Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential activation of Fyn kinase distinguishes saturated and unsaturated fats in mouse macrophages

Diet-induced obesity is associated with increased adipose tissue activated macrophage numbers. Yet, how macrophages integrate fatty acid (FA) signals remains unclear. We previously demonstrated that Fyn deficiency (FynKO) protects against high fat diet-induced adipose tissue macrophage accumulation. Herein, we show that inflammatory markers and reactive oxygen species are not induced in FynKO bone marrow-derived macrophages exposed to the saturated FA palmitate, suggesting that Fyn regulates macrophage function in response to FA signals. Saturated palmitate activates Fyn and re-localizes Fyn into the nucleus of RAW264.7, J774 and wild-type bone marrow-derived macrophages. Similarly, Fyn activity is increased in cells of AT stromal vascular fraction of high fat-fed control mice, with Fyn protein being located in the nucleus of these cells. We demonstrate that Fyn modulates palmitate-dependent oxidative stress in macrophages. Moreover, Fyn catalytic activity is necessary for its nuclear re-localization and downstream effects, as Fyn pharmacological inhibition abolishes palmitate-induced Fyn nuclear redistribution and palmitate-dependent increase of oxidative stress markers. Importantly, mono-or polyunsaturated FAs do not activate Fyn, and fail to re-localize Fyn to the nucleus. Together these data demonstrate that macrophages integrate nutritional FA signals via a differential activation of Fyn that distinguishes, at least partly, the effects of saturated versus unsaturated fats.
Laplacians on the basilica Julia set

We consider the basilica Julia set of the polynomial $P(z)=z^{2}-1$ and construct all possible resistance (Dirichlet) forms, and the corresponding Laplacians, for which the topology in the effective resistance metric coincides with the usual topology. Then we concentrate on two particular cases. One is a self-similar harmonic structure, for which the energy renormalization factor is $2$, the exponent in the Weyl law is $\log9/\log6$, and we can compute all the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions by a spectral decimation method. The other is graph-directed self-similar under the map $z\mapsto P(z)$; it has energy renormalization factor $\sqrt2$ and Weyl exponent $4/3$, but the exact computation of the spectrum is difficult. The latter Dirichlet form and Laplacian are in a sense conformally invariant on the basilica Julia set.
An Improved Reconfiguration Method for Degradable Processor Arrays Using Genetic Algorithm

This paper addresses the NP-complete problem of reconfiguring two-dimensional degradable processor arrays under the row and column rerouting constraint. One promising approach to this problem is to treat the reconfiguration problem as a combinatorial optimization problem of finding the set of rerouting rules for all rows/columns and employ a genetic algorithm (GA) to obtain an optimal solution (Fukushi et al., 2005 ). However, major drawback of this method is poor utilization of processing elements (PEs) in the reconfiguration process. In this paper, the previous method (Fukushi et al., 2005) for efficient reconfiguration was improved. The key idea is to treat the reconfiguration problem as an optimization problem of determining routing directions for all faulty PEs. A new rerouting scheme is also proposed to reroute logical rows/columns efficiently. Experimental study shows that the proposed method produces good results in terms of the percentage of harvest and degradation
Secure optical communication system utilizing deformable MEMS mirrors

An optical communication system suitable for voice, data retrieval from remote sensors and identification is described. The system design allows operation at ranges of several hundred meters. The heart of the system is a modulated MEMS mirror that is electrostatically actuated and changes between a flat reflective state and a corrugated diffractive state. A process for mass producing these mirrors at low cost was developed and is described. The mirror was incorporated as a facet in a hollow retro-reflector, allowing temporal modulation of an interrogating beam and the return of the modulated beam to the interrogator. This system thus consists of a low power, small and light communication node with large (about 60°) angular extent. The system's range and pointing are determined by the interrogator /detector/demodulator (Transceiver) unit. The transceiver is comprised of an optical channel to establish line of sight communication, an interrogating laser at 1550nm, an avalanche photo diode to detect the return signal and electronics to drive the laser and demodulate the detected signal and convert it to an audio signal. A functional prototype system was built using a modified compact optical sight as the transceiver. Voice communication in free space was demonstrated. The design and test of major components and the complete system are discussed.
Therapeutic potential of plant sterols and stanols

Products enriched with plant sterol and stanol esters selectively lower LDL cholesterol. Consumption appears to be safe, and these functional foods thus have great potential for cardiovascular risk management. Although values remain within the normal range, one possible concern is that they lower lipid-standardized concentrations of the plasma carotenoids. Whether this affects health in the longer-term or in selected patient groups is not known. Therefore, especially in view of the increasing number of functional foods that will be on the market in the very near future, there is a clear need to establish an effective post-marketing safety net.
Exogenous l-Valine Promotes Phagocytosis to Kill Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Pathogens

