Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A chemical tool box defines mitotic and interphase roles for Mps1 kinase

In this issue, three groups (Hewitt et al. 2010. J. Cell Biol. doi:10.1083/jcb.201002133; Maciejowski et al. 2010. J. Cell Biol. doi:10.1083/jcb.201001050; Santaguida et al. 2010. J. Cell Biol. doi:10.1083/jcb.201001036) use chemical inhibitors to analyze the function of the mitotic checkpoint kinase Mps1. These studies demonstrate that Mps1 kinase activity ensures accurate chromosome segregation through its recruitment to kinetochores of mitotic checkpoint proteins, formation of interphase and mitotic inhibitors of Cdc20, and correction of faulty microtubule attachments.
Distributed under Creative Commons Cc-by 4.0 the Yeast Telomerase Rna, Tlc1, Participates in Two Distinct Modes of Tlc1-tlc1 Association Processes in Vivo

Telomerase core enzyme minimally consists of the telomerase reverse transcriptase domain-containing protein (Est2 in budding yeast S. cerevisiae) and telomerase RNA, which contains the template specifying the telomeric repeat sequence synthesized. Here we report that in vivo, a fraction of S. cerevisiae telomerase RNA (TLC1) molecules form complexes containing at least two molecules of TLC1, via two separable modes: one requiring a sequence in the 3 region of the immature TLC1 precursor and the other requiring Ku and Sir4. Such physical TLC1-TLC1 association peaked in G1 phase and did not require telomere silencing, telomere tethering to the nuclear periphery, telomerase holoenzyme assembly, or detectable Est2-Est2 protein association. These data indicate that TLC1-TLC1 associations reflect processes occurring during telomerase biogenesis; we propose that TLC1-TLC1 associations and subsequent reorganization may be regulatory steps in telomerase enzymatic activation.
Serum total estrogen levels and urinary excretion of calcium and hydroxyproline in premenopausal and postmenopausal Chinese women.

Ruey-Jian Chen, MD1 Abstract The study subjects included 26 normal young women with regular menstruation cycles and 30 postmenopausal women. The blood and fasting morning urine samples of premenopausal women were taken between the 4th to 11th day of menstrual cycle. In postmenopausal women the blood and urine specimens were taken at least one year after natural menopause, two months after surgical castration, and two months after completion of radiation therapy for cervical cancer. Serum total estrogen level was measured by radioimmunoassay. The urine hydroxyproline concentration was determined by Kivirikko's method. The mean concentrations of serum total estrogens levels were 185.5 pg/ml and 71.7 pg/ml in premenopausal and postmenopausal women respectively. The mean values of urinary calcium/creatinine (Ca/Cr) molar ratio in premenopausal and postmenopausal women were 0.139 and 0.249 respectively. The mean value of hydroxyproline/creatinine (HOPr/Cr) molar ratio was 0.012 in premenopausal women and 0.028 in postmenopausal women. The parameters of bone loss, such as Ca/Cr ratio and HOPr/Cr ratio, are inversely related with the circulating total estrogen concentration. Therefore, decreased endogenous estrogen production seems to be the major pathophysiologic basis for the enhanced rate of urinary calcium and hydroxyproline excretion in Chinese postmenopausal women.
Bypassing system calls–based intrusion detection systems

Machine learning augments today's intrusion detection system (IDS) capability to cope with unknown malware. However, if an attacker gains partial knowledge about the IDS' classifier, he can create a modified version of his malware, which can evade detection. In this article we present an IDS on the basis of various classifiers using system calls, executed by the inspected code as features. We then present a camouflage algorithm that is used to modify malicious code to be classified as benign, while preserving the code's functionality, for decision tree and random forest classifiers. We also present transformations to the classifier's input, to prevent this camouflage ‐ and a modified camouflage algorithm that overcomes those transformations. Our research shows that it is not enough to provide a decision tree based classifier with a large training set to counter malware. One must also be aware of the possibility that the classifier would be fooled by a camouflage algorithm, and try to counter such an attempt with techniques such as input transformation or training set updates.
AC/AC Single-Phase Three-Leg Dc-Link Converters Based on Three-Level and Two-Level Legs

