Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hybrid quantised observer for multi-input-multi-output nonlinear systems

Limit possibilities of state estimation under information constraints (limited information capacity of the coupling channel) for multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) nonlinear systems are evaluated. We give theoretical analysis for state estimation of nonlinear systems represented in Lurie form (linear part plus nonlinearity depending only on measurable outputs) with a first-order coder-decoder. It is shown that the upper bound of the limit estimation error is proportional to the upper bound of the transmission error. As a consequence, the upper bound of limit estimation error is proportional to the maximum rate of the coupling signal and inversely proportional to the information transmission rate (channel capacity). The results are applied to state estimation of a nonlinear self-excited mechanical oscillator and a reaction-wheel pendulum.
Evolutionary History of the Live-Bearing Endemic Allotoca diazi Species Complex (Actinopterygii, Goodeinae): Evidence of Founder Effect Events in the Mexican Pre-Hispanic Period

The evolutionary history of Mexican ichthyofauna has been strongly linked to natural events, and the impact of pre-Hispanic cultures is little known. The live-bearing fish species Allotoca diazi, Allotoca meeki and Allotoca catarinae occur in areas of biological, cultural and economic importance in central Mexico: Pátzcuaro basin, Zirahuén basin, and the Cupatitzio River, respectively. The species are closely related genetically and morphologically, and hypotheses have attempted to explain their systematics and biogeography. Mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite markers were used to investigate the evolutionary history of the complex. The species complex shows minimal genetic differentiation. The separation of A. diazi and A. meeki was dated to 400–7000 years ago, explained by geological and climate events. A bottleneck and reduction of genetic diversity in Allotoca diazi was detected, attributed to recent climate fluctuations and anthropogenic activity. The isolation of A. catarinae occurred ~1900 years ago. No geological events are documented in the area during this period, but the date is contemporary with P’urhépecha culture settlements. This founder effect represents the first evidence of fish species translocation by a pre-Hispanic culture of Mexico. The response of the complex to climate fluctuation, geological changes and human activity in the past and the future according to the ecological niches predictions indicates areas of vulnerability and important information for conservation. The new genetic information showed that the Allotoca diazi complex consist of two genetic groups with an incomplete lineage sorting pattern: Pátzcuaro and Zirahuén lakes, and an introduced population in the Cupatitzio River.
Nanosizing Cynomorium: Thumbs up for Potential Antifungal Applications

Cynomorium coccineum L. , the desert thumb, is a rather exotic, parasitic plant unable to engage in photosynthesis, yet rich in a variety of unique compounds with a wide spectrum of biological applications. Whilst extraction, separation and isolation of such compounds is time consuming, the particular properties of the plant, such as dryness, hardness and lack of chlorophyll, render it a prime target for possible nanosizing. The entire plant, the external layer (coat) as well as its peel, are readily milled and high pressure homogenized to yield small, mostly uniform spherical particles with diameters in the range of 300 to 600 nm. The best quality of particles is obtained for the processed entire plant. Based on initial screens for biological activity, it seems that these particles are particularly active against the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans, whilst no activity could be observed against the model nematode Steinernema feltiae. This activity is particularly pronounced in the case of the external layer, whilst the peeled part does not seem to inhibit growth of C. albicans. Thanks to the ease of sample preparation, the good quality of the nanosuspension obtained, and the interesting activity of this natural product, nanosized coats of Cynomorium may well provide a lead for future development and applications as “green” materials in the field of medicine, but also environmentally, for instance in agriculture.
Computing the polar decomposition with applications

A quadratically convergent Newton method for computing the polar decomposition of a full-rank matrix is presented and analysed. Acceleration parameters are introduced so as to enhance the initial rate of convergence and it is shown how reliable estimates of the optimal parameters may be computed in practice.To add to the known best approximation property of the unitary polar factor, the Hermitian polar factor H of a nonsingular Hermitian matrix A is shown to be a good positive definite approximation to Aand $\frac{1}{2}(A + H)$ is shown to be a best Hermitian positive semi-definite approximation to A. Perturbation bounds for the polar factors are derived.Applications of the polar decomposition to factor analysis, aerospace computations and optimisation are outlined; and a new method is derived for computing the square root of a symmetric positive definite matrix.
Characterization of electrospun poly(L‐lactide) and gold nanoparticle composite scaffolds for skeletal muscle tissue engineering

