Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electroneutral ammonium transport by basolateral rhesus B glycoprotein

The liver and kidney are important tissues for ammonium (NH4+/NH3) metabolism and excretion. The rhesus B glycoprotein (RhBG) is a membrane protein expressed in liver and kidney with similarity to NH4+ transporters found in microorganisms, plants and animals. In the kidney, RhBG is predominantly localized to basolateral membranes of distal tubule epithelia, including connecting tubules and collecting ducts. These epithelia display mainly electroneutral ammonium transport, in contrast to other tubular sites, where net NH4+ transport occurs. In accordance with its localization, human RhBG mediates saturable, electroneutral transport of the ammonium analogue methylammonium when heterologously expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Uptake of methylammonium saturates with a Km= 2.6 mm. Methylammonium uptake is inhibited by ammonium and this inhibition saturates with a Ki≈ 3 mm. Electric current measurements and intracellular pHi determinations suggest that RhBG acts as an electroneutral NH4+–H+ exchanger.
Understanding safety critical interactions between bicycles and motor vehicles in Europe by means of Naturalistic Driving techniques

Although prevention of bicycle–motorized-vehicle-crashes will result in significant improvements in bicycle mortality rates, little is known about the actual safety critical events leading up to these crashes. Recently, the understanding of critical events has been advanced by the use of Naturalistic driving techniques. This technique gathers data about driving in ‘natural conditions’ by means of the instrumentation of a large fleet of cars with sensors and cameras. To date, these studies have mainly focussed on car-car interactions rather than on interactions with vulnerable road users. This paper discusses the potential of Naturalistic Driving for understanding critical interactions with vulnerable road users. To this end it presents some of the results from additional analysis of the data from previous Naturalistic Driving studies. In addition, the paper presents the objectives and design of the recently started large scale Naturalistic Driving study UDRIVE in which a large fleet of motorized vehicles will be equipped with cameras and sensors, resulting in data on 470 years of driving. In contrast to previous and ongoing Naturalistic Driving studies, UDRIVE is – amongst other issues- specifically designed to address interactions with cyclists and pedestrians.
Dabigatran and its reversal with recombinant factor VIIa and prothrombin complex concentrate: A Sonoclot in vitro study

Abstract Objective. Dabigatran is a new oral direct thrombin inhibitor. No specific antidote exists in the event of hemorrhage, but prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) and recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) are suggested therapies. Sonoclot is a bedside viscoelastic instrument for monitoring the coagulation process in whole blood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dabigatran and reversal with PCC and rFVIIa, as monitored by the Sonoclot. Methods. Citrated whole blood was drawn and mixed in vitro with dabigatran, dabigatran + PCC or dabigatran + rFVIIa and analyzed with three different Sonoclot cuvettes: Glassbead, kaolin and tissue factor (diluted) activated. Results. The Sonoclot detected in vitro-induced anticoagulation due to dabigatran with the glassbead- and kaolin-activated cuvettes. There was no reversing effect of PCC, probably due to the presence of heparin in the PCC we used. There was no certain reversing effect of rFVIIa. Conclusions. The Sonoclot can detect the anticoagulant effect of dabigatran. Our results do not support efficient reversal of dabigatran with PCC and rFVIIa, or alternatively do not support the ability of Sonoclot to detect a reversing effect of the PCC and rFVIIa in our study. Clinical studies of dabigatran-treated patients with severe bleeding are called for, as well as the continued development of specific antidotes and monitoring techniques.
Evaluation of Safety and Efficacy of Glaritus® versus Lantus® in Combination with Insulin Lispro among Adults with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus-Phase IV Study

