Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The association of FGF23 levels in obese adolescents with insulin sensitivity

Abstract Background: The fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is the most important hormonal regulator of circulating phosphate levels. Apart from this essential role, it may also act as a ‘hormone-like’ factor involved in glucose and lipid metabolism. It is believed to have a potential role in the development of insulin resistance. Aim: The aim of the study was to compare FGF23 levels between two groups of obese adolescents: insulin resistant and non-insulin resistant. Patients: The study included 36 obese, insulin-resistant adolescents (21 boys and 15 girls) of pubertal age (mean age, 13.95 years; Tanner stage IV or V). The control group consisted of 21 obese peers with normal HOMA-IR values. Methods: FGF23 levels were measured in a fasting blood sample by Human Intact FGF-23 ELISA Kit (Immunotopics Inc., San Clemente, CA, USA). A standard oral glucose tolerance test was performed, which assessed fasting and 120 min postload plasma glucose and serum insulin levels; the insulin resistance index HOMA-IR was calculated. The definition of insulin resistance was based on a HOMA-IR threshold set for adolescents (≥3.16). Results: There was a significant inverse correlation between FGF23 levels and HOMA-IR (R=–0.26, p<0.05) in the study group. FGF23 levels were also significantly lower in the study group (9.8 vs. 11.9 pg/mL, p=0.026). Conclusions: In adolescents with simple obesity and insulin resistance, FGF23 levels are lower compared with obese adolescents with normal HOMA-IR.
Enhanced Ge n+/p Junction Performance Using Cryogenic Phosphorus Implantation

In this paper, we present a detailed study of temperature-based ion implantation of phosphorus dopants in Ge for varying dose and anneal conditions through fabricated n+/p junctions and n-type MOSFETs (nMOSFETs). In comparison with room temperature (RT) (25 °C) and hot (400 °C) implantation, cryogenic (-100 °C) implantation with a dose of 2.2e15 cm-2 followed by a (400 °C) rapid thermal annealing leads to 1) lower junction leakage with higher activation energy and 2) lower sheet resistance with higher dopant activation and shallower junction depth. Gate-last Ge nMOSFETs fabricated using cryogenic implanted n+/p source/drain junction (2.2e15 cm-2) exhibit lower OFF-current (upto 5x) and higher ON-current compared with RT (25 °C) and hot (400 °C) implanted nMOSFETs. This paper demonstrates that cryogenic implantation (-100 °C) can enable high-performance Ge nMOSFETs by alleviating the problems of lower activation and high diffusion of phosphorus in Ge.
Thermal modeling of an induction machine through the association of two numerical approaches

The thermal modeling of the machine adopted here results from the association of two methods: a nodal approach that models the diffusion in the structure and a computational fluid dynamics approach that characterizes the convective heat exchanges that operate in the end-bracket cavities . This thermal model is then validated after experimentation carried out on an induction machine equipped with thermal sensors. This enables us to evaluate the thermal behavior of the machine in normal operating mode. In particular, the modeling of the convection heat exchanges in the internal cavities has to be done in detail to reproduce the thermal behavior of the machine accurately.
Perceptual system for a mobile robot under a dynamic environment

This paper deals with a perceptual system for a mobile robot under a dynamic environment. The mobile robot is controlled by the coupling mechanism of perceptual system and action system. Action system of the mobile robot is based on fuzzy controller. In the proposed approach, evolutionary computation is adopted to generate functions used for perceptual system which translates sensing information into perceptual information. The mobile robot can adapt to its dynamic environment by the translation using those functions without modifying current behavioral knowledge. The effectiveness of the proposal approach is demonstrated by computer experiments for obstacle avoidance problem under a dynamic environment which contains several obstacles.
A dataset and exploration of models for understanding video data through fill-inthe-blank question-answering Supplementary Material

