Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of G-protein signaling by dominant gain-of-function mutations in Sst2p, a pheromone desensitization factor in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Genetic analysis of cell-cell signaling in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has led to the identification of a novel factor, known as Sst2p, that promotes recovery after pheromone-induced growth arrest (R. K. Chan and C. A. Otte, Mol. Cell. Biol. 2:11-20, 1982). Loss-of-function mutations lead to increased pheromone sensitivity, but this phenotype is partially suppressed by overexpression of the G protein alpha subunit gene (GPA1). Suppression is allele specific, however, suggesting that there is direct interaction between the two gene products. To test this model directly, we isolated and characterized several dominant gain-of-function mutants of SST2. These mutations block the normal pheromone response, including a loss of pheromone-stimulated gene transcription, cell cycle growth arrest, and G protein myristoylation. Although the SST2 mutations confer a pheromone-resistant phenotype, they do not prevent downstream activation by overexpression of G beta (STE4), a constitutively active G beta mutation (STE4Hpl), or a disruption of GPA1. None of the SST2 alleles affects the expression or stability of G alpha. These results point to the G protein alpha subunit as being the direct target of Sst2p action and underscore the importance of this novel desensitization factor in G-protein-mediated signaling.
Vision based lane reference detection and tracking control of an automated guided vehicle

In this works, a novel lane reference calculation approach is developed in order to define a safe and optimal trajectory to be tracked by a road vehicle. In a first step of the design, the lane boundaries are extracted using a vision based lane detection algorithm, which consists in an homography transformation that helps to extract features from the captured image frames in order to map a set of control points needed to reconstruct the lane path edges. In a second step, a real-time safe optimal reference trajectory is generated that explicitly takes into account the kinematics of a four-wheel road vehicle, a feasible trajectory delimited by the estimated lane boundaries is therefore generated, the planned trajectory fed to the vehicle controller enabling the road vehicle to tracked it. In order to have fast tracking of the reference trajectory, a non-singular sliding mode controller is implemented to achieve finite convergence of the tracking errors. The whole algorithm is applied on a four wheels automated guided vehicle model. Numerical simulations are presented to validate the proposed approach.
A comparison of IgM rheumatoid factor by nephelometry and latex methods: clinical and laboratory significance.

OBJECTIVES To study the comparative performance characteristics of nephelometric and IgM latex rheumatoid factor (RF) with regard to diagnosis, to determine the level of test result that most accurately classifies patients as having rheumatoid arthritis (RA) versus noninflammatory rheumatic disorders, to develop mathematic and graphic conversion tools, and to determine the usefulness of serial nephelometric RF factors test in assessing change in clinical status. METHODS Sera and clinical measurements were obtained from 576 rheumatic disease patients during routine clinic visits and were analyzed by latex and nephelometric methods. RESULTS Nephelometric and latex methods were highly correlated (0.872) and generally equivalent in their ability to discriminate between RA and noninflammatory conditions. Serial measures of RF were correlated with changes in clinical activity, but were much less effective in this respect than erythrocyte sedimentation rate or C-reactive protein. CONCLUSION Both tests yield equivalent results. Mathematic and graphic models will allow conversion between tests so that clinicians can use either or both methods effectively. RF is modestly correlated with changes in clinical activity and therefore is not a useful measure to follow clinical improvement or worsening.
ANG-2 for quantitative Na^+ determination in living cells by time-resolved fluorescence microscopy

Sodium ions (Na^+) play an important role in a plethora of cellular processes, which are complex and partly still unexplored. For the investigation of these processes and quantification of intracellular Na^+ concentrations ([Na^+]_i), two-photon coupled fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (2P-FLIM) was performed in the salivary glands of the cockroach Periplaneta americana . For this, the novel Na^+-sensitive fluorescent dye Asante NaTRIUM Green-2 (ANG-2) was evaluated, both in vitro and in situ . In this context, absorption coefficients, fluorescence quantum yields and 2P action cross-sections were determined for the first time. ANG-2 was 2P-excitable over a broad spectral range and displayed fluorescence in the visible spectral range. Although the fluorescence decay behaviour of ANG-2 was triexponential in vitro , its analysis indicates a Na^+-sensitivity appropriate for recordings in living cells. The Na^+-sensitivity was reduced in situ , but the biexponential fluorescence decay behaviour could be successfully analysed in terms of quantitative [Na^+]_i recordings. Thus, physiological 2P-FLIM measurements revealed a dopamine-induced [Na^+]_i rise in cockroach salivary gland cells, which was dependent on a Na^+-K^+-2Cl^− cotransporter (NKCC) activity. It was concluded that ANG-2 is a promising new sodium indicator applicable for diverse biological systems.
Long-term developmental outcome of infants with iron deficiency.