Objective: The present study assessed safety and efficacy of Glaritus® among adults with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). Methodology: This prospective, randomized, multicenter, comparative, non-inferiority, open-label, parallel group, phase IV study was conducted in 14 study centers in India. Subjects were randomly allocated to receive either Glaritus® or Lantus® for 12 weeks. Each week, the dose of insulin was titrated to maintain target fasting blood glucose (FBG) level range of 80 - 120 mg/dL. Results: A total of 171 subjects were randomized (Glaritus® arm-86; Lantus® arm-85) and 161 subjects completed the study. The mean change in the glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels from visit 3 (baseline) to visit 6 (end of trial) in Glaritus® arm was -0.69 ± 1.81 and in Lantus® arm was -0.53 ± 1.94. The mean change in glucose levels between week 1 and end of week 11 in Glaritus® arm was -8.81 ± 34.57 and in Lantus® arm was -5.28 ± 30. At least one hypoglycemic episode was experienced by 27.2% subjects of Glaritus® arm and 28.6% subjects of Lantus® arm. A total of 24 adverse events (AEs) such as pain, pyrexia, few infection related including urinary tract infections, metabolic related such as decreased appetite, musculoskeletal, neurological and skin related were reported in the study (Lantus® arm: 14 AEs; Glaritus® arm: 10 AEs). Conclusion: In this short term, 12-week study, biosimilar insulin glargine, Glaritus®, is comparable to the reference product, Lantus®, when combined with Insulin Lispro® in terms of glycemic control, risk of hypoglycemia and occurrence of adverse drug reactions among adults with T1DM.
THE JOURNAL OF BONE AND JOINT SURGERY

Carpal-tullIlel syndrome, tile II11IT1C flO’oV con IiioI1ly 11p1)iied to compi’ession neul’oi)athy of the niediaii nerve at the wrist, is the most COilliliOll cause of burning pain, IIUI11I)IleSs, 1111(11tingiing iii the thunli), index and long fingei’ , 1111(1 111 tile lateral hail of the palm. Progressive atrophy of the thenar niuscies, w-ith 01’ without pain and IlUfllbi1e S Ill the nleditui-nerve (listl’ibution in the hand, niay also be caused by cOIfl-
A robustness study of process control loops designed using exact linearization

Exact linearization is often applied to nonlinear processes. This method requires not only the knowledge of the model structure but also the accurate parameter values. If the real parameter values of the controlled process are different from the nominal values used for the exact linearization, the resulting system may not be linear or may have different gains and time constants as expected. A simple procedure is suggested that allows first the parameter grid based characterization of the composition of the uncertain nonlinear system and its linearizing feedback for the nominal parameters and then the design of a H∞ controller. The approach is illustrated by simple examples including 1st order systems and the nonlinear Van der Pol oscillator.
Panoramic camera using a mirror rotation mechanism and a fast image mosaicing

We describe a new panoramic camera that incorporates a 2-axis mirror rotation mechanism and a fast image mosaicing method. The mirror is positioned in front of the camera to move the camera's view. Partial images are taken during the mirror rotation. The image mosaicing method projects each partial image onto a projection surface around the rotation center of the mirror to produce a panoramic image. In this process, the projection center is shifted from the original viewpoint of the lens to the mirror rotation center to reduce discontinuity caused by motion parallax from the panoramic image. Our panoramic camera can provide accurate, continuous, high-resolution, large and endless (360 degrees wide) panoramic images with a short panoramic image acquisition time.
Relationship between osteology and aquatic locomotion in birds: determining modes of locomotion in extinct Ornithurae

The evolutionary history of aquatic invasion in birds would be incomplete without incorporation of extinct species. We show that aquatic affinities in fossil birds can be inferred by multivariate analysis of skeletal features and locomotion of 245 species of extant birds. Regularized discriminant analyses revealed that measurements of appendicular skeletons successfully separated diving birds from surface swimmers and flyers, while also discriminating among different underwater modes of swimming. The high accuracy of this method allows detection of skeletal characteristics that are indicative of aquatic locomotion and inference of such locomotion in bird species with insufficient behavioural information. Statistical predictions based on the analyses confirm qualitative assessments for both foot‐propelled (Hesperornithiformes) and wing‐propelled (Copepteryx) underwater locomotion in fossil birds. This is the first quantitative inference of underwater modes of swimming in fossil birds, enabling future studies of locomotion in extinct birds and evolutionary transitions among locomotor modes in avian lineage.
Radio Environment Aware Computation Offloading with Multiple Mobile Edge Computing Servers

