Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A neural command circuit for grooming movement control

Animals perform many stereotyped movements, but how nervous systems are organized for controlling specific movements remains unclear. Here we use anatomical, optogenetic, behavioral, and physiological techniques to identify a circuit in Drosophila melanogaster that can elicit stereotyped leg movements that groom the antennae. Mechanosensory chordotonal neurons detect displacements of the antennae and excite three different classes of functionally connected interneurons, which include two classes of brain interneurons and different parallel descending neurons. This multilayered circuit is organized such that neurons within each layer are sufficient to specifically elicit antennal grooming. However, we find differences in the durations of antennal grooming elicited by neurons in the different layers, suggesting that the circuit is organized to both command antennal grooming and control its duration. As similar features underlie stimulus-induced movements in other animals, we infer the possibility of a common circuit organization for movement control that can be dissected in Drosophila. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.08758. 001
Musical instrument identification using MFCC

Music signal processing is one of the active research area now a days. Identifying the musical instrument form the solo recordings is one of the applications under signal processing. Different types of algorithms have been proposed till now to identify the instrument. For this objective first of all we have to extract the features from sound samples and then we can use them for instrument identification. In this paper we are presenting one of efficient method to extract the features from sound sample that is Mel Frequency Cepsrtal Coefficient (MFCC). These MFCCs are closely related to behavior of human auditory system. While calculating these MFCCs we actually deal with spectral envelop. And hence it gives very distinctive features of the sound samples. So using these features for identification of musical instrument we can increase the accuracy of identification. In our work we have used five instruments and 30 samples of each instrument. In the training database total 90 samples (60% of total samples) and for testing database 60 (40%)samples are used. In the classification phase we have used K-Nearest Neighbor (K-NN) classifier. Proposed system gives the accuracy of 91.66% for Cello, Piano and Trumpet and accuracy of 83.33% for Flute and Violin.
Uncoupling actin filament fragmentation by cofilin from increased subunit turnover.

The actin depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin family of proteins interact with actin monomers and filaments in a pH-sensitive manner. When ADF/cofilin binds F-actin it induces a change in the helical twist and fragmentation; it also accelerates the dissociation of subunits from the pointed ends of filaments, thereby increasing treadmilling or depolymerization. Using site-directed mutagenesis we characterized the two actin-binding sites on human cofilin. One target site was chosen because we previously showed that the villin head piece competes with ADF for binding to F-actin. Limited sequence homology between ADF/cofilin and the part of the villin headpiece essential for actin binding suggested an actin-binding site on cofilin involving a structural loop at the opposite end of the molecule to the alpha-helix already implicated in actin binding. Binding through the alpha-helix is primarily to monomeric actin, whereas the loop region is specifically involved in filament association. We have characterized the actin binding properties of each site independently of the other. Mutation of a single lysine residue in the loop region abolishes binding to filaments, but not to monomers. Using the mutation analogous to the phosphorylated form of cofilin (S3D), we show that filament binding is inhibited at physiological ionic strength but not under low salt conditions. At low ionic strength, this mutant induces both the twist change and fragmentation characteristic of wild-type cofilin, but does not activate subunit dissociation. The results suggest a two-site binding to filaments, initiated by association through the loop site, followed by interaction with the adjacent subunit through the "helix" site at the opposite end of the molecule. Together, these interactions induce twist and fragmentation of filaments, but the twist change itself is not responsible for the enhanced rate of actin subunit release from filaments.
On stability of linear time-delay systems with multiple delays

In this article, delay-dependent stability criteria for linear retarded and neutral systems with multiple delays are proposed by employing the Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional approach and integral inequality. By the N-segmentation of delay length, we obtain more relaxed results on the delay bounds which guarantee the asymptotic stability of the linear retarded and neutral systems with multiple delays. Simulation results show that the stability boundary calculated by the proposed stability criteria are very near to the real stability boundary of the example systems. Moreover, it is shown that the proposed stability criteria are less conservative than several other existing criteria.
GLASS TRANSITION TEMPERATURE OF RICE KERNELS DETERMINED BY DYNAMIC MECHANICAL THERMAL ANALYSIS

A protocol was developed to measure the glass transition temperature (Tg) of brown rice kernels using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). In order to accommodate the sample requirements of the dynamic mechanical thermal analyzer and prevent moisture loss during experiments, kernels were first wrapped with a thin layer of parafilm and then a thin layer of aluminum foil. The wrapped kernels were then filed at both ends with fine sandpaper to produce 3 mm long rice cylinders with parallel ends. The dynamic mechanical properties of brown rice kernels were determined over a temperature range of -40°C to 120°C. During each DMTA test, the onset temperature of glass transition was measured as the Tg of a brown rice kernel, since moisture diffusion and other physical properties begin to change drastically above the onset temperature. No dramatic changes in both the storage modulus (E. ) and the loss modulus (E. ) of brown rice kernels were found around Tg, indicating that relaxation of the amorphous phase of the rice kernel was quite limited. However, E. / E. (tan.) showed a much better transition for brown rice kernels, and thus the E. / E. vs. temperature curves were used to determine Tg values of rice kernels. It was found that the Tg values of rice kernels decreased linearly with increases in moisture content (MC) within the tested range. The Tg of rice kernels was not affected by variety.
["Anatomy of the heart"].

