Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HYPOTHALAMIC DIGOXIN, HEMISPHERIC CHEMICAL DOMINANCE, AND MESENTERIC ARTERY OCCLUSION

The role of the isoprenoid pathway in vascular thrombosis, especially mesenteric artery occlusion and its relation to hemispheric dominance, was assessed in this study. The following parameters were measured in patients with mesenteric artery occlusion and individuals with right hemispheric, left hemispheric, and bihemispheric dominance: (1) plasma HMG CoA reductase, digoxin, dolichol, ubiquinone, and magnesium levels; (2) tryptophan/tyrosine catabolic patterns; (3) free radical metabolism; (4) glycoconjugate metabolism; and (5) membrane composition. In patients with mesenteric artery occlusion there was elevated digoxin synthesis, increased dolichol and glycoconjugate levels, low ubiquinone, and elevated free radical levels. The RBC membrane Na+-K+ ATPase activity and serum magnesium were decreased. There was also an increase in tryptophan catabolites and reduction in tyrosine catabolites in the serum. There was an increase in cholesterol:phospholipid ratio and a reduction in glycoconjugate level of RBC membrane in these patients. The biochemical patterns obtained in mesenteric artery occlusion is similar to those obtained in left-handed/right hemispheric dominant individuals by the dichotic listening test. But all the patients with mesenteric artery occlusion were right-handed/left hemispheric dominant by the dichotic listening test. Hemispheric chemical dominance has no correlation with handedness or the dichotic listening test. Mesenteric artery occlusion occurs in right hemispheric chemically dominant individuals and is a reflection of altered brain function. Hemispheric chemical dominance may thus control the risk for developing vascular thrombosis in individuals
Purification of supercoiled plasmid DNA using chromatographic processes

The interest in purifying injectable‐grade plasmid DNA has increased with the development of gene therapy and DNA vaccination technologies. In this paper we develop a method for purifying a 4.8 kb plasmid based on chromatographic processes. An NaCl gradient was optimized on a Q Sepharose® column and plasmid was eluted at 800– 820 mM NaCl in a broad peak. Supercoiled plasmid was isolated after a final Sepharcryl S1000 SF® gel filtration step. Final plasmid preparation was depleted of proteins and RNA, as revealed by the BCA assay and 1% agarose gel electrophoresis. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ruthless reductionism in recent neuroscience

Cognitive informatics has a stated interest in keeping track of developments within the neurosciences, especially concerning cognitive phenomena (like learning, memory, perception, complex motor execution, and even consciousness). Until now, cognitive informaticists have only attended to developments in cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology. In this paper, I urge that cognitive informaticists begin attending to molecular and cellular cognition. This exciting new field employs a "ruthlessly reductive" methodology that continues to elucidate the mechanisms of cognition and consciousness. My argument is empirical: I survey some recent developments from this field for phenomena that cognitive informaticists have cited as relevant to their concerns. By attending to such developments, cognitive informaticists will also insert their discipline into the applications of information-theoretic resources to the search for cellular and molecular processes generating cognition and consciousness.
Guanylate binding protein‐1 inhibits spreading and migration of endothelial cells through induction of integrin α4 expression

Human guanylate binding protein‐1 (GBP‐1) is a large GTPase that is induced by inflammatory cytokines and acts antiangiogenically through the inhibition of endothelial cell proliferation and migration. In this study, we detected that GBP‐1‐expressing cells show a significantly reduced spreading and migration on fibronectin matrices. Investigating possible mechanisms of these effects, we found that integrin α4 (ITGA4) was consistently up‐regulated at both the RNA and protein level in GBP‐1‐expressing cell cultures. Inhibition of cell spreading and migration by GBP‐1 was dependent on the binding of ITGA4 to fibronectin. The inflammatory cytokines IL‐1β and TNF‐α induced ITGA4 expression in HUVECs and inhibited spreading and migration. Knockdown of GBP‐1 by shRNA abrogated inflammatory cytokine induced ITGA4 expression and restored spreading and migration capabilities of the cells. These results show that inhibition of endothelial cell spreading and migration by inflammatory cytokines is mediated by GBP‐1 through induction of ITGA4 expression. Endothelial cell migration is a key process during angiogenesis. Therefore, ITGA4 may be a novel molecular target to modulate angiogenesis in human disease. — Weinländer, K. , Naschberger, E. , Lehmann, M. H. , Tripal, P., Paster, W. , Stockinger, H. , Hohenadl, C. , Stürzl, M. Guanylate binding protein‐1 inhibits spreading and migration of endothelial cells through induction of integrin α4 expression. FASEB J. 22, 4168–4178 (2008)
Real-time object segmentation and coding for selective-quality video communications

