Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The ventilatory response to arousal from sleep is not fully explained by differences in CO2 levels between sleep and wakefulness

1 Arousal from sleep is associated with transient stimulation of ventilation above normal waking levels that predisposes to subsequent breathing instability and central apnoea. The transient hyperpnoea at arousal is normally explained by differences in arterial partial pressure of CO2 (P a,CO 2) between sleep and wakefulness, with a higher P a,CO 2 in sleep leading to stimulation of ventilation at arousal according to the awake ventilatory response to CO2. Surprisingly, however, the validity of this current model in fully explaining the increased ventilation at arousal from sleep has not been directly tested. 2 This study tests the hypothesis that the level of ventilation at arousal from non‐rapid eye movement (non‐REM) sleep is greater than that produced by elevating P a,CO 2 in wakefulness to the sleeping level, i.e. the ventilation predicted by the current model. 3 Studies were performed in five dogs. Inspired CO2 was used to increase end‐tidal partial pressure of CO2 (P ET,CO 2) in wakefulness and measure the ventilatory response. The same P ET,CO 2 was then maintained in non‐REM sleep. Ventilation was measured for 10 breaths before and after arousal from non‐REM sleep induced by a 72 dB tone. 4 Arousal from sleep produced a transient surge in ventilation of 1.42 ± 0.35 l min−1 (P= 0.005). This increased ventilation was due to arousal from sleep per se as the tone alone produced no change in awake ventilation. In support of the hypothesis, ventilation at wake onset from sleep was greater by 0.83 ± 0.28 l min−1 (P= 0.031) than the ventilation elicited in wakefulness by raising P ET,CO 2 to the sleeping level. 5 The results show that > 50% of the increase in ventilation at wake onset from sleep is not attributable to the awake ventilatory response to the elevated P a,CO 2 that was previously present in sleep. This result leads to important modifications of the physiological model currently used to explain the ventilatory consequences of arousal from sleep.
Stimulus-Dependent BOLD and Perfusion Dynamics in Human V1

Blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI signals often exhibit pronounced over- or undershoot upon changes in stimulation state. Current models postulate that this is due to the delayed onset or decay of perfusion-dependent attenuating responses such as increased cerebral blood volume or oxygen consumption, which are presumed to lag behind the rapid adjustment of blood flow rate to a new steady-state level. If this view is correct, then BOLD overshoot amplitudes in a specific tissue volume should be correlated with steady-state increases in perfusion, independent of stimulus type. To test this prediction, we simultaneously recorded BOLD and relative perfusion signals in primary visual cortex while inducing graded perfusion increases with three types of visual stimulus. Two of these, a diffuse chromatic stimulus with no luminance variation and a very high spatial frequency luminance grating, did not produce detectable BOLD overshoot (or undershoot) when an equal mean luminance baseline was used. Radial checkerboard stimuli, however, caused pronounced over/undershoot of both BOLD and perfusion signals even when temporal mean luminance was held constant and stimulus contrast was adjusted to produce the same steady-state blood flow increases evoked by the other stimuli. Transient amplitudes were relatively invariant in spite of large changes in steady-state response, demonstrating nonlinear BOLD and perfusion step responses in human V1. These findings suggest that, rather than a purely tissue-specific biomechanical or metabolic phenomenon, BOLD overshoot and undershoot represent transient features in the perfusion signal whose effects may be amplified by slowly evolving blood volume changes.
Uric acid induces caspase-1 activation, IL-1β secretion and P2X7 receptor dependent proliferation in primary human lymphocytes.

