Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A touchy subject: advancing the modulated visual pathways account of altered vision near the hand

Abstract A growing body of evidence demonstrates that human vision operates differently in the space near and on the hands; for example, early findings in this literature reported that rapid onsets are detected faster near the hands, and that objects are searched more thoroughly. These and many other effects were attributed to enhanced attention via the recruitment of bimodal visual-tactile neurons representing the hand and near-hand space. However, recent research supports an alternative account: stimuli near the hands are preferentially processed by the action-oriented magnocellular visual pathway at the expense of processing in the parvocellular pathway. This Modulated Visual Pathways (MVP) account of altered vision near the hands describes a hand position-dependent trade-off between the two main retinal-cortical visual pathways between the eye and brain. The MVP account explains past findings and makes new predictions regarding near-hand vision supported by new research.
Very Wide Range Frequency Synthesizer Architecture for Avionic SDR Applications

This paper presents a very wide range frequency synthesizer architecture appropriate to avionic software defined radio (SDR) applications. The synthesizer generates a continuous carrier frequencies range between 187 MHz and 12.2 GHz that covers most of avionic communication applications. The covered range is distributed into twenty sub- bands by using a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). The considered VCO is able to achieve a tuning range from 10 GHz to 12 GHz (18.2%) and from 7 GHz to 8.5 GHz (19.35%). It includes a capacitor bank, varactors, and switched inductors and is designed in 0.13 μm CMOS technology. Using the advanced design system (ADS) simulation tool and SpectreRF simulator, the proposed VCO exhibits a phase noise of -125 dBc/Hz at 12 GHz and at a 10 MHz offset frequency with a power consumption of 4.1 mW. At 10 GHz, the simulated synthesizer phase noise is of -102 dBc/Hz at a 1 MHz frequency offset. In addition, the loop bandwidth of the phase locked loop (PLL) is 1.1 MHz whereas the settling time is 3.64 μs.
Frequent biclonality and Ig gene alterations among B cell lymphomas that show multiple histologic forms

Configurations of Ig gene DNA were examined in multiple biopsy specimens from seven cases of human B cell lymphoma that showed histologic differences among the specimens within each case. Analysis by Southern blot hybridizations with DNA probes for each of the three Ig loci revealed that the configurations of DNA within these loci were identical among the specimens in two of the cases. This result indicated the monoclonality of these lymphomas, despite differences in histology between biopsy specimens. In contrast, no common nongermline configurations of Ig gene DNA were detected among multiple biopsies in each of three other cases. Therefore, different histologies correlated with separate clones of proliferating B cells in these cases. In the last two cases, the configurations of light chain gene DNA were the same among biopsies in each case, consistent with a monoclonal origin in both lymphomas. However, differences were detected in the configuration of the heavy chain gene DNA. Analysis with a series of DNA probes of the mu heavy chain region indicated that the differences in the DNA configurations of the heavy chain genes from the biopsies probably arose from postrearrangement deletions of either the switch or constant regions of the mu gene. These studies indicate that, contrary to the conventional belief, individual tumors that contain different histologic types of lymphoma within the same patient frequently arise from separate clones of neoplastic cells. Furthermore, the heavy chain genes of monoclonal tumors may show postrearrangement deletions, often resulting from instability of DNA sequences within or around the mu switch region.
Physical Self-Concept and Its Relationship to Exercise Dependence Symptoms in Young Regular Physical Exercisers

The study aimed to investigate whether certain physical self-concept predicted exercise dependence among young regular exercisers using a multidimensional prospective. One hundred fifty-two regular gym users, 78 were male and 74 female, completed: Physical Self-Description Questionnaire (PSDQ), Exercise Dependence Scale-21 (EDS-21), and Eating Disorder Inventory–2 (EDI-2). Correlation and regression analyses were calculated to determine the relationship between physical self-concept and exercise dependence behaviors. Significant correlations were found, confirming that exercise dependence symptoms and physical self-concept domains were related each other. In addition, results showed that multidimensional model of self-concept is a strong predictor for exercise dependence both for male and female.
Microdistribution of specific rat monoclonal antibodies to mouse tissues and human tumor xenografts.

