Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distribution and Injury-Induced Plasticity of Cadherins in Relationship to Identified Synaptic Circuitry in Adult Rat Spinal Cord

Cadherins are synaptically enriched cell adhesion and signaling molecules. In brain, they function in axon targeting and synaptic plasticity. In adult spinal cord, their localization, synaptic affiliation, and role in injury-related plasticity are mostly unexplored. Here, we demonstrate in adult rat dorsal horn that E- and N-cadherin display unique patterns of localization to functionally distinct types of synapses of intrinsic and primary afferent origin. Within the nociceptive afferent pathway to lamina II, nonpeptidergic C-fiber synapses in the deeper half of lamina II (IIi) contain E-cadherin but mostly lack N-cadherin, whereas the majority of the peptidergic C-fiber synapses in the outer half of lamina II (IIo) contain N-cadherin but lack E-cadherin. Approximately one-half of the Aβ-fiber terminations in lamina III contain N-cadherin; none contain E-cadherin. Strikingly, the distribution and levels of these cadherins are differentially affected by sciatic nerve axotomy, a model of neuropathic pain in which degenerative and regenerative structural plasticity has been implicated. Within the first 7 d after axotomy, E-cadherin is rapidly and completely lost from the dorsal horn synapses with which it is affiliated, whereas N-cadherin localization and levels are unchanged; such patterns persist through 28 d postlesion. The loss of E-cadherin thus occurs before the onset of mechanical hyperalgesia (∼10-21 d postlesion), as reported previously. Together, the synaptic specificity displayed by these cadherins, coupled with their differential response to injury, suggests that they may proactively contribute to the maintenance of some, and incipient dismantling of other, synaptic circuits in response to nerve injury. Speculatively, such changes may ultimately contribute to subsequently emerging abnormalities in pain perception.
EEG Signal Analysis for BCI Interface: A Review

Brain Computer Interface (BCI) systems are the devices which are proposed to help the disabled, people who are incapable of making motor response to communicate with computer using brain signal. The aim of BCI is to interpret brain activity into digital form which acts as a command for a computer. One key challenge in current BCI research is how to extract features of random time-varying EEG signals and its classification as accurately as possible. Feature extraction techniques are used to extract the features which represent a unique property obtained from pattern of brain signal. Earlier EEG analysis was restricted to visual inspection only. The visual inspection of the signal is very subjective and hardly allows any standardization or statistical analysis. Hence, several different techniques were intended in order to quantify the information of the brain signal. Many linear and non-linear methods for feature extraction exist. The purpose of this paper is to give a brief introduction to the EEG signals and BCI system. The paper also includes a review on the conventional methods that are used for feature extraction of the signal.
COORDINATING TEAM MOVEMENTS IN DANGEROUS TERRITORY

Suppose a two-member team is required to navigate through dangerous territory (a plane with polygonal obstacles) along two preselected polygonal paths. The team could consist of police officers, soldiers, or even robots on the surface of Mars. Team members are allowed to coordinate their movements, and it is imperative to keep the team close together during the mission so that if an emergency occurs, one team member can quickly run to the other member and offer assistance. We show how the team can navigate through a plane with polygonal obstacles such that the worst-case separation between the two team members is minimized during the mission. As part of this safety exercise, we develop geodesic and min-link algorithms for shortest path maps and the Fréchet distance [2] in a plane with obstacles. We also utilize a correspondence between shortest path maps and the free space diagram to help compute the Fréchet distance. We present the first algorithms for three types of Fréchet distance: (1) geodesic Fréchet distance in a polygonal domain (a plane with polygonal obstacles), (2) min-link Fréchet distance in a simple polygon, and (3) min-link Fréchet distance in a polygonal domain. A novel sub-quadratic approximation algorithm for the min-link (and traditional) Fréchet distance is also given. We also develop shortest path maps including (4) the first min-link shortest path map in a polygonal domain that supports queries from a continuous set of source points and (5) a geodesic shortest path map between two line segments in a polygonal domain. The latter structure is related to work by Chiang and Mitchell [8] but uses a new approach based on shortest path structures that we call dynamic and static spotlights. This work has been supported by the National Science Foundation grant NSF CAREER CCF-0643597. †Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249-0667. acook,carola@cs.utsa. edu
Co-ordinated care for people with complex chronic conditions: Key lessons and markers for success

