Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Functional dissection of the Moloney murine leukemia virus envelope protein gp70

The envelope protein of Moloney murine leukemia virus (Mo-MLV) is a complex glycoprotein that mediates receptor binding and entry via fusion with cell membranes. By using a series of substitution mutations and truncations in the Mo-MLV external envelope surface protein gp70, we have identified regions important for these processes. Firstly, truncations of gp70 revealed that the minimal continuous receptor-binding region is amino acids 9 to 230, in broad agreement with other studies. Secondly, within this region there are two key basic amino acids, Arg-83 and Arg-95, that are essential for receptor binding and may interact with a negatively charged residue(s) or with the pi electrons of the aromatic ring on a hydrophobic residue(s) in the basic amino acid transporter protein that is the Mo-MLV ecotropic receptor. Finally, we showed that outside the minimal receptor-binding region at amino acids 2 to 8, there is a region that is essential for postbinding fusion events.
Longitudinal changes in children's overarm throw ball velocities.

Abstract Longitudinal changes in horizontal ball velocities of 54 children performing the overarm throw for force were examined from kindergarten through second grade using a repeated measures ANOVA. The boys' ball velocity increased by 5 feet/second each year; the girls' increased by 3 feet/second; the change over years was significant (p < .05) as was the Sex × Year interaction (p < .05). These changes could be considered meaningful “longitudinal units of change,” which future intervention studies should have the statistical power to detect and thus could assess results in terms of the number of “developmental years” their subjects had improved. Since boys and girls differed in their yearly developmental progress, the authors concluded that treatment effects should be evaluated separately for the sexes. No long-term effects of a kindergarten teaching intervention program were detected in the ball velocities at first and second grade. Year-to-year correlations indicated a modest tendency for the children.
N-[(3-Ethylphenyl)carbamothioyl]-2,2-diphenylacetamide

In the title molecule, C23H22N2OS, the diphenylacetyl and ethylbenzene groups adopt a trans–cis conformation, respectively, with respect to the S atom across the (S=)C—N bonds. This conformation is stabilized by an intramolecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bond and a weak C—H⋯S hydrogen bond. The ethyl-substituted benzene ring forms dihedral angles of 87.53 (15) and 73.94 (15)° with the phenyl rings. In the crystal, N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link molecules into chains along [100]. A weak C—H⋯π interaction is also observed.
Joint Clustering and Optimal Cooperative Routing in Wireless Sensor Networks

Node cooperation is one unique feature distinguishing wireless sensor networks (WSNs) from traditional wireless cellular networks. In this paper, we investigate joint clustering and optimal cooperative routing, where neighboring nodes dynamically form coalitions and cooperatively transmit packets to the next hop destination. We show that the cooperative sensor network can be modeled as an edge-weighted graph, based on which minimum energy cooperative routing is characterized by using the standard shortest path algorithm. We then focus on energy-delay-constrained maximum throughput routing, which is known to be NP-hard. We study two interesting cases: (1) For the case where the delay can be expressed in terms of the number of hops, we use the bi-section method to find the maximum throughput routing; (2) For large scale networks where the end-to-end delay can be approximated as the product of the number of hops and the average one-hop delay, we present a polynomial time algorithm to find the maximum throughput routing. Our numerical results confirm that the energy efficient cooperative routing can enhance the performance of WSNs significantly.
Extraction and antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds from wheat bran treated by steam explosion

