Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Utilizing Zebrafish Visual Behaviors in Drug Screening for Retinal Degeneration

Zebrafish are a popular vertebrate model in drug discovery. They produce a large number of small and rapidly-developing embryos. These embryos display rich visual-behaviors that can be used to screen drugs for treating retinal degeneration (RD). RD comprises blinding diseases such as Retinitis Pigmentosa, which affects 1 in 4000 people. This disease has no definitive cure, emphasizing an urgency to identify new drugs. In this review, we will discuss advantages, challenges, and research developments in using zebrafish behaviors to screen drugs in vivo. We will specifically discuss a visual-motor response that can potentially expedite discovery of new RD drugs.
Evaluation of the Quality of the Internal Auditing Position in the Public Sector in Saudi Arabia: An Applied Study

The Saudi Institute of Internal Auditors aims at developing the position of (the status and effectiveness) internal auditing in Saudi Arabia. One goal of the Institute is to provide the international internal auditing criteria, ethics and other relevant guidelines pertaining to internal auditing, as issued by the International Institute for Internal Auditing. This paper investigates whether the professional and legislative efforts in this regard have been well founded and successful. The professional and legislative efforts are, by nature, theoretical, and thus stop short of achieving the desired results which can only be achieved by putting the innovation efforts into practice. This study aims at elucidating the degree of implementation of these innovations by examining the perceptions of the directors of internal auditing departments in the Saudi public sector. The findings suggest that there is a lack of independence of the internal audit functions at public sector units, as well as a dearth of professionalism which may have a negative effect on the quality of the internal auditing function. This may hinder external auditors’ job when reviewing financial reporting. The results also point to some of the challenges relating to auditing that the Saudi public sector may face in future.
One Share, One Vote: Fairness, Efficiency and EU Harmonisation Revisited

One of the most controversial aspects of the Company Law Action Plan of 2003 was the European Commission’s ambition to establish real shareholder democracy and to impose the principle of proportionality between capital and control – One Share One Vote (1S1V) – for listed companies in the EU. This paper considers the arguments that have been raised in the animated debate between advocates and critics and analyses whether such a rule – either a general and permanent 1S1V or a breakthrough rule (BTR) limited to takeover situations – could be justified from the viewpoint of efficiency and/or fairness. Starting from the premise that the law can have an impact on ownership structure, this paper argues that the EU legislator, by imposing a mandatory bid rule, has expressed a preference for dispersed ownership of listed companies. In the long run, the continental EU will therefore gradually converge towards the UK model. The mandatory bid rule reduces the odds that a BTR or a general 1S1V rule would result in more concentrated ownership. A consistently formulated BTR has an added value in speeding up this process, because it exposes existing block-holders to the market for corporate control. Whereas contestability of control would solve most of the problems which 1S1V remedies, the merits of 1S1V are not limited to takeovers and therefore a general 1S1V rule should at least be reconsidered. A Fifth or Ninth Directive, while perhaps not feasible politically, would be useful to resolve closely related issues (e.g. board rules, pyramids) and could constitute a less intrusive means of achieving more uniform capital and voting structures while allowing for some flexibility. Finally, if the EU legislator remains unwilling or unable to advance further on the path towards 1S1V, the case law of the European Court of Justice on the free movement of capital and the freedom of establishment could prove to be a useful substitute for secondary EU legislation. 1 Professor and Director of the Jan Ronse Institute for Company Law, K.U. Leuven, attorney Brussels Bar (Eubelius). 2 Ph.D. candidate K.U. Leuven; attorney Brussels Bar (Eubelius).
100kVA electric vehicle charger using resonant buck-type AC-DC converter

