Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Actin as Deathly Switch? How Auxin Can Suppress Cell-Death Related Defence

Plant innate immunity is composed of two layers – a basal immunity, and a specific effector-triggered immunity, which is often accompanied by hypersensitive cell death. Initiation of cell death depends on a complex network of signalling pathways. The phytohormone auxin as central regulator of plant growth and development represents an important component for the modulation of plant defence. In our previous work, we showed that cell death is heralded by detachment of actin from the membrane. Both, actin response and cell death, are triggered by the bacterial elicitor harpin in grapevine cells. In this study we investigated, whether harpin-triggered actin bundling is necessary for harpin-triggered cell death. Since actin organisation is dependent upon auxin, we used different auxins to suppress actin bundling. Extracellular alkalinisation and transcription of defence genes as the basal immunity were examined as well as cell death. Furthermore, organisation of actin was observed in response to pharmacological manipulation of reactive oxygen species and phospholipase D. We find that induction of defence genes is independent of auxin. However, auxin can suppress harpin-induced cell death and also counteract actin bundling. We integrate our findings into a model, where harpin interferes with an auxin dependent pathway that sustains dynamic cortical actin through the activity of phospholipase D. The antagonism between growth and defence is explained by mutual competition for signal molecules such as superoxide and phosphatidic acid. Perturbations of the auxin-actin pathway might be used to detect disturbed integrity of the plasma membrane and channel defence signalling towards programmed cell death.
Cognitive Training Enhances Intrinsic Brain Connectivity in Childhood

In human participants, the intensive practice of particular cognitive activities can induce sustained improvements in cognitive performance, which in some cases transfer to benefits on untrained activities. Despite the growing body of research examining the behavioral effects of cognitive training in children, no studies have explored directly the neural basis of these training effects in a systematic, controlled fashion. Therefore, the impact of training on brain neurophysiology in childhood, and the mechanisms by which benefits may be achieved, are unknown. Here, we apply new methods to examine dynamic neurophysiological connectivity in the context of a randomized trial of adaptive working memory training undertaken in children. After training, connectivity between frontoparietal networks and both lateral occipital complex and inferior temporal cortex was altered. Furthermore, improvements in working memory after training were associated with increased strength of neural connectivity at rest, with the magnitude of these specific neurophysiological changes being mirrored by individual gains in untrained working memory performance.
Interior-point solver for convex separable block-angular problems

Constraints matrices with block-angular structures are pervasive in optimization. Interior-point methods have shown to be competitive for these structured problems by exploiting the linear algebra. One of these approaches solves the normal equations using sparse Cholesky factorizations for the block constraints, and a preconditioned conjugate gradient (PCG) for the linking constraints. The preconditioner is based on a power series expansion which approximates the inverse of the matrix of the linking constraints system. In this work, we present an efficient solver based on this algorithm. Some of its features are as follows: it solves linearly constrained convex separable problems (linear, quadratic or nonlinear); both Newton and second-order predictor–corrector directions can be used, either with the Cholesky+PCG scheme or with a Cholesky factorization of normal equations; the preconditioner may include any number of terms of the power series; for any number of these terms, it estimates the spectral radius of the matrix in the power series (which is instrumental for the quality of the preconditioner). The solver has been hooked to the structure-conveying modelling language (SML) based on the popular AMPL modeling language. Computational results are reported for some large and/or difficult instances in the literature: (1) multicommodity flow problems; (2) minimum congestion problems; (3) statistical data protection problems using and distances (which are linear and quadratic problems, respectively), and the pseudo-Huber function, a nonlinear approximation to which improves the preconditioner. In the largest instances, of up to 25 millions of variables and 300,000 constraints, this approach is from 2 to 3 orders of magnitude faster than state-of-the-art linear and quadratic optimization solvers.
Uterine Adenomyoma with Uterus-like Features

Two uterine adenomyomas with unusual features are presented. Case 1 was a 43-year-old woman who had a 1-year history of menorrhagia and dysmenorrhea. The uterus showed a 3-cm-sized mass attached to the posterior wall of the lower uterine segment. On section, there was a well-circumscribed, submucosal cystic mass with a thick muscular wall. Histologically, the cavities were lined by well-developed secretory-phase endometrium and surrounded by smooth muscle, likeya small uterus. Case 2 was a 52-year-old woman who visited the hospital because of itching sensation on the vulva. On physical examination, the mass was found on the left side of the pelvis. The enlarged uterus had an 8-cm-sized protruding mass from the left side of the lower uterine segment. On section, the mass was cystic and solid. Histologically, the cysts were lined by thin basalis-type endometrial glands and stroma, and the solid portion was composed of smooth muscle and fat cells.
Minimum Quality Standards and Compulsory Labeling: More than the Sum of Its Parts

