Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dirichlet boundary state in a linear dilaton background.

Dirichlet branes have emerged as important objects in studying nonperturbative string theory. It is important to generalize these objects to more general backgrounds other than the usual flat background. The simplest case is the linear dilaton condensate. The usual Dirichlet boundary condition violates conformal invariance in such a background. We show that by switching on a certain boundary interaction, conformal invariance is restored. An immediate application of this result is to two-dimensional string theory. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society. }
Improving the dyeing properties and softness of hemp fabric using chitosan and epoxy modified silicone oil

In order to improve the dyeing depth and softness, hemp fabrics were treated with chitosan (molecular weight less than 10,000, degree of deacetylation 90%) and epoxy modified silicone oil in different volume ratios, and then dyed with Remazol Brillant Blue R vinyl sulphone. The changes in fine structure were characterized by means of SEM, FT‐IR, TG, DSC, and XRD. In addition, the effects of chitosan/silicone oil on the properties of tensile, bending, whiteness, dyeing, and color fastness were also investigated. It was found that compared with the untreated hemp fiber, the thermal stability of modified hemp fiber was improved and the percent residual weight increased in the range of temperature 25°–550°. The size of crystal grain decreased and the degree of crystallization increased. For the chitosan/silicone oil treated fabric, the handle was improved but the tensile properties degraded. As the content of chitosan increased, the color yield increased. Color fastnesses with regard to to rubbing, wet scrubbing, and washing durability were also improved when the volume ratio of chitosan to silicone oil was 5:1.
Drape Simulation of Woven Fabrics by Using Explicit Dynamic Analysis

For the three-dimensional drape simulation of large samples of woven fabric, an explicit-dynamic analysis code is developed to predict the shape of woven fabric as it deforms into a natural shape under gravity. A contact algorithm is incorporated into the code, which is based on explicit algorithms for the non-linear dynamics of shells with a simple damping effect. For validation purposes, various simulations are performed, and the results are compared with those obtained in experiments.
Code Generator Composition for Model-Driven Engineering of Robotics Component & Connector Systems

Engineering software for robotics applications requires multidomain and application-specific solutions. Model-driven engineering and modeling language integration provide means for developing specialized, yet reusable models of robotics software architectures. Code generators transform these platform independent models into executable code specific to robotic platforms. Generative software engineering for multidomain applications requires not only the integration of modeling languages but also the integration of validation mechanisms and code generators. In this paper we sketch a conceptual model for code generator composition and show an instantiation of this model in the MontiArc- Automaton framework. MontiArcAutomaton allows modeling software architectures as component and connector models with different component behavior modeling languages. Effective means for code generator integration are a necessity for the post hoc integration of applicationspecific languages in model-based robotics software engineering.
Cannabinoids Desensitize Capsaicin and Mustard Oil Responses in Sensory Neurons via TRPA1 Activation

Although the cannabinoid agonists R-(+)-(2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-[(4-morpholinyl)methyl]pyrol[1,2,3-de]-1,4-benzoxazin-6-yl)-(1-naphthalenyl) methanone mesylate [WIN 55,212-2 (WIN)] and (R,S)-3-(2-iodo-5-nitrobenzoyl)-1-(1-methyl-2-piperidinylmethyl)-1H-indole (AM1241) exert peripheral antihyperalgesia in inflammatory pain models, the mechanism for cannabinoid-induced inhibition of nociceptive sensory neurons has not been fully studied. Because TRPV1 and TRPA1 channels play important roles in controlling hyperalgesia in inflammatory pain models, we investigated their modulation by WIN and AM1241. The applications of WIN (>5 μm) and AM1241 (>30 μm) inhibit responses of sensory neurons to capsaicin and mustard oil. To determine potential mechanisms for the inhibition, we evaluated cannabinoid effects on nociceptors. WIN and AM1241 excite sensory neurons in a concentration-dependent manner via a nonselective Ca2+-permeable channel. The expression of TRP channels in CHO cells demonstrates that both WIN and AM1241 activate TRPA1 and, by doing so, attenuate capsaicin and mustard oil responses. Using TRPA1-specific small interfering RNA or TRPA1-deficient mice, we show that the TRPA1 channel is a sole target through which WIN and mustard oil activate sensory neurons. In contrast, AM1241 activation of sensory neurons is mediated by TRPA1 and an unknown channel. The knockdown of TRPA1 activity in neurons completely eliminates the desensitizing effects of WIN and AM1241 on capsaicin-activated currents. Furthermore, the WIN- or AM1241-induced inhibition of capsaicin-evoked nocifensive behavior via peripheral actions is reversed in TRPA1 null-mutant mice. Together, this study demonstrates that certain cannabinoids exert their peripheral antinocifensive actions via activation of the TRPA1 channel on sensory neurons.
PI3K and STAT3: a new alliance.

