Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Application of the Golgi/electron microscopy technique for cell identification in immunocytochemical, retrograde labeling, and developmental studies of hippocampal neurons

In this study the Golgi/electron microscopy (EM) technique has been used for an analysis of the fine structure, specific synaptic connections, and differentiation of neurons in the hippocampus and fascia dentata of rodents. In a first series of experiments the specific synaptic contacts formed between cholinergic terminals and identified hippocampal neurons were studied. By means of a variant of the section Golgi impregnation procedure, Vibratome sections immunostained for choline acetyltransferase, the acetylcholine‐synthesizing enzyme, were Golgi‐impregnated in order to identify the target neurons of cholinergic terminals in the hippocampus. It could be shown with this combined approach that cholinergic septohippocampal fibers form a variety of synapses with different target structures of the Golgi‐impregnated and gold‐toned hippocampal neurons. In this report cholinergic synapses on the heads of small spines, the necks of large complex spines, dendritic shafts, and cell bodies of identified dentate granule cells are described. The variety of cholinergic synapses suggests that cholinergic transmission in the fascia dentata is a complex event.
Increasing performance by differentiated teaching? Experimental evidence of the student benefits of digital differentiation

This paper explores the effect of digital differentiation on student performance using a randomized experiment. The experiment is conducted in a second year biology class among 115 prevocational students in the Netherlands. Differentiation allowed students in the treatment group to work at three different levels. The results show that there is a significant effect of digital differentiation on the posttest score. This effect is robust to adding covariates such as students' ability, grade repetition, age, gender, class and average neighborhood income. There are no differential effects when dividing students in three groups, by ability. The results imply that differentiation in large classrooms is possible and beneficial for all students, once done digitally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Rhesus monkey copulation calls: honest signals for female choice?

In a wide variety of mating systems, female choice is based on the assessment of male signals, both morphological and behavioural, presumed to correlate with fitness. A crucial problem, therefore, is for females to determine whether the signal represents an ‘honest’ reflection of male fitness. A dominant theoretical perspective in evolutionary biology suggests that signals are honest if and only if they are costly to produce. At present, there are relatively few empirical studies of the costs and benefits of signalling in the mating context, and this is especially the case for Primates. In this paper, I examine the possibility that copulations calls – vocalizations that often elicit aggressive competition within the mating arena – are honest signals of male quality. Observations of rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) mating behaviour reveal that the proportion of copulating males who call decreases as competition for oestrous females increases. Males who call during copulation are more likely to be aggressively attacked than males who are silent during copulation. However, males who give copulation calls obtain more matings than males who do not, and this is true for high- and low-ranking males. Because of the cost–benefit tradeoffs, copulation calls are interpreted as honest indicators of quality that may serve an important function in female mate choice.
Constructed identity and social machines: a case study in creative media production

Current discussions of social machines rightly emphasise a human's role as a crucial part of a system rather than a user of a system. The human `parts' are typically considered in terms of their aggregate outcomes and collective behaviours, but human participants are rarely all equal, even within a small system. We argue that due to the complex nature of online identity, understanding participants in a more granular way is crucial for social machine observation and design. We present the results of a study of the personas portrayed by participants in a social machine that produces creative media content, and discover that inconsistent or misleading representations of individuals do not necessarily undermine the system in which they are participating. We describe a preliminary framework for making sense of human participants in social machines, and the ongoing work that develops this further.
Does a pre-exercise carbohydrate feeding improve a 20-km cross-country ski performance?

AIM Carbohydrates are known to improve exercise performance, but their effects on actual competitions are not studied in detail. Aim of the present work was to evaluate the effects of maltodextrins ingestion on a simulated cross-country ski competition. METHODS Ten athletes (15-24 years) repeated twice, in random order, a 20-km time-trial; 45 min prior to the start, they consumed 508+/-64 mL of a beverage containing either 0.7 g x kg(-1) body mass of maltodextrins or carbohydrate free placebo. RESULTS Blood glucose, lactate and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured periodically; heart rate was acquired continuously. Maltodextrins ingestion did not affect the increase in lactate and RPE at the end of the trial (5.2+/-3.7 mmol x L(-1) and 17.5+/-2.2), nor heart rate, which was constant throughout the exercises (177.1+/-4.3 bpm). The environmental conditions changed statistically in the second experimental session (-10.2+/-1.8 degrees C vs -0.8+/-0.5 degrees C for snow temperature, P<0.05), giving rise to shorter performance times of all the athletes (67.9+/-5.9 min vs 63.5+/-5.8 min, P<0.005). Within each session, the average performance time of the athletes receiving maltodextrins was shorter, even if not significantly. However, the difference in performance time of the group fed with the maltodextrins the 2nd day, was statistically higher (6.1+/-1.7 min vs 3.4+/-1.5 min, P<0.03). The effects of maltodextrins ingestion were disentangled mathematically, leading to an estimated gain in performance time of 2%. CONCLUSIONS In spite of the different environmental conditions during the 2 experimental sessions, the illustrated results suggest an improvement of total performance time following the maltodextrins feeding.
Least squares order-recursive lattice smoothers

