Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Peptides Homologous to Extracellular Loop Motifs of Connexin 43 Reversibly Abolish Rhythmic Contractile Activity in Rabbit Arteries

1 Phenylephrine (10 μM) evoked rises in tension in isolated rings of endothelium‐denuded rabbit superior mesenteric artery. These increases consisted of a tonic component with superimposed rhythmic activity, the frequency of which generally remained constant over time but whose amplitude exhibited cycle‐to‐cycle variability. 2 The amplitude, but not the frequency, of the rhythmic activity was affected by a series of short peptides possessing sequence homology with extracellular loops 1 and 2 of connexin 43 (Cx43). Oscillatory behaviour was abolished at concentrations of 100–300 μM (IC50 of 20–30 μM), without change in average tone. No synergy was evident between peptides corresuponding to the extracellular loops, and cytoplasmic loop peptides were biologically inactive. 3 The putative gap junction inhibitor heptanol mimicked the action of the extracellular loop peptides and abolished rhythmic activity at concentrations of 100–300 μM without effects on frequency. However, in marked contrast to the peptides, heptanol completely inhibited the contraction evoked by phenylephrine (IC50, 283 ± 28 μM). 4 The presence of mRNA encoding Cx32, Cx40 and Cx43 was detected in the rabbit superior mesenteric artery by reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction. Western blot analysis showed that Cx43 was the major connexin in the endothelium‐denuded vessel wall. 5 We conclude that intercellular communication between vascular smooth muscle cells via gap junctions is essential for synchronized rhythmic activity in isolated arterial tissue, whereas tonic force development appears to be independent of cell‐cell coupling. The molecular specificity of the peptide probes employed in the study suggests that the smooth muscle relaxant effects of heptanol may be non‐supecific and unrelated to inhibition of gap junctional communication.
Internalizing behaviours in school‐age children born very preterm are predicted by neonatal pain and morphine exposure

Greater neonatal pain is associated with higher internalizing behaviours in very preterm infants at 18 months corrected age, but it is unknown whether this relationship persists to school age. Moreover, it is unclear whether morphine ameliorates or exacerbates the potential influence of neonatal pain/stress on internalizing behaviours. We examined whether neonatal pain‐related stress is associated with internalizing behaviours at age 7 years in children born very preterm, and whether morphine affects this relationship.
LysM Domain Receptor Kinases Regulating Rhizobial Nod Factor-Induced Infection

The rhizobial infection of legumes has the most stringent demand toward Nod factor structure of all host responses, and therefore a specific Nod factor entry receptor has been proposed. The SYM2 gene identified in certain ecotypes of pea (Pisum sativum) is a good candidate for such an entry receptor. We exploited the close phylogenetic relationship of pea and the model legume Medicago truncatula to identify genes specifically involved in rhizobial infection. The SYM2 orthologous region of M. truncatula contains 15 putative receptor-like genes, of which 7 are LysM domain–containing receptor-like kinases (LYKs). Using reverse genetics in M. truncatula, we show that two LYK genes are specifically involved in infection thread formation. This, as well as the properties of the LysM domains, strongly suggests that they are Nod factor entry receptors.
Microparticle sizing by dynamic light scattering in fresh‐frozen plasma

Background We have previously shown that fresh‐frozen plasma (FFP) contains red blood cell‐derived procoagulant microparticles (MPs) that are removable by 0·2 µm filtration. Given the limitations of current methods for accurately sizing MPs, we have applied the novel approach of dynamic light scattering (DLS) to characterize the size distributions of these MPs within FFP.
Novel anti‐ErbB3 monoclonal antibodies show therapeutic efficacy in xenografted and spontaneous mouse tumors

The role of the ErbB3 receptor in signal transduction is to augment the signaling repertoire of active heterodimeric ErbB receptor complexes through activating the PI3K/AKT pathway, which in turn promotes survival and proliferation. ErbB3 has recently been proposed to be involved in acquired resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), and is therefore a promising new drug cancer target. Since ErbB3 is a kinase defective receptor, it cannot be targeted by small molecule inhibitors, whereas monoclonal antibodies may offer a viable strategy for pharmacological intervention. In this study, we have utilized DNA electroporation (DNA‐EP) to generate a set of novel hybridomas directed against human ErbB3, which have been characterized for their biochemical and functional properties and selected for their ability to negatively regulate the ErbB3‐mediated signaling pathway. In vitro, the anti‐ErbB3 antibodies modulate the growth rate of cancer cells of different origins. In vivo they show antitumoral properties in a xenograft model of human pancreatic tumor and in the ErbB2‐driven carcinogenesis genetically engineered mouse model (GEMM) for mammary tumor, the BALB/neuT. Our data confirm that downregulating the ErbB3‐mediated signals with the use of anti‐ErbB3 monoclonal antibodies is both feasible and relevant for therapeutic purposes and provides new opportunities for novel anti‐ErbB3 combinatory strategies for cancer treatment. J. Cell. Physiol. 227: 3381–3388, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Blood Levels of 17-Hydroxycorticosteroids in Hyperthermic Dogs.∗

