Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diazepam‐induced adaptive plasticity revealed by α1 GABAA receptor‐specific expression profiling

Benzodiazepines are in wide clinical use for their sedative and tranquilizing actions, the former being mediated via α1‐containing GABAA receptors. The signal transduction pathways elicited beyond the receptor are only poorly understood. Changes of transcript levels in cerebral cortex induced by acute diazepam administration were therefore compared by microarray analysis between wild‐type and point mutated α1(H101R) mice, in which the α1 GABAA receptor subunit had been rendered insensitive to diazepam. In wild‐type animals, diazepam reduced the expression levels of the α subunit of the calcium/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II, as well as brain‐derived neurotrophic factor, MAP kinase phosphatase, transcription factor GIF, c‐fos and nerve growth factor induced gene‐A. None of these transcripts was changed in the α1(H101R) mice after treatment with diazepam. Thus, the sedative action of diazepam is correlated with a selective down‐regulation of transcripts involved in the regulation of neuronal plasticity and neurotrophic responses. Most transcript changes were transient except for the decrease of the CaMKIIα transcript which persisted even 40 h after the single dose of diazepam. This long‐term alteration is likely to contribute to the resetting of the neuronal responsiveness, which may be involved in rebound phenomena and, under chronic treatment, in the development of tolerance and dependence.
Global Observer-Based Attitude Controller Using Direct Inertial Measurements

In this work, we address the problem of global attitude control using direct inertial measurements. When using direct inertial measurement to observe the rigid body attitude, it is shown that due to a geometrical obstruction, it is impossible to achieve global asymptotic stability. In fact, for a particular initial condition the tracking error quaternion converges to a pure imaginary quaternion formed by an eigenvector of a characteristic matrix related to the inertial constant and known vectors. Our proposition consists of adding a dynamic signal to force the rigid body to escape from such a situation. The proposed observer-based controller is synthesized based on a single Lyapunov function and a stability analysis shows that the controller stabilizes globally and asymptotically the rigid body attitude at the desired one. The effectiveness of the proposed observer-based controller is confirmed by simulation results.
Stability of hydrogen passivated UMG silicon with implied open circuit voltages over 700mV

Interstitial hydrogen is used to passivate defects in upgraded metallurgical grade (UMG) Czockralski silicon. It is observed that the quality of the UMG material can be improved progressively, with the passivated defects appearing to be stable to subsequent light soaking. New defects however continue to form for a prolonged period of light soaking, requiring subsequent further hydrogen passivation to restore the open circuit voltages to over 700 mV for the UMG wafers. By repeatedly applying the advanced hydrogenation process, the quality and stability of UMG wafers are improved to the point of being comparable to that for Czockralski wafers produced from semiconductor grade silicon purified by the Siemens Process.
Facial expression recognition using facial characteristic points and Gini index

In this paper, Facial Expression Recognition (FER) system, aid in modeling facial expression space for facial expression recognition by facial characteristic points and Gini index. Facial expression information are mostly concentrated on facial expression information regions, so the, eyes, eyebrows, and mouth are extracted from the input image. When a face image is input the feature extraction is performed which help in detecting facial characteristic points. Facial animation parameters are calculated in order to recognize one of the six basic facial expressions. The proposed technique is applied to JAFFE database consisting 30 images, each having six basic facial expression images (neutral, happy, surprise, fear, sad and angry). For certain expressions like, surprise, fear and happy it gives the promising results with best recognition rate, however for expressions like, neutral, sad and angry the recognition rate is lower. The proposed technique is implemented in MATLAB version 7.8. 0.347 (R2009a).
Phytogenic silver, gold, and bimetallic nanoparticles as novel antitubercular agents