Traumatic injuries can interrupt muscle contraction by damaging the skeletal muscle and/or the peripheral nerves. The healing process results in scar tissue formation that impedes muscle function. Electrospinning and metal nanoparticles (Nps) can create a scaffold that will trigger muscle cell elongation, orientation, fusion, and striation. Poly(L‐lactic acid) (PLLA) and gold (Au) Nps were electrospun to create three composite scaffolds, 7% Au–PLLA, 13% Au–PLLA and 21% Au–PLLA, and compared to PLLA alone. The scaffolds had a conductivity of 0.008 ± 0.003 S/cm for PLLA, 0.053 ± 0.015 S/cm for 7% Au–PLLA, 0.076 ± 0.004 S/cm for 13% Au–PLLA and 0.094 ± 0.037 S/cm for 21% Au–PLLA. Next, a cell study was conducted with rat primary muscle cells and all three Au–PLLA scaffolds. The first cell study showed low cell proliferation on all three of the Au–PLLA scaffolds; however, the second cell study showed that this was not due to Au Nps toxicity. Instead, low cell proliferation may be a marker for myotube differentiation and fusion. Values for the elastic modulus and yield stress for the Au–PLLA scaffolds on days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 were much higher than those for skeletal muscle tissue. Therefore, lower amounts of Au Nps may be utilized to create a biodegradable, biocompatible and conductive scaffold for skeletal muscle repair. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A single intact ATPase site of the ABC transporter BtuCD drives 5% transport activity yet supports full in vivo vitamin B12 utilization

In all kingdoms of life, ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters are essential to many cellular functions. In this large superfamily of proteins, two catalytic sites hydrolyze ATP to power uphill substrate translocation. A central question in the field concerns the relationship between the two ATPase catalytic sites: Are the sites independent of one another? Are both needed for function? Do they function cooperatively? These issues have been resolved for type I ABC transporters but never for a type II ABC transporter. The many mechanistic differences between type I and type II ABC transporters raise the question whether in respect to ATP hydrolysis the two subtypes are similar or different. We have addressed this question by studying the Escherichia coli vitamin B12 type II ABC transporter BtuCD. We have constructed and purified a series of BtuCD variants where both, one, or none of the ATPase sites were rendered inactive by mutation. We find that, in a membrane environment, the ATPase sites of BtuCD are highly cooperative with a Hill coefficient of 2. We also find that, when one of the ATPase sites is inactive, ATP hydrolysis and vitamin B12 transport by BtuCD is reduced by 95%. These exact features are also shared by the archetypical type I maltose ABC transporter. Remarkably, mutants that have lost 95% of their ATPase and transport capabilities still retain the ability to fully use vitamin B12 in vivo. The results demonstrate that, despite the many differences between type I and type II ABC transporters, the fundamental mechanism of ATP hydrolysis remains conserved.
Glycosylation of CD44 negatively regulates its recognition of hyaluronan

Although CD44 is expressed on a wide variety of cell types, few of them use it to recognize the ligand hyaluronan (HA). A glycosylation- defective clone of Chinese hamster ovary cells (Lec 8) bound HA, demonstrating that complete processing of glycoproteins with addition of a full complement of sialic acid is not required. On the contrary, subsequent findings revealed that complex sugars on CD44 can actually inhibit ligand recognition. Two subclones of wild-type Chinese hamster ovary cells with similar amounts of surface CD44 were isolated on the basis of HA binding and found to differ with respect to CD44 size as well as staining with fluorescent lectins. Treatment of the nonbinding clone with tunicamycin reduced the size of the protein and allowed the cells to recognize HA via CD44. This function was also induced by treatment with deglycosylating enzymes (either a mixture of endoglycosidase F and N-glycosidase F or neuraminidase alone). A possible role for glycosylation in regulation of adhesion was then sought with a series of normal and transformed murine cells. Disruption of glycosylation or treatment with deglycosylating enzymes did not induce ligand binding in an interleukin 7-dependent pre-B cell line, and splenic B cells also appeared to be in an inactive state. Some normal B cells acquired the ability to recognize HA after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide or interleukin 5 and had distinctive surface characteristics (loss of immunoglobulin D and acquisition of CD43). An additional subset of activated cells might have been in a transitional state, because the cells bound ligand after neuraminidase treatment. The ligand-binding ability of a purified CD44-immunoglobulin fusion protein dramatically increased after neuraminidase treatment. Thus, differential glycosylation of this molecule is sufficient to influence its recognition function. Cell adhesion involving HA can be regulated by multiple mechanisms, one of which involves variable glycosylation of CD44.
Detouring of cisplatin to access mitochondrial genome for overcoming resistance

