Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acid‐Base Regulation in the South American Lungfish Lepidosiren paradoxa: Effects of Prolonged Hypercarbia on Blood Gases and Pulmonary Ventilation

The South American lungfish (Lepidosiren paradoxa) has well‐developed lungs and highly reduced gills. To evaluate acid‐base regulation, we applied hypercarbia while blood gases and pulmonary ventilation were measured for up to 48 h. Dorsal aortic blood was analyzed, and pulmonary ventilation was measured by pneumotachography. Two protocols were used: (1) normocarbia (control) followed by aquatic hypercarbia (7% CO2 ∼49 mmHg), gas phase normocarbic; and (2) normocarbia (control) followed by combined aquatic/gas phase hypercarbia (7% CO2). Normocarbic values were pHa ∼ 7.5, Paco2 ∼ 17 mmHg, and \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape $$[ \mathrm{HCO}\,^{-}_{3}] _{\mathrm{pl}\,}\sim 22\,\mathrm{mM}\,$$ \end{document} . For protocol 1, the first hour of exposure increased Paco2 from 17.0 to 37.4 mmHg, and pHa fell to 7.21 and remained there for the rest of the experiment. At 3 h, pulmonary ventilation reached sixfold the normocarbic value but then decreased. For protocol 2, combined gas phase/water hypercarbia had a large effect on acid‐base status. Thus, Paco2 increased gradually to 74 mmHg (pHa = 7.15) at 48 h. At 3 h, ventilation reached a sixfold increase relative to normocarbic control but then rose further to a 60‐fold peak at 6 h, followed by a gradual decline. As in some salamanders and air‐breathing teleosts, there was no evidence of active extracellular modulation bicarbonate.
Constraining the population of compton-thick AGN and NH distribution in the local universe

Compton-thick active galactic nuclei (CTAGN) are defined as AGN that are obscured along our line-of-sight by absorbing gas with a column density of NH ≳ 1024 cm-2. This is what makes it difficult to identify them at X-ray energies E <; 10 keV, where the direct emission from the AGN is severely absorbed by the obscuring gas. Because of this, a large fraction of the CTAGN population is believed to be missed by current low X-ray energy observations. In this paper, we present updated results from an ongoing project to form the most unbiased census of CTAGN population in the local universe, using a sample of mid-infrared (mid-IR) selected AGN within D <; 15 Mpc. We find that 20% of the AGN in the sample has been confirmed to be CT from current hard X-ray studies (E ≳ 10 keV). More candidates are then selected using multiwavelength techniques, i.e. optical [OIII]λ5007:X-ray and mid-IR:X-ray flux ratios. Based on these analyses, we initially find a further 25% of potential candidates. NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array) recently observed two of these candidates at high X-ray energies and is able to confirm one of them, NGC 5643, as a CTAGN and rule out the other one as an obscured AGN. This constrains the total CTAGN population in the sample to 25-40%, though it could also be as high as 65% accounting for those that we still lack data. Finally, we use these results to estimate the intrinsic Nu distribution of the local AGN population.
Personality Traits, Self-Esteem and Academic Achievement in Secondary School Students in Campania, Italy

For years educators have attempted to identify the effective predictors of scholastic achievement and several personality variables were described as significantly correlated with grade performance. Since one of the crucial practical implications of identifying the factors involved in academic achievement is to facilitate the teaching-learning process, the main variables that have been associated with achievement should be investigated simultaneously in order to provide information as to their relative merit in the population examined. In contrast with this premise, limited research has been conducted on the importance of personality traits and self-esteem on scholastic achievement. To this aim in a sample of 439 subjects (225 males) with an average age of 12.36 years (SD= .99) from three first level secondary school classes of Southern Italy, personality traits, as defined by the Five Factor Model, self-esteem and socioeconomic status were evaluated. The academic results correlated significantly both with personality traits and with some dimensions of self-esteem. Moreover, hierarchical regression analyses brought to light, in particular, the predictive value of openness to experience on academic marks. The results, stressing the multidimensional nature of academic performance, indicate a need to adopt complex approaches for undertaking action addressing students' difficulties in attaining good academic achievement.
T cell chemotaxis to lysophosphatidylcholine through the G2A receptor

