Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Extracellular DNA Is Required for Root Tip Resistance to Fungal Infection1[W][OA]

Plant defense involves a complex array of biochemical interactions, many of which occur in the extracellular environment. The apical 1- to 2-mm root tip housing apical and root cap meristems is resistant to infection by most pathogens, so growth and gravity sensing often proceed normally even when other sites on the root are invaded. The mechanism of this resistance is unknown but appears to involve a mucilaginous matrix or “slime” composed of proteins, polysaccharides, and detached living cells called “border cells. ” Here, we report that extracellular DNA (exDNA) is a component of root cap slime and that exDNA degradation during inoculation by a fungal pathogen results in loss of root tip resistance to infection. Most root tips (>95%) escape infection even when immersed in inoculum from the root-rotting pathogen Nectria haematococca. By contrast, 100% of inoculated root tips treated with DNase I developed necrosis. Treatment with BAL31, an exonuclease that digests DNA more slowly than DNase I, also resulted in increased root tip infection, but the onset of infection was delayed. Control root tips or fungal spores treated with nuclease alone exhibited normal morphology and growth. Pea (Pisum sativum) root tips incubated with [32P]dCTP during a 1-h period when no cell death occurs yielded root cap slime containing 32P-labeled exDNA. Our results suggest that exDNA is a previously unrecognized component of plant defense, an observation that is in accordance with the recent discovery that exDNA from white blood cells plays a key role in the vertebrate immune response against microbial pathogens.
The Orientation of HIV-1 gp120 Binding to the CD4 Receptor Differentially Modulates CD4+ T Cell Activation

Progressive quantitative and qualitative decline of CD4+ T cell responses is one hallmark of HIV-1 infection and likely depends on several factors, including a possible contribution by the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120, which binds with high affinity to the CD4 receptor. Besides virion-associated and cell-expressed gp120, considerable amounts of soluble gp120 are found in plasma or lymphoid tissue, predominantly in the form of gp120–anti-gp120 immune complexes (ICs). Because the functional consequences of gp120 binding to CD4+ T cells are controversially discussed, we investigated how gp120 affects TCR-mediated activation of human CD4+ T cells by agonistic anti-CD3 mAb or by HLA class II–presented peptide Ags. We show that the spatial orientation of gp120–CD4 receptor binding relative to the site of TCR engagement differentially affects TCR signaling efficiency and hence CD4+ T cell activation. Whereas spatially and temporally linked CD4 and TCR triggering at a defined site promotes CD4+ T cell activation by exceeding local thresholds for signaling propagation, CD4 receptor engagement by gp120-containing ICs all around the CD4+ T cell undermine its capacity in supporting proximal TCR signaling. In vitro, gp120 ICs are efficiently captured by CD4+ T cells and thereby render them hyporesponsive to TCR stimulation. Consistent with these in vitro results we show that CD4+ T cells isolated from HIV+ individuals are covered with ICs, which at least partially contain gp120, and suggest that IC binding to CD4 receptors might contribute to the progressive decline of CD4+ T cell function during HIV-1 infection.
Business process redesign project success: the role of socio-technical theory

– The purpose of this paper is to seek to advance business process redesign (BPR) project research through the generation and testing of a new research model that utilizes formative constructs to model complex BPR project implementation issues. Instead of looking at management principles, the paper examines the activities of improving business processes from the project perspective. , – A survey of 145 managers and executives from medium and large-sized USA and Canadian companies was used to validate the model. , – The model, based on socio-technical theory, includes three implementation components (change management, process redesign, and information and communication technology infrastructure improvement), and links the effects of these components to BPR project outcomes. The empirical findings indicated that all three implementation components had a significant impact on BPR project success, with change management having the greatest effect. Interestingly, the results also showed that productivity improvement was no longer the main focus of companies carrying out BPR projects; instead, improvement in operational and organizational quality was more important. , – The main limitation of this study is its generalizability with respect to company size and organizational culture. The sample in this study was drawn from medium- and large-sized companies in Canada and the USA, but small-sized organizations were excluded from this study due to their distinct features (e.g. superior flexibility or ability to reorient themselves quickly). Also, this study controlled the variable of organizational culture by limiting respondents to Canada and US companies. It would be very interesting to investigate BPR project implementations in other countries where the organizational working culture may be different. , – Based on the findings of this study, BPR practitioners can refer to the three BPR project implementation components and then prioritize and sequence the tasks in a BPR project to achieve their preset BPR goals. , – This is the first study which utilizes formative constructs to validate the important BPR project components.
Micromachined gyros for automotive applications

