Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
early in short days 4, a mutation in Arabidopsis that causes early flowering and reduces the mRNA abundance of the floral repressor FLC

The plant shoot is derived from the apical meristem, a group of stem cells formed during embryogenesis. Lateral organs form on the shoot of an adult plant from primordia that arise on the flanks of the shoot apical meristem. Environmental stimuli such as light, temperature and nutrient availability often influence the shape and identity of the organs that develop from these primordia. In particular, the transition from forming vegetative lateral organs to producing flowers often occurs in response to environmental cues. This transition requires increased expression in primordia of genes that confer floral identity, such as the Arabidopsis gene LEAFY. We describe a novel mutant, early in short days 4 (esd4), that dramatically accelerates the transition from vegetative growth to flowering in Arabidopsis. The effect of the mutation is strongest under short photoperiods, which delay flowering of Arabidopsis. The mutant has additional phenotypes, including premature termination of the shoot and an alteration of phyllotaxy along the stem, suggesting that ESD4 has a broader role in plant development. Genetic analysis indicates that ESD4 is most closely associated with the autonomous floral promotion pathway, one of the well-characterized pathways proposed to promote flowering of Arabidopsis. Furthermore, mRNA levels of a floral repressor (FLC), which acts within this pathway, are reduced by esd4, and the expression of flowering-time genes repressed by FLC is increased in the presence of the esd4 mutation. Although the reduction in FLC mRNA abundance is likely to contribute to the esd4 phenotype, our data suggest that esd4 also promotes flowering independently of FLC. The role of ESD4 in the regulation of flowering is discussed with reference to current models on the regulation of flowering in Arabidopsis.
Distributed Time-Varying Graph Filtering

One of the cornerstones of the field of signal processing on graphs are graph filters, direct analogues of classical filters, but intended for signals defined on graphs. This work brings forth new insights on the distributed graph filtering problem. We design a family of autoregressive moving average (ARMA) recursions, which (i) are able to approximate any desired graph frequency response, and (ii) give exact solutions for tasks such as graph signal denoising and interpolation. The design philosophy, which allows us to design the ARMA coefficients independently from the underlying graph, renders the ARMA graph filters suitable in static and, particularly, time-varying settings. The latter occur when the graph signal and/or graph are changing over time. We show that in case of a time-varying graph signal our approach extends naturally to a two-dimensional filter, operating concurrently in the graph and regular time domains. We also derive sufficient conditions for filter stability when the graph and signal are time-varying. The analytical and numerical results presented in this paper illustrate that ARMA graph filters are practically appealing for static and time-varying settings, accompanied by strong theoretical guarantees.
Evolution of Web computing systems: experiences from Web-portal projects

Portals form the single access point to relevant information and applications for a specific target group. Like all other software systems, portals will get less useful over time if they do not evolve according to changing user requirements. This paper is based on results of approx. 10 projects in Web-Portal research and development between 1997 and 2004. Experience with respect to evolution of the portal platform BaSeWeP is presented from different viewpoints: (1) functional and architectural evolution of the platform from a meta-information system to a knowledge portal, (2) the induced content evolution, and (3) the overall evolution process.
Learning from Invisible Cities: The Interplay and Dialogue of Order and Disorder

Just over forty years ago, Italo Calvino's masterpiece Invisible Cities was published in English. In the book, through a series of prose poems, Marco Polo describes the cities he has explored to Kublai Khan. Invisible Cities has been noticeably influential in urban studies. This paper examines the well-known playfulness, fabulism, randomness, and disorder as well as the often less acknowledged structure and order in this classic. It suggests that the conventional interpretation of Invisible Cities in urban studies literature underappreciates the complementary importance of structure and order in this novel. Based on my reading of Invisible Cities and Calvino's work, I speculatively call for emphasis on the interplay and dialogue of order and disorder in the design of cities.
Expedited geometry scaling of antenna structures by means of inverse surrogate modeling

In this work, we propose a computationally efficient procedure for dimension scaling of antenna structures. The fundamental component of our methodology is an inverse surrogate model that relates geometry parameters of the antenna structure of interest to its operating frequency. The surrogate is constructed using several antenna designs obtained at the level of the coarse-discretization EM simulation model. Upon correction, the inverse model is utilized to identify dimensions of the scaled design at the high-fidelity (EM-simulation) model level. Owing to good correlations between the EM simulations of various fidelities, the scaled design can be found using only one high-fidelity EM simulation of the structure at hand. The scaling algorithm is demonstrated using an example of a dielectric resonator antenna.
Pointed regulates an eye-specific transcriptional enhancer in the Drosophila hedgehog gene, which is required for the movement of the morphogenetic furrow

