Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Formation of Dendritic Processes Lymphocytes and Can Transmit a Signal for Syndecan-4 Is Expressed by B Lineage

Our previous studies indicated that stromal cell-derived syndecan-4 might mediate some form of communication with pre-B cells in bone marrow. We now report additional aspects of this recognition and show that syndecan-4 is also present on pre-B cells. Indeed, the molecule is acquired at an early stage of differentiation and retained until mature B cells undergo Ig isotype switching. mAbs developed to two portions of the syndecan-4 protein core were used to probe possible functions on B lineage lymphocytes. Syndecan-4 ligation had no obvious inﬂuence on B lymphocyte formation or activation, but this treatment caused a dramatic morphological change in appropriately stimulated leukocytes. Extended ﬁlopodia appeared on transfected Ba/F3 or FDCP-1 cells, as well as activated B cell blasts that were placed on syndecan-4 Ab-coated surfaces. The dendritic processes contained polymerized actin as well as pp52(LSP1), a prominent F-actin binding protein in lymphocytes. The cytoplasmic domain of syndecan-4 was not required for this response. Shape changes of this type could facilitate interactions between B lymphocytes and other components of the immune system. Not only is syndecan-4 a useful marker for discriminating normal B lineage lymphocyte subsets, but our results suggest new ways for the syndecans to participate in immune responses. The Journal of Immunology, 1999, 162: 5940–5948.
A prospective community-based study of stroke in Germany--the Erlangen Stroke Project (ESPro): incidence and case fatality at 1, 3, and 12 months.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In Germany, basic data on stroke morbidity are lacking. If a population-based register in former East Germany is excluded, only routine mortality statistics have thus far provided information on epidemiology of stroke. Therefore, a population-based register of stroke was set up in Southern Germany to determine incidence and case fatality in a defined German population. METHODS The Erlangen Stroke Project (ESPro) is a prospective community-based study among the 101 450 residents of the city of Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany. Standard definitions and overlapping case-finding methods were used to identify all cases of first-ever stroke in all age-groups, occurring in the 2 years of registration (April 1, 1994, to March 31, 1996). All identified cases of first-ever strokes were followed up at 3 and 12 months from onset. RESULTS During 2 years of registration, 354 first-ever-in-a-lifetime strokes (FELS) were registered. The diagnosis and stroke type were confirmed by CT scan in 95% of cases. Fifty-one percent of all FELS occurred in the age group >/=75 years of age. The crude annual incidence rate was 1.74 per 1000 (1.47 for men and 2.01 for women). After age-adjustment to the European population, the incidence rate was 1.34 per 1000 (1.48 for men and 1. 25 for women). The annual crude incidence rate of cerebral infarction was 1.37/1000, intracerebral hemorrhage 0.24/1000, subarachnoid hemorrhage 0.06/1000, and unspecified stroke 0.08/1000. Overall case fatality at 28 days was 19.4%, at 3 months it was 28.5%, and at 1 year 37.3%. CONCLUSIONS The first prospective community-based stroke register including all age groups in Germany revealed incidence rates of stroke similar to those reported from other population-based studies in western industrialized countries, but lower than that observed in former East Germany.
Gender differences among Czech youth in prejudice towards minorities

ABSTRACT Using a large survey of Czech high school students (n = 1103), aged 15–20 years, this paper explores youth prejudice to a wide range of minority groups (n = 21) where family, school, and community contexts are taken into account. General Structural Equation Models are used to explore the determinants of prejudice for 21 minorities using a comparative explanatory framework where the focus is gender differences in prejudice to minorities are examined using three social theories: Social Dominance Theory (SDT), the Theory of Gendered Prejudice (TGP), and Gender Role Beliefs (GRB). This research shows that gender plays a strong role in expressing prejudiced attitudes where females express (a) less prejudiced attitudes toward the Roma, black Africans, Gays and those with mental or physical disabilities, and (b) more prejudiced attitudes towards the homeless, Vietnamese, Muslims, and lesbians. This gendered pattern is explained in terms of insights from SDT, TGP, and GRB.
Enhanced Slow-Wave EEG Activity and Thermoregulatory Impairment following the Inhibition of the Lateral Hypothalamus in the Rat

