Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Initial Results of Testing a Multilayer Laser Scanner in a Collision Avoidance System for Light Rail Vehicles

This paper presents an application to detect and track obstacles using a multilayer laser scanner. The goal of the detection system is to develop collision avoidance for the Light Rail Vehicle (LRV). The laser scanner, which is mounted in front of the tram, collects information in a four-scan plane. The object recognition and tracking module, which is composed of a three sub-modules segmentation, classification, and Kalman Filter tracking, was carried out on the raw data. Thus, data were provided for collision avoidance module. The proposed system was applied to a tram named “Silkworm” which is manufactured by Durmazlar Machine Inc. (Bursa, Turkey) and initial experimental tests have been conducted at the facilities of Durmazlar Machine Inc. in the city of Bursa, Turkey. This study aims to illustrate parts of the possible tests that can be carried out and to share with the scientific community an important application of multilayer laser scanners, although in the initial implementation phase, in urban rail transportation.
Antibody profiling of a Borrelia burgdorferi C6 antibody positive, clinically affected Rottweiler and her pups

Lyme disease (LD) is a tick-transmitted disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb). Temporal studies of maternal antibody (Ab) profiles in Bb infected pregnant dogs and their pups have not been conducted. In this study, Ab profiles of a client-owned Bb C6 Ab positive Rottweiler and her nine pups were assessed. The dam presented with lameness 12 days prior to parturition and was C6 Ab positive with a Quant C6 Ab concentration of 237 U/mL. Treatment with amoxicillin was initiated and 11 days later nine pups were delivered. Screening of the sera from the dam and pups against Bb cell lysates and a panel of antigens revealed similar immunoreactivity profiles. While antigen-specific IgG and IgM reactivity persisted in the dam for at least 7 months, a rapid decline in IgG specific for BBA36, BBK53, BB0238, BBA73 and outer surface protein (Osp) E in the pups occurred between days 29 and 52 post-parturition. In contrast, Ab specific for DbpA and the diagnostic antigens variable major protein (VMP)-like sequence (Vls) E lipoprotein (VlsE) VlsE (C6) and OspF, remained elevated in the pups. Sera from the dam displayed potent complement-dependent bactericidal activity against Bb. Sera from the pups was also bactericidal but primarily through a complement-independent mechanism. Lastly, single dose vaccination of the dam at day 51 post-parturition with a LD subunit vaccine consisting of OspA and an OspC chimeritope triggered a broad anti-OspC Ab response indicative of an anamnestic response. Although this study focused on a single case, these findings add to our knowledge of maternal Ab profiles and will aid the interpretation of serological assays in pups delivered by a Bb C6 Ab positive dog. In this a temporal analysis of Ab responses to whole cell lysates (WCL) from in vitro cultivated Bb B31 and to antigens that are upregulated during infection (in vivo antigens) was conducted using sera collected from a client-owned Bb C6 Ab positive and symptomatic Rottweiler dam and her nine pups. Passive transfer of bactericidal Ab, Ig isotype profiles and the specificity of outer surface protein (Osp) C Ab responses pre- and post-vaccination with a LD vaccine were also assessed. The results of this study advance our understanding of the temporal nature of maternally-derived Ab and immune responses to vaccination. This information will assist the interpretation of serological assays and assist decision-making in treatment of pups born to a Bb Ab positive dam.
A single gene mutation that increases maize seed weight

The maize endosperm-specific gene shrunken2 (Sh2) encodes the large subunit of the heterotetrameric starch synthetic enzyme adenosine diphosphoglucose pyrophosphorylase (AGP; EC 2.7.7.27). Here we exploit an in vivo, site-specific mutagenesis system to create short insertion mutations in a region of the gene known to be involved in the allosteric regulation of AGP. The site-specific mutagen is the transposable element dissociation (Ds). Approximately one- third (8 of 23) of the germinal revertants sequenced restored the wild-type sequence, whereas the remaining revertants contained insertions of 3 or 6 bp. All revertants retained the original reading frame 3' to the insertion site and involved the addition of tyrosine and/or serine. Each insertion revertant reduced total AGP activity and the amount of the SH2 protein. The revertant containing additional tyrosine and serine res- idues increased seed weight 11-18% without increasing or decreasing the percentage of starch. Other insertion rever- tants lacking an additional serine reduced seed weight. Reduced sensitivity to phosphate, a long-known inhibitor of AGP, was found in the high seed-weight revertant. This alteration is likely
Ebola Virus Matrix VP40 Protein Uses the COPII Transport System for Its Intracellular Transport