Micro machined gyros are key elements in several automotive systems, thus enabling highly sophisticated applications like roll over detection and mitigation, navigation systems, electronic stability program (ESP) and other future vehicle stabilizing and dynamics control systems. New automotive systems are demanding higher accuracy, better signal to noise ratio, higher robustness and insensitivity against external perturbations, better system availability and reliability as well as easy application of the gyro. This paper is presenting the recent development, now the third generation of micromachined angular rate sensors at Robert Bosch GmbH. Mass production was started in spring 2005. These surface micromachined gyroscopes exhibit outstanding performance compared to similar designs
Drug resistance of human glioblastoma cells conferred by a tumor-specific mutant epidermal growth factor receptor through modulation of Bcl-XL and caspase-3-like proteases.

Alterations of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene occur frequently in human malignant gliomas. The most common of these is deletion of exons 2-7, resulting in truncation of the extracellular domain (DeltaEGFR or EGFRvIII), which occurs in a large fraction of de novo malignant gliomas (but not in progressive tumors or those lacking p53 function) and enhances tumorigenicity, in part by decreasing apoptosis through up-regulation of Bcl-XL. Here, we demonstrate that the DeltaEGFR concomitantly confers resistance to the chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin (CDDP) by suppression of CDDP-induced apoptosis. Expression of Bcl-XL was elevated in U87MG.DeltaEGFR cells prior to and during CDDP treatment, whereas it decreased considerably in CDDP-treated parental cells. CDDP-induced activation of caspase-3-like proteases was suppressed significantly in U87MG.DeltaEGFR cells. These responses were highly specific to constitutively kinase-active DeltaEGFR, because overexpression of kinase-deficient DeltaEGFR (DK) or wild-type EGFR had no such effects. Correspondingly, DeltaEGFR specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors reduced Bcl-XL expression and potentiated CDDP-induced apoptosis in U87MG.DeltaEGFR cells. Ectopic overexpression of Bcl-XL in parental U87MG cells also resulted in suppression of both caspase activation and apoptosis induced by CDDP. These results may have important clinical implications for the use of CDDP in the treatment of those malignant gliomas expressing DeltaEGFR.
Feature sensitive deformation for triangular mesh models

Shape deformation is a useful tool for shape modeling and animation in computer graphics. In this paper, we propose a novel surface deformation method based on a feature sensitive (FS) metric. Firstly, taking unit normal vectors into account, we derive a FS Laplacian operator, which is more sensitive to featured regions of mesh models than existing operators. Secondly, we use the 1‐ring tetrahedron in the dual mesh, a volumetric structure, to encode geometric details. To preserve the shape of the tetrahedron, we introduce linear tetrahedron constraints minimizing both the distortion of the base triangle and the change of the corresponding height. These ensure that geometric details are accurately preserved during deformation. The time complexity of our new method is similar to that of existing linear Laplacian methods. Examples are included to show that our FS deformation method better preserves mesh details, especially features, than existing Laplacian methods. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Geometric calibration of focused light field camera for 3-D flame temperature measurement