This paper studies the effect of a minimum quality standard, a compulsory labeling scheme, and the combination of both instruments in a vertical differentiation model when not all quality dimensions of products can be observed byconsumers. Both a minimum quality standard on the non-observable quality dimension and a labeling scheme that informs consumers about the non-observable quality dimension have no impact on the observable quality dimension, increase prices, and have no impact on demand. The combination of a minimum standard and a labeling scheme increases prices, reduces or enhances investment in the observable quality dimension, and alters market shares depending on the minimum quality level. Compared to the case of no regulation, social welfare may decrease or increase under the minimum quality standard, the compulsory labeling scheme or the combined scheme, depending on the level of the minimum quality standard and the market size.
Mantel's theorem for random graphs

For a graph G, denote by t(G) (resp. b(G)) the maximum size of a triangle‐free (resp. bipartite) subgraph of G. Of course t ( G ) ≥ b ( G ) for any G, and a classic result of Mantel from 1907 (the first case of Turán's Theorem) says that equality holds for complete graphs. A natural question, first considered by Babai, Simonovits and Spencer about 20 years ago is, when (i.e., for what p = p(n)) is the “Erdős‐Rényi” random graph G = G(n,p) likely to satisfy t(G) = b(G)? We show that this is true if p > C n − 1 / 2 log ⁡ 1 / 2 n for a suitable constant C, which is best possible up to the value of C. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg. , 47, 59–72, 2015
Distributed deconfliction algorithm for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles with limited range and field of view sensors

This paper proposes a novel approach for collision avoidance between Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) with limited range and field of view sensors. The algorithm is designed for unicycle vehicles that need to fly above a specific minimal speed to maintain flight. It uses a navigation function approach when the UAV is clear from conflict and smoothly switches to a collision avoidance maneuver when other UAVs are encountered. We show that the proposed avoidance algorithm can ensure a collision-free path. We also carry out a throughout quantitative analysis of the algorithm singularities and propose heuristic recipes for avoiding deadlock situations. Simulations are performed to show the effectiveness of the algorithm.
Feeding behaviour and appetite in young children with non-organic failure to thrive

The study reported in this thesis was aimed at investigating taste preferences and caloric compensation in one to two year old children with non-organic failure to thrive (FTT) as compared to normally developing children of the same age. The sample studied included 28 cases with non-organic FTT, and 28 controls with normal growth. The study comprised two experiments. The first tested the child's relative preference for sucrose sweetened solutions versus water. The test session included six 60 second presentations of tastant at three levels of concentration n i.e. water, 0.2 Mol sucrose solution, and 0.4 Mol sucrose solution, with at least 30 second intervals between presentations. The second experiment measured caloric compensation, by testing the child's intake from a standard meal on two occasions, after a pre-load of no-calorie or high-calorie drink. In addition meal time behavioural observations were made, and information about the child’s feeding history was obtained from parent reports. All children regardless of whether they were failing to thrive or not preferred 0.2 Mol sucrose solution to 0.4 Mol sucrose and to water. The energy intake of children with FTT was lower than that of controls, and meal-time behaviours showed some differences between groups in both the child and parent behaviours. Unlike the controls the FTT children showed no caloric compensation, but showed a trend towards the opposite of compensation. Analysis of growth data showed that FTT in the sample studied was present from birth.
Manifestations and Treatment of Ocular Syphilis During an Epidemic in France

Objectives: To review cases of ocular syphilis presenting to a tertiary uveitis clinic during a syphilis epidemic in France between January 2001 and January 2004. Study Design: Retrospective chart and patient database review. Results: Ten patients who presented with symptoms and signs of uveitis tested positive for active syphilis. Some of the patients also presented with a rash or headache. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody testing was positive in eight of the 10 patients, with CD4 cell counts >200 cells/mm3 in seven of the patients. Ocular inflammation resolved and visual acuity improved in all patients after treatment. Conclusions: A diagnosis of ocular syphilis should be considered in any patient with visual loss associated with a rash or headache, irrespective of the patient's CD4 cell count. Ocular syphilis in HIV-positive patients should be treated as neurosyphilis, whereas ocular syphilis in non-HIV patients can be treated as secondary syphilis.
Effective AAV-mediated gene therapy in a mouse model of ethylmalonic encephalopathy

