Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Loss‐of‐function mutations in the rice homeobox gene OSH15 affect the architecture of internodes resulting in dwarf plants

The rice homeobox gene OSH15 (Oryza sativa homeobox) is a member of the knotted1‐type homeobox gene family. We report here on the identification and characterization of a loss‐of‐function mutation in OSH15 from a library of retrotransposon‐tagged lines of rice. Based on the phenotype and map position, we have identified three independent deletion alleles of the locus among conventional morphological mutants. All of these recessive mutations, which are considered to be null alleles, exhibit defects in internode elongation. Introduction of a 14 kbp genomic DNA fragment that includes all exons, introns and 5′‐ and 3′‐ flanking sequences of OSH15 complemented the defects in internode elongation, confirming that they were caused by the loss‐of‐function of OSH15. Internodes of the mutants had abnormal‐shaped epidermal and hypodermal cells and showed an unusual arrangement of small vascular bundles. These mutations demonstrate a role for OSH15 in the development of rice internodes. This is the first evidence that the knotted1‐type homeobox genes have roles other than shoot apical meristem formation and/or maintenance in plant development.
Brain Atrophy in Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is associated with brain atrophy and cerebrovascular disease. We aimed to define the regional distribution of brain atrophy in T2DM and to examine whether atrophy or cerebrovascular lesions are feasible links between T2DM and cognitive function. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This cross-sectional study used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and cognitive tests in 350 participants with T2DM and 363 participants without T2DM. With voxel-based morphometry, we studied the regional distribution of atrophy in T2DM. We measured cerebrovascular lesions (infarcts, microbleeds, and white matter hyperintensity [WMH] volume) and atrophy (gray matter, white matter, and hippocampal volumes) while blinded to T2DM status. With use of multivariable regression, we examined for mediation or effect modification of the association between T2DM and cognitive measures by MRI measures. RESULTS T2DM was associated with more cerebral infarcts and lower total gray, white, and hippocampal volumes (all P < 0.05) but not with microbleeds or WMH. T2DM-related gray matter loss was distributed mainly in medial temporal, anterior cingulate, and medial frontal lobes, and white matter loss was distributed in frontal and temporal regions. T2DM was associated with poorer visuospatial construction, planning, visual memory, and speed (P ≤ 0.05) independent of age, sex, education, and vascular risk factors. The strength of these associations was attenuated by almost one-half when adjusted for hippocampal and total gray volumes but was unchanged by adjustment for cerebrovascular lesions or white matter volume. CONCLUSIONS Cortical atrophy in T2DM resembles patterns seen in preclinical Alzheimer disease. Neurodegeneration rather than cerebrovascular lesions may play a key role in T2DM-related cognitive impairment.
Assessment of Working Memory Capacity in Young Healthy Adults with Different Level of Long-term Physical Activity

Purpose: to assess the capacity of working memory in young adults depending on the level of physical activity. Background: Positive influence of PA on cognitive abilities is especially expressed in the executive functions, including the working and short-term memory. Methods: A cross sectional study included 90 participants, with a mean age of 21.4 years, age range 16-34, divided into three groups: a group of sedentary individuals (a low level of PA); a group of participants involved in leisure-time physical activities (a moderate level of PA); a group of athletes (a high level of PA). The Digit Span-Forward test was used as measure of short term memory. The Digit Span-Backward requires participants to repeat a series of numbers, ranging in length from two to eight digits, in reverse sequence and it is thought to call on participants’ working memory. Results: DSF score was as follows: sedentary individuals =9.20±1.58; participants involved in recreational activity=10.37±1.29; athletes=11.33±1.65. The results on the DSB test were as follows: for the participants with a low degree of PA mean value for DSB score was 6.83 ±1.70 points; the group with a moderate level of PA had score 7.77±1.48 point and the participants with a high level of PA had score 7.97±1.40 points. Conclusion: our results have shown a statistically significant trend of increasingly higher mean scores of cognitive parameters in the participants with a higher level of long-term physical activity. These results support the hypothesis that physical exercise has a positive impact on the working memory capacity in young adults.
Species‐specific evolution of MHC class I genes in the higher primates

