Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanistic studies of new oximes reactivators of human butyryl cholinesterase inhibited by cyclosarin and sarin

Butyryl cholinesterase (BChE) has been seen as a key enzyme in the search for new strategies in the treatment of poisoning by organophosphates (OPs), since human BChE (HssBChE), complexed with the appropriate oxime, can be a suitable scavenger and deactivator for OPs in the blood stream. However, the efficacy of HssBChE is limited by its strict stoichiometric scavenging, slow reactivation, and propensity for aging. The improvement of the reactivation rate by new and more efficient oximes could contribute to mitigate this problem and increase the HssBChE efficiency as scavenger. Several oximes have been synthesized and tested with this goal, some with promising results, but the mechanistic aspects of the reactivation reaction are not fully understood yet. In order to better investigate this mechanism, docking and mixed quantum and molecular mechanics combined with principal components analysis were performed here to evaluate the capacity of reactivation and determine the preferred route for the reactivation reaction of two new oximes on HssBChE inhibited by the neurotoxic agents cyclosarin and sarin. Plots of potential energies were calculated and all the transition states of the reactional mechanism were determined. Our results showed a good correlation with experimental data and pointed to the most efficient oxime with both OPs. The protocol used could be a suitable tool for a preliminary evaluation of the HssBChE reactivation rates by new oximes.
A new species group in Megaselia, the lucifrons group, with description of a new species (Diptera, Phoridae)

Abstract With 1,400 described species, Megaselia is one of the most species-rich genera in the animal kingdom, and at the same time one of the least studied. An important obstacle to taxonomic progress is the lack of knowledge concerning the phylogenetic structure within the genus. Classification of Megaselia at the level of subgenus is incomplete although Schmitz addressed several groups of species in a series of monographs published from 1956 to 1981. Another problem is the lack of molecular phylogenetic analyses to support morphology-based conclusions. As a contribution towards addressing these problems, we here circumscribe a previously unrecognized monophyletic lineage of Megaselia consisting of species similar to Megaselia lucifrons. We base this taxonomic decision on morphological study of an extensive phorid material from Sweden, complemented by molecular analyses of select exemplars using two markers (COI and 28S). We name the clade the lucifrons species group, and show that it contains three distinct species. Our results also demonstrate that Megaselia subnitida Lundbeck, 1920, previously treated as a synonym of Megaselia lucifrons Schmitz, 1918, is a separate species, and we remove it from synonymy. The third species in the group was previously unknown; we describe it here as Megaselia albalucifrons sp. n.
Evaluation of Infective Property of Recombinant Prion Protein Amyloids in Cultured Cells Overexpressing Cellular Prion Protein

Misfolded isoform of prion protein (PrP), termed scrapie PrP (PrPSc), tends to aggregate into various fibril forms. Previously, we reported various conditions that affect aggregation of recombinant PrP into amyloids. Because amyloidogenesis of PrP is closely associated with transmissible spongiform encephalopathies such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, we investigated infectivity of recombinant PrP amyloids generated in vitro. Using cultured cell lines which overexpress cellular PrP of different species, we measured the level of de novo synthesized PrPSc in cells inoculated with recombinant mouse PrP amyloids. While PrP-overexpressing cells were susceptible to mouse-adapted scrapie prions used as the positive control, demonstrating the species barrier effect, infection with amyloids made of truncated recombinant PrP (PrP[89-230]) failed to form and propagate PrPSc even in the cells that express mouse cellular PrP. This suggests that infectivity of PrP amyloids generated in vitro is different from that of natural prions. Recombinant PrP (89-230) amyloids tested in the current study retain no or a minute level, if any, of prion infectivity. Graphical Abstract
Guidelines for dietary management of menopausal women with simple obesity

The problem of obesity affects all age groups. It is also observed among menopausal women. Menopause is the time in a woman's life when, as a consequence of hormonal changes occurring in the body, the risk of overweight and obesity increases significantly and, therefore, so does the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Excess body weight in menopausal women may also be of social and psychological importance since the occurring symptoms may considerably decrease quality of life and sexual activity of these women. Reduction of body weight in obese menopausal women should play a vital role in treatment of this group of patients. Therefore, adequate management seems to be essential, and it should involve dietary, pharmacological and/or surgical treatment, depending on the patient's needs. Following a rational weight loss plan provided by a dietician under medical supervision may contribute to improvement of the health condition and quality of life. It is recommended to observe the guidelines on dietary management described in this article by adjusting a diet plan individually. The following work constitutes a review of articles from 2004-2014 which are available in the PubMed medical knowledge base and the Polish Medical Bibliography (Polska Bibliografia Lekarska). For this purpose, the following controlled vocabulary has been used: menopausal woman, menopausal diet, menopausal weight gain, menopausal weight loss, dietary management in menopause.
Modular Self-Reconfigurable Robotic Systems: A Survey on Hardware Architectures

