Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in cellular distribution regulate SKD1 ATPase activity in response to a sudden increase in environmental salinity in halophyte ice plant

Halophyte Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L. (ice plant) rapidly responds to sudden increases in salinity in its environment by activating specific salt-tolerant mechanisms. One major strategy is to regulate a series of ion transporters and proton pumps to maintain cellular Na+/K+ homeostasis. Plant SKD1 (suppressor of K+ transport growth defect 1) proteins accumulate in cells actively engaged in the secretory processes, and play a critical role in intracellular protein trafficking. Ice plant SKD1 redistributes from the cytosol to the plasma membrane hours after salt stressed. In combination with present knowledge of this protein, we suggest that stress facilitates SKD1 movement to the plasma membrane where ADP/ATP exchange occurs, and functions in the regulation of membrane components such as ion transporters to avoid ion toxicity.
Acyl-CoA:Lysophospholipid Acyltransferases*

Cell membranes contain several classes of glycerophospholipids, which have numerous structural and functional roles in the cells. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, including arachidonic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, are located at the sn-2 (but not sn-1)-position of glycerophospholipids in an asymmetrical manner. Using acyl-CoAs as donors, glycerophospholipids are formed by a de novo pathway (Kennedy pathway) and modified by a remodeling pathway (Lands' cycle) to generate membrane asymmetry and diversity. Both pathways were reported in the 1950s. Whereas enzymes involved in the Kennedy pathway have been well characterized, including enzymes in the 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate O-acyltransferase family, little is known about enzymes involved in the Lands' cycle. Recently, several laboratories, including ours, isolated enzymes working in the remodeling pathway. These enzymes were discovered not only in the 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate O-acyltransferase family but also in the membrane-bound O-acyltransferase family. In this review, we summarize recent studies on cloning and characterization of lysophospholipid acyltransferases that contribute to membrane asymmetry and diversity.
The Impact of Pension Freezes on Firm Value

This paper addresses the issue of value creation in the context of defined benefit pension freezes. In addition, we study the market response to freeze announcements. We find evidence that freezes do in fact enhance underlying firm value but that market valuation lags in responding to this increase. Economic logic supports the notion that pension freezes are value creating, as managers cite lower expense volatility and improved cost structure as top reasons for implementing a plan freeze. The lagged market response presents the possibility that markets are not semi-strong efficient with respect to pension freezes. In this regard, our results corroborate recent work from other researchers who have found various market inefficiencies related to defined benefit pensions. This journal article is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn. edu/wharton_research_scholars/39
Lung function in patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia: a cross-sectional and 3-decade longitudinal study.

RATIONALE Early diagnosis and treatment is considered important to prevent lung damage in primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). OBJECTIVES Few studies have addressed long-term evolution of lung function after PCD diagnosis. We investigated whether long-term lung function was dependent on age or level of lung function at PCD diagnosis. METHODS An observational, single-center, cross-sectional, and three-decade longitudinal study of FEV(1) and FVC related to age at diagnosis until current age was performed. Linear regression was used to describe the relation between first measured lung function values and age at diagnosis across the cohort. Courses of lung function after diagnosis and the according slopes were used to group patients into increasing, stable, or decreasing courses. Additionally, slopes from courses of 10 years of follow-up were related to age at diagnosis and initial level of lung function, respectively, using linear regression. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Seventy-four children and adults with PCD were observed for median 9.5 (range, 1.5-30.2) years during which 2,937 lung function measurements were performed. First measured FEV(1) was less than 80% of predicted in one-third of preschool-diagnosed children. During observation, 34% of patients lost more than 10 percentage points, 57% were stable, and 10% improved more than 10 percentage points in FEV(1). Courses of lung function after diagnosis were related to neither age at diagnosis nor initial level. CONCLUSIONS Our study strongly suggests that PCD is a disease of serious threat to lung function already at preschool age, and with a high degree of variation in courses of lung function after diagnosis that was not linked to either age or level of lung function at diagnosis. Early diagnosis did not protect against decline in lung function.
Faulty Sensor Data Detection in Wireless Sensor Networks Using Logistical Regression

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are commonly used to monitor changes in an environment and prevent disasters such as structural instability, forest fires, and tsunami. WSNs should rapidly respond to changes, and must process and analyze sensor data in a distributed way to minimize battery consumption. On the other hand, machine learning (ML) algorithms are a powerful tool for data analyzing. However, ML algorithms are so complex that cannot be executed on resource constrained sensor nodes. Another challenge of using ML algorithms in WSNs is that ML algorithms are difficult to be distributed on every sensor node. Because ML algorithms are based on statistics' methods that need collecting amount of data to approach accuracy. In this paper, we propose a method that divides a logistical regression ML method into two steps, then distributes the two steps into sink nodes and sensor nodes to detect faulty sensor data.
Compression of the ECG by Prediction or Interpolation and Entropy Encoding