BACKGROUND Urate through Nacht Domain, Leucine-Rich Repeat, and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NALP3) dependent caspase-1 activation stimulates macrophages to secrete inteleukin-1β (IL-1β). Purinergic receptor P2X7 plays a role in the urate induced NALP3 activation. Urate also enhances adaptive immunity indirectly through its effect on antigen presenting cells. In this study, the direct effect of urate on primary human lymphocytes was evaluated. METHODS Lymphocytes were cultured with or without monosodium urate crystals in the presence or not of a P2X7 inhibitor. Caspase-1 activity was assessed colorimetrically in cell lysates and IL-1β was measured in supernatants with ELISA. Whole lymphocyte viability and proliferation, as well as T-cell proliferation were assessed by means of 2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT) assay and of flow cytometry respectively. RESULTS Urate induced caspase-1 activation and IL-1β release by lymphocytes. It also induced proliferation of whole lymphocytes and T-cells as well. P2X7 inhibitor abrogated lymphocyte proliferation. CONCLUSIONS Urate, a well defined danger signal, stimulates directly human lymphocytes in a P2X7 dependent way. The subsequent IL-1β secretion could enhance inflammation, whereas expansion of lymphocyte clones could facilitate a subsequent adaptive immune response.
Older Women and Everyday Talk about the Ageing Body

This discourse analytic study shows how 10 older women, who exercise regularly or attend the University of the Third Age, adjust to the ageing body in their `everyday talk' through taking a dualist position. The part of the body which is discursively constructed as ageing becomes objectified through appealing to a wider cultural discourse of ageing as biological decline. This dualist position is embedded within a wider cultural discourse of personal agency. The individual's control of the ageing body is emphasized, the ability to monitor and manage `ageing body parts' through exerting the `active mind' and the `busy body' in activities, or simply focusing on `looking good'.
Set-Shifting Aptitude in Parkinson's Disease: External versus Internal Cues

A modified version of the odd-man-out test was used to investigate set-shifting aptitude in 12 patients with Parkinson's disease. We asked subjects to execute in alternation two different sorting rules over successive items. External and internal cueing conditions were employed. Patients with Parkinson's disease were impaired on the tasks with internal cues but were normal on the tasks with external cues. Moreover, the shift costs were consistently larger for the shift to the easier task than the shift to the more difficult task. These findings indicated that the model of ‘Supervisory Attentional System’ may not be sufficient to explain the data as Brown and Marsden (1988) originally suggested.
A Mathematical Formulation to Estimate the Effect of Grain Refiners on the Ultimate Tensile Strength of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloys

In this study, the feed-forward (FF) neural networks (NNs) with back-propagation (BP) learning algorithm is used to estimate the ultimate tensile strength of unrefined Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys and refined the alloys by Al-5Ti-1B and Al-5Zr master alloys. The obtained mathematical formula is presented in great detail. The designed NN model shows good agreement with test results and can be used to predict the ultimate tensile strength of the alloys. Additionally, the effects of scandium (Sc) and carbon (C) rates are investigated by using the proposed equation. It was observed that the tensile properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys improved with the addition of 0.5 Sc and 0.01 C wt. %.
Analysis of amino acids in foodstuff by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

The analysis of amino acids in foodstuff was carried out by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). The 1H NMR, 13C NMR and 2D NMR (HSQC) were applied for qualitative study, and inverse-gated-decoupling 13C NMR was used for quantitative study. The relative standard deviation was between 0.65%∼3.59% (n=6). The range of linearity was over two orders of magnitude for most amino acids. In the analysis of Spirulina and Mushroom, automatic amino acid analyzer was used too. Comparing results from NMR and amino acid analyzer, the relative error in content of amino acids was less than 5%. Results show this new NMR method can be applied in both qualitative and quantitative analyses for the great mass of amino acids in foodstuff.
Quantitative Fluorogenic PCR Assay for Measuring Ovine Herpesvirus 2 Replication in Sheep

ABSTRACT A fluorogenic PCR specific for ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2) DNA was developed and compared to a previously established conventional seminested PCR. Testing of a total of 152 blood samples from both positive and negative animals revealed that the results of both assays corresponded to each other in 100% of the cases. A second fluorogenic PCR for genomic sheep DNA was required to normalize the quantity of viral DNA in the sample. Separate standard curves had to be constructed for each PCR. The analytical sensitivity of the new PCRs ranged between at least 10 copies and sometimes even 1 copy of target DNA per reaction mixture. In dilution series of the target DNAs, linear decreases of the signals were observed over 7 orders of magnitude. Thus, it was possible to calculate the amounts of viral DNA in relation to the amounts of cellular DNA by normalizing the absolute quantity of OvHV-2 DNA with the amount of genomic sheep DNA. By this technique, it was possible for the first time to quantitatively characterize the course of OvHV-2 replication in naturally infected sheep.
Neto1 and Neto2: auxiliary subunits that determine key properties of native kainate receptors

