Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does Bowman's layer determine the biomechanical properties of the cornea?

BACKGROUND Bowman's layer is believed to be the stabilizing element of corneal curvature due to its assumed mechanical stiffness. METHODS Uniaxial stress-strain analysis was performed in paired corneal strips to compare the contribution from Bowman's layer. Two central strips were taken from each cornea and Bowman's layer was removed from one of them with the excimer laser. RESULTS Pairwise comparison yielded no statistical difference in elastic or viscoelastic properties according to presence or absence of Bowman's layer. At a strain of 2%, the stress was measured to be (5.06 +/- 2.01) x 10(3) N/m2 with Bowman's layer and (4.72 +/- 1.3) x 10(3) N/m2 without Bowman's layer. Also, the two relaxation times did not differ significantly. CONCLUSIONS These findings imply that Bowman's layer does not contribute significantly to mechanical stability within the cornea.
Software quality prediction techniques: A comparative analysis

There are many software quality prediction techniques available in literature to predict software quality. However, literature lacks a comprehensive study to evaluate and compare various prediction methodologies so that quality professionals may select an appropriate predictor. To find a technique which performs better in general is an undecidable problem because behavior of a predictor also depends on many other specific factors like problem domain, nature of dataset, uncertainty in the available data etc. We have conducted an empirical survey of various software quality prediction techniques and compared their performance in terms of various evaluation metrics. In this paper, we have presented comparison of 30 techniques on two standard datasets.
A NEW MODEL FOR FLEXIBLE-JOINT ROBOT MANIPULATORS

We propose a new model for robot manipulators with rigid links and flexi- ble joints. Our model is expressed in Cartesian dependent coordinates which represent the positions, orientations and velocities of the links and the rotors, as opposed to independent generalized coordinates in which classical "Lagrangian" models are de- fined. The model consists of a set of dynamics equations and holonomic constraints. We believe this model may facilitate the task of observer-design based tracking con- trol.
A Kinetic Method for the Determination of Nitrite by Its Catalytic Effect on the Oxidation of Chlorpromazine with Nitric Acid

A catalytic spectrophotometric method for the determination of trace amounts of nitrite is proposed. In acidic solution, chlorpromazine (CP) is oxidized by nitric acid to form a red compound, which is further oxidized to a colorless compound. The reaction is accelerated by trace amounts of nitrite and can be followed by measuring the absorbance at 525 nm: nitrite ion is regenerated and multiplied by nitric acid. The absorbance of the reaction increased with an increase in the reaction time, reached a maximum and decreased rapidly. Since the time required for the absorbance to reach the maximum decreased with increasing nitrite concentration, this value was used as the measured parameter for the nitrite determination. Under the optimum experimental conditions (2.3 M nitric acid, 1.2 ×;10^–5 M CP, 40°C), nitrite can be determined in the range 0–100 μg l–1. The relative standard deviations ( n = 6) are 4.7 and 1.8% for 40 and 100 μg l^–1 nitrite, respectively. The detection limit of this method (3σ) is 1.2 μg l^–1. This method was successfully applied to a determination of nitrite in natural water samples.
Effects of hormone replacement therapy on olfactory sensitivity: cross-sectional and longitudinal studies

Objective: To determine whether hormone replacement therapy (HRT) preserved or improved olfactory sensitivity in healthy postmenopausal women. Methods: Sixty-two postmenopausal women participated in a cross-sectional study of olfactory sensitivity involving detection, intensity discrimination, quality discrimination and two measures of quality recognition. In addition, 24 postmenopausal women participated in a longitudinal study of olfactory sensitivity. This study allowed for the measurement of estrogen effects (while holding practice effects constant) and the measurement of practice effects (while holding HRT conditions constant). Results: In the cross-sectional study, we were unable to detect any differences between those receiving HRT and those not receiving HRT. Duration of exposure to HRT was examined by selecting women who had 5 or more years of exposure to their HRT regimen. Even after the data were reorganized into those for opposed- and unopposed-estrogen use, we were unable to detect any differences. However, olfactory threshold increased as a function of increasing age, regardless of HRT status. A gradual decrease in ability to detect odors was observed from the 4th to the 6th decade, with a greater decrease between the 6th and 7th decades. In the longitudinal study, no effects of HRT were detected even when practice effects were uncontrolled. Practice effects were assessed both between and within subjects. No effects of practice were detected when initial baseline performance was used as a covariate. Conclusion: Although prophylactic HRT has been suggested to be associated with improved olfactory function, we find that its use in healthy postmenopausal women does not enhance performance in a wide range of olfactory tasks.
Validation of a measure of smoothness of walking.

