Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Six3 promotes the formation of ectopic optic vesicle‐like structures in mouse embryos

A few years ago, three novel murine homeobox genes closely related to the Drosophila sine oculis (so) gene (Six1‐3) were isolated and were all included in the Six/so gene family. Because of its early expression in the developing eye field, Six3 was initially thought to be the functional ortholog of the Drosophila so gene. This hypothesis was further supported by the demonstration that ectopic Six3 expression in medaka fish (Oryzias latipes) promotes the formation of ectopic lens and retina tissue. Here, we show that similar to Drosophila, where the eyeless/Pax6 gene regulates the eye‐specific expression of so, Six3 expression in the murine lens placodal ectoderm is also controlled by Pax6. We also show that ectopic Six3 expression promotes the formation of ectopic optic vesicle‐like structures in the hindbrain‐midbrain region of developing mouse embryos. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Indirect File Leaks in Mobile Applications

Today, much of our sensitive information is stored inside mobile applications (apps), such as the browsing histories and chatting logs. To safeguard these privacy files, modern mobile systems, notably Android and iOS, use sandboxes to isolate apps' file zones from one another. However, we show in this paper that these private files can still be leaked by indirectly exploiting components that are trusted by the victim apps. In particular, we devise new indirect file leak (IFL) attacks that exploit browser interfaces, command interpreters, and embedded app servers to leak data from very popular apps, such as Evernote and QQ. Unlike the previous attacks, we demonstrate that these IFLs can affect both Android and iOS. Moreover, our IFL methods allow an adversary to launch the attacks remotely, without implanting malicious apps in victim's smartphones. We finally compare the impacts of four different types of IFL attacks on Android and iOS, and propose several mitigation methods.
Self-powered integrated microfluidic point-of-care low-cost enabling (SIMPLE) chip

Using lab-on-chip technology, bulky lab equipment is shrunk into a simple, portable, and quantitative microfluidic chip for DNA diagnostics. Portable, low-cost, and quantitative nucleic acid detection is desirable for point-of-care diagnostics; however, current polymerase chain reaction testing often requires time-consuming multiple steps and costly equipment. We report an integrated microfluidic diagnostic device capable of on-site quantitative nucleic acid detection directly from the blood without separate sample preparation steps. First, we prepatterned the amplification initiator [magnesium acetate (MgOAc)] on the chip to enable digital nucleic acid amplification. Second, a simplified sample preparation step is demonstrated, where the plasma is separated autonomously into 224 microwells (100 nl per well) without any hemolysis. Furthermore, self-powered microfluidic pumping without any external pumps, controllers, or power sources is accomplished by an integrated vacuum battery on the chip. This simple chip allows rapid quantitative digital nucleic acid detection directly from human blood samples (10 to 105 copies of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus DNA per microliter, ~30 min, via isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification). These autonomous, portable, lab-on-chip technologies provide promising foundations for future low-cost molecular diagnostic assays.
The intraflagellar transport protein IFT57 is required for cilia maintenance and regulates IFT-particle–kinesin-II dissociation in vertebrate photoreceptors

Defects in protein transport within vertebrate photoreceptors can result in photoreceptor degeneration. In developing and mature photoreceptors, proteins targeted to the outer segment are transported through the connecting cilium via the process of intraflagellar transport (IFT). In studies of vertebrate IFT, mutations in any component of the IFT particle typically abolish ciliogenesis, suggesting that IFT proteins are equally required for IFT. To determine whether photoreceptor outer segment formation depends equally on individual IFT proteins, we compared the retinal phenotypes of IFT57 and IFT88 mutant zebrafish. IFT88 mutants failed to form outer segments, whereas IFT57 mutants formed short outer segments with reduced amounts of opsin. Our phenotypic analysis revealed that IFT57 is not essential for IFT, but is required for efficient IFT. In co-immunoprecipitation experiments from whole-animal extracts, we determined that kinesin II remained associated with the IFT particle in the absence of IFT57, but IFT20 did not. Additionally, kinesin II did not exhibit ATP-dependent dissociation from the IFT particle in IFT57 mutants. We conclude that IFT20 requires IFT57 to associate with the IFT particle and that IFT57 and/or IFT20 mediate kinesin II dissociation.
Lipid-dependent Activation of Protein Kinase C-α by Normal Alcohols*

