Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Novel antimicrobial peptide–modified azithromycin-loaded liposomes against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), have become a public threat; therefore, development of new antimicrobial drugs or strategies is urgently required. In this study, a new antibacterial peptide DP7-C (Chol-suc-VQWRIRVAVIRK-NH2) and DP7-C-modified azithromycin (AZT)-loaded liposomes (LPs) are developed for the treatment of MRSA infection, and it was found that DP7-C inserted into the LP lipid bilayer not only functioned as a carrier to encapsulate the antibiotic AZT but also synergized the antibacterial effect of the encapsulated AZT. In vitro assays showed that DP7-C-modified LPs possessed sustained drug release profile and immune regulatory effect and did not show obvious cytotoxicity in mammal cells, but they did not possess direct antibacterial activity in vitro. In vivo studies revealed that DP7-C-modified LPs did not exhibit obvious side effects or toxicity in mice but were able to significantly reduce the bacterial counts in an MRSA-infectious mouse model and possessed high antibacterial activity. In particular, DP7-C-modified AZT-loaded LPs showed more positive therapeutic effects than either DP7-C-modified blank LPs or nonmodified AZT-loaded LPs treatment alone. Molecular mechanism studies demonstrated that DP7-C formulations effectively upregulated the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines without inducing harmful immune response, suggesting that DP7-C was synergistic with AZT against the bacterial infection by activating the innate immune response. Most importantly, although DP7-C activated the innate immune response, it did not possess direct antibacterial activity in vitro, indicating that DP7-C did not possess the potential to induce bacteria resistance. The findings indicate that DP7-C-modified AZT-loaded LPs developed in this study have a great potential required for the clinical treatment of MRSA infections.
Looking inwards, designing outwards: national identity and print advertisements of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation

National identity is a person’s identity or sense of belonging to one state. It is the sense of a nation as a cohesive whole, represented by distinctive traditions and culture. The present work examines how these traditions, culture and other elements of national identity are presented in advertisements, promoting Cyprus as a tourist destination. Print advertisements of the Cypriot Tourism Organisation were collected in an effort to investigate the way the visual identity of the island is presented through nation branding. Ninety-three print tourist ads promoting Cyprus as a tourist destination since the establishment of the CTO were analysed using content analysis and semiotic analysis. The results indicated that national identity is mostly presented through the social characteristics of the people and their daily practices.
Polar-azimuthal angle dependent efficiency of different infrared superconducting nanowire single-photon detector designs

The illumination-angle-dependent absorptance was determined for three types of superconducting-nanowire singlephoton detector (SNSPD) designs: 1. periodic bare niobium-nitride (NbN) stripes with dimensions of conventional SNSPDs, 2. the same NbN patterns integrated with ~quarter-wavelength hydrogensilsesquioxane-filled nano- cavity, 3. similar cavity-integrated structures covered by a thin gold reflector. A three-dimensional finite-element method was applied to determine the optical response and near-field distribution as a function of p-polarized light illumination orientations specified by polar-angle, φ, and azimuthal-angle, γ. The numerical results proved that the NbN absorptance might be maximized via simultaneous optimization of the polar and azimuthal illumination angles. Complementary transfer-matrix-method calculations were performed on analogous film-stacks to uncover the phenomena contributing to the appearance of extrema on the optical response of NbN-patterns in P-structure-configuration. This comparative study showed that the absorptance of bare NbN patterns is zero at the angle corresponding to total internal reflection (TIR). In cavity-integrated structures the NbN absorptance curve indicates a maximum at the same orientation due to the phase shift introduced by the quarter-wavelength HSQ layer. The reflector promotes the NbN absorptance at small polar angles, but the available absorptance is limited by attenuated TIR in polar angle-intervals, where surface modes are excited on the gold film.
MocOCL: A Model Checker for CTL-Extended OCL Specifications