Supported by The Aetna Foundation, a national foundation based in Hartford, Connecticut that supports projects to promote wellness, health and access to high-quality health care for everyone; and Aetna Inc, one of the nation's leaders in health care, dental, pharmacy, group life, disability insurance, and employee benefits. The views presented here are those of the author and not The King's Fund is an independent charity working to improve health and health care in England. We help to shape policy and practice through research and analysis; develop individuals, teams and organisations; promote understanding of the health and social care system; and bring people together to learn, share knowledge and debate. Our vision is that the best possible care is available to all.
Patient-centered medical home implementation and use of preventive services: the role of practice socioeconomic context.

IMPORTANCE The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model of primary care is being implemented in a wide variety of socioeconomic contexts, yet there has been little research on whether its effects differ by context. Clinical preventive service use, including cancer screening, is an important outcome to assess the effectiveness of the PCMH within and across socioeconomic contexts. OBJECTIVE To determine whether the relationship between the PCMH and cancer screening is conditional on the socioeconomic context in which a primary care physician practice operates. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A longitudinal study spanning July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2012, using data from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Physician Group Incentive Program was conducted. Michigan nonpediatric primary care physician practices that participated in the Physician Group Incentive Program (5452 practice-years) were included. Sample size and outlier exclusion criteria were applied to each outcome. We examined the interaction between practices' PCMH implementation scores and their socioeconomic context. The implementation of a PCMH was self-reported by the practice's affiliated physician organizations and was measured as a continuous score ranging from 0 to 1. Socioeconomic context was calculated using a market-based approach based on zip code characteristics of the practice's patients and by combining multiple measures using principal components analysis. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening rates for practices' Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan patients. RESULTS The implementation of a PCMH was associated with higher breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening rates across most market socioeconomic contexts. In multivariable models, the PCMH was associated with a higher rate of screening for breast cancer (5.4%; 95% CI, 1.5% to 9.3%), cervical cancer (4.2%; 95% CI, 1.4% to 6.9%), and colorectal cancer (7.0%; 95% CI, 3.6% to 10.5%) in the lowest socioeconomic group but nonsignificant differences in screening for breast cancer (2.6%; 95% CI, -0.1% to 5.3%) and cervical cancer (-0.5%; 95% CI, -2.7% to 1.7%) and a higher rate of colorectal cancer (4.5%; 95% CI, 1.8% to 7.3%) screening in the highest socioeconomic group. Because PCMH implementation was associated with larger increases in screening in lower socioeconomic practice settings, models suggest reduced disparities in screening rates across these contexts. For example, the model-predicted disparity in breast cancer screening rates between the highest and lowest socioeconomic contexts was 6% (77.9% vs 72.2%) among practices with no PCMH implementation and 3% (80.3% vs. 77.0%) among practices with full PCMH implementation. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In our study, the PCMH model was associated with improved cancer screening rates across contexts but may be especially relevant for practices in lower socioeconomic areas.
120-GHz-Band Fully Integrated Wireless Link Using QSPK for Realtime 10-Gbit/s Transmission

