Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Osteopenia in HIV-infected men: association with asymptomatic lactic acidemia and lower weight pre-antiretroviral therapy

BackgroundOsteopenia has been associated with antiretroviral therapy, particularly with protease inhibitors. Osteopenia in HIV-uninfected men is associated with mitochondrial defects. MethodsBone density was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in 221 HIV-infected men (mean age 43 years) recruited to a lipodystrophy prevalence survey. Additional parameters assessed were demographics, exercise, smoking, type(s) and duration of all antiretroviral therapy, lipodystrophy (overall and by region), CD4 counts, HIV RNA, fasting metabolic parameters (lipid, glycaemic, lactate, liver enzymes, testosterone) and regional body fat and lean mass (DEXA and L4 abdominal computed tomographic scan). ResultsThirty-two patients were drug-naive; 42 were receiving nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) and 147 were receiving these plus protease inhibitors. Osteoporosis (t-score < −2.5 SD below normal) was found in seven (3%) and osteopenia (t-score −1.0 to −2.5 SD) in 44 (22%). No patient had had a fracture since being infected with HIV. The only factors independently associated on logistic regression with osteopenia or osteoporosis were higher lactate levels, even if asymptomatic [odds ratio (OR) 2.39 per 1 mmol/l increase; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.39–4.11; P = 0.002), and lower weight prior to commencing antiretroviral therapy (OR 1.06 per 1 kg decrease; 95% CI 1.02–1.11; P = 0.006). There was no independent association with any other parameter, including type or duration of antiretroviral therapy and lipodystrophy at any site. Lower total bone mineral density was associated with lower weight prior to commencing antiretroviral therapy whereas lower spinal bone mineral density was associated mostly with higher lactate. ConclusionOsteopenia in HIV-infected men is common, asymptomatic and is associated with asymptomatic NRTI-related lactic acidemia and lower weight pre-antiretroviral therapy.
Aromatase Inhibition Abolishes LTP Generation in Female But Not in Male Mice

Inhibitors of aromatase, the final enzyme of estradiol synthesis, are suspected of inducing memory deficits in women. In previous experiments, we found hippocampal spine synapse loss in female mice that had been treated with letrozole, a potent aromatase inhibitor. In this study, we therefore focused on the effects of letrozole on long-term potentiation (LTP), which is an electrophysiological parameter of memory and is known to induce spines, and on phosphorylation of cofilin, which stabilizes the spine cytoskeleton and is required for LTP in mice. In acute slices of letrozole-treated female mice with reduced estradiol serum concentrations, impairment of LTP started as early as after 6 h of treatment and progressed further, together with dephosphorylation of cofilin in the same slices. Theta-burst stimulation failed to induce LTP after 1 week of treatment. Impairment of LTP was followed by spine and spine synapse loss. The effects were confirmed in vitro by using hippocampal slice cultures of female mice. The sequence of effects in response to letrozole were similar in ovariectomized female and male mice, with, however, differences as to the degree of downregulation. Our data strongly suggest that impairment of LTP, followed by loss of mushroom spines and spine synapses in females, may have implications for memory deficits in women treated with letrozole.
Adaptive Virtual Screening of Drug-Like Molecules by Recursive Neural Networks for Undirected Graphs

Virtual screening of drug-like molecules is a very important task in drug design, but it is generally time consuming and expensive. In fact, the common practice of virtual scree ning requires a feature selection process that is performed b y experts. The time necessary to accomplish it is long and ofte n unpredictable. Moreover, given that even experts can fail,this hand-crafted selection process can lead to the loss of molec ular properties that may be essential to predict the desired targ et point. Therefore, providing a time efficient and cost-free virtual screening method for predicting molecular endpoints may bea key step in the development of new drug design approaches. Here we present a screening method based on a neural network model called Recursive Neural Networks for Undirected Graphs (UGRNN), where the feature selection process requires no hu man intervention. We test the method on a broad range of regressi on tasks (mostly concerning prediction of solubility and melt ing point for small molecules). The results we obtain generallymatch or surpass the state of the art.
Intelligent leaky bucket algorithms for sustainable-cell-rate usage parameter control in ATM networks

