Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CTSA‐IP: A Solution to Identifying and Aggregating Intellectual Property across the NIH Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA) Consortium of Biomedical Research Institutes

One of the objectives of the Consortium of Institutions with Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs) is to enhance technology transfer among the CTSAs and with public and private sector partners. Clinical and Translational Sciences Award Intellectual Property (CTSA‐IP; http://www.CTSAIP.org) is a web‐based, open access IP search tool that aggregates and promotes technologies from member institutions of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) CTSAs consortium. Its ultimate aim is to stimulate collaborative research activity by encouraging the formation of public‐private partnerships with CTSA institutions and the NIH. First launched in 2009, CTSA‐IP has grown rapidly and met its first objectives of developing wide member institution participation and site usage. This communication will discuss the strategy employed in the initiative of aggregating IP across institutional boundaries, the promise that lies therein, as well as the challenges encountered and lessons learned in promoting CTSA‐wide engagement. Clin Trans Sci 2011; Volume 4: 328–331
Dopamine induces mitochondrial depolarization without activating PINK1‐mediated mitophagy

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders, characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. PD mostly occurs sporadically and its cause remains unknown, nevertheless the discovery of familiar forms of PD, characterized by mutations of genes encoding proteins associated with mitochondria homeostasis, suggests a strong implication of the mitochondrial quality control system in PD. We investigated the effect of dopamine cytosolic accumulation in undifferentiated SH‐SY5Y cells, an in vitro model widely used to reproduce impairment of dopamine homeostasis, an early step in PD pathogenesis. A strong depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane was observed after dopamine exposure. Nevertheless, mitochondrial network resulted to assume a peculiar morphology with a distinct pattern of OPA1 and MFN1, key regulators of mitochondrial dynamics. Moreover, selective elimination of dysfunctional mitochondria did not take place, suggesting an impairment of the mitophagic machinery induced by dopamine. Indeed, PINK1 did not accumulate on the outer mitochondrial membrane, nor was parkin recruited to depolarized mitochondria. Altogether, our results indicate that an improper handling of dysfunctional mitochondria may be a leading event in PD pathogenesis.
Comparison of initial combination antiretroviral therapy with a single protease inhibitor, ritonavir and saquinavir, or efavirenz

ObjectiveTo compare the effectiveness of initial highly active antiretroviral therapy with either: a single protease inhibitor (PI); ritonavir (RTV)/saquinavir (SQV); or efavirenz (EFV) plus nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. DesignCohort study. SettingUrban HIV clinic. PatientsFive-hundred and forty-five HIV-1-infected individuals with minimal antiretroviral exposure who started combination therapy with ⩾ 3 antiretroviral drugs and ⩾ 1 NRTI to which they had not previously been exposed (single PI, 416; RTV/SQV, 68; EFV, 61). Main outcome measuresHIV-1 RNA < 400 copies/ml within 8 months of starting therapy; time to HIV-1 RNA rebound to > 1000 copies/ml in the subset of patients achieving initial viral suppression; change in CD4 cell count from baseline within 12 months of starting therapy. ResultsBy intent-to-treat analysis, initial viral suppression was achieved by 72% of patients in the EFV group, compared to 49% in the single PI group (P = 0.001) and 51% in the RTV/SQV group (P = 0.019). Among patients who achieved initial viral suppression, time to viral rebound was similar in the three groups. Durable viral suppression (⩾ 3 consecutive HIV-1 RNA levels < 400 copies/ml for > 6 months) was achieved by 53% of patients in the EFV group, 26% in the single PI group, and 29% in the RTV/SQV group (P < 0.05 for both comparisons with EFV). The median CD4 cell count increase was 139 × 106 cells/l, and was similar in the three groups. ConclusionsIn agreement with a recent clinical trial, use of initial EFV-based combination antiretroviral therapy was associated with higher rates of viral suppression than PI-based therapy in a clinical cohort.
Detailed long-term outcome analysis after decompressive craniectomy for severe traumatic brain injury

