Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A New Chessboard Placement and Sizing Method for Capacitors in a Charge-Scaling DAC by Worst-Case Analysis of Nonlinearity

Charge scaling data converters include a binary-weighted capacitor array in their structure. New methods for the placement and sizing of capacitor arrays with increased ratio accuracy and improved converter linearity are presented in this paper. A new model of statistical variation is used, which takes into account both spatial correlation between devices and device area. This is combined with a novel analytical model for the linearity metrics of a charge scaling digital-to-analog converter. Minimizing the variance of the linearity metrics directs a new chessboard placement method for the capacitor array. Chessboard placement is shown to be superior to the state of the art in consideration of both random and systematic mismatch. The new analytical model is then used to develop a flow for capacitor array sizing.
RHON1 Mediates a Rho-Like Activity for Transcription Termination in Plastids of Arabidopsis thaliana[C][W]

Genetic and biochemical data reveal that the plastid RNA binding protein RHON1 terminates rbcL transcription, using an ATP-driven mechanism similar to that of Rho factor of bacteria. Although transcription termination is essential to generate functional RNAs, its underlying molecular mechanisms are still poorly understood in plastids of vascular plants. Here, we show that the RNA binding protein RHON1 participates in transcriptional termination of rbcL (encoding large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) in Arabidopsis thaliana. Inactivation of RHON1 leads to enhanced rbcL read-through transcription and to aberrant accD (encoding β-subunit of the acetyl-CoA carboxylase) transcriptional initiation, which may result from inefficient transcription termination of rbcL. RHON1 can bind to the mRNA as well as to single-stranded DNA of rbcL, displays an RNA-dependent ATPase activity, and terminates transcription of rbcL in vitro. These results suggest that RHON1 terminates rbcL transcription using an ATP-driven mechanism similar to that of Rho of Escherichia coli. This RHON1-dependent transcription termination occurs in Arabidopsis but not in rice (Oryza sativa) and appears to reflect a fundamental difference between plastomes of dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous plants. Our results point to the importance and significance of plastid transcription termination and provide insights into its machinery in an evolutionary context.
Armenian Ethnic Orientation Questionnaire–Revised

The purpose of this study was to report the development of a shorter revised version of the 57-item Armenian Ethnic Orientation Questionnaire. Data from two different independently conducted studies were presented. One of the studies used a convenient sample from Pasadena, California (n = 155) composed of Armenian adolescents (48% girls, 52% boys; with a mean age of 15.6 yr., SD =1.2) who attended public schools. The second study used a convenient sample from Toronto, Ontario (n = 108) composed of community members at large (48% women, 52% men; with a mean age of 34.0 yr., SD= 15.3). A revision of 15 items rated on a 6-point scale showed good scale score reliability and construct validity. In both studies, scores on the revised version differentiated native-born from immigrant groups and were correlated with more ethnic behaviors and greater involvement.
An investigation into historical fiction in the primary classroom and its impact on children’s historical skills and understanding

This small scale research study considers how historical fiction is used in the primary classroom and its impact on children’s historical skills and understanding. Questionnaires were used to gain a broad perception of teacher views from 15 primary schools in East Northamptonshire, with teacher interviews and lesson observations in one school being carried out to provide more focussed findings. The findings show that most teachers have used historical fiction at some point in their careers with Key Stage 2 topics such as Victorians and World War 2 being the most common topics where it is used. Teacher opinions vary as to the benefits of using historical fiction however; interview and observation data suggest that children’s motivation to conduct their own enquiry and ability to empathise is increased as a result of using historical fiction in History lessons. The research suggests that there are many cross curricular opportunities for historical fiction to enrich learning and promote historical skills and understanding. The research also suggests that some children may struggle with discriminating between factual and fictional elements of historical fiction.
Induction of cell cycle arrest by GL331 via triggering an ATM-dependent DNA damage response in HepG2 cells

