Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nomenclature of the finer branches of the biliary tree: Canals, ductules, and ductular reactions in human livers

The work of liver stem cell biologists, largely carried out in rodent models, has now started to manifest in human investigations and applications. We can now recognize complex regenerative processes in tissue specimens that had only been suspected for decades, but we also struggle to describe what we see in human tissues in a way that takes into account the findings from the animal investigations, using a language derived from species not, in fact, so much like our own. This international group of liver pathologists and hepatologists, most of whom are actively engaged in both clinical work and scientific research, seeks to arrive at a consensus on nomenclature for normal human livers and human reactive lesions that can facilitate more rapid advancement of our field. (HEPATOLOGY 2004; 39:1739–1745.)
Constant compositions in the sphere packing bound for classical-quantum channels

The sphere packing bound, in the form given by Shannon, Gallager and Berlekamp, was recently extended to classical-quantum channels, and it was shown that this creates a natural setting for combining probabilistic approaches with some combinatorial ones such as the Lovász theta function. In this paper, we extend the study to the case of constant composition codes. We first extend the sphere packing bound for classical-quantum channels to this case, and we then show that the obtained result is related to a variation of the Lovász theta function studied by Marton. We then propose a further extension to the case of varying channels and codewords with a constant conditional composition given a particular sequence. This extension is then applied to auxiliary channels to deduce a bound which can be interpreted as an extension of the Elias bound.
Comparison between biomass and C, N, P, S contents of vigorous and die-back reed stands of Lake Fertő/Neusiedler See

The production of vigorous and die-back sites of the same reed belt and nutrient content of reed were studied to detect possible causes of reed die-back. Shoot density, total aboveground and belowground biomass and their C, N, P and S contents were also determined.Samples were collected from three vigorous and three die-back sites of Lake Fertő/Neusiedler See in 1996 and 1997. Reed stands were compared when the biomass was maximal in both years. Reed shoots were significantly (p = 5%) shorter, thinner and had less internodes at the die-back sites than at the vigorous sites, where the aboveground biomass was 1.5–2.0 times and the leaf area index (LAI) 1.7–2.5 times higher. The belowground biomass was nearly the same at the vigorous and die-back sites. The amount of decaying belowground biomass was less than 50% of the total belowground biomass at the vigorous sites, while it reached 75% at the die-back sites.Different N, C, P and S concentrations were found in the reed organs studied (leaves, culm, rhizome and roots). The N concentration in leaves, culm and rhizome was higher at the die-back sites, where the P concentration was the lowest. There were no significant differences in the S concentration of the examined reed organs as comparing the vigorous and degraded reeds. The C concentration of culms were higher, while that of the living rhizomes were lower at healthy than at the die-back sites. The N, P, C and S standing stocks in the aboveground biomass were significantly lower at the die-back sites than at the vigorous sites. In the belowground biomass the P standing stock was significantly lower, while the N standing stock was significantly higher at the die-back sites than at the vigorous sites.Not more than 17% of the total dry mass m−2, 17% of the C, 24% of the N, 14% of the S and 27% of the P standing stock was found in the aboveground phytomass produced in the actual year.
A common mutation in the lipoprotein lipase gene (N291S) alters the lipoprotein phenotype and risk for cardiovascular disease in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia.

BACKGROUND Recently, a mutation in the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene (N291S) has been reported in 2% to 5% of individuals in western populations and is associated with increased triglyceride (TG) and reduced HDL cholesterol (HDLC) concentrations. METHODS AND RESULTS Here we report a significant alteration in biochemical and clinical phenotype in subjects with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) who are heterozygous for this N291S LPL mutation. Sixty-four FH heterozygotes carrying the N291S mutation had significantly a higher TG level (P=.004), a higher ratio of total cholesterol to HDLC (P<.001), and lower HDLC concentrations (P=.002) compared with 175 FH heterozygotes without this LPL mutation. Moreover, the N291S mutation conferred a significantly greater risk for developing cardiovascular disease in FH heterozygotes compared with FH heterozygotes without this LPL mutation (odds ratio, 3.875; P=.006). CONCLUSIONS These data provide evidence that a common LPL variant (N291S) significantly influences the biochemical phenotype and risk for cardiovascular disease in patients with FH.
DRAFT : Graph Walks and Graphical Models Graph Walks and Graphical Models

Inference in Markov random fields, and development and evaluation of similarity measures for nodes in graphs, are both active areas of data-mining research. In this paper, we demonstrate a formal connection between inference in tree-structured Markov random fields and personalized PageRank, a widely-used similarity measure for graph nodes based on graphwalks. In particular we show a connection between computation of marginal probabilities in tree-structured discrete-variable pairwise MRFs, and computation of similarity between vertices of a graph using the personalized PageRank measure: roughly speaking, for these MRFs, computing a marginal probability Pr(Xi = j) can be reduced to computing a small set of personalized-PageRank similarity vectors, followed by a very limited postprocessing stage.
A validity-guided support vector clustering algorithm for identification of optimal cluster configuration

