Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Red blood cell microrheological changes and drug transport efficiency

The purpose of this study was to estimate drug effect on red blood cell (RBC) microrheological properties making for blood transport efficiency. It is well known that blood flow in microcirculation, tissue perfusion and oxygenation depend on red blood cell (RBC) microrheological properties, namely deformability (RBCD) and aggregability (RBCA). In turn the changed red cell mechanical properties can influence the tissue oxygenation as well as the drug delivery to tissues. The exposure of RBCs to agonist of -adrenergic receptors (isoproterenol) caused RBCA decrease and an increase of their deformability. The prostaglandin E1, prostacyclin and insulin showed the similar positive microrheological effect. Neutral microrheological effect was fixed after cell incubation with 5-fluorouracil, rolipram and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate; no significant alterations of microrheological properties were found. The agonists of -adrenergic receptors and prostaglandin F2 showed the negative microrheological effect: RBCD was markedly worsened and RBCA was enhanced by 49-60%. It was found that three PDE inhibitors: vinpocetine, rolipram and cilostasol - significantly decreased RBCA and increased RBCD. Therefore PDEs might be considered as red blood cell molecular targets for some drugs. Stimulated by A23187 Ca 2+ influx was accompanied by an increase of RBCA and a decrease of RBCD. The blocking of Ca 2+ entry into the RBCs by verapamil led to a significant positive RBC changes. Therefore the red cell membrane Ca 2+ channels can be considered as molecular targets responsible for red cell microrheology modifications too. Taken together the obtained data showed that the drugs infused in blood flow can interact with blood cells, including the most numerous cell population - red blood cells. This interaction can lead to an alteration of RBC microrheological properties and blood transport possibilities at least according to three abovementioned scenarios.
A NEW ALGORITHM FOR T / 2-SOFT DECISION FEEDBACK BLIND

T/2 soft DFE is based on idea of transforming a classical DFE to a cascade of uncoupled linear devices. The crucial component of this cascade is a white filter, which supplies the linear T/2 FSE with uncorrelated samples. The adaptive whiting of input sequence is controlled by a stochastic gradient algorithm based on Joint Entropy Maximization (JEM-W) criteria which introduces soft decision properties at the very beginning of blind equalization. Soft decisions probably smooth the error surface and allow the algorithm to escape from local minima.
Human Leukocyte Antigen Sensitization in Solid Organ Transplantation: A Primer on Terminology, Testing, and Clinical Significance for the Apheresis Practitioner

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system is an important immunologic barrier that must be considered for successful solid organ transplantation. Formation of donor‐specific HLA antibodies in solid organ transplantation is an important cause of allograft injury and may contribute to recipient morbidity and mortality. Therapeutic plasma exchange is often requested to lower HLA antibody levels prior to or after transplantation and for management of HLA antibodies in the context of organ rejection. In this review, we summarize the current terminology, laboratory testing, and clinical significance of HLA sensitization in the solid organ transplant population. Furthermore, to illustrate applications of HLA testing in clinical practice, we summarize our own lung and kidney institutional protocols for managing HLA antibodies in the peri‐transplant setting.
Real-Time Databases

A real-time database is a database system where (at least some) transactions have explicit timing constraints such ;s deadlines. In such a system, transaction processing must satisfy not only the database consistency constraints, but also the timing constraints. Examples of real-time database systems occur in program trading in the stock market, radar tracking systems, and computer integrated manufacturing systems.
Management of Adult Hydrocephalus With Ventriculoperitoneal Shunts: Long-term Single-Institution Experience

