Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Protective effects of ex vivo graft radiation and tacrolimus on syngeneic transplanted rat small bowel motility.

BACKGROUND Intestinal transplantation is unduly complicated by the nontolerogenic properties of the gut-associated lymphoid tissue. Because simultaneous graft irradiation and bone marrow infusion significantly prolong the survival of the small bowel transplanted animal, our objective was to determine the functional motility effects of the immune modulating, graft irradiation procedure in the presence and absence of tacrolimus immunosuppression. METHODS Four groups of syngeneic orthotopic small bowel transplanted animals were studied 48 hours after operations (untreated, tacrolimus, ex vivo graft irradiation, and tacrolimus + irradiation) and compared with controls. Histologic analysis was performed for mucosal apoptosis and neutrophilic infiltration into the muscularis externa. Gastrointestinal in vivo transit and in vitro circular muscle strip contractions were quantified in response to bethanechol (0.3-300 micromol/L). RESULTS Graft irradiation ex vivo alone or in the presence of tacrolimus significantly increases (> 10-fold) the number of apoptotic mucosal cells after transplantation. Functional measurements showed that transplantation resulted in a significant delay in gastrointestinal transit and a decrease in muscle strip contractility. Tacrolimus and graft irradiation significantly ameliorated the transplant-induced dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS Given the endowed propensity of mucosal regeneration, the immunologic and functional benefits of ex vivo graft irradiation appear to outweigh the detrimental effects to the mucosa.
Endogenous Business Cycles and Hysteresis. A Post-Keynesian, Agent-Based Approach

The neoclassical theory developed historically around the concept of (partial or general) equilibrium, by assuming its long run stability and independence from monetary and real fluctuations. The growing emphasis on path-dependence and, particularly, on the concept of hysteresis calls into question the traditional method, by rejecting the theoretical validity of the neoclassical equilibrium and its related stability properties. This thesis focuses on the model of “genuine” hysteresis, which first developed in the field of physics and recently extended its application to economic phenomena. Far from suggesting an appropriation of the methods that are typical of “hard” sciences, the aim is to analyze the consequences of discontinuous and hysteretic investment decisions on business cycles and long run trajectories. By relying on the Post Keynesian theory of growth and distribution, and the multi-agent methodological approach, this thesis develops a macroeconomic theoretical model that is able to generate non-linear business cycles around transitory equilibria, which are fully endogenous and historically determined according to the specific adjustment path. This theoretical framework confirms and reinforces the traditional Post Keynesian implications of income inequalities on the degree of utilization of productive capacity and on long run growth. Moreover, expansionary demand policies regain a central role in driving the economy towards the full employment of productive resources.
CHANGES IN CONCEPTS OF INCOME ADEQUACY OVER THE LAST CENTURY

Changes in concepts of income adequacy over the last century were inevitable, considering the changes that occurred in the many factors which influence these concepts. There have been changes in the nature, distribution, and level of income; in the composition of families and in their place and manner of living; in the scientific knowledge and productive power of the nation; and in social, economic, and political relationships. All of these have caused changes in our standards of living and consequently in our concepts of income adequacy. This paper has been limited to a review of the period from the midnineteenth to the mid-twentieth century in the United States, though it should be recognized that American social and economic concepts often reflected those prevailing in Europe, particularly in the closing years of the nineteenth century. The past century has been divided into three broad periods-1860 to 1900, 1900 to 1935, and 1935 to date -which roughly coincide with the shifts in emphasis in empirical studies of income adequacy.
A Strategy of Partnerships

WHEN MOST PEOPLE think about U.S. foreign policy these days, they think first and sometimes only about aspects of the war on terror ism: the reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan, the troubles of the Middle East, and the terror cells lurking in Southeast Asia, Europe, and even the United States. This preoccupation is natural. Interna tional terrorism literally hit home on September 1i, 2001, and, for understandable reasons, an outraged American public wants those responsible brought to justice. The American people also want to understand why the attacks happened-and demand a foreign policy that makes sure such events will never happen again. It is also natural that the war on terrorism has become the United States' number one foreign policy priority. It will remain so for as long as necessary, because terrorism-potentially linked to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)-now represents the greatest threat to American lives. Defeating terrorism is a priority that drives not only military action to subdue individual terrorists and deter their state supporters but also multilateral cooperation in law enforcement and intelligence sharing. It encompasses efforts both to stigmatize terrorism as a political instrument and to reduce the underlying sources of terrorist motivation and recruitment. But the breadth of U.S. strategy transcends the war on terrorism. Indeed, a strategy limited to dealing with immediate threats would in the end fail to defeat them-just as bailing water out of a boat would not fix a leak. The sharp focus on the front lines of the war against
Spermidine but not spermine is essential for hypusine biosynthesis and growth in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Spermine is converted to spermidine in vivo by the FMS1-amine oxidase

