Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of mRNA Transcripts from the NAD(P)H Oxidase 1 (Nox1) Gene

Recent reports indicate that NAD(P)H oxidase 1 (Nox1) mRNA undergoes alternative splicing, producing a short transcript (NOH-1S) encoding a novel H+ channel. Although the H+ transport properties of NOH-1S-transfected cells resemble those of many cells, the production of a NOH-1S protein was never documented. We characterized Nox1 transcripts in colon-derived cells and present evidence that mRNA splicing does not produce NOH-1S; rather, NOH-1S appears to be an artifact of template switching during cDNA synthesis. The NOH-1S transcript was not observed by Northern blotting, despite claims of its abundance based on RNase protection assays. The shortened cDNA was generated by avian myeloblastosis virus reverse transcriptase, but not by thermally stable reverse transcriptase under conditions that produce full-length Nox1. Analysis of shortened cDNAs detected NOH-1S sequence and other variants that differ at the alleged splice junction site. Although no appropriate RNA splicing sites were found within Nox1 to account for NOH-1S formation, we found repetitive sequence elements bordering the deleted region, which could promote intramolecular template switching during cDNA synthesis. Template switching was confirmed in vitro, where the deleted cDNA was generated by avian myeloblastosis virus reverse transcriptase from a synthetic, full-length Nox1 RNA template. A survey of the expressed sequence tags database suggests that similar switching phenomena occur between repetitive elements in other Nox family transcripts, indicating such cloning artifacts are common. In contrast, genuine RNA splicing does account for another Nox1 transcript lacking the entire exon 11, which is abundant in colon cells but encodes a protein incapable of supporting superoxide production.
Effect of different milling methods on glycaemic response of foods made with finger millet (Eucenea coracana) flour.

OBJECTIVES Compare glycaemic response of foods prepared with finger millet flour, using traditional stone grinding and industrial milling. DESIGN Crossover study. PARTICIPANTS Healthy volunteers (n=11) consisting of five males and six females), aged between 20 and 30 years, with a body mass index of 18.5-23.5 Kgm-2. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Blood glucose concentration was measured at fasting and 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 minutes after ingestion of roti and pittu made with stone ground or industrially milled finger millet flour, containing 50 g of available carbohydrates. Glycaemic Index (GI) values were expressed as the average value of the 11 subjects. RESULTS Significant differences (p<0.05) in GI between similar food types made of flour milled using different methods were observed. GI for roti made of stone ground flour was 44±5 and that of roti made of industrially milled flour was 59±7. Pittu made of stone ground flour had a GI of 67±5 and GI of pittu made of industrially milled flour was 79±5. Microscopic analysis of flour samples and a sieving process using different sieve sizes showed larger particle size distribution in stone ground flour compared to industrially milled flour. CONCLUSIONS Larger particle sizes in the stone ground flour compared with industrially milled flour was established as the only factor affecting the difference in GI of same type of food prepared with flour milled using different methods. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in proximate compositions of the different foods or raw flours. Foods prepared with finger millet (kurakkan) flour with a larger particle size distribution resulted in a lower glycaemic response.
Probability Density Estimation Using Entropy Maximization

We propose a method for estimating probability density functions and conditional density functions by training on data produced by such distributions. The algorithm employs new stochastic variables that amount to coding of the input, using a principle of entropy maximization. It is shown to be closely related to the maximum likelihood approach. The encoding step of the algorithm provides an estimate of the probability distribution. The decoding step serves as a generative mode, producing an ensemble of data with the desired distribution. The algorithm is readily implemented by neural networks, using stochastic gradient ascent to achieve entropy maximization.
Varieties of State-Building in Africa: Elites, Ideas and the Politics of Public Sector Reform

