Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tree age-dependent changes in photosynthetic and respiratory CO2 exchange in leaves of micropropagated diploid, triploid and hybrid aspen.

The growth rate of triploid European aspen (Populus tremula L.) and hybrid aspen (P. tremula × Populus tremuloides Michx.) significantly exceeds that of diploid aspen, but the underlying physiological controls of the superior growth rates of these genotypes are not known. We tested the hypothesis that the superior growth rate of triploid and hybrid aspen reflects their greater net photosynthesis rate. Micropropagated clonal plants varying in age from 2.5 to 19 months were used to investigate the ploidy and plant age interaction. The quantum yield of net CO2 fixation (Φ) in leaves of young 2.5-month-old hybrid aspen was lower than that of diploid and triploid trees. However, Φ in 19-month-old hybrid aspen was equal to that in triploid aspen and higher than that in diploid aspen. Φ and the rate of light-saturated net photosynthesis (ANS) increased with plant age, largely due to higher leaf dry mass per unit area in older plants. ANS in leaves of 19-month-old trees was highest in hybrid, medium in triploid and lowest in diploid aspen. Light-saturated photosynthesis had a broad temperature optimum between 20 and 35 °C. Rate of respiration in the dark (RDS) did not vary among the genotypes in 2.5-month-old plants, and the shape of the temperature response was also similar. RDS increased with plant age, but RDS was still not significantly different among the leaves of 19-month-old diploid and triploid aspen, but it was significantly lower in leaves of 19-month-old hybrid plants. The initial differences in the growth of plants with different ploidy were minor up to the age of 19 months, but during the next 2 years, the growth rate of hybrid aspen exceeded that of triploid plants by 2.7 times and of diploid plants by five times, in line with differences in ANS of 19-month-old plants of these species. It is suggested that differences in photosynthesis and growth became more pronounced with tree aging, indicating that ontogeny plays a key role in the expression of superior traits determining the productivity of given genotypes.
Electron Beam Charging of Insulators with Surface Layer and Leakage Currents

The electron beam induced self-consistent charge transport in layered insulators (here, bulk alumina covered by a thin silica layer) is described by means of an electron-hole flight-drift model and an iterative computer simulation. Ballistic secondary electrons and holes, their attenuation and drift, as well as their recombination, trapping, and detrapping are included. Thermal and field-enhanced detrapping are described by the Poole–Frenkel effect. Furthermore, an additional surface layer with a modified electric surface conductivity is included which describes the surface leakage currents and will lead to particular charge incorporation at the interface between the surface layer and the bulk substrate. As a main result, the time-dependent secondary electron emission rate σ(t) and the spatial distributions of currents j(x,t), charges ρ(x,t), field F(x,t), and potential V(x,t) are obtained. For bulk full insulating samples, the time-dependent distributions approach the final stationary state with j(x,t)=c.
The Multi-channel Cochlear Implant: Psychoacoustics and Speech Perception

The multi-channel cochlear implant is the first clinically successful interface between the world of sound and human consciousness, and the first means of giving severely deaf people hearing and speech understanding, and children spoken language. It has arisen from multi-disciplinary research in neurophysiology; communication, electronic, mechanical and bioengineering; neurobiology; anatomy and pathology; surgery; psychophysics; speech science; audiology and education. Physiological research showed that brainstem nerve cells could only respond to electrical stimuli up to 500pulses/, but they fired deterministically rather than stochastically which is the case with sound. Behavioural research in the experimental animal confirmed this limitation and showed temporal coding could occur when stimulating different sites along the cochlea. Electrophysiological and mathematical studies demonstrated how to stimulate the cochlea for limited place coding. After a series of anatomical, pathological, and biological studies we established it to be safe to implant deaf people. Psychophysical findings from the first patient demonstrated how simple and complex electrical stimuli were perceived. There was a relation between timbre and site of stimulation that could be scaled and they were perceived as vowels. This led to the first successful speech coding strategy that extracted the second formant frequency for place coding. A second patient had similar results and demonstrated that the memory for speech sounds could be retained for many years. Later research also established that the strategy was appropriate for tonal languages. The extraction of other formant and band-pass filtered frequencies for place coding has shown a steady improvement in results. The research is also providing an understanding of neural processing in the auditory pathways, and how this underlies the conscious experience of speech. The research directions to achieve high fidelity sound for hearing in noise and appreciating music are now more clearly defined. The speech processing strategy is very effective especially for young deaf children diagnosed under 12 months of age. With good education they can achieve near normal spoken language. Bilateral implants can provide sound localization and some improved hearing in noise. It has been developed industrially through close collaboration between the University of Melbourne’s research group and the company Cochlear Limited created to take university research to the clinic and market place. The bionic ear has also paved the way for a new discipline in Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, I have called Medical Bionics.
Evaluation of Three Watershed‐Scale Pesticide Environmental Transport and Fate Models 1