Modular self-reconfigurable robots present wide and unique solutions for growing demands in the domains of space exploration, automation, consumer products, and so forth. The higher utilization factor and self-healing capabilities are most demanded traits in robotics for real world applications and modular robotics offer better solutions in these perspectives in relation to traditional robotics. The researchers in robotics domain identified various applications and prototyped numerous robotic models while addressing constraints such as homogeneity, reconfigurability, form factor, and power consumption. The diversified nature of various modular robotic solutions proposed for real world applications and utilization of different sensor and actuator interfacing techniques along with physical model optimizations presents implicit challenges to researchers while identifying and visualizing the merits/demerits of various approaches to a solution. This paper attempts to simplify the comparison of various hardware prototypes by providing a brief study on hardware architectures of modular robots capable of self-healing and reconfiguration along with design techniques adopted in modeling robots, interfacing technologies, and so forth over the past 25 years.
In-Car Positioning and Navigation Technologies—A Survey

In-car positioning and navigation has been a killer application for Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, and a variety of electronics for consumers and professionals have been launched on a large scale. Positioning technologies based on stand-alone GPS receivers are vulnerable and, thus, have to be supported by additional information sources to obtain the desired accuracy, integrity, availability, and continuity of service. A survey of the information sources and information fusion technologies used in current in-car navigation systems is presented. The pros and cons of the four commonly used information sources, namely, 1) receivers for radio-based positioning using satellites, 2) vehicle motion sensors, 3) vehicle models, and 4) digital map information, are described. Common filters to combine the information from the various sources are discussed. The expansion of the number of satellites and the number of satellite systems, with their usage of available radio spectrum, is an enabler for further development, in combination with the rapid development of microelectromechanical inertial sensors and refined digital maps.
The particle swarm optimization based parameters determination for Gaussian mixture model

Gaussian mixture model (GMM) is one of the most popular methods to estimate the underlying density function. In this paper, a parameter determination method (PSOGMM) for GMM based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) is proposed. PSOGMM optimizes parameters in GMM based on a new error criterion which is derived based on the integrated square error between the true density function and the estimated density. In order to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of PSOGMM, we carry out some numerical experiments on four types of one-dimensional artificial datasets: Uniform dataset, Normal dataset, Exponential dataset and Rayleigh dataset. The finally comparative results show that our strategies are well-performed and PSOGMM can obtain the better estimation performance when the appropriate parameters are selected for PSO.
Knee joint effusion and quadriceps reflex inhibition in man.

This study was designed to elucidate the role of effusion in producing the reflex inhibition, and subsequent atrophy, of quadriceps musculature following knee trauma. In particular, consideration was given to determining the extent, threshold and linearity of inhibition of the motoneuron pool induced by experimental introduction of small increments of 0.9% physiological saline (up to 60ml) into the joint space of the knee in ten healthy subjects. Inhibition of the quadriceps muscle motoneuron pool was indirectly assessed through recording Hoffmann (H) reflexes evoked from vastus medialis, lateralis and rectus femoris. All ten subjects showed a significant (p less than 0.05) reduction in H-reflex amplitude following the introduction of saline: vastus medialis reduced to 55.7 +/- 4.3% of its control 0ml value, rectus femoris to 69.1 +/- 6.1% and vastus lateralis to 65.3 +/- 4.0%. Post hoc analyses of the H-reflex amplitudes at each increment of simulated effusion revealed the threshold for reflex inhibition of the vastus medialis to be between 20 and 30ml of saline and for rectus femoris and vastus lateralis to be between 50 and 60ml. These procedures were repeated on eight subjects following an injection of the anesthetic lidocaine (1%) to the intra-articular space of their knee joints but there was no significant reduction in H-reflex amplitude. Linear relationships were found to adequately describe the relationships between the volume of effusion and intra-articular pressure; and volume of effusion and reduction in H-reflex amplitude. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Folate Deficiency, Hyperhomocysteinemia, Low Urinary Creatinine, and Hypomethylation of Leukocyte DNA Are Risk Factors for Arsenic-Induced Skin Lesions

