Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electrophysiological events during neuroeffector transmission in the spleen of guinea‐pigs and rats.

Intracellular recordings were made from smooth muscle cells of arterioles and the capsule of the spleen of guinea‐pig and rat, and the responses to periarterial or subcapsular nerve stimulation were recorded. The innervation of the spleen was studied using fluorescence and immunohistochemical techniques. Catecholamine‐containing axons were associated with smooth muscle of the splenic capsule, trabeculae, arterioles and amongst cells of the periarteriolar lymphoid sheath. Axons immunoreactive for neuropeptide Y (NPY) and tyrosine hydroxylase were distributed in an identical manner to catecholamine‐containing axons, whereas axons immunoreactive for substance P or calcitonin gene‐related peptide were present at a very low density in spleens from both species. In segments of arterioles, single transmural stimuli evoked excitatory junction potentials (EJPs) of 1‐10 mV amplitude. EJPs facilitated during short trains of stimuli (1‐10 Hz) and summated at 10 Hz, often initiating a muscle action potential. EJPs persisted in the presence of prazosin (1 microM) and idazoxan (1 microM), but were abolished by the P2x‐purinoceptor antagonist suramin (1 mM). Spontaneous depolarizations were observed in smooth muscle cells of arterioles and capsule. Some events in arterioles were observed in the presence of suramin and so may originate postjunctionally independently of transmitter release. As single transmural stimuli failed to evoke a depolarization in capsular smooth muscle, spontaneous depolarizations in this tissue probably also arise postjunctionally. Short trains of high frequency stimuli (10‐35 Hz) evoked biphasic depolarizations of capsular smooth muscle cells. The initial component peaked 2.5 s following the onset of stimulation; the second component peaked 15 s following the onset and decayed exponentially with a time constant of 15 s. By fitting a product of exponentials to the second component, it was possible to define the initial component, which decayed with a time constant of around 1.5 s. Neurally evoked depolarizations of capsular smooth muscle were abolished by 1 microM TTX. Blockade of alpha 1‐adrenoceptors with prazosin reduced the initial component of the depolarization, whereas alpha 2‐adrenoceptor blockade with idazoxan virtually abolished the second component. In some cells a small, faster depolarization persisted after alpha‐adrenoceptor blockade. The slow alpha 2‐adrenoceptor‐mediated depolarization was identical to that recorded in the rat tail artery and in the guinea‐pig mesenteric vein. The data indicate that sympathetic neuroeffector transmission from noradrenergic axons containing NPY to splenic arterial and capsular smooth muscle occur by different mechanisms.
Structural tuning of nanogaps using field-emission-induced electromigration with bipolar biasing

We report a new approach for the fabrication of nanogaps using electromigration method induced by a field emission current. The method is so-called “activation” and is demonstrated here by a current source with alternately reversing polarities. The activation procedure with alternating current bias, in which the polarity of the current source alternates between positive and negative bias, is performed with planar nanogaps of Ni defined on SiO2/Si substrates at room temperature. During negative biasing, a Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) field emission current flows from source to drain electrode. Therefore, Ni atoms at the tip of the drain electrode are activated and then are migrated across the gap from drain to source electrode. On the other hand, in the positive case, the field emission current moves the activated atoms from source to drain electrode. These two procedures were repeated until the tunnel resistance of the nanogaps was successively decreased from 100 TΩ to 48 kΩ. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) indicated that the separation of the gap became narrower from approximately 95 nm to less than a few nm, which is due to the Ni atoms accumulated at the tip of both source and drain electrodes. These results suggest that the alternately biased activation, which is a newly proposed atom transfer technique, can successfully control the tunnel resistance of nanogaps and is suitable for the formation of ultrasmall nanostructures of interest.
Realization of affine SIFT real-time image processing for home service robot

This paper mainly discusses the realization of affine Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) real-time image processing method for “May” who is a home service robot designed and implemented by aiRobots laboratory. Firstly, a six-step method is proposed to create image database. Then the SIFT algorithm is adopted to detect features with this database, the error rate of features is reduced. Integration of the six-step method and SIFT can significantly decrease time for setting up the database. Thirdly, the object-recognition vision system is built up by parallel Affine-SIFT (ASIFT) algorithm, where the OpenGL is used to reduce the calculation time of affine projection and SiftGPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is adopted to accomplish the real-time operation speed of SIFT. Finally, the real-time grasping experiments demonstrate the feasibility and validity of the proposed scheme.
Short-term Measurements of Surface Currents Associated with the Alboran Sea Gyre during Donde Va?