Drosophila development depends on stable boundaries between cellular territories, such as the embryonic parasegment boundaries and the compartment boundaries in the imaginal discs. Patterning in the compound eye is fundamentally different: the boundary is not stable, but moves (the morphogenetic furrow). Paradoxically, Hedgehog signaling is essential to both: Hedgehog is expressed in the posterior compartments in the embryo and in imaginal discs, and posterior to the morphogenetic furrow in the eye. Therefore, uniquely in the eye, cells receiving a Hedgehog signal will eventually produce the same protein. We report that the mechanism that underlies this difference is the special regulation of hedgehog (hh) transcription through the dual regulation of an eye specific enhancer. We show that this enhancer requires the Egfr/Ras pathway transcription factor Pointed. Recently, others have shown that this same enhancer also requires the eye determining transcription factor Sine oculis (So). We discuss these data in terms of a model for a combinatorial code of furrow movement.
Enhanced healing of goat femur‐defect using BMP7 gene‐modified BMSCs and load‐bearing tissue‐engineered bone

Segmental defect regeneration is still a clinical challenge. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) infected with adenoviral vector containing the bone morphogenetic protein 7 gene (AdBMP7) and load‐bearing to enhance bone regeneration in a critically sized femoral defect in the goat model. The defects were implanted with AdBMP7‐infected BMSCs/coral (BMP7 group) or noninfected BMSCs/coral (control group), respectively, stabilized with an internal fixation rod and interlocking nails. Bridging of the segmental defects was evaluated by radiographs monthly, and confirmed by biomechanical tests. Much callus was found in the BMP7 group, and nails were taken off after 3 months of implantation, indicating that regenerated bone in the defect can be remodeled by load‐bearing, whereas after 6 months in control group. After load‐bearing, it is about 5 months; the mechanical property of newly formed bone in the BMP7 group was restored, but 8 months in control group. Our data suggested that the BMP7 gene‐modified BMSCs and load‐bearing can promote bone regeneration in segmental defects. © 2009 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 28:412–418, 2010
Mimicking of Estradiol Binding by Flame Retardants and Their Metabolites: A Crystallographic Analysis

Background: Brominated flame retardants (BFRs), used in many types of consumer goods, are being studied because of concerns about possible health effects related to endocrine disruption, immunotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, and neurotoxicity. Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), the most widely used BFR, and human metabolites of certain congeners of polybrominated diphenyl ether (e.g., 3-OH-BDE-47) have been suggested to inhibit estrogen sulfotransferase, potentially affecting estrogen metabolism. Objectives: Our primary goal was to understand the structural mechanism for inhibition of the hormone-metabolizing enzyme estrogen sulfotransferase by certain BFRs. We also sought to understand various factors that facilitate the binding of flame retardants in the enzyme binding pocket. Methods: We used X-ray crystallography to obtain atomic detail of the binding modes of TBBPA and 3-OH-BDE-47 to estrogen sulfotransferase for comparison with binding of the endogenous substrate estradiol. Results: The crystal structures reveal how BFRs mimic estradiol binding as well as the various interactions between the compounds and protein residues that facilitate its binding. In addition, the structures provide insights into the ability of the sulfotransferase substrate binding pocket to accommodate a range of halogenated compounds that satisfy minimal structural criteria. Conclusions: Our results show how BFRs or their metabolites can bind to and inhibit a key hormone-metabolizing enzyme, potentially causing endocrine disruption. Citation: Gosavi RA, Knudsen GA, Birnbaum LS, Pedersen LC. 2013. Mimicking of estradiol binding by flame retardants and their metabolites: a crystallographic analysis. Environ Health Perspect 121:1194–1199; http://dx.doi. org/10.1289/ehp.1306902
Brief Walks in Outdoor and Laboratory Environments

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of brief walks completed in outdoor and laboratory environments on affective responses, enjoyment, and intention to walk for exercise. Thirty-five active young women (M age = 22.14 years, SD = 1.73) walked for 10 min at a self-selected intensity in outdoor and laboratory environments. Affective responses were assessed before, during, and following each brief walk. Enjoyment and intention also were assessed following each walk. Results revealed that although both walks resulted in improvements in affective responses, participants reported greater pleasant affective states, enjoyment, and intention for future participation with outdoor walking. Results of correlation analyses also revealed that affective responses were only consistently related to enjoyment in the outdoor environment. These findings suggest that the environment influences the affective responses to brief walks and show that affective states experienced during walking are related to theoretical determinants of physical activity.
Introduction of low probability of recognition to radar system classification

