Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differences in activity‐dependent hyperpolarization in human sensory and motor axons

The present study was undertaken to determine whether activity‐dependent changes in axonal excitability are greater in motor axons than cutaneous afferents for the same impulse load. In nine healthy subjects, supramaximal stimulation at 8 Hz was delivered to the median nerve at the wrist. Changes in the threshold current required to generate compound motor and sensory potentials ∼50% of maximum and other indices of axonal excitability were tracked before and after repetitive stimulation for 10 min. The long‐lasting stimulation produced a prolonged depression in the excitability of both cutaneous afferents and motor axons, with gradual recovery to control levels over 15–20 min. These changes in threshold were associated with a reduction in refractoriness, an increase in supernormality and a decrease in the strength–duration time constant, changes consistent with axonal hyperpolarization. Greater changes in threshold occurred in motor axons: threshold increased by 9.9% and 16.4% for test stimulus durations of 0.1 and 1 ms, respectively, for motor axons and by 5.4% and 8.3% for cutaneous afferents. With higher stimulus frequencies and thereby greater impulse loads, greater threshold changes could be induced in cutaneous afferents. It is argued that the hyperpolarization resulted from activity of the electrogenic Na+–K+ pump, that it requires > 125 ms to restore the resting state following an action potential, and that significant intracellular Na+ accumulation occurs during a steady 8‐Hz train. These findings imply that physiological discharge rates will activate the pump and thereby produce axonal hyperpolarization, the extent of which will vary with impulse load. A plausible explanation is that greater activity‐dependent hyperpolarization in motor axons is due to less inward rectification as a result of less activity of the hyperpolarization‐activated cation conductance (IH) than in cutaneous afferents.
Consumer-Object Relations: a Conceptual Framework Based Analogously on Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love

ABSTRACT This paper adapts Sternberg's (1986) triangular theory of love to the study of consumer-object relations. We argue that the protean character of CORs has not been captured by prior conceptualizations in consumer research. Our conceptual scheme, pursuant to Sternberg's theory, is based on the view that three common psychological processes motivation, emotion, and cognition--interact in various combinations to determine the nature of consumers' relations with consumption objects. We conceptualize eight types of CORs by considering every combination of the three underlying psychological components.
Piper nigrum Leaf and Stem Assisted Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles and Evaluation of Its Antibacterial Activity Against Agricultural Plant Pathogens

Utilization of biological materials in synthesis of nanoparticles is one of the hottest topics in modern nanoscience and nanotechnology. In the present investigation, the silver nanoparticles were synthesized by using the leaf and stem extract of Piper nigrum. The synthesized nanoparticle was characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The observation of the peak at 460 nm in the UV-vis spectra for leaf- and stem-synthesized silver nanoparticles reveals the reduction of silver metal ions into silver nanoparticles. Further, XRD analysis has been carried out to confirm the crystalline nature of the synthesized silver nanoparticles. The TEM images show that the leaf- and stem-synthesized silver nanoparticles were within the size of about 7–50 nm and 9–30 nm, respectively. The FTIR analysis was performed to identify the possible functional groups involved in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. Further, the antibacterial activity of the green-synthesized silver nanoparticles was examined against agricultural plant pathogens. The antibacterial property of silver nanoparticles is a beneficial application in the field of agricultural nanotechnology.
Recombination Activity and Impact of the Boron–Oxygen-Related Defect in Compensated N-Type Silicon

In this paper, we present experimental data regarding the recombination activity and concentration of the boron-oxygen complex in compensated n-type silicon, doped with phosphorus and boron, when subjected to illumination. Unlike the data of Bothe in n-type silicon compensated with thermal donors, our results suggest the dominant defect level in our doping range to be a shallow level (EC- ET = 0.15 eV), with a capture cross-section ratio σn /σp of around 0.006, suggesting a negatively charged center. We also confirm previous results showing an increasing defect density with bias light intensity. Due to the strong lifetime reduction observed, we suggest that this material might not be suited to make high-efficiency n-type solar cells, unless practical strategies to reduce the defect concentration can be developed.
Neutrino Majorana masses from string theory instanton effects

Finding a plausible origin for right-handed neutrino Majorana masses in semirealistic compactifications of string theory remains one of the most difficult problems in string phenomenology. We argue that right-handed neutrino Majorana masses are induced by non-perturbative instanton effects in certain classes of string compactifications in which the U(1)B−L gauge boson has a Stuckelberg mass. The induced operators are of the form e−UνRνR where U is a closed string modulus whose imaginary part transforms appropriately under B−L. This mass term may be quite large since this is not a gauge instanton and Re U is not directly related to SM gauge couplings. Thus the size of the induced right-handed neutrino masses could be a few orders of magnitude below the string scale, as phenomenologically required. It is also argued that this origin for neutrino masses would predict the existence of R-parity in SUSY versions of the SM. Finally we comment on other phenomenological applications of similar instanton effects, like the generation of a μ-term, or of Yukawa couplings forbidden in perturbation theory.
Motor Learning Principles for Rehabilitation: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Study in Poststroke Patients

