Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene variants and Alzheimer's disease, affective disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and substance dependence

Genetic variation at the locus encoding the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated in some neuropsychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), affective disorders (AFDs), schizophrenia, and substance dependence. We therefore performed a mutation scan of the BDNF gene to identify novel gene variants and examined the association between BDNF variants and several neuropsychiatric phenotypes in European American (EA) subjects and controls. Using denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (dHPLC), we identified a novel variant (G−712A) in the putative promoter region. This variant and two previously reported BDNF SNPs (C270T and Val66Met) were genotyped in 295 patients with AD, 108 with AFDs, 96 with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 84 with schizophrenia, 327 with alcohol and/or drug dependence, and 250 normal control subjects. No association was found between these three BDNF gene variants and AD, AFDs, PTSD, or schizophrenia. However, there was a nominally higher frequency of the G−712A G‐allele and the G/G genotype in subjects with substance dependence than in controls (Allele: χ2 = 4.080, df = 1, P = 0.043; Genotype: χ2 = 7.225, df = 2, P = 0.027). Although after correction for multiple testing, the findings are not considered significant (threshold P‐value was set at 0.020 by the program SNPSpD), logistic regression analyses confirmed the modest association between SNP G−712A and substance dependence, when the sex and age of subjects were taken into consideration. The negative results for AFDs, PTSD, and schizophrenia could be due to the low statistical power. Further study with larger samples is warranted. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of cartilage in knee osteoarthritis: findings at different radiographic stages of disease and relationship to malalignment.

OBJECTIVE Delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of cartilage (dGEMRIC) is used to examine the distribution of glycosaminoglycan in cartilage. This study sought to characterize dGEMRIC in the evaluation of knee osteoarthritis (OA) according to various radiographically determined disease parameters, and to examine the relationship between alignment of the knee joint and the lateral:medial dGEMRIC ratio. METHODS Thirty-one patients with knee OA underwent MRI with a dGEMRIC protocol at 1.5T. Semiflexed knee radiographs and full-limb radiographs were also obtained for assessment of alignment. RESULTS Compartments of the knee joint without joint space narrowing had a higher dGEMRIC index than those with any level of narrowing (mean 408 msec versus 365 msec; P = 0.001). In knees with 1 unnarrowed (spared) and 1 narrowed (diseased) compartment, the dGEMRIC index was greater in the spared versus the diseased compartment (mean 395 msec versus 369 msec; P = 0.001). In spared compartments, there was a trend toward a lower dGEMRIC index with increasing Kellgren/Lawrence (K/L) radiographic severity grade; the spared compartments of knees with a K/L grade 2 had a higher dGEMRIC index than those of knees with a K/L grade 4 (mean 425 msec versus 371 msec; P < 0.05). There was a range of dGEMRIC values in the spared compartments within a given K/L grade, demonstrating biochemical differentiation of disease in radiographically comparable compartments. Almost all compartments with narrowing had dGEMRIC indices of <400 msec. Valgus-aligned knees tended to have lower dGEMRIC values laterally, and varus-aligned knees tended to have lower dGEMRIC values medially; as a continuous variable, alignment correlated with the lateral:medial dGEMRIC ratio (Pearson's R = 0.43, P = 0.02). CONCLUSION The biochemical information provided by dGEMRIC scans may augment radiography by improving the differentiation of disease status within a given radiographic grade, especially in early OA.
Recent advances in the design and synthesis of prazosin derivatives

Due to the large number of therapeutic indications, particularly for antagonists, a field of constant interest in medicinal chemistry is the design, synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of ligands that bind at α1-adrenoreceptors, which include α1a, α1b and α1d subtypes. This review, which is mainly based on literature over the past 10 years, focuses on the developments of some of the most potent, selective and widely used α1-adrenoreceptor antagonists that are structurally related to prazosin (which is characterised by a quinazoline moiety). Initially introduced in therapy for the management of hypertension, prazosin derivatives have become increasingly common in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. During the past few years, new perspectives have emerged for the use of these derivatives as a novel class of apoptosis-inducing agents in prostate cancer.
Experiences in porting TCP application over UDT and their performance analysis

UDP based Data Transfer Protocol (UDT) is the next generation emerging protocol, popularly used for transferring bulk data in high speed, optical and distributed networks. In order to get widely adopted, UDT should be used as an underlying protocol for various existing applications like FTP, TELNET etc., which are currently based on standard TCP. Therefore, it is important to carryout detailed analysis in order to port existing TCP based applications over UDT. Through this paper we have carried out detailed source code analysis of FTP and TELNET and identified various issues in porting them to UDT. We have also proposed the required changes to be carried out at UDT framework in order to address the identified porting issues. Detailed performance analysis of TCP and UDT based applications is also presented in this paper.
Logical Metonymy in a Distributional Model of Sentence Comprehension

