Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hypopituitarism following traumatic brain injury and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a preliminary report.

OBJECT Recognition of pituitary hormonal insufficiencies after head injury and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) may be important, especially given that hypopituitarism-related neurobehavioral problems are typically alleviated by hormone replacement. In this prospective study the authors sought to determine the rate and risk factors of pituitary dysfunction after head injury and SAH in patients at least 3 months after insult. METHODS Patients underwent dynamic anterior and posterior pituitary function testing. Results of the tests were compared with those of 18 age-, sex-, and body mass index-matched healthy volunteers. The 22 head-injured patients included 18 men and four women (mean age 28+/-10 years at the time of injury) with initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores of 3 to 15. Eight patients (36.4%) had a subnormal response in at least one hormonal axis. Four were growth hormone (GH) deficient. Five patients (four men, all with normal testosterone levels, and one woman with a low estradiol level) exhibited an inadequate gonadotroph response. One patient had both GH and thyrotroph deficiency and another had both GH deficiency and borderline cortisol deficiency. At the time of injury, all eight patients with pituitary dysfunction had an initial GCS score of 10 or less and, compared with the 14 patients without dysfunction, were more likely to have had diffuse swelling, seen on initial computerized tomography scans (p < 0.05), and to have sustained a hypotensive or hypoxic insult (p = 0.07). Of two patients with SAH who were studied (Hunt and Hess Grade IV) both had GH deficiency. CONCLUSIONS From this preliminary study, some degree of hypopituitarism appears to occur in approximately 40% of patients with moderate or severe head injury, with GH and gonadotroph deficiencies being most common. A high degree of injury severity and secondary cerebral insults are likely risk factors for hypopituitarism. Pituitary dysfunction also occurs in patients with poor-grade aneurysms. Postacute pituitary function testing may be warranted in most patients with moderate or severe head injury, particularly those with diffuse brain swelling and those sustaining hypotensive or hypoxic insults. The neurobehavioral effects of GH replacement in patients suffering from head injury or SAH warrant further study.
Optimal resource allocation for multimedia cloud based on queuing model

Multimedia cloud, as a specific cloud paradigm, addresses how cloud can effectively process multimedia services and provide QoS provisioning for multimedia applications. There are two major challenges in multimedia cloud. The first challenge is the service response time in multimedia cloud, and the second challenge is the cost of cloud resources. In this paper, we optimize resource allocation for multimedia cloud based on queuing model. Specifically, we optimize the resource allocation in both single-class service case and multiple-class service case. In each case, we formulate and solve the response time minimization problem and resource cost minimization problem, respectively. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed optimal allocation scheme can optimally utilize the cloud resources to achieve a minimal mean response time or a minimal resource cost.
The effect of disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) on in vitro proliferation of CD4+, CD8+, and CD19+ cell populations derived from allergic and healthy donors

The effect of disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) on in vitro proliferation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and CD19+ B cells, positively selected by immunomagnetic separation, was investigated. The cells were obtained from allergic patients with moderate serum IgE levels and mild to moderate atopic dermatitis, and healthy controls. The different cell subfractions were stimulated with mitogens or specific allergens, as well as cell supernatants from the lymphoblastoid B‐ (RPMI 8866) and T‐hybridoma (166 A2) cell lines. Proliferative responses of T‐ and B‐cell subsets stimulated with mitogens together with recombinant interleukin‐2 (rIL‐2) or accessory cells (AC) could be inhibited by DSCG. In allergic individuals, significant allergen‐specific stimulation could be observed in the CD8‐depleted peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) fractions. Isolated CD4+ T cells, without AC or IL‐2, could also be stimulated with specific allergen, but the responses were rather low. DSCG inhibited, concentration dependently, all allergen‐induced responses. Interestingly, only atopic derived CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were stimulated by soluble low‐affinity IgE receptor (FcɛRII/sCD23) and IgE binding factor (IgEBF), including IgE enhancing factor, present in culture supernatants from RPMI 8866 and 166 A2, respectively. These responses were also inhibited by DSCG. This was in contrast to the amplifying effect of DSCG on spontaneously proliferating RPMI 8866 and 166 A2 cells, cultured in fresh cRPMI 1640 medium without sCD23 and IgE enhancing factor. Our results show that DSCG delivers an inhibitory signal or signals to PBMC subpopulations expressing FcɛRII/sCD23, either upregulated by phytohemagglutinin in normal and atopic cells, or by allergens or sCD23 in atopic cells. The findings suggest that sCD23 in supernatants or in serum may reverse the general inhibitory mode of DSCG.
Why talk about mental states? The significance of children's conversations with friends, siblings, and mothers.