This paper presents a validity-guided support vector clustering (SVC) algorithm for identifying an optimal cluster configuration. Since the SVC is a kernel based clustering approach, the parameter of kernel functions plays a crucial role in the clustering result. Without a priori knowledge of data sets, a validity measure, based on a ratio of overall cluster compactness to separation, has been developed to automatically determine a suitable parameter of the kernel functions. Using this parameter, the SVC algorithm is capable of identifying the optimal cluster number with compact and smooth arbitrary-shaped cluster boundaries. Computer simulations have been conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed validity-guided SVC algorithm.
Fitting the pieces together – Towards a linguistic prehistory of eastern-central South Asia (and beyond)

Abstract This study summarizes preliminary research into the distribution of morphosyntactic patterns in the languages of South Asia from three different families, above all in eastern-central South Asia, in a first attempt to unravel the linguistic prehistory of this part of the subcontinent. To achieve this goal a small, preliminary morphosyntactic database has been compiled on 29 languages from throughout South Asia based on data from published resources, original field work, as well as questionnaires sent out to researchers working on a number of languages from the region. This data base, although still quite limited, will serve as the starting point for a much larger, finer-grained analysis of languages from throughout the subcontinent which will ultimately contribute substantially to our knowledge of the linguistic prehistory of this region.
Carnosic Acid and Carnosol, Two Major Antioxidants of Rosemary, Act through Different Mechanisms1[OPEN]

Rosemary leaves contain two phenolic diterpenes, carnosic acid and carnosol, which provide protection against oxidative stress by distinct mechanisms involving ROS scavenging or inhibition of lipid oxidation. Carnosic acid, a phenolic diterpene specific to the Lamiaceae family, is highly abundant in rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis). Despite numerous industrial and medicinal/pharmaceutical applications of its antioxidative features, this compound in planta and its antioxidant mechanism have received little attention, except a few studies of rosemary plants under natural conditions. In vitro analyses, using high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet and luminescence imaging, revealed that carnosic acid and its major oxidized derivative, carnosol, protect lipids from oxidation. Both compounds preserved linolenic acid and monogalactosyldiacylglycerol from singlet oxygen and from hydroxyl radical. When applied exogenously, they were both able to protect thylakoid membranes prepared from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaves against lipid peroxidation. Different levels of carnosic acid and carnosol in two contrasting rosemary varieties correlated with tolerance to lipid peroxidation. Upon reactive oxygen species (ROS) oxidation of lipids, carnosic acid was consumed and oxidized into various derivatives, including into carnosol, while carnosol resisted, suggesting that carnosic acid is a chemical quencher of ROS. The antioxidative function of carnosol relies on another mechanism, occurring directly in the lipid oxidation process. Under oxidative conditions that did not involve ROS generation, carnosol inhibited lipid peroxidation, contrary to carnosic acid. Using spin probes and electron paramagnetic resonance detection, we confirmed that carnosic acid, rather than carnosol, is a ROS quencher. Various oxidized derivatives of carnosic acid were detected in rosemary leaves in low light, indicating chronic oxidation of this compound, and accumulated in plants exposed to stress conditions, in parallel with a loss of carnosic acid, confirming that chemical quenching of ROS by carnosic acid takes place in planta.
Characterization and Dissolution Properties of Ketoprofen in Binary and Ternary Solid Dispersions with Polyethylene Glycol and Surfactants

The effect of incorporation of an anionic [sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or dioctylsulfosuccinate (DSS)] or nonionic [Tween 60 (TW60)] surfactant on the properties of ketoprofen solid dispersions in polyethylene glycol 15000 (PEG) has been investigated. Physicochemical and morphological properties of the various solid systems were determined by differential scanning calorimetry, hot stage microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The results from dissolution studies, performed according to the USP 24 basket method, indicated that all ternary dispersed systems were significantly (p < 0.001) more efficacious than the corresponding binary ones, by virtue of the additive wetting and solubilizing effect due to the presence of the surfactant. The relative effectiveness of the incorporated surfactant was in the same order as found in phase-solubility studies (i.e., SDS > DSS > TW60). With regard to the solid dispersion preparation method, coevaporated products always gave better results than the corresponding cofused ones; however, this effect was statistically significant (p < 0.001) only in the initial phase of the dissolution process. The most effective solid dispersion was the 10-80-10 w/w drug-PEG-SDS ternary coevaporate, which allowed dissolution of 50% drug after only 6 min (in comparison with > 120 min for drug alone and 17 min for the binary coevaporate) and dissolution of about 100% drug after 30 min (in comparison with > 120 min for the binary coevaporate).
Multitask Principal–Agent Analyses: Incentive Contracts, Asset Ownership, and Job Design

