Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synergistic Binding of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A and Its Receptors to Heparin Selectively Modulates Complex Affinity*

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) requires heparin-like molecules for full activity. Results: VEGF, VEGF receptor-2, and neuropilin-1 complexes bind heparin synergistically. Neuropilin-1 enhances VEGF signaling and is dependent on heparan sulfate. Conclusion: Heparin influences VEGF receptor-1, VEGF receptor-2, and neuropilin-1 through distinct mechanisms and regulates VEGF-induced signaling. Significance: Heparin-like molecules with specific structural features might be used to selectively manipulate the VEGF system to regulate angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is a highly regulated process orchestrated by the VEGF system. Heparin/heparan sulfate proteoglycans and neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) have been identified as co-receptors, yet the mechanisms of action have not been fully defined. In the present study, we characterized molecular interactions between receptors and co-receptors, using surface plasmon resonance and in vitro binding assays. Additionally, we demonstrate that these binding events are relevant to VEGF activity within endothelial cells. We defined interactions and structural requirements for heparin/HS interactions with VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-1, NRP-1, and VEGF165 in complex with VEGFR-2 and NRP-1. We demonstrate that these structural requirements are distinct for each interaction. We further show that VEGF165, VEGFR-2, and monomeric NRP-1 bind weakly to heparin alone yet show synergistic binding to heparin when presented together in various combinations. This synergistic binding appears to translate to alterations in VEGF signaling in endothelial cells. We found that soluble NRP-1 increases VEGF binding and activation of VEGFR-2 and ERK1/2 in endothelial cells and that these effects require sulfated HS. These data suggest that the presence of HS/heparin and NRP-1 may dictate the specific receptor type activated by VEGF and ultimately determine the biological output of the system. The ability of co-receptors to fine-tune VEGF responsiveness suggests the possibility that VEGF-mediated angiogenesis can be selectively stimulated or inhibited by targeting HS/heparin and NRP-1.
Cache-Based Query Processing for Search Engines

In practice, a search engine may fail to serve a query due to various reasons such as hardware/network failures, excessive query load, lack of matching documents, or service contract limitations (e.g., the query rate limits for third-party users of a search service). In this kind of scenarios, where the backend search system is unable to generate answers to queries, approximate answers can be generated by exploiting the previously computed query results available in the result cache of the search engine. In this work, we propose two alternative strategies to implement this cache-based query processing idea. The first strategy aggregates the results of similar queries that are previously cached in order to create synthetic results for new queries. The second strategy forms an inverted index over the textual information (i.e., query terms and result snippets) present in the result cache and uses this index to answer new queries. Both approaches achieve reasonable result qualities compared to processing queries with an inverted index built on the collection.
Distributed Processing of Generalized Graph-Pattern Queries in SPARQL 1.1

We propose an efficient and scalable architecture for processing generalized graph-pattern queries as they are specified by the current W3C recommendation of the SPARQL 1.1 "Query Language" component. Specifically, the class of queries we consider consists of sets of SPARQL triple patterns with labeled property paths. From a relational perspective, this class resolves to conjunctive queries of relational joins with additional graph-reachability predicates. For the scalable, i.e., distributed, processing of this kind of queries over very large RDF collections, we develop a suitable partitioning and indexing scheme, which allows us to shard the RDF triples over an entire cluster of compute nodes and to process an incoming SPARQL query over all of the relevant graph partitions (and thus compute nodes) in parallel. Unlike most prior works in this field, we specifically aim at the unified optimization and distributed processing of queries consisting of both relational joins and graph-reachability predicates. All communication among the compute nodes is established via a proprietary, asynchronous communication protocol based on the Message Passing Interface.
Mechanical and barrier properties of cardboard and 3D packaging coated with microfibrillated cellulose

Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) is increasingly used with cellulosic substrates and especially with paper materials. Its use with cardboard remains not reported and the study of mechanical and barrier properties of MFC-coated cardboard has been investigated in this article. The influence of coating process as well as the effect of MFC have been highlighted by comparing different MFC-coated cardboard samples with PE-coated cardboard samples. MFC was coated using bar coating process. Their distribution and homogeneity onto cardboard was observed using techniques such as SEM and FE-SEM. Tests such as oxygen and air permeability, bending stiffness, and compressive strength have been carried out. The coating process used impacts significantly cardboard properties by two opposite ways: on one hand it damages the structure cohesion of cardboard decreasing its compressive strength; on the other hand it increases its bending stiffness by increasing considerably the samples thickness. The addition of MFC counterbalances the negative effects of the coating process: bending stiffness and compressive strength are indeed improved by 30% in machine direction. On the contrary, MFC does not enhance much cardboard barrier properties, although it considerably increases their water absorption. Within a framework of packaging application, MFC will rather have consequent effects on cardboard's properties as blend or as part of the multilayer structure. Other applications have to be considered for its use as top layer. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40106.
Intensive Design to Reinvigorate Psychiatric Drug Development