BACKGROUND Altered biomechanics and/or neural control disrupt the timing of postures and muscle patterns necessary for smooth and regular stepping. Harmonic ratio of trunk accelerations has been proposed as a measure of smoothness of walking. We sought to validate this measure of smoothness by examining the measure in groups expected to differ in smoothness (ie, young and old) and across walking conditions expected to affect smoothness (ie, straight path, curved path, and dual task). METHODS Thirty young (mean age = 24.4 ± 4.3 years) and 30 older adults (mean age = 77.5 ± 5.1 years) who could ambulate independently participated. We measured linear acceleration of the body along vertical, anterior-posterior, and medial-lateral axes using a triaxial accelerometer firmly attached to the skin over the L3 segment of the lumbar spine during straight path, curved path, and dual task (reciting every other letter of the alphabet) walking. RESULTS Older adults had lower harmonic ratio anterior-posterior (HR(AP)), that is, were less smooth in the direction of motion and walked more slowly than young adults for all walking conditions. Once the analyses were adjusted for walking speed, only HR(AP) differed between young and old participants for all walking conditions. For the most part, both young and old participants were less smooth for slow pace walking, curved path walking, and dual task walking compared with usual pace straight path walking. CONCLUSIONS The harmonic ratio, calculated from trunk acceleration, is a valid measure of smoothness of walking, which may be thought of as a measure of the motor control of walking.
Conservation of orbital angular momentum in high-harmonic generation

Orbital angular momentum (OAM) is a property of light that is widely used for applications in bioimaging, optical communication and optical manipulation, but is mainly limited to the infrared and visible spectra. Developing a table-top source of Extreme Ultraviolet (XUV) light containing an arbitrary amount of OAM is yet to be achieved. We accomplish this by exploiting high-harmonic generation (HHG), a process whereby an infrared pump beam produces high order harmonics. We experimentally demonstrate the conservation of OAM in HHG by measuring harmonics of order n containing n times the OAM of the pump (n = 11, 13, 15 in our experiment). These results agree with our theoretical model. We also show theoretically how to manipulate the HHG process to impart an arbitrary amount of OAM to the different harmonics. We hence show the way to a table-top and flexible source of XUV light containing orbital angular momentum.
Disentangling the Impact of Resistance and Ambivalence on Therapy Outcomes in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Resistance and ambivalence about change are increasingly recognized as important determinants of treatment outcomes. Moreover, resistance and ambivalence are thought to be theoretically related in that clients who are more ambivalent about change are more likely to demonstrate resistance to the process and tasks of treatment. In the context of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for generalized anxiety disorder, the present study simultaneously examined early resistance and ambivalence using two observer-based coding systems in order to determine their inter-relationship and, importantly, to investigate their relative contributions to outcome. Resistance was also coded during mid-treatment in order to investigate possible mediation pathways. Early ambivalence (clients’ arguments against change or counter-change talk) was found to be no longer related to outcomes when early resistance was taken into account, suggesting that disharmony in the therapeutic relationship is more important to outcomes than ambivalence per se. Moreover, mid-treatment resistance partially mediated the relationship between early resistance and post-treatment worry severity. That is, higher early opposition to therapist direction is related to poorer outcomes, in part because it is associated with greater resistance during the working phase of CBT. The findings underscore the critical need for therapists to be sensitive to identifying resistance early and throughout treatment.
Principal component analysis of galvanic skin responses

