Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Edaravone Attenuates Brain Edema and Neurologic Deficits in a Rat Model of Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Background and Purpose— Our previous studies have demonstrated that oxidative DNA injury occurs in the brain after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We therefore examined whether edaravone, a free-radical scavenger, could reduce ICH-induced brain injury. Methods— These experiments used pentobarbital-anesthetized, male Sprague-Dawley rats that received an infusion of either 100 &mgr;L autologous whole blood (ICH), FeCl2, or thrombin into the right basal ganglia. The rats were humanely killed 24 hours later. There were 4 sets of experiments. In the first, the dose-dependent effects of edaravone on ICH-induced brain injury were examined by measuring brain edema and neurologic deficits. In the second set, apurinic/apyrimidinic abasic sites and 8-hydroxyl-2′-deoxyguanosine, which are hallmarks of DNA oxidation, were investigated after treatment for ICH. In the third, the effect of delayed treatment with edaravone on ICH-induced injury was determined, whereas the fourth examined the effects of edaravone on iron- and thrombin-induced brain injury. Results— Systemic administration of edaravone immediately or 2 hours after ICH reduced brain water content 24 hours after ICH compared with vehicle (P<0.05). Edaravone treatment immediately or 2 hours after ICH also ameliorated neurologic deficits (P<0.05). Edaravone also attenuated ICH-induced changes in apurinic/apyrimidinic abasic sites and 8-hydroxyl-2′-deoxyguanosine and reduced iron- and thrombin-induced brain injury. Conclusions— Edaravone attenuates ICH-induced brain edema, neurologic deficits, and oxidative injury. It also reduces iron- and thrombin-induced brain injury. These results suggest that edaravone is a potential therapeutic agent for ICH.
Learning Word Meanings: Overnight Integration and Study Modality Effects

According to the complementary learning systems (CLS) account of word learning, novel words are rapidly acquired (learning system 1), but slowly integrated into the mental lexicon (learning system 2). This two-step learning process has been shown to apply to novel word forms. In this study, we investigated whether novel word meanings are also gradually integrated after acquisition by measuring the extent to which newly learned words were able to prime semantically related words at two different time points. In addition, we investigated whether modality at study modulates this integration process. Sixty-four adult participants studied novel words together with written or spoken definitions. These words did not prime semantically related words directly following study, but did so after a 24-hour delay. This significant increase in the magnitude of the priming effect suggests that semantic integration occurs over time. Overall, words that were studied with a written definition showed larger priming effects, suggesting greater integration for the written study modality. Although the process of integration, reflected as an increase in the priming effect over time, did not significantly differ between study modalities, words studied with a written definition showed the most prominent positive effect after a 24-hour delay. Our data suggest that semantic integration requires time, and that studying in written format benefits semantic integration more than studying in spoken format. These findings are discussed in light of the CLS theory of word learning.
Species and Strain Glycosylation Patterns of PrPSc

Background A key event in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) is the conversion of the soluble, protease-sensitive glycosylated prion protein (PrPC) to an abnormally structured, aggregated and partially protease-resistant isoform (PrPSc). Both PrP isoforms bear two potential glycosylation sites and thus in a typical western blot with an anti-PrP antibody three distinct bands appear, corresponding to the di-, mono- or unglycosylated forms of the protein. The relative intensity and electrophoretic mobility of the three bands are characteristic of each TSE strain and have been used to discriminate between them. Methodology/Principal Findings In the present study we used lectin-based western blotting to evaluate possible variations in composition within sugar chains carried by PrPSc purified from subjects affected with different TSEs. Our findings indicate that in addition to the already well-documented differences in electrophoretic mobility and amounts of the glycosylated PrPSc forms, TSE strains also vary in the abundance of specific N-linked sugars of the PrPSc protein. Conclusions/Significance These results imply that PrP glycosylation might fine-tune the conversion of PrPC to PrPSc and could play an accessory role in the appearance of some of the characteristic features of TSE strains. The differences in sugar composition could also be used as an additional tool for discrimination between the various TSEs.
Structure and signaling at hydroid polyp-stolon junctions, revisited

