Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Role for Receptor Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase λ in Midbrain Development

The mid-hindbrain boundary (MHB) harbors an important organizing center for the adjacent brain regions. Here, we present evidence that the receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase λ (RPTPλ) is part of the complex molecular network that maintains and shapes the MHB region. RPTPλ is expressed in a tight band of cells in the caudal midbrain, anterior to the transverse ring of Wnt1 expression. Forced expression of RPTPλ across the mid-hindbrain region repressed expression of Wnt1, whereas RNA interference-mediated knock-down of RPTPλ resulted in expansion and distortion of the Wnt1 domain. When ectopically expressed in the mesencephalon, RPTPλ specifically inhibited the induction of Wnt1 expression after subsequent stimulation with Fgf8. Reduced Wnt1 expression after RPTPλ transfection correlated with a decrease in Ras- mitogen-activated protein kinase activity at the MHB. We further show that in the embryonic midbrain, RPTPλ can bind to β-catenin, a central component of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. Overexpression of RPTPλ suppressed the activity of a β-catenin responsive promoter in the midbrain and reduced progenitor cell proliferation. Cotransfection of Wnt1 or of a stabilized form of β-catenin together with RPTPλ partially rescued the RPTPλ-mediated proliferation defect. Together, these data suggest that RPTPλ may play a dual role in the control of midbrain development: as a negative modulator of Fgf8-induced Wnt1 expression at the MHB, which may help to confine the Wnt1 domain to it characteristic tight ring at the MHB; and as an inhibitor of canonical Wnt signaling through interaction with and presumably sequestration of β-catenin.
High-speed digital imaging of cytosolic Ca2+ and contraction in single cardiomyocytes.

A charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, with the capacity for simultaneous spatially resolved photon counting and rapid frame transfer, was utilized for high-speed digital image collection from an inverted epifluorescence microscope. The unique properties of the CCD detector were applied to an analysis of cell shortening and the Ca2+ transient from fluorescence images of fura-2-loaded [corrected] cardiomyocytes. On electrical stimulation of the cell, a series of sequential subimages was collected and used to create images of Ca2+ within the cell during contraction. The high photosensitivity of the camera, combined with a detector-based frame storage technique, permitted collection of fluorescence images 10 ms apart. This rate of image collection was sufficient to resolve the rapid events of contraction, e.g., the upstroke of the Ca2+ transient (less than 40 ms) and the time to peak shortening (less than 80 ms). The technique was used to examine the effects of beta-adrenoceptor activation, fura-2 load, and stimulus frequency on cytosolic Ca2+ transients and contractions of single cardiomyocytes. beta-Adrenoceptor stimulation resulted in pronounced increases in peak Ca2+, maximal rates of rise and decay of Ca2+, extent of shortening, and maximal velocities of shortening and relaxation. Raising the intracellular load of fura-2 had little effect on the rising phase of Ca2+ or the extent of shortening but extended the duration of the Ca2+ transient and contraction. In related experiments utilizing differential-interference contrast microscopy, the same technique was applied to visualize sarcomere dynamics in contracting cells. This newly developed technique is a versatile tool for analyzing the Ca2+ transient and mechanical events in studies of excitation-contraction coupling in cardiomyocytes.
Feeding behavior and aggression in wild Siberut macaques (Macaca siberu) living under low predation risk