The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria presents a severe threat to public health and causes extensive losses in livestock husbandry and aquaculture. Effective strategies to control such infections are in high demand. Enhancing host immunity is an ideal strategy with fewer side effects than antibiotics. To explore metabolite candidates, we applied a metabolomics approach to investigate the metabolic profiles of mice after Klebsiella pneumoniae infection. Compared with the mice that died from K. pneumoniae infection, mice that survived the infection displayed elevated levels of l-valine. Our analysis showed that l-valine increased macrophage phagocytosis, thereby reducing the load of pathogens; this effect was not only limited to K. pneumoniae but also included Escherichia coli clinical isolates in infected tissues. Two mechanisms are involved in this process: l-valine activating the PI3K/Akt1 pathway and promoting NO production through the inhibition of arginase activity. The NO precursor l-arginine is necessary for l-valine-stimulated macrophage phagocytosis. The valine-arginine combination therapy effectively killed K. pneumoniae and exerted similar effects in other Gram-negative (E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria. Our study extends the role of metabolism in innate immunity and develops the possibility of employing the metabolic modulator-mediated innate immunity as a therapy for bacterial infections.
Relational structures among worldview, self-view, moral inclusiveness, and moral orientation : a holistic and complementary perspective

The overall goal of this study was to develop a comprehensive model of moral development to explicate the complexities of everyday morality. Based on a holistic and complementary perspective, the model relates the constructs of ―worldview‖ and ―self-view‖ to represent the influence of cultural individualism-collectivism and personality on moral development. It posits that worldview shapes self-view and moral inclusiveness [what is included in one‘s moral consideration (Carter, 1980)] and then worldview, self-view, and moral inclusiveness jointly influence moral orientation (the main hypothesis). Interacting with situational factors, moral orientation would further influence moral judgment and behavior, thus connecting habitual morality with reflective morality. The specific objectives were: (a) to examine the relational structures among worldview, self-view, moral inclusiveness, and moral orientation; and (b) to construct a moral orientation index that measures various moral orientations, including egocentric, family, care, norm, justice, biocentric, and religious orientations, reflecting the corresponding worldviews, self-views, and levels of moral inclusiveness. Moral inclusiveness was operationalized as relationship closeness to different social groups at expanding levels of moral inclusiveness: (1) self only, (2) family, (3) peers, (4) society, (5) humanity, (6) nature, and (7) God. Survey data were gathered from 640 Grades 8-12 students and 472 adults. Structural equation models (SEM) were developed using the student data while making some comparative references to the adult data. Results of SEMs generally supported the main hypothesis. For example, individuals scoring higher on vertical individualism, social Darwinism, and independent self scored higher on egocentric orientation; individuals scoring higher on vertical collectivism and closeness to family scored higher on family orientation; and individuals scoring
Automatic Prediction of Hit Songs

We explore the automatic analysis of music to identify likely hit songs. We extract both acoustic and lyric information from each song and separate hits from non-hits using standard classifiers, specifically Support Vector Machines and boosting classifiers. Our features are based on global sounds learnt in an unsupervised fashion from acoustic data or global topics learnt from a lyrics database. Experiments on a corpus of 1700 songs demonstrate performance that is much better than random. The lyricbased features are slightly more useful than the acoustic features in correctly identifying hit songs. Concatenating the two features does not produce significant improvements. Analysis of the lyric-based features shows that the absence of certain semantic information indicates that a song is more likely to be a hit.
60 GHz SiGe LNA

A monolithic low-noise-amplifier operating in the 60 GHz band is presented. The circuit has been designed utilizing an advanced 0.25 mum SiGe BiCMOS technology, featuring npn transistors with fT and fmax ap 200 GHz. A two stage cascode architecture has been chosen for the implementation. Design techniques and optimization procedure are explained in detail. Measurements show a gain of 18 dB at 61 GHz, which compare reasonably the simulated results. The circuit consumes 7.5 mA from a 2.7 V supply and active chip area is 0.45 mm2.
Detection of calcifications in digital mammograms using wavelet analysis and contrast enhancement

This paper presents an approach to detect small breast cancer features in mammograms such as microcalcifications, employing wavelet based methods. Microcalcifications can be difficult to locate, especially in low contrast mammographic images, such as those from younger women which have denser breast tissues. The aim is to improve contrast in mammographic images, in order to facilitate its interpretation by radiologists. The methods used involve image de-noising, wavelet image analysis and image enhancement by local adaptive operators integrated in the wavelet domain. The image is decomposed in sub-bands, the low-frequency sub-band is suppressed and than we reconstruct the image from the high-frequency sub-bands. Preliminary results indicate that the performance of this approach is acceptable. However, further studies are needed, namely to investigate the possibility of automatic or semi-automatic detection and classification of microcalcifications and image processing for regions of interest.
Effects of low‐dose continuous combined hormone replacement therapy on glucose homeostasis and markers of cardiovascular risk in women with type 2 diabetes

