Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chemotaxis of sperm cells

We develop a theoretical description of sperm chemotaxis. Sperm cells of many species are guided to the egg by chemoattractants, a process called chemotaxis. Motor proteins in the flagellum of the sperm generate a regular beat of the flagellum, which propels the sperm in a fluid. In the absence of a chemoattractant, sperm swim in circles in two dimensions and along helical paths in three dimensions. Chemoattractants stimulate a signaling system in the flagellum, which regulates the motors to control sperm swimming. Our theoretical description of sperm chemotaxis in two and three dimensions is based on a generic signaling module that regulates the curvature and torsion of the swimming path. In the presence of a chemoattractant, swimming paths are drifting circles in two dimensions and deformed helices in three dimensions. The swimming paths can be described by a dynamical system that exhibits different dynamic regimes, which correspond to different chemotactic behaviours. We conclude that sampling a concentration field of chemoattractant along circular and helical swimming paths is a robust strategy for chemotaxis that works reliably for a vast range of parameters.
Young children's knowledge about visual perception: Further evidence for the Level 1–Level 2 distinction.

Three studies were done to test the hypothesis that there is a development in early childhood from a less advanced (Level 1) to a more advanced (Level 2) form of knowledge and thinking about people's visual experiences. Study 1 replicated and further validated a previous finding that 3-year-olds perform very well on tasks that call for Level 1 knowledge but very poorly on those that require Level 2 knowledge. Study 2 showed that children of this age did not perform better when critical aspects of Level 2 tasks were designed to be familiar to them and similar to what they might encounter in everyday life. Study 3 showed that most of the children who performed poorly on Level 2 tasks in Study 2 continued to perform poorly on a retest given 2-19 weeks later. In addition, a brief training period following the retest proved largely unsuccessful in inducing Level 2 knowledge and thinking in these children. The results of these three studies appear to provide strong support for the Level 1-Level 2 developmental hypothesis.
Iron deposition and fat accumulation in dimethylnitrosamine-induced liver fibrosis in rat.

AIM To investigate if iron deposition and fat accumulation in the liver play a pathogenetic role in dimethylnitrosamine (DMN)-induced liver fibrosis in rat. METHODS Thirty rats were treated with DMN at does consecutive days of 10 microL/kg daily, i.p., for 3 consecutive day each week for 4 wk. Rats (n=30) were sacrificed on the first day (model group A) and 21(st) d (model group B) after cessation of DMN injection. The control group (n=10) received an equivalent amount of saline. Liver tissues were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Masson and Prussian blue assay and observed under electron microscopy. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and liver tissue hydroxyproline (Hyp) content were tested. RESULTS The liver fibrosis did not automatically reverse, which was similar to previous reports, the perilobular deposition of iron accompanied with collagen showed marked characteristics at both the first and 21(st) d after cessation of DMN injection. However, fat accumulation in hepatocytes occurred only at the 21(st) d after cessation of DMN injection. CONCLUSION Iron deposition and fat accumulation may play important roles in pathological changes in DMN-induced rat liver fibrosis. The detailed mechanisms of these characteristics need further research.
Propranolol Prevents the Development of Heart Failure by Restoring FKBP12.6-Mediated Stabilization of Ryanodine Receptor

