Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lipoteichoic acid of Streptococcus sanguinis induces the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 via MAPK signaling pathways in H 9 c 2 cells

Bloodstream infections, including bacteremia and infective endocarditis, represent important medical conditions resulting in high mortality rates. Streptococcus sanguinis are dental plaque Gram-positive organisms associated to infective endocarditis. Lipoteichoic acid, is a component of the outer membrane of Gram-positive bacteria and can cause septic shock. H9c2 cells were exposed to lipoteichoic acid in order to determine levels of nuclear factor (NF)-κB, mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) and cyclooxygenase-2. The results are presented as mean ± SE obtained from three independent experiments. A p value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. In this study, we characterized lipoteichoic acid signal-transduction mechanisms on H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. When H9c2 cells were exposed to lipoteichoic acid (15 μg/ml) they induced time-dependent augmented phoshorylation of MAPK; they also enhanced cytosolic and nuclear NF-κB levels in time-dependent manner. Furthermore, lipoteichoic acid significantly increased LTA-induced COX-2. LTA-mediated COX-2 expression was inhibited by PD98059, SP600125 and calphostin C. The present study showed that lipoteichoic acid obtained from Streptococcus sanguinis can increase cyclooxygenase-2 synthesis through protein kinase C, mitogen activated protein kinases and NF-κB activation in H9c2.
Una metodología para la detección de anomalías en una red a partir de las trazas de ejecución de los servicios

Resumen. La detección y corrección de situaciones anómalas en los servicios que brinda una red de computadoras es tarea de suma importancia para su buena gestión. El presente trabajo brinda una metodología que ayuda a analizar las trazas de ejecución de los servicios de una red, permitiendo detectar anomalías a partir de la información obtenida del análisis. El modelo está basado en la utilización de técnicas de minería de datos sobre las trazas que permitan encontrar patrones y relaciones entre los datos de los registros, logrando identificar anomalías en el comportamiento regular de un servicio. Dentro de la minería de datos se identificaron estas situaciones como outliers. Dadas las características de los datos se seleccionaron las técnicas de detección de outliers que mejor se ajustaron a dichos datos. Con el fin de validar la metodología propuesta se seleccionó como caso de estudio el análisis de las trazas del servicio de proxy Squid para poder analizar los resultados obtenidos y permitir la generalización del modelo a los demás servicios de una red.
Crustal and uppermost mantle structure variation beneath La Réunion hotspot track

The Piton de la Fournaise basaltic volcano, on La Reunion Island in the western Indian Ocean, is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. This volcano is classically considered as the surface expression of an upwelling mantle plume and its activity is continuously monitored, providing detailed information on its superficial dynamics and on the edifice structure. Deeper crustal and upper mantle structure under La Reunion Island is surprisingly poorly constrained, motivating this study. We used receiver function techniques to determine a shear wave velocity profile through the crust and uppermost mantle beneath La Reunion , but also at other seismic stations located on the hotspot track, to investigate the plume and lithosphere interaction and its evolution through time. Receiver functions (RFs) were computed at permanent broad-band seismic stations from the GEOSCOPE network (on La Reunion and Rodrigues), at IRIS stations MRIV and DGAR installed on Mauritius and Diego Garcia islands, and at the GEOFON stations KAAM and HMDM on the Maldives. We performed non-linear inversions of RFs through modelling of P-to-S conversions at various crustal and upper mantle interfaces. Joint inversion of RF and surface wave dispersion data suggests a much deeper Mohorovici´iscontinuity (Moho) beneath Mauritius (∼21 km) compared to La Reunion (∼12 km). A magmatic underplated body may be present under La Reunion as a thin layer (≤3 km thick), as suggested by a previous seismic refraction study, and as a much thicker layer beneath other stations located on the hotspot track, suggesting that underplating is an important process resulting from the plume–lithosphere interaction. We find evidence for a strikingly low velocity layer starting at about 33 km depth beneath La Reunion that we interpret as a zone of partial melt beneath the active volcano. We finally observe low velocities below 70 km beneath La Reunion and below 50 km beneath Mauritius that could represent the base of the oceanic lithosphere.
Characterization of the Microbial Population Inhabiting a Solar Saltern Pond of the Odiel Marshlands (SW Spain)

