Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Formation of multinuclear cells induced by dimethyl sulfoxide: inhibition of cytokinesis and occurrence of novel nuclear division in dictyostelium cells

Our previous studies showed that 10 percent dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) induces the formation of actin microfilament bundles in the cell nucleus together with the dislocation of cortical microfilaments from the plasma membrane. The present study investigated the effects of DMSO on diverse activities mediated by cellular microfilaments as the second step toward assessing potential differences between nuclear and cytoplasmic actins of dictyostelium mucoroides. DMSO was found to reversibly inhibit cell-to- glass as well as cell-to-cell adhesion, cell locomotion, and cell multiplication, whereas cytoplasmic streaming and phagocytosis were not obviously inhibited. Also, 5 percent DMSO inhibited cytokinesis but did not totally inhibit cell growth thus leading to the development of giant cells more than 10 times larger than normal cells. Transmission electron microscopy using serial thin sections showed the occurrence of multinucleation in the DMSO- induced giant cells. After the removal of DMSO, the giant multinuclear cells underwent multiple cytoplasmic cleavage producing normal-sized mononuclear cells. The nuclear division in the DMSO-induced giant cells was unique in that no spindle microtubules were formed, and vesicles appeared inside the nucleus forming a transverse partition of the nuclear envelope. The presence of actin filaments in those nuclei was demonstrated by a binding study with skeletal muscle myosin subfragment-1, and their possible involvement in this mode of nuclear division is discussed.
Coordination of Genomic RNA Packaging with Viral Assembly in HIV-1

The tremendous progress made in unraveling the complexities of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication has resulted in a library of drugs to target key aspects of the replication cycle of the virus. Yet, despite this accumulated wealth of knowledge, we still have much to learn about certain viral processes. One of these is virus assembly, where the viral genome and proteins come together to form infectious progeny. Here we review this topic from the perspective of how the route to production of an infectious virion is orchestrated by the viral genome, and we compare and contrast aspects of the assembly mechanisms employed by HIV-1 with those of other RNA viruses.
Automatic and Continuous Projector Display Surface Estimation Using Everyday Imagery

Projector-based display systems have been used in computer graphics for about as long as the field has existed. While projector-based systems have many advantages, a significant disadvantage is the need to obtain and then adhere to an accurate analytical model of the mechanical setup, including the external parameters of the projectors, and an estimate of the display surface geometry. We introduce a new method for the latter—for continuous display surface autocalibration. Using a camera that observes the display surface, we match image features in whatever imagery is being projected, with the corresponding features that appear on the display surface, to continually refine an estimate for the display surface geometry. In effect we enjoy the high signal-to-noise ratio of "structured" light (without getting to choose the structure) and the unobtrusive nature of passive correlation-based methods. The approach is robust and accurate, and can be realized with commercial off-the-shelf components. The method can be used with a variety of projector-based displays, for scientific visualization, trade shows, entertainment, tele-immersion, or the Office of the Future. And although we do not demonstrate it in this paper, we have also been working on extending the method to include continual estimation of other system parameters that vary over time.
25th Anniversary Article: Galvanic Replacement: A Simple and Versatile Route to Hollow Nanostructures with Tunable and Well‐Controlled Properties

This article provides a progress report on the use of galvanic replacement for generating complex hollow nanostructures with tunable and well‐controlled properties. We begin with a brief account of the mechanistic understanding of galvanic replacement, specifically focused on its ability to engineer the properties of metal nanostructures in terms of size, composition, structure, shape, and morphology. We then discuss a number of important concepts involved in galvanic replacement, including the facet selectivity involved in the dissolution and deposition of metals, the impacts of alloying and dealloying on the structure and morphology of the final products, and methods for promoting or preventing a galvanic replacement reaction. We also illustrate how the capability of galvanic replacement can be enhanced to fabricate nanomaterials with complex structures and/or compositions by coupling with other processes such as co‐reduction and the Kirkendall effect. Finally, we highlight the use of such novel metal nanostructures fabricated via galvanic replacement for applications ranging from catalysis to plasmonics and biomedical research, and conclude with remarks on prospective future directions.
RECOGNITION OF PROJECTED 3D POINTS AND LINES USING A CONTINUOUS GRASP

