Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of an α Subtype M2-M3 His in Regulating Inhibition of GABAA Receptor Current by Zinc and Other Divalent Cations

Sensitivity of GABAA receptors (GABARs) to inhibition by zinc and other divalent cations is influenced by the α subunit subtype composition of the receptor. For example, α6β3γ2L receptors are more sensitive to inhibition by zinc than α1β3γ2L receptors. We examined the role of a His residue located in the M2-M3 extracellular domain (rat α6 H273) in the enhanced zinc sensitivity conferred by the α6 subtype. The α1 subtype contains an Asn (N274) residue in the equivalent location. GABA-activated whole-cell currents were obtained from L929 fibroblasts after transient transfection with expression vectors containing GABAA receptor cDNAs. Mutation of α1 (α1(N274H)) or α6 (α6(H273N)) subtypes did not alter the GABA EC50 of αβ3γ2L receptors. α1(N274H)β3γ2L receptor currents were as sensitive to zinc as α6β3γ2L receptor currents, although α6(H273N)β3γ2L receptor currents had the reduced zinc sensitivity of α1β3γ2L receptor currents. We also examined the activity of other inhibitory divalent cations with varying α subtype dependence: nickel, cadmium, and copper. α6β3γ2L receptor currents were more sensitive to nickel, equally sensitive to cadmium, and less sensitive to copper than α1β3γ2L receptor currents. Studies with α1 and α6 chimeric subunits indicated that the structural dependencies of the activity of some of these cations were different from zinc. Compared with α6β3γ2L receptor currents, α6(H273N)β3γ2L receptor currents had reduced sensitivity to cadmium and nickel, but the sensitivity to copper was unchanged. Compared with α1β3γ2L receptor currents, α1(N274H)β3γ2L receptor currents had increased sensitivity to nickel, but the sensitivity to cadmium and copper was unchanged. These findings indicate that H273 of the α6 subtype plays an important role in determining the sensitivity of recombinant GABARs to the divalent cations zinc, cadmium, and nickel, but not to copper. Our results also suggest that the extracellular N-terminal domain of the α1 subunit contributes to a regulatory site(s) for divalent cations, conferring high sensitivity to inhibition by copper and cadmium.
Beyond Developmentalism? Early Childhood Teachers' Understandings of Multiage Grouping in Early Childhood Education and Care

POSTDEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVES IN early childhood education and care increasingly reference alternative ways of understanding learning, growth and development in early learning. Drawing on these ideas, this paper examines research findings which focused on early childhood teachers' understandings of multiage grouping. The findings suggested that teachers used predominantly developmental approaches to describing their experiences of multiage grouping, and proposed that the use of postdevelopmental perspectives in multiage grouping research has the potential to realise new ways of understanding learning and development as both concepts and practices within the multiage classroom.
Targeted Morphoproteomic Profiling of Ewing's Sarcoma Treated with Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 Receptor (IGF1R) Inhibitors: Response/Resistance Signatures

Background Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) targeted therapies have resulted in responses in a small number of patients with advanced metastatic Ewing's sarcoma. We performed morphoproteomic profiling to better understand response/resistance mechanisms of Ewing's sarcoma to IGF1R inhibitor-based therapy. Methodology/Principal Findings This pilot study assessed two patients with advanced Ewing's sarcoma treated with IGF1R antibody alone followed by combined IGF1R inhibitor plus mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor treatment once resistance to single-agent IGF1R inhibitor developed. Immunohistochemical probes were applied to detect p-mTOR (Ser2448), p-Akt (Ser473), p-ERK1/2 (Thr202/Tyr204), nestin, and p-STAT3 (Tyr 705) in the original and recurrent tumor. The initial remarkable radiographic responses to IGF1R-antibody therapy was followed by resistance and then response to combined IGF1R plus mTOR inhibitor therapy in both patients, and then resistance to the combination regimen in one patient. In patient 1, upregulation of p-Akt and p-mTOR in the tumor that relapsed after initial response to IGF1R antibody might explain the resistance that developed, and the subsequent response to combined IGF1R plus mTOR inhibitor therapy. In patient 2, upregulation of mTOR was seen in the primary tumor, perhaps explaining the initial response to the IGF1R and mTOR inhibitor combination, while the resistant tumor that emerged showed activation of the ERK pathway as well. Conclusion/Significance Morphoproteomic analysis revealed that the mTOR pathway was activated in these two patients with advanced Ewing's sarcoma who showed response to combined IGF1R and mTOR inhibition, and the ERK pathway in the patient in whom resistance to this combination emerged. Our pilot results suggests that morphoproteomic assessment of signaling pathway activation in Ewing's sarcoma merits further investigation as a guide to understanding response and resistance signatures.
Senescence in Animals: Why Evolutionary Theories Matter

