Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modelling the variability in face images

Model based approaches to the interpretation of face images have proved very successful. We have previously described statistically based models of face shape and grey-level appearance and shown how they can be used to perform various coding and interpretation tasks (Lanitis et al., 1995). In the paper we describe improved methods of modelling, which couple shape and grey-level information more directly than our existing methods, isolate the changes in appearance due to different sources of variability (person, expression, pose, lighting) and deal with nonlinear shape variation. We show that the new methods are better suited to interpretation and tracking tasks.
The Pittsburgh Sleep Diary

SUMMARY Increasingly, there is a need in both research and clinical practice to document and quantify sleep and waking behaviors in a comprehensive manner. The Pittsburgh Sleep Diary (PghSD) is an instrument with separate components to be completed at bedtime and waketime. Bedtime components relate to the events of the day preceding the sleep, waketime components to the sleep period just completed. Two‐week PghSD data is presented from 234 different subjects, comprising 96 healthy young middle‐aged controls, 37 older men, 44 older women, 29 young adult controls and 28 sleep disorders patients in order to demonstrate the usefulness, validity and reliability of various measures from the instrument. Comparisons are made with polysomnographic and actigraphic sleep measures, as well as personality and circadian type questionnaires. The instrument was shown to have sensitivity in detecting differences due to weekends, age, gender, personality and circadian type, and validity in agreeing with actigraphic estimates of sleep timing and quality. Over a 12–31 month delay, PghSD measures of both sleep timing and sleep quality showed correlations between 0.56 and 0.81 (n= 39, P < 0.001).
Designation of O174 and O175 to temporary O groups OX3 and OX7, and six new E. coli O groups that include Verocytotoxin‐producing E. coli (VTEC): O176, O177, O178, O179, O180 and O181

Two temporary Escherichia coli O group strains OX3 and OX7 are given permanent status as O174 and O175, respectively. Both these test strains were originally isolated from cases of human diarrhoea. Whereas the O174 strain is negative for known virulence genes, the O175 strain is positive with the probe derived from the CVD432 plasmid associated with the aggregative adherence phenotype, the Enteroaggregative heat‐stable enterotoxin 1 gene (astA) and daaC (F1845 afimbrial adhesin) associated with the diffuse adherence (DA) phenotype. Additionally, six E. coli strains are established as antigenic test strains for six new O groups, designated O176, O177, O178, O179, O180 and O181. All six strains produced Verocytotoxin and were positive for vtx1, vtx2, or both genes. Additional virulence genes associated with diarrhoeal disease in humans were found in four of the strains. O176 and O177 strains were isolated from calves, O178 and O181 strains from meat, the O179 strain was from human bloody diarrhoea, and the O180 strain from swine. Preliminary data on the occurrence and epidemiology of these eight new O groups amongst groups of diarrhoeagenic E. coli are reviewed.
CO2 inhibits specific inward rectifier K+ channels by decreases in intra‐ and extracellular pH

Hypercapnia has been shown to affect cellular excitability by modulating K+ channels. To understand the mechanisms for this modulation, four cloned K+ channels were studied by expressing them in Xenopus oocytes. Exposures of the oocytes to CO2 for 4–6 min produced reversible and concentration‐dependent inhibitions of Kir1.1 and Kir2.3 currents, but had no effect on Kir2.1 and Kir6.1 currents. Intra‐ and extracellular pH (pHi, pHo) dropped during CO2 exposures. The inhibition of Kir2.3 currents was mediated by reductions in both intra‐ and extracellular pH, whereas the suppression of Kir1.1 resulted from intracellular acidification. In cell‐free excised inside‐out patches with cytosolic‐soluble factors washed out, a decrease in pHi produced a fast and reversible inhibition of macroscopic Kir2.3 currents. The degree of this inhibition was similar to that produced by hypercapnia when compared at the same pHi level. Exposure of cytosolic surface of patch membranes to a perfusate bubbled with 15% CO2 without changing pH failed to inhibit the Kir2.3 currents. These results therefore indicate that (1) hypercapnia inhibits specific K+ channels, (2) these inhibitions are caused by intra‐ and extracellular protons rather than molecular CO2, and (3) these effects are independent of cytosol‐soluble factors. J. Cell. Physiol. 183:53–64, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
M32R/D-integrating DRAM and microprocessor

