Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serial pyrosequencing for quantitative DNA methylation analysis.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Epigenotyping has become increasingly prevalent as a result of the accumulating evidence linking aberrant DNA methylation with human disease. Specifically, methylation of CpG islands, which are present in the promoters and first exons of many genes, appears to be an early step in tumorigenesis. There are a plethora of techniques for standard genotyping; the same is true for epigenotyping methods. That said, one popular strategy is pyrosequencing of bisulfite-treated DNA. The well-established bisulfite strategy results in the conversion of cytosine, but not methylated cytosine, to uracil via deamination by bisulfite under acidic conditions. Pyrosequencing excels at direct quantitative sequencing, so its application to bisulfite-treated DNA can yield robust measurements of methylation. However, pyrosequencing is limited by sequence read length. As a result, only a few CpGs can be assessed in any one pyrosequencing reaction. This drawback can be expensive; more importantly, if the samp.
A Unity Power Factor Bridgeless Isolated Cuk Converter-Fed Brushless DC Motor Drive

This paper presents a power factor correction (PFC)-based bridgeless isolated Cuk converter-fed brushless dc (BLDC) motor drive. A variable dc link voltage of the voltage source inverter (VSI) feeding the BLDC motor is used for its speed control. This allows the operation of VSI in fundamental frequency switching to achieve an electronic commutation of the BLDC motor for reduced switching losses. A bridgeless configuration of an isolated Cuk converter is derived for the elimination of the front-end diode bridge rectifier to reduce conduction losses in it. The proposed PFC-based bridgeless isolated Cuk converter is designed to operate in discontinuous inductor current mode to achieve an inherent PFC at the ac mains. The proposed drive is controlled using a single voltage sensor to develop a cost-effective solution. The proposed drive is implemented to achieve a unity power factor at the ac mains for a wide range of speed control and supply voltages. An improved power quality is achieved at ac mains with power quality indices within the limits of the IEC 61000-3-2 standard.
Narendra Modi’s makeover and the politics of symbolism

ABSTRACT Prime Minister Narendra Modi has metamorphosed from one of the most divisive figures in Indian politics to one seemingly above partisan politics. The makeover of Modi began during the run-up to the 2014 national election when he avoided the language of Hindutva and mostly focused on development. After becoming prime minister, Modi has consistently worked towards maintaining the image that he assiduously cultivated during the election campaign. The paper analyses the impact of what might be called the politics of ‘symbolism’, both during the 2014 election campaign and Modi’s tenure as prime minister.
mTOR·RICTOR Is the Ser473 Kinase for Akt/Protein Kinase B in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes*

The insulin-signaling pathway leading to the activation of Akt/protein kinase B has been well characterized except for a single step, the phosphorylation of Akt at Ser-473. Double-stranded DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene product, integrin-linked kinase (ILK), protein kinase Cα (PKCα), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), when complexed to rapamycin-insensitive companion of mTOR (RICTOR), have all been identified as playing a critical role in Akt Ser-473 phosphorylation. However, the apparently disparate results reported in these studies are difficult to evaluate, given that different stimuli and cell types were examined and that all of the candidate proteins have never been systematically studied in a single system. Additionally, none of these studies were performed in a classical insulin-responsive cell type or tissue such as muscle or fat. We therefore examined each of these candidates in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In vitro kinase assays, using different subcellular fractions of 3T3-L1 adipocytes, revealed that phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate-stimulated Ser-473 phosphorylation correlated well with the amount of DNA-PK, mTOR, and RICTOR but did not correlate with levels of ATM, ILK, and PKCα. PKCα was completely absent from compartments with Ser-473 phosphorylation activity. Although purified DNA-PK could phosphorylate a peptide derived from Akt that contains amino acid Ser-473, it could not phosphorylate full-length Akt2. Vesicles immunoprecipitated from low density microsomes using antibodies directed against mTOR or RICTOR had phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate-stimulated Ser-473 activity that was sensitive to wortmannin but not staurosporine. In contrast, immunopurified low density microsome vesicles containing ILK could not phosphorylate Akt on Ser-473 in vitro. Small interference RNA knockdown of RICTOR, but not DNA-PK, ATM, or ILK, suppressed insulin-activated Ser-473 phosphorylation and, to a lesser extent, Thr-308 phosphorylation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Based on our cell-free kinase and small interference RNA results, we conclude that mTOR complexed to RICTOR is the Ser-473 kinase in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
Architectures for Agreement

