Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in cat medullary neurone firing rates and synchrony following induction of respiratory long‐term facilitation

1 Long‐term facilitation is a respiratory memory expressed as an increase in motor output lasting more than an hour. This change is induced by repeated hypoxia, stimulation of carotid chemoreceptors, or electrical stimulation of the carotid sinus nerve or brainstem mid‐line. The present work addressed the hypothesis that persistent changes in medullary respiratory neural networks contribute to long‐term facilitation. 2 Carotid chemoreceptors were stimulated by close arterial injection of CO2‐saturated saline solution. Phrenic nerve efferent activity and up to 30 single medullary neurones were recorded simultaneously in nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) including the dorsal respiratory group (DRG), Bötzinger‐ventral respiratory group (Böt‐VRG), and nucleus raphe obscurus of nine adult cats, anaesthetized, injected with a neuromuscular blocking agent, vagotomized and artificially ventilated. 3 The firing rates of 87 of 105 neurones (83 %) changed following induction of long‐term facilitation. Nine of eleven DRG and Böt‐VRG putative premotor inspiratory neurones had increased firing rates with long‐term facilitation. Fourteen of twenty‐one raphe obscurus neurones with control firing rates less than 4 Hz had significant long‐term increases in activity. 4 Cross‐correlogram analysis suggested that there were changes in effective connectivity of neuron pairs with long‐term facilitation. Joint peristimulus time histograms and pattern detection methods used with ‘gravity’ analysis also detected changes in short time scale correlations associated with long‐term facilitation. 5 The results suggest that changes in firing rates and synchrony of VRG and DRG premotor neurones and altered effective connectivity among other functionally antecedent elements of the medullary respiratory network contribute to the expression of long‐term facilitation.
Cloning and Characterization of Cytokeratins 8 and 19 in Adult Rat Striated Muscle

We used degenerate primers for the amino- and carboxyl-terminal ends of the rod domains of intermediate filament proteins in reverse transcriptase-PCR experiments to identify and clone cytokeratins 8 and 19 (K8 and K19) from cardiac muscle of the adult rat. Northern blots showed that K8 has a 2.2-kb transcript and K19 has a 1.9-kb transcript in both adult cardiac and skeletal muscles. Immunolocalization of the cytokeratins in adult cardiac muscle with isoform-specific antibodies for K8 and K19 showed labeling at Z-lines within the muscle fibers and at Z-line and M-line domains at costameres at the sarcolemmal membrane. Dystrophin and K19 could be co-immunoprecipitated and co-purified from extracts of cardiac muscle, suggesting a link between the cytokeratins and the dystrophin-based cytoskeleton at the sarcolemma. Furthermore, transfection experiments indicate that K8 and K19 may associate with dystrophin through a specific interaction with its actin-binding domain. Consistent with this observation, the cytokeratins are disrupted at the sarcolemmal membrane of skeletal muscle of the mdx mouse that lacks dystrophin. Together these results indicate that at least two cytokeratins are expressed in adult striated muscle, where they may contribute to the organization of both the myoplasm and sarcolemma.
Searcher heterogeneity in collaborative information seeking within the context of work tasks

In this paper we present an overview over a doctoral thesis project emphasizing the planned research and methodology. The thesis project focuses on Collaborative Information Seeking (CIS) with a core interest in searcher heterogeneity. A special field of interest is the way how different personalities interact in a collaborative search scenario and if heterogeneous groups perform better or worse than homogenous groups. The goal is to provide a description of group performance in CIS and suggestions for the design of collaborative search tools.
Context-aware adaptive spelling in motor imagery BCI

Objective. This work presents a first motor imagery-based, adaptive brain–computer interface (BCI) speller, which is able to exploit application-derived context for improved, simultaneous classifier adaptation and spelling. Online spelling experiments with ten able-bodied users evaluate the ability of our scheme, first, to alleviate non-stationarity of brain signals for restoring the subject’s performances, second, to guide naive users into BCI control avoiding initial offline BCI calibration and, third, to outperform regular unsupervised adaptation. Approach. Our co-adaptive framework combines the BrainTree speller with smooth-batch linear discriminant analysis adaptation. The latter enjoys contextual assistance through BrainTree’s language model to improve online expectation-maximization maximum-likelihood estimation. Main results. Our results verify the possibility to restore single-sample classification and BCI command accuracy, as well as spelling speed for expert users. Most importantly, context-aware adaptation performs significantly better than its unsupervised equivalent and similar to the supervised one. Although no significant differences are found with respect to the state-of-the-art PMean approach, the proposed algorithm is shown to be advantageous for 30% of the users. Significance. We demonstrate the possibility to circumvent supervised BCI recalibration, saving time without compromising the adaptation quality. On the other hand, we show that this type of classifier adaptation is not as efficient for BCI training purposes.
PEPT1 as a Paradigm for Membrane Carriers That Mediate Electrogenic Bidirectional Transport of Anionic, Cationic, and Neutral Substrates*

