Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plasma membrane‐bound G protein–coupled bile acid receptor attenuates liver ischemia/reperfusion injury via the inhibition of toll‐like receptor 4 signaling in mice

The plasma membrane‐bound G protein–coupled bile acid receptor (TGR5) displays varied levels of expression in different tissues. TGR5‐induced liver protection has been demonstrated during several liver diseases, except during ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). Male adult wild‐type and TGR5 knockout (KO) mice were subjected to liver partial warm ischemia/reperfusion. Hepatic injury was evaluated based on serum alanine aminotransferase and serum aspartate aminotransferase. Liver histological injury and inflammatory cell infiltration were evaluated in tissue sections using liver immunohistochemical analysis. We used quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction to analyze the liver expression of inflammatory cytokines. The toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway and its related apoptotic molecules were investigated after reperfusion. Moreover, the effect of TGR5 on inflammation was determined with TGR5+/+ or TGR5−/− primary bone marrow–derived macrophages in vitro. TGR5 significantly attenuated liver damage after IRI. As demonstrated by in vivo experiments, TGR5 significantly reduced the up‐regulation of the TLR4–nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) pathway and inhibited caspase 8 activation after IRI. Later experiments showed that TGR5 KO significantly increased the expression of TLR4–NF‐κB signaling molecules and promoted hepatocellular apoptosis. In addition, in vitro experiments showed that overexpression of 6alpha‐ethyl‐23(S)‐methylcholic acid (INT‐777)–activated TGR5 directly down‐regulated tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) and interleukin (IL) 6 expression but up‐regulated IL10 expression in hypoxia/reoxygenation–induced primary TGR5+/+ macrophages. Moreover, the expression of TLR4–NF‐κB signaling molecules was significantly inhibited by the activation of TGR5. Importantly, these results were completely reversed in primary TGR5−/− macrophages. This work is the first to provide evidence for a TGR5‐inhibited inflammatory response in IRI through suppression of the TLR4–NF‐κB pathway, which may be critical in reducing related inflammatory molecules and modulating innate inflammation. Liver Transplantation 23:63–74 2017 AASLD.
Cosmogenic neutrinos from the propagation of ultrahigh energy nuclei

We calculate the flux of neutrinos generated by the propagation of ultrahigh energy nuclei over cosmological distances. The propagation takes into account the interactions with cosmic background radiations including the CMB and the most recent estimates of higher energy (infrared, optical, and ultraviolet) backgrounds. We assume that the composition of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) at the source is the same as the one observed at low energies. This assumption fits the present data well at the highest energies. We compare the cosmogenic neutrino flux from mixed composition sources to that from pure proton sources. We find that the neutrino flux in the mixed composition case has a high energy peak, mainly due to photopion production off CMB photons, of similar shape and amplitude to those in the proton case. At low energies both composition cases have significant neutrino flux with a peak around 1014.5 eV due to the higher energy backgrounds. The mixed composition case induces a higher flux of neutrinos at energies below 1013 eV due to the neutron decay component that extends down to low energies. Detection of diffuse neutrino fluxes at ultrahigh energies can strongly constrain the source distribution of UHECRs whereas fluxes at lower energies could be used to constrain confinement of VHE and UHE cosmic rays if combined with composition analysis from cosmic ray experiments.
Molecular epidemiology of meningococcal disease in England and Wales 1975–1995, before the introduction of serogroup C conjugate vaccines

A comprehensive meningococcal vaccine is yet to be developed. In the absence of a vaccine that immunizes against the serogroup B capsular polysaccharide, this can only be achieved by targeting subcapsular antigens, and a number of outer-membrane proteins (OMPs) are under consideration as candidates. A major obstacle to the development of such a vaccine is the antigenic diversity of these OMPs, and obtaining population data that accurately identify and catalogue these variants is an important component of vaccine design. The recently proposed meningococcal molecular strain-typing scheme indexes the diversity of two OMPs, PorA and FetA, that are vaccine candidates, as well as the capsule and multilocus sequence type. This scheme was employed to survey 323 meningococci isolated from invasive disease in England and Wales from 1975 to 1995, before the introduction of meningococcal conjugated serogroup C polysaccharide vaccines in 1999. The eight-locus typing scheme provided high typeability (99.4 %) and discrimination (Simpson's diversity index 0.94–0.99). The data showed cycling of meningococcal genotypes and antigenic types in the absence of planned interventions. Notwithstanding high genetic and antigenic diversity, most of the isolates belonged to one of seven clonal complexes, with 11 predominant strain types. Combinations of PorA and FetA, chosen on the basis of their prevalence over time, generated vaccine recipes that included protein variants found in 80 % or more of the disease isolates for this time period. If adequate immune responses can be generated, these results suggest that control of meningococcal disease with relatively simple protein component vaccines may be possible.
Why cognitive performance in ADHD may not reveal true potential: Findings from a large population-based sample

