyelinate to a chimeric Theiler's virus, and they pinpoint a region of the viral capsid that is important for this phenotype.
SODIUM CROMOGLYCATE: A REMEDY FOR ACE INHIBITOR‐INDUCED COUGH

SUMMARY The beneficial effects of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors may be limited by cough, for which the only consistently effective treatment is withdrawal of therapy. The effect of inhaled sodium cromoglycate (20 mg, 4 times daily) was examined in five patients who experienced cough following the introduction of an ACE inhibitor. In three patients inhaled cromoglycate suppressed the cough. Inhaled sodium cromoglycate may thus be of value in a proportion of patients with ACE inhibitor‐induced cough.
Low Complexity DCT Approximation for Image Compression in Wireless Image Sensor Networks

Energy consumption is a critical problem affecting the lifetime of wireless image sensor networks (WISNs). In such systems, images are usually compressed using JPEG standard to save energy during transmission. And since DCT transformation is the most computationally intensive part in the JPEG technique, several approximation techniques have been proposed to further decrease the energy consumption. In this paper, we propose a low-complexity DCT approximation method which is based on the combination of the rounded DCT with a pruned approach. Experimental comparison with recently proposed schemes, using Atmel Atmega128L platform, shows that our method requires less arithmetic operations, and hence less processing time and/or the energy consumption while providing better performance in terms of PSNR metric.
System principle on emergence of Mobiligence and its engineering realization

This is a review paper on Mobiligence research. In order to solve the mechanism of intelligence with which higher organisms can behave even in unknown environment, and to discover design principle of artificial systems that have such intelligence, a new concept called Mobiligence is introduced based on assumption that the intelligence must be emerged through the interaction of the system with the environment caused by its mobility. The research on the Mobiligence is characterized by embodied plasticity, co-embodiment with environment, and internal generation of abductive information. The framework of the research on Mobiligence is presented in this paper as well as the originality of the research.
RDBMS vs NoSQL: Performance and Scaling Comparison

The massive amounts of data collected today by software in fields varying from academia to business and many other fields, is increasingly becoming a huge problem due to storage technologies not advancing fast enough to provide the performance scalability needed. This is even more true for data which are highly organised and require analysis while being stored in databases and being accessed by various applications simultaneously. Databases also have the added advantage of providing failover mechanism in case of disruptions or one node failing. As database vendors struggle to gain more market share new technologies emerge attempting to overcome the disadvantages of previous designs while providing more features. Two popular database types, the Relational Database Management Systems and NoSQL databases are examined. The aim of this project was to examine and compare two databases from these two database models and answer the question of whether one performs and scales better than the other. From the comparison of the results it was found that MongoDB can perform much better for complicated queries at the cost of data duplication which in turn results to a larger database. Also the database size did not appear to be a deciding factor as performance was not crippled significantly for larger database sizes. Writing benchmarks were also run which showed that MySQL performs best at deletion whereas MongoDB excels at inserting documents. The last comparison showed that using sharding to split up the database in MongoDB did not provide a performance advantage which may be related to the routing done by the MongoDB system.
The efficacy of a mental health program in Bosnia-Herzegovina: impact on coping and general health.

The efficacy of a community-based psychosocial program in Bosnia-Herzegovina during the war and immediate postwar years (1994-1999) was described in this article. Ten centers provided various kinds of psychological help in the besieged city of Sarajevo and the towns of Zenica, Travnik, and Vitez. Since 1994, an intensive monitoring system has documented data on clients, interventions, and outcomes. This study focused on the systematic evaluation of counseling interventions aimed to alleviate the distress in wartime. The sample consisted of 3,283 and 1,785 inhabitants of Sarajevo, Zenica, Travnik, and Vitez who filled out the GHQ-28 and IES respectively. Pre- and post-assessments were compared throughout consecutive years (1994-1999) and across age groups and both sexes. Outcomes of these scales reflected very high scores, especially among people between 30 and 40 years of age. Furthermore, intake scores increased in time rather than decreased. Differences between pre- and postmeasurements are highly significant--throughout the years. Analyses revealed substantial proportions of clinically recovered or generally improved individual functioning, although some clients revealed no improvement.
Estimation of the rotor position of a servo drive at zero stator frequency

This paper introduces a technique to estimate the angular position of the rotor of an industrial servo motor with rotor saliency. The estimation technique is based on injection of Test Voltage Signals (TVSs). The TVSs generate stator current transients which are exploited in order to acquire the required rotor position information. Then, the obtained information is processed through a tracking observer to extract useful position signals. Following this strategy no extra hardware, especial current transducers or connections are needed in comparison with a standard servo drive with an encoder. The technique is effective at zero and very low stator frequencies of operation, where the back EMF is very low and model based sensorless techniques commonly fail. Experimental results at very low and zero stator frequency of operation verify the effectiveness of the investigated sensorless strategy.
The antagonism between Ca and Na ions on the frog's heart

It is well known that replacement of part of the sodium chloride in Ringer's fluid with an osmotically equivalent quantity of sucrose has an effect on the frog's heart which is similar to that of an excess of calcium (Daly & Clark, 1921); in both cases the strength of the beat increases in a striking way. Wilbrandt & Koller (1948) found that these effects are quantitatively related in that the contractile tension is determined by the ratio of the Ca concentration to the square of the Na concentration in Ringer's fluid. This observation has recently been confirmed and extended (Niedergerke & Liittgau, 1957). For example, it was found that heart tissue, depolarized by KCl-rich solutions, can be made to contract and relax, respectively, by reducing and increasing the proportion of Na in the surrounding medium. Moreover, relaxation seems to be brought about specifically by the addition of Na ions since other cations like Li or choline, if used to replace Na, sustained or initiated contracture. These findings could be explained on the assumption that Ca and Na ions compete for some negatively charged substance, probably located near the cell surface, which controls the contractile process. The aim of the present work was to obtain detailed information on this antagonism between Na and Ca, in the hope of finding thereby some clue to the mode of activation of the contractile system.