G2A is an immunoregulatory G protein-coupled receptor predominantly expressed in lymphocytes and macrophages. Ectopic overexpression studies have implicated G2A as a receptor for the bioactive lysophospholipid, lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC). However, the functional consequences of LPC–G2A interaction at physiological levels of receptor expression, and in a cellular context relevant to its immunological role, remain largely unknown. Here, we show impaired chemotaxis to LPC of a T lymphoid cell line in which G2A expression was chronically down-regulated by RNA interference technology. Rescuing this phenotype by reconstitution of the physiological level of receptor expression further supports a functional connection between LPC–G2A interaction and cellular motility. Overexpression of G2A in the T lymphoid cell line significantly enhanced chemotaxis to LPC. It also modified migration toward the LPC-related molecule, lysophosphatidic acid, indicating the possibility of crosstalk between G2A and endogenous lysophosphatidic acid receptors. The role of G2A in LPC-mediated cell migration may be relevant to the autoimmune syndrome associated with genetic inactivation of this G protein-coupled receptor in mice. The experimental system described here can be useful for understanding the structural requirements for LPC recognition by G2A and the signaling pathways regulated by this ligand-receptor pair.
Gene selection of multiple cancer types via huberized multi-class support vector machine

This paper proposes a new type of regularization in the context of multi-class support vector machine for simultaneous classification and gene selection. By combining the huberized hinge loss function and the elastic net penalty, the proposed support vector machine can do automatic gene selection and further encourage a grouping effect in the process of building classifiers, thus leading a sparse multi-classifiers with enhanced interpretability. Furthermore, a reasonable correlation between the two regularization parameters is proposed and an efficient solution path algorithm is developed. Experiments of microarray classification are performed on the leukaemia data set to verify the obtained results.
Arabidopsis SUMO E3 Ligase SIZ1 Is Involved in Excess Copper Tolerance1[W][OA]

The reversible conjugation of the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) to protein substrates occurs as a posttranslational regulatory process in eukaryotic organisms. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), several stress-responsive SUMO conjugations are mediated mainly by the SUMO E3 ligase SIZ1. In this study, we observed a phenotype of hypersensitivity to excess copper in the siz1-2 and siz1-3 mutants. Excess copper can stimulate the accumulation of SUMO1 conjugates in wild-type plants but not in the siz1 mutant. Copper accumulated to a higher level in the aerial parts of soil-grown plants in the siz1 mutant than in the wild type. A dramatic difference in copper distribution was also observed between siz1 and wild-type Arabidopsis treated with excess copper. As a result, the shoot-to-root ratio of copper concentration in siz1 is nearly twice as high as that in the wild type. We have found that copper-induced Sumoylation is involved in the gene regulation of metal transporters YELLOW STRIPE-LIKE 1 (YSL1) and YSL3, as the siz1 mutant is unable to down-regulate the expression of YSL1 and YSL3 under excess copper stress. The hypersensitivity to excess copper and anomalous distribution of copper observed in the siz1 mutant are greatly diminished in the siz1ysl3 double mutant and slightly in the siz1ysl1 double mutant. These data suggest that SIZ1-mediated sumoylation is involved specifically in copper homeostasis and tolerance in planta.
Evaluation of biocompatibility of random or aligned electrospun polyhydroxybutyrate scaffolds combined with human mesenchymal stem cells

Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a polymer used to restore tissues or regenerate bones. However, its compatibility with human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has not been examined. PHB membranes of random (r-PHB) or aligned (a-PHB) electrospun nanofibers that generate bone and spinal axon scaffolds were combined with human MSCs. The adhesion and proliferation of cells on these membranes were examined. The orientation of cells on PHB membranes was analyzed by confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The MSCs maintained their characteristic properties on the membranes, adhered to the membranes, and preserved their viability. The cell morphology was different when they were grown on differentially designed matrices. Cells expanded on the a-PHB membrane and showed fibroid-like morphology. Conversely, cells interacting with the r-PHB membrane were located homogeneously and demonstrated polygonal morphology. The adhesion and proliferation of human MSCs was higher on the a-PHB membrane than on the randomly oriented one. Fiber orientation influenced the phenotype and biological behavior of human MSCs. This property may be useful in the selection of specifically designed scaffolds for the desired tasks. The results of this preliminary study indicated that PHB membranes designed for bone or nerve tissue engineering are compatible with human MSCs.
A 45nm 6b/cell charge-trapping flash memory using LDPC-based ECC and drift-immune soft-sensing engine

To satisfy the demand of higher storage density, storing multiple-bits-per-cell technique is widely adopted. As presented in [1], a 4b/cell Flash memory by using error-detection (ED) scheme stores 2b data on two sides of a memory cell individually. Since the noise margin becomes smaller, the distribution drifts due to program disturb, data retention and temperature variation will cause higher raw bit-error-rate (RBER) if the sensing level (voltage) are not adjusted accordingly. The ED scheme can detect the drift direction by counting and storing the number of cells (Ni) with threshold voltage (VTH) below the ith sensing level (VREF i). A simple example with page size 1KB is demonstrated in Fig. 12.7. 1. During a read operation, the number of cells (Ni, measured) whose VTH below VREF i is counted and compared to Ni. The ED scheme can find out a sub-optimal sensing level when Ni, measured and Ni is close enough. In this paper, a production 16Gb 45nm 4b/cell ONO-based charge-trapping (CT) Flash memory is demonstrated to achieve 6b/cell capability. Since the adjacent distributions for 6b/cell are much closer to each other, even a BCH code with ED scheme fails to correct all the patterns. However, by using a new 1-3-3 mapping and LDPC codes with a developed drift-immune soft-sensing (DI-SS) engine, the 45nm 4b/cell CT Flash memory is boosted to 6b/cell. The data flow of programming data is also shown in Fig. 12.7. 1.
Exploring how "smart" the Basel II framework is in the Australian context of banking reform