Why do some states in Africa seem to be stuck in a spiral of corruption and institutional weakness? Why do others somehow build effective bureaucracies that are able and willing to tackle the challenges of development? The public sector remains the inescapable anchor of development, whether for good or ill, but our understanding of the politics of public sector reform remains shackled by concepts that do not allow for variation or change over time. This paper presents a theoretical framework for understanding variations in public sector reform (PSR): centring the analysis on the intersection of power relations and ideas, the paper shows how the stability of a country’s elite settlement and the coherence of its developmental ideology interact with reform ideas in the PSR policy domain. This framework is explored through a structured-focused comparison of reform experiences in three Sub-Saharan African countries with different elite settlements: competitive Ghana; weakly dominant Uganda; and dominant Rwanda. In Ghana, where successive regimes have focused on political control for partisan purposes, it has been quick reforms compatible with top-down control that have achieved political traction. In Uganda, high-visibility reforms were introduced to secure donor funding, as long as they did not threaten the ruling coalition’s power. In Rwanda, lastly, the regime has fostered and protected various public sector reforms because it envisioned them as instruments for domestic legitimation as constituent elements of an impartial developmental state. In combination, policy domain, elite time horizons, and ideational fit allow us to move beyond blanket statements about isomorphic mimicry or neopatrimonialism, and towards a more nuanced understanding of the varieties of state-building in Africa.
Regenerative capacities of normal and cirrhotic livers following 70% hepatectomy in rats and the effect of alpha-tocopherol on cirrhotic regeneration.

BACKGROUND The regeneration of normal and cirrhotic liver has been very well demonstrated after partial hepatectomy; although the tissue regenerated by cirrhotic liver is also cirrhotic. The structural differences of the regenerated tissues between normal and cirrhotic livers may also indicate different regeneration capacities. The objective of this study was to compare the regeneration capacities of normal and cirrhotic livers by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) labeling indices in replicating nuclei and mitotic figures in cells in partially hepatectomized normal and cirrhotic rats and to study the effect of alpha-tocopherol on cirrhotic liver regeneration. METHODS Five groups of adult Wistar rats comprised normal livers, cirrhotic livers, regenerated normal livers, regenerated cirrhotic livers, and alpha-tocopherol-treated regenerated cirrhotic livers. Cirrhosis was induced by intragastric administration of carbon tetrachloride and phenobarbital in the drinking water of the rats. Liver regeneration capacities in normal and cirrhotic rats and following partial hepatectomy in normal and cirrhotic rats and cirrhotic rats that were administered alpha-tocopherol were evaluated through BrdU incorporation, PCNA labeling, and mitotic indices. RESULTS BrdU and PCNA labeling and mitotic indices were zero for normal rats and 4.3 +/- 3.5, 6.5 +/- 5, and 2.5 +/- 1.5 for cirrhotic rats, respectively. The values after partial hepatectomy in normal and cirrhotic rats were 46.2 +/- 8.7 and 27.8 +/- 7.5 for BrdU labeling, 83.7 +/- 6.5 and 51.3 +/- 6.8 for PCNA labeling, and 31.8 +/- 4.2 and 18.6 +/- 3.4 for mitotic index, respectively. For the fifth group comprising cirrhotic rats that were administered alpha-tocopherol and had undergone partial hepatectomy, BrdU incorporation, PCNA labeling, and mitotic indices were 37.5 +/- 6.3, 76.5 +/- 6.2, and 27.2 +/- 4.2, respectively. When the cirrhotic liver regeneration group was compared with the normal liver regeneration group, rates of liver regeneration in the cirrhotic group were significantly depressed (P < 0.01). Although the BrdU incorporation and PCNA labeling indices of the alpha-tocopherol-administered cirrhotic liver regeneration group indicated significantly lower rates of liver regeneration when compared with the normal liver regeneration group (P < 0.05), the liver regeneration rates of the alpha-tocopherol-administered cirrhotic group were also significantly higher than those of the cirrhotic liver regeneration group that was not administered alpha-tocopherol (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Cirrhotic livers revealed a significantly depressed capacity for regeneration following partial hepatectomy. alpha-Tocopherol administration seemed to improve the rates of regeneration in cirrhotic rats with respect to the BrdU incorporation, PCNA labeling, and mitotic indices.
An Effective Reference Generation Scheme for DFIG With Unbalanced Grid Voltage