Background Low‐dose hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has attracted interest for the treatment of postmenopausal symptoms in diabetes because of concerns about increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke with conventional HRT containing conjugated equine oestrogens (CEEs) and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA).
Recommending energy tariffs and load shifting based on smart household usage profiling

We present a system and study of personalized energy-related recommendation. AgentSwitch utilizes electricity usage data collected from users' households over a period of time to realize a range of smart energy-related recommendations on energy tariffs, load detection and usage shifting. The web service is driven by a third party real-time energy tariff API (uSwitch), an energy data store, a set of algorithms for usage prediction, and appliance-level load disaggregation. We present the system design and user evaluation consisting of interviews and interface walkthroughs. We recruited participants from a previous study during which three months of their household's energy use was recorded to evaluate personalized recommendations in AgentSwitch. Our contributions are a) a systems architecture for personalized energy services; and b) findings from the evaluation that reveal challenges in designing energy-related recommender systems. In response to the challenges we formulate design recommendations to mitigate barriers to switching tariffs, to incentivize load shifting, and to automate energy management.
Diabetic neuropathy: new strategies for treatment

Current therapeutic possibilities can be divided into two groups: the pathogenetically oriented and the symptomatic therapy. One of the most important component of etiology‐based treatment is the stabilization of glycemic control. Based on efficacy and safety data benfotiamine and alpha‐lipoic acid should be considered as first choices among pathogenetically oriented treatments of diabetic neuropathy. Promising data were published about the aldose reductase inhibitor ranirestat. The symptomatic effect of antiepileptic drugs in diabetic painful neuropathy (DPN) is originated from several possible pharmacological properties. Pregabalin and gabapentin have the highest efficacy and the lowest frequency of adverse events among these drugs. Antidepressants also extensively used for symptomatic treatment in DPN. In the last years several studies were published about the benefial effect of duloxetine. Most likely combination therapy will be frequently applied in the future for the treatment of DPN, the optimal choice could be to combine pathogenetically oriented and symptomatic treatment.
Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation accelerates chylomicron triglyceride clearance Published, JLR Papers in Press, December 1, 2002. DOI 10.1194/jlr.M200282-JLR200

Omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) reduce postprandial triacylglycerol (TG) concentrations. This study was undertaken to determine whether this effect was due to reduced production or increased clearance of chylomicrons. Healthy subjects (n = 33) began with a 4-week, olive oil placebo (4 g/d) run-in period. After a 4-week wash-out period, subjects were randomized to supplementation with 4 g/d of ethyl esters of either safflower oil (SAF), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for 4 weeks. Results for EPA and DHA were similar, and therefore the data were combined into one ω-3 FA group. Omega-3 FA supplementation reduced the postprandial TG and apolipoprotein B (apo B)-48 and apoB-100 concentrations by 16% (P = 0.08), 28% (P < 0.001), and 24% (P < 0.01), respectively. Chylomicron TG half-lives in the fed state were reduced after ω-3 FA treatment (6.0 ± 0.5 vs. 5.1 ± 0.4 min; P < 0.05), but not after SAF (6.9 ± 0.7 vs. 7.1 ± 0.7 min). Omega-3 FA supplementation decreased chylomicron particle sizes (mean diameter; 293 ± 44 vs. 175 ± 25 nm; P < 0.01) and increased preheparin lipoprotein lipase (LPL; 0.6 ± 0.1 vs. 0.9 ± 0.1 μmol/h/ml; P < 0.05) activity during the fed state, but had no effect on postheparin LPL or hepatic lipase activities. The results suggest that ω-3 FA supplementation accelerates chylomicron TG clearance by increasing LPL activity, and that EPA and DHA are equally effective.
Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells to Insulin-Secreting Structures Similar to Pancreatic Islets

Although the source of embryonic stem (ES) cells presents ethical concerns, their use may lead to many clinical benefits if differentiated cell types can be derived from them and used to assemble functional organs. In pancreas, insulin is produced and secreted by specialized structures, islets of Langerhans. Diabetes, which affects 16 million people in the United States, results from abnormal function of pancreatic islets. We have generated cells expressing insulin and other pancreatic endocrine hormones from mouse ES cells. The cells self-assemble to form three-dimensional clusters similar in topology to normal pancreatic islets where pancreatic cell types are in close association with neurons. Glucose triggers insulin release from these cell clusters by mechanisms similar to those employed in vivo. When injected into diabetic mice, the insulin-producing cells undergo rapid vascularization and maintain a clustered, islet-like organization.
Postnatal Deletion of Podoplanin in Lymphatic Endothelium Results in Blood Filling of the Lymphatic System and Impairs Dendritic Cell Migration to Lymph Nodes

