Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dimming control and characteristics of high-frequency operated metal halide lamps

Dimming control and characteristics of high-frequency operated metal-halide (MH) lamps are described. Lamp performance based on two ballast topologies is compared. The dimming range and stability control of the MH lamps are addressed. Dimming range from 100% to about 30% has been achieved. It is found that the combination of ballast topology and dimming method can affect the dimming performance.
Searches among mycobacterial cultures for antileprosy vaccines

All mycobacteria species share some antigens, so there may be cultivable mycobacterial cultures that can provide vaccine protection against leprosy. Vaccine protection against Mycobacterium leprae infections in mice has been demonstrated for M. leprae itself, as living or heat-killed suspensions, and for Mycobacterium bovis (BCG), as living suspensions. Results are reported here with 17 other cultures. The mycobacterial suspensions were injected intradermally, and the mice were challenged in the footpad with infectious suspensions of M. leprae. In two experiments the mice were also challenged by footpad injections of 10(7) heat-killed M. leprae so the footpad enlargment could be measured. That some mycobacterial suspensions were immunogenic for some of their own antigens was suggested by reactions at the vaccine site and enlargement of the regional lymph nodes. Some mycobacterial suspensions also stimulated footpad enlargement on challenge by homologous suspensions or by challenge with M. leprae suspensions. Consistent protection against infectious challenge with M. leprae was observed only with BCG and M. leprae, however.
Role of the Synthase Domain of Ags1p in Cell Wall α-Glucan Biosynthesis in Fission Yeast*

The cell wall is important for maintenance of the structural integrity and morphology of fungal cells. Besides β-glucan and chitin, α-glucan is a major polysaccharide in the cell wall of many fungi. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, cell wall α-glucan is an essential component, consisting mainly of (1,3)-α-glucan with ∼10% (1,4)-linked α-glucose residues. The multidomain protein Ags1p is required for α-glucan biosynthesis and is conserved among cell wall α-glucan-containing fungi. One of its domains shares amino acid sequence motifs with (1,4)-α-glucan synthases such as bacterial glycogen synthases and plant starch synthases. Whether Ags1p is involved in the synthesis of the (1,4)-α-glucan constituent of cell wall α-glucan had remained unclear. Here, we show that overexpression of Ags1p in S. pombe cells results in accumulation of (1,4)-α-glucan. To determine whether the synthase domain of Ags1p is responsible for this activity, we overexpressed Ags1p-E1526A, which carries a mutation in a putative catalytic residue of the synthase domain, but observed no accumulation of (1,4)-α-glucan. Compared with wild-type Ags1p, this mutant Ags1p showed a markedly reduced ability to complement the cell lysis phenotype of the temperature-sensitive ags1-1 mutant. Therefore, we conclude that, in S. pombe, the production of (1,4)-α-glucan by the synthase domain of Ags1p is important for the biosynthesis of cell wall α-glucan.
Automated detection of lung nodules with three-dimensional convolutional neural networks

Lung cancer is the cancer type with highest mortality rate worldwide. It has been shown that early detection with computer tomography (CT) scans can reduce deaths caused by this disease. Manual detection of cancer nodules is costly and time-consuming. We present a general framework for the detection of nodules in lung CT images. Our method consists of the pre-processing of a patient’s CT with filtering and lung extraction from the entire volume using a previously calculated mask for each patient. From the extracted lungs, we perform a candidate generation stage using morphological operations, followed by the training of a three-dimensional convolutional neural network for feature representation and classification of extracted candidates for false positive reduction. We perform experiments on the publicly available LIDC-IDRI dataset. Our candidate extraction approach is effective to produce precise candidates with a recall of 99.6%. In addition, false positive reduction stage manages to successfully classify candidates and increases precision by a factor of 7.000.
Urinary System Diseases Diagnosis Using Machine Learning Techniques

