Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Learning and use of sensorimotor schemata maps

In this paper we present a framework for the learning and use of sensorimotor schemata. Therefore, we introduce the concept of a schema as a compact representation of an attractor dynamic and discuss how schemata, if embedded into the proposed architecture, can be used to produce, simulate, or recognize goal-directed behaviors. We further present a first implementation of the framework which incorporates well-founded biological principles. Firstly, we apply population coding for the representation of schemata in a neural map and, secondly, we use basis functions as flexible intermediate representations for sensorimotor transformations. Simulation results show that during an initial motor babbling phase the system is able to autonomously develop schemata which correspond to generic behaviors. Moreover, the learned sensorimotor schemata map is topologically ordered insofar as neighboring schemata represent similar behaviors. In accordance with biological findings on the motor system of vertebrates the schemata form a set of behavior primitives which can be flexibly combined to yield more complex behaviors.
O que é visualização

Neste artigo, originalmente publicado em outubro de 2010 na pagina eletronica pessoal de Lev Manovich (http://manovich.net), o autor faz uma analise dos principios fundamentais da visualizacao de informacao (infovis) nos ultimos 300 anos e discute seu desenvolvimento no seculo XXI. Sao tambem propostas duas categorias de visualizacao, a direta e a indireta, e apresentados projetos de visualizacao de informacao executados pela equipe de pesquisa de Lev Manovich, na Universidade da California, em San Diego, Estados Unidos. Este artigo teve traducao e publicacao formalmente autorizadas pelo autor.
Development of an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Specific Equine Neutrophil Myeloperoxidase Measurement in Blood

Equine inflammatory disease is accompanied by a neutrophil activation resulting in the release of granulocytic enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO). To measure MPO in horse plasma as marker of neutrophil activation, the authors purified equine neutrophil MPO and developed a specific enzyme immunoassay using 2 specific polyclonal antibodies obtained from rabbit (primary antibody) and guinea pig (secondary antibody). The sandwich complex “primary antibody-MPO-secondary antibody” was detected using a goat anti-guinea pig immunoglobulin antibody conjugated to alkaline phosphatase. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed good precision and accuracy, with intra- and interassay coefficients of variation below 10% for MPO concentrations ranging from 0.78 to 50 ng/ml. A stable plasma MPO value, unaffected by time elapsed between blood collection and centrifugation, was obtained with plasma from EDTA anticoagulated blood. The mean MPO value measured in 38 healthy horses was 181.80 ± 64.74 ng/ml. In 20 horses suffering from obstruction of the large or small intestine, MPO concentrations measured at the time of arrival at the intensive care unit were significantly higher than mean normal value, ranging from 477.88 to 2,748.13 ng/ml. Work is in progress to apply this MPO ELISA technique to other biological fluids and other equine diseases.
THE ACETYLCHOLINE RECEPTOR OF THE ADRENAL MEDULLA 1

Abstract— The acetylcholine receptor of the bovine adrenal medulla was studied by specific binding of [1251]α‐bungarotoxin to membrane fractions and by perfusion of the isolated gland. The subcellular distribution of the acetylcholine receptor paralleled the distribution of the plasma membrane markers, acetylcholinesterase and calciumstimulated ATPase. The dissociation constant for the binding of α‐bungarotoxin to a purified plasma membrane fraction was calculated from Scatchard plots to be 1.6 nM, with a concentration of 190 fmol of binding sites/mg of membrane protein. Correcting for recovery, this corresponds to 0.9 pmol acetylcholine receptor/g adrenal medulla. In decreasing order of effectiveness, d‐tubocurarine, nicotine, acetylcholine, carbamylcholine, acetate plus choline, decamethonium, atropine and hexamethonium inhibited binding of α‐bungarotoxin.
Isolation and Characterization of Multipotent Skin‐Derived Precursors from Human Skin

