Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preconditioning of Spatial and Auditory Cues: Roles of the Hippocampus, Frontal Cortex, and Cue-Directed Attention

Loss of function of the hippocampus or frontal cortex is associated with reduced performance on memory tasks, in which subjects are incidentally exposed to cues at specific places in the environment and are subsequently asked to recollect the location at which the cue was experienced. Here, we examined the roles of the rodent hippocampus and frontal cortex in cue-directed attention during encoding of memory for the location of a single incidentally experienced cue. During a spatial sensory preconditioning task, rats explored an elevated platform while an auditory cue was incidentally presented at one corner. The opposite corner acted as an unpaired control location. The rats demonstrated recollection of location by avoiding the paired corner after the auditory cue was in turn paired with shock. Damage to either the dorsal hippocampus or the frontal cortex impaired this memory ability. However, we also found that hippocampal lesions enhanced attention directed towards the cue during the encoding phase, while frontal cortical lesions reduced cue-directed attention. These results suggest that the deficit in spatial sensory preconditioning caused by frontal cortical damage may be mediated by inattention to the location of cues during the latent encoding phase, while deficits following hippocampal damage must be related to other mechanisms such as generation of neural plasticity.
A monolayer and bulk study on the kinetic behavior of Pseudomonas glumae lipase using synthetic pseudoglycerides.

A heat-stable lipase from Pseudomonas glumae was purified to homogeneity. Its positional and stereospecific properties were investigated and compared with those of the well-known porcine pancreatic lipase. The kinetic properties of both enzymes were determined by use of six isomeric synthetic pseudoglycerides all composed of a single hydrolyzable fatty acyl ester bond and two lipase-resistant groups: one acylamino and one ether function. Two enzyme assay techniques were applied: a detergent-free system, the monomolecular surface film technique, and the pH-stat technique using clear micellar solutions of substrate in the presence of Triton X-100. Regarding the cleavage of primary ester bonds, P. glumae lipase possesses no stereopreference. In contrast, a large stereopreference in favor of the R-isomer is found for the hydrolysis of secondary ester bonds. Secondary ester bonds are efficiently cleaved by the lipase, which makes it of potential interest for enzymatic synthetic purposes. For the hydrolysis of this R-isomer a correlation between the experimental catalytic turnover rate and the binding constant for micelles was observed. The kinetic data of P. glumae lipase have been analyzed in terms of the scooting and hopping models for the action of lipolytic enzymes [Upreti, G.C. , & Jain, M.K. (1980) J. Membr. Biol. 55, 113-121]. The results presented in this study are best explained by assuming that glumae lipase leaves the interface after a limited number of catalytic cycles.
400-GHz InP/GaAsSb DHBTs With Low-Noise Microwave Performance

We report self-aligned 0.3-μm emitter InP/GaAsSb/ InP DHBTs featuring a common-emitter current gain of 46 and cutoff frequencies fT = 400 GHz and fMAX = 322 GHz for devices implemented with a 20-nm C-doped base and a 75-nm InP collector. Our DHBTs display attractive noise properties with a minimum noise figure NFmin = 1.2 dB at 20 GHz, which is nearly independent of frequency over the 2-20-GHz measurement band. This represents an improvement of at least 2.3 dB with respect to previously published results for GaAsSb-based devices, due to process improvements that allow good RF characteristics to be maintained at the low current levels required for low noise operation. Analysis shows that the low-frequency NFmin is limited by the relatively low current gain values typical of III-V HBTs. InP/GaAsSb DHBTs could be attractive low-noise devices for higher frequencies.
Dynamic deterministic effects propagation networks: learning signalling pathways from longitudinal protein array data

