Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nesfatin-1 Influences the Excitability of Glucosensing Neurons in the Dorsal Vagal Complex and Inhibits Food Intake

Nesfatin-1 is a recently discovered metabolic peptide hormone that decreases food intake after lateral, third, or fourth brain ventricle; cisterna magna; or paraventricular nucleus (PVN) injection in ad libitum fed rats. Additional micro-injection studies will improve the understanding of how nesfatin-1 acts on the brain and define specific nuclei responsive to nesfatin-1, which will provide insight on its effects on food intake. We evaluated how nesfatin-1 injection into the dorsal vagal complex (DVC) modulates food intake response in rats during the dark phase. Consistent with previous observations, nesfatin-1-injected rats significantly reduced cumulative food intake over a 5-h period in rats. Chronic administration of nesfatin-1 into the DVC reduced body weight gain over a 10-day period. Because glucosensing neurons in the DVC are involved in glucoprivic feeding and homeostatic control of blood glucose, we examined the effect of nesfatin-1 on the excitability of DVC glucosensing neurons. Nesfatin-1 inhibited most of the glucose-inhibitory (GI) neurons and excited most of the glucose-excitatory (GE) neurons in the DVC. Current-clamp electrophysiology recordings from DVC glucosensing neurons in slice preparation showed that bath applied nesfatin-1(10 nM) increased the firing frequency of GE neurons and inhibited the firing rate of GI-neurons. Nesfatin-1 inhibited 88.9% (16/18) of gastric distension inhibitory (GD-INH) neurons and excited 76.2% (32/42) of gastric distension excitatory (GD-EXC) neurons. Thus, nesfatin-1 may control food intake by modulating the excitability of glucosensing neurons in the DVC.
Histogram Based Corner Angle Representation for Object Retrieval

The paper presents an algorithm which uses corner and intersecting lines angle information with the corner boundary pixel information to construct a feature vector for representing an image and subsequently for searching the similar images from a database. The corners are extracted by finding the intersections of the detected lines found using Hough transform. Taking the corner as the center coordinate, the angles of the intersecting lines are determined and inner and outer object boundary pixel information around the corner is used to represent the corner geometry. For similarity measurement, the histogram of the information is used. This result in a significant small size feature matrix compared to the algorithms using color features. Experimental results show that it is computationally efficient in similarity measurement and the image corners being noise invariant produce good results in noisy environments.
Themed Issue Article: Stress in Vertebrates A novel technique to measure chronic levels of corticosterone in turtles living around a major roadway

Conservation biology integrates multiple disciplines to expand the ability to identify threats to populations and develop mitigation for these threats. Road ecology is a branch of conservation biology that examines interactions between wildlife and roadways. Although the direct threats of road mortality and habitat fragmentation posed by roads have received much attention, a clear understanding of the indirect physiological effects of roads on wildlife is lacking. Chronic physiological stress can lower immune function, affect reproductive rates and reduce life expectancy; thus, it has the potential to induce long-lasting effects on populations. Reptiles are globally in decline, and roads are known to have negative effects on reptile populations; however, it is unknown whether individual responses to roads and traffic result in chronic stress that creates an additional threat to population viability. We successfully extracted reliable measures of corticosterone (CORT), a known, commonly used biomarker for physiological stress, from claw trimmings from painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) captured at three study sites (road-impacted site, control site and validation site). Corticosterone levels in claws were evaluated as a measure of chronic stress in turtles because CORT is deposited during growth of the claw and could provide an opportunity to examine past longterm stress levels. While male turtles had higher CORT levels on average than females, there was no difference in the level of CORT between the road-impacted and control site, nor was there a relationship between CORT and turtle body condition. In validating a novel approach for non-invasive measurement of long-term CORT levels in a keratinized tissue in wild reptiles, our study provides a new avenue for research in the field of stress physiology.
Scanning near-field infrared microspectroscopy on semiconductor structures