BACKGROUND:Ventriculoperitoneal shunting is the most widely used neurosurgical procedure for the management of hydrocephalus. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate our long-term single-institution experience in the management of adult hydrocephalus patients with ventriculoperitoneal shunts. METHODS:Adult patients who underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement for hydrocephalus from October 1990 to October 2009 were included. Medical charts, operative reports, imaging studies, and clinical follow-up evaluations were reviewed and analyzed retrospectively for clinical outcome in adult hydrocephalus patients. RESULTS:A total of 683 adult patients were included in the study. The most common etiologies of hydrocephalus include idiopathic (29%), tumors and cysts (20%), postcraniotomy (13%), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (13%). The overall shunt failure rate was 32%, and the majority (74%) of shunt revisions occurred within the first 6 months. The median time to first shunt revision was 9.31 months. Etiology of hydrocephalus showed a significant impact on the incidence of shunt revision/failure and on the median time to shunt revision. Similarly, the type of hydrocephalus had a significant effect on the incidence of shunt failure and the median time to shunt revision. CONCLUSION:A large proportion of patients (32%) experience shunt failure after shunt placement for hydrocephalus. Although the overall incidence of shunt revision was comparable to previously reported studies, the fact that a large proportion of adult populations with shunt placement experience shunt failure is a concern.
Hybrid Centralized-Decentralized (HCD) Charging Control of Electric Vehicles

Integrating massive electric vehicles (EVs) into the power grid requires the charging of EVs to be coordinated to reduce the cost and guarantee system stability. The coordination becomes more challenging when the EV owners have different charging preferences. To tackle this problem, a hybrid centralized–decentralized charging control scheme is designed in this paper which mainly includes three parts, as follows. On the centralized charging side, an offline optimal scheduling approach is first presented, aiming at minimizing the energy cost while satisfying the charging requirements of EVs. To deal with the system dynamics and uncertainties, a model predictive control-based adaptive scheduling strategy is then developed to determine the near optimal EV charging profiles in real time. On the decentralized charging side, the interactions between EVs and the charging system controller is modeled as a leader–follower noncooperative Stackelberg game in which the system controller acts as the leader and the EVs act as followers. The existence of the equilibrium state and its optimality are proved and analyzed. It is shown that by adopting the proposed decentralized charging algorithm, the communication burden between EVs and the system controller is low and that the charging scheme is robust to poor communication channels. Last, we investigate how the size of these two charging groups impacts the system utility and propose an algorithm maximizing the total revenues of the whole system. Simulation results evaluate the performances of the scheme and investigate the parameters’ impacts on the system utilities. The proposed approach and obtained results may provide guidelines for improving the efficiency of the charging park operation and provide useful insights, helping the system operator develop rational investment strategies.
Hypertension Is the Most Common Component of Metabolic Syndrome and the Greatest Contributor to Carotid Arteriosclerosis in Apparently Healthy Japanese Individuals

The cluster of metabolic and hemodynamic risk factors known as metabolic syndrome is known to be a risk factor for ischemic cardiovascular diseases and stroke. By analyzing the cross-sectional data from 8,144 individuals (age 19−88 years) who underwent general health screening, we have investigated the prevalence of metabolic syndrome, as diagnosed by modified-National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) criteria corresponding to the following five categories: triglycerides ≥150 mg/dl; high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol <40 mg/dl in men or <50 mg/dl in women; fasting plasma glucose ≥110 mg/dl; systolic/diastolic blood pressure ≥130/85 mmHg; and body mass index >25 kg/m2. We found that the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 19% in men and 7% in women. After adjustment for age, metabolic syndrome was found to be significantly more prevalent in men than in women, with an odds ratio of 3.08 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.62−3.61, p<0.0001). Among the five metabolic/hemodynamic risk factor components, hypertension was observed most frequently in individuals with metabolic syndrome, at 85% in men and 87% in women. In addition, multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, serum total cholesterol levels, and smoking status showed that hypertension possessed the greatest odds ratio (1.43, 95% CI 1.27−1.60) for carotid plaque among the metabolic/hemodynamic risk factors. These data emphasize the importance of controlling blood pressure for reducing the risk of both metabolic syndrome and carotid arteriosclerosis in apparently healthy individuals.
A practical module system for LF

Module systems for proof assistants provide administrative support for large developments when mechanizing the meta-theory of programming languages and logics. We describe a module system for the logical framework LF that is based on two main primitives: signatures and signature morphisms. Signatures are defined as collections of constant declarations, and signature morphisms as homo-morphism in between them. Our design is semantically transparent in the sense that it is always possible to elaborate modules into the module free version of LF. We have implemented our design as part of the Twelf system and rewritten parts of the Twelf example library to take advantage of the module system.
Using the principal component analysis method in studies of the TiO2 Raman spectra

