Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hibiscus sabdariffa Affects Ammonium Chloride-Induced Hyperammonemic Rats

Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) is an edible medicinal plant, indigenous to India, China and Thailand and is used in Ayurveda and traditional medicine. Alcoholic extract of HS leaves (HSEt) was studied for its anti-hyperammonemic and antioxidant effects in brain tissues of ammonium chloride-induced hyperammonemic rats. Oral administration of HSEt (250 mg kg−1 body weight) significantly normalizes the levels of ammonia, urea, uric acid, creatinine and non-protein nitrogen in the blood. HSEt significantly reduced brain levels of lipid peroxidation products such as thiobarbituric acid and reactive substances (TBARS) and hydroperoxides (HP). However, the administered extract significantly increased the levels of antioxidants such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and reduced glutathione (GSH) in brain tissues of hyperammonemic rats. This investigation demonstrates significant anti-hyperammonemic and antioxidant activity of HS.
Simultaneous Insulinlike Growth Factor I and Insulin Resistance in Obese Zucker Rats

It has recently been shown that the ability of insulinlike growth factor I (IGF-I) to stimulate glucose uptake and to lower circulating amino acid levels is retained in insulin-resistant diabetic BB rats. To examine in vivo effects of IGF-I in obese Zucker rats (another model of insulin resistance) 6 obese and 6 lean rats received euglycemic IGF-I infusions (0.65 nmol · kg−1 · min−1). IGF-I-stimulated glucose uptake in obese rats was 50% lower than lean control rats (45.0 ± 2.8 vs. 92.2 ± 6.1 μmol · kg−1 · min−1, respectively), even though the rise in circulating IGF-I levels was greater in the obese group during IGF-I infusion. In addition, branched chain amino acid concentrations that declined by 45% in lean controls were not suppressed significantly in obese rats (392 ± 33 basal vs. 327 ± 29 microM at 90 min). Equivalent results were observed during euglycemic insulin clamps (12 pmol · kg−1 · min−1) in 7 obese and 11 lean rats. These studies demonstrate that obese Zucker rats are resistant to the effects of IGF-I and insulin on glucose and amino acid metabolism.
Soft Start and Voltage Control of Induction Motors Using Floating Capacitor H-Bridge Converters

An application of H-bridges that enable soft start and power factor correction of cage induction machines is presented. The proposed power electronics employs floating capacitor H-bridges connected in series with utility grid and a cage induction motor to provide series voltage compensation. Injecting a series voltage in each phase, the proposed system can be used to control the motor voltage during starting and hence limit the motor starting current. In addition, an algorithm is proposed to accurately predict the worst case scenario for bridge dc capacitor voltage before motor starting. Thus, a dc capacitor overvoltage problem can be avoided. Experimental results show that the proposed system can successfully soft start a standard squirrel cage induction machine under different modes and load conditions. A simple representation of the worst case scenario for dc capacitor voltage before motor starting is established.
Individual Differences in Psychotic Effects of Ketamine Are Predicted by Brain Function Measured under Placebo

The symptoms of major psychotic illness are diverse and vary widely across individuals. Furthermore, the prepsychotic phase is indistinct, providing little indication of the precise pattern of symptoms that may subsequently emerge. Likewise, although in some individuals who have affected family members the occurrence of disease may be predicted, the specific symptom profile may not. An important question, therefore, is whether predictive physiological markers of symptom expression can be identified. We conducted a placebo-controlled, within-subjects study in healthy individuals to investigate whether individual variability in baseline physiology, as assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging, predicted psychosis elicited by the psychotomimetic drug ketamine and whether physiological change under drug reproduced those reported in patients. Here we show that brain responses to cognitive task demands under placebo predict the expression of psychotic phenomena after drug administration. Frontothalamic responses to a working memory task were associated with the tendency of subjects to experience negative symptoms under ketamine. Bilateral frontal responses to an attention task were also predictive of negative symptoms. Frontotemporal activations during language processing tasks were predictive of thought disorder and auditory illusory experiences. A subpsychotic dose of ketamine administered during a second scanning session resulted in increased basal ganglia and thalamic activation during the working memory task, paralleling previous reports in patients with schizophrenia. These results demonstrate precise and predictive brain markers for individual profiles of vulnerability to drug-induced psychosis.
The Evolution of Phenotypic Polymorphism: Randomized Strategies versus Evolutionary Branching

