Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Different pathways for activation and deactivation in CaV1.2: a minimal gating model

Point mutations in pore-lining S6 segments of CaV1.2 shift the voltage dependence of activation into the hyperpolarizing direction and significantly decelerate current activation and deactivation. Here, we analyze theses changes in channel gating in terms of a circular four-state model accounting for an activation R–A–O and a deactivation O–D–R pathway. Transitions between resting-closed (R) and activated-closed (A) states (rate constants x(V) and y(V)) and open (O) and deactivated-open (D) states (u(V) and w(V)) describe voltage-dependent sensor movements. Voltage-independent pore openings and closures during activation (A–O) and deactivation (D–R) are described by rate constants α and β, and γ and δ, respectively. Rate constants were determined for 16-channel constructs assuming that pore mutations in IIS6 do not affect the activating transition of the voltage-sensing machinery (x(V) and y(V)). Estimated model parameters of 15 CaV1.2 constructs well describe the activation and deactivation processes. Voltage dependence of the “pore-releasing” sensor movement ((x(V)) was much weaker than the voltage dependence of “pore-locking” sensor movement (y(V)). Our data suggest that changes in membrane voltage are more efficient in closing than in opening CaV1.2. The model failed to reproduce current kinetics of mutation A780P that was, however, accurately fitted with individually adjusted x(V) and y(V). We speculate that structural changes induced by a proline substitution in this position may disturb the voltage-sensing domain.
Ethnicity and Sex Distinctions in Patterns of Aptitude Factor Scores in a Sample of Urban High School Seniors

Three aptitude factor scores for each of 2,985 college-bound, urban high school seniors were used to compare patterns and levels of performance by sex and ethnic group membership. The results indicated that within ethnic groups, men and women exhibit patterns of scores characteristic of their sex. Significant differences in levels of performance between ethnic groups were found on the three factors, and differences on two factors were found for males and females.
A Symbol-Based Estimation Technique for Inter-vehicular Communication Performance Optimization

The aim of this paper is to enhance the quality of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing OFDM estimation in dedicated vehicular communication transmission V2X networks. Wireless Access in Vehicular Environment WAVE as also known IEEE 802.11p represents the standard for these networks. Developing a reliable inter-vehicular V2X communication has to focus on optimizing its real performances. In this work, we studied the fact that WAVE transmission uses the channel characteristics designed for indoor and stationary communication terminals in IEEE 802.11a. In this paper, we propose an approach to overcome this mobility problem of terminal communication. The considered solution consists in using pilot estimation technique to reduce the high bit error rate. First, we highlight the impact of rearranging the pilot symbol positions on the quality of transmission QoT. Second, we try to overcome one of the PHY layer estimation constraints by adding two new pilot symbols. By considering pilot symbol aided channel estimation at the transmitter, we focus on Least Square LS and Minimum Mean Square Error MMSE channel estimation on the receiver. A range of simulations is carried out according to ratio between the Bit Error Rate BER and the Signal to Noise Ratio SNR. We demonstrate that rearranging pilot pattern can offer better results than standardized ones. Furthermore, we prove that adding pilots symbols can provide the best performances.
Peroxynitrite-Induced Mitochondrial and Endonuclease-Mediated Nuclear DNA Damage in Acetaminophen Hepatotoxicity

Intracellular sources of peroxynitrite formation and potential targets for this powerful oxidant and nitrating agent have not been identified after acetaminophen (AAP) overdose. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that peroxynitrite generated in mitochondria may be responsible for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nDNA) damage. C3Heb/FeJ mice were treated with 300 mg/kg AAP and monitored for up to 12 h. Loss of mtDNA (assayed by slot blot hybridization) and substantial nDNA fragmentation (evaluated by anti-histone enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling assay, and agarose gel electrophoresis) were observed as early as 3 h after AAP overdose. Analysis of nitrotyrosine protein adducts in subcellular fractions established that peroxynitrite was generated predominantly in mitochondria beginning at 1 h after AAP injection. Delayed treatment with a bolus dose of glutathione (GSH) accelerated the recovery of mitochondrial glutathione, which then effectively scavenged peroxynitrite. However, mtDNA loss was only partially prevented. Despite the absence of nitrotyrosine adducts in the nucleus after AAP overdose, nDNA damage was almost completely eliminated with GSH administration. A direct comparison of nDNA damage after AAP overdose with nDNA fragmentation during tumor necrosis factor receptor-mediated apoptosis showed similar DNA ladders on agarose gels but quantitatively different results in three other assays. We conclude that peroxynitrite may be partially responsible for mtDNA loss but is not directly involved in nDNA damage. In contrast, nDNA fragmentation after AAP overdose is not caused by caspase-activated DNase but most likely by other intracellular DNase(s), whose activation is dependent on the mitochondrial oxidant stress and peroxynitrite formation.
Are moral judgments unified?

