Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Functional Overexpression of Vomeronasal Receptors Using a Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1)-Derived Amplicon

In mice, social behaviors such as mating and aggression are mediated by pheromones and related chemosignals. The vomeronasal organ (VNO) detects olfactory information from other individuals by sensory neurons tuned to respond to specific chemical cues. Receptors expressed by vomeronasal neurons are implicated in selective detection of these cues. Nearly 400 receptor genes have been identified in the mouse VNO, but the tuning properties of individual receptors remain poorly understood, in part due to the lack of a robust heterologous expression system. Here we develop a herpes virus-based amplicon delivery system to overexpress three types of vomeronasal receptor genes and to characterize cell responses to their proposed ligands. Through Ca2+ imaging in native VNO cells we show that virus-induced overexpression of V1rj2, V2r1b or Fpr3 caused a pronounced increase of responsivity to sulfated steroids, MHC-binding peptide or the synthetic hexapeptide W-peptide, respectively. Other related ligands were not recognized by infected individual neurons, indicating a high degree of selectivity by the overexpressed receptor. Removal of G-protein signaling eliminates Ca2+ responses, indicating that the endogenous second messenger system is essential for observing receptor activation. Our results provide a novel expression system for vomeronasal receptors that should be useful for understanding the molecular logic of VNO ligand detection. Functional expression of vomeronasal receptors and their deorphanization provides an essential requirement for deciphering the neural mechanisms controlling behavior.
A game approach for multi-channel allocation in multi-hop wireless networks

Channel allocation was extensively investigated in the framework of cellular networks, but it was rarely studied in the wireless ad-hoc networks, especially in the multi-hop ad-hoc networks. In this paper, we study the competitive multi-radio channel allocation problem in multi-hop wireless networks in detail. We model the channel allocation problem as a static cooperative game, in which some players collaborate to achieve high date rate. We propose the min-max coalition-proof Nash equilibrium (MMCPNE) channel allocation scheme in the game, which is aiming to max the achieved date rates of communication links. We study the existence of MMCPNE and prove the necessary conditions for MMCPNE. Furthermore, we propose several algorithms that enable the selfish players to converge to MMCPNE. Simulation results show that MMCPNE outperforms CPNE and NE schemes in terms of achieved data rates of the multi-hop links due to cooperation gain.
The Discrete Wavelet Transform for continuous-time signal processingTechnical Report # EE 9456

A signal processed by the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) must be periodic for perfect reconstruction to be possible. A signal that is non-periodic but which exists for a nite time can be \periodised" by repeating the signal again at its own end, making it suitable for processing by the DWT. For a continuous-time non-periodic signal, the signal has no end and as such it cannot be periodised and thus is unsuitable for processing by the DWT. We describe two alternative ltering methods for performing the DWT on continuous-time non-periodic signals. Both methods have their respective advantages and disadvantages which are discussed. Startup problems exist for both methods where a speciied number of samples at the beginning of processing are either incorrect or unable to be accurately analysed. The eeects of the startup problems are negligible when compared to the size of the signal being processed.
Previous Exercise Training Has a Beneficial Effect on Renal and Cardiovascular Function in a Model of Diabetes

Exercise training (ET) is an important intervention for chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus (DM). However, it is not known whether previous exercise training intervention alters the physiological and medical complications of these diseases. We investigated the effects of previous ET on the progression of renal disease and cardiovascular autonomic control in rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DM. Male Wistar rats were divided into five groups. All groups were followed for 15 weeks. Trained control and trained diabetic rats underwent 10 weeks of exercise training, whereas previously trained diabetic rats underwent 14 weeks of exercise training. Renal function, proteinuria, renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) and the echocardiographic parameters autonomic modulation and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) were evaluated. In the previously trained group, the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio was reduced compared with the sedentary diabetic and trained diabetic groups (p<0.05). Additionally, RSNA was normalized in the trained diabetic and previously trained diabetic animals (p<0.05). The ejection fraction was increased in the previously trained diabetic animals compared with the diabetic and trained diabetic groups (p<0.05), and the myocardial performance index was improved in the previously trained diabetic group compared with the diabetic and trained diabetic groups (p<0.05). In addition, the previously trained rats had improved heart rate variability and BRS in the tachycardic response and bradycardic response in relation to the diabetic group (p<0.05). This study demonstrates that previous ET improves the functional damage that affects DM. Additionally, our findings suggest that the development of renal and cardiac dysfunction can be minimized by 4 weeks of ET before the induction of DM by STZ.
Maximal Rank Correlation

