Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sp3 transcription factor is crucial for transcriptional activation of the human NOX4 gene

NOX is the catalytic subunit of NADPH oxidase, the superoxide‐generating enzyme. Among several isoforms of NOX, NOX4 is abundantly expressed in various tissues. To clarify the mechanisms of constitutive and ubiquitous expression of NOX4, the promoter activities of the human NOX4 gene were analyzed by reporter assays. The 5’‐flanking and non‐coding regions of the human NOX4 gene are known to contain multiple GC bases. Among them, three GC‐boxes containing putative Sp/Klf‐binding sites, which were not found in rodent genes, were suggested to be essential for the basal expression of the NOX4 gene in SH‐SY5Y and HEK293 cells. Electrophoresis mobility shift assays demonstrated that Sp1 and Sp3 could bind to GC‐boxes at positions −239/−227 and +69/+81 in these cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed that Sp1 and Sp3 could also bind to GC‐boxes at positions −239/−227 and +69/+81 in vivo. The promoter activity of the NOX4 gene was reduced in SH‐SY5Y and HEK293 cells by transfection of an anti‐Sp3 short hairpin RNA‐expression plasmid. Taken together, these results suggest that Sp3 plays a key role in the expression of NOX4 in various cell lineages in humans.
Screening the banana biodiversity for drought tolerance: can an in vitro growth model and proteomics be used as a tool to discover tolerant varieties and understand homeostasis

There is a great need for research aimed at understanding drought tolerance, screening for drought tolerant varieties and breeding crops with an improved water use efficiency. Bananas and plantains are a major staple food and export product with a worldwide production of over 135 million tonnes per year. Water however is the most limiting abiotic factor in banana production. A screening of the Musa biodiversity has not yet been performed. We at KU Leuven host the Musa International Germplasm collection with over 1200 accessions. To screen the Musa biodiversity for drought tolerant varieties, we developed a screening test for in vitro plants. Five varieties representing different genomic constitutions in banana (AAAh, AAA, AAB, AABp, and ABB) were selected and subjected to a mild osmotic stress. The ABB variety showed the smallest stress induced growth reduction. To get an insight into the acclimation and the accomplishment of homeostasis, the leaf proteome of this variety was characterized via 2D DIGE. After extraction of the leaf proteome of six control and six stressed plants, 2600 spots could be distinguished. A PCA analysis indicates that control and stressed plants can blindly be classified based on their proteome. One hundred and twelve proteins were significantly more abundant in the stressed plants and 18 proteins were significantly more abundant in control plants (FDR α 0.05). Twenty four differential proteins could be identified. The proteome analysis clearly shows that there is a new balance in the stressed plants and that the respiration, metabolism of ROS and several dehydrogenases involved in NAD/NADH homeostasis play an important role.
Nonholonomic kinematics and dynamics of the Sphericle

We consider a complete dynamic model for the "Sphericle", a spherical vehicle that has been designed and realized in our laboratory. The Sphericle is able to roll on the floor of the laboratory and reach arbitrary positions and orientations, through the use of only two motors placed within the rolling sphere. In this paper, we report on the derivation of the kinematic model of the Sphericle, which incorporates two types of nonholonomic constraints and its dynamic model.
Intraoperative phenylephrine infusion decreases the magnitude of redistribution hypothermia.

