Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interactive proofs and approximation: reductions from two provers in one round

The author presents hard to approximate problems in the following areas: systems of representatives, network flow, and longest paths in graphs. In each case he shows that there exists some delta >0 such that polynomial time approximation to within a factor of 2/sup log delta n/ of the optimal implies that NP has quasi polynomial time deterministic simulations. The results are derived by reduction from two prover, one round proof systems, and exemplify the ability of such reductions to yield hardness of approximations results for many different kinds of problems. <<ETX>>
Performance Analysis of Round Trip Delay Time in Practical Wireless Network for Telemanagement

— In this paper we focus on the Round Trip Delay (RTD) time measurement technique which is an easy way to obtain the operating condition information in wireless network (WN). RTD measurement is affected by various parameters of wireless network. We illustrate how these RTD parameters vary (in a telemanagement application) versus distance, baud rates, number of hops, between nodes, using radio modem & router unit as a means of transmission and wireless routing.
Isolation and characterization of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria from wheat rhizosphere and their effect on plant growth promotion

The present study was conducted to characterize the native plant growth promoting (PGP) bacteria from wheat rhizosphere and root-endosphere in the Himalayan region of Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan. Nine bacterial isolates were purified, screened in vitro for PGP characteristics and evaluated for their beneficial effects on the early growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Among nine bacterial isolates, seven were able to produce indole-3- acetic acid in tryptophan-supplemented medium; seven were nitrogen fixer, and four were able to solubilize inorganic phosphate in vitro. Four different morphotypes were genotypically identified based on IGS-RFLP fingerprinting and representative of each morphotype was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis except Gram-positive putative Bacillus sp. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, bacterial isolates AJK-3 and AJK-9 showing multiple PGP-traits were identified as Stenotrophomonas spp. while AJK-7 showed equal homologies to Acetobacter pasteurianus and Stenotrophomonas specie. Plant inoculation studies indicated that these Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains provided a significant increase in shoot and root length, and shoot and root biomass. A significant increase in shoot N contents (up to 76%) and root N contents (up to 32%) was observed over the un-inoculated control. The study indicates the potential of these PGPR for inoculums production or biofertilizers for enhancing growth and nutrient content of wheat and other crops under field conditions. The study is the first report of wheat associated bacterial diversity in the Himalayan region of Rawalakot, AJK.
Meeting the Need for ETL Documentation: A Model-driven Framework for Customizable Documentation Generation

Within Business Intelligence systems (BI systems), ETL (extract, transform and load) processes move numerous data from heterogeneous sources to a data warehouse and become more complex with growing enterprise size. To keep costs and expenditure of time for maintenance and evolution of those systems slight, ETL processes should be documented. A welldocumented system also leads to higher transparency regarding the origin and processing of data, which increases the system’s acceptance by business users. However, the preparation of high-quality software documentation is sophisticated and therefore it usually only takes place in the design or development phase of BI systems. To ensure that the documentation is always updated, an automatic generation is advantageous. The paper at hand presents a conceptual framework for automated configurable ETL documentation generation. The presented framework creates benefits for BI systems developers as well as business users.
Ictal lack of binding to brain parenchyma suggests integrity of the blood–brain barrier for 11 C-dihydroergotamine during glyceryl trinitrate-induced migraine

See Dreier (doi: 10.1093/aww112 ) for a scientific commentary on this article. Breakdown of the blood–brain barrier has long been postulated to occur in migraine. Schankin et al. explore this possibility using PET with [ 11 C]-dihydroergotamine. The radioligand does not bind to the brain parenchyma at rest or during migraine attacks, suggesting that the blood–brain barrier remains intact during attacks.
Identification of eQTLs for Hepatic Xbp1s and Socs3 Gene Expression in Mice Fed a High-Fat, High-Caloric Diet

