Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Altered Expression of Oligodendrocyte and Neuronal Marker Genes Predicts the Clinical Onset of Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis and Indicates the Effectiveness of Multiple Sclerosis–Directed Therapeutics

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a valuable model for studying immunopathology in multiple sclerosis (MS) and for exploring the interface between autoimmune responses and CNS tissue that ultimately leads to lesion development. In this study, we measured gene expression in mouse spinal cord during myelin oligodendrocyte gp35–55 peptide–induced EAE, using quantitative RT-PCR, to identify gene markers that monitor individual hallmark pathological processes. We defined a small panel of genes whose longitudinal expression patterns provided insight into the timing, interrelationships, and mechanisms of individual disease processes and the efficacy of therapeutics for the treatment of MS. Earliest transcriptional changes were upregulation of Il17a and sharp downregulation of neuronal and oligodendrocyte marker genes preceding clinical disease onset, whereas neuroinflammatory markers progressively increased as symptoms and tissue lesions developed. EAE-induced gene-expression changes were not altered in mice deficient in IKKβ in cells of the myeloid lineage compared with controls, but the administration of a selective inhibitor of soluble TNF to mice from the day of immunization delayed changes in the expression of innate inflammation, myelin, and neuron markers from the presymptomatic phase. Proof of principle that the gene panel shows drug screening potential was obtained using a well-established MS therapeutic, glatiramer acetate. Prophylactic treatment of mice with glatiramer acetate normalized gene marker expression, and this correlated with the level of therapeutic success. These results show that neurons and oligodendrocytes are highly sensitive to CNS-directed autoimmunity before the development of clinical symptoms and immunopathology and reveal a role for soluble TNF in mediating the earliest changes in gene expression.
Using i-Vector Space Model for Emotion Recognition

Using i-vector space features has been shown to be very successful in speaker and language identiﬁcation. In this paper, we evaluate using the i-vector framework for emotion recognition from speech. Instead of using standard i-vector features, we propose to use concatenated emotion speciﬁc i-vector features. For each emotion category, a GMM supervector is generated via adaptation of the neural one from a large corpus. An i-vector feature vector is then obtained using each emotion speciﬁc GMM supervector. The concatenation of these emotion depen-dent i-vector features is used as the feature vector in the SVM model for emotion classiﬁcation. Our experimental results on acted and spontaneous data sets demonstrate that our proposed method outperforms other systems using either static features or GMM supervector features, and that system combination yields additional gain.
A geometric feature relation graph formulation for consistent sensor fusion

A generic framework for sensory fusion is presented. A sensor-independent feature-based relational model, the geometric feature relation graph (GFRG), is developed for representing sensory information acquired by various sensors. Sensory fusion is accomplished through consistent integration of multiple irregular GFRGs acquired by various sensors into a regular GFRG. In the integration process. An effective, robust procedure for identifying coincident measurements of features based on uncertain geometric information and topological constraints, and a nonlinear programming formulation for the maintenance of consistency are presented. The identifying procedure is established by the algorithm IDENT in a knowledge-fusing mechanism using the Dempster-Shafer theory of belief function. Computer simulations verify the validity and performance of the framework. <<ETX>>
Expression of Different-Size Transcripts from theclpP-clpX Operon of Escherichia coli during Carbon Deprivation

ABSTRACT Transcription of the clpP-clpX operon ofEscherichia coli leads to the production of two different sizes of transcripts. In log phase, the level of the longer transcript is higher than the level of the shorter transcript. Soon after the onset of carbon starvation, the level of the shorter transcript increases significantly, and the level of the longer transcript decreases. The longer transcript consists of the entireclpP-clpX operon, whereas the shorter transcript contains the entire clpP gene but none of the clpXcoding sequence. The RpoH protein is required for the increase in the level of the shorter transcript during carbon starvation. Primer extension experiments suggest that there is increased usage of the ς32-dependent promoter of the clpP-clpXoperon within 15 min after the start of carbon starvation. Expression of the clpP-clpX operon from the promoters upstream of theclpP gene decreases to a very low level by 20 min after the onset of carbon starvation. Various pieces of evidence suggest, though they do not conclusively prove, that production of the shorter transcript may involve premature termination of the longer transcript. The half-life of the shorter transcript is much less than that of the longer transcript during carbon starvation. E. coli rpoBmutations that affect transcription termination efficiency alter the ratio of the shorter clpP-clpX transcript to the longer transcript. The E. coli rpoB3595 mutant, with an RNA polymerase that terminates transcription with lower efficiency than the wild type, accumulates a lower percentage of the shorter transcript during carbon starvation than does the isogenic wild-type strain. In contrast, the rpoB8 mutant, with an RNA polymerase that terminates transcription with higher efficiency than the wild type, produces a higher percentage of the shorter clpP-clpXtranscript when E. coli is in log phase. These and other data are consistent with the hypothesis that the shorter transcript results from premature transcription termination during production of the longer transcript.
Neural-Symbolic Learning and Reasoning (Dagstuhl Seminar 14381)

