Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Network Analysis of Metabolite GWAS Hits: Implication of CPS1 and the Urea Cycle in Weight Maintenance

Background and Scope Weight loss success is dependent on the ability to refrain from regaining the lost weight in time. This feature was shown to be largely variable among individuals, and these differences, with their underlying molecular processes, are diverse and not completely elucidated. Altered plasma metabolites concentration could partly explain weight loss maintenance mechanisms. In the present work, a systems biology approach has been applied to investigate the potential mechanisms involved in weight loss maintenance within the Diogenes weight-loss intervention study. Methods and Results A genome wide association study identified SNPs associated with plasma glycine levels within the CPS1 (Carbamoyl-Phosphate Synthase 1) gene (rs10206976, p-value = 4.709e-11 and rs12613336, p-value = 1.368e-08). Furthermore, gene expression in the adipose tissue showed that CPS1 expression levels were associated with successful weight maintenance and with several SNPs within CPS1 (cis-eQTL). In order to contextualize these results, a gene-metabolite interaction network of CPS1 and glycine has been built and analyzed, showing functional enrichment in genes involved in lipid metabolism and one carbon pool by folate pathways. Conclusions CPS1 is the rate-limiting enzyme for the urea cycle, catalyzing carbamoyl phosphate from ammonia and bicarbonate in the mitochondria. Glycine and CPS1 are connected through the one-carbon pool by the folate pathway and the urea cycle. Furthermore, glycine could be linked to metabolic health and insulin sensitivity through the betaine osmolyte. These considerations, and the results from the present study, highlight a possible role of CPS1 and related pathways in weight loss maintenance, suggesting that it might be partly genetically determined in humans.
The Role of Bodily Perception in Emotion: In Defense of an Impure Somatic Theory

In this paper, we develop an impure somatic theory of emotion, according to which emotions are constituted by the integration of bodily perceptions with representations of external objects, events, or states of affairs. We put forward our theory by contrasting it with Prinz’s (2004) pure somatic theory, according to which emotions are entirely constituted by bodily perceptions. After illustrating Prinz’s theory and discussing the evidence in its favor, we show that it is beset by serious problems—i.e., it gets the neural correlates of emotion wrong, it isn’t able to distinguish emotions from bodily perceptions that aren’t emotions, it cannot account for emotions being directed towards particular objects, and it mischaracterizes emotion phenomenology. We argue that our theory accounts for the empirical evidence considered by Prinz and solves the problems faced by his theory. In particular, we maintain that our theory gives a unified and principled account of the relation between emotions and bodily perceptions, the intentionality of emotions, and emotion phenomenology.
Toward the integration of microsystems supply

This work presents a global methodology for the complete design of an integrated inductor. After describing the different existing topologies, a method providing the geometrical dimensions from the desired inductance value is reported. Then, the frequency dependency of the inductance and its parasitic capacitance and resistance are analyzed by means of specific CAD tools. A specific analysis of thermal failure mechanisms is presented next. Temperature and current density of different shapes of connection pad are subsequently studied.
Different microbiological and clinical aspects of lower respiratory tract infections between China and European/American countries.

BACKGROUND National treatment/diagnosis guidelines for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are generally based on local epidemiological data. Etiology and drug-resistance patterns could differ between China and European/American countries, and simply following their respective guidelines might cause problems in clinical practice. Therefore, we need to summarize the microbiology and clinical manifestations of LRTIs in China and develop our own guidelines. METHODS Three major national multicenter epidemiology surveillance studies on LRTI were completed recently. The data were compared in detail with those from European/American studies. RESULTS Clinical and microbiological differences were observed in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), and pulmonary mycosis between our country and European/American countries. CONCLUSIONS The microbiological and clinical characteristics of the major LRTIs in China differ in many respects from those in European/American countries. Patients should have personal treatment plans instead of simply following the guidelines from foreign countries.
Distribution of G-actin is related to root hair growth of wheat.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Actin distribution in root hair tips is a controversial topic. Although the relationship between Ca2+ gradient and actin dynamics in plant tip-growth has been a focus of study, there is still little direct evidence on the exact relationship in root hair tip-growth. METHODS G-actin was labelled by fluorescein isothiocyanate-DNase I. F-actin was labelled by tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate-phalloidin. Actin in root hairs of Triticum aestivum (wheat) was investigated using confocal laser-scanning microscopy. KEY RESULTS Thick F-actin bundles did not extend into a region of approx. 5-10 microm from the tip of the growing root hairs, although they gave off branches of fine actin filaments in the hair tips. A tip-focused G-actin gradient was shown at the extreme apex of growing root hairs. In full-grown wheat root hairs, the tip-focused G-actin gradient disappeared while the thick F-actin bundles extended into the tips. BAPTA-AM, a Ca2+ disruption agent, also caused the tip-focused G-actin gradient to disappear and the diffuse F-actin bundles to appear in the tips of wheat root hairs. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the tip-focused gradient of intracellular G-actin concentration at the extreme apex may be essential for root hair growth, and that preserving the tip-focused gradient needs a high Ca2+ concentration in the root hair tips.
A flexible security model for using Internet content

