Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Activation of the Ste20-like Oxidant Stress Response Kinase-1 during the Initial Stages of Chemical Anoxia-induced Necrotic Cell Death

Signal transduction mechanisms activated during the early stages of necrotic cell death are poorly characterized. We have recently identified the Sterile 20 (Ste20)-like oxidant stress response kinase-1, SOK-1, which is a member of the Ste20 kinase family. We report that SOK-1 is markedly activated as early as 20 min after chemical anoxia induced by exposure of Madin-Darby canine kidney or LLC-PK1 renal tubular epithelial cells to 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) and any one of three inhibitors of the electron transport chain, cyanide (CN), rotenone, or antimycin A. Since oxidant stress activates SOK-1, we postulated that reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are produced by the electron transport chain during chemical anoxia, might be responsible for SOK-1 activation. The time course of CN/2-DG-induced SOK-1 activation and of production of ROS, measured in cells loaded with dichlorofluorescein, were compatible with a role for ROS in SOK-1 activation. Furthermore, preincubation of LLC-PK1 cells with three unrelated scavengers of ROS, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, pyruvate, or nordihydroguaiaretic acid, reduced both cellular oxidant stress and activation of SOK-1 by CN/2-DG. An increase in cytosolic free [Ca2+] ([Ca2+] i ) was necessary but not sufficient for CN/2-DG-induced activation of SOK-1. Preincubation of cells with BAPTA-AM prevented activation of SOK-1. Incubation of cells with thapsigargin or the calcium ionophore, A23187, had no effect on SOK-1 activity, but preincubation of cells with either of these agents markedly enhanced CN/2-DG-induced activation of SOK-1 (20-foldversus 7-fold). In summary, chemical anoxia activates SOK-1 via an oxidant stress-dependent mechanism that is both critically dependent upon and markedly amplified by an increase in [Ca2+] i . This requirement for dual inputs of oxidant stress and an increase in [Ca2+] i may prevent inappropriate activation of the kinase by milder degrees of oxidant stress, which are insufficient to generate an increase in [Ca2+] i . The activation of SOK-1 may be one of the cell’s earliest responses to inducers of necrotic cell death.
Why MSN Lost to QQ in China Market? Different Privacy Protection Design

International software providers have entered China market in recent years. One typical example is MSN. As an indigenous IT products, QQ provides almost the same functions as MSN and competes with MSN for years. Market survey indicates that QQ dominates the local instance message market. Why QQ could win the battle with MSN in China market? In this paper, we investigate the detailed designs of MSN vs. QQ, focusing in particular on their privacy protection. We find that, in general, users' privacy concern level is low in China. Users show inclination to be connected with strangers in virtual community. They may trade off certain level of privacy protection to gain the chance of visiting by strangers. Moreover, in the position of control could mitigate users' privacy concern. Indigenous IT products, such as QQ, understand and leverage users' behavior. By lowering privacy protection and providing various control tools, QQ successfully caters to the need of young generation in China, which is main Internet users in China. Such results shed light on how to survive in China market for international IT product providers.
Kappa B-type enhancers are involved in lipopolysaccharide-mediated transcriptional activation of the tumor necrosis factor alpha gene in primary macrophages

We have explored the cis-acting elements necessary for the LPS-mediated activation of the mouse TNF-alpha promoter by transfecting a set of 5' deletion mutants linked to the CAT reporter gene into primary bone marrow-derived macrophages. A major drop in inducibility by LPS was seen upon deletion of a region mapping between nt -655 and nt -451. Gel retardation assays revealed that LPS induced the appearance in this region of several specific DNA-protein complexes mapping to sequence motifs with strong homology to the kappa B enhancer. Constructs containing two or more copies of one of the kappa B enhancer motifs linked to a heterologous promoter were inducible by LPS. Additional deletion of a region between nt -301 and nt -241, which contains a MHC class II-like "Y box" and formed a Y box-specific complex with a protein whose concentration was increased by LPS, caused a nearly complete loss of inducibility by LPS. We speculate that NF-kappa B and/or related proteins are involved in the LPS-induced transcriptional activation of the TNF-alpha gene, and that factors interacting with the Y box can additionally modulate the activity of the gene in macrophages.
A Convex Surrogate Operator for General Non-Modular Loss Functions