This paper describes the design of 100kVA EV (electric Vehicle) Charger which outputs 750V/150A. For the requirement of different type of EV, 13 units are in series; this can make the output voltage as the following: 40V–60V, 400V–600V or 500V–750V, and output voltage and current of each unit are 48V/150A. AC/DC of unit is Buck-type converter, this makes 350V of DC bus; it is very cheap for selection of power device of DC/DC. Resonant circuits are used in this part for high efficiency. It makes voltage of power device become zero before the power device turns on, so turn-on loss can be ignored. DC/DC part uses LLC resonant circuit, and power device can work in ZVS (zero voltage switching) condition and high frequency (about 100 kHz), so this part has high efficiency and small volume. To make charging faster and more security, two control loops are used in the power supply: one is voltage-loop and the other is current-loop. Power factor of input is above 0.99, and harmonic of input is less than 5%, the overall efficiency is more than 92% by charging experiment for bus.
The effect of EGb 761 on the doxorubicin cardiomyopathy.

Doxorubicin (Dx) is used to treat a number of types of cancer. The drug produces many toxic reactions and cardiomyopathy. Many drugs have been used to prevent this myocardial damage caused by peroxidative alterations. EGb 761 is being used to prevent arrhythmias in ischemic myocardium. We decided to establish the tissue protective effect of EGb 761 against myocardial toxic effects of Dx in three groups of rats. Cardiotoxicity signs of Dx were found to be dose-related, beginning at 30 mg/kg dose and being apparent at 45 mg/kg dose. 48 hr after a single i.v. injection, myocardial tissues showed a marked edema, vacuolization and fragmentation. We compared the changes in heart tissue biochemically and histopathologically among the control, Dx treated and EGb 761 (100 mg/kg/d.x 4, i.p.) + Dx treated groups. Biochemical results of CK-MB and MDA values showed a significant decrease in Dx + EGb 761 group when compared with Dx treated group. Histopathologically, myocardial tissues of Dx + EGb 761 treated group were found to have diminished vacuolization and fragmentation. These results suggest that EGb 761 might have the same therapeutic potential in Dx related cardiomyopathy.
A Bristle-Based Pipeline Robot for Ill-Constraint Pipes

This paper presents the study of a pipeline robot based on a bristle mechanism. The bristle mechanism shows great flexibility and makes the pipeline robot to be able to work in ill-constraint pipes, which were previously considered as unpiggable or uninspectable. The working principle of pipeline robot is illustrated and the bristle mechanism is given in-depth analysis. Bristle traction force model is set up and the approximate calculation of bristle traction force based on Euler buckling theory is also described. The approximate calculation is conducted and simulated by using one single bristle. A laboratory experiment of bristle traction force is carried out and then the experimental result is compared with the calculation result. The experimental result shows the validity of bristle traction force model. Field trials of brush pipeline robots are also conducted in ill-constraint pipes and trial results show the flexibility and adaptability of the bristle mechanism. Future work and key issues in the research of brush pipeline robots are discussed at the end of the paper.
University of Birmingham Membrane protein extraction and purification using styrene–maleic acid (SMA) copolymer: effect of variations in polymer structure

: The use of styrene maleic acid (SMA) co-polymers to extract and purify transmembrane proteins, whilst retaining their native bilayer environment, overcomes many of the disadvantages associated with conventional detergent based procedures. This approach has huge potential for the future of membrane protein structural and functional studies. In this investigation we have systematically tested a range of commercially available SMA polymers, varying in both the ratio of styrene to maleic acid and in total size, for the ability to extract, purify and stabilise transmembrane proteins. Three different membrane proteins (BmrA, LeuT and ZipA) which vary in size and shape were used. Our results show that several polymers can be used to extract membrane proteins comparably to conventional detergents. A styrene:maleic acid ratio of either 2:1 or 3:1, combined with a relatively small average molecular weight (7.5-10 kDa) is optimal for membrane extraction, and this appears to be independent of the protein size, shape or expression system. A subset of polymers were taken forward for purification, functional and stability tests. Following a one-step affinity purification SMA 2000 was found to be the best choice for yield, purity and function. However the other polymers offer subtle differences in size and sensitivity to divalent cations that may be useful for a variety of downstream applications.
High-density genome array is superior to fluorescence in-situ hybridization analysis of monosomy 3 in choroidal melanoma fine needle aspiration biopsy.

