Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
1000 cataclysmic variables from the catalina real-time transient survey

We present 855 cataclysmic variable candidates detected by the Catalina Real-time Transient Survey (CRTS) of which at least 137 have been spectroscopically confirmed and 705 are new discoveries. The sources were identified from the analysis of five years of data, and come from an area covering three quarters of the sky. We study the amplitude distribution of the dwarf novae cataclysmic variables (CVs) discovered by CRTS during outburst, and find that in quiescence they are typically 2 mag fainter compared to the spectroscopic CV sample identified by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. However, almost all CRTS CVs in the SDSS footprint have ugriz photometry. We analyse the spatial distribution of the CVs and find evidence that many of the systems lie at scale heights beyond those expected for a Galactic thin disc population. We compare the outburst rates of newly discovered CRTS CVs with the previously known CV population, and find no evidence for a difference between them. However, we find significant evidence for a systematic difference in orbital period distribution. We discuss the CVs found below the orbital period minimum and argue that many more are yet to be identified among the full CRTS CV sample. We cross-match the CVs with archival X-ray catalogues and find that most of the systems are dwarf novae rather than magnetic CVs.
The Lateralization of Intrinsic Networks in the Aging Brain Implicates the Effects of Cognitive Training

Lateralization of function is an important organization of the human brain. The distribution of intrinsic networks in the resting brain is strongly related to cognitive function, gender and age. In this study, a longitudinal design with 1 year’s duration was used to evaluate the cognitive training effects on the lateralization of intrinsic networks among healthy older adults. The subjects were divided into two groups randomly: one with multi-domain cognitive training over 3 months and the other as a wait-list control group. Resting state fMRI data were acquired before training and 1 year after training. We analyzed the functional lateralization in 10 common resting state fMRI networks. We observed statically significant training effects on the lateralization of two important RSNs related to high-level cognition: right- and left- frontoparietal networks (FPNs). The lateralization of the left-FPN was retained especially well in the training group but decreased in the control group. The increased lateralization with aging was observed in the cerebellum network (CereN), in which the lateralization was significantly increased in the control group, although the same change tendency was observed in the training group. These findings indicate that the lateralization of the high-level cognitive intrinsic networks is sensitive to multi-domain cognitive training. This study provides neuroimaging evidence to support the hypothesis that cognitive training should have an advantage in preventing cognitive decline in healthy older adults.
Thermal tolerance, climatic variability and latitude

The greater latitudinal extents of occurrence of species towards higher latitudes has been attributed to the broadening of physiological tolerances with latitude as a result of increases in climatic variation. While there is some support for such patterns in climate, the physiological tolerances of species across large latitudinal gradients have seldom been assessed. Here we report findings for insects based on published upper and lower lethal temperature data. The upper thermal limits show little geographical variation. In contrast, the lower bounds of supercooling points and lower lethal temperatures do indeed decline with latitude. However, this is not the case for the upper bounds, leading to an increase in the variation in lower lethal limits with latitude. These results provide some support for the physiological tolerance assumption associated with Rapoport's rule, but highlight the need for coupled data on species tolerances and range size.
Heterogeneity in pineapple fruit quality results from plant heterogeneity at flower induction

Heterogeneity in fruit quality constitutes a major constraint in agri-food chains. In this paper the sources of the heterogeneity in pineapple in the field were studied in four experiments in commercial pineapple fields. The aims were to determine (a) whether differences in pineapple fruit quality among individual fruits are associated with differences in vigor of the individual plants within the crop at the time of artificial flower induction; and (b) whether the side shoots produced by the plant during the generative phase account for the fruit quality heterogeneity. Two pineapple cultivars were considered: cv. Sugarloaf and cv. Smooth Cayenne. Plant vigor at the time of artificial flower induction was measured by three variates: the number of functional leaves, the D-leaf length and their cross product. Fruit quality attributes measured at harvest time included external attributes (weight and height of fruit, infructescence and crown) and internal quality attributes [total soluble solids (TSS), pH, translucent flesh]. Results showed that the heterogeneity in fruit weight was a consequence of the heterogeneity in vigor of the plants at the moment of flower induction; that effect was mainly on the infructescence weight and less or not on the crown weight. The associations between plant vigor variates at flower induction and the internal quality attributes of the fruit were poor and/or not consistent across experiments. The weight of the slips (side shoots) explained part of the heterogeneity in fruit weight, infructescence weight and fruit height in cv. Sugarloaf. Possibilities for reducing the variation in fruit quality by precise cultural practices are discussed.
Broadband Information Broadcasting Using LED-Based Interior Lighting

