Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Two rhodopsins mediate phototaxis to low- and high-intensity light in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

We demonstrate that two rhodopsins, identified from cDNA sequences, function as low- and high-light-intensity phototaxis receptors in the eukaryotic alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Each of the receptors consists of an ≈300-residue seven-transmembrane helix domain with a retinal-binding pocket homologous to that of archaeal rhodopsins, followed by ≈400 residues of additional membrane-associated portion. The function of the two rhodopsins, Chlamydomonas sensory rhodopsins A and B (CSRA and CSRB), as phototaxis receptors is demonstrated by in vivo analysis of photoreceptor electrical currents and motility responses in transformants with RNA interference (RNAi) directed against each of the rhodopsin genes. The kinetics, fluence dependencies, and action spectra of the photoreceptor currents differ greatly in transformants in accord with the relative amounts of photoreceptor pigments expressed. The data show that CSRA has an absorption maximum near 510 nm and mediates a fast photoreceptor current that saturates at high light intensity. In contrast, CSRB absorbs maximally at 470 nm and generates a slow photoreceptor current saturating at low light intensity. The relative wavelength dependence of CSRA and CSRB activity in producing phototaxis responses matches precisely the wavelength dependence of the CSRA- and CSRB-generated currents, demonstrating that each receptor mediates phototaxis. The saturation of the two photoreceptor currents at different light fluence levels extends the range of light intensity to which the organism can respond. Further, at intensities where both operate, their light signals are integrated at the level of membrane depolarization caused by the two photoreceptor currents.
Radiolucent 4D Ultrasound Imaging: System Design and Application to Radiotherapy Guidance

Four-dimensional (4D) ultrasound (US) is an attractive modality for image guidance due to its real-time, non-ionizing, volumetric imaging capability with high soft tissue contrast. However, existing 4D US imaging systems contain large volumes of metal which interfere with diagnostic and therapeutic ionizing radiation in procedures such as CT imaging and radiation therapy. This study aimed to design and characterize a novel 4D Radiolucent Remotely-Actuated UltraSound Scanning (RRUSS) device that overcomes this limitation. In a phantom, we evaluated the imaging performance of the RRUSS device including frame rate, resolution, spatial integrity, and motion tracking accuracy. To evaluate compatibility with radiation therapy workflow, we evaluated device-induced CT imaging artifacts, US tracking performance during beam delivery, and device compatibility with commercial radiotherapy planning software. The RRUSS device produced 4D volumes at 0.1-3.0 Hz with 60° lateral field of view (FOV), 50° maximum elevational FOV, and 200 mm maximum depth. Imaging resolution (-3 dB point spread width) was 1.2-7.9 mm at depths up to 100 mm and motion tracking accuracy was ≤ 0.3 ± 0.5 mm. No significant effect of the RRUSS device on CT image integrity was found, and RRUSS device performance was not affected by radiotherapy beam exposure. Agreement within ±3.0%/2.0 mm was achieved between computed and measured radiotherapy dose delivered directly through the RRUSS device at 6 MV and 15 MV. In vivo liver, kidney, and prostate images were successfully acquired. Our investigations suggest that a RRUSS device can offer non-interfering 4D guidance for radiation therapy and other diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
Interplay between Na+/Ca2+ Exchangers and Mitochondria in Ca2+ Clearance at the Calyx of Held

