Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human corneal and conjunctival epithelia express MUC1 mucin.

PURPOSE To determine if human corneal and conjunctival epithelial synthesize MUC1 mucin, a membrane-spanning mucin present in a variety of simple epithelia. METHODS Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was carried out to examine the expression of MUC1 mRNA by epithelial cells, using total cellular RNA prepared from cultured corneal epithelial cells and conjunctival epithelial cells stripped from the ocular surface with nitrocellulose filter paper. Northern blot analysis was performed to examine the transcription of MUC1 gene in cultured corneal epithelial cells. In situ hybridization histochemistry was performed to determine distribution of MUC1 mRNA in ocular surface epithelium. Human milk fat globule antibody (HMFG-1) and monoclonal antibody 139H2, which are specific for MUC1 core protein, were used in immunoblot analysis, immunohistochemistry, or both, to determine the presence and distribution of MUC1. RESULTS MUC1 mRNA was detected in cultured corneal and ex vivo conjunctival epithelial cells by RT-PCR. Northern blot analysis showed production of two different sizes of transcripts in the cultured corneal epithelium. Expression of MUC1 mRNA was observed in all layers of corneal epithelium. By immunoblot analysis, HMFG-1 binding (> 200 kd) was detected in human cultured corneal epithelium, and its binding was enhanced by neuraminidase pretreatment. Immunohistochemically, HMFG-1 binding was observed along the apical membranes of corneal epithelium after neuraminidase pretreatment. In the conjunctiva, HMFG-1 and 139H2 binding were detected in the basal region and sporadically on the apical surface, but not in the goblet cells. CONCLUSIONS The stratified epithelia of the cornea and conjunctiva synthesize MUC1 mucin. This transmembrane mucin may have a role in tear film spread and may prevent adhesion of foreign debris, cells, or pathogens to the ocular surface.
A high utilization FPGA-based accelerator for variable-scale convolutional neural network

Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) plays an essential role in computer vision applications for high classification accuracy and robust generalization capability. In recent years, various GPU-based or application-specific hardware approaches have been proposed to accelerate CNN computations. However, for variable-scale CNNs, the utilization of DSP on chip is not able to achieve very high due to the boundary of image. In this paper, we propose an optimization framework to solve boundary problem and connect our accelerator with ARM processors and DDR4 memory through dual Advanced eXtensible Interface (AXI) bus. Each port is capable of a peak throughout of 1.6 GB/s in full duplex. The accelerator has the ability to perform 160 G-op/s at peak and achieve 96% computing resource utilization.
Meanings and practices of learning from incidents: a social constructivist perspective of incident reporting systems

ABSTRACT Incident reporting systems (IRSs) are used in many organisations as tools that promote safety by allowing to collectively learn from incidents. In this paper, we propose a social constructivist approach to learning from incidents, in which the focus is not purely on safety, but on the technology of incident reporting itself. We employ Wiebe Bijker’s work on the Social Construction of Technology to open up the analysis of a specific IRS in use at the Belgian Nuclear Research Center. For this purpose, we carried out 28 interviews with key local actors and collected documents and observation notes. Such social constructivist perspective provides detailed insight into the practices of reporting and the meanings of learning from incidents. Our research shows that various actors within the organisation frame the IRS differently. These framings each have their own implications for the vulnerability of the organisation.
Innovation and within-firm wage inequalities: empirical evidence from major European countries

A large literature links wage inequality to technology, but it does not explicitly consider whether innovation contributes to shaping wage inequalities within firms. In this work we seek to fill this gap, exploiting a representative matched employer–employee survey on firms active in major European economies. We find that innovation tends to increase the wage-gap between high and low deciles of the within-firm wage distribution, while it reduces the wage-gap between wages of managers and low-layer employees. Moreover, firm size plays a crucial mediating role, as we find that large innovative firms are more egalitarian than their small counterparts, irrespective of the measure of within-firm wage inequality considered.
Cancer-Related Disclosure Among Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors: A Qualitative Study.

