Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Re‐evaluation of the distinction between type I and type II cells: The necessary role of the mitochondria in both the extrinsic and intrinsic signaling pathways upon fas receptor activation

Cyclosporin A (CyA) and bongkrekic acid (BK) prevented Fas‐induced apoptosis in two type I cell lines (H9 and SKW6.4) and two type II cell lines (Jurkat and CEM). CyA and BK inhibited the release of cytochrome c in all four cell lines. In type I cells and in CEM cells, CyA and BK did not prevent the translocation of Bax to the mitochondria. In these same cells, full‐length Bid decreased in the mitochondria and cytosol. The cleavage product of Bid, tBid, appeared in the cytosol and to a lesser extent in the mitochondria. In Jurkat cells, Bid also decreased in the cytosol, but increased in the mitochondria. Similar to the other cells, tBid appeared in the mitochondria and cytosol. In the type I H9 and SKW6.4 cells and type II Jurkat cells, the caspase‐8 inhibitor Z‐Ile‐Glu(OMe)‐Thr‐Asp(OMe)‐CH2F (IETD) prevented the cell killing. In the type I cells, IETD prevented the translocation of Bax, the degradation of Bid and the accumulation of tBid. By contrast, IETD only marginally protected the type II CEM cells. In these cells in the presence of IETD, Bax translocated to the mitochondria, in the absence of any degradation of Bid or accumulation of tBid. In the type I H9 cells, IETD produced a depletion of ATP, an effect that did not occur in the type II CEM cells. It is concluded that in type I cells the extrinsic signaling pathway is mitochondrial dependent to the same extent as is the intrinsic pathway in type II cells. J. Cell. Physiol. 208: 556–565, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Digital Average Price Option (DAPO)

In this paper, we present an analytical solution for Digital Average Price Options (DAPO). This is an extension of digital options to incorporate average price or Asian price characteristics. We build on work by Zhang (1998), Turnbull and Wakeman (1991), and Haug (2004). We utilize numerical difference methods to calculate the Greeks based on the derived closed-form solution. These options can be used to manage risk or generate income. These products can effectively manager tail risk exposures with one transaction for an energy company who is exposed to multiple types of tail risk, which otherwise would require insuring each event with separate transactions at additional costs. We present an example of an Electricity Utility managing swing risk of serving demand (load) during peak winter months.
Declines in hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction in New York state after implementation of a comprehensive smoking ban.

OBJECTIVES Reductions in exposure to environmental tobacco smoke have been shown to attenuate the risk of cardiovascular disease. We examined whether the 2003 implementation of a comprehensive smoking ban in New York State was associated with reduced hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction and stroke, beyond the effect of moderate, local and statewide smoking restrictions, and independent of secular trends. METHODS We analyzed trends in county-level, age-adjusted, monthly hospital admission rates for acute myocardial infarction and stroke from 1995 to 2004 to identify any association between admission rates and implementation of the smoking ban. We used regression models to adjust for the effects of pre-existing smoking restrictions, seasonal trends in admissions, differences across counties, and secular trends. RESULTS In 2004, there were 3813 fewer hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction than would have been expected in the absence of the comprehensive smoking ban. Direct health care cost savings of $56 million were realized in 2004. There was no reduction in the number of admissions for stroke. CONCLUSIONS Hospital admission rates for acute myocardial infarction were reduced by 8% as a result of a comprehensive smoking ban in New York State after we controlled for other relevant factors. Comprehensive smoking bans constitute a simple, effective intervention to substantially improve the public's health.
Jointly sparse recovery of multiple snapshots in STAP

A novel STAP algorithm based on jointly sparse recovery technique using multiple snapshots, called JSR-STAP, is proposed in this paper. The new algorithm uses the combined l2,1 norm minimization to estimate the sparse spatial-temporal spectrum of measure data from the airborne array radar. Compared with traditional sparse recovery based STAP methods introduced in literature, the JSR-STAP extract a more reliable support set of clutter reflection from multiple snapshots so that the sparse recovery quality is evidently improved, and thus leads to a better result of clutter restrain. Both simulation and experimental results are provided to illustrate the performance of our new method.
Improve quality of care with remote activity and fall detection using ultrasonic sensors