Newly emerging portable multimedia systems demand low-energy processing. Until now, however, designers of microprocessors for PCs and engineering workstations have focused mostly on high speed. Microcontroller designers, on the other hand, have taken low power dissipation as a first priority. Today's portable multimedia system design calls for developers to combine these two approaches, lowering power consumption while maintaining reasonable performance. There are several approaches to reducing power dissipation. Using advanced process technology is one of them. Another approach merges a DRAM with a high-performance RISC processor on a single silicon chip-what we call embedded DRAM, or eRAM. This is exactly the concept that this new processor, M32R/D, embodies.
Kinetics and Mechanism of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1 B Inactivation by Acrolein

Human cells are exposed to the electrophilic R, -unsaturated aldehyde acrolein from a variety of sources. The reaction of acrolein with functionally critical protein thiol residues can yield important biological consequences. Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) are an important class of cysteine-dependent enzymes whose reactivity with acrolein previously has not been well-characterized. These enzymes catalyze the dephosphorylation of phosphotyrosine residues on proteins via a phosphocysteine intermediate. PTPs work in tandem with protein tyrosine kinases to regulate a number of critically important mammalian signal transduction pathways. We find that acrolein is a potent time-dependent inactivator of the enzyme PTP1B (kinact ) 0.02 ( 0.005 s -1 and KI ) 2.3 ( 0.6 × 10 M). The enzyme activity does not return upon gel filtration of the inactivated enzyme, and addition of the competitive phosphatase inhibitor vanadate slows inactivation of PTP1B by acrolein. Together, these observations suggest that acrolein covalently modifies the active site of PTP1B. Mass spectrometric analysis reveals that acrolein modifies the catalytic cysteine residue at the active site of the enzyme. Aliphatic aldehydes such as glyoxal, acetaldehyde, and propanal are relatively weak inactivators of PTP1B under the conditions employed here. Similarly, unsaturated aldehydes such as crotonaldehyde and 3-methyl-2-butenal bearing substitution at the alkene terminus are poor inactivators of the enzyme. Overall, the data suggest that enzyme inactivation occurs via conjugate addition of the catalytic cysteine residue to the carbon–carbon double bond of acrolein. The results indicate that inactivation of PTPs should be considered as a possible contributor to the diverse biological activities of acrolein and structurally related R, -unsaturated aldehydes.
Antidepressant and cognitive effects of twice- versus three-times-weekly ECT.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine which of the two commonly used schedules of ECT administration, twice or three times weekly, is clinically optimal in terms of antidepressant efficacy and cognitive effects. METHOD In this double-blind study, 52 consenting, medication-free patients with major depressive disorder, endogenous subtype (Research Diagnostic Criteria), were randomly assigned to bilateral, brief-pulse, constant-current ECT administered over 4 weeks at a rate of three times weekly or twice weekly with the addition of one simulated ECT (anesthesia and muscle relaxant only) per week. Outcome measures were the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Acute Cognitive Effects Battery, and Chronic Cognitive Effects Battery. RESULTS Hamilton depression scale scores were significantly improved by both schedules, with no difference in outcome either 1 week or 1 month after the end of the ECT series. However, the rate of response to ECT three times a week was significantly faster and was related to the rate of real ECT administration. Cognitive effects were more prominent with ECT three times a week. CONCLUSIONS ECT twice a week is an effective schedule for clinical practice and is potentially advantageous in view of a therapeutic outcome identical to that of ECT three times a week and less severe cognitive effects. ECT three times a week may be specifically indicated when early onset of clinical effect is of primary importance.
12 The Role of Metal Ions in RNA Biochemistry