Purpose Multi- and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is a global threat to human health. It requires immediate action to seek new antitubercular compounds and devise alternate strategies. Nanomaterials, in the present scenario, have opened new avenues in medicine, diagnosis, and therapeutics. In view of this, the current study aims to determine the efficacy of phytogenic metal nanoparticles to inhibit mycobacteria. Methods Silver (AgNPs), gold (AuNPs), and gold–silver bimetallic (Au–AgNPs) nanoparticles synthesized from medicinal plants, such as Barleria prionitis, Plumbago zeylanica, and Syzygium cumini, were tested against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. bovis BCG. In vitro and ex vivo macrophage infection model assays were designed to determine minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and half maximal inhibitory concentration of nanoparticles. Microscopic analyses were carried out to demonstrate intracellular uptake of nanoparticles in macrophages. Besides this, biocompatibility, specificity, and selectivity of nanoparticles were also established with respect to human cell lines. Results Au–AgNPs exhibited highest antitubercular activity, with MIC of <2.56 μg/mL, followed by AgNPs. AuNPs did not show such activity at concentrations of up to 100 μg/mL. In vitro and ex vivo macrophage infection model assays revealed the inhibition of both active and dormant stage mycobacteria on exposure to Au–AgNPs. These nanoparticles were capable of entering macrophage cells and exhibited up to 45% cytotoxicity at 30 μg/mL (ten times MIC concentration) after 48 hours. Among these, Au–AgNPs synthesized from S. cumini were found to be more specific toward mycobacteria, with their selectivity index in the range of 94–108. Conclusion This is the first study to report the antimycobacterial activity of AuNPs, AgNPs, and Au–AgNPs synthesized from medicinal plants. Among these, Au–AgNPs from S. cumini showed profound efficiency, specificity, and selectivity to kill mycobacteria. These should be investigated further to develop novel TB nanoantibiotics.
Solid-state NMR spectroscopy of paramagnetic metallocenes.

The paramagnetic metallocenes and decamethylmetallocenes (C(5)H(5))(2)M and (C(5)Me(5))(2)M with M=V (S=3/2), Mn (S=5/2 or 1/2), Co (S=1/2), and Ni (S=1) were studied by (1)H and (13)C solid-state MAS NMR spectroscopy. Near room temperature spinning sideband manifolds cover ranges of up to 1100 and 3500 ppm, and isotropic signal shifts appear between -260 and 300 ppm and between -600 and 1640 ppm for (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra, respectively. The isotropic paramagnetic signal shifts, which are related to the spin densities in the s orbital of ligand atoms, were discussed. A Herzfeld--Berger spinning sideband analysis of the ring carbon signals yielded the principal values of the paramagnetic shift tensors, and for metallocenes with a small g-factor anisotropy the electron spin density in the ligand pi system was determined from the chemical shift anisotropy. The unusual features of the (1)H and (13)C solid-state NMR spectra of manganocene were related to its chain structure while temperature-dependent (1)H MAS NMR studies reflected antiferromagnetic interaction between the spin centers.
Loop‐linker PCR: An advanced PCR technique for genome walking

In this article, we developed a novel PCR method, termed loop‐linker PCR, to isolate flanking sequences in transgenic crops. The novelty of this approach is its use of a stem‐loop structure to design a loop‐linker adapter. The adapter is designed to form a nick site when ligated with restricted DNA. This modification not only can prevent the self‐ligation of adapters but also promotes the elongation of the 3′ end of the loop‐linker adapter to generate a stem‐loop structure in the ligation products. Moreover, the suppressive effect of the stem‐loop structure decreases nonspecific amplification and increases the success rate of the approach; all extension products will suppress exponential amplification except from the ligation product that contains the specific primer binding site. Using this method, 442, 1830, 107, and 512 bp left border flanking sequences were obtained from the transgenic maizes LY038, DAS‐59122‐7, Event 3272, and the transgenic soybean MON89788, respectively. The experimental results demonstrated that loop‐linker PCR is an efficient, reliable, and cost‐effective method for identifying flanking sequences in transgenic crops and could be applied for other genome walking applications. © 2012 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 64(10): 841–845, 2012
Unexpected consequences of administering bacteriocinogenic probiotic strains for Salmonella populations, revealed by an in vitro colonic model of the child gut.

