Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Central amygdala circuits modulate food consumption through a positive-valence mechanism

The complex behaviors underlying reward seeking and consumption are integral to organism survival. The hypothalamus and mesolimbic dopamine system are key mediators of these behaviors, yet regulation of appetitive and consummatory behaviors outside of these regions is poorly understood. The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) has been implicated in feeding and reward, but the neurons and circuit mechanisms that positively regulate these behaviors remain unclear. Here, we defined the neuronal mechanisms by which CeA neurons promote food consumption. Using in vivo activity manipulations and Ca2+ imaging in mice, we found that GABAergic serotonin receptor 2a (Htr2a)-expressing CeA neurons modulate food consumption, promote positive reinforcement and are active in vivo during eating. We demonstrated electrophysiologically, anatomically and behaviorally that intra-CeA and long-range circuit mechanisms underlie these behaviors. Finally, we showed that CeAHtr2a neurons receive inputs from feeding-relevant brain regions. Our results illustrate how defined CeA neural circuits positively regulate food consumption.
Stress-activated Protein Kinase-2/p38 and a Rapamycin-sensitive Pathway Are Required for C2C12 Myogenesis*

The differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts to myotubes was found to be accompanied by a strong activation of p70 S6 kinase and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family member SAPK2/p38, without significant activation of p42 MAPK and only slight activation of SAPK1/JNK and protein kinase Bα. Consistent with these findings, SB 203580 (a specific inhibitor of SAPK2/p38) or rapamycin (which blocks the activation of p70 S6 kinase) prevented the formation of multinucleated myotubes, as well as the expression of muscle-specific proteins that included SAPK3 (another MAPK family member). PD 098059 (which prevents the activation of p42 MAPK) had no effect on myotube formation. Surprisingly, the slow activation of p70 S6 kinase during differentiation was not only prevented by rapamycin but also by SB 203580, and the activation of MAPKAP kinase-2 (anin vivo substrate of SAPK2/p38) was not only prevented by SB 203580 but also by rapamycin. In contrast, the acute activation of p70 S6 kinase in C2C12 myoblasts induced by phorbol esters was unaffected by SB 203580 and the acute activation of MAPKAP kinase-2 induced by anisomycin was unaffected by rapamycin. These results show for the first time that SAPK2/p38 plays an essential role in C2C12 cell differentiation.
Coherence of brain electrical activity: a quality of life indicator in Alzheimer's disease?

OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationships between quality of life (QOL) and clinical and electroencephalogram (EEG) aspects in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHOD Twenty-eight patients with mild or moderate AD, 31 with Parkinson's disease (PD), and 27 normal controls (NC) were submitted to: CERAD neuropsychological battery, Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Rating Scales, Functional Activities Questionnaire, QOL scale for patients with AD, and quantitative EEG measures. RESULTS AD and PD patients had similar QOL (31.0 ± 5.8; 31.7 ± 4.8, respectively), worse than that of NC (37.5 ± 6.3). AD patients had lower global interhemispheric theta coherence (0.49 ± 0.04; 0.52 ± 0.05; 0.52 ± 0.05; respectively) than PD and NC. Multiple linear regression for QOL of AD patients revealed that global interhemispheric theta coherence, and Hamilton depression scores were significant factors (coefficients; 58.2 and -0.27, respectively; R2, 0.377). CONCLUSION Interhemispheric coherence correlates with QOL regardless of cognitive and functional variables and seems to be a neurophysiological indicator of QOL in AD patients.
Isolation and identification of an alkaline protease producing Bacillus from soil