Background—In heart failure, protein kinase A-mediated hyperphosphorylation of ryanodine receptors (RyRs) in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) causes dissociation of FKBP12.6 from RyRs. This results in an abnormal Ca2+ leak through RyRs, possibly leading to cardiac dysfunction. In the present study, we assess whether &bgr;-blockers can correct this defect in RyR in tachycardia-induced heart failure and thereby improve cardiac function. Methods and Results—SRs were isolated from dog left ventricular muscles (normal group, 4 weeks of rapid right ventricular pacing with or without propranolol [P(+) or P(−)]). End-diastolic and end-systolic diameters both increased less in P(+) than P(−), associated with a smaller decrease in fractional shortening in P(+). In SR from P(−), a prominent Ca2+ leak was observed, and FK506 (which dissociates FKBP12.6 from RyR) did not induce an additional Ca2+ leak. However, there was no appreciable Ca2+ leak in SR from P(+), although FK506 induced a Ca2+ leak as in normal SRs. In SR from P(+), an FK506-induced conformational change in RyR, which was virtually absent in SR from P(−), was observed as in normal SRs. Both the stoichiometry of FKBP12.6 versus RyR, assessed by [3H]FK506 and [3H]ryanodine binding assays, and the protein expression of FKBP12.6, assessed by Western blot analysis, were restored by propranolol toward the levels seen in normal SRs. Conclusions—Low-dose propranolol corrects the defective interaction of FKBP12.6 with RyR (restoration of RyR conformational change and prevention of Ca2+ leak from RyR), apparently resulting in an attenuation of intracellular Ca2+ overload and hence preventing the development of left ventricular remodeling in heart failure.
Calibration uncertainty of assembled array hydrophones

This paper presents a method to predict the uncertainty of a procedure for calibration of fully assembled array hydrophones in a shallow water environment. All error sources (due to measurement elements, instruments, background noise, calibration setup and environment) of the calibration procedure are defined and combine to predict the final calibration uncertainty theoretically. The methodology for predicting the calibration uncertainty is also validated using actual trial measurements in a shallow estuary.
Design and Implementation of VLSI Architecture for A generalized Mixed-Radix ( GMR ) algorithm of FFT

Digital signal processing is one of the core technologies, in rapidly growing application Areas, such as wireless communications, audio and video processing and industrial control. The number and variety of products that include some form of digital signal processing has grown dramatically over the last few years. DSP has become a key component, in many of the consumer, communications, medical and industrial products which implement the signal processing using microprocessors, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Custom ICs etc.DSP techniques have been very successful because of the development of low-cost software and hardware support. For example, modems and speech recognition can be less expensive using DSP techniques. DSP processors are concerned primarily with real-time signal processing. Realtime processing requires the processing to keep pace with some external event, whereas non-real-time processing has no such timing constrain Fast Fourier transform (FFT) has an important role in many digital signal processing (DSP) systems. E.g., in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFMD) communication systems, FFT and inverse FFT are needed. Today, various FFT processors, such as pipelined or memory-based architectures, have been proposed for different applications.In this paper we are designing Radix-2 FFTAlgorithm and Radix-4 FFTAlgorithm of A system by using FFTcontroller . However, for long-size FFT processors, such as the 2048-point FFT, For the memorybased processor design, minimizing the necessary memory size is effective for area reduction since the memory costs a significant part of the processor. We proposed VLSI architecture for a generalized mixed-radix (GMR) algorithm of FFT.
Review Attention and aphasia: theory, research and clinical implications

Over the past decade, there has been increasing interest in the integrity of attention in adults with aphasia. This review paper examines this issue by first introducing attention theory and associated terminology. Next, the paper summarizes the growing literature which documents that not only may adults with aphasia present with attention deficits, but also that their attention deficits may negatively a ect both their language comprehension and production skills. Lastly, the clinical implications of adopting an attentional model of aphasia are considered with respect to strategies for both the assessment and treatment of adults with aphasia.
A functional imaging study of cooperation in two-person reciprocal exchange

Cooperation between individuals requires the ability to infer each other's mental states to form shared expectations over mutual gains and make cooperative choices that realize these gains. From evidence that the ability for mental state attribution involves the use of prefrontal cortex, we hypothesize that this area is involved in integrating theory-of-mind processing with cooperative actions. We report data from a functional MRI experiment designed to test this hypothesis. Subjects in a scanner played standard two-person “trust and reciprocity” games with both human and computer counterparts for cash rewards. Behavioral data shows that seven subjects consistently attempted cooperation with their human counterpart. Within this group prefrontal regions are more active when subjects are playing a human than when they are playing a computer following a fixed (and known) probabilistic strategy. Within the group of five noncooperators, there are no significant differences in prefrontal activation between computer and human conditions.
The study of identification algorithm based on palmprint algebraic features

