Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mitochondrial Membrane Potential (DeltaPsi) and Ca2+-Induced Differentiation in HaCaT Keratinocytes

We have used the human calcium- and temperature-dependent (HaCaT) keratinocyte cell line to elucidate mechanisms of switching from a proliferating to a differentiating state. When grown in low calcium medium (<0.1 mM) HaCaT cells proliferate. However, an increase in the calcium concentration of the culture medium, [Ca2+]₀, induces growth arrest and the cells start to differentiate. Numerous studies have already shown that the increase in [Ca2+]₀ results in acute and sustained increases in intracellular calcium concentration, [Ca2+]i. We find that the Ca2+-induced cell differentiation of HaCaT cells is also accompanied by a significant decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, DeltaPsi. By combining patch-clamp electrophysiological recordings and microspectrofluorimetric measurements of DeltaPsi on single cells, we show that the increase in [Ca2+]i led to DeltaPsi depolarization. In addition, we report that tetraethylammonium (TEA), a blocker of plasma membrane K+ channels, which is known to inhibit cell proliferation, and 4,4’-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid (DIDS), a blocker of plasma membrane Cl– channels, also affect DeltaPsi. Both these agents stimulate HaCaT cell differentiation. These data therefore strongly suggest a direct causal relationship between depolarization of DeltaPsi and the inhibition of proliferation and induction of differentiation in HaCaT keratinocytes.
A novel yeast genomic DNA library on a geneticin‐resistance vector

We have constructed a Saccharomyces cerevisiae genomic library utilizing a novel centromere‐containing vector bearing the TRP1 and KANMX4 G418‐resistance selectable markers. Random Sau3AI genomic DNA fragments with an average size of 6.4 kb were introduced into a unique BamHI site in the vector's polylinker. Six independent library pools were generated and the characteristics of these pools were determined. This library can be used to introduce low‐copy genomic DNA fragments into any strain that is not G418‐resistant, making it useful for low‐copy overexpression analysis or complementation of mutant phenotypes in strains that lack a suitable auxotrophy marker or only exhibit phenotypes on rich, undefined, growth media. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Behavior adaptive and real time model of integrated bottom-up and top-down visual attention

of Dissertation: Behavior Adaptive and Real-Time Model of Integrated Bottom-Up and Top-Down Visual Attention by Mr. Muhammad Zaheer Aziz Visual attention is an important component of natural vision that helps it to optimize the amount of data that reaches the brain for detailed processing. Computational models of attention attempt to perform this filtration for the machine vision systems. The work presented in this dissertation proposes a region-based approach for modeling visual attention as an alternative to the other existing paradigms. The proposed model integrates bottom-up and top-down pathways of attention into a single architecture and makes combined use of these pathways under different visual behaviors. In order to obtain real-time results on mobile vision systems new faster algorithms were developed for feature extraction and saliency computation. The innovation in terms of top-down attention is the creation of fine-grain saliency maps for visual search of a given object. In the proposed maps high saliency is given to regions that have more feature similarity with the search targets. The proposed model produced valid results and has shown good performance in comparison to other available attention models hence this research has opened new directions for investigations in this field that can lead to the ultimate target of biologically plausible machine vision.
Speech recognition via STT API for autonomous mobile robot

This paper deals with speech recognition system based on STT API (Speech To Text Application Programming Interface), which was mainly designed for mobile robots Human-Machine interface. This paper is based on preliminary work where one word commands were used. The solution presented in this paper uses the pre-learned database with Bayesian approach. This solution increases the success rate in command recognition against to use plain STT API itself. The major extension of previous work is recognition of whole sentences instead of one single word command. Experimental results with complete sentences are presented in this paper.
Strain sensitivity and superconducting properties of Nb3Sn from first principles calculations

Using calculations from first principles based on density-functional theory we have studied the strain sensitivity of the A15 superconductor Nb3Sn. The Nb3Sn lattice cell was deformed in the same way as observed experimentally on multifilamentary, technological wires subject to loads applied along their axes. The phonon dispersion curves and electronic band structures along different high-symmetry directions in the Brillouin zone were calculated, at different levels of applied strain, ε, on both the compressive and the tensile side. Starting from the calculated averaged phonon frequencies and electron–phonon coupling, the superconducting characteristic critical temperature of the material, Tc, has been calculated by means of the Allen–Dynes modification of the McMillan formula. As a result, the characteristic bell-shaped Tc versus ε curve, with a maximum at zero intrinsic strain, and with a slight asymmetry between the tensile and compressive sides, has been obtained. These first-principle calculations thus show that the strain sensitivity of Nb3Sn has a microscopic and intrinsic origin, originating from shifts in the Nb3Sn critical surface. In addition, our computations show that variations of the superconducting properties of this compound are correlated to stress-induced changes in both the phononic and electronic properties. Finally, the strain function describing the strain sensitivity of Nb3Sn has been extracted from the computed Tc(ε) curve, and compared to experimental data from multifilamentary, composite wires. Both curves show the expected bell-shaped behavior, but the strain sensitivity of the wire is enhanced with respect to the theoretical predictions for bulk, perfectly binary and stoichiometric Nb3Sn. An understanding of the origin of this difference might open potential pathways towards improvement of the strain tolerance in such systems.
Stereoscopic imaging and computer vision of impinging fires by a single camera with a stereo adapter