Investigating which factors influence feeding competition is crucial for our understanding of the diversity of social relationships. Socio‐ecological models differ in their predictions whether predation risk directly influences feeding competition and which factors exactly predict contest competition. We investigated feeding competition in Siberut macaques (Macaca siberu), a species endemic to Siberut Island (West Sumatra, Indonesia). Siberut macaques experience low predation risk, as major predators (felids, raptors) are absent. They are therefore appropriate subjects to test the prediction that low predation risk reduces feeding competition. To estimate contest potential, we quantified size, spatial distribution and density of food plants, and the availability of alternative resources. We recorded behavior in food patches using a modified focal tree method. Food patches, sorted by decreasing average feeding group size, included large trees (40% of focal plant observations), lianas/strangler (16%), medium trees (9%), small (palm) trees (20%), and rattan (15%). Most food patches were clumped but occurred at low densities relative to the area of average group spread. Thus, availability of alternative food patches was low. Although food patch characteristics indicate high contest potential, the observed aggression rate (0.13 bouts between adults/h) was low relative to other primates. Average feeding group size was small relative to total group size, and feeding group size matched crown volume. Perceived predation risk was low, based on spatial and feeding behavior of juveniles. Together, these results suggest that predation risk may influence feeding competition. Social and temporal factors (patch feeding time), but not ecological factors (fruit abundance in patch and forest, alternative resources) predicted aggression frequency in food patches. Overall, comparative data are still relatively scarce, and researchers should collect more data on group spread, sub‐grouping, perceived predation risk, and aggression in food patches before we can draw final conclusions about the role of predation risk for feeding competition. Am. J. Primatol. 77:741–752, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Low-complexity channel estimation for beyond 3G systems

A robust minimum mean squared error (MMSE) channel estimation algorithm that does not rely on a priori knowledge of the channel statistics gives good results with MC-CDMA systems. The robust MMSE estimator takes advantages of the correlation between all Np pilot-subcarriers and requires one Np/spl times/Np matrix inversion for each pilot symbol of the burst structure. This complexity can be large depending on the number of pilot subcarriers in the system. The paper presents and analyses two low-complexity suboptimal approximations of the robust MMSE channel estimator. A complexity versus performance degradation comparison is done. The performance is presented in terms of mean square error for a 1024 tone MC-CDMA system over ETSI BRAN mobile channel models.
Human immunodeficiency virus disease severity, psychiatric symptoms, and functional outcomes in perinatally infected youth.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate associations between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease severity and psychiatric and functional outcomes in youth with perinatal HIV infection. DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis of entry data from an observational,prospective 2-year study.Logistic and linear regression models adjusted for potential confounders were used. SETTING Twenty-nine sites of the International Maternal Pediatrics Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Group study in the United States and Puerto Rico. PARTICIPANTS Youth aged 6 to 17 years who had HIV infection (N=319). MAIN EXPOSURES Antiretroviral treatment and perinatal HIV infection. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Youth and primary caregivers were administered an extensive battery of measures that assessed psychiatric symptoms; cognitive, social,and academic functioning; and quality of life. RESULTS Characteristics of HIV were a current CD4 percentage of 25% or greater (74% of participants), HIV RNA levels of less than 400 copies/mL (59%), and current highly active antiretroviral therapy (81%). Analyses indicated associations of past and current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention class C designation with less severe attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder inattention symptoms,older age at nadir CD4 percentage and lower CD4 percentage at study entry with more severe conduct disorder symptoms,higher RNA viral load at study entry with more severe depression symptoms, and lower CD4 percentage atstudy entry with less severe symptoms of depression. There was little evidence of an association between specific antiretroviral therapy and severity of psychiatric symptoms.A lower nadir CD4 percentage was associated with lower quality of life, worse Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Coding Recall scores, and worse social functioning. CONCLUSION Human immunodeficiency virus illness severity markers are associated with the severity of some psychiatric symptoms and, notably, with cognitive, academic,and social functioning, all of which warrant additional study.
Logistic Regression With Incomplete Covariate Data in Complex Survey Sampling: Application of Reweighted Estimating Equations

Weighted survey data with missing data for some covariates presents a substantial challenge for analysis. We addressed this problem by using a reweighting technique in a logistic regression model to estimate parameters. Each survey weight was adjusted by the inverse of the probability that the possibly missing covariate was observed. The reweighted estimating equations procedure was compared with a complete case analysis (after discarding any subjects with missing data) in a simulation study to assess bias reduction. The method was also applied to data obtained from a national health survey (National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey or NHANES). Adjusting the sampling weights by the inverse probability of being completely observed appears to be effective in accounting for missing data and reducing the bias of the complete case estimate of the regression coefficients.
Killing of spores of Bacillus subtilis by tert‐butyl hydroperoxide plus a TAML® activator