Abstract During the period 6–18 October 1982, six flights by a U.S. Navy research aircraft were made over the Alboran Sea Gyre as part of the Donde Va? experiment. During five of these flights sonobuoys were dropped in a linear pattern designed to show the temporal and spatial variability of the currents that constitute the gyre. A normal development consisted of approximately 15 sonobuoys dropped along the longitudinal line 4°45′W from the Spanish coast to within 30 km of the Moroccan coast. During the following 4 hours, the sonobuoys were relocated twice, their positions noted, and their individual drift speeds and directions derived. Aircraft precision radiation temperature and aircraft expendable bathythermograph data were collected concurrently with the sonobuoy drops to determine the thermal structure of the water during the drift period. Inertial navigation winds, (at the 300-m altitude of the aircraft) as well as other meteorological data, were also collected. Analysis of these data shows that at .
Ultrasonic wireless power and data communication for neural stimulation

Wireless neural stimulation has gained wide interest, as it has potential in several clinical applications such as deep brain stimulation and neuromuscular stimulation. Most of the exiting wireless power and data transmission methods are using electromagnetic waves in the radio frequency range. However, the power transmission in this case often has limited penetration. In this study, we propose ultrasound as vehicles for both power and data transmission for wireless, implantable neural stimulation. The main advantage is that ultrasound in the MHz range can be focused at depth, thus providing an effective way for power transmission under FDA safety limits. In addition, the weak acoustic scattering in soft tissues also allows accurate data communication with the implanted device using ultrasound. To demonstrate the feasibility, we have designed and fabricated a prototype device, which consists of a PVDF transducer (1MHz center frequency and 6 mm diameter) and a custom design IC that performs AC-DC conversion and decoding of the ultrasound signals for controlling the neural stimulator. power is measured and compared to the power consumption required by the stimulation circuit. Variations of amplitude-shift keying (ASK), frequency-shift keying (FSK) and phase-shift keying (PSK) are all tested and bit error rates (BERs) are calculated to assess performance of different coding schemes. A tissue mimicking phantom with speckle generating background and acoustic attenuation at 0.5dB/MHz/cm is used during measurements. At an acoustic power of 112 mW from the transmit transducer, 4.15 mW can be received and made available by the device, which only consumes a power of 1,8 mW for neural stimulation. A BER of 10-6 at 25 kbps data rate is achieved. With the current device, it is possible to increase the transmission power to as high as 19.76 mW without exceeding the FDA safety limits (Ispta=720 mW/cm2). A smaller transducer can also be used to reduce the size of the implantable device. Feasibility of ultrasonic wireless neural stimulation is clearly demonstrated.
Cardiovascular risk factors and cognitive decline in adults aged 50 and over: a population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVES the objective of the present study was to explore the association between cardiovascular risk and cognitive decline in adults aged 50 and over. METHODS participants were older adults who participated in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Outcome measures included standardised z-scores for global cognition, memory and executive functioning. Associations between cardiovascular risk factors and 10-year Framingham risk scores with cognitive outcomes at 4-year and 8-year follow-ups were estimated. RESULTS the mean age of participants (n = 8,780) at 2004-05 survey was 66.93 and 55% were females. Participants in the highest quartile of Framingham stroke risk score (FSR) had lower global cognition (b = -0.73,CI: -1.37, -0.10), memory (b = -0.56, CI: -0.99, -0.12) and executive (b = -0.37, CI: -0.74, -0.01) scores at 4-year follow-up compared with those in the lower quartile. Systolic blood pressure ≥160 mmHg at 1998-2001 survey was associated with lower global cognitive (b = -1.26, CI: -2.52, -0.01) and specific memory (b = -1.16, CI: -1.94, -0.37) scores at 8-year follow-up. Smoking was consistently associated with lower performance on all three cognitive outcomes. CONCLUSION elevated cardiovascular risk may be associated with accelerated decline in cognitive functioning in the elderly. Future intervention studies may be better focused on overall risk rather than individual risk factor levels.
“I never thought that it would happen … ” Experiences of HIV seroconverters among HIV-discordant partnerships in a prospective HIV prevention study in Kenya

