Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intracellular pathways regulating ciliary beating of rat brain ependymal cells

1 The mammalian brain ventricles are lined with ciliated ependymal cells. As yet little is known about the mechanisms by which neurotransmitters regulate cilia beat frequency (CBF). 2 Application of 5‐HT to ependymal cells in cultured rat brainstem slices caused CBF to increase. 5‐HT had an EC50 of 30 μM and at 100 μM attained a near‐maximal CBF increase of 52.7 ± 4.1 % (mean ± s.d.) (n= 8). 3 Bathing slices in Ca2+‐free solution markedly reduced the 5‐HT‐mediated increase in CBF. Fluorescence measurements revealed that 5‐HT caused a marked transient elevation in cytosolic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]c) that then slowly decreased to a plateau level. Analysis showed that the [Ca2+]c transient was due to release of Ca2+ from inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate (IP3)‐sensitive stores; the plateau was probably due to extracellular Ca2+ influx through Ca2+ release‐activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels. 4 Application of ATP caused a sustained decrease in CBF. ATP had an EC50 of about 50 μM and 100 μM ATP resulted in a maximal 57.5 ± 6.5 % (n= 12) decrease in CBF. The ATP‐induced decrease in CBF was unaffected by lowering extracellular [Ca2+], and no changes in [Ca2+]c were observed. Exposure of ependymal cells to forskolin caused a decrease in CBF. Ciliated ependymal cells loaded with caged cAMP exhibited a 54.3 ± 7.5 % (n= 9) decrease in CBF following uncaging. These results suggest that ATP reduces CBF by a Ca2+‐independent cAMP‐mediated pathway. 5 Application of 5‐HT and adenosine‐5′‐O‐3‐thiotriphosphate (ATP‐γ‐S) to acutely isolated ciliated ependymal cells resulted in CBF responses similar to those of ependymal cells in cultured slices suggesting that these neurotransmitters act directly on these cells. 6 The opposite response of ciliated ependymal cells to 5‐HT and ATP provides a novel mechanism for their active involvement in central nervous system signalling.
Effects of puerarin on cholinergic enzymes in the brain of ovariectomized guinea pigs

Estrogen has beneficial effects on neurodegenerative disorders and cognitive function of postmenopausal women. Puerarin, isolated from Pueraria lobota, has been classified as a phytoestrogen, which can be highly effective against cerebrovascular diseases. In this study, the effects of puerarin on neural cholinergic system in the brain of ovariectomized guinea pigs were studied. The puerarin at the doses used (15 mg/kg body weight (bw)/day and 30 mg/kg bw/day) for 10 days had the estrogenic activity indicated by the attenuation of the reduction of uterine weight induced by ovariectomy. In brain, puerarin treatment increased choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity and expression in hippocampus, and increased ChAT immnuopositive signals in septal diagonal region. Puerarin treatment could suppress the increase of acetylcholinesterase expression and activity to the levels of the intact group, although they were not significantly different from those of the ovariectomized animals. Moreover, puerarin decreased the β-amyloid immunopositive staining in hippocampus. In brief, the present study suggests that puerarin prevents the dysfunction of the neuronal cholinergic system and ameliorates the increase of β-amyloid caused by estrogen deficiency.
Neuropathological Diagnostic Criteria for Creutzfeldt‐Jakob Disease (CJD) and Other Human Spongiform Encephalopathies (Prion Diseases)

Neuropathological diagnostic criteria for Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease (CJD) and other human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (prion diseases) are proposed for the following disease entities: CJD ‐ sporadic, iatrogenic (recognised risk) or familial (same disease in 1st degree relative): spongiform encephalopathy in cerebral and/or cerebellar cortex and/or subcortical grey matter; or encephalopathy with prion protein (PrP) immuno‐reactivity (plaque and/or diffuse synaptic and/or patchy/perivacuolar types). Gerstmann‐Sträussler‐Scheinker disease (GSS) (in family with dominantly inherited progressive ataxia and/or dementia): encephalo(myelo)pathy with multicentric PrP plaques. Familial fatal insomnia (FFI) (in member of a family with PRNP178 mutation): thalamic degeneration, variable spongiform change in cerebrum. Kuru (in the Fore population).
Molecular Dissection of AKT Activation in Lung Cancer Cell Lines

