Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanism of a Concentration-dependent Switch between Activation and Inhibition of Arp2/3 Complex by Coronin*

Arp2/3 complex is a key actin filament nucleator that assembles branched actin networks in response to cellular signals. The activity of Arp2/3 complex is regulated by both activating and inhibitory proteins. Coronins make up a large class of actin-binding proteins previously shown to inhibit Arp2/3 complex. Although coronins are known to play a role in controlling actin dynamics in diverse processes, including endocytosis and cell motility, the precise mechanism by which they regulate Arp2/3 complex is unclear. We conducted a detailed biochemical analysis of budding yeast coronin, Crn1, and found that it not only inhibits Arp2/3 complex but also activates it. We mapped regions required for activation and found that Crn1 contains a sequence called CA, which is conserved in WASp/Scar proteins, the prototypical activators of Arp2/3 complex. Point mutations in CA abolished activation of Arp2/3 complex by Crn1 in vitro. Confocal microscopy and quantitative actin patch tracking showed that these mutants had defective endocytic actin patch dynamics in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, indicating that activation of Arp2/3 complex by coronin is required for normal actin dynamics in vivo. The switch between the dual modes of regulation by Crn1 is controlled by concentration, and low concentrations of Crn1 enhance filament binding by Arp2/3 complex, whereas high concentrations block binding. Our data support a direct tethering recruitment model for activation of Arp2/3 complex by Crn1 and suggest that Crn1 indirectly inhibits Arp2/3 complex by blocking it from binding actin filaments.
Long Memory in Mergers and Acquisitions: Sectoral Evidence for an Emerging Economy

The paper aims at testing for the presence of long memory in domestic and cross border mergers and acquisitions in Brazil along the 2002-1/2011-4 period. The evidence from the estimation of fractional ARIMA models at the sectoral level provided scant evidence of the presence of persistent long memory processes. The results display contrast with previous aggregate evidence and sectoral evidence for developed countries. In fact, except for a few cases, with a strong example in financial institutions, one cannot detect salient persistent patterns
The Government as Venture Capitalist: The Long-Run Impact of the Sbir Program

Public programs to provide early-stage financing to firms, particularly high-technology companies, have become commonplace in the United States and abroad. The long-run effectiveness of these programs, however, has attracted little empirical scrutiny. This paper examines the impact of the largest U.S. public venture capital initiative, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, which has provided over $6 billion to small high-technology firms between 1983 and 1995. Using a unique database" of awardees compiled by the U.S. General Accounting Office, I show that SBIR awardees grew significantly faster than a matched set of firms over a ten-year period. The positive effects of SBIR awards were confined to firms based in zip codes with substantial venture capital activity. The findings are consistent with both the corporate finance literature on capital constraints and the growth literature on the importance of localization effects.
Experimental Studies of the Thermal Effects Associated with Radiation Force Imaging of Soft Tissue

Many groups are studying acoustic radiation force-based imaging modalities to determine the mechanical properties of tissue. Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) imaging is one of these modalities that uses standard diagnostic ultrasound scanners to generate localized, impulsive, acoustic radiation force in tissue. This radiation force generates tissue displacements that are tracked using conventional correlation-based ultrasound methods. The dynamic response of tissue to this impulsive radiation force provides information about the mechanical properties of the tissue. The generation of micron-scale displacements using acoustic radiation force in tissue requires the use of high-intensity acoustic beams, and the soft tissue heating associated with these high-intensity beams must be evaluated to ensure safety when performing ARFI imaging in vivo. Experimental studies using thermocouples have validated Finite Element Method (FEM) models that simulate the heating of soft tissue during ARFI imaging. Spatial maps of heating measured with the thermocouples are in good agreement with FEM model predictions, with cooling time constants measured and modeled to be on the order of several seconds. Transducer heating during ARFI imaging has been measured to be less than 1 °C for current clinical implementations. These validated FEM models can now be used to simulate soft tissue heating associated with different transducers, beam spacing, focal configurations and thermal material properties. These experiments confirm that ARFI imaging of soft tissue is safe, although thermal response must be monitored when developing ARFI beam sequences for specific tissue types and organ systems.
Which DTW method applied to marine univariate time series imputation

