Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Making sense of fatigue.

Fatigue is a debilitating symptom that can affect all age groups impacting upon quality of life. The symptom of fatigue can occur in association with a wide range of chronic diseases (e.g. Parkinson’s disease, liver disease, diabetes), can be unexplained (chronic fatigue or idiopathic fatigue) or can occur in conjunction with a constellation of symptoms that form the syndrome of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or myalgic encephalopathy (ME). While some of the psychosocial correlates, antecedents and consequences of fatigue have been elucidated, our understanding of the biological basis for fatigue has lagged behind. This is not because fatigue is considered psychosocial, but rather a lack of appreciation that chronic diseases are associated with systemic symptoms such as fatigue. While there have been mixed and inconclusive findings of alteration in hypothalamus-pituitary adrenal axis function [1], other research in CFS/ME [2–5] and other fatigue-associated diseases such as Parkinson’s disease [6], multiple sclerosis [7] and autoimmune liver disease [8–11] confirm that fatigue arises, in a significant proportion of affected individuals, in association with abnormalities of sleep rhythm and dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system. Recognition of these biological associates is important as both sleep disturbance and autonomic dysfunction are potentially treatable in their own right and are associated with improvements in fatigue and quality of life [12,13]. Furthermore, sleep abnormalities and autonomic dysfunction are established risk factors for cardiovascular disease, particularly sudden cardiac death, an association that we have recently made in fatigue associated with the autoimmune liver disease primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) [14]. This gives rise to the intriguing possibility that fatigue, in addition to its potential impact on quality of life, may contribute to morbidity and even early death in the more general population. Important recent work has suggested that fatigue is a generic symptom that arises with a specific phenotype across the spectrum of conditions where it presents [15]. This points towards a common pathophysiological pathway and potentially to generalized interventions for fatigue in the range of diseases in which it presents.
Semantic event detection using MPEG-7

We propose semantic event detection method using MPEG-7. In the proposed method, content description technique of MPEG-7 is adopted into the detection algorithm to extract, represent, reuse, and interoperate low-level features. Also we use multiple descriptors to improve efficiency. In this paper, shots and key frames give a hint in semantic event detection by predefined inference. Each shot gets a semantic meaning using MPEG-7 descriptors with example image or image sequence. Event is detected by segmenting the shots.
Subdivision of the allele Tfd for transferrins in Holstein and Ayrshire cattle.

ENETICALLY controlled differences in the p-globulins of British breeds of Gdairy cattle have been described by SMITHIES and HICKMAN (1958) and ASHTON (1958). GIBLETT, HICKMAN and SMITHIES (1959) showed that these ,@globulins are transferrins. The same transferrin differences have been described in Swedish cattle (GAHNE, RENDEL and VENGE 1960) and in Danish cattle ( H~JGAARD, MOUSTGAARD and M ~ L L E R 1960). Serum protein polymorphisms in several species have been reviewed by OGDEN (1961). Plasma protein polymorphisms in man have been reviewed by HARRIS (1961 ) . In these populations three alleles Tf“, TfD, and TfE, have been observed to control the synthesis of transferrins A, D and E (TfA, TfD and TfE) , respectively. Each transferrin migrates in starch gels as four discrete proteins (ASHTON 1959a). Two additional alleles (Tf” and TfF) have been observed in Zebu cattle but not in Jersey, Hereford or Shorthorn cattle ( ASHTON 1959a). Recent developments in starch gel electrophoresis techniques have enabled us to detect differences among individuals possessing the TfD allele ( KRISTJANSSON 1962). This report describes these differences and presents evidence which indicates that the former TfD allele is, in fact, two alleles which produce different transferrins which were indistinguishable using the original starch-gel electrophoresis procedures.
Scale Development for Measuring E-Service Quality in Banking

