Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Subregions of the periaqueductal gray topographically innervate the rostral ventral medulla in the rat

Previous anatomical and physiological studies have revealed a substantial projection from the periaqueductal gray (PAG) to the nucleus paragigantocellularis (PGi). In addition, physiological studies have indicated that the PAG is composed of functionally distinct subregions. However, projections from PAG subregions to PGi have not been comprehensively examined. In the present study, we sought to examine possible topographic specificity for projections from subregions of the PAG to PGi.
H-infinity with pole placement constraint in LMI region for a buck-converter driven DC motor

This paper presents a H-infinity synthesis with pole clustering based on LMI region schemes to control the speed of a DC motor. The dynamic system composed of converter/motor is considered in this investigation and derived in the state-space and transfer function forms. The performance of the control schemes is examined in terms of time response specifications of angular velocity, duty cycle input energy and armature current. The implementation results show that the regional pole placement known as LMI region combined with design objective in H-infinity controller guarantee a fast angular velocity tracking capability with very minimal controlled duty cycle.
The contribution of language to the right-hemisphere conceptual representations: A selective survey

Although levels of verbal and pictorial performance are known to depend on the degree of left versus right atrophy in the early stages of semantic dementia, the nature of these differences remains controversial. It has been proposed that there is a unitary, bilaterally represented, abstract semantic system and that differential task performance reflects the impact of greater connectivity between the left anterior temporal lobe (ATL) and the left dominant language systems. This interpretation explains the greater involvement of the left ATL in verbally coded semantic knowledge, but not the prevalence of the right hemisphere in pictorial representations. An alternative account is provided by the sensory–motor model of conceptual knowledge, which assumes that each conceptual representation results from the convergence of different perceptual, motor, and verbally coded sources of knowledge in a given brain area. According to this model, the weight of verbal information should prevail in left ATL conceptual representations, because of the dominance of the left hemisphere for language, whereas the weight of sensory–motor sources of knowledge should be greater in the right ATL representations, because the right hemisphere plays a greater role in processing sensory–motor information. If the difference between right and left conceptual representations is quantitative and due to the different weight of sensory–motor and verbal sources of knowledge in their composition, we should observe an elementary, but selective representation of semantic–lexical knowledge in the intact right hemisphere and a mild but selective semantic–lexical impairment in right-brain-damaged patients. Results of the present survey support this hypothesis.
The influence of CYP2D6 activity on the kinetics of propafenone enantiomers in Chinese subjects.

AIMS To determine role of CYP2D6 activity in the pharmacokinetics of propafenone (PPF) enantiomers in native Chinese subjects. METHODS Sixteen extensive metabolizers (EMs) and one poor metabolizer (PM), whose phenotype had been previously assessed with dextromethorphan metabolic phenotyping, were enrolled. Blood samples (0 approximately 15 h) were taken after oral administration of a single dose (400 mg) of racemic-propafenone hydrochloride. A reverse-phase h.p.l.c. method with pre-column derivatization was employed to quantitate enantiomeric concentrations of propafenone in plasma. RESULTS For the EM subjects, S-PPF was less rapidly metabolized and had higher peak plasma concentrations than R-PPF (413+/-143 vs 291+/-109 ng ml-1, P<0.001). The AUC was markedly higher for S-PPF than for R-PPF (2214+/-776 vs 1639+/-630 microg h l-1, P<0.001), whereas the clearance of S-PPF was significantly lower than that of R-PPF (96.0+/-39.0 vs 138+/-78 l h-1, P<0.01). There were no differences in t1/2, and Cmax between the two isomers (P >0.05). In the one PM subject, not only did S-PPF appear to undergo less rapid metabolism than R-PPF, but the subject also showed 2 approximately 3 fold differences in Cmax, CL and AUC compared with EMs. The correlation coefficients (rs ) between dextromethorphan metabolic ratio (lg MR) and pharmacokinetic parameters (Cmax, CL and AUC) were 0.63, -0.87, 0.87 for S-PPF and 0. 57, -0.73, 0.86 for R-PPF, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that CYP2D6 activity contributes to the pharmacokinetic variability of propafenone enantiomers in Chinese subjects.
An extensive spectroscopic time series of three Wolf–Rayet stars – II. A search for wind asymmetries in the dust-forming WC7 binary WR137

