Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acute exercise and gender alter cardiac autonomic tonus differently in hypertensive and normotensive rats.

Arterial pressure (AP), heart rate (HR), cardiac sympathetic tonus (ST), and parasympathetic tonus (PT) were determined in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR, 8 male and 8 female) and Wistar-Kyoto normotensive rats (WKY, 8 male and 12 female) before and after acute exercise. Before exercise, hypertensive rats (regardless of gender) had an increased ST (+15 beats/min), increased resting HR (+12 beats/min), and decreased PT (-11 beats/min). Similarly, female rats (regardless of strain) also had an increased ST (+15 beats/min), increased resting HR (+39 beats/min), and decreased PT (-14 beats/min). Hypertensive rats had a significant reduction in AP (-17 ± 3 mmHg), ST (-26 beats/min), PT (-7 beats/min), and HR (-14 beats/min) after exercise. In contrast, AP was not reduced in normotensive rats and ST (+18 beats/min) and HR (+42 beats/min) were increased in female normotensive rats after exercise. However, male normotensive rats had a postexercise reduction in ST (-14 beats/min) and HR (-19 beats/min). In summary, AP, ST, and resting HR were higher whereas PT was lower in hypertensive vs. normotensive rats. Furthermore, females had a higher resting HR, intrinsic HR, and ST and lower PT than male rats. These data demonstrate that gender and the resting level of AP influence cardiac autonomic regulation.
Experimental and numerical analysis of the deformation of a woven composite reinforcement. Consequences on the permeability

The permeability of a composite reinforcement dep ends on the geometry of the fiber network. This is often complex because of the weaving but also because of the deformation due to the preforming stage. The ob j ctive of the present work is to propose a numerical analysis of the deformation of the unit woven cell of the fibrous reinforcement (mesoscopic scale) and of the resin f low within this deformed unit cell (permeability determination). A specific constituti ve behavior of the yarn material is used to numerically simulate the preforming stage. A set of simulations of large deformations of textile composite reinforcements at mesoscopic scale will be presented. The CelPer2 software uses deformed 3D REV descripti on. The yarns and their complement are meshed and the Stokes and Brinkman e quations are solved in order to determine the permeability.
Conserved in situ arrangement of complex I and III2 in mitochondrial respiratory chain supercomplexes of mammals, yeast, and plants

Significance Oxygenic phosphorylation entails the transfer of electrons from organic substrates to molecular oxygen by four large protein complexes in the mitochondrial inner membrane. Loss of electrons during this process can produce toxic side products and must be prevented. Three of the electron-transfer complexes form supercomplexes, which are thought to be instrumental in channeling electrons from the substrate to the acceptor. We used electron cryo-tomography and subtomogram averaging to determine the in situ structure and organization of the respiratory chain supercomplexes in three different eukaryotic lineages. We discovered that the mutual arrangement of the two largest components—complex I and complex III2—is essentially the same in all supercomplexes, indicating that this arrangement is important for electron transfer. We used electron cryo-tomography and subtomogram averaging to investigate the structure of complex I and its supramolecular assemblies in the inner mitochondrial membrane of mammals, fungi, and plants. Tomographic volumes containing complex I were averaged at ∼4 nm resolution. Principal component analysis indicated that ∼60% of complex I formed a supercomplex with dimeric complex III, while ∼40% were not associated with other respiratory chain complexes. The mutual arrangement of complex I and III2 was essentially conserved in all supercomplexes investigated. In addition, up to two copies of monomeric complex IV were associated with the complex I1III2 assembly in bovine heart and the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, but their positions varied. No complex IV was detected in the respiratory supercomplex of the plant Asparagus officinalis. Instead, an ∼4.5-nm globular protein density was observed on the matrix side of the complex I membrane arm, which we assign to γ-carbonic anhydrase. Our results demonstrate that respiratory chain supercomplexes in situ have a conserved core of complex I and III2, but otherwise their stoichiometry and structure varies. The conserved features of supercomplex assemblies indicate an important role in respiratory electron transfer.
Distributed Adaptive Sampling for Kernel Matrix Approximation