Motivation: Network modelling in systems biology has become an important tool to study molecular interactions in cancer research, because understanding the interplay of proteins is necessary for developing novel drugs and therapies. De novo reconstruction of signalling pathways from data allows to unravel interactions between proteins and make qualitative statements on possible aberrations of the cellular regulatory program. We present a new method for reconstructing signalling networks from time course experiments after external perturbation and show an application of the method to data measuring abundance of phosphorylated proteins in a human breast cancer cell line, generated on reverse phase protein arrays. Results: Signalling dynamics is modelled using active and passive states for each protein at each timepoint. A fixed signal propagation scheme generates a set of possible state transitions on a discrete timescale for a given network hypothesis, reducing the number of theoretically reachable states. A likelihood score is proposed, describing the probability of measurements given the states of the proteins over time. The optimal sequence of state transitions is found via a hidden Markov model and network structure search is performed using a genetic algorithm that optimizes the overall likelihood of a population of candidate networks. Our method shows increased performance compared with two different dynamical Bayesian network approaches. For our real data, we were able to find several known signalling cascades from the ERBB signalling pathway. Availability: Dynamic deterministic effects propagation networks is implemented in the R programming language and available at http://www.dkfz.de/mga2/ddepn/ Contact: c.bender@dkfz.de
Straight ladder inclined angle in a field environment: the relationship among actual angle, method of set-up and knowledge

Abstract Ladder inclined angle is a critical factor that could lead to a slip at the base of portable straight ladders, a major cause of falls from heights. Despite several methods established to help workers achieve the recommended 75.5° angle for ladder set-up, it remains unclear if these methods are used in practice. This study explored ladder set-up behaviours in a field environment. Professional installers of a company in the cable and other pay TV industry were observed for ladder set-up at their worksites. The results showed that the actual angles of 265 ladder set-ups by 67 participants averaged 67.3° with a standard deviation of 3.22°. Although all the participants had training on recommended ladder set-up methods, only 3 out of 67 participants applied these methods in their daily work and even they failed to achieve the desired 75.5° angle. Therefore, ladder set-up remains problematic in real-world situations. Practitioner Summary: Professional installers of a cable company were observed for portable straight ladder set-up at their worksites. The ladder inclined angle averaged 67.3° with a standard deviation of 3.22°, while the recommended angle is 75.5°. Only a few participants used the methods that they learned during training in their daily work.
Exon-Level Microarray Analyses Identify Alternative Splicing Programs in Breast Cancer

Protein isoforms produced by alternative splicing (AS) of many genes have been implicated in several aspects of cancer genesis and progression. These observations motivated a genome-wide assessment of AS in breast cancer. We accomplished this by measuring exon level expression in 31 breast cancer and nonmalignant immortalized cell lines representing luminal, basal, and claudin-low breast cancer subtypes using Affymetrix Human Junction Arrays. We analyzed these data using a computational pipeline specifically designed to detect AS with a low false-positive rate. This identified 181 splice events representing 156 genes as candidates for AS. Reverse transcription-PCR validation of a subset of predicted AS events confirmed 90%. Approximately half of the AS events were associated with basal, luminal, or claudin-low breast cancer subtypes. Exons involved in claudin-low subtype–specific AS were significantly associated with the presence of evolutionarily conserved binding motifs for the tissue-specific Fox2 splicing factor. Small interfering RNA knockdown of Fox2 confirmed the involvement of this splicing factor in subtype-specific AS. The subtype-specific AS detected in this study likely reflects the splicing pattern in the breast cancer progenitor cells in which the tumor arose and suggests the utility of assays for Fox-mediated AS in cancer subtype definition and early detection. These data also suggest the possibility of reducing the toxicity of protein-targeted breast cancer treatments by targeting protein isoforms that are not present in limiting normal tissues. Mol Cancer Res; 8(7); 961–74. ©2010 AACR.
When and how to update systematic reviews: consensus and checklist

Updating of systematic reviews is generally more efficient than starting all over again when new evidence emerges, but to date there has been no clear guidance on how to do this. This guidance helps authors of systematic reviews, commissioners, and editors decide when to update a systematic review, and then how to go about updating the review.
A Multifaceted Study on Eye Contact based Speaker Identification in Three-party Conversations

