Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
XLIV. CYSTINE AND THE DIETARY PRODUCTION OF FATTY LIVERS

IN a previous paper it was shown that the amount of fat appearing in the livers of rats receiving a diet of low choline content (choline intake 1-5 mg. per rat per day) and containing 40 % of fat was controlled by the amount of caseinogen present in the diet. In a later paper the findings concerning this lipotropic action of caseinogen were extended to embrace the glyceride fraction of the "cholesterol" fatty liver [Channon and Wilkinson, 1935; Beeston et al. [1935], whilst more recently results were reported which suggested that the caseinogen used in our diets possessed a lipotropic action equivalent to 8 mg. of choline per g. [Beeston and Channon, 1935]. In the first-mentioned paper it was suggested that further information concerning this control of liver fat by dietary protein fractions might be obtained by supplementing diets low in caseinogen with individual amino-acids, and a systematic study of this problem is in progress. The present paper records results already obtained with cystine. Contrary to the original expectation, it has been found that supplementing a diet low in choline and containing 5% caseinogen and 40% fat with small amounts of cystine causes a profound increase in the amount of liver fat. EXPERIMENTAL.
A Longitudinal Investigation on Greek University Students' Perceptions Towards Online Shopping

The broad Internet utilization along with the systematic progress of Information and Communication Technologies have dramatically changed the way goods are bought and sold. Nowadays, even more Internet users prefer to shop online than visiting a brick-and-mortal store. Thus, understanding who are the ones consuming and why they choose to use or avoid the Internet as a distribution channel, as well as predicting the e-consumer behavior is a vital aspect in marketing and a necessary requirement for both e-commerce managers and consumer theorists. The scope of this paper is to examine through a longitudinal survey the perceptions of university students' adopters and non-adopters of e-shopping in terms of demographic profile and perceived advantages and problems related to online purchases. Moreover, the reasons for using or avoiding online shopping as well as the types of preferred products and services are investigated. The research provides interesting insights on the e-consumer behavior to both academia and industry.
A 6-bit, 1.2 GHz Interleaved SAR ADC in 90nm CMOS

A 6-bit time-interleaved analog-to-digital converter for ultra-wide band applications is proposed. The structure consists of seven successive approximation A/D converters designed to pursue high speed and low power consumption. A merged-capacitor technique is implemented in the DAC, while the successive approximations register is based on a single-row architecture with D-FF's. The converter, designed in ST 90nm CMOS technology exhibits a maximum sampling frequency of 1.2 GHz at 1 V supply with a 500 mV input range and 16 mW of power consumption. The simulated figure of merit is 0.3 pJ/conv
MecDes — Mechatronic design demonstrator: Contribution for closing the gap between research and education in model based mechatronic design

Model Based Mechatronic Design (MBMD) is a broad and modern research area in the academic environment. MBMD contains a variety of promising theoretical approaches and is established in academia. Therefore MBMD is accompanied by the problem that tangible examples for education can hardly be found. This is an important point in reference to industry, because the theories are highly promising but rarely implemented. One initial approach is to transfer MBMD to students in the area of engineering design. In the end, especially those people are the ones who are working in key positions in industry in the future. For this reason, this paper proposes an approach to close the gap between research and education in Model Based Mechatronic Design. After presenting the novel methodology, the paper proposes the implementation in the form of the Mechatronic Design Demonstrator (MecDes).
Analysis of mutants of tetanus toxin HC fragment: ganglioside binding, cell binding and retrograde axonal transport properties

