Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
TRAIL/Apo‐2‐ligand‐induced apoptosis in human T cells

Members of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family such as CD95 (APO‐1/Fas) ligand (L) trigger apoptosis in lymphoid cells. Recently, a new member of apoptosis‐inducing ligands, TRAIL (TNF‐related‐apoptosis‐inducing‐ligand)/Apo‐2 ligand, was identified that might act in a similar way. We compared TRAIL and CD95L‐induced apoptosis in human lymphoid cells. Expression of TRAIL was found in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells following activation, suggesting that TRAIL participates in T cell‐mediated induction of apoptosis. Similar to CD95L, TRAIL‐induced apoptosis in target cells is mediated by activation of caspases (ICE/Ced‐3 proteases). However, different human lymphoid cell lines and peripheral T cells differ in sensitivity towards induction of apoptosis by TRAIL and CD95L. In addition, T cells are highly sensitive towards CD95L‐induced apoptosis after prolonged activation in vitro, but remain completely resistant to TRAIL‐induced apoptosis. In contrast, T cells from HIV‐1‐infected patients previously shown to exhibit increased CD95 sensitivity are even more susceptible towards TRAIL‐induced cell death. These data suggest that TRAIL might participate in CD95‐independent apoptosis of lymphoid cells and might be involved in deregulated apoptosis in diseases such as leukemias and HIV‐1 infection.
A Smoothing Dynamic Model for Irregularly Time-Spaced Longitudinal Data

In nondesigned longitudinal observational studies, irregularly spaced measurements are commonly present over a period of follow-up time. We propose a smoothing dynamic model, based on the idea of varying coefficients, to analyze this highly unbalanced longitudinal data. The estimate of model parameters can be obtained by implementing a well-developed B-splines technique. Our method is illustrated with data from a primary care based longitudinal cohort of rheumatoid arthritis patients. The results show that the effects of some risk factors might be underestimated by an intention-to-treat analysis using a last-value-carried-forward method.
The Effects of Eccentric Conditioning Stimuli on Subsequent Counter-Movement Jump Performance

Abstract Ong, JH, Lim, J, Chong, E, and Tan, F. The effects of eccentric conditioning stimuli on subsequent counter-movement jump performance. J Strength Cond Res 30(3): 747–754, 2016—The eccentric phase in a stretch-shortening cycle is an important determinant of subsequent concentric performance, but there is little information on high-intensity eccentric preconditioning. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of varying degrees of eccentric conditioning stimuli on subsequent counter-movement jump (CMJ) performance. Fourteen participants (age, 28.5 ± 5.0 years; height, 172.7 ± 6.7 cm; body mass, 74.3 ± 11.9 kg) performed CMJ trials on 3 separate test sessions at least 96 hours apart in a crossover randomized counterbalanced study. Peak power (Ppeak) and vertical displacement (Dmax) were measured before and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 minutes (T3–12) postcontrol (0RM), 105% (105RM), and 125% (125RM) 1RM eccentric hip sled. The differences in vertical jump performance parameters between 0RM and eccentric preloading conditions (105RM and 125RM) and the differences within condition between control time point and posteccentric load time course T3, T6, T9, and T12 were analyzed for statistical significance via unequal variance t statistic. Statistical significance was set at p ⩽ 0.05. Significantly higher Ppeak, compared with 0RM (4143 ± 754 W) was seen at T3 and T6 in both 105RM (4305 ± 876 and 4237 ± 842 W) and 125RM (4314 ± 848 and 4264 ± 768 W). Compared with 0RM (42.2 ± 7.8 cm), corresponding Dmax, was also significantly improved at T3 in both 105RM (44.5 ± 7.3 cm) and 125RM (44.3 ± 8.3 cm) and at T6 in 105RM (44.7 ± 7.7 cm). Compared with baseline (43.2 ± 7.2 cm), there was significantly higher Dmax at T3 and T6 in 105RM. In conclusion, high-intensity preconditioning eccentric contraction at 105 and 125% 1RM was effective in improving CMJ power and height at 3 and 6 minutes after loading. Thus, power athletes and coaches can consider the application of eccentric preconditioning in warm-up routines.
Mandarin speech recognition using convolution neural network with augmented tone features

