Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring the feasibility and acceptability of using internet technology to promote physical activity within a defined community.

ISSUE ADDRESSED To explore the feasibility of using the Internet and e-mail to promote physical activity in a defined community. METHODS An online survey was conducted through a community-based Internet Service Provider (ISP). ISP clients were recruited via electronic newsletter and direct e-mail. Data were collected on preferred sources of assistance for physical activity advice and stage of motivational readiness for physical activity. RESULTS Valid surveys were completed by 797 (9% response rate). Participants were: 55% men; 56% aged >45 years; 57% worked full time; mean BMI was 28+/-8. Thirty-six per cent were in the early stages of motivational readiness for physical activity. More than 70% were somewhat to extremely interested in having access to a physical activity website. CONCLUSION Promoting physical activity via the Internet and e-mail is feasible and appealing to some people. Expanding the reach, appeal and use of this technology to deliver physical activity programs will be a challenge.
Electrically small antenna elements using negative permittivity resonators

We show how resonators composed of negative permittivity materials can form the basis of effective small antenna elements. A quasi-static analysis of the resonant properties of a sub-wavelength negative permittivity sphere predicts that such a resonator will have a Q-factor that is only 1.5 times the Chu limit, matching the performance of other known electrically small spherical antenna designs, such as the folded spherical helix and the spherical capped dipole. Finite element simulation is used to demonstrate an impedance-matched radiating structure formed by coupling the resonator (a half-sphere above a ground plane) to a 50 ohm coaxial transmission line, where the coupling is mediated by a small conducting stub extending partially into the half-sphere. The resulting antenna has a ka<0.5, and its bandwidth and efficiency performance corresponds well to that predicted by the quasi-static analysis of the resonator.
Enhancement of Ganoderic Acid Accumulation by Overexpression of an N-Terminally Truncated 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase Gene in the Basidiomycete Ganoderma lucidum

ABSTRACT Ganoderic acids produced by Ganoderma lucidum, a well-known traditional Chinese medicinal mushroom, exhibit antitumor and antimetastasis activities. Genetic modification of G. lucidum is difficult but critical for the enhancement of cellular accumulation of ganoderic acids. In this study, a homologous genetic transformation system for G. lucidum was developed for the first time using mutated sdhB, encoding the iron-sulfur protein subunit of succinate dehydrogenase, as a selection marker. The truncated G. lucidum gene encoding the catalytic domain of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) was overexpressed by using the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation system. The results showed that the mutated sdhB successfully conferred carboxin resistance upon transformation. Most of the integrated transfer DNA (T-DNA) appeared as a single copy in the genome. Moreover, deregulated constitutive overexpression of the HMGR gene led to a 2-fold increase in ganoderic acid content. It also increased the accumulation of intermediates (squalene and lanosterol) and the upregulation of downstream genes such as those of farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase, squalene synthase, and lanosterol synthase. This study demonstrates that transgenic basidiomycete G. lucidum is a promising system to achieve metabolic engineering of the ganoderic acid pathway.
Label free microscopy with enhanced localization performance based upon temporally modulated polarization

Recent microscopy techniques use nanoparticles as contrast agents that assist in realizing super resolved imaging of the inspected sample. While the sample itself is not labelled, its optical properties and form are revealed from the agent's location and movement. Gold nanoparticles are frequently used for compound cellular imaging due to their plasmonic resonance that occurs in the visible regime. While the effect dramatically enhances their effective absorption cross-section, additional enhancement techniques are still needed in order to reach adequate signal-to-noise levels and differentiate between adjacent nanoparticles. In this paper we demonstrate an effective way to image a sample using specialized eccentric gold nanoparticles while exploiting the polarization dependency of their plasmonic resonance. Temporal modulation of the illumination polarization induces a corresponding temporal flickering of the nanoparticles. The method enhances localization by eliminating noise that differs in frequency from the temporal modulation. Differentiation between nanoparticles is concurrently gained as the flickering is changed in relation with the angle between their eccentric axis and the polarization angle.
Distribution of WDR36 DNA sequence variants in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma.

