Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Apolipoprotein A-IV improves glucose homeostasis by enhancing insulin secretion

Apolipoprotein A-IV (apoA-IV) is secreted by the small intestine in response to fat absorption. Here we demonstrate a potential role for apoA-IV in regulating glucose homeostasis. ApoA-IV–treated isolated pancreatic islets had enhanced insulin secretion under conditions of high glucose but not of low glucose, suggesting a direct effect of apoA-IV to enhance glucose-stimulated insulin release. This enhancement involves cAMP at a level distal to Ca2+ influx into the β cells. Knockout of apoA-IV results in compromised insulin secretion and impaired glucose tolerance compared with WT mice. Challenging apoA-IV−/− mice with a high-fat diet led to fasting hyperglycemia and more severe glucose intolerance associated with defective insulin secretion than occurred in WT mice. Administration of exogenous apoA-IV to apoA-IV−/− mice improved glucose tolerance by enhancing insulin secretion in mice fed either chow or a high-fat diet. Finally, we demonstrate that exogenous apoA-IV injection decreases blood glucose levels and stimulates a transient increase in insulin secretion in KKAy diabetic mice. These results suggest that apoA-IV may provide a therapeutic target for the regulation of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and treatment of diabetes.
Tolerance of soil algae and cyanobacteria to drought stress

Tolerance to drought stress in soil crust microorganisms is essential for exploiting suitable organisms for restoring soil. In this study, the responses to drought stress of two drought‐tolerant species, a green alga and a cyanobacterium, were compared with those of two non‐tolerant green algae. In response to drought stress, induced by treatment with polyethylene glycol, the intracellular proline levels increased and were associated with increases in malondialdehye, pigment contents, and enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD). Our results suggest that tolerance to drought stress could be indicated by the intracellular levels of proline, SOD, and carotenoids. This study provides insights into the drought physiology of the photosynthetic microorganisms and suggests that Leptolyngbya boryana and Chlorella vulgaris are suitable pioneer organisms for soil restoration.
Generation of Transmitted/Founder HIV-1 Infectious Molecular Clones and Characterization of Their Replication Capacity in CD4 T Lymphocytes and Monocyte-Derived Macrophages

ABSTRACT Genome sequences of transmitted/founder (T/F) HIV-1 have been inferred by analyzing single genome amplicons of acute infection plasma viral RNA in the context of a mathematical model of random virus evolution; however, few of these T/F sequences have been molecularly cloned and biologically characterized. Here, we describe the derivation and biological analysis of ten infectious molecular clones, each representing a T/F genome responsible for productive HIV-1 clade B clinical infection. Each of the T/F viruses primarily utilized the CCR5 coreceptor for entry and replicated efficiently in primary human CD4+ T lymphocytes. This result supports the conclusion that single genome amplification-derived sequences from acute infection allow for the inference of T/F viral genomes that are consistently replication competent. Studies with monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) demonstrated various levels of replication among the T/F viruses. Although all T/F viruses replicated in MDM, the overall replication efficiency was significantly lower compared to prototypic “highly macrophage-tropic” virus strains. This phenotype was transferable by expressing the env genes in an isogenic proviral DNA backbone, indicating that T/F virus macrophage tropism mapped to Env. Furthermore, significantly higher concentrations of soluble CD4 were required to inhibit T/F virus infection compared to prototypic macrophage-tropic virus strains. Our findings suggest that the acquisition of clinical HIV-1 subtype B infection occurs by mucosal exposure to virus that is not highly macrophage tropic and that the generation and initial biological characterization of 10 clade B T/F infectious molecular clones provides new opportunities to probe virus-host interactions involved in HIV-1 transmission.
Why control of PRO in rationale clauses is not a relation between arguments

On grammatical accounts, this indicates a relation between two arguments that ensures their coreference, for any assignment of values to variables. PRO in (1c), for example, would be related in this way to an argument that is linked to the role of trader in either (1a) or (1b). Such accounts have good motives, sketched in §3. But in this paper we make two objections, one syntactic and one semantic. The syntactic objection comes from remote control, as in (2). We can use (2) just like (1c), again to mean (1d) (Higgins 1973, Dowty 1989, Sag & Pollard 1991, Williams 2015). Yet in this case, we will argue in §4, there can be no local binder for PRO, when there isn’t one audible.
Final Biomarker Selection : Control of Attention