Background Arsenic methylation relies on folate-dependent one-carbon metabolism and facilitates urinary As elimination. Clinical manifestations of As toxicity vary considerably among individuals and populations, and poor methylation capacity is thought to confer greater susceptibility. Objective After determining that folate deficiency, hyperhomocysteinemia, and low urinary creatinine are associated with reduced As methylation, and that As exposure is associated with increased genomic methylation of leukocyte DNA, we asked whether these factors are associated with As-induced skin lesion risk among Bangladeshi adults. Methods We conducted a nested case–control study of 274 cases who developed lesions 2 years after recruitment, and 274 controls matched to cases for sex, age, and water As. Results The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for development of skin lesions for participants who had low folate (< 9 nmol/L), hyperhomocysteinemia (men, > 11.4 μmol/L; women, > 10.4 μmol/L), or hypomethylated leukocyte DNA at recruitment (< median) were 1.8 (95% CI, 1.1–2.9), 1.7 (95% CI, 1.1–2.6), and 1.8 (95% CI, 1.2–2.8), respectively. Compared with the subjects in the first quartile, those in the third and fourth quartiles for urinary creatinine had a 0.4-fold decrease in the odds of skin lesions (p < 0.01). Conclusions These results suggest that folate deficiency, hyperhomocysteinemia, and low urinary creatinine, each associated with decreased As methylation, are risk factors for As-induced skin lesions. The increased DNA methylation associated with As exposure previously observed, and confirmed among controls in this study, may be an adaptive change because hypomethylation of leukocyte DNA is associated with increased risk for skin lesions.
Educating Coaches to Power Dynamics: Managing Multiple Agendas Within the Triangular Relationship

Through a study of 20 semi-structured interviews using the critical incident method, the paper explores the nature of the multiple agendas within the triangular relationship that connects the coach, coachee and an organization, and the challenges associated with their management. The article suggests prerequisites to coaching program applications as well as learning approaches to help coaches embrace the power dynamics associated with their intervention.
Object Oriented Software Testing

A test case is a set of conditions or variable and input that are developed for a perticular goal or objective to be achieved on a certain application to judge its capabilities or features.By an automated testing tool, we mean a tool that automates a part of the testing process. It can include one or more of the following processes: test strategy generation, test case generation, test data generation, reporting and results. By Objectoriented software can mean a software designed using OO approach and implemented using a OO language.As describe later, there is a lack of specifications as compared to program code is that specifications are generally correct where as code is flawed. Moreover, with software engineering principles firmly established in the industry, most of the software developed nowadays follows all the steps of Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). For this work, UML specifications created in Rational Rose are taken. UML has become the defacto standard for analysis and design of OO software.Testing of OO software is different from testing software using procedural language. Several new challenges are posed. In the part most of the testing methods for testing OO software were just a simple extension of existing methods for conventional software. However, they have been shown to be not very appropriate. Hence, new technology have bee this tool provides features for testing at unit (class) level as well as integrating level. Further a maintenancelevel component has also been incorporated. Results of applying this tool to sample Rational Rose files have been incorporated, and have been found to be satisfactory. Testing is conducted at 3 levels: Unit, integration and system. At the system level there is no difference between the testing techniques used for OO software and other software created using a procedural language, and hence, co It might take more than one test case to determine the true functionality of the application being tested. Every requirement or objective to be achieved needs atleast one test case.some software development methodologies like Rational Unified Process(RUP) recommend creating atleast two test cases for each requirement or objective ; one for performing testing through positive perspective and the other through negative perspective.
Predicting Cigarette Use: The Need to Incorporate Measures of Salience in the Theory of Reasoned Action1,2

It is shown that incorporating a measure of belief salience in the theory of reasoned action improves both the model's predictive and explanatory power. It is demonstrated that the sum of the five evaluative-beliefs which are most salient for each person is more predictive of a semantic differential measure of that person's attitude than is the sum of the remaining nonsalient evaluative beliefs. In addition, it is shown that the perceived utilities of smoking are differentially salient for smokers and nonsmokers. It is argued that latitude of rejection, centrality, and certainty can be used as measures of the degree of definition of a person's attitudes and subjective norms. It is consequently predicted that these variables will be correlated and that attitudes and subjective norms which are well defined will be more highly predictive of a person's intention and behavior. While some support was found for these hypotheses, it is argued that the present results suggest that the relationship between these variables may be more complicated than was initially hypothesized.
Water‐stress‐induced xylem embolism in three species of conifers

Abstract. The mechanism of water-stress-induced xylem embolism was studied in three species of conifers: Abies balsamea (L.) Mill. , Picca rubens Sarg, and Juniperus virginiana L. Each species showed a characteristic relationship between xylem tension and the loss of hydraulic conductivity by air embolism. Abics balsamea and Picca rubens began to embolize at tensions between 2 and 3 MPa and were completely non-conducting between 3 and 4 MPa. Juniperus virginiana was least vulnerable, beginning to embolize at 4 and still retaining approximately 10% conductivity at 10 MPa. As with a previous study of the vessel-bearing Accr saccharum Marsh. , a brief perfusion of branch segments with an oxalic acid and calcium solution (10 and 0.1 mol m−3. respectively) increased the vulnerability of the xylem to embolism; this was especially pronounced in Abies balsamea. In order to test whether embolism was caused by aspiration of air into functional tracheids from neighbouring embolized, ones (the ‘air-seeding’hypothesis), hydrated branch segments were injected with air at various pressures and measured for embolism. Results supported the air-seeding hypothesis because the relationship between injection pressure and embolism for both native and oxalic-calcium-treated segments was essentially the same as for embolism induced by xylem tension. Structural and experimental evidence suggested the air seeding occurred through inter-tracheid pit membranes when the thickened torus region of the membrane became displaced from its normal sealing position over the pit aperture. Thus, the embolism-inducing tension may be a function of pit membrane flexibility. This tension is of ecological significance because it reflects to some extent the range of xylem tensions to which a species is adapted.
Finger-Vein Verification Based on Multi-Features Fusion

