Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization and recombinant protein expression of ferritin light chain homologue in the silkworm, Bombyx mori

The silkworm genome encodes three iron storage proteins or ferritins, Fer1HCH, Fer2LCH, and Fer3HCH. Probing our EST library constructed from 1‐day‐old silkworm eggs revealed only Fer2LCH mRNA, which encoded for a protein with a predicted putative N‐glycosylation site. Developmental and tissue expression analyses during embryogenesis revealed that Fer2LCH mRNA was abundant from 6 h to 6 days after oviposition. Transcriptional expression of Fer2LCH during the postembryonic stage is also high in the larval fat body and mid‐gut, and then is upregulated in all pupal tissues tested. We found that Fer2LCH mRNA contains an iron‐responsive element, suggesting this ferritin subunit is subject to translational control. Although ferritin expression has been shown to increase following immune challenge in other insects, the levels of Fer2LCH mRNA were not significantly induced following viral or bacterial infection of Bombyx mori. Using a baculovirus expression system we expressed recombinant BmFer2LCH protein, which was detectable in the cytoplasmic fraction, likely in a compartment of the secretory pathway, and was shown to undergo posttranslational modifications including N‐glycosylation. In particular, rBmFer2LCH carbohydrate chains were composed of mannose and GlcNAc. We suggest that Fer2LCH is important for iron homeostasis and maintaining normal organ function in silkworms.
Simplified modelling of wind farms for voltage dip transients

This paper addresses the issue of simplified modelling of large scale wind farms and its impact on the accuracy of dynamic systems responses to grid transient faults. We propose a simplified model consisting of a detailed wind turbine model with scaled-up outputs, versus the conventional aggregate representation of wind farms. The simplification methods are compared for their suitability to grid voltage dip transients of increased duration. The methods are applied to a wind farm split into three coherent clusters. The results show that the aggregate machine model is suitable for static and short transient grid faults, but limited in voltage ride through studies of grid faults of longer clearing time.
Prediction Method based DRSA to Improve the Individual Knowledge Appropriation in a Collaborative Learning Environment: Case of MOOCs

This paper proposes a prediction method that relies on the Dominance-based Rough Set Approach (DRSA) to improve the individual knowledge appropriation when the learning process occurs in a collaborative environment such as the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). This method is based on two phases: the first has to be applied at the end of each week of the MOOC and aims at inferring a preference model resulting in a set of decision rul es; the second is applied at the beginning of each week of the same MOOC and consists of classifying each learner in one of the three defined decision classe s, which are Cl1 of the “At-risk Learners”, Cl2 of the “Struggling Learners” and Cl3 of the “Leader Learners”, based on the previously inferred preference model. This method runs weekly. It has been validated on real data of a French MOOC proposed by a Business School in France.
Adopting Cva To Evaluate Es Benefits' Impact On Organisational Effectiveness In Australia

Organisations have invested huge amount of resources into ES implementations, primarily driven by the promise of increased productivity and efficiency. The evaluation of benefits derived from the ES is important to justify the investment made by the adopting organisations. Current literature of ES benefits evaluation suggests that there is a lack of holistic and theoretical approaches with much of the literature overly focusing on performancebased metrics i.e. financial, operational or balanced scorecard. This research study proposes the use of the Competing Value Approach (CVA) theory as a theoretical lens to holistically evaluate ES benefits achieved by organisations in Australia, that have an impact on organisational effectiveness internally and externally.
Meiotic cohesin STAG3 is required for chromosome axis formation and sister chromatid cohesion

The cohesin complex is essential for mitosis and meiosis. The specific meiotic roles of individual cohesin proteins are incompletely understood. We report in vivo functions of the only meiosis‐specific STAG component of cohesin, STAG3. Newly generated STAG3‐deficient mice of both sexes are sterile with meiotic arrest. In these mice, meiotic chromosome architecture is severely disrupted as no bona fide axial elements (AE) form and homologous chromosomes do not synapse. Axial element protein SYCP3 forms dot‐like structures, many partially overlapping with centromeres. Asynapsis marker HORMAD1 is diffusely distributed throughout the chromatin, and SYCP1, which normally marks synapsed axes, is largely absent. Centromeric and telomeric sister chromatid cohesion are impaired. Centromere and telomere clustering occurs in the absence of STAG3, and telomere structure is not severely affected. Other cohesin proteins are present, localize throughout the STAG3‐devoid chromatin, and form complexes with cohesin SMC1β. No other deficiency in a single meiosis‐specific cohesin causes a phenotype as drastic as STAG3 deficiency. STAG3 emerges as the key STAG cohesin involved in major functions of meiotic cohesin.
Electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST36) Prevents Intestinal Barrier and Remote Organ Dysfunction following Gut Ischemia through Activating the Cholinergic Anti-Inflammatory-Dependent Mechanism