Objective: To assess detailed long-term clinical outcome at least 1 year after decompressive craniectomy (DC) in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: One hundred and thirty-one patients with severe TBI underwent DC between September 1997 and September 2005. Outcome was measured using the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). Detailed outcome analysis was performed using Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended, Short-Form 36 (SF-36), Beck Depression Inventory, Trail Making Test B (TMT-B), Digit-Symbol Test (DST) and Barthel Index (BI). Results: Sixty-three patients (48.1%) died during their initial hospital stay, 27 (20.6%) were discharged in a vegetative state, 32 (24.4%) with severe disability and nine (6.9%) with moderate disability (GOS 3 and 4, respectively). At time of follow-up 75 patients (67.7%) were either dead or in a vegetative state. Thirty patients with GOS >2 were recruited for a detailed outcome analysis: Major depression, neurologic deficits and impaired TMT-B and DST performances were common and significantly more prevalent than in normative controls. Yet, patients reported only modestly reduced SF-36 and high BI scores. Conclusions: Despite multiple health-related problems after DC, many patients proved highly functional in activities of daily living and reported qualities of life not significantly inferior to that of healthy individuals. Depression was common and requires to be addressed with patients and caregivers. Better targeted therapies could improve neuropsychological and psychiatric outcomes in this complex cohort.
Efficient data reporting for object tracking in wireless sensor networks with mobile sinks

Object tracking is an important application in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). However, most of researches focus on how to track mobile objects accurately and do not consider data reporting, especially when sinks move arbitrarily in the sensor field. In this paper, we propose an efficient data reporting method for object tracking in WSNs with mobile sinks. In our network environment, the sensor field is divided into several grids. Only some nodes are elected as active nodes for tracking the object and reporting data, the others are in sleep mode for saving energy. Moreover, a simple scheduling is given to balance the energy consumption of nodes. To guide the current position of the sink and reduce the update cost as the sink moves, we design an elegant weight function for active nodes. By the weight function, the tracking data can be forwarded to the mobile sink efficiently. In addition, we also propose a simple object tracking method in which an object can be detected by two or more active nodes with tracking flags. Simulation results show that our proposed method outperforms than TNT and SNEM in terms of the energy consumption and average hop counts.
GLOTTALIMAGEEXPLORER – AN OPEN SOURCE TOOL FOR GLOTTIS SEGMENTATION IN ENDOSCOPIC HIGH-SPEED VIDEOS OF THE VOCAL FOLDS

This paper introduces the free and open source software GlottalImageExplorer version 1.0. It is a tool for the efficient, semi-automatic segmentation of the glottis in the frames of high-speed endoscopic videos of the larynx. The implemented segmentation method is based on seeded region growing as described by Lohscheller et al. [7] and has been combined with an intuitive and extensible user interface. The glottal area waveform and the glottis contours can be exported as text files for further processing using other tools.
Detection of hdc Gene from Histamine Producing Bacillus subtillis and Serratia marcescens

In the present study, two histamine producing bacteria were used to detect the presence of hdc gene using PCR. The histamine production was confirmed by using Soyabean Casein Digest Agar (Tryptone Soya Agar). The DNA was isolated using Phenol: chloroform method. PCR was carried out using hdc gene and the amplified product was confirmed (657bps and 668 bps respectively). Further, the DNA and the PCR product were transformed into E.coli and the gene transformation was confirmed.Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 5(3): 309-312
On balanced cuts of graphs in metric spaces

The report focuses on the description of the method of constructing an approximate solution of the problem of cutting a graph whose vertices represent points in a metric space and edges are equipped with two numeric attributes: distance between the terminal vertices and the strength of the connection between these vertices. It is required for a given number k to construct k subgraphs in the original graph such that, firstly, the subgraphs are connected, the sets of their vertices are pairwise disjoint and the union of these sets coincides with the set of vertices of the original graph; secondly, the number of vertices in the subgraphs is approximately the same; thirdly, the total magnitude of the binding forces between different subgraphs was minimal. The results of applying the proposed method to the problem of cutting a railway network are presented.
Modeling a contactless power supply using GSSA method

