Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In vitro and In vivo Analysis of a Rat Bipotential O – 2A Progenitor Cell Line Containing the Temperature‐sensitive Mutant Gene of the SV40 Large T Antigen

Primary cultures from neonatal rat optic nerve contain pluripotential O – 2A progenitor cells that are capable of differentiating into oligodendrocytes, type‐2 astrocytes or adult O – 2A progenitors (O – 2Aadult). Since primary optic nerve cultures contain a mixture of glial cell types of which only a small number are O – 2A progenitors, experiments on cell lineage and differentiation carried out using these cultures are both intrinsically limited and difficult to interpret. Ideally, cells from a clonal cell population would provide the optimal starting material for biological studies. In this paper we describe the creation of an O – 2A progenitor cell line using a retrovirus carrying a temperature‐sensitive mutant SV40 large T antigen gene. This cell line has provided sufficient numbers of cells to allow analysis of their in vitro properties and their behaviour following transplantation into an in vivo environment. At the non‐permissive temperature (39°C), these cells differentiate into oligodendrocytes and type‐2 astrocytes in a similar fashion to O – 2A progenitor cells from primary cultures (O – 2Aprim). When grown in media containing platelet‐derived growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor, the cell numbers can be expanded in culture without differentiating, consistent with the behaviour of O – 2Aprim progenitor cells. By exploiting this property, it has been possible to culture large numbers of O – 2A progenitors for in vivo analysis. In this study we have shown that transplantation of this O – 2A cell line into glia‐free areas in adult rat spinal cord results in differentiation of a proportion of cells into oligodendrocytes which are capable of myelinating axons. Furthermore, differentiation of O – 2A cells into astrocytes was also observed, indicating that the bipotentiality of these cells in vitro can also be demonstrated in vivo.
Femoroacetabular Impingement

Femoroacetabular impingement has been proposed as one of the causes leading to osteoarthritis of the hip. Features are mostly seen in young active individuals. Two morphological types, cam and pincer have been identified. Prompt clinical and radiological examination with appropriate surgical intervention can alleviate the symptoms and delay the degenerative changes associated with this condition.
Selected aspects of the action of cobalt ions in the human body

Cobalt is widespread in the natural environment and can be formed as an effect of anthropogenic activity. This element is used in numerous industrial applications and nuclear power plants. Cobalt is an essential trace element for the human body and can occur in organic and inorganic forms. The organic form is a necessary component of vitamin B12 and plays a very important role in forming amino acids and some proteins in nerve cells, and in creating neurotransmitters that are indispensable for correct functioning of the organism. Its excess or deficiency will influence it unfavourably. Salts of cobalt have been applied in medicine in the treatment of anaemia, as well as in sport as an attractive alternative to traditional blood doping. Inorganic forms of cobalt present in ion form, are toxic to the human body, and the longer they are stored in the body, the more changes they cause in cells. Cobalt gets into the body in several ways: firstly, with food; secondly by the respiratory system; thirdly, by the skin; and finally, as a component of biomaterials. Cobalt and its alloys are fundamental components in orthopaedic implants and have been used for about 40 years. The corrosion of metal is the main problem in the construction of implants. These released metal ions may cause type IV inflammatory and hypersensitivity reactions, and alternations in bone modelling that lead to aseptic loosening and implant failure. The ions of cobalt released from the surface of the implant are absorbed by present macrophages, which are involved in many of the processes associated with phagocytose orthopaedic biomaterials particles and release pro-inflammatory mediators such as interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and prostaglandin.
Role of γδ T Cells in Lung Inflammation

The resident population of γδ T cells in the normal lung is small but during lung inflammation, γδ T cells can increase dramatically. Histological analysis reveals diverse interactions between γδ T cells and other pulmonary leukocytes. Studies in animal models show that γδ T cells play a role in allergic lung inflammation where they can protect normal lung function, that they also are capable of resolving infection-induced pulmonary inflammation, and that they can help preventing pulmonary fibrosis. Lung inflammation threatens vital lung functions. Protection of the lung tissues and their functions during inflammation is the net-effect of opposing influences of specialized subsets of γδ T cells as well as interactions of these cells with other pulmonary leukocytes.
Elemental quantification, chemistry, and source apportionment in golf course facilities in a semi-arid urban landscape using a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer

Abstract. This study extends the application of the portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) spectrometry to the examination of elements in semi-arid urban landscapes of the Southern High Plains (SHP) of the United States, focusing on golf courses. The complex environmental challenges of this region and the unique management practices at golf course facilities could lead to differences in concentration and in the chemistry of elements between managed (irrigated) and non-managed (non-irrigated) portions of these facilities. Soil samples were collected at depths of 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm from managed and non-managed areas of seven different facilities in the city of Lubbock, Texas, and analyzed for a suite of soil properties. Total elemental quantification was conducted using a PXRF spectrometer. Findings mostly indicated no significant differences in the concentration of examined elements between the managed and non-managed areas of the facilities. However, strong positive relationships (R = 0.82−0.91, p
Frasnian rugose and tabulate corals from the eastern Taurus (Kozan region, Turkey)

A section near the Kilgen Lake (Adana Province) has yielded a fauna of rugose and tabulate corals including Disphyllum cf. rugosum (Wedekind, 1922), D. cf. curtum Hill, 1954, Wapitiphyllum sp. , Thamnopora sp. , and Alveolites sp. This coral assemblage is consistent with the previous Frasnian age assigned to the limestones of the Gümüşali Formation. The rather well-preserved material provides new data on the structure and microstructure of Disphyllum and allows to describe in Thamnopora unusual calicinal morphology (septal ridges, median teeth, and pseudopercula) as well as new structures linked to the lateral increase (basal low wall, apical cul-de-sac).
Innate Immunity Drives the Initiation of a Murine Model of Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells play complex roles in bridging innate and adaptive immunity by engaging with glycolipid antigens presented by CD1d. Our earlier work suggested that iNKT cells were involved in the initiation of the original loss of tolerance in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). To address this issue in more detail and, in particular, to focus on whether iNKT cells activated by a Th2-biasing agonist (2s,3s,4r)-1-O-(α-D-galactopyranosyl)-N-tetracosanoyl-2-amino-1,3,4-nonanetriol (OCH), can influence the development of PBC in a xenobiotic-induced PBC murine model. Groups of mice were treated with either OCH or, as a control, α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) and thence serially followed for cytokine production, markers of T cell activation, liver histopathology and anti-mitochondrial antibody responses. Further, additional groups of CD1d deleted mice were similarly studied. Our data indicate that administration of OCH has a dramatic influence with exacerbation of portal inflammation and hepatic fibrosis similar to mice treated with α-GalCer. Further, iNKT cell deficient CD1d knockout mice have decreased inflammatory portal cell infiltrates and reduced anti-mitochondrial antibody responses. We submit that activation of iNKT cells can occur via overlapping and/or promiscuous pathways and highlight the critical role of innate immunity in the natural history of autoimmune cholangitis. These data have implications for humans with PBC and emphasize that therapeutic strategies must focus not only on suppressing adaptive responses, but also innate immunity.
Automated Demand Response From Home Energy Management System Under Dynamic Pricing and Power and Comfort Constraints

This paper presents a comprehensive and general optimization-based home energy management controller, incorporating several classes of domestic appliances including deferrable, curtailable, thermal, and critical ones. The operations of the appliances are controlled in response to dynamic price signals to reduce the consumer's electricity bill whilst minimizing the daily volume of curtailed energy, and therefore considering the user's comfort level. To avoid shifting a large portion of consumer demand toward the least price intervals, which could create network issues due to loss of diversity, higher prices are applied when the consumer's demand goes beyond a prescribed power threshold. The arising mixed integer nonlinear optimization problem is solved in an iterative manner rolling throughout the day to follow the changes in the anticipated price signals and the variations in the controller inputs while information is updated. The results from different realistic case studies show the effectiveness of the proposed controller in minimizing the household's daily electricity bill while preserving comfort level, as well as preventing creation of new least-price peaks.
Scalable feedback for large groups

We investigate the scalability of feedback in multicast communication and propose a new method of probabilistic feedback based on exponentially distributed timers. By analysis and simulation for up to 10/sup 6/ receivers, we show that feedback implosion is avoided while feedback latency is low. The mechanism is robust against the loss of feedback messages and works well in case of homogeneous and heterogeneous delays. We apply the feedback mechanism to reliable multicast and compare it to existing timer-based feedback schemes. Our mechanism achieves lower negative acknowledgment character (NAK) latency for the same performance in terms of NAK suppression. No topological information of the network is used, and data delivery is the only support required from the network. The mechanism adapts to a dynamic number of receivers and leads to a stable performance for implosion avoidance and feedback latency.
An ultra-low-power and mixed-mode event-driven face detection SoC for always-on mobile applications

