Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sources of variability in language development of children with cochlear implants: age at implantation, parental language, and early features of children's language construction*

Abstract The aim of the present study was to analyze the relative influence of age at implantation, parental expansions, and child language internal factors on grammatical progress in children with cochlear implants (CI). Data analyses used two longitudinal corpora of spontaneous speech samples, one with twenty-two and one with twenty-six children, implanted between 0;6 and 3;10. Analyses were performed on the combined and separate samples. Regression analyses indicate that early child MLU is the strongest predictor of child MLU two and two-and-a-half years later, followed by parental expansions and age at implantation. Associations between earliest MLU gains and MLU two years later point to stability of individual differences. Early type and token frequencies of determiners predict MLU two years later more strongly than early frequency of lexical words. We conclude that features of CI children's very early language have considerable predictive value for later language outcomes.
Characteristics and Expression Analysis of FmTCP15 under Abiotic Stresses and Hormones and Interact with DELLA Protein in Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr.

The TEOSINTE BRANCHED1, CYCLOIDEA, and PROLIFERATION CELL FACTOR (TCP) transcription factor is a plant-specific gene family and acts on multiple functional genes in controlling growth, development, stress response, and the circadian clock. In this study, a class I member of the TCP family from Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr. was isolated and named FmTCP15, which encoded a protein of 362 amino acids. Protein structures were analyzed and five ligand binding sites were predicted. The phylogenetic relationship showed that FmTCP15 was most closely related to Solanaceae and Plantaginaceae. FmTCP15 was localized in the nuclei of F. mandshurica protoplast cells and highly expressed in cotyledons. The expression pattern revealed the FmTCP15 response to multiple abiotic stresses and hormone signals. Downstream genes for transient overexpression of FmTCP15 in seedlings were also investigated. A yeast two-hybrid assay confirmed that FmTCP15 could interact with DELLA proteins. FmTCP15 participated in the GA-signaling pathway, responded to abiotic stresses and hormone signals, and regulated multiple genes in these biological processes. Our study revealed the potential value of FmTCP15 for understanding the molecular mechanisms of stress and hormone signal responses.
A replication- and checkpoint-based approach for anomaly-based intrusion detection and recovery

The common approach to detecting anomaly-based intrusion is by replicating the computation and running a Byzantine agreement protocol among all replicas. However, Byzantine agreement incurs high communication overhead and also requires the use of more than 2t replicas in order to overcome t such failures. However, for many applications, and in particular scientific computation, it is possible to achieve the same goal with much lower average communication and replication overheads. This paper presents a new approach for detecting an intrusion by combining checkpoint/restart with replication. The main benefit of the approach is that we replicate the execution into only t+1 replicas, and invoke a Byzantine agreement only if we suspect an anomalous behavior that could be observed using checkpointing techniques. If a failure occurs, it is detected using any Byzantine agreement protocol that can agree on a recent valid system's state. Such a Byzantine agreement protocol also identifies the compromised nodes and eliminates them, so the computation can proceed with only t+1 replicas until the next failure occurs.
A note on the convergence of asynchronous greedy algorithm with relaxation in a multiclass queueing environment

In this letter, we consider the convergence of an asynchronous greedy algorithm with relaxation for Nash equilibrium in a noncooperative multiclass queueing environment. The process of an asynchronous greedy algorithm is equivalent to the iteration of the Jacobi method in solving a linear system. However, it has been proved that the algorithm converges only for some particular range of queueing parameters. Here we propose the asynchronous greedy algorithm with relaxation, which is in principle equivalent to solving a linear system by the Jacobi method with relaxation. We propose also some relaxation parameters such that our algorithm converges very fast.
Recombination Proficiency Influences Frequency and Locus of Mutational Resistance to Linezolid in Enterococcus faecalis