Most kernel-based methods, such as kernel or Gaussian process regression, kernel PCA, ICA, or $k$-means clustering, do not scale to large datasets, because constructing and storing the kernel matrix $\mathbf{K}_n$ requires at least $\mathcal{O}(n^2)$ time and space for $n$ samples. Recent works show that sampling points with replacement according to their ridge leverage scores (RLS) generates small dictionaries of relevant points with strong spectral approximation guarantees for $\mathbf{K}_n$. The drawback of RLS-based methods is that computing exact RLS requires constructing and storing the whole kernel matrix. In this paper, we introduce SQUEAK, a new algorithm for kernel approximation based on RLS sampling that sequentially processes the dataset, storing a dictionary which creates accurate kernel matrix approximations with a number of points that only depends on the effective dimension $d_{eff}(\gamma)$ of the dataset. Moreover since all the RLS estimations are efficiently performed using only the small dictionary, SQUEAK is the first RLS sampling algorithm that never constructs the whole matrix $\mathbf{K}_n$, runs in linear time $\widetilde{\mathcal{O}}(nd_{eff}(\gamma)^3)$ w.r. t. $n$, and requires only a single pass over the dataset. We also propose a parallel and distributed version of SQUEAK that linearly scales across multiple machines, achieving similar accuracy in as little as $\widetilde{\mathcal{O}}(\log(n)d_{eff}(\gamma)^3)$ time.
Contribution of the NH2terminus of Kv2.1 to channel activation.

Opening and closing of voltage-operated channels requires the interaction of diverse structural elements. One approach to the identification of channel domains that participate in gating is to locate the sites of action of modifiers. Covalent reaction of Kv2.1 channels with the neutral, sulfhydryl-specific methylmethanethiosulfonate (MMTS) caused a slowing of channel gating with a predominant effect on the kinetics of activation. These effects were also obtained after intracellular, but not extracellular, application of a charged MMTS analog. Single channel analysis revealed that MMTS acted primarily by prolonging the latency to first opening without substantially affecting gating transitions after the channel first opens and until it inactivates. To localize the channel cysteine(s) with which MMTS reacts, we generated NH2- and COOH-terminal deletion mutants and a construct in which all three cysteines in transmembrane regions were substituted. Only the NH2-terminal deletion construct gave rise to currents that activated slowly and displayed MMTS-insensitive kinetics. These results show that the NH2-terminal tail of Kv2.1 participates in transitions leading to activation through interactions involving reduced cysteine(s) that can be modulated from the cytoplasmic phase.
Neuropeptide Y inhibition of calcium channels in PC-12 pheochromocytoma cells.

We previously demonstrated, using rat PC-12 pheochromocytoma cells differentiated to a sympathetic neuronal phenotype with nerve growth factor (NGF), that neuropeptide Y (NPY) inhibits catecholamine synthesis as well as release. Inquiry into the mechanisms of these inhibitions implicated distinct pathways involving reduction of Ca2+ influx through voltage-activated Ca2+ channels. In the present investigation the effects of NPY on whole cell Ba2+ currents were examined to obtain direct evidence supporting the mechanisms suggested by those studies. NPY was found to inhibit the voltage-activated Ba2+ current in NGF-differentiated PC-12 cells in a reversible fashion with an EC50 of 13 nM. This inhibition was pertussis toxin sensitive and resulted from NPY modulation of L- and N-type Ca2+ channels. The inhibition of L-type channels was not seen with <1 nM free intracellular Ca2+ or when protein kinase C (PKC) was inhibited by chelerythrine or PKC-(19-31). Furthermore, the effect of NPY on L-type channels was mimicked by the PKC activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. These studies demonstrate that, in addition to inhibition of N-type Ca2+ channels, in NGF-differentiated PC-12 cells NPY inhibits L-type Ca2+ channels via an intracellular Ca2+- and PKC-dependent pathway.
Relation of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Intimate Partner Violence, and Depression to Risk Factors for HIV Among Black Men Who Have Sex With Men in 6 US Cities.

