Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detection and Discrimination of Colour, a Comparison of Physiological and Psychophysical Data

Whereas the physiological basis of colorimetry (colour matches) is well understood in terms of the trireceptor theory of colour vision, colour discrimination and scaling still lack a comparable foundation. We present here experimental data that demonstrate how sensitivity and responsiveness of different types of cone-opponent and non-opponent cells of the macaque monkey correlate with human threshold sensitivity on the one hand, and how they in combination can be used to construct a suprathreshold equidistant colour space. Psychophysical thresholds correlate well with the threshold envelope of the most sensitive cells when stimuli are projected upon a steady white background. Detection thresholds for stimuli of differing wavelength and purity (saturation) generally indicate a transition from a phasic nonopponent system to a tonic opponent system of on-centre cells as punty increases. Detection and chromatic discrimination thresholds coincide only for long and short wavelengths of high purity, whereas they differ for mid-spectral lights. Different cell types may thus support detection and discrimination with different stimuli. With chromatic scaling of surface colours on the other hand, when stimuli are darker than an adaptation field still other cell types are needed. We demonstrate that it is possible, from a combination of onand off-opponent cells, to reconstruct a uniform colour space, using summed outputs of cells with the same cone combination and vector addition for cells with different combinations. Different hues are represented by opponent cells with inputs from different cone types, the hue percept being related to the ratio of the activities of these cell systems.
A single gene determines rapid expulsion of Trichinella spiralis in mice

In rats and some inbred mouse strains, one immune response, rapid expulsion, confers up to 95% protection against a challenge infection with Trichinella spiralis. Strain analysis in mice has shown that only three inbred strains, all originating from Swiss-line mice at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. , express rapid expulsion. Crosses between responder strain mice (NFR/N) and nonresponders (C3H/HeJ or B10 X BR) have indicated that rapid expulsion is dominant and autosomal (Bell et al., Exp. Parasitol. 53:301-314, 1982). In this study a segregation analysis of rapid expulsion in the F2 and backcross conformed to the Mendelian ratios expected of a single gene. This gene was not linked to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) (chromosome 17) or the gene for albinism (c/c locus on chromosome 7). This locus has not previously been identified as conferring resistance to any infectious agent, and we have therefore designated the gene Ihe-1 (intestinal helminth expulsion 1).
Point mutations in the DNA polymerase gene of human cytomegalovirus that result in resistance to antiviral agents

Three independently isolated mutants of human cytomegalovirus strain AD169 were found to be resistant to ganciclovir at a 50% effective dose of 200 microM. Phosphorylation of ganciclovir was reduced 10-fold in mutant-infected cells compared with AD169-infected cells. All three mutants were also determined to be resistant to the nucleotide analogs (S)-1-[(3-hydroxy-2- phosphonylmethoxy)propyl]adenine (HPMPA) and (S)-1-[(3-hydroxy-2-phosphonylmethoxy)propyl]cytosine (HPMPC) and hypersensitive to thymine-1-D-arabinofuranoside (AraT). Single base changes resulting in amino acid substitutions were demonstrated in the nucleotide sequence of the DNA polymerase gene of each mutant. The polymerase mutation contained in one of the mutants was transferred to the wild-type AD169 background. Ganciclovir phosphorylation in cells infected with the recombinant virus produced by this transfer was found to be equivalent to that of AD169-infected cells. The ganciclovir resistance of the recombinant was reduced fourfold compared with that of the parental mutant; however, the recombinant remained resistant to HPMPA and HPMPC and hypersensitive to AraT. The ganciclovir resistance of the mutants therefore appears to result from mutations in two genes: (i) a kinase which phosphorylates ganciclovir and (ii) the viral DNA polymerase.
A Novel Coupled-Line Tunable Wilkinson Power Divider With Perfect Port Match and Isolation in Wide Frequency Tuning Range

