Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Muscarinic Ca2+ responses resistant to muscarinic antagonists at perisynaptic schwann cells of the frog neuromuscular junction

1 Acetylcholine causes a rise of intracellular Ca2+ in perisynaptic Schwann cells (PSCs) of the frog neuromuscular junction. The signalling pathway was characterized using the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator fluo‐3 and fluorescence microscopy. 2 Nicotinic antagonists had no effect on Ca2+responses evoked by ACh and no Ca2+ responses were evoked with the nicotinic agonist nicotine. The muscarinic agonists muscarine and oxotremorine‐M induced Ca2+ signals in PSCs. 3 Ca2+ responses remained unchanged when extracellular Ca2+ was removed, indicating that they are due to the release of Ca2+ from internal stores. Incubation with pertussis toxin did not alter the Ca2+ signals induced by muscarine, but did block depression of transmitter release induced by adenosine and prevented Ca2+ responses in PSCs induced by adenosine. 4 The general muscarinic antagonists atropine, quinuclidinyl benzilate and N‐methyl‐scopolamine failed to block Ca2+ responses to muscarinic agonists. Atropine (at 20000‐fold excess concentration) also failed to reduce the proportion of cells responding to a threshold muscarine concentration sufficient to cause responses in less than 50% of cells. Only the allosteric, non‐specific blocker, gallamine (1–10 μm) was effective in blocking muscarine‐induced Ca2+ responses. 5 In preparations denervated 7 days prior to experiments, low concentrations of atropine reversibly and completely blocked Ca2+ responses to muscarine. 6 The lack of blockade by general muscarinic antagonists in innervated, in situ preparations suggests that muscarinic Ca2+ responses at PSCs are not mediated by any of the five known muscarinic receptors or that post‐translational modification prevented antagonist binding.
Cyclotron effects on wave dispersion in pulsar plasmas

Dispersion in an intrinsically relativistic, one-dimensional, electron–positron pair plasma (a pulsar plasma) is treated exactly, generalizing earlier results that applied in the low-frequency limit and that neglected the cyclotron resonance. The general theory involves two additional relativistic plasma dispersion functions, evaluated at the normal and anomalous Doppler resonances. These two functions are associated with the non-gyrotropic and gyrotropic parts of the response respectively. The functions are evaluated for bell-type and Jüttner distributions. Wave dispersion is discussed for a non-gyrotropic pulsar plasma with a highly relativistic Alfvén speed. Emphasis is placed on crossings of the light line, defined in terms of the parallel phase velocity. Subluminal waves exist only for sufficiently small angles of propagation, and are confined to frequencies below about the mean gyrofrequency of the relativistic particles.
Simulation numérique du soudage FSW à l'aide d'une formulation ALE

Depuis l'invention du soudage par frottement malaxage (FSW) en 1991 par The Welding Institute (TWI), l'industrie aeronautique envisage de remplacer l'assemblage par rivetage des toles par ce procede. L'objectif est d'alleger les structures, plus particulierement les panneaux des structures d'aeronefs qui sont souvent raidis avec des lisses et des profiles assembles a la peau exterieure. La qualification du procede FSW dans l'aeronautique requiert de produire des joints de tres haute qualite avec une longue duree de vie des outils. Ceci necessite un reglage fin des parametres procede tels que la geometrie de l'outil (dimensions de l'epaulement et du pion, filetage) et les vitesses d'avance et de rotation. Le but de ce travail est d'accompagner la conception du procede par la simulation numerique. Il comporte trois parties: (1) le developpement de la formulation arbitrairement lagrangienne ou eulerienne (ALE) dans la version parallele du logiciel Forge® pour l'adapter au FSW, (2) la modelisation du procede FSW et (3) la calibration du modele EF et la validation des resultats numeriques suite a la realisation d'essais FSW en configuration par recouvrement.Ce travail est base sur la formulation ALE parallele developpee dans Forge® afin de modeliser les differents defauts caracteristiques du FSW (bavures et trous). L'algorithme de transport des champs continus, indispensable au caractere eulerien, est affine afin de considerer les particularites de l'ecoulement du procede (nœud du plan d'entree, en contact avec l'outil ou dans les bavures et sortant du domaine d'etude). Un nouveau schema d'integration temporelle basee sur les coordonnees cylindriques plus adapte a ce procede fortement rotationnel est introduit. Enfin, un filetage sur l'outil est modelise par l'introduction d'une nouvelle loi de frottement a l'interface outil / matiere.Cette formulation ALE generale et parallele a montre sa robustesse pour modeliser le procede FSW. Les resultats thermomecaniques sont en accord avec de precedents resultats valides par l'experience. De plus l'outil numerique obtenu a montre ses capacites pour la modelisation des bavures ou des pertes de contact derriere le pion.Finalement la configuration de soudage par recouvrement industrielle a ete etudiee. Pour cela des essais experimentaux ont ete realises pour divers parametres du procede et divers types de joints de recouvrement. Puis les mesures de forces et du couple dans l'outil et de la temperature dans l'outil et la tole ont permis de calibrer les parametres du modele (frottement, loi de comportement, coefficients thermiques) et de valider les resultats EF.
Performance Improvement of Dysarthric Speech Recognition Using Context-Dependent Pronunciation Variation Modeling Based on Kullback-Leibler Distance