Java applets, Netscape plug-ins and ActiveX controls have led to the popularization of a new paradigm: extensive downloading of executable code into applications to enhance the functionality of the desktop. One of the problems with this paradigm is the need to control the access rights of the downloaded content. In this paper, we describe a system for downloading content from the Internet and controlling its actions on a client machine. Our system generates a protection domain for the downloaded content dynamically rising the content's requested domain and a policy database that describes the user's trust in the content's manufacturer and type. Our system ensures that this protection domain is enforced throughout the execution of the content. We have modified the Java Virtual Machine to implement our security model. Our implementation, called Flexxguard, is freely available at http://www.alphaworks. ibm.com.
Query Driven Conceptual Browsing: A Semi-Automated Approach for Building and Exploring Concepts on the Web

The presence of communities, which are groups of highly cross referenced pages together representing a single concept, is a striking feature of the World Wide Web. Quite often a group of communities, each topically coherent within itself, may be related through a common concept manifested in each of them. Motivated by this observation, we present a method for query-driven conceptual browsing for exploring concepts on the Web starting from a user-specified query. We show how this idea is related to prior work on learning concept maps and on Web Mining, and discuss the application of conceptual browsing for user-driven exploration and discovery of new concepts on the Web.
The law and mental health: harmonizing objectives--a comparative survey of existing legislation together with guidelines for its assessment and alternative approaches to its improvement.

La explotacion de los recursos hidricos es un requisito esencial para una amplia gama de actividades humanas, en particular la agricultura y la produccion de energia. Sin embargo, hoy se conocen cada vez mjeor los posibles efectos negativos de ese aspecto del desarrollo, entre los que destacan el aumento de la prevalencia de ciertas parasitosis en la poblacion de las zonas vecinas. No obstante, apenas se han tomado medidas eficaces para contrarrestar esos efectos de los proyectos hidraulicos, tanto en la fase de planificacion como al aparecer los primeros signos alarmantes, y de hecho el sector sanitario tiende a estar mal preparado para hacer frente a estos problemas En el presente volumen se examinan los efectos de los proyectos de explotacion de recursos hidricos en cuatro enfermedades parasitarias: la esquistosomiases, el paludismo, la filariasis linfatica y la oncocercosis, todas las cuales pueden prevenirse o combatirse actualmente con los conocimientos disponibles. A continuacion se exponen algunas posibles medidas para proteger a la poblacion en los proyectos de ese tipo, indicando las estrategias de negociacion intersectorial que pueden aplicar los funcionarios de sanidad y las modalidades de preparacion de un plan sanitario para un proyecto hidraulico. A lo largo
Radiologic assessment of abnormal oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing.

Our purpose here is to review abnormalities of the first two phases of swallowing. The most frequent symptoms of abnormal oral or pharyngeal swallowing include difficulty initiating swallowing, cervical dysphagia, nasal regurgitation, coughing, and choking. Generally, abnormal oral or pharyngeal swallowing function is associated with high cervical dysphagia in the upper neck, whereas the abnormal esophageal motor function or obstructive morphology may be in the retrosternal area or lower neck
Changes in the collagenous matrix of the aging human lamina cribrosa.

AIMS--The age-related changes in the biochemical composition of the collagenous matrix of the human lamina cribrosa were investigated. METHODS--An age range (3 weeks to 92 years old) of human laminae cribrosae, dissected free of any surrounding structures which contained collagen, were analysed for collagen solubility (n = 58) total collagen content (n = 46), proportion of collagen types (n = 38), and collagen cross linking (n = 30), using hydroxyproline analysis, scanning densitometry of peptides after cyanogen bromide digestion, and high performance liquid chromatography, respectively. RESULTS--Age-related changes included an increase in total collagen and a decrease in the proportion of type III collagen within the lamina cribrosa. The collagen cross link pyridinoline was present at low levels, but demonstrated no trend with age. An age-related increase was found in pentosidine, an advanced glycation product. CONCLUSION--These changes in collagen composition imply that the mechanical properties of the lamina cribrosa are altered, resulting in a stiffer, less resilient structure with age. Such alterations in structure may contribute to the increased susceptibility of the elderly to axonal damage in chronic open angle glaucoma.
Densely arrayed microneedles having flow channel fabricated by mechanical dicing and anisotropic wet etching of silicon

