Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Capacity analysis of macro/microcellular CDMA with power ratio control and tilted antenna

The reverse link capacity is obtained analytically for macro/microcellular code-division multiple-access (CDMA) systems operating in the same frequency band. The focuses are on the ratio of required receive power of the macrocell base station (BS) to that of the microcell BS and the tilt angle of the microcell antenna to increase the system capacity. The microcell-to-macrocell interference is derived in closed form by geometric approximation, and the macrocell-to-microcell interference is calculated on the divided regions of macrocell. The optimal tilt angle is obtained by defining the minimum interference tradeoff factor that maximizes the system capacity. It is shown that the system capacity increases remarkably with power ratio control in macro/microcellular environments. Also, the properly chosen antenna tilt angle adds more capacity, and enables the microcell users to save on the transmit power.
A new system for scanning, measuring and analyzing dental casts based on a 3D holographic sensor.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the reliability of a new technique for measuring 3D-scanned orthodontic cast models with cross-section planes using teledent, a new software, developed at Technion - for the purpose of this research. EXPERIMENTAL VARIABLE Thirty orthodontic plaster models were divided into three equal groups according to severity of teeth crowding. Measurements of mesio-distal tooth width and the arch length were performed manually on the casts using a conventional caliper. Thereafter, the models were scanned and processed into the software using a 3-D measuring scanner with a holographic sensor 'ConoProbe' (by Optimet, Jerusalem, Israel). teledent used two types of digital measurements; linear and cross-section planes to perform a space analysis on the scanned teeth. Significance was determined by the paired Wilcoxon rank sum test. RESULTS Results show that 3D measurements of tooth width and arch length obtained by cross-section planes were generally similar to manual caliper measurements, while linear measurements were statistically smaller. When comparing space analysis, both digital measurements were statistically smaller than the caliper (p < 0.05). The difference in space analysis between the caliper and the cross-section plane measurements was very small (0.38-0.74 mm) and can be considered clinically acceptable. However, a difference of 1.19-3 mm between the linear measurements and the caliper might have clinical implications especially in severely crowded dentition. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that measurements performed by cross-section planes are as accurate as the manual caliper and can be employed clinically while the accuracy of linear measurements is sometimes questionable.
Subthalamic neuron activity related to tremor and movement in Parkinson's disease

Single cell activity recorded in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) of Parkinson's patients and the effect of tremor, passive and voluntary movement upon the same cells are described. Three types of cells were distinguished by the pattern of discharge: tonic, phasic and rhythmic. They all demonstrated high mean firing rates (65, 59 and 69 Hz, respectively). Simultaneous recordings of muscle activity and tremor helped in defining cell activity. The implantation of the definitive stimulating electrode in the patients was based on the number of STN cells related to tremor, active and passive movements (mean = 68%) along the track chosen. Cells were related to tremor (n = 21; 11%), modified the discharge with differences in the amplitude of tremor (n = 4), and changed the rate and pattern when tremor stopped spontaneously or artificially (n = 6). Movement‐related cells (n = 97; 51%) showed a cyclic activity correlated with phases of the movement, or modified the firing rate along the performance of the movement. Tremor and movement‐related cells (n = 11; 6%) revealed an interesting sensory‐motor integrative function.
Involvement of ARHGEF10, GEF for RhoA, in Rab6/Rab8-mediating membrane traffic

ABSTRACT Small GTPases play crucial roles in the maintenance of a homeostatic environment and appropriate movements of the cell. In these processes, the direct or indirect interaction between distinct small GTPases could be required for regulating mutual signaling pathways. In our recent study, ARHGEF10, known as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for RhoA, was indicated to interact with Rab6A and Rab8A, which are known to function in the exocytotic pathway, and colocalized with these Rabs at exocytotic vesicles. Moreover, it was suggested that ARHGEF10 is involved in the regulation of Rab6A and Rab8A localization and invasion of breast carcinoma cells, in which Rab8 also acts via regulation of membrane trafficking. These results may reveal the existence of a novel small GTPase cascade which connects the signaling of these Rabs with RhoA during membrane trafficking. In this mini-review, we consider the possible functions of ARHGEF10 and RhoA in the Rab6- and Rab8-mediated membrane trafficking pathway.
Ex vivo culture of circulating tumor cells using magnetic force‐based coculture on a fibroblast feeder layer