We present the model checker MocOCL, a tool for model checking software models. The design rationale behind MocOCL is to close the gap between formal verification based on model checking and model-based engineering. Our approach avoids conversions that translate the software models into a format that a model checker can process. To this end, we implemented an explicit state model checker that directly processes the software model and verifies them against a specification formulated in a temporal extension of the constraint language OCL. MocOCL offers a web interface that interacts with the Eclipse Modeling Framework.
Human-robot collaboration in manufacturing: Quantitative evaluation of predictable, convergent joint action

New industrial robotic systems that operate in the same physical space as people highlight the emerging need for robots that can integrate seamlessly into human group dynamics. In this paper we build on our prior investigation, which evaluates the convergence of a robot computational teaming model and a human teammate's mental model, by computing the entropy rate of the Markov chain. We present and analyze the six out of thirty-six human trials where the human participant switched execution strategies while working with the robot. We conduct a post-hoc analysis of this dataset and show that the entropy rate appears to be sensitive to changes in the human strategy and reflects the resulting increase in uncertainty about the human next actions. We propose that these results provide first support that entropy rate may be used as a component of dynamic risk assessment, to generate risk-aware robot motions and action selections.
Fisher Matrix Decomposition for Dark Energy Prediction

Within the context of constraining an expansion of the dark energy equation of state ω(z), we show that the eigendecomposition of Fisher matrices is sensitive to both the maximum order of the expansion and the basis set choice. We investigate the Fisher matrix formalism in the case that a particular function is expanded in some basis set. As an example we show results for an all-sky weak lensing tomographic experiment. We show that the set of eigenfunctions is not unique and that the best constrained functions are only reproduced accurately at very higher order N > 100, a top-hat basis set requires an even higher order. We show that the common approach used for finding the marginalized eigenfunction errors is sensitive to the choice of non-ω(z) parameters and priors. The eigendecomposition of Fisher matrices is a potentially useful tool that can be used to determine the predicted accuracy with which an experiment could constrain ω(z). It also allows for the reconstruction of the redshift sensitivity of the experiment to changes in w(z). However, the technique is sensitive to both the order and the basis set choice. Publicly available code is available as part of ICOSMO at http://www. icosmo.org.
UWB Radar Signal Processing for Positioning of Persons Changing Their Motion Activity

In many applications of ultra-wideband (UWB) radar a character of target motion is a priori not known and naturally can differ within a group of multiple targets. Usually a signal processing aimed at the positioning of only moving persons or only static persons leads to a loss of information. To solve this task, the utilization of combined processing based on detection of non-stationary signal components in the time domain and human respiratory motions in the frequency domain is proposed in this paper. The results of such processing are more reliable and robust with respect to motion activity of all monitored persons, which is demonstrated by processing of measured UWB radar signals.
ConeRANK: Ranking as Learning Generalized Inequalities

We propose a new data mining approach in ranking documents based on the concept of cone-based generalized inequalities between vectors. A partial ordering between two vectors is made with respect to a proper cone and thus learning the preferences is formulated as learning proper cones. A pairwise learning-to-rank algorithm (ConeRank) is proposed to learn a non-negative subspace, formulated as a polyhedral cone, over document-pair differences. The algorithm is regularized by controlling the `volume' of the cone. The experimental studies on the latest and largest ranking dataset LETOR 4.0 shows that ConeRank is competitive against other recent ranking approaches.
Glucose Homeostasis in Mice Is Transglutaminase 2 Independent

