Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Visual tracking of moving targets by freely flying honeybees

Abstract The ability of freely-flying honeybees to track moving targets was examined by training to collect a reward on a target, and then videotaping their approach to the target while it was in motion. Training experiments were carried out with several groups of bees, using various colors for the target and the background. Computer-aided frame-by-frame analysis of video recordings was used to plot the instantaneous positions of the target, as well as the position and orientation of the approaching bee in three dimensions. The results show that bees are perfectly capable of tracking moving targets and landing on them. When the distance of the target is greater than 15 cm, approaching bees correct for angular deviations of the target from the midline, both in the horizontal and in the vertical plane. In either plane, the input vaariables that are important to the tracking system seem to be (1) the angular bearing of the target with respect and (2) the angular velocity of the target with respect to the eye. The tracking control system tends to orient the bee such that the target is located frontally, at an angle of Ca. 35 deg below the bee's long axis. The chromatic properties of tracking behavior were investigated by employing combinations of colors for the target and background such that the boundary between the target and the background presented a contrast that was visible either only to the green-sensitive receptors of the bee's eye, or only to theblue-sensitive receptors. The results of these experiments suggest that, in controlling tracking, the measurement of the angular velocity of the target is derived almost exclusively from signals from the green-sensitive receptors, as is the case with previously studied movement-sensitive behavior. However, the measurement of the angular bearing of the target is derived from the blue-sensitive receptors as well as the green-sensitive noes. When the target is closer than Ca. 15 cm, approaching bees use translational maneuvers, in addition to rotational ones, to track the moving target. Translational target tracking appears to be driven primarily by signals from the green-sensitive receptors.
piggyBac transposition into primordial germ cells is an efficient tool for transgenesis in chickens

Transgenic birds embody one of the most potent and exciting research tools in biotechnology for agriculture, medicine, and model animals. To date, retrovirus- or lentivirus-mediated transgenesis has been established in chickens and quail. However, despite having a valid technique for viral transduction to achieve transgenic birds, many obstacles exist for practical applications because of relatively low and variable rates of germ-line transmission and transgenic offspring showing transgene silencing, as well as safety issues related to viral vector use. Thus, the generation of transgenic poultry by nonviral integration is a prerequisite for the introduction of biotechnology to practical applications. Herein, we show that a germ-line–competent chicken primordial germ-cell (PGC) line was established with high efficiency of transmission to offspring and that piggyBac transposition into PGCs improved the efficiency of transgenic chicken production and led to high-level transgene expression. GFP transgene-expressing donor PGC-transferred recipient chickens produced donor-derived progenies, and the germ-line transmission efficiency of donor PGCs was 95.2% on average. Subsequently, half of the donor-derived offspring (52.2%) were transgenic chicks because GFP-expressing donor PGCs, in which a transgene was inserted into one chromosome 20, were heterozygous. In all of the transgenic chickens, GFP expression was constant and strong, regardless of age. Our results demonstrate that piggyBac transposition into the chicken PGC line could be the surest way to generate transgenic chickens safely for practical applications.
On-line fault-diagnosis study: Model-based fault diagnosis for ultracapcitors

The failure of ultracapacitors was significantly accelerated by elevated temperature or increased voltage. The voltages between different cells will be enlarged after a number of deep charging or discharging cycles due to the capacitance difference between the capacitor cells. This will accelerate the aging of the weak ultracapacitors and affect the output capability. In order to improve the reliability of system, a correct and timely failure prediction is essential. At present, the method of manual diagnostics is using more for maintaining the system of ultracapacitors. However, this is a time consuming procedure. And it also needs to provide specialist knowledge and the experience of maintenance personnel. In this paper, a model-based fault diagnosis system using the least squares parameter estimation method was proposed. The circuit model of ultracapacitor we used was a second order model, which has significantly higher precision (the error between the simulated and real results below to five percent). And the identification model derived from the difference equation of the circuit. Then the parameter of the identification model, which estimated by using least squares method, was used for the interpretation of the fault. Several faults of ultracapcitors have been identified on the system. The experiments are carried out to diagnose the types of faults. Experiments show the effectiveness of the proposed technique for real time applications.
Limited Accuracy of Premorbid Intelligence Estimators: A Demonstration of Regression to the Mean