This paper describes a 10-Gbit/s fully integrated wireless link for last-one-mile access in optical fiber networks. The wireless equipment employs quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) for modulation. The transmitter (TX) head of the link includes a 120-GHz-band QPSK TX module and an encoder board for generating an in-phase and quadrature signal from a 10-Gbit/s optical signal. The receiver (RX) head consists of an RX module using QPSK differentially coherent detection and a decoder board. To obtain sufficient output power for a link distance of over 1 km, we designed a power amplifier (PA) monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) using a 0.1- μm-gate indium-phosphide HEMT. The MMIC uses a novel RF pad for high isolation between input and output ports. The measured gain of the amplifier is over 15 dB from 110 to 140 GHz. The saturation output power at 128 GHz is 15 dBm. The TX, RX, and PA modules provide sufficient data-transmission performance: a bit error rate of less than 10-10 and an error vector magnitude of 10%. The integrated TX head exhibits the 99% power bandwidth of 8.4 GHz and the spectral efficiency is 1.32 bit/s/Hz. We demonstrated real-time 10-Gbit/s building-to-building connection using a new QPSK wireless link over the distance of 170 m.
Relative drift between black aurora and the ionospheric plasma

Black auroras are recognized as spatially well- defined regions within uniform diffuse aurora where the op- tical emission is significantly reduced. Although a well stud- ied phenomenon, there is no generally accepted theory for black auroras. One theory suggests that black regions are formed when energetic magnetospheric electrons no longer have access to the loss cone. If this blocking mechanism drifts with the source electron population in the magneto- sphere, black auroras in the ionosphere should drift eastward with a velocity that increases with the energy of the precipi- tating electrons in the surrounding aurora, since the gradient- B curvature drift is energy dependent. It is the purpose of this paper to test this hypothesis. To do so we have used simul- taneous measurements by the European Incoherent Scatter (EISCAT) radar and an auroral TV camera at Tromso, Nor- way. We have analyzed 8 periods in which a black aurora occurred frequently to determine their relative drift with re- spect to the ionospheric plasma. The black aurora was found to drift eastward with a velocity of 1.5-4 km/s, which is in ac- cordance with earlier observations. However, one case was found where a black patch was moving westward, this being the first report of such behaviour in the literature. In general, the drift was parallel to the ionospheric flow but at a much higher velocity. This suggests that the generating mechanism is not of ionospheric origin. The characteristic energy of the precipitating electron population was estimated through in- version of E-region plasma density profiles. We show that the drift speed of the black patches increased with the en- ergy of the precipitating electrons in a way consistent with the gradient-B curvature drift, suggesting a magnetospheric mechanism for the black aurora. As expected, a compari- son of the drift speeds with a rudimentary dipole field model of the gradient-B curvature drift speed only yields order-of- magnitude agreement, which most likely is due to the night- side disturbed magnetosphere being significantly stretched.
An overview of published agile studies: a systematic literature review

In recent years, agile methods have become more popular in the software industry. Agile methods are a new approach compared to plan-driven approaches. This paper aims to provide a basis for the improvement of agile methods research through a systematic review of previous work. By doing this systematic literature review, I will help Software Engineer managers, Software Engineers, and researchers to determine the current state of research and knowledge in agile methods. My systematic approach to analyzing published studies enables us to find gaps in the existing body of work. I have reviewed 183 papers published in the 4 IEEE Agile conferences from 2003-2007. I found that fewer academics than practitioners publish their findings in these IEEE agile conferences; few empirical studies are presented at the conferences, and most papers at these conferences address agile methods only at a general level.
Characterisation of 20S Proteasome in Tritrichomonas foetus and Its Role during the Cell Cycle and Transformation into Endoflagellar Form

