Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Involvement of intrinsic cholinergic and GABAergic innervation in the effect of NMDA on striatal dopamine efflux and metabolism as assessed by microdialysis studies in freely moving rats

Microdialysis perfusion was used to study the participation of striatal cholinergic and γ‐aminobutyric acid‐ergic (GABAergic) neurotransmission in basal and N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor‐modulated dopamine release and metabolism in the striatum of the freely moving rat. Reverse dialysis of atropine (1–50 µm) induced a concentration‐related increase in dopamine efflux and decrease in 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) efflux. (+)‐Bicuculline (10–100 µm) similarly increased dopamine efflux, but was without consistent effect on metabolite efflux. Reverse dialysis of NMDA (1 mm) evoked an approximately twofold increase in dopamine efflux and decreased DOPAC and HVA efflux to 30–40% of basal levels. The effect of NMDA on dopamine efflux was completely abolished by coadministration of tetrodotoxin (TTX; 1 µm) or atropine (10 µm), and markedly potentiated (approximately fourfold) by coadministration of (+)‐bicuculline (50 µm). The NMDA‐induced decrease in dopamine metabolite efflux was inhibited by coadministration of TTX or (+)‐bicuculline, but was unaffected by atropine. Our data suggest that dopamine release in the striatum is subject to both cholinergic and GABAergic tonic inhibitory mechanisms mediated through muscarinic and GABAA receptors, respectively. Furthermore, NMDA‐stimulated dopamine release also involves obligatory cholinergic facilitation and an inhibitory GABAergic component mediated through these respective receptors.
N-Glycosylation Is Critical for the Stability and Intracellular Trafficking of Glucose Transporter GLUT4*

The facilitative glucose transporter GLUT4 plays a key role in regulating whole body glucose homeostasis. GLUT4 dramatically changes its distribution upon insulin stimulation, and insulin-resistant diabetes is often linked with compromised translocation of GLUT4 under insulin stimulation. To elucidate the functional significance of the sole N-glycan chain on GLUT4, wild-type GLUT4 and a GLUT4 glycosylation mutant conjugated with enhanced GFP were stably expressed in HeLa cells. The N-glycan contributed to the overall stability of newly synthesized GLUT4. Moreover, cell surface expression of wild-type GLUT4 in HeLa cells was elevated upon insulin treatment, whereas the glycosylation mutant lost the ability to respond to insulin. Subcellular distribution of the mutant was distinct from that of wild-type GLUT4, implying that the subcellular localization required for insulin-mediated translocation was impaired in the mutant protein. Interestingly, kifunensine-treated cells also lost sensitivity to insulin, suggesting the functional importance of the N-glycan structure for GLUT4 trafficking. The Km or turnover rates of wild-type and mutant GLUT4, however, were similar, suggesting that the N-glycan had little effect on transporter activity. These findings underscore the critical roles of the N-glycan chain in quality control as well as intracellular trafficking of GLUT4.
A POMDP Based Approach to Optimally Select Sellers in Electronic Marketplaces

Selecting a seller in e-markets is a tedious task that we might want to delegate to an agent. Many approaches to constructing such agents have been proposed, building upon different foundations (decision theory, trust modeling) and making use of different information (direct experience with sellers, reputation of sellers, trustworthiness of other buyers called advisors, etc.). In this paper, we propose the SALE POMDP, a new approach based on the decision-theoretic framework of POMDPs. It enables optimal trade-offs of information gaining and exploiting actions, with the ultimate goal of maximizing buyer satisfaction. A unique feature of the model is that it allows querying advisors about the trustworthiness of other advisors. We represent the model as a factored POMDP, thereby enabling the use of computationally more efficient solution methods. Evaluation on the ART testbed demonstrates that SALE POMDP balances the cost of obtaining and benefit of more information more effectively, leading to more earnings, than traditional trust models. Experiments also show that it is more robust to deceptive advisors than a previous POMDP based approach, and that the factored formulation allows the solution of reasonably large instances of seller selection problems.
Performance analysis of IEEE 802.11 MAC protocols in wireless LANs