Abstract Kainate receptors (KARs) are a subfamily of ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) that mediate excitatory synaptic transmission, regulate neurotransmitter release, and show a remarkably selective distribution in the brain. Compared to other iGluRs, the precise contribution of KARs to brain function is less understood. Unlike recombinant KARs, native KARs exhibit characteristically slow channel kinetics. The underlying explanation for this dissimilar kinetics has remained elusive until recently. New research has identified Neto1 and Neto2 as KAR auxiliary subunits that determine unique properties of synaptic KARs, including their slow kinetics and high affinity for agonist. Whether these auxiliary subunits regulate KAR trafficking and targeting at the synapse is less clear. By regulating channel gating, Neto1 and Neto2 can increase the diversity of KAR functional properties. These auxiliary subunits may represent a starting point for a better understanding of the role played by neuronal KARs under normal and pathological conditions, but also, they may provide an alternative target for the development of new drugs regulating KARs and brain function.
Human cord blood cells as targets for gene transfer: potential use in genetic therapies of severe combined immunodeficiency disease

Human cord blood (CB) contains large numbers of both committed and primitive hematopoietic progenitor cells and has been shown to have the capacity to reconstitute the lympho-hematopoietic system in transplant protocols. To investigate the potential usefulness of CB stem and progenitor cell populations to deliver new genetic material into the blood and immune systems, we have transduced these cells using retroviral technology and compared the efficiency of gene transfer into CB cells with normal adult human bone marrow cells using a variety of infection protocols. Using two retroviral vectors which differ significantly in both recombinant viral titers and vector design, low density CB or adult bone marrow (ABM) cells were infected, and committed progenitor and more primitive hematopoietic cells were analyzed for gene expression by G418 drug resistance (G418r) of neophosphotransferase and protein analysis for murine adenosine deaminase (mADA). Standard methylcellulose progenitor assays were used to quantitate transduction efficiency of committed progenitor cells, and the long term culture-initiating cell (LTC-IC) assay was used to quantitate transduction efficiency of more primitive cells. Our results indicate that CB cells were more efficiently transduced via retroviral- mediated gene transfer as compared with ABM-derived cells. In addition, stable expression of the introduced gene sequences, including the ADA cDNA, was demonstrated in the progeny of infected LTC-ICs after 5 wk in long-term marrow cultures. Expression of the introduced ADA cDNA was higher than the endogenous human ADA gene in the LTC-IC-derived colonies examined. These studies demonstrate that CB progenitor and stem cells can be efficiently infected using retroviral vectors and suggest that CB cells may provide a suitable target population in gene transfer protocols for some genetic diseases.
Estrogen Receptor α Signaling Exacerbates Immune-Mediated Nephropathies through Alteration of Metabolic Activity

Glomerulonephritis is one of the most serious manifestations of systemic lupus erythematous (SLE). Because SLE is ≥10 times more common in women, a role for estrogens in disease pathogenesis has long been suspected. Estrogen receptor α (ERα) is highly expressed in renal tissue. We asked whether ERα expression contributes to the development of immune-mediated nephropathies like in lupus nephritis. We tested the overall effects of estrogen receptors on the immune response by immunization with OVA and induction of chronic graft-versus-host disease in female ERα-knockout mice. We used nephrotoxic serum nephritis as a model of immune-mediated nephropathy. We investigated the influence of ERα on molecular pathways during nephritis by microarray analysis of glomerular extract gene expression. We performed RNA sequencing of lupus patient whole blood to determine common pathways in murine and human nephritis. Absence of ERα protects female mice from developing nephritis, despite the presence of immune complexes and the production of proinflammatory cytokines in the kidneys and normal humoral responses to immunization. Time-course microarray analysis of glomeruli during nephrotoxic serum nephritis revealed significant upregulation of genes related to PPAR-mediated lipid metabolism and downregulation of genes in the retinol metabolism in wild-type females compared with ERα-knockout females. Similarly, RNA sequencing of lupus patient blood revealed similar expression patterns of these same pathways. During nephritis, the altered activity of metabolic pathways, such as retinol metabolism, occurs downstream of ERα activation and is essential for the progression to end-stage renal failure.
Lack of a p21waf1/cip-Dependent G1/S Checkpoint in Neural Stem and Progenitor Cells After DNA Damage In Vivo

The cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitor p21waf1/cip mediates the p53‐dependent G1/S checkpoint, which is generally considered to be a critical requirement to maintain genomic stability after DNA damage. We used staggered 5‐ethynyl‐2′deoxyuridine/5‐bromo‐2′‐deoxyuridine double‐labeling in vivo to investigate the cell cycle progression and the role of p21waf1/cip in the DNA damage response of neural stem and progenitor cells (NSPCs) after exposure of the developing mouse cortex to ionizing radiation. We observed a radiation‐induced p21‐dependent apoptotic response in migrating postmitotic cortical cells. However, neural stem and progenitor cells (NSPCs) did not initiate a p21waf1/cip1‐dependent G1/S block and continued to enter S‐phase at a similar rate to the non‐irradiated controls. The G1/S checkpoint is not involved in the mechanisms underlying the faithful transmission of the NSPC genome and/or the elimination of critically damaged cells. These processes typically involve intra‐S and G2/M checkpoints that are rapidly activated after irradiation. p21 is normally repressed in neural cells during brain development except at the G1 to G0 transition. Lack of activation of a G1/S checkpoint and apoptosis of postmitotic migrating cells after DNA damage appear to depend on the expression of p21 in neural cells, since substantial cell‐to‐cell variations are found in the irradiated cortex. This suggests that repression of p21 during brain development prevents the induction of the G1/S checkpoint after DNA damage. STEM CELLS 2012;30:537–547
ISIS: European project on infrastructures for broadband access on wireless/photonics

The European Network of Excellence ISIS (http://www.ist-isis.org/) addresses low-cost access and edge optical network equipment, service-enabling technologies and platforms for increased bandwidth capacity, and advanced optical-wireless network technology exploiting the millimeter-wave bands. This paper will relate some of the main achievements that have been obtained up to now within this network concerning both system and component approaches in the above mentioned thematic fields.
Metabolic and luteal sequelae to heightened dietary fat intake in undernourished, anestrous beef cows induced to ovulate.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary fat supplementation and a synthetic progestogen on metabolic hormone patterns and(or) in vitro and in vivo characteristics of induced corpora lutea (CL) in undernourished, post-partum beef cows. Metabolizable energy intake was restricted in all cows in both experiments before calving to achieve a body condition (BC) score of 4 (thin), with cows fed to maintain BW and condition after calving. In Exp. 1, 16 cows were fed isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets after calving with either no added fat (NL, n = 8) or added fat (HL, n = 8; .374 kg of fat/500 kg BW). In Exp. 2, 32 pluriparous cows that had reached targeted body condition were divided randomly at calving into a 2 x 2 factorial treatment arrangement: 1) HL-no implant; HL-CON, 2) HL-norgestomet implant d 14 to 21; HL-NORG, 3) NL-CON and, 4) NL-NORG. Forty-eight-hour calf removal on d 21 and GnRH on d 23 were used to induce CL. The HL diet increased (P < .03) serum growth hormone (GH) concentrations, changed the puerperal pattern of serum insulin from cubic (P < .05) to linear (P < .05), and increased (P < .01) the in vitro production of IGF-I by luteal tissue (Exp. 1). In Exp. 2, both HL diets and NORG treatments (HL-NORG, HL-CON, NL NORG) tended to promote an increased (P < .09) frequency of luteal activity after GnRH, but only HL-CON and NL-NORG enhanced (P < .04) luteal lifespan. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Emissions from Simulated Open Burning of Deployed US Military Waste

