Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Voltage-dependent Anion Channels Control the Release of the Superoxide Anion from Mitochondria to Cytosol*

Several reactions in biological systems contribute to maintain the steady-state concentrations of superoxide anion (O 2 ⨪ ) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The electron transfer chain of mitochondria is a well documented source of H2O2; however, the release of O 2 ⨪ from mitochondria into cytosol has not been unequivocally established. This study was aimed at validating mitochondria as sources of cytosolic O 2 ⨪ , elucidating the mechanisms underlying the release of O 2 ⨪ from mitochondria into cytosol, and assessing the role of outer membrane voltage-dependent anion channels (VDACs) in this process. Isolated rat heart mitochondria supplemented with complex I or II substrates generate an EPR signal ascribed to O 2 ⨪ . Inhibition of the signal in a concentration-dependent manner by both manganese-superoxide dismutase and cytochromec proteins that cannot cross the mitochondrial membrane supports the extramitochondrial location of the spin adduct. Basal rates of O 2 ⨪ release from mitochondria were estimated at ∼0.04 nmol/min/mg protein, a value increased ∼8-fold by the complex III inhibitor, antimycin A. These estimates, obtained by quantitative spin-trapping EPR, were confirmed by fluorescence techniques, mainly hydroethidine oxidation and horseradish peroxidase-basedp-hydroxyphylacetate dimerization. Inhibitors of VDAC, 4′-diisothiocyano-2,2′-disulfonic acid stilbene (DIDS), and dextran sulfate (in a voltage-dependent manner) inhibited O 2 ⨪ production from mitochondria by ∼55%, thus suggesting that a large portion of O 2 ⨪ exited mitochondria via these channels. These findings are discussed in terms of competitive decay pathways for O 2 ⨪ in the intermembrane space and cytosol as well as the implications of these processes for modulating cell signaling pathways in these compartments.
NimbRo TeenSize 2008 Team Description

This document describes the RoboCup Humanoid League team NimbRo TeenSize of Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Germany, as required by the qualification procedure for the competition to be held in Suzhou, China, in July 2008. Our team uses self-constructed robots for playing soccer. The paper describes the mechanical and electrical design of the robots. It also covers the software used for perception, and behavior control.
Is Androcentric Bias in the Educational Workplace on the Wane? Perplexing Findings

Androcentrism is a value system that views the male perspective as superior to the female perspective. Some theorists maintain that androcentric bias explains why, compared to their numbers in education, women continue to be underrepresented in administrative positions. This article reports the findings of a study examining teacher reactions to job descriptions depicting attributes of the principalship purported to influence men and women differently. Contrary to our expectations, both men and women preferred the job descriptions depicting the collaborative style of leadership previously ascribed to women. Does this finding portend the demise of the gender-based value system found in educational administration?
Regulating Factors of PrPres Glycosylation in Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease - Implications for the Dissemination and the Diagnosis of Human Prion Strains

Objective The glycoprofile of pathological prion protein (PrPres) is widely used as a diagnosis marker in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and is thought to vary in a strain-specific manner. However, that the same glycoprofile of PrPres always accumulates in the whole brain of one individual has been questioned. We aimed to determine whether and how PrPres glycosylation is regulated in the brain of patients with sporadic and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Methods PrPres glycoprofiles in four brain regions from 134 patients with sporadic or variant CJD were analyzed as a function of the genotype at codon 129 of PRNP and the Western blot type of PrPres. Results The regional distribution of PrPres glycoforms within one individual was heterogeneous in sporadic but not in variant CJD. PrPres glycoforms ratio significantly correlated with the genotype at codon 129 of the prion protein gene and the Western blot type of PrPres in a region-specific manner. In some cases of sCJD, the glycoprofile of thalamic PrPres was undistinguishable from that observed in variant CJD. Interpretation Regulations leading to variations of PrPres pattern between brain regions in sCJD patients, involving host genotype and Western blot type of PrPres may contribute to the specific brain targeting of prion strains and have direct implications for the diagnosis of the different forms of CJD.
The occurrence of postoperative atrial fibrillation according to different surgical settings in cardiac surgery patients.