Summary The Ebola virus matrix protein VP40 plays an important role in virion formation and release from cells. Several host proteins have been shown to play an important role in VP40-mediated virus-like particles production; however, the host cell proteins and mechanisms responsible for VP40 intracellular transport prior to its contribution to virion formation remain to be elucidated. We therefore used coimmunoprecipitation and mass spectrometric analyses to identify host proteins interacting with VP40. We found that Sec24C, a component of the COPII transport system, interacts specifically with VP40 via the region at amino acids 303-307. Coimmunoprecipitation and dominant-negative mutant studies indicated that the COPII transport system plays a critical role in VP40 intracellular transport to the plasma membrane. Marburg virus VP40 was also shown to use the COPII transport system for intracellular transport. These findings enhance our understanding of filovirus replication and provide a new target for of
The Dating and Hooking Up Experiences of Black Women at Predominantly White Institutions: A Phenomenological Study

Within this study, we explored the dating and hooking up experiences of Black women interested in dating men while attending predominantly White institutions. Using a phenomenological approach, we investigated how participants’ dating and hooking up experiences influenced their college experiences. We used intersectionality, thriving, and belongingness to theoretically frame the study. Five themes emerged: defining dating and hooking up, the value of education, Black women’s wants, Black women’s experiences, and men’s expectations. We close with implications for practice and recommendations for future research.
Adaptive tracking of narrowband HF channel response

Estimation of channel impulse response constitutes a first step in computation of scattering function, channel equalization, elimination of multipath, and optimum detection and identification of transmitted signals through the HF channel. Due to spatial and temporal variations, HF channel impulse response has to be estimated adaptively. Based on developed state‐space and measurement models, an adaptive Kalman filter is proposed to track the HF channel variation in time. Robust methods of initialization and adaptively adjusting the noise covariance in the system dynamics are proposed. In simulated examples under good, moderate and poor ionospheric conditions, it is observed that the adaptive Kalman filter based channel estimator provides reliable channel estimates and can track the variation of the channel in time with high accuracy.
Genome-wide analysis of the response to protein glycosylation deficiency inyeast

Protein modification by glycosylation occurs through an essential biochemical pathway that produces mannosyl side chain substrates, which are covalently attached to proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum. We used DNA microarray analysis to characterize the cellular response to a conditional defect ( pmi40-101 ) in the protein glycosylation pathway. Expression profiles were obtained from DNA microarrays containing essentially every gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae . We validated the microarray analysis by examining the expression patterns of induced genes using transcriptional lacZ fusions. The major class of genes differentially expressed in the glycosylation mutant overlapped significantly with that of a starvation response and included those required for gluconeogenesis, the tricarboxylic acid and glyoxylate cycles, and protein and amino acid biosynthesis. Two mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathways were also activated in the mutant, the filamentous growth and protein kinase C pathways. Taken together, our results suggest that a checkpoint is activated in response to a protein glycosylation defect, allowing the cell to mount an adaptive response by the activation of multiple MAP kinase pathways. 2000). of the mutants we identified was defective in the PMI40 gene, which is required for the first committed step of protein glycosylation, the conversion of fructose 6-phosphate to mannose 6-phosphate 1992). In the present study, we confirm and extend these studies by examining the glycosylation defect using a partial loss-of-function allele of PMI40 , called pmi40-101 al . , 2000). Expression profiling generated from this study demonstrates that genes encoding structural proteins of two MAP kinase pathways are induced in response to a glycosylation defect. Our data also show that cells defective for glycosylation exhibit a starvation-like response and show growth inhibition. Taken together, our results provide evidence for a checkpoint that is sensitive to the changes in the flux of protein glycosylation in the cell.
Behavioural outcomes following in utero exposure to anti-seizure medication: protocol for a systematic review