OBJECTIVES 1. To describe the location of the heart within the thoracic cavity, the mediastinum, and the pericardial cavity. 2. Identify and name the 2 serous membranes associated with the heart, and the 3 wall layers of the heart. 3. Name and locate the 4 chambers, the 4 valves, the major vessels entering and exiting from the heart, and associated structures on human models and pig hearts. 4. To trace the path of both oxygenated and deoxygenated blood through the heart. 5. To differentiate between the pulmonary circuit and systemic circuit, and be able to locate these areas on a model. 6. Name and locate the blood supply to/from the heart muscle--cardiac v. , coronary a. , coronary sinus. 7. To identify the histology of the cardiac muscle, and recognize key features.
Quality-of-life in elderly patients one year after transcatheter aortic valve implantation for severe aortic stenosis.

AIMS Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an emerging alternative to medical therapy reserved to a limited population with severe aortic stenosis. Quality-of-life (QoL) is a critical measure of effectiveness of TAVI in this patient population. In this prospective study, we sought to assess one year changes in QoL in patients who underwent TAVI. METHODS AND RESULTS From June 2007 to July 2010, 149 consecutive patients underwent TAVI using the 18 Fr CoreValve (Medtronic Inc, Minneapolis, MN, USA) or the Edwards SAPIEN XT heart valve (Edwards Lifescience, Irvine, CA, USA) at our institution. Of these, 143 patients with successful prosthesis implantation comprised the study population. The SF-12v2 Health-Survey questionnaire provides scales for physical (physical component summary [PCS]) and mental (mental component summary [MCS]) health. Among patients included in the present analysis, device success was obtained in 138 patients (96.5%). Mean preprocedural SF-12v2 scores showed an important upgrading after TAVI: PCS improved from 28.3 to 44.0 at five months and 42.4 at 12 months (p<0.001). MCS increased from 38.0 to 47.3 at five months and 48.2 at 12 months (p<0.001). Both the physical and mental score summaries at follow-up of these post-TAVI patients were not significantly different from the anticipated thresholds of the general Italian population over the age of 75 years. NYHA functional class improvement was reported in all patients. CONCLUSIONS Our results showed a marked mid-term improvement in functional status and physical and mental health in patients who underwent TAVI.
BURN INJURIES RELATED TO SUICIDE

Of 1060 admissions to the burns unit. Royal Brisbane Hospital, over a 12‐year period, there were 30 cases (2.8%) of attempted suicide. Fourteen (47%) of these patients died. The psychosocial features of people using self‐ignition as a method of suicide are consistent with those of suicide in general. The morbidity is high and the outcome is often fatal, especially for those using a flammable liquid.
Analysis of Cd44-Containing Lipid Rafts

CD44, the major cell surface receptor for hyaluronic acid (HA), was shown to localize to detergent-resistant cholesterol-rich microdomains, called lipid rafts, in fibroblasts and blood cells. Here, we have investigated the molecular environment of CD44 within the plane of the basolateral membrane of polarized mammary epithelial cells. We show that CD44 partitions into lipid rafts that contain annexin II at their cytoplasmic face. Both CD44 and annexin II were released from these lipid rafts by sequestration of plasma membrane cholesterol. Partition of annexin II and CD44 to the same type of lipid rafts was demonstrated by cross-linking experiments in living cells. First, when CD44 was clustered at the cell surface by anti-CD44 antibodies, annexin II was recruited into the cytoplasmic leaflet of CD44 clusters. Second, the formation of intracellular, submembranous annexin II–p11 aggregates caused by expression of a trans-dominant mutant of annexin II resulted in coclustering of CD44. Moreover, a frequent redirection of actin bundles to these clusters was observed. These basolateral CD44/annexin II–lipid raft complexes were stabilized by addition of GTPγS or phalloidin in a semipermeabilized and cholesterol-depleted cell system. The low lateral mobility of CD44 in the plasma membrane, as assessed with fluorescent recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), was dependent on the presence of plasma membrane cholesterol and an intact actin cytoskeleton. Disruption of the actin cytoskeleton dramatically increased the fraction of CD44 which could be recovered from the light detergent-insoluble membrane fraction. Taken together, our data indicate that in mammary epithelial cells the vast majority of CD44 interacts with annexin II in lipid rafts in a cholesterol-dependent manner. These CD44-containing lipid microdomains interact with the underlying actin cytoskeleton.
Placental 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase-2 and Fetal Cortisol/Cortisone Shuttle in Small Preterm Infants

