Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of regions responsible for the function of the plant K+ channels KAT1 and AKT2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Xenopus laevis oocytes

ABSTRACT The Arabidopsis K+ channel KAT1 complements in K+-limited medium the growth of the K+ uptake defective Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant strain CY162, while another K+ channel, AKT2, does not. To gain insight into the structural basis for this difference, we constructed 12 recombinant chimeric channels from these two genes. When expressed in CY162, only three of these chimeras fully rescued the growth of CY162 under K+-limited conditions. We conclude that the transmembrane core region of KAT1 is important for its activity in S. cerevisiae. This involves not only the pore region but also parts of its voltage-sensor domain.
Decoupling the Value of Leisure Time from Labor Market Returns in Travel Cost Models

Understanding the extent to which people substitute activities across time is important for evaluating behavior and welfare impacts in many contexts, including assessing the damages caused by oil spills and climate change impacts. We implement a flexible, individualized approach to measuring how people value their leisure time. We incorporate these heterogeneous values into a structural demand model that explicitly focuses on intertemporal substitution and incorporates time constraints on behavior. The model is estimated using data on recreation demand for for-hire offshore fishing trips in the US Gulf of Mexico. We find that respondents value their leisure time heterogeneously and substantially differently from their implied wage rate. We also find that accounting for this heterogeneity has significant impacts on estimated welfare measures for policies with large intertemporal substitution effects. These findings raise concerns with the common practice of solely relying on labor market information to value people’s leisure time.
Picro-Sirius-HTX stain for blind color decomposition of histopathological prostate tissue

Gleason grading is the most widely used system for determining the severity of prostate cancer. The Gleason grade is determined visually under a microscope from prostate tissue that is most often stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin (H&E). In an earlier study we demonstrated that this stain is not ideal for machine learning applications, but that other stains, such as Sirius-hematoxylin (Sir-Htx), may perform better. In this paper we illustrate the advantages of this stain over H&E for blind color decomposition. When compared to ground truth defined by an experienced pathologist, the relative root-mean-square errors of the color decomposition mixing matrices for Sir-Htx are better than those for H&E by a factor of two, and the Pearson correlation coefficients of the density maps resulting from the decomposition of Sir-Htx-stained tissue gives a 99% correlation with the ground truth. Qualitative examples of the density maps confirm the quantitative findings and illustrate that the density maps will allow accurate segmentation of morphological features that determine the Gleason grade.
Prognostic Benefits of Carvedilol, Bisoprolol, and Metoprolol Controlled Release/Extended Release in Hemodialysis Patients with Heart Failure: A 10‐Year Cohort

Background Heart failure is a highly prevalent cardiovascular complication among patients receiving long‐term hemodialysis, but the benefits of carvedilol, bisoprolol, and metoprolol controlled release/extended release on the outcomes of these patients remain unclear. In this study, we address the use of these 3 β‐blockers and their associations with mortality. Methods and Results Long‐term hemodialysis patients, aged ≥35 years, with new‐onset heart failure and receiving various medications were identified through the use of 1999–2010 data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. From the total of 4435 heart failure patients, we selected 1700 new users of the 3 β‐blockers (study group) and 1700 nonusers (control group), by using matched cohorts according to their propensity scores, and then compared the 5‐year all‐cause mortality rates by using Cox proportional hazard regressions and time‐dependent covariate adjustment. During 3944 person‐years of follow‐up, 666 (39.2%) deaths occurred within the study group, compared with 918 (54%) deaths during 2893 person‐years of follow‐up in the control group. The 5‐year mortality rate for the study (control) group was 54.5% (70.3%); P<0.001. Adjusted hazard regression analyses revealed that the therapeutic effects of β‐blockers remained significant for all‐cause mortality (hazard ratio 0.80, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.90). Subgroup analyses revealed that patients in the study group receiving β‐blockers plus renin‐angiotensin system antagonists exhibited the lowest mortality rate, while the highest mortality rate was found among patients in the control group receiving neither β‐blockers nor renin‐angiotensin system antagonists. Conclusions This study demonstrates that the 3 β‐blockers were associated with improved survival in long‐term hemodialysis patients with heart failure.
Asymmetric path delay optimization in mobile multi-homed SCTP multimedia transport