In the standard economic treatment of the principal-agent problem, compensation systems serve the dual function of allocating risks and rewarding productive work. A tension between these two functions arises when the agent is risk averse, for providing the agent with effective work incentives often forces him to bear unwanted risk. Existing formal models that have analyzed this tension, however, have produced only limited results. It remains a puzzle for this theory that employment contracts so often specify fixed wages and more generally that incentives within finns appear to be so muted, especially compared to those of the market. Also, the models have remained too intractable to effectively address broader organizational issues such as asset ownership, job design, and allocation of authority. In this article, we will analyze a principal-agent model that (i) can account for paying fixed wages even when good, objective output measures are available and agents are highly responsive to incentive pay; (ii) can make recommendations and predictions about ownership patterns even when contracts can take full account of all observable variables and court enforcement is perfect; (iii) can explain why employment is sometimes superior to independent con-
Image authentication under geometric attacks via concentric square partition based image hashing

Robust image hashing techniques have been extensively studied in the recent years, with constant improvements. The challenge is that the hashing schemes need to be robust to most content-preservation operations (CPOs) and at the same time have reliable discriminative capability. One of the most important application of such image hashing techniques is image authentication. Most of the existing image hashing techniques are not robust to geometric attacks e.g. rotation and composite rotation-scaling-translation (RST). In this paper, we propose a novel image authentication model that uses a blind approach for geometric distortion correction. The hashing scheme is based on concentric square partition and statistical feature vector distances, thus making it perceptually robust and at the same time sensitive to visually distinct images. Experimental results show the proposed method outperforms some state-of-the-art models and gives desirable result for all CPOs and geometric attacks as well.
Mild Muscular Features in Tenascin-X Knockout Mice, A Model of Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome

Introduction: Tenascin-X (TNX) is an extracellular matrix (ECM) glycoprotein, the absence of which in humans leads to a recessive form of Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (EDS), a group of inherited connective tissue disorders characterized by joint hypermobility, skin hyperextensibility, and tissue fragility. A mouse model of TNX-deficient type EDS has been used to characterize the dermatological, orthopedic, and obstetrical features. The growing insight in the clinical overlap between myopathies and inherited connective tissue disorders asks for a study of the muscular characteristics of inherited connective tissue diseases. Therefore, this study aims to define the muscular phenotype of TNX knockout (KO) mice. Materials and methods: We performed a comprehensive study on the muscular phenotype of these TNX KO mice, consisting of standardized clinical assessment, muscle histology, and gene expression profiling of muscle tissue. Furthermore, peripheral nerve composition was studied by histology and electron microscopy. Results: The main findings are the presence of mild muscle weakness, mild myopathic features on histology, and functional upregulation of genes encoding proteins involved in ECM degradation and synthesis. Additionally, sciatic nerve samples showed mildly reduced collagen fibril density of endoneurium. Discussion: The muscular phenotype of TNX KO mice consists of mild muscle weakness with histological signs of myopathy and of increased turnover of the ECM in muscle. Furthermore, mildly reduced diameter of myelinated fibers and reduction of collagen fibril density of endoneurium may correspond with polyneuropathy in TNX-deficient EDS patients. This comprehensive assessment can serve as a starting point for further investigations on neuromuscular function in TNX KO mice.
Adaptive Vision-Based Collaborative Tracking Control of An UGV via a Moving Airborne Camera: A Daisy Chaining Approach

A cooperative visual servo tracking controller is developed in this paper with the objective to enable an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) to follow a desired trajectory encoded as a sequence of images (i.e. a prerecorded video) utilizing the image feedback from a moving airborne monocular camera system. An innovative daisy chaining strategy is used to resolve the relative velocity between the moving airborne camera (i.e., a camera attached to a remotely piloted aircraft), the moving UGV, and the desired time varying UGV trajectory. An adaptive Lyapunov-based control strategy is employed to actively compensate for the lack of known depth measurements and the lack of an object model
Exocytosis of pinocytosed fluid in cultured cells: kinetic evidence for rapid turnover and compartmentation

