Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Ataxin-2 protein is required for microRNA function and synapse-specific long-term olfactory habituation

Local control of mRNA translation has been proposed as a mechanism for regulating synapse-specific plasticity associated with long-term memory. We show here that glomerulus-selective plasticity of Drosophila multiglomerular local interneurons observed during long-term olfactory habituation (LTH) requires the Ataxin-2 protein (Atx2) to function in uniglomerular projection neurons (PNs) postsynaptic to local interneurons (LNs). PN-selective knockdown of Atx2 selectively blocks LTH to odorants to which the PN responds and in addition selectively blocks LTH-associated structural and functional plasticity in odorant-responsive glomeruli. Atx2 has been shown previously to bind DEAD box helicases of the Me31B family, proteins associated with Argonaute (Ago) and microRNA (miRNA) function. Robust transdominant interactions of atx2 with me31B and ago1 indicate that Atx2 functions with miRNA-pathway components for LTH and associated synaptic plasticity. Further direct experiments show that Atx2 is required for miRNA-mediated repression of several translational reporters in vivo. Together, these observations (i) show that Atx2 and miRNA components regulate synapse-specific long-term plasticity in vivo; (ii) identify Atx2 as a component of the miRNA pathway; and (iii) provide insight into the biological function of Atx2 that is of potential relevance to spinocerebellar ataxia and neurodegenerative disease.
Meiotic pairing of sex chromosome fragments and its relation to atypical transmission of a sex-linked marker in Ephestia kuehniella (Insecta: Lepidoptera)

The physical basis of non-Mendelian segregation of a sex-linked marker was studied in sex- chromosome mutant females of eight ASF (`abnormal segregating females') lines in the flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella. Electron microscopical analysis of microspread synaptonemal complexes revealed that in one line, the Z chromosome segment that contained the dz+ allele was translocated onto an autosome. The resulting quadrivalent visible in early female meiosis was `corrected' into two bivalents in later stages. This explains autosomal inheritance of the sex chromosome marker in this strain. In the other seven ASF lines, the type of meiotic pairing of an additional fragment (Zdz+) of the Z chromosome was responsible for abnormal segregation of the marker gene. In several of these lines, Zdz+ contained a piece of the W chromosome in addition to the Z segment, as was confirmed by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). Zdz+ formed three alternative pairing configurations with the original sex chromosomes: (i) a WZZdz+ trivalent, (ii) a WZ bivalent and a Zdz+ univalent or (iii) a ZZdz+ bivalent and a W univalent. In the most frequent WZZdz+ configuration, Zdz+ synapsed with Z and, consequently, segregated with W, simulating W linkage. This explains the predominant occurrence of the parental phenotypes in the progeny. Zdz+ univalents or W univalents, on the other hand, segregated randomly, resulting in both parental and nonparental phenotypes. In two of these lines, the Zdz+ was transmitted only to females. The results suggest that the W chromosome segment in Zdz+ of these lines contains a male-killing factor which makes it incompatible with male development. Our data provide direct evidence for the regular transmission of radiation-induced fragments from lepidopteran chromosomes through more than 50 generations. This is facilitated by the holokinetic nature of lepidopteran chromosomes. We conclude that Zdz+ fragments may persist as long as they possess active kinetochore elements.
Search for Polarization from the Prompt Gamma-Ray Emission of GRB 041219a with SPI on INTEGRAL

Measuring the polarization of the prompt γ-ray emission from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) can significantly improve our understanding of both the GRB emission mechanisms as well as the underlying engine driving the explosion. We searched for polarization in the prompt γ-ray emission of GRB 041219a with the SPI instrument on INTEGRAL. Using multiple-detector coincidence events in the 100-350 keV energy band, our analysis yields a polarization fraction from this GRB of 98% ± 33%. Statistically, we cannot claim a polarization detection from this source. Moreover, different event selection criteria lead to even less significant polarization fractions, e.g., lower polarization fractions are obtained when higher energies are included in the analysis. We cannot strongly rule out the possibility that the measured modulation is dominated by instrumental systematics. Therefore, SPI observations of GRB 041219a do not significantly constrain GRB models. However, this measurement demonstrates the capability of SPI to measure polarization, as well as the techniques developed for this analysis.
Declining sex ratios in Canada.