This paper investigates six three-leg single-phase to single-phase dc-link converters employing three-level and two-level legs. The pulse-width modulation techniques and a control technique that aims at maximizing the utilization of the dc-link voltage are presented. In addition, several relevant characteristics of the converter are addressed, such as voltage capability, harmonic distortion, shared-leg and capacitor currents, and power rating. The features of such converters are compared to the ones of the three-level three-leg converter. Experimental results are presented.
Oncogene Activation in Human Myeloid Leukemia 1

We have studied by means of DMA-mediated gene transfer the activation of protooncogenes in human myeloid leukemias that represent various stages of myeloid differentiation. DMA from three cell lines, HL-60 (promyelocytic leukemia), Rc2a (myelomonocytic leukemia), and KG-1 (acute myeloblastic leukemia), was capable of transforming NIH/3T3 cells. Hybridization analy sis indicated that, in all three tumor cell lines, the N-ras oncogene was activated. The cell lines U-937 ("histiocytic lymphoma") and K-562 (erythroblastic leukemia) yielded no transforming DMA. Fresh leukemia cells derived from an acute myelomonocytic leukemia patient and from a juvenile chronic myelogenous leu kemia patient contained an activated N-ras and c-Ki-ras onco gene, respectively. DMA from some other myelogenous leukemia patients was not able to transform NIH/3T3 cells. Our results indicate that hematopoietic tumors of the myeloid lineage may contain oncogenes active in NIH/3T3 cell transfor mation and that, in particular, the N-ras oncogene may be activated in tumors representing various stages of maturation.
Disclosure Avoidance Techniques Used for the 1970 through 2010 Decennial Censuses of Population and Housing

The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the decennial censuses under Title 13 of the U. S. Code with the Section 9 mandate to not “use the information furnished under the provisions of this title for any purpose other than the statistical purposes for which it is supplied; or make any publication whereby the data furnished by any particular establishment or individual under this title can be identified; or permit anyone other than the sworn officers and employees of the Department or bureau or agency thereof to examine the individual reports (13 U.S.C. § 9 (2007)). ” The Census Bureau applies disclosure avoidance techniques to its publicly released statistical products in order to protect the confidentiality of its respondents and their data.
Posterior parietal cortex areas MIP and LIPv receive eye position and velocity inputs via ascending preposito‐thalamo‐cortical pathways

Neuronal activity encoding eye position and gaze signals participates in updating the spatial representations found in the posterior parietal cortex and is necessary for spatial accuracy in goal‐directed movements. Using retrograde transneuronal transfer of rabies virus in combination with a conventional tracer, we studied direct and polysynaptic inputs to the ventral lateral intraparietal area (LIPv) and medial intraparietal area (MIP) in non‐human primates, to identify possible sources of eye position and gaze signals. We found that these areas receive disynaptic inputs from the brainstem horizontal eye position integrator network (nucleus prepositus hypoglossi, PH) via the central lateral and ventral lateral thalamic nuclei. Our findings provide the first demonstration that inputs from the horizontal eye position integrator reach cortical areas. We found important topographical differences between PH populations targeting MIP and LIPv that likely reflect transmission of different types of eye movement signals. LIPv receives projections from the ipsilateral rostral PH, which may transmit ipsilateral eye position signals. In addition to inputs from the rostral PH, MIP receives strong projections from the contralateral caudal PH, which may contribute to both eye position and velocity signals. Unlike the horizontal integrator, we found that the vertical eye position integrator network, the interstitial nucleus of Cajal, does not project to these posterior parietal areas, in keeping with findings that the thalamic nuclei targeting LIPv and MIP receive almost exclusively horizontal oculomotor signals.
Combating financial crime : evaluating the prospect of a whole-of-government approach