Detailed evaluations of the microdistribution of 125I-labeled monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) to normal tissue antigens were conducted in BALB/c mice. MoAb 273-34A, which binds to a target molecule on the lumenal surface of lung endothelial cells, localizes quickly and efficiently throughout the lung vasculature. MoAb 133-13A, which binds to an antigen on macrophage-like cells expressed in nearly equal amounts in lung, liver, and spleen, localizes most efficiently to spleen and less well to liver and lung. The microdistribution of MoAb 133-13A in liver and spleen is consistent with the antigen distribution in these organs, but in the lung a more diffuse microdistribution is observed, indicating poor access of MoAb to the antigen-positive alveolar macrophages. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that tight endothelium (lung) represents a significant barrier to extravasation of MoAb into tissue while fenestrated (spleen) and sinusoidal (liver) endothelium are more easily penetrated. In human tumor bearing nu/nu mice, the microdistribution of MoAb to the beta 4 and alpha 6 subunits of integrin was studied. These MoAbs do not cross-react with murine integrins and thus are tumor-specific in the nu/nu mouse model. Localization of 125I-labeled MoAb 450-11A, which reacts with an intercellular domain of beta 4 integrin, is very weak and diffuse. All MoAbs to extracellular domains (mouse 450-9D, 450-30A1, and rat 439-9B) localize well to the tumor. Microdistribution of these MoAbs in the 3 different tumors is nonuniform with heavy distribution near the blood vessels, whereas antigen distribution as determined by immunoperoxidase shows a much more uniform pattern throughout the tumors. In experiments with 125I-labeled MoAb 439-9B F(ab')2, the nonuniform pattern of distribution was not changed. Gross and microdistribution of different doses of 125I-labeled MoAb 439-9B were studied. The percent of injected dose per g of MoAb in the tumor at 48 h did not vary significantly (P greater than 0.1) up to a dose of 500 micrograms/mouse, and active MoAb was recovered in comparable amounts in the serum from animals in all doses. In contrast, the microdistribution of MoAb at the high dose was different than that at low doses. At doses up to 100 micrograms/mouse, a perivascular pattern was obtained, whereas at 500 micrograms/mouse the 125I-labeled MoAb was distributed nearly evenly throughout the tumor. These data indicate that high doses of MoAb penetrate deeply into portions of the tumor that are distant from blood vessels. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Effects of Aerobic Training on Heart Rate Dynamics in Sedentary Subjects.

This study was designed to assess the effects of moderate- and high-volume aerobic training on the time domain and on spectral and fractal heart rate (HR) variability indexes. Sedentary subjects were randomized into groups with moderate-volume training (n = 20), high-volume training (n = 20), and controls (n = 15). The training period was 8 wk, including 6 sessions/wk at an intensity of 70-80% of the maximum HR, lasting for 30 min/session in the moderate-volume group and 60 min/session in the high-volume group. Time domain, frequency domain, and short-term fractal scaling measures of HR variability were analyzed over a 24-h period. Mean HR decreased from 70 +/- 7 to 64 +/- 8 beats/min and from 67 +/- 5 to 60 +/- 6 beats/min (P < 0.001 for both) for the moderate- and high-volume training groups, respectively. The normalized high-frequency spectral component increased in both groups (P < 0.05). The normalized low-frequency component decreased significantly (P < 0.05), resulting in a marked decrease in low frequency-to-high frequency ratio in both groups. In addition, short-term scaling exponent decreased in both groups (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the changes of HR variability indexes between groups. Aerobic training in sedentary subjects results in altered autonomic regulation of HR toward vagal dominance. A moderate training volume is a sufficient intervention to induce these beneficial effects.
Impact of vitamin D3 on cutaneous immunity and antimicrobial peptide expression