Significant stimulation of protein kinase C-α (PKCα) by n-alcohols was observed in characterized lipid systems composed of phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylserine/dioleoylglycerol (PC/PS/DO). The logarithm of the alcohol concentrations to achieve half-maximal PKC stimulation (ED50) and of the maximal PKC stimulation by alcohols were both linear functions of alcohol chain length, consistent with the Meyer-Overton effect. Binding of phorbol esters to PKC was not significantly affected by octanol. Octanol increased, up to 4-fold, the affinity of PKC binding to the lipid bilayers in both the absence and presence of DO. However, octanol increased PKC activity much more significantly than it enhanced binding of the enzyme to the lipid bilayers, suggesting that the stimulation of PKC is not merely a reflection of the increase in PKC bilayer binding affinity. 31P NMR experiments did not reveal formation of non-lamellar phases with octanol. Differential scanning calorimetry suggested that alcohols, like diacylglycerol, induce formation of compositionally distinct domains and the maximal enzyme activity with alcohol resided roughly in the putative domain-coexistence region. These results suggest that alcohols are mimicking diacylglycerol in activating PKC, not by binding to the high affinity phorbol ester binding site, but by altering lipid structure and by enhancing PKC-bilayer binding.
Rodent host specificity of European hantaviruses: Evidence of Puumala virus interspecific spillover

In order to investigate rodent host specificity of European hantaviruses, experimental infection of colonized and wild‐trapped rodents was performed. In addition to the natural rodent reservoir, Clethrionomys glareolus, Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) could infect colonized Microtus agrestis and Lemmus sibiricus, but not Syrian hamsters or Balb/C mice. Neither C. glareolus, nor M. agrestis, could be readily infected by Tula hantavirus (TULV). Wild‐trapped Apodemus flavicollis and A. agrarius, the natural reservoirs of Dobrava (DOBV) and Saaremaa (SAAV) hantaviruses, respectively, could both be infected by SAAV. NMRI mice could also be infected by SAAV, but with lower efficiency as compared to Apodemus mice. Balb/C and NMRI laboratory mice, but not C. glareolus, could be infected by DOBV. To our knowledge, this is the first time DOBV and SAAV have been shown to infect adult laboratory mice. Moreover, potential hantavirus spillover infections were investigated in wild‐trapped rodents. In addition to the natural host C. glareolus, we also found M. arvalis and A. sylvaticus with a history of PUUV infection. We did not find any C. glareolus or A. sylvaticus infected with TULV, a hantavirus which is known to circulate in the same geographical regions of Belgium, J. Med. Virol. 68:581–588, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Beta toxin catalyzes formation of nucleoprotein matrix in staphylococcal biofilms

Biofilms are surface-associated communities of microbes encompassed by an extracellular matrix. It is estimated that 80% of all bacterial infections involve biofilm formation, but the structure and regulation of biofilms are incompletely understood. Extracellular DNA (eDNA) is a major structural component in many biofilms of the pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, but its role is enigmatic. Here, we demonstrate that beta toxin, a neutral sphingomyelinase and a virulence factor of S. aureus, forms covalent cross-links to itself in the presence of DNA (we refer to this as biofilm ligase activity, independent of sphingomyelinase activity) producing an insoluble nucleoprotein matrix in vitro. Furthermore, we show that beta toxin strongly stimulates biofilm formation in vivo as demonstrated by a role in causation of infectious endocarditis in a rabbit model. Together, these results suggest that beta toxin cross-linking in the presence of eDNA assists in forming the skeletal framework upon which staphylococcal biofilms are established.
Efficacy and safety of incretin therapy in type 2 diabetes: systematic review and meta-analysis.

