Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
c‐Jun is essential for the induction of Il‐1β gene expression in in vitro activated Bergmann glial cells

In the central nervous system (CNS), the c‐Jun transcription factor has been mainly studied in neuronal cells and coupled to apoptotic and regenerative pathways following brain injury. Besides, several studies have shown a transcriptional role of c‐Jun in activated cortical and spinal astrocytes. In contrast, little is known about c‐Jun expression and transactivation in Bergmann glial (BG) cells, the radial cerebellar astrocytes playing crucial roles in cerebellar development and physiology. Here, we used neuronal/glial cerebellar cultures from neonatal mice to assess putative functions of c‐Jun in BG cells. By performing double immunocytochemical staining of c‐Jun and two BG specific markers, S100 and glutamate aspartate transporter (GLAST), we show that c‐Jun was highly expressed in radial glial cells derived from Bergmann glia. Bergmann glia‐derived cells expressed toll‐like receptor 4 and treatment with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced c‐Jun phosphorylation at serine 63, a hallmark of c‐Jun transactivation, exclusively in BG cells. Moreover, LPS‐induced IL‐1β expression and inhibition of c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) activity abolished both c‐Jun phosphorylation and the increase of IL‐1β mRNA. Notably, LPS failed to induce IL‐1β mRNA in neuronal/glial cerebellar cultures generated from conditional knockout mice lacking c‐Jun expression in the CNS, indicating the essential role of c‐Jun in astroglial‐specific induction of IL‐1β. Immunohistochemical analyses of c‐Jun‐expressing cells in the early postnatal cerebellum confirmed in vivo the expression of c‐Jun in BG cells and uncovered a dynamic expression of c‐Jun during the formation of the BG monolayer. Altogether, our finding underlines a putative role of c‐Jun in astroglia‐mediated neuroinflammatory dysfunctions of the cerebellum. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Long-Term Perchloroethylene Exposure: A Meta-Analysis of Neurobehavioral Deficits in Occupationally and Residentially Exposed Groups

The literature concerning the neurobehavioral and neurophysiological effects of long-term exposure to perchloroethylene (PERC) in humans was meta-analyzed to provide a quantitative review and synthesis in the form of dose-effect curves. The useable database from this literature comprised studies reporting effects of long-term exposure to PERC, effects that included slowed reaction times, cognitive deficits, impaired color vision, and reduced visual contrast sensitivity. For the meta-analyses, dose was defined as the product of the concentration inhaled PERC and the duration of exposure, expressed in unites of ppm-h/1000 (for numerical convenience). Dose-related results were highly variable across studies. Reports involving low exposure concentrations characteristic of nonoccupational exposures consistently produced effects of a magnitude that were comparable to those reported for higher concentration occupational studies. If this finding is reliable and general, studies of occupationally exposed persons may underestimate the magnitude of effects of PERC and other chemicals in the total population. Given the limited scope of the available data for PERC and its methodological and reporting problems (small sample sizes, testers were not blind to the subjects' exposure conditions, and the timing and location of testing were insufficiently documented), it seems important to test this conclusion with a well-documented study of two groups (occupational and nonoccupational exposure) in which subjects are evaluated in randomized order, using the same procedures and with the testers kept blind to the status of the subjects.
Formal Verification of Fault-Tolerant Startup Algorithms for Time-Triggered Architectures: A Survey

Time-triggered architectures form an important component of many distributed computing platforms for safety-critical real-time applications such as avionics and automotive control systems. TTA, FlexRay, and TTCAN are examples of such time-triggered architectures that have been popular in recent times. These architectures involve a number of algorithms for synchronizing a set of distributed computing nodes for meaningful exchange of data among them. The algorithms include a startup algorithm whose job is to integrate one or more nodes into the group of communicating nodes. The startup algorithm runs on every node when the system is powered up, and again after a failure occurs. Some critical issues need to be considered in the design of the startup algorithms, for example, the algorithms should be robust under reasonable assumptions of failures of nodes and channels. The safety-critical nature of the applications where these algorithms are used demands rigorous verification of these algorithms, and there have been numerous attempts to use formal verification techniques for this purpose. This paper focuses on various formal verification efforts carried out for ensuring the correctness of the startup algorithms. In particular, the verification of different startup algorithms used in three time-triggered architectures, TTA, FlexRay, and TTCAN, is studied, compared, and contrasted. Besides presenting the various verification approaches for these algorithms, the gaps and possible improvements on the verification efforts are also indicated.
Cooperation Between Kinesin Motors Promotes Spindle Symmetry and Chromosome Organization in Oocytes