Near-field optical microscopy has attracted remarkable attention, as it is the only technique that allows the investigation of local optical properties with a resolution far below the diffraction limit. Especially, the scattering-type near-field optical microscopy allows the nondestructive examination of surfaces without restrictions to the applicable wavelengths. However, its usability is limited by the availability of appropriate light sources. In the context of this work, this limit was overcome by the development of a scattering-type near-field microscope that uses a widely tunable free-electron laser as primary light source. In the theoretical part, it is shown that an optical near-field contrast can be expected when materials with different dielectric functions are combined. It is derived that these differences yield different scattering cross-sections for the coupled system of the probe and the sample. Those cross-sections define the strength of the near-field signal that can be measured for different materials. Hence, an optical contrast can be expected, when different scattering cross-sections are probed. This principle also applies to vertically stacked or even buried materials, as shown in this thesis experimentally for two sample systems. In the first example, the different dielectric functions were obtained by locally changing the carrier concentration in silicon by the implantation of boron. It is shown that the concentration of free charge-carriers can be deduced from the near-field contrast between implanted and pure silicon. For this purpose, two different experimental approaches were used, a non-interferometric one by using variable wavelengths and an interferometric one with a fixed wavelength. As those techniques yield complementary information, they can be used to quantitatively determine the effective carrier concentration. Both approaches yield consistent results for the carrier concentration, which excellently agrees with predictions from literature. While the structures of the first system were in the micrometer regime, the capability to probe buried nanostructures is demonstrated at a sample of indium arsenide quantum dots. Those dots are covered by a thick layer of gallium arsenide. For the first time ever, it is shown experimentally that transitions between electron states in single quantum dots can be investigated by near-field microscopy. By monitoring the near-field response of these quantum dots while scanning the wavelength of the incident light beam, it was possible to obtain characteristic near-field signatures of single dots. Near-field contrasts up to 30 % could be measured for resonant excitation of electrons in the conduction band of the indium arsenide dots.
Probing dust grain evolution in IM Lupi's circumstellar disc. Multi-wavelength observations and mo

Aims. We present a panchromatic study, involving a multiple technique approach, of the circumstellar disc surrounding the T Tauri star IM Lupi (Sz 82). Methods. We have undertaken a comprehensive observational study of IM Lupi using photometry, spectroscopy, millimetre interferometry and multi-wavelength imaging. For the first time, the disc is resolved from optical and near-infrared wavelengths in scattered light, to the millimetre regime in thermal emission. Our data-set, in conjunction with existing photometric data, provides an extensive coverage of the spectral energy distribution, including a detailed spectrum of the silicate emission bands. We have performed a simultaneous modelling of the various observations, using the radiative transfer code MCFOST, and analysed a grid of models over a large fraction of the parameter space via Bayesian inference. Results. We have constructed a model that can reproduce all of the observations of the disc. Our analysis illustrates the importance of combining a wide range of observations in order to fully constrain the disc model, with each observation providing a strong constraint only on some aspects of the disc structure and dust content. Quantitative evidence of dust evolution in the disc is obtained: grain growth up to millimetre-sized particles, vertical stratification of dust grains with micrometric grains close to the disc surface and larger grains which have settled towards the disc midplane, and possibly the formation of fluffy aggregates and/or ice mantles around grains.
A negotiation model based on fuzzy multiple criteria decision making method

It is usually difficult to get accurately negotiators' priority and use the priority to get an available utility function in many negotiation support systems. In this paper, a negotiation model based on fuzzy multiple criteria decision making method is presented, in which negotiators' priority and assessments are described as trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. By using the model, above problem can be overcome. The model can be used to aid negotiators to negotiate and reach a satisfactory agreement.
Mining Personal Frequent Routes via Road Corner Detection