This is a clearly deleterious process, which seems difficult to conciliate with natural selection, which predicts evolution towards increasing fitness. Historically, the first evolutionary explanation able to conciliate these two processes is known as the mutation accumulation theory (Medawar, 1952). According to this theory, in age-structured populations the force of selection decreases with increasing age, allowing the accumulation of deleterious genes with age-specific effects on mortality rate (Hamilton, 1966). Under population genetics mechanisms, senescence is not necessarily deleterious: the original Medawar’s proposition implies that the postponement of age-specific effects of harmful genes is equivalent to their elimination in such a way that they become effectively neutral. Hence, such postponement is beneficial and senescence can be regarded as a side effect of the process.
Evolving optimized matched forward and inverse transform pairs via genetic algorithms

This research established a methodology for using a genetic algorithm to evolve coefficients for matched forward and inverse transform pairs. Beginning with an initial population of randomly mutated copies of the coefficients representing a standard wavelet, our GA consistently evolved transforms that outperformed wavelets for image compression and reconstruction applications under conditions subject to quantization error. Transforms optimized against a single representative image also outperformed wavelets when subsequently tested against other images from our test set. The new methodology has the potential to revolutionize the signal and image processing fields.
English-style and Chinese-style Topic : A Uniform Semantic Analysis

This paper provides a uniform semantic framework for Topic-Comment Structures in Chinese. It is assumed that the topic element relates to an anaphor occuring in the comment. The comment which contains an unresolved anaphor is semantically underspecified. The semantic interpretation of topic-comment constructions results from the resolution of the anaphoric relation between topic and comment. In the case where there is no explicit anaphor in the comment, a bridging inference takes place. The proposed analysis is modelled in a DRT-based framework. The introduction of a DRS segmented for topic-comment articulation, called TC-DRS, serves to compute the topic-comment relation within the discourse semantic theory DRT compositionally.
The Gradient Model Load Balancing Method

A dynamic load balancing method is proposed for a class of large-diameter multiprocessor systems. The method is based on the "gradient model," which entails transferring backlogged tasks to nearby idle processors according to a pressure gradient indirectly established by requests from idle processors. The algorithm is fully distributed and asynchronous. Global balance is achieved by successive refinements of many localized balances. The gradient model is formulated so as to be independent of system topology.
T‐Cell Cytotoxicity and Amplification of the Cytotoxic Reaction by Macrophages

Delayed type hypersensitivity reactions can be transferred only with living lymphocytes and not with the serum of immune animals (Chase 1945, Mitchison 1954). Histologically, such reactions are characterized by large infiltrates of lymphocytes and macrophages (Gell et al. 1951, Waksman 1963). Lymphocytes are involved both in the recognition of the foreign cellular antigens and in the effector phase of the reaction against foreign tissue (Brunner et al. 1970, Brondz 1971, Berke et al. 1971, Golstein et al. 1972). It was shown that T lymphocytes have the capacity to initiate allograft rejection both in vivo (Blomgren et al. 1970, Cerottini et al. 1970) and in vitro (Blomgren et al. 1971, Wagner 1971, Lohmann-Matthes et al. 1972). Although direct contact between sensitized T lymphocytes and target cells was demonstrated to be essential for graft destruction (Ax et al. 1968, Koren et al. 1973), no preferential accumulation of specifically committed T lymphocytes at the allograft rejection site could convincingly be shown (Najarian & Feldman 1962, Prendergast 1964). Lubaroff & Waksman (1967) could demonstrate that the vast majority of infiltrating cells were host bone-marrow derived macrophages. Thus it would seem logical that antigen reactive effector lymphocytes cooperate in some way with macrophages in the effector phase of allograft rejection. In fact, experimental evidence recently has independently been brought forward by two different laboratories showing that macrophages may actively take part in the cytotoxic action by a mechanism other than phagocytosis, thus amplifying the cytotoxic efficiency of sensitized T lymphocytes (Evans & Alexander 1972, Lohmann-Matthes et al. 1972b, Den Otter et al. 1972, Lohmann-Matthes et al. 1973).
Building Consensus with Balanced Splits ⋆