PURPOSE To determine the distribution of WDR36 sequence variants in a cohort of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in the United States. METHODS All of the 23 coding exons and flanking introns of the WDR36 gene were sequenced in 118 probands from families with at least two members affected by POAG, 6 probands from juvenile-onset POAG families, and 108 control individuals. RESULTS Thirty-two WDR36 sequence variants were found in this population of patients with POAG. Nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including those previously described as "disease-causing" and "disease susceptibility," were found in 17% of POAG patients and 4% of control subjects. Although the distribution of WDR36 variants in the pedigrees did not show consistent segregation with the disease, the WDR36 sequence variants were found more frequently in patients with more severe disease. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study suggest that abnormalities in WDR36 alone are not sufficient to cause POAG. The association of WDR36 sequence variants with more severe disease in affected individuals suggests that defects in the WDR36 gene can contribute to POAG and that WDR36 may be a glaucoma modifier gene.
Improvements in knee biomechanics during walking are associated with increased physical activity after total knee arthroplasty

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in people with knee osteoarthritis increases knee‐specific and general physical function, but it has not been established if there is a relationship between changes in these elements of functional ability. This study investigated changes and relationships between knee biomechanics during walking, physical activity, and use of time after TKA. Fifteen people awaiting TKA underwent 3D gait analysis before and six months after surgery. Physical activity and use of time were determined in free‐living conditions from a high resolution 24‐h activity recall. After surgery, participants displayed significant improvements in sagittal plane knee biomechanics and improved their physical activity profiles, standing for 105 more minutes (p = 0.001) and performing 64 min more inside chores on average per day (p = 0.008). Changes in sagittal plane knee range of motion (ROM) and peak knee flexion positively correlated with changes in total daily energy expenditure, time spent undertaking moderate to vigorous physical activity, inside chores and passive transport (r = 0.52–0.66, p = 0.005–0.047). Restoration of knee function occurs in parallel and is associated with improvements in physical activity and use of time after TKA. Increased functional knee ROM is required to support improvements in total and context specific physical activity. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 33:1818–1825, 2015.
Morphological and molecular characterization of Mermis nigrescens Dujardin, 1842 (Nematoda: Mermithidae) parasitizing the introduced European earwig (Dermaptera: Forficulidae) in New Zealand

Abstract Parasitic nematodes of the family Mermithidae were found to be infecting the introduced European earwig Forficula auricularia (Dermaptera: Forficulidae) in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand. Adult females were later collected from various garden plants while depositing eggs. These mermithid specimens were identified morphologically as Mermis nigrescens Dujardin, 1842. A genetic distance of 0.7% between these specimens and a M. nigrescens isolate from Canada (18S rRNA gene), suggests that they have diverged genetically, but there are currently no available comparable sequences for the European M. nigrescens. Two additional nuclear fragments were also amplified, the 28S rRNA and the ribosomal DNA first internal transcribed spacer (ITS1), providing a basis for future studies. Bearing in mind the morphological similarity with other reported M. nigrescens and the lack of sequence data from other parts of the world, we retain the name M. nigrescens, and suggest that the species may be found to represent a complex of cryptic species when more worldwide data are available. Herein, we present a brief description of the post-parasitic worms and adult females, along with an inferred phylogeny using 18S rRNA gene sequences.
Nonparametric volterra kernel estimation using regularization

Modeling of nonlinear dynamic systems constitutes one of the most challenging topics in the field of system identifi- cation. One way to describe the nonlinear behavior of a process is by use of the nonparametric Volterra Series representation. The drawback of this method lies in the fact that the number of parameters to be estimated increases fast with the number of lags considered for the description of the several impulse responses. The result is that the estimated parameters admit a very large variance leading to a very uncertain description of the nonlinear system. In this paper, inspired from the regularization techniques that have been applied to one-dimensional (1-D) impulse responses for a linear time invariant (LTI) system, we present a method to estimate efficiently finite Volterra kernels. The latter is achieved by constraining the estimated parameters appropriately during the identification step in a way that prior knowledge about the to-be-estimated kernels is reflected on the resulting model. The enormous benefit for the identification of Volterra kernels due to the regularization is illustrated with a numerical example.
Surgical and radiologic staging of cervical cancer

Purpose of review The roles of radiologic and surgical staging in cervical carcinoma have been controversial. This review updates publications in this area. Recent findings Conventional computed tomography or MRI has been suboptimal in detecting depth of cervical stromal invasion and nodal metastasis.18-Fluorodeoxyglucose PET or integrated PET/computed tomography (thereafter as PET collectively) is valuable for assessing prognosis, treatment response after the completion of concurrent chemoradiation, documented recurrent cervical cancer, and posttreatment unexplained tumor marker elevation. Results of MRI using nanoparticle contrast media, higher Tesla machines, or diffusion-weighted imaging without contrast may be promising. Although surgical staging is feasible, level 1 evidence is still lacking for survival benefit before definitive radiotherapy/chemoradiation in locally advanced cervical cancer. A randomized controlled trial of additional PET in MRI-defined pelvic node-positive patients prior to chemoradiation did not show significant survival benefit. Summary Nonsurgical staging is still the gold standard for advanced cervical cancer treatment planning unless well designed phase III study could show a significant survival benefit of surgical staging. The roles of molecular imaging (new MRI technology or PET with fluorodeoxyglucose or other radiotracers) as an early predictor of response to treatment need more researches.
Assessment of benefits of a universal screen for maternal alcohol use during pregnancy.