We have previously isolated, expanded, and characterized a multipotent precursor cell from mammalian dermis (termed skin‐derived precursors [SKPs]) that can differentiate into both neural and mesodermal progeny. In this study, we report the isolation, expansion, and characterization of a similar precursor cell from neonatal human foreskin tissue. Like their rodent counterparts, human SKPs grew in suspension as spheres in the presence of the mitogens fibroblast growth factor 2 and epidermal growth factor and expressed nestin, fibronectin, vimentin, and characteristic embryonic transcription factors. Human SKPs could be maintained in culture for long periods of time and would still differentiate into neurons, glia, and smooth muscle cells, including cells with the phenotype of peripheral neurons and Schwann cells. Clonal analysis indicated that single SKP cells were multipotent and could give rise to all of these progeny. Moreover, human SKPs apparently derive from an endogenous precursor within human foreskin; a subpopulation of dissociated primary foreskin cells could differentiate into neurons, a cell type never seen in skin, and the initial spheres to develop from skin expressed the same markers and had the same potential as do passaged SKPs. Together, these data indicate that SKPs are an endogenous multipotent precursor cell present in human skin that can be isolated and expanded and differentiate into both neural and mesodermal cell types.
Roles of Cell Adhesion and Cytoskeleton Activity in Entamoeba histolytica Pathogenesis: a Delicate Balance

ABSTRACT The protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica colonizes the human large bowel. Invasion of the intestinal epithelium causes amoebic colitis and opens the route for amoebic liver abscesses. The parasite relies on its dynamic actomyosin cytoskeleton and on surface adhesion molecules for dissemination in the human tissues. Here we show that the galactose/N-acetylgalactosamine (Gal/GalNAc) lectin clusters in focal structures localized in the region of E. histolytica that contacts monolayers of enterocytes. Disruption of myosin II activity impairs the formation of these structures and renders the trophozoites avirulent for liver abscess development. Production of the cytoplasmic domain of the E. histolytica Gal/GalNAc lectin in engineered trophozoites causes reduced adhesion to enterocytes. Intraportal delivery of these parasites to the liver leads to the formation of a large number of small abscesses with disorganized morphology that are localized in the vicinity of blood vessels. The data support a model for invasion in which parasite motility is essential for establishment of infectious foci, while the adhesion to host cells modulates the distribution of trophozoites in the liver and their capacity to migrate in the hepatic tissue.
The apoptosis pathway and the genetic predisposition to Achilles tendinopathy

Achilles tendinopathy (AT) is a degenerative condition for which several risk factors have been implicated including components of the inflammatory pathway. The aim was to assess functional variants within genes encoding components of the apoptosis signaling cascade and the effectiveness of a polygenic apoptosis profile to capture tendinopathy (TEN) risk. A total of 358 unaffected control (CON) participants [159 South Africa (SA CON) and 199 Australia (AUS CON)] and 166 affected AT (TEN) participants (87 SA TEN and 79 AUS TEN) were genotyped for four variants [CASP8 (rs384129), CASP8 (rs1045485), NOS3 (rs1799983), and NOS2 (rs2779249)]. Logistic regression was used to derive risk models for AT. A receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to determine the effectiveness of a model to capture AT risk. This study indicates the independent association of CASP8_rs1045485 and CASP8_rs3834129 as well as their haplotype with AT risk and the identification of an optimal model which included genetic loci CASP8_rs384129 and CASP8_rs1045485 together with sex to capture AT risk in both SA and AUS. Collectively, these results further implicate the apoptosis signaling cascade as one of the biological pathways involved in the development of AT. © 2012 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 30:1719–1724, 2012
Genome Sequence of Burkholderia plantarii ZJ171, a Tropolone-Producing Bacterial Pathogen Responsible for Rice Seedling Blight

ABSTRACT Burkholderia plantarii is the causal agent of rice seedling blight. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of B. plantarii, which contains 8,020,831 bp, with a G+C content of 68.66% and a predicted 7,688 coding sequences. The annotated genome sequence will provide further insight into its pathogenicity.
FPGA implementation of nonlinear model predictive control

The online computational burden associated with the solution of the NMPC optimization problem is a key issue when applying nonlinear model predictive control (MPC) to fast dynamic systems. In order to improve the computation efficiency, a novel hardware implementation method for NMPC on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) chip is proposed. The optimization problem formed by NMPC is solved by particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The process speed of NMPC can be accelerated by exploring the parallelism-loop unrolling and pipelining architecture. Real-time simulation test of engine idle speed control (ISC) is performed to verify the NMPC controller. The results show that the designed NMPC-FPGA controller can achieve satisfactory performance for ISC.
Growth inhibitory and adjuvant therapeutic potential of aqueous extract of Triticum aestivum on MCF-7 and HeLa cells.