ABSTRACT The gastrovascular system of colonial hydroids is central to homeostasis, yet its functional biology remains poorly understood. A probe (2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate) for reactive oxygen species (ROS) identified fluorescent objects at polyp-stolon junctions that emit high levels of ROS. A nuclear probe (Hoechst 33342) does not co-localize with these objects, while a mitochondrial probe (rhodamine 123) does. We interpret these objects as mitochondrion-rich cells. Confocal microscopy showed that this fluorescence is situated in large columnar cells. Treatment with an uncoupler (2,4-dinitrophenol) diminished the ROS levels of these cells relative to background fluorescence, as did removing the stolons connecting to a polyp-stolon junction. These observations support the hypothesis that the ROS emanate from mitochondrion-rich cells, which function by pulling open a valve at the base of the polyp. The open valve allows gastrovascular fluid from the polyp to enter the stolons and vice versa. The uncoupler shifts the mitochondrial redox state in the direction of oxidation, lowering ROS levels. By removing the stolons, the valve is not pulled open, metabolic demand is lowered, and the mitochondrion-rich cells slowly regress. Transmission electron microscopy identified mitochondrion-rich cells adjacent to a thick layer of mesoglea at polyp-stolon junctions. The myonemes of these myoepithelial cells extend from the thickened mesoglea to the rigid perisarc on the outside of the colony. The perisarc thus anchors the myoepithelial cells and allows them to pull against the mesoglea and open the lumen of the polyp-stolon junction, while relaxation of these cells closes the lumen.
Prostate Cancer Detection with a Tactile Resonance Sensor—Measurement Considerations and Clinical Setup

Tumors in the human prostate are usually stiffer compared to surrounding non-malignant glandular tissue, and tactile resonance sensors measuring stiffness can be used to detect prostate cancer. To explore this further, we used a tactile resonance sensor system combined with a rotatable sample holder where whole surgically removed prostates could be attached to detect tumors on, and beneath, the surface ex vivo. Model studies on tissue phantoms made of silicone and porcine tissue were performed. Finally, two resected human prostate glands were studied. Embedded stiff silicone inclusions placed 4 mm under the surface could be detected in both the silicone and biological tissue models, with a sensor indentation of 0.6 mm. Areas with different amounts of prostate cancer (PCa) could be distinguished from normal tissue (p < 0.05), when the tumor was located in the anterior part, whereas small tumors located in the dorsal aspect were undetected. The study indicates that PCa may be detected in a whole resected prostate with an uneven surface and through its capsule. This is promising for the development of a clinically useful instrument to detect prostate cancer during surgery.
A High-Throughput, Field-Based Phenotyping Technology for Tall Biomass Crops1[OPEN]

A ground-based platform enables high-throughput, image-based data and analysis to characterize plant architecture of a tall biomass crop species. Recent advances in omics technologies have not been accompanied by equally efficient, cost-effective, and accurate phenotyping methods required to dissect the genetic architecture of complex traits. Even though high-throughput phenotyping platforms have been developed for controlled environments, field-based aerial and ground technologies have only been designed and deployed for short-stature crops. Therefore, we developed and tested Phenobot 1.0, an auto-steered and self-propelled field-based high-throughput phenotyping platform for tall dense canopy crops, such as sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). Phenobot 1.0 was equipped with laterally positioned and vertically stacked stereo RGB cameras. Images collected from 307 diverse sorghum lines were reconstructed in 3D for feature extraction. User interfaces were developed, and multiple algorithms were evaluated for their accuracy in estimating plant height and stem diameter. Tested feature extraction methods included the following: (1) User-interactive Individual Plant Height Extraction (UsIn-PHe) based on dense stereo three-dimensional reconstruction; (2) Automatic Hedge-based Plant Height Extraction (Auto-PHe) based on dense stereo 3D reconstruction; (3) User-interactive Dense Stereo Matching Stem Diameter Extraction; and (4) User-interactive Image Patch Stereo Matching Stem Diameter Extraction (IPaS-Di). Comparative genome-wide association analysis and ground-truth validation demonstrated that both UsIn-PHe and Auto-PHe were accurate methods to estimate plant height, while Auto-PHe had the additional advantage of being a completely automated process. For stem diameter, IPaS-Di generated the most accurate estimates of this biomass-related architectural trait. In summary, our technology was proven robust to obtain ground-based high-throughput plant architecture parameters of sorghum, a tall and densely planted crop species.
Improving latency-controlled BLSTM acoustic models for online speech recognition

