Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determination of Specific Cake Resistance with a New Capillary Suction Time Apparatus

The capillary suction time (CST) apparatus has been studied both theoretically and experimentally. First, a theoretical model is presented for the description of the liquid flow in a capillary suction time apparatus. Second, to obtain reliable reproducible experimental data, a new CST apparatus has been developed. The filter paper, used as a capillary medium in the conventional CST apparatus, is replaced by ceramics, and the position of the liquid front is determined continuously by measuring the electrical resistance of (the wetted) ceramics as a function of time. As a consequence the theoretical model can be checked far better with the experimental results than with the conventional CST apparatus, which determines the position of the liquid front at only two fixed positions. Specific cake resistances can be determined by use of the presented model and the new equipment, using the right properties (permeability and porosity) and dimensions of the ceramic slab (thickness). The dewatering behavior of unflocculated and flocculated sludge and the effect of slurry concentrations can be investigated
Mms 19 is a mitotic gene permitting Cdk 7 to be fully active as Cdk activating kinase

Mms19 encodes a cytosolic iron-sulfur assembly component. We found that Drosophila Mms19 is also essential for mitotic divisions and for the proliferation of diploid cells. Reduced Mms19 activity causes severe mitotic defects in spindle dynamics and chromosome segregation, and loss of zygotic Mms19 prevents the formation of imaginal discs. The lacking mitotic tissue of Mms19 larvae can be rescued by over-expression of the Cdk-activating kinase (CAK), an activator of the mitotic Cdk1, suggesting that Mms19 functions in mitosis to allow CAK to become fully active as Cdk1-activating kinase. Bound to Xpd and TFIIH, the CAK subunit Cdk7 phosphorylates transcriptional targets and not cell cycle Cdks. In contrast, free CAK (Cdk7/CyclinH/Mat1) phosphorylates and activates Cdk1. Physical and genetic interaction studies between Mms19/Mms19 and Xpd/xpd suggest that their interaction prevents Xpd from binding to the CAK complex. Xpd bound to Mms19 therefore frees CAK complexes, allowing them to phosphorylate Cdk1 and facilitating progression to metaphase. The structural basis for the competitive interaction with Xpd seems to be the binding of Mms19, core TFIIH and CAK to neighboring or overlapping regions of Xpd. D ev el o pm en t • A cc ep te d m an us cr ip t
IRT 1 DEGRADATION FACTOR 1 , a RING E 3 Ubiquitin Ligase , Regulates the Degradation of IRON-REGULATED TRANSPORTER 1 in Arabidopsis

Lung-Jiun Shin,a Jing-Chi Lo,a,b Guan-Hong Chen,a Judy Callis,c Hongyong Fu,d and Kuo-Chen Yeha,1 a Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan b Institute of Plant Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan cDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California 95616 d Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
Evolution and Cryo-electron Microscopy Capsid Structure of a North American Bat Adenovirus and Its Relationship to Other Mastadenoviruses

ABSTRACT Since the first description of adenoviruses in bats in 2006, a number of micro- and megabat species in Europe, Africa, and Asia have been shown to carry a wide diversity of adenoviruses. Here, we report on the evolutionary, biological, and structural characterization of a novel bat adenovirus (BtAdV) recovered from a Rafinesque's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus rafinesquii) in Kentucky, USA, which is the first adenovirus isolated from North American bats. This virus (BtAdV 250-A) exhibits a close phylogenetic relationship with Canine mastadenovirus A (CAdV A), as previously observed with other BtAdVs. To further investigate the relationships between BtAdVs and CAdVs, we conducted mass spectrometric analysis and single-particle cryo-electron microscopy reconstructions of the BtAdV 250-A capsid and also analyzed the in vitro host ranges of both viruses. Our results demonstrate that BtAdV 250-A represents a new mastadenovirus species that, in contrast to CAdV, has a unique capsid morphology that contains more prominent extensions of protein IX and can replicate efficiently in a phylogenetically diverse range of species. These findings, in addition to the recognition that both the genetic diversity of BtAdVs and the number of different bat species from disparate geographic regions infected with BtAdVs appears to be extensive, tentatively suggest that bats may have served as a potential reservoir for the cross-species transfer of adenoviruses to other hosts, as theorized for CAdV. IMPORTANCE Although many adenoviruses are host specific and likely codiverged with their hosts over millions of years, other adenoviruses appear to have emerged through successful cross-species transmission events on more recent time scales. The wide geographic distribution and genetic diversity of adenoviruses in bats and their close phylogenetic relationship to Canine mastadenovirus A (CAdV A) has raised important questions about how CAdV A, and possibly other mammalian adenoviruses, may have emerged. Although most adenoviruses tend to cause limited disease in their natural hosts, CAdV A is unusual in that it may cause high morbidity and sometimes fatal infections in immunocompetent hosts and is thus an important pathogen of carnivores. Here, we performed a comparative evolutionary and structural study of representative bat and canine adenoviruses to better understand the relationship between these two viral groups.
Circulating microRNAs as potential biomarkers of coronary artery disease: a promise to be fulfilled?