In this paper a fall detection system is presented that automatically detects the fall of a person and their location using an array of ultrasonic wave transducers connected to a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) processor. Experimental results are provided on a prototype deployment installed at an assisted living community. The system can provide a cost-effective and intelligent method to help caregivers detect a fall quickly so that patients are treated in a timely manner. In addition to room monitoring and local alert functions, the system incorporates a personal computer and wireless connection to enable remote monitoring of patient's activity and health status.
Consumer intention to purchase green vehicles in the South African market: A theory of planned behaviour perspective

Background: While alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) still account for a relatively small percentage of the total vehicle sales, this is set to change as awareness of the impact of car usage on the environment grows among consumers, vehicle-emission controls increase and the number of AFVs available in the market increases. Objective: This study used Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to investigate the role of attitude (A), subjective norm (SN) and perceived behavioural control (PBC) on the intention to purchase AFVs in the South African market and thus empirically testing the hierarchical attitude–behaviour model of consumer behaviour. Method: A quantitative research methodology was followed and a self-administered, Internet-based survey instrument was used to collect data from 196 South African respondents. Results: The findings indicate significant relationships between A (β = 0.61), SN (β = 0.26), and PBC (β = 0.13) and behavioural intention. These findings support literature and emphasise that (1) attitudinal factors have the biggest influence on intention, (2) the perceived support and encouragement of referent others are important considerations for individuals and (3) control factors play a critical role in consumers’ decision to purchase an AFV. Conclusion: In order to create effective marketing strategies for AFVs retailers and marketers should focus on the impact of attitude, subjective norm (SN) and perceived behavioural control (PBC) to influence behavioural intention.
Interpreting and Integrating Clinical and Anatomic Pathology Results

The continuing education course on integrating clinical and anatomical pathology data was designed to communicate the importance of using a weight of evidence approach to interpret safety findings in toxicology studies. This approach is necessary, as neither clinical nor anatomic pathology data can be relied upon in isolation to fully understand the relationship between study findings and the test article. Basic principles for correlating anatomic pathology and clinical pathology findings and for integrating these with other study end points were reviewed. To highlight these relationships, a series of case examples, presented jointly by a clinical pathologist and an anatomic pathologist, were used to illustrate the collaborative effort required between clinical and anatomical pathologists. In addition, the diagnostic utility of traditional liver biomarkers was discussed using results from a meta-analysis of rat hepatobiliary marker and histopathology data. This discussion also included examples of traditional and novel liver and renal biomarker data implementation in nonclinical toxicology studies to illustrate the relationship between discrete changes in biochemistry and tissue morphology.
Influence of the thickness of the skin and subcutaneous tissue covering the mastoid on bone-conduction thresholds obtained transcutaneously versus percutaneously.

Percutaneous and transcutaneous bone-conduction thresholds were obtained at 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz in 57 patients who were fitted with the Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA). Additionally, the thickness of the skin and subcutaneous tissue covering the mastoid was determined. No relation was found between the thickness of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, and the improvement in bone-conduction thresholds at any of the frequencies, i.e. thresholds obtained percutaneously minus transcutaneously. The improvement (or deterioration) in speech recognition with the BAHA in a subgroup of patients who had previously used a (conventional) transcutaneous bone-conduction hearing aid was not related to the thickness of the skin and subcutaneous tissue layers. Therefore, the thickness of the skin and subcutaneous tissue layers measured pre-operatively cannot be used as a predictor of successful fitting with a BAHA.
Movilidad de ingresos y movimientos demográficos en América Latina

In this paper, we contribute to the study of short run income mobility in Latin America by assessing the importance of demographic movements in household income fluctuations. We exploit the rotating scheme of household surveys from seven Latin American countries to build short panels that allow us to quantify the size and relevance of household compositional changes in yearly time windows. We find evidence of a small but significant weight of demographic movements as an explicative factor of short-term income mobility. Additionally, we explore the existence of household strategies to smooth the evolution of per capita income as a response to demographic shocks, consisting of entrance to or exit from the labor market.
Group-level emotion recognition using deep models on image scene, faces, and skeletons