In this paper, we propose two intelligent leaky bucket algorithms for sustainable-cell-rate usage parameter control of multimedia transmission in asynchronous transfer mode networks. One is the fuzzy leaky bucket algorithm, in which a fuzzy increment controller (FIC) is incorporated with the conventional leaky bucket algorithm; the other is the neural fuzzy leaky bucket algorithm, where a neural fuzzy increment controller (NFIC) is added with the conventional leaky bucket algorithm. Both the FIC and the NFIC properly choose the long-term mean cell rate and the short-term mean cell rate as input variables to intelligently determine the increment value. Simulation results show that both intelligent leaky bucket algorithms have significantly outperformed the conventional leaky bucket algorithm, by responding about 160% faster when taking control actions against a nonconforming connection while reducing as much as 50% of the queueing delay experienced by a conforming connection. In addition, the neural fuzzy leaky bucket algorithm outperforms the fuzzy leaky bucket algorithm, in aspects of three performance measures such as selectivity, responsiveness, and queueing delay, especially when the traffic flow is bursty, dynamic, and nonstationary.
Application of HTML5 multimedia

HyperText Markup Language (HTML) is the main markup language for web pages. HTML5 is a new generation of HTML standards. With the development of HTML5, it has wide range of applications in the multimedia direction. This new standard first describes the Video and Audio tag, and then elements of Video and Audio are discussed, pointing out that the support of the current browser to Video and Audio format. Then the advantages and disadvantages of HTML5 and flash are discussed, and it pointed out some applications that HTML5 multimedia cannot achieved. And it also introduces the Working principle of the HTTP Live Streaming. Finally, we discussed the direction of development of HTML5 multimedia in the future. HTTP Live Streaming, Audio Data API and peer-to-Peer Networking will become the focus of application of HTML5 multimedia.
Phospholipase C in Living Cells

We have further tested the hypothesis that receptor-mediated modulation of KCNQ channels involves depletion of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) by phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC). We used four parallel assays to characterize the agonist-induced PLC response of cells (tsA or CHO cells) expressing M1 muscarinic receptors: translocation of two fluorescent probes for membrane lipids, release of calcium from intracellular stores, and chemical measurement of acidic lipids. Occupation of M1 receptors activates PLC and consumes cellular PIP2 in less than a minute and also partially depletes mono- and unphosphorylated phosphoinositides. KCNQ current is simultaneously suppressed. Two inhibitors of PLC, U73122 and edelfosine (ET-18-OCH3), can block the muscarinic actions completely, including suppression of KCNQ current. However, U73122 also had many side effects that were attributable to alkylation of various proteins. These were mimicked or occluded by prior reaction with the alkylating agent N-ethylmaleimide and included block of pertussis toxin–sensitive G proteins and effects that resembled a weak activation of PLC or an inhibition of lipid kinases. By our functional criteria, the putative PLC activator m-3M3FBS did stimulate PLC, but with a delay and an irregular time course. It also suppressed KCNQ current. The M1 receptor–mediated activation of PLC and suppression of KCNQ current were stopped by lowering intracellular calcium well below resting levels and were slowed by not allowing intracellular calcium to rise in response to PLC activation. Thus calcium release induced by PLC activation feeds back immediately on PLC, accelerating it during muscarinic stimulation in strong positive feedback. These experiments clarify important properties of receptor-coupled PLC responses and their inhibition in the context of the living cell. In each test, the suppression of KCNQ current closely paralleled the expected fall of PIP2. The results are described by a kinetic model.
Submodular meets Spectral: Greedy Algorithms for Subset Selection, Sparse Approximation and Dictionary Selection

