Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Supporting Pascal Programming with an On-Line Template Library and Case Studies

Abstract We propose a template library as a good representation of programming knowledge, and programming case studies as part of an effective context for illustrating design skills and strategies for utilizing this knowledge. In this project, we devised an on-line network of Pascal programming templates called a template library, and tested it with subjects (classified as novice, intermediate, and expert Pascal programmers) both as a stand alone resource and in conjunction with programming case studies. We investigated three questions using these tools: 1) How do subjects organize templates? 2) How well can subjects understand and locate templates in the template library? 3) Does the template library help subjects reuse templates to solve new problems? Results suggest that the template representations helped subjects remember and reuse information, and that subjects gained deeper understandings if the representation was introduced in the context of a programming case study.
Zygomycetes peritonitis in ambulatory peritoneal dialysis: Case report and review of literature

We present a case of CAPD peritonitis caused by zygomycetes infection. A 46-year-old male patient presented with refractory peritonitis requiring catheter removal. He had persistence of fever and an ultrasonography abdomen done revealed loculated collections. An initial pigtail drainage followed by open laparotomy was performed. Intra-operative peritoneal and omental biopsy revealed large areas of necrosis with broad aseptate fungal hyphae consistent with zygomycosis. He was managed with 3 gm of intravenous amphotericin and is doing well at 6 months of follow-up.
Thromboxane A2 Activates YAP/TAZ Protein to Induce Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation and Migration*

The thromboxane A2 receptor (TP) has been implicated in restenosis after vascular injury, which induces vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) migration and proliferation. However, the mechanism for this process is largely unknown. In this study, we report that TP signaling induces VSMC migration and proliferation through activating YAP/TAZ, two major downstream effectors of the Hippo signaling pathway. The TP-specific agonists [1S-[1α,2α(Z),3β(1E,3S*),4 α]]-7-[3-[3-hydroxy-4-(4-iodophenoxy)-1-butenyl]-7-oxabicyclo[2.2. 1]hept-2-yl]-5-heptenoic acid (I-BOP) and 9,11-dideoxy-9α,11α-methanoepoxy-prosta-5Z,13E-dien-1-oic acid (U-46619) induce YAP/TAZ activation in multiple cell lines, including VSMCs. YAP/TAZ activation induced by I-BOP is blocked by knockout of the receptor TP or knockdown of the downstream G proteins Gα12/13. Moreover, Rho inhibition or actin cytoskeleton disruption prevents I-BOP-induced YAP/TAZ activation. Importantly, TP activation promotes DNA synthesis and cell migration in VSMCs in a manner dependent on YAP/TAZ. Taken together, thromboxane A2 signaling activates YAP/TAZ to promote VSMC migration and proliferation, indicating YAP/TAZ as potential therapeutic targets for cardiovascular diseases.
An expression system for trypsin

The eukaryotic serine protease, rat anionic trypsin, and various mutants created by site‐directed mutagenesis have been heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. The bacterial alkaline phosphatase (phoA) promoter was used to control the expression of the enzymes in an induced or constitutive fashion. The DNA coding for the eukaryotic signal peptide of pretrypsinogen was replaced with DNA coding for the phoA signal peptide. The phoA signal peptide successfully directs the secretion of the mammalian trypsinogen to the periplasmic space of E. coli. Active trypsin was expressed in the periplasm of E. coli by deleting the DNA coding for the activation hexapeptide of the zymogen. The activity of trypsin in the periplasm suggests that the enzyme is correctly activated and has folded such that the 12 cysteine residues involved in the six disulfide bonds of rat anionic trypsin have paired correctly.
Paralumbar fossa laparoscopic ovariectomy in horses with use of Endoloop ligatures.