Phenotype‐based analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is a promising approach to identification of new therapeutic targets and to elucidation of the biological properties. Nonetheless, ex vivo culturing of CTCs is still a technical challenge. Here, we develop a novel ex vivo culture method for CTCs using a fibroblast feeder layer and a magnetic coculture protocol. CTCs in the blood of a mouse metastasis model are labeled magnetically with magnetite nanoparticles. The labeled CTCs are isolated by a magnetic capture column and a size‐selective capture filter. The isolated CTCs are positioned on a fibroblast feeder layer by the magnetic force. As a result, we observe adhesion and proliferation of the CTCs under the conditions of the fibroblast feeder layer and the magnetic force, whereas no adhesion or proliferation is observed without the feeder layer. After that, we culture the CTCs and obtain three CTC‐derived cell lines. Using these cell lines, we perform phenotype‐based analyses of invasiveness and drug resistance and find that the CTC‐derived cell lines are more malignant than the original cells. Thus, the proposed method would be a promising approach to ex vivo culture of CTCs for phenotype‐based analysis, and possibly used in cancer treatment.
Local delivery of liposome-encapsulated superoxide dismutase and catalase suppress periodontal inflammation in beagles.

BACKGROUND, AIMS The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of oxygen free radical scavengers on periodontal inflammation and healing process. METHOD Experimental periodontitis was induced by elastic ligatures around premolars (P2, P3, P4) and 1st molars (M1) in the upper and lower jaws of 15 beagle dogs. 9 months after the beginning of the experiment, the ligatures were removed. After 3 weeks of stabilization period, all teeth were supragingivally scaled. The animals were divided into 3 groups of 5 dogs. The 1st group received a liposome-encapsulated superoxide dismutase (SOD), the 2nd group a liposome-encapsulated catalase (CAT) and the 3rd group received both enzymes encapsulated in liposomes. 4 treatment modalities were tested in each group; i.e., supragingival scaling only (1), supragingival scaling and enzymes (2), supra- and sub-gingival scaling and root planing (3) and supra- and sub-gingival scaling and root planing with subgingival application of enzymes (4). Enzymes were delivered subgingivally on a daily basis for a period of 6 weeks. Gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), radiographic analysis and the histological evaluation were performed. RESULTS Around the teeth with scaling and root planing followed by the application of SOD, the greatest suppression of gingival inflammation (GI = 1.8 +/- 0.1 before versus GI = 1.2 +/- 0.2 after treatment) (p<0.003), the smallest size of connective tissue infiltrate (5.5 +/- 4.3%) (p<0.01), the greatest reduction of PD (PD= 3.2 +/- 1.0 mm before versus 2.00.7 mm after treatment) (p<0.001), and gain of CAL (CAL=3.0 +/- 1.7 mm before versus CAL=2.4 +/- 1.1 mm after treatment) (p<0.001) were observed. In addition, radiographic analysis showed the greatest alveolar bone apposition in the group of teeth treated with scaling and root planing followed by subgingival application of SOD or both enzymes (p<0.001). CONCLUSION In conclusion, we demonstrated that scaling and root planing with subgingival application of liposome-encapsulated SOD suppress peridontal inflammation on experimentally induced periodontitis in beagle dogs.
Comparison of E-cadherin with STAT3 and apoptosis regulators: Bak and Bcl-xL in endometrioid adenocarcinomas of different ER-alpha immunoprofile