Given the multitude of sources for reconstructing the evolutionary history between entities, phylogenetic reconstruction methods often provide several trees classifying these entities. A key step in reconciling the different trees is to construct a consensus view of the history. If we consider each tree as a collection of laminar splits (two-way partitions), the primary problem in arriving at a consensus is to find a single split that agrees best with the closest split in each of the trees. To prevent non-informative splits, we should eliminate splits that are not balanced. We formulate this balanced consensus cut problem as one of maximizing the correlation (number of agreements minus disagreements), and provide a . 611-approximation based on rounding an SDP formulation. The SDP formulation uses new sets of product variables that may be useful in other contexts. We also consider similar consensus problems formulated as minimizing(and maximizing) the amount of disagreement(agreement) between a final split and an input collection of splits, trees or chains (permutations). For these cases, our results include polynomial-time exact algorithms as well as PTAS’s and quasi-PTASs based on sampling and dynamic programming. Our work opens the door to many new and interesting problems in finding consensus splits to reconcile various input trees in phylogenetic reconstruction.
Improved Decoding Algorithms Based on Oscillation Log-likelihood Ratio for Low-density Parity Check Codes

Several decoding algorithms based on oscillation Log-likelihood ratio (LLR) for Lowdensity parity-check (LDPC) codes are investigated in this paper, based on which, an improved decoding algorithm which uses the accumulated LLR as the final bit decision merit is proposed. This approach improves the decoding performance with only a very small increase in storage and computation. Combined with normalized belief-propagation (BP), two algorithms are given, which are named as accumulate normalized BP (ACC-Nor-BP) and compare-add normalized BP (CA-Nor-BP). The storage requirements and computational complexity of ACC-Nor-BP is lower than that of CA-Nor-BP and CA-BP, but performance is close to the CA-Nor-BP and better than CA-BP; therefore ACC-Nor-BP algorithm is an effectively improved BP algorithm which has a good balance between performance and complexity.
Optimal Relative Pose with Unknown Correspondences

Previous work on estimating the epipolar geometry of two views relies on being able to reliably match feature points based on appearance. In this paper, we go one step further and show that it is feasible to compute both the epipolar geometry and the correspondences at the same time based on geometry only. We do this in a globally optimal manner. Our approach is based on an efficient branch and bound technique in combination with bipartite matching to solve the correspondence problem. We rely on several recent works to obtain good bounding functions to battle the combinatorial explosion of possible matchings. It is experimentally demonstrated that more difficult cases can be handled and that more inlier correspondences can be obtained by being less restrictive in the matching phase.
Nonsyntenic Genes Drive Highly Dynamic Complementation of Gene Expression in Maize Hybrids[W]

This study analyzes how transcriptome diversity between two maize inbred lines affects gene expression patterns in individual root tissues of their F1-hybrid progeny. Tissue-specific variation in single-parent expression (SPE) illustrates the highly dynamic transcriptomic landscape of root tissues. Nonsyntenic genes predominate among SPE genes, indicating their young evolutionary age. Maize (Zea mays) displays an exceptional level of structural genomic diversity, which is likely unique among higher eukaryotes. In this study, we surveyed how the genetic divergence of two maize inbred lines affects the transcriptomic landscape in four different primary root tissues of their F1-hybrid progeny. An extreme instance of complementation was frequently observed: genes that were expressed in only one parent but in both reciprocal hybrids. This single-parent expression (SPE) pattern was detected for 2341 genes with up to 1287 SPE patterns per tissue. As a consequence, the number of active genes in hybrids exceeded that of their parents in each tissue by >400. SPE patterns are highly dynamic, as illustrated by their excessive degree of tissue specificity (80%). The biological significance of this type of complementation is underpinned by the observation that a disproportionally high number of SPE genes (75 to 82%) is nonsyntenic, as opposed to all expressed genes (36%). These genes likely evolved after the last whole-genome duplication and are therefore younger than the syntenic genes. In summary, SPE genes shape the remarkable gene expression plasticity between root tissues and complementation in maize hybrids, resulting in a tissue-specific increase of active genes in F1-hybrids compared with their inbred parents.
Organizing MHC Class II Presentation