Soil samples were screened for alkaline protease producing bacteria on alkaline agar plates containing casein. Alkaline protease production was identified by clear zones of casein hydrolysis around colonies. Such colonies were grown in an alkaline broth for 48-72 h and the enzyme activity of the culture supernatants was determined by measuring the amount of tyrosine released from casein after 10 min at 35oC, at a pH of 10.5. A spore forming Gram positive aerobic Bacillus sp. which showed the best enzyme production was chosen (strain L2). The production medium was optimized for this strain. The best developed medium contained: 1% glucose, 0.5 % peptone, 1% yeast extract, 0.1% KH2PO4 and 0.02 % MgSO4. 7H2O. Alkaline protease activity was highest at pH 11 and 45oC. Biochemical tests tentatively identified the organism as Bacillus licheniformis.
Spatial and Temporal Localization of WNT Signaling Proteins in a Mouse Model of Distraction Osteogenesis

While the surgical procedure of distraction osteogenesis (DO) is very successful in the treatment of orthopedic conditions, its major limitation of slow bone formation in the distracted gap has prompted numerous attempts to understand and accelerate this slow bone formation. Interestingly, WNT/FZD signaling has been identified as a critical pathway in mediating bone formation and regeneration but has not yet been studied in the context of DO. The objective of this study was to determine the spatial and temporal localization of endogenous WNT signaling proteins at various times of bone formation in a wild-type mouse model of DO. In this study, the DO protocol performed on mice consisted of three phases: latency (5 days), distraction (12 days), and consolidation (34 days). Our immunohistochemical findings of distracted bone specimens show an increased expression of WNT ligands (WNT4 and WNT10A), receptors (FZD1 and 2, LRP5 and 6), β-catenin, and pathway antagonizers (DKK1; CTBP1 and 2; sFRP1, 2, and 4) during the distraction phase, which were then down-regulated during consolidation. This is the first published report to show an activation of the WNT pathway in DO and could help identify WNT as a potential therapeutic target in accelerating bone regeneration during DO.
Premalignancies and intraepithelial neoplasms of the skin – an update

The process of skin carcinogenesis involves a series of transitional events, which can be initiated and promoted by many events such as exposure to physical or chemical carcinogens, chronic inflammation and viral infection. Precancerous skin lesions and carcinomas in situ of the skin represent the early stages of epithelial skin tumors. Clinical observations, histological analysis, as well as molecular and cytogenetic studies have shown actinic keratoses and Bowen’s disease to be precursors of squamous cell carcinomas. The presence of arsenical keratoses, tar-induced dermatosis and X-ray irradiation-related keratosis may be associated with basal and/or squamous cell skin cancers. Other intraepithelial neoplasms include mammary and extramammary Paget’s disease. Anogenital HPV can cause intraepithelial vulvar, penile and anal intraepithelial neoplasias, each named for the affected site: AIN (anal intraepithelial neoplasia), PIN (penile intraepithelial neoplasia), and VIN (vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia). This article provides an update on the diagnosis and management on these premalignant conditions.
Mechanisms of blindness: Animal models provide insight into distinct CRX‐associated retinopathies

Background: The homeodomain transcription factor CRX is a crucial regulator of mammalian photoreceptor gene expression. Mutations in the human CRX gene are associated with dominant inherited retinopathies Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), Cone‐Rod Dystrophy (CoRD), and Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), of varying severity. In vitro and in vivo assessment of mutant CRX proteins have revealed pathogenic mechanisms for several mutations, but no comprehensive mutation‐disease correlation has yet been reported. Results: Here we describe four different classes of disease‐causing CRX mutations, characterized by mutation type, pathogenetic mechanism, and the molecular activity of the mutant protein: (1) hypomorphic missense mutations with reduced DNA binding, (2) antimorphic missense mutations with variable DNA binding, (3) antimorphic frameshift/nonsense mutations with intact DNA binding, and (4) antimorphic frameshift mutations with reduced DNA binding. Mammalian models representing three of these classes have been characterized. Conclusions: Models carrying Class I mutations display a mild dominant retinal phenotype and recessive LCA, while models carrying Class III and IV mutations display characteristically distinct dominant LCA phenotypes. These animal models also reveal unexpected pathogenic mechanisms underlying CRX‐associated retinopathies. The complexity of genotype‐phenotype correlation for CRX‐associated diseases highlights the value of developing comprehensive “true‐to‐disease” animal models for understanding pathologic mechanisms and testing novel therapeutic approaches. Developmental Dynamics 243:1153–1166, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Robust language modeling for a small corpus of target tasks using class-combined word statistics and selective use of a general corpus