We previously proposed a novel process combining mechanical dicing and anisotropic wet etching for fabricating arrayed MEMS structures, and used it to make solid-type microneedle structures in drug delivery systems (Shikida et al., 2004). For this report, we further developed the fabrication process for embedding two types of flow channels in our microneedle structures. One type has a channel with an opening at the base of each needle, and the other type has a cored channel in the needle. The height and pitch of the needles were 120-550 /spl mu/m and 230-370 /spl mu/m, respectively. The new process does not include the expensive deep RIE process, and is applicable to disposable injection and extraction needles used in bio-medical applications.
Particle Swarm optimization with velocity restriction and evolutionary parameters selection for scheduling problem

The article presents a study of the Particle Swarm optimization method for scheduling problem. To improve the method's performance a restriction of particles' velocity and an evolutionary meta-optimization were realized. The approach proposed uses the Genetic algorithms for selection of the parameters of Particle Swarm optimization. Experiments were carried out on test tasks of the job-shop scheduling problem. This research proves the applicability of the approach and shows the importance of tuning the behavioral parameters of the swarm intelligence methods to achieve a high performance.
Multilateral Deescalation in the Dollar Auction

We characterize the subgame perfect equilibriums of the dollar auction in its original form, without the constructs that the literature has added to avoid bid escalation. Contrary to Shubik’s (1971) conjecture, no equilibrium can generate higher expected revenues than the value of the prize. There is a continuum of equilibriums supported by subgames where competition between only two bidders escalates to complete dissipation of their surplus. These equilibriums are Pareto dominated, in a dynamic sense, by equilibriums that always give rise to trilateral rivalry, with the lowest bidder leapfrogging the top runners, and all three retaining some surplus. There are only finitely many such trilateral-rivalry equilibriums, each corresponding to the lowest bidder’s farthest lag from the current price before he quits the catchup efforts. Exactly one of such equilibrium-feasible farthest lag is undominated dynamically. ∗Ivey Business School, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada, N6A 3K7, fodegaard@ivey.uwo.ca. †Department of Economics, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada, N6A 5C2, charles.zheng@uwo.ca.
Footprint-based classification of road moving objects using occupancy grids

The accurate classification of moving object in urban traffic scenarios is a key element for safe decision-making of intelligent vehicles. Multi-sensor approaches are typically based on features or specific objects models, which results in either an intrinsic lack of robustness or a significant design complexity. This paper proposes to take advantage of a Bayesian occupancy framework for perception, introducing a classifier combining grid-based footprints and speed estimations. The preliminary results obtained with a Lidar under a very realistic simulation framework are very promising.
The use of real-time ultrasound imaging for biofeedback of lumbar multifidus muscle contraction in healthy subjects.

STUDY DESIGN Randomized controlled trial. OBJECTIVE To determine if the provision of visual biofeedback using real-time ultrasound imaging enhances the ability to activate the multifidus muscle. BACKGROUND Increasingly clinicians are using real-time ultrasound as a form of biofeedback when re-educating muscle activation. The effectiveness of this form of biofeedback for the multifidus muscle has not been reported. METHODS AND MEASURES Healthy subjects were randomly divided into groups that received different forms of biofeedback. All subjects received clinical instruction on how to activate the multifidus muscle isometrically prior to testing and verbal feedback regarding the amount of multifidus contraction, which occurred during 10 repetitions (acquisition phase). In addition, 1 group received visual biofeedback (watched the multifidus muscle contract) using real-time ultrasound imaging. All subjects were reassessed a week later (retention phase). RESULTS Subjects from both groups improved their voluntary contraction of the multifidus muscle in the acquisition phase (P<.001) and the ability to recruit the multifidus muscle differed between groups (P<.05), with subjects in the group that received visual ultrasound biofeedback achieving greater improvements. In addition, the group that received visual ultrasound biofeedback retained their improvement in performance from week 1 to week 2 (P>.90), whereas the performance of the other group decreased (P<.05). CONCLUSION Real-time ultrasound imaging can be used to provide visual biofeedback and improve performance and retention in the ability to activate the multifidus muscle in healthy subjects.
MDCT of the coronary arteries: feasibility of low-dose CT with ECG-pulsed tube current modulation to reduce radiation dose.

OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to show the feasibility of coronary CT using low kilovoltage (80 kV) combined with ECG-pulsed tube current modulation in selected patients. CONCLUSION This study showed the combined effect of lowering the kilovoltage setting (80 kV) and using an automatic modulation technique (ECG-pulsed tube current modulation) for coronary CT. Radiation dose exposure can be reduced by up to 88% for slim patients without impairing image quality.
Novel Therapeutics in Renal Diseases Exocyst Sec 10 protects renal tubule cells from injury by EGFR / MAPK activation and effects on endocytosis

