Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impaired Extracellular Secretion of Mutant Superoxide Dismutase 1 Associates with Neurotoxicity in Familial Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Mutations in the intracellular metalloenzyme superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) are linked to neurotoxicity in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by an unclear mechanism. Golgi fragmentation and endoplasmic reticulum stress are early hallmarks of spinal motor neuron pathology in transgenic mice overexpressing mutant SOD1, suggesting that dysfunction of the neuronal secretory pathway may contribute to ALS pathogenesis. We therefore proposed that mutant SOD1 directly engages and modulates the secretory pathway based on recent evidence of SOD1 secretion in diverse human cell lines. Here, we demonstrate that a fraction of active endogenous SOD1 is secreted by NSC-34 motor neuron-like cells via a brefeldin-A (BFA)-sensitive pathway. Expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein-tagged mutant human SOD1 (hSOD1-EGFP) in NSC-34 cells induced frequent cytoplasmic inclusions and protein insolubility that correlated with toxicity. In contrast, transfection of non-neuronal COS-7 cells resulted in mutant hSOD1-EGFP cytoplasmic inclusions, oligomerization, and fragmentation without detectable toxicity. Importantly, impaired secretion of hSOD1-EGFP was common to all 10 SOD1 mutants tested relative to wild-type protein in NSC-34 cells. Treatment with BFA inhibited hSOD1-EGFP secretion with pronounced BFA-induced toxicity in mutant cells. Extracellular targeting of mutant hSOD1-EGFP via SOD3 signal peptide fusion attenuated cytoplasmic inclusion formation and toxicity. The effect of elevated extracellular SOD1 was then evaluated in a transgenic rat model of ALS. Chronic intraspinal infusion of exogenous wild-type hSOD1 significantly delayed disease progression and endpoint in transgenic SOD1G93A rats. Collectively, these results suggest novel extracellular roles for SOD1 in ALS and support a causal relationship between mutant SOD1 secretion and intraneuronal toxicity.
Work related symptoms among sewage workers: a nationwide survey in Sweden

Aims: To assess the risk for work related symptoms among sewage workers in Sweden using a postal questionnaire. Methods: All municipalities in Sweden were contacted and asked to provide addresses of sewage workers and controls. Controls were recruited among other municipal workers not exposed to sewage, such as workers in drinking water plants and gardeners. A questionnaire was sent to the subjects and after two reminders, the response rate was 74% among sewage workers and 59% among controls. Results: Significantly increased risks for airway symptoms, chronic bronchitis, and toxic pneumonitis, as well as central nervous system symptoms such as headache, unusual tiredness, and concentration difficulties were found among the sewage workers compared with controls. Furthermore, an increased risk for non-specific work related gastrointestinal symptoms was found among the sewage workers; an increased risk for joint pains, related to pains in more than four joints but not with loading, was also found. Conclusions: The results of this questionnaire survey show an increased risk for airway, gastrointestinal, and general symptoms such as joint pains and central nervous system symptoms among sewage workers. Clinical investigations are needed to determine the cause of the reported symptoms among sewage workers, and further field studies are required to assess the causal agents.
The use of COSMO-SkyMed images for retrieving snow depth and soil moisture in mountainous areas

This paper presents the results concerning the application of COSMO-SkyMed SAR images to mountain areas for the challenging retrieval of some key parameters of the hydrological cycle: soil moisture content (SMC), snow depth (SD), and snow water equivalent (SWE). The results obtained so far are encouraging. Regarding SMC, the results indicate that, in spite of the low penetration capability of X-band wavelength, the SAR signal is well related to soil moisture variations, even in presence of vegetation. As far as snow cover is concerned, from the analysis of data it has been observed that the backscattering coefficient remains almost constant until the SD of dry snow accumulated on soil is higher than 50-60 cm and increases rapidly as SD rises up to 150 cm. The use of an inversion algorithm for the retrieval of SWE, based on Artificial Neural Networks, showed a determination coefficient higher than 0.8, with an associated probability value of 95%.
Gestalt Relations and Object Perception: A Developmental Study

We investigated whether adults and infants aged 3, 5, and 9 months perceive the unity and boundaries of visible objects in accord with the Gestalt relations of color and texture similarity, good continuation, or good form. Adults and infants were presented with simple but unfamiliar displays in which all three Gestalt relations specified either one object or two objects—perception of the objects was assessed by a verbal rating method in the adults and by a preferential looking method in the infants. The Gestalt relations appeared to influence the adults' perceptions strongly. However, the relations appeared to have no effect on the perceptions of 3-month-old infants and weak effects on the perceptions of 5-month-old and 9-month-old infants. The findings support the suggestion that developmental changes in object perception occur slowly. These changes, and the organizational phenomena to which Gestalt psychology called attention, may depend in part on the child's developing ability to recognize objects of particular kinds.
Investigation of the Effects of a Novel NOX2 Inhibitor, GLX7013170, against Glutamate Excitotoxicity and Diabetes Insults in the Retina

