Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential Regulation of Actin Depolymerizing Factor and Cofilin in Response to Alterations in the Actin Monomer Pool*

Myoblasts, transfected with a human gene encoding a β-actin point mutation, down-regulate expression of actin depolymerizing factor (ADF) and its mRNA. Regulation is posttranscriptional. Expression of cofilin, a structurally similar protein, and profilin, CapG, and tropomodulin is not altered with increasing mutant β-actin expression. Myoblasts expressing either human γ-actin or the mutant β-actin down-regulate the endogenous mouse actin genes to keep a constant level of actin mRNA, whereas the γ-actin transfectants do not down-regulate ADF. Thus, ADF expression is regulated differently from actin expression. The mutant β-actin binds to ADF with about the same affinity as normal actin; however, it does not assemble into normal actin filaments. The decrease in ADF expression correlates with an increase in the unassembled actin pool. When the actin monomer pool in untransfected myoblasts is increased 70% by treatment with latrunculin A, synthesis of ADF and actin are down-regulated compared with cofilin and 19 other proteins selected at random. Increasing the actin monomer pool also results in nearly complete phosphorylation of both ADF and cofilin. Thus, ADF and cofilin are coordinately regulated by posttranslational modification, but their expression is differentially regulated. Furthermore, expression of ADF is responsive to the utilization of actin by the cell.
Dual-band wilkinson power divider using uniplanar metamaterial-based EBGs

The integration of a metamaterial-based electromagnetic bandgap (MTM-EBG) structure into the branches of a Wilkinson power divider (WPD) allow the device to exhibit dual-band behaviour, for which each band possesses insertion loss within 0.3 dB of conventional devices. The successful application of MTM-EBGs into such a device suggests similar dual- or multi-band functionalities are possible through their integration into a wide range of microwave devices.
Preparation and characterization of a novel molecularly imprinted polymer for the separation of glycyrrhizic acid.

Molecularly imprinted polymers of glycyrrhizic acid were prepared by solution polymerization using glycyrrhizic acid as the template molecule, N-vinypyrrolidone as functional monomer, N,N-methylene bisacrylamide as cross-linker and ascorbic acid and hydrogen peroxide as initiators. Focused on the adsorption capacity and separation degree of the polymer to glycyrrhizic acid, the effects of the monomers, crosslinker and initiators were investigated and optimized. Finally, the structure of the polymer was characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. To obtain objective results, non-imprinted molecular polymers prepared under the same conditions were also characterized. The adsorption quantity of the polymer was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Under the optimum conditions, the maximum adsorption capacity of glycyrrhizic acid approached 15 mg/g, and the separation degree was as high as 2.5. The adsorption kinetics could be well described by a pseudo-first-order model, while the thermodynamics of the adsorption process could be described by the Langmuir model.
The Economic Value of Converged Communications and Broadcasting Services Using Nonparametric Regression Approach

We apply a semi-parametric estimator for binary discrete response data to the estimation of a dichotomous choice contingent valuation model. This estimator is based on the statistical modeling of so-called current status data in biostatistics. This methodology can be used without making non-theoretically motivated assumptions on consumer' preferences. The approach is illustrated using a contingent valuation survey of willingness to pay for next generation converged communications and broadcasting services
A Dual-gate subharmonic injection-locked oscillator using 0.5 µm GaAs pHEMT technology

A dual-gate subharmonic injection-locked oscillator (SILO) designed for Q-band millimeter-wave applications has been implemented in 0.5 µm GaAs pHEMT process. Based on the dual-gate circuit topology, a wide-bandwidth and high-frequency negative resistance can be easily obtained for determining the free-running oscillation frequency by a proper resonator. The free-running frequency is designed around 49 GHz. The power consumption is 75 mW from a 5 V supply. The measured frequency tuning range is from 48.7 GHz to 49.7 GHz with 8 dBm output power. By injecting a 2nd-order subharmonic signal into the oscillator without any frequency tuning, the maximum locking range can reach to be 2.8 GHz. The measured output phase noise under locking status is close to −121 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset frequency.
An investigation into factors influencing learners' participation in e-learning

