Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantifying dielectric permittivity based on the electrowetting effects on the adhesion force behavior using scanning probe microscopy

Abstract An scanning probe microscopy-based approach to quantify the dielectric constant of insulating films under environmental conditions is proposed. The method is based on the electrowetting effects on the adhesion force behavior between a conductive atomic force microscopy probe and the dielectric surface under study. By carrying out a parabolic fitting of the experimental data, parameters containing interfacial and dielectric properties of the sample are obtained. This provides a simple approach to estimate the value of the dielectric permittivity if the film thickness and the surface water contact angle are known. This method does not require any geometrical calibration of the probe as proposed in previous procedures. However, measurements have to be conducted under adequate values of relative humidity (in the range from 40 to 70% approximately) in order to guarantee the stability of the adhesion force measurement. The validity of the approach was verified in a poly(methyl methacrylate) layer and two SiO2 films, obtaining excellent agreement between the reported values in the literature and the experimental results obtained.
Pedestrian positioning in urban environment by integration of PDR and traffic mode detection

Trajectory and transportation mode tracking has always been a hot topic since it can provide valuable information for both personal usage and city development. Smart phones equipped with various kinds of sensors are regarded as good tools to track users' trajectories for convenience. The Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver in smart phones is very useful for location services, however its location results become very inaccurate due to signal blockage and multipath effect in urban area. The Pedestrian Dead Reckoning (PDR) system only uses inertial sensors, however, its accumulation error becomes large as distances increased. In this paper, we propose a method that integrates PDR with a traffic mode based map matching to improve positioning accuracy. We firstly generate the hypothesis trajectory based on the activity detection result from PDR and traffic mode detection. Then the most possible trajectory is estimated by considering the walking length. The experimental result demonstrated that we achieve a 1.16m average positioning error in urban area.
Clonal Emergence of Invasive Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis Deconvoluted via a Combination of Whole-Genome Sequencing and Microbiome Analyses

Background Pathobionts, bacteria that are typically human commensals but can cause disease, contribute significantly to antimicrobial resistance. Staphylococcus epidermidis is a prototypical pathobiont as it is a ubiquitous human commensal but also a leading cause of healthcare-associated bacteremia. We sought to determine the etiology of a recent increase in invasive S. epidermidis isolates resistant to linezolid. Methods Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on 176 S. epidermidis bloodstream isolates collected at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, between 2013 and 2016. Molecular relationships were assessed via complementary phylogenomic approaches. Abundance of the linezolid resistance determinant cfr was determined in stool samples via reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results Thirty-nine of the 176 strains were linezolid resistant (22%). Thirty-one of the 39 linezolid-resistant S. epidermidis infections were caused by a particular clone resistant to multiple antimicrobials that spread among leukemia patients and carried cfr on a 49-kb plasmid (herein called pMB151a). The 6 kb of pMB151a surrounding the cfr gene was nearly 100% identical to a cfr-containing plasmid isolated from livestock-associated staphylococci in China. Analysis of serial stool samples from leukemia patients revealed progressive staphylococcal domination of the intestinal microflora and an increase in cfr abundance following linezolid use. Conclusions The combination of linezolid use plus transmission of a multidrug-resistant clone drove expansion of invasive, linezolid-resistant S. epidermidis. Our results lend support to the notion that a combination of antibiotic stewardship plus infection control measures may help to control the spread of a multidrug-resistant pathobiont.
Human Nutrition and Metabolism A Sodium-Rich Carbonated Mineral Water Reduces Cardiovascular Risk in Postmenopausal Women 1 , 2

