Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Zif268/Egr1 gain of function facilitates hippocampal synaptic plasticity and long-term spatial recognition memory

It is well established that Zif268/Egr1, a member of the Egr family of transcription factors, is critical for the consolidation of several forms of memory; however, it is as yet uncertain whether increasing expression of Zif268 in neurons can facilitate memory formation. Here, we used an inducible transgenic mouse model to specifically induce Zif268 overexpression in forebrain neurons and examined the effect on recognition memory and hippocampal synaptic transmission and plasticity. We found that Zif268 overexpression during the establishment of memory for objects did not change the ability to form a long-term memory of objects, but enhanced the capacity to form a long-term memory of the spatial location of objects. This enhancement was paralleled by increased long-term potentiation in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and by increased activity-dependent expression of Zif268 and selected Zif268 target genes. These results provide novel evidence that transcriptional mechanisms engaging Zif268 contribute to determining the strength of newly encoded memories.
Reliability of a stochastic-flow network with unreliable branches & nodes, under budget constraints

System reliability evaluation for flow networks is an important issue in quality management. This paper concentrates on a stochastic-flow network in which nodes as well as branches have several possible capacities, and can fail. The possibility is evaluated that a given amount of messages can be transmitted through the stochastic-flow network under the budget constraint. Such a possibility, system reliability, is a performance index for a stochastic-flow network. A minimal path, an order sequence of nodes & branches from the source to the sink without cycles, is used to assign the flow to each component (branch or node). A lower boundary point for (d, C) is a minimal capacity vector, which enables the system to transmit d messages under the budget C. Based on minimal paths, an efficient algorithm is proposed to generate all lower boundary points for (d, C). The system reliability can then be calculated in terms of all lower boundary points for (d, C) by applying the inclusion-exclusion rule. Simulation shows that the implicit enumeration (step 1) of the proposed algorithm can be executed efficiently.
Gas Barrier, Thermal, Mechanical and Rheological Properties of Highly Aligned Graphene-LDPE Nanocomposites

This contribution reports on properties of low-density polyethylene-based composites filled with different amounts of graphene nanoplatelets. The studied samples were prepared in the form of films by means of the precoating technique and single screw melt-extrusion, which yields a highly ordered arrangement of graphene flakes and results in a strong anisotropy of composites morphology. The performed tests of gas permeability reveal a drastic decrease of this property with increasing filler content. A clear correlation is found between permeability and free volume fraction in the material, the latter evaluated by means of positron annihilation spectroscopy. A strong anisotropy of the thermal conductivity is also achieved and the thermal conductivity along the extrusion direction for samples filled with 7.5 wt % of GnP (graphene nanoplatelets) reached 2.2 W/m·K. At the same time, when measured through a plane, a slight decrease of thermal conductivity is found. The use of GnP filler leads also to improvements of mechanical properties. The increase of Young’s modulus and tensile strength are reached as the composites become more brittle.
Neural network based prediction of protein structure and Function: Comparison with other machine learning methods

We have utilized neural networks in different applications of bioinformatics such as discrimination of beta-barrel membrane proteins, mesophilic and thermophilic proteins, different folding types of globular proteins, different classes of transporter proteins and predicting the secondary structures of beta-barrel membrane proteins. In these methods, we have used the information about amino acid composition, neighboring residue information, inter-residue contacts and amino acid properties as features. We observed that the performance with neural networks is comparable to or better than other widely used machine learning techniques.
Migration of neutrophils is dependent on mast cells in nonspecific pleurisy in rats

To determine the role of mast cells in the recruitment of neutrophils and eosinophils, acute nonspecific pleurisy was induced by injecting isologous serum into normal +/+ and mast cell‐deficient Ws/Ws rats. In +/+ rats, neutrophil infiltration peaked 4 h after serum administration, followed by influx of eosinophils after 24–48 h. The levels of neutrophil influx after 4 h as well as the activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in pleural lavage‐cell extract were significantly lower in Ws/Ws rats than in +/+ rats. In contrast, numbers of eosinophils as well as activity of eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) did not differ significantly between Ws/Ws and +/+ rats. For local reconstitution of mast cells, +/+ rat peritoneal mast cells (PMC) or mesenteric lymph node cells (MLNC) as a control were transferred into the Ws/Ws pleural cavity. Serum injection into animals with PMC transfer 7 days previously triggered augmented neutrophil influx by approximately 4.7‐fold as compared to that in MLNC‐transferred animals. Mast cells recovered from the pleural cavity of PMC‐transferred rats showed histamine contents equivalent to 20% of that of freshly isolated PMC and retained the reactivity to compound 48/80. These results indicated that dependency of neutrophil recruitment on resident mast cells is greater than that of eosinophils in isologous serum‐induced pleurisy.
Serum hepatic enzyme activity in relation to semen quality and serum reproductive hormone levels among Estonian fertile Men