This paper presents a reference current generation scheme for improved dynamic performance of a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) subjected to unbalanced grid voltage. The power and torque oscillations induced due to the unbalance in grid voltage are minimized using additional compensatory terms in the reference currents. The focus is on estimating the reference currents and control implementation without the need for dual vector control. Real and reactive power control is implemented in the positive d-q reference frame using stator flux-oriented vector control. The rotor-side converter (RSC) is controlled to enable effective reduction of oscillations in torque and active and reactive power. The dc-link voltage oscillation is minimized and the grid-side power factor is maintained unity using the grid-side converter (GSC). Unlike the previously reported techniques, the proposed scheme enables effective reduction of oscillations in torque, active, and reactive power, and the dc-link voltage, all in a single target. The performance of DFIG is investigated in consideration with the Indian Electricity Grid Code (IEGC). Numerical simulations are carried out in power system computer aided design/electromagnetic transients including direct current (PSCAD/EMTDC) for the laboratory 3-hp DFIG test setup. The results establish that the performance of DFIG is notably enhanced with the proposed scheme.
Full dispersion versus Debye model evaluation of lattice thermal conductivity with a Landauer approach

Using a full dispersion description of phonons, the thermal conductivities of bulk Si and Bi2Te3 are evaluated using a Landauer approach and related to the conventional approach based on the Boltzmann transport equation. A procedure to extract a well-defined average phonon mean-free-path from the measured thermal conductivity and given phonon-dispersion is presented. The extracted mean-free-path has strong physical significance and differs greatly from simple estimates. The use of simplified dispersion models for phonons is discussed, and it is shown that two different Debye temperatures must be used to treat the specific heat and thermal conductivity (analogous to the two different effective masses needed to describe the electron density and conductivity). A simple technique to extract these two Debye temperatures is presented and the limitations of the method are discussed.
Lexicographic Relay Selection and Channel Allocation for Multichannel Cooperative Multicast

Cooperative multicast has been demonstrated to achieve significant performance gain over the classic source-destination transmission paradigm by exploiting spatial diversity through the participation of multiple relay nodes. As a major technical challenge, the selection of relays for a multicast session has significant impact on the multicast performance. The challenge is even more pronounced when the number of channels are limited as the relay selection is in this context coupled with channel allocation. We establish an analytical framework for joint relay selection and channel allocation problem and develop a lexicographic max-min multicast relay selection scheme. Our design consists of two technical steps. 1) We consider the maximization of the minimal data rate. By decoupling relay selection and channel allocation, the problem is transformed to a max-min-max problem, which is difficult to solve. To make this problem tractable, we reformulate it as a convex optimization problem via relaxation and smoothing, and prove the asymptotic equivalence from a geometrical perspective. 2) We propose an adjustment algorithm based on the initial max-min solution, and prove that the proposed scheme achieves lexicographic optimality.
Temporal Trends in Colorectal Cancer Screening among Asian Americans

Asian Americans (AA) are less likely to be screened for colorectal cancer compared with non-Hispanic Whites (NHW), with a widening disparity for some AA subgroups in the early 2000s. Whether these patterns have continued in more recent years is unknown. We examined temporal trends in colorectal cancer screening among AA overall compared with NHWs and by AA subgroup (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, South Asian, Vietnamese) using data from the 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009 California Health Interview Surveys. Unadjusted (PR) and adjusted (aPR) prevalence ratios for colorectal cancer screening, accounting for sociodemographic, health care, and acculturation factors, were calculated for respondents ages 50 to 75 years (NHW n = 60,125; AA n = 6,630). Between 2003 and 2009, colorectal cancer screening prevalence increased from 43.3% to 64.6% in AA (P ≤ 0.001) and from 58.1% to 71.4% in NHW (P ≤ 0.001). Unadjusted colorectal cancer screening was significantly lower among AA compared with NHW in 2003 [PR = 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.68–0.82], 2005 (PR = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.72–0.84), 2007 (PR = 0.91; 95% CI, 0.85–0.96), and 2009 (PR = 0.90; 95% CI, 0.84–0.97), though disparities narrowed over time. After adjustment, there were no significant differences in colorectal cancer screening between the two groups, except in 2003. In subgroup analyses, between 2003 and 2009, colorectal cancer screening significantly increased by 22% in Japanese, 56% in Chinese, 47% in Filipino, and 94% in Koreans. In our study of California residents, colorectal cancer screening disparities between AA and NHW narrowed, but were not eliminated and screening prevalence among AA remains below nationwide goals, including the Healthy People 2020 goal of increasing colorectal cancer screening prevalence to 70.5%. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(6); 995–1000. ©2016 AACR.
Double periodic composite right/left handed substrate integrated waveguide