This study was designed to investigate the possible beneficial effects of consuming a sodium-rich carbonated mineral water on lipoprotein metabolism and to determine whether consumption of this water influences endothelial dysfunction (ED) in postmenopausal women. Women included in the study were amenorrheic ( 1 y), healthy, and not obese (BMI 30 kg/m). The subjects did not take estrogen replacement therapy; supplements of vitamins, minerals, and phytoestrogens; or other medications known to affect bone and lipid metabolism. The study consisted of 2 intervention periods of 2 mo each, during which women drank 1 L/d of a control mineral water (low mineral content) for 2 mo followed by the carbonated mineral water, rich in sodium, bicarbonate, and chloride, for 2 mo. Body weight, height, and blood pressure were measured, and BMI was calculated. Blood samples were taken from fasting subjects and serum was analyzed for total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triacylglycerols, apolipoprotein AI, apolipoprotein B, soluble intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), and glucose. Blood pressure levels did not change throughout the study. Carbonated water intake decreased total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels by 6.8% (P 0.001) and 14.8% (P 0.0001), respectively, whereas HDL-cholesterol concentration increased by 8.7% (P 0.018), compared to the control period. Therefore, cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk indexes (total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol) were markedly reduced (both P 0.0001). Soluble ICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 levels decreased by 8.4% (P 0.007) and 14.8% (P 0.015), respectively. Fasting serum glucose concentration decreased by 6.7% (P 0.0001). Triacylglycerol levels did not change. Consumption of this sodium rich carbonated water can play a beneficial role in the prevention of CVD and the metabolic syndrome. J. Nutr. 134: 1058–1063, 2004.
Decreased Hip Internal Rotation Increases the Risk of Back and Abdominal Muscle Injuries in Professional Baseball Players: Analysis of 258 Player-seasons

Introduction: The relationship of hip range of motion (ROM) to shoulder, elbow, abdominal, and back injuries remains undefined. Methods: We assessed hip ROM on players reporting to Major League Spring Training for an organization over six seasons (2010 to 2015). Hip ROM was correlated with player abdominal, back, shoulder, and elbow injury status for those seasons using multivariate binomial logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 258 player-seasons (129 pitchers and 129 position players) resulted in 20 back and 35 abdominal injuries across all players and 28 elbow and 25 shoulder injuries in pitchers. Hip ROM did not correlate with shoulder or elbow injuries. Hip internal rotation deficit of 5° correlated with core injury (odds ratio [OR], 1.40; P = 0.024 for pitchers; OR, 1.35; P = 0.026 for position players) and back injury (OR, 1.160; P = 0.022 for pitchers). Discussion: Hip internal rotation deficits were predictive of back and abdominal injuries but not shoulder or elbow injury.
The Drosophila Translational Control Element (TCE) Is Required for High-Level Transcription of Many Genes That Are Specifically Expressed in Testes

To investigate the importance of core promoter elements for tissue-specific transcription of RNA polymerase II genes, we examined testis-specific transcription in Drosophila melanogaster. Bioinformatic analyses of core promoter sequences from 190 genes that are specifically expressed in testes identified a 10 bp A/T-rich motif that is identical to the translational control element (TCE). The TCE functions in the 5′ untranslated region of Mst(3)CGP mRNAs to repress translation, and it also functions in a heterologous gene to regulate transcription. We found that among genes with focused initiation patterns, the TCE is significantly enriched in core promoters of genes that are specifically expressed in testes but not in core promoters of genes that are specifically expressed in other tissues. The TCE is variably located in core promoters and is conserved in melanogaster subgroup species, but conservation dramatically drops in more distant species. In transgenic flies, short (300–400 bp) genomic regions containing a TCE directed testis-specific transcription of a reporter gene. Mutation of the TCE significantly reduced but did not abolish reporter gene transcription indicating that the TCE is important but not essential for transcription activation. Finally, mutation of testis-specific TFIID (tTFIID) subunits significantly reduced the transcription of a subset of endogenous TCE-containing but not TCE-lacking genes, suggesting that tTFIID activity is limited to TCE-containing genes but that tTFIID is not an obligatory regulator of TCE-containing genes. Thus, the TCE is a core promoter element in a subset of genes that are specifically expressed in testes. Furthermore, the TCE regulates transcription in the context of short genomic regions, from variable locations in the core promoter, and both dependently and independently of tTFIID. These findings set the stage for determining the mechanism by which the TCE regulates testis-specific transcription and understanding the dual role of the TCE in translational and transcriptional regulation.
Nasal delivery of H5N1 avian influenza vaccine formulated with GenJet™ or in vivo-jetPEI® induces enhanced serological, cellular and protective immune responses