In this article, the novelty of using a single camera for stereoscopic imaging and computer vision of fire dynamics has been described. Specifically, 3D surface topology of the fires can be reconstructed and visualized using stereoscopic methodology. The basic stereo apparatus used in the present study consists of a high‐resolution digital camera and a stereo adapter, which is mounted to the front filter ring of the camera. A pair of stereo images could therefore be formed through the same lens system and recorded simultaneously on the same charge coupled device (CCD) chip. The mechanism of using a stereo adapter for stereoscopic imaging and its geometry has been elaborated in detail. The digitally reconstructed 3D results have also been validated by optical stereoscopic viewing using a pair of electronic shutter glasses synchronized with a computer monitor. The results have demonstrated that the single camera technique is a very powerful and cost‐effective diagnostic tool for fire studies. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 15, 114–122, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ima.20044
Utilization of zonisamide inpatients with chronic pain orepilepsy refractory to othertreatments: a retrospective,open label, uncontrolled studyin a VA hospital

SUMMARY Objectives: Zonisamide (1,2-benzisoxazole-3-methanesulfonamide) is a novel antiseizure medication approved for use in the United States as adjunct therapy in the treatment of partial seizures in adults with epilepsy. It has also been used to treat other conditions including intractable pain. The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of zonisamide in patients whose seizures were not controlled after having been treated with at least three other currently available anticonvulsant medications or in patients whose pain control was suboptimal despite the use of commonly used drug regimens. Methods: This was a retrospective study documenting the efficacy of zonisamide in 48 consecutive patients who presented at an outpatient neurology clinic at a Veterans Administration hospital. The patients were diagnosed with refractory partial seizures (n = 21) or a variety of intractable neuropathic pain syndromes (n = 27). Results: Sixteen out of 21 seizure patients (76%) experienced a 50% or greater reduction in seizure frequency when zonisamide (100–200 mg daily) was added to their existing anticonvulsant medication regimen. Of 27 patients with neuropathic pain, 17 (59%) responded to zonisamide, reporting subjective reduction in pain by at least 50%. The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal upset, somnolence, and one case of skin rash. Conclusions: In this study, zonisamide appeared to be an effective adjunct therapy in the treatment of partial seizures in adults who continued to experience frequent episodes while taking other anticonvulsant medications, and in adults whose neuropathic pain was not well controlled with analgesics. These promising results must be tempered by the fact that this investigation included a small patient population in an uncontrolled study design. Further research into the efficacy and tolerability of zonisamide in these areas is warranted.
The genus Lepidozetes Berlese, 1910 (Acari: Oribatida: Tegoribatidae) in Europe with description of a new species.

The type species of the genus Lepidozetes singularis Berlese, 1910, is redescribed, using fresh material from Italy, Switzerland and Germany. Mounted specimens from museums were compared: microscope slides of the type series of Berlese (deposited in Florence) and of the Willmann-collection (deposited in Munich). The controversial question of the validity of Lepidozetes conjunctus Schweizer, 1922, is reconsidered using the single original material from Schweizer, a microscope slide with the type specimen. This study confirms that L. conjunctus should be considered a junior synonym of L. singularis. A new species of the genus, Lepidozetes bavaricus n. sp. , is described. This second European species was collected in Southern Germany (Altmühltal, Bavaria) in a valley slope with extreme sun-exposure.
Proteome analysis of testis from infertile protein C inhibitor‐deficient mice reveals novel changes in serpin processing and prostaglandin metabolism

Serine protease inhibitors (serpin) have therapeutic potential in a variety of pathogenic processes, ranging from thrombosis and altered immune response to liver cirrhosis. To investigate the physiological effects of protein C inhibitor (PCI, serpinA5), its gene was inactivated in a mouse model, resulting in male infertility. In the present report, 2D differential gel electrophoresis was utilized to investigate the molecular mechanisms for PCI involvement in male reproduction. Comparing the testes proteomes of three PCI‐knockout mice with three wild types demonstrated similar patterns with the exception of a massive upregulation of prostaglandin reductase 1 (tenfold; p < 0.002) and the complete shifts in the molecular weights of serpinA1C and serpinA3K. All these PCI‐dependent proteome changes were immunologically verified. Unbiased proteome analysis indicated that inactivation of serpinA5 strongly influenced both the protein species pattern of other A‐clade serpins as well as prostaglandin metabolism in the testes.
Specification and Design of Transactions in Information Systems: A Formal Approach