The MPEG-4 standard enables the representation of video as a collection of objects. This paper describes an automatic system that exploits such a representation. Our system consists of two parts: real-time content extraction algorithms and a real-time multi-object rate control method. We present two approaches to content extraction: foreground segmentation based on two cameras and face segmentation based on a single camera. The main contributions of this paper are: 1) under a stereo camera setup, we improve a disparity estimation algorithm to obtain crisp and smooth boundaries of foreground objects; 2) for a single camera scenario, we propose a novel algorithm for face detection and tracking, combining facial color and structure information; and 3) we develop a constant-quality variable bitrate (CQ-VBR) control algorithm that guarantees the quality specification for each object obtained from the two content extraction methods. Both segmentation algorithms run in real-time on a low-cost media processor, and have been tested extensively in various indoor environments. The CQ-VBR control algorithm is a useful tool for the evaluation of object-based coding. For low-bit-rate applications, we can achieve significant reduction in the overall bitrate, while maintaining the same visual quality of the foreground/face object as compared to conventional frame-based coding. Based on tests conducted on several sequences of different complexity levels, the bit-rate savings can be up to 48%. The satisfactory foreground segmentation (results presented) permits porting a live foreground object into arbitrary scenes to create composite video.
Sensitivity and reliability of objective image analysis compared to subjective grading of bulbar hyperaemia

Aims: To establish the sensitivity and reliability of objective image analysis in direct comparison with subjective grading of bulbar hyperaemia. Methods: Images of the same eyes were captured with a range of bulbar hyperaemia caused by vasodilation. The progression was recorded and 45 images extracted. The images were objectively analysed on 14 occasions using previously validated edge-detection and colour-extraction techniques. They were also graded by 14 eye-care practitioners (ECPs) and 14 non-clinicians (NCLs) using the Efron scale. Six ECPs repeated the grading on three separate occasions Results: Subjective grading was only able to differentiate images with differences in grade of 0.70–1.03 Efron units (sensitivity of 0.30–0.53), compared to 0.02–0.09 Efron units with objective techniques (sensitivity of 0.94–0.99). Significant differences were found between ECPs and individual repeats were also inconsistent (p<0.001). Objective analysis was 16× more reliable than subjective analysis. The NCLs used wider ranges of the scale but were more variable than ECPs, implying that training may have an effect on grading. Conclusions: Objective analysis may offer a new gold standard in anterior ocular examination, and should be developed further as a clinical research tool to allow more highly powered analysis, and to enhance the clinical monitoring of anterior eye disease.
The Anesthetic Interaction Between Adenosine Triphosphate and N-methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Antagonists in the Rat

