Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quality of DNA Extracted from Mouthwashes

Background A cost effective, safe and efficient method of obtaining DNA samples is essential in large scale genetic analyses. Buccal cells are an attractive source of DNA, as their collection is non-invasive and can be carried out by mail. However, little attention has been given to the quality of DNA extracted from mouthwashes. Methodology Mouthwash-derived DNA was extracted from 500 subjects participating in a genetic study of high myopia. DNA quality was investigated using two standard techniques: agarose gel electrophoresis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Principal Findings Whereas the majority of mouthwash-derived DNA samples showed a single band of high molecular weight DNA by gel electrophoresis, 8.9% (95% CI: 7.1–10.7%) of samples contained only a smear of low-to-medium molecular weight, degraded DNA. The odds of DNA degradation in a subject's second mouthwash sample, given degradation of the first, was significantly greater than one (OR = 3.13; 95% CI: 1.22–7.39; Fisher's test P = 0.009), suggesting that DNA degradation was at least partially a subject-specific phenomenon. Approximately 12.4% (95% CI: 10.4–14.4%) of mouthwash-derived DNA failed to PCR amplify efficiently (using an ∼200 bp microsatellite marker). However, we found there was no significant difference in amplification success rate between DNA samples judged to be degraded or non-degraded by gel electrophoresis (Fisher's test P = 0.5). Conclusions This study demonstrated that DNA degradation affects a significant minority of saline mouthwashes, and that the phenomenon is partially subject-specific. Whilst the level of degradation did not significantly prevent successful amplification of short PCR fragments, previous studies suggest that such DNA degradation would compromise more demanding applications.
A Sub-GHz Multi-ISM-Band ZigBee Receiver Using Function-Reuse and Gain-Boosted N-Path Techniques for IoT Applications

To address the cost and universality of ultra-low-power (ULP) radios for Internet of Things (IoT) applications, a sub-GHz multi-ISM-band (433/860/915/960 MHz) ZigBee receiver is developed. It features a gain-boosted N-path switched-capacitor (SC) network embedded into a function-reuse RF front-end, offering concurrent RF (common-mode) and BB (differential-mode) amplification, LO-defined RF filtering, and input impedance matching with zero external components. Interestingly, not only the BB power and area are nullified, but also the loading effect between the RF and BB blocks is averted, resulting in better noise figure (NF). Unlike the existing N-path filtering, the described gain-boosted topology offers: 1) double RF filtering at both input and output of the RF front-end; 2) size reduction of the physical capacitors thanks to the Miller multiplication effect, and 3) LO-power saving by decoupling the mixer's on-resistance to the ultimate stopband rejection. Together with a low-voltage LC-VCO with extensively-distributed negative-gain cells for current-reuse with the BB filters, the receiver achieves 8.1 ± 0.6 dB NF, 50 ± 2 dB gain and -20.5 ± 1.5 dBm out-of-band IIP3 at 1.15 ± 0.05 mW power at 0.5 V over the four ISM bands. The active area is 0.2 mm 2 in 65 nm CMOS.
A delay in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell cycle that is induced by a dicentric chromosome and dependent upon mitotic checkpoints

Dicentric chromosomes are genetically unstable and depress the rate of cell division in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We have characterized the effects of a conditionally dicentric chromosome on the cell division cycle by using microscopy, flow cytometry, and an assay for histone H1 kinase activity. Activating the dicentric chromosome induced a delay in the cell cycle after DNA replication and before anaphase. The delay occurred in the absence of RAD9, a gene required to arrest cell division in response to DNA damage. The rate of dicentric chromosome loss, however, was elevated in the rad9 mutant. A mutation in BUB2, a gene required for arrest of cell division in response to loss of microtubule function, diminished the delay. Both RAD9 and BUB2 appear to be involved in the cellular response to a dicentric chromosome, since the conditionally dicentric rad9 bub2 double mutant was highly inviable. We conclude that a dicentric chromosome results in chromosome breakage and spindle aberrations prior to nuclear division that normally activate mitotic checkpoints, thereby delaying the onset of anaphase.
Optimizing the storage of massive electronic pedigrees in HDFS

