Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Achievable motorcycle trajectories

The authors show that a (simple, nonholonomic) motorcycle can exactly track a large class of smooth trajectories in the plane. Instability and nontrivial dynamic coupling make the exploration of aggressive motorcycle trajectories a rather challenging task. Previously (Hauser et al., 2004), we developed optimization techniques for constructing a suitable roll trajectory that (approximately) implements the desired plane trajectory. In that work, we found that the tracking error is usually quite small leading to the natural question: Given a smooth trajectory in the plane, does there exist a bounded roll trajectory that allows a simple motorcycle model to exactly track the plane trajectory? In this paper, we develop a technique for proving that such exact tracking is possible and apply it to a number of example cases. Our technique is based on the nonlinear system inversion work of Devasia and Paden (1998). Indeed, our algorithm is in the class that they propose. Unfortunately, we have been unable to directly use their results as the motorcycle system does not appear to satisfy the specific conditions required.
Facing a prostate cancer diagnosis

The psychological adaptation to a cancer diagnosis is characterized by significant distress. Although distress levels in cancer patients have been reported to be the highest shortly after diagnosis and before treatment, few attempts have been made to study emotional adjustment during the diagnostic period of prostate cancer patients. This study's purpose was to determine whether differences in distress levels can be attributed to differences in diagnostic status, optimism, and/or coping strategies.
Effect of dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on experimental periodontitis in the mouse.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Periodontitis is an infective disease caused predominantly by gram-negative anerobes. The host inflammatory response to these bacteria causes alveolar bone loss, which characterizes periodontitis. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have recognized anti-inflammatory effects; their oxygenated derivatives are key mediators in reducing inflammation. In this study we tested the hypothesis that dietary supplementation with tuna fish oil rich in the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid, would reduce alveolar bone loss in mice inoculated with periodontopathic bacteria. MATERIAL AND METHODS Adult mice were fed experimental diets containing either 10% tuna oil or Sunola oil for 57 d. After 14 d, 35 mice on each diet were inoculated orally with Porphyromonas gingivalis, with a mixture of P. gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum, with carboxymethylcellulose or remained untreated. The mice were killed, and soft tissue biopsies from the oral cavity of treated mice were used to determine the polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations. The maxilla was removed, stained and digitally imaged to assess bone loss around the upper molars. RESULTS n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels were significantly higher in oral soft tissues of mice fed tuna oil compared with the control group. Mice fed tuna oil and inoculated with P. gingivalis or with the combination of F. nucleatum and P. gingivalis exhibited 72% and 54% less alveolar bone loss respectively, compared with the treatment control group. CONCLUSION Alveolar bone loss was inversely related to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid tissue levels. In conclusion, fish oil dietary supplementation may have potential benefits as a host modulatory agent in the prevention and/or adjunctive management of periodontitis.
Successive emergence of two CD 8 subsets in primary CMV infection of allograft recipients

Abstract Allograft recipients with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection develop increased proportions of circulating CD8 lymphocytes. A longitudinal study of 11 kidney and 5 liver allograft recipients with primary CMV infection but no other aetiological factor to explain graft dysfunction revealed selective imbalances in peripheral blood CD8′ T cell subsets. Initially, CMV viraemia was associated with elevated CD8+bright' T cell numbers and T cell activation. Activation markers fell to normal when viral cultures became negative (before the end of the 1st month). During the 2nd‐6th months, most (12/16) patients continued to have high CD8+ T cell counts (1050–2900 CD8+ cells/mm3), comprising an uncommon CD8+ T cell subset, as 45–73% of CD8+ bright lymphocytes were CD3+ and TCRαβ+ but were not stained by anti‐CD28, CD11b, CD16, CD56 and CD57 antibody. Unexpectedly, CD 8+ CD 57+ T cells, a hallmark of CMV infection, did not appear until the 2nd‐6th months of primary CMV infection, and their numbers increased progressively thereafter. They became the predominant CD8+ T cell subset after about 6 months of infection and their persistence for several (up to 4) years was strongly correlated (r= 0.87) with expansion of CD8+ cells. Persistence of CD 8 lymphocytosis was, thus, directly related to the rate of expansion of an uncommon CD 8+CD 57‐ subset and its progressive replacement by CD 8+CD 57 + T cells that were chronically elicited by CMV.
Mental health service delivery and suicide risk: the role of individual patient and facility factors.

