Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A novel role for a glycosylphosphatidylinositol‐anchored aspartyl protease, CgYps1, in the regulation of pH homeostasis in Candida glabrata

Proteases, key virulence factors of many bacterial and fungal pathogens, are pivotally important for nutrient acquisition, invasion and adherence to host cells and evasion/escape from host immune cells. In this study, we report a novel role for CgYps1, member of a family of 11 GPI‐linked aspartyl proteases, in a human opportunistic fungal pathogen, Candida glabrata, in the regulation of pH homeostasis under acidic environmental conditions. We show that CgYps1 is required to survive low‐external‐pH environment and the inability of Cgyps1Δ mutant to maintain pH homeostasis results in intracellular acidification and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. We also provide evidence that the reduced intracellular pH in Cgyps1Δ mutant under acidic conditions is, partly, owing to the diminished activity of a plasma membrane proton pump, CgPma1, an orthologue of a key component of pH homeostasis machinery in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pma1. In addition, we have examined C. glabrata's response to low environmental pH via genome‐wide expression analysis and several genes required for protein folding/modification and stress response pathways including seven of the CgYPS genes were found to be upregulated. Lastly, we show that C. glabrata responds to acidic environment by reducing total β‐glucan levels in the cell wall in a CgYps1‐dependent manner.
The Misdiagnosis: Rethinking “Nature-deficit Disorder”

This study examines and critiques “nature-deficit disorder” (NDD), Richard Louv's popular theory of how and why children are alienated from nature. Specifically, I explore NDD within the context of one forest conservation education program that aligns with and operationalizes Louv's message. Underlying Louv's and forest educators' discourses are culturally specific assumptions about human-nature relationships. Both evoke a fall-recovery narrative—that children are separated from nature and must return—and promote science and naming to reconnect. I argue that, in the absence of deeper cultural examination and alternative practices, NDD is a misdiagnosis—a problematic contemporary environmental discourse that can obscure and mistreat the problem. I call on adults to rethink human-nature disconnectedness by returning to the psyche, digging deeper to the problem's cultural roots, and using nontraditional communication practices such as emotional expression and non-naming.
Internet Risks for Foster Families Online

ABSTRACT Foster parents and children (n = 64 families) who participated in a program to reduce the digital divide among foster children were surveyed about difficulties experienced in use of online communications. Providing Internet access to foster families increased Internet use, but was not perceived by parents or children as taking away time from other family or social relationships. A minority of parents and foster youth, however, reported a variety of problems ranging from benign arguments over access to the computer or frustration over equipment failure to serious concerns about children receiving pornography or meeting a sexual predator online. Although the majority of both parents and social workers were confident in their ability to deal with Internet-related problems, approximately one-third had low confidence in their ability to deal with foster family's Internet-related difficulties. Training foster parents on using filtering software to prevent pornography from coming into the child's experience of the Internet significantly reduced problems related to pornography when compared to foster families not in the program. Implications for social work practice are discussed.
ON SOME PROBLEMS IN ABSTRACT ALGEBRAIC GEOMETRY.

I In this note all fiber spaces and corresponding lifting functions will be assumed regular in the sense of the preceding note (pp. 956-961). 2 J. P. Serre, Ann. Math., 54, 425-505, 1951. 3This filtration using "unordered" degeneracies differs from that employed by Serre (op. cit.) but can easily be shown to yield the same spectral sequence. 4 tfU} e = 0 or 1, denotes the n 1 cube obtained by restricting u to the face xi =
Enterotoxin-Specific Immunoglobulin E Responses in Humans after Infection or Vaccination with Diarrhea-Causing Enteropathogens