Regression-based premorbid intelligence estimators have been devised by Barona, Reynolds, and Chastain (1984), Barona and Chastain (1986), Hamsher (1984), Krull, Scott, and Sherer (1995; the Oklahoma Premorbid Intelligence Estimate: OPIE), and Vanderploeg, Schinka, and Axelrod (1996; BEST-3 approach), but little is known of their relative accuracy, particularly in outer ranges of intellectual ability (e.g., below-average, superior, etc.). Towards this end, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) was administered to 150 neurologically normal adults, and estimated VIQ, PIQ, and FSIQ scores were computed according to each regression method. Results showed that methods based solely on demographic factors were most susceptible to meanward regression, rendering them poor estimators of IQ scores in outer ranges. Although the OPIE and BEST-3 performed somewhat better, their accuracy remained relatively weak. The findings suggest that regression-based estimates of premorbid IQ are very susceptible to error, particularly in outer ranges of intellectual function.
Collagen synthesis by normal and fibrotic human lung fibroblasts and the effect of transforming growth factor-beta.

Collagen accumulation is a major feature of pulmonary fibrosis and other fibrotic lesions. We have studied the synthesis of collagens in fibroblasts cultured from normal and fibrotic human lung specimens and evaluated how it is affected by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). Fibroblasts were obtained from normal and fibrotic adult human lungs (n = 11; normal = 6, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis = 5). They were exposed to TGF-beta and pulse-labeled with [3H]proline and [3H]glycine. Collagen production was measured as bacterial collagenase-susceptible radioactivity, and collagen mRNA levels were determined by a solution hybridization assay using labeled procollagen alpha 1[I] cDNA clone HF677 as probe. Synthesis of collagen types I, III, and V were assessed after separating them by DEAE-cellulose chromatography and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The results showed that both normal and fibrotic lung fibroblasts synthesized similar amounts of collagen. Type I was the major collagen species synthesized by both normal and fibrotic cell types, and the relative proportion of type I, III, and V collagens was similar in both cell types. TGF-beta caused a two to fourfold increase in stimulation of collagen production and collagen mRNA levels, and no differences were detected in the response of normal and fibrotic lung fibroblasts. All collagen types were stimulated by the TGF-beta. TGF-beta did not increase fibroblast proliferation and the majority of normal and fibrotic lung cells exposed to TGF-beta remained in G1 phase of the cell cycle. We conclude that fibroblasts of normal and fibrotic human synthesize similar amounts of collagens. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Chemical Loss of Ozone in the Arctic Polar Vortex in the Winter of 1991-1992

In situ measurements of chlorine monoxide, bromine monoxide, and ozone are extrapolated globally, with the use of meteorological tracers, to infer the loss rates for ozone in the Arctic lower stratosphere during the Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition II (AASE II) in the winter of 1991-1992. The analysis indicates removal of 15 to 20 percent of ambient ozone because of elevated concentrations of chlorine monoxide and bromine monoxide. Observations during AASE II define rates of removal of chlorine monoxide attributable to reaction with nitrogen dioxide (produced by photolysis of nitric acid) and to production of hydrochloric acid. Ozone loss ceased in March as concentrations of chlorine monoxide declined. Ozone losses could approach 50 percent if regeneration of nitrogen dioxide were inhibited by irreversible removal of nitrogen oxides (denitrification), as presently observed in the Antarctic, or without denitrification if inorganic chlorine concentrations were to double.
Electronic nose can discriminate colorectal carcinoma and advanced adenomas by fecal volatile biomarker analysis: proof of principle study