Introduction: Prenatal exposure to certain antiseizure medications (ASMs) has been associated with increased risk of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring. While the cognitive and intellectual outcomes of ASM-exposed offspring have been well-described, the long-term behavioural and functional sequalae in these children have received less attention. This systematic review aims to synthesise evidence on the relationship between prenatal ASM exposure and postnatal adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, focusing on non-cognitive and intellectual domains of neurodevelopment including reduced social, emotional, behavioural, and adaptive functioning, as well as the frequency of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. This will have meaningful clinical implications for how we counsel women taking ASMs in pregnancy. Methods and analysis: Studies reporting predefined neurodevelopmental outcomes will be identified by electronic searches of MEDLINE, PsychINFO, EMBASE, as well as additional manual and grey literature searches. Eligible studies will report outcomes of offspring exposed to ASMs in utero either prospectively or retrospectively from 1990 to present, with screening performed in duplicate. We will use the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale to conduct methodological quality assessments of included observational studies. A narrative synthesis will be used to report on the review findings. Meta-analysis is not anticipated. Ethics and dissemination: Ethics clearance is not required for the current study. The systematic review will be prepared as a journal article and published in a peer-reviewed journal upon completion.
INSIGHTS FROM MODEL SYSTEMS A Model of Elegance

Since Sidney Brenner wrote this statement in a visionary research proposal addressed to Max Perutz 35 years ago (Wood 1988, p. xiii), an enormous amount of information has been gathered on the biology of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (“the worm”), both fulfilling his predictions and exceeding his original expectations. Researchers have identified every cell in the worm and have described all the lineages by which these cells are formed (Horvitz and Sulston 1980; Sulston et al. 1983; Wood 1988). Adult hermaphrodites contain 959 somatic nuclei, which are organized into differentiated tissue types such as muscle, intestine, epidermis, and nervous system. The latter is composed of 302 neurons that are connected by ∼7,500 synaptic junctions (Wood 1988). The function of many individual cells has been inferred from ablation experiments using laserbeam technology (e.g., see Bargmann and Avery 1995). Genes involved in development and behavior have been identified through the analysis of mutations that affect these functions. The number of genes identified genetically has increased from the original 103 described by Brenner (1974) to the ∼1,600 complementation groups known at present (Hodgkin 1997). A comprehensive genetic map has been compiled and continues to expand. A detailed physical map of overlapping cosmids and YACs covers the genome almost entirely (Coulson et al. 1995). Finally, the genome sequence is expected to be completed by the end of this year (Hodgkin et al. 1995). The availability of the complete C. elegans genome sequence will not only benefit worm researchers but will also undoubtedly be useful for the elucidation of human gene function. Thus, in addition to providing funda-
Pigment Epithelium e Derived Factor Enhances the Suppressive Phenotype of Regulatory T Cells in a Murine Model of Dry Eye Disease

Pigment epithelium e derived factor (PEDF) is a widely expressed 50-kDa glycoprotein belonging to the serine protease inhibitor family, with well-established anti-in ﬂ ammatory functions. Recently, we demonstrated the immunoregulatory role played by PEDF in dry eye disease (DED) by suppressing the maturation of antigen-presenting cells at the ocular surface following exposure to the desiccating stress. In this study, we evaluated the effect of PEDF on the immunosuppressive characteristics of regulatory T cells (Tregs), which are functionally impaired in DED. In the presence of PEDF, the in vitro cultures prevented proin ﬂ ammatory cytokine (associated with type 17 helper T cells)-induced loss of frequency and suppressive phenotype of Tregs derived from normal mice. Similarly, PEDF maintained the in vitro frequency and enhanced the suppressive phenotype of Tregs derived from DED mice. On systemically treating DED mice with PEDF, moderately higher frequencies and signi ﬁ cantly enhanced suppressive function of Tregs were observed in the draining lymphoid tissues, leading to the ef ﬁ cacious amelioration of the disease.
a agent: Association of a antigen with hepatitis B surface antigen and RNA in serum of B-infected chimpanzees

