Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Is calpain activity regulated by membranes and autolysis or by calcium and calpastatin?

Although the Ca2+‐dependent proteinase (calpain) system has been found in every vertebrate cell that has been examined for its presence and has been detected in Drosophila and parasites, the physiological function(s) of this system remains unclear. Calpain activity has been associated with cleavages that alter regulation of various enzyme activities, with remodeling or disassembly of the cell cytoskeleton, and with cleavages of hormone receptors. The mechanism regulating activity of the calpain system in vivo also is unknown. It has been proposed that binding of the calpains to phospholipid in a cell membrane lowers the Ca2+ concentration, [Ca2+], required for the calpains to autolyze, and that autolysis converts an inactive proenzyme into an active protease. Recent studies, however, show that the calpains bind to specific proteins and not to phospholipids, and that binding to cell membranes does not affect the [Ca2+] required for autolysis. It seems likely that calpain activity is regulated by binding of Ca2+ to specific sites on the calpain molecule, with binding to each site eliciting a response (proteolytic activity, calpastatin binding, etc.) specific for that site. Regulation must also involve an, as yet, undiscovered mechanism that increases the affinity of the Ca2+‐binding sites for Ca2+.
THE PRICE OF ONE SWEET CALORIE

We propose a new measure for food prices to further examine the impact of changes in food prices and real income on individuals’ eating decisions and weight. We calculate price per calorie for food consumed away from home and food consumed at home as the dollar amount spent by households on each food category divided by the number of calories consumed. We use our newly constructed time series for price per calorie as an input into a neoclassical model of eating decisions and weight. Our goal is to propose a quantitative explanation for the increase in calories consumed away from home as well as changes in weight for men and women 1971 and 2006. We find that prices determine the allocation of calories across food types, while income determines the total number of calories consumed and thus individuals' weight. Based on our results, we share the view that taxes on food will impact what people eat but will have limited effect on reducing the population body-mass index or the obesity prevalence.
Online Detection of an Interturn Winding Fault in Single-Phase Distribution Transformers Using a Terminal Measurement-Based Modeling Technique

A noninvasive scheme for real-time and online detection of interturn winding faults in single-phase transformers has been proposed. A terminal measurement-based transformer modeling technique is central to the fault detection scheme. First, with the experimentally acquired primary line voltage and line current data of the healthy transformer, a healthy no-load model of the transformer is generated. Next, a healthy estimated indicator value, computed from this model under the given input voltage condition, is compared with the actual indicator value for detecting the presence of an interturn winding fault. Experiments have shown that the proposed scheme is not only capable of detecting incipient levels of interturn winding faults on primary and secondary windings under any load conditions, but also can estimate the fault severity level. In the end, a procedure to determine a suitable tripping threshold to de-energize the transformer under incipient fault has also been outlined.
5-lipoxygenase inhibitor zileuton attenuates ischemic brain damage: involvement of matrix metalloproteinase 9

Abstract Objectives: Cerebral ischemia causes an increased expression and activation of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9). Recent works demonstrated that the selective 5-LOX inhibitor zileuton down-regulates MMP-9 expression in vascular diseases and cancer. In the present work, we first studied the neuroprotective effect of zileuton on focal cerebral ischemia in rats and further investigated the effect of zileuton on the expression of 5-LOX and MMP-9 in ischemic brain. Methods: Adult Sprague–Dawley rats underwent permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO). The rats then received treatment with zileuton 5, 10 or 50 mg/kg or vehicle. Cerebral water content and infarct volume were measured 24 hours after pMCAO. Expression of 5-LOX messenger RNA (mRNA) and MMP-9 mRNA were determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The levels of the proform and the active form of MMP-9 were detected by gelatin zymography. Results: Oral treatment of zileuton at 10 or 50 mg/kg significantly reduced cerebral water content and infarct volume. It also down-regulated the expression of 5-LOX mRNA and MMP-9 mRNA. Zileuton at 50 mg/kg could inhibit the active form of MMP-9. Conclusion: These results suggest that selective 5-LOX inhibitor zileuton attenuates ischemic brain damage in rats, which may be partly associated with MMP-9 inhibition.
A new database for research on bank-check processing

This paper presents a new database for off-line handwriting recognition. The database, that is particularly devoted to research on bank-check recognition, up to now includes instances of isolated digits and characters, basic words of worded amounts, and signatures. Pattern images are stored using a standard image format, and hence they are easily usable by several commercial and scientific image processing packages.
EBNA2 and Activated Notch Induce Expression of BATF

