Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interaction between FXIII and fibrinogen

Drug prices were researched and provided by Dr Timothy Jancel, Pharmacy Department, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. The author is grateful to Dr Michael Sneller for reviewing the manuscript and providing valuable comments. This research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health. Conflict-of-interest disclosure: The author declares no competing financial interests. n
12-bit hybrid C2C DAC based SAR ADC with floating voltage shield

A successive approximation ADC based on the C2C DAC architecture is introduced. The ADC designed in a 0. 18µm CMOS 2 Poly 4 Metal process uses a hybrid capacitive DAC combining the best of the binary weighted capacitive array and the C2C array. C2C ladder based architectures are very attractive for implementation because of its small area, high speed and low power consumption. However a major drawback associated with this DAC is the presence of high parasitic bottom plate capacitances. A concept called the floating voltage shield (FVS) is introduced to reduce the effect of these parasitic capacitances and maximize the effective use of the C2C DAC features. The converter consists of the hybrid DAC, a two stage preamplifier followed by a dynamic latch, switch array and digital circuitry for switching and control. The ADC consumes a maximum power of 630µW at a peak conversion rate of approximately 2MS/s from a 1.8V supply voltage and 40MHz clock. Use of extremely simple and yet robust analog architectures for the comparator make the ADC operation less prone to process variation errors.
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 ICP 4 Forms Complexes with TFIID and Mediator in Virus-Infected Cells

The infected cell polypeptide 4 (ICP4) of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is a regulator of viral transcription that is required for productive infection. Since viral genes are transcribed by cellular RNA polymerase II (RNA pol II), ICP4 must interact with components of the pol II machinery to regulate viral gene expression. It has been shown previously that ICP4 interacts with TATA box-binding protein (TBP), TFIIB, and the TBPassociated factor 1 (TAF1) in vitro. In this study, ICP4-containing complexes were isolated from infected cells by tandem affinity purification (TAP). Forty-six proteins that copurified with ICP4 were identified by mass spectrometry. Additional copurifying proteins were identified by Western blot analysis. These included 11 components of TFIID and 4 components of the Mediator complex. The significance of the ICP4-Mediator interaction was further investigated using immunofluorescence and chromatin immunoprecipitation. Mediator was found to colocalize with ICP4 starting at early and continuing into late times of infection. In addition, Mediator was recruited to viral promoters in an ICP4-dependent manner. Taken together, the data suggest that ICP4 interacts with components of TFIID and Mediator in the context of viral infection, and this may explain the broad transactivation properties of ICP4.
Morphological study of the lingual papillae of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) by scanning electron microscopy

Due to the scarcity of giant pandas, there are few descriptions of their morphology and even fewer of their microscopic anatomy and the ultrastructure of their organs. In this study of the complete tongue of an adult male giant panda, we describe the morphology of its lingual surface, the different types of papillae, their characteristics and topographic distribution. It was seen that there are four main types of lingual papillae: filiform, conical, fungiform and vallate. There was no sign of foliate papillae, tuberculum intermolare or sublingua. Papilla distribution was not limited to the dorsum of the tongue, but was also seen on the anterior and ventral surfaces of the tongue. In the anterior third of the midline there is a smooth area with no papillae at all. Morphology of the microgrooves and pores is similar to that observed in other mammals. The papillae share characteristics encountered in Carnivora and herbivorous species of mammals. A narrow bamboo‐based diet and specialized manner of eating have together resulted in modification of the tongue of a carnivoran, giving it some characteristics typical of an herbivore.
The reliability of passive smoking histories reported in a case-control study of lung cancer.