In our earlier work we showed that either spermidine or spermine could support the growth of spe2Δ or spe3Δ polyamine-requiring mutants, but it was unclear whether the cells had a specific requirement for either of these amines. In the current work, we demonstrate that spermidine is specifically required for the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We were able to show this specificity by using a spe3Δ fms1Δ mutant that lacked both spermidine synthase and the FMS1-encoded amine oxidase that oxidizes spermine to spermidine. The polyamine requirement for the growth of this double mutant could only be satisfied by spermidine; i.e., spermine was not effective because it cannot be oxidized to spermidine in the absence of the FMS1 gene. We also showed that at least one of the reasons for the absolute requirement for spermidine for growth is the specificity of its function as a necessary substrate for the hypusine modification of eIF5A. Spermine itself cannot be used for the hypusine modification, unless it is oxidized to spermidine by the Fms1 amine oxidase. We have quantified the conversion of spermine in vivo and have shown that this conversion is markedly increased in a strain overexpressing the Fms1 protein. We have also shown this conversion in enzymatic studies by using the purified amine oxidase from yeast.
Object recall using an experience database to accelerate robot action planning

Robot interaction planning is a computationally expensive process which rarely makes use of previous experiences in a deliberative manner. This paper addresses this issue by examining dimensionality reduction techniques to allow comparison of objects in a robot's environment based on the way they react to robot manipulation. We compare a number of techniques which can map objects from an observation space, which may contain thousands of dimensions, to a lower dimensionality space — the embedding space — which allows objects to be compared in an efficient manner, making knowledge transfer between similar objects more computationally tractable.
Motion compensation for intravascular ultrasound palpography for in vivo vulnerable plaque detection

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) palpography assesses the mechanical properties of coronary arteries in vivo by radial strain measurements. This is accomplished by cross- correlating RF signals acquired at different systemic pressures. However, catheter motion due to cardiac activity causes misalignment of these signals, so that less strain estimates are obtained. Four motion compensation methods have been studied for correcting in-plane catheter rotation and translation. The best method, local block matching, achieved an increase of 15% in the number of strain estimates. Application of motion compensation methods improves IVUS palpography, resulting in better vulnerable plaque detection.
Selectivity for orientation and direction of motion of single neurons in cat striate and extrastriate visual cortex.

1. We consider the consequences of the orientation selectivity shown by most cortical neurons for the nature of the signals they can convey about the direction of stimulus movement. On theoretical grounds we distinguish component direction selectivity, in which cells are selective for the direction of movement of oriented components of a complex stimulus, from pattern direction selectivity, or selectivity for the overall direction of movement of a pattern irrespective of the directions of its components. We employed a novel test using grating and plaid targets to distinguish these forms of direction selectivity. 2. We studied the responses of 280 cells from the striate cortex and 107 cells from the lateral suprasylvian cortex (LS) to single sinusoidal gratings to determine their orientation preference and directional selectivity. We tested 73 of these with sinusoidal plaids, composed of two sinusoidal gratings at different orientations, to study the organization of the directional mechanisms within the receptive field. 3. When tested with single gratings, the directional tuning of 277 oriented cells in area 17 had a mean half width of 20.6 degrees, a mode near 13 degrees, and a range of 3.8-58 degrees. Simple cells were slightly more narrowly tuned than complex cells. The selectivity of LS neurons for the direction of moving gratings is not markedly different from that of neurons in area 17. The mean direction half width was 20.7 degrees. 4. We evaluated the directional selectivity of these neurons by comparing responses to stimuli moved in the optimal direction with those elicited by a stimulus moving in the opposite direction. In area 17 about two-thirds of the neurons responded less than half as well to the non-preferred direction as to the preferred direction; two-fifths of the units responded less than one-fifth as well. Complex cells showed a somewhat greater tendency to directional bias than simple cells. LS neurons tended to have stronger directional asymmetries in their response to moving gratings: 83% of LS neurons showed a significant directional asymmetry. 5. Neurons in both areas responded independently to each component of the plaid. Thus cells giving single-lobed directional-tuning curves to gratings showed bilobed plaid tuning curves, with each lobe corresponding to movement in an effective direction by one of the two component gratings within the plaid. The two best directions for the plaids were those at which one or other single grating would have produced an optimal response when presented alone. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Interleukin-13 reduces cardiac injury and prevents heart dysfunction in viral myocarditis via enhanced M2 macrophage polarization

