Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
BMP13 Prevents the Effects of Annular Injury in an Ovine Model

Chronic back pain is a global health problem affecting millions of people worldwide and carries significant economic and social morbidities. Intervertebral disc damage and degeneration is a major cause of back pain, characterised by histological and biochemical changes that have been well documented in animal models. Recently there has been intense interest in early intervention in disc degeneration using growth factors or stem cell transplantation, to replenish the diseased tissues. Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) have been approved for clinical use in augmenting spinal fusions, and may represent candidate molecules for intervertebral disc regeneration. BMP13 has an important role in embryonic development and recent genetic evidence shows a role in the development of the human spine. This study explores the effect of BMP13 on a damaged intervertebral disc in an ovine model of discal degeneration. We found that, when injected at the time of injury, BMP13 reversed or arrested histological changes that occurred in the control discs such as loss of extracellular matrix proteins. In addition, BMP13 injected discs retained greater hydration after 4months, and possessed more cells in the NP. Taken together, BMP13 may be a potent clinical therapeutic agent when used early in the degeneration cascade to promote healthy disc tissue.
A pr 2 00 7 Generalized complex geometry

Generalized complex geometry encompasses complex and symplectic geometry as its extremal special cases. We explore the basic properties of this geometry, including its enhanced symmetry group, elliptic deformation theory, relation to Poisson geometry, and local structure theory. We also define and study generalized complex branes, which interpolate between flat bundles on Lagrangian submanifolds and holomorphic bundles on complex submanifolds.
Optimal money demand in a heterogeneous-agent cash-in-advance economy

Heterogeneity matters. This point is illustrated in a heterogeneous-agent, cash-in-advance economy where money serves both as a medium of exchange and as a store of value (as in Lucas, 1980). It is shown that heterogeneity can lead to dramatically different implications of monetary policies from those under the representative-agent assumption, including (i) the velocity of money is not constant but highly volatile, as in the data; (ii) lump-sum transitory money injections have expansionary effects on aggregate output despite flexible prices; and (iii) the welfare cost of anticipated inflation is potentially a couple of orders larger than the estimates of Cooley and Hansen (1989) based on a representative-agent, cash-in-advance economy.
An enhanced security algorithm for wireless application using RSA and genetic approach

Image steganography is an emerging field of research for secure data hiding and transmission over networks. The proposed system provides the best approach for Least Significant Bit (LSB) based steganography using Genetic Algorithm (GA) along with Visual Cryptography (VC). Original message is converted into cipher text by using RSA and then hidden into the LSB of original image. Genetic Algorithm and Visual Cryptography has been used for enhancing the security. Genetic Algorithm is used to modify the pixel location of stego image and the detection of this message is complex. Visual Cryptography is used to encrypt the visual information. It is achieved by breaking the image into two shares based on a threshold. The performance of the proposed system is experimented by performing steganalysis and conducting benchmarking test for analysing the parameters like Mean Squared Error (MSE) and Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR). The main aim of this paper is to design the enhanced secure algorithm which uses both steganography using Genetic Algorithm and Visual Cryptography to ensure improved security and reliability.
National Saving and International Investment

This paper extends earlier work by Feldstein and Horioka on the relation between domestic saving rates and international capital flows or, equivalently, between domestic saving rates and domestic investment. The basic conclusion of the present analysis is that an increase in domestic saving has a substantial effect on the level of domestic investment although a smaller effect than would have been observed in the 1960s and 1970s. The savings retention coefficient for the 1980-86 period is 0.79, down from 0.91 in the l960s and 0.86 in the 1970s. The more closely integrated economies of the EEC also appear to have more outward capital mobility (i.e., a lower saving retention coefficient) than other OECD countries. There is no support for the view that the estimated saving-investment relation reflects a spurious impact of an omitted economic growth variable. Although budget deficits are inversely related to the difference between private investment end private saving, we reject the view that this reflects an endogenous response of fiscal policy in favor to the alter-native interpretation that the negative relation is evidence of crowding out of private investment by budget deficits. This interpretation is supported by the evidence that domestic investment responds equally to private saving and to budget deficits. The implication of the analysis thus supports the original Feldstein-Horioka conclusion that increase in domestic saving does raise a nation's capital stock and therefore the productivity of its workforce. Similarly, a tax on capital income is not likely to be shifted fully to labor and land by the outflow of enough capital to maintain the real rate of return unchanged.
Activation of the Mammalian Target of Rapamycin in the Rostral Ventromedial Medulla Contributes to the Maintenance of Nerve Injury-Induced Neuropathic Pain in Rat