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules are ligands for CD4+ T cells and are critical for initiating the adaptive immune response. This review is focused on what is currently known about MHC class II organization at the plasma membrane of antigen presenting cells and how this affects antigen presentation to T cells. The organization and diffusion of class II molecules have been measured by a variety of biochemical and microscopic techniques. Membrane lipids and other proteins have been implicated in MHC class II organization and function. However, when compared with the organization of MHC class I or TCR complexes, much less is known about MHC class II. Since clustering of T cell receptors occurs during activation, the organization of MHC molecules prior to recognition and during synapse formation may be critical for antigen presentation.
3D Surveillance A Distributed Network of Smart Cameras for Real-Time Tracking and its Visualization in 3D

The demand for surveillance systems has increased extremely over recent times. We present a system consisting of a distributed network of cameras that allows for tracking and handover of multiple persons in real time. The intercamera tracking results are embedded as live textures in an integrated 3D world model which is available ubiquitously and can be viewed from arbitrary perspectives independent of the persons’ movements. We mainly concentrate on our implementation of embedded camera nodes in the form of smart cameras and discuss the benefits of such a distributed surveillance network compared to a host centralized approach. We also briefly describe our way of hassle free 3D model acquisition to cover the complete system from setup to operation and finally show some results of both an indoor and an outdoor system in operation.
Global Distribution, Public Health and Clinical Impact of the Protozoan Pathogen Cryptosporidium

Cryptosporidium spp. are coccidians, oocysts-forming apicomplexan protozoa, which complete their life cycle both in humans and animals, through zoonotic and anthroponotic transmission, causing cryptosporidiosis. The global burden of this disease is still underascertained, due to a conundrum transmission modality, only partially unveiled, and on a plethora of detection systems still inadequate or only partially applied for worldwide surveillance. In children, cryptosporidiosis encumber is even less recorded and often misidentified due to physiological reasons such as early-age unpaired immunological response. Furthermore, malnutrition in underdeveloped countries or clinical underestimation of protozoan etiology in developed countries contribute to the underestimation of the worldwide burden. Principal key indicators of the parasite distribution were associated to environmental (e.g., geographic and temporal clusters, etc.) and host determinants of the infection (e.g., age, immunological status, travels, community behaviours). The distribution was geographically mapped to provide an updated picture of the global parasite ecosystems. The present paper aims to provide, by a critical analysis of existing literature, a link between observational epidemiological records and new insights on public health, and diagnostic and clinical impact of cryptosporidiosis.
Guidance of Cardiac Pacemaker Leads Using Real Time 3D Ultrasound: Feasibility Studies

We investigated the feasibility of the guidance of pacemaker lead implantation using the pacemaker lead stylet as an acoustic wave-guide combined with real time 3D ultrasound imaging. In one approach, with a 2.5 MHz transducer coupled to a stylet of a pacemaker lead, we used the stylet as a transmitter to track the vibrating tip in a 3D ultrasound scan. In another approach, we connected the stylet to a piezo-electric actuator vibrating in the range 0.5–5 kHz so that the tip of the stylet was imaged using the color Doppler feature of the real time 3D ultrasound scanner. In both approaches, tracking of the isolated stylet showed good accuracy. However, neither approach offered sufficient signal-to-noise ratio to detect the vibration within the lumen of an intact pacemaker lead.
Protein phosphatase 1 abrogates IRF7‐mediated type I IFN response in antiviral immunity