This paper presents the work submitted to the Group-level Emotion Recognition sub-challenge, which is part of the 5th Emotion Recognition in the Wild (EmotiW 2017) Challenge. The task of this sub-challenge is to classify the emotion of a group of people in each image as positive, neutral or negative. To address this task, a hybrid network that incorporates global scene features, skeleton features of the group, and local facial features is developed. Specifically, deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are first trained on the faces of the group, the whole images and the skeletons of the group, and then fused to perform the group-level emotion prediction. Experimental results show that the proposed network achieves 80.05% and 80.61% on the validation and testing sets, respectively, outperforming the baseline of 52.97% and 53.62%.
Differences in degradation behavior of two non-cross-linked collagen barrier membranes: an in vitro and in vivo study.

OBJECTIVES Collagen barrier membranes are used in guided bone regeneration/guided tissue regeneration because of their excellent bio- and cytocompatibility. However, they are considered to have limitations in clinical outcome because of rapid and unpredictable degradation profiles. The aim of this study was to investigate the degradation behavior of two porcine-based, non-cross-linked collagen membranes in vitro and in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS Remaix™ (RX; Matricel GmbH, Herzogenrath, Germany) and Bio-Gide® (BG; Geistlich Pharma AG, Wolhusen, Switzerland) membranes were characterized by testing mechanical strength, denaturation temperature, enzymatic degradation and hydroxyproline content in vitro (n = 5 up to 16). Thereafter, both membranes were implanted subcutaneously in rats (n = 20) for up to 20 weeks to investigate tissue compatibility with respect to membrane thickness. RESULTS BG contained a significant higher hydroxyproline content compared with RX, but RX showed a higher stress at break (dry: 11.4 (SD 2.9) vs. 5.5 (SD 1.5) N/mm(2)), higher suture retention (wet: 5.6 (SD 1.3) vs. 2.7 (SD 0.7) N), increased denaturation temperature (55.1 (SD 1) vs. 49.4 (SD 0.6)°C) and an almost twofold reduction in degradation rate (15.6% (SEM 1.3)/h vs. 24.8% (SEM 2.9)/h) in vitro. In the rat model, both membranes showed excellent tissue compatibility without signs of inflammatory reactions. Shortly after implantation, RX and BG showed moderate infiltration of mononuclear cells that appeared not to be influenced by the surface texture of the membranes. In the histomorphometric analysis, both membranes showed significant different thickness over the 20 weeks period (P = 0.0002). Although the thickness remained almost stable during the first 9 weeks after implantation, after 20 weeks, the thickness of RX decreased only slightly, whereas BG showed a thickness loss of around 50% and stronger degradation than RX. Therefore, the higher stability of RX against biodegradation found in vitro was confirmed in the animal study. CONCLUSION This study shows differences in the biodegradation characteristics of two non-cross-linked collagen membranes in vitro and in vivo. Whether the higher stability of RX is of clinical relevance should be analyzed in future clinical investigations.
TWO MULTIVALVULID MYXOZOANS CAUSING POSTMORTEM MYOLIQUEFACTION: KUDOA MEGACAPSULA N. SP. FROM RED BARRACUDA (SPHYRAENA PINGUIS) AND KUDOA THYRSITES FROM SPLENDID ALFONSO (BERYX SPLENDENS)