Neurons within the lateral hypothalamus (LH) are thought to be able to evoke behavioural responses that are coordinated with an adequate level of autonomic activity. Recently, the acute pharmacological inhibition of LH has been shown to depress wakefulness and promote NREM sleep, while suppressing REM sleep. These effects have been suggested to be the consequence of the inhibition of specific neuronal populations within the LH, i.e. the orexin and the MCH neurons, respectively. However, the interpretation of these results is limited by the lack of quantitative analysis of the electroencephalographic (EEG) activity that is critical for the assessment of NREM sleep quality and the presence of aborted NREM-to-REM sleep transitions. Furthermore, the lack of evaluation of the autonomic and thermoregulatory effects of the treatment does not exclude the possibility that the wake-sleep changes are merely the consequence of the autonomic, in particular thermoregulatory, changes that may follow the inhibition of LH neurons. In the present study, the EEG and autonomic/thermoregulatory effects of a prolonged LH inhibition provoked by the repeated local delivery of the GABAA agonist muscimol were studied in rats kept at thermoneutral (24°C) and at a low (10°C) ambient temperature (Ta), a condition which is known to depress sleep occurrence. Here we show that: 1) at both Tas, LH inhibition promoted a peculiar and sustained bout of NREM sleep characterized by an enhancement of slow-wave activity with no NREM-to-REM sleep transitions; 2) LH inhibition caused a marked transitory decrease in brain temperature at Ta 10°C, but not at Ta 24°C, suggesting that sleep changes induced by LH inhibition at thermoneutrality are not caused by a thermoregulatory impairment. These changes are far different from those observed after the short-term selective inhibition of either orexin or MCH neurons, suggesting that other LH neurons are involved in sleep-wake modulation.
Stochastic Impulsive Systems Driven by Renewal Processes

Abstract— Stochastic impulsive systems are defined by a diffusion process with jumps triggered by a renewal process, i.e., the intervals between jumps are independent and identically distributed. We construct a model for such systems based on jump-diffusion equations and provide Lyapunov-based conditions that guarantee their mean-square stability. As an application, we show that stochastic impulsive systems can be used to model networked control systems with stochastic inter-sampling times and packet drops. Conditions for mean-square stability of the resulting systems are provided. For linear dynamics, these conditions can be formulated in terms of Linear Matrix Inequalities. We use two benchmark examples that previously appeared in the literature to illustrate the use of our results and to investigate their conservativeness. Keywords— Impulsive systems, Stochastic systems, Jump-diffusion processes, Renewal processes, Networked Control Systems
Path-tracking control of an autonomous 4WS4WD electric vehicle using its natural feedback loops

A four-wheel steered four-wheel driven electric vehicle (4WS4WD EV) has a steering motor and a driving motor for each wheel, for a total of eight motors. The existing path-tracking control solutions for this EV view its mathematical model as the system of equations ẋ = f(x, u), y = g(x, u), and apply various mathematically sophisticated control and estimation techniques on this system. In contrast, this paper performs a block-diagrammatic examination of the physical interactions represented by these equations, reveals the natural feedback loops present in the model, and exploits them to develop a simple solution that promises to be easier to tune. Simulations illustrate this solution.
Intra-ONU bandwidth scheduling in Ethernet passive optical networks

Quality-of-service (QoS) support in Ethernet passive optical networks (EPON) is a crucial concern. However, most studies have only focused on optical line terminal (OLT) capacity allocation amongst multiple optical network units (ONU), and the further issue of intra-ONU allocation remains open. In this work a novel decentralized intra-ONU solution is presented using virtual-time schedulers. Results confirm good performance for a wide range of input traffic classes and loads.
Characterization of nanofluids formed by fumed Al2O3 in water for geothermal applications