Empirical risk minimization frequently employs convex surrogates to underlying discrete loss functions in order to achieve computational tractability during optimization. However, classical convex surrogates can only tightly bound modular loss functions, sub-modular functions or supermodular functions separately while maintaining polynomial time computation. In this work, a novel generic convex surrogate for general non-modular loss functions is introduced, which provides for the first time a tractable solution for loss functions that are neither super-modular nor submodular. This convex surro-gate is based on a submodular-supermodular decomposition for which the existence and uniqueness is proven in this paper. It takes the sum of two convex surrogates that separately bound the supermodular component and the submodular component using slack-rescaling and the Lov{a}sz hinge, respectively. It is further proven that this surrogate is convex , piecewise linear, an extension of the loss function, and for which subgradient computation is polynomial time. Empirical results are reported on a non-submodular loss based on the S{o}rensen-Dice difference function, and a real-world face track dataset with tens of thousands of frames, demonstrating the improved performance, efficiency, and scalabil-ity of the novel convex surrogate.
Probabilistic design methodology to improve run-time stability and performance of STT-RAM caches

Using the spin-transfer torque random access memory (STT-RAM) technology as lower level on-chip caches has been proposed to minimize leakage power consumption and enhance cache capacity at the scaled technologies. However, programming STT-RAM is a stochastic process due to the random thermal fluctuations. Conventional worst-case (corner) design with a fixed write pulse period cannot completely eliminate the write failures but maintain it at a low level by paying high cost in hardware complexity and system performance. In this work, we systematically study the impacts of the stochastic switching of STT-RAM on circuit and cache performance. Two probabilistic design techniques, write-verify-rewrite with adaptive period (WRAP) and verify-one-while-writing (VOW), then are proposed for performance improvement and write failure reduction. Our simulation results show that compared to the result of the conventional design using Hamming Code to correct the write failures, WRAP is write error free while reducing the cache write latency and energy consumption by 40% and 26%, respectively. When an extremely low write failure rate (i.e., 10-22) is allowed, VOW can further boost the reductions on write latency and energy to 52% and 29%, respectively. Furthermore, a hybrid STT-RAM based cache hierarchy taking advantages of probabilistic design techniques is proposed. The novel hierarchy can reduce the write failure rate of STT-RAM cache to 10-30, while improving the speed by 6.8% and saving 15% of energy consumption compared to a conventional design with Hamming Code.
Effect of Fish Oil Supplementation on the n-3 Fatty Acid Content of Red Blood Cell Membranes in Preterm Infants

ABSTRACT. : Very low birth weight infants demonstrate significant reductions in red blood cell membrane docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) following delivery unless fed human milk. The purpose of the present study was to determine if a dietary source of DHA (MaxEPA, R. P. Scherer Corporation, Troy, MI) could prevent the decline in red blood cell phospholipid DHA in very low birth weight infants whose enteral feeding consisted of a preterm formula without DHA. Longitudinal data were obtained on membrane phospholipid DHA in both un supplemented and MaxEPA-supplemented infants by a combination of thin layer and gas chromatography. These infants (n = 39) ranged in age from 10 to 53 days at enrollment (0 time). At enrollment, phospholipid DHA and arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) were inversely correlated with age in days. During the study, mean red blood cell phospholipid DHA declined without supplementary DHA as determined by biweekly measurement, but infants supplemented with MaxEPA maintained the same weight percent of phospholipid (phosphatidylethanolanine, phosphatidylcholine, and phospharidylserine) DHA as at enrollment. The pattern of red blood cell phospholipid fatty acids in supplemented infants was similar to that reported for preterm infants fed human milk.
The scent of danger: arginine as an olfactory cue of reduced predation risk

