Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the perception of time during prolonged temporal isolation.

UNLABELLED In an underground isolation unit, 42 subjects were living singly for time spans of at least 7 days up to more than a month. Except three who were entrained to 24 h by an externally controlled light-dark cycle (LD), subjects had no time cues and developed free-running circadian rhythms either in self-selected LD-cycles or in constant illumination. Each subject had to give a signal whenever he thought that 1 h had passed. In addition, 30 subjects produced short-time intervals within the range from 10 to 120 s. RESULTS The 1-h estimates were longer than 1 h, and had a strong positive correlation with the duration of wakefulness alpha as well as with the length of the circadian cycle. The short time estimates were equally distributed between under- and over-estimation of the required interval, and they were neither correlated with the 1-h estimates nor with alpha. It is concluded that long and short time estimates are based on different mechanisms.
Synthesis and Characterization of a Conducting Polymer: An Electrochemical Experiment for General Chemistry

The electrochemical synthesis of a free-standing film of polypyrrole, using commonly available equipment and materials, is described at a level suitable to application in a general chemistry laboratory. Also described are methods to quantitatively assess the doping level and to characterize the polymer film in terms of its conductivity as a function of temperature.
Calcium and voltage dependent inactivation of sodium and calcium currents limits calcium influx in Helisoma neurons.

The control of free intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) is necessary for cell survival because of the ubiquitous and essential role this second messenger plays in regulating numerous intracellular processes. Calcium regulation in neurons is especially vigorous because of the large calcium influx that occurs through voltage-gated channels during membrane depolarization. In this study we examined changes in ionic currents that can limit calcium influx into neurons during electrical activity. We found that the [Ca2+]i in electrically stimulated Helisoma B4 neurons initially increased to a peak and then relaxed to lower concentrations in tandem with a decline in the action potential peak voltage. The decline in [Ca2+]i and the peak action potential voltage in this sodium and calcium driven neuron was found to be a dual manifestation of I(Na) and I(Ca) inactivation. I(Na) and I(Ca) both displayed voltage dependent inactivation. Additionally, I(Na) and I(Ca) progressively inactivated at [Ca2+]i above 200 nM, concentrations readily attained in electrically stimulated B4 neurons. Calcium and voltage dependent I(Na) and I(Ca) inactivation were found to reduce calcium influx during continuous electrical stimulation by decreasing both the magnitude of I(Ca) that could be activated and the percent of the available I(Ca) that would be activated due to the diminished peak action potential voltage. Calculations based on data herein suggest that the voltage and calcium dependent I(Na) and I(Ca) inactivation that occurs during continuous electrical stimulation dramatically reduces calcium influx in this sodium and calcium driven neuron and thus limits the increase in [Ca2+]i.
Assays for B Lymphocyte Function

This unit describes the antigenic stimulation of in vitro antibody production by B cells and the subsequent measurement of secreted antibodies. The first basic protocol is a generalized system for inducing in vitro antibody production and can accommodate various types of antigens under study. Secreted antibodies can then be measured with an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or other soluble‐antibody detection systems. Alternatively, the number of antibody‐producing cells can be quantified by plaque‐forming cell (PFC) assays presented in this unit: the Cunningham‐Szenberg and the Jerne‐Nordin techniques. Both methods employ specially prepared slide chambers, described here, in which the antibody‐producing B cells are mixed with complement and indicator sheep red blood cells (SRBC), or with trinitrophenol‐modified SRBC (TNP‐SRBC), with subsequent lysis and counting of plaques. Because IgM antibodies fix complement efficiently, whereas IgG and IgA antibodies do not, unmodified PFC assays measure only IgM antibodies. The assay can be modified, however, to measure all classes of antibodies or to enumerate total immunoglobulin‐secreting B cells, as described in alternate protocols. Yet another method of measuring the number of antibody‐producing B cells (in a class‐specific fashion) is to use the ELISPOT technique described in UNIT 7.14. The resting B cells used in these procedures are prepared as described in the final support protocols for Percoll gradient centrifugation.
Bone: A Fertile Soil for Cancer Metastasis.

