Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dopamine Transporter Endocytic Trafficking in Striatal Dopaminergic Neurons: Differential Dependence on Dynamin and the Actin Cytoskeleton

Dopaminergic signaling profoundly impacts rewarding behaviors, movement, and executive function. The presynaptic dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT) recaptures released DA, thereby limiting synaptic DA availability and maintaining dopaminergic tone. DAT constitutively internalizes and PKC activation rapidly accelerates DAT endocytosis, resulting in DAT surface loss. Longstanding evidence supports PKC-stimulated DAT trafficking in heterologous expression studies. However, PKC-stimulated DAT internalization is not readily observed in cultured dopaminergic neurons. Moreover, conflicting reports implicate both classic and nonclassic endocytic mechanisms mediating DAT trafficking. Prior DAT trafficking studies relied primarily upon chronic gene disruption and dominant-negative protein expression, or were performed in cell lines and cultured neurons, yielding results difficult to translate to adult dopaminergic neurons. Here, we use newly described dynamin inhibitors to test whether constitutive and PKC-stimulated DAT internalization are dynamin-dependent in adult dopaminergic neurons. Ex vivo biotinylation studies in mouse striatal slices demonstrate that acute PKC activation drives native DAT surface loss, and that surface DAT surprisingly partitions between endocytic-willing and endocytic-resistant populations. Acute dynamin inhibition reveals that constitutive DAT internalization is dynamin-independent, whereas PKC-stimulated DAT internalization is dynamin-dependent. Moreover, total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy experiments demonstrate that constitutive DAT internalization occurs equivalently from lipid raft and nonraft microdomains, whereas PKC-stimulated DAT internalization arises exclusively from lipid rafts. Finally, DAT endocytic recycling relies on a dynamin-dependent mechanism that acts in concert with the actin cytoskeleton. These studies are the first comprehensive investigation of native DAT trafficking in ex vivo adult neurons, and reveal that DAT surface dynamics are governed by complex multimodal mechanisms.
Okadaic acid induces interphase to mitotic-like microtubule dynamic instability by inactivating rescue

We used high-resolution video microscopy to visualize microtubule dynamic instability in extracts of interphase sea urchin eggs and to analyze the changes that occur upon addition of 0.8-2.5 microM okadaic acid, an inhibitor of phosphatase 1 and 2A (PP1, PP2a) (Bialojan, D., and A. Takai. 1988. Biochem. J. 256:283-290). Microtubule plus-ends in these extracts oscillated between the elongation and shortening phases of dynamic instability at frequencies typical for interphase cells. Switching from elongation to shortening (catastrophe) was frequent, but microtubules persisted and grew long because of frequent switching back to elongation (rescue). Addition of okadaic acid to the extract induced rapid (< 5 min) conversion to short, dynamic microtubules typical of mitosis. The frequency of catastrophe doubled and the velocities of elongation and shortening increased slightly; however, the major change was an elimination of rescue. Thus, modulation of the rescue frequency by phosphorylation-dependent mechanisms may be a major regulatory pathway for selectively controlling microtubule dynamics without dramatically changing velocities of microtubule elongation and shortening.
Functional Morphology and Biochemical Indices of Performance: Is there a Correlation Between Metabolic Enzyme Activity and Swimming Performance?1

Abstract Comparative physiologists and ecologists have searched for a specific morphological, physiological or biochemical parameter that could be easily measured in a captive, frozen, or preserved animal, and that would accurately predict the routine behavior or performance of that species in the wild. Many investigators have measured the activity of specific enzymes in the locomotor musculature of marine fishes, generally assuming that high specific activities of enzymes involved in aerobic metabolism are indicators of high levels of sustained swimming performance and that high activities of anaerobic metabolic enzymes indicate high levels of burst swimming performance. We review the data that support this hypothesis and describe two recent studies we have conducted that specifically test the hypothesis that biochemical indices of anaerobic or aerobic capacity in fish myotomal muscle correlate with direct measures of swimming performance. First, we determined that the maximum speed during escapes (C-starts) for individual larval and juvenile California halibut did not correlate with the activity of the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase, an index of anaerobic capacity, in the myotomal muscle, when the effects of fish size are factored out using residuals analysis. Second, we found that none of three aerobic capacity indices (citrate synthase activity, 3-hydroxy-o-acylCoA dehydrogenase activity, and myoglobin concentration) measured in the slow, oxidative muscle of juvenile scombrid fishes correlated significantly with maximum sustained speed. Thus, there was little correspondence between specific biochemical characteristics of the locomotor muscle of individual fish and whole animal swimming performance. However, it may be possible to identify biochemical indices that are accurate predictors of animal performance in phylogenetically based studies designed to separate out the effects of body size, temperature, and ontogenetic stage.
Information visualization evaluation in large companies: Challenges, experiences and recommendations