This paper proposes the addition of low probability of recognition (LPR) to the electronic warfare classification of radar systems. LPR radars focus on deceiving electronic support (ES) receivers by selecting waveforms which are agile in their parameter spaces, or by mimicking existing transmitters. LPR provides an additional mechanism to achieve covert operation in a way which builds on low probability of interception (LPI) and low probability of detection (LPD) techniques. The challenges and opportunities of LPR techniques are considered, and some examples of existing waveforms which are suitable for LPR radars are provided.
A Novel Phoneme Recognition System Using Binary Feature Vector and Correlation Based Classifier

In this paper, a novel approach for phoneme classification using binary feature vector and correlation based classifier is proposed. The input speech segmentation is carried out using the Average Level Crossing Rate (ALCR) information. A 513-point binary feature vector is generated for each of the phoneme segment detected by ALCR boundaries. The phoneme recognition is based on the uniqueness of the frequency content of each of the phoneme. Instead of using a Hidden Markov Model, Artificial Neural Network or Support Vector Machine based classifier, a simple correlation classifier using the correlation between feature vectors and the set of feature vectors generated with training data is employed. The proposed approach is simpler and requires lesser computational resources when compared with other pattern classification techniques. The performance of proposed phoneme recognition system has been evaluated using real-time speech input and the recognition performance of the proposed phoneme recognition system is satisfactory.
In forests and factories: sexual behaviour among young migrant workers in Nepal

In Nepal, it is commonly assumed that young people migrating to Kathmandu Valley for work in carpet and garment factories are at risk from negative sexual health outcomes. Greater independence and mixed‐sex housing could lead young people to initiate sexual behaviour earlier, and have more sexual partners, than they would in rural communities. A recent survey among factory workers, however, suggested that sexual knowledge and experience were often gained in home villages, prior to migration. This paper presents data from a follow‐up qualitative study comprising in‐depth interviews with 11 male and 12 female young migrant workers reporting high‐risk sexual behaviour. Exploring the circumstances of such episodes in both village and factory environments, the study found that young people experience a wide range of consensual and coercive sexual relationships while still in home communities. Resulting negative emotional or sexual health outcomes can serve as a catalyst for the decision to migrate to Kathmandu Valley. Once employed in factories, young people find increased opportunities for sex, but many of their perceptions of risk, pleasure, and negotiation have already been established. Understanding these realities can contribute to the identification of appropriate ways to meet young people's sexual health needs.
A 50 to 146 GHz Power Amplifier Based on Magnetic Transformers and Distributed Gain Cells

A monolithic millimeter-wave integrated circuit power amplifier covering the entire V-, W- and F-band is presented. The amplifier applies magnetic distributed transformers in combination with traveling wave gain cells to achieve a -3 dB bandwidth that spans from 50 to 146 GHz, 12 dB gain and a maximum measured output power of 15 dBm. With a relative bandwidth of 98.3% the PA achieves the highest bandwidth reported for power amplifiers operating at around 100 GHz to date.
Fuzzy approaches to hard c-means clustering

A popular clustering model is hard c-means (HCM). For many data sets the HCM objective function has local extrema, so HCM optimization often yields suboptimal clusterings. The effect of local extrema can be reduced by fuzzification, leading to the well-known fuzzy c-means (FCM) model with the fuzziness parameter m >; 1. In this paper we use FCM to optimize the HCM model, even though we actually optimize a different objective function. This work is motivated by a popular approach to avoid local extrema in HCM which approximates the minimum operator in HCM by the harmonic means, leading to c-harmonic means (CHM), which was recently shown to be equivalent to FCM for m = 2. Generalizing the harmonic means in CHM to generalized means yields a clustering model that we call c-generalized means (CGM), which is equivalent to FCM for arbitrary m >; 1. Numerical experiments with the BIRCH and Lena data sets show that FCM/CGM (with optimal m) often yields significantly better HCM clusterings than HCM itself or CHM.
Differential effects of ionizing radiation and platinum-derivative chemotherapy on apoptotic pathways in testicular germ cells

Purpose: The purpose here was to identify whether ionizing radiation and oxaliplatin triggered testicular germ cells apoptosis through different executionary pathways. Materials and methods: Adult male mice are treated with oxaliplatin (0.5 mg/kg, Ox) 4 h before being locally irradiated (0.5 Gy, IR, considered as time 0 h). Results: The number of apoptotic germ cells was significantly higher for IR (p < 0.008), Ox (p < 0.0001) and Ox + IR (p < 0.0001) groups compared to the untreated mice group. Similarly, the different treatments induced an increase of p53 expression. Downstream p53, IR and Ox used different pathways. Indeed, IR increased effector caspase-3 expression in terms of mRNA (p < 0.002), pro-enzyme p < 0.0001) and active (3.7-fold, p < 0.003) protein levels but not the inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAP) including cIAP1, cIAP2 and XIAP. In contrast, while oxaliplatin treatment had no apparent effect on caspase-3 expression, it significantly decreased the cIAP1 (p < 0.005), cIAP2 (p < 0.008) and XIAP (p < 0.02) proteins levels. Finally, the combination of both treatments decreased IAP expression but did not modify caspase-3 levels while it increased the AIF (apoptosis-inducing factor) protein levels (5.5-fold, p < 0.003). No modification of AIF levels was observed with OX or IR alone. Conclusions: Together, these results indicate that the platinum analogue oxaliplatin and the ionizing radiations trigger apoptosis in the testicular germ cells, probably through different pathways.
Simulated time for host‐based testing with TTCN‐3

