Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Circulating monocytic cells infiltrate layers of anterograde axonal degeneration where they transform into microglia

In this study, we demonstrate the infiltration of blood‐derived monocytic cells and their morphologic transformation into microglia in zones of acute, anterograde (Wallerian) axonal degeneration induced by entorhinal cortex lesion (ECL). ECL was performed in mice which had received green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐transduced bone marrow grafts allowing identification of blood‐derived elements within the brain. While in the unlesioned hemisphere GFP+ cells were restricted to perivascular and leptomeningeal sites, many round fluorescent cells appeared in hippocampal zones of axonal degeneration at 24 h post lesion (hpl). Within 72 hpl, these GFP+ cells acquired ramified, microglia‐like morphologies, which persisted for at least 7 days post ECL. Differentiation of GFP+ cells into glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)+ astrocytes was never observed. To exclude that this recruitment is an artifact of irradiation or bone marrow transplantation, the fluorescent cell tracker 6‐carboxylfluorescein diacetate (CFDA) was injected into spleens of normal mice 1 day before ECL. Again, fluorescent cells appeared at the lesion site and along the layers of axonal degeneration at 48 hpl and CFDA+/MAC‐1+, cells exhibited amoeboid and ramified morphologies. Thus, blood‐derived cells infiltrate not only the site of mechanical lesion, but also the layers of anterograde axonal degeneration, where they readily transform into microglia‐like elements. A role for infiltrating leukocytes in facilitating or modulating postlesional plasticity, e.g., by phagocytosis of growth‐inhibiting myelin should now be considered. Moreover, monocytic cells may serve as vehicles to transport therapeutic substances such as neurotrophic factors or caspase inhibitors to zones of axonal degeneration.
THE MASSIVE PROGENITOR OF THE TYPE II-LINEAR SUPERNOVA 2009kr

We present early-time photometric and spectroscopic observations of supernova (SN) 2009kr in NGC 1832. We find that its properties to date support its classification as Type II-linear (SN II-L), a relatively rare subclass of core-collapse supernovae (SNe). We have also identified a candidate for the SN progenitor star through comparison of pre-explosion, archival images taken with WFPC2 on board the Hubble Space Telescope with SN images obtained using adaptive optics plus NIRC2 on the 10 m Keck-II telescope. Although the host galaxy's substantial distance (∼26 Mpc) results in large uncertainties in the relative astrometry, we find that if this candidate is indeed the progenitor, it is a highly luminous (M0V = −7.8 mag) yellow supergiant with initial mass ∼18–24 M☉. This would be the first time that an SN II-L progenitor has been directly identified. Its mass may be a bridge between the upper initial mass limit for the more common Type II-plateau SNe and the inferred initial mass estimate for one Type II-narrow SN.
Weakly interacting massive particles and neutron stars.

Neutron stars are used to set constraints on the characteristics of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMP's) suggested as dark-matter candidates. Some special classes of WIMP's are ruled out because they would be trapped in neutron stars, concentrate towards the star center, and become self-gravitating. This results in the formation of a mini black hole that consumes the neutron star, transforming it into a black hole, on a time scale shorter than observed ages of neutron stars in various astrophysical systems.
Frequent epigenetic silencing of protocadherin 10 by methylation in multiple haematologic malignancies

Epigenetic silencing of tumour suppressor genes (TSG) inactivates TSG functions. Previously, we identified PCDH10 as a methylated TSG in carcinomas. Here, we detected its frequent silencing and methylation in lymphoma cell lines including 100% Burkitt, 100% diffuse large B cell, 86% Hodgkin, 100% nasal natural killer/T‐cell lymphoma and 1/3 of leukaemia cell lines, and in primary tumours but not in normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells or lymph nodes. PCDH10 silencing could be reversed by demethylation with 5‐aza‐2′‐deoxycytidine. Methylation was further detected in 14% of Hodgkin lymphoma sera. Thus, PCDH10 methylation is frequently involved in lymphomagenesis and could serve as a tumour‐specific biomarker.
Prey capture and the fast-start performance of northern pike Esox lucius