Tax crimes, money laundering and other financial crimes threaten the strategic, political and economic interests of developed and developing countries. The problems encountered by the researcher, is the broad and vague meaning of financial crime compounded by the confusing and ill-considered use of the term by lawand policymakers, politicians, government agencies, agency officials and practitioners weakening effective communication about the phenomenon. The literature shows that given the complexity and multi-faceted nature of financial crime, combating financial crime in all its facets cannot be undertaken by investigative agencies acting in isolation. This study was undertaken with the aim to describe and systematically categorise financial crime and evaluate the prospect of using a Whole-of-Government approach as a framework to harness the capacity of the existing government agencies to combat financial crime more effectively. The research was underpinned by a pragmatic paradigm allowing the researcher to apply a qualitative research methodology using an exploratory and evaluation research design. A detailed review of the literature available nationally and internationally was conducted to establish a conceptual and practical understanding of the issues under investigation. An interview schedule with predetermined questions was developed, pre-tested and administered to participants who are active practitioners involved in combating financial crime in
Evaluating survival model performance: a graphical approach

In the last decade, many statistics have been suggested to evaluate the performance of survival models. These statistics evaluate the overall performance of a model ignoring possible variability in performance over time. Using an extension of measures used in binary regression, we propose a graphical method to depict the performance of a survival model over time. The method provides estimates of performance at specific time points and can be used as an informal test for detecting time varying effects of covariates in the Cox model framework. The method is illustrated on real and simulated data using Cox proportional hazard model and rank statistics. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
blaKPC RNA Expression Correlates with Two Transcriptional Start Sites but Not Always with Gene Copy Number in Four Genera of Gram-Negative Pathogens

ABSTRACT Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing organisms are therapeutically and diagnostically challenging. It is possible that blaKPC gene expression plays a role in the variability observed in clinical susceptibility testing. blaKPC transformants together with 10 clinical isolates representing four genera were evaluated for blaKPC copy number and gene expression and correlated with β-lactam MIC data. The data suggest that mechanisms other than gene copy number and expression of blaKPC contribute to variability in susceptibility when testing KPC-producing isolates.
An Assessment of Pricing Strategies and Consumer Behavior in the Telecommunication Sector: A Case of Safaricom Kenya Limited

iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT . vi DEDICATION. vii LIST OF TABLES . x LIST OF FIGURES . xi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . xii CHAPTER ONE . 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION. 1 1.1 Background of the Study . 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem . 8 1.3 Purpose of the Study . 9 1.4 Research Questions . 9 1.5 Significance of the Study . 10 1.6 Scope of the Study . 10 1.7 Definition of Terms. 11 1.8 Chapter Summary . 11 CHAPTER TWO . 12 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW . 12 2.
The digital turn: staff perceptions of the virtual learning environment and the implications for educational developers

Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) have become a critical part of the Higher Education (HE) learning, teaching and assessment environment over the past two d ecades. The study in this paper complements the longitudinal study designed by the #VLEIreland Project team to examine the key drivers and barriers for uptake and usage of an institutional VLE amongst students. There is a dearth of literature on VLE usage by staff in an Irish context. The findings of the #VLEIreland staff survey, presented in this paper, help us understand staff usage of technology tools including the VLE, and places this in a wider context. In 2014, the project team developed an electronic survey instrument to examine staff perceptions of the VLE and online learning tools. This collaborative study involved seven Irish HE institutes. There were 580 respondents to the electronic survey. Findings show lack of time as a considerable barrier to staff usage of the VLE and that staff usage is primarily for distribution of resources, communication and assignment submission. However, insights can also be gleaned from the data to assist educational developers when designing appropriate interventions for the development needs of staff. When considered in conjunction with findings from student data, the common misconceptions about VLE usage can be addressed including a negative impact on attendance and over-reliance on lecturers. In addition, consideration for the professionalisation of teaching in terms of digital literacy and technological skills is considered of vital importance to empower staff in the era of the digital turn.
International Criminal Court

