Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vago‐vagal reflex effects on gastric and pancreatic secretion and gastro‐intestinal motility

Pavlov (1902) in his account of the nervous regulation of digestion, stressed the importance of the discharge down the efferent vagal fibres to the abdominal viscera. This discharge he conceived as the reflex result of a 'secretory centre' in the brain stem being bombarded in the earlier stages of digestion by impulses from cephalic nerve endings, followed in the later stagesby an inflow of impulses along visceral afferent fibres in the abdominal vagus and sympathetic nerves. The importance, or even the existence, of this second type of reflex arc seemed doubtful when it was discovered that gastro-intestinal secretion and motility could, except for the cephalic reflexes, continue and be adjusted to the requirements of digestion in the absence of the extrinsic nerve supply to the abdomen (McSwiney, 1931; Alvarez, 1948). With the discovery of secretin, increasing stress was laid on the importance of hormonal control, particularly of the secretory functions ofthe digestive system. More recently it has been suggested that local reflexes, mediated through the intrinsic plexuses, may be concerned in hormonal release. Little attention, however, has been paid to the possibility that 'long' reflexes through the visceral afferent fibres in the vagal and sympathetic nerves to the abdomen might, by arcs through the central nervous system returning through the efferent fibres in these same nerves, play a part in regulating gastro-intestinal secretions and movements. Previous workers have attacked the problem either by studying the effects of extrinsic nerve section on the response to physiological stimulants in the lumen of the digestive tract, or by recording the secretory or motor responses to direct stimulation of the many afferent fibres, which have been shown to be present in the splanchnic nerves and abdominal vagus trunks (Bain, Irving & McSwiney, 1935; Harper, McSwiney & Suffolk, 1935; Agostoni, Chinnock, Daly & Murray, 1957).
BODY SIZE, NATURAL SELECTION, AND SPECIATION IN STICKLEBACKS

There is little evidence from nature that divergent natural selection is crucial to speciation. However, divergent selection is implicated if traits conferring adaptation to alternative environments also form the basis of reproductive isolation. We tested the importance of body size differences to premating isolation between two sympatric sticklebacks. The species differ greatly in size, and several lines of evidence indicate that this difference is an adaptation to alternative foraging habitats. Strong assortative mating was evident in laboratory trials, but a few hybridization events occurred. Probability of interspecific mating was strongly correlated with body size: interspecific spawning occurred only between the largest individuals of the smaller species and the smallest individuals of the larger species. Probability of spawning between similar‐sized individuals from different species was comparable to spawning rates within species. Disruption of mating between individuals from different species can be traced to increased levels of male aggression and decreased levels of male courtship as size differences increased between paired individuals. Interspecific mate preferences in sympatric sticklebacks appears to be dominated by body size, implicating natural selection in the origin of species.
Simple color conversion method to perceptible images for color vision deficiencies

In this paper, we propose a color conversion method for realizing barrier free systems for color-defective vision. Human beings are perceiving colors by a ratio of reaction values by three kinds of cones on the retina. The three cones have different sensitivity to a wavelength of light. Nevertheless, dichromats, who are lacking of one of the three cones, tends to be diffcult for discriminating colors of a certain combination. The proposed techniques make new images by converting color for creating perceptible combination of color. The proposed method has three parts of processes. Firstly, we do image segmentation based on the color space L*a*b*. Secondly, we judge whether mean colors of divided regions of the segmented image tend to be confusion or not by using confusion color loci and color vision models of the persons with color-defective vision. Finally, the proposed technique realizes the perceptible images for dichromats by changing the confusion color in several regions of images. We show how effectiveness of the method by some application results.
Identification of a Nuclear Stat1 Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase

ABSTRACT Upon interferon (IFN) stimulation, Stat1 becomes tyrosine phosphorylated and translocates into the nucleus, where it binds to DNA to activate transcription. The activity of Stat1 is dependent on tyrosine phosphorylation, and its inactivation in the nucleus is accomplished by a previously unknown protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP). We have now purified a Stat1 PTP activity from HeLa cell nuclear extract and identified it as TC45, the nuclear isoform of the T-cell PTP (TC-PTP). TC45 can dephosphorylate Stat1 both in vitro and in vivo. Nuclear extracts lacking TC45 fail to dephosphorylate Stat1. Furthermore, the dephosphorylation of IFN-induced tyrosine-phosphorylated Stat1 is defective in TC-PTP-null mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and primary thymocytes. Reconstitution of TC-PTP-null MEFs with TC45, but not the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated isoform TC48, rescues the defect in Stat1 dephosphorylation. The dephosphorylation of Stat3, but not Stat5 or Stat6, is also affected in TC-PTP-null cells. Our results identify TC45 as a PTP responsible for the dephosphorylation of Stat1 in the nucleus.
Structural modeling and electrostatic properties of aspartate transcarbamylase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae the first two reactions of the pyrimidine pathway are catalyzed by a multifunctional protein which possesses carbamylphosphate synthetase and aspartate transcarbamylase activities. Genetic and proteolysis studies suggested that the ATCase activity is carried out by an independently folded domain. In order to provide structural information for ongoing mutagenesis studies, a model of the three‐dimensional structure of this domain was generated on the basis of the known X‐ray structure of the related catalytic subunit from E. coli ATCase. First, a model of the catalytic monomer was built and refined by energy minimization. In this structure, the conserved residues between the two proteins were found to constitute the hydrophobic core whereas almost all the mutated residues are located at the surface. Then, a trimeric structure was generated in order to build the active site as it lies at the interface between adjacent chains in the E. coli catalytic trimer. After docking a bisubstrate analog into the active site, the whole structure was energy minimized to regularize the interactions at the contact areas between subunits. The resulting model is very similar to that obtained for the E. coli catalytic trimer by X‐ray crystallography, with a remarkable conservation of the structure of the active site and its vicinity. Most of the interdomain and intersubunit interactions that are essential for the stability of the E. coli catalytic trimer are maintained in the yeast enzyme even though there is only 42% identity between the two sequences. Free energy calculations indicate that the trimeric assembly is more stable than the monomeric form. Moreover an insertion of four amino acids is localized in a loop which, in E. coli ATCase, is at the surface of the protein. This insertion exposes hydrophobic residues to the solvent. Interestingly, such an insertion is present in all the eukaryotic ATCase genes sequenced so far, suggesting that this region is interacting with another domain of the multifunctional protein. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Song/instrumental classification using spectrogram based contextual features

Music classification is a fundamental step in any music retrieval system. As the first step for this, we have proposed a scheme for discriminating music signal with voice (song) and without voice (instrumental). The task is important as song-instrument discrimination is of immense importance in the context of a multi-lingual country like India. Moreover, it enables the subsequent classification of instrumentals based on the type of instrument. Spectrogram image of an audio signal shows the significance of different frequency components over the time scale. It has been observed that spectrogram image of an instrumental signal shows more stable peaks persisting over time and it is not so for a song. It has motivated us to look for spectrogram image based features. Contextual features have been computed based on the occurrence pattern of the most significant frequency over the time scale and overall texture pattern revealed by the time-frequency distribution of signal intensity. RANSAC has been used to classify the signals. Experimental result indicates the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Fusion Levels and Hook Patterns in Thoracic Scoliosis with Cotrel‐Dubousset Instrumentation

This study reports the results of treatment of adolescents with King Types 2, 3, and 4 idiopathic curves using Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation. Imbalance was seen in Types 2 and 4 curves when distraction direction hook patterns crossing the thoracolumbar junction were employed. Imbalance was not seen when a modified hook pattern employing compressing forces across the thoracolumbar junction was employed. No imbalance was observed in Type 3 curves using the basic right thoracic curve hook pattern. In Type 4 curves, a second modified hook pattern is required to obtain improved correction and balance. The mechanism of production of imbalance is explained by a three dimensional analysis of the deformity and of the forces generated by the Cotrel-Dubousset system.
γδ T-cell killing of primary follicular lymphoma cells is dramatically potentiated by GA101, a type II glycoengineered anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody

Background Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies are major therapeutic agents for patients with follicular lymphoma and work through complement-mediated cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Optimization of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, in particular by amplifying its effectors, could further increase the efficacy of anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies. Design and Methods We investigated the cytotoxic activity of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells against follicular lymphoma cells and whether this killing could be increased by promoting antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies, in particular a type-II glycoengineered anti-CD20. Vγ9Vδ2 T cells were expanded in vitro in the presence of bromohydrin pyrophosphate (Phosphostim) and interleukin-2 and their ability to kill follicular lymphoma primary cells or cell lines was evaluated by flow cytometry cytotoxic T-lymphocyte assays in the presence or absence of three anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies: the afucosylated GA101, the chimeric rituximab or the humanized ofatumumab. The ability of these cells to release perforin/granzyme and secrete interferon-γ when co-cultured with follicular lymphoma primary cells or cell lines in the presence or not of the three anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies was also evaluated by CD107a staining and Elispot assays. Results Phosphostim and interleukin-2 expanded Vγ9Vδ2 T cells were cytotoxic to primary follicular lymphoma cells and their cytotoxic potential was dramatically increased by GA101, a type II glycoengineered anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, and to a lesser extent, by rituximab and ofatumumab. The increased cytotoxicity was associated with increased secretion of perforin/granzyme and interferon-γ. Conclusions In-vitro expanded Vγ9Vδ2 T cells efficiently kill primary follicular lymphoma cells and express CD16; anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies, in particular GA101, dramatically increase the cytotoxic activity of expanded Vγ9Vδ2 T cells. These preclinical results prompt the development of clinical trials using this antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity property of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells and anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies.
Transforming the exponential by minimizing the sum of the absolute differences

Abstract This work presents an optimal value to be used in the power transformation to transform the exponential to normality for statistical process control (SPC) applications. The optimal value is found by minimizing the sum of absolute differences between two distinct cumulative probability functions. Based on this criterion, a numerical search yields a proposed value of 3.5142, so the transformed distribution is well approximated by the normal distribution. Two examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of using the transformation method and its applications in SPC. The transformed data are almost normally distributed and the performance of the individual charts is satisfactory. Compared to charts that use the original exponential data and probability control limits, the individual charts constructed using the transformed distribution are superior in appearance, ease of interpretation and implementation by practitioners.
Microsystems dedicated to wireless multichannel monitoring and microstimulation: design, test and packaging

This invited paper covers circuit techniques and design methods employed to build high reliability systems dedicated to implement implantable and wirelessly controlled smart medical devices such as sensors and microstimulators. A global view of typical microdevices such us neural signals monitoring device, cortical multichannel stimulator, as well as peripheral nerve interfaces to recuperate bladder functions, is given. In addition, case studies related to peripheral and cortical neural systems are reported. In all these devices, special attention is paid to low-power management of involved systems and to the design of corresponding circuits of such typical implantable multidisciplinary microsystems.
Larvae of the fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea, inhibit cyanogenesis in Prunus serotina

SUMMARY The larvae of the fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Dru.), though vulnerable to cyanide poisoning, consume the cyanogenic leaves of black cherry, Prunus serotina, without apparent harm. The cyanide contents of leaves, defensive regurgitant, the bolus, and frass were assayed by ion chromatography to determine the fate of the toxin in the caterpillar. Leaves collected in September, when the caterpillars were feeding, contained 1592±276 p.p.m. cyanide. Samples of dried frass obtained from caterpillars fed these leaves yielded 2868±552 p.p.m. cyanide. Frass extracted directly in NaOH yielded approximately five percent of the cyanide obtained from frass ground in buffer and distilled in Warburg flasks, indicating that cyanogenesis is largely inhibited as the bolus traverses the gut. This inhibition is attributable to the ability of the caterpillar to maintain a foregut environment in the presence of the bolus that is sufficiently alkaline to suppress the conversion of the plant cyanogen to cyanide. Although a number of caterpillars feed without harm on cyanogenic plants, this it the first shown to inhibit cyanogenesis in this manner.
Watermarking technique based on discrete non-separable wavelet filters