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are effectors of cutaneous innate immunity and protect primarily against microbial infections. An array of AMPs can be found in and on the skin. Those include peptides that were first discovered for their antimicrobial properties but also proteins with antimicrobial activity first characterized for their activity as chemokines, enzymes, enzyme inhibitors and neuropeptides. Cathelicidins were among the first families of AMPs discovered in skin. They are now known to exert a dual role in innate immune defense: they have direct antimicrobial activity and will also initiate a host cellular response resulting in cytokine release, inflammation and angiogenesis. Altered cathelicidin expression and function was observed in several common inflammatory skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis, rosacea and psoriasis. Until recently the molecular mechanisms underlying cathelicidin regulation were not known. Lately, vitamin D3 was identified as the major regulator of cathelicidin expression and entered the spotlight as an immune modulator with impact on both, innate and adaptive immunity. Therapies targeting vitamin D3 signalling may provide novel approaches for the treatment of infectious and inflammatory skin diseases by affecting both innate and adaptive immune functions through AMP regulation.
Visuoconstructional Abilities in Cognitively Healthy Illiterate Turkish Immigrants: A Quantitative and Qualitative Investigation

Assessment of visuospatial function is an integral part of most neuropsychological assessments and is frequently assessed by visuoconstructional tests. A significant impact of limited schooling and illiteracy has been found on numerous neuropsychological tests and it can be difficult to interpret test results from illiterate individuals. In this study, quantitative and qualitative aspects of performance of elderly cognitively healthy illiterate and literate Turkish immigrants were compared on five commonly used visuoconstructional tests. Significantly poorer performances of illiterate compared to literate subjects were found in copying of two- and three-dimensional geometric designs, and in Clock Drawing Test performance. A systematic qualitative analysis found lacking three-dimensionality, “curved angles”, omissions, distorted relation between elements, and spatial disorganization to be common error types in illiterate subjects. Performances were not found to be influenced by duration of residence in Denmark or level of acculturation. The results warrant caution in the interpretation of visuoconstructional test performances in illiterate subjects, as they can easily be misinterpreted as signs of cognitive dysfunction.
Neural regulation of the time course for cocaine‐cue extinction consolidation in rats

Sites within the hippocampus, amygdala and prefrontal cortex may regulate how responses maintained by cues associated with cocaine are extinguished. To test the role of various brain sites in the consolidation of cocaine‐cue extinction learning, the dorsal subiculum (dSUB), rostral basolateral amygdala (rBLA) and infralimbic prefrontal cortex (IL) were manipulated in rats. Following cocaine self‐administration training (cues present, cocaine available), responding was assessed during 1‐h extinction tests (cues present, no cocaine available). To study extinction consolidation specifically, the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin or vehicle was infused bilaterally into the dSUB, rBLA or IL either immediately following or 6 h after the first two of three extinction training sessions. With manipulations made immediately after extinction sessions, infusions of anisomycin into the dSUB or the rBLA deterred extinction. Rats maintained elevated levels of cocaine seeking relative to vehicle despite the absence of cocaine delivery. Manipulations of IL had no effect. Control studies showed that bilateral protein synthesis inhibition in dSUB and rBLA 6 h after the extinction sessions ended was unable to deter extinction. Rats reduced cocaine seeking in the usual manner in the absence of cocaine delivery. Collectively, these findings suggest that the dSUB and rBLA are neural substrates important for consolidation of cocaine‐cue extinction learning and have time‐dependent roles. Understanding the contribution of individual neural substrates for cocaine‐cue extinction consolidation may help guide treatment strategies aimed at enhancing cue exposure therapy in cocaine‐dependent people.
Online reconfiguration in replicated databases based on group communication

Over the last years, many replica control protocols have been developed that take advantage of the ordering and reliability semantics of group communication primitives to simplify database system design and to improve performance. Although current solutions are able to mask site failures effectively, many of them are unable to cope with recovery of failed sites, merging of partitions, or joining of new sites. This paper addresses this important issue. It proposes efficient solutions for online system reconfiguration providing new sites with a current state of the database without interrupting transaction processing in the rest of the system. Furthermore, the paper analyzes the impact of cascading reconfigurations, and argues that they call be handled in an elegant way by extended forms of group communication.
Genetic and morphometric differentiation between island and mainland southern elephant seal populations

