Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ontogenesis of estrogen secretion by porcine fetal testes.

High levels of estrogen secretion is a characteristic of steroidogenesis in the pig testis in both the adult and newborn male. We have now examined the ability of fetal gonads to secrete estrogens, and compared it with testosterone secretion during prenatal development. Fetuses were recovered from sows (N = 33) at 27-114 (term) days of gestation. Gonads were removed for organ culture in TC-199 medium, or used as minced tissues or free cell preparations when taken later in development. Organ cultures were maintained for 96 h with luteinizing hormone added for the last 72 h for one gonad of each pair. Estrone, estradiol-17 beta and testosterone were measured by radioimmunoassay in media samples. Trace amounts of estrone were detected almost as early as testosterone secretion commenced, but quantities sufficient for confirmation by radioimmunoassay after chromatography were not seen until day 35 of gestation. Estrogen production increased to > 0.37 nmol.gonad-1.4 h-1 at term. Testosterone secretion in organ culture was increased by luteinizing hormone but no effect was seen on estrone levels for the first half of pregnancy. Thus, estrogen secretion is a feature of steroidogenesis in the porcine testes even in the early stages of fetal development.
Synchronous Reference Frame based control of MLI-STATCOM in power distribution network

Ever increasing nonlinear loads and supplies are changing dynamics of the electrical network. The levels of harmonics are on the rise and polluting more and more of the electrical network, posing new challenges before the designers and operators. To maintain the present power quality levels and to improve the performance of the electrical network, many control schemes and devices like Active Power Filter's have been proposed, but still an improvement is required. This paper proposes a five-level diode clamped Multilevel Inverter based Distribution STATCOM (MLI-DSTATCOM) with Synchronous Reference Frame based control for harmonic mitigation. A three-phase four wire system with nonlinear, balanced/unbalanced load is designed and simulated in Matlab/Simulink for performance analysis of proposed MLI-DSTATCOM. The results provide the evidence of restricting harmonic currents at load end and prevent from entering into source effectively. The performance of five-level, three-level and two-level DSTATCOM's are compared under nonlinear, balanced/unbalanced load. Simulation result analysis show superior performance of five-level diode clamped MLI-DSTATCOM controlled using SRF.
N-Linked Glycosylation Facilitates Sialic Acid-Independent Attachment and Entry of Influenza A Viruses into Cells Expressing DC-SIGN or L-SIGN

ABSTRACT It is widely recognized that sialic acid (SA) can mediate attachment of influenza virus to the cell surface, and yet the specific receptors that mediate virus entry are not known. For many viruses, a definitive demonstration of receptor function has been achieved when nonpermissive cells are rendered susceptible to infection following transfection of the gene encoding a putative receptor. For influenza virus, such approaches have been confounded by the abundance of SA on mammalian cells so that it has been difficult to identify cell lines that are not susceptible to infection. We examined influenza virus infection of Lec2 Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, a mutant cell line deficient in SA. Lec2 CHO cells were resistant to influenza virus infection, and stable cell lines expressing either DC-SIGN or L-SIGN were generated to assess the potential of each molecule to function as SA-independent receptors for influenza A viruses. Virus strain BJx109 (H3N2) bound to Lec2 CHO cells expressing DC-SIGN or L-SIGN in a Ca2+-dependent manner, and transfected cells were susceptible to virus infection. Treatment of Lec2-DC-SIGN and Lec2-L-SIGN cells with mannan, but not bacterial neuraminidase, blocked infection, a finding consistent with SA-independent virus attachment and entry. Moreover, virus strain PR8 (H1N1) bears low levels of mannose-rich glycans and was inefficient at infecting Lec2 CHO cells expressing either DC-SIGN or L-SIGN, whereas other glycosylated H1N1 subtype viruses could infect cells efficiently. Together, these data indicate that human C-type lectins (DC-SIGN and L-SIGN) can mediate attachment and entry of influenza viruses independently of cell surface SA.
Alteration of PTFE Surface to Increase Its Blood Compatibility