Tetanus toxin binds neuronal tissue prior to internalization and trafficking to the central nervous system. Binding of the carboxy‐terminal 50 kDa HC fragment of tetanus toxin to polysialogangliosides is important for this initial cell binding step. Using the three‐dimensional structure of HC, mutants were designed to investigate the role of individual residues in ganglioside binding. Mutant proteins were tested for binding to GT1b gangliosides, to primary motoneurons and for their ability to undergo retrograde transport in mice. Two classes of mutant were obtained: (i) those containing deletions in loop regions within the C‐terminal β‐trefoil domain which showed greatly reduced ganglioside and cell binding and did not undergo retrograde transport and (ii) those that showed reduced ganglioside binding, but retained primary neuronal cell binding and retrograde transport. The second class included point mutants of Histidine‐1293, previously implicated in GT1b binding. Our deletion analysis is entirely consistent with recent structural studies which have identified sugar‐binding sites in the immediate vicinity of the residues identified by mutagenesis. These results demonstrate that ganglioside binding can be severely impaired without abolishing cell binding and intracellular trafficking of tetanus toxin.
A multimedia contents management system based on a metadata-net in home network

The aim of this paper is to propose a metadata-net as ontology to make a relation with similar metadata by analyzing structure and semantics of multimedia content metadata. Also, it is to suggest a multimedia contents management system based on a metadata-net (M2SM) as a methodology to provide integrated services for managing and searching various multimedia contents created and stored in home network-accessible consumer electronics (CEs). The proposed system helps users, who use a mobile device outside home, search and view highly relevant multimedia contents. When user wants to search some multimedia contents by metadata, M2SM provides query extension and modification and restriction using metadata-net in order to reduce increasing searching time caused by traversing unnecessary CEs in home network. The proposed system was implemented on a home server that acts as a gateway for establishing connections between home network and Internet. It supports various standards about home network and controls CEs to manage and search multimedia contents. In this way, M2SM reduces the search results delivered to mobile devices from home network, so power efficiency of mobile devices increase because CPU and network usage are declined.
Balance performance of community-dwelling older people.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the association of 4 common clinical balance tests and history of fall in Saudi community-dwelling older people. METHODS This retrospective study took place in the Rehabilitation Health Sciences Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University. Older people were recruited from Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from September 2009 to June 2010. Four balance performance tests were used. Inclusion criteria for 60-85 year-old participants (n=48) were checked. RESULTS Fallers had lower balance performance than non-fallers in the test-battery measures with significance difference for one leg stance test with open (p=0.001) and closed eyes (p=0.0001). One leg stance with closed eyes test showed an overall prediction capability (83.2%), high sensitivity (79.2%), and specificity (87.5%). CONCLUSION This study shows that Saudi community-dwelling older people fallers had compromised balance performance, and that one leg stance test with closed eyes was the best balance test associated with history of fall.
Deletion and single nucleotide substitution at G:C in the kidney of gpt delta transgenic mice after ferric nitrilotriacetate treatment

An iron chelate, ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe‐NTA), induces oxidative renal proximal tubular damage that subsequently leads to a high incidence of renal cell carcinoma in rodents, presenting an intriguing model of free radical‐induced carcinogenesis. In the present study, we used gpt delta transgenic mice, which allow efficient detection of point mutations and deletions in vivo, to evaluate the mutation spectra, in association with the formation of 8‐oxoguanine and acrolein‐modified adenine during the first 3 weeks of carcinogenesis. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed the highest levels of 8‐oxoguanine and acrolein‐modifed adenine in the renal proximal tubules after 1 week of repeated administration. DNA immunoprecipitation and quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that the relative abundance of 8‐oxoguanine and acrolein‐modified adenine at the gpt reporter gene were increased at the first week in the kidney. Similarly, in both 6‐thioguanine and Spi− selections performed on the renal specimens after Fe‐NTA administration, the mutant frequencies were increased in the Fe‐NTA‐treated mice at the first week. Further analyzes of 79 mutant clones and 93 positive plaques showed a high frequency of G:C pairs as preferred targets for point mutation, notably G:C to C:G transversion‐type mutation followed by deletion, and of large‐size (>1 kilobase) deletions with short homologous sequences in proximity to repeated sequences at the junctions. The results demonstrate that the iron‐based Fenton reaction is mutagenic in vivo in the renal tubular cells and induces characteristic mutations. (Cancer Sci 2006; 97: 1159–1167)
Restoring Environmental Flows by Modifying Dam Operations

