Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Two-Stage Morphological Filter Design Using Genetic Algorithm

Morphological filters are an important class of nonlinear signal/image processing and analysis tools. These filters have been successfully used in a wide range of applications. Designing this kind of filters needs a prior knowledge in mathematical morphology. Genetic algorithm is an automatic approach to design of these filters which needs little prior knowledge. In this paper, we propose some heuristics to improve the designed filters such as integer representation instead of binary representation in chromosomes, using four operators instead of the conventional two, and using two structural elements instead of one. Experimental results with some examples in noise reduction tasks are shown
The Effects of Extracellular Purines and Pyrimidines on Human Airway Smooth Muscle Cells

Extracellular ATP and UTP modulate the function of many cell types through the stimulation of specific P2 receptors, and the inhalation of UTP has been proposed as a therapeutic means of increasing mucociliary clearance in cystic fibrosis patients. The aim of this study was to determine whether P2 receptors are present and functional in human airway smooth muscle (HASM) cells. Experiments were conducted on primary cultures of HASM cells. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis showed that P2Y1, P2Y2, P2Y4, and P2Y6 receptor subtypes are expressed. Exposure to extracellular ATP, UTP, ADP, and UDP at concentrations ranging from 10-6 to 10-4 M, produced significant increases in intracellular Ca2+ that peaked to 491 ± 51 nM (p < 0.001) with ATP 10-5 M and to 321 ± 30 nM with UTP 10-4 M. ATP and UTP also induced HASM cell contraction, decreasing cell length by 9.9 ± 4.3 and 5.6 ± 2.0%, respectively. Pretreatment of the cells with UTP for short periods of time (10 and 30 min) enhanced the peak Ca2+ release to UTP, whereas repeated and prolonged pretreatment with UTP decreased it. These results indicate that several subtypes of P2Y receptors are present and functional in HASM cells. They also show that the response of the receptors is increased after short periods of exposure to UTP and decreased after prolonged and repeated exposure. Considering that ATP and UTP are endogenous mediators and that analogs of UTP could be used as a therapeutic modality, the role of extracellular triphosphate nucleotides in physiological and pathophysiological processes in the airways warrants further investigation.
The Impact of Economic Development in James Bay, Canada

Although there has been a tremendous amount of past and future development in the James Bay region of northern Canada, there has been very little empirical research that examined the impact of economic development on Cree tallymen, who are the senior grassroots managers of this vulnerable ecosystem. This oversight is particularly important because the region is currently facing the possibility of additional large-scale hydroelectric development and there is no existing baseline information on past impacts on Cree tallymen. In addition, tallymen continue to have important cultural significance to the Cree Nation and also broader significance to the field of sustainable management. This article attempts to fill this gap by providing ethnographic research on the impact of past development on Cree tallymen from the perspectives of the tallymen themselves. The author also draws implications for environmental impact assessments in the region and, more broadly, for the future study of ecologically embedded managers such as the Cree tallymen.
Identification of a Novel Drug Lead That Inhibits HCV Infection and Cell-to-Cell Transmission by Targeting the HCV E2 Glycoprotein

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infects 200 million individuals worldwide. Although several FDA approved drugs targeting the HCV serine protease and polymerase have shown promising results, there is a need for better drugs that are effective in treating a broader range of HCV genotypes and subtypes without being used in combination with interferon and/or ribavirin. Recently, two crystal structures of the core of the HCV E2 protein (E2c) have been determined, providing structural information that can now be used to target the E2 protein and develop drugs that disrupt the early stages of HCV infection by blocking E2’s interaction with different host factors. Using the E2c structure as a template, we have created a structural model of the E2 protein core (residues 421–645) that contains the three amino acid segments that are not present in either structure. Computational docking of a diverse library of 1,715 small molecules to this model led to the identification of a set of 34 ligands predicted to bind near conserved amino acid residues involved in the HCV E2: CD81 interaction. Surface plasmon resonance detection was used to screen the ligand set for binding to recombinant E2 protein, and the best binders were subsequently tested to identify compounds that inhibit the infection of Huh-7 cells by HCV. One compound, 281816, blocked E2 binding to CD81 and inhibited HCV infection in a genotype-independent manner with IC50’s ranging from 2.2 µM to 4.6 µM. 281816 blocked the early and late steps of cell-free HCV entry and also abrogated the cell-to-cell transmission of HCV. Collectively the results obtained with this new structural model of E2c suggest the development of small molecule inhibitors such as 281816 that target E2 and disrupt its interaction with CD81 may provide a new paradigm for HCV treatment.
Females' Combination of Work and Family Roles: Adolescents' Aspirations.

