Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rice oxalate oxidase gene driven by green tissue-specific promoter increases tolerance to sheath blight pathogen (Rhizoctonia solani) in transgenic rice.

Rice sheath blight, caused by the necrotrophic fungus Rhizoctonia solani, is one of the most devastating and intractable diseases of rice, leading to a significant reduction in rice productivity worldwide. In this article, in order to examine sheath blight resistance, we report the generation of transgenic rice lines overexpressing the rice oxalate oxidase 4 (Osoxo4) gene in a green tissue-specific manner which breaks down oxalic acid (OA), the pathogenesis factor secreted by R. solani. Transgenic plants showed higher enzyme activity of oxalate oxidase (OxO) than nontransgenic control plants, which was visualized by histochemical assays and sodium dodecylsulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Transgenic rice leaves were more tolerant than control rice leaves to exogenous OA. Transgenic plants showed a higher level of expression of other defence-related genes in response to pathogen infection. More importantly, transgenic plants exhibited significantly enhanced durable resistance to R. solani. The overexpression of Osoxo4 in rice did not show any detrimental phenotypic or agronomic effect. Our findings indicate that rice OxO can be utilized effectively in plant genetic manipulation for sheath blight resistance, and possibly for resistance to other diseases caused by necrotrophic fungi, especially those that secrete OA. This is the first report of the expression of defence genes in rice in a green tissue-specific manner for sheath blight resistance.
Postnatal maturation of Na+, K+, 2Cl– cotransporter expression and inhibitory synaptogenesis in the rat hippocampus: an immunocytochemical analysis

GABA, a major inhibitory neurotransmitter, depolarizes hippocampal pyramidal neurons during the first postnatal week. These depolarizations result from an efflux of Cl– through GABAA‐gated anion channels. The outward Cl– gradient that provides the driving force for Cl– efflux might be generated and maintained by the Na+, K+, 2Cl– cotransporter (NKCC) that keeps intracellular Cl– concentration above electrochemical equilibrium. The developmental pattern of expression of the cotransporter in the hippocampus is not known. We studied the postnatal distribution pattern of NKCC in the hippocampus using a monoclonal antibody (T4) against a conserved epitope in the C‐terminus of the cotransporter molecule. We also examined the temporal relationships between the developmental pattern of NKCC expression and the formation of perisomatic GABAergic synapses. This study was aimed at determining, with antivesicular inhibitory amino acid transporter (VIAAT) antibodies, whether perisomatic GABAergic synapses are formed preferentially at the time when GABA is depolarizing. During the first postnatal week, NKCC immunolabelling was restricted to cell bodies in the pyramidal cell layer and in the strata oriens and radiatum. In contrast, at postnatal day 21 (P21) and in adult animals little or no labelling occurred in cell bodies; instead, a prominent dendritic labelling appeared in both pyramidal and nonpyramidal neurons. The ultrastructural immunogold study in P21 rat hippocampi corroborated the light‐microscopy results. In addition, this study revealed that a portion of the silver‐intensified colloidal gold particles were located on neuronal plasmalemma, as expected for a functional cotransporter. The formation of inhibitory synapses on perikarya of the pyramidal cell layer was a late process. The density of VIAAT‐immunoreactive puncta in the stratum pyramidale at P21 reached four times the P7 value in CA3, and six times the P7 value in CA1. Electron microscopy revealed that the number of synapses per neuronal perikaryal profile in the stratum pyramidale of the CA3 area at P21 was three times higher than at P7, even if a concomitant 20% increase in the area of these neuronal perikaryal profiles occurred. It is concluded that, in hippocampal pyramidal cells, there is a developmental shift in the NKCC localization from a predominantly somatic to a predominantly dendritic location. The presence of NKCC during the first postnatal week is consistent with the hypothesis that this transporter might be involved in the depolarizing effects of GABA. The depolarizing effects of GABA may not be required for the establishment of the majority of GABAergic synapses in the stratum pyramidale, because their number increases after the first postnatal week, when GABA action becomes hyperpolarizing.
The influence of the autonomic nervous system on the contraction of the human heart under normal circulatory conditions.