This report documents the program and the outcomes of Dagstuhl Seminar 14381 "Neural-Symbolic Learning and Reasoning", which was held from September 14th to 19th, 2014. This seminar brought together specialist in machine learning, knowledge representation and reasoning, computer vision and image understanding, natural language processing, and cognitive science. The aim of the seminar was to explore the interface among several fields that contribute to the effective integration of cognitive abilities such as learning, reasoning, vision and language understanding in intelligent and cognitive computational systems. The seminar consisted of contributed and invited talks, breakout and joint group discussion sessions.
Development of a Spanish (Castillian) version of the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire. Measurement of health status in children with juvenile chronic arthritis.

OBJECTIVE To demonstrate that the Spanish (Castillian) version of the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (cHAQ-S) is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the health status of children with juvenile chronic (or rheumatoid) arthritis (JCA) and is sensitive to change. METHODS A conceptual translation of the original questionnaire into Spanish and two back-translations were performed. The cHAQ-S was completed by the parents of young children (aged 1 to 19 years) affected by JCA, and additionally by those children aged over 9. A second cHAQ-S was administered at least 15 months after the first one. RESULTS The cHAQ-S was administered to 79 patients of patients affected by JCA. The test-retest reliability was evaluated among 16 patients, and no significant differences between the first and second administration were found (0.88 versus 0.84; p > 0.6; intraclass correlation coefficient R = 0.94). The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.948, indicating an excellent internal reliability with a mean correlation between the different components of the questionnaire varying from 0.3557 to 0.7831. For the between-observer reliability, an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.96 was obtained. Correlations between DI (Disability Index) and several measures of disease activity were all statistically significant (Spearman's R ranged from 0.42 to 0.87; p < 0.005). Patients who improved showed similar improvement in the DI (p = 0.015), while patients who worsened showed a worsening of the DI (p = 0.1) and patients whose condition was stable showed no change in DI (p = 0.6). CONCLUSION The cHAQ-S is a feasible, reliable and valid instrument for the determination of the health status of Spanish children suffering from JCA. It is also sensitive to changes in the child's health status.
The circadian photopigment melanopsin is expressed in the blind subterranean mole rat, Spalax

Despite severe degeneration of its eyes, the blind subterranean mole rat, Spalax, is able to adjust circadian rhythms to the environmental light/dark cycle due to a conserved retinohypothalamic tract (RHT). The photopigment mediating the circadian photoreception and it cellular localisation is unknown in the Spalax retina. Here we show, using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, that melanopsin, a recently identified opsin, is expressed in retinal ganglion cells which also co-store PACAP, a neurotransmitter of the RHT. The melanopsin-component of retinal ganglion cells in the Spalax retina is well conserved resulting in a relatively higher density of melanopsin positive cells per area compared to the rat. The results show that the Spalax, as sighted animals expresses melanopsin in ganglion cells projecting to the circadian clock supporting a role of melanopsin as a circadian photopigment.
A Statistical Approach Based on EWMA and CUSUM Control Charts for R2L Intrusion Detection

The present work presents an evaluation between two methods of Root to Local (R2L) intrusion detection, by examining changes in mean of the TCP source bytes. Two statistical change detection techniques utilized for this purpose: the Exponential Weighted Moving Average (EWMA) control chart, as well as the tabular Cumulative sum (CUSUM) control chart, while for both detection techniques the experimental dataset used was the NSL-KDD. For the EWMA chart evaluation a sequence of eight attacks took place at specified instances, which were clearly detected by adjusting the parameters L and λ. For the CUSUM chart evaluation, two cases were examined: the first case with one attack at a specified instance and the second case with three attacks. In both cases the detections were succesfuly achieved. A limitation that concerned both detection techniques was that the examined TCP source bytes size was in the range of (0 - 1000). The EWMA chart was evaluated as the more efficient technique as far as the accuracy of the detection is concerned.
Accumulation of multiple forms of lamin A with down‐regulation of FACE‐1 suppresses growth in senescent human cells

5‐Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) clearly induces a senescence‐like phenomenon in every cell type. Proteome analysis revealed that lamin A and C were most highly increased in the nuclei of HeLa cells upon addition of BrdU. Immunoblot analysis also revealed marked accumulation of nuclear prelamin A. Consistently, farnesylated‐proteins converting enzyme 1 (FACE‐1) was markedly down‐regulated in the same cells. Similar phenomena were also observed in normal human fibroblasts undergoing replicative senescence. Immunochemical analysis confirmed the above results. Lamin A is a major component of lamina and responsible for several genetic diseases. Thus, we ectopically expressed a wild‐type, a mature type and a premature type of lamin in HeLa cells. All of these forms similarly inhibited colony formation and delayed cell cycle progression mainly through G2 phase. These results suggest that a change in the amount of lamin A, rather than appearance of its truncated form, is responsible for growth retardation in affected cells.
3D Semantic Segmentation of Modular Furniture Using rjMCMC

