Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nucleotide sequence analysis and detection application of the coat protein gene of Sweet potato latent virus isolated from central Taiwan.

A potyvirus-like agent (isolate CY) was isolated from sweet potato with leaf symptoms of chlorotic spots and vein mottling in Chia-Yi area, Taiwan. A 1.9-kb DNA product was amplified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from infected tissues of C. quinoa using the oligo (dT) and degenerate primers for potyviruses. cloned, and then sequenced. The cDNA fragment reflected 1880 nucleotides (nts) corresponding to the 3'-terminal region of a potyvirus and the sequence comparison indicated that the isolate CY belongs to Stint potato latent virus (SPLV). The deduced amino acid sequence was determined as 561 residues that contains a part of the Y terminal region of NIb gene (268 residues) and the complete . sequence of coat protein (CP) gene (293 residue). The 3-terminal region of the cDNA was determined containing a non-coding region (NCR) of 197 nts. The DAG triplet for aphid transmissibility was found at the 7-9 residues from the N terminus of CP gene. Multiple sequence alignment of the known sequences of SPLV indicated that the CP gene and the NCR of CY isolate share 96.5 and l00% nucleotide identities, respectively, with those of SPLV-TW. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that the CY isolate is closely related to Taiwan and China isolates, but distantly related to a Japan isolate. When a pair of specific primers designed from the CP gene of SPLV-CY was used for detection by RT-PCR, a 675 bp specific DNA fragment was amplified rout SPLV-CY infected plants.
Minimizing Bandwidth Requirements for VoD Services with Client Caching

Due to the explosive growth in multimedia traffic demand, scalability and delivery efficiency of video-on-demand (VoD) services have become important issues. In this paper, we develop a joint cache allocation and multicast delivery scheme to minimize the average bandwidth consumption of VoD services with client caching under the zero-delay constraint. Specifically, we first propose a client caching enabled multicast patching (CCE-MP) mechanism which achieves the minimum bandwidth consumption given a certain cache allocation. Then we formulate the cache allocation problem into a convex problem, which can be effectively solved by a water-filling algorithm. In addition to the traditional full access pattern where clients watch the video entirely, we further consider the interval access patterns with uniformly distributed endpoints and fixed-size intervals. The impact of different access patterns on the cache allocation algorithm is also investigated. Simulation results indicate that the proposed scheme significantly outperforms other existing approaches, e.g., more than 50% bandwidth saving under a certain setting.
Inhibition of BCR signaling using the Syk inhibitor TAK-659 prevents stroma-mediated signaling in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells

Proliferation and survival of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells depend on microenvironmental signals coming from lymphoid organs. One of the key players involved in the crosstalk between CLL cells and the microenvironment is the B-cell receptor (BCR). Syk protein, a tyrosine kinase essential for BCR signaling, is therefore a rational candidate for targeted therapy in CLL. Against this background, we tested the efficacy of the highly specific Syk inhibitor TAK-659 in suppressing the favorable signaling derived from the microenvironment. To ex vivo mimic the microenvironment found in the proliferation centers, we co-cultured primary CLL cells with BM stromal cells (BMSC), CD40L and CpG ODN along with BCR stimulation. In this setting, TAK-659 inhibited the microenvironment-induced activation of Syk and downstream signaling molecules, without inhibiting the protein homologue ZAP-70 in T cells. Importantly, the pro-survival, proliferative, chemoresistant and activation effects promoted by the microenvironment were abrogated by TAK-659, which furthermore blocked CLL cell migration toward BMSC, CXCL12, and CXCL13. Combination of TAK-659 with other BCR inhibitors showed synergistic effect in inducing apoptosis, and the sequential addition of TAK-659 in ibrutinib-treated CLL cells induced significantly higher cytotoxicity. These findings provide a strong rationale for the clinical development of TAK-659 in CLL.
Overlapping trisomies for human chromosome 21 orthologs produce similar effects on skull and brain morphology of Dp(16)1Yey and Ts65Dn mice

Trisomy 21 results in gene‐dosage imbalance during embryogenesis and throughout life, ultimately causing multiple anomalies that contribute to the clinical manifestations of Down syndrome. Down syndrome is associated with manifestations of variable severity (e.g., heart anomalies, reduced growth, dental anomalies, shortened life‐span). Craniofacial dysmorphology and cognitive dysfunction are consistently observed in all people with Down syndrome. Mouse models are useful for studying the effects of gene‐dosage imbalance on development. We investigated quantitative changes in the skull and brain of the Dp(16)1Yey Down syndrome mouse model and compared these mice to Ts65Dn and Ts1Cje mouse models. Three‐dimensional micro‐computed tomography images of Dp(16)1Yey and euploid mouse crania were morphometrically evaluated. Cerebellar cross‐sectional area, Purkinje cell linear density, and granule cell density were evaluated relative to euploid littermates. Skulls of Dp(16)1Yey and Ts65Dn mice displayed similar changes in craniofacial morphology relative to their respective euploid littermates. Trisomy‐based differences in brain morphology were also similar in Dp(16)1Yey and Ts65Dn mice. These results validate examination of the genetic basis for craniofacial and brain phenotypes in Dp(16)1Yey mice and suggest that they, like Ts65Dn mice, are valuable tools for modeling the effects of trisomy 21 on development. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Joint Forwarding Strategy and Resource Allocation in Information-Centric HWNs

