Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Downregulation of STRA6 in Adipocytes and Adipose Stromovascular Fraction in Obesity and Effects of Adipocyte-Specific STRA6 Knockdown In Vivo

ABSTRACT To investigate the mechanisms by which elevated retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) causes insulin resistance, we studied the role of the high-affinity receptor for RBP4, STRA6 (stimulated by retinoic acid), in insulin resistance and obesity. In high-fat-diet-fed and ob/ob mice, STRA6 expression was decreased 70 to 95% in perigonadal adipocytes and both perigonadal and subcutaneous adipose stromovascular cells. To determine whether downregulation of STRA6 in adipocytes contributes to insulin resistance, we generated adipose-Stra6−/− mice. Adipose-Stra6−/− mice fed chow had decreased body weight, fat mass, leptin levels, insulin levels, and adipocyte number and increased expression of brown fat-selective markers in white adipose tissue. When fed a high-fat diet, these mice had a mild improvement in insulin sensitivity at an age when adiposity was unchanged. STRA6 has been implicated in retinol uptake, but retinol uptake and the expression of retinoid homeostatic genes (encoding retinoic acid receptor β [RARβ], CYP26A1, and lecithin retinol acyltransferase) were not altered in adipocytes from adipose-Stra6−/− mice, indicating that retinoid homeostasis was maintained with STRA6 knockdown. Thus, STRA6 reduction in adipocytes in adipose-Stra6−/− mice fed chow resulted in leanness, which may contribute to their increased insulin sensitivity. However, in wild-type mice with high-fat-diet-induced obesity and in ob/ob mice, the marked downregulation of STRA6 in adipocytes and adipose stromovascular cells does not compensate for obesity-associated insulin resistance.
Remote reconstruction of dielectric objects based on the extrapolation of limited observation data

Conventional diffraction tomography (DT) can be used to reconstruct objects under a full view. However, solving inverse problem could be challenging when the full angle data is not available. In this article, a novel diffraction tomographic algorithm with extrapolation method is proposed to detect two-dimensional (2D) dielectric objects in the case that the observation stations are far away from the search domain and the observation angles are limited. Extrapolation is introduced to obtain more data in the frequency domain. Using this algorithm, all locations, shapes, and dielectric properties of targets can be reconstructed under 90° observation angle. Due to the use of fast Fourier transforms in the implementation, this algorithm is very fast although there are many iterations of extrapolation. Images can be reconstructed with nearly real time performance. Numerical examples are given to show the validity of the algorithm.
Levey-Jennings Analysis Uncovers Unsuspected Causes of Immunohistochemistry Stain Variability

Almost all clinical laboratory tests use objective, quantitative measures of quality control (QC), incorporating Levey-Jennings analysis and Westgard rules. Clinical immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing, in contrast, relies on subjective, qualitative QC review. The consequences of using Levey-Jennings analysis for QC assessment in clinical IHC testing are not known. To investigate this question, we conducted a 1- to 2-month pilot test wherein the QC for either human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) or progesterone receptor (PR) in 3 clinical IHC laboratories was quantified and analyzed with Levey-Jennings graphs. Moreover, conventional tissue controls were supplemented with a new QC comprised of HER-2 or PR peptide antigens coupled onto 8 &mgr;m glass beads. At institution 1, this more stringent analysis identified a decrease in the HER-2 tissue control that had escaped notice by subjective evaluation. The decrement was due to heterogeneity in the tissue control itself. At institution 2, we identified a 1-day sudden drop in the PR tissue control, also undetected by subjective evaluation, due to counterstain variability. At institution 3, a QC shift was identified, but only with 1 of 2 controls mounted on each slide. The QC shift was due to use of the instrument’s selective reagent drop zones dispense feature. None of these events affected patient diagnoses. These case examples illustrate that subjective QC evaluation of tissue controls can detect gross assay failure but not subtle changes. The fact that QC issues arose from each site, and in only a pilot study, suggests that immunohistochemical stain variability may be an underappreciated problem.
Formal expressions for the solution of Dirichlet and Neumann problems