UNLABELLED Core hypothermia during the first hour after induction of general anesthesia results largely from an internal core-to-peripheral redistribution of body heat. This redistribution results from both central inhibition of tonic thermoregulatory vasoconstriction in the arteriovenous shunt and anesthetic-induced vasodilation. We therefore tested the hypothesis that acute administration of phenylephrine, a pure alpha-adrenergic agonist, reduces the magnitude of anesthetic-induced core-to-peripheral redistribution of body heat. Patients undergoing minor oral surgery were randomly assigned to an infusion of 0.5 microgram.kg-1.min-1 phenylephrine i.v. or no treatment (control). The phenylephrine infusion was started immediately before anesthesia was induced with 2.5 mg/kg propofol i.v. Subsequently, anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane and 60% nitrous oxide in oxygen. Calf minus toe, skin-temperature gradients < 0 degree C were considered indicative of significant arteriovenous shunt vasodilation. Ambient temperature and end-tidal concentrations of maintenance sevoflurane were comparable in each group. Although there were no significant differences in skin-temperature gradients, core temperatures in the untreated patients decreased significantly more (1.2 +/- 0.4 degrees C) than in those given phenylephrine (0.5 +/- 0.2 degree C, P < 0.001). These data suggest that maintaining precapillary vasoconstriction of blood vessels, not in the arteriovenous shunt reduces the magnitude of redistribution hypothermia. IMPLICATIONS Core hypothermia immediately after induction of general anesthesia results largely from core-to-peripheral redistribution of body heat. Core temperature reduction during the first hour of anesthesia decreased less in patients given phenylephrine than in untreated controls. These data suggest that maintaining precapillary vasoconstriction possibly reduces the magnitude of redistribution hypothermia.
The Effect of Copayments for Prescriptions on Adherence to Prescription Medicines in Publicly Insured Populations; A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction Copayments are intended to decrease third party expenditure on pharmaceuticals, particularly those regarded as less essential. However, copayments are associated with decreased use of all medicines. Publicly insured populations encompass some vulnerable patient groups such as older individuals and low income groups, who may be especially susceptible to medication non-adherence when required to pay. Non-adherence has potential consequences of increased morbidity and costs elsewhere in the system. Objective To quantify the risk of non-adherence to prescribed medicines in publicly insured populations exposed to copayments. Methods The population of interest consisted of cohorts who received public health insurance. The intervention was the introduction of, or an increase, in copayment. The outcome was non-adherence to medications, evaluated using objective measures. Eight electronic databases and the grey literature were systematically searched for relevant articles, along with hand searches of references in review articles and the included studies. Studies were quality appraised using modified EPOC and EHPPH checklists. A random effects model was used to generate the meta-analysis in RevMan v5.1. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 test; p>0.1 indicated a lack of heterogeneity. Results Seven out of 41 studies met the inclusion criteria. Five studies contributed more than 1 result to the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis included 199, 996 people overall; 74, 236 people in the copayment group and 125,760 people in the non-copayment group. Average age was 71.75years. In the copayment group, (verses the non-copayment group), the odds ratio for non-adherence was 1.11 (95% CI 1.09–1.14; P = <0.00001). An acceptable level of heterogeneity at I2 = 7%, (p = 0.37) was observed. Conclusion This meta-analysis showed an 11% increased odds of non-adherence to medicines in publicly insured populations where copayments for medicines are necessary. Policy-makers should be wary of potential negative clinical outcomes resulting from non-adherence, and also possible knock-on economic repercussions.
Exorcising Grice's ghost: an empirical approach to studying intentional communication in animals

Language's intentional nature has been highlighted as a crucial feature distinguishing it from other communication systems. Specifically, language is often thought to depend on highly structured intentional action and mutual mindreading by a communicator and recipient. Whilst similar abilities in animals can shed light on the evolution of intentionality, they remain challenging to detect unambiguously. We revisit animal intentional communication and suggest that progress in identifying analogous capacities has been complicated by (i) the assumption that intentional (that is, voluntary) production of communicative acts requires mental‐state attribution, and (ii) variation in approaches investigating communication across sensory modalities. To move forward, we argue that a framework fusing research across modalities and species is required. We structure intentional communication into a series of requirements, each of which can be operationalised, investigated empirically, and must be met for purposive, intentionally communicative acts to be demonstrated. Our unified approach helps elucidate the distribution of animal intentional communication and subsequently serves to clarify what is meant by attributions of intentional communication in animals and humans.
Enhanced Risk of Thromboembolic Disease in Hypertension from Platelet Hyperfunction and Decreased Fibrinolytic Activity: Has Antihypertensive Therapy Any Influence?

Enhanced platelet function and a decrease in fibrinolytic activity have been reported in patients with mild hypertension after treatment with various nonselective β-blockers. Until now, such changes have not been reported during treatment with β1-selective drugs or with agents that have intrinsic sympathomimetic activity. The impact of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and diuretics on platelet function and fibrinolytic activity has not been fully elucidated. Calcium antagonists of various types, however, are known to decrease platelet release in vivo whereas their effects on platelet aggregation and fibrinolytic activity are less clear. The new dihydropy- ridine calcium antagonist isradipine, when tested in a group of patients with mild hypertension, resulted in a decrease in platelet aggregation, a shortened euglobulin clot-lysis time, and a dramatic increase in t-PA (tissue-plasminogen activator) activity after 14 days of treatment. These changes remained stable throughout the 1-year study period. The fact that antihypertensive therapy does not always result in the hoped-for prolongation of life, despite satisfactory blood pressure reduction, may be in part due to an unfavorable impact on various components of the blood-clotting system.
Characterization of optimal resource allocation in cellular networks

Future wireless cellular systems are expected to carry a hybrid traffic including traditional voice transmissions delay-sensitive traffic and high-rate, delay-insensitive data links. In this context there arises the problem of efficient resource allocation, which is optimal with respect to a multiuser QoS (quality of service) functional of interest This problem statement, opening a wide field of research, is motivated by the point of view of the network operator and differs slightly from the well covered problem of traditional power control achieving specified QoS thresholds. We present a theoretic framework for multiuser QoS optimization in cellular networks. In the context of solvability and ease of obtaining solutions, we state conditions for convexity of the feasible QoS region. We show that under certain requirements regarding the QoS dependence on the SINR (signal to interference and noise ratio) the problem of optimizing the weighted sum of QoS parameters has a unique solution over power vectors representable by a set of matrix equations. We prove that the problem of interest can be made convex and hence even easier tractable. Finally, we compare the optimization of the QoS functional with the common approach of providing maxmin fairness. The presented general framework represents the base for the forthcoming work on algorithmic solutions [H. Boche et al.], [S. Stanczak et al.].
An FPGA intellectual property authentication scheme through watermarking techniques