Summary: Humans express three highly polymorphic ‘classical’ (HLA‐A,B and C) and three conserved ‘non‐classical’ (HLA‐E, F and G) MHC class I genes. Their comparison with the MHC class I genes of apes and monkeys reveals the differential extent to which MHC class I genes have been preserved during primate evolution. African apes have orthologues of all six human genes, and although allelic lineages of the A and C loci are shared, these species share none of the human alleles. In Asian apes, several MHC class I genes show significant differences from the human genes, a trend which continues with the Old World monkeys, and even more so in the New World monkeys, where E and F are the only human gene orthologues. The C locus is confined to humans and apes. Multiple A‐related and B‐related loci have been identified in apes and Old World monkeys showing that duplication of these loci has been a common event during primate evolution. Certain of the daughter loci exhibit low polymorphism, suggesting they have adopted a non‐classical function. The differing rates at which MHC class I genes have evolved during primate evolution likely reflects their differing functions in the immune response.
A Slotted CSMA/CA of IEEE 802.15.4 Wireless Sensor Networks: A Priority Approach

: The heterogeneous traffic categorization is the critical challenge in wireless sensor networks. Therefore, this paper presents the beacon enabled-slotted CSMA/CA with priority approach for delivering the significant data first over the regular traffic. The priority metric is designed to assign the weight factor dynamically for delivering the required data packets at the earliest. It includes delay and priority information for computation of node priority weight and evaluated over the star topology. It is observed that it shows 6% improved performance from the prioritized data frame transmission perspective. The presented work is simulated in ns2 and examined over the various scenarios to validate the performance of the priority approach using CSMA/CA IEEE 802.15. 4 wireless sensor networks.
Impact of body weight on the relationship between alcohol intake and blood pressure.

AIMS The reduction of habitual alcohol drinking is recommended for the prevention of hypertension. Daily or weekly alcohol consumption, which is used for evaluation of the effects of alcohol drinking on blood pressure, is usually not corrected by body weight. In this study, the influence of body weight on the relationship between alcohol intake and blood pressure was investigated. METHODS The subjects (27,005 healthy men at ages of 35-54 years) were divided into four groups by average daily ethanol intake [non-, light (<15 g per day), moderate (>or=15 and <30 g per day) and heavy (>or=30 g per day) drinkers]. The subjects were also divided into four quartile groups by body weight. RESULTS Alcohol intake and the percentage of drinkers were not different in the four quartile groups of body weight. In the first and second quartiles of body weight, systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly higher in moderate and heavy drinkers than in non-drinkers, while systolic and diastolic blood pressures in the fourth quartile of body weight were significantly higher in heavy drinkers than in non-drinkers but were not significantly different in moderate drinkers and non-drinkers. The differences in systolic or diastolic blood pressure between non-drinkers and moderate drinkers and between non-drinkers and heavy drinkers became greater as body weight decreased. These results were not altered when age and smoking history were adjusted. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that body weight modifies the relationship between alcohol consumption and blood pressure and thus should be taken into account when effects of alcohol on blood pressure are considered.
Interpretable hierarchical clustering by constructing an unsupervised decision tree

We propose a method for hierarchical clustering based on the decision tree approach. As in the case of supervised decision tree, the unsupervised decision tree is interpretable in terms of rules, i.e., each leaf node represents a cluster, and the path from the root node to a leaf node represents a rule. The branching decision at each node of the tree is made based on the clustering tendency of the data available at the node. We present four different measures for selecting the most appropriate attribute to be used for splitting the data at every branching node (or decision node), and two different algorithms for splitting the data at each decision node. We provide a theoretical basis for the approach and demonstrate the capability of the unsupervised decision tree for segmenting various data sets. We also compare the performance of the unsupervised decision tree with that of the supervised one.
Improving machine-learned detection of miscommunications in human-machine dialogues through informed data splitting