Emergence of white-light LEDs allows the combination of lighting and information broadcast functionality in one optical source. We investigate analytically and by Monte Carlo simulations feasible data transmission rates in a moderate-size office room, where we assume illumination conforming to standards and the use of commercially available LEDs and photodiodes. The performances of systems relying on baseband [i.e., pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM)] and discrete multitone (DMT) transmission show that data rates of more than 100 Mbit/s can be expected despite the rather low bandwidth of the system.
Environmental Research and Public Health Accessible Home Environments for People with Functional Limitations: a Systematic Review

The aim of this review is to evaluate the health and social effects of accessible home environments for people with functional limitations, in order to provide evidence to promote well-informed decision making for policy guideline development and choices about public health interventions. MEDLINE and nine other electronic databases were searched between December 2014 and January 2015, for articles published since 2004. All study types were included in this review. Two reviewers independently screened 12,544 record titles or titles and abstracts based on our pre-defined eligibility criteria. We identified 94 articles as potentially eligible; and assessed their full text. Included studies were critically appraised using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool, version 2011. Fourteen studies were included in the review. We did not identify any meta-analysis or systematic review directly relevant to the question for this systematic review. A narrative approach was used to synthesise the findings of the included studies due to methodological and statistical heterogeneity. Results suggest that certain interventions to enhance the accessibility of homes can have positive health and social effects. Home environments that lack accessibility modifications appropriate to the needs of their users are likely to result in people with physical impairments becoming disabled at home.
A possible association between aprotinin and improved survival after radical surgery for mesothelioma

Aprotinin has been used to decrease blood loss with complicated cardiac surgery but has not been investigated in extrapleural pneumonectomy, an operation that does not use cardiopulmonary bypass. In this prospective, randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind trial, the authors investigated whether aprotinin decreased blood loss in patients who underwent this operation.
Patient State Index: Titration of Delivery and Recovery from Propofol, Alfentanil, and Nitrous Oxide Anesthesia

Background The Patient State Index (PSI) uses derived quantitative electroencephalogram features in a multivariate algorithm that varies as a function of hypnotic state. Data are recorded from two anterior, one midline central, and one midline posterior scalp locations. PSI has been demonstrated to have a significant relation to level of hypnosis during intravenous propofol, inhalation, and nitrous oxide–narcotic anesthesia. This multisite study evaluated the utility of PSI monitoring as an adjunct to standard anesthetic practice for guiding the delivery of propofol and alfentanil to accelerate emergence from anesthesia. Methods Three hundred six patients were enrolled in this multicenter prospective randomized clinical study. Using continuous monitoring throughout the period of propofol–alfentanil–nitrous oxide anesthesia delivery, PSI guidance was compared with use of standard practice guidelines (both before [historic controls] and after exposure to the PSA 4000 monitor [Physiometrix, Inc., N. Billerica, MA; standard practice controls]). Anesthesia was always administered with the aim of providing hemodynamic stability, with rapid recovery. Results No significant differences were found for demographic variables or for site. The PSI group received significantly less propofol than the standard practice control group (11.9 &mgr;g · kg−1 · min−1;P < 0.01) and historic control group (18.2 &mgr;g · kg−1 · min−1;P < 0.001). Verbal response time, emergence time, extubation time, and eligibility for operating room discharge time were all significantly shorter for the PSI group compared with the historic control (3.3–3.8 min;P < 0.001) and standard practice control (1.4–1.5 min;P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) groups. No significant differences in the number of unwanted somatic events or hemodynamic instability and no incidences of reported awareness were found. Conclusions Patient State Index–directed titration of propofol delivery resulted in faster emergence and recovery from propofol–alfentanil–nitrous oxide anesthesia, with modest decrease in the amount of propofol delivered, without increasing the number of unwanted events.
Towards retro-projected robot faces: An alternative to mechatronic and android faces

