Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genotoxic Stress Induces Senescence-Associated ADAM10-Dependent Release of NKG2D MIC Ligands in Multiple Myeloma Cells

Genotoxic stress can promote antitumor NK cell responses by upregulating the surface expression of activating ligands on cancer cells. Moreover, a number of studies suggested a role for soluble NK group 2D ligands in the impairment of NK cell tumor recognition and killing. We investigated whether genotoxic stress could promote the release of NK group 2D ligands (MHC class I–related chain [MIC]A and MICB), as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying this event in human multiple myeloma (MM) cells. Our results show that genotoxic agents used in the therapy of MM (i.e., doxorubicin and melphalan) selectively affect the shedding of MIC molecules that are sensitive to proteolytic cleavage, whereas the release of the short MICA*008 allele, which is frequent in the white population, is not perturbed. In addition, we found that a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 10 expression is upregulated upon chemotherapeutic treatment both in patient-derived CD138+/CD38+ plasma cells and in several MM cell lines, and we demonstrate a crucial role for this sheddase in the proteolytic cleavage of MIC by means of silencing and pharmacological inhibition. Interestingly, the drug-induced upregulation of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 10 on MM cells is associated with a senescent phenotype and requires generation of reactive oxygen species. Moreover, the combined use of chemotherapeutic drugs and metalloproteinase inhibitors enhances NK cell–mediated recognition of MM cells, preserving MIC molecules on the cell surface and suggesting that targeting of metalloproteinases in conjunction with chemotherapy could be exploited for NK cell–based immunotherapeutic approaches, thus contributing to avoid the escape of malignant cells from stress-elicited immune responses.
Establishment of Panax notoginseng tissue culture.

Calli were induced from Panax notoginseng roots, tubers, stems, petioles, leaves, and flower buds, and preliminary identification of medicinal compounds in the callus was carried out by TLC, using subcultured sixth-generation calli. The results demonstrated that callus was capable of synthesizing saponins, including ginsenosides Rb1, Rg1, and Rh1. The saponin content (5.33%, D.W.) in the callus was higher than that in intact plants (4.25%, D.W.). Callus also produced a larger amount of sapogenins than intact plants. Callus growth rate was 54.0 mg D.W. /liter/day. Callus induced from stems was superior in terms of growth, saponin and sapogenin contents, and saponin composition. MS medium proved optimal for growth of callus induced from stems. The optimum pH was about 5.8 and the optimum temperature about 26 degrees C. Light had little stimulatory effect on callus growth.
A brief survey on networked control systems

In terms of network-induced delay, data packet dropout, communication constraints and network controller architecture, the fundamental research of networked control systems is analyzed. The analysis methods of network-induced delays, network technology and control strategy in networked control system research are summarized. The research direction of networked control systems is also discussed and the future analysis methodology is proposed.
Pregnant and Nonpregnant Women in Cape Town, South Africa: Drug Use, Sexual Behavior, and the Need for Comprehensive Services

The multiple risks associated with methamphetamine use are of serious concern for women. These risks and consequences are magnified during pregnancy. This secondary analysis of a parent study compared 26 pregnant to 356 nonpregnant women in Cape Town, South Africa, on selected demographic, psychosocial, and HIV-risk domains to identify their treatment service needs. Proportionally, more pregnant than nonpregnant women are using methamphetamine, P = . 01, although a very high rate of women used methamphetamine. Women reported similar monthly rates of sexual intercourse, but pregnant women were significantly less likely to report condom use, P < . 0001, maintaining their risky behavior. Both groups reported elevated Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale CES-D means, suggesting a need for depression treatment. Results demonstrate a pervasive need for women's comprehensive treatment, regardless of pregnancy status. Moreover, findings support the urgent need for women-focused and pregnancy-specific treatment services for methamphetamine use. Finally, a job-skills training/employment component focus is suggested.
EXTINCTION IN DISCRIMINATION LEARNING: PRESENTATION AND CONTINGENCY VARIABLES AND ASSOCIATED SIDE EFFECTS.

