Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thiol reactivity and the molecular individuality of alpha- and beta-adrenoreceptors in rat liver plasma membranes.

Whether or not alpha- and beta-adrenoreceptors are non-identical binding sites on the same protein is still an open question. We investigated the effects of sulfhydryl reagents and dithiothreitol on the binding of [3H]dihydroalprenolol and [3H]dihydroergocryptine to beta- and alpha-adrenoreceptors of rat liver plasma membranes. Dithiothreitol inhibited the binding of [3H]dihydroalprenolol to the beta-adrenoreceptor, whereas it had no effect on the specific binding of [3H]dihydroergocryptine to the alpha-adrenoreceptor. In contrast, mersalyl, a mercurial SH reagent, readily blocked the alpha-adrenoreceptor and, although to a lesser extent the beta-adrenoreceptor. The interaction of mersalyl with the alpha-adrenoreceptors was almost instantaneous. In contrast, under the same experimental conditions, the inactivation of the beta-adrenoreceptors was much slower (t 1/2 : 7 min). Finally, a marked difference in the accessibility of the SH groups to mersalyl was observed between the alpha- and beta-adrenoreceptors. The presence of 15 microM (-)-epinephrine or 1.5 microM phentolamine was sufficient to prevent the blockade of the alpha-adrenoreceptor by mersalyl, but inactivation of the beta-adrenoreceptor by mersalyl was not modified by 500 microM (-)-epinephrine and was only slightly decreased by 50 microM (-)-propranolol. Thus, the alpha- and beta-adrenoreceptors from rat liver plasma membranes exhibited biochemical differences which may be interpreted in favor of their molecular individuality.
Lipophilic Micronutrients and Adipose Tissue Biology

Lipophilic micronutrients (LM) constitute a large family of molecules including several vitamins (A, D, E, K) and carotenoids. Their ability to regulate gene expression is becoming increasingly clear and constitutes an important part of nutrigenomics. Interestingly, adipose tissue is not only a main storage site for these molecules within the body, but it is also subjected to the regulatory effects of LM. Indeed, several gene regulations have been described in adipose tissue that could strongly impact its biology with respect to the modulation of adipogenesis, inflammatory status, or energy homeostasis and metabolism, among others. The repercussions in terms of health effects of such regulations in the context of obesity and associated pathologies represent an exciting and emerging field of research. The present review will focus on the regulatory effects of vitamin A, D, E and K as well as carotenoids on adipose tissue biology and physiology, notably in the context of obesity and associated disorders.
Emotional Intelligence – A Model for Effective Leadership, Competency and Career Growth

An emotionally intelligent person has the ability of not only understanding his emotions but also comprehending the emotions of others considerably well. An individual with high emotional intelligence would have dynamic leadership skills, good relationship with his superiors, subordinates and peers and most importantly he would have high degree of personal satisfaction and success at workplace. This paper covers the need for managers and employees to have high levels of emotional intelligence at workplace. It aims at analysing how emotional intelligence as a competency contributes to effective leadership using the ability model of EI where four major aspects are covered like perception, facilitation, understanding and management of emotions. Data was collected using structured questionnaire from 80 respondents representing middle level managers in 6 public and private sectors organizations. The paper also analyzes emotional intelligence as a competency factor and explores the relationship between emotional intelligence and effective leadership. The study on emotional intelligence has suggested that the training in these skills is essential for preparing people for career as well as personal success and fulfilment. It is suggested that emotional intelligence training has to be instituted by educators so that students with effective leadership skills can be made ready for a successful career growth.
Identification of a Mutant PfCRT-Mediated Chloroquine Tolerance Phenotype in Plasmodium falciparum