Compression of digital electrocardiogram (ECG) signals is desirable for two reasons: economic use of storage space for data bases and reduction of the data transmission rate for compatibility with telephone lines. In a sample of 220 Frank4ead ECG's the removal of signal redundancy by second-order prediction or interpolation with subsequent entropy encoding of the respective residual errors was investigated. At the sampling rate of 200 Hz, interpolation provided a 6 dB smaller residual error variance than prediction. A near-optimal value for the interpolation coefficients is 0.5, permitting simple implementation of the algorithm and requiring a word length for arithmetic processing of only 2 bits in extent of the signal precision. For linear prediction, the effects of occasional transmission errors decay exponentially, whereas for interpolation they do not, necessitating error control in certain applications. Encoding of the interpolation errors by a Huffman code truncated to ±5 quantization levels of 30 ¿V, required an average word length of 2.21 bits/sample (upper 96 percentile 3 bits/sample), resulting in data transmission rates of 1327 bits/s (1800 bits/s) for three simultaneous leads sampled at the rate of 200 Hz. Thus, compared with the original signal of 8 bit samples at 500 Hz, the average compression is 9:1. Encoding of the prediction errors required an average wordlength of 2.67 bits/sample with a 96 percentile of 5.5 bits/sample, making this method less suitable for synchronous transmission.
Measuring governance and state capture: the role of bureaucrats and firms in shaping the business environment

Recent studies have focused on the characteristics and policies of the state to explain the extent and causes of corruption, with little attention paid to the role played by firms. Consequently, the links between corporate governance and national governance have been unexplored. This paper summarises the results of the Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS) across 20 transition economies, providing an assessment of governance and corruption from the perspective of firms. The BEEPS is part of the global World Business Environment Survey being carried out by the World Bank. The survey design permits an in-depth empirical analysis of governance and corruption, unbundling governance into its component dimensions. This allows a more detailed quantitative assessment of corruption, a more nuanced understanding of the causes of the problem and as a result a stronger foundation for policy advice. Particular attention is paid to "state capture" by parts of the corporate sector (i.e. the propensity of firms to shape the underlying "rules of the game" including "purchase" of legislation and court decisions). The survey also provides measures of other dimensions of "grand corruption" such as that related to public procurement. Typically, crosscountry surveys suffer from a potential bias if firms have a tendency to systematically overor underestimate the extent of problems in their own country. We implement a simple method for evaluating the extent of this "country perception bias" and find little evidence pointing to such bias in the BEEPS. JEL Classification Number: D72, P26
Identification of partial discharges in power transformers: An approach driven by practical experience

High voltage power transformers are the most challenging equipment for asset managers in that their failures are often due to thermal, electrical, ambient, and mechanical stresses that interact in a synergic way. An accurate failure mode analysis is often prevented by the compound nature of the insulation (partly solid, partly liquid, self-regenerative, and highly flammable) and by the high probability that failures involve explosions. Insulation failure is, by far, the costlier event with an average cost of about $150,000 (1999) per outage [1]. Therefore, it is worthwhile to understand better the symptoms that indicate an imminent failure.
An Electronic UWB Continuously Tunable Time-Delay System With Nanosecond Delays

We propose and demonstrate an electronic system achieving continuously tunable time-delays with nanosecond-scale delay excursions for ultra-wideband signals. Our demonstration system yields an adjustable delay of up to 1.6 ns for input signals spanning 3 to 7 GHz. The key component is a dispersive length of microstrip line created by etching a chirped electromagnetic bandgap structure in the conducting strip.
Evaluation of clinical checklists for fragile X syndrome screening in Brazilian intellectually disabled males

Patients with fragile X syndrome present a variable phenotype, which contributes to the underdiagnosing of this condition. The use of clinical checklists in individuals with intellectual disability can help in selecting patients to be given priority in the molecular investigation of the fragile X mutation in the FMR1 gene. Some features included in checklists are better predictors than others, but they can vary among different populations and with patient age. In the present study, we evaluated 20 features listed in four clinical checklists from the literature, using a sample of 192 Brazilian male patients presenting with intellectual disability (30 positive and 162 negative for fragile X mutation). After statistical analysis, 12 out of the 20 items analyzed showed significant differences in their distributions between the two groups. These features were grouped in a new checklist that can help clinicians in their referral for fragile X testing in patients with developmental delay.
Analytical Methods for Quality and Quantity Control of Food Supplements, Containing Caffeine