CONTEXT Pharmacotherapies that augment the incretin pathway have recently become available, but their role in the management of type 2 diabetes is not well defined. OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy and safety of incretin-based therapy in adults with type 2 diabetes based on randomized controlled trials published in peer-reviewed journals or as abstracts. DATA SOURCES We searched MEDLINE (1966-May 20, 2007) and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (second quarter, 2007) for English-language randomized controlled trials involving an incretin mimetic (glucagonlike peptide 1 [GLP-1] analogue) or enhancer (dipeptidyl peptidase 4 [DPP4] inhibitor). We also searched prescribing information, relevant Web sites, reference lists and citation sections of recovered articles, and abstracts presented at recent conferences. STUDY SELECTION Randomized controlled trials were selected if they were at least 12 weeks in duration, compared incretin therapy with placebo or other diabetes medication, and reported hemoglobin A(1c) data in nonpregnant adults with type 2 diabetes. DATA EXTRACTION Two reviewers independently assessed trials for inclusion and extracted data. Differences were resolved by consensus. Meta-analyses were conducted for several efficacy and safety outcomes. RESULTS Of 355 potentially relevant articles identified, 51 were retrieved for detailed evaluation and 29 met the inclusion criteria. Incretins lowered hemoglobin A(1c) compared with placebo (weighted mean difference, -0.97% [95% confidence interval {CI}, -1.13% to -0.81%] for GLP-1 analogues and -0.74% [95% CI, -0.85% to -0.62%] for DPP4 inhibitors) and were noninferior to other hypoglycemic agents. Glucagonlike peptide 1 analogues resulted in weight loss (1.4 kg and 4.8 kg vs placebo and insulin, respectively) while DPP4 inhibitors were weight neutral. Glucagonlike peptide 1 analogues had more gastrointestinal side effects (risk ratio, 2.9 [95% CI, 2.0-4.2] for nausea and 3.2 [95% CI, 2.5-4.4] for vomiting). Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors had an increased risk of infection (risk ratio, 1.2 [95% CI, 1.0-1.4] for nasopharyngitis and 1.5 [95% CI, 1.0-2.2] for urinary tract infection) and headache (risk ratio, 1.4 [95% CI, 1.1-1.7]). All but 3 trials had a 30-week or shorter duration; thus, long-term efficacy and safety could not be evaluated. CONCLUSIONS Incretin therapy offers an alternative option to currently available hypoglycemic agents for nonpregnant adults with type 2 diabetes, with modest efficacy and a favorable weight-change profile. Careful postmarketing surveillance for adverse effects, especially among the DPP4 inhibitors, and continued evaluation in longer-term studies and in clinical practice are required to determine the role of this new class among current pharmacotherapies for type 2 diabetes.
Polysilicon gate enhancement of the random dopant induced threshold voltage fluctuations in sub-100 nm MOSFETs with ultrathin gate oxide

In this paper, we investigate various aspects of the polysilicon gate influence on the random dopant induced threshold voltage fluctuations in sub-100 nm MOSFETs with ultrathin gate oxides. The study is done by using an efficient statistical three-dimensional (3D) "atomistic" simulation technique. MOSFETs with uniform channel doping and with low doped epitaxial channels have been investigated. The simulations reveal that even in devices with a single crystal gate the gate depletion and the random dopants in it are responsible for a substantial fraction of the threshold voltage fluctuations when the gate oxide is scaled to thickness in the range of 1-2 nm. Simulation experiments have been used in order to separate the enhancement in the threshold voltage fluctuations due to an effective increase in the oxide thickness associated with the gate depletion from the direct influence of the random dopants in the gate depletion layer. The results of the experiments show that the both factors contribute to the enhancement of the threshold voltage fluctuations, but the effective increase in the oxide thickness has a dominant effect in the investigated range of devices. Simulations illustrating the effect of the polysilicon grain boundaries on the threshold voltage variation are also presented.
Realism and Kelly'S pragmatic constructivism