A high order contactless power supply based on a current-fed full-bridge resonant converter is modeled using GSSA (Generalized State Space Averaging) method. After representing the inverting networking and the rectifier with voltage and current controlled sources, both continuous and discrete models are derived to analyze the steady-state and dynamic performance of the system. The results obtained show a good agreement with PSpice simulation of the actual circuit, proving the models developed can be used for fast system simulation and analysis.
Security enhancement on Simple Three Party PAKE Protocol

In the field of cryptography, the three-party authenticated key exchange protocol is an important tool, especially in the secure communication areas. In this protocol, two clients share a human-memorable password with a trusted server whereby the two clients receive a secure session key. Most recently, Huang proposed a simple and efficient three party password-based key exchange protocol. She claimed that the proposed protocol is secure against various attacks. However, Yoon and Yoo proved an undetectable online password guessing attack on Huang’s protocol. In the present paper, an unknown key share attack on Huang’s three party PAKE protocol using undetectable online password guessing attack is demonstrated. Additionally, an alternative protocol that eliminates this attack is proposed. Moreover, the proposed protocol requires only four message transmission rounds. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.5755/j01.itc. 41.1. 842
Ovarian hormones and binge eating in bulimia nervosa

Background. Symptom fluctuation in bulimia nervosa (BN) is related to menstrual cycle phase. However, the relationship between bulimic symptoms and ovarian hormones (estrogens and progesterone) has not been examined directly in women with BN. Method. Regularly menstruating women with DSM-IV BN (n=9) and regularly menstruating controls (n=8) collected hormone samples and recorded mood and bulimic symptoms daily for 35 consecutive days. Estradiol and progesterone were measured by radioimmunoassay. Within-subject analyses examined prospective longitudinal associations between changes in ovarian hormones and changes in binge frequency in women with BN. Analyses controlled for the possible influence of negative affect on binge frequency as well as the influence of progesterone when examining estradiol associations and the influence of estradiol when examining progesterone associations. Between-subject analyses examined whether women with BN were more likely to have disrupted hormonal profiles than controls. Results. Increases in binge eating were significantly associated with both decreases in estradiol and increases in progesterone in BN women with intact menstrual cycles. Although BN women were more likely to have disrupted hormone profiles than controls, this difference did not reach statistical significance, and mean estradiol and progesterone levels did not differ between bulimic and control groups. Conclusions. The results are consistent with those from experimental animal studies and suggest that decreases in estradiol and increases in progesterone may contribute to increases in binge eating. Ovarian hormone function represents a promising candidate for unraveling the neurobiological mechanisms of binge eating.
Genome Analysis CACTA Transposons in Triticeae . A Diverse Family of High-Copy Repetitive Elements 1

In comparison with retrotransposons, which comprise the majority of the Triticeae genomes, very few class 2 transposons have been described in these genomes. Based on the recent discovery of a local accumulation of CACTA elements at the Glu-A3 loci in the two wheat species Triticum monococcum and Triticum durum, we performed a database search for additional such elements in Triticeae spp. A combination of BLAST search and dot-plot analysis of publicly available Triticeae sequences led to the identification of 41 CACTA elements. Only seven of them encode a protein similar to known transposases, whereas the other 34 are considered to be deletion derivatives. A detailed characterization of the identified elements allowed a further classification into seven subgroups. The major subgroup, designated the “Caspar ” family, was shown by hybridization to be present in at least 3,000 copies in the T. monococcum genome. The close association of numerous CACTA elements with genes and the identification of several similar elements in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and rice (Oryza sativa) led to the conclusion that CACTA elements contribute significantly to genome size and to organization and evolution of grass genomes.
Subjectivity: Locating the First-Person in Being and Time

