Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chemosensory and photosensory perception in purple photosynthetic bacteria utilize common signal transduction components

The chemotaxis gene cluster from the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodospirillum centenum contains five open reading frames (ORFs) that have significant sequence homology to chemotaxis genes from other bacteria. To elucidate the functions of each ORF, we have made various mutations in the gene cluster and analyzed their phenotypic defects. Deletion of the entire che operon (delta che), as well as nonpolar disruptions of cheAY, cheW, and cheR, resulted in a smooth-swimming phenotype, whereas disruption of cheB resulted in a locked tumbly phenotype. Each of these mutants was defective in chemotactic response. Interestingly, disruption of cheY resulted in a slight increase in the frequency of tumbling/reversal with no obvious defects in chemotactic response. In contrast to observations with Escherichia coli and several other bacteria, we found that all of the che mutant cells were capable of differentiating into hyperflagellated swarmer cells when plated on a solid agar surface. When viewed microscopically, the smooth-swimming che mutants exhibited active surface motility but were unable to respond to a step-down in light intensity. Both positive and negative phototactic responses were abolished in all che mutants, including the cheY mutant. These results indicate that eubacterial photosensory perception is mediated by light-generated signals that are transmitted through the chemotaxis signal transduction cascade.
Responses of neurons in primary and inferior temporal visual cortices to natural scenes

The primary visual cortex (V1) is the first cortical area to receive visual input, and inferior temporal (IT) areas are among the last along the ventral visual pathway. We recorded, in area V1 of anaesthetized cats and area IT of awake macaque monkeys, responses of neurons to videos of natural scenes. Responses were analysed to test various hypotheses concerning the nature of neural coding in these two regions. A variety of spike–train statistics were measured including spike–count distributions, interspike interval distributions, coefficients of variation, power spectra, Fano factors and different sparseness measures. All statistics showed non–Poisson characteristics and several revealed self–similarity of the spike trains. Spike–count distributions were approximately exponential in both visual areas for eight different videos and for counting windows ranging from 50 ms to 5 s. The results suggest that the neurons maximize their information carrying capacity while maintaining a fixed long–term–average firing rate, or equivalently, minimize their average firing rate for a fixed information carrying capacity.
A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Breath Powered Nasal Delivery of Sumatriptan Powder (AVP-825) in the Treatment of Acute Migraine (The TARGET Study)

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of AVP‐825, a drug–device combination of low‐dose sumatriptan powder (22 mg loaded dose) delivered intranasally through a targeted Breath Powered device vs an identical device containing lactose powder (placebo device) in the treatment of migraine headache.
Switching Distributions for Perpendicular Spin-Torque Devices Within the Macrospin Approximation

We model “soft” error rates for writing (WSER) and for reading (RSER) for spin-torque memory devices that have a free layer with easy axis perpendicular to the film plane by solving the Fokker-Planck equation for the probability distribution of the angle that the free layer magnetization makes with the normal to the plane of the film. We obtain: 1) an exact, closed form, analytical expression for the zero-temperature switching time as a function of initial angle; 2) an approximate analytical expression for the distribution function of the direction of the magnetization and the exponential decay of the WSER as a function of the time the current is applied; 3) comparison of the approximate analytical expressions for the distribution function and WSER to numerical solutions of the Fokker-Planck equation; 4) an approximate analytical expression for the distribution function and WSER for the case in which the pinned layer is not collinear with the perpendicular free layer; 5) an approximate analytical expression for the linear increase in RSER with current applied for reading; 6) comparison of the approximate analytical formula for the RSER to the numerical solution of the Fokker-Planck equation; and 7) confirmation of the accuracy of the Fokker-Planck solutions by comparison with results of direct simulation using the single-macrospin Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equations with a random fluctuating field in the short-time regime for which the latter is practical. We find that the WSER decays at long times as exp[-2(i-1)τ] where the reduced time τ is related to the switching time, Gilbert damping and precession frequency through τ = αω0t, and the reduced current i is the ratio of the applied current to the critical current density for switching i=I̅/I0 . This exponentially decaying tail in WSER is not easily reduced by tilting the pinned layer magnetization.
Impaired decision-making ability in subjects with Alzheimer's disease and willingness to participate in research.

