Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plasma Membrane Cyclic Nucleotide Gated Calcium Channels Control Land Plant Thermal Sensing and Acquired Thermotolerance[C][W]

This work examines, in moss and seed plants, the role of cyclic nucleotide gated Ca2+ channels in acquired thermotolerance, finding that thermo-responsive channels in the plasma membrane act as thermosensors that signal for the accumulation of molecular defenses, heat shock proteins in particular, setting up a transient response for thermoprotection. Typically at dawn on a hot summer day, land plants need precise molecular thermometers to sense harmless increments in the ambient temperature to induce a timely heat shock response (HSR) and accumulate protective heat shock proteins in anticipation of harmful temperatures at mid-day. Here, we found that the cyclic nucleotide gated calcium channel (CNGC) CNGCb gene from Physcomitrella patens and its Arabidopsis thaliana ortholog CNGC2, encode a component of cyclic nucleotide gated Ca2+ channels that act as the primary thermosensors of land plant cells. Disruption of CNGCb or CNGC2 produced a hyper-thermosensitive phenotype, giving rise to an HSR and acquired thermotolerance at significantly milder heat-priming treatments than in wild-type plants. In an aequorin-expressing moss, CNGCb loss-of-function caused a hyper-thermoresponsive Ca2+ influx and altered Ca2+ signaling. Patch clamp recordings on moss protoplasts showed the presence of three distinct thermoresponsive Ca2+ channels in wild-type cells. Deletion of CNGCb led to a total absence of one and increased the open probability of the remaining two thermoresponsive Ca2+ channels. Thus, CNGC2 and CNGCb are expected to form heteromeric Ca2+ channels with other related CNGCs. These channels in the plasma membrane respond to increments in the ambient temperature by triggering an optimal HSR, leading to the onset of plant acquired thermotolerance.
Exenatide versus insulin glargine in patients with type 2 diabetes in the UK: a model of long-term clinical and cost outcomes

ABSTRACT Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term clinical and economic outcomes associated with exenatide or insulin glargine, added to oral therapy in individuals with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with combination oral agents in the UK setting. Methods: A published and validated computer simulation model of diabetes was used to project long-term complications, life expectancy, quality-adjusted life expectancy and direct medical costs. Probabilities of diabetes-related complications were derived from published sources. Treatment effects and patient characteristics were extracted from a recent randomised controlled trial comparing exenatide with insulin glargine. Simulations incorporated published quality of life utilities and UK-specific costs from 2004. Pharmacy costs for exenatide were based on 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% of the US value (as no price for the UK was available at the time of analysis). Future costs and clinical benefits were discounted at 3.5% annually. Sensitivity analyses were performed. Results: In the base–case analysis exenatide was associated with improvements in life expectancy of 0.057 years and in quality-adjusted life expectancy of 0.442 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) versus insulin glargine. Long-term projections demonstrated that exenatide was associated with a lower cumulative incidence of most cardiovascular disease (CVD) complications and CVD-related death than insulin glargine. Using the range of cost values, evaluation results showed that exenatide is likely to fall in a range between dominant (cost and life saving) at 20% of the US price and cost-effective (with an ICER of £22 420 per QALY gained) at 100% of the US price, versus insulin glargine. Conclusions: Based on the findings of a recent clinical trial, long-term projections indicated that exenatide is likely to be associated with improvement in life expectancy and quality-adjusted life expectancy compared to insulin glargine. The results from this modelling analysis suggest that that exenatide is likely to represent good value for money by generally accepted standards in the UK setting in individuals with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled on oral therapy.
Down-regulated in adenoma Cl/HCO3 exchanger couples with Na/H exchanger 3 for NaCl absorption in murine small intestine.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Electroneutral NaCl absorption across small intestine contributes importantly to systemic fluid balance. Disturbances in this process occur in both obstructive and diarrheal diseases, eg, cystic fibrosis, secretory diarrhea. NaCl absorption involves coupling of Cl(-)/HCO(3)(-) exchanger(s) primarily with Na(+)/H(+) exchanger 3 (Nhe3) at the apical membrane of intestinal epithelia. Identity of the coupling Cl(-)/HCO(3)(-) exchanger(s) was investigated using mice with gene-targeted knockout (KO) of Cl(-)/HCO(3)(-) exchangers: Slc26a3, down-regulated in adenoma (Dra) or Slc26a6, putative anion transporter-1 (Pat-1). METHODS Intracellular pH (pH(i)) of intact jejunal villous epithelium was measured by ratiometric microfluoroscopy. Ussing chambers were used to measure transepithelial (22)Na(36)Cl flux across murine jejunum, a site of electroneutral NaCl absorption. Expression was estimated using immunofluorescence and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Basal pH(i) of DraKO epithelium, but not Pat-1KO epithelium, was alkaline, whereas pH(i) in the Nhe3KO was acidic relative to wild-type. Altered pH(i) was associated with robust Na(+)/H(+) and Cl(-)/HCO(3)(-) exchange activity in the DraKO and Nhe3KO villous epithelium, respectively. Contrary to genetic ablation, pharmacologic inhibition of Nhe3 in wild-type did not alter pH(i) but coordinately inhibited Dra. Flux studies revealed that Cl(-) absorption was essentially abolished (>80%) in the DraKO and little changed (<20%) in the Pat-1KO jejunum. Net Na(+) absorption was unaffected. Immunofluorescence demonstrated modest Dra expression in the jejunum relative to large intestine. Functional and expression studies did not indicate compensatory changes in relevant transporters. CONCLUSIONS These studies provide functional evidence that Dra is the major Cl(-)/HCO(3)(-) exchanger coupled with Nhe3 for electroneutral NaCl absorption across mammalian small intestine.
Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Support of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Self‐Renewal

