Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
H-coil repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of bipolar depression: an add-on, safety and feasibility study

Abstract Objectives. The H1-Coil is a novel transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) device capable of inducing a magnetic field with a deeper and wider distribution than standard coils. This pilot study evaluated the safety and feasibility of the H1-Coil as adjuvant treatment for bipolar depression (BPD). Methods. Nineteen patients diagnosed as having BPD and under treatment with psychotropic medication were enrolled in the study. They received daily prefrontal repetitive TMS (rTMS: 20 Hz, 2 s on, 20 s off, totaling 1680 stimuli) every weekday for four consecutive weeks. The primary outcome measure was the change from baseline in the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-24) score a week after the last treatment session. Results. A significant mean decrease of 12.9 points in the HDRS-24 scale (P< 0.001) was found. Response rate was 63.2% and remission rate was 52.6%. Treatment was well tolerated in terms of headache and overall discomfort, and there were no significant change in cognitive functioning or mood switches. One patient had a short induced generalized seizure without complications. Conclusions. An add-on H-coil rTMS treatment protocol in BPD subjects indicated improvement in bipolar depression symptoms. Sham-control studies to further determine the efficacy and safety of the H-Coil for BPD are warranted.
Inequality and the global climate regime: breaking the north-south impasse

This article explores the hypothesis that global inequality may be a central impediment to interstate cooperation on climate change policy. Conventional wisdom suggests that outcomes in international environmental politics are primarily attributable to material self-interest, bargaining power, coercion, domestic environmental values, exogenous shocks and crises, the existence of salient policy solutions, the strength of political leadership and the influence of nonstate actors. Yet none of these approaches offers a completely satisfactory explanation for the long-standing north-south divide on climate change. Drawing on social inequality literature and international relations theory, we argue that inequality dampens cooperative efforts by reinforcing ‘structuralist’ world-views and causal beliefs, polarizing policy preferences, promoting particularistic notions of fairness, generating divergent and unstable expectations about future behaviour, eroding conditions of mutual trust and creating incentives for zero-sum and negative-sum behaviour. In effect, inequality undermines the establishment of mutually acceptable ‘rules of the game’ which could mitigate these obstacles.
Arginine 222 in the Pre-transmembrane Domain 1 of 5-HT3A Receptors Links Agonist Binding to Channel Gating*

Ligand-gated ion channels are integral membrane proteins that mediate fast synaptic transmission. Molecular biological techniques have been extensively used for determining the structure-function relationships of ligand-gated ion channels. However, the transduction mechanisms that link agonist binding to channel gating remain poorly understood. Arginine 222 (Arg-222), located at the distal end of the extracellular N-terminal domain immediately preceding the first transmembrane domain (TM1), is conserved in all 5-HT3A receptors and α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors that have been cloned. To elucidate the possible role of Arg-222 in the function of 5-HT3A receptors, we mutated the arginine residue to alanine (Ala) and expressed both the wild-type and the mutant receptor in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. Functional studies of expressed wild-type and mutant receptors revealed that the R222A mutation increased the apparent potency of the full agonist, serotonin (5-HT), and the partial agonist, 2-Me-5-HT, 5- and 12-fold, respectively. In addition, the mutation increased the efficacy of 2-Me-5-HT and converted it from a partial agonist to a full agonist. Furthermore, this mutation also converted the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist/very weak partial agonist, apomorphine, to a potent agonist. Kinetic analysis revealed that the R222A mutation increased the rate of receptor activation and desensitization but did not affect rate of deactivation. The results suggest that the pre-TM1 amino acid residue Arg-222 may be involved in the transduction mechanism linking agonist binding to channel gating in 5-HT3A receptors.
The role of hierarchical entropy analysis in the detection and time-scale determination of covert timing channels

This paper evaluates the potential use of hierarchal entropy analysis to detect covert timing channels and determine the best time-scale that reveals it. A data transmission simulator is implemented to generate a collection of overt and covert channels. The hierarchical entropy analysis approach is then utilized to detect the covert timing channels and identify the type-scale that provides the highest evidence that the underlying channel is covert. Hierarchical entropy divides the stream of inter-arrival times greedily to identify the time-scale the best reveals the existence of a covert-timing channel. The lowest entropy in the sequence is the best indicator that identifies non-random patterns in the given data stream. The results show that hierarchal entropy analysis performs significantly better than the classical flat entropy approach in the detection of covert timing channels. Furthermore, the hierarchical entropy analysis provides details about the best time-scale that reveals the features of the covert timing channel.
A Closed-loop Scheme for Expected Minimum Rate and Weighted Rate Services

