Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase as an Inhibitor of the Fas/CD95 Death-inducing Signaling Complex*

Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) is a member of the Src-related Tec family of protein tyrosine kinases. Mutations in the btk gene have been linked to severe developmental blocks in human B-cell ontogeny leading to X-linked agammaglobulinemia. Here, we provide unique biochemical and genetic evidence that BTK is an inhibitor of the Fas/APO-1 death-inducing signaling complex in B-lineage lymphoid cells. The Src homology 2, pleckstrin homology (PH), and kinase domains of BTK are all individually important and apparently indispensable, but not sufficient, for its function as a negative regulator of Fas-mediated apoptosis. BTK associates with Fas via its kinase and PH domains and prevents the FAS-FADD interaction, which is essential for the recruitment and activation of FLICE by Fas during the apoptotic signal. Fas-resistant DT-40 lymphoma B-cells rendered BTK-deficient through targeted disruption of the btk gene by homologous recombination knockout underwent apoptosis after Fas ligation, but wild-type DT-40 cells or BTK-deficient DT-40 cells reconstituted with wild-type human btk gene did not. Introduction of an Src homology 2 domain, a PH domain, or a kinase domain mutant humanbtk gene into BTK-deficient cells did not restore the resistance to Fas-mediated apoptosis. Introduction of wild-type BTK protein by electroporation rendered BTK-deficient DT-40 cells resistant to the apoptotic effects of Fas ligation. BTK-deficient RAMOS-1 human Burkitt’s leukemia cells underwent apoptosis after Fas ligation, whereas BTK-positive NALM-6-UM1 human B-cell precursor leukemia cells expressing similar levels of Fas did not. Treatment of the anti-Fas-resistant NALM-6-UM1 cells with the leflunomide metabolite analog α-cyano-β-methyl-β-hydroxy-N-(2, 5-dibromophenyl)propenamide, a potent inhibitor of BTK, abrogated the BTK-Fas association without affecting the expression levels of BTK or Fas and rendered them sensitive to Fas-mediated apoptosis. The ability of BTK to inhibit the pro-apoptotic effects of Fas ligation prompts the hypothesis that apoptosis of developing B-cell precursors during normal B-cell ontogeny may be reciprocally regulated by Fas and BTK.
Consensus-based adaptive control for systems with different tracking tasks

This paper focuses on applying the existing consensus idea to adaptive control design. A novel adaptive control approach, called consensus-based adaptive control (CBAC), is proposed for parametric large-scale systems. It is assumed that in each subsystems the unknown parameter vectors are same, but the tracking tasks are different. Each subsystems can use communication networks to exchange their learning information instead of their states. Two cases of communication topologies are investigated in this paper. It is proved in each case that the estimate of unknown parameters in all subsystems can converge to a common constant vector and all subsystems can asymptotically achieve the tracking tasks. A simulation example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the control scheme proposed in this paper.
Stable Iterative Correlation-based Tuning algorithm for servo systems

This paper proposes an iterative Correlation-based Tuning (CbT) algorithm which guarantees the control system stability throughout the iterations. The new algorithm is based on a Robbins-Monro procedure which ensures the iterative tuning of controller parameters such that to minimize a cost function expressed as the squared sum of the cross-correlation function between the output error and the reference input. The control system stability is tested using the coprime factor uncertainty of the controller, and the small gain theorem for discrete-time systems is applied. Nonparametric frequency domain models are employed in the calculation of the bounds on systems' gains. A case study concerning the speed control of a nonlinear servo system is included to validate the new stable CbT algorithm, and experimental results are given.
Corporate income taxation and multinational production

Through the lens of a quantitative general equilibrium model of international trade and multinational production, this paper studies corporate tax competition and cooperation among asymmetric countries. The model theoretically supports the empirical regularities that corporate income taxation influences multinational firms' location and production decisions. Calibrating the model to three asymmetric countries for a hypothetical tax competition, I find that race to the bottom occurs in the Nash equilibrium. Furthermore, counterfactual analysis of the global minimum corporate tax shows welfare reduction compared to the equilibrium of tax competition but welfare improvement compared to the current tax regime.
Induction of the celC operon of Clostridium thermocellum by laminaribiose

