Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morphology of Larval Antennae and Mouthparts of Four Indian Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) by Scanning Electron Microscopy

Abstract The mouthparts and antennae of the fourth-instar larvae of four sand fly species were studied using scanning electron microscopy. The morphology of the clypeus, labrum, mandible, maxilla, mentum, and antennae were compared forPhlebotomus argentipesAnnandale & Brunetti,P. papatasin(Scopoli),Sergentomyia babu babu(Annandale), andS. bailyi(Sinton). Most of structures exhibited species-specific features, particularly the characteristics of the antennae.P. papatasinlarvae had heart-shaped antennae, a long mandible, stout maxilla, and a heavy mentum with large teeth. In contrast,P. argentipeslarvae had dumbbell-shaped antennae and a singular club-shaped labrum. The antennae ofS. b. babuwere ovoid, whereas those ofS. bailyiwere elliptical. The labrum ofS. b. babuwas lanceolate, whereas that ofS. bailyiwas rounded and exhibited a small, thick projection with several folds. The teeth of the mentum of bothSergentomyiaspecies were shorter than those of thePhlebotomusspecies. Species-specific differences in the morphology of larval mouthparts and antennae indicate that it may not always be necessary to rely on adult morphology to identify sympatric phlebotomines.
ALTERATION OF THE FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF BRAIN LIPIDS BY VARYING LEVELS OF DIETARY ESSENTIAL FATTY ACJDS *

THE FATTY acid composition of brain lipids is known to be relatively constant, not responding as readily to changes in dietary fat composition as do the lipids of other tissues. This has been considered to be due to the blood-brain barrier which is thought to restrict the passage of fatty acids into the brain. This concept is based upon several investigations of the metabolic behaviour of fatty acids of brain lipids. WAELSCH et al. (1940, 1941) found that deuterium labelled fatty acids were incorporated into brain lipids only in traces, whereas incorporation into other organ lipids was significant. When KLENK (1957) fed [14C]acetate to rats, saturated as well as monoenoic and polyenoic fatty acids of brain-lipids showed a significant uptake of radioactivity. However, the levels were much lower than those found in liver lipids. Incubation of brain slices with [I4C]acetate led to 14C-incorporation comparable to that in liver lipids. [14C] acetate injected intraperitoneally into rats was incorporated into cholesterol and fatty acids of brain in almost negligible, but still detectable, amounts (NICHOLAS and THOMAS (1959)). A high yield of I4C in lipids was observed when the [lelacetate was injected intracerebrally, thus bypassing the blood-brain barrier. However, WITTING and co-workers (1961) have noted changes in the concentrations of linoleic, arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids of brain mitochondria by feeding different amounts of corn-, coconut-, and codliver oils to rats. In a series of recent investigations MOHRHAUER and HOLMAN have described the pronounced changes in the fatty acid composition of liver (1963~) and heart lipids (1963b) effected by changing dose levels of essential fatty acids (EFA)$. Furthermore, they have studied the metabolic interrelationship of dietary linoleic and liholenic acids (1963~) in feeding experiments. Those experiments on the effect of dietary EFA upon heart and liver lipids offered an opportunity to make a similar study of the variations in brain fatty acids. E X P E R l M E N T A L Substances: The ethyl linoleate and ethyl linolenate were obtained from The Horniel Foundation, Austin, Minnesota. GLC analysis indicated the linoleate to be 98.3 per cent pure. The only contaminant was 1.7 per cent oleate. The linolenate was found to be 97.3 per cent pure. It contained less than 0.4 per cent linoleate and five other minor unidentified impurities on GLC analysis. The ethyl
The Effectiveness of Percutaneous Vertebroplasty Is Determined by the Patient-Specific Bone Condition and the Treatment Strategy

Purpose Vertebral fragility fractures are often treated by injecting bone cement into the collapsed vertebral bodies (vertebroplasty). The mechanisms by which vertebroplasty induces pain relief are not completely understood yet and recent debates cast doubt over the outcome of the procedure. The controversy is intensified by inconsistent results of randomized clinical trials and biomechanical studies that have investigated the effectiveness or the change in biomechanical response due to the reinforcement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of vertebroplasty, by varying the relevant treatment parameters and (a) computationally predicting the improvement of the fracture risk depending on the chosen treatment strategy, and (b) identifying the determinants of a successful treatment. Methods A Finite Element model with a patient-specific failure criterion and direct simulation of PMMA infiltration in four lumbar vertebrae was used to assess the condition of the bone under compressive load before and after the virtual treatment, simulating in a total of 12000 virtual treatments. Results The results showed that vertebroplasty is capable of reducing the fracture risk by magnitudes, but can also have a detrimental effect. Effectiveness was strongly influenced by interactions between local bone quality, cement volume and injection location. However, only a moderate number of the investigated treatment strategies were able to achieve the necessary improvement for preventing a fracture. Conclusions We conclude that the effectiveness of vertebroplasty is sensitive to the patient’s condition and the treatment strategy.
On the impact of the physical layer on energy consumption in sensor networks