AIM The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the potent growth inhibitory effects of aqueous wheatgrass extract (AWE) alone and in combination with cisplatin on human breast and cervical cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS The cytotoxic potential of AWE alone and in combination with cisplatin was evaluated on human breast and cervical cancer cells (MCF-7 and HeLa) by cell viability assay. Further, the mode of cell death induced by AWE was determined by nuclear morphological examination and cell cycle analysis. These effects were then correlated with the expression of genes involved in apoptosis and proliferation (cyclin D1 and Bax) by RT-PCR. RESULTS AWE showed dose- and time dependent selective cytotoxicity towards the cancer highlighting its safe profile. Lower dose combinations of AWE and cisplatin induced increased growth inhibition compared with the individual drugs on both cell lines (combination index < 1) indicating strong synergistic interactions. AWE was found to induce apoptosis and arrested the cells at G0-G1 phase of the cell cycle which correlated with the modulation of expression of bax and cyclin D1 in a time-dependent manner in MCF-7 and HeLa cells. CONCLUSION These results suggest that the anti-cancer potential of AWE may be due to apoptosis induction and its anti-proliferative properties. This study also provides the first evidence demonstrating synergism between AWE and cisplatin, which may enhance the therapeutic index of prevention and/or treatment of human breast and cervical cancer.
Attenuated liver tumor formation in the absence of CCR2 with a concomitant reduction in the accumulation of hepatic stellate cells, macrophages and neovascularization

The liver parenchyma is populated by hepatocytes and several nonparenchymal cell types, including Kupffer cells and hepatic stellate cells. Both Kupffer cells and hepatic stellate cells are responsive to the chemokine CCL2, but the precise roles of CCL2 and these cells in liver tumor formation remain undefined. Hence, we investigated the effects of the lack of the major CCL2 receptor, CCR2, on liver tumor formation induced by intraportal injection of the murine colon adenocarcinoma cell line, colon 26. Wild‐type mice showed macroscopic tumor foci in the liver 10 days after injection of colon 26 cells. After 10 days, CCL2 proteins were detected predominantly in tumor cells, coincident with increased intratumoral macrophage and hepatic stellate cell numbers. Although tumor formation occurred at similar rates in wild‐type and CCR2‐deficient mice up to 10 days after tumor cell injection, the number and size of tumor foci were significantly attenuated in CCR2‐deficient mice relative to wild‐type mice thereafter. Moreover, neovascularization and matrix metalloproteinase 2 expression were diminished in CCR2‐deficient mice with a concomitant reduction in the accumulation of macrophages and hepatic stellate cells. Furthermore, matrix metalloproteinase 2 was detected predominantly in hepatic stellate cells but not in macrophages. We provided the first definitive evidence that the absence of CCR2‐mediated signals can reduce the trafficking of hepatic stellate cells, a main source of matrix metalloproteinase 2, and consequently can diminish neovascularization during liver tumor formation. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Biochemical importance of glycosylation of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1

Summary The serpin plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is a potential target for anti-thombotic and anti-cancer therapy. PAI-1 has 3 potential sites for N-linked glycosylation. We demonstrate here that PAI-1 expressed recombinantly or naturally by human cell lines display a heterogeneous glycosylation pattern of the sites at N209 and N265, while that at N329 is not utilised. The IC50-values for inactivation of PAI-1 by 4 monoclonal antibodies differed strongly between glycosylated PAI-1 and non-glycosy-lated PAI-1 expressed in E. coli. For 3 antibodies, an overlap of the epitopes with the glycosylation sites could be excluded as explanation for the differential reactivity. The latency transition of non-glycosylated, but not of glycosylated PAI-1, was strongly accelerated by a non-ionic detergent. The different biochemical properties of glycosylated and non-glycosylated PAI-1 depended specifically on glycosylation of either one or the other of the utilised sites. The PAI-1-binding protein vitronectin reversed the changes associated with the lack of glycosylation at one of the sites. Our results stress the importance of the source of PAI-1 when studying the mechanisms of action of PAI-1-inactivating compounds of potential clinical importance.
Molecular and Functional Imaging Technology for the Development of Efficient Treatment Strategies for Gliomas

