Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Yeast Glycerol 3-Phosphatases Gpp1p and Gpp2p Are Required for Glycerol Biosynthesis and Differentially Involved in the Cellular Responses to Osmotic, Anaerobic, and Oxidative Stress*

We have characterized the strongly homologous GPP1/RHR2 and GPP2/HOR2 genes, encoding isoforms of glycerol 3-phosphatase. Mutants lacking bothGPP1 and GPP2 are devoid of glycerol 3-phosphatase activity and produce only a small amount of glycerol, confirming the essential role for this enzyme in glycerol biosynthesis. Overproduction of Gpp1p and Gpp2p did not significantly enhance glycerol production, indicating that glycerol phosphatase is not rate-limiting for glycerol production. Previous studies have shown that expression of both GPP1 and GPP2 is induced under hyperosmotic stress and that induction partially depends on the HOG (high osmolarity glycerol) pathway. We here show that expression ofGPP1 is strongly decreased in strains having low protein kinase A activity, although it is still responsive to osmotic stress. The gpp1Δ/gpp2Δ double mutant is hypersensitive to high osmolarity, whereas the single mutants remain unaffected, indicating GPP1 and GPP2 substitute well for each other. Transfer to anaerobic conditions does not affect expression of GPP2, whereas GPP1 is transiently induced, and mutants lacking GPP1 show poor anaerobic growth. All gpp mutants show increased levels of glycerol 3-phosphate, which is especially pronounced when gpp1Δ and gpp1Δ/gpp2Δ mutants are transferred to anaerobic conditions. The addition of acetaldehyde, a strong oxidizer of NADH, leads to decreased glycerol 3-phosphate levels and restored anaerobic growth of the gpp1Δ/gpp2Δ mutant, indicating that the anaerobic accumulation of NADH causes glycerol 3-phosphate to reach growth-inhibiting levels. We also found thegpp1Δ/gpp2Δ mutant is hypersensitive to the superoxide anion generator, paraquat. Consistent with a role for glycerol 3-phosphatase in protection against oxidative stress, expression of GPP2 is induced in the presence of paraquat. This induction was only marginally affected by the general stress-response transcriptional factors Msn2p/4p or protein kinase A activity. We conclude that glycerol metabolism plays multiple roles in yeast adaptation to altered growth conditions, explaining the complex regulation of glycerol biosynthesis genes.
Neural Mechanisms of Interference Control in Working Memory: Effects of Interference Expectancy and Fluid Intelligence

Background A critical aspect of executive control is the ability to limit the adverse effects of interference. Previous studies have shown activation of left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex after the onset of interference, suggesting that interference may be resolved in a reactive manner. However, we suggest that interference control may also operate in a proactive manner to prevent effects of interference. The current study investigated the temporal dynamics of interference control by varying two factors – interference expectancy and fluid intelligence (gF) – that could influence whether interference control operates proactively versus reactively. Methodology/Principal Findings A modified version of the recent negatives task was utilized. Interference expectancy was manipulated across task blocks by changing the proportion of recent negative (interference) trials versus recent positive (facilitation) trials. Furthermore, we explored whether gF affected the tendency to utilize specific interference control mechanisms. When interference expectancy was low, activity in lateral prefrontal cortex replicated prior results showing a reactive control pattern (i.e., interference-sensitivity during probe period). In contrast, when interference expectancy was high, bilateral prefrontal cortex activation was more indicative of proactive control mechanisms (interference-related effects prior to the probe period). Additional results suggested that the proactive control pattern was more evident in high gF individuals, whereas the reactive control pattern was more evident in low gF individuals. Conclusions/Significance The results suggest the presence of two neural mechanisms of interference control, with the differential expression of these mechanisms modulated by both experimental (e.g., expectancy effects) and individual difference (e.g., gF) factors.
Development of a fast torque-controlled hydraulic humanoid robot that can balance compliantly