ABSTRACT Cholera toxin (CT)-specific antibody responses of the immunoglobulin E (IgE) isotype in the sera of adult patients suffering from infection with either Vibrio cholerae O1, V. cholerae O139, or enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli(ETEC) were analyzed and compared with those in the sera of volunteers immunized with a bivalent B subunit O1/O139 whole-cell cholera vaccine. A significant IgE response to CT was observed in 90% of the patients with V. cholerae O1 infection (18 of 20; P = <0.001) and 95% of the patients with V. cholerae O139 infection (19 of 20; P = <0.001). Similarly, the majority of the patients with ETEC diarrhea (83%; 13 of 15) showed a positive IgE response to CT. Eight of 10 North American volunteers (80%) orally challenged with V. cholerae O1 showed CT-specific IgE responses (P = 0.004). In contrast, Swedish volunteers immunized with the oral cholera vaccine showed no IgE responses to CT (P value not significant). During the study period, total IgE levels in the sera of the diarrheal patients, the North American volunteers, and the Swedish cholera vaccinees alike remained unchanged. However, the total IgE levels in the sera of patients and healthy Bangladeshi controls were on average 89-fold higher than those in the sera of the healthy Swedish volunteers and 34-fold higher than those in the sera of the North American volunteers.
A study of complexity and quality of speech waveform coders

This paper presents the results of a pilot study comparing four different speech waveform coding techniques of varying complexity. Coder transmission rates of 24, 16, and 9.6 Kb/s were used in the experiment. Subjective ratings and objective measurements of quality are obtained and compared. A number of conclusions are drawn concerning the quality and complexity, of different coding techniques. By comparing the objective measurements to the subjective ratings a number of conclusions are also drawn concerning the strengths and weaknesses of various (objective) quality measures of speech waveform coders.
The relevance of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical axis-related hormones to the cochlear symptoms in Ménière's disease

Abstract Objective: To investigate the association of the HPA (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical) axis-related hormones with the progression of cochlear symptoms in patients with Ménière's disease. Design: Clinical assessments (Tinnitus Handicap Inventory: THI, visual analog scale to rate the degree of the tinnitus: VAS, hearing levels in pure-tone audiometry) were conducted upon entry into the study (baseline) and at 12 weeks follow-up (week 12). Blood sampling to measure HPA axis-related hormones took place between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. at baseline and at 12 weeks follow-up. Study samples: This study consisted of 20 unilateral Ménière's disease patients and 21 patients with other diseases with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus. Results: A significant deterioration of the hearing level at high frequency range, especially at 2 kHz, was found during the 12 weeks follow-up in the Ménière's disease group (p < 0.05). The average hearing levels significantly correlated with the serum cortisol level at baseline and week 12 in the Ménière's disease group, especially regarding the high frequency levels (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Our results suggest that the cortisol levels influence the endolymphatic homeostasis resulting in a deterioration of hearing at high frequency with upstaging of Ménière's disease. Sumario Objetivo: Investigar la asociación de hormonas relacionadas con el eje hipotálamo-pituitario-adrenocortical (HPA), con la progresión de síntomas cocleares en pacientes con enfermedad de Ménière. Diseño: Se llevaron a cabo evaluaciones clínicas (Cuestionario de desventaja por acúfeno, THI; Escala análoga visual para clasificar el grado del acúfeno: VAS; y niveles de audición con audiometría por tonos puros) al iniciarse el estudio (línea basal) y a 12 semanas de seguimiento (semana 12). Se tomó muestra de sangre para medir las hormonas relacionadas con el eje HPA entre las 9:00 y las 10:00 de la mañana en la linea basal y en la semana 12 del seguimiento. Muestras de estudio: Este estudio comprendióa 20 pacientes con enfermedad de Ménière unilateral y 21 pacientes con otras enfermedades con pérdida auditiva neurosensorial unilateral y acufeno. Resultados: Se encontró un deterioro significativo de los niveles auditivos en el rango de las frecuencias altas, especialmente en 2 kHz, durante las 12 semanas de seguimiento en el grupo de enfermos de Ménière (p > 0.05). Los niveles promedio de audición correlacionaron significativamente con el nivel de cortisol sérico en la línea basal y en la semana 12 en el grupo con enfermedad de Ménière, especialmente en relación con los niveles en las frecuencias altas (p > 0.01). Conclusiones: Nuestros resultados sugieren que los niveles de cortisol sérico ejercen influencia en la homeostasis endolinfática, lo que determina un deterioro de la audición en laa frecuencias altas y que hacen eclipsable a la enfermedad de Ménière.
Feature-aligned 4D spatiotemporal image registration

