Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Symposium on ‘ Plants as animal foods : a case of catch 22 ? ’ * Biochemistry of plant secondary metabolites and their effects in animals

Plant secondary metabolites, which include a wide variety of phytochemicals, have always been constituents of the diets of man and other animals. Although a high proportion of these phytochemicals have been considered to be of little value in plants (although this view is changing), they have frequently been shown to have adverse effects on animals when ingested. The effects depend to a great extent on the chemistry of the compounds, their concentration in the diet and the amount consumed, and are further dependent on the health status of the animals. Traditionally, most studies of the effects of these compounds on animals have focused on their adverse effects and how to alleviate them. However, recent public concern about the use of synthetic compounds in animal diets to enhance performance and health and welfare issues, coupled with changes in regulations on the use of synthetic medicaments, has stimulated interest and research in the use and effects of phytochemicals in the diets of farmed animals. Phytochemicals vary in their chemistry but can be divided into hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds, of which a wide variety of polyphenolic and terpenoid compounds, as well as alkaloids, carbohydrates and non-protein amino acids, invoke special interest. The chemistry, biochemistry and mechanisms of action of these compounds in plants and their effects in animals when ingested will be explored.
Nitrogen-vacancy centers optically coupled to hybrid microcavities

Optical coupling between nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in single-crystal diamond and hybrid gallium phosphide microcavities is demonstrated. NV photoluminescence coupled into microcavities modes with Q > 25000, and mode volumes as small as 18(λ/nGaP)3 are observed.
Model Based Evolutionary Object Recognition System

In this paper we present a new model based object recognition system that recognizes an object and determines its pose simultaneousl y. The recognition is independent of translation, scale and rotation. In many evoluti nary recognition systems, genetic algorithms are used either in searching the corresp ondence between a given model and the data or in searching the best geometric transfo rmation that brings a large number of model points into alignment with the data. In this work, we make use of genetic algorithm to do the recognition and pose estimati on task simultaneously. We have tested the algorithm on both artificial and real images a nd found the algorithm to perform very well.
The trouble with radicalization

Though widely used by academics and policy-makers in the context of the ‘war on terror’, the concept of radicalization lacks clarity. This article shows that while radicalization is not a myth, its meaning is ambiguous and the major controversies and debates that have sprung from it are linked to the same inherent ambiguity. The principal conceptual fault-line is between notions of radicalization that emphasize extremist beliefs (‘cognitive radicalization’) and those that focus on extremist behavior (‘behavioural radicalization’). This ambiguity explains the differences between definitions of radicalization; it has driven the scholarly debate, which has revolved around the relationship between cognition and behavior; and it provides the backdrop for strikingly different policy approaches—loosely labeled ‘European’ and ‘Anglo-Saxon’—which the article delineates and discusses in depth. Rather than denying its validity, the article calls on scholars and policy-makers to work harder to understand and embrace a concept which, though ambiguous, is likely to dominate research and policy agendas for years to come.
Unpacking the Dialectic: Alternative Views on the Discourse–Materiality Relationship

This paper extends the issues raised in this forum by highlighting assumptions and characteristics of the discourse–materiality relationship that appears in five explanatory frameworks, including the Foucauldian approach and the materiality–performativity perspective presented in the previous two papers. It argues for preserving the dialectical relationship between the two by holding the tensions between them in continual interplay. Using a dialectic lens, it overviews how each of the frameworks treats the point of entry, nature of the relationship, and management of these tensions.
Adult Obesity as a Consequence of in Utero Programming

Obesity and diseases related to obesity such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and breast, prostate, and colon cancer are the leading causes of death in Western society. The incidence of obesity has increased dramatically in the past few decades, and obesity reduction goals are routinely included in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People Program. As childhood obesity is a major risk factor for adult obesity, it is especially worrisome that there has been a dramatic increase in childhood obesity; with presently greater than 20% of the population affected. Given this increase in childhood obesity, a further increase in the prevalence of adult obesity is expected to occur. Obesity is impacted by avariety of factors. Genetic predisposition certainly plays a role, as does the availability of nutrients during childhood and adolescence, an availability that is affected by cultural and economic factors. Work done in humans and animals suggests that childhood and adult obesity are also affected by the intrauterine environment experienced by the individual. In this sense, mothers may pass on their own weight disorders to their offspring in a true ‘‘inheritance of acquired characteristics. ’’
Magnetic Resonance Characterization of Cardiac Adaptation and Myocardial Fibrosis in Pulmonary Hypertension Secondary to Systemic-To-Pulmonary Shunt