This paper reports on development of a fast torque-controlled hydraulic humanoid robot Tae-Mu. We present details on the hardware including the actuation, mechanical design, control and sensing systems. The robot has 13 active joints which are all driven by hydraulic servo cylinders with an external hydraulic power supply. The robot is installed with a three-axis active torso, which are utilized for static and dynamic balancing. The height is 141 cm, and the weight is 72.3 kg including a dummy weight stands for the arms. The lightweight design with carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic allowed the legs have the similar mass distribution to human legs. We present experimental results including basic torque control, balancing against external push, balanced squat motions and compliant balancing on a moving platform. The attached experimental video and graphs demonstrates that the fabricated robot has a high potential as a research platform for human sensory-motor control because of its compliance, high torque, speed, range of motion, safety and durability.
Physicians Infrequently Adhere to Hepatitis Vaccination Guidelines for Chronic Liver Disease

Background and Goals Hepatitis A (HAV) and hepatitis B (HBV) vaccination in patients with chronic liver disease is an accepted standard of care. We determined HAV and HBV vaccination rates in a tertiary care referral hepatology clinic and the impact of electronic health record (EHR)-based reminders on adherence to vaccination guidelines. Methods We reviewed the records of 705 patients with chronic liver disease referred to our liver clinic in 2008 with at least two follow-up visits during the subsequent year. Demographics, referral source, etiology, and hepatitis serology were recorded. We determined whether eligible patients were offered vaccination and whether patients received vaccination. Barriers to vaccination were determined by a follow-up telephone interview. Results HAV and HBV serologic testing prior to referral and at the liver clinic were performed in 14.5% and 17.7%; and 76.7% and 74% patients, respectively. Hepatologists recommended vaccination for HAV in 63% and for HBV in 59.7% of eligible patients. Patient demographics or disease etiology did not influence recommendation rates. Significant variability was observed in vaccination recommendation amongst individual providers (30–98.6%), which did not correlate with the number of patients seen by each physician. Vaccination recommendation rates were not different for Medicare patients with hepatitis C infection for whom a vaccination reminder was automatically generated by the EHR. Most patients who failed to get vaccination after recommendation offered no specific reason for noncompliance; insurance was a barrier in a minority. Conclusions Hepatitis vaccination rates were suboptimal even in an academic, sub-speciality setting, with wide-variability in provider adherence to vaccination guidelines.
The Essential Turing Reviewed by

The construction of compilers has harnessed massive multiplayer online role-playing games, and current trends suggest that the synthesis of sensor networks will soon emerge. In fact, few statisticians would disagree with the simulation of simulated annealing. In this position paper we describe an analysis of Markov models (Wee), disconfirming that the much-tauted introspective algorithm for the evaluation of web browsers [114, 188, 114, 62, 70, 179, 68, 188, 95, 54, 62, 152, 191, 59, 168, 148, 99, 58, 129, 152] is maximally efficient.
A kinetic approach to evaluate salinity effects on carbon mineralization in a plant residue-amended soil

The interaction of salinity stress and plant residue quality on C mineralization kinetics in soil is not well understood. A laboratory experiment was conducted to study the effects of salinity stress on C mineralization kinetics in a soil amended with alfalfa, wheat and corn residues. A factorial combination of two salinity levels (0.97 and 18.2 dS/m) and four levels of plant residues (control, alfalfa, wheat and corn) with three replications was performed. A first order kinetic model was used to describe the C mineralization and to calculate the potentially mineralizable C. The CO2-C evolved under non-saline condition, ranged from 814.6 to 4842.4 mg CO2-C/kg in control and alfalfa residue-amended soils, respectively. Salinization reduced the rates of CO2 evolution by 18.7%, 6.2% and 5.2% in alfalfa, wheat and corn residue-amended soils, respectively. Potentially mineralizable C (C0) was reduced significantly in salinized alfalfa residue-treated soils whereas, no significant difference was observed for control treatments as well as wheat and corn residue-treated soils. We concluded that the response pattern of C mineralization to salinity stress depended on the plant residue quality and duration of incubation.
What saccadic eye movements tell us about TMS-induced neuromodulation of the DLPFC and mood changes: a pilot study in bipolar disorders