ABSTRACT In vitro linezolid resistance was selected at a higher frequency in Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2 than in recombination-deficient E. faecalis UV202. Resistance in JH2-2 was related to accumulated G2576T mutations in 23S rRNA genes, with the least resistance conferred by mutations in two of four copies. UV202 resistance was associated with a G2505A mutation present in a single copy in mutants with different MICs.
Mtl 1 Is Required to Activate General Stress Response through Tor 1 and Ras 2 Inhibition under Conditions of Glucose Starvation and Oxidative Stress *

Mima Ivanova Petkova, Nuria Pujol-Carrion, Javier Arroyo, Jesús García-Cantalejo, and Maria Angeles de la Torre-Ruiz From the Departament de Ciències Mèdiques Bàsiques-IRBLleida, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Lleida, Lleida 25008, Spain, the Departamento de Microbiología II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, Madrid 28040, Spain, and the Unidad de Genómica-Campus Moncloa Universidad Complutense de Madrid/Parque Cientifico de Madrid (Campus Moncloa), Universidad Complutense, Madrid 28040, Spain
A Review of Data Hiding in Digital Images

In this paper we will overview the use of data hiding techniques in digital images. In particular we will describe how one can use Steganography to hide information in a digital image. Steganography is related to cryptography and is the basis for many of the digital watermarking techniques currently being developed. The interest in data hiding has risen with the recent activity in digital copyright protection schemes. One way to protect the ownership of a digital image is to secretly embed data in the content of the image identifying the owner. This paper will review recent developments in data hiding, specifically as it pertains to copyright protection of digital images.
Phenotypic Consequences of Rearranging the P, M, and G Genes of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus

ABSTRACT The nonsegmented negative-strand RNA viruses (orderMononegavirales) include many important human pathogens. The order of their genes, which is highly conserved, is the major determinant of the relative levels of gene expression, since genes that are close to the single promoter site at the 3′ end of the viral genome are transcribed at higher levels than those that occupy more distal positions. We manipulated an infectious cDNA clone of the prototypic vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) to rearrange three of the five viral genes, using an approach which left the viral nucleotide sequence otherwise unaltered. The central three genes in the gene order, which encode the phosphoprotein P, the matrix protein M, and the glycoprotein G, were rearranged into all six possible orders. Viable viruses were recovered from each of the rearranged cDNAs. The recovered viruses were examined for their levels of gene expression, growth potential in cell culture, and virulence in mice. Gene rearrangement changed the expression levels of the encoded proteins in concordance with their distance from the 3′ promoter. Some of the viruses with rearranged genomes replicated as well or slightly better than wild-type virus in cultured cells, while others showed decreased replication. All of the viruses were lethal for mice, although the time to symptoms and death following inoculation varied. These data show that despite the highly conserved gene order of the Mononegavirales, gene rearrangement is not lethal or necessarily even detrimental to the virus. These findings suggest that the conservation of the gene order observed among the Mononegavirales may result from immobilization of the ancestral gene order due to the lack of a mechanism for homologous recombination in this group of viruses. As a consequence, gene rearrangement should be irreversible and provide an approach for constructing viruses with novel phenotypes.
Pathological plantar response. I. Flexor and extensor components in early and late reflex parts.

In previous investigations (Kugelberg, Eklund, and Grimby, 1960; Grimby, 1963a, b) the spinal part of the human plantar reflex in normal and pathological cases was studied by means of electromyographic techniques. Special attention was paid to the reflex patterns obtained during simultaneous recordings from the short hallux flexor and extensor, since the strength of the electrical response in the flexor proved to be a sensitive index of the tendency to plantar flexion, and the response in the extensor to the tendency to dorsiflexion of the hallux. In normal subjects flexor activity is strongly predominant in the reflex pattern, and it was assumed that the suprasegmental control system could discriminate among the available types of reaction, selecting that best serving a protective function. In pathological cases extensor activity may be predominant. In some cases the reflex pattern obtained on stimulation of the plantar surface of the foot may consist of an early part predominantly extensor, and a late part predominantly flexor in type. In other cases it may consist of an early part predominantly flexor and a late part predominantly extensor in type. It was assumed that both these components are transmitted in such a way that one may be affected by the pathological process independently of the other. The purpose of the present investigation was to study why in pathological cases the extensor activity in the plantar response, viz., the deviation from normal, may sometimes be limited to the early, and sometimes to the late, part of the reflex pattern.
Elastase-Induced Parenchymal Disruption and Airway Hyper Responsiveness in Mouse Precision Cut Lung Slices: Toward an Ex vivo COPD Model

