Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Novel murine tumour models depend on strain and route of inoculation

This study describes variations in tumour growth patterns which occur when changes in the routes of inoculation and mouse strain are used to introduce tumours into established murine model systems that are known to vary in location and aggression. Intraperitoneal, subcutaneous, intravenous and hydrodynamic inoculations of B16F10 cells were compared among CD‐1, C57BL/6 and Balb/c mice. Most surprisingly, allogeneic tumour growth in Balb/c mice after intravenous and hydrodynamic inoculation of B16F10 cells was faster than tumour growth in the syngeneic C57BL/6 mice. These and other variations in the tumour growth patterns described here can help provide the researcher with more experimental control when planning to use the optimal tumour model for any particular study.
A family of human cdc2‐related protein kinases.

The p34cdc2 protein kinase is known to regulate important transitions in the eukaryotic cell cycle. We have identified 10 human protein kinases based on their structural relation to p34cdc2. Seven of these kinases are novel and the products of five share greater than 50% amino acid sequence identity with p34cdc2. The seven novel genes are broadly expressed in human cell lines and tissues with each displaying some cell type or tissue specificity. The cdk3 gene, like cdc2 and cdk2, can complement cdc28 mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, suggesting that all three of these protein kinases can play roles in the regulation of the mammalian cell cycle. The identification of a large family of cdc2‐related kinases opens the possibility of combinatorial regulation of the cell cycle together with the emerging large family of cyclins.
Experimental investigation on soot volume fraction in an ethylene diffusion flame by emission spectrometry without optically-thin assumption

An improved soot diagnostics technique based on tomographic reconstruction of flame emission spectra has been developed for an axisymmetric laminar diffusion flame without optically-thin assumption. Emission from the flame is scanned along the horizontal lateral axis of flame at several altitudes above the burner. At each measurement position, the local line-of-sight flame emission spectra is collected by a spectrometry over a spectral range of 700-1100 nm. Inversion of these data through one-dimensional tomography using a three-point Abel inversion yields radial distributions of the soot radiation from which soot volume fraction profiles are extracted. Traditionally, this procedure was applied only in the optically-thin flames for which the self-attenuation term of emitted radiation is ignored. However, this self-attenuation term is considered by iterative calculations in the paper. The configuration of the investigation flame is similar to the flames reported in the literatures. The results by the conventional method is found to be almost twice to the results by the improved method. This discrepancy revealed that the optically-thin assumption for the flames will cause serious errors in the conventional method, and the improved method could overcome this deficiency effectively.
Learning About a Child's Gay or Lesbian Sexual Orientation: Parental Concerns About Societal Rejection, Loss of Loved Ones, and Child Well Being

This article reports the results of a study examining heterosexual parents' concerns upon learning about their children's gay or lesbian sexual orientations. Three areas of parental concern are noted: (a) those about what society thinks of them because they have gay or lesbian children, (b) those about being rejected by loved ones, and (c) concerns for their child's physical and psychological well being. Results indicate that parents' concerns about having gay or lesbian children differ depending on the gender of the parent, gender of the child, awareness of stigma, and perceptions of parents' own gender role attributes.
Demand Response from Residential Air Conditioning Load Using a Programmable Communication Thermostat

: Demand response is getting increased attention these days due to the increase in electricity demand and introduction of renewable resources in the existing power grid. Traditionally demand response programs involve large industrial consumers but with technological advancement, demand response is being implemented for small residential and commercial consumers also. In this paper, demand response program aims to reduce the peak demand as well as overall energy consumption of the residential customers. Air conditioners are the major reason of peak load in residential sector in summer, so a dynamic model of air conditioning load with thermostat action has been considered for applying demand response programs. A programmable communicating thermostat (PCT) is a device that uses real time pricing (RTP) signals to control the thermostat setting. A new model incorporating PCT in air conditioning load has been proposed in this paper. Results show that introduction of PCT in air conditioner is useful in reducing the electricity payments of customers as well as reducing the peak demand.
high rates of suicidal ideation and attempts , substance abuse disorders and lack of social suppor t among homeless youth

Objective: This cross-sectional study explored differences in the impact of self-reported coping style, self-esteem and perceived support on the psychological adjustment of homeless and housed female youth. Method: Data were obtained from homeless female youth (n = 72, M = 17.5 years) accessing an emergency shelter in a large Canadian urban centre and a comparison group of housed females (n = 102 ; M = 17.2 years) from local high schools who had never resided in a shelter. Results: Homeless youth reported lower self-worth, increased suicidal behaviour, less perceived parental support and higher levels of depressive symptoms and both internalizing and externalizing behaviour problems than housed youth. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that disengagement coping was a significant predictor of depressive symptoms and both internalizing and externalizing behaviour problems in homeless and housed youth. Conclusions: Findings reflect the merit of considering coping style, parental support and self-worth in the presentation of depressive symptoms and behaviour problems in homeless and housed female youth.
Genetics of population isolates