Based on the notion of maximal correlation, we introduce a new measure of correlation between two different rankings of the same group of items. Our measure captures various types of correlation detected in previous measures of rank correlation like the Spearman correlation and the Kendall tau correlation. We show that the maximal rank correlation satisfies the data processing and tensorization properties (that make ordinary maximal correlation applicable to problems in information theory). Furthermore, MRC is shown to be intimately related to the FKG inequality. Finally, we pose the problem of the complexity of the computation of this new measure. We make partial progress by giving a simple but exponential-time algorithm for it.
Predictive biomarkers and practical considerations in the management of carfilzomib-associated cardiotoxicity

Nikoletta Lendvai , Ioanna Tsakos , Sean M. Devlin, Wendy L. Schaffer, Hani Hassoun, Alexander M. Lesokhin , Heather Landau , Neha Korde, Sham Mailankody, Eric Smith, David J. Chung, Guenther Koehne, Gunjan L. Shah, Aeri Alexander, Minal Patel, Andrea Ballagi, Ida Grundberg, Sergio A. Giralt and Ola Landgren Department of Medicine, Myeloma Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Medicine, Cardiology Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Medicine, Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Olink Bioscience, Uppsala, Sweden
Psychophysics beyond sensation : laws and invariants of human cognition

Contents: Preface. H-G. Geissler, Guest Editorial. Part I: Theories of Psychophysical Judgment. R.D. Luce, Guest Editorial. E.N. Dzhafarov, Perceptual Separability of Stimulus Dimensions: A Fechnerian Analysis. C.A. Izmailov, E.N. Sokolov, Subjective and Objective Scaling of Large Color Differences. P. Petzold, G. Haubensak, Short-Term and Long-Term Frames of Reference in Category Judgments: A Multiple-Standards Model. V. Sarris, Frame of Reference Models in Psychophysics: A Perceptual-Cognitive Approach. J.T. Townsend, J. Spencer-Smith, Two Kinds of Global Perceptual Separability and Curvature. Part II: Timing and Dynamics of Human Performance. H. Colonius, Guest Editorial. G. Aschersleben, J. Gehrke, W. Prinz, A Psychophysical Approach to Action Timing. M.A. Elliott, H.J. Muller, Synchronization and Stimulus Timing: Implications for Temporal Models of Visual Information Processing. H-G. Geissler, Functional Architectures in Structural Recognition and the Role of "Seeming Redundancy. " T. Lachmann, C. van Leeuwen, Memory-Guided Inference in Same-Different Comparison Tasks. H.J. Muller, J. Krummenacher, D. Heller, Dimension-Based Visual Attention and Visual Object Segmentation. O. Neumann, M. Niepel, Timing of "Perception" and Perception of "Time. " D. Vorberg, U. Mattler, A. Heinecke, T. Schmidt, J. Schwarzbach, Invariant Time Course of Priming With and Without Awareness. D.G. Watson, G.W. Humphreys, C.N. L. Olivers, Visual Marking: Using Time as Well as Space in Visual Selection. Part III: Psychophysics of Memory. N. Cowan, Guest Editorial. J. Bredenkamp, Cavanagh's Hypotheses Within the Context of Other Invariance Hypotheses: Theory and Data. C. Kaernbach, Auditory Sensory Memory and Short-Term Memory. U. Lass, G. Luer, D. Becker, Y. Fang, G. Chen, Encoding and Retrieval Components Affecting Memory Span: Articulation Rate, Memory Search, and Trace Redintegration. U. Roeber, C. Kaernbach, Memory Scanning Beyond the Limit--If There Is One. E. Schroger, M. Tervaniemi, M. Huotilainen, Bottom-Up and Top-Down Flows of Information Within Auditory Memory: Electrophysiological Evidence. Part IV: Neural and Representational Models. A. Aertsen, Guest Editorial. S. Grossberg, The Complementary Brain: From Brain Dynamics to Conscious Experiences. R. Kompass, Universal Temporal Structures in Human Information Processing: A Neural Principle and Psychophysical Evidence. E. Leeuwenberg, Structural Information Theory and Visual Form.
Intellectual Operations in Teacher Question-Asking Behavior.

