Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gene Cluster for Assembly of Pilus Colonization Factor Antigen III of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT The assembly of pilus colonization factor antigen III (CFA/III) of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) requires the processing of CFA/III major pilin (CofA) by a prepilin peptidase (CofP), similar to other type IV pilus formation systems. CofA is produced initially as a 26.5-kDa preform pilin (prepilin) and then processed to a 20.5-kDa mature pilin by CofP which is predicted to be localized in the inner membrane. In the present experiment, we determined the nucleotide sequence of the whole region for CFA/III formation and identified a cluster of 14 genes, includingcofA and cofP. Several proteins encoded bycof genes were similar to previously described proteins, such as the toxin-coregulated pili of Vibrio cholerae and the bundle-forming pili of enteropathogenic E. coli. The G+C content of the cof gene cluster was 37%, which was significantly lower than the average for the E. coli genome (50%). The introduction of a recombinant plasmid containing thecof gene cluster into the E. coli K-12 strain conferred CFA/III biogenesis and the ability of adhesion to the human colon carcinoma cell line Caco-2. This is the first report of a complete nucleotide sequence of the type IV pili found in human ETEC, and our results provide a useful model for studying the molecular mechanism of CFA/III biogenesis and the role of CFA/III in ETEC infection.
Flexible Graphene Electrodes for Prolonged Dynamic ECG Monitoring

This paper describes the development of a graphene-based dry flexible electrocardiography (ECG) electrode and a portable wireless ECG measurement system. First, graphene films on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates and graphene paper were used to construct the ECG electrode. Then, a graphene textile was synthesized for the fabrication of a wearable ECG monitoring system. The structure and the electrical properties of the graphene electrodes were evaluated using Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and alternating current impedance spectroscopy. ECG signals were then collected from healthy subjects using the developed graphene electrode and portable measurement system. The results show that the graphene electrode was able to acquire the typical characteristics and features of human ECG signals with a high signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio in different states of motion. A week-long continuous wearability test showed no degradation in the ECG signal quality over time. The graphene-based flexible electrode demonstrates comfortability, good biocompatibility, and high electrophysiological detection sensitivity. The graphene electrode also combines the potential for use in long-term wearable dynamic cardiac activity monitoring systems with convenience and comfort for use in home health care of elderly and high-risk adults.
Equivariant intersection theory

In this paper we develop an equivariant intersection theory for actions of algebraic groups on algebraic schemes. The theory is based on our construction of equivariant Chow groups. They are algebraic analogues of equivariant cohomology groups which satsify the formal properties of ordinary Chow groups. In addition, they enjoy many of the properties of equivariant cohomology. The principal results are: (1) We prove the existence of canonical intersection products on the Chow groups of geometric quotients of smooth varieties- even when the stabilizers of geometric points are non-reduced. (2) We construct a Todd class map from equivariant $K$-theory of coherent sheaves to a completion of equivariant Chow groups, and prove that a completion of equivariant $K$-theory is isomorphic to the completion of equivariant Chow groups. (3) We prove a localization theorem for torus actions and use it to give a characteristic free proof of the Bott residue formula for actions of tori on complete smooth varieties.
A nondestructive electrochemical method to detect and quantify graphite fiber/polymer matrix disbondment in aqueous and cathodically polarized conditions

In certain engineering applications, graphite fiber polymer matrix composites may be exposed to both moisture and electrochemical polarization. The combined effect to these environmental conditions can cause fiber/matrix interfacial breakdown and matrix degradation. In previous research, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to examine the effects of electrochemical polarization on bismaleimide (BMI)/graphite fiber (GF) composites, and revealed changes in the impedance spectra that suggested porous behavior. This 'porosity' was attributed to moisture ingress at the fiber/matrix interface. At present, no techniques are available to determine the depth of moisture penetration in these materials in a nondestructive manner. This paper introduces a new method for the determination of moisture penetration depth at the fiber/matrix interface in graphite fiber polymer matrix composites as a function of time and degree of polarization. The method is a nondestructive, in situ technique which has the.
High Fidelity of Yellow Fever Virus RNA Polymerase

ABSTRACT Three consecutive plaque purifications of four chimeric yellow fever virus-dengue virus (ChimeriVax-DEN) vaccine candidates against dengue virus types 1 to 4 were performed. The genome of each candidate was sequenced by the consensus approach after plaque purification and additional passages in cell culture. Our data suggest that the nucleotide sequence error rate for SP6 RNA polymerase used in the in vitro transcription step to initiate virus replication was as high as 1.34 × 10−4 per copied nucleotide and that the error rate of the yellow fever virus RNA polymerase employed by the chimeras for genome replication in infected cells was as low as 1.9 × 10−7 to 2.3 × 10−7. Clustering of beneficial mutations that accumulated after multiple virus passages suggests that the N-terminal part of the prM protein, a specific site in the middle of the E protein, and the NS4B protein may be essential for nucleocapsid-envelope interaction during flavivirus assembly.
Epigenetic Control of the Genome—Lessons from Genomic Imprinting