The capability for electrogenic inward transport of substrates that carry different net charge is a phenomenon observed in a variety of membrane-solute transporters but is not yet understood. We employed the two-electrode voltage clamp technique combined with intracellular pH recordings and the giant patch technique to assess the selectivity for bidirectional transport and the underlying stoichiometries in proton to substrate flux coupling for electrogenic transfer of selected anionic, cationic, and neutral dipeptides by the intestinal peptide transporter PEPT1. Anionic dipeptides such as Gly-Asp and Asp-Gly are transported in their neutral and negatively charged forms with high and low affinities, respectively. The positive transport current obtained with monoanionic substrates results from the cotransport of two protons. Cationic dipeptides can be transported in neutral and positively charged form, resulting in an excess transport current as compared with neutral substrates. However, binding and transport of cationic dipeptides shows a pronounced selectivity for the position of charged side chains demonstrating that the binding domain of PEPT1 is asymmetric, both in its inward and outward facing conformation. The simultaneous presence of identically charged substrates on both membrane surfaces generates outward and, unexpectedly, enhanced inward transport currents probably by increasing the turnover rate.
Precipitation estimation based on weighted Markov chain model

The prediction of precipitation plays an important role in the climate prediction, but the medium-long term precipitation prediction is still a difficult problem in current climate prediction. To solve the problem of predicting precipitation state, an applicable method was proposed, which was based on weighted Markov chain model. Through the use of smoothing pretreatment, the effects of individual extreme value can be eliminated, and the classification standard of precipitation state can be set up by applying mean-variance method. According to the classification standard, determining historical precipitation state and getting state transfer probability matrix. Then an approach called Markov chain with weights can be used to forecast the future precipitation state by regarding the normalized self-correlatives as weights. On this basis, a specific precipitation was obtained via combining the level Eigen value of fuzzy theory. Finally, with applying this model to a real observation station of hydrology with 47-year precipitation data in Weihai, the experimental results and forecast errors can be accepted.
Influence of static stretching on hamstring flexibility in healthy young adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT The aim of the current study was to investigate the influence of static stretching on hamstring flexibility in healthy young adults by means of systematic review and meta-analysis. The search strategy included MEDLINE, PEDro, Cochrane CENTRAL, EMBASE, LILACS, and manual search from inception to June 2015. Randomized and controlled clinical trials studies that have compared static stretching to control group, and evaluated range of motion (ROM), were included. On the other hand, studies that have worked with special population such as children, elderly people, athletes, and people with any dysfunction/disease were excluded, as well as articles that have used contralateral leg as control group or have not performed static stretching. The meta-analysis was divided according to three types of tests. Nineteen studies were included out of the 813 articles identified. In all tests, the results favored static stretching compared to control group: passive straight leg raise (12.04; 95% CI: 9.61 to 14.47), passive knee extension test (8.58; 95% CI: 6.31 to 10.84), and active knee extension test (8.35; 95% CI: 5.15 to 11.55). In conclusion, static stretching was effective in increasing hamstring flexibility in healthy young adults.
Long-term shifts in the phenology of rare and endemic Rocky Mountain plants.

UNLABELLED • PREMISE OF THE STUDY Mountainous regions support high plant productivity, diversity, and endemism, yet are highly vulnerable to climate change. Historical records and model predictions show increasing temperatures across high elevation regions including the Southern Rocky Mountains, which can have a strong influence on the performance and distribution of montane plant species. Rare plant species can be particularly vulnerable to climate change because of their limited abundance and distribution. • METHODS We tracked the phenology of rare and endemic species, which are identified as imperiled, across three different habitat types with herbarium records to determine if flowering time has changed over the last century, and if phenological change was related to shifts in climate. • KEY RESULTS We found that the flowering date of rare species has accelerated 3.1 d every decade (42 d total) since the late 1800s, with plants in sagebrush interbasins showing the strongest accelerations in phenology. High winter temperatures were associated with the acceleration of phenology in low elevation sagebrush and barren river habitats, whereas high spring temperatures explained accelerated phenology in the high elevation alpine habitat. In contrast, high spring temperatures delayed the phenology of plant species in the two low-elevation habitats and precipitation had mixed effects depending on the season. • CONCLUSIONS These results provide evidence for large shifts in the phenology of rare Rocky Mountain plants related to climate, which can have strong effects on plant fitness, the abundance of associated wildlife, and the future of plant conservation in mountainous regions.
Scandinavian guidelines for initial management of minimal, mild, and moderate head injuries. The Scandinavian Neurotrauma Committee.