OBJECTIVE The purposes of this study were to develop a technique of paralumbar fossa laparoscopic ovariectomy using Endoloop ligatures and to avoid a laparotomy incision for ovary removal by using a 33-mm diameter muscle spreader trocar-cannula unit. ANIMALS OR SAMPLE POPULATION Seven mares. METHODS Bilateral laparoscopic ovariectomy was performed under general anesthesia in two horses and under neuroleptanalgesia and local anesthesia in five standing mares. Ovaries were approached from the ipsilateral paralumbar fossa through two portal sites located in the paralumbar fossa and a third between the 17th and 18th ribs. Insufflation of the abdominal cavity was achieved using an automatic carbon dioxide insufflator. Two Endoloop ligatures were placed on the mesovarium. The cannula, located in the center of the paralumbar fossa, was removed, and a 33-mm diameter trocar-cannula unit, with a cone-shaped muscle spreader extremity, was inserted through the same portal. The mesovarium was transected between the ovary and the ligatures. The ovaries were removed from the abdomen through the 33-mm diameter cannula. The abdominal wall was closed in a routine manner. RESULTS No major complications occurred during or after surgery. CONCLUSION Paralumbar fossa laparoscopic ovariectomy in mares using Endoloop ligatures and the 33-mm diameter trocar-cannula unit was an effective technique for ovariectomy of normal ovaries in this study. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Endoloop ligatures provide a viable alternative for laparoscopic ligation of ovarian pedicles in mares.
A distance‐dependent atomic knowledge‐based potential and force for discrimination of native structures from decoys

The purpose of this article is to introduce a novel model for discriminating correctly folded proteins from well designed decoy structures using mechanical interatomic forces. In our model, we consider a protein as a collection of springs and the force imposed to each atom is calculated. A potential function is obtained from statistical contact preferences within known protein structures. Combining this function with the spring equation, the interatomic forces are calculated. Finally, we consider a structure and define a score function on the 3D structure of a protein. We compare the force imposed to each atom of a protein with the corresponding atom in the other structures. We then assign larger scores to those atoms with lower forces. The total score is the sum of partial scores of atoms. The optimal structure is assumed to be the one with the highest score in the data set. To evaluate the performance of our model, we apply it on several decoy sets. Proteins 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fine Structure of Cystic Form of Toxoplasma gondii

The importance of toxoplasmosis as an infection of man is being increasingly realized to-day. Over 2,000 papers have been published in recent years dealing with the subject, and yet the mode of transmission of the infection remains undiscovered, with the single exception of the congenital form. Great Britain shares with much of the rest of the world a high incidence of infection, and Robertson (1960, 1961) has disclosed an excessive perinatal mortality, probably toxoplasmic in origin, in towns in or near the Humber, where in 1961 transmission seems to have been exceptionally active. The full life-history of the organism has not been worked out, but the cystic stage undoubtedly represents an essential part of the process. The morphology of the cyst has until now been studied only under the relatively low magnification given by the light microscope; however, the fine structure of the proliferative and " pseudocystic " stages has frequently been studied by electron microscopy. We thought that the examination of cysts by the latter method might reveal details of structure which would throw light on the life-cycle itself and on the-still obscure-taxonomic status of the organism. Cysts of Toxoplasma gondii are most easily found in the brain, and this organ is the favoured site of its development in man, particularly in congenital cases, where extensive damage often results-for example, in the case described from Woolwich by Morris et al. (1955). Cysts for electron-microscopic examination are, however, more easily obtained from mice or rats suffering from chronic infections, and our material came from such a source.
Hallucinatory Experiences, Delusional Thought Proneness, and Psychological Distress in a Nonclinical Population

Despite evidence that the reporting of delusion-like or hallucinatory experiences are predictive of the future development of a mental disorder in the spectrum of psychosis, the exact nature of such a kind of unusual subjective experience in the general population is still disputed. We investigated the multidimensionality of these experiences with the Peters et al. Delusions Inventory (PDI) and a modified Italian version of the Launay-Slade Hallucination Scale (LSHS-R) in 250 subjects of both genders drawn from the normal population, using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) as a measure of psychic distress of a clinically relevant nature. We found that GHQ scores are positively related to both the PDI and the LSHS-R scores, but the GHQ did not act as a mediator in the links between the 2 psychosis-proneness measures. Conversely, the LSHS-R scores fully mediated the links between GHQ and PDI scores. It can be argued that hallucination proneness and psychosis proneness do not overlap in the nonclinical population but can both cause distress separately.
RNA Interference-Mediated Change in Protein Body Morphology and Seed Opacity through Loss of Different Zein Proteins1[C][W][OA]