GL331, a topoisomerase II inhibitor, has been found to trigger DNA damage response (DDR) to induce cell cycle arrest. However, the underlying mechanism has not yet been fully understood. This study investigated the molecular mechanism involved in the GL331-induced cell cycle arrest via DDR in human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells. As a result, GL331 could induce S arrest and up-regulate the phosphorylation of the histone H2AX variant (γ-H2AX). Ataxia telangiectasia mutated protein kinase (ATM) was activated by GL331 through its autophosphorylation at Ser1981, which led to the activation of DNA damage signaling pathways including p53/p21 and Chk2/Cdc25A cascades. The DNA damage cascades triggered by GL331 finally induced the inactivation of cyclin A/Cdk2 complexes to some extent. These phenomena could be reversed by ATM siRNA, followed by a partial disruption of S arrest. The present results suggested that the S arrest induced by GL331 via DDR was in an ATM-dependent manner to some degree.
A Platform for Multilingual Research in Spoken Dialogue Systems

Abstract : Multilingual speech technology research would be greatly facilitated by an integrated and comprehensive set of software tools that enable research and development of core language technologies and interactive language systems in any language. Such a multilingual platform has been one of our goals in developing the CSLU Toolkit. The Toolkit is composed of components that are essentially language-independent, and support research and development of recognition, understanding, text-to-speech synthesis, facial animation, and spoken dialogue systems. Portions of the Toolkit have already been ported to Italian, German, and Vietnamese. In addition, a complete Mexican-Spanish version of the Toolkit has been created, and is in daily use at the Universidad de las Americas in Puebla (UDLA). In this paper we outline some of the issues involved in porting the Toolkit to a new language, and describe why the Toolkit is well suited to multilingual adaptation.
Three-Stage Turbo MBER Multiuser Beamforming Receiver Using Irregular Convolutional Codes

Based on extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) charts, the convergence behavior of a three-stage serially concatenated multiuser beamforming receiver is presented. This system uses a linear minimum bit error rate (BER) multiuser detector as the inner module. Due to the nonrecursive nature of this inner module, a unity-rate memory-1 recursive precoder is placed in front of the channel to provide the required recursive structure. Irregular convolutional codes (IRCCs) are constructed to be used as the outer code to achieve near-capacity performance. Our simulations show that this system outperforms the traditional two-component iterative structure and is capable of significantly reducing the error floor.
Turn-Taking, Children, and the Unpredictability of Fun

When the goal is entertainment, designing language-based interactions between characters and small groups of young children is a balancing act. On the one hand, an autonomous character should support the freedom of expression and natural behaviors of children having fun. On the other hand, an autonomous character is only capable of supporting the activity it’s designed for and the behavior it anticipates. In the last five years we have watched this tension between freedom and constraint play out in hundreds of small groups in a variety of activities. Using two of the activities as examples, we chart the ups and downs of turn-taking and other language behaviors along the Fun Curve.
Plasminogen activator inhibitor activity in diabetic and nondiabetic survivors of myocardial infarction.

Recent studies suggest that plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) may be a risk factor for recurrent myocardial infarction. We measured PAI-1 activity and antigen and tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen in 35 (20 nondiabetic and 15 diabetic) subjects with no clinical or electrocardiographic evidence of ischemic heart disease and in 74 (50 nondiabetic and 24 diabetic subjects) who had survived a myocardial infarction in the preceding 6-24 months. Levels of PAI-1 activity (18.7 +/- 5.6 versus 12.0 +/- 3.8 arbitrary units [AU] per milliliter, p = 0.001) and t-PA antigen (7.0 +/- 1.9 versus 4.6 +/- 2.0 ng/mL, p = 0.001) were significantly higher in diabetic compared with nondiabetic control subjects. Survivors of myocardial infarction had higher levels of PAI-1 activity and antigen and t-PA antigen than control subjects, and the diabetic survivors had higher levels of PAI-1 activity (25.3 +/- 6.7 versus 20.1 +/- 7.1 AU/mL, p = 0.004) and t-PA antigen (10.6 +/- 4.3 versus 8.4 +/- 3.3 ng/mL, p = 0.03) than the nondiabetic survivors. No difference in PAI-1 antigen levels was found between the diabetic subjects and either the nondiabetic control subjects or survivors of myocardial infarction. After venous occlusion in control subjects, there was a significant increase in PAI-1 antigen (mean 26.7%, range 14.1-58.1% in nondiabetics and mean 25.2%, range 6.2-39.7% in diabetics) and t-PA antigen (mean 78.3%, range 13.6-186.2% for nondiabetic and mean 40.7%, range 17.5-76.2% for diabetic subjects), but in the survivors of myocardial infarction, no significant effect of venous occlusion was observed. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
HIV-1 Env DNA Vaccine plus Protein Boost Delivered by EP Expands B- and T-Cell Responses and Neutralizing Phenotype In Vivo