In theoretical linguistics, logical metonymy is defined as the combination of an event-subcategorizing verb with an entity-denoting direct object (e.g., The author began the book), so that the interpretation of the VP requires the retrieval of a covert event (e.g., writing). Psycholinguistic studies have revealed extra processing costs for logical metonymy, a phenomenon generally explained with the introduction of new semantic structure. In this paper, we present a general distributional model for sentence comprehension inspired by the Memory, Unification and Control model by Hagoort (2013,2016). We show that our distributional framework can account for the extra processing costs of logical metonymy and can identify the covert event in a classification task.
Factors contributing to economic burden in lung cancer spousal caregivers

Abstract Objective: The determinates of economic burden in lung cancer caregivers are poorly understood. Of particular interest is the role patient symptoms play in caregiver economic burden. Guided by a stress process conceptual framework, this study examined the predictors of economic burden reported by lung cancer spousal caregivers. Our study focused on the pathway of contextual and stressor variables leading to economic burden in lung cancer caregivers. Method: Relying on survey data from 138 spouses, structural equation modeling was employed to examine the determinants of economic burden measured using the Family Impact Survey. Contextual variables included age, gender, education, and income; and stressor variables included patient physical and mental symptoms, as well as number of children in the home. Results: A significant indirect path between age and economic distress through patient symptoms (p = 0.05) indicates younger spouses providing care for patients with more symptoms and reporting greater economic burden. Direct effects between contextual variables and economic burden revealed that caregivers with less education (p = 0.02) and those with more children at home (p = 0.01) reported more adverse economic outcomes. Significance of Results: Numerous factors impact spousal caregivers' economic burden, including the presence of children at home, being a younger caregiver, and lower educational attainment by caregivers. Moreover, the direct effects between age and economic burden were not significant, supporting the clear role patient symptoms play in the path to economic burden in spousal caregivers. These results underscore the need for healthcare providers to address psychosocial factors when dealing with patients and families with lung cancer. Specifically, the results highlight the importance of addressing patient symptoms early before they threaten the family's economic well-being.
Evaluation Of Serum C-reactive Protein In Diagnosis And Prognosis Of Neonatal Septicemia

Background: Neonatal sept icemia is an overwhelming systemic infection due to gain access of pathogenic bacteria in the blood stream of neonate. C-reactive protein production is very early and sensitive response to microbial infections and has highest sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive accuracy in cases of neonatal septicemia. Methods: Total 50 clinically suspected cases and 25 healthy neonates as control were studied. Total WBC count , absolute neutrophi ls count , Band Cell/Neutrophil Count ratio, C-reactive protein estimation, blood culture, culture of umbilical discharge, other purulent material and urine were done. CRP levels were noted on the day of admission before instituting therapy and 5th and 10th day of treatment. Results: 22 cases were bacteriologically positive. CRP was positive in 44 cases and one control. Thirty-five cases were survived and 15 expired. CRP value among survivors on 1, 5 and 10 day was 18.51+/-4.21, 12.61+/-3.51 and 8.21+/-3.05 respectively; whereas, on 1 and 5 day among expired was 23.22+/-2.42 and 21+/-3.21 respectively. Mean CRP value on the 1st day and 10th day in cured survivors was 17.89+/-4.52 and 6.0+/-7.0 (p value Conclusion: Serum CRP estimation is very sensitive and reliable method. Serial measurements of serum CRP levels are useful in monitoring the course and it provides an early indication of response of treatment. It can help in decision of initiating or discontinuing antibiotic therapy. The persistence or insignificant decline of serum CRP with treatment signifies about inadequate treatment or development of complications.
Protein kinases and adherens junction dynamics in the seminiferous epithelium of the rat testis

