Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monoacylglycerols Activate TRPV1 – A Link between Phospholipase C and TRPV1

Phospholipase C-mediated hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate generates diacylglycerol, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and protons, all of which can regulate TRPV1 activity via different mechanisms. Here we explored the possibility that the diacylglycerol metabolites 2-arachidonoylglycerol and 1-arachidonoylglycerol, and not metabolites of these monoacylglycerols, activate TRPV1 and contribute to this signaling cascade. 2-Arachidonoylglycerol and 1-arachidonoylglycerol activated native TRPV1 on vascular sensory nerve fibers and heterologously expressed TRPV1 in whole cells and inside-out membrane patches. The monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitors methylarachidonoyl-fluorophosphonate and JZL184 prevented the metabolism of deuterium-labeled 2-arachidonoylglycerol and deuterium-labeled 1-arachidonoylglycerol in arterial homogenates, and enhanced TRPV1-mediated vasodilator responses to both monoacylglycerols. In mesenteric arteries from TRPV1 knock-out mice, vasodilator responses to 2-arachidonoylglycerol were minor. Bradykinin and adenosine triphosphate, ligands of phospholipase C-coupled membrane receptors, increased the content of 2-arachidonoylglycerol in dorsal root ganglia. In HEK293 cells expressing the phospholipase C-coupled histamine H1 receptor, exposure to histamine stimulated the formation of 2-AG, and this effect was augmented in the presence of JZL184. These effects were prevented by the diacylglycerol lipase inhibitor tetrahydrolipstatin. Histamine induced large whole cell currents in HEK293 cells co-expressing TRPV1 and the histamine H1 receptor, and the TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine abolished these currents. JZL184 increased the histamine-induced currents and tetrahydrolipstatin prevented this effect. The calcineurin inhibitor ciclosporin and the endogenous “entourage” compound palmitoylethanolamide potentiated the vasodilator response to 2-arachidonoylglycerol, disclosing TRPV1 activation of this monoacylglycerol at nanomolar concentrations. Furthermore, intracerebroventricular injection of JZL184 produced TRPV1-dependent antinociception in the mouse formalin test. Our results show that intact 2-arachidonoylglycerol and 1-arachidonoylglycerol are endogenous TRPV1 activators, contributing to phospholipase C-dependent TRPV1 channel activation and TRPV1-mediated antinociceptive signaling in the brain.
EMG estimation from EEGs for constructing a power assist system

Brain-Machine Interface (BMI), has been becoming gradually an effective way to help and support the disabled person by using his/her brain activity information. It is also expected to be used for both of the disabled and the healthy people. In this paper, aiming to estimate the force/torque information from brain activity to help and support human's daily life, we estimate the humans muscular activity from elec-troencephalography (EEG) by Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Recursive Least Squares (RLS). The concept of the proposed approach using PCA and RLS is explained, and then the proposed approach is verified by experiments. The results show that the estimation of electromyography (EMG) from EEG is possible and this implies a great potential to use EEG signals for supporting human activities.
ALCOdb: Gene Coexpression Database for Microalgae

In the era of energy and food shortage, microalgae have gained much attention as promising sources of biofuels and food ingredients. However, only a small fraction of microalgal genes have been functionally characterized. Here, we have developed the Algae Gene Coexpression database (ALCOdb; http://alcodb.jp), which provides gene coexpression information to survey gene modules for a function of interest. ALCOdb currently supports two model algae: the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae. Users can retrieve coexpression information for genes of interest through three unique data pages: (i) Coexpressed Gene List; (ii) Gene Information; and (iii) Coexpressed Gene Network. In addition to the basal coexpression information, ALCOdb also provides several advanced functionalities such as an expression profile viewer and a differentially expressed gene search tool. Using these user interfaces, we demonstrated that our gene coexpression data have the potential to detect functionally related genes and are useful in extrapolating the biological roles of uncharacterized genes. ALCOdb will facilitate molecular and biochemical studies of microalgal biological phenomena, such as lipid metabolism and organelle development, and promote the evolutionary understanding of plant cellular systems.
Segmenting Sequences Semantically. Using Petri Net Transducers for the Translation from Sequential Data to Non-Sequential Models

In previous work we presented an extension and generalisation of finite state transducers (FSTs) to so-called Petri net transducers (PNTs). These are applicable to any form of transforming sequential input signals into non-sequential output structures – which can be used to represent the semantics of the input – by performing a weighted relation between partial languages, i.e. assigning one weight per related input-output-pair. This paper extends the framework by an additional weighted output where every node of the structure carries a weight. Moreover the output structure induces segments on all intermediate transducers and thus on the input giving a more detailed view on how the single weight emerged during the transformation. We extend the definitions of PNTs, show the resulting changes for the operation of language composition, and discuss the impact on other PNT-algorithms. The theory is accompanied by an example of translating a keyboard input stream into a structural representation of commands to be executed.
Insulin and C-Peptide Secretion in Non-Obese Patients with Polycystic Ovarian Disease