Background. Six months after a stroke, the hemiplegic arm often remains compromised. More innovative approaches to motor rehabilitation are needed. Objective. The authors compared a motor learning—based approach in a virtual environment with more conventional upper extremity therapy in a pilot trial. Methods . This prospective, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial compared reinforced feedback in a virtual environment (RFVE; n = 27) with a control intervention (n = 20) of progressive therapy for the affected upper extremity. Both treatments were provided for 4 weeks, 5 days per week, with 1-hour treatment sessions daily. The primary outcomes were the Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity (F-M UE) and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores. Kinematic outcomes included mean duration (MD), mean linear velocity (MLV), and number of submovements to measure the motor performance. Analyses of the primary outcomes were performed per protocol and by intention to treat. Results. F-M UE scores improved significantly in the RFVE group compared with the conventional therapy group (“intention to treat” = 5.10 points, P = .004; ANCOVA = 4.26 points, P < .01). Several of the kinematic parameters improved in the RFVE group (MD, P < .01; MLV, P < .01). FIM improvements did not differ. Conclusions . Both rehabilitation therapies improved arm motor performance and functional activity, but the RFVE therapy induced more robust results in patients exposed to late rehabilitation treatment.
A Hitchhiker's Guide to Search-Based Software Engineering for Software Product Lines

Search Based Software Engineering (SBSE) is an emerging discipline that focuses on the application of search-based optimization techniques to software engineering problems. The capacity of SBSE techniques to tackle problems involving large search spaces make their application attractive for Software Product Lines (SPLs). In recent years, several publications have appeared that apply SBSE techniques to SPL problems. In this paper, we present the results of a systematic mapping study of such publications. We identified the stages of the SPL life cycle where SBSE techniques have been used, what case studies have been employed and how they have been analysed. This mapping study revealed potential venues for further research as well as common misunderstanding and pitfalls when applying SBSE techniques that we address by providing a guideline for researchers and practitioners interested in exploiting these techniques.
Proton T1 relaxation times of cerebral metabolites differ within and between regions of normal human brain

Saturation recovery spectra (STEAM) were acquired at 1.5 T with 7 TRs ranging from 530 to 5000 ms and a constant TE of 30 ms in voxels (7.2 ml) located in occipital grey, parietal white and frontal white matter (10 subjects each location). Spectra were also acquired at 7, 21 and 37°C from separate 100 mm solutions of inositol (Ins), choline‐containing compounds (Cho), N‐acetyl‐aspartate (NAA) and creatine. Simulations of T1 fits with 2, 3 and 7 TRs demonstrated that at typical SNR there is potential for both inaccurate and biased results. In vivo, different metabolites had significantly different T1s within the same brain volume. The same order from shortest to longest T1 (Ins, Cho, NAA, creatine) was found for all three brain regions. The order (Ins, NAA, creatine, Cho) was found in the metabolite solutions and was consistent with a simple model in which T1 is inversely proportional to molecular weight. For all individual metabolites, T1 increased from occipital grey to parietal white to frontal white matter. This study demonstrates that, in spectra acquired with TR near 1 s, T1 weightings are substantially different for metabolites within a single tissue and also for the same metabolites in different tissues. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Power and Uncertainty Analysis of Epidemiological Studies of Radiation-Related Disease Risk in which Dose Estimates are Based on a Complex Dosimetry System: Some Observations

Abstract Stram, D. O. and Kopecky, K. J. Power and Uncertainty Analysis of Epidemiological Studies of Radiation-Related Disease Risk in which Dose Estimates are Based on a Complex Dosimetry System: Some Observations. Radiat. Res. 160, 408–417 (2003). This paper discusses practical effects of dosimetry error relevant to the design and analysis of an epidemiological study of disease risk and exposure. It focuses on shared error in radiation dose estimates for such studies as the Hanford Thyroid Disease Study or the Utah Thyroid Cohort Study, which use complex dosimetry systems that produce multiple replications of possible dose for the cohort. We argue that a simple estimation of shared multiplicative error components through direct examination of the replications of dose for each person provides information useful for estimating the power of a study to detect a radiation effect and illustrate this with an example based on the doses used for the Hanford Thyroid Disease Study. Uncertainty analysis (construction of confidence intervals) can be approached in the same way in simple cases. We also offer some suggestions for Monte Carlo-based confidence intervals.
A novel approach to format based text steganography