Raman spectra of TiO2 anatase prepared by sol-gel method were measured and analyzed by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method. The pure and Ag-doped powder samples of TiO2 were prepared in different routes and calcined in air at the same temperature of 550°C. For every sample, nine spectra were measured using microRaman Nicolet Almega XR spectrometer at 532nm excitation and 6mW input beam power. The spectra were processed by PCA algorithm by means of PCA Model Editor and Analysis software (Jasco). Analysis shows the difference between commercially available anatase (Sigma Aldrich) and samples prepared in sol-gel method. The PCA coefficients can be easily separated in PCs space. The components related to the anatase and rutile phases were also extracted. Moreover, spectra of Ag-doped anatase can be clearly distinguished. It was shown the PCA method is useful for classification of anatase samples prepared in different technology conditions.
Abnormal Left Ventricular Contraction in Patients with Mitral Stenosis

Twenty-five patients with pure mitral stenosis and nine normal subjects were studied by selective left ventricular cineangiocardiography. Left ventricular volumes were measured at end systole, throughout diastole, and at end diastole. Although filling curves showed that the left ventricles filled slowly in patients with mitral stenosis, normal end-diastolic volumes were attained provided diastole lasted 400 msec. Despite normal end-diastolic volumes, end-systolic volumes were significantly larger (P < 0.0005) in the patients with mitral stenosis (av=64.6 ml) than in normal subjects (30.8 ml). Correspondingly, left ventricular ejection fractions were significantly lower (P < 0.0005) in the patients with mitral stenosis (55.7%) than in the normal subjects (76.7%). Qualitative analysis of the cineangiocardiograms demonstrated that 20 patients with mitral stenosis had distortion, immobility, and rigidity of the posterobasal area of the left ventricle.It is hypothesized that a rigid “mitral complex” immobilizes the posterobasal area of the left ventricle in patients with mitral stenosis, thereby impairing left ventricular contraction, and that this impairment is an important factor in the reduced cardiac output of these patients.
Revealing metabolic phenotypes in plants: inputs from NMR analysis

Assessing the performance of the plant metabolic network, with its varied biosynthetic capacity and its characteristic subcellular compartmentation, remains a considerable challenge. The complexity of the network is such that it is not yet possible to build large‐scale predictive models of the fluxes it supports, whether on the basis of genomic and gene expression analysis or on the basis of more traditional measurements of metabolites and their interconversions. This limits the agronomic and biotechnological exploitation of plant metabolism, and it undermines the important objective of establishing a rational metabolic engineering strategy. Metabolic analysis is central to removing this obstacle and currently there is particular interest in harnessing high‐throughput and/or large‐scale analyses to the task of defining metabolic phenotypes. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy contributes to this objective by providing a versatile suite of analytical techniques for the detection of metabolites and the fluxes between them.
Within-species variation in foliar chemistry influences leaf-litter decomposition in a Utah river

Abstract Leaf-litter inputs provide substrate and energy to stream systems. These contributions vary based on species-specific differences in litter quality, but little is known about how differences in litter quality within a species can affect ecosystem processes. Genetic variation within tree species, such as oaks and cottonwoods, affects ecosystem processes including decomposition and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems and has the potential to do the same in streams. We collected litter from 5 genotypes of each of 4 different cottonwood cross types (Populus fremontii, Populus angustifolia, and natural F1 and backcross hybrids), grown in a common garden, and measured their decomposition rates using litter bags in the Weber River, Utah. The proportion of 35 species-specific P. fremontii restriction-fragment length polymorphism markers in the genotype explained 46% and genetically controlled phytochemical mechanisms (e.g., % soluble condensed tannin in litter) explained >72% of the variation in leaf-litter decomposition rate, respectively. Understanding how natural genetic variation in plants can affect ecosystem processes will provide baseline information with which to address the loss of genetic variation (through habitat fragmentation and global change) and altered genetic variation through hybridization with cultivars and transgenic manipulations in the wild.
Factors influencing an increase in spontaneous transmitter release by hypoxia at the mouse neuromuscular junction.