The urinary system is the organ system responsible for the production, storage and elimination of urine. This system includes kidneys, bladder, ureters and urethra. It represents the major system which filters the blood and any imbalance of this organ can increases the rate of being infected with diseases. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the performance of different variants of Support Vector Machines and k-Nearest Neighbor with different distances and try to achieve a satisfactory rate of diagnosis (infected or non-infected urinary system). We consider both diseases that affect the urinary system: inflammation of urinary bladder and nephritis of renal pelvis origin. Our experimentation will be conducted on the database ―Acute Inflammations Data Set‖ obtained from UCI Machine Learning Repository. We use the following measures to evaluate the results: classification accuracy rate, classification time, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values.
Effects of Music on Mood during Bench Stepping Exercise

This study evaluated the effect of music on the mood of women during exercise. 16 middle-aged women, aged 49.9±7.53 yr. , performed 60-min. bench stepping exercise while listening to Japanese traditional folk song, aerobic dance music, or nonmusic. The subjects reported significantly Jess fatigue with aerobic dance music and Japanese traditional folk song than with nonmusic. Aerobic dance music was associated with significantly more vigor and less confusion than nonmusic.
Comparison of radiation-induced aberration frequencies in chromosomes 1 and 2 of two human donors.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to analyse donor and time dependent variations in the frequencies of radiation-induced aberrations in chromosomes 1 and 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS Human lymphocytes from two donors were irradiated with 1 and 2 Gy of X-rays. Chromosomal aberrations were scored in chromosomes 1 and 2 painted with different fluorochromes and in Giemsa stained cells. Two time displaced experiments were performed with lymphocytes of each donor. RESULTS In cells of both donors chromosome 1 was generally more frequently involved in translocations than chromosome 2. This result was not always reproducible. Chromosome 2 showed a higher frequency of acentric fragments, especially following a dose of 1 Gy. Again interexperimental variations were observed. No differences between the two chromosomes were seen with regard to other aberration types. Both chromosomes showed less dicentrics and more acentric fragments than proportional to their DNA content. CONCLUSIONS Chromosomes 1 and 2 show a different sensitivity to ionizing radiation. The difference is dependent on the aberration type and is not always reproducible. This variability could contribute to the difficulty in reaching a consensus regarding the radiosensitivity of individual chromosomes.
Recruitment strategies for cervical cancer prevention study.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to describe recruitment strategies for a single-visit cervical cancer prevention study. METHODS From January through December 1999, low-income, predominantly Latino women were recruited to participate in a single-visit cervical cancer prevention study. For the first 6 months, all women who had ever visited one of two community-based study clinics were invited to participate (clinic registry recruitment). For the remainder of the year, recruitment was modified to be primarily inclusive of advertisements in English- and Spanish-language community newspapers and fliers left in local businesses and organizations (media campaign recruitment). Eligible volunteers were randomized to one of two study arms, usual-care program or single-visit program. All study subjects completed demographic and medical questionnaires delivered by bilingual staff. Women who declined to participate in this study were asked to provide reasons for this preference. Statistical analyses included the use of chi-square, logistic regression, and Student's t test. RESULTS The proportion of women who agreed to participate was higher in the media recruitment group than in the clinic registry group [51% (535/1041) compared to 26% (405/1542), P < 0.001]. The no-show rate among participants solicited from the media strategy was significantly less than that from the clinic registry. There were no significant differences in the median age, number of months since the last Papanicolaou smear, incidence of abnormal Papanicolaou smear, education, or income of the subjects based on the recruitment strategy. CONCLUSION A media-based recruitment strategy was effective for this single-visit cervical prevention study. This approach may be effective for recruitment of other low-income groups to clinical trials.
Role of Herp in the endoplasmic reticulum stress response