Purpose: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) employ self-disclosure in normative social interactions and in promoting identity development. Disclosure is associated with numerous psychological and physical benefits. Little research has examined how AYA cancer survivors diagnosed during adolescence disclose their cancer history. Methods: Using a qualitative design, this study explored cancer-related disclosures among survivors (N=26) 16-24 years old at study (M=19.6 years), 14-18 years old at diagnosis (M=15.6 years), and currently at least 6 months post-treatment (M=3.2 years). Semi-structured interview guides were developed and used. Disclosure-related topics included survivorship communications and others' responses to AYAs' disclosure of their cancer experiences. Results: Grounded theory and thematic content analysis guided analyses, with an inductive data-driven approach. Three themes and eight subthemes emerged: "it depends" decision-making processes (don't ask/don't tell, shared experience, relationship potential), perceptions of others' responses (perceived apprehension, positive responses), and methods of disclosure (verbal, written, behavioral). No thematic differences were found by gender or age, although females reported greater frequency of disclosures. Conclusion: Disclosure emerged as a nuanced and complex process. "It depends" decision-making processes were most frequently endorsed, consistent with developmental complexities of this age group. This reflects social and psychological changes and highlights unique challenges for AYA survivors. This also reflects the importance of peers and social interactions as variables that influence disclosure. In the context of AYA cancer survivorship, understanding ways in which disclosure may bolster or hinder social support can assist survivors, clinicians, and families navigate survivorship. Implications for future research are discussed.
1,8-Dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN)-Melanin Biosynthesis Inhibitors Increase Erythritol Production in Torula corallina, and DHN-Melanin Inhibits Erythrose Reductase

ABSTRACT The yeast Torula corallina is a strong erythritol producer that is used in the industrial production of erythritol. However, melanin accumulation during culture represents a serious problem for the purification of erythritol from the fermentation broth. Melanin biosynthesis inhibitors such as 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN)-melanin inhibitors were added to the T. corallina cultures. Only the DHN-melanin inhibitors showed an effect on melanin production, which suggests that the melanin formed during the culturing of T. corallina is derived from DHN. This finding was confirmed by the detection of a shunt product of the pentaketide pathway, flaviolin, and elemental analysis. Among the DHN-melanin inhibitors, tricyclazole was the most effective. Supplementation with tricyclazole enhanced the production of erythritol while significantly inhibiting the production of DHN-melanin and DHN-melanin biosynthetic enzymes, such as trihydroxynaphthalene reductase. The erythrose reductase from T. corallina was purified to homogeneity by ion-exchange and affinity chromatography. Purified erythrose reductase was significantly inhibited in vitro in a noncompetitive manner by elevated levels of DHN-melanin. In contrast, the level of erythrose reductase activity was unaffected by increasing concentrations of tricyclazole. These results suggest that supplemental tricyclazole reduces the production of DHN-melanin, which may lead to a reduction in the inhibition of erythrose reductase and a higher yield of erythritol. This is the first report to demonstrate that melanin biosynthesis inhibitors increase the production of a sugar alcohol in T. corallina.
Link-based emission model for eco routing

The tremendous growth of vehicles has led to severe problems for energy and the environment. More and more research work on eco driving has been made to devote the fuel efficient intelligent driving. This paper works on the eco routing, which is one of important aspects of eco driving, and which is to find some more eco-friendly routes for the driver in terms of minimum fuel consumption and vehicle emissions. The paper first abstracts six primary driving patterns from large amounts of real data which represent, respectively, the velocity, acceleration and engine stress of the vehicles driving on some links. And then, by associating the six driving patterns with some other properties of the links, like traffic congestion, etc., a link-based driving pattern classifier is established, which is applied to calculate and estimate the fuel emission characteristics for each relevant link. At the end of this paper, the effectiveness of the distance priority routes, time priority routes and eco routes are compared, the eco route one demonstrates its superiority.
Low frequency oscillation in voltage controlled H-bridge inverter with memristive load: Simulations and experiments

In recent years, memristor has been emerging as a hot research. Many electrical devices have been found to possess the features of memristor. Therefore, to supply power source to memristive devices will be a meaningful work. This paper investigates a voltage controlled H-bridge inverter with memristive load. PSIM simulations show that low frequency oscillation will occur if the circuit parameters are not appropriate, and its oscillation frequency will be lower than the line frequency. Finally, experimental results are presented to verify the simulations and theoretical analysis.
Identification and characterization of the bombykal receptor in the hawkmoth Manduca sexta

ABSTRACT Manduca sexta females attract their mates with the release of a species-specific sex-pheromone blend, with bombykal (E,Z)-10,12-hexadecadienal and (E,E,Z)-10,12,14-hexadecatrienal being the two major components. Here, we searched for the hawkmoth bombykal receptor in heterologous expression systems. The putative pheromone receptor MsexOr1 coexpressed with MsexOrco in Xenopus oocytes elicited dose-dependent inward currents upon bombykal application (10–300 μmol l−1), and coexpressed in HEK293 and CHO cells caused bombykal-dependent increases in the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration. In addition, the bombykal receptor of Bombyx mori BmOr3 coexpressed with MsexOrco responded to bombykal (30–100 μmol l−1) with inward currents. In contrast, MsexOr4 coexpressed with MsexOrco responded neither to bombykal (30–100 μmol l−1) nor to the (E,E,Z)-10,12,14-hexadecatrienal mimic. Thus, MsexOr1, but not MsexOrco and probably not MsexOr4, is the bombykal-binding pheromone receptor in the hawkmoth. Finally, we obtained evidence that phospholipase C and protein kinase C activity are involved in the hawkmoth's bombykal-receptor-mediated Ca2+ signals in HEK293 and CHO cells. Summary: The receptor complex MsexOr1+MsexOrco responds to the sex pheromone bombykal when expressed in heterologous systems (Xenopus oocytes, HEK293 cells, CHO cells).
An update on the definition of "excessive exercise" in eating disorders research.