The galvanic skin response (GSR) is a simple method of capturing the autonomic nerve response as a parameter of the sweat gland function. Any stimulus capable of an arousal effect can evoke the response and the amplitude of the response is more dependent on the surprise effect of the stimulus than on the physical stimulus strength. In this paper principal component analysis (PCA) is used for the analysis of the evoked GSRs. Basis functions are obtained from the eigendecomposition of the data correlation matrix. Because PCA is the best mean square fit of a set of orthogonal functions to the set of measurements, the solution will depend upon the nature of measurements. The dimensionality of measurements can be estimated by the number of basis functions needed to estimate measurements in a certain accuracy. Hence the eigenvalues, corresponding to used basis functions, are a measure of similarity. The method was tested using 20 healthy subjects and 13 psychotic patients. 11 surprising auditory stimuli were delivered at irregular intervals and evoked GSRs were recorded from the hand. Observed similarities between adjacent waveforms were more remarkable within healthy subjects.
Hierarchical hybrid decision tree multiscale fusion for urban image classification

Multi-scale classification is an important tool for urban image classification, because the objects in an urban scene may have very different spatial scales. In technical literature, this idea is usually performed either using the same classifier (ensemble of classifiers) at multiple resolutions, or working on sets of features at multiple scales. Although this may be very efficient approach for peculiar situations, it is not as effective, as it does not adapt to different classes. Accordingly, it can be useful to design a procedure based on the possibility to assemble specialized (multi-scale) classification chains automatically, according to the classes to be recognized and their peculiar scales or features. We present a methodology that combines different processing chains (each one composed by a feature selection and a classification step) and automatically adapts to the properties of the classes available in an urban scene.
Host-Microbiota Interactions in the Intestine

The comprehensive collection of bacterial species, termed microbiota, within human and other mammalian hosts has profound effects on both innate and adaptive immunity. Multiple host innate mechanisms contribute to intestinal homeostasis, including epithelial production of protective mucin layers maintaining spatial segregation in the intestine as well as epithelial cell secretion of a broad range of antimicrobial peptides. Additionally, epithelial cells employ autophagy to contain and eliminate invading bacteria; interestingly, genetic variants in specific autophagy genes are linked to susceptibility to Crohn's disease. Innate lymphoid cells, which rapidly respond to cytokine and microbial signals, have emerged as important regulators of the intestinal immune response to the microbiota. With regard to adaptive immunity, specific microbial species stimulate induction of regulatory T cells while others induce effector T cells within the gut. Such stimulation is subject to dysregulation during inflammation and disease, contributing to ‘dysbiosis' or an abnormal microbiota composition that has been associated with a variety of immune-mediated inflammatory disorders, including celiac disease. The microbiota communicates with the immune system and vice versa; thus, an abnormal microbiota composition likely translates into an altered host immune response, though the exact mechanisms of such are not yet clear. Immunoglobulin A plays a critical role in limiting bacterial access to the host and in maintaining mutualism with the microbiota. Perturbation of the mucosal barrier via infection or other means can induce effector T cells reactive to the intestinal microbiota, and these cells can persist as memory cells for extended periods of time and potentially serve as pathogenic effector cells upon re-encounter with antigen. Health is associated with a diverse microbiota that functions to maintain the balance between T effector and T regulatory cells in the intestine. Whether dysbiosis can be reversed in immune-mediated disease, thus restoring health, is a question of intense interest for this active area of research.
Local Ca2+ Rise Near Store Operated Ca2+ Channels Inhibits Cell Coupling During Capacitative Ca2+ Influx