Bone is one of the most common and most dangerous sites for metastatic growth across cancer types, and bone metastasis remains incurable. Unfortunately, the processes by which cancers preferentially metastasize to bone are still not well understood. In this review, we summarize the morphological features, physical properties, and cell signaling events that make bone a unique site for metastasis and bone remodeling. The signaling crosstalk between the tumor cells and bone cells begins a vicious cycle - a self-sustaining feedback loop between the tumor cells and the bone microenvironment composed of osteoclasts, osteoblasts, other bone marrow cells, bone matrix, and vasculature to support both tumor growth and bone destruction. Through this crosstalk, bone provides a fertile microenvironment that can harbor dormant tumor cells, sometimes for long periods, and support their growth by releasing cytokines as the bone matrix is destroyed, similar to providing nutrients for a seed to germinate in soil. However, few models exist to study the late stages of bone colonization by metastatic tumor cells. We describe some of the current methodologies used to study bone metastasis, highlighting the limitations of these methods and alternative future strategies to be used to study bone metastasis. While in vivo animal and patient studies may provide the gold standard for studying metastasis, ex vivo models can be used as an alternative to enable more controlled experiments designed to study the late stages of bone metastasis.
Bed-sharing influences, attitudes, and practices

The purpose of this study was to examine the infant bed-sharing practices of mothers from the birth of the infant to three months of age. The study was a longitudinal descriptive design using a self-report instrument immediately after delivery with follow-up phone interviews at one and three months after discharge. While no mothers intended to bed-share with their infants immediately after delivery, 60 percent reported bed-sharing at some time at one month after discharge and 9 percent at three months. Only 19 percent of mothers reported receiving information about infant sleeping practices from their physician and 22 percent from their nurse. One month post discharge was identified as a high-risk period for infant bed-sharing. Interventions aimed at teaching new mothers about responding to infant cues and ways to manage a fussy infant may minimize the rate of bed-sharing.
The purification and properties of the tyrosine-2-oxoglutarate transaminase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Studies by SentheShanmuganathan (1956, 1960) and SentheShanmuganathanI & Elsden (1958) have established that in the production of fusel oil by Saccharomyces cerevisiae transamination is the first step in the conversion of an amino acid into the corresponding alcohol containing one less carbon atom. The formation of tyrosol by washed-cell suspensions and by cell-free extracts of yeast has been studied in detail (SentheShanmuganathan & Elsden, 1958). The work described in this paper deals with the purification and resolution of the tyrosine-2-oxoglutarate transaninase from S. ceres'iae and the subsequent studies of kinetics and substrate specificity with the purified enzyme. A preliminary report of these findings has been published (SentheShanmuganathan, 1958).
3‐Methyladenine residues in DNA induce the SOS function sfiA in Escherichia coli.

The induction by methylating agents of the SOS function sfiA was measured by means of a sfiA::lac operon fusion in Escherichia coli mutants defective in alkylation repair. The sfiA operon was turned on at a 10‐fold lower concentration of methylmethane sulfonate or dimethyl sulfate in tagA strains, lacking specific 3‐methyladenine‐DNA glycosylase, than in wild‐type strains. In contrast, the induction of sfiA by u.v. light was not affected by a tagA mutation. We confirm that tagA strains specifically accumulate 3‐methyladenine in their DNA. We conclude that the persistence of 3‐methyladenine in E. coli DNA most likely induces the SOS functions. Results on in vitro DNA synthesis further suggest that this induction is due to an unscheduled arrest of DNA synthesis at this lesion.
SUSCEPTIBILITY OF PHAGOCYTES FROM ELK, DEER, BIGHORN SHEEP, AND DOMESTIC SHEEP TO PASTEURELLA HAEMOLYTICA CYTOTOXINS