Summary IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol is the de facto standard for wireless local area networks (LANs), and has also been implemented in many network simulation packages for wireless multi-hop ad hoc networks. However, it is well known that, as the number of active stations increases, the performance of IEEE 802.11 MAC in terms of delay and throughput degrades dramatically, especially when each station’s load approaches its saturation state. To explore the inherent problems in this protocol, it is important to characterize the probability distribution of the packet service time at the MAC layer. In this paper, by modeling the exponential backoff process as a Markov chain, we can use the signal transfer function of the generalized state transition diagram to derive an approximate probability distribution of the MAC layer service time. We then present the discrete probability distribution for MAC layer packet service time, which is shown to accurately match the simulation data from network simulations. Based on the probability model for the MAC layer service time, we can analyze a few performance metrics of the wireless LAN and give better explanation to the performance degradation in delay and throughput at various traffic loads. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the exponential distribution is a good approximation model for the MAC layer service time for the queueing analysis, and the presented queueing models can accurately match the simulation data obtained from ns-2 when the arrival process at MAC layer is Poissonian. Copyright # 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
EVALUATION OF ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND ANALGESIC ACTIVITY OF THE AQUEOUS METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF ASPRARAGUS RACEMOSUS IN EXPERIMENTAL MODELS

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of the aqueous methanolic extract of the root of Asparagus racemosus in Albino mice model. Oedema models were induced by injection of carrageenan and fresh egg albumin into right hind paw. Acetic acid and formalin were used to induce pain models. The aqueous methanolic extract showed significant reduction in both paw oedema models. In pain models, the extract also significantly inhibited the acetic acid-induced writhing and formalin-induced paw lickings. Our findings showed that aqueous methanolic extract of Asparagus racemosus’s root reduced inflammation and pain in experimental models. The results proposed a potential use of Asparagus racemosus’s roots in treating conditions associated with inflammation and pain.
Spanish-speaking Parents' Beliefs about Their Young Children's Learning and Language Development

In recognition of the increasing cultural, linguistic, and economic diversity among the early childhood population, knowledge about parents’ beliefs concerning the way in which children learn has the potential to directly inform early childhood programs charged with the task of developing young children’s language. This study investigates Latino, Spanish-speaking parents’ (n = 200) beliefs about their 24- to 48-month-old children’s learning and (dual) language development; all children attended Early Head Start/Head Start. Given that patterns of Spanish language use can vary along a continuum of mostly Spanish to mostly English, we also examine potential differences in beliefs by patterns of reported home language use. Results of this study, using Principal Components Analysis, reveal that Spanish-speaking parents’ beliefs about the way in which young children learn and develop language vary widely. We discuss ways in which early childhood programs can build on parents’ existing knowledge base to maximize students’ learning opportunities.
Intelligence and Learning Disabilities in 6- to 8-year-old Children Weighing under 1000 Grams at Birth

Intellectual ability and learning disabilities (LD) were assessed in a cohort of 33 extremely low-birthweight (1000 grams) children at 6-8 years of age with a psychometric test battery. The children were classified into the following three groups: a LD-suspected group of 9 boys (27.3%), a mentally delayed group of 3 boys and 3 girls (18.2%), and a typically developing group of 6 boys and 11 girls (51.5%). No correlation was found between birthweight and intelligence quotient (IQ) at 6-8 years of age. A negative correlation was found between IQ and gestational age (GA) at a nearly significant level. The mean verbal IQ for the 11 small for gestational age (SGA) children was significantly lower than that of the appropriate for gestational age (AGA) children. The LD-suspected group was characterised by lower scores on spatial relationships and rapid but inaccurate solving of the visuo-motor integration tasks on the Frostig test.
DESIGN A NEURAL NETWORK FOR TIME SERIES FINANCIAL FORECASTING: ACCURACY AND ROBUSTNESS ANALISYS

Normal 0 21 Neural Networks are an artificial intelligence method for modeling complex target functions. For certain types of problems, such as learning to interpret complex real-world sensor data, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are among the most effective learning methods currently know. During the last decade they have been widely applied to the domain of financial time series prediction and their importance in this field is growing. Also, it is the Artificial Intelligence Technique that deals best with uncertainly. The present work aims to analyze the neural networks for financial time series forecasting. Specifically the ability to predict future trends of North American, European and Brazilian Stock Markets. Accuracy is compared against a traditional forecasting method, generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH). Furthermore, it is examined the best choice of network design for each sample of data. It was concluded that ANNs do have the capability to forecast the stock markets studied and, if properly trained, can improve the robustness according to the network structure.
The Prevalence of Mutations in KCNQ1, KCNH2, and SCN5A in an Unselected National Cohort of Young Sudden Unexplained Death Cases

Introduction: Sudden unexplained death account for one‐third of all sudden natural deaths in the young (1–35 years). Hitherto, the prevalence of genopositive cases has primarily been based on deceased persons referred for postmortem genetic testing. These deaths potentially may represent the worst of cases, thus possibly overestimating the prevalence of potentially disease causing mutations in the 3 major long‐QT syndrome (LQTS) genes in the general population. We therefore wanted to investigate the prevalence of mutations in an unselected population of sudden unexplained deaths in a nationwide setting.
Observation of log-periodic oscillations in the quantum dynamics of electrons on the one-dimensional Fibonacci quasicrystal

We revisit the question of quantum dynamics of electrons on the off-diagonal Fibonacci tight-binding model. We find that typical dynamical quantities, such as the probability of an electron to remain in its original position as a function of time, display log-periodic oscillations on top of the leading-order power-law decay. These periodic oscillations with the logarithm of time are similar to the oscillations that are known to exist with the logarithm of temperature in the specific heat of Fibonacci electrons, yet they offer new possibilities for the experimental observation of this unique phenomenon.
Correlation of tumor and whole-body dosimetry with tumor response and toxicity in refractory neuroblastoma treated with (131)I-MIBG.