UNLABELLED Recent proteomic data have uncovered an interdependence of PI3K and STAT3. In PI3K-tranformed murine cells, STAT3 is phosphorylated on Y705 and activated in a PI3K-dependent manner. Dominant negative STAT3 interferes with PI3K-induced oncogenic transformation. Phosphorylation of STAT3 in PI3K-transformed murine cells is mediated by the TEC kinase BMX. Observations on glioblastoma stem cells reveal similar critical roles for STAT3 and BMX. The new data document an important role of STAT3 in PI3K-driven oncogenic transformation and mark BMX as a promising therapeutic target that could enhance the effectiveness of PI3K inhibitors. SIGNIFICANCE The PI3K–TOR and STAT3 signaling pathways represent two distinct regulatory networks. The discovery of a functional link between these pathways is significant for our understanding of PI3K- and STAT3-driven oncogenic mechanisms and identifies the TEC kinase BMX as a new cancer target.
Inhibition of Post-Transcriptional RNA Processing by CDK Inhibitors and Its Implication in Anti-Viral Therapy

Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are key regulators of the cell cycle and RNA polymerase II mediated transcription. Several pharmacological CDK inhibitors are currently in clinical trials as potential cancer therapeutics and some of them also exhibit antiviral effects. Olomoucine II and roscovitine, purine-based inhibitors of CDKs, were described as effective antiviral agents that inhibit replication of a broad range of wild type human viruses. Olomoucine II and roscovitine show high selectivity for CDK7 and CDK9, with important functions in the regulation of RNA polymerase II transcription. RNA polymerase II is necessary for viral transcription and following replication in cells. We analyzed the effect of inhibition of CDKs by olomoucine II on gene expression from viral promoters and compared its effect to widely-used roscovitine. We found that both roscovitine and olomoucine II blocked the phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain. However the repression of genes regulated by viral promoters was strongly dependent on gene localization. Both roscovitine and olomoucine II inhibited expression only when the viral promoter was not integrated into chromosomal DNA. In contrast, treatment of cells with genome-integrated viral promoters increased their expression even though there was decreased phosphorylation of the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II. To define the mechanism responsible for decreased gene expression after pharmacological CDK inhibitor treatment, the level of mRNA transcription from extrachromosomal DNA was determined. Interestingly, our results showed that inhibition of RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain phosphorylation increased the number of transcribed mRNAs. However, some of these mRNAs were truncated and lacked polyadenylation, which resulted in decreased translation. These results suggest that phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain is critical for linking transcription and posttrancriptional processing of mRNA expressed from extrachromosomal DNA.
The Role of Ethylene in Plant Adaptations for Phosphate Acquisition in Soils – A Review

Although a role of ethylene in the regulation of senescence and plant stress responses in general has a long history, a possible involvement in the regulation of adaptive responses to nutrient deficiencies has been mainly investigated since the last two decades. In the case of plant responses to phosphate (Pi) starvation, ethylene was identified as a modulator of adaptive responses in root growth and morphology. The molecular base of these adaptations has been elucidated in supplementation studies with ethylene precursors and antagonists, as well as analysis of mutants and transgenic plants with modified ethylene biosynthesis and responsiveness, using mainly Arabidopsis thaliana as a model plant. However, increasing evidence suggests that apart from root growth responses, ethylene may be involved in various additional plant adaptations to Pi limitation including Pi mobilization in the rhizosphere, Pi uptake and internal Pi recycling. The ethylene-mediated responses are frequently characterized by high genotypic variability and may partially share common pathways in different nutrient limitations.
Stimulation of intestinal glucoreceptors in rats increases pancreatic islet blood flow through vagal mechanisms.