Application of differential display to cultured rat astrocytes allowed cloning of Herp cDNA. Although Herp was strongly induced by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, it decayed rapidly consequent to proteasome‐mediated degradation. To investigate the role of this molecule in terms of the stress response, Herp knockout cells were developed using F9 embryonic carcinoma cells. F9 Herp null cells were more vulnerable to ER stress compared with F9 wild‐type cells. In the early period of ER stress (0–8 h after tunicamycin treatment), Herp null cells displayed enhanced ER stress signalling and stabilization of an endogenous ERAD substrate, compared with wild‐type cells. In the intermediate period (8–20 h after tunicamycin treatment), Herp null cells displayed reduced ER stress signalling, whereas in the late period (20–40 h after tunicamycin treatment), Herp null cells manifested irreversible cellular changes that lead to apoptotic cell death. Transfection analysis revealed that the N‐terminal region, including the ubiquitin‐like domain of Herp, was required for the survival of F9 cells under ER stress. These results indicate that Herp is a short‐lived Ub‐like protein improving the balance of folding capacity and protein loads in the ER and plays crucial roles for the ER stress resistance in F9 cells.
Mars: Detection of Atmospheric Water Vapor during the Southern Hemisphere Spring and Summer Season

Water vapor was found to reappear in the atmosphere of Mars during its southern hemisphere spring and summer season, with a maximum vertical column abundance of 45 to 50 microns of precipitable water averaged over the entire planet. Although the spring-summer seasons for each hemisphere are generally symmetrical with respect to the appearance of water vapor, the data suggest that water vapor may appear later in the season and in slightly larger amounts during the southern hemisphere spring-summer.
Understanding User Adaptation toward a New IT System in Organizations: A Social Network Perspective

: Social networks can be a vital mechanism for users to adapt to changes induced by new IT systems in organizations. However, we do not adequately understand the effect of social networks on post-adoption IT use. Drawing on coping theory and the social network literature, we develop a cognitive-affective-behavioral classification of user adaptation and identify seeking-network closure and giving-network closure as key network characteristics pertinent to post-adoption IT use. Thereafter, we establish a theoretical link from seeking-network closure and giving-network closure to post-adoption IT use through the underlying mechanisms of user adaptation. We operationalize the research model using a field survey of a newly implemented electronic medical record system in a hospital in Northeast China, where we collected network data and objective system logs of 104 doctors. We found that seeking-network closure was positively associated with cognitive adaptation but negatively associated with affective adaptation and behavioral adaptation, whereas giving-network closure was negatively associated with cognitive adaptation but positively associated with affective adaptation and behavioral adaptation. Moreover, cognitive adaptation and affective adaptation were determinants of post-adoption IT use, but behavioral adaptation was not. We discuss our study’s theoretical and practical contributions.
Maximum Likelihood Estimation of Observer Error‐Rates Using the EM Algorithm

In compiling a patient record many facets are subject to errors of measurement. A model is presented which allows individual error-rates to be estimated for polytomous facets even when the patient's "true" response is not available. The EM algorithm is shown to provide a slow but sure way of obtaining maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters of interest. Some preliminary experience is reported and the limitations of the method are described.
Using Hidden Markov Models to Model Multiple Transcription Factor Binding

Transcription is a cellular process leading to protein synthesis. The process is activated through the binding of proteins to specific sequences of the DNA strand. These proteins are referred to as transcription factors, and their DNA binding sites are called motifs. Computational techniques are used to predict and study such motifs. The two transcription factors Oct4 and Sox9 are known to be co-regulated. Prior research investigate the motifs of these two proteins, giving a distance between them. This report presents a hidden Markov model for modeling the co-regulation of motifs. A specific model for Oct4/Sox9 is developed and evaluated, confirming previous results.
Rosiglitazone Improves Stallion Sperm Motility, ATP Content, and Mitochondrial Function1

