Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Length-dependent recognition of double-stranded ribonucleic acids by retinoic acid–inducible gene-I and melanoma differentiation–associated gene 5

The ribonucleic acid (RNA) helicases retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I) and melanoma differentiation–associated gene 5 (MDA5) recognize distinct viral and synthetic RNAs, leading to the production of interferons. Although 5′-triphosphate single-stranded RNA is a RIG-I ligand, the role of RIG-I and MDA5 in double-stranded (ds) RNA recognition remains to be characterized. In this study, we show that the length of dsRNA is important for differential recognition by RIG-I and MDA5. The MDA5 ligand, polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid, was converted to a RIG-I ligand after shortening of the dsRNA length. In addition, viral dsRNAs differentially activated RIG-I and MDA5, depending on their length. Vesicular stomatitis virus infection generated dsRNA, which is responsible for RIG-I–mediated recognition. Collectively, RIG-I detects dsRNAs without a 5′-triphosphate end, and RIG-I and MDA5 selectively recognize short and long dsRNAs, respectively.
Essential role for RGS9 in opiate action

Regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) are a family of proteins known to accelerate termination of effector stimulation after G protein receptor activation. RGS9-2, a brain-specific splice variant of the RGS9 gene, is highly enriched in striatum and also expressed at much lower levels in periaqueductal gray and spinal cord, structures known to mediate various actions of morphine and other opiates. Morphine exerts its acute rewarding and analgesic effects by activation of inhibitory guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein-coupled opioid receptors, whereas chronic morphine causes addiction, tolerance to its acute analgesic effects, and profound physical dependence by sustained activation of these receptors. We show here that acute morphine administration increases expression of RGS9-2 in NAc and the other CNS regions, whereas chronic exposure decreases RGS9-2 levels. Mice lacking RGS9 show enhanced behavioral responses to acute and chronic morphine, including a dramatic increase in morphine reward, increased morphine analgesia with delayed tolerance, and exacerbated morphine physical dependence and withdrawal. These findings establish RGS9 as a potent negative modulator of opiate action in vivo, and suggest that opiate-induced changes in RGS9 levels contribute to the behavioral and neural plasticity associated with chronic opiate administration.
Linear spreading speeds from nonlinear resonant interaction

We identify a new mechanism for propagation into unstable states in spatially extended systems, that is based on resonant interaction in the leading edge of invasion fronts. Such resonant invasion speeds can be determined solely based on the complex linear dispersion relation at the unstable equilibrium, but rely on the presence of a nonlinear term that facilitates the resonant coupling. We prove that these resonant speeds give the correct invasion speed in a simple example, we show that fronts with speeds slower than the resonant speed are unstable, and corroborate our speed criterion numerically in a variety of model equations, including a nonlocal scalar neural field model.
Lopinavir/ritonavir single agent therapy as a universal combination antiretroviral therapy stopping strategy: results from the STOP 1 and STOP 2 studies.

OBJECTIVES We designed two different studies to evaluate two different combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) stopping strategies namely a 'staggered stop' approach (STOP 1 study) and a 'protected stop' approach (STOP 2 study) to find the best 'universal stop' strategy. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients who stopped cART for any reason were recruited. In STOP 1, 10 patients on efavirenz continued dual nucleos(t)ide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) for 1 week after discontinuing efavirenz. Efavirenz concentrations were measured weekly for up to 3 weeks. In STOP 2, 20 patients stopped their cART and replaced it with two tablets of lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra) (100/50 mg) twice daily for 4 weeks. Lopinavir, efavirenz, nevirapine and tenofovir concentrations were measured weekly for up to 4 weeks. Virological and resistance testing were performed. RESULTS In STOP 1 five patients still had efavirenz present (median t(1/2)=148.4 h) 3 weeks after stopping. In STOP 2, 15/20 patients had a viral load (VL) of <40 copies/mL and 3/20 patients had a reduction in VL by 4 weeks. Six patients opted not to stop lopinavir/ritonavir and still had <40 copies/mL at week 8. Week 1-4 median trough lopinavir concentrations were well above the EC(95). Six patients still had detectable concentrations of original cART persisting for >1 week after stopping. No patients developed new resistance mutations. CONCLUSIONS Plasma efavirenz concentrations can persist up to 3 weeks after patients stop efavirenz-containing regimens. This suggests a strategy of stopping efavirenz only 1 week before NRTIs may not be long enough for some individuals. The use of lopinavir/ritonavir monotherapy for a 4 week period may be an alternative pharmacologically and virologically effective universal stopping strategy which warrants further investigation.
Bounded Solutions to Nonhomogeneous Linear Second-Order Difference Equations