Steganography gained importance in the past few years due to the increasing need for providing secrecy in an open environment like the internet. With almost anyone can observe the communicated data all around, steganography attempts to hide the very existence of the message and make communication undetectable. Steganography has many technical challenges such as high hiding capacity and imperceptibility. In this paper, we try to evolve an algorithm on text steganography using the combination of line shifting and word shifting methods with copy protection technique with high capacity of the cover object. Word shift embeds secret information in text by shifting words slightly. Line shift embeds secret information in text by shifting text lines slightly. Our method hides the secret information in binary form rather than the original character form by using the above methods. This method has a good hiding capacity because it hides more than one bit in each line of cover text. Also this method does not make any apparent changes in the original text.
The Consequences of Corruption: Evidences from China

With complementary Chinese data sets and alternative corruption measures, we explore the consequences of corruption. Adopting a novel approach we provide evidence that corruption can have both, positive and negative effects, on economic development. The overall impact of corruption might be the balance of the two simultaneous effects within a specific institutional environment (“grease the wheels” and “sand the wheels”). Corruption is observed to considerably increase income inequality in China. We also find that corruption strongly reduces tax revenue. Looking at things from an expenditure point of view we observe that corruption significantly decreases government spending on education, R&D and public health in China. We also observe that regional corruption significantly reduces inbound foreign direct investment in Chinese regions, which indicates that the pollution haven hypothesis may not hold in China. This finding sheds a new light on the “China puzzle” that China is the largest developing host of FDI while it is appears to be very corrupt. Finally we observe that corruption substantially aggravates pollution probably through loosening environment regulation, and that it modifies the effects of trade openness and FDI on the stringency of environmental policy in a manner opposite to that observed in literature to date.
Glomerulotubular balance, dietary protein, and the renal response to glycine in diabetic rats.

The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) normally increases during glycine infusion, which is a test of "renal reserve. " Renal reserve is absent in diabetes mellitus. GFR increases after protein feeding because of increased tubular reabsorption, which reduces the signal for tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF). Dietary protein restriction normalizes some aspects of glomerular function in diabetes. Renal micropuncture was performed in rats 4-5 wk after diabetes was induced by streptozotocin to determine whether renal reserve is lost as a result of altered tubular function and activation of TGF, whether 10 days of dietary protein restriction could restore renal reserve, and whether this results from effects of glycine on the tubule. TGF activation was determined by locating single-nephron GFR (SNGFR) in the early distal tubule along the TGF curve. The TGF signal was determined from the ionic content of the early distal tubule. In nondiabetic rats, SNGFR in the early distal tubule increased during glycine infusion because of primary vasodilation augmented by increased tubular reabsorption, which stabilized the TGF signal. In diabetic rats, glycine reduced reabsorption, thereby activating TGF, which was largely responsible for the lack of renal reserve. In protein-restricted diabetic rats, the tubular response to glycine remained abnormal, but renal reserve was restored by a vascular mechanism. Glycine affects GFR directly and via the tubule. In diabetes, reduced tubular reabsorption dominates. In low-protein diabetes, the vascular effect is enhanced and overrides the effect of reduced tubular reabsorption.
Role of creatine supplementation on exercise-induced cardiovascular function and oxidative stress

Many degenerative diseases are associated with increased oxidative stress. Creatine has the potential to act as an indirect and direct antioxidant; however, limited data exist to evaluate the antioxidant capabilities of creatine supplementation within in vivo human systems. This study aimed to investigate the effects of oral creatine supplementation on markers of oxidative stress and antioxidant defenses following exhaustive cycling exercise. Following preliminary testing and two additional familiarization sessions, 18 active males repeated two exhaustive incremental cycling trials (T1 and T2) separated by exactly 7 days. The subjects were assigned, in a double-blind manner, to receive either 20 g of creatine (Cr) or a placebo (P) for the 5 days preceding T2. Breath-by-breath respiratory data and heart rate were continually recorded throughout the exercise protocol and blood samples were obtained at rest (preexercise), at the end of exercise (postexercise), and the day following exercise (post24 h). Serum hypdroperoxide concentrations were elevated at postexercise by 17 ± 5% above preexercise values (p = 0.030). However, supplementation did not influence lipid peroxidation (serum hypdroperoxide concentrations), resistance of low density lipoprotein to oxidative stress (t1/2max LDL oxidation) and plasma concentrations of non-enzymatic antioxidants (retinol, α-carotene, β-carotene, α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, lycopene and vitamin C). Heart rate and oxygen uptake responses to exercise were not affected by supplementation. These findings suggest that short-term creatine supplementation does not enhance non-enzymatic antioxidant defence or protect against lipid peroxidation induced by exhaustive cycling in healthy males.
Resilience in Community College Students with Adverse Childhood Experiences