Based on the relationship between the potential and its normal derivative on the boundary of the region of interest, the solution of the Dirichlet and the Neumann boundary value problems relative to the Laplacian is written explicitly in an operator form. The numerical computation of the potential for regions of arbitrary shape is performed by converting the two boundary operators involved into square matrices, which only depend on the boundary shape. The formulas presented are of interest since they allow a direct calculation of the potential in a given region under any Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions. These solution formulas represent for regions of arbitrary geometry what the direct integration Green formulas represent for some canonical regions for which the problem-specific Green functions can be constructed analytically.
Somatic Recording of GABAergic Autoreceptor Current in Cerebellar Stellate and Basket Cells

Patch-clamp recordings were performed from stellate and basket cells in rat cerebellar slices. Under somatic voltage clamp, short depolarizing pulses were applied to elicit action potentials in the axon. After the action potential, a bicuculline- and Cd2+-sensitive current transient was observed. A similar response was obtained when eliciting axonal firing by extracellular stimulation. With an isotonic internal Cl− solution, the peak amplitude of this current varied linearly with the holding potential, yielding an extrapolated reversal potential of −20 to 0 mV. Unlike synaptic or autaptic GABAergic currents obtained in the same preparation, the current transient had a slow rise-time and a low variability between trials. This current was blocked when 10 mm BAPTA was included in the recording solution. In some experiments, the current transient elicited axonal action potentials. The current transient was reliably observed in animals aged 12–15 d, with a mean amplitude of 82 pA at −70 mV, but was small and rare in the age group 29–49 d. Numerical simulations could account for all properties of the current transient by assuming that an action potential activates a distributed GABAergic conductance in the axon. The actual conductance is probably restricted to release sites, with an estimated mean presynaptic current response of 10 pA per site (−70 mV, age 12–15 d). We conclude that in developing rats, stellate and basket cell axons have a high density of GABAergic autoreceptors and that a sizable fraction of the corresponding current can be measured from the soma.
Comparison of Direct Stenting Versus Conventional Stent Implantation on Blood Flow in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

As compared with balloon angioplasty, stent implantation in treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) reduces abrupt vessel closure, restenosis, and reocclusion rate. However, a few studies have demonstrated the safety and feasibility of direct stenting compared to conventional stent implantation technique. This study was designed to compare possible advantages of direct stenting with conventional stent implantation on immediate coronary blood flow and short-term clinical benefits in patients with AMI. Fifty patients with AMI who underwent mechanical revascularization were eligible for the study. The patients were randomly assigned to undergo either direct stenting (n=25) or conventional stent implantation (n=25). Before and after the procedure thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow and postprocedural corrected TIMI frame count (cTFC) of the infarct-related artery were measured. There was no difference in TIMI flow distribution at baseline between the 2 groups. TIMI 3 flow rate significantly increased after procedure in both groups compared to baseline (p<0.05). Postprocedural cTFC was found significantly lower in the direct stent arm compared to conventional stenting (p<0.001). Both during and after the procedure the complication rate and procedural time were lower in the direct stenting arm. Direct stenting provides better immediate coronary blood flow and is a safe and feasible method compared with conventional stenting in patients with AMI. Improvement in coronary blood flow measured by the corrected TIMI frame count method may suggests a significant reduction of microvascular injury.
On the newsvendor model with conditional Value-at-Risk of opportunity loss

To manage the risk arising from uncertainty in market demand, this paper introduces the Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) measure into the decision framework of the newsvendor who aims to minimise his opportunity loss. It is found under the CVaR measure that the newsvendor’s optimal order quantity is increasing in the confidence level when the understock loss is bigger than the overstock loss. This implies that an over-ordering may be even more caused by the newsvendor’s risk aversion about opportunity loss than risk seeking behaviour. Under this optimal order quantity, it is proved that the newsvendor’s expected profit and expected opportunity loss are decreasing and increasing in the confidence level, respectively. Furthermore, some management insights are presented to facilitate the risk management of the newsvendor model.
Temporal lobe rating scale: application to Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia

OBJECTIVES Temporal lobe atrophy as assessed by MRI can be measured in several ways. Volumetric measurements are quantitative but very time consuming and require extensive training to perform, so are not easily transferable to clinical practice. Visual rating scales, by contrast, are quick and widely applicable. Although medial temporal lobe atrophy is well described in Alzheimer's disease (AD), it is uncertain how early these changes can be detected and whether they discriminate AD from other neurodegenerative diseases, most notably frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The objectives were (1) to develop a widely applicable temporal lobe rating scale, and (2) to characterise and quantify the patterns of temporal lobe atrophy in AD versus temporal and frontal variants of FTD. METHODS The temporal lobe assessments were made using an established hippocampal rating scale extended to incorporate additional temporal regions. This was firstly validated with volumetric analysis and then applied to 30 probable AD, 30 FTD (consisting of 17 temporal variant (semantic dementia) and 13 frontal variant) and 18 control coronal MRI images. RESULTS Bilateral hippocampal atrophy was found in 50% of the patients with AD. Contrary to expectations, patients with semantic dementia also had hippocampal atrophy, which for the left side exceeded that seen in AD; other regions (temporal pole, parahippocampal gyrus, and lateral temporal lobe), spared in AD, were severely atrophied in this group. The patients with frontal variant FTD occupied an intermediate position and were largely indistinguishable from AD. CONCLUSIONS Hippocampal atrophy is, therefore, not specific for AD. Semantic dementia can be distinguished from AD, by the presence of severe bilateral atrophy of the temporal pole, parahippocampal and lateral regions. These findings have implications for the differential diagnosis of dementias.
Improving peak local SAR prediction in parallel transmit using in situ S‐matrix measurements

Peak local specific absorption rate (pSAR10g) is an important parameter used to determine patient safety during radiofrequency transmission. pSAR10g predictions for parallel transmit MRI are affected by the level of coupling exhibited by a modeled array in the simulation environment. However, simulated array coupling is rarely equal to the physical array coupling. Accurately simulating the physical array coupling may improve the accuracy of predicted SAR levels.
Endogenous IL‐4 is necessary for effective drug therapy against visceral leishmaniasis

It is well established that a fully competent immune response is required for the successful drug treatment of visceral leishmaniasis. However, recent studies have cast some doubt as to which elements of the immune response synergize with chemotherapeutic treatment. The role of the Th2 response and IL‐4 in particular during visceral leishmaniasis awaits clarification. We, therefore, examined the effectiveness of sodium stibogluconate treatment on Leishmania donovani infection in BALB/c wild‐type and IL‐4–/– mice. Parasite burdens in L. donovani‐infected IL‐4+/+ and IL‐4–/–, as we have previously shown for B6/129 mice, were similar, despite an apparent type 1 antibody response in infected IL‐4–/– mice, demonstrated by increased levels of parasite‐specific IgG2a and decreased IgG1. Unexpectedly IL‐4–/– mice responded poorly to sodium stibogluconate treatment with increased parasite burdens in all tissues examined. Furthermore, drug therapy of IL‐4–/– but not IL‐4+/+ mice resulted in significant reductions in splenocyte IFN‐γ mRNA transcripts and in serum IFN‐γ levels. These results demonstrate that IL‐4 has an important role in effective anti‐leishmanial chemotherapy which seems to be related to modulation of IFN‐γ production.
The Wound Healing Effect of Callicarpa nudiflora in Scalded Rats

