Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
α1-Adrenergic Receptors Mediate LH-Releasing Hormone Secretion through Phospholipases C and A2 in Immortalized Hypothalamic Neurons.

Norepinephrine has long been known to stimulate the pulsatile and preovulatory release of LH-releasing hormone (LHRH). In vivo and in vitro studies indicate that these effects are mediated primarily through α1-adrenergic receptors (α1-ARs). With the immortalized hypothalamic LHRH neurons, we have found that α1-adrenergic agents directly stimulate the secretion of LHRH in a dose-dependent manner. Ligand binding and RNA studies demonstrate that the GT1 cells contain both α1A- and α1B-ARs. Competition binding experiments show that approximately 75% of the binding is due toα 1B-ARs; the remainder is made up ofα 1A-ARs. Receptor activation leads to stimulation of PLC. PLCβ1 and PLCβ3 are expressed in GT1 neurons, and these PLCs are probably responsible for the release of diacylglycerol and IP as well as the increase in intracellular calcium. The mobilization of cytoplasmic calcium is sufficient to stimulate cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2) and release arachidonic acid. A dissection of the contributions of the phospholip.
FPGA Implementation of BCG Signal Filtering Scheme by Using Weight Update Process

A well-prepared abstract enables the reader to identify the basic content of a document quickly and accurately, to determine its relevance to their interests, and thus to decide whether to read the document in its entirety. The Abstract should be informative and completely self-explanatory, provide a clear statement of the problem, the proposed approach or solution, and point out major findings and conclusions. The Abstract should be 100 to 200 words in length. The abstract should be written in the past tense. Standard nomenclature should be used and abbreviations should be avoided. No literature should be cited. The keyword list provides the opportunity to add keywords, used by the indexing and abstracting services, in addition to those already present in the title. Judicious use of keywords may increase the ease with which interested parties can locate our article
PREPARATION OF METAL CHALCOGENIDES SEMICONDUCTOR NANOWIRES AND MICROTUBES

Recently, a great deal of attention has been paid to the fabrication of highly ordered nanowire arrays because of their fundamental importance and potential applications. We fabricated CdS:Mn 2+ :Cu + nano and microwires and PbTe and PbSe nanowires and microtubes using electrochemical deposition and template method. The morphology of nanowires and microtubes was observed by scanning electron microscopy and the composition of these semiconductor nanostructures was measured by energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX).
Adaptive Synchronization for Neutral-Type Neural Networks with Stochastic Perturbation and Markovian Switching Parameters

In this paper, the problem of adaptive synchronization is investigated for stochastic neural networks of neutral-type with Markovian switching parameters. Using the M-matrix approach and the stochastic analysis method, some sufficient conditions are obtained to ensure three kinds of adaptive synchronization for the stochastic neutral-type neural networks. These three kinds of adaptive synchronization include the almost sure asymptotical synchronization, exponential synchronization in pth moment and almost sure exponential synchronization. Some numerical examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness and potential of the proposed design techniques.
Electrophysiological Correlates of the Focusing of Attention within Complex Visual Scenes : N 2 pc and Related Electrophysiological Correlates

e General Role of Attention in Visual Perception 3 e ultimate goal of research on visual perception is to understand how people perceive, remember, and act upon the objects in natural visual environments, such as the scene shown in Figure 12.1 . Understanding these high-level aspects of vision requires that we understand the operation of almost the entire brain, because visually guided behavior depends on perceptual systems, memory systems, motor systems, motivational systems, and executive control systems. 3 e perception of complex scenes also involves solving computational problems that are not present in laboratory experiments in which objects are presented one at a time on a blank background (see Feldman, 1985 ; Luck et al., 1997b ). Whereas simple, isolated stimuli may be identifi ed on the basis of a single feedforward sweep of neural activity, the perception of complex, multiple-element arrays involves iterative, reentrant processes and perception-action loops (see Di Lollo et al., 2000 ; Klyubin et al., 2004 ). As discussed in Chapter 11 of this volume, attention plays a role in the perception of simple stimuli, serving as a gain control that enhances the speed or accuracy of feedfor ward visual processing. However, additional attentional mechanisms are needed to support the iterative, reentrant processes and perception-action loops that are invol ved in the perception of complex, multipleelement stimulus arrays, and the event-related potential (ERP) correlates of these additional attentional mech anisms will be the focus of the present chapter. We will begin by discussing the computational problems that must be solved by these mechanisms and the sequence of steps involved in processing complex stimulus arrays. Abstract
Qualitative and quantitative analysis of orthotopic bone regeneration by marrow