It is eight years The International Criminal Court (ICC) is the first ever permanent, treaty based, international criminal court established to promote the rule of law and ensure that the gravest international crimes do not go unpunished. The Court shall be complementary to national criminal jurisdictions. The jurisdiction and functioning of the Court shall be governed by the provisions of the Rome Statute. Anyone who commits any of the crimes under the Statute after this date will be liable for prosecution by the Court. The crimes under the Statute are the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. The seat of the Court is The Hague in The Netherlands. The Court will be temporarily housed at "de Arc" on the outskirts of The Hague before moving to its permanent premises at the Alexanderkazerne. It is envisaged that the permanent premises will be ready for occupation between 2007 and 2009. Even though the Statute entered into force on July 1, 2002, it will take some time before the Court begins its operations. A number of statutory measures and practical steps still have to be taken before the Court becomes operational. In February 2003, the Assembly of States Parties elected the eighteen judges of the Court for a term of office of three, six, and nine years. The judges constitute a forum of international experts that represents the world's principal legal systems. was elected Registrar of the International Criminal Court by an absolute majority of the judges meeting in plenary session. He will hold office for a term of five years. The International Criminal Court is an independent international organization. In accordance with article 2 of the Rome Statute, the relationship with the United Nations system is governed by an agreement that has been approved by the Assembly of States Parties. The agreement basically says that the United Nations and International Criminal Court will respect each others' status and mandate, and will cooperate on all issues of mutual interest. There have been no judgments made by the ICC at this time.
Allosteric Regulation of the Thermostability and DNA Binding Activity of Human p53 by Specific Interacting Proteins (*)

Conformational stability is a prerequisite for the physiological activity of the tumor suppressor protein p53. p53 protein can be allosterically activated for DNA binding by phosphorylation or through noncovalent interaction with proteins such as DnaK, the Escherichia coli homologue of the heat shock protein Hsp70. We present in vitro evidence for a rapid temperature-dependent change in the conformation and tetrameric nature of wild-type p53 upon incubation at 37°C, which correlates with a permanent loss in DNA binding activity. We show that p53 is allosterically regulated for stabilization of the wild-type conformation and DNA binding activity at 37°C by binding of two classes of ligands to regulatory sites on the N and C terminus of the molecule through which an intrinsic instability of p53 is neutralized. Deletion of the domain conferring instability at the C terminus is sufficient to confer enhanced stability to the total protein. DnaK binding to the C terminus can profoundly protect p53 at 37°C from a temperature-dependent loss of the DNA binding activity but does not renature or activate denatured p53. In contrast, another activator of the DNA binding activity of latent p53, the monoclonal antibody PAb421, which also interacts with the C terminus of the protein, is not able to protect p53 from thermal denaturation. Two monoclonal antibodies to the N terminus of p53, PAb1801 and DO-1, do not activate the latent DNA binding function of p53 but can protect the p53 wild-type conformation at 37°C. Thus, activation of the DNA binding function of p53 is not synonymous with protection from thermal denaturation, and therefore, both of these pathways may be used in cells to control the physiological activity of p53. The protection of p53 conformation from heat denaturation by interacting proteins suggests a novel mechanism by which p53 function could be regulated in vivo.
Detecting Endometriosis in Adolescents: Why Not Start from Self-Report Screening Questionnaires for Adult Women?