Modulation of synaptic neurotransmission through the ligand-gated ion channel is probably involved in the mechanisms of analgesic and anesthetic actions. In the central nervous system, adenosine triphosphate and glutamate are fast excitatory neurotransmitters through their effects on P2X and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors respectively. To examine the anesthetic interaction between adenosine triphosphate and NMDA receptor antagonists, we studied the effect of intracerebroventricular administration of P2 and/or NMDA antagonists on the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of sevoflurane in rats. Intracerebro- ventricular administration of phosphonopentanoic acid azophenyl-2′,4′-disulfonate and D (-)-2-anino-5-phophonopentanoic acid, P2 and NMDA antagonists, significantly reduced the MAC of sevoflurane. The reduction of the MAC by both phosphonopentanoic acid azophenyl-2′,4′-disulfonate and D (-)-2-anino-5-phophonopentanoic acid was dose-dependent. The effect of coadministration of both antagonists was additive in the reduction of sevoflurane minimum alveolar concentration. These results suggest that P2 and NMDA receptors mediate nociceptive/anesthetic processing as inhibition of these receptors resulted in analgesic and anesthetic effects. However the pathway mediated through each receptor may be different postsynaptically and/or one of these presynaptic receptors may modulate the neurotransmitter release of the other. Implications Because P2X and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors mediate a fast neurotransmission, we examined the anesthetic interaction between antagonists of these receptors. P2 and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists showed additive anesthetic interaction.
Characterization of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli recovered from companion dogs in Tai'an, China.

INTRODUCTION Animals are considered to be reservoirs of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria, but few epidemiological data on ESBL-producing Escherichia coli urinary tract isolates in pet dogs are available in China. METHODOLOGY This study was conducted to describe the prevalence and characterization of ESBL producers among E. coli urinary tract isolates from pet dogs in Tai'an, China. RESULTS A total of 118 E. coli were obtained from urinary samples of 80 companion dogs suffering from acute or chronic cystitis, of which three isolates from different dogs were ESBL producers. One isolate from dog A was of phylogroup A/ST410/CTX-M-15/TEM-1; one from dog B was of phylogroup B1/ST533/CTX-M-15/TEM-1; one from dog C was of phylogroup D/ST648/CTX-M-15. All ESBL producers were resistant to ampicillin, cephalexin, cefalotin, cefpodoxime, ceftiofur, enrofloxacin, marbofloxacin, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, but were susceptible to imipenem and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. E. coli of ST533 carrying blaCTX-M-15 were first detected in pet dogs in China. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, the findings could expand our knowledge about the prevalence and characterization of ESBL-producing E. coli urinary tract isolates in pet dogs in China.
The Contribution of the Toll-Like/IL-1 Receptor Superfamily to Innate and Adaptive Immunity to Fungal Pathogens In Vivo1

In vitro studies have indicated the importance of Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling in response to the fungal pathogens Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. However, the functional consequences of the complex interplay between fungal morphogenesis and TLR signaling in vivo remain largely undefined. In this study we evaluate the impact of the IL-1R/TLR/myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88)-dependent signaling pathway on the innate and adaptive Th immunities to C. albicans and A. fumigatus in vivo. It was found that 1) the MyD88-dependent pathway is required for resistance to both fungi; 2) the involvement of the MyD88 adapter may occur through signaling by distinct members of the IL-1R/TLR superfamily, including IL-1R, TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9, with the proportional role of the individual receptors varying depending on fungal species, fungal morphotypes, and route of infection; 3) individual TLRs and IL-1R activate specialized antifungal effector functions on neutrophils, which correlates with susceptibility to infection; and 4) MyD88-dependent signaling on dendritic cells is crucial for priming antifungal Th1 responses. Thus, the finding that the innate and adaptive immunities to C. albicans and A. fumigatus require the coordinated action of distinct members of the IL-1R/TLR superfamily acting through MyD88 makes TLR manipulation amenable to the induction of host resistance to fungi.
Site-specific transposition of insertion sequence IS630

IS630 is a 1.15-kilobase sequence in Shigella sonnei that, unlike many mobile elements, seems not to mediate cointegration between different replicons. To assess its transposition, we constructed composite elements containing inverted copies of IS630 flanking a drug resistance gene. We found that these composite elements transposed to plasmid ColE1 in Escherichia coli. DNA sequencing showed that transposition was, in all cases, to the dinucleotide sequence 5'-TA-3'. There were two preferred insertion sites which corresponded to the TA sequences in the inverted repeats of a 13-base-pair stem region of the [rho]-dependent transcription terminator. IS630 is flanked by TA, and nucleotide substitution by in vitro mutagenesis at these ends did not affect transposition activity of a composite element or its ability to insert preferentially into TA within the 13-base-pair inverted repeat sequences or to duplicate the target sequence.
Alzheimer's disease and other dementing illnesses in a defined united states population: Incidence rates and clinical features