The field of computer vision has experienced rapid growth over the past fifty years. Many computer vision problems have been solved using theory and ideas from algebraic projective geometry. In this research, we look at a previously unsolved problem from object recognition, namely object recognition when the correspondences between the object and image data is not known a priori. We formulate this problem as a mixedinteger nonlinear optimization problem in terms of the unknown projection relating the object and image, as well as the unknown assignments of object points and lines to those in the image. The global optimum of this problem recovers the relationship between the object points and lines with those in the image. When certain assumptions are enforced on the allowable projections mapping the object into the image, a proof is provided which permits one to solve the optimization problem via a simple decomposition. We illustrate this decomposition approach on some example scenarios.
Control of free fatty acids in human surface lipids by Corynebacterium acnes.

Aerobic bacteria were excluded as a major source of lipases when it was found, in a previous study, that their virtual eradication by topical neomycin did not lower the free fatty acids (FFA) in scalp lipids. We now report the reciprocal experiment in which an oral tetracycline was used to suppress the anaerobic organisms. Nine healthy adults received 600 mgm of demethylchlortetracycline (DMCT) daily for 6 weeks. During this time we followed the composition of scalp lipid by thin layer chromatography and the densities of C. acnes , aerobes and yeasts on scalp and forehead. Six subjects had high initial levels of C. acnes . In these the FFA fell from 43% to 23% with a more than 99% reduction in the density of C. acnes . In three who initially had insignificant quantities of C. acnes the FFA were at the start only 25% and did not decline with treatment. The density of the aerobic population was not affected by DMCT owing to development of resistance. Yeasts were also unaffected. The finding that the FFA were proportional to the level of C. acnes suggests that these organisms are the chief source of lipolytic enzymes. The FFA levels began to decline earlier than the density of C. acnes . This might be explained either by enzyme inhibition or by bacteriostatic effect.
Brief communication: cutmarks on a plio-pleistocene hominid from Sterkfontein, South Africa.

Cutmarks inflicted by a stone tool were observed on the right maxilla of Stw 53, an early hominid partial skull from Sterkfontein "Member 5" (South Africa). The morphology of the marks, their anatomical placement, and the lack of random striae on the specimen all support an interpretation of this linear damage as cutmarks. The location of the marks on the lateral aspect of the zygomatic process of the maxilla is consistent with that expected from slicing through the masseter muscle, presumably to remove the mandible from the cranium. Although radioisotopic dates are not available and relative faunal dating of the deposit from which Stw 53 derives is problematic, the morphology of the hominid skull suggests a Plio-Pleistocene age for the specimen. This therefore constitutes the earliest unambiguous evidence that hominids disarticulated the remains of one another.
A high-level optimum design methodology for multimodal biometric systems

Biometric systems are designed by expert developers who look - with trial-and-error approaches - for reasonable solutions by considering the available hardware architecture, some - possibly conflicting - quality goals, and the application constrains. Typically drawbacks of these approaches are waste of time and results far from the optimum. We propose a new design methodology for multimodal biometric systems that applies high-level system design techniques to better structure the design procedure. The proposed methodology avoids the drawbacks of the common design practice and allows to create a flexible general-purpose and effective design environment for multimodal biometric systems.
Vasostatins, Comprising the N‐terminal Domain of Chromogranin A, Suppress Tension in Isolated Human Blood Vessel Segments