E-learning is one of the recent education methods, which has attracted lots of institutes and organizations; because of abundant advantages it has got. To achieve learners' participation in e-learning is a significant issue in debates on online learning and has been argued to be an intrinsic part of learning. This study was tried to find and categorize factors that influence learners to participate in an online course. Developing a model, we have illustrated the effect of six factors, categorized in three dimensions, on participation in e-learning. Dimensions include: learner, instructor, and course. We have also defined three mediator factors: Motivation to learn, Perceived Usefulness, and Perceived Ease of use.
Cognitive impairment in multiple system atrophy

The extent and the underlying anatomical signature of cognitive impairment (CI) in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) is still debated. We read with interest the study by Koga and colleagues, who reported CI in 32% of 102 autopsy-confirmed MSA patients. However, MSA-CI brains did not show significant cortical atrophy but, rather, neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions in the dentate gyrus although CI primarily affected processing speed and attention/executive functions, which are typically fronto-striatal. However, not all had structured cognitive evaluation cognitive testing (48%) that had been performed at variable intervals before death. The remaining subjects (52%) were assessed only by subjective indicators, which may have altered the proportion of patients with CI. We recently reported the results of MRI volumetric, clinical, and cognitive assessments in 72 probable MSA enrolled in 5 institutions as part of the Movement Disorder Society MSA study group. We used an MSA-specific MMSE screening cut-off score to define CI, which was associated with focal volume reduction in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Our interpretation was that CI in MSA is underlined by disruption of the striato-pallido-thalamo-cortical circuits and that cortical defects are secondary to subcortical alterations. Koga and colleagues reported CI predominantly in
Deep Unsupervised Clustering Using Mixture of Autoencoders

Part of this work was done when Dejiao Zhang was doing an internship at Technicolor Research. Both Dejiao Zhang and Laura Balzano’s participations were funded by DARPA-16-43-D3M-FP-037. Both Yifan Sun and Brian Eriksson's participation occurred while also at Technicolor Research.
A Novel Approach in Malignancy Detection of Computer Aided Diagnosis

Problem statement: Breast cancer is one of the most dangerous diseases that cause innumerable fatal in the female society. Early detection is the only way to reduce the mortality. Due to variety of factors sometimes manual reading of mammogram results in misdiagnosis. So that the diagnosis rate varies from 65-85%. Various computer aided detection techniques have been proposed for the past 20 years. Even then the detection rate is still not high. Approach: The proposed method consists of the following steps preprocessing, segmentation, feature extraction and classification. Noise, Artifact and pectoral region are removed in a preprocessing step. Contrast enhancement and Sobel operator with segmentation algorithm is used to segment the mass region. Feature extraction is performed on the segmented image using gray level co-occurrence matrix and local binary pattern method. Extracted features are classified using support vector machine. The performance of the proposed system is evaluated using partest method. Results: Proposed algorithm shows 98.8% sensitivity and 97.4% Specificity. Conclusion: The proposed algorithm is fully automatic and will be helpful in assisting the radiologists to detect the malignancy efficiently.
Exploring Strategic Organizational Engagement in Social Media: A Revelatory Case

There has been little theorizing in information systems (IS) or management literature to inform organizational strategies for social media engagement. Aral et al. (2013) lament the dearth of scholarly work focused on understanding organizations’ high-level social media strategies. In this research, we describe our case research to develop an empirically informed understanding of strategic organizational engagement in social media to advance organizational goals. We present an in-depth case study of strategic social media engagement at a successful multi-national business and IT consulting firm who routinely develops and deploys social media strategies to advance organizational goals. We situate our interpretation in the dynamic capabilities perspective, and present a revelatory case well-suited to developing an empirically-informed understanding of strategic social media engagement to advance organizational goals. We develop an analytic perspective of social media based as social systems, and describe topical collectivities as strategically important members of their ontology.
Statistical Methods of SNP Data Analysis and Applications

