Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deficiency of Multidrug and Toxin Extrusion 1 Enhances Renal Accumulation of Paraquat and Deteriorates Kidney Injury in Mice

Multidrug and toxin extrusion 1 (MATE1/solute carrier 47A1) mediates cellular transport of a variety of structurally diverse compounds. Paraquat (PQ), which has been characterized in vitro as a MATE1 substrate, is a widely used herbicide and can cause severe toxicity to humans after exposure. However, the contribution of MATE1 to PQ disposition in vivo has not been determined. In the present study, we generated Mate1-deficient (Mate1–/–) mice and performed toxicokinetic analyses of PQ in Mate1–/– and wild-type (Mate1+/+) mice. After a single intravenous administration of PQ (50 mg/kg), Mate1–/– mice exhibited significantly higher plasma PQ concentrations than Mate1+/+ mice. The renal PQ concentration was markedly increased in Mate1–/– mice compared with Mate1+/+ mice. The subsequent nephrotoxicity of PQ were examined in these mice. Three days after intraperitoneal administration of PQ (20 mg/kg), the transcript levels of N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (Lcn2) and kidney injury molecule-1 (Kim-1) in the kidney were remarkably enhanced in the Mate1–/– mice. This was accompanied by apparent difference in renal histology between Mate1–/– and Mate1+/+ mice. In conclusion, we demonstrated that Mate1 is responsible for renal elimination of PQ in vivo and the deficiency of Mate1 function confers deteriorated kidney injury caused by PQ in mice.
Gain-scheduled state-feedback control for LPV time-delay systems based on multiple performances

This paper is concerned with the gain-scheduled control problem for continuous-time linear parameter-varying (LPV) systems with time-varying delays and energy-bounded disturbances. Attention is focused on the design of state-feedback controllers with the controller gains depending on the time-varying parameters, such that the resulting closed-loop system is asymptotically stable and the controlled output and disturbance input satisfy a prescribed performance inequality. The performance inequality introduced in this paper covers the well-known H∞ performance, L2-L∞ performance, passivity and disspativity as special cases. Delay-dependent conditions for the existence of desired controllers are obtained by using a parameter-dependent Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional together with a recently developed integral inequality. When the obtained conditions are feasible, the desired controller gains can be constructed by using the feasible solutions to those conditions. Moreover, the obtained conditions are further converted into linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) for the particular case where the system coefficients are assumed to take a polytopic form.
Social Representations of Diagnosis in the Consultation

Observations of physiotherapy consultations and qualitative interviews with patients were conducted to explore the clinical explanation for sciatic pain. We report three themes which illustrate the contested and negotiated order of the clinical explanation: anchoring; resistance; and normalisation. We show using the theory of social representations how the social order in the physiotherapy consultation is maintained, contested and rearticulated. We highlight the importance of agency in patients’ ability to resist the clinical explanation and in turn shape the clinical discourse within the consultation. Social representations offer insights into how the world is viewed by different individuals, in our case physiotherapists and patients with sciatic pain symptoms. The negotiation about the diagnosis reveals the malleable and socially constructed nature of pain and the meaning-making process underpinning it. The study has implications for understanding inequalities in the consultation and the key ingredients of consensus.
Fabrication of pH-sensitive Microparticles for Drug Delivery Applications Using Soft Lithography Techniques

This work describes a new method for the fabrication of monodisperse, pH-sensitive microparticles from Eudragit®-S100 (ES100) via soft lithography. Vitamin C was used as model drug. ES100 microparticles containing 33-51% vitamin C (wt/wt) were fabricated using previously patterned poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) molds and stamped onto a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) sacrificial layer at low temperature (T ≤ 45°C). The particles were subsequently released in an acidic aqueous solution (pH ~ 1.0-2.0). Optical microscopy, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used to characterize particle morphology and size. A variety of microparticles with different geometries (circular and hexagonal pillars), and lateral dimensions ranging from 3 to 15 μm were obtained. SEM showed that the particles presented porous surface morphology, with uniform and narrow size distribution (as confirmed by DLS analysis). The particles were insoluble in acidic solutions, but began swelling and dissolving at a more neutral pH (~ 6.5-7.0). These results illustrate the possibility of obtaining pH-sensitive polymeric particles from ES-100 with controlled dimensions and morphology at the microscale using soft lithography based techniques and low processing temperatures. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the soft lithographic fabrication of pH-sensitive ES-100 microparticles for drug delivery applications.
Assessing the Utility of Noncognitive Aptitudes as Additional Predictors of Graduation from U.S. Air Force Pararescue Training