Background: Endometriosis in adolescent girls is often diagnosed after a long delay. This diagnostic delay can be associated with more advanced stages of endometriosis and with a higher likelihood of fertility problems at a later age. Material and Methods: A systematic review of literature and quality assessment was performed in order to identify questionnaires that were developed to identify adult women with endometriosis. Based on these questionnaires, specific questions that had been reported to be predictive for endometriosis were selected and included in a newly composed questionnaire with the aim to identify adolescents at risk of developing endometriosis. Results: Based on the literature, we identified 5 questionnaires developed to identify adult women with endometriosis; this questionnaire contained 6 questions that had been reported to be predictive for adult endometriosis. These questions query age of menarche, cycle duration, dysmenorrhea, pain descriptors, dyschezia and urinary symptoms and were combined into a new self-report questionnaire aimed to identify adolescents at risk to develop endometriosis. Conclusion: We developed a self-report questionnaire aimed to identify adolescents at risk to develop endometriosis based on questions from self-report questionnaires that have been reported to identify adult women with endometriosis.
Band-Gap Engineering: From Physics and Materials to New Semiconductor Devices

Band-gap engineering is a powerful technique for the design of new semiconductor materials and devices. Heterojunctions and modern growth techniques, such as molecular beam epitaxy, allow band diagrams with nearly arbitrary and continuous band-gap variations to be made. The transport properties of electrons and holes can be independently and continuously tuned for a given application. A new generation of devices with unique capabilities, ranging from solid-state photomultipliers to resonant tunneling transistors, is emerging from this approach.
Using Learning Analytics to Predict At-Risk Students in Online Graduate Public Affairs and Administration Education

Abstract In this global information age, schools that teach public affairs and administration must meet the needs of students. Increasingly, this means providing students information in online classrooms to help them reach their highest potential. The acts of teaching and learning online generate data, but to date, that information has remained largely untapped for assessing student performance. Using data generated by students in an online Master of Public Administration program, drawn from the Marist College Open Academic Analytics Initiative,1 we identify and analyze characteristics and behaviors that best provide early indication of a student being academically at risk, paying particular attention to the usage of online tools. We find that fairly simple learning analytics models achieve high levels of sensitivity (over 80% of at-risk students identified) with relatively low false positive rates (13.5%). Results will be used to test interventions for improving student performance in real time.
Inactivation of Rb and E2f8 Synergizes To Trigger Stressed DNA Replication during Erythroid Terminal Differentiation

ABSTRACT Rb is critical for promoting cell cycle exit in cells undergoing terminal differentiation. Here we show that during erythroid terminal differentiation, Rb plays a previously unappreciated and unorthodox role in promoting DNA replication and cell cycle progression. Specifically, inactivation of Rb in erythroid cells led to stressed DNA replication, increased DNA damage, and impaired cell cycle progression, culminating in defective terminal differentiation and anemia. Importantly, all of these defects associated with Rb loss were exacerbated by the concomitant inactivation of E2f8. Gene expression profiling and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) revealed that Rb and E2F8 cosuppressed a large array of E2F target genes that are critical for DNA replication and cell cycle progression. Remarkably, inactivation of E2f2 rescued the erythropoietic defects resulting from Rb and E2f8 deficiencies. Interestingly, real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) on E2F2 ChIPs indicated that inactivation of Rb and E2f8 synergizes to increase E2F2 binding to its target gene promoters. Taken together, we propose that Rb and E2F8 collaborate to promote DNA replication and erythroid terminal differentiation by preventing E2F2-mediated aberrant transcriptional activation through the ability of Rb to bind and sequester E2F2 and the ability of E2F8 to compete with E2F2 for E2f-binding sites on target gene promoters.
An audio character recognition system for environmental monitoring message transmission over narrow band cellular network

To provide audio recognition functionality for applications of “Environmental Monitoring” over a NB (Narrow Band) radio spectrum with a limited available bandwidth, this paper proposes an audio character recognition system for rapidly recognizing specific audio character to timely transmitting emergency message over B4G (Beyond 4G) telecommunication network. Instead of constantly transmitting recorded audio over the network, the proposed method is selected to transfer interested content in order to reduce the global bandwidth requirement. As such, potential performance advantages in terms of audible quality and bandwidth requirement were evaluated in experimental results.