See related article, pages 677–684 Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD) continues to be an important socioeconomic problem and the leading cause of death in the Western world. Several cellular components, including endothelial, inflammatory, and smooth muscle cells of the arterial wall, participate in the generation of an atherosclerotic plaque,1 the growth of which is responsible for a progressive narrowing of the lumen of the affected coronary vessel and the ensuing decrease in oxygen-rich blood flow to downstream heart muscle, which may then be acutely or chronically damaged. Progression of CAD is highly variable and is driven by both environmental factors and genetic determinants. The genetic risk is thought to be attributable to an unfavorable combination of genetic variations in multiple genes that have not yet been completely characterized. However, major independent risk factors for CAD are known to include familiarity, high blood cholesterol levels, hypertension, smoking, diabetes, and obesity. Innovative early and reliable biomarkers and therapeutic targets for CAD would thus be acclaimed. MicroRNAs (also known as miRs or miRNAs) are approximately 20- to 25-nt-long noncoding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression by binding to sites in …
Assessment of low-rate turbo encoding to extend coverage in WCDMA/HSDPA systems

In this paper, we consider the data rate coverage extension available by increasing the encoder performance in a WCDMA/HSDPA system. In the existing system, a rate 1/3 encoder is used together with bit repetition to provide coverage to users at the cell edge. However, this approach suffers from a spectral efficiency loss compared to the use of dedicated low data rate encoding. An alternative scheme with rate 1/5 turbo encoding and rate matching is considered to achieve increased performance at the cell edge, and in a larger dynamic range if we add multi-code support at the new lower rate. In the coverage extension region we find a 1.2 dB link-gain. This translates into an average user throughput increase of up to 20% near the cell edge and a 7-14% increase in system capacity in a data-fair macrocell network. However, in combination with alternative coverage extension methods, such as proportional fair scheduling, the gain disappears.
Rapid HLA typing by multiplex amplification refractory mutation system.

AIMS--To detect HLA susceptibility and protective alleles associated with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) using a multiplex amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS). These include DR3 and DR4 alleles at the DRB1 locus, presence or absence of aspartic acid at position 57 (Asp-57) of the DQB1 locus, and presence or absence of arginine at position 52 (Arg-52) of the DQA1 locus. METHODS--The ARMS approach was used to design allele specific primers for the detection of the major susceptibility and protective alleles for IDDM. These include DR3 and DR4 alleles at the DRB1 locus, Asp-57 and non-Asp-57 at the DQB1 locus, and Arg-52 and non-Arg-52 alleles at the DQA1 locus. The allele specificity of each set of primers was first tested separately using DNA samples from 15 individuals previously typed for the DRB1, DQB1, and DQA1 loci using the sequence specific oligonucleotide (SSO) technique. The possibility of using multiplex ARMS for typing multiple susceptibility/protective alleles for IDDM was further investigated by testing various combinations of allele specific primers, thereby reducing the number of separate polymerase chain reactions required to type all these alleles. RESULTS--A "three-tube" system worked well and gave accurate results. Tube 1 contained ARMS primers for the detection of IDDM susceptibility alleles DR3 and DR4; tube 2 contained ARMS primers for the detection of susceptibility alleles non-Asp-57 and Arg-52; and tube 3 contained ARMS primers for the detection of the protective alleles Asp-57 and non-Arg-52. DNA samples typed with this ARMS method were in complete agreement with those obtained using the SSO technique. CONCLUSION--This method is rapid and has no requirement for radioactivity. It is an efficient method for population screening.
Mood, prolactin and cortisol responses following intravenous L-tryptophan challenge: evidence for serotonergic vulnerability in first-degree relatives of bipolar patients.