OBJECTIVE The current study informed the definition of "excessive exercise" by examining relations between exercise behavior, eating-disordered behavior, and quality of life (QOL) in a community sample of women. METHOD Self-report measures of frequency of exercise, obligatory exercise and motivation for exercise, and of eating disorder psychopathology and QOL, were completed by 3,472 women aged 18-42 years who engaged in regular exercise. RESULTS The extent to which exercise is intended to influence weight or shape and the degree to which guilt is experienced when exercise is postponed were the exercise variables most strongly associated with elevated levels of eating disorder psychopathology and reduced QOL. Subgroups of participants who reported exercising solely for weight and shape reasons (n = 322 [9.3%]), intense guilt after postponement of exercise (n = 136 [3.9%]), or both (n = 116 [3.3%]), had markedly elevated levels of eating disorder psychopathology. There was no association between excessive exercise and reduced QOL after the effects of eating disorder psychopathology were statistically controlled. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that exercise is excessive when its postponement is accompanied by intense guilt or when it is undertaken solely to influence weight or shape. Operational definitions of excessive exercise might usefully include reference to these terms. The findings may also be of benefit in informing the content of prevention programs, which address dysfunctional exercise behavior. Excessive exercise is unlikely to be associated with impairment in psychosocial functioning in the absence of eating disorder psychopathology. It may, however, be a useful indicator of such psychopathology.
An engineered minidomain containing an elastin turn exhibits a reversible temperature-induced IgG binding.

A two-helix version of the triple alpha-helical staphylococcal Protein A, previously shown to retain the Fc binding properties of protein A, has been engineered to contain an elastin sequence, GVPGVG, within the inter-helix turn. The original type I beta-turn was replaced with a beta-turn from the muscle protein elastin, which has an inverse temperature-induced folding transition. These "elastin mutants" had lost their helical structure, as measured by circular dichroism (CD), and exhibited a lower stability than the wild-type domains (T(m) reduced by about 48 degrees C) in 30% trifluoroethanol. For the wild-type domains, the amount of alpha-helix and the binding affinity for Fc decreased as the temperature was increased. In contrast, although the starting affinity was lower for the disulfide elastin-turn mutant, it exhibited a 21-fold improvement in affinity over the same temperature range. The melting curve for the elastin-turn minidomain showed cooperative behavior, as measured by the increase in CD-amplitude at 222 nm. The observed CD behavior is consistent with the formation of a type I beta-turn, exhibiting similar DeltaH and DeltaS values to those seen previously for short elastin peptides [Reiersen, H. , Clarke, A. R. , and Rees, A. R. (1998) J. Mol. Biol. 283, 255-264], and accounting for the increase in on-rate. This demonstrates that, when inserted into a stable globular protein, short elastin sequences have the ability to modify local structure and activity, by operating as temperature modulated switches.
Real‐time imaging of β‐lactoglobulin‐targeted luciferase activity in the mammary glands of transgenic mice

This study was aimed at establishing a new platform for real‐time monitoring of milk‐protein gene expression in the mammary glands. A transgenic reporter composed of the β‐lactoglobulin (BLG)/luciferase hybrid gene was targeted to the mammary glands of pregnant and lactating mice and luciferase activity was imaged in vivo with a low‐light imaging system. The mammary glands of a 17‐day pregnant mouse occupied an area comparable to that of a 6‐day lactating mouse. Nevertheless, the intensity of the luciferase signal was much weaker and confined to regions in the inguinal and thoracic glands. A few small and defined locations of higher expression were also detected, indicating diversity in the initiation of this transgenic milk protein expression. In the lactating mice, high inter‐ and intra‐heterogeneity among regions in a particular gland and among glands was demonstrated, and confirmed by ex vivo analysis of luciferase activity in mammary biopsies. The lack of correlation between luciferase activities and levels of β‐casein accumulation in these biopsies resulted, most probably, from the longer half‐life of the native milk protein, compared to the activity of the transgenic marker in the tissue. Unilateral sealing of mammary glands for 4 hr resulted in complete abrogation of luciferase activity, establishing the BLG/luciferase transgene as a reliable tool to follow short‐term stimuli. Dispersed mammary epithelial cells preserved luciferase activity in culture, and thus could be used for following mammary gland development after re‐implantation. The bioluminescence‐based methodology presented here eliminates averaging of heterogeneity in gene expression among glands, and misinterpretations resulting from sampling biopsies taken from inactive regions. Imaging luciferase expression in the mammary glands may enable an accurate monitoring of milk‐protein gene expression during cyclic periods of development and apoptosis in a limited number of animals, and could be applied for reporting the consequences of selected drugs on milk‐protein gene expression. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 61: 42–48, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Retrospective data-driven respiratory gating for PET/CT