In conventional information systems development, consistency between requirements specifications and design is achieved by manual checking. The application of the transformational paradigm to the specification and design phases is proposed. Requirements are expressed in the ADISSA notation, using the ADISSA method, a transaction-oriented refinement of structured systems analysis. The control part of a transaction is transformed into a formal specification, the FSM (finite state machine) transaction, by applying a set of rules. The design stage is realized by an algorithm which compares the FSM transaction into simpler transactions and implements them with a hierarchical set of finite-state machines. Consistency between the formal specification and the result of the design is achieved by proving that the latter has the same behavior as the former. >
Research Ethics Committee: Dominance and Accountability

Sir, the recent report entitled “Medical Dominance within Research Ethics Committees” is very interesting (Humphreys et al., 2014). Humphreys et al. noted for influence of the medical profession in shaping ethics review (Humphreys et al., 2014). The theory of Freidson can be well used for explaining the observation (Coburn, 1992). In fact, dominance is not a problem. However, the problem can be expected in case of overacting (Guillemin et al., 2012). “Poor relations and mistrust between ethics committees and researchers” are important issues to be addressed (Guillemin et al., 2012, p. 38). Bias and double standardization that might relate to the dominance can be the big problem. In the present day, the important consideration is the lack of a good system to check the accountability of the Research Ethics Committees. International regulation of ethical committee is required and should be the topic for further discussion (de Lecuona, 2013).
A Signal through OX40 (CD134) Allows Anergic, Autoreactive T Cells to Acquire Effector Cell Functions1

To study mechanisms of peripheral self-tolerance, we injected small numbers of naive CD4+ TCR-transgenic T cells into mice expressing the MHC/peptide ligand under the control of an MHC class II promoter. The donor T cells expand rapidly to very large numbers, acquire memory markers, and go out into tissues, but the animals remain healthy, and the accumulated T cells are profoundly anergic to restimulation with Ag in vitro. Provision of a costimulatory signal by coinjection of an agonist Ab to OX40 (CD134), a TNFR family member expressed on activated CD4 T cells, results in death of the mice within 12 days. TCR-transgenic T cells recovered at 5 days from anti-OX40-treated mice have a unique phenotype: they remain unresponsive to Ag in vitro, but they are larger, more granular, and strongly IL-2R positive. Some spontaneously secrete IFN-γ directly ex vivo, and the majority make IFN-γ in response to PMA and ionomycin. Although they are anergic by conventional tests requiring Ag recognition, they respond vigorously to cytokines, proliferating in response to IL-2, and secreting IFN-γ when TCR signaling is bypassed with IL-12 and IL-18. We conclude that the costimulatory signal through OX40 allows otherwise harmless, proliferating, autoreactive T cells to acquire effector cell functions. The ability of these T cells to respond to cytokines by synthesizing additional inflammatory cytokines without a TCR signal may drive the fatal pathogenic process in vivo.
Signs and Symptoms That Differentiate Acute Sinusitis From Viral Upper Respiratory Tract Infection

Objective: Differentiating acute bacterial sinusitis from viral upper respiratory tract infection (URI) is challenging; 20% to 40% of children diagnosed with acute sinusitis based on clinical criteria likely have an uncomplicated URI. The objective of this study was to determine which signs and symptoms could be used to identify the subgroup of children who meet current clinical criteria for sinusitis but who nevertheless have a viral URI. Methods: We obtained sinus radiographs in consecutive children meeting a priori clinical criteria for acute sinusitis. We considered the subgroup of children with completely normal sinus radiographs to have an uncomplicated URI despite meeting the clinical diagnostic criteria for sinusitis. We examined the utility of signs and symptoms in identifying children with URI. Results: Of 258 children enrolled, 54 (20.9%) children had completely normal radiographs. The absence of green nasal discharge, the absence of disturbed sleep and mild symptoms were associated with a diagnosis of URI. No physical exam findings were particularly helpful in distinguishing between children with normal versus abnormal radiographs. Conclusions: Among children meeting current criteria for the diagnosis of acute sinusitis, those with mild symptoms are significantly more likely to have a URI than those with severe symptoms. In addition to assessing overall severity of symptoms, practitioners should ask about sleep disturbance and green nasal discharge when assessing children with suspected sinusitis; their absence favors a diagnosis of URI.
Imaging of Irradiated Liver with Tc‐99m-Sulfur Colloid and Tc‐99m-IDA

In three cases, irradiated regions of liver failed to concentrate Tc-99m-sulfur colloid. In two of these three, imaging with Tc-99m-acetanilide iminodiacetic acid (IDA) agents within five days showed near normal hepatic uptake of this henatobiliary imaging agent. The hepatic parenchymal cells may be imaged with Tc-99m-IDA in some irradiated regions of liver, despite loss of reticuloendothelial cell function.
A proposal for evaluation of exposure data.