OBJECTIVES Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia after cardiac surgery. The pathogenesis of postoperative atrial fibrillation is multifactorial. The aim of the study was to analyse preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative factors and their relationships with the occurrence and duration of atrial fibrillation. METHODS One hundred and ninety-six patients with coronary heart disease (152 men, age 62.7 ± 10.1 years) underwent surgical revascularization. Extracorporeal circulation was used in 64 patients and minimal extracorporeal circulation was used in 75 patients. Fifty-seven patients underwent surgery without extracorporeal circulation. During the first three postoperative days, subjects were monitored for the duration and incidence of atrial fibrillation, laboratory markers of inflammation (C-reactive protein, leucocytes) and serum potassium. RESULTS Demographic data and associated cardiovascular diseases in the groups were not statistically different. The overall incidence of atrial fibrillation was 56% (110 patients). The highest incidence of atrial fibrillation was found in the extracorporeal circulation subgroup, with a significantly lower incidence using minimal extracorporeal circulation, and in patients operated on without extracorporeal circulation (75 vs 47 vs 46%, P <0.001). The longest duration of atrial fibrillation was found in patients operated on with extracorporeal circulation compared with minimal extracorporeal circulation, and without extracorporeal circulation (9.7 ± 11.6 vs 4.9 ± 8.3 vs 3.1 ± 5.2, P ≤0.001). The incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation significantly correlated with elevation of inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, leucocytes) compared with patients who were free of atrial fibrillation (P ≤0.001, P ≤0.05). The values of serum potassium were not significantly different. The relationship between postoperative atrial fibrillation and echocardiographic parameters was not confirmed. CONCLUSIONS The use of extracorporeal circulation leads to a higher incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation compared with the use of minimal extracorporeal circulation or with surgery without extracorporeal circulation, probably due to enhanced systemic inflammatory response.
Effects of range expansion and interference coordination on capacity and fairness in heterogeneous networks

Range expansion and inter-cell interference coordination can improve the capacity and fairness of heterogeneous networks by off-loading macrocell users to low-power nodes like picocells. In contrast to previous studies, which rely mostly on simulations, we here consider analytical models for base station and user (UE) locations in a macro network with pico-cell overlay and derive closed-form expressions for the distribution of the signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) and spectral efficiencies (SEs) of UEs associated with macro- and pico-cells. These results illuminate the effects on SE of (i) duration of the macro almost blank subframes (ABSs), (ii) the SINR threshold for a UE to be served by a picocell during ABSs, and (iii) the range expansion bias. They also help determine the optimum settings of these parameters.
Gravity on parallelizable manifold

General relativity postulates that the gravity field is defined on a Riemannian manifold. The field equations are $R^\mu_\nu = 0$ i.e. Ricci's curvature tensor vanishes. The field equations have to be augmented by natural physical requirements like orientability, time orientability and existence of a spinorial structure. Moreover, it is impossible to define the energy of the gravity field only by the metric tensor. We suggest to impose an additional structure and consider parallelizable manifold i.e. manifolds for which a smooth field of frames exists. The derivation of the field equations is by an action principle. A Lagrangian, which is quadratic in the differentials, is defined. The minimum of the action is achieved at a $16 \times 16$ second order quasi linear system. It is of Laplacian type. The system admits a unique exact solution for a centrally symmetric, static and assimptotically flat field. The resulting metric is the celebrated Rosen metric, which is very close to the Schwarzchild metric. The two are intrinsicly different since the scalar curvature of the Schuarzschild metric is zero, in contrast to Rosen's which is positive. The suggested field admits black holes which are briefly discussed.
Investigation of Motor Adaptation to Mirror Visual Feedback