Glucocorticoids rate among the most controversial topics in today's perinatology and neonatology. Many sick preterm infants exhibit signs of adrenal insufficiency, the etiology, diagnostic criteria, and optimal treatment of which are under debate. Moreover, most of these infants are exposed to pharmacological glucocorticoid doses both in utero and after birth. In face of this, surprisingly little is known about the physiological glucocorticoid exposure before early preterm birth. This exposure is highly variable and mainly regulated by the placental enzyme 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-2 (11 beta-HSD2), which converts excess cortisol (F) to inactive cortisone (E). Impaired activity of this enzyme is common in intrauterine growth restriction and preeclampsia, conditions frequently associated with early preterm birth. To identify clinical determinants associated with decreased placental 11 beta-HSD2 function, we studied 107 small preterm infants [mean birth weight, 1067 g (range, 395-2453 g); gestational age, 28.2 wk (range, 22.4-32.0 wk)] by determining their placental 11 beta-HSD2 activity rate (per milligram protein) and total activity (per placenta) as well as cord vein F and E concentrations. An E/(E+ F) ratio expresses the overall balance of the F/E shuttle. There were positive correlations between relative birth weight and placental 11 beta-HSD2 activity rate (r = 0.30; P = 0.002) and total activity (r = 0.56; P < 0.0001) as well as E/(E+ F) ratio (r = 0.27; P = 0.01) and E concentration (r = 0.32; P = 0.003). Infants with increased umbilical artery resistance had lower total placental 11 beta-HSD2 activity (P = 0.02), E/(E+ F) ratio (P = 0.04), and E concentration (P = 0.0002). Gestational age was inversely associated with placental 11 beta-HSD2 activity rate (r = -0.25; P = 0.009). We conclude that, in small preterm infants, reduced placental 11 beta-HSD2 function is associated with low relative birth weight and severe fetal distress. Whether these conditions are associated with early postnatal adrenal insufficiency or long-term cardiovascular risk remains an important issue for further study.
Inhibition of human embryonic stem cell differentiation by mechanical strain

Mechanical forces have been reported to induce proliferation and/or differentiation in many cell types, but the role of mechanotransduction during embryonic stem cell fate decisions is unknown. To ascertain the role of mechanical strain in human embryonic stem cell (hESC) differentiation, we measured the rate of hESC differentiation in the presence and absence of biaxial cyclic strain. Above a threshold of 10% cyclic strain, applied to a deformable elastic substratum upon which the hESC colonies were cultured, hESC differentiation was reduced and self‐renewal was promoted without selecting against survival of differentiated or undifferentiated cells. Frequency of mechanical strain application had little effect on extent of differentiation. hESCs cultured under cyclic strain retained pluripotency, evidenced by their ability to differentiate to cell lineages in all three germ layers. Mechanical inhibition of hESC differentiation could not be traced to secretion of chemical factors into the media suggesting that mechanical forces may directly regulate hESC differentiation. Mechanical strain is not sufficient to inhibit differentiation, however, in unconditioned medium, hESCs grown under strain differentiated at the same rate as cells cultured in the absence of strain. Thus, while mechanical forces play a role in regulating hESC self‐renewal and differentiation, they must act synergistically with chemical signals. These findings imply that application of mechanical forces may be useful, in combination with chemical and matrix‐encoded signals, towards controlling differentiation of hESCs for therapeutic applications. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Measuring candidate selection mechanisms in European elections: Comparing formal party rules to candidate survey responses

Students of party organization often rely on politicians’ perceptions when measuring internal party institutions and organizational characteristics. We compare a commonly used survey measure of political parties’ European Parliament candidate selection mechanisms to measures that the authors coded directly from parties’ selection rules. We find substantial disconnect between formal institutions and survey respondent perceptions of selection mechanisms, raising questions about measure accuracy and equivalency. While this divergence may be driven either by distinctions between de jure and de facto selection procedures or by respondent error, we find the differences between the two measures are unsystematic. Our findings suggest that authors studying party characteristics must decide whether their research question calls for survey or formal institutional measures.
Effects of short-term hypoxia on metabolism and haemocyanin oxygen transport in the prawns Palaemon adspersus and Palaemonetes varians