Summary. A study has been made of the contraction of the left ventricle under the influence of various agents acting on the autonomic nervous system. The analyses were made with the help of electro-kymography, electrocardiography and phonocardiography. Blocking of the vagus with methyl scopolamine nitrate was found to have the following effects: (1) an increase in the heart rate, (2) a decrease in the duration of systolic contraction, (3) an increase in the amplitude of the first and second heart sounds, (4) a rise in the arterial blood pressure and (5) a tendency to an increase in the degree of contraction of the left ventricle. The effect differs from that of adrenaline, administered intravenously, in that the heart rate and the blood pressure are affected considerably more than the contraction of the heart. The action of adrenaline, administered intravenously was intensified by blocking of the vagus. Blocking of the sympathetic nerves with dihydroergotamine was found to have the reverse effect to that of blocking of the vagus. The action of the former seemed to be intensified by the simultaneous intravenous injection of acetylcholine. Doses of dihydroergotamine of 1 to 1.5 mg were found to have only a slight inhibitory effect on the action of adrenaline, administered intravenously. The results are discussed with reference to the regulation of the circulation of the blood and of its distribution under normal circulatory cnoditions. The authors conclude that the autonomic influence on the contraction of the heart must play an essential role in the regulation of the circulation.
A 0.2V, 7.5 μW, 20 kHz ΣΔ modulator with 69 dB SNR in 90 nm CMOS

This paper presents a frequency-to-digital SigmaDelta modulator designed in a digital 90nm CMOS process, operating with a supply voltage of 0.2 V. For a 7.5 muW power consumption, the SNR is 68.9 dB and the SNDR is 60.3 dB over a 20Hz-20kHz bandwidth. This work shows that the SNR/SNDR performance of this kind of SigmaDelta converter can be adjusted over a wide range, while maintaining a state-of-the-art flgure-of-merit of 82 fJ/conversion.
Morbidity and neurological function of very low birthweight infants from the newborn period to 4y of age. A prospective study from the south‐east region of Sweden

All 107 infants weighing ≤ 1500 g at birth (VLBW) and born alive in the south‐east region of Sweden during a 15‐month period in 1987–88 were enrolled in a prospective study to determine the prevalence of handicap and to assess neurological function in comparison with controls. Eighty‐six (80%) infants survived. Twenty (19%) had intracranial haemorrhages (ICH) assessed by ultrasound examinations in the neonatal period and 2 (2.3%) retinopathy of prematurity stage 3 or more. The VLBW infants who survived had fewer optimal neurological responses than the controls at 40 weeks post‐conceptional age. Eighty‐two VLBW children were followed to 4y of age. Three (4%) children had a neurological handicap and 9 (11%) had a moderate neurological deviation. Neither the size of ICH nor neonatal optimality score correlated to neurological outcome at 4 y of age. The VLBW children without neurological handicap or deviation (n= 70) had a delay in psychomotor development in comparison with the controls. Mental development and school performance, in particular language development, will be examined at school age.
Combinatorial properties of directed graphs useful in computing network reliability

This paper is concerned with the problem of computing the probability that a root vertex can communicate with all other vertices in a probabilistic directed graph. One method is to apply the inclusion-exclusion principle of probability theory to the event “at least one rooted spanning tree of the graph is working. ” We prove combinatorial properties of graphs which allow us to derive a much condensed form of the inclusion-exclusion expression. Each term corresponds to an acyclic spanning subgraph of the original graph, with coefficient equal to (−1)b-n+1, where b and n are the number of edges and vertices of the subgraph, respectively.
On secret key generation with massive MIMO antennas using time-frequency-space dimensions

Kerchoff's principle states that the security of encryption should be based on the key. Thus, increasing the encryption key length has been an essential approach in generating unbreakable ciphers. Recently, physical layer security has gained significant research attention. It allows secure communications between a source and destination without the need to resort to key-based encryption techniques. In this paper, secret key generation using massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) techniques is investigated. The large number of subcarriers used in orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems is also used to increase the key length. Several scenarios are investigated and corresponding key lengths are calculated. The combination of massive MIMO and OFDMA also allows to simultaneously implement physical layer security techniques while generating large keys for traditional key-based cryptography.
Anticoagulants for Preventing Stroke in Patients With Nonrheumatic Atrial Fibrillation and a History of Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack

BACKGROUND People with nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation (NRAF) who have had a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or a minor ischaemic stroke are at high risk of recurrent stroke. OBJECTIVES The objective of this review was to assess the effect of anticoagulants for secondary prevention, after a stroke or TIA, in patients with NRAF. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group trials register (9 June 2003) and contacted trialists. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised trials comparing oral anticoagulants with control (no therapy) or placebo in people with NRAF and a previous TIA or minor ischaemic stroke. Control groups on aspirin did not meet the selection criteria. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Both reviewers assessed trial quality and extracted data. MAIN RESULTS Two trials involving 485 people were included. Follow-up time was 1.7 years in one trial and 2.3 years in the other. Anticoagulants reduced the odds of recurrent stroke by two-thirds (odds ratio (OR) 0.36, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.22 to 0.58). The odds of all vascular events was shown to be almost halved by treatment (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.82). The odds of major extracranial haemorrhage was increased (OR 4.32, 95% CI 1.55 to 12.10). No intracranial bleeds were reported among people given anticoagulants. REVIEWERS' CONCLUSIONS The evidence suggests that anticoagulants are beneficial, without serious adverse effects, for people with NRAF and recent cerebral ischaemia.
Visualization, Information Modeling, and Simulation: Grand Challenges in the Construction Industry

