Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Novel Heterozygous Intragenic Sequence Variant in DLX6 Probably Underlies First Case of Autosomal Dominant Split-Hand/Foot Malformation Type 1

Split-hand and foot malformation (SHFM; MIM 183600) is a rare human genetic limb malformation. It is characterized by missing digital rays in the hands and feet. SHFMs vary in severity from mild abnormalities affecting a single limb to acute malformations involving all 4 limbs. It is inherited, as part of both a syndromic and nonsyndromic disorder, in an autosomal recessive, autosomal dominant, and X-linked patterns. So far, 9 loci of hand and foot malformation have been mapped on human chromosomes. The present study describes a family with 2 affected individuals segregating SHFM in an autosomal dominant fashion. Sanger sequencing of the genes involved in SHFM was performed to identify the disease-causing variant. Sequence analysis revealed the first heterozygous missense variant (c.632T>A, p.Val211Glu) in the distal-less homeobox 6 (DLX6) gene, located in chromosome 7q21, causing SHFM in the present family. This study supports the evidence of DLX6 as an SHFM-causing gene.
Positive versus negative comparison in advertisements: the affect priming perspective

Abstract Comparison valence is an important element in comparative advertising. In this research, we investigated how comparison valence influences advertising effectiveness and explored the role of affect underlying such effects. The results of two studies consistently confirmed that a positive comparison elicited more favorable ad attitude and brand attitude than a negative comparison and consumers’ affective states accounted for their preference for the positive comparison. Moreover, we found some preliminary evidence suggesting that the preference for a positive message may be more remarkable in comparative advertisements than noncomparative advertisements. However, this proposition needs further validation in future research.
Neurogenesis in the Cerebellum

In the past few years, genetic fate mapping experiments have changed our vision of cerebellar development, particularly in redefining the origin of gabaergic and glutamatergic neurons of the cerebellar cortex and highlighting the precise spatio-temporal sequence of their generation. Here the authors review cerebellar neurogenesis and discuss the fate mapping studies with other new information stemming from transplantation experiments, in an effort to link the developmental potential of neural progenitor populations of the cerebellum with their spatio-temporal origin. NEUROSCIENTIST 14(1):91—100, 2008.
Optical fiber sensor networks floating in IT cloud

Optical fiber sensors are now practically deployed in special disciplines such as structural health monitoring, distributed vibrations sensing, surveillance and even at other fields. Thought interesting technology, there are still many persistent barriers for its massive wide scale utilization. Should optical fiber sensing system play more dominant role in the future as compared to more traditional systems, it is necessary to significantly lower the costs of the optical sensor units and also consider more distributed deployment architectures based on optical fiber sensor networks with system build intelligence assuring interfacing with traditional sensing systems. With that said, we need to have also clever signal acquisition systems. In this article, we propose new optical sensor architecture based on fusion of the optical sensor networks, internet of things and IT cloud paradigms and evaluate its possible advantages.
A review on internet of things solutions for enhancing construction equipment fleet productivity

The construction business is an ever changing industry facing increasingly bigger challenges, complexity and above all fierce competition. Contractors, in particular those managing fleet of construction equipment, have to cut their margins, increase the efficiency of their work force and assets, and control their total cost of ownership (TCO) to ensure an acceptable return on investment (ROI). As such, the business evolved in many ways to be cost-efficient. For instance, construction equipment manufacturers have focused on optimizing engine productivity, hydraulic versatility, and mechanical robustness, among many others. However, recent trends segued into delivering smart machines capable of reporting and adjusting equipment operators’ behavior to achieve a better on-site fleet performance. This was made possible through the Internet of Things (IoT) and visualization tools by instrumenting construction equipment and devising advanced technological and on-board sensory systems as well as allowing the transfer of relevant information over a shared network within a 3D environment. The objective of this paper is thereby two-fold: (1) shed light on the latest approaches developed from tracking systems, load weighing systems, on-board operator assists to help equipment operators in spatial navigation, and (2) examine current virtual systems used to interactively visualize instrumented fleet of equipment and provide proactive on-site monitoring. The review revealed that there is substantial room for improvement and adoption of new tools targeted at reducing inefficiencies, improving fleet productivity, and producing higher quality results, in less time and with less effort.
Adaptive technique for high-definition MR imaging of moving structures.