Abstract Avian influenza virus infection is a serious public health threat and preventive vaccination is the most cost-effective public health intervention strategy. Unfortunately, currently available unadjuvanted avian influenza vaccines are poorly immunogenic and alternative vaccine formulations and delivery strategies are in urgent need to reduce the high risk of avian influenza pandemics. Cationic polymers have been widely used as vectors for gene delivery in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we formulated H5N1 influenza vaccines with GenJet™ or in vivo-jetPEI®, and showed that these formulations significantly enhanced the immunogenicity of H5N1 vaccines and conferred protective immunity in a mouse model. Detailed analyses of adaptive immune responses revealed that both formulations induced mixed TH1/TH2 antigen-specific CD4 T-cell responses, antigen-specific cytotoxic CD8 T-cell and memory B-cell responses. Our findings suggest that cationic polymers merit future development as potential adjuvants for mucosal delivery of poorly immunogenic vaccines.
Uptake Pathways of Guandinylated Disulfide Containing Polymers as Nonviral Gene Carrier Delivering DNA to Cells

Polymers of guanidinylated disulfide containing poly(amido amine)s (Gua‐SS‐PAAs), have shown high transfection efficiency and low cytotoxicity. Previously, we synthesized two Gua‐SS‐PAA polymers, using guanidino containing monomers (i.e., arginine and agmatine, denoted as ARG and AGM, respectively) and N,N’‐cystaminebisacrylamide (CBA). In this study, these two polymers, AGM‐CBA and ARG‐CBA were complexed with plasmid DNA, and their uptake pathway was investigated. Complexes distribution in MCF‐7 cells, and changes on cell endosomes/lysosomes and membrane after the cells were exposed to complexes were tested. In addition, how the transfection efficiency changed with the cell cycle status as well as endocytosis inhibitors were studied. The polymers of AGM‐CBA and ARG‐CBA can avoid endosomal/lysosomal trap, therefore, greatly delivering plasmid DNA (pDNA) to the cell nucleoli. It is the guanidine groups in the polymers that enhanced complexes’ permeation through cell membrane with slight membrane damage, and targeting to the nucleoli. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 903–913, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Addressing False Identity Attacks in Action-Based P2P Social Networks with an Open Census

P2P social networks defined by user actions (e.g., P2P discussion forums) are expected to be ideal environments for Sybil and false identity attacks (just as in the case of the similar web based systems: YouTube, etc.). In particular, these attacks are a significant impediment for meaningful electronic petition drives since they render impossible the verification of the eligibility of participants. While many electronic social networks strive for guaranteeing the privacy (e.g., by anonymization) of their users, existing systems for petition drives, like DirectDemocracyP2P.net, encourage users to disclose their real identities and are meaningless when users do not follow this request. We describe a framework and investigate techniques for running decentralized peer-to-peer census processes that enable observers to independently verify the identity of participants in a social network.
INFLUENCE OF THE A286G POLYMORPHISM IN THE LEPR GENE ON CARCASS TRAITS IN A PATERNAL BROILER LINE

Leptin plays a key role in the regulation of the energy balance in mammals. Thus, the leptin and leptin receptor are being intensively studied in these animals. However, it remains unclear whether the leptin-mediated control mechanism is conserved in nonmammalian vertebrates such as the avian. In this study, the association of the SNP LEPR A286G with carcass traits was investigated in the EMBRAPA TT Reference Population. A total of 1411 broilers was evaluated for 32 carcass traits. Association analyses were performed using QxPaK software with a model including fixed effects of sex, hatch and SNP, and the infinitesimal and residual random effects. Additive and dominance effects of the SNP were tested including their interaction with sex. The SNP showed significant association with carcass weight (P=0.54E-03), weights of head (P=0.28E-04), feet (P=0.41E-02), neck (P=0.44E-02), wings (P=0.20E-04), middle joint wings (P=0.27E-03), wing sticks (P=0.41E-03), thigh (P=0.11E-01), thigh muscle (P=0.12E-01), breast (P= 0.48E-04), breast muscle (P=0.18E-04), breast skin (P=0.43E01), breast fillet (P= 0.32E-03), back weight (P=0.19E-01), drumstick yield (P=0.28E01), breast muscle yield (P=0.11E-01), thigh and drumstick yield (P=0.95E-02), and thigh and drumstick muscle yield (P=0.72E-02). These associations are explained by the additive effect of the SNP. The results indicate that the LEPR SNP is a potential genetic marker to improve carcass traits in chickens.
Structural Basis for Group B Streptococcus Pilus 1 Sortases C Regulation and Specificity