BACKGROUND The Scandinavian Neurotrauma Committee was initiated by the Scandinavian Neurosurgical Society to develop evidence-based guidelines for improved care of neurotrauma patients. METHODS A MEDLINE search identified 475 papers dealing with the management of minimal, mild, and moderate head injuries. Forty-two studies presenting class II evidence on the initial management of such injuries were reviewed and management guidelines were developed. RESULTS Implementation of the Head Injury Severity Scale is advocated. Patients with minimal injuries (no loss of consciousness, Glasgow Coma Scale score of 15) can be safely discharged. Routine early computed tomographic scan is recommended in cases with mild injuries (history of loss of consciousness, Glasgow Coma Scale score = 14-15) and patients with normal scans may be discharged. Computed tomographic scan and admission is mandatory in moderate injuries (Glasgow Coma Scale score = 13). All patients harboring additional risk factors should be scanned and admitted. A flow-chart for clinical decision making and a Head Injury Instruction card is introduced. CONCLUSIONS The Scandinavian Neurotrauma Committee suggests guidelines that should be safe and cost-effective for the initial management of minimal, mild, and moderate head injuries.
Eleven polymorphic microsatellite markers for Oedaleus decorus (Orthoptera, Acrididae), an endangered grasshopper in Central Europe

We isolated and characterized 11 microsatellite loci in the grasshopper Oedaleus decorus (Orthoptera: Acrididae), an endangered species in Central Europe. Polymorphism was studied from two populations, one out of two populations known from Switzerland (n = 20 individuals) and one site from south of France (n = 20). The number of alleles and the expected heterozygosity ranged from five to 12 and from 0.559 to 0.898, respectively, in the Swiss population, and from 14 to 23 and from 0.895 to 0.974, respectively, in the French population. These microsatellite markers are suitable for further conservation genetic studies of O. decorus.
EFFECT OF ACCOUNTING INFORMATION ON FIRM FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE: A CASE OF AGRICULTURAL FIRMS LISTED IN THE NAIROBI SECURITIES EXCHANGE

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of accounting information on firm financial performance of agricultural firms listed at the Nairobi Security Exchange. The study was guided by two objectives; t o establish the effect of liquidity on the financial performance of agricultural firms listed at the Nairobi securities exchange and to determine the effect of dividend payout on the financial performance of agricultural firms listed at the Nairobi securities exchange. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population consisted of all the listed agricultural firms at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). The study used stratified sampling technique. The study’s sample was classified into three strata; senior managers, line managers (finance department management) and the junior staff of the companies. Primary and secondary data was used where primary data was collected using questionnaires. The secondary data was obtained from the company’s published reports. Data analysis was done qualitatively and quantitatively using the statistical package for social scientists (SPSS V20) for both descriptive and inferential statistics. Regression analysis was used to show the sensitivity of profitability (PBT), ROA and ROE to various independent variables. The findings indicated that there was an increase in financial performance in the firms . This was demonstrated by the extent of agreement with the statements in the questionnaire regarding financial performance. Findings indicated that liquidity and a dividend payout affected financial performance agricultural firms listed on NSE. Findings led to conclusion that liquidity was a significant tool in explaining financial performance. It was also possible to conclude that there was a positive and significant relationship between level of dividend payout and financial performance; it was possible to conclude that there was a positive and significant relationship between leverage and financial performance. From the findings and conclusion, the study recommended that there was need for agricultural firms listed at the Nairobi Securities Exchange to increase their current assets so as to increase their liquidity as it was found that an increase in current ratio positively affect the financial performance. Another study be undertaken to cover other private agricultural firms in the broader industry. Key Words: liquidity, Dividend Payout, Accounting Information
Original techniques for designing wideband 3D integrated couplers

In this paper, we propose some original technological configurations for implementing highly coupled wideband structures in a 3D environment. Thanks to a convenient combination of thinkable topologies, difficulties commonly encountered with a classical approach can be solved. Different design examples of couplers are given, and experimental and simulated results are presented.
Levelwise filtration system for forensic analysis of social networking