SUMMARY Animal perception of chemosensory cues is a function of ecological context. Larvae of the California newt (Taricha torosa), for example, exhibit predator-avoidance behavior in response to a chemical from cannibalistic adults. The poison tetrodotoxin (TTX), well known as an adult chemical defense, stimulates larval escape to refuges. Although they are cannibals, adult newts feed preferentially on worms (Eisenia rosea) over conspecific young. Hence, larval avoidance reactions to TTX are suppressed in the presence of odor from these alternative prey. The free amino acid, arginine, is abundant in fluids emitted by injured worms. Here, we demonstrate that arginine is a natural suppressant of TTX-stimulated larval escape behavior. Compared to a tapwater control, larvae initiated vigorous swimming in response to 10–7 mol l–1 TTX. This excitatory response was eliminated when larval nasal cavities were blocked with an inert gel, but not when gel was placed on the forehead (control). In additional trials, a binary mixture of arginine and 10–7 mol l–1 TTX failed to induce larval swimming. The inhibitory effect of arginine was, however, dose dependent. An arginine concentration as low as 0.3-times that of TTX was significantly suppressant. Further analysis showed that suppression by arginine of TTX-stimulated behavior was eliminated by altering the positively-charged guanidinium moiety, but not by modifying the carbon chain, carboxyl group, or amine group. These results are best explained by a mechanism of competitive inhibition between arginine and TTX for common, olfactory receptor binding sites. Although arginine alone has no impact on larval behavior, it nevertheless signals active adult predation on alternative prey, and hence, reduced cannibalism risk.
Bandwidth Allocation By Pricing In ATM Networks

Admission control and bandwidth allocation are important issues in telecommunications networks, especially when there are random uctuating demands for service and variations in the service rates. In the emerging broadband communications environment these services are likely to be o ered via an ATM network. In order to make ATM future safe, methods for controlling the network should not be based on the characteristics of present services. We propose one bandwidth allocation method which has this property. Our proposed approach is based on pricing bandwidth to re ect network utilization, with users competing for resources according to their individual bandwidth valuations. The prices may be components of an actual tari or they may be used as control signals, as in a private network. Simulation results show the improvement possible with our scheme versus a leaky bucket method in terms of cell loss probability, and con rm that a small queue with pricing can be e cient to multiplex heterogeneous sources. Keyword Codes: C.2. 1; C.2. 4
Cultural Biases in the Weschler Memory Scale iii (WMS-iii)

The Wechsler Memory Scale –iii is the newest version of a six-decade old neuropsychological inventory. Since its conception, the Wechsler Memory Scale has been highly utilized by practitioners to accurately assess various memory functions in adult subjects. Revisions made within this inventory include the Faces I subtest, a facial recognition scale, which was added in order to strengthen the instrument’s accuracy at measuring episodic memory. Facial recognition, both cross-race and within-race, has been researched extensively and consistent biases have been found between race of test taker and cross-racial identification. Theories of exposure/contextual interaction (environment) and biological foundations have been the subject of study in the past in order to determine from where these racial identification deficits stem. The current study focuses on revealing bias in the Faces I subtest, regarding to an unequal distribution of racially representative faces in the testing materials. Eighty-eight college students were recruited to view forty-eight pictured faces from the Faces I subtest and determine the racial category to which the pictured face belonged. The subjects’ categorical responses were the basis for calculating a percent agreement score for racial category of each face. It was determined, using the results of subjects’ responses, that the Faces I subtest contained an unequal distribution of racially representative faces in both the Target and Interference testing material. This confirmed the presence of an inherent bias within the subscale. The implications of memory accuracy for the WMS-iii are discussed as it relates to different fields of study, but none more directly than the criminal justice system. Eyewitness testimony is a pivotal evidentiary tool in the criminal justice system, and Running head: CULTURAL BIASES IN THE WMS-iii viii ramifications of cross-racial identification deficits and biases in the tools to accurately assess memory are increasingly bringing this once heavily relied upon tool into question.
Alternative Splicing of Staufen2 Creates the Nuclear Export Signal for CRM1 (Exportin 1)*

