Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of tension and stiffness due to reduced pH in mammalian fast‐ and slow‐twitch skinned skeletal muscle fibres.

1. The pH dependence of the Ca2+ sensitivities of isometric tension and stiffness was investigated at 10 and 15 degrees C in skinned single fibres from rat and rabbit fast‐ and slow‐twitch skeletal muscles. Stiffness was determined by recording the tension responses to sinusoidal length changes (3.3 kHz); peak‐to‐peak amplitude of the length change was monitored by laser diffraction and averaged approximately 1.3 nm (half‐sarcomere)‐1. We have assumed that stiffness provides a measure of the number of cross‐bridge attachments to actin. 2. At maximal Ca2+ activation, stiffness was depressed by 22 +/‐ 2% (mean +/‐ S.E.M.) in fast‐twitch fibres but was unchanged in slow‐twitch fibres when pH was lowered from 7.00 to 6.20. As reported previously, maximum tension was depressed by 20‐45% at low pH, with the effect being greater in fast‐twitch compared to slow‐twitch fibres. 3. In fast‐twitch fibres at 10 and 15 degrees C the Ca2+ concentrations for half‐maximal activation of tension and stiffness were increased at low pH. In slow‐twitch fibres, similar effects were observed at 15 degrees C, but at 10 degrees C there were no changes in the Ca2+ sensitivities of tension and stiffness when pH was lowered. 4. Linear relationships between relative tension and relative stiffness were obtained at all temperatures, with slopes of 1.04 +/‐ 0.01 at pH 7.00 and 0.76 +/‐ 0.01 at pH 6.20 in fast‐ and slow‐twitch fibres, indicating that force per cross‐bridge attachment is similarly reduced at low pH in both types of fibres. 5. In both fast‐ and slow‐twitch fibres, rigor tension (no added ATP or creatine phosphate; pCa 9.0) was depressed by 35 +/‐ 7% and stiffness by 12 +/‐ 4% when pH was reduced from 7.00 to 6.20. Since cross‐bridge cycling is inhibited in rigor the effect of low pH to depress rigor tension suggests that pH directly modulates the strength of the bond formed between actin and myosin. 6. The effect of low pH to reduce the apparent number of cross‐bridge attachments during maximal Ca2+ activation in fast‐ but not slow‐twitch fibres could account for the greater H(+)‐induced depression of maximum force in fast‐twitch fibres. In both fibre types, the decrease in the number of cross‐bridge attachments at submaximal concentrations of Ca2+ may in part account for the loss in Ca2+ sensitivity of tension at low pH, due perhaps to a reduction in co‐operative activation of the thin filament by bound cross‐bridges.
Modular, cost-effective, extensible avionics architecture for secure, mobile communications

Current onboard communication architectures are based upon an all-in-one communications management unit. This unit and associated radio systems has regularly been designed as a one-off, proprietary system. As such, it lacks flexibility and cannot adapt easily to new technology, new communication protocols, and new communication links. This paper describes the current avionics communication architecture and provides a historical perspective of the evolution of this system. A new onboard architecture is proposed that allows full use of commercial-off-the-shelf technologies to be integrated in a modular approach thereby enabling a flexible, cost-effective and fully deployable design that can take advantage of ongoing advances in the computer, cryptography, and telecommunications industries
Modeling plant life in computer graphics

1 Permission to make digital or hard copies of part or all of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for third-party components of this work must be honored. For all other uses, contact the owner/author(s). An introduction to plant modeling and recent advances in plant modeling in computer graphics. Recent years have seen a lot of progress in vegetation modeling We focus on the following three areas 1) Procedural and biological modeling 2) Reconstruction and inverse procedural modeling 3) User-assisted models 3
Casodex–‐mechanisms of action and opportunities for usage