Proteasomes are intracellular complexes that control selective protein degradation in organisms ranging from Archaea to higher eukaryotes. These structures have multiple proteolytic activities that are required for cell differentiation, replication and maintaining cellular homeostasis. Here, we document the presence of the 20S proteasome in the protist parasite Tritrichomonas foetus. Complementary techniques, such as a combination of whole genome sequencing technologies, bioinformatics algorithms, cell fractionation and biochemistry and microscopy approaches were used to characterise the 20S proteasome of T. foetus. The 14 homologues of the typical eukaryotic proteasome subunits were identified in the T. foetus genome. Alignment analyses showed that the main regulatory and catalytic domains of the proteasome were conserved in the predicted amino acid sequences from T. foetus-proteasome subunits. Immunofluorescence assays using an anti-proteasome antibody revealed a labelling distributed throughout the cytosol as punctate cytoplasmic structures and in the perinuclear region. Electron microscopy of a T. foetus-proteasome-enriched fraction confirmed the presence of particles that resembled the typical eukaryotic 20S proteasome. Fluorogenic assays using specific peptidyl substrates detected presence of the three typical peptidase activities of eukaryotic proteasomes in T. foetus. As expected, these peptidase activities were inhibited by lactacystin, a well-known specific proteasome inhibitor, and were not affected by inhibitors of serine or cysteine proteases. During the transformation of T. foetus to endoflagellar form (EFF), also known as pseudocyst, we observed correlations between the EFF formation rates, increases in the proteasome activities and reduced levels of ubiquitin-protein conjugates. The growth, cell cycle and EFF transformation of T. foetus were inhibited after treatment with lactacystin in a dose-dependent manner. Lactacystin treatment also resulted in an accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins and caused increase in the amount of endoplasmic reticulum membranes in the parasite. Taken together, our results suggest that the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway is required for cell cycle and EFF transformation in T. foetus.
Different Effects of Carvedilol, Metoprolol, and Propranolol on Left Ventricular Remodeling After Coronary Stenosis or After Permanent Coronary Occlusion in Rats

Background—Although carvedilol attenuates left ventricular (LV) remodeling in coronary occlusion-reperfusion, it is not known whether it attenuates ischemic LV remodeling because of coronary stenosis (CS) or permanent coronary occlusion (CO). Methods and Results—We administered a vehicle, carvedilol, propranolol (2, 10, and 30 mg/kg per day, each), metoprolol (6, 30, and 90 mg/kg per day), or bunazosin (0.2 and 1 mg/kg per day), orally for 12 weeks to a total of 608 rats with CS or CO. In these groups and the sham (n=40), we assessed LV function by echocardiography, CS severity, myocardial blood flow and coronary flow reserve, serum ascorbyl free radical, and vitamin C. Both CS and CO increased LV end-diastolic and end-systolic diameters and decreased ejection fraction. The 4 agents failed to attenuate LV remodeling caused by CO. In contrast, the 3 &bgr;-blockers attenuated (P <0.01) or tended to attenuate the increase in LV end-diastolic diameters caused by CS. With similar blood pressure and heart rate lowering by 3 &bgr;-blockers, carvedilol additionally attenuated the increase in end-systolic diameters and improved ejection fraction. The CS reduced myocardial blood flow and coronary flow reserve, which was reversed by carvedilol without modifying the CS severity. Among the 4 agents, only carvedilol decreased ascorbyl free radical and increased vitamin C. Conclusions—The effects of &bgr; blockade on ischemic cardiac dysfunction seem to depend on the different properties of the &bgr;-blockers and the doses used. Among the &bgr;-blockers tested, carvedilol provided potent cardioprotection for compromised ischemic but viable myocardium rather than for infarcted myocardium.
Compartmented Secret Sharing Based on the Chinese Remainder Theorem

A secret sharing scheme starts with a secret and then derives from it certain shares (or shadows) which are distributed to users. The secret may be recovered only by certain predetermined groups. In case of compartmented secret sharing, the set of users is partitioned into compartments and the secret can be recovered only if the number of participants from any compartment is greater than a fixed compartment threshold and the total number of participants is greater than a global threshold. In this paper we present a new compartmented secret sharing scheme by extending the Brickell’s construction [4] to the case that the global threshold is strictly greater than the sum of the compartment thresholds and we indicate how to use the threshold secret sharing schemes based on the Chinese remainder theorem in order to decrease the size of shares. AMS Subject Classification: 94A62, 11A07
The Effects of Long Term Physical Activity on the Changes in the Rates of in Apo Proteins a and B in Nonathlete