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a highly prevalent form of human hepatic disease and feeding mice a high-fat, high-caloric (HFHC) diet is a standard model of NAFLD. To better understand the genetic basis of NAFLD, we conducted an expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analysis of mice fed a HFHC diet. Two-hundred sixty-five (A/J × C57BL/6J) F2 male mice were fed a HFHC diet for 8 wk. eQTL analysis was utilized to identify genomic regions that regulate hepatic gene expression of Xbp1s and Socs3. We identified two overlapping loci for Xbp1s and Socs3 on Chr 1 (164.0–185.4 Mb and 174.4–190.5 Mb, respectively) and Chr 11 (41.1–73.1 Mb and 44.0–68.6 Mb, respectively), and an additional locus for Socs3 on Chr 12 (109.9–117.4 Mb). C57BL/6J-Chr 11A/J/ NaJ mice fed a HFHC diet manifested the A/J phenotype of increased Xbp1s and Socs3 gene expression (P < 0.05), whereas C57BL/6J-Chr 1A/J/ NaJ mice retained the C57BL/6J phenotype. In addition, we replicated the eQTLs on Chr 1 and Chr 12 (LOD scores ≥3.5) using mice from the BXD murine reference panel challenged with CCl4 to induce chronic liver injury and fibrosis. We have identified overlapping eQTLs for Xbp1 and Socs3 on Chr 1 and Chr 11, and consomic mice confirmed that replacing the C57BL/6J Chr 11 with the A/J Chr 11 resulted in an A/J phenotype for Xbp1 and Socs3 gene expression. Identification of the genes for these eQTLs will lead to a better understanding of the genetic factors responsible for NAFLD and potentially other hepatic diseases.
Mother's Labor Supply in Fragile Families: The Role of Child Health

A growing body of research indicates that low socioeconomic status in early childhood sets the stage for increasing disadvantages in both health and educational capital over the child's life course and can cause low socioeconomic status to persist for generations. The study estimated the effects of poor child health on the labor supply of mothers with one-year-old children using a national longitudinal data set that oversampled unmarried parents in the post welfare reform era. It was found that having a child in poor health reduces the mother's probability of working by eight percentage points and her hours of work by three per week when she is employed. Another important finding is that the father having children with another partner increases the mothers' labor supply, even after controlling for the focal child's health status and numerous other covariates.
Optical Tweezers: Autonomous Robots for the Manipulation of Biological Cells

Optical tweezers (OTs) are a popular tool for manipulating biological objects, especially cells [1], [2]. Using a tightly focused laser beam, they exert sufficient forces to tweeze, i.e., hold (trap) and move, freely diffusing cells in the vicinity of the beam focus. The beam can be focused at any point in the workspace, which is typically a liquid-filled glass slide. The trapped cell can, thus, be translated and rotated (transported) in three dimensions by changing the beam focus position. OTs provide certain advantages over other cell-manipulation techniques. They are able to manipulate cells with a greater degree of precision as compared with microfluidic flow. Significant contact forces are not exerted on the cells, unlike in mechanical manipulation, thereby avoiding damages due to contact friction or surface chemistry. The cells are also easily released at the end of the manipulation by simply switching off the laser beam. Hence, OTs have been extensively used for mechanical characterization of cells by measuring their viscoelastic properties to distinguish between normal and diseased cells [3]. They have also been used for separating cells of different types [4] and investigating the response of cells to external stimuli [5]. However, manual or teleoperated control of the laser beam has limited their applicability for multicellular studies.
Resveratrol induces growth inhibition, S-phase arrest, apoptosis, and changes in biomarker expression in several human cancer cell lines.