This paper presents a new implementation of a robot face using retro-projection of a video stream onto a semitransparent facial mask. The technology is contrasted against mechatronic robot faces, of which Kismet is a typical example, and android robot faces, as used on the Ishiguro robots. The paper highlights the strengths of Retro-projected Animated Faces (RAF) technology (with cost, flexibility and robustness being notably strong) and discusses potential developments.
Optimal Secrecy Capacity-Delay Tradeoff in Large-Scale Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

In this paper, we investigate the impact of information-theoretic secrecy constraint on the capacity and delay of mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) with mobile legitimate nodes and static eavesdroppers whose location and channel state information (CSI) are both unknown. We assume n legitimate nodes move according to the fast i.i. d. mobility pattern and each desires to communicate with one randomly selected destination node. There are also nν static eavesdroppers located uniformly in the network and we assume the number of eavesdroppers is much larger than that of legitimate nodes, i.e., ν > 1. We propose a novel simple secure communication model, i.e., the secure protocol model, and prove its equivalence to the widely accepted secure physical model under a few technical assumptions. Based on the proposed model, a framework of analyzing the secrecy capacity and delay in MANETs is established. Given a delay constraint D, we find that the optimal secrecy throughput capacity is ~Θ(W((D/n))(2/3)), where W is the data rate of each link. We observe that: 1) the capacity-delay tradeoff is independent of the number of eavesdroppers, which indicates that adding more eavesdroppers will not degenerate the performance of the legitimate network as long as ν > 1; 2) the capacity-delay tradeoff of our paper outperforms the previous result Θ((1/nψe)) in , where ψe=nν-1=ω(1) is the density of the eavesdroppers. Throughout this paper, for functions f(n) and g(n), we denote f(n)=o(g(n)) if limn→∞(f(n)/g(n))=0; f(n)=ω(g(n)) if g(n)=o(f(n)); f(n)=O(g(n)) if there is a positive constant c such that f(n) ≤ cg(n) for sufficiently large n; f(n)=Ω(g(n)) if g(n)=O(f(n)); f(n)=Θ(g(n)) if both f(n)=O(g(n)) and f(n)=Ω(g(n)) hold. Besides, the order notation ~Θ omits the polylogarithmic factors for better readability.
Why Is Orthostatic Tolerance Lower in Women than in Men? Renal and Cardiovascular Responses to Simulated Microgravity and the Role of Midodrine

Background Exposure to microgravity induces cardiovascular deconditioning, manifested by orthostatic intolerance (OI). We assessed the renal, cardioendocrine, and cardiovascular responses of women and men to simulated microgravity to examine the impact of gender on OI. Methods Fifteen healthy female and 14 healthy male subjects were given a constant diet for 3 to 5 days, after which they underwent a tilt-stand test (pre-TST) and began 14 to 16 days of head-down tilt bed rest (HDTB), followed by a repeat tilt-stand test (post-TST). Female subjects began HDTB so that the post-TST was at the same time in their menstrual cycle as their pre-TST. Twenty-four-hour urine collections (daily), hormonal measurements, plethysmography, and cardiovascular system identification were performed. Results The times to presyncope were significantly different for men and women before (p = .005) and after HDTB (p = .001), with all of the women but only 50% of the men experiencing presyncope during the pre-TST (p = .002) and all of the women but only 64% of the men experiencing presyncope during the post-TST. At baseline, the following differences between women and men were observed: women had higher serum aldosterone levels (p = .02), higher parasympathetic responsiveness (p = .01), lower sympathetic responsiveness (p = .05), and lower venous compliance (p = .05). Several parameters changed with HDTB in both men and women. In a double-blinded randomized trial, midodrine (5 mg orally) or placebo given to female subjects 1 hour before post-TST was ineffective in preventing OI. Conclusion In conclusion, the frequency of OI is higher in women than in men and is not modified by midodrine at the dose used. This increased susceptibility is likely secondary to intrinsic basal differences in the activity of volume-mediated parasympathetic and adrenergic systems and in venous tone. Thus, approaches to reduce OI in women are likely to differ from those effective in men.
Cortisol and vagal tone responses to competitive challenge in preschoolers: associations with temperament.