Purpose : To use response surface methodology to optimize the extraction of the phenolic compounds in wheat bran treated by steam explosion, and to determine the antioxidant activity of the extract obtained. Methods : By using response surface methodology, the effects of extraction time, methanol concentration, liquid/solid and temperature were studied and optimized. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-(2,4,6- trinitrophenyl) hydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging capacity, reducing capacity and 2,2′-Azino-bis(3- ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) radical scavenging capacity were also employed to determine antioxidant activity of the extract. Results : Under the optimal conditions, i.e., extraction time: 120 s, ethanol content: 43 %, liquid/solid: 35:1, temperature: 70 o C, the experimental total phenolic yield was 30.464 ± 0.025, which agreed with the predicted value of 31.687. The phenolic compounds showed strong antioxidant activities. At extract concentration of 1 mg/ml, DPPH radical-scavenging activity was 50 %. Although its reducing power (2 – 10 mg/mL) was lower than that of BHA, ABTS radical scavenging of the extract (close to 90 %) was higher than that of BHA at extract concentration > 6 mg/mL. Conclusion : The yield of the phenolic compounds was high and the compounds displayed strong antioxidant capacity, which indicates that the extraction of wheat bran under steam explosion holds high potentials for the food and pharmaceutical industries. Keywords : Wheat bran, Steam explosion, Extraction, Response surface methodology, Antioxidant capacity
Full-Space Electronic Beam-Steering Transmitarray With Integrated Leaky-Wave Feed

A new low-profile, full-space, electronic beam-steering antenna architecture which combines the full-space beam-steering properties of reconfigurable transmitarrays with the low-profile feeding characteristics of leaky-wave antennas is proposed. The design uses an integrated leaky-wave feed to spatially distribute power across a reconfigurable transmitarray aperture in a low-profile manner while individual element phase control using varactor diodes enables full-space pencil-beam-steering. A $6\times 6$ element array was fabricated and experimentally verified, and full-space (both azimuth and elevation) beam-steering was demonstrated at angles up to 45° off broadside with a total efficiency for all scan angles on the order of 25%-35%. The design demonstrates a tenfold reduction in the overall thickness over the original transmitarray, improved aperture amplitude distribution control, as well as improved spillover control. The design also acts as a lower cost, scalable alternative to phased arrays as it does not require a complicated beamforming network and the feed and aperture are easily scaled.
Mouse fundus photography and angiography: a catalogue of normal and mutant phenotypes.

PURPOSE Mice are an increasingly important tool in ophthalmic research. As a result of studying spontaneous and induced mutations, many new ocular diseases have been described in mice in recent years, including several degenerative retinal diseases that demonstrate progression with age. Clearly, documentation of progressive changes in clinical phenotype is an important facet of characterizing new mutations and for comparing them with human diseases. Despite these facts, there are few published photographs of mouse fundi. The small size of the mouse eye and the steep curvature of its structures have made it difficult to obtain high quality fundus photographs. The purpose of this work was to develop procedures for mouse fundus photography and angiography and to use these techniques to examine several new mouse strains with ocular abnormalities. METHODS We have used a small animal fundus camera and condensing lens to develop a reliable technique for producing high quality fundus images of conscious albino and pigmented mice. The fundus camera also was utilized to develop a method for fluorescein angiography, which demonstrated the normal retinal vascular bed as well as abnormal vascular leakage. In addition, several mouse strains with previously unreported ocular abnormalities (including two with inherited optic nerve colobomas) and a catalogue of previously unpublished clinical images for various mutant mice are presented. RESULTS Altogether, we provide clinical images for C57BL/6J, BALB/cByJ, retinal degeneration 1 (rd1), Rd2, rd3, rd7, achondroplasia, nervous, motor neuron degeneration, Purkinje cell degeneration, kidney and retinal defects, optic nerve coloboma 1, and two apparently multigenic optic nerve colobomas in a strain of mixed derivation (ONC) and the inbred CALB/Rk strain. CONCLUSIONS Our photography procedure reliably produces high quality images of the mouse fundus. This permitted us to record progressive retinal changes over time in the same animal, allowed us to compare the phenotypes of newly discovered retinal mutants to existing mutants at other institutions and to potentially similar human conditions, and finally, permitted us to produce a catalogue of previously unpublished clinical phenotypes for various mutant mice.
Peracetic Acid Disinfection: A Feasible Alternative to Wastewater Chlorination