Collaborating networks built of hundreds or thousands of tiny, simple nodes, usually operating at low duty cycles, transmitting only few bytes of data are commonly referred to as sensor networks. Since nodes are mostly battery operated, the number one design goal is energy efficiency. It has been understood, that the extreme energy demands can only be met by optimizing all layers and even more important, across all layers. In this paper we do thorough analysis of the impact of physical layer parameters, namely detection, modulation and channel on the energy consumption of a node. Moreover, we look at different basic channel access schemes and evaluate their performance under different load conditions.
Ezh2 Orchestrates Topographic Migration and Connectivity of Mouse Precerebellar Neurons

Destination Specificity During brain development, some types of neurons migrate from where they are born to their final functional locations. Some neurons migrate radially, from the inside to the outside, while others migrate tangentially. Di Meglio et al. (p. 204) analyzed the migration of a group of tangentially migrating neurons in the hindbrain. Although these neurons all entered the same migratory stream, they each retained positional information such that their relative organization in the destination site reflected their original organization. Interactions between epigenetic signals and the genes encoding Hox transcription factors encoded the positional information and fine-tuned migration. During brain development, epigenetic mechanisms allow tangentially migrating neurons to retain topographical organization. We investigated the role of histone methyltransferase Ezh2 in tangential migration of mouse precerebellar pontine nuclei, the main relay between neocortex and cerebellum. By counteracting the sonic hedgehog pathway, Ezh2 represses Netrin1 in dorsal hindbrain, which allows normal pontine neuron migration. In Ezh2 mutants, ectopic Netrin1 derepression results in abnormal migration and supernumerary nuclei integrating in brain circuitry. Moreover, intrinsic topographic organization of pontine nuclei according to rostrocaudal progenitor origin is maintained throughout migration and correlates with patterned cortical input. Ezh2 maintains spatially restricted Hox expression, which, in turn, regulates differential expression of the repulsive receptor Unc5b in migrating neurons; together, they generate subsets with distinct responsiveness to environmental Netrin1. Thus, Ezh2-dependent epigenetic regulation of intrinsic and extrinsic transcriptional programs controls topographic neuronal guidance and connectivity in the cortico-ponto-cerebellar pathway.
Systemic Arterial Stiffness in Glaucoma Patients

PurposeTo investigate systemic arterial stiffness in glaucoma patients. Subjects and MethodsOne hundred and forty glaucoma patients and 121 control subjects were enrolled in the study. Among these subjects, 51 glaucoma patients [normal-tension glaucoma (NTG), 31; primary open angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension (POAG/OH): 20] and 61 control subjects without glaucoma, who presented with no risk factors for arteriosclerosis, were extracted for further analysis of systemic arterial stiffness by glaucoma type. Subjects presenting with risk factors for arteriosclerosis were classified into group A, and those presenting with no risk factors were classified into group B. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), a marker of systemic arterial stiffness, was determined with a volume-plethysmographic apparatus. The correlation between baPWV and mean deviation obtained from Humphrey Field Analyzer program 30-2 test was compared between 13 each of age-matched and sex-matched NTG and POAG/OH patients. ResultsThere was a significant difference in baPWV between groups A and B [P<0.0001; 1748±393 cm/s (group A) and 1467±282 cm/s (group B)]. The baPWVs of control, NTG patients, and POAG/OH patients with no risk factors showed no significant difference. baPWV was positively correlated with age in all the 3 groups, but there were no significant differences among the 3 groups. baPWV tended to be negatively correlated with mean deviation in NTG patients (r2=0.25, P=0.08); in contrast, no correlation was observed in POAG/OH patients. ConclusionSystemic arterial stiffness seems not to be strongly associated with glaucoma.
Capital Structure Decisions: Which Factors are Reliably Important?