The aim of this study was to investigate the relations of basic semen parameters and reproductive hormones with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma‐glutamyl transferase (GGT). In addition, to examine possible interaction between adiposity, alcohol consumption, and liver tests in relation to male reproductive health, standard semen analysis was performed and serum levels of reproductive hormones and liver tests were measured in 245 male partners of pregnant women at a University Hospital Andrology Centres in Estonia. Quartile analysis revealed that after adjustment for covariates GGT was negatively related to sperm concentration and total sperm count. These significant changes appeared from a GGT >35.5 U/L. Next to these changes ALT was not related to sperm parameters. Both enzymes, GGT and ALT, were not related to reproductive hormones. Alcohol consumption was positively related to GGT and in cases with elevated GGT alcohol use was negatively related to sperm concentration and total sperm count. Alcohol consumption was positively related to body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). Our findings also confirm results of previous studies that BMI and WC are associated positively with ALT and GGT. According to the study, increased GGT activity might represent a possible connection between adiposity, alcohol consumption, and semen quality.
Interpolation theorems for Lk,k2+

Chang, in [1], proves an interpolation theorem (Theorem I, remark b)) for a first-order language. The proof of Chang's theorem uses essentially nonsimple devices, like special and ω1-saturated models. In remark e) in [1], Chang asks if there is a simpler proof of his Theorem I. In [1], Chang proves also another interpolation theorem (Theorem II), which is not an extension of his Theorem I, but extends Craig's interpolation theorem to Lα+,ω languages with interpolant in Lα+,α where α is a strong limit cardinal of cofinality ω. In remark k) in [1], Chang asks if there is a generalization of both Theorems I and II in [1], or at least a generalization of both Theorem I in [1] and Lopez-Escobar's interpolation theorem in [7]. Maehara and Takeuti, in [8], show that there is a completely different proof of Chang's interpolation Theorem I as a consequence of their interpolation theorems. The proofs of these theorems of Maehara and Takeuti are proof theoretical in character, involving the notion of cut-free natural deduction, and it uses devices as simple as those needed for the usual Craig's interpolation theorem. Hence this can be considered as a positive answer to Chang's question in remark e) in [1].
Forest carbon use efficiency : is respiration a constant fraction of gross primary production ?

Carbon-use efficiency (CUE), the ratio of net primary production (NPP) to gross primary production (GPP), describes the capacity of forests to transfer carbon (C) from the atmosphere to terrestrial biomass. It is widely assumed in many landscape-scale carbon-cycling models that CUE for forests is a constant value of 0.5. To achieve a constant CUE, tree respiration must be a constant fraction of canopy photosynthesis. We conducted a literature survey to test the hypothesis that CUE is constant and universal among forest ecosystems. Of the 60 data points obtained from 26 papers published since 1975, more than half reported values of GPP that were not estimated independently from NPP; values of CUE calculated from independent estimates of GPP were greater than those calculated from estimates of GPP derived from NPP. The slope of the relationship between NPP and GPP for all forests was 0.53, but values of CUE varied from 0.23 to 0.83 for different forest types. CUE decreased with increasing age, and a substantial portion of the variation among forest types was caused by differences in stand age. When corrected for age the mean value of CUE was greatest for temperate deciduous forests and lowest for boreal forests. CUE also increased as the ratio of leaf mass-to-total mass increased. Contrary to the assumption of constancy, substantial variation in CUE has been reported in the literature. It may be inappropriate to assume that respiration is a constant fraction of GPP as adhering to this assumption may contribute to incorrect estimates of C cycles. A 20% error in current estimates of CUE used in landscape models (i.e. ranging from 0.4 to 0.6) could misrepresent an amount of C equal to total anthropogenic emissions of CO2 when scaled to the terrestrial biosphere.
Genetic Variation and De Novo Mutations in the Parthenogenetic Caucasian Rock Lizard Darevskia unisexualis

