Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cell migration in the periodontal ligament of mice.

Cell migration and the rate at which cells divide was examined in the periodontal ligament of mouse molars. A pulse injection of 3H-Tdr was administered, and mice were sacrificed between 1 hour and 60 days after injection. Analysis of radioautographs using labelling index and grain counts demonstrated that the majority of labelled cells divided within 3 days but a measurable population of cells had not divided after 14 days. These cells were G2-blocked. The labelling index of cells adjacent to alveolar bone increased 8 times within 1 day, indicating that labelled cells had migrated to the bone surface. Migration of cells to the vicinity of the cementum was observed 3 days after labelling. The percentage of labelled cells located within 20μm of one another increased to 40% within 3 days, suggesting clonal proliferation of periodontal ligament cells.
Considering Age Variation When Coining Drugs as High versus Low Hepatic Extraction Ratio

The hepatic extraction ratio (EH) is commonly considered an “inherent attribute” of drug. It determines the main physiological and biological elements of the system (patient attributes) that are most significant in interindividual variability of clearance. The EH consists of three age-dependent parameters: fraction of unbound drug in blood (fu.B), hepatic intrinsic clearance of unbound drug (CLu.int,H), and hepatic blood flow (QH). When the age-effects on these elements are not proportional, a given drug may shift from so-called high extraction status to low extraction. To demonstrate the impact of age-related changes on fu.B, CLu.int,H, and QH, the EH of midazolam and two hypothetical drugs with 10-fold higher and 10-fold lower CLu.int,H than midazolam were investigated in pediatrics based on known ontogeny functions. The EH was simulated using Simcyp software, version 14. This was then complemented by a comprehensive literature survey to identify the commonly applied covariates in pediatric population pharmacokinetic (PopPK) studies. Midazolam EH decreased from 0.6 in adults to 0.02 at birth, making its clearance much more susceptible to changes in CLu.int,H and fu.B than in adults and reducing the impact of QH on clearance. The drug with 10-fold higher CLu.int,H was categorized as high extraction from 4 days old onward whereas the drug with 10-fold lower CLu.int,H remained low extraction from birth to adulthood. Approximately 50% of collected PopPK studies (n = 120) did not consider interaction between age and other covariates. Interaction between covariates and age should be considered as part of studies involving younger pediatric patients. The EH cannot be considered an inherent drug property without considering the effect of age.
Optimal routing and charging of energy‐limited vehicles in traffic networks

We study the problem of routing vehicles with energy constraints through a network where there are at least some charging nodes. We seek to minimize the total elapsed time for vehicles to reach their destinations by determining routes, as well as recharging amounts when the vehicles do not have adequate energy for the entire journey. For a single vehicle, we formulate a mixed‐integer nonlinear programming problem and derive properties of the optimal solution allowing it to be decomposed into two simpler problems. For a multi‐vehicle problem, where traffic congestion effects are included, we seek to optimize a system‐wide objective and formulate the problem by grouping vehicles into ‘subflows’. We also provide an alternative flow optimization formulation leading to a computationally simpler problem solution with minimal loss in accuracy. Because the problem size increases with the number of subflows, a proper selection of this number is essential to render the problem computationally manageable and reflects a trade‐off between proximity to optimality and computational effort needed to solve the problem. We propose a criterion and procedure leading to an appropriate choice of the number of subflows. We also quantify the ‘price of anarchy’ for this problem and compare user‐optimal to system‐optimal performance. Finally, when the system consists of both electric vehicles (EVs) and non‐electric vehicles, we formulate a system‐centric optimization problem for optimal routing of both non‐electric vehicles and EVs along with an optimal policy for charging EVs along the way if needed. Numerical results are included to illustrate these approaches. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Feline immunodeficiency virus infection in cats of Japan.