Epigenetic mechanisms modulate genome function by writing, reading and erasing chromatin structural features. These have an impact on gene expression, contributing to the establishment, maintenance and dynamic changes in cellular properties in normal and abnormal situations. Great effort has recently been undertaken to catalogue the genome-wide patterns of epigenetic marks—creating reference epigenomes—which will deepen our understanding of their contributions to genome regulation and function with the promise of revealing further insights into disease etiology. The foundation for these global studies is the smaller scale experimentally-derived observations and questions that have arisen through the study of epigenetic mechanisms in model systems. One such system is genomic imprinting, a process causing the mono-allelic expression of genes in a parental-origin specific manner controlled by a hierarchy of epigenetic events that have taught us much about the dynamic interplay between key regulators of epigenetic control. Here, we summarize some of the most noteworthy lessons that studies on imprinting have revealed about epigenetic control on a wider scale. Specifically, we will consider what these studies have revealed about: the variety of relationships between DNA methylation and transcriptional control; the regulation of important protein-DNA interactions by DNA methylation; the interplay between DNA methylation and histone modifications; and the regulation and functions of long non-coding RNAs.
Sustainability Index Benchmarking in a Semiconductor Manufacturing Environment

Sustainability is becoming an important tool towards our better future. More and more companies are looking into sustainability as their prime focus. Sustainability encompasses responsibilities towards social, energy, water, pollution and economic factors. Sustainability is the ability to sustain. Sustainability Index evaluation criteria and checklist has been created for a typical semiconductor manufacturing industries and the sustainability index has been compared with similar industry. Based on the benchmarking conducted for two plants one of them ranked at 75% indicating high on sustainability index. Benchmarking on sustainability index is a useful measure for shareholders, customers and employees.
Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms: A Guideline for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association

Purpose— The aim of this updated statement is to provide comprehensive and evidence-based recommendations for management of patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms. Methods— Writing group members used systematic literature reviews from January 1977 up to June 2014. They also reviewed contemporary published evidence-based guidelines, personal files, and published expert opinion to summarize existing evidence, indicate gaps in current knowledge, and when appropriate, formulated recommendations using standard American Heart Association criteria. The guideline underwent extensive peer review, including review by the Stroke Council Leadership and Stroke Scientific Statement Oversight Committees, before consideration and approval by the American Heart Association Science Advisory and Coordinating Committee. Results— Evidence-based guidelines are presented for the care of patients presenting with unruptured intracranial aneurysms. The guidelines address presentation, natural history, epidemiology, risk factors, screening, diagnosis, imaging and outcomes from surgical and endovascular treatment.
Specificity and Evolvability in Eukaryotic Protein Interaction Networks

Progress in uncovering the protein interaction networks of several species has led to questions of what underlying principles might govern their organization. Few studies have tried to determine the impact of protein interaction network evolution on the observed physiological differences between species. Using comparative genomics and structural information, we show here that eukaryotic species have rewired their interactomes at a fast rate of approximately 10−5 interactions changed per protein pair, per million years of divergence. For Homo sapiens this corresponds to 103 interactions changed per million years. Additionally we find that the specificity of binding strongly determines the interaction turnover and that different biological processes show significantly different link dynamics. In particular, human proteins involved in immune response, transport, and establishment of localization show signs of positive selection for change of interactions. Our analysis suggests that a small degree of molecular divergence can give rise to important changes at the network level. We propose that the power law distribution observed in protein interaction networks could be partly explained by the cell's requirement for different degrees of protein binding specificity.
Brief announcement: towards security and privacy for outsourced data in the multi-party setting

Cloud storage has rapidly acquired popularity among users, constituting a seamless solution for the backup, synchronization, and sharing of large amounts of data. This technology, however, puts user data in the direct control of cloud service providers, which raises increasing security and privacy concerns related to the integrity of outsourced data, the accidental or intentional leakage of sensitive information, the profiling of user activities and so on. We present GORAM, a cryptographic system that protects the secrecy and integrity of the data outsourced to an untrusted server and guarantees the anonymity and unlinkability of consecutive accesses to such data. GORAM allows the database owner to share outsourced data with other clients, selectively granting them read and write permissions. GORAM is the first system to achieve such a wide range of security and privacy properties for outsourced storage. Technically, GORAM builds on a combination of ORAM to conceal data accesses, attribute-based encryption to rule the access to outsourced data, and zero-knowledge proofs to prove read and write permissions in a privacy-preserving manner. We implemented GORAM and conducted an experimental evaluation to demonstrate its feasibility.
The Electrical Properties of Bismuth Telluride