Postmortem myoliquefaction associated with multivalvulid myxozoans was found in fillets of red barracuda (Sphyraena pinguis) and splendid alfonso (Beryx splendens), which were imported to Japan from China and South Africa, respectively. Morphological examinations of the myxozoans from the somatic muscle of red barracuda revealed that spores (30.3–44.7 μm in maximum thickness) had 4 distinct winglike valves, in which 1 extremely large (12.7 × 5.8 μm), 2 small, and 1 vestigial polar capsule were present. The small subunit ribosomal DNA sequence analysis showed that the myxozoan cluster within a clade was composed of Kudoa thyrsites, Kudoa minithyrsites, and Kudoa lateolabracis, all having stellate spores with 1 polar capsule larger than the other 3. On the basis of these characteristics, we describe this parasite as Kudoa megacapsula n. sp. Morphological and molecular analyses of the myxozoan from splendid alfonso identified it as K. thyrsites, which has been described from many marine fishes. To our knowledge, this is the first record of K. thyrsites in splendid alfonso.
Couples' experiences with prostate cancer: focus group research.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To explore the experiences of couples living with prostate cancer, the impact of the illness on their quality of life, their ability to manage symptoms, and their suggestions for interventions that would help them to improve their daily experiences. DESIGN Descriptive, qualitative. SETTING Six focus groups were used to obtain the data; two were patient-only groups, two were spouse-caregiver groups, and two were dyad groups. The focus groups were conducted at two comprehensive cancer centers in the midwestern region of the United States. SAMPLE 42 participants: 22 men with prostate cancer and 20 spouse-caregivers. METHODS Focus group discussions were tape-recorded, and the content was analyzed. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES Quality of life, symptom experience, and areas for intervention. FINDINGS Four major themes emerged from the data: enduring uncertainty, living with treatment effects, coping with changes, and needing help. CONCLUSIONS Participants had a need for information and support. Both men and spouse-caregivers felt unprepared to manage treatment effects. Symptoms had a broad effect on couples, not just men. Positive effects of the illness, as well as negative effects, emerged from the themes. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Attention needs to be given to methods of providing information and support to couples coping with prostate cancer. Both patients and partners need to be included in discussions about the effect of the illness and treatments so that both can feel more prepared to manage them.
Plug into a Plant: Using a Plant Microbial Fuel Cell and a Wake-Up Radio for an Energy Neutral Sensing System

As a step toward sustainable wireless sensing, we present a proof of concept system that uses a Plant Microbial Fuel Cells (PMFC) as a power source. To match the very low power production capabilities of the PMFC, we couple it with an ultra-low power wake-up receiver used as a trigger for sampling and transmission of the sensed value. We demonstrate that this combination, with a new, receiver initiated MAC-level communication protocol, results in a sustainable system for reasonable data rates, shown to be 30s in our laboratory setting. This work offers the first steps toward large-scale wireless sensor networks in applications where the sensors are surrounded by living plants that can provide a green and perpetual power supply.
The X-ray structure of the DNA-binding domain from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell-cycle transcription factor Mbp1 at 2.1 A resolution.

The structure of the DNA-binding domain of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell-cycle transcription factor Mbp1 has been solved using the multiwavelength anomalous diffraction (MAD) technique on crystals of selenomethionyl protein and refined at 2.1 A resolution. The molecule is globular, consisting of a twisted, six-stranded beta-barrel that is packed against a loose bundle of four alpha-helices. Two of the beta-strands in combination with two of the helices form a structure characteristic of the DNA-binding motif found in the CAP family of helix-turn-helix transcription factors. In Mbp1, this beta2/alpha2 motif is associated with regions of both positive electrostatic potential and sequence conservation within the Mbp1/Swi4 family, suggesting a role in DNA-binding in these proteins. A combination of structural and biochemical data further indicate a similarity to HNF3gamma/fork head, a member of the family of "winged" helix-turn-helix proteins. We propose a model for DNA-binding involving a recognition helix in the major groove, phosphodiester backbone interactions through the beta-hairpin and further base and/or phosphate interactions mediated by a C-terminal, positively charged loop.
Glucose utilization during gonadotropin‐induced meiotic maturation in cumulus cell‐enclosed mouse oocytes

