Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ginsenoside PPD’s Antitumor Effect via Down-Regulation of mTOR Revealed by Super-Resolution Imaging

Derived from Panax ginseng, the natural product 20(S)-Protopanaxadiol (PPD) has been reported for its cytotoxicity against several cancer cell lines. The molecular mechanism is, however, not well understood. Here we show that PPD significantly inhibits proliferation, induces apoptosis and causes G2/M cell cycle arrest in human laryngeal carcinoma cells (Hep-2 cells). PPD also decreases the levels of proteins related to cell proliferation. Moreover, PPD-induced apoptosis is characterized by a dose-dependent down-regulation of Bcl-2 expression and up-regulation of Bax, and is accompanied by the activation of Caspase-3 as well. Further molecular mechanism is revealed by direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM)—a novel high-precision localization microscopy which enables effective resolution down to the order of 10 nm. It shows the expression and spatial arrangement of mTOR and its downstream effectors, demonstrating that this ginsenoside exerts its excellent anticancer effects via down-regulation of mTOR signaling pathway in Hep-2 cells. Taken together, our findings elucidate that the antitumor effect of PPD is associated with its regulation of mTOR expression and distribution, which encourages further studies of PPD as a promising therapeutic agent against laryngeal carcinoma.
Fitting the spectrum of the X-ray background: the effects of high-metallicity absorption

Recent work by Risaliti, Maiolino & Salvati suggests that more than half of all Seyfert 2 galaxies in the local Universe are Compton-thick (NH>1024 cm−2). This has implications for AGN synthesis models for the X-ray background, the flexibility of which for the inclusion of large numbers of high-z type 2 sources we examine here. We highlight the importance of Compton down-scattering in determining the individual source spectra and the fit to the X-ray background spectrum, and demonstrate how parameter space ‘opens up’ considerably if a super-solar iron abundance is assumed for the absorbing material. This is illustrated with a model which satisfies the present constraints, but which predicts substantial numbers of type 2 sources at the faint flux levels soon to be probed for the first time by the Chandra and XMM missions. We demonstrate also how a strong negative K-correction facilitates the detection of sources with 10∼24NH1025 cm−2 out to the highest redshifts at which they could plausibly exist.
Process activities in a project based course in software engineering

"Studio in Software Engineering" is a curriculum component for the undergraduate-level software engineering program at Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal. The main teaching objective is to develop in students a professional attitude towards producing high quality software. The course is based on a project approach in a collaborative learning environment. The software development process used is based on the Unified Process for EDUcation, which is customized from the Rational Unified Process. An insight into the dynamics of three teams involved in the development of the same project allows us to present and interpret data concerning the effort spent by students during particular process activities. The contribution of this paper is to illustrate an approach involving qualitative analysis of the effort spent by the students on each software process activity. Such an approach may allow the development of a model that would lead to effort prediction within a software process in order to designate the actions for improving academic projects.
Stage-Specific Nuclear Expression of NF-κB in Mammalian Testis

The Rel/nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB family of transcription factors are important intracellular conveyors of extracellular signals in a number of systems. However, little is known of their roles in the specialized, hormonally regulated environment of the mammalian testis. In this study NF-kappaB p50 and p65 proteins were found to be constitutively present and active in the nucleus of Sertoli cells cultured from rat testis. In vivo, NF-kappaB proteins are present in the nucleus of Sertoli cells during all 14 (I-XIV) cyclical stages of spermatogenesis; however, nuclear NF-kappaB expression was elevated in stage XIV and remained high in stages I-VII. In contrast, NF-kappaB p50 and p65 subunits are transiently expressed in the nuclei of germ cells with peak levels found in pachytene spermatocytes during stages VII-XI and lower levels in stage I-VII spermatids. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha, which is produced by round spermatids in the testis, increased nuclear NF-kappaB binding activity when added to Sertoli cells. Stimulation of Sertoli cells with activators of the cAMP-protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway such as forskolin or FSH also increased NF-kappaB DNA binding activity. Consistent with the cellular localization studies, NF-kappaB was found to be activated as high basal levels of NF-kappaB-stimulated reporter gene expression were detected in transient transfection studies of Sertoli cells. Addition of tumor necrosis factor-alpha to Sertoli cells further stimulated kappaB enhancer-mediated transcription. These findings suggest that NF-kappaB proteins are stage specifically localized to Sertoli cell and spermatocyte nuclei and may play a role in the regulation of stage-specific gene expression during the process of spermatogenesis.
Characterization of the chemical and antimicrobial properties of piscicolin 126, a bacteriocin produced by Carnobacterium piscicola JG126

