Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Silencing of the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase MPK6 Compromises Disease Resistance in Arabidopsis

Here, we use a loss-of-function approach to demonstrate that the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) MPK6 plays a role in resistance to certain pathogens. MPK6-silenced Arabidopsis showed no apparent morphological phenotype or reduced fertility, indicating MPK6 is not required for development. However, resistances to an avirulent strain of Peronospora parasitica and avirulent and virulent strains of Pseudomonas syringae were compromised, suggesting that MPK6 plays a role in both resistance gene–mediated and basal resistance. Furthermore, this result demonstrates that MPK6's function cannot be fully complemented by other endogenous MAPKs. Although MPK6-silenced plants exhibited enhanced disease susceptibility, their ability to develop systemic acquired resistance or induced systemic resistance was unaffected. Expression of the pathogen-inducible gene VEGETATIVE STORAGE PROTEIN1 (VSP1) in MPK6-silenced plants was severalfold lower than in control plants, but the expression of other defense genes was comparable to the level observed in control plants. Taken together, these results provide direct evidence that a specific MAPK positively regulates VSP1 expression and resistance to a primary infection by certain pathogens, whereas systemic resistance and expression of several other defense genes appears to be mediated either by a functionally redundant MAPK(s) or independently from MPK6-dependent resistance.
Development and Characterisation of a Novel NF-κB Reporter Cell Line for Investigation of Neuroinflammation

Aberrant activation of the transcription factor NF-κB, as well as uncontrolled inflammation, has been linked to autoimmune diseases, development and progression of cancer, and neurological disorders like Alzheimer's disease. Reporter cell lines are a valuable state-of-the art tool for comparative analysis of in vitro drug screening. However, a reporter cell line for the investigation of NF-κB-driven neuroinflammation has not been available. Thus, we developed a stable neural NF-κB-reporter cell line to assess the potency of proinflammatory molecules and peptides, as well as anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals. We used lentivirus to transduce the glioma cell line U251-MG with a tandem NF-κB reporter construct containing GFP and firefly luciferase allowing an assessment of NF-κB activity via fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, and luminometry. We observed a robust activation of NF-κB after exposure of the reporter cell line to tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and amyloid-β peptide [1-42] as well as to LPS derived from Salmonella minnesota and Escherichia coli. Finally, we demonstrate that the U251-NF-κB-GFP-Luc reporter cells can be used for assessing the anti-inflammatory potential of pharmaceutical compounds using Bay11-7082 and IMD0354. In summary, our newly generated cell line is a robust and cost-efficient tool to study pro- and anti-inflammatory potential of drugs and biologics in neural cells.
Organization and Stigma Management

Scholarly work has discussed the ways in which stigmatized groups may resist their stigma, along with various resources at their disposal that facilitate such resistance. However, it has not explicitly considered how organization can serve as one such resource. Bringing into dialogue scholarly work on stigma, organizations, and social movements, this article examines the role of organization as a key resource for managing and resisting stigma. In doing so, it draws from a comparative analysis of two groups of dumpster divers in New York City. It finds that whereas informal social organization allowed one group to develop shared views regarding the practice, formal collective organization enabled another group to confront the stigma itself. The findings therefore highlight the role of organization in both mitigating shared stigma and challenging its basis—thereby providing insights into the social conditions of stigma management and the collective resources at the disposal of stigmatized groups.
Coded modulation for noncoherent reception with application to OFDM

Power- and bandwidth-efficient differentially encoded transmission over slowly time-varying fading channels with noncoherent reception and without channel state information is considered. For high bandwidth efficiencies, combined phase and amplitude modulation is used. For increased power efficiency, channel coding and multiple-symbol differential detection are applied, i.e., interleaving and detection are based on blocks of N>2 consecutive symbols. The presented concepts are directly applicable to transmission over flat fading channels. However, concentrating on the situation of frequency-selective channels, we consider their application to multicarrier transmission using orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM). When coding across subcarriers, OFDM transforms the actual frequency-selective channel into a slowly time-varying frequency-nonselective fading channel. This paper presents a design for multilevel coding schemes to approach theoretical limits for power- and bandwidth-efficient noncoherent transmission over the equivalent fading channel. It is shown that bit-interleaved coded modulation, which relies on Gray labeling, is competitive only in the case of conventional differential detection with N=2. The theoretic considerations are well approved by simulation results, where turbo codes are applied as component codes.
New targeted therapies for gastric cancer