Viral myocarditis is one of the major causes of congestive heart failure and dilated cardiomyopathy. Recent reports have demonstrated an essential role of cytokines, like interleukin-13 (IL-13), in the pathogenesis of viral myocarditis, while the underlying mechanisms remain poorly defined. Here, using a coxsackie virus B3 (CVB3)-infection model in BALB/C mice, we showed that IL-13 protected mouse heart function in viral myocarditis, seemingly through reduction in T lymphocyte immunity and induction of M2 macrophage polarization. Adoptive transfer to M2 macrophages mimicked the effects of IL-13 on protection from myocarditis, suggesting that the effects of IL-13 may be primarily through regulation of macrophage polarization. Together, our data suggest that application of IL-13 treatment may reduce cardiac Injury and protect heart function in viral myocarditis via enhanced M2 macrophage polarization.
Selective synaptic distribution of AMPA and kainate receptor subunits in the outer plexiform layer of the carp retina

The subunit composition of ionotropic glutamate receptors (GluRs) is extremely diverse and responsible for the diversity of postsynaptic responses to the release of glutamate, which is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the retina. To understand the functional consequences of this diversity, it is necessary to reveal the synaptic localization and subunit composition of GluRs. We have used immuno light and electron microscopy to localize AMPA and kainate (GluR1, GluR2/3, GluR4, GluR5–7) subunits in identified carp retinal neurons contributing to the outer plexiform layer. GluR1 could not be detected within the outer plexiform layer. Rod and cone horizontal cells all express only GluR2/3 at the tips of their invaginating dendrites. These receptors are also inserted into the membrane of spinules, light‐dependent protrusions of the horizontal cell dendrites, flanking the synaptic ribbon of the cone synapse. Bipolar cells express GluR2/3, GluR4, and GluR5–7 at their terminal dendrites invaginating cone pedicles and rod spherules. Colocalization data suggest that each subunit is expressed by a distinct bipolar cell type. The majority of bipolar cells expressing these receptors seem to be of the functional OFF‐type; however, in a few instances, GluR2/3 could also be detected on dendrites of bipolar cells that, based on their localization within the cone synaptic complex, appeared to be of the functional ON‐type. The spatial arrangement of the different subunits within the cavity of the cone pedicle appeared not to be random: GluR2/3 was found predominantly at the apex of the cavity, GluR4 at its base and GluR5–7 dispersed between the two. J. Comp. Neurol. 435:433–449, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
DigitHist: a Histogram-Based Data Summary with Tight Error Bounds

We propose DigitHist, a histogram summary for selectivity estimation on multi-dimensional data with tight error bounds. By combining multi-dimensional and one-dimensional histograms along regular grids of different resolutions, DigitHist provides an accurate and reliable histogram approach for multi-dimensional data. To achieve a compact summary, we use a sparse representation combined with a novel histogram compression technique that chooses a higher resolution in dense regions and a lower resolution elsewhere. For the construction of DigitHist, we propose a new error measure, termed u-error, which minimizes the width between the guaranteed upper and lower bounds of the selectivity estimate. The construction algorithm performs a single data scan and has linear time complexity. An in-depth experimental evaluation shows that DigitHist delivers superior precision and error bounds than state-of-the-art competitors at a comparable query time.
Modeling Microwave Power Structures Based on K-Furcated Waveguides Arbitrarily Filled with Materials by Modal Techniques

Waveguide structures are very popular in the microwave power industry due to their power handling capabilities. Modal expansion of the waveguide fields and application of the circuit theory allow for the division of a complex device into several simpler sections which can be analyzed separately with the best suited method. The modal techniques can be divided into two groups-those which analyze junctions or discontinuities and those which examine propagation characteristics. In this paper, a review of modal techniques for high power applications is given. Modal expansion of the fields in the waveguides is then performed and applied to modeling of k-furcated waveguides. The modal analysis based on the Coupled Mode Method is described for the waveguides partially filled with isotropic materials. A hybrid modal analysis coupled with Finite Element Method suitable for more complex waveguide structures is also described. Computational results obtained for some real-life microwave devices are presented. Excellent agreement was found when comparing the results with those generated with a commercial FDTD simulator demonstrates the validity and reliability of the proposed method.
Combinatorial Semisynthesis of Biomarker-IgM Complexes