OBJECTIVE Ethical concerns persist over research participation of decisionally impaired persons, such as those suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Such persons may be poor judges of the burdens and risks of specific research protocols. Since even decisionally incapacitated persons cannot be enrolled in studies against their objection, their preferences convey important ethical information. The authors examined the effects of cognitive and decisional impairment on willingness to participate in research among persons with Alzheimer's disease. METHOD Cognitive status, decision-making ability, and willingness to participate in four hypothetical research protocols of varying risk/benefit profiles were measured in 34 subjects with mild to mild/moderate Alzheimer's disease and 14 healthy elderly comparison subjects. Univariate and multivariate methods were used to analyze the effects of impairment in cognitive and decision-making abilities on willingness to participate in research. RESULTS There were no differences in willingness to participate found between the Alzheimer's and the healthy comparison subjects for three of the four hypothetical protocols. In both groups, willingness declined as risk increased. Within the Alzheimer's disease group, the presence of greater decisional impairment tended to predict less willingness to participate in research, even after adjusting for cognitive impairment, gender, and education. CONCLUSIONS Persons with decisional impairment due to Alzheimer's disease are as a group able to distinguish between research protocols of varying risk/benefit profiles. Because declining decision-making abilities may predict declining willingness to participate in research, informed consent procedures for Alzheimer's disease research should be sensitive to this possibility.
Bee Diversity in Thailand and the Applications of Bee Products

This chapter provides information on honey bees (genus Apis) and their reasonably close relative group, the stingless bees within the Meliponini Tribe. Their taxonomic position, common morphology and behaviour are defined and explained. Also, a species identification of the four native Thai honey bee species, including the comb and nest structure, worker morphology, species distribution and description of each species behaviour, is summarized. Beyond their role as pollinators, honey bees and stingless bees have important economic, ecological and social values for many rural people in Asia. Especially, wild honey bees are hunted for their products (honey, brood and wax), providing many people with a useful component of household income. Therefore, the applications of bee products, which are important for many rural people in Asia including Thailand, are briefly outlined.
Standard Anthropometric, Body Composition, and Strength Variables as Predictors of Jumping Performance in Elite Junior Athletes

The aim of the study was to investigate whether variables routinely assessed while testing athletes can also predict movement performance. The relation between jumping performance and standard strength, anthropometric, and body composition variables was examined in elite junior basketball players. The 33 males were tested for maximal vertical jump, as well as for maximal isometric voluntary force and rate of force development of hip and knee extensors. Standard anthropometric and body composition measures (body height, lean body mass, as well as the percentage of fat and muscle tissue) were also taken. Except for maximal isometric forces (0.38 and 0.52 N·kg-1 for hip and knee extensors, respectively), all correlation coefficients between the selected variables and jump height were insignificant. As a consequence, the corresponding multiple correlation coefficient, R = 0.71, also suggested a moderate predictability of jumping performance by the standard strength tests and anthropometric and body composition variables. The results obtained dispute the use of the examined tests in sport performance assessment, and also question applying the tests for other purposes such as evaluation of training procedures or selection of young athletes. Therefore, the results are in line with the concept that a reliable performance assessment in homogeneous groups of athletes requires predominantly movement-specific testing.
Predictors of Clinical Anxiety Aggravation at the End of a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program

Background: The crucial role of inflammation in the development and progression of atherosclerosis has been previously described. However, there is insufficient data available to demonstrate the changes in high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) during clopidogrel therapy. Objectives: In the present study, we aimed to assess the changes in the inflammatory marker of coronary heart disease, i.e., hs-CRP during clopidogrel therapy, in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We also evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of clopidogrel, if any, in different groups of patients. Patients and Methods: The study population included 650 consecutive patients who underwent elective, urgent, or emergent PCI. Patients received a300-mg loading dose of clopidogrel (Plavix®) and aspirin either 24 hours before the planned PCI, or immediately before the procedure in patients with urgent or emergent PCI, followed by a 75-mg daily maintenance dose for up to 12 weeks. At the end of the 12th week, hs-CRP was re-assessed. Results: Six hundred-fifty patients including 386 (59.4%) male and 264 (40.6%) female subjects were enrolled in the study. The mean hs- CRP level was 15.36 ± 9.83 mg/L with a median of 14 mg/L (interquartile range 8 to 19.6 mg/L). Female, hypertensive, diabetic, and non- smoking patients had higher reductions in hs-CRP in response to clopidogrel therapy compared to male, non-hypertensive, non-diabetic and smoker patients, respectively (all P < 0.005). The changes in the hs-CRP levels were also statistically different in patients with various index events before PCI (P < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in the mean reduction of hs-CRP between the patients without stent implantation and those with bare metal or drug-eluting stents (P = 0.07), respectively. Conclusions: We found that the use of clopidogrel in patients undergoing PCI had favorable effects on the suppression of hs-CRP. This effect appears to be heightened and more apparent in some group of patients with co-morbidities such as diabetes and hypertension.
Discovery of the Cell Secretion Machinery