We develop various statistical methods important for multidimensional genetic data analysis. Theorems justifying application of these methods are established. We concentrate on the multifactor dimensionality reduction, logic regression, random forests, stochastic gradient boosting along with their new modifications. We use complementary approaches to study the risk of complex diseases such as cardiovascular ones. The roles of certain combinations of single nucleotide polymorphisms and non-genetic risk factors are examined. To perform the data analysis concerning the coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction the Lomonosov Moscow State University supercomputer “Chebyshev” was employed.
Points of Convergence and Divergence Between Existential and Humanistic Psychology: A Few Observations

Existential and humanistic approaches to the study of human behavior are often integrated into one, The Existential-Humanistic Approach, primarily because the two approaches are phenomenological in their orientations. However, despite the shared emphasis on subjectivity, authenticity, and freedom, a number of differences exist between the approaches. In this article, I articulate points of divergence between the two approaches as reflected in their subjects of inquiry, ontological positions, temporal orientations, therapeutic goals, growth motivators, and conceptualizations of the good life. The differences underscore the uniqueness of the each approach as well as the complementarity of the two approaches.
Development of a wireless electronic shoe for walking abnormalities detection

This work portrays the development of wireless smart shoe for gait analysis. Force sensitive resistors (FSRs) and resistive bend sensor were employed by mounting onto a shoe for detection of pressure distribution beneath the foot during normal and abnormal walking. In the present study, we have been interested in 3 walking postures including normal walking, tiptoe walking and dragging foot walking. Wireless sensor network (WSN) based on ZigBee technology was employed in this work for data communication. The Principal component analysis (PCA) was used for pattern recognition in the analysis part. It was shown that the smart shoe was successful to classify between normal gait pattern and some abnormal gait patterns.
Design and Loss Analysis of Loosely Coupled Transformer for an Underwater High-Power Inductive Power Transfer System

To prevent magnetic flux leakage to the maximal extent, increase the coupling coefficient of high-power inductive power transfer (IPT) system, and reduce the electromagnetic radiation in water medium, a novel underwater loosely coupled transformer (LCT) based on the semiclosed magnetic core structure is proposed in this paper. Power loss of the devised LCT is investigated comparatively in three media including air, freshwater, and seawater. It is shown that winding loss and core loss in the three media are basically identical. However, additional eddy current (AEC) loss in various water media is different for the sake of the difference in conductivity. In particular, AEC loss is extremely low in freshwater and relatively significant in seawater. Furthermore, when the operating frequency exceeds a certain value, AEC loss will be greater than core loss and winding loss, and become the major factor in restricting transmission efficiency of LCT in seawater. Finally, theoretical analysis and simulation are demonstrated by the underwater experiment on an IPT prototype system, which can transfer 10 kW at 91% maximal transmission efficiency and over a 25 mm air gap.
In Vivo Analysis of the Regulatory Genes in the Nystatin Biosynthetic Gene Cluster of Streptomyces noursei ATCC 11455 Reveals Their Differential Control Over Antibiotic Biosynthesis

ABSTRACT Six putative regulatory genes are located at the flank of the nystatin biosynthetic gene cluster in Streptomyces noursei ATCC 11455. Gene inactivation and complementation experiments revealed that nysRI, nysRII, nysRIII, and nysRIV are necessary for efficient nystatin production, whereas no significant roles could be demonstrated for the other two regulatory genes. To determine the in vivo targets for the NysR regulators, chromosomal integration vectors with the xylE reporter gene under the control of seven putative promoter regions upstream of the nystatin structural and regulatory genes were constructed. Expression analyses of the resulting vectors in the S. noursei wild-type strain and regulatory mutants revealed that the four regulators differentially affect certain promoters. According to these analyses, genes responsible for initiation of nystatin biosynthesis and antibiotic transport were the major targets for regulation. Data from cross-complementation experiments showed that nysR genes could in some cases substitute for each other, suggesting a functional hierarchy of the regulators and implying a cascade-like mechanism of regulation of nystatin biosynthesis.
The association between varicocele and ankylosing spondylitis via color duplex sonography