This study investigated the protective effect and mechanism of electroacupuncture at ST36 points on the intestinal barrier dysfunction and remote organ injury after intestinal ischemia and reperfusion injury in rats. Rats were subjected to gut ischemia for 30 min, and then received electroacupuncture for 30 min with or without abdominal vagotomy or intraperitoneal administration of cholinergic α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) inhibitor. Then we compared its effects with electroacupuncture at nonchannel points, vagal nerve stimulation, or intraperitoneal administration of cholinergic agonist. Cytokine levels in plasma and tissue of intestine, lung, and liver were assessed 60 min after reperfusion. Intestinal barrier injury was detected by histology, gut injury score, the permeability to 4 kDa FITC-dextran, and changes in tight junction protein ZO-1 using immunofluorescence and Western blot. Electroacupuncture significantly lowered the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-8 in plasma and organ tissues, decreased intestinal permeability to FITC-dextran, and prevented changes in ZO-1 protein expression and localization. However, abdominal vagotomy or intraperitoneal administration of cholinergic α7nAChR inhibitor reversed these effects of electroacupuncture. These findings suggest that electroacupuncture attenuates the systemic inflammatory response through protection of intestinal barrier integrity after intestinal ischemia injury in the presence of an intact vagus nerve.
Improved lower bound on the size of Kakeya sets over finite fields

In a recent breakthrough, Dvir showed that every Kakeya set in $\F^n$ must be of cardinality at least $c_n |\F|^n$ where $c_n \approx 1/n! $. We improve this lower bound to $\beta^n |\F|^n$ for a constant $\beta > 0$. This pins down the growth of the leading constant to the right form as a function of $n$.
Mobile Immersive Music

Due to obvious portability constraints, mobile technology excludes large electronic displays for visual immersion. On the contrary, sound heard over headphones is ideally suited for mobile applications. The use of stereo headphones or stereo speakers on mobile devices enables to take advantage of binaural technology which can provide an immersive sound experience for a variety of applications ranging from stereo widening of music (creating an out of the head listening experience) to full 3-D positional audio. Advances in audio are going to help bring in richer multimedia, increase quality of mobile music and help create more interactive and immersive audio applications. Interaction with sound in 3D audio space is no more limited to indoor environment [8]. In this paper, we report on an architecture for multimedia applications on mobile devices separating content creation (audio and graphics) from content manipulation. We have developed a markup format for interactive and spatialized audio on mobiles which can be used an interface between the sound designer and the application programmer. After presenting an overview of the key concepts in designing a format for interactive and spatialized audio and the methodology used to build the corresponding sound API , we describe its use in a mobile immersive music application for Copenhagen Channels where interactivity with the music is done through GPS waypoints.
Counselling for sight loss: Using systematic case study research to build a client informed practice model

There is compelling evidence to suggest that acquired sight loss negatively impacts on emotional well-being. Despite increasing recognition of the need to provide emotional support for people with sight loss, we still do not fully understand what counselling interventions help and why they help. The aim of this study was to examine the process and outcome of counselling for a 70-year-old client who had experienced complete, irreversible, post-operative sight loss in order to gain a deeper understanding of client-defined helpful aspects of therapy. A Hermeneutic Single-Case Efficacy Design study was undertaken having received ethical approval from the University’s Research Ethics Committee. The client received six sessions of counselling from a vision-impaired counsellor working within a pluralistic framework. Measures were completed by the client at every session, as well as at pre- and post-counselling. All sessions were recorded and transcribed. The client also participated in pre- and post-counselling interviews. Data formed a rich case record that was analysed by a quasi-judicial enquiry team. Results suggested that this was a successful outcome case. Client-defined helpful aspects of therapy were (1) feeling understood; (2) being able to express emotions around the loss of sight; (3) finding a new identity; (4) finding ways to cope with fear, loss, dependency, and other people’s perceptions; (5) exploring the possibility of a positive future without sight; (6) making sense of things; and (7) finding ways to become more socially connected. Relevant therapeutic tasks are proposed, and four key aspects of therapy are identified, which may have implications for the development of a practice model.
Energy Management Techniques in Modern Mobile Handsets