There is a growing need for transparency concerning ways in which existing exposure data are weighted for their relative value and quality. Currently, this evaluation is largely subjective and is dependent on the quality of the judgement of the individual assessor or expert group. In this paper some general guidelines are presented for a quality assessment procedure. Such a predetermined procedure potentially enhances the consistency among different assessors and assessments and facilitates harmonization of assessment procedures. The guidelines are presented in the context of a decision tree with four decision rules for data quality, i.e. 'availability of occupational hygiene information', 'variability and precision issues', 'internal validity' and 'external validity'. These methodological issues are considered to be the most important aspects of data quality and will be discussed in this paper. The decision tree eventually results in three quality classes, i.e. exposure data providing sufficient information, supplementary information and data which should be excluded from the exposure assessment process. The guidelines should not be used in a rigid manner but have to be interpreted in the light of the particular circumstances and purposes of the assessment.
RURAL–URBAN MIGRATION AND CHILD SURVIVAL IN URBAN BANGLADESH: ARE THE URBAN MIGRANTS AND POOR DISADVANTAGED?

Summary This paper analyses the levels and trends of childhood mortality in urban Bangladesh, and examines whether children’s survival chances are poorer among the urban migrants and urban poor. It also examines the determinants of child survival in urban Bangladesh. Data come from the 1999–2000 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. The results indicate that, although the indices of infant and child mortality are consistently better in urban areas, the urban–rural differentials in childhood mortality have diminished in recent years. The study identifies two distinct child morality regimes in urban Bangladesh: one for urban natives and one for rural–urban migrants. Under-five mortality is higher among children born to urban migrants compared with children born to life-long urban natives (102 and 62 per 1000 live births, respectively). The migrant–native mortality differentials more-or-less correspond with the differences in socioeconomic status. Like childhood mortality rates, rural–urban migrants seem to be moderately disadvantaged by economic status compared with their urban native counterparts. Within the urban areas, the child survival status is even worse among the migrant poor than among the average urban poor, especially recent migrants. This poor–non-poor differential in childhood mortality is higher in urban areas than in rural areas. The study findings indicate that rapid growth of the urban population in recent years due to rural-to-urban migration, coupled with higher risk of mortality among migrant’s children, may be considered as one of the major explanations for slower decline in under-five mortality in urban Bangladesh, thus diminishing urban–rural differentials in childhood mortality in Bangladesh. The study demonstrates that housing conditions and access to safe drinking water and hygienic toilet facilities are the most critical determinants of child survival in urban areas, even after controlling for migration status. The findings of the study may have important policy implications for urban planning, highlighting the need to target migrant groups and the urban poor within urban areas in the provision of health care services.
Improving Activities of Daily Living for Nursing Home Elder Persons in Taiwan

Background: Excess disability among nursing home elder persons can be prevented or remediated. Because of self-selected disuse and caregiver support of dependency, nursing home residents are likely to develop excess disability. No study was found to test a theory-based program aimed at improving elder persons' self-care abilities for Taiwanese nursing home elder persons who are at risk for developing excess disability. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a theory-based intervention program on self-care, specifically on activities of daily living (ADLs) performance among nursing home elder persons in Taiwan. A secondary aim was to determine the correlation between ADLs performance and three bliss concepts: life satisfaction, self-esteem, and motivation in health behavior. Methods: This study used a quasi-experimental, two-group, pretest-posttest design. Forty-two qualified participants were recruited from two nursing homes located in southern Taiwan and assigned to either the experimental group (n = 21) or the comparison group (n = 21). Participants in the experimental group received the Self-Care Self-Efficacy Enhancement Program (SCSEEP), and those in the comparison group received biweekly social visits for 6 weeks. Levels of ADLs performance were measured by Tappen's Refined ADL Assessment Scale. Life satisfaction was measured by Adams' Life Satisfaction Index A. Self-esteem was measured by Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale. Motivation in health behavior was measured by Cox's Health Self-Determinism Index. Results: Elder persons receiving the SCSEEP had significant improvement in feeding, dressing, grooming, and washing activities. Self-esteem (p = .011) and life satisfaction (p = .033) but not motivation in health behavior (p = .282) were positively correlated with levels of ADLs performance. Discussion: The SCSEEP provides a theory-based intervention model for Taiwanese nursing home elder persons aimed at improving ADLs performance. Further research with a larger sample size is needed to determine the long-term maintenance and effectiveness of this theory-driven SCSEEP in specific culture groups.