Interferon (IFN) regulatory factor 7 (IRF7) plays a key role in the production of IFN‐α in response to viral infection, and phosphorylation at IRF7 C‐terminal serine sites is prelude to its function. However, phosphatases that negatively regulate IRF7 phosphorylation and activity have not been reported. In this study, we have identified a conserved protein phosphatase 1 (PP1)‐binding motif in human and mouse IRF7 proteins, and shown that PP1 physically interacts with IRF7. Exogenous expression of PP1 subunits (PP1α, β, or γ) ablates IKKε‐stimulated IRF7 phosphorylation and dramatically attenuates IRF7 transcriptional activity. Inhibition of PP1 activity significantly increases IRF7 phosphorylation and IRF7‐mediated IFN‐α production in response to Newcastle disease virus (NDV) infection or Toll‐like receptor 7 (TLR7) challenge, leading to impaired viral replication. In addition, IFN treatment, TLR challenges and viral infection induce PP1 expression. Our findings disclose for the first time a pivotal role for PP1 in impeding IRF7‐mediated IFN‐α production in host immune responses.
The jet/disk symbiosis III. What the radio cores in GRS 1915+105, NGC 4258, M81, and Sgr A tell us about accreting black holes

We have derived simplified equations for a freely expanding, pressure driven jet model as a function of jet power and applied it successfully to the radio cores in the black hole candidates GRS 1915+105, NGC 4258, and M81 which are observationally well defined systems, and to Sgr A*. By using equipartition assumptions, the model has virtually no free parameters and can explain all sources by just scaling the jet power. In GRS 1915+105 it also naturally explains the jet velocity and the radio time delay. The jet powers we derive for the radio cores of the first three sources are comparable to their accretion disk luminosities, providing further evidence for the existence of symbiotic jet/disk systems and a common engine mechanism also in low-luminosity AGN and stellar mass black holes. With the exception of Sgr A* an advection dominated accretion flow (ADAF) does not seem to be necessary to explain any of the radio cores which span a large range in luminosity and size, as well as in black hole masses and accretion rate---from Eddington to extreme sub-Eddington. We suggest, however, that the jet model can be used to derive minimum accretion rates and thus find that Sgr A* seems to be truly radiatively deficient---even in a starved black hole model---and that a combination of jet and ADAF model may be one possible solution.
Theory of mind abilities in young siblings of children with autism

Deficits in theory of mind (ToM), evident in most individuals with autism, have been suggested as a core deficit of autism. ToM difficulties in young siblings of children with autism (SIBS-A) compared to siblings of typically developing children (SIBS-TD) would place the former within the broad phenotype. We examined ToM’s possible associations with measures of language, cognition, and daily living skills. Participants comprised 24 SIBS-A and 24 matched SIBSTD aged 4.6 years. They completed the false belief and the strange stories tasks. We also collected measures of verbal and cognitive ability and daily living skills. Non-significant differences emerged between the groups on both ToM tasks. Differences did emerge in within-group associations between ToM ability and receptive language. The conclusion is that SIBS-A show resilience in ToM abilities. Possibly, these deficits are not genetically transferred to siblings, at least as measured in laboratory-based ToM tasks.
Evaluación de sedes Web

The broaden and constant increase of data in Internet, as well as the lack of any type of control and its decentralizing character, demands an evaluation of web sites to make their information reliable. This paper advocates the development of an evaluation questionnaire aimed to web sites with scientific content. In the first place, the form analyzes, by means of specialized bibliography, the criteria in which it is based and it displays the methodology; then, it describes the questionnaire, consisting of 8 blocks divided into 16 criteria and 125 questions to which ponderable punctuation is assigned; finally, the conclusions reached are shown. The work includes the questionnaire itself and the data tables used in its elaboration.
Human Rabies and Rabies in Vampire and Nonvampire Bat Species, Southeastern Peru, 2007

After a human rabies outbreak in southeastern Peru, we collected bats to estimate the prevalence of rabies in various species. Among 165 bats from 6 genera and 10 species, 10.3% were antibody positive; antibody prevalence was similar in vampire and nonvampire bats. Thus, nonvampire bats may also be a source for human rabies in Peru.