Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CD24 expression does not affect dopamine neuronal survival in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that is characterised by the loss of specific populations of neurons in the brain. The mechanisms underlying this selective cell death are unknown but by using laser capture microdissection, the glycoprotein, CD24 has been identified as a potential marker of the populations of cells that are affected in PD. Using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry on sections of mouse brain, we confirmed that CD24 is robustly expressed by many of these subsets of cells. To determine if CD24 may have a functional role in PD, we modelled the dopamine cell loss of PD in Cd24 mutant mice using striatal delivery of the neurotoxin 6-OHDA. We found that Cd24 mutant mice have an anatomically normal dopamine system and that this glycoprotein does not modulate the lesion effects of 6-OHDA delivered into the striatum. We then undertook in situ hybridization studies on sections of human brain and found—as in the mouse brain—that CD24 is expressed by many of the subsets of the cells that are vulnerable in PD, but not those of the midbrain dopamine system. Finally, we sought to determine if CD24 is required for the neuroprotective effect of Glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) on the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway. Our results indicate that in the absence of CD24, there is a reduction in the protective effects of GDNF on the dopaminergic fibres in the striatum, but no difference in the survival of the cell bodies in the midbrain. While we found no obvious role for CD24 in the normal development and maintenance of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal system in mice, it may have a role in mediating the neuroprotective aspects of GDNF in this system.
The Use of Traffic Sounds to Make Street Crossings by Persons who are Visually Impaired

Orientation and mobility O&M specialists are concerned with the ability of a person who is visually impaired to use hearing as well as vision in independent travel. Yet, there is no published research on the auditory requirements for making effective street crossings by individuals who are visually impaired or by individuals who are both visually and hearing impaired. Thus, this article presents the frequency and intensity measurements for traffic sounds under different conditions. It then compares these measurements to audiograms to illustrate how, given certain limitations and cautions, O&M specialists can estimate a traveler's ability to make safe traffic crossings.
Hydration Needs throughout the Lifespan

In 2004, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a report presenting reference intake information about water, sodium, potassium, and other electrolytes for Americans and Canadians [1]. The report established, for the first time, adequate intakes (AI) for total water (from drinking water, beverages, and food) for healthy people. An AI is the recommended average daily intake level based on observed or experimentally-determined approximations or estimates of nutrient intake by a group or groups of apparently health people that are assumed to be adequate. The AI for water is based on US survey data. The recommendations about water intake are for healthy populations—they do not apply to at-risk groups.
A new cascaded high step-up DC-DC converter

This paper proposes a new soft switching high step-up DC-DC converter . The proposed converter is a kind of quadratic boost converter with the coupled inductor. The converter provides high step-up voltage gain with proper duty ratio and low switch voltage stress. Additionally, the stored energy in the leakage inductor of the coupled-inductor can be recycled to the output capacitor. In this converter an auxiliary circuit consist of one auxiliary switch and clamp capacitor is used for providing ZVS condition for all switches (switch and an auxiliary switch), and also the main switch is turned off under almost ZVS due to snubber capacitor. Also the proposed converter controlled by PWM signal, and so the implementation of control circuit is simple. To confirm the performance of the proposed converter, this converter is simulated by PSPICE.
Experience with FADE for the visualization and abstraction of software views

This paper describes the FADE paradigm for visualization and a series of experiments for the fast layout, abstract representation, and measurement of software views. In program comprehension, graph models are typically used to represent relational information, where the visualization of such graphs is referred to as graph drawing. Here we present the results of an investigation into efficient techniques for drawing and abstractly representing large software views with thousands of nodes from four medium sized software systems. The paradigm presented in this paper marries a solution to problems of computation time, screen space, cognitive load, and rendering for large-scale drawings using a single graph model.
Computing explanations for unlively queries in databases

A query is unlively if it always returns an empty answer. Debugging a database schema requires not only determining unlively queries, but also fixing them. To the best of our knowledge, the existing methods do not provide the designer with an explanation of why a query is not lively. In this paper, we propose a method for computing explanations that is independent of the particular method used to determine liveliness. It provides three levels of search: one explanation, a maximal set of non-overlapping explanations, and all explanations. The first two levels require only a linear number of calls to the underlying method. We also propose a filter to reduce the number of these calls, and experimentally compare our method with the best known method for finding unsatisfiable subsets of constraints.
Connectivity-Based Segmentation in Large-Scale 2-D/3-D Sensor Networks: Algorithm and Applications