A seroepidemiologic survey for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection was conducted in Japan. Between June and December 1987, individual sera (n = 3,323) were submitted by veterinary practitioners from many parts of the country. Specimens were from 1,739 cats with clinical signs suggestive of FIV infection and from 1,584 healthy-appearing cats seen by the same practitioners. The overall FIV infection rate among cats in Japan was 960/3,323 cats (28.9%). The infection rate was more than 3 times higher in the clinically ill cats, compared with that in the healthy cats of the same cohort (43.9 vs 12.4%). Male cats were 1.5 times as likely to be infected as were females. Almost all FIV-infected cats were domestic cats (as opposed to purebred cats). Complete clinical history was available for 700 of 960 FIV-infected cats. Of these 700 FIV-infected cats, 626 (89.4%) were clinically ill, and the remainder did not have clinical signs of disease. The mean age at the time of FIV diagnosis for the 700 cats was 5.2 years, with younger mean age for males (4.9 years) than for females (5.8 years). Most of the infected cats (94.7%) were either allowed to run outdoors or had lived outdoors before being brought into homes. The mortality for FIV-infected cats during the 6 months after diagnosis was 14.7%, and the mean age at the time of death was 5.7 years. Concurrent FeLV infection was seen in 12.4% of the FIV-infected cats, but this was not much different from the historical incidence of FeLV infection in similar groups of cats not infected with FIV. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A Fast Onboard Relative Positioning Module for Multirobot Systems

We present an onboard robotic module that can determine relative positions among miniature robots. The module uses high-frequency-modulated infrared emissions to enable nearby robots to determine the range, bearing, and message of the sender with a rapid update rate. A carrier sense multiple access protocol is employed for scalable operation. We describe a technique for calculating the range and bearing between robots, which can be generalized for use with more sophisticated relative positioning systems. Using this method, we characterize the accuracy of positioning between robots and identify different sources of imprecision. Finally, the utility of this module is clearly demonstrated with several robotic formation experiments, where precise multirobot formations are maintained throughout difficult maneuvers.
Chronomorphic Programs: Using Runtime Diversity to Prevent Code Reuse Attacks

—Return Oriented Programming (ROP) attacks, in which a cyber attacker crafts an exploit from instruction sequences already contained in a running binary, have become popular and practical. While previous research has investigated software diversity and dynamic binary instrumentation for de-fending against ROP, many of these approaches incur large performance costs or are susceptible to Blind ROP attacks. We present a new approach that automatically rewrites potentially-vulnerable software binaries into chronomorphic binaries that change their in-memory instructions and layout repeatedly, at runtime. We describe our proof of concept implementation of this approach, discuss its security and safety properties, provide statistical analyses of runtime diversity and reduced ROP attack likelihood, and present empirical results that demonstrate the low performance overhead of actual chronomorphic binaries.
Thermoregulatory aspects of behavior in the blue spiny lizard Sceloporus cyanogenys (Sauria, Iguanidae).

1. The thermal relations of blue spiny lizards, Sceloporus cyanogenys, were studied in laboratory habitats which were designed to allow the expression of a large repertoire of natural behavior patterns. Body temperatures obtained with fast-reading thermometers and by radio telemetry from implanted transmitters were correlated with postures and activities. 2. The morning emergence of lizards was found to be cued by light, often in the absence of immediate thermal reinforcement. 3. Two basking postures which altered a lizard's air and substrate thermal interfaces could be distinguished. The environmental and body temperature correlates of these postures were not appreciably different, and the change from one posture to another could not be interpreted as thermoregulatory. 4. When thermal conditions permitted, basking continued up to the attainment of the maximum voluntary body temperature (38.7 C), and was then followed by perching. 5. The body temperature correlates of perching had a range and mean much like the "normal activity range" of other species of Sceloporus (28.2-38.7 C, X= 35.2). 6. Defecation occurred mostly in the morning towards the end of the basking period, but had a broad thermal range (27.5 to 35.7 C). 7. The range of body temperatures during feeding was broad (25.3-38.5 C), but that of foraging was much narrower (34.3-38.7 C).
A Broadband Concept for Solutions of Radar and Sonar Dynamic Equations