This paper presents a digital watermarking technique based on the discrete non-separable wavelet transform (DNWT). In our paper, the discrete non-separable wavelet is constructed based on the standard dilation matrix 21. Our investigation demonstrates that the constructed discrete non-separable wavelet can detect more singularities of the host image with reflecting whole orientation while only three orientations being considered by traditional discrete separable transform (DWT). For this reason, more coefficients in the high- frequency sub-bands by DNWT can add the watermark than that by DWT. By using the desirable character of DNWT, the imperceptibility and robustness requirements of watermarks are fulfilled. Experiment results show that the watermarking scheme based on DNWT is robust to some distortions such as noising, JPEG compression, and cropping. It also shows that the decomposing of the host image and the robustness of the watermark are relating to the parameters.
mRNA-Expression der kardialen Isoformen von Troponin T und Troponin I im Skelettmuskel von Patienten mit Myopathie

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde die Frage untersucht, ob es bei Patienten mit V.a. primare Myopathie zu einer Expression der kardialen Isoformen von Troponin T (cTnT) und I (cTnI) in der erkrankten Skelettmuskulatur kommt. In 8 von insgesamt 42 Biopsien konnte mit Hilfe der nested rt-PCR die mRNA von cTnT und/oder cTnI nachgewiesen werden. Dabei handelte es sich um 6 Patienten mit einer Muskeldystrophie Typ Duchenne, einen Patienten mit einer primaren Sarkoglykanopathie und einen Patienten mit unauffalliger Histologie. Es kommt also bei bestimmten primaren Myopathien zu einer mRNA-Expression der kardialen Isoformen von Troponin T und I in der erkrankten Skelettmuskulatur.
Epidermal growth factor inhibitors in first-line for metastatic colorectal cancer with ras wild-type: a perspective based on pharmacological costs

ABSTRACT Introduction: In light of the relevant expenses of pharmacological interventions it might be interesting to make a balance between the cost of the new drugs administered, such as EGFRIs (cetuximab and panitunumab) and the added value represented by the improvement of the clinical parameters of interest such as progression free survival (PFS). Areas covered: The analysis was conducted to assess the effect of front-line chemotherapy on the PFS, separately, on each arm of the evaluated trials. Only phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were considered. We calculated the pharmacological costs necessary to get the benefit in PFS, for each trial. We have subsequently applied the European Society for Medical Oncology Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (ESMO-MCBS) to the above phase III RCTs. Our analysis evaluated 9 phase III RCTs, including 7199 patients. ESMO-MCBS reached high scores (grade 4) for the CRYSTAL and PRIME trials. The combination of FOLFOX and panitunumab is associated with low difference per month-PFS gained (15 821.9 €) instead of FOLFIRI plus cetuximab (21 854.6 €) in KRAS wild-type patients. Expert commentary: Our data demonstrate a huge difference in cost per month of PFS gained in modern front-line treatments in mCRC with RAS wild-type.
SSR Damping Controller Design and Optimal Placement in Rotor-Side and Grid-Side Converters of Series-Compensated DFIG-Based Wind Farm