Fast-start performance of northern pike Esox lucius (mean length, 0.38m) during prey capture was measured with subcutaneously implanted accelerometers. Acceleration-time plots and simultaneous high-speed cine films reveal four behaviours with characteristic kinematics and mechanics. The fast-start types are identified by the number of large peaks that appear in the acceleration-time and velocity-time data. Comparisons of mean performance were made between each type of feeding fast-start. Type I fast-starts were of significantly shorter duration (0.084 s) and displacement (0.132 m) than type III (0.148 s and 0.235 m) and type IV (0.189 s and 0.306 m) behaviours, and higher mean and maximum acceleration (38.6 and 130.3 ms−2, respectively) than type II (26.6 and 95.8 ms−2), type III (22.0 and 91.2 ms−2) and type IV (18.0 and 66.6 m s−2) behaviours. The type II behaviours were of shorter duration (0.115 s) and displacement (0.173 m) and of higher mean acceleration than type IV fast-starts, and were also of significantly shorter duration than type III behaviours. Prey-capture performance was compared to escapes by the same individuals. When data are combined, regardless of mechanical type, mean acceleration (37.6 vs25.5ms−2), maximum acceleration (120.2 vs 95.9ms−2), mean velocity (1.90 vs 1.57 ms−1) and maximum velocity (3.97 vs 3.09 ms−1) were found to be larger and duration shorter (0.108 vs 0.133 s) during escapes than during prey capture. No differences were found through independent comparisons of the performance of feeding and escape types II and III, but type I escapes had significantly higher mean velocity (2.27 vs 1.58 ms−1), maximum velocity (4.70 vs 3.12 ms−1) and mean acceleration (54.7 vs 38.6 ms−2) than type II feeding behaviours. Prey-capture performance was also related to prey size, apparent prey size (defined as the angular size of the prey on the pike's retina) and strike distance (the distance from the pike to the prey at the onset of the fast-start). Mean and maximum acceleration increased with apparent size and decreased with strike distance, while the duration of the event increased with strike distance and decreased with apparent size. No relationship was found between the actual prey size and any performance parameter. Strike distance ranged from 0.087 to 0.439 m and decreased as the apparent size increased from 2.6 to 9.9° ( r 2=0.75). The type I behaviour was usually employed when the strike distance was small and the prey appeared large. As strike distance increased and apparent size decreased, there was a progressive selection of type II, then III and then IV behaviours.
Stability analysis of continuous-time Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy systems with parameter uncertainties

The problem of releasing the conservatism of stability criteria continuous-time Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy systems with parameter uncertainties is addressed in this paper. The parameter uncertainties of system parameter matrices are assumed to be time-varying and norm-bounded. By using the fuzzy Lyapunov function, sufficient stability conditions are proposed for verifying the asymptotical stability of the continuous-time Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy systems with parameter uncertainties. Furthermore, a kind of technique for introducing additional matrix variables is applied for obtaining less conservative stability criteria. The obtained stability criteria are give in terms of linear matrix inequalities(LMIs), which can be easily solved via standard numerical software. Finally, a numerical example is also provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation improves certain aspects of postural control in Parkinson's disease, whereas medication does not

Postural control requires precise integration of sensory inputs and motor output, but clinical assessments of postural control do not differentiate between these. Previously, we found that this differentiation is important in Parkinson's disease (PD) as there was a dissociated effect of medication versus pallidotomy on sensory aspects of postural instability. In this study, we address several questions that emerged from that work in 28 different patients with PD off and on medication, before and after bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (B‐STN DBS): (1) In a different cohort is there still an unusually large percentage of patients with postural instability in sensory‐deprived conditions? (2) Are more specific measures of motor aspects of postural control using dynamic posturography (postural movement velocity [MV] and reaction time [RT]) abnormal in PD as seen clinically using the Postural Instability and Gait Disorder score of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale? (3) What is the effect of B‐STN DBS versus medication on sensory versus motor aspects of postural instability in PD? The results included (1) substantially more patients (39%) versus controls (5%) exhibited postural instability in conditions of limited sensory feedback; (2) postural MV and postural RT were abnormal off medication preoperatively (Nsubset = 23; P < 0.001 for both); (3) B‐STN DBS improved abnormal sensory aspects of postural instability (P < 0.05) and postural MV (P = 0.005), whereas medication did not. Neither B‐STN DBS nor medication improved postural RT. For the group as a whole, STN DBS plus medication was better therapy than medication preoperatively for sensory aspects of postural control (P = 0.003). © 2006 Movement Disorder Society
Investigating femtosecond-laser-induced two-photon photoacoustic generation