Many beverages such as soft drinks, coffee and tea contain the mild stimulant caffeine (C8H10N4O2). The caffeine content varies widely from about 100 μg/mL (100 ppm) in sodas to over 1000 μg/mL in certain types of coffee. For this reason the caffeine and the content in they need to be analyzed. A rapid and selective high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method is developed for the separation and determination of caffeine.
Target Controllability and Time Consistency: Complement to the Tinbergen Rule

The Tinbergen Rule states that achieving the desired targets requires an equal number of instruments. This paper shows that time inconsistency does not exist in the case of an equal number of instruments and targets. Target uncontrollability and time inconsistency, however, emerge as problems in the case of fewer instruments than targets. In this case, we obtain a necessary and sufficient condition for joint asymptotic controllability of target values, which complements the Tinbergen rule. The condition is identical under commitment and under discretion. If the condition does not hold, the steady-state values of target variables regress to their respective target values. The paper solves both problems by determining the central bank’s target values of inflation and output as well as the relative weight between stabilizing inflation and output. Intuitively, a proper target value trade-off solves target uncontrollability, whereas a proper relative weight achieves optimal target variability trade-off and solves time inconsistency. As a result, target values are controllable, establishing monetary policy credibility. Discretionary policy under the designed loss function, which replicates optimal policy under the social loss function, proves time-consistent. In addition, we identify two situations where the delegated weight equals the social weight, providing additional insight into time inconsistency.
Annotation: Repetitive behaviour in autism: a review of psychological research.

Repetitive behaviour is widely known to be one of three core and defining features of autism (ICD-10, World Health Organisation, 1990; DSM-IV, American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Any clinician who is told that a child repetitively flaps his arms, spends hours lining up Lego bricks, will not tolerate changes in routine, and has a peculiar fascination with the many varieties of electric fan available on the market will, before hearing anything about the social functioning or communicative abilities of that child, be deeply suspicious that the child is autistic. However, the literature on repetitive behaviour in autism reveals several paradoxes and inconsistencies. First, given the significant challenge that this class of behaviour can pose, the literature devoted to the study of this behaviour in autism is relatively small in comparison with the extensive literature on other aspects of autistic symptomatology. Whilst certain classes of repetitive behaviour have been described as nonspecific to autism (e.g. Prior & Macmillan, 1973), others have been suggested to be of particular significance to the disorder (e.g. U. Frith, 1989; Kanner, 1943; Wing & Gould, 1979). Finally, although repetitive behaviour is commonly defined as behaviour with no obvious goal or function (e.g. Hutt & Hutt, 1970), much of the literature concerning repetitive behaviour in autism has sought to explore what function this behaviour serves. The aim of this Annotation is to provide a review of what is known about repetitive behaviour in autism, its specificity to the syndrome, and the functions or mechanisms that might underlie this behaviour at the psychological level.
LEAN TRANSFORMATION: OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES, MANAGING PERFORMANCE, AND SUSTAINING SUCCESS

OF DISSERTATION To remain competitive in a global market, many organizations are transforming their operations from traditional management approaches to the lean philosophy. The success of the Toyota Production System in the automotive industry serves as a benchmark that organizations continually seek to emulate in search of similar results. Despite the abundance of lean resources, many organizations struggle to attain successful lean transformation. To facilitate investigation of the failure mechanisms and critical success factors of lean transformation, this dissertation addresses the following research questions: (1) Why do transformations from traditional organizational philosophies to lean fail? (2) What are the critical factors for lean transformation success? (3) What is the role of an organization’s human resource performance management system during the lean transformation journey? This dissertation utilizes a multi-method, multi-essay format to examine the research questions. First, managers from organizations in various stages of lean transformation are interviewed to establish a foundational research framework. Subsequently, a theoretical model is empirically tested based on data gathered from a survey of industry professionals with expertise in lean transformation. Data analysis techniques employed for this dissertation include: Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression, case descriptions, and case comparisons. Very few studies of lean transformation investigate behavioral influences and antecedents. This dissertation contributes to practitioners and researchers by offering a refined understanding of the role that human resource performance management can play in the overall lean transformation process. In an effort to characterize organizational outcomes resulting from lean transformation, this research introduces a new construct, Lean Transformation Success, to the literature. LEAN TRANSFORMATION: OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES, MANAGING PERFORMANCE, AND SUSTAINING SUCCESS
Resistance to apoptosis of HCW‐2 cells can be overcome by curcumin‐ or vincristine‐induced mitotic catastrophe