OBJECTIVE To examine the trends in the proportion of annual live births that were male in Canada and to compare the trends with those in the United States. DESIGN Analysis of census data. SETTING Canada as a whole and 4 main regions (West, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic). SUBJECTS All live births from 1930 to 1990. OUTCOME MEASURES Sex ratio (expressed as the proportion of total live births that were male [male proportion]) overall and by region. RESULTS The male proportion in Canada decreased significantly after 1970 (p < 0.001); this represented a cumulative loss of 2.2 male births per 1000 live births from 1970 to 1990. Although a decrease was observed in all four regions studied, only that in the Atlantic region was significant (p < 0.001), representing a cumulative loss of 5.6 male births per 1000 live births from 1970 to 1990. A significant decrease in the male proportion was also observed in the United States from 1970 to 1990 (p < 0.001), although to a lesser degree than that observed in Canada, and represented a cumulative loss of 1.0 male births per 1000 live births. CONCLUSIONS The decreased sex ratio in Canada adds to the growing debate over changes in biological markers and their potential causes. In addition, the study illustrates the potential use of the sex ratio as a widely available, unambiguous measure of the reproductive health of large populations.
Resolving Identification Issues of Saraca asoca from Its Adulterant and Commercial Samples Using Phytochemical Markers

Saraca asoca (Roxb.) De Wilde (Ashoka) is a highly valued endangered medicinal tree species from Western Ghats of India. Besides treating cardiac and circulatory problems, S. asoca provides immense relief in gynecological disorders. Higher price and demand, in contrast to the smaller population size of the plant, have motivated adulteration with other plants such as Polyalthia longifolia (Sonnerat) Thwaites. The fundamental concerns in quality control of S. asoca arise due to its part of medicinal value (Bark) and the chemical composition. Phytochemical fingerprinting with proper selection of analytical markers is a promising method in addressing quality control issues. In the present study, high-performance liquid chromatography of phenolic compounds (gallic acid, catechin, and epicatechin) coupled to multivariate analysis was used. Five samples each of S. asoca, P. longifolia from two localities alongside five commercial market samples showed evidence of adulteration. Subsequently, multivariate hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis was established to discriminate the adulterants of S. asoca. The proposed method ascertains identification of S. asoca from its putative adulterant P. longifolia and commercial market samples. The data generated may also serve as baseline data to form a quality standard for pharmacopoeias. Abbreviations used: HPLC: High Performance Liquid Chromatography; RP-HPLC: Reverse Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography; CAT: Catechin; EPI: Epicatechin; GA: Gallic acid; PCA: Principal Component Analysis.
Affinity and Efficacy Studies of Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid A at Cannabinoid Receptor Types One and Two

Abstract Introduction: Cannabis biosynthesizes Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA-A), which decarboxylates into Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). There is growing interest in the therapeutic use of THCA-A, but its clinical application may be hampered by instability. THCA-A lacks cannabimimetic effects; we hypothesize that it has little binding affinity at cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1). Materials and Methods: Purity of certified reference standards were tested with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Binding affinity of THCA-A and THC at human (h) CB1 and hCB2 was measured in competition binding assays, using transfected HEK cells and [3H]CP55,940. Efficacy at hCB1 and hCB2 was measured in a cyclic adenosine monophosphase (cAMP) assay, using a Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET) biosensor. Results: The THCA-A reagent contained 2% THC. THCA-A displayed small but measurable binding at both hCB1 and hCB2, equating to approximate Ki values of 3. 1μM and 12. 5μM, respectively. THC showed 62-fold greater affinity at hCB1 and 125-fold greater affinity at hCB2. In efficacy tests, THCA-A (10μM) slightly inhibited forskolin-stimulated cAMP at hCB1, suggestive of weak agonist activity, and no measurable efficacy at hCB2. Discussion: The presence of THC in our THCA-A certified standard agrees with decarboxylation kinetics (literature reviewed herein), which indicate contamination with THC is nearly unavoidable. THCA-A binding at 10μM approximated THC binding at 200nM. We therefore suspect some of our THCA-A binding curve was artifact—from its inevitable decarboxylation into THC—and the binding affinity of THCA-A is even weaker than our estimated values. We conclude that THCA-A has little affinity or efficacy at CB1 or CB2.
Alteration in the Gut Microbiota Provokes Susceptibility to Tuberculosis