PURPOSE We examined the effects of the phytochemical resveratrol in six human cancer cell lines (MCF7, SW480, HCE7, Seg-1, Bic-1, and HL60). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND RESULTS Resveratrol induced marked growth inhibition in five of these cell lines, with IC(50) values of approximately 70-150 microM. However, only partial growth inhibition was seen in Bic-1 cells. After treatment with 300 microM resveratrol for 24 h, most of the cell lines were arrested in the S phase of the cell cycle. In addition, induction of apoptosis was demonstrated by the appearance of a sub-G(1) peak and confirmed using an annexin V-based assay. Cyclin B1 expression levels were decreased in all cell lines after 48 h of treatment. In SW480 cells, cyclin A, cyclin B1, and beta-catenin expression levels were decreased within 24 h. There was a decrease in cyclin D1 expression after only 2 h of treatment, and this persisted for up to 48 h. This decrease was partially blocked by concurrent treatment with the proteasome inhibitor calpain inhibitor I. Using a luciferase-based reporter assay, resveratrol did not inhibit cyclin D1 promoter activity in SW480 cells. Furthermore, using a reverse transcription-PCR-based assay, only a higher dose of resveratrol (300 microM) appeared to decrease cyclin D1 mRNA. Seg-1 cells expressed basal levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (cox-2), which was further induced by resveratrol. Neither basal levels nor induction of cox-2 was detectable in the remaining cell lines. Thus, cox-2 does not appear to be a critical target of this compound. CONCLUSIONS These studies provide support for the use of resveratrol in chemoprevention and cancer therapy trials. Cyclin D1, cyclin B1, beta-catenin, and apoptotic index could be useful biomarkers to evaluate treatment efficacy.
Genotoxicity Studies Performed in the Ecuadorian Population

Genotoxicity studies in Ecuador have been carried out during the past two decades. The focuses of the research were mainly the area of environmental issues, where the populations have been accidentally exposed to contaminants and the area of occupational exposure of individuals at the workplace. This paper includes studies carried out in the population of the Amazon region, a zone known for its rich biodiversity as well as for the ecological damage caused by oil spills and chemical sprayings whose consequences continue to be controversial. Additionally, we show the results of studies comprised of individuals occupationally exposed to toxic agents in two very different settings: flower plantation workers exposed to pesticide mixtures and X-ray exposure of hospital workers. The results from these studies confirm that genotoxicity studies can help evaluate current conditions and prevent further damage in the populations exposed to contaminants. As such, they are evidence of the need for biomonitoring employers at risk, stricter law enforcement regarding the use of pesticides, and increasingly conscientious oil extraction activities.
Characterization and Heterologous Expression of the Genes Encoding Enterocin A Production, Immunity, and Regulation inEnterococcus faecium DPC1146

ABSTRACT Enterocin A is a small, heat-stable, antilisterial bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus faecium DPC1146. The sequence of a 10,879-bp chromosomal region containing at least 12 open reading frames (ORFs), 7 of which are predicted to play a role in enterocin biosynthesis, is presented. The genes entA,entI, and entF encode the enterocin A prepeptide, the putative immunity protein, and the induction factor prepeptide, respectively. The deduced proteins EntK and EntR resemble the histidine kinase and response regulator proteins of two-component signal transducing systems of the AgrC-AgrA type. The predicted proteins EntT and EntD are homologous to ABC (ATP-binding cassette) transporters and accessory factors, respectively, of several other bacteriocin systems and to proteins implicated in the signal-sequence-independent export of Escherichia colihemolysin A. Immediately downstream of the entT andentD genes are two ORFs, the product of one of which, ORF4, is very similar to the product of the yteI gene ofBacillus subtilis and to E. coli protease IV, a signal peptide peptidase known to be involved in outer membrane lipoprotein export. Another potential bacteriocin is encoded in the opposite direction to the other genes in the enterocin cluster. This putative bacteriocin-like peptide is similar to LafX, one of the components of the lactacin F complex. A deletion which included one of two direct repeats upstream of the entA gene abolished enterocin A activity, immunity, and ability to induce bacteriocin production. Transposon insertion upstream of the entF gene also had the same effect, but this mutant could be complemented by exogenously supplied induction factor. The putative EntI peptide was shown to be involved in the immunity to enterocin A. Cloning of a 10.5-kb amplicon comprising all predicted ORFs and regulatory regions resulted in heterologous production of enterocin A and induction factor in Enterococcus faecalis, while a four-gene construct (entAITD) under the control of a constitutive promoter resulted in heterologous enterocin A production in both E. faecalis and Lactococcus lactis.
HIV-1 drug resistance: can we overcome?