ABSTRACT Media used for equine sperm storage often contain relatively high concentrations of glucose, even though stallion spermatozoa preferentially utilize oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) over glycolysis to generate ATP and support motility. Rosiglitazone is an antidiabetic compound that enhances metabolic flexibility and glucose utilization in various cell types, but its effects on sperm metabolism are unknown. This study investigated the effects of rosiglitazone on stallion sperm function in vitro, along with the possible role of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in mediating these effects. Spermatozoa were incubated with or without rosiglitazone, GW9662 (an antagonist of peroxisome proliferator-activating receptor-gamma), and compound C (CC; an AMPK inhibitor). Sperm motility, viability, reactive oxygen species production, mitochondrial membrane potential (mMP), ATP content, and glucose uptake capacity were measured. Samples incubated with rosiglitazone displayed significantly higher motility, percentage of cells with normal mMP, ATP content, and glucose uptake capacity, while sperm viability was unaffected. The percentage of spermatozoa positive for mitochondrial ROS was also significantly lower in rosiglitazone-treated samples. AMPK localized to the sperm midpiece, and its phosphorylation, was increased in rosiglitazone-treated spermatozoa. CC decreased sperm AMPK phosphorylation and reduced sperm motility, and successfully inhibited the effects of rosiglitazone. Inclusion of rosiglitazone in a room temperature sperm storage medium maintained sperm motility above 60% for 6 days, attaining significantly higher motility than sperm stored in control media. The ability of rosiglitazone to substantially alleviate the time-dependent deterioration of stallion spermatozoa by diverting metabolism away from OXPHOS and toward glycolysis has novel implications for the long-term, functional preservation of these cells.
Molecular characterisation of Bacillus chitinase for bioconversion of chitin waste

In this work chitin was extracted chemically from shrimp shells. Seventeen Bacillus isolates were screened for chitinolytic activity. The chitinolytic strains of Bt. were screened at different temperatures and pHs for their hydrolytic potentials. By using a pair of specific primers, endochitinase gene was amplified from SBS Bt-5 strain through PCR, and then cloned into pTZ57 TA cloning vector and transferred in Escherichia coli DH5α strain. The sequenced gene (GenBank Accession No: HE995800) consists of 2031 nucleotides capable of encoding 676 residues. The protein consisted of three functional domains with a calculated molecular mass of 74.53 kDa and a pI value of 5.83. The amino acid sequence of chi gene showed 99% similarity to the genes of Bt MR11 endochitinase, Bt serovar kurstaki chitinase (kchi), Bt strain MR21 endochitinase and Bacillus cereus B4264.
Calcium‐induced precipitate formation in brain mitochondria: composition, calcium capacity, and retention

Both isolated brain mitochondria and mitochondria in intact neurons are capable of accumulating large amounts of calcium, which leads to formation in the matrix of calcium‐ and phosphorus‐rich precipitates, the chemical composition of which is largely unknown. Here, we have used inhibitors of the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) to determine how the amount and rate of mitochondrial calcium uptake relate to mitochondrial morphology, precipitate composition, and precipitate retention. Using isolated rat brain (RBM) or liver mitochondria (RLM) Ca2+‐loaded by continuous cation infusion, precipitate composition was measured in situ in parallel with Ca2+ uptake and mitochondrial swelling. In RBM, the endogenous MPT inhibitors adenosine 5′‐diphosphate (ADP) and adenosine 5′‐triphosphate (ATP) increased mitochondrial Ca2+ loading capacity and facilitated formation of precipitates. In the presence of ADP, the Ca/P ratio approached 1.5, while ATP or reduced infusion rates decreased this ratio towards 1.0, indicating that precipitate chemical form varies with the conditions of loading. In both RBM and RLM, the presence of cyclosporine A in addition to ADP increased the Ca2+ capacity and precipitate Ca/P ratio. Following MPT and/or depolarization, the release of accumulated Ca2+ is rapid but incomplete; significant residual calcium in the form of precipitates is retained in damaged mitochondria for prolonged periods.
Four New Diterpene Glucosides from Perovskia atriplicifolia

Four new diterpene glucosides, namely perovskiaditerpenosides A – D (1 – 4), were isolated from the BuOH extract of Perovskia atriplicifolia. Their structures were well elucidated by chemical methods and comprehensive spectroscopic analyses including MS, IR, and NMR (1D and 2D). The newly isolated compounds were screened for their cytotoxic activity against HepG2, NB4, HeLa, K562, MCF7, PC3, and HL60. The obtained results indicated that the new compounds possessed considerable cytotoxic activity.
Absence of Angiogenesis-lnhibitory Activity in Aqueous Humor of Diabetic Rabbits