Glutamate excitotoxicity and oxidative stress represent two major pathological mechanisms implicated in retinal disorders. In Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), oxidative stress is correlated to NADPH oxidase (NOX), a major source of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), and glutamate metabolism impairments. This study investigated the role of NOX2 and the novel NOX2 inhibitor, GLX7013170, in two models of a) retinal AMPA excitotoxicity [AMPA+GLX7013170 (10−4 M, intravitreally)] and b) early-stage DR paradigm (ESDR), GLX7013170: 14-day therapeutic treatment (topically, 20 μL/eye, 10 mg/mL (300 × 10−4 M), once daily) post-streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DR. Immunohistochemical studies for neuronal markers, nitrotyrosine, micro/macroglia, and real-time PCR, Western blot, and glutamate colorimetric assays were conducted. Diabetes increased NOX2 expression in the retina. NOX2 inhibition limited the loss of NOS-positive amacrine cells and the overactivation of micro/macroglia in both models. In the diabetic retina, GLX7013170 had no effect on retinal ganglion cell axons, but reduced oxidative damage, increased Bcl-2, reduced glutamate levels, and partially restored excitatory amino acid transporter (EAAT1) expression. These results suggest that NOX2 in diabetes is part of the triad, oxidative stress, NOX, and glutamate excitotoxicity, key players in the induction of DR. GLX7013170 is efficacious as a neuroprotective/anti-inflammatory agent and a potential therapeutic in retinal diseases, including ESDR.
Density connected clustering with local subspace preferences

Many clustering algorithms tend to break down in high-dimensional feature spaces, because the clusters often exist only in specific subspaces (attribute subsets) of the original feature space. Therefore, the task of projected clustering (or subspace clustering) has been defined recently. As a solution to tackle this problem, we propose the concept of local subspace preferences, which captures the main directions of high point density. Using this concept, we adopt density-based clustering to cope with high-dimensional data. In particular, we achieve the following advantages over existing approaches: Our proposed method has a determinate result, does not depend on the order of processing, is robust against noise, performs only one single scan over the database, and is linear in the number of dimensions. A broad experimental evaluation shows that our approach yields results of significantly better quality than recent work on clustering high-dimensional data.
Impact of data collecting techniques on the performance of a Wireless Sensor Network

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) consist of small devices with processing, communication and sensing capabilities. These devices interact together to carryout monitoring tasks. An example of such network is a photo-voltaic (PV) power plant where each solar panel has a sensor. The number of interconnected solar panels can become very large, and spread over a large area. Each sensor will sense the output of the panel and send this value to a central node for processing. In this paper we evaluate the performance of a wireless sensor network employing three different data collecting techniques. The study considers different networks, each with a different number of nodes and with different values for the offered load, estimating for each network size and offered load, network throughput, packet loss and end-to-end packet delay. Results show that as the size of the network grows and for higher values of the offered load, the best performance is achieved by using a polling based data collecting technique.
Adapting Geometric Attributes for Expression-Invariant 3D Face Recognition

We investigate the use of multiple intrinsic geometric attributes, including angles, geodesic distances, and curvatures, for 3D face recognition, where each face is represented by a triangle mesh, preprocessed to possess a uniform connectivity. As invariance to facial expressions holds the key to improving recognition performance, we propose to train for the component-wise weights to be applied to each individual attribute, as well as the weights used to combine the attributes, in order to adapt to expression variations. Using the eigenface approach based on the training results and a nearest neighbor classifier, we report recognition results on the expression-rich GavabDB face database and the well-known Notre Dame FRGC 3D database. We also perform a cross validation between the two databases.
The Jgroup Reliable Distributed Object Model

This paper presents the design and the implementation of Jgroup, an extension of the Java distributed object model based on the group communication paradigm. Aim of Jgroup is to support the development of dependable applications in partitionable distributed systems. Jgroup consists of a partitionable group communication service that simplifies the cooperation among groups of replicated server objects, and a clientside mechanism to transparently invoke methods on object groups as if they were single, non-replicated entities. 1. Department of Computer Science, University of Bologna, Mura Anteo Zamboni 7, Bologna 40127 (Italy), Tel: +39 51 354871, Fax: +39 51 354510, Email: montresor@CS.UniBO. IT
White-Hispanic differences in meeting lifetime fertility intentions in the U.S