Attention is widely believed to be dysfunctional in schizophrenia. The Cognitive Neuroscience Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (CNTRICS) group previously concluded that the processes involved in the topdown control of attention are particularly impaired in schizophrenia and should be the focus of future research. These processes determine which sources of input should be attended, linking goal representations in prefrontal cortex with more posterior regions that implement the actual selection of attended information. Amore recent meeting of the CNTRICS group assessed several paradigms that might be useful for identifying biomarkers of attentional control and that could be used for treatment development and assessment. Two types of paradigms were identified as being particularly promising. In one approach, neural activity is measured (using electroencephalography or functional magnetic resonance imaging) during the period between an attention-directing cue and a target. In a second approach, neural activity is measured under lowand highdistraction conditions. These approaches make it possible to identify the goal representations that guide attention and the interactions between these goal representations and the implementation of selection. Although more basic science research with healthy volunteers and preclinical research with schizophrenia patients is needed before these paradigms will be ready to provide clinically useful biomarkers, they hold substantial promise for aiding in the development and assessment of new treatments.
KeY wOrds : reversible myocardial dysfunction in septic shock

B a mmHg; the patient developed tachycardia of 130 beats/minute and became hemodynamically unstable despite volume resuscitation. Urgent laparotomy was performed because of clinical and radiological signs of ileus. Surgical abdominal exploration showed closed-loop obstruction due to adhesions with necrosis of the ileum. Resection of the ileum with terminal ilio-ascending colon anastomosis was performed. During the operation the patient was hemodynamically stable. Two hours postsurgery increasing respiratory distress and shock developed, re-intubation was performed and the patient was admitted to an intensive care unit. Initial laboratory tests showed normal levels of hemoglobin, white blood cells, serum urea nitrogen, creatinine, electrolytes and liver enzymes. Albumin and cholesterol levels were 1.2 m yocardial dysfunction frequently accompanies severe sepsis and septic shock [1]. Whereas myocardial depression was previously considered a pre-terminal event, it is now clear that cardiac dysfunction, as evidenced by biventricular dilatation and reduced ejection fraction, is frequent in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock [2]. Recent definitions recognize the importance of myocardial depression and include a low cardiac index or echocardiographic evidence of cardiac dysfunction as one of the criteria for the diagnosis of severe sepsis [1]. We report the case of a 65 year old woman with extreme cardiac dysfunction following septic shock with complete reversal of the cardiac dysfunction after recovery from sepsis.
Breakdown strength of biodegradable dielectric liquid: The effect of temperature and viscosity

The investigation of temperature effect connected with viscosity changes on the breakdown strength of virgin coconut oil (VCO) has been studied by AC voltage and sphere gap electrode system of 2.5 mm distance. The results showed that temperature affected the viscosity and breakdown strength of VCO. The viscosity was inversely proportional to temperature and breakdown strength. The increase of temperature was followed by the increase of breakdown strength. It is considered that the increase of temperature would decrease the fat content in VCO. The same reason could also be used to explain the increase of temperature would decrease the viscosity. However, in a part of experiment, in the range of temperature 55°C and 60°C, we still have no basic reason to conclude, due to the limitation of our data. Thus, this investigation opens the chance for further research and discussion concerning the effect of temperature on the breakdown strength of VCO.
Discrimination of the direction of motion on the human hand: a psychophysical study of stimulation parameters.

1. In these experiments we assess the relative importance of the spatial and temporal properties of a moving tactile stimulus in determining the ability of humans to discriminate its direction of motion. Movement along the finger was simulated by applying a series of pulses to adjacent locations on the skin using the tactile array of an OPTACON stimulator. Simulated motion permitted us to vary independently the overall distance moved as well as the spacing, timing, and number of sequential stimuli. Different combinations of spatiotemporal parameters allowed us to further examine the relationship of apparent velocity of motion and sweep duration to behavioral performance. Discrimination accuracy was measured using signal detection techniques to calculate the discrimination parameter d' and PCmax, a bias-free measure of the percent correct identification of the direction of motion. 2. In experiments where the path length was constant, discriminability of the direction of motion increased as the spacing between successive pulses narrowed. Similarly, for a given interpulse spacing, the accuracy of discrimination increased linearly with distance, saturating at perfect performance. These apparent spatial effects on performance actually reflect the total number of stimuli presented to the skin rather than their proximity. Sweeps containing the same number of pulses are equally discriminable regardless of either their spacing or the total distance crossed on the skin. d' values obtained at 1.2-, 2.4-, and 4.8-mm spacings appear indistinguishable when plotted as a function of the total number of pulses in a sweep. 3. Experiments in which both the distance moved and the spacing between pulses was varied randomly confirmed that discrimination accuracy depends on the total number of pulses in a sweep rather than the spatial dimensions of the path traversed. Stimulation of only two points that mark the start and stop locations on the skin appears insufficient to enable subjects to discriminate correctly the direction of motion. Two-point stimulation elicits random performance whether the points lie 1.2 or 4.8 mm apart. Discriminability rises linearly to near-perfect performance when eight or more pulses are delivered sequentially. Extrapolation of the d' and PCmax curves suggests a mean threshold of approximately three points for 75% correct discrimination of the direction of motion across the skin. 4. The relationship of stimulus spacing to discriminability over a fixed path suggests that direction discrimination does not simply involve computation of the location of the start and stop points on the skin or their spatial disparity. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Search User Interface Design