In this paper, we develop a feature-aware 4D spatiotemporal image registration method. Our model is based on a 4D (3D+time) free-form B-spline deformation model which has both spatial and temporal smoothness. We first introduce an automatic 3D feature extraction and matching method based on an improved 3D SIFT descriptor, which is scale- and rotation- invariant. Then we use the results of feature correspondence to guide an intensity-based deformable image registration. Experimental results show that our method can lead to smooth temporal registration with good matching accuracy; therefore this registration model is potentially suitable for dynamic tumor tracking.
Grouping Words Using Statistical Context

This paper describes the use of statistical analyses of untagged corpora to detect similarities and differences in the meaning of words in text. This work is motivated by psychological as well as by computational issues. The limitations of the method of cluster analysis in assessing the success of such analyses are discussed, and ongoing research using an alternative unsupervised neural network approach is described.
Performance analysis of implicit security mechanisms for cloud storage system

Cloud Computing is considered as next generation architecture of computing. It is the collection of interconnected servers which are provisioned dynamically on demand for execution of applications. The data stored in servers of datacenters of cloud system is generally protected through firewalls and encryption techniques. These techniques come under explicit security mechanisms. In this paper, implicit security mechanisms like Information Dispersal Algorithms and secret sharing schemes have been analyzed which provide implicit data security, reliability and availability to information. The paper also presents the performance analysis of various Information Dispersal Algorithms on the basis of their storage, availability, redundancy and security features.
High expression of growth factors and growth factor receptors in ovarian metastases from ileal carcinoids: an immunohistochemical study of 2 cases.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN Ovarian metastatic carcinoids are rare neoplasms that show prominent fibrosis of tumor stroma and are often associated with peritoneal carcinomatosis. We studied formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tumor specimens of 2 cases of ovarian metastases from ileal enterochromaffin cell carcinoids immunohistochemically to evaluate whether acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF), transforming growth factor-alpha (TGFalpha), and their respective receptors (fibroblast growth factor receptor-4 [FGFR4] and epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR]) may play a role in the pathogenesis of stromal fibroblast reaction and in the mechanism of tumor dissemination. RESULTS In both cases, the majority of tumor cells expressed immunoreactivity for aFGF, FGFR4, and TGFalpha. Immunoreactivity for FGFR4 was detected in stromal cells of both cases, while EGFR-positive stromal cells were found in only 1 case. Immunoreactivity for FGFR4 was also found in peritoneal mesothelial cells. CONCLUSIONS The coexpression of aFGF and FGFR4 in neoplastic enterochromaffin cells suggests that aFGF may act as an autocrine factor stimulating tumor cell growth. In addition, aFGF and TGFalpha may stimulate, in a paracrine fashion, the proliferation of FGFR4- and EGFR-immunoreactive stromal fibroblasts. Finally, interaction of aFGF-immunoreactive enterochromaffin cells with FGFR4-bearing mesothelial cells may play a role in the mechanism of serosal implant and spread of tumor cells.
From Aquatic to Terrestrial Life: Evolution of the Mechanisms for Water Acquisition

