Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Polycystic ovary syndrome in bulimic women – an evaluation based on the new diagnostic criteria

An association between bulimia nervosa and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been suggested but also questioned. Since there is still a controversy about this issue, we investigated clinical and biochemical symptoms of PCOS according to the new diagnostic criteria in a large group of bulimic women compared with controls. Seventy-seven women with bulimia and 59 matched healthy women were investigated with respect to menstrual status, polycystic ovaries, hirsutism, acne and sex hormone levels. We found increased occurrence of menstrual disturbances, hirsutism and PCOS in bulimic women, whereas ovarian variables and acne did not differ from controls. Hirsutism score and indices of biologically active testosterone were positively correlated in bulimics but not in controls, while there were no major differences in serum androgens. In conclusion, this study supports an increased frequency of PCOS in bulimic women and may also indicate increased androgen sensitivity in these women. PCOS may promote bulimic behavior since androgens have appetite-stimulating effects and could impair impulse control. Menstrual disturbances and clinical signs of hyperandrogenism should be evaluated in bulimics in order to provide adequate medical care and treatment.
Three-dimensional printing of Hela cells for cervical tumor model in vitro

Advances in three-dimensional (3D) printing have enabled the direct assembly of cells and extracellular matrix materials to form in vitro cellular models for 3D biology, the study of disease pathogenesis and new drug discovery. In this study, we report a method of 3D printing for Hela cells and gelatin/alginate/fibrinogen hydrogels to construct in vitro cervical tumor models. Cell proliferation, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) protein expression and chemoresistance were measured in the printed 3D cervical tumor models and compared with conventional 2D planar culture models. Over 90% cell viability was observed using the defined printing process. Comparisons of 3D and 2D results revealed that Hela cells showed a higher proliferation rate in the printed 3D environment and tended to form cellular spheroids, but formed monolayer cell sheets in 2D culture. Hela cells in 3D printed models also showed higher MMP protein expression and higher chemoresistance than those in 2D culture. These new biological characteristics from the printed 3D tumor models in vitro as well as the novel 3D cell printing technology may help the evolution of 3D cancer study.
A pseudospectral method for trajectory optimization of free-floating space manipulator

An improved Gauss pseudospectral method with linear final state constraints is proposed to solve the trajectory optimization problem of free-floating space manipulator (FFSM) system. In this paper, the problem is transformed into a nonlinear programming problem (NLP) by states approximation at the Legendre-Gauss (LG) points and the boundary times. The differential of these states can be expressed as linear combinations of values at the discrete points approximately. Therefore, the FFSM dynamic equations and the cost function can be expressed as algebraic equations. The sequential quadratic programming (SQP) method is implemented to achieve the optimal trajectory. The planned joint angle trajectories are continuous, and the angular velocities at the initial and final time equal to zero. Numerical simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method is effective and available for solving the FFSM trajectory optimization problem.
Leadless pacing using induction technology: impact of pulse shape and geometric factors on pacing efficiency.

AIMS Leadless pacing can be done by transmitting energy by an alternating magnetic field from a subcutaneous transmitter unit (TU) to an endocardial receiver unit (RU). Safety and energy consumption are key issues that determine the clinical feasibility of this new technique. The aims of the study were (i) to evaluate the stimulation characteristics of the non-rectangular pacing pulses induced by the alternating magnetic field, (ii) to determine the extent and impact of RU movement caused by the beating heart, and (iii) to evaluate the influence of the relative position between TU and RU on pacing efficiency and energy consumption. METHODS AND RESULTS In the first step pacing efficiency and energy consumption for predefined positions were determined by bench testing. Subsequently, in a goat at five different ventricular sites (three in the right ventricle, two in the left ventricle) pacing thresholds using non-rectangular induction pulses were compared with conventional pulses. Relative position, defined by parallel distance, radial distance, and angulation between TU and RU, were determined in vivo by X-ray and an inclination angle measurement system. Bench testing showed that by magnetic induction for every alignment between TU and RU appropriate pulses can be produced up to a distance of 100 mm. In the animal experiment pacing thresholds were similar for non-rectangular pulses as compared with conventional pulse shapes. In all five positions with distances between 62 and 102 mm effective pacing was obtained in vivo. Variations in distance, displacement and angle caused by the beating heart did not cause loss of capture. At pacing threshold energy consumptions between 0.28 and 5.36 mJ were measured. Major determinants of energy consumption were distance and pacing threshold. CONCLUSION For any given RU position up to a distance of 100 mm reliable pacing using induction can be obtained. In anatomically crucial distances, up to 60 mm energy consumption is within a reasonable range.
Converting Sugars to Biofuels: Ethanol and Beyond.

