Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Bipolar Spindle of Antiparallel ParM Filaments Drives Bacterial Plasmid Segregation

Plasmid Partitioning Bacterial plasmids need to be able to partition faithfully into daughter cells. Combining structural data and advanced microscopy, Gayathri et al. (p. 1334, published online 25 October; see the cover) describe how actin-like ParM filaments form a bipolar spindle for the faithful segregation of low-copy-number plasmids to the two cell poles of Escherichia coli, despite being polar, with two distinct ends. ParM filaments are elongated by a small adaptor protein ParR that physically links the filament end(s) to a centromere-like region on the plasmid. Antiparallel filament bundling and sliding appear to produce a bipolar spindle made of filaments that elongate unidirectionally so that all the plasmids are segregated together in one large bundle. A bipolar spindle, formed by antiparallel actinlike filaments, pushes sister plasmids apart. To ensure their stable inheritance by daughter cells during cell division, bacterial low-copy-number plasmids make simple DNA segregating machines that use an elongating protein filament between sister plasmids. In the ParMRC system of the Escherichia coli R1 plasmid, ParM, an actinlike protein, forms the spindle between ParRC complexes on sister plasmids. By using a combination of structural work and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, we show that ParRC bound and could accelerate growth at only one end of polar ParM filaments, mechanistically resembling eukaryotic formins. The architecture of ParM filaments enabled two ParRC-bound filaments to associate in an antiparallel orientation, forming a bipolar spindle. The spindle elongated as a bundle of at least two antiparallel filaments, thereby pushing two plasmid clusters toward the poles.
Channel-power profile estimation for orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing systems

In this work, a channel-power profile estimation for orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing systems, based on the cyclic prefix (CP), is introduced. By knowing the delay of each path, the time-dispersion information can be derived. The proposed method, considering long intersymbol interference (ISI) fading channels, requires only the coarse symbol timing information. More specifically, quasi-stationary fading channels are considered. The basic contribution is to obtain the maximum-likelihood estimation of the correlation coefficient based on the CP. Subsequently, the relationship between the correlation coefficient and the channel-tap powers is explored. With the estimate of correlation coefficient, the least-square solution of the channel-tap powers can be determined. The proposed method is suitable for both short and long ISI channels. Furthermore, the Cramer–Rao lower bound of the channel-power profile estimation is analyzed, and simulations confirm the advantages of the proposed estimator. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cry1 Circadian Phase in vitro: Wrapped Up with an E-Box

The circadian timing of gene expression is determined by transcriptional regulation through upstream response elements present throughout the genome. Central to this regulation are the actions of a core group of transcriptional activators and repressors, which act through, and are themselves regulated by, a small set of canonical circadian response elements. Among these, the E-box (CACGTG) is crucial for daytime transcriptional activity. The mammalian Period (Per1-3) and Cryptochrome (Cry1-2) genes are E-box—regulated genes, but in peripheral tissues peak Cry1 mRNA expression is delayed by several hours relative to that of Per. It has been proposed that this delay originates from interactions between the proximal E-box and retinoic acid—related orphan receptor response elements (RORE) present in the Cry1 promoter. By using real-time luciferase reporter assays in NIH3T3 cells the authors show here that a proximal 47-bp E-box containing region of the Cry1 promoter is both necessary and sufficient to drive circadian Cry1 transcription with an appropriate phase delay (around 4 h) relative to Per2. The results therefore suggest that, at least in this in vitro model of the clock, RORE are not necessary for the appropriate circadian regulation of Cry1 expression and rather suggest that sequences surrounding the proximal E-boxes confer gene-specific circadian phasing.
Data-driven online unfalsified control by using analytic center

In this paper, a novel on-line data-driven control method based on unfalsified control is proposed for the control problem that has been treated in the ellipsoidal unfalsified control method. In the latter method, an ellipsoid that approximates the unfalsified set is obtained analytically to obtain an inner point of the ellipsoid at each sampling time. In our new method, an analytic center algorithm is used to find an inner point of the unfalsified set, and the constraints on the parameters can be treated directly. Some of inactive or redundant inequalities are removed from the constraints in order to decrease the computation time, and three methods for selecting a parameter of the control performance are examined with respect to the convergence speed and the existence of the unfalsified set.
The use of bedside fluoroscopy to evaluate the cervical spine in obtunded trauma patients

