Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Zfp36l3, a Rodent X Chromosome Gene Encoding a Placenta-Specific Member of the Tristetraprolin Family of CCCH Tandem Zinc Finger Proteins

Abstract Members of the tristetraprolin (TTP) family of CCCH tandem zinc finger (TZF) proteins can bind directly to AU-rich elements (ARE) in mRNA, causing deadenylation and destabilization of the transcripts to which they bind. We describe here a novel fourth mammalian member of the TTP protein family, designated ZFP36L3, which could also bind directly to ARE-containing RNAs and could promote the deadenylation and degradation of ARE-containing target RNAs. Zfp36l3 transcript expression was detected only in placenta and extraembryonic tissues in the mouse. It was expressed throughout development in the placenta and was particularly highly expressed in the cells of the labyrinthine layer of the trophoblastic placenta. Unlike the other family members, the expression of a ZFP36L3-green fluorescent protein fusion protein was entirely cytoplasmic when expressed in 293 cells, even in the presence of the CRM1-dependent nuclear export inhibitor leptomycin B. Zfp36l3 was located on the mouse X chromosome; a similar predicted gene was present on the rat X chromosome, but there was no evidence for a similar gene in humans. ZFP36L3 may thus be a rodent-specific or even murine-specific member of the TTP protein family. Its presumed role in placental physiology may be unique to rodents or murine rodents, but this role may be subsumed by other family members in nonrodents.
Moderate AMPA receptor clustering on the nanoscale can efficiently potentiate synaptic current

The prevailing view at present is that postsynaptic expression of the classical NMDA receptor-dependent long-term potentiation relies on an increase in the numbers of local AMPA receptors (AMPARs). This is thought to parallel an expansion of postsynaptic cell specializations, for instance dendritic spine heads, which accommodate synaptic receptor proteins. However, glutamate released into the synaptic cleft can normally activate only a hotspot of low-affinity AMPARs that occur in the vicinity of the release site. How the enlargement of the AMPAR pool is causally related to the potentiated AMPAR current remains therefore poorly understood. To understand possible scenarios of postsynaptic potentiation, here we explore a detailed Monte Carlo model of the typical small excitatory synapse. Simulations suggest that approximately 50% increase in the synaptic AMPAR current could be provided by expanding the existing AMPAR pool at the expense of 100–200% new AMPARs added at the same packing density. Alternatively, reducing the inter-receptor distances by only 30–35% could achieve a similar level of current potentiation without any changes in the receptor numbers. The NMDA receptor current also appears sensitive to the NMDA receptor crowding. Our observations provide a quantitative framework for understanding the ‘resource-efficient’ ways to enact use-dependent changes in the architecture of central synapses.
The NavBelt-a computerized travel aid for the blind based on mobile robotics technology

This paper presents a new concept for a travel aid for the blind. A prototype device, called the NavBelt, was developed to test this concept. The device can be used as a primary or secondary aid, and consists of a portable computer, ultrasonic sensors, and stereophonic headphone. The computer applies navigation and obstacle avoidance technologies that were developed originally for mobile robots. The computer then uses a stereophonic imaging technique to process the signals from the ultrasonic sensors and relays their information to the user via stereophonic headphones. The user can interpret the information as an acoustic "picture" of the surroundings, or, depending on the operational mode, as the recommended travel direction. The acoustic signals are transmitted as discrete beeps or continuous sounds. Experimental results with the NavBelt simulator and a portable prototype show that users can travel safely in an unfamiliar and cluttered environment at speeds of up to 0.8 m/s.
Systems for Clusters from a Protocol Perspective

The protocols used by distributed file systems vary widely. The aim of this talk is to give an overview of these protocols and discuss their applicability for a cluster environment. File systems like NFS have weak semantics, making tight sharing difficult. AFS, Coda and InterMezzo give a great deal of autonomy to cluster members, and involve a persistent file cache for each system. True cluster file systems such as found in VMS VAXClusters, XFS, GFS introduce a shared single image, but introduce complex dependencies on cluster membership.
A comparison between four techniques to measure cardiac output