When selecting words to blank to create fill-in-the-blank question-answer pairs, we performed some manual filtering to prevent undesirable words from becoming targets. This is the list of words which were disallowed for blanking (i.e., the stoplist): A Dr Elsewhere IN Meanwhile Mr Mrs Now OF SOMEONE SOMEONE’ SOMEONE’s THE a as aside be before can’t does doesn’t in is it it’s it’s later meanwhile new not now on other other’s something them there up while who who’s
Mixed Tunnel-FET/MOSFET Level Shifters: A New Proposal to Extend the Tunnel-FET Application Domain

In this paper, we identify the level shifter (LS) for voltage up-conversion from the ultralow-voltage regime as a key application domain of tunnel FETs (TFETs). We propose a mixed TFET-MOSFET LS design methodology, which exploits the complementary characteristics of TFET and MOSFET devices. Simulation results show that the hybrid LS exhibits superior dynamic performance at the same static power consumption compared with the conventional MOSFET and pure TFET solutions. The advantage of the mixed design with respect to the conventional MOSFET approach is emphasized when lower voltage signals have to be up-converted, reaching an improvement of the energy-delay product up to three decades. When compared with the full MOSFET design, the mixed TFET-MOSFET solution appears to be less sensitive toward threshold voltage variations in terms of dynamic figures of merit, at the expense of higher leakage variability. Similar results are obtained for four different LS topologies, thus indicating that the hybrid TFET-MOSFET approach offers intrinsic advantages in the design of LS for voltage up-conversion from the ultralow-voltage regime compared with the conventional MOSFET and pure TFET solutions.
Cooperative interactions in the induction of long-term potentiation and depression of synaptic excitation between hippocampal CA3-CA1 cell pairs in vitro.

The requirement for cooperative interactions between multiple synaptic inputs in the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) has been tested at Schaffer collateral synapses with paired recordings from monosynaptically coupled CA3-CA1 cell pairs in rat hippocampal slice cultures. Tetanization of single presynaptic neurons at 50 Hz (repeated 5-7 times for 300-500 ms each) induced only a transient potentiation (< 3 min) of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs). Persistent potentiation (> 15 min) was induced only when single presynaptic action potentials were synchronously paired with directly induced postsynaptic depolarizing pulses (repeated 50-100 times). Tetanus-induced potentiation of extracellularly evoked EPSPs lasting > 4 min could only be obtained if the EPSP was > 4 mV. Because unitary EPSP amplitudes average approximately 1 mV, we conclude that high-frequency discharge must occur synchronously] in 4-5 CA3 cells for LTP to be induced in a common postsynaptic CA1 cell. Asynchronous pairing of presynaptic action potentials with postsynaptic depolarizing current pulses (preceding each EPSP by 800 ms) depressed both naive and previously potentiated unitary EPSPs. Likewise, homosynaptic LTD of unitary EPSPs was induced when the presynaptic cell was tetanized at 3 Hz for 3 min, regardless of their amplitude (0.3-3.2 mV). Homosynaptic LTD of extracellularly evoked Schaffer collateral EPSPs < 4 mV could be induced if no inhibitory postsynaptic potential was apparent, but was prevented by eliciting a large inhibitory postsynaptic potential or by injection of hyperpolarizing current in the postsynaptic cell. We conclude that cooperative interactions among multiple excitatory inputs are not required for induction of homosynaptic LTD of unitary EPSPs.
Phase transitions in magnetic superlattices.

We investigate the magnetic-field- and temperature-dependent equilibrium structure of magnetic superlattices formed from two ferromagnetic materials which couple antiferromagnetically at the interfaces. Both a macroscopic, Landau-Ginzburg, and a microscopic approach are used. Due to competing exchange and Zeeman interactions, a variety of phases exist in the superlattice. There are aligned phases where all the spins are either parallel or antiparallel to the applied field, and there is a twisted phase where the spins in each layer lie at a different angle with respect to the applied field. We show that small changes in the layering structure can lead to dramatic changes in the phase diagram.
The effect of midlatitude transient eddies on monsoonal southerlies over eastern China