We present the results of a four-month, spectroscopic campaign of the Wolf-Rayet dust-making binary, WR137. We detect only small-amplitude, random variability in the CIII5696 emission line and its integrated quantities (radial velocity, equivalent width, skewness, kurtosis) that can be explained by stochastic clumps in the wind of the WC star. We find no evidence of large-scale, periodic variations often associated with Corotating Interaction Regions that could have explained the observed intrinsic continuum polarization of this star. Our moderately high-resolution and high signal-to-noise average Keck spectrum shows narrow double-peak emission profiles in the Halpha, Hbeta, Hgamma, HeII6678 and HeII5876 lines. These peaks have a stable blue-to-red intensity ratio with a mean of 0.997 and a root-mean-square of 0.004, commensurate with the noise level; no variability is found during the entire observing period. We suggest that these profiles arise in a decretion disk around the O9 companion, which is thus an O9e star. The characteristics of the profiles are compatible with those of other Be/Oe stars. The presence of this disk can explain the constant component of the continuum polarization of this system, for which the angle is perpendicular to the plane of the orbit, implying that the rotation axis of the O9e star is aligned with that of the orbit. It remains to be explained why the disk is so stable within the strong ultraviolet radiation field of the O star. We present a binary evolutionary scenario that is compatible with the current stellar and system parameters.
Long-term follow-up after autologous skeletal myoblast transplantation in ischaemic heart disease.

OBJECTIVES Short-term follow-up after autologous skeletal myoblasts (ASM) transplantation (Tx) (Myoblast Autologous Grafting in Ischaemic Cardiomyopathy (MAGIC) Phase II Study) for the treatment of ischaemic cardiomyopathy revealed improved left ventricular (LV) remodelling. Our study reports the longest long-term worldwide follow-up of a single-centre cohort, focusing on the safety and efficacy of ASM-Tx. METHODS The multicentre MAGIC Phase II Study involved 120 patients and was conducted between 2004 and 2006. Out of the 120 patients involved in the entire study, the cohort treated at our institution contained 7 patients only. These 7 patients received ASM-Tx (injection volume: 400 million cells, n = 2 low dosage; 800 million cells, n = 2 high dosage) or placebo (n = 3) injections, in addition to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). After closure of the MAGIC registry, we conducted a long-term follow-up for our 7-patient cohort. The mean follow-up was 72.0 ± 5.3 months. The follow-up was complete for echo data, implanted cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) report, clinical investigation and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class. RESULTS At final follow-up, all the patients were alive, and 5 were in NYHA class 1 or 2. There were 6 hospitalizations for congestive heart failure during the follow-up (1 patient from each group). One patient (placebo group) was treated twice for ventricular fibrillation by the ICD. The LV ejection fraction remained stable in all the three groups (31.1 ± 3.9% preoperative vs 29.4 ± 4.4% at final follow-up). The LV volumes were reduced in the high-dosage group, remained unchanged in the low-dosage group and deteriorated in the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS Our long-term data confirm the findings of the MAGIC study. The LV function did not improve, but the long-term LV volumes in the high-dosage group were reduced. During the follow-up, there were also no additional arrhythmogenic incidences. Our data could imply that CABG in combination with ASM-Tx is safe and has beneficial therapeutic effects in the long-term. However, due to the small patient number, the clinical impact is limited.
Histone deacetylases: salesmen and customers in the post‐translational modification market

