Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sucrose-to-Starch Metabolism in Tomato Fruit Undergoing Transient Starch Accumulation

Immature green tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) fruits undergo a period of transient starch accumulation characterized by developmental changes in the activities of key enzymes in the sucrose (Suc)-to-starch metabolic pathway. Activities of Suc synthase, fructokinase, ADP-glucose (Glc) pyrophosphorylase, and soluble and insoluble starch synthases decline dramatically in parallel to the decrease in starch levels in the developing fruit. Comparison of “maximal” in vitro activities of the enzymes in the Suc-to-starch pathway suggests that these same enzymes are limiting to the rate of starch accumulation. In contrast, activities of invertase, UDP-Glc pyrophosphorylase, nucleoside diphosphate kinase, phosphoglucoisomerase, and phosphoglucomutase do not exhibit dramatic decreases in activity and appear to be in excess of starch accumulation rates. Starch accumulation is spatially localized in the inner and radial pericarp and columella, whereas the outer pericarp and seed locule contain little starch. The seed locule is characterized by lower activities of Suc synthase, UDP-Glc pyrophosphorylase, phosphoglucomutase, ADP-Glc pyrophosphorylase, and soluble and insoluble starch synthases. The outer pericarp exhibits comparatively lower activities of ADP-Glc pyrophosphorylase and insoluble starch synthase only. These data are discussed in terms of the developmental and tissue-specific coordinated control of Suc-to-starch metabolism.
Efficacy and safety of immediate-release methylphenidate treatment for preschoolers with ADHD.

OBJECTIVE The Preschool ADHD Treatment Study (PATS) was a NIMH-funded, six-center, randomized, controlled trial to determine the efficacy and safety of immediate-release methylphenidate (MPH-IR), given t.i. d. to children ages 3 to 5.5 years with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHOD The 8-phase, 70-week PATS protocol included two double-blind, controlled phases, a crossover-titration trial followed by a placebo-controlled parallel trial. The crossover-titration phase's primary efficacy measure was a combined score from the Swanson, Kotkin, Atkins, M-Flynn, and Pelham (SKAMP) plus the Conners, Loney, and Milich (CLAM) rating scales; the parallel phase's primary outcome measure was excellent response, based on composite scores on the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham (SNAP) rating scale. RESULTS Of 303 preschoolers enrolled, 165 were randomized into the titration trial. Compared with placebo, significant decreases in ADHD symptoms were found on MPH at 2.5 mg (p<.01), 5 mg (p<.001), and 7.5 mg (p<.001) t.i. d. doses, but not for 1.25 mg (p<.06). The mean optimal MPH total daily dose for the entire group was 14.2 +/- 8.1 mg/day (0.7+/-0.4 mg/kg/day). For the preschoolers (n=114) later randomized into the parallel phase, only 21% on best-dose MPH and 13% on placebo achieved MTA-defined categorical criterion for remission set for school-age children with ADHD. CONCLUSIONS MPH-IR, delivered in 2.5-, 5-, and 7.5-mg doses t.i. d. , produced significant reductions on ADHD symptom scales in preschoolers compared to placebo, although effect sizes (0.4-0.8) were smaller than those cited for school-age children on the same medication.
Flocking algorithm for autonomous flying robots

