Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arrest of membrane fusion events in mast cells by quick-freezing

We have used quick-freezing and freeze-fracture to study early stages of exocytosis in rat peritoneal mast cells. Mast cells briefly stimulated with 48/80 (a synthetic polycation and well-known histamine- releasing agent) at 22 degrees C displayed single, narrow-necked pores (some as small as 0.05 micrometer in diameter) joining single granules with the plasma membrane. Pores that had become as large as 0.1 micrometer in diameter were clearly etchable and thus represented aqueous channels connecting the granule interior with the extracellular space. Granules exhibiting pores usually did not have wide areas of contact with the plasma membrane, and clearings of intramembrane particles, seen in chemically fixed mast cells undergoing exocytosis, were not present on either plasma or granule membranes. Fusion of interior granules later in the secretory process also appeared to involve pores; granules were often joined by one pore or a group of 2-4 pores. Also found were groups of extremely small, etchable pores on granule membranes that may represent the earliest aqueous communication between fusing granules.
Dimensionality reduction and reproduction with hierarchical NLPCA neural networks - extracting common space of multiple humanoid motion patterns

Since a humanoid robot takes the morphology of human, users as pilots will intuitively expect that they can freely manipulate the humanoid extremities. However, it is difficult to simultaneously issue such multiple control inputs to the whole body with simple devices. It is useful for motion pattern generation to get mapping functions bidirectionally between a large number of control inputs for a humanoid robot and a small number of control inputs that a user can intentionally operate. For the purpose of generation of voluntary movement of humanoid extremities, we introduce hierarchical NLPCA neural networks that forms low dimensional variables out of multi-variate inputs of joint angles. The problem is to find common space that affords unified manipulable variables not only for specific motion like walk but also multiple whole body motion patterns. The interesting result is shown that 1 dimensional inputs can generate an approximate walking pattern, and also 3 dimensional inputs does 9 types of motion patterns.
Multidimensional scaling analysis identifies pathological and prognostically relevant profiles of circulating T‐cells in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Antitumor immunity in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is hampered by highly dysfunctional T‐cells. Although certain T‐cell subsets have been reported to be of prognostic significance in this disease, their interplay is complex and it remains incompletely understood which of these subsets significantly drive CLL progression. Here, we determined immunological profiles of 24 circulating T‐cell subsets from 79 untreated individuals by multiparametric flow cytometry. This screening cohort included healthy donors, patients with monoclonal B‐cell lymphocytosis (MBL), Rai 0 CLL and advanced CLL. We applied multidimensional scaling analysis as rigorous and unbiased statistical tool to globally assess the composition of the circulating T‐cell environment and to generate T‐cell scores reflecting its integrity. These scores allowed clear distinction between advanced CLL and healthy controls, whereas both MBL and Rai 0 CLL showed intermediate scores mirroring the biological continuum of CLL and its precursor stages. T‐cell stimulation and suppression assays as well as longitudinal T‐cell profiling showed an increasingly suppressive regulatory function initiating at the MBL stage. Effector function was impaired only after transition to CLL and partially recovered after chemoimmunotherapy. In an independent validation cohort of 52 untreated CLL cases, aberrant T‐cell profiles were significantly associated with shorter time to treatment independently of other prognostic parameters. Random forest modeling predicted regulatory T‐cell, gamma/delta and NKT‐cells, as well as exhaustion of the CD8+ subset as potential drivers of progression. Our data illustrate a pathological T‐cell environment in MBL that evolves toward a more and more suppressive and prognostically relevant profile across the disease stages.
Effect of within- and between-talker variability on word identification in noise by younger and older adults

The effect of within-and between-talker variability on word identification in noise by younger and older adults was demonstrated. The participants included 16 younger and 16 older adults that spoke English and had pure-tone audiometric thresholds of &le25 dB HL at frequencies from . 25 to 3 kHz in the test ear. The stimuli used were the eight sentence lists of the SPIN-R test and each list contained 25 low-context and 20 high context-sentences. Each participant was tested on the eight lists with list order counterbalanced and sentences were presented monaurally under TDH-50P earphones at 50 dB SL. Each sentence was presented with corresponding files of multi-talker babble at 0 dB S:N and each participant was instructed to report the last word of every sentence. The results show that the younger adults correctly identified more words in noise than older adults and the word identification was best for talking conditions with louder noise environments.
Welding trajectory reconstruction based on the Intelligent Space concept

Superflexible robot programming reduces the profitable batch sizes of industrial robots. The paper presents a new way to determine the trajectory for welding robots based on the Intelligent Space concept. The system uses two cameras and edge detection with other image processing algorithms to find the welding path in the image. The three dimensional trajectory is obtained by stereo vision; afterwards it is transformed to the actual robot language.
Experimental validation in operative conditions of winding thermal model for short-time transient