Background: COPD is a progressive lung disease characterized by emphysema and enhanced bronchoconstriction. Current treatments focused on bronchodilation can delay disease progression to some extent, but recovery or normalization of loss of lung function is impossible. Therefore, novel therapeutic targets are needed. The importance of the parenchyma in airway narrowing is increasingly recognized. In COPD, the parenchyma and extracellular matrix are altered, possibly affecting airway mechanics and enhancing bronchoconstriction. Our aim was to set up a comprehensive ex vivo Precision Cut Lung Slice (PCLS) model with a pathophysiology resembling that of COPD and integrate multiple readouts in order to study the relationship between parenchyma, airway functionality, and lung repair processes. Methods: Lungs of C57Bl/6J mice were sliced and treated ex vivo with elastase (2.5 μg/ml) or H2O2 (200 μM) for 16 h. Following treatment, parenchymal structure, airway narrowing, and gene expression levels of alveolar Type I and II cell repair were assessed. Results: Following elastase, but not H2O2 treatment, slices showed a significant increase in mean linear intercept (Lmi), reflective of emphysema. Only elastase-treated slices showed disorganization of elastin and collagen fibers. In addition, elastase treatment lowered both alveolar Type I and II marker expression, whereas H2O2 stimulation lowered alveolar Type I marker expression only. Furthermore, elastase-treated slices showed enhanced methacholine-induced airway narrowing as reflected by increased pEC50 (5.87 at basal vs. 6.50 after elastase treatment) and Emax values (47.96 vs. 67.30%), and impaired chloroquine-induced airway opening. The increase in pEC50 correlated with an increase in mean Lmi. Conclusion: Using this model, we show that structural disruption of elastin fibers leads to impaired alveolar repair, disruption of the parenchymal compartment, and altered airway biomechanics, enhancing airway contraction. This finding may have implications for COPD, as the amount of elastin fiber and parenchymal tissue disruption is associated with disease severity. Therefore, we suggest that PCLS can be used to model certain aspects of COPD pathophysiology and that the parenchymal tissue damage observed in COPD contributes to lung function decline by disrupting airway biomechanics. Targeting the parenchymal compartment may therefore be a promising therapeutic target in the treatment of COPD.
Suppressing cascades of load in interdependent networks

Understanding how interdependence among systems affects cascading behaviors is increasingly important across many fields of science and engineering. Inspired by cascades of load shedding in coupled electric grids and other infrastructure, we study the Bak–Tang–Wiesenfeld sandpile model on modular random graphs and on graphs based on actual, interdependent power grids. Starting from two isolated networks, adding some connectivity between them is beneficial, for it suppresses the largest cascades in each system. Too much interconnectivity, however, becomes detrimental for two reasons. First, interconnections open pathways for neighboring networks to inflict large cascades. Second, as in real infrastructure, new interconnections increase capacity and total possible load, which fuels even larger cascades. Using a multitype branching process and simulations we show these effects and estimate the optimal level of interconnectivity that balances their trade-offs. Such equilibria could allow, for example, power grid owners to minimize the largest cascades in their grid. We also show that asymmetric capacity among interdependent networks affects the optimal connectivity that each prefers and may lead to an arms race for greater capacity. Our multitype branching process framework provides building blocks for better prediction of cascading processes on modular random graphs and on multitype networks in general.
Display of the Viral Epitopes on Lactococcus lactis: A Model for Food Grade Vaccine against EV71

