Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rufy3, a protein specifically expressed in neurons, interacts with actin‐bundling protein Fascin to control the growth of axons

For our nervous system to function properly, each neuron must generate a single axon and elongate the axon to reach its target. It is known that actin filaments and their dynamic interaction with microtubules within growth cones play important roles in inducing axon extension. However, it remains unclear how cytoskeletal dynamics is controlled in growth cones. In this study, we report that Rufy3, a RUN domain‐containing protein, is a neuron‐specific and actin filament‐relevant protein. We find that the appropriate expression of Rufy3 in mouse hippocampal neurons is required for the development of a single axon and axon growth. Our results show that Rufy3 specifically interacts with actin filament‐binding proteins, such as Fascin, and colocalizes with Fascin in growth cones. Knockdown of Rufy3 impairs the distribution of Fascin and actin filaments, accompanied by an increased proportion of neurons with multiple axons and a decrease in the axon length. Therefore, Rufy3 may be particularly important for neuronal axon elongation by interacting with Fascin to control actin filament organization in axonal growth cones.
Template Stamps to Estimate Recipient Site Density in Hair Transplantation

There are two ways to prepare the recipient sites that will hold follicular unit grafts: premade sites, in which the surgeon prepares all of the sites before graft insertion, and the “stick and place” technique, in which the sites and grafts are made and placed one at a time. Irrespective of the technique that the surgeon uses, there is no reliable method of preparing the sites that ensures homogenous distribution and consistent density of the incisions in the recipient zone. The surgeon usually relies on experience and good visual technique. Because of the importance, and the difficulty, of creating the sites at a specific density, we have developed a simple but objective method based on the use of “stamp templates,” which are painted onto the patient’s scalp skin before making the incisions.
In Situ Hybridization Analysis of ZPK Gene Expression During Murine Embryogenesis

ZPK is a recently described protein serine/threonine kinase that has been originally identified from a human teratocarcinoma cell line by the polymerase chain reaction and whose function in signal transduction has not yet been elucidated. To investigate the potential role of this protein kinase in developmental processes, we have analyzed the spatial and temporal patterns of expression of the ZPK gene in mouse embryos of different gestational ages. Northern blot analysis revealed a single mRNA species of about 3.5 KB from Day 11 of gestation onwards. In situ hybridization studies demonstrated strong expression of ZPK mRNA in brain and in a variety of embryonic organs that rely on epithelio-mesenchymal interactions for their development, including skin, intestine, pancreas, and kidney. In these tissues, the ZPK mRNA was localized primarily in areas composed of specific types of differentiating cells, and this expression appeared to be upregulated at a time concomitant with the onset of terminal differentiation. Taken together, these observations raise the possibility that the ZPK gene product is involved in the establishment and/or maintenance of a fully cytodifferentiated state in a variety of cell lineages.
Age‐Dependent Sensitivity of Cultured Peripheral Sympathetic Neurons to 1‐Methyl‐4‐Phenylpyridinium: Role of Glutathione

Abstract: We demonstrate that 1‐methyl‐4‐phenylpyridinium (MPP+) is toxic to chick peripheral sympathetic neurons maintained in culture in the presence of nerve growth factor (NGF). When MPP+ was added to the culture medium at the time the neurons were plated, cell loss after 3 days in culture was evident at concentrations as low as 3 nM, and near maximal at 1 µM. Toxicity was blocked by brief preincubation with the norepinephrine (NE)‐reuptake blocker desipramine (DMI; 10 µM for 30 min). MPP+ blocked the uptake of [3H]NE by sympathetic neurons in a dose‐dependent manner with a potency roughly equal to DMI. At concentrations up to 10 µM, MPP+ had no neurotoxic effect on the survival of sensory neurons maintained in the presence of NGF. The sensitivity of sympathetic neurons to the toxic effects of MPP+ diminished gradually with increasing lengths of time in culture. When MPP+ was added to the culture medium 48 h after plating, concentrations up to 100 µM did not cause neuronal death. This increasing resistance of sympathetic neurons to MPP+‐induced cell death could not be explained by an increasing capacity for sequestration of MPP+ within synaptic vesicles. The loss of sensitivity with time in culture was, however, accompanied by a threefold increase in the levels of glutathione (GSH). Furthermore, addition of MPP+ (1 µM) to cultures previously maintained for 2 days in the presence of the GSH‐synthesis inhibitor l‐buthionine‐[S,R]‐sulfoximine (1 µM) caused the same degree of cell death as when added to freshly plated neurons. These results suggest that the observed toxicity of MPP+ in freshly plated chick sympathetic neurons may involve the formation of free radicals and that GSH plays a role in protecting sympathetic neurons in vivo from the toxicity of MPP+.
Effect of cultivar and formaldehyde treatment of barley grain on rumen fermentation characteristics using in vitro gas production