In this paper we propose a novel approach to identify and label the structural elements of furniture e.g. wardrobes, cabinets etc. Given a furniture item, the subdivision into its structural components like doors, drawers and shelves is difficult as the number of components and their spatial arrangements varies severely. Furthermore, structural elements are primarily distinguished by their function rather than by unique color or texture based appearance features. It is therefore difficult to classify them, even if their correct spatial extent were known. In our approach we jointly estimate the number of functional units, their spatial structure, and their corresponding labels by using reversible jump MCMC (rjMCMC), a method well suited for optimization on spaces of varying dimensions (the number of structural elements). Optionally, our system permits to invoke depth information e.g. from RGB-D cameras, which are already frequently mounted on mobile robot platforms. We show a considerable improvement over a baseline method even without using depth data, and an additional performance gain when depth input is enabled.
The NADPH Oxidases DUOX1 and NOX2 Play Distinct Roles in Redox Regulation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Signaling*

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays a critical role in regulating airway epithelial homeostasis and responses to injury. Activation of EGFR is regulated by redox-dependent processes involving reversible cysteine oxidation by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and involves both ligand-dependent and -independent mechanisms, but the precise source(s) of ROS and the molecular mechanisms that control tyrosine kinase activity are incompletely understood. Here, we demonstrate that stimulation of EGFR activation by ATP in airway epithelial cells is closely associated with dynamic reversible oxidation of cysteine residues via sequential sulfenylation and S-glutathionylation within EGFR and the non-receptor-tyrosine kinase Src. Moreover, the intrinsic kinase activity of recombinant Src or EGFR was in both cases enhanced by H2O2 but not by GSSG, indicating that the intermediate sulfenylation is the activating modification. H2O2-induced increase in EGFR tyrosine kinase activity was not observed with the C797S variant, confirming Cys-797 as the redox-sensitive cysteine residue that regulates kinase activity. Redox-dependent regulation of EGFR activation in airway epithelial cells was found to strongly depend on activation of either the NADPH oxidase DUOX1 or the homolog NOX2, depending on the activation mechanism. Whereas DUOX1 and Src play a primary role in EGFR transactivation by wound-derived signals such as ATP, direct ligand-dependent EGFR activation primarily involves NOX2 with a secondary role for DUOX1 and Src. Collectively, our findings establish that redox-dependent EGFR kinase activation involves a dynamic and reversible cysteine oxidation mechanism and that this activation mechanism variably involves DUOX1 and NOX2.
Population reach and recruitment bias in a maintenance RCT in physically active older adults.

OBJECTIVE To assess the representativeness of older adults recruited to a physical activity maintenance RCT by conducting sequential comparisons to characterize study sample composition changes occurring between sampling frame construction and study enrollment. METHOD Study subjects (N = 1049) were 50 to 70 year old men and women who had increased physical activity within the past year recruited from a Midwestern managed care organization. RESULTS Those responding to an initial mailed screener differed on demographic, behavioral, and SES characteristics from those not responding. Compared with ineligibles, eligible individuals were significantly younger, more highly educated, and more likely to report improved health in the prior year. Compared with eligible individuals who did not enroll, enrollees had generally higher education and income. CONCLUSIONS Physical activity promotion programs in older adults may have limited reach and substantial volunteer bias. Additional strategies to increase the reach of physical activity interventions into the target population are needed.
Phased array antenna fault diagnosis based on subarray testing and cosine similarity

Phased array antenna is widely used in military field, so the fault diagnosis of phased array antenna is an important research topic. Conventional near-field and far-field pattern testing methods consider all the radiating elements as a whole. These methods focus on how to measure the antenna pattern, and can hardly locate the antenna fault to single radiating element. To repair the phased array antenna, the fault radiating element must be located. Usually, fault locating needs to test all the radiating elements one by one. In this paper, we propose a new method to test many elements at one time. This method is based on subarray testing and cosine similarity. We divide the phased array antenna into many small subarrays, and using several test antennas in the middle-field of the antenna under test to get a set of data. These data contain the amplitudes and phases of the antenna's main lobe and side lobe. Then, using cosine similarity to compare those test data with fault data in expert database, the fault radiating elements can be located. Simulation and field test show that this method can distinguish different faults in the phased array antenna caused by different radiating elements.
4d visual environment on mobile devices for learning in the human anatomy field