BACKGROUND Iron-deficiency anemia has been associated with lowered scores on tests of mental and motor development in infancy. However, the long-term developmental outcome of infants with iron deficiency is unknown, because developmental tests in infancy do not predict later intellectual functioning. METHODS This study is a follow-up evaluation of a group of Costa Rican children whose iron status and treatment were documented in infancy. Eighty-five percent (163) of the 191 children in the original group underwent comprehensive clinical, nutritional, and psychoeducational assessments at five years of age. The developmental test battery consisted of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, the Spanish version of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery, the Beery Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, the Goodenough-Harris Draw-a-Man Test, and the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency. RESULTS All the children had excellent hematologic status and growth at five years of age. However, children who had moderately severe iron-deficiency anemia as infants, with hemoglobin levels less than or equal to 100 g per liter, had lower scores on tests of mental and motor functioning at school entry than the rest of the children. Although these children also came from less socioeconomically advantaged homes, their test scores remained significantly lower than those of the other children after we controlled for a comprehensive set of background factors. For example, the mean (+/- SD) adjusted Woodcock-Johnson preschool cluster score for the children who had moderate anemia in infancy (n = 30) was 448.6 +/- 9.7, as compared with 452.9 +/- 9.2 for the rest of the children (n = 133) (P less than 0.01); the adjusted visual-motor integration score was 5.9 +/- 2.1, as compared with 6.7 +/- 2.3 (P less than 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Children who have iron-deficiency anemia in infancy are at risk for long-lasting developmental disadvantage as compared with their peers with better iron status.
Changes in Gene Expression and Targets for Therapy

A better understanding of the molecular changes associated with the onset and progression of prostate cancer may provide us with a rational basis for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Likewise, the recent identification of critical biochemical pathways, including angiogenesis, programmed cell death, cell adhesion and signal transduction, provide us with promising targets for therapeutic approaches. Furthermore, the identification and characterization of new tumor-specific antigens or prostate-cancer-specific gene promoters could be instrumental for the development of new treatment modalities. Many research groups are trying to identify genes that are involved in prostate cancer development and which may serve as new tumor markers and potential targets for therapy. In addition to prostate-specific antigen, prostate-specific membrane antigen and human kallikrein-2, the recently identified prostate stem cell antigen may also provide us with a new tool for the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. Our own studies led to the identification of DD3, a gene that is strongly overexpressed in human prostatic cancers and the expression of which appears to be restricted to the prostate. Further studies are necessary to establish the clinical usefulness of these new prostate-cancer-specific genes for the management of prostate cancer patients.
A Testbed Development Framework for Cognitive Radio Networks

Cognitive radio networking is a promising approach to fulfill the future's need for intelligent, high-performance communication and improve the efficiency of overall spectrum utilization. Testbed evaluation of protocols and algorithms is a must for the development of cognitive radio networks. In this paper, we present an integrated testbed framework for cognitive radio networks. The framework includes necessary components for cognitive radio operations: flexible RF front end, software define signal processing, adaptive MAC layer and network layer as well as a cross layer management interface. Such a design eases the cross layer configuration and performance optimization of cognitive protocol stack, while retaining the advantage of modularity. We design a testbed for ad-hoc cognitive radio network.
Oxymatrine suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis of hemangioma cells through inhibition of HIF-1a signaling

Oxymatrine (OMT), a natural quinolizidine alkaloid, has been known to have anti-inflammation, anti-anaphylaxis, and chemopreventive effects on various cancer cells. To clarify the underlying role and molecular mechanisms of OMT in human hemangioma (HA), in the present study, we examined the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1a (HIF-1a) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in different phases of human HA. After HA derived endothelial cells (HDEC) were pretreated with different concentrations of OMT, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cycle distribution were evaluated by MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. The effects of OMT on expression of HIF-1a signaling were determined by real-time PCR and western blot assays. Our results showed that, the expression of HIF-1a and VEGF was significantly increased in proliferating phase HA, but decreased in involuting phase HA. Moreover, OMT in vitro inhibited proliferative activities and induced cell apoptosis and cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase in HA cells with decreased expression of HIF-1a, VEGF, Bcl-2, and CyclinD1, and increased expression of p53. Taken together, our findings suggest that, the expression of HIF-1a and VEGF is increased in proliferating phase HA, and OMT suppresses cell proliferation and induces cell apoptosis and cycle arrest in proliferative phase HA through inhibition of the HIF-1a signaling pathway, suggesting OMT may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of HA.
Bioactive TGF-β1/HA Alginate-Based Scaffolds for Osteochondral Tissue Repair: Design, Realization and Multilevel Characterization

