Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Expression and Respiratory Function Improve after Ampakine Treatment in a Mouse Model of Rett Syndrome

Rett syndrome (RTT) is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the gene encoding methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2). Although MeCP2 is thought to act as a transcriptional repressor of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Mecp2 null mice, which develop an RTT-like phenotype, exhibit progressive deficits in BDNF expression. These deficits are particularly significant in the brainstem and nodose cranial sensory ganglia (NGs), structures critical for cardiorespiratory homeostasis, and may be linked to the severe respiratory abnormalities characteristic of RTT. Therefore, the present study used Mecp2 null mice to further define the role of MeCP2 in regulation of BDNF expression and neural function, focusing on NG neurons and respiratory control. We find that mutant neurons express significantly lower levels of BDNF than wild-type cells in vitro, as in vivo, under both depolarizing and nondepolarizing conditions. However, BDNF levels in mutant NG cells can be increased by chronic depolarization in vitro or by treatment of Mecp2 null mice with CX546, an ampakine drug that facilitates activation of glutamatergic AMPA receptors. Ampakine-treated Mecp2 null mice also exhibit marked functional improvement, characterized by restoration of normal breathing frequency and minute volume. These data demonstrate that BDNF expression remains plastic in Mecp2 null mice and raise the possibility that ampakine compounds could be of therapeutic value in the treatment of RTT.
Brown-Comenetz duality and the Adams spectral sequence

We show that the class of p-complete connective spectra with nitely presented cohomology over the Steenrod algebra admits a duality the- ory related to Brown-Comenetz duality. This construction also produces a full-plane version of the classical Adams spectral sequence for such spectra, which converges to the homotopy groups of a \nite" localization.
Electrophysiological Characterization and Modeling of the Structure Activity Relationship of the Human Concentrative Nucleoside Transporter 3 (hCNT3)

We characterized the electrophysiology, kinetics, and quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) of the human concentrative nucleoside transporter 3 (hCNT3) expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes by measuring substrate-induced inward currents using a two-microelectrode voltage-clamp system. At membrane potentials between -30 and -150 mV, sodium activation of gemcitabine transport was sigmoidal, with a K0.5 of 8.5 ± 0.3 mM for Na+ and a Hill coefficient of 2.2 ± 0.25 independent of membrane potential. We measured the Imax and K0.5 for substrate at -50 mV for the nucleoside analog drugs gemcitabine (638 ± 58 nA, 59.7 ± 17.5 μM), ribavirin (546 ± 37 nA, 61.0 ± 13.2 μM), AZT (420 ± 4 nA, 310 ± 9 μM), and 3-deazauridine (506 ± 30 nA, 50.8 ± 9.90 μM). K0.5 and Imax for substrate were dependent on membrane potential (both increasing as the membrane became more hyperpolarized) for all four drugs. hCNT3 also exhibited pre-steady-state currents. The quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) was examined using comparative molecular field analysis and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis of the inward currents induced by 27 nucleoside analogs with substitutions at both the ribose and the nucleobase. Two statistically significant QSAR models identified electrostatic interaction as the major force in hCNT3 transport and attributed a critical role to the 3′-hydroxyl position of hCNT3 substrates. Steric hindrance at the 3-position and positive charge at the 5-position of the pyrimidine ring were favorable for transport. Two hCNT3 pharmacophore models revealed the minimal features required for hCNT3 transport as two hydrogen bond acceptors at 3′-OH and 5′-O and the hydrophobic center occupied by the base ring.
Model-Based Compressive Sensing

Compressive sensing (CS) is an alternative to Shannon/Nyquist sampling for the acquisition of sparse or compressible signals that can be well approximated by just K ¿ N elements from an N -dimensional basis. Instead of taking periodic samples, CS measures inner products with M < N random vectors and then recovers the signal via a sparsity-seeking optimization or greedy algorithm. Standard CS dictates that robust signal recovery is possible from M = O(K log(N/K)) measurements. It is possible to substantially decrease M without sacrificing robustness by leveraging more realistic signal models that go beyond simple sparsity and compressibility by including structural dependencies between the values and locations of the signal coefficients. This paper introduces a model-based CS theory that parallels the conventional theory and provides concrete guidelines on how to create model-based recovery algorithms with provable performance guarantees. A highlight is the introduction of a new class of structured compressible signals along with a new sufficient condition for robust structured compressible signal recovery that we dub the restricted amplification property, which is the natural counterpart to the restricted isometry property of conventional CS. Two examples integrate two relevant signal models-wavelet trees and block sparsity-into two state-of-the-art CS recovery algorithms and prove that they offer robust recovery from just M = O(K) measurements. Extensive numerical simulations demonstrate the validity and applicability of our new theory and algorithms.
Closed-Form MMSE Estimation for Signal Denoising Under Sparse Representation Modeling Over a Unitary Dictionary