Animal swarms displaying a variety of typical flocking patterns would not exist without the underlying safe, optimal and stable dynamics of the individuals. The emergence of these universal patterns can be efficiently reconstructed with agent-based models. If we want to reproduce these patterns with artificial systems, such as autonomous aerial robots, agent-based models can also be used in their control algorithms. However, finding the proper algorithms and thus understanding the essential characteristics of the emergent collective behaviour requires thorough and realistic modeling of the robot and also the environment. In this paper, we first present an abstract mathematical model of an autonomous flying robot. The model takes into account several realistic features, such as time delay and locality of communication, inaccuracy of the on-board sensors and inertial effects. We present two decentralized control algorithms. One is based on a simple self-propelled flocking model of animal collective motion, the other is a collective target tracking algorithm. Both algorithms contain a viscous friction-like term, which aligns the velocities of neighbouring agents parallel to each other. We show that this term can be essential for reducing the inherent instabilities of such a noisy and delayed realistic system. We discuss simulation results on the stability of the control algorithms, and perform real experiments to show the applicability of the algorithms on a group of autonomous quadcopters. In our case, bio-inspiration works in two ways. On the one hand, the whole idea of trying to build and control a swarm of robots comes from the observation that birds tend to flock to optimize their behaviour as a group. On the other hand, by using a realistic simulation framework and studying the group behaviour of autonomous robots we can learn about the major factors influencing the flight of bird flocks.
Truncated Surface Protective Antigen (SpaA) ofErysipelothrix rhusiopathiae Serotype 1a Elicits Protection against Challenge with Serotypes 1a and 2b in Pigs

ABSTRACT Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is a causal agent of swine erysipelas, which is of economic importance in the swine industry by virtue of causing acute septicemia, chronic arthritis, and endocarditis. However, little is known about the genetic properties of its protective antigens. Recently, a surface protective antigen (SpaA) gene was identified from serotype 2 in a mouse model. We clonedspaA from virulent strain Fujisawa (serotype 1a) and determined that the N-terminal 342 amino acids without C-terminal repeats of 20 amino acids have the ability to elicit protection in mice. Fusions of 342 amino acids of Fujisawa SpaA and histidine hexamer (HisSpa1.0) protected pigs against challenge with both serotype 1 and serotype 2, the most important serotypes in the swine industry. Pigs immunized with HisSpa1.0 reacted well with both HisSpa1.0 and intact SpaA by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting. Serum collected at the time of challenge from a pig immunized with HisSpa1.0 markedly enhanced the in vitro phagocytic and killing activity of pig neutrophils against the bacteria. DNA sequences of protective regions of spaA genes from five strains of serotypes 1 and 2 were almost identical. The full DNA sequences also seemed to be conserved among strains of all 12 serotype reference strains harboring thespaA gene by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of PCR products. These results indicates that SpaA is a common protective antigen of serotypes 1 and 2 of E. rhusiopathiae in swine and will be a useful tool for development of new types of vaccines and diagnostic tools for effective control of the disease.
A novel approach for comparative study of periosteum, muscle, subcutis, and skin microcirculation by intravital fluorescence microscopy.

Herein, we report a new model, which allows comparative study of the microcirculation of different peripheral tissues, i.e., periosteum, skeletal muscle, subcutis, and skin. Using dextran-insensitive Wistar rats gracilis and semitendinosus muscles of the left hindlimb were prepared in association with their appertaining tibial fragments, subcutis, and skin. Blood supply was guaranteed by the femoral artery via the saphenous vessels. High-resolution intravital epi-illumination microscopy of the two muscles displayed the typical microvascular architecture with the capillaries running in parallel to each other (capillary density (CD) 128.4 +/- 4.5 cm-1). In subcutis and skin, capillaries were found arranged as interconnecting mesh-like networks with a density, which was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in subcutis (191.0 +/- 5.5 cm-1) compared with skin (108.9 +/- 3.3 cm-1). Analysis of periosteal tissue revealed two distinct types of arrangements of microvascular architecture. Adjacent to the major feeding and draining vessels of the periosteum, capillaries were organized in densely meshed shunt-like networks, revealing the highest capillary density (242.7 +/- 13.2 cm-1; P < 0.05) of all tissues studied. Periosteal capillaries distant from the major feeding and draining vessels were arranged in parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tibial bone and presented with a density similar to that of the skeletal muscle (128. 6 +/- 9.4 cm-1). Topical application of acetylcholine for analysis of physiological reactivity of the microvasculature showed dose-dependent arteriolar dilation. Moreover, a 3-min upstream femoral artery occlusion demonstrated an appropriate hyperemic response in all tissues studied, indicating intact myogenic control. A prolonged period of ischemia (120 min) followed by reperfusion (60 min) caused massive (P < 0.05) leukocyte-endothelial cell interaction in postcapillary venules, similarly as reported in other microvascular tissue preparations. We propose that the model presented provides a good approach to all peripheral tissues for both the analysis of the physiology of tissue-confined microvascular control and the development of novel therapeutic strategies to counteract manifestation of nutritional dysfunction and inflammatory response in disease.
Updating the Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) Core Domain Set: A Report from the PsA Workshop at OMERACT 2016