Alveolar macrophages and peripheral blood neutrophils from elk (Cervus elaphus), bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis), and domestic sheep were exposed to culture supernatants from Pasteurella haemolytica isolated from bighorn sheep and domestic sheep. In a second experiment, peripheral blood neutrophils from mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), elk, and bighorn sheep were exposed to culture supernatants from P. haemolytica isolated from elk, bighorn sheep and domestic sheep. Alveolar macrophages from elk, bighorn sheep and domestic sheep were resistant to killing by P. haemolytica supernatants from bighorn sheep and domestic sheep; susceptibility of neutrophils to cell death, as measured by release of lactate dehydrogenase, differed significantly (P < 0.05) between the four species tested. Bighorn sheep and domestic sheep neutrophils were susceptible to cytotoxin damage by the P. haemolytica isolates used; bighorn sheep neutrophils were four- to eight-fold more susceptible to cytotoxin damage than domestic sheep neutrophils. Neutrophils from deer and elk were resistant to killing by P. haemolytica cytotoxins from any species tested.
Albayzin-2010 audio segmentation evaluation: evaluation setup and results

In this paper, we present the audio segmentation tas k from the Albayzin-2010 evaluation, and the results obtained by the eight participants from Spanish and Portuguese universities. The evaluation task consisted of the segmentation of audio files from the Catalan 3/24 TV channel into 5 acoustic classes: music, speech, speech over music, speech over noise and other. The final results from all participants show that the problem of segmenting broadcast news is still challenging. We also present an analysis of the segmentation errors of the submitted systems. Additionally, the evaluation setup, including the database and the segmentation metric, is also described. Index Terms: audio segmentation, broadcast news, international evaluation, evaluation setup, database
Alternative, noninvasive tissues for quantitative screening of mutant mitochondrial DNA.

Since the molecular basis of the first mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) disorder, Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), was established (1), mtDNA mutations have become increasingly more recognized as an important cause of genetic disease. The most common mutations identified are A3243G, A8344G, T8993G/C, G11778A, and large mtDNA deletions. The A3243G mutation accounts for 80% of patients with MELAS (mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes) (2), and the A8344G mutation accounts for 80% of patients with MERRF (myoclonic epilepsy and ragged-red fibers) (3)(4). Substitution of T8993 with G or C causes NARP (neuropathy, ataxia, retinitis pigmentosa) (5)(6), and the G11778A mutation is responsible for >50% of patients with LHON (1). MtDNA deletions and rearrangements are found in Kearns–Sayre syndrome and chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia patients. Most pathogenic mtDNA mutations are heteroplasmic, with normal and mutant DNA coexisting in the same cell or tissue. The phenotypic expression of a pathogenic mutation depends on tissue-specific energy requirements (7). Accordingly, age of onset, tissues involved, and clinical severity vary greatly between individuals, even within a given family, depending on the proportions of mutant and normal mtDNA. Direct mtDNA mutation analysis allows for identification of asymptomatic relatives who harbor the mutant mtDNA. Prediction of future disease expression is assisted by quantitative determination of the proportion of mutant mtDNA in the relevant tissues. DNA-based molecular diagnosis of mtDNA disorders has been routinely performed on blood or biopsied skeletal muscle (8)(9). Because of variation in percentage of mutant mtDNA among different tissues, mutant mtDNA may not be detectable in blood. Nevertheless, it is difficult to justify obtaining muscle biopsies from multiple asymptomatic at-risk family members. In this setting, the examination of alternative tissues such as cheek cells or hair follicles is especially relevant. Studies of MELAS mutant heteroplasmy …
Absent pachymeningeal gadolinium enhancement on cranial MRI despite symptomatic CSF leak

Article abstract CSF leak is recognized to cause orthostatic headaches and diffuse pachymeningeal gadolinium enhancement (DPMGE) on MRI. We report six patients with typical symptoms and documented CSF leaks without DPMGE. Two had normal meninges from the onset; one initially had normal meninges, but subsequently DPMGE developed. In three, the initially noted DPMGE resolved while they were still symptomatic with documented continued CSF leaks. Absent DPMGE does not rule out CSF leak. When clinical manifestations suggest this disorder, additional diagnostic studies should be pursued.
Mycosis fungoides: An important differential diagnosis for acquired palmoplantar keratoderma