To precisely understand human gaze behaviors in three-party conversations, this work is dedicated to look into whether the speaker can be reliably identified from the interlocutors in a three-party conversation on the basis of the interactive behaviors of eye contact, where speech signals are not provided. Derived from a pre-recorded, multimodal, and three-party conversational behavior dataset, a statistical framework is pro- posed to determine who is the speaker from the interactive behaviors of eye contact. Additionally, with the aid of virtual human technologies, a user study is conducted to study whether subjects are capable of distinguishing the speaker from the listeners according to the gaze behaviors of the interlocutors alone. Our results show that eye contact provides a reliable cue for the identification of the speaker in three-party conversations.
A Simple Algorithm for Nuclear Norm Regularized Problems

Optimization problems with a nuclear norm regularization, such as e.g. low norm matrix factorizations, have seen many applications recently. We propose a new approximation algorithm building upon the recent sparse approximate SDP solver of (Hazan, 2008). The experimental efficiency of our method is demonstrated on large matrix completion problems such as the Netflix dataset. The algorithm comes with strong convergence guarantees, and can be interpreted as a first theoretically justified variant of Simon-Funk-type SVD heuristics. The method is free of tuning parameters, and very easy to parallelize.
The Graft Bending Angle Can Affect Early Graft Healing After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: In Vivo Analysis With 2 Years’ Follow-up

Background: A high graft bending angle (GBA) after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction has been suggested to cause stress on the graft. Nevertheless, evidence about its effect on graft healing in vivo is limited. Hypothesis: The signal intensity on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) would be higher in the proximal region of the ACL graft, and higher signals would be correlated to a higher GBA. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: Anatomic single-bundle ACL reconstruction was performed on 24 patients (mean age, 20 ± 4 years) using the transportal technique. A quadriceps tendon autograft with a bone plug was harvested. To evaluate graft healing, the signal/noise quotient (SNQ) was measured in 3 regions of interest (ROIs) of the proximal, midsubstance, and distal ACL graft using high-resolution MRI (0.45 × 0.45 × 0.70 mm), with decreased signals suggesting improved healing. Dynamic knee motion was examined during treadmill walking and running to assess the in vivo GBA. The GBA was calculated from the 3-dimensional angle between the graft and femoral tunnel vectors at each motion frame, based on tibiofemoral kinematics determined from dynamic stereo X-ray analysis. Graft healing and GBAs were assessed at 6 and 24 months postoperatively. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to compare the SNQ in the 3 ROIs at 2 time points. Pearson correlations were used to analyze the relationship between the SNQ and mean GBA during 0% to 15% of the gait cycle. Results: The SNQ of the ACL graft in the proximal region was significantly higher than in the midsubstance (P = .022) and distal regions (P < .001) at 6 months. The SNQ in the proximal region was highly correlated with the GBA during standing (R = 0.64, P < .001), walking (R = 0.65, P = .002), and running (R = 0.54, P = .015) but not in the other regions. At 24 months, signals in the proximal and midsubstance regions decreased significantly compared with 6 months (P < .001 and P = .008, respectively), with no difference across the graft area. Conclusion: The signal intensity was highest in the proximal region and lowest in the distal region of the reconstructed graft at 6 months postoperatively. A steep GBA was significantly correlated with high signal intensities of the proximal graft in this early period. A steep GBA may negatively affect proximal graft healing after ACL reconstruction.
Comparisons of cloud detection among four satellite sensors on severe haze days in eastern China

Abstract Satellite remote sensing is very important to obtain a variety of cloud properties. However, the data quality from satellites varies with different satellite characteristics. From December 2015 to January 2016, ground-based air quality index (AQI) data showed severe haze events occurred successively in eastern China, particularly in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region. During those days, a red alert (the most serious level), orange alert (the second-highest level), and yellow alert (the third-highest level) for haze, were issued in Beijing. Cloud detection from four sensors onboard the ‘A-Train’ satellite constellation were compared for two severe haze episodes, on 21 and 30 December 2015 respectively. Results showed that the MODIS sensor onboard the Aqua satellite misclassified aerosol as cloud, while the other three sensors–AIRS onboard Aqua, the cloud profiling radar onboard CloudSat, and CALIOP onboard CALIPSO–did not observe cloud over the same location. Through the high-AQI haze region in the CALIPSO and CloudSat orbit track, MODIS marked cloud close to the surface, while the MODIS true-color image and CALIOP observed an aerosol layer over the same location, suggesting MODIS falsely observed cloud there. Over the haze region in eastern China, MODIS observed 36% on average greater cloud fraction than AIRS, suggesting haze pollution induces a greater MODIS cloud amount.
Two decades of fuzzy topology: basic ideas, notions, and results