The Present study aims to evaluate the effects of a one-year-long volleyball practice on the changes in the rates of Apo proteins A and B in the blood serum of non-athlete men. In order to do so, 30 subjects were selected randomly from among non-athlete male students and then were divided into two control and experimental groups. The experimental group on average aged 23±2. Their average height was 172.2 ± 3 cm and the average weight was 69.6 ± 3.1kg. On the other hand, the control group aged on average 22 ± 2 and their average height and weight were 170.3 ± 3.8 cm and 69.3 ± 2.7 kg. The experimental group went through a one-year-long volleyball exercise program in which they had to practice for 90 minutes three times in a week. The control group did not have any special practice . The covariance analysis was used to probe the rates of Apo A and B and analyze the data. The rates of Apo proteins, measured before the test in both groups, were taken as the covariate to correct the groups’ mean, increase the test’s precision and lessen the error risk. The test results revealed that in the experimental group a oneyear-long sport exercises has meaningfully changed the level of Apo A in the blood (P= 0.01). There was not a significant difference in the rates of Apo A in the posttest measurements in both groups (P= 0.01). The amount of Apo B was also meaningfully different in pre and posttest in the experimental groups but the changes in the rates of Apo B in both control and experimental groups did not differ meaningfully. [Karim Salehzadeh, Yousef aghdam, Morteza Jourkesh. The Effects Of Long Term Physical Activity On The Changes In The Rates Of In Apo Proteins A And B In Nonathlete. Journal of American Science 2011; 7(6):654-662]. (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.americanscience. org.
Depletion of mitochondrial DNA in leucocytes harbouring the 3243A→G mtDNA mutation

Background: The 3243A→G MTTL1 mutation is the most common heteroplasmic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation associated with disease. Previous studies have shown that the percentage of mutated mtDNA decreases in blood as patients get older, but the mechanisms behind this remain unclear. Objectives and method: To understand the dynamics of the process and the underlying mechanisms, an accurate fluorescent assay was established for 3243A→G heteroplasmy and the amount of mtDNA in blood with real-time polymerase chain reaction was determined. The amount of mutated and wild-type mtDNA was measured at two time points in 11 subjects. Results: The percentage of mutated mtDNA decreases exponentially during life, and peripheral blood leucocytes in patients harbouring 3243A→G are profoundly depleted of mtDNA. Conclusions: A similar decrease in mtDNA has been seen in other mitochondrial disorders, and in 3243A→G cell lines in culture, indicating that depletion of mtDNA may be a common secondary phenomenon in several mitochondrial diseases. Depletion of mtDNA is not always due to mutation of a nuclear gene involved in mtDNA maintenance.
A Neocortical Delta Rhythm Facilitates Reciprocal Interlaminar Interactions via Nested Theta Rhythms

Delta oscillations (1–4 Hz) associate with deep sleep and are implicated in memory consolidation and replay of cortical responses elicited during wake states. A potent local generator has been characterized in thalamus, and local generators in neocortex have been suggested. Here we demonstrate that isolated rat neocortex generates delta rhythms in conditions mimicking the neuromodulatory state during deep sleep (low cholinergic and dopaminergic tone). The rhythm originated in an NMDA receptor-driven network of intrinsic bursting (IB) neurons in layer 5, activating a source of GABAB receptor-mediated inhibition. In contrast, regular spiking (RS) neurons in layer 5 generated theta-frequency outputs. In layer 2/3 principal cells, outputs from IB cells associated with IPSPs, whereas those from layer 5 RS neurons related to nested bursts of theta-frequency EPSPs. Both interlaminar spike and field correlations revealed a sequence of events whereby sparse spiking in layer 2/3 was partially reflected back from layer 5 on each delta period. We suggest that these reciprocal, interlaminar interactions may represent a “Helmholtz machine”-like process to control synaptic rescaling during deep sleep.