Abstract. We investigated two-photon absorption-based photoacoustic generation and compared it with corresponding photoluminescence emission. Experimental results revealed expected quadratic dependences on the incident optical fluence in both photoacoustic and photoluminescence processes. We also investigated the influence of optical scattering on the generation of two-photon photoacoustic and photoluminescence signals and found that photoacoustic signals attenuated more slowly than photoluminescence signals when the optical scattering coefficient was increased, which was attributed to a weaker ultrasonic attenuation than that the optical attenuation in the scattering medium. Finally, we showed three-dimensional two-photon photoacoustic imaging.
An On-Body Channel Model for UWB Body Area Communications for Various Postures

On-body area ultrawideband (UWB) communication is of high importance for promising new biomedical applications. However, there are currently few measurements or models describing on-body area propagation channels which put an emphasis on various body postures. Using the frequency-dependent finite-difference time domain (FDTD) method and a realistic human body model, we simulate various body postures for modeling on-body channels. Based on the FDTD numerical results, we derive an on-body propagation model and determine the model parameters for some representative transmission links on the human body. A good match is obtained between the data derived from FDTD and the statistically implemented models in terms of key communication metrics. In addition, for the chest-to-right-waist transmission link, an experiment is performed in order to verify the results from the FDTD method, and it is found that the model parameters agree well between the two approaches.
Emergent versus elective cholecystectomy: conversion rates and outcomes.

BACKGROUND Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the procedure of choice for treatment of cholelithiasis/cholecystitis. Conversion rates (CR) to open cholecystectomy (OC) have been reported previously as 5-15% in elective cases, and up to 25% in patients with acute cholecystitis. We examined the CR in a tertiary-care academic hospital and a statewide surgery quality collaborative, and to compare complications and outcomes in elective and emergency cholecystectomy. METHODS Prospective data were obtained from: 1) Non-Trauma Emergency Surgery (NTE) database of all emergent cholecystectomies 1/1/2008-12/31/2009; and 2) Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative (MSQC) database with a random sample of 20-30% of all operations performed 1/1/2005-12/31/2010, including both University of Michigan (UM) data and statewide data from 34 participating hospitals. Patient characteristics, CR, and outcomes were compared for emergent vs. elective cases. RESULTS Non-trauma ES patients had a mean hospital length of stay (HLOS) of 4.9 d. Open cholecystectomy-HLOS was greater (4.0, LC; 7.9 laparoscopic converted to open cholecystectomy; 8.7, OC, p<0.0001); mortality was 0.35% and CR was 17.5%. In the UM-MSQC dataset, OC-HLOS was greater (6.8 OC vs. 4.6 LC, p<0.001); mortality was 0.65%; CR was 9.1% in elective cases and 14.9% in emergent cases. CR was almost two-fold higher [17.5% of all NTE cholecystectomies vs. 9.1% of UM-MSQC elective cholecystectomies (p=0.00078)]. The statewide MSQC cholecystectomy data showed significantly increased HLOS in emergent cholecystectomy patients (4.34 vs. 2.65 d; p<0.0001). Morbidity (8.8 vs. 3.7%) and mortality (2.6 vs. 0.5%) rates were also significantly higher in emergent vs. elective cholecystectomies (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION In NTE patients requiring cholecystectomy, CR is almost two-fold higher but is lower than in reports published previously (25%). However, there is a wide variability in mortality and morbidity for emergency cholecystectomy in both unadjusted and risk-adjusted analyses. Further studies are required to determine modifiable risk factors to improve outcomes in emergency cholecystectomy.
Revising the observable consequences of slow-roll inflation

