Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Extracting facial features by an inhibitory mechanism based on gradient distributions

The extraction of facial features is a fundamental and crucial step in most face detection and recognition systems. Here a set of approaches are proposed for extracting internal and external facial features in a grey-level images containing single or multiple faces of various sizes at different locations without any restriction on the background. These approaches are distinctive in several aspects: the use of some rarely exploited photometric properties as the basis for facial features extraction, a novel metrics on radial symmetry of gradient orientations, an inhibitory mechanism for extracting internal facial features, and a simple mechanism for external ones.
Stock Prices and Fundamentals in a Production Economy

This paper compares the predictions for the market value of firms from the Gordon growth model with those from a dynamic general equilibrium model of production. The predictions for movements in the market value of firms in response to a decline in the required return or an increase in the growth rate of the economy are quantitatively and qualitatively different across the models. While previous research has illustrated how a drop in the required return or an increase in the growth rate of the economy can explain the runup in equity values in the 1990s in the Gordon growth model, the consideration of production overturns these results and illustrates that auxiliary implications of such shifts in fundamentals, such as a sharp increase in the investment intensity of the economy, are not supported by the data in the late 1990s. This tension between theory and data suggests that the skyrocketing market value of firms in the second half of the 1990s may reflect a degree of irrational exuberance.
Synaptophysin expression during synaptogenesis in the rat cerebellar cortex

In order to study the mechanisms of synaptogenesis in the rat cerebellar cortex, a library of monoclonal antibodies has been generated against proteins of the isolated synapse. One recognizes a glycosylated 38kDa protein that is concentrated in the synaptic vesicle fraction and resembles synaptophysin biochemically in its molecular weight, charge, and pattern of glycosylation. In the adult cerebellar cortex, the antisynaptophysin (mabQ155) immunoreactivity is codistributed with synapses. Immunoreactivity is strongest in the molecular layer where punctate deposits of reaction product outline the Purkinje cell dendrites. Discrete small profiles, consistent with the distribution of basket cell axon terminals, surround the Purkinje cells, and in the granular layer the synaptic glomeruli are intensely stained. There is no immunoreactivity in the white matter axon tracts. Electron microscope immunocytochemistry confirms the synaptic location of the antigen and suggests that the reaction product is associated with synaptic vesicles. Both round and flat vesicle populations are immunoreactive. Antisynaptophysin(mabQ155) has been used to follow synaptogenesis in the developing rat cerebellum. In the newborn rat (P0), despite the paucity of synapses, there is some specific immunoreactivity, especially in the subcortical white matter. Electron microscopy shows that the antigenicity is associated with vesicles within growth cones, filopodia, and immature axon profiles. During development, antisynaptophysin immunoreactivity increases progressively, along with the maturing cell populations, for both the granule cell‐Purkinje cell and the mossy fiber‐granule cell synapses. Quantitative biochemical analysis confirms the cytochemical results. These data suggest that neuronal growth cones express a synapse‐specific antigen before complete morphological synapses are present.
Protein Kinase C (PKC)-induced PKC Down-regulation

Phorbol esters cause long term activation of protein kinase C (PKC) and frequently the down-regulation of PKC protein levels in mammalian cells. Mammalian PKC-γ, -δ, and -η down-regulate in response to phorbol esters when expressed in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. However, PKC-ϵ does not down-regulate in S. pombe, in contrast to the behavior of this isotype in mammalian cells. Co-expression of PKC-γ or -δ with PKC-ϵ in S. pombe renders PKC-ϵ susceptible to down-regulation. A protein kinase defective form of PKC-δ does not down-regulate efficiently in S. pombe but, like PKC-ϵ, is susceptible when co-expressed with PKC-γ or full-length PKC-δ. Thus, down-regulation is a consequence of the catalytic function of certain PKC isotypes with other isotypes being affected in trans. PKC down-regulation parallels a striking accumulation of vesicles in S. pombe, suggesting a direct relationship between these events.
Pay for Performance in Health Care

