Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distinct Functions for the Drosophila piRNA Pathway in Genome Maintenance and Telomere Protection

Transposons and other selfish DNA elements can be found in all phyla, and mobilization of these elements can compromise genome integrity. The piRNA (PIWI-interacting RNA) pathway silences transposons in the germline, but it is unclear if this pathway has additional functions during development. Here we show that mutations in the Drosophila piRNA pathway genes, armi, aub, ago3, and rhi, lead to extensive fragmentation of the zygotic genome during the cleavage stage of embryonic divisions. Additionally, aub and armi show defects in telomere resolution during meiosis and the cleavage divisions; and mutations in lig-IV, which disrupt non-homologous end joining, suppress these fusions. By contrast, lig-IV mutations enhance chromosome fragmentation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation studies show that aub and armi mutations disrupt telomere binding of HOAP, which is a component of the telomere protection complex, and reduce expression of a subpopulation of 19- to 22-nt telomere-specific piRNAs. Mutations in rhi and ago3, by contrast, do not block HOAP binding or production of these piRNAs. These findings uncover genetically separable functions for the Drosophila piRNA pathway. The aub, armi, rhi, and ago3 genes silence transposons and maintain chromosome integrity during cleavage-stage embryonic divisions. However, the aub and armi genes have an additional function in assembly of the telomere protection complex.
Construction and Characterization of Deletions With Defined End Points in Drosophila Using P Elements in Trans

We used P-element transposase-mediated “male recombination” between two P elements in trans to create genetic deletions that removed a number of loci, including the gene encoding the neuropeptide crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP). Two classes of recombinant chromosomes were produced. Approximately one-quarter were viable when homozygous or hemizygous, whereas the remaining lines caused homozygous and hemizygous lethality. Preliminary analyses using PCR and CCAP immunohistochemistry suggested that, whereas the DNA of the viable lines was largely intact, most lethal lines contained chromosomal deletions that were roughly bounded by the insertion sites of the two P elements used. Southern blot analyses of select lethal lines showed that the DNA flanking the deletion was indeed grossly intact whereas the intervening DNA could not be detected. Sequencing across the deletion in three of these lethal lines identified a single line bearing intact genomic DNA on either side of the deletion separated by 30 bp of P-element DNA. The method described here suggests a simple procedure for creating deletions with defined end points. Importantly, it can use preexisting P-element insertion strains and does not rely on the use of transposable elements that are engineered to cause specific DNA rearrangements.
Language variation and local elements in family discourse

This study focuses on language variation in three families with small children in Antwerp, an officially Dutch-speaking large city in Belgium. Language variation is mainly considered here in terms of whether utterances contain local dialect features or not. Phonetic transcriptions of recorded natural family interaction were coded for language variation on an utterance-by-utterance basis. The following distinctions in usage emerge: “local” utterances containing dialect elements tend to be used when older children and adults in the family address each other. “Neutral” forms, which are common all over Flanders, may also be used, whereas “distal” features, which are imports from a Dutch variety outside Flanders, are to be avoided. However, when older children and adults address the younger members of the family, they increase their use of neutral forms, substantially reduce their use of local forms, and occasionally use distal forms. The younger children use mainly utterances categorized as neutral, dependent on who they are addressing. Implications of this variation across family members for language change are discussed.Financial support for the project reported on in this article comes from the Belgian National Science Foundation (KAN-grant to the author) and the Research Council of the University of Antwerp/UIA. Many thanks to the families, schools, and students who helped at the data collection stage. I also thank Wolfgang Wölck and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.
Molecular Transducers from Roots Are Triggered in Arabidopsis Leaves by Root-Knot Nematodes for Successful Feeding Site Formation: A Conserved Post-Embryogenic De novo Organogenesis Program?