Conventional least squares order-recursive lattice (LSORL) filters use present and past data values to estimate the present value of a signal. This paper introduces LSORL smoothers which use past, present and future data for that purpose. Except for an overall delay needed for physical realization, LSORL smoothers can substantially outperform LSORL filters while retaining all the advantages of an order-recursive structure. >
Stimulation of NF-E2 DNA Binding by CREB-binding Protein (CBP)-mediated Acetylation*

The hematopoietic transcription factor NF-E2 is an important regulator of erythroid and megakaryocytic gene expression. The transcription cofactor cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB)-binding protein (CBP) has previously been implicated in mediating NF-E2 function. In this report, we examined the role of CBP, a coactivator with intrinsic acetyltransferase activity, in the regulation of NF-E2. We found that both the hematopoietic-specific subunit of NF-E2, p45, and the widely expressed small subunit, MafG, interact with CBP in vitro and in vivo. CBP acetylates MafG, but not p45, predominantly in the basic region of MafG. Immunoprecipitation experiments with anti-acetyl lysine antibodies demonstrate that MafG is acetylated in vivo in erythroid cells. Transfection experiments further show that CBP stimulates MafG acetylation in intact cells in an E1A-sensitive manner. Acetylation of MafG augments DNA binding activity of NF-E2, and mutations at the major acetylation sites markedly reduce DNA binding and transcriptional activation by NF-E2. Together, these results suggest that recruitment of CBP by NF-E2 to specific erythroid/megakaryocytic promoters might regulate transcription by at least two mechanisms involving both modification of chromatin structure and modulation of transcription factor activity.
Algebraic Specifications for OMA REL Licenses

OMA-Digital Rights Management System is a standard proposed by Open Mobile Alliance for protecting digital content distributed through mobile networks. In such a system, licenses are written in an appropriate language and used to ensure the fine grained consumption of contents. We claim that the Rights Expression Language (OMA-REL) does not rely on formal semantics. To address this problem we propose an abstract syntax for OMA-REL and write an algebraic specification of it using CafeOBJ, an executable algebraic specification language, with the future goal the creation of automated tools that check the behavior of a set of licenses under a certain environment.
An Underground Radio Wave Propagation Prediction Model for Digital Agriculture

Underground sensing and propagation of Signals in the Soil (SitS) medium is an electromagnetic issue. The path loss prediction with higher accuracy is an open research subject in digital agriculture monitoring applications for sensing and communications. The statistical data are predominantly derived from site-specific empirical measurements, which is considered an impediment to universal application. Nevertheless, in the existing literature, statistical approaches have been applied to the SitS channel modeling, where impulse response analysis and the Friis open space transmission formula are employed as the channel modeling tool in different soil types under varying soil moisture conditions at diverse communication distances and burial depths. In this article, an electromagnetic field analysis is presented as an enhanced monitoring approach for subsurface radio wave propagation and underground sensing applications in the field of digital agriculture. The signal strength results are shown for different distances and depths in the subsurface medium. The analysis shows that the lateral wave is the dominant wave in subsurface communications. Moreover, the shallow depths are more suitable for soil moisture sensing and long-range underground communications. The developed paradigm leads to advanced system design for real-time soil monitoring applications.
New Upper and Lower Bounds on Exponentially Weighted Average Length of Optimal Binary Prefix Codes

In this paper, we consider the exponentially weighted average codeword length introduced by Campbell as a performance measure for source codes. This criterion assumes that the cost is an exponential function of the codeword length and includes the usual expected codeword length criterion as a special case. Such situations could arise when the cost for encoding and decoding is significant, or if the buffer overflow caused by long codewords is a serious issue. Under Campbell's average codeword length criterion, we derive new upper and lower bounds on the exponentiated expected length of optimal binary prefix codes when partial information about the source symbol probabilities is available
Catch-up growth in small for gestational age babies: good or bad?