OBJECTIVE This study explores suicide rates as a quality measure and identifies risk factors for suicide among psychiatric inpatients. METHOD Data from a prospective mortality study of psychiatric inpatients from 128 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals throughout the United States were utilized to examine the relationship of death by suicide to patient-level sociodemographic, clinical, and mental health service delivery characteristics, as well as to facility-level measures of service delivery. Data were collected on all patients discharged with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, major depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, or bipolar disorder (N=121,933) between 1994 and 1998. RESULTS There were 481 suicides in the study sample. Several variables were associated with higher risk for suicide risk, including length of stay less than 14 days, poorer continuity of care, and lack of readmission within 6 months. These variables were significant even after adjustment for state suicide rates, the proportion of members of racial minority groups in the state population, and state-level social capital. CONCLUSIONS Suicide rates are not likely to be a useful indicator of the quality of mental health care because of the instability of suicide rates, difficulty collecting data, and the lack of association between suicide and facility quality of care. The lack of association with facility-level variables suggests that systemic changes in these performance measures would be unlikely to significantly reduce suicide rates.
Preparation of a small intestinal submucosa modified polypropylene hybrid mesh via a mussel-inspired polydopamine coating for pelvic reconstruction

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a serious health issue that affects many adult women. Surgical treatments for POP patients comprise a common strategy in which scaffold materials are used to reconstruct the prolapsed pelvic. However, the existing materials for pelvic reconstruction cannot meet clinical requirements in terms of biocompatibility, mechanics and immunological rejection. To address these concerns, polypropylene (PP) mesh was selected because of its strong mechanical properties. Small intestinal submucosa (SIS) was used to modify the PP mesh via a mussel-inspired polydopamine coating to enhance its biocompatibility. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) results demonstrated that SIS was successfully conjugated on the surface of the PP mesh. Moreover, the cytotoxicity results indicated that the PP mesh and SIS-modified PP mesh were safe to use. Furthermore, in vivo tests demonstrated that the fibroplasia around the implanted site in the SIS-modified PP mesh group was significantly less than the fibroplasia around the PP mesh group. In addition, the immunohistochemistry staining results indicated that the expression of pro-inflammatory macrophages (M1) was substantially lower and that the expression of pro-healing macrophages (M2) was higher in the SIS-modified PP mesh group. Furthermore, ELISA detection indicated that the expression of IL-1β and IL-6 in the SIS-modified PP mesh group was reduced compared with the PP mesh group. These findings suggest that a SIS-modified polypropylene hybrid mesh via a mussel-inspired polydopamine coating is a promising approach in pelvic reconstruction.
Protein composition of human prespliceosomes isolated by a tobramycin affinity-selection method