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a serine-threonine protein kinase, integrates extracellular signals, thereby modulating several physiological and pathological processes, including pain. Previous studies have suggested that rapamycin (an mTOR inhibitor) can attenuate nociceptive behaviors in many pain models, most likely at the spinal cord level. However, the mechanisms of mTOR at the supraspinal level, particularly at the level of the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM), remain unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to elucidate the role of mTOR in the RVM, a key relay region for the descending pain control pathway, under neuropathic pain conditions. Phosphorylated mTOR was mainly expressed in serotonergic spinally projecting neurons and was significantly increased in the RVM after spared nerve injury- (SNI-) induced neuropathic pain. Moreover, in SNI rat brain slices, rapamycin infusion both decreased the amplitude instead of the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents and reduced the numbers of action potentials in serotonergic neurons. Finally, intra-RVM microinjection of rapamycin effectively alleviated established mechanical allodynia but failed to affect the development of neuropathic pain. In conclusion, our data provide strong evidence for the role of mTOR in the RVM in nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain, indicating a novel mechanism of mTOR inhibitor-induced analgesia.
Contraction regulates site-specific phosphorylation of TBC1D1 in skeletal muscle

TBC1D1 (tre-2/USP6, BUB2, cdc16 domain family member 1) is a Rab-GAP (GTPase-activating protein) that is highly expressed in skeletal muscle, but little is known about TBC1D1 regulation and function. We studied TBC1D1 phosphorylation on three predicted AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) phosphorylation sites (Ser231, Ser660 and Ser700) and one predicted Akt phosphorylation site (Thr590) in control mice, AMPKα2 inactive transgenic mice (AMPKα2i TG) and Akt2-knockout mice (Akt2 KO). Muscle contraction significantly increased TBC1D1 phosphorylation on Ser231 and Ser660, tended to increase Ser700 phosphorylation, but had no effect on Thr590. AICAR (5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxyamide ribonucleoside) also increased phosphorylation on Ser231, Ser660 and Ser700, but not Thr590, whereas insulin only increased Thr590 phosphorylation. Basal and contraction-stimulated TBC1D1 Ser231, Ser660 and Ser700 phosphorylation were greatly reduced in AMPKα2i TG mice, although contraction still elicited a small increase in phosphorylation. Akt2 KO mice had blunted insulin-stimulated TBC1D1 Thr590 phosphorylation. Contraction-stimulated TBC1D1 Ser231 and Ser660 phosphorylation were normal in high-fat-fed mice. Glucose uptake in vivo was significantly decreased in tibialis anterior muscles overexpressing TBC1D1 mutated on four predicted AMPK phosphorylation sites. In conclusion, contraction causes site-specific phosphorylation of TBC1D1 in skeletal muscle, and TBC1D1 phosphorylation on AMPK sites regulates contraction-stimulated glucose uptake. AMPK and Akt regulate TBC1D1 phosphorylation, but there must be additional upstream kinases that mediate TBC1D1 phosphorylation in skeletal muscle.
Drag reduction in fish-like locomotion