Gram-positive bacteria assemble pili through class C sortase enzymes specialized in polymerizing pilin subunits into covalently linked, high-molecular-weight, elongated structures. Here we report the crystal structures of two class C sortases (SrtC1 and SrtC2) from Group B Streptococcus (GBS) Pilus Island 1. The structures show that both sortases are comprised of two domains: an 8-stranded β-barrel catalytic core conserved among all sortase family members and a flexible N-terminal region made of two α-helices followed by a loop, known as the lid, which acts as a pseudo-substrate. In vitro experiments performed with recombinant SrtC enzymes lacking the N-terminal portion demonstrate that this region of the enzyme is dispensable for catalysis but may have key roles in substrate specificity and regulation. Moreover, in vitro FRET-based assays show that the LPXTG motif common to many sortase substrates is not the sole determinant of sortase C specificity during pilin protein recognition.
Controlling the shape and scale of triangular formations using landmarks and bearing-only sensing

This work considers the scenario where three agents that can sense only bearings use two landmarks to control their formation shape. We define a method of relating the known distance separating the landmarks back to the edge lengths of the triangular formation. The result is used to define a formation control law that incorporates inter-agent distance constraints. We prove a strong exponential convergence result and show how one can extend the controller such that global stability from any initial position is possible.
Towards a Data-Driven Model of Eye Movement Control in Reading

This paper presents a data-driven model of eye movement control in reading that builds on earlier work using machine learning methods to model saccade behavior. We extend previous work by modeling the time course of eye movements, in addition to where the eyes move. In this model, the initiation of eye movements is delayed as a function of on-line processing difficulty, and the decision of where to move the eyes is guided by past reading experience, approximated using machine learning methods. In benchmarking the model against held-out previously unseen data, we show that it can predict gaze durations and skipping probabilities with good accuracy.
Document-Oriented Data Schema for Relational Database Migration to NoSQL

Big data has become a crucial issue and one of the most important technologies in the modern world. The management of a semi-structured data format for big data is an important concern that must be addressed. Most relational database management systems fail to handle the scalability and flexibility of big data. NoSQL, which is a new concept in database technology, offers support a large volume of data, thereby providing a good data storage and retrieval mechanism. However, NoSQL has no standard data modeling method. The important properties in handling the database relationships need to be considered in NoSQL data modeling. This study proposes a document-oriented data model for big data and then applies this model to migrate relational database applications to NoSQL on the basis of the properties of the ER model.
Worry about not having a caregiver and depressive symptoms among widowed older adults in China: the role of family support

ABSTRACT Objectives: Using the stress-coping framework, this study examined whether worry about not having a caregiver in old age was associated with depressive symptoms among widowed Chinese older adults, including the moderating effects of self-perceived family support. Method: Using a sample of 5331 widowed adults aged 60 years old or older from the 2006 National Sample Survey of the Aged Population in Urban/Rural China, we regressed measures of depressive symptoms on worry about not having a caregiver. We also tested moderation effects of family support. Results: Individuals who were worried about not having a caregiver reported significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms. Feeling that their children are filial, having instrumental support from children, and having only daughters moderated the effects of worry about not having a caregiver on depressive symptoms. Conclusion: Our findings indicate the detrimental effects of worry about not having a caregiver on the psychological well-being of widowed older adults. This study also highlights some forms of family support that may help reduce such negative effects of widowhood.
Effect of Dynamic Changes in Anterior Cruciate Ligament In Situ Graft Force on the Biological Healing Response of the Graft-Tunnel Interface