Casodex (Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, UK) is a pure, potent, well-tolerated nonsteroidal antiandrogen that is absorbed orally and has a halflife of approximately 6 days, which allows once-a-day dosing. ’ The drug has been administered to more than 1300 patients for periods of up to 5 years and has demonstrated an excellent tolerance profile. Although the pharmacologic effects associated with antiandrogens have been observed in some patients taking Casodex, there is no evidence of lack of tolerance such as the gastrointestinal tract complications seen with flutamide or the ocular changes and alcohol intolerance present with nilutamide. When administered as monotherapy, Casodex also has been shown not to compromise sexual function in the majority of sexually active males who require therapy. The efficacy of Casodex against prostate cancer has been demonstrated in two large phase I1 studies,’” and comparative studies evaluating the role of Casodex as monotherapy and in combination therapy are being conducted. The aim of this paper is to describe the studies in evaluating the pharmacokinetic profile of Casodex as a treatment for advanced prostate cancer and to describe the role of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in determining the efficacy of Casodex as a therapeutic modality.
Melatonin in Glycyrrhiza uralensis: response of plant roots to spectral quality of light and UV‐B radiation

Abstract: Melatonin (N‐acetyl‐5‐methoxytryptamine) is known to be synthesized and secreted by the pineal gland in vertebrates. Evidence for the occurrence of melatonin in the roots of Glycyrrhiza uralensis plants and the response of this plant to the spectral quality of light including red, blue and white light (control) and UV‐B radiation (280–315 nm) for the synthesis of melatonin were investigated. Melatonin was extracted and quantified in seed, root, leaf and stem tissues and results revealed that the root tissues contained the highest concentration of melatonin; melatonin concentrations also increased with plant development. After 3 months of growth under red, blue and white fluorescent lamps, the melatonin concentrations were highest in red light exposed plants and varied depending on the wavelength of light spectrum in the following order red ≫ blue ≥ white light. Interestingly, in a more mature plant (6 months) melatonin concentration was increased considerably; the increments in concentration were X4, X5 and X3 in 6‐month‐old red, blue and white light exposed (control) plants, respectively. The difference in melatonin concentrations between blue and white light exposed (control) plants was not significant. The concentration of melatonin quantified in the root tissues was highest in the plants exposed to high intensity UV‐B radiation for 3 days followed by low intensity UV‐B radiation for 15 days. The reduction of melatonin under longer periods of UV‐B exposure indicates that melatonin synthesis may be related to the integrated (intensity and duration) value of UV‐B irradiation. Melatonin in G. uralensis plant is presumably for protection against oxidative damage caused as a response to UV irradiation.
Scale-based detection of corners of planar curves

A technique for detecting and localizing corners of planar curves is proposed. The technique is based on Gaussian scale space, which consists of the maxima of absolute curvature of the boundary function presented at all scales. The scale space of isolated simple and double corners is analyzed to investigate the behavior of scale space due to smoothing and interactions between two adjacent corners. The scale space is transformed into a tree which provides simple but concise representation of corners at multiple scales. A multiple-scale corner detection scheme is developed using a coarse-to-fine tree parsing technique. The parsing scheme is based on a stability criterion which states that the presence of a corner must concur with a curvature maximum observable at a majority of scales. Experimental results show that the scale-space corner detector is reliable for objects with multiple-size features and noisy boundaries and that it compares favorably with other corner detectors tested. <<ETX>>
Fatal Disseminated Mouse Adenovirus Type 1 Infection in Mice Lacking B Cells or Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase

ABSTRACT Mouse adenovirus type 1 (MAV-1) infection of B-cell-deficient and Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk)-deficient mice resulted in fatal disseminated disease resembling human adenovirus infections in immunocompromised patients. Mice lacking B cells or Btk were highly susceptible to acute MAV-1 infection, in contrast to controls and mice lacking T cells. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that mice with an X-linked immunodeficiency phenotype (Btk deficient) are susceptible to virus-induced disease. Mice lacking B cells or Btk on a C57BL/6 background succumbed with encephalomyelitis, hepatitis, and lymphoid necrosis. Mice lacking B cells on a BALB/c background succumbed with enteritis and hepatitis. Survival of acute MAV-1 infection correlated with early T-cell-independent neutralizing antibody and T-cell-independent antiviral immunoglobulin M. Treatment of MAV-1-infected Btk−/− mice 4 to 9 days postinfection with antiserum harvested 6 to 9 days postinfection from MAV-1-infected Btk+/+ mice was therapeutic. Our findings implicate a critical role for B-cell function in preventing disseminated MAV-1 infection, particularly production of early T-cell-independent antiviral immunoglobulin M.
Air vs ground transport and outcome in trauma patients requiring urgent operative interventions.

OBJECTIVE To study trauma patients requiring urgent operative interventions to determine whether transport mode was associated with outcome difference. METHODS Eligible patients were injured adults and children who presented over a 57-month period to the emergency department (ED) at the study hospital (annual ED census 36,000) after air or ground transport from trauma scenes or referring hospitals. Patients included were those whose ED lengths of stay were <60 minutes prior to transfer to an operating room. Data collected included injury severity score (ISS), ED and hospital lengths of stay, and mortality. Continuous data, which were not distributed normally, were analyzed using Wilcoxon nonparametric analysis. Categorical variables were analyzed using chi-square testing. Multivariate logistic regression was used to account for confounding variables and isolate the effects of transport mode on mortality. Alpha for all tests was set at 0.05. RESULTS 272 patients were eligible for study; 168 air medical and 104 ground transports. No between-group differences were found for ED length of stay, ISS, or mortality. A significantly longer hospital stay was found for air-transported patients. Subgroup analysis of patients with penetrating trauma and ISS of > or =25 revealed mortalities of 28% and 45% for air- and ground-transported patients, respectively; this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.24), but the study had a power of only 22% to detect a difference at this magnitude. CONCLUSION This study failed to identify, but had insufficient power to rule out, outcome benefit to air medical transport in a subset of trauma patients requiring urgent operative interventions.
Participation in Performance Measurement Systems and Level of Satisfaction

The aim of this study was to investigate the use of variety of financial and non-financial performance measures identified in performance measurement systems literature. Based on survey responses from 87 Financial Managers, performance measurement diversity explains how participation leads to a greater level of system satisfaction. Furthermore, the results using structural equation modeling indicate that performance measurement diversity is associated with the satisfaction of performance measurement system. These outcomes show that companies benefit from performance measurement systems that incorporate a wide range of financial and nonfinancial performance measures. Finally, this study has verified further research opportunities that could enrich the understanding of performance measurement systems.
The association between adverse childhood experiences and adult traumatic brain injury/concussion: a scoping review

Abstract Background: Adverse childhood experiences are significant risk factors for physical and mental illnesses in adulthood. Traumatic brain injury/concussion is a challenging condition where pre-injury factors may affect recovery. The association between childhood adversity and traumatic brain injury/concussion has not been previously reviewed. The research question addressed is: What is known from the existing literature about the association between adverse childhood experiences and traumatic brain injury/concussion in adults? Methods: All original studies of any type published in English since 2007 on adverse childhood experiences and traumatic brain injury/concussion outcomes were included. The literature search was conducted in multiple electronic databases. Arksey and O’Malley and Levac et al.’s scoping review frameworks were used. Two reviewers independently completed screening and data abstraction. Results: The review yielded six observational studies. Included studies were limited to incarcerated or homeless samples, and individuals at high-risk of or with mental illnesses. Across studies, methods for childhood adversity and traumatic brain injury/concussion assessment were heterogeneous. Discussion: A positive association between adverse childhood experiences and traumatic brain injury occurrence was identified. The review highlights the importance of screening and treatment of adverse childhood experiences. Future research should extend to the general population and implications on injury recovery. Implications for rehabilitation Exposure to adverse childhood experiences is associated with increased risk of traumatic brain injury. Specific types of adverse childhood experiences associated with risk of traumatic brain injury include childhood physical abuse, psychological abuse, household member incarceration, and household member drug abuse. Clinicians and researchers should inquire about adverse childhood experiences in all people with traumatic brain injury as pre-injury health conditions can affect recovery.
’ s Choice Series on the Next Generation of Biotech Crops Molecular Plant Breeding as the Foundation for 21 st Century Crop Improvement 1