Ethylmalonic encephalopathy (EE) is an invariably fatal disease, characterized by the accumulation of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a highly toxic compound. ETHE1, encoding sulfur dioxygenase (SDO), which takes part in the mitochondrial pathway that converts sulfide into harmless sulfate, is mutated in EE. The main source of H2S is the anaerobic bacterial flora of the colon, although in trace amount it is also produced by tissues, where it acts as a ‘gasotransmitter’. Here, we show that AAV2/8‐mediated, ETHE1‐gene transfer to the liver of a genetically, metabolically and clinically faithful EE mouse model resulted in full restoration of SDO activity, correction of plasma thiosulfate, a biomarker reflecting the accumulation of H2S, and spectacular clinical improvement. Most of treated animals were alive and well >6–8 months after birth, whereas untreated individuals live 26 ± 7 days. Our results provide proof of concept on the efficacy and safety of AAV2/8‐mediated livergene therapy for EE, and alike conditions caused by the accumulation of harmful compounds in body fluids and tissues, which can directly be transferred to the clinic.
User-focused task-oriented MT evaluation for wikis : a case study

This paper reports on an evaluation experiment focusing on statistical machine translation (MT) software integrated into a more complex system for the synchronization of multilingual information contained in wiki sites. The experiment focused on the translation of wiki entries from German and Dutch into English carried out by ten media professionals, editors, journalists and translators working at two major media organizations who post-edited the MT output. The investigation concerned in particular the adequacy of MT to support the translation of wiki pages, and the results include both its success rate (i.e. MT effectiveness) and the associated confidence of the users (i.e. their satisfaction). Special emphasis is laid on the post-editing effort required to bring the output to publishable standard. The results show that overall the users were satisfied with the system and regarded it as a potentially useful tool to support their work; in particular, they found that the post-editing effort required to attain translated wiki entries in English of publishable quality was lower than translating from scratch.
Maternal responsiveness moderates the relationship between allostatic load and working memory

Abstract A substantial amount of research has demonstrated the deleterious effects of chronic stress on memory. However, much less is known about protective factors. In the current study we test the role of maternal responsiveness in buffering the effects of childhood allostatic load on subsequent adolescent working memory. Allostatic load is a marker of cumulative stress on the body that is caused by mobilization of multiple physiological systems in response to chronic environmental demands. Results of the study suggest that allostatic load negatively affects working memory, but that this effect is significantly attenuated in children with responsive mothers.
A machine‐learning approach to detecting unknown bacterial serovars

Technologies for rapid detection of bacterial pathogens are crucial for securing the food supply. A light‐scattering sensor recently developed for real‐time identification of multiple colonies has shown great promise for distinguishing bacteria cultures. The classification approach currently used with this system relies on supervised learning. For accurate classification of bacterial pathogens, the training library should be exhaustive, i.e., should consist of samples of all possible pathogens. Yet, the sheer number of existing bacterial serovars and more importantly the effect of their high mutation rate would not allow for a practical and manageable training. In this study, we propose a Bayesian approach to learning with a nonexhaustive training dataset for automated detection of unknown bacterial serovars, i.e., serovars for which no samples exist in the training library. The main contribution of our work is the Wishart conjugate priors defined over class distributions. This allows us to employ the prior information obtained from known classes to make inferences about unknown classes as well. By this means, we identify new classes of informational value and dynamically update the training dataset with these classes to make it increasingly more representative of the sample population. This results in a classifier with improved predictive performance for future samples. We evaluated our approach on a 28‐class bacteria dataset and also on the benchmark 26‐class letter recognition dataset for further validation. The proposed approach is compared against state‐of‐the‐art involving density‐based approaches and support vector domain description, as well as a recently introduced Bayesian approach based on simulated classes. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining 3: 289‐301, 2010
Two antimicrobial flavanones from the leaves of Glycyrrhiza glabra.