Missing data are ubiquitous in any domains of applied sciences. Processing datasets containing missing values can lead to a loss of efficiency and unreliable results, especially for large missing sub-sequence(s). Therefore, the aim of this paper is to build a framework for filling missing values in univariate time series and to perform a comparison of different similarity metrics used for the imputation task. This allows to suggest the most suitable methods for the imputation of marine univariate time series. In the first step, the missing data are completed on various mono-dimensional time series. To fill a missing sub-sequence (gap) in a time series, we first find the most similar sub-sequence to the sub-sequence before (resp. after) this gap according a Dynamic Time Warping (DTW)-cost. Then we complete the gap by the next (resp. previous) sub-sequence of the most similar one. Through experiments results on 5 different datasets we conclude that i) DTW gives the best results when considering the accuracy of imputation values and ii) Adaptive Feature Based DTW (AFBDTW) metric yields very similar shape of imputation values similar to the one of true values.
Accurate identification of motor unit discharge patterns from high-density surface EMG and validation with a novel signal-based performance metric

Objective. A signal-based metric for assessment of accuracy of motor unit (MU) identification from high-density surface electromyograms (EMG) is introduced. This metric, so-called pulse-to-noise-ratio (PNR), is computationally efficient, does not require any additional experimental costs and can be applied to every MU that is identified by the previously developed convolution kernel compensation technique. Approach. The analytical derivation of the newly introduced metric is provided, along with its extensive experimental validation on both synthetic and experimental surface EMG signals with signal-to-noise ratios ranging from 0 to 20 dB and muscle contraction forces from 5% to 70% of the maximum voluntary contraction. Main results. In all the experimental and simulated signals, the newly introduced metric correlated significantly with both sensitivity and false alarm rate in identification of MU discharges. Practically all the MUs with PNR > 30 dB exhibited sensitivity >90% and false alarm rates <2%. Therefore, a threshold of 30 dB in PNR can be used as a simple method for selecting only reliably decomposed units. Significance. The newly introduced metric is considered a robust and reliable indicator of accuracy of MU identification. The study also shows that high-density surface EMG can be reliably decomposed at contraction forces as high as 70% of the maximum.
Developmental Relations Among Behavioral Inhibition, Anxiety, and Attention Biases to Threat and Positive Information.

This study examined relations between behavioral inhibition (BI) assessed in toddlerhood (n = 268) and attention biases (AB) to threat and positive faces and maternal-reported anxiety assessed when children were 5- and 7-year-old. Results revealed that BI predicted anxiety at age 7 in children with AB toward threat, away from positive, or with no bias, at age 7; BI did not predict anxiety for children displaying AB away from threat or toward positive. Five-year AB did not moderate the link between BI and 7-year anxiety. No direct association between AB and BI or anxiety was detected; moreover, children did not show stable AB across development. These findings extend our understanding of the developmental links among BI, AB, and anxiety.
Continuous RF monitoring

The effect of EMF on human health is the subject of recent interest of study. Prolonged exposure from EMF sources such as FM radio, microwave oven, mobile handsets, Base Transceiver Station (BTS), etc. are said to cause impairments in human health. The number of mobile users in India has recently crossed 100 cr. which is around 79% of total population. This has led to an increase in the RF radiations in the country. We, with the help of a quad-band antenna, AMB-8057-SW02, intend to continuously monitor radio frequency radiation levels in our college surrounding located in Sion(E), Mumbai. Analysis and results of the same, for reference are displayed on our website. Such Continuous RF Monitoring for multiple bands at the same time has never been attempted before in India. This will create awareness among the society about radiation levels in the environment and its effects on human health.
Brain GABA editing by localized in vivo 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Editing of GABA by 1H MRS in a specific brain area is a unique tool for in vivo non‐invasive investigation of neurotransmission disorders. Selective GABA detection is achieved using sequences based on double quantum coherence (DQC). Our pulse sequence makes accurate measurements without artefacts due to spatial localization. The sequence was tested on a phantom solution. The effect of vigabatrin, a specific inhibitor of GABA transaminase, was measured in rat brain and GABA detection was performed in vivo in monkey brain using this procedure. Rats were spilt into two groups. In the control group, the rats had access to water and, in the other group (vigabatrin, VGB, rats), animals were allowed free access to drinking water containing vigabatrin. After 3 weeks of treatment, rats were anesthetized for in vivo NMR spectroscopy investigation. At the end of the experiment, brains were quickly removed, freeze‐clamped and extracted with 4% perchloric acid. One part of the acid extract was used for GABA concentrations assessment by ion exchange chromatography with ninhydrin detection. The second was used for high‐resolution NMR analysis. By chromatography measurements, the GABA concentration was 1.23±0.06 μmol/g for controls, while for vigabatrin‐treated rats the GABA concentration was 4.89±1.60 μmol/g. The NMR in vivo results were closely correlated with the NMR ex vivo (r=0.99, p<0.01) and chromatography results (r=0.98, p<0.01). The correlation between ex vivo results and chromatography results was also high (r=0.99, p<0.001). This pulse sequence performed GABA editing from a 376 μl voxel located on the right basal ganglia area in a non‐human primate brain. This in vivo GABA editing scheme can thus be proposed for accurate measurement of brain GABA concentrations. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Industrial Agglomeration and Wage Inequality in China