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of cultivar and formaldehyde treatment of barley grains on rumen fermentation characteristics using the in vitro gas production technique. Amount of gas produced (mL/g organic matter (OM)) during fermentation was determined after 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h of incubation in buffered rumen fluid. The gas production kinetics were described using the equation: y = A {1 – exp [- b (t-T) – c (√t - √T)]} where b and c are the initial gas production rate constant (h-1) and later gas production rate constant (h-1/2), respectively. Cultivar and formaldehyde treatment had significant effects on gas production kinetics. Total gas production (A) ranged from 389.9 to 410.8 (mL/g OM) with the cultivar, Esterel, producing the largest volume of gas of the cultivars. Due to low gas production rates at 3, 6 and 12 h of incubation the cultivars, Viva and Cecilla, took the longest to produce 50% of their total volume of gas. Formaldehyde treatment reduced the rate (μ) of gas production at 3, 6 and 12 h of incubation, and the total volume of gas (A), but increased the time (h) to produce 50% of A and reduced the time (h) to produce 95% of A. The reduction in gas production ranged from 33.3 to 51 mL/g OM with 6 h incubation showing the highest decrease in gas production. It is concluded that formaldehyde treatment may provide an opportunity to manipulate the site of digestion of barley grain in the digestive tract of ruminants. Through the selection of suitable cultivars and through formaldehyde treatment the nutritional and health problems associated with the fermentation of barley grain in the rumen could be reduced. Keywords : Barley cultivars; formaldehyde treatment; gas production kinetics South African Journal of Animal Sciences Vol. 35 (3) 2005: pp.206-212
UBE1L2, a Novel E1 Enzyme Specific for Ubiquitin*♦

UBE1 is known as the human ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1), which activates ubiquitin in an ATP-dependent manner. Here, we identified a novel human ubiquitin-activating enzyme referred to as UBE1L2, which also shows specificity for ubiquitin. The UBE1L2 sequence displays a 40% identity to UBE1 and also contains an ATP-binding domain and an active site cysteine conserved among E1 family proteins. UBE1L2 forms a covalent link with ubiquitin in vitro and in vivo, which is sensitive to reducing conditions. In an in vitro polyubiquitylation assay, recombinant UBE1L2 could activate ubiquitin and transfer it onto the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UbcH5b. Ubiquitin activated by UBE1L2 could be used for ubiquitylation of p53 by MDM2 and supported the autoubiquitylation of the E3 ubiquitin ligases HectH9 and E6-AP. The UBE1L2 mRNA is most abundantly expressed in the testis, suggesting an organ-specific regulation of ubiquitin activation.
Induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in ammonia‐exposed cultured astrocytes is coupled to increased arginine transport by upregulated y+LAT2 transporter