Pay for performance (P4P) has become a popular approach to performance improvement in health care. Most of the P4P literature has focused on the United States and there is limited insight in the characteristics of major programs initiated in other countries. This article systematically describes and reviews P4P programs outside the United States. Our literature search identified 13 programs initiated in 9 countries. Although the programs share many similarities, they differ in several important respects, also when compared with the typical P4P program in the United States. In addition, there are clearly possibilities to increase incentive strength and minimize incentives for undesired behavior. In part, observed heterogeneity will be a consequence of contextual differences, but design choices often also seem to be made arbitrarily. In designing their programs, purchasers are hampered by limited knowledge of the influence of specific design choices and effective strategies to mitigate undesired behavior.
Design of low power and high speed phase detector

High-speed phase frequency detector (PFD) is one of the key module for high-frequency phase locked loop (PLL) systems. The performance of PLL depends on the operation of PFD. This paper presents a new PFD design in 0. 18μm CMOS technology using 3T XOR and 3T NAND gates. Supply voltage has been varied from 1.8V to 2.4V in the proposed design. The new PFD consumes power within a range from 505. 78μW to 1310. 80μW when operating at 500 MHz clock frequency. Results have been compared with conventional MOS current mode logic (MCML) design and the proposed design shows less power consumption. The proposed PFD is a useful circuit for low power and high-speed PLL systems.
The gastric argentaffin cell population of the rat

The distribution and morphology of the argentaffin cell population within the stomach of the albino rat has been investigated histologically. The argentaffin cell's situation is restricted to and evenly distributed over the antrum, lying usually in the basal third of the mucosa among mucous cells. A band of mucosa, less than a millimeter wide, containing argentaffin cells, extends from the antrum and encircles the stomach just caudal to the forestomach. The argentaffin cell population is found in less than three‐tenths of the total stomach by weight, a point for consideration in serotonin assay.
Duration of Experienced Lengthening and Shortening of Straight Lines

The stimulus was a vertical, straight, red line which for 60 msec. was projected onto a medium grey screen 2 m. from S. In Exp. I the line was 8.5 cm. long and 2 mm. wide; in Exp. II the line was 17 cm. long and 2 mm. wide. Fixating the nethermost point of the short and long lines, respectively, Ss reported experiencing the line as lengthening from the point of fixation to full length and then shortening to the point of fixation. Ss' durations of experienced lengthening-shortening were measured (in msec.). For a given S the durations of lengthening-shortening of the 8.5-cm. line and the 17-cm. line were identical. Ss reported that the velocity of the experienced movement (lengthening-shortening) of the long line was greater than that of the short line. When 12 Ss were retested from 6 to 8 mo. later, their durations remained constant. Barbiturate caused a significant increase in durations of lengthening-shortening. This is consistent with the notion that the source of experienced lengthening-shortening is to be found in cortical brain processes. An electronic explanation of the experienced movement as a working hypothesis is offered.
Predicting sensor neural hearing loss in chronic suppurative otitis media with and without cholesteatoma : a comparative study using pure tone audiometry and brainstem evoked response audiometry

Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media (CSOM) is the major cause of hearing impairment, mainly conductive type of hearing loss. The occurrence of Sensori neural Hearing Loss (SNHL) in Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media (CSOM) is controversial. This study aims to investigate the pattern of Sensori neural Hearing Loss (SNHL) in patients diagnosed with Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media (CSOM) with & without cholesteatoma & to estimate the correlation between various degree of sensori neural hearing impartment and the auditory evoked potential wave characteristics, computed using pure tone audiometry & brainstem evoked response audiometry in patients with chronic suppurative otitis media with & without cholesteatome. In Method 100 patients with unilateral Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media (CSOM) with normal contralateral ear were included in the study. The affected ears formed the Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media (CSOM) group & the normal ears formed the control group. Detailed audiometric and Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry (BERA) findings were recorded and analysed. In Results No significant difference was observed across the wave I III, III V and I V interwave latency values of normal ears and ears with Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media (CSOM) with or without cholesteatoma. Significant difference was observed across the pure tone average values of air conduction and bone conduction pure tone of normal ears and ears with Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media (CSOM) with or without cholesteatome. Good correlation was obtained across the waves I – III, III V & I V interwave latency values of normal ears and ears with Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media (CSOM) with or without cholesteatoma. Poor correlation was obtained across the air conduction pure tone average thresholds of normal ears and ears with Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media (CSOM) with or without cholesteatoma. Conclusion was Sensori neural hearing loss exists concurrently with chronic suppurative otitis media with and without cholesteatoma. The correlation of pure tone audiometry with inter peak wave latencies of ABR was debatable.
Endosomal sorting of GLUT4 and Gap1 is conserved between yeast and insulin-sensitive cells