Whenever psychologists, neuroscientists, or philosophers draw conclusions about moral judgments in general from a small selected sample, they assume that moral judgments are unified by some common and peculiar feature that enables generalizations and makes morality worthy of study as a unified field. We assess this assumption by considering the six main candidates for a unifying feature: content, phenomenology, force, form, function, and brain mechanisms. We conclude that moral judgment is not unified on any of these levels and that moral science should adopt a more fine-grained taxonomic approach that studies carefully defined groups of moral judgments.
Leukocyte count as a predictor of death during remission induction in acute myeloid leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) presenting with a high leukocyte count has been associated with an increase in induction mortality and poor results in a number of other survival measures. However, the level at which an elevated leukocyte count has prognostic significance in AML remains unclear. In this report on a series of 375 adult (non-M3) AML patients undergoing induction chemotherapy at a single institution, leukocyte count analyzed as a continuous variable is shown to be a better predictor of induction death (ID) and overall survival (OS) than a leukocyte count of ≥100×109/L, a value characteristically associated with “hyperleukocytosis” (HL). In this patient cohort, a presenting leukocyte count of ≥30×109/L had high sensitivity and specificity for predicting ID, and both performance status (PS) and leukocyte count more accurately predicted for ID than age. Considering these parameters in newly-diagnosed AML patients may facilitate the development of strategies for reducing induction mortality.
Overrepresentation of the COL 3 A 1 AA genotype in Polish skiers with anterior cruciate ligament injury

Although various intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture have been identified, the exact aetiology of the injury is not yet fully understood. Type III collagen is an important factor in the repair of connective tissue, and certain gene polymorphisms may impair the tensile strength. The aim of this study was to examine the association of the COL3A1 rs1800255 polymorphism with ACL rupture in Polish male recreational skiers. A total of 321 male Polish recreational skiers were recruited for this study; 138 had surgically diagnosed primary ACL ruptures (ACL-injured group) and 183 were apparently healthy male skiers (control group – CON) who had no self-reported history of ligament or tendon injury. Both groups had a comparable level of exposure to ACL injury. Genomic DNA was extracted from the oral epithelial cells. All samples were genotyped on a real-time polymerase chain reaction instrument. The genotype distribution in the ACL-injured group was significantly different than in CON (respectively: AA=10.1 vs 2.2%, AG=22.5 vs 36.1, GG=67.4 vs 61.8%; p=0.0087). The AA vs AG+GG genotype of COL3A1 (odds ratio (OR) = 5.05; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.62-15.71, p = 0.003) was significantly overrepresented in the ACL-injured group compared with CON. The frequency of the A allele was higher in the ACL-injured group (21.4%) compared with CON (20.2%), but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.72). This study revealed an association between the COL3A1 rs1800255 polymorphism and ACL ruptures in Polish skiers. CITATION: Stępień-Słodkowska M, Ficek K, Maciejewska-Karłowska A, Sawczuk M, Ziętek P, Król P, Zmijewski P, Pokrywka A, Cięszczyk P. Overrepresentation of the COL3A1 AA genotype in Polish skiers with anterior cruciate ligament injury. Biol Sport. 2015;32(2):143–147. Received: 2014-09-28; Reviewed: 2014-11-15; Re-submitted: 2014-11-21; Accepted: 2014-11-25; Published: 2015-05-04. The ACL is one of four main knee ligaments. Skeletal ligaments are defined as dense bands of collagenous tissue that span a joint and are anchored to the bone at either end [6]. Ligaments are composed of cells called fibroblasts which are surrounded by a cellular matrix. These cells are responsible for matrix synthesis and represent a small percentage of the total ligament volume [7]. Ligaments and tendons are important in transmitting forces and facilitating joint articulation in the musculoskeletal system [8]. Collagen is the main component of ligaments. Type I collagen accounts for 85% of collagen, and the rest is made up of types III, VI, V, XI and XIV [9]. Collagen accounts for approximately 75% of the dry weight of ligaments, with the remainder composed of proteoglycans, elastin and other proteins and glycoproteins [6]. Type III collagen is a product of the COL3A1 gene, which produces the riginal Pap r Biol. Sport 2015;32:143-147 DOI: 10.5604/20831862.1144416
MMS: Using Queries As Data Values for Metadata Management

