Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPases can shape the pattern of Ca2+ transients induced by store-operated Ca2+ entry

Plasma membrane calcium pumps differentially affect the pattern of calcium signals. Shaping the calcium signal Cells use spatially and locally controlled calcium signals to regulate specific responses and have multiple mechanisms for regulating cytosolic calcium and for removing cytosolic calcium after stimuli that trigger its increase. Pászty et al. investigated how the Ca2+-ATPases that pump calcium out of the cell (PMCAs) contribute to the shape of calcium signals under conditions in which the internal calcium stores have been depleted and cannot contribute to clearing of the calcium from the cytosol. The pattern of calcium signals (oscillating, sustained elevation, or rapid return to baseline) produced in multiple cultured cell lines depended on the abundance of the specific PMCA isoforms, which have different kinetic and regulatory properties. The authors developed a mathematical model that recapitulated the calcium signaling patterns observed in the cultured cells and used the model to identify which properties of PMCA were critical for producing an oscillating Ca2+ pattern. Calcium (Ca2+) is a critical cofactor and signaling mediator in cells, and the concentration of cytosolic Ca2+ is regulated by multiple proteins, including the plasma membrane Ca2+–ATPases (adenosine triphosphatases) (PMCAs), which use ATP to transport Ca2+ out of cells. PMCA isoforms exhibit different kinetic and regulatory properties; thus, the presence and relative abundance of individual isoforms may help shape Ca2+ transients and cellular responses. We studied the effects of three PMCA isoforms (PMCA4a, PMCA4b, and PMCA2b) on Ca2+ transients elicited by conditions that trigger store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) and that blocked Ca2+ uptake into the endoplasmic reticulum in HeLa cells, human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells, or primary endothelial cell isolated from human umbilical cord veins (HUVECs). The slowly activating PMCA4b isoform produced long-lasting Ca2+ oscillations in response to SOCE. The fast-activating isoforms PMCA2b and PMCA4a produced different effects. PMCA2b resulted in rapid and highly PMCA abundance–sensitive clearance of SOCE-mediated Ca2+ transients, whereas PMCA4a reduced cytosolic Ca2+, resulting in the establishment of a higher than baseline cytosolic Ca2+ concentration. Mathematical modeling showed that slow activation was critical to the sustained oscillation induced by the “slow” PMCA4b pump. The modeling and experimental results indicated that the distinct properties of PMCA isoforms differentially regulate the pattern of SOCE-mediated Ca2+ transients, which would thus affect the activation of downstream signaling pathways.
OMPHALOCELE AND PERICARDIAL EFFUSION: POSSIBLE SONOGRAPHIC MARKERS FOR THE PENTALOGY OF CANTRELL OR ITS VARIANTS

Background The pentalogy of Cantrell consists of defects involving the diaphragm, abdominal wall, pericardium, heart, and lower sternum. Cases We report three cases of the pentalogy of Cantrell (Variant form), involving an omphalocele complicated by an anterior diaphragmatic hernia. In two cases, a pericardial effusion was noted at antenatal scannin; the case without a pericardial effusion had an intact diaphragmatic pericardium at surgical repair. Conclusion The presence of a percardial effusion in association with an omphalocele should prompt a detailed search for other features of the pentalogy of Centrell or its variants.
Urban Ozone Concentration Forecasting with Artificial Neural Network in Corsica

Abstract Atmospheric pollutants concentration forecasting is an important issue in air quality monitoring. Qualitair Corse, the organization responsible for monitoring air quality in Corsica (France), needs to develop a short-term prediction model to lead its mission of information towards the public. Various deterministic models exist for local forecasting, but need important computing resources, a good knowledge of atmospheric processes and can be inaccurate because of local climatical or geographical particularities, as observed in Corsica, a mountainous island located in the Mediterranean Sea. As a result, we focus in this study on statistical models, and particularly Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) that have shown good results in the prediction of ozone concentration one hour ahead with data measured locally. The purpose of this study is to build a predictor realizing predictions of ozone 24 hours ahead in Corsica in order to be able to anticipate pollution peaks formation and to take appropriate preventive measures. Specific meteorological conditions are known to lead to particular pollution event in Corsica (e.g. Saharan dust events). Therefore, an ANN model will be used with pollutant and meteorological data for operational forecasting. Index of agreement of this model was calculated with a one year test dataset and reached 0.88.
Hospital Workers Disaster Management and Hospital Nonstructural: A Study in Bandar Abbas, Iran