Summary Twenty-four dogs were subjected to an ambient temperature of sufficient magnitude to elevate rectal temperatures to 42.5†C for one hour. These animals were studied with regard to plasma 17-hydroxycorticosteroid concentration and plasma and erythrocyte electrolyte levels. Significant changes were observed in all measured variables with the exception of plasma Na concentration, which was not altered from the control value. The physiological implications of these data are discussed.
Dietary folate and vitamin B12 intake and cognitive decline among community-dwelling older persons.

BACKGROUND Deficiencies in folate and vitamin B12 have been associated with neurodegenerative disease. OBJECTIVE To examine the association between rates of age-related cognitive change and dietary intakes of folate and vitamin B12. DESIGN Prospective study performed from 1993 to 2002. SETTING Geographically defined biracial community in Chicago, Ill. PARTICIPANTS A total of 3718 residents, 65 years and older, who completed 2 to 3 cognitive assessments and a food frequency questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Change in cognitive function measured at baseline and 3-year and 6-year follow-ups, using the average z score of 4 tests: the East Boston Tests of immediate and delayed recall, the Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Symbol Digit Modalities Test. RESULTS High folate intake was associated with a faster rate of cognitive decline in mixed models adjusted for multiple risk factors. The rate of cognitive decline among persons in the top fifth of total folate intake (median, 742 microg/d) was more than twice that of those in the lowest fifth of intake (median, 186 microg/d), a statistically significant difference of 0.02 standardized unit per year (P = .002). A faster rate of cognitive decline was also associated with high folate intake from food (P for trend = .04) and with folate vitamin supplementation of more than 400 microg/d compared with nonusers (beta = -.03, P<.001). High total B12 intake was associated with slower cognitive decline only among the oldest participants. CONCLUSIONS High intake of folate may be associated with cognitive decline in older persons. These unexpected findings call for further study of the cognitive implications of high levels of dietary folate in older populations.
An analysis of coherent integration and its application to signal detection

An important characteristic of coherent integrators is that their effective bandwidth decreases as the integration time increases. If it is only known that a weak signal occurs somewhere in a given frequency range, then the number of integration channels required to cover the specified range increases as the amount of coherent integration is increased. However, each integration channel can independently cause a false alarm, although only the particular channel in which the signal appears can cause a true alarm. The question arises therefore whether it is profitable to lengthen the coherent integration period to increase the signal-to-noise ratio when doing so requires an increase in the number of integration channels. This problem is investigated analytically. Numerical results appropriate for system design are presented as a series of graphs of missed-signal probability vs number of integration channels, with initial signal-to-noise ratio and over-all false alarm probability as parameters. Also included is a detailed analysis of statistical properties of ideal and approximate ideal coherent integrators.
From Generic to Branded: A Model of Spillover in Paid Search Advertising

In Internet paid search advertising, marketers pay for search engines to serve text advertisements in response to keyword searches that are generic (e.g., “hotels”) or branded (e.g., “Hilton Hotels”). Although standalone metrics usually show that generic keywords have higher apparent costs to the advertiser than branded keywords, generic search may create a spillover effect on subsequent branded search. Building on the Nerlove–Arrow advertising framework, the authors propose a dynamic linear model to capture the potential spillover from generic to branded paid search. In the model, generic search advertisements serve to expose users to information about the brand's ability to meet their needs, raising awareness that the brand is relevant to the search. In turn, this can induce additional future search activity for keywords that include the brand name. Using a Bayesian estimation approach, the authors apply the model to data from a paid search campaign for a major lodging chain. The results show that generic search activity positively affects future branded search activity through awareness of relevance. However, branded search does not affect generic search, demonstrating that the spillover is asymmetric. The findings have implications for understanding search behavior on the Internet and the management of paid search advertising.
The Dirac and Klein-Gordon equations with equal scalar and vector potentials