Earlier studies in multiple epithelia have shown that cell–cell actin‐based adherens junction (AJ) dynamics are regulated, at least in part, by the interplay of kinases and phosphatases that determines the intracellular phosphoprotein content. Yet it is virtually unknown regarding the role of protein kinases in Sertoli–germ cell AJ dynamics in the seminiferous epithelium of the testis. To address this issue, an in vitro coculture system utilizing Sertoli and germ cells was used to study the regulation of several protein kinases, including c‐Src (the cellular form of the v‐src transforming gene of Rous Sarcoma virus, RSV), carboxyl‐terminal Src kinase (Csk), and casein kinase 2 (CK2), during AJ assembly. Both Sertoli and germ cells were shown to express c‐Src, Csk, and CK2 with a relative Sertoli:germ cell ratio of ∼1:1, suggesting both cell types contributed equally to the pool of these kinases in the epithelium. c‐Src and Csk were shown to be stage‐specific proteins during the epithelial cycle, being highest at stages VII–VIII. Studies using immunoprecipitation have illustrated that these kinases were structurally associated with the N‐cadherin/β‐catenin, but not the nectin/afadin, protein complex, implicating that the cadherin/catenin protein complex is their likely putative substrate. An induction in c‐Src, Csk, and CK2 were detected during Sertoli–germ cell AJ assembly in vitro but not when Sertoli cells were cultured alone. When adult rats were treated with 1‐(2,4‐dichlorobenzyl)‐indazole‐3‐carbohydrazide (AF‐2364), a compound known to induce germ cell loss from the seminiferous epithelium, in particular elongating/elongate and round spermatids, by disrupting Sertoli–germ cell AJs, an induction of c‐Src and Csk, but not CK2, was detected. Furthermore, a transient increase in the intrinsic kinase activities of c‐Src, but not CK2, was also detected. This event was also associated with a loss of protein–protein association of N‐cadherin and β‐catenin from the cadherin/catenin/c‐Src/Csk/CK2 protein complex. Administration of PP1, a c‐Src inhibitor, into adult rats via the jugular vein could induce the loss of spermatocytes and round spermatids, but not elongating/elongate spermatids, from the seminiferous epithelium. This result thus implicates the importance of c‐Src in maintaining the integrity of AJs and possibly desmosome‐like junctions between Sertoli cells and spermatocytes/round spermatids. In short, the data reported herein have shown that c‐Src, Csk, and CK2 are novel protein kinases in AJ dynamics in the testis. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Probability based replacement algorithm for WWW server arrays

This paper describes a scalable Web server array architecture which uses a caching policy called the probability based replacement (PBR) algorithm. The server array consists of a central server and several Web servers. The central server stores the whole document set, and sends the user requested documents to the Web servers by a technique called the selective broadcast technique. Web documents are cached in the Web servers and are replaced based on the PBR algorithm. Performance comparison using NASA and ClarkNet access logs between PBR server arrays and purely mirrored Web servers is performed. The results show that with 10% document caching, the maximum throughput of the former one is nearly the same as that of mirrored Web servers. The PBR server arrays, however, require much smaller disk storage in the Web servers than the mirrored Web servers. The PBR server arrays are also much more scalable than the mirrored ones.
Weighted Voting of Different Term Weighting Methods for Natural Language Call Routing

The text classification problem for natural language call routing was considered in the paper. Seven different term weighting methods were applied. As dimensionality reduction methods, the combination of stop-word filtering and stemming and the feature transformation based on term belonging to classes were considered. kNN and SVM-FML were used as classification algorithms. In the paper the idea of voting with different term weighting methods was proposed. The majority vote of seven considered term weighting methods provides significant improvement of classification effectiveness. After that the weighted voting based on optimization with self-adjusting genetic algorithm was investigated. The numerical results showed that weighted voting provides additional improvement of classification effectiveness. Especially significant improvement of the classification effectiveness is observed with the feature transformation based on term belonging to classes that reduces the dimensionality radically; the dimensionality equals number of classes. Therefore, it can be useful for real-time systems as natural language call routing.
Cognitive response control in writer’s cramp

Disturbances of the motor and sensory system as well as an alteration of the preparation of movements have been reported to play a role in the pathogenesis of dystonias. However, it is unclear whether higher aspects of cortical – like cognitive – functions are also involved. Recently, the NoGo‐anteriorization (NGA) elicited with a visual continuous performance test (CPT) during recording of a 21‐channel electroencephalogram has been proposed as an electrophysiological standard‐index for cognitive response control. The NGA consists of a more anterior location of the positive area of the brain electrical field associated with the inhibition (NoGo‐condition) compared with that of the execution (Go‐condition) of a prepared motor response in the CPT. This response control paradigm was applied in 16 patients with writer’s cramp (WC) and 14 age matched healthy controls. Topographical analysis of the associated event‐related potentials revealed a significant (P < 0.05) NGA effect for both patients and controls. Moreover, patients with WC showed a significantly higher global field power value (P < 0.05) in the Go‐condition and a significantly higher difference‐amplitude (P < 0.05) in the NoGo‐condition. A source location analysis with the low resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) method demonstrated a hypoactivity for the Go‐condition in the parietal cortex of the right hemisphere and a hyperactivity in the NoGo‐condition in the left parietal cortex in patients with WC compared with healthy controls. These results indicate an altered response control in patients with WC in widespread cortical brain areas and therefore support the hypothesis that the pathogenesis of WC is not restricted to a pure sensory‐motor dysfunction.
Electromagnetic Fields in Cavities with a Slot-Aperture at Natural Resonance