Root-knot nematodes (RKNs; Meloidogyne spp.) induce feeding cells (giant cells; GCs) inside a pseudo-organ (gall) from still unknown root cells. Understanding GCs ontogeny is essential to the basic knowledge of RKN–plant interaction and to discover novel and effective control strategies. Hence, we report for the first time in a model plant, Arabidopsis, molecular, and cellular features concerning ectopic de novo organogenesis of RKNs GCs in leaves. RKNs induce GCs in leaves with irregular shape, a reticulated cytosol, and fragmented vacuoles as GCs from roots. Leaf cells around the nematode enter G2-M shown by ProCycB1;1:CycB1;1(NT)-GUS expression, consistent to multinucleated GCs. In addition, GCs nuclei present irregular and varied sizes. All these characteristics mentioned, being equivalent to GCs in root-galls. RKNs complete their life cycle forming a gall/callus-like structure in the leaf vascular tissues resembling auxin-induced callus with an auxin-response maxima, indicated by high expression of DR5::GUS that is dependent on leaf auxin-transport. Notably, induction of leaves calli/GCs requires molecular components from roots crucial for lateral roots (LRs), auxin-induced callus and root-gall formation, i.e., LBD16. Hence, LBD16 is a xylem pole pericycle specific and local marker in LR primordia unexpectedly induced locally in the vascular tissue of leaves after RKN infection. LBD16 is also fundamental for feeding site formation as RKNs could not stablish in 35S::LBD16-SRDX leaves, and likely it is also a conserved molecular hub between biotic and developmental signals in Arabidopsis either in roots or leaves. Moreover, RKNs induce the ectopic development of roots from leaf and root-galls, also formed in mutants compromised in LR formation, arf7/arf19, slr, and alf4. Therefore, nematodes must target molecular signatures to induce post-embryogenic de novo organogenesis through the LBD16 callus formation pathway partially different from those prevalent during normal LR development.
Generating neural networks through the induction of threshold logic unit trees

This paper investigates the generation of neural networks through the induction of binary trees of threshold logic units (TLUs). Initially, we describe the framework for our tree construction algorithm and show how it helps to bridge the gap between pure connectionist (neural network) and symbolic (decision tree) paradigms. We also show how the trees of threshold units that we induce can be transformed into an isomorphic neural network topology. Several methods for learning the linear discriminant functions at each node of the tree structure are examined and shown to produce accuracy results that are comparable to classical information theoretic methods for constructing decision trees (which use single feature tests at each node), but produce trees that are smaller and thus easier to understand. Moreover, our results also show that it is possible to simultaneously learn both the topology and weight settings of a neural network simply using the training data set that we are initially given. <<ETX>>
Beneficial Effect of the Long-Term Treatment with the Combination of an ACE Inhibitor and a Calcium Channel Blocker on Renal Injury in Rats with 5/6 Nephrectomy

The effects of the addition of a calcium channel blocker, verapamil (20 mg/kg/day) to an ACE inhibitor, trandolapril (0.7 mg/kg/day) in a 6-month treatment on renal insufficiency development in rats with 5/6th nephrectomy, were studied. Every month we measured heart rate and arterial pressure by the tail-cuff method. Renal function studies were performed in metabolic cages. At the end of the study, renal tissue was prepared for light microscope analysis. Renal lesions were assessed by semiquantitative scores in a blind fashion. Corpuscular section area, intraglomerular and tubulointerstitial fibrosis were determined by digital image analysis with a specific software (Fibrosis HR®) on syrium red-stained renal sections. Trandolapril markedly increased the survival ratio that after 6 months reached 87% in comparison with 61% in untreated rats. No mortality was observed in rats treated with the combination of verapamil and trandolapril. Trandolapril treatment prevented the development of hypertension. The combination verapamil-trandolapril did not induce further reduction on blood pressure. The untreated group showed a marked proteinuria, that in the trandolapril group showed an important reduction. The verapamil + trandolapril group showed a proteinuria significantly smaller than that of all the other groups. Light microscopy semiquantitative studies of the renal injury showed that the trandolapril and verapamil + trandolapril groups had a marked reduction in glomerular and tubulointerstitial alterations, compared with untreated animals. Quantitative determinations of glomerular and interstitial fibrosis performed on syrium red-stained renal sections demonstrated that fibrosis was reduced when rats when treated with trandolapril and even more with verapamil + trandolapril when they were compared to untreated animals’ values. In conclusion, long-term treatment with verapamil given in addition to trandolapril produces additional protection against progressive renal injury associated to subtotal nephrectomy.
Capacity Theorems for the AWGN multi-way relay channel