Objective. To include the patient perspective in accordance with the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Filter 2.0 in the updated Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) Core Domain Set for randomized controlled trials (RCT) and longitudinal observational studies (LOS). Methods. At OMERACT 2016, research conducted to update the PsA Core Domain Set was presented and discussed in breakout groups. The updated PsA Core Domain Set was voted on and endorsed by OMERACT participants. Results. We conducted a systematic literature review of domains measured in PsA RCT and LOS, and identified 24 domains. We conducted 24 focus groups with 130 patients from 7 countries representing 5 continents to identify patient domains. We achieved consensus through 2 rounds of separate surveys with 50 patients and 75 physicians, and a nominal group technique meeting with 12 patients and 12 physicians. We conducted a workshop and breakout groups at OMERACT 2016 in which findings were presented and discussed. The updated PsA Core Domain Set endorsed with 90% agreement by OMERACT 2016 participants included musculoskeletal disease activity, skin disease activity, fatigue, pain, patient’s global assessment, physical function, health-related quality of life, and systemic inflammation, which were recommended for all RCT and LOS. These were important, but not required in all RCT and LOS: economic cost, emotional well-being, participation, and structural damage. Independence, sleep, stiffness, and treatment burden were on the research agenda. Conclusion. The updated PsA Core Domain Set was endorsed at OMERACT 2016. Next steps for the PsA working group include evaluation of PsA outcome measures and development of a PsA Core Outcome Measurement Set.
Identification of a hypervariable region in the long terminal repeat of equine infectious anemia virus

An avirulent, field-derived isolate of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), designated MA-1, was molecularly cloned, and the complete nucleotide sequence was determined for the 3' half of the viral genome. Comparisons between MA-1 and the prototype Wyoming strain of EIAV identified a 66-nucleotide stretch between CAAT (-91) and TATAA (-25) in the U3 region of the long terminal repeat, where sequence divergence was as high as 39.3%. The polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify and clone long terminal repeat sequences from Th-1, the in vivo parental stock of MA-1. Results indicated that the nucleotide sequences of MA-1 and Th-1 clones were less variable than was observed between MA-1 and Wyoming. However, MA-1 and Th-1 markedly differed in the types of enhancer sequences located in the hypervariable region. These results suggest that variation in lentivirus regulatory sequences may be important in EIAV host cell tropism and pathogenesis.
A Data-Driven Iterative Decoupling Feedforward Control Strategy With Application to an Ultraprecision Motion Stage

This paper develops a data-driven decoupling feedforward control scheme with iterative tuning to meet the challenge of the crosstalk problem in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) motion control systems. In contrast to model-based approaches, iterative tuning fully utilizes the available data to address the practical difficulty in obtaining an accurate dynamic model. The MIMO feedforward signal is iteratively updated by minimizing the developed crosstalk criterion. Specifically, to make the optimal problem convex, the MIMO feedforward controller is structuralized with a finite impulse response (FIR) filter and is parameterized by corresponding coefficients. A data-driven unbiased gradient approximation based on the Toeplitz matrix is then developed for updating the parameter vector. Furthermore, to deal with the Hessian inverse problem encountered in the numerical calculation of the update law, a stable inversion method combined with singular value decomposition is employed. The basic characteristics of the proposed scheme, including convergence accuracy and convergence rate, are illustrated through simulation. Finally, the proposed data-driven decoupling control scheme is applied to a developed ultraprecision motion stage, and the results show that the approach can significantly attenuate the servo error caused by the crosstalk problem. This simplicity and accuracy oriented control method without need of dynamic modeling is definitely suitable for industrial applications.
Shorter duration of depressive episode may predict response to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