"This paper examines the relative importance of many factors in the capital structure decisions of publicly traded American firms from 1950 to 2003. The most reliable factors for explaining market leverage are: median industry leverage (p effect on leverage), market-to-book assets ratio ( - ), tangibility (p), profits ( - ), log of assets (p), and expected inflation (p). In addition, we find that dividend-paying firms tend to have lower leverage. When considering book leverage, somewhat similar effects are found. However, for book leverage, the impact of firm size, the market-to-book ratio, and the effect of inflation are not reliable. The empirical evidence seems reasonably consistent with some versions of the trade-off theory of capital structure. " Copyright (c) 2009 Financial Management Association International.
Challenge-Driven Attention: Interacting Frontal and Brainstem Systems

The world is an unpredictable place, presenting challenges that fluctuate from moment to moment. However, the neural systems for responding to such challenges are far from fully understood. Using fMRI, we studied an audiovisual task in which the trials' difficulty and onset times varied unpredictably. Two regions were found to increase their activation for challenging trials, with their activities strongly correlated: right frontal cortex and the brainstem. The frontal area matched regions found in previous human studies of cognitive control, and activated in a graded manner with increasing task difficulty. The brainstem responded only to the most difficult trials, showing a phasic activity pattern paralleling locus coeruleus recordings in monkeys. These results reveal a bridge between animal and human studies, and suggest interacting roles for the brainstem and right frontal cortex: the brainstem may signal that an attentional challenge is occurring, while right frontal cortex allocates cognitive resources in response.
Visual Genome-Wide RNAi Screening to Identify Human Host Factors Required for Trypanosoma cruzi Infection

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, a neglected tropical infection that affects millions of people in the Americas. Current chemotherapy relies on only two drugs that have limited efficacy and considerable side effects. Therefore, the development of new and more effective drugs is of paramount importance. Although some host cellular factors that play a role in T. cruzi infection have been uncovered, the molecular requirements for intracellular parasite growth and persistence are still not well understood. To further study these host-parasite interactions and identify human host factors required for T. cruzi infection, we performed a genome-wide RNAi screen using cellular microarrays of a printed siRNA library that spanned the whole human genome. The screening was reproduced 6 times and a customized algorithm was used to select as hits those genes whose silencing visually impaired parasite infection. The 162 strongest hits were subjected to a secondary screening and subsequently validated in two different cell lines. Among the fourteen hits confirmed, we recognized some cellular membrane proteins that might function as cell receptors for parasite entry and others that may be related to calcium release triggered by parasites during cell invasion. In addition, two of the hits are related to the TGF-beta signaling pathway, whose inhibition is already known to diminish levels of T. cruzi infection. This study represents a significant step toward unveiling the key molecular requirements for host cell invasion and revealing new potential targets for antiparasitic therapy.
From the Bottom Up

Abstract Although health-based social movements organized by grassroots activists have a rich history in impacting health and social policy, few systematic studies have addressed their policy change efforts or effectiveness. In this article, the authors trace how four health-based social movements-the women's health movement, ACT UP, breast cancer, and needle exchange-influenced health and social policy legislation. The activists' efforts wrested control of “authoritative knowledge” that had once been the sole domain of the “experts” with advanced medical training. They used this knowledge to empower “average” people with medical information, promote self help and engage in civil disobedience, which led to changes in healthcare delivery, drug testing and approval, and increased research funds for HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, and needle exchange. The activists' efforts led to other health-based social movements that are currently, or will become, issues for health and Social policy analysts in the future.
Immunoglobulin Fc Fragment Tagging Allows Strong Activation of Endogenous CD4 T Cells To Reshape the Tumor Milieu and Enhance the Antitumor Effect of Lentivector Immunization

A major problem with current cancer vaccines is that the induction of CD8 immune responses is rarely associated with antitumor benefits, mainly owing to multiple immune suppressions in established tumor lesions. In this study, we investigated if and how activation of endogenous CD4 T cells could be achieved to influence the suppressive tumor milieu and antitumor effect. We engineered a lentivector (lv) to express a nominal fusion Ag composed of hepatitis B surface protein and IgG2a Fc fragment (HBS-Fc-lv) to increase the magnitude of CD8 response but, more importantly, to induce effective coactivation of CD4 T cells. We found that, remarkably, immunization with HBS-Fc-lv caused significant regression of established tumors. Immunologic analysis revealed that, compared with HBS-lv without Fc fragment, immunization with HBS-Fc-lv markedly increased the number of functional CD8 and CD4 T cells and the level of Th1/Tc1-like cytokines in the tumor while substantially decreasing the regulatory T cell ratio. The favorable immunologic changes in tumor lesions and the improvement of antitumor effects from HBS-Fc-lv immunization were dependent on the CD4 activation, which was Fc receptor mediated. Adoptive transfer of CD4 T cells from the HBS-Fc-lv–immunized mice could activate endogenous CD8 T cells in an IFN-γ–dependent manner. We conclude that endogenous CD4 T cells can be activated by lv expressing Fc-tagged Ag to provide another layer of help—that is, creating a Th1/Tc1-like proinflammatory milieu within the tumor lesion to boost the effector phase of immune responses in enhancing the antitumor effect.
A study of hand shape use in tabletop gesture interaction