A population is polymorphic when its members fall into two or more categories, referred to as alternative phenotypes. There are many kinds of phenotypic polymorphisms, with specialization in reproduction, feeding, dispersal, or protection from predators. An individual’s phenotype might be randomly assigned during development, genetically determined, or set by environmental cues. These three possibilities correspond to a mixed strategy of development, a genetic polymorphism, and a conditional strategy. Using the perspective of adaptive dynamics, I develop a unifying evolutionary theory of systems of determination of alternative phenotypes, focusing on the relative possibilities for random versus genetic determination. The approach is an extension of the analysis of evolutionary branching in adaptive dynamics. It compares the possibility that there will be evolutionary branching, leading to genetic polymorphism, with the possibility that a mixed strategy evolves. The comparison is based on the strength of selection for the different outcomes. An interpretation of the resulting criterion is that genetic polymorphism is favored over random determination of the phenotype if an individual’s heritable genotype is an adaptively advantageous cue for development. I argue that it can be helpful to regard genetic polymorphism as a special case of phenotypic plasticity.
Nonnegative dictionary learning in the exponential noise model for adaptive music signal representation

In this paper we describe a maximum likelihood approach for dictionary learning in the multiplicative exponential noise model. This model is prevalent in audio signal processing where it underlies a generative composite model of the power spectrogram. Maximum joint likelihood estimation of the dictionary and expansion coefficients leads to a nonnegative matrix factorization problem where the Itakura-Saito divergence is used. The optimality of this approach is in question because the number of parameters (which include the expansion coefficients) grows with the number of observations. In this paper we describe a variational procedure for optimization of the marginal likelihood, i.e., the likelihood of the dictionary where the activation coefficients have been integrated out (given a specific prior). We compare the output of both maximum joint likelihood estimation (i.e., standard Itakura-Saito NMF) and maximum marginal likelihood estimation (MMLE) on real and synthetical datasets. The MMLE approach is shown to embed automatic model order selection, akin to automatic relevance determination.
Mitochondrial Transfer RNAMet 4435A>G Mutation Is Associated With Maternally Inherited Hypertension in a Chinese Pedigree

Mitochondrial DNA mutations have been associated with cardiovascular disease. We report here the clinical, genetic, and molecular characterization of 1 Han Chinese family with suggestively maternally transmitted hypertension. Matrilineal relatives in this family exhibited the variable degree of hypertension at the age at onset of 44 to 55 years old. Sequence analysis of entire mitochondrial DNA in this pedigree identified the known homoplasmic 4435A>G mutation, which is located immediately at the 3 prime end to the anticodon, corresponding with the conventional position 37 of tRNAMet, and 35 other variants belonging to the Asian haplogroup B5a. The adenine (A37) at this position of tRNAMet is extraordinarily conserved from bacteria to human mitochondria. This modified A37 was shown to contribute to the high fidelity of codon recognition, the structural formation, and stabilization of functional tRNAs. In fact, a 40% reduction in the levels of tRNAMet was observed in cells carrying the 4435A>G mutation. As a result, a failure in mitochondrial tRNA metabolism, caused by the 4435A>G mutation, led to ≈30% reduction in the rate of mitochondrial translation. However, the homoplasmic form, mild biochemical defect, and late onset of hypertension in subjects carrying the 4435A>G mutation suggest that the 4435A>G mutation itself is insufficient to produce a clinical phenotype. The other modifier factors, such as nuclear modifier genes, environmental, and personal factors may also contribute to the development of hypertension in the subjects carrying this mutation. Our findings imply that the 4435A>G mutation may act as an inherited risk factor for the development of hypertension in this Chinese pedigree.
SiGe HBTs featuring fT ≫400GHz at room temperature

This paper presents the results of investigations on process thermal budget reduction in order to increase the operation frequency of SiGe HBTs. We describe the variations of DC and AC characteristics of the devices with the spike annealing temperature. Record peak fT values of 410 GHz and 640 GHz are reported at room and cryogenic temperatures respectively.
Antioxidant Property Enhancement of Sweet Potato Flour under Simulated Gastrointestinal pH

Sweet potato is known to be rich in healthful antioxidants, but the stability of its antioxidant properties under gastrointestinal pH is very much unknown. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the changes in antioxidant properties (total contents of phenolics and flavonoids as well as antioxidant activity) of sweet potato flour (SPF) under simulated gastrointestinal pH conditions. It was found that the yield of SPF crude phenolic extract increased from 0.29 to 3.22 g/100 g SPF upon subjection to gastrointestinal pH conditions (p < 0.05). Also elevated significantly were the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and antioxidant activity of SPF (p < 0.05). In summary, the antioxidant properties of SPF were enhanced under gastrointestinal pH conditions, suggesting that SPF might possess a considerable amount of bound phenolic and other antioxidative compounds. The antioxidant properties of SPF are largely influenced by pH and thus might be enhanced during the in vivo digestive process.
Selected variables related to movement task performance measures of 7-year-old girls