Mammalian Staufen2 (Stau2), a brain-specific double-stranded RNA-binding protein, is involved in the localization of mRNA in neurons. To gain insights into the function of Stau2, the subcellular localization of Stau2 isoforms fused to the green fluorescence protein was examined. Fluorescence microscopic analysis showed that Stau2 functions as a nucleocytoplasmic shuttle protein. The nuclear export of the 62-kDa isoform of Stau2 (Stau262) is mediated by the double-stranded RNA-binding domain 3 (RBD3) because a mutation to RBD3 led to nuclear accumulation. On the other hand, the shorter isoform of Stau2, Stau259, is exported from the nucleus by two distinct pathways, one of which is RBD3-mediated and the other of which is CRM1 (exportin 1)-dependent. The nuclear export signal recognized by CRM1 was found to be located in the N-terminal region of Stau259. These results suggest that Stau2 may carry a variety of RNAs out of the nucleus, using the two export pathways. The present study addresses the issue of why plural Stau2 isoforms are expressed in neurons.
Reply to Ray's Directiveness and Authoritarianism: A Rejoinder to Duckitt

Ray's contention that his Directiveness (DR) scale measures one of the component constructs of the syndrome of authoritarianism described by Adorno et al., is questioned. Neither his definition of DR nor the item content of that scale suggests any real correspondence with anyone of the nine components described by the theory of the authoritarian personality (TAP). It is also demonstrated that Ray's assertion that the TAP requires the covariation of submissiveness and hostility as generalized behavioural dispositions is mistaken and represents a serious misinterpretation of Adorno's concepts of authoritarian submission and authoritarian aggression. Essentially it is argued that in order to test a theory's linkage of two concepts, such as those of authoritarian submission and authoritarian aggression, adequately, their measurement should conform to the manner in which that theory described them. Since Ray's concept of DR has very little, if anything, in common with traditional conceptualizations of authoritarianism such as those of Reich, Fromm, Maslow and Adorno, it is suggested that the investigation of correlation between the DR scale and concepts pertinent to the TAP has no theoretical rationale at all and as such becomes an essentially pointless exercise.
A Similarity-Based 3 D Time-Varying Data Visualization Technique

Time-varying data visualization is an active research topic in these years. We are currently focusing on visualization of various timevarying data, including weather, gene expression, and atomic plant measurement data. Polyline chart is the most common time-varying data visualization technique. We think famous Information Seeking Mantra [2], which suggests important operations for information visualization ”Overview, Zoom, Filter, and Detail on demand”, is also important for polyline-based time-varying data visualization. Several interactive techniques [1][4] have realized the filtering of unfocused portions of the time-varying data. We think that still we need to improve the readability of initial representation of time-varying data, so that we can easily discover interesting phenomena. The poster presents a 3D time-varying data visualization technique, for all-in-one display and extraction of similar values. The technique firstly orders the time-varying data based on their similarity, and places the polylines in the order. It then provides two views, while one view briefly represents the whole time-varying data, and the other represents the partial data extracted by click operations. Users can look over the time-varying data, extract groups of interested similar values, and carefully observe the extracted values, by using this technique.
Coherent Plane Wave Compounding for Very High Frame Rate Ultrasonography of Rapidly Moving Targets