Focused light field camera can be used to measure three-dimensional (3-D) temperature field of a flame because of its ability to record intensity and direction information of each ray from flame simultaneously. This work aims to develop a suitable geometric calibration method of focused light field camera for 3-D flame temperature measurement. A modified method based on Zhang's camera calibration is developed to calibrate the camera and the measurement system. A single focused light-field camera is used to capture images of bespoke calibration board for calibration in this study. Geometric parameters including intrinsic (i.e., camera parameters) and extrinsic (i.e., camera connecting with the calibration board) of the focused light field camera are calibrated to trace the ray projecting onto each pixel on CCD (charge-coupled device) sensor. Instead of using line features, corner point features are directly utilized for the calibration. The characteristics of focused light field camera including one 3-D point corresponding to several image points and matching main lens and microlens f-numbers, are used for calibration. Results with a focused light field camera are presented and discussed. Preliminary 3-D temperature distribution of a flame is also investigated and presented.
Delay-Dependent Exponential Optimal Synchronization for Nonidentical Chaotic Systems via Neural-Network-Based Approach

A novel approach is presented to realize the optimal exponential synchronization of nonidentical multiple time-delay chaotic (MTDC) systems via fuzzy control scheme. A neural-network (NN) model is first constructed for the MTDC system. Then, a linear differential inclusion (LDI) state-space representation is established for the dynamics of the NN model. Based on this LDI state-space representation, a delay-dependent exponential stability criterion of the error system derived in terms of Lyapunov's direct method is proposed to guarantee that the trajectories of the slave system can approach those of the master system. Subsequently, the stability condition of this criterion is reformulated into a linear matrix inequality (LMI). According to the LMI, a fuzzy controller is synthesized not only to realize the exponential synchronization but also to achieve the optimal performance by minimizing the disturbance attenuation level at the same time. Finally, a numerical example with simulations is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
Benefits of Sleep Extension on Sustained Attention and Sleep Pressure Before and During Total Sleep Deprivation and Recovery.

OBJECTIVES To investigate the effects of 6 nights of sleep extension on sustained attention and sleep pressure before and during total sleep deprivation and after a subsequent recovery sleep. DESIGN Subjects participated in two experimental conditions (randomized cross-over design): extended sleep (EXT, 9.8 ± 0.1 h (mean ± SE) time in bed) and habitual sleep (HAB, 8.2 ± 0.1 h time in bed). In each condition, subjects performed two consecutive phases: (1) 6 nights of either EXT or HAB (2) three days in-laboratory: baseline, total sleep deprivation and after 10 h of recovery sleep. SETTING Residential sleep extension and sleep performance laboratory (continuous polysomnographic recording). PARTICIPANTS 14 healthy men (age range: 26-37 years). INTERVENTIONS EXT vs. HAB sleep durations prior to total sleep deprivation. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Total sleep time and duration of all sleep stages during the 6 nights were significantly higher in EXT than HAB. EXT improved psychomotor vigilance task performance (PVT, both fewer lapses and faster speed) and reduced sleep pressure as evidenced by longer multiple sleep latencies (MSLT) at baseline compared to HAB. EXT limited PVT lapses and the number of involuntary microsleeps during total sleep deprivation. Differences in PVT lapses and speed and MSLT at baseline were maintained after one night of recovery sleep. CONCLUSION Six nights of extended sleep improve sustained attention and reduce sleep pressure. Sleep extension also protects against psychomotor vigilance task lapses and microsleep degradation during total sleep deprivation. These beneficial effects persist after one night of recovery sleep.
Remittances, Business Cycles and Poverty: The Recent Turkish Experience