The European Project Cheap-GSHPs, recently approved, aims at reducing the total cost of shallow geothermal systems by 20-30%, also improving actual drilling/installation technologies and designs of Ground Source Heat Exchangers (GSHEs), in combination with a holistic engineering approach to optimize the entire systems for building and district heating and cooling applications, across the different underground and climate conditions existing within the EU. In this frame, the efficiency of the system heat pump/GSHE will be an important task and a part of this project will be on the analyses of possible alternative secondary fluids to be used in the geothermal probe. Here, two different commercial suspensions of fumed Al2O3 nanoparticles in water will be considered as possible efficient secondary fluid. Four different concentrations will be studied for each nanofluid, i.e. 3%, 5%, and 30% or 40%, and the stability, thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity of these fluids will be characterized, in order to analyse their possible employment as thermal fluids.
Negative Emotion Weakens the Degree of Self-Reference Effect: Evidence from ERPs

We investigated the influence of negative emotion on the degree of self-reference effect using event-related potentials (ERPs). We presented emotional pictures and self-referential stimuli (stimuli that accelerate and improve processing and improve memory of information related to an individual’s self-concept) in sequence. Participants judged the color of the target stimulus (self-referential stimuli). ERP results showed that the target stimuli elicited larger P2 amplitudes under neutral conditions than under negative emotional conditions. Under neutral conditions, N2 amplitudes for highly self-relevant names (target stimulus) were smaller than those for any other names. Under negative emotional conditions, highly and moderately self-referential stimuli activated smaller N2 amplitudes. P3 amplitudes activated by self-referential processing under negative emotional conditions were smaller than neutral conditions. In the left and central sites, highly self-relevant names activated larger P3 amplitudes than any other names. But in the central sites, moderately self-relevant names activated larger P3 amplitudes than non-self-relevant names. The findings indicate that negative emotional processing could weaken the degree of self-reference effect.
UPTAKE OF PROTEIN BY MAMMALIAN NEURONS

Although the uptake of macromolecules by neurons often figures in theories of function in the nervous system (see reference 18), such uptake has actually been demonstrated only in a few instances, usually under special circumstances. In general, exogenous tracer proteins have been shown either to be stopped by "barriers" between the circulation and the nervous system (see references 3, 29) or to enter nonneuronal cells of nervous tissue, such as Schwann cells and capsule (satellite) cells (see references 21, 34). However, Rosenbluth and Wissig (30) using organ-cultured ganglia or massive intraperitoneal injection, have demonstrated uptake of ferritin by perikarya of toad ganglia. Also, Brightman (6, 7), using ferritin and peroxidase, and Becker et al. (2), using peroxidase, have reported protein uptake by rat and mouse central nervous system neurons after injection of the protein directly into cerebrospinal fluid or into extracellular spaces in the brain. In these several studies coated vesicles, multivesicular bodies, and dense bodies were found to be the chief intraneuronal sites of exogenous protein. In addition, several authors (1, 21, 35) have interpreted morphological observations as indicating pinocytic vesicle formation at neuronal surfaces. The present report deals with the uptake of horseradish peroxidase demonstrable in the perikarya and axons of the autonomic system which are scattered through the rat adrenal gland (the perikarya are of the ganglion cells; see references 14, 33 for additional details and references) and in neurons of mouse dorsal root ganglia grown in culture.
Analyse , Compare , and Apply Alternative Indicators and Monitoring Methodologies to Measure the Evolution of Capital Market Integration in the European Union