The present investigation examined the relationship of three developmental variables—skeletal maturity, visual-motor functioning, and mental ability—with the early- and late-trial performance scores on three motor control tasks. In addition, the degree to which early- and late-trial performance on each of the motor control tasks could be predicted by the developmental variables was investigated. The subjects for the study were 35 7-year-old girls. The developmental variables were measured by the following instruments: (a) skeletal maturity was determined from a hand-wrist X-ray; (b) the average of the T-score conversions for the five subtests of the Frostig was the measure of visual-motor functioning; and (c) mental ability was assessed by the OLMAT, Primary I level.
Reading strategies in IELTS tests: Prevalence and impact on outcomes

This pilot study explores whether and to what extent IELTS Academic Reading test-takers utilise expeditious reading strategies, and, where employed, their impact on test outcomes. In a partial replication of Weir, Hawkey, Green, and Devi's (2009) exploration of the reading processes learners engage in when tackling IELTS Reading tasks, participants in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses underwent a mock IELTS Academic Reading test. They then completed a written retrospective protocol and a focus group discussion to probe their reading strategy use and tease out any underlying rationale. The analysis revealed that participants responded to time pressure, unfamiliar vocabulary and demands on working memory by employing a range of expeditious reading strategies which focused less on textual comprehension than on quickly locating correct answers. Their comprehension of texts often remained at the 'local-literal' level rather than the 'global-interpretive' level (Moore, Morton, & Price, 2012). Their test scores did not necessarily increase as a result. The findings, though preliminary, support further enquiry into test-taking strategies to understand the extent and the direction of impact on test scores.
QTL Mapping by Whole Genome Re-sequencing and Analysis of Candidate Genes for Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Rice

Nitrogen is a major nutritional element in rice production. However, excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer has caused severe environmental pollution. Therefore, development of rice varieties with improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is urgent for sustainable agriculture. In this study, bulked segregant analysis (BSA) combined with whole genome re-sequencing (WGS) technology was applied to finely map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for NUE. A key QTL, designated as qNUE6 was identified on chromosome 6 and further validated by Insertion/Deletion (InDel) marker-based substitutional mapping in recombinants from F2 population (NIL-13B4 × GH998). Forty-four genes were identified in this 266.5-kb region. According to detection and annotation analysis of variation sites, 39 genes with large-effect single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and large-effect InDels were selected as candidates and their expression levels were analyzed by qRT-PCR. Significant differences in the expression levels of LOC_Os06g15370 (peptide transporter PTR2) and LOC_Os06g15420 (asparagine synthetase) were observed between two parents (Y11 and GH998). Phylogenetic analysis in Arabidopsis thaliana identified two closely related homologs, AT1G68570 (AtNPF3.1) and AT5G65010 (ASN2), which share 72.3 and 87.5% amino acid similarity with LOC_Os06g15370 and LOC_Os06g15420, respectively. Taken together, our results suggested that qNUE6 is a possible candidate gene for NUE in rice. The fine mapping and candidate gene analysis of qNUE6 provide the basis of molecular breeding for genetic improvement of rice varieties with high NUE, and lay the foundation for further cloning and functional analysis.
Correct-by-construction layout-centric retargeting of large analog designs

Aggressive design cycles in the semiconductor industry demand a design-reuse principle for analog circuits. The strong impact of layout intricacies on analog circuit performance necessitates design reuse with special focus on layout aspects. This paper presents a computer-aided design tool and the methodology for a layout-centric reuse of large analog intellectual-property blocks. From an existing layout representation, an analog circuit is retargeted to different processes and performances; the corresponding correct-by-construction layouts are generated automatically and have performances comparable to manually crafled layouts. The tool and the methodology are validated on large analog intellectual-properly blocks. While manual re-design and re-layout is known to take weeks: to months, our *use tool-suite achieves comparable performance in hours.
Somatic muscle development in Sepia officinalis (cephalopoda ‐ mollusca): A new role for NK4

Cephalopods are emerging as new developmental models. These lophotrochozoans exhibit numerous morphological peculiarities among molluscs, not only regarding their nervous system but also regarding their circulatory system, which is closed and includes three hearts. However, the molecular control of cardiac myogenesis in lophotrochozoans is largely unknown. In other groups, cardiac development depends on numerous different genes, among them NK4 seems to have a well‐conserved function throughout evolution. In this study, we assessed the expression pattern of SoNK4, the Sepia officinalis NK4 homologue, during Sepia officinalis development by whole‐mount in situ hybridization. SoNK4 expression begins before morphogenesis, is not restricted to prospective cardiac muscles but above all concerns mesodermal structures potentially rich in muscles such as arms and mantle. These results suggest an important role of SoNK4 in locomotory (somatic) muscles development of Sepia officinalis, and thus a new role for NK4. Developmental Dynamics 237:1944–1951, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Structural and Functional Cross-Talk between a Distant Enhancer and the ɛ-Globin Gene Promoter Shows Interdependence of the Two Elements in Chromatin

