Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
1 KELLY ’ S “ GEOMETRY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SPACE ” AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE FOR COGNITIVE MODELING

Abstract: Personal construct psychology is a theory of individual and group psychological and social processes that takes a constructivist position in modeling human knowledge but bases this on a positivist scientific position that characterizes conceptual structures in axiomatic terms. It provides a fundamental framework for both theoretical and applied studies of knowledge acquisition and representation. This paper presents Kelly’s original intuitions underlying personal construct psychology and links these to its foundational role in cognitive and computational knowledge representation.
Pathophysiological Manifestations in Mice Exposed to Anthrax Lethal Toxin

ABSTRACT Pathophysiological changes associated with anthrax lethal toxin included loss of plasma proteins, decreased platelet count, slower clotting times, fibrin deposits in tissue sections, and gross and histopathological evidence of hemorrhage. These findings suggest that blood vessel leakage and hemorrhage lead to disseminating intravascular coagulation and/or circulatory shock as an underlying pathophysiological mechanism.
Outcome of endoscopic decompression of retrocalcaneal bursitis

Background: Posterior heel pain due to retrocalcaneal bursitis, is a disabling condition that responds well to the conventional methods of treatment. Patients who do not respond to conservative treatment may require surgical intervention. This study evaluates the outcome of endoscopic decompression of retrocalcaneal bursitis, with resection of posterosuperior eminence of the calcaneum. Materials and Methods: This present study included 25 heels from 23 consecutive patients with posterior heel pain, who did not respond to conservative treatment and underwent endoscopic decompression of the retrocalcaneal bursae and excision of bony spurs. The functional outcome was evaluated by comparing the pre and postoperative American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores. The Maryland ankle and foot score was used postoperatively to assess the patient’s satisfaction at the one-year followup. Results : The University of Maryland scores of 25 heels were categorized as the nonparametric categories, and it was observed that 16 patients had an excellent outcome, six good, three fair and there were no poor results. The AOFAS scores averaged 57.92 ± 6.224 points preoperatively and 89.08 ± 5.267 points postoperatively ( P < 0.001), at an average followup of 16.4 months. The 12 heels having noninsertional tendinosis on ultrasound had low AOFAS scores compared to 13 heels having retrocalcaneal bursitis alone. At one year followup, correlation for preoperative ultrasound assessment of tendoachilles degeneration versus postoperative Maryland score (Spearman correlation) had shown a strong negative correlation. Conclusion: Endoscopic calcaneal resection is highly effective in patients with mild or no degeneration and yields cosmetically better results with fewer complications. Patients with degenerative changes in Achilles tendon had poorer outcomes in terms of subjective satisfaction.
Differential expression of folate receptor-alpha, sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter, and amino acid transporter (B (0, +)) in human retinoblastoma (Y-79) and retinal pigment epithelial (ARPE-19) cell lines.

PURPOSE The overall objective of this study was to investigate the differential expression of folate receptor-alpha (FR-α), sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT), and amino acid transporter [B ((0, +))] in retinoblastoma (Y-79) and retinal pigment epithelial (ARPE-19) cells. METHODS Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis was performed to confirm the existence of FR-α, SMVT, and B ((0, +)) in Y-79 and ARPE-19 cell lines. Quantitative real-time PCR was also performed to determine the relative expression of FR-α, SMVT, and B ((0, +)) at mRNA level in these cell lines. Quantitative uptake of [(3)H] Folic acid, [(3)H] Biotin, and [(14)C] Arginine was studied in Y-79 and ARPE-19 cells. Further, saturation kinetics of [(3)H] Folic acid, [(3)H] Biotin, and [(14)C] Arginine was performed in the presence of various concentrations of respective cold substrates to determine the kinetic parameters (K(m) and V(max)) in Y-79 and ARPE-19 cells. RESULTS PCR analysis had confirmed the existence of FR-α, SMVT, and B ((0, +)) in Y-79 and ARPE-19 cells. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis had shown significantly higher expression of FR-α, SMVT, and B ((0, +)) mRNA levels in Y-79 cells compared with ARPE-19 cells. Quantitative uptake of [(3)H] Folic acid, [(3)H] Biotin, and [(14)C] Arginine was found to be significantly higher in Y-79 cells relative to ARPE-19 cells. [(3)H] Folic acid uptake process followed saturation kinetics with apparent K(m) of 8.29 nM and V(max) of 393.47 fmol/min/mg protein in Y-79 cells and K(m) of 80.55 nM and V(max) of 491.86 fmol/min/mg protein in ARPE-19 cells. [(3)H] Biotin uptake process also displayed saturation kinetics with K(m) of 8.53 μM and V(max) of 14.12 pmol/min/mg protein in Y-79 cells and K(m) of 138.25 μM and V(max) of 38.85 pmol/min/mg protein in ARPE-19 cells. [(14)C] Arginine uptake process followed saturation kinetics with K(m) of 16.77 μM and V(max) of 348.27 pmol/min/mg protein in Y-79 cells and K(m) of 52.03 μM and V(max) of 379.21 pmol/min/mg protein in ARPE-19 cells. CONCLUSIONS This work demonstrated for the first time the higher expression and affinity of FR-α, SMVT, and B ((0, +)) mRNA levels in retinoblastoma (Y-79) cells compared with retinal pigment epithelial (ARPE-19) cells.
Testing for Rational Bubbles in a Co-Explosive Vector Autoregression