In this study, for the first time to our knowledge, all new cases of Alzheimer's disease and other dementing illnesses have been documented in a well‐defined United States community. A total of 178 patients in an average annual at‐risk population of 18,991 persons over age 29 developed dementia during 1960 through 1964 in Rochester, Minnesota, yielding an average annual incidence rate of 187.5 new cases/100,000/year. The corresponding rate for clinically and/or pathologically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease (the most common cause of dementia in this community) was 123.3 new cases/100,000/year, based on 117 cases. The incidence rates for both dementia in general and Alzheimer's disease in particular rise dramatically with age. All patients were followed to death or to 1982, and the median survival was 63 months. These data include only those in the community who came to medical attention, but they yield higher rates than studies in Scandinavia, indicating a relatively high level of case ascertainment.
Prevention of harmful EDM currents in inverter-fed AC machines by use of electrostatic shields in the stator winding overhang

In this paper, an inexpensive mitigation technique is used for prevention of harmful EDM currents in small power inverter-fed AC machines. An electrostatic shield is mounted close to the stator winding overhang to eliminate the capacitive coupling between the stator end winding and the rotor surface. The bearing voltage that is caused by the common mode voltage at the motor terminals via the machine capacitances is reduced and the harmful EDM currents are eliminated. A 3D finite element method (FEM) is proposed for the calculation of the machine capacitances. The results are verified by analytical calculation, 2D FEM calculation and measurements.
Evaluation of the McGrath® Series 5 videolaryngoscope after failed direct laryngoscopy *

Unanticipated difficulties during tracheal intubation and failure to intubate are among the leading causes of anaesthesia‐related morbidity and mortality. Using the technique of video laryngoscopy, the alignment of the oral and pharyngeal axes to facilitate tracheal intubation is unnecessary. In this study we evaluated the McGrath® Series 5 videolaryngoscope for tracheal intubation in 61 patients who exhibited Cormack and Lehane grade 3 or 4 laryngoscopies with a Macintosh laryngoscope. Using the McGrath resulted in an improved glottic view, compared to Macintosh laryngoscope. Laryngoscopy was improved by one grade in 10%, by two grades in 80% and by three grades in 10% of cases (p < 0.0001). The success rate for intubation was 95% with the McGrath. These results suggest that the McGrath videolaryngoscope can be used with a high success rate to facilitate tracheal intubation in difficult intubation situations.
Asynchronous photonic A/D converter

This paper presents a hybrid opto-electronic asynchronous delta-sigma modulator, implemented in the form of a fiber-optic Analog-to-Digital converter (ADC). This architecture was chosen for its independence of an external clock and ease of demodulation through a single low-pass filter stage. The fiber-optic prototype consists of an input laser (wavelength λ1) which is modulated with an input RF signal, a high-speed comparator circuit working as bistable quantizer, and a fiber-optic loop that includes a SOA and a band-pass filter that act as a leaky integrator. The fiber-optic loop acts as a fiber-ring resonator (FRR), and defines the resonance wavelength λ2 of the system. The gain within this loop is modified through cross-gain modulation (XGM) by the input wavelength λ1, and thus achieves the desired modulation effect. The proposed architecture has been constructed and characterized at a sampling rate of 15.4 MS/s processing input analog signals in the range of dc-3 MHz with a signal-to-noise ratio of 36 dB and an effective number of bits of 5.7.
Channel Model for Millimeter Wave WPAN

Proposed PHY layer schemes are evaluated using the channel model that corresponds to each usage model in IEEE802.15. 3c standardization process. NICT has contributed TSV model to the IEEE802.15. 3c channel model subgroup. The model developed by NICT has been selected as the model for the evaluation of mandatory simulations. This paper describes the channel model for millimeter-wave band developed for the TG3c.
The New View on Fiscal Policy and Its Implications for the European Monetary Union