OBJECTIVES We assessed the relation of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), intimate partner violence (IPV), and depression to HIV sexual risk behaviors among Black men who have sex with men (MSM). METHODS Participants were 1522 Black MSM recruited from 6 US cities between July 2009 and December 2011. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used. RESULTS Participants reported sex before age 12 years with someone at least 5 years older (31.1%), unwanted sex when aged 12 to 16 years (30%), IPV (51.8%), and depression (43.8%). Experiencing CSA when aged 12 to 16 years was inversely associated with any receptive condomless anal sex with a male partner (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.50; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.29, 0.86). Pressured or forced sex was positively associated with any receptive anal sex (AOR = 2.24; 95% CI = 1.57, 3.20). Experiencing CSA when younger than 12 years, physical abuse, emotional abuse, having been stalked, and pressured or forced sex were positively associated with having more than 3 male partners in the past 6 months. Among HIV-positive MSM (n = 337), CSA between ages 12 and 16 years was positively associated with having more than 3 male partners in the past 6 months. CONCLUSIONS Rates of CSA, IPV, and depression were high, but associations with HIV sexual risk outcomes were modest.
EFFECTS OF PROCESSING METHOD AND FIBRE CHARACTERISTICS ON MICROSTRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF WOOD-PLASTIC COMPOSITES

Processing methods play an important role in the final properties and quality of thermoplastics and reinforced thermoplastic products. Relationships between the material properties and processing of extruded wood-plastic composites (WPC) have been extensively reviewed. However, little research has addressed the comparative properties and microstructures of extruded and injection-moulded (IM) WPC. The objective of this study was to understand the role of processing method and fibre characteristics on WPC properties and microstructure. Three chemo-thermo-mechanical pulp (CTMP) fibre length-to-diameter ratios (L/D) were obtained through mechanical refining and characterized with a fibre quality analyzer (FQA). The rheometer torque properties of high density polyethylene (HDPE) filled with these pulps at different loads were then determined. Variations in fibre load and size resulted in significant variations in melting properties and torque characteristics. Therefore, process parameters should be set accordingly. Composites were manufactured with extrusion and IM processes. IM composites showed better physical and mechanical properties than extruded composites. These differences may be partly explained by the microstructure (fibre alignment) and surface quality.
Activation of human macrophages by mechanical ventilation in vitro.

Positive-pressure mechanical ventilation supports gas exchange in patients with respiratory failure but is also responsible for significant lung injury. In this study, we have developed an in vitro model in which isolated lung cells can be submitted to a prolonged cyclic pressure-stretching strain resembling that of conventional mechanical ventilation. In this model, cells cultured on a Silastic membrane were elongated up to 7% of their initial diameter, corresponding to a 12% increase in cell surface. The lung macrophage was identified as the main cellular source for critical inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor-α, the chemokines interleukin (IL)-8 and -6, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in this model system of mechanical ventilation. These mediators were measured in supernatants from ventilated alveolar macrophages, monocyte-derived macrophages, and promonocytic THP-1 cells. Nuclear factor-κB was found to be activated in ventilated macrophages. Synergistic proinflammatory effects of mechanical stress and molecules such as bacterial endotoxin were observed, suggesting that mechanical ventilation might be particularly deleterious in preinjured or infected lungs. Dexamethasone prevented IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α secretion in ventilated macrophages. Mechanical ventilation induced low levels of IL-8 secretion by alveolar type II-like cells. Other lung cell types such as endothelial cells, bronchial cells, and fibroblasts failed to produce IL-8 in response to a prolonged cyclic pressure-stretching load. This model is of particular value for exploring physical stress-induced signaling pathways, as well as for testing the effects of novel ventilatory strategies or adjunctive substances aimed at modulating cell activation induced by mechanical ventilation.
Nitrergic and cholinergic innervation of the rat lower urinary tract after pelvic ganglionectomy.