To test a possibility that the functional buffering of intracellular Ca2+ plays a primary role in the enhancement of spontaneous transmitter release during hypoxia, the frequency of miniature end‐plate potentials (m.e.p.p.s) was examined under several conditions. At 36 degrees C, hypoxia (bubbling with 95% N2 and 5% CO2) increased the average frequency of m.e. p.p.s from about 3 s‐1 to 100 s‐1 or more, in a standard Krebs‐Ringer solution. This effect declined with a decrease in the temperature and was much reduced at 24 degrees C. Removal of external Ca2+ (addition of 2 mM‐EGTA), increase of Mg2+ levels to 5 mM, and treatment with 20 microM‐ouabain, which gave a slight increase, did not reduce the rise in m.e. p.p. frequency during hypoxia. Pre‐incubation of the tissue in a solution containing 10 mM‐KCl at 24‐32 degrees C and its subsequent exposure to hypoxia caused a very marked increase in m.e. p.p. frequency, while incubation in 10 mM‐KCl alone caused a small rise in the frequency. These data indicate that this combination potentiates the individual effects of each treatment. These experiments suggest that the hypoxia‐induced increase in spontaneous transmitter release is primarily due to an increase in intracellular Ca2+ levels, probably because of inhibition of mechanisms which control buffering and extrusion of intracellular Ca2+. The release and influx mechanisms which elevate intraterminal Ca2+ may also be involved passively in the effect of hypoxia.
Sweetness and Food Preference123

Human desire for sweet taste spans all ages, races, and cultures. Throughout evolution, sweetness has had a role in human nutrition, helping to orient feeding behavior toward foods providing both energy and essential nutrients. Infants and young children in particular base many of their food choices on familiarity and sweet taste. The low cost and ready availability of energy-containing sweeteners in the food supply has led to concerns that the rising consumption of added sugars is the driving force behind the obesity epidemic. Low-calorie sweeteners are one option for maintaining sweet taste while reducing the energy content of children’s diets. However, their use has led to further concerns that dissociating sweetness from energy may disrupt the balance between taste response, appetite, and consumption patterns, especially during development. Further studies, preferably based on longitudinal cohorts, are needed to clarify the developmental trajectory of taste responses to low-calorie sweeteners and their potential impact on the diet quality of children and youth.
Continuous Amortization: A Non-Probabilistic Adaptive Analysis Technique

Let f be a univariate polynomial with real coefficients, f ∈ R[X]. Subdivision algorithms based on algebraic techniques (e.g., Sturm or Descartes methods) are widely used for isolating the roots of f in a given interval. In this paper, we consider subdivision algorithms based on purely numerical primitives such as function evaluation. Such methods have adaptive complexity, are local, and are also applicable when f is transcendental. The complexity analysis of adaptive algorithms is a new challenge for computer science. In this paper, we introduce a form of continuous amortization for adaptive complexity. Our analysis is applied to an evaluation-based root isolation algorithm called EVAL. EVAL is based on an algorithm of Mitchell and can also be seen as a 1-dimensional analogue of algorithms by Plantinga and Vegter for meshing curves and surfaces. The algorithm itself is simple, but its complexity analysis is not. Our main result is an O(d3(log d+L)) bound on the subdivision-tree size of EVAL for the benchmark problem of isolating all real roots of a square-free integer polynomial f of degree d and logarithmic height L. Our proof introduces several novel techniques: First, we provide an adaptive upper bound on the complexity of EVAL using an integral, analogous to integral bounds provided by Ruppert in a different context. Such integrals can be viewed as a form of continuous amortization. In addition, we use two algebraic amortization techniques: one is based on the standard Mahler-Davenport root bounds, but the other, based on evaluation bounds, is new.
CYCLIN-DEPENDENT KINASE G1 Is Associated with the Spliceosome to Regulate CALLOSE SYNTHASE5 Splicing and Pollen Wall Formation in Arabidopsis[C][W][OA]

