Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The impact of tail tip amputation and ink tattoo on C57BL/6JBomTac mice

Genetic material for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blot analysis on transgenic mice is normally obtained by tail biopsy. Additionally, it may be necessary to tattoo the mice, as it is essential to have a good and permanent identification. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of amputating the tip of the tail to obtain a biopsy for genetic analysis and of ink tattooing on welfare in C57BL/6J mice, a strain often used as genetic background for transgenes. The behaviour of the animals, fluctuating asymmetry (FA, a measure of developmental instability) and the level of restitution in the remaining part of the tail were evaluated and used for an assessment of the impact of these procedures on the welfare of the animals. One group of mice was marked by tail tattooing at various ages. Another group of mice were tail amputated at 12 or 20 days of age. Body weight and FA were followed, and at the end of the experiment, the level of fear/anxiety was assessed using a light–dark box. In the group of tail-amputated animals observation of climbing behaviour and a beam walking test for balance was performed. Seven weeks after tail amputation, the animals were euthanized. The remaining part of the tail was evaluated histopathologically. Body weight, behaviour in the light–dark box and balance test results were not influenced by tail amputation or tattooing. FA was only transiently increased by tattooing. Climbing behaviour was reduced just after tail amputation at 20 days of age. No signs of neuromas were found in the amputated tails, but seven weeks after amputation a significant number of mice did not have fully regenerated glandular tissue and hair follicles in the tail. It is concluded that both tail amputation and tail tattooing seem to have minor short-term negative effects on welfare and that the tissues on the tail probably do not regenerate fully after amputation.
The Devil is in the Detail: Growth, Inequality and Poverty Reduction in Africa in the Last Two Decades

The present paper, starting from evidence of low growth-to-poverty elasticity characterising Africa, purports to identify the distributional changes that limited the pro-poor impact of the last two decades’ growth. Distributional changes that went undetected by standard inequality measures were not showing a clear pattern of inequality on the continent. By applying a new decomposition technique based on a non-parametric method—the ‘relative distribution’—we found a clear distributional pattern affecting almost all analysed countries. Nineteen out twenty four countries experienced a significant increase in polarisation, particularly in the lower tail of the distribution, and this distributional change lowered the pro-poor impact of growth substantially. Without this unfavourable redistribution, poverty could have decreased in these countries by an additional five percentage points.
The Impact of Selected Pretreatment Procedures on Iron Dissolution from Metallic Iron Specimens Used in Water Treatment

Studies were undertaken to determine the reasons why published information regarding the efficiency of metallic iron (Fe0) for water treatment is conflicting and even confusing. The reactivity of eight Fe0 materials was characterized by Fe dissolution in a dilute solution of ethylenediaminetetraacetate (Na2–EDTA; 2 mM). Both batch (4 days) and column (100 days) experiments were used. A total of 30 different systems were characterized for the extent of Fe release in EDTA. The effects of Fe0 type (granular iron, iron nails and steel wool) and pretreatment procedure (socking in acetone, EDTA, H2O, HCl and NaCl for 17 h) were assessed. The results roughly show an increased iron dissolution with increasing reactive sites (decreasing particle size: wool > filings > nails), but there were large differences between materials from the same group. The main output of this work is that available results are hardly comparable as they were achieved under very different experimental conditions. A conceptual framework is presented for future research directed towards a more processed understanding.
Diaspirin cross-linked hemoglobin infusion did not influence base deficit and lactic acid levels in two clinical trials of traumatic hemorrhagic shock patient resuscitation.