Traditionally QoS capabilities have been constructed out of open-loop building blocks such as packet schedulers and traffic conditioners. In this paper, we consider closed-loop techniques to achieve a range of service differentiation capabilities. Our key contribution is the use of Accumulation-based Congestion Control (ACC) as a data-plane building block to provide an expected minimum rate service which is similar to Frame Relay CIR/PIR and DiffServ assured service. A user with a minimum rate expectation can be interpreted as having a non-concave user utility function. Unfortunately in the context of nonlinear optimization, non-concave utility functions are analytically difficult and often result in multiple optimal solutions. Instead of attempting optimization with non-concave objective functions, we demonstrate a meaningful notion of an expected minimum rate by imposing additional constraints on Kelly’s convex optimization formulated in [14]. Unlike the constraint which simply requires all user allocations to be larger than their respective expected minima, our constraint does not require admission control. The resulting scheme is distributed, requires each control loop to act only on local knowledge and still allows policy-based control over how capacity is allocated during oversubscription. We use ns-2 simulations and Linux implementation experiments to demonstrate that the service performance matches theoretical results. Our scheme does not require Active Queue Management (AQM) at bottlenecks. However, with AQM, we achieve near zero queue with high utilization.
Substance P Immunoreactive Nerve Fibers of the Canine Laryngeal Mucosa

Substance P (SP) immunoreactive nerve endings in the laryngeal mucosa were studied by PAP immunohistochemistry with light and electron microscopy. SP immunoreactive sensory endings were observed in the epithelium as intra-epithelial free nerve endings and taste bud-like structures. A small number of autonomic SP immunoreactive nerve fibers were observed running parallel to arterioles which were over 30 μm in diameter and terminated in glandular cells. Contrary to findings by silver impregnation, intraepithelial free nerve endings were more frequently observed on the lower surface of the vocal cord. The taste bud-like structures were classified into two different types: (1) simple terminations and (2) reticular terminations, according to the mode of the SP immunoreactive nerve fiber. Immature or degenerated taste bud-like structures in the larynx were assumed to be mechanical receptors because these receptors lacked outer taste pores and taste hairs.
Inhibition of Hepatitis C Virus Replication by IFN-Mediated ISGylation of HCV-NS5A

ISG15 is a ubiquitin-like molecule whose expression is induced by type I IFN (IFN-α/β) or in response to virus or bacterial infection. ISG15 or conjugation of ISG15 to target proteins was reported to play critical roles in the regulation of antiviral responses. IFN restricts replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV). However, molecular mechanism of IFN-α/β that inhibits HCV replication is not clear yet. In the current study, we demonstrated that replication of HCV was inhibited by overexpression of ISG15 and ISG15-conjugation enzymes in the HCV subgenomic replicon cells. Among various nonstructural proteins of HCV, NS5A was identified as the substrate for ISGylation. Furthermore, protein stability of NS5A was decreased by overexpression of ISG15 or ISG15-conjugating enzymes. The inhibitory effect of ISG15 or ISGylation on NS5A was efficiently blocked by substitution of lysine at 379 residue to arginine within the C-terminal region, suggesting that ISGylation directly controls protein stability of NS5A. Finally, the inhibitory effect of IFN-α/β on HCV replication was further enhanced by ISGylation, suggesting ISG15 as a therapeutic tool for combined therapy with IFN against HCV.
Anticipating Parenthood: Women's and Men's Meanings, Expectations, and Idea(l)s in Canada

The study purpose was to explicate meanings, expectations, and contexts of parenting as women and men prepared to become parents for the first time. We used a prospective, qualitative study design informed by symbolic interactionist and critical feminist perspectives. In-depth interviews were conducted during pregnancy with 21 expectant mothers and 18 expectant fathers, including 18 couples reflecting socioeconomic and cultural diversity in a western Canadian city. We identified a main theme of life-altering and all-consuming responsibility that conveyed participants’ meanings of being a parent and included subthemes: shared or individual responsibility, status change, partial knowing, and reorienting. Participants initiated the reproduction of gendered sociocultural ideals of parenthood before the birth of their infant. Dominant social discourses and ideals shaped their meanings and expectations, ultimately constraining the alternatives they envisioned for themselves as they prepared to become parents.
Feature extraction on 3-D TexMesh using scale-space analysis and perceptual evaluation

Efficient online visualization of three-dimensional (3-D) textured models is essential for a variety of applications including not only games and e-commerce, but also heritage and medicine. To visualize 3-D objects online, it is necessary to quickly adapt both mesh and texture to the available computational or network resources. Earlier research showed that after reaching a minimum required mesh density, high-resolution texture has more impact on human perception than a denser mesh. Given limited bandwidth, an important issue is how to extract features that best represent the original object, and how to allocate resources between mesh and texture data to achieve optimal perceptual quality. In this paper, we propose a textured mesh (TexMesh) model, which applies scale-space analysis and perceptual evaluation to extract 3-D features for textured mesh simplification and transmission. Texture data is divided into fragments to facilitate quality and bandwidth adaptation. Texture quality assignment is based on feature point distribution. Online transmission is based on statistics gathered during preprocessing, which are stored in a priority queue and lookup tables. Quality of service requested by a client site can be met by applying an efficient adaptive algorithm to ensure optimal use of the specified time and available bandwidth, and at the same time preserving satisfactory quality. Our TexMesh framework integrates feature extraction, mesh simplification, texture reduction, bandwidth adaptation, and perceptual evaluation into a multiscale visualization framework.
Type IV pili are involved in plant–microbe and fungus–microbe interactions

