Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prazosin‐Induced Alterations in Renal α‐Adrenergic Receptor Function

Chronic (3-day) treatment with prazosin causes an increase in renal α2-adrenergic receptor density and the relocation of renal tubular α2-adrenergic receptors from extrajunctional to postjunctional sites. We investigated whether chronic prazosin treatment (2 mg/kg, i.p.) caused a functional alteration of other renal α2-adrenergic receptors, using the isolated perfused rat kidney. Prazosin significantly reduced blood pressure and increased heart rate during the 3-day treatment. Renal nerve stimulation (2–8 Hz, 10 V1 1 msec) caused a frequency-dependent increase in renovascular resistance, which was potently blocked by prazosin in vitro in both control and prazosin-treated rat kidneys. The vasoconstrictor response to the α2-adrenergic receptor-selective agonist BHT 933 (3–300 fjM) was significantly higher in kidneys from prazosin-treated rats. Yohimbine (3–300 nM) potentiated the response to renal nerve stimulation in both treatment groups. The increase in vascular resistance following renal nerve stimulation was lower in kidneys from prazosin-treated rats, but the response to the at-adrenergic receptor agonist methoxamine (0.3–1/nM) was unchanged. Further studies revealed that renal nerve stimulation-evoked norepinephrine release from prazosin-treated rat kidneys was significantly lower than release from untreated controls. This response could be normalized to control levels by a combination of cocaine (10/LIM) and yohimbine (100 nM). Thus, chronic prazosin treatment caused enhanced α2-adrenergic receptor-mediated vasoconstriction and facilitated renal prejunctional inhibitory mechanisms. We conclude that with chronic α1-adrenergic receptor blockade there is increased α2-adrenergic receptor function in at least two and possibly three sites in the kidney; these include postjunctional tubular, prejunctional vascular, and possibly extrajunctional vascular sites.
Higher Order Variational Methods for Noise Removal in Signals and Images

Preface Variational methods have become more and more important in image processing during the last years. They offer an intuitive way to understand the noise removal and image restoration process as minimisation of an energy functional. This energy functional provides the opportunity to compare the quality of two filtered versions of the same input image and thus can be seen as a quality measure. Variational image restoration methods in general yield high quality results. Non-linear approaches are known to suffer from the effect of turning smooth grey value changes in piecewise constant regions. This effect is called stair-casing. One can interpret stair-casing as the result of energy functionals that reward piecewise vanishing first derivatives which yields piecewise constant signals and images. A way to circumvent this would be to use higher derivatives in the penaliser terms: Piecewise vanishing second derivatives would lead to piecewise linear results that could better fit to smooth grey value changes. Higher derivatives could analogously yield piecewise polynomials of higher degree. There is a growing interest in higher order variational methods in the literature. Nielsen, Florack and Deriche (see [18]) have studied linear energy functionals of arbitrary order. They derive basic scale-space properties and give efficient filtering algorithms for the linear case. Greer and Bertozzi further investigate some theoretical properties of special fourth order evolution equations used in image restoration (see [10]). Other authors rather concentrate on the goal of showing the use of higher order methods for practical purposes. Chan, Marquina and Mulet (see [5]) study nonlinear energy functionals of second order and the related diffusion filtering with derivative orders up to four. Total variation methods with the second derivative leading to fourth order partial differential equations are used in [17] by Lysaker, Lundervold and Tai. Besides images they consider one-dimensional signal processing. You and Kaveh [34] also use fourth order PDEs for filtering. Numerical examples are presented which show that higher order methods can in practise be useful for image denoising. The goal of the present thesis is to investigate some theoretical and practical aspects of higher order variational methods. We use different penaliser functions and compare them in practical applications. To introduce variational methods some facts about first order methods are summarised in Chapter 1. In Chapter 2 we start with a continuous higher order energy functional and deduce necessary and sufficient conditions for a function to be a minimiser of this functional. …
Cross-Device Tracking: Matching Devices and Cookies

The number of computers, tablets and smartphones is increasing rapidly, which entails the ownership and use of multiple devices to perform online tasks. As people move across devices to complete these tasks, their identities becomes fragmented. Understanding the usage and transition between those devices is essential to develop efficient applications in a multi-device world. In this paper we present a solution to deal with the cross-device identification of users based on semi-supervised machine learning methods to identify which cookies belong to an individual using a device. The method proposed in this paper scored third in the ICDM 2015 Drawbridge Cross-Device Connections challenge proving its good performance.
Effect of surgical removal on the growth and kinetics of residual tumor.