Abstract : The purpose of the study was to assess the effects of two methods of stimulus presentation (fading and constant) and two response contingencies (delay and no-delay) on the course of discrimination learning; and to examine the effects of response histories on various aspects of discrimination performance. In the fading procedure S- was gradually faded along the dimensions of brightness and time, and in the constant procedure S- maintained a constant value throughout training. Subjects trained with the constant procedure made significantly more S- responses in the course of acquisition than subjects trained with the fading procedure. In the constant-delay procedure, S- responses were followed by a delay in the offset of S-. In the constant-no-delay procedure S- responses were followed by an intertrial interval. Subjects trained with the constant-no-delay procedure made significantly more responses to S- than subjects trained with the constant-delay procedure. The amount of extinction which occurred during learning was highly correlated with intertrial responding and the stability of the learned discrimination. Discrimination reversal learning was also a function of original learning history. The results were discussed in terms of the differential processes which underlie discriminative performance when different training procedures are used. (Author)
Implicit knowledge, stress and skill failure.

At the heart of this work is a curiosity as to why expert performers, who have so practised their skill that they can execute it perfectly time after time, often fail when under extreme pressure to perform well. The work begins with discussion of key issues in performance, such as implicit versus explicit knowledge, the passage of learning from novice to expert, controlled to automatic the effects of stress on skill performance and the nature of skill failure. Once the foundations of the research have been layed the thesis embarks on a number of investigations which suggest that it is possible to teach a motor skill without the learner ever acquiring conscious, explicit knowledge of the rules for executing it, that acquiring a skill in this manner may make it less likely to fail under stress because the performer has no explicit knowledge with which to execute the skill, that some individuals have more of a predisposition than others to try to run their skill with explicit knowledge and that these individuals are more likely to fail under stress. The thesis concludes that traditional methods of instructing performers, which emphasise explicit, technical 'know-how', and require the performer to be very conscious of the action, are not necessarily the most effective methods of skill acquisition if the skill is not to fail under pressure. The implication, as the author illustrates in the final chapter, is that alternative methods of instruction or coaching need to be developed which at least reduce the degree to which the performer is conscious of the rules for executing his or her chosen skill.
ECS Seizure Threshold: Normal Variations, and Kindling Effects of Subconvulsive Stimuli

Background The efficacy and adverse effects of electroconvulsive therapy are generally believed to depend upon the extent to which an administered stimulus is suprathreshold. The seizure threshold is therefore an important biologic marker. We sought to examine the variability of the electroconvulsive shock (ECS) seizure threshold in rats, and to identify factors influencing the threshold, to guide future research using animal models. Materials and Methods We administered once-daily subconvulsive stimuli to Wistar rats beginning at a charge of either 1 mC (n = 25) or 5 mC (n = 25) and titrated the dose upward in 1-mC steps until the baseline seizure threshold was identified. Two weeks later, we divided each group into two subgroups and administered stimuli that were either at or 2 mC below the baseline threshold, and titrated the dose upward, again in 1-mC steps once daily, until the final threshold was identified. Results The mean baseline seizure threshold was 3.8 mC when upward titration was begun at 1 mC, and 6.7 mC when upward titration was begun at 5 mC (p < 0.001). Two weeks later, titration from baseline-subthreshold stimuli was associated with a lower final threshold in the 5-mC group, while titration from baseline-threshold stimuli was associated with a higher final threshold in the 1-mC group (p < 0.006). Conclusions The ECS seizure threshold ranged from 3 to 7 mC in this sample of rats; since the twofold variation is very small relative to clinical contexts, it is unlikely that ECS research needs to be threshold-based. The administration of low-dose, once-daily subconvulsive stimuli significantly lowered the seizure threshold; while this kindling effect wore off within 2 weeks, thresholds otherwise identified remained stable at the 2-week time point.
Sex and Leadership: Interpreting Competitive and Affiliative Facial Displays Based on Workplace Status