Natural language data from 38 47-month-olds recorded at home in unstructured observations were analyzed and comparisons made of characteristics of mental state term use in child-friend, child-sibling, and child-mother dyads. Significantly more references to mental states were made by the children in conversations with siblings and friends than with mothers. Frequent use of mental state terms by both partners was related to cooperative interaction in both child-friend and child-sibling dyads and several associations were found with measures of language fluency, gender, and maternal education, although these varied across the 2 dyads. Children's use of mental state terms in conversations with siblings and friends was correlated with their performance on two false belief measures. Results highlight the importance of extending investigations into the social implications of the development of children's "theories of mind. "
Ligninase of Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Mechanism of its degradation of the non-phenolic arylglycerol beta-aryl ether substructure of lignin.

This study examined the ligninase-catalysed degradation of lignin model compounds representing the arylglycerol beta-aryl ether substructure, which is the dominant one in the lignin polymer. Three dimeric model compounds were used, all methoxylated in the 3- and 4-positions of the arylglycerol ring (ring A) and having various substituents in the beta-ether-linked aromatic ring (ring B), so that competing reactions involving both rings could be compared. Studies of the products formed and the time courses of their formation showed that these model compounds are oxidized by ligninase (+ H2O2 + O2) in both ring A and ring B. The major consequence with all three model compounds is oxidation of ring A, leading primarily to cleavage between C(alpha) and C(beta) (C(alpha) being proximal to ring A), and to a lesser extent to the oxidation of the C(alpha)-hydroxy group to a carbonyl group. Such C(alpha)-oxidation deactivates ring A, leaving only ring B for attack. Studies with C(alpha)-carbonyl model compounds corresponding to the three basic model compounds revealed that oxidation of ring B leads in part to dealkoxylations (i.e. to cleavage of the glycerol beta-aryl ether bond and to demethoxylations), but that these are minor reactions in the model compounds most closely related to lignin. Evidence is also given that another consequence of oxidation of ring B in the C(alpha)-carbonyl model compounds is formation of unstable cyclohexadienone ketals, which can decompose with elimination of the beta-ether-linked aromatic ring. The mechanisms proposed for the observed reactions involve initial formation of aryl cation radicals in either ring A or ring B. The cation radical intermediate from one of the C(alpha)-carbonyl model compounds was identified by e.s. r. spectroscopy. The mechanisms are based on earlier studies showing that ligninase acts by oxidizing appropriately substituted aromatic nuclei to aryl cation radicals [Kersten, Tien, Kalyanaraman & Kirk (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 2609-2612; Hammel, Tien, Kalyanaraman & Kirk (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 8348-8353].
Developmental Changes in NMDA Receptor Glycine Affinity and Ifenprodil Sensitivity Reveal Three Distinct Populations of NMDA Receptors in Individual Rat Cortical Neurons

Previous work with recombinant receptors has shown that the identity of the NMDA NR2 subunit influences receptor affinity for both glutamate and glycine. We have investigated the developmental change in NMDA receptor affinity for both glutamate and glycine in acutely dissociated parietal cortex neurons of the rat, together with the expression during ontogeny of NR2A and NR2B mRNA and protein. Whereas there is little change in NMDA receptor glutamate affinity with age, a population of NMDA receptors emerges in 14- and 28-d-old animals with a markedly reduced affinity for glycine (mKD = ∼800 nm) and a reduced sensitivity to the NR2B subunit-selective NMDA antagonist ifenprodil. These changes are paralleled by a developmental increase in the expression of NR2A. Thus, in mature animals a population of NMDA receptors appears with a lower affinity for glycine that might not be saturated under normal physiological conditions. Ifenprodil (10 μm) inhibits virtually all of the NMDA receptor-evoked current in very young neurons that contain a single population of receptors exhibiting a high affinity for glycine (mKD = ∼20 nm). In older neurons, which contain NMDA receptors with both high and low affinities for glycine, ifenprodil (10 μm) inhibits both the high-affinity population and a significant proportion of the low-affinity component, thus revealing three pharmacologically distinct populations of NMDA receptors in single neurons. Moreover, these observations suggest that ifenprodil might bind with high affinity to NMDA receptors containing both NR2A and NR2B subunits as well as those containing only NR2B.
3D Shape Matching via Two Layer Coding

View-based 3D shape retrieval is a popular branch in 3D shape analysis owing to the high discriminative property of 2D views. However, many previous works do not scale up to large 3D shape databases. We propose a two layer coding (TLC) framework to conduct shape matching much more efficiently. The first layer coding is applied to pairs of views represented as depth images. The spatial relationship of each view pair is captured with so-called eigen-angle, which is the planar angle between the two views measured at the center of the 3D shape. Prior to the second layer coding, the view pairs are divided into subsets according to their eigen-angles. Consequently, view pairs that differ significantly in their eigen-angles are encoded with different codewords, which implies that spatial arrangement of views is preserved in the second layer coding. The final feature vector of a 3D shape is the concatenation of all the encoded features from different subsets, which is used for efficient indexing directly. TLC is not limited to encode the local features from 2D views, but can be also applied to encoding 3D features. Exhaustive experimental results confirm that TLC achieves state-of-the-art performance in both retrieval accuracy and efficiency.
New insights on human T cell development by quantitative T cell receptor gene rearrangement studies and gene expression profiling

