Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regulation of muscular contraction. Distribution of actin control and myosin control in the animal kingdom

The control systems regulating muscle contraction in approximately 100 organisms have been categorized. Both myosin control and actin control operate simultaneously in the majority of invertebrates tested. These include insects, chelicerates, most crustaceans, annelids, priapulids, nematodes, and some sipunculids. Single myosin control is present in the muscles of molluscs, brachiopods, echinoderms, echiuroids, and nemertine worms. Single actin control was found in the fast muscles of decapods, in mysidacea, in a single sipunculid species, and in vertebrate striated muscles. Classification is based on functional tests that include measurements of the calcium dependence of the actomyosin ATPase activity in the presence and the absence of purified rabbit actin and myosin. In addition, isolated thin filaments and myosins were also analyzed. Molluscs lack actin control since troponin is not present in sufficient quantities. Even though the functional tests indicate the complete lack of myosin control in vertebrate striated muscle, it is difficult to exclude unambiguously the in vivo existence of this regulation. Both control systems have been found in animals from phyla which evolved early. We cannot ascribe any simple correlation between ATPase activity, muscle structure, and regulatory mechanisms.
Diagnosis of intermittent vascular claudication in a patient with a diagnosis of sciatica.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The purpose of this case report is to illustrate the importance of medical screening to rule out medical problems that may mimic musculoskeletal symptoms. CASE DESCRIPTION This case report describes a woman who was referred with a diagnosis of sciatica but who had signs and symptoms consistent with vascular stenosis. The patient complained of bilateral lower-extremity weakness with her pain intensity at a minimal level in the region of the left sacroiliac joint and left buttock. She also reported numbness in her left leg after walking, sensations of cold and then heat during walking, and cramps in her right calf muscle. She did not report any leg pain. A medical screening questionnaire revealed an extensive family history of heart disease. Examination of the lumbar spine and nervous system was negative. A diminished dorsalis pedis pulse was noted on the left side. Stationary cycling in lumbar flexion reproduced the patient's complaints of lower-extremity weakness and temporarily abolished her dorsalis pedis pulse on the left side. OUTCOMES She was referred back to her physician with a request to rule out vascular disease. The patient was subsequently diagnosed, by a vascular specialist, with a "high-grade circumferential stenosis of the distal-most aorta at its bifurcation. " DISCUSSION This case report points out the importance of a thorough history, a medical screening questionnaire, and a comprehensive examination during the evaluation process to rule out medical problems that might mimic musculoskeletal symptoms.
Dairy Propionibacteria: Versatile Probiotics

Dairy propionibacteria are used as cheese ripening starters, as biopreservative and as beneficial additives, in the food industry. The main species, Propionibacterium freudenreichii, is known as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe, USA, FDA). In addition to another dairy species, Propionibacterium acidipropionici, they are included in QPS (Qualified Presumption of Safety) list. Additional to their well-known technological application, dairy propionibacteria increasingly attract attention for their promising probiotic properties. The purpose of this review is to summarize the probiotic characteristics of dairy propionibacteria reported by the updated literature. Indeed, they meet the selection criteria for probiotic bacteria, such as the ability to endure digestive stressing conditions and to adhere to intestinal epithelial cells. This is a prerequisite to bacterial persistence within the gut. The reported beneficial effects are ranked according to property’s type: microbiota modulation, immunomodulation, and cancer modulation. The proposed molecular mechanisms are discussed. Dairy propionibacteria are described as producers of nutraceuticals and beneficial metabolites that are responsible for their versatile probiotic attributes include short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), conjugated fatty acids, surface proteins, and 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphtoic acid (DHNA). These metabolites possess beneficial properties and their production depends on the strain and on the growth medium. The choice of the fermented food matrix may thus determine the probiotic properties of the ingested product. This review approaches dairy propionibacteria, with an interest in both technological abilities and probiotic attributes.
Expression, characterization, and crystallization of the catalytic core of rat phosphatidylinositide‐specific phospholipase C δ1