Due to its ability of reducing spectral variations and modeling spectral correlations existed in speech signals, the convolutional neural network (CNN) has been shown effective in modeling speech compared to deep neural network (DNN). In this study, we explore applying CNN to Mandarin speech recognitions. Besides exploring appropriate CNN architecture for recognition performance, focuses are on investigating the effective acoustic features, and effectivenesses of applying tonal information which have been verified helpful in other types of acoustic models to the acoustic features in the CNN. We conduct speech recognition experiments on Mandarin broadcast speech recognition to test the effectivenesses of the proposed approaches. The CNN shows its clear superiority to the DNN, with relative reductions of character error rate (CER) among 7.7-13.1% for broadcast news speech (BN), and 5.4-9.9% for broadcast conversation speech (BC). Like in the Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) and DNN systems, the tonal information characterized by the fundamental frequency (F0) and fundamental frequency variations (FFV) are found still helpful in CNN models, they achieve relative CER reductions over 6.7% for BN and 4.3% for BC respectively when compared with the baseline Mel-filter bank feature.
ASSOCIATED WITH OFFSHORE AQUACULTURE & MODELING POTENTIAL IMPACT

Real and perceived aquaculture environmental impacts that must be considered prior to expansion to open ocean locations include: 1) benthic carbon loading, 2) water column nutrification, 3) stimulation of harmful algal blooms, and 4) escapement and implications to wild populations. A simulation model was developed for predicting the benthic impacts from offshore cage culture. The model simulates the impact of feed and feces from one cage on a 600 m2 area on the seafloor using total organic carbon (TOC) as an indicator. A Gaussian error was added to all variable means to represent variation about central tendencies. Cobia, red snapper, and red drum were the cultured species. We also considered depths of 20, 40, and 60 m between feces and feed point of release from the cage and the seafloor. Variables associated with management scenarios and fish biology were held constant throughout simulation runs. Cobia culture resulted in the least impact on TOC accumulation. Cages operated at 40 m depth resulted in 20% less TOC accumulation than those operated at 20 m. Operations at 60 m resulted in an accumulation of TOC of over 60% less of that from 40 m. Additional research is necessary to validate model results with data collected from operating open ocean aquaculture ventures prior to industry usage of the simulation model for site selection and management planning purposes.
ISOTHERMIC TITRATION CALORIMETRY TO STUDY CMCs OF NEUTRAL SURFACTANTS AND OF THE LIPOSOME-FORMING BOLAAMPHIPHILE DEQUALINIUM®

ABSTRACT Isothermic titration calorimetry was used to measure the heat of micelle formation (molar enthalpy of transfer of surfactants monomers from water into micellar aggregates. The problems associated with the estimation of the CMC and the whole therodynamic profile of micellization of surfactants via Gibbs-Helmholtz-Equation are discussed. CMC's of octylthioglucoside and the peculiar bolaamphilphile dequalinium® which concentrates in mitochondria are measured. In contrast to earlier reports, no CMC of dequalinium® could be found inspite of extensive systematic measurements.
Writing case studies in information systems research

Case study research can be reported in different ways. This paper explores the various ways in which researchers may choose to write down their case studies and then introduces a subsequent typology of writing case studies. The typology is based on a 2 × 2 matrix, resulting in four forms of writing case studies: chronology, play, biography and voices. The four forms are characterized and discussed and some methodological issues concerning the writing of case studies are highlighted.
Novel Partitioned Stator Hybrid Magnet Memory Machines for EV/HEV Applications

This paper proposes two novel partitioned stator hybrid magnet memory machines (PS-HMMMs) having flux-reversal (FR) and switched-flux (SF) topologies, respectively. The PS-HMMM configurations geometrically resemble the magnetically geared machines, which employ PM excitation and armature windings on two separate stationary bodies. The proposed machines offer the merits of alleviating the conflict between electric and magnetic loadings, and hence the armature slot areas can be increased so as to improve the efficiency. The magnetization state of the low coercive force (LCF) PM can be bi-directionally varied via a current pulse. Consequently, the energy-efficient flux regulation can be easily realized over a wide speed range. This paper will firstly highlight the operating principle and the key features of the proposed HRMM. The commercially available Toyota Prius 2010 interior PM (IPM) machine is referenced as a benchmark for comparison. The electromagnetic performance of the two designs having identical overall dimensions as Prius 2010 IPM machine will be assessed in potential context of traction applications. A scaled demonstration SF-PS-HMMM prototype is manufactured to experimentally verify the finite- element (FE) analyses.
Assessing age in the desert tortoise Gopherus agassizii: testing skeletochronology with individuals of known age