UNLABELLED The purpose of our study was to determine the effect of tumor-targeted radiation in neuroblastoma by correlating administered (131)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) activity to tumor and whole-body dosimetry, tumor volume change, overall response, and hematologic toxicity. METHODS Eligible patients had MIBG-positive lesions and tumor-free, cryopreserved hematopoietic stem cells. Activity was administered according to body weight and protocol as part of a phase I and phase II study. The whole-body radiation dose was derived from daily 1-m exposure measurements, the tumor self-absorbed radiation dose (TSARD) was determined from scintillation-camera conjugate views, and the tumor volume was measured using CT or MRI. RESULTS Forty-two patients with refractory neuroblastoma (16 with prior hematopoietic stem cell transplant) received a median activity of 555 MBq/kg (15 mCi/kg) (range, 93-770 MBq/kg) and a median total activity of 11,470 MBq (310 mCi) (range, 3,330-30,969 MBq). The median whole-body radiation dose was 228 cGy (range, 57-650 cGy) and the median TSARD was 3,300 cGy (range, 312-30,500 cGy). Responses among evaluable patients included 16 partial response, 3 mixed response, 14 stable disease, and 9 progressive disease. Higher TSARD values predicted better overall disease response (P < 0.01). The median decrease in tumor volume was 19%; 18 tumors decreased, 4 remained stable, and 5 increased in size. Correlation was seen between administered activity per kilogram and whole-body dose as well as hematologic toxicity (assessed by blood platelet and neutrophil count nadir) (P < 0.05). The median whole-body dose was higher in the 11 patients who required hematopoietic stem cell infusion for prolonged neutropenia versus the 31 patients who did not (323 vs. 217 cGy; P = 0.03). CONCLUSION Despite inaccuracies inherent in dosimetry methods, (131)I-MIBG activity per kilogram correlated with whole-body radiation dose and hematologic toxicity. The TSARD by conjugate planar imaging predicted tumor volume decrease and also correlated with overall tumor response.
Chimeras of the native form or achondroplasia mutant (G375C) of human fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 induce ligand-dependent differentiation of PC12 cells

Mutations in the gene for human fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (hFGFR3) cause a variety of skeletal dysplasias, including the most common genetic form of dwarfism, achondroplasia (ACH). Evidence indicates that these phenotypes are not due to simple haploinsufficiency of FGFR3 but are more likely related to a role in negatively regulating skeletal growth. The effects of one of these mutations on FGFR3 signaling were examined by constructing chimeric receptors composed of the extracellular domain of human platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (hPDGFR beta) and the transmembrane and intracellular domains of hFGFR3 or of an ACH (G375C) mutant. Following stable transfection in PC12 cells, which lack platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptors, all clonal cell lines, with either type of chimera, showed strong neurite outgrowth in the presence of PDGF but not in its absence. Antiphosphotyrosine immunoblots showed ligand-dependent autophosphorylation, and both receptor types stimulated strong phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase, an event associated with the differentiative response of these cells. In addition, ligand-dependent phosphorylation of phospholipase Cgamma and Shc was also observed. All of these responses were comparable to those observed from ligand activation, such as by nerve growth factor, of the native PC12 cells used to prepare the stable transfectants. The cells with the chimera bearing the ACH mutation were more rapidly responsive to ligand with less sustained MAPK activation, indicative of a preactivated or primed condition and consistent with the view that these mutations weaken ligand control of FGFR3 function. However, the full effect of the mutation likely depends in part on structural features of the extracellular domain. Although FGFR3 has been suggested to act as a negative regulator of long-bone growth in chrondrocytes, it produces differentiative signals similar to those of FGFR1, to which only positive effects have been ascribed, in PC12 cells. Therefore, its regulatory effects on bone growth likely result from cellular contexts and not the induction of a unique FGFR3 signaling pathway.
Bivariate probabilistic constrained programming for interference exploitation in the cognitive radio

In this paper, we study a constructive interference based cognitive radio beamforming optimization problem under perfect channel state information at the transmitter and the knowledge of data information. The beamformers are designed to minimize the worst secondary user's symbol error probability under constraints on the instantaneous total transmit power, and the power of the instantaneous interference in the primary link. The problem is formulated as a bivariate probabilistic constrained programming problem and can be solved using the barrier method. Our simulations indicate that the proposed technique offers a significantly improved performance over the conventional technique, while guaranteeing the quality of service (QoS) of primary users on an instantaneous basis, in contrast to the average QoS guarantees of conventional beamformers.
Arguing about desirable consequences: What constitutes a convincing argument?