PURPOSE Using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) mapping genome array, we comparatively evaluated chromosome 3 status and other chromosomal aberrations within a series of choroidal melanomas biopsied by fine needle aspiration (FNAB). METHODS Transscleral FNAB was performed in 59 patients (59 eyes) who had a clinical diagnosis of choroidal melanoma. Biopsies were processed for chromosome 3 status by centromeric interphase FISH, cytopathology, cell culture, and simultaneous genomic DNA and RNA mapping array analysis. RESULTS FISH yielded chromosome 3 status in 38 of 59 (64%) eyes, while high-density SNP mapping array yielded chromosome 3 status in 43 of 59 (73%) eyes. Monosomy 3 was detected by FISH in 15 of 38 (39%) cases, and high-density SNP mapping array data confirmed the finding in 13 of the 15 cases. Furthermore, high-density SNP mapping array revealed five additional cases of significant chromosome 3 aberration not detected by FISH. High-density genomic mapping also provided detailed patterns of chromosomal gain and loss on chromosomes 1, 6, 8, and 9 which segregated into two groups characterized by either monosomy 3 or chromosome 6p gain. CONCLUSIONS High-density SNP mapping array was better than FISH in detecting chromosome 3 aberrations and monosomy in our melanoma samples. More importantly, the mapping arrays detected additional patterns of chromosomal aberration, which suggest specific pathways for cytogenetic rearrangements in choroidal melanoma and may improve prognostic testing.
The Evaluation of IT Investments through Real Options

INTRODUCTION As Information Technology (IT) evolves, it becomes increasingly complex investment decisions upon it. The technological uncertainties make it difficult to estimate the value that IT solutions can bring. Therefore, Chief Information Officers (CIO) face prejudice from top management, which is skeptical about the real benefit that IT can bring up to business. Hence, this conservatism can lead companies to a lack of investments in IT projects that establish the foundation for future opportunities in products and services innovation.
Cloud-cover assessment: From spectral properties to spatial domain natural scene statistic

Cloud contamination is the most common defect leading to quality degradation in remote sensing images. Numerous cloud-cover assessment (CCA) methods have been developed in the literature. The traditional Landsat 7 CCA algorithm attempted to detect clouds by taking advantages of different spectral properties from five spectral bands. However, it suffers the weakness of omitting thin cirrus clouds and the requirement of thermal bands. In this paper, we derived an automated CCA (ACCA) model that measures statistical deviations in spatial domain between cloud and clear images. Moreover, it only conducts on panchromatic band image, which can successfully address the limitation of unavailable thermal bands for satellite missions without thermal infrared sensors on board. A database with 400 clear/cloud images is then built for performance testing. Experimental results on the database show that our approach is more consistent with ground truths than the latest Landsat 8 ACCA results.
All Optical Mode-Multiplexing Using Holography and Multimode Fiber Couplers

A spatial light modulator at the transmitter is used in conjunction with a standard multimode coupler at the receiver to modally multiplex 2 × 12.5 Gb/s nonreturn-to-zero channels using direct detection over 2 km of 940 MHz OM2 fiber without electronic processing. The wavelength dependence of this technique over a 4.5 THz band is also investigated.
Desiccation tolerance in seeds of Annona emarginata (Schldtl.) H. Rainer and action of plant growth regulators on germination