Transglutaminase type 2 (TG2) has been reported to be a candidate gene for maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY) because three different mutations that impair TG2 transamidase activity have been found in 3 families with MODY. TG2 null (TG2−/−) mice have been reported to be glucose intolerant and have impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). Here we rigorously evaluated the role of TG2 in glucose metabolism using independently generated murine models of genetic TG2 disruption, which show no compensatory enhanced expression of other TGs in pancreatic islets or other tissues. First, we subjected chow- or fat-fed congenic SV129 or C57BL/6 wild type (WT) and TG2−/− littermates, to oral glucose gavage. Blood glucose and serum insulin levels were similar for both genotypes. Pancreatic islets isolated from these animals and analysed in vitro for GSIS and cholinergic potentiation of GSIS, showed no significant difference between genotypes. Results from intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests (GTTs) and insulin tolerance tests (ITTs) were similar for both genotypes. Second, we directly investigated the role of TG2 transamidase activity in insulin secretion using a coisogenic model that expresses a mutant form of TG2 (TG2R579A), which is constitutively active for transamidase activity. Intraperitoneal GTTs and ITTs revealed no significant differences between WT and TG2R579A/R579A mice. Given that neither deletion nor constitutive activation of TG2 transamidase activity altered basal responses, or responses to a glucose or insulin challenge, our data indicate that glucose homeostasis in mice is TG2 independent, and question a link between TG2 and diabetes.
Patterns of Gut Bacterial Colonization in Three Primate Species

Host fitness is impacted by trillions of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract that facilitate development and are inextricably tied to life history. During development, microbial colonization primes the gut metabolism and physiology, thereby setting the stage for adult nutrition and health. However, the ecological rules governing microbial succession are poorly understood. In this study, we examined the relationship between host lineage, captive diet, and life stage and gut microbiota characteristics in three primate species (infraorder, Lemuriformes). Fecal samples were collected from captive lemur mothers and their infants, from birth to weaning. Microbial DNA was extracted and the v4 region of 16S rDNA was sequenced on the Illumina platform using protocols from the Earth Microbiome Project. Here, we show that colonization proceeds along different successional trajectories in developing infants from species with differing dietary regimes and ecological profiles: frugivorous (fruit-eating) Varecia variegata, generalist Lemur catta, and folivorous (leaf-eating) Propithecus coquereli. Our analyses reveal community membership and succession patterns consistent with previous studies of human infants, suggesting that lemurs may serve as a useful model of microbial ecology in the primate gut. Each lemur species exhibits distinct species-specific bacterial diversity signatures correlating to life stages and life history traits, implying that gut microbial community assembly primes developing infants at species-specific rates for their respective adult feeding strategies.
TRACKING CONTROL FOR UNCERTAIN TAKAGI SUGENO FUZZY SYSTEMS WITH EXTERNAL DISTURBANCES

Abstract In this paper a fuzzy tracking control is proposed for non linear dynamic system with bounded external disturbances and admissible uncertainties described as Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy model. Using a tracking reference model, a stability condition scheme based on an augmented system with a guaranteed H ∞ performance is proposed to obtain tracking performances. The main result of this paper is to provide, for the overall system in the presence of uncertainties, a sufficient stability condition for the robust fuzzy H ∞ controller expressed in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). An example of robust fuzzy H ∞ controller for uncertain nonlinear system is given for illustration.
Is Phosphorylation of the α1 Subunit at Ser-16 Involved in the Control of Na,K-ATPase Activity by Phorbol Ester–activated Protein Kinase C?

The alpha1 subunit of Na,K-ATPase is phosphorylated at Ser-16 by phorbol ester-sensitive protein kinase(s) C (PKC). The role of Ser-16 phosphorylation was analyzed in COS-7 cells stably expressing wild-type or mutant (T15A/S16A and S16D-E) ouabain-resistant Bufo alpha1 subunits. In cells incubated at 37 degrees C, phorbol 12, 13-dibutyrate (PDBu) inhibited the transport activity and decreased the cell surface expression of wild-type and mutant Na,K-pumps equally ( approximately 20-30%). This effect of PDBu was mimicked by arachidonic acid and was dependent on PKC, phospholipase A(2), and cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase. In contrast, incubation of cells at 18 degrees C suppressed the down-regulation of Na,K-pumps and revealed a phosphorylation-dependent stimulation of the transport activity of Na,K-ATPase. Na,K-ATPase from cells expressing alpha1-mutants mimicking Ser-16 phosphorylation (S16D or S16E) exhibited an increase in the apparent Na affinity. This finding was confirmed by the PDBu-induced increase in Na sensitivity of the activity of Na,K-ATPase measured in permeabilized nontransfected COS-7 cells. These results illustrate the complexity of the regulation of Na,K-ATPase alpha1 isozymes by phorbol ester-sensitive PKCs and reveal 1) a phosphorylation-independent decrease in cell surface expression and 2) a phosphorylation-dependent stimulation of the transport activity attributable to an increase in the apparent Na affinity.
Foreign Aid, Economic Growth, and Policies