Abstract : The present study investigated the utility and incremental validity of noncognitive testing (Bar-Ons Emotional Quotient Inventory),as well as cognitive aptitude testing (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) prior to training for evaluating the suitability oftraining candidates for the U.S. Air Force pararescuemen career field. A total of 1233 Air Force pararescue training candidatesparticipated in the study. Results of Cox regression survival analyses reveal noncognitive aptitude areas of functioning prior totraining as key to performance and that significantly increase the capability to assess the suitability of training candidates for this highrisk,high-demand career field, as well as predict pass versus fail training outcomes beyond measures of cognitive aptitude.
Effective quark model with chiral U ( 3 ) × U ( 3 ) symmetry for baryon octet and decuplet

We suggest an effective quark model for low-lying baryon octet and decuplet motivated by QCD with a linearly rising confinement potential incorporating the extended Nambu--Jona-Lasinio (ENJL) model with linear realization of chiral $U(3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(3)$ symmetry. Baryons are considered as external heavy states coupled to local three-quark currents with fixed spinorial structure and to low-lying mesons through quark-meson interactions defined in the ENJL model. In the constituent quark loop representation we have calculated the coupling constants of the $\ensuremath{\pi}NN, \ensuremath{\pi}N\ensuremath{\Delta},$ and $\ensuremath{\gamma}N\ensuremath{\Delta}$ interactions and the ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\ensuremath{\pi}N}$ term. The obtained results are in reasonable agreement with experimental data and other effective field theory approaches.
The Amyloid Hypothesis of Alzheimer ’ s Disease : Progress and Problems on the Road to Therapeutics

www.sciencemag. org (this information is current as of April 10, 2009 ): The following resources related to this article are available online at http://www.sciencemag. org/cgi/content/full/sci;297/5590/2209b A correction has been published for this article at: http://www.sciencemag. org/cgi/content/full/297/5580/353 version of this article at: including high-resolution figures, can be found in the online Updated information and services, found at: can be related to this article A list of selected additional articles on the Science Web sites http://www.sciencemag. org/cgi/content/full/297/5580/353#related-content http://www.sciencemag. org/cgi/content/full/297/5580/353#otherarticles , 9 of which can be accessed for free: cites 29 articles This article 1685 article(s) on the ISI Web of Science. cited by This article has been http://www.sciencemag. org/cgi/content/full/297/5580/353#otherarticles 94 articles hosted by HighWire Press; see: cited by This article has been http://www.sciencemag. org/cgi/collection/medicine Medicine, Diseases : subject collections This article appears in the following
Transport and mixing in the radiation zones of rotating stars. I. Hydrodynamical processes

The purpose of this paper is to improve the modelization of the rotational mixing which occurs in stellar radiation zones, through the combined action of the thermally driven meridional circulation and of the turbulence generated by the shear of differential rotation. The turbulence is assumed to be anisotropic, due to the stratification, with stronger transport in the horizontal directions than in the vertical. The main difference with the former treatments by Zahn (1992, AA it will be included in forthcoming papers.
Testing high-performance pipelined circuits with slow-speed testers