The fundamental discoveries of Darwin and Mendel established the scientific basis for plant breeding and genetics at the turn of the 20th century. Similarly, the recent integration of advances in biotechnology, genomic research, and molecular marker applications with conventional plant breeding practices has created the foundation for molecular plant breeding, an interdisciplinary science that is revolutionizing 21st century crop improvement. Though the methods of molecular plant breeding continue to evolve and are a topic of intense interest among plant breeders and crop scientists (for review, see Cooper et al., 2004; Nelson et al., 2004; Lörz and Wenzel, 2005; Varshney et al., 2006; Eathington et al., 2007; Mumm, 2007), they have received relatively little attention from the majority of plant biologists engaged in basic scientific research. The objective of this article for an Editor’s Choice series on future advances in crop biotechnology is to briefly review important historical developments in molecular plant breeding, key principles influencing the current practice of molecular plant breeding, and factors that influence the adoption of molecular plant breeding in crop improvement programs. Furthermore, we emphasize how the application of molecular plant breeding is now contributing to discoveries of genes and their functions that open new avenues for basic plant biology research.
Identification of Circulating MicroRNAs in Biliary Atresia by Next-Generation Sequencing

Objectives: Biliary atresia (BA) is an idiopathic neonatal liver disease, characterized by inflammatory and fibrotic obliteration of extrahepatic bile ducts. Therefore, reliable methods for noninvasive diagnosis are needed. The present study aimed to analyze circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in patients with BA using next-generation sequencing for identifying novel diagnostic biomarkers. Methods: An initial screening of miRNAs in plasma from patients with BA and healthy controls (HCs) was performed on an Illumina next-generation sequencing platform. Differential miRNAs were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Target genes and related signal transduction pathways of differential miRNAs were predicted by online software. Results: In total, 146 differential miRNAs were identified by deep sequencing. Fifteen miRNAs with read counts >1000, that included 7 upregulated and 8 downregulated miRNAs, were predicted to be associated with liver fibrosis, biliary differentiation, and bile duct development. Of these, 6 miRNAs with read counts >5000 were analyzed by qPCR on an independent sample set comprising 44 patients with BA, 20 cholestatic disease controls, and 20 HCs. Two upregulated miRNAs (miR-122-5p, miR-100-5p) and 2 downregulated miRNAs (miR-140-3p, miR-126-3p) were confirmed by individual qPCR. Only miR-140-3p was significantly different from controls (P < 0.05), yielding an area under receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.75 with sensitivity of 66.7% and specificity of 79.1% at optimal threshold. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that patients with BA exhibit a distinct profile of circulating miRNAs and that plasma miR-140-3p may be a promising diagnostic biomarker for this disease.
A soft switching inverter module with modified DC-link circuit for high frequency DC-AC power conversion

This paper proposes an improved DC-link circuit for soft switching inverters with fewer components (two auxiliary switches) involving simpler control. The operation principle and control arrangement of the modified DC-link circuit are explained. The experimental results from a 500 W laboratory prototype with a R-L load validate the operation of the proposed DC-link circuit. The modified DC-link circuit is then used to supply power to a single-phase full bridge PWM inverter with a 110 V, 60 Hz half horsepower capacitor start motor. Experimental results from the laboratory setup verify the feasibility of the proposed DC-link circuit in achieving soft switching in PWM inverters.
Effects of Free and Liposome-Encapsulated Hemoglobin on Choroidal Vascular Plexus Blood Flow, Using the Rabbit Eye as a Model System