In this paper, we propose context-dependent pronunciation variation modeling based on the Kullback-Leibler (KL) distance for improving the performance of dysarthric automatic speech recognition (ASR). To this end, we construct a triphone confusion matrix based on KL distances between triphone models, and build a weighted finite state transducer (WFST) from the triphone confusion matrix. Then, dysarthric speech is recognized by a baseline ASR system. The corresponding phoneme sequence of the recognized sentence is then passed through the WFST to correct recognition errors. It is shown from dysarthric ASR experiments that average word error rate of an ASR system employing an error correction based on the proposed method is relatively reduced by 16.54% and 3.34%, compared to those of an ASR system without any error correction and using an error correction based on a conventional contextdependent phoneme confusion matrix, respectively.
Tranexamic Acid Radically Decreases Blood Loss and Transfusions Associated with Total Knee Arthroplasty

The application of a pneumatic tourniquet in orthopedic procedures enhances local fibrinolysis.Consequently, a short-term antifibrinolytic therapy may be indicated in this clinical situation to reduce postoperative blood loss. The purpose of this prospective doubleblind study was to investigate the effect of tranexamic acid (TA) on blood loss associated with total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Seventy-five patients scheduled for 77 TKAs were randomized to receive either TA (n = 39) or equal volume of normal saline (NS, n = 38). Before deflation of the tourniquet, 15 mg/kg of TA was given intravenously followed by two 10-mg/kg additional doses. Perioperative blood loss gathered in surgical gauzes, suction reservoirs, and postoperative drainage system was measured. The number of transfusions given during hospitalization was registered. Total blood loss (mean +/- SD) was 689 +/- 289 mL in the TA group and 1509 +/- 643 mL in the NS group (P < 0.0001). The mean number of transfused red cell units in the TA group was 1.0 +/- 1.2 compared to 3.1 +/- 1.6 in the NS group (P < 0.0001). Twenty-two patients in the TA group and four patients in the NS group were treated without transfusion (P < 0.00003). Two patients in the TA group and three in the NS group had a deep venous thrombosis, including a fatal case of pulmonary embolism in the NS group. We conclude that short-term TA therapy significantly reduces TKA-associated blood loss and transfusion requirements without increasing thromboembolic complications. (Anesth Analg 1997;84:839-44)
Impact of Irradiation on the Safety and Quality of Poultry and Meat Products: A Review