The concept described is based on a Dirac delta statement and permits the di­ rect computation of the impulse response of deterministic or random targets and antennas in a simple manner. This method is of high transparency and corresponds to the nature of radar with a large relative bandwidth. A com­ parison of computed and measured impulse responses shows the applicability of this concept for theoretical and practical im­ provements such as target identification and adaptive signal spectrum forming.
Enhanced corneal permeation and antimycotic activity of itraconazole against Candida albicans via a novel nanosystem vesicle

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of spanlastics as an ophthalmic delivery system to improve the corneal permeability and antimycotic activity of itraconazole (ITZ). Spanlastics containing edge activators, including Tween 20 or 80, were produced by modified ethanol injection method and exhibited a particle size of approximately 287 nm and an entrapment efficiency of more than 88%. Less than 13% ITZ was released from spanlastics over 6 h compared to 35% from conventional niosomes. Spanlastics exerted a 1.34-fold increase in the amount of ITZ permeated through excised bovine cornea after 24 h compared to conventional niosomes. Antimycotic study revealed a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the zone of inhibition of Candida albicans culture demonstrated by spanlastics compared to ITZ powder at the same concentration level (10 mg). In vivo Draize test showed no signs of acute ocular toxicity upon application of the selected spanlastic formulation to the rabbit eye. Results revealed that spanlastics loaded with itraconazole could be a potential nanosystem in ocular drug delivery systems.
SEXUAL REPRODUCTION: AN ADAPTATION REDUCING PARENT‐OFFSPRING CONTAGION

A growing body of evidence suggests that the pathogens accumulated by an individual during its lifetime are not a random sample from the available, pathogen genotype pool (Day, 1974; Johnson and Taylor, 1976; Klein, 1979). Instead, the accumulated pathogens represent those phenotypes (genotypes) that can successfully break the specific defenses of the host individual and that are not immediately lethal. The two processes that can potentially lead to individual-specific pathogen genotypes are 1) the differential survival of the various pathogen genotypes that encounter the host, and/or 2) post-infective evolutionary change by extant pathogens. The accumulation of individual-specific pathogens is particularly germane to theoretical work on the selective advantage of sexual reproduction (jaenike, 1978; Maynard Smith, 1978; Hamilton, 1980). If pathogen accumulation is substantial prior to reproduction, if the defenses of the host are heritable, and if there is an opportunity for parent-offspring pathogen transmission, then sexual reproduction can be adaptive at the individual level. Asexual reproduction is expected to produce a relatively high phenotypic similarity between parent and progeny, and as a result, the pathogens of the parent will be preadapted to exploit the progeny. Sexual reproduction will result in reduced phenotypic concordance between parents and progeny and the progeny may be partially protected from parental pathogens due to this dissimilarity. A more detailed assessment of this process is described elsewhere (Rice, 1983). If sexual reproduction is to protect progeny from the pathogens of the parent, the dissimilarity in defense posture between parent and progeny must be sufficient. This dissimilarity will be enhanced by outcrossing and by increased levels of genetic heterogeneity at the loci that are important in host defense. Empirical studies on the black pineleaf scale (Nuculaspis californica) infesting Pinus ponderosa indicated that this parasitic insect's survival was much higher on the individual tree from which it was collected compared to survival on unrelated trees of the same species (Edmunds and Alstad, 1978). In this report I will examine the genetic basis of resistance to this scale insect on a related host, the sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana), and determine whether or not a single episode of sexual recombination is sufficient to protect progeny from the scales of the parents. The study was conducted on the Badger Hill Arboretum operated by the U.S. Forest Service. The Revised February 4, 1983
The Impact of Hospital Quality on Profits, Volume, and Length of Stay