Benefiting from trustworthily tracking of the processes in the production, processing, storage, transportation and sale phases, an electronic pedigree system becomes an important technology of the Internet of Things. In an electronic pedigree system, small-sized but huge volume of electronic pedigrees in the XML format will be generated, stored, and retrieved. Unfortunately, study of these massive electronic pedigrees' storage in an electronic pedigree system, which is in the form of small XML files, is rarely concerned. We, therefore, try to leverage Hadoop to solve the storage problem of massive electronic pedigrees, by the optimization of storing and accessing massive small XML files in HDFS. First, all correlated small XML files of the same envelope are merged into a larger file to reduce the metadata occupation at NameNode. Second, a prefetching mechanism and a remerging mechanism are used to improve the efficiency of accessing small XML files. Finally, we implement a prototype to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency comparing with the origin HDFS. The results show that the optimized approach is able to reduce the memory consumption of NameNodes by up to 50%, improve performance of storing by up to 91%, and accelerate accessing by up to 88% in Hadoop.
Children's Understanding of Parental Differential Treatment

This study examined whether established associations between perceptions of parental differential treatment and sibling relationship quality are moderated by children's perceptions and attributions about parental behavior. Sixty-one children, aged 11-13 years, and their siblings were interviewed separately about parental differential treatment. Children did not perceive PDT in two-thirds of the instances they reported about, and 75% of the children who acknowledged that differential treatment was occurring in their homes did not find this to be "unfair. " Children justified differential parental behaviors by identifying ways that they and their sibling differ from one another, that is, in terms of differences in their age, personal attributes, needs, relationship with parents, or strategic behaviors. Children who perceived their parents' differential behavior to be justified generally experienced more positive appraisals about their sibling relationship. Results reinforce the importance of examining how children construct their experiences in their families.
Translating unknown cross-lingual queries in digital libraries using a Web-based approach

Users' cross-lingual queries to a digital library system might be short and not included in a common translation dictionary (unknown terms). In this paper, we investigate the feasibility of exploiting the Web as the corpus source to translate unknown query terms for cross-language information retrieval (CLIR) in digital libraries. We propose a Web-based term translation approach to determine effective translations for unknown query terms by mining bilingual search-result pages obtained from a real Web search engine. This approach can enhance the construction of a domain-specific bilingual lexicon and benefit CLIR services in a digital library that only has monolingual document collections. Very promising results have been obtained in generating effective translation equivalents for many unknown terms, including proper nouns, technical terms and Web query terms.
Local Field Potentials: Myths and Misunderstandings

The intracerebral local field potential (LFP) is a measure of brain activity that reflects the highly dynamic flow of information across neural networks. This is a composite signal that receives contributions from multiple neural sources, yet interpreting its nature and significance may be hindered by several confounding factors and technical limitations. By and large, the main factor defining the amplitude of LFPs is the geometry of the current sources, over and above the degree of synchronization or the properties of the media. As such, similar levels of activity may result in potentials that differ in several orders of magnitude in different populations. The geometry of these sources has been experimentally inaccessible until intracerebral high density recordings enabled the co-activating sources to be revealed. Without this information, it has proven difficult to interpret a century's worth of recordings that used temporal cues alone, such as event or spike related potentials and frequency bands. Meanwhile, a collection of biophysically ill-founded concepts have been considered legitimate, which can now be corrected in the light of recent advances. The relationship of LFPs to their sources is often counterintuitive. For instance, most LFP activity is not local but remote, it may be larger further from rather than close to the source, the polarity does not define its excitatory or inhibitory nature, and the amplitude may increase when source's activity is reduced. As technological developments foster the use of LFPs, the time is now ripe to raise awareness of the need to take into account spatial aspects of these signals and of the errors derived from neglecting to do so.
Evaluation of Eight Preservation Solutions for Endothelial in situ Preservation

