Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of antioxidant supplementation on the aging process

The free radical theory of aging hypothesizes that oxygen-derived free radicals are responsible for the age-related damage at the cellular and tissue levels. In a normal situation, a balanced-equilibrium exists among oxidants, antioxidants and biomolecules. Excess generation of free radicals may overwhelm natural cellular antioxidant defences leading to oxidation and further contributing to cellular functional impairment. The identification of free radical reactions as promoters of the aging process implies that interventions aimed at limiting or inhibiting them should be able to reduce the rate of formation of aging changes with a consequent reduction of the aging rate and disease pathogenesis. Even if antioxidant supplementation is receiving growing attention and is increasingly adopted in Western countries, supporting evidence is still scarce and equivocal. Major limitations in literature are still needed to be addressed to better evaluate the potential benefits from antioxidant supplementation: 1) an improved understanding of oxidation mechanisms possibly at the basis of the aging process, 2) the determination of reliable markers of oxidative damage and antioxidant status, 3) the identification of a therapeutic window in which an eventual antioxidant supplementation may be beneficial, 4) a deeper knowledge of the antioxidant molecules which in several conditions act as pro-oxidants. In the present paper, after a preliminary introduction to the free radical theory of aging and the rationale of antioxidant supplementation as an anti-aging intervention, we will present an overview of evidence relating antioxidant supplementations with clinical conditions typical of older age (ie, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer). We will also discuss studies that have evaluated whether antioxidant supplementation might improve major outcomes of interest in older persons (ie, physical performance, muscle strength, longevity). Given the large amount of data available on the antioxidant supplementation topic, this overview is not intended to be exhaustive. The aim of this paper is to provide the main basis from which future studies should start and indicate which the main limitations that need to be addressed are.
C-terminal threonines and serines play distinct roles in the desensitization of rhodopsin, a G protein-coupled receptor

Rod photoreceptors generate measurable responses to single-photon activation of individual molecules of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), rhodopsin. Timely rhodopsin desensitization depends on phosphorylation and arrestin binding, which quenches G protein activation. Rhodopsin phosphorylation has been measured biochemically at C-terminal serine residues, suggesting that these residues are critical for producing fast, low-noise responses. The role of native threonine residues is unclear. We compared single-photon responses from rhodopsin lacking native serine or threonine phosphorylation sites. Contrary to expectation, serine-only rhodopsin generated prolonged step-like single-photon responses that terminated abruptly and randomly, whereas threonine-only rhodopsin generated responses that were only modestly slower than normal. We show that the step-like responses of serine-only rhodopsin reflect slow and stochastic arrestin binding. Thus, threonine sites play a privileged role in promoting timely arrestin binding and rhodopsin desensitization. Similar coordination of phosphorylation and arrestin binding may more generally permit tight control of the duration of GPCR activity. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.05981. 001
A Simple, Optically Induced Electrokinetic Method to Concentrate and Pattern Nanoparticles

We demonstrate an optically induced electrokinetic technique that continuously concentrates nanoparticles on the surface of a parallel plate electrode that is biased with an AC signal. A highly focused beam of near-infrared light (1064 nm) was applied, inducing an electrothermal microfluidic vortex that carried nanoparticles to its center where they were accumulated. This technique was demonstrated with 49 nm and 100 nm fluorescent polystyrene particles and characterized as a function of applied AC frequency and voltage. With this technique the location and shape of colloidal concentration was reconfigured by controlling the optical landscape, yielding dynamic control of the aggregation. Colloidal concentration was demonstrated with a plain parallel plate electrode configuration without the need of photoconductive materials or complex microfabrication procedures.
A robust DBN-vector based speaker verification system under channel mismatch conditions

Channel variability is one of the largest challenges for speaker verification (SV) techniques. Techniques in the feature, model and score domains have been applied to mitigate the channel impact. In this paper, we strive to study on robust deep feature learning with the deep belief network (DBN) by using traditional spectral features such as MFCC or PLP. In detail, during the training phase, a DBN is trained to map spectral features to the corresponding speaker identity, then deep features extracted at kth hidden layers are selected where k is determined by maximizing the ratio between within-class distance and between-class distance. In the enrollment phase, the well-trained DBN is used to extract deep features at kth hidden layers, then kth-DBN-vector is formed by averaging these features. In the test phase, kth-DBN-vector is extracted for test utterance and compared to the enrolled kth-DBN-vector to make a verification decision. To validate the effectiveness of the learned DBN-vectors for speaker verification, extensive experiments have been purposely conducted on Mandarin corpuses. It is encouraged to see that our proposed DBN-vector based SV system is superior to the state-of-the-art i-vector based SV system under channel mismatch conditions in terms of equal error rate (EER) and minimum detection cost function (minDCF).
Phospholipase A2 and 3H-hemicholinium-3 binding sites in rat brain: a potential second-messenger role for fatty acids in the regulation of high-affinity choline uptake