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) targeting the viral reverse transcriptase and protease enzymes has advanced the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Nucleoside and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and protease inhibitors used in combination can suppress viral replication thereby delaying disease progression. Emergence of HIV-1 mutated strains, resistant to one or more antiretroviral inhibitors or drug classes, remains one of the leading causes of treatment failure among patients living with HIV/AIDS. While advances in genotypic and phenotypic testing allow for drug resistance guided therapeutic management, the increasing prevalence of multi-drug resistance and an absence of new drug classes forewarn new problems in sustaining the effectiveness of HAART. One promising hope for continued benefit of antiretroviral therapy despite emergent resistance is the observed reduction in replicative ability or ‘fitness’ of multimutated viruses. This review discusses the development and influence of known drug mutations on drug susceptibility versus viral fitness.
A Kind of Low-cost Non-intrusive Autonomous Fault Emulation System

SRAM-Filed Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) have become one of the most important carriers of digital electronic system because of its many inborn advantages. However, as manufacture of Integrated Circuit evolves towards Very Deep Sub-Micron technology, FPGA designers must be careful of circuit’s Single Event Upset (SEU) susceptibility when used in hostile environment, such as avionics and space applications where reliability is vital. We proposed a SEU-fault emulation platform to evaluate circuit’s SEU mitigation performance. The platform does not need any external circuit or micro controller to manage fault emulation process compared with existing approach. Source codes of Circuit Under Test (CUT) do not need to be modified or intruded with any component. It is a non-intrusive testing. Communication between host-computer and emulation board is minimized to accelerate fault injection speed. Experimental result shows that a single fault injecting (including Multi-Bits-Upset) only costs 29us. A circuit state reloading technology is exploited to increase emulation efficiency. Moreover, in the field of evolvable hardware, genetic operations can be reconfigured and its fitness can be evaluated on-line using the proposed fast dynamic reconfiguration method, which is useful for implementing self-repair and self-evolutionary hardware.
Unsteady-state contact angle on interface between polymer melt and TiO2

The unsteady-state contact angle on the interface between the polymer melt and TiO2 was determined. The drop in the contact angle with time can be modeled as an exponential decay in terms of two critical indices, the retardation time τ and the contact angle in equilibrium state A ∞. Molten polystyrene (PS) has the smallest equilibrium angle A ∞, followed by polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), which has the greatest angle. Experimental results also indicate that a drop in the viscosity of the melt reduces A ∞ and increases τ. HIPS, modifying PS with polybutadiene particles yields a high contact angle A ∞ and a low τ value. A plastogram for PS and HIPS with the same TiO2 loading (25 wt%) shows a marked torque deviation between PS and HIPS (7.1 Nm vs. 8.5 Nm), suggesting that a higher A ∞ corresponds to a higher torque in the polymer compounding process.
Time-Sensitive Bandit Learning and Satisficing Thompson Sampling

The literature on bandit learning and regret analysis has focused on contexts where the goal is to converge on an optimal action in a manner that limits exploration costs. One shortcoming imposed by this orientation is that it does not treat time preference in a coherent manner. Time preference plays an important role when the optimal action is costly to learn relative to near-optimal actions. This limitation has not only restricted the relevance of theoretical results but has also influenced the design of algorithms. Indeed, popular approaches such as Thompson sampling and UCB can fare poorly in such situations. In this paper, we consider discounted rather than cumulative regret, where a discount factor encodes time preference. We propose satisficing Thompson sampling -- a variation of Thompson sampling -- and establish a strong discounted regret bound for this new algorithm.
Escherichia coli dnaT gene function is required for pBR322 plasmid replication but not for R1 plasmid replication