One of the aspects of ammonia toxicity to brain cells is increased production of nitric oxide (NO) by NO synthases (NOSs). Previously we showed that ammonia increases arginine (Arg) uptake in cultured rat cortical astrocytes specifically via y+L amino acid transport system, by activation of its member, a heteromeric y+LAT2 transporter. Here, we tested the hypothesis that up‐regulation of y+LAT2 underlies ammonia‐dependent increase of NO production via inducible NOS (iNOS) induction, and protein nitration. Treatment of rat cortical astrocytes for 48 with 5 mM ammonium chloride (‘ammonia’) (i) increased the y+L‐mediated Arg uptake, (ii) raised the expression of iNOS and endothelial NOS (eNOS), (iii) stimulated NO production, as manifested by increased nitrite+nitrate (Griess) and/or nitrite alone (chemiluminescence), and consequently, (iv) evoked nitration of tyrosine residues of proteins in astrocytes. Except for the increase of eNOS, all the above described effects of ammonia were abrogated by pre‐treatment of astrocytes with either siRNA silencing of the Slc7a6 gene coding for y+LAT2 protein, or antibody to y+LAT2, indicating their strict coupling to y+LAT2 activity. Moreover, induction of y+LAT2 expression by ammonia was sensitive to Nf‐κB inhibitor, BAY 11‐7085, linking y+LAT2 upregulation to the Nf‐κB activation in this experimental setting as reported earlier and here confirmed. Importantly, ammonia did not affect y+LAT2 expression nor y+L‐mediated Arg uptake activity in the cultured cerebellar neurons, suggesting astroglia‐specificity of the above described mechanism. The described coupling of up‐regulation of y+LAT2 transporter with iNOS in ammonia‐exposed astrocytes may be considered as a mechanism to ensure NO supply for protein nitration.
Bilans énergétiques et environnementaux de bâtiments à énergie positive

Le « bâtiment a energie positive » est un concept de bâtiment tres performant. Il peut constituer l'une des reponses possibles aux defis energetiques et environnementaux d'aujourd'hui. Pourtant il est encore peu connu et peu mis en œuvre. A la lumiere de quelques realisations, ce concept a ete defini et caracterise, puis differents outils et methodes ont ete identifies pour permettre l'analyse des performances d'un bâtiment. Compte tenu des specificites techniques des bâtiments a energie positive, deux solutions technologiques ont ete plus particulierement etudiees : un systeme de ventilation integrant un echangeur air-sol a ete modelise puis valide a partir de donnees de mesure ; un systeme de chauffage aeraulique a micro-cogeneration a ete modelise a partir de donnees issues d'un banc d'essai dedie. Les modeles de ces deux systemes ont ete integres a un outil de simulation thermique du bâtiment. L'analyse energetique et environnementale a ete appliquee a trois bâtiments reels tres performants equipes de differents systemes de chauffage, a partir de l'outil ameliore et des methodes les plus adaptees. Le choix du systeme de chauffage mais aussi les criteres d'evaluation retenus influencent fortement les resultats obtenus. Le bâtiment a energie positive (bilan en energie primaire) represente la meilleure solution pour la majorite des impacts environnementaux etudies. L'analyse des impacts sur le cycle de vie et le calcul de la demande cumulative d'energie permettent de caracteriser finement ses performances environnementales.
A New Species Group in the Genus Dichaetophora Duda (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Based on a Phylogenetic Analysis, with Descriptions of Four New Species from China

Abstract A new species group, the sinensis group, is established within the genus Dichaetophora, based on a phylogenetic analysis of 37 adult morphological characters from 26 drosophilid species, including ten known species of Dichaetophora; four newly described species (Di. abnormis, Di. hainanensis, Di. bicornis, and Di. sinensis spp. nov. from China); and some representatives of related genera (Drosophila, Hirtodrosophila, and Scaptomyza).
Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 escorts XPC to UV-induced DNA lesions during nucleotide excision repair

