Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Glutaric Aciduria Type 1 Metabolites Impair the Succinate Transport from Astrocytic to Neuronal Cells*

The inherited neurodegenerative disorder glutaric aciduria type 1 (GA1) results from mutations in the gene for the mitochondrial matrix enzyme glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase (GCDH), which leads to elevations of the dicarboxylates glutaric acid (GA) and 3-hydroxyglutaric acid (3OHGA) in brain and blood. The characteristic clinical presentation of GA1 is a sudden onset of dystonia during catabolic situations, resulting from acute striatal injury. The underlying mechanisms are poorly understood, but the high levels of GA and 3OHGA that accumulate during catabolic illnesses are believed to play a primary role. Both GA and 3OHGA are known to be substrates for Na+-coupled dicarboxylate transporters, which are required for the anaplerotic transfer of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) intermediate succinate between astrocytes and neurons. We hypothesized that GA and 3OHGA inhibit the transfer of succinate from astrocytes to neurons, leading to reduced TCA cycle activity and cellular injury. Here, we show that both GA and 3OHGA inhibit the uptake of [14C]succinate by Na+-coupled dicarboxylate transporters in cultured astrocytic and neuronal cells of wild-type and Gcdh−/− mice. In addition, we demonstrate that the efflux of [14C]succinate from Gcdh−/− astrocytic cells mediated by a not yet identified transporter is strongly reduced. This is the first experimental evidence that GA and 3OHGA interfere with two essential anaplerotic transport processes: astrocytic efflux and neuronal uptake of TCA cycle intermediates, which occur between neurons and astrocytes. These results suggest that elevated levels of GA and 3OHGA may lead to neuronal injury and cell death via disruption of TCA cycle activity.
Parameterization-free projection for geometry reconstruction

We introduce a Locally Optimal Projection operator (LOP) for surface approximation from point-set data. The operator is parameterization free, in the sense that it does not rely on estimating a local normal, fitting a local plane, or using any other local parametric representation. Therefore, it can deal with noisy data which clutters the orientation of the points. The method performs well in cases of ambiguous orientation, e.g., if two folds of a surface lie near each other, and other cases of complex geometry in which methods based upon local plane fitting may fail. Although defined by a global minimization problem, the method is effectively local, and it provides a second order approximation to smooth surfaces. Hence allowing good surface approximation without using any explicit or implicit approximation space. Furthermore, we show that LOP is highly robust to noise and outliers and demonstrate its effectiveness by applying it to raw scanned data of complex shapes.
Shaping Neural Circuits by High Order Synaptic Interactions

Spike timing dependent plasticity (STDP) is believed to play an important role in shaping the structure of neural circuits. Here we show that STDP generates effective interactions between synapses of different neurons, which were neglected in previous theoretical treatments, and can be described as a sum over contributions from structural motifs. These interactions can have a pivotal influence on the connectivity patterns that emerge under the influence of STDP. In particular, we consider two highly ordered forms of structure: wide synfire chains, in which groups of neurons project to each other sequentially, and self connected assemblies. We show that high order synaptic interactions can enable the formation of both structures, depending on the form of the STDP function and the time course of synaptic currents. Furthermore, within a certain regime of biophysical parameters, emergence of the ordered connectivity occurs robustly and autonomously in a stochastic network of spiking neurons, without a need to expose the neural network to structured inputs during learning.
Scientific and engineering overview of the NASA Dual-Frequency Dual-Polarized Doppler Radar (D3R) system for GPM Ground Validation

As an integral part of Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, Ground Validation (GV) program proposes to establish an independent global cross-validation process to characterize errors and quantify uncertainties in the precipitation measurements of the GPM program. A ground-based Dual-Frequency Dual-Polarized Doppler Radar (D3R) that will provide measurements at the two broadly separated frequencies (Ku- and Ka-band) is currently being developed to enable GPM ground validation, enhance understanding of the microphysical interpretation of precipitation and facilitate improvement of retrieval algorithms. The first generation D3R design will comprise of two separate co-aligned single-frequency antenna units mounted on a common pedestal with dual-frequency dual-polarized solid-state transmitter. This paper describes the salient features of this radar, the system concept and its engineering design challenges.
Analysis of Randomized Selection Algorithm Motivated by the LZ'77 Scheme