Annona emarginata (Schldtl.) H. Rainer ("araticum-de-terra-fria") is used as a rootstock for several species of Annonaceae. It is suggested that these seeds should be sown immediately after extraction and, therefore, they could be intolerant to desiccation. There are several mechanisms involved with desiccation tolerance. Soluble sugars, for example, can accumulate and act as osmoprotectants for the membrane system during desiccation. The aim of this study is to assess desiccation tolerance in A. emarginata seeds. In addition, we examined the soluble sugars involved in desiccation tolerance. Finally, we determined the effect of gibberellic acid (GA4+7) and N-(phenylmethyl)-aminopurine in promoting the germination of seeds with different water contents. The experiment consisted of a randomized 4x5 factorial design (desiccation levels x concentration of growth regulators). After drying, seeds containing 31 (control), 19, 12 and 5% water were incubated in different concentrations of GA4+7 N-(phenylmethyl)-aminopurine (0, 250, 500, 750 and 1000 mg L-1) for 60 hours. The experiment was conducted in a germination chamber with alternating temperature and photoperiod of 20oC for 18 hours of darkness and 30oC for 6 hours of light. We analyzed electrical conductivity, germination rate, mean germination time, germination speed, frequency and uniformity of germination, percentage of dormant seeds and soluble sugar profile in intact seeds through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The data were subjected to analysis of variance, and the means were compared using Tukey's test at a threshold of p<0.05. The results showed that seeds of A. emarginata appears to be desiccation tolerant and, also, that sucrose increases when seed water content is reduced to values as low as 12%, exogenous GA4+7+N-(phenylmethyl)-aminopurine improves its germinability.
Energy management for a fuel cell hybrid electrical vehicle

In order to perform an energy management strategy in hybrid electrical vehicles containing fuel cells, based on a power supply linking ultra-capacitors, batteries and fuel cells, time series prediction based on wavelet transform and auto-regressive integrated moving average is proposed in this paper. By wavelet denoising, the noise is removed from a part of the signal, by the auto-regressive integrated moving average method; a modeling and a prediction are done and thanks to the wavelet transform, the different frequency bands existing in the signal are attributed to the different power sources on board. The low frequency signal is attributed to the fuel cell and/or the batteries and the high frequency signal to the UC. Simulation results show the efficiency of the proposed method.
Connectomics 2.0: Connected or Not, is this the Question?

Commentary It is a major understatement to say that MRI has revolutionized our approach to the evaluation and diagnosis of patients with epilepsy. Our patients are fortunate to live in times when techniques like pneumoencephalography have long been replaced by MRI and its derivatives, including magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) or diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and that these techniques can be used to predict epilepsy course and/ or outcome of epilepsy surgery. It is clear that high-quality imaging provides important information that is invaluable to patients with new-onset and chronic epilepsy alike (1). Modern imaging techniques, frequently supplemented by methods that are sophisticated and difficult to replicate without lengthy training in mathematics and statistics data processing methods, provide new or additional information that may inform us about epilepsy pathophysiology and/or change the approach to evaluating the patient or predicting the outcome An example of this is the study by Keller that used DTI to examine how this technique contributed to epilepsy surgery outcome prediction. There is a growing body of studies in which the investigators have applied DTI alone or in combination with other techniques to evaluate patients with focal and generalized epilepsies, including temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). As a technique, DTI provides information regarding the intrinsic properties of the white matter and its architecture as well as Preoperative Automated Fibre Quantification Predicts Postoperative Seizure Outcome in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.
Are physician reimbursement strategies associated with processes of care and patient satisfaction for patients with diabetes in managed care?