HDACs (histone deacetylases) are enzymes that remove the acetyl moiety from N‐∍‐acetylated lysine residues in histones and non‐histone proteins. In recent years, it has turned out that HDACs themselves are also subject to post‐translational modification. Such structural alterations can determine the stability, localization, activity and protein—protein interactions of HDACs. This subsequently affects the modification of their substrates and the co‐ordination of cellular signalling networks. Intriguingly, physiologically relevant non‐histone proteins are increasingly found to be deacetylated by HDACs, and aberrant deacetylase activity contributes to several severe human diseases. Targeting the catalytic activity of these enzymes and their post‐translational modifications are therefore attractive targets for therapeutical intervention strategies. To achieve this ambitious goal, details on the molecular mechanisms regulating post‐translational modifications of HDACs are required. This review summarizes aspects of the current knowledge on the biological role and enzymology of the phosphorylation, acetylation, ubiquitylation and sumoylation of HDACs.
Impact of previous antibiotic therapy on outcome of Gram-negative severe sepsis*

Objective:To determine whether exposure to antimicrobial agents in the previous 90 days resulted in decreased bacterial susceptibility and increased hospital mortality in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock attributed to Gram-negative bacteremia. Design:A retrospective cohort study of hospitalized patients (January 2002 to December 2007). Setting:Barnes-Jewish Hospital, a 1200-bed urban teaching hospital. Patients:Seven hundred fifty-four consecutive patients with Gram-negative bacteremia complicated by severe sepsis or septic shock. Interventions:Data abstraction from computerized medical records. Measurements and Main Results:Escherichia coli (30.8%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (23.2%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (17.6%) were the most common isolates from blood cultures. Three hundred ten patients (41.1%) had recent antibiotic exposure. Cefepime was the most common agent with previous exposure (50.0%) followed by ciprofloxacin (32.6%) and imipenem or meropenem (28.7%). Patients with prior antibiotic exposure had significantly higher rates of resistance to cefepime (29.0% vs. 7.0%), piperacillin/tazobactam (31.9% vs. 11.5%), carbapenems (20.0% vs. 2.5%), ciprofloxacin (39.7% vs. 17.6%), and gentamicin (26.1% vs. 7.9%) (p < .001 for all comparisons). Patients with recent antibiotic exposure had greater inappropriate initial antimicrobial therapy (45.4% vs. 21.2%; p < .001) and hospital mortality (51.3% vs. 34.0%; p < .001) compared with patients without recent antibiotic exposure. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that recent antibiotic exposure was independently associated with hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 1.70; 95% confidence interval, 1.41–2.06; p = .005). Other variables independently associated with hospital mortality included use of vasopressors, infection resulting from P. aeruginosa, inappropriate initial antimicrobial therapy, increasing Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores, and the number of acquired organ failures. Conclusions:Recent antibiotic exposure is associated with increased hospital mortality in Gram-negative bacteremia complicated by severe sepsis or septic shock. Clinicians caring for patients with severe sepsis or septic shock should consider recent antibiotic exposure when formulating empiric antimicrobial regimens for suspected Gram-negative bacterial infection.
Effect of Tetracycline on a Standardized Intracutaneous Staphylococcal Infection in Guinea Pigs.∗

Summary Administration of tetracycline markedly lowered the charge of tetracycline-resistant staphylococci required to initiate a standardized intracutaneous lesion in guinea pigs. The results were independent of the route of antimicrobial administration. Tetracycline administered before and during the course of an infection with tetracycline susceptible staphylococci appeared inconstantly to increase the infectious charge required to establish the lesion. The mechanisms underlying these observations are not understood.
A Single Tyrosine Residue in the Membrane-proximal Domain of the Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-stimulating Factor, Interleukin (IL)-3, and IL-5 Receptor Common β-Chain Is Necessary and Sufficient for High Affinity Binding and Signaling by All Three Ligands*