Findings from this study using a transplantable C3H mammary tumor failed to indicate interaction relative to growth parameters between two foci present in the same host. Whether they were growing alone or in the presence of a second focus, tumor growth rates were similar until the combined mass of multiple tumors approached that which was incompatible with survival. Only then was a difference in growth observed. Cytokinetic parameters, i.e., labeling index, primer-dependent DNA polymerase index or growth fraction, DNA synthesis time, tumor doubling time, and cell cycle time, were also similar whether tumors grew alone or in the presence of a second focus. Following removal of a tumor, changes were observed within 24 hr in the kinetics of the residual focus. There was an increase in labeling index (duration approximately equal to 10 days) and primer-dependent DNA polymerase index with a decrease in the tumor doubling time. Minimal change was noted in DNA synthesis time and cell cycle time. The kinetic changes observed were reflected in a measureable increase in tumor size approximately equal to a week following tumor removal. Absence of an alteration in DNA synthesis time and cell cycle time indicates that the increase in tumor growth was probably due to a conversion of noncycling cells in G0 phase into proliferation. Relationship of the findings to the use of adjuvant chemotherapy is considered.
Data-Driven Kernels via Semi-supervised Clustering on the Manifold

We present an approach to transductive learning that employs semi-supervised clustering of all available data (both labeled and unlabeled) to produce a data-dependent SVM kernel. In the general case where the domain includes irrelevant or redundant attributes, we constrain the clustering to occur on the manifold prescribed by the data (both labeled and unlabeled). Empirical results show that the approach performs comparably to more traditional kernels while providing significant reduction in the number of support vectors used. Further, the kernel construction technique provides some of the benefits that would normally be provided by dimensionality reduction preprocessing step.
Visual Code Marker Detection

a 2-dimensional visual code marker carries as much as 83 bits information. Thus it is a useful code marker system for storing and extracting information. This paper presents a digital image processing algorithm which automatically locates the marker on a cell-phone camera captured image. With the exact location of the code marker, detailed bits information of the visual code marker is returned. This algorithm takes into account of the rotation and tilt angle of the visual code marker. It is able to reconstruct a standard 83 bits map from the might-be distorted images, thus extracting the information stored in the visual code marker.
Perceptions, actions and interactions of supervised aides providing services to children with cerebral palsy in pre-school settings: a qualitative study of knowledge application

Abstract Background: Aides are increasingly providing services to children with cerebral palsy to promote better functioning and participation; these aides work under the direction and supervision of physiotherapists. Objectives: In this qualitative study, we explored how aides in pre-school settings apply professional knowledge to their daily routines. Methods: Based on 65 h of observations, including sequential video recordings and seven interviews, we conducted a theme based content analysis connecting to enactive theory of participatory sense-making. Results: The aides highlighted that time management is challenging due to the temporality of their work, which requires flexibility to provide services as situations occurred. They also requested more supervised interactive involvement to learn and make sense of their own experiences while interacting with the child. Therapeutic handling was highlighted as particularly challenging. Conclusions: The application of physiotherapy knowledge is not merely knowledge transfer between settings but involves a transformation of knowledge on many levels, including personal, social, and contextual levels.
Learning Joint Top-Down and Bottom-up Processes for 3D Visual Inference

