Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increasing quantal size at the mouse neuromuscular junction and the role of choline.

1. In frog a variety of treatments have been shown to increase quantal size at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), apparently by releasing more acetylcholine (ACh) per quantum. The present experiments were undertaken to see whether similar changes occur at the mouse NMJ. 2. None of the hormones tested, adrenaline, insulin or corticosteroids, significantly increased quantal size at the mouse NMJ. 3. Soaking diaphragms in hypertonic solution (about 475 mosmol/kg) for 15‐30 min roughly doubled the size of miniature endplate potentials (MEPPs), miniature endplate currents (MEPCs), and uniquantal endplate potentials (EPPs). We will refer to these as ‘large quanta’. Note that all of the measurements were made after returning the preparation to normal (Tyrode) solution. 4. In frog hypertonic solution made with sodium gluconate replacing NaCl increases quantal size four‐ rather than two‐fold. In mouse there was little difference in the effects of solutions made with the two anions. In Cl(‐)‐free hypertonic solution, made with sodium gluconate and SO4(2‐) solutions, quantal size increase is somewhat less, so there may be a role for Cl‐ in enlarging quantal size. 5. After hypertonic treatment, quantal size remained elevated for at least 1 h and then gradually declined back to usual levels. The data suggest a gradual decrease in mean quantal size, rather than the appearance of a new subpopulation of smaller quanta. 6. Hypertonic treatment did not change the endplate depolarization in response to ionophoretically applied ACh. This suggests that the increased quantal size is not due to a postsynaptic change. Large MEPP's disappear in the presence of tubocurarine and reappear when the drug is washed away. 7. Vesamicol is an inhibitor of active ACh uptake into isolated synaptic vesicles. 5 microM‐vesamicol has no detectable postjunctional effect. However, when vesamicol was included in the Tyrode and the hypertonic solutions the increase in quantal size was blocked. This is further evidence that the large quanta are produced by the release of more ACh per quantum. 8. Even when added after the hypertonic treatment, vesamicol soon decreased quantal size back to the normal level. Two other inhibitors of active ACh uptake into vesicles, tetraphenylboron (TPB) and hexanitrodiphenylamine (HNPA) also decreased quantal size after hypertonic treatment, apparently by a presynaptic action. This suggests that the additional ACh that produces large miniatures may be incorporated into the quanta shortly before release. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Clinical significance of decreased nidogen‐2 expression in the tumor tissue and serum of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Nidogen‐2 is a ubiquitous component of basement membrane (BM), which is modified by tumor cells to facilitate tumor invasion. However, the expression and function of nidogen‐2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown at present. In this study, we sought to investigate the potential role of nidogen‐2 in HCC.
GEOMETRICAL ASPECTS OF THE FATIGUE BEHAVIOUR OF LASER HYBRID FILLET WELDS

Cracking of laser hybrid welding of eccentric fillet joints has been studied for stainless steel. Laser hybrid welding enables narrow deep welds with freedom for shaping the upper weld geometry. The significance of geometrical aspects like weld toe radius, weld surface topography and lack of fusion on fatigue cracking is discussed. Constant amplitude four point bending tests, S/N-curve, topography measurement, microscopic analysis, finite element analysis (FEA) and other methods were carried out. Cracking is initiated inside the weld, thus not in the HAZ. The influence of both global and local weld geometry, like the toe radii, on the stress concentration factor was studied by FEA. The FEA revealed that surface roughness profiles can generate high stress peaks. In particular, it was found that the typical fishbone-like resolidification pattern at the top surface determines the crack propagation direction at the surface. Thus not necessarily the toe radius but rather the surface topography determined the crack initiation. Correlations between toe radii, the corresponding stress maxima and FAT values of each specimen were studied. Moreover, it could be explained why even significant lack of fusion does not affect stress raisers during the initial cracking phase, as long as the lack of fusion interface experiences compressive stresses only.
Variability and Noise in Continuous Force Production