Abstract: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) has completed an evaluation of three watershed‐scale simulation models for potential use in Food Quality Protection Act pesticide drinking water exposure assessments. The evaluation may also guide OPP in identifying computer simulation tools that can be used in performing aquatic ecological exposure assessments. Models selected for evaluation were the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), the Nonpoint Source Model (NPSM), a modified version of the Hydrologic Simulation Program‐Fortran (HSPF), and the Pesticide Root Zone Model‐Riverine Water Quality (PRZM‐RIVWQ) model. Simulated concentrations of the pesticides atrazine, metolachlor, and trifluralin in surface water were compared with field data monitored in the Sugar Creek watershed of Indiana’s White River basin by the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. The evaluation not only provided USEPA with experience in using watershed models for estimating pesticide concentration in flowing water but also led to the development of improved statistical techniques for assessing model accuracy. Further, it demonstrated the difficulty of representing spatially and temporally variable soil, weather, and pesticide applications with relatively infrequent, spatially fixed, point estimates. It also demonstrated the value of using monitoring and modeling as mutually supporting tools and pointed to the need to design monitoring programs that support modeling.
Review of Processing Pathological Vectorcardiographic Records for the Detection of Heart Disease

Vectorcardiography (VCG) is another useful method that provides us with useful spatial information about the electrical activity of the heart. The use of vectorcardiography in clinical practice is not common nowadays, mainly due to the well-established 12-lead ECG system. However, VCG leads can be derived from standard 12-lead ECG systems using mathematical transformations. These derived or directly measured VCG records have proven to be a useful tool for diagnosing various heart diseases such as myocardial infarction, ventricular hypertrophy, myocardial scars, long QT syndrome, etc., where standard ECG does not achieve reliable accuracy within automated detection. With the development of computer technology in recent years, vectorcardiography is beginning to come to the forefront again. In this review we highlight the analysis of VCG records within the extraction of functional parameters for the detection of heart disease. We focus on methods of processing VCG functionalities and their use in given pathologies. Improving or combining current or developing new advanced signal processing methods can contribute to better and earlier detection of heart disease. We also focus on the most commonly used methods to derive a VCG from 12-lead ECG.
Quorum Sensing in Burkholderia cepacia: Identification of the LuxRI Homologs CepRI

ABSTRACT Burkholderia cepacia has emerged as an important pathogen in patients with cystic fibrosis. Many gram-negative pathogens regulate the production of extracellular virulence factors by a cell density-dependent mechanism termed quorum sensing, which involves production of diffusible N-acylated homoserine lactone signal molecules, called autoinducers. Transposon insertion mutants of B. cepacia K56-2 which hyperproduced siderophores on chrome azurol S agar were identified. One mutant, K56-R2, contained an insertion in a luxR homolog that was designated cepR. The flanking DNA region was used to clone the wild-type copy of cepR. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of cepI, a luxI homolog, located 727 bp upstream and divergently transcribed from cepR. Alux box-like sequence was identified upstream ofcepI. CepR was 36% identical to Pseudomonas aeruginosa RhlR and 67% identical to SolR of Ralstonia solanacearum. CepI was 38% identical to RhlI and 64% identical to SolI. K56-R2 demonstrated a 67% increase in the production of the siderophore ornibactin, was protease negative on dialyzed brain heart infusion milk agar, and produced 45% less lipase activity in comparison to the parental strain. Complementation of acepR mutation restored parental levels of ornibactin and protease but not lipase. An N-acylhomoserine lactone was purified from culture fluids and identified asN-octanoylhomoserine lactone. K56-I2, a cepImutant, was created and shown not to produceN-octanoylhomoserine lactone. K56-I2 hyperproduced ornibactin and did not produce protease. These data suggest both a positive and negative role for cepIR in the regulation of extracellular virulence factor production by B. cepacia.
Full Title : Agouti related protein ( AgRP ) is upregulated in Cushing ’ s syndrome