We study the problem of selecting a subset of k random variables from a large set, in order to obtain the best linear prediction of another variable of interest. This problem can be viewed in the context of both feature selection and sparse approximation. We analyze the performance of widely used greedy heuristics, using insights from the maximization of submodular functions and spectral analysis. We introduce the submodularity ratio as a key quantity to help understand why greedy algorithms perform well even when the variables are highly correlated. Using our techniques, we obtain the strongest known approximation guarantees for this problem, both in terms of the submodularity ratio and the smallest k-sparse eigenvalue of the covariance matrix. We further demonstrate the wide applicability of our techniques by analyzing greedy algorithms for the dictionary selection problem, and significantly improve the previously known guarantees. Our theoretical analysis is complemented by experiments on real-world and synthetic data sets; the experiments show that the submodularity ratio is a stronger predictor of the performance of greedy algorithms than other spectral parameters.
Law, Ethics, and Social Justice: Commentary from the Bridge

Providing commentary on this Journal of School Leadership’s special issue, “Constructing a Bridge Between Law and Social Justice: An Ethical Journey,” has been not only a daunting task because of the complex nature of this topic but also a humbling experience because of the superior quality of these articles. at the same time, it is most gratifying to see that the areas of social justice, law, and ethics have come so very far in gaining the scholarly recognition they have long deserved. Taken independently, these concepts and the research that accompanies them have contributed immensely to our field. Intertwined, as in this edition, they provide a powerful addition to our knowledge base and hold great promise for strengthening educational leadership practice as well as scholarly theory. This commentary identifies common themes and patterns that emerge across the articles, as well as similarities and differences in the various authors’ approaches to these topics. These themes include the use of multiple methods of inquiry, a focus on law and social justice that emphasizes case law (court decisions), and, finally, an ethical analysis that ends with a call for school leaders to make ethical decisions in the spirit of the law and social justice.
Homeostatic competition drives tumor growth and metastasis nucleation

We propose a mechanism for tumor growth emphasizing the role of homeostatic regulation and tissue stability. We show that competition between surface and bulk effects leads to the existence of a critical size that must be overcome by metastases to reach macroscopic sizes. This property can qualitatively explain the observed size distributions of metastases, while size‐independent growth rates cannot account for clinical and experimental data. In addition, it potentially explains the observed preferential growth of metastases on tissue surfaces and membranes such as the pleural and peritoneal layers, suggests a mechanism underlying the seed and soil hypothesis introduced by Stephen Paget in 1889, and yields realistic values for metastatic inefficiency. We propose a number of key experiments to test these concepts. The homeostatic pressure as introduced in this work could constitute a quantitative, experimentally accessible measure for the metastatic potential of early malignant growths.
Progress and Prospects in EEG-Based Brain-Computer Interface: Clinical Applications in Neurorehabilitation

Abstract: Several patients are no longer able to communicate effectively or even interact with the outside world in ways that most of us do it. For instance, severe cases astetraplegic or post-stroke patients are literally 'locked in' their bodies, unable to exert any motor control after a spinal cord injury or a brainstem stroke, requiring alternative methods of communication and control. However, in the near future, their brains may offer them a way out. EEG-based brain-computer interface (BCI) is the technique utilized to measure brain activity and by the way that different brain signals are translated into commands that control an effector (e.g., controlling a spelling system via eye movements). Here,we aim to review the basic concepts of EEG-based BCI and the main advances in communication, in motor control restoration and in downregulation of cortical activitythat seem to be relevant for clinical applications in the coming years forneurorehabilitation of severely limited patients. It allows brain-derived communication in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and motor control restoration in patients after spinal cord injury and stroke. In addition, epilepsy and attention deficit and hyperactive disorder patients were able to downregulate their cortical activity. Owing to the rapid progression of EEG-based BCI research over the last few years and the swift ascent of computer processing speeds and signal analysis techniques, we suggest that emerging ideas related to clinical neurorehabilitation of severely limited patients will generate viable clinical applications in the near future.
Frontal and Temporal Dysfunction of Auditory Stimulus Processing in Schizophrenia