The solar salterns located in the Odiel marshlands, in southwest Spain, are an excellent example of a hypersaline environment inhabited by microbial populations specialized in thriving under conditions of high salinity, which remains poorly explored. Traditional culture-dependent taxonomic studies have usually under-estimated the biodiversity in saline environments due to the difficulties that many of these species have to grow at laboratory conditions. Here we compare two molecular methods to profile the microbial population present in the Odiel saltern hypersaline water ponds (33% salinity). On the one hand, the construction and characterization of two clone PCR amplified-16S rRNA libraries, and on the other, a high throughput 16S rRNA sequencing approach based on the Illumina MiSeq platform. The results reveal that both methods are comparable for the estimation of major genera, although massive sequencing provides more information about the less abundant ones. The obtained data indicate that Salinibacter ruber is the most abundant genus, followed by the archaea genera, Halorubrum and Haloquadratum. However, more than 100 additional species can be detected by Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). In addition, a preliminary study to test the biotechnological applications of this microbial population, based on its ability to produce and excrete haloenzymes, is shown.
How does information from low and high spatial frequencies interact during scene categorization?

ABSTRACT Current models of visual perception suggest that, during scene categorization, low spatial frequencies (LSF) are rapidly processed and activate plausible interpretations of visual input. This coarse analysis would be used to guide subsequent processing of high spatial frequencies (HSF). The present study aimed to further examine how information from LSF and HSF interact and influence each other during scene categorization. In a first experimental session, participants had to categorize LSF and HSF filtered scenes belonging to two different semantic categories (artificial vs. natural). In a second experimental session, we used hybrid scenes as stimuli made by combining LSF and HSF from two different scenes which were semantically similar or dissimilar. Half of the participants categorized LSF scenes in hybrids, and the other half categorized HSF scenes in hybrids. Stimuli were presented for 30 or 100 ms. Session 1 results showed better performance for LSF than HSF scene categorization. Session 2 scene categorization was faster when participants attended and categorized LSF than HSF scene in hybrids. The semantic interference of a semantically dissimilar HSF scene on LSF scene categorization was greater than the semantic interference of a semantically dissimilar LSF scene on HSF scene categorization, irrespective of exposure duration. These results suggest a LSF advantage for scene categorization, and highlight the prominent role of HSF information when there is uncertainty about the visual stimulus, in order to disentangle between alternative interpretations.
"Pharmacognostic and Physico-chemical standardization of Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) verdc. edible seed"

Introduction: Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc. (Family Fabaceae) commonly known as horse gram is largely cultivated in Australia, Burma, India and Sri Lanka. In the present study an attempt has been made to standardize this ethnopharmacologically useful seed on the basis of pharmacognostical, physico-chemical and phytochemical characteristics. Methods: The external morphology of seed was observed by using simple microscope. The percentage of foreign matter, loss on drying, crude fiber, swelling and foaming index of dried seed powder were determined. Total ash, water soluble ash, acid insoluble ash, sulphated ash and fluorescence property were also determined. Extraction, qualitative and quantitative analysis of seed samples was measured for total phenols and tannins and total flavonoids, along with TLC and HPTLC. Results: The seeds were odorless, slightly acrid and nonaromatic. The loss on drying was 1.45%, the total ash was 7.95% and the water soluble ash was 2.90% whereas acid insoluble and sulfated ash showed low content (3.10 and 1.81% respectively). Acetone (18.42%) and methanol (15.58%) soluble extracts showed the presence of alkaloid, glycoside, steroid, triterpenoid, carbohydrate, tannin, phenolics, saponin, flavonoid, amino acid and mucilage (except starch) phytoconstituents. The methanol extract was rich in flavonoid (8.59 mg/gm) whilst the acetone extract showed a high content of total polyphenols and tannins (8.91 and 5.23 mg/gm respectively). TLC showed the presence of chlorogenic acid and ferulic acid, whereas HPTLC confirmed the presence of quercetin and chlorogenic acid. Conclusion: The present study established pharmacognostic, physico-chemical, phytochemical, microscopic and fluorescence characterizations of M. uniflorum seed along with identification of bioactive flavonoid compounds.
Evidence of past migration of the ice divide between the Shirase and Sôya drainage basins derived from chemical characteristics of the marginal ice in the Sôya drainage basin, East Antarctica