In this paper, we discuss a computation offloading in mobile edge computing (MEC) systems. We especially focus on the case where a mobile node sends calculation requests to surrounding access points (APs) that have the computational capability. Unlike wired distributed computing systems, MEC systems suffer from the unstable connectivity due to wireless channel fluctuations such as multipath fading and shadowing effect; there is a possibility that the calculation results disappear by loss of wireless connectivity. In order to maximize the offloading effect in the wireless environment, we propose radio environment aware task allocation methods with predicting wireless connectivity between the mobile node and APs. Especially, we discuss two methods: radio environment map (REM)-based connectivity prediction and distance-based one. Numerical results show that the proposed method can effectively offload the computation tasks compared with conventional methods that ignore the wireless connectivity.
Symposium No. 4: Melosis. Introduction by the Chairman.

few of you may recall that an International Congress of Genetics was held A at Cornel1 University, Ithaca, New York in 1932. The year before, two noteworthy papers on meiosis had been published and the results were reviewed or demonstrated at the Congress. STERN and CREIGHTON with MCCLINTOCK had independently demonstrated what have become classic experiments in cytogenetic literature, i.e., new chromosome arrangements were associated with recombinant genes. Using chromosomes marked by mutant genes and morphological differences at each end they were able to demonstrate in Drosophila melanogaster (STERN 193 1 ) and Zea mays ( CREIGHTON and MCCLINTOCK 193 1 ) that crossing over was correlated with segmental interchange between homologous chromosomes. Although this implied to some that a physical exchange of chromosome parts occurred, another view had already taken shape in the mind of another cytogeneticist of the time, JOHN BELLING (1928). He suggested that no break was necessary and proposed instead what later became known as the copy choice model in which one chromatid was used as template during a part of reproduction and the homologous chromatid served in that capacity for the remainder of the length. The new chromatid would have a new arrangement, but no breaks and rejoining need be involved. This was such an attractive idea that the hypothesis in some form held center stage for nearly thirty years. In 1961 MESELSON and WEIGLE and independently KELLENBERGER, ZICHICHI and WEIGLE (1961) disproved BELLING’S attractive hypothesis. They were able to show, with radioactive and density markers, that the parental DNA (chromosome) of phage actually breaks and exchanges segments during some recombinant events. Some years earlier at another Genetics Congress in Montreal, Canada, I had been able to show physical exchanges between sister chromatids in mitosis (TAYLOR 1959), but no correlation with genetic recombination was possible in that system. However, by 1965 I was able to demonstrate that similar exchanges between non-sister chromatids could be observed by autoradiography with 3H-thymidine when appropriately labeled chromatids of the grasshopper Romalea passed through meiosis. Still, no correlation could be made with behavior of genetic markers, but exchanges occurred at about that frequency expected on the basis of the number of observed chiasmata. If the assumption is made that all chiasmata are physical evidence of exchanges between homologous chromatids, a one-to-one correlation is indicated. That presumption had never been firmly established, but you will recall that a battle raged for many years between
Synthesis of sparse arrays radiating shaped beams

A fully deterministic procedure for the synthesis of sparse antenna arrays radiating shaped beams is presented. The developed algorithm is based on a compressive sensing technique which, starting from an array with a very dense grid of elements, iteratively solves a minimization problem aimed at producing a sparse array with a strongly reduced number of elements. However, such technique solves a field synthesis problem. So, the constraints of the optimization problem are suitably modified during the iterations, in order to solve a power pattern synthesis problem. Numerical examples are provided, that show the improvements that can be achieved in terms of reduction of the number of radiating elements.
On Routine Evolution of Complex Cellular Automata