Introduction: Inhibitors targeting oncogenic kinases, especially receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), are being vigorously developed, and some have been demonstrated to be effective in clinical settings. The amplification of certain RTKs (ErbB2, c-Met and FGFR2) is associated with gastric cancer progression, but the only recently approved inhibitor is trastuzumab, ErbB2-targeting antibody. Other well-known oncogenic kinases (PI3K and RAF) are also activated in a small portion of gastric cancers. Drugs targeting these kinases are promising and should be approved in an appropriate and expeditious way. Areas covered: This article reviews novel inhibitors emerging in the field of advanced gastric cancer, based on basic research concerning altered oncogenes and the clinical trials of drugs targeting these oncogenes. Expert opinion: Promising inhibitors of gastric cancer may be found in not only new investigative agents but also agents currently being used against other malignancies. The appropriate design for clinical trials of molecularly targeted therapeutic agents is also important. Targeted therapies tailored to individual genomic profiles would provide a more personalized treatment for advanced gastric cancer.
Solution of Large Systems of Equations Using Approximate Dynamic Programming Methods

We consider fixed point equations, and approximation of the solution by projection on a low-dimensional subspace. We propose stochastic iterative algorithms, based on simulation, which converge to the approximate solution and are suitable for large-dimensional problems. We focus primarily on general linear systems and propose extensions of recent approximate dynamic programming methods, based on the use of temporal dierences, which solve a projected form of Bellman’s equation by using simulation-based approximations
Colicin A hybrids: a genetic tool for selection of type II secretion‐proficient Pseudomonas strains

The Gram‐negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa secretes the majority of its extracellular proteins by the type II secretion mechanism, a two‐step process initiated by translocation of signal peptide‐bearing exoproteins across the inner membrane. The periplasmic forms are transferred across the outer membrane by a machinery consisting of 12 xcp gene products. Although the type II secretion machinery is conserved among Gram‐negative bacteria, interactions between the secreted proteins and the machinery are specific. The lack of a selectable phenotype has hampered the development of genetic strategies for studying type II secretion. We report a novel strategy to identify rare events, such as those that allow heterologous secretion or identification of extragenic suppressors correcting xcp defects. This is based on creating a host‐vector system where the non‐secretory phenotype is lethal. The original tool we designed is a hybrid protein containing elastase and the pore‐forming domain of colicin A.
A memo of qualitative research for information science: toward theory construction

– The purpose of this paper is to advocate for a clearer and less fragmentary use of qualitative research in the increasingly interdisciplinary research setting of information science. , – The paper performs a textual analysis of more than 500 peer‐reviewed articles to assess information science's involvement with qualitative research. The paper undertakes historical criticism to trace qualitative research in the reviews of information science for the last three decades. , – Authors are unclear and lax in their uses of basic research terms. Authors do not account for qualitative research's characteristics, methods, and contributions to information science's bodies of knowledge. Only 4.3 percent of published articles mention their contributions to information science's literature whereas 5.6 percent mention qualitative method(s) in their abstracts. Publications do not show (intra‐)collaboration between areas of information science. Information science's contributions to the theoretical discussions of the wider scientific community are lacking. , – The paper discusses afresh information science's qualitative research. The paper suggests a tighter and long‐term investment of information science in qualitative research and the formation of the information science's own theorists and theory‐illumined practitioners. The paper puts forth some practical recommendations.
Policy, practice and practical reason: Understanding teaching in times of outcome regulation

Although there are reasons to believe that policies emphasising testing, accountability, assessments, evaluation and inspections have unintended and undesirable consequences for teaching practice, such reforms continue to be widely used in many countries in order to meet challenges in their educational systems. However, it is difficult to critically discuss how these types of policies relate to teaching practice without either losing societal, critical perspectives, or circumscribing teachers' agency in analysis. This article addresses that challenge by setting out a conceptual framework, aimed at contributing to an understanding of how these types of policies relate to teaching practice. Inspired by French philosopher Paul Ricœur, a critical hermeneutical approach is suggested. It is argued that his discussion of the concept of practical reason can be used to depict teaching as existing in a field of tension between the regulatory and reflective dimensions of the practice. Further, it is argued that critical hermeneutics can frame a study of teaching, understood as practical reasoning, and provide a critique that is grounded in a discussion on how the mechanisms and assumptions behind (for example neoliberal) policy are mirrored in practice, without losing sight of either the agency of teachers or a societal perspective on teaching.
IEEE 841- 1994 versus IEEE 841 - 2001