With increasing greenhouse gas emissions, we are embarked on an unprecedented experiment with an uncertain outcome for the future of the planet. The Kyoto Protocol serves as an initial step through 2012 to mitigate the threats posed by global climate change. A second step is needed, and policy-makers, scholars, business people, and environmentalists have begun debating the structure of the successor to the Kyoto agreement. Written by a team of leading scholars in economics, law, and international relations, this book contributes to this debate by examining the merits of six alternative international architectures for global climate policy. Architectures for Agreement offers the reader a uniquely wide-ranging menu of options for post-Kyoto climate policy, with a concern throughout to learn from past experience in order to maximize opportunities for future success in the real, 'second-best' world. It will be an essential reference for scholars, policy-makers, and students interested in climate policy.
Apparatus for transmitting electrical energy

With a consumer and / or energy storage device, from the or the mobile moving body 3 moving on or roadway or rail is stopped, apparatus for inducing transmitting electrical energy, the roadway 1 comprising a floor derivative 5 which is attached, this floor derivative with a number of first induction coil 4 connected to the arranged and power along the roadway 1 or rail, the first induction coil towards the mobile 3 It has a magnetic conductive iron core 6 to generate a magnetic field oriented in. Inductive wheel 8 attached to the movable body 3 is magnetically conductive core 10 and the second induction coil 9 fixed with a magnetically conductive wheel disc 11 facing towards the linked roadway 1 or rails on both sides of the core , and a 12. To ensure low reluctance loss between and induction coil 4, 9 for contacting the road 1, the magnetic conductivity of the tire 13 is attached to the wheel disc by an elastic which is rotated by the movement of the object 3, the tire flat in the pressed state, to reliably bridge the gap remaining between the roadway and wheel disc. This device is advantageously used in conjunction with an electric vehicle in order to comfortably and quickly recharge the battery during or in parked cars.
Polarizing Cues

People categorize themselves and others, creating ingroup and outgroup distinctions. In American politics, parties constitute the inand outgroups, and party leaders hold sway in articulating party positions. A party leader’s endorsement of a policy can be persuasive, inducing co-partisans to take the same position. In contrast, a party leader’s endorsement may polarize opinion, inducing out-party identifiers to take a contrary position. Using survey experiments from the 2008 presidential election, I examine whether inand out-party candidate cues—John McCain and Barack Obama—affected partisan opinion. The results indicate that in-party leader cues do not persuade but that out-party leader cues polarize. This finding holds in an experiment featuring President Bush in which his endorsement did not persuade Republicans but it polarized Democrats. Lastly, I compare the effect of party leader cues to party label cues. The results suggest that politicians, not parties, function as polarizing cues.
On the conceptual foundations of financial reporting

Standard setters advocate a balance sheet approach to financial reporting, which views assets and liabilities as primary, and income as just the derivative change in net assets. This paper argues that income is conceptually and practically better described as ‘adjusted net cash flows,’ where the adjustments are the accounting accruals. One proof of that is seen in the existence of whole accounting systems like tax accounting and national income accounting, which emphasize the determination of income but have no balance sheets. The paper also argues that an income-based approach to financial reporting is by nature better suited to reflect the success of advancing cash to earn more cash, which defines what for-profit entities do. There are two main features of the income-based approach. One is attention on the cash flows as the natural foundation for financial reporting because they are precisely determined, and provide a clear link to firm valuation. The other is attention on the accounting accruals, which serve to adjust the raw cash flows to better show the current success of investing cash to ultimately earn more cash. Specifically, the paper argues for revenue recognition which is close to current practice, and for expense recognition which is aligned with the matching principle.
DNA Repair Pathway Gene Expression Score Correlates with Repair Proficiency and Tumor Sensitivity to Chemotherapy