Sixty-one 3- to 5-year-old nursery school children participated in a study of tempera ment and stress responses to competition. Each child individually participated in a competition against a familiar adult experimenter to determine who would win enough games to receive a prize. After initially winning three games (Win Period), the children lost the next three games (Lose Period), before winning the final games and receiving the prize. Salivary cortisol, vagal tone, affect and turn-taking behavior were measured in response to the competition and examined in relation to child temperament using a teacher-report version of the Child Behavior Questionnaire. Behavioral measures indicated that the procedures were emotionally engaging and the threat of losing was aversive. Surgency (extroversion) was positively correlated with positive affect during Win periods and tense/angry affect during the Lose period of the competition. Vagal tone decreased as the children began to play against the adult and children who were more tense/angry while losing showed additional suppression of vagal tone when they began to lose the competition. Most of the children did not show a cortisol response to the competition; however, the 15% who increased cortisol (responses >1 SD of classroom baselines) were described by teachers as more surgent and lower in effortful control. All but one of these children who increased in cortisol was male. Cortisol responsive children also displayed higher levels of tense/angry affect during the Lose period. Surgent, extroverted children appear to be vulnerable to competition stress.
The preparation of phenolic resin/montmorillonite nanocomposites by suspension condensation polymerization and their morphology

Phenolic resin/clay nanocomposites were prepared using a suspension condensation polymerization method that was suitable to both novolac and resole. Natural montmorillonite and two kinds of organic modified montmorillonite were adopted to investigate the effect of modification on the final morphology of the nanocomposites. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) observations showed that clay platelets were easier to be exfoliated or intercalated in novolac than in resole because novolac usually has a linear structure. The modifier with a phenyl ring was more compatible with novolac (or resole) than the aliphatic type modifier. The influence of curing on the morphology was studied as well. An exfoliation-adsorption and in situ condensation mechanism was proposed on the formation of the nanocomposites.
Detection of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α mRNA Induction in Ischemic Brain Tolerance by Means of Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

A short duration of ischemia (i.e., ischemic preconditioning) results in significant brain protection to subsequent severe ischemic insult. Because previous studies suggest that tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) plays a role in both promoting ischemic damage and neuroprotection, the present work aimed to evaluate the expression of TNF-α mRNA in an established model of ischemic preconditioning using a transient 10-minute occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. Because the level of TNF-α mRNA expression in the brain was too low to be consistently detected by Northern technique, a real-time polymerase chain reaction method was applied to quantitate the absolute copy number of TNF-α transcript in rat brain after the preconditioning procedure. TNF-α mRNA was induced in the ipsilateral cortex as early as 1 hour (27 ± 1 copies of mRNA per microgram of tissue compared to 11 ± 3 copies in sham-operated samples) after preconditioning, reached a peak level at 6 hours (49 ± 10 copies of transcript, n = 4, P < 0.01), and persisted up to 2 days. These data not only demonstrate the utility of real-time polymerase chain reaction for sensitive and accurate measurement of mRNA expression in normal and injured tissues but also suggest a potential role of TNF-α in the phenomenon of ischemic preconditioning.
Germline Variation in Colorectal Risk Loci Does Not Influence Treatment Effect or Survival in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) risk is partly conferred by common, low-penetrance single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We hypothesized that these SNPs are associated with outcomes in metastatic CRC. Methods Six candidate SNPs from 8q24, 10p14, 15q13, 18q21 were investigated for their association with response rate (RR), time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) among 524 patients treated on a phase III clinical trial of first-line chemotherapy for metastatic CRC. Results rs10795668 was weakly associated with TTP (p = 0.02), but not RR or OS. No other SNPs carried statistically significant HRs for any of the primary outcomes (RR, TTP or OS). Conclusion Common low-penetrance CRC risk SNPs were not associated with outcomes among patients with metastatic CRC.
Isoniazid Activation Defects in Recombinant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Catalase-Peroxidase (KatG) Mutants Evident in InhA Inhibitor Production