ABSTRACT The immortalization of human B lymphocytes by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) requires the virus-encoded transactivator EBNA2 and the products of both viral and cellular genes which serve as EBNA2 targets. In this study, we identified BATF as a cellular gene that is up-regulated dramatically within 24 h following the infection of established and primary human B cells with EBV. The transactivation of BATF is mediated by EBNA2 in a B-cell-specific manner and is duplicated in non-EBV-infected B cells by the expression of mammalian Notch proteins. In contrast to other target genes activated by EBNA2, the BATF gene encodes a member of the AP-1 family of transcription factors that functions as a negative regulator of AP-1 activity and as an antagonist of cell growth. A potential role for BATF in promoting EBV latency is supported by studies in which BATF was shown to negatively impact the expression of a BZLF1 reporter gene and to reduce the frequency of lytic replication in latently infected cells. The identification of BATF as a cellular target of EBV provides important new information on how programs of viral and cellular gene expression may be coordinated to promote viral latency and control lytic-cycle entry.
The effect of oxide precipitates on minority carrier lifetime in n-type silicon

Supersaturated levels of interstitial oxygen in Czochralski silicon can lead to the formation of oxide precipitates. Although beneficial from an internal gettering perspective, oxygen-related extended defects give rise to recombination which reduces minority carrier lifetime. The highest efficiency silicon solar cells are made from n-type substrates in which oxide precipitates can have a detrimental impact on cell efficiency. In order to quantify and to understand the mechanism of recombination in such materials, we correlate injection level-dependent minority carrier lifetime data measured with silicon nitride surface passivation with interstitial oxygen loss and precipitate concentration measurements in samples processed under substantially different conditions. We account for surface recombination, doping level, and precipitate morphology to present a generalised parameterisation of lifetime. The lifetime data are analysed in terms of recombination activity which is dependent on precipitate density or on the surface area of different morphologies of precipitates. Correlation of the lifetime data with interstitial oxygen loss data shows that the recombination activity is likely to be dependent on the precipitate surface area. We generalise our findings to estimate the impact of oxide precipitates with a given surface area on lifetime in both n-type and p-type silicon.
Welfare reauthorization: an early guide to the issues.

The enactment of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) marked an extraordinary turning point in U.S. social policy. The legislation is probably best known for having repealed the Aid to Families with Dependent Children Program and having provided states with block grants to design work-focused time-limited welfare programs. However the scope of the 1996 law was much more extensive. The law made major changes affecting child support enforcement child care the Food Stamp Program disability benefits for children and the eligibility of immigrants for federal state and local benefits. The law reduced federal requirements and protections for individuals while expanding state discretion and flexibility in numerous aspects of social policy. And the law has prompted new and intensified discussions about out of wedlock birth fathers and marriage and family formation. These issues and more will be before Congress in 2002. A set of programs – the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant the Child Care and Development Block Grant the Food Stamp Program and funding for abstinence education – are all scheduled to be reauthorized by the end of 2002. But the discussions and debates will likely entail far more than the programs scheduled for reauthorization. Rather 2002 is anticipated to be a year in which Congress the states and the public will take stock of what has and has not been accomplished since 1996 and consider the next set of directions for national poverty policy and family policy. This article seeks to contribute to the 2002 discussions by describing how the 1996 law changed the social policy landscape in programs affecting children. We describe the principal changes in federal law most relevant to the well-being of children in a set of areas: the repeal of AFDC and enactment of TANF; the law’s provisions relating to family formation; the changes in child support enforcement child care Medicaid the Food Stamp Program immigrant eligibility for public benefits child welfare and disability benefits for children. In each area we highlight the principal impacts of these changes (to the extent known) and suggest key issues likely to be before Congress in 2002. (excerpt)
Thermal ablation and high-temperature thermal therapy: Overview of technology and clinical implementation

High-temperature hyperthermia or thermal therapy is being applied for destruction of cancerous tissue, eradication or reduction of benign tumours and targeted tissue modification and remodelling. Many of these high-temperature technologies provide a minimally-invasive alternative with lower morbidities compared to the traditional surgical procedures. The effects of high-temperature thermal exposure on tissues, examples of heating technology and procedures of clinical practice related to high-temperature thermal therapy are reviewed. This brief review encompasses interstitial, endocavity, intraluminal and external applications of RF, microwave, ultrasound, laser and thermal conduction energy sources. The technology is prevalent and in various levels of advancement, with the move toward more spatially-accurate and controllable heating systems combined with image-guidance and treatment verification warranted, especially for the treatment of cancer.
In vivo assessment of epichlorohydrin effects: the chorioallantoic membrane model.