Human embryonic stem (ES) cells have most commonly been cultured in the presence of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2) either on fibroblast feeder layers or in fibroblast‐conditioned medium. It has recently been reported that elevated concentrations of FGF2 permit the culture of human ES cells in the absence of fibroblasts or fibroblast‐conditioned medium. Herein we compare the ability of unconditioned medium (UM) supplemented with 4, 24, 40, 80, 100, and 250 ng/ml FGF2 to sustain low‐density human ES cell cultures through multiple passages. In these stringent culture conditions, 4, 24, and 40 ng/ml FGF2 failed to sustain human ES cells through three passages, but 100 ng/ml sustained human ES cells with an effectiveness comparable to conditioned medium (CM). Two human ES cell lines (H1 and H9) were maintained for up to 164 population doublings (7 and 4 months) in UM supplemented with 100 ng/ml FGF2. After prolonged culture, the cells formed teratomas when injected into severe combined immunodeficient beige mice and expressed markers characteristic of undifferentiated human ES cells. We also demonstrate that FGF2 is degraded more rapidly in UM than in CM, partly explaining the need for higher concentrations of FGF2 in UM. These results further facilitate the large‐scale, routine culture of human ES cells and suggest that fibroblasts and fibro‐blast‐conditioned medium sustain human ES cells in part by stabilizing FGF signaling above a critical threshold.
Crowd and group animation

A continuous challenge for special effects in movies is the production of realistic virtual crowds, in terms of rendering and behavior. This course will present state-of-the-art techniques and methods. The course will explain in details the different approaches to create virtual crowds: particle systems with flocking techniques using attraction and repulsion forces, copy and pasting techniques, agent-based methods. The architecture of software tools will be presented including the MASSIVE software used for the Lord of the Ring trilogy.The course will explore essential aspects to the generation of virtual crowds. In particular, it will present the aspects concerning information (intentions, status and knowledge), behavior (innate, group, complex and guided) and control (programmed, autonomous and guided). It will emphasize essential concepts like sensory input (vision, audition, tactile), versatile motion control, artificial intelligence level, and rendering techniques.The course will also presents the new challenge in the production of realtime crowds for games, VR systems for training and simulation and crowds in Augmented Reality applications for cultural Heritage (like adding virtual audience in Roma or Greek theaters). The course will be illustrated with a lot of examples from recent movies (Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Lord of the Ring, Shrek2) and real-time applications in Emergency situations and Cultural Heritage.
Aerial base stations with opportunistic links for next generation emergency communications