The microbiota that resides in the gastrointestinal tract provides essential health benefits to the host. In particular, they regulate immune homeostasis. Recently, several evidences indicate that alteration in the gut microbial community can cause infectious and non-infectious diseases. Tuberculosis (TB) is the most devastating disease, inflicting mortality and morbidity. It remains unexplored, whether changes in the gut microbiota can provoke or prevent TB. In the current study, we have demonstrated the antibiotics driven changes in the gut microbial composition and their impact on the survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in the lungs, liver, and spleen of infected mice, compared to those with intact microbiota. Interestingly, dysbiosis of microbes showed significant increase in the bacterial burden in lungs and dissemination of Mtb to spleen and liver. Furthermore, elevation in the number of Tregs and decline in the pool of IFN-γ- and TNF-α-releasing CD4 T cells was noticed. Interestingly, fecal transplantation in the gut microbiota disrupted animals exhibited improved Th1 immunity and lesser Tregs population. Importantly, these animals displayed reduced severity to Mtb infection. This study for the first time demonstrated the novel role of gut microbes in the susceptibility to TB and its prevention by microbial implants. In future, microbial therapies may help in treating patients suffering from TB.
Abnormally Persistent Latent Inhibition Induced by Lesions to the Nucleus Accumbens Core, Basolateral Amygdala and Orbitofrontal Cortex Is Reversed by Clozapine but Not by Haloperidol

Latent inhibition (LI) is the proactive interference of inconsequential preexposure to a stimulus with its ability to signal significant events, and disrupted LI is considered to model positive symptoms of schizophrenia. We have recently shown that lesions of the nucleus accumbens core (NACc), basolateral amygdala (BLA) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) produce abnormally persistent LI, and suggested that this phenomenon may model negative symptoms. Here we tested whether NACc, BLA and OFC lesion-induced persistent LI would be reversed by the atypical antipsychotic drug (APD) clozapine but not by the typical APD haloperidol. Because clozapineÕs action is likely reflecting its 5HT2A receptor antagonism, we also tested whether NACc lesion-induced persistent LI would be reversed by the selective 5HT2A antagonist M100907. LI was measured in a conditioned emotional response procedure by comparing suppression of drinking in response to a tone in rats receiving 0 (nonpreexposed) or 40 tone presentations (preexposed) followed by five tone-shock pairings. Under these conditions, control rats did not show LI but all lesioned rats persisted in exhibiting LI, and this was reversed by clozapine but not by haloperidol. In addition, M100907 reversed NACc lesion-induced persistent LI. These two novel phenomena, abnormally persistent LI and its selective reversal by an atypical APD, suggest a novel index of schizophrenia relevant behavioral abnormality and of atypical antipsychotic activity in the LI model. The identification of brain regions whose damage leads to persistent LI in the rat may provide valuable cues on dysfunctional brain circuits involved in negative symptoms and in the action of atypical APDs.
Reduced-state decoding in two-way relay networks with physical-layer network coding

We consider the information exchange between two source nodes with the help of a relay node in a two-way relay network (TWRN). Based on physical-layer network coding (PNC), at the relay node, Viterbi or BCJR algorithms based on a full-state trellis can be used for decoding. Since the relay node only needs to decode XORed message rather than two individual messages in PNC, we show that the decoding can be performed using a reduced-state trellis which results in a lower complexity. It is proved that if the source nodes use identical encoders, based on the reduced-state trellis, the diversity order is kept unchanged, which is then confirmed by simulation results.
Low serum testosterone levels are associated with increased risk of mortality in a population-based cohort of men aged 20-79.

