Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Salicylic acid alleviates methyl viologen induced oxidative stress through transcriptional modulation of antioxidant genes in Zea mays L

Salicylic acid (SA) is an important growth regulator that participates in both biotic as well as abiotic stress re- sponse in plants. Both-biotic and abiotic stresses are characterized by elevated cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). We examined the biochemical and molecular effects of SA on the ROS scavenging system in maize. Pre- treatment of maize plants with SA prior to stress, reduced electrolyte leakage, enhanced protein accumulation, improved root biomass and grain yield. SA application also led to a general enhancement in the biochemical activities of three major ROS scavenging antioxidant enzymes, viz. superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidases (POX). However, corresponding transcripts of various antioxidant isozymes depicted a dynamic response for different SA doses. Under stress, pre-treatment with 0.5 mM SA led to enhanced expression of all the Sod genes analyzed while higher SA concentration repressed many Sod genes. Cat 1 showed clear dose- dependent repression in response to graded concentrations of SA, while Cat 3 showed inverse dose-dependent activation in response to graded concentrations of SA. Apx 1 was found to be up-regulated at 0.5 mM SA, while higher doses of SA, i.e. 1.0 and 1.5 mM led to its repression. All the three concentrations of SA repressed Apx 2 gene. Taken together, our results indicate that SA has the potential to alleviate oxidative stress in maize through biochemical and transcriptional modulation of ROS scavenging pathway. Also, the concentration of SA has a great bearing in its alleviating role, with lower concentrations (viz 0.5 mM) being more desirable.
Overexpression of Nrdp1 in the Heart Exacerbates Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiac Dysfunction in Mice

Background Cardiac cell death and generation of oxidative stress contribute to doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiac dysfunction. E3 ligase Nrdp1 plays a critical role in the regulation of cell apoptosis, inflammation and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which may contribute to heart failure. However, the role of Nrdp1 in DOX-induced cardiac injury remains to be determined. Methods and Results We examined the effect of Nrdp1 overexpression with DOX treatment in rat neonatal cardiomyocytes and mouse heart tissue. Cardiomyocytes were infected with adenovirus containing GFP (Ad-GFP), Nrdp1 wild-type (Ad-Nrdp1) or the dominant-negative form of Nrdp1 (Ad-Dn-Nrdp1), then treated with DOX for 24 hr. DOX treatment increased cell death and apoptosis, with Ad-Nrdp1 infection enhancing these actions but Ad-Dn-Nrdp1 infection attenuating these effects. Furthermore, 5 days after a single injection of DOX (20 mg/kg, intraperitoneally), Nrdp1 transgenic mice (TG) showed decreased cardiac function and increased apoptosis, autophagy and oxidative stress as compared with wild-type (WT) mice (P<0.01). Survival rate was significantly lower in Nrdp1 TG mice than in WT mice 10 days after DOX injection (P<0.01). Conclusions/Significance These results were associated with decreased activation of Akt, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathways. Nrdp1 may be a key mediator in the development of cardiac dysfunction after DOX treatment and associated with inhibition of Akt, ERK1/2 and STAT3. Nrdp1 may be a new therapeutic target in protecting against the cardiotoxic effects of DOX.
A Boundary Element Method for the Analysis of Thin Piezoelectric Solids

Piezoelectric films or coatings are applied widely as sensors and actuators in smart materials and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). Analysis of these delicate thin piezoelectric solids are very important for the design and evaluations of such advanced materials. In this thesis, based on the conventional boundary integral equation (CBIE) formulation for piezoelectricity, an efficient, reliable, convenient and consistent boundary element method (BEM) is developed for the analysis of two dimensional (2-D) thin piezoelectric solids with any small thickness. An efficient analytical method is developed to deal with the nearly-singular integrals in the CBIE for 2-D thin structures. The nearly-singular integrals, which are line integrals for 2-D problems and arise when two boundary curves are close to each other, are transformed into summations of integrals containing fractions of polynomials. For the test problems studied, very promising results are obtained with the thickness-to-length ratios in the order of 6 10 , which is sufficient for modeling most thin piezoelectric films and coatings in the micro-scale, as applied in smart materials and MEMS.
The Src Homology 2 Domain Protein Shep1 Plays an Important Role in the Penetration of Olfactory Sensory Axons into the Forebrain

