Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study of the E2 gene product of the cottontail rabbit papillomavirus reveals a common mechanism of transactivation among papillomaviruses

The long control region (LCR) of the cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) harbors a transcriptional promoter which can be transactivated, as reflected by cat gene expression, by cotransfection with plasmids which express the intact E2 open reading frame of CRPV, human papillomavirus type 18 (HPV18), and bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV1). The E2 protein of CRPV can also transactivate the LCRs of BPV1, HPV1, and HPV18 inserted in front of the cat gene in enhancer or promoter configuration. Competition experiments in vivo and binding studies with CRPV E2 protein synthesized in vitro suggest that the different E2 proteins transactivate transcription by a common mechanism involving binding to the same ACCG-CGGT target sequence. The C-terminal part of the protein is necessary for its DNA-binding function. Analysis of the transactivation data and of the LCR sequences of these four viruses suggests that the two cutaneous viruses (CRPV and BPV1) present a similar pattern of promoter regulation but that the activity of the promoters of genital human viruses is less dependent on E2 regulation and is at least partially regulated by cellular factors.
R-(+) and S-(−) Isomers of Cotinine Augment Cholinergic Responses In Vitro and In Vivo

The nicotine metabolite cotinine (1-methyl-5-[3-pyridynl]-2-pyrrolidinone), like its precursor, has been found to exhibit procognitive and neuroprotective effects in some model systems; however, the mechanism of these effects is unknown. In this study, both the R-(+) and S-(−) isomers of cotinine were initially evaluated in an extensive profiling screen and found to be relatively inactive across a wide range of potential pharmacologic targets. Electrophysiological studies on human α4β2 and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) expressed in Xenopus oocytes confirmed the absence of agonistic activity of cotinine at α4β2 or α7 nAChRs. However, a significant increase in the current evoked by a low concentration of acetylcholine was observed at α7 nAChRs exposed to 1.0 μM R-(+)- or S-(−)-cotinine. Based on these results, we used a spontaneous novel object recognition (NOR) procedure for rodents to test the hypothesis that R-(+)- or S-(−)-cotinine might improve recognition memory when administered alone or in combination with the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) therapeutic agent donepezil. Although both isomers enhanced NOR performance when they were coadministered with donepezil, neither isomer was active alone. Moreover, the procognitive effects of the drug combinations were blocked by methyllycaconitine and dihydro-β-erythroidine, indicating that both α7 and α4β2 nAChRs contribute to the response. These results indicate that cotinine may sensitize α7 nAChRs to low levels of acetylcholine (a previously uncharacterized mechanism), and that cotinine could be used as an adjunctive agent to improve the effective dose range of cholinergic compounds (e.g., donepezil) in the treatment of AD and other memory disorders.
Wind turbine condition assessment based on changes observed in its power curve

The net worth of a wind farm is the revenue from produced electricity minus the operation and maintenance costs. Therefore, it is important to monitor the performance of the wind turbines in order to minimize the costs and maximize their cost-effectiveness. Wind speed-power curves can be used to determine the performance of individual wind turbines. This paper describes a method for obtaining a performance indicator able to monitor the overall performance behavior of a wind turbine and its main features. This will allow for discovering abnormal performance due to possible degradation of some function of the wind turbine.
Cumulative Risk, Parental Emotional Expressivity, And Parental Secure Base As Predictors Of Children's Social Competence