We present an algorithm for jointly learning a consistent bidirectional generative-recognition model that combines top-down and bottom-up processing for monocular 3d human motion reconstruction. Learning progresses in alternative stages of self-training that optimize the probability of the image evidence: the recognition model is tunned using samples from the generative model and the generative model is optimized to produce inferences close to the ones predicted by the current recognition model. At equilibrium, the two models are consistent. During on-line inference, we scan the image at multiple locations and predict 3d human poses using the recognition model. But this implicitly includes one-shot generative consistency feedback. The framework provides a uniform treatment of human detection, 3d initialization and 3d recovery from transient failure. Our experimental results show that this procedure is promising for the automatic reconstruction of human motion in more natural scene settings with background clutter and occlusion.
A TWO – EXPONENT MASS-SIZE POWER LAW FOR CELESTIAL OBJECTS

The Universe that we know is populated by structures made up of aggregated matter that organizes into a variety of objects; these range from stars to larger objects, such as galaxies or star clusters, composed by stars, gas and dust in gravitational interaction. We show that observations support the existence of a composite (two–exponent) power law relating mass and size for these objects. We briefly discuss these power laws and, in view of the similarity in the values of the exponents, ponder the analogy with power laws in other fields of science such as the Gutenberg–Richter law for earthquakes and the Hutchinson–MacArthur or Damuth laws of ecology. We argue for a potential connection with avalanches, complex systems and punctuated equilibrium, and show that this interpretation of large scale–structure as a self–organized critical system leads to two predictions: (a) the large scale structures are fractally distributed and, (b), the fractal dimension is 1.65 ± 0.25. Both are borne out by observations. Also at: IMAFF; CSIC; Serrano, 123; 28006 Madrid. 1 Subject headings: Gravitation; Cosmology; Complex Phenomena. Each point in Figure 1 represents typical (average) observational data for each of the structures known to exist in the Universe whose mass is approximately the mass of the Sun or larger. The abscissa of this log–log plot represents the characteristic linear size of the structure normalized to the size of the Sun; in the ordinate we have plotted one over the mass of the object normalized to the mass of the Sun, or, what is the same, one over the number of suns that would fit in the structure if all its mass was made up of suns. The actual data is presented in Table I. A very clear pattern of a composite power law emerges from the figure: a power law for “star–like” objects (s) and a different power law for what we can generically call “multistellar” objects (ms). The two exponents are radically different and they are given by τS = −0.0999 and by τMS = −2.21. These values are obtained by a simple chi–squared fit to the logarithm of the data of Table I to two different straight lines: one line for the s–class of objects and another for the ms–class of objects. The fit properties are described in Tables II (for s–objects) and III (for ms–objects); we see that the fit quality is passable for s–objects and excellent for ms–objects. The fit dependence on Ω and h is very mild: for Ω = 0.1 and h = 1, τMS = −2.1213 and aMS = 34.877, whereas for Ω = 1.0 and h = 0.5, τMS = −2.1836 and aMS = 36.4538; with errors very close to what is shown in Table III. Thus we have the relation
25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 and 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Promote the Differentiation of Human Subcutaneous Preadipocytes

1,25(OH)2D3 inhibits adipogenesis in mouse 3T3-L1 adipocytes, but little is known about its effects or local metabolism in human adipose tissue. We showed that vitamin D receptor (VDR) and 1α-hydroxylase (CYP27B1), the enzyme that activates 25(OH)D3 to 1,25(OH)2D3, were expressed in human adipose tissues, primary preadipocytes and newly-differentiated adipocytes. Preadipocytes and newly-differentiated adipocytes were responsive to 1,25(OH)2D3, as indicated by a markedly increased expression of CYP24A1, a primary VDR target. 1,25(OH)2D3 enhanced adipogenesis as determined by increased expression of adipogenic markers and triglyceride accumulation (50% to 150%). The magnitude of the effect was greater in the absence of thiazolidinediones. 1,25(OH)2D3 was equally effective when added after the removal of differentiation cocktail on day 3, but it had no effect when added only during the induction period (day 0–3), suggesting that 1,25(OH)2D3 promoted maturation. 25(OH)D3 also stimulated CYP24A1 expression and adipogenesis, most likely through its conversion to 1,25(OH)2D3. Consistent with this possibility, incubation of preadipocytes with 25(OH)D3 led to 1,25(OH)2D3 accumulation in the media. 1,25(OH)2D3 also enhanced adipogenesis in primary mouse preadipocytes. We conclude that vitamin D status may regulate human adipose tissue growth and remodeling.
Fully Adaptive Fault-Tolerant Routing Algorithm for Network-on-Chip Architectures