A new face detection SoC integrating CIS array with low-power face detector on a single chip in analog-digital mixed-mode is proposed for ultra-low-power mobile device applications such as always-on user authentication. The proposed event-driven mixed-mode face detection SoC performs Viola-Jones face detection with not only analog face detection circuits but also digital vision processor. The analog face detection circuits enable 85% of workload to be skipped before A/D conversion and digital face detection processing, resulting in 39% power reduction. Implemented in 65nm CMOS technology, 11.09 mm2 chip with 2.5V for CIS and 0.8V for digital vision processor consumes 24μW and 96μW at 1fps with non-face images and face images, respectively.
The effects of Aphanius iberus predation on an aquatic community: diel changes and the role of vegetation

The predation effects of a cyprinodontid fish (Aphanius iberus) on the aquatic invertebrate community structure of a Mediterranean shallow system with vegetation were investigated. Field studies were performed in March and July of 2009 in a pond adjacent to the salterns of San Pedro del Pinatar (Murcia, Spain) to evaluate two distinct settings of A. iberus population dynamics. In March, the A. iberus population had a low density, mainly dominated by large fish, whereas in July, the population had a higher density, mainly dominated by small, young-ofthe-year fish. To analyse the fish, vegetation and possible diel effects on the invertebrate community, we compared the aquatic invertebrate body size distribution (biomass size spectra) found under the following conditions: 1) during different seasons with different fish population structures to include possible ontogenic shifts, 2) in vegetated and non-vegetated areas to include sites with different resource availability, and 3) under day and night conditions to investigate possible diel cycles. We hypothesise that 1) because the main predator (A. iberus) has a high preference for vegetated areas and is expected to show a reduced mobility out of these areas, no diel differences in the aquatic invertebrate community structure would be apparent; 2) differences in the aquatic invertebrate size spectra would be found when comparing the non-vegetated area to the vegetated area (an area with higher resource availability but also higher predation pressure); and 3) differences in the aquatic invertebrate size spectra would be apparent when comparing different seasons due to an ontogenic shift in the A. iberus diet. Our results showed that in the vegetated areas, where fish were much more abundant, the assemblages of aquatic invertebrates had a characteristic size spectrum, showing a higher size diversity and a higher total biomass than the assemblages observed in the non-vegetated areas. Moreover, the observed differences were not affected by diel changes because none of the analysed parameters showed significant differences between the day and night samplings.
The effects of laterally varying icy shell structure on the tidal response of Ganymede and Europa

We use a finite‐element model to solve for the response of Ganymede and Europa to tidal forcing from Jupiter, using various icy shell models with laterally variable (3‐D) structure. In all cases, the shell is assumed to be underlain by a liquid‐water ocean. Icy shells with laterally varying thickness are derived from a thermal conduction model. Three‐dimensional shear modulus profiles for the shell are built either from a conduction model or, for Europa, by assuming a hemispherical difference in composition. Icy shell structures with a nonglobal ocean are built for Ganymede. Using these shell structures to calculate the tidal response of Ganymede and Europa, we conclude the following: (1) the presence of lateral variations in thickness or in shear modulus would not degrade future attempts to use tidal observations to decide on the existence or absence of a liquid ocean and to determine the mean icy shell thickness. (2) Given accurate enough observations, the presence of lateral variations in thickness or in shear modulus could be determined by searching for nondegree‐2 components in the tidal response. (3) In the absence of significant viscous convective flow in the shell, the effects of a laterally varying shear modulus on the tidal response would be smaller than those of a laterally varying shell thickness. (4) If the shell is partially grounded, tidal observations of either gravity or uplift would be able to roughly differentiate regions where the ice is grounded from those where it is floating.
Arterial Pressure Response to the Antioxidant Tempol and ETB Receptor Blockade in Rats on a High-Salt Diet

We hypothesized that increased superoxide contributes to mean arterial pressure (MAP) regulation in male Sprague-Dawley rats fed a high-salt diet and/or during endothelin (ETB) receptor blockade. Four groups on either a normal- or a high-salt diet were studied for 1 week: (1) control; (2) tempol, a superoxide dismutase mimetic, in their drinking water (1 mmol/L); (3) A-192621, an ETB antagonist, in their food (10 mg/kg daily); or (4) both tempol and A-192621. Without ETB blockade, tempol had no effect on MAP (telemetry) in rats on the normal-salt diet but significantly reduced MAP in rats on the high-salt diet (100±3 vs 112±2 mm Hg, P<0.05). On the normal-salt diet, A-192621 increased MAP with or without tempol. Under high-salt conditions, tempol attenuated the increase in MAP produced by A-192621, but only during the initial days of treatment. Plasma 8-isoprostanes were increased in all rats on the high-salt diet and were further increased after 3 days of A-192621 but not after 7 days; tempol inhibited the increase produced by A-192621 but had no influence on the increase produced by high salt. H2O2 excretion was significantly higher in rats on a high-salt diet for the 7-day drug treatment compared with those on a normal-salt diet. Tempol further increased H2O2 excretion in rats on a high-salt diet, an effect accelerated in A-192621–treated rats. These data suggest that blood pressure lowering by tempol in rats on a high-salt diet may be unrelated to reductions in superoxide and that renal H2O2 may account for the limited ability of tempol to attenuate hypertension produced by ETB receptor blockade.
Detecting decadal scale increases in anthropogenic CO2 in the ocean