Detailed knowledge of the composition and structure of the spliceosome and its assembly intermediates is a prerequisite for understanding the complex process of pre-mRNA splicing. To this end, we have developed a tobramycin affinity-selection method that is generally applicable for the purification of native RNP complexes. By using this method, we have isolated human prespliceosomes that are ideally suited for both biochemical and structural studies. MS identified >70 prespliceosome-associated proteins, including nearly all known U1 and U2 snRNP proteins, and expected non-snRNP splicing factors. In addition, the DEAD-box protein p68, RNA helicase A, and a number of proteins that appear to perform multiple functions in the cell, such as YB-1 and TLS, were detected. Several previously uncharacterized proteins of unknown function were also identified, suggesting that they play a role in splicing and potentially act during prespliceosome assembly. These data provide insight into the complexity of the splicing machinery at an early stage of its assembly.
Effects of Hyosine N-butyl bromide on the detection of polyps during colonoscopy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Colonoscopy has a significant miss rate for colorectal polyp screening. The present study hypothesized that reduced colonic spasm with antispasmodic agents might yield a better visual field to result in enhanced polyp detection rate. METHODOLOGY In a prospective, randomized, double-blind study design, muscle spasm was recorded during insertion and withdrawal during routine colonoscopy, and the number of polyps detected were compared between two groups of 58 patients characterized with either hyosine N-butyl bromide (Hyosine group) or placebo (Placebo group) injected at reaching the cecum. RESULTS The number of patients with decrease in spasm score of 0, 1, and 2 between insertion and withdrawal were 5 (8.6%), 31 (53.4%), and 22 (37.9%) in the Hyosine group, and 10 (17.2%), 46 (79.3%), and 2 (3.4%) in the Placebo group, respectively (p < 0.001). In patients with spasm score > or = 3 during insertion, more polyps per patient were likely to be detected in the Hyoscine group than the Placebo group (1.21 +/- 2.23 vs. 0.41 +/- 0.91; p = 0.060). CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that hyosine might increase the detection rate of polyps in patients with moderate to marked degree of colonic spasm during colonoscope insertion. Further large scale studies are needed to validate our observations.
SPECIATION AND POPULATION GENETIC STRUCTURE IN TROPICAL PACIFIC SEA URCHINS

Unlike populations of many terrestrial species, marine populations often are not separated by obvious, permanent barriers to gene flow. When species have high dispersal potential and few barriers to gene flow, allopatric divergence is slow. Nevertheless, many marine species are of recent origin, even in taxa with high dispersal potential. To understand the relationship between genetic structure and recent species formation in high dispersal taxa, we examined population genetic structure among four species of sea urchins in the tropical Indo‐West Pacific that have speciated within the past one to three million years. Despite high potential for gene flow, mtDNA sequence variation among 200 individuals of four species in the urchin genus Echinometra shows a signal of strong geographic effects. These effects include (1) substantial population heterogeneity; (2) lower genetic variation in peripheral populations; and (3) isolation by distance. These geographic patterns are especially strong across scales of 5000‐10,000 km, and are weaker over scales of 2500‐5000 km. As a result, strong geographic patterns would not have been readily visible except over the wide expanse of the tropical Pacific. Surface currents in the Pacific do not explain patterns of gene flow any better than do patterns of simple spatial proximity. Finally, populations of each species tend to group into large mtDNA regions with similar mtDNA haplotypes, but these regional boundaries are not concordant in different species. These results show that all four species have accumulated mtDNA differences over similar spatial and temporal scales but that the precise geographic pattern of genetic differentiation varies for each species. These geographic patterns appear much less deterministic than in other well‐known coastal marine systems and may be driven by chance and historical accident.
Robust estimation of the probabilities of 3‐D clusters in functional brain images: Application to PET data

Recently, we presented a method (the CS method) for estimating the probability distributions of the sizes of supra threshold clusters in functional brain images [Ledberg A, Åkerman S, Roland PE. 1998 . Estimating the significance of 3D clusters in functional brain images. NeuroImage 8:113–128]. In that method, the significance of the observed test statistic (cluster size) is assessed by comparing it with a sample of the test statistic obtained from simulated statistical images (SSIs). These images are generated to have the same spatial autocorrelation as the observed statistical image (t‐image) would have under the null hypothesis. The CS method relies on the assumptions that the t‐images are stationary and that they can be transformed to have a normal distribution. These assumptions are not always valid, and thus limit the applicability of the method. The purpose of this paper is to present a modification of the previous method, that does not depend on these assumptions. This modified CS method (MCS) uses the residuals in the linear model as a model of a dataset obtained under the null hypothesis. Subsequently, datasets with the same distribution as the residuals are generated, and from these datasets the SSIs are derived. These SSIs are t‐distributed. Thus, a conversion to normal distribution is no longer needed. Furthermore, no assumptions concerning the stationarity of the statistical images are needed. The MCS method is validated on both synthetical images and PET images and is shown to give accurate estimates of the probability distribution of the cluster size statistic. Hum. Brain Mapping 9:143–155, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Anti-Human Trafficking Interagency Collaboration in the State of Michigan: An Exploratory Study

