Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morphogenesis and differentiation of the avian endocrine pancreas, with particular reference to experimental studies on the chick embryo

The avian pancreas has three or four lobes and develops from a dorsal and two ventral buds. The cells that will contribute to formation of the dorsal bud are at first located in the mid‐dorsal endoderm, those of the ventral buds in the floor of the foregut. The determination of endoderm to form dorsal and ventral bud derivatives occurs before formation of the buds. The highest concentration of endocrine tissue is in the splenic lobe. The lobes contain A and B islets in which glucagon and insulin cells, respectively, predominate. Islets contain somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide (PP) cells, both of which also occur scattered in the exocrine parenchyma. Pancreatic endocrine cells arise from endoderm: glucagon, insulin, and somatostatin cells differentiate early, PP cells later.To establish culture conditions suitable for avian insulin cells, the epithelial component of dorsal buds of 5‐day chick embryos was cultured under various conditions. At the end of 7 days the proportion of insulin cells was determined. In raising the proportion of insulin cells, Matrigel was superior to collagen gel and a serum‐free medium (incorporating insulin, transferrin, and selenium) was superior to a serum‐containing medium. Modifications to the serum‐free medium were tested. Raising the level of glucose or of glucose and essential amino acids increased the proportion of insulin cells. This proportion was also increased by replacement of insulin by insulin‐like growth factor‐I, whereas addition of transforming growth factor β1 reduced the proportion. Transfer of explants from poor to favourable culture conditions showed that the improved conditions stimulated quiescent insulin progenitor cells to develop. Microsc. Res. Tech. 43:292–305, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Agenesis of the corpus callosum in Nogo receptor deficient mice

The corpus callosum (CC) is the largest fiber tract in the mammalian brain, linking the bilateral cerebral hemispheres. CC development depends on the proper balance of axon growth cone attractive and repellent cues leading axons to the midline and then directing them to the contralateral hemisphere. Imbalance of these cues results in CC agenesis or dysgenesis. Nogo receptors (NgR1, NgR2, and NgR3) are growth cone directive molecules known for inhibiting axon regeneration after injury. We report that mice lacking Nogo receptors (NgR123‐null mice) display complete CC agenesis due to axon misdirection evidenced by ectopic axons including cortical Probst bundles. Because glia and glial‐derived growth cone repellent factors (especially the diffusible factor Slit2) are required for CC development, their distribution was studied. Compared with wild‐type mice, NgR123‐null mice had a sharp increase in the glial marker glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and in Slit2 at the glial wedge and indusium griseum, midline structures required for CC formation. NgR123‐null mice displayed reduced motor coordination and hyperactivity. These data are consistent with the hypotheses that Nogo receptors are membrane‐bound growth cone repellent factors required for migration of axons across the midline at the CC, and that their absence results directly or indirectly in midline gliosis, increased Slit2, and complete CC agenesis. J. Comp. Neurol. 525:291–301, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Extraction of Secondary Metabolites from Roots of Acanthus Ilicifolius L and Screening for Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activity

The root extracts of Acanthus ilicifolius L finds a prominent place in folk medicine. In this study, we extracted alkaloid, flavonoid, tannin and total phenols in benzene, ethyl acetate, acetone, methanol and ethanol, their antibacterial activity and antioxidant activity was evaluated. The antioxidant activity is executed by FRAP assay and agar well diffusion method is done to study the antibacterial activity against Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. The antibacterial activity of all the extracts was compared with standard antibiotic gentamicin. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration [MIC] was determined by serial dilution method. Alkaloids are rich in acetone and Flavonoids are high in methanol extracts. The acetone extract showed higher antioxidant activity, while benzene extract was identified to contain lower antioxidant activity. The extent of inhibition by the root extracts diverge between the solvents used, among them ethanol extracts exhibited higher level of inhibition against the gram positive test cultures compared to gram negative test cultures employed. Whereas, the acetone extracts efficacy is more on gram negative test cultures than the gram positive cultures. The MIC was found to be between 1mg/100μl to 5mg/100μl. This study gives the source for purification and characterization of bioactive principles that possess antioxidant and antibacterial action from the root of Acanthus ilicifolius.
Pien Tze Huang, a Composite Chinese Traditional Herbal Extract, Affects Survival of Neuroblastoma Cells

Pien Tze Huang is a popular Chinese medicine for liver diseases. In the investigations of possible effects of Pien Tze Huang on the central nervous system, we first studied the in vitro anti-cancer activity of Pien Tze Huang on neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) as compared with normal fibroblasts (NIH-3T3). Results showed that Pien Tze Huang significantly decreased (p < .05) cell survival of SH-SY5Y as compared to NIH-3T3. Furthermore, the decreases in cell survival of SH-SY5Y were significantly and linearly dose-dependent (p < .05) from 400 to 1,000 μg/ml. This supports further in vivo and animal studies for anti-cancer effect, neuroprotection, and theirmechanisms.
The estimation of branching curves in the presence of subject‐specific random effects

