Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A thermosensory pathway mediating heat-defense responses

Afferent neural transmission of temperature sensation from skin thermoreceptors to the central thermoregulatory system is important for the defense of body temperature against environmental thermal challenges. Here, we report a thermosensory pathway that triggers physiological heat-defense responses to elevated environmental temperature. Using in vivo electrophysiological and anatomical approaches in the rat, we found that neurons in the dorsal part of the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBd) glutamatergically transmit cutaneous warm signals from spinal somatosensory neurons directly to the thermoregulatory command center, the preoptic area (POA). Intriguingly, these LPBd neurons are located adjacent to another group of neurons that mediate cutaneous cool signaling to the POA. Functional experiments revealed that this LPBd–POA warm sensory pathway is required to elicit autonomic heat-defense responses, such as cutaneous vasodilation, to skin-warming challenges. These findings provide a fundamental framework for understanding the neural circuitry maintaining thermal homeostasis, which is critical to survive severe environmental temperatures.
Constitutively Activated Stat3 Induces Tumorigenesis and Enhances Cell Motility of Prostate Epithelial Cells through Integrin β6

ABSTRACT The persistent activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) is a common feature of prostate cancer. However, little is known about the Stat3 targets that may mediate prostate tumorigenesis. The introduction of an activating mutant form of Stat3 (Stat3-C) into immortalized prostate epithelial cells resulted in tumorigenesis. Stat3-C-expressing cells had decreased E-cadherin levels, increased numbers of lamellipodia and stress fibers, and enhanced migratory capacities compared to vector control-expressing cells, with a concomitant increase in the expression of integrin β6 and its ligand, fibronectin (FN). Exogenously added FN increased cellular migration, with a concomitant loss of E-cadherin expression. The blockade of integrin αvβ6 in Stat3-C-expressing cells inhibited migration, increased E-cadherin levels, and reduced colony formation in soft agar. These results demonstrate the sufficiency of constitutively activated Stat3 in mediating prostate tumorigenesis and identify novel Stat3 targets that are involved in promoting cell migration and transformation.
Relationships of Cardiorespiratory Fitness with Metabolic Risk Factors, Inflammation, and Liver Transaminases in Overweight Youths

The aim of this study was to assess the relationships of fatness and fitness with metabolic risk factors, including liver transaminases and inflammation in obese youth, taking in account gender, age, and pubertal stage. 241 children were studied (135 girls), age 11.9 ± 2.2 years (x ± SD), Body Mass Index z score 5.4 ± 2.7. For girls, VO2max was significantly associated with insulin (P = .001), Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (P = .005), and ALT (P = .012); a relationship was displayed between fibrinogen and age and % fat mass (FM) (P = .008); for boys, relationships were found between VO2max and diastolic blood pressure and triglycerides; independent associations were also found between age and insulin, HOMA-IR and HDL cholesterol; fibrinogen and sedimentation rate were related (P ≤ .004) with %FM. Their relationships are observed from young age and increase with the continuous increase of factors. This supports the need to treat overweight as soon as it is detected; improving CRF is one of the ways which could be used to prevent the complications of obesity.
Adenovirus replication and transcription sites are spatially separated in the nucleus of infected cells.

We have visualized the intranuclear topography of adenovirus replication and transcription in infected HeLa cells. The results show that viral DNA replication occurs in multiple foci that are highly organized in the nucleoplasm. Pulse‐chase experiments indicate that newly synthesized viral double‐stranded DNA molecules are displaced from the replication foci and spread throughout the nucleoplasm, while the single‐stranded DNA replication intermediates accumulate in adjacent sites. Double‐labelling experiments and confocal microscopy show that replication occurs in foci localized at the periphery of the sites where single‐stranded DNA accumulates. The simultaneous visualization of viral replication and transcription reveals that the sites of transcription are predominantly separated from the sites of replication. Transcription is detected adjacent to the replication foci and extends around the sites of single‐stranded DNA accumulation. These data indicate that newly synthesized double‐stranded DNA molecules are displaced from the replication foci and spread in the surrounding nucleoplasm, where they are used as templates for transcription. Splicing snRNPs are shown to co‐localize with the sites of transcription and to be excluded from the sites of replication. This provides evidence that splicing of viral RNAs occurs co‐transcriptionally and that the sites of viral DNA replication are spatially distinct from the sites of RNA transcription and processing.
Intracellular Activity of Antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus in a Mouse Peritonitis Model