Eight desert tortoises Gopherus agassizii from a long-term mark–recapture study in the Mojave Desert, Nevada, USA, afforded an opportunity to examine the accuracy of skeletochronological age estimation on tortoises from a seasonal, yet environmentally erratic environment. These 8 tortoises were marked as hatchlings or within the first 2 yr of life, and their carcasses were salvaged from predator kills. Using a blind protocol, 2 skeletochronological protocols (correction-factor and ranking) provided age estimates for a set of 4 bony elements (humerus, scapula, femur, ilium) from these tortoises of known age. The age at death of the tortoises ranged from 15 to 50 yr. The most accurate protocol — ranking using the growth layers within each of the 4 elements — provided estimates from 21 to 47 yr, with the highest accuracy from the ilia. The results indicate that skeletochronological age estimation provides a reasonably accurate method for assessing the age at death of desert tortoises and, if used with a large sample of individuals, will provide a valuable tool for examining agerelated mortality parameters in desert tortoise and likely in other gopher tortoises (Gopherus).
Instructions for use Title ELM : enhanced lowest common ancestor based method for detecting a pathogenic virus from a largesequence dataset

Background: Emerging viral diseases, most of which are caused by the transmission of viruses from animals to humans, pose a threat to public health. Discovering pathogenic viruses through surveillance is the key to preparedness for this potential threat. Next generation sequencing (NGS) helps us to identify viruses without the design of a specific PCR primer. The major task in NGS data analysis is taxonomic identification for vast numbers of sequences. However, taxonomic identification via a BLAST search against all the known sequences is a computational bottleneck. Description: Here we propose an enhanced lowest-common-ancestor based method (ELM) to effectively identify viruses from massive sequence data. To reduce the computational cost, ELM uses a customized database composed only of viral sequences for the BLAST search. At the same time, ELM adopts a novel criterion to suppress the rise in false positive assignments caused by the small database. As a result, identification by ELM is more than 1,000 times faster than the conventional methods without loss of accuracy. Conclusions: We anticipate that ELM will contribute to direct diagnosis of viral infections. The web server and the customized viral database are freely available at http://bioinformatics.czc. hokudai.ac. jp/ELM/.
Role of the Superior Colliculus and the Intercollicular Nucleus in the Brainstem Seizure Circuitry of the Genetically Epilepsy‐prone Rat

Summary: Purpose: The neuronal network responsible for the convulsive behavior associated with sound‐induced seizures in genetically epilepsy‐prone rats (GEPRs) is believed to include the inferior colliculus and other brainstem structures such as the deep layers of the superior colliculus (DLSC), periaqueductal gray, and pontine reticular formation. However, previous studies also suggested that the DLSC and the nearby intercollicular nucleus (ICN) are part of a midbrain anticonvulsant zone capable of suppressing tonic convulsions when activated with bicuculline. Our aim in this study was to investigate the role of the superior colliculus (SC) and the ICN in generalized tonic–clonic seizures (GTCSs).
NEUROSURGERY IN THE REALM OF 10−9, PART 1: STARDUST AND NANOTECHNOLOGY IN NEUROSCIENCE