Unisexual all-female lizards of the genus Darevskia that are well adapted to various habitats are known to reproduce normally by true parthenogenesis. Although they consist of unisexual lineages and lack effective genetic recombination, they are characterized by some level of genetic polymorphism. To reveal the mutational contribution to overall genetic variability, the most straightforward and conclusive way is the direct detection of mutation events in pedigree genotyping. Earlier we selected from genomic library of D. unisexualis two polymorphic microsatellite containg loci Du281 and Du215. In this study, these two loci were analyzed to detect possible de novo mutations in 168 parthenogenetic offspring of 49 D. unisexualis mothers and in 147 offspring of 50 D. armeniaca mothers . No mutant alleles were detected in D. armeniaca offspring at both loci, and in D. unisexualis offspring at the Du215 locus. There were a total of seven mutational events in the germ lines of four of the 49 D. unisexualis mothers at the Du281 locus, yielding the mutation rate of 0.1428 events per germ line tissue. Sequencing of the mutant alleles has shown that most mutations occur via deletion or insertion of single microsatellite repeat being identical in all offspring of the family. This indicates that such mutations emerge at the early stages of embryogenesis. In this study we characterized single highly unstable (GATA)n containing locus in parthenogenetic lizard species D. unisexualis. Besides, we characterized various types of mutant alleles of this locus found in the D. unisexualis offspring of the first generation. Our data has shown that microsatellite mutations at highly unstable loci can make a significant contribution to population variability of parthenogenetic lizards.
Overview of the TREC 2006 Blog Track

The rise on the Internet of blogging, the creation of journal-like web page logs, has created a highly dynamic subset of the World Wide Web that evolves and responds to real-world events. Indeed, blogs (or weblogs) have recently emerged as a new grassroots publishing medium. The so-called blogosphere (the collection of blogs on the Internet) opens up several new interesting research areas. Blogs have many interesting features: entries are added in chronological order, sometimes at a high volume. In addition, many blogs are created by their authors, not intended for any sizable audience, but purely as a mechanism for self-expression. Extremely accessible blog software has facilitated the act of blogging to a wide-ranging audience, their blogs reflecting their opinions, philosophies and emotions. Traditional media tends to focus on “heavy-hitting” blogs devoted to politics, punditry and technology. However, there are many different genres of blogs, some written around a specific topic, some covering several, and others talking about personal daily life [3]. The Blog track began this year, with the aim to explore the information seeking behaviour in the blogosphere. For this purpose, a new large-scale test collection, namely the TREC Blog06 collection, has been created. In the first pilot run of the track in 2006, we had two tasks, a main task (opinion retrieval) and an open task. The opinion retrieval task focuses on a specific aspect of blogs: the opinionated nature of many blogs. The second task was introduced to allow participants the opportunity to influence the determination of a suitable second task (for 2007) on other aspects of blogs, such as the temporal/event-related nature of many blogs, or the severity of spam in the blogosphere. The remainder of this paper is structured as follows. Section 2 provides a short description of the newly created Blog06 test collection. Section 3 describes the opinion task, and provides an overview of the submitted runs of the participants. Section 4 describes the open task and the submitted proposals. We provide concluding remarks in Section 5.
Anshan: Wireless Sensor Networks for Equipment Fault Diagnosis in the Process Industry

Wireless sensor networks provide an opportunity to enhance the current equipment diagnosis systems in the process industry, which have been based so far on wired networks. In this paper, we use our experience in the Anshan Iron and Steel Factory, China, as an example to present the issues from the real field of process industry, and our solutions. The challenges are three fold: First, very high reliability is required; second, energy consumption is constrained; and third, the environment is very challenging and constrained. To address these issues, it is necessary to put systematic efforts on network topology and node placement, network protocols, embedded software, and hardware. In this paper, we propose two technologies i.e. design for reliability and energy efficiency (DRE), and design for reconfiguration (DRC). Using these techniques we developed Anshan, a wireless sensor network for monitoring the temperature of rollers in a continuously annealing line and detecting equipment failures. Project Anshan includes 406 sensor nodes and has been running for four months continuously.
Determining vancomycin clearance in an overweight and obese population.

PURPOSE Two methods of calculating vancomycin clearance were compared to determine the best body weight measure to use when dosing vancomycin for overweight and obese patients. METHODS Hospitalized veterans weighing more than 120% of their ideal body weight (IBW) with serum vancomycin concentrations (SVCs) drawn between January 1, 2003, and June 30, 2005, were eligible for study inclusion. Exclusion criteria included weight of more than 300% the IBW, unstable renal function, dialysis, uncertain vancomycin dosing or sampling times, and distribution-phase sampling. Data from January 1 through December 31, 2003 (phase 1) determined the best-fit weight for vancomycin clearance for the Leonard and Boro method. The bias and precision of the modified Leonard and Boro method using the best-fit weight for vancomycin clearance were then compared with those of the Rushing and Ambrose method for predicting SVCs from January 1, 2004, through June 30, 2005 (phase 2). RESULTS Forty-eight patients were included in phase 1, with 67 SVCs for analysis. During phase 1, adjusted body weight (ABW), using the Leonard and Boro method, was superior in predicting vancomycin clearance and the resultant SVCs. A total of 96 patients were included in phase 2 of the study, with 160 SVCs for analysis. The modified Leonard and Boro method was significantly more precise than the Rushing and Ambrose method in predicting vancomycin clearance. CONCLUSION Use of ABW proved to be superior compared with total body weight when estimating vancomycin clearance in overweight and obese patients. While there was no difference in bias between methods, the modified Leonard and Boro method was significantly more precise than the Rushing and Ambrose method in predicting SVCs when dosing vancomycin for obese patients.
Evaluating a strategy to deliver vaccine to white‐tailed deer at a landscape level

