Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of Posttraumatic Microglial Proliferation in a Genetic Model of Macrophage Colony‐Stimulating Factor Deficiency in the Mouse

Activation and proliferation of microglia are common cellular hallmarks in many different pathological processes of the central nervous system. Although a number of colony‐stimulating factors enhance microglial proliferation in vitro, little is known about the endogenous mitogens. In the present study we show a strong and selective inhibition of microglial proliferation in the facial nucleus of osteopetrotic (op/op) mice, with a genetic deficiency in biologically active macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (MCSF). Posttraumatic activation of adjacent axotomized neurons and reactive astrocytes was not affected, emphasizing the specificity of MCSF as a microglial growth factor.
Lactoferrin in human milk: its role in iron absorption and protection against enteric infection in the newborn infant.

This is a general discussion with references to relevant literature dealing with the substance lactoferrin in human milk. Its structure and biochemical properties are explained. Most of these structural and biochemical studies have been carried out with proteins of human or bovine origin. The iron-saturated form of lactoferrin seems to remain relatively intact within the gastrointestinal tract of neonates due to the low level of appreciable peptic activity in newborn infants. Breast milk does though contain factors which actively promote iron absorption. Especially as the infant matures its need for exogenous iron increases milk lactoferrin levels decrease and proteolytic activity increases resulting in progressively more iron being released from the lactoferrin. Once released absorption of this iron is facilitated. Many studies most with human and guinea pig subjects have shown that lactoferrin has the ability to inhibit growth of certain microorganisms in the gut of newborn infants. In the milk of other species e.g. the cow pig and dog lactoferrin levels are too low to provide this protection. It is concluded that a main function of lactoferrin may be to control iron absorption in newborns.
Multimodal Shared-Control Interaction for Mobile Robots in AAL Environments

This dissertation investigates the design, development and implementation of cognitively adequate, safe and robust, spatially-related, multimodal interaction between human operators and mobile robots in Ambient Assisted Living environments both from the theoretical and practical perspectives. By focusing on different aspects of the concept Interaction, the essential contribution of this dissertation is divided into three main research packages; namely, Formal Interaction, Spatial Interaction and Multimodal Interaction in AAL. As the principle package, in Formal Interaction, research effort is dedicated to developing a formal language based interaction modelling and management solution process and a unified dialogue modelling approach. This package aims to enable a robust, flexible, and contextsensitive, yet formally controllable and tractable interaction. This type of interaction can be used to support the interaction management of any complex interactive systems, including the ones covered in the other two research packages. In the second research package, Spatial Interaction, a general qualitative spatial knowledge based multi-level conceptual model is developed and proposed. The goal is to support a spatially-related interaction in humanrobot collaborative navigation. With a model-based computational framework, the proposed conceptual model has been implemented and integrated into a practical interactive system which has been evaluated by empirical studies. It has been particularly tested with respect to a set of high-level and model-based conceptual strategies for resolving the frequent spatially-related communication problems in human-robot interaction. Last but not least, in Multimodal Interaction in AAL, attention is drawn to design, development and implementation of multimodal interaction for elderly persons. In this elderly-friendly scenario, ageing-related characteristics are carefully considered for an effective and efficient interaction. Moreover, a standard model based empirical framework for evaluating multimodal interaction is provided. This framework was especially applied to evaluate a minutely developed and systematically improved elderly-friendly multimodal interactive system through a series of empirical studies with groups of elderly persons.
Trh-Test In Cluster Headache

Book Trends in Cluster Headache. Chieti September 7-10, 1986 p . 105. 2) PEV in Cluster Headache: Central structures involvement. 3) BAEPs in Cluster Headache: New Aspects for a Central Theory A . Boiardi et al. Headache, 26, 2, 1986 pp.70-73 G. Bussone et al. Headache 26, 2, 1986 pp. 67-69
A 4.88µW ECG delineator using wavelet transform for mobile healthcare application

