Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evidence for cell density affecting C2C12 myogenesis: possible regulation of myogenesis by cell–cell communication

Introduction: Community effect is a phenomenon caused by cell–cell communication during myogenesis. In myogenic C2C12 cells in vitro, the confluent phase is needed for myogenesis induction. Methods: To examine the cell‐density effect, growth kinetics and myogenic differentiation were investigated in cells plated at four different cell densities. Results: We found that expression of a myogenic differentiation marker was high in a density‐dependent manner. At high density, where cell–cell contact was obvious, contact inhibition after the proliferation stage was accompanied by microarray findings demonstrating upregulation of negative regulating cell‐cycle markers, including CDKI p21 and the muscle differentiation markers MyoD and myogenin. Interestingly, developmentally regulated protein expression (drebrin) protein expression was also upregulated in a density‐dependent manner. Conclusions: These results suggest that contact inhibition after the proliferation stage may induce growth arrest via cell–cell communication through the expression of CDKI p21 and may be responsible for progressing cell fusion. Muscle Nerve 2011
Multiple Receivers, Multiple Ornaments, and a Trade‐off between Agonistic and Epigamic Signaling in a Widowbird

Sexual displays often involve several different ornamental traits. Yet most indicator models of sexual selection based on a single receiver (usually a choosy female) find that multiple handicap signals should be unstable. Here we study reasons for this contradiction, analyzing signal function, signal content, and trade‐offs between signals in the polygynous red‐collared widowbird Euplectes ardens. Males have both a long, graduated tail and a red carotenoid collar badge. Territory‐holding “residents” have slightly shorter tails than the nonbreeding “floaters,” but their carotenoid collars are 40% larger, and they have (on the basis of reflectance spectrometry and objective colorimetry) a 23‐nm more long‐wave (“redder”) hue than floaters. This corroborates experimental evidence that the red collar is selected by male contest competition, whereas female choice is based almost exclusively on male tail length. Tail length is negatively correlated with the carotenoid signal, which together with body size and condition explains 55% of the variation in tail length. The trade‐off in tail length and carotenoid investment is steeper among residents, suggesting an interaction with costs of territory defense. We propose that the “multiple receiver hypothesis” can explain the coexistence of multiple handicap signals. Furthermore, the trade‐off between signal expressions might contribute to the inverse relation between nuptial tail elongation and coloration in the genus Euplectes (bishops and widowbirds).
Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering HEAT TRANSFER IN POROUS MEDIA

In this work, the effects of electrical double layer (EDL) near the solid/ liquid interface, on three dimensional heat transfer characteristic and pressure drop of water flow through a rectangular microchannel numerically are investigated. An additional body force originating from the existence of EDL is considered to modify the conventional Navier-stokes and energy equations. These modified equations are solved numerically for steady laminar flow on the basis of control volume approaches. Fluid velocity distribution and temperature with presence and absence of EDL effects are presented for various geometric cases and different boundary conditions. The results illustrate that, the liquid flow in rectangular microchannels is influenced significantly by the EDL, particularly in the high electric potentials, and hence deviates from flow characteristics described by classical fluid mechanics.
CRANIAL AND SPINAL COMPONENTS OF THE CEREBROSPINAL FLUID PRESSURE‐VOLUME CURVE

A quantitative analysis of the contributions of the cranial and spinal compartments to the cerebrospinal fluid pressure‐volume curve was made using dogs. The curve was determined by rapid continuous injection of fluid into the cisterna magna with simultaneous measurement of the pressure. Spinal block at the C 1 level was produced by inflation of an epidural rubber balloon allowing the recording of the pressure‐volume curve for the isolated cranial system. By subtraction of the two curves obtained, the spinal pressure‐volume curve could be calculated. 70 % of the variation in volume within the system was related to the spinal section and 30 % to the cranial section. The intracranial curve represents the effects on the fluid pressure of forced alterations in the volume of the intracranial vascular bed. The spinal compartment has a quantitatively defined and probably mechanically important function as an expansion vessel for the intracranial system.
Rehabilitation after acute vestibular disorders.

OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy of rehabilitation for dizzy patients after recent acute vestibular disturbance. METHODS Forty patients recently hospitalised for an acute episode of rotational vertigo which lasted days were randomly divided into two groups. The first group (20 patients; group R) underwent active rehabilitation, while the second group (20 patients; group C) were told only to 'perform their daily activities'. Group R subjects underwent a total of 10 sessions of rehabilitation, including exercises on a stabilometric platform, point de mire and a series of five exercises repeated five times daily. All patients performed static stabilometry (posturography), undertook the dynamic gait index test, and completed a dizziness handicap questionnaire and a visual analogue scale for anxiety, at baseline and on completion. RESULTS At 25 days, the rehabilitated patients obtained better results for all recorded outcomes, compared with the control group. The greatest difference in the rehabilitated subjects, compared with the control group, was for the dynamic gait index test; however, this difference was not statistically significant. The visual analogue scale anxiety score was statistically significantly more reduced in rehabilitated patients compared with control patients. Control patients maintained a higher visual dependence for postural control. CONCLUSIONS These results would appear to support the effectiveness of a supervised exercise programme for patients following acute onset of vestibular disturbance. A correlation was found in both groups between dynamic gait index results and anxiety. In our experience, a rehabilitation programme seems to reduce dependence on visual cues for postural control.
Best practice of identification and proteomic analysis of extracellular vesicles in human health and disease

ABSTRACT Introduction: Extracellular vesicles are emerging sources of biomarkers for modern preventive and precision medicine. Extracellular vesicles in body fluids offer a unique opportunity for integrative biomarker approaches due to their complex biocargo that includes proteins, lipids, nucleic acids and metabolites. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics data suggest that a significant portion of human proteins are sorted into extracellular vesicles and amenable for biomarker discovery schemes. Areas covered: this review focuses on key aspects of isolation, quality control and subsequent analysis of blood plasma- and conditioned medium-derived extracellular vesicle proteins, and summarizes the current state-of-the-art in the field. Furthermore, it provides introduction and guidelines for mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis of extracellular vesicles. Expert commentary: Comparison of newly developed isolation and purification techniques with classical ultracentrifugation-based approaches are highly recommended. It is also essential to use multiple analytical approaches to characterize the isolated extracellular vesicles prior to characterization of their biocargo. Rigor in data reproducibility, critical data analysis, awareness of potential pitfalls, standardization and benchmarking are required for extracellular vesicle research to fulfil the current expectation that these subcellular structures can become a valid source of next generation biomarkers.
How we flipped the medical classroom

Abstract Flipping the classroom centres on the delivery of print, audio or video based material prior to a lecture or class session. The class session is then dedicated to more active learning processes with application of knowledge through problem solving or case based scenarios. The rationale behind this approach is that teachers can spend their face-to-face time supporting students in deeper learning processes. In this paper we provide a background literature review on the flipped classroom along with a three step approach to flipping the classroom comprising implementing, enacting and evaluating this form of pedagogy. Our three step approach is based on actual experience of delivering a flipped classroom at the University of Hong Kong. This initiative was evaluated with positive results. We hope our experience will be transferable to other medical institutions.
The Exocrine Protein Trypsinogen into the Secretory Granules of an Studies by Gene Transfer Is Targeted Endocrine Cell Line :

The exocrine protein rat anionic trypsinogen has been expressed and is secreted from the murine anterior pituitary tumor cell line AtT-20. We examined which secretory pathway trypsinogen takes to the surface of this endocrine-derived cell line. The "constitutive" pathway externalizes proteins rapidly and in the absence of an external stimulus. In the alternate, "regulated" pathway, proteins are stored in secretory granules until the cells are stimulated to secrete with 8-Br-cAMP. On the basis of indirect immunofluorescence localization, stimulation of release, and subceltular fractionation, we find that trypsinogen is targeted into the regulated secretory pathway in ART-20 cells. In contrast, laminin, an endogenous secretory glycoprotein, is shown to be secreted constitutively. Thus it appears that the transport apparatus for the regulated secretory pathway in endocrine cells can recognize not only endocrine prohormones, but also the exocrine protein trypsinogen, which suggests that a similar sorting mechanism is used by endocrine and exocrine cells. The intraceUular pathway of secretory proteins from the rough endoplasmic reticulum through the Golgi apparatus and to the cell surface is well established (26). Specialized secretory cells, for example pancreatic acinar cells, concentrate and store one or a few secretory products in large organelles, the secretory granules. Release of these products by exocytosis is triggered by a physiological stimulus and has been described as regulated secretion (31 ). In contrast to this regulated secretion, other types of cells, for example fibroblasts, which lack visible secretory granules, do not store or concentrate their secretory products but rather secrete proteins continuously in a secretagogue-independent or nonregulated fashion. The pituitary cell line AtT-20 synthesizes proopiomelanocortin (POMC). ~ After POMC is glycosylated and proteolytically processed, the AtT-20 cells store the peptide hormone product, ACTH, in dense core secretory granules. ACTH is secreted from these cells in response to stimulation with secretagogues (22). Thus, these endocrine-derived cells behave as regulated secretory cells in culture. In addition, AtT-20 cells externalize the endogenous type C retroviral membrane Abbreviations used in this paper: Cys, cysteine; DME, Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium; gp 70, glycoprotein 70; Met, methionine; MTp, human metallothionein I1A promoter; N-det, buffer of 1% Nonidet P-40, 0.4% deoxycholate, 66 mM EDTA, and 10 mM TrisHCI, pH 7.4; POMC, proopiomelanoeortin: Sac, Staphylococcus au-
Reachable Set Computation and Safety Verification for Neural Networks with ReLU Activations