Background: Recognition of a cervical spine injury is important to prevent further injury and in planning for future care. The management of the patient with a possible cervical spine injury who remains unresponsive is controversial. Methods: A retrospective evaluation of obtunded trauma patients admitted to the surgical intensive care unit who underwent bedside fluoroscopic cervical spine evaluation. Fluoroscopic findings and all complications were noted. Results: Twenty obtunded patients with possible cervical spine injuries underwent bedside fluoroscopic cervical spine evaluation. All patients had at minimum a normal three-view cervical spine series before fluoroscopy. Thirteen patients (65%) had the fluoroscopic examination completed at the bedside and were cleared. The complete cervical spine could not be evaluated in six patients (30%), One patient (5%) was found to have a C4-5 subluxation in the bedside examination. None of the patients had progression of their neurologic symptoms after cervical spine flexion/extension, and none developed evidence of spinal cord injury after being cleared during their hospital course. Cervical collars remained in place for 5.7 ± 1.41 days (range, 1- 26 days). Three patients (15%) were noted to have decubiti under the cervical collar. Conclusion: In this small study, the use of bedside fluoroscopy to evaluate the cervical spine appears safe and easy to perform. One unrecognized injury was identified. The technique is usually successful and gives reassurance that a significant cervical spine injury is not present.
Output-transition optimization through a multi-objective least square procedure

The purpose of this paper is to propose a new method for the optimization of the transient step response of a linear continuous-time system. The approach situates in the framework of model pseudo-inversion [1]-[3] because the input reference is computed starting from some desired features of the transient output. A significant feature of the new method is that the transition trajectory is not “ad hoc” exactly pre-specified by the designer. Rather, it is implicitly defined by the procedure for the minimization of a suitably multi-objective quadratic cost functional.
A clustering method for efficient segmentation of 3D laser data

In this paper we present a novel method for the efficient segmentation of 3D laser range data. The proposed algorithm is based on a radially bounded nearest neighbor strategy and requires only two parameters. It yields deterministic, repeatable results and does not depend on any initialization procedure. The efficiency of the method is verified with synthetic and real 3D data.
Development of a haptic device “DELTA-4” using parallel link mechanism

Nowadays, several haptic devices are commercialized and becoming common not only in research fields but also in consumer use. In this paper, a new parallel link mechanism “DELTA-4” is proposed for a new haptic device within high quality force display capability and operability. DELTA-4 consists of 3 DOF of translational motions. The key features of DELTA-4 comparing with conventional parallel link mechanisms are: a redundant actuation, a wide working area and a small footprint. The prototype is equipped with a 3 DOF of rotation mechanism, which its center of motions is located on the wrist position of an operator. An evaluation test of force display was conducted on a prototype of DELTA-4 mechanism.
InP Nanowire Array Solar Cells Achieving 13.8% Efficiency by Exceeding the Ray Optics Limit

Improving Nanowire Photovoltaics In principle, solar cells based on arrays of nanowires made from compound inorganic semiconductors, such as indium phosphide (InP), should decrease materials and fabrication costs compared with planar junctions. In practice, device efficiencies tend to be low because of poor light absorption and increased rates of unproductive charge recombination in the surface region. Wallentin et al. (p. 1057, published online 17 January) now report that arrays of p-i-n InP nanowires (that switch from positive to negative doping), grown to millimeter lengths, can be optimized by varying the nanowire diameter and length of the n-doped segment. Efficiencies as high as 13.8% were achieved, which are comparable to the best planar InP photovoltaics. Nanowire solar cells were fabricated that exhibit high photocurrents and low surface recombination. Photovoltaics based on nanowire arrays could reduce cost and materials consumption compared with planar devices but have exhibited low efficiency of light absorption and carrier collection. We fabricated a variety of millimeter-sized arrays of p-type/intrinsic/n-type (p-i-n) doped InP nanowires and found that the nanowire diameter and the length of the top n-segment were critical for cell performance. Efficiencies up to 13.8% (comparable to the record planar InP cell) were achieved by using resonant light trapping in 180-nanometer-diameter nanowires that only covered 12% of the surface. The share of sunlight converted into photocurrent (71%) was six times the limit in a simple ray optics description. Furthermore, the highest open-circuit voltage of 0.906 volt exceeds that of its planar counterpart, despite about 30 times higher surface-to-volume ratio of the nanowire cell.
Preventing Drug Abuse among Children and Adolescents: Where Does the Salutogenic Approach Direct Us?