Aims: To determine the effectiveness of tert‐butyl hydroperoxide (tBHP) plus the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and a tetraamido macrocyclic ligand (TAML®) activator in killing spores of Bacillus subtilis and the mechanisms of spore resistance to and killing by this reagent.
Time-Wavelength Reflectance Maps of Photonic Crystal Waveguides: A New View on Disorder-Induced Scattering

We investigate the impact of disorder on the propagation of photonic crystal waveguide modes using phase-sensitive optical low-coherence reflectometry.Combined with a suitable numerical processing, this technique reveals a considerable amount of information that we cast as time-wavelength reflectance maps. By comparing measurements on different samples, we easily identify inter-mode scattering and propagation losses mediated by slow leaky modes. We also characterize the dispersive behaviour of point defects. Our results verify previous theoretical predictions about the general group velocity scaling of losses and the dominant role of backscattering.
SAND 2009-7034 Unlimited Release Printed 20 0 Studies on Metal-Dielectric Plasmonic Structures

The interaction of light with nanostructured metal leads to a number of fascinating phenomena, including plasmon oscillations that can be harnessed for a variety of cutting-edge applications. Plasmon oscillation modes are the collective oscillation of free electrons in metals under incident light. Previously, surface plasmon modes have been used for communication, sensing, nonlinear optics and novel physics studies. In this report, we describe the scientific research completed on metal-dielectric plasmonic films accomplished during a multi-year Purdue Excellence in Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship sponsored by Sandia National Laboratories. A variety of plasmonic structures, from random 2D metal-dielectric films to 3D composite metal-dielectric films, have been studied in this research for applications such as surface-enhanced Raman sensing, tunable superlenses with resolutions beyond the diffraction limit, enhanced molecular absorption, infrared obscurants, and other real-world applications.
Calcium handling and role of endothelin-1 in monocrotaline right ventricular hypertrophy of the rat.

We investigated the role of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in right ventricular function and intracellular Ca(2+)(Ca(2+)(i)) handling of isolated perfused rat hearts with right ventricular hypertrophy induced by monocrotaline (50 mg/kg). Nine weeks after monocrotaline (n=9) or saline (control n=9) treatment, hearts were perfused isovolumically at 37 degrees C and right ventricular function (fluid-filled balloon), right ventricular intracellular Ca(2+) transients (aequorin bioluminescence method) and the effects of ET-1 were determined. Monocrotaline-treated rats developed considerable right ventricular hypertrophy (right ventricular weight:body weight ratio: 1.07+/-0.13 v. 0.60+/-0.03 in controls P<0.05) and these hearts generated higher right ventricular systolic and diastolic pressure, but similar systolic and diastolic wall stress, indicating a compensated functional state. Hypertrophied hearts demonstrated a prolonged duration of isovolumic contraction (time to 90% decline from peak: 105+/-1 v 89+/-4 ms at 3 m M extracellular Ca(2+) P<0.05), but neither the time to peak pressure (71+/-3 ms) nor time to peak light (25+/-3 ms) were different from controls. The increased duration of contraction correlated with a similar prolongation of the Ca(2+)transient (time to 90% decline from peak: 72+/-4 v 50+/-3 ms P<0.05), indicating a reduced rate of Ca(2+)sequestration in hypertrophic right ventricles. Peak systolic intracellular Ca(2+)was similar in control and hypertrophied hearts (1.04+/-0.02 and 0.99+/-0.02 microM, P>0.05, n=6). ET-1 (1-300 p M) affected neither the time course of right ventricular contraction nor that of the Ca(2+)transient or peak systolic Ca(2+)concentrations. These data are the first measurements of right ventricular Ca(2+)transients in beating normal and hypertrophic hearts. We conclude that ET-1 plays no role in compensated hypertrophy because it affected neither right ventricular function nor intracellular Ca(2+)handling in this model.
Factors influencing cosmetic outcome and complication risk after conservative surgery and radiotherapy for early-stage breast carcinoma.