AKT is a critical signaling node downstream of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), which is often activated in cancer. We analyzed the state of activation of AKT in 80 human non–small cell lung carcinoma cell lines under serum starvation conditions. We identified 13 lines, which showed persistent AKT activation in the absence of serum. In 12 of 13 lines, AKT activation could be attributed to loss of PTEN, activating mutation in EGF receptor (EGFR) or PIK3CA, or amplification of ERBB2. HCC2429 was the only cell line that had no alterations in those genes, but had high phospho-AKT(Ser473) levels under serum starvation conditions. However, the activation of AKT in HCC2429 was PI3K- and mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2)-dependent based upon use of specific inhibitors. Kinome tyrosine phosphorylation profiling showed that both Notch and SRC were highly activated in this cell line. Despite the activation of Notch, AKT activation and cell survival were not affected by Notch inhibitors DAPT or compound E. In contrast, SRC inhibitors PP2 and dasatinib both significantly decreased pAKT(Ser473) levels and reduced cell survival by inducing apoptosis. Furthermore, a combination of SRC and mTOR inhibition synergistically blocked activation of AKT and induced apoptosis. Overexpression of SRC has been identified previously in human lung cancers, and these results suggest that a combination of SRC and mTOR inhibitors may have unique therapeutic benefit for a subset of lung cancers with these molecular features. Mol Cancer Res; 11(3); 282–93. ©2012 AACR.
Performance evaluation of a Bluetooth network in the presence of adjacent and co-channel interference

The objective of the present paper is to evaluate the impact of interference on the performance of a Bluetooth network. Specifically, the interference analyzed is that from other Bluetooth networks. The study focuses on the impact of adjacent and co-channel interference on the throughput and coverage performance. Analysis and simulation data illustrate the significant difference in performance between synchronous and asynchronous systems. The paper also provides insights on how to design Bluetooth networks for maximum throughput and coverage performance.
Lyapunov function design for finite-time convergence analysis of “twisting” and “super-twisting” second order sliding mode controllers

A new method of a Lyapunov functions design is presented. It is based on the characteristic method application and related to resolving of the first-order partial differential equation of a special type. A successful resolution of this equation guaranties of finite-time convergence for the corresponding dynamics given by an ordinary differential equation with a discontinuous right-hand side and allows to estimate convergence time. The suggested method is illustrated by its application to the ldquotwistingrdquo and ldquosuper-twistingrdquo controllers stability analysis. The constructed Lyapunov function as well its level lines sections is graphically illustrated.
On Tail Decay and Moment Estimates of a Condition Number for Random Linear Conic Systems

In this paper we study the distribution tails and the moments of a condition number which arises in the study of homogeneous systems of linear inequalities. We consider the case where this system is defined by a Gaussian random matrix and characterise the exact decay rates of the distribution tails, improve the existing moment estimates, and prove various limit theorems for large scale systems. Our results are of complexity theoretic interest, because interior-point methods and relaxation methods for the solution of systems of linear inequalities have running times that are bounded in terms of the logarithm and the square of the condition number respectively.
Quantitative analyses of osteopontin mRNA expression in human proximal tubules isolated from renal biopsy tissue sections of minimal change nephrotic syndrome and IgA glomerulonephropathy patients.

Osteopontin (OPN), a secreted phosphoprotein and chemotactic to monocytes/macrophages, is upregulated in renal cortical tubules in a variety of rodent models of renal injury and is believed to possibly have a role in tubulointerstitial injury. We previously reported the establishment of a system for the quantification of messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in isolated rat glomeruli using laser-manipulated microdissection and real-time polymerase chain reaction. This system was applied to human renal biopsy specimens. We quantified OPN mRNA expression in proximal tubules of 5 patients with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) and 11 patients with mild immunoglobulin A (IgA) glomerulonephritis. We also examined the correlation between OPN mRNA expression in proximal tubules and clinical data and pathological findings in glomeruli and tubulointerstitial regions. Patients with MCNS showed a positive correlation between OPN mRNA expression in proximal tubules and urinary protein excretion (r = 0.93; P < 0.05), whereas for patients with IgA glomerulonephritis, logarithmic values of OPN mRNA expression in proximal tubules positively correlated with low urinary protein levels (r = 0.72; P < 0.05). Pathological changes, ranging from nonexistent to minor, in glomeruli and tubulointerstitium of these patients with mild IgA glomerulonephritis did not significantly correlate with OPN mRNA expression in proximal tubules. In patients with mild IgA glomerulonephritis, OPN mRNA expression in proximal tubules increased exponentially in response to a small amount of urinary protein (<1.2 g/d).
BcNoxD, a putative ER protein, is a new component of the NADPH oxidase complex in Botrytis cinerea