The L-user additive white Gaussian noise multi-way relay channel is considered, where multiple users exchange information through a single relay at a common rate. Existing coding strategies, i.e., complete-decode-forward and compress-forward are shown to be bounded away from the cut-set upper bound at high signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). It is known that the gap between the compress-forward rate and the capacity upper bound is a constant at high SNR, and that between the complete-decode-forward rate and the upper bound increases with SNR at high SNR. In this paper, a functional-decode-forward coding strategy is proposed. It is shown that for L ≥ 3, complete-decode-forward achieves the capacity when SNR ≤ 0 dB, and functional-decode-forward achieves the capacity when SNR ≥ 0 dB. For L = 2, functional-decode-forward achieves the capacity asymptotically as SNR increases.
Older Adults' Expectations of Support from Family and Friends

Informal support may be a key factor in successful aging. This study examined the expectations of older people for family and friend support concerning assistance, intimacy, and social integration. Ninety-one residents of a high-rise apartment complex were interviewed. In general, greater breadth of support was expected from family members, but expectations of close friends were also considerable. Relatively less was expected of casual friends. Greatest expectatzonal differences involved assistance; few differences were related to social integration. Expectations of intimacy were similar for family members and close friends. The size of the informal support network was more significant for expectations regarding close friends.
High‐resolution myocardial perfusion mapping in small animals in vivo by spin‐labeling gradient‐echo imaging

An ECG and respiration‐gated spin‐labeling gradient‐echo imaging technique is proposed for the quantitative and completely noninvasive measurement and mapping of myocardial perfusion in small animals in vivo. In contrast to snapshot FLASH imaging, the spatial resolution of the perfusion maps is not limited by the heart rate. A significant improvement in image quality is achieved by synchronizing the inversion pulse to the respiration movements of the animals, thereby allowing for spontaneous respiration. High‐resolution myocardial perfusion maps (in‐plane resolution = 234 × 468 μm2) demonstrating the quality of the perfusion measurement were obtained at 4.7 T in a group of seven freely breathing Wistar‐Kyoto rats under isoflurane anesthesia. The mean perfusion value (group average ± SD) was 5.5 ± 0.7 ml g–1min–1. In four animals, myocardial perfusion was mapped and measured under cardiac dobutamine stress. Perfusion increased to 11.1 ± 1.9 ml g–1min–1. The proposed method is particularly useful for the study of small rodents at high fields. Magn Reson Med 51:62–67, 2004. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Amniotic mesenchymal stem cells display neurovascular tropism and aid in the recovery of injured peripheral nerves

Recently, we reported that human amniotic membrane‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (AMMs) possess great angiogenic potential. In this study, we determined whether local injection of AMMs ameliorates peripheral neuropathy. AMMs were transplanted into injured sciatic nerves. AMM injection promoted significant recovery of motor nerve conduction velocity and voltage amplitude compared to human adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells. AMM implantation also augmented blood perfusion and increased intraneural vascularity. Whole‐mount fluorescent imaging analysis demonstrated that AMMs exhibited higher engraftment and endothelial incorporation abilities in the sciatic nerve. In addition, the higher expression of pro‐angiogenic factors was detected in AMMs injected into the peripheral nerve. Therefore, these data provide novel therapeutic and mechanistic insights into stem cell biology, and AMM transplantation may represent an alternative therapeutic option for treating peripheral neuropathy.
Short-course therapy with daily rifapentine in a murine model of latent tuberculosis infection.