Respiratory motion can adversely affect both PET and CT acquisitions. Respiratory gating allows an acquisition to be divided into a series of motion-reduced bins according to the respiratory signal, which is typically hardware acquired. In order that the effects of motion can potentially be corrected for, we have developed a novel, automatic, data-driven gating method which retrospectively derives the respiratory signal from the acquired PET and CT data. PET data are acquired in listmode and analysed in sinogram space, and CT data are acquired in cine mode and analysed in image space. Spectral analysis is used to identify regions within the CT and PET data which are subject to respiratory motion, and the variation of counts within these regions is used to estimate the respiratory signal. Amplitude binning is then used to create motion-reduced PET and CT frames. The method was demonstrated with four patient datasets acquired on a 4-slice PET/CT system. To assess the accuracy of the data-derived respiratory signal, a hardware-based signal was acquired for comparison. Data-driven gating was successfully performed on PET and CT datasets for all four patients. Gated images demonstrated respiratory motion throughout the bin sequences for all PET and CT series, and image analysis and direct comparison of the traces derived from the data-driven method with the hardware-acquired traces indicated accurate recovery of the respiratory signal.
Chasing After the Frontier in Agricultural Productivity

This paper explores international productivity patterns in agriculture. We test whether countries higher productivity growth has been experienced by countries that were initially further from the technological frontier. Based on a panel of 84 countries at various levels of development, we find support for convergence among OECD countries but divergence in our sample at large over the period 1960-2010. We then test whether technological catch-up is conditional on absorptive capacities and domestic investments in R&D. While agricultural research intensity has a significant effect on labor productivity growth, the size of this effect decreases the further the country is from the frontier. We calculate a threshold level for the effectiveness of research intensity: increased R&D contributes to catching up to the frontier for those countries with a distance to the frontier less than 22. We also test for additional factors affecting productivity growth, and find that secondary education plays a strong role in less developed countries, while trade openness appears to have had a positive effect on productivity in middle income countries. On the other hand, there is little evidence of much effect, either positive or negative from IPR protection. Of perhaps greater interest is the apparent impact of economic growth outside of agriculture in driving agricultural productivity improvements.
Evaluation of a Web-Based Education Program on Reducing Medication Dosing Error: A Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial

Context: The Broselow Pediatric Resuscitation Tape has been shown to be effective in reducing medication dosing error among pediatric emergency providers. However, the tape has often been used inappropriately or incorrectly. Objective: To evaluate whether a Web-based education program on proper use of the tape could reduce medication dosing errors and time to determine dose. Design, Setting, and Participants: A randomized, controlled trial conducted among 89 pediatric emergency providers from 3 study sites. Intervention: All study subjects participated in a videotaped simulated stabilization scenario and were then randomly assigned to control or education group. After the intervention, all subjects participated in another simulation. Main Outcomes Measures: The primary outcomes included dosing deviation from accepted dose range for each medication prescribed and dosing deviation summary, calculated by averaging dosing deviation for all medications. The secondary outcomes included time to determine a dose for each medication prescribed, and dosing time summary; that is, the average time to determine doses for all medications prescribed. Results: No significant difference was observed in the demographic characteristics of the 2 groups. After the educational intervention, the average (12.6% vs. 24.9%) and median (7.1% vs. 20.1%) dosing deviation summary were much lower in the education group than in the control group. The difference in the median dosing deviation summary between the 2 groups was statistically significant (P = 0.0002). Similar results were observed for the dosing time. The education group demonstrated a lower average (16 vs. 20 seconds) and lower median (15 vs. 18 seconds) dosing time summary than the control group. The difference in the median dosing time summary between the 2 groups was statistically significant (P = 0.02). Analysis of each medication prescribed indicated that the decrease in the dosing deviation and dosing time in the education group was most obvious for several specific medications. Conclusions: The Web-based education program on the proper use of the Broselow Pediatric Resuscitation Tape could improve dosing accuracy and reduce dosing time.