Phosphatidylinositide‐specific phospholipase Cs (PI‐PLCs) catalyze the calcium‐dependent hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositides in response to diverse stimuli in higher eukaryotes. Mammalian PI‐PLCs contain divergent regulatory regions, but all share three conserved regions: an N‐terminal pleckstrin homology (PH) domain, X, and Y. We report the high‐level expression and characterization of a recombinant “catalytic core” of rat PI‐PLC δ1 that contains the catalytically essential X and Y regions, but not the PH domain. The expressed protein, PI‐PLC δδ1–134, is catalytically active versus phosphatidylinositol 4, 5‐bisphosphate in deoxycholate micelles with a Km of 182 μM and a Vmax of 27 μmol/min/mg. PI‐PLC δδ1–134 is monomeric and monodisperse as judged by dynamic light scattering. Far‐UV CD indicates a structure with approximately 35% α‐helix. A reversible change in the near‐ UV CD spectrum is observed on addition of calcium, suggesting that calcium can bind PI‐PLC δδ1–134 in the absence of phospholipid. Triclinic crystals of PI‐PLC δδ1–134 have been obtained that diffract beyond 2.4 A resolution under cryogenic conditions. Based on Vm = 2.72 Da/Å3 and on the self‐rotation function, there are two PI‐PLC δδ1–134 molecules per asymmetric unit that are related to each other by a noncrystallographic axis of approximate twofold symmetry parallel to a.
Landuse and Landcover mapping of East District of Sikkim using IRS P6 satellite imagery

INTRODUCTION Pleione 9(1): 193 200. 2015. ISSN: 0973-9467 © East Himalayan Society for Spermatophyte Taxonomy Satellite based remote sensing technology is the best methods to estimate the forest cover/ Landuse and land cover mapping in the hilly areas. East Sikkim, having the total geographical area of 954 sq km, ranging over the altitude 300 m (Rangpo) to 4500 m (Nathula), is having tropical to alpine forests. Based on altitude, these forests can be divided into three types viz. Lower Hill forest, Middle Hill forest and Upper Hill forest. Present work used clouds free IRS P6 Jan 26, 2006 satellite imagery was used. The imagery was georeferenced to Survey of India (SOI) topomaps with less RMS error and knowledge based classified using the slandered vegetation classification legend. A ground based vegetation classes were used during the image classification. The vegetation types when compared with the altitudinal zones of the area shows good relationship. The LISS III image was classified using the ERDAS Imagine (9.1) software by applying two different method of classification in a GIS environment viz. visual interpretation technique and supervised classification. These classification showed 83.72 % overall accuracy.
Ontogenic Changes and Differential Localization of T-type Ca2+ Channel Subunits Cav3.1 and Cav3.2 in Mouse Hippocampus and Cerebellum

T-type calcium (Ca2+) channels play a central role in regulating membrane excitability in the brain. Although the contributions of T-type current to neuron output is often proposed to reflect a differential distribution of T-type channel subtypes to somato-dendritic compartments, their precise subcellular distributions in central neurons are not fully determined. Using histoblot and high-resolution immunoelectron microscopic techniques, we have investigated the expression, regional distribution and subcellular localization of T-type Cav3.1 and Cav3.2 channel subunits in the adult brain, as well as the ontogeny of expression during postnatal development. Histoblot analysis showed that Cav3.1 and Cav3.2 proteins were widely expressed in the brain, with mostly non-overlapping patterns. Cav3.1 showed the highest expression level in the molecular layer (ml) of the cerebellum (Cb), and Cav3.2 in the hippocampus (Hp) and the ml of Cb. During development, levels of Cav3.1 and Cav3.2 increased with age, although there were marked region- and developmental stage-specific differences in their expression. At the cellular and subcellular level, immunoelectron microscopy showed that labeling for Cav3.1 was present in somato-dendritic domains of hippocampal interneurons and Purkinje cells (PCs), while Cav3.2 was present in somato-dendritic domains of CA1 pyramidal cells, hippocampal interneurons and PCs. Most of the immunoparticles for Cav3.1 and Cav3.2 were either associated with the plasma membrane or the intracellular membranes, with notable differences depending on the compartment. Thus, Cav3.1 was mainly located in the plasma membrane of interneurons, whereas Cav3.2 was mainly located in the plasma membrane of dendritic spines and had a major intracellular distribution in dendritic shafts. In PCs, Cav3.1 and Cav3.2 showed similar distribution patterns. In addition to its main postsynaptic distribution, Cav3.2 but not Cav3.1 was also detected in axon terminals establishing excitatory synapses. These results shed new light on the subcellular localization of T-type channel subunits and provide evidence for the non-uniform distribution of Cav3.1 and Cav3.2 subunits over the plasma membrane of central neurons, which may account for the functional heterogeneity of T-type mediated current.
Utility of the Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor) as a bioindicator of coastal metal pollution