Chromogranin A (CGA) belongs to a family of highly acidic proteins which are co‐stored and co‐released with the catecholamines from the mammalian adrenal gland and occur in nmolar concentrations in the human circulation. A vascular function for the adrenomedullary released and circulating CGA has yet to be established. The present study reports on the novel vasoinhibitory effect of the N‐terminal domain of the adrenomedullary CGA in isolated segments of the human internal thoracic artery (ITA) and saphenous vein (SV). The collective term vasostatin(s) refers to N‐terminal fragments (CGA1–76 and CGA1–113) of apparent molecular weights 7 to 22 kD, to indicate their vascular inhibitory effects. The sustained contractions evoked by the potent vasoconstrictor peptide, endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) were suppressed when ITA and SV segments were preincubated for 15 min with vasostatins (72 nM). The vasoinhibitory effects were not dependent on an intact endothelium and suppression of the response to 35 nM ET‐1 was ∼77% and ∼40% in endothelium‐denuded ITA and SV segments, respectively. In endothelium‐denuded SV segments the vasostatins suppressed the maximal sustained tension response but not the potency for ET‐1, indicating that the vasostatin effect did not involve interference with ET‐1 binding to its vascular receptor. Preincubation of endothelium‐denuded SV segments with nifedipine (1 μM) inhibited the sustained response to ET‐1 ≥10 nM by 50%. By the same protocol a 20 to 40% suppression of the contraction evoked by ET‐1 ≥10 nM was obtained in segments preincubated with vasostatins (72 nM), suggesting that inhibition of Ca2 channel opening might indirectly contribute to the effect of vasostatins on the sustained response to ET‐1. The mechanisms for these inhibitory effects of vasostatins on the sustained ET‐1 contractions in human blood vessels remain to be elucidated.
Functional morphology of the postpharyngeal gland of queens and workers of the ant Monomorium pharaonis (L.)

Eelen D. , Borgesen L.W. and Billen J. 2006. Functional morphology of the postpharyngeal gland of queens and workers of the ant Monomorium pharaonis (L.). — Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 87 : 101-111 The postpharyngeal gland (PPG) is unique to ants and is the largest exocrine gland in their head. In queens of the pharaoh's ant, Monomorium pharaonis , the gland contains approximately 15 finger-like epithelial extensions on each side and opens dorsolaterally in the posterior pharynx. In these ants the PPG morphology varies considerably according to age and mating status. The epithelial thickness increases with age and reaches a maximum at 3 weeks in both virgin and mated queens. A considerable expansion of the lumen diameter occurs in both groups between 4 and 7 days. Virgin queens release their secretion into the gland lumen from an age of 7 days, whereas mated queens accumulate large amounts of secretion in their epithelium. The increasing epithelial thickness, together with the increasing lumen diameter, the presence of numerous inclusions in the epithelium and the release of secretion, are indicative for increasing gland activity. The gland ultrastructure indicates involvement in lipid metabolism and de novo synthesis of lipids. The PPG of workers consists of 12 finger-like tubes at each side. There is a significant difference in epithelial thickness between nurses and repletes and between nurses and foragers. We suggest the PPG serves different purposes in pharaoh's ants: it is likely that the PPG of workers and virgin queens is used to feed larvae. In mated queens the gland probably plays a role in providing the queen with nutritious oils for egg production. The PPG may also function in signalling species nestmate and caste identity, as well as in the reproductive capacity of the queens.
Assessment of cavitation and impingement effects of submerged water jet on Ti alloy surface

Abstract An investigation is conducted to explore the effect of submerged water jet on solid material surface. With jet pressures ranging from 80 to 150 MPa, jet impingement on Ti-6Al-4 V samples is implemented experimentally. Experiments enable a quantitative evaluation of surface morphology features, residual stress and surface roughness associated with the impinged samples. A comparison is performed between submerged and non-submerged water jets. The results show that cavitation phenomenon manifests itself in submerged water jet as a ring-shape cavity zone, and the occurrence of cavitation is confirmed by the surface morphology features and local surface roughness on impinged surfaces. An almost linear relationship between residual stress and impingement time is corroborated. As for the resultant pits on impinged surfaces, smooth perimeters are caused by submerged water jets, while non-submerged water jets give rise to rather irregular pit perimeters along with comparatively powerful impingement force.
Metachromatic leukodystrophy

Very low arylsulphatase A (ARA) activity was found directly in amniotic fluid from two pregnancies where cultured amniotic fluid cells as well as cultured fibroblasts from the aborted fetuses were deficient in ARA. These observations differed significantly from parallel determinations of ARA activity in amniotic fluid, cultured amniotic fluid cells and cultured fibroblasts from the aborted fetuses in normal pregnancies
Medication error detection in two major teaching hospitals: What are the types of errors?