F ueled by serendipitous psychopharmacologic observations, psychiatry flourished from the 1950s through the 1960s. However, translating the remarkable genetic and neuroscience discoveries into clinically useful treatments has proved intractable. The pharmaceutical industry is shutting down its laboratories for the development of novel central nervous system drugs, except with regard to the oncoming plague of Alzheimer disorder. Molecular biology, genomics, proteomics, epigenetics, and so on have not rivaled the track record of serendipitous clinical observation. Two recent commentaries from National Institute of Mental Health directors agree that the situation is catastrophic. In this editorial, we summarize our recent papers describing these 2 models of drug discovery as they affect clinical efficacy, that is, improving patient outcome over the long-run.
Effect of a specific exercise program on the strength and resistance levels of lumbar muscles in warehouse workers

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to verify the influence of a specific exercise program on the strength and resistance levels of lumbar flexors and extensors in warehouse workers.Materials and MethodsThe population used in this randomized controlled trial included 557 warehouse male workers from a food distribution company in Oporto/Portugal. Upon the application of the selection criteria, 98 workers deemed eligible were randomized in two groups: 57 were assigned to the intervention group and 41 to the control group. The intervention included 9 easily-executed exercises to promote stretching and strengthening of the lumbar region, to be executed daily, at the beginning of the working time, at the company facilities and lasting 8′. Trunk muscles’ voluntary strength and resistance were measured using an isometric electronic dynamometer (Globus Ergometer, Globus, Codigné, Italy) at baseline and eleven months after implementing the exercise program. The data was analyzed using SPSS®, version 17.0. ResultsAfter implementation of the exercise program, in the intervention group, all variables increased, significant differences were observed as for the muscle strength and resistance values (p = 0.014 and p = 0.006, respectively), as well as in the ratio extensors/flexors (p = 0.037). In the control group, all variables decreased, with a statistically significant decrease of the trunk flexors strength level (p = 0.009). ConclusionThe results of this study suggest that a specific exercise intervention program can increase trunk extensors strength and resistance.
Praxeology, Imperatives, and Shifts of View

I outline a radically ‘first-personal’ program in praxeology (aka ‘philosophy of practical reason’): embrace of nonpropositional imperatival content is what is characteristically practical; this embrace connects to agentive behavior ‘transcendentally’—through a constraint on shifts of view, inaccessible within any single viewpoint. Road map, section by section. (1) Whatever I may set about doing, it is typically as just the way to go about what else I am doing, in light of how things are. Or so say I, the agent: sometimes, those who come to dispute me on pertinent facts or to exceed my knowhow will say merely that whatever intentions I may have formed, I typically formed them because they were the best way I knew how to execute other intentions I had, in light of how I believed things are. But for the praxeologist, such second-guessing is a side issue: only I embark on my actions— and then the embarkation is done. The praxeological viewpoint is embedded (qua Anscombe), not alienated (qua Davidson). (2) The neo-Anscombean Michael Thompson takes the point, recommending to the linguistically-oriented praxeologist a focus on ‘naive rationalizations’, I am M-ing because I am Γ-ing: avoiding a problematic ‘movement from spirit to nature’ he finds in the Davidsonian’s she was M-ing because she intended to Γ. (3) Unfortunately, Thompson carries the point only partway: explanation is indifferently embedded and alienated, as is the self-ascription of action; if general elimination of ‘spirit’ is the point, Thompson’s underlying ‘descriptivist’ outlook is bereft of tools to finish the job. (4) Instead, the essentially embedded praxeological language is the ‘elementary imperative implication’, Γ! —so, M! (5) Imperatives lack propositional content; avowals of intention repackage this meaning,
PREDICTION-DRIVEN COMPUTATIONAL AUDITORY SCENE ANALYSIS FOR DENSE SOUND MIXTURES

We interpret the sound reaching our ears as the combined effect of independent, sound-producing entities in the external world; hearing would have limited usefulness if were defeated by overlapping sounds. Computer systems that are to interpret real-world sounds ‐ for speech recognition or for multimedia indexing ‐ must similarly interpret complex mixtures. However, existing functional models of audition employ only data-driven processing incapable of making context-dependent inferences in the face of interference. We propose a prediction-driven approach to this problem, raising numerous issues including the need to represent any kind of sound, and to handle multiple competing hypotheses. Results from an implementation of this approach illustrate its ability to analyze complex, ambient sound scenes that would confound previous systems.
Rostral truncation of a cyclostome, Lampetra japonica, induced by all‐trans retinoic acid defines the head/trunk interface of the vertebrate body