This paper discusses a special technique, called conditionally matching rules (CMRs), for the representation of transition functions of cellular automata (CA) and its application to the evolutionary design of complex multistate CA. The problem of designing replicating loops in 2-D CA and the square calculation in 1-D CA will be treated as case studies. It will be shown that the evolutionary algorithm in combination with CMRs is able to successfully solve these tasks and provide some innovative results compared to existing solutions. In particular, a novel replication scheme will be presented that exhibits a higher replication speed in comparison with the existing replicating loops. As regards the square calculation, some results have been obtained that allow a substantial reduction of the number of steps of the cellular automaton against the currently known solution. The utilization of the CMRs in the proposed experiments represents the first case of a successful automatic evolutionary design of complex CA for solving nontrivial problems in which the existing conventional approaches have failed.
A Revised Set of Usability Heuristics for the Evaluation of Interactive Systems

Usability is a critical quality attribute in the information society. Inspection based evaluation re-lies on various forms of design knowledge that are used to assess the usability, such as ergonomic criteria, heuristics, and guidelines. Usability heuristics are widely recognized principles against which the usability of an interactive system could be evaluated. This work presents a revised set of usability heuristics that are based on the experience acquired in previous studies targeting local e-government websites. The underlying goal is to include the most important er-gonomic criteria and usability heuristics into a clear hierarchical organization, which helps evaluators to better explain and developers to better understand the usability problems. The new set has only fourteen heuristics that are structured into four groups: user guidance, user effort, user control and freedom, and user support. The main strength of this approach is the good coverage achieved with a reduced number of heuristics.
Assessing the reliability of adaptive power system protection schemes

Adaptive power system protection can be used to improve the performance of existing protection schemes under certain network conditions. However, their deployment in the field is impeded by their perceived inferior reliability compared to existing protection arrangements. Moreover, their validation can be problematic due to the perceived high likelihood of the occurrence of failure modes or incorrect setting selection with variable network conditions. Reliability (including risk assessment) is one of the decisive measures that can be used in the process of verifying adaptive protection scheme performance. This paper proposes a generic methodology for assessing the reliability of adaptive protection. The method involves the identification of initiating events and scenarios that lead to protection failures and quantification of the probability of the occurrence of each failure. A numerical example of the methodology for an adaptive distance protection scheme is provided.
Investigation of the prerequisites for the optimization of specific plasma protein binding as a strategy for the reduction of first-pass hepatic metabolism

Abstract 1. It is hypothesized that the deliberate structural tailoring of compounds designed for drug use to increase the specific plasma protein binding can be used to reduce first-pass hepatic metabolism. To test the feasibility of this hypothesis, a dataset of drugs with plasma protein binding of 90% or above divided into three classes including 50 acids, 44 bases and 69 neutrals was analyzed. 2. Among the drugs with ≥99% plasma protein binding, the fraction of the total dose existing in free form in vivo (free dose fraction) decreased in the following order: acids (0.55%) > neutrals (0.16%) > bases (0.08%). The order was different for the fraction of the total dose that existed in plasma protein bound form (plasma protein bound dose fraction): acids (58%) > neutrals (17%) = bases (18%). 3. The free fraction was poorly correlated with the partition coefficient (Log P). The lower aqueous solubility associated with high plasma protein binding was explained by differences in Log P and not by the plasma protein binding per se. The logarithm of the extrarenal clearance was correlated with Log P. For acids and bases, extrarenal clearance was also correlated with fu. For neutrals, plasma protein binding had no protective effect.
Efficacy and tolerability of adjunctive brivaracetam in adults with uncontrolled partial‐onset seizures: A phase IIb, randomized, controlled trial

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of adjunctive brivaracetam (BRV), a novel high‐affinity synaptic vesicle protein 2A ligand that also displays inhibitory activity at neuronal voltage‐dependent sodium channels, in adult epilepsy patients with uncontrolled partial‐onset seizures.
Chronic CEI alters effect of low Na+ diet in normal and coarcted pups. I. BP, renin, and GFR.