Genetic isolates, as shown empirically by the Finnish, Old Order Amish, Hutterites, Sardinian and Jewish communities among others, represent a most important and powerful tool in genetically mapping inherited disorders. The main features associated with that genetic power are the existence of multigenerational pedigrees which are mostly descended from a small number of founders a short number of generations ago, environmental and phenotypic homogeneity, restricted geographical distribution, the presence of exhaustive and detailed records correlating individuals in very well ascertained pedigrees, and inbreeding as a norm. On the other hand, the presence of a multifounder effect or admixture among divergent populations in the founder time (e.g. the Finnish and the Paisa community from Colombia) will theoretically result in increased linkage disequilibrium among adjacent loci. The present review evaluates the historical context and features of some genetic isolates with emphasis on the basic population genetic concepts of inbreeding and genetic drift, and also the state‐of‐the‐art in mapping traits, both Mendelian and complex, on genetic isolates.
Reactive AUV motion for thermocline tracking

The thermocline is a vertical transition layer in the water column with a strong impact on marine biology, since it affects phytoplankton concentration and, hence, primary production. AUVs can play an important role in understanding this relationship, by sampling the relevant data, usually describing yo-yo patterns spanning the whole water column. In this paper we describe a reactive behavior implemented onboard a small sized AUV, to adapt depth in real time in order to maintain the vehicle in the vicinity of the thermocline and therefore increasing efficiency in the sampling process. Preliminary field tests show that the method is simple, robust and effective.
Pro-Cyclicality, Empirical Credit Cycles, and Capital Buffer Formation

We model 1927-1997 U.S. business failure rates using a time series approach based on unobserved components. Clear evidence is found of cyclical behavior in default rates. The cycle has a period of around 10 years. We also detect longer term movements in default probabilities and default correlations. Our findings have important implications for portfolio credit risk analysis. First, a static analysis of portfolio credit risk can underestimate credit risk significantly by not accounting for the dynamic and cyclical behaviour of default probabilities. Second, estimating default correlations over long horizons without accounting for time variation may lead to misspecified risk management models. We highlight the main effects in an actual credit risk experiment, addressing the issue of pro-cyclicality in ratings and capital buffer formation. It turns out that dynamic models anticipate much better on required capital buffer increases than rating strategies based on recent historical data. In this way, dynamic credit risk models may help to alleviate part of the pro-cyclicality problem.
EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF CANINE HIP DYSPLASIA Skurková

We investigated effectiveness and potential use of early diagnosis of hip joint dysplasia in German Shepherd dogs by X-ray examination comparing the conventional extension position I with compression-distraction method. In addition to that we also used Ortolani palpation technique and X-ray examination of the hip joint in order to obtain view of its dorsal acetabular rim (DAR) and dorsal acetabular rim angle (DARA) with respect to the femoral head. Examinations were carried out first on dogs 4–6 months old and repeatedly when they reached age of 12 months. We examined altogether 25 German Shepherd dogs but only 10 of them were used for evaluation because for the remaining ones we lacked one or more relevant measurements. Even if the evaluations included all of them, the results were not influenced significantly. When evaluating the early diagnosis, we used the Norberg angle (NA), distraction index (DI) and evaluated every hip joint by assigning to it a hip dysplasia score according to the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) dysplasia scheme. When comparing the values by means of Pearson correlation coefficient we detected significant correlation between DI12/ FCI12 (distraction index at the age of 12 months/FCI score at the age of 12 months) and DI4/FCI12 (distraction index at the age of 4 months in comparison with FCI evaluation at the age of 12 months) (0.86 and 0.78, resp.). When presenting the early prognosis on the basis of DI and DARA values at the age of 4 months, we observed agreement with the final diagnosis made at the age of 12 months on the basis of NA values and FCI score in 80 % of evaluated dogs. EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF CANINE HIP DYSPLASIA Skurková, L. , Ledecký, V. University of Veterinary Medicine, Komenského 73, 041 81 Košice The Slovak Republic skurkova@uvm.sk FOLIA VETERINARIA, 53, 2: 77—82, 2009
String stability of a group of nonholonomic mobile robots whose models incorporate kinematic and dynamic equations of motion

The paper considers some control problems of multi mobile robot systems as both kinematics and dynamics are intertwined in the mathematical model of the group members. The effects of all components (wheels and platform) and kinematic constraints will be taken into account in the equations. The problems of driving the vehicle towards a desired string-like formation and the associated stability problem will be studied. Finally, demonstrations of a group of mobile robots with the augmented model will be presented.
Persistence of chlamydial antibodies after pelvic inflammatory disease

