Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of Rho Kinase in Microvascular Damage Following Cerebral Ischemia Reperfusion in Rats

Rho kinase (ROCK) is a well-known downstream effector of Rho and plays an important role in various physiopathological processes. In this study, we aim to investigate the correlation between ROCK and microvascular damage in rat brain subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and reperfusion, and to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the microvascular damage. ROCK and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) mRNA levels were determined by real time quantitative PCR, Laminin was detected by immunofluorescence and Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) permeability was examined by Evans Blue (EB) in rat MCAO models. We observed similar patterns of changes in ROCK expression, brain EB content, and Laminin expression at different time points after brain ischemia. Statistical analysis further confirmed a significant linear correlation of ROCK expression with the onset of microvascular damage in brain. Furthermore, the ROCK inhibitor fasudil decreased brain EB content but increased Laminin expression. These results provide strong evidence that ROCK mediates microvascular damage. In addition, we found that fasudil could significantly inhibit MMP9 expression induced by ischemia. Thus, our findings suggest that ROCK promotes microvascular damage by upregulating MMP9 and reveal ROCK as a promising therapeutic target for stroke.
Underreporting of energy intake from a self-administered food-frequency questionnaire completed by adults in Montreal

Abstract Background: Energy intake determined from self-reported dietary assessment methods may be underreported. Therefore, it is important that such methods be validated against another with known validity for energy intake or energy expenditure. Methods: We investigated potential underestimation of energy intake obtained from our semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) administered between 2000 and 2001 in the metropolitan area of Montreal, Canada. The study population included 246 adults aged 18 to 82 years. The ratio of energy intake to estimated basal metabolic rate (EI/BMR) was used to assess underreporting and physical activity was determined from self-administered questions. Comparison of the EI/BMR ratio with the Goldberg statistical cut-off allowed us to detect individuals who were low energy reporters (LERs). LERs and non-LERs were compared to determine if they differed on sociodemographic, anthropometric and lifestyle variables. Results: The EI/BMR ratio was 1.26 for men and 1.32 for women. LERs represented 43% of the sample of individuals. Male LERs accounted for 54% compared with 35% among females. Underreporting of energy intake was highest in men and individuals who were older, heavier, with higher body mass index and lower education level. A higher proportion of male LERs perceived their financial situation as adequate while a greater proportion of female LERs considered themselves poor. Conclusion: Our data suggest that underreporting of energy intake from the FFQ was considerable and may bias dietary interpretation. As this was uneven across the sample, it is crucial to recognise the characteristics of LERs in order to increase the validity of reported energy intake.
The Influence of Spatial Attention on Neuronal Receptive Field Structure within Macaque Area MT

The Influence of Spatial Attention on Neuronal Receptive Field Structure within Macaque Area MTVisual attention modulates sensory responses of neurons in visual cortex consistent with a multiplicative gain influence. This modulation is particularly strong with multiple stimuli within a neuronal receptive field (RF), which could be due (1) to a space-based mechanism involving shrinkage and shift of the RF towards the attended location or could (2) reflect gain changes in the neuron under study, leaving shape and position of the RF unchanged. The thesis examines these hypothesis by obtaining quantitative RF profiles of macaque area MT neurons while attention was directed at different positions within the RF.Our task precued spatial attention to one of three moving random dot patterns (RDPs) in order to detect a direction change of the target RDP. Two RDPs were always placed within the RF of direction-selective neurons in MT. While one of the three stimuli was attended, quantitative RF maps were obtained by recording the responses to irrelevant, moving probe RDPs briefly appearing at the intersections of a dense virtual grid covering the RF.We find that the resulting RF maps reveal (1) a spatially specific and highly systematic shift of the sensitivity profile (the RF) towards the focus attention and (2) a moderate RF shrinkage. We further report that (3) RFs shift stronger the farther away from the attended stimulus inside the RF and that (4) the shift in present throughout the state of sustained attention, in contrast to a transient, or abrupt luminance onset, effect.These main findings provide first direct evidence for a a highly dynamic, spatially specific plasticity of RFs with selective attention to different subregions of the RF - on a trial-by-trial basis, with attention at the same eccentricity and with equal task difficulty.While the spatially specific response weighting corresponds to a non-multiplicative modulation, the RF-shift could nonetheless result from an attentional gain mechanism acting multiplicatively on pre-synaptic neurons with smaller RFs at attended and unattended locations. The increase of neuronal spatial sensitivity near attended locations could provide the neuronal substrate for behavioral consequences of various psychophysical attentional phenomena including (i) distributions of enhanced processing accuracy close to the attentional focus and suppression in its surround, (ii) enhanced spatial resolution, and (iii) distortions in spatial judgements. At the level of neuronal population it reflects the additional recruitment of neuronal resources (,or cortical magnification) devoted to feature analysis at and near attended positions.
Improving Activity Recognition by Segmental Pattern Mining