From the beginning of American education, instructional programs have been strongly dominated by the goal of transmitting subject matter content. Recently, however, forces have been gathering to modify this goal. The creation of new knowledge presently occurs at such a rapid rate that it is no longer possible to base curricula on the acquisition of facts. In many disciplines, knowledge transmitted today will be out of date before today's students ever have a chance to use it. Moreover, the quantity of available knowledge is staggering. Beyond considerations of the feasibility of basing instruction on the acquisition of facts is the question of the importance of the development of intellectual operations other than those associated with acquiring factual knowledge. Psychological research has demonstrated clearly that intelligent thought involves much more than knowledge acquisition (vide Bruner, 1966; Flavell, 1963; Guilford, 1967; Wallach & Kogan, 1965). It is now clear that many different intellectual operations are required to use knowl edge effectively, and a number of so-called "process" curriculum programs are currently under way in an attempt to teach intellectual operations. One educational model emphasizing the development of intellectual processes in elementary school youngsters is the Tucson Early Education Model (TEEM). TEEM is one of twenty educational models in the na
TMEFF2 Is a PDGF-AA Binding Protein with Methylation-Associated Gene Silencing in Multiple Cancer Types Including Glioma

Background TMEFF2 is a protein containing a single EGF-like domain and two follistatin-like modules. The biological function of TMEFF2 remains unclear with conflicting reports suggesting both a positive and a negative association between TMEFF2 expression and human cancers. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we report that the extracellular domain of TMEFF2 interacts with PDGF-AA. This interaction requires the amino terminal region of the extracellular domain containing the follistatin modules and cannot be mediated by the EGF-like domain alone. Furthermore, the extracellular domain of TMEFF2 interferes with PDGF-AA–stimulated fibroblast proliferation in a dose–dependent manner. TMEFF2 expression is downregulated in human brain cancers and is negatively correlated with PDGF-AA expression. Suppressed expression of TMEFF2 is associated with its hypermethylation in several human tumor types, including glioblastoma and cancers of ovarian, rectal, colon and lung origins. Analysis of glioma subtypes indicates that TMEFF2 hypermethylation and decreased expression are associated with a subset of non-Proneural gliomas that do not display CpG island methylator phentoype. Conclusions/Significance These data provide the first evidence that TMEFF2 can function to regulate PDGF signaling and that it is hypermethylated and downregulated in glioma and several other cancers, thereby suggesting an important role for this protein in the etiology of human cancers.
Perception-Assist with a Lower-Limb Power-Assist Robot for Sitting Motion

A lower-limb power-assist robot is expected to assist physically weak persons to walk, stand up, or sit down. However, since the environment perception ability of the physically weak persons is sometimes deteriorated also, falling accident might occur even though the power-assist is applied. A concept of perception-assist has been proposed to avoid an unexpected accident. This paper proposes a perception-assist method that the robot monitors interaction between the user and the surrounding environment and modifies the user's motion if it is necessary. In the case of sitting on the chair which is not located in a proper position, the robot performs the perception-assist to modify falling motion to squatting motion by adding the additional force from behind. The effectiveness of the proposed method was evaluated by performing the experiments.
Estimation of Physiological Cost Index as an Energy Expenditure Index using MacGregor's Equation.