This paper estimates nonlinear structural wage equations derived from NEG model with data on 327 cities in China. The estimation results show that the variation of wage level across cities in China is associated with proximity to large markets. The estimated elasticity of substitution of China is smaller than those of the other countries studied in previous research. It indicates that with the same increase of sub-regional market size, China may suffer more serious regional inequality problems. My estimation shows that although increased agglomeration can increase each city’s wage level, it may also increase the wage gap between large and small cities.
ESTIMATION OF AUCTIONS WITH INCOMPLETE BIDDING DATA

We consider estimation of independent private auction models when only a subset of the bids for each auction are observed. Even though many objects of interest remain nonpara- metrically identified from incomplete bidding data, estimation of the distribution of valuations and some of its functionals is shown to be irregular in the sense that the inverse of the mapping from the parent distribution to that of the observable bids is not Lipschitz continuous. We derive the optimal rate of convergence for the c.d. f. of valuations depending on the number of bidders and which particular bids are observed for each auction. Furthermore, we propose a trimming procedure that yields an estimator which is asymptotically Gaussian at an adaptive rate. We also discuss implications for other functionals of the parental distribution. In particular it is shown that expected revenue and optimal reserve price are not estimable at the root-n rate in general, but the rates will depend on the relative sizes of the observed and the counterfactual auctions. While most of our results are on second-price auctions, we also demonstrate how our findings apply to first-price and descending-bid formats. Our results also suggests that imposing smooth- ness restrictions on the underlying valuation distribution may improve large-sample behavior of nonparametric estimators substantially.
A systematic review of quality and cost–effectiveness derived from Markov models evaluating smoking cessation interventions in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Smoking cessation is the only strategy that has shown a lasting reduction in the decline of lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This study aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, to assess the quality of the Markov models and to estimate the consequences of model structure and input data on cost–effectiveness. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, BusinessSourceComplete and Econlit on June 11, 2014. Data were extracted, and costs were inflated. Model quality was evaluated by a quality appraisal, and results were interpreted. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria. The results varied widely from cost savings to additional costs of €17,004 per quality adjusted life year. The models scored best in the category structure, followed by data and consistency. The quality of the models seems to rise over time, and regarding the results there is no economic reason to refuse the reimbursement of any smoking cessation intervention.
Comparison of melanoma incidence and trends among youth under 25 years in Australia and England, 1990–2010

White populations in Australia and England share many genetic and phenotypic characteristics due to common ancestry, but Australians experience far higher rates of melanoma due to higher ambient ultraviolet radiation (UVR) levels. To gain insight into the role of UVR on melanoma development early in life, we used national cancer registration data and compared recent incidence rates and long‐term trends of primary invasive cutaneous melanoma in Australian and English youth aged 0–24 years diagnosed 1990–2010. Incidence rates and standardized rate ratios (SRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for 2006–2010 were calculated and incidence trends across the whole period were examined using JoinPoint regression. In Australian youth, overall melanoma incidence was double that in English youth (2.2 and 1.1 per 100,000, respectively). While melanoma rates were similarly rare among children <10 years in both countries, in subsequent 5‐year age groups, incidence was significantly higher in Australia compared to England. Melanoma incidence among 15–24 year olds significantly increased by more than 2% per year in both sexes in England. However, after an initial non‐significant increase, Australian rates for this older age group significantly decreased by 6.0% (95% CI, −8.2 to −3.8) per year in females from 1997 and decreased by 12.4% (95% CI, −20.3 to −3.8) per year in males from 2004. Long‐standing primary prevention strategies targeted at curbing UVR exposure appear to have been effective in mitigating incidence trends in Australian youth, but decreases in incidence in English youth are yet to be observed.
Exploring Determinants of International Sourcing: Captive Offshoring vs. Offshore Outsourcing

The growing significance of international sourcing has been well documented and has spurred the emergence of extensive body of theoretical literature analyzing the organization of firms’ activities on a global scale. Recent literature on integration strategies and global production sharing combines elements from international trade and industrial organization with the theory of the firm in order to explain endogenously the variety of organizational forms. Using the propositions of transaction costs and internalization, firm-specific advantages and location advantages, we examine the role of different factors as a determinant of the fragmentation strategy of Slovene firms. We evaluate how firm-level, industry-level and country-level characteristics influence the choice of sourcing mode (domestic sourcing, offshore outsourcing and captive offshoring) on recently conducted Eurostat survey.
Pathophysiological basis of cardiovascular disease and depression: a chicken-and-egg dilemma.