Rapidly deployable and reliable mission-critical communication networks are fundamental requirements to guarantee the successful operations of public safety officers during disaster recovery and crisis management preparedness. The ABSOLUTE project focused on designing, prototyping, and demonstrating a high-capacity IP mobile data network with low latency and large coverage suitable for many forms of multimedia delivery including public safety scenarios. The ABSOLUTE project combines aerial, terrestrial, and satellites communication networks for providing a robust standalone system able to deliver resilience communication systems. This article focuses on describing the main outcomes of the ABSOLUTE project in terms of network and system architecture, regulations, and implementation of aerial base stations, portable land mobile units, satellite backhauling, S-MIM satellite messaging, and multimode user equipments.
Ultra-wideband cognitive interrogator network: adaptive illumination with active sensors for target localisation

The authors explore the potential application of cognitive interrogator network (COIN) in remote monitoring of mobile subjects in domestic environments, where the ultra-wideband radio frequency identification (UWB-RFID) technique is considered for accurate target localisation. The authors first present the COIN architecture in which the central base station (BS) continuously and intelligently customises the illumination modes of the distributed interrogators in response to the system's changing knowledge of the channel condition and subject movement. Subsequently, the analytical results of the locating probability and time-of-arrival (TOA) estimation uncertainty for a large-scale COIN with randomly distributed active sensors are derived based upon the implemented cognitive intelligence. As an important component to facilitate the adaptive illumination of the environment, the sequential-hypothesis-testing framework is proposed to estimate the tag antenna orientation. Finally, numerical examples are used to demonstrate the key effects of the proposed cognitive schemes on the system performance.
An Automatic Loop Gain Control Algorithm for Bang-Bang CDRs

An automatic loop gain control algorithm (ALGC) for a bang-bang (BB) clock and data recovery (CDR) is proposed. The proposed algorithm finds the optimum loop gain using the autocorrelation of a BBPD output signal for minimum MSE performance. Mathematical proof of the algorithm is presented for both rotator-based and VCO-based CDRs with finite loop delay. A 25 Gb/s transceiver IC is fabricated using a 40 nm CMOS process to validate the performance of the algorithm. The power consumptions of TX and RX are 37.8 mW and 46.8 mW, respectively and the synthesized area implementing a digital loop filter together with the proposed ALGC occupies 140 μm × 170 μm.
Asserting CS ! = Can ’ t Socialize Building Community in a Computer Science Program

As humans, we are designed to live in community. “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ”(Romans 12:4-5). We believe it is of critical importance to build community within a computer science program, first of all because it is part of God’s calling for us. In addition, building community allows us to equip students with the interpersonal skills that they need for a productive career, and to attract and retain students in computer science programs, particularly female, ethnically diverse, and economically disadvantaged students. We outline our philosophy, and give examples of strategies we have employed and activities we have organized to build community. We present results that show our efforts to build community are having a positive effect on our students.
A Pathological Perspective on the Natural History of Cerebral Atherosclerosis

Background The natural history of intracranial large artery atherosclerosis has been mainly described from lumen-based imaging studies, and much of what is reported to be known about atherosclerosis is derived from non-cerebral arteries. Aims To test the hypothesis that atherosclerosis is only partially represented by stenosis and that advanced atherosclerosis is more common that severe stenosis in noncardioembolic infarcts. Methods Cerebral large arteries from 196 autopsy cases were studied. The revised American Heart Association classification for atherosclerosis was used to determine the phenotype in each available artery. Cross-sectional lumen stenosis was obtained as defined by the Glagov's method. Results As age of cases increased, there was a progressive increment in the frequency of atherosclerotic lesions, rising from 5% of all arteries at age 20–40, to more than 40% at age 60 or older. Stenosis also increased with age: less than 3% of the arteries in those ≤50 years had >40% stenosis, while one out of five arteries in those >80 years had >40% stenosis. In most cases (80%), atherosclerosis and stenosis were directly related. However, one out of five cases with advanced atherosclerosis had <30% stenosis. In arteries supplying brain areas with noncardioembolic infarcts, the majority of segments exhibiting advanced atherosclerosis had lumen stenosis of <40%. Conclusion Although intracranial atherosclerosis is typically associated with stenosis, a substantial minority of cases shows advanced atherosclerosis in the absence of stenosis >40%. Definitions based solely on stenosis may underestimate the extent and role of intracranial large artery atherosclerosis.
Coronary artery surgery in women compared with men: analysis of coronary risk factors and in-hospital mortality in a single centre.