The involvement of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and fatty acid release in the regulation of sodium-dependent high-affinity choline uptake in rat brain was assessed in vitro through the use of the specific binding of 3H-hemicholinium-3 (3H-HCh-3). Addition of arachidonic acid and other unsaturated fatty acids to rat striatal membranes in vitro resulted in a dose-dependent, temperature-independent activation of 3H-HCh-3 binding. Scatchard analysis revealed that these changes in binding result from a 2-fold increase in the affinity and capacity of 3H-HCh-3 binding. Saturated fatty acids, lysophospholipids, and phospholipids did not affect specific 3H-HCh-3 binding. Addition of defatted BSA to membranes, which had been treated previously with arachidonic acid, completely reversed the increase in specific 3H-HCh-3 binding. However, several inhibitors of fatty acid metabolism, including nordihydroguaiaretic acid, indomethacin, catalase, and superoxide dismutase, did not alter arachidonic acid-induced changes in 3H-HCh-3 binding, suggesting that unsaturated fatty acids, and not their metabolites, are directly responsible for the observed activation of specific 3H-HCh-3 binding. Additionally, unsaturated fatty acids dose- dependently inhibited high-affinity 3H-choline uptake in rat striatal synaptosomes, apparently due to the disruption of synaptosomal integrity. The phospholipase A2 inhibitors quinacrine hydrochloride, trifluoperazine, and 4-bromophenacylbromide dose-dependently inhibited potassium depolarization-induced activation of specific 3H-HCh-3 binding in slices of rat brain in vitro. Similarly, both quinacrine and trifluoperazine inhibited the metabolism of phospholipids and the release of fatty acids evoked by either elevated KCl or calcium ionophore A23187. These results support the involvement of PLA2 and subsequent fatty acid release in the increase of 3H-HCh-3 binding in cholinergic neurons and suggest that activation of PLA2 may be the penultimate step in regulating the velocity of sodium-dependent choline transport.
Proteomics Analysis of FLT3-ITD Mutation in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Using Deep Learning Neural Network

Deep Learning can significantly benefit cancer proteomics and genomics. In this study, we attempted to determine a set of critical proteins that were associated with the FLT3-ITD mutation in newly-diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia patients. A Deep Learning network consisting of autoencoders formed a hierarchical model from which high-level features were extracted without labeled training data. Dimensional reduction reduced the number of critical proteins from 231 to 20. Deep Learning found an excellent correlation between FLT3-ITD mutation with the levels of these 20 critical proteins (accuracy 97%, sensitivity 90%, and specificity 100%). Our Deep Learning network could hone in on 20 proteins with the strongest association with FLT3-ITD. The results of this study allow for a novel approach to determine critical protein pathways in the FLT3-ITD mutation, and provide proof-of-concept for an accurate approach to model big data in cancer proteomics and genomics.
Haptic object recognition using statistical point cloud features

This work presents a point cloud approach for haptic object recognition with an anthropomorphic robot hand. It introduces several statistical point cloud features to provide robust descriptions of objects. It addresses the domain specific problems of sparsely populated and distorted point clouds that result from the direct interaction with the object. Also the contact normals registered during exploration — a natural byproduct — are taken into account for computing some of these features.
Architecture classification for SOA-based applications

The architecture of SOA-based applications is different from traditional software architecture where the architecture is mainly static. The architecture of an SOA-based application is dynamic, i.e., the application may be composed at runtime using existing services. Thus SOA has provided a new direction for software architecture study, where the architecture is determined at runtime and architecture can be dynamically changed at runtime to meet the new software requirements. This paper proposes an architecture classification scheme for SOA-based applications. Using this classification, several well-known SOA-based applications are reviewed including the architectures proposed and adopted by major computer companies and standard organizations. The architecture classification provides a unified way to evaluate a variety of architectures for SOA-based applications
Robust sparse rank learning for non-smooth ranking measures

Recently increasing attention has been focused on directly optimizing ranking measures and inducing sparsity in learning models. However, few attempts have been made to relate them together in approaching the problem of learning to rank. In this paper, we consider the sparse algorithms to directly optimize the Normalized Discounted Cumulative Gain (NDCG) which is a widely-used ranking measure. We begin by establishing a reduction framework under which we reduce ranking, as measured by NDCG, to the importance weighted pairwise classification. Furthermore, we provide a sound theoretical guarantee for this reduction, bounding the realized NDCG regret in terms of a properly weighted pairwise classification regret, which implies that good performance can be robustly transferred from pairwise classification to ranking. Based on the converted pairwise loss function, it is conceivable to take into account sparsity in ranking models and to come up with a gradient possessing certain performance guarantee. For the sake of achieving sparsity, a novel algorithm named RSRank has also been devised, which performs L1 regularization using truncated gradient descent. Finally, experimental results on benchmark collection confirm the significant advantage of RSRank in comparison with several baseline methods.
Chromosomal inversions facilitate chromosome-scale evolution in 1 Anopheles funestus 2 3