The New View on fiscal policy (as coined by Furman 2016) represents a rethinking of the main-stream consensus on the optimal macroeconomic policy mix. It focuses on a reassessment of the relative effectiveness of fiscal policy and its ability to stabilise the economy when monetary policy reaches its limit. This paper aims to present in detail the main principles of the New View as proposed by Furman (2016), to extend them, bring additional theoretical and empirical evidence, as well as concrete policy implications for the architecture of the European Monetary Union. The New View builds upon five core principles: Firstly, fiscal policy is a significant and efficient complement to monetary policy at the zero lower bound on theoretical grounds. Secondly, we take a closer look at the empirical evidence on government spending multipliers in a recession, both in the DSGE and in the VAR literature, and show it points to much higher multipliers than in normal times. Thirdly, we provide evidence to why fiscal space is actually higher than normally perceived in a recession, because fiscal stimuli can pay for themselves by enhancing current growth and potential output. We shortly discuss whether it is not better to have a sustained stimulus rather than a short one and whether enhanced global spillover effects in an environment of insufficient aggregate demand further enhance fiscal policy effectiveness. All of the above arguments point to the welfare enhancing effects of fiscal stimulus during a zero lower bound episode and that an approach, led by the New View, would have delivered better macroeconomic outcomes during the Eurozone crisis. We then discuss what such an approach could mean for a more resilient EMU architecture and for stabilisation mechanisms in the Euro Area.
Aspects in hardware: what do they look like?

Aspect-oriented programming methods today have gained a significant following in the area of object-oriented high-level programming languages since their invention more than ten years ago. More recent developments have also found use cases for AOP in procedural programming languages operating at the system programming level. However, if one digs further down towards the hardware layer, only few signs of AOP usage can be found so far. This paper motivates the use of aspect-oriented approaches in hardware development, which today is mostly done in domain-specific hardware description languages (HDLs). These languages deviate from the programming language model by providing explicit notions for concurrency and time, resulting in synthesizable circuit descriptions that can be turned into a piece of hardware. A survey of crosscutting concerns in hardware descriptions and a first definition of join-points and pointcuts for HDLs is augmented by an aspect-related analysis of a production-quality hardware component and an overview of current developments regarding AOP and hardware development.
Intimate partner relationship distress in the DSM-5.

Over the past 40 years, a large body of literature has documented intimate partner relationship distress as a primary reason for seeking mental health services as well as an integral factor in the prognosis and treatment of a range of mental and physical health conditions. In recognition of its relevance to clinical care, the description of intimate partner relationship distress has been expanded in the DSM-5. Nonetheless, this is irrelevant if the DSM-5 code for intimate partner relationship distress is not reliably used in clinical practice and research settings. Thus, with the goal of dissemination in mind, the purpose of this paper was to provide clinicians and researchers with specific guidelines on how to reliably assess intimate partner relationship distress and how this information can be used to inform treatment planning. In addition to the implications for direct clinical care, we discuss the importance of reliable assessment and documentation of intimate partner relationship distress for future progress in epidemiology, etiology, and public health research.
Diagnostic accuracy of computerized B‐scan texture analysis and conventional ultrasonography in diffuse parenchymal and malignant liver disease

The use of a diagnostic system for ultrasonic liver tissue characterization based on computerized B‐mode image analysis is clinically tested and compared with the results of conventional realtime and static grey scale liver ultrasound as independently assessed by three experienced observers. The diagnostic classes, normal, diffuse parenchymal and malignant disease, are clearly differentiated by computerized image analysis which is superior to subjective evaluation of liver echograms. Computerized analysis also renders a reliable and clinically useful diagnostic subclassification of diffuse parenchymal disease into echopattern changes prevalent in chronic hepatitis, cirrhosislfibrosis, fatty infiltration and a mixed state of cirrhosislfibrosis with fatty infiltration which cannot be achieved by conventional liver ultrasound.