Named Data Networking (NDN) is a prominent fully- fledged Information-Centric Networking (ICN) architecture. NDN can help users to take advantage of multiple access networks in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks (HWNs) more efficiently than IP. In HWNs with NDN, which we call information-centric HWNs, jointly designing forwarding strategy and resource allocation has great potential to improve network performance, which is ignored in the literatures. To fill in this blank, we propose a jointly designed forwarding strategy and resource allocation algorithm called Dynamic Forwarding and Resource Allocation (DFRA) that can adapt variable wireless environment. We also establish the fundamental throughput limitations of information-centric HWNs and prove that DFRA is throughput-optimal. By the cooperation between forwarding strategy and resource allocation, DFRA enables users to utilize wireless communication resource in information-centric HWNs more efficiently. From simulation results, DFRA can provide larger network throughput, faster download speed and better fairness than forwarding strategy that doesn't explicitly cooperate with resource allocation.
Investigation of Extended Bandwidth Hearing Aid Amplification on Speech Intelligibility and Sound Quality in Adults with Mild-to-Moderate Hearing Loss

Abstract Background: Advances in digital signal processing have made it possible to provide a wide-band frequency response with smooth, precise spectral shaping. Several manufacturers have introduced hearing aids that are claimed to provide gain for frequencies up to 10–12 kHz. However, there is currently limited evidence and very few independent studies evaluating the performance of the extended bandwidth hearing aids that have recently become available. Purpose: This study investigated an extended bandwidth hearing aid using measures of speech intelligibility and sound quality to find out whether there was a significant benefit of extended bandwidth amplification over standard amplification. Research Design: Repeated measures study designed to examine the efficacy of extended bandwidth amplification compared to standard bandwidth amplification. Study Sample: Sixteen adult participants with mild-to-moderate sensorineural hearing loss. Intervention: Participants were bilaterally fit with a pair of Widex Mind 440 behind-the-ear hearing aids programmed with a standard bandwidth fitting and an extended bandwidth fitting; the latter provided gain up to 10 kHz. Data Collection and Analysis: For each fitting, and an unaided condition, participants completed two speech measures of aided benefit, the Quick Speech-in-Noise test (QuickSIN™) and the Phonak Phoneme Perception Test (PPT; high-frequency perception in quiet), and a measure of sound quality rating. Results: There were no significant differences found between unaided and aided conditions for QuickSIN™ scores. For the PPT, there were statistically significantly lower (improved) detection thresholds at high frequencies (6 and 9 kHz) with the extended bandwidth fitting. Although not statistically significant, participants were able to distinguish between 6 and 9 kHz 50% better with extended bandwidth. No significant difference was found in ability to recognize phonemes in quiet between the unaided and aided conditions when phonemes only contained frequency content <6 kHz. However significant benefit was found with the extended bandwidth fitting for recognition of 9-kHz phonemes. No significant difference in sound quality preference was found between the standard bandwidth and extended bandwidth fittings. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that a pair of currently available extended bandwidth hearing aids was technically capable of delivering high-frequency amplification that was both audible and useable to listeners with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. This amplification was of acceptable sound quality. Further research, particularly field trials, is required to ascertain the real-world benefit of high-frequency amplification.
Seasonal distribution characteristics and health risk assessment of typical antibiotics in the Harbin section of the Songhua River basin

ABSTRACT A method was established for coupled solid phase extraction-ultra performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, to simultaneously detect 12 common antibiotics belonging to 4 types (sulfonamides, macrolides, fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins) in the Harbin section of the Songhua River basin, Northeastern China. The results showed that the 12 antibiotics monitored were all detected to varying degrees, with 100% detection rates for sulfamethoxazole (SMX), cefazolin (CFZ), ofloxacin (OFL), flumequine (FLU), azithromycin (AZI) and roxithromycin (ROX), and the highest levels were in winter, the lowest in summer. The total concentrations of all 12 antibiotics in spring, summer, autumn and winter, were 39.7, 9.6, 27.5 and 136.2 ng L−1, respectively. Seasonality was also observed in antibiotic distribution along the riverbank, with winter concentrations of all antibiotics detected upstream of the Harbin section being lower than the downstream section; in summer, except for CFZ, the concentrations of all antibiotics detected were higher upstream, than downstream of the Harbin section. Finally, the health risks to people of different ages caused by residual antibiotic contamination in the Songhua River were evaluated, and the results showed that the risk of antibiotics was far lower than 1, with no direct threat to human health established.
Robust Nonnegative Matrix Factorization with Discriminability for image representation