By using some solvability methods and the contraction mapping principle are investigated bounded, as well as periodic solutions to some classes of nonhomogeneous linear second-order difference equations on domains N 0 , Z ∖ N 2 and Z . The case when the coefficients of the equation are constant and the zeros of the characteristic polynomial associated to the corresponding homogeneous equation do not belong to the unit circle is described in detail.
The Drosophila DIAP1 Protein Is Required to Prevent Accumulation of a Continuously Generated, Processed Form of the Apical Caspase DRONC*

Although loss of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) protein DIAP1 has been shown to result in caspase activation and spontaneous cell death in Drosophila cells and embryos, the point at which DIAP1 normally functions to inhibit caspase activation is unknown. Depletion of the DIAP1 protein in Drosophila S2 cells or the Sf-IAP protein in Spodoptera frugiperdaSf21 cells by RNA interference (RNAi) or cycloheximide treatment resulted in rapid and widespread caspase-dependent apoptosis. Co-silencing of dronc or darklargely suppressed this apoptosis, indicating that DIAP1 is normally required to inhibit an activity dependent on these proteins. Silencing of dronc also inhibited DRICE processing following stimulation of apoptosis, demonstrating that DRONC functions as an apical caspase in S2 cells. Silencing of diap1or treatment with UV light induced DRONC processing, which occurred in two steps. The first step appeared to occur continuously even in the absence of an apoptotic signal and to be dependent on DARK, because full-length DRONC accumulated when dark was silenced in non-apoptotic cells. In addition, treatment with the proteasome inhibitor MG132 resulted in accumulation of this initially processed form of DRONC, but not full-length DRONC, in non-apoptotic cells. The second step in DRONC processing was observed only in apoptotic cells. These results indicate that the initial step in DRONC processing occurs continuously via a DARK-dependent mechanism inDrosophila cells and that DIAP1 is required to prevent excess accumulation of this first form of processed DRONC, presumably through its ability to act as a ubiquitin-protein ligase.
Text summarization via hidden Markov models

A sentence extract summary of a document is a subset of the document's sentences that contains the main ideas in the document. We present an approach to generating such summaries, a hidden Markov model that judges the likelihood that each sentence should be contained in the summary. We compare the results of this method with summaries generated by humans, showing that we obtain significantly higher agreement than do earlier methods.
Stretchable photo sensor based on graphene/perylene composite utilizing electrohydrodynamic fabrication technique

We propose a stretchable photo sensor fabricated on uniform ridged polydimethylsiloxane PDMS substrate through electro-hydrodynamic (EHD) technique. An active layer, perylene/graphene composite thin film (67nm) is sandwiched between top and bottom ITO electrodes. The electrical conductivity of the perylene is enhanced by blending with graphene. The photo sensor changes the terminal resistance from 108MΩ to 87MΩ against light intensity of 0~400lux, respectively. To verify a stretchability, the proposed photo sensor under mechanical strain of 25% is normally worked, and it is stretchable up to 50% strain, maximally. A mechanical bendability test is carried out by folding the device for 1000 endurance cycles, while there is no change in the electrical behavior.
Associations of Common Variants at APLN and Hypertension in Chinese Subjects with and without Diabetes

Background. Apelin, the endogenous ligand for the APJ receptor, has a potent hypotensive effect via a nitric oxide-dependent mechanism in vivo. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between the common variants of apelin gene (APLN) and hypertension, which was reported recently in a Chinese Han population with and without diabetes. Methods. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on APLN were genotyped in 3156 diabetic patients and 3736 nondiabetic individuals. For non-diabetic subjects, 1779 were enrolled in stage 1 and 1757 were recruited for validation. A meta-analysis combining the two stages was carried out to obtain the overall effect. Results. In diabetic patients, no significant associations of the three SNPs with hypertension were observed. In contrast, we found that rs2235306 was associated with hypertension in non-diabetic males after adjusting for covariates (OR = 1.19, P = 0.039) while rs2235307 and rs3115759 displayed no evidence of association in both genders. One haplotype, C-C-A, also showed an association with hypertension (OR = 1.47, P = 0.032) only in men. However, analysis in stage 2 and meta-analysis did not support these findings. Conclusions. We conclude that common variants on APLN are not associated with the prevalence of hypertension in the Chinese.
Performance of OFDM QPSK , 16-QAM System using Pilot-Based Channel Estimation in presence of Doppler Frequency Shift over Rayleigh Fading Channel

With the rapid growth of digital communication in recent year the need for high speed data transmission is increased, OFDM is a promising solution for achieving high data rates in mobile environment, due to its resistance to ISI and ICI, which are the common problems found in high speed data communication. In this paper, the performance of different pilot based channel estimation schemes for OFDM with QPSK and 16 QAM over Rayleigh fading channel are investigated. In the block type pilot arrangement, the performance of channel estimation is analyzed with three different algorithms: LS, LMMSE and SVD algorithm. In comb type pilot arrangement, the paper introduces three method of interpolation: linear interpolation, second order interpolation and cubic spline interpolation for channel estimation. Here in this paper, it is our goal to show the way through which the Bit Error Rate (BER) result varies due to Doppler frequency shift. The analysis has been carried out with simulation studies under MATLAB environment. KeywordsBER, Doppler Frequency, OFDM, Pilot Carrier.
A Ring Signature of size Θ ( 3 √ n ) without Random Oracles