Adherence of bacteria to eukaryotic cells is essential for the initiation of infection in many animal and human pathogens, e.g. Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Adhesion‐mediating type IV pili, filamentous surface appendages formed by pilin subunits, are crucial virulence factors. Here, we report that type IV pilus‐dependent adhesion is also involved in plant–bacteria and fungus–bacteria interactions. Nitrogen‐fixing, endophytic bacteria, Azoarcus sp. , can infect the roots of rice and spread systemically into the shoot without causing symptoms of plant disease. Formation of pili on solid media was dependent on the pilAB locus. PilA encodes an unusually short (6.4 kDa) putative pilin precursor showing 100% homology to the conserved N‐terminus of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa type IV pilin. PilB encodes for a 14.2 kDa polypeptide showing similarity to FimF, a component of type I fimbriae of Escherichia coli. It was found to be extruded beyond the cell surface by immunofluorescence studies, and it may, therefore, be part of a pilus assembly complex or the pilus itself. Both genes are involved in the establishment of bacteria on the root surface of rice seedlings, as detected by fluorescence microscopy. Moreover, both genes are necessary for bacterial adhesion to the mycelium of an ascomycete, which was isolated from the same rhizosphere as the bacteria. In co‐culture with the fungus, Azoarcus sp. forms complex intracytoplasmic membranes, diazosomes, which are related to efficient nitrogen fixation. Adhesion to the mycelium appears to be crucial for this process, as diazosomes were absent and nitrogen fixation rates were decreased in pilAB mutants in co‐culture.
Synaptic control of mRNA translation by reversible assembly of XRN1 bodies

Repression of mRNA translation is linked to the formation of specific cytosolic foci such as stress granules and processing bodies, which store or degrade mRNAs. In neurons, synaptic activity regulates translation at the post‐synapse and this is important for plasticity. N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor stimulation downregulates translation, and we speculate that this is linked to the formation of unknown mRNA‐silencing foci. Here, we show that the 5′‐3′ exoribonuclease XRN1 forms discrete clusters associated with the post‐synapse that are different from processing bodies or stress granules, and we named them synaptic XRN1 bodies (SX‐bodies). Using primary neurons, we found that the SX‐bodies respond to synapse stimulation and that their formation correlates inversely with the local translation rate. SX‐bodies increase in size and number upon NMDA stimulation, and metabotropic glutamate receptor activation provokes SX‐body dissolution, along with increased translation. The response is specific and the previously described Smaug1 foci and FMRP granules show a different response. Finally, XRN1 knockdown impairs the translational repression triggered by NMDA. Collectively, these observations support a role for the SX‐bodies in the reversible masking and silencing of mRNAs at the synapse.
Circulating microRNAs and association with methacholine PC20 in the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP) cohort

Introduction Circulating microRNAs (miRNA) are promising biomarkers for human diseases. Our study hypothesizes that circulating miRNA would reveal candidate biomarkers related to airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and provide biologic insights into asthma epigenetic influences. Methods Serum samples obtained at randomization for 160 children in the Childhood Asthma Management Program were profiled using a TaqMan miRNA array set. The association of the isolated miRNA with methacholine PC20 was assessed. Network and pathway analyses were performed. Functional validation of two significant miRNAs was performed in human airway smooth muscle cells (HASMs). Results Of 155 well-detected circulating miRNAs, eight were significantly associated with PC20 with the strongest association with miR-296-5p. Pathway analysis revealed miR-16-5p as a network hub, and involvement of multiple miRNAs interacting with genes in the FoxO and Hippo signaling pathways by KEGG analysis. Functional validation of two miRNA in HASM showed effects on cell growth and diameter. Conclusion Reduced circulatory miRNA expression at baseline is associated with an increase in PC20. These miRNA provide biologic insights into, and may serve as biomarkers of, asthma severity. miR-16-5p and -30d-5p regulate airway smooth muscle phenotypes critically involved in asthma pathogenesis, supporting a mechanistic link to these findings. Functional ASM phenotypes may be directly relevant to AHR.
Mutations in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RPB1 Gene Conferring Hypersensitivity to 6-Azauracil

RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) in eukaryotic cells drives transcription of most messenger RNAs. RNAPII core enzyme is composed of 12 polypeptides where Rpb1 is the largest subunit. To further understand the mechanisms of RNAPII transcription, we isolated and characterized novel point mutants of RPB1 that are sensitive to the nucleotide-depleting drug 6-azauracil (6AU). In this work we reisolated the rpo21-24/rpb1-E1230K allele, which reduces the interaction of RNAPII–TFIIS, and identified five new point mutations in RPB1 that cause hypersensitivity to 6AU. The novel mutants affect highly conserved residues of Rpb1 and have differential genetic and biochemical effects. Three of the mutations affect the “lid” and “rudder,” two small loops suggested by structural studies to play a central role in the separation of the RNA–DNA hybrids. Most interestingly, two mutations affecting the catalytic center (rpb1-N488D) and the homology box G (rpb1-E1103G) have strong opposite effects on the intrinsic in vitro polymerization rate of RNAPII. Moreover, the synthetic interactions of these mutants with soh1, spt4, and dst1 suggest differential in vivo effects.
Effects of Genes Encoding Resistance to Streptogramins A and B on the Activity of Quinupristin-Dalfopristin against Enterococcus faecium

ABSTRACT Quinupristin-dalfopristin is a streptogramin combination active against multiply resistant Enterococcus faecium. Among 45E. faecium isolated from patients in various French hospitals, only two strains were intermediate (MIC = 2 μg/ml) and one, E. faecium HM1032, was resistant (MIC = 16 μg/ml) to quinupristin-dalfopristin, according to British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy and National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards approved breakpoints. The latter strain contained the vgb and satA genes responsible for hydrolysis or acetylation of quinupristin and dalfopristin, respectively, and an ermB gene (also previously referred to as ermAM) encoding a ribosomal methylase. The two intermediate strains had an LSA phenotype characterized by resistance to lincomycin (L), increased MICs (≥8 μg/ml) of dalfopristin (streptogramin A [SA]), and susceptibility to erythromycin and quinupristin. This phenotype was also detected in eight other strains susceptible to quinupristin-dalfopristin. No genes already known and conferring resistance to dalfopristin by acetylation or active efflux were detected in these LSA strains. Nineteen other strains resistant to erythromycin but susceptible to the quinupristin-dalfopristin combination displayed elevated MICs of quinupristin after induction (from 16 to >128 μg/ml) and containedermB genes. The effects of ermB,vgb, and satA genes on the activity of the streptogramin combination were tested by cloning these genes individually or in various combinations in recipient strains susceptible to quinupristin-dalfopristin, E. faecium HM1070 and Staphylococcus aureus RN4220. The presence of both thesatA and vgb genes (regardless of the presence of an ermB gene) was necessary to confer full quinupristin-dalfopristin resistance to the host. The same genetic constructs were introduced into E. faecium BM4107 which displays a LSA phenotype. Addition of the satAor vgb gene to this LSA background conferred resistance to quinupristin-dalfopristin.
Stress-Related Modulation of Hippocampal Long-Term Potentiation in Rats: Involvement of Adrenal Steroid Receptors

Stress is usually correlated with an increased release of glucocorticoids from the adrenal glands. Within the hippocampus, a structure long known to be involved in spatial learning, two corticosterone-binding receptors are identified: the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). Activation of these receptors impairs or facilitates hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP), respectively. Stress elicited by behavioral manipulations may interfere with cognitive modulations of LTP during learning experiments. Here, we explore the influence of two stress-inducing procedures, handling and swimming, on the maintenance of dentate gyrus LTP in the rat induced by a weak tetanization of the perforant path. Manipulations started 15 min after tetanization. Handling alone resulted in a complete reversal of LTP. Handling followed by a 2 min swim in a water tank elicited prolonged protein synthesis but not β-adrenergic-dependent LTP compared with either control or handled animals. Blockade of the GRs but not of the MRs prevented the reversal of LTP by handling. Inactivation of the MRs but not of the GRs hindered LTP prolongation by swimming. Because the activated receptor complexes act as transcription factors, MR- and GR-related proteins may play a role in the maintenance of LTP. The data suggest a complex interplay of corticosterone-binding receptors on modulations of hippocampal LTP and thus, of stress on learning and functional plasticity in general.
Instructional Practices in Media Literacy Education and Their Impact on Students' Learning.

This study reports the findings of qualitative and quantitative research designed to assess the impact of different types of instructional practices involving media literacy education across the curriculum. Teachers in a small school district participated in a staff development program in media literacy and developed unique approaches for integrating media literacy concepts into language arts, history, math and science at the ninth grade level. The work of four different teams of ninth grade teachers is described by examining the instructional practices, motivations and philosophy behind teachers’ application of media literacy concepts into the curriculum. In addition, students exposed to these different forms of media literacy education were tested on specific media analysis skills, including the ability to identify main ideas, the message's purpose, point of view, and various structural features of a news broadcast. Students who received a balance of media analysis and media production experiences, who .