Abstract Ice originating near the inland ice divide of the ice sheet can reappear as marginal ice at the surface near the ice terminal in the ablation area. We have analyzed δ18O values and ion concentrations of the Skallen, Skarvsnes and Hamna terminal ice sections, located along the estuary line in the Sôya drainage basin, East Antarctica. The data suggest that the upper part of the Skallen terminal ice section could have originated from inland precipitation on the Shirase drainage basin during marine isotope stage (MIS) 5e, while the upper part of Skarvsnes and Hamna terminal ice sections could have originated from inland precipitation on the Sôya drainage basin. We calculate past elevation maps for the Antarctic ice sheet using the three-dimensional model, SICOPOLIS. This model suggests that the upstream portion of the Sôya drainage basin during the glacial period (MIS 2, 3 or 4) was located to the northeast of its present location. A flow history is proposed wherein ice from the inland Shirase drainage area flowed over the present ice-divide line from the Shirase to the Sôya drainage basin during the glacial period. The ice in the Sôya drainage basin then flowed to the marginal part of the sheet after the ice divide had assumed its present position.
Multitrophic level interactions: an introduction

Terrestrial ecosystems are characterized by a huge diversity of species and a corresponding diversity of interactions between these species, but community ecology has historically been dominated by interactions between two trophic levels; in particular, plant–herbivore and predator–prey interactions. Only more recently have ecologists become interested in the nature of more complex interactions involving three or more trophic levels (e.g., Price et al., 1980; Bernays and Graham, 1988; Barbosa et al., 1990; Hawkins, 1994; Gange and Brown, 1997; Olff et al., 1999; Pace et al., 1999; Dicke, 2000; Schmitz et al., 2000). It has quickly become clear that a multitrophic level approach addresses the complexity of food-webs much more realistically than does the simpler approach. Our reasons for generating this book are to provide an overview of progress that has been made in demonstrating how research on more realistic models of food webs has enriched our understanding of complex biological systems, and to highlight new and particularly exciting avenues of future research in this area. In the past two decades there has been intense interest in tritrophic interactions between plants, herbivores, and natural enemies, driven by the need both to integrate host plant resistance and biological control in the management of arthropod pests and to understand the relative importance of direct and indirect interactions in ecological communities. Many examples document the direct effects of physical, chemical, and nutritional qualities of plants on the attack rate, survival and reproduction of natural enemies. In addition, it is well known that in some cases these same plant qualities have indirect effects on natural enemies by influencing the distribution, abundance, and vulnerability of herbivores. Even so, there is a need to specify conditions where multitrophic interactions are important and to determine the habitat characteristics that
APPLYING FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS TO NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY

The time has come indeed. The sequencing of the human genome and the genomes of a number of other species subject to research (1–6) have paved the way for new sorts of studies. Soon researchers will be able to look at the response of every human gene to specific manipulations or developmental events at multiple time points. This will require a new mindset. Researchers will not necessarily be testing specific hypotheses as they have done in the past. Instead, they will rely on the emergence of patterns and systematic features in their data sets (and those of others) to describe the phenomena being examined. Such patterns may hint at functions of collections of genes, the interactions of their products, and their importance in physiologic and pathologic processes. This chapter introduces array technology, discusses the sorts of experiments that can now be done with it, and suggests future advances. Several reviews have already been published on this subject, and the reader should refer to them for additional information (7–15). In addition, university, government, and commercial Web sites are valuable sources of news, background material, reagents, arrays, software, and instrumentation (16–33).
Internal Consistency, Nominal Inertia and the Microfoundation of Macroeconomics

Microfounded macromodels (SDGE models) represent the dominant approach in academic macroeconomics, and their influence now extends to the forecasting models of central banks. These models appear to adopt a clear methodological approach, which promotes internal consistency above external consistency as a necessary condition of admissibility. This paper develops two arguments. The first notes that internal consistency means that the development of microfounded macromodels depends on the pace of theoretical innovation. The delay in the acceptance of nominal inertia as part of microfounded modelling illustrates the importance of this constraint, and similar delays are already apparent in other areas. This had led to an internal debate between 'pragmatists' who argue for limited departures from internal consistency, and 'purists' who claim that this would fatally compromise the methodological integrity of microfounded macroeconomics. The second argument is directly relevant to this debate. It is that the inclusion of nominal inertia into these models via short-cuts like Calvo contracts has required a key modification of the microfoundations methodology, such that internal consistency can only be claimed indirectly by appeal to theory developed elsewhere. This modification is significant because these indirect internal consistency claims cannot be demonstrated formally, and instead depend on judgement. It seems implausible that this judgement is not influenced by external consistency. As a result, the methodological integrity of the microfoundations project is not as unblemished as the 'purists' imagine.
65 STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL IMAGING OF ANXIETY AND STRESS DISORDERS