This paper presents the validation of a first-order winding thermal model in machine operative conditions. The proposed model can be used in motor control strategies for the winding temperature prediction during transient overload or vice versa, for the prediction of the maximum time duration of the overload maintaining the winding temperature within the limit imposed by the class of insulation. The thermal model has been validated using two different electrical machines. The first one is a 10 kW automotive starter-generator prototype for mini-hybrid powertrain equipped with distributed bar windings, while the second one is a 2.2 kW total enclosed fan cooled industrial induction motor equipped with conventional stranded wire windings. To both machines it is mainly required a short-duty transient operation in overload conditions. In particular, the automotive starter-generator must accomplish the engine cranking and torque assistance during the vehicle acceleration and braking, while the considered industrial induction machine has to operate in intermittent service in overload conditions for machine tool applications. As a consequence, an accurate stator winding temperature prediction is mandatory to fully exploit the machine performance. For both motors, the thermal model parameters have been evaluated by fast experimental approach and subsequently, the model has been validated during operative overload conditions.
Epidemiology and prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse

Purpose of review The purpose of this review is to discuss the epidemiology and prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse. Recent findings There will be an increase in demand for pelvic floor treatment as the aging population increases in number. Identification of modifiable risk factors may help in patient counseling and prevention in patients at risk for developing pelvic organ prolapse. Summary As the elderly population is expected to double in number by the year 2030, pelvic organ prolapse will become more prevalent. To allocate resources to the increasing number of female patients who will present to healthcare providers with pelvic organ prolapse, we need a better understanding of its incidence, risk factors, prevalence, natural history, clinical implications, and treatment options. This understanding will not only improve our ability to treat this growing patient population but will also help us develop preventive strategies to ameliorate patients’ suffering from this condition.
MarioFit : Exercise Through Mobile Entertainment

Obesity is a major health risk whose frequency is high in the United States. Physical activity has been shown to be an effective way to combat obesity. We build on previous work of motivating physical activity socially and with entertainment by developing a system for playing video games while mobile and comparing game scores and step counts with friends. Figure 1: Nintendo Super Mario Bros. game used in project
A blind sparse approach for estimating constraint matrices in Paralind data models

In this paper we address the problem of estimating the interaction matrices of PARALIND decomposition. In general, this is an ill-posed problem admitting an infinite number of solutions. First we study the gain of imposing sparsity constraints on the interaction matrices, in terms of model identifiability. Then, we propose a new algorithm (S-PARALIND) for fitting the PARALIND model, using a ℓ2-ℓ1 optimization step for estimating the interaction matrix. This new approach provides more accurate and robust estimates of the constraint matrices than ALS-PARALIND, thus improving the interpretability of the PARALIND decomposition.
Range of the P-wave anisotropy parameter for nely layered VTI mediaJames

Since the work of Postma (1955) and Backus (1962), much is known about elastic constants in vertical transversely isotropic (VTI) media when the anisotropy is due to ne layering of isotropic elastic materials. I review earlier work and then show that the P-wave anisotropy parameter c 11 =c 33 lies in the range 1 4 c 11 =c 33 h + 2i h1=(+ 2)i, when the layers are themselves composed of isotropic elastic materials with Lam e constants and and the vertical average of the layers is symbolized by hi. The upper bound is true for all nely layered media of this type, while the lower bound is the best possible for ne layering with two constituents. This lower bound corrects an error in Postma's (1955) paper on two-component VTI media. The method used here shows in general terms that the P-wave anisotropy parameter is smallest when the variation in the layer Lam e parameter is large, independent of the variation in the shear modulus. This result is therefore important for applications to porous layers where the eeects of uids innuence only the Lam e constants, not. Thus, the P-wave anisotropy parameter may be a useful hydrocarbon indicator in some situations.
A modified forward converter with a capacitive output filter for isolated LED lighting applications

In order to increase the power conversion efficiency and improve the power factor, a modified forward converter is proposed, which adopts a capacitive output filter instead of the inductive output filter of the conventional forward converter. Therefore, the proposed converter has wide input voltage range in opposite to that of the conventional forward converters. Moreover, the proposed converter uses the critical conduction mode for automatic current shaping to improve the power factor. As a result, the proposed converter can achieve quasi-resonant zero-voltage-switching, which can minimize the switching loss of main MOSFET. In addition, the operational principle of the proposed converter is analyzed and the characteristic of the proposed converter is investigated in this paper. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed converter, a prototype of 25W is implemented and the experimental results are discussed in more detail.
ATPase activity of RecD is essential for growth of the Antarctic Pseudomonas syringae Lz4W at low temperature