Efficient sensor network design requires a full understanding of the geometric environment in which sensor nodes are deployed. In practice, a large-scale sensor network often has a complex and irregular topology, possibly containing obstacles/holes. Convex network partitioning, also known as convex segmentation, is a technique to divide a network into convex regions in which traditional algorithms designed for a simple network geometry can be applied. Existing segmentation algorithms heavily depend on concave node detection, or sink extraction from the median axis/skeleton, resulting in sensitivity of performance to network boundary noise. Furthermore, since they rely on the network's 2-D geometric properties, they do not work for 3-D cases. This paper presents a novel segmentation approach based on Morse function, bringing together the notions of convex components and the Reeb graph of a network. The segmentation is realized by a distributed and scalable algorithm, named CONSEL, for CONnectivity-based SEgmentation in Large-scale 2-D/3-D sensor networks. In CONSEL, several boundary nodes first flood the network to construct the Reeb graph. The ordinary nodes then compute mutex pairs locally, generating a coarse segmentation. Next, neighboring regions that are not mutex pairs are merged together. Finally, by ignoring mutex pairs that lead to small concavity, we provide an approximate convex decomposition. CONSEL has a number of advantages over previous solutions: 1) it works for both 2-D and 3-D sensor networks; 2) it uses merely network connectivity information; 3) it guarantees a bound for the generated regions' deviation from convexity. We further propose to integrate network segmentation with existing applications that are oriented to simple network geometry. Extensive simulations show the efficacy of CONSEL in segmenting networks and in improving the performance of two applications: geographic routing and connectivity-based localization.
Hybrid image watermarking scheme using SVD and PDFB based contourlet transform

Copyright protection of intellectual property is a very large and growing business. This is due to the easier availability of all multimedia data with just a click of a mouse, resulting to the increase of piracy. Watermarking is one of the popular methods of authentication to help protect intellectual property rights. Of the various forms of multimedia data image is one of the most popular variant. Here a method of digital image watermarking is presented using singular value decomposition (SVD) which one of the very popular mathematical computation tools. Along with it a lot of transforms have been used earlier like discrete wavelet transform (DWT), DCT, Fourier transform, etc. to provide hybrid techniques. But here an unconventional transform introduced in the middle of this decade, called contourlet transform (CT) has been used. This transform being similar to DWT fits well to provide a robust watermarking scheme along with the SVD. Here the combination of pyramidal and directional filter bank (PDFB) in CT has been used.
Vascular damage in acute experimental leptospirosis of the guinea‐pig

The pathogenesis of the haemorrhagic diathesis in experimental leptospirosis of the guinea-pig was investigated in the lung, diaphragm and kidney. The vascular damage was found to be focal and mainly capillary. Swollen endothelium with dilated endoplasmic reticulum, enlarged mitochondriae and open junctions seemed to be the initial lesions and endothelial necrosis the final picture in all tissues. The lung capillaries showed endothelial and epithelial blebs and desquamation with many myelin figures. Capillary thrombosis was observed in the pulmonary microcirculation, probably acting as an aggravating factor and being partly responsible for the particularly impressive lung haemorrhages. The peritubular renal capillaries as well as open junctions and gaps due to necrosis also had enlarged fenestrae which were permeable to colloidal carbon particles. The paucity of micro-organisms in the vicinity of the lesions is in accordance with the toxic genesis postulated for the vascular damage in leptospirosis. It is suggested that the vascular lesions induced by leptospirosis begin with increased permeability prior to endothelial necrosis.
The Abluminal Endothelial Membrane in Neurovascular Remodeling in Health and Disease

Understanding brain vascular remodeling may allow effective intervention in cases of injury or disease that disrupt the blood-brain barrier. Gloss The blood-brain barrier (BBB) can break down in response to brain injury, and stepwise restoration of its integrity occurs during subsequent neurovascular remodeling. In this Review, with 5 figures and 125 references, we outline the signaling processes at the abluminal endothelial membrane that contribute to the restitution of BBB integrity in the injured brain. A detailed understanding of these signaling events may yield new targets for pharmacological therapy of diseases associated with brain injury. After brain injury, blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity can be compromised as a consequence of the breakdown of cell-cell interactions in the neurovascular unit, resulting in the loss of the characteristic endothelial luminal-to-abluminal structure. During the process of restoration of the BBB and vascularization, the endothelial cells are continuously reshaped, with both the luminal and abluminal membranes serving as sites of signaling. Here, we focus on the bidirectional signaling processes that are rapidly initiated between endothelial and perivascular cells and occur in certain brain diseases or in response to injury. The goal of these processes is (i) the reemergence of endothelial cell polarity, (ii) the remodeling of extracellular matrix interactions, (iii) the realignment of pericytes and astrocytic endfeet with endothelial cells, and (iv) the restitution of a well-organized and stable BBB. This abluminal membrane exemplifies how the brain vasculature responds to stressors and may represent promising targets for therapeutic interventions of brain diseases.
Location and Clonal Analysis of Stem Cells and Their Differentiated Progeny in the Human Ocular Surface