The electromagnetic coupling of an incident plane wave through a slot-aperture backed by a rectangular cavity is analyzed by using a one-term equivalent mag­ netic current. It is found that, at natural resonance, the field amplitudes in the slot are approximately in­ versely proportional to the square-root of the wall conductivity and that the fields inside are nearly in­ dependent of the cavity material. The cavity Q is also approximately inversely proportional to the wall con­ ductivity. Numerical examples are given.
A New Approach for Solar Module Temperature Estimation Using the Simple Diode Model

In this paper, an effective new approach for estimating the operating temperature of a photovoltaic (PV) module by using the simple diode model is presented. The developed method is simple and does not need any additional hardware. The proposed approach uses an analytical formula to derive the temperature from the maximum power point voltage and current. Since the temperature estimation (TE) is based on the model of the PV module, at first the model is explained. In the model, effects of the temperature coefficients are considered. Moreover, a new approach to find all parameters of a PV module model is described. Unlike other methods, the parameters' extraction method that is proposed here only needs manufacturer data from the datasheet and does not need any additional information. Effectiveness of the new TE procedure is investigated through some conducted simulations in MATLAB/Simulink environment and its validity is verified by experiment on a REC-AE220 solar module.
Phylogenetic incongruence arising from fragmented speciation in enteric bacteria

Evolutionary relationships among species are often assumed to be fundamentally unambiguous, where genes within a genome are thought to evolve in concert and phylogenetic incongruence between individual orthologs is attributed to idiosyncrasies in their evolution. We have identified substantial incongruence between the phylogenies of orthologous genes in Escherichia, Salmonella, and Citrobacter, or E. coli, E. fergusonii, and E. albertii. The source of incongruence was inferred to be recombination, because individual genes support conflicting topology more robustly than expected from stochastic sequence homoplasies. Clustering of phylogenetically informative sites on the genome indicated that the regions of recombination extended over several kilobases. Analysis of phylogenetically distant taxa resulted in consensus among individual gene phylogenies, suggesting that recombination is not ongoing; instead, conflicting relationships among genes in descendent taxa reflect recombination among their ancestors. Incongruence could have resulted from random assortment of ancestral polymorphisms if species were instantly created from the division of a recombining population. However, the estimated branch lengths in alternative phylogenies would require ancestral populations with far more diversity than is found in extant populations. Rather, these and previous data collectively suggest that genome-wide recombination rates decreased gradually, with variation in rate among loci, leading to pluralistic relationships among their descendent taxa.
The carbamoyl-phosphate synthase family and carbamate kinase: structure-function studies.

Enzymatic synthesis of carbamoyl phosphate Carbamoyl phosphate is synthesized irreversibly by carbamoyl-phosphate synthase (CPS; EC6.3.4.16 and EC 6.3.5.5) in the first step of the routes of biosynthesis of pyrimidines, arginine and urea. In most bacteria, including Escherichia cofi, the same CPS is used for arginine and pyrimidine synthesis, whereas in higher organisms different CPS enzymes are used for making pyrimidines and argininelurea. Carbamoyl phosphate is also synthesized by carbamate kinase, an enzyme found in some bacteria that grow anaerobically using arginine as the major nutrient. Carbamate kinase uses ATP to phosphorylate carbamate reversibly, but its physiological role is to generate ATP from ADP and carbamoyl phosphate. The carbamoyl phosphate used in this reaction is generated from citrulline and phosphate by catabolic ornithine transcarbamylase. The reactions catalysed by carbamate kinase ( 1 ) and CPS (2) are compared below:
The rtn gene of Proteus vulgaris is actually from Escherichia coli

The rtn gene, identified as coming from Proteus vulgaris ATCC 13315, is present in Escherichia coli K-12, and over a 440-bp region of rtn is identical to the published Proteus sequence, with the exception of a single G insertion. It was not possible to verify the presence of rtn in P. vulgaris.