This paper presents a new scheme to improve the performance of finger-vein identification systems. Firstly, a vein pattern extraction method to extract the finger-vein shape and orientation features is proposed. Secondly, to accommodate the potential local and global variations at the same time, a region-based matching scheme is investigated by employing the Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) matching method. Finally, the finger-vein shape, orientation and SIFT features are combined to further enhance the performance. The experimental results on databases of 426 and 170 fingers demonstrate the consistent superiority of the proposed approach.
The influence of neighborhood safety on the relation between caregiver alcohol use and child symptoms of depression

Objective: To examine the potential moderating effect of neighborhood safety on the caregiver alcohol use and child depression relation. Background: Parental alcohol use is a risk factor for child adjustment outcomes, including depression. However, more research is needed in this area as many children of problem drinkers grow up healthy and well adjusted. Methods: This study examined the potential moderating effect of perceptions of neighborhood safety on the association between caregiver alcohol use and child symptoms of depression in a community sample of 89 children ranging from 9 to 12 years of age (mean = 10.4, SD = 1.1). Results: Findings suggest that for those who viewed their neighborhoods as less safe, caregiver alcohol use was positively related to child depression; however, for those who viewed their neighborhoods as more safe, caregiver alcohol use and child depression were not related. Conclusions: Intervention strategies should target children who reside in unsafe neighborhoods, particularly those exposed to caregiver substance use, as they may be more likely to experience depressive symptoms.
Instantons and Borel resummability for the perturbed supersymmetric anharmonic oscillator.

In this paper we give an analytical derivation of the large-order behavior of the perturbation series for both the ground state and the excited states of the supersymmetric anharmonic oscillator and of the anharmonic oscillator obtained from the supersymmetric case by varying the strength of the fermion coupling. The results which are obtained with the help of instanton calculus coincide with those obtained numerically in previous work. The large-order perturbation series of the ground state vanishes in the supersymmetric case, whereas away from the supersymmetric point the perturbation series diverges factorially. The perturbation series of the excited states diverges factorially both at the supersymmetric point and away from this point.
Nano-Localized Thermal Analysis and Mapping of Surface and Sub-Surface Thermal Properties Using Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM)

Abstract Determining and acting on thermo-physical properties at the nanoscale is essential for understanding/managing heat distribution in micro/nanostructured materials and miniaturized devices. Adequate thermal nano-characterization techniques are required to address thermal issues compromising device performance. Scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) is a probing and acting technique based on atomic force microscopy using a nano-probe designed to act as a thermometer and resistive heater, achieving high spatial resolution. Enabling direct observation and mapping of thermal properties such as thermal conductivity, SThM is becoming a powerful tool with a critical role in several fields, from material science to device thermal management. We present an overview of the different thermal probes, followed by the contribution of SThM in three currently significant research topics. First, in thermal conductivity contrast studies of graphene monolayers deposited on different substrates, SThM proves itself a reliable technique to clarify the intriguing thermal properties of graphene, which is considered an important contributor to improve the performance of downscaled devices and materials. Second, SThM’s ability to perform sub-surface imaging is highlighted by thermal conductivity contrast analysis of polymeric composites. Finally, an approach to induce and study local structural transitions in ferromagnetic shape memory alloy Ni–Mn–Ga thin films using localized nano-thermal analysis is presented.
A Receiver Circuit for Low-Swing Interconnect Schemes

This paper presents a new receiver circuit that is suitable for low-swing interconnect schemes in CMOS nanometer technologies. Compared to the conventional receiver, which utilizes a PMOS feedback transistor, the proposed configuration is based on an auxiliary cross-coupled structure, which provides significant reduction of the delay time and eliminates the short circuit current, during transitions. The new receiver outperforms the conventional one, especially when very low power supply voltages are used and large capacitive loads are driven. The proposed topology has been designed in a 90nm CMOS technology and the simulation results confirm that, with respect to the conventional receiver, the delay and energy savings may approach 87% and 60% respectively.