This paper uses the proposed two-stage kernel fisher discriminate analysis method to extract algebra feature of palmprint. It is to take each piece of palmprint image as a point of a high-dimensional space. The palmprint images from the training set form a training data set. Through a nonlinear mapping the input space of training data is mapped to a feature space, making different types of palm print data in feature space become linearly separable.
Tang-Nai-Kang Alleviates Pre-diabetes and Metabolic Disorders and Induces a Gene Expression Switch toward Fatty Acid Oxidation in SHR.Cg-Leprcp/NDmcr Rats

Increased energy intake and reduced physical activity can lead to obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Transcriptional modulation of metabolic networks has become a focus of current drug discovery research into the prevention and treatment of metabolic disorders associated with energy surplus and obesity. Tang-Nai-Kang (TNK), a mixture of five herbal plant extracts, has been shown to improve abnormal glucose metabolism in patients with pre-diabetes. Here, we report the metabolic phenotype of SHR.Cg-Lepr cp/NDmcr (SHR/cp) rats treated with TNK. Pre-diabetic SHR/cp rats were randomly divided into control, TNK low-dose (1.67 g/kg) and TNK high-dose (3.24 g/kg) groups. After high-dose treatment for 2 weeks, the serum triglycerides and free fatty acids in SHR/cp rats were markedly reduced compared to controls. After 3 weeks of administration, the high dose of TNK significantly reduced the body weight and fat mass of SHR/cp rats without affecting food consumption. Serum fasting glucose and insulin levels in the TNK-treated groups decreased after 6 weeks of treatment. Furthermore, TNK-treated rats exhibited obvious improvements in glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. The improved glucose metabolism may be caused by the substantial reduction in serum lipids and body weight observed in SHR/cp rats starting at 3 weeks of TNK treatment. The mRNA expression of NAD+-dependent deacetylase sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and genes related to fatty acid oxidation was markedly up-regulated in the muscle, liver and adipose tissue after TNK treatment. Furthermore, TNK promoted the deacetylation of two well-established SIRT1 targets, PPARγ coactivator 1α (PGC1α) and forkhead transcription factor 1 (FOXO1), and induced the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) in different tissues. These observations suggested that TNK may be an alternative treatment for pre-diabetes and metabolic syndrome by inducing a gene expression switch toward fat oxidation through the activation of SIRT1 and AMPK signaling.
Isomorphic groupoid C ∗ -algebras associated with different Haar systems

We shall consider a locally compact groupoid endowed with a Haar system ν and having proper orbit space. We shall associate to each appropriate cross section σ : G (0) → G F for dF : G F → G (0) (where F is a Borel subset of G(0) meeting each orbit exactly once) a C∗-algebra M ∗ (G, ν). We shall prove that the C∗-algebras associated with different Haar systems are ∗-isomorphic.
Bounding prime models

Abstract. A set X is prime bounding if for every complete atomic decidable (CAD) theory T there is a prime model of T decidable in X. It is easy to see that X = 0′ is prime bounding. Denisov claimed that every X <T 0′ is not prime bounding, but we discovered this to be incorrect. Here we give the correct characterization that the prime bounding sets X ≤τ 0′ are exactly the sets which are not low2. Recall that X is low2 if X″ ≤τ 0″. To prove that a low2 set X is not prime bounding we use a 0′ -computable listing of the array of sets {Y : Y ≤τX } to build a CAD theory T which diagonalizes against all potential X-decidable prime models of T, To prove that any non-low2X is indeed prime bounding. we fix a function f ≤TX that is not dominated by a certain 0′-computable function that picks out generators of principal types. Given a CAD theory T. we use f to eventually find, for every formula φ(x̄) con sistent with T. a principal type which contains it. and hence to build an X-decidable prime model of T. We prove the prime bounding property equivalent to several other combinatorial properties, including some related to the limitwise monotonic functions which have been introduced elsewhere in computable model theory.
Proteoglycans of the extracellular environment: clues from the gene and protein side offer novel perspectives in molecular diversity and function