We investigate whether remittances sent to Turkey by Turkish workers living in Germany are countercyclical or procyclical with Turkish and German national outputs and discuss the possible reasons underlying the resulting patterns and their implications. We also take up a previously unexplored issue and discuss poverty alleviation potential of remittances at a macroeconomic level by examining the statistical properties of any co-movements between remittances cycles and cycles in consumption spending on food and durable goods in Turkey. Our results reveal that the real remittance flows from Germany to Turkey move procyclically with the real output in Turkey, and are primarily driven by (largely independent of) the developments in the Turkish economy (German economy). We also find that remittances cycles remain procyclical to the consumption cycles throughout our sample period. This direct co-movement between the two cycles becomes synchronous, however, only after a phase shift occurring around 1992, pointing to the increasing role of the level of economic activity in Turkey as the leading determinant of remittance receipts from Germany and the declining strength of consumption smoothing motive over time. Our results all together point out a low potential for remittances sent from Germany to reduce poverty in Turkey, at least as far as the past fifteen years are concerned.
Modeling the energy consumption for concurrent executions of parallel tasks

Programming models using parallel tasks provide portable performance and scalability for modular applications on many high-performance systems. This is achieved by the flexibility of a two-level programming structure supporting mixed task and data parallelism. Due to the emerging importance of energy efficiency in high-performance computing, programming models with parallel tasks should be extended to be able to include energy concerns. Based on a well-accepted analytical energy model for a processor's energy consumption, this article explores the energy consumption of parallel tasks with communication that are executed concurrently with other tasks. Simulations show the different energy consumption scenarios for different task cooperations and demonstrate the potential for a flexible energy usage on varying parallel platforms.
Identification of Power Disturbances Using Generalized Morphological Open-Closing and Close-Opening Undecimated Wavelet

This paper proposes a new technique, generalized morphological open-closing and close-opening undecimated wavelet (GMOCUW), based on which a power disturbance identification scheme is developed. In order to extract features of power disturbances, the proposed scheme employs undecimated wavelet transform for its advantage in retaining information and reducing waveform distortion, multiscale morphological analysis for its ability in frequency analysis, and generalized morphological open-closing (GMOC) and generalized morphological close-opening (GMCO) operations for their advantages in information preserving. Power system computer aided design/electro-magnetic transient in dc system (PSCAD/EMTDC) was employed to construct a test power system to simulate eight types of power disturbances. Additionally, a laboratory platform was established to generate power quality (PQ) signals under real operating conditions. The performance of GMOCUW has been compared with that of morphological gradient wavelet (MGW), new dual neural-network-based methodology (NDNM), S-transform (ST), and Daubechies 4 wavelet (DB4W). Comparison results have proved that, in power disturbance detection, GMOCUW is more accurate and faster than these methods.
A real-time setup for multisite signal recording and processing in living neural networks

Bioelectronic systems using multielectrodes arrays (MEAs) make possible new experiments, based on long term analysis of neural system at the network level. In this paper we present an experimental platform that processes signals from a 60 electrode MEA and runs event (spike, burst, and stimulus artifact) detection and statistic in real-time. The minimum processing task (storage and monitoring) takes 25 mus and the full one takes 60 mus. The data is available for online and offline analysis: on the computer's screen, on the computer's hard disk, and on the TCP/IP layer.
Ovary and Ovulation: Home ovulation testing In a donor insemination service

: The use of home ovulation testing kits in donor insemination (DI) has been proposed to increase patient and clinic convenience while not compromising fecundity rates. Such a system was introduced into our DI service in December 1994, and we here report an audit of experience over 6 months. Patients were offered home or laboratory luteinizing hormone (LH) testing, and those requesting home testing were asked to store an aliquot of tested urine for subsequent assay in the laboratory allowing retrospective analysis of the accuracy of cycle timing. Insemination using cryopreserved semen was performed on the day home testing predicted ovulation, or on the day an LH surge was detected in the laboratory, and on the following day. Pregnancy rates were significantly reduced in home testers: 3.4% per cycle (174 cycles, 64 women) versus 12.7% (110 cycles, 53 women) over the same time period (P < 0.005, 95% confidence interval 6.5-18.9). Urine samples from 140 cycles from 51 women using home testing were analysed. There were insufficient data in nine to allocate the cycle. Of home tested cycles, 37 (28%) were inseminated on a day other than the first day of the LH surge. In 13 of these insemination was performed after the first day of the LH surge. Incorrect treatment was associated with high baseline LH, but those with 'late' treatment had low basal LH concentrations, similar to those correctly treated. Analysis of individual urine samples showed that the positive predictive value of home testing was 72%. These results suggest that home ovulation testing results in reduced chance of pregnancy, with increased frustration for both patients and clinic staff. This may be particularly so in women with high baseline LH concentrations.
Estimation of Smooth Impulse Response Functions MAJOR REVISION IN PROGRESS – PLEASE DO NOT CITE