We study the three-dimensional Dirac and Klein-Gordon equations with scalar and vector potentials of equal amplitudes as an attempt to present a critique for the interpretation of this class of problems which has recently been accumulating interest. We consider a large class of these problems in which the potentials are noncentral (angulardependent) such that the equations separate completely in spherical coordinates. The relativistic energy spectra are obtained and compared to well-established results. Consequently, we prove (by examples) that solutions of such problems do not constitute the correct relativistic extension of the given potentials despite the fact that the nonrelativistic limit is correct. The Coulomb, Oscillator and Hartmann potentials are considered. This shows that although the nonrelativistic limit is well-defined and unique, the relativistic extension is not. Additionally, we investigate the Klein-Gordon equation with uneven mix of potentials leading to the correct relativistic extension. We consider the case of spherically symmetric exponential-type potentials resulting in the s-wave KleinGordon-Morse problem.
Hearing the Other Side Revisited: The Joint Workings of Cross-Cutting Discussion and Strong Tie Homogeneity in Facilitating Deliberative and Participatory Democracy

This study seeks to shed light on the highly publicized democracy dilemma signaling that encountering disagreement tends to promote deliberative democracy, while the same experience can dampen a citizen’s motivation to participate. By assessing the processes wherein the joint workings of cross-cutting discussion and strong tie homogeneity are simultaneously associated with the outcomes of deliberative and participatory democracy, we provide a number of key insights into the puzzling quandary. First, our results indicate that cross-cutting discussion and strong tie homogeneity interact with each other to predict increased political participation. Second, the relationship between cross-cutting discussion and preference for open dialogue is stronger for those who belong to a congenial primary network. Third, efficacious individuals seem more capable of translating the benefits of an ongoing deliberative orientation into meaningful political behavior. The current research suggests that deliberation and participation can go hand in hand under a particular network context.
Multi-view image denoising based on graphical model of surface patch

The paper targets denoising of multi-view images with both intra-view and inter-view redundancy exploited under the guidance of 3-D geometry constraints. A graphical model of surface patches from each view of the multi-view image sequence is proposed to model the redundancy more effectively and efficiently. Patches are clustered according to their similarities between each other measured by the geodesic distance on the graph. Noises are attenuated via Wiener filtering on the sparse representations transformed by DCT of these patches. The graphical model is first used in image denoising and outperforms the state-of-the-art de-noising methods on the multi-view image sequence because the model fits the feature of the two kinds of redundancy very well. Furthermore, the 3-D model reconstructed from multi-view images denoised by our method is more accurate and complete compared with those reconstructed from denoised images by other methods.
The prevalence of minor psychiatric morbidity in the community

Synopsis The method is described of a point-prevalence survey of minor psychiatric morbidity among a sample of healthy community residents. The General Health Questionnaire was used as the sole means of case identification. The demographic characteristics of the sample were compared in detail with those of the total population. The factors mainly responsible for sample bias were difficulty with the English language, the varying degree of personal contact made with residents, and the difficulty in contacting the employed population during working hours. The overall response rate of the survey was 66·%. The demographic groups found to be at significantly higher risk for minor psychiatric morbidity included women, the young, non-British migrant women, and lower social class men.
Prevalence of Pulmonary Embolism in Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department for Syncope

The Research to Practice column is intended to improve the research critique skills of the advanced practice registered nurse and the emergency nurse (RN) and to assist with the translation of research into practice. For each column, a topic and a research study are selected. The research article is then reviewed and critiqued, and the findings are discussed in relation to a patient scenario. In this column, we examine the findings of P. Prandoni et al. (2016) from their article, titled “Prevalence of Pulmonary Embolism Among Patients Hospitalized for Syncope. ”
Iterative soft interference cancellation for multiple antenna systems

This paper proposes an iterative soft interference cancellation scheme for a multiple antenna system. The proposed scheme is derived from the maximum a posteriori (MAP) criterion. At each iteration, the a posteriori probability is obtained by cancelling out the previous soft symbols, new soft symbols are calculated based on the a posteriori probability, and the total interference-plus-noise power is dynamically updated to account for the uncertainty in the soft symbols. The computational cost of the proposed algorithm grows linearly with the number of antennas while that of the optimum MAP detector grows exponentially. Simulations results show that an SNR gain of about 3 to 5 dB can be obtained by the proposed soft cancellation scheme.
Quantifying developer experiences via heuristic and psychometric evaluation