New biological strategies for the treatment of Salmonella infection are needed in response to the increase in antibiotic-resistant strains. Escherichia coli L1000 and Bifidobacterium thermophilum RBL67 were previously shown to produce antimicrobial proteinaceous compounds (microcin B17 and thermophilicin B67, respectively) active in vitro against a panel of Salmonella strains recently isolated from clinical cases in Switzerland. In this study, two three-stage intestinal continuous fermentation models of Salmonella colonization inoculated with immobilized faeces of a two-year-old child were implemented to study the effects of the two bacteriocinogenic strains compared with a bacteriocin-negative mutant of strain L1000 on Salmonella growth, as well as gut microbiota composition and metabolic activity. Immobilized E. coli L1000 added to the proximal colon reactor showed a low colonization, and developed preferentially in the distal colon reactor independent of the presence of genetic determinants for microcin B17 production. Surprisingly, E. coli L1000 addition strongly stimulated Salmonella growth in all three reactors. In contrast, B. thermophilum RBL67 added in a second phase stabilized at high levels in all reactors, but could not inhibit Salmonella already present at a high level (>10(7) c.f. u. ml(-1)) when the probiotic was added. Inulin added at the end of fermentation induced a strong bifidogenic effect in all three colon reactors and a significant increase of Salmonella counts in the distal colon reactor. Our data show that under the simulated child colonic conditions, the microcin B17 production phenotype does not correlate with inhibition of Salmonella but leads to a better colonization of E. coli L1000 in the distal colon reactor. We conclude that in vitro models with complex and complete gut microbiota are required to accurately assess the potential and efficacy of probiotics with respect to Salmonella colonization in the gut.
Bioprosthetic heart valves: the need for a quantum leap

More than 250000 bioprosthetic heart valves are being implanted annually. Although the majority of recipients are elderly developed‐world patients, the most urgent need for tissue valves is in younger patients, where rapid degeneration of contemporary prostheses remains a serious obstacle. After decades of empirical and mostly futile attempts to extend the longevity of tissue valve prostheses, new insights and solutions are on the horizon. Aetiologically, a shift of focus from mineralization to immune responses and inflammation emerges. On the development side, new engineering approaches to both selective extraction of tissue components and cross‐links are increasingly defining the new direction. In order to dramatically improve the performance of bioprosthetic heart valves, these new developments need to lead to a broad consensus for a paradigm shift in a hitherto rather stagnant field of medical research.
Research on Web Session Clustering

The task of clustering web sessions is to group web sessions based on similarity and consists of maximizing the intra-group similarity while minimizing the inter-group similarity. The results of Web session clustering can be used in personalization, system improvement, site modification, business intelligence, usage characterization and so forth. This paper proposes a framework of Web session clustering first. Then several data preparation techniques that can be used to improve the performance of data preprocessing are presented. A new method for measuring similarities between web pages that takes into account not only the URL but also the viewing time of the visited web page is also introduced and a new method to measure the similarity of web sessions using sequence alignment and the similarity of web page access is given in detail. Finally, an algorithm of web session clustering is proposed. This algorithm defines the number of clusters according to the knowledge of application fields, takes advantage of ROCK to decide the initial data points of each cluster and determines the criterion function according to the contributions of overall increase in similarities made by dividing Web sessions into different clusters --- which not only overcomes the shortcomings of traditional clustering algorithm which merely focus on partial similarities, but also decreases the complexities of time and space.
Prevalence of anti-hepatitis B surface antibodies among children and adolescents vaccinated in infancy and effect of booster dose administered within a pilot study