An effective HIV vaccine will most likely require the induction of strong T-cell responses, broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), and the elicitation of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). Previously, we demonstrated the induction of strong HIV/SIV cellular immune responses in macaques and humans using synthetic consensus DNA immunogens delivered via adaptive electroporation (EP). However, the ability of this improved DNA approach to prime for relevant antibody responses has not been previously studied. Here, we investigate the immunogenicity of consensus DNA constructs encoding gp140 sequences from HIV-1 subtypes A, B, C and D in a DNA prime-protein boost vaccine regimen. Mice and guinea pigs were primed with single- and multi-clade DNA via EP and boosted with recombinant gp120 protein. Sera were analyzed for gp120 binding and induction of neutralizing antibody activity. Immunization with recombinant Env protein alone induced low-titer binding antibodies with limited neutralization breath. In contrast, the synthetic DNA prime-protein boost protocol induced significantly higher antibody binding titers. Furthermore, sera from DNA prime-protein boost groups were able to neutralize a broader range of viruses in a panel of tier 1 clade B viruses as well as multiple tier 1 clade A and clade C viruses. Further investigation of synthetic DNA prime plus adaptive EP plus protein boost appears warranted.
Role of attached lipid in immunogenicity of Borrelia burgdorferi OspA

OspA is a protective antigen of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Expression of the full-length B. burgdorferi B31 OspA gene in Escherichia coli produces a protein that is processed posttranslationally by signal peptidase II and contains an attached lipid moiety. The recombinant OspA lipoprotein has been purified by detergent extraction and ion-exchange chromatography. Priming and boosting with OspA lipoprotein, either with no adjuvant or adsorbed to alum, elicited a strong, dose-dependent immunoglobulin G response. Serum from vaccinated mice inhibited spirochetal growth in vitro. Mice immunized twice with as little as 0.4 micrograms of OspA lipoprotein were protected against an intradermal challenge with 10(4) infectious spirochetes. The ability of the purified recombinant lipoprotein to induce a strong protective response in the absence of toxic adjuvants makes it an excellent candidate antigen for a human vaccine against Lyme disease. By contrast, no serum immunoglobulin G or growth inhibitory response to OspA nonlipoprotein was seen at any dose. The difference in immunogenicities of the lipoprotein and nonlipoprotein forms of OspA is not due to any difference in the antigenicities of the two proteins. These results suggest that posttranslational lipid attachment is a critical determinant of the immunogenicity of the OspA protein.
Lanthanum Chloride Attenuates Osteoclast Formation and Function Via the Downregulation of Rankl‐Induced Nf‐κb and Nfatc1 Activities