Callicarpa nudiflora has been widely used in Li nationality medicine and treated burns and scalds in China. Our objective was to preliminarily elucidate healing effect and action mechanism of Callicarpa nudiflora water extract (CNE) on the scald wounds using an experimental rat mode. The second-degree scald wounds were induced by hot water on dorsal surface of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, and then they were randomly divided into 5 groups as follows: control (CON), Vaseline, Silver sulfadiazine (SSD), and Vaseline supplemented with 10% and 20% CNE groups. These ointments were employed locally once daily for 21 days. The macroscopic analysis showed CNE significantly accelerated the wound healing process and lowered the wound areas on days 15, 18, and 21 especially in 20% CNE group compared to CON group. Histopathological evaluation showed the mildly hypertrophic epidermis and the intact dermis in the 20% CNE-treated group were obviously distinguished from CON group on day 21. The CNE-treated groups had no obvious effect for TNF-α and IL-10 expressions on the second day and 14th day, while TGF-β1 expression level was decreased on the 21th day and VEGF level was increased on the 7th day in the 20% CNE group. Furthermore, the expression level of Samd3 was strongly inhibited in 20% CNE group. These findings suggested that the CNE can enhance the wound healing and skin repair in deep second-degree scald rats and thus support its traditional use.
Cross‐Contamination During Food Preparation: A Mechanistic Model Applied to Chicken‐Borne Campylobacter

We develop a model for bacterial cross‐contamination during food preparation in the domestic kitchen and apply this to the case of Campylobacter‐contaminated chicken breast. Building blocks of the model are the routines performed during food preparation, with their associated probabilities of bacterial transfer between food items and kitchen utensils. The model is used in a quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA) of Campylobacter in the Netherlands. Using parameter values from the literature and performing elementary sensitivity analyses, we show that cross‐contamination can contribute significantly to the risk of Campylobacter infection and find that cleaning frequency of kitchen utensils and thoroughness of rinsing of raw food items after preparation has more impact on cross‐contamination than previously emphasized. Furthermore, we argue that especially more behavioral data on hygiene during food preparation is needed for a comprehensive Campylobacter risk assessment.
Evolution of Corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa - from Nkruma To Mutharika The 2nd: Case Study Of South Africa

Since Sub-Saharan Africa's first independence in Ghana, the region has experienced massive and costly political and bureaucratic corruption within public service and administration. The causes of the corruption, its nature and form are wide and intertwined. In Sub-Saharan Africa, efforts to curb corruption have failed to discard it. The paper focused on the period from Nkruma in Ghana to Mutharika the 2nd in Malawi. This paper reviewed existing literature on political and bureaucratic corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa while on the other hand the paper employed key informant interviews to gather the required data to investigate, analyse and profile the genesis and evolution of corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa. The key informant interviews were employed to solicit public views and opinion from nineteen key informant participants (n=19) selected from 11 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The paper found that corruption is legendary; has entrenched itself to becoming some sort of culture in the region, and has become the most difficult socio-economic challenge to resolve in the region despite the various anti-corruption efforts employed by stakeholders to curb it. It emerged through the study that law-enforcement efforts against corruption need some reinforcement in order to be effective and eficient in uprooting corruption in the region. If Sub-Saharan Africa fails to address its corruption challenge, its development prospects would seriously curtailed
A mechanical route to carbon nanoscrolls

Recent developments in isolating two dimensional materials has triggered interests in different forms of these materials such as carbon nanoscrolls (CNS). Here we report formation of nanoscrolls using our previously reported technique of wedge based mechanical exfoliation. TEM images reveal the presence of nanoscrolls in many forms. Scroll formation was more prominent when the cleaving wedge was oscillated along its sharp edge at ultrasonic frequencies. Among several possible hypotheses, we present a simple one and show using molecular simulations that previously formed randomly scrolled edges roll by the external energy assistance of the moving penetrating wedge to form scrolls upon cleaving. Our mechanical exfoliation method has potential to synthesize CNS in a controlled manner.
Use of psychotropic drugs and risk of myocardial infarction: a case-control study in Finnish farmers.

