Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficient bit-level systolic array implementation of FIR and IIR digital filters

Bit-level systolic architectures based on an inner-product computation scheme for finite-impulse response (FIR) and infinite-impulse-response (IIR) digital are presented. The FIR filter structure is optimized in the sense that for a given clock rate, both the utilization efficiency and average throughput are maximized. The IIR filter structure has approximately the same utilization efficiency and throughput rate as previous related techniques for processing a single data stream (channel), but it allows two data streams to be processed concurrently to double the performance. This feature makes the IIR system attractive for use in applications where multiple filtering and particularly bandpass analysis are required. >
Whole-Genome Sequences of Nine Francisella Isolates

ABSTRACT Primarily a zoonotic disease, Francisella tularensis is a fastidious intracellular pathogen and is listed as a CDC category A pathogen with notably high pathogenicity. Here we present the scaffolded genome assemblies of nine Francisella strains: eight F. tularensis and one F. philomiragia.
Purification, Characterization, and cDNA Cloning of a 27-kDa Lectin (L10) from Horseshoe Crab Hemocytes (*)

We separated granular components of horseshoe crab hemocytes by a combination of centrifugation on sucrose density gradient and high performance liquid chromatography, and a 27-kDa protein termed L10 was found to be a major component in the large granules (Shigenaga, T., Takayenoki, Y., Kawasaki, S., Seki, N., Muta, T., Toh, Y., Ito, A., and Iwanaga, S.(1993) J. Biochem. (Tokyo) 114, 307-316). In the present work, lectin activity of this protein and its unique primary structure were elucidated. L10 was purified by four steps of chromatography, including dextran sulfate-Sepharose CL-6B, CM-Sepharose CL-6B, Sephacryl S-200, and Mono S. At least three 27-kDa isoproteins, named L10a, L10b, and L10c, were isolated. Their amino acid compositions were almost indistinguishable, and there were no amino sugars. All the isoforms had hemagglutinating activity against human A-type erythrocytes, in a Ca-independent manner with L10b showing the highest activity. The L10b-mediated hemagglutination was inhibited in the presence of N-acetylglucosamine or N-acetylallolactosamine, and the association constant (K) between L10b and N-acetylglucosamine was 1.95 × 104M. Furthermore, L10b specifically agglutinated Staphylococcus saprophyticus KD. Ultracentrifugation analysis revealed that L10b is present in monomer form in solution. A cDNA coding for an isoform of L10 was isolated from a hemocyte cDNA library. The open reading frame of the 768-base pair cDNA coded for the signal sequence of 19 residues. The mature protein had 236 residues with the calculated molecular weight of 26,757. Amino acid sequences of the peptides derived from L10c exactly corresponded to the predicted sequence of the cDNA, whereas amino acid replacements of Ile-129 to Val and His-213 to Tyr existed both in L10a and L10b, suggesting that the cDNA codes for L10c. Cysteine was absent and there were five tandem repeats with 47 amino acids in each segment with internal sequence identities of 49-68%. The entire amino acid sequences had no significant sequence similarity with other known proteins.
Grammar supported indoor mapping

In this paper, we will demonstrate that the automatic interpretation of a single photograph of an evacuation plan can be used for the reconstruction of a coarse indoor model. In addition to the coarse model, these photographs may also provide the user with two essential values for positioning approaches delivering only relative coordinates. Such a positioning approach, in turn, can be used to refine the coarse model e.g. by automatic reconstruction of door openings. To further robustify our approach, object knowledge will be introduced by means of a formal grammar for indoor modeling.
Vaccine Targeting of Subdominant CD8+ T Cell Epitopes Increases the Breadth of the T Cell Response upon Viral Challenge, but May Impair Immediate Virus Control