This paper deals with subsynchronous resonance (SSR) phenomena in a capacitive series-compensated DFIG-based wind farm. Using both modal analysis and time-domain simulation, it is shown that the DFIG wind farm is potentially unstable due to the SSR mode. In order to damp the SSR, the rotor-side converter (RSC) and grid-side converter (GSC) controllers of the DFIG are utilized. The objective is to design a simple proportional SSR damping controller (SSRDC) by properly choosing an optimum input control signal (ICS) to the SSRDC block, so that the SSR mode becomes stable without decreasing or destabilizing the other system modes. Moreover, an optimum point within the RSC and GSC controllers to insert the SSRDC is identified. Three different signals are tested as potential ICSs including rotor speed, line real power, and voltage across the series capacitor, and an optimum ICS is identified using residue-based analysis and root-locus method. Moreover, two methods are discussed in order to estimate the optimum ICS, without measuring it directly. The studied power system is a 100 MW DFIG-based wind farm connected to a series-compensated line whose parameters are taken from the IEEE first benchmark model (FBM) for computer simulation of the SSR. MATLAB/Simulink is used as a tool for modeling and designing the SSRDC, and power system computer aided design/electromagnetic transients including dc (PSCAD/EMTDC) is used to perform time-domain simulation for design process validation.
Thermoregulatory Actions of Eicosanoids in the Central Nervous System with Particular Regard to the Pathogenesis of Fever

If a definition of life were required, it might be most clearly established on that capacity, by which the animal preserves its proper heat under the various degrees of temperature of the medium in which it lives. The most perfect animals possess this power in a superior degree, and to the exercise of their vital functions this is necessary. The inferior animals have it in a lower degree, in a degree however suited to their functions. In vegetables it seems to exist, but in a degree still lower, according to their more limited powers, and humbler destination . There is reason to believe, that while the actual temperature of the human body remains unchanged, its health is not permanently interrupted by the variation in the temperature of the medium that surrounds it; but that a few degrees of increase or diminution of the heat of the system, produces disease and death. A knowledge therefore of the laws which regulate the vital heat, seems to be the most important branch of physiology. --JAMES CURRIE, 1808
Exploring the Use of a Participative Design in the Early Development of a Predictive Test: The Importance of Physician Involvement

In this study, we contribute to the personalized medicine and health care management literature by developing and testing a new participative design approach. We propose that involving gastroenterologists in the development of a predictive test to assist them in their clinical decision-making process for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases will increase the likelihood of their acceptance of the innovation. Based on data obtained from 6 focus groups across Canada from a total of 28 physicians, analyses reveal that current tools do not enable discriminating between treatment options to find the best fit for each patient. Physicians expect a new predictive tool to have the capability of showing clear reliability and significant benefits for the patient, while being accessible in a timely manner that facilitates clinical decisions. Physicians also insist on their key role in the implementation process, hence confirming the relevance and importance of participative designs in personalized medicine.
Análisis Numérico de una Familia de Problemas de Control Óptimo Distribuido Gobernados por una Inecuación Variacional Elíptica

En (M. Boukrouche and D.A. Tarzia, Comput. Optim. Appl., 53, 375-393 (2012)) se estudia una familia de problemas de control optimo continuos Pa gobernados por inecuaciones variacionales elipticas Sa donde el parametro a de la familia es el coeﬁciente de transferencia de calor sobre una porcion de la frontera del dominio n-dimensional del material. En ese trabajo se mostro la existencia y unicidad de su solucion, es decir que, dado un control le queda asociada una unica funcion estado y ademas hay solo un control que minimiza al funcional costo. El objetivo de este trabajo consiste en analizar numericamente la antes mencionada familia de problemas de control optimo usando el metodo de elementos ﬁnitos con triangulos de Lagrange de tipo 1. Entonces, para cada valor del parametro a se discretiza la inecuacion variacional eliptica que determina el estado del sistema. Se obtiene existencia de una solucion del estado discreto del sistema Sa y la convergencia global fuerte del estado discreto al estado continuo cuando el parametro h del metodo numerico tiende a 0. Analogamente, se establece la discretizacion del funcional costo y de la familia de problemas de control optimo continuo Pa. Se dan propiedades del funcional de costo discreto y se obtiene la convergencia global fuerte del control optimo discreto al control optimo continuo cuando el parametro h tiende a 0. Finalmente, se estudia la convergencia fuerte de la solucion del problema de control optimo distribuido discreto Pa cuando el parametro a tiende a inﬁnito.