AIMS Although the association of low serum testosterone levels with mortality has gained strength in recent research, there are few population-based studies on this issue. This study examined whether low serum testosterone levels are a risk factor for all-cause or cause-specific mortality in a population-based sample of men aged 20-79. METHODS AND RESULTS We used data from 1954 men recruited for the prospective population-based Study of Health in Pomerania, with measured serum testosterone levels at baseline and 195 deaths during an average 7.2-year follow-up. A total serum testosterone level of less than 8.7 nmol/L (250 ng/dL) was classified as low. The relationships of low serum testosterone levels with all-cause and cause-specific mortality were analysed by Cox proportional hazards regression models. Men with low serum testosterone levels had a significantly higher mortality from all causes than men with higher serum testosterone levels (HR 2.24; 95% CI 1.41-3.57). After adjusting for waist circumference, smoking habits, high-risk alcohol use, physical activity, renal insufficiency, and levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, low serum testosterone levels continued to be associated with increased mortality (HR 2.32; 95% CI 1.38-3.89). In cause-specific analyses, low serum testosterone levels predicted increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) (HR 2.56; 95% CI 1.15-6.52) and cancer (HR 3.46; 95% CI 1.68-6.68), but not from respiratory diseases or other causes. CONCLUSION Low serum testosterone levels were associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality independent of numerous risk factors. As serum testosterone levels are inversely related to mortality due to CVD and cancer, it may be used as a predictive marker.
Weighted Region Problem in Arrangement of Lines

In this paper, a geometric shortest path problem in weighted regions is discussed. An arrangement of lines A, a source s, and a target t are given. The objective is to nd a weighted shortest path, st, from s to t. Existing approximation algorithms for weighted shortest paths work within bounded regions (typically triangulated). To apply these algorithms to unbounded regions, such as arrangements of lines, there is a need to bound the regions. Here, we present a minimal region that contains st, called SP-Hull of A. It is a closed polygonal region that only depends on the geometry of the arrangement A and is independent of the weights. It is minimal in the sense that for any arrangement of lines A, it is possible to assign weights to the faces of A and choose s and t such that st is arbitrary close to the boundary of SP-Hull of A. We show that SP-Hull can be constructed in O(n logn) time, where n is the number of lines in the arrangement. As a direct consequence we obtain a shortest path algorithm for weighted arrangements of lines.
A Survey of the Trajectories Conceptual Framework: Investigating Theory Use in HCI

We present a case study of how Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) theory is reused within the field. We analyze the HCI literature in order to reveal the impact of one particular theory, the trajectories framework that has been cited as an example of both contemporary HCI theory and a strong concept that sits between theory and design practice. Our analysis of 60 papers that seriously engaged with trajectories reveals the purposes that the framework served and which parts of it they used. We compare our findings to the originally stated goals of trajectories and to subsequent claims of its status as both theory and strong concept. The results shed new light on what we mean by theory in HCI, including its relationship to practice and to other disciplines.
Introducing Argumention in Opinion Analysis: Language and Reasoning Challenges

This paper concentrates on pairing opinion analysis with argument extraction in order to identify why opinions about a certain feature are positive or negative. The objective is to have a better grasp at the underlying elements that support the analysis. In a second stage, given customer recommendations, the goal is to identify the preferences or priorities of customers, e.g. fares over welcome attitude. This induces customers value systems. Finally, we give elements of the implementation based on the platform, dedicated to discourse analysis.
Linear functional observers for systems with delays in state variables