Mycosis fungoides is the most common subtype of primary cutaneous lymphoma and has several clinical variants. We report a 74‐year‐old man presenting with an acquired palmoplantar keratoderma initially diagnosed and treated as psoriasis with suboptimal improvement. Several months later the patient developed patches and plaques that were histologically consistent with mycosis fungoides. These lesions were ameliorated with the treatment of the underlying mycosis fungoides and the palmoplantar keratoderma resolved promptly with radiotherapy. This case highlights the importance of considering mycosis fungoides as an infrequent but serious cause of acquired palmoplantar keratoderma.
137–150 GHz Magnetically Tuned Frequency Generator for 6G Wireless Communication

This paper presents a D-band frequency generator comprising an E-band magnetic and capacitive combined frequency tuning voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) and a push-push frequency doubler. Direct-loaded varactors are avoided by using magnetic frequency tuning, which enhances the quality factor (Q-factor) of the resonator in the oscillator. The VCO incorporates a digital controlled artificial dielectric (DiCAD) differential transmission line and a binary-to-thermometer encoder, enabling discrete capacitive tuning from 24.87 fF to 40.58 fF. The output signal of VCO is extracted from the secondary coil of the magnetic-tuned transformer subtly. A leakage inductor technique is introduced for inter-stage matching transformers in the push-push frequency doubler. It achieves large impedance conversion ratio while maintaining low magnetic coupling in the D-band. The proposed system achieves a frequency tuning range of 8.8% at a center frequency of 143.4 GHz. Power consumption including inter-stage buffer is 17.5 mW with a 0.9 V supply voltage.
Induction of apoptosis in HT‐29 cells infected with SA‐11 rotavirus

Rotavirus infection is associated both in vivo and in vitro with a series of subcellular pathological alterations leading to cell lysis. It has been suggested that these modifications can play a key role in the pathogenesis of rotavirus‐associated diarrheal disease. We describe the effects of SA‐11 rotavirus infection in HT‐29 cells, a human enterocyte‐like cell line. Cytological analyses suggested that the viral‐induced cytopathic process, including chromatin clumping, can be referred to as apoptosis, the cell death pathway alternative to necrosis. A time course of the process was performed to investigate whether rotavirus‐associated cell death showed specific injury signs. HT‐29‐infected cells were analyzed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy and features of apoptosis such as blebbing of the plasma membrane, peripheral condensation of chromatin, and fragmentation of the nucleus were observed. Specific changes occurring in cell‐substrate adhesion and in some organelles relevant for viral maturation, i.e., rough endoplasmic reticulum, were detected. These findings indicate a role for apoptosis in the rotavirus infection process and its related cytopathology, and also suggested that specific histological alterations such as derangement of enterocytes are associated with the pathogenesis of rotavirus‐induced diarrheal disease and could be a direct consequence of viral‐triggered apoptosis. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Is cardiovascular fitness a risk factor for ALS?

Those living with the adult neurodegenerative syndrome of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) naturally want to understand why. A monogenetic association may be identified in approximately 10% of cases. For the majority, ALS has a polygenetic and environmental ‘multiple hit’ model of pathogenesis, like many cancers, and supported indirectly through analysis of the incidence of ALS in relation to age.1 Neurologists who regularly diagnose those with ALS observe a characteristic syndrome of progressive weakness with strikingly focal symptom onset, but recognise an increasingly complicated phenotypic taxonomy and molecular heterogeneity.2 The causes of ALS may be diverse, and none are yet certain at a cellular level. There is also likely to be a significant pre-symptomatic period.3 A frequent perception concerning the premorbid lifestyle of those with ALS involves …
Autophagy and Its Implication in Antiviral Immunity

Autophagy is a catabolic mechanism developed in eukaryotes in order to maintain cellular homeostasis and development. It is also an essential constituent of the immune system since it is involved in the MHC class I and II antigen generation and exerts an antiviral effect. However many viruses are either able to inhibit or induce autophagy to avoid their own elimination or to favor their replication by interacting with different complexes of the autophagy pathway. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms of autophagy and its importance in immunity. It describes the different strategies that viruses have adopted to hijack this process.
Effects of Age of Acquisition, Word Frequency, and Familiarity on Object Recognition and Naming in Dementia

