Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
F-Box Protein FBX92 Affects Leaf Size in Arabidopsis thaliana

F-box proteins are part of one of the largest families of regulatory proteins that play important roles in protein degradation. In plants, F-box proteins are functionally very diverse, and only a small subset has been characterized in detail. Here, we identified a novel F-box protein FBX92 as a repressor of leaf growth in Arabidopsis. Overexpression of AtFBX92 resulted in plants with smaller leaves than the wild type, whereas plants with reduced levels of AtFBX92 showed, in contrast, increased leaf growth by stimulating cell proliferation. Detailed cellular analysis suggested that AtFBX92 specifically affects the rate of cell division during early leaf development. This is supported by the increased expression levels of several cell cycle genes in plants with reduced AtFBX92 levels. Surprisingly, overexpression of the maize homologous gene ZmFBX92 in maize had no effect on plant growth, whereas ectopic expression in Arabidopsis increased leaf growth. Expression of a truncated form of AtFBX92 showed that the contrasting effects of ZmFBX92 and AtFBX92 gain of function in Arabidopsis are due to the absence of the F-box-associated domain in the ZmFBX92 gene. Our work reveals an additional player in the complex network that determines leaf size and lays the foundation for identifying putative substrates.
Convention-formation in iterated reference games

What cognitive mechanisms support the emergence of linguistic conventions from repeated interaction? We present results from a large-scale, multi-player replication of the classic tangrams task, focusing on three foundational properties of conventions: arbitrariness, stability, and reduction of utterance length over time. These results motivate a theory of convention-formation where agents, though initially uncertain about word meanings in context, assume others are using language with such knowledge. Thus, agents may learn about meanings by reasoning about a knowledgeable, informative partner; if all agents engage in such a process, they successfully coordinate their beliefs, giving rise to a conventional communication system. We formalize this theory in a computational model of language understanding as social inference and demonstrate that it produces all three properties in a simplified domain.
Searching a needle in (linear) opportunistic networks

Searching content in mobile opportunistic networks is a difficult problem due to the dynamically changing topology and intermittent connections. Moreover, due to the lack of global view of the network, it is arduous to determine whether the best response is discovered or search should be spread to other nodes. A node that has received a search query has to take two decisions: (i) whether to continue the search further or stop it at the current node (current search depth) and, independently of that, (ii) whether to send a response back or not. As each transmission and extra hop costs in terms of energy, bandwidth and time, a balance between the expected value of the response and the costs incurred must be sought. In order to better understand this inherent trade-off, we assume a simplified setting where both the query and response follow the same path. We formulate the problem of optimal search for the following two cases: a node holds (i) exactly matching content with some probability, and (ii) some content partially matching the query. We design static search in which the search depth is set at query initiation, dynamic search in which search depth is determined locally during query forwarding, and learning dynamic search which leverages the observations to estimate suitability of content for the query. Additionally, we show how unreliable response paths affect the optimal search depth and the corresponding search performance. Finally, we investigate the principal factors affecting the optimal search strategy.
Pelvic Pain, Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Urinary and Colorectal Distress Incidence and Relationship to Quality of Life and Birth Mode