Gliomas are the most common types of brain tumors, which invariably lead to death over months or years. Before new and potentially more effective treatment strategies, such as gene therapy, can be effectively introduced into clinical application the following goals must be reached: (1) the determination of localization, extent and metabolic activity of the glioma; (2) the assessment of functional changes within the surrounding brain tissue; (3) the identification of genetic changes on the molecular level leading to disease; and in addition (4) a detailed non-invasive analysis of both endogenous and exogenous gene expression in animal models and in the clinical setting. Non-invasive imaging of endogenous gene expression by means of positron emission tomography (PET) may reveal insight into the molecular basis of pathogenesis and metabolic activity of the glioma and the extent of treatment response. When exogenous genes are introduced to serve for a therapeutic function, PET imaging techniques may reveal the assessment of the location, magnitude and duration of therapeutic gene expression and its relation to the therapeutic effect. Here, we review the main principles of PET imaging and its key roles in neurooncology research.
A new frequency detector for orthogonal multicarrier transmission techniques

Deals with the carrier frequency synchronization of orthogonal multicarrier systems, which are an effective transmission technique for coping with the typical channel impairments present in mobile reception. A new carrier frequency detector is introduced and its performance thoroughly analyzed in the presence of a multipath channel. In particular the authors have analytically derived the frequency detector characteristic curve and its noise power spectral density. They have compared the new algorithm with other known algorithms and have shown that it permits a considerable improvement in the noise level to be achieved.
INHERITED AGGLOMERATION EFFECTS IN HEDGE FUND SPAWNS

This paper studies inherited agglomeration effects, how human capital managers acquire while working at a parent firm in an industry hub can be subsequently transferred to a spinoff. We test for inherited agglomeration effects in the context of the hedge fund industry and find that hedge fund managers who previously worked in New York and London outperform their peers by about one percent per year. The results are driven by managers who worked in investment management positions previously, and are at least as large as traditional agglomeration effects that arise from being located in an industry hub contemporaneously. The evidence suggests that inherited agglomeration effects are an important, but as yet overlooked, factor influencing the performance of new firms.
Transfer of the chromosomal bla gene from Enterobacter cloacae to Escherichia coli by RP4::mini-Mu

The resistance gene for beta-lactamase-stable cephalosporins from Enterobacter cloacae was transferred to Escherichia coli by the aid of RP4::mini-Mu. The R-prime plasmids generated carried 60 to 80 kilobases (kb) of E. cloacae DNA and coded for the chromosomal E. cloacae beta-lactamase. The gene was fully expressed in the recipient. Restriction endonuclease EcoRI fragments of the R-prime plasmid pBP100 were cloned into the vector pBP328, yielding the plasmid pBP102 with a size of 14 kb. A restriction map of this plasmid was constructed. By digesting pBP102 into seven PstI fragments, ligating the fragments, and looking for the smallest plasmid generated, pBP103 was isolated. It consisted of three PstI fragments, two of them (together 4.2 kb) necessary for resistance. During the experiment (performed in a recA+ background) the largest PstI fragment had undergone a substitution of a 0.3-kb segment of pBP102 by a 0.7-kb segment in pBP103 (as deduced by heteroduplex analysis). The bla gene of resistant E. cloacae strains was dominant over the gene of susceptible organisms.
Bayesian integration of spatial navigation cues