We examine the implications of evaluating data analysis processes and information visualization tools in a large company setting. While several researchers have addressed the difficulties of evaluating information visualizations with regards to changing data, tasks, and visual encodings, considerably less work has been published on the difficulties of evaluation within specific work contexts. We specifically focus on the challenges, which arise in the context of large companies with several thousand employees. Based on our own experience from a 3.5-year collaboration within a large automotive company, we first present a collection of nine information visualization evaluation challenges. We then discuss these challenges by means of two concrete visualization case studies from our own work. We finally derive a set of 16 recommendations for planning and conducting evaluations in large company settings. The set of challenges and recommendations and the discussion of our experience are meant to provide practical guidance to other researchers and practitioners, who plan to study information visualization in large company settings.
In Vitro Inhibition of Neutrophil Elastase Activity by Inhaled Anti-Pseudomonas Antibiotics Used in Cystic Fibrosis Patients

Background. Inhaled antibiotics are commonly used in the treatment of cystic fibrosis lung disease. A previous study suggested neutrophil elastase activation by colistin in vitro. Here, we investigated direct effects of the commonly used antibiotics colistin and tobramycin on neutrophil elastase activity. Methods. Neutrophil elastase was measured spectrophotometrically. The antibiotics colistin and tobramycin were added in different concentrations with or without the addition of albumin. Results. Generally, neutrophil elastase activity was lower in the absence of albumin compared to its presence. Both antibiotics, colistin and tobramycin, had inhibitory effects on neutrophil elastase activity except for high concentrations of colistin when albumin was absent. Conclusions. Our results suggest inhibitory effects of colistin and tobramycin in vitro. There was a clear dependency of neutrophil elastase measurements on the presence of albumin. Clinical studies are needed to investigate potential direct effects of inhaled antibiotics on neutrophil elastase activity in cystic fibrosis airways.
Ambivalent Emotions in Music : We Like Sad Music When It Makes Us Happy

We often react ambivalently to a piece of music, simultaneously experiencing both sadness and happiness, and attributing both emotions to the musical content. Two experiments were conducted (1) to empirically test for ambivalent emotions and (2) to investigate the amount of musical information necessary to elicit such emotions. In experiment 1, synthesized musical excerpts were manipulated in tempo (fast/slow) and mode (major/minor). By using unipolar scales, listeners could independently rate how (1) happy and (2) sad the music made them feel, as well as the (3) happiness and (4) sadness perceived in the music. Regarding perceived emotion, happiness was higher in major-fast excerpts, sadness was higher in minor-slow excerpts, and mixed emotions were reported (raised happiness and sadness ratings) for ambivalent music (major-slow and minor-fast). Ratings of felt emotions were similar, except that sad music (minor-slow) was experienced as ambivalent, happiness often nearly equalling the amount of sadness. Furthermore, the liking of sad excerpts positively correlated (r=.59) with the experienced happiness in the same excerpts. The results help to understand the enjoyment of sad music by suggesting that feelings of happiness are a desired emotional outcome. In experiment 2, the main results of experiment 1 were replicated with shorter musical excerpts (0.5-1.5s), suggesting that ambivalence is an immediate and effortless emotional response.
How to prescribe optimal haemodialysis.

purification techniques. Cu Ac, cuprophan membrane and acetate in the dialysate; Cu Bi, cuprophan membrane and bicarbonate in the dialysate; HF-HD, high flux haemodialysis: polysulfone membrane; PFD, paired filtration dialysis; AFB, acetate-free biofiltration.
Poisoning in Korean Children and Adolescents