In this study, we have developed a system for display of antigens of Enterovirus type 71 (EV71) on the cell surface of L. lactis. The viral capsid protein (VP1) gene from a local viral isolate was utilized as the candidate vaccine for the development of oral live vaccines against EV71 using L. lactis as a carrier. We expressed fusion proteins in E. coli and purified fusion proteins were incubated with L. lactis. We confirmed that mice orally fed with L. lactis displaying these fusion proteins on its surface were able to mount an immune response against the epitopes of EV71. This is the first example of an EV71 antigen displayed on the surface of a food grade organism and opens a new perspective for alternative vaccine strategies against the EV71. We believe that the method of protein docking utilized in this study will allow for more flexible presentations of short peptides and proteins on the surface of L. lactis to be useful as a delivery vehicle.
Neurochemical Enhancement of Conscious Error Awareness

How the brain monitors ongoing behavior for performance errors is a central question of cognitive neuroscience. Diminished awareness of performance errors limits the extent to which humans engage in corrective behavior and has been linked to loss of insight in a number of psychiatric syndromes (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, drug addiction). These conditions share alterations in monoamine signaling that may influence the neural mechanisms underlying error processing, but our understanding of the neurochemical drivers of these processes is limited. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over design of the influence of methylphenidate, atomoxetine, and citalopram on error awareness in 27 healthy participants. The error awareness task, a go/no-go response inhibition paradigm, was administered to assess the influence of monoaminergic agents on performance errors during fMRI data acquisition. A single dose of methylphenidate, but not atomoxetine or citalopram, significantly improved the ability of healthy volunteers to consciously detect performance errors. Furthermore, this behavioral effect was associated with a strengthening of activation differences in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and inferior parietal lobe during the methylphenidate condition for errors made with versus without awareness. Our results have implications for the understanding of the neurochemical underpinnings of performance monitoring and for the pharmacological treatment of a range of disparate clinical conditions that are marked by poor awareness of errors.
CoRAM : An In-Fabric Memory Abstraction for FPGA-Based Computing

FPGAs have been used in many applications to achieve orders-of-magnitude improvement in absolute performance and energy efficiency relative to conventional microprocessors. Despite their newfound potency in both processing performance and energy efficiency, FPGAs have not gained widespread acceptance as mainstream computing devices. A fundamental obstacle to FPGA-based computing can be traced to the FPGA’s lack of a common, scalable memory abstraction. When developing for FPGAs today, application writers are often directly responsible for crafting the application-specific infrastructure logic that transports data to and from the processing kernels. This infrastructure not only increases design time and effort but will often inflexibly lock a design to a particular FPGA product line, hindering scalability and portability. We propose a new FPGA memory abstraction called Connected RAM (CoRAM) to serve as a portable bridge between the distributed computation kernels and the edge memory interfaces. In addition to improving performance and efficiency, the CoRAM architecture provides a virtualized memory environment as seen by the hardware kernels to simplify application development and to improve an application’s portability and scalability. This CARL workshop research overview summarizes our published work in FPGA’11 [4].
Human Type 3 Iodothyronine Selenodeiodinase Is Located in the Plasma Membrane and Undergoes Rapid Internalization to Endosomes*

The type 3 iodothyronine selenodeiodinase (D3) is an integral membrane protein that inactivates thyroid hormones. By using immunofluorescence cytochemistry confocal microscopy of live or fixed cells transiently expressing FLAG-tagged human D3 or monkey hepatocarcinoma cells expressing endogenous D3, we identified D3 in the plasma membrane. It co-localizes with Na,K-ATPase α, with the early endosomal marker EEA-1 and clathrin, but not with two endoplasmic reticulum resident proteins. Most of the D3 molecule is extracellular and can be biotinylated with a cell-impermeant probe. There is constant internalization of D3 that is blocked by sucrose or methyl-β-cyclodextrin-containing medium. Exposing cells to a weak base such as primaquine increases the pool of internalized D3, suggesting that D3 is recycled between plasma membrane and early endosomes. Such recycling could account for the much longer half-life of D3 (12 h) than the thyroxine activating members of the selenodeiodinase family, type 1 (D1; 8 h) or type 2 (D2; 2 h) deiodinase. The extracellular location of D3 gives ready access to circulating thyroid hormones, explaining its capacity for rapid inactivation of circulating thyroxine and triiodothyronine in patients with hemangiomas and its blockade of the access of maternal thyroid hormones to the human fetus.
Modelling and verification of JXTA peer-topeer network protocols