INTRODUCTION Physical activity and energy expenditure can be quantified by measuring heart rate, oxygen uptake and respiratory quotient. The Physiological Cost Index (PCI) proposed by MacGregor is a simple and straightforward method to estimate the energy expenditure index. Here, we aim to estimate the energy expenditure among young Asian population using MacGregor's equation. METHODS A total of 50 young randomly selected healthy females performed 50m, 100m and 150m walking test at their self-selected preferred speed. The physiological cost index values for 100 m walk at speeds slower and faster than the preferred speed were also obtained. The physiological cost index during exercise was calculated using MacGregor's equation considering heart rate and speed of walking over the varying distances. RESULTS The PCI values on three different distances are consistent during self selected preferred speed. The PCI estimation on second and third tests for all three distances walked consistently reproducible. However for each distance walked, the first test the PCI was significantly higher than the second and third test values. The PCI values increased significantly when subjects walked either slower (p = 0.02) or faster (p = 0.001) than their normal preferred speed. CONCLUSION The physiological cost index values were similar for varying distances walks. The PCI was the least at the preferred speed of walking and increased when the subjects either walked slower or faster than the preferred speed. The first estimation was higher than subsequent estimations.
Genomic analysis and clinical management of adolescent cutaneous melanoma

Melanoma in young children is rare; however, its incidence in adolescents and young adults is rising. We describe the clinical course of a 15‐year‐old female diagnosed with AJCC stage IB non‐ulcerated primary melanoma, who died from metastatic disease 4 years after diagnosis despite three lines of modern systemic therapy. We also present the complete genomic profile of her tumour and compare this to a further series of 13 adolescent melanomas and 275 adult cutaneous melanomas. A somatic BRAFV600E mutation and a high mutational load equivalent to that found in adult melanoma and composed primarily of C>T mutations were observed. A germline genomic analysis alongside a series of 23 children and adolescents with melanoma revealed no mutations in known germline melanoma‐predisposing genes. Adolescent melanomas appear to have genomes that are as complex as those arising in adulthood and their clinical course can, as with adults, be unpredictable.
Assessing Antidepressants Using Intelligent Data Monitoring and Mining of Online Fora

Depression is a global health concern. Social networks allow the affected population to share their experiences. These experiences, when mined, extracted, and analyzed, can be converted into either warnings to recall drugs (dangerous side effects), or service improvement (interventions, treatment options) based on observations derived from user behavior in depression-related social networks. Our aim was to develop a weighted network model to represent user activity on social health networks. This enabled us to accurately represent user interactions by relying on the data's semantic content. Our three-step method uses the weighted network model to represent user's activity, and network clustering and module analysis to characterize user interactions and extract further knowledge from user's posts. The network's topological properties reflect user activity such as posts' general topic as well as timing, while weighted edges reflect the posts semantic content and similarities among posts. The result, a synthesis from word data frequency, statistical analysis of module content, and the modeled health network's properties, has allowed us to gain insight into consumer sentiment of antidepressants. This approach will allow all parties to participate in improving future health solutions of patients suffering from depression.
Multiplex Analysis of Serum Cytokines in Melanoma Patients Treated with Interferon-α2b