In summer, high temperatures are combined w ~ t h severe nocturnal hypoxia In the shallow water of Danish fjords. Under these conditions, the prawns Palaemonetes varians (Leach) and Palaem o n adspersus (Rathke) are spatially separated, with the former occupying the areas of highest temperature and lowest oxygen tension. If kept together, P, adspersus shows aggressive behavlour towards P varians. Aerobic/anaerobic respiration and haemocyanin characteristics were measured in laboratory experiments (24°C. 14 ppt). Although the 2 species have similar metabolic rates, P. varians survives severe hypoxia better and has a lower P, (critical oxygen tension, below which respiration is partly or fully anaerobic) than P adspersus. Both species accumulate high levels of lactate during anaerobiosis and remove it at similar rates. The haemocyanin concentration and total oxygen carrying capacity (0.78 2 0.25 mm01 I-' and 2.25 + 0.56 ~ 0 1 % ) of P varians was higher than P. adspersus (0.28 rt 0.07 mm01 I-' and 1.14 + 0.15 vol%). Haemocyanin oxygen affin~ty was always higher in P. vanans regardless of pH, but tile B u i i ~ idctor i-i.44 and i . 4 6 ) and cooperat~vity (nS0. 2 61 + 0.20 and 2.82 t 0.49) were similar for P. varians and P. adspersus, respectively. P. varians is thus better adapted to severe hypoxia than P. adspersus
A Sonographic Enthesitic Index of lower limbs is a valuable tool in the assessment of ankylosing spondylitis

Background: Enthesitis is a remarkable feature of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) not specifically approached by the available measuring tools for the disease. Ultrasonography (US) has proved to be an excellent technique for the assessment of tendon pathology. Objective: To test a Sonographic Entheseal Index (SEI) of the lower limbs in a cohort of patients with AS, as a potential measuring tool. Methods: 44 patients with AS and 10 healthy controls were enrolled. Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, pain at entheseal points, severity of symptoms, acute-phase reactants, Schober’s test and stage of sacroiliitis were recorded. Patients underwent US examination of five entheseal regions from both lower limbs by two experts. Hypoechogenicity, increased tendon thickness, peritendinous oedema and bursitis were considered signs of active inflammation. Insertional bone erosions, intratendinous calcifications, decreased thickness and tears were considered signs of chronic injury. Each alteration independently scored one point. Data were analysed with Spearman’s correlation method. Results: A significant interobserver correlation in SEI scores (p<0.001) and a fine discriminative power between controls and patients were observed. Acute entheseal lesions predominated (63% vs 37%), the most frequent alteration being tendon hypoechogenicity (43%). 72% of all lesions were located at the foot. The SEI correlated with reduction of Schober’s test (p<0.02), but not with other activity or severity parameters. Conclusions: A scoring method such as the SEI may be of help in characterising entheseal injury in AS, and for decision making in these patients.
Childhood Obesity and Hypertension

The epidemic of obesity along with hypertension (HTN) and cardiovascular disease is a growing contributor to global disease burden. The prevalence of HTN and pre-hypertension in children has been rising steadily over the decades to nearly 4% and 10% respectively [1,2]. Paediatric hypertension is one of the strongest predictor of adult hypertension, which increases the cardiovascular mortality risk in adults [3]. Obesity in childhood is found to be associated with hypertension, dyslipidemia, impaired glucose metabolism and other metabolic and physical consequences like left ventricular hypertrophy, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, obstructive sleep apnea, orthopedic problems, and psychosocial problems. A literature review found that the risk of adult obesity is at least twice as high for obese children as for non-obese children, as about a third of obese preschool children were obese as adults, and about half of obese school-age children were obese as adults [4]. Adults who have been obese as children may have an even greater prevalence of risk factors for CVD, including hypertension and dyslipidemia, compared with those who had normal weight as children. It has also been shown that childhood obesity and central adiposity increased the risk for the metabolic syndrome in adulthood [5].
Role of an Alginate Lyase for Alginate Transport in Mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa

ABSTRACT The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa secretes a capsule-like polysaccharide called alginate that is important for evasion of host defenses, especially during chronic pulmonary disease of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Most proteins for alginate biosynthesis are encoded by the 12-gene algD operon. Interestingly, this operon also encodes AlgL, a lyase that degrades alginate. Mutants lacking AlgG, AlgK, or AlgX, also encoded by the operon, synthesize alginate polymers that are digested by the coregulated protein AlgL. We examined the phenotype of an ΔalgL mutation in the highly mucoid CF isolate FRD1. Generating a true ΔalgL mutant was possible only when the algD operon was under the control of a LacIq-repressed trc promoter. Upon induction of alginate production with isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside, the ΔalgL mutant cells were lysed within a few hours. Electron micrographs of the ΔalgL mutant showed that alginate polymers accumulated in the periplasm, which ultimately burst the bacterial cell wall. The requirement of AlgL in an alginate-overproducing strain led to a new model for alginate secretion in which a multiprotein secretion complex (or scaffold, that includes AlgG, AlgK, AlgX, and AlgL) guides new polymers through the periplasm for secretion across the outer membrane. In this model, AlgL is bifunctional with a structural role in the scaffold and a role in degrading free alginate polymers in the periplasm.