Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PRAK Interacts with DJ-1 and Prevents Oxidative Stress-Induced Cell Death

As a core member of p38 MAPK signal transduction pathway, p38 regulated/activated kinase (PRAK) is activated by cellular stresses. However, the function of PRAK and its downstream interacting partner remain undefined. Using a yeast two-hybrid system, we identified DJ-1 as a potential PRAK interacting protein. We further verified that DJ-1 bound to PRAK in vitro and in vivo and colocalized with PRAK in the nuclei of NIH3T3 cells. Furthermore, following H2O2 stimulation the majority of endogenous DJ-1 in PRAK+/+ cells still remained in the nucleus, whereas most DJ-1 in PRAK−/− cells translocated from the nucleus into the cytoplasm, indicating that PRAK is essential for DJ-1 to localize in the nucleus. In addition, PRAK-associated phosphorylation of DJ-1 was observed in vitro and in vivo of H2O2-challenged PRAK+/+ cells. Cytoplasmic translocation of DJ-1 in H2O2-treated PRAK−/− cells lost its ability to sequester Daxx, a death protein, in the nucleus, and as a result, Daxx gained access to the cytoplasm and triggered cell death. These data highlight that DJ-1 is the downstream interacting target for PRAK, and in response to oxidative stress PRAK may exert a cytoprotective effect by facilitating DJ-1 to sequester Daxx in the nucleus, thus preventing cell death.
AP/S++: Case-study of a MOP for purposes of software evolution

We study a recent programming paradigm known as Adaptive Programming (AP) as an ideal candidate for a metaobject protocol (MOP) for object-oriented programming languages; we call it the AP . The major bene t of the AP is to provide a mechanism for writing base-level programs in a structure-shy manner. Doing so, the programs are more robust to changes in the structural aspects of the applications. We describe AP/S++, an implementation of the AP using the Scheme-based, objectoriented language S++. AP/S++ is a compile-time MOP and has no negative e ects on the run-time performance of programs. The contributions of this paper are: (i) to show a new application for re ection; (ii) to clearly identify the abstraction boundaries of AP; and (iii) to propose an implementation of the AP that can easily be reproduced in many object-oriented programming languages.
The Trend in Distribution of Q223R Mutation of Leptin Receptor Gene in Amoebic Liver Abscess Patients from North India: A Prospective Study

Host genetic susceptibility is an important risk factor in infectious diseases. We explored the distribution of Q223R mutation in leptin receptor gene of amoebic liver abscess (ALA) patients of North India. A total of 55 ALA samples along with 102 controls were subjected to PCR-RFLP analysis. The frequency of allele “G” (coding for arginine) was in general high in Indian population irrespective of the disease. Our results of Fisher exact test shows that heterozygous mutant (QQ versus QR, P = 0.049) and homozygous mutant (QQ versus RR, P = 0.004) were significantly associated with amoebic liver abscess when compared with homozygous wild (QQ).
Teaching College Writing to Diverse Student Populations

This title offers techniques and tips for today's community college teachers. Statistical and anecdotal evidence documents that even states with relatively little ethnic or cultural diversity are beginning to notice and ask questions about long-term resident immigrants in their classes. As shifts in student population become more widespread, there is an even greater need for second language specialists, composition specialists, program administrators, and developers in colleges and universities to understand and adapt to the needs of the changing student audience(s). This book is designed as an entry-level treatment of the topic of diverse second language student audiences in U.S. post-secondary education. It is appropriate for those interested in working with student writers in academic settings, especially those students who are transitioning from secondary to post-secondary education. It provides a coherent synthesis and summary not only of the scope and nature of the changes but of their practical implications for program administration, course design, and classroom instruction. For pre-service teachers and those new(er) to the field of working with second language student writers, it offers an accessible and focused look at 'audience' issues with many practical suggestions. For teacher-educators and administrators, this book is a resource that can inform decision making.
Microsoft and Trinko: A Tale of Two Courts