BACKGROUND Diaspirin cross-linked hemoglobin (DCLHb) has demonstrated a pressor effect that could adversely affect traumatic hemorrhagic shock patients through diminished perfusion to vital organs, causing base deficit (BD) and lactate abnormalities. METHODS Data from two parallel, multicenter traumatic hemorrhagic shock clinical trials from 17 US Emergency Departments and 27 European Union prehospital services using DCLHb, a hemoglobin-based resuscitation fluid. RESULTS In the 219 patients, the mean age was 37.3 years, 64% of the patients sustained a blunt injury, 48% received DCLHb resuscitation, and the overall 28-day mortality rate was 36.5%. BD data did not differ by treatment group (DCLHb vs. normal saline [NS]) at any time point. Study entry BD was higher in patients who died when compared with survivors in both studies (US: -14.7 vs. -9.3 and European Union: -11.1 vs. -4.1 mEq/L, p < 0.003) and at the first three time points after resuscitation. No differences in BD based on treatment group were observed in either those who survived or those who died from the hemorrhagic shock. US lactate data did not differ by treatment group (DCLHb vs. NS) at any time point. Study entry lactates were higher in US patients who ultimately died when compared with survivors (82.4 vs. 56.1 mmol/L, p < 0.003) and at all five postresuscitation time points. No lactate differences were observed between DCLHb and NS survivors or in those who died based on treatment group. CONCLUSIONS Although patients who died had more greatly altered perfusion than those who survived, DCLHb treatment of traumatic hemorrhagic shock patients was not associated with BD or lactate abnormalities that would indicate poor perfusion.
Le capitalisme de connivence en Inde sous Narendra Modi

La proximite entre affaires et politique en Inde date de l’epoque coloniale, lorsque les entrepreneurs financaient les hommes politiques qui, en echange, leur epargnaient certaines des lourdeurs de la bureaucratie. Elle est restee vivace apres l’independance, meme si le socialisme officiel de Nehru l’a soumise a quelques contraintes. La liberalisation economique des annees 1990, loin d’attenuer la corruption, l’a amplifiee des lors que de gros investisseurs, attires par l’ouverture du marche indien, ont verse d’enormes pots-de-vin aux leaders politiques, qui sont devenus eux-memes des hommes d’affaires n’hesitant pas a forcer la main des banques publiques pour qu’elles pretent a des industriels de leur entourage, tandis que des hommes d’affaires se sont fait elire au Parlement, multipliant les delits d’inities. Le capitalisme de connivence qu’on observe a l’ere Modi – tant au niveau national que dans son Etat du Gujarat – est bien illustre par sa relation a l’etoile montante du business indien, Gautam Adani. Il a un cout financier (lie a la sous-imposition des entreprises et aux creances douteuses au bilan des banques), social (du a la sous-remuneration du travail et a une reduction des depenses d’education ou de sante faute de ressources fiscales) et environnemental (les crony capitalists s’affranchissant des normes les plus elementaires).
Towards many colors in FISH on 3D-preserved interphase nuclei

The article reviews the existing methods of multicolor FISH on nuclear targets, first of all, interphase chromosomes. FISH proper and image acquisition are considered as two related components of a single process. We discuss (1) M-FISH (combinatorial labeling + deconvolution + wide-field microscopy); (2) multicolor labeling + SIM (structured illumination microscopy); (3) the standard approach to multicolor FISH + CLSM (confocal laser scanning microscopy; one fluorochrome – one color channel); (4) combinatorial labeling + CLSM; (5) non-combinatorial labeling + CLSM + linear unmixing. Two related issues, deconvolution of images acquired with CLSM and correction of data for chromatic Z-shift, are also discussed. All methods are illustrated with practical examples. Finally, several rules of thumb helping to choose an optimal labeling + microscopy combination for the planned experiment are suggested.
Base rate of post-concussion symptoms among normal people and its neuropsychological correlates

Objective: To explore the base rate of symptoms similar to those of post-concussion symptoms (PCS) among a group of participants without head injury. The effect of subjective complaints upon cognitive functioning was also examined. Design: A cross-sectional study. Participants: A total of 85 participants without head injury, other identifiable neurological diseases or psychiatric diseases were recruited. Outcome measures: These included Rivermead Post-concussion Symptoms Checklist, Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, Colour Trails Test, Stroop Word-Colour Test, Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test, Symbol Digits Modality Test, Word Fluency Test, Design Fluency Test, Digits Forward and Backward Span Test, and Modified Six Elements Test. Results: A relatively high proportion of the participants reported symptoms similar to those of patients with PCS. These included longer time to think (65.9%), forgetfulness (58.9%), poor concentration (58.9%), fatigue easily (53.5%), and sleep disturbances (50.6%). Gender effect was not significant for either the individual item or the total score of the Rivermead Post-concussion Symptoms Checklist. Moreover, there was no difference found between low symptom reporters and high symptom reporters in terms of attention, working memory, mental fluency, and strategy allocation. Conclusion: The base rates of symptoms were consistent with previous studies among the nonclinical groups. However, persons reporting a high score of concussion-like symptoms did not perform less well than those reporting a low score of symptoms in attention, working memory, mental fluency and strategy allocation.
Long-term consequences in offspring of diabetes in pregnancy: studies with syngeneic islet-transplanted streptozotocin-diabetic rats.