Multimedia applications are very demanding of quality parameters from network provision, especially in a mobile wireless scenario. End-to-end delay is a primary concern for real-time applications. Much work have been done recently in order to fully exploit the multi-homing character of emerging wireless mobile systems addressing both communication performance as well as seamless handover. We propose an algorithm for path selection based on smallest delay that takes into account the dynamic asymmetry over the available routes. An example is provided showing how a multimedia application could benefit from this approach.
A belief rule-based environmental responsibility assessment for small and medium-sized enterprise

This research proposes the use of a Belief Rule-Based (BRB) approach to assess an enterprise's level commitment to environmental issues. Participating companies will have to complete a structured questionnaire. An automated analysis of their responses will determine their environmental responsibility level. This is followed by a recommendation on how to progress to the next level. The recommended best practices will help promote understanding, increase awareness, and make the organization greener. BRB systems consist of two parts: Knowledge Base and Inference Engine, which are used to derive valid conclusions from rules, established by experts with domain-specific knowledge. The knowledge base in this research is constructed after an in-depth literature review, critical analyses of existing environmental performance assessment models and primarily guided by the EU Draft Background Report for the development of an EMAS (Environmental Management and Audit Scheme) Sectoral Reference Document on “Best Environmental Management Practice in the Telecommunications and ICT Services Sector”. The reasoning algorithm of a selected Drools JBoss BRB inference engine is forward chaining. However, the forward chaining mechanism is not equipped with uncertainty handling. Therefore, a decision is made to deploy an evidential reasoning and forward chaining with a hybrid knowledge representation inference scheme to accommodate imprecision, ambiguity and fuzzy types of uncertainties. It is believed that such a system generates well balanced, sensible and Green ICT readiness adapted results, to help enterprises focus on making improvements on more sustainable business operations.
Effectiveness of buprenorphine in double diagnosed patients . Buprenorphine as psychothropic drug

Since the Central Nervous System features opioid-related pathways with their own receptors and their own endogenous metabolic activity, every opiate drug, pure antagonists included, can be expected to possess psychotropic properties. Apart from this, therapeutic properties depend on how each drug interacts with the endogenous opioid system and other opioid-sensitive systems, whether through a fast-acting modality or a slow-acting one: the former corresponds to a major addictive risk and a destabilizing
Ethnolinguistic Continuity on the Guinea Coast

An inventory of ethnolinguistic units on the Guinea coast can be drawn from early written sources, that is, from Portuguese and other European records of between 1440 and 1700. When this inventory is compared with the present-day inventory it is found that, in the particulars cited, the units have remained very much the same for three, four, or five centuries. Summary evidence relating to the coast, section by section, from the Senegal River to the Cameroons River, is presented, and this includes reference to the linguistic evidence provided by early vocabularies. Not only do all earlier units correspond to present-day units, but the sequence of units along the coast is the same in the earlier as in the present-day inventory. However, some of the units have expanded or contracted; and one of the modern units (Mende) is not recorded before 1700. It is finally suggested that research into the documented period of continuity, through study of the written records, should precede attempts to evaluate the accounts of Völkerwanderungen supplied generously in oral traditions.
Net energy value of two low-digestible carbohydrates, Lycasin®HBC and the hydrogenated polysaccharide fraction of Lycasin®HBC in healthy human subjects and their impact on nutrient digestive utilization