CUMULATIVE RISK, PARENTAL EMOTIONAL EXPRESSIVITY, AND PARENTAL SECURE BASE AS PREDICTORS OF CHILDREN’S SOCIAL COMPETENCE by CAITLIN MARIE MCLEAR May 2013 Advisor: Dr. Christopher J. Trentacosta Major: Psychology (Clinical) Degree: Master of Arts There is substantial evidence in the literature focusing on the effects a child’s social competence can have on future school success (Bulotsky-Shearer, Dominguez, Bell, Rouse, & Fantuzzo, 2010; Krishnakumar & Black, 2002; Foster, Lambert, Abbott-Shim, McCarty, & Franze, 2005). However, less research has been conducted specifically on the effects of exposure to risk on a child’s social competence, and which factors may protect them from the negative effects of the presence of various risk factors. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the extent to which the accumulation of contextual risk factors influences social competence, and role that parent and family relationship factors play in predicting social competence and attenuating the relationship between cumulative contextual risk and low social competence. It was expected that higher levels of risk would predict lower social competence and that greater attachment security and positive parental emotional expressivity would predict higher social competence. Additionally, it was expected that attachment security and positive parental emotional expressivity would moderate the relationship between cumulative risk and social competence.
Reliability and Validity of the Beijing Version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in the Evaluation of Cognitive Function of Adult Patients with OSAHS

Background The patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) tend to develop cognitive deficits, which usually go unrecognized, and can affect their daily life. The Beijing version of the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA-BJ), a Chinese version of MoCA, has been used for the assessment of cognitive functions of OSAHS patients in clinical practice. So far, its reliability and validity have not been tested. This study examined the reliability and validity of MoCA-BJ in a cohort of adult OSAHS patients. Methods 152 OSAHS patients, ranging from mild, moderate to severe, 49 primary snoring subjects and 40 normal controls were evaluated for cognitive functions by employing both MoCA-BJ and the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Forty of them were re-tested by MoCA-BJ 14 days after the first test. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, discriminate and concurrent validity of MoCA-BJ were analyzed. Results Internal consistency reliability by Cronbach’s alpha was adequate (0.73). Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), an measure of test-retest reliability, was 0.87 (P<0.001). The total MoCA-BJ scores were significant higher in normal controls than in OSAHS groups (p<0.05). The performances of visuospatial ability in severe OSAHS group were significantly weaker than in normal controls and primary snoring group. The performances of executive ability in severe OSAHS patients were weaker than in normal controls. An optimal cut-off between normal controls and non-normal subjects was at 26 points (total MoCA score). Moreover, cut-off between non-severe and severe OSAHS was at 2 points on visuospatial subscale. Analysis of the correlation between MoCA total scores and MMSE total scores revealed a statistically significant, though relatively weak, correlation (r=0.41, P<0.05). Conclusion In conclusion, our study showed that the Beijing version of the MoCA was reliable and stable. The MoCA-BJ was capable of detecting cognitive dysfunction by visuospatial and total MoCA-BJ score.
A novel CS beamformer root-MUSIC algorithm and its subspace deviation analysis

Subspace based techniques for direction of arrival (DOA) estimation need large amount of snapshots to detect source directions accurately. This poses a problem in the form of computational burden on practical applications. The introduction of compressive sensing (CS) to solve this issue has become a norm in the last decade. In this paper, a novel CS beamformer root-MUSIC algorithm is presented with a revised optimal measurement matrix bound. With regards to this algorithm, the effect of signal subspace deviation under low snapshot scenario (e.g. target tracking) is analysed. The CS beamformer greatly reduces computational complexity without affecting resolution of the algorithm, works on par with root-MUSIC under low snapshot scenario and also, gives an option of non-uniform linear array sensors unlike the case of root-MUSIC algorithm. The effectiveness of the algorithm is demonstrated with simulations under various scenarios.
A POTENTIAL SUPER-VENUS IN THE KEPLER-69 SYSTEM

Transiting planets have greatly expanded and diversified the exoplanet field. These planets provide greater access to characterization of exoplanet atmospheres and structure. The Kepler mission has been particularly successful in expanding the exoplanet inventory, even to planets smaller than the Earth. The orbital period sensitivity of the Kepler data is now extending into the habitable zones of their host stars, and several planets larger than the Earth have been found to lie therein. Here we examine one such proposed planet, Kepler-69c. We provide new orbital parameters for this planet and an in-depth analysis of the habitable zone. We find that, even under optimistic conditions, this 1.7 R⊕ planet is unlikely to be within the habitable zone of Kepler-69. Furthermore, the planet receives an incident flux of 1.91 times the solar constant, which is similar to that received by Venus. We thus suggest that this planet is likely a super-Venus rather than a super-Earth in terms of atmospheric properties and habitability, and we propose follow-up observations to disentangle the ambiguity.
High Molecular Weight Adiponectin Levels are Neither Influenced by Adiponectin Polymorphisms Nor Associated with Insulin Resistance in Mixed-ancestry Hyperglycemic Subjects from South Africa