Mutant forms of the Plasmodium falciparum transporter PfCRT constitute the key determinant of parasite resistance to chloroquine (CQ), the former first-line antimalarial, and are ubiquitous to infections that fail CQ treatment. However, treatment can often be successful in individuals harboring mutant pfcrt alleles, raising questions about the role of host immunity or pharmacokinetics vs. the parasite genetic background in contributing to treatment outcomes. To examine whether the parasite genetic background dictates the degree of mutant pfcrt-mediated CQ resistance, we replaced the wild type pfcrt allele in three CQ-sensitive strains with mutant pfcrt of the 7G8 allelic type prevalent in South America, the Oceanic region and India. Recombinant clones exhibited strain-dependent CQ responses that ranged from high-level resistance to an incremental shift that did not meet CQ resistance criteria. Nonetheless, even in the most susceptible clones, 7G8 mutant pfcrt enabled parasites to tolerate CQ pressure and recrudesce in vitro after treatment with high concentrations of CQ. 7G8 mutant pfcrt was found to significantly impact parasite responses to other antimalarials used in artemisinin-based combination therapies, in a strain-dependent manner. We also report clinical isolates from French Guiana that harbor mutant pfcrt, identical or related to the 7G8 haplotype, and manifest a CQ tolerance phenotype. One isolate, H209, harbored a novel PfCRT C350R mutation and demonstrated reduced quinine and artemisinin susceptibility. Our data: 1) suggest that high-level CQR is a complex biological process dependent on the presence of mutant pfcrt; 2) implicate a role for variant pfcrt alleles in modulating parasite susceptibility to other clinically important antimalarials; and 3) uncover the existence of a phenotype of CQ tolerance in some strains harboring mutant pfcrt.
Automatic segmentation of the lungs using multiple active contours and outlier model

This paper presents a method for the automatic segmentation of the lungs in X-ray computed tomography (CT) images. The proposed technique is based on the use of multiple active contour models (ACMs) for the simultaneous segmentation of both lungs and outlier detection. The technique starts by grey-level thresholding of the images followed by edge detection. Then the edge points are organized in strokes and a set of weights summing to one is assigned to each stroke. These weights represent the soft assignment of the stroke to each of the ACMs and depend on the distance between the stroke points and the ACM units, on gradient direction information and also on the stroke size. Both the weights and the ACMs energy minimization are computed using the generalized expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm. Initialization of the ACM's is fully automatic. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed technique
Thinking about Social Problems: An Introduction to Constructionist Perspectives

Like the first edition of this distinctive and widely adopted textbook, the new second edition brings into the classroom an overview of how images of social problems can shape not only public policy and social services, but also the ways in which we make sense of ourselves and others. It introduces two primary changes from the first edition. First, this edition devotes some attention to the "new social movements" that emphasize social change through identity transformation rather than through structural change. Second, it also looks more closely at the importance of emotions in constructing public consciousness of social problems. Although Thinking About Social Problems can be used as a stand-alone short text and a corrective on received notions of studying the objective indicators of one problem a week, Donileen Loseke and Joel Best have provided an accompanying reader, Social Problems: Constructionist Readings, which can be used by those who wish to teach the course with reference to empirical examples of social problems examined from constructionist perspectives. Finally, an instructor's manual on a CD-ROM will be available for instructors who adopt the new edition.
Upper Limb Function and Cortical Organization in Youth with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy

Aim: To explore the relationship between motor cortical and descending motor pathway reorganization, lesion type, and upper limb function in youth with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP). Methods: Twenty participants with unilateral CP (mean age 15 ± 3 years; 11 males) completed a range of upper limb functional measures. Structural MRI, diffusion-weighted, and functional MRI were conducted to determine type and extent of brain lesion, descending white matter integrity, and whole-brain activity during affected hand use. Single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) (n = 12) was used to examine functional integrity of the corticospinal pathway as well as primary motor cortex intracortical and interhemispheric inhibition from motor-evoked potentials and silent periods. Results: Fractional anisotropy measures within the posterior limb of the internal capsule were a predictor of upper limb function (R2 = 0.41, F = 11.3, p = 0.004). Participants with periventricular lesions tended to have better upper limb function [F(2, 17) = 42.48, p < 0.0001]. Five participants with evidence of cortical reorganization and functional ipsilateral projections to their affected hand had worse upper limb function. Deficits in intracortical and interhemispheric inhibitory mechanisms were found in participants with worse upper limb function (Melbourne Assessment of Unilateral Upper Limb Function: Mann Whitney p = 0.02). Conclusion: Neuroimaging and TMS can provide useful information related to hand function of individuals with unilateral CP and may have potential to assist as a predictive tool and/or guide rehabilitation.
Methylene Blue and Epinephrine: A Synergetic Association for Anaphylactic Shock Treatment*