We compare genetic (both nuclear and mitochondrial) and morphometric measures between two putative populations of southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina), and interpret the results in the context of data from mark-recapture and satellite-telemetric studies. One population is on the Argentine mainland, while the other is 2400 km away on South Georgia island. We found pronounced differentiation at the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region that was distinct from the pattern of variation seen among island rookeries. Some morphometric characters and seven out of ten nuclear-DNA markers also showed differentiation between the island and mainland sites. Diversity at nuclear markers was high in both populations but mtDNA diversity was low in the mainland population, suggesting a founder event and little subsequent immigration of females. Morphological differences may suggest different selective environments at the two sites.
Arabidopsis Transcription Factor ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL5 Plays a Role in the Feedback Regulation of Phytochrome A Signaling[C][W]

This work reveals that Arabidopsis HY5, a well-characterized bZIP transcription factor involved in promoting photomorphogenesis, directly represses FHY1/FHL transcription in far-red light by negatively modulating the activities of two positive transcriptional activators FHY3 and FAR1. Phytochrome A (phyA) is the primary photoreceptor responsible for perceiving and mediating various responses to far-red light in Arabidopsis thaliana. FAR-RED ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL1 (FHY1) and its homolog FHY1-LIKE (FHL) are two small plant-specific proteins essential for light-regulated phyA nuclear accumulation and subsequent phyA signaling processes. FHY3 and its homolog FAR-RED IMPAIRED RESPONSE1 (FAR1) are two transposase-derived transcription factors that directly activate FHY1/FHL transcription and thus mediate subsequent phyA nuclear accumulation and responses. Here, we report that ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL5 (HY5), a well-characterized bZIP transcription factor involved in promoting photomorphogenesis, directly binds ACGT-containing elements a few base pairs away from the FHY3/FAR1 binding sites in the FHY1/FHL promoters. We demonstrate that HY5 physically interacts with FHY3/FAR1 through their respective DNA binding domains and negatively regulates FHY3/FAR1-activated FHY1/FHL expression under far-red light. Together, our data show that HY5 plays a role in negative feedback regulation of phyA signaling by attenuating FHY3/FAR1-activated FHY1/FHL expression, providing a mechanism for fine-tuning phyA signaling homeostasis.
Thermal and kinematic corrections to the microwave background polarization induced by galaxy clusters along the line of sight

We derive analytic expressions for the leading-order corrections to the polarization induced in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) owing to scattering of photons off hot electrons in galaxy clusters along the line of sight. For a thermal distribution of electrons with kinetic temperature kBTe∼10 keV and bulk peculiar velocity V∼1000 km s−1, the dominant corrections to the polarization induced by the primordial CMB quadrupole and the cluster peculiar velocity arise from electron thermal motion and are at the level of ∼10 per cent in each case, near the peak of the polarization signal. When more sensitive measurements become feasible, these effects will be significant for the determination of transverse peculiar velocities, and the value of the CMB quadrupole at the cluster redshift, via the cluster polarization route.
Fluoroscopically guided balloon dilation for pharyngoesophageal stricture after radiation therapy in patients with head and neck cancer.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this article is to assess the safety and long-term efficacy of fluoroscopically guided balloon dilation for pharyngoesophageal strictures after radiation therapy in patients with head and neck cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS From April 1997 to February 2009, fluoroscopically guided balloon dilation was performed in 17 patients with pharyngoesophageal strictures caused by radiation therapy. Technical success, clinical success (decrease of at least one grade in dysphagia score and good contrast passage on 1-month follow-up esophagogram), recurrence of dysphagia, and complications related to the procedure were retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS All 17 patients underwent 41 balloon dilation procedures, with each patient undergoing one to seven procedures (mean, 2.4 procedures). The technical success rate was 100%, and clinical success was achieved in 64.7% (11/17) of the patients. Five patients (29.4%) showed no recurrence of dysphagia after one session of balloon dilation. Of 12 patients (70.6%) with recurrence of dysphagia, 10 underwent repeat balloon dilation and two underwent gastrostomy after the first session of balloon dilation. The maximum balloon diameters were 15 mm (n = 22), 20 mm (n = 16), and 25 mm (n = 3). As minor complications, three cases of type 1 esophageal rupture occurred in two patients (11.8%). There were no major complications. CONCLUSION Although the recurrence rate was high with repeat balloon dilation, fluoroscopically guided balloon dilation seems to be a simple and safe primary treatment technique for pharyngoesophageal stricture due to radiation therapy in patients with head and neck cancer.
INFLUENCE OF PACKAGING CONDITIONS ON THE TEXTURAL AND SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS, MICROSTRUCTURE AND COLOR OF INDUSTRIALLY PRODUCED TURKISH WHITE CHEESE DURING RIPENING

