Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantitative and Functional Analyses of Spastin in the Nervous System: Implications for Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia

Spastin and P60-katanin are two distinct microtubule-severing proteins. Autosomal dominant mutations in the SPG4 locus corresponding to spastin are the most common cause of hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), a neurodegenerative disease that afflicts the adult corticospinal tracts. Here we sought to evaluate whether SPG4-based HSP is best understood as a “loss-of-function” disease. Using various rat tissues, we found that P60-katanin levels are much higher than spastin levels during development. In the adult, P60-katanin levels plunge dramatically but spastin levels decline only slightly. Quantitative data of spastin expression in specific regions of the nervous system failed to reveal any obvious explanation for the selective sensitivity of adult corticospinal tracts to loss of spastin activity. An alternative explanation relates to the fact that the mammalian spastin gene has two start codons, resulting in a 616 amino acid protein called M1 and a slightly shorter protein called M85. We found that M1 is almost absent from developing neurons and most adult neurons but comprises 20–25% of the spastin in the adult spinal cord, the location of the axons that degenerate during HSP. Experimental expression in cultured neurons of a short dysfunctional M1 polypeptide (but not a short dysfunctional M85 peptide) is deleterious to normal axonal growth. In squid axoplasm, the M1 peptide dramatically inhibits fast axonal transport, whereas the M85 peptide does not. These results are consistent with a “gain-of-function” mechanism underlying HSP wherein spastin mutations produce a cytotoxic protein in the case of M1 but not M85.
Nuclear migration in a nud mutant of Aspergillus nidulans is inhibited in the presence of a quantitatively normal population of cytoplasmic microtubules

Nuclear migration was studied in germinating conidia of a temperature- sensitive mutant of the fungus Aspergillus nidulans. At the restrictive temperature motility was demonstrably impaired because significantly fewer nuclei migrated into the germ tube relative to a population of similarly sized germlings grown at the permissive temperature. Further comparison of these populations showed that the mutant was leaky in that an increasing number of nuclei migrated as the total nuclear content increased in each germling. The restrictive temperature also induced elevated mitotic asynchrony and increased numbers of nuclei per germling. Serial section-based reconstruction of the microtubules in a freeze-substituted germling showed that they were not attached to the nucleus-associated organelles, were approximately parallel to the long axis of the germ tube, and seemed to be randomly distributed between the central and peripheral cytoplasm. Five germlings from each temperature were selected for quantitative analysis of cytoplasmic microtubules. All 10 germlings had typical nuclear migration phenotypes. No significant temperature-related difference in microtubule density was found. We conclude that inhibition of nuclear migration in the mutant is the effect of some defect other than the failure of cytoplasmic microtubules to assemble to their normal population density. We also suggest that nuclear motility is not dependent on mitosis-related microtubules.
The relational turn in psychoanalysis: revolution or regression?

In this paper, the authors discuss the Relational turn in psychoanalysis that has supposedly taken place in the course of the past 25 years. They spell out the foundational claims of the Relational group and its view that it has revolutionized psychoanalysis by bringing its relational potential to fruition. After clarifying these Relational views, the authors explain why they think that the change introduced is misguided and not as revolutionary as it appears. The authors argue that counter to its self-perception, the relational group in fact reverts to a pre-analytic conception of the person and to an authoritarian stance in relation to the patient. While presenting himself as liberal, unassuming and non-authoritarian in contrast to the traditional analyst, in his belief in his power to know what the patient is missing and to give it to him, the Relational psychoanalyst, in effect, adopts a benevolent paternalistic dogmatism. It is here that the regressive move that actually lies at the heart of what has been referred to by some as the relational revolution in psychoanalysis, is best exemplified.
The role of virtualization in embedded systems

System virtualization, which enjoys immense popularity in the enterprise and personal computing spaces, is recently gaining significant interest in the embedded domain. Starting from a comparison of key characteristics of enterprise systems and embedded systems, we will examine the difference in motivation for the use of system virtual machines, and the resulting differences in the requirements for the technology. We find that these differences are quite substantial, and that virtualization is unable to meet the special requirements of embedded systems. Instead, more general operating-systems technologies are required, which support virtualization as a special case. We argue that high-performance microkernels, specifically L4, are a technology that provides a good match for the requirements of next-generation embedded systems.
Exploring topic structure: coherence, diversity and relatedness