The aim of this study is to increase the blood compatibility of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), one of the preferred materials for soft-tissue application, by a two-step procedure: first, the surface was activated by hydrogen plasma followed by acrylamide attachment and, secondly, hirudin, a potent antithrombogenic protein from leeches, was immobilized to the surface. Plasma treatment conditions were optimized and different surfaces were characterized by water contact angle measurements, ATR–FT-IR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was seen that the contact angle of the PTFE decreased from 126° to 55° in optimum conditions. Acrylamide (25% (w/v) in ethanol/acetone (50%, v/v)) was grafted to the surface by the help of argon plasma treatment (1 min, 50 W, 13 Pa). The water contact angle was further decreased to 33° with acrylamide grafting and amide groups, which were subsequently used in protein immobilization, and could be detected both by ATR–FT-IR and XPS analysis. In the second part, hirudin was attached to these amide groups on PTFE surface by an optimized EDC/NHS activation procedure. Then a thrombogenicity test was done to detect hirudin activity. The results showed that there is a significant decrease in the clot formation compared with the untreated PTFE samples and ca. 0.3–0.4 ATU/cm2 (22–29 ng/cm2) of hirudin was enough to prevent the clot formation. A preliminary study showed that the hirudin immobilized membranes keep their antithrombogenic activity for at least 40 days in 37°C in PBS (0.1 M, pH 7.4). As a result, the blood compatibility of PTFE surfaces was ameliorated by plasma-induced monomer grafting and hirudin immobilization, and an alternative material was obtained to be used in medical applications such as vascular grafts, catheters, etc.
Particle bombardment drastically increases the infectivity of cloned DNA of zucchini yellow mosaic potyvirus.

An infectious full-length cDNA clone of the RNA genome of the potyvirus zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) was constructed under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. All squash, cucumber, melon and watermelon plants inoculated with the cloned cDNA of ZYMV by particle bombardment become infected. Bombardment technology is 10(6)-fold more effective than mechanical inoculation. Due to the great increase in efficiency, ineffective constructs now became infective (i.e. cDNA under the control of the 35S promoter without the NOS terminator; with an addition of 127 nucleotides at the 5' end of the viral cDNA; uncapped transcripts), and the infectivity of capped-transcripts was maximized. Inoculation by particle bombardment produced visual symptoms rapidly (3-4 days), allowing the detection of viral coat protein and virions after 2 and 3 days in systemically infected leaves and inoculated cotyledons respectively.
Effects of dietary vitamin C, vitamin E, and alpha‐lipoic acid supplementation on the antioxidant defense system and immune‐related gene expression in broilers exposed to oxidative stress by dexamethasone

ABSTRACT Vitamin C, vitamin E, and alpha‐lipoic acid (ALA) are potent nutritional antioxidants, which are important for enhancing immunity. This study compared the effects of supplementation with vitamin C, vitamin E, or ALA on the antioxidant defense system and the expression of immune‐related genes under oxidative stress induced by dexamethasone (DEX) in broilers. In total, 240 one‐day‐old female Recessive White Rock chickens were assigned randomly to either a basal diet (control group) or basal diet supplemented with vitamin C (200 mg/kg diet), vitamin E (100 mg/kg), or ALA (500 mg/kg) for 28 d starting from hatching. At 21 d of age, birds fed the ALA‐supplemented diet had the highest plasma total antioxidant capacity (T‐AOC) and superoxide dismutase (T‐SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐PX) enzyme activities, and the lowest plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) activity, as well as the lowest mRNA gene expression levels of interferon gamma (IFN‐&ggr;) and lipopolysaccharide‐induced tumor necrosis factor‐alpha factor (LITAF). At 23 d of age, the broilers in the 3 treatment groups were injected in the thigh muscle with DEX for 3 alternating days. In addition, the control group was divided into 2 equal groups, in which one was injected with saline and the other was injected with DEX. At 28 d of age, the DEX‐ALA group (P < 0.05) had the highest activity levels for T‐AOC, T‐SOD, and GSH‐PX in the plasma and liver (P < 0.05), and the greatest reduction in the MDA level. Dietary ALA significantly decreased the mRNA expression levels of the interleukin 1 &bgr; (IL‐1&bgr;), IL‐6, IFN‐&ggr;, and LITAF genes compared with the other groups during oxidative stress by DEX. In conclusion, this study suggests that in broilers, ALA is more effective for normalizing the oxidative stress induced by DEX than vitamin C or vitamin E.
Differential changes in cardiac phospholamban and sarcoplasmic reticular Ca(2+)-ATPase protein levels. Effects on Ca2+ transport and mechanics in compensated pressure-overload hypertrophy and congestive heart failure.

The objective of this study was to elucidate the role of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) in the transition from compensated pressure-overload hypertrophy (increased left ventricular [LV] mass, normal LV function, and no pulmonary congestion) to congestive heart failure (increased LV mass, depressed LV function, and pulmonary congestion). To address this issue, the descending thoracic aorta was banded for 4 and 8 weeks in adult guinea pigs, and the changes in isovolumic LV mechanics, SR Ca2+ transport, and SR protein levels were determined and compared with age-matched sham-operated control animals. A subgroup of the 8-week banded animals manifested the congestive heart failure phenotype with diminished developed LV pressure normalized by LV mass, reduced rates of LV pressure development and relaxation, and markedly increased lung weight-to-body weight ratios. The cardiac mechanical and morphometric changes were associated with depressed protein levels of the SR Ca(2+)-ATPase (85% of the control) and phospholamban (65% of the control) assessed by quantitative immunoblotting. Resultant rates of SR Ca2+ uptake (Vmax) and the affinity of SR Ca(2+)-ATPase for Ca2+ (EC50) were significantly depressed [32 +/- 6 nmol Ca2+. min-1.mg-1 and 0.59 +/- 0.12 (mumol/L)/L, respectively] compared with the 8-week sham-operated control animals [40 +/- 1 nmol Ca2+. min-1.mg-1 and 0.40 +/- 0.05 (mumol/L)/L, respectively]. We conclude that this model of pressure overload-induced cardiac failure is associated with (1) diminished LV force development, rates of pressure development, and decay; (2) depressed protein expression of the Ca(2+)-cycling proteins SR Ca(2+)-ATPase and phospholamban; and (3) decreased Vmax and affinity of the SR Ca(2+)-ATPase for Ca2+. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Advanced design features of Doherty power amplifiers