Trace metals are present in all aquatic systems, originating both from natural and anthropogenic sources. With concerns over the environmental impacts of metals, particularly in semi-enclosed aquatic systems such as the Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, Australia, it is important to be able to monitor the degree of pollutant exposure to local organisms. Little Penguins (Eudyptula minor) nesting at St Kilda, only 3 km from the centre of the 3.3 million people metropolis of Melbourne, are a potentially useful bioindicator species for toxicant exposure within Port Phillip Bay because they are resident and feed exclusively within the bay all year around. This study investigated metal and metalloid concentrations in Little Penguins at St Kilda and two other locations with different levels of anthropogenic impact: the penguin parade at Phillip Island and the remote off-shore Notch Island.
The immunological response of the rat to infection with Taenia taeniaeformis. I. Immunoglobulin classes involved in passive transfer of resistance.

Passive transfer of immunity to Taenia taeniaeformis infection in the rat was achieved with serum taken 14, 21 and 28 days after infection, with maximal activity at 28 days. The protective capacity resided in the globulin fraction, which was further fractionated by gel filtration and anion exchange chromatography. The immunoglobulins present in each passively transferred fraction were detected with specific antisera to 7Sγ2, 7Sγ1, γM and γA. Protective activity was confined to those fractions containing 7S immunoglobulin. Fractions enriched for γM were unable to confer protection and it was possible to protect recipient rats against challenge with fractions devoid of γA and reaginic antibody activity. 7Sγ2a antibodies were able to confer passive protection when given alone, and probably contributed to the protective capacity of mixtures containing 7Sγ2 and 7Sγ1 immunoglobulins. A mechanism for specific acquired resistance to T. taeniaeformis is proposed based upon the recently established biological properties of 7Sγ2a. Absorption of protective activity from immune rat serum was unsuccessful using a variety of techniques, and an explanation is offered for this finding. The results are discussed in relation to the current understanding of acquired resistance in cysticercosis and hydatid disease in domesticated food animals.
Low Complexity Regular LDPC codes for Magnetic Storage Devices

LDPC codes could be used in magnetic storage devices because of their better decoding performance compared to other error correction codes. However, their hardware implementation results in large and complex decoders. This one of the main obstacles the decoders to be incorporated in magnetic storage devices. We construct small high girth and rate 2 columnweight codes from cage graphs. Though these codes have low performance compared to higher column weight codes, they are easier to implement. The ease of implementation makes them more suitable for applications such as magnetic recording. Cages are the smallest known regular distance graphs, which give us the smallest known column-weight 2 codes given the size, girth and rate of the code. Keywords— Structured LDPC codes, cage graphs.
Fire severity in mega wildfires in Chile in 2017: actions to improve the protection system

We analysed the three major forest fires that occurred in Chile in 2017. They were catastrophic events never before seen in this country, at least since southern Chile was colonized more than 150 years ago. After a brief description of the events and the cost of damage, we applied the concept of severity to the three events, and discuss some of the research needed to improve the current programmes protecting against wildfires in Chile.
ASYMMETRICAL HYPERTROPHY OF THE HEART IN YOUNG ADULTS