There is millions of users in the social networking sites including the users with criminal mentality. The criminals always use sophisticated technology in order to evade detection and perform criminal acts. But any criminal activities can be revealed through forensic science tools and techniques where potential legal evidence can be extracted and presented to the legal authorities. The major concern is difficult to find a culprit among all users as well as difficult to suspect a user as culprit without proper admissible technique. This paper have developed a forensic system for social networking related crimes that help the investigators in finding the prime suspect of the crime as well as group of other users that are related to the crime. The forensic system provides the hierarchical levels of suspects group where each level has no of users with their probability of suspicion. The system reflects, the lower the level the more the suspicion among the users, hence the lowest level users are the prime suspects. Now the system helps the investigator to start the interrogation from the prime suspects to backward higher level in the hierarchy until the investigation process completes. As there is a possibility of accomplishing the crime without the culprit, the urgent need is to find the group of other users involved in the activity. The system is developed and implemented using a tree map concept which is easily understandable by investigator based on the users' data.
Treatment of category III A prostatitis with zafirlukast: a randomized controlled feasibility study

The cause of category III A prostatitis, chronic prostatitis/chronic male pelvic pain syndrome category A (CP/CPPS A), is uncertain. Treatments for it are based on consensus opinion rather than on scientific data. Our aim was to examine the effect of zafirlukast, a leucotriene antagonist, on the symptoms of CP/CPPS A in our genitourinary (GU) medicine unit. CP/CPPS A was diagnosed by comparative white cell counts of split urine (Stamey) analysis or by finding an excess of polymorphs in expressed prostatic fluid. Symptom change was assessed by the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (CPSI). Patients were given zafirlukast or placebo for four weeks in a random double-blind fashion. All patients also received doxycycline. In all, 31 patients were asked to participate and 17 entered the study. No difference in outcome could be shown between the active (10) and placebo (seven) patients. Zafirlukast cannot be demonstrated to be useful in the symptomatic treatment of CP/CPPS A. The problems of recruitment into this study (in spite of a large number of patients with prostatic type pain being seen in our unit) suggest that multicentre treatment trials using non-invasive diagnostic techniques such as the CPSI (rather than single GU medicine units diagnosing CP/CPPS A by uncomfortable direct prostatic testing) are likely to be the most effective and objective methods of undertaking treatment trials in the CP/ CPPS A field in the future.
Adaptive robust fuzzy control and implementation for path tracking of a mobile robot

In this paper, an adaptive robust fuzzy control scheme with a genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed to solve the path tracking problem of a wheeled mobile robot. The presented controller consists of a fuzzy basis function network (FBFN) to approximate an unknown nonlinear function of the robot dynamics with uncertainties. A genetic algorithm is employed in the fuzzy inference to optimize the fuzzy rules of FBFN. The robust term with adaptive update rules is designed to suppress the external disturbances, hence it makes the system insensitive to the noises and disturbances of the environment. The robot dynamics including the actuator dynamics is considered. The stability and the convergence of the tracking errors are guaranteed by using the Lyapunov stability theory. The validity and robustness of the proposed control scheme are demonstrated through computer simulations and experiments with a wheeled mobile robot.
Sofosbuvir, simeprevir, and ribavirin for the treatment of hepatitis C virus recurrence in human immunodeficiency virus/hepatitis C virus–coinfected liver transplant recipients

TO THE EDITORS: For human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients coinfected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), poor graft survival after liver transplantation (LT) has prompted concerns about their suitability for LT.1 The availability of oral direct-acting antiviral drugs for HCV offers new opportunities for managing HCV disease in LT recipients with HCV and HIV and potentially improving long-term survival,2 as shown by the 2 patients reported here.
Pseudouridines in U2 snRNA stimulate the ATPase activity of Prp5 during spliceosome assembly

Pseudouridine (Ψ) is the most abundant internal modification identified in RNA, and yet little is understood of its effects on downstream reactions. Yeast U2 snRNA contains three conserved Ψs (Ψ35, Ψ42, and Ψ44) in the branch site recognition region (BSRR), which base pairs with the pre‐mRNA branch site during splicing. Here, we show that blocks to pseudouridylation at these positions reduce the efficiency of pre‐mRNA splicing, leading to growth‐deficient phenotypes. Restoration of pseudouridylation at these positions using designer snoRNAs results in near complete rescue of splicing and cell growth. These Ψs interact genetically with Prp5, an RNA‐dependent ATPase involved in monitoring the U2 BSRR‐branch site base‐pairing interaction. Biochemical analysis indicates that Prp5 has reduced affinity for U2 snRNA that lacks Ψ42 and Ψ44 and that Prp5 ATPase activity is reduced when stimulated by U2 lacking Ψ42 or Ψ44 relative to wild type, resulting in inefficient spliceosome assembly. Furthermore, in vivo DMS probing analysis reveals that pseudouridylated U2, compared to U2 lacking Ψ42 and Ψ44, adopts a slightly different structure in the branch site recognition region. Taken together, our results indicate that the Ψs in U2 snRNA contribute to pre‐mRNA splicing by directly altering the binding/ATPase activity of Prp5.