Drug intoxication in children and adolescents is not uncommon in Korea. But the tendency of intoxication is changing with some factors, such as national surveillance system, Naderism and increasing concern among physicians. But the death rate of intoxication among adolescents is increasing in spite of decreasing total death rate of intoxication among children and adolescents. Therefore the physician must be concerned about the basic management of intoxication and figure out the common toxic substance among children and adolescents.
The StkP/PhpP Signaling Couple in Streptococcus pneumoniae: Cellular Organization and Physiological Characterization

ABSTRACT In Streptococcus pneumoniae, stkP and phpP, encoding the eukaryotic-type serine-threonine kinase and PP2C phosphatase, respectively, form an operon. PhpP has the features of a so-called “soluble” protein, whereas StkP protein is membrane associated. Here we provide the first genetic and physiological evidence that PhpP and StkP, with antagonist enzymatic activities, constitute a signaling couple. The StkP-PhpP couple signals competence upstream of the competence-specific histidine kinase ComD, receptor for the oligopeptide pheromone “competence stimulating peptide. ” We show that PhpP activity is essential in a stkP + genetic background, suggesting tight control of StkP activity by PhpP. Proteins PhpP and StkP colocalized to the cell membrane subcellular fraction and likely belong to the same complex, as revealed by coimmunoprecipitation in cellular extracts. Specific coimmunoprecipitation of the N-kinase domain of StkP and PhpP recombinant proteins by PhpP-specific antibodies demonstrates direct interaction between these proteins. Consistently, flow cytometry analysis allowed the determination of the cytoplasmic localization of PhpP and of the N-terminal kinase domain of StkP, in contrast to the periplasmic localization of the StkP C-terminal PASTA (penicillin-binding protein and serine-threonine kinase associated) domain. A signaling route involving interplay between serine, threonine, and histidine phosphorylation is thus described for the first time in this human pathogen.
Ascitic Fluid Analysis in the Differential Diagnosis of Ascites: Focus on Cirrhotic Ascites

Ascites is the pathologic accumulation of fluid within the peritoneal cavity. Because many diseases can cause ascites, in particular cirrhosis, samples of ascitic fluid are commonly analyzed in order to develop a differential diagnosis. The concept of transudate versus exudate, as determined by total protein measurements, is outdated and the use of serum-ascites albumin gradient as an indicator of portal hypertension is more accurate. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and other tumor markers can be helpful in distinguishing between malignant and benign conditions. Glucose and adenosine deaminase levels may support a diagnosis of tuberculous disease, and amylase level may indicate a diagnosis of pancreatitis. Given the specificity and sensitivity of laboratory results, accurate diagnosis should be based on both laboratory data and clinical judgment.
Retrieval of 3-dimensional rigid and non-rigid objects