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether intestinal glucoreceptors participate in the regulation of pancreatic islet blood flow. For this purpose, anesthetized rats were infused (0.1 ml/min for 3 min) with saline, glucose, or 3- O-methylglucose directly into the duodenum. The glucose (1 mg/kg body wt) infusion rate was chosen to prevent any effects on systemic or intraportal blood glucose concentrations. Intraduodenal infusion ofd-glucose increased both serum insulin concentration and islet blood flow, whereas the osmotic control substance 3- O-methylglucose had no such effects. A bilateral abdominal vagotomy performed before the infusions totally abolished both the insulin and blood flow response to glucose infusion. The absence of an increased islet blood flow in response to glucose infusion in the denervated, transplanted pancreas was a further indication of the crucial importance of the regulation of islet blood flow by the vagus nerves. It is concluded that intestinal glucoreceptors participate in the mediation of glucose-induced islet blood flow increase.
Isoform Diversity of Giant Proteins in Relation to Passive and Active Contractile Properties of Rabbit Skeletal Muscles

The active and passive contractile performance of skeletal muscle fibers largely depends on the myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform and the stiffness of the titin spring, respectively. Open questions concern the relationship between titin-based stiffness and active contractile parameters, and titin's importance for total passive muscle stiffness. Here, a large set of adult rabbit muscles (n = 37) was studied for titin size diversity, passive mechanical properties, and possible correlations with the fiber/MHC composition. Titin isoform analyses showed sizes between ∼3300 and 3700 kD; 31 muscles contained a single isoform, six muscles coexpressed two isoforms, including the psoas, where individual fibers expressed similar isoform ratios of 30:70 (3.4:3.3 MD). Gel electrophoresis and Western blotting of two other giant muscle proteins, nebulin and obscurin, demonstrated muscle type–dependent size differences of ≤70 kD. Single fiber and single myofibril mechanics performed on a subset of muscles showed inverse relationships between titin size and titin-borne tension. Force measurements on muscle strips suggested that titin-based stiffness is not correlated with total passive stiffness, which is largely determined also by extramyofibrillar structures, particularly collagen. Some muscles have low titin-based stiffness but high total passive stiffness, whereas the opposite is true for other muscles. Plots of titin size versus percentage of fiber type or MHC isoform (I-IIB-IIA-IID) determined by myofibrillar ATPase staining and gel electrophoresis revealed modest correlations with the type I fiber and MHC-I proportions. No relationships were found with the proportions of the different type II fiber/MHC-II subtypes. Titin-based stiffness decreased with the slow fiber/MHC percentage, whereas neither extramyofibrillar nor total passive stiffness depended on the fiber/MHC composition. In conclusion, a low correlation exists between the active and passive mechanical properties of skeletal muscle fibers. Slow muscles usually express long titin(s), predominantly fast muscles can express either short or long titin(s), giving rise to low titin-based stiffness in slow muscles and highly variable stiffness in fast muscles. Titin contributes substantially to total passive stiffness, but this contribution varies greatly among muscles.
MARCKS Protein Is Phosphorylated and Regulates Calcium Mobilization during Human Acrosomal Exocytosis