Background:Severe hypotension resulting from anaphylactic shock may be refractory to epinephrine and impair cerebral oxygenation and metabolism contributing to anaphylactic shock morbidity and mortality. Refractoriness to epinephrine could be corrected by nitric oxide pathway inhibitors such as methylene blue. Objectives:To compare the systemic and regional (brain and skeletal muscle) effects of epinephrine and methylene blue given alone or in combination in a rat model of anaphylactic shock. Design:Prospective laboratory study. Setting:University laboratory. Subjects:Male Brown-Norway rats (n = 60). Interventions:After sensitization and induction of anaphylactic shock by ovalbumin, animals received either vehicle (ovalbumin group) or a 3-mg/kg methylene blue bolus (methylene blue group) or epinephrine (epinephrine group) or both (methylene blue–epinephrine group). Sensitized control rats received only vehicle and no ovalbumin (control group). Measurement and Main Results:Mean arterial pressure, cardiac output, cerebral blood flow, skeletal muscular oxygen partial pressure, cerebral oxygen partial pressure, skeletal muscular, and cerebral interstitial lactate/pyruvate ratio were measured. Cleaved caspase 3 and hypoxia-inducible factor-1&agr; expression were analyzed in the cerebral cortex by Western blot. Without treatment, rats died rapidly within 15 mins from a decrease in cardiac output and mean arterial pressure, whereas treated rats survived until the end of the experiment. Methylene blue alone extended survival time but without significant improvement of hemodynamic variables and tissue perfusion and did not prevent neuronal injury. Epinephrine restored partially systemic hemodynamic variables and cerebral perfusion preventing glutamate-induced excitotoxicity. Compared with epinephrine alone, the methylene blue–epinephrine association avoided neuronal excitotoxicity and had an additive effect both on hemodynamic variables and for prevention of brain ischemia. Neither treatment could significantly restore cardiac output or prevent muscular compartment ischemia and microvascular leakage. Conclusions:Anaphylactic shock is associated with severe impairment of cerebral blood flow despite correction of arterial hypotension. Epinephrine must still be considered as the first-line vasoconstrictive agent to treat anaphylactic shock. The epinephrine–methylene blue association was the most effective treatment to prevent cerebral ischemia and could be used in anaphylactic shock refractory to epinephrine.
Continuous space language models using restricted Boltzmann machines

We present a novel approach for continuous space language models in statistical machine translation by using Restricted Boltzmann Machines (RBMs). The probability of an n-gram is calculated by the free energy of the RBM instead of a feedforward neural net. Therefore, the calculation is much faster and can be integrated into the translation process instead of using the language model only in a re-ranking step. Furthermore, it is straightforward to introduce additional word factors into the language model. We observed a faster convergence in training if we include automatically generated word classes as an additional word factor. We evaluated the RBM-based language model on the German to English and English to French translation task of TED lectures. Instead of replacing the conventional n-grambased language model, we trained the RBM-based language model on the more important but smaller in-domain data and combined them in a log-linear way. With this approach we could show improvements of about half a BLEU point on the translation task.
Shape Representation in Parallel Systems