A novel peptide bacteriocin produced by the lactic acid bacterium Carnobacterium piscicola JG126 isolated from spoiled ham was purified and characterized. This bacteriocin, designated piscicolin 126, inhibited the growth of several gram-positive bacteria, especially the food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, but had no effect on the growth of a number of yeasts and gram-negative bacteria. Bactericidal activity was not destroyed by exposure to elevated temperatures at low pH values; however, bactericidal activity was lost at high pH values, especially when high pH values were combined with an elevated temperature. Piscicolin 126 activity was not affected by catalase, lipase, or lysozyme but was destroyed by exposure to a range of proteolytic enzymes. Piscicolin 126 was purified to homogeneity and was found to be a peptide having a molecular weight of 4,416.6 +/- 1.9. A sequence analysis revealed that this compound is a cystibiotic (class IIa) bacteriocin containing 44 amino acid residues and one intrapeptide disulfide ring. Piscicolin 126 has regions of homology with some other bacteriocins obtained from lactic acid bacteria and is most closely related to sakacin P and pediocin PA-1 (levels of identity, 75 and 55%, respectively). Addition of piscicolin 126 to a devilled ham paste test food system inhibited the growth of L. monocytogenes for at least 14 days. Piscicolin 126 was more effective than two commercially available bacteriocin preparations tested in the same system.
On the Elicitation of Time Preference under Conditions of Risk

Andreoni and Sprenger (2012) report evidence that distinct utility functions govern choices under certainty and risk. I investigate the robustness of this result to the experimental design. I find that the effect disappears completely when a multiple price list instrument is used instead of a convex time budget design. Alternatively, the effect is reduced by half when sooner and later payment risks are realized using a single lottery instead of two independent lotteries. The result is thus at least partially driven by intertemporal diversification, supporting an explanation in terms of concavity of the intertemporal, and not only atemporal, utility function.
Assessment of brain–machine interfaces from the perspective of people with paralysis

Objective. One of the main goals of brain–machine interface (BMI) research is to restore function to people with paralysis. Currently, multiple BMI design features are being investigated, based on various input modalities (externally applied and surgically implantable sensors) and output modalities (e.g. control of computer systems, prosthetic arms, and functional electrical stimulation systems). While these technologies may eventually provide some level of benefit, they each carry associated burdens for end-users. We sought to assess the attitudes of people with paralysis toward using various technologies to achieve particular benefits, given the burdens currently associated with the use of each system. Approach. We designed and distributed a technology survey to determine the level of benefit necessary for people with tetraplegia due to spinal cord injury to consider using different technologies, given the burdens currently associated with them. The survey queried user preferences for 8 BMI technologies including electroencephalography, electrocorticography, and intracortical microelectrode arrays, as well as a commercially available eye tracking system for comparison. Participants used a 5-point scale to rate their likelihood to adopt these technologies for 13 potential control capabilities. Main Results. Survey respondents were most likely to adopt BMI technology to restore some of their natural upper extremity function, including restoration of hand grasp and/or some degree of natural arm movement. High speed typing and control of a fast robot arm were also of interest to this population. Surgically implanted wireless technologies were twice as ‘likely’ to be adopted as their wired equivalents. Significance. Assessing end-user preferences is an essential prerequisite to the design and implementation of any assistive technology. The results of this survey suggest that people with tetraplegia would adopt an unobtrusive, autonomous BMI system for both restoration of upper extremity function and control of external devices such as communication interfaces.
‘The world is full of big bad wolves’: investigating the experimental therapeutic spaces of R.D. Laing and Aaron Esterson

