Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
M1 Muscarinic Receptors Stimulate Rapid and Prolonged Phases of Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity: Involvement of Different Calcium Pools

Abstract: This study shows that activation of M1 muscarinic receptors, when coexpressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)‐K1 cells with neuronal nitric oxide (NO) synthase (nNOS), produces early and late phases of elevation of both intracellular Ca2+ concentration and nNOS activity. We examined the relationship between receptor‐mediated increases in intracellular Ca2+ concentration and activation of nNOS over both short and long intervals using guanosine 3′,5′‐cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) formation as a measure of nNOS activity. The rapid phase of nNOS activation was dependent on release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores in both the CHO M1/nNOS transfected cells and in neuroblastoma (N1E‐115) cells, in which muscarinic receptors and nNOS are endogenously expressed. Two single point mutations in the M1 muscarinic receptor that have previously been shown to uncouple differentially the receptor from phosphoinositide hydrolysis produced parallel attenuation of the rapid phase of nNOS activation. Characterization of the prolonged phase of nNOS activation was done using the conversion of l‐[3H]arginine to l‐[3H]citrulline as well as cGMP formation following stimulation of M1 muscarinic receptors for 60 min. Both responses were dependent on influx of extracellular Ca2+ and were accompanied by prolonged formation of NO at functionally effective levels as late as 60 min following receptor activation. Therefore, this study demonstrates for the first time the existence of two mechanistically distinct phases of nNOS activation that are dependent on different sources of Ca2+.
REAL-TIME PCR DETECTION OF CAMPYLOBACTER SPP. IN FREE-RANGING MOUNTAIN GORILLAS (GORILLA BERINGEI BERINGEI)

Health monitoring of wildlife populations can greatly benefit from rapid, local, noninvasive molecular assays for pathogen detection. Fecal samples collected from free-living Virunga mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) between August 2002 and February 2003 were tested for Campylobacter spp. DNA using a portable, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) instrument. A high prevalence of Campylobacter spp. was detected in both individually identified (22/26=85%) and nest-collected samples (68/114=59.6%), with no statistically significant differences among different gorilla sexes or age classes or between tourist-visited versus research gorilla groups. The PCR instrument was able to discriminate two distinct groups of Campylobacter spp. in positive gorilla samples based on the PCR product fluorescent-probe melting profiles. The rare type (6/90 positives, 7%, including three mixed cases) matched DNA sequences of Campylobacter jejuni and was significantly associated with abnormally soft stools. The more common type of positive gorilla samples (87/90 positives, 97%) were normally formed and contained a Campylobacter sp. with DNA matching no published sequences. We speculate that the high prevalence of Campylobacter spp. detected in gorilla fecal samples in this survey mostly reflects previously uncharacterized and nonpathogenic intestinal flora. The real-time PCR assay was more sensitive than bacterial culture with Campylobacter-specific media and commercially available, enzyme immunoassay tests for detecting Campylobacter spp. in human samples.
[Isolation of group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus in children with perianal dermatitis].

INTRODUCTION Perianal dermatitis due to group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus is a rare diagnosis in pediatrics. Clinical manifestations include erythema, edema, and perianal pruritus associated with vulvovaginitis or balanitis, painful defecation, constipation, anal fissures, purulent discharge, and/or rectal bleeding. MATERIAL AND METHODS A descriptive, observational, prospective study was conducted between May, 2004 and April, 2005. In children presenting to the emergency room with erythema, edema, and perianal pruritus, a rapid streptococcal antigen test and bacterial cultures of their perianal secretions were obtained. Patients with a positive result in the rapid test were treated with oral phenoxymethylpenicillin (40-50 mg/kg/day) for 10 days, after which clinical and bacteriological evaluations were conducted. RESULTS Of the 24 patients presenting with erythema, edema, and perianal pruritus, 19 patients (12 boys and 7 girls), aged between 6 months and 4 years (median age: 30 months), tested positive for group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus. Nine patients also presented with constipation, 5 with anal fissures, 4 with rectal bleeding, 2 with vulvovaginitis, and 1 with streptococcal pharyngoamygdalitis. Outcome was favorable in 85 % of the patients, and perianal isolation of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus was negative after treatment in 95 %. CONCLUSIONS In patients presenting with erythema, edema, and perianal pruritus, perianal streptococcal dermatitis should be ruled out. The rapid test for streptococcal antigen detection is a quick and reliable method for this diagnosis. The antibiotic of choice is oral penicillin.
Some new aspects of Optimal Portfolios and Option Pricing