To study the long-term effects of exposure to maternal hyperglycemia and insulin deficiency in utero, we used the syngeneic islet transplanted streptozotocin-diabetic rat model of diabetes in pregnancy and examined insulin secretion and action in 6-month-old offspring. Female rats were rendered diabetic with streptozotocin and then transplanted with 2500, 750, or 500 islets. Control animals were also studied, and one group whose islet transplants failed remained diabetic. During pregnancy, plasma glucose levels in the diabetic rats and the groups receiving 500 and 750 islets were 24.7 +/- 1.0, 15.3 +/- 1.4, and 7.9 +/- 0.5 mmol/liter, respectively, all significantly greater than the control value (5.6 +/- 0.3 mmol/liter; P < 0.05). The plasma glucose level in the 2500 islet group was 6.2 +/- 0.2 mmol/liter, which was not significantly higher than the control value. When the offspring were studied at 6 months, there was no significant difference between groups in either glucose or insulin levels after iv glucose, although acute insulin secretion tended to be higher in the offspring of the diabetic animals. A study of insulin action with the euglycemic clamp at two insulin levels showed that insulin sensitivity was reduced in the offspring of diabetic animals vs. controls (1.97 +/- 0.24 vs. 7.58 +/- 0.95 mumol/liter x 100/kg/min.pmol/liter; P < 0.05). Insulin sensitivity was also significantly reduced in the 2500, 750, and 500 islet group offspring (4.81 +/- 0.57, 4.82 +/- 0.64, and 4.01 +/- 0.63 mumol/liter x 100/kg/min.pmol/liter; P < 0.05) compared to that in the control. There were no differences in insulin sensitivity between male and female animals. In summary, animals displaying maternal insulin deficiency have offspring who are insulin resistant without any evidence of iv glucose intolerance or diminished insulin secretion.
Relating Polaization Phase Difference of SAR Signals to Scene Properties

This paper examines the statistical behavior of the phase difference AO between the HH-polarized and VV-polarized backscattered signals recorded by an L-band SAR over an agricultural test site in Illinois. Polarization-phase difference (¿¿) distributions were generated for about 200 agricultural fields for which ground information had been acquired in conjunction with the SAR mission. For the over-whelming majority of cases, the AX distribution is symmetrical and has a single major lobe centered at the mean value of the disstribution ¿¿ Whereas the mean AX was found to be close to zero degrees for bare soil, cut vegetation, alfalfa, soybeans, and clover, a different pattern was observed for the corn fields; the mean ¿¿ increased with increasing incidence angle 0 from about zero at 0 = 150 (near-range of the image) to about 140° at 0 = 35°. The explanation proposed for this variation is that the corn canopy, most of whose mass is contained in its vertical stalks, acts like a uniaxial crystal characterized by different velocities of propogation for waves with horizontal and vertical polarization. Thus, it is hypothesized that the observed backscatter is contributed by a combination of propagation delay, forward scatter by the soil surface, and specular bistatic reflection by the stalks. Model calculations based on this assumption were found to be in general agreement with the phase observations.
Transient Cerenkov radiation emitted by a pulsed line current traveling above the interface of a two-media configuration