The β-chain of the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-3 (IL-3), and interleukin-5 (IL-5) receptors functions as a communal receptor subunit and is often referred to as β common (βc). Analogous to other shared receptor subunits including gp130 and the IL-2R γ chain, βc mediates high affinity binding and signal transduction of all of its ligands. It is not clear, however, how these common receptor subunits can recognize several ligands and indeed whether they exhibit a common binding pocket to accomplish this. We have performed molecular modeling of βc based on the known structures of the growth hormone and prolactin receptors and targeted the putative F′-G′ loop for mutagenesis. Substitution of this whole predicted loop region with alanines completely abrogated high affinity binding of GM-CSF, IL-3, and IL-5. Individual alanine substitutions across the loop revealed that a single residue, Tyr421, is critical for high affinity binding of GM-CSF, IL-3, and IL-5, whereas alanine substitution of adjacent residues has little or no effect on high affinity binding. Significantly, reintroducing Tyr421 into the polyalanine-substituted mutant restored high affinity ligand binding of GM-CSF, IL-3, and IL-5, indicating that within this region the tyrosine residue alone is sufficient for high affinity ligand interaction. Functional studies measuring STAT5 activation revealed that alanine substitution of Tyr421 severely impaired the ability of βc to signal. These results show for the first time that a single residue in a shared receptor subunit acts as a binding determinant for different ligands and may have implications for other receptor systems where communal receptor subunits exhibit hydrophobic residues in their putative F′-G′ loops. These results also raise the possibility that a single compound targeted to this region may simultaneously inhibit the binding and function of multiple cytokines.
Citizen science, engagement and transformative learning: a study of the co-construction of a neuroscience research project in Catalonia

Citizen science can raise people’s understanding of science while helping scientists to conduct their research. Yet, its potential for driving transformative learning is empirically underexplored. We present the results of focus groups and participant observation with secondary-school students engaged in the first three years of a citizen science project, from the formulation of the research questions to data analysis and discussion. Students learnt about and increased their interest in neuroscience. They were also able to reflect on the role of science for society and valued their involvement as active participants in the research. We discuss the opportunities and challenges of approaching citizen science for transformative learning.
A multi-national satisfaction analysis: An application on tourists in Antalya

Th ere is no doubt that customer satisfaction is an integral part of services marketing and holds an important place in terms of providing higher profi tability and repeat purchase behavior. Keeping this in mind, this study sets out to explore the satisfaction of tourists of diff erent nationalities at fi ve-star hotels in Antalya. A questionnaire was employed and administered to 2,907 visitors from Turkey, Germany, Russia, the Netherlands, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom to collect the data set. According to the results of statistical analyses, satisfaction varies with respect to nationalities, which is one of the expected results of this study. Based on the roots of variations, the study concludes with appropriate marketing and management implications for managers of fi ve star hotels in Antalya.
The effect of denervation on the responses of the cat's nictitating membrane to sympathomimetic amines.

In previous studies the effects of graded doses of sympathomimetic amines on the heart rate, and on the systolic blood pressure, were measured in atropinized sleeping bitches. It was found that removal of the sympathetic chains, from and including the stellate ganglia, downwards into the pelvis, produced a greater increase in the sensitivity of the systolic blood pressure to noradrenaline than to adrenaline, but that this procedure resulted in a greater increase in the sensitivity of the responses of the heart rate to adrenaline than to noradrenaline. responses heart sensitivity heart blood presented not existed in responses of the heart rate and the systolic blood pressure to sympathomimetic amines before sympathectomy.
Three circadian clock genes Per2, Arntl, and Npas2 contribute to winter depression

Background. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the circadian clock contributes to the pathogenesis of winter depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD). We hypothesized that sequence variations in three genes, including Per2, Arntl, and Npas2, which form a functional unit at the core of the circadian clock, predispose to winter depression. Methods. In silico analysis of the biological effects of allelic differences suggested the target single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to be analyzed in a sample of 189 patients and 189 matched controls. The most relevant SNP in each gene was identified for the interaction analysis and included in the multivariate assessment of the combined effects of all three SNPs on the disease risk. Results. SAD was associated with variations in each of the three genes in gene‐wise logistic regression analysis. In combination analysis of variations of Per2, Arntl, and Npas2, we found additive effects and identified a genetic risk profile for the disorder. Carriers of the risk genotype combination had the odds ratio of 4.43 of developing SAD as compared with the remaining genotypes, and of 10.67 as compared with the most protective genotype combination. Conclusion. Variations in the three circadian clock genes Per2, Arntl, and Npas2 are associated with the disease, supporting the hypothesis that the circadian clock mechanisms contribute to winter depression.
Self-Affirmation and Ego Transcendence: The Encounter of Christianity with Feminism and Buddhism