The metabolizable energy content of low-digestible carbohydrates does not correspond with their true energy value. The aim of the present study was to determine the tolerance and effects of two polyols on digestion and energy expenditure in healthy men, as well as their digestible, metabolizable and net energy values. Nine healthy men were fed for 32 d periods a maintenance diet supplemented either with dextrose, Lycasin®HBC (Roquette Frères, Lestrem, France), or the hydrogenated polysaccharide fraction of Lycasin®HBC, at a level of 100 g DM/d in six equal doses per d according to a 3×3 Latin square design with three repetitions. After a 20 d progressive adaptation period, food intake was determined for 12 d using the duplicate meal method and faeces and urine were collected for 10 d for further analyses. Subjects spent 36 h in one of two open-circuit whole-body calorimeters with measurements during the last 24 h. Ingestion of the polyols did not cause severe digestive disorders, except excessive gas emission, and flatulence and gurgling in some subjects. The polyols induced significant increases in wet (+45 and +66 % respectively, P<0·01) and dry (+53 and +75 % respectively, P<0·002) stool weight, resulting in a 2 % decrease in dietary energy digestibility (P<0·001). They resulted also in significant increases in sleeping (+4·1 %, P<0·03) and daily energy expenditure (+2·7 and +2·9 % respectively, P<0·02) compared with dextrose ingestion. The apparent energy digestibility of the two polyols was 0·82 and 0·79 respectively, their metabolizable energy value averaged 14·1 kJ/g DM, and their net energy value averaged 10·8 kJ/g DM, that is, 35 % less than those of sucrose and starch.
Comparison of the biologic effects of MA5 and B‐B4 monoclonal antibody labeled with iodine‐131 and bismuth‐213 on multiple myeloma

Using a specific monoclonal antibody (MAb), B‐B4, coupled to bismuth‐213 (213Bi) by a chelating agent (CITC‐DTPA), the feasibility of alpha‐radioimmunotherapy (RIT) for multiple myeloma (MM) has been demonstrated previously.
Minor proteins of CNS myelin fractions: are they intrinsic to the myelin sheath?

THE ONLY proteins which, by general consensus, are considered to be intrinsic to the myelin sheath of the CNS of adult rat are those detected in the simplest electrophoretic patterns (AGRAWAL et al., 1972, 1974; ALLISON, 1974; FUJIMOTO et al., 1976; WAEHNELDT & MANDEL, 1972; WAEHNELDT & NEUHOFF, 1974; ZGORZALEWICZ et al., 1974): the two basic proteins (BP), the Folch-Lees proteolipid protein (PLP), the DM-20 protein, and Wolfgram’s acidic proteolipid proteins (APLP). Doubts concerning the localization of APLP, have been recently eliminated by immunofluorescence with specific antibodies (ROIJSSEL et al., 1977). When other bands are detected in electrophoresis, they are generally attributed to contamination of myelin fractions. However, similarly to the findings of ADAMS & OSBORNE (1973), we have reported that the chloroform-methanol insoluble residue (My-CMI) of myelin fractions purified by the method of NORTON & PODUSLO (1973) consist of a highly heterogeneous populations of minor proteins, several of which are glycoproteins (ZANETTA et al., 1977). The presence of these many minor proteins could be due to contamination of our myelin fractions. However this appears not to be the case since electrophoreses of whole myelin, before chloroform-methanol extraction and after direct solubilization in SDS by two different methods, show patterns comparable to those of most authors (Fig. 1). However, beside APLP, some other minor high molecular weight proteins can be detected (Fig. 1) when higher protein loads (1OOpg instead of 50pg used by other authors) are used in conjunction with Coomassie brilliant Blue R (CBB) stain, (instead of the less sensitive Amidoblack or Fast Green stains). Similar results (Fig. 1) were obtained with myelin purified by the method of WAEHNELDT & MANDEL (1972) which should have yielded less contaminated myelin fractions. Thus the extremely simple patterns of some electrophoreses and, conversely, the detection of minor proteins in other electrophoreses of whole myelin fractions depend not only upon the purity of the myelin fraction, but also upon the amount of protein applied to the gel and the staining dye used. Minor proteins could always be detected if an effort is made to reveal them. It should be borne in mind that even a negligible contamination of whole myelin fraction can become important when My-CMI is analyzed since, in My-CMI, there is a 5 fold enrichment of the proteins derived from contaminating membranes. In fact, only 20% of total adult myelin protein IS found in My-CMI (ADAMS & Fox, 1969;
Biofilm Cohesiveness Measurement Using a Novel Atomic Force Microscopy Methodology