A test-retest design has been used to examine the reliability of passive smoking histories reported in personal interviews. A total of 117 control subjects initially interviewed in a lung cancer case-control study conducted in metropolitan Toronto, Canada, between 1983 and 1984 were reinterviewed on average six months later. Responses to initial screening questions used to detect a person's exposure to passive smoke were more reliable for residential than for occupational exposure. Respondents also more reliably reported residential exposure to spouse's passive smoke than to the passive smoke of others at home. Quantitative measures of exposure to passive smoke, i.e., number and duration of exposure, were even less reliably reported. Nonsmoking respondents gave the most reliable information. The low reliability of self-reported duration of exposure to passive smoke is consistent with the inability of several studies to detect a significant dose-response relation with lung cancer risk when measures of dose that depend solely on duration are used.
Positive effects of resistant starch supplementation on bowel function in healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract Animal experimental studies have found that resistant starch can significantly improve bowel function, but the outcomes are mixed while conducting human studies. Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to evaluate the relationship between resistant starch supplementation and large intestinal function. Three electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus) were searched to identify eligible studies. The standardized mean difference (SMD) or weighted mean difference (WMD) was calculated using a fixed-effects model or a random-effects model. The pooled findings revealed that resistant starch significantly increased fecal wet weight (WMD 35.51 g/d, 95% CI 1.21, 69.82) and butyrate concentration (SMD 0.61, 95% CI 0.32, 0.89). Also, it significantly reduced fecal PH (WMD −0.19, 95% CI −0.35, −0.03), but the increment of defecation frequency were not statistically significant (WMD 0.04stools/g, 95% CI −0.08, 0.16). To conclude, our study found that resistant starch elicited a beneficial effect on the function of large bowel in healthy adults.
Efficacy of adalimumab in patients with Behçet's disease unsuccessfully treated with infliximab.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the clinical response after switching from infliximab to adalimumab in patients with Behçet's disease (BD). METHODS In this ongoing, prospective, longitudinal and observational study, data were collected on efficacy and safety of every patient with BD beginning anti-TNF therapy in the last 8 years. The present analysis was restricted to patients who were switched to adalimumab after failing or not tolerating infliximab. RESULTS A total of 69 patients with BD have been treated with infliximab so far. Seventeen of these (25%) have been switched to adalimumab for lack or loss of efficacy or infusion reactions. In 10 out of these 17, the main manifestations requiring switching were the mucocutaneous lesions, in 4 retinal vasculitis and in 3 the neurological involvement. Of the 17 treated patients, 9 showed sustained remission of the disease and 3 a good response. No side effects were observed in any patient. CONCLUSIONS The results of our study suggest that patients with BD showing a scarce response or adverse events to infliximab may successfully be treated with adalimumab, regardless of the reason for switching.
Actualité des myopathies distales

Une myopathie distale ou a presentation distale predominante doit etre evoquee devant un deficit moteur pur des muscles distaux des membres inferieurs et/ou des mains. A ce jour, une quinzaine de myopathies identifiees peut se presenter par une atteinte distale inaugurale. L'anamnese precisera la predominance anterieure ou posterieure du deficit, l'âge de debut et le mode de transmission. La recherche attentive d'une elevation de CPK, d'une association avec une cardiopathie ou une cataracte est indispensable. La biopsie musculaire permet de preciser les caracteristiques histologiques de la myopathie. L'orientation diagnostique dependra essentiellement de l'âge de debut, du mode de transmission, de la presentation clinique et des donnees anatomopathologiques, permettant souvent d'obtenir la confirmation genetique de l'affection causale.
University of Groningen ( Endo ) cannabinoid signaling in human bronchial epithelial and smooth muscle cells

