Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular interactions between dipeptides, drugs and the human intestinal H+–oligopeptide cotransporter hPEPT1

The human intestinal proton‐coupled oligopeptide transporter hPEPT1 has been implicated in the absorption of pharmacologically active compounds. We have investigated the interactions between a comprehensive selection of drugs, and wild‐type and variant hPEPT1s expressed in Xenopus oocytes, using radiotracer uptake and electrophysiological methods. The β‐lactam antibiotics ampicillin, amoxicillin, cephalexin and cefadroxil, the antineoplastics δ‐aminolevulinic acid (δ‐ALA) and bestatin, and the neuropeptide N‐acetyl‐Asp‐Glu (NAAG), were transported, as judged by their ability to evoke inward currents. When the drugs were added in the presence of the typical substrate glycylsarcosine (Gly‐Sar), the inward currents were equal or less than that induced by Gly‐Sar alone. This suggests that the drugs are transported at a lower turnover rate than Gly‐Sar, but may also point towards complex interactions between dipeptides, drugs and the transporter. Gly‐Sar and the drugs also modified the kinetics of hPEPT1 presteady‐state charge movement, by causing a reduction in maximum charge (Qmax) and a shift of the midpoint voltage (V0.5) to more negative potentials. Our results indicate that the substrate selectivity of hPEPT1 is: Gly‐Sar > NAAG, δ‐ALA, bestatin > cefadroxil, cephalexin > ampicillin, amoxicillin. Based on steady‐state and presteady‐state analysis of Gly‐Sar and cefadroxil transport, we proposed an extension of the 6‐state kinetic model for hPEPT1 function that globally accounts for the observed presteady‐state and steady‐state kinetics of neutral dipeptide and drug transport. Our model suggests that, under saturating conditions, the rate‐limiting step of the hPEPT1 transport cycle is the reorientation of the empty carrier within the membrane. Variations in rates of drug cotransport are predicted to be due to differences in affinity and turnover rate. Oral availability of drugs may be reduced in the presence of physiological concentrations of dietary dipeptides in the gut, suggesting that oral delivery drugs should be taken on an empty stomach. The common hPEPT1 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms Ser117Asn and Gly419Ala retained the essential kinetic and drug recognition characteristics of the wild type, suggesting that neither variant is likely to have a major impact on oral absorption of drugs.
ynamically stable control of articulated crowds

The synthesis of realistic complex body movements in real-time is a difficult problem in computer graphics and in robotics. High realism requires the accurate modeling of the details of the trajectories for a large number of degrees of freedom. At the same time, real-time animation necessitates flexible systems that can adapt and react in an online fashion to changing external constraints. Such behaviors can be modeled with nonlinear dynamical systems in combination with appropriate learning methods. The resulting mathematical models have manageable mathematical complexity, allowing to study and eywords: omputer animation rowd animation ulti-agent coordination istributed control ynamic stability design the dynamics of multi-agent systems. We introduce Contraction Theory as a tool to treat the stability properties of such highly nonlinear systems. For a number of scenarios we derive conditions that guarantee the global stability and minimal convergence rates for the formation of coordinated behaviors of crowds. In this way we suggest a new approach for the analysis and design of stable collective behaviors in crowd simulation.
Self-Determination Theory Meets Solution-Focused Change: Autonomy, Competence and Relatedness Support in Action

This article looks at the Solution-Focused approach (SF) through a Self-Determination Theory (SDT) lens. SDT is an influential macro theory of human motivation which has been applied to many life domains, including sports, education, psychotherapy and work. The theory focuses mainly on the benefits of self-determined behaviour and the conditions that promote it. Its relevance for helping professionals such as psychotherapists and counsellors has been recognized by previous authors. A counselling approach which has been associated with SDT is motivational interviewing (MI). This approach has some important similarities to SF but there are also some key differences. This article focuses on the relevance of SDT for SF and vice versa. Although the literature on SF makes only a few mentions of SDT, SF fits well with its main propositions and findings. The strategies, principles and interventions of SF have the effect of supporting the perception of autonomy, competence and relatedness of clients which, according to SDT, are keys to enhance self-determination. It is argued that the SDT framework and body of research are relevant for SF. They help to understand better how SF works and may be used to further refine and develop the approach. In the same way, SDT theorists and practitioners may benefit from learning about the specific and often subtle ways in which SF supports clients’ autonomy.
Cognitive factors in NHS staff responses to violence and aggression.