OBJECTIVE--To determine differences in coronary risk factors between women and men and their relation to in-hospital mortality associated with coronary artery bypass grafting. DESIGN--Prospective observational study. SETTING--A regional cardiothoracic centre. PATIENTS--482 (362 (75%) men and 120 (25%) women) consecutive patients who had primary isolated coronary artery bypass grafting. RESULTS--The women were on average three years older than the men (63 v 60 years, P < 0.001). Women more frequently had hypertension (47% v 33%, P < 0.01), diabetes mellitus (21% v 10%, P < 0.005), hypothyroidism (9% v 2%, P < 0.003), and a family history of premature coronary heart disease (49% v 31%, P < 0.0006). More of the men were cigarette smokers (67% v 45%, P > 0.00001). Many of the women and men had dyslipidaemia. Postmenopausal women had a higher concentration of serum total cholesterol than men of a comparable age, (7.3 mmol/l v 6.5 mmol/l, P = 0.0002). Although arterial grafts were often used in both sexes, they were more often used in men than in women (91% v 78% respectively, P = 0.0003). In-hospital mortality was 2.1% (1.4% in men and 4.2% in women, P = 0.14). The estimated one year probability of survival in men who had survived 30 days was 0.99 with 95% confidence interval 0.98 to approximately 1 while that for women was 0.97 with 95% confidence interval 0.91 to approximately 1. Univariate analysis showed that preoperative history of diabetes mellitus was a predictor of mortality (P = 0.03). CONCLUSION--There were differences in the incidence and type of risk factors in men and women who had coronary artery bypass grafting. Preoperative diabetes mellitus was a predictor of in-hospital mortality.
Baremos del Test de la Mirada en español en adultos normales de Buenos Aires

La Teoria de la Mente (ToM), termino propuesto por Premack y Woodruff en 1978, se refiere a la capacidad para hacer inferencias sobre los estados mentales de otros, implicando la comprension y prediccion de la conducta de otras personas, sus conocimientos, intenciones y creencias. El Test de la Mirada (TdlM) de Baron-Cohen es uno de los instrumentos mas usados en la practica clinica para evaluar las habilidades de ToM en diversas patologias como autismo y sindrome de Asperger, esquizofrenia y demencias, entre otras. A pesar de las diversas investigaciones, no hay baremos del test en habla hispana. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue obtener los baremos del TdlM para la poblacion de Argentina. Fueron evaluados 210 sujetos normales tomados de la poblacion general, mediante la version en espanol adaptada a nuestro medio del TdlM de Baron-Cohen. Se obtuvieron medias (M) 23,36 y desvio estandar (DE) 4,87 del TdlM en la poblacion total y en subgrupos divididos por edad y escolaridad. Para “Reconocimiento de sexo” la media general fue de 34.33 y el DE de 2.06. Se observo mejor rendimiento en el puntaje de lectura de miradas cuanto mayor era el nivel educacional (r= 0.32; p<0.001) y menor rendimiento en el grupo mayor de 75 anos (r= -0.14; p<0.03). La presente normatizacion aporta baremos del TdlM a partir de la toma en sujetos controles divididos por edad y nivel educativo. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto los efectos de la edad y de la educacion en el rendimiento que tienen los individuos al realizar el test. Palabras clave: Teoria de la Mente, Test de la Mirada, baremos, normatizacion.
Untersuchungen von Sammelproben zur Diagnose der Mykoplasmenmastitis