The uptake and fate of pinocytosed fluid were investigated in monolayers of pulmonary alveolar macrophages and fetal lung fibroblasts using the fluid-phase marker, [14C]sucrose. Initial experiments revealed that cellular accumulation of chromatographically repurified [14C]sucrose was not linear with incubation time. Deviation from linearity was shown to be due to constant exocytosis of accumulating marker. Chromatographic analysis revealed that the cells were unable to metabolize sucrose and were releasing it intact by a process that was temperature-sensitive but not dependent on extracellular calcium and magnesium. A detailed analysis of the kinetics of exocytosis was undertaken by preloading cells with [14C]sucrose for various lengths of time and then monitoring the appearance of radioactivity into isotope- free medium. Results indicated that modeling the process of fluid-phase pinocytosis and subsequent exocytosis required at least two intracellular compartments in series, one compartment being of small size and turning over very rapidly (t1/2 = 5 min in macrophages, 6--8 min in fibroblasts) and the other compartment being apparently larger in size and turning over very slowly (t1/2 = 180 min in macrophages, 430--620 min in fibroblasts). Computer-simulation based on this model confirmed that the kinetics of efflux faithfully reflected the kinetics of influx and that the rate of efflux completely accounted for the deviation from linearity of accumulation kinetics. Moreover, the sizes of the compartments and magnitude of the intercompartment fluxes were such that the majority of fluid internalized in pinocytic vesicles was rapidly returned to the extracellular space via exocytosis. This result provides direct experimental evidence for a process previously thought necessary based solely on morphological and theoretical considerations. Furthermore, the turnover of pinocytosed fluid was so dynamic that accumulation deviated from linearity even within the first few minutes of incubation. We were able to show that the kinetics of exocytosis allowed calculation of the actual pinocytic rate, a rate that was nearly 50% greater than the apparent initial rate obtained from the slope of the uptake curve over the first 10 min.
The HTR1 Gene Is a Dominant Negative Mutant Allele of MTH1 and Blocks Snf3- and Rgt2-Dependent Glucose Signaling in Yeast

ABSTRACT Saccharomyces cerevisiae HTR1 mutants are severely impaired in the uptake of glucose. We have cloned dominantHTR1 mutant alleles and show that they encode mutant forms of the Mth1 protein. Mth1 is shown to be involved in carbon source-dependent regulation of its own, invertase and hexose transporter gene expression. The mutant forms block the transduction of the Snf3- and Rgt2-mediated glucose signals upstream of the Rgt1 transcriptional regulator.
Seasonal Variations of Heavy Metal Accumulation in Water, Sediment and Target Organs of the Cichlid Fish, Oreochromis niloticus Inhabiting El-Bagouria Canal, El-Gharbia Governorate, Egypt

Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences is the official English language journal of the Egyptian Society for Biological Sciences, Department of Entomology, Faculty of Sciences Ain Shams University. Physiology & molecular biology journal is one of the series issued twice by the Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences, and is devoted to publication of original papers that elucidateimportant biological, chemical, or physical mechanisms of broad physiological significance.
Generating and Classifying Recall Images by Neurosymbolic Computation

The neurosymbolic hybrid system ARCS, which extends a classifier for certain kinds of visually presented objects, generates recall images it is then capable of classifying. The modules performing classification are exploited for imagery, too. In particular, each weightless neural discriminator has been modified so as to generate a non-crisp example of the class of simple visual features it was trained to detect; a symbolic process prescribes how to assemble more complex patterns from such non-crisp examples; both generated features and their compositions are correctly classified, even though the system was originally conceived for actual visual inputs only. These cognitively significant aspects of the hybrid system are examined in the framework of a more general discussion of neurosymbolic integration for cognitive modelling.
Morin hydrate attenuates the acrylamide-induced imbalance in antioxidant enzymes in a murine model

Liver diseases are among the most serious health issues nowadays. Hepatocellular carcinoma, one of the most lethal types of cancer worldwide, can be caused by chemically-induced oxidative stress. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the protective effects of morin hydrate (MH) against acrylamide (AA)-induced hepatotoxicity in male ICR mice. The mice were randomly allocated into 4 groups [the control, the group subcutaneously injected with AA alone (50 mg/kg body weight), the group subcutaneously injected with AA (50 mg/kg body weight) and MH (5 mg/kg body weight) and the group subcutaneously injected with AA (50 mg/kg body weight) and MH (15 mg/kg body weight) for 5 consecutive days]. Histopathological evaluations were performed and the levels of serum hepatic enzymes were analyzed to determine initial liver injury, and the mice in the AA-treated groups were compared with the mice receiving no treatment and with the mice administered MH in combination with AA. Furthermore, oxidative stress, hepatic inflammation and the levels of DNA damage-related markers were evaluated to determine the extent of liver damage induced by AA within a short-term period. The subcutaneous administration of AA induced severe hepatic injury, and combined treatment with AA and MH resulted in a significant improvement in all evaluated parameters. This recovery was most obvious in the group receiving AA and 15 mg/kg body weight dose of MH. The findings of our study demonstrated that MH protected mice from severe hepatic injury induced by AA. Moreover, MH is a natural polyphenolic compound, and thus it has potential for use in the treatment of severe liver diseases, in place of many synthetic drugs.