AbstractThe strengthening of monsoonal southerlies over East Asia is associated with the westward intensification of the North Pacific subtropical high. Previous work has shown that the seasonal-mean position and strength of subtropical highs are affected by tropical and subtropical diabatic heating. Here it is shown that the synoptic-time-scale strengthening of southerlies over eastern China is dynamically tied to extratropical eddy activity. Composite analysis based on strong southerly wind events highlights an antecedent baroclinic wave train propagating southeastward into eastern China from extratropical central Asia. This wave train generates quasigeostrophic ascent over eastern China that is associated with heavy precipitation. The anomalously cold upper-tropospheric conditions associated with the wave train decrease static stability throughout the lower and middle troposphere in eastern China, while low-level moistening enhances equivalent potential temperature. It is proposed that the resulting re.
Cytokine mRNA Profile of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Isolated from Individuals with Trypanosoma cruzi Chronic Infection

Characterization of immunologic activities during chronic infection with Trypanosoma cruzi is critical for understanding the dynamics of human Chagas' disease. Since cytokine production is mainly regulated by transcription and mRNA stability, quantitative RT‐PCR analysis gives an accurate picture of the influences of disease on cytokine profile. Using RT‐PCR, the authors analysed the levels of message expression for several cytokines in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) freshly isolated from chagasic patients (CP) and non‐infected individuals (NI), and in in vitro‐stimulated PBMC from CP. Ex vivo analysis showed that mean levels of expression of IL‐5, IL‐10, IL‐13 and IFNγ were dramatically increased in PBMC from CP, compared to NI. The levels of IL‐2 and IL‐4 were not significantly different between groups. Analysis of cytokine mRNA production after in vitro culture with parasite‐derived antigens (EPI or TRP) or anti‐epimastigote antibodies (Id) showed that these two classes of stimuli induced distinct cytokine responses. While EPI or TRP induced higher production of IFNγ specific message and low IL‐10, anti‐Id cells produced higher levels of IL‐10 and low IFNγ. The simultaneous presence of antigenic and antibody stimulation in the host during the chronic phase of Chagas' disease could explain the existence of both inflammatory and anti‐inflammatory cellular reactivity detected in most patients.
Diatom fossils in mires: a protocol for extraction, preparation and analysis in palaeoenvironmental studies.

When fossil diatoms are preserved in mires, they can be excellent indicators of ecological conditions and very useful in palaeoenviromental reconstruction, both alone and in combination with other siliceous fossils. Processing techniques for diatom frustules have varied and been modified according to the sediment from which the diatoms are being extracted. They differ from those used for palynological studies, which destroy the siliceous component. A procedure that was developed for diatom studies in the French Massif Central is presented, variations used by different workers are described, and some applications in palaeoenvironmental reconstruction and contemporary peatland science are reviewed.
Agmatine Suppresses Proliferation by Frameshift Induction of Antizyme and Attenuation of Cellular Polyamine Levels*

Polyamines are required for entry and progression of the cell cycle. As such, augmentation of polyamine levels is essential for cellular transformation. Polyamines are autoregulated through induction of antizyme, which represses both the rate-limiting polyamine biosynthetic enzyme ornithine decarboxylase and cellular polyamine transport. In the present study we demonstrate that agmatine, a metabolite of arginine via arginine decarboxylase (an arginine pathway distinct from that of the classical polyamines), also serves the dual regulatory functions of suppressing polyamine biosynthesis and cellular polyamine uptake through induction of antizyme. The capacity of agmatine to induce antizyme is demonstrated by: (a) an agmatine-dependent translational frameshift of antizyme mRNA to produce a full-length protein and (b) suppression of agmatine-dependent inhibitory activity by either anti-antizyme IgG or antizyme inhibitor. Furthermore, agmatine administration depletes intracellular polyamine levels to suppress cellular proliferation in a transformed cell line. This suppression is reversible with polyamine supplementation. We propose a novel regulatory pathway in which agmatine acts as an antiproliferative molecule and potential tumor suppressor by restricting the cellular polyamine supply required to support growth.
Nonstationary carrier dynamics in quarter-micron Si MOSFETs