Frequent route is an important individual outdoor behavior pattern that many trajectory-based applications rely on. In this paper, we propose a novel framework for extracting frequent routes from personal GPS trajectories. The key idea of our design is to accurately detect road corners and utilize these new metaphors to tackle the problem of frequent route extraction. Concretely, our framework contains three phases: 1) characteristic point (CP) extraction; 2) corner detection; and 3) trajectory mapping. In the first phase, we present a linear fitting-based algorithm to extract CPs. In the second phase, we develop a multiple density level DBSCAN (density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise) algorithm to locate road corners by clustering CPs. In the third phase, we convert each trajectory into an ordered sequence of road corners and obtain all routes that have been traversed by an individual for at least ${F}$ (frequency threshold) times. We evaluate the framework using real-world trajectory datasets of individuals for one year and the experimental results demonstrate that our framework outperforms the baseline approach by 7.8% on average in terms of precision and 21.9% in terms of recall.
A Study of the Interaction of Bovine Hemoglobin with Synthetic Dyes Using Spectroscopic Techniques and Molecular Docking

Synthetic dyes are a very efficient class of dyes that are ingested or come into contact with the skin from numerous sources (cosmetics, textiles, leather, paper, and drugs). An important component of their safety profile is the interactions that they form after they enter the body. Hemoglobin is a functionally important protein that can form multiple interactions with soluble compounds present in the blood, and hence forms an important aspect of the toxicological or safety profile of the dyes. Here we study the interaction between bovine hemoglobin and organic dyes using UV-Vis absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy. Molecular modeling was used to visualize the binding site and partners of the dye molecules, within the hemoglobin molecule. We find that all four dyes studied form sufficiently strong interactions with hemoglobin to allow for the formation of potentially toxic interactions. Molecular modeling showed that all four dyes bind within the central cavity of the hemoglobin molecule. However, binding partners could not be identified as multiple binding conformations with very similar energies were possible for each dye.
Multi-criteria analysis for the sizing and selection of circuit breakers in power systems

This paper presents a broader analysis approach which adds to the traditional fault analysis technique commonly used in industry to size and select circuit breakers required for the power system. The fault analysis has been simulated on a computer software program DIgSILENT PowerFactory for all fault conditions. The circuit breaker selection will be based on a Multi-Criteria Analysis which helps to evaluate the design to arrive at the most user preferred result. This approach is refined to incorporate user preferences with respect to the criteria so that the final design is representative of both the design specification and the concerns of the user. This broader newer approach has been shown by means of case studies to be effective.
Optimal Treatment for Maori with Alcohol and Drug-Use-Related Problems: An Investigation of Cultural Factors in Treatment

There is an increasing emphasis on taking account of the diversity of social, psychological, and cultural factors in the assessment and treatment of alcohol and drug-use-related problems. In New Zealand the increasing use of customary Maori values, beliefs, and practices in the treatment of Maori with alcohol and drug-use-related problems has also been accompanied by the adaptation and integration of Western approaches to fit contemporary Maori sociocultural needs. This paper reports on an investigation of cultural factors and cultural identity in the alcohol and drug-user treatment of a clinical sample of Maori. The essential finding was a very high endorsement of the importance of cultural factors in treatment-irrespective of age, gender, mood, level of dependence, previous admissions, cultural connectedness, or whether they were treated in a Maori dedicated program or not. A significant number believed that a sense of belonging to an Iwi (tribe), identifying as a Maori and having pride in being Maori were also important in the recovery/healing process. The findings of this study support the need to investigate the relationship between specific “cultural factors” and other clinical components of effective treatment for Maori.
Detection of a new class in a huge corpus of text documents through semi-supervised learning

This paper poses a new problem of detecting an unknown class present in a text corpus which has huge amount of unlabeled samples but a very small quantity of labeled samples. A simple yet efficient solution has also been proposed by modifying conventional clustering technique to demonstrate the scope of the problem for further research. A novel way to estimate cluster diameter is proposed which in turn has been used as a measure to estimate the degree of dissimilarity between two clusters. The main idea of the model is to arrive at a cluster of unlabeled text samples which is far away from any of the labeled clusters guided by few rules such as diameter of the cluster and dissimilarity between pair of clusters. This work is first of its kind in the literature and has tremendous applications in text mining tasks. In fact the model proposed is a general framework which can be applied onto any application which necessarily involves identification of unseen classes in a semi-supervised learning environment. The model has been studied with extensive empirical analysis on different text datasets created from the benchmarking 20Newsgroups dataset. The results of the experimentation have revealed the capabilities of the proposed approach and the possibilities for future research.
Capacity of large scale wireless networks under Gaussian channel model