Women's occupational choices are part of a two-stage process through which overall lifestyle decisions are made. In the first stage, women make a decision about the way in which they will combine family and work roles; in the second stage, a specific occupation is chosen. In this study the first stage of decision making was explored by examining the aspirations of adolescent women for combining marriage, motherhood, and labor-force participation. The aspirations of adolescent males for their future wives' combination of marriage, motherhood, and labor-force participation also were examined to uncover any sex differences. Path models suggest that, for both males and females, sex-role variables are the most important predictors of these aspirations but that background, significant other, and achievement variables also are influential.
Presence of Stop Bursts and Multiple Bursts in Younger and Older Adults

Abstract The presence of more than one stop burst on the same stop consonant is termed a multiple burst (MB), and few studies are known to have quantitatively examined the presence of MBs in younger or older adults. Given that there is no known standard metholodology for identifying MBs, the current study describes a methodological approach to identify MBs. The study examines occurrences of stop bursts and MBs in initial stop consonants produced by younger adult (YA) and older adult (OA) speakers. A statistically significant loss of stop bursts was found in OA speakers for bilabials as compared to YA speakers. Although MBs were present across all places of stop articulation, they were predominant for the velar stop consonants. There were no age-related differences in MB occurrence, as they occurred in similar levels in both age groups. Previous research has found that velar stop consonants are more difficult to accurately produce for individuals with dysarthrias, and the current study extends this finding to both younger and older non-neurologically impaired individuals. Data are interpreted relative to the effect of aging on stop consonant production, and the data set the groundwork for future studies to examine bursts and MBs in different clinical populations.
What coping tells about personality

In this study, 123 participants (non‐psychology students) who responded to an interpersonal stress situation staged in the laboratory were judged by unacquainted observers in terms of the Big Five dimensions, intelligence and social attractiveness. Coping behaviour appeared to predict personality impressions in a way that mirrors the relations between personality and coping observed in previous research: Overall, higher levels of Extraversion (E), Agreeableness (A), Conscientiousness (C) and Openness to experience (O) (as well as intelligence and social attractiveness) were predicted by problem‐focussed behaviour and cognitive restructuring, whereas higher levels of Neuroticism (N) were predicted by withdrawal/passivity. The interpersonal impact of the particular coping reactions, as indicated by a positive personality impression, were largely inconsistent with their impact on affect following the stress induction. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
EEG AS A PREDICTOR OF ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR

Slowing of alpha brain activity has been reported among antisocial individuals. One popular hypothesis to explain this slowing assumes a developmental lag, that is, brain immaturity. Studies to date have not established whether the brain wave activity precedes the development of antisocial behavior. The present longitudinal study attempts to answer this question by looking at EEG brain activity measures taken before the beginning of delinquent activity. Slower alpha patterns proved to be characteristic of later delinquents. The findings, however, do not support the developmental immaturity hypothesis.
The Morality of Pluralism

Controversies about abortion, the environment, pornography, AIDS, and similar issues naturally lead to the question of whether there are any values that can be ultimately justified, or whether values are simply conventional. John Kekes argues that the present moral and political uncertainties are due to a deep change in our society from a dogmatic to a pluralistic view of values. Dogmatism is committed to there being only one justifiable system of values. Pluralism recognizes many such systems, and yet it avoids a chaotic relativism according to which all values are in the end arbitrary. Maintaining that good lives must be reasonable, but denying that they must conform to one true pattern, Kekes develops and justifies a pluralistic account of good lives and values, and works out its political, moral, and personal implications.Controversies about abortion, the environment, pornography, AIDS, and similar issues naturally lead to the question of whether there are any values that can be ultimately justified, or whether values are simply conventional. John Kekes argues that the present moral and political uncertainties are due to a deep change in our society from a dogmatic to a pluralistic view of values. Dogmatism is committed to there being only one justifiable system of values. Pluralism recognizes many such systems, and yet it avoids a chaotic relativism according to which all values are in the end arbitrary. Maintaining that good lives must be reasonable, but denying that they must conform to one true pattern, Kekes develops and justifies a pluralistic account of good lives and values, and works out its political, moral, and personal implications.
Men versus Women in Bylines

entertainment television includes heavy doses of political and social values and often includes plots built around actual events. Implications for future research are clear. A comprehensive analysis of viewer motivations would include, initially, the content analysis of different types of entertainment and public affairs programming. This would provide a n "objective" basis for evaluating the degree of similarity between both kinds of programming. Subsequent exposure/ impact studies could be designed in an attempt to link specific motivations to similar or dissimilar components in both kinds of programming. Finally, it might be possible to discover which components engage certain motivation and which d o not. If the studies were conducted over time, it might be possible to determine how networks change programming to attract more or specific viewers and how these changes are linked to various components of programming associated with these changes.
Attention impairment in bipolar disorder: a systematic review