A rat model of a femoral segmental defect was used to specifically test the hypothesis that autogenous marrow has the osteogenic capability to heal a bone defect. The variables analyzed included the ratio of the marrow volume to the defect, implantation of live or dead marrow, and remodeling of established nonunions by implantation of live marrow. The uniqueness of this model allows biomechanical evaluation of the new bone formed by the implant. When live marrow was implanted, woven bone formed at 3 weeks, progressing to early lamellar bone at 6 weeks, with subsequent remodeling for as long as 12 weeks in a volumetric fashion (p < 0.05). Bone marrow, when placed in a fresh femoral defect and given in sufficient amounts, produced a rate of union comparable with that of autologous bone grafts. Mature lamellar bone formed by marrow was evaluated biomechanically: the results were statistically comparable with those of cancellous bone grafts at 12 weeks. Significant bone formation occurred when marrow was percutaneously injected in femoral nonunions, although union and remodeling did not take place in this rat model. Implantation of dead marrow resulted in rare cellular infiltration and minimal bone formation in a manner comparable with that of autogenous cancellous bone grafts. These results indicate that bone marrow can lead to structurally functional bone regeneration in an orthotopic location.
An Acute Ischemic Stroke Classification Instrument That Includes CT or MR Angiography: The Boston Acute Stroke Imaging Scale

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A simple classification instrument based on imaging that predicts outcomes in patients with actute ischemic stroke is lacking. We tested the hypotheses that the Boston Acute Stroke Imaging Scale (BASIS) classification instrument effectively predicts patient outcomes and is superior to the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) in predicting outcomes in acute ischemic stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of 230 prospectively screened, consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke, 87 had noncontrast CT (NCCT)/CT angiography (CTA), and 118 had MR imaging/MR angiography (MRA) at admission and were classified as having major stroke by BASIS criteria if they had a proximal cerebral artery occlusion or, if no occlusion, imaging evidence of significant parenchymal ischemia; all of the others were classified as minor strokes. Outcomes included death, length of hospitalization, and discharge disposition. BASIS was compared with ASPECTS (dichotomized > or ≤7) in 87 patients who had NCCT/CTA. RESULTS: BASIS classification by NCCT/CTA was equivalent to MR imaging/MRA. Fifty-six of 205 patients were classified as having major strokes including all 6 of the deaths. A total of 71.4% and 15.4% of major and minor stroke survivors, respectively, were discharged to a rehabilitation facility, whereas 14.3% and 79.2% of patients with major and minor strokes were discharged to home. The mean length of hospitalization was 12.3 and 3.3 days for the major and minor stroke groups, respectively (all outcomes, P < .0001). In 87 NCCT/CTA patients, BASIS and ASPECTS agreed in 22 major and 44 minor strokes. BASIS classified 21 patients as having major strokes who were classified as having minor strokes by ASPECTS. The BASIS major/ASPECTS minor stroke group had outcomes similar to those classified as major strokes by both instruments. CONCLUSIONS: The BASIS classification instrument is effective and appears superior to ASPECTS in predicting outcomes in acute ischemic stroke.
Analytical calculation of resonant inductance for zero voltage switching in phase-shifted full-bridge converters

The phase-shift full-bridge (PSFB) converter allows high-efficiency power conversion at high frequencies through zero voltage switching (ZVS); the parasitic drain-to-source capacitance of the metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor is discharged by a resonant inductance before the switch is gated resulting in near zero turn-on switching losses. Typically, an extra inductance is added to the leakage inductance of a transformer to form the resonant inductance necessary to charge and discharge the parasitic capacitances of the PSFB converter. However, many PSFB models do not consider the effects of the magnetising inductance or dead-time in selecting the resonant inductance required to achieve ZVS. The choice of resonant inductance is crucial to the ZVS operation of the PSFB converter. Incorrectly sized resonant inductance will not achieve ZVS or will limit the load regulation ability of the converter. This study presents a unique and accurate equation for calculating the resonant inductance required to achieve ZVS over a wide load range incorporating the effects of the magnetising inductance and dead-time. The derived equations are validated against PSPICE simulations of a PSFB converter and extensive hardware experimentations.
Recursive spatial multiplexing in the presence of time-variant co-channel interference

We investigate the performance of a closed-loop multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) architecture featuring recursive spatial multiplexing (RSM) in the presence of co-channel interference. RSM is effective even when the MIMO channel varies arbitrarily from frame to frame transmission. The RSM scheme evades the noise enhancement inherent in zero forcing (ZF) and minimum mean squared error (MMSE) based receivers and also avoids the increasing complexity that arises in V-BLAST receivers. Using Monte-Carlo simulations, it turns out that RSM outperforms the conventional ZF and MMSE receivers and is an interesting approach in the presence of co-channel interference.
Real-World Use of 3rd Line Therapy for Multiple Myeloma in Austria: An Austrian Myeloma Registry (AMR) Analysis of the Therapeutic Landscape and Clinical Outcomes prior to the Use of Next Generation Myeloma Therapeutics