Abstract Philosophical realism need not be incompatible with psychological constructivism. It is here argued that a minimum realist position is compatible with Kelly's personal construct psychology (PCP) and insulates his theory from charges of relativism. A distinction is drawn between first-order and second-order knowledge. A tendency toward relativism is identified within Kelly's writing, but is contrasted with his commitment to the search for truth. The role of coherence and workability in PCP is discussed, as is the relativism that must result when such concepts are used as exclusive epistemic criteria. A neopragmatist account is proposed. This non-objectivist, minimum realist reading of Kelly is argued to be supported by selected contemporary theorizing. Finally, some implications for PCP are outlined.
Immunological Response to Mistletoe ( Viscum album L . ) in Cancer Patients : A Four-Case Series

in Cancer Patients: A Four-Case Series Nilo Esvalter Gardin* Rua Carlos Weber, 601/201-C 05303-000 São Paulo/SP, Brazil European mistletoe (Viscum album) has been used in complementary cancer treatment, but little is known concerning its effects on immunological parameters, although there is evidence that Viscum may stimulate the immune system. In this study, a trial was conducted with cancer patients to determine whether Viscum album extracts could improve the results of immune tests. These were: white blood cell count (leukocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes), CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes, intradermal tests of delayed hypersensitivity (candidin, trichophytin, purified protein derivative-PPD), complement C3 and C4, and immunoglobulin A, G and M. Four patients received seven doses of subcutaneous Viscum album 20 mg, twice weekly. Immunological tests were carried out before and after treatment, and an increase in several parameters of humoral and cellular immunity were shown. Apart from reactions around the injection sites, treatment was well tolerated and all patients benefited from it. These results suggest that Viscum album can enhance humoral and cellular immune responses in cancer patients, but further studies attesting to the possible clinical impact of these immunological effects are necessary. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
DAI Approaches to the TAC-KBP 2011 Entity Linking Task

This paper describes the DAI approach to the TAC-KBP 2011 Entity Linking Task, which this year introduced the subtask of creating novel knowledge base (KB) entries from name mentions referring to entities unknown to the KB (NIL clustering). For the entity linking task, our system uses disambiguation features that are based on KB information as well as on semantic similarity relations between named entities identified in the document context and in KB entries. To solve the NIL clustering task we implemented a three-stage approach which aims to improve upon an initial name mention string similarity clustering by introducing separate clustering steps for ambiguity and synonymy resolution. We describe implementation details of our system, and present a preliminary analysis of the results.
Examining the Relationship Between Mental Toughness and Imagery Use

Mental toughness is an important characteristic contributing to athletic excellence (Jones, Hanton, & Connaughton, 2007), yet little quantitative research has examined how psychological skills such as imagery contribute to its development. The present study investigated the relationship between mental toughness with imagery in a sample of varsity athletes (N = 151, Mage = 20.70). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that imagery use significantly predicted mental toughness. Specifically, motivational general-mastery imagery emerged as the strongest individual predictor for all dimensions of mental toughness (β = .45-.53), thus, providing support for imagery use as a potential strategy for developing or enhancing mental toughness in athletes.
Extensions of a Theory of Networks for Approximation and Learning

Learning an input-output mapping from a set of examples can be regarded as synthesizing an approximation of a multi-dimensional function. From this point of view, this form of learning is closely related to regularization theory, and we have previously shown (Poggio and Girosi, 1990a, 1990b) the equivalence between reglilari~at.ioll and a. class of three-layer networks that we call regularization networks. In this note, we ext.end the theory by introducing ways of <lealing with t.wo aspect.s of learning: learning in presence of unreliable examples or outliel·s, an<llearning from positive and negative examples.
The pattern of inflammatory/anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in type 1 diabetic patients over time