The paper summarizes the results of a bench‐scale study to evaluate the feasibility of using peracetic acid (PAA) as a substitute for sodium hypochlorite both for discharge into surface water and for agricultural reuse. Trials were carried out with increasing doses (1, 2, 3, 5, 10, and 15 mg/L) and contact times (6, 12, 18, 36, 42, and 54 minutes) to study disinfectant decay and bacterial removal and regrowth, using fecal coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli) as process efficiency indicators. Peracetic acid decay kinetics was evaluated in tap water and wastewater; in both cases, PAA decays according to first‐order kinetics with respect to time, and a correlation was found between PAA oxidative initial consumption and wastewater characteristics. The PAA disinfection efficiency was correlated with operating parameters (active concentration and contact time), testing different kinetic models. Two data groups displaying a different behavior on the basis of initial active concentration ranges (1 to 2 mg/L and 5 to 15 mg/L, respectively) can be outlined. Both groups had a “tailing‐off” inactivation curve with respect to time, but the second one showed a greater inactivation rate. Moreover, the effect of contact time was greater at the lower doses. Hom's model, used separately for the two data groups, was found to best fit experimental data, and the disinfectant active concentration appears to be the main factor affecting log‐survival ratios. Moreover, the S‐model better explains the initial resistance of E. coli, especially at low active concentrations (<2 mg/L) and short contact times (<12 minutes). Microbial counts, performed by both traditional methods and flow cytometry, immediately and 5 hours after sample collection (both with or without residual PAA inactivation), showed that no appreciable regrowth took place after 5 hours, neither for coliform group bacteria, nor for total heterotrophic bacteria.
Performance Analysis of Diversity Techniques for Multihop Cooperative Networks with Adaptive Transmission

Wireless multihop communications with the cooperation of multiple relay terminals at each hop gives diversity effect and shows a significant frame error rate improvement than that without cooperation. To improve the spectral efficiency of this communication networks, adaptive modulation method is applied in this paper. The performance of adaptive transmission schemes combined with diversity techniques in multihop cooperative networks is analyzed. Numerical results from the analysis show that the throughput performance of adaptive transmission combined with a selection diversity technique is superior to that of the STBC diversity technique
Asymmetric Loads and Pain Associated With Backpack Carrying by Children

Background: Shoulder and back pain in school children is associated with wearing heavy backpacks. Such pain may be attributed to the magnitude of the backpack load and the manner by which children distribute the load over their shoulders and back. The purpose of this study is to quantify the pressures under backpack straps of children while they carried a typical range of loads during varying conditions. Methods: Ten healthy children (aged, 12-14 years) wore a backpack loaded at 10%, 20%, and 30% body weight (BW). Backpacks were carried under 2 conditions, low on back or high on back. Pressure sensors (0.1 mm thick) measured pressures beneath the shoulder straps. Results: When walking with the backpack straps over both shoulders, contact pressures were significantly greater in the low-back condition than in the high-back condition (P = 0.004). In addition, when children carried the backpack in the low-back condition, mean pressures (±SE) over the right shoulder were as follows: 98 ± 31, 153 ± 48, and 170 ± 54 mm Hg at 10%, 20%, and 30% BW, respectively, which were significantly higher (P < 0.001) than those over the left shoulder (46 ± 14, 92 ± 29, and 90 ± 29 mm Hg, respectively). Perceived pain with the backpack over 1 shoulder was significantly greater (P = 0.002) than that for donning with both shoulders in the low-back condition. Conclusions: Pressures at 10%, 20%, and 30% BW loads on the right or left shoulder, during low-back or high-back conditions, are higher than the pressure thresholds (approximately 30 mm Hg) to occlude skin blood flow. Furthermore, asymmetric and high pressures exerted for extended periods of time may help explain the shoulder and back pain attributed to backpacks. Clinical Relevance: Randomized controlled trial. Grade 1 level of evidence.
A robot finger using electro-conjugate fluid