We derive the parameter restrictions that a standard equity market model implies for a bivariate vector autoregression for stock prices and dividends, and we show how to test these restrictions using likelihood ratio tests. The restrictions, which imply that stock returns are unpredictable, are derived both for a model without bubbles and for a model with a rational bubble. In both cases we show how the restrictions can be tested through standard chi-squared inference. The analysis for the no-bubble case is done within the traditional Johansen model for I(1) variables, while the bubble model is analysed using a co-explosive framework. The methodology is illustrated using US stock prices and dividends for the period 1872-2000.
Toward a research model of market orientation and dynamic capabilities

In the majority of studies on market orientation it is claimed that compelling evidence exists that market orientation has a positive effect on firm performance. It is important to investigate the mediating effect of market orientation on firm performance. Drawing on the dynamic capabilities perspective, in this paper, the view is taken that market orientation is a rare, valuable, and inimitable firm resource; and furthermore is a set of dynamic capabilities. In light of conceptual and empirical advancement, a research model about the impact of market orientation and dynamic capabilities on firm performance is proposed and delineated. With the conceptual model that is developed, the author shows how market orientation can be transformed into dynamic capabilities and it is argued that the competitive value of market orientation is positively mediated by dynamic capabilities. Finally, some research hypotheses for future research are discussed.
Towards an Artificial Therapy Assistant - Measuring Excessive Stress from Speech

The measurement of (excessive) stress is still a challenging endeavor. Most tools rely on either introspection or expert opinion and are, therefore, often less reliable or a burden on the patient. An objective method could relieve these problems and, consequently, assist diagnostics. Speech was considered an excellent candidate for an objective, unobtrusive measure of emotion. True stress was successfully induced, using two storytelling sessions performed by 25 patients suffering from a stress disorder. When reading either a happy or a sad story, different stress levels were reported using the Subjective Unit of Distress (SUD). A linear regression model consisting of the high-frequency energy, pitch, and zero crossings of the speech signal was able to explain 70% of the variance in the subjectively reported stress. The results demonstrate the feasibility of an objective measurement of stress in speech. As such, the foundation for an Artificial Therapeutic Agent is laid, capable of assisting therapists through an objective measurement of experienced stress.
Preservative toxicity in glaucoma medication: clinical evaluation of benzalkonium chloride-free 0.5% timolol eye drops