RecD is essential for growth at low temperature in the Antarctic psychrotrophic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae Lz4W. To examine the essential nature of its activity, we analyzed wild‐type and mutant RecD proteins with substitutions of important residues in each of the seven conserved helicase motifs. The wild‐type RecD displayed DNA‐dependent ATPase and helicase activity in vitro, with the ability to unwind short DNA duplexes containing only 5′ overhangs or forked ends. Five of the mutant proteins, K229Q (in motif I), D323N and E324Q (in motif II), Q354E (in motif III) and R660A (in motif VI) completely lost both ATPase and helicase activities. Three other mutants, T259A in motif Ia, R419A in motif IV and E633Q in motif V exhibited various degrees of reduction in ATPase activity, but had no helicase activity. While all RecD proteins had DNA‐binding activity, the mutants of motifs IV and V displayed reduced binding, and the motif II mutant showed a higher degree of binding to ssDNA. Significantly, only RecD variants with in vitro ATPase activity could complement the cold‐sensitive growth of a recD‐inactivated strain of P. syringae at 4 °C. These results suggest that the requirement for RecD at lower temperatures lies in its ATP‐hydrolyzing activity.
Prophylactic cranial irradiation in extensive small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND We conducted a randomized trial of prophylactic cranial irradiation in patients with extensive small-cell lung cancer who had had a response to chemotherapy. METHODS Patients between the ages of 18 and 75 years with extensive small-cell lung cancer were randomly assigned to undergo prophylactic cranial irradiation (irradiation group) or receive no further therapy (control group). The primary end point was the time to symptomatic brain metastases. Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging of the brain was performed when any predefined key symptom suggestive of brain metastases was present. RESULTS The two groups (each with 143 patients) were well balanced regarding baseline characteristics. Patients in the irradiation group had a lower risk of symptomatic brain metastases (hazard ratio, 0.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.16 to 0.44; P<0.001). The cumulative risk of brain metastases within 1 year was 14.6% in the irradiation group (95% CI, 8.3 to 20.9) and 40.4% in the control group (95% CI, 32.1 to 48.6). Irradiation was associated with an increase in median disease-free survival from 12.0 weeks to 14.7 weeks and in median overall survival from 5.4 months to 6.7 months after randomization. The 1-year survival rate was 27.1% (95% CI, 19.4 to 35.5) in the irradiation group and 13.3% (95% CI, 8.1 to 19.9) in the control group. Irradiation had side effects but did not have a clinically significant effect on global health status. CONCLUSIONS Prophylactic cranial irradiation reduces the incidence of symptomatic brain metastases and prolongs disease-free and overall survival. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00016211 [ClinicalTrials.gov].).
Angiopoietin-2 Is Associated with Albuminuria and Microinflammation in Chronic Kidney Disease

Although cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), the pathophysiology is not thoroughly understood. Given that elevated albuminuria or circulating angiopoietin-2 associates with CVD and mortality in CKD patients, we were intrigued by the relationship between albuminuria and angiopoietin-2. A total of 416 patients with CKD stages 3 to 5 were stratified by urine albumin-creatinine ratio as normoalbuminuria (<30 mg/g), microalbuminuria (30–300 mg/g), or macroalbuminuria (>300 mg/g). The levels of plasma angiopoietin-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) increased, and soluble Tie-2 decreased in the subgroups of albuminuria; whereas angiopoietin-1 did not change. Linear regression showed a positive correlation between urine albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) and plasma angiopoietin-2 (correlation coefficient r = 0.301, 95% confidence interval 0.211–0.386, P<0.0001), but not between ACR and VEGF or soluble Tie-2. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that plasma angiopoietin-2 was independently associated with ACR (P = 0.025). Furthermore, plasma angiopoietin-2 was positively correlated with high sensitive C-reactive protein (r = 0.114, 95% confidence interval 0.018–0.208, P = 0.020). In conclusion, plasma angiopoietin-2 was associated with albuminuria and markers of systemic microinflammation in CKD patients. Although previous evidence has shown that angiopoietin-2 destabilizes vasculature and induces inflammation in different scenarios, further study will be required to delineate the role of angiopoietin-2 in albuminuria and microinflammation in CKD patients.
Embedding Polychrony into Synchrony

This paper presents an embedding of polychronous programs into synchronous ones. Due to this embedding, it is not only possible to deepen the understanding of these different models of computation, but, more importantly, it is possible to transfer compilation techniques that were developed for synchronous programs to polychronous programs. This transfer is nontrivial because the underlying paradigms differ more than their names suggest: Since synchronous systems react deterministically to given inputs in discrete steps, they are typically used to describe reactive systems with a totally ordered notion of time. In contrast, polychronous system models entail a partially ordered notion of time, and are most suited to interface a system with an asynchronous environment by specifying input/output constraints from which a deterministic controller may eventually be refined and synthesized. As particular examples for the mentioned cross fertilization, we show how a simulator and a verification backend for synchronous programs can be made available to polychronous specifications, which is a first step toward integrating heterogeneous models of computation.
Functional differentiation of African grazing ruminants : an example of specialized adaptations to very small changes in diet