Managing energy efficiently is paramount in modern smartphones. The diverse range of wireless interfaces and sensors, and the increasing popularity of power-hungry applications that take advantage of these resources can reduce the battery life of mobile handhelds to few hours of operation. The research community, and operating system and hardware vendors found interesting optimisations and techniques to extend the battery life of mobile phones. However, the state of the art of lithium-ion batteries clearly indicates that energy efficiency must be achieved both at the hardware and software level. In this survey, we will cover the software solutions that can be found in the research literature between 1999 and May 2011 at six different levels: energy-aware operating systems, efficient resource management, the impact of users' interaction patterns with mobile devices and applications, wireless interfaces and sensors management, and finally the benefits of integrating mobile devices with cloud computing services.
The lived experience of self-identified introverts : a phenomenological approach to understanding the essence of introversion with respect to self-concept

The term introversion has been associated with such traits as "introspection" and "quietness", as well as more current yet controversial terms like "shy" and "antisocial". The misperceptions of the term "introvert" has led many introverted individuals to feel misunderstood in our predominantly extraverted Western society. The present study employed a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to explore the lived experience of self-identified introverts. To understand how the self-concept of introverts has been influenced by our extraverted society, five self-identified introverts were interviewed. Interviews were thematically analyzed to identify categories: Perceptions of Self, Perceptions and Concepts of Self in Relation to Others and Environment, Trial and Tribulation Experiences, and Meaningful Experiences and The Call for Change. Challenges associated with being a selfidentified introvert essentially involved social realms (e.g., educatiodwork systems, and general relationships with others). Implications for the general, educational, and counselling communities were discussed, in addition to recommendations for societal change. Supervisors: Dr. G. Hett and Dr. B. Shepard (Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies) . Introversion 111 Table of
Pubertal Development And Adolescent Sexual Behavior: Rethinking The Relevant Paths

Established theories and prior research suggest that the onset and type of an individual‟s sexual behaviors are rooted in timing of pubertal maturation, with girls who have an earlier timing of pubertal development more likely to exhibit early sexual onset and unstable sexual relationships. Utilizing a sample of female twin pairs (145 = MZ, 115 = DZ) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the present study investigates associations between menarche and perceived pubertal development, age of first sexual intercourse, and adolescent dating and sexual behavior. Age at menarche predicted age of first sexual intercourse through a shared genetic pathway, but genes related to perceptions of physical development predicted engagement in different relationship contexts. These results confirm that menarcheal timing and developmental self-perceptions are etiologically distinct and may be differentially predictive of reproductive maturation, timing, and behaviors.
Electoral Institutions, Hometowns, and Favored Minorities: Evidence from Japan's Electoral Reforms

This article presents evidence that electoral institutions affect the geographic distribution of both candidate electoral support and government resources. The author exploits two electoral reforms in Japan to identify the effect of institutional incentives: (1) the 1994 electoral reform from a multimember single nontransferable vote (SNTV) system to a mixed-member majoritarian (MMM) system with a single-member district (SMD) component and a proportional representation component; and (2) the 1925 electoral reform from a predominantly SMD system to a multimember SNTV system. Using several new data sets, the two main findings of this article are that (1) Japanese representatives competing in multimember SNTV districts had more geographically concentrated electoral support than those competing in SMDs and that (2) intergovernmental transfers appear to be more concentrated around Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) incumbents' home offices under the multimember SNTV system than under the MMM system. The findings in this article highlight the connection between institutions and geographic patterns of representation.
Role of Two Types of Syntactic Embedding in Belief Attribution in Adults with or without Asperger Syndrome

The role of syntax in belief attribution (BA) is not completely understood in healthy adults and understudied in adults with autism spectrum disorder. Embedded syntax could be useful either for the development of Theory of Mind (ToM) (Emergence account) or more generally over the lifespan (Reasoning account). Two hypotheses have been explored, one suggesting that embedding itself (Relatives and Complement sentences and Metarepresentation account) is important for ToM and another one considering that the embedding of a false proposition into a true one (Complement sentences and Misrepresentation account) is important. The goals of this study were to evaluate (1) the role of syntax in ToM (Emergence vs. Reasoning account), (2) the type of syntax implied in ToM (Metarepresentation vs. Misrepresentation account), and (3) the verbally mediated strategies which compensate for ToM deficits in adults with Asperger Syndrome (AS). Fifty NeuroTypical (NT) adults and 22 adults with AS were involved in a forced-choice task including ±ToM tasks (BA and a control task, physical causation, PC) under four Interference conditions (silence, syllable repetition, relative sentences repetition, and complement sentences repetition). The non-significant ±ToM × Interference interaction effect in the NT group did not support the Reasoning account and thus suggests that syntax is useful only for ToM development (i.e., Emergence account). Results also indicated that repeating complement clauses put NT participants in a dual task whereas repeating relative clauses did not, suggesting that repeating relatives is easier for NT than repeating complements. This could be an argument in favor of the Misrepresentation account. However, this result should be interpreted with caution because our results did not support the Reasoning account. Moreover, AS participants (but not NT participants) were more disrupted by ±ToM tasks when asked to repeat complement sentences compared to relative clause sentences. This result is in favor of the Misrepresentation account and indirectly suggests verbally mediated strategies for ToM in AS. To summarize, our results are in favor of the Emergence account in NT and of Reasoning and Misrepresentation accounts in adults with AS. Overall, this suggests that adults with AS use complement syntax to compensate for ToM deficits.
Semi-automatic extraction and vectorisation of multicoloured cartographic objects