The use of topical information has long been studied in the context of information retrieval. For example, grouping search results into topical categories enables more effective information presentation to users, while grouping documents in a collection can lead to efficient information access. We define a topic as the main theme or subject contained in a (set of) document(s). While topics provide information about the subjects contained in a document, the structure of topics provides information such as the degree to which a set of documents is focused on certain topic (or set of topics), topical diversity among documents, and semantic relatedness of topics. The work of this thesis focuses on modeling the structure of topics present in a (set of) document(s), with the goal of effectively using it in information retrieval. In particular, we consider a number of IR tasks where the notion of relevance is beyond "aboutness" and topic structure plays an important role in satisfying users' information need. The following research themes are addressed, in three parts: (1) topic coherence, (2) diversity and the cluster hypothesis, and (3) relating topics present in different representations. With respect to the first research theme, we develop a coherence measure that effectively captures topical coherence of a set of documents. The proposed measure is applied to two IR tasks, namely, blog feed retrieval and query performance prediction. In the second part of the thesis, we explore the impact of topic structure on effectively presenting retrieval results, with a focus on the scenario of result diversification. We re-visit the cluster hypothesis with respect to ambiguous or multi-faceted queries and investigate the effectiveness of query-specific clustering in result diversification. Topics can be represented in different ways, e.g., using clusters, using definitions from a thesaurus, using statistics of term frequencies, etc. In the third part of the thesis, we study the problem of relating topics represented in different forms within the context of automatic link generation. We identify a set of significant terms from a source text, link those terms to their corresponding entries in a knowledge base in such a way that the source text is annotated with background information available in the knowledge base. We conduct a case study in automatically generating links from narrative radiology reports to Wikipedia. Such links are expected to help users understand the medical terminology and thereby increase the value of the reports. Here we evaluate state-of-the-art link generation systems and propose an approach that improves over state-of-the-art systems on radiology data. Available online at http://dare.uva. nl/record/377895.
An Experiment on Shape Discrimination and Signal Detection in Octopus

Ten octopuses were trained to perform a successive discrimination between the two shapes shown in Figure I (a). After 7 days of training, when performance was significantly above chance, transfer tests were given with other shapes that were either rotations or parts of the original training shapes. At least six theories have been put forward to explain shape discrimination in the octopus, but none of these are capable of explaining the present results. The transfer tests suggest that the discrimination was performed in terms of component parts of the shapes (vertical bars projecting upwards or downwards), and their relationship to the shape as a whole (terminal or central). During successive discrimination training the general level of attack varies between animals, and fluctuates from day to day. As a result there are often more attacks on both the positive and negative shapes on some occasions than others, making it difficult to compare the levels of discrimination achieved. It is suggested that the concepts of signal detection theory can help overcome this difficulty. Attacks on the positive shape (“hits”) plotted against attacks on the negative shape (“false positives”) constitute an ROC curve from which a value of d′, independant of the general level of attack, can be obtained.
Relay selection and power allocation in cooperative cellular networks

We consider a system with a single base station communicating with multiple users over orthogonal channels while being assisted by multiple relays. Several recent works have suggested that, in such a scenario, selection, i.e., a single relay helping the source, is the best relaying option in terms of the resulting complexity and overhead. However, in a multiuser setting, optimal relay assignment is a combinatorial problem. In this paper, we formulate a related convex optimization problem that provides an extremely tight upper bound on performance and show that selection is, almost always, inherent in the solution. We also provide a heuristic to find a close-to-optimal relay assignment and power allocation across users supported by a single relay. Simulation results using realistic channel models demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed schemes, but also raise the question as to whether the gains from relaying are worth the additional costs.
ANT COLONY WITH COLORED PHEROMONES ROUTING FOR MULTI OBJECTIVES QUALITY OF SERVICES IN WSNs

In this article, we present a new Ant-routing algorithm with colored pheromones and clustering techniques for satisfying users’ Quality of Service (QoS) requirements in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). An important problem is to detect the best route from a source node to the destination node. Moreover, it is considered that the feature of non-uniformly distributed traffic load and possibility existing of the traffic requiring various performances; therefore, it is assumed the different class of traffic required for QoS of communication. In this paper, novel protocol, the suitability of using meta-heuristic an ant colony optimization based on energy saving and multi objectives, the demand of QoS routing protocol for WSN will be very adaptive ,resident power and mainly decrease end-to-end delay. These metrics are used by colored pheromones adapted to the traffic classes. Moreover, we reinforce the proposed method for scalability issue by clustering techniques. We use a proactive route discover algorithms in clusters and reactive discovery mechanism between different clusters. Compared to existing QoS routing protocols, the novel algorithm has been designed for various service categories such as real time (RT) and best effort (BE) traffic, resulted lower packet deadline miss ratio and higher energy efficiency and better QoS and longer lifetime.
Fanatical consumers: towards a framework for research

Lays the groundwork for a conceptual framework that might be used to study fanatical consumers and consumption. We review literature on fanatics produced by psychologists, sociologists, cultural theorists, political scientists, theologists and marketers and then place their multidisciplinary insights into a consumption context. We identify two familiar features of fanatics – intensity and intolerance – but suggest a third feature – incoherence among thinking, behaviour and goals caused by intensity and/or intolerance might be the conceptual key to understanding fanatical consumers, measuring their fanaticism and interpreting their consumption experiences.
A longitudinal analysis of the spectral peaks of vowels for a Japanese infant