Opaque or nonvitreous phenotypes relate to the seed architecture of maize (Zea mays) and are linked to loci that control the accumulation and proper deposition of storage proteins, called zeins, into specialized organelles in the endosperm, called protein bodies. However, in the absence of null mutants of each type of zein (i.e. α, β, γ, and δ), the molecular contribution of these proteins to seed architecture remains unclear. Here, a double null mutant for the δ-zeins, the 22-kD α-zein, the β-zein, and the γ-zein RNA interference (RNAi; designated as z1CRNAi, βRNAi, and γRNAi, respectively) and their combinations have been examined. While the δ-zein double null mutant had negligible effects on protein body formation, the βRNAi and γRNAi alone only cause slight changes. Substantial loss of the 22-kD α-zeins by z1CRNAi resulted in protein body budding structures, indicating that a sufficient amount of the 22-kD zeins is necessary for maintenance of a normal protein body shape. Among different mutant combinations, only the combined βRNAi and γRNAi resulted in drastic morphological changes, while other combinations did not. Overexpression of α-kafirins, the homologues of the maize 22-kD α-zeins in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), in the β/γRNAi mutant failed to offset the morphological alterations, indicating that β- and γ-zeins have redundant and unique functions in the stabilization of protein bodies. Indeed, opacity of the β/γRNAi mutant was caused by incomplete embedding of the starch granules rather than by reducing the vitreous zone.
Locoregional Recurrence After Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection With or Without Axillary Dissection in Patients With Sentinel Lymph Node Metastases: The American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Z0011 Randomized Trial

Background and Objective:Sentinel lymph node dissection (SLND) has eliminated the need for axillary dissection (ALND) in patients whose sentinel node (SN) is tumor-free. However, completion ALND for patients with tumor-involved SNs remains the standard to achieve locoregional control. Few studies have examined the outcome of patients who do not undergo ALND for positive SNs. We now report local and regional recurrence information from the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Z0011 trial. Methods:American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Z0011 was a prospective trial examining survival of patients with SN metastases detected by standard H and E, who were randomized to undergo ALND after SLND versus SLND alone without specific axillary treatment. Locoregional recurrence was evaluated. Results:There were 446 patients randomized to SLND alone and 445 to SLND + ALND. Patients in the 2 groups were similar with respect to age, Bloom-Richardson score, estrogen receptor status, use of adjuvant systemic therapy, tumor type, T stage, and tumor size. Patients randomized to SLND + ALND had a median of 17 axillary nodes removed compared with a median of only 2 SN removed with SLND alone (P < 0.001). ALND also removed more positive lymph nodes (P < 0.001). At a median follow-up time of 6.3 years, there were no statistically significant differences in local recurrence (P = 0.11) or regional recurrence (P = 0.45) between the 2 groups. Conclusions:Despite the potential for residual axillary disease after SLND, SLND without ALND can offer excellent regional control and may be reasonable management for selected patients with early-stage breast cancer treated with breast-conserving therapy and adjuvant systemic therapy.
Efficient parallel-SSHI interface circuit for piezoelectric energy harvesting

In this paper, a simple yet efficient interface circuit is proposed for piezoelectric energy harvesters. Based on Parallel Synchronized Switch Harvesting on Inductor (P-SSHI) technique, the proposed self-tuned circuit does neither rely on diodes for switching control nor on external input signals. The circuit can increase the extracted power by more than 3 times compared to traditional AC-DC interface circuits.
A novel optimal trajectory planning method for overhead cranes with analytical expressions

In this paper, we present a novel time-optimal off-line trajectory planning method with an analytical expression for 2-dimensional (2-D) underactuated overhead cranes. Different from existing methods that analyze the coupling behavior directly, a flat output of this system is constructed to deal with the coupling between the payload swing and trolley motion, based on the differential flatness theory. Next, considering the continuity and smoothness characteristics of B-splines, the trajectory is parameterized to a B-spline curve with unknown parameters to be optimized. Various constraints, including lower and upper swing angle bounds and allowable trolley acceleration, are taken into consideration to optimize the parameters using a polynomial based scheme. Finally, some simulation and experiment results are given to illustrate the satisfactory performance of the proposed method.
UWB Dual-Linear Polarization Dielectric Horn Antennas as Reflector Feeds