We present experimental force and power measurements demonstrating that the power required to propel an actively swimming, streamlined, fish-like body is significantly smaller than the power needed to tow the body straight and rigid at the same speed U. The data have been obtained through accurate force and motion measurements on a laboratory fish-like robotic mechanism, 1.2 m long, covered with a flexible skin and equipped with a tail fin, at Reynolds numbers up to 10, with turbulence stimulation. The lateral motion of the body is in the form of a travelling wave with wavelength λ and varying amplitude along the length, smoothly increasing from the front to the tail end. A parametric investigation shows sensitivity of drag reduction to the non-dimensional frequency (Strouhal number), amplitude of body oscillation and wavelength λ, and angle of attack and phase angle of the tail fin. A necessary condition for drag reduction is that the phase speed of the body wave be greater than the forward speed U. Power estimates using an inviscid numerical scheme compare favourably with the experimental data. The method employs a boundary-integral method for arbitrary flexible body geometry and motions, while the wake shed from the fish-like form is modelled by an evolving desingularized dipole sheet.
NON-SPECIFIC RESISTANCE TO EXPERIMENTAL CHOLERA IN EMBRYONATED EGGS

It has been confirmed that 11- and 13-day-old chick embryos are susceptible to lethal infection with minute inocula of V. cholerae, while 15-day-old embryos are relatively resistant. Twenty strains of E. coli were found to vary in their capacity to kill chick embryos, without relationship to their human enteropathogenicity. Prior infection of 13-day-old embryonated eggs with E. coli strains selected for low embryo virulence had a marked protective effect against superinfection with V. cholerae. This effect was duplicated by pretreatment of embryos with killed E. coli cells or endotoxin preparations but not with a suspension of killed cells of a Gram-positive species. Preparatory E. coli infection induces a phase of vibriostasis in the 13-day-old egg which may be sufficient to tide the embryo over into the phase of relative insusceptibility associated with age. Younger embryos exhibit only a lag in death under similar conditions. The chick embryo is presented as a potentially valuable tool for the study of combined infections and of the mechanisms of natural resistance.
246 January 2000 HAPPINESS , ECONOMY AND INSTITUTIONS

A cross-regional econometric analysis suggests that institutional factors in the form of direct democracy (via initiatives and referenda) and of federal structure (local autonomy) systematically and sizeably raise self-reported individual well-being. This positive effect can be attributed to political outcomes closer to voters' preferences, as well as to the procedural utility of political participation. Moreover, the results of "standard" microeconometric well-being functions previously published for other countries are generally supported. Unemployment has a strongly depressing effect on happiness. A higher income level raises happiness, however, only to a small extent.
On Market Timing and Investment Performance Part II: Statistical Procedures for Evaluating Forecasting Skills

In Merton (1981; hereafter referred to as Part I), one of us developed a basic model of markettiming forecasts where the forecaster predicts when stocks will outperform bonds and when bonds will outperform stocks but does not predict the magnitude of the superior performance. In that analysis, it was shown that the pattern of returns from successful market timing has an isomorphic correspondence to the pattern of returns from following certain option investment strategies where the implicit prices paid for the options are less than their "fair" or market values. This isomorphic correspondence was used to drive an equilibrium theory of value for market-timing forecasting skills. By analyzing how investors would use the market timer's forecast to modify their probability beliefs about stock returns, it was shown that the conditional probabilities of a correct forecast (conditional on the return on the market) provide both necessary and sufficient conditions for such forecasts to have a positive value. In the analysis presented here, we use the The evaluation of the performance of investment managers is a much studied problem in finance. Based upon the model developed in Part I of this paper, the statistical framework is derived for both parametric and nonparametric tests of market-timing ability. If the manager's forecasts are observable, then the nonparametric test can be used without further assumptions about the distribution of security returns. If the manager's forecasts are not observable, then the parametric test can be used under the assumption of either a capital asset pricing model or a multifactor return structure. The tests differ from earlier work because they permit identification and separation of the gains of market-timing skills from the gains of micro stock-selection skills. * Earlier versions of the paper were presented in seminars at Berkeley, Carnegie-Mellon, University of Chicago, Dartmouth, Harvard, University of Southern California, and Vanderbilt; we thank the participants for their comments. Aid from the National Science Foundation is gratefully acknowledged.
Polynomial-Time T-Depth Optimization of Clifford+T Circuits Via Matroid Partitioning