BACKGROUND In 1992 Thorogood et al. reported an increased risk of myocardial infarction in women using psychotropic drugs. The aim of our study is to find out whether there is a link between the use of psychotropic drugs and subsequent myocardial infarction in males. METHOD A cohort of 3172 male farmers was followed from 1 February 1980 to 31 December 1992. Those subjects who had myocardial infarction without any previous symptoms during the follow-up were considered as cases. For every case three matched controls were selected. The matched variables were age, smoking habits, social status and county. The final sample includes 83 cases and 249 controls. RESULTS Those who had used psychotropic drugs had increased risk for myocardial infarction, odds ratio (OR) = 2.5, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.2-5.2. Most pronounced risk for myocardial infarction was found among users of anti-depressants, OR = 5.4 (CI:1.8-16.1). CONCLUSION The use of psychotropic drugs, especially antidepressants, is associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction. Further attempts are needed to determine whether the relationship between use of psychotropic drugs and risk of myocardial infarction is causal or not.
Optimization of Confirmation Time of Bistatic Tracks in Passive Radar

The paper presents a method for optimizing the mean confirmation time of a bistatic track (in bistatic range, bistatic velocity coordinates) in passive radar by adjusting the processing parameters. The track confirmation method is a standard cascaded logic, or "m out of n" logic. To provide high reliability of the confirmed tracks, the expected rate of confirmed false tracks is calculated, and it is used as a constraint during the optimization process. The optimization is based on a joint analysis of several parts of the processing chain of the passive radar, including the correlator, detector, and tracker. The parameters tuned to obtain minimum confirmation time are integration time, probability of false alarm (set by detection threshold), and parameters of the initialization logic m and n. Because the results depend on the signal-to-noise ratio, a parallel processing structure is proposed with different parameters in each branch to accommodate varying echo signal strengths. As a result, one can obtain improvement in track confirmation time with assumed number of confirmed false tracks per second. The developed procedures are tested on a simulated signal as well as on real-life data recorded with the experimental passive system PaRaDe.
Racial Diversity and Union Organizing in the United States, 1999–2008

Does racial diversity make forming a union harder? Case studies offer conflicting answers, and little large-scale research on the question exists. Most quantitative research on race and unionization has studied trends in membership rather than the outcome of specific organizing drives and has assumed that the main problem is mistrust between workers and unions, paying less attention, for example, to the role of employers. The author explores the role of racial and ethnic diversity in the outcomes of nearly 7,000 organizing drives launched between 1999 and 2008. By matching the National Labor Relations Board’s information on union activity with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s surveys of large establishments, the author reconstructs the demographic composition of the work groups involved in each mobilization. The study finds that more diverse establishments are less likely to see successful organizing attempts. Little evidence is found, however, that this is because workers are less interested in voting for unions. Instead, the organizers of more diverse units are more likely to give up before such elections are held. Furthermore, this higher quit rate can be explained best by considering the other organizations involved in the organizing drive. In particular, employers are more likely to be charged with unfair labor practices when the unit in question is more racially diverse. This effect persists when the study controls for heterogeneity among industries, unions, and regions.
Applications of vedic multiplier designs - A review

Rapidly growing technology has raised demands for fast and efficient real time digital signal processing applications. Multiplication is one of the primary arithmetic operations every application demands. A large number of multiplier designs have been developed to enhance their speed. Active research over decades has lead to the emergence of Vedic Multipliers as one of the fastest and low power multiplier over traditional array and booth multipliers. Vedic Multiplier deals with a total of sixteen sutras or algorithms for predominantly logical operations. A large number of them have been proposed using Urdhava Tiryakbhyam sutra rendering them most efficient in terms of speed. The objective of this paper is to encapsulate an array of applications of Vedic Multiplier in the vast domain of Image processing and Digital signal processing, particularly the different modifications of existing Vedic Multiplier architectures enhancing their speed and performance parameters.