Central serotonergic vulnerability indicated by altered mood and neuroendocrine responses to an intravenous (i.v.) tryptophan (Trp) challenge was assessed in healthy adult unaffected first-degree relatives of bipolar disorder (BD) patients (n = 30) (family history; FH). The effects of a single dose of 7.0 g Trp on mood, cortisol and prolactin (Prl) in FH subjects were compared with healthy matched controls (n = 15) in a placebo-controlled, double blind cross-over design. Prl and cortisol responses increased following Trp. Overall, Trp lowered mood. Hormonal and mood effects did not differ between FH and controls. Results show some evidence for differences in serotonergic vulnerability between relatives of type I BD patients and relatives of type II BD patients.
The SCL gene product: a positive regulator of erythroid differentiation.

The SCL (tal‐1, TCL5) gene is a member of the basic domain, helix‐loop‐helix (bHLH) class of putative transcription factors. We found that (i) the SCL promoter for exon Ia contains a potential recognition site for GATA‐binding transcription factors, (ii) SCL mRNA is expressed in all erythroid tissues and cell lines examined, and (iii) SCL mRNA increases upon induced differentiation of murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells, and inferred that SCL may play a physiologic role in erythroid differentiation. We used gel shift and transfection assays to demonstrate that the GATA motif in the SCL promoter binds GATA‐1 (and GATA‐2), and also mediates transcriptional transactivation. To identify a role for SCL in erythroid differentiation, we generated stable transfectants of MEL and K562 (a human chronic myelogenous leukemia cell line that can differentiate along the erythroid pathway) cells overexpressing wild‐type, antisense or mutant SCL cDNA. Increasing the level of SCL expression in two independent MEL lines (F4‐6 and C19, a 745 derivative) and K562 cells increased the rate of spontaneous (i.e. in the absence of inducer) erythroid differentiation. Conversely, induced differentiation was inhibited in MEL transfectants expressing either antisense SCL cDNA or a mutant SCL lacking the basic domain. Our experiments suggest that the SCL gene can be a target for the erythroid transcription factor GATA‐1 and that the SCL gene product serves as a positive regulator of erythroid differentiation.
Signaling Pathways that Regulate Autophagic Muscle Protein Degradation in C. elegans

Protein degradation in C. elegans muscle cells is very tightly controlled by opposing signaling cascades. Excessive FGFR, low IGFR or TGF-B signaling, starvation or denervation all lead to muscle protein breakdown. Here we show that under conditions of activated FGFR, low IGFR or low TGF-B activity or mutationally hyperactived MAP kinase, soluble protein in muscle cytosol is degraded through autophagy. Degradation under these conditions is prevented by a reduction of function mutation in unc-51 (encodes Atg1 homologue), by RNAi knockdown of BEC-1 (beclin), or ATG-7 (Atg7 homologue) or by treatment with N6,N6-dimethyladenosine, a presumed inhibitor of type III PtdIns-3-kinase. We infer that the MAP kinase cascade positively regulates autophagy when the FGFR signal is too high or the IGFR signal too low . However, we have yet to identify how a MAPK signal plays into TGF-B regulation of autophagy. Protein degradation following starvation or disruption of cholinergic signaling (ACh-deficient cha-1 mutant) is not prevented by interference with autophagy, consistent with the known sensitivity to proteasome inhibitors. We have also implicated the signaling protein RSK as necessary for autophagic signaling either in parallel with or downstream of MAPK The metabolic reserve of protein in muscle can be mobilized by catabolism in response to failure of any one of a variety of signals of 'healthy' conditions. To achieve versatility and flexibility of response, muscle cells evidently use multiple proteolytic systems and regulate them independently by integrating more than one regulatory input to each degradation system.
Characterisation of ultra-narrow band filters for diode laser systems based on dense wavelength division multiplexing