A full-fat Turkish white cheese was manufactured on an industrial scale and then packaged in a polystyrene container with brine containing 12% salt or a plastic pouch sealed under vacuum, before ripening for 90 days. With regard to textural characteristics, packaging in a plastic pouch resulted in cheeses with significantly higher hardness and cohesiveness (P 0.05), but the taste and odor scores decreased in the cheeses packaged with the plastic pouch (P < 0.05) in the 60th and 90th days. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Turkish white cheese is generally ripened for 3 months in brine and marketed in a can or polystyrene package containing brine. Recently, cheese molds have been packaged in a plastic pouch without brine. The textural and sensory characteristics and color of the industrially produced Turkish white cheese packaged in a plastic pouch under vacuum or polystyrene container with brine were examined during storage. Higher hardness and cohesiveness was obtained by packaging in a plastic pouch; a more yellow color was also detected in the cheese with a plastic pouch. Sensory characteristics were not influenced by the packaging conditions during the first 45 days of storage, however, the taste and odor scores of the cheese with a plastic pouch were lower after 60 and 90 days.
Lactotripeptides do not lower ambulatory blood pressure in untreated whites: results from 2 controlled multicenter crossover studies.

BACKGROUND Dietary factors directly influence blood pressure (BP). The lactotripeptides (LTPs) IPP (isoleucine-proline-proline) and VPP (valine-proline-proline), formed by hydrolyzing dairy proteins, and potassium, a mineral mainly found in fruit, vegetables, and dairy products, are extensively studied for their BP-lowering effect. The efficacy of LTPs seems modest in whites compared with that in Asians. OBJECTIVE The objective was to study the effects of enzymatically produced LTPs alone or in combination with potassium on ambulatory BP in whites. DESIGN Two multicenter, placebo-controlled, randomized, crossover studies were conducted; each consisted of two 4-wk intervention periods separated by a 4-wk washout period. In study 1, 69 subjects received 200 g/d of a dairy drink with 5.8 mg IPP and 4.4 mg VPP or placebo. In study 2, 93 subjects received 100 g/d of a dairy drink with 2.7 mg IPP, 1.9 mg VPP, and 350 mg added K or placebo. The subjects were randomly assigned according to their daytime ambulatory BP. RESULTS Mean 24-h systolic and diastolic BP (baseline values-study 1: 137.1/81.6 mm Hg; study 2: 139.2/80.9 mm Hg) remained similar with no significant differences between treatments in either study (P > 0.10). Office BP decreased over the course of both studies (systolic BP > 5 mm Hg), but differences between interventions were not significant (P > 0.10). In both studies, nighttime BP dipped during all treatments (> or =15%) but was statistically more significant with placebo (P < 0.05). Sodium excretion increased significantly after consumption of LTPs and potassium compared with after placebo intervention (P = 0.01), but not after consumption of LTPs alone. CONCLUSION The data do not support a BP-lowering effect of LTPs in whites.