Cardiac output is an important variable when monitoring hemodynamic status. In particular, changes in cardiac output represent the goal of several circulatory management therapies. Unfortunately, cardiac output is very difficult to estimate, either in experimental or clinical settings. The goal of this work is to compare four techniques to measure cardiac output: pressure-volume catheter, aortic flow probe, thermodilution, and the PiCCO monitor. These four techniques were simultaneously used during experiments of fluid and endotoxin administration on 7 pigs. Findings show that, first, each individual technique is precise, with a relative coefficient of repeatability lower than 7 %. Second, 1 cardiac output estimate provided by any technique relates poorly to the estimates from the other 3, even if there is only small bias between the techniques. Third, changes in cardiac output detected by one technique are only detected by the others in 62 to 100 % of cases. This study confirms the difficulty of obtaining a reliable clinical cardiac output measurement. Therefore, several measurements using different techniques should be performed, if possible, and all such should be treated with caution.
Translating Medical Evidence into Practice

Family Welfare—Reproductive and Child Health Project—Maternal Health provision of birth Companion in the Secondary and Tertiary Hospitals—Guidelines—Issued. HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (R1) DEPARTMENT G.O. (Ms.) No.215 Date: 2.7. 2004 Read:
Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress Causes Hyperphosphorylation of Tau

Age-related neurodegenerative disease has been mechanistically linked with mitochondrial dysfunction via damage from reactive oxygen species produced within the cell. We determined whether increased mitochondrial oxidative stress could modulate or regulate two of the key neurochemical hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD): tau phosphorylation, and ß-amyloid deposition. Mice lacking superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) die within the first week of life, and develop a complex heterogeneous phenotype arising from mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Treatment of these mice with catalytic antioxidants increases their lifespan and rescues the peripheral phenotypes, while uncovering central nervous system pathology. We examined sod2 null mice differentially treated with high and low doses of a catalytic antioxidant and observed striking elevations in the levels of tau phosphorylation (at Ser-396 and other phospho-epitopes of tau) in the low-dose antioxidant treated mice at AD-associated residues. This hyperphosphorylation of tau was prevented with an increased dose of the antioxidant, previously reported to be sufficient to prevent neuropathology. We then genetically combined a well-characterized mouse model of AD (Tg2576) with heterozygous sod2 knockout mice to study the interactions between mitochondrial oxidative stress and cerebral Aß load. We found that mitochondrial SOD2 deficiency exacerbates amyloid burden and significantly reduces metal levels in the brain, while increasing levels of Ser-396 phosphorylated tau. These findings mechanistically link mitochondrial oxidative stress with the pathological features of AD.
Successful Schools for Young Adolescents by Joan Lipsitz New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Books, Inc

Joan Lipsitz has done American education, and particularly middle level education, a significant service. Her book, Successful Schools for Young Adolescents, reports vividly and effectively what makes for successful middle level schools. In addition to giving full and rich descriptions of four highly successful, yet diverse schools, she draws important generalizations and leaves t? e reader not just with warmth, but With light. Coming at a time when the presumed inadequacies of schools have received so much attention, it is to be hoped that this volume will also receive the attention of the profession and the public. The book is the product of a yearlong. carefully conceived and carried out research study sponsored by the National Institute of Education. The book, however, is anything but a typical research report. The writing is superb, quickly engaging the reader's emotions as well as minds. An opening chapter establishes the rationale for examining successful middle-grade schools. The reader is then treated to vicarious visits in four excellent schools-Western Middle School of Alamance County, N.C. , Region 7 Middle School of Detroit, Mich. , Samuel V. Noe Middle School of Louisville, Ky. , and the Shoreham-Wading River Middle School of Shoreham, N.Y. Thirty-plus pages are devoted to each of these descriptions-enough to transmit a real feel for the school. The inclusion of some actual dialog of students, teachers, and parents make the accounts very human. Lipsitz is obviously a perceptive observer as well as a skilled writer. ~ In the important concluding chapter, the author draws out "recurrent themes in successful middle-grade schools. " Among the key characteristics of sU~h schools, not surprisingly. is a dynamiC principal. She states, "Each of the four schools has or has had a principal with a driving vision who imbues decisions and practices with meaning, placing powerful emphasis on why and how things are done. Decisions are made not just because they are practical, but for reasons of principle. This uplifting and challenging book should be carefully read and pondered by middle level administrators. It is also available from the Center for Early Adolescence where the author is director; Carr Mill Mall, Carrboro, N.C. 27510.
A simple, rapid, and highly informative PCR‐based procedure for prenatal diagnosis and carrier screening of phenylketonuria