The aid-growth relationship has been reviewed under various macroeconomic policy environments. This paper analyzes similarities and differences in the sources of data, types of data, and various types of methodologies used in some of the most recent and widely debated literature regarding the relationship between foreign aid and economic growth under various fiscal, monetary, and trade policies. Different studies have ended up with different outcomes. Some studies find positive aid-growth relationship under good policy environment; some find non-existent aid-growth relationship whereas some others find positive aid-growth relationship without being conditional on any kind of policy. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I express my profound gratitude to Professor Sajal Lahiri for his valuable guidance. I had the privilege to receive his outstanding advice, valuable remarks and attention that helped me fulfill this academic requirement.
Adaptive Polynomial Multiplication ∗

Finding the product of two polynomials is an essential and basic problem in computer algebra. While most previous results have focused on the worst-case complexity, we instead employ the technique of adaptive analysis to give an improvement in many “easy” cases where other algorithms are doing too much work. Three ideas for adaptive polynomial multiplication are given. One method, which we call “chunky” multiplication, is given a more careful analysis, as well as an implementation in NTL. We show that significant improvements can be had over the fastest generalpurpose algorithms in many cases.
Node admission protocols for secure communications

Decentralized node admission is an essential and fundamental security service in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). It is needed to securely cope with dynamic membership and topology as well as to bootstrap other important security primitives (such as key management) and services (such as secure routing) without the assistance of any centralized trusted authority. An ideal admission technique must involve minimal interaction among MANET nodes, since connectivity can be unstable. Also, since MANETs are often composed of weak or resource-limited devices, admission must be efficient in terms of computation and communication. Most previously proposed admission protocols are prohibitively expensive and require heavy interaction among MANET nodes. In this paper, we focus on a common type of MANET that is formed on a temporary basis, and present a secure, efficient, and a fully non-interactive admission technique based on certificateless secure communication (CSC) geared for this type of a network. Our admission protocol is based on secret sharing techniques using bi-variate polynomials. We also present a new scheme that allows any pair of MANET nodes to efficiently establish an on-the-fly secure communication channel.
A model for particle formation and growth in the atmosphere with molecular resolution in size

Abstract. The formation and growth of atmospheric aerosol particles is considered using an exact discrete method with molecular resolution in size space. The method is immune to numerical diffusion problems that are a nuisance for typical simulation methods using a sectional representation for the particle size distribution. For condensational growth, a slight modification is proposed for the Fuchs-Sutugin expression, which improves the prediction of the growth rate of nano-sized particles by as much as a factor of two. The presented method is applied to particle formation in a Finnish Boreal forest and is shown to capture the essential features of the dynamics quite nicely. Furthermore, it is shown that the growth of the particles is roughly linear, which means that the amount of condensable vapour is constant (of the order 1013 1/m3).
The analysis method of video camera's motion based on optical flow and slam