Activity recognition is a key task for the development of advanced and effective ubiquitous applications in fields like ambient assisted living. A major problem in designing effective recognition algorithms is the difficulty of incorporating long-range dependencies between distant time instants without incurring substantial increase in computational complexity of inference. In this paper we present a novel approach for introducing long-range interactions based on sequential pattern mining. The algorithm searches for patterns characterizing time segments during which the same activity is performed. A probabilistic model is learned to represent the distribution of pattern matches along sequences, trying to maximize the coverage of an activity segment by a pattern match. The model is integrated in a segmental labeling algorithm and applied to novel sequences, tagged according to matches of the extracted patterns. The rationale of the approach is that restricting dependencies to span the same activity segment (i.e., sharing the same label), allows keeping inference tractable. An experimental evaluation shows that enriching sensor-based representations with the mined patterns allows improving results over sequential and segmental labeling algorithms in most of the cases. An analysis of the discovered patterns highlights non-trivial interactions spanning over a significant time horizon.
Dysregulated renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system contributes to pulmonary arterial hypertension.

RATIONALE Patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (iPAH) often have a low cardiac output. To compensate, neurohormonal systems such as the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and the sympathetic nervous system are up-regulated, but this may have long-term negative effects on the progression of iPAH. OBJECTIVES Assess systemic and pulmonary RAAS activity in patients with iPAH and determine the efficacy of chronic RAAS inhibition in experimental PAH. METHODS We collected 79 blood samples from 58 patients with iPAH in the VU University Medical Center Amsterdam (between 2004 and 2010) to determine systemic RAAS activity. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS We observed increased levels of renin, angiotensin (Ang)I, and AngII, which were associated with disease progression (P < 0.05) and mortality (P < 0.05). To determine pulmonary RAAS activity, lung specimens were obtained from patients with iPAH (during lung transplantation, n = 13) and control subjects (during lobectomy or pneumonectomy for cancer, n = 14). Local RAAS activity in pulmonary arteries of patients with iPAH was increased, demonstrated by elevated angiotensin-converting enzyme activity in pulmonary endothelial cells and increased AngII type 1 (AT(1)) receptor expression and signaling. In addition, local RAAS up-regulation was associated with increased pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation via enhanced AT(1) receptor signaling in patients with iPAH compared with control subjects. Finally, to determine the therapeutic potential of RAAS activity, we assessed the chronic effects of an AT(1) receptor antagonist (losartan) in the monocrotaline PAH rat model (60 mg/kg). Losartan delayed disease progression, decreased right ventricular afterload and pulmonary vascular remodeling, and restored right ventricular-arterial coupling in rats with PAH. CONCLUSIONS Systemic and pulmonary RAAS activities are increased in patients with iPAH and are associated with increased pulmonary vascular remodeling. Chronic inhibition of RAAS by losartan is beneficial in experimental PAH.
The influence of task demands and experience on diagnostic accuracy: Investigating the assumptions of a default interventionist dual systems model

iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . v STATEMENT OF ACADEMIC CONTRIBUTION . x TABLE OF CONTENTS . xiv LIST OF FIGURES . xvi Preface to the thesis . xvii CHAPTER 1: General introduction . 1 Preface to chapter 2 . 15 CHAPTER 2: Diagnostic Reasoning and Remembering: How Physicians think and learn . 16 References . 37 Preface to chapter 3 . 50 CHAPTER 3: Diagnosing Fast and Slow: The Effect of Interruptions on Speeded and Reflective Clinical Reasoning . 51 Abstract . 53 Introduction . 55 Methods . 58 Results . 65 Discussion . 67 References . 72 Preface to chapter 4 . 76 CHAPTER 4: Reflecting on Diagnostic Errors: Does it Help to Take a Second Look? 77 Abstract . 78 Introduction . 80 Monteiro, S.D. -­‐ Ph.D. Thesis McMaster – Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour xv Methods . 85 Results . 90 Discussion . 94 References . 98 Preface to chapter 5 . 106 CHAPTER 5: A retrospective analysis of data from a diagnostic task: Do all physicians benefit from reflection equally? 107 Abstract . 108 Introduction . 110 Methods . 117 Results . 121 Discussion . 126 References . 130 CHAPTER 6: General discussion and conclusion . 135 References for introduction and conclusion 145 Monteiro, S.D. -­‐ Ph.D. Thesis McMaster – Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour
Methods in health service research: Evaluation of health interventions at area and organisation level