Ring signatures, introduced by Rivest, Shamir and Tauman (ASIACRYPT 2001), allow to sign a message on behalf of a set of users (called a ring) while guaranteeing authenticity, i.e. only members of the ring can produce valid signatures, and anonymity, i.e. signatures hide the actual signer. In terms of efficiency, the shortest ring signatures are of size Θ(logn), where n is the size of the ring, and are due to Groth and Kohlweiss (EUROCYPT 2015) and Libert et al. (EUROCRYPT 2016). But both schemes are proven secure in the random oracle model. Without random oracles the most efficient construction remains the one of Chandran et al. (ICALP 2007) with a signature of size Θ( √ n). In this work we construct a ring signature of size Θ( 3 √ n) without random oracles. Our construction uses bilinear groups and we prove its security under the permutation pairing assumption, introduced by Groth and Lu (ASIACRYPT 2007).
Complete Fast Analytical Solution of the Optimal Odd Single-Phase Multilevel Problem

In this paper, we focus on the computation of optimal switching angles for general multilevel (ML) odd symmetry waveforms. We show that this problem is similar to (but more general than) the optimal pulsewidth modulation (PWM) problem, which is an established method of generating PWM waveforms with low baseband distortion. We introduce a new general modulation strategy for ML inverters, which takes an analytic form and is very fast, with a complexity of only O(n log2 n) arithmetic operations, where n is the number of controlled harmonics. This algorithm is based on a transformation of appropriate trigonometric equations for each controlled harmonics to a polynomial system of equations that is further transformed to a special system of composite sum of powers. The solution of this system is carried out by a modification of the Newton's identity via Padé approximation, formal orthogonal polynomials (FOPs) theory, and properties of symmetric polynomials. Finally, the optimal switching sequence is obtained by computing zeros of two FOP polynomials in one variable or, alternatively, by a special recurrence formula and eigenvalues computation.
Range image registration using enhanced genetic algorithms

Most range image registration techniques are based on variants of the ICP (iterative closest point) algorithm. The ICP algorithm has two main drawbacks, the possibility of convergence to a local minimum and the need to prealign the images. Genetic algorithms (GAs) are known to be robust in relation to search and optimization problems and were recently applied to range image registration, providing good convergence results without the constraints observed in the ICP approaches. To improve range image registration by GAs, we explored 3 novel approaches: a hybrid algorithm that combines a GA with hillclimbing heuristics (GH), a parallel migration GA (MGA), and a MGA using hillclimbing (MGH). We also define a new robust evaluation measure, called the surface interpenetration, to compare the obtained registration results. Up to now, interpenetration has been evaluated only qualitatively; we define the first quantitative measure for it. The experimental results show that our methods yield more accurate registration results than either ICP or standard GA approaches.
Dynamic cortical lateralization during olfactory discrimination learning

Odour discrimination and memory involve changes in the primary olfactory (piriform) cortex. The results obtained in the present study suggest that there is an asymmetry in piriform cortical change, with learning‐related changes in cortical oscillations emerging with different time courses over the course of multiday training in the left and right piriform cortices in rats. There is an initial decrease in coherence between the left and right piriform cortices during the early stages of the odour discrimination task, which recovers as the animals approach criterion performance. This decreased coherence is expressed when the animals are performing the task relative to when they are in their home cage. The results suggest a transient cortical asymmetry during learning and raise new questions about the functions and mechanisms of cerebral lateralization.
Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator techniques

In the last issue, a very simple illustration was created from a black-and-white crayon drawing. This article uses the same black-and-white illustration as a template in Adobe Illustrator, tracing over this with the pen tools and applying fills to create a drawing that can then be taken into Photoshop where various filters can be used to complete the illustration. Almost all of this can be done in Illustrator 8, but any features specific to Illustrator 9 will be indicated. In Illustrator go to File–Open and select the Photoshop file. This will appear on a layer in the document. When the image is selected in Illustrator 9, a dialogue box will appear with two options – choose Flatten Photoshop layers to single image. You now have an option to use the transparency palette in Illustrator 9 to make the image fade slightly, which makes it easier to trace over. Here 60% opacity has been used (Figure 1). Otherwise, if you are using Illustrator 8, the Image–Adjust–Brightness/Contrast
Using mobile applications in continuing medical education

We describe the design, development and usage of a mobile hybrid application (UROMobile), with a high usability factor, in an interactive medical school with more than 120 attendees. UROMobile application offers support for several learning activities, as well as program information, general evaluation forms, profile information and many more. The evaluation results shows that there is a successful case study on how to use a mobile application in the education field.
Textbook of Endodontics