Approximately two-thirds of the elements in the periodic table can be categorized as metals. Besides luster, malleability, and conductivity, one of the fundamental characteristics of metals is their low ionization potential. As a result, the ionic forms of these elements predominate in the biosphere. Considering the diverse properties of these ions, it is not surprising that through the process of evolution, metal ions have been co-opted into numerous roles in biology. Metal ions are required for so many biochemical reactions that it is likely that they also had an important role in the RNA world. To understand both modern and prebiotic RNA biochemistry, it is therefore essential to have a basic understanding of these inorganic elements. Metal ions were abundant in the primordial soup. It is believed that 3.8 × 10 9 years ago, the ocean was between 80°C and 100°C with a pH possibly as low as 6 (Bengston 1994). Table 1 shows the concentrations of the most common metal ions in today’s seas and in blood plasma. Although the concentrations of most of these ions in the prebiotic ocean are not known, the higher temperature and lower pH relative to the current ocean would have solvated a variety of ions and leached metal ions from the mineral-rich ocean beds. Therefore, the concentrations would have been significantly higher than the current values. One important additional difference is the extremely low concentration of easily oxidized metal ions such as Fe(II). Ferrous ion has been predicted to have been very abundant in.
A Low-Power High-Speed Hybrid CMOS Full Adder for Embedded System

In this paper, a low-power high-speed CMOS full adder core is proposed for embedded system. Based on a new three-input exclusive OR (3-XOR) design, the new hybrid full adder is composed of pass-transistor logic and static CMOS logic. The main design objectives for the full adder core are providing not only low power and high speed but also with driving capability. Using TSMC CMOS 0.35-mum technology, the characteristics of the experimental circuit compared with prior literature show that the new adder improves 1.8% to 35.6% in power consumption, 11.7% to 41.2% in time delay of Co, and 13.7% to 91.4% in power-delay product of Co. The circuit is proven to have the minimum power consumption and the fastest response of carry out signal among the adders selected for comparison. Due to the low-power and high-speed properties, both the new exclusive OR circuit and the new full adder can be efficiently integrated in a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or an embedded system.
Development Tools for Partial Reconfigurable Systems

Some types of FPGA (field programmable gate array) can be partially reconfigured during run-time forming a partial reconfigurable system (PRS). The use of PRSs brings several advantages like cost and power consumption reduction but needs appropriate development tools. This paper describes the available tools, classifies them and compares the principal ones.
Student-led tutorials in problem-based learning: educational outcomes and students' perceptions

The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of using students as tutors in a problem-based learning (PBL) medical curriculum. Ninety-one third-year medical students were divided into ten tutorial groups. The groups were randomly allocated into student-led tutorials (SLT) (five groups, n = 44 students) and faculty-led tutorials (FLT) (five groups, n = 47 students). Outcome measurements included assessment of students’ performance in tutorials individually and as a group, end-unit examinations scores, assessment of tutoring skills and identifying students’ perceptions about peer tutoring. Student tutors were perceived better in providing feedback and in understanding the difficulties students face in tutorials.Tutorial atmosphere, decision-making and support for the group leader were better in SLT compared with FLT groups. Self-assessment of student performance in SLT was not different from FLT. Student scores in the written and practical examinations were comparable in both groups. However, SLT groups found difficulties in analysis of problems presented in the first tutorial session. We conclude that the impact of peer tutoring on student performance in tutorials, group dynamics, and student achievement in examinations is positive overall. However, student tutors require special training before adopting this approach in PBL programs.
Analyses of CD20 Monoclonal Antibody–Mediated Tumor Cell Killing Mechanisms: Rational Design of Dosing Strategies