: To date, the most significant sources of biofuels are starch- or sugarcane-based ethanol, which have been industrially produced in large quantities in the USA and Brazil, respectively. However, the ultimate goal of biofuel production is to produce fuels from lignocellulosic biomass-derived sugars with optimal fuel properties and compatibility with the existing fuel distribution infrastructure. To achieve this goal, metabolic pathways have been constructed to produce various fuel molecules that are categorized into fermentative alcohols (butanol and isobutanol), non-fermentative alcohols from 2-keto acid pathways, fatty acids-derived fuels and isoprenoid-derived fuels. This review will focus on current metabolic engineering efforts to improve the productivity and the yield of several key biofuel molecules. Strategies used in these metabolic engineering efforts can be summarized as follows: (1) identification of better enzymes; (2) flux control of intermediates and precursors; (3) elimination of competing pathways; (4) redox balance and cofactor regeneration; and (5) bypassing regulatory mechanisms. In addition to metabolic engineering approaches, host strains are optimized by improving sugar uptake and utilization, and increasing tolerance to toxic hydrolysates, metabolic intermediates and/or biofuel products.
Cutting evaluation costs: An investigation into early termination in genetic programming

Genetic programming is very computationally intensive, particularly in CPU time. A number of approaches to evaluation cost reduction have been proposed, among them early termination of evaluation (applicable in problem domains where estimates of the final fitness value are available during evaluation). Like all cost reduction techniques, early termination balances overall computation cost against the risk of finding worse solutions. We evaluate the influence of various properties of the problem domain - problem class, reliability of fitness estimates, trajectory of fitness estimates, and evolutionary trajectory - to determine whether any is able to predict the effects of early termination. There is little correlation with any of these, with one exception. Boolean problems see little change in running time, and hence only small changes in performance, are distinguished by both problem class, and each of the other metrics.
Temperature Sensitivity of Cardiac Function in Pelagic Fishes with Different Vertical Mobilities: Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares), Bigeye Tuna (Thunnus obesus), Mahimahi (Coryphaena hippurus), and Swordfish (Xiphias gladius)

We measured the temperature sensitivity, adrenergic sensitivity, and dependence on sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ of ventricular muscle from pelagic fishes with different vertical mobility patterns: bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus), yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), and mahimahi (Coryphaena hippurus) and a single specimen from swordfish (Xiphias gladius). Ventricular muscle from the bigeye tuna and mahimahi exhibited a biphasic response to an acute decrease in temperature (from 26° to 7°C); twitch force and kinetic parameters initially increased and then declined. The magnitude of this response was larger in the bigeye tuna than in the mahimahi. Under steady state conditions at 26°C, inhibition of SR Ca2+ release and reuptake with ryanodine and thapsigargin decreased twitch force and kinetic parameters, respectively, in the bigeye tuna only. However, the initial inotropy associated with decreasing temperature was abolished by SR inhibition in both the bigeye tuna and the mahimahi. Application of adrenaline completely reversed the effects of ryanodine and thapsigargin, but this effect was diminished at cold temperatures. In the yellowfin tuna, temperature and SR inhibition had minor effects on twitch force and kinetics, while adrenaline significantly increased these parameters. Limited data suggest that swordfish ventricular muscle responds to acute temperature reduction, SR inhibition, and adrenergic stimulation in a manner similar to that of bigeye tuna ventricular muscle. In aggregate, our results show that the temperature sensitivity, SR dependence, and adrenergic sensitivity of pelagic fish hearts are species specific and that these differences reflect species‐specific vertical mobility patterns.
Effects of IZP‐94005 (contignasterol) on antigen‐induced bronchial responsiveness in ovalbumin‐sensitized guinea‐pigs

1 We have investigated the novel naturally occurring marine compound, IZP‐94005 (contignasterol), as a potential anti‐asthma agent, using both in vivo and in vitro models of allergen‐induced bronchoconstriction and airway smooth muscle contraction. 2 Tracheal rings from ovalbumin (OA)‐sensitized guinea‐pigs were treated with various concentrations of IZP‐94005 for 20 min prior to challenge with ovalbumin. IZP‐94005 (3–30 μm) inhibited responses of sensitized tracheal rings stimulated with OA in a concentration‐dependent manner, with an IC50 of 10 μm. 3 IZP‐94005 (10 μm) had no effect on carbachol‐induced contractions of sensitized guinea‐pig tracheal rings, although it did inhibit histamine‐induced responses of OA sensitized guinea‐pig tracheal rings. 4 The effects of IZP‐94005 in vivo were examined using OA‐sensitized guinea‐pigs which were tracheotomized under anaesthesia and placed in a body plethysmograph. Measurements of lung resistance and compliance were performed by isovolumetric analysis of volume and trans‐pulmonary pressure. 5 IZP‐94005 (50 and 200 μg kg−1), by inhalation 20 min prior to OA challenge caused significant inhibition of the increase in lung resistance induced by OA in sensitized guinea‐pigs, compared to vehicle‐treated animals. Nedocromil sodium (20 μg kg−1), with a similar protocol, also inhibited OA‐ induced responses in this model. 6 We therefore suggest that IZP‐94005 is a good candidate for further investigation as a possible anti‐asthma agent.
Boronic Acid Transition State Inhibitors Active against KPC and Other Class A β-Lactamases: Structure-Activity Relationships as a Guide to Inhibitor Design