Due to its psychological and physiological interpretation of naturally occurring data, Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF) has attracted considerable attention for learning effective representation for images. And its graph-regularized extensions have shown promising results by exploiting the low dimensional manifold structure of data. Actually, their performance can be further improved because they still suffer from several important problems, i.e., sensitivity to noise in data, trivial solution problem, and ignoring the discriminative information. In this paper, we propose a novel method, referred to as Robust Nonnegative Matrix Factorization with Discriminability (RNMFD), for image representation, which can effectively and simultaneously cope with problems mentioned above by imposing a sparse noise matrix for data reconstruction and approximate orthogonal constraints. We carried out extensive experiments on five benchmark image datasets and the results demonstrate the superiority of our RNMFD in comparison with several state-of-the-art methods.
Large Scale Patterns of Antimicrofouling Defenses in the Hard Coral Pocillopora verrucosa in an Environmental Gradient along the Saudi Arabian Coast of the Red Sea

Large scale patterns of ecologically relevant traits may help identify drivers of their variability and conditions beneficial or adverse to the expression of these traits. Antimicrofouling defenses in scleractinian corals regulate the establishment of the associated biofilm as well as the risks of infection. The Saudi Arabian Red Sea coast features a pronounced thermal and nutritional gradient including regions and seasons with potentially stressful conditions to corals. Assessing the patterns of antimicrofouling defenses across the Red Sea may hint at the susceptibility of corals to global change. We investigated microfouling pressure as well as the relative strength of 2 alternative antimicrofouling defenses (chemical antisettlement activity, mucus release) along the pronounced environmental gradient along the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coast in 2 successive years. Microfouling pressure was exceptionally low along most of the coast but sharply increased at the southernmost sites. Mucus release correlated with temperature. Chemical defense tended to anti-correlate with mucus release. As a result, the combined action of mucus release and chemical antimicrofouling defense seemed to warrant sufficient defense against microbes along the entire coast. In the future, however, we expect enhanced energetic strain on corals when warming and/or eutrophication lead to higher bacterial fouling pressure and a shift towards putatively more costly defense by mucus release.
Positive feelings during pregnancy, early feeding practices, and infant health

Early parenting practices, such as infant feeding, can affect children's physical health. Additionally, negative prenatal maternal affect can influence feeding choices, such as breast‐feeding, and can have a detrimental effect on children's health. Little is known, however, about the contribution of positive maternal affect during pregnancy on feeding practices and children's health.
Mindful Meditation for Individuals with Asthma and Anxiety: Promising Results from a Multiple Baseline Study

Asthma is a disease that affects the overall health and quality of life of millions of children and adults in the U.S. In addition to the physical symptoms and the limitations, many people with asthma also experience anxiety. Psychological interventions used in conjunction with standard treatment have successfully reduced anxiety, as well as improved lung functioning among people with asthma. Mindfulness techniques have been shown to reduce anxiety among children, adolescents and adults. This study sought to determine if mindfulness meditation might reduce anxiety and also improve lung functioning. It was found that lung functioning was moderately improved, especially on the day of the sessions, pre and post treatment. Anxiety was also substantially improved during the pre and post in-session treatment.
Corneal epithelial cells function as surrogate Schwann cells for their sensory nerves

The eye is innervated by neurons derived from both the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system (PNS). While much is known about retinal neurobiology and phototransduction, less attention has been paid to the innervation of the eye by the PNS and the roles it plays in maintaining a functioning visual system. The ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal ganglion contains somas of neurons that innervate the cornea. These nerves provide sensory functions for the cornea and are referred to as intraepithelial corneal nerves (ICNs) consisting of subbasal nerves and their associated intraepithelial nerve terminals. ICNs project for several millimeters within the corneal epithelium without Schwann cell support. Here, we present evidence for the hypothesis that corneal epithelial cells function as glial cells to support the ICNs. Much of the data supporting this hypothesis is derived from studies of corneal development and the reinnervation of the ICNs in the rodent and rabbit cornea after superficial wounds. Corneal epithelial cells activate in response to injury via mechanisms similar to those induced in Schwann cells during Wallerian Degeneration. Corneal epithelial cells phagocytize distal axon fragments within hours of ICN crush wounds. During aging, the proteins, lipids, and mitochondria within the ICNs become damaged in a process exacerbated by UV light. We propose that ICNs shed their aged and damaged termini and continuously elongate to maintain their density. Available evidence points to new unexpected roles for corneal epithelial cells functioning as surrogate Schwann cells for the ICNs during homeostasis and in response to injury. GLIA 2017;65:851–863
The novel oral glucan synthase inhibitor SCY-078 shows in vitro activity against sessile and planktonic Candida spp.