This paper presents an intellectual property (IP) protection authentication scheme for field programmable gate array (FPGA) with embedded watermark. The use of digital watermarks to provide ownership (watermarking) and recipient (fingerprinting) identification for IP has become widespread. However, it could not prevent the unauthorized reuses when a person resells the watermarked FPGA design with signature to others. The authentication process in the proposed scheme is based on creating a watermark by encrypting the unique FPGA board ID with the signature of the original IP creator, which guarantees that a watermarked FPGA design can only be used on an authorized FPGA board. In addition, two feasible implementations of the proposed IP authentication scheme are presented.
Role of Autoantibodies in the Diagnosis of Connective-Tissue Disease ILD (CTD-ILD) and Interstitial Pneumonia with Autoimmune Features (IPAF)

The diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) requires meticulous evaluation for an underlying connective tissue disease (CTD), with major implications for prognosis and management. CTD associated ILD (CTD-ILD) occurs most commonly in the context of an established CTD, but can be the first and/or only manifestation of an occult CTD or occur in patients who have features suggestive of an autoimmune process, but not meeting diagnostic criteria for a defined CTD—recently defined as “interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features” (IPAF). The detection of specific autoantibodies serves a critical role in the diagnosis of CTD-ILD, but there remains a lack of data to guide clinical practice including which autoantibodies should be tested on initial assessment and when or in whom serial testing should be performed. The implications of detecting autoantibodies in patients with IPAF on disease behaviour and management remain unknown. The evaluation of CTD-ILD is challenging due to the heterogeneity of presentations and types of CTD and ILD that may be encountered, and thus it is imperative that immunologic tests are interpreted in conjunction with a detailed rheumatologic history and examination and multidisciplinary collaboration between respiratory physicians, rheumatologists, immunologists, radiologists and pathologists.
A Game Theoretical Framework on Intrusion Detection in Heterogeneous Networks

Due to the dynamic, distributed, and heterogeneous nature of today's networks, intrusion detection systems (IDSs) have become a necessary addition to the security infrastructure and are widely deployed as a complementary line of defense to classical security approaches. In this paper, we address the intrusion detection problem in heterogeneous networks consisting of nodes with different noncorrelated security assets. In our study, two crucial questions are: What are the expected behaviors of rational attackers? What is the optimal strategy of the defenders (IDSs)? We answer the questions by formulating the network intrusion detection as a noncooperative game and performing an in-depth analysis on the Nash equilibrium and the engineering implications behind. Based on our game theoretical analysis, we derive the expected behaviors of rational attackers, the minimum monitor resource requirement, and the optimal strategy of the defenders. We then provide guidelines for IDS design and deployment. We also show how our game theoretical framework can be applied to configure the intrusion detection strategies in realistic scenarios via a case study. Finally, we evaluate the proposed game theoretical framework via simulations. The simulation results show both the correctness of the analytical results and the effectiveness of the proposed guidelines.
Impaired sympathetic vascular regulation in humans after acute dynamic exercise.