The polymorphic information content (PIC) and the degree of heterozygosity of several polymorphic systems within the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene were determined in 85 European Caucasian and 19 Chinese phenylketonuria (PKU) kindreds. The first system examined, a short tandem repeat (STR), had a PIC of 80 and 73 per cent in these Caucasian and Chinese samples, respectively. The degree of heterozygosity actually observed for this system was 81 and 64 per cent in the Caucasian and Chinese PKU families, respectively. Through the addition of a second polymorphism based on a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR), the PIC was increased to 90 per cent in Caucasians, but only to 75 per cent in Chinese. The degree of heterozygosity observed for this combination was 94 per cent in European PKU families and 67 per cent in Chinese PKU families. The further addition of an Xmnl RFLP increased both the PIC and the level of heterozygosity in Caucasians to 95 per cent, but did not change either of these measures in Chinese. The combined use of these three polymorphisms significantly increases the informativity of prenatal diagnostic and carrier screening procedures in both Caucasian and Chinese PKU kindreds. Furthermore, since each of these polymorphisms can be studied by PCR‐based methods, these new tests can be performed more quickly and easily than previous Southern‐based procedures.
Variable Step-Size Online Algorithm for Blind Separation Based on the Extended Infomax

A novel variable step-size online algorithm for mixed signals with sub- and super-Gaussian source distributions based on the extended infomax is present. The extended infomax algorithm usually separates the sources by batch processing and it requires adequate samples to estimate the kurtosis of the output signals so the algorithm will be invalid when the channel matrix is changed. An improved online estimation model of the kurtosis is introduced in this paper, we interpose a detection machine-made to judge whether the channel matrix is changed or not in separation process. In order to solve the ambivalent tradeoff between convergence rate and steady-state error, a variable step-size online algorithm is proposed. The step-size updating regulation is controlled by the kurtosis variance of the signals because the kurtosis fluctuation can describe the state of separation. This online algorithm accelerated the convergence rate and reduced the steady-state error efficiently.
Third pathway: Endothelium‐dependent hyperpolarization

The mechanism of endothelium‐dependent hyperpolarizations, once attributed to an elusive endothelium‐derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF), is better understood. The first steps involve an increase in the intracellular calcium concentration of the endothelial cells followed by the opening of endothelial calcium‐activated potassium channels and the hyperpolarization of the endothelial cells. In certain arteries, these endothelial events are under the control of the endothelial cytochrome P450 monooxygenase. Then, the endothelium‐dependent hyperpolarization of the smooth muscle cells can be evoked by direct electrical coupling through myo‐endothelial junctions, accumulation of potassium ions in the intracellular space between the endothelial and the smooth muscle cells, and in rare occasions the release of a metabolite(s) of arachidonic acid via the cytochrome P450 pathway. These various mechanisms are not necessarily exclusive and can occur simultaneously and even in synergy. Drug Dev. Res. 58:18–22, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Relational values resonate broadly and differently than intrinsic or instrumental values, or the New Ecological Paradigm

