Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Combined neural measurement with surface and depth microelectrode array for topographic and layer-specific characterization in the auditory cortex and thalamus

Interaction between bottom-up and top-down information processing between the auditory cortex (AC) and thalamus (medial geniculate body; MGB) has been considered important for auditory perception. In this study, we developed an experimental system consisting of a surface microelectrode array and depth microelectrode array to comprehensively investigate the thalamo-cortical system. The combined use of two types of electrode array was able to simultaneously characterize the superficial as well as layer-specific activities in AC. We measured tone-evoked local field potentials and multi-unit activities from anesthetized rats. First, we demonstrated that tonotopic maps from the surface and depth electrode array agreed with previous studies. Second, electrical stimulation to MGB induced deflection in local field potentials, both in AC and MGB. These results indicate the feasibility and efficacy of our experimental system to characterize the thalamo-cortical interaction in the auditory pathway.
Distribution of infused umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in a rat model of renal interstitial fibrosis

Abstract Aims: Stem cell transplantation for the treatment of kidney diseases is dependent on choice of transplant pathway. We evaluated the safety of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells through peripheral infusion and their distribution in a rat model of renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF). Method: Cryopreserved umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were infused via tail vein injection into rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction and Sham-operated. Blood, kidney, heart, liver, spleen and lung were collected at 14, 21, and 28 days after infusion. Testing included microscopic observation of kidney morphological changes and immunohistochemical testing to identify and count the number of MAB1281 (labeled human cells) positive cells in the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys of different treatment groups. Results: There was no significant difference in the Sham-operated group and Sham-operated + cell transplantation group at different time points. Human cells were identified mainly in the lungs, spleen, and kidney. The number of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in the kidney was greater in the unilateral ureteral obstruction + cell transplantation group, compared to the Sham-operated + cell transplantation group. human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were mainly located in the interstitium of the left kidney. These results suggest that infused mesenchymal stem cells were primed to engraft a damaged kidney, especially damaged renal interstitium. Conclusions: Intravenous infusion of exogenous umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells is feasible and safe. Infused mesenchymal stem cells can reach damaged kidney tissues with obstructive RIF after a vein graft.
A grasp abstraction hierarchy for recognition of grasping tasks from observation

This work focuses on the abstraction hierarchy for a grasp which has been recognized from low-level hand-object interaction data. Previous work done on grasp classification and recognition is discussed. The proposed abstraction hierarchy is presented with illustrations, implementation issues, as well as experimental results. Issues pertaining to the conceptual analysis of the other aspects of recognizing grasping tasks are also presented. The authors report on the current status of the project and future work.
Older sibling influences on the language environment and language development of toddlers in bilingual homes

ABSTRACT Two separate studies examined older siblings’ influence on the language exposure and language development of US-born toddlers who were being raised in bilingual homes. The participants in Study 1 were 60 children between 16 and 30 months who had heard English and another language at home from birth; 26 had older siblings, and 34 did not. The participants in Study 2 were 27 children, assessed at 22 and 30 months, who had heard English and Spanish from birth; 14 had school-aged older siblings, and 13 did not. Both studies found that older siblings used English more in talking to the toddlers than did other household members and that toddlers with older siblings were more advanced in English language development. Study 2 also found that the presence of a school-aged older sibling increased mothers’ use of English with their toddlers and that toddlers without a school-aged older sibling were more advanced in Spanish than the toddlers with a school-aged older sibling. These findings contribute to a picture of the complex processes that shape language use in bilingual homes and cause variability in young children's bilingual development.
Does Dimethicone Increase the Efficacy of Antacids in the Treatment of Reflux Oesophagitis?

Dimethicone is a common additive to antacids, although its value in the treatment of reflux oesophagitis is unproven. Its efficacy was assessed by comparing the effect of a dimethicone-containing antacid gel (Asilone Gel) with a simple antacid gel in a double-blind trial in 45 patients with reflux oesophagitis. Thirty-eight patients completed the eight-week course of therapy. Antacid therapy alone resulted in a significant improvement of both symptoms and oesophagitis in gastro-oesophageal reflux. The inclusion of dimethicone in the antacid gel preparation did not confer any benefit in terms of symptomatic assessment but did confer a small advantage with regard to objective markers of oesophageal inflammation, suggesting that a dimethicone-containing antacid is of value in the treatment of symptomatic gastro-oesophageal reflux.
New Strategies for Preoperative Skin Antisepsis