Neural networks have been widely used to solve complex real-world problems. Due to the complicate, nonlinear, non-convex nature of neural networks, formal safety guarantees for the output behaviors of neural networks will be crucial for their applications in safety-critical systems.In this paper, the output reachable set computation and safety verification problems for a class of neural networks consisting of Rectified Linear Unit (ReLU) activation functions are addressed. A layer-by-layer approach is developed to compute output reachable set. The computation is formulated in the form of a set of manipulations for a union of polyhedra, which can be efficiently applied with the aid of polyhedron computation tools. Based on the output reachable set computation results, the safety verification for a ReLU neural network can be performed by checking the intersections of unsafe regions and output reachable set described by a union of polyhedra. A numerical example of a randomly generated ReLU neural network is provided to show the effectiveness of the approach developed in this paper.
Reverse Engineering of Mobile Application Lifecycles

In mobile applications, the application lifecycle consists of the process-related states (e.g. suspended, ready, running) and the transitions between them. A faulty or insufficient implementation of the mobile application lifecycle can be the source of many problematic faults, e.g. loss of data. Thus for a software developer, understanding and mastering the mobile application lifecycle is essential for high quality software. In our work with various mobile platforms, we found that the given lifecycle models and corresponding documentation are often inconsistent, incomplete and incorrect. In this paper we present a way to reverse-engineer application lifecycles of mobile platforms by testing. Within a case study we apply the presented concept to three mobile platforms: Android, iOS and Java ME. We further show how developers of mobile applications can use our results to get correct lifecycle models for these platforms.
"Fault-line of an earthquake": a qualitative examination of barriers and facilitators to colorectal cancer screening in rural, Eastern North Carolina.

PURPOSE Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality and disparately affects rural, low-income and minority individuals. Thus, to inform effective interventions and policies to increase screening rates and thus ameliorate CRC disparities, this study's purpose was to examine barriers and facilitators to CRC screening among low-income, rural eastern North Carolina residents. METHODS We conducted 4 focus group discussions in October and November 2011, among a convenience sample of eastern North Carolina residents (n = 45). The focus group discussion guide included open-ended questions about barriers and facilitators to CRC screening. Discussions were audio recorded and then transcribed verbatim. A codebook listing codes and operational definitions was developed by 2 research team members, who then iteratively and independently double-coded all transcripts. Nvivo (version 9, QSR International Pty Ltd, Doncaster, Victoria, Australia) was used to manage data. Themes were extracted based upon depth and frequency of mention. FINDINGS Major barriers to CRC screening included the high cost of tests and follow-up care, fear of the test itself (colonoscopy), fear of cancer diagnosis, and fear of burdening family members. Violation (among men) and embarrassment (among women) were also barriers. Facilitators included doctor's recommendation, symptoms, support from family and friends, and the desire to live a long and healthy life. Intervention ideas included free tests with information and resources for follow-up care as needed. CONCLUSION Understanding barriers and facilitators to CRC screening can assist clinicians and public health practitioners in designing effective interventions to reduce CRC disparities.
Evidence-based research on the value of school nurses in an urban school system.

BACKGROUND With the increasing acuity of student health problems, growing rates of poverty among urban families, and widening racial/ethnic health disparities in child and adolescent health indicators, the contributions of school nurses are of increasing interest to policymakers. This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of school nurses on promoting a healthy school environment and healthy, resilient learners. METHODS A mixed-methods approach was used for this study. Using a cross-sectional design, surveys captured the level of satisfaction that school staff had with the nurse in their school, as well as their perceptions of the impact of the nurse on the efficient management of student health concerns. Using a quasi-experimental design, data from electronic school records were used to compare rates of immunization and completeness of health records in schools with nurses. RESULTS This study provides evidence that school nurses positively influenced immunization rates, the accuracy of student health records, and management of student health concerns. This research demonstrates that teachers and other staff consider nurse interventions vital to eliminating barriers to student learning and improving overall school health. A cost analysis revealed the estimated annual cost per school for the time staff spent managing health concerns. CONCLUSIONS In an environment of scarce resources, school boards need quality evaluation data to justify hiring and retaining school nurses to support improved school health environments.
Energy-based analytical inductance calculation of the novel Stator Cage Machine