In this paper, we study the multicast capacity of a large scale random wireless network. We simply consider the extended multihop network, where a number of wireless nodes <i>v<sub>i</sub></i>(1 ≤ <i>i</i> ≤<i> n</i>) are randomly located in a square region with side-length <i>a</i> = √<i>n</i>, by use of Poisson distribution with density 1. All nodes transmit at constant power <i>P</i>, and the power decays along path, with attenuation exponent α > 2. The data rate of a transmission is determined by the SINR as <i>B</i> log(1 + SINR). There are <i>n<sub>s</sub></i> randomly and independently chosen multicast sessions. Each multicast has <i>k</i> randomly chosen terminals. We show that, when <i>k</i> ≤ θ<sub>1</sub> <i>n</i>/(log <i>n</i>)<sup>2α+6</sup>, and <i>n<sub>s</sub></i> ≥ θ<sub>2</sub><i>n</i><sup>1/2+β</sup>, the capacity that each multicast session can achieve, with high probability, is at least <i>c</i><sub>8</sub>√<i>n</i>/<i>n<sub>s</sub></i>√<i>k</i>, where θ<sub>1</sub>, θ<sub>2</sub>, and <i>c</i><sub>8</sub> are some special constants and β > 0 is any positive real number. Our result generalizes the unicast capacity [3] for random networks using percolation theory.
Characterization of turbulence and validation of fine-scale parametrization in the Mediterranean Sea during BOUM experiment

One main purpose of BOUM experiment was to give evidence of the possible impact of submesoscale dynamics on biogeochemical cycles. To this aim physical as well as biogeochemical data were collected along a zonal transect through the western and eastern basins. Along this transect 3 day fixed point stations were performed within anticyclonic eddies during which microstructure measurements were collected over the first 100 m. We focus here on the characterization of turbulent mixing induced by internal wave breaking. The analysis of microstructure measurements revealed a high level of turbulence in the seasonal pycnocline and a moderate level below with energy dissipation mean values of the order of 10 -6 W kg -1 and 10 -8 W kg -1 , respectively. Fine-scale parameterizations developed to mimic energy dissipation produced by internal wavebreaking were then tested against these direct measurements. Once validated a parameterization has been applied to infer energy dissipation and mixing over the whole data set, thus providing an overview over a latitudinal section of the Mediterranean sea. The results evidence a significant increase of dissipation at the top and base of eddies associated with strong near inertial waves. Vertical turbulent diffusivity is increased both in these regions and in the weakly stratified eddy core.
Bacteria associated with bacterial vaginosis.

To the Editor: Fredricks and colleagues (Nov. 3 issue)1 reported complex communities of bacteria and a high level of species diversity in vaginal secretions from women with bacterial vaginosis. However, the study of vaginal fluid alone provides an incomplete picture of disease pathogenesis, since infections also may affect the vaginal epithelium. Fluorescence in situ hybridization of vaginalbiopsy specimens with the use of bacteria-specific probes demonstrates that a clinical diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis is highly associated with the development of a bacterial biofilm on the epithelial surface.2 Gardnerella and atopobium species together constitute more than 90 percent of the biofilm mass. The biofilm also contains numerous, less abundant bacterial species, in agreement with the findings of Fredricks and others.1,3 Formation of the biofilm allows bacteria to reach higher concentrations than can be achieved in vaginal fluid alone. Desquamation of epithelial cells coated with biofilm in situ results in the clue cells that are diagnostic of bacterial vaginosis. Given such complex microbiota, it is clear that identification of single pathogens, as was introduced by Koch and Pasteur more than 100 years ago, is inadequate for explaining the pathogenesis of bacterial vaginosis. Laura P. Hale, M.D., Ph.D.
Identification of a 52-kD calmodulin-binding protein associated with the mitotic spindle apparatus in mammalian cells