The persistence of chlamydial immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies and long-term sequelae of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) were studied in 70 women who had been treated for PID 3 to 6 years previously. Fifty-one women had had PID associated with Chlamydia trachomatis infection (Chlamydia group), and 19 women had had PID not associated with C. trachomatis (non-Chlamydia group). Chlamydial IgG antibodies, as determined by the indirect immunofluorescence test with inclusions of C. trachomatis L2 as antigens, persisted at stable levels in 43% of the women for up to 6 years; 43% of the women showed a decrease in IgG titer, and 13% showed an increase. IgA antibody levels in serum correlated with IgG antibody levels in serum and with the presence of cervical IgA antibodies. Both serum antibodies and cervical IgA antibodies were more often found in the Chlamydia group. Forty-two percent of the women were infertile. Every fifth subsequent pregnancy was ectopic. The presence of cervical IgA antibodies might protect the women from tubal damage.
In Bacillus subtilis W23, the duet σXσM, two sigma factors of the extracytoplasmic function subfamily, are required for septum and wall synthesis under batch culture conditions

The synthesis of poly(RboP), the main Bacillus subtilis W23 teichoic acid, is encoded by tarDF–tarABIJKL operons, the latter being controlled by two promoters designated PtarA‐int and PtarA‐ext. Analysis by lacZ fusions reveals that PtarA‐int activity exhibits sharp increases at the beginning and end of the transition between exponential and stationary growth phase. As confirmed by mRNA quantification, these increases are mediated by ECF sigma factors σX and σM respectively. In liquid media, strain W23 sigX sigM double mutants experience serious difficulties in the transition and stationary growth phases. Inactivation of σX‐ and σM‐controlled regulons, which precludes transcription from PtarA‐int, leads to (i) delays in chromosome segregation and septation and (ii) a transient loss of up to 30% of the culture OD or lysis. However, specific inactivation of PtarA‐int, leading mainly to a shortage of poly(RboP), does not affect growth while, nevertheless, interfering with normal septation, as revealed by electron microscopy. The different sigM transcription in strains W23 and 168 is discussed. In W23, expression of tarA and sigM, which is shown to control divIC, is inversely correlated with growth rate, suggesting that the sigM regulon is involved in the control of cell division.
Cyclic antibody formation to polyglycerophosphate in normal and injected rats.

Normal adult Sprague-Dawley rats were bled serially over a 30-week period and their sera were examined for antibodies to polyglycerophosphate (PGP) by a standardized passive hemolysis test. Levels of "natural" antibodies to PGP fluctuated during this period with a majority of animals exhibiting pronounced cycling of serum antibody levels, however, the individual cycles were not synchronized with each other. Feeding of radiolabeled Gram-positive bacilli to these animals and examination of lymphoid tissue by liquid scintillation counting revealed that the antigen persisted mainly in the mesenteric lymph nodes. A second group of rats was injected i.v. with radiolabeled Gram-positive bacilli and tissues were examined for plaque-forming cells (PFC) of PGP specificity, and the sera were examined by passive hemolysis. Cycling of both anti-PGP antibodies and PFC became synchronized in the injected animals with peaks of serum antibody evident at 16 and 28 days post-injection and splenic PFC peaks at 4 and 16 days post-injection. Cycling was also observed in the mesenteric lymph nodes and bone marrow Examination of lymphoid tissue from the rats injected i.v. revealed that antigen introduced by this route also perisisted mainly in the mesenteric lymph nodes, This report demonstrates individual cycling of natural responses to environmental antigen and to the same determinant in secondary responses, indicating its importance as a regulatory mechanism.
Susceptibility‐weighted imaging: Are they really corrected phase images?

We read with great interest the recent article by Ding et al entitled ‘‘Correlation of iron in the hippocampus with MMSE in patients with Alzheimer’s disease,’’ published in the April issue of the Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (1). The authors presented the corrected phase image as a new useful tool for iron deposition measurement in human brain with Alzheimer’s disease. However, there may be a mistake in the corrected phase images in the article, which could lead the readers to misunderstand or to be confused about the phase images in future work if someone follows the way presented in this article. As described in the article, both Figures 1 and 2 are corrected phase images, whereas from the tissue contrast and the signal-tonoise ratio (SNR), they seemed to be routine magnitude images instead. Based on publications by Haacke et al (2,3), the contrast in corrected phase images in susceptibility-weighted imaging comes from susceptibility changes induced by sources such as iron other than conventional spin density, T1, and T2 properties. Therefore, the corrected phase images will contain iron distribution related contrast. However, only routine tissue contrast could be seen in Figures 1 and 2. Furthermore, the range of phase value is from p to p, which means that phase images tend to have worse SNR than magnitude images. Based on the good SNR in Figures 1 and 2, it appears that they are magnitude images. In conclusion, the corrected phase images provide a promising noninvasive method for iron quantification in human brain. We look forward to further technical developments to eliminate phase artifacts for improved contrast and more accurate diagnosis. Jun Zhang, MD Department of Radiology Huashan Hospital Fudan University Shanghai, China
Photoreceptor Fate Determination in the Vertebrate Retina