ABSTRACT Mycobacterium tuberculosis KatG catalyzes the activation of the antitubercular agent isoniazid to yield an inhibitor targeting enoyl reductase (InhA). However, no firm biochemical link between many KatG variants and isoniazid resistance has been established. In the present study, six distinct KatG variants identified in clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates resistant to isoniazid were generated by site-directed mutagenesis, and the recombinant mutant proteins (KatGA110V, KatGA139P, KatGS315N, KatGL619P, KatGL634F, and KatGD735A) were purified and characterized with respect to their catalase-peroxidase activities (in terms of kcat/Km), rates of free-radical formation from isoniazid oxidation, and, moreover, abilities to activate isoniazid. The A110V amino acid replacement did not result in significant alteration of KatG activities except that the peroxidase activity was enhanced. The other mutations, however, resulted in modestly reduced catalase and peroxidase catalytic efficiencies and, for the four mutants tested, significantly lower activities to oxidize isoniazid. Compared to the wild-type enzyme, the ability of the KatGL634F, KatGA139P, and KatGD735A variants to activate isoniazid decreased by 36%, 76%, and 73%, respectively, whereas the KatGS315N and KatGL619P variants completely lost their abilities to convert isoniazid into the InhA inhibitor. In addition, the inclusion of exogenous Mn2+ to the isoniazid activation reaction mix significantly improved the ability of wild-type and KatG mutants to produce the InhA inhibitor.
Th17 Cells in Alemtuzumab-Treated Patients: The Effect of Long-Term Maintenance Immunosuppressive Therapy

Background. Leukocyte depletion at the time of transplantation with alemtuzumab (Campath-1H) has been demonstrated to be a potential strategy for reducing long-term exposure to immunosuppressive drugs. Although the impact of alemtuzumab treatment on the immune system has been explored, the effects of long-term immunosuppressive therapy in alemtuzumab-treated patients still need to be elucidated. Methods. T-regulatory cells and Th1/Th17 responses were assessed by flow cytometry and real-time polymerase chain reaction more than 4 years after transplantation in 10 kidney recipients treated with alemtuzumab induction. Seven patients were converted to sirolimus monotherapy at 12 months posttransplant, whereas the remaining three patients with history of graft rejection were treated with sirolimus and mycophenolate mofetil. In addition, we sorted and expanded interleukin (IL)-17A-producing CCR6+CD4+ T cells and assessed their susceptibility to suppression by regulatory T (Treg) cells in in vitro suppression tests. Results. Three years of mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor monotherapy correlates with an increase in the number of IL-17A producing cells, compared with patients treated with sirolimus and mycophenolate mofetil. In these patients, IL-17A expression was compensated for by an increase in Treg cell frequency and number. In addition, we demonstrated that both proliferation and cytokine production by Th17 cells can be effectively regulated by Treg cells. Conclusions. Our results demonstrate that history of rejection and long-term maintenance immunosuppression has an impact on the number of circulating Treg and Th17 cells. However, more importantly, we have shown that Treg cells can effectively regulate Th17cells both in vitro and in vivo.