The hepatitis B virus-associated , antigen was found in the serum of experimentally infected chimpanzees as an internal component of a discrete subpopulation of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) particles. The 35- to 37-nm particles banded in CsCl at 1.24-1.25 g/cm3 and sedimented with a mo- bility intermediate between that of the hepatitis B virion and that of the 22-nm form of HBsAg. The particles contained only indistinct internal structure by electron microscopy and were not unique to 5 agent infection, similar particles without 5-an- tigen activity being observed in the preinfection serum of HBsAg carrier chimpanzees. A small RNA (Mr, 5 X 105) was temporally associated with 5 antigen in the serum of infected chimpanzees and copurified with the -antigen-associated particles. This RNA is smaller than the genomes of known RNA viruses but larger than the viroids of higher plants. The 3 antigen (6-Ag), a relatively new specificity, first was detected by immunofluorescence in the liver of human subjects with chronic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) hepatitis (1). Ultrastructural studies have failed to demonstrate components of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in b-Ag-positive nuclei (2) and the b-Ag-anti-b-Ag system is distinct from the known antigen-antibody
A novel pathway for sorting to intralumenal vesicles of multivesicular endosomes involved in organelle morphogenesis

SUMMARY Cargo partitioning into intralumenal vesicles (ILVs) of multivesicular endosomes underlies such cellular processes as growth factor down-regulation, viral budding, and biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles including melanosomes. Here we show that the melanosomal protein, Pmel17, is sorted into ILVs by a novel mechanism that is conserved in non-pigment cells and is dependent upon lumenal determinants. ILV targeting of Pmel17 is unaffected by mutagenesis of cytoplasmic lysine and cysteine residues or replacement of the cytoplasmic domain, indicating independence of ubiquitylation, and unlike ILV targeting of ubiquitylated cargo, is insensitive to functional inhibition of Hrs and ESCRT complexes. Chimeric protein and deletion analyses indicate that two N-terminal lumenal sub-domains are necessary and sufficient for ILV targeting. Pmel17 fibril formation, which occurs during melanosome maturation in melanocytes, requires a third lumenal sub-domain and proteolytic processing that itself requires ILV localization. These results establish a novel Hrs- and perhaps ESCRT-independent pathway of ILV sorting by lumenal determinants and a requirement for ILV sorting in fibril formation.
Posttranslational modification of G a o1 generates G a o3 , an abundant G protein in brain

G a o , the most abundant G protein in mammalian brain, occurs at least in two subforms, i.e., G a o1 and G a o2 , derived by alternative splicing of the mRNA. A third G a o1 -related isoform, G a o3 , has been purified, representing about 30% of total G o in brain. Initial studies revealed distinct biochemical properties of G a o3 as compared with other G a o isoforms. In matrix-assisted laser desorption y ionization peptide mass mapping of gel-isolated G a o1 and G a o3 , C-terminal peptides showed a difference of 1 1 Da for G a o3 . Nanoelectrospray tandem mass spectrometry sequencing revealed an Asp instead of an Asn at position 346 of G a o3 . Gel electrophoretic analysis of recombinant G a o3 showed the same mobility as native G a o3 but distinct to G a o1 . The conversion of 346 Asn 3 Asp changed the signaling properties, including the velocity of the basal guanine nucleotide-exchange reaction, which points to the involvement of the C terminus in basal guanosine 5 * -[ g -thio]triphosphate binding. No cDNA coding for G a
Correction of b -thalassemia by CRISPR/Cas9 editing of the a -globin locus in human hematopoietic stem cells