Recently, a novel electrical machine category called “Stator Cage Machine” has been presented. For this type of machine an analytical method for the inductance calculation is described based on MMF computation. Ampere's Law then leads to the magnetic field strength and consequently the inductance will be calculated evaluating the magnetic energy. The analytical calculation method is validated by diverse FEM simulations.
Complete hydatidiform moles are composed of paternal chromosomes and maternal mitochondria

Abstract Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and genomic DNA are produced in separate subcellular compartments. Human mtDNA is transmitted via maternal transmission in general. Complete hydatidiform moles (CHMs) represent major trophoblastic diseases that are cytogenetically exceptional because the chromosomal genomic DNA is derived only from sperm cells, making them strikingly different from normal concepti. However, few reports have described the mtDNA-transmission pattern in hydatidiform moles. To evaluate mtDNA transmission in androgenetic CHMs, we compared the sequences of hypervariable regions in 16 trios sets of mtDNAs from maternal, paternal, and villous samples of androgenetic CHMs diagnosed by short tandem repeat-polymorphism analysis. All mtDNAs in androgenetic CHMs were maternally derived, in line with the general human inheritance pattern. Three maternal mtDNAs were heteroplasmic. The heterozygous status of maternal mtDNA was reflected in villous tissue, in which variants status was also heterozygous. CHMs are composed of paternal chromosomes and maternal mitochondria.
A Universal Stellar Initial Mass Function? A critical look at variations in extreme environments

Whether the stellar initial mass function (IMF) is universal or is instead sensitive to environmental conditions is of critical importance: The IMF influences most observable properties of stellar populations and thus galaxies, and detecting variations in the IMF could provide deep insights into the star formation process. This review critically examines reports of IMF variations, with a view toward whether other explanations are sufficient given the evidence. Studies of the field, young clusters and associations, and old globular clusters suggest that the vast majority were drawn from a universal system IMF: a power law of Salpeter index (Γ = 1.35) above a few solar masses, and a log normal or shallower power law (Γ ∼ 0–0.25) for lower mass stars. The shape and universality of the substellar IMF is still under investigation. Observations of resolved stellar populations and the integrated properties of most galaxies are also consistent with a universal IMF, suggesting no gross variations over much of cosm.
Strong enhancement of epsilon-prime / epsilon through final state interactions

We quantify the important effect of strong final state interactions in the weak $K\to2\pi$ amplitudes, using the measured $\pi$--$\pi$ phase shifts with J=0 and $I=0,2$. The final rescattering of the two pions provides a strong enhancement of the $\Delta I =1/2$ amplitude, which so far has been neglected in the theoretical predictions of $\epsilon'/\epsilon$. This correction increases the Standard Model prediction of $\epsilon'/\epsilon$ to values in good agreement with the experimental measurements.
Size Effects of Fiscal Policy and Business Confidence in the Euro Area

In the aftermath of the European sovereign debt crisis (2009–2014), the management of expectations has risen in importance. However, policy responses have emphasized the management of fiscal spending without examining the impact changes in the business confidence have on the economy. This paper uses a Factor-Augmented Vector Autoregressive specification, which allows for a larger information set covering both domestic and international developments, to measure the responses of five Euro Area economies to a one percent shock in government consumption and business confidence. The evidence suggests that even though the response to a government consumption shock is strong, a shock in expectations has an even greater effect. This points out to the fact that perceptions about the future and trust in the policymaker are much more important than previously considered. Thus, especially in (but not limited to) times of turbulence, or during efforts of stabilization and/or structural reforms, more emphasis should be placed on the overall credibility of the decisions, which could help to mitigate any potential adverse effects from the policies.
Nucleation rate of particles in the lower atmosphere: Estimated time needed to reach pseudo‐steady state and sensitivity to H2SO4 gas concentration

Using a kinetic model, we estimate the time‐needed (t0) to establish a pseudo‐steady state nucleation when sulfuric acid concentration ([H2SO4]) suddenly increases to a certain fixed level. We find that t0 is roughly inversely proportional to [H2SO4]. The assumption of instantaneously achieved pseudo‐steady state concentration of critical clusters, on which the classical nucleation theories are based, is no longer valid when t0 is longer than the time period that [H2SO4] can be treated as constant. Under the lower marine atmospheric conditions considered in this study, the nucleation rate predicted by ion‐mediated nucleation theory is very sensitive to [H2SO4] when [H2SO4] is low (<∼7 × 106/cm3) but such a sensitivity reduces significantly as [H2SO4] increases, which is quite different from that predicted with classical binary and ternary homogeneous nucleation theories.