An adaptive technique for measuring and correcting the effects of patient motion during magnetic resonance image acquisition was developed and tested. A set of algorithms that can reverse the effects of object displacements and phase shifts was used. These algorithms essentially transfer the frame of reference of the image reconstruction from the static frame of the imager couch to the moving "visceral frame. " An accurate record of tissue motion during image acquisition is required. To achieve this, the authors used specially encoded "navigator" echoes that are interleaved with the imaging sequence. Postprocessing of the navigator echo data provides a highly detailed record of the displacements and phase shifts that occur during imaging. Phantom studies demonstrated that the technique can directly correct image degradation caused by motion. In contrast to conventional artifact reduction techniques, such as ordered phase encoding and gradient moment nulling, this new method has a unique capacity to reduce motion unsharpness. Preliminary in vivo studies have demonstrated that the technique can markedly improve images degraded by voluntary motion and shows promise for addressing the problem of respiratory motion in thoracoabdominal imaging.
Sympatholytic effect of intravascular ATP is independent of nitric oxide, prostaglandins, Na+/K+‐ATPase and KIR channels in humans

Intravascular ATP attenuates sympathetic vasoconstriction (sympatholysis) similar to what is observed in contracting skeletal muscle of humans, and may be an important contributor to exercise hyperaemia. Similar to exercise, ATP‐mediated vasodilatation occurs via activation of inwardly rectifying potassium channels (KIR), and synthesis of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandins (PG). However, recent evidence suggests that these dilatatory pathways are not obligatory for sympatholysis during exercise; therefore, we tested the hypothesis that the ability of ATP to blunt α1‐adrenergic vasoconstriction in resting skeletal muscle would be independent of KIR, NO, PGs and Na+/K+‐ATPase activity. Blockade of KIR channels alone or in combination with NO, PGs and Na+/K+‐ATPase significantly reduced the vasodilatatory response to ATP, although intravascular ATP maintained the ability to attenuate α1‐adrenergic vasoconstriction. This study highlights similarities in the vascular response to ATP and exercise, and further supports a potential role of intravascular ATP in blood flow regulation during exercise in humans.
Synthesis and Pharmacological Activities of Some New 3-Substituted-4-Amino-5-Mercapto-1,2,4-Triazoles

In this study, various 3-β-[(N-benzenesulphonyl/tosyl)-4-(un) substituted anilino]ethyl-4-amino-5-mercapto-4(H)-1,2,4-triazoles (5a–f), with biologically active ‘sulphonamide’ moiety as the side chain have been prepared. The structures of the newly synthesised compounds have been established on the basis of their spectral data and elemental analysis. All the compounds were evaluated for antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli, Bacillus cirroflagellosus, Aspergillus niger and Colletotrichum capsici. Most of the compounds investigated exhibited significant antifungal activity against Colletotrichum capsici, even greater than fluconazole, the standard used. Only two compounds 3f (59%) and 5e (67%), have shown moderate antituberculosis activity. All the triazoles exhibited moderate degree of antiinflammatory activity and least ulcerogenecity. Most of the compounds have shown significant analgesic activity (81.02–120.72%) in comparison with aspirin (49.39%). In the MES method, only compound 3e exhibited a protection of 66.66%, whereas others exhibited minimum protection of (33.33%).
Detection of VP-16-Treated HL-60 Cell Apoptosis by TUNEL Electron Microscopy

Apoptosis is essential to many physiological processes, including maturation of cells and the immune system. Deficient regulation of apoptosis may play an important role in many pathological conditions, such as autoimmunity, AIDS, and myelodysplastic syndrome. Several methods have been described to identify apoptotic cells. DNA strand breaks can be identified by labeling free 3'-OH termini with modified nucleotides by enzymatic reaction (TUNEL method). In this study, apoptosis was introduced in cultured HL-60 cells treated with VP-16, and the TUNEL method was adapted for electromicroscopy, called the EM TUNEL method. The results of the EM TUNEL method were compared with those of light microscopy and flow cytometry. Apoptotic cells following VP-16 (10 micrograms/mL) treatment were detected after 3 h by all methods (light microscopy, Erythrocin B, electron microscopy, flow cytometry, TUNEL, and EM TUNEL). EM TUNEL was the most sensitive method of detection, with a detection rate of 32%. Furthermore, EM TUNEL was more suitable for distinguishing cell lineage than light microscopy TUNEL. The results indicate that EM TUNEL can be used to detect apoptosis in bone marrow species in vivo.
Mitochondrial proteomics of the acetic acid - induced programmed cell death response in a highly tolerant Zygosaccharomyces bailii - derived hybrid strain