In this paper, a novel coupled-line tunable Wilkinson power divider with perfect port match and isolation in a continuously tunable passband is presented. The proposed tunable power divider consists of an isolation resistor, two coupled lines, and two types of varactors. By providing these varactors with suitable bias voltages, the operating frequency of the proposed power divider can be flexibly changed as desired. Meanwhile, perfect port match and isolation are maintained at all tunable operating frequencies. After applying the even-odd mode analysis method, the closed-form equations of the design parameters are derived to illuminate the effects on the minimum and maximum operating frequencies. These equations exhibit that the proposed power divider has a wide frequency tuning range and a high tunability (more than 110% in ideal conditions). Owing to the limitation of manufacturing process, a microstrip power divider with a tunable frequency of 0.54-1.41 GHz (89.23%) is designed and simulated based on the provided closed-form equations. The measured results show a frequency tuning range from 0.56 to 1.39 GHz (85.13%) with a more than 20-dB return loss and isolation in the entire tuning range, agreeing well with the simulation results.
Tree encoding of speech

Recently developed methods of tree source coding with a fidelity criterion are applied to speech coding. We first demonstrate that tree codes are inherent in A-D speech convertors of the waveform following type and point to ordinary and adaptive delta modulation and differential pulse code modulation (DPCM) as examples. Insights of coding theory improve these trees at low rates; we offer two new code classes, one obtained by smoothing the DPCM tree and one using the rate-distortion theory of autoregressive sources. Using these codes, we study the performance of a simple synchronous tree searching algorithm called the M -algorithm that maintains a small fixed number of paths in contention. 1 and 2 bit/sample code trees, used to encode actual speech at 8, 10, and 16 kbits/s, yield improved dynamic range and channel error resistance, and 4-8 dB improvement in mean-square error (mse) over ordinary single-path searched DPCM. These improvements in excess of analytical estimates suggest that tree coding methods perform better with real-life sources than previously thought.
Determinantes del consumo intensivo de alcohol en jóvenes universitarios

La aparicion de problemas asociados con el consumo abusivo de alcohol entre los jovenes, unido a la falta de planteamientos preventivos ajustados a esta poblacion, crea la necesidad de determinar las variables que influyen en esta conducta desadaptativa y proponer estrategias de intervencion adecuadas a esta nueva realidad
Dynamic assembly of MinD on phospholipid vesicles regulated by ATP and MinE

Selection of the division site in Escherichia coli is regulated by the min system and requires the rapid oscillation of MinD between the two halves of the cell under the control of MinE. In this study we have further investigated the molecular basis for this oscillation by examining the interaction of MinD with phospholipid vesicles. We found that MinD bound to phospholipid vesicles in the presence of ATP and, upon binding, assembled into a well-ordered helical array that deformed the vesicles into tubes. Stimulation of the MinD ATPase by addition of MinE led to disassembly of the tubes and the release of MinD from the vesicles. It is proposed that this MinE-regulated dynamic assembly of MinD underlies MinD oscillation.
Report e Self-Organization of Microtubules and Motors

M. Pinot,1 F. Chesnel,2 J.Z. Kubiak,2 I. Arnal,3 F.J. Nedelec,4 and Z. Gueroui1,* 1Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)/University of Rennes 1 Institut de Physique de Rennes (IPR) UMR 6251 35042 Rennes France 2CNRS/University of Rennes 1 UMR 6061 35043 Rennes France 3CNRS/University of Rennes 1 UMR 6026 35042 Rennes France 4Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit European Molecular Biology Laboratory Heidelberg D-69117 Germany
Challenges in the development of a reference standard and potency assay for the clinical production of RAFT tissue equivalents for the cornea.

AIM To develop a reference standard and potency assay for Real Architecture For 3D Tissues (RAFT) tissue equivalents intended for use in limbal epithelial stem cell (LESC) therapy for the cornea. METHODS RAFT, a cell-seeded plastic compressed collagen construct with LESCs cultured on the surface, was manufactured with the goal of achieving GMP compliance. RAFTs were tested for reproducibility of manufacture (reference standard) and subsequently wounded and monitored for re-epithelialization (potency assay). RESULTS RAFT tissue equivalents produced with cells from different biological donors were capable of supporting multilayered epithelium in culture. The potency assay demonstrated re-epithelialization following wounding, indicating the potential efficacy of RAFT constructs. CONCLUSION We have presented our attempts at creating a reference standard and potency assay for the clinical manufacture of RAFT for the treatment of LESC deficiency. However, it remains challenging for adult stem cell therapies (including LESC therapy) to fully meet regulatory requirements when dealing with a limited source of autologous cells with inherent biological variation between donors.
Critical Roles of Hydrophobicity and Orientation of Side Chains for Inactivation of Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+-ATPase with Thapsigargin and Thapsigargin Analogs*