ObjectiveTo evaluate the relationship between varicocele and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) via color duplex sonography (CDS). MethodsThirty male patients (age range 18–40 years, mean age 30.27 years) with AS and 30 male healthy controls (age range 20–36 years, mean age 27.23 years) were evaluated for varicocele using CDS.ResultsVein diameter in right and left pampiniform plexus (PP) in the AS group was significantly higher than in the control group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively). The incidence of varicocele was observed as 33.3 % in the AS group and 10 % in the control group. However, the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.028). The rate of right, left, and bilateral varicocele was 3.3 % (1 patient), 23.3 % (7 patients), and 6.6 % (2 patients), respectively, in the AS group, versus 0, 10, and 0 % in the control group (p = 1.000, p = 0.166, and p = 0.492, respectively). ConclusionsThe incidence of varicocele in AS patients is higher than in control subjects, and the difference is statistically significant. Therefore, varicocele must be taken into consideration and investigated in patients with AS.
An improved stiffness model for piezo-actuated complementary clamp flexures

Mechanically complementary clamp configuration is a recent concept in piezoworm motor technology where both clamping sections can be driven simultaneously by same signal which reduces the actuation steps and drive electronics. Despite their opposite functionality, both normally clamp (NC) and normally unclamp (NU) clamps are designed based on same stiffness estimation so far. An improved stiffness model is proposed for normally clamp (NC) clamp section by considering the effects of the preloading, actuator displacement and flexure link length-thickness ratio in order to increase the buckling strength of the spring. It provides a more reliable prediction of the clamp behaviour both during its initial assembly, as well as under subsequently applied tensile loads in service. Finite element analysis is used to validate the proposed stiffness model. Experimental assessments are performed on the prototype to evaluate effect of the clamp stiffness on its displacement.
Ability of cecropin B to penetrate the enterobacterial outer membrane

The cationic amphipathic insect peptide cecropin B was almost as active on wild-type enteric bacteria as it was on their lipopolysaccharide and lipid A mutants that have very defective outer membrane. The polymyxin-resistant strains, which elaborate altered, less anionic lipopolysaccharide, were completely susceptible to cecropin B. No synergism was found between cecropin B and hydrophobic antibiotics. Throughout the study, the activity of cecropin B resembled that of quaternary detergents.
Strain differentiation of Candidatus Phytoplasma mali by SSCP - and sequence analyses of the hflB gene.

Molecular analysis of the hflB gene ATP00464 of Candidatus Phytoplasma mali strains revealed sequence polymorphisms within this taxon. A 530 bp fragment from 42 accessions originating from apple proliferationinfected plants from Germany, Italy, and France was amplified with primers fHflB3-1/rHflB3. The variability of the amplimers was demonstrated by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis that resulted in more than 20 different profiles. PCR fragments were sequenced to corroborate SSCP results. The nucleic acid homology within Ca. P. mali strains ranged from 94.2% to full identity, whereas the identity to the hflB gene of Candidatus Phytoplasma pyri and Candidatus Phytoplasma prunorum was at least 85.9% and 84.6% or higher, respectively. The homology on the protein level within Ca. P. mali was higher as a number of substitutions were silent mutations. The phylogenetic tree derived from the nucleic acid sequences revealed more than 20 different lineages and agreed with the SSCP typing. The molecular analysis of the hflB gene in combination with SSCP typing allowed high throughput analysis of samples and enabled differentiation of Ca. P. mali strains to a higher degree than published markers. The polymorphism of the hflB fragment predestine this gene as a molecular marker for tracking strains in epidemiological studies and characterizing, define and monitor inoculum strains used for resistance breeding projects.
Fast surfing, broad scanning and deep diving: The influence of personality and study approach on students' information-seeking behavior