Very high concentrations of acetic acid at low pH induce programmed cell death (PCD) in both the experimental model Saccharomyces cerevisiae and in Zygosaccharomyces bailii, the latter being considered the most problematic acidic food spoilage yeast due to its remarkable intrinsic resistance to this food preservative. However, while the mechanisms underlying S. cerevisiae PCD induced by acetic acid have been previously examined, the corresponding molecular players remain largely unknown in Z. bailii. Also, the reason why acetic acid concentrations known to be necrotic for S. cerevisiae induce PCD with an apoptotic phenotype in Z. bailii remains to be elucidated. In this study, a 2-DE-based expression mitochondrial proteomic analysis was explored to obtain new insights into the mechanisms involved in PCD in the Z. bailii derived hybrid strain ISA1307. This allowed the quantitative assessment of expression of protein species derived from each of the parental strains, with special emphasis on the processes taking place in the mitochondria known to play a key role in acetic acid - induced PCD. A marked decrease in the content of proteins involved in mitochondrial metabolism, in particular, in respiratory metabolism (Cor1, Rip1, Lpd1, Lat1 and Pdb1), with a concomitant increase in the abundance of proteins involved in fermentation (Pdc1, Ald4, Dld3) was registered. Other differentially expressed identified proteins also suggest the involvement of the oxidative stress response, protein translation, amino acid and nucleotide metabolism, among other processes, in the PCD response. Overall, the results strengthen the emerging concept of the importance of metabolic regulation of yeast PCD.
Effects of epalrestat, an aldose reductase inhibitor, on diabetic neuropathy and gastroparesis.

OBJECTIVE Diabetic patients with severe autonomic nervous disorder show delayed gastric emptying accompanied by diabetic gastroparesis, which decreases the electric activity of the stomach associated with gastric motility. It is reported that epalrestat, an aldose reductase inhibitor, is useful for treating diabetic neuropathy. Therefore, we evaluated whether this drug improves the decreased gastric motility in diabetic patients. METHODS The present study evaluated the electrogastrograms (EGG) and autonomic nervous activity in 15 healthy volunteers (N group), and in 15 diabetic patients before and after the administration of epalrestat (DM group). Autonomic nervous activity was evaluated by spectral analysis of heart rate variability. The EGGs were recorded before and after oral administration of epalrestat (3 months or more) in the DM group. RESULTS The dominant frequency of EGG was 3 cycles/min (cpm) in the N group. However, these 3 cpm waves disappeared with bradygastria, and postprandial increases in the peak powers of EGG were not observed in the DM group. Both the amplitude of 3 cpm waves and the postprandial peak powers were significantly increased after the administration of epalrestat. The parameters of autonomic nervous activities (LF power, HF power, and the LF/HF ratio) were significantly lower in the DM group before the administration of epalrestat than in the N group. However, these parameters were improved after the administration of epalrestat. CONCLUSION Since gastroparesis is a form of diabetic dysautonomia, complication by gastroparesis may influence blood sugar control and the absorbance of oral antidiabetics. Epalrestat significantly increased the amplitude of 3 cpm waves on EGG and improved the spectral analytical parameters of heart rate variability. These findings suggest that epalrestat is useful for the treatment of diabetic gastroparesis.
Demo: Micro energy efficiency system based on QR code mote

Micro Energy Efficiency System (MEES) provides energy saving while enabling each individual office in a large building to control heating, cooling, and electricity with its own policy. The usage of a decentralized independent control of each office, rather than a centralized one, is common in Korea. MEES provides measuring and controlling points at multiple granularities. An installation became easy and efficient using QR code, and the user configuration through an energy web portal further enhances the energy efficiency.
Feedforward Neural Nets as Models for Time Series Forecasting

We have studied neural networks as models for time series forecasting, and our research compares the Box-Jenkins method against the neural network method for long and short term memory series. Our work was inspired by previously published works that yielded inconsistent results about comparative performance. We have since experimented with 16 time series of differing complexity using neural networks. The performance of the neural networks is compared with that of the Box-Jenkins method. Our experiments indicate that for time series with long memory, both methods produced comparable results. However, for series with short memory, neural networks outperformed the Box-Jenkins model. Because neural networks can be easily built for multiple-step-ahead forecasting, they may present a better long term forecast model than the Box-Jenkins method. We discussed the representation ability, the model building process and the applicability of the neural net approach. Neural networks appear to provide a promising altern.
MOBILE TOURIST INFORMATION SYSTEM WITH SAFETY RECOMMENDER COMPONENT

T he authors suggested and described the architecture of the mobile tourist information system "Mobile information assistant of the tourist" (MIAT), that differs from existing analogs by the presence of user individual characteristics analysis module (character type, age, gender, education, personal preferences, etc.) in this work. The authors have developed a method of dynamic multimedia excursion guidance of tourists, which provides synchronization and playback of personally selected multimedia information in accordance with the planned route. This investigation presents the functional and architectural features of system "MIAT" safety recommender component, the main feature of which is to generate the list of safest tourist destinations on the selected travel period for the user, and recommendations on the potential hazards and methods of overcoming them if the user chooses to visit tourist destination, that is characterized by a high probability of dangerous situations. The component produces a forecast of natural disasters based on Big Data, Data Mining and cluster parallel calculations.
Swine manure injection with low-disturbance applicator and cover crops reduce phosphorus losses.