Introduction: A devastating earthquake is inevitable in the long term and likely in the near future in Iran. The objective of the study was to assess the knowledge of hospital staff to disaster management system in hospital and to determine nonstructural safety assessment in Shahid Mohammadi hospital in Bandar Abbas city of Iran. This hospital is the main referral hospital in Hormozgan province with a capacity of about 450 beds and the highest patient admissions. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013 on 200 healthcare workers at Shahid Mohammadi hospital, in the city of Bandar Abbas, Iran. This hospital is the main referral hospital in Hormozgan province and has a capacity of about 450 beds with highest numbers of patient admissions. Questionnaire and checklist used for assessing health workers knowledge and awareness towards disaster management and nonstructural safety this hospital. Results: This study found that knowledge, awareness, and disaster preparedness of hospital staff need continual reinforcement to improve self efficacy for disaster management. Equipping health care facilities at the time of natural disasters, especially earthquakes are of great importance all over the world, especially in Iran. This requires the national strategies and planning for all health facilities. Conclusion: It seems due to limitations of hospital beds, insufficient of personnel, and medical equipment, health care providers paid greater attention to this issue. Since this hospital is the only educational public hospital in the province, it is essential to pay much attention to the risk management not only to this hospital but at the national level to health facilities.
Identification of the antibodies involved in B-cell crossmatch positivity in renal transplantation

Background. The significance of a positive B-cell crossmatch (BCM) in kidney transplantation has always been controversial in the evaluation of its implications on graft survival and specificity of the antibodies involved. Methods. We have investigated the sera of 62 recipients of a kidney allograft transplanted across a positive BCM (T negative) for the presence of autoantibodies and anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I and II antibodies, using a combination of lymphocytotoxicity, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and flow cytometry tests. The controls were the 930 patients transplanted over the same period of time with a negative T and BCM. Results. Autoantibodies were detected in 16%, and donor specific anti-HLA class II antibodies, mainly DQ, in 23% of the patients. None had antibodies against donor HLA class I. The target of the antibodies was not identified in 61%. Graft survival was comparable in the controls and in the +BCM patients, with nondonor-specific HLA reactivity. Patients with donor-specific anti-HLA class II antibodies had lower early graft survival and a higher incidence of vascular rejection. However, long-term allograft survival was similar to that of the other groups. Conclusion. These data suggest that in 77% of the patients, BCM positivity was not related with anti-HLA antibodies, and, in this case, graft survival was similar to that of the −BCM controls. In a minority of patients, anti-HLA class II antibodies were responsible for the +BCM, and their presence was associated with lower early, but not long-term, graft survival. Consequently, a +BCM should not systematically contraindicate kidney transplantation.
Characterization of a Drosophila Ortholog of the Cdc7 Kinase