There has been a recent revival of interest in parallel systems in which computation is performed by excitatory and inhibitory interactions within a network of relatively simple, neuronlike units [1 2 3 4]. At the early stages of visual processing, individual units can represent hypotheses about how small local fragments of the visual input should be interpreted, and interactions between units can encode knowledge about the constraints between local interpretations. Higher up in the visual system, the representational issues are more complex. This paper considers the difficulties involved in representing shapes in parallel systems, and suggests ways of overcoming them. In doing so, it provides a mechanism for shape perception and visual attention which allows a novel interpretation of the Gestalt slogan that the whole is more than the sum of its parts.
Bystander intervention: The effect of ambiguity of the helping situation and the interpersonal relationship between bystanders@@@援助事態のあいまいさと傍観者間の対人関係性

Deux experiences effectuees aupres de personnes attendant l'autobus et aupres d'etudiants examinent l'effet de conditions de haute ou de faible ambiguite et le role de la relation interpersonnelle (les sujets etant seuls ou accompagnes) dans le comportement d'aide
Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy for Social Phobia: Basic Mechanisms and Clinical Strategies

Part I: Understanding the Nature of Social Phobia. The Diagnosis and Etiology of Social Phobia. Subtypes of Social Phobia, Comorbidity, and Impairment. Cognitive Function in Social Phobia. Dysfunctional Cognitive Processes in Social Phobia. A Cognitive-Behavioral Formulation of Social Phobia (with Ronald M. Rapee and Cynthia L. Turk). Assessment of Social Phobia (with Cynthia L. Turk). Part II: Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy for Social Phobia: A Treatment Manual. An Overview of Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy for Social Phobia. The Treatment Orientation Interview. Session 1. Session 2. In-Session Exposures. Integrating Cognitive Restructuring Procedures with In-Session Exposures. Homework Procedures. Sessions 3-12: Putting It All Together and Troubleshooting Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.
Histochemical Methods for the Diagnosis of Mitochondrial Diseases

Through the process of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), mitochondria provide cells with required energy in the form of ATP. The organelle possesses its own genome (mtDNA), which encodes for part of the components needed (37 genes encoding either OXPHOS structural subunits or tRNAs and rRNAs). Nonetheless, the majority of structural OXPHOS components (as well as accessory proteins and proteins required for maintenance, replication, and expression of the mtDNA) are encoded by nuclear genes. Due to the dual genetic control and the large number of proteins involved, biogenesis and assembly of the OXPHOS system is complicated, and identifying a specific gene defect can be a difficult and time consuming task. This unit describes procedures for obtaining tissue sections and cell material suitable for histological evaluation of OXPHOS activity and integrity and immunodetection of the complexes in tissue from patients suspected of mitochondrial disease. Emphasis lies on the diagnostic potential of these techniques to differentiate mtDNA from nuclear mutations. Curr. Protoc. Hum. Genet. 63:19.2. 1-19.2. 19. C © 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae does not accumulate ethanol against a concentration gradient

It has been reported that yeast cells accumulate ethanol against a concentration gradient. We initiated a study of the mechanism involved in this phenomenon. However, we found that this accumulation does not occur and that ethanol permeates the yeast cell plasma membrane by simple diffusion. The following evidence supports this conclusion. (i) Uptake and outflow of ethanol in yeast cells followed first-order kinetics and were insensitive to the presence of structural analogs of ethanol, to drastic pH changes, and to the action of reagents of amino and thiol groups. These results strongly suggest that ethanol permeates the yeast cell plasma membrane without involvement of any carrier. (ii) The outflow rate of ethanol seems greater than the ability of this organism to produce ethanol, indicating that intracellular accumulation of ethanol is not possible. (iii) The intracellular concentration of ethanol found was similar to the concentration in culture media in all tested conditions. With the available information, it is difficult to ascertain the reasons for the discrepancy between our results and those previously reported by other authors. However, the inadequacy of the cell-sampling procedure and of the chromatographic conditions used by those authors suggests that the discrepancy may be due to artifacts in the measurements of ethanol.
Robust lineage reconstruction from high-dimensional single-cell data