Background. Non–heart-beating donors (NHBDs) have the potential to reduce the increasing numbers of patients on kidney and liver graft waiting lists. One problem observed with kidneys obtained from NHBDs is the endothelial injury seen on protocol core biopsies after implantation. We postulate that this is caused by a combination of warm ischemia, cold ischemia, and hypertonic citrate during in situ preservation (ISP) rather than hypothermic machine preservation. Our aim was to optimize ISP methods to preserve endothelial structure and function. Methods. An animal model of ISP was used to compare the ability of eight different preservation solutions to protect mammalian vascular tissue exposed to a combination of warm and cold ischemia. Smooth muscle contractile function and endothelial dependent relaxation (nitric oxide production) were determined using an organ bath method. Results. Bretchneider’s HTK solution preserved the ability of endothelial tissue to relax vascular tissue in response to acetylcholine (91% relaxation vs. 17% saline control; ANOVA, P<0.001); in stark contrast, Marshall’s solution performed no better than saline (15% relaxation vs. 17% saline control, P=NS). UW solution (80%) and a derivative lacking the starch colloid (70%) were comparable with HTK. Belzer-MPS (55%), Celsior (57%), and Perfadex (44%) showed a roughly equivalent level of endothelial preservation. Electron microscopy confirmed an anatomical loss of structure correlating with loss of function. Conclusions. ISP requires a large volume of fluid to be pumped at high flow rates. In this model, HTK retained a powerful ability to preserve endothelial structure and function during warm ischemia.
Representation, symbolization, and affect regulation in the concomitant treatment of a mother and child: Attachment theory and child psychotherapy

AS EVIDENCED BY THE PRESENT ISSUE, the decades' old standoff between psychoanalysis and attachment theory has in recent years slowly begun to give way to mutually enriching dialogue between psychoanalysts and attachment researchers (Slade and Aber, 1992; Diamond and Blatt, 1994; Osofsky, 1995; Fonagy and Target, 1998; Slade, 1999). This is manifest, on the one hand, in psychoanalysts' increasing interest in the relevance of attachment theory to developmental theory and clinical process and, on the other, in attachment researchers' increasing attention to psychopathology, diagnosis, and developmental deviation. Although there are many ways to understand the softening of the impasse that for so long impeded integration of these two perspectives, there can be little
A síndrome de burnout e os valores organizacionais: um estudo comparativo em hospitais universitários

The present study analyzes the relationship between the organizational values and the levels of the burnout syndrome in three universitarian hospitals. It was developed with the sample of 205 health professionals, though to an application of structured questionnaires. The data were submitted quantitative analysis (for example, analysis of frequency distributions, analyses of variance and regression analyses). The results show a convergence among scores of ideal values for organizations and divergences among the scores of real values and the differences from ideal and real values. The participants differ in the advance of the burnout syndrome process for organizations. The results evidences the mediation role of the organizations in the relationship between organizational values and the burnout syndrome, so that the axiological poles effectively related to the referred syndrome depend to the general configuration of its organizational culture of each one and of the conflicts that are inherent to it.
Multiple splicing variants of cdc25B regulate G2/M progression.