The biological activities of lanthanum chloride (LaCl3) and the molecular mechanisms of action underlying its anti‐inflammatory, anti‐hyperphosphatemic, and osteoblast‐enhancing effects have been studied previously, but less is known about the effects of LaCl3 on osteoclasts. The present study used in vivo and in vitro approaches to explore the effects of LaCl3 on osteoclasts and osteolysis. The results indicated that LaCl3 concentrations that were non‐cytotoxic to mouse bone marrow‐derived monocytes attenuated receptor activator of nuclear factor‐κB ligand (RANKL)‐stimulated osteoclastogenesis, bone resorption, mRNA expression of osteoclastogenic genes in these cells, including cathepsin K, calcitonin receptor, and tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP). Further, LaCl3 inhibited RANKL‐mediated activation of the nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) signaling pathway, and downregulated mRNA and protein levels of nuclear factor of activated T‐cells, cytoplasmic, calcineurin‐dependent 1 (NFATc1), and c‐fos. In vivo, LaCl3 attenuated titanium (Ti) particle‐induced bone loss in a murine calvarial osteolysis model. Histological analyses revealed that LaCl3 ameliorated bone destruction and decreased the number of TRAP‐positive osteoclasts in this model. These results demonstrated that LaCl3 inhibited osteoclast formation, function, and osteoclast‐specific gene expression in vitro, and attenuated Ti particle‐induced mouse calvarial osteolysis in vivo, where the inhibition of NF‐κB signaling and downregulation of NFATc1 and c‐fos played an important role. J. Cell. Physiol. 230: 142–151, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An Attempt in Modeling the Labor Supply Process of Married Women in Tunisia

ABSTRACT This article is aimed at determining the appropriate model for a married woman’s labor supply process in the presence of strategic interaction. We here compare two approaches: a traditional model and a strategic model. We try to estimate the process using Probit and Strategic models and specify, via structural equations, the advantage of the strategic model in the study of strategic data. Using the two models on individual Tunisian data enables us to note that as contrary to the woman expectations in a Probit model, the financial side is not a determining factor in the husband’s reaction once his wife gave up her work. This result has been observed only via the strategic model because it takes into account the presence of effect of strategic interaction between a woman’s decision and her husband’s reaction.
Post‐ischemic salubrinal treatment results in a neuroprotective role in global cerebral ischemia

This study describes the neuroprotective effect of treatment with salubrinal 1 and 24 h following 15 min of ischemia in a two‐vessel occlusion model of global cerebral ischemia. The purpose of this study was to determine if salubrinal, an enhancer of the unfolded protein response, reduces the neural damage modulating the inflammatory response. The study was performed in CA1 and CA3 hippocampal areas as well as in the cerebral cortex whose different vulnerability to ischemic damage is widely described. Characterization of proteins was made by western blot, immunofluorescence, and ELISA, whereas mRNA levels were measured by Quantitative PCR. The salubrinal treatment decreased the cell demise in CA1 at 7 days as well as the levels of matrix metalloprotease 9 (MMP‐9) in CA1 and cerebral cortex at 48 h and ICAM‐1 and VCAM‐1 cell adhesion molecules. However, increases in tumor necrosis factor α and nuclear factor kappa‐light‐chain‐enhancer of activated B cells (NF‐κB) inflammatory markers were observed at 24 h. Glial fibrillary acidic protein levels were not modified by salubrinal treatment in CA1 and cerebral cortex. We describe a neuroprotective effect of the post‐ischemic treatment with salubrinal, measured as a decrease both in CA1 cell demise and in the blood–brain barrier impairment. We hypothesize that the ability of salubrinal to counteract the CA1 cell demise is because of a reduced ability of this structure to elicit unfolded protein response which would account for its greater ischemic vulnerability. Data of both treated and non‐treated animals suggest that the neurovascular unit present a structure‐dependent response to ischemia and a different course time for CA1/cerebral cortex compared with CA3. Finally, our study reveals a high responsiveness of endothelial cells to salubrinal in contrast to the limited responsiveness of astrocytes.
Antiviral Therapy Reduces Viral Burden but Does Not Prevent Thymic Involution in Young Cats Infected with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