An ultrawide bandwidth (UWB) dielectric horn antenna (DHA) design is presented. This DHA design provides dual-linear polarization with similar Eand H-plane patterns and a near-constant beamwidth from 2 to 18 GHz. The fixed phase center makes it an excellent candidate for feeding a reflector. The DHA is composed of a resistively terminated broadband field launcher, a solid dielectric horn body, and microwave absorbers for suppressing lateral waves and back lobes. Desirable beamwidth can be achieved by choosing a specific horn angle. A design example that shows a beam aspect ratio (BAR) close to one and approximately 110-degree 10-dB beamwidth is presented. The measured results are validated by full-wave simulations with the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method
The Effect of Communication Medium on Research Participation Decisions

Students are often used in research as research subjects or to validate/pilot questionnaires. It is known that response rates to requests to participate in research projects vary as a function of a number of factors. This research brief examines the effect of the communication medium on response rate by comparing an oral request for participation with an email request. Email and oral communication, specifically public oral communication, are the two easiest and presumably most common approaches faculty members have to access students to request their participation in research. Results show that an impersonal email to a mailing list is the worst way researchers can approach students to request participation, with there being no difference between making the request by personalized email or orally.
Avaliação da Qualidade da Voz em Serviços de Comunicação usando Deep Learning

Os servicos telefonicos baseados em redes IP sao muito utilizados ao redor do mundo. No entanto, uma taxa de perda de pacotes (PLR) pode ocorrer em redes IP, afetando a qualidade de experiencia (QoE) dos usuarios, sendo necessario avaliar a qualidade da voz. A determinacao de uma metodologia para prever uma qualidade da voz e relevante e necessaria. Consequentemente, este artigo apresenta um modelo nao intrusivo de classificacao de qualidade de voz, baseado em aprendizagem profunda utilizando cinco classes. Foi construida uma base de dados, na qual diferentes PLRs sao aplicadas e o indice de qualidade de cada arquivo foi calculado. Os resultados experimentais mostram que o desempenho do modelo proposto supera a Recomendacao ITU-T P.563.
STUDIES ON THE SUPRARENAL CORTEX

1. The basal oxygen consumption, respiratory quotient, blood flow, blood pressure, and the changes in concentration of the arterial blood were determined in suprarenalectomized dogs (a) when receiving injections of cortical extract (Swingle-Pfiffner), (b) during suprarenal insufficiency induced by withdrawal of the injections, and (c) during the period of recovery brought about by resumption of extract injections. 2. Reasons are advanced for the view that the hemoconcentration which occurs is probably due to loss of fluid through the kidneys, rather than by increased capillary permeability and loss into the tissues, or by loss through the gastrointestinal tract. 3. The loss of fluid from the plasma and tissues will explain the symptoms which follow withdrawal of injections of the hormone, as well as the fatal outcome. The assumption that the suprarenal cortex or its hormone has a detoxifying action upon some product of metabolism is thus rendered unnecessary.
Proliferating cell nuclear antigen in laryngeal cancer

Abstract The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen in paraffin sections from 154 cases of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma were examined. There was significant difference in PCNA expression between the control group and cancer patients (p<0.001). The mean score of PCNA was higher in patients with poor prognosis than in patients with satisfactory outcome after treatment (p<0.05). There was no significant correlation between the PCNA count and the patient's age and sex, T and N stage and site of the tumour. Univariate analysis revealed that the PCNA score correlated with the patients' survival rates. In multivariate analysis the prognostic value of PCNA was on the statistical borderline (p = 0.049). In our study clinical features like N and T status had a more important influence on survival rate. Nevertheless it appears that the immunohistological examination of PCNA in paraffin section could be a complementary prognostic tool for laryngeal carcinoma. PCNA expression may also be a valuable tool for differentiating malignant from benign laryngeal epithelium.
Fusión de imágenes con múltiples puntos de enfoque basado en sensado compresivo