The use of mobile devices as educational and working tools in Higher Education is becoming a reality. However, the employment of mobile applications, also known as Apps, is very low, mainly due to the unawareness about them. This paper tries to highlight some of the apps that could be very interested and useful for medical teachers in the Human Anatomy subject. This new instruments cold motivate Health Sciences students and enrich the learning process.
Transcription factor RF2a alters expression of the rice tungro bacilliform virus promoter in transgenic tobacco plants

The promoter from rice tungro bacilliform badnavirus (RTBV) is expressed only in phloem tissues in transgenic rice plants. RF2a, a b-Zip protein from rice, is known to bind to the Box II cis element near the TATA box of the promoter. Here, we report that the full-length RTBV promoter and a truncated fragment E of the promoter, comprising nucleotides −164 to +45, result in phloem-specific expression of β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter genes in transgenic tobacco plants. When a fusion gene comprising the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter and RF2a cDNA was coexpressed with the GUS reporter genes, GUS activity was increased by 2–20-fold. The increase in GUS activity was positively correlated with the amount of RF2a, and the expression pattern of the RTBV promoter was altered from phloem-specific to constitutive. Constitutive expression of RF2a did not induce morphological changes in the transgenic plants. In contrast, constitutive overexpression of the b-ZIP domain of RF2a had a strong effect on the development of transgenic plants. These studies suggest that expression of the b-Zip domain can interfere with the function of homologues of RF2a that regulate development of tobacco plants.
University of São Paulo Reasons for Smoking Scale: a new tool for the evaluation of smoking motivation.

OBJECTIVE To develop a new scale aimed at evaluating smoking motivation by incorporating questions and domains from the 68-item Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives (WISDM-68) into the Modified Reasons for Smoking Scale (MRSS). METHODS Nine WISDM-68 questions regarding affiliative attachment, cue exposure/associative processes, and weight control were added to the 21 questions of the MRSS. The new scale, together with the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), was administered to 311 smokers (214 males; mean age = 37.6 ± 10.8 years; mean number of cigarettes smoked per day = 15.0 ± 9.2), who also provided additional information. We used exploratory factor analysis in order to determine the factor structure of the scale. The influence that certain clinical features had on the scores of the final factor solution was also analyzed. RESULTS The factor analysis revealed a 21-question solution grouped into nine factors: addiction, pleasure from smoking, tension reduction, stimulation, automatism, handling, social smoking, weight control, and affiliative attachment. For the overall scale, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.83. Females scored significantly higher for addiction, tension reduction, handling, weight control, and affiliative attachment than did males. The FTND score correlated positively with addiction, tension reduction, stimulation, automatism, social smoking, and affiliative attachment. The number of cigarettes smoked per day was associated with addiction, tension reduction, stimulation, automatism, affiliative attachment, and handling. The level of exhaled CO correlated positively with addiction, automatism, and affiliative attachment. CONCLUSIONS The new scale provides an acceptable framework of motivational factors for smoking, with satisfactory psychometric properties and reliability.
Hybridization between T and B lymphoma cell lines.

The AKR thymoma line BW 5147 has been successfully hybridized with the IgM-bearing (BALB/c x NZB)F1 B lymphoma line WEHI 231. In the hybrids formed, T-cell characteristics were dominant, i.e. there was no expression of IgM but continued expression of Thy-1.1 in eight out of eight lines. Moreover, in two out of eight lines, the Thy-1.2 allele was also expressed. We conclude that, in its ability to hybridize, BW 5147 is not restricted to cells of similar ontogenetic origin (i.e. T cells) and that fusion with the thymoma can lead to suppression of B-cell gene expression and derepression of genes for T-cell markers.
PTF13efv—AN OUTBURST 500 DAYS PRIOR TO THE SNHUNT 275 EXPLOSION AND ITS RADIATIVE EFFICIENCY

The progenitors of some supernovae (SNe) exhibit outbursts with super-Eddington luminosities prior to their final explosions. This behavior is common among SNe IIn, but the driving mechanisms of these precursors are not yet well-understood. SNHunt 275 was announced as a possible new SN during 2015 May. Here we report on pre-explosion observations of the location of this event by the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) and report the detection of a precursor about 500 days prior to the 2015 May activity (PTF 13efv). The observed velocities in the 2015 transient and its 2013 precursor absorption spectra are low (1000–2000 km s−1), so it is not clear yet if the recent activity indeed marks the final disruption of the progenitor. Regardless of the nature of this event, we use the PTF photometric and spectral observations, as well as Swift-UVOT observations, to constrain the efficiency of the radiated energy relative to the total kinetic energy of the precursor. We find that, using an order-of-magnitude estimate and under the assumption of spherical symmetry, the ratio of the radiated energy to the kinetic energy is in the range of 4 × 10−2 to 3.4 × 103.