We studied inhibitory activity of angiogenesis in the eye to explore the formation of new blood vessels in diabetic microvascular diseases. When we examined the effects of extracts from various ocular tissues of nondiabetic rabbits on the proliferation of bovine aortic endothelial cells, potent inhibitory activity was found in lens and aqueous humor. Aqueous humor inhibited both angiogenesis on chorioallantoic membrane in vivo and promotion of endothelial cell growth in vitro, which were induced by retinal extracts. However, in diabetic rabbits, aqueous humor lost the ability to inhibit the growth of endothelial cells. The loss of activity became evident 1 mo after the alloxan injection and lasted while the animals were hyperglycemic. In addition, diabetic aqueous humor failed to suppress retinal extract-induced angiogenesis promotion and endothelial cell growth. The absence of the inhibitory activity of angiogenesis in diabetic aqueous humor might be involved in promotion of neovascularization in diabetic ocular disease.
On diagnosing multiple stuck-at faults using multiple and singlefault simulation in combinational circuits

Diagnosing multiple stuck-at faults in combinational circuits using singleand multiple-fault simulation is proposed. The proposed method adds (removes) faults from a set of suspected faults depending on the result of multiple-fault simulation at a primary output agreeing (disagreeing) with the observed value. However, the faults that are added or removed from the set of suspected faults are determined using single-fault simulation. Diagnosis is carried out by repeated addition and removal of faults. The effectiveness of the diagnosis method is evaluated by experiments conducted on benchmark circuits and it is found to be substantially superior compared to the previous known solutions. The method proposed in this paper can be used as a powerful tool at the preprocessing stage of diagnosis in an electron-beam tester environment.
Effects of Sacrocaudal Spinal Cord Transection and Transplantation of Fetal Spinal Tissue on Withdrawal Reflexes of the Tail

Reflex responses to electrocutaneous stimulation of the tail were characterized in awake cats, before and after transection of the spinal cord at sacrocaudal levels S3-Ca1 Consistent with effects of spinal transection at higher levels, postoperative cutaneous reflexes were initially depressed, and the tail was flaccid. Recovery ensued over the course of 70–90 days after sacrocaudal transection. Preoperative and chronic postlesion reflexes elicited by electrocutaneous stimulation were graded in amplitude as a function of stimulus intensity. Chronic postlesion testing of electrocutaneous reflexes revealed greater than normal peak amplitudes, peak latencies, total amplitudes (power), and durations, particularly for higher stimulus intensities. Thus, sacrocaudal transection produced effects representative of the spastic syndrome. In contrast, exaggerated reflex responsivity did not develop for a group of cats that received transplants of fetal spinal cord tissue within sacrocaudal transection cavities at the time of injury, in conjunction with long-term immunosuppression by cyclosporine. We conclude that gray matter replacement and potential neuroprotective actions of the grafts and/or immunosuppression prevent development of the spastic syndrome. This argues that the spastic syndrome does not result entirely from interruption of long spinal pathways.
Program Explorer: A Program Visualizer for C++

Despite the obvious advantages of using object-oriented (O-O) program visualizers in system understanding and debugging, they are still rarely found in the programmers's tool box. One reason for this that such visualizers often fail because of their inability to handle problems of a realistic scale. In our research, we have addressed the scalability problem by integrating static and dynamic program information to produce abstract and yet accurate views of complex O-O systems that often provide more useful information than can be obtained by reading the source code. This is the approach we followed in designing Program Explorer, a research prototype for C++ program visualization, which has been used to examine large O-O systems such as Stanford's Interviews library and Taligent's CommonPoint frameworks.
Foot and ground measurement using portable sensors

A portable gait measurement system for foot dynamic analysis is proposed. Portable cheap sensors are suitable in active control rehabilitation equipment such as prostheses and orthoses. A system of one gyroscope and two accelerometers was used to measure the foot movement in the sagital plane. Both ground inclination during stance and foot angle relative to ground during swing are estimated. This enables fast detection of changing environments such as hills and stairs.