Timolol (generic name) is a frequently used medication for the control of glaucoma. Benzalkonium chloride (BAK) is a commonly used preservative in ophthalmic solutions with a broad range of antimicrobial activity; however, this nonspecificity can result in toxicity. Adverse effects attributed to BAK, including conjunctival inflammation and fibrosis, tear film instability, corneal cytotoxicity, anterior chamber inflammation, trabecular meshwork cell apoptosis, cataract development, macular edema, and even systemic effects, have been well documented. These effects can lead to ocular discomfort, poor intraocular pressure control, glaucoma surgery failure, and decreased patient compliance. BAK use in topical medications has decreased recently as newer and less toxic preservatives have become available. Yet these preservatives still exert some toxic effects, especially in patients with chronic eye disease who use multiple drops over extended periods of time. Thus, attempts to reduce overall preservative loads for patients are important, whether it be decreasing the amount of preservative, decreasing the total number of drops patients use, or eliminating preservatives entirely. A preservative-free formulation of timolol, TIMOPTIC® in OCUDOSE®, is available in unit-dose vials. Preservative-free unit-dose vials minimize toxic adverse effects and are a good option for patients with ocular surface disease, on long-term multidrop therapy, or who simply do not tolerate the effects of preservatives due to discomfort.
Frontal Structural Neural Correlates of Working Memory Performance in Older Adults

Working memory is an executive memory process that allows transitional information to be held and manipulated temporarily in memory stores before being forgotten or encoded into long-term memory. Working memory is necessary for everyday decision-making and problem solving, making it a fundamental process in the daily lives of older adults. Working memory relies heavily on frontal lobe structures and is known to decline with age. The current study aimed to determine the neural correlates of decreased working memory performance in the frontal lobes by comparing cortical thickness and cortical surface area from two demographically matched groups of healthy older adults, free from cognitive impairment, with high versus low N-Back working memory performance (N = 56; average age = 70.29 ± 10.64). High-resolution structural T1-weighted images (1 mm isotropic voxels) were obtained on a 3T Philips MRI scanner. When compared to high performers, low performers exhibited significantly decreased cortical surface area in three frontal lobe regions lateralized to the right hemisphere: medial orbital frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, and superior frontal gyrus (FDR p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in cortical thickness between groups, a proxy for neurodegenerative tissue loss. Our results suggest that decreases in cortical surface area (a proxy for brain structural integrity) in right frontal regions may underlie age-related decline of working memory function.
Cutaneous toxicity of bleomycin therapy.

Nineteen of 25 patients treated with systemic bleomycin therapy developed skin toxicities such as infiltrated plaques, nodules, and bands on the hands, linear hyperpigmentation on the trunk, and gangrene of the fingertips. The association of these changes with pulmonary fibrosis, which also occurs in patients treated with bleomycin, may suggest the possibility of a drug-induced scleroderma.
NMR quantitation of phosphorus metabolites in rat heart and skeletal muscle in vivo

Hitchins, Sam, Julie M. Cieslar, and Geoffrey P. Dobson. 31P NMR quantitation of phosphorus metabolites in rat heart and skeletal muscle in vivo. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 281: H882–H887, 2001. —The aim of this study was to examine two methods of 31P NMR quantitation of phosphocreatine (PCr), ATP, and Pi in rat heart and skeletal muscle in vivo. The first method employed an external standard of phenylphosphonic acid (PPA; 10 mM), and the second method used an enzymatic measurement of tissue ATP equated to the area under the bATP peak. With the use of the external standard, the concentrations of ATP, PCr, and Pi in the rat heart were 4.48 6 0.33, 9.21 6 0.65, and 2.25 6 0.16 mmol/g wet wt, respectively. With the use of the internal ATP standard, measured on the same tissue, the contents (means 6 SE) were 4.78 6 0.19, 9.83 6 0.18, and 2.51 6 0.33 mmol/g wet wt, respectively (n 5 7). In skeletal muscle, ATP, PCr, and Pi were 6.09 6 0.19, 23.44 6 0.88, and 1.81 6 0.18 mmol/g wet wt using the PPA standard and 6.03 6 0.19, 23.30 6 1.30, and 1.82 6 0.19 mmol/g wet wt using the internal ATP standard (n 5 6). There was no significant difference for each metabolite as measured by the two methods of quantification in heart or skeletal muscle. The results validate the use of an external reference positioned symmetrically above the coil and imply that each has similar NMR sensitivities (similar signal amplitude per mole of 31P between PPA and tissue phosphorus compounds). We conclude that PCr, ATP, and Pi are nearly 100% visible in the normoxic heart and nonworking skeletal muscle given the errors of measurement.
On the Sum of Correlated Squared  $\kappa-\mu$ Shadowed Random Variables and Its Application to Performance Analysis of MRC