Measuring DNA repair pathway choice determines the sensitivity of cancers to individual classes of treatment. Navigating Tumor Therapy with an RPS For cancer patients, DNA damage is a double-edged sword. Mutations can contribute to carcinogenesis, but the cancer cell can’t survive with too much DNA damage. Indeed, many cancer therapies aim at increasing DNA damage, but selecting the correct therapies for individual patients can be hit-or-miss. Pitroda et al. proposed that mechanisms of double-strand DNA break repair could correlate with cancer prognosis and could guide choices in cancer therapy. The authors devised a recombination proficiency score (RPS) based on the expression levels for four genes involved in DNA repair pathway preference. They then validated the RPS in patients with either breast or non–small cell lung cancer. Tumors with low RPS—suppressed homologous recombination (HR)—were associated with greater mutagenesis and decreased likelihood of patient survival. This prognosis could be counteracted with platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy—patients with suppressed HR were more sensitive to this treatment. These data suggest that RPS can help determine treatment course for cancer patients. Mutagenesis is a hallmark of malignancy, and many oncologic treatments function by generating additional DNA damage. Therefore, DNA damage repair is centrally important in both carcinogenesis and cancer treatment. Homologous recombination (HR) and nonhomologous end joining are alternative pathways of double-strand DNA break repair. We developed a method to quantify the efficiency of DNA repair pathways in the context of cancer therapy. The recombination proficiency score (RPS) is based on the expression levels for four genes involved in DNA repair pathway preference (Rif1, PARI, RAD51, and Ku80), such that high expression of these genes yields a low RPS. Carcinoma cells with low RPS exhibit HR suppression and frequent DNA copy number alterations, which are characteristic of error-prone repair processes that arise in HR-deficient backgrounds. The RPS system was clinically validated in patients with breast or non–small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs). Tumors with low RPS were associated with greater mutagenesis, adverse clinical features, and inferior patient survival rates, suggesting that HR suppression contributes to the genomic instability that fuels malignant progression. This adverse prognosis associated with low RPS was diminished if NSCLC patients received adjuvant chemotherapy, suggesting that HR suppression and associated sensitivity to platinum-based drugs counteract the adverse prognosis associated with low RPS. Therefore, RPS may help oncologists select which therapies will be effective for individual patients, thereby enabling more personalized care.
TWENTY YEARS OF DEMOCRACY: SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME REVISITED

The aim of this paper is to provide a reflective analysis, twenty years after democracy, of social assistance grants in accomplishing their primary objective of closing the poverty gap and inequality. Literature reviewed show that in the absence of any other safety net, access to social grants reduces destitution for many poor people and their households. However, various indicators confirm that even though poverty appears to have declined in the recent past, there are still millions of poor people who are exceedingly vulnerable and at risk. Unemployment levels have been fluctuating, but the trend has been upwards. Also, other researchers have argued that social grants are running the risk of being perceived as state hand-outs with over 16 million recipients benefiting. This paper therefore informs the policy makers of the expectations after 20 years of democracy and the reality 20 years after democracy.
Trade Unions and Workers in the Periphery: Forging New Forms of Solidarity?

Neoliberal globalization has resulted in the erosion of work in the core of the formal economy and the subsequent exponential rise of the informal economy in many developing countries. This is associated with a fragmented and heterogeneous workforce. This has challenged workers’ collective solidarity. This article draws cases from Zimbabwe and South Africa to explore how trade unions have made attempts to forge new forms of solidarity with workers in the informal economy. It examines how trade unions have responded to the proliferation of the informal economy. The results highlight trade unions’ ambivalent position toward informal economy workers. The trade unions passed resolutions and adopted strategies to organize workers in the formal economy. However, many of these strategies ignore the voices of the workers in the informal economy and are not designed to adapt to but to transform the informal economy. Hence, they have not been successful. However, there is potential in the conceptualization of new forms of solidarity between trade unions and workers in the informal economy, but this conceptualization demands the organizational and structural transformation of trade unions.
Trends towards Bio-Inspired Security Countermeasures for Cloud Environments

Security challenges in cloud environments remain largely catastrophic due to the nature of the cloud; complex, heterogeneous, widely accessible over the internet, and virtualised resource sharing. Static and boundary-based conventional security approaches are clearly not effective as the sole countermeasures. Instead, countermeasures need to be intelligent with a high degree of autonomous, self-managing and self-organised, and highly adaptive to cope with dynamism of the cloud, and an emerging and sophisticated threat domain. Though not extensively used in cloud security countermeasures, nature is abounding with complex patterns emanating from interactions among autonomous agents. Its continuous coordination and information sharing enables self-organisation, whereby changes in forms of order occur without a central point of control. Nature's multifaceted superiority enables biological systems to adapt and survive through awareness, adaptation, learning and evolution. The concepts described nature's inherently multifunctional capabilities such as robustness, sophistication, and adaptability. This paper identifies common trends towards bio-inspired approaches for cloud security challenges. Its surveys the use of bio-inspired approaches in computing; cloud and non-cloud, and evaluates their strengths and weaknesses.
Non-invasive brain stimulation to assess and modulate neuroplasticity in Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative and progressive disease related to a gradual decline in cognitive functions such as memory, attention, perceptual-spatial abilities, language, and executive functions. Recent evidence has suggested that interventions promoting neural plasticity can induce significant cognitive gains especially in subjects at risk of or with mild AD. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are non-invasive techniques that can induce significant and long-lasting changes in focal and non-focal neuroplasticity. In this review, we present initial preliminary evidence that TMS and tDCS can enhance performance in cognitive functions typically impaired in AD. Also, we reviewed the initial six studies on AD that presented early findings showing cognitive gains such as in recognition memory and language associated with TMS and tDCS treatment. In addition, we showed that TMS has also been used to assess neuroplasticity changes in AD supporting the notion that cortical excitability is changed in AD due to the neurodegenerative process. Due to the safe profile, cost of these tools, and initial clinical trials results, further studies are warranted in order to replicate and extend the initial findings of rTMS and tDCS as cognitive enhancers in AD. Further trials should explore different targets of stimulation along with different paradigms of stimulation including combination with behavioural interventions.
4‐T 7Li 3D MR spectroscopy imaging in the brains of bipolar disorder subjects