ABSTRACT Biofilms can be undesirable, as in those covering medical implants, and beneficial, such as when they are used for waste treatment. Because cohesive strength is a primary factor affecting the balance between growth and detachment, its quantification is essential in understanding, predicting, and modeling biofilm development. In this study, we developed a novel atomic force microscopy (AFM) method for reproducibly measuring, in situ, the cohesive energy levels of moist 1-day biofilms. The biofilm was grown from an undefined mixed culture taken from activated sludge. The volume of biofilm displaced and the corresponding frictional energy dissipated were determined as a function of biofilm depth, resulting in the calculation of the cohesive energy. Our results showed that cohesive energy increased with biofilm depth, from 0.10 ± 0.07 nJ/μm3 to 2.05 ± 0.62 nJ/μm3. This observation was reproducible, with four different biofilms showing the same behavior. Cohesive energy also increased from 0.10 ± 0.07 nJ/μm3 to 1.98 ± 0.34 nJ/μm3 when calcium (10 mM) was added to the reactor during biofilm cultivation. These results agree with previous reports on calcium increasing the cohesiveness of biofilms. This AFM-based technique can be performed with available off-the-shelf instrumentation. It could therefore be widely used to examine biofilm cohesion under a variety of conditions.
A cost-benefit analysis of an ad-hoc road asset data collection system using fleet-vehicles

Keeping inventories of road assets up-to-date is an important activity road authorities and mapping companies face. The information needs to be accurate as it impacts safety compliance, maintenance and ability to efficiently route cars through cities using GPS navigation devices. Such inventories are live documents and need to be updated when additions or other changes occur. Currently, authorities and mapping companies survey the roads for changes using dedicated vehicles, although due to excessive costs they are usually not able to do this more often than every few years. Recent research suggests that the overall costs of a mapping/inventory system can be significantly reduced by using an ad-hoc system of low cost automatic installations in fleet-vehicles such as taxis. This paper proposes a method to performing a cost-benefit analysis of such a system, and then applies this to the specific case of the taxi fleet of Beijing. In particular, the analysis considers the random patterns with which taxis travel over time to estimate coverage, cost as a function of number of installations and benefit as a function of surveying frequency. Since the additional benefit of a higher surveying frequency declines and the total cost of the system increases with the number of installations, the optimal number of installations can be computed that maximises the profit.
Design and evaluation of a smartphone application for non-speech sound awareness for people with hearing loss

Auditory cues provide people with information about events outside of their field of view and can so help detecting potential hazards. People with severe hearing loss, i.e. hard of hearing, deafened, and deaf people, often cannot or can only partially benefit from auditory cues, which can lead to a lowered quality of life. Even though hearing aids are available, not everyone can benefit from them. To provide deaf people (i.e. deaf, deafened, and hard of hearing) with auditory cues from environmental sounds different assistive devices have been introduced, usually for use at home. A flexible and mobile assistive device basing on a smartphone is presented in this contribution. It detects and recognizes acoustic events by analysing the acoustic environment of the user. By using pattern recognition algorithms the user can define the sounds that should be recognised by the device. Warning sounds occurring in road traffic were chosen as demonstrator. Interviews were conducted with deaf people to evaluate the concept and to gain more insights into the user needs and expectations.
ASSESSING AND ACQUIRING ETHICAL LEADERSHIP COMPETENCE 1