We consider a randomized selection algorithm that has n initial participants and a moderator. In each round of the process, each participant and the moderator throw a biased coin. Only the participants who throw the same result as the moderator stay in the game for subsequent rounds. With probability 1, all participants are eliminated in finitely many rounds. We let Mn denote the number of participants remaining in the game in the last nontrivial round. This simple algorithm has surprisingly many interesting applications. In particular, it models (asymptotically) the number of longest prefixes in the Lempel–Ziv ’77 data compression scheme. Such multiplicity was used recently in [13] to design an error-resilient LZ’77 scheme. We give precise asymptotic characteristics of the jth factorial moment of Mn for all j ∈ N. Also, we present a detailed asymptotic description of the exponential generating function for Mn. In particular, we exhibit periodic fluctuation in the distribution of Mn, and we prove that no limiting distribution exists (however, we observe that the asymptotic distribution follows the logarithmic series distribution plus some fluctuations). The results we develop are proved by probabilistic and analytical techniques of the analysis of algorithms. In particular, we utilize recurrence relations, analytical poissonization and depoissonization, the Mellin transform, and complex analysis.
A User-Level InfiniBand-Based File System and Checkpoint Strategy for Burst Buffers

Checkpoint/Restart is an indispensable fault tolerance technique commonly used by high-performance computing applications that run continuously for hours or days at a time. However, even with state-of-the-art checkpoint/restart techniques, high failure rates at large scale will limit application efficiency. To alleviate the problem, we consider using burst buffers. Burst buffers are dedicated storage resources positioned between the compute nodes and the parallel file system, and this new tier within the storage hierarchy fills the performance gap between node-local storage and parallel file systems. With burst buffers, an application can quickly store checkpoints with increased reliability. In this work, we explore how burst buffers can improve efficiency compared to using only node-local storage. To fully exploit the bandwidth of burst buffers, we develop a user-level Infini Band-based file system (IBIO). We also develop performance models for coordinated and uncoordinated checkpoint/restart strategies, and we apply those models to investigate the best checkpoint strategy using burst buffers on future large-scale systems.
Simulation of location accuracies obtainable from different methods

Development of mobile location techniques for cellular networks is driven by the FCC mandate for emergency E911 services, as well as its potential for value-added services and network management. Candidates for providing location information are based on time difference of arrival (TDOA), angle of arrival (AOA), and power signatures (PS), which make use of predetermined reference tables of the small area average path gain to multiple base station locations. This paper addresses the location accuracy that can be achieved with these methods in an urban microcellular environment. In order to compare these methods, simulations have been carried out using a vertical plane launch (VPL) ray tracing code capable of simulating a 3-D environment to generate the RF characteristics needed for the location methods for a particular city. The location performances are simulated for each method with various parameter changes. The performance of location accuracy is presented by statistical error distributions. Only systems without memory of previous location information are considered.
Syllable Based Transcription of English Words into Perso-Arabic Writing System

This paper presents a rule-based method for transcription of English words into the PersoArabic orthography. The method relies on the phonetic representation of English words such as the CMU pronunciation dictionary. Some of the challenging problems are the context-based vowel representation in the Perso-Arabic writing system and the mismatch between the syllabic structures of English and Persian. With some minor extensions, the method can be applied to English to Arabic transliteration as well.
Clinical Evaluation of an Arterial-Spin-Labeling Product Sequence in Steno-Occlusive Disease of the Brain

Introduction In brain perfusion imaging, arterial spin labeling (ASL) is a noninvasive alternative to dynamic susceptibility contrast-magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-MRI). For clinical imaging, only product sequences can be used. We therefore analyzed the performance of a product sequence (PICORE-PASL) included in an MRI software-package compared with DSC-MRI in patients with steno-occlusion of the MCA or ICA >70%. Methods Images were acquired on a 3T MRI system and qualitatively analyzed by 3 raters. For a quantitative analysis, cortical ROIs were placed in co-registered ASL and DSC images. Pooled data for ASL-cerebral blood flow (CBF) and DSC-CBF were analyzed by Spearman’s correlation and the Bland-Altman (BA)-plot. Results In 28 patients, 11 ASL studies were uninterpretable due to patient motion. Of the remaining patients, 71% showed signs of delayed tracer arrival. A weak correlation for DSC-relCBF vs ASL-relCBF (r = 0.24) and a large spread of values in the BA-plot owing to unreliable CBF-measurement was found. Conclusion The PICORE ASL product sequence is sensitive for estimation of delayed tracer arrival, but cannot be recommended to measure CBF in steno-occlusive disease. ASL-sequences that are less sensitive to patient motion and correcting for delayed blood flow should be available in the clinical setting.
Heterogeneous clearance rates of long-lived lymphocytes infected with HIV: Intrinsic stability predicts lifelong persistence

Viral replication and latently infected cellular reservoirs persist in HIV-infected patients achieving undetectable plasma virus levels with potent antiretroviral therapy. We exploited a predictable drug resistance mutation in the HIV reverse transcriptase to label and track cells infected during defined intervals of treatment and to identify cells replenished by ongoing replication. Decay rates of subsets of latently HIV-infected cells paradoxically decreased with time since establishment, reflecting heterogeneous lymphocyte activation and clearance. Residual low-level replication can replenish cellular reservoirs; however, it does not account for prolonged clearance rates in patients without detectable viremia. In patients receiving potent antiretroviral therapy, the latent pool has a heterogeneous and dynamic composition that comprises a progressively increasing proportion of stable lymphocytes. Eradication will not be achieved with complete inhibition of viral replication alone.
Collaborative Ranking for Local Preferences Supplement