Abstract In the present 3 experiments, the authors examined the hypothesis, derived from information theory, that increases in the variability of motor responses result from increases in perceptual-motor noise. Three different groups of participants (Ns = 10, 9, and 10, respectively, in Experiments 1, 2, and 3) produced continuous isometric force under either low, intermediate, or high target force levels. When considered together, the results showed that force variability (SD) increased exponentially as a function of force level. However, an index of information transmission (M/SD), as well as measures of noise in both the time (approximate entropy) and the frequency (power spectrum) domains, changed according to an inverted-U-shaped function over the range of force levels. The findings provide further evidence that increased information transmission is related to increases, and not to decreases, in the noisiness of the structure of force output.
Recurrent herpes simplex virus type 1 infection precipitated by the impaired production of interleukin‐2, alpha‐interferon, and cell‐mediated cytotoxicity

In order to understand whether immunosuppression due to the primary host defense defect provokes the reactivation of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1), 11 healthy persons were evaluated immunologically after recurrence of herpes. A decrease was found in the production of interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) and alpha‐interferon (IFN‐α) to HSV‐1 antigen stimulation in the recrudescent stage (0 to 3 days after onset of the lesion). The cell‐mediated cytotoxicity also decreased. To clarify the relationship between the immunosuppression and the occurrence of herpes recurrence, a further longitudinal study was undertaken measuring IL‐2, IFN‐α production, and cell mediated cytotoxicity every other week in 12 persons who suffered frequently from recurrent HSV‐1 infection. IL‐2 and IFN‐α production after HSV‐1 antigen stimulation and cell‐mediated cytotoxicity before recurrence of herpes were lower than those without recurrence. These defective immunologic responses were persistent and became more pronounced during the recrudescent phase. The results suggest that the defect in the immunologic responses to HSV‐1 antigen is related to the recurrence of herpes simplex.
Configurable Cubical Redundancy Schemes for Channel-Based 3-D DRAM Yield Improvement

Three-dimensional stacked memory stacking logic and memory dies are one of the most promising 3-D integration applications. This paper proposes two memory redundancy schemes to improve the yield of channel-based 3-D stacked DRAM by sharing spare memory across dies and satisfying channel constraints at the same time. The proposed schemes achieve much higher yield with very small area overhead than other memory redundancy schemes.
Wireless signal transmission through non-metallic pipes with transmission gain

We study the propagation of electromagnetic waves through non-metallic pipes with diameters D of the order of the wavelength ¿. Comparative measurements in clean straight pipes reveal transmission gains relative to free-space propagation, for values D/¿ ¿ 5 - 10, which amount up to 25 dB. The wave-guiding effect depends on the boundary conditions, and is partially suppressed under conditions typical of sewerage pipes, which are soiled, wet, and rough. We present a phenomenological model that accounts for the multiple reflections along the propagation path, and find satisfactory agreement with experimental data. Based onour empirical studies, which extend knowledge available in literature, we aim atmaximizing the achievable range of wireless signal transmissionfor pipecleaning devices with real-time inspection capability by proper choice of carrier frequency and antenna design.
The current concept for the cardiac glycoside receptor

This brief review emphasizes the significance of the Na+,K+‐ATPase or the Na+,K+ pump of the intact membrane as the pharmacological receptor for cardiac glycosides. The properties of this transport enzyme and the regulation of glycoside binding are described. An outline is given of the problems encountered and of the progress made in attempting to correlate the inotropic action of cardiac glycosides with the binding of these drugs to the heart muscle and with the inhibition of the Na+,K+ pump. Furthermore, the correlation of intracellular Ca2+ activity and Na+ concentration with the inhibition of the Na+,K+ pump is discussed. The existence of a digitalis‐like endogenous activity may also indicate an important role of the Na+,K+ pump as a receptor for a physiological regulatory control of cardiac contractility.
Dimensionality Reduction of Hyperspectral Image Using Spatial-Spectral Regularized Sparse Hypergraph Embedding