This work presents a low power ECG delineator based on the dyadic wavelet transform. The delineator detects the five most significant ECG fiducial points (P, QRSon, R, QRSend, and T waves) for the advanced signal analysis. The detection result is evaluated on two annotated databases including MIT-BIH arrhythmia database and QT database. The obtained sensitivity and positive predictivity are over 99.4% and 96.1% for the five ECG features, respectively. Implemented using UMC 90nm technology with 0.5V supply voltage scaling, duty-cycled operation and power gating technique, the average power dissipation of the delineator is 4. 88μW for real-time ECG monitoring.
Mandated Health Insurance and Provider Reimbursement via Private Insurance

In 2006, Massachusetts passed a reform that required individuals to purchase health insurance and provided subsidized health insurance to low-income individuals. The US Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was modeled after this reform, making Massachusetts an ideal place to look at potential outcomes from the ACA. Postreform, the proportion of the health-insured population in Massachusetts greatly increased, which potentially changed physician reimbursement for procedures as usage of care, particularly preventative care for children increased. We find that reimbursement for well-infant visits rose temporarily by approximately 4% the year after the reform but that the effective price increase did not persist. It is likely that this lack of persistence is due to an increase in the supply of physicians. This has important implications for the ACA, as expanding physician capacity is more difficult on a national level.
Study of Low-Efficiency Droop in Semipolar ( $20\bar{2}\bar{1}$) InGaN Light-Emitting Diodes by Time-Resolved Photoluminescence

The superior low-efficiency droop performance of semipolar (<formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">$20\bar{2}\bar{1}$</tex></formula>) InGaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) makes it a hot candidate for efficient solid-state lighting and full-color displays. To unveil the mystery of this low droop and high efficiency, the emission dynamics of semipolar (<formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">$20\bar{2}\bar{1}$</tex></formula>) LEDs is investigated by time-resolved and steady-state photoluminescence (PL) measurements. Much smaller carrier lifetimes (radiative and nonradiative lifetime) were obtained from semipolar (<formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">$20\bar{2}\bar{1}$</tex></formula>) InGaN QWs compared with those on the <formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">$c$</tex> </formula>-plane samples, possibly due to the reduced quantum-confined Stark effects and smaller indium fluctuation on semipolar InGaN samples. The experimental findings indicate a much reduced excess carrier density in semipolar (<formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">$20\bar{2}\bar{1}$</tex> </formula>) InGaN LEDs, which will impact the device performance. Based on this, a modified ABC equation with weak phase-space-filling (PSF) effect was used to model the droop characteristics of semipolar (<formula formulatype="inline"> <tex Notation="TeX">$20\bar{2}\bar{1}$</tex></formula>) LEDs.
Pathoanatomy and Pathophysiology of Nerve Root Compression

The anatomy and physiology of the nerve root complex in the lumbar spine are reviewed, with special reference to the effects of mechanical deformation of nerve roots in association with intervertebral disc herniation and spinal stenosis. Biomechanical aspects of nerve root deformation induced by compression are discussed. The functional changes induced by compression can be caused by mechanical nerve fiber deformation but also may be a consequence of changes in nerve root microcirculation, leading to ischemia and formation of intraneural edema. Nerve root compression can, by different neurophysiologlc mechanisms, induce motor weakness and altered sensibility or pain. Intraneural edema and demyelination seem to be critical factors for the production of pain in association with nerve root compression.
Immunohistochemical Evaluation of the Effects of Paraffin Section Storage on Biomarker Stability