 Abstract — This study examines several critical dimensions of e-service quality overlooked in the existing literature and proposes a model and instrument framework for measuring customer perceived e-service quality in the banking sector. The initial design was derived from a pool of instrument dimensions and their items from the existing literature review by content analysis. Based on focused group discussion, nine dimensions were extracted. An exploratory factor analysis approach was applied to data from a survey of 323 respondents. The instrument has been designed specifically for the banking sector. Research data was collected from bank customers who use electronic banking in a developing economy. A nine-factor instrument has been proposed to measure the e-service quality. The instrument has been checked for reliability. The validity and sample place limited the applicability of the instrument across economies and service categories. Future research must be conducted to check the validity. This instrument can help bankers in developing economies like India to measure the e-service quality and make improvements. The present study offers a systematic procedure that provides insights on to the conceptual and empirical comprehension of customer perceived e-service quality and its constituents.
New Approaches to the Therapy of Various Tumors Based on Peptide Analogues

The discovery of hypothalamic hormones was briefly reviewed. The development of new hormonal methods for the therapy of various cancers based on analogues of hypothalmic hormones is then presented. My group isolated luteininzing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH), also known as Gn-RH, from pig hypothalmi, elucidated its amino acid sequence, and synthesized it in 1971. The interest in medical applications of LH-RH led to the synthesis of LH-RH analogues by various groups. LH-RH agonists substituted in positions 6 or 10 including Decapeptyl, Leuprolide and Zoladex are much more active than LH-RH and on continuous administration produce inhibition of pituitary and gonads. Chronic administration of LH-RH agonists is being utilized for the treatment of prostate and breast cancer. Octapeptide analogues of somatostatin have various applications in Oncology. In 1980 we developed a new endocrine therapy for advanced prostate cancer based on agonists of LH-RH, which is now preferred by 70-90% of prostate cancer patients for primary treatment. LH-RH antagonists such as Cetrorelix can be used for therapy of BPH. On the basis of the presence of specific receptors for hypothalamic peptides on human cancers, we developed targeted cytotoxic analogues of LH-RH, somatostatin, and bombesin/GRP linked to doxorubicin or 2-pyrrolinodoxorubicin. These analogues inhibit the growth of experimental human prostate, breast, ovarian and endometrial cancer, renal cell carcinoma, pancreatic, colorectal and gastric cancers, small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and non-SCLC, brain tumors, melanomas, and lymphomas. Cytotoxic LH-RH analogues are now in clinical trials. Recently we demonstrated that growth hormone-releasing hormone (GH-RH) also serves as an autocrine growth factor in many cancers. Antagonistic analogues of GH-RH synthesized in our laboratory inhibit the growth of diverse tumors. The discovery of LH-RH and somatostatin has led to clinical use of their analogues in the field of cancer treatment and GH-RH antagonists also show a great promise.
Unsupervised deep object discovery for instance recognition

Severe background clutter is challenging in many computer vision tasks, including large-scale image retrieval. Global descriptors, that are popular due to their memory and search efficiency, are especially prone to corruption by such a clutter. Eliminating the impact of the clutter on the image descriptor increases the chance of retrieving relevant images and prevents topic drift due to actually retrieving the clutter in the case of query expansion. In this work, we propose a novel salient region detection method. It captures, in an unsupervised manner, patterns that are both discriminative and common in the dataset. Saliency is based on a centrality measure of a nearest neighbor graph constructed from regional CNN representations of dataset images. The descriptors derived from the salient regions improve particular object retrieval, most noticeably in a large collections containing small objects.
High-Performance FPGA Implementation of Elliptic Curve Cryptography Processor over Binary Field GF(2^163)

: Elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) plays a vital role in passing secure information among different wireless devices. This paper presents a fast, high-performance hardware implementation of an ECC processor over binary ﬁeld GF(2 m ) using a polynomial basis. A high-performance elliptic curve point multiplier (ECPM) is designed using an efﬁcient ﬁnite-ﬁeld arithmetic unit in afﬁne coordinates, where ECPM is the key operation of an ECC processor. It has been implemented using the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recommended curves over the ﬁeld GF(2 163 ). The proposed design is synthesized in ﬁeld-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology with the VHDL. The delay of ECPM in a modern Xilinx Kintex-7 (28-nm) technology is 1.06 ms at 306.48 MHz. The proposed ECC processor takes a small amount of resources on the FPGA and needs only 2253 slices without using any DSP slices. The proposed design provides nearly 50% better delay performance than recent implementations.
Transforming growth factor beta 1-responsive element: closely associated binding sites for USF and CCAAT-binding transcription factor-nuclear factor I in the type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor gene

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is the name of a group of closely related polypeptides characterized by a multiplicity of effects, including regulation of extracellular proteolysis and turnover of the extracellular matrix. Its cellular mechanism of action is largely unknown. TGF-beta 1 is a strong and fast inducer of type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor gene transcription. We have identified a TGF-beta 1-responsive element in the 5'-flanking region of the human type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor gene and shown that it is functional both in its natural context and when fused to a heterologous nonresponsive promoter. Footprinting and gel retardation experiments showed that two different nuclear factors, present in extracts from both TGF-beta 1-treated and nontreated cells, bind to adjacent sequences contained in the responsive unit. A palindromic sequence binds a trans-acting factor(s) of the CCAAT-binding transcription factor-nuclear factor I family. A partially overlapping dyad symmetry interacts with a second protein that much evidence indicates to be USF. USF is a transactivator belonging to the basic helix-loop-helix family of transcription factors. Mutations which abolish the binding of either CCAAT-binding transcription factor-nuclear factor I or USF result in reduction of transcriptional activation upon exposure to TGF-beta 1, thus showing that both elements of the unit are necessary for the TGF-beta 1 response. We discuss the possible relationship of these findings to the complexity of the TGF-beta action.
5G standards progress and challenges

The 3GPP standardization process for the fifth generation of wireless networks, 5G, has been in full gear since early 2016. Perhaps one of the most ambitious standardization goal in wireless history; encompassing diverse characteristics such as massive broadband connectivity, massive (and densely) connected devices, and ultra reliable and low latency connection. In this paper, we review the progress of physical layer signaling design for 5G such as waveforms, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technologies, and above 6GHz considerations. We also discuss key challenges in physical layer design as well as hardware design aspects.
Retracted: De novo synthesis and assembly of multiplex riboswitches in vitro

Retraction: The following article from Biotechnology Progress, “De novo synthesis and assembly of multiplex riboswitches in vitro”, by Hao‐Hua Sun, Cong Zhu, Ye Wu, and Jiang‐Feng Guo, published online on 14 July 2009 in Wiley Online Library (www.wileyonlinelibrary.com), and in Volume 25, pp. 1228‐1235, has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor, Michael M. Domach, and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. The retraction has been agreed as Hao‐Hua Sun did not inform all co‐authors of the original submission of the manuscript which is a violation of the journal’s editorial policy. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog. , 2009
Impaired skeletal development in interleukin-6-transgenic mice: a model for the impact of chronic inflammation on the growing skeletal system.