Search User Interfaces (SUIs) represent the gateway between people who have a task to complete, and the repositories of information and data stored around the world. Not surprisingly, therefore, there are many communities who have a vested interest in the way SUIs are designed. There are people who study how humans search for information, and people who study how humans use computers. There are people who study good user interface design, and people who design aesthetically pleasing user interfaces. There are also people who curate and manage valuable information resources, and people who design effective algorithms to retrieve results from them. While it would be easy for one community to reject another for their limited ability to design a good SUI, the truth is that they all can, and they all have made valuable contributions. Fundamentally, therefore, we must accept that designing a great SUI means leveraging the knowledge and skills from all of these communities. The aim of this book is to at least acknowledge, if not integrate, all of these perspectives to bring the reader into a multidisciplinary mindset for how we should think about SUI design. Further, this book aims to provide the reader with a framework for thinking about how different innovations each contribute to the overall design of a SUI. With this framework and a multidisciplinary perspective in hand, the book then continues by reviewing: early, successful, established, and experimental concepts for SUI design. The book then concludes by discussing how we can analyse and evaluate the on-going developments in SUI design, as this multidisciplinary area of research moves forwards. Finally, in reviewing these many SUIs and SUI features, the book finishes by extracting a series of 20 SUI design recommendations that are listed in the conclusions. Table of Contents: Introduction / Searcher-Computer Interaction / Early Search User Interfaces / Modern Search User Interfaces / Experimental Search User Interfaces / Evaluating Search User Interfaces / Conclusions
Evidence of recent fertility decline in Eritrea: an analysis of trends and determinants

This paper contributes to an improved understanding of the recent fertility decline in Eritrea and the possible factors underlying it. Based on data from the 2002 Eritrea Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS), it offers increased clarity as to whether the recent decline indicates the onset of a long-term fertility transition or if it is merely a short-term response to the border conflict with Ethiopia (mid-1998-2000). Various methods, including period trend analyses by age and parity, cohort fertility analysis, and multivariate statistical methods, are used to assess the extent of the decline and to identify major contributors to it. The evidence from this study indicates that fertility decline has started in Eritrea and that it has occurred in urban and rural areas, and in every region of the country. The decline is evident across all reproductive ages and birth orders, but is stronger among older mothers and for higher-order births. A prolonged spacing of births, cessation of further childbearing, and delayed age at marriage are the main contributors to the overall fertility decline. The study also reveals that the fertility decline started in the mid-1990s, well before the conflict, but it was faster during the peak years of the border conflict (1999-2000). This suggests that the reduction in fertility is not primarily an outcome of the border conflict (nor a temporary phenomenon), but that it might be the beginning of a long-term fertility transition, which was then accelerated by the border war and the associated social and economic crisis.
Cardiac repolarization interval in end‐stage diabetic and nondiabetic renal disease

Background and hypothesis: QT interval length is influenced by autonomic nervous activity. In patients with diabetic autonomic neuropathy, both prolongation and shortening of ventricular repolarization has been reported. We studied diabetic and nondiabetic uremic patients to assess the effects of autonomic neuropathy on QT interval length.
Revisiting Post-Downgrade Stock Underperformance

Prior research documents significant negative long-term stock returns following bond-rating downgrades. Some downgraded firms are placed on credit watches before downgrades, and we find that the post-downgrade stock underperformance of such firms is significantly reduced. We explore two explanations for the difference in post-downgrade stock performance that are not mutually exclusive: (a) a credit watch placement provides an early signal of the subsequent rating downgrade and gives investors more time to better understand the information content of the downgrade (the early-disclosure effect), and (b) a credit watch placement induces better recovery from credit deterioration for the downgraded firm in the long run (the recovery effect). We find that firms receiving watch-preceded downgrades show better improvements in operating profitability, financial leverage, and overall default risk, and are less likely to be further downgraded in future periods, compared with firms that are directly downgraded. Our findings suggest that the recovery effect is important in explaining downgraded firms’ performance in the long run and provide new evidence in support of the premise in the recent literature that credit watches can induce on-watch firms’ efforts to restore deteriorated credit quality.
Management of Pregnancy Complicated by Diabetes: Experience with 232 Patients in a 4‐year Period