During the past decades, encouraging progress has been made in the prevention of surgical site infections (SSI). However, as SSI still occur today, strategic prevention measures such as standardized skin antisepsis must be implemented and rigorously promoted. Recent discoveries in skin physiology necessitate the development of novel antiseptic agents and procedures in order to ameliorate their efficacy. In particular, alternate target structures in the skin need to be taken into consideration for the development of the next generation of antiseptics. Recent investigations have shown that a high number of microorganisms are located within and in the close vicinity of the hair follicles. This suggests that these structures are an important reservoir of bacterial growth and activity in human skin. To date, it has not been fully elucidated to what extent conventional liquid antiseptics sufficiently target the hair follicle-related microbial population. Modern technologies such as tissue-tolerable plasma (TTP) have been tested for their potential antiseptic efficiency by reducing the bacterial load in the skin and in the hair follicles. First experiments using liposomes to deliver antiseptics into the hair follicles have been evaluated for their potential clinical application. The present review evaluates these two innovative methods for their efficacy and applicability in preoperative skin antiseptics.
Differential effects of TGFbeta and vitreous on the transformation of retinal pigment epithelial cells.

PURPOSE In proliferative vitreoretinopathy retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT). Vitreous and transforming growth factor-beta (TGFbeta) have been implicated in this EMT. The role of TGFbeta in the vitreous-mediated transformation of low-passage human RPE cells was investigated. METHODS Cells were treated with vitreous or TGFbeta2. SB431542 was used to inhibit TGFbeta signaling. Morphology was investigated using phase-contrast or confocal microscopy. Motility was measured using a monolayer-wounding assay. Invasion was determined using basement membrane matrix-based assays. Gene expression was measured by quantitative PCR, immunohistochemistry, or immunoblotting. RESULTS Changes in phosphorylation or cellular localization of Smad -2, -3, or -4 indicated a TGFbeta-like activity in vitreous. Cortical actin filaments in untreated cells were replaced by stress fibers after TGFbeta treatment, but peripheral actin aggregates were seen in vitreous-treated cells. SB431542 did not block the morphologic change induced by vitreous. Vitreous-treated cells exhibited increased motility and invasion, whereas TGFbeta-treated cells did not. However, SB431542 decreased vitreous-meditated changes in motility and invasion. The levels of mRNA for genes indicative of myofibroblast differentiation (alpha-SMA and CTGF) were increased by treatment with TGFbeta but suppressed by vitreous. TGFbeta or vitreous caused increased expression of Snail1. CONCLUSIONS Vitreous or TGFbeta caused a fibroblast-like morphology and induced Snail1, a marker of EMT. TGFbeta activity in vitreous was necessary but not sufficient for the vitreous-induced motile, invasive phenotype. However, differences in the cytoskeletal organization and in the expression of CTGF and alpha-SMA suggested that TGFbeta-treatment caused differentiation along a myofibroblast pathway, whereas vitreous treatment suppressed myofibroblast formation.
Optimal continuous sequential boundaries for monitoring toxicity in clinical trials: a restricted search algorithm

Continuous monitoring of severe adverse experiences can ensure the timely termination of a clinical trial if the therapy is shown to be harmful. In this paper we present methods for choosing a stopping rule for continuous monitoring of toxicity in small trials. They are especially useful for small phase II trials of about 30 patients for monitoring a binary toxicity event that is observed relatively quickly compared to the efficacy outcome. In 1987 Goldman described an algorithm for computing the exact type I error rate (α) and power (1−β) of a specified discrete stopping boundary for sequential monitoring of a study with a fixed maximum number of patients (N) to be enrolled on the experimental therapy. Only an upper boundary was used since trials are only terminated for an excess frequency of toxicity and not for a low rate. By repeated use of this algorithm a stopping rule can be identified which has nearly the chosen level of (α) and a reasonable power depending on the design parameters of the study. The work reported here embeds this earlier algorithm as a subroutine in a larger FORTRAN program which searches all boundaries that fulfil constraints on size and power, as specified by the user. The search is restricted so that only those boundaries with size in a small neighbourhood of the chosen α are examined and displayed if the power is above a set minimum. These restrictions reduce the number of boundaries examined to only 0.4 per cent of all possible boundaries, thus reducing running time to a practical few seconds. Many such boundaries exist, the one with the largest power can then be chosen for monitoring the trial. The average sample number (ASN) and the expected relative loss (ERL) are also computed. The criterion for choosing may also be based on small ASN or low ERL in addition to power and appropriate α. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nitric oxide inhibition and the impact on renal nerve‐mediated antinatriuresis and antidiuresis in the anaesthetized rat