Measurements of the electrical conductivity, Hall coefficient, thermoelectric power and Nernst coefficient on specimens cut from zone melted Bi2 Te3 and on a single crystal are described. The current flow was parallel to the cleavage planes and the galvanomagnetic effects of the single crystal were measured with the magnetic field perpendicular and parallel to the cleavage planes. For the other specimens the Hall and Nernst coefficients were measured with the magnetic field perpendicular to the cleavage planes. The temperature range was 100°K to 600°K and specimens with a wide variation of impurity content were used. Analysis of the thermoelectric power and conductivity in the extrinsic range indicated that the specimens were partially degenerate, and when allowance is made for this, the temperature dependence of mobility is T-1.63 for electrons and T-1.94 for holes. In the high temperature range the conductivity measurements yield a value of the energy gap at 0°K of 0.21 eV. The temperature dependence of the Hall coefficient in the extrinsic range is anomalous and the explanation is not known. The Nernst coefficient Q exhibits the general behaviour expected for a semiconductor, and it is shown that it obeys a relation which can be derived from Moreau's relation, Q being proportional to TRσd2E/dT2 (thermoelectric power = dE/dT, Hall coefficient = R, conductivity = σ).
Combined immunodeficiency, facial dysmorphism, optic nerve atrophy, skeletal anomalies and developmental delay: a new syndrome

Combined immunodeficiency (SCID) can be isolated and involve the immune system only or associated with abnormalities affecting other organs, mainly the skeletal and neurological systems. We report on sisters, born to consanguineous parents, with CID, facial dysmorphism, developmental delay, optic atrophy, myoclonic seizures, and skeletal anomalies. To the best of our knowledge, this is a hitherto new syndrome with most probably autosomal recessive inheritance and unknown etiology.
Telerobotic assisted laparoscopic surgery: initial laboratory and clinical experience.

OBJECTIVES To assess the feasibility of telerobotic assisted surgery. METHODS In a laboratory model, a cholecystectomy, splenectomy, and nephrectomy were performed by an inexperienced surgeon who was being mentored by an experienced surgeon stationed at a remote site. The remote surgeon controlled the laparoscopic camera by utilizing a telerobotic system. In patients, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, varix ligation, and bladder suspension were performed by an experienced team utilizing a robotic system controlled by an experienced surgeon from a remote site. RESULTS In both the laboratory and clinical setting, all procedures were successfully completed without complications. CONCLUSIONS Current technology is available to successfully allow for telerobotic assisted surgery.
Research on Aggregated Multicast Based on Wide-Sense Circuit Tree

To achieve the scalability and Quality of Service (QoS) of multicast service, a Wide-Sense Circuit Tree (WSCT) based on Aggregated Multicast Tree is proposed. By aggregating multicast traffics of the same class, WSCT can efficiently reduce the forwarding states of routing nodes and then improve the multicast scalability. By using Wide-Sense Circuit (WSC) to transfer data packages, MSCT can also improve the package forwarding efficiency and provide QoS.
Pilot study of the use of the ECFMG clinical competence assessment to provide profiles of clinical competencies of graduates of foreign medical schools for residency directors. Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates

&NA; PURPOSE. To conduct the first of a series of pilot projects of the clinical competence assessment (CCA) of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) in order to provide profiles of clinical competencies of graduates of foreign medical schools for residency directors in the United States and for governments and institutions in other countries. METHOD AND RESULTS. In September 1992 the first pilot project of the ECFMG CCA was conducted for a program director who wanted to evaluate ten first‐year residents in a midwestern U.S. program. The CCA consists of integrated clinical encounters with ten standardized patients, 60 laser videodisc pictorials, and analysis of test items of previously completed ECFMG certification examinations. Profiles of the following clinical competencies were provided to the program director: data gathering (history and physical examination), interviewing and interpersonal skills, diagnosis and management skills, interpretation of diagnostic and laboratory procedures, written communication of information to the health care team, and spoken‐English proficiency. The profiles were provided as individual scores compared with mean scores of a reference group of 525 first‐year residents who took the CCA at four U.S. assessment centers, and as percentile scores with a range of one standard error of measurement. CONCLUSION. The individual performance data in this first pilot project were valuable to the program director, who used them to supplement scores on a written examination during the first residency year. The pilot project has shown the ECFMG CCA to be a useful tool for program directors to evaluate applicants and residents who are graduates of foreign medical schools.
rediction of lung cancer incidence on the low-dose computed omography arm of the National Lung Screening Trial : A dynamic ayesian network