Cannabinoid CB1-receptor stimulation in DDT1 MF-2 smooth muscle cells induces a rise in [Ca]i which is dependent on extracellular Ca and modulated by thapsigargin-sensitive stores, suggesting capacitative Ca entry (CCE), and by MAP kinase. Non-capacitative calcium entry (NCCE) stimulated by arachidonic acid (AA) partly mediates histamine H1-receptorevoked increases in [Ca]i in DDT1 MF-2 cells. In the current study both Ca entry mechanisms and a possible link between MAP kinase activation and increasing [Ca]i, were investigated. In the whole-cell patch clamp configuration, the CB-receptor agonist CP 55,940 evoked a transient, Cadependent K current, which was not blocked by the inhibitors of CCE, 2-APB and SKF 96365. AA, but not its metabolites, evoked a transient outward current and inhibited the response to CP 55,940 in a concentration-dependent manner. CP 55,940 induced a concentration-dependent release of AA, which was inhibited by the CB1 antagonist SR 141716A. The non-selective Ca channel blockers La and Gd inhibited the CP 55,940-induced current at concentrations that had no effect on thapsigargin-evoked CCE. La also inhibited the AA-induced current. CP 55,940-induced AA release was abolished by Gd and by phospholipase A2 inhibition using quinacrine; this compound also inhibited the outward current. The CP 55,940-induced AA release was strongly reduced by the MAP kinase inhibitor PD 98059. The data suggest that in DDT1 MF-2 cells AA is an integral component of the CB1 receptor signalling pathway, upstream of NCCE and, via PLA2, downstream of MAP kinase.
Retinoic acid‐mediated down‐regulation of Oct3/4 coincides with the loss of promoter occupancy in vivo.

Oct3/4, a hallmark of the earliest stages of embryogenesis, is expressed in undifferentiated embryonal carcinoma (EC) and embryonic stem (ES) cells. Oct3/4 gene expression is dependent on the promoter region, the proximal enhancer and the newly identified distal enhancer. We have analysed in vivo occupancy of these elements. In undifferentiated EC and ES cells, strong footprints were detected at specific sites of all three regulatory elements. These were promptly lost upon RA treatment in ES cells and in P19 EC cells, in parallel with sharply reduced Oct3/4 mRNA levels. Thus, the occupancy of regulatory elements is coupled with Oct3/4 expression, and RA treatment causes coordinated factor displacement, leading to extinction of gene activity. In F9 EC cells, footprint was first abolished at the proximal enhancer. However, this loss of binding site occupancy did not result in a decrease in Oct3/4 mRNA levels. The partial factor displacement seen in F9 EC cells, combined with the observation that EC and ES cells utilize the proximal and distal enhancers in differential manner, indicate the complex pattern of Oct3/4 gene regulation, which could reflect a cell type‐ and lineage‐specific expression of the gene in vivo.
Modes d'habiter et territorialités autochtones contemporains : le cas de la nation Nisga'a en Colombie-Britannique

Les Nisga'a de la Colombie-Britannique experimentent un nouveau modele de gouvernance socio-territoriale, en partie inspire de la territorialite de la majorite allochtone occidentale. Ils sont les premiers a avoir conclu, en 1998, au sein de cette province canadienne, un traite qui leur donne depuis 2009 l'acces a la propriete privee. Nous souhaitons reflechir, dans ce memoire, sur les reconfigurations politiques, culturelles et identitaires que peut entrainer ce nouveau rapport au territoire, alors que la propriete privee transcende son expression juridique pour s'articuler a un niveau symbolique et infere, par le fait meme, un mode d'habiter qui lui est propre. Nous proposons d'explorer l'hypothese selon laquelle la propriete privee, bien qu'elle participe d'un rapport individuel et materiel avec le territoire, largement promulgue par la societe canadienne et ses institutions, permet aux Autochtones d'y reaffirmer certaines dimensions de leur identite, car elle leur accorde une plus grande liberte politique et economique. Afin de verifier notre postulat, nous avons interroge 17 membres de la nation nisga'a et 1 non-Nisga'a œuvrant au sein de leur gouvernement. L'analyse des resultats revele que la propriete privee, en generant une occidentalisation des territoires residentiels en vertu d'un mode de gestion essentiellement calque sur celui de la societe majoritaire, participe d'une distanciation croissante entre les differentes echelles qui composent le territoire nisga'a et les referentiels identitaires et culturels qui s'y rattachent. Cette distanciation a deux consequences : elle permet aux territorialites plurielles, voire hybrides des Nisga'a de s'exprimer, mais participe egalement d'un habiter moins harmonieux alors que les dimensions materielle et immaterielle qui structurent leur territorialite se trouvent en quelque sorte davantage dissociees. Ainsi, bien que pareil mode d'habiter puisse repondre a certains des besoins geo-identitaires des Nisga'a, il remet en cause divers fondements de leurs rapports Humanite/Nature et Territoire/Culture, temoignant ainsi du difficile equilibre a atteindre entre le developpement economique et la reaffirmation culturelle des Autochtones au Canada. ______________________________________________________________________________ MOTS-CLES DE L’AUTEUR : Territorialites autochtones, identite, regimes fonciers, propriete privee, autodetermination, gestion du territoire, developpement economique.
Financial Policy and Corporate Performance: An Empirical Analysis of Nigerian Listed Companies