Effective delivery of vaccines and other pharmaceuticals to wildlife populations is needed when zoonotic diseases pose a risk to public health and natural resources or have considerable economic consequences. The objective of our study was to develop a bait-distribution strategy for potential delivery of oral bovine tuberculosis (bTB) vaccine to white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) where deer are reservoirs for the disease. During 17 February and 2 March 2011, we created a grid of experimental bait stations (n = 64) on Sandhill Wildlife Management Area, Wisconsin, USA, to assess station densities needed to attract and deliver placebo baits to free-ranging white-tailed deer and look for associations among deer density, number of bait stations per deer, and bait consumption. We placed 1 L of commercially available alfalfa cubes at bait stations 652 m apart, and monitored stations with motion-activated cameras for 5 days to document visitation and consumption by deer and nontarget species. Deer discovered 38% of all bait stations within 37 hr, on average (SE = 3.91 hr), and consumed variable amounts of bait at each station. Deer were documented in 94% of all photographs of wildlife at bait stations. We found no correlation between bait consumption and deer density or the number of bait stations per deer. We provide the first information on use of baits by free-ranging deer and nontarget wildlife to eventually vaccinate deer against bTB at a landscape level. The results of this study can further the development of strategies in delivery of pharmaceuticals to free-ranging white-tailed deer. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
On some anticyclic operads

oo Lie oo (1) These operads have very nice properties. First of all, they are binary quadratic and Koszul in the sense of the work of Ginzburg and Kapranov on the Koszul duality of operads [7]. More precisely Assoc is self-dual and Lie and Comm are dual to each other. Moreover they are basic examples of cyclic operads, a notion introduced in [5] and related to the moduli spaces of curves with marked points. The developments of Koszul duality of operads and of the theory of cyclic operads were both partly motivated by the work of Kontsevich on noncommutative symplectic geometry [9], where three parallel constructions are made for these three operads. Our aim is to explain that most of the properties of this classical sequence of operads also hold for two other diagrams involving some binary quadratic operads introduced by Loday [11] and others [2, 3]. The first of these diagrams
Blind constant modulus equalization via convex optimization

In this paper, we formulate the problem of blind equalization of constant modulus (CM) signals as a convex optimization problem. The convex formulation is obtained by performing an algebraic transformation on the direct formulation of the CM equalization problem. Using this transformation, the original nonconvex CM equalization formulation is turned into a convex semidefinite program (SDP) that can be efficiently solved using interior point methods. Our SDP formulation is applicable to baud spaced equalization as well as fractionally spaced equalization. Performance analysis shows that the expected distance between the equalizer obtained by the SDP approach and the optimal equalizer in the noise-free case converges to zero exponentially as the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) increases. In addition, simulations suggest that our method performs better than standard methods while requiring significantly fewer data samples.
Tonsillectomy and Risk of Oropharyngeal Cancer: Implications for Research and Prevention

The association of tonsillectomy, a common surgical procedure involving the removal of a majority of the palatine tonsillar tissue, with risk of tonsil cancer specifically or oropharyngeal cancers overall is not known. In this issue of Cancer Prevention Research, Fakhry and colleagues conduct an analysis within the Danish Cancer Registry and show that tonsillectomies were associated with significantly reduced risk of tonsil cancer, but were unrelated to risk of base of tongue cancers. This editorial discusses the implications of the results by Fakhry and colleagues for key prevailing questions in the field related to risk, rising incidence, secondary prevention, and treatment of oropharyngeal cancers. Cancer Prev Res; 8(7); 577–9. ©2015 AACR. See related article by Fakhry et al., p. 583
Location estimation in ZigBee Network based on fingerprinting

Location-aware computing becomes an exciting research as recent advancements in RF circuits and wireless communication stacks. In this paper, we present a fingerprinting based location estimation technology in ZigBee network. The system uses the signal strength from several base stations rather than time or angle for determining the location of mobile station. Instead of modeling the complex attenuation of signal strength, the system models the probabilistic distribution in different geographical areas which we called fingerprinting. It combines the measured data and fingerprinting to determine the mobile station's location. The experiment results demonstrate the validity of location estimation in ZigBee network based on fingerprinting.