Introduction: Identifying high-risk lung cancer individuals at an early disease stage is the most effective way of improving survival. The landmark National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) demonstrated the utility of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) imaging to reduce mortality (relative to X-ray screening). As a result of the NLST and other studies, imaging-based lung cancer screening programs are now being implemented. However, LDCT interpretation results in a high number of false positives. A set of dynamic Bayesian networks (DBN) were designed and evaluated to provide insight into how longitudinal data can be used to help inform lung cancer screening decisions. Methods: The LDCT arm of the NLST dataset was used to build and explore five DBNs for high-risk individuals. Three of these DBNs were built using a backward construction process, and two using structure learning methods. All models employ demographics, smoking status, cancer history, family lung cancer history, exposure risk factors, comorbidities related to lung cancer, and LDCT screening outcome information. Given the uncertainty arising from lung cancer screening, a cancer state-space model based on lung cancer staging was utilized to characterize the cancer status of an individual over time. The models were evaluated on balanced training and test sets of cancer and non-cancer cases to deal with data imbalance and overfitting. Results: Results were comparable to expert decisions. The average area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) for the three intervention points of the NLST trial was higher than 0.75 for all models. Evaluation of the models on the complete LDCT arm of the NLST dataset (N = 25,486) demonstrated satisfactory generalization. Consensus of predictions over similar cases is reported in concordance statistics between the models’ and the physicians’ predictions. The models’ predictive ability with respect to missing data was also evaluated with the sample of cases that missed the second screening exam of the trial (N = 417). The DBNs outperformed comparison models such as logistic regression and naïve Bayes. Conclusion: The lung cancer screening DBNs demonstrated high discrimination and predictive power with the majority of cancer and non-cancer cases.
Personality predicts quality of life in pediatric patients with unintentional injuries: a 1-year follow-up study.

OBJECTIVE Few studies have charted the course of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in pediatric injury patients, and no studies so far have examined the extent to which variations in HRQoL 1 month and 1 year after injury are influenced by the child's personality. METHOD One hundred and seven pediatric injury victims (6-14 years old) completed an interview on HRQoL and were rated on the personality domains of the Five-Factor Model by their mothers 1 month and 1 year after the incident. RESULTS HRQoL was compromised after 1 month, particularly in the physical domain, but improved significantly after 1 year. Lower HRQoL after 1 month was predicted by female gender, injury severity, functional status, and neuroticism. After 1 year, lower HRQoL was predicted by concurrent functional status and neuroticism. CONCLUSIONS Even if HRQoL in children with unintentional injuries returns to normal levels after 1 year, significant variations remain, which are in part explained by personality.
Knowledge Discovery in Data with FIT-Miner

The paper deals with a data mining system FIT-Miner that has been developed at the Faculty of Information Technology of the Brno University of Technology. The system is based on a component approach where the essential functionality is encapsulated in components. A data mining task is specified graphically as a network of interconnected components. This approach makes good maintainability and scalability possible. The FIT-Miner includes components for data preprocessing, data mining and presentation of results. Implemented data mining algorithms cover all typically mined kinds of knowledge, such as frequent patterns, association rules; and classification, prediction and clustering models.
ANALYSIS OF THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE VELOCITY OF THE CENTER OF GRAVITY IN RUNNING SINGLE LEG HORIZONTAL JUMP

The purpose of this study was to analyze the transformation of the center of gravity (CG) in the running single leg horizontal jump and to investigate the influence of the forward rotation of the takeoff leg in achieving vertical CG velocity. The subjects were 98 male long jumpers, whose mean best official jump among their recorded trials was 7.16 ± 0.66 m. Their takeoff motion was videotaped with two high-speed cameras. Horizontal CG velocity at touchdown and vertical CG velocity at toe-off had significantly positive correlations with jumping distance; the decrease in horizontal CG velocity during the takeoff phase was significantly and negatively correlated with jumping distance. Forward rotation of the spring-mass model did not contribute to an increase in vertical CG velocity, although it did contribute to an increase in horizontal CG velocity just before toe-off.
Parasporal Crystal Proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis ly36 Strain Demonstrating Bacteriacidal and Cancer Cell-Killing Activities

The growth of Bacillus subtilis was highly inhibited by crystal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis ly36 strain with or without the treatment of proteinase K. And human hepatoma cell lines SMMC-7721 and Bel-7402 were killed by the proteinase K-treated crystal proteins of B. thuringiensis ly36 strain.