ABSTRACT Community college students who experience childhood trauma may have difficulty with academic success and completion. Several authors have defined adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) as nine specific events before the age of 18 and related those to significant disease and compromised health in adulthood. This study investigates community college students with self-identified ACEs and poses a model of resilience that may be influential to their progress and success.
A deformable neuroanatomy textbook based on viscous uid mechanics

This paper demonstrates a novel image recognition method based on Grenanders Global Shape Models. A mathematical textbook is constructed to represent the typical structure of a human brain. Next, a set of probabilistic transformation based on the theory of viscous uids is applied to the textbook to generate a rich family of brain images. We describe a method that estimates the maximum a posteriori transformation which deforms the coordinate system of the textbook into the coordinate system of a particular individual. Once this transformation is determined, information about the individual brain can be queried by applying the transformation to the symbolic data contained in the textbook.
Are the metabolomic responses to folivory of closely related plant species linked to macroevolutionary and plant–folivore coevolutionary processes?

Abstract The debate whether the coevolution of plants and insects or macroevolutionary processes (phylogeny) is the main driver determining the arsenal of molecular defensive compounds of plants remains unresolved. Attacks by herbivorous insects affect not only the composition of defensive compounds in plants but also the entire metabolome. Metabolomes are the final products of genotypes and are constrained by macroevolutionary processes, so closely related species should have similar metabolomic compositions and may respond in similar ways to attacks by folivores. We analyzed the elemental compositions and metabolomes of needles from three closely related Pinus species with distant coevolutionary histories with the caterpillar of the processionary moth respond similarly to its attack. All pines had different metabolomes and metabolic responses to herbivorous attack. The metabolomic variation among the species and the responses to folivory reflected their macroevolutionary relationships, with P. pinaster having the most divergent metabolome. The concentrations of terpenes were in the attacked trees supporting the hypothesis that herbivores avoid plant individuals with higher concentrations. Our results suggest that macroevolutionary history plays important roles in the metabolomic responses of these pine species to folivory, but plant–insect coevolution probably constrains those responses. Combinations of different evolutionary factors and trade‐offs are likely responsible for the different responses of each species to folivory, which is not necessarily exclusively linked to plant–insect coevolution.
Profile of diabetic foot complications and its associated complications--a multicentric study from India.

AIM The aims of this study were to determine. The prevalence of foot complications such as neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease (PVD), amputations and infections and the associated diabetic complications and practice of foot care among these subjects. METHODS A total of 1319 type 2 diabetic patients, were selected from four different centres across India. The centres were Diabetes Research Centre (DRC), Chennai, Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH), Madurai, Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore and All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Delhi. Details were collected regarding foot problems and associated complications. RESULTS The prevalence of neuropathy was 15% (n=193) and PVD was 5% (n=64). Infections were present in 7.6% (n=100) of patients. The infection rate varied from 6-11% in the different centres. Nearly 3% of subjects had undergone a minor or major amputation. DISCUSSION This study found that the prevalence of infection was 6-11% and prevalence of amputation was 3% in type 2 diabetic patients. Neuropathy (15%) was found to be an important risk factor for diabetic foot infections. Effective foot care advice should be propagated to reduce the burden imposed by diabetic foot complication particularly in developing countries like India.
Assembly of the PINCH-ILK-CH-ILKBP complex precedes and is essential for localization of each component to cell-matrix adhesion sites

PINCH, integrin-linked kinase (ILK) and calponin homology-containing ILK-binding protein (CH-ILKBP) form a ternary complex that plays crucial roles at cell-extracellular matrix adhesion sites. To understand the mechanism underlying the complex formation and recruitment to cell-adhesion sites we have undertaken a combined structural, mutational and cell biological analysis. Three-dimensional structure-based point mutations identified specific PINCH and ILK sites that mediate the complex formation. Analyses of the binding defective point mutants revealed that the assembly of the PINCH-ILK-CH-ILKBP complex is essential for their localization to cell-extracellular matrix adhesion sites. The formation of the PINCH-ILK-CH-ILKBP complex precedes integrin-mediated cell adhesion and spreading. Furthermore, inhibition of protein kinase C, but not that of actin polymerization, inhibited the PINCH-ILK-CH-ILKBP complex formation, suggesting that the PINCH-ILK-CH-ILKBP complex likely serves as a downstream effector of protein kinase C in the cellular control of focal adhesion assembly. Finally, we provide evidence that the formation of the PINCH-ILK-CH-ILKBP complex, while necessary, is not sufficient for ILK localization to cell-extracellular matrix adhesion sites. These results provide new insights into the molecular mechanism underlying the assembly and regulation of cell-matrix adhesion structures.