In this comment for an upcoming symposium in the Utah Law Review in honor of the retirement of John Flynn, I examine the 2001 opinion of the DC Circuit in Microsoft and the Supreme Court's 2004 opinion in Trinko and compare them as attempts to comprehensively define the law of monopolization. Using the insights of the legal process school, I examine which opinion succeeds as a form of reasoned elaboration and which opinion will gain acceptance among lower courts and commentators in this vital area of antitrust law. I conclude that the Microsoft opinion should stand the test of time as a rigorous, intellectually honest, and well reasoned synthesis of the law of monopolization. In contrast, Trinko suffers from numerous errors of law, fact, economics, antitrust policy, and contains much unreasoned dicta that extends far beyond its narrow holding about the interface between antitrust and telecommunication regulation. Trinko thus fails the test of reasoned elaboration, one of the key hallmarks of a legitimate and persuasive judicial opinion.
Receiver-coordinated zero-forcing distributed transmit nullforming

A coherent cooperative communication system is proposed in which a distributed array of transmit nodes forms a beam at a desired receiver while simultaneously steering nulls at several protected receivers. Coherent transmission is achieved through a receiver-coordinated protocol where the receivers in the system use state-space channel tracking and provide feedback to the transmit cluster to facilitate distributed transmission. Analytical estimates for the performance degradation in the nulls due to channel estimation errors are verified by simulations. Numerical results demonstrate that the technique is effective even with low channel measurement overhead, infrequent measurement intervals, and feedback latency.
Risk Factors of Antibiotic Misuse for Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Children: Results from a Cross-Sectional Knowledge-Attitude-Practice Study in Greece

Background. Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are common in children. The cause of URTIs is usually viral, but parents' attitudes often contribute to inappropriate prescription of antibiotics, promoting antibiotic resistance. The objective of this study was to identify possible risk factors associated with antibiotic misuse in Greece, a country with high levels of antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance. Methods. A knowledge-attitude-practice (KAP) questionnaire was developed and distributed to Greek parents caring for children who were 5-6 years old, between January and July of the same school year. Results. The sample of the study contained 5312 parents from all geographic areas of Greece. The risk factors of being a father, having low education, having immigrant status, being a single parent, having low income, having <2 or >3 children, living in the islands, and being without experience in recurrent URTIs were significantly associated to inadequate knowledge, inappropriate attitudes, and wrong practices. Conclusions. This study has identified the main groups of parents that should be targeted in future intervention programs.
A Multidimensional Computerized Adaptive Short-Form Quality of Life Questionnaire Developed and Validated for Multiple Sclerosis

AbstractThe aim was to develop a multidimensional computerized adaptive short-form questionnaire, the MusiQoL-MCAT, from a fixed-length QoL questionnaire for multiple sclerosis.A total of 1992 patients were enrolled in this international cross-sectional study. The development of the MusiQoL-MCAT was based on the assessment of between-items MIRT model fit followed by real-data simulations. The MCAT algorithm was based on Bayesian maximum a posteriori estimation of latent traits and Kullback–Leibler information item selection. We examined several simulations based on a fixed number of items. Accuracy was assessed using correlations (r) between initial IRT scores and MCAT scores. Precision was assessed using the standard error measurement (SEM) and the root mean square error (RMSE). The multidimensional graded response model was used to estimate item parameters and IRT scores. Among the MCAT simulations, the 16-item version of the MusiQoL-MCAT was selected because the accuracy and precision became stable with 16 items with satisfactory levels (r ≥ 0.9, SEM ⩽ 0.55, and RMSE ⩽ 0.3). External validity of the MusiQoL-MCAT was satisfactory.The MusiQoL-MCAT presents satisfactory properties and can individually tailor QoL assessment to each patient, making it less burdensome to patients and better adapted for use in clinical practice.
Redshifts and Neutral Hydrogen Observations of Compact Symmetric Objects in the COINS Sample