Argument quality has consistently been shown to have strong and lasting persuasive effects. The question is what criteria people use to distinguish strong from weak arguments and how these criteria relate to the ones proposed in normative argumentation theory. In an experiment 235 participants without training in argumentation theory rated the acceptance of 30 claims about the desirability of a consequence that were supported by either an argument from analogy, from authority, or from consequences. The supporting arguments were systematically manipulated to violate argument type specific criteria. Participants proved sensitive to the violation of most, but not all, argument type specific criteria. From a normative perspective these findings suggest that people act in a fairly adequate way. These findings also enable a more precise description of what people may do when critically appraising arguments, which has important implications for the use of argument quality as a methodological tool in persuasion research.
Identification of vapours using a single carbon black/polymer composite sensor and a novel temperature modulation technique

Here we report on a novel method to measure the concentration of different vapours in air using a single carbon black/polymer composite resistive sensor. A carbon black/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) composite film was deposited onto a single crystal silicon micro-hotplate, and its temperature stepped between 25degC and 35 degC. We have extracted a novel pre-processing feature that we describe as the "fractional transient response", which is produced from analyzing the temperature transients measured with and without vapours. We have found that the shape of the fractional difference of transient conductance curve depends only on vapour type and so can be used for vapour identification; whereas the amplitude of fractional difference of transient conductance curves is proportional to the concentration of the vapour and so can be used to predict vapour concentration. Therefore, we show experimentally that it is possible to detect different vapours using a single carbon black polymer/composite sensor. Results are given for detecting water, methanol and ethanol vapours in ambient air.
Gender Roles and Women's Achievement-Related Decisions

Occupational sex segregation continues to exist and the occupational career paths of women and men continue to differ. This article proposes a model to explain these persistent, gender-role linked trends, summarizes evidence to support the proposed mediating psychological mechanisms, and discusses the social experiences that shape gender differences on these mediators. In addition, the article reviews the economic and psychological costs often associated with the traditional female choices and proposes interventions aimed at achieving a more gender—fair social system that does not devalue traditionally female domains. The proposed model links occupational choices to expectations for success and subjective task value, which, in turn, are linked to gender-role socialization, self schemas, and anticipated role and task demands. The importance of subjective task value is stressed, as is the need to study women's achievement-related choices from the women's perspective.
Photodynamic Effect of Ni Nanotubes on an HeLa Cell Line

Nickel nanomaterials are promising in the biomedical field, especially in cancer diagnostics and targeted therapy, due to their distinctive chemical and physical properties. In this experiment, the toxicity of nickel nanotubes (Ni NTs) were tested in an in vitro cervical cancer model (HeLa cell line) to optimize the parameters of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for their greatest effectiveness. Ni NTs were synthesized by electrodeposition. Morphological analysis and magnetic behavior were examined using a Scanning electron microscope (SEM), an energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) and a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analysis. Phototoxic and cytotoxic effects of nanomaterials were studied using the Ni NTs alone as well as in conjugation with aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA); this was performed both in the dark and under laser exposure. Toxic effects on the HeLa cell model were evaluated by a neutral red assay (NRA) and by detection of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Furthermore, 10–200 nM of Ni NTs was prepared in solution form and applied to HeLa cells in 96-well plates. Maximum toxicity of Ni NTs complexed with 5-ALA was observed at 100 J/cm2 and 200 nM. Up to 65–68% loss in cell viability was observed. Statistical analysis was performed on the experimental results to confirm the worth and clarity of results, with p-values = 0.003 and 0.000, respectively. Current results pave the way for a more rational strategy to overcome the problem of drug bioavailability in nanoparticulate targeted cancer therapy, which plays a dynamic role in clinical practice.
A lightweight technique for assessing risks in requirements analysis

A simple and practical technique for assessing the risks, that is, the potential for error, and consequent loss, in software system development, acquired during a requirements engineering phase is described. The technique uses a goal-based requirements analysis as a framework to identify and rate a set of key issues in order to arrive at estimates of the feasibility and adequacy of the requirements. The technique is illustrated and how it has been applied to a real systems development project is shown. How problems in this project could have been identified earlier is shown, thereby avoiding costly additional work and unhappy users.