In order to improve the accuracy of language models in speech recognition tasks for which collecting a large text corpus for language model training is difficult, we propose a class-combined bigram and selective use of general text. In the class-combined bigram, the word bigram and the class bigram are combined using weights that are expressed as the functions of the preceding word frequency and the succeeding word-type count. An experiment has shown that the accuracy of the proposed class-combined bigram is equivalent to that of the word bigram trained with a text corpus that is approximately three times larger. In the selective use of general text, the language model was corrected by automatically selecting sentences that were expected to produce better accuracy from a large volume of text collected without specifying the task and by adding these sentences to a small corpus of target tasks. An experiment has shown that the recognition error rate was reduced by up to 12% compared to a case in which text was not selected. Lastly, when we created a model that uses both the class-combined bigram and text addition, further improvements were obtained, resulting in improvements of approximately 34% in adjusted perplexity and approximately 31% in the recognition error rate compared to the word bigram created from the target task text only. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 34(12): 92–102, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.1219
Care of the elderly program at the University of Alberta: meeting the challenges of treating the aging population.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED The population is aging rapidly and there are implications for health care delivery in the face of few physicians specializing in care of the elderly (COE). OBJECTIVE OF PROGRAM To train physicians wishing to provide COE services. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The COE program at the University of Alberta in Edmonton is an enhanced skills diploma program lasting 6 months to 1 year, with core program requirements including geriatric inpatient care,geriatric psychiatry, ambulatory care, continuing care, and outreach. There is a longitudinal clinic component and a research project requirement. The program is designed to cover the 85 core competencies in the Can MEDS-Family Medicine roles. CONCLUSION There is a need for COE physicians to provide clinical care as well as fill educational, administrative, and research roles to meet the health care needs of medically complex seniors. These physicians require alternative funding and a departmental home within a university if they are to provide an academic service.
Death certification in treated cases of presenile Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia in Scotland.

INTRODUCTION although death certification data are commonly used in dementia epidemiology, their reliability has been questioned. METHODS death certificates were available from the Registrar General for Scotland for all patients with Alzheimer's disease/presenile dementia (AD PSD) or vascular dementia (VaD) who had died in Scotland up until 31 December 1994. Primary (immediate and underlying) and contributory causes of death were noted as well as place of death. Occupations of male patients were obtained from death certificates or from case notes and classified according to the Standard Occupational Classification. Bronchopneumonia was considered a non-specific cause of death and specific causes of death were classified as: cardiac disease, dementia, cerebrovascular disease, neoplasms, other vascular diseases and other diseases. Place of death was recorded as psychiatric hospital, district general hospital, nursing home or private residence. RESULTS death certificates of 398 people who had been treated for AD PSD and 348 who had been treated for VaD were identified. Bronchopneumonia was the most common immediate cause of death in the AD PSD group (70.9%) but less so for the VaD group (51.7%). For both groups place of death was associated with significant differences in pneumonia being reported as the immediate cause of death as well as specific underlying and contributory causes of death. Dementia was recorded for 90.5% of AD PSD patients but for only 49.7% of the VaD group. CONCLUSIONS Scottish death certificate data significantly underestimate the prevalence of presenile VaD. Changes in patterns of institutional care may affect dementia rates estimated from death certificate data.
SOCS1 Gene Expression is Increased in Severe Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Suppressors of cytokine signalling (SOCS) molecules inhibit cytokine signalling and may regulate protective immunity in tuberculosis (TB). We investigated the association of SOCS with disease progression in patients with pulmonary TB. For this purpose, we studied peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and T cells from patients with pulmonary TB (TB, n = 33) and healthy endemic controls (EC, n = 15). Cases were stratified into those with moderately advanced (Mod‐PTB) or far advanced disease (Adv‐PTB). Interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ), SOCS1 and SOCS3 gene expression was determined by RT‐PCR. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann–Whitney test. Levels of IL6 (P = 0.018) and IL10 (P = 0.013) were found to be elevated in PBMC supernatants from patients with TB as compared with EC. SOCS1 mRNA gene expression in T cells from patients with TB was increased as compared with that of EC (P = 0.02). In addition, levels of SOCS1 mRNA transcripts were found to be elevated in PBMCs of Adv‐PTB as compared with Mod‐PTB (P = 0.008) cases. Our data show that raised SOCS1 levels are associated with increased disease severity in TB. As SOCS1 regulates IFN‐γ‐driven immunity and SOCS1 can be further upregulated by IL6 levels, the increase in SOCS1 in severe disease indicates a mechanism by which mycobacteria impede disease control in TB.
Analysis of MIMO Systems with MMSE and ZF _ SIC Receive as for different Modulation under various Channels