hemoglobin (HbA, a 2 b 2 ), the main oxygen-carrier in erythrocytes. When b -globin chains are absent or limiting, free a -globins precipitate and damage cell membranes, causing hemolysis and ineffective erythropoiesis. Clinical data show that severity of b -thal correlates with the number of inherited a -globin genes ( HBA1 and HBA2 ), with a -globin gene deletions having a bene ﬁ cial effect for patients. Here, we describe a novel strategy to treat b -thal based on genome editing of the a -globin locus in human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs). Using CRISPR/ Cas9, we combined 2 therapeutic approaches: (1) a -globin downregulation, by deleting the HBA2 gene to recreate an a -thalassemia trait, and (2) b -globin expression, by targeted integration of a b -globin transgene downstream the HBA2 promoter. First, we optimized the CRISPR/Cas9 strategy and corrected the pathological phenotype in a cellular model of b -thalassemia (human erythroid progenitor cell [HUDEP-2] b 0 ). Then, we edited healthy donor HSPCs and demonstrated that they maintained long-term repopulation capacity and multipotency in xenotransplanted mice. To assess the clinical potential of this approach, we next edited b -thal HSPCs and achieved correction of a / b globin imbalance in HSPC-derived erythroblasts. As a safer option for clinical translation, we performed editing in HSPCs using Cas9 nickase showing precise editing with no InDels. Overall, we described an innovative CRISPR/Cas9 approach to improve a / b globin imbalance in thalassemic HSPCs, paving the way for novel therapeutic strategies for b -thal.
Features of the choice of working bodies for the technology of strip tillage when sowing re-crops

The article is devoted to the description of the advantages and features of the resource-saving method of land cultivation using the Strip-Till technology. Also the results of the search for the possibility of using it in the conditions of the Republic of Uzbekistan when growing of re-crops in exiting furrows and in row spacing ridges are presented. As a result of experimental studies, the hardness and moisture content of the soil were determined, and data on the quality of soil cultivation by the developed working bodies were obtained. The layout schemes of the working bodies in the design of the unit for the considered technology are presented. The results of studies on the choice of types and design of working bodies for strip tillage are substantiated. It was found that the equipment of the aggregate with sections consisting of 3 flat cutting discs and a lancet chisel best ensures the required quality of soil loosening and equable depth of its processing, as well as the width of the cultivated strip and evenness of the treated area, protects the organs from clogging with soil and grower residues. For normal operation of the planter working bodies, the cultivated strip width of the soil must correspond to the planter coulters width.
Compressed Sensing Based RFI Mitigation and Restoration for Pulsar Signals

In pulsar signal processing, two primary difficulties are (1) radio-frequency interference (RFI) mitigation and (2) information loss due to preprocessing and mitigation itself. Linear mitigation methods have a difficulty in RFI modeling, and accommodate a limited range of RFI morphologies. Thresholding methods suffer from manual factors and adaptability. There is also a distinct lack of methods dedicated to information loss. In this paper, a novel method “CS-Pulsar” is proposed. It carries out compressed sensing (CS) on time-frequency signals to accomplish RFI mitigation and signal restoration simultaneously. Curvelets allow an optimal sparse representation for multichannel pulsar signals containing the time-of-arrival dispersion relationship. CS-Pulsar mitigation is implemented using a regularized least-squares framework that does not require the statistics of RFI to be known beforehand. CS-Pulsar implements channel restoration, and useful signal contents are retrieved from the measurement error by a morphological component analysis aided by the root-mean-square envelope. These two steps allow CS-Pulsar to provide key signal details for special astrophysical purposes. Experiments of signal restoration for pulsar data from the Nanshan 26 m radio telescope reveal the advantage of CS-Pulsar. The method successfully removes false peaks due to on-pulse RFI in multipeaked pulsar profiles. CS-Pulsar also increases the timing accuracy and signal-to-noise ratio proving its feasibilities and prospects in astrophysical measurements.