"Tumours of the heart and pericardium have evoked an extensive literature out of all proportion to their uncommon incidence and their relative unimportance as a cause of clinical heart disease. " This opening sentence of Friedberg's chapter on cardiac tumours in Diseases of the Heart (Friedberg, 1949) fills a pathologist with diffidence in reporting eight cases that have been seen in the last six years in a series of 16,000 autopsies. Primary tumours of the heart are undoubtedly a rarity and according to Mahaim (1945) 413 had been recorded up to 1945. There is little justification for recording rarities in young adults unless they have some relation to fitness for military service or confuse the differential diagnosis, particularly of conditions that may respond to cardiac surgery. These eight cases of asymmetrical hypertrophy or benign tumour of the heart have occurred in a large group where sudden death and indeed cardiac incapacity, particularly among men, is rare. Primary tumours of the heart fall into three categories. (1) Multiple tumours frequently described as congenital glycogenic tumours of the myocardium, which are often associated with other presumably congenital lesions such as tuberous sclerosis and renal tumours. (2) Single diffuse tumours or asymmetrical hypertrophy of muscle and connective tissue, which are the subject of this article. (3) Rare myxomata and sarcomata, occurring mainly in later life and producing a variety of symptoms and pathology. Since the term rhabdomyoma is now firmly associated with nodular glycogenic tumours of the heart it is simpler to refer to the eight tumours under discussion as hamartomata, though they may in fact lay greater claim to being benign tumours of striped muscle than those of presumed glyco-genic origin. In Mahaim's (1945) extensive review, which included 329 cases of primary tumour of the heart, only six are referred to as being diffuse tumours of the myocardium, and it would appear that the tumours discussed in this paper fall into this category. Batchelor and Maun (1925) in recording one case of multiple tumours of the heart in a child of three days reviewed 62 other reported cases. In 60 cases the lesions were multiple, and of the three other cases, one was recorded as having hepatomegaly, one had congenital tumour of the lung, and one had no congenital abnormality. In Eulinger's (1925) record of 37 cases, seven were single tumours and no other congenital abnormality was found. Browne and Gray (1930) record …
Optimal Execution in a General One-Sided Limit-Order Book

We construct an optimal execution strategy for the purchase of a large number of shares of a financial asset over a fixed interval of time. Purchases of the asset have a nonlinear impact on price, and this is moderated over time by resilience in the limit-order book that determines the price. The limit-order book is permitted to have arbitrary shape. The form of the optimal execution strategy is to make an initial lump purchase and then purchase continuously for some period of time during which the rate of purchase is set to match the order book resiliency. At the end of this period, another lump purchase is made, and following that there is again a period of purchasing continuously at a rate set to match the order book resiliency. At the end of this second period, there is a final lump purchase. Any of the lump purchases could be of size zero. A simple condition is provided that guarantees that the intermediate lump purchase is of size zero.
Plakoglobin: Role in Tumorigenesis and Metastasis

Plakoglobin (γ-catenin) is a member of the Armadillo family of proteins and a homolog of β-catenin. As a component of both the adherens junctions and desmosomes, plakoglobin plays a pivotal role in the regulation of cell-cell adhesion. Furthermore, similar to β-catenin, plakoglobin is capable of participating in cell signaling. However, unlike β-catenin that has well-documented oncogenic potential through its involvement in the Wnt signaling pathway, plakoglobin generally acts as a tumor/metastasis suppressor. The exact roles that plakoglobin plays during tumorigenesis and metastasis are not clear; however, recent evidence suggests that it may regulate gene expression, cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration. In this paper, we describe plakoglobin, its discovery and characterization, its role in regulating cell-cell adhesion, and its signaling capabilities in regulation of tumorigenesis and metastasis.
Step detector and step length estimator for an inertial pocket navigation system