This study investigates the effects of financial policy and firm specific characteristics on corporate performance. Panel data covering a period from 1990 to 2006 for 70 firms were analyzed. Pooled OLS, Fixed Effect Model and Generalized Method of Moment panel model were employed in the estimation and data were sourced from the annual report and financial statement of the sampled firms. The estimation of the dynamic panel-data results show that long-term debts, tangibility, corporate tax rate, dividend policy, financial and stock market development were all positively related with firms’ performance. Furthermore, the positive relationship between stock market development and ROA suggest that as stock market develops, various investment opportunities are opened to firms. Therefore, there is need to monitor the performance of these variables in order to stabilize and enhance performance of listed firms in Nigeria. In addition, the result shows that growth, size and foreign direct investment are negatively related with firms’ performance (ROA). In addition, the result indicates that higher income variability increases the risk that a firm may not be able to cover its interest payment, leading to higher expected costs of financial distress. This may leads to reduce their profitability. The results of the study generally support existing literature on the impact of financial policy on corporate performance.
Modularization of Domain-Specific Languages for Extensible Component-Based Robotic Systems

The development of robotics systems requires a coherent design, implementation and integration of multiple domain-specific software artifacts that provide the application-specific capabilities. Model-driven software development (MDSD) provides an efficient methodology enabling the design, integration and verification of robotics applications already at the level of multiple domain-specific models. While the application of MDSD for the engineering of robotics systems is conceptually promising, the interoperability, composability and reusability of developed domain-specific languages and resulting models is challenging. In this paper, we discuss the requirements for language modularization and composition from a robotics perspective and introduce a language composition approach for component-based robotics systems. We utilize a state-of-the-art language workbench supporting reuse, extensibility and refinement of domain-specific languages and code generators. We present and discuss a case study to evaluate the proposed extension and composition approach.
Detective quantum efficiency of photon-counting x-ray detectors.

PURPOSE Single-photon-counting (SPC) x-ray imaging has the potential to improve image quality and enable novel energy-dependent imaging methods. Similar to conventional detectors, optimizing image SPC quality will require systems that produce the highest possible detective quantum efficiency (DQE). This paper builds on the cascaded-systems analysis (CSA) framework to develop a comprehensive description of the DQE of SPC detectors that implement adaptive binning. METHODS The DQE of SPC systems can be described using the CSA approach by propagating the probability density function (PDF) of the number of image-forming quanta through simple quantum processes. New relationships are developed to describe PDF transfer through serial and parallel cascades to accommodate scatter reabsorption. Results are applied to hypothetical silicon and selenium-based flat-panel SPC detectors including the effects of reabsorption of characteristic/scatter photons from photoelectric and Compton interactions, stochastic conversion of x-ray energy to secondary quanta, depth-dependent charge collection, and electronic noise. Results are compared with a Monte Carlo study. RESULTS Depth-dependent collection efficiency can result in substantial broadening of photopeaks that in turn may result in reduced DQE at lower x-ray energies (20-45 keV). Double-counting interaction events caused by reabsorption of characteristic/scatter photons may result in falsely inflated image signal-to-noise ratio and potential overestimation of the DQE. CONCLUSIONS The CSA approach is extended to describe signal and noise propagation through photoelectric and Compton interactions in SPC detectors, including the effects of escape and reabsorption of emission/scatter photons. High-performance SPC systems can be achieved but only for certain combinations of secondary conversion gain, depth-dependent collection efficiency, electronic noise, and reabsorption characteristics.
Disc susceptibility testing for thermomphilic campylobacters