Plasmid pBR322 was unable to replicate in a temperature-sensitive dnaT1 strain at a nonpermissive temperature, whereas a pBR322-derived plasmid carrying the wild-type dnaT+ gene was able to replicate under the same conditions. In contrast to pBR322, plasmid R1 could replicate in the dnaT1 strain at a nonpermissive temperature. In keeping with this finding, in vitro replication of plasmid R1 did not require DnaT protein.
Features of growth and galvanomagnetic properties of the Bi2Te3-based epitaxial films

Galvanomagnetic properties of the thermoelectric Bi2-xSbxTe3 (x=1.5) films grown by hat wall technique were studied in the wide (5-14 T) range of the magnetic field through the temperature interval 77-300 κ The results were analyzed in the terms of the many-valley model of energy spectrum with isotropic carrier scattering. An anisotropy of the constant-energy surface becomes weaker along the binary and bisector axes (m1/m2) in a view of turn on the tilt angle (Θ) between the principal axes of the constant-energy ellipsoids and the crystallographic axes for the film in comparison with bulk Bi2-xSbxTe3. Features of temperature dependence of the degeneracy parameter (βd) for the films can be explained by additional charge carrier scattering at block boundaries. In the model with anisotropic scattering mechanism, carrier scattering along bisector directions are primary in the films. Obtained data on anisotropy of the constant-energy surface and scattering mechanism looks important for formation of the thermoelectric Bi2-xSbxTe3 film heterostructures with enhanced figure of merit.Galvanomagnetic properties of the thermoelectric Bi2-xSbxTe3 (x=1.5) films grown by hat wall technique were studied in the wide (5-14 T) range of the magnetic field through the temperature interval 77-300 κ The results were analyzed in the terms of the many-valley model of energy spectrum with isotropic carrier scattering. An anisotropy of the constant-energy surface becomes weaker along the binary and bisector axes (m1/m2) in a view of turn on the tilt angle (Θ) between the principal axes of the constant-energy ellipsoids and the crystallographic axes for the film in comparison with bulk Bi2-xSbxTe3. Features of temperature dependence of the degeneracy parameter (βd) for the films can be explained by additional charge carrier scattering at block boundaries. In the model with anisotropic scattering mechanism, carrier scattering along bisector directions are primary in the films. Obtained data on anisotropy of the constant-energy surface and scattering mechanism looks important for formation of the thermoe.
Smoking During Pregnancy and the Risk for Hyperkinetic Disorder in Offspring

Objective. Maternal smoking during pregnancy may increase the risk for behavioral disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between smoking during pregnancy and hyperkinetic and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in the offspring in a large population-based study. Methods. This study was designed as a nested case-control study. Data were obtained from Danish longitudinal registers and included 170 children with hyperkinetic disorder and 3765 population-based control subjects, who were matched by age, gender, and date of birth. Potential confounders, including newborn characteristics, socioeconomic status, and family history of psychiatric illnesses, were evaluated by conditional logistic regression analyses. Results. Women who smoked during pregnancy had a 3-fold increased risk for having offspring with hyperkinetic disorder compared with nonsmokers. Socioeconomic factors and history of mental disorder in the parents or siblings seemed to confound the result to some extent (adjusted relative risk: 1.9; 95% confidence interval: 1.3–2.8). Adjustment for parental age or exclusion of children with low birth weight (<2500 g), preterm delivery (<37 weeks completed gestation), and Apgar scores <7 at 5 minutes revealed no changes in the results. Also, excluding children with conduct disorders or comorbid disorders revealed no change in the results. Conclusions. Our results showed an increased risk for hyperkinetic disorder in children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy. This could not be explained by newborn characteristics, parental socioeconomic status, family history of psychiatric hospitalizations or contact as outpatients, conduct disorders, or comorbidity.