1. The reduction in vascular resistance which accompanies acute dynamic exercise does not subside immediately during recovery, resulting in a post‐exercise hypotension. This sustained vasodilatation suggests that sympathetic vascular regulation is altered after exercise. 2. Therefore, we assessed the baroreflex control of sympathetic outflow in response to arterial pressure changes, and transduction of sympathetic activity into vascular resistance during a sympatho‐excitatory stimulus (isometric handgrip exercise) after either exercise (60 min cycling at 60% peak aerobic power (VO2,peak)) or sham treatment (60 min seated rest) in nine healthy subjects. 3. Both muscle sympathetic nerve activity and calf vascular resistance were reduced after exercise (‐29.7 +/‐ 8.8 and ‐25.3 +/‐ 9.1%, both P < 0.05). The baroreflex relation between diastolic pressure and sympathetic outflow was shifted downward after exercise (post‐exercise intercept, 218 +/‐ 38 total integrated activity (heartbeat)‐1; post‐sham intercept, 318 +/‐ 51 total integrated activity (heartbeat)‐1, P < 0.05), indicating less sympathetic outflow across all diastolic pressures. Further, the relation between sympathetic activity and vascular resistance was attenuated after exercise (post‐exercise slope, 0.0031 +/‐ 0.0007 units (total integrated activity)‐1 min; post‐sham slope, 0.0100 +/‐ 0.0033 units (total integrated activity)‐1 min, P < 0.05), indicating less vasoconstriction with any increase in sympathetic activity. 4. Thus, both baroreflex control of sympathetic outflow and the transduction of sympathetic activity into vascular resistance are altered after dynamic exercise. We conclude that the vasodilation which underlies post‐exercise hypotension results from both neural and vascular phenomena.
Oligoclonal protein bands and Ig isotype switching in multiple myeloma treated with high-dose therapy and hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is usually characterized by production of a single serum monoclonal protein of constant isotype and light-chain restriction. Multiple Ig isotypes and isotype switches, which are rare in untreated patients, are reported to be more common in patients undergoing myeloablative therapy. These additional protein bands, detected by immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE), could be due to altered paraprotein production by the malignant plasma cell clone or oligoclonal Ig production during recovery of B-cell function after myeloablative therapy. We analyzed abnormal protein bands (APB), distinct from the presenting paraprotein, in 550 patients receiving high-dose therapy with autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation at a single institution. Fifty-five patients (10%) had APB, 48 had oligoclonal bands (OB), and 23 had an apparent isotype switch (IS) on IFE (16 had both OB and IS). Morphologic and flow cytometric examination of bone marrow in 17 patients with IS showed no evidence of a clonal plasma cell isotype switch. Patients with APB had significantly higher complete response to therapy (67% v 37%, P = .001). To assess the independent prognostic relevance of APB, a multivariate analysis was performed among 471 patients surviving at least 12 months from first transplant (all patients developing APB had done so by 12 months from first transplant). APB (in 50 patients) was a favorable feature for both event-free (rank 3, P = .004) and overall survival (rank 3, P = .0005). We propose that OB and IS are likely to be due to recovery of Ig production rather than alterations in the biology of the malignant plasma cell clone.
Measuring and Summarizing Movement in Microblog Postings

Every day, users publish hundreds of millions of microblog postings in popular social-networking platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. When considered in aggregation, microblog postings have been shown to exhibit temporal patterns that reflect events of global significance. In this paper, we propose techniques to identify and quantify spatial patterns: for instance, a hashtag that is popular in one city on a given day, may become popular in a different city on the next day. Detecting these patterns is challenging given that the data are noisy and posts are not physically moving, i.e., they are not continuous trajectories in space like vehicles. Second, we introduce a multi-granular summarization model to describe the movement of a hashtag between two time periods. For interpretability, we seek representations of spatial changes that follow natural or administrative boundaries on a map, such as cities and states. We compare various movement measures using quantitative approaches and user surveys. We evaluate our movement summarization schemes by analytical loss and coverage functions. Our results show that it is possible to reliably detect relevant spatial changes automatically, and to produce simple summaries that represent accurately these changes.
FOR THE DIRAC COLLABORATION

The DIRAC experiment at CERN aims to measure the lifetime of the pionium atom (A2π), a π + π − bound state with an accuracy of 10%. The experimental setup consists of a high precision magnetic double arm spectrometer, located at the high intensity proton beam of the CERN Proton Synchrotron. This measurement will provide-in a model independent way-the S-wave pion scattering length difference |a0 − a2| with 5% precision.
A preliminary analysis of interactions between sibling training and toy preferences

Siblings of children who have been diagnosed with autism can play important roles in the lives of their brothers or sisters. Previous literature shows that siblings can effectively change behavior and can increase play interactions. Furthermore, the use of preferred materials may enhance social interactions between the siblings. The purpose of this study was to determine, the effects that material preferences and choices have on sibling social bids and cooperative play during a sibling training program. There were two main objectives. The first objective was to evaluate the effects of teaching with the high preference toy of the neuro-typical sibling during sibling training. The second objective was to determine if the training would produce different effects across four different toy conditions. Measures included social bids made by each of the siblings and cooperative play. Results indicate that teaching with the neuro-typical siblings' high preference toy during sibling training can be an effective method to increase social bids and cooperative play. The results of this study are discussed in the contexts of preference and choice selections, physical environments, motor skills, carry over effects, and participations based on gender.
A 25-dBm 1-GHz power amplifier integrated in CMOS 180nm for wireless power transferring

This paper presents the design of a power amplifier integrated in a CMOS 180 nm technology, which is intended to drive an inductive link operating at 990 MHz. A class-D topology is employed to avoid the use of inductors. A design methodology is proposed to find the optimal transistor width, solving the trade-off between the ON-resistance and gate capacitance. The area occupied is 1.5 mm2, most of it is used by the PADs and the wide interconnects. Post-layout simulations showed a power efficiency of 58% when delivering 25.1 dBm to the primary inductor of a wireless power transferring system.