We demonstrate MMS, a system for storing and managing a variety of metadata in a simple, elegant and uniform way. The system is based on two observations. First, that the relational model augmented with queries as data values is a natural way to uniformly model data, arbitrary metadata and their association. Second, that relational queries with a join mechanism augmented to permit matching of query result relations, instead of only atomic values, is an elegant way to uniformly query across data and metadata.
The Effects of Contextual Priming in Print Advertisements

This study investigated one particular way that contextual materials can affect the processing of ambiguous product information in print ads. It was proposed that prior exposure to contextual factors can prime certain product attributes and subsequently increase the likelihood that consumers interpret product information in terms of these activated attributes, thereby affecting the evaluation of the adverised brand. Two experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis, and the results demonstrated that specific attributes relevant to evaluating the advertised brand varied in their acessibility as a function of the context and that these variations influenced brand attitudes. Copyright 1990 by the University of Chicago.
Binding of aminoglycoside antibiotics to helix 69 of 23S rRNA

Aminoglycosides antibiotics negate dissociation and recycling of the bacterial ribosome's subunits by binding to Helix 69 (H69) of 23S rRNA. Aminoglycoside binding to the chemically synthesized terminal domains of the E. coli and human H69 was detected and quantified using UV‐monitored thermal denaturation, circular dichroism spectrapolarimetry, and isothermal titration calorimetry. The unmodified E. coli H69 hairpin exhibited a significantly higher affinity for neomycin and tobramycin than for paromomycin, while the binding of streptomycin was too weak to assess. The three conserved pseudouridine modifications (Ψ1911, Ψ1915, Ψ1917) occurring in the loop of the E. coli H69 did not significantly effect the dissociation constant or stoichiometry for the binding of paromomycin. In contrast, the human 28S rRNA H69 had a considerably decreased affinity for the antibiotics. The higher affinity of the bacterial 23S rRNA H69 for aminoglycosides is an important validation of the antibiotic target. The higher affinity of the E. coli H69 for neomycin and tobramycin as compared to paromomycin and streptomycin indicates differences in the efficacy of the aminoglycosides as anti‐microbial agents.
Statistical Stream Metrics for Software Quality

The Statistical stream metrics developed by us are of unique type (as compared to the existing available metrics) and we propose these metrics as the solution towards software quality. Probably the managers feel they are a bit "techie. " We expect that this concise research of the measures has shown that they are practical and pragmatic techniques of assuring quality. The foundation of statistical stream metrics is based upon the principle of FanIn & FanOut or component coupling. Most of the systems consist of components and it is the software performance that these components actually do. The way components are linked or associated together pretty much effect the complexity of a software product. If a component has to do a number of separate tasks it is said to be lacking in "cohesion. " Also, systems are highly coupled, if the components within the system communicate data extensively with other components. Systems theory approach talks about that the components which are highly coupled and are less cohesive. These sorts of components with more coupling and less cohesion may be less reliable and difficult to maintain than those components that are loosely coupled and highly cohesive. General Terms Software Quality
Cytokine and Fibrogenic Gene Expression in the Conjunctivas of Subjects from a Gambian Community Where Trachoma Is Endemic

ABSTRACT The role of immunity in blinding trachoma is unclear. Conjunctival gene expression was measured in a population where trachoma is endemic. Proinflammatory (tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1β [IL-1β]), anti-inflammatory (IL-10), and fibrogenic (matrix metalloprotease 9) gene expression was increased in active trachoma. Markers indicative of T-cell response (gamma interferon, IL-4, IL-12p40, and perforin) were increased when chlamydial infection was present.
Testing a Theoretical Model Based on Social Cognitive Theory for Media Influences on Suicidal Ideation: Results from a Panel Study

