Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improved Method for Isolating Synaptosomes from 11 Regions of One Rat Brain: Electron Microscopic and Biochemical Characterization and Use in the Study of Drug Effects on Nerve Terminal γ‐Aminobutyric Acid in Vivo

Abstract: A procedure is described for the rapid preparation of nerve ending particles (synaptosomes) from 11 regions of one rat brain. The synaptosomal fractions have been characterized by electron microscopy and determination of four marker enzymes, i.e., glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), acetylcholinesterase, succinate dehydrogenase, and glycerol 3‐phosphate dehydrogenase. Comparison with a much lengthier standard (Ficoll‐sucrose) preparation showed that the synaptosomal yield of the new procedure was substantially better as judged by both morphological evaluation and protein recovery. The improved synaptosome preparation was used for determination of regional γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in synaptosomal fractions. The postmortem increase in GABA level during removal and dissection of brain tissue and homogenization and fractionation procedures could be minimized by rapid processing of the tissue at low temperatures and inclusion of the GAD inhibitor 3‐mercaptopropionic acid (3‐MP; 1 mM) in the homogenizing medium. The addition of GABA (0.2 mM) to the homogenizing medium did not alter the GAGA levels in the synaptosomes, indicating that no significant redistribution of GABA occurred during subcellular fractionation in sodium‐free media. Synaptosomal GABA levels determined in the 11 rat brain areas showed the same regional distribution as the GABA‐synthesizing enzyme GAD. On the basis of these findings, it was suggested that the synaptosome preparation could be used to evaluate the in vivo effects of drugs on nerve terminal GABA. Treatment of rats with a convulsant dose of 3‐MP (50 mg/kg i.p.) 3 min before decapitation significantly lowered synaptosomal GABA levels in olfactory bulb, hippocampus, thalamus, tectum, and cerebellum. The 3‐MP‐induced seizures and reduction of GABA levels could be prevented by administration of valproic acid (200 mg/kg i.p.) 15 min before the 3‐MP injection. The data indicate that the improved synaptosome preparation offers a convenient method of preparing highly purified synaptosomes from a large number of small tissue samples and can provide useful information on the in vivo effects of drugs on regional GABA levels in nerve terminals.
How the quest to improve sheep reproduction provided insight into oocyte control of follicular development

ABSTRACT Reproductive efficiency is a key driver of profitability in sheep meat production. Thus, developing new strategies to increase reproductive efficiency has been a focus of many researchers. However, what we learn from understanding processes controlling reproductive efficiency in sheep also provides insights into fundamental mechanisms controlling reproduction in mammals, including humans. A prime example is the discovery that inactivating mutations in the related oocyte-derived growth factors, bone morphogenetic protein 15 and growth differentiation factor 9, result in an unusual phenotype in sheep. Animals heterozygous for inactivating mutations in either of these genes have increased fertility, whereas those that are homozygous are sterile. Understanding how this phenotype was generated led to a paradigm shift in our thinking, highlighting the central role of the oocyte in controlling ovarian follicular development and ovulation rate. It also highlighted the need for comparative research models across multiple species to truly understand these important mechanisms. Jennifer L. Juengel.
A New Algorithm for Computational Image Analysis of Deformable Motion at High Spatial and Temporal Resolution Applied to Root Growth. Roughly Uniform Elongation in the Meristem and Also, after an Abrupt Acceleration, in the Elongation Zone1

A requirement for understanding morphogenesis is being able to quantify expansion at the cellular scale. Here, we present new software (RootflowRT) for measuring the expansion profile of a growing root at high spatial and temporal resolution. The software implements an image processing algorithm using a novel combination of optical flow methods for deformable motion. The algorithm operates on a stack of nine images with a given time interval between each (usually 10 s) and quantifies velocity confidently at most pixels of the image. The root does not need to be marked. The software calculates components of motion parallel and perpendicular to the local tangent of the root's midline. A variation of the software has been developed that reports the overall root growth rate versus time. Using this software, we find that the growth zone of the root can be divided into two distinct regions, an apical region where the rate of motion, i.e. velocity, rises gradually with position and a subapical region where velocity rises steeply with position. In both zones, velocity increases almost linearly with position, and the transition between zones is abrupt. We observed this pattern for roots of Arabidopsis, tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum), lettuce (Lactuca sativa), alyssum (Aurinia saxatilis), and timothy (Phleum pratense). These velocity profiles imply that relative elongation rate is regulated in a step-wise fashion, being low but roughly uniform within the meristem and then becoming high, but again roughly uniform, within the zone of elongation. The executable code for RootflowRT is available from the corresponding author on request.
Opus: University of Bath Online Publication Store Increased Signal Complexity Improves the Breadth of Generalization in Auditory Perceptual Learning