Η παρούσα διδακτορική διατριβή εστιάζει στο πρόβλημα της ανάκτησης 3Δ αντικειμένων από μεγάλες βάσεις δεδομένων σε σχεδόν πραγματικό χρόνο. Για την αντιμετώπιση του προβλήματος αυτού, η έρευνα επικεντρώνεται σε τρία βασικά υποπροβλήματα του χώρου: (α) κανονικοποίηση θέσης άκαμπτων 3Δ μοντέλων με εφαρμογές στην ανάκτηση 3Δ αντικειμένων, (β) περιγραφή εύκαμπτων 3Δ αντικειμένων και (γ) αναζήτηση από βάσεις δεδομένων 3Δ αντικειμένων βασιζόμενη σε 2Δ εικόνες-ερώτησης. Σχετικά με το πρώτο υποπρόβλημα, την κανονικοποίηση θέσης 3Δ μοντέλων, παρουσιάζονται τρεις νέες μέθοδοι οι οποίες βασίζονται στις εξής αρχές: (α) Τριδιάστατη Ανακλαστική Συμμετρία Αντικειμένου (ROSy) και (β, γ) Διδιάστατη Ανακλαστική Συμμετρία Αντικειμένου υπολογιζόμενη επί Πανοραμικών Προβολών (SymPan και SymPan+). Και οι τρεις μέθοδοι αποτελούν γενικού σκοπού μεθόδους κανονικοποίησης 3Δ μοντέλων και χρησιμοποιούνται για να αυξήσουν την απόδοση μιας διαδικασίας ανάκτησης 3Δ αντικειμένων. Όσον αφορά το δεύτερο υποπρόβλημα, αναπτύχθηκε μια μέθοδος ανάκτησης εύκαμπτων 3Δ αντικειμένων, η οποία συνδυάζει τις ιδιότητες της σύμμορφης γεωμετρίας και της τοπολογικής πληροφορίας βασιζόμενης σε γράφους, με ενιαίο τρόπο (ConTopo++). Ενώ οι μέθοδοι που βασίζονται σε γράφους είναι εύρωστες ως προς τις παραμορφώσεις εύκαμπτων αντικειμένων, απαιτούν εντατικούς υπολογισμούς, οι οποίοι ωστόσο μπορούν να μειωθούν με τη χρήση κατάλληλων αναπαραστάσεων, μέσω μεθόδων που βασίζονται στην γεωμετρία. Επιπλέον, προτείνεται μια στρατηγική συνταιριασμού συμβολοσειρών, για τη σύγκριση των γράφων που αναπαριστούν 3Δ αντικείμενα. Σχετικά με το τρίτο υποπρόβλημα, παρουσιάζεται μια μέθοδος ανάκτησης 3Δ αντικειμένων, βασιζόμενη σε 2Δ εικόνες-ερώτησης, οι οποίες αντιπροσωπεύουν προβολές πραγματικών 3Δ αντικειμένων. Τα πλήρη 3Δ αντικείμενα της βάσης δεδομένων περιγράφονται από ένα σύνολο πανοραμικών προβολών και ένα μοντέλο Bag-of-Visual-Words δημιουργείται χρησιμοποιώντας τα χαρακτηριστικά SIFT που προέρχονται από αυτά. Για να αντιμετωπιστεί το πρόβλημα της μερικής ταύτισης, προτείνεται ένα σχήμα υπολογισμού χωρικών ιστογραμμάτων από τις πανοραμικές προβολές. Οι μεθοδολογίες που αναπτύχθηκαν και περιγράφονται στην παρούσα διατριβή αξιολογούνται όσον αφορά την ακρίβεια ανάκτησης και παρουσιάζονται κάνοντας χρήση ποσοτικών και ποιοτικών μέτρων μέσω μιας εκτεταμένης και συνεκτικής αξιολόγησης σε σχέση με μεθόδους τρέχουσας τεχνολογικής στάθμης επάνω σε τυποποιημένες βάσεις δεδομένων.
Direct Interaction between Carcinoma Cells and Cancer Associated Fibroblasts for the Regulation of Cancer Invasion

The tumor stroma acts as an essential microenvironment of the cancer cells, which includes many different types of non-cancerous cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Stromal fibroblasts (SFs) are the major cellular constituents of the tumor stroma and are often called cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). They are often characterized by α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) expression, which is indicative of the myofibroblast phenotype and strong contractility. These characteristics contribute to the remodeling and stiffening of the stromal ECM, thereby offering an appropriate field for cancer cell invasion. Importance of the tumor stroma in cancer progression has recently been highlighted. Moreover, several reports suggest that stromal fibroblasts interact with adjacent cancer cells through soluble factors, exosomes, or direct cell-cell adhesion to promote cancer cell invasion. In this review, current models of the regulation of cancer cell invasion by surrounding fibroblasts are summarized, including our recent work on the interaction between stromal fibroblasts and scirrhous gastric carcinoma (SGC) cells by using a three-dimensional (3D) culture system. Further mechanistic insights into the roles of the interaction between cancer cells and stromal fibroblasts in cancer invasion will be required to identify novel molecular targets for preventing cancer cell invasion.
Temporally Unfolding Neural Representation of Pictorial Occlusion