In this paper, we study the statistical characterization of the sum of the squared κ-μ shadowed random variables with correlated shadowing components. The probability density function of this sum is obtained in the form of a power series. The derived pdf is utilized for obtaining the performance results of the maximal ratio combining (MRC) scheme over correlated κ-μ shadowed fading channels. First, we derive the moment-generating function (mgf) of the received signal-to-noise ratio of the MRC receiver. By using the derived mgf expression, the analytical diversity order is obtained; it is deduced on the basis of this analysis that the diversity of the MRC receiver over correlated κ-μ shadowed channels depends upon the number of diversity branches and μ parameter. Further, the analytical average bit error rate of the MRC scheme is also derived, which is applicable for M-ary phase shift keying and M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation constellations. The Shannon capacity of the correlated κ-μ shadowed channels is also derived in the form of the Meijer-G function.
Soluble extract of soybean fermented with Aspergillus oryzae GB107 inhibits fat accumulation in cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES This study was conducted to investigate the effects of fermented soybean (FS) extract on adipocyte differentiation and fat accumulation using cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes. MATERIALS/METHODS 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with FS and nonfermented soybean (NFS) extract during differentiation for 10 days in vitro. Oil red O staining was performed and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) activity was measured for analysis of fat accumulation. Expressions of adipogenic genes were measured. RESULTS Soluble extract of soybean fermented with Aspergillus oryzae GB107 contained higher levels of low-molecular-weight protein than conventional soybean protein did. FS extract (50 µg/ml) inhibited adipocyte differentiation and fat accumulation during differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes for 10 days in vitro. Significantly lower GPDH activity was observed in differentiated adipocytes treated with the FS extract than those treated with NFS extract. Treatment with FS extract resulted in decreased expression levels of leptin, adiponectin, and adipogenin genes, which are associated with adipogenesis. CONCLUSIONS This report is the first to demonstrate that the water-soluble extract from FS inhibits fat accumulation and lipid storage in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Thus, the soybean extract fermented with A. oryzae GB107 could be used to control lipid accumulation in adipocytes.
Zika antiviral chemotherapy: identification of drugs and promising starting points for drug discovery from an FDA-approved library

Background The recent epidemics of Zika virus (ZIKV) implicated it as the cause of serious and potentially lethal congenital conditions such microcephaly and other central nervous system defects, as well as the development of the Guillain-Barré syndrome in otherwise healthy patients. Recent findings showed that anti-Dengue antibodies are capable of amplifying ZIKV infection by a mechanism similar to antibody-dependent enhancement, increasing the severity of the disease. This scenario becomes potentially catastrophic when the global burden of Dengue and the advent of the newly approved anti-Dengue vaccines in the near future are taken into account. Thus, antiviral chemotherapy should be pursued as a priority strategy to control the spread of the virus and prevent the complications associated with Zika. Methods Here we describe a fast and reliable cell-based, high-content screening assay for discovery of anti-ZIKV compounds. This methodology has been used to screen the National Institute of Health Clinical Collection compound library, a small collection of FDA-approved drugs. Results and conclusion From 725 FDA-approved compounds triaged, 29 (4%) were found to have anti-Zika virus activity, of which 22 had confirmed (76% of confirmation) by dose-response curves. Five candidates presented selective activity against ZIKV infection and replication in a human cell line. These hits have abroad spectrum of chemotypes and therapeutic uses, offering valuable opportunities for selection of leads for antiviral drug discovery.
Improved Iteration Complexity Bounds of Cyclic Block Coordinate Descent for Convex Problems

The iteration complexity of the block-coordinate descent (BCD) type algorithm has been under extensive investigation. It was recently shown that for convex problems the classical cyclic BCGD (block coordinate gradient descent) achieves an O(1/r) complexity (r is the number of passes of all blocks). However, such bounds are at least linearly depend on K (the number of variable blocks), and are at least K times worse than those of the gradient descent (GD) and proximal gradient (PG) methods. In this paper, we close such theoretical performance gap between cyclic BCD and GD/PG. First we show that for a family of quadratic nonsmooth problems, the complexity bounds for cyclic Block Coordinate Proximal Gradient (BCPG), a popular variant of BCD, can match those of the GD/PG in terms of dependency on K (up to a log2 (K) factor). Second, we establish an improved complexity bound for Coordinate Gradient Descent (CGD) for general convex problems which can match that of GD in certain scenarios. Our bounds are sharper than the known bounds as they are always at least K times worse than GD. Our analyses do not depend on the update order of block variables inside each cycle, thus our results also apply to BCD methods with random permutation (random sampling without replacement, another popular variant).
Multimodal person independent recognition of workload related biosignal patterns