Summary The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and zone diameters around NCCLS strength discs of 100 clinical isolates of thermophilic Campylobacter species, including 79 strains of Campylobacter jejuni subsp. jejuni, 19 of C. coli and two of C. lari, plus three type strains of these species, were determined for erythromycin, clindamycin, nalidixic acid, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ampicillin, piperacillin, cephalothin, ceftriaxone, chloramphenicol, gentamicin and tetracycline. Using error‐rate bounded analysis and adjustment of MIC breakpoints to fit natural populations, tentative interpretive zone diameter criteria were set for each of the antimicrobials. Application of these criteria showed that resistance to quinolones was not detected in species other than C. lari. Two strains of C. jejuni subsp. jejuni were susceptible to cephalothin. The type strain of C. lari was susceptible to erythromycin and resistant to clindamycin. Full resistance to erythromycin, chloramphenicol or gentamicin was not found in any strain, while nine strains were resistant to tetracycline. This disc method should provide a simple approach to resistance detection for surveillance or routine testing of invasive isolates.Abbreviations: NCCLS, National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards; MIC, minimum inhibitory concentration.
griffith . edu . au Face recognition using local binary decisions

The human brain exhibits robustness against natural variability occurring in face images, yet the commonly attempted algorithms for face recognition are not modular and do not apply the principle of binary decisions made by the firing of neurons. We present a biologically inspired modular unit implemented as an algorithm for face recognition that applies pixel-wise local binary decisions on similarity of spatial-intensity change features. The results obtained with a single gallery image per person show a robust and high recognition performance: 94% on AR, 98% on Yale, 97% on ORL, 97% on FERET (fb), 92% on FERET (fc), and 96% on Caltech face image databases.
Lazer e festas: Estudo sobre os modos de divulgação de bebidas nos campi universitários / Leisure and parties: Study on the dissemination of alcoholic drinks on university campuses

Este artigo aborda a tematica consumo de alcool,ressaltando que estimulos a sua utilizacao podem ser observados na publicidade e em diferentes contextos. Aqui sao destaques os cartazes de festas de campi universitarios. As festas universitarias representam uma das inumeras modalidades de lazer do publico jovem; sociabilidade, paquera e diversao sao algumas marcas desses contextos festivos. O consumo excessivo de bebidas tambem se tem tornado parte desse cenario e, por vezes, de forma abusiva. De modo geral, as festas voltadas para esse publico sao divulgadas com cartazes espalhados pelos campi universitarios com o objetivo de convencer esse publico a adesao e participacao. Com base nos argumentos usados nesse modelo de publicidade, este estudo tem por objetivo verificar os estimulos ao abuso do consumo de bebidas alcoolicas. O estudo descritivo-qualitativo e desenvolvido pela combinacao de quadro metodologico, composto de pesquisa bibliografica e documental, com a analise de 173 cartazes de festas direcionadas ao publico jovem, coletados em universidades do interior do estado de Sao Paulo. As analises apontam para argumentos verbais e imageticos que estimulam o beber excessivo. A apologia do consumo de bebidas em situacao de lazer coloca esse campo de estudo em importante lugar de analise dos comportamentos nele vivenciados, especialmente os de grupos jovens. Os resultados representam importante passo para a compreensao dos novos modos de consumo do alcool, ocupacao e vivencia do lazer, bem como alertam para o desenvolvimento de programas de prevencao dirigidos ao publico e espacos especificos.
Evolution Properties of the y-Periodic Solitons for the (2+1)-Dimensional Boiti-Leon-Pempinelli System

With the help of the symbolic computation system Maple and an expanded projective Riccati equation approach, we obtain some new rational explicit solutions with three arbitrary functions for the (2+1)-dimensional Boiti-Leon-Pempinelli system, including Weierstrass function solutions, solitary wave solutions and trigonometric function solutions. From these, several y-periodic soliton localized excitations are constructed and some evolution properties of these novel y-periodic localized structures are discussed.