Value orientations used to explain or justify conservation have been rooted in arguments about how much and in what context to emphasize the intrinsic versus instrumental value of nature. Equally prominent are characterizations of beliefs known as the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP), often used to help explain pro-environmental behaviour. A recent alternative to these positions has been identified as ‘relational value’—broadly, values linking people and ecosystems via tangible and intangible relationships to nature as well as the principles, virtues and notions of a good life that may accompany these. This paper examines whether relational values are distinct from other value orientation and have potential to alleviate the intrinsic-instrumental debate. To test this possibility, we sought to operationalize the construct—relational values—by developing six relational statements. We ask: 1) Do the individual statements used to characterize relational values demonstrate internal coherence as either a single or multi-dimensional construct? 2) Do relational value statements (including those strongly stated) resonate with diverse populations? 3) Do people respond to relational value statements in a consistently different way than NEP scale statements? Data for this work is drawn from an online panel of residents of northeastern US (n = 400), as well as a sample of Costa Rican farmers (n = 253) and tourists in Costa Rica (n = 260). Results indicate relational values are distinct as a construct when compared to the NEP.
Learning to Extract Folktale Keywords

Manually assigned keywords provide a valuable means for accessing large document collections. They can serve as a shallow document summary and enable more efficient retrieval and aggregation of information. In this paper we investigate keywords in the context of the Dutch Folktale Database, a large collection of stories including fairy tales, jokes and urban legends. We carry out a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the keywords in the collection. Up to 80% of the assigned keywords (or a minor variation) appear in the text itself. Human annotators show moderate to substantial agreement in their judgment of keywords. Finally, we evaluate a learning to rank approach to extract and rank keyword candidates. We conclude that this is a promising approach to automate this time intensive task.
Demonstration abstract: Positioning by synchronized IR light

In this paper we will describe a positioning system based on synchronized IR light. Each node will be assigned a timeslot where they will send out an IR light. There is an IR camera that is also synchronized to the timeslots that will detect the position of each node and the ID that corresponds to the timeslot. To synchronize the clock of all nodes an IR flashlight is sent out that is detected by a photodiode on the nodes. The demo will show live video stream from a network camera where the ID and position of each node in view will be overlaid in real-time in the video.
Acute Hemodynamic Collapse After Induction of General Anesthesia for Emergent Pulmonary Embolectomy

Patients undergoing pulmonary embolectomy often experience hemodynamic deterioration during induction of general anesthesia (GA). Therefore, we studied the incidence and possible risk factors for hemodynamic deterioration during GA induction. Fifty-two consecutive patients undergoing emergent pulmonary embolectomy at our institution were included. Hemodynamic collapse after GA induction was defined as hypotension refractory to vasopressor, inotrope, or fluid administration, requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation followed by urgent institution of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Demographic variables, comorbidities, specific location of thromboemboli, preoperative inotropic support, and anesthetic drugs used for GA induction were evaluated as possible risk factors. After GA induction, hemodynamic collapse occurred in 19% of patients (n = 10). However, the occurrence of hemodynamic instability was not predicted by any of the evaluated risk factors. In addition, the incidence of in-hospital mortality did not differ between hemodynamically stable or unstable patients (10%; 4 of 42 versus 10%; 1 of 10 patients, respectively). In conclusion, hemodynamic deterioration after GA induction develops frequently during emergent pulmonary embolectomy. On the basis of our experience from this study and the unpredictable nature of hemodynamic deterioration, we suggest that patients undergoing pulmonary embolectomy should be prepared and draped before GA induction, and a cardiac surgical team should immediately be available for emergent institution of cardiopulmonary bypass.
Immunocytochemical demonstration of vimentin in astrocytes and ependymal cells of developing and adult mouse nervous system