About the author: Iordanis Kavathatzopoulos is a Professor at the Department of Information Technology, Human-Computer Interaction, Uppsala University, Sweden. He got his PhD in Psychology and he is also Docent in Psychology. His main research interests are in the areas of Ethical Competence, Ethical Training and Assessment, Information Technology Ethics, Ethical Usability and Ethical Autonomous Systems. Prof. Kavathatzopoulos has developed education programs for the training of ethical competence of professional decision makers, and he has constructed special tests for the assessment of ethical problem-solving and decision-making ability. He has constructed tools, methods and computerized instruments to be used in designing of ethically usable IT systems and supporting decision makers in real-life ethical issues. Leaders and professionals from the areas of business, politics, and research have been trained using the methods and tools for ethical competence. Private corporations and government organizations have repeatedly applied the tools to support decision-making, to map organizational needs in ethics, and to assess the ethical competence of their employees.
Reduction of Torque Ripple in Induction Motor Drives Using an Advanced Hybrid PWM Technique

A voltage source inverter-fed induction motor produces a pulsating torque due to application of nonsinusoidal voltages. Torque pulsation is strongly influenced by the pulsewidth modulation (PWM) method employed. Conventional space vector PWM (CSVPWM) is known to result in less torque ripple than sine-triangle PWM. This paper aims at further reduction in the pulsating torque by employing advanced bus-clamping switching sequences, which apply an active vector twice in a subcycle. This paper proposes a hybrid PWM technique which employs such advanced bus-clamping sequences in conjunction with a conventional switching sequence. The proposed hybrid PWM technique is shown to reduce the torque ripple considerably over CSVPWM along with a marginal reduction in current ripple.
Feature-Based Correlation and Topological Similarity for Interbeat Interval Estimation Using Ultrawideband Radar

The objectives of this paper are to propose a method that can accurately estimate the human heart rate (HR) using an ultrawideband (UWB) radar system, and to determine the performance of the proposed method through measurements. The proposed method uses the feature points of a radar signal to estimate the HR efficiently and accurately. Fourier- and periodicity-based methods are inappropriate for estimation of instantaneous HRs in real time because heartbeat waveforms are highly variable, even within the beat-to-beat interval. We define six radar waveform features that enable correlation processing to be performed quickly and accurately. In addition, we propose a feature topology signal that is generated from a feature sequence without using amplitude information. This feature topology signal is used to find unreliable feature points, and thus, to suppress inaccurate HR estimates. Measurements were taken using UWB radar, while simultaneously performing electrocardiography measurements in an experiment that was conducted on nine participants. The proposed method achieved an average root-mean-square error in the interbeat interval of 7.17 ms for the nine participants. The results demonstrate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method. The significance of this study for biomedical research is that the proposed method will be useful in the realization of a remote vital signs monitoring system that enables accurate estimation of HR variability, which has been used in various clinical settings for the treatment of conditions such as diabetes and arterial hypertension.
Effects of culture medium and substrate on attachment of in vitro produced bovine embryos

The study of large animal embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in vitro has implications for the understanding of lineage differentiation and transgenesis. The first step for ESC derivation is the attachment of the embryo to a substrate on which they can form outgrowths. However, the culture conditions for large animal embryo attachment and ESC derivation have not been studied extensively. Defining culture conditions for embryo attachment such as culture medium and substrate is an important first step for derivation of inner cell massderived stem cells. The aim of this study was to compare different types of culture media and substrates for their ability to support attachment of in vitro produced bovine embryos in culture. Bovine embryos were produced in vivo following established protocols. Blastocysts formed on day 8 after fertilization were transferred to 12-well culture plates containing different types of culture media (Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium, DMEM or Medium 199, M199) and substrates [bovine fetal fibroblasts, goat fetal fibroblasts, mouse embryonic fibroblasts (STO) or non-cellular substrates (gelatin, laminin, fibronectin)]. Percentage of attached embryos and number of days since fertilization required for attachment were recorded. Bovine blastocysts preferrably attached to feeder cells rather than noncellular substrates and there was an interaction of feeder cell type and culture medium used. Therefore, the choice of both feeder cell type and culture medium has to be considered when optimizing conditions to derive cell lines from bovine embryos.