In the course and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC), early detection and treatment are essential factors. Fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) are currently the most commonly used non‐invasive screening tests for CRC and premalignant (advanced) adenomas, however, with restricted sensitivity. We hypothesized that fecal volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may serve as a diagnostic biomarker of CRC and adenomas. In this proof of concept study, we aimed to assess disease‐specific VOC smellprints in fecal gas to distinguish patients with CRC and advanced adenomas from healthy controls. Fecal samples of patients who were scheduled to undergo an elective colonoscopy were collected. An electronic nose (Cyranose 320®) was used to measure VOC patterns in fecal gas from patients with histopathologically proven CRC, with advanced adenomas and from controls (no abnormalities seen at colonoscopy). Receiver operator characteristic curves and corresponding sensitivity and specificity for detection of CRC and advanced adenomas were calculated. A total of 157 stool samples (40 patients with CRC, 60 patients with advanced adenomas, and 57 healthy controls) were analyzed by electronic nose. Fecal VOC profiles of patients with CRC differed significantly from controls (area under curve ± 95%CI, p‐value, sensitivity, specificity; 0.92 ± 0.03, <0.001, 85%, 87%). Also VOC profiles of patients with advanced adenomas could be discriminated from controls (0.79 ± 0.04, <0.001, 62%, 86%). The results of this proof of concept study suggest that fecal gas analysis by an electronic nose seems to hold promise as a novel screening tool for the (early) detection of advanced neoplasia and CRC.
MLH1 function is context dependent in colorectal cancers

Background and aims Loss of mismatch repair (MMR) function in sporadic colorectal cancer occurs most commonly because of inactivation of MLH1, and it causes an increase in mutation rate. However, it is uncertain whether loss of MMR alters any other cellular function. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of MMR in regulating cell numbers and apoptosis. Methods MLH1 protein levels were manipulated by (a) cloning and forcibly expressing MLH1 in HCT116 (a cell line with MLH1 mutation) and RKO (a cell line with MLH1 silencing), and (b) knockdown of MLH1 in SW480 (a cell line with normal MMR function). Cell number and apoptotic bodies were measured in standard and ‘high stress’ (ie, after staurosporine exposure) conditions. Results Restoration of MLH1 function in HCT116 and RKO resulted in increased cell number (p<0.001 for both cell lines) and decreased numbers of floating apoptotic bodies (p<0.01 in HCT116) in standard culture conditions. However, on induction of apoptotic stress, restoration of MLH1 resulted in reduced cell numbers (p<0.005). Knockdown of MLH1 in SW480 had no effect on cell numbers or apoptosis. Conclusions MLH1 function may be context dependent: in ‘low stress’ conditions it may act to inhibit apoptosis, while in ‘high stress’ conditions it may induce apoptosis. However, within the context of chromosomal instability, the effect of MLH1 on cell numbers is limited.
Which hotel guest segments reuse towels? Selling sustainable tourism services through target marketing

