Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Multiobjective Minimax Regret Robust VAr Planning Model

This paper proposes a risk-based mixed integer quadratically-constrained programming model for the long-term VAr planning problem. Risk aversion is included in the proposed model by means of regret-based optimization to quantify the load shedding risk because of a reactive power deficit. The expected operation and expansion costs of new installed reactive power sources and load shedding risk are jointly minimized. Uncertainty in the active and reactive load demands has been included in the model. An $\epsilon$ -constraint approach is used to characterize the optimal efficient frontier. Also, discrete tap settings of tap-changing transformers are modeled as a set of mixed integer linear equations which are embedded into an ac optimal convex power flow. Computational results are obtained from a realistic South and South–East Brazilian power system to illustrate the proposed methodology. Finally, conclusions are duly drawn.
Three-axial force sensor with capacitive read-out using a differential relaxation oscillator

A silicon three-axis force sensor is designed and realized to be used for measurement of the interaction force between a human finger and the environment. To detect the force components, a capacitive read-out system using a novel relaxation oscillator has been developed with an output frequency proportional to differential capacitance. The sensor has a range of 2N in tangential- and normal force direction with an accuracy better than 1.5% of the full-scale. The sensor can be safely overloaded with a normal force of more than 30N.
Production potential of water-soluble Monascus red pigment by a newly isolated Penicillium sp

A new isolate from medicinal plant endophytes was identified as Penicillium sp. (HKUCC 8070). A water-soluble red pigment was produced by this strain in potato-dextrose broth, maltextract broth and a chemically defined medium containing glutamate as a nitrogen source. The red pigment produced was identified as heat-stable, polyketide Monascus red pigment. The highest yield of the red pigment was 1107 mg l obtained from the culture of Penicillium sp. (HKUCC 8070) grown on the malt-extract medium.
MicroRNA-146A contributes to abnormal activation of the type I interferon pathway in human lupus by targeting the key signaling proteins.

OBJECTIVE MicroRNA have recently been identified as regulators that modulate target gene expression and are involved in shaping the immune response. This study was undertaken to investigate the contribution of microRNA-146a (miR-146a), which was identified in the pilot expression profiling step, to the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS TaqMan microRNA assays of peripheral blood leukocytes were used for comparison of expression levels of microRNA between SLE patients and controls. Transfection and stimulation of cultured cells were conducted to determine the biologic function of miR-146a. Bioinformatics prediction and validation by reporter gene assay and Western blotting were performed to identify miR-146a targets. RESULTS Profiling of 156 miRNA in SLE patients revealed the differential expression of multiple microRNA, including miR-146a, a negative regulator of innate immunity. Further analysis showed that underexpression of miR-146a negatively correlated with clinical disease activity and with interferon (IFN) scores in patients with SLE. Of note, overexpression of miR-146a reduced, while inhibition of endogenous miR-146a increased, the induction of type I IFNs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Furthermore, miR-146a directly repressed the transactivation downstream of type I IFN. At the molecular level, miR-146a could target IFN regulatory factor 5 and STAT-1. More importantly, introduction of miR-146a into the patients' PBMCs alleviated the coordinate activation of the type I IFN pathway. CONCLUSION The microRNA miR-146a is a negative regulator of the IFN pathway. Underexpression of miR-146a contributes to alterations in the type I IFN pathway in lupus patients by targeting the key signaling proteins. The findings provide potential novel strategies for therapeutic intervention.
On the Effectiveness of Expansion Mechanisms in Zone-Based Dynamic Traffic Grooming Algorithms

Dynamic grooming deals with requests for wavelength allocation based on a dynamic pattern of arrivals in contrast to the situation of static grooming in which the pattern of arrivals must be previously known. Solutions for dynamic grooming typically involve the construction of an auxiliary graph for deciding on the routing and wavelength assignment. An auxiliary graph can represent the network either entirely or partially. The complexity of grooming algorithms is significantly reduced when a partial representation of the network is employed. Algorithms that employ reduced auxiliary graph have a step for the expansion of such graphs in case paths are note found for lightpath establishment. Results reveal that the expansion mechanism can be reduced or even eliminated for reducing the complexity of the algorithms without compromising significantly the performance of the algorithms, especially under high load.
Biphasic effect of testosterone on spermatogenesis in the rat.