Using a new fluorescence imaging technique, LAMP, we recently reported that Ca2+ influx through store operated Ca2+ channels (SOCs) strongly inhibits cell coupling in primary human fibroblasts (HF) expressing Cx43. To understand the mechanism of inhibition, we studied the involvement of cytosolic pH (pHi) and Ca2+([Ca2+]i) in the process by using fluorescence imaging and ion clamping techniques. During the capacitative Ca2+ influx, there was a modest decline of pHi measured by BCECF. Decreasing pHi below neutral using thioacetate had little effect by itself on cell coupling, and concomitant pHi drop with thioacetate and bulk [Ca2+i rise with ionomycin was much less effective in inhibiting cell coupling than Ca2+ influx. Moreover, clamping pHi with a weak acid and a weak base during Ca2+ influx largely suppressed bulk pHi drop, yet the inhibition of cell coupling was not affected. In contrast, buffering [Ca2+i with BAPTA, but not EGTA, efficiently prevented cell uncoupling by Ca2+ influx. We concluded that local Ca2+ elevation subjacent to the plasma membrane is the primary cause for closing Cx43 channels during capacitative Ca2+ influx. To assess how Ca2+ influx affects junctional coupling mediated by other types of connexins, we applied the LAMP assay to Hela cells expressing Cx26. Capacitative Ca2+ influx also caused a strong reduction of cell coupling, suggesting that the inhibitory effect by Ca2+ influx may be a more general phenomenon.
Comparative surface investigations at spherical Si surfaces using optical and X-ray techniques

Currently options for a new definition of the kilogram on the basis of invariants of nature are under investigations. One of the most promising approaches uses the mass of 12C. Within the framework of the Avogadro project the scaling factor between atomic mass units and macroscopic mass, the Avogadro constant NA, will be measured with a relative standard uncertainty 2·10ࢤ8, to enable this type of realization [1].
Molecular evolution of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase for C4 photosynthesis in maize: comparison of its cDNA sequence with a newly isolated cDNA encoding an isozyme involved in the anaplerotic function.

Molecular events associated with the evolution of an enzyme for C4 photosynthesis were investigated. In maize, at least three isozymes of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase [EC 4.1. 1.31] are known: the C4-form, the C2-form and the root-form, being named according to their physiological roles and pattern of tissue distribution [Ting, I.P. & Osmond, C.B. (1973) Plant Physiol. 51, 448-453]. A cDNA clone which presumably encodes the C3-form isozyme was newly isolated and analyzed. Comparison of the sequences of the C3-form and C4-form isozymes revealed that (i) the homologies in the nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences were 71 and 77%, respectively, and (ii) the gene for the C4-form isozyme evolved under strong G/C pressure. The genes for these isozymes were found to be located apart on different chromosomes. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using 8 amino acid sequences of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylases from various sources. The topology of the tree indicated that, at least in monocots such as maize and sorghum, the genes for the C4-form and C3-form isozymes diverged from their common ancestral gene earlier than the monocot-dicot divergence (about 2 x 10(8) yr ago), though the divergence of maize (C4 plant) from wheat (C3 plant) is supposed to have occurred much later (6 x 10(7) yr ago).
The landscape of Y chromosome polymorphisms in Russia

Abstract Background: The pattern of diversity for the Y chromosome provides a view of male-driven processes of dispersal and settlement. By virtue of the broad geographic continuity, the genetic signature of movements from Asia to Europe can be detected in populations of north-eastern Europe. Aim: To directly test previous hypotheses on the peopling of Russia, by considering a broader spectrum of potential diversity. Subjects and methods: A total of 636 unrelated males (24 samples) from geographically and ethnically defined populations of Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan and Georgia were analysed for 16 Y-STR loci. Some of the populations represent more or less distinct isolates. Results: Microsatellites alone can have the power of detecting Asian contributions to the gene pool of populations now residing in Europe. Within Europe, a greater heterogeneity among populations sharing the same language than between populations sharing the same ethnic affiliation was found. There was low diversity and marked population differentiation in some Altaic speakers. Sympatry eroded inter-ethnic differentiation. No regular decline in genetic similarity with geography was seen. Conclusion: Two layers of overall diversity represent a main feature of the genetic landscape of the population of the European portion of Russia.
Isolation and identification of Escherichia albertii from a patient in an outbreak of gastroenteritis.