CDKG1 directly regulates the splicing of CalS5 pre-mRNA for callose wall synthesis and pollen wall formation in Arabidopsis. CDKs are not only key regulators of the cell cycle, but also splicing regulators for other cellular processes, including pollen wall formation. Arabidopsis thaliana CYCLIN-DEPEDENT KINASE G1 (CDKG1) belongs to the family of cyclin-dependent protein kinases that were originally characterized as cell cycle regulators in eukaryotes. Here, we report that CDKG1 regulates pre-mRNA splicing of CALLOSE SYNTHASE5 (CalS5) and, therefore, pollen wall formation. The knockout mutant cdkg1 exhibits reduced male fertility with impaired callose synthesis and abnormal pollen wall formation. The sixth intron in CalS5 pre-mRNA, a rare type of intron with a GC 5′ splice site, is abnormally spliced in cdkg1. RNA immunoprecipitation analysis suggests that CDKG1 is associated with this intron. CDKG1 contains N-terminal Ser/Arg (RS) motifs and interacts with splicing factor Arginine/Serine-Rich Zinc Knuckle-Containing Protein33 (RSZ33) through its RS region to regulate proper splicing. CDKG1 and RS-containing Zinc Finger Protein22 (SRZ22), a splicing factor interacting with RSZ33 and U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle (snRNP) component U1-70k, colocalize in nuclear speckles and reside in the same complex. We propose that CDKG1 is recruited to U1 snRNP through RSZ33 to facilitate the splicing of the sixth intron of CalS5.
0 30 50 32 v 1 1 5 M ay 2 00 3 Topology and Phase Transitions : Theorem on a necessary relation

We prove a theorem that establishes a necessary topological condition for the occurrence of first or second order phase transitions; in order for these to occur, the topology of certain submanifolds of configuration space must necessarily change at the phase transition point. The theorem applies to a wide class of smooth, finite-range and confining potentials V bounded below, describing systems confined in finite regions of space with continuously varying coordinates. The relevant configuration space submanifolds are the level sets {Σv := V −1 N (v)}v∈R of the potential function V , N is the number of degrees of freedom and v is the potential energy. The proof proceeds by showing that, under the assumption of diffeomorphicity of the equipotential hypersurfaces {Σv}v∈R in an arbitrary interval of values for v, the Helmoltz free energy is uniformly convergent in N to its thermodynamic limit, at least within the class of twice differentiable functions, in the corresponding interval of temperature.
Carbon nanotubes for the delivery of therapeutic molecules

Functionalised carbon nanotubes (f-CNTs) are emerging as new tools in the field of nanobiotechnology and nanomedicine. This is because they can be easily manipulated and modified by encapsulation with biopolymers or by covalent linking of solubilising groups to the external walls and tips. The possibility of incorporating f-CNTs into biological systems has opened the way to the exploration of their potential applications in biology and medicinal chemistry. Within the different fields of applications (i.e., biosensors, composite materials, molecular electronics), one use of CNTs is as new carrier systems for the delivery of therapeutic molecules. Research discussed in this review is focused on recent advances in the development of CNT technology for the delivery of drugs, antigens and genes.
Biodiesel Production from Castor Oil and Its Application in Diesel Engine

In this study, the optimum biodiesel conversion from crude castor oil to castor biodiesel (CB) through transesterification method was investigated. The base catalyzed transesterification under different reactant proportion such as the molar ratio of alcohol to oil and mass ratio of catalyst to oil was studied for optimum production of castor biodiesel. The optimum condition for base catalyzed transesterification of castor oil was determined to be 1:4.5 of oil to methanol ratio and 0.005:1 of potassium hydroxide to oil ratio. The fuel properties of the produced CB such as the calorific value, flash point and density were analyzed and compared to conventional diesel. Diesel engine performance and emission test on different CB blends proved that CB was suitable to be used as diesel blends. CB was also proved to have lower emission compared to conventional diesel.