Purpose This study investigated the vasoconstrictive effects of both stroma-free and liposome-encapsulated cross-linked hemoglobin (Hb) on vascular plexus hemodynamics, using the choroid of the rabbit eye as a model system. Methods Sequential subtraction of high-speed ICG fluorescence angiogram images facilitated visualization of the time-varying patterns of blood flow distribution in the choriocapillaris during the cardiac cycle. Differences between baseline and post-hemoglobin injection blood flow distributions were analyzed. Likewise, differences in the time-varying patterns of flow distribution between the particulate and liquid phases of blood during a cardiac cycle were investigated, since this may bear on differences in vasoactivity induced by circulating stroma-free vs. encapsulated Hb. Results Cross-linked Hb induced a transient, but marked, localized reduction in choriocapillaris blood flow. This effect was significantly attenuated when liposome encapsulated cross-linked hemoglobin was administered. Plexus blood flow distribution was different for particulate and liquid ICG. Conclusions Differences in particulate and liquid ICG flow patterns suggest that one contribution to the different plexus blood flow patterns observed in the encapsulated and free Hb experiments may be due to differences in liquid and particle-bound Hb distribution within the plexus. The observed choriocapillaris blood flow reductions may be attributable to an aggregate endothelial cell contractility induced by presence of extra-cellular Hb in the choriocapillaris plexus.
Expression of the Longin domain of TI‐VAMP impairs lysosomal secretion and epithelial cell migration

Background information. TI‐VAMP (tetanus neurotoxin‐insensitive vesicle‐associated membrane protein; also called VAMP7) belongs to the Longin subfamily of v‐SNAREs (vesicular soluble N‐ethylmaleimide‐sensitive fusion protein‐attachment protein receptors). The regulatory N‐terminal extension, called the Longin domain, of TI‐VAMP has been shown previously to have a dual biochemical function: it inhibits the capacity of TI‐VAMP to form SNARE complexes and it binds to the δ subunit of the AP‐3 (adaptor protein 3) complex in early endosomes, thereby targeting TI‐VAMP to late endosomes.
On the Prospect of Knowing: Providing Solutions Can Reduce Persistence

Our willingness to persist in problem solving is often held up as a critical component in being successful. Allied against this ability, however, are a number of situational factors that undermine our persistence. In the present investigation, the authors examine 1 such factor—knowing that the answers to a problem are easily accessible. Does having answers to a problem available reduce our willingness to persist in solving it ourselves? Across 4 experiments, participants (university students from a large Canadian University) solved multisolution anagrams and were either provided the answers after giving up (and knew they would receive the answers) or not. Results demonstrated that individuals persisted for less time in the former condition. In addition, participants did not seem to be aware of the effect that answers had on their decisions to quit. Implications for our understanding of the role that access to answers has on persistence across a number of domains (e.g., education, Internet) are discussed.
Computer Analysis of SCR Circuits

Computer analysis of SCR circuits is developed on the basis of topological considerations. Using the concept of hanging nodes and hanging branches, the open-circuited branches are removed from the circuit to get a modified reduced incidence matrix. This concept eliminates the problem of instability associated with numerical integration. Flow charts are discussed and computed results of a chopper circuit are presented.
High Performance Embedded Software Design for Protective Relay Algorithm in Digital Signal Processors

Most measurements and protective algorithms for power systems have been implemented by embedded software in more than a single digital signal processor (DSP). As more complex functions required for intelligent electronic devices, we need to improve the existing software solutions for DSPs in terms of execution time, cost and reliability. This paper suggests a fixed-point design technique for several mathematical functions in relay algorithms. By porting it to a real target system, we also evaluated that the proposed design can give higher speed of operations, higher sample rate and more increasing concurrent channel support capability than the existing solution.