We describe a semi-automatic cartographic image interpretation system in which techniques previously applied to monochrome images are generalised to colour and extended to support digitization of the full range of multi-coloured cartographic objects. A snapping tool eases the selection of seed points, speeding interpretation. Line and area objects are identified automatically and a suitable target representation (skeleton or contour) produced for each. This simplifies interaction as the user does not have to vary his/her behaviour with object type. Multi-coloured objects can be constructed from their components with ease and correction tools such as snapping and undo both save time and decrease error rates.
The anticancer drug tirapazamine has antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium difficile.

Rapidly increasing bacterial resistance to existing therapies creates an urgent need for the development of new antibacterials. Tirapazamine (TPZ, 3-amino-1,2,4-benzotriazine 1,4 dioxide) is a prodrug undergoing clinical trials for various types of cancers. In this study, we showed that TPZ has antibacterial activity, particularly at low oxygen levels. With Escherichia coli, TPZ was bactericidal under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Escherichia coli mutants deficient in homologous recombination were hypersusceptible to TPZ, suggesting that drug toxicity may be due to DNA damage. Moreover, E. coli strains deleted for genes encoding putative reductases were resistant to TPZ, implying that these enzymes are responsible for conversion of the prodrug to a toxic compound. Fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli strains were as susceptible to TPZ as a wild-type strain. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains were also susceptible to TPZ (MIC = 0.5 μg mL(-1) ), as were pathogenic strains of Clostridium difficile (MIC = 7.5 ng mL(-1) ). TPZ may merit additional study as a broad-spectrum antibacterial, particularly for anaerobes.
Sunitinib in advanced alveolar soft part sarcoma: evidence of a direct antitumor effect.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to confirm sunitinib activity in alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) and to report on new insights into the molecular bases thereof. PATIENTS AND METHODS From July 2007, nine patients with progressive metastatic ASPS received sunitinib 37.5 mg/day, within a named use program. Cryopreserved material was available for five naive patients, among whom three received sunitinib. Immunofluorescence (IF)/confocal microscopy, biochemical, and molecular/cytogenetic analyses were carried out, complemented by antiproliferative and activation assays in a short-term culture derived from one case. RESULTS All patients were eligible for response. Best RECIST response was partial response in five cases, stable disease in three, and progression in one. The median progression-free survival was 17 months. Positron emission tomography results were consistent. Two cases of interval progressions were recorded. Antiproliferative assays and biochemistry on short-term culture showed that sunitinib is able to markedly impair ASPS cells growth and switch-off PDGFRB. IF/confocal microscopy demonstrated coexpression and physical association between PDGFRB/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and RET/VEGFR2 in ASPS cells, which was validated by biochemistry. PDGFRB, RET, and MET ligand-dependent activation was confirmed. CONCLUSIONS We confirm the clinical efficacy of sunitinib in ASPS, mediated by PDGFRB, VEGFR2, and RET, which are all expressed in tumor cells. A direct antitumor effect was shown in a short-term cell culture.
Prioritized Throughput Maximization via Rate and Power Control for 3 G CDMA : The 2 Terminal Scenario ∗

Variable spreading gain (VSG) CDMA allows data terminals to operate at dissimilar transmission rates. With this technique, the chip rate is common to all users, but the spreading gains vary. Our work is relevant to the uplink of a single-cell VSG CDMA system, in which each terminal’s data throughput is weighted differently in calculating the network throughput. We seek for each active user a power level and transmission rate which will maximize the network’s aggregate weighted throughput. This paper focuses on the two-terminal, interference-limited scenario. The development is entirely analytical, based on optimization theory. One of the principal results is that the favorite terminal should always operate at the highest data rate. The optimal bit rate of the other terminal depends on the ratio of the minimum allowable spreading gain to the square root of the priority coefficient. Only when this ratio is large enough, is it optimal for both terminals to operate at the highest permissible data rate. In either case, we provide equations whose solutions lead to the optimal power ratios.