Background—Pulmonary hypertension (PH) and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction are strong predictors of morbidity and mortality among patients with congenital heart disease. Early detection of RV involvement may be useful in the management of these patients. We aimed to assess progressive cardiac adaptation and quantify myocardial extracellular volume in an experimental porcine model of PH because of aorto-pulmonary shunt using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). Methods and Results—To characterize serial cardiac adaptation, 12 pigs (aorto-pulmonary shunt [n=6] or sham operation [n=6]) were evaluated monthly with right heart catheterization, CMR, and computed tomography during 4 months, followed by pathology analysis. Extracellular volume by CMR in different myocardial regions was studied in 20 animals (aorto-pulmonary shunt [n=10] or sham operation [n=10]) 3 months after the intervention. All shunted animals developed PH. CMR evidenced progressive RV hypertrophy and dysfunction secondary to increased afterload and left ventricular dilatation secondary to volume overload. Shunt flow by CMR strongly correlated with PH severity, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and left ventricular dilatation. T1-mapping sequences demonstrated increased extracellular volume at the RV insertion points, the interventricular septum, and the left ventricular lateral wall, reproducing the pattern of fibrosis found on pathology. Extracellular volume at the RV insertion points strongly correlated with pulmonary hemodynamics and RV dysfunction. Conclusions—Prolonged systemic-to-pulmonary shunting in growing piglets induces PH with biventricular remodeling and myocardial fibrosis that can be detected and monitored using CMR. These results may be useful for the diagnosis and management of congenital heart disease patients with pulmonary overcirculation.
Prospective randomized controlled trial comparing percutaneous acetic acid injection and percutaneous ethanol injection for small hepatocellular carcinoma

To assess whether ultrasound‐guided percutaneous acetic acid injection is superior to percutaneous ethanol injection in the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 60 patients with one to four HCCs smaller than 3 cm were entered onto a randomized controlled trial. Thirty‐one and 29 patients, respectively, were treated by percutaneous acetic acid injection using 50% acetic acid or by percutaneous ethanol injection using absolute ethanol. There were no significant differences in age, sex ratio, Child‐Pugh class, size of tumors, or number of tumors between the two groups. When there was no evidence of viable HCC from biopsy, plain and helical dynamic computed tomography, or angiography, the treatment was considered successful and was discontinued. All original tumors were treated successfully by either therapy. However, 8% of 38 tumors treated with percutaneous acetic acid injection and 37% of 35 tumors treated with percutaneous ethanol injection developed a local recurrence (P < .001) during the follow‐up periods of 29 ± 8 months and 23 ± 10 months, respectively. The 1‐ and 2‐year survival rates were 100% and 92% in percutaneous acetic acid injection and 83% and 63% in percutaneous ethanol injection (P = .0017). A multivariate analysis of prognostic factors revealed that treatment was an independent predictor of survival. The risk ratio of percutaneous acetic acid injection versus percutaneous ethanol injection was 0.120 (range, 0.027‐0.528;P = .0050). In conclusion, percutaneous acetic acid injection is superior to percutaneous ethanol injection in the treatment of small HCC.
Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Factors in Law Enforcement Personnel: A Comprehensive Review

Law enforcement is a high-stress occupation that is prone to increasing the prevalence and incidence of cardiovascular disease. Epidemiological studies suggest that police officers and related public safety personnel have an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Currently employed police personnel have a high prevalence of traditional risk factors, including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, metabolic syndrome, cigarette smoking, and a sedentary lifestyle. Obesity may be more common in police officers compared with civilians, whereas diabetes is present less frequently. Law enforcement personnel are also exposed to occupation-specific risk factors that include sudden physical exertion, acute and chronic psychological stress, shift work, and noise. Workplace programs to promote the health and fitness of police officers are commonly lacking, but can be an effective means for reducing cardiovascular risk. Physicians should be familiar with the essential job tasks required for police officers to determine whether the individual is fit for duty. Governmental agencies have established strategic goals to reduce cardiovascular complications and improve the health and wellness of public safety personnel.
A multilayer neural network with piecewise-linear structure and back-propagation learning

A multilayer neural network which is given a two-layer piecewise-linear structure for every cascaded section is proposed. The neural networks have nonlinear elements that are neither sigmoidal nor of a signum type. Each nonlinear element is an absolute value operator. It is almost everywhere differentiable, which makes back-propagation feasible in a digital setting. Both the feedforward signal propagation and the backward coefficient update rules belong to the class of regular iterative algorithms. This form of neural network specializes in functional approximation and is anticipated to have applications in control, communications, and pattern recognition.
Local versus global biological network alignment