PURPOSE The study was undertaken to assess the relationship among cosmesis and complications to factors related to disease presentation, surgical and radiotherapeutic technique, and adjuvant systemic therapy in conservative treatment for early-stage breast carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between 1982 and 1988, 234 women with stage I/II breast carcinoma were treated with conservation therapy by a highly standardized protocol of limited excision and radiotherapy. Radiation boost and/or reexcision were determined by careful quantitation of the normal tissue margin around the primary tumor. Boosts to 20 Gy were preferentially performed with interstitial iridium-192 (192Ir) implants. Axillary node dissections were performed in all patients aged less than 70 years. Adjuvant therapy consisted of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, (doxorubicin), and fluorouracil (CM[A]F) six to eight times for node-positive premenopausal women and tamoxifen for node-positive or -negative postmenopausal women. Median follow-up was 50 months (range, 20 to 80 months). Cosmesis was graded by defined criteria, and complications were individually scored. RESULTS Factors found to impact cosmesis adversely were palpable tumors (P = .046), volume of breast tissue resected (P = .027), reexcision of the tumor bed (P = .01), number of radiation fields (P = .03), radiation boost (P = .01), and chest wall separation (P = .01). There was a trend toward worse cosmesis (P = .062) in patients receiving tamoxifen. Cosmesis was not adversely affected by interstitial implant in spite of a higher prescribed dose. Factors influencing complication risk were axillary node dissection (P = .02), number of lymph nodes harvested (P = .05), and chemotherapy (P = .03). CONCLUSIONS Optimal cosmesis and minimal complication risk require careful attention to the technical details of surgery and radiotherapy. The impact of systemic therapies needs to be more thoroughly examined.
Establishment of a Serum Tumor Marker for Preclinical Trials of Mouse Prostate Cancer Models

Current prostate cancer research in both basic and preclinical trial studies employ genetically engineered mouse models. However, unlike in human prostate cancer patients, rodents have no counterpart of prostatic-specific antigen (PSA) for monitoring prostate cancer initiation and progression. In this study, we established a mouse serum tumor marker from a mouse homologue of human prostate secretory protein of 94 amino acids (PSP94). Immunohistochemistry studies on different histologic grades from both transgenic and knock-in mouse prostate cancer models showed the down-regulation of tissue PSP94 expression (P < 0.001), the same as for PSA and PSP94 in humans. The presence of mouse serum PSP94 was shown by affinity column and immunoprecipitation purification using a polyclonal mouse PSP94 antibody. A competitive ELISA protocol was established to quantify serum PSP94 levels with a sensitivity of 1 ng/mL. Quantified serum levels of mouse PSP94 ranged from 49.84 ng/mL in wild-type mice to 113.86, 400.45, and 930.90 ng/mL in mouse prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia with microinvasion, well differentiated, moderately differentiated, and poorly differentiated prostate cancer genetically engineered prostate cancer mice, respectively (P < 0.01, n = 68). This increase in serum PSP94 is also well correlated with age and tumor weight. Through longitudinal monitoring of serum PSP94 levels of castrated mice (androgen ablation therapy), we found a correlation between responsiveness/refractory prostate tissues and serum PSP94 levels. The utility of mouse serum PSP94 as a marker in hormone therapy was further confirmed by three-dimensional ultrasound imaging. The establishment of the first rodent prostate cancer serum biomarker will greatly facilitate both basic and preclinical research on human prostate cancer.
Cigarette Smoking and Neonatal Outcomes in Depressed and Nondepressed Opioid-dependent Agonist-Maintained Pregnant Patients