INTRODUCTION The objective of this report is to estimate the benefits of universal meconium screening for maternal drinking during pregnancy. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), including its most severe manifestation fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), is preventable and remains a public health tragedy. The incidences of FAS and FASD have been conservatively estimated to be 0.97 and 10 per 1000 births, respectively. Meconium testing has been demonstrated to be a promising at-birth method for detection of drinking during pregnancy. METHODS The current costs of FAS and FASD, alcohol treatment programs, and meconium screening were estimated by literature review. Monetary values were converted roughly to equal dollars in 2006. RESULTS Costs of adding meconium analysis to the current newborn screening program and of treatment for the identified mothers were estimated and compared to potential averted costs that may result from identification and intervention for mothers and affected infants. Three potential maternal treatment strategies are analyzed. Depending on the treatment type, the savings may range from $6 to $97 for every $1 spent on screening and treatment. DISCUSSION It needs to be emphasized, however, that such screening is premature and that to be effective this screening can be implemented only if there is a societal willingness to institute prevention and intervention programs to improve both women's and children's health. Future research should be directed at improving detection and developing in-depth prevention and remedial intervention programs. A thorough consideration of the ethical issues involved in such a screening program is also needed.
Education, social capital and political participation Evidence from school construction in Malian villages

Using a nationally representative household survey from Mali with retrospective information on school supply, we estimate the effect of opening new schools on education and on social capital formation. I compare the difference in educational attainment between individuals below and above the age of 9 at a school opening date using a quasi regression discontinuity design. School openings increase school enrollment; they also increase the participation in village associations and the involvement in local political life. The effect on political participation is concentrated in the eldest cohorts of the village with education, aged more than 40; this is not surprising: the eldest occupy a pivotal role in the social life of African villages. Also, the effect of education is concentrated on individuals belonging to a chief family of the village, so education seems to change local political power inside the dominant group of the village.
A phosphoglycerate kinase mutant (PGK Herlev; D285V) in a Danish patient with isolated chronic hemolytic anemia: Mechanism of mutation and structure–function relationships

Phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) is a X‐linked enzyme that plays a key role in the glycolytic pathway. Twelve different variants have already been reported. We describe a new PGK variant, PGK Herlev (Asp 285→Val), in a 69‐year‐old Danish patient with isolated chronic hemolysis but who had no neurological or muscular disorders. The description of the mutation is based upon PCR amplification of specific regions of the PGK gene, followed by direct sequencing. Although observed in a male patient, this mutated X‐linked gene is expressed partially, i.e., both normal and substituted nucleotides are present at the same position in a ratio of approximately 1:9. The most likely explanation for this observation is based on the occurrence of a somatic mutation of the PGK gene. The relationship of structure to function in PGK Herlev, as well as in all known variants, was examined by the use of a computer model based on the known spatial structure of the yeast and horse enzymes. Such an approach can be generalized to any other protein that has been crystallized and for which x‐ray diffraction data are available in a species closely related to man. Hum Mutat 12:280–287, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Automated system for matching scientific students to their appropriate career pathway based on science process skill model

Choosing the most appropriate field can be crucial for defining the person's future. Meanwhile, the affectation is done by an unreliable process in our country. A student generally selects a given field or a pathway only because it is the tendency, omitting his personal skills and reel capabilities. The reason is that the affectation is made on the basis of his grade point average GPA: The highest is your GPA, the more is your priority to select your desired field, without consideration of the personal skills. This is penalizing the students, leading most of them to miss their careers. For that matter, we thought about building a reliable model, allowing a better career guidance. We've proposed in a previous article a model for affecting the 9th's grades student to their most appropriate field. Then we've succeed to build an automated system for matching the PCGE students to their most appropriate engineering fields. In this paper, we'll generalize our previous models of career guidance, and build a new model allowing to guide any scientific student, of any age, to his most adapted career pathway. We'll start by describing the Moroccan education system. Then, we'll classify the students according to their main skills, on the basis of their grades and a skill test. After that, we'll study the requirements of integrating a certain field of a given school. Then, we'll propose an automated system for affecting scientific students to their most appropriate pathway. Finally, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of our proposed model, an experiment was conducted on a local engineering school.
Sparking leadership for engaged employees and passionate organizations - Sparking Leadership Scale (SLC) development and validation