The “science of prevention” approach has advanced research in the realm of drug abuse. Emphasis, however, was clearly accorded to risk factors rather than to uncovering protective factors. In the 1980s, Antonovsky proposed a new paradigm—salutogenesis—which provided a different theoretical and practical basis for constructing and evaluating prevention programs. According to the salutogenic model, prevention programs should relate to the extent that these protective factors advance youths—as well as the systems in which they live—towards promoting comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness. The paper describes salutogenic directed programs and research, and discusses the contribution of the theory to advancement of both practice and research in the area of drug abuse.
Deferrable load scheduling under imperfect data communication channel

In smart grid, the real-time pricing is implemented to motivate power consumers to change their consumption profile dynamically. With the real-time pricing, a deferrable load can be scheduled by its scheduler optimally so that the power consumption cost will be minimized. However, when the data communication in smart grid suffers from interference, congestion, malfunction in devices, or even cyber attack, it is possible that the power price information cannot be transmitted successfully to the scheduler. As a result, the scheduling performance will be negatively affected by the suboptimal decision-making because of incomplete power price information. To overcome this problem, a partially observable Markov decision process based deferrable load scheduling algorithm is proposed. Besides, the implementation of a standby alternative channel with the purpose to improve the reliability of the data communication in smart grid is also discussed in this paper. The numerical results show that the proposed partially observable Markov decision process based algorithm and the implementation of standby channel can effectively improve the scheduling performance when the scheduler lacks actual price information. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the robust ℋ∞ norm of 2D mixed continuous-discrete-time systems with uncertainty

This paper addresses the problem of determining the robust ℋ∞ norm of 2D mixed continuous-discrete-time systems affected by uncertainty. Specifically, it is supposed that the matrices of the model are polynomial functions of an unknown vector constrained into a semialgebraic set. It is shown that an upper bound of the robust ℋ∞ norm can be obtained via a semidefinite program (SDP) by introducing complex Lyapunov functions candidates with rational dependence on a frequency and polynomial dependence on the uncertainty. A necessary and sufficient condition is also provided to establish whether the found upper bound is tight. Some numerical examples illustrate the proposed approach.
Prediction Error Governs Pharmacologically Induced Amnesia for Learned Fear

Overwriting Human Memory A consolidated fear memory can enter a transient labile phase upon its reactivation. Pharmacological blockade of the subsequent protein synthesis-dependent restabilization produces a memory deficit. Sevenster et al. (p. 830) found that prediction error (a discrepancy between actual and expected events) is a necessary condition for reconsolidation of a fear memory in human subjects. Retrieval cued by a negative prediction error, for example, like a conditioned stimulus presented in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus, resulted in labilization and subsequent reconsolidation was blocked by the drug propranolol. However, if there was no prediction error because the conditioned stimulus and the aversive unconditioned stimulus were presented simultaneously, the memory did not enter a labile state and its reconsolidation could not be blocked. Human fear memory labilization can be assessed noninvasively, independent of whether reconsolidation occurs. Although reconsolidation opens up new avenues to erase excessive fear memory, subtle boundary conditions put constraints on retrieval-induced plasticity. Reconsolidation may only take place when memory reactivation involves an experience that engages new learning (prediction error). Thus far, it has not been possible to determine the optimal degree of novelty required for destabilizing the memory. The occurrence of prediction error could only be inferred from the observation of a reconsolidation process itself. Here, we provide a noninvasive index of memory destabilization that is independent from the occurrence of reconsolidation. Using this index, we show in humans that prediction error is (i) a necessary condition for reconsolidation of associative fear memory and (ii) determined by the interaction between original learning and retrieval. Insight into the process of memory updating is crucial for understanding the optimal and boundary conditions on reconsolidation and provides a clear guide for the development of reconsolidation-based treatments.
Akt1 Controls the Timing and Amplitude of Vascular Circadian Gene Expression

The AKT signaling pathway is important for circadian rhythms in mammals and flies (Drosophila). However, AKT signaling in mammals is more complicated since there are 3 isoforms of AKT, each performing slightly different functions. Here we study the most ubiquitous AKT isoform, Akt1, and its role at the organismal level in the central and vascular peripheral clocks. Akt1–/– mice exhibit relatively normal behavioral rhythms with only minor differences in circadian gene expression in the liver and heart. However, circadian gene expression in the Akt1–/– aorta, compared with control aorta, follows a distinct pattern. In the Akt1–/– aorta, positive regulators of circadian transcription have lower amplitude rhythms and peak earlier in the day, and negative circadian regulators are expressed at higher amplitudes and peak later in the day. In endothelial cells, negative circadian regulators exhibit an increased amplitude of expression, while the positive circadian regulators are arrhythmic with a decreased amplitude of expression. This indicates that Akt1 conditions the normal circadian rhythm in the vasculature more so than in other peripheral tissues where other AKT isoforms or kinases might be important for daily rhythms.
Gravity Field of the Moon from the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) Mission