The oocyte spindle in most animal species is assembled in the absence of the microtubule-organizing centers called centrosomes. Without the organization provided by centrosomes, acentrosomal meiotic spindle organization may rely heavily on the bundling of microtubules by kinesin motor proteins. Indeed, the minus-end directed kinesin-14 NCD, and the plus-end directed kinesin-6 Subito are known to be required for oocyte spindle organization in Drosophila melanogaster. How multiple microtubule-bundling kinesins interact to produce a functional acentrosomal spindle is not known. In addition, there have been few studies on the meiotic function of one of the most important microtubule-bundlers in mitotic cells, the kinesin-5 KLP61F. We have found that the kinesin-5 KLP61F is required for spindle and centromere symmetry in oocytes. The asymmetry observed in the absence of KLP61F depends on NCD, the kinesin-12 KLP54D, and the microcephaly protein ASP. In contrast, KLP61F and Subito work together in maintaining a bipolar spindle. We propose that the prominent central spindle, stabilized by Subito, provides the framework for the coordination of multiple microtubule-bundling activities. The activities of several proteins, including NCD, KLP54D, and ASP, generate asymmetries within the acentrosomal spindle, while KLP61F and Subito balance these forces, resulting in the capacity to accurately segregate chromosomes.
Protein phosphorylation in mitochondria from human placenta.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether mitochondria from human placenta contain phosphorylated proteins and kinases. Interestingly, the placenta contains two types of mitochondria with different sizes. These are 'heavy' mitochondria which sediment at a much lower g force than 'light' mitochondria. Mitochondria were incubated with [gamma32]P-ATP and labelled proteins analysed by electrophoresis and autoradiography. A major protein band of 20 kDa was detected with minor bands at 22, 38 and 85 kDa. The 20 kDa band was attenuated by 83 per cent by the co-incubation of mitochondria with Herbimycin, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. A 20 kDa protein was also identified using an anti-tyrosine phosphate antibody and detection of this protein was significantly higher in heavy mitochondria as opposed to light mitochondria. Protein kinase A enzyme activity was also detected in mitochondria at a level not significantly different than that found in whole non-fractionated cells. These data indicate that mitochondria from human placenta contains kinase activity and phosphoproteins. These molecules may have functions in signalling systems in this organelle. Phosphoprotein signalling systems may be differentially modulated in heavy mitochondria as compared with light mitochondria.
Note on winning positions on pushdown games with omega-regular winning conditions

We consider infinite two-player games on pushdown graphs. For parity winning conditions, we show that the set of winning positions of each player is regular and we give an effective construction of an alternating automaton recognizing it. This provides a DEXPTIME procedure to decide whether a position is winning for a given player. Finally, using the same methods, we show, for any ω-regular winning condition, that the set of winning positions for a given player is regular and effective.
Spatial-Temporal Estimation for Nontechnical Losses

This paper presents a novel method for estimating the spatial distribution in geographical space of the nontechnical losses over time. The method progresses in two stages: in the first stage, a generalized additive model is used to generate a map of current loss probabilities. The second stage employs the Markov chain to generate a map that indicates possible future changes in loss probabilities. The method yields an assessment of the location of the nontechnical losses now and in the future at the city subarea level, even indicating the variables that have greater statistical correlation with the nontechnical losses. We apply the method to a city with approximately 81 000 consumers, and the results are compared with those obtained through inspections carried out by a Brazilian power utility. The detection rate surpasses 78% in inspected subareas. The method we propose offers improved estimation of distribution of the nontechnical losses in urban regions.
She Can Have a Seizure Maybe; Then We Can Watch

Abstract The study explores the portrayal of epilepsy in 23 films identified as involving seizures. Findings indicate that seizures are used in film to drive the narrative, enhance major characterization, add to minor characters and create distraction from other action. Epilepsy is primarily portrayed as one dimension of unsympathetic, out-of-control, and feared characters. Generally, depictions are out-dated and unrelated to present day treatment of the illness or control of its symptoms. Social workers are asked to advocate for more accurate portrayals, and a list of professional and self-help groups who work in this way is provided.
SNCStream: a social network-based data stream clustering algorithm

Data Stream Clustering is an active area of research which requires efficient algorithms capable of finding and updating clusters incrementally. On top of that, due to the inherent evolving nature of data streams, it is expected that these algorithms manage to quickly adapt to both concept drifts and the appearance and disappearance of clusters. Nevertheless, many of the developed two-step algorithms are only capable of finding hyper-spherical clusters and are highly dependant on parametrization. In this paper we introduce SNCStream, a one-step online clustering algorithm based on Social Networks Theory, which uses homophily to find non-hyper-spherical clusters. Our empirical studies show that SNCStream is able to surpass density-based algorithms in cluster quality and requires feasible amount of resources (time and memory) when compared to other algorithms.
Dynamic Toll Charge using openCV and Spark