As a result of the difficulties in making efficient vaccines against genetically unstable viruses such as HIV, it has been suggested that future vaccines should preferentially target subdominant epitopes, the idea being that this should allow a greater breadth of the induced T cell response and, hence, a greater efficiency in controlling escape variants. However, to our knowledge the evidence supporting this concept is limited at best. To improve upon this, we used the murine lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus model and adenoviral vectors to compare a vaccine expressing unmodified Ag to a vaccine expressing the same Ag without its immunodominant epitope. We found that removal of the dominant epitope allowed the induction of CD8+ T cell responses targeting at least two otherwise subdominant epitopes. Importantly, the overall magnitude of the induced T cell responses was similar, allowing us to directly compare the efficiency of these vaccines. Doing this, we observed that mice vaccinated with the vaccine expressing unmodified Ag more efficiently controlled an acute viral challenge. In the course of a more chronic viral infection, mice vaccinated using the vaccine targeting subdominant epitopes caught up with the conventionally vaccinated mice, and analysis of the breadth of the CD8+ T cell response revealed that this was notably greater in the former mice. However, under the conditions of our studies, we never saw any functional advantage of this. This may represent a limitation of our model, but clearly our findings underscore the importance of carefully weighing the pros and cons of changes in epitope targeting before any implementation.
Care Groups: A Model to Mentor Novice Nursing Students

To lessen anxiety and promote the acquisition of basic skills and professional values in novice students, faculty incorporated special groups, called Care Groups, in the curriculum. Care Groups promote caring relationships. They help students to succeed by decreasing their apprehension and anxiety when demonstrating basic nursing skills in a laboratory environment. The authors discuss the structure and process of Care Groups and the faculty’s role as mentor.
Spatial Formation Model for Initiating Conversation

— In a situation where a robot initiates conversation with a person, when is the appropriate timing and where is an appropriate position from which to say the first greeting word? In this study, we analyze human interaction and establish a model for a natural way of initiating conversation. The model mainly concerns the participation state [1] and spatial formation [2]. When a person is going to participate in a conversation, at a moment when a particular spatial formation occurs, she would feel that she is participating in the conversation; once she perceived her participation she would try to maintain particular spatial formations. There are theories in human communication for these concepts [1, 2], but they only cover the situation after people have started to talk. We build a model that precisely describes the constraints and expected behaviors for the phase of initiating conversation. The proposed model is implemented in a humanoid robot, and it is confirmed as effective in an evaluation experiment based on a shopkeeper scenario.
Analysis of Hantavirus Genetic Diversity in Argentina: S Segment-Derived Phylogeny

ABSTRACT Nucleotide sequences were determined for the complete S genome segments of the six distinct hantavirus genotypes from Argentina and for two cell culture-isolated Andes virus strains from Chile. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that, although divergent from each other, all Argentinian hantavirus genotypes group together and form a novel phylogenetic clade with the Andes virus. The previously characterized South American hantaviruses Laguna Negra virus and Rio Mamore virus make up another clade that originates from the same ancestral node as the Argentinian/Chilean viruses. Within the clade of Argentinian/Chilean viruses, three subclades can be defined, although the branching order is somewhat obscure. These are made of (i) “Lechiguanas-like” virus genotypes, (ii) Maciel virus and Pergamino virus genotypes, and (iii) strains of the Andes virus. Two hantavirus genotypes from Brazil, Araraquara and Castello dos Sonhos, were found to group with Maciel virus and Andes virus, respectively. The nucleocapsid protein amino acid sequence variability among the members of the Argentinian/Chilean clade does not exceed 5.8%. It is especially low (3.5%) among oryzomyine species-associated virus genotypes, suggesting recent divergence from the common ancestor. Interestingly, the Maciel and Pergamino viruses fit well with the rest of the clade although their hosts are akodontine rodents. Taken together, these data suggest that under conditions in which potential hosts display a high level of genetic diversity and are sympatric, host switching may play a prominent role in establishing hantavirus genetic diversity. However, cospeciation still remains the dominant factor in the evolution of hantaviruses.
New kinematic models for Pacific‐North America motion from 3 Ma to present, I: Evidence for steady motion and biases in the NUVEL‐1A Model