This work has been partially supported by the spanish grant FIS2008-06078-C03-02. I.A. and L.P. have been partly supported by NSF grants PHY- 0071044 and PHY-0503366 and by a UWM RGI grant. G.O. thanks MICINN for a JdC contract and the “Jose Castillejo” program for funding a stay at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. We thank D. Lyth for interesting correspondence. We also thank R. Durrer, G. Marozzi, and M. Rinaldi for a private communication about their views on our results in [7].
Ferric uptake regulator (Fur) mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa demonstrate defective siderophore-mediated iron uptake, altered aerobic growth, and decreased superoxide dismutase and catalase activities

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is considered a strict aerobe that possesses several enzymes important in the disposal of toxic oxygen reduction products including iron- and manganese-cofactored superoxide dismutase and catalase. At present, the nature of the regulation of these enzymes in P. aeruginosa Is not understood. To address these issues, we used two mutants called A4 and C6 which express altered Fur (named for ferric uptake regulation) proteins and constitutively produce the siderophores pyochelin and pyoverdin. Both mutants required a significant lag phase prior to log-phase aerobic growth, but this lag was not as apparent when the organisms were grown under microaerobic conditions. The addition of iron salts to mutant A4 and, to a greater extent, C6 cultures allowed for an increased growth rate under both conditions relative to that of bacteria without added iron. Increased manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) and decreased catalase activities were also apparent in the mutants, although the second catalase, KatB, was detected in cell extracts of each fur mutant. Iron deprivation by the addition of the iron chelator 2,2'-dipyridyl to wild-type bacteria produced an increase in Mn-SOD activity and a decrease in total catalase activity, similar to the fur mutant phenotype. Purified wild-type Fur bound more avidly than mutant Fur to a PCR product containing two palindromic 19-bp "iron box" regions controlling expression of an operon containing the sodA gene that encodes Mn-SOD. All mutants were defective in both ferripyochelin- and ferripyoverdin-mediated iron uptake. Two mutants of strain PAO1, defective in pyoverdin but not pyochelin biosynthesis, produced increased Mn-SOD activity. Sensitivity to both the redox-cycling agent paraquat and hydrogen peroxide was greater in each mutant than in the wild-type strain. In summary, the results indicate that mutations in the P. aeruginosa fur locus affect aerobic growth and SOD and catalase activities in P. aeruginosa. We postulate that reduced siderophore-mediated iron uptake, especially that by pyoverdin, may be one possible mechanism contributing to such effect.
Modulation of Apolipoprotein E Structure by Domain Interaction

Interaction of the amino- and carboxyl-terminal domains in apolipoprotein (apo) E, referred to as domain interaction, is predicted to be more pronounced in apoE4 than in apoE3 and to underlie the association of apoE4 with Alzheimer and cardiovascular diseases. However, direct physical proof for the domain interaction concept is lacking. To address this issue, fluorescence resonance energy transfer and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to probe the spatial proximity of the two domains of apoE. Both methods demonstrated that the two domains are closer in both lipid-free and phospholipid-bound apoE4 than in apoE3 as a result of domain interaction. In addition, as shown by electron paramagnetic resonance, the domains of apoE4 move apart to resemble more closely the distance in apoE3 when the isoforms are bound to triglyceride-rich emulsion particles. These results demonstrate that domain interaction is a structural property of apoE4 and that apoE adopts different conformations when complexed to different lipids.
Study on the Heavy Metals Removal Efficiencies of Constructed Wetlands with Different Substrates