AbstractWith the rapid advancement of sensing and computing technology and the wide adoption of mobile computing, the construction industry has faced a rise in the amount of information and data generated during the lifecycle of the construction project. To deal with a large variety of project data and information to support efficient and effective decision making, visualization, information modeling, and simulation (VIMS) has become critical in the development of capital facilities and infrastructures. The objective of this paper is to identify and investigate grand challenges in VIMS for the construction industry, to assist the academic and industry communities in establishing a future research agenda to solve VIMS challenges. In particular, 17 VIMS grand challenges were identified by an expert task force in the VIMS committee of the ASCE Computing and Information Technology Division, and then VIMS experts in the civil and construction areas from both academia and industry participated in a survey to as.
Polymer Coatings in 3D-Printed Fluidic Device Channels for Improved Cellular Adherence Prior to Electrical Lysis.

This paper describes the design and fabrication of a polyjet-based three-dimensional (3D)-printed fluidic device where poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) or polystyrene (PS) were used to coat the sides of a fluidic channel within the device to promote adhesion of an immobilized cell layer. The device was designed using computer-aided design software and converted into an . STL file prior to printing. The rigid, transparent material used in the printing process provides an optically transparent path to visualize endothelial cell adherence and supports integration of removable electrodes for electrical cell lysis in a specified portion of the channel (1 mm width × 0.8 mm height × 2 mm length). Through manipulation of channel geometry, a low-voltage power source (500 V max) was used to selectively lyse adhered endothelial cells in a tapered region of the channel. Cell viability was maintained on the device over a 5 day period (98% viable), though cell coverage decreased after day 4 with static media delivery. Optimal lysis potentials were obtained for the two fabricated device geometries, and selective cell clearance was achieved with cell lysis efficiencies of 94 and 96%. The bottleneck of unknown surface properties from proprietary resin use in fabricating 3D-printed materials is overcome through techniques to incorporate PDMS and PS.
Management of Large Segmental Tibial Defects Using a Cylindrical Mesh Cage

We report a case series of three patients who sustained open Gustilo–Anderson Type IIIB tibia fractures associated with extensive segmental bone and soft tissue loss. The patients initially were treated with serial wound irrigations, débridements, and external fixation. After the soft tissue envelope was reconstructed successfully, each large segmental bone defect was reconstructed with a cylindrical titanium mesh cage packed with a composite of cancellous allograft and demineralized bone matrix putty and stabilized with a statically locked intramedullary nail. The mean segmental bone loss was 12.2 cm, and all patients had a minimum 1-year followup. One year after reconstruction, radiographs showed stable, well-aligned, healed constructs, and computed tomography images verified the presence of bony ingrowth throughout the cages. All patients were able to ambulate with full weightbearing, and had good ipsilateral knee, hip, and ankle range of motion. This technique seems to be a reasonable alternative for treating large segmental tibial bone defects.
Regional differences in diffusion abnormality in cerebral white matter lesions in patients with vascular dementia of the Binswanger type and Alzheimer's disease

We investigated changes in water diffusion in the cerebral white matter of 14 patients with vascular dementia of the Binswanger type (VDBT) and ten patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) with periventricular hyperintensity (PVH) lesions using diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and studied the pathophysiological differences between white matter lesions found in these two conditions. Apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) in the anterior and posterior white matter and the genu and splenium of the corpus callosum were significantly higher in both groups of patients than in the 12 age‐matched controls, and ADC values in VDBT and AD groups were almost the same. ADC ratios, defined as diffusion restricted perpendicular to the direction of nerve fibers, were also significantly higher in the patients than in the control subjects. However, there were regional differences in ADC ratios in the two conditions, with ratios in VDBT being higher in the anterior portions of the white matter but ratios in AD were higher in the posterior portions. The diffusion‐weighted MRI technique may be useful in the differential diagnosis of VDBT and AD with white matter lesions.
Thrombus formation on ruptured atherosclerotic plaques and rethrombosis on evolving thrombi.