Cellular secretion is fundamental to the very existence of an organism, regulating important physiological functions such as reproduction, digestion, energy production, growth, neurotransmission, hormone release, water and ion transport, etc., all required for the survival and maintenance of homeostasis within an organism. Understanding how cells secrete has therefore been of paramount importance, and only in the past decade, the molecular mechanism of the process has come to light with the discovery of the ‘porosome,’ the universal secretion machinery. Porosomes are supramolecular nanometer-size structures at the cell plasma membrane, where secretory vesicles fuse to release their contents such as neurotransmitters, hormones, or enzymes from the cell. Porosomes were first discovered at the plasma membrane of the digestive enzyme-secreting, live acinar cells of the exocrine pancreas, using atomic force microscopy. Immuno-atomic force microscopy, has conclusively demonstrated the release of digestive enzymes through the porosome opening in pancreatic acinar cells. Subsequent studies using electron microscopy, has further confirmed the presence of porosomes, and determined their function as the cells secretory apparatus. Studies have since determined the structure and dynamics of porosomes at nanometer resolution in live cells, their chemical composition, and their structural and functional reconstitution in artificial lipid membrane preparations. Porosomes have been determined to be the universal secretory machinery in cells, and besides pancreatic acinar cells, have been demonstrated in every secretory cell examined such as neurons, growth hormone cells of the pituitary gland, chromaffin cells, mast cells, and the insulin-secreting -cells of endocrine pancreas. The discovery of the porosome finally provides a molecular understanding of the secretory process in cells.
An evaluation of implementing Koha in a Chinese language environment

– The purpose of this paper is to evaluate issues of different scripts in the same record (in MARC21 and Chinese machine‐readable cataloguing (CMARC)) and Chinese internal codes (i.e. double‐byte character set) when implementing Koha. It also discusses successful efforts in promoting the adoption of Koha in Taiwan, particularly the contributions from Koha‐Taiwan. , – A Koha CMARC/MARC21 testbed was set up to discuss issues of multi‐scripts and Chinese internal codes when implementing Koha, and to determine to what extent the various features of CMARC, which are not present in MARC21, such as linking fields, can be supported in Koha and what is required to implement them if they are not available. , – In contrast to western characters, Chinese internal codes cause extra work, as special programming for character conversion is required when working with Koha. This situation is commonly seen in Asian countries such as China, Japan and Korea. This paper recommends implementing CMARC, MARC21 or even any other type of MARC format in Koha with strong commercial‐level support. , – Koha‐Taiwan serves Koha Chinese users around the world. A successful Koha‐Taiwan could be a model around the world. , – In recent years, the concept of implementing an open‐source library management system has been coming to the fore. In Taiwan, the local‐based commercial library system covers more than one quarter of the library system market in academic libraries because the company provides better tailor‐made support, mainly in scripts and multiple internal codes, than do western‐based commercial library systems. Evaluations and conclusions from this paper will be useful to countries where multi‐scripts and double‐byte character sets are issues.
Seeds of Change: Corn Seed Mixtures for Resistance Management and Integrated Pest Management

ABSTRACT The use of mixtures of transgenic insecticidal seed and nontransgenic seed to provide an in-field refuge for susceptible insects in insect-resistance-management (IRM) plans has been considered for at least two decades. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has only recently authorized the practice. This commentary explores issues that regulators, industry, and other stakeholders should consider as the use of biotechnology increases and seed mixtures are implemented as a major tactic for IRM. We discuss how block refuges and seed mixtures in transgenic insecticidal corn, Zea mays L. , production will influence integrated pest management (IPM) and the evolution of pest resistance. We conclude that seed mixtures will make pest monitoring more difficult and that seed mixtures may make IRM riskier because of larval behavior and greater adoption of insecticidal corn. Conversely, block refuges present a different suite of risks because of adult pest behavior and the lower compliance with IRM rules expected from farmers. It is likely that secondary pests not targeted by the insecticidal corn as well as natural enemies will respond differently to block refuges and seed mixtures.
Disruption of MEF2C signaling and loss of sarcomeric and mitochondrial integrity in cancer-induced skeletal muscle wasting