Using 2006–2007 data from a sample of 6,082 U.S. hospitals, quality of care measures developed by the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) are applied to heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, and surgery. Quality of care for these was related to both higher profits per case and increased number of cases. Length of stay was inversely related to quality of care for preventative (surgical and heart attack) care.
Biochemical markers of bone turnover as predictors of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures in men and women: 10-year follow-up of the Taiji cohort

We aimed to assess the capacity of biochemical markers of bone turnover (BTMs) to predict bone loss, osteoporosis (OP), and osteoporotic fractures. We randomly selected 400 individuals (age 40–79 years in 1993; 50 of each gender and age stratum) from a list of registered residents. In the years 1993, 1996, 2000, and 2003, bone mineral density (BMD) of the spine and hip were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The BTMs assessed at baseline were serum intact osteocalcin (OC), total OC, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, C-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen, N-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP), C-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen generated by matrix metalloproteinase, C-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen (beta-CTX), N-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen (NTX), urinary pyridinoline, and deoxypyridinoline (DPD). For 307 completers, multivariate analysis after adjusting for confounders revealed that serum PINP levels in men [hazard ratio (HR) 2.80, P < 0.05] and serum PINP (HR 1.65, P < 0.05), beta-CTX (HR 1.80, P < 0.001), NTX (HR 1.96, P < 0.01), and urinary DPD levels (HR 1.40, P < 0.05) in women were significantly related to the occurrence of spinal OP. In addition to adjustment for the baseline status of BMD, i.e., osteopenia or normal range, PINP, beta-CTX, and NTX in women could significantly predict the future occurrence of spinal OP. BTMs were not significant predictors of bone loss, femoral OP, or osteoporotic fractures. In conclusion, various BTMs in women can predict the occurrence of spinal OP.
A robust control for induction motors using adaptive switching control law

This paper focuses in the design of an adaptive sliding mode control (SMC) for induction motor drives, that reduces the high frequency chattering that usually appears in the SMC schemes. The proposed design consist of a sliding mode control law that incorporates an adaptive switching gain. This adaptive switching gain avoids the need of calculating an upper limit of the system uncertainties as it is usual in the traditional SMC schemes. The proposed scheme uses the so-called field oriented control theory that allows to control the induction motor like a separately excited direct current motor drive, where the field flux (produced by the field current) and the armature flux (produced by the armature current) are decoupled. A stability analysis based on Lyapunov theory is also performed in order to guarantee the closed loop stability.
A Novel Intronic cis Element, ISE/ISS-3, Regulates Rat Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 2 Splicing through Activation of an Upstream Exon and Repression of a Downstream Exon Containing a Noncanonical Branch Point Sequence