RATIONALE Regimens recommended to treat latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) are 3 to 9 months long. A 2-month rifampin+pyrazinamide regimen is no longer recommended. Shorter regimens are highly desirable. Because substituting rifapentine for rifampin in the standard regimen for active tuberculosis halves the treatment duration needed to prevent relapse in mice, we hypothesized daily rifapentine-based regimens could shorten LTBI treatment to 2 months or less. OBJECTIVES To improve an existing model of LTBI chemotherapy and evaluate the efficacy of daily rifapentine-based regimens. METHODS Mice were immunized with a more immunogenic recombinant Bacille Calmette-Guérin strain (rBCG30) and received very low-dose aerosol infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis to establish a stable lung bacterial burden below 10(4) CFU without drug treatment. Mice received a control (isoniazid alone, rifampin alone, rifampin+isoniazid, rifampin+pyrazinamide) or test (rifapentine alone, rifapentine+isoniazid, rifapentine+pyrazinamide, rifapentine+isoniazid+pyrazinamide) regimen for 8 weeks. Rifamycin doses were 10 mg/kg/d, analogous to the same human doses. Outcomes were biweekly lung CFU counts and relapse after 4 to 8 weeks of treatment. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS M. tuberculosis CFU counts remained stable around 3.65 log(10) in immunized, untreated mice. Isoniazid or rifampin left all or most mice culture-positive at week 8. Rifampin+isoniazid cured 0 and 53% of mice and rifampin+pyrazinamide cured 47 and 100% of mice in 4 and 8 weeks, respectively. Rifapentine-based regimens were more active than rifampin+isoniazid and indistinguishable from rifampin+pyrazinamide. CONCLUSIONS In this improved murine model of LTBI chemotherapy with very low lung burden, existing regimens were well represented. Daily rifapentine-based regimens were at least as active as rifampin+pyrazinamide, suggesting they could effectively treat LTBI in 6 to 8 weeks.
A NEW METHOD OF STORAGE AND VISUALIZATION FOR MASSIVE POINT CLOUD DATASET

Three dimensional data captured by laser scanning is widely used in documentation and proves invaluable to cultural heritage. Detailed and high-precision scanning results in huge collections of scanned points and the size of data file of a single object often exceeds the available computer memory. It is difficult to render the massive point cloud data in real time on a commodity PC because the data amount is much larger than the main memory. In this paper, based on the characteristics of massive point cloud data, a new method is presented to solve this problem. Firstly, this method uses multi-band images to store point cloud data and it can automatically adjust the output size of the point cloud image according to the available computer memory. Simultaneously, multidimensional information of point cloud dataset, including position, intensity and color, will be stored into bands of images separately. Secondly, through multi-level image down-sampling, this method creates image pyramid for the point cloud data. This image pyramid represents different levels of detail for the model. During the real-time visualization phase, it selects different LOD models to render according to observation location. Thirdly, this method takes full advantage of the GPU's rendering ability. It binds all the rendering data to the graphic memory, which greatly accelerates the rendering speed. This method has no restriction on the computer's memory capacity to process and store massive point cloud data. It can quickly process point cloud dataset with huge size and visualize the dataset with LOD models in real time.
Using the Everest Team Simulation to Teach Threshold Concepts

This resource review focuses on “Leadership and Team Simulation: Everest V2” released by Harvard Business Publishing. The review describes the simulation’s story line of a commercial team expedition climbing to the summit of Mount Everest along with the simulation’s architecture and key features. Building on Wright and Gilmore’s (2012) finding that introductory management courses are underpinned by the threshold concept that management is a practice informed by theory, the review explains how the Everest Team Simulation can be implemented in these courses to help novice students understand the threshold concept. The review concludes by outlining the strengths and limitations of the Everest Team Simulation for teaching threshold concepts compared to more specialized business simulations.
Biotransformation of total coumarins of Radix Glehniae by Lecanicillium attenuatum W-1-9