Purpose: To determine the incidence/impact of pelvic pain, pelvic organ prolapse, urinary and colorectal distress and quality of life by birth mode for women in the chronic postpartum period. Study Design: Cross-sectional correlational design utilizing purposive sampling of (n=21) female postpartum subjects ages 18-45. Background: Caesarean Section (CS) incidence is reported at 32% nationwide, well above the safe rate of 10% recommended by the World Health Organization. Literature is conflicted regarding the role of birth mode in postpartum symptoms such as pelvic pain, colorectal distress, pelvic organ prolapse, and quality of life.Methods: Data collection took place at two primary locations in the Midwest region after IRB approval from Andrews University. Each subject who agreed to volunteer for the study and met the inclusion criteria completed, (1) Health History Questionnaire, (2) SF-36, and (3) Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory. Data was collected by the co-investigators and de-identified. Analysis was completed utilizing SPSS version 21.0. Results: Incidence reports of UI were 80% in the CS group and 50% in the NVD group. The CS group reported significantly higher mean scores for PFIQb, UDI, POPDI, and CRADI compared to the NVD group. Age was negatively correlated with CRADI and pain (Chi-square=7.02, p=.030). NVD group reported a significantly higher quality of life (as measured by the SF-36) in general and mental health compared to published norms and CS (pConclusion: Our study found significant increased incidence and impact of UI, CRADI, POPDI, and PFIQb symptoms and a decrease in QOL in CS compared to NVD. Age showed significant correlation with colorectal symptoms and BMI showed significant relationship to pelvic organ prolapse. Future studies should focus on CS, age, and BMI role in postpartum symptoms.
Effects of aromatase inhibition on sexual function and well-being in postmenopausal women treated with testosterone: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial

Objective:The extent to which aromatization of testosterone (T) to estradiol is required for the observed effects of testosterone therapy on sexual function and well-being are not known. Therefore, the authors investigated the effects of aromatase enzyme inhibition on sexual function, well-being, and mood in estrogen- and T-replete postmenopausal women in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Design:Postmenopausal women using transdermal estrogen therapy for at least 8 weeks and reporting low sexual satisfaction (score <42 for the Sabbatsberg Sexual Self-rating Scale [SSS]) with a total T value of less than 1.2 nmol/L were treated with 400 μL of a 0.5% T gel (total dose 2 mg) and were randomly assigned to receive treatment with either 2.5 mg/day of letrozole or an identical placebo tablet. Women were assessed at baseline (week −2) and at 0, 4, 8, and 16 weeks. Sexual function was assessed with the SSS, well-being was assessed with the Psychological General Well-being Index, and mood was assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory at 0 and 16 weeks. Eighty-one women were screened, 76 were randomly assigned to a treatment group, and 30 in each group completed the study. Because this was a mechanistic study, only the 60 women who completed the study per protocol were included in the final analysis. Results:Total T and calculated free T increased from baseline in both groups, with no difference between groups. At 16 weeks, estradiol, sex hormone-binding globulin, fasting lipids, lipoprotein(a), and C-reactive protein did not differ from baseline or between groups. Significant increases in total Sabbatsberg Sexual Self-rating Scale scores, total Psychological General Well-being Index scores, and a reduction in Beck Depression Inventory scores from baseline to 16 weeks was seen for both treatment groups, with no effect of treatment allocation. No adverse treatment effects were reported. Conclusions:Increases in total and free T in the physiologic range in postmenopausal women were associated with improved sexual satisfaction, well-being, and mood. In this study, aromatase inhibition did not influence any of these outcomes. Short-term transdermal T therapy did not modify fasting lipids, lipoprotein(a), or C-reactive protein.
Affect of Assimilable Organic Carbon (AOC) and Phosphorus to Heterotrophic Microbial Growth in Drinking Water Distribution System

The content of assimilable organic carbon (AOC) has been proposed to control the growth of heterotrophic microbe in drinking water distribution systme. However, recent results have shown that there are regions where it is predominantly phosphorus which determines the extent of microbial growth in drinking water. The growth of bacteria was studied in a drinking water distribution system where the content of AOC was high (40.84- 551.35 μg acetate-C/L) and the content of Microbially Available Phosphorus (MAP) was also high (0.69-8.01 μg PO43--P/L). It was AOC other than phosphorus that controlled the growth of bacteria in the drinking water distribution system. Comparably obvious linear relationship was found between the maximum HPC and the maximum content of AOC of the distribution system. Removal of organic matters is ideal approach to control water quality of the drinking water distribution system.
A class A/B floating buffer BiCMOS power op-amp