Objective— The lymphatic vascular system exerts major physiological functions in the transport of interstitial fluid from peripheral tissues back to the blood circulation and in the trafficking of immune cells to lymph nodes. Previous studies in global constitutive knockout mice for the lymphatic transmembrane molecule podoplanin reported perinatal lethality and a complex phenotype with lung abnormalities, cardiac defects, lymphedema, blood-filled lymphatic vessels, and lack of lymph node organization, reflecting the importance of podoplanin expression not only by the lymphatic endothelium but also by a variety of nonendothelial cell types. Therefore, we aimed to dissect the specific role of podoplanin expressed by adult lymphatic vessels. Approach and Results— We generated an inducible, lymphatic-specific podoplanin knockout mouse model (Pdpn&Dgr;LEC) and induced gene deletion postnatally. Pdpn&Dgr;LEC mice were viable, and their lymphatic vessels appeared morphologically normal with unaltered fluid drainage function. Intriguingly, Pdpn&Dgr;LEC mice had blood-filled lymph nodes and vessels, most frequently in the neck and axillary region, and displayed a blood-filled thoracic duct, suggestive of retrograde filling of blood from the blood circulation into the lymphatic system. Histological and fluorescence-activated cell sorter analyses revealed normal lymph node organization with the presence of erythrocytes within lymph node lymphatic vessels but not surrounding high endothelial venules. Moreover, fluorescein isothiocyanate painting experiments revealed reduced dendritic cell migration to lymph nodes in Pdpn&Dgr;LEC mice. Conclusions— These results reveal an important role of podoplanin expressed by lymphatic vessels in preventing postnatal blood filling of the lymphatic vascular system and in contributing to efficient dendritic cell migration to the lymph nodes.
Cryptosporidiosis from a community swimming pool: outbreak investigation and follow-up study

SUMMARY Tri-County Health Department investigated an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis linked to a community swimming pool. A cohort study was conducted in 37 persons who were invited to the pool party; 12 (57%) of 21 attendees had primary cryptosporidiosis infection. Risk factors for illness included swimming, getting water in mouth, and swallowing water. The pool met chlorination guidelines and used UV light irradiation, a supplemental disinfection technology that inactivates Cryptosporidium. A follow-up survey of the cohort was completed 7–8 weeks after the pool party; four (25%) of 16 non-attendees had secondary cryptosporidiosis infection. The median duration of illness, including patients with recurring symptoms, was 26 days. Clinical response rate to nitazoxanide, a therapeutic agent, was 67%. This study is unique because it describes a cryptosporidiosis outbreak from a well-maintained community swimming pool using supplemental disinfection. It also reports information on disease burden and treatment response.
Intimacy , passion , and commitment in Chinese and US American romantic relationships

The purpose of the study was to examine the triangular theory of love in China and the United States. It was predicted that intimacy, passion, and commitment would increase in both cultures as the relationship becomes more serious. It was also predicted that intimacy and passion would be higher in romantic relationships in the US than in China, and that commitment would be higher in China than in the US. Data were collected from 90 Chinese romantic couples in China and 77 American romantic couples in the United States. Multivariate analysis of variance using summation scores revealed that commitment, passion, and intimacy increased as a romantic relationship became more serious. Passion was significantly higher in US American couples than in Chinese couples, but the amount of intimacy and commitment did not vary cross-culturally (using both summation and dispersion scores). # 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Analysis of Calcium Imaging Signals from the Honeybee Brain by Nonlinear Models

Recent Ca(2+)-imaging studies on the antennal lobe of the honeybee (Apis mellifera) have shown that olfactory stimuli evoke complex spatiotemporal changes of the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration, in which stimulus-dependent subsets of glomeruli are highlighted. In this work we use nonlinear models for the quantitative identification of the spatial and temporal properties of the Ca(2+)-dependent fluorescence signal. This technique describes time series of the Ca(2+) signal as a superposition of biophysically motivated model functions for photobleaching and Ca(2+) dynamics and provides optimal estimates of their amplitudes (signal strengths) and time constants together with error measures. Using this method, we can reliably identify two different stimulus-dependent signal components. Their delays and rise times, delta(c1) = (0.4 +/- 0.3) s, tau(c1) = (3.8 +/- 1.2) s for the fast component and delta(c2) = (2.4 +/- 0.6) s, tau(c2) = (10.3 +/- 3.2) s for the slow component, are constant over space and across different odors and animals. In chronological experiments, the amplitude of the fast (slow) component often decreases (increases) with time. The pattern of the Ca(2+) dynamics in space and time can be reliably described as a superposition of only two spatiotemporally separable patterns based on the fast and slow components. However, the distributions of both components over space turn out to differ from each other, and more work has to be done in order to specify their relationship with neuronal activity.