In conjunction with the recent critical assessments of the life and work of R.D. Laing, this paper seeks to demonstrate what is revealed when Laing’s work on families and created spaces of mental health care are examined through a geographical lens. The paper begins with an exploration of Laing’s time at the Tavistock Clinic in London during the 1960s, and of the co-authored text with Aaron Esterson entitled, Sanity, Madness and the Family (1964). The study then seeks to demonstrate the importance Laing and his colleague placed on the time-space situatedness of patients and their worlds. Finally, an account is provided of Laing’s and Esterson’s spatial thinking in relation to their creation of both real and imagined spaces of therapeutic care.
Modeling the Share of Cash Payments in the Economy: An Application to France

Modeling the demand for cash and deposits is a primary concern for central banks. Within a wide range of academic contributions, payment choice models based on transaction sizes (TS models) have been promoted. However, TS models induce strong predictions about the use of payment instruments. In particular, all equal-sized transactions are supposed to be paid with the same payment instrument. We propose a simple alternative model based on cash holding (CH model) that allows equal-sized transactions to be paid for in cash or with other payment instruments. Using micro-level payment data from two representative samples of the French population in 2005 and 2011, we test how well each model replicates the observed shares of cash payments in the French economy for each size of transaction. We find that the CH model outperforms TS models, as it better predicts the observed shares of cash payments with notably less demanding information on individuals.
Problematizing Disciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Problematics

This article situates current debates about transdisciplinarity within the deeper history of academic disciplinarity, in its difference from the notions of inter- and multi-disciplinarity. It offers a brief typology and history of established conceptions of transdisciplinarity within science and technology studies. It then goes on to raise the question of the conceptual structure of transdisciplinary generality in the humanities, with respect to the incorporation of the 19th- and 20th-century German and French philosophical traditions into the anglophone humanities, under the name of ‘theory’. It identifies two distinct – dialectical and anti-dialectical, or dialectical and transversal – transdisciplinary trajectories. It locates the various contributions to the special issue of which it is the introduction within this conceptual field, drawing attention to the distinct contribution of the French debates about structuralism and its aftermath – those by Serres, Foucault, Derrida, Guattari and Latour, in particular. It concludes with an appendix on Foucault’s place within current debates about disciplinarity and academic disciplines.
The Marginal Utility of Income Does not Increase: Borrowing, Lending, and Friedman-Savage Gambles

There has been a great deal of discussion about whether the marginal utility of income rises with income. Most notably, Milton Friedman and Leonard J. Savage argued in their classic paper that the willingness to gamble implies that the marginal utility of income is rising over a range. The discussions of rising marginal utility and of Friedman-Savage gambles have proceeded independently of the literature on time preference, although the issues are in fact related logically. Drawing on this logical relationship we shall show 1) that at least when intertemporal utility is separable, the stable levels of consumption that are usually observed imply that the marginal utility of income decreases as income rises. 2) Even if the marginal utility of income does increase, Friedman-Savage gambles normally will not maximize utility; saving and dissaving can attain the levels of consumption which generate the most utility per dollar of income at a lower cost than gambles unless imperfections in the capital market are severe. 3) Even when the utility function is not temporally separable, repeated gambling cannot be a rational way of dealing with a rising marginal utility of income. We therefore conclude that observed gambling is seldom if ever explained by the logic set out in Friedman and Savage's seminal paper. In view particularly of the stability of consumption levels and the lack of FriedmanSavage gambles, we conclude that marginal utility of income does not rise with income. I. A Conceptual Framework
Induction of Viable but Nonculturable Escherichia coli O157:H7 by High Pressure CO2 and Its Characteristics

The viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state is a survival strategy adopted by many pathogens when exposed to harsh environmental stresses. In this study, we investigated for the first time that whether high pressure CO2 (HPCD), one of the nonthermal pasteurization techniques, can induce Escherichia coli O157:H7 into the VBNC state. By measuring plate counts, viable cell counts and total cell counts, E. coli O157:H7 in 0.85% NaCl solution (pH 7.0) was able to enter the VBNC state by HPCD treatment at 5 MPa and four temperatures (25°C, 31°C, 34°C and 37°C). Meanwhile, with the improvement of treatment temperature, the time required for E. coli O157:H7 to enter VBNC state would shorten. Enzymatic activities in these VBNC cells were lower than those in the exponential-phase cells by using API ZYM kit, which were also reduced with increasing the treatment temperature, but the mechanical resistance of the VBNC cells to sonication was enhanced. These results further confirmed VBNC state was a self-protection mechanism for some bacteria, which minimized cellular energetic requirements and increased the cell resistance. When incubated in tryptic soy broth at 37°C, the VBNC cells induced by HPCD treatment at 25°C, 31°C and 34°C achieved resuscitation, but their resuscitation capabilities decreased with increasing the treatment temperature. Furthermore, electron microscopy revealed changes in the morphology and interior structure of the VBNC cells and the resuscitated cells. These results demonstrated that HPCD could induce E. coli O157:H7 into the VBNC state. Therefore, it is necessary to detect if there exist VBNC microorganisms in HPCD-treated products by molecular-based methods for food safety.
Contribution of the Primary Motor Cortex to Motor Imagery

Motor Imagery (in order to differentiate with other abbreviations we use the term IM) has originally been thought to only involve secondary motor areas associated with the ‘cognitive’ aspects or with the concept of a movement but not motor areas associated with their execution. The most controversial results with respect to this issue have been published on activation of the primary motor cortex (M1). Many methodological problems had to be solved to allow an answer to activation of M1 in IM. In the last years, several new approaches have been put forward in this field of cognitive neuroscience which will be introduced in this review. In the meantime, a preliminary conclusion will be drawn answering the question on M1 involvement in IM.
On international risk sharing and financial globalization: some gloomy evidence

By means of panel and time series regression analyses, and by resorting to a variance decomposition due to Asdrubali et al. (1996) we show that income flows to and from abroad did not play, in general, a large risk sharing role for a pool of EU countries over the horizon 1976-2007. This is particularly true in a pre-globalization period, but remains true for some countries, even in the finance globalization era. We then extend the analysis to consider a measure of cash flow, instead of income, available for consumption, and observe that capital flows to and from abroad have played a largely destabilizing role, to an extent that one might have not expected beforehand. Key to this result is also the study of asymmetries in smoothing positive and negative shocks by the different possible channels. These findings seem to provide some useful insights onto the origin of the recent global financial crisis
Mirror symmetry, Kobayashi's duality, and Saito's duality

M. Kobayashi introduced a notion of duality of weight systems. We tone this notion slightly down to a notion called coupling. We show that coupling induces a relation between the reduced zeta functions of the monodromy operators of the corresponding singularities generalizing an observation of K. Saito concerning Arnold's strange duality. We show that the weight systems of the mirror symmetric pairs of M. Reid's list of 95 families of Gorenstein K3 surfaces in weighted projective 3-spaces are strongly coupled. This includes Arnold's strange duality where the corresponding weight systems are strongly dual in Kobayashi's original sense. We show that the same is true for the extension of Arnold's strange duality found by the author and C. T. C. Wall.
Dynamic CT perfusion imaging of acute stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Because cerebral perfusion imaging for acute stroke is unavailable in most hospitals, we investigated the feasibility of a method of perfusion scanning that can be performed rapidly during standard cranial CT. Our aim was to identify the scanning parameters best suited to indicate tissue at risk and to measure a perfusion limit to predict infarction. METHODS Seventy patients who had suffered stroke and had undergone cranial CT 0.5 to 12 hours (median, 3.75 hr) after the onset of symptoms participated in the study. While undergoing conventional CT, each patient received a bolus of iodinated contrast medium. Maps of time to peak (TTP), cerebral blood volume (CBV), and CBF were calculated from the resulting dynamically enhanced scans. These perfusion images were compared with follow-up CT scans or MR images showing the final infarctions. RESULTS CBF maps predicted the extent of cerebral infarction with a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 98%. In contrast, CBV maps were less sensitive and TTP maps were less specific and also showed areas of collateral flow. Infarction occurred in all of the patients with CBF reduction of more than 70% and in half of the patients with CBF reduction of 40% to 70%. CONCLUSION Dynamic CT perfusion imaging safely detects tissue at risk in cases of acute stroke and is a feasible method for any clinic with a third-generation CT scanner.
Effects of Rimonabant (SR141716) on Fasting-Induced Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis and Neuronal Activation in Lean and Obese Zucker Rats