NANOTECHNOLOGY AS A science has evolved from notions and speculation to emerge as a prominent combination of science and engineering that stands to impact innumerable aspects of technology. Medicine in general and neurosurgery in particular will benefit greatly in terms of improved diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities. The recent explosion in nanotechnology products, including diverse applications such as beauty products and medical contrast agents, has been accompanied by an ever increasing volume of literature.Recent articles from our institution provided an historical and scientific background of nanotechnology, with a purposeful focus on nanomedicine. Future applications of nanotechnology to neuroscience and neurosurgery were briefly addressed. The present article is the first of two that will further this discussion by providing specific details of current nanotechnology applications and research related to neuroscience and clinical neurosurgery. This article also provides relevant perspective in scale, history, economics, and toxicology. Topics of specific importance to developments or advances of technologies used by neuroscientists and neurosurgeons are presented. In addition, advances in the field of microelectromechanical systems technology are discussed. Although larger than nanoscale, microelectromechanical systems technologies will play an important role in the future of medicine and neurosurgery.The second article will discuss current nanotechnologies that are being, or will be in the near future, incorporated into the armamentarium of the neurosurgeon. The goal of these articles is to keep the neuroscience community abreast of current developments in nanotechnology, nanomedicine, and, in particular, nanoneurosurgery, and to present possibilities for future applications of nanotechnology.As applications of nanotechnology permeate all forms of scientific and medical research, clinical applications will continue to emerge. Physicians of the present and future must take an active role in shaping the design and research of nanotechnologies to ensure maximal clinical relevance and patient benefit.
Field Test of New Procedure for Removing Lead-Based Paint from Bridges

Removing the failed and failing lead-containing paint on the more than 7,000 steel-beam highway bridges maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation is an increasingly vexing problem given issues regarding the environment, worker health, and cost. The expense and liability associated with the paint debris generated as well as the debris resulting from the removal procedure further complicate the issue. The situation nationally is more dramatic: of approximately 200,000 structures, 80 to 90 percent have lead-based paint. Proven in the laboratory, the Electrostrip procedure, which uses an electrochemical treatment to cause paint to debond from steel, was tested in the field. The technology was first used at a production level to remove 74 m2 of lead-based paint from a bridge in service on the Virginia Interstate system. Over 7 workdays, this method was used to remove the lead-based existing and original paint system and generated 63 percent less solid debris than full abrasives blasting would have done. Although the production rate was lower than with more conventional techniques, greater environmental and worker protection was achieved with Electrostrip than with any other paint removal method demonstrated and documented thus far.
Physician Prices, Hospital Prices, and Treatment Choice in Labor and Delivery

We study the effect of changing the price differential for cesarean versus vaginal deliveries paid by commercial insurers to hospitals and physicians on cesarean rates. Using eight years of claims data containing negotiated prices, we exploit within hospital–physician group–insurer price variation arising from contract renegotiations over time. We find that increasing the physician price differential by one standard deviation ($420) yields a 12 percent increase in the odds ratio for cesarean delivery. Increasing the hospital price differential by one standard deviation ($5,805) for births delivered by hospital-exclusive physician groups yields a 31 percent increase in the odds ratio. Our findings confirm and extend the prior literature on behavioral responses to physician and hospital prices in the context of private insurers, and point to further research questions to understand the hospital-physician principal-agent problem and the future of accountable care organizations.
Real-Time Dynamic Simulation of Single Spool Turboj et Engines

A hybrid integration method is proposed in this paper for the real-time simulation of single spool turbojet engines. The nonlinear dynamic model of the J-85 turbojet engine is developed first. Three types of integration methods, including explicit integration methods, implicit integration methods, and the proposed hybrid integration method, are used to integrate the dynamic model. Simulation of the model by explicit integration methods fails to reach real time, since the stiff characteristic of the engine model requires small integration step size to maintain stability. On the other hand, al though use of an implicit integration algorithm can enlarge the step size, extra function evaluations are needed to calculate the system Jacobian for the Newton-Raphson algorithm, and the simulation still cannot reach real time. The proposed hybrid integration scheme uses an explicit method to in tegrate the non-stiff part of the system, and an implicit method to integrate the stiff part of the system. Real-time simulation can be achieved by using the proposed hybrid scheme.
Serotonin relaxes porcine pial veins.