Objective Clinical trials demonstrate improving survival in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) after treatment. However, it is unclear whether increased survival translates to a similar benefit in a real world setting. Methods We analyzed the overall survival of 347 multiple myeloma patients in Austria by means of a national registry (AMR), focused on results from 3rd and later lines of therapy. This benchmark was chosen to define a baseline prior to the broad application of upcoming 2nd generation drugs (carfilzomib, pomalidomide). Results Projected 10 years survival for patients with MM in Austria is estimated to be 56% in patients diagnosed in between the years 2011–2014, 21% in patients with a diagnosis made between 2000–2005, and 39% in those with a diagnosis made between 2006–2010). For the same intervals a significant increase in the use of both bortezomib, lenalidomide and thalidomide—so called IMiDs (from 2005 onwards) and their simultaneous use in combination therapies (from 2010 onwards) could be shown. The use of autologous transplantation (ASCT) remained more or less constant at ~ 35% of patients in the 1st line setting over the whole period, comparing well to international practice patterns, while the use of 2nd line ASCT increased from 5.5% to 18.7% of patients. Patients in 3rd or later line treatment (n = 105), showed that even in relapsed and refractory disease median survival was 27 months with a considerable proportion of long-term survivors (~20%). Conclusion & Perspective With the expected emergence of additional active anti-myeloma compounds, we aim to assess survival in patients with relapsed and refractory MM.
Aerosol Characteristics over the Indo-Gangetic Basin: Implications to Regional Climate

© 2012 Srivastava et al., licensee InTech. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Aerosol Characteristics over the Indo-Gangetic Basin: Implications to Regional Climate
Continued Social Virtual World Use among Teens: Examining the Moderating Role of Perceived Network Exposure

Millions of young people engage themselves in virtual worlds. Due to intensifying competition, retaining the existing users is a key business challenge. Prior research has shown that network externalities play a focal role in the adoption of communication technologies. However, very limited research has examined the role of network externalities in continued IT usage in general or with respect to virtual world participation in particular. To fill in this gap in the literature, we introduce the concept of perceived aggregate network exposure (PANE). We position PANE as a moderator in the IS continuance model. We test the model with a data collected from 2,134 Finnish Habbo Hotel users and employ structural equation modeling in the analysis. The results indicate that perceived network externalities moderate the influence of motivational factors on continued use intention.
Visual interpretation of hand postures for human-machine interaction. (Interprétation visuelle de gestes pour l'interaction homme-machine)

Nowadays, people want to interact with machines more naturally. One of the powerful communication channels is hand gesture. Vision-based approach has involved many researchers because this approach does not require any extra device. One of the key problems we need to resolve is hand posture recognition on RGB images because it can be used directly or integrated into a multi-cues hand gesture recognition. The main challenges of this problem are illumination differences, cluttered background, background changes, high intra-class variation, and high inter-class similarity. This thesis proposes a hand posture recognition system consists two phases that are hand detection and hand posture recognition. In hand detection step, we employed Viola-Jones detector with proposed concept Internal Haar-like feature. The proposed hand detection works in real-time within frames captured from real complex environments and avoids unexpected effects of background. The proposed detector outperforms original Viola-Jones detector using traditional Haar-like feature. In hand posture recognition step, we proposed a new hand representation based on a good generic descriptor that is kernel descriptor (KDES). When applying KDES into hand posture recognition, we proposed three improvements to make it more robust that are adaptive patch, normalization of gradient orientation in patches, and hand pyramid structure. The improvements make KDES invariant to scale change, patch-level feature invariant to rotation, and final hand representation suitable to hand structure. Based on these improvements, the proposed method obtains better results than original KDES and a state of the art method.
Why Do Universities Have Endowments?

THE leading private universities in the United States commonly maintain large financial reserves conventionally referred to as endowments. Harvard and Yale, for example, had endowments in 1988 of $4.2 billion and $2.1 billion, respectively. ' Although these two institutions are among the best endowed in the nation, there are hundreds of others that also have substantial endowments. (Table 1 gives a sample of their size and distribution.) These endowments are now so familiar that their purpose is seldom questioned. Yet, if we consider the matter closely, it is not obvious why they are accumulated. The distinctive character of endowed institutions emerges strongly when we contrast their financial behavior with that of large business corporations. The typical business enterprise finances a substantial fraction of its capital needs through borrowing. Debt currently represents roughly one-quarter of the net worth of all companies listed on the New
Higher education and economic growth in Africa

Abstract This paper uses panel data over the 1960–2000 period, a modified neoclassical growth equation, and a dynamic panel estimator to investigate the effect of higher education human capital on economic growth in African countries. We find that all levels of education human capital, including higher education human capital, have positive and statistically significant effect on the growth rate of per capita income in African counties. Our result differs from those of earlier research that find no significant relationship between higher education human capital and income growth. We estimate the growth elasticity of higher education human capital to be about 0.09, an estimate that is twice as large as the growth impact of physical capital investment. While this is likely to be an overestimate of the growth impact of higher education, it is robust to different specifications and points to the need for African countries to effectively use higher education human capital in growth policies.
Standard definitions of adherence for infrequent yet repeated health behaviors.