The human visual system possesses a remarkable ability to reconstruct the shape of an object that is partly occluded by an interposed surface. Behavioral results suggest that, under some circumstances, this perceptual process (termed amodal completion) progresses from an initial representation of local image features to a completed representation of a shape that may include features that are not explicitly present in the retinal image. Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have shown that the completed surface is represented in early visual cortical areas. We used fMRI adaptation, combined with brief, masked exposures, to track the amodal completion process as it unfolds in early visual cortical regions. We report evidence for an evolution of the neural representation from the image-based feature representation to the completed representation. Our method offers the possibility of measuring changes in cortical activity using fMRI over a time scale of a few hundred milliseconds.
Validity of self-reported hearing loss in adults: performance of three single questions.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the validity of three single questions used to assess self-reported hearing loss as compared to pure-tone audiometry in an adult population. METHODS A validity study was performed with a random sub-sample of 188 subjects aged 30 to 65 years, drawn from the fourth wave of a population-based cohort study carried out in Salvador, Northeastern Brazil. Data were collected in household visits using questionnaires. Three questions were used to separately assess self-reported hearing loss: Q1, "Do you feel you have a hearing loss? "; Q2, "In general, would you say your hearing is 'excellent,' 'very good,' 'good,' 'fair,' 'poor'? "; Q3, "Currently, do you think you can hear 'the same as before', 'less than before only in the right ear', 'less than before only in the left ear', 'less than before in both ears'? ". Measures of accuracy were estimated through seven measures including Youden index. Responses to each question were compared to the results of pure-tone audiometry to estimate accuracy measures. RESULTS The estimated sensitivity and specificity were 79.6%, 77.4% for Q1; 66.9%, 85.1% for Q2; and 81.5%, 76.4% for Q3, respectively. The Youden index ranged from 51.9% (Q2) to 57.0% (Q1) and 57.9% (Q3). CONCLUSIONS Each of all three questions provides responses accurate enough to support their use to assess self-reported hearing loss in epidemiological studies with adult populations when pure-tone audiometry is not feasible.
TEXTURE SYNTHESIS-BY-ANALYSIS BASED ON A MULTISCALE EARLY-VISION MODEL”

This paper introduces a new texture synthesis-by-analysis method, applying a visual-based approach which has some important advantages over more traditional texture modeling and synthesis techniques. The basis of the method is to encode the textural information by sampling both the power spectrum and the histogram of homogeneously textured images. The spectrum is sampled in a log-polar grid by using a pyramid Gabor scheme. The input image is split into a set of 16 Gabor channels (using four spatial frequency levels and four orientations), plus a low-pass residual (LPR). The energy and equivalent bandwidths of each channel, as well as the LPR power spectrum and the histogram, are measured and the latter two are compressed. The synthesis process consists of generating 16 Gabor filtered independent noise signals with spectral centers equal to those of the Gabor filters, whose energy and equivalent bandwidths are calculated in order to reproduce the measured values. These band-pass signals are mixed into a single image, whose LPR power spectrum and histogram are modified to match the original features. Despite the coarse sampling scheme used, very good results have been achieved with non structured textures as well as with some quasi-periodic textures. Besides being applicable to a wide range of textures, the method is robust (stable, fully automatic, linear, and with a fixed code length) and compact (it uses only 69 parameters).
Line and neutral current harmonics characteristics in three-phase computer power systems

In this paper, analysis of the phase and neutral current harmonics in a three-phase computer power system is carried out under distorted and/or unbalanced supply voltage conditions. The impact of background voltage harmonics on the resultant harmonic currents produced by a large concentration of personal computers is investigated. Results obtained from the proposed approach, with Matlab, are compared to those obtained from simulations using the PSPICE software package.
A novel algorithm DBCAPSIC for clustering non-numeric data

Data mining techniques are playing an important role in the analysis of mass network information and big data nowadays. The cluster analysis, as a main kind of method in data mining, draws great interest from researchers of various fields who proposed many algorithms such as k-means algorithm and its variants, density-based algorithm and its variants. However, these algorithms all have their own problems. This paper focuses on some of the problems and proposes a novel algorithm DBCAPSIC. The algorithm overcomes the k-means algorithm's sensitivity to initial conditions and avoids common density-based algorithms' "clustering failure" in some cases. Also, the algorithm has the linear time complexity of O{n), compared to the quadratic time complexity of common density-based clustering algorithms.