Coherent plane wave compounding is a promising technique for achieving very high frame rate imaging without compromising image quality or penetration. However, this approach relies on the hypothesis that the imaged object is not moving during the compounded scan sequence, which is not the case in cardiovascular imaging. This work investigates the effect of tissue motion on retrospective transmit focusing in coherent compounded plane wave imaging (PWI). Two compound scan sequences were studied based on a linear and alternating sequence of tilted plane waves, with different timing characteristics. Simulation studies revealed potentially severe degradations in the retrospective focusing process, where both radial and lateral resolution was reduced, lateral shifts of the imaged medium were introduced, and losses in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were inferred. For myocardial imaging, physiological tissue displacements were on the order of half a wavelength, leading to SNR losses up to 35 dB, and reductions of contrast by 40 dB. No significant difference was observed between the different tilt sequences. A motion compensation technique based on cross-correlation was introduced, which significantly recovered the losses in SNR and contrast for physiological tissue velocities. Worst case losses in SNR and contrast were recovered by 35 dB and 27-35 dB, respectively. The effects of motion were demonstrated in vivo when imaging a rat heart. Using PWI, very high frame rates up to 463 fps were achieved at high image quality, but a motion correction scheme was then required.
Language Modeling and Document Re-Ranking: Trinity Experiments at TEL@CLEF-2009

This paper presents a report on our participation in the CLEF-2009 monolingual and bilingual ad hoc TEL@CLEF tasks involving three different languages: English, French and German. Language modeling is adopted as the underlying information retrieval model. While the data collection is extremely sparse, smoothing is particular important when estimating a language model. The main purpose of the monolingual task is to compare different smoothing strategies and investigate the effectiveness of each alternative. This retrieval model is then used alongside a document re-ranking method based on Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) which exploits the implicit structure of the documents with respect to original queries for the monolingual and bilingual tasks. Experimental results demonstrated that three smoothing strategies behave differently across testing languages while LDA-based document re-ranking method should be considered further in order to bring significant improvement over the baseline language modeling systems in the cross-language setting.
Hybridity and Nonprofit Organizations

The emergent research on hybrid organizations is complicated by three circumstances: (a) the assertion that every organization possesses traits of hybridity, (b) the difficulty of operationalizing sector intersections in research, and (c) the alienation of the research field from nonprofit theory. This article proposes a research agenda for the study of hybridity that relates more strongly to the latter. It results in questions of significant explanatory potential, for instance, How does hybridity relate to market failure? How are legitimacy, trust, and accountability ensured if the nondistribution constraint is being abandoned? Which form transitions and innovations are being produced by hybridity? These questions have to be reflected against a variety of welfare state concepts and policy tools, such as tax credits or contracts, that may be used to govern hybridity. This article furthermore suggests that research on hybridity would benefit from relating nonprofit theory to disciplinary approaches, such as institutional theory or organizational life cycles.
A multilingual expectations model for contextual utterances in mixed-initiative spoken dialogue

This paper describes a model of generating expectations that are used to improve speech recognition and to resolve elliptical expressions in dialogue context. The algorithm is domain and language independent and part of the dialogue manager. We use the expectation model to weight a speech recognizer’s grammar rules in dialogue context which improves recognition rates signiﬁcantly as shown in the evaluation. We explain what types of expectations the system can generate and give a classiﬁcation of system actions based on speech act theory, explain the resolution of elliptical expressions and their interpretation in context, and evaluate the presented algorithm in a multilingual system with English and German speech recognition
State Liability for Accidental Transnational Environmental Damage by Private Persons

A striking feature of our times is that private individuals and corporations are engaging increasingly in activities that may result in significant accidental damage to the transnational environment. The international community has responded to this phenomenon by strengthening the transnational accountability of the private actors. Significant efforts have been made to obtain wide international acceptance of the principle of “equal right of access,” that is, the right of the actual or potential victim of transnational pollution to have recourse, for the purposes of both prevention and compensation, to the national authorities that exercise jurisdiction or control over the private actor concerned. A similar endeavor is discernible towards ensuring, at least in certain cases, that the private actor will maintain minimal financial resources for compensating victims of accidental transnational pollution damage.