We assess whether interspecific differences in craniodental morphology within a single ruminant feeding guild, the grazers, represent anatomical adaptations to subtle differences in diet. Differences in craniodental anatomy follow a distinct taxonomic pattern that is paralleled by dietary niche differentiation recorded in species' stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen isotope (δ15N) compositions, strongly supporting a hypothesis for functional divergence within the grazers. We propose that the evolutionary origin of grazers were multifold; at least two and up to four different types of grazing can be discerned within the 11 taxa studied here alone. However, correspondence between craniodental adaptations and isotopic differences across species are not found when only δ13C data are considered (i.e. morphological differences do not reflect varying proportions of C3 browse to C4 grass consumed). This implies that alternate anatomical adaptations to grazing are not related to differences between variable (part-time browsing) and obligate grazers, as previously predicted. Rather, anatomical differences correlate strongly with changes in δ15N, which we infer to reflect functional responses to changes in diet quality associated with the degree of feeding selectivity and short-, medium-, or tall-grass grazing. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 94, 755–764.
Effective Lagrangians for orientifold theories

We construct effective Lagrangians of the Veneziano-Yankielowicz (VY) type for two nonsupersymmetric theories which are orientifold daughters of supersymmetric gluodynamics (containing one Dirac fermion in the two-index antisymmetric or symmetric representation of the gauge group). Since the parent and daughter theories are planar equivalent, at $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{N}\ensuremath{\infty}$ the effective Lagrangians in the orientifold theories basically coincide with the bosonic part of the VY Lagrangian. We depart from the supersymmetric limit in two ways. First, we consider finite (albeit large) values of N. Then $1/N$ effects break supersymmetry. We suggest seemingly the simplest modification of the VY Lagrangian which incorporates these $1/N$ effects, leading to a nonvanishing vacuum energy density. We analyze the spectrum of the finite-$N$ nonsupersymmetric daughters. For $N=3$ the two-index antisymmetric representation (one flavor) is equivalent to one-flavor QCD. We show that in this case the scalar quark-antiquark state is heavier than the corresponding pseudoscalar state, ``${\ensuremath{\eta}}^{\ensuremath{'}}. $'' Second, we add a small fermion mass term. The fermion mass term breaks supersymmetry explicitly. The vacuum degeneracy is lifted. The parity doublets split. We evaluate the splitting. Finally, we include the $\ensuremath{\theta}$ angle and study its implications.
Guidelines for Better Staff Development.

The 1980s will be the decade of staff develop ment just as the 1960s and 1970s were the decades of curriculum development. We have an abundance of curriculum and instructional plans; we now need to put them into operation in our schools. The Rand Corporation report on federally supported programs for educational change points out that if schools are to install our improved plans, and perhaps even to survive, the 1980s must be the decade of staff devel opment. In their study, the innovative projects that made a lasting difference in schools emphasized con crete, teacher-specified, extended inservice education. 1 However, inservice teacher training, as it is now constituted, is the slum of American education. It is disadvantaged, poverty-stricken, neglected, and has little effect.2 Most staff development programs are irrelevant and ineffective, a waste of time and money. Disjointed workshops and courses focus on informa tion dissemination rather than stressing the use of information or appropriate practice in the classroom. Seldom are these programs part of a comprehensive plan to achieve goals set by the school staff. While at least 80 percent of most school district budgets is allocated to personnel, we earmark inade quate funds for inservice training and staff develop ment activities. We would never let our equipment and buildings become obsolete and nonfunctional by
CmC(A/T)GG DNA methylation in mature B cell lymphoma gene silencing

DNA methylation has been linked to gene silencing in cancer. Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) and myeloma are lymphoid malignancies that arise from terminally differentiated B cells. Interestingly, PEL do not express immunoglobulins or most B lineage-specific genes. The B cell-specific B29 (Igβ/CD79b) gene is silenced in PEL and some myelomas but is expressed in other normal and malignant B cells. B29 expression was reactivated in PEL by demethylating and histone deacetylase inhibiting treatments. Bisulfite sequencing revealed two types of DNA methylation in silenced B29 promoters: at conventional CpG and at CC(A/T)GG B29 promoter sites. The pattern of methylated CpG (mCpG) and CmC(A/T)GG B29 promoter methylation observed was similar to that recently reported for epigenetic silencing of an integrated retrovirus. Methylation of CmC(A/T)GG sites in the B29 promoter significantly repressed in vivo transcriptional activity. Also, methylation of a central conserved CmCTGG B29 promoter site blocked the binding of early B cell factor. This methylated motif formed DNA–protein complexes with nuclear extracts from all cell types examined. Therefore, CmC(A/T)GG methylation may represent an important type of epigenetic marker on mammalian DNA that impacts transcription by altering DNA–protein complex formation.