The construction of new dams has become one of the most controversial issues in global efforts to alleviate poverty, improve human health, and strengthen regional economies. Unfortunately, this controversy has overshadowed the tremendous opportunity that exists for modifying the operations of existing dams to recover many of the environmental and social benefits of healthy ecosystems that have been compromised by present modes of dam operation. The potential benefits of dam "re-operation" include recovery of fish, shellfish, and other wildlife populations valued both commercially and recreationally, including estuarine species; reactivation of the flood storage and water purification benefits that occur when floods are allowed to flow into floodplain forests and wetlands; regaining some semblance of the naturally dynamic balance between river erosion and sedimentation that shapes physical habitat complexity, and arresting problems associated with geomorphic imbalances; cultural and spiritual uses of rivers; and many other socially valued products and services. This paper describes an assessment framework that can be used to evaluate the benefits that might be restored through dam re-operation. Assessing the potential benefits of dam re-operation begins by characterizing the dam's effects on the river flow regime, and formulating hypotheses about the ecological and social benefits that might be restored by releasing water from the dam in a manner that more closely resembles natural flow patterns. These hypotheses can be tested by implementing a re-operation plan, tracking the response of the ecosystem, and continually refining dam operations through adaptive management. The paper highlights a number of land and water management strategies useful in implementing a dam re-operation plan, with reference to a variety of management contexts ranging from individual dams to cascades of dams along a river to regional energy grids. Because many of the suggested strategies for dam re-operation are predicated on changes in the end-use of the water, such as reductions in urban or agricultural water use during droughts, a systemic perspective of entire water management systems will be required to attain the fullest possible benefits of dam re-operations.
Partnerships in implementing sustainability policies theoretical considerations and experiences from Spain

The greening of economic and industrial activities requires that new relationships be formed between private actors who often never met before on the business or policy arenas. To initiate and give direction to the sustainability transition, public actors may choose to become involved in partnerships for policy implementation, next to industrial prime movers. After having catalyzed the process, new forms of public-private partnerships may emerge, in the transition towards ‘green private-private partnerships’. This paper presents theoretical considerations regarding the types and evolution of publicprivate partnerships (PPPs) involved in the implementation of sustainability policies. The central argument is that PPPs are themselves in a process of transition, with changes in the types of activity, types of investment and types of financing on which partnerships focus. Empirically, the paper analyses the greening of the electricity industry in Spain and looks specifically at the cases of wind electricity and biomass technologies’ diffusion. The evolution of PPPs shows clearly that there is a transition from ‘project-vehicle-partnerships’ to ‘technology-specific-partnerships’ to ‘renewables-development-partnerships’. In parallel there is a transition from ‘internally-financed-partnerships’ towards ‘bank-financedpartnerships’ with a substantially higher diffusion potential. Finally, another transition was observed from ‘learning-partnerships’ towards ‘commercialization-partnerships’. As the greening of the electricity industry advances, there is a gradual retreat of public actors and an increase in new green private-private-partnerships. Through these analyses, the paper fits into the conference theme regarding the dynamics for public-private partnerships. In the same time it is relevant for the theme regarding the implementation of public policies and technologies to promote sustainable development. Understanding the metamorphosis of partnerships supports policy-makers to design policies facilitating wider engagement in PPPs, a more secure operation environment and a faster transition towards new green private-private partnerships in industrial activities. The paper draws in postdoctoral research and is aimed for oral presentation in the workshop “Dynamics of public-private partnerships in implementing sustainability policies”.
A Dynamic Airline Seat Inventory Control Model and Its Optimal Policy