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) grafts that are placed for reconstruction are subject to complex forces. Current “anatomic” ACL reconstruction techniques may result in greater in situ graft forces. The biological effect of changing magnitudes of ACL graft force on graft-tunnel osseointegration is not well understood. Purpose: The research objective is to determine how mechanical force on the ACL graft during knee motion affects tendon healing in the tunnel. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Male rats (N = 120) underwent unilateral ACL reconstruction with a soft tissue flexor tendon autograft. ACL graft force was modulated by different femoral tunnel positions at the time of surgery to create different graft force patterns with knee motion. External fixators were used to eliminate graft load during cage activity. A custom knee flexion device was used to deliver graft load through controlled daily knee motion. Graft-tunnel healing was then assessed via biomechanical, micro–computed tomography, and histological analyses. Results: ACL graft-tunnel healing was sensitive to dynamic changes in graft forces with postoperative knee motion. High ACL graft force with joint motion resulted in early inferior ACL graft load to failure as compared with knees that had low-force ACL grafts and joint motion and knees that were immobilized (mean ± SD: 5.50 ± 2.30 N vs 9.91 ± 3.54 N [P = .013] and 10.90 ± 2.8 N [P = .001], respectively). Greater femoral bone volume fraction was seen in immobilized knees and knees with low-force ACL grafts when compared with high-force ACL grafts at 3 and 6 weeks. Conclusion: The authors were able to demonstrate that ACL graft-tunnel incorporation is sensitive to dynamic changes in ACL graft force with joint motion. Early high forces on the ACL graft appear to impair graft-tunnel osseointegration. Clinical Relevance: Current “anatomic” techniques of ACL reconstruction may result in greater graft excursion and force with knee motion. Our results suggest that the postoperative rehabilitation regimen may need to be modified during the early phase of healing to protect the reconstruction.
Brain natriuretic peptide-expressing sensory neurons are not involved in acute, inflammatory, or neuropathic pain

Background We recently demonstrated that brain natriuretic peptide is expressed in the dorsal root ganglia, and that brain natriuretic peptide is required for normal detection of pruritogens. We further showed that the receptor for brain natriuretic peptide, natriuretic peptide receptor A, is present in the spinal cord, and elimination of these neurons profoundly attenuates scratching to itch-inducing compounds. However, the potential modulatory roles of brain natriuretic peptide in nociception, inflammation, and neuropathic mechanisms underlying the sensation of pain have not been investigated in detail. Findings To demonstrate the involvement of brain natriuretic peptide in pain, we compared the behavioral responses of brain natriuretic peptide knockout mice with their wild-type littermates. First, we showed that brain natriuretic peptide is not required in chemically induced pain responses evoked by the administration of capsaicin, allyl isothiocyanate, adenosine 5′-triphosphate, or inflammatory soup. We further measured pain behaviors and found no involvement of brain natriuretic peptide in hot, cold, or mechanical nociceptive responses in mice, nor did we find evidence for the involvement of brain natriuretic peptide in neuroinflammatory sensitization elicited by complete Freund’s adjuvant or in neuropathic pain. Conclusions These results demonstrate that brain natriuretic peptide is not essential for pain-related behaviors.
On the ability of establishing real-time channels in point-to-point packet-switched networks

There are numerous applications which require packets to be delivered within pre-specified delay bounds in point-to-point packet-switched networks. To meet this requirement, we define a real-time channel as a unidirectional connection between two nodes in such a network that guarantees every packet to be delivered before a user-defined, end-to-end deadline. The goal of this paper is to lay a mathematical basis for the problem of establishing real-time channels by (i) deriving a necessary and sufficient condition for the schedulability of a set of channels over a link, and (ii) developing an efficient method for calculating the minimum delay bound over a link for each channel. Given the traffic characteristics of a channel, our results can be used to check whether or not every packet will be delivered within a pre-specified delay bound. The results are also applicable to a wide variety of real-time task scheduling problems. >