The main two problems of continuous-time financial mathematics are option pricing and portfolio optimization. In this thesis, various new aspects of these major topics of financial mathematics will be discussed. In all our considerations we will assume the standard diffusion type setting for securitiy prices which is today well-know under the term "Black-Scholes model". This setting and the basic results of option pricing and portfolio optimization are surveyed in the first chapter. The next three chapters deal with generalizations of the standard portfolio problem, also know as "Merton's problem". Here, we will always use the stochastic control approach as introduced in the seminal papers by Merton (1969, 1971, 1990). One such problem is the very realistic setting of an investor who is faced with fixed monetary streams. More precisely, in addition to maximizing the utility from final wealth via choosing an investment strategy, the investor also has to fulfill certain consumption needs. Also the opposite situation, an additional income stream can now be taken into account in our portfolio optimization problem. We consider various examples and solve them on one hand via classical stochastic control methods and on the other hand by our new separation theorem. This together with some numerical examples forms Chapter 2. Chapter 3 is mainly concerned with the portfolio problem if the investor has different lending and borrowing rates. We give explicit solutions (where possible) and numerical methods to calculate the optimal strategy in the cases of log utility and HARA utility for three different modelling approaches of the dependence of the borrowing rate on the fraction of wealth financed by a credit. The further generalization of the standard Merton problem in Chapter 4 consists in considering simultaneously the possibilities for continuous and discrete consumption. In our general approach there is a possibility for assigning the different consumption times different weights which is a generalization of the usual way of making them comparable via discounting. Chapter 5 deals with the special case of pricing basket options. Here, the main problem is not path-dependence but the multi-dimensionality which makes it impossible to give usuefull analytical representations of the option price. We review the literature and compare six different numerical methods in a systematic way. Thereby we also look at the influence of various parameters such as strike, correlation, forwards or volatilities on the erformance of the different numerical methods. The problem of pricing Asian options on average spot with average strike is the topic of Chapter 6. We here apply the bivariate normal distribution to obtain an approximate option price. This method proves to be very reliable and e±cient for the valuation of different variants of Asian options on average spot with average strike.
Reconstruction of three-dimensional objects using video sequences

It has been demonstrated that it is possible to reconstruct 3D video sequences using depth information. Novel framework can be realized in all formats in video sequences because it does not depend on a specific hardware usually needed in existed techniques for depth map calculations. Proposed technique is applicable in other methods of 3D perception, such as polarized lens, etc. The applications of the proposed method can be useful in areas: real time 3D remote sensing, robot navigation, or 3D medical visual demonstrations.
Corticotropin‐releasing factor promotes growth of brain norepinephrine neuronal processes through Rho GTPase regulators of the actin cytoskeleton in rat

Cognitive aspects of the acute stress response are partly mediated through activation of the locus coeruleus (LC)–norepinephrine (NE) system via corticotropin‐releasing factor (CRF). Apart from mediating the acute responses to stress, CRF can mediate the long‐term impact of stress on the brain through its potent modulation of neuronal morphology. Importantly, the cellular pathways engaged by stress in general, and CRF in particular, in remodeling neuronal structure are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that apart from its well‐established acute effects on LC neuronal activity, CRF also stimulates growth and arborization of LC neuronal processes. By contrast, urocortin 2 (UCN 2), a related peptide, inhibits outgrowth of such processes. These opposing effects are transduced by a common receptor (CRF1) but distinct intracellular signaling pathways. The structural effects of CRF required protein kinase A and mitogen‐activated protein kinase, as well as Rac1, a member of the Rho family of GTPases that regulates the actin and microtubule cytoskeleton. By contrast, the effects of UCN II were mediated by the protein kinase C and RhoA pathways. This is the first study to link stress‐related substrates to molecular mediators of actin cytoskeletal remodeling in the LC. We propose a model of dynamic LC neuronal plasticity that is reciprocally controlled by CRF and UCN II, eventually determining actin rearrangement by Rho‐specific pathways. By regulating the extension of processes into pericoerulear regions where limbic afferents terminate, these peptides may determine the degree to which the LC–NE system is influenced by limbic structures that mediate emotional expression.
Torque characterization of a synchronous reluctance machine using an analytical model

The unique features of the synchronous reluctance machines such as fast dynamic response, simple rotor structure, and low cost have gained attention in recent years for many applications such as electric vehicles. In this paper the torque-angle curves of a synchronous reluctance machine which is designed and prototyped for traction applications are estimated using an analytical model. These curves which are obtained for various currents at different load angles, provide the required information that can lead to an optimized operation of the machine and a better performance of the electric vehicle. The analytical model proposed in this paper is based on the electromagnetic equations and calculates the electromagnetic torque using the coenergy method. This model provides preliminary information about the machine's characteristic, and can also be used as a tool to obtain initial design parameters. The results of the analytical model are then compared to finite element and experimental results. The comparison shows an acceptable agreement, which allows the model to be used as a design tool.
Islamic Project Finance