10 Understanding the neutral and selective forces that shape the genetic diversity 11 along BLOCKINchromosomes BLOCKINis BLOCKINone BLOCKINof BLOCKINthe BLOCKINcentral BLOCKINgoals BLOCKINof BLOCKINevolutionary BLOCKINgenomics. BLOCKINContrary BLOCKINto 12 expectations, BLOCKINcombined BLOCKINactions BLOCKINof BLOCKINrecombination BLOCKINand BLOCKINselection BLOCKINcan BLOCKINresult BLOCKINin BLOCKINreduced 13 diversity along an entire chromosome, but this hypothesis still lacks strong 14 empirical supports. Here we show that nucleotide diversity is specific to 15 chromosome BLOCKINarms BLOCKINin BLOCKINthe BLOCKINAfrican BLOCKINmalaria BLOCKINmosquito BLOCKINAnopheles BLOCKINfunestus. BLOCKINWe BLOCKINanalysed 16 the population history and genetic diversity in 132 wild-caught individuals 17 representing BLOCKINtwo BLOCKINdiverging BLOCKINecotypes BLOCKINusing BLOCKINRADseq BLOCKINmarkers. BLOCKINGenome BLOCKINscans BLOCKINrevealed 18 that genetic differentiation between ecotypes is accumulated within segregating 19 polymorphic chromosomal inversions. Importantly, the presence of multiple 20 overlapping BLOCKINinversions BLOCKINis BLOCKINassociated BLOCKINwith BLOCKINstrong BLOCKINreductions BLOCKINin BLOCKINdiversity BLOCKINthroughout 21 entire chromosome arms. The depression in genetic diversity is correlated to the 22 frequency of inversions, being stronger in forest populations that are fixed for 23 several adaptive inversions. Our results emphasize the role of polymorphic 24 inversions in the genome architecture of adaptive speciation in An. funestus and 25 provide a case of chromosome-scale evolution associated with the interplay 26 between BLOCKINpopulation BLOCKINdemography, BLOCKINselection BLOCKINand BLOCKINrecombination. 27 28
Structural Mapping of an Aggregation Nucleation Site in a Molten Globule Intermediate*

Protein aggregation plays an important role in biotechnology and also causes numerous diseases. Human carbonic anhydrase II is a suitable model protein for studying the mechanism of aggregation. We found that a molten globule state of the enzyme formed aggregates. The intermolecular interactions involved in aggregate formation were localized in a direct way by measuring excimer formation between each of 20 site-specific pyrene-labeled cysteine mutants. The contact area of the aggregated protein was very specific, and all sites included in the intermolecular interactions were located in the large β-sheet of the protein, within a limited region between the central β-strands 4 and 7. This substructure is very hydrophobic, which underlines the importance of hydrophobic interactions between specific β-sheet containing regions in aggregate formation.
Reasons as Premises of Good Reasoning

Many philosophers have been attracted to the view that normative reasons are premises of good reasoning – that for some consideration to be a normative reason to ? is for it to be the premise of good reasoning towards ? -ing. However, while this reasoning view is indeed attractive, it faces a problem accommodating outweighed reasons. In this paper, I argue that the standard solution to this problem is unsuccessful, and propose an alternative, which draws on the idea that good patterns of reasoning can be defeasible. I conclude by drawing out some implications of the resulting view for the debate over pragmatic reasons for belief and other attitudes and one influential form of reductionism about the normative.
The neurophysiology of central and peripheral fatigue during sub-maximal lower limb isometric contractions