ABSTRACT This paper reviews and evaluates the wide range of supply and demand side measures employed and tested to reduce the environmental impacts of tourist accommodation. It focuses on the importance of understanding market segments and their pro-environmental behaviour by exploring the personal and travel characteristics significantly associated with pro-environment beneficial change, empirically investigating hotel guest characteristics associated with higher towel reuse. Towel use per day, per room, is modelled according to the number of adults in the room, the number of children, and the type and origins of guests. Observed actual towel use by 204 travel parties spending 480 nights in a four-star hotel in Slovenia reveals key personal and travel characteristics of hotel guests which are predictive of towel reuse: their country of origin, booking methods used, being a business traveller and not being a family. Results point to a-priori market segments which could be given booking preference in periods of high demand to reduce hotel environmental footprints. Results also point to promising leverage points for interventions designed to modify the behaviour of hotel guests on site. The approach and methodology used could be applied to marketing pro-environmental concepts more widely across other sustainable initiatives.
Increased high-density lipoprotein levels caused by a common cholesteryl-ester transfer protein gene mutation.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS The plasma cholesteryl-ester transfer protein (CETP) catalyzes the transfer of cholesteryl esters from high-density lipoprotein (HDL) to other lipoproteins. We recently described a Japanese family with increased HDL levels and CETP deficiency due to a splicing defect of the CETP gene. To assess the frequency and phenotype of this condition, we screened 11 additional families with high HDL levels by means of a radioimmunoassay for CETP and DNA analysis. RESULTS We found the same CETP gene mutation in four families from three different regions of Japan. Analysis of restriction-fragment-length polymorphisms of the mutant CETP allele showed that all probands were homozygous for the identical haplotype. Family members homozygous for CETP deficiency (n = 10) had moderate hypercholesterolemia (mean total cholesterol level [+/- SD], 7.01 +/- 0.83 mmol per liter), markedly increased levels of HDL cholesterol (4.24 +/- 1.01 mmol per liter) and apolipoprotein A-I, and decreased levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (1.99 +/- 0.80 mmol per liter) and apolipoprotein B. Members heterozygous for the deficiency (n = 20), whose CETP levels were in the lower part of the normal range, had moderately increased levels of HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I and an increased ratio of HDL subclass 2 to HDL subclass 3, as compared with unaffected family members (1.5 +/- 0.8 vs. 0.7 +/- 0.4). CETP deficiency was not found in six unrelated subjects with elevated HDL cholesterol levels who were from different parts of the United States. CONCLUSIONS CETP deficiency appears to be a frequent cause of increased HDL levels in the population of Japan, possibly because of a founder effect. The results that we observed in heterozygotes suggest that CETP normally plays a part in the regulation of levels of HDL subclass 2. There was no evidence of premature atherosclerosis in the families with CETP deficiency. In fact, the lipoprotein profile of persons with CETP deficiency is potentially antiatherogenic and may be associated with an increased life span.
Effect of the SinR protein on the expression of the Bacillus subtilis 168 lytABC operon.

Transcription of the lytABC operon was determined by extension of primers on RNAs isolated from strains bearing a deficient sinR gene. A SinR null mutant, in which part of the sinR gene was deleted, exhibits a pattern identical to that characteristic of FlaB (SigD) deficient mutants, i.e., loss of the signal corresponding to the SigD-dependent promoter, but not of that recognized by the SigA form of the RNA polymerase. However, strains bearing either flaD1 or flaD2, two different point mutations of gene sinR, were characterized by a complete loss of signals corresponding to both promoters. Thus, modified FlaD1 and FlaD2 proteins behave like a repressor affecting the expression of lytABC more severely than does the absence of SinR, The most obvious interpretation of this observation is a direct interaction between the SinR protein and the promoters recognized by the SigD form of the RNA polymerase.
On Optimal Information Capture by Energy-Constrained Mobile Sensors

A mobile sensor is used to cover a number of points of interest (PoIs), where dynamic events appear and disappear according to the given random processes. The sensor, which is of sensing range r, visits the PoIs in a cyclic schedule and gains information about any event that falls within its range. We consider the temporal dimension of the sensing as given by a utility function, which specifies how much information is gained about an event as a function of the cumulative sensing or observation time. The quality of monitoring (QoM), i.e., the fraction of information captured about all events, depends on the speed of the sensor and has been analyzed in an earlier paper for different utility functions. The prior work, however, does not consider the energy of motion, which is an important constraint for mobile sensor coverage. In this paper, we analyze the expected Information captured Per unit of Energy consumption (IPE) as a function of the event type (in terms of the utility function), the event dynamics, and the speed of the mobile sensor. Our analysis uses a realistic energy model of motion, and it allows the sensor speed to be optimized for information capture. The case of multiple sensors will also be discussed. Extensive simulation results verify and illustrate the analytical results.
Human Hypervirulent Clostridium difficile Strains Exhibit Increased Sporulation as Well as Robust Toxin Production