An application of Monte Carlo particle and relaxation time approximation modeling to quarter-micron Si MOSFETs is presented. Through a comparison between these two nonstatic models and a conventional model, nonstationary carrier transport is shown to dominate in 0.4 mu m or less channel devices, with peak velocities exceeding 1.0*10/sup 7/ cm/s. It is shown that the relaxation time approximation model tends to overestimate nonstationary carrier dynamics, especially the energy distribution. >
A Self-Adaptive Mutation-Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

A self-adaptive mutation-particle swarm optimization algorithm is proposed in this paper. In this algorithm, firstly, to avoid the randomness of updating particle velocity, a modified velocity updating formula of the particle which varies with convergence factor and the diffusion factor is proposed by adaptive inertia weight. Secondly, the introduction of stochastic mutation operators enhances the global search capability of the particles by providing additional diversity. Thirdly, to avoid local optimum a modified global search strategy is employed. Simulations for six benchmark test functions show that IPSO remarkably improves the calculation accuracy and has better ability to find the global optimum than that of the standard PSO algorithm.
The N-Terminal Region of Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus Coat Protein Is a Host- and Strain-Specific Long-Distance Transport Factor

ABSTRACT Understanding the genetics underlying host range differences among plant virus strains can provide valuable insights into viral gene functions and virus-host interactions. In this study, we examined viral determinants and mechanisms of differential infection of Zea mays inbred line SDp2 by Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) isolates. WSMV isolates Sidney 81 (WSMV-S81) and Type (WSMV-T) share 98.7% polyprotein sequence identity but differentially infect SDp2: WSMV-S81 induces a systemic infection, but WSMV-T does not. Coinoculation and sequential inoculation of SDp2 with WSMV-T and/or WSMV-S81 did not affect systemic infection by WSMV-S81, suggesting that WSMV-T does not induce a restrictive defense response but that virus-encoded proteins may be involved in differential infection of SDp2. The viral determinant responsible for strain-specific host range was mapped to the N terminus of coat protein (CP) by systematic exchanges of WSMV-S81 sequences with those of WSMV-T and by reciprocal exchanges of CP or CP codons 1 to 74. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged WSMV-S81 with CP or CP residues 1 to 74 from WSMV-T produced similar numbers of infection foci and genomic RNAs and formed virions in inoculated leaves as those produced with WSMV-S81, indicating that failure to infect SDp2 systemically is not due to defects in replication, cell-to-cell movement, or virion assembly. However, these GFP-tagged hybrids showed profound defects in long-distance transport of virus through the phloem. Furthermore, we found that four of the five differing amino acids in the N terminus of CP between the WSMV-S81 and WSMV-T isolates were collectively involved in systemic infection of SDp2. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the N-terminal region of tritimoviral CP functions in host- and strain-specific long-distance movement.
A longitudinal analysis of alternative document models

Purpose – Alternative document models (ADMs) were created with the purpose of reducing the extent to which anomalies occur in counts of web links at the page level, and have been used extensively within webometrics as an alternative to using the web page as the basic unit of analysis. This paper seels tp carry out a longitudinal study of ADMs in an attempt to ascertain which model gives the most consistent results when applied to the UK, Australia and New Zealand academic web spaces over the last six years.Design/methodology/approach – Information science software (SocSciBot Tools, socscibot.wlv.ac.uk) was used to process hyperlink structure text files for UK, Australian and New Zealand universities and produced standard Page, Directory, Domain and Site ADMs using both inlinks and outlinks. Spearman bivariate correlation analysis was then undertaken to determine the level of correlation between these eight ADMs and a measure of site size for each university.Findings – The findings show that the Domain ADM.
Establishing a novel Pig‐a gene mutation assay in L5178YTk+/− mouse lymphoma cells