The influence of media representations of suicides on the subsequent increase of suicide rate has been researched for decades. Yet the underlying psychological mechanism of such media influences on individual's suicidality remains uncertain. Based on the conceptual framework of social cognitive theory, this article discusses the operationalization of media influences on suicidal ideation by using a psychometric approach. It then develops and tests a theoretical model to explain the mechanism of media influences on suicidal ideation. A two-wave panel study with a randomized population sample was carried out in the Hong Kong SAR, China with the results indicating that the proposed operationalization closely fit the data collected and empirically supported the theoretical model. Reciprocal associations between prior suicidal ideation and processes of media influences were also confirmed. The results also tested the factorial invariance across age groups and different pre-existing levels of suicidal ideation. This study reports the first individual-level finding on the theoretical relationship between media influences and suicidal ideation, as well as the first psychometrically validated operationalization of media influences on suicidal ideation.
The intertwined roles of genes and culture in human evolution

This essay critiques dual-inheritance theory as presented in Peter Richerson and Robert Boyd's book Not by Genes Alone: How Culture Transformed Human Evolution (2005). The theory states that culture became prominent in human evolution because it allowed relatively rapid adaptation to changing environments by means of imitation. Imitating the behavior of other members of one's community produces adaptive behaviors more readily than either genetic evolution or individual learning. Imitation follows a number of patterns: imitating high-status individuals, imitating the most common forms of behavior, imitating behaviors perceived to be the most effective solutions to various problems relevant to survival. This process combined with occasional innovations in behavior lead to a process of cultural evolution involving populations of cultural variants. Different local human populations were associated with different local populations of cultural variants, and both the human and the cultural populations evolved over time. Human evolution cannot be understood without taking into account these parallel processes of genetic and cultural evolution. Not by Genes Alone traces the implication of dual-inheritance theory for understanding human evolution and refers to various bodies of evidence relevant to the theory.
Implicit Sweep Objects

In the field of geometric modeling, the implicit representation is a convenient model to define complex objects composed of several blended primitives. One particular subset of implicit surfaces is especially concerned by this feature. This subset includes many models proposed in the literature, namely blobs [3], metaballs [12], soft objects [13], distance surfaces [5] and convolution surfaces [6]. In this paper, all these models will be grouped under the generic name: iso-surfaces. In the iso-surface model, an object is defined by a set of primitives that can be considered as potential fields. The boundary surface of the object is then represented by the set of points for which the sum of the potential values equates a given isovalue. Two competitive approaches can be taken to create complex shapes with the iso-surface model. Either the object may be described by a very large number of simple primitives (e.g. spheres or ellipsoids) or by a small-number of complex ones (e.g. distance or convolution surfaces). The first approach is well adapted to the automatic matching of 3D experimental data [11] while the second one is merely used in a design process which allows the user to define interactively each primitive.
Detection of enterotoxin genes of Staphylococcus SP isolated from nasal cavities and hands of food handlers

Food handlers, an important factor in food quality, may contain bacteria that are able to cause foodborne disease. The present study aimed to research coagulase-negative (CNS) and -positive staphylococci (CPS) in 82 food handlers, analyzing nasal and hand swabs, with identification of 62 CNS (75.6%) and 20 CPS strains (24.4%). Staphylococcal enterotoxins genes were investigated by PCR. In 20 CPS strains, 19 were positive for one or more genes. The percentage of CNS presenting genes for enterotoxins was high (46.8%). Despite of the staphylococcal species, the most common gene was sea (35.4%), followed by seh and sej (29.2%). The detection of new staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) genes showed a higher pathogenic potential in this genus. The presence of these gene points out the importance of CNS not only as contaminant bacteria but also as a pathogen.
Behavioral Troubles for the Newcomer Doctors in the Public Sector Hospitals of Pakistan

The concept of job burnout earned considerable interest of researchers because of its important implications for both individuals and organizations. Using qualitative research methodology, this study has explained the process of job burnout among the post-graduate doctors of the public sector hospitals of Pakistan. The data were collected from 40 post-graduate doctors of eight public sector hospitals in Pakistan using semi-structured interviews. Convenience sampling was used to select the respondents. The data collected suggested that doctors appear to face high level of demand stressors which are the starting point of burnout process. Due to the highly demanding nature of job and responsibility of life saving, doctors begin to feel emotionally exhausted. Due to the absence of supporting behavior from the colleagues and organization, doctors start using depersonalization to cope with the situation on emotional exhaustion. Finally, they begin to feel a diminished sense of personal accomplishment especially when their work environment provides little feedback and few rewards for their work accomplishments. Among few overall qualitative studies on job burnout, this is the only qualitative study conducted in Pakistan to explain the process of job burnout among doctors. This study not only explains the process of job burnout but also provides a way to control the burnout prevalence among the doctors. Keywords - Burnout, Stressors, Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, Personal Accomplishments, Qualitative Research