The transient Cerenkov radiation emitted by a pulsed line current traveling above the interface of a two-media configuration is investigated. By using proper transformation variables in the Laplace-Fourier-transform domain we can solve with the aid of the Cagniard-de Hoop method the transient electromagnetic field emitted by a pulsed line current traveling with a speed /spl nu/>0 above the interface of a two media configuration. The Cerenkov radiation which is present when the traveling speed exceeds the wave velocity in the surrounding medium is investigated. In our method the Cerenkov radiation manifests itself in the form of a pole contribution in the complex plane of the spatial Fourier transform variable. Closed form expressions are obtained for the incident as well as the reflected Cerenkov radiation above the interface of the two media. We investigated the case that the traveling velocity exceeds the wave velocity under the interface and the case that the traveling velocity is smaller than the wave velocity under the interface.
Distinct Viral Lineages from Fish and Amphibians Reveal the Complex Evolutionary History of Hepadnaviruses

ABSTRACT Hepadnaviruses (hepatitis B viruses [HBVs]) are the only animal viruses that replicate their DNA by reverse transcription of an RNA intermediate. Until recently, the known host range of hepadnaviruses was limited to mammals and birds. We obtained and analyzed the first amphibian HBV genome, as well as several prototype fish HBVs, which allow the first comprehensive comparative genomic analysis of hepadnaviruses from four classes of vertebrates. Bluegill hepadnavirus (BGHBV) was characterized from in-house viral metagenomic sequencing. The African cichlid hepadnavirus (ACHBV) and the Tibetan frog hepadnavirus (TFHBV) were discovered using in silico analyses of the whole-genome shotgun and transcriptome shotgun assembly databases. Residues in the hydrophobic base of the capsid (core) proteins, designated motifs I, II, and III, are highly conserved, suggesting that structural constraints for proper capsid folding are key to capsid protein evolution. Surface proteins in all vertebrate HBVs contain similar predicted membrane topologies, characterized by three transmembrane domains. Most striking was the fact that BGHBV, ACHBV, and the previously described white sucker hepadnavirus did not form a fish-specific monophyletic group in the phylogenetic analysis of all three hepadnaviral genes. Notably, BGHBV was more closely related to the mammalian hepadnaviruses, indicating that cross-species transmission events have played a major role in viral evolution. Evidence of cross-species transmission was also observed with TFHBV. Hence, these data indicate that the evolutionary history of the hepadnaviruses is more complex than previously realized and combines both virus-host codivergence over millions of years and host species jumping. IMPORTANCE Hepadnaviruses are responsible for significant disease in humans (hepatitis B virus) and have been reported from a diverse range of vertebrates as both exogenous and endogenous viruses. We report the full-length genome of a novel hepadnavirus from a fish and the first hepadnavirus genome from an amphibian. The novel fish hepadnavirus, sampled from bluegills, was more closely related to mammalian hepadnaviruses than to other fish viruses. This phylogenetic pattern reveals that, although hepadnaviruses have likely been associated with vertebrates for hundreds of millions of years, they have also been characterized by species jumping across wide phylogenetic distances.
Identification of a Novel Suppressive Vitamin D Response Sequence in the 5′-Flanking Region of the Murine Id1 Gene*

Vitamin D promotes differentiation of cells either by simply enhancing phenotypic gene expression and/or by suppressing expression of inhibitors of differentiation. Previously, we reported that expression of a gene encoding Id1, a negative type helix-loop-helix transcription factor, was transcriptionally suppressed by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3(1,25(OH)2D3) (1). To identify the sequence required for the negative regulation by 1,25(OH)2D3, a 1.5-kilobase 5′-flanking region of murine Id1 gene was examined by transiently transfecting luciferase reporter constructs into ROS17/2.8 osteoblastic cells. The transcriptional activity of this construct was repressed by 10−8 m 1,25(OH)2D3. Deletion analysis revealed that a 57-base pair (bp) upstream response sequence (URS) (−1146/−1090) was required for the suppression by 1,25(OH)2D3. This sequence conferred negative responsiveness to 1,25(OH)2D3 to a heterologous SV40 promoter. The 57-bp URS contained not only Egr-1 consensus sequence (2) but also four direct repeats of a heptamer sequence (C/A)CAGCCC. Electrophoresis mobility shift assay revealed that the 57-bp URS formed specific nuclear protein-DNA complexes, which were neither competed by previously known positive and negative vitamin D response elements nor supershifted by anti-vitamin D receptor antibody, suggesting the absence of vitamin D receptor in these complexes. These results indicate the involvement of the novel 57-bp sequence in the vitamin D suppression of Id1 gene transcription.
Comodulation masking release in a forward-masking paradigm.