NADPH oxidases (Nox) are major enzymatic producer of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In fungi these multi‐enzyme complexes are involved in sexual differentiation and pathogenicity. However, in contrast to mammalian systems, the composition and recruitment of the fungal Nox complexes are unresolved. Here we introduce a new Nox component, the membrane protein NoxD in the grey mold fungus Botrytis cinerea. It has high homology to the ER protein Pro41 from Sordaria macrospora, similar functions to the catalytic Nox subunit BcNoxA in differentiation and pathogenicity, and shows similarities to phagocytic p22phox. BcNoxA and BcNoxD interact with each other. Both proteins are involved in pathogenicity, fusion of conidial anastomosis tubes (CAT) and formation of sclerotia and conidia. These data support our earlier view based on localization studies, for an ER‐related function of the Nox complex. We present the first evidence that some functions of the BcNoxA complex are indeed linked to the ER, while others clearly require export from the ER.
Improving Copy Protection for Mobile Apps

This dissertation identifies existing issues with major copyright protection mechanisms used on Android. First, the general problem of weak copyright protections utilized on major app stores is introduced, and required fundamentals presented. A security analysis shows more details, followed by practical and conceptual ideas, e.g., the usage of native code, which are proposed and evaluated. Ultimately, the presented solutions significantly improve the situation.
Hormone replacement therapy and the skin: beneficial effects: the case in favor of it

From time immemorial beauty has been equated with the quality of the skin and ageing. In women in particular, ageing has been perceived as advertising its arrival by the first wrinkle followed by skin drying. The elusive elixir of youth whose outward manifestation is the preservation of fine skin has been endlessly pursued. Of course, perceptions are different and whereas the weather beaten look in a man could be equated with rugged good looks by some, such similar changes in women are regarded as unwelcome. The skin is a mirror of health. It is a common saying that your general wellbeing is reflected in the skin. While the Renaissance painters identified female beauty with corpulence and correctly identified this with beautiful skin, present day fashion that dictates thin, quasi anorexic figures and deep suntans are wreaking havoc to middle-aged skin in Western societies. Of course, women in Third World countries in general have more pressing worries and their skin often suffers through hard work and deprivation. The genetically thin skins of certain races e.g. Caucasian and Indian Asians compared to the genetically thick skins in other racial groups, black Africans for example, make the former much more vulnerable to the ravages of time. Added to that, the potentially reversible degenerative changes in connective tissue content that occur at the time of the menopause makes the use of hormone replacement therapy in somehow delaying, if not preventing, skin damage attractive. This review will deal with the ways that estrogen replacement can actually af-
Automatic and accurate 3D face registration under the guidance of intra-class difference measurement

The accuracy of 3D face registration algorithm greatly influences the effect of 3D face recognition. While a lot of efforts have been dedicated in developing automatic and accurate registration methods, these methods usually cannot be compared and evaluated on a fair basis because of the lack of a standard quantitative measurement. In this paper, we propose a practical quantitative analysis method based on intra-class difference to evaluate the accuracy of face registration methods, and apply it to guide the procedures of an automatic nose symmetry plane (NSP) method. After every step, we calculate the mean and standard deviation (STD) of intra-class pose differences for all involved face images to assess the effect of this step and determine how to further improve the accuracy in the following steps. Extensive experiments have been conducted using the FRGC (V1.0 and V2.0) benchmark 3D face dataset to demonstrate the feasibility of our guided registration method.
Bandwidth efficient coding for fading channels: code construction and performance analysis

The authors apply a general method of bounding the event error probability of TCM (trellis-coded modulation) schemes to fading channels and use the effective length and the minimum-squared-product distance to replace the minimum-free-squared-Euclidean distance as code design parameters for Rayleigh and Rician fading channels with a substantial multipath component. They present 8-PSK (phase-shift-keying) trellis codes specifically constructed for fading channels that outperform equivalent codes designed for the AWGN (additive white Gaussian noise) channel when v>or=5. For quasiregular trellis codes there exists an efficient algorithm for evaluating event error probability, and numerical results which demonstrate the importance of the effective length as a code design parameter for fading channels with or without side information have been obtained. This is consistent with the case for binary signaling, where the Hamming distance remains the best code design parameter for fading channels. The authors show that the use of Reed-Solomon block codes with expanded signal sets becomes interesting only for large value of E/sub s//N/sub 0/, where they begin to outperform trellis codes. <<ETX>>
Cities mediating technological transitions: understanding visions, intermediation and consequences

Approaches to technological transitions and their management have generated considerable interest in academic and policy circles in recent years. The development of this body of work may be seen as a response to the complexities, uncertainties and problems which confront many western societies, in organising ‘sustainably’ various aspects of energy, agricultural, water, transport and health systems of production and consumption; problems which are seen as systemic and entwined or embedded in a series of social, economic, political, cultural and technological relationships. For all the light that transitions approaches shine on such processes they say little explicitly about the role of places. In this paper we address this through looking at the way in which London is currently beginning to shape a systemic transition in its energy infrastructure. We outline and discuss key aspects of the roles of strategic intermediary organisations, which have been strategically set up to intervene between technological possibilities and the territorial context of London. We draw on the case of London to highlight an emblematic example of a city's attempt to systemically re-shape its energy infrastructure and the lessons to be drawn from this. We also outline the particularity of London in this respect, the limitations of the transferability of experiences in London and highlight directions for future research in this area.
Conversion of Presumptive Ectoderm to Mesoderm in the Chick