For more than 100 years research on food irradiation has demonstrated that radiation will make food safer and improve the shelf life of irradiated foods. Using the current food safety technology, we may have reached the point of diminishing returns even though recent figures from the CDC show a significant drop in the number of foodborne illnesses. However, too many people continue to get sick and die from eating contaminated food. New and under utilized technologies such as food irradiation need to be re-examined to achieve new levels of safety for the food supply. Effects of irradiation on the safety and quality of meat and poultry are discussed. Irradiation control of the principle microbial pathogens including viruses, the differences among at-risk sub-populations, factors affecting the diminished rate of improvement in food safety and published D values for irradiating raw meat and poultry are presented. Currently permitted levels of irradiation are probably not sufficient to control pathogenic viruses. Typical gram-negative spoilage organisms are very sensitive to irradiation. Their destruction leads to a significant increase in the acceptable shelf life. In addition, the destruction of these normal spoilage organisms did not provide a competitive growth advantage for irradiation injured food pathogens. Another of the main focuses of this review is a detailed compilation of the effects of most of the food additives that have been proposed to minimize the negative quality effect of irradiation. Most of the antimicrobials and antioxidants used singly or in combination produced an increased lethality of irradiation and a decrease in oxidation by-products. Combinations of dosage, temperature, dietary and direct additives, storage temperature and packaging atmosphere can produce meats that the average consumer will find indistinguishable from non-irradiated meats. A discussion of the production of unique radiological by-products is also included.
De la croissance relative à l'allométrie (1918-1936)

En 1936, Julian Huxley et Georges Teissier ont introduit le terme " allometrie " comme designation conventionnelle des phenomenes de croissance differentielle d'organes, dans la mesure ou ils tombent sous une loi de forme mathematique specifiee. Des les annees 1920, les deux naturalistes avaient montre de maniere independante que ces phenomenes se conforment le plus souvent a une loi de forme y = bxk (x, y : mesures des deux caracteres consideres ; k : taux de croissance relative, ou " coefficient d'allometrie " ; b : constante). En fait, cette " loi ", et la gamme des phenomenes qui lui sont associes, avaient deja ete etablies par plusieurs auteurs, dans des contextes disciplinaires varies. Eugene Dubois et Louis Lapicque avaient montre des les annees 1890 que le rapport entre taille du cerveau et taille du corps chez les Mammiferes obeit a une loi de puissance, qui se verifie dans le cas de comparaisons interspecifiques aussi bien qu'intraspecifiques. Dans les annees 1910-1920, Albert Pezard et Christian Champy ont par ailleurs etabli sur des bases experimentales serieuses le phenomene de croissance relative au niveau du developpement individuel, dans le cas des caracteres sexuels secondaires. Notre communication analyse ces diverses lignes de recherche, les contributions propres de Julian Huxley et Georges Teissier, les conditions dans lesquelles ces deux auteurs ont degage une terminologie commune, et la signification de leur querelle de priorite.
Cellular immunity to viral antigens limits E1-deleted adenoviruses for gene therapy.

An important limitation that has emerged in the use of adenoviruses for gene therapy has been loss of recombinant gene expression that occurs concurrent with the development of pathology in the organ expressing the transgene. We have used liver-directed approaches to gene therapy in mice to study mechanisms that underlie the problems with transient expression and pathology that have characterized in vivo applications of first-generation recombinant adenoviruses (i.e., those deleted of E1a and E1b). Our data are consistent with the following hypothesis. Cells harboring the recombinant viral genome express the transgene as desired; however, low-level expression of viral genes also occurs. A virus-specific cellular immune response is stimulated that leads to destruction of the genetically modified hepatocytes, massive hepatitis, and repopulation of the liver with nontransgene-containing hepatocytes. These findings suggest approaches for improving recombinant adenoviruses that are based on further crippling the virus to limit expression of nondeleted viral genes.
A Study on the Anonymity Perceptions Impacting on Posting Malicious Messages in Online Communitie

The development ICT provides many benefits in business, shopping, leisure, finance, information exchange, and community life with a variety of people. However, due to anonymity, a characteristic of cyber space which one can hide him yourself, there are many negative effects such as cyber crimes, use of illegal contents, malicious messages, game addiction, etc. In order to resolve such problems, causes behind cyber crimes need to be determined according to users' personal and psychological attributes. This study dealt with the causal relationship between online community users' degree of anonymity perception and posting malicious messages. Especially, the study was focused on reviewing existing studies regarding anonymity and looking into the effect of anonymity which has been divided into the types of social, visual, definitive, and location anonymity on posting malicious messages. Based on the study results, this study make a contribution in establishing a standard for controlling the degree of anonymity in laying out online community service designs that could reduce the amount of malicious messages in online communities and the phenomenon of cyber verbal violence.
Role of lipids in killing mycobacteria by macrophages: evidence for NF‐κB‐dependent and ‐independent killing induced by different lipids