This paper presents a method of video shot motion analysis based on LK optical flow method to solve the problem of film video shot motion of visual comfortable effect. A segmentation method based on footage of two class support vector machine classification is used. The optical flow method based on the hierarchical Lucas-Kanade in Pyramid combined with SLAM Algorithm to extract the motion information of the lens is used. Then the motion type of the shot is analyzed. Experimental results show that the method is not only able to achieve a good shot segmentation, but also the segmentation of the shot can be a good analysis of the results. Compared to the traditional optical flow method, the method has a higher accuracy. Finally it can analysis a movie, and get the distribution of different shots in the movie.
Group Care and Young Children

The average age of children residing in foster care has declined considerably in recent years because of the large influx of infants and very young children into care. The large majority of these young children are placed in foster family homes or with kin, but a not insubstantial number are placed in group care settings. We review group care for young children in California against the standards of child welfare philosophy: to protect children and promote permanence. Compared with a primary placement in foster homes, group care for young children results in less stability, lower rates of adoption, and a greater likelihood of remaining in care.
Secure communication in K-user multi-antenna broadcast channel with state feedback

In this paper, we consider the secure communication in a K-user multi-antenna broadcast channel (BC) with state feedback. We characterize the optimal secure degrees of freedom (SDoF) region of multiple-input single-output (MISO) channel. The SDoF region is achievable by a secret key based linear scheme, which generates analog secret keys by sending artificial noise and then performs space-time alignment scheme secured by these secret keys. The optimality is proved by deriving a new outer bound on the capacity region in a systematic way. Interestingly, the proposed outer bounding technique also applies to the erasure broadcast channel and provides a simpler proof as compared to the existing one. Finally, an explicit connection between the multi-antenna BC and the erasure BC is revealed. We show that, with a large number of users, secrecy cannot be guaranteed in the erasure BC, while it comes almost “for free” in the multi-antenna BC when the number of transmit antennas grows accordingly.
Comparing Word Sense Disambiguation and Distributional Models for Cross-Language Information Filtering

In this paper we deal with the problem of providing users with cross-language recommendations by comparing two different contentbased techniques: the first one relies on a knowledge-based word sense disambiguation algorithm that uses MultiWordNet as sense inventory, while the latter is based on the so-called distributional hypothesis and exploits a dimensionality reduction technique called Random Indexing in order to build language-independent user profiles. This paper summarizes the results already presented within the conference AI*IA 2011 [1].
An Online Social Video Game as a Cognitive Training Tool for Older Adults.

WHITLOCK, LAURA ANNE. An Online Social Video Game as a Cognitive Training Tool for Older Adults. (Under the direction of Anne Collins McLaughlin.) Age-related cognitive decline begins in early adulthood, and older adults tend to show reduced performance on a number of types of cognitive abilities. Thirty-nine older adult took part in a study to determine the effectiveness of an online social video game as a cognitive training tool as either experimental (n=19) or control (n=20) participants. Experimental participants attended a training session and then played the game at home for about 14 hours over a two-week period. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that experimental participants improved significantly more than control participants on a measure of attentional control between preand post-test. Results and future directions are discussed.
Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe? Institutional Portfolios and Delegation to Multilateral Aid Institutions

This paper develops a theory of governments’ strategic choice in delegating aid between multi-lateral aid institutions (MAIs). Although delegation of aid to multilateral institutions increases the overall value of development aid, governments do not benefit from this efficiency if the de facto MAI development strategies do not fall in line with the government's own allocation interests. We argue that governments can mitigate this problem by building an institutional portfolio of aid. In other words, governments take into account the existence of various, oftentimes over-lapping, aid institutions and contribute varying amounts to these institutions such as to maximize efficiency and similarity of allocation policies between government and MAI. The closer the MAI's aid allocation reflects the development goals of the donor and the greater the MAI's efficiency, the more likely it will delegate aid to that MAI over others. We use data on financial contributions of 23 OECD states to MAIs from 1977 to 2008 to analyze a donor government’s strategic choice. The empirical analyses robustly support the main theoretical claim. Governments make strategic choices and build institutional portfolios that aim at mitigating the problem of power diffusion in MAIs.