En este articulo se presentan resultados en la aplicacion del principio del sensado compresivo (SC) al problema de fusion de imagenes con multiples puntos de enfoque. Se presenta las bases teoricas e implementacion de un algoritmo de fusion basado en SC. Adicionalmente, se presenta un estudio comparativo con otros algoritmos de fusion de imagenes que pone en evidencia las propiedades y el potencial del metodo presentado. Palabras claves: procesamiento de imagenes, sensado compresivo, fusion de imagenes.
Chemokines and chemokine receptors in infectious diseases

Today, 10 years after the discovery of IL‐8, chemokines (chemotactic cytokines) are seen as the stimuli that largely control leucocyte migration. Chemokines are low molecular weight chemoattractant cytokines secreted by a variety of cells, including leucocytes, epithelial cells, endothelial cells, fibroblasts and numerous other cell types. They are produced in response to exogenous stimuli, such as viruses and bacterial LPS, and endogenous stimuli, such as IL‐1, TNF and IFN. These factors mediate chemotaxis and leucocyte activation. They also regulate leucocyte extravasation from the blood and/or lymph vessel luminal surface to the tissue space, the site of inflammation. There is no doubt that chemokines and chemokine receptors are critical for defence against infectious pathogens. It is also clear that these pathogens have evolved to accommodate the workings of the host immune system. Survival of these infectious agents appears dependent upon strategies that can evade, suppress, counteract or otherwise confound the constellation of host responses to invading pathogens. In this regard, the chemokines and their receptors are a major target. Reviewed in the present paper are several examples in which microbial pathogens have usurped the mammalian chemokine system to subvert the host immune response.
The molecular sources of reactive oxygen species in hypertension

In both animal models and humans, increased blood pressure has been associated with oxidative stress in the vasculature, i.e. an excessive endothelial production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which may be both a cause and an effect of hypertension. In addition to NADPH oxidase, the best characterized source of ROS, several other enzymes may contribute to ROS generation, including nitric oxide synthase, lipoxygenases, cyclo‐oxygenases, xanthine oxidase and cytochrome P450 enzymes. It has been suggested that also mitochondria could be considered a major source of ROS: in situations of metabolic perturbation, increased mitochondrial ROS generation might trigger endothelial dysfunction, possibly contributing to the development of hypertension. However, the use of antioxidants in the clinical setting induced only limited effects on human hypertension or cardiovascular endpoints. More clinical studies are needed to fully elucidate this so called “oxidative paradox” of hypertension.
Mechanism of Fluoroquinolone Resistance Is an Important Factor in Determining the Antimicrobial Effect of Gemifloxacin against Streptococcus pneumoniae in an In Vitro Pharmacokinetic Model

ABSTRACT Antibacterial effect and emergence of resistance to gemifloxacin and levofloxacin were studied in an in vitro pharmacokinetic model of infection. A panel of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains with known mechanisms of resistance were used; two strains had no known resistance mechanism, two had efflux pumps, three had gyrA plus parC mutations, and one had only a parC mutation. Gemifloxacin MICs were in the range of 0.016 to 0.25 mg/liter, and levofloxacin MICs ranged from 1 to 16 mg/liter. Antimicrobial effect was measured by area under the bacterial-kill curve up to 72 h, and emergence of resistance was determined by population analysis profile before and during drug exposure. The area under the curve (AUC)/MIC ratios for gemifloxacin and levofloxacin were 35 to 544 and 3 to 48, respectively. As expected on the basis of these AUC/MIC ratio differences, antibacterial effect was much greater for gemifloxacin than levofloxacin. In the gemifloxacin simulations, mechanism of resistance as well as MIC determined the antibacterial effect, as indicated by gemifloxacin’s greater effect against efflux strains compared to those with gyrA or parC mutations despite similar MICs. This was not true of levofloxacin. Emergence of resistance was not easily demonstrated with either agent, and mechanism of resistance did not have any impact on it.