Significance Resistance of aggressive metastatic tumors to cisplatin therapy is partly related to extensive repair of cisplatin-modified DNA in the nucleus by the nucleotide excision repair machinery. Delivering cisplatin to the mitochondria to attack the mitochondrial genome lacking such repair machinery can lead to a rationally designed therapy for metastatic, chemoresistant cancers and might overcome the problems associated with conventional cisplatin treatment. Chemoresistance of cisplatin therapy is related to extensive repair of cisplatin-modified DNA in the nucleus by the nucleotide excision repair (NER). Delivering cisplatin to the mitochondria to attack mitochondrial genome lacking NER machinery can lead to a rationally designed therapy for metastatic, chemoresistant cancers and might overcome the problems associated with conventional cisplatin treatment. An engineered hydrophobic mitochondria-targeted cisplatin prodrug, Platin-M, was constructed using a strain-promoted alkyne–azide cycloaddition chemistry. Efficient delivery of Platin-M using a biocompatible polymeric nanoparticle (NP) based on biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-block-polyethyleneglycol functionalized with a terminal triphenylphosphonium cation, which has remarkable activity to target mitochondria of cells, resulted in controlled release of cisplatin from Platin-M locally inside the mitochondrial matrix to attack mtDNA and exhibited otherwise-resistant advanced cancer sensitive to cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Identification of an optimized targeted-NP formulation with brain-penetrating properties allowed for delivery of Platin-M inside the mitochondria of neuroblastoma cells resulting in ∼17 times more activity than cisplatin. The remarkable activity of Platin-M and its targeted-NP in cisplatin-resistant cells was correlated with the hyperpolarization of mitochondria in these cells and mitochondrial bioenergetics studies in the resistance cells further supported this hypothesis. This unique dual-targeting approach to controlled mitochondrial delivery of cisplatin in the form of a prodrug to attack the mitochondrial genome lacking NER machinery and in vivo distribution of the delivery vehicle in the brain suggested previously undescribed routes for cisplatin-based therapy.
Social and Cultural Factors Influencing Health in Southern West Virginia: A Qualitative Study

Introduction Social, cultural, and economic environments are associated with high rates of disease incidence and mortality in poor Appalachian regions of the United States. Although many historical studies suggest that aspects of Appalachian culture (e.g., fatalism, patriarchy) include values and beliefs that may put Appalachians at risk for poor health, other cultural aspects may be protective (e.g., strong social ties). Few recent studies have explored regional cultural issues qualitatively. The purpose of this study was to examine social and cultural factors that may be associated with health and illness in an Appalachian region. Methods Ten focus groups were conducted in southern West Virginia and included five groups of men and five groups of women. Cultural norms associated with residents of rural Appalachia, such as faith, family values, and patriarchy, were examined. Results Both men and women in the focus groups have a sense of place, strong family ties, and a strong spiritual belief or faith in God. Patriarchy as a cultural value was not a strong factor. Conclusion There are limits to how qualitative data may be used, but findings from this study help increase understanding of the social and cultural environments of people living in rural Appalachia and how these environments may affect health.
Eley: On the Effectiveness of Burst Buffers for Big Data Processing in HPC Systems

Burst Buffer is an effective solution for reducing the data transfer time and the I/O interference in HPC systems. Extending Burst Buffers (BBs) to handle Big Data applications is challenging because BBs must account for the large data inputs of Big Data applications and the performance guarantees of HPC applications - which are considered as first-class citizens in HPC systems. Existing BBs focus on only intermediate data of Big Data applications and incur a high performance degradation of both Big Data and HPC applications. We present Eley, a burst buffer solution that helps to accelerate the performance of Big Data applications while guaranteeing the performance of HPC applications. In order to improve the performance of Big Data applications, Eley employs a prefetching technique that fetches the input data of these applications to be stored close to computing nodes thus reducing the latency of reading data inputs. Moreover, Eley is equipped with a full delay operator to guarantee the performance of HPC applications - as they are running independently on a HPC system. The experimental results show the effectiveness of Eley in obtaining shorter execution time of Big Data applications (shorter map phase) while guaranteeing the performance of HPC applications.
The vaiont dam overflow: a case study of extra-community responses in massive disasters.