It is often held that, in contrast to Husserl, Heidegger's account of intentionality makes no essential reference to the first-person stance. This paper argues, on the contrary, that an account of the first-person, or 'subjectivity', is crucial to Heidegger's account of intelligibility (world) and so of the intentionality, or 'aboutness' of our acts and thoughts, that rests upon it. It first offers an argument as to why the account of intelligibility in Division I of Being and Time , based on a form of third-person self-awareness, provides a necessary, but not a sufficient, condition for intentionality. It then shows that Heidegger provides a further necessary condition in his analysis of the collapse of the one-self in Division II. This condition is 'conscience', which is both a genuine first-person mode of self-awareness and, it is argued, the origin of reason as that which distinguishes factic 'grounds' from normative 'justifications'.
Migration and Gene Flow among Domestic Populations of the Chagas Insect Vector Triatoma dimidiata (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) Detected by Microsatellite Loci

ABSTRACT Triatoma dimidiata (Latreille, 1811) is the most abundant and significant insect vector of the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi in Central America, and particularly in Guatemala. Tr. cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas disease, and successful disease control requires understanding the geographic distribution and degree of migration of vectors such as T. dimidiata that frequently re-infest houses within months following insecticide application. The population genetic structure of T. dimidiata collected from six villages in southern Guatemala was studied to gain insight into the migration patterns of the insects in this region where populations are largely domestic. This study provided insight into the likelihood of eliminating T. dimidiata by pesticide application as has been observed in some areas for other domestic triatomines such as Triatoma infestans. Genotypes of microsatellite loci for 178 insects from six villages were found to represent five genetic clusters using a Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. Individual clusters were found in multiple villages, with multiple clusters in the same house. Although migration occurred, there was statistically significant genetic differentiation among villages (FRT = 0.05) and high genetic differentiation among houses within villages (FSR = 0.11). Relatedness of insects within houses varied from 0 to 0.25, i.e., from unrelated to half-sibs. The results suggest that T. dimidiata in southern Guatemala moves between houses and villages often enough that recolonization is likely, implying the use of insecticides alone is not sufficient for effective control of Chagas disease in this region and more sustainable solutions are required.
Control of vacuolar dynamics and regulation of stomatal aperture by tonoplast potassium uptake

Significance Rapid fluxes of K+ and other osmolytes in guard cells control the opening and closing of stomata and thereby gas exchange and transpiration of plants. Despite the well-established role of the plasma membrane of guard cells in stomatal function, osmolyte uptake into the cytosol represents only a transient step to the vacuole, as more than 90% of the solutes accumulate in these organelles. We show that the tonoplast-localized K+/H+ exchangers mediate the vacuolar accumulation of K+ in guard cells, and that activity of these transporters controls not only stomatal opening but also stomatal closure. We also establish vacuolar K+/H+ exchange as a critical component involved in vacuolar remodeling and the regulation of vacuolar pH during stomatal movements. Stomatal movements rely on alterations in guard cell turgor. This requires massive K+ bidirectional fluxes across the plasma and tonoplast membranes. Surprisingly, given their physiological importance, the transporters mediating the energetically uphill transport of K+ into the vacuole remain to be identified. Here, we report that, in Arabidopsis guard cells, the tonoplast-localized K+/H+ exchangers NHX1 and NHX2 are pivotal in the vacuolar accumulation of K+ and that nhx1 nhx2 mutant lines are dysfunctional in stomatal regulation. Hypomorphic and complete-loss-of-function double mutants exhibited significantly impaired stomatal opening and closure responses. Disruption of K+ accumulation in guard cells correlated with more acidic vacuoles and the disappearance of the highly dynamic remodelling of vacuolar structure associated with stomatal movements. Our results show that guard cell vacuolar accumulation of K+ is a requirement for stomatal opening and a critical component in the overall K+ homeostasis essential for stomatal closure, and suggest that vacuolar K+ fluxes are also of decisive importance in the regulation of vacuolar dynamics and luminal pH that underlie stomatal movements.
The contribution of overweight, obesity, and lack of physical activity to exit from paid employment: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES The objective of this review was to analyze systematically the association between overweight, obesity, and lack of physical activity (PA) and exit from paid employment through disability pension, unemployment, and early retirement. We also aimed to identify the influence of study population and study design on the magnitude of this association. METHODS We searched PubMed and Embase for English language, longitudinal, quantitative studies that described the relationship between overweight, obesity, or lack of PA and exit from work. A short checklist was used to assess the internal and external validity of the studies. We first estimated the pooled effects using a random effects model and then analyzed the influence of study and population characteristics on associations by stratified meta-analyses. RESULTS In total, 28 out of 1097 publications met the inclusion criteria. Obese [relative risk (RR)=1.53) and, to a lesser extent, overweight (RR=1.16) individuals had an increased likelihood of exit from paid employment through disability pension, but were not at statistically significant increased risk for unemployment or early retirement. Of 17 associations between a lack of PA and disability pension, 8 were statistically significant; this was also the case for 2 of 3 for unemployment. No associations were statistically significant for early retirement. CONCLUSIONS Obesity is a risk factor for exit from paid employment through disability pension. There are also indications that a lack of PA is related to an increased risk of disability pension and unemployment. To protect workers against premature exit from paid employment, long-term interventions to prevent overweight and obesity and promote PA in the working population should be considered for implementation.
The olfactory nerve contains two populations of glia, identified both in vivo and in vitro