We use velocities derived from 2–4.5 years of continuous GPS observations at 21 sites on the Pacific and North American plates along with a subset of the NUVEL‐1A data to examine the steadiness of Pacific‐North America motion since 3.16 Ma, the transfer of Baja California to the Pacific plate, and the magnitude of biases in the NUVEL‐1A estimate of Pacific‐North America motion. We find that Pacific‐North America motion has remained steady since 3.16 Ma, but at rates significantly faster than predicted by NUVEL‐1A. In the vicinity of Baja California, our GPS‐derived model and recent seafloor spreading rates in the southern Gulf of California both indicate that the NUVEL‐1A model underestimates Pacific‐North America rates by 4±2 mm yr−1. Steady Pacific‐North America motion since 3.16 Myr and increasing seafloor spreading rates since 3.58 Myr in the Gulf of California imply that Pacific‐North America motion was partitioned between seafloor spreading in the Gulf of California and decelerating slip along faults in or offshore from the Baja peninsula.
Real-Time Image-Based Rendering Using Surface Proxies and Texture Packing

Abstract In this paper, we present a technique for image-based rendering of complex objects in real-time applications. Views of the object are projected onto the object's proxy, an approximation of the object's surface. This paper describes a system that consists of a novel technique for creating a proxy using the marching cubes algorithm, an algorithm for computing view textures based on a novel technique for texture packing, and a very fast rendering algorithm that only requires blending a few textures chosen from a small number of views. This system is used in SCI's OpenCL Performer 3.1 and is available online for download.
Diaquabis(2-ethyl-5-methylimidazole-4-sulfonato-κ2 N 3,O)nickel(II) dihydrate

In the title complex, [Ni(C6H9N2O3S)2(H2O)2]·2H2O, the NiII atom lies on an inversion center and is chelated by N and O atoms of two symmetry-equivalent imidazolesulfonate ligands in the basal plane, and two water O atoms in axial positions in an overall octahedral configuration. The crystal structure displays O—H⋯O and N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, which connect the components into an extended three-dimensional network.
Low power NDIR CO2 sensor based on CMOS IR emitter for boiler applications

In this paper we demonstrate the use of a CMOS infra-red emitter in a low power Non Dispersive Infra Red (NDIR) based carbon dioxide sensor for application in domestic boilers. Compared to conventional micro-bulbs as IR wideband sources, CMOS IR emitters offer several advantages: They are faster, smaller, have lower power consumption and can have integrated circuitry. The emitter is a 1.16 mm × 1.06 mm chip with an integrated FET drive and consists of a tungsten heater fabricated in a CMOS process followed by Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) to form a thin membrane to reduce power consumption. The NDIR sensor consists of the emitter and a commercial detector placed 5 mm apart in a simple tube. Operating the emitter at 10 Hz with a power consumption of only 40 mW, the sensor was measured in the range of 6-14% by volume of CO2, showing a resolution of 0.5%, a response time of 20 s, and low cross-sensitivity to humidity.
Complement and cell mediated cytotoxicity by antiendothelial cell antibodies in Takayasu's arteritis.

OBJECTIVE To study complement and cell mediated cytotoxicity by antiendothelial cell antibodies (AECA) in Takayasu's arteritis (TA). METHODS Complement dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) of AECA positive/negative TA sera were investigated by colorimetric MTT and 51Cr release assays, respectively, using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) as targets. RESULTS Seven of 12 (58%) sera positive for IgG and/or IgM AECA exhibited CDC in comparison to none of the 13 AECA negative sera (p = 0.0052). The median value of CDC of the AECA positive group was 14% (range 13-21%) and that of the AECA negative group was 1% (p = 0.0012). Interleukin 1beta (10 U/ml) treatment of HUVEC resulted in enhancement in CDC of 6 of the 7 AECA positive cytotoxic sera, the median enhancement being 17% (range 7-29%). Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (100 U/ml) treatment of the targets resulted in a median enhancement by 36% (range 25-55%) in the CDC of 3 of these 7 sera. No sera exhibited ADCC at any of the effector:target ratios tested (10:1 to 100:1). CONCLUSION AECA in TA mediate CDC against endothelial cells and may have a pathogenic role in the perpetuation of vascular damage in this disease.
Constraints on Dark Matter with Gamma-Ray Experiments and Future Observational Strategies