ABSTRACT Increasingly there is an appreciation for face-to-face relationships in workplace interactions, and concomitantly emotion encoding and decoding. However, little research has considered how facial displays of emotion are interpreted based upon the poser's workplace status and the influence of their sex. To consider this, this article first reviews literature pertaining to facial displays of emotion and their function in supervisor-subordinate workplace interactions as well as expectations for men and women. We then test these expectations through an experiment asking respondents to identify the emotion posed by individuals defined as holding different positions of varying status within a small public sector work unit before concluding by discussing theoretical and workplace implications.
When Is Honesty The Best Policy? The Effect of Stated Company Intent on Consumer Skepticism

Prior research suggests that consumers evaluate firms more negatively if they attribute the firm's business practices to firm-serving motivations rather than to motivations that serve the public good. The authors propose an alternative hypothesis: firm-serving attributions lower evaluation of the firm only when they are inconsistent with the firm's expressed motive. As such, the negative effect of consumer skepticism regarding a firm's motives can be inhibited by public acknowledgment of the strategic benefits to the firm. The power of this inhibition procedure was demonstrated in an experiment that manipulated the salience of firm-serving benefits and the firm's publicly stated motive. Consumer evaluation of the sponsoring firm was lowest in conditions when firm-serving benefits were salient and the firm outwardly stated purely public-serving motives. This experiment also revealed that the potential negative effects of skepticism were the most pronounced when individuals engaged in causal attribution prior to company evaluation. Finally, this study measured the different effects on attribution and evaluation of two distinct forms of skepticism: situational skepticism--a momentary state of distrust of an actor's motivations--and dispositional skepticism--an individual's ongoing tendency to be suspicious of other people's motives.
Outcomes of depressed patients undergoing inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVE Approximately 30% of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience depression. Pulmonary rehabilitation for COPD focuses on physical conditioning, but includes behavioral interventions that may address depressive symptoms. This study tested the hypothesis that brief inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation is followed by improvement in both depressive symptoms and function in patients with COPD with major depression. METHODS The subjects, who were recruited from the pulmonary rehabilitation unit of the Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains, NY, who had COPD and major depression were consecutively admitted patients to a pulmonary rehabilitation unit. Symptoms of depression, disability, medical burden, the experience of support, and satisfaction with treatment were systematically ascertained on admission and before discharge. RESULTS Three hundred sixty-one patients were screened and 63 met criteria for COPD and major depression. Depressive symptoms improved by discharge (z = -6.785, p <0.0001); median length of stay was 16 days. Approximately 51% of subjects met criteria for response (50% or greater reduction in depressive symptoms scores from baseline), and 39% met criteria for remission (final Hamilton Depression scale score equal to or less than 10). History of treatment for depression was associated with limited change in depressive symptoms, whereas social support and satisfaction with treatment were predictors of improvement. All disability domains were lower at discharge compared to baseline (z = -3.928, p <0.0001). Subjects with pronounced disability at baseline had the greatest improvement if their depression improved by discharge. CONCLUSIONS Acute inpatient rehabilitation is followed by improvement of depressive symptoms and disability in older patients with COPD and major depression. Improvement of depression may be the result of behavioral interventions rather than the use of antidepressant drugs.
Tau Protein in Cerebrospinal Fluid Is Significantly Increased at the Earliest Clinical Stage of Alzheimer Disease

Summary:The concentration of tau protein in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was determined in 40 patients with clinically diagnosed probable Alzheimer disease (AD) and in 36 cognitively healthy controls. A significant increase of CSF tau was found in the AD patients, even in 19 subjects with very mild dementia as defined by a Mini-Mental State Examination score of 25 and above. Using a cutoff value of 260 pg/mL the sensitivity of elevated tau was 0.89, the specificity was 0.97, and the proportion of correctly allocated cases was 95%. In the AD groups there were no significant associations between CSF tau level and age, age at onset, duration of illness, apolipoprotein E genotype, severity of cognitive impairment, or deficit in regional cerebral blood flow as measured using 99Tm-ethyl cystein dimer single photon emission computed tomography. The findings demonstrate that CSF tau is significantly increased at the earliest clinical stage of AD and shows only minimal overlap with age-matched cognitively healthy controls. This finding suggests that CSF tau could be a biological marker of AD even before dementia has developed.
Peripheral chemoreceptor function in children with the congenital central hypoventilation syndrome.