Abstract E-cadherin is a factor of good prognosis in endometrioid adenocarcinomas, while STAT3 is an oncogenic driver of carcinogenesis. E-cadherin, Bak, Bcl-xL and STAT3 were immunohistochemically detected in 78 human endometrioid adenocarcinomas. E-cadherin correlated with STAT3 (p <. 001, r = 0.537) as well as Bak (p = .005, r = 0.314) and Bcl-xL (p = .002, r = 0.340) in the whole study group. In G2 tumors, E-cadherin associated with Bak (p = .021, r = 0.319), Bcl-xL (p = .026, r = 0.309) and STAT3 (p <.001, r = 0.513) but not in G3 adenocarcinomas. E-cadherin correlated with Bak and Bcl-xL in both G1- and estrogen receptor (ER)-negative tumors with significant relation of E-cadherin and STAT3 in G1- and ER-negative tumors. Antigrowth synergy of expression was preserved for antiapoptotic Bak and proliferation-suppressing E-cadherin in IA adenocarcinomas (p = .031, r = 0.342) with no significance between Bak and E-cadherin or STAT3 and emerging correlation between E-cadherin and Bcl-xL in IB + II tumors instead (p = .003, r = 0.472). E-cadherin correlated with Bak and Bcl-xL in ER-positive adenocarcinomas (p = .002, r = 0.382 and p <.001, r = 0.439, respectively) but not in ER-negative tumors. In conclusion, expression deregulation of studied proteins is reflected in selective loss of correlation between suppressors of tumor growth (E-cadherin and Bak) presumably due to progressing impairment of growth-inhibitory properties of clone of neoplastic cells within higher staging and poorer differentiation.
Floristic diversity assessment and vegetation analysis of tropical semievergreen forest of Manipur , north east India

The present paper aimed to study the floristic diversity of Dipterocarpus tuberculatus dominated forest of Manipur situated along the Indo-Myanmar Border, north-eastern India. A total of 123 species belonging to 48 families were recorded. The quantitative features such as density and importance value index of species varied greatly. In the present study the diversity index of shrubs and herbs were found to be higher than the tree species. The concentration of dominance was recorded highest in the tree species. The presence of low number of higher girth class of tree species and higher number of the saplings and seedlings indicates that the present forest is young exhibiting frequent regeneration. Resumen: El presente estudio se enfocó en el estudio de la diversidad florística del bosque dominado por Dipterocarpus tuberculatus de Manipur, situado a lo largo de la frontera India-Myanmar, nordeste de la India. Se registró un total de 123 especies pertenecientes a 48 familias. Las características cuantitativas como la densidad y el índice de valor de importancia de las especies variaron considerablemente. El índice de diversidad de arbustos y hierbas fue más alto que el de las especies arbóreas. La mayor concentración de la dominancia fue registrada para las especies arbóreas. La presencia de un número bajo de especies arbóreas de las clases perimétricas más grandes, así como un mayor número de juveniles y plántulas, indican que el bosque actual es joven, mostrando una regeneración frecuente. Resumo: O presente artigo tem por objectivo o estudo da diversidade florística da floresta de Manipur situada ao longo da fronteira Indo-Myanmar, Nordeste da Índia e dominada pela Dipterocarpus tuberculatus. Foram registadas um total de 123 espécies pertencendo a 48 famílias. Os dados mostraram que características quantitativas como a densidade, e o importante índice de valor das espécies eram bastante variáveis. Neste estudo encontrou-se que o índice de diversidade de arbustos e ervas era mais elevado do que os das espécies arbóreas. A concentração de dominância foi encontrada ser mais elevada nas espécies arbóreas. A presença de um pequeno número de espécies arbóreas de classes de perímetro elevadas e elevado número de germinantes e plântulas indica que esta floresta é jovem e exibindo regeneração frequente.
Absence of a Difference in the Neurosecretory Activity of Supraoptic Nucleus Vasopressin Neurons of Neuroleptic-Treated Schizophrenic Patients

Dysfunction in water intake and metabolism has frequently been reported in schizophrenia. The general population of schizophrenics under neuroleptic treatment secretes lower amounts of vasopressin than controls at comparable values of plasma osmolality. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the synthetic activity of vasopressin neurons of the dorsolateral supraoptic nucleus in schizophrenia on postmortem material using a battery of histochemical activity markers. Our material consisted of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded hypothalami from 5 schizophrenic patients under neuroleptic treatment and from 5 matched controls, obtained from The Netherlands’ Brain Bank. DSM-III or DSM-IV criteria were used for the clinical diagnosis. The histochemical markers used to study the neuronal activity of the magnocellular vasopressin-synthesizing neurons were: cell size, size of the Golgi apparatus, and expression of vasopressin and tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA by in situ hybridization. Morphometric evaluation and statistical analysis (Mann-Whitney U test) were performed. Our results showed no statistically significant differences in any of the neuronal activity markers between schizophrenic patients and controls. Therefore, the neurosecretory activity of vasopressin neurons of the dorsolateral part of the supraoptic nucleus does not appear to be changed in schizophrenic patients under medication. Since our sample did not include patients with reported polydipsia or hyponatremia, prospective investigation is needed to evaluate the above-mentioned neuronal activity markers in such a particular subgroup of schizophrenic patients.
Nanomolar Concentrations of Pregnenolone Sulfate Enhance Striatal Dopamine Overflow in Vivo