This paper deals with the Bayesian signal denoising problem, assuming a prior based on a sparse representation modeling over a unitary dictionary. It is well known that the maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) estimator in such a case has a closed-form solution based on a simple shrinkage. The focus in this paper is on the better performing and less familiar minimum-mean-squared-error (MMSE) estimator. We show that this estimator also leads to a simple formula, in the form of a plain recursive expression for evaluating the contribution of every atom in the solution. An extension of the model to real-world signals is also offered, considering heteroscedastic nonzero entries in the representation, and allowing varying probabilities for the chosen atoms and the overall cardinality of the sparse representation. The MAP and MMSE estimators are redeveloped for this extended model, again resulting in closed-form simple algorithms. Finally, the superiority of the MMSE estimator is demonstrated both on synthetically generated signals and on real-world signals (image patches).
Hemispheric Equivalence and Age-Related Differences in Judgments of Simultaneity to Somatosensory Stimuli

Hemispheric asymmetries, interhemispheric transfer time (IHTT), and age-related differences in judgments of simultaneity to tactile stimulation were examined. Two mechanical stimulators were employed to: (1) Determine whether both cerebral hemispheres are equally capable of processing fine tactile temporal information; (2) determine whether there is an age-related differential hemispheric decline in judgments of simultaneity, and (3) determine if simultaneity thresholds for tactile stimuli increase with advanced age. Tactile simultaneity thresholds were measured by using a modified parameter estimation by sequential testing algorithm. Participants judged whether pairs of tactile stimulation to index and middle fingers were delivered simultaneously. Results of both bimanual and unimanual conditions supported a model of hemispheric equivalence in that both hemispheres were equally capable of making judgments of simultaneity to fine tactile stimuli. The results further suggested that the hemispheric equivalence for judgments of simultaneity remains stable across adulthood. However, IHTTs of older adults were more than double that of younger adults, indicating a significant decrease in the speed of neural conduction. As well, relative to younger adults, older adults had significantly higher simultaneity thresholds.
MapPSO Results for OAEI 2009

This paper presents and discusses the results of the latest developments of the MapPSO system, which is an ontology alignment approach that is based on discrete particle swarm optimisation. Firstly it is recalled, how the algorithm approaches the ontology matching task as an optimisation problem, and how the specific technique of particle swarm optimisation is applied. Secondly, the results are discussed, which were achieved for the Benchmark data set of the 2009 Ontology Alignment Evaluation Initiative.
Urethral Reconstruction with Tissue-Engineered Human Amniotic Scaffold in Rabbit Urethral Injury Models

Background Mitigating urethral injury remains a great challenge for urologists due to lack of ideal biomaterials for urethroplasty. The application of amniotic membrane (AM) over other synthetic materials makes it a better potential source for urethral reconstruction. We separated the basement layer of AM to obtain denuded human amniotic scaffold (dHAS) and then inoculated primary rabbit urethral epithelial cells on the surface of dHAS to determine whether this strategy minimizes potential rejection and maximizes the biocompatibility of human AM. Material/Methods After the successful acquisition of dHAS from AM, cell-seeded dHAS were prepared and characterized. Both cell-seeded dHAS and acellular dHAS were subcutaneously implanted. Immune responses were compared by histological evaluation and CD4+ cell and CD8+ cell infiltrations. Then they were applied as urethroplastic materials in the rabbit models of urethral injury to fully explore the feasibility and efficacy of tissue-engineered dHAS xenografts in urethral substitution application. Results Mild inflammatory infiltration was observed in cell-seeded dHAS grafts, as revealed by fewer accumulations of CD4+ cells and CD8+ cells (or neutrophils or other immune cells). Urethral defects of rabbits in the urethroplastic group with dHAS implantation (n=6) were completely resolved in 1 month, while there were 1 infection and 1 fistula in the control group with acellular dHAS patches (n=6). Histopathological analysis revealed mild immune response in the cell-seeded dHAS group (P<0.05). Conclusions Tissue-engineered dHAS minimizes potential rejection and maximizes the biocompatibility of AM, which makes it a potential ideal xenograft for urethral reconstruction.
Longitudinal study of fingerprint recognition