The possible coexistence of nitric oxide (NO) and acetylcholine in the rat major pelvic ganglion (MPG) was examined by double immunohistochemistry using antisera raised against NO synthase (NOS) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). The smooth muscle responses of the isolated bladder and urethra were recorded after bilateral cryoganglionectomy of the MPG, focusing on the possible development of denervation supersensitivity. In the MPG, NOS immunoreactivity (ir) was seen in a large number of cell bodies, but it was not as abundant as ChAT-ir cell bodies. Double immunolabeling showed that all NOS-ir cell bodies also displayed ChAT-ir. In ganglionectomized bladders, the electrical field stimulation (EFS)-evoked contractile response was markedly reduced. When compared with control bladders, detrusor strips from ganglionectomized rats were more sensitive to carbachol as revealed by a lower negative logarithm of the drug concentration eliciting 50% relaxation (6.5 ± 0.04 vs. 5.9 ± 0.07). In the urethra, the NO-mediated relaxant response to EFS was practically abolished by ganglionectomy, whereas no difference was found in sensitivity to 3-morpholinosydnonimine hydrochloride (SIN-1). SIN-1 produced an equal increase in tissue levels of guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate in urethral preparations from control and ganglionectomized rats. The results suggest that the NOS-ir nerves that mediate inhibition of rat urethral smooth muscle tone originate from the MPG and contain ChAT. No denervation supersensitivity to nitrergic stimulation was observed in the urethra after ganglionectomy.
Building Robust Industrial Applicable Object Detection Models using Transfer Learning and Single Pass Deep Learning Architectures

The uprising trend of deep learning in computer vision and artificial intelligence can simply not be ignored. On the most diverse tasks, from recognition and detection to segmentation, deep learning is able to obtain state-of-the-art results, reaching top notch performance. In this paper we explore how deep convolutional neural networks dedicated to the task of object detection can improve our industrial-oriented object detection pipelines, using state-of-the-art open source deep learning frameworks, like Darknet. By using a deep learning architecture that integrates region proposals, classification and probability estimation in a single run, we aim at obtaining real-time performance. We focus on reducing the needed amount of training data drastically by exploring transfer learning, while still maintaining a high average precision. Furthermore we apply these algorithms to two industrially relevant applications, one being the detection of promotion boards in eye tracking data and the other detecting and recognizing packages of warehouse products for augmented advertisements.
Intrahepatic STAT-3 activation and acute phase gene expression predict outcome after CLP sepsis in the rat.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) regulates hepatic acute phase responses by activating the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3. IL-6 also may modulate septic pathophysiology. We hypothesize that 1) STAT-3 activation and transcription of α2-macroglobulin (A2M) correlate with recovery from sepsis and 2) STAT-3 activation and A2M transcription reflect intrahepatic and not serum IL-6. Nonlethal sepsis was induced in rats by single puncture cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) and lethal sepsis via double-puncture CLP. STAT-3 activation and A2M transcription were detected at 3-72 h and intrahepatic IL-6 at 24-72 h following single-puncture CLP. All were detected only at 3-16 h following double-puncture CLP and at lower levels than following single-puncture CLP. Loss of serum and intrahepatic IL-6 activity after double-puncture CLP correlated with mortality. Neither intrahepatic nor serum IL-6 levels correlated with intrahepatic IL-6 activity. STAT-3 activation following single-puncture CLP inversely correlated with altered transcription of gluconeogenic, ketogenic, and ureagenic genes. IL-6 may have both beneficial and detrimental effects in sepsis. Fulminant sepsis may decrease the ability of hepatocytes to respond to IL-6.
Stereo matching using census cost over cross window and segmentation-based disparity refinement