We have shown that several lipids can modulate the macrophage innate immune response against mycobacteria and enhance their killing. Since NF‐κB is required for mycobacterial killing, we tested the ability of lipids to activate NF‐κB in uninfected macrophages and those infected with mycobacteria. In uninfected cells, sphingomyelin (SM), phosphatidylinositol‐4‐phosphate (PIP) and arachidonic acid (AA) enhanced NF‐κB activation and the cell surface expression of CD69, a macrophage activation marker regulated by NF‐κB. Sphingosine (Sph), sphingosine‐1‐phosphate (S1P), diacylglycerol (DAG), eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and phosphatidyl choline (PC) failed to activate either NF‐κB or CD69. Ceramide (Cer) activated CD69 expression without activating NF‐κB. In Mycobacterium smegmatis‐infected cells, NF‐κB was transiently activated in a manner that was enhanced by SM, PIP and AA. In contrast Mycobacterium avium mostly repressed NF‐κB activation and only SM and AA could induce its partial activation. While lipids that activate NF‐κB in uninfected cells tend to kill mycobacteria in macrophages Sph and S1P failed to activate NF‐κB under most conditions but nevertheless enhanced killing of M. smegmatis, M. avium and M. tuberculosis H37Rv. Our results argue that both NF‐κB‐dependent and ‐independent mechanisms are involved in macrophage killing of mycobacteria and that both mechanisms can be enhanced by selected lipids.
OTA-PRODUCING FUNGI IN FOODSTUFFS : A

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a secondary metabolite produced by filamentous fungi of the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium present in a wide variety of foodstuffs. The most relevant OTAproducing species are Penicillium verrucosum (P. verrucosum), Aspergillus ochraceus (A. ochraceus), A. niger and A. carbonarius due to their prevalence in foodstuffs (cereals, grapes, coffee, etc.) and the number of strains able to produce OTA. To target preand post-harvest control programs, studies concerning the toxigenic fungi in each foodstuff are essential. This paper summarizes the state-of-the-art and the requirements in OTA control.
Interpreting positive cultures of endotracheal aspirates: Factors associated with treatment decisions in ventilated neonates

Aims: Diagnosis of ventilator‐associated pneumonia in newborns is challenging because of ease of colonisation, non‐specific chest radiograph changes and lack of a consensus definition. The aims of this study were to review treatment decisions in neonates with culture‐positive endotracheal aspirate and to assess impact on respiratory outcomes using blinded review of radiological studies.
A Multidisciplinary Approach in the Control of Zoonoses in Nigeria

The emergence and re-emergence of zoonotic diseases such as avian influenza and Lassa fever in 2004 and 2012 respectively as well as the human African trypanosomosis in the 1990s and the increased prevalence rates of endemic and neglected zoonoses such as rabies, tuberculosis, salmonellosis, brucellosis and so on in Nigeria calls for attention. These diseases pose serious threats to human and animal populations, food security and safety, national economy and losses of environmental diversity especially in Nigeria. Despite all these challenges however, little or no attention is given to the control of these zoonoses by professionals involved, especially through inter-disciplinary collaboration. This review identifies the individual roles of different professionals and emphasized on inter-disciplinary approach to zoonoses control in Nigeria. This can only be achieved through collaborations between the veterinarian, physician, environmental health personnel, the media as well as the Ministries of Agriculture, Health, Environment and Communication.
Polyurie als Leitsymptom einer hereditären Tubulopathie

Zusammenfassung In der allgemeinpädiatrischen Praxis sind angeborene Tubulusfunktionsstörungen insgesamt selten. Selbst in spezialisierten kindernephrologischen Zentren betreffen sie lediglich 3 % aller Kinder mit nephrologischen Erkrankungen (4), aber aufgrund der z. T. schwerwiegenden Konsequenzen bzw. Risiken für die einzelnen Patienten ist eine rasche und effiziente Abklärung bei entsprechenden Verdachtsmomenten unabdingbar. Diese Übersicht soll praxisnah eine grobe Einteilung der verschiedenen Erkrankungen geben sowie auch in der Praxis durchführbare einfache differenzialdiagnostische Überlegungen vermitteln. Hauptaugenmerk liegt auf der Abklärung einer Polyurie/Polydipsie, dem häufigsten Symptom, das bei in der kinderärztlichen Praxis vorgestellten Kindern an eine Tubulopathie denken lässt.
TRAIL and curcumin codelivery nanoparticles enhance TRAIL-induced apoptosis through upregulation of death receptors