Background: Cdc7 is a kinase that, together with its activator Dbf4, regulates the initiation of DNA replication. Results: Drosophila Cdc7 is a functional ortholog of Cdc7 that is required for endoreplication and gene amplification, although Chiffon/Dbf4 is not essential for endoreplication. Conclusion: Cdc7 can function during endoreplication independently of Chiffon. Significance: Either Cdc7 functions alone during endocycling or undiscovered Cdc7 activator(s) exist in Drosophila. Cdc7 is a serine-threonine kinase that phosphorylates components of the pre-replication complex during DNA replication initiation. Cdc7 is highly conserved, and Cdc7 orthologs have been characterized in organisms ranging from yeast to humans. Cdc7 is activated specifically during late G1/S phase by binding to its regulatory subunit, Dbf4. Drosophila melanogaster contains a Dbf4 ortholog, Chiffon, which is essential for chorion amplification in Drosophila egg chambers. However, no Drosophila ortholog of Cdc7 has yet been characterized. Here, we report the functional and biochemical characterization of a Drosophila ortholog of Cdc7. Co-expression of Drosophila Cdc7 and Chiffon is able to complement a growth defect in yeast containing a temperature-sensitive Cdc7 mutant. Cdc7 and Chiffon physically interact and can be co-purified from insect cells. Cdc7 phosphorylates the known Cdc7 substrates Mcm2 and histone H3 in vitro, and Cdc7 kinase activity is stimulated by Chiffon and inhibited by the Cdc7-specific inhibitor XL413. Drosophila egg chamber follicle cells deficient for Cdc7 have a defect in two types of DNA replication, endoreplication and chorion gene amplification. However, follicle cells deficient for Chiffon have a defect in chorion gene amplification but still undergo endocycling. Our results show that Cdc7 interacts with Chiffon to form a functional Dbf4-dependent kinase complex and that Cdc7 is necessary for DNA replication in Drosophila egg chamber follicle cells. Additionally, we show that Chiffon is a member of an expanding subset of DNA replication initiation factors that are not strictly required for endoreplication in Drosophila.
On Voltage Acceleration Models of Time to Breakdown—Part I: Experimental and Analysis Methodologies

We propose and outline three independent experimental methodologies applicable to the investigation of voltage acceleration models of time to breakdown (<i>T</i> <sub>BD</sub>) for dielectric breakdown. The self-consistence requirement of voltage acceleration models and Poisson random statistics in terms of area scaling is discussed in detail. Three different <i>T</i> <sub>BD</sub> acceleration models, which are <i>T</i> <sub>BD</sub> exponential law (<i>E</i> model), <i>T</i> <sub>BD</sub> power law, and <i>T</i> <sub>BD</sub> exponential law of reciprocal voltage and field (1/<i>V</i> model or 1/<i>E</i> model), as widely discussed in literature, are evaluated in the context of these new methodologies. We have found that the <i>T</i> <sub>BD</sub> exponential law of reciprocal voltage (1/<i>V</i> model) is the best description for the <i>T</i> <sub>BD</sub> voltage acceleration in the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling regime while the <i>T</i> <sub>BD</sub> power-law model is the most appropriate in the direct tunneling regime.
Learning Functional Relations Based on Experience With Input-Output Pairs by Humans and Artificial Neural Networks

Before making any serious decision, we normally try to anticipate how the effects of our action will vary depending on the action taken. For example, before an anaesthetist can decide the amount of anaesthetic to administer to a patient, she needs to predict how the analgesic effect will vary as a function of the amount injected. Before a father can decide the amount of money to invest in his son's college education, he needs to predict how the return will vary as a function of the size of the investment. The point is that prediction is essential to decision making. Predictions are thought to be based on knowledge of the functional relation between the strength of a cause and the magnitude of an effect. For this reason, there is a large body of empirical research by decision scientists investigating how people learn functional relations (Slovic& Lichtenstein 1971, Klayman 1988). Much of this research, however, has been not been synthesized and integrated into coherent theory, and so this literature remains disconnected from mainstream cognitive psychology. From a cognitive perspective, functions can be viewed as abstract concepts that summarize cause-effect relationships. Cognitive psychologists have made great progress developing theories of how people learn abstract concepts (see Estes 1994). However, most of this theoretical effort has been restricted to one simple type of concept
Smenospongine, a Sesquiterpene Aminoquinone from a Marine Sponge, Induces G1 Arrest or Apoptosis in Different Leukemia Cells