The mechanism by which treatment with testosterone produces azoospermia was investigated in adult male rats. Serum luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were measured in rats treated with testosterone in order to determine whether testosterone in doses which suppressed only LH, and not FSH, would produce atrophy of the germinal epithelium. Rats received injections of testosterone enanthate (TE), (.3, 3, or 30 mg), 3 times weekly for 6 weeks. Low dose TE (.3 mg): 1) decreased mean testis weight by 42%, 2) produced atrophy of the germinal epithelium, and 3) suppressed serum LH but not FSH. High dose TE (3 and 30 mg): 1) did not affect testis weight, 2) did not affect the histology of the germinal epithelium, and 3) did suppress both LH and FSH. It is concluded that testosterone induces germinal atrophy by suppressing serum LH concentrations and subsequent androgen production by the Leydig cells, thereby decreasing the normally high intratesticular levels of androgen which are necessary for maintenance of the germinal epithelium. When these high concentrations of androgen are restored by treatment with pharmacologic doses of testosterone, no disturbance of the germinal epithelium occurs despite suppression of both LH and FSH.
Hypoglycemia Following Endotoxin Administration in Animals with Liver Damage

Summary An immediate and progressive fall in blood glucose level occurs in CC14-treated guinea pigs given a lethal dose of bacterial endotoxin. The hypoglycemia is evidently due to a decrease in rate of hepatic glucose production. Maintenance of the blood sugar level appears to prolong survival but does not alter the extreme susceptibility of these animals to endotoxin. Hypoglycemia should be looked for in patients with severe liver disease who develop gram-negative bacteremia, since if uncorrected it could render all other therapeutic measures ineffective.
THE CUTOFF PHENOMENON FOR EHRENFEST PROCESSES

We consider families of Ehrenfest chains and provide a simple criterion on the Lp-cutoff and the Lp-precutoff with specified initial states for 1 ≤ p < ∞. For the family with an Lp-cutoff, a cutoff time is described and a possible window is given. For the family without an Lp-precutoff, the exact order of the Lp-mixing time is determined. The result is consistent with the well-known conjecture on cutoffs of Markov chains proposed by Peres in 2004, which says that a cutoff exists if and only if the multiplication of the spectral gap and the mixing time tends to infinity.
The prognostic significance of basic fibroblast growth factor in cutaneous malignant melanoma

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a growth factor and an angiogenesis factor which may play a role in the evolution of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM). In this study, we evaluated the distribution of bFGF in CMM using immunochemical methods and correlated the pattern of bFGF expression with the clinical course. Formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded sections of 46 CMMs were immunostained with a high‐affinity purified antibody raised against human bFGF. CMM were categorized into lesions that exhibited subsequent recurrence (local, regional and/or systemic) or recurrence‐free lesions. The minimum follow‐up time was 5 years. Expression of bFGF within the tumors and in peritumoral and intratumoral blood vessels was similar in the two groups. Comparable results were attained when 8 recurring vs 8 non‐recurring CMM, selected from the above tumors, were matched for age, gender, anatomic site and tumor thickness. These results suggest that the biologic behavior of CMM may not be predicted by immunoreactivity to bFGF in CMM cells or in the local tumor vasculature.
Chlorophyll proteins of photosystem I.