Abstract Focusing on symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a sample obtained from the general population, we aimed to investigate the effects of incentives and event rate on reaction time (RT) performance and response inhibition. We assessed 1156 children, at a mean age of 8 years, on their performance on an inhibition task and a RT task under different experimental conditions that manipulated event rate and incentives. Children with high ADHD (ADHD-H) symptoms showed cognitive performance deficits only under some of the experimental conditions compared to a control group. The fast-incentive condition of the RT task succeeded in normalizing the RT variability, as well as the slow overall speed, in the ADHD-H group. Analyses of ADHD symptom scores as a quantitative trait in the total sample were overall consistent with these findings. The findings suggest that at least some cognitive performance deficits in children with high ADHD symptoms do not reflect stable cognitive deficits. The degree to which cognitive impairments in ADHD can be modulated by energetic or motivational factors has important implications for clinical and educational interventions. (JINS, 2009, 15, 570–579.)
Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells and the Control of Herpesvirus Infections

Type-I interferons (IFN-I) are cytokines essential for vertebrate antiviral defense, including against herpesviruses. IFN-I have potent direct antiviral activities and also mediate a multiplicity of immunoregulatory functions, which can either promote or dampen antiviral adaptive immune responses. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are the professional producers of IFN-I in response to many viruses, including all of the herpesviruses tested. There is strong evidence that pDCs could play a major role in the initial orchestration of both innate and adaptive antiviral immune responses. Depending on their activation pattern, pDC responses may be either protective or detrimental to the host. Here, we summarize and discuss current knowledge regarding pDC implication in the physiopathology of mouse and human herpesvirus infections, and we discuss how pDC functions could be manipulated in immunotherapeutic settings to promote health over disease.
Does Traumatic Brain Injury Lead to Criminality? A Whole-Population Retrospective Cohort Study Using Linked Data

Background Traumatic brain injury (TBI) may be a risk factor for criminal behaviour however multiple factors potentially confound the association. Methods Record linkage and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to examine the association between hospital-recorded TBI (n = 7,694) and subsequent first criminal conviction in a retrospective cohort matched 1:3 with 22,905 unaffected community controls and full-sibling controls (n = 2,397). Aboriginality, substance abuse, social disadvantage, and mental illness were included in analyses as potential confounders Results In multivariable models, relative to general population controls, TBI was associated with any conviction (males: Hazard Ratio (HR) = 1·58 (95% CI 1·46 to 1·72); females: HR = 1·52 (95% CI 1·28 to 1·81)); and similar Hazard Ratios were obtained for the sibling analyses in males (HR = 1.68 (95% CI 1.31-2.18)) and females (HR 1.27 (95% CI 0.71-2.29)). TBI was also associated with violent convictions relative to the general population, (males: HR = 1.65 (95% CI 1.42 to 1.92); females HR = 1.73 (95% CI 1.21 to 2.47)), and in analyses with sibling controls in men (HR = 1.89 (95% CI 1.20-3.00)), but not in women (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.29-1.81)). Conclusion The results support a modest causal link between TBI and criminality after comprehensive adjustment for confounding. Reducing the rate of TBI, a major public health imperative, might have benefits in terms of crime reduction.
CITlab ARGUS for historical handwritten documents

We describe CITlab's recognition system for the HTRtS competition attached to the 14. International Conference on Frontiers in Handwriting Recognition, ICFHR 2014. The task comprises the recognition of historical handwritten documents. The core algorithms of our system are based on multi-dimensional recurrent neural networks (MDRNN) and connectionist temporal classification (CTC). The software modules behind that as well as the basic utility technologies are essentially powered by PLANET's ARGUS framework for intelligent text recognition and image processing.
The Fission Yeast FANCM Ortholog Directs Non-Crossover Recombination During Meiosis