The X‐linked Pig‐a gene encodes an enzyme required for the biosynthesis of glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors. Pig‐a mutant cells fail to synthesize GPI and to express GPI‐anchored protein markers (e.g., CD90) on their surface. Marker deficiency serves as a phenotypic indicator of Pig‐a mutation in various in vivo assays. Here, we describe an in vitro Pig‐a mutation assay in L5178YTk+/– mouse lymphoma cells, in which mutant‐phenotype cells are measured by flow cytometry using a fluorescent anti‐CD90 antibody. Increased frequencies of CD90‐deficient mutants were detected in cells treated with benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), N‐ethyl‐N‐nitrosourea (ENU), ethyl methanesulphonate, and 7,12‐dimethylbenz[a]anthracene, with near maximum mutant frequencies measured eight days after treatment. The CD90 deficiency in mutant cells quantified by flow cytometry was shown to be due to loss of GPI anchors in a limiting‐dilution cloning assay using proaerolysin selection. Individual CD90‐deficient cells from cultures treated with ENU, B[a]P, and vehicle were sorted and clonally expanded for molecular analysis of their Pig‐a gene. Pig‐a mutations with agent‐specific signatures were found in nearly all clones that developed from sorted CD90‐deficient cells. These results indicate that a Pig‐a mutation assay can be successfully conducted in L5178YTk+/− cells. The assay may be useful for mutagenicity screening of environmental agents as well as for testing hypotheses in vitro before committing to in vivo Pig‐a assays. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 59:4–17, 2018. Published 2017. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Does alcohol intensify the hemodynamic effects of nitroglycerin?

To evaluate the combined effects of alcohol and nitroglycerin on cardiovascular hemodynamics, M‐mode echocardiography and sphygmomanometric blood pressure measurements were performed on two groups of normal subjects, before and after the administration of nitroglycerin, both in the sober state and during alcohol intoxication. In the first part of the study, 0.5 mg of nitroglycerin was given sublingually to 10 healthy volunteers 5–10 minutes after they had ingested 1 g/kg body weight of ethanol within a 30‐minute period. Control experiments substituted juice for ethanol. The combined effects of ethanol and nitroglycerin on left ventricular diameters, systolic blood pressure, and wall stress were not significantly different from those of juice and nitroglycerin; heart rate and diastolic blood pressure were increased more (p < 0.01) by ethanol and nitroglycerin. In the second part of the study, 1.0 mg of nitroglycerin was administered to a second group of 10 healthy volunteers, first in the control state and again 60 minutes after the subjects had ingested 1 g/kg body weight of ethanol within a 60‐minute period. Systolic blood pressure and wall stress were significantly lower (p < 0.01) after ethanol and nitroglycerin than after nitroglycerin before ethanol intake. We conclude that the nitroglycerin‐induced reductions in left ventricular preload and afterload are not increased by alcohol during the very early phase of intoxication. However, 1 hour or more after alcohol ingestion nitroglycerin may decrease left ventricular afterload to a level significantly lower than that seen after nitroglycerin in the sober state. These data suggest first, that alcohol does not deprive nitroglycerin of its beneficial hemodynamic effects, and second, that the susceptibility to nitroglycerin‐induced hypotension may be increased during the late phase of intoxication.
Root resorption after orthodontic treatment

Abstract Background Orthodontic treatment can result in root resorption. Objective To determine if apical root resorption is related to the type of appliance used and/or the direction and amount of tooth movement. Methods The pre- and post-treatment tooth lengths of the maxillary and mandibular first molars and incisors were measured on panoramic radiographs of 114 subjects. Associations between changes in the lengths of the incisors and positional changes in the upper and lower central incisors were determined for 45 subjects with pre- and post-treatment cephalometric radiographs. Results Taking into account the gender and OPT machine seven statistically significant differences were found between the appliance groups for the lengths of teeth 31 and 41. Within the groups four teeth decreased significantly in length when the pre-adjusted appliance was used (teeth 12, 11, 21, 26) and four teeth when the Speed appliance was used (teeth 26, 31, 41, 42). Only tooth 31 was shorter when the Tip-Edge appliance was used. Lower incisors were significantly shorter post-treatment if the apices were moved close to the lingual cortex. Conclusions When panoramic radiographs are used to assess treatment-induced changes in the lengths of the incisors, apical resorption is only one factor that should be considered. The images of lower incisors proclined during treatment may be foreshortened and/or the apices may lie outside the focal plane: both may result in ‘shorter’ teeth post-treatment. Because of the confounding factors panoramic radiographs may not be a reliable method of determining apical root resorption.