Angiography in patients with unstable angina or myocardial infarction with subtotal coronary occlusion often reveals eccentric stenoses with irregular borders, suggesting ruptured atherosclerotic plaques and thrombosis, as documented by angioscopy and at autopsy. We have simulated and studied these processes in an ex vivo perfusion chamber and in an in vivo swine model. Our results suggest that specific local factors at the time of plaque disruption influence the degree of thrombogenicity, the stability of the growing thrombus, and, therefore, possibly also the various clinical syndromes. These factors can be divided into two groups: local vessel wall-related factors and systemic factors with local action at the area of risk. These factors include the following. 1) Exposed substrate-related effects: Plaque rupture produces a rough surface and stimulates the development of occlusive thrombus in proportion to the degree of damage. 2) Fluid dynamics-related factors: The more severe the stenotic lesion after plaque rupture, the higher the local shear rate, resulting in enhanced platelet deposition and thrombus formation. 3) Vasoconstrictive effects: Vasospasm is an important contributor to the pathogenesis of ischemic heart disease. 4) Systemic factors: There is clinical and experimental evidence to suggest that various systemic factors at the time of plaque rupture may enhance thrombogenicity (i.e., levels of epinephrine, levels of serum cholesterol, impaired fibrinolysis). We have investigated the role of residual thrombus on the process of rethrombosis and found that a residual thrombus is a very thrombogenic surface that may significantly contribute to reocclusion even in heparinized blood. Using recombinant hirudin as a pharmacological tool in our flow studies, we observed that rethrombosis is partially caused by thrombin bound to fibrin in the original thrombus, because the effect is abolished by the specific thrombin inhibitor.
Evaluation of breast cancer using proton MR spectroscopy: total choline peak integral and signal-to-noise ratio as prognostic indicators.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this article is to determine whether the peak integral and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of total choline-containing compounds obtained by MR spectroscopy (MRS) correlate with histologic biomarkers currently used for predicting prognosis in patients with breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS Single-voxel proton MRS using a 1.5-T scanner was performed in 184 patients (mean age, 48 years; range, 28-72 years) with breast cancer. We obtained absolute total choline-containing compound peak integral, total choline-containing compound peak integral normalized for the volume of interest, and SNR after MRI. On surgical pathology, pathologic subtype and prognostic factors such as nuclear grade, histologic grade, estrogen receptor (ER), HER-2≠neu, extensive intraductal component (EIC), lymphovascular invasion, and lymph node metastasis were also evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman rank correlation. RESULTS The total choline-containing compound SNR, absolute total choline-containing compound peak integral, and normalized total choline-containing compound integral were significantly higher for invasive ductal carcinoma, cancer of high nuclear or histologic grade, and EIC-negative cancer (p < 0.001) than for in situ or other invasive carcinomas (p = 0.005), cancer of low nuclear or histologic grade (p = 0.009), and EIC-positive cancer (p = 0.017). There was a significant difference in the total choline-containing compound SNR between ER-positive and -negative groups (p = 0.007) and between triple-negative and non-triple-negative groups (p = 0.002). A positive correlation was found between the volume of interest (p < 0.001), tumor size (p = 0.011), and three MRS parameters (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION Our study suggests that proton MRS can play a role in predicting prognostic indicators of tumor aggressiveness in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer.
The role of IL-1ß in the regulation of IL-8 and IL-6 in human corneal epithelial cells during Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization

Purpose. Recent studies have shown that the levels of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6 and IL-8 are associated with the severity of infectious diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether IL-1ß regulates the expression of IL-6 and IL-8 in human corneal epithelial cells during Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization. Methods. Confluent immortalized human corneal epithelial cells were challenged with P. aeruginosa 6294 in the presence of anti-human IL-1ß antibody or matched control antibody. The cells were also challenged with recombinant IL-1ß protein without bacterial colonization. Expression of IL-1ß, IL-6 and IL-8 mRNA and protein was detected by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. IL-1ß localization was determined by immunohistochemistry. Results. Human corneal epithelial cells expressed low levels of IL-1ß and high levels of IL-6 and IL-8 during P. aeruginosa colonization. Addition of IL-1ß Ab resulted in a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in IL-8 protein expression at 4 h, 8 h and 12 h. Addition of IL-1ß Ab reduced IL-6 protein expression at 8 h and increased IL-6 protein expression at 12 h. Addition of recombinant IL-1ß protein alone strongly stimulated the expression of IL-8 and IL-6. Immunohistochemical staining showed that IL-1ß protein was present both intracellularly and extracellularly in P. aeruginosa colonized cells. Conclusions. IL-1ß is able to modulate expression of both IL-6 and IL-8 at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels in human corneal epithelial cells.
Optimization of spare capacity in self-healing multicast ATM network using genetic algorithm

The objective of this paper is to optimize the amount of spare capacity reserved for the backup virtual paths (BVPs) in multicast asynchronous transfer mode networks. In this paper, we study the capacity and routing assignment problem arising in the design of self-healing networks using the VP concept. A major contribution of this work is to apply a genetic algorithm (GA) to the backup path search process instead of the trivial exhaustive search method. Experimental results indicate that both approaches have very comparable results in finding the multicast backup paths. Further, it also indicated that using a GA approach has a number of advantages over the exhaustive search approach, such as the computational requirement for a GA in finding good BVPs is small when compared to the exhaustive search method. A major drawback of our approach is that we cannot guarantee the finding of global optimum in real time.