Consider a multiuser system where an arbitrary number of users communicate with a distributed receive array over independent Rayleigh fading paths. The receive array performs minimum mean squared error (MMSE) or zero forcing (ZF) combining and perfect channel state information is assumed at the receiver. This scenario is wellknown and exact analysis is possible when they receive antennas are located in a single array. However, when the antennas are distributed, the individual links all have different average signal to noise ratio (SNRs) and thisis a much more challenging problem. In this paper, we provide approximate distributions for the output SNR of a ZF receiver and the output signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) of an MMSE receiver. In addition, simple high SNR approximations are provided for the symbol error rate (SER) of both receivers assuming M-PSK or M-QAM modulations. These high SNR results provide array gain and diversity gain information as well as a remarkably simple functional link between performance and the link powers.
Characterization and protective properties of attenuated mutants of Salmonella choleraesuis

We have constructed crp::Tn10 and cya::Tn10 Salmonella choleraesuis mutants and their fusaric acid-resistant derivatives with deletions (delta) of the Tn10 and adjacent DNA sequences and found them to be avirulent and able to induce protection against a wild-type challenge in 8-week-old BALB/c mice. Mice survived infection with the crp and cya mutants at doses of more than 7 x 10(3) times the oral (p.o.) 50% lethal dose (LD50) and more than 8 x 10(2) times the intraperitoneal LD50 of the wild-type S. choleraesuis parent. Mice vaccinated with attenuated strains were protected against challenge with more than 1.6 x 10(4) times the p.o. LD50 and more than 80 times the intraperitoneal LD50 of the wild-type virulent S. choleraesuis parent. One deletion mutation isolated in the crp region extends to an adjacent gene(s) that was shown to be associated with avirulence. This gene or operon has been designated cdt (colonization of deep tissues). A delta (crp-cdt)19 strain, when complemented with the wild-type crp gene and promoter on a pBR-derived plasmid, had p.o. LD50 values 10(3) times higher than those for the wild type. A delta cya delta (crp-cdt)19 double mutant was less virulent than and afforded more complete protection against a challenge with the wild-type strain than a delta crp-11 delta cya double mutant or the individual cya, crp, or crp+/cdt mutants. The deletion derivatives exhibited reduced invasion of CHO cells in vitro, and the numbers of the mutants recovered from mouse tissues were less than that of the parent strain. These studies suggest that one or more of the genes involved in cell attachment to and/or invasion of S. choleraesuis may be under catabolite repression. In addition, we describe a new deletion of a gene(s) located in the crp region between cysG and argD that is associated with virulence in S. choleraesuis.
A Better Logic and Decision Procedure for Predicate Abstraction of Heap-Manipulating Programs