Background: Increasing number of reports on medication errors and relevant subsequent damages, especially in medical centers has become a growing concern for patient safety in recent decades. Patient safety and in particular, medication safety is a major concern and challenge for health care professionals around the world. Our prospective study was designed to detect prescribing, transcribing, dispensing, and administering medication errors in two major university hospitals. Materials and Methods: After choosing 20 similar hospital wards in two large teaching hospitals in the city of Isfahan, Iran, the sequence was randomly selected. Diagrams for drug distribution were drawn by the help of pharmacy directors. Direct observation technique was chosen as the method for detecting the errors. A total of 50 doses were studied in each ward to detect prescribing, transcribing and administering errors in each ward. The dispensing error was studied on 1000 doses dispensed in each hospital pharmacy. Results: A total of 8162 number of doses of medications were studied during the four stages, of which 8000 were complete data to be analyzed. 73% of prescribing orders were incomplete and did not have all six parameters (name, dosage form, dose and measuring unit, administration route, and intervals of administration). We found 15% transcribing errors. One-third of administration of medications on average was erroneous in both hospitals. Dispensing errors ranged between 1.4% and 2.2%. Conclusion: Although prescribing and administrating compromise most of the medication errors, improvements are needed in all four stages with regard to medication errors. Clear guidelines must be written and executed in both hospitals to reduce the incidence of medication errors.
Speaker verification using target and background dependent linear transforms and multi-system fusion

This paper describes a GMM-based speaker veriﬁcation system that uses speaker-dependent background models transformed by speaker-speciﬁc maximum likelihood linear transforms to achieve a sharper separation between the target and the non-target acoustic region. The effect of tying, or coupling, Gaussian components between the target and the background model is studied and shown to be a relevant factor with respect to the desired operating point. A fusion of scores from multiple systems built on different acoustic features via a neural network with performance gains over linear combination is also presented. The methods are experimentally studied on the 1999 NIST speaker recognition evaluation data.
Characterization of three-dimensional data with multidimensional deformable models based on B-splines in the fourier domain

This paper presents the formulation and implementation of multidimensional deformable models in the frequency domain. The models are defined by finite element discretization, using B-splines as shape function. The frequency-based formulation allows us to obtain an efficient iterative system in matrix form, suitable for models of any dimension. The aim of this approach is the use of these models for fast segmentation and motion tracking of three-dimensional objects with nonrigid motion or deformation from three-dimensional datasets. To show the results of the process, a two-dimensional model is applied for the characterization of topographic data.
Requirement for Bhlhb5 in the specification of amacrine and cone bipolar subtypes in mouse retina

The mammalian retina comprises six major neuronal cell types and one glial type that are further classified into multiple subtypes based on their anatomical and functional differences. Nevertheless, how these subtypes arise remains largely unknown at the molecular level. Here, we demonstrate that the expression of Bhlhb5, a bHLH transcription factor of the Olig family, is tightly associated with the generation of selective GABAergic amacrine and Type 2 OFF-cone bipolar subtypes throughout retinogenesis. Targeted deletion of Bhlhb5 results in a significant reduction in the generation of these selective bipolar and amacrine subtypes. Furthermore, although a Bhlhb5-null mutation has no effect on the expression of bHLH-class retinogenic genes, Bhlhb5 expression overlaps with that of the pan-amacrine factor NeuroD and the expression of Bhlhb5 and NeuroD is negatively regulated by ganglion cell-competence factor Math5. Our results reveal that a bHLH transcription factor cascade is involved in regulating retinal cell differentiation and imply that Bhlhb5 functions downstream of retinogenic factors to specify bipolar and amacrine subtypes.
Multihop performance of geographic random forwarding for ad hoc and sensor networks