Bidirectional long short-term memory (BLSTM) recurrent neural networks are powerful acoustic models in terms of recognition accuracy. When BLSTM acoustic models are used in decoding, the speech decoder needs to wait until the end of a whole sentence is reached, such that forward-propagation in the backward direction can then be performed. The nature of BLSTM acoustic models makes them inappropriate for real-time online speech recognition because of the latency issue. Recently, the context-sensitive-chunk BLSTM and latency-controlled BLSTM acoustic models have been proposed, both chop a whole sentence into several overlapping chunks. By appending several left and/or right contextual frames, forward-propagation of BLSTM can be down within a controlled time delay, while the recognition accuracy is maintained when comparing with conventional BLSTM models. In this paper, two improved versions of latency-controlled BLSTM acoustic models are presented. By using different types of neural network topology to initialize the BLSTM memory cell states, we aim at reducing the computational cost introduced by the contextual frames and enabling faster online recognition. Experimental results on a 320-hour Switchboard task have shown that the improved versions accelerate from 24% to 61% in decoding without significant loss in recognition accuracy.
Topology preserving and controlled topology simplifying multiresolution isosurface extraction

Multiresolution methods are becoming increasingly important tools for the interactive visualization of very large data sets. Multiresolution isosurface visualization allows the user to explore volume data using simplified and coarse representations of the isosurface for overview images, and finer resolution in areas of high interest or when zooming into the data. Ideally, a coarse isosurface should have the same topological structure as the original. The topological genus of the isosurface is one important property which is often neglected in multiresolution algorithms. This results in uncontrolled topological changes which can occur whenever the level-of-detail is changed. The scope of this paper is to propose an efficient technique which allows preservation of topology as well as controlled topology simplification in multiresolution isosurface extraction.
Influenza hemagglutinin-mediated fusion pores connecting cells to planar membranes: flickering to final expansion

We have studied the fusion between voltage-clamped planar lipid bilayers and influenza virus infected MDCK cells, adhered to one side of the bilayer, using measurements of electrical admittance and fluorescence. The changes in currents in-phase and 90 degrees out-of- phase with respect to the applied sinusoidal voltage were used to monitor the addition of the cell membrane capacitance to that of the lipid bilayer through a fusion pore connecting the two membranes. When ethidium bromide was included in the solution of the cell-free side of the bilayer, increases in cell fluorescence accompanied tee admittance changes, independently confirming that these changes were due to formation of a fusion pore. Fusion required acidic pH on the cell- containing side and depended on temperature. For fusion to occur, the influenza hemagglutinin (HA) had to be cleaved into HA1 and HA2 subunits. The incorporation of gangliosides into the planar bilayers greatly augmented fusion. Fusion pores developed in four distinct stages after acidification: (a) a pre-pore, electrically quiescent stage; (b) a flickering stage, with 1-2 nS pores opening and closing repetitively; (c) an irreversibly opened stage, in which pore conductances varied between 2 and 100 nS and exhibited diverse kinetics; (d) a fully opened stage, initiated by an instantaneous, time- resolution limited, increase in conductance leveling at approximately 500 nS. The expansion of pores by stages has also been shown to occur during exocytosis in mast cells and fusion of HA-expressing cells and erythrocytes. We conclude that essential features of fusion pores are produced with proteins in just one of the two fusing membranes.
The Incidence Of Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy In A Brazilian Population