To gain more insight into initiation and regulation of T cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement during human T cell development, we analyzed TCR gene rearrangements by quantitative PCR analysis in nine consecutive T cell developmental stages, including CD34+ lin− cord blood cells as a reference. The same stages were used for gene expression profiling using DNA microarrays. We show that TCR loci rearrange in a highly ordered way (TCRD-TCRG-TCRB-TCRA) and that the initiating Dδ2-Dδ3 rearrangement occurs at the most immature CD34+CD38−CD1a− stage. TCRB rearrangement starts at the CD34+CD38+CD1a− stage and complete in-frame TCRB rearrangements were first detected in the immature single positive stage. TCRB rearrangement data together with the PTCRA (pTα) expression pattern show that human TCRβ-selection occurs at the CD34+CD38+CD1a+ stage. By combining the TCR rearrangement data with gene expression data, we identified candidate factors for the initiation/regulation of TCR recombination. Our data demonstrate that a number of key events occur earlier than assumed previously; therefore, human T cell development is much more similar to murine T cell development than reported before.
Draft Genome Sequences of Supercritical CO2-Tolerant Bacteria Bacillus subterraneus MITOT1 and Bacillus cereus MIT0214

ABSTRACT We report draft genome sequences of Bacillus subterraneus MITOT1 and Bacillus cereus MIT0214 isolated through enrichment of samples from geologic sequestration sites in pressurized bioreactors containing a supercritical (sc) CO2 headspace. Their genome sequences expand the phylogenetic range of sequenced bacilli and allow characterization of molecular mechanisms of scCO2 tolerance.
αβ versus γδ fate choice: counting the T‐cell lineages at the branch point

Summary: Both αβ and γδ T cells develop in the thymus from a common progenitor. Historically distinguished by their T‐cell receptor (TCR), these lineages are now defined on the basis of distinct molecular programs. Intriguingly, in many transgenic and knockout systems these programs are mismatched with the TCR type, leading to the development of γδ lineage cells driven by αβTCR and vice versa. These puzzling observations were recently explained by the demonstration that TCR signal strength, rather than TCR type per se, instructs lineage fate, with stronger TCR signal favoring γδ and weaker signal favoring αβ lineage fates. These studies also highlighted the ERK (extracellular signal regulated kinase)‐Egr (early growth response)‐Id3 (inhibitor of differentiation 3) axis as a potential molecular switch downstream of TCR that determines lineage choice. Indeed, removal of Id3 was sufficient to redirect TCRγδ transgenic cells to the αβ lineage, even in the presence of strong TCR signal. However, in TCR non‐transgenic Id3 knockout mice the overall number of γδ lineage cells was increased due to an outgrowth of a Vγ1Vδ6. 3 subset, suggesting that not all γδ T cells depend on this molecular switch for lineage commitment. Thus, the γδ lineage may in fact be a collection of two or more lineages not sharing a common molecular program and thus equipollent to the αβ lineage. TCR signaling is not the only factor that is required for development of αβ and γδ lineage cells; other pathways, such as signaling from Notch and CXCR4 receptors, cooperate with the TCR in this process.
A controlled family study of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: psychiatric disorders in first-degree relatives and effects of proband comorbidity.

BACKGROUND We used contemporary family-epidemiological methods to examine patterns of comorbidity and familial aggregation of psychiatric disorders for anorexia and bulimia nervosa. METHODS Direct interviews and blind best-estimate diagnostic procedures were used with diagnostically "pure" groups of probands with eating disorders and a matched control group. Lifetime prevalence rates of eating disorders, mood disorders, substance use disorders, anxiety disorders, and selected personality disorders were determined in female probands with restricting anorexia nervosa (n=26) or bulimia nervosa (n=47), control women (n=44), and first-degree biological relatives (n=460). RESULTS Relatives of anorexic and bulimic probands had increased risk of clinically subthreshold forms of an eating disorder, major depressive disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Familial aggregation of major depressive disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder was independent of that of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. These relatives also had increased risk of other anxiety disorders, but the mode of familial transmission was not clear-cut. The risk of substance dependence was elevated among relatives of bulimic probands compared with relatives of anorexic probands, and familial aggregation was independent of that of bulimia nervosa. The risk of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder was elevated only among relatives of anorexic probands, and there was evidence that these 2 disorders may have shared familial risk factors. CONCLUSIONS There may be a common familial vulnerability for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and substance dependence are not likely to share a common cause with eating disorders. However, obsessional personality traits may be a specific familial risk factor for anorexia nervosa.
Augmented Virtual Environments ( AVE ) for Visualization of Dynamic Imagery