ABSTRACT Boronic acid transition state inhibitors (BATSIs) are competitive, reversible β-lactamase inhibitors (BLIs). In this study, a series of BATSIs with selectively modified regions (R1, R2, and amide group) were strategically designed and tested against representative class A β-lactamases of Klebsiella pneumoniae, KPC-2 and SHV-1. Firstly, the R1 group of compounds 1a to 1c and 2a to 2e mimicked the side chain of cephalothin, whereas for compounds 3a to 3c, 4a, and 4b, the thiophene ring was replaced by a phenyl, typical of benzylpenicillin. Secondly, variations in the R2 groups which included substituted aryl side chains (compounds 1a, 1b, 1c, 3a, 3b, and 3c) and triazole groups (compounds 2a to 2e) were chosen to mimic the thiazolidine and dihydrothiazine ring of penicillins and cephalosporins, respectively. Thirdly, the amide backbone of the BATSI, which corresponds to the amide at C-6 or C-7 of β-lactams, was also changed to the following bioisosteric groups: urea (compound 3b), thiourea (compound 3c), and sulfonamide (compounds 4a and 4b). Among the compounds that inhibited KPC-2 and SHV-1 β-lactamases, nine possessed 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) of ≤600 nM. The most active compounds contained the thiopheneacetyl group at R1 and for the chiral BATSIs, a carboxy- or hydroxy-substituted aryl group at R2. The most active sulfonamido derivative, compound 4b, lacked an R2 group. Compound 2b (S02030) was the most active, with acylation rates (k2/K) of 1.2 ± 0.2 × 104 M−1 s−1 for KPC-2 and 4.7 ± 0.6 × 103 M−1 s−1 for SHV-1, and demonstrated antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli DH10B carrying blaSHV variants and blaKPC-2 or blaKPC-3 and against clinical strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae and E. coli producing different class A β-lactamase genes. At most, MICs decreased from 16 to 0.5 mg/liter.
Transmembane Potential Properties of Atrial Cells at Different Sites of a Spiral Wave Reentry: Cellular Evidence for an Excitable but Nonexcited Core

Transmembrane action potentials (TAPs) were recorded during simultaneous mapping of a reentrant wavefront induced in canine isolated atria. The activation pattern was visualized dynamically using a high resolution electrode catheter mapping system. During functional reentry (spiral wave), cells in the core of the spiral wave remained quiescent near their resting membrane potential. Cells away from the core progressively gained TAP amplitude and duration, and at the periphery of the spiral wave the cells generated TAPs with full height and duration. During anatomical reentry, when the tip of the wavefront remained attached to the obstacle (a condition of high source‐to‐sink ratio), the TAP near the obstacle had normal amplitude and duration. However, when the tip of the wavefront detached from the obstacle (condition of lowered source‐to‐sink ratio) the TAP lost amplitude and duration. These results are consistent with the theory that the source‐to‐sink ratio determines the safety factor for wave propagation and wave block near the core. With decreasing source‐to‐sink ratio, TAP progressively decreases in amplitude and duration. In the center of the core, the cells, while excitable, remain quiescent near their resting potential. This decrease reflects a progressive decrease in the source‐to‐sink ratio. TAP vanishes in the core where cells remain quiescent near their resting potential. Functional and meandering reentrant wavefronts are compatible with the spiral mechanism of reentry where block at the rotating point is provided by the steep curvature of the wave tip.
The Geographic Spread and Preferences of Tourists Revealed by User-Generated Information on Jeju Island, South Korea

Recreation and tourism are important ways that people interact with and derive benefits from natural environments. Understanding how and where nature provides recreational opportunities and benefits is necessary for management decisions that impact the environment. This study develops and tests an approach for mapping tourism patterns, and assessing people’s preferences for cultural and natural landscapes, using user-generated geographic content. The volume of geotagged images and tweets shared publicly on Flickr and Twitter and proprietary mobile phone traffic provided by a telecommunications company, are used to map visitation rates to potential tourist destinations across Jeju Island, South Korea. We find that densities of social media posts and mobile phone traffic are all correlated with ticket sales and counts of gate entries at tourist sites. Using multivariate linear regression, we measure the degree to which attributes of the natural and built environment explain variation in visitation rates, and find that tourists to Jeju Island prefer to recreate near beaches, sea cliffs, golf courses and hiking trails. We conclude that high-resolution and spatially-explicit visitation data provided by user-generated content open the door for statistical models that can quantify recreation demand. Managers and practitioners could combine these flexible and relatively inexpensive user-generated data with more traditional survey data to inform sustainable tourism development plans and policy decisions. These methods are especially useful in the context of landscape or regional-scale ecosystem service assessments, where there is a need to map the multiple ecological, economic, and cultural benefits of the environment.
Integrated Approach to Malaria Control