Abstract Aims. To evaluate the profile of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and the way they are connected in co-regulated networks and determine whether disease duration influences their pattern. Methods. Plasma levels of 20 cytokines and soluble CD40 (sCD40) from 44 uncomplicated patients and 22 healthy controls (HCs) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and protein array technology. Results. Patients showed significantly higher levels of sCD40, IL-1a, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1a, MIP-1b, regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, and a trend to higher IL-6 than did HCs. RANTES and sCD40 discriminated significantly between diabetics and HCs. In patients with disease duration >6 months, cytokines were organized in two clusters mainly regulated by Th17 and Th1/Th2 cells respectively, while in those with disease duration ≤6 months a set of Th1-cytokines was separated apart from the second cluster. Monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 was revealed as the most discriminant factor between patients with disease duration of more than and less than 6 months. Conclusions. A parallel elevation of both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines was observed in patients compared with HCs. In T1DM patients with disease duration ≤6 months, Th1-cytokines were organized on a separate cluster, suggesting a possible role of Th1 cells in the progress of beta-cell destruction during the first period of the disease.
A Dynamic Correlation Analysis of Financial Contagion: Evidence from the Eurozone Stock Markets

The contagion generated by the US subprime crisis and the European sovereign debt crisis that hit the Eurozone stock markets is still a highly debated subject. In this paper, we try to determine whether there are contagion effects across the Greek stock market and the Belgian, French, Portuguese, Irish, Italian and Spanish stock markets during both crises periods. To this end, we used a bivariate DCC-GARCH model to measure the extent of dynamic correlations between stock returns of our sample. Our results point to the presence of a contagion effect between all market pairs during the subprime crisis and between the Greek and Portuguese stock markets during the European sovereign debt crisis. On the other hand, our results indicate that credit ratings revisions have a relatively limited effect on the dynamic correlations of the Eurozone stock markets.
Social Support and Treatment Outcome in Alcohol Dependence Syndrome in Armed Forces.

INTRODUCTION Social factors play vital role in unfolding of alcohol use disorders in any given population. Several factors beyond the confines of treatment settings influence treatment outcome in alcohol dependence syndrome. Social support has positive effect in treatment outcome of alcohol dependence syndrome. This has not been much studied in India in past. Therefore we decided to study the perception of social support in cases of alcohol dependence syndrome admitted in a busy hospital in armed forces. AIM The aim was to study the perception of social support across relapsed and abstinent group and see if it reached any statistical proportion and also to see if any socio-demographic variables also affected perception of social support. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty five consecutive male patients of alcohol dependent syndrome without a co-morbid neurological/psychiatric diagnosis were assessed for their perception of social support after taking informed consent. They were explained the procedure and their alcoholic milestones were recorded in specially designed pro-forma. Subjects were then divided in abstinent and relapsed group. Subsequently they were assessed for their perception of social support by administering Social provision scale and Social support questionnaire. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Data were tabulated and statistically analysed by using chi square test, Mann Whitney U-Test and Rank ANOVA test where applicable p-value <. 05 was taken as significant. RESULTS Results indicated that perception of social support across abstinent (n=18) and relapsed (n= 37) group reached significant statistical proportion as measured by social provision scale and social support questionnaire. Duration of use, dependence and family history of alcoholism did not influence perception of social support across patient population. There was inverse relationship between patients with alcohol related problem and their perception of social support. Professional and qualified soldiers perceived higher social support than soldiers and lesser qualified individuals. CONCLUSION Abstinent group perceived better social support than relapsed group and soldiers in upper socio-occupational status and less alcohol related problems perceived more social support than soldiers with lower socioeconomic status and more alcohol related problems. Psychosocial therapy must be incorporated in management of Alcohol dependence syndrome.