The Holy GRAIL? The gravity field of a planet provides a view of its interior and thermal history by revealing areas of different density. GRAIL, a pair of satellites that act as a highly sensitive gravimeter, began mapping the Moon's gravity in early 2012. Three papers highlight some of the results from the primary mission. Zuber et al. (p. 668, published online 6 December) discuss the overall gravity field, which reveals several new tectonic and geologic features of the Moon. Impacts have worked to homogenize the density structure of the Moon's upper crust while fracturing it extensively. Wieczorek et al. (p. 671, published online 6 December) show that the upper crust is 35 to 40 kilometers thick and less dense—and thus more porous—than previously thought. Finally, Andrews-Hanna et al. (p. 675, published online 6 December) show that the crust is cut by widespread magmatic dikes that may reflect a period of expansion early in the Moon's history. The Moon's gravity field reveals that impacts have homogenized the density of the crust and fractured it extensively. Spacecraft-to-spacecraft tracking observations from the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) have been used to construct a gravitational field of the Moon to spherical harmonic degree and order 420. The GRAIL field reveals features not previously resolved, including tectonic structures, volcanic landforms, basin rings, crater central peaks, and numerous simple craters. From degrees 80 through 300, over 98% of the gravitational signature is associated with topography, a result that reflects the preservation of crater relief in highly fractured crust. The remaining 2% represents fine details of subsurface structure not previously resolved. GRAIL elucidates the role of impact bombardment in homogenizing the distribution of shallow density anomalies on terrestrial planetary bodies.
Group vertical handoff management in heterogeneous networks

Traditional vertical handover schemes postulate that vertical handovers VHOs of users come on an individual basis. This enables users to know previously the decision already made by other users, and then the choice will be accordingly made. However, in case of group mobility, almost all VHO decisions of all users, in a given group e.g., passengers on board a bus or a train equipped with smart phones or laptops, will be made at the same time. This concept is called group vertical handover GVHO. When all VHO decisions of a large number of users are made at the same time, the system performance may degrade and network congestion may occur. In this paper, we propose two fully decentralized algorithms for network access selection, and that is based on the concept of congestion game to resolve the problem of network congestion in group mobility scenarios. Two learning algorithms, dubbed Sastry Algorithm and Q-Learning Algorithm, are envisioned. Each one of these algorithms helps mobile users in a group to reach the nash equilibrium in a stochastic environment. The nash equilibrium represents a fair and efficient solution according to which each mobile user is connected to a single network and has no intention to change his decision to improve his throughput. This shall help resolve the problem of network congestion caused by GVHO. Simulation results validate the proposed algorithms and show their efficiency in achieving convergence, even at a slower pace. To achieve fast convergence, we also propose a heuristic method inspired from simulated annealing and incorporated in a hybrid learning algorithm to speed up convergence time and maintain efficient solutions. The simulation results also show the adaptability of our hybrid algorithm with decreasing step size-simulated annealing DSS-SA for high mobility group scenario. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Serum lipids abnormalities and psoriasis

Context: Psoriasis is a chronic proliferative inflammatory skin disease with unknown etiology. The loss of scale from the surface observed in the course of psoriasis may be related to lipid disorders in epidermis and in serum. Moreover a predisposition to occlusive vascular disease and increased cardiovascular morbidity has been reported. Aims: In this study, the serum lipid levels of psoriatic patients were investigated to detect any relation in this respect. Materials and Methods: 60 psoriatic and 120 nonpsoriatic individuals were included in this case control study and were analogized for sex, age and body mass indices. Total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were measured. Statistical Analysis Used: Collected data were analyzed by statistical tests of Chi square, Mann Whitney and Kruskal Wallis applying SPSS software. Results: Total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL-C were found to be significantly higher than in normal control group ( P <0.05). No significant statistical difference was observed between HDL level of the two groups. Conclusions: We concluded that psoriatic patients should be evaluated for hyperlipidemia and obstructive vascular diseases. Administrating lipid-lowering medicines for patients particularly cases with severe disease may be beneficial prognosis.