A class A/B BiCMOS power op-amp designed to drive the L/R load of a disk drive head actuator is presented. The amplifier uses totem pole NMOS outputs instead of bipolar devices to avoid the high collector resistance in the simplified process used. A unique floating buffer technique regulates the quiescent totem pole current of the output devices and provides control for deep triode NMOS operation. The amplifier is capable of driving a load in all four V-I quadrants without a deadband during transition, and achieves a 0.25 A drive capacity into a 7.5-/spl Omega/ load using a 5-V supply. >
Mice deficient in endothelial α5 integrin are profoundly resistant to experimental ischemic stroke

Stroke is a disease in dire need of better therapies. We have previously shown that a fragment of the extracellular matrix proteoglycan, perlecan, has beneficial effects following cerebral ischemia via the α5β1 integrin receptor. We now report that endothelial cell selective α5 integrin deficient mice (α5 KO) are profoundly resistant to ischemic infarct after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. Specifically, α5 KOs had little to no infarct 2–3 days post-stroke, whereas controls had an increase in mean infarct volume over the same time period as expected. Functional outcome is also improved in the α5 KOs compared with controls. Importantly, no differences in cerebrovascular anatomy or collateral blood flow were noted that could account for this difference in ischemic injury. Rather, we demonstrate that α5 KOs have increased blood-brain barrier integrity (increased expression of claudin-5, and absent brain parenchymal IgG extravasation) after stroke compared with controls, which could explain their resistance to ischemic injury. Additionally, inhibition of α5 integrin in vitro leads to decreased permeability of brain endothelial cells following oxygen-glucose deprivation. Together, these findings indicate endothelial cell α5 integrin plays an important role in stroke outcome and blood-brain barrier integrity, suggesting that α5 integrin could be a novel therapeutic target for stroke.
OBSErViNG SyStEm EVAluAtiONS

programs is expensive and requires a significant international effort to implement and maintain, including data processing and dissemination. Although many GOOS components are primarily intended for climate applications, their application to operational ocean forecast systems is important. In this paper, we present results from analyses that seek to assess the benefits of different observation types and arrays to realistic ocean forecast and reanalysis systems, such as Observing System Experiments (OSEs) and Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs). The OSEs described here generally involve the systematic denial, or withholding , of different observation types from a data assimilating model in order to assess the degradation in quality of a forecast or analysis when that observation type is not used. Importantly, the impact of each observation type may strongly depend on the details of the model into which they are assimilated, the method of assimilation, and the errors assumed at the assimilation step. We therefore present results from a range of different models and applications in an attempt to identify the conclusions that are common to a number of different systems. OSSEs typically involve some sort of twin experiment where " synthetic observations, " usually extracted from a model, are assimilated into an alternative model or into the same model but with different input parameters. Similarly, ensemble-based techniques and adjoint-based methods do not necessarily use real observations, but instead interrogate model physics and model sensitivities to identify regions in which small perturbations are quickly amplified. It is assumed that additional observations in regions of high sensitivity are likely to better constrain a data-assimilating model. These types of analyses, though ideal-ized, may be used to assess the impact of some hypothetical array of observations that may not exist yet. Thus, these methods can be used to contribute to the design of future observing systems, quantifying their possible impacts and limitations.tional meeting dedicated to the subject of observing system evaluation using GODAE systems. Many of the ideas and results presented in this paper are based on presentations from the OOPC-GODAE OSSE/OSE meeting.
Sol-Gel Science: The Physics and Chemistry of Sol-Gel Processing

Preface. Acknowledgments. Introduction. Hydrolysis and Condensation I: Nonsilicates. Hydrolysis and Condensation II: Silicates. Particulate Sols and Gels. Gelation. Aging of Gels. Theory of Deformation and Flow in Gels. Drying. Structural Evolution during Consolidation. Surface Chemistry and Chemical Modification. Sintering. Comparison of Gel-Derived and Conventional Ceramics. Film Formation. Applications. Index.
Multidimensional q-Normal and Related Distributions - Markov Case