Data are presented which suggest the existence of a light-harvesting pigment-protein complex which is functionally and structurally associated with photosystem I (PSI) reaction centers. These observations are based on techniques which allow isolation of PSI using minimal concentrations of Triton X-100. Properties of density and self aggregation allowed purification of a "native" PSI complex.The isolated PSI particles appear as 106 A spherical subunits when viewed by freeze fracture microscopy. When incorporated into phosphatidyl choline vesicles, the particles lose self-aggregation properties and disperse uniformly within the lipid membrane.The isolated PSI preparation contains 100 +/- 10 chlorophylls/P(700) (Chl a/b ratio greater than 18); this represents a recovery of 27% of the original chloroplast membrane Chl. These particles were enriched in Chl a forms absorbing at 701 to 710 nm. Chl fluorescence at room temperature exhibited a maximum at 690 nm with a pronounced shoulder at 710 nm. At 77 K, peak fluorescence emission was at 736 nm; in the presence of dithionite an additional fluorescence maximum at 695 nm was obtained at 77 K. This dual fluorescence emission peak for the PSI particles is evidence for at least two Chl populations within the PSI membrane subunit. The fluorescence emission observed at 695 nm was identified as arising from the core of PSI which contains 40 Chl/P(700) (PSI-40). This core complex, derived from native PSI particles, was enriched in Chl a absorbing at 680 and 690 nm and fluorescing with maximal emission at 694 nm at 77 K. PSI particles consisting of the PSI core complex plus 20 to 25 Chl antennae (65 Chl/P(700)) could also be derived from native PSI complexes. These preparations were enriched in Chl a forms absorbing at 697 nm and exhibited a 77 K fluorescence emission maximum at 722 nm.A comparison of native PSI particles which contain 110 Chl/P(700) (PSI-110) and PSI particles containing 65 Chl/P(700) (PSI-65) provides evidence for the existence of a peripheral Chl-protein complex tightly associated in the native PSI complex. The native PSI subunits contain polypeptides of 22,500 to 24,500 daltons which are not found in the PSI-65 or PSI-40 subfractions. It is suggested that these polypeptides function to bind 40 to 45 Chl per structural complex, including the Chl which emits fluorescence at 736 nm.A model for the organization of Chl forms is presented in which the native PSI membrane subunit consists of a reaction center core complex plus two regions of associated light-harvesting antennae. The presence of energy "sinks" within the antennae is discussed.
Partially-controlled Markov Decision Processes for Collision Avoidance Systems

Deciding when and how to avoid collision in stochastic environments requires accounting for the likelihood and relative costs of future sequences of outcomes in response to different sequences of actions. Prior work has investigated formulating the problem as a Markov decision process, discretizing the state space, and solving for the optimal strategy using dynamic programming. Experiments have shown that such an approach can be very effective, but scaling to higher-dimensional problems can be challenging due to the exponential growth of the discrete state space. This paper presents an approach that can greatly reduce the complexity of computing the optimal strategy in problems where only some of the dimensions of the problem are controllable. The approach is demonstrated on an airborne collision avoidance problem where the system must recommend maneuvers to an imperfect pilot.
Effects of systemic inflammation on insulin sensitivity in horses and inflammatory cytokine expression in adipose tissue.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether an inflammatory challenge induces insulin resistance in horses and examine possible contributions of adipose tissue to inflammatory cytokine production. ANIMALS 15 adult mares. PROCEDURES Lipopolysaccharide (0.045 mug/kg, IV) or saline solution was administered, and insulin sensitivity was determined by means of the hyperinsulinemic, euglycemic clamp procedure or an adipose tissue biopsy was performed. Adipose tissue samples were collected, and mature adipocytes were obtained. Mature adipocytes were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide or dedifferentiated into preadipocytes and then stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. Interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor A expression in blood, adipose tissue, and adipocytes was quantified with a real-time, reverse transcriptase- PCR assay. RESULTS Lipopolysaccharide induced a transient increase in insulin sensitivity followed by a reduction in insulin sensitivity at 24 hours. Increased cytokine expression was observed in blood and adipose tissue following administration of lipopolysaccharide, and adipocytes and preadipocytes stimulated with lipopolysaccharide stained positive for tumor necrosis factor A. Expression of interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor A was detected in preadipocytes stimulated with lipopolysaccharide, and interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor A were detected in mature adipocytes stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that insulin resistance develops following systemic inflammation in horses and suggested that adipose tissue may contribute to this inflammatory response. Methods to regulate insulin sensitivity may improve clinical outcome in critically ill patients.
Photodynamic therapy with verteporfin in age‐related macular degeneration: a systematic review of efficacy, safety, treatment modifications and pharmacoeconomic properties