Ben Fogelgren,* Xiaofeng Zuo,* Janine M. Buonato, Aleksandr Vasilyev, Jeong-In Baek, Soo Young Choi, Maria F. Chacon-Heszele, Aurélien Palmyre, Noemi Polgar, Iain Drummond, Kwon Moo Park, Matthew J. Lazzara, and Joshua H. Lipschutz Departments of Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Physiology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii; Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Departments of Medicine and Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Anatomy and BK21 Plus, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Junggu, Daegu, Republic of Korea; and Department of Medicine, Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina
Ion transporters involved in pollen germination and pollen tube tip-growth

Pollen germination (PG) and pollen tube growth (PTG) play crucial roles in sexual reproduction of flowering plants by sending sperm cells to the ovule. These two processes are regarded as ideal model system for the study of cell signaling and cell polarized growth. It has been considered for a long time that ion transports across the pollen tube membranes are essential for pollen tube navigation and growth. Previous transcriptome analyses for Arabidopsis have shown that the transcripts related to cellular transport are correspondingly overrepresented during the process of pollen tube growth. Here, we showed that 459 transporter genes expressed during PG and PTG in Arabidopsis. In addition, the gene expression profiles of ion (including Ca2+, H+, K+, Cl-) channels and transporters were further analyzed. This analysis provides novel information for the potential candidate genes involving in ion fluxes across the pollen tube membranes and in regulation of pollen tube tip growth.
Fractures in Relation to Menstrual Status and Bone Parameters in Young Athletes.

INTRODUCTION This study was aimed to compare fracture prevalence in oligoamenorrheic athletes (AA), eumenorrheic athletes (EA), and nonathletes (NA) and determine relationships with bone density, structure, and strength estimates. METHODS One hundred seventy-five females (100 AA, 35 EA, and 40 NA) 14-25 yr old were studied. Lifetime fracture history was obtained through participant interviews. Areal bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed by DXA at the spine, hip, and whole body (WB). Bone structure was assessed by HRpQCT at the radius and tibia, and strength by finite element analysis. RESULTS AA, EA, and NA did not differ in age, sexual maturity, or height. AA had lower BMI, and older menarchal age than EA and NA (P ≤ 0.001). Bone mineral density Z-scores were lower in AA versus EA at the total hip, femoral neck, spine, and whole body (P ≤ 0.001). Lifetime fracture risk was higher in AA than EA and NA (47%, 25.7%, 12.5%; P ≤ 0.001), largely driven by stress fractures in AA versus EA and NA (32% vs 5.9% vs 0%). In AA, those who fractured had lower lumbar and WB BMD Z-scores, volumetric BMD (vBMD) of outer trabecular region in radius and tibia, and trabecular thickness of the radius (P ≤ 0.05). In AA, those who had two or more stress fractures had lower lumbar and WB BMD Z-scores, total cross-sectional area, trabecular vBMD, stiffness, and failure load at radius; and lower stiffness and failure load at tibia versus those with fewer than two stress fractures (P ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION Weight-bearing athletic activity increases BMD but may increase stress fracture risk in those with menstrual dysfunction. Bone microarchitecture and strength differences are more pronounced in AA with multiple stress fractures. This is the first study to examine fractures in relation to bone structure in adolescent female athletes.
Review of studies about quantum communication and foundations of quantum mechanics at IENGF

In this proceeding I review the main experimental results obtained at IENGF (Turin, Italy) by using a source of entangled photons realized superposing, by means of an optical condenser, type I PDC produced in two crystals. More in details, after having described how this source is built, I will report on a Bell inequalities test obtained with it. Then I describe a recent innovative double slit experiment realized with a similar scheme. Finally, I hint about future developments of this activity at IENGF and in particular about a quantum cryptographic scheme in d=4.
A statistical study of magnetospheric electron density using the Cluster spacecraft

Observations from the WHISPER (Waves of High frequency and Sounder for Probing of Electron density by Relaxation) instrument on board Cluster, for the interval spanning 2001–2012, are utilized to determine an empirical model describing the total electron density along closed geomagnetic field lines. The model, representing field lines in the region of 4.5≤L < 9.5, includes dependences on L and magnetic local time. Data verification tests ensured that the WHISPER data set provided unbiased measurements for low‐density regions, including comparisons with Plasma Electron and Current Experiment and Electric Field and Waves observations. The model was determined by modeling variations in the electron density along the field lines, which is observed to follow a power law distribution along the geomagnetic field at high latitudes, with power law index values ranging from approximately 0.0 to 1.2. However, a localized peak in electron density close to the magnetic equator is observed, which is described using a Gaussian peak function, with the electron density peak ranging as high as 10 cm−3 above the background power law dependence. The resulting model illustrates some key features of the electron density spatial distribution. The role of the number density distribution, represented by the empirical electron density model, in determining the total plasma mass density is also explored. By combining the empirical electron density model with an empirical average ion mass model, the total plasma mass density distribution is inferred, which includes contributions of both the number density and ion composition of the plasma in the region.