It is generally accepted that ancient fishes first experienced freshwater (FW), and then variably by lineage moved onto the land or re-entered the seas during evolution. As both land and sea are desiccating environments, animals must change their strategies for body fluid regulation from protecting against overhydration in FW to coping with dehydration in seawater (SW) or on land. The evolution of the mechanisms for acquisition of water surely must have accompanied these dramatic environmental changes. The major route for water acquisition is by oral drinking in terrestrial tetrapods (represented here by mammals) and in SW fishes (represented by teleosts as they are dehydrated in SW), but the regulation is contrasting between the two groups; mechanisms inducing thirst have developed in mammals, whereas inhibitory mechanisms are dominant in marine teleosts as observed in FW teleosts. Thus, the apparent difference was found not between hydrating and dehydrating habitat, but rather between terrestrial and aquatic habitats. This contrast is also reflected in regulatory hormones; dipsogenic hormones such as angiotensin II play pivotal roles in water homeostasis in mammals, whereas antidipsogenic hormones such as atrial natriuretic peptide are essential in teleosts. Imbibed water becomes body fluid only after absorption by the intestine, and there is a distinct difference in the mechanisms for water absorption between mammals and teleosts. Like regulation of drinking, we found that the inhibitory mechanisms are dominant for intestinal water absorption in teleosts. In the initial part of this short review, interesting differences in the body fluid regulation between mammals and teleosts are introduced, particularly with regard to water acquisition (drinking and intestinal absorption). Then an attempt was made to discuss the evolution of the mechanisms from the two perspectives; transitions from aquatic to terrestrial habitats and from hydrating (FW) to dehydrating (land and SW) habitats.
Noise-aware power optimization for on-chip interconnect

Realization of high-performance domino logic depends strongly on energy-efficient and noise-tolerant interconnect design in ultra deep sub-micron processes. We characterize the cycle-averaged power model for interconnects accounting for switching statistics and dynamic behaviors. For the sake of signal integrity, cross-coupling effects are also characterized which reflect logical correlation between adjacent wires. Based on the new models for interconnect power and capacitive crosstalk, we optimize the coupling power consumed by interconnects with crosstalk constraints. Experimental results show that optimized designs save the power consumption significantly.
A Survey on the Supervision of Petri Nets

The paper focuses on supervision approaches in which the supervisor is a Petri net (PN). Special attention is given to the monitor- based approaches. In monitor-based supervision, the set of transitions (events) of a supervisor is a subset of the set of transitions (events) of the plant. The significance of monitor-based approaches to the design of the general PN supervisors is emphasized. The approaches surveyed in the paper are classified based on the type specifications, controlla- bility/observability assumptions, and centralized/decentralized type of supervision. Included are also the literature results that do not lead to a supervisor represented as a PN.
Absence of the Non-Signalling Chemerin Receptor CCRL2 Exacerbates Acute Inflammatory Responses In Vivo

Chemerin is a chemotactic protein that induces migration of several immune cells including macrophages, immature dendritic cells, and NK cells. Chemerin binds to three G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), including CCRL2. The exact function of CCRL2 remains unclear. CCRL2 expression is rapidly upregulated during inflammation, but it lacks the intracellular DRYLAIV motif required for classical GPCR downstream signalling pathways, and it has not been reported to internalise chemerin upon binding. The aim of this study was to investigate what role if any CCRL2 plays during acute inflammation. Using the zymosan- and thioglycollate-induced murine models of acute inflammation, we report that mice deficient in the Ccrl2 gene display exaggerated local and systemic inflammatory responses, characterised by increased myeloid cell recruitment. This amplified myeloid cell recruitment was associated with increased chemerin and CXCL1 levels. Furthermore, we report that the inflammatory phenotype observed in these mice is dependent upon elevated levels of endogenous chemerin. Antibody neutralisation of chemerin activity in Ccrl2−/− mice abrogated the amplified inflammatory responses. Importantly, chemerin did not directly recruit myeloid cells but rather increased the production of other chemotactic proteins such as CXCL1. Administration of recombinant chemerin to wild-type mice before inflammatory challenge recapitulated the increased myeloid cell recruitment and inflammatory mediator production observed in Ccrl2−/− mice. We have demonstrated that the absence of CCRL2 results in increased levels of local and systemic chemerin levels and exacerbated inflammatory responses during acute inflammatory challenge. These results further highlight the importance of chemerin as a therapeutic target in inflammatory diseases.
A Picture is Worth a Billion Bits: Real-Time Image Reconstruction from Dense Binary Pixels