Photoreceptors are highly specialized primary sensory neurons that sense light and initiate vision. This critical role is well demonstrated by the fact that visual impairment accompanies photoreceptor loss or dysfunction in many human diseases. With the remarkable advances in stem cell research, one therapeutic approach is to use stem cells to generate photoreceptors and then engraft them into diseased eyes. Knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that control photoreceptor genesis during normal development can greatly aid in the production of photoreceptor cells for this approach. This article will discuss advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate photoreceptor fate determination during development. Recent lineage studies have shown that there are distinct retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) that produce specific combinations of daughter cell types, including photoreceptors and other types of retinal cells. Gene regulatory networks, in which transcription factors interact via cis-regulatory DNA elements, have been discovered that operate within distinct RPCs, and/or newly postmitotic cells, to direct the choice of photoreceptor fate.
Diagnosis of Infantile Spasms, Lennox‐Gastaut Syndrome, and Progressive Myoclonic Epilepsy

Summary: The epilepsies of childhood are distinguished by an interesting dichotomy between the benign and catastrophic disorders. Approximately 50% of children outgrow childhood epilepsy as they mature; although the disorder is disruptive for children and families alike, it is not considered a medical disaster. The catastrophic epilepsies of childhood, in contrast, are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Infantile spasms, Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome, and the progressive myoclonic epilepsies are correlated with significant disability and a multiplicity of underlying etiologies. Accurate diagnosis of both the syndrome and the etiology is very important for treatment purposes, as well as for family education, since many of the disorders have a significant genetic component.
High resolution measurement of cerebral blood flow using intravascular tracer bolus passages. Part II: Experimental comparison and preliminary results

This report evaluates several methods to map relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) by applying both parametric and non‐parametric techniques to deconvolve high resolution dynamic MRI measurements of paramagnetic bolus passages with noninvasively determined arterial inputs. We found a nonparametric (singular value decomposition (SVD)) deconvolution technique produced the most robust results, giving mean gray:white flow ratio of 2.7 ± 0.5 (SEM) in six normal volunteers, in excellent agreement with recent PET literature values for age‐matched subjects. Similar results were obtained by using a model‐dependent approach that assumes an exponential residue function, but not for a Gaussian‐shaped residue function or for either Fourier or regularization‐based model‐independent approaches. Pilot studies of our CBF mapping techniques in patients with tumor, stroke, and migraine aura demonstrated that these techniques can be readily used on data routinely acquired by using current echo planar imaging technology. By using these techniques, the authors visualized important regional hemodynamic changes not detectable with rCBV mapping algorithms.
The Role of Nutrients in Bone Health, from A to Z

Osteoporosis is a major public health problem, affecting millions of individuals. Dietary intake is an important modifiable factor for bone health. Inadequate intake of nutrients important to bone increases the risk for bone loss and subsequent osteoporosis. The process of bone formation requires an adequate and constant supply of nutrients, such as calcium, protein, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin D, potassium, and fluoride. However, there are several other vitamins and minerals needed for metabolic processes related to bone, including manganese, copper, boron, iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, and the B vitamins. Although the recommended levels of nutrients traditionally related to bone were aimed to promote bone mass and strength, the recommended levels of the other nutrients that also influence bone were set on different parameters, and may not be optimal for bone health, in view of recent epidemiological studies and clinical trials.
Tetracycline-Dependent Conditional Gene Knockout in Bacillus subtilis

ABSTRACT Reversible tetracycline-dependent gene regulation allows induction of expression with the tetracycline repressor (TetR) or gene silencing with the newly developed reverse mutant revTetR. We report here the implementation of both approaches with full regulatory range in gram-positive bacteria as exemplified in Bacillus subtilis. A chromosomally located gene is controlled by one or two tet operators. The precise adjustment of regulatory windows is accomplished by adjusting tetR or revtetR expression via different promoters. The most efficient induction was 300-fold in the presence of 0.4 μM anhydrotetracycline obtained with a Pr-xylA-tetR fusion. Reversible 500-fold gene knockouts were obtained in B. subtilis after adjusting expression of revTetR by synthetically designed promoters. We anticipate that these tools will also be useful in many other gram-positive bacteria.