Although manual gesture has long been suggested as an intuitive method of input for horizontal human-computer systems, little research has been conducted into observing user preferences for tabletop gesture interaction. This is particularly the case for computer vision-based gesture input, where the recognition of different hand shapes opens up a new vocabulary of interaction. In this paper, results from an observational study of manual gesture input for a tabletop display are discussed. Implications for tabletop gesture interaction design include suggestions for the use of different hands shapes for input, the desirability of combined touch screen and computer vision gesture input, and possibilities for flexible two-handed interaction.
ON THE DISCREPANCY OF SOME GENERALIZED KAKUTANI'S SEQUENCES OF PARTITIONS

In this paper we study a class of generalized Kakutani's sequences of partitions of (0;1), constructed by using the technique of successive refinements. Our main focus is to derive bounds for the discrepancy of these sequences. The approach that we use is based on a tree representation of the sequence of parti- tions which is precisely the parsing tree generated by Khodak's coding algorithm. With the help of this technique we derive (partly up to a logarithmic factor) optimal upper bound in the so-called rational case. The upper bounds in the irra- tional case that we obtain are weaker, since they heavily depend on Diophantine approximation properties of a certain irrational number. Finally, we present an application of these results to a class of fractals.
The Community Basis of Conflict in School System Politics

To summarize, we have presented evidence from this study that the type of organization influences the appeals of clients in trying to get what they want. The content of these appeals, it appears, is more influenced by the normative basis on which the organization rests-the prime beneficiary whom it is serving-than on the client's ability to offer his resources in exchange for the organization's. We found that people presumed to have had greater contact with organizations, whether in Israel or in other Western countries, more often base their appeals on activation of normative commitments of the organization and less often on altruism than do their counterparts. But analyzed more closely, the evidence for the nature of the socializing effect which contact with Israeli organizations has on clients is not clear-cut, since part of the data support the idea that clients learn through experience that it pays to ask for a favor. In discussing the limitations of this study, we have pointed out the small nonrepresentative sample, the content-analytic problems of inferring meaning from rhetorical statements, and some flaws in the design of the hypothetical situations. A more general limitation of these data is that they are based on what people said they would do in four hypothetical situations, not on actual behavior. This is not the case in a larger study which we are now carrying out, a content analysis of letters written by clients to the Israeli Customs and Income Tax Authorities.
Measuring preventive procedures by French GPs: an observational survey.

BACKGROUND Prevention has become a legal obligation for French GPs, since a law was passed in March 2002. AIM Measurement and analysis of preventive procedures performed by French GPs. DESIGN OF STUDY Observational survey. Setting GP surgeries in Puy-de-Dôme, France. METHOD Doctors completed a questionnaire about their socioprofessional characteristics, and a researcher completed another questionnaire about preventive procedures performed on the last 15 patients seen by each GP. Twenty preventive services were evaluated and, for each service, medical records, targets, and objectives were defined according to the national preventive care guidelines. The gap between guidelines and practice was explained by doctor characteristics. Statistical analyses were performed using χ² and logistic regression. RESULTS Representative samples of 179 doctors and 2453 medical records were randomised. Four preventive services were performed in more than 75% of cases, and the gap was explained by the salaried job the doctors had. Ten preventive services were performed in 25% to 75% of cases and the gap was explained by the medical software used. The six remaining services were performed in less than 25% of cases and no explanatory variable was identified. CONCLUSION Sixteen preventive procedures were insufficiently performed. The more a preventive service is performed the more the gap will be explained by GPs' socioprofessional characteristics. The gap for a preventive procedure performed in 25% to 75% of cases was mainly explained by management of the medical records. A nationwide policy to improve prevention performance in general practice seems to be essential.
Improved image decompression for reduced transform coding artifacts

The perceived quality of images reconstructed from low bit rate compression is severely degraded by the appearance of transform coding artifacts. This paper proposes a method for producing higher quality reconstructed images based on a stochastic model for the image data. Quantization (scalar or vector) partitions the transform coefficient space and maps all points in a partition cell to a representative reconstruction point, usually taken as the centroid of the cell. The proposed image estimate technique selects the reconstruction point within the quantization partition cell which results in a reconstructed image which best fits a non- Gaussian Markov random field image model. The estimation of the best reconstructed image results in a convex constrained optimization problem which can be solved iteratively. Experimental results are shown for images compressed using scalar quantization of block DCT and using vector quantization of subband wavelet transform. The proposed image decompression provides a reconstructed image with reduced visibility of transform coding artifacts and superior perceived quality.