ABSTRACT Antibiotic treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infections is often problematic due to the slow response to therapy and the high frequency of infection recurrence. The intracellular persistence of staphylococci has been recognized and could offer a good explanation for these treatment difficulties. Knowledge of the interplay between intracellular antibiotic activity and the overall outcome of infection is therefore important. Several intracellular in vitro models have been developed, but few experimental animal models have been published. The mouse peritonitis/sepsis model was used as the basic in vivo model exploring a quantitative ex vivo extra- and intracellular differentiation assay. The intracellular presence of S. aureus was documented by electron microscopy. Five antibiotics, dicloxacillin, cefuroxime, gentamicin, azithromycin, and rifampin (rifampicin), were tested in the new in vivo model; and the model was able to distinguish between their extra- and intracellular effects. The intracellular effects of the five antibiotics could be ranked as follows as the mean change in the log10 number of CFU/ml (Δlog10 CFU/ml) between treated and untreated mice after 4 h of treatment: dicloxacillin (3.70 Δlog10 CFU/ml) > cefuroxime (3.56 Δlog10 CFU/ml) > rifampin (1.86 Δlog10 CFU/ml) > gentamicin (0.61 Δlog10 CFU/ml) > azithromycin (0.21 Δlog10 CFU/ml). We could also show that the important factors during testing of intracellular activity in vivo are the size, number, and frequency of doses; the time of exposure; and the timing between the start of infection and treatment. A poor correlation between the intracellular accumulation of the antibiotics and the actual intracellular effect was found. This stresses the importance of performing experimental studies, like those with the new in vivo model described here, to measure actual intracellular activity instead of making predictions based on cellular pharmacokinetic and MICs.
Performance Analysis of LTE and IEEE 802. 16 WiMAX in terms of Attenuation and BER via MATLAB; Scenario based ROF Amalgamation as Backhaul Technology

possibilities for fiber optics are nearly endless because they are flexible under extreme conditions and the signal do not distort easily. Wireless technology has introduced high speed internet accessibility through wireless broadband. Radio over fiber; the integration of microwave and optical networks is the potential solution for reducing cost in terms of equipment, running finance and capacity enhancement. Radio over fiber, a supreme technology for the amalgamation of wireless and wired environment, because it combines the best parameters of two mostly used communication technologies. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the performance of ROF as a backhaul technology when compared to the traditional optical fiber in wireless environments like LTE & IEEE 802.16 WiMAX. Radio technology over optical fiber as a medium can prove to be the next generation solution. The analysis is then used to identify ROF feasibility as a backhaul technology for LTE and WiMAX. Optical and ROF network is deployed using MATLAB for acquiring the results through simulation to prove the hypothesis.
Audiological Results with Two Single Channel Cochlear Implants

We tested six patients with single channel cochlear implants on several tests from the Minimal Auditory Capabilities battery and the Iowa Cochlear Implant Tests. All patients were able to discriminate some everyday sounds and to identify the number of syllables in the words presented. Five patients were able to identify speaker sex reliably. Surprisingly, some patients had difficulty discriminating between a modulated noise and a voice or between a question and a statement or identifying the accented word in a sentence. On several audiovisual tests, an improvement was observed for the sound plus vision condition compared to the vision only condition. This was particularly true for sentence tests, but was not uniform across patients or across tests.
Telenurses' experiences of working with computerized decision support: supporting, inhibiting and quality improving.

AIM This paper is a report of a study conducted to describe telenurses' experiences of working with computerized decision support systems and how such systems could influence their work. BACKGROUND Telenursing is an expanding service in many Western countries, and in recent years centralization of telenursing services has occurred in Sweden. In connection with this, the use of computerized decision support has increased. METHOD Eight Registered Nurses from three telephone advice call centres in Sweden who were using computerized decision support took part in semi-structured interviews in 2006. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. FINDINGS The findings are presented as one theme and three categories. Telenurses experienced their work with a decision support system as supporting, inhibiting and quality improving. Based on two of the categories - 'supporting' and 'inhibiting' - a theme was revealed: being strengthened, but simultaneously controlled and inhibited. This theme represents the individual level. The telenurses found that the decision support system simplified their work, complemented their knowledge, gave them security and enhanced their credibility. They also described experiencing the system as incomplete, sometimes in conflict with their own opinions and controlling. The third category referred to the organizational level: the decision support system ensured the quality of telenursing. CONCLUSIONS Although the telenurses experienced computerized decision support as both supporting and inhibiting, they preferred working with it. They also described how a computerized decision support system cannot replace telenurses' knowledge and competence, and that it should be considered as complementary.
The Wnt and Delta-Notch signalling pathways interact to direct pair-rule gene expression via caudal during segment addition in the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum

In short-germ arthropods, posterior segments are added sequentially from a segment addition zone (SAZ) during embryogenesis. Studies in spiders such as Parasteatoda tepidariorum have provided insights into the gene regulatory network (GRN) underlying segment addition, and revealed that Wnt8 is required for dynamic Delta (Dl) expression associated with the formation of new segments. However, it remains unclear how these pathways interact during SAZ formation and segment addition. Here, we show that Delta-Notch signalling is required for Wnt8 expression in posterior SAZ cells, but represses the expression of this Wnt gene in anterior SAZ cells. We also found that these two signalling pathways are required for the expression of the spider orthologues of even-skipped (eve) and runt-1 (run-1), at least in part via caudal (cad). Moreover, it appears that dynamic expression of eve in this spider does not require a feedback loop with run-1, as is found in the pair-rule circuit of the beetle Tribolium. Taken together, our results suggest that the development of posterior segments in Parasteatoda is directed by dynamic interactions between Wnt8 and Delta-Notch signalling that are read out by cad, which is necessary but probably not sufficient to regulate the expression of eve and run-1. Our study therefore provides new insights towards better understanding the evolution and developmental regulation of segmentation in other arthropods, including insects. Summary: The sequential addition of posterior segments in the spider is controlled by Delta/Notch-mediated regulation of Wnt signalling, and by a downstream gene regulatory network, including pair-rule genes.
Affect Response to Simulated Information Attack during Complex Task Performance

Abstract : An experimental facility was developed and an experiment performed to evaluate the following 4 research questions: 1) To what extent does performance of a complex task differ when affected by manipulation of underlying information elements and can an affective computing technique mitigate these effects; 2) To what extent are an individual's traits associated with differing abilities across individuals to fight through an informational attack; 3) Is an individual's cognitive state associated with differing levels of coping with additional demands created by informational attack; and 4) Can an individual's physiological state accurately reflect differences in emotional state caused by informational attack? The experimental facility, the Cyber Affect Laboratory (CAL), supported data collection for a single participant and a remoted research to monitor the participant and administer written material for subjective reporting when needed. The CAL integrated behavioral and physiological measurement equipment as well as hosting a multiple task battery, the AF-MATB, with visual displays and convention computer controls. AF-MATB was modified to simulate several persistent information attacks during which the participant was required to continue to operate the multiple tasks. In addition, affective computing techniques were utilized to further understand how induced affect could be used to mitigate the effects of the informational attacks.
Links and Cycles of Web Databases

This paper proposes a novel framework for composing web databases. Web databases are assumed to have explicit descriptions of I/O attributes and are considered as components of functional compositions. A user writes a script to connect output channels and input channels of components. A script determines a directed graph that may contain cycles which formalizes interactive and iterative behavior of a user through a browser. The interaction and iteration are realised by the notion of CGI-link. Auxiliary filters are introduced as components for universal manipulating tools. (
The role of cathepsin C in Papillon‐Lefèvre syndrome, prepubertal periodontitis, and aggressive periodontitis

We have previously reported that loss‐of‐function mutations in the cathepsin C gene (CTSC) result in Papillon‐Lefèvre syndrome, an autosomal recessive condition characterized by palmoplantar keratosis and early‐onset, severe periodontitis. Others have also reported CTSC mutations in patients with severe prepubertal periodontitis, but without any skin manifestations. The possible role of CTSC variants in more common types of non‐mendelian, early‐onset, severe periodontitis (“aggressive periodontitis”) has not been investigated. In this study, we have investigated the role of CTSC in all three conditions. We demonstrate that PLS is genetically homogeneous and the mutation spectrum that includes three novel mutations (c.386T>A/p.V129E, c.935A>G/p.Q312R, and c.1235A>G/p.Y412C) in 21 PLS families (including eight from our previous study) provides an insight into structure–function relationships of CTSC. Our data also suggest that a complete loss‐of‐function appears to be necessary for the manifestation of the phenotype, making it unlikely that weak CTSC mutations are a cause of aggressive periodontitis. This was confirmed by analyses of the CTSC activity in 30 subjects with aggressive periodontitis and age–sex matched controls, which demonstrated that there was no significant difference between these two groups (1,728.7 ± SD 576.8 μ moles/mg/min vs. 1,678.7 ± SD 527.2 μ moles/mg/min, respectively, p = 0.73). CTSC mutations were detected in only one of two families with prepubertal periodontitis; these did not form a separate functional class with respect to those observed in classical PLS. The affected individuals in the other prepubertal periodontitis family not only lacked CTSC mutations, but in addition did not share the haplotypes at the CTSC locus. These data suggest that prepubertal periodontitis is a genetically heterogeneous disease that, in some families, just represents a partially penetrant PLS. Hum Mutat 23:222–228, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Locally compact groups with every isometric action bounded or proper