Acrosomal exocytosis is a calcium-regulated exocytosis that can be triggered by PKC activators. The involvement of PKC in acrosomal exocytosis has not been fully elucidated, and it is unknown if MARCKS, the major substrate for PKC, participates in this exocytosis. Here, we report that MARCKS is expressed in human spermatozoa and localizes to the sperm head and the tail. Calcium- and phorbol ester-triggered acrosomal exocytosis in permeabilized sperm was abrogated by different anti-MARCKS antibodies raised against two different domains, indicating that the protein participates in acrosomal exocytosis. Interestingly, an anti-phosphorylated MARCKS antibody was not able to inhibit secretion. Similar results were obtained using recombinant proteins and phospho-mutants of MARCKS effector domain (ED), indicating that phosphorylation regulates MARCKS function in acrosomal exocytosis. It is known that unphosphorylated MARCKS sequesters PIP2. This phospholipid is the precursor for IP3, which in turn triggers release of calcium from the acrosome during acrosomal exocytosis. We found that PIP2 and adenophostin, a potent IP3-receptor agonist, rescued MARCKS inhibition in permeabilized sperm, suggesting that MARCKS inhibits acrosomal exocytosis by sequestering PIP2 and, indirectly, MARCKS regulates the intracellular calcium mobilization. In non-permeabilized sperm, a permeable peptide of MARCKS ED also inhibited acrosomal exocytosis when stimulated by a natural agonist such as progesterone, and pharmacological inducers such as calcium ionophore and phorbol ester. The preincubation of human sperm with the permeable MARCKS ED abolished the increase in calcium levels caused by progesterone, demonstrating that MARCKS regulates calcium mobilization. In addition, the phosphorylation of MARCKS increased during acrosomal exocytosis stimulated by the same activators. Altogether, these results show that MARCKS is a negative modulator of the acrosomal exocytosis, probably by sequestering PIP2, and that it is phosphorylated during acrosomal exocytosis.
HeartChat: Heart Rate Augmented Mobile Chat to Support Empathy and Awareness

Textual communication via mobile phones suffers from a lack of context and emotional awareness. We present a mobile chat application, HeartChat, which integrates heart rate as a cue to increase awareness and empathy. Through a literature review and a focus group, we identified design dimensions important for heart rate augmented chats. We created three concepts showing heart rate per message, in real-time, or sending it explicitly. We tested our system in a two week in-the-wild study with 14 participants (7 pairs). Interviews and questionnaires showed that HeartChat supports empathy between people, in particular close friends and partners. Sharing heart rate helped them to implicitly understand each other's context (e.g. location, physical activity) and emotional state, and sparked curiosity on special occasions. We discuss opportunities, challenges, and design implications for enriching mobile chats with physiological sensing.
The Role of Invariant Natural Killer T Cells in Dendritic Cell Licensing, Cross-Priming, and Memory CD8+ T Cell Generation

New vaccination strategies focus on achieving CD8+ T cell (CTL) immunity rather than on induction of protective antibody responses. While the requirement of CD4+ T (Th) cell help in dendritic cell (DC) activation and licensing, and in CTL memory induction has been described in several disease models, CTL responses may occur in a Th cell help-independent manner. Invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT cells) can substitute for Th cell help and license DC as well. iNKT cells produce a broad spectrum of Th1 and Th2 cytokines, thereby inducing a similar set of costimulatory molecules and cytokines in DC. This form of licensing differs from Th cell help by inducing other chemokines, while Th cell-licensed DCs produce CCR5 ligands, iNKT cell-licensed DCs produce CCL17, which attracts CCR4+ CD8+ T cells for subsequent activation. It has recently been shown that iNKT cells do not only enhance immune responses against bacterial pathogens or parasites but also play a role in viral infections. The inclusion of iNKT cell ligands in influenza virus vaccines enhanced memory CTL generation and protective immunity in a mouse model. This review will focus on the role of iNKT cells in the cross-talk with cross-priming DC and memory CD8+ T cell formation.
Effect of Smoking Cessation on Visually Evoked Cerebral Blood Flow Response in Healthy Volunteers

Background/Aims: In our previous study, impaired visually evoked flow velocity response was demonstrated in young chronic smokers. Our aim was to study whether impaired cerebrovascular reactivity is reversible 6–18 months after smoking cessation. Methods: Flow velocity changes, evoked by visual stimulus, were recorded in the posterior cerebral arteries in 15 smokers, 15 former smokers and 15 nonsmokers. The stimulation protocol consisted of 10 cycles with a resting phase of 20 s (baseline) and a stimulating phase of 40 s for each cycle. Relative changes of flow velocity were expressed in relation to baseline. Breath holding index, visual evoked potential and intima-media thickness were also examined. Results: Repeated measures ANOVA revealed marked difference in the flow velocity time courses between the 3 groups (p < 0.01). The flow response was significantly worse in former smokers than in nonsmokers (p < 0.002), however, no significant difference was found between former and current smokers (p = 0.0556). Conclusion: This is the first transcranial Doppler study demonstrating long-term impairment of visually evoked cerebrovascular response after smoking cessation. These findings indicate that the impairment of neurovascular coupling caused by smoking is due to structural changes of the vessels, rather than acute effect of smoking.
Cone photoreceptor function loss-3, a novel mouse model of achromatopsia due to a mutation in Gnat2.