Attention deficits have been consistently described in schizophrenia. Functional neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies have focused on anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) dysfunction as a possible mediator. However, recent basic research has suggested that the effect of attention is also observed as a relative amplification of activity in modality-associated cortical areas. In the present study, the question was addressed whether an amplification deficit is seen in the auditory cortex of schizophrenic patients during an attention-requiring choice reaction task. Twenty-one drug-free schizophrenic patients and 21 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were studied (32-channel EEG). The underlying generators of the event-related N1 component were separated in neuroanatomic space using a minimum-norm (LORETA) and a multiple dipole (BESA) approach. Both methods revealed activation in the primary auditory cortex (peak latency approximately 100 ms) and in the area of the ACC (peak latency approximately 130 ms). In addition, the adapted multiple dipole model also showed a temporal-radial source activation in nonprimary auditory areas (peak latency approximately 140 ms). In schizophrenic patients, significant activation deficits were found in the ACC as well as in the left nonprimary auditory areas that differentially correlated with negative and positive symptoms. The results suggest that (1) the source in the nonprimary auditory cortex is detected only with a multiple dipole approach and (2) that the N1 generators in the ACC and in the nonprimary auditory cortex are dysfunctional in schizophrenia. This would be in line with the notion that attention deficits in schizophrenia involve an extended cortical network.
The Role of Cysteine Residues in Redox Regulation and Protein Stability of Arabidopsis thaliana Starch Synthase 1

Starch biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana is strictly regulated. In leaf extracts, starch synthase 1 (AtSS1) responds to the redox potential within a physiologically relevant range. This study presents data testing two main hypotheses: 1) that specific thiol-disulfide exchange in AtSS1 influences its catalytic function 2) that each conserved Cys residue has an impact on AtSS1 catalysis. Recombinant AtSS1 versions carrying combinations of cysteine-to-serine substitutions were generated and characterized in vitro. The results demonstrate that AtSS1 is activated and deactivated by the physiological redox transmitters thioredoxin f1 (Trxf1), thioredoxin m4 (Trxm4) and the bifunctional NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase C (NTRC). AtSS1 displayed an activity change within the physiologically relevant redox range, with a midpoint potential equal to -306 mV, suggesting that AtSS1 is in the reduced and active form during the day with active photosynthesis. Cys164 and Cys545 were the key cysteine residues involved in regulatory disulfide formation upon oxidation. A C164S_C545S double mutant had considerably decreased redox sensitivity as compared to wild type AtSS1 (30% vs 77%). Michaelis-Menten kinetics and molecular modeling suggest that both cysteines play important roles in enzyme catalysis, namely, Cys545 is involved in ADP-glucose binding and Cys164 is involved in acceptor binding. All the other single mutants had essentially complete redox sensitivity (98–99%). In addition of being part of a redox directed activity “light switch”, reactivation tests and low heterologous expression levels indicate that specific cysteine residues might play additional roles. Specifically, Cys265 in combination with Cys164 can be involved in proper protein folding or/and stabilization of translated protein prior to its transport into the plastid. Cys442 can play an important role in enzyme stability upon oxidation. The physiological and phylogenetic relevance of these findings is discussed.
Bootstrapping Realized Volatility by Sílvia Gonçalves and Nour Meddahi

We propose bootstrap methods for a general class of nonlinear transformations of realized volatility which includes the raw version of realized volatility and its logarithmic transformation as special cases. We consider the independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) bootstrap and the wild bootstrap (WB), and prove their first-order asymptotic validity under general assumptions on the log-price process that allow for drift and leverage effects. We derive Edgeworth expansions in a simpler model that rules out these effects. The i.i. d. bootstrap provides a second-order asymptotic refinement when volatility is constant, but not otherwise. The WB yields a second-order asymptotic refinement under stochastic volatility provided we choose the external random variable used to construct the WB data appropriately. None of these methods provides thirdorder asymptotic refinements. Both methods improve upon the first-order asymptotic theory in finite samples.
Ethical Judgment and Humorous Advertising