The study assumed that the antisaccade (AS) task is a relevant psychophysical tool to assess (i) short-term neuromodulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) induced by intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS); and (ii) mood change occurring during the course of the treatment. Saccadic inhibition is known to strongly involve the DLPFC, whose neuromodulation with iTBS requires less stimulation time and lower stimulation intensity, as well as results in longer aftereffects than the conventional repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Active or sham iTBS was applied every day for 3 weeks over the left DLPFC of 12 drug-resistant bipolar depressed patients. To assess the iTBS-induced short-term neuromodulation, the saccadic task was performed just before (S1) and just after (S2) the iTBS session, the first day of each week. Mood was evaluated through Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores and the difference in scores between the beginning and the end of treatment was correlated with AS performance change between these two periods. As expected, only patients from the active group improved their performance from S1 to S2 and mood improvement was significantly correlated with AS performance improvement. In addition, the AS task also discriminated depressive bipolar patients from healthy control subjects. Therefore, the AS task could be a relevant and useful tool for clinicians to assess if the Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-induced short-term neuromodulation of the DLPFC occurs as well as a “trait vs. state” objective marker of depressive mood disorder.
The Effects of Prenatal Stocking Densities on the Fear Responses and Sociality of Goat (Capra hircus) Kids

Prenatal stress (stress experienced by a pregnant mother) and its effects on offspring have been comprehensively studied but relatively little research has been done on how prenatal social stress affects farm animals such as goats. Here, we use the operational description of ‘stress’ as “physical or perceived threats to homeostasis. ” The aim of this study was to investigate the prenatal effects of different herd densities on the fear responses and sociality of goat kids. Pregnant Norwegian dairy goats were exposed to high, medium or low prenatal animal density treatments throughout gestation (1.0, 2.0 or 3.0 m2 per animal, respectively). One kid per litter was subjected to two behavioral tests at 5 weeks of age. The ‘social test’ was applied to assess the fear responses, sociality and social recognition skills when presented with a familiar and unfamiliar kid and the ‘separation test’ assessed the behavioral coping skills when isolated. The results indicate goat kids from the highest prenatal density of 1.0 m2 were more fearful than the kids from the lower prenatal densities (i.e. made more escape attempts (separation test: P < 0.001) and vocalizations (social test: P < 0.001; separation test: P < 0.001). This effect was more pronounced in females than males in the high density (vocalizations; social test: P < 0.001; separation test: P = 0.001) and females were generally more social than males. However, goat kids did not differentiate between a familiar and an unfamiliar kid at 5 weeks of age and sociality was not affected by the prenatal density treatment. We conclude that high animal densities during pregnancy in goats produce offspring that have a higher level of fear, particularly in females. Behavioral changes in offspring that occur as an effect of prenatal stress are of high importance as many of the females are recruited to the breeding stock of dairy goats.
Bayesian Estimation and Model Choice in Item Response Models

Item response models are essential tools for analyzing results from many educational and psychological tests. Such models are used to quantify the probability of correct response as a function of unobserved examinee ability and other parameters explaining the difficulty and the discriminatory power of the questions in the test. Some of these models also incorporate a threshold parameter for the probability of the correct response to account for the effect of guessing the correct answer in multiple choice type tests. In this article we consider fitting of such models using the Gibbs sampler. A data augmentation method to analyze a normal-ogive model incorporating a threshold guessing parameter is introduced and compared with a Metropolis-Hastings sampling method. The proposed method is an order of magnitude more efficient than the existing method. Another objective of this paper is to develop Bayesian model choice techniques for model discrimination. A predictive approach based on a variant of the Bayes factor is used and compared with another decision theoretic method which minimizes an expected loss function on the predictive space. A classical model choice technique based on a modified likelihood ratio test statistic is shown as one component of the second criterion. As a consequence the Bayesian methods proposed in this paper are contrasted with the classical approach based on the likelihood ratio test. Several examples are given to illustrate the methods.
Parametric Bilinear Generalized Approximate Message Passing