In this paper we study two types of machine learning techniques, rule-induction and memorybased learning, for error detection in spoken dialogue systems. The learners are trained and tested on two tasks: predicting whether the current user utterance will cause problems, and identifying whether the previous user utterance has caused a problem in the ongoing dialogue. We focus on a variety of features readily available in the majority of spoken dialogue systems: dialogue history, recognized words, and prosodic characteristics of the user input. We find that the learners gain relatively little from the inclusion of prosodic features, even though at first sight the general prosodic trends in our corpus are in agreement with earlier observations from the literature. A closer inspection of the data reveals that the prosodic feature values are highly dependent on the problem’s context, represented by the most recently asked system question type. As a consequence, when separate classifiers are trained on subsets of the data that are split by system question type, the learners profit much more from prosodic information. It is shown that such an informed splitting is beneficial for our other feature sets as well. The consequences of this approach for error detection are discussed.
Synthetic Zinc Finger Transcription Factor Action at an Endogenous Chromosomal Site

We have targeted the activation of an endogenous chromosomal locus including the human erythropoietin gene using synthetic transcription factors. These transcription factors are targeted to particular DNA sequences in the 5′-flanking region of the erythropoietin gene through engineering of a zinc finger DNA binding domain. The DNA binding domain is linked to a VP16 transcriptional activation domain. We find that these synthetic transcription factors invariably activate transiently transfected templates in which sequences within the 5′ flank of the erythropoietin gene are fused to a luciferase reporter. The efficiency of activation under these circumstances at a defined site is dependent on DNA binding affinity. In contrast, only a subset of these same zinc finger proteins is able to activate the endogenous chromosomal locus. The activity of these proteins is influenced by their capacity to gain access to their recognition elements within the chromatin infrastructure. Zinc finger transcription factors will provide a powerful tool to probe the determinants of chromatin accessibility and remodeling within endogenous chromosomal loci.
Isolated perifacial lymph node metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma with clinically node‐negative neck

The incidence of occult perifacial nodal disease in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma is not well reported. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of isolated perifacial lymph node metastasis in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma with a clinically node‐negative neck. The study will shed light on current controversies and will provide valuable clinical and pathological information in the practice of routine comprehensive removal of these lymph node pads in selective neck dissection in the node‐negative neck.
High cholesterol in patients with ECG signs of no-reflow after myocardial infarction.

PURPOSE Despite successful restoration of blood flow in epicardial artery after myocardial infarction (MI), some patients do not benefit sufficiently from modern revascularisation methods due to the impairment of microcirculation, also called no-reflow phenomenon. Hyperlipidaemia is well established risk factor of coronary heart disease and its detrimental actions on vessels are widely acknowledged. We attempted to investigate possible relations between hyperlipidaemia and electrocardiographic signs of no-reflow in myocardial infarction after successful primary angioplasty. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 150 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with ST elevation who underwent successful primary angioplasty were studied. ECG was obtained directly before and 30 minutes after successful reperfusion. ST segment deviation was measured. Lack of 50% reduction of ST-segment elevation in the lead with maximal initial elevation, 30 minutes after angioplasty was defined as ECG sign of no-reflow. RESULTS ST-segment resolution occurred in 116 patients (77%), whereas 34 presented ECG signs of no-reflow (23%). Patients with persistent ST-segment elevation had higher blood LDL and total cholesterol (TC) levels than group with ST-segment restoration (146.5 vs. 128.7 p < 0.01 and 219.5 vs. 200.9, p < 0.05 respectively). Triglyceride, HDL, glucose on admission and fasting glucose levels did not differ significantly between groups. ECG signs of no-reflow were observed more often in patients with anterior AMI, history of prior myocardial infarction and longer pain-to-balloon time (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Positive relation between impaired tissue perfusion and high TC and LDL blood levels suggests that lipids may play a role in the pathogenesis of no-reflow phenomenon, possibly by impairment of endothelial function.
Multi-functional emulator for traffic analysis