Electro-conjugate fluid (ECF) is a kind of functional fluid, which produces a jet flow (ECF jet) when subjected to high DC voltage. It is known that a strong ECF jet is generated under nonuniform electric field, for example, the field with a pair of needle and ring electrode (a needle-ring electrode pair). This study introduces the ECF jet to develop a novel robot finger. First, we propose a concept of novel robot finger driven by ECF jet. The robot finger mainly consists of a bending actuator, an ECF tank, and ECF jet generators. Next, we characterize the bending actuator and the ECF jet generator. Finally, we investigate the characteristics of the robot finger. The length, the diameter, and the mass of the robot finger are 34.2mm, 12mm, and 3.8g, respectively. The robot finger can generate force of 0.28N and bend approximately 70deg.
Statistical Applications in Genetics and Molecular Biology Multiple Testing in Candidate Gene Situations : A Comparison of Classical , Discrete , and Resampling-Based Procedures

In candidate gene association studies, usually several elementary hypotheses are tested simultaneously using one particular set of data. The data normally consist of partly correlated SNP information. Every SNP can be tested for association with the disease, e.g., using the CochranArmitage test for trend. To account for the multiplicity of the test situation, different types of multiple testing procedures have been proposed. The question arises whether procedures taking into account the discreteness of the situation show a benefit especially in case of correlated data. We empirically evaluate several different multiple testing procedures via simulation studies using simulated correlated SNP data. We analyze FDR and FWER controlling procedures, special procedures for discrete situations, and the minP-resampling-based procedure. Within the simulation study, we examine a broad range of different gene data scenarios. We show that the main difference in the varying performance of the procedures is due to sample size. In small sample size scenarios, the minP-resampling procedure though controlling the stricter FWER even had more power than the classical FDR controlling procedures. In contrast, FDR controlling procedures led to more rejections in higher sample size scenarios.
The response to human rIL‐1, rIL‐2, and rTNF in the middle ear of guinea pigs

Human recombinant interleukin 1 (rIL-1), interleukin 2 (rIL-2), or tumor necrosis factor (rTNF) were injected transtympanically into the middle ear of normal guinea pigs. Effusion volume and cellular content were determined after sacrifice and rapid dissection of the ear. By 24 hours, rIL-2 (100 U) had produced a cellular effusion (77% to 92% polymorphonuclear neutrophil leukocytes), which cleared by 72 hours. rTNF (10 U) yielded a cellular effusion (12% to 67% lymphocytes) at 24 hours, which cleared by 48 hours. rIL-1 (100 U) did not produce significant effusion when compared to control. rIL-2 and rTNF cause an inflammatory effusion in the middle ear. To the extent they are generated in the middle ear during otitis media, these cytokines have the potential to contribute to the pathogenesis of otitis media with effusion.
Pharmacological characterization of protein phosphatase activities in preparations from failing human hearts.

beta-Adrenoceptor stimulation acts in the heart in part by increasing the phosphorylation state of phospholamban and phospholemman. There is evidence that the beta-adrenoceptor-mediated increase in phospholamban phosphorylation is in part due to inhibition of type 1 phosphatases. The aim of the present study was to elucidate which phosphatases dephosphorylate phospholamban and phospholemman in the human heart. In the past, cardiac serine/threonine phosphatases have been studied using phosphorylase a as substrate. Here, type 1 and type 2A phosphatase activities were studied in preparations from failing human hearts using phosphorylated phospholamban and phospholemman as substrates. Phospholamban and phospholemman phosphatase activity was detectable in human cardiac homogenates. Moreover, using a heparin-Sepharose column, the catalytic subunits of type 1 and type 2A phosphatases could be separated from human ventricles. Okadaic acid and cantharidin inhibited phosphatase activities dephosphorylating phospholamban, phospholemman, and phosphorylase a in homogenates in a concentration-dependent manner. However, okadaic acid was more potent. Cantharidin inhibited type 2A and type 1 activities against all substrates studied with IC50 values <15 nM and >290 nM, respectively. Okadaic acid inhibited type 1 and type 2A phosphatase activities as effectively but 10-30 times more potently than cantharidin. This work provides evidence that in the human heart, type 1 and 2A phosphatases are involved in the dephosphorylation of phospholamban and phospholemman and could play a role in the effects of beta-adrenergic stimulation in the heart.
Topographic organization of the basal forebrain projections to the perirhinal, postrhinal, and entorhinal cortex in rats