Branching curves are a technique for modeling curves that change trajectory at a change (branching) point. Currently, the estimation framework is limited to independent data, and smoothing splines are used for estimation. This article aims to extend the branching curve framework to the longitudinal data setting where the branching point varies by subject. If the branching point is modeled as a random effect, then the longitudinal branching curve framework is a semiparametric nonlinear mixed effects model. Given existing issues with using random effects within a smoothing spline, we express the model as a B‐spline based semiparametric nonlinear mixed effects model. Simple, clever smoothness constraints are enforced on the B‐splines at the change point. The method is applied to Women's Health data where we model the shape of the labor curve (cervical dilation measured longitudinally) before and after treatment with oxytocin (a labor stimulant). Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Framework for Using Tesseract to Transcribing Early Modern Texts Having Non-standard Fonts

Here we describe a framework built upon Tesseract optical character recognition software for transcribing old texts having non-standard fonts. Further, we illustrate our software on creating a digital version of two volumes of a 17 century French text. The volumes consist of 808 pages having 84,366 words, and our system initially correctly transcribes 88% of the words. Further, we identify a methodology that will help to correct an additional 1,007 words; this would lead to 89% recognition accuracy.
Among a High-Coverage Group Reaching the Mobile Respondent : Determinants of High-Level Mobile Phone Use

The aim of this study is to identify the key determinants of high-level mobile phone use in a highcoverage target group by replicating an Australian study conducted by Walsh and White. Factors predicting high-level mobile phone use and relations between selfand prototypical identity are investigated by using an extended version of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). A total of 215 Austrian university students participated by completing two questionnaires, 1 week apart. The first questionnaire assessed attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and intention as well as selfand prototypical identity variables. The second questionnaire assessed mobile phone use in the previous week. It was found that all three TPB variables significantly predicted intention. The addition of identity variables improved the model with self-identity becoming the second strongest overall predictor. In terms of predicting high-level mobile phone behavior, intention and subjective norm, but not PBC, were significant predictors.
Intelligent feature-guided multi-object tracking using Kalman filter

Kalman filtering, a recursive state estimation filter is a robust method for tracking objects. It has been proven that Kalman filter gives a good estimation when tested on various tracking systems. However, unsatisfying tracking results may be produced due to different real-time conditions. These conditions include: inter-object occulusion and separation which are observed when objects are being tracked in real-time. Thus, it is challenging to handle for the classical Kalman filter. In this paper, we proposed an idea of intelligent feature-guided tracking using Kalman filtering. A new method is developed named Correlation-Weighted Histogram Intersection (CWHI), in which correlation weights are applied to Histogram Intersection (HI) method. We focus on multi-object tracking in traffic sequences and our aim is to achieve efficient tracking of multiple moving objects under the confusing situations. The proposed algorithm achieves robust tracking with 97.3% accuracy and 0.07% covariance error in different real-time scenarios.
Casein Kinase I-dependent Phosphorylation within a PEST Sequence and Ubiquitination at Nearby Lysines Signal Endocytosis of Yeast Uracil Permease*

Uracil uptake by Saccharomyces cerevisiae is mediated by the FUR4-encoded uracil permease. The modification of uracil permease by phosphorylation at the plasma membrane is a key mechanism for regulating endocytosis of this protein. This modification in turn facilitates its ubiquitination and internalization. Following endocytosis, the permease is targeted to the lysosome/vacuole for proteolysis. We have previously shown that uracil permease is phosphorylated at several serine residues within a well characterized N-terminal PEST sequence. In this report, we provide evidence that lysine residues 38 and 41, adjacent to the PEST sequence, are the target sites for ubiquitination of the permease. Conservative substitutions at both Lys38 and Lys41 give variant permeases that are phosphorylated but fail to internalize. The PEST sequence contains potential phosphorylation sites conforming to the consensus sequences for casein kinase 1. Casein kinase 1 (CK1) protein kinases, encoded by the redundant YCKI andYCK2 genes, are located at the plasma membrane. Either alone supports growth, but loss of function of both is lethal. Here, we show that in CK1-deficient cells, the permease is poorly phosphorylated and poorly ubiquitinated. Moreover, CK1 overproduction rescued the defective endocytosis of a mutant permease in which the serine phosphoacceptors were replaced by threonine (a less effective phosphoacceptor), which suggests that Yck activity may play a direct role in phosphorylating the permease. Permease internalization was not greatly affected in CK1-deficient cells, despite the low level of ubiquitination of the protein. This may be due to CK1 having a second counteracting role in endocytosis as shown by the higher turnover of variant permeases with unphosphorylatable versions of the PEST sequence.
Low Power Subthreshold D Flip Flop