This paper presents an online multimodal person independent workload classification system using blood volume pressure, respiration measures, electrodermal activity and electroencephalography. For each modality a classifier based on linear discriminant analysis is trained. The classification results obtained on short data frames are fused using weighted majority voting. The system was trained and evaluated on a large training corpus of 152 participants, exposed to controlled and uncontrolled scenarios for inducing workload, including a driving task conducted in a realistic driving simulator. Using person dependent feature space normalization, we achieve a classification accuracy of up to 94% for discrimination of relaxed state vs. high workload.
Methyl deficient diet aggravates experimental colitis in rats

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) result from complex interactions between environmental and genetic factors. Low blood levels of vitamin B12 and folate and genetic variants of related target enzymes are associated with IBD risk, in population studies. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, we evaluated the effects of a methyl‐deficient diet (MDD, folate, vitamin B12 and choline) in an experimental model of colitis induced by dextran sodium sulphate (DSS), in rat pups from dams subjected to the MDD during gestation and lactation. Four groups were considered (n= 12–16 per group): C DSS− (control/DSS−), D DSS− (deficient/DSS−), C DSS+ (control/DSS+) and D DSS+ (deficient/DSS+). Changes in apoptosis, oxidant stress and pro‐inflammatory pathways were studied within colonic mucosa. In rat pups, the MDD produced a decreased plasma concentration of vitamin B12 and folate and an increased homocysteine (7.8 ± 0.9 versus 22.6 ± 1.2 μmol/l, P < 0.001). The DSS‐induced colitis was dramatically more severe in the D DSS+ group compared with each other group, with no change in superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activity, but decreased expression of caspase‐3 and Bax, and increased Bcl‐2 levels. The mRNA levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α and protein levels of p38, cytosolic phospolipase A2 and cyclooxygenase 2 were significantly increased in the D DSS+ pups and were accompanied by a decrease in the protein level of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)3, a negative regulator of TNF‐α. MDD may cause an overexpression of pro‐inflammatory pathways, indicating an aggravating effect of folate and/or vitamin B12 deficiency in experimental IBD. These findings suggest paying attention to vitamin B12 and folate deficits, frequently reported in IBD patients.
The imbalance between matrix metalloproteinase 9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 in acute pancreatitis

Abstract Background: The balanced activity of matrix metalloproteinases and their tissue inhibitors is an important, albeit still not completely understood, determinant of extracellular matrix homeostasis, a factor involved in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis (AP). Aims: The aim of this study was to compare serum concentrations of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and its tissue inhibitor (TIMP-1) in patients with AP of various severity and to investigate their relationship with prognostic indicators of AP severity, e. g. , polymorphonuclear leukocyte elastase (PMN-E). Patients and Methods: The study included 37 patients with mild (n = 18) or severe AP (n = 19) and 15 healthy controls. Serum concentrations of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were determined on admission (day 1) and on days 2, 3, 5 and 10. Results: Throughout the study period, the serum MMP-9 concentration in patients with severe AP was significantly higher than those in individuals with mild AP and in healthy controls. In turn, the serum MMP-9 concentrations in persons with mild AP did not differ significantly from those of the controls. The serum TIMP-1 concentrations in both groups were significantly higher than in the controls. Beginning from the 2nd day of hospital stay, the serum TIMP-1 concentration in patients with severe AP was significantly higher than in individuals with mild AP. There were significant correlations between: MMP-9 and PMN-E, TIMP-1 and PMN-E, and MMP-9 and TIMP-1. Conclusion: A disturbed balance between MMP-9 and TIMP-1 observed during the early stages of severe AP suggests that endogenous TIMP-1 is unable to prevent excessive activation and release of MMP-9. MMP-9 may represent a new marker of AP severity.