This article presents a methodology for testing high-performance pipelined circuits with slow-speed testers. The technique uses a clock timing circuit to control data transfer in the pipeline in test mode. The technique adds no extra hardware in the data path of the pipeline and therefore has virtually no performance penalty. A clock timing circuit capable of achieving a timing resolution of 50 ps in 0.18 μm CMOS technology is presented. The design provides the ability to test the clock timing circuit itself. The effectiveness of the technique is demonstrated using a 16-bit pipelined multiplier as a test vehicle. Simulations show that we are able to detect delay faults as small as 50 ps at an input clock frequency of 100 MHz.
Title of Presentation: Design of an Object Identification and Orientation Assistant for the Deafblind

Introduction Remarkable advances have been made in the development and technical optimisation when considering stationary solutions of assistant systems for the visually impaired. For example, recent progress in web accessibility allows sensory handicapped people to receive in many cases the same amount of information as sighted persons. While looking at mobile solutions, there are still many other challenges to achieve equal opportunities concerning information access. In 2004 we presented a design for a new type of an indoor navigation and object identification system for the blind [1]. The basic idea of this system is to combine local sensor information with 3D environment models. The local sensor information can be acquired using a hand-guided sensor module. This sensor module consists of a stereo camera, a 3D direction sensor, and a keyboard. It is also possible to attach the sensor module to the cane. By pressing keys, inquiries can be sent either to the connected portable computer or to a platform of one or more servers distributing information about the closer and distant environment. The location of the user can be determined using conventional WiFi installations. The system enables users to recognise modelled objects, i.e. the closest object in front of the user. The name of this object is transmitted to the user over a text-to-speech engine.
Continuation and Bifurcation of Grain Boundaries in the Swift-Hohenberg Equation

We study grain boundaries between striped phases in the prototypical Swift-Hohenberg equation. We propose an analytical and numerical far-field-core decomposition that allows us to study existence and bifurcations of grain boundaries analytically and numerically using continuation techniques. This decomposition overcomes problems with computing grain boundaries in a large doubly periodic box with phase conditions. Using the spatially conserved quantities of the time-independent Swift-Hohenberg equation, we show that symmetric grain boundaries must select the marginally zig-zag stable stripes. We find that as the angle between the stripes is decreased, the symmetric grain boundary undergoes a parity-breaking pitchfork bifurcation where dislocations at the grain boundary split into disclination pairs. A plethora of asymmetric grain boundaries (with different angles of the far-field stripes either side of the boundary) is found and investigated. The energy of the grain boundaries is then mapped out. We find that when the angle between the stripes is greater than a critical angle, the symmetric grain boundary is energetically preferred while when the angle is less than the critical angle, the grain boundaries where stripes on one side are parallel to the interface are energetically preferred. Finally, we propose a classification of grain boundaries that allows us to predict various non-standard asymmetric grain boundaries.
Label-Free 3D Visualization of Cellular and Tissue Structures in Intact Muscle with Second and Third Harmonic Generation Microscopy

Second and Third Harmonic Generation (SHG and THG) microscopy is based on optical effects which are induced by specific inherent physical properties of a specimen. As a multi-photon laser scanning approach which is not based on fluorescence it combines the advantages of a label-free technique with restriction of signal generation to the focal plane, thus allowing high resolution 3D reconstruction of image volumes without out-of-focus background several hundred micrometers deep into the tissue. While in mammalian soft tissues SHG is mostly restricted to collagen fibers and striated muscle myosin, THG is induced at a large variety of structures, since it is generated at interfaces such as refraction index changes within the focal volume of the excitation laser. Besides, colorants such as hemoglobin can cause resonance enhancement, leading to intense THG signals. We applied SHG and THG microscopy to murine (Mus musculus) muscles, an established model system for physiological research, to investigate their potential for label-free tissue imaging. In addition to collagen fibers and muscle fiber substructure, THG allowed us to visualize blood vessel walls and erythrocytes as well as white blood cells adhering to vessel walls, residing in or moving through the extravascular tissue. Moreover peripheral nerve fibers could be clearly identified. Structure down to the nuclear chromatin distribution was visualized in 3D and with more detail than obtainable by bright field microscopy. To our knowledge, most of these objects have not been visualized previously by THG or any label-free 3D approach. THG allows label-free microscopy with inherent optical sectioning and therefore may offer similar improvements compared to bright field microscopy as does confocal laser scanning microscopy compared to conventional fluorescence microscopy.
Grounded cognition: Comparing Language × Space interactions in first language and second language