The effect of all‐trans retinoic acid on embryogenesis was studied in a cyclostome, Lampetra japonica. Treatment with 0.05–0.5 μM retinoic acid on early gastrula and early neurula resulted in loss of the pharynx and in the rostral truncation of the neural tube. The mouth, pharynx, esophagus, heart, endostyle, and rostral brain were missing with graded severity. In the severest case, the embryo consisted only of trunk segments, especially myotomes that extended to the rostral end of the axis. The effect appeared to be dose‐ and stage‐dependent: Rostral pharyngeal arches were more vulnerable to a lower amount of retinoic acid, and earlier treatment resulted in severer defects. The initial protrusion of the anterior axis started equally in control and retinoic acid‐treated embryos, implying that the head morphogenesis is omitted in treated embryos. By identifying the number of myotomes based on the differentiation of hypobranchial muscles, there seemed to be no myotomes lost by retinoic acid‐induced truncation. The rostral truncation, therefore, was not simply a limitation of the anterior axis but was restricted to the ventral portion; only the branchial arches disappeared with normally developing myotomes dorsally. The absent region can be defined as the vertebrate head in a morphological sense, including the branchiomeric and preotic paraxial regions as well as the heart. The results suggest the presence of distinct programs between somitomeric and branchiomeric portions of the body, providing a developmental basis for the dual‐metamerical body plan of vertebrates. Dev. Dyn. 1998;211:35‐51. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Amélioration et caractérisation de l'autocicatrisation dans les condensateurs à films de polypropylène métallisés

In this study, we describe a way to improve self-healing in metallized polypropylene (PP) films capacitors. A PECVD (Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Depositon) thin nitride organosilicon (or SiNOCH) coating is deposited on the surface of the PP film just before the metallization with zinc. The low pressure and high density plasma is inductively coupled and the gas mixture is made with HMDSO (hexamethyldisiloxane) and N2. FTIR (Fourier Transform Infra-Red) and XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectrometry) measurements are leading to the characterization of the composition and the structure of the thin coatings, while OES (Optical Emission Spectroscopy) provides information on the composition of the gaseous phase. Then, we have measured the current and voltage variations during self-healing and the size of the demetallized surface. Evidence has been made that a thin SiNOCH coating is useful since it allows to divide by a factor three the electrical energy needed for self-healing. In order to understand self-healing mechanisms, we analyzed the self-healed metallized polypropylene film surface by chemical imaging and spatially resolved XPS. The self-healing process leads to a cleared PP surface around the breakdown point. Moreover, a fraction of the coatings SiNOCH and Zn is deposited at the frontier between the cleared surface and the metallized surface.
Detecting the bonding state of explosive welding structures based on EEMD and sensitive IMF time entropy

With the increasing application of explosive welding structures in many engineering fields, interface bonding state detection has become more and more significant to avoid catastrophic accidents. However, the complexity of the interface bonding state makes this task challenging. In this paper, a new method based on ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and sensitive intrinsic mode function (IMF) time entropy is proposed for this task. As a self-adaptive non-stationary signal analysis method, EEMD can decompose a complicated signal into a set of IMFs with truly physical meaning, which is beneficial to allocate the structural vibration response signal containing a wealth of bonding state information to certain IMFs. Then, the time entropies of these IMFs are calculated to quantitatively assess the bonding state of the explosive welding structure. However, the IMF time entropies have different sensitivities to the bonding state. Therefore, the most sensitive IMF time entropy is selected based on a distance evaluation technique to detect the bonding state of explosive welding structures. The proposed method is applied to bonding state detection of explosive welding pipes in three cases, and the results demonstrate its effectiveness.
Insulin increases fatty acid synthase gene transcription in human adipocytes.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanism whereby insulin increases expression of a key de novo lipogenic gene, fatty acid synthase ( FAS), in cultured human adipocytes and hepatoma cells. RNA isolated from cultured adipocytes or from Hep G2 cells treated with or without insulin (20 nM) was analyzed. In addition, run-on transcription assays and measurements of RNA half-life were performed to determine the controlled step in FAS gene regulation by insulin. We demonstrated that FAS mRNA was expressed in both Hep G2 cells and human adipocytes. Insulin induced an approximately five- and threefold increase in FAS mRNA content in adipocytes and hepatoma cells, respectively. Similar regulation of FAS was observed in adipocytes from lean and obese human subjects. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the induction of human FAS expression by insulin was due to increased transcription rate of the FAS gene in human adipocytes, whereas mRNA stabilization accounted for increased FAS mRNA content in hepatoma cells. In conclusion, we report here for the first time expression of human FAS mRNA and its specific transcriptional induction by insulin in cultured human adipocytes.
Metabolically based resistance to the herbicide propanil in Echinochloa species