OBJECTIVE To describe the pathophysiological basis linking cardiovascular disease (CVD) and depression; to discuss the causal relationship between them, and to review the effects of antidepressant treatment on cardiovascular disease. METHOD A review of the literature based on the PubMed database. DISCUSSION Depression and cardiovascular disease are both highly prevalent. Several studies have shown that the two are closely related. They share common pathophysiological etiologies or co-morbidities, such as alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, cardiac rhythm disturbances, and hemorheologic, inflammatory and serotoninergic changes. Furthermore, antidepressant treatment is associated with worse cardiac outcomes (in case of tricyclics), which are not observed with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. CONCLUSION Although there is a strong association between depression and cardiovascular disease, it is still unclear whether depression is actually a causal factor for CVD, or is a mere consequence, or whether both conditions share a common pathophysiological etiology. Nevertheless, both conditions must be treated concomitantly. Drugs other than tricyclics must be used, when needed, to treat the underlying depression and not as mere prophylactic of cardiac outcomes.
Blockchain Technologies from the Consumers' Perspective: What Is There and Why Should Who Care?

The blockchain, the ledger that underlies the famous cryptocurrency Bitcoin, has huge implications for many industries. There have been various papers dedicated to research how blockchain technology will transform businesses and industries. However, current research lacks an overview of what the blockchain implies for the biggest stakeholder of these businesses and industries: consumers. This paper aims to provide an overview of how the blockchain affects consumers. We conduct a systematic literature review and enrich it with interview-based knowledge from blockchain experts to show how blockchain technology changes business sectors, name affected consumers in these sectors, derive implications for these consumers and list existing as well as currently emerging blockchain-based products and services. Finally, we warn of the technical, institutional and human challenges and manifold pitfalls blockchain technology must overcome to gain widespread adaptation among consumers.
Generation of diversity in the hierarchy of T‐cell epitope responses following different routes of immunization with simian immunodeficiency virus protein

ObjectivesTo examine whether the route of immunization determines the hierarchy of T-cell epitope proliferative responses in macaques. DesignMacaques were immunized with a recombinant simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) p27 core protein by the intramuscular, male and female genital or rectal route, each of which was augmented by oral immunization, and by the novel targeted lymph-node immunization route. Overlapping peptides were used to identify the proliferative T-cell epitopes and to determine their hierarchy in the circulation, spleen and lymph nodes. MethodsT-cell epitope mapping of the proliferative responses was studied in short-term cell lines. Dendritic cells and macrophages were enriched by metrizamide gradient and adherence to plastic, respectively. ResultsIntramuscular immunization elicited in the circulating T cells a hierarchy of T-cell epitopes within four peptides in the following descending order of frequency: peptides 121–140 (57.9%), 41–60 (28.9%), 61–80 (18.9%) and 101–120 (5.4%). The hierarchy of these four T-cell epitope responses differed significantly with each of the five routes of immunization, when circulating (P<0.001), splenic (P<0.02-<0.001) or iliac lymph-node cells (P<0.001) were analysed. The effect of antigen-presenting cells was then investigated and enriched dendritic cells were more effective than macrophages in processing and presenting the p27 antigen and the immunodominant (121–140) and 61–80 T-cell epitopes. ConclusionsThe route of immunization may determine the hierarchy of T-cell epitopes in the lymph nodes draining the mucosa in the circulating and splenic lymphocytes. The diversity of T-cell epitopes may affect the control of HIV at different anatomical sites, the administration route of the vaccine, and selection of polypeptides or recombinant antigens for immunization.
Consumer Preferences for Fresh Citrus: Impacts of Demographic and Behavioral Characteristics

In the last twenty years, trends within fresh fruit consumption have shifted from consumption of fresh citrus to non-citrus fresh fruit. Within citrus, consumers are switching from the traditionally dominant fruit, oranges, to tangerines. Using survey results from three cities in the U.S. on consumer preferences for fresh citrus products, we demonstrate that freshness, flavor and appearance are the most important attributes of fresh citrus. Heterogeneous preferences exist among consumers and both demographic and behavioral variables have significant impacts on preferences. Results indicate there are no dominant best predictors of consumer preferences. However, it appears there is potential to develop specific marketing strategies based on demographics.