Objetive: The aim of this study is to verify the incidence of inferior turbinates hypertrophy in a Brazilian population. Methods: Two thousand and four hundred panoramic radiography from the files of the Oral Pathology Department of the school of Dentistry UniFOA, Volta Redonda, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were evaluated for the presence of images compatible with inferior turbinate hypertrophy. Results: Out of 2,400 panoramic radiography studied, 6.83% (n = 164) showed images with features of inferior nasal turbinate hypertrohy. Out of 164 cases found, there was a tendency for individuals of male gender totaling 65.2% of cases (n = 107) compared to females with 34.8% (n = 57), a ratio of 1.87 X1. The age ranged from 7 to 62 years, mean 24.5 years, with a higher concentration in the age group between 10 and 40 years (n = 149) Conclusions: The occurrence rate found (6.83%) is low compared to literature. The main etiologic factor found was allergic rhinitis (79.9%), which may be associated with the air quality of the city.
Sales Configuration in Business Processes

Work is underway to enhance SAP's R/3 business software suite with a sales configuration engine. With the SCE, which is out in a beta version to select customers, users will be able to deal with configurable products on either a laptop or attached to R/3. The author gives an outlook on the general problem of adding a sales configurator to SAP's R/3 business software suite and outline specific work to provide enhanced high-level configuration capabilities in the SCE. The SCE represents the third generation of sales configuration at SAP. It is implemented in Java, and, in its present form, runs on a standalone machine, such as a laptop. It will be an integral part of SAP's Sales-Force-Automation tool and plans are to reembed it into R/3.
Disorder-induced cavities, resonances, and lasing in randomly layered media

We study, theoretically and experimentally, disorder-induced resonances in randomly layered samples and develop an algorithm for the detection and characterization of the effective cavities that give rise to these resonances. This algorithm enables us to find the eigenfrequencies and to pinpoint the locations of the resonant cavities that appear in individual realizations of random samples for arbitrary distributions of the widths and refractive indices of the layers. Each cavity is formed in a region whose size is a few localization lengths. Its eigenfrequency is independent of the location inside the sample and does not change if the total length of the sample is increased by, for example, adding more scatterers on the sides. We show that the total number of cavities Ncav and resonances Nres per unit frequency interval is uniquely determined by the size of the disordered system and is independent of the strength of the disorder. In an active amplifying medium, part of the cavities may host lasing modes whose number is less than Nres. The ensemble of lasing cavities behaves as distributed feedback lasers, provided that the gain in the medium exceeds the lasing threshold, which is specific for each cavity. We present the results of experiments carried out with single-mode optical fibers with gain and randomly located resonant Bragg reflectors (periodic gratings). When the fiber was illuminated by a pumping laser with an intensity high enough to overcome the lasing threshold, the resonances revealed themselves by peaks in the emission spectrum. Our experimental results are in good agreement with the theory presented here.
Clinical Outcomes Do Not Support Arthroscopic Posterior Capsular Release in Addition to Anterior Release for Shoulder Stiffness