Shep1 is a multidomain signaling protein that forms a complex with Cas, a key scaffolding component of integrin signaling pathways, to promote the migration of non-neuronal cells. However, the physiological function of Shep1 in the nervous system remains unknown. Interestingly, we found that Shep1 and Cas are both concentrated in the axons of developing olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs). These neurons extend their axons from the olfactory epithelium to the olfactory bulb located at the anterior tip of the forebrain. However, in developing Shep1 knock-out mice, we did not detect penetration of OSN axons across the pial basement membrane surrounding the olfactory bulb, suggesting that Shep1 function is important for the establishment of OSN connections with the olfactory bulb. Interestingly, we observed reduced levels of Cas tyrosine phosphorylation in OSN axons of Shep1 knock-out mice, suggesting compromised Cas signaling function. Indeed, when embedded in a three-dimensional gel of basement membrane proteins, explants from Shep1 knock-out olfactory epithelium extend neuronal processes less efficiently than explants from control epithelium. Furthermore, ectopic expression of Shep1 in non-neuronal cells promotes cell migration through a collagen gel. Later in development, loss of Shep1 function also causes a marked reduction in olfactory bulb size and disruption of bulb lamination, which may be primarily attributable to the defective innervation. The greatly reduced OSN connections and hypoplasia of the olfactory bulb, likely resulting in anosmia, are reminiscent of the symptoms of Kallmann syndrome, a human developmental disease that can be caused by mutations in a growing number of genes.
A low-cost first-order sigma-delta converter design and analysis

This paper presents the design and analysis of an interface circuit for MEMS or biomedical sensor applications. This circuitry performs the function of an analog-to-digital converter. A first-order 1-bit sigma-delta (Σ-Δ) analog-to-digital converter is designed and simulated using Silterra 0. 13μm CMOS process technology with power supply of 1.2V through Cadence. Then the circuit simulation results are transferred to MATLAB, in order to get the frequency domain power spectral density (PSD). The simulation results on noise and error analysis are compared with those from a traditional analog-to-digital converter to prove that sigma-delta is performing better in the case of weak signals acquisition.
Utilizing Shape-Based Feature and Discriminative Learning for Building Detection

Building detection from high resolution remote sensing images is challenging due to the high intraclass variability and the difficulty in describing buildings. To address the above difficulties, a novel approach is proposed based on the combination of shape-specific feature extraction and discriminative feature classification. Shape-specific feature can capture complex shapes and structures of buildings. Discriminative feature classification is effective in reflecting similarities among buildings and differences between buildings and backgrounds. Experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. key words: building detection, shape-specific feature, metric learning, feature classification
Cellular interactions between 3T3 cells and interleukin‐3‐dependent multipotent haemopoietic cells: A model system for stromal‐cell‐mediated haemopoiesis

With the aid of a multipotent stem cell line (FDCP‐mix cells) co‐cultured with either normal or irradiated Swiss 3T3, cellular interactions between stromal cells and haemopoietic stem cells were studied by electron microscopy and time‐lapse video microscopy. When cultured in the presence of interleukin 3 (IL‐3) but in the absence of stromal cells, the FDCP‐mix cells have a characteristic blast morphology. In the absence of IL‐3, the cells die unless they are co‐cultured with marrow stromal cells or 3T3 cells. In the latter case, they attach, proliferate, and differentiate on both normal and irradiated Swiss 3T3 cell layers without the addition of extrinsic growth factor (IL‐3). At the initial attachment sites of these two cell lines, cellular recognition seemed to be mediated by the formation of microvillus cytoplasmic projections and extracellular matrix. These areas may well be the sites of plasma‐membrane‐bound signalling/adhesional molecules between the interacting cells.
Research Opportunities on the Application of the Theory of Constraints to Software Process Development