We present the versatile functionality of our novel user behavior based traffic emulation system in this paper. We show the unique feature of the system, i. e. , it is capable of working on different platforms (Windows, Android), on different access technologies (wired, WiFi, 3G) and as a remote controlled system on different sites (Europe, Asia, South America). Our examples exhibit some of the manifold traffic analysis possibilities as a result of this key functionality. We have also made our system available to the public [1].
The role of nitric oxide in iron-induced rat renal injury

Iron overload and enhanced hydroxyl radical (•OH) formation have been implicated as the causative factors of oxidative stress in different organs. Both pro-oxidant and anti-oxidant properties have been reported for nitric oxide (NO) in iron-mediated tissue injury. To determine the contribution of NO to iron-induced renal injury, eight groups of rats (eight in each group) were studied as follows: control (normal saline), L-Arg (L-arginine as a substrate of NO synthase, 400 mg/kg), L-NAME (an inhibitor of NO synthase, 8 mg/kg), Fe (iron dextran, 600 mg/kg), DFO (deferroxamine as a chelator of iron, 150 mg/kg), Fe+L-Arg, Fe+L-NAME, DFO+L-Arg. Twenty-four hours after the injections, blood samples were taken and kidneys removed for biochemical analysis. Plasma creatinine and urea were used to stimulate renal function. Renal tissue and plasma vitamin E levels, the most important endogenous fat soluble antioxidant, were measured by HPLC and UV detection. In this study, renal function was markedly reduced in the Fe group compared to controls (creatinine, 1.02± 0.05 mg/dL versus 0.78±0.04 P <0.05; urea, 49.59±1.69 mg/dL versus 40.75±0.86, P <0.01). Vitamin E levels were significantly lower in the Fe group compared to controls (plasma P <0.01; renal tissue P <0.05). Administration of L-Arg to Fe-treated groups prevented these reductions. L-NAME increased iron-induced toxicity significantly, demonstrated by further reduction in the vitamin E levels and renal function compared to the Fe group alone. We concluded that NO plays an important role in protecting the kidney from iron-induced nephrotoxicity. NO synthase blockade enhances iron-mediated renal toxicity in this model.
Relay Precoding for Non-Regenerative MIMO Relay Systems with Partial CSI Feedback

We consider a relay precoding problem in a non-regenerative multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) relay system, where the relay has the perfect channel state information of the source-relay link and only the covariance information of the relay-destination link. The average capacity seen by the relay is maximized under a relay transmit power constraint. The relay precoding problem is transformed to its equivalent power allocation problem at the relay. The optimal power allocation solution is then derived by formulating the optimization problem via difference of convex (DC) functions programming. To reduce the computational complexity, we also propose a suboptimal scheme by modifying the naive Jensen method. Furthermore, we propose the maximum eigenmode relaying (MER) scheme, which allocates the relay transmit power only to the maximum eigenmode. A necessary and sufficient condition for the MER to be asymptotically optimal is derived in the high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime of the source-relay link. The performance of the proposed schemes is investigated through extensive numerical simulations.
The rationale for the current boom in anti-TNFα treatment. Is there an effective means to define therapeutic targets for drugs that provide all the benefits of anti-TNFα and minimise hazards?