Purpose- Today the challenge facing the leaders is not how to engage employees; it is how to keep the fires of passion burning. Nevertheless most studies neither link the two constructs nor explain how the leaders may make an influence on the disengaged employees to turn them into a passionate workforce. The aim of this paper is to shed light on how sparking leaders ignite passion into the disengaged employees and translate them into a passionate workforce. Methodology- There are no empirically validated measures to assess sparking leadership. This paper introduces a theoretical framework for sparking leadership and develops a scale “Sparking Leadership Scale (SLS)” to measure it. Findings- The proposed model on sparking leaders, unengaged employees and passionate organizations relationship provides a conceptual framework in an area where little prior research that relies on anecdotal evidence has been done Conclusion- This conceptual model which is based on insights from the previous research and the propositions emerging from it imply a rich agenda for future research.
The specificity of association of the IgD molecule with the accessory proteins BAP31/BAP29 lies in the IgD transmembrane sequence.

Mature B cells co‐express on their cell surface two classes of antigen receptor, the IgM and IgD immunoglobulins. The structural and functional differences between the two receptor classes are poorly understood. Recently two proteins of 29 and 31 kDa (BAP29 and BAP31) have been described that are preferentially associated with membrane IgD but only weakly with membrane IgM. We describe here the cloning of full‐length murine and human BAP31 cDNAs encoding proteins of 245 and 246 amino acids respectively. The two BAP31 proteins are 95% identical. The BAP31 gene is ubiquitously expressed in murine tissues and is located on the X chromosome in both mouse and man. The murine BAP31 protein has 43% sequence identity to murine BAP29. Both proteins have a hydrophobic N‐terminus and an alpha‐helical C‐terminus which ends with a KKXX motif implicated in vesicular transport. By a mutational analysis we have identified amino acids in the transmembrane sequence of the delta m chain that are critical for binding to BAP31/BAP29. A structural model of the BAPs and their potential functions are discussed.
Simulation analysis of Bluetooth Piconets self-disturbance in industrial applications: A case study

Wireless systems operating in the 2.4 GHz ISM frequency band and sharing the same environment in an industrial environment are likely to interfere with each other due to simultaneous operation of multiple radios. Bluetooth radio system uses the frequency hopping spread-spectrum (FHSS) and time division duplex (TDD) for transmitting and receiving the packets at 79 different channels at 1,600 hops per/sec in this ISM band. It transmits the packets with a slot time of 625µsec on pseudo-randomly selected channel of 1MHz bandwidth. The communicating Bluetooth devices within one network (Piconet) must be properly synchronized so that they can hop together from channel to channel; it is done by using the same channel set as well as the same hopping sequence within that channel set along with the time synchronization within the hopping sequence. The frequency interference (packet collision) between different Bluetooth devices can occur if different Piconets are running in a certain domain at certain time. This paper presents a simulation model to investigate Bluetooth-to-Bluetooth interference to determine characteristics of the packet collision between different piconets operating in close proximity. This situation will occur, e.g. if Bluetooth based wireless technologies area used frequently in an industrial environment.
Anticancer effect of underutilized fruits

Plants, particularly fruits and vegetables, have many phytochemicals that possess various bioactivities, including antioxidant and anticancer properties. In this study, the aim was to investigate the antiproliferative properties of Syzygium fruits, namely water apple (Syzygium aqueum), milk apple (Syzygium malaccense), and malay apple (Syzygium malaccense L.) against two types of cancer-origin cells, namely MCF-7 (hormone dependent breast cancer cell line) and MDA-MB-231 (nonhormone-dependent breast cancer cell line). Two solvent methods were prepared using aqueous and methanol extraction. Antiproliferation activities of these extracts were evaluated by employing colorimetric MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)2,5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay through time periods of 24, 48, and 72 hours. The result showed that extracts from the three fruits had no significant effects for 24 and 48 hours time periods (p >0.05) but extracts of Water apple and Malay apple displayed antiproliferation effects on MCF-7 cell lines (p <0.05) in 72 hours, also there were no effects on the non-cancer origin cell line. The methanolic extracts of the malay apple was more significant with 79% cell viability in the case of MCF7 (IC 50 =632.3 µg/ml). However, extracts of the milk apple did show antiproliferation effects on both cancer origin and non cancer-origin cell lines (p <0.05) in 72 hours. This finding revealed that fruits extract exhibit antiproliferative activity against MCF-7, which is strongly estrogen-dependant, probably due to extract compound responsible for its anticancer properties. Many studies had shown that plant polyphenols may prevent the metastasis of breast cancer cells through common pathway.