1. Fragments of epiblast, or of epiblast together with endoderm, were placed in holes cut in the primitive streaks of young chick embryos, and the embryos then cultivated in vitro for about 24 hours. The grafts were sometimes extruded, but in many cases they healed more or less well. In those cases in which partial healing occurred the grafted presumptive ectoderm has usually developed into mesodermal structures, such as somites, though in a few cases it has been induced to form neural tissue. In some cases healing was so complete that no trace of the graft can be found, and in these embryos also the greater part of the presumptive ectoderm must have formed mesoderm. 2. The conversion of presumptive ectoderm into mesoderm has only been accomplished by the method of the above experiments, which involves the performance by the graft of the normal gastrulation movements. In the Amphibia the performance of such movements is unnecessary, and it is suggested that in the chick the importance of the movements is not that they are a part of the gastrulation process but merely that they involve the breakdown of the epithelial structure of the grafted ectoderm. 3. The relevance of these results to the germ-layer theory is discussed, and it is pointed out that, although it is clear that there is no fundamental physiological distinction between the ectoderm and mesoderm before invagination, it is still possible that such a distinction may exist between the endoderm and the ectoderm-mesoderm system.
Wide Bandwidlt Fetal Phonography Using a Sensor Matched to the Compliance of the Mother's Abdominal Wall

A transducer has been developed which, by improving the sound coupling efficiency between the surface of the maternal abdomen and the sensor, allows a major part of the acoustic output of the fetus to be examined. This has been achieved by a system of compliance matching using a ceramic cantilever beam transducer. The principle is equally applicable to the use of a simple ceramic beam or other active elements.
CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE Original Studies Trends in Percutaneous Versus Surgical Revascularization of Unprotected Left Main Coronary Stenosis in the Drug-Eluting Stent Era—A Report From the American College of Cardiology-National Cardiovascular Data Registry (ACC-NCDR)

Objectives: We sought to determine how practice patterns for unprotected left main stenosis have changed with the advent of drug-eluting stents (DES). Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of unprotected left main coronary stenosis has been controversial. Methods: We analyzed data submitted to the American College of Cardiology-National Cardiovascular Data Registry (ACC-NCDR) between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2004 from 1,276,582 cardiac catheterizations at 417 institutions. Of these, 53,548 (4.2%) had left main stenosis >50% and no prior CABG. After excluding the unrevascularized, the patient sample (N 5 32,562) was analyzed for PCI vs. CABG. Data was stratified by year/quarter, bare metal stent vs. DES, elective vs. urgent/emergent situations, LVEF > or ≥40%, and %left main and RCA stenosis. Results: Of unprotected left main revascularizations from 2002 to 2004, PCI increased from 17.0% to 21.9%, while CABG decreased from 83.0% to 78.1% (P < 0.0001). In 2002, bare metal stents were used for all PCIs; in 2004, bare metal stent use was only 25.5%, while DES use was 74.5% (P < 0.0001). Of elective procedures, PCI rose from 19.1% to 27.5% while CABG fell from 80.9% to 72.5% (P < 0.0001). Similar trends, all significant, were seen in every clinical situation. Conclusions: In the era of DES, the rate of PCI for unprotected left main stenosis has risen, while CABG has declined. These findings are seen across varying clinical situations, including elective procedures. DES have rapidly and largely replaced bare metal stents for PCI of unprotected left mains. However, PCI is still chosen less frequently than CABG for unprotected left main revascularization. ' 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
EMI Reduction Method for a Single-Phase PWM Inverter by Suppressing Common-Mode Currents with Complementary Switching

With advancement of recent high-speed switching devices, PWM inverters are operated in high frequencies and often generate EMI noises due to common-mode leakage currents. There are mainly two types of leakage currents. One is inverter leakage currents due to parasitic capacitances between switching devices and heat sinks. The other is load leakage currents due to parasitic capacitances between the load and the earth. This paper proposes an elimination method which is effective both to the leakage currents in a single-phase full-bridge PWM inverter. The principle is so simple that the inverter is operated only complementarily between two arms. This eliminates neutral voltage drifts of the load by keeping the common-mode voltage zero. Furthermore parasitic capacitor currents circulate only inside the inverter body because the switching times are synchronous between the two arms. This is valid even when there are dead-times in arm switching. These effects are validated through simulation by Saber and experiment by a DSP-based system with switching frequency of 10 kHz