We present a measurement platform to characterise combining elements used for dense wavelength division multiplexing, such as dielectric edge filters or Volume Bragg Gratings (notch filters). This platform enables the characterisation of the spectral and angular selectivity, the homogeneity of reflectance or transmittance and temperature-induced spectral shift of the band edge. The determination of the diffraction efficiency, the reflectance and the transmittance is carried out for both polarisations with high accuracy.
Measurement of the Properties of a Plasma Column Used as a Radiating Element

This paper presents two test benches for the characterization of a plasma column used as a radiating element. In particular, the main parameters to be quantified are the efficiency of the plasma antenna, the turn-on time of the column, and the conductivity of the plasma. The first two parameters are evaluated by measuring the field radiated by the plasma antenna compared with that of an equivalent copper antenna. For the conductivity, a reflectometric technique is used, wherein the plasma column is inserted inside a waveguide. The accuracy of the method is limited by the ill-conditioned relationship between the reflection coefficient and the plasma conductivity; nevertheless, it is sufficient to subdivide the range of the conductivity values into three regions (i.e., low, medium, and high conductivities) to determine the best operating conditions of the antenna.
Attitudinal changes toward exercise in mexican american women.

BACKGROUND This experimental study was designed to examine the attitude changes and exercise adherence of a group of sedentary minority women. METHOD Fifty sedentary Mexican American women participated in a 9-month, biweekly education and exercise program that was preceded by a 6-month program initiation composed of weekly interactions to facilitate trust between participants and researchers. RESULTS Compared to Mexican American and Caucasian control groups, the experimental participants displayed significant changes in scores on the Exercise Benefits and Barriers Scales (EBBS) at three, six, and nine months. Adherence to the physical activity program was 84%. At pre-test, the Mexican American participants and controls displayed significantly lower EBBS scores than the Caucasian controls. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study are examined in light of existing reports on the facilitation of attitudes toward exercise, exercise adherence and health promotion particularly in regard to understanding the barriers to physical activity for minorities. The findings of this study are particularly important given the paucity of research about health promotion for individuals who belong to minority groups.
The joint TerraSAR-X / TanDEM-X ground segment

This paper recalls the essential elements of the joint TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X ground segment. It elaborates on some topics which are usually not in the primary focus from a pure SAR technical point of view, e.g. the flight formation. Both commissioning and early routine phase results from operating the joint TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X ground segment are given.
Oncogene-dependent survival of highly transformed cancer cells under conditions of extreme centrifugal force – implications for studies on extracellular vesicles

Abstract Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes, are a subject of intense interest due to their emission by cancer cells and role in intercellular communication. Earlier reports suggested that oncogenes, such as RAS, MET or EGFR, drive cellular vesiculation. Interestingly, these oncogenes may also traffic between cells using the EV-mediated emission and uptake processes. One of the main tools in the analysis of EVs are ultracentrifugation protocols designed to efficiently separate parental cells from vesicles through a sequence of steps involving increasing g-force. Here we report that ultracentrifugationonly EV preparations from highly transformed cancer cells, driven by the overexpression of oncogenic H-ras (RAS-3) and v-src (SRC-3), may contain clonogenic cancer cells, while preparations of normal or less aggressive human cell lines are generally free from such contamination. Introduction of a filtration step eliminates clonogenic cells from the ultracentrifugate. The survival of RAS-3 and SRC-3 cells under extreme conditions of centrifugal force (110,000 g) is oncogene-induced, as EV preparations of their parental non-tumourigenic cell line (IEC-18) contain negligible numbers of clonogenic cells. Moreover, treatment of SRC-3 cells with the SRC inhibitor (PP2) markedly reduces the presence of such cells in the unfiltered ultracentrifugate. These observations enforce the notion that EV preparations require careful filtration steps, especially in the case of material produced by highly transformed cancer cell types. We also suggest that oncogenic transformation may render cells unexpectedly resistant to extreme physical forces, which may affect their biological properties in vivo.
Improving Indoor Localization Using Bluetooth Low Energy Beacons