The present study investigated motor adaptation of point-to-point reaching movements to mirror feedback in the sagittal plane. This is a novel paradigm that both displaces and inverts the visual feedback of the right hand, showing it as the left hand. This environment creates a conflict between proprioceptive (and somatosensory) and visual feedback through the direction of errors produced as the result of a movement. Somatosensory, proprioceptive, and visual feedback are used to update internal models of the body and the space surrounding it in order to generate motor commands for upcoming movements. The process of updating internal models has been proposed as an explanation for motor adaptation. The first goal of the study was to characterize learning of the mirror perturbation. The results showed that adaptation occurred within a single training session, however the accuracy of the reaches made in the final perturbation reaches never returned to baseline. The second goal of the study was to determine the effect of mirror feedback on adaptation to a velocity-dependent force applied to the hand by a robotic manipulandum. The results show that subjects were able to adapt to the perturbation generated by the force while receiving mirror feedback at the same rate as when they were given correct visual feedback. These results suggest that visual and proprioceptive feedback can be processed in parallel, which allows the internal models to adjust to the deviating force relying solely on proprioceptive and somatosensory feedback.
Distance based algorithms for small biomolecule classification and structural similarity search

MOTIVATION Structural similarity search among small molecules is a standard tool used in molecular classification and in-silico drug discovery. The effectiveness of this general approach depends on how well the following problems are addressed. The notion of similarity should be chosen for providing the highest level of discrimination of compounds wrt the bioactivity of interest. The data structure for performing search should be very efficient as the molecular databases of interest include several millions of compounds. RESULTS In this paper we focus on the k-nearest-neighbor search method, which, until recently was not considered for small molecule classification. The few recent applications of k-nn to compound classification focus on selecting the most relevant set of chemical descriptors which are then compared under standard Minkowski distance L(p). Here we show how to computationally design the optimal weighted Minkowski distance wL(p) for maximizing the discrimination between active and inactive compounds wrt bioactivities of interest. We then show how to construct pruning based k-nn search data structures for any wL(p) distance that minimizes similarity search time. The accuracy achieved by our classifier is better than the alternative LDA and MLR approaches and is comparable to the ANN methods. In terms of running time, our classifier is considerably faster than the ANN approach especially when large data sets are used. Furthermore, our classifier quantifies the level of bioactivity rather than returning a binary decision and thus is more informative than the ANN approach.
Reducing the tension between work and life roles: Testing a work life conflict intervention

Laughman, Courtney Ann. M.S., Purdue University, May 2015. Reducing the Tension Between Work and Life Roles: Testing a Work Life Conflict Intervention. Major Professor: Jane R. Williams. Work-life conflict has been repeatedly demonstrated to have a negative impact on individuals and organizations alike. Although the negative impact of work-life conflict has been recognized in the Industrial Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavioral literature, very few researchers have developed interventions to reduce it. Moreover, the interventions currently in existence tend not to be practical, grounded in relevant theory, or experimentally tested. Thus, the present study sought to create and test an intervention based upon concepts from border theory and conservation of resources theory. Specifically, using these theories, the intervention sought to provide segmentation techniques as a resource for participants to reduce work-life conflict. The intervention was tested on a group of university employees. Results were unsupportive of predicted hypotheses, the intervention was not found to significantly impact segmentation, worklife conflict, work outcomes, or personal outcomes. Future directions, theoretical and practical contributions, and limitations are discussed. Despite insignificant findings, the present study offers practical and theoretical guidance for organizations and researchers interested in developing interventions to reduce work-life conflict.
The RssAB Two-Component Signal Transduction System in Serratia marcescens Regulates Swarming Motility and Cell Envelope Architecture in Response to Exogenous Saturated Fatty Acids