We have analyzed the proliferative and differentiation potential of human ocular keratinocytes. Holoclones, meroclones, and paraclones, previously identified in skin, constitute also the proliferative compartment of the ocular epithelium. Ocular holoclones have the expected properties of stem cells, while transient amplifying cells have variable proliferative potential. Corneal stem cells are segregated in the limbus, while conjunctival stem cells are uniformly distributed in bulbar and forniceal conjunctiva. Conjunctival keratinocytes and goblet cells derive from a common bipotent progenitor. Goblet cells were found in cultures of transient amplifying cells, suggesting that commitment for goblet cell differentiation can occur late in the life of a single conjunctival clone. We found that conjunctival keratinocytes with high proliferative capacity give rise to goblet cells at least twice in their life and, more importantly, at rather precise times of their life history, namely at 45–50 cell doublings and at ∼15 cell doublings before senescence. Thus, the decision of conjunctival keratinocytes to differentiate into goblet cells appears to be dependent upon an intrinsic “cell doubling clock. ” These data open new perspectives in the surgical treatment of severe defects of the anterior ocular surface with autologous cultured conjunctival epithelium.
Title of Work : Fine-grained Visualization Pipelines and Lazy Functional Languages

The pipeline model in visualization has evolved from a conceptual model of data processing into a widely used architecture for implementing visualization systems. In the process, a number of capabilities have been introduced, including streaming of data in chunks, distributed pipelines, and demand-driven processing. Visualization systems have invariably built on stateful programming technologies, and these capabilities have had to be implemented explicitly within the lower layers of a complex hierarchy of services. The good news for developers is that applications built on top of this hierarchy can access these capabilities without concern for how they are implemented. The bad news is that by freezing capabilities into low-level services expressive power and flexibility is lost. In this paper we express visualization systems in a programming language that more naturally supports this kind of processing model. Lazy functional languages support fine-grained demand-driven processing, a natural form of streaming, and pipeline-like function composition for assembling applications. The technology thus appears well suited to visualization applications. Using surface extraction algorithms as illustrative examples, and the lazy functional language Haskell, we argue the benefits of clear and concise expression combined with fine-grained, demand-driven computation. Just as visualization provides insight into data, functional abstraction provides new insight into visualization.
Clinical Depression Versus Distress Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE—We sought to determine differences between structured interviews, symptom questionnaires, and distress measures for assessment of depression in patients with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We assessed 506 diabetic patients for major depressive disorder (MDD) by a structured interview (Composite International Diagnostic Interview [CIDI]), a questionnaire for depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale [CESD]), and on the Diabetes Distress Scale. Demographic characteristics, two biological variables (A1C and non-HDL cholesterol), and four behavioral management measures (kilocalories, calories of saturated fat, number of fruit and vegetable servings, and minutes of physical activity) were assessed. Comparisons were made between those with and without depression on the CIDI and the CESD. RESULTS—Findings showed that 22% of patients reached CESD ≥16, and 9.9% met a CIDI diagnosis of MDD. Of those above CESD cut points, 70% were not clinically depressed, and 34% of those who were clinically depressed did not reach CESD scores ≥16. Those scoring ≥16, compared with those <16 on the CESD, had higher A1C, kilocalories, and calories of saturated fat and lower physical activity. No differences were found using the CIDI. Diabetes distress was minimally related to MDD but substantively linked to CESD scores and to outcomes. CONCLUSIONS—Most patients with diabetes and high levels of depressive symptoms are not clinically depressed. The CESD may be more reflective of general emotional and diabetes-specific distress than clinical depression. Most treatment of distress, however, is based on the depression literature, which suggests the need to consider different interventions for distressed but not clinically depressed diabetic patients.
Sparse Photometric 3D Face Reconstruction Guided by Morphable Models