There are many implementations of intelligent transportation system which is mandatorily required to curb the rising traffic in metropolitan cities. One such implementation is dynamic toll generation which reduces the time taken to pay toll at the toll gates compared to the relatively old method of manual toll collection, although it is still being implemented. One crucial factor to curb traffic and reduce pollution in the cities would be to charge toll according to the seat occupancy in the four wheeler i.e. commuters who use the vehicle appropriately will be charged less and others who use the vehicle luxuriously will be charged more. The system thus implemented produces the toll based on the seat occupancy and the data stored in the databases when the RFID is flashed is used for further analysis.
The NsrR regulon in nitrosative stress resistance of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

Nitric oxide (NO·) is an important mediator of innate immunity. The facultative intracellular pathogen Salmonella has evolved mechanisms to detoxify and evade the antimicrobial actions of host‐derived NO· produced during infection. Expression of the NO·‐detoxifying flavohaemoglobin Hmp is controlled by the NO·‐sensing transcriptional repressor NsrR and is required for Salmonella virulence. In this study we show that NsrR responds to very low NO· concentrations, suggesting that it plays a primary role in the nitrosative stress response. Additionally, we have defined the NsrR regulon in Salmonella enterica sv. Typhimurium 14028s using transcriptional microarray, qRT‐PCR and in silico methods. A novel NsrR‐regulated gene designated STM1808 has been identified, along with hmp, hcp‐hcr, yeaR‐yoaG, ygbA and ytfE. STM1808 and ygbA are important for S. Typhimurium growth during nitrosative stress, and the hcp‐hcr locus plays a supportive role in NO· detoxification. ICP‐MS analysis of purified STM1808 suggests that it is a zinc metalloprotein, with histidine residues H32 and H82 required for NO· resistance and zinc binding. Moreover, STM1808 and ytfE promote Salmonella growth during systemic infection of mice. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that NsrR‐regulated genes in addition to hmp are important for NO· detoxification, nitrosative stress resistance and Salmonella virulence.
Intelligent Collision Management in Dynamic Environments for Human-Centered Robots

In this context, a major focus of this thesis is on unintentional collisions, where a straight goal is to eliminate injury from users and passerby's via realtime sensing and control systems. A less obvious focus is to combine collision response with tools from motion planning in order to produce intelligent safety behaviors that ensure the safety of multiple people or objects. Yet, an even more challenging problem is to anticipate future collisions between objects external to the robot and have the robot intervene to prevent imminent accidents. In this dissertation, we study all of these sophisticated flavors of collision reaction and intervention. We investigate in-depth multiple key and interesting topics related to collisions and safety of mobile robots and robotic manipulators operating in human environments. Overall we deeply investigate collisions from many perspectives and develop techniques that borrow and contribute to the areas of mechatronic design, sensor processing, feedback controls, motion planning, and probabilistic reasoning methods. The result of this study is a set of key experiments and guidelines to deal with collisions in mobile robots and robotic manipulators. This study aims at influencing future studies on field operations of robots and accelerate the employment of advanced robots in our daily environments without compromising our safety.
Bubble-Enriched Least-Squares Finite Element Method for Transient Advective Transport

The least-squares finite element method (LSFEM) has received increasing attention in recent years due to advantages over the Galerkin finite element method (GFEM). The method leads to a minimization problem in the -norm and thus results in a symmetric and positive definite matrix, even for first-order differential equations. In addition, the method contains an implicit streamline upwinding mechanism that prevents the appearance of oscillations that are characteristic of the Galerkin method. Thus, the least-squares approach does not require explicit stabilization and the associated stabilization parameters required by the Galerkin method. A new approach, the bubble enriched least-squares finite element method (BELSFEM), is presented and compared with the classical LSFEM. The BELSFEM requires a space-time element formulation and employs bubble functions in space and time to increase the accuracy of the finite element solution without degrading computational performance. We apply the BELSFEM and classical least-squares finite element methods to benchmark problems for 1D and 2D linear transport. The accuracy and performance are compared.
Structure and function of insect olfactory sensilla.

Olfactory sensilla show a large diversification of sensillum types even in the same species. Thus, double-walled and single-walled sensilla with highly different wall pores are usually found on the same antenna, and these may appear in the form of long slender hairs, pore plates or pit pegs. The selective constraints leading to this diversification are evident only in a few cases, e.g. the demand for extreme sensitivity in moth pheromone communication supported the evolution of long sensilla trichodea with high efficiency of capturing odour molecules. The structural diversity continues with the odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) in the sensillum lymph surrounding the sensory dendrites. These proteins may be subdivided into pheromone-binding proteins and two classes of general odorant-binding proteins according to their primary sequence. Different sensilla of the same morphological type may contain different OBPs of the same or of different subclasses. However, OBPs of different subclasses are not co-localized in the same individual sensory hair. The presence of a given OBP is related more to the functional specificity of the receptor cells than to the morphological type of the sensillum, suggesting a role of OBPs in stimulus recognition.
Real-time 100-Gbit/s QPSK transmission using photonics-based 300-GHz-band wireless link

We present a real-time single-channel 100-Gbit/s QPSK transmission using a photonics-based 300-GHz-band wireless link, which is the highest data rate ever reported by an analog coherent receiver without digital signal processing (DSP). For this, a new technique to stabilize a phase of 300-GHz-band carrier signal is proposed and successfully demonstrated.
Fathers' influence on children's cognitive and behavioural functioning: A longitudinal study of Canadian families.