This is the second of four articles Healthcare interventions are often implemented at the level of the organisation or geographical area rather than at the level of the individual patient or healthy subject. For example, screening programmes are delivered to residents of a particular area; health promotion interventions might be delivered to towns or schools; general practitioners deliver services to general practice populations; hospital specialists deliver health care to clinic populations. Interventions at area or organisation level are delivered to clusters of individuals. The evaluation of interventions based in an area or organisation may require the allocation of clusters of individuals to different intervention groups (see box 1). 1 2 Cluster based evaluations present special problems both in design and analysis.3 Often only a small number of organisational units of large size are available for study, and the investigator needs to consider the most effective way of designing a study with this constraint. Outcomes may be evaluated either at cluster level or at individual level (table). 4 Often cluster level interventions are aimed at modifying the outcomes of the individuals within clusters, and it will then be important to recognise that outcomes for individuals within the same organisation may tend to be more similar than for individuals in different organisational clusters (see box 2). This dependence between individuals in the same cluster has important implications for the design and analysis of organisation based studies.2 This paper addresses these issues. #### Summary points Health interventions are often implemented at the levels of health service organisational unit or of geographical or administrative area The unit of intervention is then a cluster of individual patients or healthy subject Evaluation of cluster level interventions may be difficult because only a few units of large size may be available for study, evaluation may be at …
Hope or Hype: On the Viability of Escrow Services as Trusted Third Parties in Online Auction Environments

Internet fraud has been on the rise in online consumer-to-consumer (C2C) auction markets, posing serious challenges to people's trust in electronic markets. Among various remedies to promote trust and reduce trader's risk, online escrow service has been proposed as a trusted third party to protect online transactions from Internet fraud. However, whether an escrow service constitutes a viable business model for a trusted third party to effectively block Internet fraud remains an open question. This research proposes a dynamic game model for online traders and a profit maximization model for the escrow service provider. Through the investigation of the optimal strategies of online traders, we explore the relationships among traders' decision making, escrow service fee rates, and adoption rates. We reveal the demand for escrow services and establish the optimal pricing rule for the escrow service provider. A numerical study based on the theoretical analysis is conducted to provide detailed guidelines of the model application for an escrow service provider and to explore if the escrow service is a viable business model in C2C auction markets.
Effects of Stress and Morphology on the Resistivity and Critical Temperature of Room-Temperature-Sputtered Mo Thin Films

We report on the structural and electrical characterization of Mo thin films deposited at room temperature by RF magnetron sputtering. The effect of RF power on the morphology and residual stress of the films is analyzed. The films are under compressive stress and consist of densely packed columns with a lateral size on the order of 20 nm. The stress, critical temperature, and resistivity of the films are found to rise when increasing the ejected ion energy during the sputtering process. The changes in critical temperature and resistivity are discussed in terms of the observed morphology and stress changes.
The CC domain structure from the wheat stem rust resistance protein Sr33 challenges paradigms for dimerization in plant NLR proteins

Significance Plants and animals use intracellular immunity receptors, known as nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors (NLRs), to defend themselves against invading microbes. In this study, we report the solution structure of the N-terminal coiled-coil (CC) domain from the wheat stem rust resistance protein Sr33. Remarkably, this structure differs substantially from the published crystal structure of the equivalent region from the orthologous barley powdery mildew resistance protein MLA10. Using a structural, biophysical, and functional approach, we compare the Sr33 CC domain with other structurally defined NLR CC domains. Collectively, this work redefines our current understanding of the structure and function of plant NLR CC domains, which has significant implications for future studies into this important class of defense receptors. Plants use intracellular immunity receptors, known as nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors (NLRs), to recognize specific pathogen effector proteins and induce immune responses. These proteins provide resistance to many of the world’s most destructive plant pathogens, yet we have a limited understanding of the molecular mechanisms that lead to defense signaling. We examined the wheat NLR protein, Sr33, which is responsible for strain-specific resistance to the wheat stem rust pathogen, Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici. We present the solution structure of a coiled-coil (CC) fragment from Sr33, which adopts a four-helix bundle conformation. Unexpectedly, this structure differs from the published dimeric crystal structure of the equivalent region from the orthologous barley powdery mildew resistance protein, MLA10, but is similar to the structure of the distantly related potato NLR protein, Rx. We demonstrate that these regions are, in fact, largely monomeric and adopt similar folds in solution in all three proteins, suggesting that the CC domains from plant NLRs adopt a conserved fold. However, larger C-terminal fragments of Sr33 and MLA10 can self-associate both in vitro and in planta, and this self-association correlates with their cell death signaling activity. The minimal region of the CC domain required for both cell death signaling and self-association extends to amino acid 142, thus including 22 residues absent from previous biochemical and structural protein studies. These data suggest that self-association of the minimal CC domain is necessary for signaling but is likely to involve a different structural basis than previously suggested by the MLA10 crystallographic dimer.
The effects of alternate exposure to altitude and sea level on world-class middle-distance runners.