Recent advances in peer-to-peer computing have allowed its evolution as a reliable alternative to traditional centralised computing methods. The JXTA project is a popular open source describes a platform formed by six protocols purposed to enable interoperable, ubiquitous and reliable peer-to-peer networking. We present a formal model of integrated JXTA protocols using Promela. We subsequently verify the model with the SPIN model-checker for internal consistency. Because the integrated model proves to be too large formal verification due its size and complexity, we verify the protocols separately. Number of non-progress cycles and an invalid end state are detected and we provide possible solutions approaches for these errors.
Dethiosulfatarculus sandiegensis gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from a methanogenic paraffin-degrading enrichment culture and emended description of the family Desulfarculaceae.

A mesophilic deltaproteobacterium, designated strain SPRT, was isolated from a methanogenic consortium capable of degrading long-chain paraffins. Cells were motile, vibrio-shaped, and occurred singly, in pairs or in clusters. Strain SPRT did not metabolize hydrocarbons but grew fermentatively on pyruvate and oxaloacetate and autotrophically with H2 and CO2. Thiosulfate served as a terminal electron acceptor, but sulfate or sulfite did not. The organism required at least 10 g NaCl l- 1 and a small amount of yeast extract (0.001%) for growth. Optimal growth was observed between 30 and 37 °C and a pH range from 6.0 to 7.2. The DNA G+C content of SPRT's genome was 52.02 mol%. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain SPRT was distinct from previously described Deltaproteobacteria, exhibiting the closest affiliation to Desulfarculus baarsii DSM 2075T and Desulfocarbo indianensis SCBMT, with only 91% similarity between their respective 16S gene sequences. In silico genome comparison supported the distinctiveness between strain SPRT and both Desulfocarbo indianensis SCBMT and Desulfarculus baarsii DSM 2075T. Based on physiological differences, as well as phylogenetic and genomic comparisons, we propose to classify SPRT as the type strain ( = DSM 100305T = JCM 30857T) of a novel species of a new genus with the name Dethiosulfatarculus sandiegensis gen. nov., sp. nov.
Assessment of Postischemic Neurogenesis in Rats with Cerebral Ischemia and Propofol Anesthesia

Background:Postischemic endogenous neurogenesis can be dose-dependently modulated by volatile anesthetics. The intravenous anesthetic propofol is used during operations with a risk of cerebral ischemia, such as neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, and vascular surgery. The effects of propofol on neurogenesis are unknown and, therefore, the object of this study. Methods:Eighty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to treatment groups with propofol administration for 3 h: 36 mg · kg−1 · h−1 propofol with or without cerebral ischemia and 72 mg · kg−1 · h−1 propofol with or without cerebral ischemia. In addition, 7 rats with propofol administration for 6 h and 14 treatment-naive rats were investigated. Forebrain ischemia was induced by bilateral carotid artery occlusion and hemorrhagic hypotension. Animals received 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine for 7 days. 5-Bromo-2-deoxyuridine–positive neurons were counted in the dentate gyrus after 9 and 28 days. Spatial learning in the Barnes maze and histopathologic damage of the hippocampus were analyzed. Results:Propofol revealed no impact on basal neurogenesis. Cerebral ischemia increased the amount of new neurons. After 28 days, neurogenesis significantly increased in animals with low-dose propofol administered during cerebral ischemia compared with naive animals, whereas no significant difference was observed in animals with high-dose propofol during ischemia. Neuronal damage in the CA3 region was increased at 28 days with high-dose propofol. Postischemic deficits in spatial learning were not affected by propofol. Conclusions:Independent effects of propofol are difficult to ascertain. Peri-ischemic propofol administration may exert secondary effects on neurogenesis by modulating the severity of histopathologic injury and thereby regenerative capacity of the hippocampus.