ABSTRACT We investigated the requirements for enhancer-promoter communication by using the human β-globin locus control region (LCR) DNase I-hypersensitive site 2 (HS2) enhancer and the ɛ-globin gene in chromatinized minichromosomes in erythroid cells. Activation of globin genes during development is accompanied by localized alterations of chromatin structure, and CACCC binding factors and GATA-1, which interact with both globin promoters and the LCR, are believed to be critical for globin gene transcription activation. We found that an HS2 element mutated in its GATA motif failed to remodel the ɛ-globin promoter or activate transcription yet HS2 nuclease accessibility did not change. Accessibility and transcription were reduced at promoters with mutated GATA-1 or CACCC sites. Strikingly, these mutations also resulted in reduced accessibility at HS2. In the absence of a globin gene, HS2 is similarly resistant to nuclease digestion. In contrast to observations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, HS2-dependent promoter remodeling was diminished when we mutated the TATA box, crippling transcription. This mutation also reduced HS2 accessibility. The results indicate that the ɛ-globin promoter and HS2 interact both structurally and functionally and that both upstream activators and the basal transcription apparatus contribute to the interaction. Further, at least in this instance, transcription activation and promoter remodeling by a distant enhancer are not separable.
The Anaphoric Parallel between Modality and Tense MS-CIS-97-09 IRCS 97-06

In modal subordination, a modal sentence is interpreted relative to a hypothetical scenario introduced in an earlier sentence. In this paper, I argue that this phenomenon reflects the fact that the interpretation of modals is an ANAPHORIC process, precisely analogous to the anaphoric interpretation of tense. Modal morphemes introduce alternative scenarios as entities into the discourse model; their interpretation depends on evoking scenarios for described, reference and speech points, and relating them to one another. Although this account formalizes anaphoric connections using dynamic semantics, it invokes a novel and direct encoding of scenarios as ordinary, static objects (competing analyses take modal referents to be inherently dynamic objects, unlike the referents of pronouns and tenses). The result is a simpler proposal with better empirical coverage. Comments University of Pennsylvania Department of Computer and Information Science Technical Report No. MSCIS-97-09. This technical report is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn. edu/cis_reports/177 The Anaphoric Parallel between Modality and Tense MS-CIS-97-09 IRCS 97-06
Organizational Learning and Absorptive Capacity in Managing ERP Implementation Projects

In this paper we focus on large-scale IS implementation using the lens of absorptive capacity. Our case study concentrates on the double loop learning process that occurs over the implementation phase of ERP which we depict as a series of learning cycles. From this perspective, ERP implementation is best viewed not as a one-time process but rather as a series of implementation and practical use cycles. Our results highlight that the learning process requires the accumulation of knowledge, a long-term perspective, and phases of explorative and exploitative learning that overlap. This learning process requires a) the development of specific organizational capabilities which allow organizational actors to “accept” and assimilate external knowledge, b) the understanding that such capabilities should be developed over time, and c) the capacity to explore and exploit knowledge simultaneously. Suggestions are provided for future field research on absorptive capacity in the realm of the qualitative research.
AN ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF SYNAPSES IN CULTURED FETAL MOUSE CEREBRUM CONTINUOUSLY EXPOSED TO XYLOCAINE

Explants of fetal mouse cerebral cortex, continuously exposed to the local anesthetic Xylocaine from the time of explantation to the time of fixation, were examined in the electron microscope to determine whether morphologically normal synapses and potentially functional interneuronal synaptic networks can form in the absence of electrical impulse activity. Morphological differentiation of complex synaptic networks proceeds normally, and the drug does not alter the fine structure of the formed synapses. These observations are consonant with the electrophysiological data which show that the potential for complex bioelectric activity can develop in the absence of its expression. The development and maturation of functional synaptic networks, then, is not contingent upon prior electrical impulse activity. These data support the concept that organized neuronal assemblies are formed in forward reference to their ultimate function.
Choosing your coach : what matters and when : an interpretative phenomenological exploration of the voice of the coachee

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Color based subject identification for virtual museums, the case of fish

The identification of fish subjects in controlled underwater environments, such as museum, falls into the category of image processing and recognition problems. An interesting aspect of such problems is that they require real time processing and thus effective processing methods must be evolved for the implementation. Although there have been a lot of approaches that solve the identification problem using specialized methods such as contour identification, recognition of distinctive characteristics, besides others, our team at the Multimedia Content lab of TEI Crete has focused on analyzing the color of still images taken from pools in order to rapidly identify subjects.