Smenospongine, a sesquiterpene aminoquinone isolated from the marine sponge Dactylospongia elegans, was previously reported by us to induce erythroid differentiation and G1 phase arrest of K562 chronic myelogenous leukemia cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of smenospongine on the cell cycles of other leukemia cells, including HL60 human acute promyelocytic leukemia cells and U937 human histiocytic lymphoma cells by flow cytometric analysis. Smenospongine induced apoptosis dose-dependently in HL60 and U937 cells. The smenospongine treatment increased expression of p21 and inhibited phosphorylation of Rb in K562 cells, suggesting the p21-Rb pathway play an important role in G1 arrest in K562 cells. However, the p21 promoter was not activated by the smenospongine treatment based on a luciferase assay using the transfected K562 cells. Smenospongine might induce p21 expression via another mechanism than transactivation of p21 promoter.
Morphologization and rule death in Old English: a stratal optimality theoretic account of high vowel deletion

The intricacies and exceptions of high vowel deletion in Old English have been the subject of much debate in recent historical phonology. Traditional philological handbooks such as Campbell (1959) describe the process within the assumptions of the Neogrammarian tradition. As such, high vowel deletion has been described as a phonological process that removes historically high and synchronically unstressed vowels after a heavy syllable, or two light syllables. However, the descriptions in these handbooks also reveal that exceptions are common, and as per the Neogrammarian tradition, these are usually assumed to be the result of analogy. In contrast, recent studies have sought to account for the exceptions in a way that lends more explanatory power (e.g. Stratal Optimality accounts including Bermudez-Otero 2005). Such accounts have shown that there is more to the exceptions than analogy, and that phonological rules, as their synchronic activity declines, can become entangled with other morphological and phonological conditioning, due to the high levels of surface opacity that causes them to become unlearnable. Many of the accounts of high vowel deletion have focused on the West Saxon of Alfred (Early WS) and AElfric (late WS), and recent descriptions of high vowel deletion have largely focused upon the noun declensions (e.g. Bermudez-Otero in prep) and the weak verb preterites (Minkova 2012). In this study, I focus in particular upon the behaviour of high vowel deletion in the strong and weak verbs; including the past participles and both the present and preterites. The selected data represent the Early West Saxon dialect and also the Late Northumbrian dialect found in the Lindisfarne Gospel gloss. Discussion of the process as found in nouns and adjectives will also be incorporated. The study has two larger aims: 1. To provide an analysis of syncope for newly collected data sets from Early West Saxon and Lindisfarne verbs, and 2. To contribute to the debate surrounding how to account for morphophonological interaction within inflexional paradigms. The data reveal evidence to show that high vowel deletion is indeed suffering from the demise of its original phonological conditions in the verbs. It is not argued however that full lexicalization has yet taken place throughout the verbs. Instead, the data present a range of degrees of morphologization, within which the original phonological conditions have become supplemented by additional morphological conditions. Additional phonological conditioning is also in evidence. The Lindisfarne strong past participles, it is argued, represent a morphological category within which weight-based syncope is synchronically blocked. The wider question of how and why morphological and phonological conditions come to be added to existing phonological processes is addressed, and I argue that such phenomena result from unsustainable levels of opacity in the grammar (Anderson 1989), and that a theoretical framework that allows for the interaction of phonology and morphology within the grammar…
On the Best Evolutionary Rate for Phylogenetic Analysis

Ð The effect of the evolutionary rate of a gene on the accuracy of phylogeny reconstruction was exam ined by computer simulation. The evolutionary rate is measured by the tree length, that is, the expected total number of nucleotide substitutions per site on the phylogeny. DNA sequence data were simulated using both ® xed trees with speci ® ed branch lengths and random trees with branch lengths generated from a model of cladogenesis. The parsimony and likelihood methods were used for phylogeny reconstruction, and the proportion of correctly recovered branch partitions by each m ethod was estimated. Phylogenetic methods including parsimony appear quite tolerant of multiple substitutions at the same site. The optimum levels of sequence divergence were even higher than upper limits previously suggested for saturation of substitutions, indicating that the problem of saturation m ay have been exaggerated. Instead, the lack of inform ation at low levels of divergence should be seriously considered in evaluation of a gene’s phylogenetic utility, especially when the gene sequence is short. The perform ance of parsimony, relative to that of likelihood, does not necessarily decrease with the increase of the evolutionary rate. [Branch lengths; homoplasy; likelihood; parsimony; phylogeny; optimum evolutionary rate; saturation;
Temporal Evolution of Social Innovation