In this study constructed wetlands (CWs) were used to remove three heavy metals (Zn, Cu and Pb). The two tested substrates were made of coke and gravel, respectively. First order dynamic model was appropriate to describe removing of Zn and Cu. The experimental results showed that first dynamic removal rate constants of Zn in CWs with coke and gravel were 0.2326 h-1 and 0.1222 h-1, respectively. And those of Cu in CWs with coke and gravel were 0.2017 h-1 and 0.3739 h-1. However, removal efficiencies of Pb in the coke system and the gravel system were within 95-99%, so the first order dynamic model failed to fit the experimental data because the hydraulic resident times of Pb did not affect outlet concentration of Pb. From the removal rate constants, it is found that the coke and gravel system have different absorption efficiencies of heavy metal pollutants. Therefore, it is suggested that the removal efficiencies of heavy metals are influenced by the choice of substrates to some extent.
Arginase inhibition reduces endothelial dysfunction and blood pressure rising in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Objective A decrease in nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability has been proposed to contribute to endothelial dysfunction and increased peripheral resistances during essential arterial hypertension. Given that arginine is a substrate for both arginase and NO synthase, arginase activity may be a critical factor in NO bioavailability. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the effects of the arginase inhibitor α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Methods Vascular reactivity experiments were performed on thoracic aortic rings from 10-week-old SHR and their normotensive counterparts, Wistar–Kyoto (WKY) rats. Blood pressure was measured by the tail-cuff method. DFMO treatment (30 mg/kg daily in drinking water) was started in 5-week-old SHR and maintained for 5 weeks. Aortic arginase I and arginase II expression as well as arginase activity were evaluated by western blotting and the spectrophotometric method, respectively. Results DFMO (1.2 × 10−3 mol/l) enhanced the vascular response to acetylcholine both in SHR (+24%, P < 0.01) and WKY rats (+12%, P < 0.01), and reversed the effects of the NO synthase inhibitor Nω-nitro-L-arginine-methyl-ester. The vasorelaxant response to sodium nitroprusside on endothelium-denuded rings was not affected by DFMO, neither in SHR nor in WKY rats. In SHR, DFMO prevented the increase in blood pressure and improved the response of aortic rings to acetylcholine. Finally, as compared with WKY rats, SHR exhibited increased expression of vascular arginase I (+72%, P < 0.05) and arginase II (+91%, P < 0.05) as well as increased arginase activity (+26%, P < 0.05). Conclusions Our results showed that arginase inhibition reduced endothelial dysfunction and blood pressure rising in SHR.
Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast diagnosed by fine needle aspiration

nated histoplasmosis. HIV infection was also detected, with a CD4 + count of 64 cells ⁄ mm. Treatment with HAART and itraconazole was followed by remission of oral lesions. Laboratory methods have been available to diagnose histoplasmosis (e.g. histopathology, antigen detection, PCR, culture and antibody testing), but all of them present limitations related to severity of the infection, time to produce a result, associated immunosupression, and general availability. Oral exfoliative cytology is a simple technique, which is more accessible to non-specialists than biopsy or laboratory tests. For histoplasmosis, initial presentation to dentists increases the importance of this technique. A major concern is the possibility of treatment delay in view of false-negative results, with special regard to oral cancer and other potentially fatal illnesses. To achieve the best result, cytopathology should be performed at the bedside through close cooperation between the clinician and pathologist, with the samples promptly delivered to the laboratory, stained and analysed. Identification of specific findings reduces the time needed to manage a case such as the present one. A patient with negative or unspecific results would be immediately available for biopsy. In smears, fungal cells are identified with special stains such as silver-methenamine or PAS, which are also more appropriate for specifying the causative agent, but routine stains (e.g. Papanicolaou) are also useful to demonstrate the infective nature of a given lesion. In most countries, histoplasmosis is caused by Histoplasma capsulatum var capsulatum, while H. capsulatum var duboisii is restricted to African countries or imported cases. The former is a round to oval-shaped yeast of uniform small (4 lm) size, sometimes with a single exosporulation with a narrow base, and may be found free or within histiocytes but rarely inside giant cells. Other similar pathogenic fungi should not be confused with H. capsulatum, such as Blastomyces dermatidis (larger yeasts with broad-based budding), Coccidioides imitis (thick-walled, non-budding larger spherules with endospores), Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (multiple budded and heterogeneous larger yeasts), or Penicillium marneffei (binary fission, resulting in septation rather than budding). In addition, there are important differences regarding the epidemiological features of these diseases. This case highlights the role of exfoliative cytology in diagnosing oral lesions caused by systemic mycoses, with special reference to histoplasmosis, because the cytological findings are characteristic with the use of common stains. Patients with positive results should be treated. Only cases with negative results would require biopsy or other tests to confirm or to dismiss this disease.