IEEE 841 has been widely accepted throughout various process industries as a simple way to specify and purchase a reliable energy-efficient severe-duty motor off the shelf. During the next standard revision cycle, IEEE 841 should be made more user-friendly and provide more consistency between suppliers, as the specification was originally intended. This article will discuss the basic differences between IEEE 841-1994 and IEEE 841-2001 revisions. The features added to the 2001 revision were intended to improve motor reliability and life.
Discovery of the sinus node by Keith and Flack: on the centennial of their 1907 publication

In 1839, Jan Evangelista Purkinje discovered a net of gelatinous fibres in the subendocardium of the heart. Walter Gaskell in the 1880s observed that the impulse of the heart began in the sinus venosus, and that this region had the most rhythmic ability. A conducting bundle between the atrium and the ventricle was found by Wilhelm His, Jr in 1893. In 1906, Sunao Tawara found a “complex knoten” of tissue at the proximal end of the His bundle. He concluded that this was the inception of an electrical conducting system which continued from the AV node through the bundle of His, divided into the bundle branches, and terminated as the Purkinje fibres. The collaboration of Arthur Keith and Martin Flack led to discovery of the sinus node, finalising the discovery of the electrical system of the heart and providing an anatomical answer to the baffling mystery: “Why does the heart beat? ”
A knowledge acquisition tool for intelligent computer tutors

This research addresses the widening gap between research in intelligent tutoring systems and practical use of this technology by the educational community. In order to insure that intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) are effective, teachers must be involved in their design and evaluation. We have followed a user participatory design process to build a set of ITS knowledge acquisition tools tailored for usability by teachers. The system facilitates rapid prototyping and testing of curriculum and multiple tutoring strategies. Teachers use the system to create, modify, and test the system's domain content and tutoring strategy knowledge bases. The design includes novel methodologies for strategy representation and overlay student modeling, and incorporates considerations from instructional design theory. Tools have been designed to provide the user with visual models of the concepts and structures of the underlying framework. In close collaboration with a veteran high school teacher, we have used the interface to design a tutor for statics (part of a high school physics course). In this paper we describe the system (called KAFITS), report on our experience involving educators in ITS development, discuss issues of ITS knowledge representation and acquisition, and compare the system with related research in generic tutoring systems and knowledge acquisition.
The double burden of undernutrition and excess body weight in Ecuador.

BACKGROUND Ecuador's current nutrition policies have not taken adequate notice of the double burden of malnutrition and continue to focus on stunting and to a lesser extent on overweight, without addressing the simultaneous presence of undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and overweight or obesity (OW/OB). OBJECTIVE The aim of this article was to describe the prevalence and distribution of undernutrition (stunting, anemia, and zinc deficiency), overweight, and obesity in Ecuador to explore the evolving double burden of malnutrition at the national, household, and individual levels and to discuss whether current public health policies are addressing the double burden. DESIGN Data from the 2012 Ecuadorian National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT-ECU) was used to estimate the dual burden of malnutrition at the national, household, and individual levels in children <5 y old, school-aged children, and women of reproductive age. RESULTS In 13.1% of households, mothers with excess body weight coexist with a stunted child <5 y old. Moreover, among households with overweight or obese mothers, 12.6% have an anemic child and 14% have a zinc-deficient child. At the individual levels, the coexistence of OW/OB and stunting, anemia, or zinc deficiency was found in 2.8%, 0.7%, and 8.4% of school-aged children, respectively. In addition, 8.9% and 32.6% of women aged 12-49 y have excess body weight and anemia or zinc deficiency, respectively. CONCLUSIONS This article shows the coexistence of high rates of undernutrition and OW/OB at the individual, household, and national levels in Ecuador. Although integrated approaches to address the emerging double burden are required, public health policies to date have not responded adequately.
Plausible Description Logic Programs for Stream Reasoning

Sensor networks are estimated to drive the formation of the future Internet, with stream reasoning responsible for analysing sensor data. Stream reasoning is defined as real time logical reasoning on large, noisy, heterogeneous data streams, aiming to support the decision process of large numbers of concurrent querying agents. In this research we exploited non-monotonic rule-based systems for handling inconsistent or incomplete information and also ontologies to deal with heterogeneity. Data is aggregated from distributed streams in real time and plausible rules fire when new data is available. The advantages of lazy evaluation on data streams were investigated in this study, with the help of a prototype developed in Haskell.
Stimulus-Dependent Correlations in Threshold-Crossing Spiking Neurons