Heap-manipulating programs (HMP), which manipulate unbounded linked data structures via pointers, are a major frontier for software model checking. In recent work, we proposed a small logic and inference-rule-based decision procedure and demonstrated their potential by verifying, via predicate abstraction, some simple HMPs. In this work, we generalize and improve our previous results to be practically useful: we allow more than a single pointer field, we permit updating the data stored in heap nodes, we add new primitives and inference rules for cyclic structures, and we greatly improve the performance of our implementation. Experimentally, we are able to verify many more HMP examples, including three small container functions from the Linux kernel. On the theoretical front, we prove NP-hardness for a small fragment of our logic, completeness of our inference rules for a large fragment, and soundness for the full logic.
Multi-dimensional local binary pattern texture descriptors and their application for medical image analysis

Texture can be broadly stated as spatial variation of image intensities. Texture analysis and classification is a well researched area for its importance to many computer vision applications. Consequently, much research has focussed on deriving powerful and efficient texture descriptors. Local binary patterns (LBP) and its variants are simple yet powerful texture descriptors. LBP features describe the texture neighbourhood of a pixel using simple comparison operators, and are often calculated based on varying neighbourhood radii to provide multi-resolution texture descriptions. A comprehensive evaluation of different LBP variants on a common benchmark dataset is missing in the literature. This thesis presents the performance for different LBP variants on texture classification and retrieval tasks. The results show that multi-scale local binary pattern variance (LBPV) gives the best performance over eight benchmarked datasets. Furthermore, improvements to the Dominant LBP (D-LBP) by ranking dominant patterns over complete training set and Compound LBP (CM-LBP) by considering 16 bits binary codes are suggested which are shown to outperform their original counterparts. The main contribution of the thesis is the introduction of multi-dimensional LBP features, which preserve the relationships between different scales by building a multi-dimensional histogram. The results on benchmarked classification and retrieval datasets clearly show that the multi-dimensional LBP (MD-LBP) improves the results compared to conventional multi-scale LBP. The same principle is applied to LBPV (MD-LBPV), again leading to improved performance. The proposed variants result in relatively large feature lengths which is addressed using three different feature length reduction techniques. Principle component analysis (PCA) is shown to give the best performance when the feature length is reduced to match that of conventional multi-scale LBP. The proposed multi-dimensional LBP variants are applied for medical image analysis application. The first application is nailfold capillary (NC) image classification. Performance of MD-LBPV on NC images is highest, whereas for second application, HEp-2 cell classification, performance of MD-LBP is highest. It is observed that the proposed texture descriptors gives improved texture classification accuracy.
Detection and Location of Ground Faults Using a Discernible Signal

It is very difficult to correctly detect the faulty line and fault location when a single phase to ground fault (SFG) occurs in distribution system with non-effectively grounded neutral. After analyzing the characteristics of the loop of faulty circuit including the potential transformer (PT), it is found that the faulted phase of PT is idle during a SFG. According to fact described above, an approach for ground fault localization and faulted feeder identification using a discernible signal on non-effectively grounded neutral systems is described. The discernible signal is supplied by a special signal generator and is coupled to the primary distribution system through PT when a fault occurs. After the faulty feeder and fault location are determined, the signal generator will be removed. The feasibility of the approach has been verified in field distribution systems
DNA Barcoding in Photosymbiotic Species of Diplosoma (Ascidiacea: Didemnidae), with the Description of a New Species from the Southern Ryukyus, Japan

Partial sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunlt I (COI) gene were determined for six species of the genus Diplosoma (Ascidiacea, Didemnidae) to develop tools for species identification. Because each Diplosoma species has distinctly different COI haplotype(s), the gene sequence seems to be usable for species discrimination in this ascidian genus. The phylogenetic hypothesis supported by the COI data is congruent with the distribution of character states of the retractor muscle. In this paper, we describe a new Diplosoma species harboring symbiotic cyanophytes, found on Miyakojima Island, Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. Diplosoma aggregatum sp. nov. forms mosaic-like aggregates of small colonies. Although the zooids of D. aggregatum are similar to those of D. virens, these species are differentiated by colony form and COI sequences.