Motivation: Network alignment (NA) aims to find regions of similarities between species’ molecular networks. There exist two NA categories: local (LNA) and global (GNA). LNA finds small highly conserved network regions and produces a many-to-many node mapping. GNA finds large conserved regions and produces a one-to-one node mapping. Given the different outputs of LNA and GNA, when a new NA method is proposed, it is compared against existing methods from the same category. However, both NA categories have the same goal: to allow for transferring functional knowledge from well- to poorly-studied species between conserved network regions. So, which one to choose, LNA or GNA? To answer this, we introduce the first systematic evaluation of the two NA categories. Results: We introduce new measures of alignment quality that allow for fair comparison of the different LNA and GNA outputs, as such measures do not exist. We provide user-friendly software for efficient alignment evaluation that implements the new and existing measures. We evaluate prominent LNA and GNA methods on synthetic and real-world biological networks. We study the effect on alignment quality of using different interaction types and confidence levels. We find that the superiority of one NA category over the other is context-dependent. Further, when we contrast LNA and GNA in the application of learning novel protein functional knowledge, the two produce very different predictions, indicating their complementarity. Our results and software provide guidelines for future NA method development and evaluation. Availability and implementation: Software: http://www.nd.edu/~cone/LNA_GNA Contact: tmilenko@nd.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Prospective Identification and Isolation of Enteric Nervous System Progenitors Using Sox2

The capacity to identify and isolate lineage‐specific progenitor cells from developing and mature tissues would enable the development of cell replacement therapies for disease treatment. The enteric nervous system (ENS) regulates important gut functions, including controlling peristaltic muscular contractions, and consists of interconnected ganglia containing neurons and glial cells. Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR), one of the most common and best understood diseases affecting the ENS, is characterized by absence of enteric ganglia from the distal gut due to defects in gut colonization by neural crest progenitor cells and is an excellent candidate for future cell replacement therapies. Our previous microarray experiments identified the neural progenitor and stem cell marker SRY‐related homoebox transcription factor 2 (Sox2) as expressed in the embryonic ENS. We now show that Sox2 is expressed in the ENS from embryonic to adult stages and constitutes a novel marker of ENS progenitor cells and their glial cell derivatives. We also show that Sox2 expression overlaps significantly with SOX10, a well‐established marker of ENS progenitors and enteric glial cells. We have developed a strategy to select cells expressing Sox2, by using G418 selection on cultured gut cells derived from Sox2βgeo/+ mouse embryos, thus allowing substantial enrichment and expansion of neomycin‐resistant Sox2‐expressing cells. Sox2βgeo cell cultures are enriched for ENS progenitors. Following transplantation into embryonic mouse gut, Sox2βgeo cells migrate, differentiate, and colocalize with the endogenous ENS plexus. Our studies will facilitate development of cell replacement strategies in animal models, critical to develop human cell replacement therapies for HSCR. STEM CELLS 2011;29:128–140
Preclinical Evaluation of Two Neutralizing Human Monoclonal Antibodies against Hepatitis C Virus (HCV): a Potential Treatment To Prevent HCV Reinfection in Liver Transplant Patients

ABSTRACT Passive immunotherapy is potentially effective in preventing reinfection of liver grafts in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated liver transplant patients. A combination of monoclonal antibodies directed against different epitopes may be advantageous against a highly mutating virus such as HCV. Two human monoclonal antibodies (HumAbs) against the E2 envelope protein of HCV were developed and tested for the ability to neutralize the virus and prevent human liver infection. These antibodies, designated HCV-AB 68 and HCV-AB 65, recognize different conformational epitopes on E2. They were characterized in vitro biochemically and functionally. Both HumAbs are immunoglobulin G1 and have affinity constants to recombinant E2 constructs in the range of 10−10 M. They are able to immunoprecipitate HCV particles from infected patients' sera from diverse genotypes and to stain HCV-infected human liver tissue. Both antibodies can fix complement and form immune complexes, but they do not activate complement-dependent or antibody-dependent cytotoxicity. Upon complement fixation, the monoclonal antibodies induce phagocytosis of the immune complexes by neutrophils, suggesting that the mechanism of viral clearance includes endocytosis. In vivo, in the HCV-Trimera model, both HumAbs were capable of inhibiting HCV infection of human liver fragments and of reducing the mean viral load in HCV-positive animals. The demonstrated neutralizing activities of HCV-AB 68 and HCV-AB 65 suggest that they have the potential to prevent reinfection in liver transplant patients and to serve as prophylactic treatment in postexposure events.
PISA for Schools: Topological Rationality and New Spaces of the OECD’s Global Educational Governance