BACKGROUND Previous studies on the effects of the epichlorohydrin (ECH) epoxide demonstrated this compound's toxicity and mutagenicity and suggested a carcinogenic activity also in humans. To gain a better understanding of ECH effects in vivo, the substance was tested on developing tissues utilizing the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. MATERIAL/METHODS Gelatin sponges adsorbed with ECH were implanted onto nine-day CAMs. After five days the membranes were fixed, cut in serial sections, and stained with toluidine blue. Sections of the ECH-treated CAMs were also submitted to immunocytochemistry for the basal lamina glycoprotein laminin and the gap junction protein connexin 43 (Cx43). Control CAMs were treated with saline solution and submitted to identical procedures. RESULTS ECH-treated CAMs displayed proliferation of both the epithelial layers and the mesenchyme cells and vessels. The laminin immunolabeling was interrupted beneath the ectoderm thickenings, which penetrated the mesenchyme. The endoderm showed papilloma-like formations and its laminin-positive basal membrane protruded toward the mesenchyme, together with clusters of endodermal cells. The mesenchyme showed increased numbers of cells and microvessels. These reactions were restricted to regions corresponding to the implant. Cx43 expression was strongly decreased in the ECH-treated CAMs compared with the controls, where the connexin punctate pattern regularly decorated the epithelial cell contours. CONCLUSIONS The study confirms that ECH elicits tissue proliferation at the contact site and corroborates the suggestion of an ECH carcinogenic effect due to hallmarks of tumoral growth, such as angiogenesis, basal membrane alterations, and loss of intercellular communication via gap junctions.
Have FOMC Minutes Helped Markets to Predict FED Funds Rate Changes?

This paper examines whether the release of minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) has provided markets with systematic clues about its future policy rates. We explain the future fed funds rate changes using Ordered Probit models (sample 1996 to 2008). We find that timely FOMC meeting minutes have provided assurance to markets about the most likely path of future interest rates. Though, their release did not cause markets to fundamentally revise their expectations on future policy decisions. The paper also discusses lessons from the Fed experience for the ECB and other central banks. JEL Classification: C34, E52, E58
A face tracking method using dominant orientation templates and pose estimation

This paper proposed a method for face tracking and pose estimating by combining two algorithms, namely, the dominant orientation templates (DOT) [1] and the pose from orthography and scaling with iterations (POSIT) [2]. The concept of DOT is measuring the similarity between an input image and a reference image by matching from gradient orientations between a set of dominant image orientations and a set of dominant template orientations. The DOT algorithm is fast and accuracy as studied in [1]. The POSIT algorithm estimates 3D pose of an object and finds the rotation matrix and the translation vector of the object. To apply the DOT algorithm to face tracking, we selected four important face features which are left eye, right eye, nose, and mouth from different postures of a face. The gradient orientations are, then, extracted from these face features and these gradient orientations are combined to create the gradient orientation templates. We use these templates for locating the four face features on the face image. The positions of all face features are input to the POSIT algorithm where the face rotation matrix and transition vector in 3-D is estimate. The experimental result show the propose method can get satisfactory result.
Drug‐ and behavior‐associated changes in dopamine‐related electrochemical signals during intravenous heroin self‐administration in rats

High‐speed chronoamperometry was used to monitor dopamine‐related electrochemical signals in the nucleus accumbens of rats allowed to self‐administer heroin intravenously and rats that received similar injections passively. Rats self‐administered 100 μg/kg of heroin at ∼20‐min intervals. Dopamine‐related electrochemical signals increased monotonically after the first injection of each day; the effect was weaker on the first than on the second and subsequent days. The second and subsequent injections in each session caused biphasic effects: the initial effect was a decrease in signal‐a minor one when compared to the increase caused by the first injection‐and this was followed by an increase that brought the signal back to or somewhat higher than the level at the time of the injection. Over the course of each 4‐h session, the electrochemical signal reached and fluctuated around an elevated plateau; doubling the injection dose did not elevate this plateau but did cause larger phasic decreases and subsequent increases. Qualitatively similar electrochemical changes were seen in the animals passively receiving the drug, but there were two notable quantitative differences. First, in the passive animals the initial depressions in signal were of shorter duration. Second, in the passive animals (which were injected at intervals determined by the self‐administering animals) the electrochemical signal reached a maximum and began to fall prior to the time of the next injection; in the animals that self‐administered the drug, the signal was still rising at the time of the next injection. The changes in electrochemical signal are unlikely to represent fluctuations of ascorbate or dopamine metabolites; thus it appears that whereas self‐administered heroin injections cause a slow and long‐lasting elevation of extracellular dopamine concentration, short‐term increases in dopamine concentration are associated with the behavioral activation that precedes the injections and it is short‐term decreases that appear to be associated with the period usually thought to be most significant for positive reinforcement. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Safety Evaluation for Expressways: A Comparative Study for Macroscopic and Microscopic Indicators