Significance Fingerprint recognition, which is considered to be a reliable means for human identification, has been used in many applications ranging from law enforcement and forensics to unlocking mobile phones. Despite its successful deployment, the fundamental premise of fingerprint-based identification—persistence and uniqueness of fingerprints—has not yet been well studied, resulting in challenges to the admissibility of friction ridge evidence in courts of law. This study investigates the tendency of fingerprint similarity scores and recognition accuracy with respect to covariates characterizing properties of fingerprint impressions and demographics of subjects, including time interval between two fingerprints being compared in regard to the persistence of fingerprints. A multilevel statistical analysis is conducted with a longitudinal dataset of fingerprint records from 15,597 subjects. Human identification by fingerprints is based on the fundamental premise that ridge patterns from distinct fingers are different (uniqueness) and a fingerprint pattern does not change over time (persistence). Although the uniqueness of fingerprints has been investigated by developing statistical models to estimate the probability of error in comparing two random samples of fingerprints, the persistence of fingerprints has remained a general belief based on only a few case studies. In this study, fingerprint match (similarity) scores are analyzed by multilevel statistical models with covariates such as time interval between two fingerprints in comparison, subject’s age, and fingerprint image quality. Longitudinal fingerprint records of 15,597 subjects are sampled from an operational fingerprint database such that each individual has at least five 10-print records over a minimum time span of 5 y. In regard to the persistence of fingerprints, the longitudinal analysis on a single (right index) finger demonstrates that (i) genuine match scores tend to significantly decrease when time interval between two fingerprints in comparison increases, whereas the change in impostor match scores is negligible; and (ii) fingerprint recognition accuracy at operational settings, nevertheless, tends to be stable as the time interval increases up to 12 y, the maximum time span in the dataset. However, the uncertainty of temporal stability of fingerprint recognition accuracy becomes substantially large if either of the two fingerprints being compared is of poor quality. The conclusions drawn from 10-finger fusion analysis coincide with the conclusions from single-finger analysis.
Estimation of Distribution Function in Bivariate Competing Risk Models

We consider lifetime data involving pairs of study individuals with more than one possible cause of failure for each individual. Non‐parametric estimation of cause‐specific distribution functions is considered under independent censoring. Properties of the estimators are discussed and an illustration of their application is given. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Cross-validation of three jump power equations.

UNLABELLED The vertical jump-and-reach score is used as a component in the estimation of peak mechanical power in two equations put forth by Lewis and Harman et al. PURPOSE The purpose of the present study was to: 1) cross-validate the two equations using the vertical jump-and-reach test, 2) develop a more accurate equation from a large heterogeneous population, 3) analyze gender differences and jump protocols, and 4) assess Predicted Residual Sum of Squares (PRESS) as a cross-validation procedure. METHODS One hundred eight college-age male and female athletes and nonathletes were tested on a force platform. They performed three maximal effort vertical jumps each of the squat jump (SJ) and countermovement jump (CMJ) while simultaneously performing the vertical jump-and-reach test. Regression analysis was used to predict peak power from body mass and vertical jump height. RESULTS SJ data yielded a better power prediction equation than did CMJ data because of the greater variability in CMJ technique. The following equation was derived from SJ data: Peak Power (W) = 60.7x (jump height cm]) +45.3x(body mass [kg])-2055. This equation revealed greater accuracy than either the Lewis or previous Harman et al. equations and underestimated peak power by less than 1%, with a SEE of 355.0 W using SJ protocol. The use of one equation for both males and females resulted in only a slight (5% of power output) difference between genders. Using CMJ data in the SJ-derived equation resulted in only a 2.7% overestimation of peak power. Cross-validation of regression equations using PRESS reveals accurate and reliable R2 and SEE values. CONCLUSIONS The SJ equation is a slightly more accurate equation than that derived from CMJ data. This equation should be used in the determination of peak power in place of the formulas developed by both Harman et al. and Lewis. Separate equations for males and females are unnecessary.
Production and Actions of Superoxide in the Renal Medulla

The present study characterized the biochemical pathways responsible for superoxide (O2−·) production in different regions of the rat kidney and determined the role of O2−· in the control of renal medullary blood flow (MBF) and renal function. By use of dihydroethidium/DNA fluorescence spectrometry with microtiter plates, the production of O2−·was monitored when tissue homogenate from different kidney regions was incubated with substrates for the major O2−·-producing enzymes, such as NADH/NADPH oxidase, xanthine oxidase, and mitochondrial respiratory chain enzymes. The production of O2−· via NADH oxidase was greater (P <0.05) in the renal cortex and outer medulla (OM) than in the papilla. The mitochondrial enzyme activity for O2−·production was higher (P <0.05) in the OM than in the cortex and papilla. Compared with NADH oxidase and mitochondrial enzymes, xanthine oxidase and NADPH oxidase produced much less O2−· in the kidney under this condition. Overall, the renal OM exhibited the greatest enzyme activities for O2−·production. In anesthetized rats, renal medullary interstitial infusion of a superoxide dismutase inhibitor, diethyldithiocarbamate, markedly decreased renal MBF and sodium excretion. Diethyldithiocarbamate (5 mg/kg per minute by renal medullary interstitial infusion [RI]) reduced the renal medullary laser-Doppler flow signal from 0.6±0.04 to 0.4±0.03 V, a reduction of 33%, and both urine flow and sodium excretion decreased by 49%. In contrast, a membrane-permeable superoxide dismutase mimetic, 4-hydroxytetramethyl-piperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPOL, 30 &mgr;mol/kg per minute RI) increased MBF and sodium excretion by 34% and 69%, respectively. These effects of TEMPOL on renal MBF and sodium excretion were not altered by pretreatment with NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (10 &mgr;g/kg per minute RI). We conclude that (1) renal medullary O2−·is primarily produced in the renal OM; (2) both NADH oxidase and mitochondrial enzymes are responsible for the O2−· production in this kidney region; and (3) O2−· exerts a tonic regulatory action on renal MBF.
The CR-geometry of the complex indicatrix