The contribution of nitric oxide (NO) to the antinatriuresis and antidiuresis caused by low‐level electrical stimulation of the renal sympathetic nerves (RNS) was investigated in rats anaesthetized with chloralose–urethane. Groups of rats, n= 6, were given i.v. infusions of vehicle, l‐NAME (10 μg kg−1 min−1), 1400W (20 μg kg−1 min−1), or S‐methyl‐thiocitrulline (SMTC) (20 μg kg−1 min−1) to inhibit NO synthesis non‐selectively or selectively to block the inducible or neuronal NOS isoforms (iNOS and nNOS, respectively). Following baseline measurements of blood pressure (BP), renal blood flow (RBF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urine flow (UV) and sodium excretion (UNaV), RNS was performed at 15 V, 2 ms duration with a frequency between 0.5 and 1.0 Hz. RNS did not cause measurable changes in BP, RBF or GFR in any of the groups. In untreated rats, RNS decreased UV and UNaV by 40–50% (both P < 0.01), but these excretory responses were prevented in l‐NAME‐treated rats. In the presence of 1400W i.v. , RNS caused reversible reductions in both UV and UNaV of 40–50% (both P < 0.01), while in SMTC‐treated rats, RNS caused an inconsistent fall in UV, but a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in UNaV of 21%. These data demonstrated that the renal nerve‐mediated antinatriuresis and antidiuresis was dependent on the presence of NO, generated in part by nNOS. The findings suggest that NO importantly modulates the neural control of fluid reabsorption; the control may be facilitatory at a presynaptic level but inhibitory on tubular reabsorptive processes.
Effectiveness of sodium benzoate as a freshwater low toxicity antifoulant when dispersed in solution and entrapped in silicone coatings

The traditional solution for preventing organisms from attaching to submerged surfaces is to apply antifouling coatings or biocides. Based on the varied defence mechanisms exhibited by biofilms, the antifoulant needs to prevent bacterial attachment during the early stages of biofilm formation. The potential of benzoic acid and sodium benzoate (NaB) as antifoulants for deterring freshwater bacterial attachment was evaluated with the antifoulants dispersed in solution or entrapped in silicone coatings. Effectiveness was based on the decrease in microbial attachment, limited toxicity, and minimum alteration of the properties of the coatings. The optimal NaB concentration when dispersed in solution, 700 mg l−1, resulted in a biofilm surface coverage of only 3.34% after four weeks. The model silicone, Sylgard 184, demonstrated a better overall performance than the commercial coating, RTV11. Sylgard 184 containing sodium benzoate had 41 – 52% less biofilm in comparison to the control Sylgard 184, whereas both the control and NaB-entrapped RTV11 coatings had significant biofilm coverage.
A computer model of endo-epicardial electrical dissociation and transmural conduction during atrial fibrillation.

AIMS Structural alterations during atrial fibrillation (AF) not only lead to electrical dissociation within the epicardial layer, but also between the epicardial layer and the endocardial bundle network. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of transmural conduction in the stability of AF episodes using a dual-layer computer model. METHODS AND RESULTS A proof-of-principle dual-layer model was developed in which connections between the layers can be introduced or removed at any time during the simulation. Using an S1-S2 protocol, a spiral wave was initiated in one of the layers, which degenerated into a complex AF pattern after connection with the other layer at six randomly chosen sites. After 6 s, connections were either retained (dual-layer simulations) or removed (single-layer simulations). Dual-layer simulations were more complex, as indicated by the higher number of waves and phase singularities. Tracking waves through both layers revealed that the number of waves in dual-layer simulations was significantly higher than in the single-layer simulations, reflecting more opportunities for reentry and a concomitant increase in AF stability. In the dual-layer model, only 12% of the AF episodes died out within 6 s, while 59% died out in the single-layer model. CONCLUSION Atrial fibrillation patterns are more complex and AF episodes are more stable in a dual-layer model. This study indicates an important role for endo-epicardial conduction for the stabilization of AF.
The Impact of Monetary Conditions on Bank Lending to Households

We study the impact of monetary conditions on the supply of mortgage credit by banks to households. Using comprehensive credit register data from Hungary, we first establish a "bank-lending-to-households" channel by showing that monetary conditions affect the supply of mortgage credit in volume. We then study the impact of monetary conditions on the composition of mortgage credit along its currency denomination and borrower risk. We find that expansionary domestic monetary conditions increase the supply of mortgage credit to all households in the domestic currency and to risky households in the foreign currency. Because most households are unhedged, bank lending in multiple currencies may involve additional risk taking. Changes in foreign monetary conditions affect lending in the foreign currency more than in the domestic currency, and also differ in their compositional impact along firm risk.
When benchmark rates change: the case of Islamic banks