ABTRACT In recent years, there has been increased recognition that public, private, and nongovernmental agencies must work collaboratively to effectively respond to the crime of human trafficking. Despite this recognition, limited empirical research exists that examines the topic of anti-human-trafficking interagency collaboration. This study examines (a) the types of agencies engaged in anti-human-trafficking interagency collaborative efforts, and (b) the characteristics of such interagency collaborative activities in the state of Michigan. The results show that many agencies in criminal justice, human/social services, victim services, and allied agencies do not participate in interagency collaboration related to human trafficking. For those that do, the types of formal collaborative activities engaged in are severely limited and tend to be concentrated in just a few areas. Future research directions and policy implications are discussed.
Female Sex Hormones and Rat Dural Vasodilatation to CGRP, Periarterial Electrical Stimulation and Capsaicin

Background. —The prevalence of migraine is 2 to 3‐fold higher in females than in males, and it is intricately related to the levels of female sex hormones. These hormones may regulate the synthesis and receptor expression of calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP), which mediates neurogenic dural vasodilatation and is implicated in migraine pathogenesis.
Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting as Substantive and Symbolic Behavior: A Multilevel Theoretical Analysis

This article describes a multilevel theoretical framework that examines the multiple causes of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting in the social environment of business. We argue that substantive and/or symbolic reporting flows from individual‐, aggregate‐, organizational‐, and institution‐level phenomena, and is thus a complex outcome of CSR and corporate social performance (CSP). Theoretical lenses range from reinforcement theory at the microlevel to legitimacy and stakeholder theories at the macrolevel, and include a discussion of the emergence of lower‐level CSR‐relevant characteristics to higher level constructs. Our goal is to clarify how this behavior develops from microlevel, mesolevel, and macrolevel processes with a view toward assisting corporations to better enact CSR reporting, and their stakeholders to effectively promote substantive reporting behavior.
The impact of past relationships on interpersonal behavior: behavioral confirmation in the social-cognitive process of transference.

This study extended research on transference in social perception (e.g., S. M. Andersen, I. Reznik, & L. M. Manzella, 1996) into the realm of social behavior by examining behavioral confirmation (e.g., M. Snyder, 1992) in transference. Each perceiver participated in a brief conversation with a naive target participant, who either did or did not appear to resemble the perceiver's own positively or negatively regarded significant other. Trained judges rated positive affect expressed in targets' behavior. As predicted, targets expressed more positive affect in their behavior when they allegedly resembled the perceiver's own positively versus negatively toned significant other, an effect not found in the control condition. This evidence demonstrates behavioral confirmation in transference, suggesting a means by which present relationships may resemble past ones.
Long-Term Clinical Outcomes of True and Non-True Bifurcation Lesions According to Medina Classification- Results From the COBIS (COronary BIfurcation Stent) II Registry.