PURPOSE To report a novel mouse model of achromatopsia with a cpfl3 mutation found in the ALS/LtJ strain. METHODS The effects of a cpfl3 mutation were documented using fundus photography, electroretinography (ERG), and histopathology. Genetic analysis was performed using linkage studies and PCR gene identification. RESULTS Homozygous cpfl3 mice had poor cone-mediated responses on ERG at 3 weeks that became undetectable by 9 months. Rod-mediated waveforms were initially normal, but declined with age. Microscopy of the retinas revealed progressive vacuolization of the photoreceptor outer segments. Immunocytochemistry with cone-specific markers showed progressive loss of labeling for alpha-transducin, but the cone outer segments in the oldest mice examined remained intact and positive with peanut agglutinin (PNA). The cpfl3 mapped to mouse chromosome 3 at the same location as human GNAT2, known to cause achromatopsia. Sequence analysis revealed a missense mutation due to a single base pair substitution in exon 6 in cpfl3. CONCLUSIONS The Gnat2(cpfl3) mutation leads to cone dysfunction and the progressive loss of cone alpha-transducin immunolabeling. Despite a poor cone ERG signal and loss of cone alpha-transducin label, the cones survive at 14 weeks as demonstrated by PNA staining. This mouse model of achromatopsia will be useful in the study of the development, pathophysiology, and treatment of achromatopsia and other cone degenerations. The gene symbol for the cpfl3 mutation has been changed to Gnat2(cpfl3).
A Plan-Based Analysis of Indirect Speech Act

We propose an account of indirect forms of speech acts to request and inform based on the hypothesis that language users can recognize actions being performed by others, infer goals being sought, and cooperate in their achievement. This cooperative behaviour is independently motivated and may or may not be intended by speakers. If the hearer believes it is intended, he or she can recognize the speech act as indirect; otherwise it is interpreted directly. Heuristics are suggested to decide among the interpretations.
BoundarySeer: Visual analysis of 2D boundary changes

Boundary changes exist ubiquitously in our daily life. From the Antarctic ozone hole to the land desertification, and from the territory of a country to the area within one-hour reach from a downtown location, boundaries change over time. With a large number of time-varying boundaries recorded, people often need to analyze the changes, detect their similarities or differences, and find out spatial and temporal patterns of the evolution for various applications. In this paper, we present a comprehensive visual analytics system, BoundarySeer, to help users gain insight into the changes of boundaries. Our system consists of four major viewers: 1) a global viewer to show boundary groups based on their similarity and the distribution of boundary attributes such as smoothness and perimeter; 2) a region viewer to display the regions encircled by the boundaries and how they are affected by boundary changes; 3) a trend viewer to reveal the temporal patterns in the boundary evolution and potential spatio-temporal correlations; 4) a directional change viewer to encode movements of boundary segments in different directions. Quantitative analyses of boundaries (e.g., similarity measurement and adaptive clustering) and intuitive visualizations (e.g., density map and ThemeRiver) are integrated into these viewers, which enable users to explore boundary changes from different aspects and at different scales. Case studies with two real-world datasets have been carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of our system.
Neurones and glial cells of the mouse sciatic nerve undergo apoptosis after injury in vivo and in vitro

&NA; Analogous to the death of developing neurones deprived of trophic factors, nerve injury in adult life could lead to nerve cell death by apoptosis. Here the occurrence of apoptotic mouse sciatic sensory neurones after injury was investigated by nick‐labelling DNA breaks. A small proportion of the neurones reliably became apoptotic after injury in vivo. The response was strongly amplified when the nerves were injured in vitro, where Ca2+‐chelation and protein synthesis inhibition were effective in inhibiting apoptosis. In addition to nerve cells, both Schwann cells and satellite cells became apoptotic after injury. Apoptosis in cultured mouse sciatic nerves appears advantageous for the identification of survival factors acting on adult peripheral neurones.