open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. This version is made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the reference above. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Perceptual learning can be specific to a trained stimulus or optimally generalized to novel stimuli with the breadth of generalization being imperative for how we structure perceptual training programs. Adapting an established auditory interval discrimination paradigm to utilise complex signals, we trained human adults on a standard interval for either 2, 4, or 10 days. We then tested the standard, alternate frequency, interval, and stereo input conditions to evaluate the rapidity of specific learning and breadth of generalization over the time course. In comparison with previous research using simple stimuli, the speed of perceptual learning and breadth of generalization were more rapid and greater in magnitude, including novel generalization to an alternate temporal interval within stimulus type. We also investigated the long term maintenance of learning and found that specific and generalized learning was maintained over 3 and 6 months. We discuss these findings regarding stimulus complexity in perceptual learning and how they can inform the development of effective training protocols.
Chronic Inhibition of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Decreases Ca2+‐Dependent Tone of Aorta in Hypertensive Rats

Long-term effects of a novel angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, CS-622, on Ca2+-dependent tone in aortic smooth muscles of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were examined. CS-622 (3 or 10 mg/kg/day), when orally administered to SHR for 21 weeks, exhibited a dose-dependent antihypertensive action. In Krebs-Henseleit solution, removal of Ca2+ caused much greater relaxation in aortas excised from control SHR than those from SHR treated with CS-622. Restoration of Ca2+ from zero to 2.5 mM elicited a marked contraction in aortas from control SHR but only a small contraction in aortas from both CS-622-treated SHR and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats. These findings suggested that myogenic tone that resulted from increased Ca2+ permeability in aortas of SHR was suppressed by long-term treatment with CS-622. The aortic tone from the individual rats correlated well with systolic blood pressure in both CS-622-treated and control SHR. The exaggerated myogenic tone in aortas of SHR was attenuated in the medium containing nicardipine but was not altered in the presence of CS-622 diacid (active form of CS-622) at a concentration high enough to fully inhibit aortic ACE. The myogenic tone in normal Ca2+ concentration was not decreased in aortas excised from SHR treated with hydralazine (5 mg/kg/day) for 21 weeks. We conclude that after prolonged administration CS-622 reduced the high vascular tension resulting from increased Ca2+ permeability of vascular smooth muscle membrane in SHR and that the restoration of normal Ca2+ permeability of vascular smooth muscles may underlie long-term antihypertensive action of ACE inhibitors.
Optimization Strategies for Online Large-Margin Learning in Machine Translation

The introduction of large-margin based discriminative methods for optimizing statistical machine translation systems in recent years has allowed exploration into many new types of features for the translation process. By removing the limitation on the number of parameters which can be optimized, these methods have allowed integrating millions of sparse features. However, these methods have not yet met with wide-spread adoption. This may be partly due to the perceived complexity of implementation, and partly due to the lack of standard methodology for applying these methods to MT. This papers aims to shed light on large-margin learning for MT, explicitly presenting the simple passive-aggressive algorithm which underlies many previous approaches, with direct application to MT, and empirically comparing several widespread optimization strategies.
Computing equal risk contribution portfolios

For institutional investors, optimizing the trade-off between risk and reward poses significant modeling and computational challenges. Notably, small errors in the estimated returns of financial assets can lead to optimized portfolios that incur far too much risk for the returns they actually deliver. Given these adverse effects, portfolio construction techniques that are based exclusively on risk have grown in popularity. For instance, equal risk contribution (ERC) portfolios seek to equalize the risk contributions of all assets, so that the portfolio is fully diversified from a risk perspective. This paper reviews the nonlinear optimization models that underlie the ERC approach and, in response to the reported difficulty of solving such optimization problems, compares the performance of several nonlinear programming algorithms when constructing ERC portfolios. Our results suggest that performance worsens with a poor choice of algorithm or a bad problem formulation. We provide alternative formulations and also develop heuristic procedures that construct an approximation to the ERC portfolio in an efficient manner.
Axial Signal Analysis and Image Reconstruction in Acoustic Lens Photoacoustic Imaging System