Waveforms that yield comodulation masking release (CMR) when they are presented simultaneously with a signal were used in a standard forward-masking procedure. The signal was a 25-ms sample of a 2500-Hz tone. The masker was a band of noise centered at 2500 Hz, 100 Hz in width, and 200 ms in duration. Presented with the masker were two or four cue bands, each 100 Hz wide and centered at various distances from the masker band. These cue bands either all had the same temporal envelope as the masker band (correlated condition) or their common envelope was different from that of the masker band (uncorrelated condition). In the initial experiments, (1) detectability of the tonal signal was 7-18 dB better when the masker band was accompanied by cue bands than when it was not--an effect that would be expected from past research on lateral suppression--but further, (2) the signal was about 3 dB more detectable in the correlated conditions than in the uncorrelated conditions. In follow-up experiments, these CMR-like differences between the correlated and uncorrelated conditions were substantially reduced (although not eliminated) by presenting a contralateral, wideband noise that was gated synchronously with the masker and/or cue bands. The implications are that the initial results were attributable in part to the "confusion effects" known to exist in certain temporal-masking situations, and that listeners are able to obtain greater information about the temporal extent of a masker band from correlated cue bands than from uncorrelated bands. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Development of matrix clip assembly for power MOSFET packages

New developments in trench technology for power MOSFET's drives intrinsic electrical silicon resistance to a minimum. This implicates that the contribution of the package resistance becomes more significant in the total electrical resistance (Rdson) of the product. Low Rdson for power packages is an important characteristic. Within the package the electrical interconnect between die top and leadframe is the main contributor to the Rdson value. In order to achieve a low Rdson the industry uses therefore (thick) wire bonding, ribbon bonding and clip bonding. The latter leads to the lowest Rdson, mainly because of the size of the clip and the low spreading resistance at the bondpad surface. In general, clip bonding is done by soldering a Cu clip to one or both bondpads and their corresponding leads. This requires a good control of the soldering process especially the positioning of the die and clips during the molten phase of the solder reflow process. At NXP a new technology has been developed that makes it possible to place clips for both, the gate and source, for a matrix of products simultaneously. The matrix-wise processing is suited for leadless packages and is applicable for a large range of power products. This paper reveals the method of Matrix Clip Assembly applied to a power MOSFET package. A statistically significant large amount of packages has been assembled, electrically evaluated and subjected to life testing. The verification run showed a very low Rdson, high yield, wide process window and good lifetest performance. The electrical performance has been simulated and a direct comparison between real wire bonded, ribbon bonded and clip bonded samples has been made.
Reduced Adiposity and Liver Steatosis by Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase Deficiency Are Independent of Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor-α*

Stearoyl-CoA desaturase catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of monounsaturated fatty acids, which are required for normal rates of synthesis of triglycerides, cholesterol esters, and phospholipids. Mice with a targeted disruption of the stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) isoform are protected against diet and leptin deficiency-induced adiposity, have increased energy expenditure, and have up-regulated expression of hepatic genes encoding enzymes of fatty acid β-oxidation. Because peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) is a key transcription factor that induces the transcription of fatty acid β-oxidation and thermogenic genes, we hypothesized that the increased fatty acid oxidation observed in SCD1 deficiency is dependent on activation of the PPARα pathway. Here we show that mice nullizygous for SCD1 and PPARα are still protected against adiposity, have increased energy expenditure, and maintain high expression of PPARα target genes in the liver and brown adipose tissue. The SCD1 deficiency rescued hepatic steatosis of the PPARα-/- mice. The SCD1 mutation increased the phosphorylation of both AMP-activated protein kinase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase, thereby increasing CPT activity and stimulating the oxidation of liver palmitoyl-CoA in the PPARα null mice. The findings indicate that the reduced adiposity, reduced liver steatosis, increased energy expenditure, and increased expression of PPARα target genes associated with SCD1 deficiency are independent of activation of the PPARα pathway.