Abstract. Stereo matching is a vital requirement for many applications, such as three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction, robot navigation, object detection, and industrial measurement. To improve the practicability of stereo matching, a method using census cost over cross window and segmentation-based disparity refinement is proposed. First, a cross window is obtained using distance difference and intensity similarity in binocular images. Census cost over the cross window and color cost are combined as the matching cost, which is aggregated by the guided filter. Then, winner-takes-all strategy is used to calculate the initial disparities. Second, a graph-based segmentation method is combined with color and edge information to achieve moderate under-segmentation. The segmented regions are classified into reliable regions and unreliable regions by consistency checking. Finally, the two regions are optimized by plane fitting and propagation, respectively, to match the ambiguous pixels. The experimental results are on Middlebury Stereo Datasets, which show that the proposed method has good performance in occluded and discontinuous regions, and it obtains smoother disparity maps with a lower average matching error rate compared with other algorithms.
Immune therapy in autoimmune encephalitis: a systematic review

We have reviewed the literature of immune therapy in autoimmune encephalitis associated with antibodies to cell surface antigens including N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), leucine-rich, glioma-inactivated protein-1 (LGI1), contactin-associated protein-2 (Caspr2), the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR), γ-aminobutyric acid-A receptor (GABAAR), γ-aminobutyric acid-B receptor (GABABR), Glycine R and other rarer antigens. Most studies are retrospective cohorts, and there are no randomised controlled trials. Most clinicians use first-line therapy (steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, plasma exchange), and if severe or refractory, second-line therapy (rituximab, cyclophosphamide). When present, tumours should be removed. There are common therapeutic themes emerging. Firstly, patients given immune therapy do better and relapse less than patients given no treatment. Secondly, patients given early treatment do better. And thirdly, when patients fail first-line therapy, second-line therapy improves outcomes and reduces relapses. Given the retrospective uncontrolled data, the literature has inherent bias, including severity and reporting bias.
Forkhead box a2 (FOXA2) is essential for uterine function and fertility

Significance These studies define biological roles for Forkhead box a2 (FOXA2) and glands of the uterus in female reproduction and fertility. FOXA2 is a critical regulator of uterine gland development in the neonate as well as of differentiated gland function in the adult uterus. Our findings provide clear in vivo evidence that FOXA2 regulates uterine expression of Leukemia inhibitory factor (Lif) for blastocyst implantation and that uterine glands play active roles in stromal cell decidualization and placental development. These findings support the idea that pregnancy loss and complications in women may have their origin in uterine gland dysfunction. Establishment of pregnancy is a critical event, and failure of embryo implantation and stromal decidualization in the uterus contribute to significant numbers of pregnancy losses in women. Glands of the uterus are essential for establishment of pregnancy in mice and likely in humans. Forkhead box a2 (FOXA2) is a transcription factor expressed specifically in the glands of the uterus and is a critical regulator of postnatal uterine gland differentiation in mice. In this study, we conditionally deleted FOXA2 in the adult mouse uterus using the lactotransferrin Cre (Ltf-Cre) model and in the neonatal mouse uterus using the progesterone receptor Cre (Pgr-Cre) model. The uteri of adult FOXA2-deleted mice were morphologically normal and contained glands, whereas the uteri of neonatal FOXA2-deleted mice were completely aglandular. Notably, adult FOXA2-deleted mice are completely infertile because of defects in blastocyst implantation and stromal cell decidualization. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a critical implantation factor of uterine gland origin, was not expressed during early pregnancy in adult FOXA2-deleted mice. Intriguingly, i.p. injections of LIF initiated blastocyst implantation in the uteri of both gland-containing and glandless adult FOXA2-deleted mice. Although pregnancy was rescued by LIF and was maintained to term in uterine gland-containing adult FOXA2-deleted mice, pregnancy failed by day 10 in neonatal FOXA2-deleted mice lacking uterine glands. These studies reveal a previously unrecognized role for FOXA2 in regulation of adult uterine function and fertility and provide original evidence that uterine glands and, by inference, their secretions play important roles in blastocyst implantation and stromal cell decidualization.