ABSTRACT Mutually exclusive splicing of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) exons IIIb and IIIc yields two receptor isoforms, FGFR2-IIIb and -IIIc, with distinctly different ligand binding properties. Several RNA cis elements in the intron (intron 8) separating these exons have been described that are required for splicing regulation. Using a heterologous splicing reporter, we have identified a new regulatory element in this intron that confers cell-type-specific inclusion of an unrelated exon that mirrors its ability to promote cell-type-specific inclusion of exon IIIb. This element promoted inclusion of exon IIIb while at the same time silencing exon IIIc inclusion in cells expressing FGFR2-IIIb; hence, we have termed this element ISE/ISS-3 (for “intronic splicing enhancer-intronic splicing silencer 3”). Silencing of exon IIIc splicing by ISE/ISS-3 was shown to require a branch point sequence (BPS) using G as the primary branch nucleotide. Replacing a consensus BPS with A as the primary branch nucleotide resulted in constitutive splicing of exon IIIc. Our results suggest that the branch point sequence constitutes an important component that can contribute to the efficiency of exon definition of alternatively spliced cassette exons. Noncanonical branch points may thus facilitate cell-type-specific silencing of regulated exons by flanking cis elements.
Maternal smoking before and after pregnancy: effects on behavioral outcomes in middle childhood.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this research was to examine the extent to which maternal smoking before and after pregnancy was associated with childhood disruptive behaviors when due allowance was made for potentially confounding factors which may have been associated with both maternal smoking habits and childhood problem behaviors. METHODS During the course of a 15-year longitudinal study of a birth cohort of 1265 New Zealand children, the following measures were obtained: (1) measures of daily cigarette intake during pregnancy and after pregnancy; (2) measures of childhood disruptive behaviors including conduct problems and attention deficit behaviors based on both maternal and teacher report data; and (3) measures of a series of potentially confounding family, social, parental, and related factors. RESULTS Before adjustments for confounding, maternal smoking both before and after pregnancy was found to be associated with significant increases in rates of childhood problem behaviors: children whose mothers smoked in excess of 20 cigarettes per day had mean problem behavior scores that were between 0.16 and 0.56 standard deviations higher than those of children whose mothers were nonsmokers. The results were then adjusted using regression methods to take account of (1) correlations between pregnancy and postpregnancy smoking and (2) potentially confounding factors. The results of regression adjustment suggested that maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with small but statistically detectable increases in rates of childhood problem behaviors, with children whose mothers smoked in excess of 20 cigarettes per day having mean scores that were 0.10 to 0.36 standard deviations higher than those of the offspring of nonsmokers, even after adjustment for a series of confounding factors. However, smoking after pregnancy was not significantly associated with increased rates of childhood problem behavior after adjustment for sources of confounding. CONCLUSION The results are generally consistent with the hypothesis that smoking during pregnancy may be associated with small but detectable increases in the risks of problem behaviors in childhood. This suggests that possible adverse effects on childhood behavioral adjustment should be added to the growing list of adverse consequences of parental smoking for childhood health and well-being.
Synthesis and analysis of distributed ensemble control strategies for allocation to multiple tasks

SUMMARY We present the synthesis and analysis of distributed ensemble control policies to enable a team of robots to control their distribution across a collection of tasks. We assume that individual robot controllers are modeled as a sequential composition of individual task controllers. A macroscopic description of the team dynamics is then used to synthesize ensemble feedback control strategies that maintain the desired distribution of robots across the tasks. We present a distributed implementation of the ensemble feedback strategy that can be implemented with minimal communication requirements. Different from existing strategies, the approach results in individual robot control policies that maintain the desired mean and the variance of the robot populations at each task. We present the stability properties of the ensemble feedback strategy, verify the feasibility of the distributed ensemble controller through high-fidelity simulations, and examine the robustness of the strategy to sensing and/or actuation failures. Specifically, we consider the case when robots are subject to estimation and navigation errors resulting from lossy inter-agent wireless communication links and localization errors.
On-Load Voltage Distortion in Fractional-Slot Interior Permanent Magnet Machines

The mechanism and the influence of the on-load terminal phase voltage distortion by the armature reaction in interior permanent magnet (IPM) machines with fractional-slot concentrated windings (FSCWs) are investigated in this paper, by taking a 12-slot/8-pole machine as an example. The phenomenon is presented first, which shows that the peak voltage will be much higher than the fundamental value, especially under the flux-weakening operation. Then, the mechanism is investigated with the aid of the frozen permeability method. Due to the geometric feature of the FSCW IPM rotor, the armature reaction flux will asymmetrically enhance the local magnetic saturation in the tooth-tips and the rotor lamination region near the rotor ribs, which disrupt the smooth variation of phase flux linkage and lead to a voltage distortion. With the increasing of current advancing angle (β), this effect will become more obvious and result in the higher distortion level. Furthermore, the influences of voltage distortion on the machine torque performance are investigated, which show that it will only contribute to the torque ripple in the constant torque region, but will largely reduce the flux-weakening operation region compared with the ideal one calculated by the fundamental voltages only. Finally, a prototype is manufactured and tested to validate the analyses.