The effect of serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] on pial venous tone of the pig was examined using in vitro tissue bath techniques. Isolated pial venous rings exhibited spontaneous rhythmic contractions (SRC) on mechanical stretching and/or applications of several vasoactive substances, including norepinephrine. On the other hand, KCl induced sustained active muscle tone (SAT) without SRC. The SRC induced by mechanical stretching were not affected by tetrodotoxin, nitro-L-arginine, alpha- and beta-adrenergic, histaminergic, and muscarinic receptor antagonists, indicating that the SRC in porcine pial veins are of myogenic origin. The SRC induced by stretching or applications of vasoactive substances and SAT induced by KCl were inhibited by 5-HT in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibition was prevented by methysergide and methiothepin but not by ketanserin, propranolol, 3 alpha-tropanyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid ester, hemoglobin, or nitro-L-arginine. The SRC and SAT were inhibited by 5-carboxamidotryptamine (5-CT), 8-hydroxy-2-di-N-propylaminotetralin HBr (8-OHDPAT), 1-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]piperazine (TFMPP), and 5-methoxytryptamine (5-MT), but not by sumatriptan, alpha-methylserotonin, or 2-methylserotonin. On the other hand, 5-CT, 8-OHDPAT, TFMPP, 5-MT, and sumatriptan constricted the porcine pial arteries exclusively. In 15% of pial venous preparations examined, 5-HT at low concentrations induced ketanserin-sensitive constrictions. These results indicate that the porcine pial venous smooth muscle contains multiple subtypes of 5-HT receptors. The 5-HT inhibition of SRC and SAT is predominant and is mediated by 5-HT1-like receptors, which, however, do not seem to correspond to 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, 5-HT1C, 5-HT1D, 5-HT1E, or 5-HT1F receptor subtypes. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Impact of warm ischemia on phosphorylated biomarkers in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES To quantitatively and visually characterize changes in phosphorylated biomarker expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma specimens from excision through 90 minutes of warm ischemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS Tissue biospecimens were procured prospectively. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma specimens from 5 patients were subdivided into three parts upon excision, exposed to warm ischemia of 15, 30, or 90 minutes, and routinely biobanked. Relative change in biomarker expression of p-Akt, p-ERK, and p-Stat3 was measured by immunoblot densitometry. Immunofluorescent stains were performed to visually supplement the quantitative analysis. RESULTS From 15 to 30 minutes of ex vivo ischemia, there was a significant decrease in p-Akt (p = 0.045) as the mean intensity fell by 44.9%. This decrease in p-Akt remained significant at the 90 minute time point (p = 0.015). From 15 to 30 minutes of ischemia, there was a trend toward a decline in p-ERK, which became significant by 90 minutes of ex vivo warm ischemia (p = 0.008). These changes were supported by qualitative differences in p-ERK fluorescence at 0 and 90 minutes warm ischemia. CONCLUSION Some phosphorylated biomarkers of HNSCC remain highly dynamic during the period of ex vivo warm ischemia after surgical excision but before biobanking. These findings have critical implications for studies that attempt to correlate protein phosphorylation with clinical outcome. We conclude that ex vivo warm ischemia time is a major determinant of tissue quality that may explain inconsistent results from biomarker research in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
Suppression of the tumorigenic phenotype by chromosome 18 transfer into pancreatic cancer cell lines

A number of lines of evidence have suggested that the long arm of chromosome 18 apart from SMAD4 may carry a tumor‐suppressor gene(s) that plays a role in the early stage of pancreatic ductal carcinogenesis. Thus, adenovirus‐mediated introduction of SMAD4 does not suppress in vitro growth in cells with completely inactivated SMAD4, and frequent loss of 18q at the SMAD4 locus is observed in pancreatic cancers but no abnormalities of the normal SMAD4 homolog have been detected. In this study, we introduced a normal copy of chromosome 18 into some pancreatic ductal carcinoma cells with and without a complete inactivation of SMAD4. Both anchorage‐dependent and ‐independent proliferation as well as invasiveness were significantly suppressed in the hybrid clones compared with that of their parental cells. Moreover, significant suppression of tumorigenesis was observed after inoculation in nude mice, irrespective of the SMAD4 status. Our present study provides the first functional evidence of the existence of an additional tumor‐suppressor gene(s), other than SMAD4 and DCC, that is responsible for the pathogenesis in the early stage of pancreatic ductal carcinogenesis.