A double periodic composite right/left handed (DP-CRLH) transmission line (TL) is proposed based on the TL theory. In addition to the composite right/left handed property, a new leaky-wave radiation is observed below the left-handed passband. The equivalent circuit of the proposed structure is analyzed, and dispersion characteristics are investigated by changing the ratio of the loaded alternative inductances. Substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) implementation of a DP-CRLH TL is designed and illustrated with simulated and experimentally demonstrated results. The radiation patterns demonstrated the DP-CRLH SIW exhibits the expected forward radiation at the new leaky-wave region.
Monitoring states of altered carbohydrate metabolism via breath analysis: are times ripe for transition from potential to reality?

Purpose of reviewTo introduce the potential of breath analysis as a diagnostic or monitoring tool in diabetes. Recent findingsBlood testing for plasma glucose and other metabolic variables is the base for the diagnosis and management of diabetes, whose two main types (type 1 and type 2, T1DM, T2DM) are projected to affect 450 million by 2030. As blood testing is often uncomfortable, painful, costly, and in some situations unreliable, the quest for alternative, noninvasive methods has been ongoing for decades. Breath analysis has emerged as an ideal alternative as sample collection is easy, painless, flexible, noninvasive, practical, and inexpensive. No single exhaled gas can reflect systemic glucose concentrations. Multiple gases, however, have been linked to various aspects of glucose metabolism, and integrated analysis of their simultaneous profiles during prolonged glycemic fluctuations has yielded accurate predictions of plasma values, building expectation that a clinically usable breath-based glucometer may be developed within a few years. SummaryWhile prototypes of hand-held breath testing glucometers may still be several years away, current research shows the imminent promise of this methodology and the widening support for its development.
The role of bone turnover markers and risk factors in the assessment of osteoporosis and fracture risk.

The clinical evaluation of osteoporosis in individual patients involves confirmation of the diagnosis, the investigation of secondary causes of osteoporosis and the evaluation of subsequent fracture risk. Optimum clinical assessment involves bone mineral densitometry with the treatment thresholds modified by clinical risk factors for individual patients. Bone turnover markers and clinical risk factors can be used to identify patients at risk of osteoporotic fracture and those who have secondary osteoporosis. Risk assessment should involve the evaluation of absolute rather than relative risk. Further work is required to improve the integration of clinical risk factors, bone turnover markers and bone densitometry into appropriate models to enable the assessment of the absolute risk of fracture for individual patients.
Measurement of biological effects of high-energy carbon ions at low doses using a semi-automated cell detection system

Purpose : To study the effects of low-dose, high-LET irradiation in order to detect possible deviations from a linear-quadratic dose dependence. Materials and methods : Experiments using charged particle irradiation were performed, in particular in the low-dose range from 0 to 2 Gy, and compared with experiments using photon radiation. The survival of V79 cells was studied by means of a semi-automated system, which allowed the detection and relocation of positions of individual cells at regular intervals. It consists of an inverted microscope equipped with a computerized stage control and image processing system. With such a technique, the precision of the survival assay is increased by avoiding the stochastic uncertainties of the conventional dilution assay. Furthermore, by means of daily observations, the system allows a detailed study of the growth kinetics of individual cells up to approximately 1 week after irradiation. Results and conclusion : Up to now, high-LET experiments have been performed using mainly 100 MeV/u carbon ions (LET: 28 keV/ μ m). A significant hypersensitivity at low doses (0.1 Gy) has been detected for these ions. It is the first report of such a pronounced effect for charged particle irradiation. Although hypersensitivity after carbon ion irradiation apparently is in contrast to other data reported for peak pion irradiation at similar LET values, the difference might possibly be due to differences in the track structure of the particles.
Multi-criteria-based prioritisation of B2C e-commerce website