BACKGROUND Hispanics in the U.S. have higher fertility than non-Hispanic Whites but it is not clear why this difference exists nor whether fertility levels reflect the preferences of individuals in these groups. Understanding racial-ethnic differences in fertility is important for understanding American fertility more broadly since the majority of births in the U.S. are to non-White women. OBJECTIVE This paper examines the correspondence between fertility intentions and outcomes for Hispanic and White women and men in the U.S. METHODS Panel data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth are used to describe intended family size (recorded at age 22), completed family size (recorded at age 42 and above), and the likelihood that these numbers match, for Hispanic and White women and men. Regression analyses are used to understand why the correspondence between intentions and outcomes varies across groups. RESULTS Although Hispanics come closer to achieving parity intentions in the aggregate (Hispanic women fall short by a quarter of a birth, compared to more than two-fifths for Whites), at the individual level they are not more likely to meet their intentions (33% of Hispanic women achieve their desired parity, compared with 38% of Whites). Hispanics have higher fertility than Whites both because they intend more children at the start of their reproductive lives and because they are more likely to exceed these intentions. CONCLUSIONS Higher fertility among Hispanics compared with Whites in the U.S. is due to a combination of wanted and unwanted fertility. In addition, despite relatively high completed fertility, a large proportion of Hispanic women and men fall short of early life intentions.
A Hybrid Trust Management Framework for Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks in Cyber-Physical Systems

SUMMARY To secure a wireless sensor and actuator network (WSAN) in cyber-physical systems, trust management framework copes with misbehavior problem of nodes and stimulate nodes to cooperate with each other. The existing trust management frameworks can be classified into reputation-based framework and trust establishment framework. There, however, are still many problems with these existing trust management frameworks, which remain unsolved, such as frangibility under possible attacks. To design a robust trust management framework, we identify the attacks to the existing frameworks, present the countermeasures to them, and propose a hybrid trust management framework (HTMF) to construct trust environment for WSANs in the paper. HTMF includes second-hand information and confidence value into trustworthiness evaluation and integrates the countermeasures into the trust formation. We preform extensive performance evaluations, which show that the proposed HTMF is more ro
Randomized controlled clinical trial evaluating multiplex polymerase chain reaction for pathogen identification and therapy adaptation in critical care patients with pulmonary or abdominal sepsis

Objective To determine whether a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based test could reduce the time required for initial pathogen identification in patients in an intensive care unit (ICU) setting. Methods This double-blind, parallel-group randomized controlled trial** enrolled adults with suspected pulmonary or abdominal sepsis caused by an unknown pathogen. Both the intervention and control groups underwent the standard blood culture (BC) testing, but additional pathogen identification, based on the results of a LightCycler® SeptiFast PCR test, were provided in the intervention group. Results The study enrolled 37 patients in the control group and 41 in the intervention group. Baseline clinical and demographic characteristics were similar in both groups. The PCR-based test identified a pathogen in 10 out of 41 (24.4%) patients in the intervention group, with a mean duration from sampling to providing the information to the ICU of 15.9 h. In the control group, BC results were available after a significantly longer period (38.1 h). Conclusion The LightCycler® SeptiFast PCR test demonstrated a significant reduction in the time required for initial pathogen identification, compared with standard BC.
Personality Dimensions and Depression: Review and Commentary

Objectives The relationship between dimensionally assessed personality and the onset, features, and course of depressive illness will be critically examined and considered in relation to 4 hypothesized models: predisposition or vulnerability; pathoplasty; complication or scar; and spectrum or continuity. Method Studies that have used clinically depressed adult patients to explore the relationship between personality dimensions and depression will be reviewed. Results Higher-order personality factors that have shown a significant and consistent association with major depressive illness include neuroticism, extraversion (negative relationship), and the factors of Cloninger's Tridimensional Personality Model. Neuroticism appears to be the most powerful predictor of depression. Lower-order factors showing a significant and consistent relationship with depressive illness include dependency, self-criticism, obsessionality, and perfectionism. The links between depression and dependency and self-criticism have the strongest empirical support. Conclusions Several personality dimensions are significantly associated with depressive illness, but the evidence that unequivocally demonstrates a true personality predisposition for depression is modest. Measures of personality may prove to be clinically useful for treatment selection.
First-Year Residents Outperform Third-Year Residents After Simulation-Based Education in Critical Care Medicine