In this paper, we present a novel fully adaptive and fault-tolerant routing algorithm for Network-on-Chips (NoCs) called Force-Directed Wormhole Routing (FDWR). The proposed routing algorithm is implemented in the switches of a TLM (Transaction Level Model) packet switching NoC using SystemC. Based on these switches, mesh, torus, and hypercube topologies for NoCs can be automatically generated. We show how the proposed algorithm distributes the traffic uniformly across the entire network to avoid overloaded links. Simulation results depict that the proposed routing algorithm is able to route packets even in the case of faulty links or switches in the NoC. Furthermore, it is shown that in the case of faulty switches the area around that switches is not overloaded and that the traffic is uniformly distributed across the entire network.
Psychophysical Dimensions of Tactile Perception of Textures

This paper reviews studies on the tactile dimensionality of physical properties of materials in order to determine a common structure for these dimensions. Based on the commonality found in a number of studies and known mechanisms for the perception of physical properties of textures, we conclude that tactile textures are composed of three prominent psychophysical dimensions that are perceived as roughness/smoothness, hardness/softness, and coldness/warmness. The roughness dimension may be divided into two dimensions: macro and fine roughness. Furthermore, it is reasonable to consider that a friction dimension that is related to the perception of moistness/dryness and stickiness/slipperiness exists. Thus, the five potential dimensions of tactile perception are macro and fine roughness, warmness/coldness, hardness/softness, and friction (moistness/dryness, stickiness/slipperiness). We also summarize methods such as psychological experiments and mathematical approaches for structuring tactile dimensions and their limitations.
Boosting DSL Speed with Multipath TCP

Multipath TCP (MPTCP) is a newly developed protocol that enhances TCP’s capability to handle multiple communication channels simultaneously. So far, well-explored applications of MPTCP are mainly found in the wirelessand datacentre sector. This paper proposes a new application for MPTCP; to speed up domestic DSL connections. It investigates the possibilities of using MPTCP as a proxy to bond the speeds of multiple separate DSL lines and measures the stability and quality of the resultant bonded connection. The proposed MPTCP solution turns out to bond DSL connections with an efficiency of 98% at the cost of a two times higher latency.
Design of an Information Model for Feedback Control

World-wide markets are becoming increasingly competitive and in order to sustain market share, organizations are under constant pressure to increase the speed of product development and the product choices that are offered to customers. Concurrent engineering has emerged as one of the most commonly referenced enablers for improved process management. Crucial for the process management under the concurrent engineering is the availability of suitable and formally defined techniques for the representation of the information related to feedback mechanisms. In order to develop a computer based systems to support the process management, it is necessary to represent the feedback from an information point of view. This paper discusses the design of an information model for feedback control using semantic data representation technique.
MAP 4: a microtubule-associated protein specific for a subset of tissue microtubules