Many graph embedding methods are developed for dimensionality reduction (DR) of hyperspectral image (HSI), which only use spectral features to reflect a point-to-point intrinsic relation and ignore complex spatial-spectral structure in HSI. A new DR method termed spatial-spectral regularized sparse hypergraph embedding (SSRHE) is proposed for the HSI classification. SSRHE explores sparse coefficients to adaptively select neighbors for constructing the dual sparse hypergraph. Based on the spatial coherence property of HSI, a local spatial neighborhood scatter is computed to preserve local structure, and a total scatter is computed to represent the global structure of HSI. Then, an optimal discriminant projection is obtained by possessing better intraclass compactness and interclass separability, which is beneficial for classification. Experiments on Indian Pines and PaviaU hyperspectral datasets illustrated that SSRHE effectively develops a better classification performance compared with the traditional spectral DR algorithms.
PMA: An ESS Prototype to Support Software Project Planning

Project management has become increasingly complex and important, a professional discipline in its own right. Often project managers lack the training needed to do adequate planning. Without an accurate plan, rework increases, budget and schedules are overrun, scope must often be trimmed, and projects fail. The difference between success and failure can be the skill of the project manager. This paper presents and discusses a Webenabled, rule based, expert system prototype, Project Management Advisor (PMA), to support project managers who are learning and refining project management skills. PMA, a field prototype, was evaluated and tested for accuracy using 11 project plans from a fortune 500 company.
Propagule pressure and priority seeding effects on the demography of invasive annual and native perennial grass species

ABSTRACT Background: Annual grass invasion and dominance creates a self-sustaining cycle that promotes wildfires and reduces forage abundance. Restoring native plant species to annual grass-invaded ecosystems is fundamental to fostering self-sustaining native plant communities. Aims: We sought to clarify varying restoration strategies on invasive annual and native perennial grass assembly, including strategically modified seeding times, seeding rates, and added water. Methods: We tested the effects of seeding perennial grasses in autumn, spring, or seeding half in autumn and the remaining half in spring, adding water, and varying annual and perennial grass seeding rates on annual and perennial grass life history. Results: While varying perennial grass seeding times did not affect perennial grass germination rates, annual grass germination rates were highest when perennial grasses were seeded in autumn. Seeding perennial grasses in spring produced the highest adult perennial grass density in the first-growing season, but adult perennial grass density in the second-growing season was greatest when seeding occurred in autumn. Second-growing season perennial grass density was highest where annual grass seeding rates were lowest and perennial grass seeding rates were highest. Adding water in the first-growing season produced almost two-times more second-year adult perennial grasses compared to where water was not added. Conclusions: High water availability during the seeding year appears to be the most important factor for retaining perennial grasses in annual grass-invaded ecosystems.
Weaning pigs at an early age decreases cellular immunity.

An experiment involving 118 pigs was conducted to evaluate the influence of weaning pigs at four different ages on in vivo and in vitro cell-mediated immunity. One-half of each litter was weaned at 2, 3, 4 or 5 wk of age; the other one-half remained with the sow as nonweaned controls. Phytohemagglutinin skin-test responses were determined on all pigs. Blastogenic responses of mitogen-stimulated lymphocyte cultures were determined before and after weaning. The intradermal response to phytohemagglutinin was reduced (P less than .001) in pigs weaned when 2 or 3 wk old and was suppressed (P less than .05) in those weaned when 4 wk old. In vivo cellular immunity was not altered by weaning in 5-wk-old pigs. The capability of lymphocytes to undergo blastogenesis in response to phytohemagglutinin was decreased in pigs weaned at 2 and 3 wk of age (P less than .001 and P less than .01, respectively). Pokeweed mitogen-stimulated blastogenesis was lower (P less than .01) in pigs weaned at 2 wk of age. Mitogen-stimulated lymphocyte blastogenesis was similar (P greater than .10) in control pigs and those weaned when 5 wk old. These data suggested that weaning pigs when younger than 5 wk old causes physiological changes detrimental to cellular immune reactivity. Those changes could alter disease susceptibility in young pigs.
Mapping the Limits of Substrate Specificity of the Adenylation Domain of TycA

The limits and potential of substrate promiscuity of the adenylation domain of tyrocidine synthetase 1 were systematically explored. Substrate acceptance is governed by hydrophobic effects (as shown by the correlation of kcat/KM and side‐chain log P), shape complementarity and steric exclusion. The quantification of these factors provides ground rules for understanding and possibly evolving substrate specificity in this class of enzymes.
Analisis Pengaruh Banyak Orde pada Metode Multivariate High-Order Fuzzy Time Series untuk Prediksi Duga Muka Air Waduk