Alpha melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is an agonist at the melanocortin 3 (MC3-R) and melanocortin 4 (MC4-R) receptors. α-MSH stimulates corticosterone release from rat and human adrenal cells. Patients with Cushing’s syndrome have elevated levels of serum α-MSH. Agouti related protein (AgRP) is an endogenous antagonist at the MC3-R and MC4-R and is expressed in the rat adrenal cortex. AgRP antagonises α-MSH-induced corticosterone release from rat and bovine adrenal cells. This suggests that AgRP may have an inhibitory paracrine role in the adrenal gland. We measured adrenal AgRP mRNA expression and circulating AgRP in 2 patients with Cushing’s syndrome and controls. Adrenal AgRP mRNA expression and plasma AgRP were higher in the patients with Cushing’s syndrome compared to controls. Plasma AgRP in the patients with Cushing’s syndrome following bilateral adrenalectomy and hydrocortisone replacement were similar to the levels seen in controls. Our results suggest that AgRP may have a novel inhibitory paracrine role in the human adrenal gland.
A Discrete Multitone Transceiver System for HDSL Applications

A discrete multitone (DMT) transceiver design for high bit rate digital subscriber line (HDSL) access is presented and analyzed. The DMT transmitter and receiver structure and algorithms are detailed, and the computational requirements of DMT for HDSL are estimated. At a sampling rate of 640 kHz, using an appropriate combination of a short finite-impulse-response (FIR) equalizer and a length-512 DMT system, 1.6 Mb/s data transmission is possible within the carrier serving area (CSA) at an error rate of 10/sup -7/ on a single twisted pair. A significant performance margin can be achieved when two coordinated twisted pairs are used to deliver a total data rate of 1.6 Mb/s. In terms of a performance-per-computation figure of merit, the DMT system is an excellent candidate for HDSL implementation. >
Current Canadian Approaches to Dialysis for Acute Renal Failure in the ICU

Background: Although there is a very high mortality rate (>50%) with acute renal failure (ARF) in the intensive care unit (ICU), there is no general consensus on the best dialysis treatment for this condition. Methods: We surveyed by mail questionnaire, all adult academic and community registered Canadian nephrology centers that offer treatment for ARF. Results: The overall response rate was 59% (53/90). Comparing current dialysis methods with those utilized 5 years ago, the largest increase was in continuous renal replacement therapies (CRRT) (26 vs. 9%). Both intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) and peritoneal dialysis decreased in utilization. The predominant current CRRT methods utilized venovenous access (80%), as compared to 5 years ago when arteriovenous was the most common (52%). Despite data from chronic dialysis (and preliminary data in ARF) suggesting reduced mortality and morbidity with increasing dialysis dose, there was no formal method of dialysis prescription monitoring in over 75% of the centers. Conclusion: Notwithstanding a lack of definitive evidence of superior outcomes with CRRT compared to older methods, the utilization of CRRT is dramatically increasing for the treatment of ARF in Canada. Whether this shift towards CRRT, and whether more attention to dialysis dose in ARF, might be expected to lead to better outcomes, requires further evaluation.
High structural order in thin films of the organic semiconductor diindenoperylene