The pursuit of smaller pixel sizes at ever increasing resolution in digital image sensors is mainly driven by the stringent price and form-factor requirements of sensors and optics in the cellular phone market. Recently, Eric Fossum proposed a novel concept of an image sensor with dense sub-diffraction limit one-bit pixels jots, which can be considered a digital emulation of silver halide photographic film. This idea has been recently embodied as the EPFL Gigavision camera. A major bottleneck in the design of such sensors is the image reconstruction process, producing a continuous high dynamic range image from oversampled binary measurements. The extreme quantization of the Poisson statistics is incompatible with the assumptions of most standard image processing and enhancement frameworks. The recently proposed maximum-likelihood (ML) approach addresses this difficulty, but suffers from image artifacts and has impractically high computational complexity. In this work, we study a variant of a sensor with binary threshold pixels and propose a reconstruction algorithm combining an ML data fitting term with a sparse synthesis prior. We also show an efficient hardware-friendly real-time approximation of this inverse operator.Promising results are shown on synthetic data as well as on HDR data emulated using multiple exposures of a regular CMOS sensor.
The Problem With “Problems”: The Case of Openings in Optometry Consultations

This article contributes to conversation analytic understanding of openings in health-care consultations. It focuses on the case of optometry: a form of health-care practice in which an optometrist conducts checks of a patient's vision and eye health. Patients are advised to attend regularly for routine assessments and can also request a specific appointment at any time. Analysis of a corpus of 66 consultations shows what happens when the optometrist's opening question solicits the client's “problems” with their eyes. We find three types of patient response. Patients who have requested a specific appointment (most often) report a problem with their eyes and establish a problem-purpose encounter. Patients attending for a routinely timed appointment either report no problems and establish a routine-assessment purpose, or if they do have a problem, they delay reporting it or downplay it. We track through what happens subsequently. The findings have practical implications for diagnosis and treatment.
Hydrogen Metabolism by Decomposing Cyanobacterial Aggregates in Big Soda Lake, Nevada

Hydrogen production by incubated cyanobacterial epiphytes occurred only in the dark, was stimulated by C2H2, and was inhibited by O2. Addition of NO3− inhibited dark, anaerobic H2 production, whereas the addition of NH4+ inhibited N2 fixation (C2H2 reduction) but not dark H2 production. Aerobically incubated cyanobacterial aggregates consumed H2, but light-incubated rates (3.6 μmol of H2 g−1 h−1) were statistically equivalent to dark uptake rates (4.8 μmol of H2 g−1 h−1), which were statistically equivalent to dark, anaerobic production rates (2.5 to 10 μmol of H2 g−1 h−1). Production rates of H2 were fourfold higher for aggregates in a more advanced stage of decomposition. Enrichment cultures of H2-producing fermentative bacteria were recovered from freshly harvested, H2-producing cyanobacterial aggregates. Hydrogen production in these cyanobacterial communities appears to be caused by the resident bacterial flora and not by the cyanobacteria. In situ areal estimates of dark H2 production by submerged epiphytes (6.8 μmol of H2 m−2 h−1) were much lower than rates of light-driven N2 fixation by the epiphytic cyanobacteria (310 μmol of C2H4 m−2 h−1).
Fully-automatic Branching Reconstruction Algorithm: Application to Vascular Trees

Reconstructing tubular structures with high-order branching is a difficult task to perform automatically. Medical applications in particular demand accurate models of such objects that fulfill specific topological and geometric criteria. Indeed, the reconstructed object should be a 2-manifold surface with compact, adaptive geometry. We present a generic algorithm for automatically reconstructing n-furcated tubular surfaces. Our approach relies on a strong underlying topological structure and a novel n-furcation reconstruction algorithm using convex entities.
Evolving better wavelet compression schemes

Wavelet based compression schemes belong to the general class of transform coding schemes. We show how the genetic programming approach can be used to optimize such a compression scheme in the sense of rate-distortion. The results of optimized wavelet based compression scheme are compared with the JPEG compression standard. A prototype implementation of the method is realized as a distributed, parallel implementation on a heterogeneous Unix network.