The software development process is a key factor in the efficient production of quality software. Software process improvement has been a constant theme not only in academia but also in the software industry, where countless works have been developed and published. The Theory of Constraints (TOC) was originally proposed by the physicist Eliyahu Moshe Goldratt, in the 80s as a method for the continuous improvement of manufacturing processes. This research aims to survey the academic research on the application of the TOC to the software development process. We also searched for its application to other productive environments in an attempt to visualize approaches that could be adapted to the software development process, such as studies about process optimization, process improvement and process scheduling. The results showed research opportunities both theoretical and practical with application of the TOC in software process development, software process improvement, identification and treatment of bottlenecks in software process, optimization of software process and applications using heuristics, meta heuristics, mathematical models and optimization models.
FNN based Adaptive Route Selection Support System

This paper presents Fuzzy Neural Network (FNN) based Adaptive Route Selection Support System (ARSSS) for assisting drivers of vehicles. The aim of the proposed ARSSS system is to select path based on shortest possible time. The proposed system intakes traffic information, such as volume to capacity ratio, traffic flow, vehicle queue length and green cycle length, passenger car unit etc using different types of sensor nodes, remote servers, CCTVs and the road information such as path length, signalized junctions, intersection points between source-destination pair are captured using GPS service. A FNN has been employed to select an optimal path having shortest time. The input parameters of FNN are distance, signal point delay, road type and traffic flow whereas the output parameter is path selection probability which paves the way to identify the best suitable path. The simulation result revels that FNN based ARSSS outperforms more accurate than that of other route selection support system (webster delay model) and artificial neural network (ANN) in estimating path delay.
Direct polymerase chain reaction detection of ropy Pediococcus damnosus strains in wine

Aims: Glucan‐producing strains of Pediococcus damnosus are considered as spoilage micro‐organisms because synthesis of glucan leads to an unacceptable viscosity of wine. In this report, we present a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure to detect the presence of such strains in wines.
Analysis and Design of Ultra-Wideband Unequal-Split Wilkinson Power Divider Using Tapered Lines Transformers

Abstract An ultra-wideband unequal-split Wilkinson power divider with a 2:1 split ratio is presented. To achieve the ultra-wideband characteristics, the conventional quarter-wave arms of the divider are replaced by tapered lines. Moreover, two extra tapered transformers are incorporated at the output ports for matching purposes as the designed divider is of an unequal-split type. To obtain good isolation between the output ports, five isolation resistors are used, the values of which are determined using the simple odd-mode analysis of the Wilkinson power divider. For verification purposes, an ultra-wideband Wilkinson power divider that operates over a frequency range extending from 2 to 12 GHz is designed, simulated, fabricated, and measured. The results of the full-wave simulation and measurements verify the validity of the design procedure.
Self-supported wide-band dipole antennas with a constant gain characteristic

In this paper, the dipole antenna feeding coaxial line is taken up and a method to analyze the input impedance is proposed, where this antenna is supported itself and located over the ground. The method is derived using the equivalent model thought of the feed section as a circular radial line. Numerical simulations using the FDTD and experimental results of a prototype model are shown to confirm the method. It is also shown that this antenna can be achieved to have constant gain characteristics over a wide-band by optimizing geometric parameters
Application of q-Space Diffusion MRI for the Visualization of White Matter