We report extraordinary structural order along the surface normal in thin films of the organic semiconductor diindenoperylene (DIP) deposited on silicon–dioxide surfaces. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM), noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC–AFM), as well as specular and diffuse x-ray scattering measurements were performed to characterize thin films of DIP. Individual monolayers of essentially upright-standing DIP molecules could be observed in the TEM images indicative of high structural order. NC–AFM images showed large terraces with monomolecular steps of ≈16.5 A height. Specular DIP Bragg reflections up to high order with Laue oscillations confirmed the high structural order. A semi-kinematic fit to the data allowed a precise determination of the oscillatory DIP electron density ρel. ,DIP(z). The mosaicity of the DIP thin films was obtained to be smaller than 0.01°.
Intrinsic and Synaptic Dynamics Interact to Generate Emergent Patterns of Rhythmic Bursting in Thalamocortical Neurons

Rhythmic inhibition entrains the firing of excitatory neurons during oscillations throughout the brain. Previous work has suggested that the strength and duration of inhibitory input determines the synchrony and period, respectively, of these oscillations. In particular, sleep spindles result from a cycle of events including rhythmic inhibition and rebound bursts in thalamocortical (TC) neurons, and slowing and strengthening this inhibitory input may transform spindles into spike-wave discharges characteristic of absence epilepsy. Here, we used dynamic clamp to inject TC neurons with spindle-like trains of IPSCs and studied how modest changes in the amplitude and/or duration of these IPSCs affected the responses of the TC neurons. Contrary to our expectations, we found that prolonging IPSCs accelerates postinhibitory rebound (PIR) in TC neurons, and that increasing either the amplitude or duration of IPSCs desynchronizes PIR activity in a population of TC cells. Tonic injection of hyperpolarizing or depolarizing current dramatically alters the timing and synchrony of PIR. These results demonstrate that rhythmic PIR activity is an emergent property of interactions between intrinsic and synaptic currents, not just a passive reflection of incoming synaptic inhibition.
Expression of a sorcin missense mutation in the heart modulates excitation‐contraction coupling

Sorcin is a Ca2+ binding protein implicated in the regulation of intracellular Ca2+ cycling and cardiac excitation‐contraction coupling. Structural and human genetic studies suggest that a naturally occurring sequence variant encoding L112‐sorcin disrupts an E‐F hand Ca2+ binding domain and may be responsible for a heritable form of hypertension and hypertrophic heart disease. We generated transgenic mice overexpressing L112‐sorcin in the heart and characterized the effects on Ca2+ regulation and cardiac function both in vivo and in dissociated cardiomyocytes. Hearts of sorcinF112L transgenic mice were mildly dilated but ventricular function was preserved and systemic blood pressure was normal. SorcinF112L myocytes were smaller than control cells and displayed complex alterations in Ca2+ regulation and contractility, including a slowed inactivation of L‐type Ca2+ current, enhanced Ca2+ spark width, duration, and frequency, and increased Na+‐Ca2+ exchange activity. In contrast, mice with cardiac‐specific overexpression of wild‐type sorcin displayed directionally opposite effects on L‐type Ca2+ channel function and Ca2+ spark behavior. These data further define the role of sorcin in cardiac excitation‐contraction coupling and highlight its negative regulation of SR calcium release. Our results also suggest that additional factors may be responsible for the development of cardiac hypertrophy and hypertension in humans expressing the L112‐sorcin sequence variant. —Collis, L. P., Meyers, M. B. , Zhang, J., Phoon, C. K. L. , Sobie, E. A. , Coetzee, W. A. , Fishman, G. I. Expression of a sorcin missense mutation in the heart modulates excitation‐contraction coupling. FASEB J. 21, 475–487 (2007)
SUBSTRATE INTEGRATED WAVEGUIDE HORN ANTENNA FOR 60 GHZ BAND