Clostridium thermocellum is an anaerobic, thermophilic, cellulolytic, and ethanogenic bacterium. It produces an extracellular multiprotein complex termed the cellulosome, which consists of >70 subunits, most of them glycosyl hydrolases. It also produces many free glycosyl hydrolases. How the organism commands such a large number of genes and proteins for biomass degradation is an intriguing yet unresolved question. We identified glyR3, which is cotranscribed with the cellulase/hemicellulase genes celC and licA, as a potential cellulase transcription regulator. The gel-shift assay (EMSA) revealed that the recombinant GlyR3 bound specifically to the celC promoter region. GlyR3 was also identified from the lysate of the lichenan-grown cells, which bound to the same sequence. DNase I footprinting and competitive EMSA showed the binding site to be an 18-bp palindromic sequence with one mismatch. The DNA-binding activity was specifically inhibited by laminaribiose, a β-1-3 linked glucose dimer, in a dose-dependent manner. In in vitro transcription analysis, celC expression was repressed by rGlyR3 in a dose-dependent manner. The repression was relieved by laminaribiose, also in a dose-dependent manner. These results indicate that GlyR3 is a negative regulator of the celC operon consisting of celC, glyR3, and licA, and inducible by laminaribiose. Thus, the bacterium may modulate the biosynthesis of its enzyme components to optimize its activity on an available biomass substrate, in this case, β-1-3 glucan, because both CelC and LicA are active on the substrate. The results further indicate that, despite the insolubility of the biomass substrate, regulation of the degradative enzymes can be accomplished through soluble sugars generated by the action of the enzymes.
Posterior Rotational Intertrochanteric Osteotomy in Femoral Head Deformities

Objective: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical and radiological results of posterior rotational intertrochanteric osteotomy used in the treatment of residual femoral head deformity. Materials and Methods: In this study, the clinical and radiological results of posterior rotational intertrochanteric osteotomy performed on 12 patients in our clinic were examined. The mean follow-up period was 35.4 (12-72) months. The patients were evaluated radiologically by considering the center-edge (CE) angle, femoral neck-shaft angle, epiphyseal quotient and Severin classification. The patients were evaluated clinically by considering the McKay classification, leg length difference and Trendelenburg test. Results: The McKay clinical scores were significantly improved in the postoperative period compared to the preoperative period (p<0.05). The mean extremity shortness was 0.8 cm preoperatively and decreased to 0.2 cm postoperatively (p=0.007). While eight patients had hip pain during daily activity in the preoperative period, only one patient had hip pain during daily activity in the postoperative period. The Severin radiological scores were significantly improved in the postoperative period compared to the preoperative period (p<0.05). Conclusion: The shortand long-term results of posterior rotational intertrochanteric osteotomy used in the treatment of residual femoral head deformity were found to be successful both clinically and radiologically.
6Mhz Bulk-Mode Resonator with Q Values Exceeding One Million

In this paper, we report a 6.3 MHz Lame-mode square resonator with fully differential drive and sense electronics, exhibiting quality factor, Q values exceeding 1 million in ambient pressures as high as 100 Pa. A maximum Q value of 1.6 million was experimentally measured at vacuum pressure of 36 muTorr. It was also experimentally observed that the Q value for the bulk mode resonator was relatively independent for pressures below 100 Pa suggesting that the Q is pressure limited for pressure higher than 100 Pa. This resonator was fabricated using SOIMUMPs process from MEMSCAP.
Intra- and interobserver agreement on cervical volume and flow indices during pregnancy using transvaginal 3-dimensional ultrasonography and Doppler angiography.

OBJECTIVES To assess intra- and interobserver agreement in cervical volume and flow indices measurements. METHOD We prospectively examined 126 patients by two seperate observers using transvaginal 3D gray-scale and power Doppler ultrasound. The two acquired volume datasets were analyzed using the VOCAL imaging program for assessing cervical volume, vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI), and vascularization flow index (VFI). Reproducibility of volume and vascularity measurement was assessed by calculating intraclass (intra-CC) and interclass (inter-CC) correlation coefficients (ICCs). RESULTS Both intraobserver and interobserver cervical volume measurements were in perfect agreement with intra-CC values of 0.95, 0.96 for both examiners and with an inter-CC value of 0.95. Intraobserver agreement for VI, FI and VFI measurements were as good as the interobserver agreement for VI, and VFI measurements were adequate but less for FI measurements (inter-CC 0.67). Overall, volumetric data were more reliably acquirable than power Doppler measurements. CONCLUSIONS 3D ultrasound gray-scale and power Doppler measurement of cervical volume and vascularization have acceptable intra- and interobserver variations and thus may be used in clinical research of cervical physiology and pathophysiology during pregnancy.
An Empirical Comparison of Supervised Ensemble Learning Approaches