A previous report identified several usability and learnability problems with integrated development environments (IDE) for Java. That report also cast these problems as examples of a conceptual gap between developer mental models and how programs are represented in IDEs. This present study extends the previous work through heuristic and psychometric assessment of problems reported by both experienced and inexperienced developers in their use of an IDE for C++. The results indicate that both groups identified similar kinds of ease-of-use problems, especially concerning program learnability and visibility (e.g., the usefulness of error and help messages). These findings are discussed in relation to other research results about developers' experiences with CASE tools and conceptual gaps between the tools and their users.
Lasing characteristics of low-threshold oxide confinement InGaAs-GaAlAs vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Some lasing characteristics of index-guided InGaAs-GaAlAs vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL's) with a native oxide confinement structure, which produced a low threshold current of 70 /spl mu/A, are presented. It was found that nonradiative recombination was reduced and the estimated surface recombination velocity was almost negligible. The oxidation process was uniform to produce low threshold devices while the oxidation rate was dependent on the doping or composition of DBR's. <<ETX>>
Characterization of Bacterial Communities in Venous Insufficiency Wounds by Use of Conventional Culture and Molecular Diagnostic Methods

ABSTRACT Microbial infections delay wound healing, but the effect of the composition of the wound microbiome on healing parameters is unknown. To better understand bacterial communities in chronic wounds, we analyzed debridement samples from lower-extremity venous insufficiency ulcers using the following: conventional anaerobic and aerobic bacterial cultures; the Ibis T5000 universal biosensor (Abbott Molecular); and 16S 454 FLX titanium series pyrosequencing (Roche). Wound debridement samples were obtained from 10 patients monitored clinically for at least 6 months, at which point 5 of the 10 sampled wounds had healed. Pyrosequencing data revealed significantly higher bacterial abundance and diversity in wounds that had not healed at 6 months. Additionally, Actinomycetales was increased in wounds that had not healed, and Pseudomonadaceae was increased in wounds that had healed by the 6-month follow-up. Baseline wound surface area, duration, or analysis by Ibis or conventional culture did not reveal significant differences between wounds that healed after 6 months and those that did not. Thus, pyrosequencing identified distinctive baseline characteristics of wounds that did not heal by the 6-month follow-up, furthering our understanding of potentially unique microbiome characteristics of chronic wounds.
An Exploratory Study on Needs of Parents of Adults with a Severe Learning Disability in a Residential Setting

Parents are the key figures in the lifelong rehabilitation of adult children with a learning disability, including those who have a severe learning disability (i.e., having an IQ level between 20-25 and 35-40) (Hong Kong Rehabilitation Programme Plan, 1999). To provide specialized care, parents have to cope with a great deal of parenting demands. The purpose of this study was to explore parental needs in caring for adult children with a severe learning disability in residential setting. Focus group research design was adopted. Twenty-five parents of adults with a severe learning disability from a hospital in Hong Kong were invited to participate in five focus group interviews. The data were analysed by content analysis. Inter-coder reliability was established with inter-coder agreement of 0.8. Six broad categories of parental needs were revealed. Findings of the study may assist nurses to plan appropriate care for both the parents and the residents.
Frequency-domain estimates for transient attributes of discrete phase systems

A multidimensional discrete control system with periodic nonlinearity is investigated. Its two important charac- teristics: the transient time and a number of slipped cycles are considered. By means of Lyapunov direct method and Yakubovich-Kalman theorem certain estimates of these two attributes are obtained. They are formulated as frequency- domain criteria.
Modeling and design of a hybrid MEMS motor

This paper addresses the design of a new hybrid MEMS micromotor. It gives insights on the choices, which led to the fabrication of a small 3-phases axial flux BLDC motor. The stator is developed following the almost CMOS technology rules used for MEMS manufacturing and the coils have two copper layers. The rotor is made of a ring permanent magnet assembled over the stator chip. The stator design has been performed using an analytical model presented in the paper and validated using finite elements and measurements on the prototype.
Tokyo University Digital

We present our basic philosophy and concept of Tokyo University Digital Museum. The main goal of our activity is to propose new forms of museums of the future in which digital technologies support all kinds of museum activities such as gathering, preserving, researching, exhibiting, and educating about collections. Further, we report our novel digital technologies for the digital museum such as media and human interface technologies for new exhibition styles and data processing technologies for digital archiving of cultural or historical materials. Lastly, we conclude with observation for the museum of the future.
Generic Neighborhood Operators

A method that treats linear neighborhood operators within a unified framework that enables linear combinations, concatenations, resolution changes, or rotations of operators to be treated in a canonical manner is presented. Various families of operators with special kinds of symmetries (such as translation, rotation, magnification) are explicitly constructed in 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D. A concept of 'order' is defined, and finite orthonormal bases of functions closely connected with the operators of various orders are constructed. Linear transformations between the various representations are considered. The method is based on two fundamental assumptions: a decrease of resolution should not introduce spurious detail, and the local operators should be self-similar under changes of resolution. These assumptions merely sum up the even more general need for homogeneity isotropy, scale invariance, and separability of independent dimensions of front-end processing in the absence of a priori information. >