Summary Background: High molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin has antiatherogenic, antiinflammatory and antidiabetic properties and these effects have been linked to its effect on high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c). Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the adiponectin gene influence adiponectin levels. We examined the relationship between HMW-adiponectin levels and cardiometabolic traits in normo- and hyperglycemic mixed ancestry South Africans and correlated these levels to two common polymorphisms. Methods: HMW-adiponectin was determined in 101 subjects from the Cape Town Bellville South community-based study on a mixed ancestry population. Comparisons were made between individuals with normo- and hyperglycemia. Two common SNPs, ADIPOQ SNPs rs17300539 and rs266729, known to affect adiponectin levels were also tested for. Levels of HMW-adiponectin were then correlated with cardiometabolic traits in all groups. Results: Levels of HMW-adiponectin were not significantly different in the normo- and hyperglycemic groups (median 11.6 vs. 10.5 μg/mL, p=0.3060) and in men and women (8.44 vs. 11.34 μg/mL, p=0.67). ADIPOQ SNPs rs17300539 and rs266729 did not influence levels of HMW-adiponectin. Robust correlation analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between HMW-adiponectin and HDL-c (r=0.45; 95%CI: 0.27–0.59), similarly in normo- and hyperglycemic participants (p>0.99). This association was substantially attenuated in robust linear regressions adjusted for age, gender and adiposity. Conclusions: Adiponectin levels in this population were not determined by the commonest SNPs of the adiponectin gene, were unaffected by glycemic status; but were significantly correlated with HDL-c levels. Previous studies have attributed some of the beneficial effects of adiponectin to its effect on HDL-c.
First report of mixed Entamoeba polecki (ST 1) and E. suis infection in piglets shedding abnormal feces by histopathological and molecular surveys

Of the three species of Entamoeba found in swine, namely E. histolytica, E. polecki and E. suis, E. histolytica can also infect humans, producing colitis or abscesses of liver and leading to death. However, the pathogenicity of other species of Entamoeba has not been fully characterized. Here, we conducted histopathology and molecular surveys on a pig farm where piglets had blackish feces or muddy diarrhea. Histopathological examination of two piglets showed necrosis of the mucous surface at the ileum, cecum, or colon, infiltration of neutrophils, and formation of ulcers. Based on morphological characteristics, E. polecki and E. suis trophozoites were mainly detected at lamina propria and surface of the lesion, respectively, and Lawsonia intracellularis, a bacterial pathogen, was also detected. Molecular analysis using the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene on other piglets and a sow revealed infection with both E. polecki and E. suis. These findings corroborate our previous reports that the two Entamoeba spp. are pathogenic in pigs as aggravations of symptoms with L. intracellularis. This is the first report about mixed infection with E. polecki and E. suis.
Initialization of multilayer forecasting artifical neural networks

In this paper, a new method was developed for initialising artificial neural networks predicting dynamics of time series. Initial weighting coefficients were determined for neurons analogously to the case of a linear prediction filter. Moreover, to improve the accuracy of the initialization method for a multilayer neural network, some variants of decomposition of the transformation matrix corresponding to the linear prediction filter were suggested. The efficiency of the proposed neural network prediction method by forecasting solutions of the Lorentz chaotic system is shown in this paper.
Role of SP-1 in SDS-Induced Adipose Differentiation Related Protein Synthesis in Human Keratinocytes