We propose a scheme to estimate the parameters bi and cj of the bilinear form z<sub>m</sub> = Σ<sub>i,j</sub> b<sub>izm</sub><sup>(i,j)</sup> c<sub>j</sub> from noisy measurements {y<sub>m</sub>}<sub>mM</sub>=1, where y<sub>m</sub> and z<sub>m</sub> are related through an arbitrary likelihood function and z<sub>m</sub><sup>(i,j)</sup> are known. Our scheme is based on generalized approximate message passing (G-AMP): it treats b<sub>i</sub> and c<sub>j</sub> as random variables and z<sub>m</sub><sup>(i,j)</sup> as an i.i. d. Gaussian 3-way tensor in order to derive a tractable simplification of the sum-product algorithm in the large-system limit. It generalizes previous instances of bilinear G-AMP, such as those that estimate matrices B and C from a noisy measurement of Z = BC, allowing the application of AMP methods to problems such as self-calibration, blind deconvolution, and matrix compressive sensing. Numerical experiments confirm the accuracy and computational efficiency of the proposed approach.
Effect of rituximab on a salivary gland ultrasound score in primary Sjögren’s syndrome: results of the TRACTISS randomised double-blind multicentre substudy

Objectives To compare the effects of rituximab versus placebo on salivary gland ultrasound (SGUS) in primary Sjögren’s syndrome (PSS) in a multicentre, multiobserver phase III trial substudy. Methods Subjects consenting to SGUS were randomised to rituximab or placebo given at weeks 0, 2, 24 and 26, and scanned at baseline and weeks 16 and 48. Sonographers completed a 0–11 total ultrasound score (TUS) comprising domains of echogenicity, homogeneity, glandular definition, glands involved and hypoechoic foci size. Baseline-adjusted TUS values were analysed over time, modelling change from baseline at each time point. For each TUS domain, we fitted a repeated-measures logistic regression model to model the odds of a response in the rituximab arm (≥1-point improvement) as a function of the baseline score, age category, disease duration and time point. Results 52 patients (n=26 rituximab and n=26 placebo) from nine centres completed baseline and one or more follow-up visits. Estimated between-group differences (rituximab-placebo) in baseline-adjusted TUS were −1.2 (95% CI −2.1 to −0.3; P=0.0099) and −1.2 (95% CI −2.0 to −0.5; P=0.0023) at weeks 16 and 48. Glandular definition improved in the rituximab arm with an OR of 6.8 (95% CI 1.1 to 43.0; P=0.043) at week 16 and 10.3 (95% CI 1.0 to 105.9; P=0.050) at week 48. Conclusions We demonstrated statistically significant improvement in TUS after rituximab compared with placebo. This encourages further research into both B cell depletion therapies in PSS and SGUS as an imaging biomarker. Trial registration number 65360827, 2010-021430-64; Results.
Fabrication of higher order Bragg gratings in microstructured polymer fibers

We present the experimental investigations of the Bragg gratings writing process in the microstructured polymer fiber using UV beam of 325 nm wavelength and standard phase mask technique. The good quality higher order peaks placed at λB/2=782 nm and 2λB/3=1040 nm for the grating with primary peak at λB=1555 nm were experimentally demonstrated for the first time. The growth dynamics for all the peaks was investigated.
Ultrasound guided percutaneous nephrostomy: Experience at ahmadu bello university teaching hospital, Zaria