We investigated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as a treatment for major depression. The experimental design comprised 15 medication‐free subjects with major depressive disorder who were randomly assigned to receive 10 sessions of active or sham 10‐Hz rTMS to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex at 110% motor threshold. Depression severity was measured by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Nonresponders to sham were allowed to receive active rTMS with the same parameters. Response to treatment was analyzed using a random regression model including episode duration and number of prior antidepressant treatments as covariates. Treatment (rTMS vs. sham) did not significantly predict changes in depression severity. Shorter duration of episode and more lifetime treatment trials significantly predicted improvements in BDI but not HDRS scores. Data from all subjects who received active rTMS (n = 14) showed that those with a depressive episode duration of shorter than 4 years had a mean HDRS decrease of 52% compared to 6% in those with an episode duration longer than 10 years. Active rTMS was well tolerated and was not associated with neuropsychological decrements when compared to sham. No significant antidepressant effects were found for 2 weeks of rTMS compared to sham. Among all subjects receiving rTMS those with a shorter duration of the current episode showed a greater response. Patients may need more than 10 treatments to obtain full benefit from rTMS. The design of future rTMS studies should consider these issues. Depression and Anxiety 19:24–30, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Gonadal Hormones in Men with Rheumatoid Arthritis — From Onset Through 2 Years

Objective. To evaluate changes over a 2-year course in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis in men with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from start of treatment with disease modifying antirheumatic drugs. Methods. Forty-one men with early RA and with joint symptoms less than 1 year were studied. Mean age at inclusion was 53 years and mean disease duration 6 months. They were followed prospectively for 2 years for disease activity [Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28)], physical impairment (Health Assessment Questionnaire), total serum testosterone, non-sex hormone-binding globulin-bound testosterone, and luteinizing hormone (LH). A group of 131 healthy, medicine-free men served as controls for baseline hormone concentrations. Results. The men with RA already had mean testosterone levels lower than controls early in the disease course. Patients older than 50 years also had significantly lower LH levels compared with controls, consistent with mild hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. In patients who responded to treatment at the 2-year followup the testosterone levels increased significantly. A decrease in DAS28 during the 2 years correlated significantly with increased testosterone levels (rs = −0.46, p = 0.006). LH levels were low and stable and did not correlate with disease activity. Conclusion. In early RA, current inflammation seemed to affect the HPG axis, mainly at the gonadal rather than the hypothalamic-pituitary level. Prospective studies are indicated to determine if low HPG activity may be a cause rather than a consequence of a chronic inflammatory state.
Fludarabine‐containing chemotherapy as frontline treatment of nongastrointestinal mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma

Mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is a specific clinicopathologic entity with gastric and nongastrointestinal site involvement. The authors reported the clinical outcome of patients with Stage IE nongastrointestinal MALT lymphoma treated with a frontline fludarabine‐containing regimen or with a regimen containing cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone (CVP).
Chemical and morphological alterations of spines within the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex precede the onset of Alzheimer's disease pathology in double knock‐in mice

Mice with knock‐in of two mutations that affect beta amyloid processing and levels (2xKI) exhibit impaired spatial memory by 9–12 months of age, together with synaptic plasticity dysfunction in the hippocampus. The goal of this study was to identify changes in the molecular and structural characteristics of synapses that precede and thus could exert constraints upon cellular mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity. Drebrin A is one protein reported to modulate spine sizes and trafficking of proteins to and from excitatory synapses. Thus, we examined levels of drebrin A within postsynaptic spines in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. Our electron microscopic immunocytochemical analyses reveal that, by 6 months, the proportion of hippocampal spines containing drebrin A is reduced and this change is accompanied by an increase in the mean size of spines and decreased density of spines. In the entorhinal cortex of 2xKI brains, we detected no decrement in the proportion of spines labeled for drebrin A and no significant change in spine density at 6 months, but rather a highly significant reduction in the level of drebrin A immunoreactivity within each spine. These changes are unlike those observed for the somatosensory cortex of 2xKI mice, in which synapse density and drebrin A immunoreactivity levels remain unchanged at 6 months and older. These results indicate that brains of 2xKI mice, like those of humans, exhibit regional differences of vulnerability, with the hippocampus exhibiting the first signatures of structural changes that, in turn, may underlie the emergent inability to update spatial memory in later months. J. Comp. Neurol. 505:352–362, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Unusual complication of percutaneous nephrostomy in a renal transplant recipient