We define and study distributions in $\mathbb{R}^d$ that we call $q$-Normal. For $q=1$ they are really multidimensional Normal, for $q$ in $(-1,1)$ they have densities, compact support and many properties that resemble properties of ordinary multidimensional Normal distribution. We also consider some generalizations of these distributions and indicate close relationship of these distributions to Askey-Wilson weight function i.e. weight with respect to which Askey-Wilson polynomials are orthogonal and prove some properties of this weight function. In particular we prove a generalization of Poisson-Mehler expansion formula
Ultra-highly sensitive hydrogen sensor based on fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer with Pt/WO3 coating

A miniaturized fiber tip Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) with Pt/WO3 coating was demonstrated as a hydrogen sensor. The air-cavity of FPI was formed by inserting a single mode fiber (SMF) into a partially polymer-filled glass capillary, which was highly sensitive to temperature. A layer of Pt/WO3 was coated on the glass capillary of the FPI serving as a reaction heater upon hydrogen exposure. The heat locally raised the FPI temperature, which led to the wavelength shift of interference spectrum. The average wavelength shift of two interference dips was -20.3 nm upon exposure to ~20000 ppm hydrogen concentration. The hydrogen sensitivity of the sensor was estimated to be better than 1 pm/ppm.
Biochemical and pathological effects of methylazoxymethanol acetate, a potent carcinogen.

Methylazoxymethanol acetate is known to induce tumors in rodents. Effects produced by a single nonlethal dose on nucleic acid and protein synthesis have been investigated in rat and mouse liver, small intestine, and kidney, the 3 organs most susceptible to carcinogenesis. The agent induced early inhibition of thymidine incorporation into DNA of rat tissues. Rat liver was most sensitive to this effect and was the only organ to show marked inhibition of RNA and protein synthesis. In mice, liver was more sensitive than small intestine or kidney and exhibited an inhibition of RNA and protein synthesis; there were no changes observed in small intestine or kidney. Pathological effects of methylazoxymethanol acetate have been studied by light and electron microscopy. In rats, 6 hr after treatment there was minimal focal necrosis in liver; duodenum and colon, however, showed marked karyorrhexis in crypt epithelium. Intestinal recovery was evident by 1 week, whereas hepatic nuclear changes, consisting of enlarged and irregular nuclei, were detectable months later. Microsegregation in rat hepatic cell nucleoli was evident within 1 hr after treatment, prior to inhibition of nuclear RNA synthesis; the nucleolar change persisted for several months. Mouse liver showed necrosis while duodenal changes were minimal. Kidneys of both species appeared normal at all times. The relationships between inhibition of the synthesis of the various macromolecules, the pathological effects, and carcinogenesis are discussed.
Tough polyamide 6/core–shell blends prepared via in situ anionic polymerization of ε‐caprolactam by reactive extrusion

In this study, the molten e-caprolactam (CL) solution of maleated styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene block copolymer (SEBS-g-MA) and polystyrene (PS) containing catalyst and activator were introduced into a twin screw extruder, and polyamide 6 (PA6)/SEBS/PS blends were successfully prepared via anionic polymerization of CL by reactive extrusion. The mechanical properties measurements indicated that both the elongation at break and notched Izod impact strength of PA6/SEBS/PS (85/10/5) blends were improved distinctly with slight loss of tensile and flexural strength as compared to that of pure PA6. The images of transmission electron microscopy showed that a core–shell structure with PS core and poly (ethene-co-1-butene) (PEB) shell was formed within the PA6 matrix. Fourier transform infrared was used to investigate the formation mechanisms of the core–shell structure. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 53:2705–2710, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
Automatic Modulation Classification Using Combination of Genetic Programming and KNN

Automatic Modulation Classification (AMC) is an intermediate step between signal detection and demodulation. It is a very important process for a receiver that has no, or limited, knowledge of received signals. It is important for many areas such as spectrum management, interference identification and for various other civilian and military applications. This paper explores the use of Genetic Programming (GP) in combination with K-nearest neighbor (KNN) for AMC. KNN has been used to evaluate fitness of GP individuals during the training phase. Additionally, in the testing phase, KNN has been used for deducing the classification performance of the best individual produced by GP. Four modulation types are considered here: BPSK, QPSK, QAM16 and QAM64. Cumulants have been used as input features for GP. The classification process has been divided into two-stages for improving the classification accuracy. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method provides better classification performance compared to other recent methods.
Dynamic Response of Model Lipid Membranes to Ultrasonic Radiation Force