No Crossing Over To ensure the correct division of chromosome during the reduction division of meiosis, homologous chromosomes undergo double-strand breaks that—through crossing over and recombination—link the homologs together (and importantly introduce diversity into the genomes of gametes). But only a minority of these crossovers results in recombination—most are directed into non-crossover pathways. Lorenz et al. (p. 1585), working in the yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and Crismani et al. (p. 1588), working in the higher plant Arabidopsis thaliana, looked for the factors that limit crossovers and promote non-crossover pathways. The homolog of the human Fanconi anemia complementation group M (FANCM) helicase protein was found to be a major meiotic anti-recombinase, which could drive meiotic recombination intermediates into the non-crossover pathway. A homolog of a human Fanconi anemia complementation group protein is involved in controlling crossing over during meiosis. The formation of healthy gametes depends on programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), which are each repaired as a crossover (CO) or non-crossover (NCO) from a homologous template. Although most of these DSBs are repaired without giving COs, little is known about the genetic requirements of NCO-specific recombination. We show that Fml1, the Fanconi anemia complementation group M (FANCM)–ortholog of Schizosaccharomyces pombe, directs the formation of NCOs during meiosis in competition with the Mus81-dependent pro-CO pathway. We also define the Rad51/Dmc1–mediator Swi5-Sfr1 as a major determinant in biasing the recombination process in favor of Mus81, to ensure the appropriate amount of COs to guide meiotic chromosome segregation. The conservation of these proteins from yeast to humans suggests that this interplay may be a general feature of meiotic recombination.
Physical performance analysis and progress of the development of the negative ion RF source for the ITER NBI system

For heating and current drive the neutral beam injection (NBI) system for ITER requires a 1 MeV deuterium beam for up to 1 h pulse length. In order to inject the required 17 MW the large area source (1.9 m × 0.9 m) has to deliver 40 A of negative ion current at the specified source pressure of 0.3 Pa. In 2007, the IPP RF driven negative hydrogen ion source was chosen by the ITER board as the new reference source for the ITER NBI system due to, in principle, its maintenance free operation and the progress in the RF source development. The performance analysis of the IPP RF sources is strongly supported by an extensive diagnostic program and modelling of the source and beam extraction. The control of the plasma chemistry and the processes in the plasma region near the extraction system are the most critical topics for source optimization both for long pulse operation as well as for the source homogeneity. The long pulse stability has been demonstrated at the test facility MANITU which is now operating routinely at stable pulses of up to 10 min with parameters near the ITER requirements. A quite uniform plasma illumination of a large area source (0.8 m × 0.8 m) has been demonstrated at the ion source test facility RADI. The new test facility ELISE presently planned at IPP is being designed for long pulse plasma operation and short pulse, but large-scale extraction from a half-size ITER source which is an important intermediate step towards ITER NBI.
Influence of perceptional quality of stimulus on event-related potential P300 during mental rotation

AIM: To observe the effects of visual noise on the mental rotation. METHODS: The reaction time and event-related potentials (ERP) were recorded when 8 healthy male college students were tested by mental rotation task. Stimuli were white words on a black background without visual noise and white words on a gray background with visual noise. RESULTS: With the increase of the rotation angle from 0° to 180° the average amplitude of P300 in Pz changed from (13.3±2.6) μV to (10.8±1.9) μV. The average latency of P300 changed from (504±65) ms to (601±53) ms; there was significant difference in the latency (P0.05). The average amplitude of P300 in Cz changed from (9.8±2.3) μV to (9.0±2.8) μV. The average latency of P300 changed from (561±52) ms to (614±56) ms; there was significant difference in the average latency (P0.05). CONCLUSION: With the increase of rotation angle,the amplitude of P300 becomes more negative. The reduced percep-tual quality delays the onset of the mental rotation, and the onset of the amplitude modulation of P300 was also delayed.
A fast method for distinguishing between ordered and chaotic orbits.

Wedescribe a newmethod of distinguishing between ordered and chaotic orbits, which is much faster than the methods used up to now, namely (1) the distribution of the Poincare consequents, (2) the Lyapunov characteristic number and (3) the distribution of the rotation angles. This method is based on the distribution of the helicity angles (the angles of small deviations ξ from a given orbit with a fixed direction), or of the twist angles (the differences of successive helicity angles), and the stretching numbers (the logarithms of the ratios of successive deviations | ξ |, also called ’short time Lyapunov characteristic numbers’). We apply this method to 2-D mappings and 4-D mappings, representing Hamiltonian systems of 2 and 3 degrees of freedom respectively.
World Graph Formalism for Feynman Amplitudes

A unified treatment of Schwinger parametrised Feynman amplitudes is suggested which addresses vertices of arbitrary order on the same footing as propagators. Contributions from distinct diagrams are organised collectively. The scheme is based on the continuous graph Laplacian. The analogy to a classical statistical diffusion system of vector charges on the graph is explored.
The Moderating Role of Autonomous Motivation on the Relationship between Subjective Well-Being and Physical Health