Environmental stresses can alter immunoreactivity of biomarkers in stored tissue sections. The effect of temperature and lighting on 49 cellular or microbial antigens was evaluated in 4 serial paraffin sections, cut 12 months, 10 months, 8 months, 5 months, 3 months, 1 month, 3 days, and 1 day before immunohistochemistry. Slides were stored at room temperature (RT) in the dark, at 4°C in the dark, at RT under fluorescent light, or at RT with windowpane exposure to sunlight. Immunohistochemistry was performed simultaneously in an automated immunostainer. Immunoreactivity was compared with that in the corresponding 1-day-old section and scored as 4 (<10% reduction), 3 (10%–25% reduction), 2 (26%–60% reduction), 1(>60% reduction), or 0 (no reactivity). Any loss of immunoreactivity was proportional to the tissue section age and was least in sections stored in the dark. Immunoreactivity was only completely lost in light-exposed sections and as early as 1 month for CD45. Other markers with complete loss of immunoreactivity were bovine viral diarrhea virus, CD18 (only with fluorescent light), CD31, CD68, canine parvovirus, chromogranins, and thyroid transcription factor-1. Markers with complete loss after light exposure also had reduced immunoreactivity when stored in the dark, as early as day 3. Eight markers (Bartonella spp, CD11d, high molecular weight cytokeratins, feline coronavirus, GATA-4, insulin, p63, progesterone receptor) had minimal decrease in immunoreactivity, regardless of treatment. In conclusion, light-induced antigen decay (tissue section aging) is antigen dependent and could explain unexpectedly weak or negative immunohistochemical reactions in stored paraffin sections.
Anticipatory grief: its measurement and proposed reconceptualization.

Factor analysis of an Anticipatory Grief Inventory composed of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors believed to be associated with anticipatory grief, completed by 159 male and female spouses of deceased cancer patients within three months of their loss yielded three interpretable factors: Conjugal Coping, Anticipatory Grief, and Cognitive Coping. Only Anticipatory Grief correlated significantly with measures of depression and subjective stress (rs = .36-.35), but did so positively, suggesting that, rather than serving an adaptive function, Anticipatory Grief may be a risk factor for poor early bereavement adjustment. Thus, recommendations concerning its facilitation in spouses of patients in the terminal stages of illness should be reconsidered.
Peripheral arterial tone: assessment of microcirculatory function in pregnancy

Objective Endothelial dysfunction is known to play a key role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia, but the majority of methods for its detection are too invasive to be used in pregnancy. In this study we report a novel method – peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT) – for examining microcirculatory function in pregnancy. Methods One hundred and eighty women with at least two risk factors for preeclampsia were examined at gestational weeks 16 and 28; 80 women were examined at 6–9 months postnatally. Twenty-four women developed preeclampsia or pregnancy-induced hypertension (cases), 156 remained normotensive (controls). PAT was measured using fingertip pneumatic probes; after baseline recordings the study arm was occluded with a blood pressure cuff then released after 5 min, causing reactive hyperaemia. PAT recordings pre and post occlusion were used to generate the reactive hyperaemia index (RHI). Results RHI was significantly lower at gestational week 28 compared to week 16, both in cases and controls. Baseline pulse amplitude was significantly higher at week 28 compared to week 16. There was no difference in RHI at either week 16 or 28 between cases and controls. Postnatally, there was no difference in RHI between cases and controls, but baseline pulse amplitude was lower in affected women. Conclusion PAT and other methods which rely on flow-mediated dilatation for detection of endothelial dysfunction are less likely to be reliable in later pregnancy, when women are more vasodilated. PAT did not predict the development of hypertensive pregnancy complications, but demonstrated a relative peripheral vasoconstriction in affected women postnatally.
Characterization of self-formed Ti-based barrier layers in Cu(Ti)/dielectric-layer samples using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

In our previous studies, a new fabrication technique to prepare ultra-thin barrier layers was proposed. Supersaturated Cu(Ti) alloy films deposited on dielectric layers such as SiO2 and SiOCH with low dielectric constants (low-k) were annealed at elevated temperatures, and thin Ti-based layers were found to be formed at the interfaces (Ti-based barrier layers) [1, 2]. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) including selected area diffraction (SAD), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) observations indicated that the Ti-based barrier layers were found to consist of crystalline TiC or TiSi in addition to amorphous Ti compounds such as TiOx [2]. In this study, to identify the amorphous phases in the Ti-based barrier layers and their compositions, an X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) technique was employed.
Large bowel fermentation in rats given diets containing raw peas (Pisum sativum)