CONTENTS Introduction ? 0. Preliminaries: fuzzy sets ? 1. Fuzzy topological spaces: the basic categories of fuzzy topology ? 2. Fundamental interrelations between the category Top of topological spaces and the categories of fuzzy topology ? 3. Local structure of fuzzy topological spaces ? 4. Convergence structures in fuzzy spaces ? 5. Separation in fuzzy spaces ? 6. Normality and complete regularity type properties in fuzzy topology ? 7. Compactness in fuzzy topology ? 8. Connectedness in fuzzy spaces ? 9. Fuzzy metric spaces and metrization of fuzzy spaces ? 10. The fuzzy real line and its subspaces ? 11. Fuzzy modification of a linearly ordered space ? 12. Fuzzy probabilistic modification of a topological space ? 13. The interval fuzzy real line ? 14. On hyperspaces of fuzzy sets ? 15. Another view of the subject of fuzzy topology and certain categorical aspects of it Conclusion: some reflections on the role and significance of fuzzy topology References
A Face Recognition Method Based on Local Feature Analysis

Elastic Bunch Graph Matching has been proved effective for face recognition. But the recognition procedure needs large computation. Here we present an automatic face recognition method based on local feature analysis. The local features are firstly located by the face structure knowledge and gray level distribution information, rather than searching on the whole image as it does in Elastic Bunch Graph Matching. Thus the whole computation is greatly decreased. Then the features are adjusted using a data structure named Face Bunch Gra ph. The face is represented by Gabor jets of the features and their spatial distances. Several distance metrics are tested and the results are given.
Comparison of laboratory- and field-based exercise tests for COPD: a systematic review

Exercise tests are often used to evaluate the functional status of patients with COPD. However, to the best of our knowledge, a comprehensive systematic comparison of these tests has not been performed. We systematically reviewed studies reporting the repeatability and/or reproducibility of these tests, and studies comparing their sensitivity to therapeutic intervention. A systematic review identified primary manuscripts in English reporting relevant data on the following exercise tests: 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and 12-minute walk test, incremental and endurance shuttle walk tests (ISWT and ESWT, respectively), incremental and endurance cycle ergometer tests, and incremental and endurance treadmill tests. We identified 71 relevant studies. Good repeatability (for the 6MWT and ESWT) and reproducibility (for the 6MWT, 12-minute walk test, ISWT, ESWT, and incremental cycle ergometer test) were reported by most studies assessing these tests, providing patients were familiarized with them beforehand. The 6MWT, ISWT, and particularly the ESWT were reported to be sensitive to therapeutic intervention. Protocol variations (eg, track layout or supplemental oxygen use) affected performance significantly in several studies. This review shows that while the validity of several tests has been established, for others further study is required. Future work will assess the link between these tests, physiological mechanisms, and patient-reported measures.
Developmental Model of Depression Applied to Prenatal Depression: Role of Present and Past Life Events, Past Emotional Disorders and Pregnancy Stress