The paper describes basic principles of a radio-based indoor localization and focuses on the improvement of its results with the aid of a new Bluetooth Low Energy technology. The advantage of this technology lies in its support by contemporary mobile devices, especially by smartphones and tablets. We have implemented a distributed system for collecting radio fingerprints by mobile devices with the Android operating system. This system enables volunteers to create radio-maps and update them continuously. New Bluetooth Low Energy transmitters (Apple uses its “iBeacon” brand name for these devices) have been installed on the floor of the building in addition to existing WiFi access points. The localization of stationary objects based on WiFi, Bluetooth Low Energy, and their combination has been evaluated using the data measured during the experiment in the building. Several configurations of the transmitters’ arrangement, several ways of combination of the data from both technologies, and other parameters influencing the accuracy of the stationary localization have been tested.
AUTOMATIC BUILDING DETECTION BASED ON SUPERVISED CLASSIFICATION USING HIGH RESOLUTION GOOGLE EARTH IMAGES

Abstract. This paper presents a novel approach to detect the buildings by automization of the training area collecting stage for supervised classification. The method based on the fact that a 3d building structure should cast a shadow under suitable imaging conditions. Therefore, the methodology begins with the detection and masking out the shadow areas using luminance component of the LAB color space, which indicates the lightness of the image, and a novel double thresholding technique. Further, the training areas for supervised classification are selected by automatically determining a buffer zone on each building whose shadow is detected by using the shadow shape and the sun illumination direction. Thereafter, by calculating the statistic values of each buffer zone which is collected from the building areas the Improved Parallelepiped Supervised Classification is executed to detect the buildings. Standard deviation thresholding applied to the Parallelepiped classification method to improve its accuracy. Finally, simple morphological operations conducted for releasing the noises and increasing the accuracy of the results. The experiments were performed on set of high resolution Google Earth images. The performance of the proposed approach was assessed by comparing the results of the proposed approach with the reference data by using well-known quality measurements (Precision, Recall and F1-score) to evaluate the pixel-based and object-based performances of the proposed approach. Evaluation of the results illustrates that buildings detected from dense and suburban districts with divers characteristics and color combinations using our proposed method have 88.4 % and 853 % overall pixel-based and object-based precision performances, respectively.
Integrative taxonomy of a new species of planarian from the Lake Ohrid basin, including an analysis of biogeographical patterns in freshwater triclads from the Ohrid region (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Dugesiidae)

Abstract A new species of the genus Dugesia is described from the Lake Ohrid region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula, forming the first fully documented species description for this genus in the Ohrid area. The morphological species delimitation is supported by complementary molecular, karyological, and cytogenetic data available from the literature. Therefore, species delineation is based on a truly integrative approach. Further, a short account on the degree of freshwater planarian endemicity in the Ohrid region is provided.
Deep neural networks approach to skin lesions classification — A comparative analysis

The paper presents the results of research on the use of Deep Neural Networks (DNN) for automatic classification of the skin lesions. The authors have focused on the most effective kind of DNNs for image processing, namely Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). In particular, three kinds of CNN were analyzed: VGG19, Residual Networks (ResNet) and the hybrid of VGG19 CNN with the Support Vector Machine (SVM). The research was carried out with the use of database of over 10 000 images representing skin lesions: benign and malignant. Because of an uneven number of images representing different classes of lesions, the up-sampling of underrepresented class was applied. The comparison of the CNN structures with respect to the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity was performed using k-fold validation method.