Abstract We consider a threshold-crossing spiking process as a simple model for the activity within a population of neurons. Assuming that these neurons are driven by a common fluctuating input with gaussian statistics, we evaluate the cross-correlation of spike trains in pairs of model neurons with different thresholds. This correlation function tends to be asymmetric in time, indicating a preference for the neuron with the lower threshold to fire before the one with the higher threshold, even if their inputs are identical. The relationship between these results and spike statistics in other models of neural activity is explored. In particular, we compare our model with an integrate-and-fire model in which the membrane voltage resets following each spike. The qualitative properties of spike cross-correlations, emerging from the threshold-crossing model, are similar to those of bursting events in the integrate-and-fire model. This is particularly true for generalized integrate-and-fire models in which spikes tend to occur in bursts, as observed, for example, in retinal ganglion cells driven by a rapidly fluctuating visual stimulus. The threshold-crossing model thus provides a simple, analytically tractable description of event onsets in these neurons.
Quantifying the watercolor effect: from stimulus properties to neural models

Visual illusions are perceptions that violate our expectations with respect to what we understand about the physical stimulus, for example, surfaces of identical spectral composition that appear to be of different colors. Such phenomena are thought to reveal mechanisms, biases, priors or strategies that the brain uses to interpret the visual environment. In natural viewing, we perceive all surfaces within a context of surrounding light and nearby objects, and this context affects their appearance. Change in color appearance due to the surrounding light is called color induction and can be of type contrast, when appearance of a test region shifts in chromaticity away from that of the surround and assimilation when the shift is toward that of the surround. Pinna et al. (Pinna, 1987; Pinna et al., 2001) demonstrated a long-range, color assimilation phenomenon called the Watercolor Effect (WCE) that provides an interesting example for studying such processes. The WCE occurs when a wavy, dark, chromatic contour delineating a figure is flanked on the inside by a lighter chromatic contour on a bright background. The lighter color spreads into the entire enclosed area so that the interior surface is perceived as filled in with a uniform color. Previous studies reported also a weak coloration effect exterior to the contour (Cao et al., 2011; Devinck et al., 2005). The WCE is distinguished from other assimilation illusions due by to its spatial extent; the phenomenon has been reported to be observed over distances of up to 45 deg (Pinna et al., 2001). Here, we review and discuss stimulus configurations, based on different procedures, that induce the WCE and their implications for a neural model of this phenomenon.
On a small-gain approach to distributed event-triggered control

Abstract In this paper the problem of stabilizing large-scale systems by distributed controllers, where the controllers exchange information via a shared limited communication medium is addressed. An event-triggered sampling scheme is proposed, in which each system decides when to transmit new information across the network based on the crossing of some error threshold. Stability of the interconnected large-scale system is inferred by applying a generalized small-gain theorem.
An Innovative Approach to Tackling the Boundary Effect in Adaptive Random Testing

Adaptive random testing (ART) is an effective improvement of random testing (RT) in the sense that fewer test cases are needed to detect the first failure. It is based on the observation that failure-causing inputs are normally clustered in one or more contiguous regions in the input domain. Hence, it has been proposed that test case generation should refer to the locations of successful test cases (those that do not reveal failures) to ensure that all test cases are far apart and evenly spread in the input domain. Distance-based ART and restricted random testing are the first two previous attempts. However, test cases generated by these attempts are far apart but not necessarily evenly spread, since more test cases are generated near the boundary of the input domain. This paper analyzes the cause of this phenomenon and proposes an enhanced implementation based on the concept of virtual images of the successful test cases. The results of simulations show that the test cases generated by our enhanced implementation are not only far apart but also evenly spread in the input domain. Furthermore, the fault detection capability of ART for high-dimensional input domains is also enhanced
The Transformation of Work

of learning by doing, of alternative structures and hybrid forms, and of the ways to promote innovativeness and change. Most of the outpouring of books on competitiveness reflects this literature, which is virtually absent here. But I sense that Best nevertheless has the upper hand. His argument is clean and clear, the illustrations are compelling, and the clutter of New Age terms and concepts is minimal. He pushed off from the distant Schumpeter and Penrose, but, strong swimmer that he is, he came a long way without much further help. The rest of us may need organizational theory more than he appears to have needed it.
On the regime of validity of volumetric and boundary perturbation -based scattering models for rough multilayer

This paper is primarily aimed at formally resolving the seeming discrepancy between the corresponding regimes of validity of two different kinds of perturbative formulations based on boundary perturbation (BPT) and volumetric perturbation (VPRT), respectively. Instead of resorting to purely intuitional considerations, the VPRT regime of validity is obtained by using a formal derivation, which also permits to understand in detail the meaning of the involved approximation. As a result, we demonstrate that these two theoretical constructs addressed to rough multilayer scattering can be now regarded in a conceptually coherent frame. Theoretical analysis is also supported by numerical results.