A Doherty power amplifier (DPA) is an effective structure born in 1936 which, after a scarce revival around year 2000), had been strengthened from 2005 because its capability to combine linear amplification with power efficiency. Despite the conceptual simplicity of its basic operation, a lot of practical drawbacks shrink the theoretical behavior, thus leading a significant number of research works to overcome them. The main objective in DPA research is to increase efficiency while maintaining linearity and filling the specified bandwidth. This paper presents a survey of the state of the art of DPA advanced design aspects. After a short review of the DPA operation principles, aspects regarding improvements for linearity, power efficiency and amplification bandwidth are introduced. Besides, some alternative structures and technologies, as well as practical design aspects and some trade-offs which the designer usually has to face are also presented.
Exploring new models of care in primary and secondary care, and at the interface between the two: The case for substitution

Western economies are facing unprecedented challenges in terms of healthcare management and funding. It is believed that one way forward is a stronger emphasis on primary and community care, rather than on hospital and specialist care. This transfer of responsibility is at the core of the idea of substitution. Substitution means thinking about where, by whom and how health services are delivered in the first place, and which setting, which professional and which communication medium can alternatively contribute to care delivery. This cumulative dissertation proposes to synthesise and discuss findings from a series of 5 publications which explored the conceptual model of substitution with a focus on complex interventions and models of care in secondary and primary care, and at the interface between the two. Methods used are evidence synthesis approaches, international comparisons of health systems, case studies, qualitative expert interviews and economic modelling. All the publications included bring an international perspective to the research question. They focused on different points of the care continuum and different levels of the healthcare system. We found that carefully designed and implemented substitution interventions are often effective, have the potential to be cost-effective, and are likely to improve patient experience. We also identified unintended outcomes, when substitution incurred an increase in the use of secondary services, or increases in waste or costs to the health system. As with all complex interventions, substitution does not “simply” require to transfer the delivery of care to a new setting, a new provider or to change the way care is delivered. A range of support tools, guidance materials and infrastructure are needed to ensure successful change. Education, support and mentoring are important. Substitution also requires a certain degree of coordination and therefore integration between providers and can be enabled by integrated or linked IT systems. Barriers to substitution include the lack of appropriate skill mix, fragmented health systems and siloed organisation of care and a lack of aligned incentives across providers. Primary care-led multi-professional organisations appear as the best environment to promote, test, and validate substitution interventions. Such units take different forms and shapes across different European countries but have in common a flexibility with regard to duties and minimum set of services provided, and with regard to human resources management and composition of skill set. They are small units run by community-based providers and locally governed. An emphasis on primary care-led health centres would create the most fertile environment for timely change and intervention implementation.
Immunohistochemical Localization of Five Members of the KV1 Channel Subunits: Contrasting Subcellular Locations and Neuron‐specific Co‐localizations in Rat Brain

A large variety of potassium channels is involved in regulating integration and transmission of electrical signals in the nervous system. Different types of neurons, therefore, require specific patterns of potassium channel subunit expression and specific regulation of subunit coassembly into heteromultimeric channels, as well as subunit‐specific sorting and segregation. This was investigated by studying in detail the expression of six different α‐subunits of voltage‐gated potassium channels in the rat hippocampus, cerebellum, olfactory bulb and spinal cord, combining in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry. Specific polyclonal antibodies were prepared for five α‐subunits (KV1.1, KV1.2, KV1.3, KV1.4, KV1.6) of the Shaker‐related subfamily of rat Kv channels, which encode delayed‐rectifier type and rapidly inactivating A‐type potassium channels. Their distribution was compared to that of an A‐type potassium channel (KV3.4), belonging to the Shaw‐related subfamily of rat Kv channels. Our results show that these Kv channel α‐subunits are differentially expressed in rat brain neurons. We did not observe in various neurons a stereotypical distribution of Kv channel α‐subunits to dendritic and axonal compartments, but a complex differential subcellular subunit distribution. The different Kv channel subunits are targeted either to presynaptic or to postsynaptic domains, depending on neuronal cell type. Thus, distinct combinations of Kv1 α‐subunits are co‐localized in different neurons. The implications of these findings are that both differential expression and assembly as well as subcellular targeting of Kv channel α‐subunits may contribute to Kv channel diversity and thereby to presynaptic and postsynaptic membrane excitability.
No-wait two stage hybrid flow shop scheduling with genetic and adaptive imperialist competitive algorithms