Since approval of rituximab for treatment of B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, development of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for cancer treatment and elucidation of their cytotoxic mechanisms have been subject to intense investigations. Compelling evidence indicates that rituximab and another CD20 mAb, ofatumumab, must use the body’s cellular and humoral immune effector functions to kill malignant cells. Other U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved mAbs, including obinutuzumab, cetuximab, and trastuzumab, require, in part, these effector mechanisms to eliminate tumor cells. Although gram quantities of mAbs can be administered to patients, our investigations of CD20 mAb-based therapies for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), including correlative measurements in clinical trials and studies with primary cells and cell lines, indicate that effector mechanisms necessary for mAb activity can be saturated or exhausted if tumor burdens are high, thus substantially compromising the efficacy of high-dose mAb therapy. Under these conditions, another reaction (trogocytosis) predominates in which bound CD20 mAb and CD20 are removed from targeted cells by effector cells that express Fcγ receptors, thereby allowing malignant cells to escape unharmed and continue to promote disease pathology. To address this problem, we propose that a low-dose strategy, based on administering 30–50 mg of CD20 mAb three times per week, may be far more effective for CLL than standard dosing because it will minimize effector function saturation and reduce trogocytosis. This approach may have general applicability to other mAbs that use immune effector functions, and could be formulated into a subcutaneous treatment strategy that would be more accessible and possibly more efficacious for patients.
Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff attenuates thromboembolic brain injury, possibly due to its Z-ligustilide content

Abstract Primary objective: Essential oil (EO) of Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff, whose main composition is Z-ligustilide, has been shown to have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and potent neuroprotective properties. Research design: This study examined whether or not the EO could ameliorate brain damage and behavioural dysfunction in a thromboembolic model of stroke in rats and compare its effects to that of the purified Z-ligustilide. Methods and procedures: Stroke was induced in rats by middle cerebral artery occlusion using an autologous pre-formed clot. EO (10 mg kg–1 and 45 mg kg–1) and Z-ligustilide (20 mg kg–1) were injected intraperitoneally 1 h prior to embolization. Behavioural scores, infarct size and brain oedema, as well as the level of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), malondialdehyde, glutathione, catalase and superoxide dismutase activity were determined in the ipsilateral cortex 24 hours following stroke induction. Main outcomes and results: EO (45 mg kg–1), statistically similar to Z-ligustilide (20 mg kg–1), curtailed brain infarction and oedema, improved behavioural scores and prevented enhanced oxidative stress and TNF-α level in the ischaemic brain tissues. Conclusions: The findings provide the first evidence of effectiveness of the extract in a thromboembolic model of stroke, whose action can be mediated, at least in part, by the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory mechanisms.
Étude comparative des différentes unités acoustiques pour la synchronisation labiale

Nous etudions dans cet article les performances d'un systeme d'animation labiale base sur differentes unites acoustiques. Nous analysons plus particulierement l'utilisation du phoneme et du viseme, avec ou sans leur contexte acoustique, modelises par des modeles de Markov caches. L'originalite des travaux presentes dans cet article reside dans l'utilisation d'ensembles de phonemes et de visemes adaptes a la langue francaise et dans l'etude de l'impact de la taille de la table de visemes sur le choix de l'unite acoustique. Les resultats experimentaux presentes montrent que de meilleures performances sont obtenues en utilisant les tri-phonemes lorsque la table des visemes est reduite et inversement, les tri-visemes lorsque la table des visemes est plus precise.
Evidence for an association with the serotonin transporter promoter region polymorphism and autism.

We have examined three functional polymorphisms, serotonin transporter promoter region polymorphism (5-HTTLPR), dopamine D4 exon III repeat region (DRD4), and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), in a small family-based design toward identifying candidate genes that confer risk for autism. A significant excess of the long/long 5-HTTLPR genotype was observed (likelihood ratio = 7.18; P = 0.027; 2 df; n = 33 families) as well as preferential transmission of the long allele of the 5-HTTLPR (TDT chi-square = 5.44; P<0.025; 1 df). No association was observed between the COMT and DRD4 polymorphisms and autism in this sample. Some previous studies have observed linkage between autism and the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and the current results are similar to those first reported by Klauck et al. [1997: Hum Genet 100:224-229; 1997: Hum Mol Genet 6:2233-2238]. Additionally, elevated serotonin levels have been consistently found in 30%-50% of autistic patients and may represent a marker for familial autism. Hyperserotonemia in autism appears to be due to enhanced 5-HT uptake, as free 5-HT levels are normal and the current report of an excess of the long/long 5-HTTLPR genotype in autism could provide a partial molecular explanation for high platelet serotonin content in autism.
Age does not hamper the response to pulmonary rehabilitation of COPD patients.