Significance Repair of the majority of UV-induced DNA damage in mammalian cells by the nucleotide excision repair pathway starts with rapid recruitment of Xeroderma pigmentosum C (XPC) protein to the lesion. However, rapidity of XPC recruitment to the lesion site in a genomic context cannot be fully explained by the known properties of XPC or its partner protein DDB2. Here, we show that the DNA damage-detecting nuclear protein PARP1 forms a stable complex with XPC before DNA damage and transfers it very rapidly to the DNA lesion site if other repair conditions are present. Since PARP1 is known to interact with many proteins under steady-state conditions, our results reveal a paradigm that an association with PARP1 could confer a functional advantage to these proteins. Xeroderma pigmentosum C (XPC) protein initiates the global genomic subpathway of nucleotide excision repair (GG-NER) for removal of UV-induced direct photolesions from genomic DNA. The XPC has an inherent capacity to identify and stabilize at the DNA lesion sites, and this function is facilitated in the genomic context by UV-damaged DNA-binding protein 2 (DDB2), which is part of a multiprotein UV–DDB ubiquitin ligase complex. The nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) has been shown to facilitate the lesion recognition step of GG-NER via its interaction with DDB2 at the lesion site. Here, we show that PARP1 plays an additional DDB2-independent direct role in recruitment and stabilization of XPC at the UV-induced DNA lesions to promote GG-NER. It forms a stable complex with XPC in the nucleoplasm under steady-state conditions before irradiation and rapidly escorts it to the damaged DNA after UV irradiation in a DDB2-independent manner. The catalytic activity of PARP1 is not required for the initial complex formation with XPC in the nucleoplasm but it enhances the recruitment of XPC to the DNA lesion site after irradiation. Using purified proteins, we also show that the PARP1–XPC complex facilitates the handover of XPC to the UV-lesion site in the presence of the UV–DDB ligase complex. Thus, the lesion search function of XPC in the genomic context is controlled by XPC itself, DDB2, and PARP1. Our results reveal a paradigm that the known interaction of many proteins with PARP1 under steady-state conditions could have functional significance for these proteins.
Robust sound recognition applied to awareness for health/children/elderly care

This paper presented a robust sound recognition work applied to awareness for health/children/elderly care. Specific sound awareness services can be activated based on recognized sound classes for detecting human activities as health care. To attain this goal, this study developed key technologies as follows: 1) SNR-aware subspace signal enhancement, 2) pitch and power density-based sound/speech discrimination, 3) HMM-based speech recognition, 4) sound recognition with ICA-transformed MFCCs feature and frame-based multiclass SVMs. Each classified sound event is response to human with predefined processes as sound awareness info. Simulations and an experiment are given to illustrate the performance of the proposed robust sound recognition system in a real-world home environment, Aspire Home, NCKU. The overall average resulting accuracy rate was approximately 90.97%.
The Application of Craniofacial Techniques and Intracranial Endoscopy to Pituitary Surgery

The evolution of pituitary surgery during the last century is characterized by the development of progressively less invasive approaches to the pituitary gland that have been facilitated by simultaneous advances in medical technology. Once performed via an open transcranial operation involving prolonged brain retraction, resection of pituitary tumors can now be performed via a direct transnasal approach entirely under endoscopic imaging. This review discusses the evolution of pituitary surgery from open transcranial techniques to the fully endoscopic transnasal procedure. However, in certain cases, with large pituitary tumors that have a significant extrasellar portion, a transcranial approach offers the greatest chance of complete tumor removal and often is reserved for the second stage of a two-staged operation. Recently, an endoscopic transglabellar minimally invasive approach has been reported, which could be used in place of the traditional transcranial approach.
Hardware Architecture for Object Detection based on AdaBoost Algorithm

This paper implements a hardware architecture for object detection based on AdaBoost learning algorithm and Haar-like features. To increase detection speed and reduce hardware consumption, an integral image calculation array with pipelined feature data flow are introduced. Input images are scanned by sub-windows and detected by cascade classifiers. Moreover, special design is made to enhance the parallelism of the architecture. In comparison with the original design, detection speed is improved by three, with only 5% increase in hardware consumption. The final hardware detection system, implemented on Xilinx V2pro FPGA platform, reaches the detection speed of 80 f ps and consumes 91% resources of the platform.
The perception of material qualities in real-world images