116 patients with established dementia completed a short confrontation naming test. Naming latency correlated -. 69 (Kendall τ, p<.001) with general frequency of the name of the object. Recognition failure correlated . 53 with age of acquisition of the name and —. 58 with familiarity of the object. These and other correlations are not in accord with recent findings from studies of normal people. More extensive studies of these relationships in dementia, where disorders of recognition and naming are common, would be informative.
Inhibition of Protein Synthesis by TOR Inactivation Revealed a Conserved Regulatory Mechanism of the BiP Chaperone in Chlamydomonas 1 [ W ]

The target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase integrates nutritional and stress signals to coordinately control cell growth in all eukaryotes. TOR associates with highly conserved proteins to constitute two distinct signaling complexes termed TORC1 and TORC2. Inactivation of TORC1 by rapamycin negatively regulates protein synthesis in most eukaryotes. Here, we report that down-regulation of TOR signaling by rapamycin in the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii resulted in pronounced phosphorylation of the endoplasmic reticulum chaperone BiP. Our results indicated that Chlamydomonas TOR regulates BiP phosphorylation through the control of protein synthesis, since rapamycin and cycloheximide have similar effects on BiP modification and protein synthesis inhibition. Modification of BiP by phosphorylation was suppressed under conditions that require the chaperone activity of BiP, such as heat shock stress or tunicamycin treatment, which inhibits N-linked glycosylation of nascent proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum. A phosphopeptide localized in the substrate-binding domain of BiP was identified in Chlamydomonas cells treated with rapamycin. This peptide contains a highly conserved threonine residue that might regulate BiP function, as demonstrated by yeast functional assays. Thus, our study has revealed a regulatory mechanism of BiP in Chlamydomonas by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation events and assigns a role to the TOR pathway in the control of BiP modification.
Incidence of tuberculosis infection among New York State prison employees.

OBJECTIVES This study examined tuberculosis skin test conversions among 24,487 New York State prison employees in 1992. METHODS Conversions were analyzed by prison and by job category. RESULTS The conversion rate was 1.9%. Employees in prisons with low and high numbers of prisoner cases had odds ratios for conversion of 1.67 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.27, 2.19) and 2.20 (95% CI = 1.69, 2.87), respectively, relative to employees in prisons with no prisoner cases. In prisons with cases, guards and medical personnel had odds ratios of 1.64 (95% CI = 1.11, 2.43) and 2.39 (95% CI = 1.40, 4.08), respectively, relative to employees with little prisoner contact. CONCLUSIONS In 1992, approximately one third of new infections among New York State prison employees were due to occupational exposure.
An amino acid substitution in the Drosophila hopTum‐l Jak kinase causes leukemia‐like hematopoietic defects.

Proteins of the Jak family of non‐receptor kinases play important roles in mammalian hematopoietic signal transduction. They mediate the cellular response to a wide range of cytokines and growth factors. A dominant mutation in a Drosophila Jak kinase, hopscotchTumorous‐lethal (hopTum‐l), causes hematopoietic defects. Here we conduct a molecular analysis of hopTum‐l. We demonstrate that the hopTum‐l hematopoietic phenotype is caused by a single amino acid substitution of glycine to glutamic acid at residue 341. We generate a true revertant of the hopTum‐l mutation, in which both the molecular lesion and the mutant hematopoietic phenotype revert back to wild type. We also examine the effects of the G341E substitution in transgenic flies. The results indicate that a mutant Jak kinase can cause leukemia‐like abnormalities.
The rod bipolar cell of the mammalian retina

Abstract Three approaches to study the function of mammalian rod bipolar cells are described. Extracellular recordings from the intact cat eye under light- and dark-adapted conditions showed that in dark-adapted retina all light responses can be blocked by 2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate (APB). Immunocytochemical staining with an antibody against protein kinase C (PKC) labeled rod bipolar cells in all mammalian retinae tested. When rat retinae were dissociated, PKC immunoreactivity was also found in isolated bipolar cells and could be used for their identification as rod bipolars. Patch-clamp recordings were performed from such dissociated rod bipolar cells and their responses to APB were measured. APB closed a nonselective cation channel in the cell membrane. The actions of GABA and glycine were also tested and both opened chloride channels in dissociated rod bipolar cells. These results suggest that rod bipolar cells are depolarized by a light stimulus and that GABA as well as glycine modulate their light responses.