Abstract Propanil is an acylanilide herbicide introduced in the early 1960s to control dicotyledonous weeds and grasses, including Echinochloa species in cultivated rice. Since then, propanil has been used extensively in rice production in the United States and in several other countries. Propanil is an inhibitor of photosystem II, but rice is tolerant to propanil because of the presence of a high level of aryl acylamidase that catalytically degrades the compound to nonphytotoxic products, i.e., 3,4-dichloroaniline and propionic acid. About 10 yr ago, biotypes of barnyardgrass and junglerice were discovered to be resistant to propanil. The resistance mechanism of these two biotypes has been shown to be elevated levels of aryl acylamidase activity. Various strategies to combat propanil resistance and to more fully understand the biochemistry involved in this resistance have been investigated. These include studies on the interactions of herbicides and other chemicals with propanil, rotation of rice with other crops (consequently the use of other herbicide modes of action), and use of alternative herbicides in rice. Certain compounds, including some organophosphate insecticides, are potent inhibitors of aryl acylamidase, which can act as synergists with propanil to increase phytotoxicity. Another compound that lacks insecticidal or herbicidal activity, PPG-124, has been commercialized as a herbicide synergist for propanil. These chemical and biochemical interactions and other factors involved in propanil-resistant Echinochloa weeds are presented and discussed. Nomenclature: 3,4-Dichloroaniline; PPG-124; propanil; barnyardgrass, Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. ECHCG; junglerice, Echinochloa colona (L.) Link ECHCO; rice, Oryza sativa L.
A Comparative Evaluation of Active Appearance Model Algorithms

An Active Appearance Model (AAM) allows complex models of shape and appearance to be matched to new images rapidly. An AAM contains a statistical model of the shape and grey-level appearance of an object of interest The associated search algorithm exploits the locally linear relationship between model parameter displacements and the residual errors between model instance and image. This relationship can be learnt during a training phase. To match to an image we measure the current residuals and use the model to predict changes to the current parameters. The algorithm converges in a few iterations. In this paper we describe variations of the basic algorithm aimed at improving the speed and robustness of search. These include subsampling and using image residuals to drive the shape rather than full appearance model. We show examples of search and give the results of experiments comparing the performance of the different algorithms.
Aid, institutions and economic growth: Heterogeneous parameters and heterogeneous donors

Aid effectiveness has been a subject of long-sustained debate. This study contributes to this debate using panel data from 43 Sub-Saharan African countries. Its novelty lies in assessing the intermediary role of institutional quality between aid and growth, and in taking a disaggregated view of aid (at the level of a donor). Using estimation techniques which allow for recipient-specific (slope) parameters and suit the context of non-stationary and cross-sectionally dependent panels, the study finds that the relationship between aid and growth is characterised by heterogeneous (or recipient-specific) short-run parameters but a shared long-run coefficients. In the long-run, the direct growth effect of (aggregate) aid from 'traditional' donors is robustly non-positive, and the indirect effect is negative and robust to different specifications. Disaggregation reveals that there is heterogeneity in aid-effectiveness from the donor side as well: there are cases of 'good' aid (four donors), 'bad' aid (ten donors), 'neutral' aid (three donors) as well as cases where the total effect of aid is 'indeterminate' (four donors). With a lesser confidence, attributed to smaller sample size and less reliable quality of data, Chinese aid to Sub-Saharan Africa has a positive direct growth effect, a negative institutional effect, and thus an indeterminate total effect. The short-run relationships are generally not robust to alternative specifications. Comparison of the behaviour of donors with differing degrees of aid-effectiveness suggests that the future of aid would benefit more from focusing on its quality than quantity. In particular, two quality aspects - reduced fragmentation (or better specialisation) and better donor alignment (with recipient country's policy and system) - deserve much more attention.
Cooling many particles at once

We propose a mechanism for the collective cooling of a large number N of trapped particles to very low temperatures by applying red-detuned laser fields and coupling them to the quantized field inside an optical resonator. The dynamics is described by what appears to be rate equations, but where some of the major quantities are coherences and not populations. The cooperative behaviour of the system provides cooling rates of the same order of magnitude as the cavity decay rate κ. This constitutes a significant speed-up compared to other cooling mechanisms since κ can, in principle, be as large as times the single-particle cavity or laser coupling constant.