We consider an airline seat inventory control problem with multiple origins, one hub, and one destination. Passengers from the origins fly to the destination via the hub. Seat capacity of the hub-destination flight is fixed. Demands at origins are assumed to obey the Poisson process. To maximize the expected revenue, management faces decisions on allocating seats among competing origin-destination routes. This study presents a stochastic control model and develops optimal control rules. The basic model is subsequently distended to consider multiple fares on each route, time-dependent demands, and booking control on an extended network. A numerical example shows that optimal seat control is simple and efficient.
Design and VHDL modeling of all-digital PLLs

In this paper, a VHDL model of a second-order all-digital phase-locked loop (ADPLL) based on bang-bang phase detectors is presented. The developed ADPLL is destined to be a part of a distributed clock generators based on networks of the ADPLL. The paper presents an original model and architecture of a digital multi-bit phase-frequency detector (PFD), and describes in details the VHDL modeling of metastability issues related with asynchronous operation of the digital PFD. This particular architecture of the digital PHD is required by the synchronised operation of the ADPLL network in the context of distributed clock generator. The whole ADPLL model have been validated by purely behavioral (VHDL) and mixed simulation, in which the digital PFD detector was represented by its transistor-level model.
A robust semi fragile lossless image data hiding approach

Internet security finds it difficult to keep the information secure and to maintain the integrity of the data. Sending messages over the internet secretly is one of the major tasks as it is widely used for passing the message. In order to achieve security there must be some mechanism to protect the data against unauthorised access. A lossless data hiding scheme is proposed in this paper which has a higher embedding capacity than other schemes. Unlike other schemes that are used for embedding fixed amount of data, the proposed data hiding method is block-based approach and it uses a variable data embedding in different blocks which reduces the chances of distortion and increases the hiding capacity of the image. When the data is recovered the original image can be restored without any distortion. Our experimental results indicate that the proposed solution can significantly support the data hiding problem. We achieved good PSNR while hiding large amount of data into smoother regions.
Usefulness of a selective neutrophil elastase inhibitor (sivelestat) in septic ARDS patients after gastrointestinal surgery.

BACKGROUND/AIMS The usefulness of a neutrophil elastase inhibitor (sivelestat) was evaluated for treating septic acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) after gastrointestinal surgery. METHODOLOGY The subjects were 36 patients with septic ARDS after gastrointestinal surgery. ARDS was defined as acute lung injury associated with systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Sivelestat was intravenously administered at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg/hr continuously for 3 days or more. The effectiveness of sivelestat was evaluated based on the lung injury score, P/F ratio, and ventilator free days (VFD). RESULTS Marked responses were observed in 12 patients (33.3%), responses in 17 (47.2%), and no response in 7 (19.4%). In the patients with marked responses or responses (responders), the P/F ratio was significantly improved on day 3 of drug administration and at the end of administration compared with the pre-administration ratio. Comparison between the responders and non-responders showed significant differences on day 3 and at the end of drug administration. VFD significantly differed between the responders (18.8 days) and the non-responders (11.0 days). CONCLUSION In conclusion, sivelestat may be effective against septic ARDS. The effectiveness of the drug could be determined based on improvement in oxygenation ability on day 3 of drug administration.
Subgingival microbiota in healthy, well-maintained elder and periodontitis subjects.