Whereas anxiety disorders comprise a discrete category within the current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (2), the concept of stress disorders is less well defined. Although growing evidence suggests that stress may play a role across a variety of psychiatric disorders (such as major depression), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder remain the only conditions for which exposure to traumatic stress is explicitly acknowledged as an etiologic factor and a criterion for diagnosis. In this chapter, we survey the imaging data pertinent to models of PTSD and other anxiety disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), specific phobias (SpP), social phobia (SoP; also called social anxiety disorder) and panic disorder (PD). In general, patients with anxiety disorders suffer either exaggerated fear responses to relatively innocuous stimuli (e.g., phobias) or spontaneous fear responses in the absence of true threat (e.g., PD). Thus, it is important to consider the mediating neuroanatomy of normal threat assessment
Use of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire to Identify Individuals with Gad: An Indian Perspective

1.1. Background and Objectives: The Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) has been established as an efficacious tool to identify individuals with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) as against those with other anxiety disorders. We report on the use of the PSWQ in the Indian population to identify individuals with GAD. 1.2. Methods: 30 individuals with GAD and 60 with other anxiety disorders without GAD completed the PSWQ. 1.3. Results: Using the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analysis, a score of 64, which optimized both sensitivity and specificity, was found to discriminate between individuals with GAD and those with other anxiety disorders without GAD. 1.4. Limitations:The study conducted on a small sample would benefit from further research to establish the PSWQ as an efficacious tool for identify individuals with GAD. 1.5. Conclusion: Results from the current study offer strong support for the use of the PSWQ for initial screening and identification of individuals with GAD who present for treatment for anxiety disorders.
Bending investigation on carbon fiber/epoxy composites nano-modified by graphene

An extreme conditions situation, e.g. pre-salt deep sea exploration, requires new materials with even better performance. Nanotechnology is the new paradigm that can lead to the development of these new super materials. The effect of graphene pileups dispersion into carbon fiber/epoxy composites was investigated experimentally. The dispersion process was based on sonication and high shear mixing. XRD and SEM indicate that although the dispersion process can lead to exfoliated nanostructures, there is a saturation limit for the epoxy system, around 0.5 wt. %. The addition of graphene to carbon/epoxy composites seems to have no influence into stiffness, as the slopes of the stress-strain curves were near constant for all specimen tested. The bending strength, however, was heavily influenced by formation of graphene pileups into epoxy matrix and its dispersion around the carbon fibers. The increase on bending strength from 623.01±70.16 MPa (control samples) to 1259.92±61.73 MPa for 0.5 wt. % graphene addition represents an average improvement of 102%. This can be attributed to changes on failure mechanism, moving from intra-laminar failure to a mix failure mode where inter- and intra-laminar failure are combined in a zigzag pattern. A possible explanation for such behavior is the formation of strong bonds at the fiber/matrix surroundings due to nanostructures formation.
Learning a Class-Specific Dictionary for Facial Expression Recognition

Abstract Sparse coding is currently an active topic in signal processing and pattern recognition. Meta Face Learning (MFL) isatypical sparse coding method and exhibits promising performance for classification. Unfortunately, due to using the l1-norm minimization, MFLis expensive to compute and is not robust enough. To address these issues, this paper proposesafaster and more robust version of MFLwith the l2-norm regularization constraint on coding coefficients. The proposed method is used to learnaclass-specific dictionary for facial expression recognition. Extensive experiments on two popular facial expression databases, i.e., the JAFFEdatabase and the Cohn-Kanade database, demonstrate that our method shows promising computational efficiency and robustness on facial expression recognition tasks.
Computing Dual Simulation for Graph Database Queries Technical Report

Extensive knowledge graphs are commonplace backbones in today’s information infrastructures. Therefore, scalable query processing in graph databases has sparked a vivid interest in the database community. Already at an early stage, specialized graph query languages such as SPARQL, the W3C recommendation for querying RDF data by SQL-like expressions [29], have been designed. Such languages provide easy to use, yet expressive query capabilities on graph structures, but need to severely break down structural complexity to allow for fast query evaluation. Indeed, the evaluation of complex graph patterns is computationally expensive and thus, a variety of implementational avenues have been proposed [9, 25, 5]. For illustration, let us have a look at a sample query. At the heart of SPARQL, basic graph patterns (BGPs) form the syntactically least complex queries. BGPs are simple graphs and their result sets contain all graph-homomorphic matches from the graph database instance. Consider query (X1) retrieving all persons (cf. variable ? director), who directed at least one movie (? movie) and at some point collaborated with another person (? coworker), SELECT ∗ WHERE {