This article studies a no-wait two-stage flexible flow shop scheduling problem with setup times aiming to minimize the total completion time. The problem is solved using an adaptive imperialist competitive algorithm (AICA) and genetic algorithm (GA). To test the performance of the proposed AICA and GA, the algorithms are compared with ant colony optimisation, known as an effective algorithm in the literature. The performance of the algorithms are evaluated by solving both small and large-scale problems. Their performance is evaluated in terms of relative percentage deviation. Finally the results of the study are discussed and conclusions and potential areas for further study are highlighted.
Longitudinal study of low serum LDL cholesterol and depressive symptom onset in postmenopause.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to characterize the relationship between serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) and subsequent depressive symptoms onset in postmenopausal women. We secondarily assessed serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL-c), total cholesterol, and triglycerides. METHOD This population-based prospective cohort study utilizes data from 24,216 women between 50 and 79 years of age who were participants of the Women's Health Initiative, which originally ran from 1993 to 2005 and has since incorporated 2 extension studies, with the most recent culminating in 2015. Fasting lipids were measured for all participants at baseline and for a subset through 6 years of follow-up. Depressive symptoms were characterized using the Burnam 8-item scale for depressive disorders (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression/Diagnostic Interview Schedule short form) at baseline and during follow-up, using a cut point of 0.06 to indicate presence of depressive symptoms. RESULTS The lowest quintile of LDL-c was associated with an increased risk of subsequent depressive symptoms (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.05-1.49, P = .01), and follow-up analyses demonstrated that the elevated risk appeared to be confined to the lowest decile (LDL-c < 100 mg/dL). Further, this elevated risk was moderated by lipid-lowering drug treatment. Elevated risk was demonstrated among those who reported no lipid-lowering medication use (HR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.03-1.47, P = .02), but not among those reporting use (HR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.18-2.29, P = .50). CONCLUSIONS Among postmenopausal women, untreated serum LDL-c below 100 mg/dL was associated with an increased risk of developing depressive symptoms. No excess risk was observed in those attaining LDL-c < 100 mg/dL with lipid-lowering therapy. These findings have important implications for risk assessment, treatment considerations, and mechanistic insight.
The Encyclopedia of Biblical Errancy

This important new volume is the most comprehensive critique of the Bible ever written. Author C. Dennis McKinsey believes that Americans have only seen or heard the good things about the Bible, without any exposure to its many shortcomings. McKinsey argues that the lack of criticism of biblical writings has wrongly affected millions of people in their beliefs, allowing many to believe the Bible to be the infallible word of God. He maintains that it is becoming imperative not only that the Bible's inadequacies be exposed, but that its negative teachings be corrected. McKinsey thinks the Bible is a deceptively inaccurate conglomeration of mythology and folklore masquerading as a valid picture of historical reality. In The Encyclopedia of Biblical Errancy, McKinsey strives to tell both the good and the bad of biblical writings with the most comprehensive and thoroughly-researched expos? of the Bible's many errors, contradictions, and fallacies. Loaded with thousands of biblical citations, The Encyclopedia of Biblical Errancy vividly proves the Bible to be its own worst enemy.
Applying an exemplar model to the artificial-grammar task: String completion and performance on individual items

Jamieson and Mewhort (2009a) demonstrated that performance in the artificial-grammar task could be understood using an exemplar model of memory. We reinforce the position by testing the model against data for individual test items both in a standard artificial-grammar experiment and in a string-completion variant of the standard procedure. We argue that retrieval is sensitive to structure in memory. The work ties performance in the artificial-grammar task to principles of explicit memory.
Predicting Consumer Intention to Adopt Near Field Communication Enabled Mobile Payment in Thailand

Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled mobile payment is the process that allows two devices placed within a few centimeters of each other to exchange data in order to make a payment. The consumers can make purchases directly just by waving or tapping their mobile phones on the NFC reader. Recently, NFC-enabled contactless payment has been emerging in many counties including Thailand. The objective of this study is to identify the factors influencing consumers to adopt the NFC-enabled mobile payment system in Thailand. The hypotheses are constructed to test the influence of 6 independent variables. Online surveys were conducted in early 2017 and the total of 400 completed questionnaires were returned. The empirical results indicated that three factors of Thai respondents; Relative Advantage, Compatibility and Social Influence, were significant predictors of the intention to adopt NFC-enabled mobile payment.