Summary: Two hundred and thirty two women with diabetes complicating pregnancy were seen at a metropolitan teaching hospital during a 4‐year period. Management during pregnancy in insulin dependent diabetics was directed towards strict metabolic control using conventional insulin regimens and diet. A similar programme was followed for women in whom screening revealed glucose intolerance. Control of maternal blood glucose levels, assessment of fetal maturity and modes of delivery were reviewed in an attempt to define factors which could predict optimal neonatal outcome. Patients with insulin dependent diabetes were less likely to have optimal metabolic control both during pregnancy and parturition than patients with gestational diabetes. Women with gestational, but not preexisting diabetes, demonstrated a close correlation between gestational age and parameters of fetal pulmonary maturity. A high rate of intervention to deliver infants in both groups (50%) was noted. These data indicate the need for meticulous care of women with insulin dependent diabetes during pregnancy.
Dental Caries : The Most Common Disease Worldwide and Preventive Strategies

Dental caries is the most prevalent infectious disease worldwide. There are different causes of tooth caries such as the dietary habit and oral hygiene. The morphology of the tooth also plays an important role in the formation of caries. The organic material of the tooth is made up of hydroxyapatite crystals. These crystals are demineralized in the presence of high acidity. The pH of the mouth environment is critical in the mineralization-demineralization process. It is a well-known fact that when carbohydrate consumed in daily diet with the help of bacteria the sugar is fermented and lactic acid is formed. Consequently the pH of the environment decreases which will lead the dental caries formation. The porpuse of this review is to give a comprehensive look at dental caries in terms of microbiology, diet, oral hygiene together with professional and social preventive measures.
Community surveillance of complications after hernia surgery.

OBJECTIVE--To assess the effect of a programme of postoperative community surveillance on the rate of detection of wound complications after operation for inguinal hernia. DESIGN--Prospective audit of wound complications including complications recorded in case notes and those discovered by community surveillance. SETTING--Academic surgical unit of three consultant surgeons. PATIENTS--510 patients undergoing elective inguinal hernia repair between June 1985 and August 1989. RESULTS--The wound infection rate recorded in the hospital notes was 3% compared with 9% when additional information was obtained from community surveillance. Wound complications were detected in 143 (28%) patients by community surveillance compared with a complication rate of 7% in the case records for the same patients. CONCLUSIONS--Wound complications are common after clean surgery in patients discharged home early. Complication rates are a reflection not only of the standards of surgical practice but also the rigour with which they are sought. Before national comparative audit data are published the method of collection must be standardised. For short stay surgery this should include meaningful community surveillance.
[Effect of selenium dioxide on proliferation, apoptosis, and elomerase activity of human lung cancer cell line in vitro].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE It was reported that selenium could induce apoptosis of cancer cells; moreover, apoptosis of cancer cells and telomerase activity were closely related to the development of cancer. This study was designed to investigate the effect of selenium dioxide on human pulmonary adenocarcinoma GLC-82 cell to reveal its probable mechanism and the relationship between apoptosis and telomerase activity. METHODS Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT) method was used to determine the growth inhibition rates of lung cancer GLC-82 cells by various concentrations of selenium dioxide at different time. TRAP-PCR-ELISA assay was used to examine the changes of GLC-82 cells treated with selenium dioxide. The cell apoptotic rate was measured by flow cytometry (FCM). DNA ladder was showed by DNA agarose gel electrophoresis. The morphological changes of the cancer cells were examined under light and electron microscope. RESULTS After being treated with 3, 10, 30 micromol/L selenium dioxide, the proliferation and telomerase activity of GLC-82 cells were markedly inhibited. The growth inhibition rates in GLC-82 cells for 24 hours were 0.7%, 12.8%, and 31.8%; for 72 hours were 15.1%, 51.2%, and 61.1%, respectively. Telomerase activity of GLC-82 cells for 24 hours were 1.173+/-0.029,1.127+/-0.067, and 1.050+/-0.098(P< 0.05); for 48 hours were 1.150+/-0.026, 1.047+/-0.060, and 0.950+/-0.036(P< 0.05), respectively (control group: 1.227+/-0.032 and 1.167+/-0.023, respectively). An apoptosis peak appeared before diploid peak in FCM. Agarose gel electrophoresis showed overt ladder-shape band of cell apoptosis. GLC-82 cells treated by selenium dioxide showed morphological characteristics of apoptotic cells. CONCLUSION Selenium dioxide could significantly inhibit the growth of lung cancer GLC-82 cells through inducing apoptosis and inhibiting the telomerase activity. Selenium dioxide has strong growth inhibitory effect in a dose-and time-dependent manner.
A Novel Speech Recognition system for Punjabi language : A review

Punjabi being one of the most widely used languages in media and communication, a speech recognition system for this language is need of the hour. Speech recognition is a biometric authentication process where voice characteristics are used as the attribute. Automatic speech recognition is a process where speech signals are automatically converted into the corresponding sequence of words in text or the converted signal is used to operate machine with commands. This paper aims to discuss various other speech recognition methods that have been developed for isolated words, connected words and in other languages too. It also discusses the mechanisms implemented and the accuracy achieved respectively.