This report reviews, analyses and applies alternative indicators and monitoring methodologies to measure the evolution of capital market integration in the European Union. More specifically, the report pursues the following three objectives: Firstly, it provides a comprehensive review of the methodologies and indicators proposed in the literature on capital market integration. Secondly, it discusses and analyses the various methodologies underlying the construction of such indicators and then applies the most suitable indicators to recent data to obtain measures of the actual degree of capital market integration. Thirdly, the report makes explicit proposals as to which of the indicators to follow and suggests methodological improvements to existing indicators. Based on an extensive review of the literature on financial integration, the reports classifies existing indicators of financial integration into four broad categories: A) indicators of credit and bond market integration; B) indicators of stock market integration; C) indicators of integration based on economic decisions of households and firms, and D) indicators of institutional differences that may induce financial market segmentation. The report then evaluates the existing indicators according to four criteria. Firstly, the availability of data needed to construct the considered indicators. Secondly, the reliability of the data on which these indicators are based. Thirdly, the economic meaning of the indicators. Finally, the ease with which they can be constructed and updated. When evaluating the indicators proposed in the literature against the above criteria, the report suggests that indicators based on price and return data tend to dominate indicators based on quantities, i.e. stock or flow data. Price data are more easily available and more accurate. Moreover, with reference to the law-of-one-price, price-based indicators also have a clear-cut interpretation, which is often lacking for quantity indicators when based on flow data. Quantity indicators based on stock data, however, sometimes can be interpreted in the light of portfolio theory and thus deserve serious consideration. From a methodological viewpoint, whenever theoretical benchmark values for the indicators are available, the report proposes to analyse financial market integration in terms of β-convergence and σ-convergence. These concepts have been developed in the economic growth literature but can be adapted for measuring financial market integration. β-convergence measures the speed of adjustment of deviations of countries to the long-run benchmark value. σ-convergence measures if countries tend to become more similar over time in terms of deviations from the benchmark. After a careful evaluation of the four groups of indicators, …
Alcohol and breastfeeding: what do Australian mothers know?

BACKGROUND Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause many birth defects and developmental disabilities. There is considerable information available for pregnant women regarding the dangers of drinking alcohol during this time. Postpartum many women enter the period of lactation, which can last for several months to years. However information regarding safe levels of alcohol consumption during lactation is limited despite potential harmful effects on infant development and maternal lactational performance. METHODS A descriptive study using qualitative methods. Data was collected in focus groups interviews conducted from February 2004 to December 2005. Women eligible to participate in the focus groups were currently breastfeeding or had been breastfeeding within the previous 12 months. RESULTS Seventeen women aged 28 to 41 years participated in postpartum focus groups. The mothers were largely unaware of the effects of alcohol on breastfeeding performance and the development of the infant. The majority of the women in the focus groups expressed concern at the lack of information available regarding "safe" alcohol consumption practices during lactation and reported being more diligent during pregnancy with regard to abstaining from alcohol. CONCLUSION There is a variable level of knowledge regarding consuming alcohol and breastfeeding among Australian mothers. The majority of participants were aware of the recommendations regarding alcohol during pregnancy and felt that a similar level of information was required to provide direction and support during lactation.
Validation of Croatian Version of Dementia Attitudes Scale (DAS)

Dementia significantly impairs cognitive and behavioral functioning of the person, and in recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of patients suffering from dementia. In Croatia, such patients are often placed in retirement homes, non-specialized institutions for elderly and infirm, often without adequately educated employees. Attitudes toward dementia seem to be an important factor for adequate care of people with dementia, but there was no previous research on this topic in Croatia. Dementia attitudes scale (DAS) developed by O'Connor and McFadden (2010) provides to be a useful tool in research of attitudes toward dementia. The aim of the study was to translate the scale into Croatian language and validate it on the Croatian sample. Participants were employees and retirement home users, other health care workers and general population. Validation made just on samples that were in everyday contact with dementia patients showed consistent factors (social comfort and dementia knowledge) as in the original scale, so the conclusion was that the questionnaire could be used in that population. Still, overall results that included general sample showed different factors when compared to the original scale, since the Croatian version did not show standard factors, but rather positive and negative attitudes factors. Results could be seen as highly suggestive and emphasize the need to distinguish and separate research on attitudes toward dementia in different populations.
OF : A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF MULTIPLE TEMPERATURE PROXIES : ARE RECONSTRUCTIONS OF SURFACE TEMPERATURES OVER THE LAST 1000 YEARS RELIABLE ?