OBJECTIVE To identify the mediator responsible for the impact of chronic inflammation on skeletal development in children (bone loss, defective peak bone mass accrual, stunted growth), we evaluated the effects of chronic interleukin-6 (IL-6) overexpression on the skeletons of growing prepubertal mice. METHODS We studied IL-6-transgenic mice that had high circulating IL-6 levels since birth. Trabecular and cortical bone structure were analyzed by microcomputed tomography. Epiphyseal ossification, growth plates, and calvariae were studied by histology/histomorphometry. Osteoclastogenesis, osteoblast function/differentiation, and the effects of IL-6 on bone cells were studied in vitro. Osteoblast gene expression was evaluated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The mineral apposition rate was evaluated dynamically in cortical bone by in vivo double fluorescence labeling. RESULTS In prepubertal IL-6-transgenic mice, we observed osteopenia, with severe alterations in cortical and trabecular bone microarchitecture, as well as uncoupling of bone formation from resorption, with decreased osteoblast and increased osteoclast number and activity. Increased osteoclastogenesis and reduced osteoblast activity, secondary to decreased precursor proliferation and osteoblast function, were present. IL-6-transgenic mice also showed impaired development of growth plates and epiphyseal ossification centers. Intramembranous and endochondral ossification and the mineral apposition rate were markedly affected, showing the presence of defective ossification. CONCLUSION Chronic overexpression of IL-6 alone induces a skeletal phenotype closely resembling growth and skeletal abnormalities observed in children with chronic inflammatory diseases, pointing to IL-6 as a pivotal mediator of the impact of chronic inflammation on postnatal skeletal development. We hypothesize that IL-6-modifying drugs may reduce skeletal defects and prevent the growth retardation associated with these diseases.
What is meant by a "flare" in atopic dermatitis? A systematic review and proposal.

OBJECTIVE To make preliminary recommendations for defining a flare of atopic dermatitis (AD) in clinical research based on a systematic review of the literature and experience in running clinical trials. DATA SOURCES A sensitive electronic search of MEDLINE biographic database was conducted on April 19, 2005, using the following search terms: flare$, exacerbation$, relaps$, remission$, worse$, and *recurrence. The search was restricted to all prospective studies of AD in humans, using the Cochrane search terms for AD and prospective studies. In addition, we searched the literature on 3 chronic intermittent diseases (asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis) to gain insight as to how other disciplines had tackled the definition of flares. DATA SYNTHESIS A total of 401 citations were reviewed, of which 16 articles (15 studies) were relevant. All were clinical trials. The definitions of disease flare or relapse in retrieved articles could be categorized into 3 broad themes: (1) composite definitions that include at least 2 different factors (eg, symptoms, severity duration, or treatment) (4 studies); (2) score thresholds or changes in severity scores (8 studies); and (3) behavioral definitions, such as the use of rescue therapy (3 studies). Only 1 investigative group (3 studies) used the same definition. None of the included studies were primarily designed to develop a definition of "flare. " Evidence from other disciplines suggested at least 2 measures-totally controlled weeks and well-controlled weeks from asthma research-that could be used successfully in AD research. CONCLUSIONS Defining an AD flare is a complex process, and this review has highlighted the need for standardization in defining measures of long-term disease control. We propose that a flare of AD be simply defined as an episode requiring escalation of treatment or seeking additional medical advice. Consideration should also be given to totally controlled weeks and well-controlled weeks to assess overall disease activity in patients with AD. Together, these definitions are intuitive, simple to use, and easy to understand. Future work is required to test the applicability of these recommendations in a variety of research settings.
A 29.5 KDA Heat‐modifiable Major Outer Membrane Protein of Rickettsia Prowazekii, Putative Virulence Factor, is a Peptidyl‐Prolyl Cis/trans Isomerase

Allelic genes from three Rickettsia prowazekii strains encoding parvulin‐like protein (Plp), a heat‐modifiable 29.5 kDa major outer membrane protein, were earlier cloned into expression vector pQE 30. In this work, recombinant proteins were overproduced in E. coli, purified, and found to exhibit an expected peptidyl‐prolyl cis/trans isomerase activity of a parvulin type in vitro with oligopeptide substrates. Native polypeptide of prototype virulent Breinl strain is known to differ by SDS ‐ PAGE mobility from those of both vaccine Madrid E and virulent EVir isolates. Being different in electrophoretic behavior, heat‐unmodified forms of the three strains were shown to migrate apart from lipopolysaccharides. A EVir Plp gene was sequenced, and deduced protein sequence was found to be identical to previously published Breinl and Madrid E. Present data indicate that unknown post‐translational modification(s) in rickettsiae are responsible for both interstrain difference and heat‐modifiability of Plp. IUBMB Life, 56: 215‐219, 2004
Expansion of Genetic Diversity in Randomly Mating Founder Populations of Alternaria brassicicola Infecting Cakile maritima in Australia