Context: Ureteral obstruction, resulting in impaired graft function, is a well-known problem following renal transplantation. Management of ureteral complications includes percutaneous nephrostomy, which is considered to be a safe and effective measure. Case Report: Here, we demonstrate a case of a 35-year old renal allograft recipient with primary graft function but stagnating serum creatinine following extraction of the double-J catheter. Ureteral stenosis was suspected by ultrasound imaging and magnetic resonance tomography, and urinary flow was preserved with a percutaneous nephrostomy. However, early displacement of the percutaneous nephrostomy catheter resulted in distinct clinical discomfort. CT imaging suggested an intra-abdominal position of the catheter's tip, requiring immediate surgical action. Conclusion: The present case demonstrates that performing PCN following renal transplantation may have unexpected risks.
Recovery of Absorption Line Shapes With Correction for the Wavelength Modulation Characteristics of DFB Lasers

Tunable diode laser spectroscopy combined with wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) is an important technique for noninvasive measurements of gas parameters such as pressure, concentration, and temperature in high-noise harsh environments. A variety of laser types are used for these applications, and the modulation characteristics can have significant effects on line shape recovery. Here, we identify important characteristics of distributed feedback (DFB) lasers that need to be taken into account in the context of WMS and illustrate the effects with a 2-μm wavelength multiquantum-well DFB laser used for CO2 detection. The modulation response of the laser is measured, and we demonstrate how the phasor decomposition method (PDM) may be used to obtain accurate line shapes from the first harmonic WMS signals by correcting for phase variation across the laser's low-frequency current sweep. We also demonstrate how the PDM approach can be improved by removing the need to preset the orientation of the lock-in axis to isolate the residual amplitude modulation component, making it more suitable for field applications.
Chinese Typography Transfer

In this paper, we propose a new network architecture for Chinese typography transformation based on deep learning. The architecture consists of two sub-networks: (1)a fully convolutional network(FCN) aiming at transferring specified typography style to another in condition of preserving structure information; (2)an adversarial network aiming at generating more realistic strokes in some details. Unlike models proposed before 2012 relying on the complex segmentation of Chinese components or strokes, our model treats every Chinese character as an inseparable image, so pre-processing or post-preprocessing are abandoned. Besides, our model adopts end-to-end training without pre-trained used in other deep models. The experiments demonstrates that our model can synthesize realistic-looking target typography from any source typography both on printed style and handwriting style.
Transcutaneous Quantitation of Arterial Flow with Ultrasound

Arterial blood flow was measured in dogs simultaneously with electromagnetic flow probes and with ultrasonic "flow probes. " The ultrasonic probes were used to determine transcutaneously the mean velocity of arterial flow and the cross-sectional area of the blood vessel. A 10 MHz probe was used for blood vessels 1 cm deep or less, while a 5 MHz probe was used for vessels between 1.0 and 2.5 cm deep. The correlation coefficient between the flow calculated with the ultrasound method and the flow measured with the electromagnetic flow probes was 0.966, p less than 0.01. Blood flow was also measured intraoperatively in five patients. There was a correlation coefficient of 0.999, p less than 0.01, between the flow obtained with the ultrasound method and that determined simultaneously by the electromagnetic flow probes. The coefficient of determination for the regression of electromagnetic-determined flow on ultrasound-determined flow was 0.99. Thus, accurate transcutaneous determination of blood flow is possible with slightly modified ultrasound equipment.