ABSTRACT In spite of access to behavioral and biomedical HIV prevention strategies, HIV transmission occurs. For HIV-serodiscordant couples, prevention programs can be tailored to address individual and couples’ needs to preserve their relationship while minimizing HIV risk. Programs for serodiscordant couples may benefit from learning from experiences of couples who transmit HIV. We conducted 20 individual in-depth interviews with 10 initially HIV-serodiscordant couples who transmitted HIV during prospective follow-up at a peri-urban research site in Thika, Kenya. Data were analyzed inductively to identify situations that led to prevention failure and coping mechanisms. Inconsistent condom use driven by low HIV risk perception and alcohol use often preceded seroconversion while persistent blame frequently hindered couples’ communication soon after seroconversion. In this emerging era of antiretroviral-based HIV prevention, couples’ counseling can capitalize on opportunities to foster a supportive environment to discuss initiation and adherence to time-limited pre-exposure prophylaxis and lifelong antiretroviral therapy, in addition to strategies to reduce alcohol use, diffuse blame, and use condoms.
Analyzing the impact of the adaptive clearing mechanism on algorithm accuracy in Variable Mesh Optimization

The area of population-based meta-heuristics has been researched extensively in recent years. The focus of this research has been on finding improvements and variations to existing algorithms while the inner details, that are treated as a black box, remain poorly understood. The purpose of this paper is to uncover the detailed behavior of Variable Mesh Optimization (VMO), a population-based meta-heuristic, and describe the patterns that drive the algorithm in finding new optima. Our results suggest that, in VMO, the improvement of the best solution is strongly correlated with its adaptive clearing mechanism. It is observed that each relaxation of the threshold that is used by the mechanism, is likely to increase the accuracy of the final solution. These findings suggest that future research, aiming to improve algorithm accuracy, could focus on improving the adaptive clearing mechanism in order to increase the likelihood of creating superior algorithms.
Scolosaurus cutleri (Ornithischia: Ankylosauria) from the Upper Cretaceous Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta, Canada

The synonymy of the ankylosaurid dinosaur Scolosaurus with Euoplocephalus has been widely accepted since the 1970s. However, Scolosaurus cutleri exhibits differences which separate it from Euoplocephalus tutus and Dyoplosaurus acutosquameus. Although the holotype of Euoplocephalus is fragmentary, several other specimens can be reliably referred to this taxon and thus used for comparison. Scolosaurus differs from Euoplocephalus in cervical half-ring, osteoderm, and forelimb morphology. Scolosaurus differs from Dyoplosaurus primarily in pelvic morphology and osteoderm shape. Recognition of Scolosaurus as a valid taxon adds to the growing concept that the Upper Cretaceous ankylosaurid fauna of North America was more diverse than previously thought.
Role of Penicillium chrysogenum XJ-1 in the Detoxification and Bioremediation of Cadmium

Microbial bioremediation is a promising technology to treat heavy metal-contaminated soils. However, the efficiency of filamentous fungi as bioremediation agents remains unknown, and the detoxification mechanism of heavy metals by filamentous fungi remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the cell morphology and antioxidant systems of Penicillium chrysogenum XJ-1 in response to different cadmium (Cd) concentrations (0–10 mM) by using physico-chemical and biochemical methods. Cd in XJ-1 was mainly bound to the cell wall. The malondialdehyde level in XJ-1 cells was increased by 14.82–94.67 times with the increase in Cd concentration. The activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase (GR), and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) peaked at 1 mM Cd, whereas that of catalase peaked at 5 mM Cd. Cd exposure increased the glutathione/oxidized glutathione ratio and the activities of GR and G6PDH in XJ-1. These results suggested that the Cd detoxification mechanism of XJ-1 included biosorption, cellular sequestration, and antioxidant defense. The application of XJ-1 in Cd-polluted soils (5–50 mg kg-1) successfully reduced bioavailable Cd and increased the plant yield, indicating that this fungus was a promising candidate for in situ bioremediation of Cd-polluted soil.
The Structure of Dark Matter Halos in Hierarchical Clustering Theories