This thesis evaluates the effectiveness of Basel II as a regulatory framework in the Australian context of banking reform. More specifically, the thesis draws on a range of economic theories to establish a distinction between risk and uncertainty, explain both the causes and consequences of financial instability, and investigate the structure of, and policy responses to major financial crises. In this context, the thesis investigates the congruence between Basel II framework and the attributes of Responsive and Smart Regulation. While the thesis argues that Basel II can be regarded as a good example of 'smart' regulation, it highlights areas of weakness and potential danger. In particular, it raises concerns about procedures of risk-management that are based on internal modelling using the Value-at-Risk (VaR) approach, as required under Basel II. It examines ways in which techniques of quantitative analysis can be enhanced to accommodate uncertainty through the use of robust techniques that account for time-varying uncertainty premia. However, within an environment characterised by increasing financial instability, the parameters that determine deep structures of self-similarity in the stochastic processes of different assets, will themselves be shifting so that the relevant asymptotic densities become more fat-tailed and negatively skewed. This thesis applies the Universal Pragmatics methodology developed by Jurgen Habermas for interpreting both relevant documents and the responses of interviewees. The validity claims highlighted in Habermasian discourse analysis are adopted as benchmark for normative evaluations of interviewee responses. This methodology is applied to transcripts of semi-structured interviews that have been designed to extract relevant information from both risk managers in the banking sector and supervisors from the regulatory authorities in Australia. The research findings arising from an analysis of interviews show the superiority of Basel II in contrast to Basel I, and also supports the determination of those aspects of Basel II that are more or less effective. This process highlights a range of problematic issues arising from Basel II, in regard to risk management and supervisory practices, which need to be addressed by policy-makers, supervisors, and bank practitioners in the future. In particular, the thesis concludes that a more effective prudential control of the entire financial market and an improved system of corporate governance in the banking sector, are important complements to Basel II for the purpose of stabilising financial markets and obtaining sustainable economic growth in the Australian economy.
Oocyst-Shedding Patterns of Three Eimeria Species in Chickens and Shedding Pattern Variation Depending on the Storage Period of Eimeria tenella Oocysts

Abstract Various species of Eimeria have different prepatent times and predilection sites, but their life cycles in infected poultry are similar. Practically speaking, chickens can be continuously exposed to various Eimeria species through environmental contamination. Furthermore, storage condition of the oocysts influences subsequent challenge infectivity, since coccidian oocysts contain a polysaccharide energy source known as amylopectin that is required for sporulation of oocysts and survival of the sporozoites. Here analysis of the oocyst-shedding patterns of 3 Eimeria species (Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria maxima, and Eimeria tenella) and the effects of different oocyst storage time (64, 143, 225, and 332 days) on subsequent propagation patterns were evaluated. Based on the analysis of oocyst-shedding patterns and infectious lesions evaluated by oocyst counts and histopathology, respectively, the peak points of oocyst production and infectious lesion generation in animals infected with E. acervulina were observed to occur earlier in comparison to E. maxima– and E. tenella–infected animals. Prolonged storage of E. tenella oocysts decreased oocyst excretion (measured as oocysts per gram of feces [OPG]) and lengthened the peak period. Chickens infected with the freshest oocysts (Group A) had the highest fecal oocyst output, and animals in this group reached their peak at 7 days post-infection (dpi), which is similar to the normal pattern of oocyst output in fresh isolates. Infection with oocysts stored for longer periods showed a 1-day delay in the fecal oocyst peak count (8 dpi), and these infections also resulted in fewer OPG compared to Group A. Therefore, these results indicate that the storage period is important in affecting the peak point and pattern of oocyst shedding.
The Effects of Life Events on Cardiovascular Reactivity to Behavioral Stressors As a Function of Socioeconomic Status, Ethnicity, and Sex