disorder (BD) has been associated with marked cognitive impairment, including euthymic periods. Attention is among the most compromised functions in BD. Changes related to learning, memory, and visuospatial abilities can be derived from these attention impairments. The objective of this article is to review the scientific literature on the performance of BD patients in attention tests. A systematic review was performed of controlled studies that assessed attention in patients diagnosed with BD aged between 18 and 65 years. The databases included Medline, LILACS, Cochrane Library, Institute for Scientific Information Web of Knowledge, and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), and the search encompassed the period from 2008 to 2013. Only studies that had a minimum sample of 10 patients were included. A total of 110 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Compared with healthy control subjects, bipolar patients showed poorer attention performance. Compared with other mental disorders, BD was associated with poorer performance than unipolar depression but better performance than schizophrenia. When bipolar patients in different phases of the disease were compared with one another, the performance of euthymic patients was similar to or better than patients in a depressive state; moreover, manic patients performed worse than depressive patients. Attention is significantly impaired in BD. Attention impairment in BD is milder than in schizophrenia but greater than in unipolar depression. Attention impairment is possibly more severe in manic and depressed episodes than in euthymic periods.Keywords: attention, cognition, neuropsychological tests, bipolar disorder.
In Vitro and In Vivo Studies of a New Class of Anticancer Molecules for Targeted Radiotherapy of Cancer

There is a compelling need to develop anticancer therapies that target cancer cells and tissues. Arising from innovative femtomedicine studies, a new class of non–platinum-based halogenated molecules (called FMD molecules) that selectively kill cancer cells and protect normal cells in treatments of multiple cancers has been discovered. This article reports the first observation of the radiosensitizing effects of such compounds in combination with ionizing radiation for targeted radiotherapy of a variety of cancers. We present in vitro and in vivo studies focused on combination with radiotherapy of cervical, ovarian, head and neck, and lung cancers. Our results demonstrate that treatments of various cancer cells in vitro and in vivo mouse xenograft models with such compounds led to enhanced efficiencies in radiotherapy, while the compounds themselves induced no or little radiotoxicity toward normal cells or tissues. These compounds are therefore effective radiosensitizers that can be translated into clinical trials for targeted radiotherapy of multiple types of cancer. This study also shows the potential of femtomedicine to bring breakthroughs in understanding fundamental biologic processes and to accelerate the discovery of novel drugs for effective treatment or prevention of a variety of cancers. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(4); 640–50. ©2016 AACR.
THE SUBUNITS IN RABBIT ANTI-FORSSMAN IGM ANTIBODY

Rabbit IgM anti-Forssman antibody was highly purified and the subunits obtained on reduction and alkylation were labeled radioactively and isolated by two different and unrelated methods. In both cases the subunits were found to have a molecular weight of about 90,000, based on their behavior on density gradient centrifugation and gel filtration, and evidence is given that they contained one light and one heavy chain. The subunits bound only weakly to sheep erythrocyte stroma, and only half could be shown to possess antigen specific sites. The data are consistent with the concept that each anti-Forssman IgM molecule has five effective binding sites, but it is uncertain whether the ineffectiveness of the remaining five H-L chain pairs is inherent in the structure of the IgM molecule or an artifact due to the isolation procedure. Intact IgM anti-Forssman antibody binds very firmly to structures containing multiple repeating antigen sites, and it appears that this is due to the presence of multiple binding sites on the molecule.
Linkage of Caspase-mediated Degradation of Paxillin to Apoptosis in Ba/F3 Murine Pro-B Lymphocytes*

We have cloned the complete cDNA from mouse paxillin, a 68-kDa adapter protein found in focal adhesions. We found that paxillin was degraded by caspases in Ba/F3 cell apoptosis induced by withdrawal of interleukin-3 (IL-3), a survival factor for this cell, and by ionizing radiation. Also, paxillin was degraded in vitro by incubation with recombinant caspase-3. Western blot analyses of degradation products of overexpressed green fluorescence protein-tagged paxillin and site-specific mutants demonstrated that Asp-102 and Asp-301 were early caspase cleavage sites, and Asp-5, Asp-146, Asp-165, and Asp-222 were late cleavage sites. Overexpression of paxillin delayed apoptosis of Ba/F3 after IL-3 withdrawal. Furthermore, this anti-apoptotic effect of paxillin was augmented by a triple mutation in aspartic acids at caspase cleavage sites. These results suggest that paxillin plays a critical role in cell survival signaling and that the cleavage of paxillin by caspases might be an important event for focal adhesion disassembly during cell apoptosis, contributing to detachment, rounding, and death.
Rethinking Cortical Organization