Plasma glucose, immunoreactive insulin (IRI) and C-peptide responses during an oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT) were assessed in 11 non-obese patients with polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) and 11 reference subjects matched for age, height and weight. Also, 6 patients with PCOD and 6 normal women were subjected to intravenous glucose tolerance testing (ivGTT) On oGTT, all subjects exhibited normal glucose tolerance; however, PCOD patients had significantly higher mean plasma glucose levels at 30, 60, 90 and 120 min and higher mean incremental glucose areas. In addition the patients with polycystic ovaries showed higher mean basal IRI and C-peptide levels, higher mean glucose stimulated IRI and C-peptide levels and higher mean incremental IRI and C-peptide values. The molar ratios of C-peptide/IRI were significantly lower in the PCOD group at all time intervals after glucose stimulation when compared to the normal women. During ivGTT, there were significantly higher mean glucose levels at 5, 40, 50 and 60 min in the PCOD group when compared to the reference group. The IRI response to intravenous glucose in the PCOD women was similar to the reference group. The findings on oGTT suggest that non-obese patients with PCOD have increased pancreatic IRI secretion as well as impaired hepatic extraction of the hormone.
Biochemical diagnosis of pheochromocytoma: which test is best?

CONTEXT Diagnosis of pheochromocytoma depends on biochemical evidence of catecholamine production by the tumor. However, the best test to establish the diagnosis has not been determined. OBJECTIVE To determine the biochemical test or combination of tests that provides the best method for diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Multicenter cohort study of patients tested for pheochromocytoma at 4 referral centers between 1994 and 2001. The analysis included 214 patients in whom the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma was confirmed and 644 patients who were determined to not have the tumor. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Test sensitivity and specificity, receiver operating characteristic curves, and positive and negative predictive values at different pretest prevalences using plasma free metanephrines, plasma catecholamines, urinary catecholamines, urinary total and fractionated metanephrines, and urinary vanillylmandelic acid. RESULTS Sensitivities of plasma free metanephrines (99% [95% confidence interval [CI], 96%-100%]) and urinary fractionated metanephrines (97% [95% CI, 92%-99%]) were higher than those for plasma catecholamines (84% [95% CI, 78%-89%]), urinary catecholamines (86% [95% CI, 80%-91%]), urinary total metanephrines (77% [95% CI, 68%-85%]), and urinary vanillylmandelic acid (64% [95% CI, 55%-71%]). Specificity was highest for urinary vanillylmandelic acid (95% [95% CI, 93%-97%]) and urinary total metanephrines (93% [95% CI, 89%-97%]); intermediate for plasma free metanephrines (89% [95% CI, 87%-92%]), urinary catecholamines (88% [95% CI, 85%-91%]), and plasma catecholamines (81% [95% CI, 78%-84%]); and lowest for urinary fractionated metanephrines (69% [95% CI, 64%-72%]). Sensitivity and specificity values at different upper reference limits were highest for plasma free metanephrines using receiver operating characteristic curves. Combining different tests did not improve the diagnostic yield beyond that of a single test of plasma free metanephrines. CONCLUSION Plasma free metanephrines provide the best test for excluding or confirming pheochromocytoma and should be the test of first choice for diagnosis of the tumor.
Electrically Conductive Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes/Poly(vinyl alcohol) Composites with Aligned Porous Morphologies

Electrically conductive multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composites with aligned porous structure were obtained by a directional freeze-drying process. The results show that the morphologies of the MWNTs/PVA composite can be tailored by adding different contents of MWNTs in the PVA matrix. Because of the aligned porous structure of the MWNTs/PVA composites, the conductivity property of MWNTs/PVA composite does not coincide absolutely with the universal percolation theory. In the aligned porous MWNTs/PVA composites, the existence of the micro-pores destroys the uniform distribution of the conductive network along the direction perpendicular to the aligned pores and results in a nonuniform distribution conductive network. When being used to monitor flowing vapors in pipes, compared with a film sensor with the thickness from several decades to hundreds of microns, the aligned porous conductive MWNTs/PVA composite with micron-sized pores should be a much better sensor.
Comparing Offline and Online Recommender System Evaluations on Long-tail Distributions

In this investigation, we conduct a comparison between ofine and online accuracy evaluation of dierent algorithms and settings in a real-world content recommender system. By focusing on recommendations of long-tail items, which are usually more interesting for users, it was possible to reduce the bias caused by extremely popular items and to observe a better alignment of accuracy results in oine and online evaluations.
A New Approach for Epilepsy