ABSTRACT Serratia marcescens swarms at 30°C but not at 37°C on a nutrient-rich (LB) agar surface. Mini-Tn5 mutagenesis of S. marcescens CH-1 yielded a mutant (WC100) that swarms not only vigorously at 37°C but also earlier and faster than the parent strain swarms at 30°C. Analysis of this mutant revealed that the transposon was inserted into a gene (rssA) predicted to encode a bacterial two-component signal transduction sensor kinase, upstream of which a potential response regulator gene (rssB) was located. rssA and rssB insertion-deletion mutants were constructed through homologous recombination, and the two mutants exhibited similar swarming phenotypes on LB swarming agar, in which swarming not only occurred at 37°C but also initiated at a lower cell density, on a surface with a higher agar concentration, and more rapidly than the swarming of the parent strain at 30°C. Both mutants also exhibited increased hemolysin activity and altered cell surface topologies compared with the parent CH-1 strain. Temperature and certain saturated fatty acids (SFAs) were found to negatively regulate S. marcescens swarming via the action of RssA-RssB. Analysis of the fatty acid profiles of the parent and the rssA and rssB mutants grown at 30°C or 37°C and under different nutrition conditions revealed a relationship between cellular fatty acid composition and swarming phenotypes. The cellular fatty acid profile was also observed to be affected by RssA and RssB. SFA-dependent inhibition of swarming was also observed in Proteus mirabilis, suggesting that either SFAs per se or the modulation of cellular fatty acid composition and hence homeostasis of membrane fluidity may be a conserved mechanism for regulating swarming motility in gram-negative bacteria.
The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals

Acknowledgments List of Illustrations Figures Plates Preface to the Anniversary Edition by Paul Ekman Preface to the Third Edition by Paul Ekman Preface to the Second Edition by Francis Darwin Introduction to the Third Edition by Paul Ekman The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals Introduction to the First Edition 1. General Principles of Expression 2. General Principles of Expression -- continued 3. General Principles of Expression -- continued 4. Means of Expression in Animals 5. Special Expressions of Animals 6. Special Expressions of Man: Suffering and Weeping 7. Low Spirits, Anxiety, Grief, Dejection, Despair 8. Joy, High Spirits, Love, Tender Feelings, Devotion 9. Reflection - Meditation - Ill-temper - Sulkiness - Determination 10. Hatred and Anger 11. Disdain - Contempt - Disgust - Guilt - Pride, Etc. - Helplessness - Patience - Affirmation and Negation 12. Surprise - Astonishment - Fear - Horror 13. Self-attention - Shame - Shyness - Modesty: Blushing 14. Concluding Remarks and Summary Afterword, by Paul Ekman APPENDIX I: Charles Darwin's Obituary, by T. H. Huxley APPENDIX II: Changes to the Text, by Paul Ekman APPENDIX III: Photography and The Expression of the Emotions, by Phillip Prodger APPENDIX IV: A Note on the Orientation of the Plates, by Phillip Prodger and Paul Ekman APPENDIX V: Concordance of Illustrations, by Phillip Prodger APPENDIX VI: List of Head Words from the Index to the First Edition NOTES NOTES TO THE COMMENTARIES INDEX
Combination Antibiotic Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia in Non-Leukemic Patients

The use of more aggressive chemotherapies in the treatment of patients with some tumors has caused a higher frequency of neutropenia and subsequent serious infections. To verify the role in these patients of a combination therapy of amikacin (300 mg/m2 i.v. every 12 hours) plus ceftazidime (2 g/m2 i.v. every 8 hours) adminsitered as initial empiric treatment, followed in non-responsive cases by a second-line therapy with clindamycin (300 mg/m2 i.v. every 8 hours), we conducted a prospective study in 45 febrile episodes (temperature ≥38.5 °C) in neutropenic patients (neutrophils ≤500/ml). The patients' median age was 58 (range, 19-80); 29 were women and 16 were men. The median performance status was 50 (range, 30-90), and 71 % of the patients had progressive tumoral disease. Before antibiotic therapy the median duration of fever was 12 hours (range, 4-48 hours). The median granulocyte count was 350/ml (range, 100-500 cells/ml), and the median peak temperature was 38.8 °C (range, 38.5-41 °C). The median time for neutrophils to rise towards 1000/ml was 4 days (range, 2-12), and the median duration of therapy was 8 days (range, 3-12). Documented bacterial infections were present in 28 patients whereas 17 had clinically possible infections or fever of unknown origin. The infection sites in microbiologically documented infections were: septicemia (12), multiple sites (4), tonsillitis (4), urinary tract (4), pneumonia (2) and fistula (2). Complete response to first-line therapy was obtained in 36 out of 45 episodes (80 %; 95 % confidence limits from 65 % to 90 %). Five out of 8 cases responded to second-line therapy with clindamycin for an overall recovery rate of 91 %. The amikacin-ceftazidime combination followed by clindamycin in non-responsive cases is effective, with moderate toxicity in non-leukemic febrile neutropenic patients.
Predictors of acute toxicities during definitive chemoradiation using intensity-modulated radiotherapy for anal squamous cell carcinoma