A microbial strain harboring the eae gene, which is known as the virulence gene of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and most enterohemorrhagic E. coli, was isolated from a patient in a gastroenteritis outbreak that occurred in 22 patients in Akita Prefecture, Japan, in November 2011. The biochemical characteristics of the isolate were more similar to those of a novel Escherichia sp. , E. albertii than E. coli. Partial 16S rRNA gene sequences of the isolate were identical to those of a certain E. albertii strain, but also showed a high degree of similarity to those of E. coli strains. Finally, we identified this isolate as E. albertii by performing PCR analysis that targeted the uidA, lysP, mdh, and cdtB genes in addition to stx and eae genes to differentiate between the EPEC and E. albertii strains.
The impact of thermal- and photo-annealing of chalcogenide films for optical waveguides

We applied thermal- and band-edge light annealing on an as-deposited As2S3 film to mitigate its phase separation and, thus to improve the propagation losses of fabricated optical waveguides. Studies of the film micro structure revealed a difference between atomic bonds and linked phases among the as-deposited, thermally-annealed, and optically-annealed films. We fabricated rib-type waveguides with 4 micron width from 0.85 μm thick films, and measured the insertion losses. Around 0.4 and 0.2 dB/cm propagation losses were obtained in the waveguides produced from as-deposited and annealed films, respectively. The waveguides produced from photo-annealed film showed almost the same propagation losses to those from thermally-annealed material. Our results, however, indicate optical-annealing provides some advantages over thermal annealing for waveguide fabrication, such as the absence of film cracking which observed at high temperature processing.
Two Different Heparin-binding Domains in the Triple-helical Domain of ColQ, the Collagen Tail Subunit of Synaptic Acetylcholinesterase*

ColQ, the collagen tail subunit of asymmetric acetylcholinesterase, is responsible for anchoring the enzyme at the vertebrate synaptic basal lamina by interacting with heparan sulfate proteoglycans. To get insights about this function, the interaction of ColQ with heparin was analyzed. For this, heparin affinity chromatography of the complete oligomeric enzyme carrying different mutations in ColQ was performed. Results demonstrate that only the two predicted heparin-binding domains present in the collagen domain of ColQ are responsible for heparin interaction. Despite their similarity in basic charge distribution, each heparin-binding domain had different affinity for heparin. This difference is not solely determined by the number or nature of the basic residues conforming each site, but rather depends critically on local structural features of the triple helix, which can be influenced even by distant regions within ColQ. Thus, ColQ possesses two heparin-binding domains with different properties that may have non-redundant functions. We hypothesize that these binding sites coordinate acetylcholinesterase positioning within the organized architecture of the neuromuscular junction basal lamina.
Gating the Selectivity Filter in ClC Chloride Channels

ClC channels conduct chloride (Cl–) ions across cell membranes and thereby govern the electrical activity of muscle cells and certain neurons, the transport of fluid and electrolytes across epithelia, and the acidification of intracellular vesicles. The structural basis of ClC channel gating was studied. Crystal structures of wild-type and mutant Escherichia coliClC channels bound to a monoclonal Fab fragment reveal three Cl– binding sites within the 15-angstrom neck of an hourglass-shaped pore. The Cl– binding site nearest the extracellular solution can be occupied either by a Cl– ion or by a glutamate carboxyl group. Mutations of this glutamate residue in Torpedo ray ClC channels alter gating in electrophysiological assays. These findings reveal a form of gating in which the glutamate carboxyl group closes the pore by mimicking a Cl– ion.
Temperature and Parasitic Photocurrent Effects in Dynamic Vision Sensors

The effect of temperature and parasitic photocurrent on event-based dynamic vision sensors (DVS) is important because of their application in uncontrolled robotic, automotive, and surveillance applications. This paper considers the temperature dependence of DVS threshold temporal contrast (TC), dark current, and background activity caused by junction leakage. New theory shows that if bias currents have a constant ratio, then ideally the DVS threshold TC is temperature independent, but the presence of temperature dependent junction leakage currents causes nonideal behavior at elevated temperature. Both measured photodiode dark current and leakage induced event activity follow Arhenius activation. This paper also defines a new metric for parasitic photocurrent quantum efficiency and measures the sensitivity of DVS pixels to parasitic photocurrent.