Abstract : U.S. military forces have relied primarily on open burning as an expedient method of volume reduction and treatment of solid waste during the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. This study is the first effort to characterize a broad range of pollutants and their emission factors during the burning of military waste and the effects that recycling efforts, namely removing plastics, might have on emissions. Piles of simulated military waste were constructed, burned, and emissions sampled at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Open Burn Testing Facility (OBTF), Research Triangle Park, NC. Three tests contained polyethylene terephthalate (PET #1 or PET) plastic water bottles and four did not. Emission factors for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), polychlorinated and polybrominated dioxins/furans (PCDD/F and PBDD/F), and criteria pollutants were determined and are contained within. The average PCDD/F emission factors were 270 ng-toxic equivalency (TEQ) per kg carbon burned (ng-TEQ/kg Cb), ranging from 35-780 ng-TEQ/kg Cb. Limited testing suggests that targeted removal of plastic water bottles has no apparent effect on reducing pollutants and may even promote increased emissions.
Use of cortisol as a stress marker: Practical and theoretical problems

Human biologists have shown increasing interest in the use of cortisol as an objective marker of stress in recent years. This paper reviews both practical and theoretical problems raised by this approach. The methodology of cortisol assessment using urine, saliva, and plasma is considered. There are many practical problems involved in obtaining good measures of cortisol, although the availability of salivary assays offers a promising way forward. Theoretical issues are of greater concern. Results of laboratory studies led to the hypothesis that cortisol is elevated when an individual is distressed. However, relatively little work has been done on cortisol variation in “real life,” and the results of such studies do not, in general, conform to this hypothesis. It is concluded that the determinants of cortisol variation are not well understood. For example, cortisol level may be as much influenced by positive emotions as by negative emotions usually identified with stress. Further documentation of cortisol variation in everyday life is needed, and at present it is premature to use cortisol level as a marker of stress. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Depth-aware patch-based image disocclusion for virtual view synthesis

In this paper we propose a depth-aided patch based inpainting method to perform the disocclusion of holes that appear when synthesizing virtual views from RGB-D scenes. Depth information is added to each key step of the classical patch-based algorithm from [Criminisi et al. 2004] to guide the synthesis of missing structures and textures. These contributions result in a new inpainting method which is efficient compared to state-of-the-art approaches (both in visual quality and computational burden), while requiring only a single easy-to-adjust additional parameter.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York Staff Reports Robust Capital Regulation

This paper presents preliminary findings and is being distributed to economists and other interested readers solely to stimulate discussion and elicit comments. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and are not necessarily reflective of views at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or the Federal Reserve System. Any errors or omissions are the responsibility of the authors. Abstract We address the following questions concerning bank capital: why are banks so highly levered, what are the consequences of this leverage for the economy as a whole, and how can robust capital regulation be designed to restrict bank leverage to levels that do not generate excessive systemic risk? Bank leverage choices are a delicate balancing act: credit discipline argues for more leverage so that creditors have adequate skin in the game, while balance-sheet opacity and ease of asset substitution by bank managers and shareholders argue for less. Disturbing this balance are regulatory safety nets that promote ex post financial stability but also create perverse incentives for banks to engage in correlated asset choices ex ante and thus hold little equity capital. We discuss how a two-tier capital requirement can cope with these distortions: a core capital requirement like existing capital requirements, and a special capital account that must be invested in Treasuries, accrues to the bank's shareholders as long as the bank is solvent, and accrues to the regulators (rather than the creditors) if the bank fails. The special capital account requirement ensures creditors have skin in the game and also provides the second margin of safety in the calculation of capital adequacy—a buffer for the regulator's own " model risk " in calculations of needed capital buffers. ). The authors are grateful to a number of other researchers and colleagues for useful discussions and to Benjamin Mandel and Lindsay Mollineaux for excellent research assistance. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or the Federal Reserve System.