One way to understand the topography of the cerebral cortex is that “like attracts like. ” The cortex is organized to maximize nearest neighbor similarity. This principle can explain the separation of the cortex into discrete areas that emphasize different information domains. It can also explain the maps that form within cortical areas. However, because the cortex is two-dimensional, when a parameter space of much higher dimensionality is reduced onto the cortical sheet while optimizing nearest neighbor relationships, the result may lack an obvious global ordering into separate areas. Instead, the topography may consist of partial gradients, fractures, swirls, regions that resemble separate areas in some ways but not others, and in not a lack of topographic maps but an excess of maps overlaid on each other, no one of which seems to be entirely correct. Like a canvas in a gallery of modern art that no two observers interpret the same way, this lack of obvious ordering of high-dimensional spaces onto the cortex might then result in some scientific controversy over the true organization. In this review, the authors suggest that at least some sectors of the cortex do not have a simple global ordering and are better understood as a result of a reduction of a high-dimensional space onto the cortical sheet. The cortical motor system may be an example of this phenomenon. The authors discuss a model of the lateral motor cortex in which a reduction of many parameters onto a simulated cortical sheet results in a complex topographic pattern that matches the actual monkey motor cortex in surprising detail. Some of the ambiguities of topography and areal boundaries that have plagued the attempt to systematize the lateral motor cortex are explained by the model. NEUROSCIENTIST the attempt to syste 13(2):138—147, 2007.
Social Science Research on Population: A Review:

A preliminary attempt is made to review the present state of social science knowledge on population the critical gaps in knowledge on which further research is needed and the options and agenda for future development. The exercise is aimed at guiding population policy as it effects public population intervention programs and support of social research. The great volume of literature produced in the 1st half of this decade indicates that the field is not yet comfortable within itself scientifically or politically and thus keeps reviewing and prescribing in search for answers. There is dissatisfaction with current efforts to reduce birthrates in the developing world. Major works some illustrative findings and the authors own opinion of where the situation now stands are presented on 7 broad topics in literature on policy orientation: effect/consequence/ impact of population trends determinants of fertility program evaluation mortality/morbidity internal and international migration population policy and data and methods: collection and analysis. The survey is based on recent reviews of scientific literature done by qualified scholars. Research needs and priorities in each of the 7 fields as expressed in such articles are then catalogued. Available resources including personnel institutions funding and publications and selection criteria among them importance do-ability specificity timetable cumulativeness and policy responsiveness are described and designated as a starting point for making an agenda for closing the gap between what is known and needs to be known and for organizing present knowledge. It is suggested that immediate attention could be given the following: need for better data; translation both of exisint knowledge into policy and of information in to other languages; a clearer statement of the consequences of demograph ic changes a strategy midway between family planning and development as neither is really a sufficient answer to the population problem; the use of the small community as a vehicle of influence as in the Chinese mode l; experiments with integrated development/family planning approaches; t he evaluation of current efforts; the evolution and impact of policy; an d centralizing research efforts.
Paradoxical Rise in Left Ventricular Filling Pressure in the Dog during Positive End‐Expiratory Pressure Ventilation

Controversy exists whether positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) ventilation lowers cardiac output by reducing left ventricular preload, or by a combination of mechanisms. Sixteen openchest dogs were instrumented for measurement of left and right ventricular pressure, aortic flow, and left ventricular dimensions. With the pericardium intact, PEEP caused the interventricular septum to bulge toward the left ventricular chamber, increased right and left ventricular end-diastolic pressures, but decreased the average of the three left ventricular dimensions. When right ventricular filling pressure was suddenly reduced, the interventricular septum moved back toward the right ventricle, and left ventricular filling pressure fell. With the pericardium removed, PEEP was associated with a decrease in all three left ventricular end-diastolic dimensions but no significant change in left ventricular filling pressure. Although several indices of contractility were decreased during PEEP, all returned to baseline values when left ventricular preload was normalized during PEEP by a rapid infusion of heparinized blood into the left atrium. In conclusion, PEEP decreases preload and significantly alters the shape and compliance of the left ventricle with the pericardium intact. With the pericardium removed, PEEP produces proportional decreases in major and minor axis dimensions, does not appear to affect left ventricular contractility independent of preload, and alters left ventricular compliance to only a small degree.