Skin irritation is a complex phenomenon, and keratinocytes play an important role in it. We have recently characterized the expression and protective role of adipose differentiation related protein (ADRP) in skin irritation. In particular, ADRP expression is induced to recover functional cell membrane following the cell damage caused by skin irritants. The purpose of this study was to characterize in a human keratinocyte cells line (NCTC 2544) the biochemical events that lead to ADRP expression following SDS treatment, and in particular, to investigate the role of transcription factor SP-1. Analysis of ADRP promoter region revealed the presence of a potential binding site for the transcription factor SP-1 close to the start site. Evaluated by measuring the DNA binding activity, we found that SDS induced a dose and time related SP-1 activation, which was correlated with SDS-induced ADRP mRNA expression. Furthermore, SDS-induced SP-1 activation, ADRP mRNA expression and lipid droplets accumulation could be modulated by mithramycin A, an antibiotic that selectively binds to the GC box preventing SP-1 binding and gene expression. This demonstrated that SDS-induced ADRP expression was mediated in part through the transcription factor SP-1. In addition, SDS-induced SP-1 activation and ADRP expression could be modulated by the calcium chelator BAPTA, indicating a role of calcium in ADRP-induction. Thus, every time an irritant perturbs the membrane barrier, it renders the membrane leaky and allows extracellular calcium to enter the cells, an event that provides the upstream mechanisms initiating the signaling cascade that triggers the activation of SP-1 and culminates in the enhancement of ADRP expression, which helps to restore the normal homeostasis and ultimately repairs the to membrane.
Syntactic and Semantic Factors in Processing Difficulty: An Integrated Measure

The analysis of reading times can provide insights into the processes that underlie language comprehension, with longer reading times indicating greater cognitive load. There is evidence that the language processor is highly predictive, such that prior context allows upcoming linguistic material to be anticipated. Previous work has investigated the contributions of semantic and syntactic contexts in isolation, essentially treating them as independent factors. In this paper we analyze reading times in terms of a single predictive measure which integrates a model of semantic composition with an incremental parser and a language model.
Automatic Glaucoma Detection Based on Optic Disc Segmentation and Texture Feature Extraction

The use of digital image processing techniques is prominent in medical settings for the automatic diagnosis of diseases. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world and it has no cure. Currently, there are treatments to prevent vision loss, but the disease must be detected in the early stages. Thus, the objective of this work is to develop an automatic detection method of Glaucoma in retinal images. The methodology used in the study were: acquisition of image database, Optic Disc segmentation, texture feature extraction in diﬀerent color models and classiﬁcation of images in glaucomatous or not. We obtained results of 93% accuracy.
Finite element modelling of a 3 dimensional dielectrophoretic flow separator device for optimal bioprocessing conditions

Planar 2-dimensional dielectrophoresis electrode geometries are limited in only being capable of handling fluid volumes ranging from picolitres to hundreds of microliters per hour. A 3-dimensional electrode system has been developed capable of handling significantly larger volumes of fluid. Using finite element modeling the electric field distribution within various bore sizes was realized. From these simulations it is possible to optimize bioprocessing factors influencing the performance of a dielectrophoretic separator. Process calculations have shown that flow-rates of 25ml hr/sup -1/ or more can be attained for the separation of heterogeneous populations of bio-particles based on their dielectric properties.
A Search Engine Backed by Internet-Wide Scanning

Fast Internet-wide scanning has opened new avenues for security research, ranging from uncovering widespread vulnerabilities in random number generators to tracking the evolving impact of Heartbleed. However, this technique still requires significant effort: even simple questions, such as, "What models of embedded devices prefer CBC ciphers? ", require developing an application scanner, manually identifying and tagging devices, negotiating with network administrators, and responding to abuse complaints. In this paper, we introduce Censys, a public search engine and data processing facility backed by data collected from ongoing Internet-wide scans. Designed to help researchers answer security-related questions, Censys supports full-text searches on protocol banners and querying a wide range of derived fields (e.g., 443.https.cipher). It can identify specific vulnerable devices and networks and generate statistical reports on broad usage patterns and trends. Censys returns these results in sub-second time, dramatically reducing the effort of understanding the hosts that comprise the Internet. We present the search engine architecture and experimentally evaluate its performance. We also explore Censys's applications and show how questions asked in recent studies become simple to answer.
A fast Lagrangian heuristic for large-scale Capacitated Lot-size Problems with restricted cost structures