Injection of liquid swine manure disturbs surface soil so that runoff from treated lands can transport sediment and nutrients to surface waters. We determined the effect of two manure application methods on P fate in a corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ] production system, with and without a winter rye (Secale cereale L.)-oat (Avena sativa L.) cover crop. Treatments included: (i) no manure; (ii) knife injection; and (iii) low-disturbance injection, each with and without the cover crop. Simulated rainfall runoff was analyzed for dissolved reactive P (DRP) and total P (TP). Rainfall was applied 8 d after manure application (early November) and again in May after emergence of the corn crop. Manure application increased soil bioavailable P in the 20- to 30-cm layer following knife injection and in the 5- to 20-cm layer following low-disturbance injection. The low-disturbance system caused less damage to the cover crop, so that P uptake was more than threefold greater. Losses of DRP were greater in both fall and spring following low-disturbance injection; however, application method had no effect on TP loads in runoff in either season. The cover crop reduced fall TP losses from plots with manure applied by either method. In spring, DRP losses were significantly higher from plots with the recently killed cover crop, but TP losses were not affected. Low-disturbance injection of swine manure into a standing cover crop can minimize plant damage and P losses in surface runoff while providing optimum P availability to a subsequent agronomic crop.
Low-Frequency Variability in the Midlatitude Atmosphere Induced by an Oceanic Thermal Front

Abstract This study examines the flow induced in a highly idealized atmospheric model by an east–west-oriented oceanic thermal front. The model has a linear marine boundary layer coupled to a quasigeostrophic, equivalent- barotropic free atmosphere. The vertical velocity at the top of the boundary layer drives the flow in the free atmosphere and produces an eastward jet, parallel to the oceanic front's isotherms. A large gyre develops on either side of this jet, cyclonic to the north and anticyclonic to the south of it. As the jet intensifies during spinup from rest, it becomes unstable. The most unstable wave has a length of about 500 km, it evolves into a meander, and eddies detach from the eastern edge of each gyre. The dependence of the atmospheric dynamics on the strength T∗ of the oceanic front is studied. The Gulf Stream and Kuroshio fronts correspond roughly, in the scaling used here, to T∗ ≅ 7°C. For weak fronts, T∗ ≤ 4°C, the circulation is steady and exhibits two large, antisymmetric gyres sepa.
Application of ReliefF algorithm to selecting feature sets for classification of high resolution remote sensing image

In classification, a large number of features often make it difficult to select appropriate classification features. In such situations, feature selection or dimensionality reduction methods play an important role in classification. ReliefF algorithm is one of the most successful filtering feature selection methods. In this paper, some shortcomings of the ReliefF algorithm are improved, on the problem of poor stability of neighbor samples selection, proposing the method of using the average value of multiple random selection to improve the anti-volatility of the algorithm. And redundant analysis is added to the ReliefF algorithm to eliminate the redundant features. The experimental results show that the improved ReliefF algorithm can effectively establish the classification feature sets, achieve the better classification accuracy.
It’s not all about function: investigating the effects of visual appeal on the evaluation of industrial products using the example of product color

PurposeIndustrial markets are generally associated with objective decision-making in which rational and functional product benefits are central. Recently, however, subjective aspects of decision-making, such as visual appeal, are attracting research attention. The purpose of this paper is to examine, first, the effect of product color as a non-functional design element on attitude toward the product and, second, the underlying causal relationships of this effect in the context of industrial products.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted an online quasi-experiment in the dental market with a sample of 300 dentists. The product stimulus was a picture of a treatment chair that varied in color. An analysis of variance tested the effect of product color on attitude. Structural equation modeling investigated the underlying effects of product evaluation.FindingsThe results indicate that product color affects attitude toward the product. Further, the authors find an insightful causal chain of direct and indirect effects on attitude. The most effective path runs via visual appeal and aesthetics, while haptics and functionality are of minor importance.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the first to provide empirical evidence for the effect of non-functional design elements such as product color on the evaluation of an industrial product. The results provide valuable insights into the effects on attitude in this context and stress the great importance of visual appeal and aesthetics in the product evaluation process.