Thapsigargin (Tg), a specific inhibitor of sarco/endoplasmic Ca2+-ATPases (SERCA), binds with high affinity to the E2 conformation of these ATPases. SERCA inhibition leads to elevated calcium levels in the cytoplasm, which in turn induces apoptosis. We present x-ray crystallographic and intrinsic fluorescence data to show how Tg and chemical analogs of the compound with modified or removed side chains bind to isolated SERCA 1a membranes. This occurs by uptake via the membrane lipid followed by insertion into a resident intramembranous binding site with few adaptative changes. Our binding data indicate that a balanced hydrophobicity and accurate positioning of the side chains, provided by the central guaianolide ring structure, defines a pharmacophore of Tg that governs both high affinity and access to the protein-binding site. Tg analogs substituted with long linkers at O-8 extend from the binding site between transmembrane segments to the putative N-terminal Ca2+ entry pathway. The long chain analogs provide a rational basis for the localization of the linker, the presence of which is necessary for enabling prostate-specific antigen to cleave peptide-conjugated prodrugs targeting SERCA of cancer cells (Denmeade, S. R., Jakobsen, C. M., Janssen, S., Khan, S. R., Garrett, E. S., Lilja, H., Christensen, S. B., and Isaacs, J. T. (2003) J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 95, 990–1000). Our study demonstrates the usefulness of a simple in vitro system to test and direct development toward the formulation of new Tg derivatives with improved properties for SERCA targeting. Finally, we propose that the Tg binding pocket may be a regulatory site that, for example, is sensitive to cholesterol.
Early evening low alcohol intake also worsens sleepiness‐related driving impairment

Following night‐time sleep restriction, afternoon driving performance during the bi‐circadian surge in afternoon sleepiness is markedly worsened by blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) well under most national driving limits. This study assessed how driving with this same sleep restriction and BACs (av 40 mg and 28 mg alcohol/100 ml blood at the beginning and end of drive, respectively) respond during the evening circadian rise in alertness. In a 2 × 2 (alcohol versus control drink [double blind] × normal night sleep versus sleep restricted), repeated‐measures design, eight healthy young men drove for 2 h from 18:00 h, in a real‐car simulator, on a monotonous, simulated highway. Driving impairment (lane drifting), subjective sleepiness and EEG measures of sleepiness were recorded. While sleep restriction alone produced significant impairments to evening driving and subjective sleepiness, alcohol alone did not. However, alcohol combined with sleep restriction significantly worsened all indices, although, this was less than that found for afternoon driving with identical interventions. Whereas low BACs may not affect driving in normally alert drivers in the early evening, the addition of moderate sleep restriction still produces a dangerous combination. Probably, there is no ‘safe’ level of alcohol intake for otherwise sleepy drivers, at any time of the day. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cell-specific expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunits in Müller glia and neurons from the chick retina.

PURPOSE Functional N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (NMDARs) in Müller glia may influence glutamate neurotransmission through feedback loops between glia and neurons. The physiologic properties of NMDARs derive from the subunit composition of the tetrameric receptor. We characterized glycine binding to the NMDAR coagonist site in Müller cell membranes and determined NMDAR subunit expression in chick Müller glia compared with retinal neurons to make predictions about the heteromeric assembly of NMDARs. METHODS Kinetic and pharmacologic properties of the glycine coagonist site were determined by radiolabeled ligand binding to membrane preparations from chick Müller glia and retinal neurons in primary culture. The molecular composition of NMDARs was analyzed by RT-PCR amplification and Western blotting. RESULTS The NMDAR coagonist site in Müller cell membranes has 5-fold lower affinity for glycine and 30-fold lower affinity for D-serine compared with values obtained for synaptic membranes from whole retina and with reported values in brain tissue. NR1 subunit N-terminal and C-terminal splice-variant expression also differs in Müller cells and retinal neurons. CONCLUSIONS Pharmacologic characteristics of NMDAR coagonist-site differ in Müller glia and neurons from the retina, in agreement with the distinct subunit expression profile found. Whereas NMDARs in Müller glia contain exclusively exon 5 that lacks NR1 subunits, receptors in distinct subtypes of neurons may contain NR1 with or without exon 5, suggesting a cell-specific assembly of the NMDAR complex. Structural differences in NMDARs could underlie the differential participation of neurons and glia in the physiologic control of glutamate transmission in the retina.
Clinical research of the five needles combined with rehabilitation training treatment dysphagia after stroke.