Indirect dark matter (DM) searches rely on detection of stable by-products of DM interactions to search for a signal of this elusive component of the Universe. Among these final products, gamma rays have recently played a major role in understanding the nature of the DM particle. We review the current status of indirect DM searches with gamma-ray observations and prospects with future instruments.
Prospective study of maternal alcohol intake during pregnancy or lactation and risk of childhood asthma: the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND Many women drink during pregnancy and lactation despite recommendations to abstain. In animals, alcohol exposure during pregnancy and lactation influences lung and immune development, plausibly increasing risk of asthma and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). Studies in humans are few. METHODS In the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study, we examined maternal alcohol intake during pregnancy and lactation in relation to risk of current asthma at 36 months (49,138 children), recurrent LRTIs by 36 months (39,791 children), and current asthma at 7 years (13,253 children). Mothers reported frequency and amount of alcohol intake each trimester and the first 3 months following delivery. We calculated adjusted relative risk (aRR), comparing children of drinkers to nondrinkers, using Generalized Linear Models. RESULTS A total of 31.8% of mothers consumed alcohol during first trimester, 9.7% during second trimester, and 15.6% during third trimester. Infrequent and low-dose prenatal alcohol exposure showed a modest statistically significant inverse association with current asthma at 36 months (aRRs ~ 0.85). No association was seen with the highest alcohol intakes during the first trimester when alcohol consumption was most common. RRs of maternal alcohol intake during pregnancy with recurrent LRTIs were ~1, with sporadic differences in risk for some metrics of intake, but without any consistent pattern. For current asthma at 7 years, similar inverse associations were seen as with current asthma at 36 months but were not statistically significant. Among children breastfed throughout the first 3 months of life, maternal alcohol intake during this time was not significantly associated with any of the 3 outcomes. CONCLUSIONS The low levels of alcohol exposure during pregnancy or lactation observed in this cohort were not associated with increased risk of asthma or recurrent LRTIs. The slight inverse associations of infrequent or low-dose prenatal alcohol exposure with asthma may not be causal.
Pathological mutations H187R and E196K facilitate subdomain separation and prion protein conversion by destabilization of the native structure

The mechanism of prion protein (PrP) conversion, the key event in prion diseases, is still not understood. We investigated how perturbations of interactions between the subdomains β1‐α1‐β2 and α2‐α3 affect PrP conversion. In vitro fibrillization and biophysical methods were used to relate mouse PrP conversion kinetics to thermodynamic stability. We show that pathologic mutations H187R and E196K destabilize PrP (by 3.2 and 1.1 kJ/mol, respectively, at pH 7) and accelerate fibrillization. At acidic pH, the major contribution to the destabilization of PrP comes from the protonation of histidine 187 because its replacement by tyrosine led to more stable protein (by 4.2 kJ/mol at pH 4) with slower fibrillization. Furthermore, we show that the introduction of a novel histidine residue into the subdomain interface (F198H) acts as a pH‐inducible switch that promotes conversion upon histidine protonation, whereas this effect is not observed when His residue is introduced at the protein surface (Y155H). We observed a strong correlation between the stability of native structure and kinetics of fibrillization of PrP variants. Our results show that pathologic mutations promote subdomain separation and suggest that stabilization of the native structure might be a viable strategy for the development of novel therapeutics for prion diseases. —Hadži, S. , Ondračka, A. , Jerala, R. , and Hafner‐Bratkovič, I. , Pathological mutations H187R and E196K facilitate subdomain separation and prion protein conversion by destabilization of the native structure. FASEB J. 29, 882–893 (2015). www.fasebj. org
Models for Simulating Switched Beam Antennas in Radio Planning

This paper presents two models of switched beam antennas that can be used in radio planning and interference mitigation studies based on Monte-Carlo analysis. The models are implemented in a sharing and compatibility study of two different radio systems that share the same geographical area and have neighboring frequency bands. The results agree very well with the one obtained using measured radiation patterns of the switched beam antenna, eliminating the inconvenience to know the radiation pattern of all the beams in the switched beam antenna
Design of a 180-Degree Single-Layer Divider to control Sidelobe and Crossover Levels in Butler-Matrix Beam-Switching Antenna