ABSTRACTOxygen consumption, pulmonary ventilation and performance of 6 champion runners were observed over a 10-week period during which they trained alternately at sea level and 2300-meters altitude. Acute exposure to altitude resulted in a 14% drop in max VO2, 8% slower 1-mile and 10% slower 3-mil
Fixed-time consensus for multi-agent systems under directed and switching interaction topology

In this paper, we address the fixed-time consensus problem for multi-agent systems in networks with directed and switching interaction topology. With the introduction of mirror operation, two global distributed nonlinear consensus protocols are constructed for each first-order agent under strongly connected information flow. The distinctive feature of this paper is to address the explicit bounds of the finite settling time for both protocols are independent of initial condition, which makes it possible for network consensus problems of a multi-agent team with guaranteed convergence time. Further, the second protocol is valid for the networks of multi-agents with switching topology provided that the sum of time intervals, in which the information flow is strongly connected, is larger than the estimated upper-bound for settling time. Finally, simulations are provided to demonstrate the performance and effectiveness of our theoretical results.
The p75NTR-interacting protein SC1 inhibits cell cycle progression by transcriptional repression of cyclin E

Schwann cell factor 1 (SC1), a p75 neurotrophin receptor–interacting protein, is a member of the positive regulatory/suppressor of variegation, enhancer of zeste, trithorax (PR/SET) domain-containing zinc finger protein family, and it has been shown to be regulated by serum and neurotrophins. SC1 shows a differential cytoplasmic and nuclear distribution, and its presence in the nucleus correlates strongly with the absence of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) in these nuclei. Here, we investigated potential transcriptional activities of SC1 and analyzed the function of its various domains. We show that SC1 acts as a transcriptional repressor when it is tethered to Gal4 DNA-binding domain. The repressive activity requires a trichostatin A–sensitive histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity, and SC1 is found in a complex with HDACs 1, 2, and 3. Transcriptional repression exerted by SC1 requires the presence of its zinc finger domains and the PR domain. Additionally, these two domains are involved in the efficient block of BrdU incorporation by SC1. The zinc finger domains are also necessary to direct SC1's nuclear localization. Lastly, SC1 represses the promoter of a promitotic gene, cyclin E, suggesting a mechanism for how growth arrest is regulated by SC1.
Breast Skin-Line Estimation and Breast Segmentation in Mammograms using Fast-Marching Method

(cid:3) Abstract — Breast skin-line estimation and breast segmentation is an important pre-process in mammogram image processing and computer-aided diagnosis of breast cancer. Limiting the area to be processed into a specific target region in an image would increase the accuracy and efficiency of processing algorithms. In this paper we are presenting a new algorithm for estimating skin-line and breast segmentation using fast marching algorithm. Fast marching is a partial-differential equation based numerical technique to track evolution of interfaces. We have introduced some modifications to the traditional fast marching method, specifically to improve the accuracy of skin-line estimation and breast tissue segmentation. Proposed modifications ensure that the evolving front stops near the desired boundary. We have evaluated the performance of the algorithm by using 100 mammogram images taken from mini-MIAS database. The results obtained from the experimental evaluation indicate that this algorithm explains 98.6% of the ground truth breast region and accuracy of the segmentation is 99.1%. Also this algorithm is capable of partially-extracting nipple when it is available in the profile.
Growth in Chilean infants with chromosome 22q11 microdeletion syndrome

Chromosome 22q11 microdeletion syndrome has a wide range of clinical manifestations including congenital heart malformations, palatal defects, endocrine abnormalities, immunologic deficits, learning difficulties, and an increased predisposition to psychiatric disease. Short stature and poor weight gain in infancy are common findings and are usually seen in the absence of hormone deficiencies. An increased frequency of obesity has been observed in adolescents and adults. We generated gender‐specific growth curves from 0 to 24 months of age, based on 479 length and 475 weight measurements from 138 Chilean patients with 22q11 deletion. Final adult height and weight on 25 individuals were analyzed. The 10th, 50th, and 90th centile‐smoothed curves for infants were built using the LMS method and compared with World Health Organization Child Growth Standards. The 50th centile for length in the deleted patients was slightly lower than the 10th centile of WHO standards in boys and girls. The same was observed for weight, although a trend toward a gradual increase near 2 years of age was observed, particularly in boys. Average adult height was 152 cm (ranging from 143 to 162 cm) in females, corresponding to the 10th centiles of WHO standards, and 166 cm for males (160–172 cm), at the 20th centile of WHO standards. A third of the adult females and none of the males had body mass index (BMI) greater than 25. The curves should be useful to monitor growth in infants with 22q11 microdeletion syndrome. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.