Purpose of reviewMost small for gestational age infants show rapid early postnatal growth and weight gain. Increasing trends towards childhood overweight and its metabolic consequences, and their epidemiological associations with lower birth weight, have led to critical assessments of the benefits and disadvantages of rapid early growth. Recent findingsIn the last 12 months, three systematic reviews have described the consistent association between rapid infancy growth and subsequent obesity risk in childhood and later life. Recent studies have also described the very early development of insulin resistance in small for gestational age children who show catch-up growth, and this insulin resistance may, in turn, adversely affect body composition, growth and puberty. Long-term randomized trials of growth hormone therapy, however, remind us of the persisting short stature and significant adult height deficit in untreated children without early spontaneous catch-up. SummaryEven in modern societies with low rates of childhood infection and mortality, the small for gestational age infant may face a dilemma over whether or not to catch up. Current nutritional strategies that promote catch-up growth should include some monitoring of weight-for-length and adiposity, and the concept of ‘healthy catch-up growth’ should be the goal of future research.
Total Phenolic and Caffeic Acid Contents in Roots of Solanum indicum L. from Different Agroclimatic Regions of Madhya Pradesh State of India

Introduction: Solanum indicum L. is one of the species of Dashmularishta, a wellestablished ayurvedic medicine used in the treatment of fatigue, oral sores and gynecological disorders. The present investigation dealt with the estimation of total phenolic and caffeic acid contents in roots of S. indicum from different agroclimatic regions of Madhya Pradesh. Materials and Methods: The roots were collected from 8 places of 7 agroclimatic regions of Madhya Pradesh following purposive sampling. Phenolic content was determined with spectrophotometric method and caffeic acid content was estimated using HPTLC device. Results: The roots from Indore (Malwa plateau) and Balaghat (Chhattisgarh plains) contained maximum (0.859%) and minimum (0.595%) phenolic content respectively. Similarly, the highest content of caffeic acid was detected in the roots (0.0198%) collected from Chhindwara and Betul (Satpura plateau) and lowest content (0.0084%) in roots of Amarkantak (Northern Hill’s Zone of Chhattisgarh). Conclusion: The present investigation revealed the highest phenolic content in root samples of Indore belonging to Malwa plateau and maximum content of caffeic acid in root samples of Chhindwara and Betul belonging to Satpura plateau agroclimatic regions. The populations of Chhindwara and Betul can be considered as superior chemotypes in terms of caffeic acid content and can be in-situ as well as ex-situ conserved for future.
Cyclophosphamide‐induced hemorrhagic cystitis successfully treated with conjugated estrogens

apeutic agents. Our patient developed this complication after receiving only 750 mg. The lowest previously reported single dose of cyclophosphamide followed by HC was 894 mg. Therapy is usually initiated with intensive intravenous hydration and forced diuresis. In cases of severe hematuria with clot formation, bladder irrigation is recommended to avoid bladder tamponade. Multiple treatment modalities have been tried; intravesical installation of agents such as alum, formalin, phenol, silver nitrate, prostaglandins, aminocaproic acid, and recombinant human granulocyte– macrophage colony-stimulating factor or systemic administration of agents as sodium pentosan, inhibitors of fibrinolysis and factor XIII concentrates, or recombinant factor VII. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment and the use of neodymium:YAG laser have been shown to be effective. In cases of life-threatening bleeding, surgical procedures have been used. We found five case reports or small case series where estrogens were used for the treatment of cyclophosphamide-induced HC with good results (Table I). From 25 patients treated, approximately 80% had complete or partial resolution of the hematuria. Only a case of histologically proven drug-induced hepatic steatosis was attributed to estrogen use. Break-through uterine bleeding is also a potential side effect. The mechanism by which estrogens control hematuria remains unclear, but there is some evidence that they affect the cellular and cytokine immune response during inflammation, enhance the healing of tissue damaged by trauma, and promote endothelial cell function. Our report emphasizes the need to prevent cyclophosphamide-induced hemorrhagic cystitis by hydration, forced diuresis, and MESNA and reaf-firms the role of estrogens.
A Performance Analysis of a Tightly Coupled GPS/Inertial System for Two Integrity Monitoring Methods

Use of an integrated GPS/inertial system can be effective in mitigating the effects of GPS signal interference such as intentional jamming. Currently the GPS/Inertial Working Group of RTCA SC-159 is developing requirements and test procedures for a tightly coupled GPS/inertial system. To support this Working Group, this paper investigates two of the key issues being addressed by the Working Group. The first issue is how well a tightly coupled GPS/inertial system can detect slowly growing errors. This paper investigates this issue for two integrity monitoring methods. The other issue relates to how long the system can coast upon complete loss of GPS signals caused by interference. Using analytic formulas, this paper determines maximum coasting times possible under various scenarios. BIOGRAPHY Dr. Young C. Lee is a Lead Engineer in the Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD) at The MITRE Corporation in McLean, Virginia. He has been working in the area of GPS integrity since 1986, in support of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Supporting the FAA’s Satellite Operational Implementation Team (SOIT), he made major contributions towards the development of Technical Standards Order (TSO)-C129 and subsequent use of the GPS for aviation navigation. Over these years, he presented many papers at the Institute of Navigation (ION) conferences, some of which were published in
A novel integrated AC choke for common-mode voltage suppression in power converter systems