Low-intensity ultrasound can modulate action potential firing in neurons in vitro and in vivo. It has been suggested that this effect is mediated by mechanical interactions of ultrasound with neural cell membranes. We investigated whether these proposed interactions could be reproduced for further study in a synthetic lipid bilayer system. We measured the response of protein-free model membranes to low-intensity ultrasound using electrophysiology and laser Doppler vibrometry. We find that ultrasonic radiation force causes oscillation and displacement of lipid membranes, resulting in small (<1%) changes in membrane area and capacitance. Under voltage-clamp, the changes in capacitance manifest as capacitive currents with an exponentially decaying sinusoidal time course. The membrane oscillation can be modeled as a fluid dynamic response to a step change in pressure caused by ultrasonic radiation force, which disrupts the balance of forces between bilayer tension and hydrostatic pressure. We also investigated the origin of the radiation force acting on the bilayer. Part of the radiation force results from the reflection of the ultrasound from the solution/air interface above the bilayer (an effect that is specific to our experimental configuration) but part appears to reflect a direct interaction of ultrasound with the bilayer, related to either acoustic streaming or scattering of sound by the bilayer. Based on these results, we conclude that synthetic lipid bilayers can be used to study the effects of ultrasound on cell membranes and membrane proteins.
A statistical approach for the analysis of the relation between low-level performance information, the code, and the environment

This paper presents a methodology for aiding a scientific programmer to evaluate the performance of parallel programs on advanced architectures. It applies well-defined design of experiments methods to the identification of relations among different levels in the process of mapping computational operations to high-performance computing systems. Statistical analysis is used for studying different factors that affect the mapping process of scientific computing algorithms to advanced architectures. In particular a case study on the numerical solution of finite element methods for the analysis of conformal antennas for electromagnetic radiation applications was used to test the proposed methodology. The use of statistics for identification of relationships among factors has formalized the solution of the problem and this novel approach allows unbiased conclusions about results. Subset selection based on principal components was used to determine the subset of metrics required to explain the behavior of the system.
Tyrosine phosphorylation of a human killer inhibitory receptor recruits protein tyrosine phosphatase 1C

Natural killer (NK) cells express killer inhibitory receptors that mediate negative regulation of NK cell cytotoxicity upon binding to MHC class I molecules on target cells. Unrelated inhibitory receptors on B cells have recently been shown to function through recruitment of phosphotyrosine phosphatase 1C (PTP-1C). Here, we show that a human killer inhibitory receptor specific for HLA-C also recruits PTP-1C after phosphorylation induced either by the pharmacological agent phenylarsine oxide or by conjugation with target cells. This recruitment is mediated by the binding of specific cytoplasmic phosphotyrosine-containing sequences to PTP-1C. These results implicate PTP-1C as a cytosolic component of the negative signaling pathway through NK cell inhibitory receptors.
Dissecting Web Latency in Ghana

Web access is prohibitively slow in many developing regions despite substantial effort to increase bandwidth and network penetration. In this paper, we explore the fundamental bottlenecks that cause poor web performance from a client's perspective by carefully dissecting webpage load latency contributors in Ghana. Based on our measurements from 2012 to 2014, we find several interesting issues that arise due to the increasing complexity of web pages and number of server redirections required to completely render the assets of a page. We observe that, rather than bandwidth, the primary bottleneck of web performance in Ghana is the lack of good DNS servers and caching infrastructure. The main bottlenecks are: (a) Recursive DNS query resolutions; (b) HTTP redirections; (c) TLS/SSL handshakes. We experiment with a range of well-known end-to-end latency optimizations and find that simple DNS caching, redirection caching, and the use of SPDY can all yield substantial improvements to user-perceived latency.