Purpose This paper aims to examine the issue that arises in the context of benchmark rate (or interest rate) changes made for reasons of monetary policy in a jurisdiction with a significant presence of Islamic banks. Changes, especially increases, in the prevailing interest rate made by central banks raise issues of asset-liability management for banks, which typically have longer maturities on the asset side than on the liabilities side, resulting in exposure to interest rate risk for conventional banks, and what is known as rate of return (RoR) risk for Islamic banks, which for reasons of compliance with Islamic religious law (Shari’ah) do not use interest in their operations. Islamic banks use various financial instruments which reflect the cost of funds by means of contracts of sale on credit or of leasing or forms of partnership, which allow them to earn returns on their funds and to pay returns to customers who deposit funds with them. Design/methodology/approach The methodology of this study consisted of a descriptive analysis of the relevant characteristics of Islamic banks and their economic and regulatory environments, illustrated by a case study approach applied to two jurisdictions, namely, Sudan and Malaysia. Findings In jurisdictions where Islamic banks represent a significant share of the market for financial services, if the contracts used in Islamic financing allow for periodic adjustments of the profit rate or lease rental, this could result in a significant impediment to the full implementation of monetary policy and hence to the maintenance of financial stability. Originality/value This study is (to the best of authors’ knowledge) the first thorough analysis in the literature of the issues arising from the exposure of Islamic banks to RoR risk and has clear implications for regulatory and central bank policy.
Relationships between postural balance, rifle stability and shooting accuracy among novice rifle shooters

The present study examined the relationships between shooting accuracy and shooters' behavioral performance, i.e., postural balance and gun barrel stability, among novice rifle shooters in intra‐ and inter‐individual levels. Postural balance and rifle stability were assessed in terms of anteroposterior (VELAP) and mediolateral (VELML) sway velocity of the movement of center of pressure, and horizontal (DEVH) and vertical (DEVV) deviation of the aiming point. The participants (n=58) performed 30 shots in the standing position at a distance of 10 m from the target. The data showed that shooting accuracy was related to postural balance and rifle stability, but only at the inter‐individual level. The correlation coefficients between shooting score and behavioral performance variables ranged from −0.29 to −0.45. The stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the VELML and the DEVH as independent variables accounted for 26% of the variance in the shooting score. The results also suggested that postural balance is related to the shooting accuracy both directly and indirectly through rifle stability. As the role of postural balance appeared to be important in shooting performance, the use of additional balance training programs to improve a shooter's postural skills should be encouraged.
Globalization, inequality and economic policy

Abstract In our paper a very simple model is used to analyze the relationship between trade globalization, inequality and economic policy. Although the local government exclusively maximizes the welfare of the marginalized (unemployed) people, the inequality of relative consumption between employed and unemployed will increase with intensified trade liberalization. In contrast to this result the relative income inequality may fall in certain situations.
The Nordic Reference Interval Project 2000: recommended reference intervals for 25 common biochemical properties

Each of 102 Nordic routine clinical biochemistry laboratories collected blood samples from at least 25 healthy reference individuals evenly distributed for gender and age, and analysed 25 of the most commonly requested serum/plasma components from each reference individual. A reference material (control) consisting of a fresh frozen liquid pool of serum with values traceable to reference methods (used as the project “calibrator” for non‐enzymes to correct reference values) was analysed together with other serum pool controls in the same series as the project samples. Analytical data, method data and data describing the reference individuals were submitted to a central database for evaluation and calculation of reference intervals intended for common use in the Nordic countries. In parallel to the main project, measurements of commonly requested haematology properties on EDTA samples were also carried out, mainly by laboratories in Finland and Sweden. Aliquots from reference samples were submitted to storage in a central bio‐bank for future establishment of reference intervals for other properties. The 25 components were, in alphabetical order: alanine transaminase, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, amylase, amylase pancreatic, aspartate transaminase, bilirubins, calcium, carbamide, cholesterol, creatine kinase, creatininium, γ‐glutamyltransferase, glucose, HDL‐cholesterol, iron, iron binding capacity, lactate dehydrogenase, magnesium, phosphate, potassium, protein, sodium, triglyceride and urate.
Obchodně-politické překážky vývozu zboží z Evropské unie do USA: význam liberalizace obchodních toků

The paper deals with effects of trade liberalization of EU goods exports to the USA. Despite the current protectionist tendencies of US President Donald Trump, the USA is strongly motivated to promote a deeper trade liberalization in the longer horizon, further strengthening bilateral trade flows, increasing economic efficiency, and thus contributing to the growth of both economies. The primary objective is to evaluate a hypothesis which states that reducing political trade barriers could notably increase the flows. We use gravity models and our own constructed non-tariff trade barrier time series based on tens of thousands of values for EU-28 countries in relation to the USA between 1995–2014. The data are obtained from an analysis of US legislature, in contrast to previous studies which used subjective survey data. The secondary goal is to assess whether a substantial reduction of non-tariff barriers is realistic or not, an issue which other researchers have overlooked. The level of bilateral non-tariff barriers imposed by the USA against EU exporters is rather low in the international comparison, a substantial reduction is not a reasonable assumption. We conclude that dealing with non-tariff trade barriers is crucial as it can substantially increase the bilateral trade flows. Even a less optimistic scenario, with a smaller decrease in trade barriers, suggests that the EU goods exports to the USA could be increased by more than 20%.