The paper presents the design and fabrication of a H-plane substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) horn antenna. The antenna operates at 60 GHz band and is equipped with a SIW-to-WR15 transition. Experimental results prove that the antenna achieves the gain of 11.5 dBi and the impedance bandwidth of 14 % for the reflection coefficient less than -10 dB. The antenna was designed with the help of CST Microwave Studio.
A prospective natural-history study of coronary atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND Atherosclerotic plaques that lead to acute coronary syndromes often occur at sites of angiographically mild coronary-artery stenosis. Lesion-related risk factors for such events are poorly understood. METHODS In a prospective study, 697 patients with acute coronary syndromes underwent three-vessel coronary angiography and gray-scale and radiofrequency intravascular ultrasonographic imaging after percutaneous coronary intervention. Subsequent major adverse cardiovascular events (death from cardiac causes, cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, or rehospitalization due to unstable or progressive angina) were adjudicated to be related to either originally treated (culprit) lesions or untreated (nonculprit) lesions. The median follow-up period was 3.4 years. RESULTS The 3-year cumulative rate of major adverse cardiovascular events was 20.4%. Events were adjudicated to be related to culprit lesions in 12.9% of patients and to nonculprit lesions in 11.6%. Most nonculprit lesions responsible for follow-up events were angiographically mild at baseline (mean [±SD] diameter stenosis, 32.3±20.6%). However, on multivariate analysis, nonculprit lesions associated with recurrent events were more likely than those not associated with recurrent events to be characterized by a plaque burden of 70% or greater (hazard ratio, 5.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.51 to 10.11; P<0.001) or a minimal luminal area of 4.0 mm(2) or less (hazard ratio, 3.21; 95% CI, 1.61 to 6.42; P=0.001) or to be classified on the basis of radiofrequency intravascular ultrasonography as thin-cap fibroatheromas (hazard ratio, 3.35; 95% CI, 1.77 to 6.36; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS In patients who presented with an acute coronary syndrome and underwent percutaneous coronary intervention, major adverse cardiovascular events occurring during follow-up were equally attributable to recurrence at the site of culprit lesions and to nonculprit lesions. Although nonculprit lesions that were responsible for unanticipated events were frequently angiographically mild, most were thin-cap fibroatheromas or were characterized by a large plaque burden, a small luminal area, or some combination of these characteristics, as determined by gray-scale and radiofrequency intravascular ultrasonography. (Funded by Abbott Vascular and Volcano; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00180466.).
Tobacco and poverty: evidence from Vietnam

This review examined existing evidence to investigate the link between tobacco and poverty in Vietnam, to assess the impact of tobacco control policies on employment related to tobacco consumption and to identify information gaps that require further research for the purposes of advocating stronger tobacco control policies. A Medline, PubMed and Google Scholar search identified studies addressing the tobacco and poverty association in Vietnam using extensive criteria. In all, 22 articles related either to tobacco and health or economics, or to the potential impact of tobacco control policies, were identified from titles, abstracts or the full text. 28 additional publications were identified by other means. PHA, LTT and LTTH reviewed the publications and prepared the initial literature review. There is extensive evidence that tobacco use contributes to poverty and inequality in Vietnam and that tobacco control policies would not have a negative impact on overall employment. Tobacco use wastes household and national financial resources and widens social inequality. The implementation and enforcement of a range of tobacco control measures could prove beneficial not only to improve public health but also to alleviate poverty.
PROTEIN PROFILES OF RAT EMBRYO CEREBRAL CELLS DURING DIFFERENTIATION IN CULTURE

The protein composition of the particulate fraction of dissociated foetal rat cerebral cells during maturation in culture was investigated. SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed a general decrease in the histonal components and significant changes in composition of a group of polypeptides with molecular weights ranging from 42 to 60 K. Two of these polypeptides coelectrophoresed with tubulin and actin whereas a 48 K polypeptide comigrated with the major component of the Wolfgram myelin protein. Its relative quantity appeared to approach a plateau after 8 days in culture. The myelin basic and proteolipid proteins were below detection levels in cultured cells at any time point investigated. A group of polypeptides with estimated molecular weights of 47, 51 and 52 K possibly representing synaptic proteins increased with time in culture. The appearance of a prominent band (60 K) in brain cultures and in other cells of divergent origin was demonstrated. This protein may be related to the process of cell adaptation to culture conditions. The developmental changes in the protein profile are discussed in the context of an in vitro myelinogenesis and synaptogenesis and compared with whole brain particulate and subcellular fractions.