Background The design of an appropriate microenvironment for stem cell differentiation constitutes a multitask mission and a critical step toward the clinical application of tissue substitutes. With the aim of producing a bioactive material for orthopedic applications, a transforming growth factor-β (TGF- β1)/hydroxyapatite (HA) association within an alginate-based scaffold was investigated. The bioactive scaffold was carefully designed to offer specific biochemical cues for an efficient and selective cell differentiation toward the bony and chondral lineages. Methods Highly porous alginate scaffolds were fabricated from a mixture of calcium cross-linked alginates by means of a freeze-drying technique. In the chondral layer, the TGF in citric acid was mixed with an alginate/alginate-sulfate solution. In the bony layer, HA granules were added as bioactive signal, to offer an osteoinductive surface to the cells. Optical and scanning electron microscopy analyses were performed to assess the macro-micro architecture of the biphasic scaffold. Different mechanical tests were conducted to evaluate the elastic modulus of the grafts. For the biological validation of the developed prototype, mesenchymal stem cells were loaded onto the samples; cellular adhesion, proliferation and in vivo biocompatibility were evaluated. Results and conclusions The results successfully demonstrated the efficacy of the designed osteochondral graft, which combined interesting functional properties and biomechanical performances, thus becoming a promising candidate for osteochondral tissue-engineering applications.
Cancer Functional Assessment Set: A New Tool for Functional Evaluation in Cancer

Objective The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a new measurement tool, the Cancer Functional Assessment Set (cFAS). Design A total of 119 inpatients with cancer participated in this prospective cohort study. This study took place in three phases: (1) item generation, literature search, and a round-table discussion by 32 rehabilitation specialists; (2) item reduction and selection of appropriate items from the first item pool; and (3) evaluation of psychometric properties. Concurrent validity (Spearman correlation coefficients with existing scales), internal reliability (Cronbach coefficient alpha), interrater reliability (weighted kappa statistics and intraclass correlation coefficient), cross-validation, and responsiveness (standardized response mean values) were examined. Results The cFAS consisted of 24 items. Significant correlations were found between the cFAS and existing scales. Cronbach &agr; for the total score was 0.92. Weighted &kgr; values for each item ranged from 0.74 to 1.00. The intraclass correlation for the total score was 0.97. Concurrent validity and internal consistency were similar at two different hospitals. The cFAS was more responsive to changes than the other tools. Conclusions The cFAS has acceptable psychometric properties, supporting its broad generalizability. It can be a useful tool in clinical trials and can contribute to the development of cancer rehabilitation.
Virtual texturing in software and hardware

This course introduces partially resident textures (PRTs), a new GPU feature for virtual texturing, and contrasts them with software-based methods of virtual texturing. PRTs are available in the Southern Islands (Radeon HD 7xxx) family of graphics processors. The basic idea of virtual texturing is simple: instead of maintaining a separate texture for each object rendered on the screen, all textures are stored in a "virtual texture". The size of the virtual texture is on the order of billions of texels, and each object is assigned unique virtual-texture coordinates from the virtual texture. When used in a shader, the virtual-texture coordinates are translated into physical-texture coordinates, which are used to access the physical texture that contains the working set of all required tiles. Existing approaches implement the entire virtual texturing algorithm in software. The software is required to update the page table (another texture used for translating virtual texture coordinates to physical ones), perform address translation, and deal with hardware differences when it comes to supported texture types, formats, and filtering modes. The first part of the course outlines this process and discusses difficulties encountered when this technology is deployed in RAGE. PRTs eliminate the need for maintaining the page table and address translation and provide support for all texture types, formats, and filtering modes. The second part of the course describes the hardware architecture as it relates to PRTs. The third part of the course introduce the new AMD sparse-texture OpenGL extension that exposes PRTs to software applications. The course includes several PRT use cases, a technical demo, and a summary of the strengths and weaknesses of PRT technology.
A Novel Superconducting Magnet Excited Linear Generator for Wave Energy Conversion System

In almost every permanent-magnet linear generator (PMLG), demagnetization would greatly degrade the electricity generation capability over time. This paper proposes a novel electromagnetic linear generator (EMLG) for direct-drive power generation from oceanic waves, which consists of superconducting magnets instead of conventional permanent magnets to create sufficiently strong magnetic field to produce electricity. The proposed generator can avoid the demagnetization problem of the conventional PMLG. To verify the feasibility of the new concept, a generator is designed. Yttrium barium copper oxide is used to make the superconducting magnet. The finite-element analysis is performed by using the commercial software package ANSYS/ANSOFT to analyze the performance of the proposed EMLG, and the genetic algorithm has been used to find the optimal pole size, pole pitch, air gap length, and load variation to maximize the output power. Magnetic pole shoes are designed in such a way that they can effectively minimize force ripples and cogging force. The results are analyzed and discussed. The results demonstrate that the proposed generator almost eliminates the demagnetization problem of the conventional PMLG with some other built-in advantages. The maximum efficiency of the proposed generator is found to be approximately 96% without considering frictional and other mechanical losses. The results demonstrate excellent features of the proposed generator.
Mass Spectrometric Identification of Novel Lysine Acetylation Sites in Huntingtin*