I develop a method for optimally smoothing an estimated impulse response function. The degree of smoothing can be selected based on an unbiased estimate of the mean squared error, thus trading off bias and variance. The smoothing procedure is a member of a flexible and computationally convenient class of shrinkage estimators applicable to both time series and panel data. I give conditions under which the smoothed estimator dominates the initial non-smooth estimator in terms of mean squared error. I develop novel shrinkage confidence sets with valid coverage in a finite-sample normal location model with arbitrary known covariance structure. The finite-sample results imply uniform asymptotic validity of the confidence sets even when normality fails.
Comparison and evaluation of two C‐reactive protein assays based on particle‐enhanced immunoturbidimetry

The use of C‐reactive protein (CRP) assays is increasing for a wide range of clinical conditions, and consequently the analytical performance requirements for CRP assays are also changing. For this reason, manufacturers have been developing CRP assays based on different methodologies to provide both high sensitivity and a wide measuring range. However, it is questionable whether these methods can meet the desired requirements for CRP assays. CRP Latex on the Cobas Integra 400 and CRP Tina‐quant Latex on the Modular Analytics‐P were evaluated in terms of detection limit, linearity, intra‐ and interassay precision, and comparability with 268 patient samples. The intra‐ and interassay precision of the two methods was <4.1% in the three pools with CRP concentrations ranging from 6.9 to 215 mg/L, and >10% in the pool with concentrations of ∼0.60 mg/L. The detection limits for CRP Latex and Tina‐quant Latex were 0.20 and 0.22 mg/L, respectively. Both methods were linear up to 215 mg/L. There was a good agreement between the two assays, except for a scattering at concentrations near the detection limits. Deming regression analysis for CRP Latex (x‐axis) and Tina‐quant Latex (y‐axis) yielded a slope of 1.067±0.018, an intercept of –0.148±0.358, and an Sy∣x of 5.10 (r=0.996, P<0.0001). The two assays gave comparable results. Low precision was determined for both assays, except for the low pool with a concentration of ∼0.60 mg/L. We concluded that both of these assays should be improved to meet high‐sensitivity criteria. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 21:71–76, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Unrecognized carotid artery stenosis discovered by calcifications on a panoramic radiograph.

BACKGROUND Approximately 730,000 strokes occur each year in the United States, costing an estimated $40 billion annually. One-half of all strokes are the result of atherosclerotic plaques found in the carotid artery. Such plaques frequently are heavily calcified and can be identified on a panoramic radiograph by the incidental finding of calcifications overlying the carotid bifurcation. CASE DESCRIPTION The authors found that a 67-year-old asymptomatic woman had calcium deposits overlying both carotid bifurcation regions on a panoramic radiograph. Subsequent duplex ultrasonic examination indicated bilateral, high-grade carotid arterial stenoses. The patient underwent uneventful bilateral carotid endarterectomy. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS The patient had critical carotid arterial stenoses associated with significant risk of stroke that had not been identified otherwise. The findings on the panoramic radiograph led to appropriate and potentially life-saving treatment. While the positive predictive value of this finding has yet to be defined, the authors believe that calcifications overlying the carotid system region seen on panoramic radiography in an asymptomatic patient should be followed by formal evaluation of the carotid bifurcation.