Circulating immune complexes formed by tumor antigens and immunoglobulin M (IgM) represent a novel class of biomarkers with diagnostic value for early cancer detection. The quantitative analysis of these immune complexes is achieved by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods using a purified calibrator from samples of patients with cancer. These complexes obtained from samples of human origin are not suitable for cost-effective production processes with high safety standards. Given the ill-defined biomarker/IgM ratio in these complexes, semisynthesis with retention of functional properties is difficult to achieve and may vary widely according to the batch-to-batch heterogeneity of starting biological preparations. Here the authors describe the development of a combinatorial method for defining the optimal reaction conditions for the reproducible semisynthesis of biomarker-IgM complexes by exploiting the biotin-avidin technology. The method relies on screening by ELISA the 3D composition space defined by the combinatorial variation of biotinylated-biomarker, biotinylated-IgM, and avidin concentrations aiming to select those conditions leading to biomarker-IgM complexes with the highest immunoreactivity. The method allows the reproducible synthesis of species with immunoreactivity comparable to that of natural immune complexes and endowed with sufficient stability to be used as calibrators in ELISA.
Efficient Compression Technique for Sparse Sets

Recent technological advancements have led to the generation of huge amounts of data over the web, such as text, image, audio and video. Most of this data is high dimensional and sparse, for e.g., the bag-of-words representation used for representing text. Often, an efficient search for similar data points needs to be performed in many applications like clustering, nearest neighbour search, ranking and indexing. Even though there have been significant increases in computational power, a simple brute-force similarity-search on such datasets is inefficient and at times impossible. Thus, it is desirable to get a compressed representation which preserves the similarity between data points. In this work, we consider the data points as sets and use Jaccard similarity as the similarity measure. Compression techniques are generally evaluated on the following parameters --1) Randomness required for compression, 2) Time required for compression, 3) Dimension of the data after compression, and 4) Space required to store the compressed data. Ideally, the compressed representation of the data should be such, that the similarity between each pair of data points is preserved, while keeping the time and the randomness required for compression as low as possible. We show that the compression technique suggested by Pratap and Kulkarni also works well for Jaccard similarity. We present a theoretical proof of the same and complement it with rigorous experimentations on synthetic as well as real-world datasets. We also compare our results with the state-of-the-art"min-wise independent permutation", and show that our compression algorithm achieves almost equal accuracy while significantly reducing the compression time and the randomness.
Building Positive Student-Instructor Interactions: Engaging Students through Caring Leadership in the Classroom

When instructing and managing classrooms in university settings, instructors face numerous challenges such as student disengagement and managing course expectations. In this article, we offer new and revised techniques and strategies to engage students through the art of caring leadership. We accomplish this through three defining characteristics: knowing students’ names, managing course expectations, and the use of technology. These intentional strategies create positive student-instructor interactions in both small and large classrooms which in turn enhances student learning and engagement.
Effect of jianpiyiwei capsule on gastric precancerous lesions in rats.

AIM To evaluate the therapeutic effect of compound Chinese drugs, Jianpiyiwei capsule (JPYW) on gastric precancerous lesions in rats and to explore its mechanism of action. METHODS Model of gastric precancerous lesions was constructed in male Wistar rats: a metal spring was inserted and fixed through pyloric sphincter. One week after recovery, each rat was given 50-60 degrees hot paste containing 150 g/L NaCl 2 mL orally, twice a week for 15 weeks. Then 10 normal and 11 model rats were anaesthetized, after the measurement of gastric mucosa blood flow (GMBF), the rats were killed and the mucosal hexosamines and malonic dialdehyde (MDA) were measured. The morphological changes of gastric mucosa were observed macroscopically and microscopically, and by an automatic imaging analysis system. Other rats were treated with JPYW 1.5 g/kg.d(-1) or 4.5 g/kg.d(-1), or distilled water as negative control respectively (n=10 in each group). After 12 weeks, all the rats were examined as above. RESULTS The gastric mucosa of model rats showed chronic atrophic gastritis with dysplasia and intestinal metaplasia (IM), GMBF and hexosamine content were reduced significantly and MDA was increased as compared to the normal group (P<0.01). After 12 weeks treatment, the pathological changes of the negative control group became worsened, while in JPYW treated groups the changes were modified with significant increase of GMBF and reduction of MDA, although the hexosamine concentration increased only mildly. CONCLUSION JPYW increases GMBF and reduces MDA content in gastric mucosa and has therapeutic effects on gastric precancerous lesions.