Summary The insulin-regulated trafficking of the facilitative glucose transporter GLUT4 in human fat and muscle cells and the nitrogen-regulated trafficking of the general amino acid permease Gap1 in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae share several common features: Both Gap1 and GLUT4 are nutrient transporters that are mobilised to the cell surface from an intracellular store in response to an environmental cue; both are polytopic membrane proteins harbouring amino acid targeting motifs in their C-terminal tails that are required for their regulated trafficking; ubiquitylation of both Gap1 and GLUT4 plays an important role in their regulated trafficking, as do the ubiquitin-binding GGA (Golgi-localised, &ggr;-ear-containing, ARF-binding) adaptor proteins. Here, we find that when expressed heterologously in yeast, human GLUT4 is subject to nitrogen-regulated trafficking in an ubiquitin-dependent manner similar to Gap1. In addition, by expressing a GLUT4/Gap1 chimeric protein in adipocytes we show that the carboxy-tail of Gap1 directs intracellular sequestration and insulin-regulated trafficking in adipocytes. These findings demonstrate that the trafficking signals and their cognate molecular regulatory machinery that mediate regulated exocytosis of membrane proteins are conserved across evolution.
Impact of mobile phone addiction on adolescent’s life: A literature review

Mobile phone usage is so strongly integrated into young people‘s behavior that symptoms of behavioral addiction, such as cell phone usage interrupting their day –to-day activities. Main aim of this paper is the reviews investigate some aspects of the emerging literature on the impact of mobile phone on adolescent’s life. There are several reviews addressing the definition, Mobile phone addiction symptoms, Assessment of Mobile phone addiction, Negative effect of Mobile phone addiction on adolescents and some reviews addressing the role of Mobile phone addiction on adolescent’s mental and physical health.
Contribution of liver, skin and skeletal muscle to whole-body protein synthesis in the young lamb

1. Protein fractional synthesis rate (FSR) was measured in some major tissues and in the whole body of six 1-week-old sucking lambs by a large injection of L-[3H]valine. 2. Upper estimates of tissue protein FSR (%/d), assuming that the tissue-homogenate free-valine specific radioactivity defined that of valyl tRNA, were 115.0 in liver, 24.1 in skin, 22.9 in the white M. tensor fasciae latae, 21.6 in the red M. diaphragma and 19–6 in the remainder (exsanguinated whole body without liver and gastrointestinal tract) of lambs. 3. Absolute synthesis rates (ASR) of tissue protein were 17, 19 and 42 g/d in the liver, skin and skeletal muscle respectively, and 112 g/d in the remainder. The ASR of whole-body protein, derived from the tissue values, was 146 g/d, i.e. 33 g/d per kg body-weight. The calculated whole-body protein FSR was 23.9 %/d. 4. The relative percentage contribution of liver, skin and skeletal muscle to whole-body protein synthesis was 11.7, 13.1, and 29.0. 5. We concluded that tissue protein FSR in lambs were in exactly the same decreasing order, from visceral tissues to skeletal muscles, as observed in rats. The ovine FSR estimates and the partitioning of protein synthesis between tissues were in the same range as values recently obtained by flooding-dose experiments in immature rats, piglets, and even in chicks. These findings suggest that inter-species differences are rather limited.
The Major Histocompatibility Complex B (MHC-B) and QTL Microsatellite Alleles of Favorable Effect on Antibody Response against the Newcastle Disease