The authors propose the configuration of an additional circuit to a 4-way Butler matrix by single-layer post-wall waveguide. This circuit enables to control sidelobe and crossover levels by using four two-way dividers with unequal power division for an tapered amplitude distribution and 180 deg phase difference between the two output ports. The 180-degree divider consists of a 90-degree divider, a 90-degree phase shifter and a phase controller. The three components are designed to get the lowest sidelobe level, for an example.
Bcl-XL/Bax Proteins Direct the Fate of Embryonic Cortical Precursor Cells

ABSTRACT In the developing mouse brain, the highest Bcl-XL expression is seen at the peak of neurogenesis, whereas the peak of Bax expression coincides with the astrogenic period. While such observations suggest an active role of the Bcl-2 family proteins in the generation of neurons and astrocytes, no definitive demonstration has been provided to date. Using combinations of gain- and loss-of-function assays in vivo and in vitro, we provide evidence for instructive roles of these proteins in neuronal and astrocytic fate specification. Specifically, in Bax knockout mice, astrocyte formation was decreased in the developing cortices. Overexpression of Bcl-XL and Bax in embryonic cortical precursors induced neural and astrocytic differentiation, respectively, while inhibitory RNAs led to the opposite results. Importantly, inhibition of caspase activity, dimerization, or mitochondrial localization of Bcl-XL/Bax proteins indicated that the differentiation effects of Bcl-XL/Bax are separable from their roles in cell survival and apoptosis. Lastly, we describe activation of intracellular signaling pathways and expression of basic helix-loop-helix transcriptional factors specific for the Bcl-2 protein-mediated differentiation.
Reinforcement Self-Organizing Fuzzy Control Using Ant Colony Optimization

This paper proposes a Reinforcement Self-Organizing Fuzzy Control method using Ant Colony Optimization (RSOFCACO). Only reinforcement signals are required when using the RSOFC-ACO for fuzzy controller design. There are no fuzzy rules initially in RSOFC-ACO. An online fuzzy clustering method is used to generate fuzzy rules automatically during control process. The fuzzy clustering method flexibly partitions the input space and requires a smaller number of rules than a grid-type partition. The consequent part of each fuzzy rule is designed using Ant Colony Optimization (ACO). All candidate consequent control actions of a fuzzy rule are listed in advance. The tour of an ant is regarded as a combination of consequent actions selected from every rule. The used ACO approach aims to optimally select the consequent part from a set of candidate actions according to ant pheromone trails. The RSOFC-ACO method is applied to truck backing control problem and its performance is compared with other reinforcement fuzzy control methods to verify its efficiency and effectiveness.
A Study on Textual Features for Medical Records Classification

Healthcare domain is characterized by a huge amount of data, contained in medical records, reports, test results and so on. In order to give support to healthcare workers and manage relevant data in effective and efficient way, it is important to correctly classify the unstructured parts of text, embedded in the medical documents. In this paper, we propose a classification system for medical records categorization, focused on the combination of different methodologies, based on lexical, syntactical and semantic analysis of the documents. We will show that a Classification System based on a combination of different text analysis methodologies overcomes the performances of each methodology taken alone. The obtained results will be presented in terms of Accuracy-Rejection Curves. Eventually, pro and cons of the architecture proposed and some future work will be pointed out.
Habitual exercise state aware automatic running course provision

In this paper we present a novel approach for automatically generating running courses. There is no need of worries about overworking (over-training), as running workout courses are generated according to real-time detections of users' states. Reasoning is based on a running situation determination method that can be applied to various runners. Our designed method utilizes the users' running information based on habitual exercises to provide current running states. This recognition can easily adapt to incorporate the dynamic structure of a situation over time. In addition, we present an exemplary application that creates the routes of habitual running courses during his/her workout in real-time to assist the user in achieving a specific exercise goal. This application will not only assist a user to achieve some exercise goal, but also let the user running comfortably.