This paper describes a longitudinal analysis of the vowel development of a Japanese female infant between the ages of 4 and 60 months. The speech data were natural spontaneous speech recorded for at least an hour per month. Vowels were extracted from the data according to their phoneme labels by two transcribers. The two lower spectral peaks of the vowels were estimated by linear predictive coding method. Analyses of the mean values of the spectral peaks suggest that the values change with age according to the articulation positions of the tongue and the rapid development of the vocal tract. The values change greatly until the age of 18 months. In addition, the distribution of the two spectral peaks for individual vowels shows that the vowel space expands with age, and this also continues until the age of 18 months. Another investigation of the vowel distributions based on discriminant analysis confirms that the differentiation of the spectral peak distributions also continues until around the age 18 months in terms of a physical phenomenon. These results suggest that the infant becomes able to produce discriminable vowels corresponding to the rapid increase in the vocal tract length at around that age.
Robust integral sliding mode controller for quadrotor flight

In this paper, a robust integral sliding mode controller is designed for the position and attitude control of an autonomous quadrotor with under-actuated characteristics. The designed controller can stabilize the pitch angle and roll angle while the three position and yaw angle could converge to the desired values. Furthermore, the flight controllers are derived via the Lyapunov theory, which can guarantee that all the system state trajectories reach and maintain on the sliding surfaces. The advantage of the integral sliding mode control is that it is insensitive to the modelling errors, parameter uncertainties and other disturbances, and it can improve the steady-state response of the system as well. The chattering of the controller is reduced by a designed boundary layer. The performance of the proposed controllers is compared with the PD controller with the simulation experiments, which can achieve better robustness and tracking capability.
Down-Regulation of Na+/K+ ATPase Activity by Human Parvovirus B19 Capsid Protein VP1

Background/Aims: Human parvovirus B19 (B19V) may cause inflammatory cardiomyopathy (iCMP) which is accompanied by endothelial dysfunction. The B19V capsid protein VP1 contains a lysophosphatidylcholine producing phospholipase A2 (PLA) sequence. Lysophosphatidylcholine has in turn been shown to inhibit Na+/K+ ATPase. The present study explored whether VP1 modifies Na+/K+ ATPase activity. Methods: Xenopus oocytes were injected with cRNA encoding VP1 isolated from a patient suffering from fatal B19V-iCMP or cRNA encoding PLA2-negative VP1 mutant (H153A) and K+ induced pump current (Ipump) as well as ouabain-inhibited current (Iouabain) both reflecting Na+/K+-ATPase activity were determined by dual electrode voltage clamp. Results: Injection of cRNA encoding VP1, but not of VP1(H153A) or water, was followed by a significant decrease of both, Ipump and Iouabain in Xenopus oocytes. The effect was not modified by inhibition of transcription with actinomycin (10 µM for 36 hours) but was abrogated in the presence of PLA2 specific blocker 4-bromophenacylbromide (50 µM) and was mimicked by lysophosphatidylcholine (0.5 - 1 µg/ml). According to whole cell patch clamp, lysophosphatidylcholine (1 µg /ml) similarly decreased Ipump in human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC). Conclusion: The B19V capsid protein VP1 is a powerful inhibitor of host cell Na+/K+ ATPase, an effect at least partially due to phospholipase A2 (PLA2) dependent formation of lysophosphatidylcholine.
The Treatment Outcome and Radiation-Induced Toxicity for Patients with Head and Neck Carcinoma in the IMRT Era: A Systematic Review with Dosimetric and Clinical Parameters

A descriptive analysis was made in terms of the related radiation induced acute and late mucositis and xerostomia along with survival and tumor control rates (significance level at 0.016, bonferroni correction), for irradiation in head and neck carcinomas with either 2D Radiation Therapy (2DRT) and 3D conformal (3DCRT) or Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). The mean score of grade > II xerostomia for IMRT versus 2-3D RT was 0.31 ± 0.23 and 0.56 ± 0.23, respectively (Mann Whitney, P < 0.001). The parotid-dose for IMRT versus 2-3D RT was 29.56 ± 5.45 and 50.73 ± 6.79, respectively (Mann Whitney, P = 0.016). The reported mean parotid-gland doses were significantly correlated with late xerostomia (spearman test, rho = 0.5013, P < 0.001). A trend was noted for the superiority of IMRT concerning the acute oral mucositis. The 3-year overall survival for either IMRT or 2-3DRT was 89.5% and 82.7%, respectively (P = 0.026, Kruskal-Wallis test). The mean 3-year locoregional control rate was 83.6% (range: 70–97%) and 74.4 (range: 61–82%), respectively (P = 0.025, Kruskal-Wallis). In conclusion, no significant differences in terms of locoregional control, overall survival and acute mucositis could be noted, while late xerostomia is definitely higher in 2-3D RT versus IMRT. Patients with head and neck carcinoma should be referred preferably to IMRT techniques.
Aggression and disruptive behavior disorders in children and adolescents