We present an extensive empirical comparison between twenty prototypical supervised ensemble learning algorithms, including Boosting, Bagging, Random Forests, Rotation Forests, Arc-X4, Class-Switching and their variants, as well as more recent techniques like Random Patches. These algorithms were compared against each other in terms of threshold, ranking/ordering and probability metrics over nineteen UCI benchmark datasets with binary labels. We also examine the influence of two base learners, CART and Extremely Randomized Trees, and the effect of calibrating the models via Isotonic Regression on each performance metric. The selected datasets were already used in various empirical studies and cover different application domains. The experimental analysis was restricted to the hundred most relevant features according to the SNR filter method with a view to dramatically reducing the computational burden involved by the simulation. The source code and the detailed results of our study are publicly available.
Characterization of a Procine Amelogenin Preparation, EMADOGAIN, a Biological Treatment for Periodontal Disease

EMDOGAIN is derived from porcine developing enamel matrix and has been shown to facilitate regeneration of the periodontium, although its mechanism of action is unknown. The aim of the present study was to identify enamel matrix proteins and proteolytic enzymes present in EMDOGAIN and compare them with those extracted from developing porcine enamel itself. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), Western blotting, and zymography were used to identify the proteins present and to determine their enzyme activity. The results showed that developing enamel contained amelogenins, albumin, amelin, and enamelin. EMDOGAIN, however, contained only amelogenins. Both metalloendoproteases and serine protease activity were revealed in both EMDOGAIN and developing enamel. The roles of the amelogenin and enzyme components, if any, in periodontal regeneration are unknown.
The Anti-Inflammatory Fungal Compound (S)-Curvularin Reduces Proinflammatory Gene Expression in an In Vivo Model of Rheumatoid Arthritis

In previous studies, we identified the fungal macrocyclic lactone (S)-curvularin (SC) as an anti-inflammatory agent using a screening system detecting inhibitors of the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription pathway. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether SC is able to decrease proinflammatory gene expression in an in vivo model of a chronic inflammatory disease. Therefore, the effects of SC and dexamethasone were compared in the model of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice. Total genomic microarray analyses were performed to identify SC target genes. In addition, in human C28/I2 chondrocytes and MonoMac6 monocytes, the effect of SC on proinflammatory gene expression was tested at the mRNA and protein level. In the CIA model, SC markedly reduced the expression of a number of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines involved in the pathogenesis of CIA as well as human rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In almost all cases, the effects of SC were comparable with those of dexamethasone. In microarray analyses, we identified additional new therapeutic targets of SC. Some of them, such as S100A8, myeloperoxidase, or cathelicidin, an antimicrobial peptide, are known to be implicated in pathophysiological processes in RA. Similar anti-inflammatory effects of SC were also observed in human C28/I2 chondrocyte cells, which are resistant to glucocorticoid treatment. These data indicate that SC and glucocorticoid effects are mediated via independent signal transduction pathways. In summary, we demonstrate that SC is a new effective anti-inflammatory compound that may serve as a lead compound for the development of new drugs for the therapy of chronic inflammatory diseases.
Generalized cascaded Multi Level Inverter using reduced number of components with PV systems

A Multi Level Inverter (MLI) has numerous industrial applications over a conventional two-level inverter due to its attractive features like it produces staircase output waveform with very lower distortion, it has less dv/dt stresses on switches, it operates effectively in both symmetric and asymmetric states, it performs at lower switching frequency and hence lower switching loss, etc. But, unfortunately, it needs greater number of power semiconductor switches and associated gate drive circuits. So, it may cause the overall system to be more complex and expensive. This paper presents a new topology of MLI with reduced number of semi conductor switches typically called as generalized cascaded MLI (with constant DC voltage sources). It can be analysed in both symmetric and asymmetric states by considering different criteria for optimal structures such as minimum number of DC sources, gate driver circuits, power electronic switches, minimum standing voltage on switches etc. In this work, DC source is realized using Photo Voltaic (PV) systems. The most well-known Perturb and Observe (P&O) algorithm is used for PV systems to achieve Maximum Power Point (MPP). The efficacy of aforementioned method is verified through Total Harmonic Distortion by taking R and RL loads. The simulation has been accomplished in MATLAB.
Estimated Change in Blood Lead Concentration in Control Populations

Abstract Investigators have conducted several studies to assess the effectiveness of lead hazard interventions in reducing children's blood lead levels. For practical and ethical reasons, many of these studies have not included control populations. It is, therefore, impossible for researchers to determine to what extent the reported decline in blood lead concentrations has resulted from intervention versus other factors. In the current retrospective analysis, the authors estimated the change in children's blood lead levels in control populations at 12-mo follow-up. The results suggest that an average 9% decline may be attributed to factors that are unrelated to intervention. Declines of approximately 25% have been reported following several lead-hazard interventions. For these studies, the results of the authors' analysis suggest that approximately 16% of the decline is attributed directly to the intervention.
Understanding IT transformation - an explorative study