A pool of 10 calmodulin-binding proteins (CBPs) was isolated from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells via calmodulin (CaM)-Sepharose affinity chromatography. One of these ten isolated CBPs with a molecular mass of 52 kD was also found to be present in isolated CHO cell mitotic spindles. Affinity-purified antibodies generated against this pool of isolated CBPs recognize a single 52-kD protein in isolated CHO cell mitotic spindles by immunoblot analysis. Immunofluorescence examination of CHO, 3T3, NRK, PTK-2, and HeLa cells resulted in a distinct pattern of mitotic spindle fluorescence. The localization pattern of this 52-kD CBP directly parallels that of CaM in the spindle apparatus throughout the various stages of mitosis. Interestingly, there was no association of this 52-kD CBP with cytoplasmic microtubules. As is the case with CaM, the localization pattern of the 52-kD CBP in interphase cells is diffuse within the cytoplasm and is not associated with any discrete, cellular structures. This 52-kD CBP appears to represent the first mitotic spindle-specific calmodulin- binding protein identified and represents an initial step toward the ultimate determination of CaM function in the mitotic spindle apparatus.
Multiple Anti-Interferon Actions of the Influenza A Virus NS1 Protein

ABSTRACT The replication and pathogenicity of influenza A virus (FLUAV) are controlled in part by the alpha/beta interferon (IFN-α/β) system. This virus-host interplay is dependent on the production of IFN-α/β and on the capacity of the viral nonstructural protein NS1 to counteract the IFN system. Two different mechanisms have been described for NS1, namely, blocking the activation of IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) and blocking posttranscriptional processing of cellular mRNAs. Here we directly compare the abilities of NS1 gene products from three different human FLUAV (H1N1) strains to counteract the antiviral host response. We found that A/PR/8/34 NS1 has a strong capacity to inhibit IRF3 and activation of the IFN-β promoter but is unable to suppress expression of other cellular genes. In contrast, the NS1 proteins of A/Tx/36/91 and of A/BM/1/18, the virus that caused the Spanish influenza pandemic, caused suppression of additional cellular gene expression. Thus, these NS1 proteins prevented the establishment of an IFN-induced antiviral state, allowing virus replication even in the presence of IFN. Interestingly, the block in gene expression was dependent on a newly described NS1 domain that is important for interaction with the cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor (CPSF) component of the cellular pre-mRNA processing machinery but is not functional in A/PR/8/34 NS1. We identified the Phe-103 and Met-106 residues in NS1 as being critical for CPSF binding, together with the previously described C-terminal binding domain. Our results demonstrate the capacity of FLUAV NS1 to suppress the antiviral host defense at multiple levels and the existence of strain-specific differences that may modulate virus pathogenicity.
Laser processing of polymer nanocomposite thin films

Current biotechnology and sensor research has enhanced the drive to establish viable methods for depositing high-quality polymer thin films. In this research, thin films of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were prepared by matrix-assisted pulsed-laser evaporation (MAPLE). Up to 2wt% of carbon nanotubes were subsequently added to MAPLE target systems for deposition of polymer nanocomposite films. Targets were ablated using a 248nm (KrF) laser at fluences ranging from 0.045to0. 75J∕cm2. In addition, polymer concentration in MAPLE targets was varied between 1 and 5wt% relative to the matrix solvent, in this case toluene. Films were deposited on Si substrates at room temperature in an Ar atmosphere. Molecular-dynamics simulations of MAPLE were utilized for interpretation of experimental observations. Particularly, the ejection of large clusters consisting of both PMMA and toluene molecules was studied and related to the observed morphology of the deposited films.