Progression through G2 phase into mitosis is regulated by the activation of the mitotic cyclin/cdk complexes, which are in turn activated cdc25B and cdc25C phosphatases. Here we report that alternate splicing produces at least five variants of cdc25B, although only cdc25B2 and cdc25B3 are detectable as proteins. Analysis of these two variants shows that cdc25B2 is expressed at lower levels relative to cdc25B3 in all cell lines tested, and the expression of both increased markedly during G2 and mitosis. Overexpression of the catalytically inactive version of either cdc25B variant produced a G2 arrest implicating both in regulating G2/M progression.
Modelling and control of a biomimetic autonomous underwater vehicle

This paper presents the mathematical modelling of a biomimetic underwater vehicle with the propulsion system based on fish-like undulation motion. The model has been developed based on conventional underwater vehicle concepts to determine the performance of this robotic fish. Maneuverability is an important aspect in designing this system. The maneuvering approach that has been employed in this study is to change the vehicle heading by altering the tail centreline. A PID based controller is used to act as steering system which controls the tail's deflection angle. Finally a line of sight autopilot provides a position based outer loop around the PID controller in order to navigate autonomously through a course of predefined waypoints. The performance of each of these systems is analysed and discussed.
eIF4B, eIF4G and RNA regulate eIF4A activity in translation initiation by modulating the eIF4A conformational cycle

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4A is a DEAD-box helicase that resolves secondary structure elements in the 5'-UTR of mRNAs during ribosome scanning. Its RNA-stimulated ATPase and ATP-dependent helicase activities are enhanced by other translation initiation factors, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. DEAD-box proteins alternate between open and closed conformations during RNA unwinding. The transition to the closed conformation is linked to duplex destabilization. eIF4A is a special DEAD-box protein that can adopt three different conformations, an open state in the absence of ligands, a half-open state stabilized by the translation initiation factor eIF4G and a closed state in the presence of eIF4G and eIF4B. We show here that eIF4A alone does not measurably sample the closed conformation. The translation initiation factors eIF4B and eIF4G accelerate the eIF4A conformational cycle. eIF4G increases the rate of closing more than the opening rate, and eIF4B selectively increases the closing rate. Strikingly, the rate constants and the effect of eIF4B are different for different RNAs, and are related to the presence of single-stranded regions. Modulating the kinetics of the eIF4A conformational cycle is thus central for the multi-layered regulation of its activity, and for its role as a regulatory hub in translation initiation.
Infection of orthopedic implants with emphasis on bacterial adhesion process and techniques used in studying bacterial-material interactions

Staphylococcus comprises up to two-thirds of all pathogens in orthopedic implant infections and they are the principal causative agents of two major types of infection affecting bone: septic arthritis and osteomyelitis, which involve the inflammatory destruction of joint and bone. Bacterial adhesion is the first and most important step in implant infection. It is a complex process influenced by environmental factors, bacterial properties, material surface properties and by the presence of serum or tissue proteins. Properties of the substrate, such as chemical composition of the material, surface charge, hydrophobicity, surface roughness and the presence of specific proteins at the surface, are all thought to be important in the initial cell attachment process. The biofilm mode of growth of infecting bacteria on an implant surface protects the organisms from the host immune system and antibiotic therapy. The research for novel therapeutic strategies is incited by the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This work will provide an overview of the mechanisms and factors involved in bacterial adhesion, the techniques that are currently being used studying bacterial-material interactions as well as provide insight into future directions in the field.
A new model for credit approval problems: A quantum-inspired neuro-evolutionary algorithm with binary-real representation

This paper presents a new model for neuro-evolutionary systems. It is a new quantum-inspired evolutionary algorithm with binary-real representation (QIEA-BR) for evolution of a neural network. The proposed model is an extension of the QIEA-R developed for numerical optimization. The Quantum-Inspired Neuro-Evolutionary Computation model (QINEA-BR) is able to completely configure a feed-forward neural network in terms of selecting the relevant input variables, number of neurons in the hidden layer and all existent synaptic weights. QINEA-BR is evaluated in a benchmark problem of financial credit evaluation. The results obtained demonstrate the effectiveness of this new model in comparison with other machine learning and statistical models, providing good accuracy in separating good from bad customers.
Navigation strategy training using virtual reality in six chronic stroke patients: A novel and explorative approach to the rehabilitation of navigation impairment