Abstract The biotransformation of total coumarins of Radix Glehniae by Lecanicillium attenuatum W-1-9 yielded three new products, lecaniside A (1), lecaniside B (2), and lecaniside C (3). The chemical structures of these metabolites were elucidated based on extensive spectral data, including 2D NMR and HRMS. The hydrogenation, dealkylation, glycosylation, and O-methylation reactions of these metabolites were observed in the present study. In the in vitro assays, compound 1 displayed a little PTP1B inhibitory activity.
La Importancia de la Hermandad Latina: Examining the Psychosociocultural Influences of Latina-Based Sororities on Academic Persistence Decisions

Using a psychosociocultural (PSC) approach, we examined how self-beliefs, social support, and cultural fit influenced the academic persistence decisions of 115 Latina sorority members. Upper-division Latinas reported higher self-efficacy than lower-division Latinas; however, lower-division students reported higher college stress and more perceived social support from their sorority sisters than their upper-division counterparts. Yet the relationship of perceived social support from sorority sisters and academic persistence decisions was stronger for the upper-division Latinas than the lower-division. Finally, the PSC dimensions collectively accounted for 43% of the variance of academic persistence decisions, with the self-beliefs dimension individually accounting for the most variance; perception of the university environment, however, emerged as the single strongest predictor. Implications for student affairs professionals and Latina sorority members and nonmembers are discussed.
The role of irreversible electroporation (IRE) for locally advanced pancreatic cancer: a systematic review of safety and efficacy

Abstract Objectives: Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a new modality for tumor ablation. Electrodes are placed around the tumor, and a pulsed, direct current with a field strength of 2000 V/cm is delivered. The direct current drives cells into apoptosis and cell death without causing significant heating of the tissues, which spares the extracellular matrix and proteins. The purpose of this review was to evaluate current experience of IRE for the ablation of pancreatic cancer. Material and methods: We searched PubMed for all studies of IRE in human pancreatic cancer in English reporting at least 10 patients. Results: The search yielded 10 studies, comprising a total of 446 patients. Percutaneous IRE was done in 142 patients, while 304 patients were treated during laparotomy. Tumor sizes ranged from median 2.8 to 4.5 cm. Post-procedural complications occurred in 35% of patients, most of them were less severe. Nine patients (2.0%) died after the procedure. The technical success rate was 85–100%. The median recurrence-free survival was 2.7–12.4 months after IRE treatment. The median overall survival was 7–23 months postoperatively. The longest overall survival was noted when IRE was used in conjunction with pancreatic resection. Conclusions: IRE seems feasible and safe with a low post-procedural mortality. Further efforts are needed to address patient selection and efficacy of IRE, as well as the use of IRE for ‘margin accentuation’ during surgical resection.
Comprehending the impossible: what role do selectional restriction violations play?

To elucidate how different kinds of knowledge are used during comprehension, readers’ eye movements were monitored as they read sentences that were: plausible, impossible because of a selectional restriction violation (SRV) or impossible because of a violation of general world knowledge. Eye movements on the pre-critical, critical, and post-critical words evidenced disruption in the SRV condition compared to the other two conditions. These findings suggest that disruption associated with reading about impossible events is not directly determined by how impossible the event seems. Rather, the relationship between the verb and arguments in the sentence seems to matter. These findings are the strongest evidence to date that processing effects associated with selectional restrictions can dissociate from those associated with general world knowledge about events.
Parallel processing techniques for the speckle brightness phase aberration correction algorithm

The speckle brightness adaptive algorithm has previously been implemented in approximately real-time on low frequency, one-dimensional arrays. To increase the speed of this technique, a temporally parallel algorithm and a spatially parallel algorithm are described. Theoretical analyses, simulation results and experimental measurements are presented for these algorithms. Theoretical predictions indicate that these techniques increase the correction speed, but some decrease in the accuracy of the compensating phase estimate occurs. Simulation results indicate that these parallel algorithms perform well at removing the effects of phase aberration. Preliminary experimental measurements demonstrate the correction speed improvements achievable with these algorithms.