To compare therapeutic effects of Five Needles of the Nape and routine acupuncture on treatment of pseudo bulbar paralysis dysphagia after Brain stroke. 60 patients were randomly divided into five key groups and routine acupuncture, and 30 cases in each group. The group of Five Needles of the Nape set points to take dumb door, Tianzhu, cure choke point with acupuncture treatment which cooperate with swallowing training . The group of routine acupuncture set points to take Lian Quan, Tong Li, Zhao Hai points with acupuncture treatment. Both groups were acupunctured once a day, 6 times a week and 2 weeks is a period of treatment, evaluating curative effect after two courses of treatment. The total effective rate of Five Needles of the Nape group was 93.3%, when the total effective rate of routine acupuncture group was 80.0%. as a consequence Five Needles of the Nape group is superior to routine acupuncture group (P<0.05). Five Needles of the Nape have better clinical efficacy than routine acupuncture on treatment of pseudo bulbar paralysis dysphagia after Brain stroke.
Use of green fluorescent protein fusions to analyse the N‐ and C‐terminal signal peptides of GPI‐anchored cell wall proteins in Candida albicans

Glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI)‐anchored proteins account for 26–35% of the Candida albicans cell wall. To understand the signals that regulate these proteins’ cell surface localization, green fluorescent protein (GFP) was fused to the N‐ and C‐termini of the C. albicans cell wall proteins (CWPs) Hwp1p, Als3p and Rbt5p. C. albicans expressing all three fusion proteins were fluorescent at the cell surface. GFP was released from membrane fractions by PI‐PLC and from cell walls by β‐glucanase, which implied that GFP was GPI‐anchored to the plasma membrane and then covalently attached to cell wall glucans. Twenty and 25 amino acids, respectively, from the N‐ and C‐termini of Hwp1p were sufficient to target GFP to the cell surface. C‐terminal substitutions that are permitted by the ω rules (G613D, G613N, G613S, G613A, G615S) did not interfere with GFP localization, whereas some non‐permitted substitutions (G613E, G613Q, G613R, G613T and G615Q) caused GFP to accumulate in intracellular ER‐like structures and others (G615C, G613N/G615C and G613D/G615C) did not. These results imply that (i) GFP fusions can be used to analyse the N‐ and C‐terminal signal peptides of GPI‐anchored CWPs, (ii) the ω amino acid in Hwp1p is G613, and (iii) C can function at the ω+2 position in C. albicans GPI‐anchored proteins.
Forearm movements classification of EMG signals using Hilbert Huang transform and artificial neural networks

Vast information regarding muscle activity for clinical and engineering applications can be obtained via the EMG (Electromyogram). EMG signal are acquired through surface electrodes which are placed on target muscle set of healthy subjects aged between 23 to 30 years. In this work, six forearm movements have been chosen for classification purpose for both left and right hand. With Hilbert Huang Transform method a total of 21 features of time-frequency domain are extracted for 10 healthy subjects and classified using conjugate gradient method of supervised learning technique using artificial neural networks (ANN). The average accuracy at IMF-1 level obtained is 85.8% for left hand movements, and 86.2% for right hand movement classification. The results of using the Hilbert Huang Transform based ANN classification are quite promising when compared to another classification techniques as K-NN, QDA, LDA [21] and Mahdi Khezri et al. different signal acquisition and classification techniques[26]. The technique can be used for practical implementation of prosthesis for movement classification.
Low levels of very-long-chain n-3 PUFA in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) diet reduce fish robustness under challenging conditions in sea cages