A locally compact group [Formula: see text] has property PL if every isometric [Formula: see text]-action either has bounded orbits or is (metrically) proper. For [Formula: see text], say that [Formula: see text] has property BPp if the same alternative holds for the smaller class of affine isometric actions on [Formula: see text]-spaces. We explore properties PL and BPp and prove that they are equivalent for some interesting classes of groups: abelian groups, amenable almost connected Lie groups, amenable linear algebraic groups over a local field of characteristic 0. The appendix provides new examples of groups with property PL, including nonlinear ones.
Molecular Mechanism of Autoimmune Hearing Loss

Molecules considered as autoantigens in autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss and Me´nie ¤ re's diseases are type II collagens, type IX collagens, 30 kD proteins of inner ear membranes, laminin, 68 kD proteins of inner ear, PO protein, Raf I protein and g -tubulin are reviewed in relation to molecular mechanisms of autoimmune injury of inner ear resulting in hearing loss.
Sex differences in risk factors for incident type 2 diabetes mellitus: the MONICA Augsburg cohort study.

OBJECTIVE To examine sex-specific associations between cardiovascular risk factors, a parental history of diabetes, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS The study is based on 3052 men and 3114 women (aged 35 to 74 years) who participated in one of the 3 MONICA (Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease) Augsburg surveys between 1984 and 1995, who were free of DM at baseline and returned a follow-up questionnaire in 1998. Sex-specific hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated from Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS A total of 128 cases of incident DM among men and 85 cases among women were registered during the follow-up period. The age-standardized incidence rate was 5.8 per 1000 person-years for men and 4.0 per 1000 person-years for women. In multivariable survival analyses, age, body mass index, and a positive parental history of diabetes were important independent risk factors for DM in both sexes. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was inversely associated with DM in men and women. For other risk factors, sex-related differences were observed. Systolic blood pressure (HR per 10 mm Hg increase, 1.16), regular smoking (HR, 1.75), and high daily alcohol intake (HR, 1.95) predicted the development of DM in men only, whereas uric acid (HR per 1 mmol/L increase, 2.05) and physical inactivity during leisure time (HR, 1.80) were associated with diabetes development in women only. CONCLUSIONS In men and women, most variables predicting future diabetes in the present study are also known to be important risk factors for cardiovascular disease and arteriosclerosis. However, there are sex-related dissimilarities that seem to be involved in disease development.
Constraint Driven Transliteration Discovery 1

This paper introduces a novel constraint-driven learning framework for identifying named-entity (NE) transliterations. Traditional approaches to the problem of discovering transliterations depend heavily on correctly segmenting the target and the transliteration candidate and on and aligning these segments. In this work we propose to formulate the process of aligning segments as a constrained optimization problem. We consider the aligned segments as a latent feature representation and show how to infer an optimal latent representation and how to use it in order to learn an improved discriminative transliteration classifier. Our algorithm is an EM-like iterative algorithm that alternates between an optimization step for the latent representation and a learning step for the classifier’s parameters. We apply this method both in supervised and unsupervised settings, and show that our model can significantly outperform previous methods trained using considerably more resources.
Electroencephalographic study of Jenga game brain training

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Jenga game brain training for cognitive performance and EEG activity in Thai healthy older adults. Material and Methods: Six participants were participated. Participants were instructed to practice Jenga gam brain training. During practice memory and attention games, EEG activity were recorded by using the lightweight EEG device, Mindwave Mobile, NeuroSky, Inc. Results: During practice of Jenga game brain training, alpha and beta frequency bands demonstrated in a statistically significant increase at the 0.05 level. Conclusion: Practice attention games as Jenga gram brain training could significantly increase alpha and beta frequency bands. Jenga game brain training could significantly improve cognitive performance in Thai healthy mid-aged to older adults indexed by the EEG activity.
Examining the compatibility of student pair programmers

Pair programming has been shown to be beneficial for both students and teaching staff in university courses. A two-phased study of 1350 students was conducted at North Carolina State University from 2002-2005 to determine if teaching staff can proactively form compatible pairs based upon any of the following factors: personality type, learning style, skill level, programming self esteem, work ethic, or time management preference. We examined compatibility among freshmen, advanced undergraduate and graduate student pair programmers. We have found that overall 93% of students are compatible with their partners. Students notably preferred to pair with a partner that he or she perceived to be of similar or higher skill level to them, which can be predicted by grouping students with similar grade point average. Additionally, pairs comprised of a sensor and an intuitor learning style seem to be compatible, and pairs with differing work ethic are generally not compatible