The balance between GABA-mediated inhibitory and glutamate-mediated excitatory synaptic transmission represents a fundamental mechanism for controlling nervous system function, and modulators that can alter this balance may participate in the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. Pregnenolone sulfate (PS) is a neuroactive steroid that can modulate the activity of ionotropic glutamate and GABAA receptors either positively or negatively, depending upon the particular receptor subtype, and modulates synaptic transmission in a variety of experimental systems. To evaluate the modulatory effect of PS in vivo, we infused PS into rat striatum for 20 min via a microdialysis probe while monitoring local extracellular dopamine (DA) levels. The results demonstrate that PS at low nanomolar concentrations significantly increases extracellular DA levels. The PS-induced increase in extracellular DA is antagonized by the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, d-AP5 [d-(-)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid], but not by the σ receptor antagonist, BD 1063 [1(-)[2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-ethyl]-4-methylpiperazine]. The results demonstrate that exogenous PS, at nanomolar concentrations, is able to increase DA overflow in the striatum through an NMDA receptor-mediated pathway.
Epidemiology of Onychomycosis in Pernambuco, Northeastern of Brazil: Results of a Laboratory-Based Survey

Onychomycosis is chronic ungual disease that affects people worldwide and whose prevalence has been increasing in recent decades. Among the etiological agents are yeasts, dermatophytes and non-dermatophytid filamentous fungi (NDFF). The symptoms and severity can vary widely according to the anatomic site, condition of the individual and geographic location. Laboratory identification of the fungal etiological agents is necessary due to the wide variety of these agents and the varied responses to the existing drugs. This study aimed to diagnose and characterize epidemiologically onychomycosis, besides of to determine the susceptibility profile against evaluable antifungals drugs. Patients of a Dermatological Public Service of reference at Recife city, Northeast of the Brazil, which were suffering from suggestive lesions were evaluated between August 2016 and July 2017. Mycological diagnosis was carried out by direct microscopic examination of clinical samples clarified with 20% potassium hydrochloride (KOH) and by culture in Sabouraud dextrose agar medium supplemented with 2% (v/v) chloramphenicol. After incubation for 15 days at 35-37 °C, the macro and microscopic aspects of the colonies were analyzed for specie identification. The yeasts were identified by proteomic analysis with MALDI-TOF MS. In vitro antifungal susceptibility testing was carried out according CLSI method. Signs and symptoms suggestive of onychomycosis were presented in 196 patients, of which were obtained 224 nail samples. In the mycological tests, 119 samples from 108 patients were diagnosed positively for onychomycosis, of them 77 (39.28%) from females, and the hand (fingernails) was the region most often affected, with 61 cases (31.12%). The etiological agents isolated most frequently were yeasts of Candida with 92 cases (77.31%), followed by non-dermatophytic fungi with 19 cases (15.97%), especially the genus Fusarium with 17 cases (14.28%), and dermatophytes with 8 cases (6.72%). Candida yeasts were the most prevalent etiological agents and the area most affected was the hand, associated with homemakers, who typically have greater contact with humidity. Onychomycosis caused by dermatophytes was least frequent, however terbinafine was the drug of choice for therapy in patients and in vitro more effective against dermatophytes. Most of the patients had been submitted to ineffective treatment. The yeasts were more susceptible to the antifungals and NDFF were the more resistant to the antifungals. The prescription of drug combinations can be a solution for treatment of onychomycosis caused by NDFF. The patients’ reports of longstanding symptoms indicate the chronic nature of the disease and the profile can change frequently, suggesting that periodic analyses are necessary. The frequent recurrences can be related to the high cost and long treatment periods, while public awareness campaigns can help to reduce infection rates.
Automation and evaluation of graduated dot maps