SUMMARY We determined the prevalence of anti-hepatitis B surface antibodies (anti-HBs) among children and adolescents vaccinated for hepatitis B virus in infancy as part of the routine vaccination programme. A representative serum sample of the Israeli population age 0–19 was tested. In a separate pilot study, a booster dose of hepatitis B vaccine was administered to 31 candidates for national service, who were fully vaccinated in infancy and tested negative for hepatitis B surface antibodies at age 17–19 years and anti-HBs antibodies were assessed 8 weeks later. Of the 1273 samples tested, 631 (49·6%) were positive to anti-HBs antibodies. Seropositivity rates were 89·5% among infants aged 6–12 months and declined significantly with age to 20·7% at age 19 years. No differences in seropositivity rates were observed between Jews and Arabs, males and females and those born in Israel and in other countries. Seroconversion rate among the 31 individuals who received a booster dose was 90·3% (95% CI: 75·1–96·6%). We recommend a booster dose for healthcare personnel before starting to work at the health care facility.
Decision Tree Based Algorithm for Intrusion Detection

----------------------------------------------------- ABSTRACT ------------------------------------------------------ An Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is a defense measure that supervises activities of the computer network and reports the malicious activities to the network administrator. Intruders do many attempts to gain access to the network and try to harm the organization’s data. Thus the security is the most important aspect for any type of organization. Due to these reasons, intrusion detection has been an important research issue. An IDS can be broadly classified as Signature based IDS and Anomaly based IDS. In our proposed work, the decision tree algorithm is developed based on C4.5 decision tree approach. Feature selection and split value are important issues for constructing a decision tree. In this paper, the algorithm is designed to address these two issues. The most relevant features are selected using information gain and the split value is selected in such a way that makes the classifier unbiased towards most frequent values. Experimentation is performed on NSL-KDD (Network Security Laboratory Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining) dataset based on number of features. The time taken by the classifier to construct the model and the accuracy achieved is analyzed. It is concluded that the proposed Decision Tree Split (DTS) algorithm can be used for signature based intrusion detection.
Split Slots Array for Grating Lobe Suppression in Ridge Gap Guide

A frequency-scanning antenna array of nonresonant slots with uniform slot field distribution is designed using the ridge gap waveguide (RGW) technology. The slots are separated by one wavelength, which causes the presence of undesired grating lobe. In order to eliminate the grating lobe, the structure is split by a nonradiating longitudinal slot, which splits each slot into two halves. Each half is displaced along the nonradiating slot by a separation of half a wavelength. In order for each of the two halves to be excited in phase, a phase shifter of 180 ° is introduced to one side of the two halves. Such arrangement caused elimination of the grating lobes. The proposed configuration is fabricated, and measurement results are provided to prove the concept.
Bridging Socio-Hydrology with Cyber-Physical Systems : Synergies and Opportunities

The emerging field of Socio-Hydrology seeks to explore the integrated human-hydrology systems and understand the co-evolving dynamics, feedbacks and behaviours across multiple time and space scales. This paper discusses the ways Socio-Hydrology contributes to the advancements of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) for Integrated Water Resources Management mainly focusing on prediction, one of the industry‘s forecasting pillars. The review of the rationale, methods and applications of SocioHydrology is followed by the analysis of an architectural approach of a state-of-the-art CPS. The discussion identifies research gaps and opportunities, especially in regards with the challenging UK water policy landscape, which requires the design of systemic approaches for resilient systems. Further to exploring the potential synergies between Socio-Hydrology and CPS, the paper examines the role that transdisciplinary research and its underpinning methodologies play in the creation of novel
A 1 . 2V RF Front-End With On-Chip VCO for PCS 1900 Direct Conversion Receiver in 0 . 13-m CMOS