The lateral imaging characteristic of an acoustic lens is similar to the well-known object-image relationship of an optical lens. In this paper, axial signal analysis is carried on and reconstruction methods for a sample’s axial photoacoustic (PA) image are researched based on the acoustic-lens PA imaging system. The integral and envelope methods are both proposed to reconstruct a sample’s axial PA image, which has only been achieved approximately by the PA signals’ peak values obtained by a peak-holding circuit in previous reports. And the envelope method is proposed for the first time. Hilbert transform was used to obtain the envelope of the sample’s PA signals and axial PA images. Simulation results show that the integral method is appropriate for low frequency samples, and that the envelope reconstruction method can provide low frequency information of the PA images of samples. So for a sample, it would be best to combine the two methods together.
Copulas‐based risk analysis for inter‐seasonal combinations of wet and dry conditions under a changing climate

Abrupt transitions between droughts and floods present greater challenges to water resource management than independent drought or flood events. It is therefore of significant importance to further include drought–flood transitions in the risk analysis of water‐related hazards under a changing climate. This study more generally evaluates the risks of combinations of dry and wet conditions between adjacent seasons. First, dry and wet conditions are monitored by the standardized precipitation index (SPI). Then, a copula‐based framework is proposed for the deviation of joint return periods of dryness–wetness combinations at different severity levels. In addition, SPI series trend detection is conducted using the Mann–Kendall test to analyse the temporal–spatial changes in dry and wet conditions. Wavelet analysis is applied to investigating correlations of dry and wet conditions with climate variability signals, which may provide predictive signals for dryness–wetness combinations. The results of a case study in the Pearl River basin (PRB), China over the period of 1960–2015 indicate that (a) the flood season (from July to October) tends towards dryness and there are wetting trends in the late autumn and winter; (b) as the joint return period is considered the proxy for the risk of dryness–wetness combination, shorter joint return periods remind a higher risk of suffering from abrupt dryness–wetness transitions in the spring–summer and summer–autumn, as well as the more frequent occurrence of continued dryness/wetness in the autumn–winter and winter–spring; (c) the western and eastern PRB are separately characterized by intensified and reduced risks of the most frequent combinations under a changing climate; and (d) El Niño–Southern Oscillation events, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and sunspot activities have a close association with dry and wet conditions in the PRB. The study provides a supplement for the current risk map and may benefit the early warning and mitigation of water‐related hazards.
Lifted Inference via k-Locality

Lifted inference approaches exploit symmetries of a graphical model. So far, only the automorphism group of the graphical model has been proposed to formalize the symmetries used. We show that this is only the GI-complete tip of a hierarchy and that the amount of lifting depends on how local the inference algorithm is: if the LP relaxation introduces constraints involving features over at most k variables, then the amount of lifting decreases monotonically with k. This induces a hierarchy of lifted inference algorithms, with lifted BP and MPLP at the bottom and exact inference methods at the top. In between, there are relaxations whose liftings are equitable partitions of intermediate coarseness, which all can be computed in polynomial time.
Impact of Energy Consumption and Environmental Pollution in Malaysia

Increasing concerned by authorities in developed and developing economies on environmental cleanness cause government additional spending. Economic activities are achieved at the cost of environmental pollution and degradation. The aim of this study is to investigate how energy use affects the environment in the short and long run and government effort to deal with the resulting effect in Malaysia. This paper develops autoregressive distributive lag (ARDL) approach in analyzing the time series data from 1980-2017. The results show that energy consumption affect the environment in short and the long run and government spending do little to tackle the problem. The study proposes a shift from existing energy use to energy friendly by investing in renewable energy among others.
Intradiscal and Intramuscular Injection of Discogel® — Radiopaque Gelified Ethanol: Pathological Evaluation

This study assessed the impact and modification of intradiscal, intraforaminal, epidural and intramuscular swine injection of a new material, Discogel®- radiopaque gelified ethanol-recently introduced for the mini-invasive treatment of herniated disc. Discogel® is a sterile viscous solution containing ethyl alcohol, cellulose derivative product, added to a radio-opaque element, tungsten. The pig was sedated and under fluoroscopy guidance a needle was positioned within disc L1-L2 followed by intradiscal, intraforaminal, epidural and intramuscular injection of 1 ml of Discogel. As disc control level L4-L5 was considered where nothing was injected. The pig was sacrifed 48 h after injection of discogel and the spine from D10 to S1 was removed and fixed in 10% buffered formalin. The anatomical specimens were cut with an electric saw and analyzed by routine technique then stained with formalin. The specimens containing bone material were treated by DEKAL solution. The specimens were stained with hematoxylin-eosin method and then analyzed by histochemical (Masson — Van Gieson PAS and trichromic stains) and immunochemical methods. Morphostructural examination disclosed a granular material coloured black by hematoxylin-eosin method (tungsten) in paravertebral tissue both in the muscular and connective tissue. Some inflammatory elements like lymphomonocyte cells and venous stasis were found. No alteration was found where discogel was injected, and the nucleus pulposus, disc, chondromixoid and root ganglium were normal. After intradiscal, intraforaminal, epidural and intramuscular injection of Discogel® no morpho-structural changes in nuclear tissue and annulus were found. Further studies on pigs with immunohistochemical analysis after treatment will confirm the morphological alterations induced by discogel and its action.
Characterization of the performance of an injector for the controlled generation of microbubbles