Fatigue has been defined as an exercise-induced decline in force generation capacity because of changes at both the peripheral and central levels. Movement is preceded and accompanied by brain activities related to the preparation and execution of movement (movement related cortical potentials, MRCP), which have been correlated with the perception of effort (RPE). We combined force measurements, surface electromyography (sEMG), peripheral electrical stimulation (maximal twitch, MT) and MRCP analysis to further our understanding of the neural correlates of peripheral and central changes during a fatiguing task involving the lower limbs. Eighteen healthy volunteers performed 4 blocks of isometric knee extensions at 40% of the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) for a total of 240 2-s contractions. At the baseline and after each block, we measured RPE, MT and MVC. We simultaneously recorded the force of the knee extensor muscles, root mean square (RMS) of the sEMG of the vastus lateralis muscle, and electroencephalography (EEG) from 64 channels. The MRCPs were extracted from the EEG recordings and averaged in the early (Block 1–2) and late (Block 3–4) blocks. Two cohorts were obtained by cluster analysis based on the RPE (i.e., perception of effort) and MT (i.e., peripheral fatigue). We observed a significant decline in both the MVC (−13%) and RMS (−25%) of the sEMG signal over the course of the task; thus, muscle fatigue had occurred in all of the participants regardless of the cohort. The MRCP amplitude was larger in the fatigued than the non-fatigued MT cohort in the supplementary and premotor areas, whereas the MRCP amplitude was larger in the fatigued than the non-fatigued RPE cohort in the aforementioned areas, and also in the primary motor and prefrontal cortices (PFC). The increase in the positive activity of the PFC, along with the perception of effort, represents a novel result, suggesting that it is modulated more by the perception of effort than peripheral fatigue.
A Narrative Inquiry of One Female Married-Single: A Story of Loneliness and Isolation

The Organization for Economic Cooperation (OECD, 2013) reported that, during the past three decades, there has been a steady rise in the number of international students studying outside their countries of citizenship. Those figures rose from 0.8 million in 1975 to almost 3.7 million in 2009, and to 4.1 million in 2010. There is an associated growing body of research that explores the experiences of international students in general; some exploring the experiences of married international students studying abroad with their families (see Arthur, 2004);but little exploring the experiences of married students studying abroad without their families with them (Wa-Mbaleka, 2013). Wa-Mbaleka and Joseph (2013) uncovered a phenomenon they termed “the married-single phenomenon,” referring to married persons who were studying abroad without their spouses or children. This narrative study documents the experience of one female doctoral student while studying in the Philippines without her family. Data was collected through extensive and repeated interviews, oral and written, formal and informal, an examination of the participant’s retrospective journal, and participant observation. The findings do not show differences between how this married-single woman coped with loneliness and isolation and the strategies reportedly used by other international students in previous studies.
The construction of masculine identity among men who work with young children, an international perspective

Because professionalism in early childhood education and care (ECEC) is measured by standards relating to caring, men in the field are often held to expectations associated with female behaviors. This research examines the tensions arising from this encounter and explores alternative solutions which male ECEC workers around the world have generated when facing of their challenged masculinity. This study employed observations and narrative interviews of men in six countries, relying on grounded theory to thematically analyse the data. Findings show multiple components of teachers’ masculine identities: charisma, initiative, daring, and playfulness combined with attention to the children's needs. Their commitment to teaching, combined with an intense interest in children's well-being, enabled them to incorporate a strong masculine identity with appropriate professional goals. This study suggests that early childhood leaders re-examine gender roles by reconsidering the traditional gender dichotomy paradigm.
A medical content based image retrieval system with eye tracking relevance feedback

Medical images are a key element in disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment and patient follow-up. The advent of 3D imaging equipment has increased the amount of medical images produced daily and software tools that are able to search and retrieve images are becoming popular, however improvements are still needed to close the gaps between the expert and the computer image representation. This article presents a software tool that integrates a Content Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) system with an implicit relevance feedback system that uses data gathered from an eye tracker. The gaze point can be used to infer regions of interest in the query image thus allowing for searches based on global or local features, and to steer the retrieval process of relevant images. A preliminary evaluation of the system is presented and discussed.
Epstein-Barr Virus Human B-Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines Transformed by Steps Involved in Immortalization and Tumorigenesis in Updated

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is closely associated with the generation of various tumors, including Burkitt’s lymphoma. Human resting B cells from peripheral blood are easily transformed by EBV to actively proliferating B-lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). These LCLs with normal diploid karyotypes have been believed to be “immortal”, without becoming tumorigenic. A series of recent studies, however, indicate that this initial, simple concept needs extensive reconsideration. Most LCLs from normal individuals are mortal because their telomeres shorten. Some LCLs are truly immortalized by developing strong telomerase activity and aneuploidy, accompanied by various other changes: down-regulation of p16/Rb; mutation of the p53 gene; modulation of apoptosis; and sensitivity to various chemical agents. Some post-immortal LCLs additionally develop the ability to form colonies in agarose and even become tumorigenic by developing the ability to grow in nude mice. The genetic background of LCLs markedly affects the frequency of immortalization. In summary, changes of B cells after infection by EBV are roughly divided into two steps: (a) transformation of B cells into LCLs caused by EBV proteins; and (b) immortalization and tumorigenesis of LCLs mainly regulated by the factors of host cells in cooperation with EBV proteins. The new concept as reviewed here is essential for the future study of tumorigenesis by EBV.