Recent studies have shown that navigation impairment is a common complaint after brain injury. Effective training programmes aiming to improve navigation ability in neurological patients are, however, scarce. The few reported programmes are merely focused on recalling specific routes rather than encouraging brain-damaged patients to use an alternative navigation strategy, applicable to any route. Our aim was therefore to investigate the feasibility of a (virtual reality) navigation training as a tool to instruct chronic stroke patients to adopt an alternative navigation strategy. Navigation ability was systematically assessed before the training. The training approach was then determined based on the individual pattern of navigation deficits of each patient. The use of virtual reality in the navigation strategy training in six middle-aged stroke patients was found to be highly feasible. Furthermore, five patients learned to (partially) apply an alternative navigation strategy in the virtual environment, suggesting that navigation strategies are mouldable rather than static. In the evaluation of their training experiences, the patients judged the training as valuable and proposed some suggestions for further improvement. The notion that the navigation strategy people use can be influenced after a short training procedure is a novel finding and initiates a direction for future studies.
Lymphokine enhances the expression and synthesis of Ia antigens on cultured mouse peritoneal macrophages

Soluble products from antigen stimulated Trypanosoma cruzi-immune spleen cells enhanced the expression of Ia antigens on proteose-peptone- elicited mouse peritoneal macrophages (M phi). Acquisition of Ia paralleled M phi activation, previously shown to be mediated by this same source of lymphokine (LK). Expression of Ia and four other plasma membrane antigens was monitored by quantitative binding and radioautographic studies with 125I-monoclonal antibodies. Immune LK selectively enhanced expression of Ia and, to a lesser extent, H-2D relative to control LK from antigen-stimulated noninfected spleen. The levels of three other non-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens, including the trypsin-resistant Fc receptor, were similar in cells exposed to both sources of LK. As little as 1% immune LK induced one-half maximal expression of Ia. Kinetic studies revealed that much of the Ia on freshly explanted peritoneal M phi was lost during the 1st d of culture. In the continued presence of immune LK, Ia was re- expressed on virtually all M phi by the 2nd and 3rd d. Alternatively, > 95% Ia negative populations were obtained by culturing the cells 3 d; then, addition of LK induced Ia on most cells within 1 d. Once induced, Ia persisted on the M phi surface for at least 2 d. [35S]methionine radiolabeling indicated that immune LK selectively increased radiolabeling of M phi Ia, again with other non-MHC-linked plasma membrane polypeptides as controls. LK-induced Ia-bearing M phi were tested as primary mixed leukocyte reaction stimulators. 1 x 10(5)-2 x 10(5) M phi did not stimulate 4.5 x 10(6) responding T cells, whereas 10(4) dendritic cells induced strong responses, as previously described. Because Ia-positive M phi do not actively sensitize T cells in a model immune response, we propose that M phi MHC products serve primarily as recognition sites for previously sensitized T cells, thereby enhancing T cell-mediated M phi activation.
CDK inhibitors in clinical development for the treatment of cancer

Cyclin-dependent protein kinases (CDKs) are key regulators of the cell division cycle, whose various checkpoints proliferating cells must traverse. Since CDK deregulation, either through direct or indirect means, is found in most cancer cells, pharmacological CDK inhibition has become an attractive strategy towards mechanism-based and non-genotoxic therapies in oncology. Over the last decade, discovery and lead optimisation efforts have provided a wealth of potential drug candidate molecules capable of inhibiting CDKs, blocking cell-cycle progression, modulating transcription and inducing apoptosis selectively in cancer cells. However, only few such agents have as yet reached clinical evaluation. Here, the preclinical and clinical results obtained so far with flavopiridol (L868275, HMR1275; Aventis), 7-hydroxystaurosporine (UCN-01, KW-2401; Kyowa Hakko Kogyo) and roscovitine (R-roscovitine, CYC202; Cyclacel) are summarised. Furthermore, the potential for monotherapy and applications in combination with existing drugs are discussed.