In this paper, a 1.2-V RF front-end realized for the personal communications services (PCS) direct conversion receiver is presented. The RF front-end comprises a low-noise amplifier (LNA), quadrature mixers, and active RC low-pass filters with gain control. Quadrature local oscillator (LO) signals are generated on chip by a double-frequency voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) and frequency divider. A current-mode interface between the downconversion mixer output and analog baseband input together with a dynamic matching technique simultaneously improves the mixer linearity, allows the reduction of flicker noise due to the mixer switches, and minimizes the noise contribution of the analog baseband. The dynamic matching technique is employed to suppress the flicker noise of the common-mode feedback (CMFB) circuit utilized at the mixer output, which otherwise would dominate the low-frequency noise of the mixer. Various low-voltage circuit techniques are employed to enhance both the mixer secondand third-order linearity, and to lower the flicker noise. The RF front-end is fabricated in a 0.13m CMOS process utilizing only standard process options. The RF front-end achieves a voltage gain of 50 dB, noise figure of 3.9 dB when integrated from 100 Hz to 135 kHz, IIP3 of 9 dBm, and at least IIP2 of+30 dBm without calibration. The 4-GHz VCO meets the PCS 1900 phase noise specifications and has a phase noise of 132 dBc/Hz at 3-MHz offset.
Checkpoint kinase 1‐mediated phosphorylation of Cdc25C and bad proteins are involved in antitumor effects of loratadine‐induced G2/M phase cell‐cycle arrest and apoptosis

In this study, we first demonstrated that loratadine (LOR), a promising world widely used oral anti‐histamine, effectively inhibits growth of tumors derived from human colon cancer cells (COLO 205) in an in vivo setting. In vitro study demonstrated that the anti‐tumor effects of LOR in COLO 205 cells were mediated by causing G2/M phase cell growth cycle arrest and caspase 9‐mediated apoptosis. Cell‐cycle arrest induced by LOR (75 µM, 24 h) was associated with a significant decrease in protein levels of cyclin B1, cell division cycle (Cdc) 25B, and Cdc25C, leading to accumulation of Tyr‐15‐phosphorylated Cdc2 (inactive form). Interestingly, LOR (75 µM, for 4 h) treatment also resulted in a rapid and sustained phosphorylation of Cdc25C at Ser‐216, leading to its translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm because of increased binding with 14‐3‐3. We further demonstrated that the LOR‐induced Cdc25C (Ser‐216) phosphorylation was blocked in the presence of checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) specific inhibitor (SB‐218078). The cells treated with LOR in the presence of Chk1 specific inhibitor (SB‐218078) were then released from G2/M arrest into apoptosis. These results implied that Chk1‐mediated phosphorylation of Cdc25C plays a major role in response to LOR‐mediated G2/M arrest. Although the Chk1‐mediated cell growth arrest in response to DNA damage is well documented, our results presented in this study was the first report to describe the Chk1‐mediated G2/M cell‐cycle arrest by the histamine H1 antagonist, LOR. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Measuring Maintainability of DPRA Models: A Pragmatic Approach

Dynamic Probabilistic Risk Assessment (DPRA) is a powerful concept that is used to evaluate design and safety of complex industrial systems. A DPRA model uses a conceptual system representation as a formal basis for simulation and analysis. In this paper we consider an adaptive maintenance of DPRA models that consist in modifying and extending a simplified model to a real-size DPRA model. We propose an approach for quantitative maintainability assessment of DPRA models created with an industrial modeling tool called PyCATSHOO. We review and adopt some metrics from conceptual modeling, software engineering and OO design for assessing maintainability of PyCATSHOO models. On the example of well-known ”Heated Room” test case, we illustrate how the selected metrics can serve as early indicators of model modifiability and complexity. These indicators would allow experts to make better decisions early in the DPRA model development life cycle.
Explosive ionization of molecules in intense laser fields.

We discuss the mechanisms of multielectron dissociative ionization of diatomic molecules in intense laser fields. We show that during dissociation of molecular ions the nuclei pass through a critical range of internuclear distances where ionization is enhanced by several orders of magnitude for {ital several} {ital successive} {ital charge} {ital states} {ital of} {ital the} {ital molecule}. The critical range of internuclear distances depends only weakly on the laser frequency, laser intensity, and the charge state. Both numerical and analytical models are developed, and the effect of enhanced ionization on the kinetic energy and angular distributions of charged fragments is discussed. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society. }