The advent of the internet has led to the establishment of e-commerce and its greater part of the revenue comes from business-to-consumer (B2C). The efficiency of B2C e-commerce systems depends on critical success factors and the customers' priority for available B2C e-commerce websites. Thus, prioritising the alternatives of B2C e-commerce websites is important, which is a problem based on multiple-criteria decision making (MCDM). This paper developed an extended B2C e-commerce success model by including criteria such as refund policy, online reviews, valance, helpfulness and personalisation so as to represent new e-commerce world challenges. Numerical illustration is presented for prioritising the alternatives of B2C e-commerce websites on basis of extended B2C e-commerce success model using integrated analytical hierarchal process with technique of order preference by similarity to ideal solution (AHP-TOPSIS) technique. The analytical hierarchal process (AHP) is used to calculate the weights of the e-commerce success factors criteria and TOPSIS is used to obtain the final preferences.
Monitoring system of patient position based on wireless body area sensor network

Wireless body area sensor network (WBASN) implements realtime health monitoring by outfitting patients with wireless vital sign sensors. This paper presents an aplication that can assist doctors/nurses to monitor any changes in the position of the patient; they do not need to see the patient directly. They can monitor the patient position at other room of the patient. This aplication can shows any changes in the patient's position in realtime.
Optimal Discontinuous Frequency Modulation for Spread-Spectrum Clocking

Recent all-digital spread-spectrum clock generators allow the synthesis of clock signals with a discontinuous frequency behavior. Following the electromagnetic interference (EMI) test guidelines, this paper investigates for the first time the peak-level reduction of the spectrum (modulation gain) achievable by using discontinuous frequency modulated signals in spread-spectrum clocking applications. In this paper, the spectrum of discontinuous frequency clock signals, measured by a spectrum analyzer in a peak-hold mode, is computed analytically in closed form. This expression is used to formulate the problem of finding the optimal discontinuous frequency modulated waveform as the solution of a nonlinear differential equation. A suboptimal modulation waveform, which can be computed in closed form, is also derived in this paper. To verify the effectiveness of developed approach, the spectrum of frequency-modulated clock signals with different modulation waveforms and different modulation parameters (frequency deviation, modulation frequency) has been calculated for two different spectrum analyzer resolution bandwidths (100 kHz, 1 MHz). The obtained results show that discontinuous frequency modulations can result in an improvement of 1.5-2 dB in comparison to continuous frequency clock signals.
A Model for Temporal Abstraction in Gene Expression Studies

When utilizing information from increasingly voluminous biomedical and genomic databases into actionable data for health care, treatment of temporal data still remains a challenge. Frequently temporal research is based on stimulus response studies and includes searching for temporal effects or time patterns in gene sets. Digital gene expression (DGE) technologies like rna-seq seem to replace microarray technologies in the near future for many functional genomics applications. This study explores the feasibility of searching for temporal patterns based on knowledge-based temporal abstractions. Those imply conversion of expression values into an interval-based qualitative representation expressing amount of change over time. The amount of change is determined by statistical significance. For microarray studies one approach uses Bioconductor limma software modelling the normalized intensities in the framework of the linear model. Empirical Bayes methods result in a moderated t-statistic that reduces the pooled variance by borrowing information across all genes. We use the moderated paired t-test to determine significant differences in consecutive time points. While this approach assumes that the experiment is based on one particular platform, comparison across platforms can be done by comparing p-values. Therefore, in our model the p-values and the direction of the change inform the temporal abstraction. We discuss this approach in the framework of our SPOT software.