Textbook of Endodontics is an inimitable textbook designed eruditely to meet the requirements of undergraduate students. The book has been edited by Dr. Anil Kohli, Dean at the Faculty of Dentistry, Baba Farid University, Punjab. Honorable President of India, Pratibha Devisingh Patil, officially released the book at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan, New Delhi, in the presence of Honorary Brigadier Dr Anil Kohli, Dr Awasthi, Dr Hari Prakash, Dr Suresh Chandra, Dr Vivek Hegde and Dr Gopi Krishna.
Real-time implementation of an optimization scheme for seven-degree-of-freedom redundant manipulators

A computationally efficient kinematic optimal control scheme for seven-degree-of-freedom (7-DOF) manipulators is presented. This scheme uses the gradient projection optimization method in the framework of resolved motion rate control and does not require calculation of the pseudoinverse of the Jacobian. An efficient formulation for determining joint velocities for given Cartesian components of linear and angular end-effector velocities is obtained. This control scheme is well suited for real-time implementation, which is essential if the end-effector trajectory is continuously modified based on sensory feedback. Implementation of this scheme on a Motorola 6820 VME bus-based controller of the 7-DOF manipulator is described. A comparison of computational complexity with previously available schemes is presented. >
Bayesian Dynamic Multivariate Models for Inferring Gene Interaction Networks

Constructions of gene and protein dynamic network is a challenging and important problem in genomic research while estimating the temporal correlations and non-stationarity are the keys in this process. In this paper, we develop Bayesian dynamic multivariate models to tackle this challenge for inferring the gene network profiles associated with diseases and treatments. We treat both the stochastic transition matrix and the observation matrix time-variant and include temporal correlation structures in the covariance matrix estimations in the multivariate Bayesian setting. The unevenly spaced short time courses with unseen time points are treated as hidden state variables. Bayesian approaches with various prior and hyper-prior models with MCMC algorithms are used to estimate the model parameters. We apply our models to multiple tissue polygenetic affymetrix data sets. Preliminary results show that the genomic dynamic behavior can be well captured by the proposed model
Study on Extraction of Shikimic Acid from Pine Needles of Pinus Elliottii Engelm by Means of Microwave Pretreatment

The aim was to provide scientific basis for development and utilization of pinus elliottii engelm resources.As the raw material, pines needles of pinus elliottii were moistened first by vaporization medium. After that, the needles were processed in advance by microwave to change tissues of needles, and finally, the Shikimic acid was extracted from the needles in hot water. Meanwhile, the extraction method is compared with traditional one in the paper. As a result, the perfect technological conditions were gained for extraction of Shikimic acid by microwave preprocessing. The method is: moistening pine needles within 15 minutes in 70% ethanol water which was 1.6 times weight of needles, then, processing the needles for 60 seconds by 70W microwave. The processing time should increase 30 seconds every 5-gram material added. Finally, the extraction lasted over 30 minutes adding 25-time hot water at 80°C. Seven eighths of extraction time by microwave preprocessing is shortened compared by the traditional extraction method, and extraction ratio for Shikimic acid raises by 35.8%.
Head Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a physical injury to brain tissue that temporarily or permanently impairs the brain's function. The causes include road traffic accidents (64.1%), falls (19.3%), assaults (5.1%) and sporting activities (2%). Primary injury occurs at the time of impact and is irreversible. During this time, brain function may be immediately impaired by direct damage to brain tissue. Further damage triggered by the primary injury can occur shortly after, leading to secondary injury. The aim of prehospital management is to stabilize and treat the damage from the primary injury and to prevent and manage secondary injury.
Compact representations of ordered sets

We consider the problem of efficiently representing sets <i>S</i> of size <i>n</i> from an ordered universe <i>U</i> = {0,. ,<i>m</i>-1}. Given any ordered dictionary structure (or comparison-based ordered set structure) <i>D</i> that uses <i>O</i>(<i>n</i>) pointers, we demonstrate a simple blocking technique that produces an ordered set structure supporting the same operations in the same time bounds but with <i>O</i>(<i>n</i> log <i>m</i>+<i>n</i>/<i>n</i>) bits. This is within a constant factor of the information-theoretic lower bound. We assume the unit cost RAM model with word size Ω(log |<i>U</i>|) and a table of size <i>O</i>(<i>m</i><sup>α</sup> log<sup>2</sup> <i>m</i>) bits, for some constant α > 0. The time bound for our operations contains a factor of 1/α. We present experimental results for the STL (C++ Standard Template Library) implementation of Red-Black trees, and for an implementation of Treaps. We compare the implementations with blocking and without blocking. The blocking variants use a factor of between 1.5 and 10 less space depending on the density of the set.