Humans and non-human animals must navigate their environments to survive. A recent question of interest is whether humans have the ability to combine multiple cues to navigation in a Bayesian optimal manner. The current experiments build on previous research examining the combination of cues in adult humans. These experiments further the theoretical understanding of cue combination as well as its application to real-world tasks. Experiment 1 determined that idiothetic path integration cues are not necessary for the optimal combination of path integration and piloting cues. Instead, optic flow, an allothetic path integration cue, was sufficient for the optimal combination of path integration and a geometric cue to navigation. Experiment 2 examined cue combination for two piloting cues to navigation, rather than for a piloting and path integration cue, and found that two piloting cues to navigation are not always combined in a Bayesian optimal manner. Finally, Bayesian cue combination was examined in a two-dimensional desktop environment to determine whether optimal cue integration occurs in the desktop and webpage environments we interact with on a daily basis. Results indicate further study is needed, but illustrate the importance of testing a variety of stimuli when examining cue integration. Together, the following experiments expand the current knowledge regarding how multiple cues to navigation are used together to improve spatial memory and illustrate that small differences in stimuli may have a great impact on the ability to detect optimal cue integration.
Performance of Czech Speech Recognition with Language Models Created from Public Resources

In this paper, we investigate the usability of publicly available n-gram corpora for the creation of language models (LM) applicable for Czech speech recognition systems. N-gram LMs with various parameters and settings were created from two publicly available sets, Czech Web 1T 5-gram corpus provided by Google and 5-gram corpus obtained from the Czech National Corpus Institute. For comparison, we tested also an LM made of a large private resource of newspaper and broadcast texts collected by a Czech media mining company. The LMs were analyzed and compared from the statistic point of view (mainly via their perplexity rates) and from the performance point of view when employed in large vocabulary continuous speech recognition systems. Our study shows that the Web1T-based LMs, even after intensive cleaning and normalization procedures, cannot compete with those made of smaller but more consistent corpora. The experiments done on large test data also illustrate the impact of Czech as highly inflective language on the perplexity, OOV, and recognition accuracy rates.
Cryptic introductions and the interpretation of island biodiversity

Species with cryptic origins (i.e. those that cannot be reliably classed as native or non‐native) present a particular challenge to our understanding of the generation and maintenance of biodiversity. Such species may be especially common on islands given that some islands have had a relatively recent history of human settlement. It is likely that select island species considered native might have achieved their current distributions via direct or indirect human actions. As an example, we explore the origins of eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis bermudensis) on the island of Bermuda. Considered native to the island and a distinct subspecies, this population has diverged in morphology relative to mainland North America. Using microsatellite markers and simulation of island colonization, we show that the Bermuda population of bluebirds is the likely result of a single colonization event that occurred during the 1600s, making this a cryptic invader. To our knowledge, this is one of the youngest examples of a terrestrial vertebrate cryptic invader. We suggest that the eastern bluebird is not an isolated case of cryptic invader on either Bermuda or elsewhere and that caution be exercised when studying present‐day distributions of organisms.
Sibling Species Within Paramecium jenningsi Revealed by RAPD

Summary. The studies with application of the classical genetic method (strain crosses) and a molecular technique (RAPD-PCR fingerprinting, primer Ro 460-04) revealed the presence of separate sibling species within P. jenningsi. One of these is confined to six genetically related strains originating from Japan, separated from other group (results of strain crosses) and showing only one characteristic band pattern. The other of these includes strains from India, Saudi Arabia and China (Przyboś et al. 2003). We wanted to verify the RAPD markers specific for P. jenningsi and to prove the existence of two sibling species within it (revealed by one primer only), by application of others Ro-type primers. The conducted RAPD-PCR fingerpring analysis revealed that the genomes of the studies strains of P. jenningsi have polymorphic DNA sequences complementary to the four applied primers. The band patterns can be used as species-specific markers for P. jenningsi. DNA amplification by four primers used differentiates P. jenningsi into two groups of strains, one of which includes the Indian, Saudi Arabian and Chinese strains, the other the Japanese strains. Our results are congruent with inter-strain crossing experiments in which reproductive isolation was found when continental and Japanese strains were tested. This is further evidence for the existence of two sibling species, whose reproductive isolation is genetically induced.