The molecular typing and the indirect ELISA procedure were used to identify some alleles of favorable effect on the antibody response against the Newcastle disease virus (NDV). The NDV seroprevalence was 100.00% with 10.47% suspect and 89.63% positives. The protective level of ELISA antibody mean titre was 1409.43U/ml and 16.26% of the tested birds were considered tolerant. A total of 10 alleles of which 4 from the MHC-B Marker LEI0258 and 6 alleles from 5 QTL markers associated with resistance/tolerance against the NDV, namely LEI0070 (2 alleles) and only 1 allele for ADL0146, LEI0104, ADL0320 and ADL0304 respectively were shown to have a favorable effect on the antibody titre. The naked neck chicken was associated with high antibody response (1816.27 to 2227.55 U/ml) compare to the others (1409.48 to 1842.54 U/ml) and their phenotypic frequency was relatively higher (23.08) in the selected population compare to the sampled population (10.47) but, no MHC or QTL allele were private to the naked neck. These results suggest an evidence of genetic disease resistance within Cameroon native chicken populations and confirm the implication of the MHC-B in the immune response in general, and against the Newcastle disease virus in particular.
Macrophage oxidation of L-arginine to nitrite and nitrate: nitric oxide is an intermediate.

Previous studies have shown that murine macrophages immunostimulated with interferon gamma and Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide synthesize NO2-, NO3-, and citrulline from L-arginine by oxidation of one of the two chemically equivalent guanido nitrogens. The enzymatic activity for this very unusual reaction was found in the 100,000g supernatant isolated from activated RAW 264.7 cells and was totally absent in unstimulated cells. This activity requires NADPH and L-arginine and is enhanced by Mg2+. When the subcellular fraction containing the enzyme activity was incubated with L-arginine, NADPH, and Mg2+, the formation of nitric oxide was observed. Nitric oxide formation was dependent on the presence of L-arginine and NADPH and was inhibited by the NO2-/NO3- synthesis inhibitor NG-monomethyl-L-arginine. Furthermore, when incubated with L-[guanido-15N2]arginine, the nitric oxide was 15N-labeled. The results show that nitric oxide is an intermediate in the L-arginine to NO2-, NO3-, and citrulline pathway. L-Arginine is required for the activation of macrophages to the bactericidal/tumoricidal state and suggests that nitric oxide is serving as an intracellular signal for this activation process in a manner similar to that very recently observed in endothelial cells, where nitric oxide leads to vascular smooth muscle relaxation [Palmer, R. M. J., Ashton, D. S. , & Moncada, S. (1988) Nature (London) 333, 664-666].
Metal Interactions with Microbial Biofilms in Acidic and Neutral pH Environments

Microbial biofilms were grown on strips of epoxy-impregnated filter paper submerged at four sites in water contaminated with metals from mine wastes. At two sample stations, the water was acidic (pH 3.1); the other sites were in a lake restored to a near neutral pH level by application of a crushed limestone slurry. During a 17-week study period, planktonic bacterial counts increased from 101 to 103 CFU/ml at all sites. Biofilm counts increased rapidly over the first 5 weeks and then leveled to 104 CFU/cm2 in the neutral pH system and 103 CFU/cm2 at the acidic sites. In each case, the biofilms bound Mn, Fe, Ni, and Cu in excess of the amounts adsorbed by control strips covered with nylon filters (pore size, 0.22 μm) to exclude microbial growth; Co bound under neutral conditions but not under acidic conditions. Conditional adsorption capacity constants, obtained graphically from the data, showed that biofilm metal uptake at a neutral pH level was enhanced by up to 12 orders of magnitude over acidic conditions. Similarly, adsorption strength values were usually higher at elevated pH levels. In thin sections of the biofilms, encapsulated bacterial cells were commonly found enmeshed together in microcolonies. The extracellular polymers often contained iron oxide precipitates which generated weak electron diffraction patterns with characteristic reflections for ferrihydrite (Fe2O3 � H2O) at d equaling 0.15 and 0.25 nm. At neutral pH levels, these deposits incorporated trace amounts of Si and exhibited a granular morphology, whereas acicular crystalloids containing S developed under acidic conditions.
the Production of Exosomes Bearing the TCR Activation of Human T Cells Induces