In children with the congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS), some patients require mechanical ventilation during sleep, whereas others need respiratory assistance even when awake. The cause of this disparity is unclear. We hypothesized that differences in peripheral chemoreceptor response (PCR) could provide an explanatory mechanism for this disparity in clinical manifestations. PCR was measured in five children with CCHS and five sex- and age-matched controls by measuring the ventilatory responses induced by 100% O2 breathing, five tidal breaths of 100% N2, and vital capacity breaths of 5% and 15% CO2 in O2 and 5% CO2-95% N2. Tidal breathing of 100% O2 resulted in similar ventilatory responses in CCHS patients and controls with various changes dependent on the method of analysis of response used. Acute hypoxia by N2 tidal breathing resulted in a 39.2 +/- 22% increase in respiratory rate in CCHS patients and a 15.1 +/- 11.1% increase in controls (P < 0.05), with similar increases in minute ventilation (VE) of 124 +/- 69% and 85 +/- 11%, respectively. Vital capacity breaths of each of the CO2-containing gas mixtures induced similar increases in VE in CCHS patients and controls. The changes in VE obtained with 15% CO2-85% O2 and with 5% CO2-95% N2 were significantly greater than those with 5% CO2-95% O2, suggesting a dose-dependent response as well as additive effects of hypercapnic and hypoxic stimuli. We conclude that the PCR, when assessed by acute hypoxia, hyperoxia, or hypercapnia, is present and intact in CCHS children who are able to sustain adequate ventilation during wakefulness. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Phosphorylation and ubiquitylation are opposing processes that regulate endocytosis of the water channel aquaporin-2

ABSTRACT The post-translational modifications (PTMs) phosphorylation and ubiquitylation regulate plasma membrane protein function. Here, we examine the interplay between phosphorylation and ubiquitylation of the membrane protein aquaporin-2 (AQP2) and demonstrate that phosphorylation can override the previously suggested dominant endocytic signal of K63-linked polyubiquitylation. In polarized epithelial cells, although S256 is an important phosphorylation site for AQP2 membrane localization, the rate of AQP2 endocytosis was reduced by prolonging phosphorylation specifically at S269. Despite their close proximity, AQP2 phosphorylation at S269 and ubiquitylation at K270 can occur in parallel, with increased S269 phosphorylation and decreased AQP2 endocytosis occurring when K270 polyubiquitylation levels are maximal. In vivo studies support this data, with maximal levels of AQP2 ubiquitylation occurring in parallel to maximal S269 phosphorylation and enhanced AQP2 plasma membrane localization. In conclusion, we demonstrate for the first time that although K63-linked polyubiquitylation marks AQP2 for endocytosis, site-specific phosphorylation can counteract polyubiquitylation to determine its final localization. Similar mechanisms might exist for other plasma membrane proteins.
A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution

Moving iiettly between general and particular issues, Stephen R. Haynes’s incisive study of the use o f the Bible to support slavery offers readers i i iich store of insights concerning both biblical interpretation and the role of honor and order in the Southern ethos. Hayncs. :I professor of religious studies at Rhodes (’ollege, provides an overview of the history of interpretation of Genesis 9-1 I , demonstixi ing how Jewish and Christian readers uscd textual gaps or anomalies as springboxcis for detailed elaboration on the biblical t e x t . Such creative retelling lies behind the attribution of dark skin to Ham and the ccmiection of Nimrod the hunter with the namelezs builders of the Tower of Babel. Turning to Southern readings of Genesis 9-1 I , Hayiiea focuses on Benjamin Palmer, one of the m o s ~ influential Southern Presbyterian clcrgymen in the second half of the nineteenth century. From the writings of Palmer. Haynes shows that antebellum proslavery lexts construed the curse of Ham (Gen. 9 2 0 27) and his putative identity with modern Af’ricans as divine approval for slavery. Hain. i n shaming his father, was deserving of perpetual servitude, especially given the importance that Southern culture placed on honor. After the war, Southern attention shifted to Nimrod iGzn. 10512, 1 1 : 1-9), whose crime was understood to be the indiscriminate conglomeration of humankind and consequently a violation of divine order. God’s dispersal of peoples from the Tower of Babel was claimed to show thitt the separation of peoples was part of tiivrne providence. Federal efforts at integration, both during Reconstruction and the Civil Rights movement a century later, were identified with the sin of Nimrod and the tower‘\ builders. Thus, i n a neat hermeneutical move, the rebellious South cast itself as the defender of order against the true rebels who defy the plans of God. Hayne\’s own creedal commitment sees the Bible’s core message as one of redemption, unity. and liberation. Consequently, the last part i)l’ the book offers counter-readings of Genesis 9 in an attempt to rehabilitate the text from i t \ long history of misuse. Drawing
Model selection for dynamical systems via sparse regression and information criteria

We develop an algorithm for model selection which allows for the consideration of a combinatorially large number of candidate models governing a dynamical system. The innovation circumvents a disadvantage of standard model selection which typically limits the number of candidate models considered due to the intractability of computing information criteria. Using a recently developed sparse identification of nonlinear dynamics algorithm, the sub-selection of candidate models near the Pareto frontier allows feasible computation of Akaike information criteria (AIC) or Bayes information criteria scores for the remaining candidate models. The information criteria hierarchically ranks the most informative models, enabling the automatic and principled selection of the model with the strongest support in relation to the time-series data. Specifically, we show that AIC scores place each candidate model in the strong support, weak support or no support category. The method correctly recovers several canonical dynamical systems, including a susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered disease model, Burgers’ equation and the Lorenz equations, identifying the correct dynamical system as the only candidate model with strong support.
Japanese conversation corpus for training and evaluation of backchannel prediction model.

In this paper, we propose an experimental method for building a specialized corpus for training and evaluating backchannel prediction models of spoken dialogue. To develop a backchannel prediction model using a machine learning technique, it is necessary to discriminate between the timings of the interlocutor s speech when more listeners commonly respond with backchannels and the timings when fewer listeners do so. The proposed corpus indicates the normative timings for backchannels in each speech with millisecond accuracy. In the proposed method, we first extracted each speech comprising a single turn from recorded conversation. Second, we presented these speeches as stimuli to 89 participants and asked them to respond by key hitting whenever they thought it appropriate to respond with a backchannel. In this way, we collected 28983 responses. Third, we applied the Gaussian mixture model to the temporal distribution of the responses and estimated the center of Gaussian distribution, that is, the backchannel relevance place (BRP), in each case. Finally, we synthesized 10 pairs of stereo speech stimuli and asked 19 participants to rate each on a 7-point scale of naturalness. The results show that backchannels inserted at BRPs were significantly higher than those in the original condition.
Exosome: emerging biomarker in breast cancer

Exosomes are nano-sized membrane vesicles released by a variety of cell types, and are thought to play important roles in intercellular communications. In breast cancer, through horizontal transfer of various bioactive molecules, such as proteins and mRNAs, exosomes are emerging as local and systemic cell-to-cell mediators of oncogenic information and play an important role on cancer progression. This review outlines the current knowledge and concepts concerning the exosomes involvement in breast cancer pathogenesis (including tumor initiation, invasion and metastasis, angiogenesis, immune system modulation and tumor microenvironment) and cancer therapy resistance. Moreover, the potential use of exosomes as promising diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers in breast cancer are also discussed.