Huntingtin (Htt) is a protein with a polyglutamine stretch in the N-terminus and expansion of the polyglutamine stretch causes Huntington's disease (HD). Htt is a multiple domain protein whose function has not been well characterized. Previous reports have shown, however, that post-translational modifications of Htt such as phosphorylation and acetylation modulate mutant Htt toxicity, localization, and vesicular trafficking. Lysine acetylation of Htt is of particular importance in HD as this modification regulates disease progression and toxicity. Treatment of mouse models with histone deacetylase inhibitors ameliorates HD-like symptoms and alterations in acetylation of Htt promotes clearance of the protein. Given the importance of acetylation in HD and other diseases, we focused on the systematic identification of lysine acetylation sites in Htt23Q (1–612) in a cell culture model using mass spectrometry. Myc-tagged Htt23Q (1–612) overexpressed in the HEK 293T cell line was immunoprecipitated, separated by SDS-PAGE, digested and subjected to high performance liquid chromatography tandem MS analysis. Five lysine acetylation sites were identified, including three novel sites Lys-178, Lys-236, Lys-345 and two previously described sites Lys-9 and Lys-444. Antibodies specific to three of the Htt acetylation sites were produced and confirmed the acetylation sites in Htt. A multiple reaction monitoring MS assay was developed to compare quantitatively the Lys-178 acetylation level between wild-type Htt23Q and mutant Htt148Q (1–612). This report represents the first comprehensive mapping of lysine acetylation sites in N-terminal region of Htt.
Prognostic significance of nuclear hepatoma-derived growth factor expression in gallbladder cancer.

AIM To assess the expression of nuclear hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) in benign and malignant gallbladder lesions and to determine its clinicopathological significance. METHODS We studied 40 patients with gallbladder cancer (GBC) and a control group of 40 patients with cholelithiasis. All diagnoses of GBC and cholelithiasis were confirmed by histopathological examination after surgery. None of the patients received chemotherapy or radiotherapy before surgery. All tissue samples were fixed in 4% formalin immediately after removal and embedded in paraffin for immunohistochemical staining. The HDGF expression in the GBC and cholelithiasis specimens was examined by immunohistochemical staining. The relationship between the HDGF expression and the clinicopathological parameters of GBC was analyzed. RESULTS Nuclear HDGF expression was significantly higher (77.5%) in GBC than in chronic cholelithiasis (21.5%, P < 0.001). High nuclear HDGF levels were associated with histopathological subtype (P < 0.05), clinical stage (P < 0.01), and perineural invasion (P < 0.01) but not with sex, age, history of gallstones, or lymph node metastasis. A univariate Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that positive nuclear HDGF expression was associated with decreased overall survival (P < 0.01). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that nuclear HDGF expression and lymph node metastasis were independent risk factors for disease-free survival. CONCLUSION The expression of nuclear HDGF might be closely related to the carcinogenesis, clinical biological behaviors, and prognosis of gallbladder adenocarcinoma.
Effect of parental growth on dynamics of conjugative plasmid transfer in the pea spermosphere

Plasmid transfer rates for the conjugative plasmid R388::Tn1721 from Pseudomonas cepacia (donor) to Pseudomonas fluorescens (recipient) on agar media, in broth, and in microcosms containing sterile or nonsterile soil, in the presence or absence of germinating pea seeds, were determined. Donors, recipients, and transconjugants were enumerated on selective media after 1 day on agar or in broth culture and over a 7-day period in soil or pea spermosphere microcosms. Donor and recipient growth rates and plasmid transfer rate constants [(gamma), where (gamma) = transconjugants (middot) (donors (middot) recipients)(sup-1) (middot) h(sup-1)] were calculated for three initial parental densities (10(sup4), 10(sup6), or 10(sup8) CFU/g or ml) in each system. For all initial density levels, values of (gamma) in agar and broth matings were higher than those in soil or in the pea spermosphere-rhizosphere microcosms. Values of (gamma) were not influenced by the pea spermosphere or by sterile or nonsterile conditions of the soil. However, (gamma) values in microcosm experiments were inversely related to initial parental density and were directly related to donor growth rates. Values of (gamma) averaged 4 x 10(sup-10), 4 x 10(sup-12), and 3 x 10(sup-14) when initial donor and recipient cell densities were 10(sup4), 10(sup6), and 10(sup8) CFU/g, respectively. These results suggest that the plasmid transfer rate constant is independent of parental cell density only when parental growth is not limited. In a resource-limited environment, intra- or interspecific competition may reduce the transfer rate by limiting parental growth.