Acceptance of an innovation can occur through mutliple exposures to individuals who have already accepted it. Presented here is a model to trace the evolution of an innovation in a social network with a preference $\lambda$, amidst topological constraints specified mainly by connectivity, $k$ and population size, $N_k$. With the interplay between properties of innovation and network structure, the model attempts to explain the variations in patterns of innovations across social networks. Time in which the propagation attains highest velocity depends on $\lambda^{-2}k^{-2}N_{k}^{1/2}$. Dynamics in random networks may lead or lag behind that in scale-free networks depending on the average connectivity. Hierarchical propagation is evident across connectivity classes within scale-free networks, as well as across random networks with distinct topological indices. For highly preferred innovations, the hierarchy observed within scale-free networks tends to be insignificant. The results have implications for administering innovations in finite size networks.
Influences of experiences of robots into Negative Attitudes toward Robots

In order to investigate what type of experiences of robots influences negative attitudes toward them, an online survey (N = 1,200) was conducted in Japan, by using the Negative Attitudes toward Robots Scale (NARS). The results suggested that (1) there were almost no strong relationships between types of robot experiences and gender, and age, (2) the correlations between negative attitudes toward robots and age were low, (3) experiences of robots in real situations decreased negative attitudes toward interaction with and social influences of robots in comparison with experiences via media, and (4) negative attitudes toward emotional interaction with robots were not affected by these experiences.
Understanding Low- and High-Level Contributions to Fixation Prediction

Understanding where people look in images is an important problem in computer vision. Despite significant research, it remains unclear to what extent human fixations can be predicted by low-level (contrast) compared to highlevel (presence of objects) image features. Here we address this problem by introducing two novel models that use different feature spaces but the same readout architecture. The first model predicts human fixations based on deep neural network features trained on object recognition. This model sets a new state-of-the art in fixation prediction by achieving top performance in area under the curve metrics on the MIT300 hold-out benchmark (AUC = 88%, sAUC = 77%, NSS = 2.34). The second model uses purely low-level (isotropic contrast) features. This model achieves better performance than all models not using features pretrained on object recognition, making it a strong baseline to assess the utility of high-level features. We then evaluate and visualize which fixations are better explained by lowlevel compared to high-level image features. Surprisingly we find that a substantial proportion of fixations are better explained by the simple low-level model than the stateof- the-art model. Comparing different features within the same powerful readout architecture allows us to better understand the relevance of low- versus high-level features in predicting fixation locations, while simultaneously achieving state-of-the-art saliency prediction.
Resistance to IFN-α–Induced Apoptosis Is Linked to a Loss of STAT2

Type I IFNs (IFN-α/β) are pleitropic cytokines widely used in the treatment of certain malignancies, hepatitis B and C, and multiple sclerosis. IFN resistance is a challenging clinical problem to overcome. Hence, understanding the molecular mechanism by which IFN immunotherapy ceases to be effective is of translational importance. In this study, we report that continuous IFN-α stimulation of the human Jurkat variant H123 led to resistance to type I IFN–induced apoptosis due to a loss of signal transducers and activators of transcription 2 (STAT2) expression. The apoptotic effects of IFN-α were hampered as STAT2-deficient cells were defective in activating the mitochondrial-dependent death pathway and ISGF3-mediated gene activation. Reconstitution of STAT2 restored the apoptotic effects of IFN-α as measured by the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, cytochrome c release from mitochondria, caspase activation, and ultimately cell death. Nuclear localization of STAT2 was a critical event as retention of tyrosine-phosphorylated STAT2 in the cytosol was not sufficient to activate apoptosis. Furthermore, silencing STAT2 gene expression in Saos2 and A375S.2 tumor cell lines significantly reduced the apoptotic capacity of IFN-α. Altogether, we show that STAT2 is a critical mediator in the activation of type I IFN–induced apoptosis. More importantly, defects in the expression or nuclear localization of STAT2 could lessen the efficacy of type I IFN immunotherapy. Mol Cancer Res; 8(1); 80–92