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin has been used less comprehensively in the treatment of exudative age‐related macular degeneration (AMD), and specifically of choroidal neovascularization (CNV), since the advent of antiangiogenic therapies. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in PDT as an adjunct to these and other agents in the treatment of neovascular AMD. In light of this new development and the European Medicines Evaluation Agency’s (EMEA) recent labelling decision to rescind approval for the use of PDT in occult CNV lesions, the present systematic review was undertaken to revisit the evidence supporting its clinical application. Photodynamic therapy provided the first pharmacological treatment for patients suffering from subfoveal CNV, the major cause of severe vision loss in AMD. Key clinical trials evaluating efficacy and safety have examined patients with all lesion subtypes, with the primary labelled indication (i.e. lesions containing a classic component of ≥ 50% ) deriving from the results of the Treatment of Age‐related Macular Degeneration with Photodynamic Therapy (TAP) Study. The subsequent TAP Study Group post hoc categorization of lesions as predominantly classic is open to question, however, as it appears that the overall efficacy in this group only may have reflected the especially strong response in 100% classic lesions. Based on a subgroup analysis of the Verteporfin in Photodynamic Therapy Study, the indication for PDT subsequently was expanded in some jurisdictions, including that of the EMEA, to include occult lesions with no classic component. However, the subsequent Visudyne in Occult Study found no benefit in 100% occult lesions, resulting in the EMEA rescinding its approval for this indication.
Primary health care provision for adults with a learning disability.

BACKGROUND During the last decade, primary care has been designated as the main provider of health care to people with learning disabilities. Practice nurses based in primary care teams are increasingly the first points of contact with health services. They make an important contribution to promoting good health, with health screening and illness prevention work being a significant part of their role. However, little is known about their views or involvement regarding the provision of primary care for people with learning disabilities. There is therefore a need to explore the nursing perspective, from within primary care, on the current provision of care for people with a learning disability. RESEARCH AIM To inform the learning disability service of the role of primary care in current service provision for people with learning disabilities. RESEARCH METHOD A survey of all practice nurses currently employed by Grampian Health Board in Aberdeen was conducted in June 2001. An initial pilot study was conducted in primary care and learning disability services. Data collection took place during June and July 2001. All practice nurses working in the geographical region of Grampian were invited to participate. RESULTS Communication barriers exist, preventing access to health screening and treatment for some people with learning disabilities. Independent living skills, for example dietary management and budgeting, require additional community support. These conditions pose complex problems for practice nurses and other members of the primary care team. CONCLUSION This study indicates a need for closer support and partnership with the learning disability service. The factors necessary for providing health care to people with learning disabilities extend beyond the domain of primary care teams. The findings of this survey have important implications for education and support to enable carers and professionals to provide a high standard of care.
Quantitative Evaluation of 2 Scatter-Correction Techniques for 18F-FDG Brain PET/MRI in Regard to MR-Based Attenuation Correction