This work demonstrates the first whole brain “high spatial resolution” 7Li MR spectroscopy imaging in bipolar disorder subjects. The in vivo quantification is validated by a phantom containing 5 mM lithium salt using the identical radiofrequency sequence and imaging protocol. This study is the first demonstration of the 7Li distribution in the brain of bipolar disorder patients on lithium therapy using a 3D MR spectroscopy imaging approach. The results show that brain lithium level is strongly correlated with serum lithium concentration. The brain‐to‐serum lithium ratios for the average brain and the local maximum were 0.39 ± 0.08 (r = 0.93) and 0.92 ± 0.16 (r = 0.90), respectively. The lithium distribution is found to be nonuniform throughout the brain for all patients, which is somewhat unexpected and highly intriguing. This uneven distribution is more evident in subjects at a higher therapeutic serum lithium level. This finding may suggest that lithium targets specific brain tissues and/or certain enzymatic and macromolecular sites that are associated with therapeutic effect. Further investigations of bipolar disorder patients on lithium therapy using 3D 7Li MR spectroscopy imaging are warranted. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
HIV Transmission Risk Behavior Among Men and Women Living With HIV in 4 Cities in the United States

Summary:Determining rates of HIV transmission risk behavior among HIV-positive individuals is a public health priority, especially as infected persons live longer because of improved medical treatments. Few studies have assessed the potential for transmission to the partners of HIV-positive persons who engage in high-risk activities. A total of 3723 HIV-infected persons (1918 men who have sex with men [MSM], 978 women, and 827 heterosexual men) were interviewed in clinics and community-based agencies in Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York City, and San Francisco from June 2000 to January 2002 regarding sexual and drug use behaviors that confer risk for transmitting HIV. Less than one quarter of women and heterosexual men had 2 or more sexual partners, whereas 59% of MSM reported having multiple partners. Most unprotected vaginal and anal sexual activity took place in the context of relationships with other HIV-positive individuals. Approximately 19% of women, 15.6% of MSM, and 13.1% of heterosexual men engaged in unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse with partners who were HIV-negative or whose serostatus was unknown. The majority of sexually active participants disclosed their serostatus to all partners with whom they engaged in unprotected intercourse. An estimated 30.4 new infections (79.7% as a result of sexual interactions with MSM) would be expected among the sex partners of study participants during the 3-month reporting period. Eighteen percent of 304 participants who injected drugs in the past 3 months reported lending their used injection equipment to others. In addition to the more traditional approaches of HIV test counseling and of focusing on persons not infected, intensive prevention programs for persons with HIV infection are needed to stem the future spread of the virus.
5‐Lipoxygenase regulates malignant mesothelial cell survival: involvement of vascular endothelial growth factor

Evidence indicates that lipoxygenases (LO) may play a role in cancer cell survival. We show that human malignant pleural mesothelial (MM) cells, but not normal mesothelial (NM) cells, express a catalytically active 5‐LO. Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of MM cell 5‐LO determined nucleosome formation and induced a DNA fragmentation pattern typical of apoptosis. This was completely reversed by exogenously added 5(S)‐HETE but not by 12(S)‐, 15(S)‐HETE, or leukotriene (LT)B4. A 5‐LO antisense oligo‐nucleotide potently and time‐dependently reduced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA and constitutive VEGF accumulation in the conditioned media of MM cells. When NM cells were transfected with a 5‐LO cDNA, basal and arachidonic acid‐induced VEGF formation increased consistently by 6‐ and 12‐fold, respectively. This was associated with a significant increase in DNA synthesis that was counteracted by a specific anti‐VEGF antibody. Arachidonic acid and 5(S)‐HETE also potently stimulated the activity of a VEGF promoter construct. Thus, 5‐LO is a key regulator of MM cell proliferation and survival via a VEGF‐related circuit. —Romano, M. , Catalano, A. , Nutini, M. , D'Urbano, E. , Crescenzi, C. , Claria, J., Libner, R. , Davi, G. , Procopio, A. 5‐Lipoxygenase regulates malignant mesothelial cell survival: involvement of vascular endothelial growth factor. FASEB J. 15, 2326–2336 (2001)