Objective: This article is to assess the performance of 3 macroscopic safety indicators (speed, speed dispersion, and volume) and two microscopic potential crash risks (time to collision and deceleration rate to avoid crash) on safety evaluation for expressways. Methods: Field data were collected at 3 locations for 4 different time periods on an expressway in Beijing, China. The speed of each vehicle, headway time, and vehicle length were recorded by a traffic management system. The 5 safety indicators were thus calibrated on the basis of the collected data. Further, consistency and comparative analyses were applied to assess the performance of indicators. Results: According to the analyses, speed dispersion was a better predictor of the two microscopic potential risks compared to the two macroscopic indicators. Conclusions: Speed dispersion is recommended to proactively assess road safety because (1) it provides consistent risk evaluation with microscopic potential risks and (2) it makes data collection easier.
Effects of educational interventions for self management of asthma in children and adolescents: systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Objective To determine the effectiveness of educational programmes for the self management of asthma in children and adolescents. Data sources Databases of the Cochrane Airways Group, PsychINFO, reference lists of review papers, and eligible studies. Review methods Eligible studies were published randomised controlled trials or controlled clinical trials of educational programmes for the self management of asthma in children and adolescents that reported lung function, morbidity, self perception of asthma control, or utilisation of healthcare services. Eligible studies were abstracted, assessed for methodological quality, and pooled with fixed effects and random effects models. Results 32 of 45 identified trials were eligible, totalling 3706 patients aged 2 to 18 years. Education in asthma was associated with improved lung function (standardised mean difference 0.50, 95% confidence interval 0.25 to 0.75) and self efficacy (0.36, 0.15 to 0.57) and reduced absenteeism from school (−0.14, −0.23 to −0.04), number of days of restricted activity (−0.29, −0.33 to −0.09), and number of visits to an emergency department (−0.21, −0.33 to −0.09). When pooled by the fixed effects model but not by the random effects model, education was also associated with a reduced number of nights disturbed by asthma. The effect on morbidity was greatest among programmes with strategies based on peak flow, interventions targeted at the individual, and participants with severe asthma. Conclusions Educational programmes for the self management of asthma in children and adolescents improve lung function and feelings of self control, reduce absenteeism from school, number of days with restricted activity, number of visits to an emergency department, and possibly number of disturbed nights. Educational programmes should be considered a part of the routine care of young people with asthma.
Dynamic coupling among neocortical neurons during evoked and spontaneous spike-wave seizure activity.

1. We investigated the development from patterns of electroencephalogram (EEG) synchronization to paroxysms consisting of spike-wave (SW) complexes at 2-4 Hz or to seizures at higher frequencies (7-15 Hz). We used multisite, simultaneous EEG, extracellular, and intracellular recordings from various neocortical areas and thalamic nuclei of anesthetized cats. 2. The seizures were observed in 25% of experimental animals, all maintained under ketamine and xylazine anesthesia, and were either induced by thalamocortical volleys and photic stimulation or occurred spontaneously. Out of unit and field potential recordings within 370 cortical and 65 thalamic sites, paroxysmal events occurred in 70 cortical and 8 thalamic sites (approximately 18% and 12%, respectively), within which a total of 181 neurons (143 extracellular and 38 intracellular) were simultaneously recorded in various combinations of cell groups. 3. Stimulus-elicited and spontaneous SW seizures at 2-4 Hz lasted for 15-35 s and consisted of barrages of action potentials related to the spiky depth-negative (surface-positive) field potentials, followed by neuronal silence during the depth-positive wave component of SW complexes. The duration of inhibitory periods progressively increased during the seizure, at the expense of the phasic excitatory phases. 4. Intracellular recordings showed that, during such paroxysms, cortical neurons displayed a tonic depolarization (approximately 10-20 mV), sculptured by rhythmic hyperpolarizations. 5. In all cases, measures of synchrony demonstrated time lags between discharges of simultaneously recorded cortical neurons, from as short as 3-10 ms up to 50 ms or even longer intervals. Synchrony was assessed by cross-correlograms, by a method termed first-spike-analysis designed to detect dynamic temporal relations between neurons and relying on the detection of the first action potential in a spike train, and by a method termed sequential-field-correlation that analyzed the time course of field potentials simultaneously recorded from different cortical areas. 6. The degree of synchrony progressively increased from preseizure sleep patterns to the early stage of the SW seizure and, further, to its late stage. In some cases the time relation between neurons during the early stages of seizures was inversed during late stages. 7. These data show that, although the common definition of SW seizures, regarded as suddenly generalized and bilaterally synchronous activities, may be valid at the macroscopic EEG level, cortical neurons display time lags between their rhythmic spike trains, progressively increased synchrony, and changes in the temporal relations between their discharges during the paroxysms. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)