Single-cell gene expression data provide invaluable resources for systematic characterization of cellular hierarchy in multi-cellular organisms. However, cell lineage reconstruction is still often associated with significant uncertainty due to technological constraints. Such uncertainties have not been taken into account in current methods. We present ECLAIR, a novel computational method for the statistical inference of cell lineage relationships from single-cell gene expression data. ECLAIR uses an ensemble approach to improve the robustness of lineage predictions, and provides a quantitative estimate of the uncertainty of lineage branchings. We show that the application of ECLAIR to published datasets successfully reconstructs known lineage relationships and significantly improves the robustness of predictions. In conclusion, ECLAIR is a powerful bioinformatics tool for single-cell data analysis. It can be used for robust lineage reconstruction with quantitative estimate of prediction accuracy.
Depolarization and Action Potential Duration in Cardiac Purkinje Fibers

The effect of depolarization on the duration of the action potential was studied in short cardiac Purkinje fibers. Membrane potential was altered by overdriving pacemaker fibers showing spontaneous diastolic depolarization (dog), by injecting constantcurrent pulses through an intracellular microelectrode (sheep), or by voltage clamping (dog). Test action potentials were elicited at the end of 50–300-msec depolarizations by extracellular stimuli in sheep fibers and by cathodal intracellular stimuli in dog fibers. In both species the duration of the test action potential was unchanged by subthreshold depolarization. In fibers showing spontaneous diastolic depolarization, action potential duration was not affected by the take-off potential within the range between −80 and −60 mv. In dog fibers depolarized from the threshold level (about −60 mv), action potential duration was shortened by 14–36%. After stronger depolarization (up to −10 mv), short action potentials could be elicited during the first 100–150 msec. This period coincided with the flow of net inward current. After longer suprathreshold clamps when the net membrane current reversed its polarity, the fibers were not excitable, and the clamp termination was followed by exponential decay of the membrane potentials. Our findings indicate that changes in take-off potential within the range between resting membrane potential and −60 my do not alter action potential duration.
Contextual influences on auditory comprehension of reversible passive sentences in aphasia

Abstract Stimuli reported by Hough et al. (1989) were employed to assess aphasic subjects' auditory comprehension of reversible passive sentences presented in isolation, and at the ends of narrative paragraphs that either strongly predicted or did not predict the specific subject—object relationships portrayed in the target sentences. Verbal stimuli were presented under two pictorial conditions, wherein pictured response choices were exposed either before or after presentation of the auditory stimuli. Results indicated no significant effect of pictorial condition; however, a significant advantage was observed for sentences following predictive paragraphs. Absence of a facilitative effect for non-predictive paragraphs disagreed with previous findings of Hough et al. (1989). Retrospective analysis of the combined data from the present and previous studies demonstrated that contextual facilitation for both types of paragraphs increased as a positive function of stage of recovery from aphasia. Subjects in the.
ARAP3 is essential for formation of lamellipodia after growth factor stimulation

Rho and Arf family small GTPases control dynamic actin rearrangements and vesicular trafficking events. ARAP3 is a dual GAP for RhoA and Arf6 that is regulated by phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate [PtdIns(3,4,5)P3], a product of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signalling pathway. To investigate the physiological function of ARAP3, we used an RNAi-based approach in an endothelial cell model. ARAP3-deficient cells showed increased activities of RhoA and Arf6. Phenotypically, they were more rounded than control counterparts and displayed very fine stress fibres. ARAP3-deficient cells were not capable of producing lamellipodia upon growth factor stimulation, a process known to depend on PI3K and Rac activities. Rac was transiently activated in stimulated ARAP3 RNAi cells although its cellular localisation was altered, a likely consequence of increased Arf6 activity. We conclude that ARAP3 recruitment to sites of elevated PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 is crucial to allow localised inactivation of RhoA and cycling of Arf6, both of which are necessary to allow growth factor-stimulated formation of lamellipodia.