An emerging body of research illustrates the connections between fathers and their children's develop- ment. This topic is particularly relevant in Quebec, a demographically and culturally unique province in which female lone parenthood is relatively common; this pattern is related to socioeconomic disadvan- tages that predict negative cognitive and behavioural outcomes in youth. Using data from the Concordia Longitudinal Risk Project, an intergenerational longitudinal data set collected in inner city areas of Montreal, the current study investigated the prospective relations between fathers' presence and parent- ing, and children's subsequent cognitive and behavioural functioning. The current sample included 138 families from lower to middle income backgrounds who participated in two waves of data collection: when children were in middle childhood and subsequently three to five years later in preadolescence. The results indicated that for girls only, fathers' presence in middle childhood predicted fewer internalizing problems in preadolescence. For both boys and girls, fathers' positive parental control predicted higher Performance IQ and fewer internalizing problems over six years later. These findings add to the increasing body of literature suggesting that fathers make important contributions to their children's cognitive and behavioural functioning, and point to the benefits of developing policies that encourage fathers to spend time with their children (i.e., parental leave for men) and promote positive fathering and involvement through parenting courses.
Optimal Target Channel Sequence Design for Multiple Spectrum Handoffs in Cognitive Radio Networks

In this paper, we investigate how to determine an optimal target channel sequence with the minimum cumulative handoff delay in cognitive radio networks. When the secondary user encounters multiple spectrum handoffs during its transmission period, the effects of multiple interruptions from the high-priority primary users and the traffic statistics of both the primary and the secondary users should be incorporated in the design of the optimal target sequence. The optimal target channel sequence can guild the secondary user to change its operating channel when the primary user's interruptions occur. With M candidate channels and L elements in the target channel sequence for spectrum handoffs, the exhaustive search (ES) requires time complexity of O(ML). In this paper, we propose a dynamic programming (DP) algorithm with time complexity of O(LM2) to determine an optimal target channel sequence. Furthermore, we propose a greedy algorithm with time complexity of O(M) and prove that the greedy algorithm only requires comparing six target channel sequences. Numerical results show that the low-complexity greedy algorithm can yield similar cumulative handoff delay performance as the optimal DP-based or ES-based algorithms in most cases except when the primary users' service time distributions at their operating channels are different.
Standard error correction in two-stage estimation with nested samples

Data at different levels of aggregation are often used in two-stage estimation, with estimates obtained at the higher level of aggregation entering the estimation at the lower level of aggregation. An example is customers within markets: first-stage estimates on market data provide variables that enter the second-stage model on customers. We derive the asymptotic covariance matrix of the second-stage estimates for situations such as these. We implement the formulae in the Petrin–Train application of households’ choice of TV reception and compare the calculated standard errors with those obtained without correction. In this application, ignoring the sampling variance in the first-stage estimates would be seriously misleading.
Wire-grid electromagnetic modelling of metallic cylindrical objects with arbitrary section, for Ground Penetrating Radar applications

For any wire-grid model, a fundamental question is the choice of the optimum wire radius and grid spacing. The most widely used criterion to fix the wire size is the so-called same-area rule [2], coming from empirical observation: the total surface area of the wires has to be equal to the surface area of the object being modelled. However, just few authors have investigated the validity of this criterion. Ludwig [3] studied the reliability of the rule by examining the canonical radiation problem of a transverse magnetic field by a circular cylinder fed with a uniform surface current, compared with a wire-grid model; he concluded that the same-area rule is optimum and that too thin wires are just as bad as too thick ones. Paknys [4] investigated the accuracy of the same-area rule for the modelling of a circular cylinder with a uniform current on it, continuing the study initiated in [3], or illuminated by a transverse magnetic monochromatic plane wave; he deduced that the same-area rule is optimal and that the field inside the cylinder is most sensitive to the wire radius than the field outside the object, so being a good error indicator. In [5], a circular cylinder was considered, embedded in a dielectric half-space and illuminated by a transverse magnetic monochromatic plane wave; the scattered near field was calculated by using the Cylindrical-Wave Approach and numerical results, obtained for different wire-grid models in the spectral domain, were compared with the exact solution. The Authors demonstrated that the well-known same-area criterion yields affordable results but is quite far from being the optimum: better results can be obtained with a wire radius shorter than what is suggested by the rule.