Abstract Information technology has become a critical factor for enterprises of all sizes. However, after years of increasing business process digitisation, companies face various challenges: On the one hand, the number of information systems and the intensity of their use have significantly increased, and the IT landscape’s inherent complexity requires a great deal of effort to change the existing information systems; on the other hand, companies are forced to continuously adapt to the fast-paced business environment and realise that their IT landscapes can no longer cope with the current and future business requirements. As IT is increasingly regarded as a hindering factor, companies launch IT transformation initiatives to overcome the dilemma of their overly complex IT landscapes. The purpose of this article is to investigate the nature and characteristics of IT transformation. Using the resource-based view as a theoretical lens, we suggest conceptualising IT transformation as a fundamental IT capability and resource change. On the basis of three case studies, we analyse the changes in IT capabilities and resources in the course of IT transformation and explore their interplay with business capabilities. Our empirical results confirm the nature of IT transformation as a second-order change affecting technological and human IT resources’ ‘deep-structure’. From our cross-case analysis, we identify a set of technological IT capabilities induced by IT transformation as well as dynamic human IT capabilities required to manage this set’s reconfiguration. Keywords: IT Transformation, Business Capabilities, IT Capabilities, Business IT Alignment, Resource-based View, Case Study.
No Pain No Game : A Mobile Approach to Childhood Obesity Prevention

This paper details the development of an end-to-end wireless system that provides children with reward based incentives in exchange for increased physical activity. An Android application provides the children with dynamic information provided by an expert in nutrition or behavior and tracks how many steps they have taken throughout the day via software that utilizes the phone’s accelerometer. Based on the amount of information the child has digested and the distance they have walked throughout the day, the child is awarded screen time and is educated on the subject of childhood obesity. The screen (television, video game console, computer, etc.) is controlled via a home automation hardware system connected to a web server. By using data from accelerometers exclusively, as opposed to tracking movement with GPS, the application can track the user’s activity with relatively small amount of computation and drain on the battery.
Self-perceived oral health and periodontal parameters in chronic periodontitis patients with and without rheumatoid arthritis.

AIM It is hypothesized that self-perceived oral health and periodontal status are worse in chronic periodontitis (CP) patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to CP patients without RA. The aim of the present study was to assess self-perceived oral health and periodontal parameters in CP patients with and without RA. METHODS Fifty CP patients with RA and 50 CP patients without RA were included. Information regarding sociodemographic characteristics and self-perceived oral symptoms were collected using a questionnaire. Periodontal parameters (plaque index, bleeding on probing, probing depth, clinical attachment loss, number of missing teeth, and marginal bone loss) were recorded. RESULTS There was no significant difference in socioeconomic status, education status, self-perceived oral symptoms, and periodontal parameters among CP patients with and without RA. CONCLUSIONS Self-perceived oral health and periodontal parameters are mainly governed by the intensity of CP, and the role of RA in this context seems to be rather secondary.
Face Recognition of the Rhinopithecus Roxellana Qinlingensis Based on Improved HOG and Sparse Representation

With the researches on face recognition of Rhinopithecusroxellanaqinlingensis, this thesis comes up with some methods that refining traditional HOG and Sparse Representation in order to improve the efficiency in recognizing golden monkeys. As we know, improved HOG is an optimal way to show partial information of an image. Besides, it can also plays an crucial role in staying stability in both optical and geometric distortion, which means the changes in expressions, postures and angles of golden monkeys can also be ignored. By using these characteristics as a alternation of original images to be a part of Sparse dictionary, and make a facial recognition on golden monkey with Sparse Representation, which can be a ideal method to erase many unnecessary messages and improve the accuracy on facial recognition of golden monkeys. Compared with mainstream method in recognition, this method is more reliable and effective and has a higher efficiency in recognition.
Making love in the network closet: the benefits and work of family videochat

In this paper, we explore the benefits of videochat for families and the corresponding work that home users engage in to make a video call run smoothly. We explore the varieties of social work required, including coordination work, presentation work, behavioral work, and scaffolding work, as well as the technical work necessary. We outline the benefits families enjoy for doing this work and discuss the ways in which families use videochat to reinforce their identity as a family and reinforce their family values, in effect making - as in creating - love. We conclude with recommendations for improving videochat and for designing with family values in mind more generally.
Iterative solution of the 3D full vectorial inverse source problem

A flexible imaging algorithm is presented and analyzed which solves the full vectorial inverse source problem. The source currents are assumed to be frequency independent and the radiation is captured in a wide frequency band. The algorithm is based on an iterative solver. The number of iterations which is required to obtain a proper image depends on the measurement scenario. It is shown that stronger coupling between the co- and cross-polarized field probes results in a slower convergence.