Energy performance requirements are forcing designers of next-generation systems to explore approaches to least possible power consumption. Scaling of power supply voltage is major factor to reduce the power consumption. Threshold voltage may be reduced to achieve higher drive current and hence better speed, but at the cost of increase in the stand-by power. The technique to achieve ultra low power is to operate the circuit with supply voltage lower than the threshold voltage i.e. subthreshold region. Subthreshold operation is being examined to stretch low-power circuit designs beyond the normal modes of operation, with the potential for large energy savings. Ultra low-power consumption can be achieved by operating digital circuits with scaled supply voltages. In this report proposed subthreshold circuit is based on GDI (Gate Diffusion Input) - a new technique of low power digital combinational circuit design. This technique allows reducing power consumption, delay and area of digital circuits, while maintaining low complexity of logic design as compared to other CMOS circuits
Straight‐line programs for fast sparse matrix‐vector multiplication

Sparse matrix‐vector multiplication dominates the performance of many scientific and industrial problems. For example, iterative methods for solving linear systems often rely on the performance of this critical operation. The particular case of binary matrices shows up in several important areas of computing, such as graph theory and cryptography. Unfortunately, irregular memory access patterns cause poor memory throughput, slowing down this operation. To maximize memory throughput, we translate the matrix into a straight‐line program that takes advantage of the CPU's instruction cache and hardware prefetchers. The regular loopless pattern of the program reduces cache misses, thus decreasing the latency for most instructions. We focus on the widely used x86_64 architecture and on binary matrices, to explore several possible tradeoffs regarding memory access policies and code size. We also consider matrices with elements over various mathematical structures, such as floating‐point reals and integers modulo m. When compared to a Compressed Row Storage implementation, we obtain significant speedups. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dynamic Programming and Strong Bounds for the 0-1 Knapsack Problem

Two new algorithms recently proved to outperform all previous methods for the exact solution of the 0-1 Knapsack Problem. This paper presents a combination of such approaches, where, in additi on, valid inequalities are generated and surrogate relaxed, and a new initial core problem is adopted. The algorithm is able to solve all classical test instances, with up to 10,000 variables, in less than 0.2 seconds on a HP9000-735/99 computer. The C language implementation of the algorithm is available on the internet.
Citrate Oscillates in Liver and Pancreatic Beta Cell Mitochondria and in INS-1 Insulinoma Cells*

Oscillations in citric acid cycle intermediates have never been previously reported in any type of cell. Here we show that adding pyruvate to isolated mitochondria from liver, pancreatic islets, and INS-1 insulinoma cells or adding glucose to intact INS-1 cells causes sustained oscillations in citrate levels. Other citric acid cycle intermediates measured either did not oscillate or possibly oscillated with a low amplitude. In INS-1 mitochondria citrate oscillations are in phase with NAD(P) oscillations, and in intact INS-1 cells citrate oscillations parallel oscillations in ATP, suggesting that these processes are co-regulated. Oscillations have been extensively studied in the pancreatic beta cell where oscillations in glycolysis, NAD(P)/NAD(P)H and ATP/ADP ratios, plasma membrane electrical activity, calcium levels, and insulin secretion have been well documented. Because the mitochondrion is the major site of ATP synthesis and NADH oxidation and the only site of citrate synthesis, mitochondria need to be synchronized for these factors to oscillate. In suspensions of mitochondria from various organs, most of the citrate is exported from the mitochondria. In addition, citrate inhibits its own synthesis. We propose that this enables citrate itself to act as one of the cellular messengers that synchronizes mitochondria. Furthermore, because citrate is a potent inhibitor of the glycolytic enzyme phosphofructokinase, the pacemaker of glycolytic oscillations, citrate may act as a metabolic link between mitochondria and glycolysis. Citrate oscillations may coordinate oscillations in mitochondrial energy production and anaplerosis with glycolytic oscillations, which in the beta cell are known to parallel oscillations in insulin secretion.
Keeping Children Safe

The aim of this article is to present qualitative data from a study of mothers on a housing estate in Leeds, UK, enabling them to voice their concerns about child safety. The estate contains many environmental hazards, from traffic, ‘drugusers’, ‘strangers’ and litter. A high profile given to the vulnerability of children in public places has resulted in parents becoming ever vigilant and subjecting children to increased surveillance, in the face of a lack of environmental measures which would support their efforts to keep children safe. There are costs to parents in time and activities foregone. Moreover, the emphasis on the key role of parents in child safety and the perception of increasing hazards to children is affecting parents' psychological well-being. The article attempts to place parents' concerns within a social context which may begin to explain parental behaviour and anxieties.
Studies on Nondefective Adenovirus-Simian Virus 40 Hybrid Viruses I. A Newly Characterized Simian Virus 40 Antigen Induced by the Ad2+ND1 Virus