OBJECTIVE To present common language for defining adherence of infrequent yet repeated health behaviors. METHODS We illustrate methodological and conceptual issues using human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and screening mammography study data as examples. RESULTS Adherence rates of infrequent, repeated behaviors varied widely depending on how adherence was defined and measured. We advocate use of 3 standard definitions of adherence: initiation of behavior (initiation), adherence to most recent opportunity (on-schedule), and timely adherence across multiple opportunities (maintenance or completion). CONCLUSIONS The proposed framework has cross-cutting implications for research and practice. Standardizing adherence metrics may facilitate comparisons across studies of health behaviors practiced at infrequent yet repeated intervals.
Social and Self-Reflective Use of a Web-Based Personally Controlled Health Management System

Background Personally controlled health management systems (PCHMSs) contain a bundle of features to help patients and consumers manage their health. However, it is unclear how consumers actually use a PCHMS in their everyday settings. Objective To conduct an empirical analysis of how consumers used the social (forum and poll) and self-reflective (diary and personal health record [PHR]) features of a Web-based PCHMS designed to support their physical and emotional well-being. Methods A single-group pre/post-test online prospective study was conducted to measure use of a Web-based PCHMS for physical and emotional well-being needs during a university academic semester. The PCHMS integrated an untethered PHR with social forums, polls, a diary, and online messaging links with a health service provider. Well-being journeys additionally provided information to encourage engagement with clinicians and health services. A total of 1985 students and staff aged 18 and above with access to the Internet were recruited online, of which 709 were eligible for analysis. Participants’ self-reported well-being, health status, health service utilization, and help-seeking behaviors were compared using chi-square, McNemar’s test, and Student’s t test. Social networks were constructed to examine the online forum communication patterns among consumers and clinicians. Results The two PCHMS features that were used most frequently and considered most useful and engaging were the social features (ie, the poll and forum). More than 30% (213/709) of participants who sought well-being assistance during the study indicated that other people had influenced their decision to seek help (54.4%, 386/709 sought assistance for physical well-being; 31.7%, 225/709 for emotional well-being). Although the prevalence of using a self-reflective feature (diary or PHR) was not as high (diary: 8.6%, 61/709; PHR: 15.0%, 106/709), the proportion of participants who visited a health care professional during the study was more than 20% greater in the group that did use a self-reflective feature (diary: P=.03; PHR: P<.001). Conclusions There was variation in the degree to which consumers used social and self-reflective PCHMS features but both were significantly associated with increased help-seeking behaviors and health service utilization. A PCHMS should combine both self-reflective as well as socially driven components to most effectively influence consumers’ help-seeking behaviors.
Deferred Warping

Deferred warping is a novel approach for real-time deformation of 3D objects attached to an animated or manipulated surface. The target application is virtual prototyping of garments, where 2D pattern modeling is combined with 3D garment simulation, allowing for an immediate validation of the design. This technique can directly handle complex topology changes within a surface. The authors demonstrate a fast implementation in the vertex shading stage, allowing the use of highly decorated surfaces with millions of triangles in real time.
Implementation of a polyglot text-to-speech synthesis in two assistive technologies

The text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis is widely used in the area of assistive technologies for visually impaired people as well as for people with dyslexia or related learning disabilities. In the case of multilingual text-to-speech synthesis, both the language identification and voice switching are desirable. This paper presents the implementation of a multilingual text-to-speech in two assistive technologies: the automatic reading machine POET and the portable organizer for blind people Pronto. Both implementations have been tested with visually impaired users. The evaluation results show that the implementation of this software component makes these devices more easy and comfortable to use. Author
Explorer Epigenetic patterns in blood associated with lipid traits predict incident coronary heart disease events and are enriched for results from genome-wide association studies

Citation for published version: Hedman, AK, Mendelson, MM, Marioni, R, Gustafsson, S, Joehanes, R, Irvin, MR, Zhi, D, Sandling, JK, Yao, C, Liu, C, Liang, L, Huan, T, Mcrae, AF, Demissie, S, Shah, S, Starr, J, Adrienne Cupples, L, Deloukas, P, Spector, TD, Sundström, J, Krauss, RM, Arnett, DK, Deary, I, Lind, L, Levy, D & Ingelsson, E 2017, 'Epigenetic patterns in blood associated with lipid traits predict incident coronary heart disease events and are enriched for results from genome-wide association studies' Circulation. Cardiovascular genetics, vol 10, e001487. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCGENETICS.116. 001487