Introduction Previous research shows that gaps exist in internal medicine residents’ critical care knowledge and skills. The purpose of this study was to compare the bedside critical care competency of first-year residents who received a simulation-based educational intervention plus clinical training with third-year residents who received clinical training alone. Methods During their first 3 months of residency, a group of first-year residents completed a simulation-based educational intervention. A group of traditionally trained third-year residents who did not receive simulation-based training served as a comparison group. Both groups were evaluated using a 20-item clinical skills assessment at the bedside of a patient receiving mechanical ventilation at the end of their medical intensive care unit rotation. Scores on the skills assessment were compared between groups. Results Simulator-trained first-year residents (n = 40) scored significantly higher compared with traditionally trained third-year residents (n = 27) on the bedside assessment (91.3% [95% confidence interval, 88.2%–94.3%] vs. 80.9% [95% confidence interval, 76.8%–85.0%]; P < 0.001). Conclusions First-year residents who completed a simulation-based educational intervention demonstrated higher clinical competency compared with third-year residents who did not undergo simulation training. Critical care competency cannot be assumed after clinical intensive care unit rotations; simulation-based curricula can help ensure residents are proficient to care for critically ill patients.
Paxillin is a major phosphotyrosine-containing protein during embryonic development

Phosphotyrosine-containing proteins were immunoprecipitated from embryonic chicken tissue extracts using anti-phosphotyrosine antibody coupled to agarose beads. Major phosphotyrosine-containing proteins of 110, 70, and 50 kD were observed following blotting with anti- phosphotyrosine antibody. The 70-kD band was selectively removed from the samples by precipitation with antibodies to the focal adhesion protein paxillin, therefore identifying paxillin as one of the major tyrosine kinase substrates during chick embryonic organogenesis. The tyrosine phosphorylation of paxillin is regulated developmentally: during embryogenesis, a marked decrease in its phosphotyrosine content was observed, although the total level of paxillin remained essentially constant. Approximately 20% of the paxillin was phosphorylated on tyrosine in the early embryo. In contrast, tyrosine phosphorylation of paxillin was undetectable in the adult. A similar profile of phosphotyrosine-containing proteins was identified in rat embryos. Paxillin was also found to be a major phosphotyrosine-containing protein in the rat embryo. These data suggest that the regulated phosphorylation of tyrosine residues on paxillin may perform a critical role in controlling cell and tissue cytoarchitecture rearrangement during vertebrate development.
Finding Similar Regions in Many Sequences

Algorithms for finding similar, or highly conserved, regions in a group of sequences are at the core of many molecular biology problems. Assume that we are given n DNA sequences s1, . , sn. The Consensus Patterns problem, which has been widely studied in bioinformatics research, in its simplest form, asks for a region of length L in each si, and a median string s of length L so that the total Hamming distance from s to these regions is minimized. We show that the problem is NP-hard and give a polynomial time approximation scheme (PTAS) for it. We then present an efficient approximation algorithm for the consensus pattern problem under the original relative entropy measure. As an interesting application of our analysis, we further obtain a PTAS for a restricted (but still NP-hard) version of the important consensus alignment problem allowing at most constant number of gaps, each of arbitrary length, in each sequence.
Solar Physics

▶ Free app available on iTunes and Google Play Store ▶ Leading journal published since 1967 ▶ Ranges in focus from the internal structure and evolution of the Sun to the outer corona and solar wind in interplanetary space ▶ Offers relevant papers on stellar research and solar-terrestrial physics ▶ 90% of authors who answered a survey reported that they would definitely publish or probably publish in the journal again
The apoptotic response of liver and colorectal liver metastases to focal hyperthermic injury.

BACKGROUND Ablation of liver tumours by focal hyperthermia causes tissue injury not only by direct effects, but also by progressive tissue damage following the initial heat application. The mechanism by which this progressive injury occurs remains undefined. Stimulation of apoptosis following the initial heat stimulus may be involved in this progression. The role of apoptosis in the subsequent progression of focal hyperthermia injury was investigated in liver and colorectal liver metastases in a murine model. MATERIALS AND METHODS Focal hyperthermia produced by laser (Nd-YAG--wavelength 1064 nm) was applied to the liver and colorectal liver metastases in CBA mice (2 Watts for 50 seconds). The animals were killed at 0, 12, 24, 48, 72, 120 and 168 hours after the application of focal hyperthermia. Haematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry were performed on paraffin sections to assess the extent of tissue necrosis. Apoptosis was examined by assessment of DNA fragmentation using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase d-uridine triphosphate nick end labelling (TUNEL) and activated Caspase 3 immunostaining. The sequence of the apoptotic response was determined at the treated tissue margins and compared to untreated liver and tumour. RESULTS Focal hyperthermia produced progressive tissue injury in both liver and colorectal liver metastases. TUNEL labelling was less specific than activated Caspase 3 in detecting apoptotic cells. Apoptosis was detected and peaked at 12 hours following therapy based on activated Caspase 3 staining, before returning to baseline at 72 hours. In tumour tissue, the apoptotic response was more sustained, peaking at 24 hours before returning to baseline levels by 96 hours following therapy. CONCLUSION Increased apoptosis occurs following the application of focal hyperthermia to normal liver and colorectal metastases. The apoptotic response is more sustained in tumour tissue and contributes to the progressive injury that is evident after the initial heat stimulus.