Objectives We studied the antifungal activity of SCY-078 (an orally bioavailable 1,3-β -d- glucan synthesis inhibitor), micafungin and fluconazole against the planktonic and sessile forms of 178 Candida and non- Candida isolates causing fungaemia in patients recently admitted to a large European hospital. Methods The in vitro activity of SCY-078, micafungin and fluconazole against the planktonic form of the isolates was assessed using EUCAST EDef 7.3 and CLSI M27-A3. Antibiofilm activity was assessed using the XTT reduction assay. Results SCY-078 and micafungin showed potent in vitro activity against Candida and non- Candida isolates. The in vitro activity of both drugs was similar, but SYC-078 displayed significantly lower MIC values than micafungin against Candida parapsilosis and non- Candida isolates, whereas micafungin displayed significantly lower MIC values for the remaining species ( P <0.001). In contrast, SCY-078 and micafungin showed essentially the same activity against the biofilms with the exception of Candida glabrata , in which the micafungin sessile MIC values were significantly lower ( P <0.001). These observations were confirmed by assessing biofilm structure by scanning electron microscopy after antifungal treatment. Conclusions Our study showed that the high in vitro activity of SCY-078 against invasive Candida isolates in both sessile and planktonic forms is comparable to that of micafungin.
Device-to-Device Communications Underlaying Cellular Networks

In cellular networks, proximity users may communicate directly without going through the base station, which is called Device-to-device (D2D) communications and it can improve spectral efficiency. However, D2D communications may generate interference to the existing cellular networks if not designed properly. In this paper, we study a resource allocation problem to maximize the overall network throughput while guaranteeing the quality-of-service (QoS) requirements for both D2D users and regular cellular users (CUs). A three-step scheme is proposed. It first performs admission control and then allocates powers for each admissible D2D pair and its potential CU partners. Next, a maximum weight bipartite matching based scheme is developed to select a suitable CU partner for each admissible D2D pair to maximize the overall network throughput. Numerical results show that the proposed scheme can significantly improve the performance of the hybrid system in terms of D2D access rate and the overall network throughput. The performance of D2D communications depends on D2D user locations, cell radius, the numbers of active CUs and D2D pairs, and the maximum power constraint for the D2D pairs.
Genetic control of flower morphogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana: a logical analysis

MOTIVATION A large number of molecular mechanisms at the basis of gene regulation have been described during the last few decades. It is now becoming possible to address questions dealing with both the structure and the dynamics of genetic regulatory networks, at least in the case of some of the best-characterized organisms. Most recent attempts to address these questions deal with microbial or animal model systems. In contrast, we analyze here a gene network involved in the control of the morphogenesis of flowers in a model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana. RESULTS The genetic control of flower morphogenesis in Arabidopsis involves a large number of genes, of which 10 are considered here. The network topology has been derived from published genetic and molecular data, mainly relying on mRNA expression patterns under wild-type and mutant backgrounds. Using a 'generalized logical formalism', we provide a qualitative model and derive the parameter constraints accounting for the different patterns of gene expression found in the four floral organs of Arabidopsis (sepals, petals, stamens and carpels), plus a 'non-floral' state. This model also allows the simulation or the prediction of various mutant phenotypes. On the basis of our model analysis, we predict the existence of a sixth stable pattern of gene expression, yet to be characterized experimentally. Moreover, our dynamical analysis leads to the prediction of at least one more regulator of the gene LFY, likely to be involved in the transition from the non-flowering state to the flowering pathways. Finally, this work, together with other theoretical and experimental considerations, leads us to propose some general conclusions about the structure of gene networks controlling development.
The Roles of Dyadic Appraisal and Coping in Couples With Lung Cancer

Given the high symptom burden and low survivability of lung cancer, patients and their spouses have been found to experience poor mental health. The current study examined the roles of dyadic appraisal and dyadic coping on the mental health of 78 couples living with non-small cell lung cancer. Multilevel modeling revealed that spouses, on average, reported significantly worse mental health than patients. Dyadic appraisal and dyadic coping played important roles in predicting mental health, controlling for known developmental and contextual covariates. Dyadic appraisal of the patient’s pain and fatigue was significantly associated with spouse mental health, albeit in opposite directions. Dyadic coping significantly predicted patient mental health. The study underlines the need to incorporate routine screening of both patient and spouse mental health, and highlights the complex role of appraisal within the couple in a life-threatening context. Viewing the couple as a unit, rather than separate individuals, raises important awareness about the role of disparate illness appraisals and coping strategies within the dyad on the health of both members. Nurses are particularly well situated to engage in a collaborative family-focused approach to the couple with cancer that promotes communication and health.