The use of smartphones for pedestrian positioning applications has become important in recent years. Algorithms for detecting steps and estimating their length can be found throughout the literature. In this paper we present new algorithms that increase the accuracy of the estimated step length and decrease the number of undetected steps. Unlike state of the art algorithms, that use the acceleration to detect steps and the frequency or the acceleration to estimate the step length, we propose the use of the opening angle of the pedestrian's leg. An experiment with 18 volunteers was conducted in order to prove the relationship between the opening angle of the leg and the step length. Our results show that the estimation of the step length is robust against speed changes and the trajectory's estimated length has less than 1% error. Our step detector outperforms state of the art algorithms by presenting a higher step detection rate in challenging scenarios. In conclusion, it is possible and convenient to make use of the opening angle of the leg and its relationship with the step length.
Energy-efficient relay placement and power allocation for two-hop D2D relay networks

With device-to-device (D2D) communications, a user terminal (UT) can be used as a relay node to support multi-hop transmission so that cell-edge or deeply faded users can obtain a better connective experience. In this paper, we investigate energy-efficient transmission for D2D-enabled cooperative networks. We aim to maximize the energy efficiency (EE) of the uplink transmission while guaranteeing the minimum data rate requirement via joint D2D relay node (DRN) placement and power allocation. To solve the problem, we first decompose it into four sub-problems depending on the minimum data rate requirement and the power limits at the UT and DRN and then derive a closed-form solution for each problem. Numerical results demonstrate that the maximum EE can be always achieved with the proposed DRN placement and power allocation.
Risk of Bias in Reports of In Vivo Research: A Focus for Improvement

The reliability of experimental findings depends on the rigour of experimental design. Here we show limited reporting of measures to reduce the risk of bias in a random sample of life sciences publications, significantly lower reporting of randomisation in work published in journals of high impact, and very limited reporting of measures to reduce the risk of bias in publications from leading United Kingdom institutions. Ascertainment of differences between institutions might serve both as a measure of research quality and as a tool for institutional efforts to improve research quality.
Does the Size and Quality of the Government Explain the Size and Efficiency of the Financial Sector?

This study examines the impact of two dimensions of the government, namely, size and quality, on two dimensions of the financial sector, size and efficiency, in a cross section of 71 economies. The study finds that while increased quality of the government as measured by governance and legal origin positively influence both financial sector size and efficiency, that the size of the government proxied by government expenditure and government ownership of banks, has a negative effect on financial sector efficiency, however, a positive impact on financial sector size, particularly in the low income economies.
Tropos: A Framework for Requirements-Driven Software Development

Traditionally, software development techniques have been implementation-driven in the sense that the programming paradigm of the day dictated the design and requirements analysis techniques used. For example, structured programming led to structured analysis and design techniques in the ‘70s. More recently, object-oriented programming gave rise to object-oriented analysis and design. In this chapter we explore a software development methodology which is requirements-driven in the sense that the concepts used to define requirements for a software system are also used later on during design and implementation. Our proposal adopts Eric Yu's i* framework [1], a modeling framework for early requirements, based on the notions of actor and goal. We use these notions as a foundation to model late requirements, as well as architectural and detailed design. The proposed framework, named Tropos, seems to complement nicely current proposals for agent-oriented programming platforms.
Automatic Verification of Golog Programs via Predicate Abstraction

Golog is a logic programming language for high-level agent control. In a recent paper, we proposed a sound but incomplete method for automatic verification of partial correctness of Golog programs where we give a number of heuristic methods to strengthen given formulas in order to discover loop invariants. However, our method does not work on arithmetic domains. On the other hand, the method of predicate abstraction is widely used in the software engineering community for model checking and partial correctness verification of programs. Intuitively, the predicate abstraction task is to find a formula consisting of a given set of predicates to approximate a given first-order formula. In this paper, we propose a method for automatic verification of partial correctness of Golog programs which use predicate abstraction as a uniform method to strengthen given formulas. We implement a system based on the proposed method, conduct experiments on arithmetical domains and examples from the paper by Li and Liu. Also, we apply our method to the verification of winning strategies for combinatorial games.