We show in this study that human T cells puriﬁed from peripheral blood, T cell clones, and Jurkat T cells release microvesicles in the culture medium. These microvesicles have a diameter of 50–100 nm, are delimited by a lipidic bilayer membrane, and bear TCR (cid:2) , CD3 (cid:3) , and (cid:1) . This microvesicle production is regulated because it is highly increased upon TCR activation, whereas another mitogenic signal, such as PMA and ionomycin, does not induce any release. T cell-derived microvesicles also contain the tetraspan protein CD63, suggesting that they originate from endocytic compartments. They contain adhesion molecules such as CD2 and LFA-1, MHC class I and class II, and the chemokine receptor CXCR4. These transmembrane proteins are selectively sorted in microvesicles because CD28 and CD45, which are highly expressed at the plasma membrane, are not found. The presence of phosphorylated (cid:1) in these microvesicles suggests that the CD3/TCR found in the microvesicles come from the pool of complexes that have been activated. Proteins of the transduction machinery, tyrosine kinases of the Src family, and c-Cbl are also observed in the T cell-derived microvesicles. Our data demonstrate that T lymphocytes produce, upon TCR triggering, vesicles whose morphology and phenotype are reminiscent of vesicles of endocytic origin produced by many cell types and called exosomes. Although the exact content of T cell-derived exosomes remains to be determined, we suggest that the presence of TCR/CD3 at their surface makes them powerful vehicles to speciﬁcally deliver signals to cells bearing the right combination of peptide/MHC complexes. The Journal of Immunology, 2002, 168: 3235–3241. can be used to measure mitochondrial membrane depolarization, which is an early marker of apoptosis (15). Cells were incubated for 15 min at 37°C with 40 nM DiOC 6 , followed by a 5-min incubation with 5 (cid:1) g/ml propidium iodide on ice (Sigma-Aldrich). Apoptotic cells were evidenced by their reduced uptake of DiOC 6 measured by using the FL1 channel of a FACSCalibur ﬂow cytometer.
Resetting the Circadian Clock by Social Experience in Drosophila melanogaster

Circadian clocks are influenced by social interactions in a variety of species, but little is known about the sensory mechanisms underlying these effects. We investigated whether social cues could reset circadian rhythms in Drosophila melanogasterby addressing two questions: Is there a social influence on circadian timing? If so, then how is that influence communicated? The experiments show that in a social context Drosophilatransmit and receive cues that influence circadian time and that these cues are likely olfactory.
Entry and egress of varicella-zoster virus

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a highly virulent, disease-producing agent; nevertheless, the virus is cell-associated and difficult to grow in vitro. [1] This paradoxical behavior is reflected in the difference in the appearance of virions in vivo and in vitro. VZV particles in vesicle fluid from patients are well formed, enveloped, and infectious. In contrast, VZV particles in culture media withdrawn from infected cells are structurally damaged and not infectious. The appearance of the virions in media suggests that cultured cells might digest VZV intracellularly before the virions are secreted. [2] Indeed, electron microscopic (EM) observations have revealed that enveloped virions accumulate in intracellular vacuoles that contain the lysosomal enzyme, acid phosphatase, which could account for their degradation prior to release. [2] The coincident targeting of VZV and a lysosomal enzyme to the same intracellular destination raised the possibility that VZV, like lysosomal enzymes, [3] is diverted from the secretory pathway by binding to one of the mannose 6-phosphate receptors (MPRs). Since mannose 6-phosphate (Man 6-P) residues are present in the oligosaccharides of the envelope glycoproteins of VZV, [4] an interaction between VZV and an MPR is theoretically possible. The MPRs cycle in cells and follow an itinerary with stops in the trans-Golgi network (TGN), prelysosomes (late endosomes), and the plasma membrane. [3] Experimental observations have been consistent with the hypothesis that interaction of cell-free VZV with a plasmalemmal MPR plays a role in mediating viral entry into target cells. [4] Infection of human embryonic lung fibroblasts (HELF) by cell-free preparations of VZV is inhibited by Man 6-P and other phosphorylated monosaccharides with an order of potency that parallels their affinity for MPRs. [4] Treatment of cells with chloroquine, which prevents the MPRs from cycling to the cell surface, protects them from infection by VZV; moreover, cell-free VZV rapidly loses its …