We assume that the hypothesis class is based on the set of low-rank matrices. Given a low-rank matrix M , let gM 2 F be the associated hypothesis, where gM (u, i) = Mu,i. Throughout the paper, we abuse notation and use gM and M interchangeably. We assume that data is generated with respect to D, which is an unknown probability distribution over the sample space X , and we let E denote expectation. Then, the generalization error of hypothesis M is E (u,C,i)⇠D LM (u,C, i), which is the quantity we bound
Reorganisation of the sensorimotor cortex after early focal brain lesion: a functional MRI study in monozygotic twins

Sensorimotor cortical reorganization after early brain lesions was studied by means of fMRI in two pairs of monozygotic twins, in each of which one member had a focal brain injury. This offered a unique opportunity to reduce the wide intersubject variability of the controls often found in similar studies. Activation images were acquired during a motor task (sequential opposition finger movements) and a sensory task (passive brushing of palm and fingers). During the tasks with the recovered hand, constant findings in the lesioned subjects were the activation of the undamaged areas adjacent to lesion site and the activation of the ipsilateral sensorimotor cortex. Bilateral activation of the primary sensorimotor cortex was never observed in the healthy co-twin controls.
α‐synuclein conformational antibodies fused to penetratin are effective in models of Lewy body disease

Progressive accumulation of α‐synuclein (α‐syn) has been associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy body (DLB). The mechanisms through which α‐syn leads to neurodegeneration are not completely clear; however, the formation of various oligomeric species have been proposed to play a role. Antibody therapy has shown effectiveness at reducing α‐syn accumulation in the central nervous system (CNS); however, most of these studies have been conducted utilizing antibodies that recognize both monomeric and higher molecular weight α‐syn. In this context, the main objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of immunotherapy with single‐chain antibodies (scFVs) against specific conformational forms of α‐syn fused to a novel brain penetrating sequence.
Why Trust is not Proportional to Risk

Trust is inherently related to risk, but for trust assessment to be integrated with the management of the risks involved in trust based cooperation, the exact relation must be well understood. Existing literature on trust management is neither clear nor unambiguous on this issue. This paper discusses notions of trust as presented within the disciplines of sociology and economics for the purpose of motivating trust management. A critical survey of state of the art literature on trust management is provided, where weaknesses and ambiguities with respect to clarifying the notion of trust are discussed. An analysis and explanation of the exact relationship between risk and trust is presented, and implications of the subjectivity of trust relations are accounted for
Opportunistic mobile social networks at work

Les reseaux mobiles opportunistes ad-hoc se forment lorsque des terminaux mobiles portes par des utilisateurs communiquent entre eux sans aucune infrastructure. Ils different ainsi des reseaux classiques comme Internet dont l'architecture suppose la disponibilite instantanee de chemins reliant les hotes et dont les delais de propagation, et le taux de perte des paquets, sont faibles. Dans les reseaux opportunistes, la mobilite des individus induit de nombreuses deconnexions et de grandes variations des delais. Dans cette these nous adoptons une demarche experimentale pour concevoir et analyser les reseaux opportunistes. D'abord l'etude detaillee des communications opportunistes via Bluetooth dans des environnements controles et reels, montre qu'en depit des limitations pratiques de cette technologie, la communication opportuniste ad-hoc constitue un paradigme de communication efficace et attractif. Nous avons ensuite concu et implemente MobiClique, un middleware de communication destine aux reseaux opportunistes qui s'appuie sur la mobilite et les relations sociales des utilisateurs pour le routage opportuniste des messages. Enfin, la realisation d'une experience grandeur nature mobilisant 80 personnes nous a permis de collecter les informations concernant leurs reseaux sociaux, leurs contacts ad-hoc et les traces de leurs communications. Nous proposons une methodologie d'analyse des structures des communautes temporelles dans le reseau opportuniste. Nous etudions egalement de quelle facon ces structures et les interactions sociales caracterisent les chemins de dissemination du contenu.
Active Networks in Implementing a Virtual Home Environment

This paper discusses how certain aspects of Virtual Home Environment (VHE) can be realised by Active Networks (AN). First, both concepts are introduced to the reader. Some problems related to the implementation of VHE are then pointed out, and possible solutions provided by Active Networks are suggested. Finally, the reader is presented with an outline of a VHE service implemented with AN.
“Smart” Continuous Glucose Monitoring Sensors: On-Line Signal Processing Issues