Prior to testing embedded software in a target environment, it is usually tested in a host environment used for developing the software. When a system is tested in a host environment, its real‐time behaviour is affected by the use of simulators, emulation and monitoring. In this paper, the authors provide a semantics for host‐based testing with simulated time and propose a simulated‐time solution for distributed testing with TTCN‐3, which is a standardized language for specifying and executing test suites. The paper also presents the application of testing with simulated time to two real‐life systems. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
p38 MAP kinase is required for STAT1 serine phosphorylation and transcriptional activation induced by interferons

Activation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) is a prerequisite for the formation of the transcription factor complex interferon‐stimulated gene factor 3 (ISGF3) in response to interferon‐α (IFN‐α). Here we show that p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK), an activator of cPLA2, is essential for both IFN‐α and IFN‐γ signalling. SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38, was found to inhibit ISGF3 formation but had no apparent effects on signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)1 homodimer formation. Regardless of this, the antiviral activities of both IFN‐α and IFN‐γ were attenuated by SB203580. Treatment with either IFN led to rapid and transient activation of p38. Both IFNs induced STAT1 Ser727 phosphorylation, which was inhibited by SB203580 but not by an extracellular signal related kinase (ERK)1/2 inhibitor (PD98059). In an inducible 3T3‐L1 clone, expression of dominant‐negative p38 led to defective STAT1 serine phosphorylation and diminished IFN‐γ‐mediated protection against viral killing. Reporter activity mediated by ISGF3 or STAT1 homodimer was diminished by SB203580 and enhanced by a constitutively active mutant of MKK6, the upstream activator of p38. Therefore, p38 plays a key role in the serine phosphorylation of STAT1 and transcriptional changes induced by both IFNs.
Study of a New Planar-Type Balun Topology for Application in the Design of Balun Bandpass Filters

A comprehensive study of a new planar-type balun prototype is presented in this paper for application in the design of balun bandpass filters (BPFs) with widely used open-type resonators. The proposed balun is in general composed of two identical back-to-back quarter-wavelength (λ/4) coupled line sections. The design concept originates from the analysis of the standing wave pattern on a half-wavelength (λ/2) open-circuited transmission line. After an intuitive illustration is given, its working principle is presented to validate the feasibility of the proposed balun. Afterward, two types of the coupled line prototypes are analyzed to implement the proposed balun with filtering response, whereas a basic rule is given to realize the transmission zeros. To further demonstrate the validity of the proposed balun prototype, two practical balun BPFs with common dual-mode resonators are designed and fabricated. As expected, transmission zeros are generated near the desired passband of our presented balun filters, thereby improving their frequency selectivity. Both simulated and measured results exhibit good filtering and balun performance.
Understanding How People Decide: Decision-Making Theories As Mental Representations

This paper argues that instead of seeing the most influential theories in decisionmaking as competitive, one may contemplate the possibility that they are part of a wider theory of decision-making. This theory looks at how people decide based on how they structure a mental representation of a complex reality. Further, it gives a brief presentation of the mainstream theories in decision-making: expected utility theory, prospect theory, bounded rationality, parallel games, Rawls' theory of justice and multi-criteria decision-making. The conclusions suggest that research in the field should include the current theories of decision-making as possible mental representations, while also acknowledging some important epistemological problems in this field.
Wireless Sensor Network Adaptive Energy Optimization Clustering Algorithm based on Routing Rules

Because of the energy load imbalance of cluster nodes in wireless sensor networks, this causes cluster heads tend to die earlier in the case of more tasks and routing problem such as larger energy loss, so an adaptive energy optimization clustering routing algorithm is proposed. The node residual energy and distance are taken into full consideration by the measure coefficient on the cluster-head election and competition radius calculation, which prolongs the lifetime of cluster-head. The modes of forwarding data between the cluster heads is single-hop routing or multi-hop routing decided by the form of the routing rules, so as to minimize the energy loss in the routing and guarantee the cluster-head does not tend to die earlier. The experimental simulation results demonstrate that the adaptive energy optimization clustering routing algorithm can effectively prolong the lifetime of the network and reduce the energy consumption.