Central to much Buddhist thought is the idea that human fulfillment comes through a transcendence of the ego. The appropriate aim of life, we are told, is to realize that there is no enduring and independent ego underlying experience, and then to embody within the flow of experience an openness to the world that has moved beyond egocentrism. The name for this egoless openness, and for the ontological fact that there is no substantial ego to begin with, is anatman or no-self. In dialogues between Christians and Buddhists, some Christians have been understandably attracted to the doctrine of no-self. While the doctrine may call into question classical notions of a substantial self, it nevertheless seems to support traditional emphases on the primacy of self-sacrificial love. It offers a way of affirming that we can love our neighbors as ourselves, because it reveals that, within the depths of our existence, we have no substantial selves by which to be ontologically isolated from our neighbors in the first place. AsJohn Cobb explains, the encounter with Buddhism enables Christians to discover the possibility of a "postpersonal" mode of existence that aims toward a "perfection of love" (Cobb 1975, 220). Even as some Christians in the West have turned to Buddhism in the interests of love's enhancement, however, others are moving in what might seem to be a somewhat different direction. Feminist theologians are pointing out that the doctrine of self-sacrificial love may itself be a problem if not combined with an emphasis on positive self-regard and personal self-affirmation (Saiving 1979, 25-42; Christ and Plaskow 1980, 51-94; Daly 1977, 84). The motif of self-sacrifice may be a worthy aim for those who already have a strong sense of self to be sacrificed, but it is less meaningful for one who has been denied the opportunity to develop a strong sense of self from the outset. The argument of feminist theology is that many women-and others who are approached primarily as helpmates within patriarchal societies-are in the latter situation. They suffer, not from too much self-affirmation at the expense of self-sacrifice, but rather from too much self-sacrifice at the expense of self-affirmation.
Mitochondria in Sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Mitochondria are abnormal in persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for unknown reasons. We explored whether aberration of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) could play a role in this by transferring mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from ALS subjects to mtDNA-depleted human neuroblastoma cells. Resulting ALS cytoplasmic hybrids (cybrids) exhibited abnormal electron transport chain functioning, increases in free radical scavenging enzyme activities, perturbed calcium homeostasis, and altered mitochondrial ultrastructure. Recapitulation of defects previously observed in ALS subjects and ALS transgenic mice by expression of ALS mtDNA support a pathophysiologic role for mtDNA mutation in some persons with this disease.
3D surface registration using estimated local shape variation

We address the problem of 3D image registration without pre-registration based on features extracted from point clouds. 3D image registration is currently receiving a great deal of attention as we can get 3D image data easier than before for developing a portable depth camera such as Kinect and Xtion. The Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm is often used to register between current and next frames or meshes during capturing by using a depth camera, and is utilized into a lot of 3D processing softwares as the state-of-art method. However, the ICP algorithm needs pre-registration by hand to register images when there are distance and differences in image size between target images. It is known that, in this case, there are multiple local minima in the design space of this problem, and it is difficult to estimate each appropriate position. When scanned multivew images are available and they are roughly the same size, a multiview matching technique can be adopted and estimate an approximate rigid transformation without pre-registration. However, multiview images are not always available. We in this paper propose a method to register 3D images automatically without multiview images, which estimates correspondence points based on local gradient information within neighborhood. For two different 3D images, we demonstrate that the proposed approach does not converge to local minima and shows good performance in terms of 3D image registration.