study present the research problem and objectives. Then a brief review of the Abstract Humor is widely used in persuasion in both advertising and education. Funny ads are more likely to be enjoyable and involving, and therefore memorable, than others. However, some researchers point out that humor in advertising is risky. It can be devastatingly effective. It can raise ethical issues. It was noted that little research has been paid to the subject of consumers’ ethical judgment of a humorous advertising in social marketing. The purpose of this article is to better understand the effects of perception of the ethicality of humorous advertising on persuasion and behavioral intention. A conceptual model is proposed and tested. A sample of 390 smokers was retained to test the model. In order to test the hypotheses, we adopt an exploratory approach with SPSS 20. The structural equation model was utilized using AMOS 20 software. The results show that the perceived ethicality of humorous campaigns is necessary to improve its effectiveness. This study provides a framework and guidance for the development of public health communication campaigns relying on effective and ethical humor.
An E-band, scalable 2×2 phased-array transceiver using high isolation injection locked oscillators in 90nm SiGe BiCMOS

This paper presents the first E-band phased array transceiver that uses injection locked oscillators (ILOs) for beamforming. We propose a current injection distribution network with wide locking range and high isolation. A 2×2 bidirectional transceiver is demonstrated to operate from 71-86 GHz and measurements verify that each oscillator can be controlled independently with phase shift over ±300 degrees with <; 5° phase error and under 0.9 dB amplitude variation. Each channel has a 9.5-dB noise figure in RX mode and a 10-dBm output power in TX mode. The phase noise of the locked oscillator exhibits less than 2.5 dB variation across the phase steering range. The 90-nm SiGe BiCMOS chip consumes 386.4 mW in TX mode and 286 mW in RX mode per channel.
HotFlex: Post-print Customization of 3D Prints Using Embedded State Change

While 3D printing offers great design flexibility before the object is printed, it is very hard for end-users to customize a 3D-printed object to their specific needs after it is printed. We propose HotFlex: a new approach allowing precisely located parts of a 3D object to transition on demand from a solid into a deformable state and back. This approach enables intuitive hands-on remodeling, personalization, and customization of a 3D object after it is printed. We introduce the approach and present an implementation based on computer-controlled printed heating elements that are embedded within the 3D object. We present a set of functional patterns that act as building blocks and enable various forms of hands-on customization. Furthermore, we demonstrate how to integrate sensing of user input and visual output. A series of technical experiments and various application examples demonstrate the practical feasibility of the approach.
Concerted regulation of renal plasma flow and glomerular filtration rate by renal dopamine and NOS I in rats on high salt intake

Under high sodium intake renal dopamine (DA) increases while NOS I expression in macula densa cells (MD) decreases. To explore whether renal DA and NOS I, linked to natriuresis and to the stability of the tubuloglomerular feedback, respectively, act in concert to regulate renal plasma flow (RPF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Male Wistar rats were studied under a normal sodium intake (NS, NaCl 0.24%) or a high sodium intake (HS, NaCl 1% in drinking water) during the 5 days of the study. For the last two days, the specific D1‐like receptor antagonist SCH 23390 (1 mg kg bwt−1 day−1, sc) or a vehicle was administered. HS intake increased natriuresis, diuresis, and urinary DA while it decreased cortical NOS I expression (P < 0.05 vs. NS), Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH‐d) activity in MD (P < 0.001 vs. NS) and cortical nitrates+nitrites (NOx) production (NS 2.04 ± 0.22 vs. HS 1.28 ± 0.10 nmol mg protein−1, P < 0.01). Treatment with SCH 23390 to rats on HS sharply decreased hydroelectrolyte excretion (P < 0.001 vs. HS) while NOS I expression, NADPH‐d activity and NOx production increased (P < 0.05 vs. HS for NOS I and P < 0.001 vs. HS for NADPH‐d and NOx). SCH 23390 increased RPF and GFR in HS rats (P < 0.01 HS+SCH vs. HS). It did not cause variations in NS rats. Results indicate that when NS intake is shifted to a prolonged high sodium intake, renal DA through the D1R, and NOS I in MD cells act in concert to regulate RPF and GFR to stabilize the delivery of NaCl to the distal nephron.