Previous studies have shown that the basal forebrain (BF) modulates cortical activation via its projections to the entire cortical mantle. However, the organization of these projections is only partially understood or, for certain areas, unknown. In this study, we examined the topographic organization of cholinergic and noncholinergic projections from the BF to the perirhinal, postrhinal, and entorhinal cortex by using retrograde tracing combined with choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunohistochemistry in rats. The perirhinal and postrhinal cortex receives major cholinergic and noncholinergic input from the caudal BF, including the caudal globus pallidus and substantia innominata and moderate input from the horizontal limb of the diagonal band, whereas the entorhinal cortex receives major input from the rostral BF, including the medial septum and the vertical and horizontal limbs of the diagonal band. In the perirhinal cases, cholinergic projection neurons are distributed more caudally in the caudal globus pallidus than noncholinergic projection neurons. Compared with the perirhinal cases, the distribution of cholinergic and noncholinergic neurons projecting to the postrhinal cortex shifts slightly caudally in the caudal globus pallidus. The distribution of cholinergic and noncholinergic neurons projecting to the lateral entorhinal cortex extends more caudally in the BF than to the medial entorhinal cortex. The ratio of ChAT‐positive projection neurons to total projection neurons is higher in the perirhinal/postrhinal cases (26–48%) than in the entorhinal cases (13–30%). These results indicate that the organization of cholinergic and noncholinergic projections from the BF to the parahippocampal cortex is more complex than previously described. J. Comp. Neurol. 524:2503–2515, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Detent force suppression for permanent-magnet linear synchronous motor utilizing feed-forward control method

The detent force of the permanent-magnet linear synchronous motor (PMLSM) is caused by the interaction between the permanent magnet and the iron core of the mover without input current. It is a function of the mover position relative to the stator. This paper proposes a control based method to reduce the detent force for the PMLSM. This detent force that can be predicted by finite element method is compensated by injecting the instantaneous current using field-oriented control method. Both the simulated and the experimental results are reported to validate the effectiveness of this proposed method.
Two modality effects in verbal short-term memory: Evidence from sentence recall

This paper investigates the mechanisms underlying the standard modality effect (i.e., better recall performance for auditorily presented than for visually presented materials), and the modality congruency effect (i.e., better memory performance if the mode of recall and presentation are congruent rather than incongruent). We tested the assumption that the standard modality effect is restricted to the most recent word(s) of the sentences but occurs in both verbatim and gist recall (Experiments 1 and 2), whereas the modality congruency effect should be evident for the rest of the sentence when using verbatim recall (Experiment 3) but not when using gist recall (Experiment 4). All experiments used the Potter-Lombardi intrusion paradigm. When the target word was the most recent word of the sentence, a standard modality effect was found with both verbatim recall and gist recall. When the target word was included in the middle of the sentences, a modality congruency effect was found with verbatim recall but not with gist recall.
Substrate Integrated Image Guide Array Antenna for the Upper Millimeter-Wave Spectrum

A compact linear array antenna fed by substrate integrated image guide (SIIG) at 94 GHz is presented. The SIIG is a low-loss dielectric waveguide which is synthesized directly on a high dielectric constant substrate or semiconductor wafer. Such a low-cost approach of integration allows for the development of directive low profile antennas for future commercial millimeter-wave products. Special attention was directed towards the radiation elements that are fabricated in printed circuit technique on top of the SIIG. Their novel design provides a wide tuning range for the radiation coefficient and excellent linear polarization purity. In addition, an optimized reflection compensation technique effectively reduces the overall return loss and permits frequency scanning through broadside direction without suffering from a stop band due to distributed Bragg reflection. Published theory concerning the scan range of this class of frequency-scannable array antennas is extended in this work. Detailed design guidelines are given along with simulation and measurement results of a prototype. The 2 cm long implementation produced a fan beam with 11 dB gain.