The cytological distribution of microtubule-associated protein 4 (MAP 4) (L. M. Parysek, C. F. Asnes, J. B. Olmsted, 1984, J. Cell Biol., 99:1309-1315) in mouse tissues has been examined. Adjacent 0.5-0.9- micron sections of polyethylene glycol-embedded tissues were incubated with affinity-purified MAP 4 or tubulin antibodies, and the immunofluorescent images were compared. Tubulin antibody labeling showed distinct microtubules in all tissues examined. MAP 4 antibody also labeled microtubule-like patterns, but the extent of MAP 4 reactivity was cell type-specific within each tissue. MAP 4 antibody labeled microtubules in vascular elements of all tissues and in other cells considered to have supportive functions, including Sertoli cells in the testis and glial elements in the nervous system. Microtubule patterns were also observed in cardiac, smooth, and skeletal (eye) muscle, podocytes in kidney, Kuppfer cells in liver, and spermatid manchettes. The only MAP 4-positive cells in which the pattern was not microtubule-like were the principal cells of the collecting ducts in kidney cortex, in which diffuse fluorescence was seen. MAP 4 antibody did not react with microtubule-rich neuronal elements of the central and peripheral nervous system, skeletal muscle from anterior thigh, liver parenchymal cells, columnar epithelial cells of the small intestine, and absorptive cells of the tubular component of the nephron. These observations indicate that MAP 4 may be associated with only certain kinds of cell functions as demonstrated by the preferential distribution with microtubules of defined cell types.
A Multicomponent Writing Intervention for a College Student With Mild Brain Injury

Written expression is a high-level language process susceptible to impairment given mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI); however, minimal research exists about assessing or treating this aspect of language performance. This study’s purpose was to determine the effect of a multicomponent intervention on the written expression of an undergraduate student with mTBI resulting in generalized expressive language impairment. Pretreatment, intervention, and posttreatment sessions extended over 11 weeks. Intervention addressed semantic associations, semantic mapping, proofreading, organization, foundational skills, and goal setting. Data reflected performance on intervention components, writing probes, and pre–posttreatment completion of a standardized writing measure. Calculation and plotting of correct writing sequence percentages revealed substantial improvement. Linear regression analysis confirmed the trend line slope for intervention probes differed significantly from baseline probes. Comparison of pre–posttreatment test results also confirmed substantial improvement. Multicomponent instruction similar to that recommended for other students with writing challenges may be effective for people with mTBI.
Chem2Bio2RDF Dashboard: Ranking Semantic Associations in Systems Chemical Biology Space

Web technology has had a significant impact in scientific collaboration as it provides a common platform to integrate heterogeneous data sources and reasoning capabilities for knowledge discovery. In the biomedical science domain, more and more data providers are providing data in formats that are readily converted to Semantic Web formats, and this has resulted in some early initiatives to collate data in unified Semantic Web repositories such as Linked Open Drug Data (LODD) and Bio2RDF. Many critical problems in biomedical science can be phrased in terms of finding the necessary associations between individual entities (such as explaining drug mechanisms through associations between drugs and metabolic pathways). The networks are necessarily very large, and many association paths may exist between two given entities; therefore an effective and scalable framework for semantic association ranking is needed. In this paper, we describe Chem2Bio2RDF Dashboard, a prototype system for automatic collecting semantic associations within the systems chemical biology space and apply a series of ranking metrics to select the most relevant associations.
Identity of corticosteroid binder I with the macromolecule binding 3-methylcholanthrene in liver cytosol in vivo.

Four macromolecules in liver cytosol bind corticosteroids and their anionic metabolites. One of these, a basic protein, designated “corticosteroid Binder I” appears to be identical to the major protein that binds 3-methylcholanthrene. This conclusion is based on double label studies with 3-methylcholanthrene-14C and cortisol-3H. Alignment of both forms of radioactivity is apparent when the corticosteroid binder is purified to homogeneity by a series of column chromatographic fractionation procedures. The binder for 3-methylcholanthrene also has a molecular weight identical to that of the corticosteroid binder as determined by calibration on Sephadex G-75 columns and by sedimentation velocity experiments in the analytical ultracentrifuge. Furthermore, isoelectrofocusing assigns to the homogeneous 3-methylcholanthrene binder a pHI of 8.65 to 8.83 which is the same range as for the corticosteroid binder. Although cortisol radioactivity does not remain bound after the electrofocusing step, aligning with the behavior of Binder I, the 3-methylcholanthrene binder after electrofocusing can be shown to rebind corticosterone to form a complex which has the anticipated molecular weight.