Duga Muka Air (DMA) merupakan salah satu faktor yang sangat penting bagi PLTA dalam melakukan pembangkitan listrik, sehingga DMA harus dikontrol sebaik mungkin agar tidak mengalami degradasi berlebihan. Untuk membantu mengontrol degradasi dan luapan DMA yang berlebihan, maka perlu dilakukan prediksi DMA agar dapat mempermudah pihak PLTA dalam melakukan pengontrolan tinggi DMA. Duga Muka Air PLTA dipengaruhi oleh dua buah faktor, yakni inflow dan outflow air waduk. Pada penelitian ini, dilakukan prediksi Duga Muka Air dengan menggunakan metode Multivariate High-Order Fuzzy Time Series. Penelitian ini menggunakan data harian DMA, Inflow, dan Outflow air waduk, dimana DMA menjadi faktor utama dan Inflow dan Outflow menjadi faktor pendukung. Multivariate High-Order Fuzzy Time Series merupakan salah satu pengembangan dari metode fuzzy time series yang dapat digunakan untuk melakukan peramalan dengan menggunakan data kurun waktu. Berdasarkan penelitian ini, didapatkan bahwa prediksi DMA dengan menggunakan metode Multivariate High-Order Fuzzy Time Series memiliki nilai MAPE yang rendah, dimana nilai MAPE terbaik didapat pada saat pengujian dengan menggunakan rentang waktu tiga bulan dengan nilai MAPE untuk orde 1 hingga 5 secara berturut-turut adalah 0.06169%, 0.02535%, 0.018%, 0.01598%, dan 0.01598%. Pada metode multivariate high order fuzzy time series, didapatkan bahwa faktor pendukung dan banyaknya orde dapat membantu meningkatkan keakuratan prediksi. Kata kunci— Time Series, PLTA, Duga Muka Air, Fuzzy Time Series, Multivariate High-Order Fuzzy Time Series
National security versus protection of personal data in the EU

The purpose of this paper is to give a short preview on the European legislative regarding the fundamental right to protection on personal data, established with the Charter of Fundamental Rights in EU, and it’s interconnection with the national security. The main issue elaborated in this paper is how which freedom and how much of our privacy are we willing to sacrifice in order to provide a high level of national security. National security cannot be achieved in isolation from fundamental rights. In order to achieve national security while safeguarding fundamental rights we must do careful consideration to see whether too much freedom is being sacrificed to achieve a high degree of security. Key words: personal data, national security, European Union, privacy, human security, private life.
Gene-specific methylation: potential markers for colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE Aberrant methylation of the promoter region is associated with silencing of many genes in neoplasia. CpG island methylation is an epigenetic mechanism for transcriptional silencing that occurs at various stages of colon tumorigenesis. In this study, we tested the promoter methylation and expression of seven genes from various pathways of DNA repair, apoptosis and inflammation, i.e., sFRP1, MLH1, RASSF1A, CDA, v-fgr, LYN-B, and TNFR10d. METHOD The genes were analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction for the level of gene expression. The promoter methylation status of the genes was studied by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. RESULT The correlation of promoter methylation status with suppressed gene expression patterns suggested a potential role for the silencing these genes in colon cancer progression. CONCLUSION Promoter methylations of the studied genes could be explored as promising biomarkers for new diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic targets of colorectal cancer.
Mitogen Stimulation Cooperates with Telomere Shortening To Activate DNA Damage Responses and Senescence Signaling

ABSTRACT Replicative senescence is induced by critical telomere shortening and limits the proliferation of primary cells to a finite number of divisions. To characterize the activity status of the replicative senescence program in the context of cell cycle activity, we analyzed the senescence phenotypes and signaling pathways in quiescent and growth-stimulated primary human fibroblasts in vitro and liver cells in vivo. This study shows that replicative senescence signaling operates at a low level in cells with shortened telomeres but becomes fully activated when cells are stimulated to enter the cell cycle. This study also shows that the dysfunctional telomeres and nontelomeric DNA lesions in senescent cells do not elicit a DNA damage signal unless the cells are induced to enter the cell cycle by mitogen stimulation. The amplification of senescence signaling and DNA damage responses by mitogen stimulation in cells with shortened telomeres is mediated in part through the MEK/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. These findings have implications for the further understanding of replicative senescence and analysis of its role in vivo.
Organising precarious workers: Can a public campaign overcome weak grassroots mobilisation at workplace level?