This review focuses on the extracellular proteoglycans. Special emphasis is placed on the structural features of their protein cores, their gene organization, and their transcriptional control. A simplified nomenclature comprising two broad groups of extracellular proteoglycans is offered: the small leucine‐rich proteoglycans or SLRPs, pronounced “slurps,” and the modular proteoglycans. The first group encompasses at least five distinct members of a gene family characterized by a central domain composed of leucine‐rich repeats flanked by two cysteine‐rich regions. The second group consists of those proteoglycans whose unifying feature is the assembly of various protein modules in a relatively elongated and often highly glycosylated structure. This group is quite heterogeneous and includes a distinct family of proteoglycans, the “hyalectans,” that bind hyaluronan and contain a C‐type lectin motif that is likely to bind carbohydrates, and a less distinct group that contains structural homologies but lacks hyaluronan‐binding properties or lectin‐like domains. —Iozzo, R. V. , Murdoch, A. D. Proteoglycans of the extracellular environment: clues from the gene and protein side offer novel perspectives in molecular diversity and function. FASEB J. 10, 598‐614 (1996)
Office Noise, Satisfaction, and Performance

A field study assessed disturbance by office noise in relation to environmental satisfaction, job satisfaction, and jot performance ratings among 2,391 employees at 58 sites before and/or after office renovation. In all, 54% said they were bothered often by noise, especial! y by people talking and telephones ringing. Disturbance by noise correlated with dissatisfaction with the environment and job but not with selfor supervisor-rated performance. Quasi-experimental analysis of groups reporting increased, decreased, or unchanged disturbance by noise revealed a drop in satisfaction concurrent with increasing noise. Disturbance by office noise may reflect a variety of environmental and job characteristics and may have a role in job satisfaction through both environmental satisfaction and job characteristics. Implications are discussed.
The Transcription Factors GATA4 and dHAND Physically Interact to Synergistically Activate Cardiac Gene Expression through a p300-dependent Mechanism*

An intricate array of heterogeneous transcription factors participate in programming tissue-specific gene expression through combinatorial interactions that are unique to a given cell-type. The zinc finger-containing transcription factor GATA4, which is widely expressed in mesodermal and endodermal derived tissues, is thought to regulate cardiac myocyte-specific gene expression through combinatorial interactions with other semi-restricted transcription factors such as myocyte enhancer factor 2, nuclear factor of activated T-cells, serum response factor, and Nkx2.5. Here we determined that GATA4 also interacts with the cardiac-expressed basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor dHAND (also known as HAND2). GATA4 and dHAND synergistically activated expression of cardiac-specific promoters from the atrial natriuretic factor gene, the b-type natriuretic peptide gene, and the α-myosin heavy chain gene. Using artificial reporter constructs this functional synergy was shown to be GATA site-dependent, but E-box site-independent. A mechanism for the transcriptional synergy was suggested by the observation that the bHLH domain of dHAND physically interacted with the C-terminal zinc finger domain of GATA4 forming a higher order complex. This transcriptional synergy observed between GATA4 and dHAND was associated with p300 recruitment, but not with alterations in DNA binding activity of either factor. Moreover, the bHLH domain of dHAND directly interacted with the CH3 domain of p300 suggesting the existence of a higher order complex between GATA4, dHAND, and p300. Taken together with previous observations, these results suggest the existence of an enhanceosome complex comprised of p300 and multiple semi-restricted transcription factors that together specify tissue-specific gene expression in the heart.
Prospective evaluation of hydrocortisone and suramin in patients with androgen-independent prostate cancer.