Abstract The present study aimed to determine the minimum requirements of the essential n-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) that can secure their health under challenging conditions in sea cages. Individually tagged Atlantic salmon were fed 2, 10 and 17 g/kg of EPA + DHA from 400 g until slaughter size (about 3·5 kg). The experimental fish reared in sea cages were subjected to the challenging conditions typically experienced under commercial production. Salmon receiving the lowest EPA + DHA levels showed lower growth rates in the earlier life stages, but no significant difference in final weights at slaughter. The fatty acid composition of various tissues and organs had remarkably changed. The decreased EPA + DHA in the different tissue membrane phospholipids were typically replaced by pro-inflammatory n-6 fatty acids, most markedly in the skin. The EPA + DHA levels were maintained at a higher level in the liver and erythrocytes than in the muscle, intestine and skin. After delousing at high water temperatures, the mortality rates were 63, 52 and 16 % in the salmon fed 2, 10 and 17 g/kg EPA + DHA. Low EPA + DHA levels also increased the liver, intestinal and visceral fat amount, reduced intervertebral space and caused mid-intestinal hyper-vacuolisation. Thus, 10 g/kg EPA + DHA in the Atlantic salmon diet, a level previously regarded as sufficient, was found to be too low to maintain fish health under demanding environmental conditions in sea cages.
SPREAD OF LEISHMANIA KILLICKI TO CENTRAL AND SOUTH-WEST TUNISIA

Twenty cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) cases were notified from December 2001 to February 2002, in a small village in the district of Oueslatia (governorate of Kairouan, central Tunisia) which is an endemic focus of infantile visceral leishmaniasis due to Leishmania (L.) infantum and that had never been concerned previously by CL. The parasite typing of two isolates obtained from two children that have never left the region has identified L. killicki. This species had only been reported previously in a limited focus of Tunisian Southeast. In October 2002, an epidemiological survey with isoenzym characterization of the parasite led in a well-known focus of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis of South-West Tunisia also revealed the presence of L. killicki. These results suggest the spread of this species and stress the need of further investigations for a better control of CL in Tunisia. Résumé : EXTENSION GÉOGRAPHIQUE DE LEISHMANIA KILLICKI VERS LE CENTRE ET LE SUD-OUEST TUNISIEN Entre décembre 2001 et février 2002, 20 cas de leishmaniose cutanée (LC) ont été répertoriés à Aïn Jloula, une petite localité de la délégation de Oueslatia (Tunisie centrale), foyer classique de leishmaniose viscérale à Leishmania infantum. Deux isolats prélevés à partir des lésions de deux enfants ont mis en évidence Leishmania (L.) killicki, espèce rapportée jusque là uniquement dans des micro-foyers du sud-est tunisien. En octobre 2002, une étude menée à Métlaoui (sud-ouest tunisien), foyer historique de leishmaniose cutanée zoonotique à Leishmania major, révèle également la présence de L. killicki. Ces résultats suggèrent l’extension géographique de cette espèce au centre et au sudouest tunisien et appèlent des investigations complémentaires afin de mieux cerner l’épidémiologie de cette forme de leishmaniose cutanée en Tunisie.
Tung oil based monomer for thermosetting polymers: Synthesis, characterization, and copolymerization with styrene

A tung oil (TO) based monomer for rigid thermosetting polymer was synthesized, characterized, and copolymerized with styrene in this study. Tung oil was alcoholyzed with pentaerythritol (PER) to get tung oil pentaerythritol alcoholysis products (TOPER), and the optimized conditions were explored according to the yields of TOPER analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The resulting alcoholysis products were maleinated to form tung oil maleate half ester (TOPERMA), and the reaction conditions were determined by monitoring the reaction extents of TOPER and maleic anhydride (MA) with 1HNMR spectroscopy. The TO alcoholysis and maleinization reaction products were characterized by IR, 1HNMR, and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) techniques. At last, the TOPERMA mixture was cured with styrene (St), and the initiator tert-butyl peroxy benzoate (TPB). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was employed to characterize the curing process. Mechanical properties of the cured TOPERMA/St resin further confirmed the best procedure for the maleinization reaction. The loading of TO reached about 30% weight of the resulting thermosetting polymer. This promising material from renewable resources can be a potential substitution for petroleum products when used as sheet molding compounds.