The availability of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensors allows development of new strategies for the treatment of diabetes. In particular, from an on-line perspective, CGM sensors can become “smart” by providing them with algorithms able to generate alerts when glucose concentration is predicted to exceed the normal range thresholds. To do so, at least four important aspects have to be considered and dealt with on-line. First, the CGM data must be accurately calibrated. Then, CGM data need to be filtered in order to enhance their signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Thirdly, predictions of future glucose concentration should be generated with suitable modeling methodologies. Finally, generation of alerts should be done by minimizing the risk of detecting false and missing true events. For these four challenges, several techniques, with various degrees of sophistication, have been proposed in the literature and are critically reviewed in this paper.
Modeling and minimization of energy consumption in wireless sensor networks

Design of energy-efficient wireless sensor networks (WSNs) has become an important area of scientific research. In this regard, modeling and minimizing of energy consumption are the main objectives for designing WSNs. In this paper, an energy consumption model for WSNs based on physical layer parameters is proposed by calculating the total energy that is required for successfully received one bit over Rayleigh fading channels. The proposed energy consumption model is validated with real measurements. Results show a good agreement between proposed model and experimental measurements with a mean absolute percentage error less than 5.5%. The validated model is used to optimize transmitted power to achieve minimum energy consumption. Finally, a closed-form expression for optimum transmitted power is derived for M-QAM modulation scheme.
Arachidonic Acid Inhibits a Purified and Reconstituted Glutamate Transporter Directly from the Water Phase and Not via the Phospholipid Membrane (*)

Glutamate is believed to be the major excitatory transmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. Keeping the extracellular concentration of glutamate low, the glutamate transporters are required for normal brain function. Arachidonic acid (AA) inhibits glutamate uptake in relatively intact preparations (cells, tissue slices, and synaptosomes (Rhoads, D. E., Ockner, R. K., Peterson, N. A., and Raghupathy, E. (1983) Biochemistry 22, 1965-1970 and Volterra, A. , Trotti, D. , Cassutti, P., Tromba, C. , Salvaggio, A. , Melcangi, R. C. , and Racagni, G. (1992b) J. Neurochem. 59, 600-606). The present study demonstrates that the effect of AA occurs also in a reconstituted system, consisting of a purified glutamate transporter protein incorporated into artificial cell membranes (liposomes). The characteristics of the AA effect in this system and in intact cells are similar with regard to specificity, sensitivity, time course, changes in Vmax, and affinity. AA-ethyl ester is inactive, suggesting that the free carboxylic group is required for inhibitory activity. When incubated with proteoliposomes, AA (300 μM, 15 min) mostly partitions to the lipid phase (lipid/water about 95:5). However, uptake inhibition is abolished by rapid dilution (6.5-fold) of the incubation medium (water phase), a procedure that does not modify the amount of AA associated with lipids. On the contrary, inhibition remains sustained if the same dilution volume contains as little as 5 μM AA, a concentration inactive before saturation of liposome lipids with 300 μM AA. The same degree of inhibition (60%) is obtained by 5 μM AA following preincubation with the inactive AA-ethyl ester (300 μM) instead of AA. The lipids apparently inactivate AA by extracting it from the water phase. The results suggest that AA acts on the transporter from the water phase rather than via the membrane. This could be true for other proteins as well since -aminobutyric acid uptake is similarly affected by AA.
Tannic acid in plant dust causes airway obstruction

Occupational or environmental exposure to plant dusts has been shown to increase the risk of obstructive lung diseases, primarily by non-immunological activity.1 However, the causative agents and the underlying mechanisms have not been established. We have recently suggested that the polyphenolic fraction of hydrolysable tannins in plant derived dusts, with tannic acid (TA) as the main constituent, may contribute to airway constriction.2 Here we present experimental evidence that TA causes acute airway obstruction by non-competitive inhibition of the constitutive endothelial isoform of nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in the tracheobronchial epithelium, which is reported to provoke airway hyperresponsiveness and bronchoconstriction.3 Organ bath experiments were performed using the trachea and main bronchi of non-sensitised guinea pigs. The tracheobronchial tree was dissected out of CO2 sacrificed guinea pigs of either sex weighing 300–450 g and cut into rings of 3–4 cartilage segments wide. Isometric contractions were recorded as described previously.4 Briefly, individual rings were mounted in organ baths containing 10 ml carbogen aerated Tyrode solution (pH 7.4, 37°C), kept at a preload of 25 mN, left to equilibrate for 60 minutes, and precontracted by addition of 25 μmol/l prostaglandin F2α to 30–40% of their individual isometric maximum (100%). NO release was determined in real time by an amperometric microsensor as described elsewhere.4 Briefly, …