Abstract Active targeting nanoparticles were developed to simultaneously codeliver tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and Curcumin (Cur). In the nanoparticles (TRAIL-Cur-NPs), TRAIL was used as both active targeting ligand and therapeutic agent, and Cur could upregulate death receptors (DR4 and DR5) to increase the apoptosis-inducing effects of TRAIL. Compared with corresponding free drugs, TRAIL-Cur-NPs group showed enhanced cellular uptake, cytotoxicity and apoptosis induction effect on HCT116 colon cancer cells. In addition, in vivo anticancer studies suggested that TRAIL-Cur-NPs had superior therapeutic effect on tumors without obvious toxicity, which was mainly due to the high tumor targeting and synergistic effect of TRAIL and Cur. The synergistic mechanism of improved antitumor efficacy was proved to be upregulation of DR4 and DR5 in tumor cells induced by Cur. Thus, the prepared codelivery nanoparticles may have potential applications in colorectal cancer therapy.
Fear of falling, falls efficacy, and health outcomes in older people following hip fracture

Purpose : This study sought to determine whether fear of falling and falls efficacy independently contribute to the prediction of health outcomes after a fall, controlling for length of stay in hospital, prefall activity problems, and history of falls. Method : Eighty-two older people ( U 65 years) admitted to hospital as a result of a fall, with proximal femoral fracture, were interviewed to assess variables of interest. At two months after initial interview, participants ( n =57) were re-interviewed in their own home, and their functional limitation and further fall events were assessed. Regression analyses were carried out to determine the ability of the variables assessed in hospital to predict functional limitation and further falls post discharge. Results : Perceived risk of falling and falls efficacy did not explain variance in functional limitation when added to a model containing biomedical factors. In the prediction of further falls, addition of falls efficacy and worry over further falls to a model containing biomedical factors resulted in a statistically reliable improvement, although falls efficacy was not independently associated with outcome. Conclusions : Assessing worry over further falls in hospital may help to identify older people with hip fracture at risk of poor health outcomes.
The Oxpecker and the Rhino: The Positive Effects of Symbiotic Mutualism on Organizational Survival

The theoretical foundation and empirical thrust of strategic management is largely grounded in competition, competitive positioning and competitive advantage. It is ironic then that symbiotic mutualism - a relationship between individuals of different species, in which both derive benefit - may be more prevalent among surviving firms than zero-sum competition and may be a more potent selective force in determining the sustainability of successful organizational forms. The purpose of this paper is to articulate a framework for the future study of symbiotic mutualism. Extending the perspective of organizational ecology, I will assert that (a) symbiotic mutualism is a necessary but insufficient condition for firm sustainability; (b) organizations can be structured and staffed for symbiotic behaviors; (c) mutualistic proclivities will, on average, result in significantly higher survival rates; and, (d) new firms that fail to adopt a mutualistic orientation face dim prospects for long-term survival.
Modular Synthesis of Heap Exploits

Memory errors continue to compromise the security of today's systems. Recent efforts to automatically synthesize exploits for stack-based buffer overflows promise to help assess a vulnerability's severity more quickly and alleviate the burden of manual reasoning. However, generation of heap exploits has been out of scope for such methods thus far. In this paper, we investigate the problem of automatically generating heap exploits, which, in addition to finding the vulnerability, requires intricate interaction with the heap manager. We identify the challenges involved in automatically finding the right parameters and interaction sequences for such attacks, which have traditionally required manual analysis. To tackle these challenges, we present a modular approach that is designed to minimize the assumptions made about the heap manager used by the target application. Our prototype system is able to find exploit primitives in six binary implementations of Windows and UNIX-based heap managers and applies these to successfully exploit two real-world applications.