During hierarchical clustering, smaller masses generally collapse earlier than larger masses and so are denser on the average. The core of a small-mass halo could be dense enough to resist disruption and survive undigested when it is incorporated into a larger object. We explore the possibility that a nested sequence of undigested cores in the center of the halo that have survived the hierarchical, inhomogeneous collapse to form larger and larger objects determines the halo structure in the inner regions. For a flat universe with P(k) ∝ kn, scaling arguments then suggest that the core density profile is ρ ∝ r-α, with α = (9 + 3n)/(5 + n). For any n < 1, the signature of undigested cores is a core density profile shallower than ρ ∝ 1/r2 and dependent on the power spectrum. For typical objects formed from a cold dark matter (CDM)-like power spectrum, the effective value of n is close to -2, and thus α could typically be near 1, the Navarro, Frenk, & White (NFW) value. Velocity dispersions should also decrease with decreasing radius within the core. However, whether such behavior holds depends on detailed dynamics. We first examine the dynamics using a fluid approach to the self-similar collapse solutions for the dark matter phase-space density, including the effect of velocity dispersions. We highlight the importance of tangential velocity dispersions to obtain density profiles shallower than 1/r2 in the core regions. If tangential velocity dispersions in the core are constrained to be less than the radial dispersion, a cuspy core density profile shallower than 1/r cannot hold in self-similar collapse. We then look at the profiles of the outer halos in low-density cosmological models in which the total halo mass is convergent. We find a limiting r-4 outer profile for the open case and a limiting outer profile for the Λ-dominated case, which approaches the form [1 - (r/λ)-3ϵ]1/2, where 3ϵ is the logarithmic slope of the initial density profile. Finally, we analyze a suite of dark halo density and velocity dispersion profiles obtained in cosmological N-body simulations of models with n = 0, -1, and -2. The core-density profiles show considerable scatter in their properties, but nevertheless do appear to reflect a memory of the initial power spectrum, with steeper initial spectra producing flatter core profiles. These results apply as well for low-density cosmological models (Ωmatter = 0.2-0.3), since high-density cores were formed early, where Ωmatter ≈ 1.
A Survey on Energy Efficient Wireless Sensor Networks for Bicycle Performance Monitoring Application

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have greatly advanced in the past few decades and are now widely used, especially for remote monitoring; the list of potential uses seems endless. Three types of wireless sensor technologies (Bluetooth, ZigBee, and ANT) have been used to monitor the biomechanical and physiological activities of bicycles and cyclists, respectively. However, the wireless monitoring of these activities has faced some challenges. The aim of this paper is to highlight various methodologies for monitoring cycling to provide an effective and efficient way to overcome the various challenges and limitations of sports cycling using wireless sensor interfaces. Several design criteria were reviewed and compared with different solutions for the implementation of current WSN research, such as low power consumption, long distance communications, small size, and light weight. Conclusions were drawn after observing the example of an advanced and adaptive network technology (ANT) network highlighting reduced power consumption and prolonged battery life. The power saving achieved in the slave node was 88–95% compared to the similar ANT protocol used in the medical rehabilitation.
Histoire de l'invasion d'une plante introduite, Miconia calvescens, dans une île polynésienne, Tahiti