Aggression is a common symptom of many psychiatric disorders including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, Tourette’s disorder, mood disorders (including bipolar disorder), substance-related disorders, alcohol-related disorders, mental retardation, pervasive developmental disorders, intermittent explosive disorder and personality disorders (particularly antisocial personality disorder). Many forms of organic brain disorders may present with aggressive behavior. Aggression is common in some epileptic patients and some endocrinological diseases (e.g., diabetes and hyperthyroidism) may be associated with aggressive behavior. Physicians need to rule out many medical and psychiatric disorders before diagnosing aggressive behavior. A thorough diagnostic work up is the most important step in determining the nature of comorbid disorders associated with the behavioral problem. Structured interviews and rating scales completed by patients, parents, teachers and clinicians may aid the diagnosis and provide quantification for the change process related to treatment. The integration of medication, individual and family counseling, educational and psychosocial interventions including the school and community, may increase the effectiveness of interventions. Due to the common association of aggression and disruptive behaviors with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, psychostimulants including new generation long-acting medications and other nonstimulant medications are considered the drug of choice for managing aggressive behavior and disruptive behavior disorders. Severe aggressive behavior not responding to these medications may require the single or combined use of mood regulators including lithium and/or antispychotic medications. Drugs such as risperidone (Risperdal®, Janssen-Cilag) have documented effectiveness and safety in children and adolescents, and can be used in treatment.
Alterations in the Activities of the Nitrogenous Wasteof Clarias Gariepinus after Intramuscular Injection with Aqueous Extracts of Jatropha Tanjorensis Leaves.

Jatropha tanjorensis leaf serve both as food and as medicine. There is need for proper physiological and toxicological tests in order to ensure its safety. The analyses of nitrogenous wastes produced on exposure of Clarias gariepinus to the acute concentration (0.0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8.0 and 10.0g/L) of aqueous extracts of Jatropha tanjorensis leaf was studied for four days. The result of the nitrogenous wastes parameters showed that serum bilirubin and uric acid, creatinine and urea were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the injected fish, while muscle and kidney bilirubin, and kidney uric acid was significantly lower (P < 0.05). The nitrogenous wastes activities of C. gariepinus were both dose and tissue dependent. This study highlights the fact that acute concentrations of aqueous extracts of Jatropha tanjorensis have moderate deleterious consequences on the nitrogenous wastes activities of Clarias gariepinus.
Generating Markov Equivalent Maximal Ancestral Graphs by Single Edge Replacement

Maximal ancestral graphs (MAGs) are used to encode conditional independence relations in DAG models with hidden variables. Different MAGs may represent the same set of conditional independences and are called Markov equivalent. This paper considers MAGs without undirected edges and shows conditions under which an arrow in a MAG can be reversed or interchanged with a bi-directed edge so as to yield a Markov equivalent MAG.
Tunnett diode oscillators for mm-wave wideband communication and for terahertz electronics

70-706 GHz GaAs TUNNETTs, transit time diodes with tunneling injection of electrons were fabricated with molecular layer epitaxy. Their low noise makes them suitable for mm-wave and sub-mm-wave communication systems as generators or self-oscillating modulators. CW THz-wave TUNNETTs are compact and power-efficient as compared with other THz generators
Direct evidence that a human antibody derived from patient serum can promote myelin repair in a mouse model of chronic‐progressive demyelinating disease

Certain human sera from patients with monoclonal gammopathies contain factors that induce myelin repair in animals with demyelinating disease. We hypothesize that antibodies functionally distinguish the serum of one patient from another. However, pooled normal polyclonal human IgM antibodies also induce remyelination. Definitive proof that specific antibodies are the biologically active components of serum is missing because unquestionably pure preparations of antibody molecules cannot be generated by fractionation. To demonstrate definitively that antibody is the biologically active component of patient serum, recombinant antibody was generated for evaluation in bioassays. The induction of remyelination in vivo requires milligram quantities of antibody. Consequently, an expression system was engineered to express high‐titer, recombinant human IgM antibodies in vitro. A resulting recombinant antibody (rHIgM22) was evaluated for its ability to induce remyelination in the Theiler's virus mouse model of chronic‐progressive demyelinating disease. We demonstrate that a single recombinant monoclonal antibody recapitulates the key characteristics of patient serum, including binding specificity, the induction of calcium signals in oligodendrocytes in vitro, and the induction of myelin repair within demyelinated plaques in vivo. The rHIgM22 antibody provides a new venue for the analysis of mechanisms governing remyelination and may prove useful in the treatment of demyelinating diseases.