OBJECTIVE To examine associations between physician reimbursement incentives and diabetes care processes and explore potential confounding with physician organizational model. DATA SOURCES Primary data collected during 2000-2001 in 10 managed care plans. STUDY DESIGN Multilevel logistic regressions were used to estimate associations between reimbursement incentives and process measures, including the receipt of dilated eye exams, foot exams, influenza immunizations, advice to take aspirin, and assessments of glycemic control, proteinuria, and lipid profile. Reimbursement measures included the proportions of compensation received from salary, capitation, fee-for-service (FFS), and performance-based payment; the performance-based payment criteria used; and interactions of these criteria with the strength of the performance-based payment incentive. DATA COLLECTION Patient, provider group, and health plan surveys and medical record reviews were conducted for 6,194 patients with diabetes. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Without controlling for physician organizational model, care processes were better when physician compensation was based primarily on direct salary rather than FFS reimbursement (four of seven processes were better, with relative risks ranging from 1.13 to 1.23) or capitation (six were better, with relative risks from 1.06 to 1.36); and when quality/satisfaction scores influenced physician compensation (three were better, with relative risks from 1.17 to 1.26). However, these associations were substantially confounded by organizational model. CONCLUSIONS Physician reimbursement strategies are associated with diabetes care processes, although their independent contributions are difficult to assess, due to high correlation with physician organizational model. Regardless of causality, a group's use of quality/satisfaction scores to determine physician compensation may indicate delivery of high-quality diabetes care.
The Effects of Halothane on Arginine-Vasopressin-Induced Ca2+ Mobilization from the Intracellular Stores and the Receptor-Mediated Ca2+ Entry from the Extracellular Space in Single Cultured Smooth Muscle Cells of Rat Aorta

Halothane has a direct action on vascular smooth muscle cells and causes relaxation of these cells, yet neither the mechanism nor the site of its action is completely understood.Using digital imaging microscopy with the Ca2+ indicator fura-2, the effects of halothane on the intracellular [Ca2+] dynamics induced by arginine vasopressin (AVP) in the perinuclear region and cytosol in single cultured smooth muscle cells of rat aorta were studied. Changes in intracellular [Ca2+] were expressed as percent increases in the ratios of fluorescence intensity at 500 nm excited by 340 nm and 380 nm. AVP (10-7 M) elicited an initial transient increase in [Ca2+] in the perinuclear region higher than that in the cytosol in Ca2+-containing solution (346% +/- 21% and 213% +/- 22%, respectively). Halothane, 0.5%, attenuated the [Ca2+] increase induced by AVP in the perinuclear region and cytosol, and halothane, 1.0% and 2.0%, abolished the differential increase. Under the continuous application of AVP (10-7 M), Ca2+ restoration in the medium after perfusion with Ca2+-free solution increased the perinuclear [Ca2+] more than the cytosolic [Ca2+]. Both were significantly attenuated by 2.0% halothane, but not by nicardipine (10-5 M) or ryanodine (10-6 M). Our results suggest that halothane may attenuate the Ca2+ release from the intracellular Ca2+ stores more than the receptor-mediated Ca2+ entry from the extracellular space in the AVP-induced response in these cells. (Anesth Analg 1996;83:584-90)
Influence of expectation of task duration on efficiency of muscular activity.

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that intensity and organization of muscular activity is a function of S's expectation of a task's duration. The electrical activity of the following muscles was measured while S was holding a 19-lb. weight under expectation for short and long tasks: biceps brachii, brachioradials, brachialis, and flexor carpi ulnaris. For the intervals measured, there was less electrical activity in all muscles during the long task. The less appropriate muscle showed the largest relative decrease. The results were interpreted as evidence of superior organization of activity under expectation of a task of long duration of work over expectation of a short duration of work.
The Risks in the Lithuanian Banking Sector in the Context of the Overheating of the Economy

In 2007, more and more signals on the overheating of Lithuanian economy appeared. High inflation rates, stagnation in the housing market resulting in the increasing number of default loans force Lithuanian banks to review their risk management policies. In this article the analyses of the changes in Lithuanian economy is presented, reflecting on the signals of the overheating and the changes of the main indicators in Lithuanian banking sector as well. The behavior of the banking sector and the risks related with their activities during this specific period in the economy is investigated and liquidity, credit and capital adequacy risks as the most important risks in the Lithuanian banking sector are analyzed. A short review of policy taken by national authorities in order to keep financial stability and help banks run the risks their face is presented.