Purpose: Interferon (IFN)-α2b is the only Food and Drug Administration–approved treatment for operable high-risk melanoma that has been shown to significantly and durably prolong relapse-free survival (RFS) of patients with stage IIB-III melanoma. Development of reliable serum assays may contribute to the development of methods for earlier detection of melanoma and the selection of patients who may be most susceptible to current available interventions with IFNα. Experimental Design: A powerful high-throughput xMAP multiplex immunobead assay technology (Luminex Corp., Austin, TX) was used to simultaneously test 29 cytokines, chemokines, angiogenic as well as growth factors, and soluble receptors in the sera of 179 patients with high-risk melanoma and 378 healthy individuals. Results: Serum concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12p40, IL-13, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, MIP-1β, IFNα, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, epidermal growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and TNF receptor II were found to be significantly higher in patients with resected high-risk melanoma compared with healthy controls. Bayesian Network algorithm classification of the data offered 90% sensitivity at 98% specificity with 96.5% of melanoma patients distinguished from healthy individuals. IFN-α2b therapy resulted in a significant decrease of serum levels of immunosuppressive and tumor angiogenic/growth stimulatory factors (VEGF, epidermal growth factor, and hepatocyte growth factor) and increased levels of antiangiogenic IFN-γ inducible protein 10 (IP-10) and IFN-α. Pretreatment levels of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-1α, IL-6, TNF-α, and chemokines MIP-1α and MIP-1β were found to be significantly higher in the serum of patients with longer RFS values of 1 to 5 and >5 years when compared with patients with shorter RFS of <1 year. Conclusion: These data show that multiplexed analysis of serum biomarkers is useful for the evaluation of prognostic markers of clinical outcome and potential predictive markers of response to IFN-α2b in patients with high-risk operable melanoma.
Synthesis of Partial Behavior Models from Properties and Scenarios

Synthesis of behavior models from software development artifacts such as scenario-based descriptions or requirements specifications helps reduce the effort of model construction. However, the models favored by existing synthesis approaches are not sufficiently expressive to describe both universal constraints provided by requirements and existential statements provided by scenarios. In this paper, we propose a novel synthesis technique that constructs behavior models in the form of modal transition systems (MTS) from a combination of safety properties and scenarios. MTSs distinguish required, possible, and proscribed behavior, and their elaboration not only guarantees the preservation of the properties and scenarios used for synthesis but also supports further elicitation of new requirements.
Educational Psychologists? views of factors that influence job approbation, job satisfaction and dissatisfaction when working within multi-agency local authority contexts.

Background: Over the past decade Local Authority Educational Psychologists in England have been increasingly required to engage in multi-agency work. There has been limited research within the UK context looking at factors which facilitate or are barriers to EP job satisfaction and approbation. This qualitative study elicits Educational Psychologists? views of factors that influence approbation, job satisfaction and dissatisfaction when working within this context.Methods: 27 Main grade and senior Educational Psychologists working in the North West of England participated in a combination of focus groups and individual semi-structured interviews using a set of predefined questions. Interviews were audio taped and transcribed before being analysed using inductive, explicit thematic analysis.Results: Five themes of approbation, autonomy, job satisfaction, job dissatisfaction and multi-agency working were identified as relevant to the study.Conclusions: In-depth Educational Psychology interviews allowed examination of the factors related to approbation, job satisfaction and dissatisfaction. This resulted in a number of implications and recommendations for future policy and practice.
A COMPARISON OF THE ROSE-WAALER, LATEX FIXATION, “RA-TEST,” AND BENTONITE FLOCCULATION TESTS

The bentonite flocculation test of Bozicevich, Bunim, Freund, and Ward (1958), the latex fixation test of Singer and Plotz (1956), and the “RA-test” (a latex reagent for use as a slide test) of Hyland Laboratories have been compared with each other and with a modified Rose-Waaler test, the behaviour of which has been previously extensively investigated. In these tests sera from 2,250 patients were tested by two or more methods on 3,000 occasions. The findings of this trial are set out and the merits of the tests and reasons for disagreement among them are discussed. It is concluded that the most satisfactory means of testing rheumatoid sera is by the Rose-Waaler test and the “RA-test,” or a satisfactory modification of it, in parallel.
Symbolic Models for Nonlinear Control Systems: Alternating Approximate Bisimulations

Symbolic models are abstract descriptions of continuous systems in which symbols represent aggregates of continuous states. In the last few years there has been a growing interest in the use of symbolic models as a tool for mitigating complexity in control design. In fact, symbolic models enable the use of well-known algorithms in the context of supervisory control and algorithmic game theory for controller synthesis. Since the 1990s many researchers faced the problem of identifying classes of dynamical and control systems that admit symbolic models. In this paper we make further progress along this research line by focusing on control systems affected by disturbances. Our main contribution is to show that incrementally globally asymptotically stable nonlinear control systems with disturbances admit symbolic models.