AimTo investigate whether cigarette smoking and/or depression contribute to neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) severity. DesignCohort study analyzing data from a randomized controlled trial of methadone versus buprenorphine. SettingSeven study sites that randomized patients to study conditions and provided comprehensive addiction treatment to pregnant patients. ParticipantsA total of 119 of 131 opioid-dependent pregnant patients who completed the MOTHER study. MeasurementsSmoking data and depression status were obtained from the Addiction Severity Index and Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, respectively. Neonatal outcomes (birth weight, preterm delivery, and NAS pharmacologic treatment) were collected from the medical charts. Study site was a fixed-effect factor in all analyses. FindingsCigarette smoking was reported by 94% of participants and depression identified in 35%. Smoking was associated with low birth weight, preterm delivery, and NAS pharmacologic treatment in both depressed and nondepressed participants. The association between smoking and NAS treatment differed significantly between depressed and nondepressed participants. Among nondepressed participants, adjusting for site and illicit drug use, each additional average cigarette per day (CPD) increased the odds of NAS treatment by 12% (95% confidence interval: 1.02-1.23; P=0.02). Among depressed participants, each additional average CPD did not statistically increase the odds of NAS treatment (odds ratio: 0.94; 95% confidence interval: 0.84-1.04; P=0.23). ConclusionsThese results are consistent with the hypothesis that NAS expression is influenced by many factors. The relationship between CPD and NAS pharmacologic treatment is attenuated among depressed women in this study for reasons currently unknown. Further investigations are needed to clarify the complex relationships among maternal smoking, depression, and NAS.
Mobile augmented reality system for Design Drawing visualization

This paper suggests 3D Model Visualization System of Design Drawing based on Mobile Augmented Reality which supports information needed in real environment, which is made with adding virtual 3D objects to the 2D drawing by applying technology of augmented reality. The proposed visual system makes those who don't have any specialized knowledge understand the drawing easily, because 3D model is augmented over the drawing through camera of smart phone was added without any marker. Recognition time of suggested 3D model visualization system is reduced roughly 4 to 33 % compared with the existing method by extracting and matching feature point only in ROI, and recognition rate shows improvement of 5 to 15% Performance testing on the Android phone of the proposed system shows display of video faster over 7 to 8 frame per second compared to the existing method.
Retinal blood flow and vascular reactivity in chronic smokers.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of cigarette smoking in otherwise healthy young individuals on retinal blood flow (RBF) and vascular reactivity (RVR). METHODS An automated gas flow controller (RespirAct) was used to achieve normoxic hypercapnia in 10 nonsmokers (mean age 28.9; SD 4.6 years) and nine smokers (mean age 27.55; SD 4.7 years). Retinal blood flow measurements were obtained using a prototype Doppler spectral-domain optical coherence tomographer (SD-OCT) and bidirectional laser Doppler velocimetry and simultaneous vessel densitometry during baseline, normoxic hypercapnia, and recovery. Group mean PETCO2 (end-tidal partial pressure of CO2) was increased by 15.9% in the nonsmoking group and by 15.7% in the smoking group, with a concomitant increase in PETO2 (end-tidal partial pressure of O2) by approximately 1.5% to 2% in both groups. RESULTS In nonsmokers, retinal arteriolar diameter (P < 0.0001), centerline velocity (P = 0.0004), and blood flow (P < 0.0001) significantly increased during normoxic hypercapnia. Similarly, the venous area (P = 0.0418), venous velocity (P = 0.0068), and total venous RBF (P < 0.0001), as measured by the prototype Doppler SD-OCT, significantly increased. In smokers, normoxic hypercapnia resulted in a significant increase in velocity (P = 0.0019), flow (P = 0.0029), and total venous RBF (P = 0.002). Comparing smokers and nonsmokers, the percentage change in arteriolar diameter (P = 0.0379) and blood flow (P = 0.0101) was significantly lower in the smoking group. There was no significant difference in baseline PETCO2 level between smokers and nonsmokers. CONCLUSIONS Retinal vascular reactivity in response to normoxic hypercapnia is significantly reduced in young, healthy smokers compared with nonsmokers.
Grouping-Based Nonadditive Verification

Verification is the final decision stage in many object recognition processes. It is carried out by evaluating a score for every hypothesis and choosing the hypotheses associated with the highest score. This paper suggests a grouping-based verification paradigm, relying on the observation that a group of data features belonging to a hypothesized object instance should be a "good group". Therefore, it should support perceptual grouping information available from the image by grouping relations. The proposed score, which is the joint likelihood of these grouping cues, quantifies this observation in a probabilistic framework. Experiments with synthetic and real images show that the proposed method performs better in difficult cases.