Objective The purposes of this study were 1) to examine the effects of stressful life events on cardiovascular reactivity to acute laboratory stressors in youth and 2) to determine whether these effects varied as a function of socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and/or sex. Methods Four hundred eighty-three youths (mean age = 16.7 years; 249 Caucasian Americans [126 males, 123 females] and 234 African Americans [109 males, 125 females]) completed the Adolescent Resources Challenge Scale (ARCS), a measure of stressful life events, and underwent two laboratory stressors (a car-driving simulation and the Social Competence Interview) during which blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, and total peripheral resistance were assessed. Results Youths who reported high levels of stressful life events showed smaller increases in blood pressure (both systolic and diastolic) and heart rate to the car-driving simulation but larger increases in cardiac output in response to the Social Competence Interview than did youths who reported low levels of stressful life events. The effect of stressful life events on cardiovascular reactivity was not moderated by sex, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. Higher family socioeconomic status was associated with greater blood pressure, heart rate, and cardiac output increases in response to the Social Competence Interview. Conclusions The attenuating effects of stressful life events on cardiovascular reactivity in response to car-driving simulation in youths are consistent with an inoculation effect, whereas the potentiating impact of stressful life events on reactivity observed during the social stressor interview is compatible with a possible cost of coping effect.
Combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin is highly active in women with endometrial carcinoma

The treatment of patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer remains problematic, because chemotherapy and hormonal therapy have yielded low response rates and limited progression‐free survival. Because the combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin demonstrated synergism in preclinical studies, the authors attempted to determine the efficacy and toxicity of this combination in women with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.
Bacteriophage‐like particle of Rochalimaea henselae

An extracellular particle approximately 40 nM in diameter was detected in culture supernatant from the fastidious bacterium Rochalimaea henselae. This particle has at least three associated proteins and contains 14kbp linear DNA segments that are heterogeneous in sequence. The 14kbp DNA was also present in R. henselae cells as an extrachromosomal element for all 14 strains tested. Despite attempts to induce lysis of R henselae, plaque formation was not observed. A similar particle, also containing 14 kbp DNA, was observed in Bartonella bacilliformis, and may be analogous to a bacteriophage that has been described elsewhere for B. bacilliformis.
Posterior fontanelle sonography: an acoustic window into the neonatal brain.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Sonographic brain studies are classically performed through the anterior fontanelle, but visualization of posterior supratentorial and infratentorial structures is poor with this approach. Posterior fontanelle sonography is recommended for better assessment of these structures. Our purpose was 1) to determine whether sonography of the brain through the posterior fontanelle (PF) improves visualization of brain lesions when added to the routine anterior fontanelle (AF) approach and 2) to describe standardized PF coronal and sagittal sections. METHODS In this prospective study (conducted from February 1999 to January 2001), PF sonography was added to AF sonography in 165 consecutive premature neonates with a birth weight of < 2000 g. Sonograms were recorded in digital format for re-evaluation at the end of the study. Lesions were grouped as congenital, infectious, hemorrhagic, or hypoxic-ischemic. The chi2 test for paired data and the kappa coefficient were used to compare diagnoses with AF alone and diagnoses with AF plus PF. RESULTS PF sonography was performed in 164 of 165 patients. Results were normal in 86 and abnormal in 78. The single posterior fossa malformation detected in this series was best delineated with the PF approach. PF sonography increased the diagnostic rate of grade II hemorrhage by 32%. Cerebellar hemorrhage (two patients) and cerebellar abscesses (one patient) were diagnosed by using the PF approach. PF sonography did not contribute to the diagnosis of periventricular leukomalacia. CONCLUSION Study of the neonatal brain with the addition of PF sonography afforded greater accuracy in detecting intraventricular hemorrhage compared with AF sonography alone, especially when the ventricle was not dilated. The PF approach better defines posterior fossa malformations.
Low-Dose Epidural Dexmedetomidine Improves Thoracic Epidural Anaesthesia for Nephrectomy

Thoracic epidural anaesthesia alone is an applied technique of anaesthesia for nephrectomy which has both advantages and limitations. Dexmedetomidine is a highly selective α2-adrenoreceptor agonist which has both central and peripheral analgesic properties. Forty patients undergoing nephrectomy were enrolled in this clinical trial and allocated randomly to two groups, a control group (C group) and a dexmedetomidine group (D group). The C group received epidural 0.75% levobupivacaine 12 ml with 1 ml of isotonic sodium chloride solution, while the D group received epidural 0.75% levobupivacaine 12 ml with 1 ml (0.5 μg/kg) of dexmedetomidine. Haemodynamic changes, onset time and duration of sensory and motor block, muscle relaxation score, verbal rating score for pain, sedation score and the total postoperative analgesic consumption were evaluated. Sensory blockade duration was longer in the D group than in the C group (P=0.01). The incidence of motor block and the muscle relaxation score were significantly higher in the D group compared with the C group (P=0.01). Compared with the C group, pain scores were significantly lower in the first four postoperative hours in the D group (two hours rest P=0.038; two hours activity P=0.009; four hours rest P=0.044; four hours activity P=0.003). The total amount of flurbiprofen analgesic was significantly lower in the D group compared with the C group (P=0.03). Epidural dexmedetomidine 0.5 μg/kg appears to intensify thoracic epidural anaesthesia with levobupivacaine.