Miconia calvescens DC. (Melastomataceae) une espece arborescente du sous-bois, originaire d'Amerique centrale, a ete introduite a Tahiti en 1937 en raison de ses caracteristiques ornementales. Durant une trentaine d'annees, elle s'est contenue aux abords des jardins, dans les forets secondaires ou en sous-bois de foret primaire. Depuis, elle s'est repandue dans toutes les formations hygrophiles de basse et moyenne altitude entrainant la disparition irremediable de plusieurs especes endemiques. Actuellement elle occupe 75 % de la surface de cette ile, couvre la majeure partie de Moorea et gagne activement les autres iles de l'archipel de la Societe. Dispersee aleatoirement, elle s'insinue dans les forets tahitiennes caracterisees par la petite taille des arbres dominants et, progressivement atteint la voute forestiere, depasse les emergents pour former une nouvelle canopee monospecifique qui impose des conditions micro climatiques du sous-bois incompatibles avec les exigences ecologiques des especes indigenes. A travers toute une serie de parametres, propres au milieu insulaire, aux conditions climatiques ou a la biologie de l'espece, cet article montre que la fragilite d'une ile vis-a-vis des plantes allochtones est liee a des parametres fondamentaux tels la structure forestiere ou la biologie de la reproduction mais depend egalement de parametres aleatoires tels que des evenements climatiques ou l'introduction involontaire d'un oiseau.
PD+ Based Output Feedback Attitude Control of Rigid Bodies

We address the problem of output feedback attitude control of a rigid body in quaternion coordinate space via a modified PD+ based tracking controller. Angular velocity is replaced by a low-gain dynamic extension. The controller ensures fast convergence to the desired operating point during transient maneuvers, while keeping the gains small. This contributes to diminishing the sensitivity to measurement noise hence, energy consumption may be expected to drop along with a decrease of the residual. More precisely, we show uniform practical asymptotic stability of the equilibrium point for the closed loop system in the presence of unknown, bounded input disturbances. Simulation results illustrate the performance improvement with respect to PD+ based output feedback control with static gains.
Microtubule disruption induced in vivo by alkylation of beta-tubulin by 1-aryl-3-(2-chloroethyl)ureas, a novel class of soft alkylating agents.

We have previously reported that 4-tert-butyl-[3-(2-chloroethyl)ureido] benzene (4-tBCEU), a potent cytotoxic agent, modulates the synthesis of tubulins, suggesting that its cytotoxicity may be mediated through an antimicrotubule mechanism. Indeed, 4-tBCEU and its 4-iso-propyl (4-isopropyl [3-(2-chloroethyl)ureido] benzene) and 4-sec-butyl (4-sec-butyl [3-(2-chloroethyl)ureido] benzene) homologues induced disruption of the cytoskeleton and arrest of the cell cycle in G2 transition and mitosis. To better understand the mechanisms responsible for microtubule disruption by 1-aryl-3-(2-chloroethyl)ureas (CEU), we first examined their cytotoxicity on Chinese hamster ovary cells resistant to vinblastine and colchicine due to the expression of mutated tubulins (CHO-VV 3-2). These cells showed resistance to CEU, e.g., 4-tBCEU having an IC50 of 21.3+/-1.1 microM as compared with an IC50 of 11.6+/-0.7 microM for wild-type cells, suggesting a direct effect of the drugs on tubulins. Western blot analysis confirmed the disruption of microtubules and evidenced the formation of an additional immunoreactive beta-tubulin with an apparent lower molecular weight on SDS polyacrylamide gel. Incubation of MDA-MB-231 cells with [urea-14C]-4-tBCEU revealed the presence of a radioactive protein that coincided with the additional beta-tubulin band, indicating that CEU could covalently bind to the beta-tubulin. The 4-tBCEU-binding site on beta-tubulin was identified by competition of the CEU with colchicine, vinblastine, and iodoacetamide, a specific alkylating agent of sulfhydryl groups of cysteine residues. Colchicine, but not vinblastine, prevented the formation of the additional beta-tubulin band, suggesting that 4-tBCEU alkylates either Cys239 or Cys354 residues near the colchicine-binding site. To determine the cysteine residue alkylated by 4-tBCEU, we incubated the radiolabeled drug with human neuroblastoma cells (SK-N-SH) that overexpress the betaIII-tubulin, an isoform where Cys239 is replaced by a serine residue. The results clearly showed that betaIII-tubulin is not alkylated by [urea-14C]-4-tBCEU, suggesting that cysteine 239 residue is essential for the reactivity of 4-tBCEU with beta-tubulin. Taken together, these findings indicate that the mechanism of cytotoxicity of CEU involves microtubule depolymerization through alkylation of beta-tubulin.