SUMMARY Malaria draws global attention in a cyclic manner, with interest and associated financing waxing and waning according to political and humanitarian concerns. Currently we are on an upswing, which should be carefully developed. Malaria parasites have been eliminated from Europe and North America through the use of residual insecticides and manipulation of environmental and ecological characteristics; however, in many tropical and some temperate areas the incidence of disease is increasing dramatically. Much of this increase results from a breakdown of effective control methods developed and implemented in the 1960s, but it has also occurred because of a lack of trained scientists and control specialists who live and work in the areas of endemic infection. Add to this the widespread resistance to the most effective antimalarial drug, chloroquine, developing resistance to other first-line drugs such as sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, and resistance of certain vector species of mosquito to some of the previously effective insecticides and we have a crisis situation. Vaccine research has proceeded for over 30 years, but as yet there is no effective product, although research continues in many promising areas. A global strategy for malaria control has been accepted, but there are critics who suggest that the single strategy cannot confront the wide range of conditions in which malaria exists and that reliance on chemotherapy without proper control of drug usage and diagnosis will select for drug resistant parasites, thus exacerbating the problem. An integrated approach to control using vector control strategies based on the biology of the mosquito, the epidemiology of the parasite, and human behavior patterns is needed to prevent continued upsurge in malaria in the endemic areas.
Empirical Study on Women Safety Concerns at Public Places: Case Study of Lahore City

Abstract Changing trends of human settlements and urbanization have a significant impact on all segments of society. Lahore is the most crowded and urbanized district of Punjab. Women participate in the development of the city, they are required to visit workplaces, and experience public places. Subsequently, these public places are grounds of ferocity and discomfort. The study examines the female’s perception regarding safety at public places and the consequent factors contributing towards the insecurity of females. Regression analysis is carried out to interpret the causal relationship between public places and safety elements. In conclusion, it was established that safety elements should be kept in mind to achieve safer environment. The research necessitates urban planners and designers to introduce features for women safety, privacy and comfort in the design of public places.
Genetic Algorithm Based Self Tuning Regulator for ball and hoop system

In this paper, an optimal adaptive controller using Genetic Algorithm for a ball and hoop system is proposed. It is difficult to design an optimal PID controller for a ball and hoop system because of its continuously varying parameters. The proposed scheme employs a PID controller with an ability to adjust its parameters when the dynamic behavior of the system changes, thus maintaining the optimality in the response specifications. Genetic Algorithm is used for both parameter estimation and optimal PID tuning. The system response after applying disturbances shows the robustness of the scheme. Also, there is a remarkable improvement in the transient response specifications compared to the conventional Zeigler Nichols tuning.
Energy Coupling Factor as Target of Colicin K: Characterization of a Colicin K-Insensitive ecf Mutant of Escherichia coli

We isolated a colicin K-insensitive energy uncoupled mutant of Escherichia coli. This mutant was presumed to be an ecf mutant as evidenced by its similarity to a known ecf mutant (M. A. Lieberman and J.-S. Hong, 1974) with respect to the mutational site, reversion pattern, and defects in transport and growth. The mutation conferring the colicin K-insensitivity resided in the ecf gene as the majority of the secondary mutations overcoming the ecf phenotype reverted the colicin K-insensitive phenotype to colicin K-sensitive. The insensitivity of the mutant to colicin K was not due to either a defect in adsorption or to a lack of the energized membrane state. The defect was most probably due to the inability of colicin K molecules to interact with their target. Our previous studies concerning the role of the ecf gene product in energy coupling to active transport and oxidative phosphorylation support the contention that the ECF protein is itself the direct target of colicin K.
Regions’ Technology Brokerage Patterns and Dynamics for Regional Development

While extant studies on brokerage address its structural competitiveness and network performance, few studies address the fundamental question of whether all the brokerage types have identical and positive effects on network development. Extending the Gould and Fernandez’s brokerage topology, the study measures the contribution of the brokerage roles over to the network evolution. For the purpose, the Chinese technology transfer flow networks were utilized to reveal the brokerage patterns of three anchor regions—Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. The analysis outlines that Beijing and Shenzhen, as nation-wide brokerage hubs, transmit the technology across the whole regions, while Shanghai seems to be a more balanced broker region connecting the neighbour regions with the others. The longitudinal simulation analysis demonstrates that a liaison-type brokerage function, connecting the heterogeneous knowledge sources, contributes to the growth of the regional network.