This article examines the OECD’s new PISA-based Test for Schools (“PISA for Schools”) program. PISA for Schools is part of the expanding education work of the OECD, building upon main PISA to enable school-to-schooling system comparisons. We examine the development of PISA for Schools, the nature of the instrument, and some initial effects of its introduction. Our theoretical framework focuses on new spatialities associated with globalization and the emergence of topological rationalities and heterarchical modes of governance. We analyze 33 interviews with personnel at the OECD and relevant edu-businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and philanthropic foundations. Pertinent documents and web-based media are also analyzed. We suggest that PISA for Schools provides an exemplary demonstration of heterarchical governance, in which vertical policy mechanisms open up horizontal spaces for new policy actors. It also creates commensurate spaces of comparison and governance, enabling the OECD to “reach into” school-level spaces and directly influence local educational practices.
Science achievement of high school students in complete programs of agriscience education

The purpose of this descriptive and correlational study was to describe the science achievement of participants in complete programs of agriscience in Georgia. A secondary purpose was to compare science achievement of agriscience students to the science achievement of college prep, dual track, and technology/career prep students. The findings indicate that agriscience students enrolled in an average of four agriscience education courses, have a high level of engagement in SAE, and a moderate level of engagement with FFA. The mean score for agriscience students on the science portion of the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) was 511.24, approximately three points lower than college prep students (M = 514.85). Nearly 78% of the agriscience students passed the test on their first attempt in comparison to 68% for the state average, and only 38% for technology/career prep students. Further findings indicate a low but positive correlation between science achievement among agriscience students and the number of agriscience courses taken. There was also a low but positive correlation between the level of FFA and SAE engagement for both student achievement in science and the first time passing rate for the science portion of the GHSGT.
Combinatorial Control of Global Dynamics in a Chaotic differential equation

Controlling chaos has been an extremely active area of research in applied dynamical systems, following the introduction of the Ott, Grebogi, Yorke (OGY) technique in 1990 [Ott et al., 1990], but most of this research based on parametric feedback control uses local techniques. Associated with a dynamical system which pushes forward initial conditions in time, transfer operators, including the Frobenius–Perron operator, are associated dynamical systems which push forward ensemble distributions of initial conditions. In [Bollt, 2000a, 2000b; Bollt & Kostelich, 1998], we have shown that such global representations of a discrete dynamical system are useful in controlling certain aspects of a chaotic dynamical system which could only be accessible through such a global representation. Such aspects include invariant measure targeting, as well as orbit targeting. In this paper, we develop techniques to show that our previously discrete time techniques are accessible also to a differential equation. We focus on the Duffing oscillator as an example. We also show that a recent extension of our techniques by Gora and Boyarsky [1999] can be further simplified and represented in a convenient and compact way by using a tensor product.
Utilization of Repetitive Surge Oscillograph (RSO) in the detection of rotor shorted-turns in large turbine-driven generators

The use of the RSO technique for the detection of shorted-turns in the field winding of large synchronous generators with cylindrical rotors has become more widely accepted in North America in the last few years. The test procedures have been previously described in a number of publications. However, interpretation of the RSO traces haven not been well defined, and the benefits and limitations of its application are not well understood. Using some recent experience, this paper is intended to provide guidance on signal interpretation and to clarify the main advantages and limitations of the application of the RSO testing.
Ontogeny and ultradian rhythms of adrenocorticotropin and cortisol in the late-gestation fetal horse.

Fetal maturation and the timing of parturition in both sheep and primates are thought to be controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis but little is known about the endocrinology of the equine fetus. We investigated the ontogeny of plasma concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol and corticosteroid binding capacity in the late-gestation fetal horse. We also wished to determine whether there is ultradian rhythmic release of ACTH and cortisol in fetal horses and we compared fetuses to maternal and non-pregnant adult horses. Six fetuses, 278-304 days gestation (term approximately 335), were catheterized and sampled daily until delivery. Mean (+/- S.E.M.) ACTH concentrations increased significantly from 159 +/- 21 to 246 +/- 42 pg/ml over the last 2 days before parturition. Fetal cortisol increased significantly from 3.1 +/- 1.0 to 13.4 +/- 3.7 ng/ml (mean +/- S.E.M.) over the last 9 days before delivery. The slope of regressions for ACTH and cortisol concentrations with respect to time were positive in all subjects and statistically significant in 3 of 6 for ACTH and 5 of 6 for cortisol. Fetal corticosteroid binding capacity declined from 49.5 +/- 20.5 to 16.1 +/- 2.2 ng/ml (mean +/- S.E.M.) over the last 10 days before parturition. However, the greatest changes in ACTH, cortisol and corticosteroid binding capacity occurred very late in gestation, during the last 48 to 72 h before parturition. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)