Compact symmetric objects (CSOs) are young radio galaxies whose jet axes lie close to the plane of the sky, and whose appearance is therefore not dominated by relativistic beaming effects. The small linear sizes of CSOs make them valuable for studies of both the evolution of radio galaxies and testing unified schemes for active galactic nuclei (AGNs). A parsec-scale region of gas surrounding the central engine is predicted by both accretion and obscuration scenarios. Working surfaces, or "hot spots," and the radio jets of CSOs are close enough to the central engines that this circumnuclear gas can be seen in absorption. The CSOs observed in the northern sky (COINS) sample is comprised of 52 CSO candidates identified in three VLBI surveys. Of these, 27 have now been confirmed as CSOs. Optical redshifts are available in the literature for 28 of the CSO candidates, and H I absorption has been detected toward four. We present new optical spectroscopic redshifts for three of the candidates and summarize the current status of optical identifications. We further report on the discovery of H I in absorption toward the CSO J1816+3457 and summarize the results of neutral hydrogen absorption studies of the sources in this sample.
Characterization of the stress-strain relationship of the abdominal aortic wall in vivo

We hereby propose a new method to determine the regionally passive, elastic, stress-strain relationship of the normal murine abdominal aorta in vivo. The circumferential stress-strain relationship was assessed through Laplace's law, a small deformation framework and a relationship between luminal pressure and diameter variation. The regional diameter variation of the murine abdominal aortas was obtained using a cross-correlation technique on radio-frequency (RF) signals at the extremely high frame rate of 8 kHz. The luminal pressure variation was measured by an ultra-miniature pressure catheter over one cardiac cycle. The change of slope of the stress-strain curve was noticed, which was the contribution of elastin and engaged collagen fibers. The stressstrain relationships before and after this transition was assumed to be linear. Three Young's moduli of the aortic wall were characterized in six mice in vivo: (1) elastin, (2) elastin-collagen and (3) engaged collagen fibers, which were equal to 91.6±26.5, 229.0±80.4 and 137.5±65.6 kPa, respectively. The proposed methodology thus allowed for noninvasive mapping of the mechanical properties of its constituents in vivo.
The Studies on Energy Control of Protocols inWireless Sensor Networks

Energy control is the most important problem for wireless sensor networks, and the primary performance objectives are energy conservation and the design of an efficient energy strategy for prolonging the whole networks' lifetime. As the applications of wireless sensor networks increase, the network protocols become more and more complex. But all the protocols have to aim chiefly to saving energy. The focus of the paper is to present the energy control strategy in energy-efficient MAC and routing protocols for wireless sensor networks. Then some open issues are provided for further studies for solving the problems of reducing the energy consumption in wireless sensor networks
Performance analysis of lifting based DWT and MLPNN for epilepsy seizure from EEG

EEG recording are used to analyze the electrical signals generated by the brain. It is used in diagnosing and monitoring process of neurological disorder such as Epilepsy. Epilepsy cannot be controlled by available medical treatments. Its major manifestation is epilepsy seizure. Lifting Based Discrete Wavelet Transform (LBDWT) an efficient toll for representing electroencephalogram signals. EEG changes will be classified by Multilayer perceptron Neural Network (MLPNN). The classification rules were extracted from EEG that were reordered from healthy volunteers, epilepsy patients during seizure free interval and epilepsy patients during epileptic seizure. EEG signals were used as input of the MLPNNs trained with Back propagation and Levenberg - Marquadrant algorithm. Decision making was done in two stages: feature extraction by using LBDWT and classification using MLPNNs trained with the BP and LM algorithms. In this paper, we present an algorithm for classification of EEG (normal and Epilepsy) signals based on lifting based Discrete Wavelet Transformation and patterns recognize techniques.
A Dominant Negative Mutant of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase A Reduces Endoreduplication but Not Cell Size or Gene Expression in Maize Endosperm