Zusammenfassung Gegenstand und Ziel: Vergleich zwischen den Ergebnissen von Poolproben (kulturell und mittels Polymerasekettenreaktion [PCR]) mit denen von Viertelgemelksproben (kulturell) bei Milchkühen mit Mastitisproblemen aufgrund von Mykoplasmen, um festzustellen, ob sich mittels Poolproben ein sicheres Mykoplasmenscreening durchführen lässt. Material und Methoden: In einem Milchviehbetrieb (169 laktierende Kühe) mit erhöhten Zellzahlen, wurden bei zwei Gesamtherdenuntersuchungen von Viertelgemelksproben insgesamt 49 Mykoplasmen-positive Tiere festgestellt. Um eine kostengünstigere Untersuchungsmöglichkeit zu finden, wurden in einer nachfolgenden Untersu chung der negativen Herde die Ergebnisse von Viertelgemelksproben mit denen von Poolproben (jeweils 16 Tiere in ein Sammelgefäß) verglichen (kulturelle bakteriologische Untersuchung und PCR). Alle darauf folgenden Herdenuntersuchungen wurden nur noch mittels Poolproben (immer acht Tiere) durchgeführt. Ergebnisse: Zwei positive Poolproben (kulturell und mittels PCR) enthielten Milch von je einer positiven Kuh (Viertel - gemelksproben). Zwei weitere Poolproben waren mittels PCR schwach positiv, in der kulturellen und der Einzeltieruntersuchung jedoch negativ. Bei der letzten Untersuchung wurden zwei Poolproben mittels PCR positiv befundet, kulturell waren sie jedoch negativ. Schlussfolgerung und klinische Relevanz: Aufgrund der erhaltenen Ergebnisse erscheint eine Kombination von Real-Time-PCR mit kultureller Anzüchtung für die Untersuchung von Sammelproben als Herden-Screeningmethode zur Entdeckung von Mykoplasmeninfektionen geeignet. Weitergehende vergleichende Untersuchungen an einem größeren Probenmaterial sollten jedoch durchgeführt werden, um diese Resultate zu bestätigen.
Géométrie des réseaux et marqueurs des territoires. L’image du partage de l’eau dans le paysage médiéval (Espagne et Maroc)

L’empreinte laissee dans le paysage par les reseaux d’irrigation mis en place tout au long du Moyen Âge dans l’ouest du bassin mediterraneen ne rend pas seulement compte des nouveaux processus d’amenagement de l’espace lies a la conquete arabo-islamique, ni de la diffusion et de l’evolution qualitative des techniques hydrauliques ; elle nous renseigne aussi sur les pratiques de l’eau et plus particulierement sur celles relatives a son partage. Mieux connaitre les differentes formes prises par celui-ci nous permet de penetrer certains des rouages de l’organisation sociale des populations au sein desquelles elles furent elaborees. L’ambition de cet article est d’offrir un apercu des apports potentiels de cette approche a partir de quelques cas de figures reconnus en al-Andalus et au Maghreb occidental.
The rise and fall of industrial research labs

I SPENT SOME of my most formative years as a researcher at the IBM Almaden Research Center. Those were magical years. IBM Research was then a Camelot of computing research, with the motto of being " Famous for its science , and vital to IBM for its technology. " IBM researchers received Nobel prizes for their discoveries of high-temperature superconductivity and the scanning tunneling microscope. IBM researchers invented the magnetic disk drive and relational databases. As a young researcher, I could not ask for a better research environment. But the economic recession of the early 1990s hit IBM very hard, and the stress was acutely felt inside the Research Division. From an equal emphasis on science and technology, the balance was shifting more and more toward technology. When IBM reported its financial results in October 1992, its worst-ever quarterly loss of close to $3 billion shook the corporation to its core. IBM's CEO, John Akers, resigned in January 1993, and Louis Gerstner arrived as new CEO in April 1993, embarking on his storied transformation of IBM. The Research Division never fully recovered from the trauma of the early 1990s. Just as IBM lost the leadership of the computing world, passing the mantle to Cisco, Intel, and Micro-soft, IBM Research lost the leadership of computing research. A mass exodus of talent took place throughout the 1990s. (I resigned in 1995.) IBM Research today is still a powerhouse of talent, with occasional outstanding research accomplishments, for example, Deep Blue and Watson; its main focus, however, is on supporting the near-term business of IBM's business units. The mantle of computing-research leadership passed to Microsoft Research, with close to 1,000 researchers and many research labs all over the world. I was acutely reminded of those challenging times in the 1990s, when the news flashed last September that Microsoft Research closed down its Silicon Valley Lab, laying off dozens of researchers. Of course, Microsoft's business challenges have been a topic of wide public discussion for the past few years, and the lab closure was part of a major strategy shift in Microsoft, which included layoffs of 18,000 employees. Yet, the swiftness of the lab closure, and the fact that Microsoft decided to close a lab located in Silicon Valley, widely considered the mecca of computing, shook the computing-research community. This sense of nasty surprise led to an unusual public exchange of letters in October. Some …