The purpose of this study was to investigate the moderator effects of autonomous motivation on the relationship between subjective well-being and physical health. Using a cluster sampling approach 486 students (403 female and 83 male students) were included in this study. Subjective well-being, physical health and autonomous motivation were determined by self-report measures. Data were analysed using hierarchical regression analysis and analysis of variance. The results show that high self-determination moderates the relationship between high subjective well-being and physical health. Accordingly, the best physical health was reported by participants who had high level of subjective well-being and whose behaviours were self-determined. Additional analyses have shown that the moderating effect of self-determination is based on the moderational impact of autonomous motives and not the controlling ones. Additionally, whether autonomous motivation moderates the relationship between components of subjective well-being and physical health was also tested. The findings have shown that autonomous motives moderate relationship between physical health and one component of well-being, positive affect. Consequently, a good physical health was found among participants with high positive affect and behaviours regulated by high degree of autonomous motives. Conclusion which can be drawn from these findings is that if an individual behaves autonomously then it can contribute to positive mind—body influences and support their own health.
Design Techniques for Planning Navigational Systems in 3-D Video Games

Navigation is an essential element of many high-budget games (known as AAA titles). In such products, players are expected to walk through and interact with aesthetically rich 3-D spaces. Therefore, designers should provide meaningful information to guide the users within a challenging environment. While there has been much research on both games and 3-D environments, there is very little research investigating design techniques used to guide players through 3-D game worlds. This paper is focused on proposing a set of navigational patterns or techniques currently used in commercial 3-D action-adventure titles. These design techniques are composed of [a] 21 patterns used to aid navigation, [b] three level design choices affecting navigation, and [c] eight game mechanics related to navigation. We uncovered these design techniques through a detailed analysis of 21 3-D action-adventure games. This contribution has several important facets. First, the set of design techniques and terminology proposed here can be used as a training construct to teach 3-D game and environment design. Second, it can also be used as a toolset for designers. Third, it will provide an important start for a formal vocabulary that can be used by designers and researchers discussing navigation in 3-D games.
The Cost of Critique: In(ter)vention and Ethical Violence in Kristeva and Benjamin

ABSTRACT In this essay we argue that there is an important but frequently overlooked link between Walter Benjamin’s and Julia Kristeva’s attempts to explore new modes of critical practice. What connects Benjamin and Kristeva, in our account, is a vital concern with the cost of critique, that is, with the question whether critical agency in its most productive modes is inherently related to certain forms of ethical violence. We aim to show that, once we read them together, these authors’ pivotal contribution consists of offering an alternative model of critique animated by an ethos of in(ter)-vention, which is keyed to techniques of criticism that are both disruptive and innovative. Ethical violence here refers to a strategic displacement of moral self-perception, which undercuts people’s aspirations toward maintaining a morally robust character in the face of political adversity and social injustice. To illustrate the stakes of such displacement, we turn to the figure of the ‘anti-journalist’ Karl Kraus whose in(ter)ventions display integrity in action rather than integrity of character. Specifically, under the rubric of ethical violence, we propose a dynamic interpretation of Kraus’ performance in terms of polemical witnessing, which combines the corrosive aspects of Benjamin’s ‘destructive character’ with the constructive aspects contained in Kristeva’s notions of ‘sharing singularity’ and ‘intimate revolt’.
Molecular characterization and phylogeny of Linguatula serrata (Pentastomida: Linguatulidae) based on the nuclear 18S rDNA and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I gene

Linguatula serrata, a cosmopolitan parasite, is commonly known as tongue worm belonging to the subclass Pentastomida.We collected the nymphal stage of the worm from mesenteric lymph nodes of cattle and identified these as L. serrata based on morphology and morphometry. The 18S rDNA sequences showed no intraspecific variation, although cox1 sequences showed 99.7–99.9% homology. In the phylogenies inferred from both gene loci, members of the genus Linguatula (order Porocephalida) were closer to those of the order Cephalobaenida than to those of Porocephalida, reflecting a mismatch with the corresponding morphology-based taxonomy. Accordingly, analyses of additional gene loci using a larger number of taxa across the Pentastomida should be undertaken to determine an accurate phylogenetic position within the Arthropoda.
Emergence of resting state networks in the preterm human brain

The functions of the resting state networks (RSNs) revealed by functional MRI remain unclear, but it has seemed possible that networks emerge in parallel with the development of related cognitive functions. We tested the alternative hypothesis: that the full repertoire of resting state dynamics emerges during the period of rapid neural growth before the normal time of birth at term (around 40 wk of gestation). We used a series of independent analytical techniques to map in detail the development of different networks in 70 infants born between 29 and 43 wk of postmenstrual age (PMA). We characterized and charted the development of RSNs from recognizable but often fragmentary elements at 30 wk of PMA to full facsimiles of adult patterns at term. Visual, auditory, somatosensory, motor, default mode, frontoparietal, and executive control networks developed at different rates; however, by term, complete networks were present, several of which were integrated with thalamic activity. These results place the emergence of RSNs largely during the period of rapid neural growth in the third trimester of gestation, suggesting that they are formed before the acquisition of cognitive competencies in later childhood.