We present a novel 3D face reconstruction technique that leverages sparse photometric stereo (PS) and latest advances on face registration / modeling from a single image. We observe that 3D morphable faces approach [21] provides a reasonable geometry proxy for light position calibration. Specifically, we develop a robust optimization technique that can calibrate per-pixel lighting direction and illumination at a very high precision without assuming uniform surface albedos. Next, we apply semantic segmentation on input images and the geometry proxy to refine hairy vs. bare skin regions using tailored filter. Experiments on synthetic and real data show that by using a very small set of images, our technique is able to reconstruct fine geometric details such as wrinkles, eyebrows, whelks, pores, etc, comparable to and sometimes surpassing movie quality productions.
A re-evaluation of the contributions of Apterous and Notch to the dorsoventral lineage restriction boundary in the Drosophila wing

The Drosophila limb primordia are subdivided into compartments: cell populations that do not mix during development. The wing is subdivided into dorsal (D) and ventral (V) compartments by the activity of the selector gene apterous in D cells. Apterous causes segregation of D and V cell populations by at least two distinct mechanisms. The LRR transmembrane proteins Capricious and Tartan are transiently expressed in D cells and contribute to initial segregation of D and V cells. Signaling between D and V cells mediated by Notch and Fringe contributes to the maintenance of the DV affinity boundary. Given that Notch is activated symmetrically, in D and V cells adjacent to the boundary, its role in boundary formation remains somewhat unclear. We re-examine the roles of Apterous and Fringe activities in DV boundary formation and present evidence that Fringe cannot, by itself, generate an affinity difference between D and V cells. Although not sufficient, Fringe is required via Notch activation for expression of an Apterous-dependent affinity difference. We propose that Apterous controls expression of surface proteins that confer an affinity difference in conjunction with activated Notch. Thus, we view Apterous as instructive and Notch activity as essential, but permissive.
A k-core Decomposition Framework for Graph Clustering

Graph clustering or community detection constitutes an important task for investigating the internal structure of graphs, with a plethora of applications in several domains. Traditional techniques for graph clustering, such as spectral methods, typically suffer from high time and space complexity. In this article, we present CoreCluster, an efficient graph clustering framework based on the concept of graph degeneracy, that can be used along with any known graph clustering algorithm. Our approach capitalizes on processing the graph in an hierarchical manner provided by its core expansion sequence, an ordered partition of the graph into different levels according to the k-core decomposition. Such a partition provides an efficient way to process the graph in an incremental manner that preserves its clustering structure, while making the execution of the chosen clustering algorithm much faster due to the smaller size of the graph's partitions onto which the algorithm operates. An experimental analysis on a multitude of real and synthetic data demonstrates that our approach can be applied to any clustering algorithm accelerating the clustering process, while the quality of the clustering structure is preserved or even improved.
Jointly Optimal Sensing and Resource Allocation for Multiuser Overlay Cognitive Radios

Successful deployment of cognitive radios requires efficient sensing of the spectrum and dynamic adaptation of the available resources according to the sensed (imperfect) information. While most works design these two tasks separately, in this paper we address them jointly. In particular, we investigate an overlay cognitive radio with multiple secondary users that access orthogonally a set of frequency bands originally devoted to primary users. The schemes are designed to minimize the cost of sensing, maximize the performance of the secondary users (weighted sum rate), and limit the probability of interfering the primary users. The joint design is addressed using dynamic programming and nonlinear optimization techniques. A two-step strategy that first finds the optimal resource allocation for any sensing scheme and then uses that solution as input to solve for the optimal sensing policy is implemented. The two-step strategy is optimal, gives rise to intuitive optimal policies, and entails a computational complexity much lower than that required to solve the original formulation.
A modified cementing technique using BoneSource to augment fixation of the acetabulum in a sheep model

Background and purpose Our aim was to assess in an animal model whether the use of HA paste at the cement-bone interface in the acetabulum improves fixation. We examined, in sheep, the effect of interposing a layer of hydroxyapatite cement around the periphery of a polyethylene socket prior to fixing it using polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). Methods We performed a randomized study involving 22 sheep that had BoneSource hydroxyapatite material applied to the surface of the acetabulum before cementing a polyethylene cup at arthroplasty. We studied the gross radiographic appearance of the implant-bone interface and the histological appearance at the interface. Results There were more radiolucencies evident in the control group. Histologically, only sheep randomized into the BoneSource group exhibited a fully osseointegrated interface. Use of the hydroxyapatite material did not give any detrimental effects. In some cases, the material appeared to have been fully resorbed. When the material was evident in histological sections, it was incorporated into an osseointegrated interface. There was no giant cell reaction present. There was no evidence of migration of BoneSource to the articulation. Interpretation The application of HA material prior to cementation of a socket produced an improved interface. The technique may be useful in humans, to extend the longevity of the cemented implant by protecting the socket interface from the effect of hydrodynamic fluid flow and particulate debris.