The effects of the cannabinoid-1 receptor (CB1) antagonist rimonabant on energy metabolism and fasting-induced hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and neuronal activation were investigated. Lean and obese Zucker rats were treated orally with a daily dose of 10 mg/kg rimonabant for 14 days. A comprehensive energy balance profile based on whole-carcass analyses further demonstrated the potential of CB1 antagonists for decreasing energy gain through reducing food intake and potentially increasing brown adipose tissue thermogenesis. Rimonabant also reduced plasma glucose, insulin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, which further confirms the ability of CB1 antagonists to improve insulin sensitivity. To test the hypothesis that rimonabant attenuates the effect of fasting on HPA axis activation in the obese Zucker model, rats were either ad libitum–fed or food-deprived for 8 h. Contrary to expectation, rimonabant increased basal circulating corticosterone levels and enhanced the HPA axis response to food deprivation in obese rats. Rimonabant also exacerbated the neuronal activation seen in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) after short-term deprivation. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that CB1 blockade does not prevent the hypersensitivity to food deprivation occurring at the level of HPA axis and ARC activation in the obese Zucker rats. This, however, does not prevent CB1 antagonism from exerting beneficial effects on energy and glucose metabolism.
Corticosterone-Sensitive Monoamine Transport in the Rat Dorsomedial Hypothalamus: Potential Role for Organic Cation Transporter 3 in Stress-Induced Modulation of Monoaminergic Neurotransmission

Glucocorticoid hormones act within the brain to alter physiological and behavioral responses to stress-related stimuli. Previous studies indicated that acute stressors can increase serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] concentrations in the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH), a midline hypothalamic structure involved in the integration of physiological and behavioral responses to stress. The current study tests the hypothesis that rapid, stress-induced accumulation of 5-HT is attributable to the inhibition of 5-HT transport via organic cation transporters (OCTs). OCTs are a family of high-capacity, bidirectional, multispecific transporters of organic cations (including 5-HT, dopamine, and norepinephrine) only recently described in brain. In peripheral tissues, organic cation transport via some OCTs is inhibited by corticosterone. We examined the expression and function of OCTs in the periventricular medial hypothalamus of male Sprague Dawley rats using reverse-transcriptase (RT)-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and in vitro transport assays. RT-PCR revealed expression of OCT3 mRNA, but not OCT1 or OCT2 mRNA, in the medial hypothalamus. OCT3-like immunoreactivity was observed in ependymal and glial-like cells in the DMH. Acutely prepared minces of rat medial hypothalamic tissue accumulated the OCT substrates [3H]-histamine and [3H]-N-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ([3H]-MPP+). Consistent with the pharmacological profile of OCT3, corticosterone, 5-HT, estradiol, and the OCT inhibitor decynium22 dose-dependently inhibited histamine accumulation. Corticosterone and decynium22 also inhibited efflux of [3H]-MPP+ from hypothalamic minces. These data support the hypothesis that corticosterone-induced inhibition of OCT3 mediates stress-induced accumulation of 5-HT in the DMH and suggest that corticosterone may acutely modulate physiological and behavioral responses to stressors by altering serotonergic neurotransmission in this brain region.