One can easily tell if a sidewalk is slippery, if food is fresh, if a spoon is made of plastic or stainless steel, or if a suspicious looking mole warrants a trip to the doctor. This ability to visually identify and discriminate materials is known as material perception and little is known about it. We have measured human material judgments on a wide range of complex, real world materials. We have gathered several diverse image databases and made use of them to conduct psychophysical studies. We asked observers to classify surfaces and objects as being made of fabric, paper, plastic or other common material categories. In the first part of this thesis, we present experiments that establish that observers can make these judgments of material category reliably, quickly and in challenging conditions of rapid presentation. We find that categorization performance cannot be explained by simple, low-level cues like color or high spatial frequencies. In the second part of the thesis, we explore judgments beyond those of common material categories. Observers judged many dimensions of material appearance such as matte vs. glossy, opaque vs. translucent, rigid vs. nonrigid, soft vs. rough to touch, and even genuine vs. fake for familiar object categories like flowers, fruits and dessert. Observers were surprisingly accurate, even in 40 millisecond presentations. In the final part of this thesis, we compare the performance of state-of-art computer vision techniques with human performance on our images and tasks and find current techniques to be severely lacking. Taken together, our findings indicate that material perception is a distinct mechanism and can be as fast and flexible as object recognition or scene perception. When recognizing materials, low-level image information is of limited use for both humans and computer vision systems. We conclude that material recognition is a rich and challenging problem domain and there is much ground to be covered in both visual perception and computer vision. Thesis Supervisor: Edward H. Adelson Title: John and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Vision Science
Plasma HGF Measurement After CP 48 / 80 Injection in Wistar and Ws Rats

Background—Plasma concentrations of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a powerful angiogenic growth factor inducible by heparin, increase in thrombus-associated disorders such as myocardial infarction and unstable angina. The mechanism of this thrombus-associated HGF release, however, is unknown. Methods and Results—Wistar rats received through the tail vein (1) normal saline (NS), (2) 50 g of the mast cell–degranulating agent CP48/80, or (3) 1000 U/kg heparin. Blood samples were collected at 10 minutes or 30 minutes after the injections, or from untreated rats, for measurements of HGF. The same experiments were performed in mast cell–deficient white spotting (Ws) rats. Ws rats have a small deletion of the c-kit gene and are deficient in mast cells. Intravenous heparin immediately increased plasma HGF in both Wistar (38.02 2.08 ng/mL versus 1.11 0.70 ng/mL in untreated rats, P 0.0001) and Ws rats (36.39 4.15 ng/mL versus 0.66 0.18 ng/mL in NS-treated rats, P 0.0001). Injection of CP48/80 also increased plasma HGF in Wistar rats (9.12 1.11 ng/mL versus 0.65 0.24 ng/mL in NS group, P 0.004) but not in Ws rats (0.67 0.27 ng/mL versus 0.66 0.18 ng/mL in NS group, P 0.997). In a rat carotid artery microthrombus model, intra-arterial thrombus formation increased circulating HGF in Wistar rats (2.12 0.70 ng/mL versus sham 0.61 0.15 ng/mL in sham-operated Wistar rats, P 0.0064) but not in Ws rats (0.76 0.33 ng/mL versus 0.21 0.04 ng/mL in sham-operated Ws rats, P 0.29). In addition, in vitro stimulation of rat peritoneal mast cells with thrombin rapidly induced degranulation in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusions—These observations indicate that mast cell degranulation stimulated by thrombin is necessary for the rapid induction of plasma HGF in intravascular thrombus-associated disorders. (Circulation. 2002;106:3133-3138.)
Fine-granularity clustering in wireless sensor networks

The capability of sensor nodes to collect and aggregate ambient data enables a mobile user to receive assistance from the network in charting a safe path through a potentially dangerous area. However, the information would be meaningless without localization. Applying an existing coarse-grain location-aware cluster (virtual infrastructure i.e. VI) for object detection provides only approximate location of dangerous objects as the objects are further away from the center. This distance-dependent location-based cluster creates various sizes of localized clusters, which cause inconsistency in size and thus may lead to inefficient path planning. The main contribution of this paper is to propose a fine-granularity clustering technique, that we call eVI that enhances the performance of previously-proposed VI by dividing clusters into smaller sub-clusters. Utilizing the eVI for autonomous navigation enables mobile sink to detect location of dangerous object effectively and thus result shorter safe travelled distance compared to other sector-based clusters as demonstrated in the simulation result.