ABSTRACT The experiential traces account claims that language comprehension in one's first language (L1) is based on the reactivation of experiential traces that stem from experiencing the corresponding objects, states, or events. However, it remains unclear to what extent this is transferable to second language (L2) comprehension. In the present study, we compared German L1 speakers with German L2 speakers whose L1 uses similar or different spatial terms as German. In an adaptation of the Stroop paradigm, participants were instructed to respond to the font color of German spatial prepositions (e.g., auf “on,” über “above,” and unter “under/below”) by either an upward or a downward hand movement, resulting in compatible or incompatible responses. We found significant compatibility effects for all speakers, but also clear differences between speakers of different L1s. The results thereby support the assumption that experiential traces built during L1 usage play an important role in L2 processing.
e-Distance Weighted Support Vector Regression

We propose a novel support vector regression approach called e-Distance Weighted Support Vector Regression (e-DWSVR). e-DWSVR specifically addresses two challenging issues in support vector regression: first, the process of noisy data; second, how to deal with the situation when the distribution of boundary data is different from that of the overall data. The proposed e-DWSVR optimizes the minimum margin and the mean of functional margin simultaneously to tackle these two issues. In addition, we use both dual coordinate descent (CD) and averaged stochastic gradient descent (ASGD) strategies to make e-DWSVR scalable to large scale problems. We report promising results obtained by e-DWSVR in comparison with existing methods on several benchmark datasets.
Recognition advantage of happy faces in extrafoveal vision: Featural and affective processing

Happy, surprised, disgusted, angry, sad, fearful, and neutral facial expressions were presented extrafoveally (2.5° away from fixation) for 150 ms, followed by a probe word for recognition (Experiment 1) or a probe scene for affective valence evaluation (Experiment 2). Eye movements were recorded and gaze-contingent masking prevented foveal viewing of the faces. Results showed that (a) happy expressions were recognized faster than others in the absence of fixations on the faces, (b) the same pattern emerged when the faces were presented upright or upside-down, (c) happy prime faces facilitated the affective evaluation of emotionally congruent probe scenes, and (d) such priming effects occurred at 750 but not at 250 ms prime–probe stimulus–onset asynchrony. This reveals an advantage in the recognition of happy faces outside of overt visual attention, and suggests that this recognition advantage relies initially on featural processing and involves processing of positive affect at a later stage.
Biomedical Applications of Magnetically Functionalized Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Nanofibers

Nanofibers are one-dimensional nanomaterial in fiber form with diameter less than 1 µm and an aspect ratio (length/diameter) larger than 100:1. Among the different types of nanoparticle-loaded nanofiber systems, nanofibers loaded with magnetic nanoparticles have gained much attention from biomedical scientists due to a synergistic effect obtained from the unique properties of both the nanofibers and magnetic nanoparticles. These magnetic nanoparticle-encapsulated or -embedded nanofiber systems can be used not only for imaging purposes but also for therapy. In this review, we focused on recent advances in nanofibers loaded with magnetic nanoparticles, their biomedical applications, and future trends in the application of these nanofibers.
The Codacs™ Direct Acoustic Cochlear Implant Actuator: Exploring Alternative Stimulation Sites and Their Stimulation Efficiency