ABSTRACT Founder populations of fungal plant pathogens are expected to have low levels of genetic diversity coupled with further genetic drift due to, e.g., limited host availability, which should result in additional population bottlenecks. This study used microsatellite markers in the interaction between Cakile maritima and the fungal pathogen Alternaria brassicicola to explore genetic expectations associated with such situations. The host, C. maritima, was introduced into Australia approximately 100 years ago, but it is unknown whether the pathogen was already present in Australia, as it has a wide occurrence, or whether it was introduced to Australia on brassicaceous hosts. Eleven A. brassicicola populations were studied, and all showed moderate levels of gene and genotypic diversity. Chi-square tests of the frequencies of mating type alleles, a large number of genotypes, and linkage equilibrium among microsatellite loci all suggest A. brassicicola reproduces sexually. Significant genetic differentiation was found among populations, but there was no evidence for isolation by distance effects. Bayesian analyses identified eight clusters where the inferred clusters did not represent geographical populations but instead consisted of individuals admixed from all populations. Further analysis indicated that fungal populations were more likely to have experienced a recent population expansion than a population bottleneck. It is suggested that A. brassicicola has been introduced into Australia multiple times, potentially increasing the diversity and size of any A. brassicola populations already present there. Combined with its ability to reproduce sexually, such processes appear to have increased the evolutionary potential of the pathogen through recent population expansions.
Fifty years after Welles and Welles: Distribution and genetic structure of Desert Bighorn Sheep in Death Valley National Park

The status of desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) populations in the mountains around Death Valley was first evaluated in 1938, shortly after designation of Death Valley National Monument. However, the most comprehensive evaluation of bighorn sheep in the region was conducted by Ralph and Florence Welles during 1955-1961. They documented patterns of use at water sources and other focal areas around Death Valley and roughly estimated numbers of bighorn sheep from observational data. Data collection on bighorn sheep in the area since that time has lacked a regional approach needed to address metapopulation questions. Epps-DesertBighorns ToPrint_Layout 1 5/26/16 3:36 PM Page 71
Genetic Relationships among Tall Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera L.) Accessions of the International Coconut Genebank for Latin America and the Caribbean (ICG-LAC), Evaluated Using Microsatellite Markers (SSRs)

The diversity and genetic relationships among two accessions of tall coconut palms collected in Brazil and seven accessions introduced from different geographic regions of the world were analyzed using 25 microsatellite primers, 19 of which were polymorphic and detected between 4 and 10 alleles per locus, with an average of 6.57. The observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.25 and 0.40 in the Rennell Islands Tall (RIT) accession to 0.54 and 0.62 in the Polynesian Tall (PYT) accession. The analysis of genetic structure resulted in the formation of five distinct groups. The first group was formed by the accessions Brazilian Tall—Praia do Forte (BRTPF), Brazilian Tall—Merepe (BRTMe) and West African Tall (WAT); the second group consisted of Malaysian Tall (MLT); the third group of RIT; the fourth group of Vanuatu Tall (VTT); and the fifth group of Rotuman Tall (RTMT), Tonga Tall (TONT) and PYT. The dendrogram based on the nearest-neighbor method detected the formation of two main groups and five subgroups, indicating that the genetic relationships of the accessions are based on their geographic regions of origin. The analyses revealed genetic relationships between the accessions collected in Brazil and the accession from Africa, and among palms from South East Asia and the South Pacific, confirming the common origin of these accessions. The information obtained in this study can guide decisions on germplasm conservation activities and the efficient selection of genetically divergent parents for use in coconut breeding programs in Brazil, which are attempting to select for disease resistance, mainly to lethal yellowing, among other characteristics.