NHS staff frequently experience violence and aggression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is amongst the potential psychological consequences. Using a prospective design, the present study sought to establish whether cognitive factors, specified in Ehlers and Clark's (2000) model, could predict symptom severity over and above other established risk factors. The aim was to develop and refine a predictive tool, which could be used to identify individuals who may benefit from early, targeted interventions. Forty-eight healthcare workers completed questionnaires assessing a range of cognitive factors, immediately following an incident of violence or aggression. Of these participants, twenty provided data concerning PTSD symptoms at three-month follow-up, despite implementing strategies to maximise response rates. It was therefore not possible to address the original research question owing to the small sample size. However, several participants reported experiencing symptoms, and for some these were moderate to severe. Several potential reasons for non-response were identified, including the possibility that healthcare workers appraise workplace incidents in such a way that subsequent effects are minimised. An experimental analogue study examined this hypothesis. Student nurses (N = 190) read a vignette as an analogue for a violent incident, in which the context was manipulated. Results indicated that neither organisational setting (work / non-work), nor cause of the perpetrator's behaviour (illness / non-illness) influenced the type of appraisals endorsed, or ratings of perceived distress. It therefore seems likely that other factors contributed to the low response rate observed in Study 1. However, in line with Ehlers and Clark's (2000) cognitive model, appraisals explained a significant amount variance in dysfunctional behaviours after controlling for perceived distress. Study 1 indicated that a proportion of staff were adversely affected by incidents of violence and aggression. Replication of this research is warranted in light of the current literature, and recommendations are made for modification.
Measuring photodarkening from Yb doped fibers

OF DOCTORAL DISSERTATION HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY P.O. BOX 1000, FI-02015 TKK http://www.tkk. fi Author Joona Koponen Name of the dissertation Measuring photodarkening from Yb doped fibers Manuscript submitted 12.9. 2008 Manuscript revised 7.11. 2008 Date of the defence 12.12. 2008 Monograph Article dissertation (summary + original articles) Faculty Faculty of Electronics, Communications and Automation Department Department of Micro and Nanosciences Field of research Photonics Opponent(s) Dr. Lars Norin Supervisor Prof. Seppo Honkanen Instructor Abstract Yb doped fibers are used widely in applications requiring high beam quality and efficiency. A detrimental phenomenon, photodarkening, is known to reduce the efficiency of fiber devices under some operating conditions, and in extreme cases to prevent lasing altogether. Photodarkening manifests as an incrementally increasing spectrally broad transmission loss in the Yb doped core of a fiber, and it is caused by the exposure to pumpor signal photons. This work focused on development of methods to benchmark fibers for photodarkening, and to develop methods to study the temporal and spatial characteristics of photodarkening. A measurement method for conducting benchmarking and spectral studies on single-mode fibers was developed, and a similar alternative method was developed for large-mode-area fibers. Both approaches were studied experimentally and by simulations. Additionally, an experimental setup was built to study the spatial photodarkening differences in large-mode-area fibers. Observations agreed with the simulated results. Photodarkening rate was found to have a repeatable spectral response with fibers of similar but varying compositions, and the photodarkening induced temporal transmission loss was found to follow a stretched-exponential decay rate, and a bi-exponential decay rate. Photodarkening was found to be proportional to the inversion of a fiber sample; and also to have a 7 power dependency to inversion; and more generally, to have a 7 power dependency to the excited state Yb ion density. The methodology obtained through this work enable benchmarking of Yb doped single-mode and large-mode-area fibers. The observed excited state ion density dependency to the photodarkening rate has strong implications to Yb fiber devices, as a given fiber may photodarken with a high rate in one application (having a higher inversion), and non-measurably in another application (having a lower inversion).
In Vitro Activity of Human-Simulated Epithelial Lining Fluid Exposures of Ceftaroline, Ceftriaxone, and Vancomycin against Methicillin-Susceptible and -Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) and -resistant (MRSA) strains, is an important pathogen of bacterial pneumonia. As antibiotic concentrations at the site of infection are responsible for killing, we investigated the activity of human-simulated epithelial lining fluid (ELF) exposures of three antibiotics (ceftaroline, ceftriaxone, and vancomycin) commonly used for treatment of S. aureus pneumonia. An in vitro pharmacodynamic model was used to simulate ELF exposures of vancomycin (1 g every 12 h [q12h]), ceftaroline (600 mg q12h and q8h), and ceftriaxone (2 g q24h and q12h). Four S. aureus isolates (2 MSSA and 2 MRSA) were evaluated over 72 h with a starting inoculum of ∼106 CFU/ml. Time-kill curves were constructed, and microbiological response (change in log10 CFU/ml from 0 h and the area under the bacterial killing and regrowth curve [AUBC]) was assessed in duplicate. The change in 72-h log10 CFU/ml was largest for ceftaroline q8h (reductions of >3 log10 CFU/ml against all strains). This regimen also achieved the lowest AUBC against all organisms (P < 0.05). Vancomycin produced reliable bacterial reductions of 0.9 to 3.3 log10 CFU/ml, while the activity of ceftaroline q12h was more variable (reductions of 0.2 to 2.3 log10 CFU/ml against 3 of 4 strains). Both regimens of ceftriaxone were poorly active against MSSA tested (0.1 reduction to a 1.8-log10 CFU/ml increase). Against these S. aureus isolates, ELF exposures of ceftaroline 600 mg q8h exhibited improved antibacterial activity compared with ceftaroline 600 mg q12h and vancomycin, and therefore, this q8h regimen deserves further evaluation for the treatment of bacterial pneumonia. These data also suggest that ceftriaxone should be avoided for S. aureus pneumonia.
SEEMORE: Combining Color, Shape, and Texture Histogramming in a Neurally Inspired Approach to Visual Object Recognition