The peripheral olfactory nervous sysstem exhibits, uniquely, neuronal cell body replacement and reestablishment of central connections in adult mammals. The role of the olfactory nerve glia in these phenomena is unknown, but information might be provided by in vitro systems. This paper reports on the characterization of olfactory nerve glia in dissociated cell cultures of newborn rat nasal mucosal tissues. The predominant type of glial cell resembled Schwann cells and immunostained for the S‐100 protein, found in all glial cell types; glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), found in astrocytes and nonmyelinating Schwann cells; and showed binding of 217C, a monoclonal Schwann‐cell marker that binds to the low‐affinity NGF receptor in glioma cells. They were negative for A2B5. The Schwann‐cell‐like olfactory glia changed morphology upon culturing in serum‐free medium, with further shape changes after plating on laminin. Plating on laminin increased cell numbers. A second population, found only after GFAP‐immunostaining, was astrocyte‐like in morphology and represented approximately 10 percent of all glial cells. These were S‐100‐, A2B5‐, and 217C‐negative, a unique glial cell immunological profile. At low dilutions of anti‐GFAP (1/10,000), or with weak fluorescent second ary antibodies, astrocyte‐like glia were immunostained but Schwann‐cell‐like glia were not detectable. Astrocyte‐like glia were not an artifact of the dissection, since they were detectable in tissue sections of newborn‐rat olfactory nerves immunostained with a low dilution of anti‐GFAP. The presence of two types of glial cell in culture suggests similarities between olfactory glia and entric glia. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Late sodium current block for drug‐induced long QT syndrome: Results from a prospective clinical trial

Drug‐induced long QT syndrome has resulted in many drugs being withdrawn from the market. At the same time, the current regulatory paradigm for screening new drugs causing long QT syndrome is preventing drugs from reaching the market, sometimes inappropriately. In this study, we report the results of a first‐of‐a‐kind clinical trial studying late sodium (mexiletine and lidocaine) and calcium (diltiazem) current blocking drugs to counteract the effects of hERG potassium channel blocking drugs (dofetilide and moxifloxacin). We demonstrate that both mexiletine and lidocaine substantially reduce heart‐rate corrected QT (QTc) prolongation from dofetilide by 20 ms. Furthermore, all QTc shortening occurs in the heart‐rate corrected J‐Tpeak (J‐Tpeakc) interval, the biomarker we identified as a sign of late sodium current block. This clinical trial demonstrates that late sodium blocking drugs can substantially reduce QTc prolongation from hERG potassium channel block and assessment of J‐Tpeakc may add value beyond only assessing QTc.