How do organized elements of social systems respond when component sub-units such as communities are devastated? This is, on what do extra-community agencies and organizations focus, to what do they give priority, where do problems arise, and how are they solved when a particular geographic area undergoes massive destruction of live and property as a result of a sudden catastrophe? If it is true that the structure and functioning of social systems, as well as of individuals, can be more clearly discerned in extreme situations, knowledge of actual group responses in such situations should contribute to an understanding of the fundamentals of social life. What is ignored and what is singled out when groups from non-impacted areas converge on a destroyed community? Where are the sources of the problems encountered by converging organizations; how do they handle their difficulties?
The one and many maps: participatory and temporal diversities in OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap is an open and collaborative project with thousands of people contributing GPS traces and other data into the making of a global map of places and networks. It is open in the sense that everyone can contribute to the project, and results from the project are free for everyone to reuse. This is contrary to traditional cartography where often a central authority controls the making of the map and its release. Is OpenStreetMap more democratic, and in what sense? Is OpenStreetMap more relevant to the mass, and how can we judge? We define and use several metrics to measure temporal properties of defined areas in OpenStreetMap, and to sample modes of participation in these areas. These metrics are used to graph the datasets representing the current OpenStreetMap so as to reveal unevenness in user participation and data temporality. We use the dataset about Taiwan as a test case to observe participatory and temporal diversities among different areas of Taiwan in OpenStreetMap.
Genetic relationship between soxRS and mar loci in promoting multiple antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli

Multiple antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli has typically been associated with mutations at the mar locus, located at 34 min on the E. coli chromosome. A new mutant, marC, isolated on the basis of a Mar phenotype but which maps to the soxRS (encoding the regulators of the superoxide stress response) locus located at 92 min, is described here. This mutant shares several features with a known constitutive allele of the soxRS gene, prompting the conclusion that it is a highly active allele of this gene. The marC mutation has thus been given the designation soxR201. This new mutant was used to examine the relationship between the mar and sox loci in promoting antibiotic resistance. The results of these studies indicate that full antibiotic resistance resulting from the soxR201 mutation is partially dependent on an intact mar locus and is associated with an increase in the steady-state level of mar-specific mRNA. In addition, paraquat treatment of wild-type cells is shown to increase the level of antibiotic resistance in a dose-dependent manner that requires an intact soxRS locus. Conversely, overexpression of MarA from a multicopy plasmid results in weak activation of a superoxide stress response target gene. These findings are consistent with a model in which the regulatory factors encoded by the marA and soxS genes control the expression of overlapping sets of target genes, with MarA preferentially acting on targets involved with antibiotic resistance and SoxS directed primarily towards components of the superoxide stress response. Furthermore, compounds frequently used to induce the superoxide stress response, including paraquat, menadione, and phenazine methosulfate, differ with respect to the amount of protection provided against them by the antibiotic resistance response.
Pre-Congestion Notification Using Packet-Specific Dual Marking

Pre-congestion notification (PCN) uses packet metering and marking within a PCN domain to notify PCN egress nodes about high load regimes in the network. One question is how to encode the PCN markings in packet headers. The problem is that the IPv4 packet header is short of available codepoints and that tunnelling mechanisms constrain solutions. This paper proposes packet-specific dual marking (PSDM) as a new encoding scheme that avoids these problems and also explains how to apply it to achieve PCN-based admission control and flow termination. Therefore, our proposal may improve the deployability of PCN in spite of the limited extensibility of the current Internet architecture.
Action recognition by learning mid-level motion features

This paper presents a method for human action recognition based on patterns of motion. Previous approaches to action recognition use either local features describing small patches or large-scale features describing the entire human figure. We develop a method constructing mid-level motion features which are built from low-level optical flow information. These features are focused on local regions of the image sequence and are created using a variant of AdaBoost. These features are tuned to discriminate between different classes of action, and are efficient to compute at run-time. A battery of classifiers based on these mid-level features is created and used to classify input sequences. State-of-the-art results are presented on a variety of standard datasets.
Embryo sac chromosome doubling in Populus alba × P. glandulosa induced by high temperature exposure to produce triploids

To determine the effects of the hours after pollination and the treatment durations on triploid production and reveal the effective stages of embryo sac chromosome doubling by high temperature exposure. At least three catkins were sampled, and 80 ovules were used for the determination of the embryo sac developmental process. Catkins (2–74 h after pollination) were treated to induce embryo sac chromosome doubling. Cytological observations revealed that the embryo sac development was a consecutive and asynchronous process. Fertilization occurred 50 h after pollination. In the offspring seedlings, 167 triploids were detected and the highest efficiency of triploid production was 87.0%. Among all the induced triploids, the most effective treatment period of inducing embryo sac chromosome doubling is from 26 to 50 h after pollination, and 121 triploids were obtained, representing 72.46% of the sum of all triploids. GLM-Univariate analysis indicated significant differences among the hours after pollination (F = 4.516, p = 0.045). However, the differences between the treatment durations (F = 0.077, p = 0.791) were not significant. Correlation analysis between the proportion of each embryo sac’s developmental stage and the percentage of triploid production indicated that the third mitotic division may be the most effective stage for 2n female gamete induction.