The Handbook of Islamic Banking comprises 25 studies by leading international experts on Islamic banking and finance specially commissioned to analyse the various debates and the current state of play in the field. This comprehensive Handbook provides a succinct analysis of the workings of Islamic banking and finance, accessible to a wide range of readers. At the same time, it seeks to bring the current research agenda and the main issues on Islamic banking before a wider audience.
A fully non-parametric heteroskedastic model

In this paper we propose a new model for estimating returns and volatility. Our approach is based both on the wavelet denoising technique and on the variational theory. We assess that the volatility can be expressed as a non-parametric functional form of past returns. Therefore, we are able to forecast both returns and volatility and to build confidence intervals for predicted returns. Our technique outperforms classical time series theory. Our model does not require the stationarity of the observed log-returns, it preserves the volatility stylised facts and it is based on a fully non-parametric form. This non-parametric form is obtained thanks to the multiplicative noise theory. To our knowledge, this is the first time that such a method is used for financial modeling. We propose an application to intraday and daily financial data.
Allocative inefficiency and farm-level constraints in irrigated agriculture in Pakistan

In this paper, we estimate the allocative inefficiency of groundwater in Pakistani agriculture and compare it across a set of farm-level constraints, using a panel dataset of rural households. The farm-level constraints include tenure, farm size, access to surface water and location on a watercourse. We use a stochastic approach, based on a system of equations to estimate both the technical efficiency of farms and the allocative efficiency of groundwater use. The allocation of surface irrigation water in Pakistan is fixed per unit of land, so its allocative inefficiency cannot be estimate. Therefore, we will treat surface water as a fixed factor and focus mainly on groundwater. The analysis sheds light on the utilization of irrigation water across a set of farm-specific characteristics. It also provides a basis for a psssible redesign of water policy. The results in this paper constitute the empirical basis for policy work that we will focus on in our future work.
EFQM Excellence Model and TQM: an empirical comparison

The EFQM Excellence Model (EEM) has been used by managers and academics as a proxy for the implementation of total quality management (TQM). However, at the present time there is no empirical evidence that shows that the systems are equivalent. This paper empirically analyses whether companies that implement the EEM as a management tool are indirectly using TQM. The results make it possible to conclude that EEM and TQM, although not the same, follow a similar path and it can be expected that a company with high scores at EEM will have high odds of being a TQM company. In addition, both systems provide a means for improving performance according to the results measured by the EEM.
Art as an Asset: Evidence from Keynes the Collector

The risk-return characteristics of art as an asset have been previously studied through aggregate price indexes. By contrast, we examine the long-run buy-and-hold performance of an actual portfolio, namely, the collection of John Maynard Keynes. We find that its performance has substantially exceeded existing estimates of art market returns. Our analysis of the collection identifies general attributes of art portfolios crucial in explaining why investor returns can substantially diverge from market returns: transaction-specific risk, buyer heterogeneity, return skewness, and portfolio concentration. Furthermore, our findings highlight the limitations of art price indexes as a guide to asset allocation or performance benchmarking. (JEL B26, C43, G11, G12, G14, Z11) Received: September 7, 2018: Editorial decision: November 24, 2019 by Editor: Nikolai Roussanov
Characteristics of dual polarized flat antenna

The tri-plate flat antenna has a very attractive performance such as wide frequency band-width, high efficiency and easy manufacturing. The dual polarized flat array antenna had been practically developed by experimental optimization. Since this kind of multi-layer antenna is excited by an electromagnetic coupled feeding probe, it is difficult to obtain an analysis model including the effect of probe and there are few references for this antenna. This paper not only presents a theory of the dual polarized flat antenna to calculate the input impedance characteristics of the feeding probes, the phase condition of each radiation element, verifying with measured data, but also proposes a conversion technique to the dual circular polarization.
MAC Protocols With Wake-Up Radio for Wireless Sensor Networks: A Review

The use of a low-power wake-up radio in wireless sensor networks is considered in this paper, where relevant medium access control solutions are studied. A variety of asynchronous wake-up MAC protocols have been proposed in the literature, which take advantage of integrating a second radio to the main one for waking it up. However, a complete and a comprehensive survey particularly on these protocols is missing in the literature. This paper aims at filling this gap, proposing a relevant taxonomy, and providing deep analysis and discussions. From both perspectives of energy efficiency and latency reduction, as well as their operation principles, state-of-the-art wake-up MAC protocols are grouped into three main categories: 1) duty cycled wake-up MAC protocols; 2) non-cycled wake-up protocols; and 3) path reservation wake-up protocols. The first category includes two subcategories: 1) static wake-up protocols versus 2) traffic adaptive wake-up protocols. Non-cycled wake-up MAC protocols are again divided into two classes: 1) always-on wake-up protocol and 2) radio-triggered wake-up protocols. The latter is in turn split into two subclasses: 1) passive wake-up MAC protocols versus 2) ultra low power active wake-up MAC protocols. Two schemes could be identified for the last category, 1) broadcast based wake-up versus 2) addressing based wake-up. All these classes are discussed and analyzed in this paper, and canonical protocols are investigated following the proposed taxonomy.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation of left temporoparietal cortex and medication-resistant auditory hallucinations.