We study a novel forwarding technique based on the geographical location of the nodes involved and random selection of the relaying node via contention among receivers. We focus on the multihop performance of such a solution, in terms of average number of hops to reach a destination as a function of the distance and of the average number of available neighbors. An idealized scheme (in which the best relay node is always chosen) is discussed, and its performance is evaluated by means of both simulation and analytical techniques. A practical scheme to select one of the best relays is shown to achieve performance very close to that of the ideal case.
Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide 1a4 is Responsible for the Hepatic Uptake of Cardiac Glycosides in Mice

Among organic anion transporting polypeptide (Oatp) family transporters expressed in the rodent liver, such as Oatp1a1, Oatp1a4, Oatp1b2, and Oatp2b1, Oatp1a4 has a unique character to recognize neutral cardiac glycosides as a substrate in addition to organic anions. The relative contribution of Oatp1a4 to the substrate uptake into hepatocytes has not been clarified. In this study, we investigated the importance of Oatp1a4 in the hepatic uptake of its substrate drugs using Slco1a4−/− mice. The hepatic mRNA expression of Slco1a4 was decreased significantly in Slco1a4−/− mice, whereas no differences were seen in other hepatic transporters between wild-type and Slco1a4−/− mice. We determined the plasma concentrations and liver-to-plasma concentration ratios (Kp,liver) of Oatp1a4 substrates, including ouabain, digoxin, BQ-123, fexofenadine, rosuvastatin, pravastatin, nafcillin, and telmisartan, after continuous intravenous infusion. The plasma concentrations of ouabain and rosuvastatin were 2.1-fold and 1.7-fold higher in Slco1a4−/− mice, and Kp,liver of ouabain and digoxin were 13.4-fold and 4.3-fold lower in Slco1a4−/− mice, respectively. Furthermore, the biliary clearance of ouabain and digoxin with regard to plasma concentration were 21.9-fold and 4.1-fold lower in Slco1a4−/− mice, respectively, accompanied with a marked reduction in their Kp,liver, whereas the systemic clearance of ouabain, but not digoxin, was reduced significantly in Slco1a4−/− mice. These results suggest that Oatp1a4 plays a major role in the hepatic accumulation of cardiac glycosides in mice.
Clinical evaluation of adhesively placed Cerec endo-crowns after 2 years--preliminary results.

PURPOSE Non-vital endodontically treated posterior teeth with complete loss of coronal hard tissues were prepared with a circular equigingival butt margin and central retention cavity of the entire pulp chamber ("endo-preparation"). Computer-generated ceramic corono-radicular restorations (Cerec endo-crowns) were bonded to these preparations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the survival rate and the clinical quality of CAD/CIM endo-crowns after 2 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS 19 Cerec endo-crowns (4 premolars and 15 molars) in 13 patients were examined using modified USPHS criteria at baseline and after an average time of 26 months. The ratings of the two examinations were compared. RESULTS The service time of the 19 endo-crowns was 14 to 35.5 (mean +/- SD: 26 +/- 6) months. One molar endo-crown failed after 28 months because of recurrent caries. CONCLUSION The overall clinical quality of the Cerec endo-crowns was very good, and so far, the clinical concept appears feasible.
Training Spiking Neural Models Using Artificial Bee Colony

Spiking neurons are models designed to simulate, in a realistic manner, the behavior of biological neurons. Recently, it has been proven that this type of neurons can be applied to solve pattern recognition problems with great efficiency. However, the lack of learning strategies for training these models do not allow to use them in several pattern recognition problems. On the other hand, several bioinspired algorithms have been proposed in the last years for solving a broad range of optimization problems, including those related to the field of artificial neural networks (ANNs). Artificial bee colony (ABC) is a novel algorithm based on the behavior of bees in the task of exploring their environment to find a food source. In this paper, we describe how the ABC algorithm can be used as a learning strategy to train a spiking neuron aiming to solve pattern recognition problems. Finally, the proposed approach is tested on several pattern recognition problems. It is important to remark that to realize the powerfulness of this type of model only one neuron will be used. In addition, we analyze how the performance of these models is improved using this kind of learning strategy.