Most work in quantum circuit optimization has been performed in isolation from the results of quantum fault-tolerance. Here we present a polynomial-time algorithm for optimizing quantum circuits that takes the actual implementation of fault-tolerant logical gates into consideration. Our algorithm resynthesizes quantum circuits composed of Clifford group and T gates, the latter being typically the most costly gate in fault-tolerant models, e.g., those based on the Steane or surface codes, with the purpose of minimizing both T-count and T-depth. A major feature of the algorithm is the ability to resynthesize circuits with ancillae at effectively no additional cost, allowing space-time trade-offs to be easily explored. The tested benchmarks show up to 65.7% reduction in T-count and up to 87.6% reduction in T-depth without ancillae, or 99.7% reduction in T-depth using ancillae.
Experimentation and Observational Learning in a Market with Exit

We analyze a model where n firms are initially uncertain about the state of the market. Information arrives from two sources: own experiences in the market and observations of other firms' decisions to exit. We show that equilibria of this model aggregate information in the sense that almost all firms stay in the market if and only if the market is good. Nevertheless, payoffs are well below the full information level as firms tend to stay in a bad market too long. JEL Classification: D82, D83
ER Stress Induces Anabolic Resistance in Muscle Cells through PKB-Induced Blockade of mTORC1

Background Anabolic resistance is the inability to increase protein synthesis in response to an increase in amino acids following a meal. One potential mediator of anabolic resistance is endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. The purpose of the present study was to test whether ER stress impairs the response to growth factors and leucine in muscle cells. Methods Muscle cells were incubated overnight with tunicamycin or thapsigargin to induce ER stress and the activation of the unfolded protein response, mTORC1 activity at baseline and following insulin and amino acids, as well as amino acid transport were determined. Results ER stress decreased basal phosphorylation of PKB and S6K1 in a dose-dependent manner. In spite of the decrease in basal PKB phosphorylation, insulin (10–50 nM) could still activate both PKB and S6K1. The leucine (2.5–5 mM)-induced phosphorylation of S6K1 on the other hand was repressed by low concentrations of both tunicamycin and thapsigargin. To determine the mechanism underlying this anabolic resistance, several inhibitors of mTORC1 activation were measured. Tunicamycin and thapsigargin did not change the phosphorylation or content of either AMPK or JNK, both increased TRB3 mRNA expression and thapsigargin increased REDD1 mRNA. Tunicamycin and thapsigargin both decreased the basal phosphorylation state of PRAS40. Neither tunicamycin nor thapsigargin prevented phosphorylation of PRAS40 by insulin. However, since PKB is not activated by amino acids, PRAS40 phosphorylation remained low following the addition of leucine. Blocking PKB using a specific inhibitor had the same effect on both PRAS40 and leucine-induced phosphorylation of S6K1. Conclusion ER stress induces anabolic resistance in muscle cells through a PKB/PRAS40-induced blockade of mTORC1.
Communications resources allocation: a game of strategy.

This thesis looks at optimally allocating communication resources from a game theory point of view. Three basic models are presented and then expanded upon. A prime objective is to briefly review representative examples of work previously done in the attack-defense area showing how it can be applied to the optimal allocation problem for communication resources and indicate the possible direction for future research.
A Resolution to the Blue Whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) Population Paradox?