BACKGROUND pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) improves health status and exercise tolerance, but not respiratory function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Our objective was to identify predictors of improvement in the 6-min walked distance (6'WD) in elderly COPD patients after PR. METHODS this was a prospective observational study performed in an ambulatory rehabilitation setting. We enrolled 74 patients aged 65-83 years (mean: 74.2, SD: 4.4) with stable COPD in GOLD stage 3-4. About half (45.6%) of them had a basal O(2) saturation of 90% or less. After a baseline multi-dimensional assessment, patients underwent a 20-session rehabilitation cycle including training of the upper and lower extremities, and respiratory exercises, along with education sessions. The difference between final and basal 6'WD was expressed as a per cent of the basal value (6'WD gain). Patients were divided into two groups according to whether the 6'WD gain was above or under the 75th percentile, corresponding to 33% gain. RESULTS patients whose 6'WD improved more had lower baseline forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) (46.0 versus 52.2%, P = 0.03) and baseline 6'WD, both as an absolute value (329.5 versus 408.9 m, P = 0.01) and as a per cent of the predicted (71.1 versus 93.5%, P = 0.002). After correction for potential confounders, baseline 6'WD was the only variable associated with the outcome (OR for 5% increments: 0.79; 95% CI 0.65-0.95). CONCLUSIONS among elderly patients with COPD, a comprehensive rehabilitation programme can significantly improve the 6'WD even in the presence of chronic hypoxemia. The most physically impaired patients achieve the greatest benefit from rehabilitation, but we could not develop a model accurately predicting the response to rehabilitation.
Simultaneous Detection of Oseltamivir- and Amantadine-Resistant Influenza by Oligonucleotide Microarray Visualization

Presently, the resistance of Influenza A virus isolates causes great difficulty for the prevention and treatment of influenza A virus infection. It is important to establish a drug-resistance detection method for epidemiological study and personalized medicine in the clinical setting. Consequently, a cost-effective oligonucleotide microarray visualization method, which was based on quantum dot-catalyzed silver deposition, was developed and evaluated for the simultaneous detection of neuraminidase H275Y and E119V; matrix protein 2 V27A and S31N mutations of influenza A (H3N2), seasonal influenza A (H1N1), and 2009 influenza A (H1N1). Then, 307 clinical throat swab specimens were detected and the drug-resistance results showed that 100% (17/17) of influenza A (H3N2) and 100% (259/259) of 2009 influenza A (H1N1) samples were resistant to amantadine and susceptible to oseltamivir; and 100% (5/5) of seasonal influenza A (H1N1) samples were resistant to both amantadine and oseltamivir.
Enriching Glucoraphanin in Brassica rapa Through Replacement of BrAOP2.2/BrAOP2.3 with Non-functional Genes

Sulforaphane, the hydrolytic product of glucoraphanin glucosinolate, is a potent anticarcinogen that reduces the risk of several human cancers. However, in most B. rapa vegetables, glucoraphanin is undetectable or only present in trace amounts, since the glucoraphanin that is present is converted to gluconapin by three functional BrAOP2 genes. In this study, to enrich beneficial glucoraphanin content in B. rapa, the functional BrAOP2 alleles were replaced by non-functional counterparts through marker-assisted backcrossing (MAB). We identified non-functional mutations of two BrAOP2 genes from B. rapa. The backcross progenies with introgression of both non-functional braop2.2 and braop2.3 alleles significantly increased the glucoraphanin content by 18 times relative to the recurrent parent. In contrast, replacement or introgression of single non-functional braop2.2 or braop2.3 locus did not change glucoraphanin content. Our results suggest that replacement of these two functional BrAOP2 genes with non-functional alleles has the potential for producing improved Brassica crops with enriched beneficial glucoraphanin content.