Progress in understanding mechanisms of disease are necessary to usher in major changes in treatment. A new era in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and related chronic autoimmune/inflammatory diseases is now beginning, with a variety of anti-TNFα treatments licensed for use in both RA and Crohn's disease. The rationale for this new treatment lies in an understanding that cytokines are critical, rate limiting molecules lying at the heart of the chronic autoimmune/inflammatory disease process. This understanding was developed from the critical evaluation of a hypothesis that was proposed linking cytokines, antigen presentation and autoimmunity in 1983. Detailed analysis focusing on the major site of the disease, the rheumatoid synovium was essential to developing indications that blockade of TNFα might be efficacious. This clue was validated using anti-TNFα treatment of an animal model of RA, murine collagen induced arthritis, and by immunohistochemical demonstration of upregulated TNF and TNF-R expression in the synovium. With this three pronged rationale, the authors were able to convince Centocor, Inc, which had developed a chimaeric anti-TNFα antibody for use in sepsis, to work with them to test the concept that TNFα blockade would be beneficial in RA. With the success of that first trial, other companies have subsequently tested their anti-TNF strategies successfully. Current interests extend to understanding the processes that regulate TNF production in the rheumatoid joint. Progress in this area is discussed, using adenoviruses to infect normal macrophages and rheumatoid synovium.
Sensational Aging: Evidence on the Use of Sensory-Based Interventions for Adults with Dementia

Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, the learner will be able to:  Describe the relationship between impaired sensory processing, maladaptive behaviors, and functional performance among individuals with dementia.  Identify the evidence surrounding sensory-based interventions to increase functional participation and/or decrease maladaptive behaviors among individuals with dementia.  Discuss the clinical implications of current evidence for occupational therapy practice within dementia care.
Selective D1 and D2 dopamine agonists differentially alter basal ganglia glucose utilization in rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine substantia nigra lesions

he relative roles of D1 and D2 dopamine receptor stimulation in mediating the antiparkinsonian effects of dopaminergic drugs remain unclear. To determine the functional metabolic consequences of selective dopamine receptor stimulation, we used 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) autoradiography to examine the effects of the D1 agonist SKF-38393 and the D2 agonist LY-171555 on regional cerebral glucose utilization (RCGU) in rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) substantia nigra lesions. SKF-38393 (0.5-25.0 mg/kg) and LY-171555 (0.01-5.0 mg/kg) produced indistinguishable behavioral responses, including vigorous contralateral rotation. Treatment with each drug similarly increased glucose utilization, dose-dependently, in the parafascicular thalamus, subthalamic nucleus, deep layers of the superior colliculus, and lateral midbrain reticular formation ipsilateral to the nigral lesion; glucose utilization was decreased in the ipsilateral lateral habenula. By contrast, the D1 and D2 agonists differentially altered glucose utilization in the entopeduncular nucleus (EP) and the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr). SKF-38393, 5.0 and 25.0 mg/kg, increased glucose utilization 127 and 275%, respectively, in the pars reticulata ipsilateral to the lesion. LY-171555, 1.0 and 5.0 mg/kg, caused maximal contralateral turning, yet did not alter glucose utilization in the ipsilateral SNr. The glucose utilization response of the ipsilateral EP paralleled that of the SNr demonstrating large increases following administration of SKF-38393 and minimal change following the use of LY-171555. The results demonstrate that the selective D1 agonist reproduces the marked glucose utilization increases (2-3-fold above control values) in the EP and SNr that were previously observed using L-DOPA and apomorphine in this model, whereas the selective D2 agonist does not. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Novel Bluetongue Virus Serotype from Kuwait

Sheep and goats sampled in Kuwait during February 2010 were seropositive for bluetongue virus (BTV). BTV isolate KUW2010/02, from 1 of only 2 sheep that also tested positive for BTV by real-time reverse transcription–PCR, caused mild clinical signs in sheep. Nucleotide sequencing identified KUW2010/02 as a novel BTV serotype.
Broadband power efficient class E amplifiers with a non-linear CAD model of the active MOS device

This paper describes how broadband power efficient Class E amplifiers can be designed which are capable of efficiencies approaching 100% over 35%fractional bandwidths. The paper contains a brief review of switching ClassE amplifiers, which are normally narrow band, and describes how these can be made broadband. As an example, a broadband 130 to 180 MHz r.f. amplifier has been designed, built and tested and the results are reported here. To enable an accurate computer simulation of the r.f. power amplifier to be made, a non-linear CAD model of the active device (an r.f. power MOSFET) is developed. CAD techniques for matching the non-linear input impedance of the MOSFET are also presented. Experiment and theory are compared and show close correlation.