Earlier work from this laboratory has determined that glucose plays an important role in the mechanisms regulating meiotic maturation in mammalian oocytes. In the current study, we have further explored the role of glucose in hormone‐induced germinal vesicle breakdown (GVB) in an effort to better understand how glucose utilization and metabolism relate to the control of meiotic maturation in mouse cumulus cell‐enclosed oocytes (CEO). When CEO were cultured in medium containing 4 mM hypoxanthine (to maintain meiotic arrest), 5.5 mM glucose, and 0.23 mM pyruvate, follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) stimulated lactate accumulation in a time‐dependent manner. Addition of 2‐deoxyglucose (2‐DG) to the medium at various times after the initiation of culture resulted in rapid termination of lactate production and suppression of FSH‐induced GVB scored after 18 hr of culture, the effectiveness diminishing the longer the delay before addition of 2‐DG. By 8 hr, addition of 2‐DG was without effect on GVB. Similar effects were seen when FSH‐treated CEO were washed free of glucose. In a 2‐DG dose‐response experiment, gonadotropin‐induced lactate production was prevented, but this inhibition did not necessarily prevent GVB. The activities of six metabolic enzymes were measured in extracts of freshly isolated complexes, and in order of increasing activity were: hexokinase, 6‐phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase, phosphofructokinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and pyruvate kinase. Of the six enzymes examined, only hexokinase activity was increased in CEO exposed to FSH. CEO were cultured in microdrops in the presence or absence of FSH, and aliquots from the same microdrop were assayed for glucose, lactate, and pyruvate. In response to FSH, utilization of glucose in microdrop cultures by CEO was markedly increased and was accompanied by comparable lactate production and limited pyruvate production. Cycloheximide and α‐amanitin both blocked FSH‐induced oocyte maturation, but only cycloheximide prevented the increase in hexokinase activity and glucose consumption. These data suggest that hexokinase is an important rate‐limiting enzyme for glucose utilization that is under translational control and participates in the mechanisms controlling the reinitiation of meiosis. However, stimulation of glycolytic activity does not appear to be a necessary concomitant for meiotic induction. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression in patients with severe oxygen-dependent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PURPOSE To measure the prevalence rate of significant depressive symptoms and depression and examine their consequences on quality of life in patients with severe oxygen-dependent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS Between November 1997 and March 1998, the authors conducted a cross-sectional study among the COPD patients registered at the Quebec City area respiratory home care service. Depression and quality of life were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale and the Medical Outcome Survey--Short Form 36 (SF-36). RESULTS 109 patients (63 men; mean age: 71) with severe COPD (median FEV1: 34%) were surveyed. Of them, 105 were on long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT), which had been introduced (median) 19 months earlier. Sixty-two patients (57%; 95% Cl: 47-66) demonstrated significant depressive symptoms; in addition, 20 patients (18%; Cl: 12-27) were severely depressed. Only 6% of those patients who met the criteria for depression were taking an antidepressant drug. We found significant and moderate correlations between the scores obtained from the Geriatric Depression Scale and 7 of the 8 domains of the SF-36. CONCLUSION Significant depressive symptoms and depression are highly prevalent in patients with severe COPD on LTOT. There is strong evidence that depression is under-recognized and under-treated in this group of patients.
The Policy Mix in the US and EMU: Evidence from a SVAR Analysis

We use a SVAR approach to the effects of fiscal and monetary policies, as well as their interactions (policy mix) for the US and the Euro Area (EMU). Overall, our results show that these two cases are different from each other. First, while in the case of the US there is evidence of Keynesian monetary policy, the same is not true in the case of the EMU. Second, considering the effects of the global economic and financial crisis, there is evidence of non-Keynesian fiscal policy in the case of the EMU (expansionary fiscal consolidation), while it does not hold in the case of the US. Third, there is evidence supporting the traditional inverse relationship between monetary policy interest rates and inflation in the case of the US, whereas in the case of the EMU there is a price puzzle (frequent in SVAR studies). Fourth, the baseline model seems to be robust in the case of the US, when considering the effects of the economic and financial crisis 2007-2009, while the opposite holds in the case of the EMU. However, in both cases, the policies seem to act as complements. Another similarity appears when analysing the relationship between public spending and taxation, where there is evidence supporting a fiscal retrenchment.