In PET, corrections for photon scatter and attenuation are essential for visual and quantitative consistency. MR attenuation correction (MRAC) is generally conducted by image segmentation and assignment of discrete attenuation coefficients, which offer limited accuracy compared with CT attenuation correction. Potential inaccuracies in MRAC may affect scatter correction, because the attenuation image (μ-map) is used in single scatter simulation (SSS) to calculate the scatter estimate. We assessed the impact of MRAC to scatter correction using 2 scatter-correction techniques and 3 μ-maps for MRAC. Methods: The tail-fitted SSS (TF-SSS) and a Monte Carlo–based single scatter simulation (MC-SSS) algorithm implementations on the Philips Ingenuity TF PET/MR were used with 1 CT-based and 2 MR-based μ-maps. Data from 7 subjects were used in the clinical evaluation, and a phantom study using an anatomic brain phantom was conducted. Scatter-correction sinograms were evaluated for each scatter correction method and μ-map. Absolute image quantification was investigated with the phantom data. Quantitative assessment of PET images was performed by volume-of-interest and ratio image analysis. Results: MRAC did not result in large differences in scatter algorithm performance, especially with TF-SSS. Scatter sinograms and scatter fractions did not reveal large differences regardless of the μ-map used. TF-SSS showed slightly higher absolute quantification. The differences in volume-of-interest analysis between TF-SSS and MC-SSS were 3% at maximum in the phantom and 4% in the patient study. Both algorithms showed excellent correlation with each other with no visual differences between PET images. MC-SSS showed a slight dependency on the μ-map used, with a difference of 2% on average and 4% at maximum when a μ-map without bone was used. Conclusion: The effect of different MR-based μ-maps on the performance of scatter correction was minimal in non–time-of-flight 18F-FDG PET/MR brain imaging. The SSS algorithm was not affected significantly by MRAC. The performance of the MC-SSS algorithm is comparable but not superior to TF-SSS, warranting further investigations of algorithm optimization and performance with different radiotracers and time-of-flight imaging.
Transitioning to End-of-Life Care in the Intensive Care Unit: A Case of Unifying Divergent Desires

Traditionally, the intensive care unit (ICU) has focused on reversal of life-threatening illness. Patients with incurable cancer admitted to the ICU present unique challenges for clinicians when these patients transition to end-of-life (EOL) care. A dimensional analysis of a single case study from a larger 30-case ethnographic study was used to explore the cancer patient's transition to EOL care in the ICU. Family members and clinicians had different expectations of care, which resulted in divergent treatment goals and desires for the patient, a 62-year-old woman with presumed pneumonia and underlying terminal glioblastoma multiforme. The attending physician and palliative care consultant unified family members' and clinicians' divergent goals and desires through a mediating process of probing the family about the patient's wishes. This process unified those involved and brought them to a place of acceptance. This case illustrates the turning point and rationale for the shift to EOL care in the ICU and the important role that communication plays in the transition. Understanding individual and family processes and family members' need for time to adjust to the transition to EOL is an essential element of practice within ICUs that increasingly manage terminally ill cancer patients.
Activation of sperm motility in the euryhaline tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron heudelotii (Dumeril, 1859) acclimatized to fresh, sea and hypersaline waters

the effects of osmolality and ions were examined on motility of sperm from males of Sarotherodon melan- otheron heudelotii acclimatized in tanks at salinities set at 0, 35 and 70 g L -1 . t he range of osmolality that enabled sperm activation, shifted and broadened as the maintenance salinity of broodfish increased. The requirement of extracellular Ca 2+ for activation of sperm motility increased when the maintenance salinity of broodfish was higher.
Phosphorylation of Tyrosine 397 in Focal Adhesion Kinase Is Required for Binding Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase*

We have shown previously that cell adhesion or platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) promotes the in vivo association of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) with phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase. In vitro experiments indicated that this interaction was mediated by the p85 subunit of PI 3-kinase and dependent on the tyrosine phosphorylation of FAK. Here we report data suggesting that the major autophosphorylation site of FAK (Tyr-397) is the binding site for the SH2 domains of p85 in vitro and is also required for the association of FAK with PI 3-kinase in vivo. We also show that Tyr-397 is responsible for the increased FAK:PI 3-kinase association upon PDGF stimulation, implying that no additional site of FAK was involved in its binding to PI 3-kinase after PDGF stimulation. Finally, we present evidence that the interaction of PI 3-kinase with Tyr-397 of FAK stimulates its activity. Together, these results suggest that FAK activation and autophosphorylation at Tyr-397 may lead to its association with PI 3-kinase through the SH2 domains of p85, which can subsequently activate PI 3-kinase during cell adhesion.