Purpose – To explore information behavior from a psychological perspective by relating information seeking to personality traits and study approaches.Design/methodology/approach – The research design was quantitative and consisted of statistical analysis of three questionnaires, i.e. the NEO Five‐Factor Inventory measuring personality, the ASSIST test measuring approaches to studying, and a questionnaire regarding information behavior. A total of 305 university students who were in the process of writing a Master's thesis responded to the questionnaires.Findings – Three information‐seeking patterns – fast surfing, broad scanning and deep diving – emerged from the statistical analyses. Fast surfing could be related to a surface study approach and emotionality, as well as to low openness to experience and low conscientiousness. Broad scanning was linked to extraversion, openness, and competitiveness, whereas deep diving was a search pattern typical of analytical students with a deep and strategic study appr.
A two curved PIFA system for MIMO application

A multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna operating in the WIFI band (2.4-2.483 GHz) is proposed in this paper. It is made up of two curved Planar Inverted-F Antennas (PIFAs) laid on a metallic disk of 50mm diameter. To decrease the mutual coupling between the radiating elements, the orientation of the second antenna is tilted from 100° relative to the first one and a metallic wall connected to the ground plane is added. A final isolation better than -15 dB, is obtained with this structure. The simulated S-parameters are compared with measurement and a good agreement is found. The measured peak gain, the computed envelope correlation coefficient and the diversity system gain are respectively 2 dBi, 0.035 and 9.78 dB. As the antenna is dedicated to work close to the human body, the effect of the latter on the antenna performance is investigated.
Design of an active Fault Tolerant Control based on the fuzzy bilinear observer for nonlinear systems

In this paper, a new scheme for designing robust Fault Tolerant Controller (FTC) is presented. The new scheme utilizes the idea of dynamical observer for state estimation of the system. First, we consider the stability of the closed loop systems by assuming a special form of a fuzzy controller. Based on such a stability condition, we propose a state feedback stabilizing control design for fuzzy bilinear systems with actuator faults. Next, we consider a fuzzy observer design for the same class of systems, and propose an observer design. Then, we show that state feedback stabilizing controller and observer make an output feedback stabilizing controller. Finally, a numerical example is presented to show the effectiveness of our approach.
Antibacterial Potential of an Antimicrobial Agent Inspired by Peroxidase-Catalyzed Systems

Antibiotic resistance is an increasingly serious threat to global health. Consequently, the development of non-antibiotic based therapies and disinfectants, which avoid induction of resistance, or cross-resistance, is of high priority. We report the synthesis of a biocidal complex, which is produced by the reaction between ionic oxidizable salts—iodide and thiocyanate—in the presence of hydrogen peroxide as an oxidation source. The reaction generates bactericidal reactive oxygen and iodine species. In this study, we report that the iodo-thiocyanate complex (ITC) is an effective bactericidal agent with activity against planktonic and biofilm cells of Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus) bacteria. The minimum bactericidal concentrations and the minimum biofilm eradication concentrations of the biocidal composite were in the range of 7.8–31.3 and 31.3–250 μg ml−1, respectively. As a result, the complex was capable to cause a rapid cell death of planktonic test cultures at between 0.5 and 2 h, and complete eradication of dual and mono-species biofilms between 30 s and 10 min. Furthermore, the test bacteria, including a MRSA strain, exposed to the cocktail failed to develop resistance after serial passages. The antimicrobial activity of the ITC appears to derive from the combinational effect of the powerful species capable of oxidizing the essential biomolecules of bacteria. The use of this composition may provide an effective and efficient method for killing potential pathogens, as well as for disinfecting and removing biofilm contamination.