This investigation compared the site prevalence of 40 subgingival species in 30 periodontally healthy (mean age 36+/-9 years), 35 elders with a well-maintained periodontium (mean age 77+/-5) and 138 adult periodontitis subjects (mean age 46+/-11). Subgingival plaque samples were taken from the mesial aspect of each tooth (up to 28 samples) in the 203 subjects at baseline. The presence and levels of 40 subgingival taxa were determined in 5003 plaque samples using whole genomic DNA probes and checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization. Clinical assessments including dichotomous measures of gingival redness, bleeding on probing, plaque accumulation and suppuration, as well as duplicate measures of pocket depth and attachment level, were made at 6 sites per tooth. The % of sites colonized by each species (prevalence) was computed for each subject. Differences in prevalence and levels among groups were sought using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Commonly detected species, such as Actinomyces naeslundii genospecies 2, Streptococcus sanguis and Streptococcus oralis did not differ significantly among subject groups. After adjusting for multiple comparisons, 4 species were significantly elevated and at greater prevalence in the periodontitis group. Mean % of sites (+/-SEM) colonized by Bacteroides forsythus was 10+/-3, 12+/-2 and 40+/-2 (p<0.001) for healthy, elder and periodontitis groups respectively. The odds ratio was 14.4:1 that a subject had periodontitis when B. forsythus was detected at > or = 5% of sampled sites. Mean prevalence for Porphyromonas gingivalis in healthy, elder and periodontitis subjects was 4+/-2, 5+/-2 and 23+/-2 respectively (p<0.001); for Treponema denticola 12+/-4, 10+/-3 and 30+/-2 (p<0.001) and for Selenomonas noxia 6+/-2, 7+/-2 and 19+/-2 (p<0.01). Similar differences among subject groups were observed when only sites with PD 0-4 mm were analyzed. The data suggest an etiologic role for B. forsythus, P. gingivalis, T. denticola and S. noxia in adult periodontitis.
Activation of NF‐κB may be necessary but is not sufficient for induction of H‐2 antigens by TNF in J558L murine myeloma cells

We have investigated the role of the transcription factor NF‐κB in the induction of H‐2 antigens by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in murine J558L myeloma cells. An earlier report suggested that J558L cells may have a defect in NF‐κB activation in response to some stimuli. Treatment of J558L cells with either TNF or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) resulted in nuclear translocation of NF‐κB, as demonstrated by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Both TNF and LPS activated the same NF‐κB nuclear complexes, composed of the p50 and p65 subunits. LPS mediated a stronger and more sustained activation of NF‐κB than TNF. In contrast, TNF induced higher levels of H‐2 antigen surface expression than did LPS, suggesting that activation of NF‐κB is not sufficient for optimal enhancement of H‐2 expression. An inhibitor of NF‐κB activation, pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (PDTC), dramatically reduced the induction of H‐2 antigen by TNF, supporting the view that NF‐κB is required for TNF‐induced H‐2 antigen expression. Constitutive levels of H‐2 antigen expression on the cell surface and of nuclear NF‐κB also decreased after PDTC treatment. However, PDTC had a smaller inhibitory effect on LPS‐induced NF‐κB activation and H‐2 antigen expression, suggesting that TNF and LPS activate NF‐κB by somewhat different pathways. J. Leukoc. Biol. 55: 7–12; 1994.
Deconvolution method for resolution enhancement of Dual-Frequency Polarized Scatterometer

Dual-Frequency Polarized Scatterometer (DFPSCAT) is a new system utilizing Doppler beam sharpening (DBS) technology for azimuthal resolution enhancement. Considering the DBS technology is inapplicable for the middle areas of the swath, a theoretical framework of deconvolution signal processing is proposed to improve resolution. A deconvolution method of the nonlocally centralized sparse representation (NCSR) is adopted to verify its feasibility, and simulation results show that the deconvolution method have obviously better resolution enhancement and higher recovery accuracy than these of the classical scatterometer image reconstruction (SIR) method.
Quality of life and persons with melanoma: Preliminary model testing

The purpose of this article is to report on an investigation of quality of life and its relationship to symptom distress, social dependency, behavior-morale, and life change. Sixty adults between the ages of 20 and 83 years with malignant melanoma were interviewed. A preliminary model and an empirical model were developed and tested. The reliability coefficient alphas ranged from 0.82 to 0.95 in scales used to measure each variable. Stepwise multiple regression analyses revealed statistically significant relationships among the major variables in the direction predicted. Findings lent support to the notion that human beings do realign their values, making cognitive adaptations when faced with a life-threatening disease.