To assess the renin-angiotensin (RA) dependence of evolving neonatally induced coarctation hypertension (NICH) in inbred pups, we randomized sex-matched littermates to a high dose of converting-enzyme inhibitor (CEI:MK-421) or placebo from the time of neonatal aortic banding (coarcted) vs. no banding (control). In phase 1 studies, pups were examined serially on normal diet (Bagby and Fuchs, Hypertension In press.): chronic CEI lowered systolic blood pressure (BP) equally in coarcted and controls and failed to prevent systolic BP excess in coarcted dogs. In phase 2 studies, the same pups were exposed to a low sodium (LS) diet at 4 mo of age, a time when the untreated NICH model exhibits increased forelimb systolic BP. Measurements of systolic BP, RA components, renal function, and extracellular volume (ECV) were made before and serially during 12 days on the LS diet. Responses of coarcted and control pups to the LS diet were similar, with or without CEI, providing no evidence for exaggerated angiotensin II (ANG II) dependence in evolving NICH. Independently of coarctation status, chronic CEI significantly modified RA and renal functional responses to the LS diet: a greater renin rise but abnormal renin substrate fall, thus no rise in ANG I or ANG I generation rate; a greater rise in creatinine and a trend toward a greater fall in glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Despite these findings compatible with sustained ANG II deficit, chronic CEI unexpectedly failed to impair maintenance of systolic BP during a superimposed LS diet. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Differential inhibition of macrophage microbicidal activity by liposomes

In vitro culture of murine resident peritoneal macrophages with lymphokine (LK)-rich leukocyte culture fluids induces enhanced microbicidal activity against amastigotes of the protozoan parasite Leishmania tropica. Macrophages infected with Leishmania and treated with LKs after infection acquire the capacity to kill the intracellular parasite within 72 h. When compared with control macrophage cultures treated with medium lacking LKs, 80 to 90% fewer macrophages treated with LKs contained amastigotes. In experiments designed to test liposome delivery of LKs to infected macrophages, addition of multilamellar liposomes composed of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine (molar ratio, 7:3) completely abrogated LK-induced microbicidal activity. Liposomes containing only phosphatidylcholine were not inhibitory. Inhibition of LK activity by the liposomes occurred regardless of whether the liposomes contained LKs. Liposomal inhibition of activated macrophage effector activity was limited to intracellular killing; LK-induced macrophage extracellular cytolysis (i.e., tumor cytotoxicity) was not affected by liposome treatment. These data indicate that elucidation of the effects of liposome composition on acquired host defense mechanisms may be useful for the design of drug delivery systems that allow expression or augmentation of immunologically induced mechanisms for the intracellular destruction of infectious agents.
Relationship between Plasma Homovanillic Acid and Outcome in Patients with Psychosis Spectrum Disorders

Background: Psychosis spectrum disorders, especially schizophrenia, have been linked to disturbed dopaminergic activity in the brain. Plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA) levels partly represent dopaminergic metabolism in the central nervous system. In the present study associations between (changes in) pHVA levels, symptom severity and symptomatic improvement in patients with psychoses were investigated. Methods: From a total of 80 patients, 58 fulfilled all inclusion criteria and their symptom profile and severity were assessed by means of the Comprehensive Assessment of Symptoms and History (CASH), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Clinical Global Impression Scale for Severity and Improvement (CGI-S/CGI-I) at baseline and after 6 weeks of antipsychotic treatment. After inclusion, all patients were prescribed first- or second-generation antipsychotics by their treating psychiatrist. A total of 12 patients had first-episode psychosis (FEP). At both time points, pHVA levels were measured. Subsequently, pHVA levels were compared with an age-matched control sample and changes in pHVA levels (ΔpHVA) after treatment were associated with clinical parameters. Results: Before analyses, data were scrutinized for possible confounders, particularly gender, smoking, medication status (including antipsychotic class), and recent drug use. The pHVA levels in patients were not different from those in controls. Treatment resulted in a significant decrease of all parameters. Symptomatic improvement as well as ΔpHVA was most pronounced in FEP patients. Conclusion: These findings show that patients with FEP have a more favourable outcome than non-FEP patients and that greater ΔpHVA also suggests that FEP patients still have the capacity to adjust dopaminergic neurotransmission.