White matter abnormalities in the CNS have been reported recently in various neurological and psychiatric disorders. Quantitation of non-Gaussianity for water diffusion by q-space diffusional MRI (QSI) renders biological diffusion barriers such as myelin sheaths; however, the time-consuming nature of this method hinders its clinical application. In the current study, we aimed to refine QSI protocols to enable their clinical application and to visualize myelin signals in a clinical setting. For this purpose, animal studies were first performed to optimize the acquisition protocol of a non-Gaussian QSI metric. The heat map of standardized kurtosis values derived from optimal QSI (myelin map) was then created. Histological validation of the myelin map was performed in myelin-deficient mice and in a nonhuman primate by monitoring its variation during demyelination and remyelination after chemical spinal cord injury. The results demonstrated that it was sensitive enough to depict dysmyelination, demyelination, and remyelination in animal models. Finally, its utility in clinical practice was assessed by a pilot clinical study in a selected group of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The human myelin map could be obtained within 10 min with a 3 T MR scanner. Use of the myelin map was practical for visualizing white matter and it sensitively detected reappearance of myelin signals after demyelination, possibly reflecting remyelination in MS patients. Our results together suggest that the myelin map, a kurtosis-related heat map obtainable with time-saving QSI, may be a novel and clinically useful means of visualizing myelin in the human CNS. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Myelin abnormalities in the CNS have been gaining increasing attention in various neurological and psychiatric diseases. However, appropriate methods with which to monitor CNS myelin in daily clinical practice have been lacking. In the current study, we introduced a novel MRI modality that produces the “myelin map. ” The myelin map accurately depicted myelin status in mice and nonhuman primates and in a pilot clinical study of multiple sclerosis patients, suggesting that it is useful in detecting possibly remyelinated lesions. A myelin map of the human brain could be obtained in <10 min using a 3 T scanner and it therefore promises to be a powerful tool for researchers and clinicians examining myelin-related diseases.
Expression of Hox‐4 genes in the chick wing links pattern formation to the epithelial‐mesenchymal interactions that mediate growth.

The relationship between the expression of Hox‐4 genes in the mesenchyme and the apical ectodermal ridge was investigated in both normal chick wing buds and wing buds treated with retinoic acid. Two conclusions emerge. One is that the activation of Hox‐4 domains and the elaboration of Hox‐4 gene expression patterns involve cooperation with a signal from the apical ridge. The second is that the domains of expression of 5′‐located members of the complex correlate with the maintenance of the thickened ridge which is required for subsequent bud outgrowth.
Turtle groups or turtle soup: dispersal patterns of hawksbill turtles in the Caribbean

Despite intense interest in conservation of marine turtles, spatial ecology during the oceanic juvenile phase remains relatively unknown. Here, we used mixed stock analysis and examination of oceanic drift to elucidate movements of hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) and address management implications within the Caribbean. Among samples collected from 92 neritic juvenile hawksbills in the Cayman Islands we detected 11 mtDNA control region haplotypes. To estimate contributions to the aggregation, we performed ‘many‐to‐many’ mixed stock analysis, incorporating published hawksbill genetic and population data. The Cayman Islands aggregation represents a diverse mixed stock: potentially contributing source rookeries spanned the Caribbean basin, delineating a scale of recruitment of 200–2500 km. As hawksbills undergo an extended phase of oceanic dispersal, ocean currents may drive patterns of genetic diversity observed on foraging aggregations. Therefore, using high‐resolution Aviso ocean current data, we modelled movement of particles representing passively drifting oceanic juvenile hawksbills. Putative distribution patterns varied markedly by origin: particles from many rookeries were broadly distributed across the region, while others would appear to become entrained in local gyres. Overall, we detected a significant correlation between genetic profiles of foraging aggregations and patterns of particle distribution produced by a hatchling drift model (Mantel test, r = 0.77, P < 0.001; linear regression, r = 0.83, P < 0.001). Our results indicate that although there is a high degree of mixing across the Caribbean (a ‘turtle soup’), current patterns play a substantial role in determining genetic structure of foraging aggregations (forming turtle groups). Thus, for marine turtles and other widely distributed marine species, integration of genetic and oceanographic data may enhance understanding of population connectivity and management requirements.
Image Interpretation Using Large Corpus: Wikipedia