This paper presents a novel three-phase choke that integrates the common-mode (CM) suppression and differential-mode (DM) filtering functions. The proposed choke provides a transformerless solution to issues caused by the switching common-mode voltage (CMV) in power converter systems. The magnetic core involves three bridge legs and a peripheral part on which one set (three-phase) of coils are wound. While the induced CM flux flows in the circumference; the DM flux fills in both the external core and bridge legs through the air gaps. A high CM-to-DM inductance ratio is generated by the mechanical assembly. Despite novelty of the structure, a traditional design method based on magnetic circuit calculation is applicable to the integrated choke, in which not only is the size/weight minimized, but a reasonably small core loss is also achieved. Comparison to separate DM and CM reactors demonstrates the benefits of integration in iron and copper material saving, volume and weight reduction and efficiency improvement. The finite element analysis (FEA) simulation and test results of the prototype are finally supplied to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the integrated choke.
Spinal cord degeneration in C57BL/6N mice following induction of experimental parkinsonism with MPTP

We examined neurodegeneration in spinal cord (SC) and role of such extra‐nigral degeneration in MPTP‐induced experimental parkinsonism in C57BL/6N mice. HPLC‐photodiode array analysis confirmed presence of the active neurotoxin MPP+ in SC after single injection of MPTP (25 mg/kg, i.p.). Mitochondrial enzyme monoamine oxidase‐B (MAO‐B) responsible for in vivo conversion of MPTP to MPP+ was inhibited in SC by pre‐treatment with l‐deprenyl, a specific inhibitor of MAO‐B. Besides in vitro conversion of MPTP to MPP+ occurred by SC mitochondrial preparation, which was inhibited by l‐deprenyl implicating SC as a specific target of MPTP‐neurotoxicity. Double immunofluorescent labeling and spectrofluorimetric assay via kynuramine oxidation showed MAO‐B expression and activity in SC neurons. Localization of dopamine transporter immunoreactivity in SC along with specific uptake of 3H‐MPP+ by SC synaptosomal preparation further confirmed SC as target of MPTP‐neurotoxicity. Compared with control, increased neuronal death on the seventh day in SC of mice injected with MPTP (2 × 25 mg/kg, at 6 h interval) strongly suggested SC degeneration in pre‐symptomatic phase of MPTP‐induced experimental parkinsonism. Such extra‐nigral neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease indicated novel molecular mechanism preceding nigrostriatal degeneration and suggested designing broad therapeutic intervention for this complex movement disorder.
Advances toward understanding the molecular biology of the Anaplasma-tick interface.

The genus Anaplasma includes a diverse group of tick-borne pathogens found exclusively within membrane-bound vacuoles in host cells. While A. marginale, A. centrale and A. ovis, vectored by Dermacentor and Rhipicephalus ticks, are host-specific for ruminants, A. phagocytophilum, vectored by Ixodes spp. , infects a wide range of hosts. In ticks Anaplasma undergoes a developmental cycle that is coordinated with the tick feeding cycle. Although research at the tick/Anaplasma interface is in its infancy, recent studies have provided evidence that Anaplasma infection and transmission is mediated by a molecular mechanism involving both tick cell and pathogen genes. Application of a growing array of molecular approaches, such as RNA interference, genomics and proteomics, are rapidly expanding our knowledge of the tick/pathogen interface. Targeting key tick cell molecules required for pathogen development in vaccine strategies may compromise the vector capacity of ticks for Anaplasma, thus reducing transmission and infection of vertebrates. Collectively, this information will likely lead to the development of dual target vaccines designed to protect vertebrates against tick infestations and prevent the transmission of pathogens.
2TL: A Scheduling Algorithm for Meeting the Latency Requirements of Bursty I/O Streams at User-Specified Percentiles

In a cloud data center, it is common for a storage system to be shared by front-end, user-interacting applications and back-end, data-intensive applications running on different virtual machines (VMs). Although it is necessary to meet the latency requirements of I/O streams generated by the VMs that execute the front-end applications, this can be difficult because: (1) often their latency requirements are specified at percentiles and (2) some of these streams issue requests in bursts. This paper proposes 2TL, a scheduling algorithm designed to meet the latency requirements of these applications. To meet latency requirements at user-specified percentiles, 2TL continuously controls the number of requests that expire before being serviced. To handle request bursts, it proactively adjusts scheduling parameters to avoid violations to latency requirements. We evaluated 2TL on a simulated RAID storage system using workloads that consist of concurrent I/O streams that cover a wide range of access characteristics, including burstiness. In this evaluation, latency requirements were specified at various percentiles found in the literature. When the storage system was sufficiently provisioned, it met the latency requirements of each workload without degrading storage system performance.