Cells in maize (Zea mays) endosperm undergo multiple cycles of endoreduplication, with some attaining DNA contents as high as 96C and 192C. Genome amplification begins around 10 d after pollination, coincident with cell enlargement and the onset of starch and storage protein accumulation. Although the role of endoreduplication is unclear, it is thought to provide a mechanism that increases cell size and enhances gene expression. To investigate this process, we reduced endoreduplication in transgenic maize endosperm by ectopically expressing a gene encoding a dominant negative mutant form of cyclin-dependent kinase A. This gene was regulated by the 27-kD γ-zein promoter, which restricted synthesis of the defective enzyme to the endoreduplication rather than the mitotic phase of endosperm development. Overexpression of a wild-type cyclin-dependent kinase A increased enzyme activity but had no effect on endoreduplication. By contrast, ectopic expression of the defective enzyme lowered kinase activity and reduced by half the mean C-value and total DNA content of endosperm nuclei. The lower level of endoreduplication did not affect cell size and only slightly reduced starch and storage protein accumulation. There was little difference in the level of endosperm gene expression with high and low levels of endoreduplication, suggesting that this process may not enhance transcription of genes associated with starch and storage protein synthesis.
Loan Portfolio Loss Models With More Flexible Asymmetry and Tails for Korean Banks and a Comparison of Their Regional Concentrations

Abstract This article extends the Vasicek model for the Gaussian single-factor portfolio loss distribution to a skew-elliptical multifactor model and proposes loss models with more flexible asymmetry and fat tails for credit portfolios. By comparing the sensitivities of portfolio loss value-at-risk with respect to the model parameters, we show that the portfolio loss distributions depend not only on the model parameters but also on the multivariate nature of the factor model. With the empirical tests based on the Korean banks’ nonperforming loan rates, our proposed models outperform the Vasicek model and provide more appropriate asset correlation and a systematic risk measure reflecting the characteristics of bank-level nonperforming loan rates. In addition, we measure the regional concentration of all the Korean banks using the Herfindahl-Hirschman index. We find that the regional concentration of a bank is strongly related to bank-level systematic risk, and the multivariate nature of asset return has a huge effect on bank-level systematic risk for the given regional concentration of a bank.
How the States Shaped the Nation: American Electoral Institutions and Voter Turnout, 1920-2000

The United States routinely has one of the lowest voter turnout rates of any developed democracy in the world. That rate is also among the most internally diverse, since the federal structure allows state-level variations in voting institutions that have had-and continue to have-sizable local effects. But are expansive institutional efforts like mailin registration, longer poll hours, and "no-excuse" absentee voting uniformly effective in improving voter turnout across states? With How the States Shaped the Nation, Melanie Jean Springer places contemporary reforms in historical context and explores how state electoral institutions have shaped voting behavior throughout the twentieth century. Although reformers often assume that more convenient voting procedures will produce equivalent effects wherever they are implemented, Springer reveals that this is not the case. In fact, convenience-voting methods have had almost no effect in the southern states where turnout rates are lowest. In contrast, the adverse effects associated with restrictive institutions like poll taxes and literacy tests have been persistent and dramatic. Ultimately, no single institutional fix will uniformly resolve problems of low or unequal participation. If we want to reliably increase national voter turnout rates, we must explore how states' voting histories differ.
Discovery of the INTEGRAL X/γ-ray transient IGR J00291+5934: A Comptonised accreting ms pulsar?

We report the discovery of a high-energy transient with the IBIS/ISGRI detector on board the INTEGRAL ob- servatory. The source, namely IGR J00291+5934, was first detected on 2nd December 2004 in the routine monitoring of the IBIS/ISGRI 20−60 keV images. The observations were conducted during Galactic Plane Scans, which are a key part of the INTEGRAL Core Programme observations. After verifying the basic source behaviour, the discovery was announced on 3rd December. The transient shows a hard Comptonised spectrum, with peak energy release at about 20 keV and a total lumi- nosity of ∼0.9 × 10 36 erg s −1 in the 5−100 keV range, assuming a distance of 3 kpc. Following the INTEGRAL announcement of the discovery of IGR J00291+5934, a number of observations were made by other instruments. We summarise the results of those observations and, together with the INTEGRAL data, identifiy IGR J00291+5934 as the 6th member of a class of accreting X-ray millisecond pulsars.
WebCity: A WWW-based Hypermedia Environment for Software Development