Image is a powerful medium for expressing one's ideas and rightly confirms the adage, “One picture is worth a thousand words. ” In this work, we explore the application of world knowledge in the form of Wikipedia to achieve this objective-literally. In the first part, we disambiguate and rank semantic concepts associated with ambiguous keywords by exploiting link structure of articles in Wikipedia. In the second part, we explore an image representation in terms of keywords which reflect the semantic content of an image. Our approach is inspired by the desire to augment low-level image representation with massive amounts of world knowledge, to facilitate computer vision tasks like image retrieval based on this information. We represent an image as a weighted mixture of a predetermined set of concrete concepts whose definition has been agreed upon by a wide variety of audience. To achieve this objective, we use concepts defined by Wikipedia articles, e.g., sky, building, or automobile. An important advantage of our approach is availability of vast amounts of highly organized human knowledge in Wikipedia. Wikipedia evolves rapidly steadily increasing its breadth and depth over time.
Pal-Like Protein Present in Chromatium vinosum

PAL is a peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein found in the cell membranes of many Gram- negative bacteria. The presence of PAL has been demonstrated in Escherichia coli and many bacteria. In this paper, we show the presence of a gene coding for a PAL-like protein in C. vinosum, a photosynthetic bacteria and the partial sequence of the PAL gene.
Correlation of ADCC activity with cytokine release induced by the stably expressed, glyco-engineered humanized Lewis Y-specific monoclonal antibody MB314

A major limitation to the application of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is their reduced in vivo efficacy compared with the high efficacy measured in vitro. Effector functions such as antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) are dramatically reduced in vivo by the presence of high amounts of endogenous IgG in the serum. Recent studies have shown that modification of the glycosylation moieties attached to the Fc part of the mAb can enhance binding affinity to FcγRIIIα receptors on natural killer cells and thus may counteract the reduced in vivo efficacy. In the present study, a humanized IgG1/κ monoclonal antibody recognizing the tumor-associated carbohydrate antigen Lewis Y was stably produced in a moss expression system that allows glyco-engineering. The glyco-modified mAb (designated MB314) showed a highly homogeneous N-glycosylation pattern lacking core-fucose. A side-by-side comparison to its parental counterpart produced in conventional mammalian cell-culture (MB311, formerly known as IGN311) by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis confirmed that the target specificity of MB314 is similar to that of MB311. In contrast, ADCC effector function of MB314 was increased up to 40-fold whereas complement dependent cytotoxicity activity was decreased 5-fold. Notably, a release of immunostimulatory cytokines, including interferon γ, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was particularly induced with the glyco-modified antibody. TNF release was associated with CD14+ cells, indicating activation of monocytes.
Childhood trauma and self-harm behavior among chronic pain patients

Associations between childhood trauma and self-harm behavior in adulthood have been explored in a variety of populations, but few studies have assessed multiple forms of childhood trauma as well as 22 self-harm behaviors, and none (that we are aware of) in a chronic pain population. In this study, we examined 5 types of childhood trauma (i.e., sexual, physical, and emotional abuses; physical neglect; witnessing of violence) and 22 self-harm behaviors in a sample of 117 chronic pain patients who were being evaluated by a pain management specialist in a private setting. All five forms of childhood trauma demonstrated statistically significant relationships with self-harm behavior in adulthood. We discuss the implications of these findings.
A synopsis of the genus Tribolium Macleay, with some remarks on the evolution of its species-groups (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae).

Several species of Tribolium are important primary and secondary pests of various kinds of cereal products and for this reason have long attracted the attention of entomologists. Some of the species are easily cultured in the laboratory and have therefore become favoured animals for experiments not particularly concerned with their role as pests. As a result of the two avenues of approach, a very impressive amount of information has now been accumulated concerning the habits and physiology of a few of the species.