The nondefective adenovirus 2 (Ad2)-simian virus 40 (SV40) hybrid virus, Ad2+ND1, does not induce heat-labile SV40 T antigen but does induce a previously uncharacterized heat-stable SV40 antigen—the SV40 “U” antigen. This antigen is detectable by both immunofluorescence and complement fixation by using sera from hamsters with SV40 tumors. Sera from hamsters bearing SV40 tumors can be divided into two groups, those that react with both SV40 T and U antigens (T+U+ sera) and those that react with SV40 T antigen only (T+U− sera). SV40 U-specific sera from monkeys immunized with Ad2+ND1-infected cells do not react with SV40 T antigen by immunofluorescence but do react with an antigen in the nucleus of SV40-transformed cells and with an early, cytosine arabinoside-resistant antigen present in the nucleus of SV40-infected cells. A heat-stable SV40 antigen detectable by complement fixation with T+U+ hamster sera is present in extracts of SV40-induced hamster tumors and in cell packs of SV40-infected or -transformed cells. SV40 U-antigen synthesis by Ad2+ND1 virus is partially sensitive to inhibitors of deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis, whereas U-antigen synthesis by SV40 virus is an early cytosine arabinoside-resistant event. As an early SV40 antigen differing from SV40 T antigen, U antigen may play a role in malignant transformation mediated by SV40.
Effect of Immobilized Proteases on Bacterial Growth and Cell Adhesion on Polypropylene Surfaces

The bacterial planktonic growth and the removal of bacterial cells grown on polypropylene surface coated with covalently immobilized proteases (subtilisin Carlsberg or α-chymotrypsin) was investigated for Enterococcus hirae, Staphyloccocus epidermidis and Eschericha coli. Immobilization of both proteases on plasma-treated polypropylene was carried out using as cross-linking agent i) glutaraldehyde or ii) N’-diisopropylcarbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide. In the presence of immobilized proteases a higher bacterial planktonic growth (up to 40 %) was observed. Instead, a different effect was observed on cell removal, and it varied according to the bacteria strain, the immobilized protease and the immobilization procedure. In particular, the presence of subtilisin in the polypropylene coating increased the cell removal of E. hirae by simple washing of the polypropylene surface and both subtilisin and α-chymotrypsin immobilized by N’-diisopropylcarbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide favored the removal of S. epidermidis after sonication. No significant differences compared to the control where observed in all the other cases. In conclusion this study indicates that proteases can be an enhancer of microbial biomass (a phenomena that could be exploited for industrial fermentation) and can affect the strength of cell adhesion for some bacteria.
Making machine learning useable

Despite the recognised value of machine learning ML techniques and high expectation of applying ML techniques within various applications, users often find it difficult to effectively apply ML techniques in practise because of complicated interfaces between ML algorithms and users. This paper focuses on investigating making ML useable from the point of view of how human-computer interaction HCI techniques benefit ML in order to simplify the interface between users and ML algorithms. We formulate possible research directions in making ML useable based on human factors, decision making and trust in ML. We strongly believe that a trustworthy decision making based on ML results, which is the ultimate goal of ML-based applications, contributes to the overall application performance and makes ML more useable. Two case studies of measurable decision making and revealing internal states of ML process are presented to show how HCI techniques are used to make ML useable.
Applications of dynamic programming to speech and language processing

Dynamic programming (DP) is a mathematical programming technique for solving certain sequential optimization problems. In this paper, we focus our discussion on DP applications in the areas of speech and language processing. Because of the sequential nature of speech and language events, most applications can generally be formulated as a sequential decision process. DP can then be used to obtain the solution to these processes by decomposing them into a series of smaller local problems and solving them sequentially. It is impossible to give adequate treatment to each such application in this paper. Instead, we briefly illustrate the basic way in which DP techniques have been applied to several key areas of speech and language research in the Information Principles Research Laboratory. The applications discussed in this paper include speaker verification, speech recognition, speech synthesis, speech analysis, speech modeling, speech enhancement, speech segmentation, speech coding, speech transmission, language modeling, and natural language processing. These applications have been proven successful in enhancing human-machine communications.
Lecture 26 : Low Rank + Sparse and Fast Laplacian Solvers

subject to A = L+ S. Interestingly, this approach can be extended to situations in which a portion of the entries of A are missing or unknown. This is of great importance for recommender systems, which seek to use incomplete sets of user rankings to predict user preferences [1]. For a more detailed discussion, see Section 1.2 on the Netflix Prize in Lecture 25. Let Ω represent the set of known entries (i, j) of A and let PΩ be the orthogonal projection onto the space supported on Ω,