In this paper we study the differential geometry of the complex indicatrix, which is approached as an embedded CR hypersurface of the punctual holomorphic tangent bundle of a complex Finsler space. Following the study of CR submanifolds of a Kähler manifold and using the submanifold formulae we investigate some properties of the complex indicatrix, such as the fact that it is an extrinsic hypersphere of the holomorphic tangent space. The fundamental equations of the indicatrix as a real submanifold of codimension 1 are also determined. Besides this, the CR-structure integrability is studied and the Levi form and characteristic direction of the complex indicatrix are given. AMS Mathematics Subject Classification (2010): 53B40; 53C60; 53C40; 53B25
Filopodia initiate choices made by sensory neuron growth cones at laminin/fibronectin borders in vitro

Localized expression of environmental cues is thought to provide directional information to migrating neuronal growth cones by enhancing or suppressing axon outgrowth over limited regions. To investigate how such a mechanism may function in vivo, we observed growth cones of embryonic chick dorsal root ganglion neurons at a substratum border between the extracellular matrix components laminin and fibronectin in vitro using time-lapse phase-contrast and interference reflection microscopy. We found that patterns of laminin and fibronectin could locally promote or suppress the direction of growth cone migration. While migrating on either laminin or fibronectin, at least 79% of growth cones changed their rate and/or direction of outgrowth upon contact with the alternative substratum, in a manner suggesting that growth cones were selecting one substratum over the other. Complex changes in growth cone behavior were initiated by filopodial contact with the alternate substratum, suggesting that filopodia were providing intracellular signals to the growth cone. Using interference reflection microscopy, we have found that selection of a substratum is independent of the degree of close contact to the substratum. We conclude that spatially localized ECM components can direct axon outgrowth by mechanisms based on intracellular signaling through growth cone filopodia.
Unconventional myosin VIIa and vezatin, two proteins crucial for Listeria entry into epithelial cells

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterial pathogen with the capacity to invade non-phagocytic cells. This dynamic process involves coordinated membrane remodelling and actin cytoskeleton rearrangements. Although some of the molecular factors promoting these events have been identified, the driving force allowing internalization is unknown. One of the receptors for L. monocytogenes on epithelial cells is E-cadherin, a transmembrane protein normally involved in homophilic interactions that allow cell-cell contacts at the adherens junctions. E-cadherin has to be connected to the actin cytoskeleton to mediate strong cell-cell adhesion and to trigger Listeria entry; α- and β-catenins play key roles in these processes. We have recently identified an unconventional myosin, myosin VIIa and its ligand vezatin, at the adherens junctions of polarized epithelial cells. Here, we demonstrate by pharmacological and genetic approaches that both myosin VIIa and vezatin are crucial for Listeria internalization. These results provide the first evidence for the role of an unconventional myosin in bacterial internalization and a novel example of the exploitation of mammalian proteins, by a pathogen, to establish a successful infection.
Home automation using SSVEP & eye-blink detection based brain-computer interface

In this paper, we present a novel brain computer interface based home automation system using two responses - Steady State Visually Evoked Potential (SSVEP) and the eyeblink artifact, augmented by a Bluetooth based indoor localization system, to greatly increase the number of controllable devices. The hardware implementation of this system to control a table lamp and table fan using brain signals has also been discussed and state-of-the-art results have been achieved.
Motor coordination and kinaesthesis in boys with attention deficit–hyperactivity disorder

In the current study, movement ability and underlying kinaesthetic processes of boys with attention deficit–hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were compared with a group of control children. Two groups of 16 boys with either predominantly inattentive subtype ADHD (ADHD‐PI) or combined subtype ADHD (ADHD‐C) were compared with 16 control boys matched on age and verbal IQ. The findings demonstrated that the children with ADHD had significantly poorer movement ability than the control children. A high percentage of children with ADHD displayed movement difficulties consistent with developmental coordination disorder. In addition, the current study found that the type and degree of movement difficulty differed between subtypes. Children with ADHD‐PI had significantly poorer fine motor skill while children with ADHD‐C were found to experience significantly greater difficulty with gross motor skill. The severity of the children's inattentive symptomatology was found to be a significant predictor of motor coordination difficulties. Kinaesthetic sensitivity was not found to differ significantly between the groups.