The digestion of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) was studied in rats given semi-purified diets containing 0-500 g raw peas (Pisum sativum)/kg. NSP were equally well digested at all inclusion levels with digestibilities for individual constituents ranging from 0.58 for xylans to 0.99 for arabinose-containing polymers with a total NSP digestibility of 0.79. Increasing the dietary pea inclusion rate increased the amount of substrate flowing to the large bowel (LB) and this was associated with marked increases in caecal tissue and contents masses, a reduction in caecal transit time from 0.88 to 0.43 d and a threefold increase in faecal bacterial biomass output. Caecal pH fell as did the molar proportions of acetate, isobutyrate, isovalerate and valerate whilst butyrate increased when peas were included in the diet. Possible mechanisms for these fermentation end-product changes are discussed. Pea inclusion in the diet was associated with increased volatile fatty acid and 3-hydroxy butyrate concentrations in portal and heart blood. It was concluded that peas are a rich source of fermentable polysaccharides which produce a LB fermentation pattern of potential health benefit.
Identification of nonlinear dynamic systems using functional link artificial neural networks

We have presented an alternate ANN structure called functional link ANN (FLANN) for nonlinear dynamic system identification using the popular backpropagation algorithm. In contrast to a feedforward ANN structure, i.e., a multilayer perceptron (MLP), the FLANN is basically a single layer structure in which nonlinearity is introduced by enhancing the input pattern with nonlinear functional expansion. With proper choice of functional expansion in a FLANN, this network performs as good as and in some cases even better than the MLP structure for the problem of nonlinear system identification.
Electron backscatter diffraction in materials characterization

Electron Back-Scatter Diffraction (EBSD) is a powerful technique that captures electron diffraction patterns from crystals, constituents of material. Captured patterns can then be used to determine grain morphology, crystallographic orientation and chemistry of present phases, which provide complete characterization of microstructure and strong correlation to both properties and performance of materials. Key milestones related to technological developments of EBSD technique have been outlined along with possible applications using modern EBSD system. Principles of crystal diffraction with description of crystallographic orientation, orientation determination and phase identification have been described. Image quality, resolution and speed, and system calibration have also been discussed. Sample preparation methods were reviewed and EBSD application in conjunction with other characterization techniques on a variety of materials has been presented for several case studies. In summary, an outlook for EBSD technique was provided.
Wnt2b inhibits differentiation of retinal progenitor cells in the absence of Notch activity by downregulating the expression of proneural genes

During the development of the central nervous system, cell proliferation and differentiation are precisely regulated. In the vertebrate eye, progenitor cells located in the marginal-most region of the neural retina continue to proliferate for a much longer period compared to the ones in the central retina, thus showing stem-cell-like properties. Wnt2b is expressed in the anterior rim of the optic vesicles, and has been shown to control differentiation of the progenitor cells in the marginal retina. In this paper, we show that stable overexpression of Wnt2b in retinal explants inhibited cellular differentiation and induced continuous growth of the tissue. Notably, Wnt2b maintained the undifferentiated progenitor cells in the explants even under the conditions where Notch signaling was blocked. Wnt2b downregulated the expression of multiple proneural bHLH genes as well as Notch. In addition, expression of Cath5 under the control of an exogenous promoter suppressed the negative effect of Wnt2b on neuronal differentiation. Importantly, Wnt2b inhibited neuronal differentiation independently of cell cycle progression. We propose that Wnt2b maintains the naive state of marginal progenitor cells by attenuating the expression of both proneural and neurogenic genes, thus preventing those cells from launching out into the differentiation cascade regulated by proneural genes and Notch.
An efficient color demosaicing using Approximated Directional Line Averages

This paper proposes an efficient demosaicing method to interpolate color filter array images. The proposed method based on the edge sensing technique improves the interpolation performance by adopting the color difference model for a green channel as well as a red/blue channel. In particular, the green channel interpolation method with a new concept includes the gradient operator, which uses the total amount of slope changes in adjacent color information, and the missing green color estimation, which uses Approximated Directional Line Averages. Comparing with various comparative experiments between the conventional results and the proposed ones, the performances of the proposed method in this paper outperform other conventional methods both in numerical and visual aspects. Our method of demosaicing improves the standard performance by 29.98 dB on the average in comparison of other methods based on the bilinear interpolation.
Therapeutic monitoring of immunosuppressant drugs. Where are we?