Editor’s Note: About one-third of the 65 million people worldwide affected by epilepsy are treatment-resistant, and the degree to which they suffer from seizures and convulsions can vary widely. Problems occur when nerve cells in the brain fail to communicate properly. A new study has found that inhibiting an enzyme that is critical in metabolic communication has an anti-seizure effect in epileptic mice. These findings, the authors believe, may very well initiate a shift to new therapeutic approaches.
Topology of large-scale structure in the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey

We investigate the topology of the completed 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS), drawing two flux-limited samples of the local Universe from the 2dFGRS catalogue, which contains over 220000 galaxies at a median redshift of z = 0.11. The samples are cut at z = 0.2 and corrected for selection effects. We then use the three-dimensional genus statistic to probe the connectedness of the galaxy distribution on scales ranging from 8 to 20 Mpc, and compare these measurements with the analytical result for a Gaussian random density field, a generic prediction of inflationary models. We demonstrate consistency with inflation on the range of scales considered. We then introduce a parametrization of the analytic genus curve formula that is sensitive to asymmetries in genus number as a function of density and use it to demonstrate that such phenomena are ruled out with 95 per cent confidence between 8 and 16 Mpc.
Perspectives on router buffer sizing: recent results and open problems

The past few years have witnessed a lot of debate on how large Internet router buffers should be. The widely believed rule-of-thumb used by router manufacturers today mandates a buffer size equal to the delay-bandwidth product. This rule was first challenged by researchers in 2004 who argued that if there are a large number of long-lived TCP connections flowing through a router, then the buffer size needed is equal to the delay-bandwidth product divided by the square root of the number of long-lived TCP flows. The publication of this result has since reinvigorated interest in the buffer sizing problem with numerous other papers exploring this topic in further detail - ranging from papers questioning the applicability of this result to proposing alternate schemes to developing new congestion control algorithms, etc. This paper provides a synopsis of the recently proposed buffer sizing strategies and broadly classifies them according to their desired objective: link utilisation, and per-flow performance. We discuss the pros and cons of these different approaches. These prior works study buffer sizing purely in the context of TCP. Subsequently, we present arguments that take into account both real-time and TCP traffic. We also report on the performance studies of various high-speed TCP variants and experimental results for networks with limited buffers. We conclude this paper by outlining some interesting avenues for further research.
Acute Allergic Contact Dermatitis of the Lips from Peppermint Oil in a Lip Balm

The etiology of cheilitis is often not readily apparent. We present a case series of four patients with allergic contact cheilitis (ACC) secondary to exposure to peppermint oil contained in a lip balm product. These patients developed eczematous dermatitis involving their lips and perioral skin. They were tested with the North American Contact Dermatitis Group standard series as well as with an expanded series of flavoring agents, sunscreens, plant and fragrance components, and their own products. The lip balm contained potential sensitizers such as propolis, lanolin, coconut oil, almond oil, peppermint oil, and vitamin E. Our patch‐test results showed that peppermint oil was the most likely culprit in these patients' ACC. Peppermint oil is less commonly reported as causing ACC than are more common contactants such as balsam of Peru or nickel sulfate. However, with the widespread use of lip balms containing peppermint oil, more cases of peppermint oil‐induced ACC may be expected.
A Response Modelling of P53 Gene Regulatory Networks Under Continuous Ion Radiation (IR)

As a vital anticancer gene, P53 controls the cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis by regulating the downstream genes and the complicated signal pathways. To simulate the investigation of the cellular responding continuous Ion Radiation (IR), a model of the P53 gene regulatory networks is proposed. The model can be used to simulate the dynamic processes of the double-strand breaks (DSBs) generating and their repair, ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and ARF activation, as well as the oscillations in the P53-MDM2 feedback loop under continuous effect of acute IR. Especially, the model can present the plausible outcomes of cellular responding DNA damage induced by continuous IR.
FPGA implementation of an efficient multiplier over finite fields GF(2/sup m/)

Arithmetic operations over finite fields GF(2m) are widely used in cryptography, error-correcting codes and signal processing. In particular, multiplication is especially relevant since other arithmetic operators, such as division or exponentiation, which they usually utilize multipliers as building blocks. Hardware implementation of field multiplication may provide a great speedup in procedure's performance, which easily exceeds the one observed in software platforms. In this paper we deal with an FPGA implementation of an efficient serial multiplier over the binary extension fields GF(2193) and GF(2239). Those extension fields are included among the ones recommended by NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) standards for Elliptic Curve Cryptography. Our multiplier is of type Serial/Parallel LSB-first and operates with a latency of m-clock cycles, where m is the length of the field word. We calculate the space complexity attending the number of slices used in the FPGA
Freeform metrology based on phase retrieval and computer-generated hologram