Severe architectural and timing constraints within the primate visual system support the conjecture that the early phase of object recognition in the brain is based on a feedforward feature-extraction hierarchy. To assess the plausibility of this conjecture in an engineering context, a difficult three-dimensional object recognition domain was developed to challenge a pure feedforward, receptive-field based recognition model called SEEMORE. SEEMORE is based on 102 viewpoint-invariant nonlinear filters that as a group are sensitive to contour, texture, and color cues. The visual domain consists of 100 real objects of many different types, including rigid (shovel), nonrigid (telephone cord), and statistical (maple leaf cluster) objects and photographs of complex scenes. Objects were in dividually presented in color video images under normal room lighting conditions. Based on 12 to 36 training views, SEEMORE was required to recognize unnormalized test views of objects that could vary in position, orientation in the image plane and in depth, and scale (factor of 2); for non rigid objects, recognition was also tested under gross shape deformations. Correct classification performance on a test set consisting of 600 novel object views was 97 percent (chance was 1 percent) and was comparable for the subset of 15 nonrigid objects. Performance was also measured under a variety of image degradation conditions, including partial occlusion, limited clutter, color shift, and additive noise. Generalization behavior and classification errors illustrate the emergence of several striking natural shape categories that are not explicitly encoded in the dimensions of the feature space. It is concluded that in the light of the vast hardware resources available in the ventral stream of the primate visual system relative to those exercised here, the appealingly simple feature-space conjecture remains worthy of serious consideration as a neurobiological model.
317 KM Initiatives , Innovation & GLC Performance

A model of knowledge management initiatives, innovation and performance is developed and tested for the listed Malaysian Government-Linked companies (GLC). Data collected from 273 employees representing the three different levels of management is subjected to structural equation modelling analysis. The proposed model fits the data well. Results indicate that employees perceived knowledge management initiatives as important antecedents of innovation in the GLC and innovation in turns result in better organizational performance.
Protein Footprinting Reveals Specific Binding Modes of a High Mobility Group Protein I to DNAs of Different Conformation*

The high mobility group proteins I and Y (HMGI/Y) are abundant components of chromatin. They are thought to derepress chromatin, affect the assembly and activity of the transcriptional machinery, and associate with constitutive heterochromatin during mitosis. HMGI/Y protein molecules contain three potential DNA-binding motifs (AT-hooks), but the extent of contacts between DNA and the entire protein has not been determined. We have used a protein-footprinting procedure to map regions of theChironomus HMGI protein molecule that are involved in contacts with DNA. We find that in the presence of double-stranded DNA all AT-hook motifs are protected against hydroxyl radical proteolysis. In contrast, only two motifs were protected in the presence of four-way junction DNA. Large regions that flank the AT-hook motifs were found to be strongly protected against proteolysis in complexes with interferon-β promoter DNA, suggesting amino acid residues outside the AT-hooks considerably contribute to DNA binding.
Optimized binary modular reconfigurable robotic devices

Binary robotic devices with large numbers of degrees of freedom have been proposed by a number of researchers. However, experimental implementations of these concepts have been built with conventional components. These physical systems are heavy, complex, and far from being practical devices. In this paper, a lightweight, compliant mechanism driven by optimized magnet-coil actuators is proposed and developed as an element for modular hyper-redundant robotic systems. Such elements could be used in a number of applications and would replace conventional, complex, and heavy components. The device has a parallel kinematics structure. Its binary actuation simplifies its control architecture. Analytical and experimental results for a practical prototype system are presented.
The moonlighting protein Tsa1p is implicated in oxidative stress response and in cell wall biogenesis in Candida albicans