Cancer cachexia is a highly debilitating paraneoplastic disease observed in more than 50% of patients with advanced cancers and directly contributes to 20% of cancer deaths. Loss of skeletal muscle is a defining characteristic of patients with cancer cachexia and is associated with poor survival. The present study reveals the involvement of a myogenic transcription factor Myocyte Enhancer Factor (MEF) 2C in cancer-induced skeletal muscle wasting. Increased skeletal muscle mRNA expression of Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling (Socs) 3 and the IL-6 receptor indicative of active IL-6 signaling was seen in skeletal muscle of mice bearing the Colon 26 (C26) carcinoma. Loss of skeletal muscle structural integrity and distorted mitochondria were also observed using electron microscopy. Gene and protein expression of MEF2C was significantly downregulated in skeletal muscle from C26-bearing mice. MEF2C gene targets myozenin and myoglobin as well as myokinase were also altered during cachexia, suggesting dysregulated oxygen transport capacity and ATP regeneration in addition to distorted structural integrity. In addition, reduced expression of calcineurin was observed which suggested a potential pathway of MEF2C dysregulation. Together, these effects may limit sarcomeric contractile ability and also predispose skeletal muscle to structural instability; associated with muscle wasting and fatigue in cachexia.
Utilizing enoxaparin in the management of STEMI

The use of enoxaparin in conjunction with thrombolysis in ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI), has been recently investigated in several clinical trials. In 8 published open-label studies including about 10,000 patients, in which enoxaparin was compared to either placebo or unfractionated heparin (UFH), a general superiority of enoxaparin on both reinfarction/recurrent angina and patency of the infarct-related artery, was observed. Overall, bleeding rate with enoxaparin was higher than with placebo and comparable to UFH, with the exception of one study where pre-hospital administration induced a doubled incidence of intracranial bleeding in patients older than 75 years. In a recent double-blind, randomized, mega-trial including over 20,000 patients, the superior efficacy on in-hospital and 30-day adverse cardiac events (namely reinfarction), and comparable safety on intracranial bleedings of enoxaparin compared to UFH, was definitively proven. In conclusion, initial intravenous bolus of enoxaparin followed by twice daily subcutaneous administration for about 1 week should be considered instead of intravenous UFH for the treatment of patients with STEMI receiving thrombolysis. Along with its easiness of use, not requiring laboratory monitoring, the subcutaneous administration of enoxaparin allows extended antithrombotic treatment, while permitting early mobilization (and rehabilitation) of patients.
Neural basis of altered earlier attention and higher order biological motion processing in schizophrenia

ABSTRACT Schizophrenia patients have impairments of biological motion (BM) perception, which provides critical information about social cognition. Because social cognition is underpinned by attention, the impairments of BM perception in schizophrenia could be partially attributable to altered attention. To elucidate the impairments in attention and social perception in schizophrenia, we investigated the neural basis of impaired BM processing using MRI in respect to attention deficits by eye tracker. Voxel-based morphometry was performed to evaluate the relationship between BM perception and gray matter (GM) volume. The temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) and anterior superior temporal sulcus (aSTS) were related to task accuracy. However, when the effect of attention (i.e., eye movement) was controlled, the relationship in TPJ became non-significant, while aSTS showed a significant relationship with BM perception. Alteration in TPJ might be associated with inefficient attentional strategy, whereas dysfunctional aSTS might be correlated with deficit in higher order BM processing per se. Several cognitive levels as well as corresponding brain areas are possibly involved in the manifestation of social cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.
Hold Your Horses: Impulsivity, Deep Brain Stimulation, and Medication in Parkinsonism

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus markedly improves the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease, but causes cognitive side effects such as impulsivity. We showed that DBS selectively interferes with the normal ability to slow down when faced with decision conflict. While on DBS, patients actually sped up their decisions under high-conflict conditions. This form of impulsivity was not affected by dopaminergic medication status. Instead, medication impaired patients' ability to learn from negative decision outcomes. These findings implicate independent mechanisms leading to impulsivity in treated Parkinson's patients and were predicted by a single neurocomputational model of the basal ganglia.
Lidocaine increases the anti‐inflammatory cytokine IL‐10 following mechanical ventilation in healthy mice

Mechanical ventilation (MV) induces an inflammatory response that may result in (acute) lung injury. Lidocaine, an amide local anesthetic, has anti‐inflammatory properties in vitro and in vivo, possibly due to an attenuation of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, intracellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1), and reduction of neutrophils influx. We hypothesized an attenuation of MV‐induced inflammatory response with intravenously administered lidocaine.
Adaptive PSAM in SIMO systems with imperfect CSI in Rayleigh fading channels

In this paper we provide an adaptive modulation approach that use adaptive pilot symbols in single input multiple output systems to maximize the spectral efficiency. The maximization is performed in the presence of imperfect channel state information at the transmitter. Also for reduce the computational complexity we propose a new method based on the curve fitting to find optimum power allocation on symbols. Numerical results show the accuracy of our new method and demonstrate that our adaptive system outperforms other traditional systems that use of non-adaptive pilot symbols with single antenna based on spectral efficiency performance measure.