We perform a characterization of a recently reported microbubble injector in conditions relevant to microgravity. Injection of bubbles is based on the generation of a slug flow in a capillary T-junction, whose operation is robust to changes in the gravity level. We address questions regarding the performance under different working regimes. In particular, we focus on the regimes found within a large range of gas and liquid injection flow rates. The injection performance is characterized by measuring bubble generation frequency. We propose curves obtained empirically for the behavior of generation frequency and crossover between regimes.
Searching for Rules to find Defective Modules in Unbalanced Data Sets

The characterisation of defective modules in software engineering remains a challenge. In this work, we use data mining techniques to search for rules that indicate modules with a high probability of being defective. Using data sets from the PROMISE repository, we first applied feature selection (attribute selection) to work only with those attributes from the data sets capable of predicting defective modules. With the reduced data set, a genetic algorithm is used to search for rules characterising modules with a high probability of being defective. This algorithm overcomes the problem of unbalanced data sets where the number of non-defective samples in the data set highly outnumbers the defective ones.
Learning dexterous grasps that generalise to novel objects by combining hand and contact models

Generalising dexterous grasps to novel objects is an open problem. We show how to learn grasps for high DoF hands that generalise to novel objects, given as little as one demonstrated grasp. During grasp learning two types of probability density are learned that model the demonstrated grasp. The first density type (the contact model) models the relationship of an individual finger part to local surface features at its contact point. The second density type (the hand configuration model) models the whole hand configuration during the approach to grasp. When presented with a new object, many candidate grasps are generated, and a kinematically feasible grasp is selected that maximises the product of these densities. We demonstrate 31 successful grasps on novel objects (an 86% success rate), transferred from 16 training grasps. The method enables: transfer of dexterous grasps within object categories; across object categories; to and from objects where there is no complete model of the object available; and using two different dexterous hands.
PAD-based multimodal affective fusion

The study of multimodality is comparatively less developed for affective interfaces than for their traditional counterparts. However, one condition for the successful development of affective interface technologies is the development of frameworks for the real-time multimodal fusion. In this paper, we describe an approach to multimodal affective fusion, which relies on a dimensional model, Pleasure-Arousal-Dominance (PAD) to support the fusion of affective modalities, each input modality being represented as a PAD vector. We describe how this model supports both affective content fusion and temporal fusion within a unified approach. We report results from early user studies which confirm the existence of a correlation between measured affective input and user temperament scores.
Fibroblasts promote the formation of a continuous basal lamina during myogenesis in vitro

Analyses were made of the requirements for the formation of a continuous basal lamina during myogenesis of quail muscle in vitro. A culture system was developed in which mass cultures of differentiating muscle cells were embedded in a native gel of rat tail collagen. Fibroblastic cells, which were also present in the cultures, migrated into the gel and within a few days surrounded the newly formed myotubes. In this environment, a continuous basal lamina was formed at the surface of the myotubes as demonstrated by immunofluorescent staining with monoclonal antibodies against type IV collagen, laminin, and heparan sulfate, as well as by electron microscopic immunolocalization. To distinguish between the role of the fibroblasts and the collagen gel in promoting basal lamina formation, clones of quail muscle cells lacking fibroblasts were subsequently embedded in a native rat tail collagen gel. Under these conditions, only very limited fluorescent staining for basement membrane components was observed associated with the myotubes. However, the introduction of chick muscle or skin fibroblasts into the clonal cultures just before gel formation resulted in the formation of an extensive basal lamina on the surface of the myotubes. Conditioned medium from fibroblast cultures by itself was not effective in promoting basal lamina formation. These results clearly show that during myogenesis in vitro fibroblasts must be in close proximity to the myotubes for a continuous basal lamina to form. These results probably relate closely to the interactions that must occur during myogenesis in vivo between the muscle cells and the surrounding connective tissue including the developing tendons.