Background Several risk factors for depression during pregnancy have already been established. However, very few studies have conducted a multivariate analysis incorporating both the major predictors of depression in women, in accordance with comprehensive developmental models of depression, and specific stressors associated with the biological and psychosocial state of the mother-to-be. Methodology/Principal Findings We used a cross-sectional cohort design to analyze the associations between prenatal depression and potential risk factors. 693 French-speaking women with singleton pregnancies at 20–28 weeks' gestation were consecutively recruited at Caen University Hospital. Fifty women with missing values were subsequently excluded from the analysis. Depressive symptoms were assessed on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Risk factors were either extracted from the computerized obstetric records or assessed by means of self-administered questionnaires. The associations between prenatal depression and the potential risk factors were assessed using log-binomial regression models to obtain a direct estimate of relative risk (RR). The following factors were found to be significant in the multivariate analysis: level of education (p<0.001), past psychiatric history (adjusted RR = 1.8, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1;2.8, p = 0.014), stress related to the health and viability of the fetus (adjusted RR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.6;4.1, p<0.001), and stress related to severe marital conflicts (adjusted RR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.5;3.9, p<0.001) or to serious difficulties at work (adjusted RR = 1.6, 95% CI :1.04;2.4, p = 0.031). An association was also found with the previous delivery of a child with a major or minor birth defect (adjusted RR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.04;4.0, p = 0.038). Univariate analyses revealed a strong association with childhood adversity (parental rejection: RR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2;2.8, p = 0.0055 and family secrets: RR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.2;3.1, p = 0.0046) and with lack of partner support (RR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.30;0.84, p = 0.0086). Conclusions/Significance Our study identifies several risk factors that could easily be assessed in clinical practice. It draws attention to the impact of previously delivering a child with a birth defect. The association with childhood adversity warrants further study.
Proteomics of stress responses in wheat and barley—search for potential protein markers of stress tolerance

Wheat (Triticum aestivum; T. durum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) agricultural production is severely limited by various abiotic and biotic stress factors. Proteins are directly involved in plant stress response so it is important to study proteome changes under various stress conditions. Generally, both abiotic and biotic stress factors induce profound alterations in protein network covering signaling, energy metabolism (glycolysis, Krebs cycle, ATP biosynthesis, photosynthesis), storage proteins, protein metabolism, several other biosynthetic pathways (e.g., S-adenosylmethionine metabolism, lignin metabolism), transport proteins, proteins involved in protein folding and chaperone activities, other protective proteins (LEA, PR proteins), ROS scavenging enzymes as well as proteins affecting regulation of plant growth and development. Proteins which have been reported to reveal significant differences in their relative abundance or posttranslational modifications between wheat, barley or related species genotypes under stress conditions are listed and their potential role in underlying the differential stress response is discussed. In conclusion, potential future roles of the results of proteomic studies in practical applications such as breeding for an enhanced stress tolerance and the possibilities to test and use protein markers in the breeding are suggested.
Chromosome 6q24 methylation defects are uncommon in childhood-onset non-autoimmune diabetes mellitus patients born appropriate- or large-for-gestational age

Methylation defects in the imprinting locus at chromosome 6q24 result in transient neonatal diabetes and small-for-gestational age (SGA) births (1). These phenotypes are primarily ascribed to the overexpression of PLAGL1, a paternally expressed gene on 6q24 that regulates cell cycle and apoptosis (2). Paternal uniparental disomy involving 6q24, as well as copy-number gains of paternal PLAGL1 alleles and epimutations in maternal alleles, have been identified as the causes of hypomethylation at the differentially methylated region (DMR) of PLAGL1 (3, 4). Recently, Yorifuji et al. reported the identification of 6q24 uniparental disomy in three patients with childhood-onset non-autoimmune diabetes mellitus (5). The three patients were identified through methylation-specific PCR analysis of the PLAGL1 DMR of 113 patients clinically suspected of having maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY). These results expanded the phenotypic consequences of 6q24 methylation defects to include MODY-like manifestations without a history of neonatal diabetes. However, the frequency of 6q24 methylation defects among patients with childhood-onset non-autoimmune diabetes remained unknown.
Discovery of a Bow Shock around Vela X-1

We report the discovery of a symmetric bow shock around the well-known high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) Vela X-1. Wind bow shocks are a ubiquitous phenomenon around OB-runaway stars, but now such a structure is found around an HMXB. The presence of a bow shock indicates that the system has a high (supersonic) velocity with respect to the interstellar medium. From the symmetry of the bow shock, the direction of motion and, moreover, the origin and age of the system can be derived. Our observation supports Blaauw's scenario for the formation of an OB-runaway star by the supernova explosion of the binary companion.