Abstract The emergence of specific immunosuppressive drugs (cyclosporine, tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil and sirolimus) during the last two decades has contributed dramatically to the success of organ transplantation. However, optimum balance between therapeutic efficacy and the occurrence of side effects has been a real challenge for physicians, mainly due to inter- and intra-patient variability arising from pharmacokinetic, pharmacogenetic and pharmacodynamic individual properties. Therapeutic drug monitoring, defined as the measurement and interpretation of concentrations of these drugs in biological fluids, with as a final objective the prediction of organ responses, became an integral part of transplant protocols. New analytical techniques became available with different performances in terms of specificity and sensitivity. In addition, there has been progress in understanding the mechanisms of action of these drugs that have implications for the development of better monitoring strategies and for their coprescription. The purpose of this review is to examine the current strategies in use for the therapeutic drug monitoring of immunosuppressant drugs and to discuss some of the factors that impinge on the monitoring of these drugs.
Genomic arrangement of an adenovirus-simian virus 40 hybrid virus, Ad2+ND4del

Ad2+ND4del is an adenovirus type 2-simian virus 40 hybrid virus nondefective for growth in human cells. The virus was first observed when stocks of Ad2+ND4, a hybrid isolated from primary monkey kidney cells, were propagated in human cells. This paper describes the DNA sequence at two sites of DNA recombination, the site of the left adenovirus type 2-simian virus 40 junction and the site of a deletion of internal simian virus 40 sequences. Since the deletion was observed when the virus was switched from monkey to human cells, an analysis of gene expression in the region of DNA rearrangement may prove useful for the elucidation of molecular events that accompany virus growth in different hosts.
The Neurobiology of X-Linked Intellectual Disability

X-linked intellectual disability (XLID) affects 1% to 3% of the population. XLID subsumes several heterogeneous conditions, all of which are marked by cognitive impairment and reduced adaptive skills. XLID arises from mutations on the X chromosome; to date, 102 XLID genes have been identified. The proteins encoded by XLID genes are involved in higher brain functions, such as cognition, learning and memory, and their molecular role is the subject of intense investigation. Here, we review recent findings concerning a representative group of XLID proteins: the fragile X mental retardation protein; methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 and cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 proteins, which are involved in Rett syndrome; the intracellular signaling molecules of the Rho guanosine triphosphatases family; and the class of cell adhesion molecules. We discuss how XLID gene mutations affect the structure and function of synapses.
The importance of surgical margins in retroperitoneal sarcoma

Surgery is the “gold‐standard” treatment for retroperitoneal sarcomas, but local recurrence is common, and can cause disease‐related death. Complete gross resection is associated with improved survival, but debate exists as to whether resection of adjacent organs to improve margins or prescription of neoadjuvant radiation leads to better outcomes. This review summarizes data addressing prognostic value of margin, extent of surgery necessary to optimize treatment of retroperitoneal sarcomas, and role of histology in optimizing therapy. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;113:270–276. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Draft Genome Sequence of Agrobacterium sp. Strain UHFBA-218, Isolated from Rhizosphere Soil of Crown Gall-Infected Cherry Rootstock Colt

ABSTRACT We report here the draft genome sequence of the alphaproteobacterium Agrobacterium sp. strain UHFBA-218, which was isolated from rhizosphere soil of crown gall-infected cherry rootstock Colt. The draft genome of strain UHFBA-218 consists of 112 contigs (5,425,303 bp) and 5,063 coding sequences with a G+C content of 59.8%.