Roots of Glycyrrhiza species, including G. glabra var. typica, G. glabra var. glandulifera and G. uralensis, are not only important as crude drugs but also are used widely as a sweetener or a spice. l Although many triterpenoids and flavonoids have been isolated from these roots,2) there have been few reports on chemical constituents in the aerial parts.3) This paper describes. the isolation and structure elucidation of antimicrobial substances in the leaves of G. glabra var. typica.
Propensity score matching analysis of the prognosis for the rare insular subtype of thyroid cancer based on SEER database

Insular thyroid carcinoma (ITC) is an uncommon thyroid malignancy with an unclear prognosis. The aim of this study was to determine the prognoses of patients with ITC. We investigated a large cohort of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database who were registered between 2004 and 2013, and compared the prognosis of patients with ITC to those with classic papillary thyroid cancer (CPTC) and follicular thyroid cancer (FTC). Patient mortality was determined using Kaplan-Meier analyses with log-rank tests, as well as Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. The study cohort comprised of 165 patients with ITC, 5419 patients with FTC, and 60739 patients with CPTC. The rate of cancer-specific mortality per 1000 person-years for ITC was higher than that for CPTC or FTC. According to multivariate Cox regression analysis, however, the cancer-specific and all-cause mortality rates of ITC were similar to those of CPTC and FTC. The cancer-specific survival rate in patients with ITC was higher than that in patients with CPTC, but similar to that in patients with FTC, after adjusting for potentially influencing factors using propensity score matching analysis. These findings, which contrast with previously published data, provide new implications for the treatment of patients with ITC.
A Tale of Two Blogospheres

In this article, the authors compare the practices of discursive production among top U.S. political blogs on the left and right during summer 2008. An examination of the top 155 political blogs reveals significant cross-ideological variations along several dimensions. Notably, the authors find evidence of an association between ideological affiliation and the technologies, institutions, and practices of participation. Blogs on the left adopt different, and more participatory, technical platforms, comprise significantly fewer sole-authored sites, include user blogs, maintain more fluid boundaries between secondary and primary content, include longer narrative and discussion posts, and (among the top half of the blogs in the sample) more often use blogs as platforms for mobilization. The findings suggest that the attenuation of the news producer-consumer dichotomy is more pronounced on the left wing of the political blogosphere than on the right. The practices of the left are more consistent with the prediction that the networked public sphere offers new pathways for discursive participation by a wider array of individuals, whereas the practices of the right suggest that a small group of elites may retain more exclusive agenda-setting authority online. The cross-ideological divergence in the findings illustrates that the Internet can be adopted equally to undermine or to replicate the traditional distinction between the production and consumption of political information. The authors conclude that these findings have significant implications for the study of prosumption and for the mechanisms by which the networked public sphere may or may not alter democratic participation relative to the mass mediated public sphere.
Bridging the transmission gap in attachment : the role of mind-mindedness in mothers and fathers

Antenatal attachment representations (Adult Attachment Interview classification and reflective function), 'mind-mindedness' (Meins, 1997) in relation to the foetus, and attachment to the unborn child (Condon, 1993) were assessed in 25 couples and 3 solo mothers. Families were followed up at 6 months postpartum, at which time infant-parent interaction was observed separately for mothers (N=21) and fathers (N=17). These free-play interactions were coded for parents' sensitivity (Ainsworth, Bell, & Stayton's, 1974) and mind-mindedness (Meins, Femyhough, Fradley, & Tuckey, 2001). Infant-parent attachment security was assessed using the Strange Situation in a further follow-up at 12 months for mothers (№=18) and 15 months for fathers (iV=15), with parents predicting in advance how their infants would react. Parental mind-mindedness in the Strange Situation was also assessed using Meins et al.'s (2001) scheme. The results across the four testing ages largely showed that autonomous AAI classification and RF were both positively associated with parental mind-mindedness, although in general, stronger effects were seen (a) for fathers than for mothers, and (b) using RF rather than AAI classification as the index of parental attachment representations. There was evidence for continuity in mind-mindedness from pregnancy to 6 months in mothers and fathers, but there was less continuity in mind- mindedness across different contexts than was observed over time. With respect to accuracy of parental predictions about attachment behaviours, maternal mindedness both antenatally and at 6 months was positively related to accuracy. Accuracy in mothers was also related to higher levels of sensitivity and RF. Potential pathways from antenatal attachment representations to Strange Situation via indices of infant-parent interaction (mind-mindedness or sensitivity) were explored using a descriptive approach. Regardless of whether high sensitivity or high mind-mindedness was used as the intermediary, autonomous AAI classification related to secure Strange Situation classification. Low sensitivity or mind-mindedness appeared to have a negligible impact on the likelihood of a secure attachment being formed if the parent was autonomous. Non-autonomous AAI classification coupled with low sensitivity or mind-mindedness was similarly strongly related to insecure Strange Situation classification. However, unlike for high sensitivity, having a mind- minded parent appeared to ameliorate the effect of non-autonomous AAI classification on infant attachment security, at least for fathers.