BACKGROUND Neuroimaging studies suggest that auditory hallucinations (AHs) of speech arise, at least in part, from activation of brain areas underlying speech perception. One-hertz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) produces sustained reductions in cortical activation. Recent results of 4-day administration of 1-Hz rTMS to left temporoparietal cortex were superior to those of sham stimulation in reducing AHs. We sought to determine if a more extended trial of rTMS could significantly reduce AHs that were resistant to antipsychotic medication. METHODS Twenty-four patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and medication-resistant AHs were randomly allocated to receive rTMS or sham stimulation for 9 days at 90% of motor threshold. Patients receiving sham stimulation were subsequently offered an open-label trial of rTMS. Neuropsychological assessments were administered at baseline and during and following each arm of the trial. RESULTS Auditory hallucinations were robustly improved with rTMS relative to sham stimulation. Frequency and attentional salience were the 2 aspects of hallucinatory experience that showed greatest improvement. Duration of putative treatment effects ranged widely, with 52% of patients maintaining improvement for at least 15 weeks. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation was well tolerated, without evidence of neuropsychological impairment. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that the mechanism of AHs involves activation of the left temporoparietal cortex. One-hertz rTMS deserves additional study as a possible treatment for this syndrome.
Dynamic decoupling control of a centrifugal compressor for fuel cell systems for transportation applications

This paper presents a control solution based on dynamic disturbance decoupling control (DDC) for the implementation of an ultra high speed centrifugal compressor for the air management of fuel cell systems. Unlike other displacement compressors, centrifugal compressor has strong coupling between speed, mass flow and pressure, which gives difficulty for its implementation and limits its operation region. In this paper, a unique dynamic disturbance decoupling control strategy, based on the active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) framework, is developed. The simulation results show that it is a great fit for the highly nonlinear and multivariable centrifugal compression system.
Interaction of the Chlamydia trachomatis histone H1‐like protein (Hc1) with DNA and RNA causes repression of transcription and translation in vitro

The 18 kDa histone H1‐like protein from Chlamydia trachomatis (Hc1) is a DNA–binding protein thought to be involved in condensation of the chlamydial chromosome during late stages in the chlamydial life cycle. Expression of Hc1 in Escherichia coli results in an overall relaxation of DNA and severely affects DNA, RNA and protein synthesis. We have analysed the interaction of Hc1 with single‐stranded DNA and RNA by Southwestern and Northwestern blotting. Furthermore, we show that purified, recombinant Hc1 dramatically affects transcription and translation in vitro at physiologically relevant concentrations. These results were found to coincide with the formation of condensed Hc1–DNA and Hc1–RNA complexes as revealed by agarose gel electrophoresis and electron microscopy. The implications of these results for possible functions of Hc1 in vivo are discussed.
An Application of Using Bluetooth Indoor Positioning, Image Recognition and Augmented Reality

"Room escape" is a kind of on-line puzzle game, in which players need to exploit their surrounding environment to discover clues for escaping from imprisonment. In recent years, a physical version of "room escape" becomes more and more popular, which transforms the playing paradigm from sitting in front of a computer and clicking the mouse into imprisoning people in a real locked room and having people to find clues by their bare hands. To enable a richer user experience while playing the room escape game in the real world, we proposed, in this work, a new type of playing mode by combining the real world environment with virtual world interactions. That is, a mobile application is developed by integrating both bluetooth-based indoor location and augmented reality (AR) techniques, in which people can play the room escape game with their mobile devices to interact with real world objects within virtual world actions.
Effects of incentive time point on cooperation

Cooperative behavior enhances an organization's ability to reach goals. The present study investigated whether and how prepaid incentives and promised incentives influenced cooperation differently among organization members in an experiment. Results showed that promised incentives appear more effective in terms of cooperative behavior than prepaid incentives, and the perception of benefit is a mediator in the relationship between the incentive time point and cooperative choices. The psychological mechanism underlying these two types of incentives was discussed.
Revenue for EMU: A Contribution to the Debate on Fiscal Union

In the wake of the euro area crisis, the debate on instruments to deepen economic integration among its members has intensified, among others putting forward a fiscal stabilization capacity for EMU members. Contributions made so far to further this idea have mostly concentrated on the expenditure side and possible stabilisation properties. This analysis reviews the most important proposals and discusses design choices and institutional conditions to develop the revenue side of such a fiscal instrument.