Background: Obstructive uropathy is a common problem in urologic practice; temporary relief of obstruction in the upper tract poses a significant challenge. Ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) is an option for upper tract drainage; compared to fluoroscopic guidance, it is readily available, affordable, and not associated with radiation exposure. We present our experience with ultrasound-guided PCN. Patients and Methods: We studied all patients who had ultrasound-guided PCN in our center between January 2013 and January 2017. Information obtained included the patients' demographics, clinical details, primary pathology, indications, outcome, and complications within 30 days. Relevant data were extracted and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: A total number of 35 PCNs were performed in 26 patients within the period of study. The median age was 44.5 years. There were 17 females and 9 males. About 88.2% of the females had ureteric obstruction from advanced carcinoma of the cervix while the predominant cause of obstruction in the males was advanced carcinoma of the bladder. Kidney access under ultrasound guidance required well dilated collecting systems for success and ease of puncture. The most common complication was hematuria, which resolved within 24–48 h in all patients uneventfully. Conclusion: PCN is an important and common procedure for temporary relief of upper urinary tract obstruction. While fluoroscopic guidance provides superior image guidance, ultrasound guidance is comparatively reliable, albeit with a longer learning curve. Adequate training, careful patients selection, and patience are key to success.
Antenna selection based on mutual coupling and spatial correlation among integrated antennas for maximum energy efficiency

Recently, many antennas are used to increase data rate in multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system to satisfy user's requirement. However, power consumption is increased significantly when many antennas are used. As importances of economic and environment benefits have arised, consumed power have to be handled through maximizing energy efficiency (EE). EE can be increased using antenna selection which can reduce power consumed in radio frequency (RF) chains. On the other hand, there is a limited space to integrate many antennas. Integrating many antennas in fixed space causes significant quantities of mutual coupling and spatial correlation between antennas. Therefore, mutual coupling and spatial correlation have to be considered when EE is maximized through antenna selection in practical system. In this paper, antenna selection algorithm is proposed considering mutual coupling and spatial correlation between antennas in the situation where antennas are integrated in fixed space. Mutual coupling and spatial correlation are reflected by electromagnetic (EM) simulation tool to consider more practical system. Then, performance of the proposed antenna selection algorithm is analyzed compared to three methods which are exhaustive search method, conventional algorithm and random selection method. Also, performances of the proposed algorithm are investigated in different environments where channel condition is different and minimum rate is required.
Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for hepatitis C virus‐related portal hypertension after liver transplantation

Ghinolfi D, De Simone P, Catalano G, Petruccelli S, Coletti L, Carrai P, Marti J, Tincani G, Cicorelli A, Cioni R, Filipponi F. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for hepatitis C virus‐related portal hypertension after liver transplantation.
Icosapent ethyl for the treatment of severe hypertriglyceridemia

Hypertriglyceridemia is a highly prevalent lipid abnormality and it is associated with atherosclerosis, with a growing body of evidence linking elevated triglycerides (TGs) with cardiovascular disease. The current major omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)/docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) combination, lowers serum TGs while often increasing levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Icosapent ethyl is an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid with a 96% pure ethyl ester of EPA that has been recently approved for lowering TG levels in patients with very high TGs (≥500 mg/dL), and it does so without significantly affecting serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The potential benefits of omega-3 fatty acid therapy for dyslipidemias will be discussed, including the potential pros and cons of EPA alone versus the more common and readily available EPA/DHA combination therapy.
A Low-Profile Compact Microwave Antenna With High Gain and Wide Bandwidth

We demonstrate a low-profile, compact antenna consisting of a cross dielectric resonator on a microstrip patch and a quasi-planar surface mounted short horn (SMSH). The measurements show a 10 dB return loss bandwidth from 6.07 GHz to 7.52 GHz (21.3%) and a gain better than 9.0 dBi over this bandwidth. The total height of the antenna is only 8.61 mm and the aperture size is 48.1 mm X 43.1 mm. The cross-polarization level of the antenna at boresight is better than 28 dB in both E-and H-planes over the impedance bandwidth.