We provide the strongest evidence to date supporting the existence of two independent blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou (Risso, 1827)) populations in the North Atlantic. In spite of extensive data collected in conjunction with the fishery, the population structure of blue whiting is poorly understood. On one hand, genetic, morphometric, otolith and drift modelling studies point towards the existence of two populations, but, on the other hand, observations of adult distributions point towards a single population. A paradox therefore arises in attempting to reconcile these two sets of information. Here we analyse 1100 observations of blue whiting larvae from the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) from 1948–2005 using modern statistical techniques. We show a clear spatial separation between a northern spawning area, in the Rockall Trough, and a southern one, off the Porcupine Seabight. We further show a difference in the timing of spawning between these sites of at least a month, and meaningful differences in interannual variability. The results therefore support the two-population hypothesis. Furthermore, we resolve the paradox by showing that the acoustic observations cited in support of the single-population model are not capable of resolving both populations, as they occur too late in the year and do not extend sufficiently far south to cover the southern population: the confusion is the result of a simple observational artefact. We conclude that blue whiting in the North Atlantic comprises two populations.
Unusually High Incidence of Paediatric Coeliac Disease in Sweden during the Period 1973 – 2013

Objective The prevalence of coeliac disease in Sweden during the “epidemic period” (1984−1996) was one of the highest in the world. The aim of this study was to assess the coeliac disease incidence in our region over the 41-year period, and how diagnostic activity and diagnostic accuracy were affected by the introduction of antibody testing. We also looked into how patients with mild enteropathy were evaluated. Methods In the county of Östergötland in Sweden, 2790 paediatric patients were investigated for suspected coeliac disease between 1973 and 2013. Notes were scrutinised for data on sex, age, histopathological reports and final diagnosis. For comparative purposes this period was divided into three sub-periods (1973−1983, 1984−1996 and 1997−2013) named pre-epidemic, epidemic and post-epidemic. Results Coeliac disease diagnosis was received by 1,030 patients. The peak incidence rate, 301 cases/100,000 in 1994 for the age group 0−1.9 years is the highest figure ever reported. The other age groups, 2−4.9, 5−14.9, and 15−17.9 years, also had high incidence rates. After the 1984−1996 “epidemic period” the incidence decreased for the youngest group but continued to increase for the other groups. The cumulative incidence at 18 years-of-age for children born during the epidemic reached 14 cases/1000 births, the highest figure hitherto reported. Diagnostic activity differed significantly between the three sub-periods (p<0.001) increasing gradually from 1984 and reaching a peak value of 0.87 in 2012. Cases of mild enteropathy were more frequently regarded as non-coeliac disease cases, decreasing significantly in the “post-epidemic” period (p<0.001). Conclusions The incidence rate and cumulative incidence of coeliac disease were possibly the highest ever reported. Changes in diagnostic activity and accuracy could not be attributed to the introduction of new antibody tests, possibly because of other changes e.g. variations in the symptoms at presentation and improved knowledge of the disease among parents and health professionals.
The fattening performance and carcass characteristics of Karayaka male lambs.

ÖZET Bu araştırma, Karayaka erkek kuzuların besi performansı ve karkas özelliklerini incelemek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Çalışmada yaklaşık 5.5 aylık yaşta 100 baş kuzu kullanılmıştır. Kuzulara 64 gün süre ile entansif besi uygulanmıştır. Kuzular ortalama 31.14 kg canlı ağırlıkta besiye alınmış ve 50.02 kg’a kadar beslenmiştir. Beside günlük canlık ağırlık artışı ve bir kg canlı ağırlık artışı için yem tüketimi sırasıyla 295 g ve 6.99 kg bulunmuştur. Kuzularda karkas karakterlerinden sıcak karkas ağırlığı, soğuk karkas ağırlığı ve karkas randımanı (soğuk) sırasıyla 25.33 kg, 24.55 ve % 47.91 bulunurken karkasta but, kol, bel,sırt, et, yağ ve kemik oranları sırasıyla % 29.41, 18.04, 8.18, 8.82, 58.87, 15.03 ve 18.34 olarak belirlenmiştir. MLD (Musculus longissimus dorsi) kesit alanı ve kabuk yağı kalınlığı sırasıyla 12.96 cm ve 0.46 cm olarak hesaplanmıştır. Anahtar kelimeler: Karayaka, Kuzu, Besi Performansı, Karkas Özellikleri.