BACKGROUND Little is known about the clinical outcomes of patients with different types of coronary bifurcation lesions. We sought to compare long-term clinical outcomes of patients with true or non-true bifurcation lesions who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention. METHODSANDRESULTS We compared major adverse cardiac events (MACE: cardiac death, myocardial infarction [MI], or target lesion revascularization) between 1,502 patients with true bifurcation lesions (51.8%) and 1,395 with non-true bifurcation lesions (48.2%). True bifurcation lesions were defined as Medina classification (1.1.1), (1.0.1), or (0.1.1) lesions. During a median follow-up of 36 months, MACE occurred in 296 (10.2%) patients. Patients with true bifurcation lesions had a significantly higher risk of MACE than those with non-true bifurcation lesions (HR 1.39; 95% CI 1.08-1.80; P=0.01). Among true bifurcation lesions, Medina (1.1.1) and (0.1.1) were associated with a higher risk of cardiac death or MI than Medina (1.0.1) (HR 4.15; 95% CI 1.01-17.1; P=0.05). During the procedure, side branch occlusion occurred more frequently in Medina (1.1.1) and (1.0.1) than Medina (0.1.1) lesions (11.5% vs. 7.4%, P=0.03). CONCLUSIONS Patients with true bifurcation lesions had worse clinical outcomes than those with non-true bifurcation lesions. Procedural and long-term clinical outcomes differed according to the type of bifurcation lesion. These findings should be considered in future bifurcation studies.
Difference in Receptor Usage between Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Coronavirus and SARS-Like Coronavirus of Bat Origin

ABSTRACT Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is caused by the SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV), which uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as its receptor for cell entry. A group of SARS-like CoVs (SL-CoVs) has been identified in horseshoe bats. SL-CoVs and SARS-CoVs share identical genome organizations and high sequence identities, with the main exception of the N terminus of the spike protein (S), known to be responsible for receptor binding in CoVs. In this study, we investigated the receptor usage of the SL-CoV S by combining a human immunodeficiency virus-based pseudovirus system with cell lines expressing the ACE2 molecules of human, civet, or horseshoe bat. In addition to full-length S of SL-CoV and SARS-CoV, a series of S chimeras was constructed by inserting different sequences of the SARS-CoV S into the SL-CoV S backbone. Several important observations were made from this study. First, the SL-CoV S was unable to use any of the three ACE2 molecules as its receptor. Second, the SARS-CoV S failed to enter cells expressing the bat ACE2. Third, the chimeric S covering the previously defined receptor-binding domain gained its ability to enter cells via human ACE2, albeit with different efficiencies for different constructs. Fourth, a minimal insert region (amino acids 310 to 518) was found to be sufficient to convert the SL-CoV S from non-ACE2 binding to human ACE2 binding, indicating that the SL-CoV S is largely compatible with SARS-CoV S protein both in structure and in function. The significance of these findings in relation to virus origin, virus recombination, and host switching is discussed.
Specific Desensitization of Glycogen Synthase Activation by Insulin in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

A protocol was developed in 3T3-L1 adipocytes that resulted in the specific desensitization of glycogen synthase activation by insulin. Cells were pretreated for 15 min with 100 nm insulin, and then recovered for 1.5 h in the absence of hormone. Subsequent basal and insulin-induced phosphorylation of the insulin receptor, IRS-1, MAPK, Akt kinase, and GSK-3 were similar in control and pretreated cells. Additionally, enhanced glucose transport and incorporation into lipid in response to insulin were unaffected. However, pretreatment reduced insulin-stimulated glycogen synthesis by over 50%, due to a nearly complete inhibition of glycogen synthase activation. Removal of extracellular glucose during the recovery period blocked the increase in glycogen levels, and restored insulin-induced glycogen synthase activation. Furthermore, incubation of pretreated 3T3-L1 adipocytes with glycogenolytic agents reversed the desensitization event. Separation of cellular lysates on sucrose gradients revealed that glycogen synthase was primarily located in the dense pellet fraction, with lesser amounts in the lighter fractions. Insulin induced glycogen synthase translocation from the lighter to the denser glycogen-containing fractions. Interestingly, insulin preferentially activated translocated enzyme while having little effect on the majority of glycogen synthase activity in the pellet fraction. In insulin-pretreated cells, glycogen synthase did not return to the lighter fractions during recovery, and thus did not move in response to the second insulin exposure. These results suggest that, in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, the translocation of glycogen synthase may be an important step in the regulation of glycogen synthesis by insulin. Furthermore, intracellular glycogen levels can regulate glycogen synthase activation, potentially through modulation of enzymatic localization.