Background: Arthroscopic capsular release is an effective treatment for shoulder stiffness, yet its extent is controversial. Purpose: To compare the clinical outcomes of arthroscopic capsular release in patients with and without posterior extended capsular release for shoulder stiffness. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. Methods: Between January 2008 and March 2011, 75 patients who underwent arthroscopic capsular release for shoulder stiffness were enrolled and randomized into 2 groups. In group I (n = 37), capsular release was performed, including release of the rotator interval and anterior and inferior capsule. In group II (n = 38), capsular release was extended to the posterior capsule. The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, Simple Shoulder Test, visual analog scale for pain, and range of motion (ROM) were used for the evaluation before surgery and at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery and at the last follow-up. Results: Preoperative demographic data of age, sex, symptom duration, and clinical outcomes showed no significant differences (P > .05). The average follow-up was 18.4 months. Both groups showed significantly increased ROM at the last follow-up compared with preoperative ROM (P < .05). At the last follow-up, no statistical differences were found (P > .05) between groups I and II in American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score (91.3 vs 79.5), Simple Shoulder Test (83.3 vs 83.3), and visual analog scale (1.5 vs 2.2). There were also no statistical differences between the 2 groups at the last follow-up (P > .05) in ROM: forward flexion, 145.2° vs 143.3°; external rotation with 90° of abduction, 88.1° vs 86.2°; external rotation at side, 88.9° vs 82.9°; and internal rotation, 9.1° vs 8.3°. Conclusion: Posterior extended capsular release might not be necessary in arthroscopic surgery for shoulder stiffness.
Acute Cardiovascular and Hemodynamic Responses to Low Intensity Eccentric Resistance Exercise with Blood Flow Restriction

Background Recently it has been suggested that low intensity (LI) resistance exercise (RE) alone or in combination with blood flow restriction (BFR) can be applied for cardiovascular function improvement or rehabilitation. Objectives The aim of the present study was to investigate the acute effects of LI eccentric RE with and without BFR on heart rate (HR), rate pressure product (RPP), blood pressure (BP) parameters [systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure (MAP)], oxygen saturation (SpO2) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE). Methods In a semi-experimental study 16 young adults (26.18 ± 3.67 years) volunteered and performed LI (30% maximum voluntary contraction) eccentric RE alone or combined with BFR. Results The results indicated that HR, RPP, and RPE increased significantly within both groups (P < 0.05); SBP and DBP increased significantly only with BFR (P < 0.05); MAP increased significantly during exercise without BFR (P < 0.05); and no change was observed in SpO2 in either groups (P > 0.05). Furthermore, studied parameters did not vary amongst different groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions It is concluded that LI eccentric RE with BFR positively regulated the hemodynamic and cardiovascular responses. Therefore, the eccentric RE combined with BFR seems to be a good option for future studies with the aim of time efficacy, since it alters these parameters within normal values.
Protecting obfuscation against arithmetic attacks

Obfuscation, the task of compiling circuits or programs to make the internal computation unintelligible while preserving input/output functionality, has become an object of central focus in the cryptographic community. A work of Garg et al. [FOCS 2013] gave the first candidate obfuscator for general polynomial-size circuits, and led to several other works constructing candidate obfuscators. Each of these constructions is built upon another cryptographic primitive called a multilinear map, or alternatively a graded encoding scheme. Several of these candidates have been shown to achieve the strongest notion of security (virtual black-box, or VBB) against “purely algebraic” attacks in a model that we call the fully-restricted graded encoding model. In this model, each operation performed by an adversary is required to obey the algebraic restrictions of the graded encoding scheme. These restrictions essentially impose strong forms of homogeneity and multilinearity on the allowed polynomials. While important, the scope of the security proofs is limited by the stringency of these restrictions. We propose and analyze another variant of the Garg et al. obfuscator in a setting that imposes fewer restrictions on the adversary, which we call the arithmetic setting. This setting captures a broader class of attacks than considered in previous works. We also explore connections between notions of obfuscation security and longstanding questions in arithmetic circuit complexity. Our results include the following. � In the arithmetic setting where the adversary is limited to creating multilinear, but not necessarily homogenous polynomials, we obtain an unconditional proof of VBB security. This requires a substantially different analysis than previous security proofs. � In the arithmetic setting where the adversary can create polynomials of arbitrary degree, we show that a proof of VBB security for any currently available candidate obfuscator would imply VP 6 VNP. To complement this, we show that a weaker notion of security (indistinguishability obfuscation) can be achieved unconditionally in this setting, and that VBB security can be achieved under a complexity-theoretic assumption related to the ETH.