This paper is concerned with the design of linear functional state observers for systems with delays in state variables. In particular, the necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of the rth-order observers are given. Sufficient conditions for the stability dependent of delays and stability independent of delays are derived using linear matrix-in-equality formulation. A systematic design method of these observers is presented. Numerical examples are given to illustrate this method.
A new configuration of planar monopole quasi-fractal antenna for wireless communications

An investigation of the bandwidth behavior of planar monopoles built with quasi-fractal patches based on the curves of Koch is presented. A rectangular monopole patch microstrip antenna is used as reference and generator for the proposed quasi-fractals antennas. Koch levels 1 and 2 geometries are developed. The analysis of the antenna structures is performed using Ansoft HFSS™. Prototypes are built to compare simulated and measured results.
Postnatal Development of the Small Intestine of the Rat: Changes in Mucosal Morphology at Weaning

Extract: At 15 days after birth, the small intestine of the rat showed a striking increase in relative weight, an increased depth of intestinal crypts, an elevation of the mitotic and the labeling index of crypt cells, and a decrease in the ratio of height of the villi to depth of the crypts.Metabolically, the biological half-life of 14C phenylalanine incorporated into protein was decreased in the intestine of 21-day-old rats compared with that of the 32-day-old rat. With autoradiography, a decreased half-life of 3H-leucine in crypt cells was noted in rats 5 and 21 days of age, compared with fully weaned rats 32 days of age. These observations indicated that protein turnover is not completely dependent on cellular turnover in suckling rats.Artificial feeding of suckling rats from 9 to 15 days of age produced an increase in the relative weight, mitotic index, depth of crypts, and activity of invertase in the jejunum. Prolonged administration of hydrocortisone to newborn rats resulted in similar changes in the duodenum and in the jejunum, but not in the ileum. These changes could be related to an increased rate of cellular migration along the villi of the duodenum and the jejunum. It was concluded that both diet and hormones were important factors in the marked changes in intestinal cell proliferation and differentiation observed at weaning.Speculation: The usual changes in cellular proliferation and differentiation of the intestinal mucosa of the weanling rat and the observation that these changes can be stimulated precociously suggest that the intestinal tract of suckling rats could be used to investigate further those factors important to the control of cell differentiation. Since cell turnover increases to adult levels after 15 days of age, the observed increase in protein turnover in suckling and in weanling rats, compared with that of adult rats, suggests that at these ages protein turnover is not coordinated with cell turnover.
Morphological changes in the southern coasts of the Caspian Sea using remote sensing and GIS

Coastal areas are continuously under the regional changing and interaction of land-sea resulting in the short and long terms deformation. Study of beach morphology has been one of the most important issues in coastal engineering research projects. Managing and controlling the shoreline changes and behavior are essential for all marine projects and integrated coastal zone management policy in such environments. In the present study, Guilan Province region was selected and an analysis of the coastal zone behavior was carried out based on the available satellite images. According to results, we estimated the bed level changes and also submerged area, resulting from a rise in sea level at different locations in the study area (from Anzali Port to Boujagh National Park) and compared them with those obtained from the satellite images. The results were presented graphically and changes in shorelines were estimated using ETM+ sensors and OLI images from 2002 to 2013 which can be used for site selection and design of marine structures and establishing a data base for the coastal zone in the study region. Laplacian filter was applied to satellite images to establish the shoreline and to clarify the effect of ports and coastal structures constructed in the study region on beach and shoreline morphological changes. This study is a combination of remote sensing and GIS systems with field surveys on the ground. The innovation of this work is the application of Laplacian filter for shoreline detection and estimation of the sediment deposition area by calculating the distance between the observed shorelines. This will lead to the better understanding of the effect of coastal structures on the beach morphology using satellite images. The results show the remarkable changes occurred in the shoreline due to the environmental and human-based effects during the eleven years period. The present study can be considered as a contribution to the existing knowledge of the coastal process in the study area and referred to as a basis for the future coastal research projects.