McShane andWyner (2011) (henceforth MW) analyze a dataset of “proxy” climate records previously used by Mann et al. (2008) (henceforth M08) to attempt to assess their utility in reconstructing past temperatures. MW introduce new methods in their analysis, which is welcome. However, the absence of both proper data quality control and appropriate “pseudoproxy” tests to assess the performance of their methods invalidate their main conclusions. We deal first with the issue of data quality. In the frozen 1000 AD network of 95 proxy records used by MW, 36 tree-ring records were not used by M08 due to their failure to meet objective standards of reliability. These records did not meet the minimal replication requirement of at least eight independent contributing tree cores (as described in the Supplemental Information of M08). That requirement yields a smaller dataset of 59 proxy records back to AD 1000 as clearly indicated in M08. MW’s inclusion of the additional poor-quality proxies has a material affect on the reconstructions, inflating the level of peak apparent Medieval warmth, particularly in their featured “OLS PC10” (K = 10 PCs of the proxy data used as predictors of instrumental mean NH land temperature) reconstruction. The further elimination of four potentially contaminated “Tiljander” proxies [as tested in M08; M08 also tested the impact of removing tree-ring data, including controversial long “Bristlecone pine” tree-ring records. Recent work [cf. Salzer et al. (2009)], however, demonstrates those data to contain a reliable longterm temperature signal], which yields a set of 55 proxies, further reduces the level of peak Medieval warmth (Figure 1(a); cf. Figure 14 in MW; see
Tourist Activity of Senior Citizens (60+) Residing in Urban and Rural Areas

Abstract The objective of this study was to analyze the influence of place of permanent residence (urban or rural) on the tourist activity of senior citizens (60+) of different socioeconomic statuses. The study involved 380 senior citizens (305 female and 75 male) aged 60 years and older who were permanent residents of the region of Warmia and Mazury, Poland. In this group, 244 subjects resided in urban areas and 136 participants were rural dwellers. The respondents were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their socioeconomic status (place of permanent residence, age, gender, educational attainment, financial status, membership in senior organizations, marital status, and professional activity) and tourist activity. A significance test of two structure coefficients (α=0.05) was applied. Factors such as gender, professional activity, and marital status were not related with the travel propensity of seniors from different groups (urban and rural), but were significant when rural residents were compared with urban dwellers. Seniors residing in urban areas of Warmia and Mazury, Poland, were significantly more likely to travel for leisure than those residing in rural areas. The tourist activity of seniors decreased significantly (p<0.05) with the age (60-74 years) and financial status of rural residents. The travel propensity of elderly people increased significantly (p<0.05) with educational attainment and membership in senior organizations. The study revealed considerable differences in the socioeconomic status and social characteristics of seniors residing in rural and urban areas, and those variations significantly influenced their propensity for travel: urban residents traveled more frequently than rural residents. It can be concluded that place of residence was a crucial factor determining the tourist behavior of senior citizens, and urban dwellers were more likely to travel.
Uncertainty Analysis of Water Distribution Networks by Fuzzy-Cross Entropy Approach

This paper presents a Fuzzy – Cross entropy (CE) model for uncertainty analysis of water distribution networks (WDN), in which, the fuzzy set theory is used to deal with uncertain input information and to study the propagation of input uncertainty to the unknown outputs of the WDN problem; and the cross entropy method is used for optimization of the membership functions of uncertain output parameters such as pipe discharges and nodal heads. The model is linked with EPANET for hydraulic simulation. The model is applied to a two loop water distribution network, in which roughness coefficient of pipes has been selected as the uncertain input parameter and the uncertainty propagation on output parameters is investigated. The obtained results are compared with solutions of past studies and it is found that the proposed approach is effective in dealing with uncertainty in input parameters and optimization of membership functions of uncertain output parameters. Keywords—cross entropy, fuzzy sets, uncertainty analysis, water distribution networks