ABSTRACT The thymus is a major target organ in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected children and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-infected young cats (G. A. Dean and N. C. Pedersen, J. Virol. 72:9436–9440, 1998; J. L. Heeney, Immunol. Today 16:515–520, 1995; S. M. Schnittman et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87:7727–7731, 1990; T. A. Seemayer et al., Hum. Pathol. 15:469–474, 1984; H.-J. Shuurn et al., Am. J. Pathol. 134:1329–1338, 1989; J. C. Woo et al., J. Virol. 71:8632–8641, 1997; J. C. Woo et al., AIDS Res. Hum. Retrovir. 15:1377–1388, 1999). It is likely that the accelerated disease process in children and cats is due to infection of the thymus during the time when generation of naive T lymphocytes is needed for development of the mature immune system. Zidovudine (ZDV) monotherapy, which is used to prevent and treat perinatal HIV-1 infection (R. Sperling, Infect. Dis. Obstet. Gynecol. 6:197–203, 1998), previously had been shown to reduce viral burden in FIV-infected young cats (K. A. Hayes et al., J. Acquir. Immune Defic. Syndr. 6:127–134, 1993). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of drug-induced reduction of viral burden in the thymus on virus-mediated thymic involution and peripheral blood CD4 decline using FIV-infected cats as a model for pediatric HIV-1 infection. Eight-week-old cats were randomly assigned to uninfected, saline-treated; uninfected, ZDV-treated; FIV-infected, saline-treated; and FIV-infected, ZDV-treated groups. Parameters measured included blood lymphocyte numbers, viral load in blood and thymic tissue, and thymic histopathology. While the viral burden was significantly reduced by ZDV monotherapy in peripheral blood lymphocytes, plasma, and thymus, thymic lesions were similar for the treated and untreated FIV-infected cats. Further, markedly lowering the viral burden did not increase blood CD4 lymphocyte numbers or prevent their decline. The data suggest that an inflammatory process continued in spite of reduced virus replication. These observations imply that reducing virus load and limiting thymic inflammation are separate factors that must be addressed when considering therapeutic strategies aimed at preserving thymic function.
Iterative Methods for the G-RAKE Receiver in HSDPA

High-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) is an interface of UMTS systems for data communication. It combines 16-QAM modulation with low spreading factors to achieve high data rates. Generalized RAKE (G-RAKE) receiver is an advanced receiver, which can be employed in HSDPA to obtain reliable communication. In this work, we investigate iterative methods, which reduce overall complexity requirements of the G-RAKE receiver, without sacrificing its performance. The names of the methods are The Gauss-Seidel (GS), Successive Over-Relaxation (SOR), Conjugate Gradient (CG), and Preconditioned Conjugate Gradient (PCG). Our simulation results show that the PCG method provides the best trade-off between the complexity and required conditions.
Current Status of Research on Hybrid Power Generation Systems

The main aim of this paper is a detailed study of recent developments in hybrid power generation systems. Renewable energy sources nowadays play a vital role in efficient and pollution free electric power generation systems as a recent trend. Solar energy and wind energy are the most popular sources of power generation in many developing countries. This study presents a detailed analysis of recent research works that are made in the field of renewable power generation systems and a study of various hybridization methodologies of electric power generation schemes and electrical energy utilization from solar, wind, diesel, biomass and thermal power generating systems. In this study various IEEE journals, magazines and conference proceedings has been analyzed and are concluded.
Increased prevalence of restless legs syndrome in patients with Crohn’s disease

Objective To determine (a) the incidence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD), (b) whether and how the occurrence and severity of RLS is related to severity of CD, and (c) how RLS influences the quality of life of CD patients. Basic methods We carried out a cross-sectional questionnaire study in a random selection of 144 CD patients and 80 controls. Differences were calculated using a &khgr;2-test (categorical data), an independent T-test (continuous data, normal distribution), or a Mann–Whitney U-test (continuous data, non-normal distribution). Logistic regression analysis was carried out to establish the relation between CD and RLS after adjusting for risk factors. Main results The prevalence of RLS was 25.7% (37/144) in CD patients compared with 12.5% (10/80) in the control group (P=0.02). CD patients using caffeine and patients with arthralgias had a higher risk for RLS. A higher score on the modified Harvey Bradshaw Index and CD-related surgery were also associated with a higher risk for RLS. CD-related surgery was also associated with a more severe course of RLS. Patients and controls with RLS had a lower score on ‘physical functioning’, one of the subcategories of the RAND-36 quality-of-life questionnaire. Principal conclusion RLS occurs more frequently in patients with CD compared with healthy individuals. A more severe course of CD seems to be associated with a higher risk for RLS. The presence of RLS has a negative influence on quality of life, mainly interfering with physical activities of daily life.