ABSTRACT Dot mapping is a traditional method for visualizing quantitative data, but current automated dot mapping techniques are limited. The most common automated method places dots pseudo-randomly within enumeration areas, which can result in overlapping dots and very dense dot clusters for areas with large values. These issues affect users’ ability to estimate values. Graduated dot maps use dots with different sizes that represent different values. With graduated dot maps the number of dots on a map is smaller, reducing the likelihood of overlapping dots. This research introduces an automated method of generating graduated dot maps that arranges dots with blue-noise patterns to avoid overlap and uses clustering algorithms to replace densely packed dots with those of larger sizes. A user study comparing graduated dot maps, pseudo-random dot maps, blue-noise dot maps and proportional circle maps with almost 300 participants was conducted. Results indicate that map users can more accurately extract values from graduated dot maps than from the other map types. This is likely due to the smaller number of dots per enumeration area in graduated dot maps. Map users also appear to prefer graduated dot maps over other map types.
When the times they’re not a changin’ : essays on the persistent effects of religion, investments, and ancestry on economic, social, and political behaviors at the subnational level

Les comportements politiques et sociaux tels que la participation politique, la confiance en autrui, l'engagement collectif, la prevention en sante, ou les attitudes vis a vis de la contraception, peuvent persister pendant de tres nombreuses annees. Cette these presente des travaux qui explorent et quantifient rigoureusement des instances de persistance dans ces comportements, en utilisant de nouvelles sources de donnees historiques et contemporaines. Les travaux presentes dans cette these contribuent a la litterature de trois manieres differentes. En premier lieu, ils presentent une nouvelle base de donnees sur la presence des missionnaires chretiens en Afrique et leurs investissements. Cette base de donnees est unique en ce qu'elle est entierement geocodee et presente des donnees a un niveau de desagregation tres fin. En deuxieme lieu, ces travaux mettent en avant de maniere originale des canaux de persistance dans le developpement qui ne sont pas attribuables aux differences institutionnelles. En troisieme lieu, en analysant la marge intensive de la diversite, ces travaux proposent aussi une nouvelle maniere d'aborder la question de l'endogeneite dans l'etude du role economique de la diversite des origines dans une societe. La premiere partie de cette these est un travail sur l'effet persistant sur le developpement de l'activite missionnaire en Afrique subsaharienne. La deuxieme partie de cette these etudie les conditions sociales qui font que les differences d'origine peuvent devenir une barriere a la reussite economique aux Etats-Unis.
New Insight into Amphotericin B Resistance in Aspergillus terreus

ABSTRACT Amphotericin B (AMB) is the predominant antifungal drug, but the mechanism of resistance is not well understood. We compared the in vivo virulence of an AMB-resistant Aspergillus terreus (ATR) isolate with that of an AMB-susceptible A. terreus isolate (ATS) using a murine model for disseminated aspergillosis. Furthermore, we analyzed the molecular basis of intrinsic AMB resistance in vitro by comparing the ergosterol content, cell-associated AMB levels, AMB-induced intracellular efflux, and prooxidant effects between ATR and ATS. Infection of immunosuppressed mice with ATS or ATR showed that the ATS strain was more lethal than the ATR strain. However, AMB treatment improved the outcome in ATS-infected mice while having no positive effect on the animals infected with ATR. The in vitro data demonstrated that ergosterol content is not the molecular basis for AMB resistance. ATR absorbed less AMB, discharged more intracellular compounds, and had better protection against oxidative damage than the susceptible strain. Our experiments showed that ergosterol content plays a minor role in intrinsic AMB resistance and is not directly associated with intracellular cell-associated AMB content. AMB might exert its antifungal activity by oxidative injury rather than by an increase in membrane permeation.
The complete mitochondrial genome of the melon fly Bactrocera cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae)

The mitochondrial genome of Bactrocera cucurbitae, a representative of the Tephritid family, was completely sequenced for the first time. The B. cucurbitae genome is a double-stranded circular molecule of 15,825 bp long, including the entire set of the 37 genes. The 72.9% A+T content and 0.047 AT-skew are within the range of the known dipteran genomes. Comparative analyses showed that dipteran mitochondrial protein-coding genes present complex evolutionary patterns. Some of the codon families were strongly biased towards J-strand. The mitochondrial ATP8 of B. cucurbitae exhibited a faster substitution rate than other genes. Cox1 is the slowest evolving protein and could be considered as a potential phylogenetic marker.