This article examines union efforts to recruit and mobilise precarious workers in a hostile environment. Formidable obstacles confront organisers’ attempts to mobilise workers to engage in collective action at workplace level in the Irish hotel sector. After an initial grassroots organising campaign, the Services Industrial Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU) adopted a public campaign as an alternative strategy to secure improvements in pay and working conditions in the sector. Our findings indicate that the union’s inability to create a sense of collective identity among workers or establish strong support for union organisation at workplace level was due to a combination of external economic factors and challenges at this level. In the absence of such support, the impact of a public union campaign is less widely felt by employers. We evaluate the extent to which this type of campaign can substitute for weak grassroots mobilisation and provide a sustainable basis for union presence in the sector.
The Effect of Conservatism on the Reliability of Information and Timeliness of Disclosure among the Listed Companies in Tehran Stock Exchange

With regard to the purpose of the study to investigate the relationship between conservatism and quality of disclosure in listed companies in Tehran Stock Exchange for the period of 2009-2013 and correlation methodology, the study is quasi-experimental and post-events and in the field of PAT which is done with real information. In terms of the nature and objectives, it is an applied study. The statistical model used in this research is multivariate regression, and combined data technique is used to estimate the study models. One of the common effects, fixed effects and random effects will be used to estimate the appropriate models. Fisher test is adopted for implementation of combined data, and Hausman test is used to determine the type of panel data (common effects and fixed effects) and to analyze the research data and extracting the results, the 21 SPSS was put into use.
Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for characterization of antimicrobial films containing chitosan.

Biopolymer films containing chitosan as antimicrobial agent were obtained . As polymer matrix poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and bacterial cellulose (BC) were used. The films were characterized using FTIR spectroscopy. FTIR spectra of the pure components and of composites films reveal strong interactions between chitosan and PVA and chitosan and bacterial cellulose. These composite films could be used as antimicrobial food packaging materials.
Lipodystrophy in HIV-1-positive patients is associated with insulin resistance in multiple metabolic pathways

BackgroundTreatment for HIV-1 infection is complicated by fat redistribution (lipodystrophy). This is associated with insulin resistance concerning glucose uptake. Our aim was to characterize glucose metabolism more comprehensively in HIV-1-infected patients with lipodystrophy. We assessed glucose disposal and its pathways, glucose production, plasma free fatty acid (FFA) levels, and the degree to which these parameters could be suppressed by insulin. MethodsSix HIV-1-infected men on protease inhibitor-based HAART with lipodystrophy (HIV+LD) were studied. The results were compared with those in six matched healthy male volunteers. Insulin sensitivity was quantified by hyperinsulinemic euglycaemic clamp. Glucose production and uptake were assessed by tracer dilution employing 6,6d2-glucose. ResultsAt post-absorptive insulin concentrations, glucose production was 47% higher in HIV+LD than controls (P = 0.025). During clamp, glucose production was suppressed by 53% in HIV+LD, but by 85% in controls (P = 0.004). Glucose disposal increased in both groups, but by only 27% in HIV+LD versus 201% in controls (P = 0.004). Consequently, insulin-stimulated total glucose disposal was lower in HIV+LD patients (P = 0.006). Non-oxidative glucose disposal as percentage of total disposal did not differ significantly between groups (63% in HIV+LD and 62% in controls). Baseline plasma FFA concentrations were higher (0.60 versus 0.35 mmol/l;P = 0.024), whereas FFA decline during hyperinsulinemia was less (65 versus 85%;P = 0.01) in HIV+LD versus controls . ConclusionsPost-absorptive glucose production is increased in HIV-1-infected patients with lipodystrophy. Moreover, both the ability of insulin to suppress endogenous glucose production and lipolysis, and to stimulate peripheral glucose uptake and its metabolic pathways is reduced, indicating severe resistance concerning multiple effects of insulin.