The occurrence of vimentin, a specific intermediate filament protein, has been studied by immunoflourescence microscopy in tissue of adult and embryonic brain as well as in cell cultures from nervous tissue. By double imminofluorescence labeling, the distribution of vimentin has been compared with that of subunit proteins of other types of intermediate filaments (glial fibrillary acidic [GFA] protein, neurofilament protein, prekeratin) and other cell-type specific markers (fibronectin, tetanus toxin receptor, 04 antigen). In adult brain tissue, vimentin is found not only in fibroblasts and cells of larger blood vessels but also in ependymal cells and astrocytes. In embryonic brain tissue, vimentin is detectable as early as embryonic day 11, the earliest stage tested, and is located in radial fibers spanning the neural tube, in ventricular cells, and in blood vessels. At all stages tested, oligodendrocytes and neurons do not express detectable amounts of vimentin. In primary cultures of early postnatal mouse cerebellum, a coincident location of vimentin and GFA protein is seen in astrocytes, and both types of filament proteins are included in the perinuclear aggregates formed upon exposure of the cells to colcemid. In cerebellar cell cultures of embryonic-day-13 mice, vimentin is seen in various cell types of epithelioid or fibroblastlike morphology but is absent from cells expressing tetanus toxin receptors. Among these embryonic, vimentin-positive cells, a certain cell type reacting neither with tetanus toxin nor with antibodies to fibronectin or GFA protein has been tentatively identified as precursor to more mature astrocytes. The results show that, in the neuroectoderm, vimentin is a specific marker for astrocytes and ependymal cells. It is expressed in the mouse in astrocytes and glial precursors well before the onset of GFA protein expression and might therefore serve as an early marker of glial differentiation. Our results show that vimentin and GFA protein coexist in one cell type not only in primary cultures in vitro but also in the intact tissue in situ.
Mechanisms of Edema Formation After Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Effects of Extravasated Red Blood Cells on Blood Flow and Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity

Background and Purpose— Red blood cell (RBC) lysis contributes to brain edema formation after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and RBC hemolysate (oxyhemoglobin) has been implicated to be a spasminogen in subarachnoid hemorrhage. Whether cerebral ischemia contributes to brain edema formation after ICH remains unclear, however. The aims of this study were to test whether extravasation of RBCs induces cerebral ischemia and/or blood-brain barrier disruption in a rat ICH model characterized by perihematomal brain edema. Methods— In this study, 87 pentobarbital-anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats were used. In each animal, saline, packed RBCs, or lysed RBCs were injected into the right caudate nucleus. Sham injections served as controls. Regional cerebral blood flow, brain water and ion contents, blood-brain barrier integrity, and plasma volume were measured. Results— Intraparenchymal infusion of lysed RBCs caused severe brain edema by the first day but did not induce ischemic cerebral blood flows. In contrast, blood-brain barrier permeability increased during the first day after infusion of lysed RBCs (a 3-fold increase) and 3 days after infusion of packed RBCs (a 4-fold increase). Conclusions— These results suggest that ischemia is not present at 24 or 72 hours after hematoma induction by injection of intact or lysed RBCs. RBC constituents that appear after delayed lysis, however, increase blood-brain barrier permeability, which contributes to edema formation.
Effects of neighbourhood socioeconomic status and convenience store concentration on individual level smoking

Objectives: To assess the effects of neighbourhood level socioeconomic status (SES) and convenience store concentration on individual level smoking, after consideration of individual level characteristics. Design: Individual sociodemographic characteristics and smoking were obtained from five cross sectional surveys (1979–1990). Participants’ addresses were geocoded and linked with census data for measuring neighbourhood SES and with telephone yellow page listings for measuring convenience store concentration (density in a neighbourhood, distance between a participant’s home and the nearest convenience store, and number of convenience stores within a one mile radius of a participant’s home). The data were analysed with multilevel Poisson regression models. Setting: 82 neighbourhoods in four northern California cities. Participants: 8121 women and men aged 25–74 from the Stanford heart disease prevention programme. Main results: Lower neighbourhood SES and higher convenience store concentration, measured by density and distance, were both significantly associated with higher level of individual smoking after taking individual characteristics into account. The association between convenience store density and individual smoking was modified by individual SES and neighbourhood SES. Conclusions: These findings are consistent with a growing body of literature suggesting that the socioeconomic and physical environments of neighbourhoods are associated with individual level smoking.