Candida albicans is one of the most common fungal pathogens in humans. The cell wall is the first contact site between host and pathogen and thus is critical for colonization and infection of the host. We have identified Tsa1p, a protein that is differentially localized to the cell wall of C. albicans in hyphal cells but remains in the cytosol and nucleus in yeast‐form cells. This is different from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, where the homologous protein solely has been found in the cytoplasm. We report here that TSA1 confers resistance towards oxidative stress as well as is involved in the correct composition of hyphal cell walls. However, no significant change of the cell wall composition was observed in a TSA1 deletion strain in yeast‐form cells, which is in good agreement with the observation that Tsa1p is absent from the yeast‐form cell wall. This indicates that Tsa1p of C. albicans might represent a moonlighting protein with specific functions correlating to its respective localization. Furthermore, the translocation of Tsa1p to the hyphal cell wall of C. albicans depends on Efg1p, suggesting a contribution of the cAMP/PKA pathway to the localization of this protein. In a strain deleted for TUP1 that filaments constitutively Tsa1p can be found in the cell wall under all conditions tested, confirming the result that Tsa1p localization to the cell wall is correlated to the morphology of C. albicans.
Speakers In The Wild (SITW): The QUT Speaker Recognition System

This paper presents the QUT speaker recognition system, as a competing system in the Speakers In The Wild (SITW) speaker recognition challenge. Our proposed system achieved an overall ranking of second place, in the main core-core condition evaluations of the SITW challenge. This system uses an ivector/ PLDA approach, with domain adaptation and a deep neural network (DNN) trained to provide feature statistics. The statistics are accumulated by using class posteriors from the DNN, in place of GMM component posteriors in a typical GMM UBM i-vector/PLDA system. Once the statistics have been collected, the i-vector computation is carried out as in a GMM-UBM based system. We apply domain adaptation to the extracted i-vectors to ensure robustness against dataset variability, PLDA modelling is used to capture speaker and session variability in the i-vector space, and the processed i-vectors are compared using the batch likelihood ratio. The final scores are calibrated to obtain the calibrated likelihood scores, which are then used to carry out speaker recognition and evaluate the performance of the system. Finally, we explore the practical application of our system to the core-multi condition recordings of the SITW data and propose a technique for speaker recognition in recordings with multiple speakers.
How to define the boundaries of a convective zone, and how extended is overshooting ?

In non-local convection theory, convection extends without limit and therefore an apparent boundary cannot be defined clearly, as in local theory. From the requirement that a similar structure for both local and non-local models has the same depth of convection zone, and taking into account the driving mechanism of turbulent convection, we argue that a proper definition of the boundary of a convective zone should be the place where the convective energy flux (i.e. the correlation of turbulent velocity and temperature) changes its sign. Therefore, it is a convectively unstable region when the flux is positive, and it is a convective overshooting zone when the flux becomes negative. The physical picture of the overshooting zone drawn by the usual non-local mixing-length theory is incorrect. In fact, convection is already subadiabatic (del < del(ad)) long before reaching the unstable boundary, while in the overshooting zone below the convective zone, convection is subadiabatic and superradiative (del(rad) < del < del(ad)). The transition between the adiabatic and radiative temperature gradients is continuous and smooth instead of being a sudden switch. In the unstable zone, the temperature gradient approaches a radiative temperature gradient rather than an adiabatic temperature gradient. We would like to note again that the overshooting distance is different for different physical quantities. In an overshooting zone at deep stellar interiors, the e-folding lengths of turbulent velocity and temperature are about 0.3H(P), whereas that of the velocity-temperature correlation is much shorter, about 0.09H(P). The overshooting distance in the context of stellar evolution, measured by the extent of the mixing of stellar matter, should be more extended. It is estimated to be as large as 0.25-1.7H(P) depending on the evolutionary time-scale. The larger the overshooting distance, the longer the time-scales. This is because of the participation of the extended overshooting tail in the mixing process.
Comparison of pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment strategies in promotion of infertility self-efficacy scale in infertile women: A randomized controlled trial

Background: The infertility is associated with psychological consequence including depression, and lack of self-efficacy. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the pharmacological and no pharmacological strategies in promotion of self-efficacy of infertile women. Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 89 infertile women who were recruited from Fatemeh Zahra Infertility and Reproductive Health Research Center and were randomized into three groups; cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), antidepressant therapy with flouxetine 20 mg daily for 3 month, and a control group. All participants completed Infertility Self-efficacy Inventory (ISE) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) at the beginning and end of the study. Results: The means ISE scores among the CBT, fluoxetine, and control groups at the beginning and end of the study were 6.1±1.6 vs. 7.2±0.9, 6.4±1.4 vs. 6.9±1.3 and 6.1±1.1 vs. 5.9±1.4 respectively. Both CBT and fluoxetine increased the mean of ISE scores more than control group after intervention (p<0.0001, p=0.033; respectively), but increase in the CBT group was significantly greater than flouxetine group. Finally, there was evidence of high infertility self-efficacy for women exposed to the intervention compared with those in the control group. Also, there was an improvement in depression. Both fluoxetine and CBT decreased significantly the mean of BDI scores more than the control group; decrease in the CBT group was significantly more than that in the fluoxetine group. Conclusion: CBT can serve as an effective psychosocial intervention for promoting self-efficacy of infertile women. Registration ID in IRCT: IRCT2012061710048N1