Purpose. To identify clinical and dosimetric factors associated with acute hematologic and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities during definitive therapy using intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC). Materials and methods. We retrospectively analyzed 108 ASCC patients treated with IMRT. Clinical information included age, gender, stage, concurrent chemotherapy, mitomycin (MMC) chemotherapy and weekly hematologic and GI toxicity during IMRT. From contours of the bony pelvis and bowel, dose-volume parameters were extracted. Logistic regression models were used to test associations between toxicities and clinical or dosimetric predictors. Results. The median age was 59 years, 81 patients were women and 84 patients received concurrent MMC and 5-fluorouracil (5FU). On multivariate analysis (MVA), the model most predictive of Grade 2 + anemia included the maximum bony pelvis dose (Dmax), female gender, and T stage [p = 0.035, cross validation area under the curve (cvAUC) = 0.66]. The strongest model of Grade 2 + leukopenia included V10 (percentage of pelvic bone volume receiving ≥ 10 Gy) and number of MMC cycles (p = 0.276, cvAUC = 0.57). The model including MMC cycle number and T stage correlated best with Grade 2 + neutropenia (p = 0.306, cvAUC = 0.57). The model predictive of combined Grade 2 + hematologic toxicity (HT) included V10 and T stage (p = 0.016, cvAUC = 0.66). A model including VA45 (absolute bowel volume receiving ≥ 45 Gy) and MOH5 (mean dose to hottest 5% of bowel volume) best predicted diarrhea (p = 0.517, cvAUC = 0.56). Conclusion. Dosimetric constraints to the pelvic bones should be integrated into IMRT planning to reduce toxicity, potentially reducing treatment interruptions and improving disease outcomes in ASCC. Specifically, our results indicate that Dmax should be confined to ≤ 57 Gy to minimize anemia and that V10 should be restricted to ≤ 87% to reduce incidence of all HT.
Tre1, a G Protein-Coupled Receptor, Directs Transepithelial Migration of Drosophila Germ Cells

In most organisms, germ cells are formed distant from the somatic part of the gonad and thus have to migrate along and through a variety of tissues to reach the gonad. Transepithelial migration through the posterior midgut (PMG) is the first active step during Drosophila germ cell migration. Here we report the identification of a novel G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), Tre1, that is essential for this migration step. Maternal tre1 RNA is localized to germ cells, and tre1 is required cell autonomously in germ cells. In tre1 mutant embryos, most germ cells do not exit the PMG. The few germ cells that do leave the midgut early migrate normally to the gonad, suggesting that this gene is specifically required for transepithelial migration and that mutant germ cells are still able to recognize other guidance cues. Additionally, inhibiting small Rho GTPases in germ cells affects transepithelial migration, suggesting that Tre1 signals through Rho1. We propose that Tre1 acts in a manner similar to chemokine receptors required during transepithelial migration of leukocytes, implying an evolutionarily conserved mechanism of transepithelial migration. Recently, the chemokine receptor CXCR4 was shown to direct migration in vertebrate germ cells. Thus, germ cells may more generally use GPCR signaling to navigate the embryo toward their target.