ABSTRACT Toxigenic Clostridium difficile strains produce two toxins (TcdA and TcdB) during the stationary phase of growth and are the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. C. difficile isolates of the molecular type NAP1/027/BI have been associated with severe disease and hospital outbreaks worldwide. It has been suggested that these “hypervirulent” strains produce larger amounts of toxin and that a mutation in a putative negative regulator (TcdC) allows toxin production at all growth phases. To rigorously explore this possibility, we conducted a quantitative examination of the toxin production of multiple hypervirulent and nonhypervirulent C. difficile strains. Toxin gene (tcdA and tcdB) and toxin gene regulator (tcdR and tcdC) expression was also monitored. To obtain additional correlates for the hypervirulence phenotype, sporulation kinetics and efficiency were measured. In the exponential phase, low basal levels of tcdA, tcdB, and tcdR expression were evident in both hypervirulent and nonhypervirulent strains, but contrary to previous assumptions, toxin levels were below the detectable thresholds. While hypervirulent strains displayed robust toxin production during the stationary phase of growth, the amounts were not significantly different from those of the nonhypervirulent strains tested; further, total toxin amounts were directly proportional to tcdA, tcdB, and tcdR gene expression. Interestingly, tcdC expression did not diminish in stationary phase, suggesting that TcdC may have a modulatory rather than a strictly repressive role. Comparative genomic analyses of the closely related nonhypervirulent strains VPI 10463 (the highest toxin producer) and 630 (the lowest toxin producer) revealed polymorphisms in the tcdR ribosome binding site and the tcdR-tcdB intergenic region, suggesting that a mechanistic basis for increased toxin production in VPI 10463 could be increased TcdR translation and read-through transcription of the tcdA and tcdB genes. Hypervirulent isolates produced significantly more spores, and did so earlier, than all other isolates. Increased sporulation, potentially in synergy with robust toxin production, may therefore contribute to the widespread disease now associated with hypervirulent C. difficile strains.
[Therapeutic effect on essential hypertension treated with combined therapy of acupuncture and medication].

OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism of acupuncture combined with medication for treatment of essential hypertension (EH). METHODS Sixty cases of EH were randomly divided into a combined acupuncture and medication group (group A) and a medication group (group B), 30 cases in each one, treated with acupuncture in combination with oral administration of Felodipine, and simple oral administration of Felodipine respectively. Before and after treatment, the changes of blood pressure, and the contents of E-selectin (Es), iNOS and eNOS were determined. RESULTS After treatment, the blood pressure declined in either group. The total effective rate in group A was 86.7% (26/30), which was superior to that of 73.3% (22/30) in group B. After treatment, the plasma Es and iNOS contents in two groups decreased as compared with those before treatment (both P < 0.01), of which, plasma Es content in group A decreased apparently as compared with group B (P < 0.01). After treatment, the content of plasma eNOS increased as compared with that before treatment in group A (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION The mechanism of acupuncture on anti-blood pressure probably relies on the improvements in vascular endothelial cellular function so that Es, iNOS and eNOS expression can be recovered to normal level and ultimately blood pressure is adjusted.
Glomerular nonenzymatic glycosylation and lipid peroxide are increased in the early phase of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats prior to major histopathologic alterations.

Levels of glomerular nonenzymatic glycosylation and lipid peroxide in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats were examined. Isolation of glomeruli was performed using a sieving technique. The levels of nonenzymatic glycosylation in the glomeruli of these rats were measured by the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method. Measurement of lipid peroxide, i.e., malondialdehyde (MDA), levels in the renal cortex, medulla and isolated glomeruli was performed by the TBA test. Light-microscopic and immunofluorescent examinations were also performed. An increase in nonenzymatic glycosylation in the glomeruli was observed in the early phase, i.e., after 4 and 12 weeks, in STZ-induced diabetic rats. The levels of MDA in the renal cortex of 12-week-old STZ-induced diabetic rats were also significantly increased compared with those of control rats at the same age. Levels of MDA in the glomeruli of 12-week-old STZ-induced diabetic rats were slightly increased compared with those of control rats, but there was no statistical significance. In immunofluorescence, IgG or IgM was deposited in the glomerular mesangial areas and capillary walls in 12-week-old diabetic rats. However, there was no significant change in renal tissues after 4 and 12 weeks in STZ-induced diabetic rats. It was concluded that glomerular nonenzymatic glycosylation and lipid peroxide were already increased in the early phase of STZ-induced diabetic rats prior to the appearance of marked histologic alterations.