The term mitotic catastrophe has recently become widely used to describe a form of death affecting many cancer cells, which, because of severe DNA or mitotic spindle damage, are not able to bypass mitosis. We show here that cells of the HL‐60‐derived HCW‐2 line highly resistant to apoptosis, upon treatment with curcumin or vincristine, undergo mitotic catastrophe that is finalized by caspase 3 activation and oligonucleosomal DNA degradation. Curcumin is a natural dye, derived from Curcuma longa that has been shown to induce cell death in many cancer cells. Both treatments decrease cell proliferation and cell survival, arrest cells in G2/M phase of cell cycle and induce morphological changes characterized by cell enlargement and micronucleation. “Catastrophic” cells comprise a separate subpopulation with less than 4C DNA, as evidenced by flow and scanning cytometry. This subpopulation is MPM‐2 positive. Thymidine block increased the number of cell arrested in the G2/M phase of cell cycle and curcumin effectiveness as an inducer of mitotic catastrophe. Curcumin, but not vincristine, acts on HCW‐2 cells by inhibiting the expression of survivin, a modulator of cell division and apoptosis in cancer. Altogether our results show that apoptosis resistance can be overcome by inducing mitotic catastrophe in HCW‐2 cells. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Thickness-shear vibrations of rotated Y-cut quartz plates with imperfectly bonded surface mass layers

A solution is obtained from the three-dimensional equations of linear piezoelectricity for the pure thickness-shear vibration of rotated Y-cut quartz or langasite plates with imperfectly bonded surface mass layers. The solution includes a few results in the literature as special cases. It is shown that the mass layers lower the resonant frequencies when they are relatively perfectly bonded to the crystal surface, and that loosely bonded mass layers may raise the frequencies. The results are useful in the analysis of frequency stability of quartz resonators and acoustic wave sensors.
RTL power modeling and estimation of sleep transistor based power gating

We present an accurate RT level estimation methodology describing the power consumption of a component under power gating. By developing separate models for the on- and off-state and the transition cost between them, we can limit errors to below 10% compared to SPICE. The models support several implementation styles of power gating as NMOS/PMOS or Super-Cutoff. Additionally the models can be used to size the sleep transistors more accurate. We show, how the models can be integrated into a high level power estimation framework supporting design space exploration for several design for leakage methodologies.
Expression of Hairy/enhancer of split genes in neural progenitors and neurogenesis domains of the adult zebrafish brain

All subdivisions of the adult zebrafish brain maintain niches of constitutive neurogenesis, sustained by quiescent and multipotent progenitor populations. In the telencephalon, the latter potential neural stem cells take the shape of radial glia aligned along the ventricle and are controlled by Notch signalling. With the aim of identifying new markers of this cell type and of comparing the effectors of embryonic and adult neurogenesis, we focused on the family of hairy/enhancer of split [E(spl)] genes. We report the expression of seven hairy/E(spl) (her) genes and the new helt gene in three neurogenic areas of the adult zebrafish brain (telencephalon, hypothalamus, and midbrain) in relation to radial glia, proliferation, and neurogenesis. We show that the expression of most her genes in the adult brain characterizes quiescent radial glia, whereas only few are expressed in progenitor domains engaged in active proliferation or neurogenesis. The low proliferation status of most her‐positive progenitors contrasts with the embryonic nervous system, in which her genes are expressed in actively dividing progenitors. Likewise, we demonstrate largely overlapping expression domains of a set of her genes in the adult brain, which is in striking contrast to their distinct embryonic expression profiles. Overall, our data provide a consolidated map of her expression, quiescent glia, proliferation, and neurogenesis in these various subdivisions of the adult brain and suggest distinct regulation and function of Her factors in the embryonic and adult contexts. J. Comp. Neurol. 519:1748–1769, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A two-stage facial landmark localization method

Facial expression analysis plays an important role in nonverbal immersive communications. Considering facial landmark localization is an essential part for facial expression analysis, it draws much attention. Since the accuracy of facial landmark localization is related with different expressions and is affected by the result of face detection, we propose a two-stage facial landmark localization method in this paper. First, a method which models face detection, facial alignment and expression recognition simultaneously is used to roughly locate the facial features/landmarks. Then a supervised descent method is used to refine the locations of facial features. Experimental results on the extend Cohn-Kanade database demonstrate that the proposed method has more accurate facial landmarks localization result.