Recently, interferometric null-testing with computer-generated hologram has been proposed as a non-contact and high precision solution to the freeform optics metrology. However, the interferometry solution owns some typical disadvantages such as the strong sensitivity to the table vibrations or temperature fluctuations, which hinders its usage outside the strictly controlled laboratory conditions. Phase retrieval presents a viable alternative to interferometry for measuring wavefront and can provide a more compact, less expensive, and more stable experimental setup. In this work, we propose a novel solution to freeform metrology based on phase retrieval and computer-generated hologram (CGH). The CGH is designed according to the ray tracing method, so as to compensate the aspheric aberration related to the freeform element. With careful alignment of the CGH and the freeform element in the testing system, several defocused intensity images can be captured for phase retrieval. In this paper the experimental results related to a freeform surface with 18×18mm2 rectangular aperture (its peak-to-valley aspherity equals to 193um) are reported, meanwhile, we also have compared them with the measurement results given by the interferometry solution, so as to evaluate the validity of our solution.
Evaluation of experimental cleanser solution of Ricinus communis: effect on soft denture liner properties.

OBJECTIVE This study evaluated colour stability, hardness and roughness of soft denture liners after immersion in various cleansers. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty specimens (14 mm × 4 mm) of Elite Soft Relining (ES) and Mucopren Soft (MS) were randomly immersed in distilled water at 37°C, sodium hypochlorite 1%, and an experimental Ricinus communis solution (RC) for 7, 15 and 183 continuous days. RESULTS anova (p < 0.05) and Tukey's test indicated that after T7 (μ =8.79 ± 7.36); T15 (μ = 4.23 ± 2.62) and T183 (μ = 8.78 ± 3.16), MS presented a higher increase in hardness than ES. After T7, MS underwent an increase in roughness (μ = 0.09 ± 0.80); ES underwent a decrease (μ = -0.08 ± 0.16). RC caused the smallest variation in roughness. After T15, both materials presented an increase in roughness. After T183, ES (μ = -0.30 ± 0.48) presented a higher roughness variation than MS (μ = -0.07 ± 0.32). Hypochlorite caused an increase in roughness (μ = 0.02 ± 0.19). CONCLUSION After all periods ES presented higher colour alteration than MS; highest colour alteration was caused by hypochlorite. Both materials were more stable after immersion in RC.
Relaxing the upper bound on the mass of the lightest supersymmetric Higgs boson

We present a class of supersymmetric models in which the lightest Higgs boson mass can be as large as a few hundred GeV (200{approx}300 GeV) while the successful minimal supersymmetric standard model prediction for gauge coupling unification is preserved. The theories are formulated on a 5D warped space truncated by two branes, and a part of the Higgs sector is localized on the infrared brane. The structure of the Higgs sector in the four-dimensional effective theory below the Kaluza-Klein mass scale is essentially that of the next-to-minimal supersymmetric standard model, or related theories. However, large values of the next-to-minimal supersymmetric standard model couplings at the weak scale are now possible as these couplings are required to be perturbative only up to the infrared cutoff scale, which in general can be much lower than the unification scale. This allows the possibility of generating a large quartic coupling in the Higgs potential thereby significantly raising the Higgs boson mass bound. We present two particularly simple models. In the first model, the quark and lepton fields are localized on the ultraviolet brane, where the grand unified symmetry is broken. In the second model, the quark and lepton fields are localized on the infraredmore » brane, and the unified symmetry is broken both on the ultraviolet and infrared branes. Our theories potentially allow the possibility of a significant reduction in the fine-tuning needed for correct electroweak symmetry breaking, although this is somewhat model dependent. « less
Effects of 17α‐ethynylestradiol, fluoxetine, and the mixture on life history traits and population growth rates in a freshwater gastropod

Pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), some of which have endocrine‐disrupting effects at environmentally relevant concentrations, have been detected in many surface waters. The authors evaluated the effects of 2 common endocrine disrupting PPCPs on the life history traits of the snail, Physa pomilia, using a life table response experiment with snails raised in environmentally relevant concentrations of 17α‐ethynylestradiol (EE2), fluoxetine, or their mixture. Exposure to fluoxetine or the mixture reduced snail reproduction, but EE2 did not. Generally, individual life history traits were affected minimally by the PPCPs, but when integrated using a demographic model, all 3 chemical exposure scenarios decreased population growth rates, with the EE2 and fluoxetine mixture causing the most adverse effects. Overall, the results provide additional insight into the effects of PPCPs on freshwater invertebrates and point to the importance of testing simultaneous exposures to multiple PPCPs. In addition, using a demographic model to integrate individual endpoints provided insights into effects that were not apparent from individual life history traits alone and suggest at least a potential for adverse ecological effects under realistic environmental exposures concentrations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013;32:2771–2778. © 2013 SETAC