We used two methods to evaluate the uncertainty of estimates of decadal scale increases of anthropogenic CO2 in the ocean: analysis of changes along observation sections and analysis of gridded data produced by a statistical model. Both methods yielded similar results, although some differences were apparent. Clear differences existed where large estimation uncertainties were associated with the use of gridded data. The sparsity of observations and influences of isopycnal heaving, water mass shifts, and other factors accounted for the large uncertainties of the estimates. Our results clearly indicated that more frequent observations will be necessary to understand anthropogenic CO2 changes around Antarctica, which is an important anthropogenic CO2 sink. The rate of increase of global anthropogenic CO2 storage in the most recent decade was estimated to be 28.7 Pg C decade−1 on the basis of changes along sections, which is a little larger than previous estimates based on model studies. The uncertainty based on the statistical method was as much as ±4.4 Pg C decade−1.
Coding architecture for optical eU-OFDM transmission over AWGN

To improve the power-spectral efficiency trade-off of intensity-modulated direct-detection (IM/DD) optical transmissions, enhanced unipolar orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (eU-OFDM) was recently introduced. Uncoded eU-OFDM systems have been presented in literature but coding techniques to further improve the reliability of transmissions over such systems have not yet been explored. Applying off-the-shelf codes to these systems does not lead to the best performance. In this paper, we propose a novel structured encoding-decoding architecture that is suitable for successive interference cancellation (SIC) required in eU-OFDM. Simulation results obtained so far show that the proposed code structure outperforms the off-the-shelf coded systems.
Learning to generate proactive and reactive behavior using a dynamic neural network model with time-varying variance prediction mechanism

This paper discusses a possible neurodynamic mechanism that enables self-organization of two basic behavioral modes, namely a ‘proactive mode’ and a ‘reactive mode,’ and of autonomous switching between these modes depending on the situation. In the proactive mode, actions are generated based on an internal prediction, whereas in the reactive mode actions are generated in response to sensory inputs in unpredictable situations. In order to investigate how these two behavioral modes can be self-organized and how autonomous switching between the two modes can be achieved, we conducted neurorobotics experiments by using our recently developed dynamic neural network model that has a capability to learn to predict time-varying variance of the observable variables. In a set of robot experiments under various conditions, the robot was required to imitate other’s movements consisting of alternating predictable and unpredictable patterns. The experimental results showed that the robot controlled by the neural network model was able to proactively imitate predictable patterns and reactively follow unpredictable patterns by autonomously switching its behavioral modes. Our analysis revealed that variance prediction mechanism can lead to self-organization of these abilities with sufficient robustness and generalization capabilities. Graphical Abstract
THE PARADOX OF LINGUISTIC COMPLEXITY AND COMMUNITY SIZE

It has been observed that languages with huge numbers of speakers tend to be structurally simple while small communities can sometimes develop languages with great structural complexity. Paradoxically, an apparent opposite pattern appears to be observed in relation to non-structural properties of language such as number of content words. These apparent contradictory patterns pose a challenge for cultural evolution approaches to language evolution. In this paper, we use computational simulations to investigate the hypothesis that the opposite effects of linguistic community size on linguistic structure and vocabulary depend on a single factor: ease of learning. We created a population of simulated agents arranged on a network, such that agents connected by a link on the network are able to communicate and potentially pass linguistic conventions to one another. Each agent can both invent entirely new conventions and replicate conventions that they have previously generated themselves or learned from other agents. Linguistic conventions are divided into two categories Easy and Hard to learn, depending on how many times an agent needs to hear a convention in order to learn it. The simulation results show that when the population is small, Hard conventions represent a sizable proportion of the total linguistic inventory. As population size increases the number of easy-to-learn properties increases whereas the frequency of those that are hard to learn decreases systematically. The results suggest that the size of a linguistic community can potentially have opposite effects on the richness of different aspects of the language as a function of the ease of learning of different language properties.