In this paper, we demonstrate the computational consequences of making a simple assumption on production cost structures in capacitated lot-size problems. Our results indicate that our cost assumption of increased productivity over time has dramatic effects on the problem sizes which are solvable. Our experiments indicate that problems with more than 1000 products in more than 1000 time periods may be solved within reasonable time. The Lagrangian decomposition algorithm we use does of course not guarantee optimality, but our results indicate surprisingly narrow gaps for such large-scale cases - in most cases significantly outperforming CPLEX. We also demonstrate that general CLSP's can benefit greatly from applying our proposed heuristic.
Changes in empathy among first year medical students before and after a medical humanities module

Introduction : A medical humanities (MH) module is conducted for all first year students at at KIST Medical College, Lalitpur, Nepal. Objective : The present study was conducted to measure empathy among students before and after a Medical Humanities (MH) module using Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) a validated measure of empathy at KIST Medical College, Lalitpur, Nepal from February to May 2009. Method : IRI was administered to students before and on conclusion of the module. IRI measures four aspects of empathy: Perspective-taking (PT), Fantasy (FS), Empathic concern (EC) and Personal distress (PD). Students were invited to participate in the study. Demographic information (gender, method of financing of medical education, area of residence and occupations of parents) was collected. The pre-module and post-module scores were compared among different subgroups of respondents using appropriate non-parametric tests (p<0.05). Result : Sixty-four of the 75 students (85.3%) participated in the survey pre-module and 57 students (76%) post-module. Most were self-financing and from urban areas. Before the module the median (interquartile range) FS, PT, EC and PD scores were 20, 18 (15-20), 21 (18.25-24) and 15 (10-18) respectively (maximum score 28 for each subscale). The PD score was significantly higher among females (p<0.001) and students whose father was not a doctor (p=0.049). After the module the median (interquartile range) FS, PT, EC and PD scores were 20 (15-24), 20 (17.5-22), 21 (17.5-23) and 16 (13-19) respectively. The PT score was significantly higher after the module (p=0.023). Conclusion : The module increased PT scores (cognitive empathy) in first year students. Follow up studies and studies in larger populations are required.
The new MSMPS Packet Scheduling Algorithm for VOQ Switches

In this article we present the new algorithm Maximal Size Matching with Permanent Selection (MSMPS). This algorithm offers high efficiency with minimal MTD (Mean Time Delay). This algorithm based on permanent connections between inputs and outputs. When at least two connections without packets to send are found (empty connections), algorithm tries to convert them into better matching with the longest VOQ from the available. Simulations confirm that for large load our algorithm provides better efficiency than other algorithms.
A Cached Registration Scheme for IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)

IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), an architectural framework for delivering multimedia services, was standardized by 3GPP/3GPP2. It is integrated with 4G and will most likely be with 5G and beyond, so as to enable wireless carriers to provide rich multimedia services, such as IPTV, chat, push to talk, and video conference. To use these services, users need to perform registration procedure with IMS, which will provide user information to the system. Registration is also performed when users move from one network to another. Due to the complexity of IMS and the increasing demands for these services, a key challenge IMS faces is to provide QoS to meet user requirements. One of the key performance factors is delay encountered in registration and service establishment. Also, users’mobility impacts the rate of registration and consequently the signaling generated that must be handled by the system. This work proposes and analyzes a cached registration scheme to reduce the delay associated with registration. The work also examines the effects of different mobility models on the application layer, in particular IMS. The work studies the impact of user movement patterns on the system and examines the impact of the proposed cached registration scheme on these patterns.