Many SDEs (Software Development Environments) have been built to help increase software productivity. However, these systems often have several de ciencies: inability to operate/act on external data; hardwired behaviors; and nally lack of a universal remote access mechanism for geographically distributed users. In this paper we rst introduceOzWeb , a system which combines the elements of SDE, Work ow Management, and the World Wide Web (WWW). We explain how it provides a solution for the above three problems. Then we describe WebCity, an instance of SDE which applies OzWeb 's technology to a real environment. We will discuss how it solves those problems with SDE, and our experience in building and using it. Finally we compare WebCity with similar systems that also deploy Web technology.
Identification of RNA Oligonucleotides Binding to Several Proteins from Potential G-Quadruplex Forming Regions in Transcribed Pre-mRNA

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are noncanonical DNA/RNA structures formed by guanine-rich sequences. Recently, G4s have been found not only in aptamers but also in the genomic DNA and transcribed RNA. In this study, we identified new RNA oligonucleotides working as aptamers by focusing on G4-forming RNAs located within the pre-mRNA. We showed that the G4 in the 5′ UTR and first intron of VEGFA bound to the protein encoded in VEGFA gene, VEGF165, with high affinity. Moreover, G4-forming RNAs located within the PDGFA and the PDGFB introns bound to PDGF-AA and PDGF-BB, respectively, indicating that G4 in the pre-mRNA could be an aptamer. It had been reported that the putative G4-forming RNA sequences are located in some parts of most genes, thus our strategy for aptamer identification could be applicable to other proteins. It has been reported that some G4-forming RNAs in 5′ UTRs are involved in translation control; however, G4-forming excised intronic RNA function has not been revealed previously. Therefore, these findings could not only contribute to the identification of RNA aptamers but also provide new insights into the biological functioning of G4-forming RNAs located within intronic RNA sequences.
Predicting parallel applications' performance across platforms using partial execution

Performance prediction across platforms is increasingly important in today’s diverse computing environments. As both programs and their developers face unprecedented wide choices in execution platforms, cross-machine execution time prediction with reasonable accuracy equally benefits scheduling decisions of grid jobs as well as scientists in their research and development planning. In this paper, we investigate an affordable method approaching cross-platform performance translation, based on the notion of relative performance between two platforms. We argue that relative performance can often be observed without running a parallel application in full. This paper shows that it suffices to observe very short partial executions of an application since most parallel codes are iterative and behave in a predictable manner after a minimal startup period. This prediction approach is observationbased and does not require program modeling, code analysis, or architectural simulation. Our performance results (using four real-world parallel simulation codes and a total of ten parallel machines with eight distinct architectures) demonstrate that performance prediction derived from partial application executions can yield highly accurate results
Scheduling of OSPF routing table calculation using Generalized Regression Neural Network

Upon topology changes, routing protocols typically undergo convergence process to prepare new shortest routes needed for packet delivery. Real-time applications (e.g. VoIP) nowadays require routing protocol to have quick convergence time. This paper presents a new routing table calculation scheduling scheme for OSPF routing protocol to better serve real-time applications. The proposed scheme focuses on speeding up OSPF networks convergence time by optimizing the scheduling of routing table calculations using Generalized Regression Neural Network (GRNN). GRNN is used to determine the suitable hold time based on three parameters: LSA-inter arrival time, the number of important control message in queue, and the computing utilization of the routers. The GRNN model produces good hold time values for the training and testing data we used.
A Hardware-In-the-Loop setup for rapid control prototyping of mechatronic systems

In this paper we present a Hardware-In-the-Loop setup for the simulation of complex mechatronic systems. The setup consists of two coupled brushless motors. One of them is the motor under test, which is used to design the control algorithm and to test the control software, while the other one simulates the device to be controlled. Libraries of mechanical and hydraulic components have been implemented in an IEC61131-3 language so that a complex system can be simulated in a relatively easy way and this allows for a rapid control prototyping. Practical issues are discussed and an illustrative example is shown to confirm the effectiveness of the setup.