An Augmented Virtual Environment (AVE) provides a means of fusing dynamic imagery on a 3D model substrate. The AVE approach allows users to visualize and comprehend multiple streams of imagery (video and still images) in a four-dimensional context. The addition of projected live or recorded imagery to an otherwise static virtual environment creates an AVE. Our methods are described in the context of a prototype system for visualizing activities on the USC campus.
Capacity limits of spectrum-sharing systems over hyper-fading channels

Cognitive radio (CR) with spectrum-sharing feature is a promising technique to address the spectrum under-utilization problem in dynamically changing environments. In this paper, the achievable capacity gain of spectrum-sharing systems over dynamic fading environments is studied. To perform a general analysis, a theoretical fading model called hyper-fading model that is suitable to the dynamic nature of CR channel is proposed. Closed-form expressions of probability density function (PDF) and cumulative density function (CDF) of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for secondary users (SUs) in spectrum-sharing systems are derived. In addition, the capacity gains achievable with spectrum-sharing systems in high and low power regions are obtained. The effects of different fading figures, average fading powers, interference temperatures, peak powers of secondary transmitters, and numbers of SUs on the achievable capacity are investigated. The analytical and simulation results show that the fading figure of the channel between SUs and primary base-station (PBS), which describes the diversity of the channel, does not contribute significantly to the system performance gain. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Using Voice Coils to Actuate Modular Soft Robots: Wormbot, an Example

Abstract In this study, we present a modular worm-like robot, which utilizes voice coils as a new paradigm in soft robot actuation. Drive electronics are incorporated into the actuators, providing a significant improvement in self-sufficiency when compared with existing soft robot actuation modes such as pneumatics or hydraulics. The body plan of this robot is inspired by the phylum Annelida and consists of three-dimensional printed voice coil actuators, which are connected by flexible silicone membranes. Each electromagnetic actuator engages with its neighbor to compress or extend the membrane of each segment, and the sequence in which they are actuated results in an earthworm-inspired peristaltic motion. We find that a minimum of three segments is required for locomotion, but due to our modular design, robots of any length can be quickly and easily assembled. In addition to actuation, voice coils provide audio input and output capabilities. We demonstrate transmission of data between segments by high-frequency carrier waves and, using a similar mechanism, we note that the passing of power between coupled coils in neighboring modules—or from an external power source—is also possible. Voice coils are a convenient multifunctional alternative to existing soft robot actuators. Their self-contained nature and ability to communicate with each other are ideal for modular robotics, and the additional functionality of sound input/output and power transfer will become increasingly useful as soft robots begin the transition from early proof-of-concept systems toward fully functional and highly integrated robotic systems.
DAIM: a Mechanism to Distribute Control Functions within OpenFlow Switches

Telecommunication networks need to support a wide range of services and functionalities with capability of autonomy, scalability and adaptability for managing applications to meet business needs. Networking devices are increasing in complexity among various services and platforms, from different vendors. The network complexity is required experts’ operators. This paper explores an introduction to networks programmability, by distributing independent computing environment, which would be demonstrated through a structured system named DAIM model (Distributed Active information Model). In addition it seeks to enhance current SDN (Software-Defined Networking) approach which has some scalability issues. The DAIM model can provide richness of nature-inspired adaptation algorithms on a complex distributed computing environment. The DAIM model uses a group of standard switches, databases, and corresponding between them by using DAIM agents. These agents are imposed by a set of network applications, which is integrated with a DAIM model databases. DAIM model also considers challenges of autonomic functionalities, where each network’s device can make its own decisions on the basis of collected information by the DAIM agents. The DAIM model is expected to satisfy the requirement of autonomic functionalities. Moreover, this paper discussed the processing of packets forwarding within DAIM model as well as the risk scenarios of the DAIM model.
Applying Feedback Mechanism for Content Based Image Retrieval Using Data Mining Technique

A project that rigging and tests a simple color histogram based search and recover algorithm for images. The study finds the technique to be helpful as shown by analysis using the Rank Power measurement. The testing also highlights the weaknesses and strengths of the model, ultimate that the technique would have to be improved and customized in order for practical use. The aim of this paper to develop such a color histogram based categorization approach, which is well-organized, fast and enough strong. In the interest of this I used some characteristics of color histograms, and classified the images using these characteristics. The benefit of this approach is the relationship of histogram characteristics is much faster and well-organized than of other commonly used methods. Database search engines are generally used in a one-shot fashion in which a user provides query information to the system and, in return, the system provides a number of database instances to the user. A significance opinion system allows the user to indicate to the system which of these instances are attractive, or significant, and which are not. Based on this feedback, the system modifies its retrieval method in an attempt to return a more desirable instance set to the user.