This work assesses the efficiency of the Codacs system actuator (Cochlear Ltd., Sydney Australia) in different inner ear stimulation modalities. Originally the actuator was intended for direct perilymph stimulation after stapedotomy using a piston prosthesis. A possible alternative application is the stimulation of middle ear structures or the round window (RW). Here the perilymph stimulation with a K-piston through a stapes footplate (SFP) fenestration (N = 10) as well as stimulation of the stapes head (SH) with a Bell prosthesis (N = 9), SFP stimulation with an Omega/Aerial prosthesis (N = 8) and reverse RW stimulation (N = 10) were performed in cadaveric human temporal bones (TBs). Codacs actuator output is expressed as equivalent sound pressure level (eq. SPL) using RW and SFP displacement responses, measured by Laser Doppler velocimetry as reference. The axial actuator coupling force in stimulation of stapes and RW was adjusted to ~ 5 mN. The Bell prosthesis and Omega/Aerial prosthesis stimulation generated similar mean eq. SPLs (Bell: 127.5–141.8 eq. dB SPL; Omega/Aerial: 123.6–143.9 eq. dB SPL), being significantly more efficient than K-piston perilymph stimulation (108.6–131.6 eq. dB SPL) and RW stimulation (108.3–128.2 eq. dB SPL). Our results demonstrate that SH, SFP and RW are adequate alternative stimulation sites for the Codacs actuator using coupling prostheses and an axial coupling force of ~ 5 mN. Based on the eq. SPLs, all investigated methods were adequate for in vivo hearing aid applications, provided that experimental conditions including constant coupling force will be implemented.
In the Eye of the Beholder: Individual Differences in Perceived Social Isolation Predict Regional Brain Activation to Social Stimuli

Prior research has shown that perceived social isolation (loneliness) motivates people to attend to and connect with others but to do so in a self-protective and paradoxically self-defeating fashion. Although recent research has shed light on the neural correlates of social perception, cooperation, empathy, rejection, and love, little is known about how individual differences in loneliness relate to neural responses to social and emotional stimuli. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we show that there are at least two neural mechanisms differentiating social perception in lonely and nonlonely young adults. For pleasant depictions, lonely individuals appear to be less rewarded by social stimuli, as evidenced by weaker activation of the ventral striatum to pictures of people than of objects, whereas nonlonely individuals showed stronger activation of the ventral striatum to pictures of people than of objects. For unpleasant depictions, lonely individuals were characterized by greater activation of the visual cortex to pictures of people than of objects, suggesting that their attention is drawn more to the distress of others, whereas nonlonely individuals showed greater activation of the right and left temporo-parietal junction to pictures of people than of objects, consistent with the notion that they are more likely to reflect spontaneously on the perspective of distressed others.
Mating of the Stichotrichous Ciliate Oxytricha trifallax Induces Production of a Class of 27 nt Small RNAs Derived from the Parental Macronucleus

Ciliated protozoans possess two types of nuclei; a transcriptionally silent micronucleus, which serves as the germ line nucleus, and a transcriptionally active macronucleus, which serves as the somatic nucleus. The macronucleus is derived from a new diploid micronucleus after mating, with epigenetic information contributed by the parental macronucleus serving to guide the formation of the new macronucleus. In the stichotrichous ciliate Oxytricha trifallax, the macronuclear DNA is highly processed to yield gene-sized nanochromosomes with telomeres at each end. Here we report that soon after mating of Oxytricha trifallax, abundant 27 nt small RNAs are produced that are not present prior to mating. We performed next generation sequencing of Oxytricha small RNAs from vegetative and mating cells. Using sequence comparisons between macronuclear and micronuclear versions of genes, we found that the 27 nt RNA class derives from the parental macronucleus, not the developing macronucleus. These small RNAs are produced equally from both strands of macronuclear nanochromosomes, but in a highly non-uniform distribution along the length of the nanochromosome, and with a particular depletion in the 30 nt telomere-proximal positions. This production of small RNAs from the parental macronucleus during macronuclear development stands in contrast to the mechanism of epigenetic control in the distantly related ciliate Tetrahymena. In that species, 28–29 nt scanRNAs are produced from the micronucleus and these micronuclear-derived RNAs serve as epigenetic controllers of macronuclear development. Unlike the Tetrahymena scanRNAs, the Oxytricha macronuclear-derived 27 mers are not modified by 2′O-methylation at their 3′ ends. We propose models for the role of these “27macRNAs” in macronuclear development.