PURPOSE To assess efficacy of intermittent infusion of suramin in patients with androgen-independent prostate cancer who have had disease progression on hydrocortisone. PATIENTS AND METHODS Chemotherapy-naive patients with progressive androgen-independent prostate cancer were given hydrocortisone 40 mg/d and monitored for treatment effect. At the time of disease progression, suramin was administered on a pharmacokinetically derived, 2-week dosing schedule. RESULTS Thirty patients with a median Karnofsky performance status (KPS) of 90% were treated with hydrocortisone. No responses were seen in 12 patients with measurable disease or 29 patients with abnormal bone scans. Thirty patients had an increasing prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level before treatment and six (20%) had a more than 50% decline in PSA from the baseline value for a median of 16 weeks (range, 12 to 52+). Twenty-eight patients had disease progression after a median of 7 weeks (range, 3 to 23), and two patients have continued to receive hydrocortisone for 44 and 52 weeks. Twenty-eight patients received hydrocortisone and suramin, with median suramin concentrations of 97 to 170 micrograms/mL for 4 weeks. No responses in measurable disease and no improvements in bone scans were seen. Five patients (18%) showed a more than 50% decline in PSA levels from baseline, of whom three had previously responded to hydrocortisone. Only two of 24 patients who did not show a posttherapy decline in PSA levels after hydrocortisone had a reduction in PSA levels with the addition of suramin. Toxicity profiles were acceptable with each agent, although a higher proportion of subjects showed hematologic, cardiac, and neurologic events when suramin was added. CONCLUSION Suramin has limited efficacy in patients with androgen-independent prostate cancer who have had disease progression after hydrocortisone.
Nativity, Duration of Residence, Citizenship, and Access to Health Care for Hispanic Children

This article examines differences in access to a regular source of health care for children of Hispanic subgroups within the United States. Particular attention is paid to the impact of the immigration status of the mother –including nativity, duration in the United States, and citizenship status – and its affect on access to health care for Hispanic children. Data are pooled from the National Health Interview Survey for 1999–2001 and logistic regression models are estimated to compare Mexican American, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Other Hispanic children with non-Hispanic whites and blacks. While initial disparities are recorded among the race/ethnic groups, in the final model, only Mexican American children display significantly less access to health care than non-Hispanic whites. The combined influence of the mother's nativity, duration, and citizenship status explains much of the differentials in access to a regular source of care among children of Hispanic subgroups in comparison to non-Hispanic whites.
Children read affixed words and non‐words

Children aged seven, eight and nine, subdivided according to reading ability were asked to read affixed words and non-words ending in -ed and -er morphemes. There was evidence that the performance of these young children was comparable with Taft's (1985) account of skilled reading which suggests that morphologically complex items are decomposed and this facilitates reading in children. Both better and poorer readers read affixed words more accurately than pseudo-affixed words, and affixed words significantly better than non-words with a word stem; all readers were better at reading non-words with a word as opposed to a non-word stem. The most notable finding was that words and non-words ending in -er were read more accurately than those ending in -ed and adult word reading latencies showed no difference between the two types of ending. This is not straightforwardly explained by decomposition in Taft's (1985) terms, age of acquisition, affix frequency, or by any simplistic recourse to surface and/or base frequency. It is suggested that the explanation lies in the inconsistent pronunciation of the -ed ending, and that the syntactic rules for generating affixes need to be augmented by phonological rules in order to explain naming data in children. There was evidence that these children were in a transitional stage between a lexicon which is decomposed and one which is not, and that the lexicon becomes progressively decomposed as suggested by Taft (1985) and Seymour (1987).
Model order reduction for non-linear quasi-electrostatic problems

In order to reduce the computational complexity and computational time for the non-linear quasi-electrostatic problems, the reduced order finite element model based on proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and discrete empirical interpolation (DEIM) is proposed. The presented reduced order algorithm is applied to compute the electrical field distribution in the winding end of a type of ±500kV converter transformer on the polarity reverse condition. The numerical results show that the computation result of the proposed POD-DEIM reduced order method is in good agreement with that of full order finite element method.