The clearance of Ca2+ from nerve terminals is critical for determining the build-up of residual Ca2+ after repetitive presynaptic activity. We found previously that K+-dependent Na+/Ca2+ exchangers (NCKXs) show polarized distributions in axon terminals of supraoptic magnocellular neurons and play a major role in Ca2+ clearance. The role of NCKXs in presynaptic terminals, however, has not been studied. We investigated the contribution of NCKX in conjunction with other Ca2+ clearance mechanisms at the calyx of Held by analyzing the decay of Ca2+ transients evoked by depolarizing pulses. Inhibition of Na+/Ca2+ exchange by replacing external Na+ with Li+ decreased the Ca2+ decay rate by 68%. Selective inhibition of NCKX by replacing internal K+ with TEA+ (tetraethylammonium) or Li+ decreased the Ca2+ decay rate by 42%, and the additional inhibition of the K+-independent form of Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) by reducing external [Na+] caused an additional decrease by 26%. Inhibition of plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase (PMCA) decreased the Ca2+ decay rate by 23%, whereas inhibition of SERCA (smooth endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase) had no effect. The contribution of mitochondria was negligible for small Ca2+ transients but became apparent at [Ca2+]i > 2.5 μm, when Na+/Ca2+ exchange became saturated. Mitochondrial contribution was also observed when the duration of Ca2+ transients was prolonged by inhibiting Na+/Ca2+ exchangers or by increasing Ca2+ buffers. These results suggest that, in response to small Ca2+ transients (<2 μm), Ca2+ loads are cleared from the calyx of Held by NCKX (42%), NCX (26%), and PMCA (23%), and that mitochondria participate when the Ca2+ load is larger or prolonged.
Preparation and characterization of novel sodium alginate/chitosan two ply composite membranes

Sodium alginate/chitosan (SA/CS) two ply composite membranes were prepared by casting and solvent evaporation technique. NaHCO3 was used as a porogen additive to form pores in the interior of the composite membranes and glycerol was introduced as a plasticizer. The water uptake capacity, mechanical strength, oxygen permeation property, and in vitro cytotoxicity were evaluated to test the feasibility to utilize the composite membranes for wound dressing. The average pore size, water uptake capacity, and oxygen permeation property of the composite membranes could be adjusted by the ratio of NaHCO3 in the SA solution. The SA/CS two ply composite membranes showed high water uptake capacity, suitable mechanical strength, excellent oxygen permeability, and good biocompatible. It indicates that the SA/CS two ply composite membranes are suitable for wound dressing application. It provides a simple but promising platform to fabricate wound dressing using natural polymers. (C) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
What Keeps the E-Banking Customer Loyal? A Multigroup Analysis of the Moderating Role of Consumer Characteristics on E-Loyalty in the Financial Service Industry.

At first sight the Internet is the ideal medium for carrying out banking activities due to its cost savings potential and speed of information transmission. From a technological and cost-driven standpoint it may seem quite logical for banks to shift as many banking activities online as possible. At the same time, the question of how to foster customer loyalty arises when the relationship between the bank and the user becomes a virtual one. This paper investigates the importance of antecedents of online loyalty such as trust, quality of the Web site, quality of the service and overall satisfaction. Rather than investigating which factors drive customers to use online banking instead of offline banking, this paper addresses the problem of how to keep customers online and loyal to a specific supplier. A survey among more than 2,000 customers of an Austrian online bank was conducted and a structural equation modeling approach was used to gain important insights into how customer retention in the online banking business can be ensured. Satisfaction and trust were identified as important antecedents of loyalty. Additionally, the moderating role of consumer characteristics (gender, age, involvement, perceived risk and technophobia) was supported by the data.
Superhydrophobic Coatings Prepared by Micro/nano Particles Mixed with Fluorocarbon Resin

In this paper, single and multilayer superhydrophobic composite coatings, based on fluorocarbon resin and micro-tourmaline and nano-TiO2 powers, were prepared by conventional air spray method. The tourmaline and TiO2 particles were modified by fluoroalkylsilane. The wettability and marine corrosion of the coatings surfaces were investigated respectively by contact angle measurement and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) method, and their morphology was examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the water contact angle of coatings was mainly controlled by the mass ratio of the fluorocarbon resin and particles. The contact angle increased with the increase of particle concentration, which reached about 156° when the mass ratio of the particles and fluorocarbon resin was 2:1 for single and multilayer composite coatings, but the impedance valve of the multilayer is higher than that of the single layer.
Toward Optimal Adaptive Wireless Communications in Unknown Environments

Designing efficient channel access schemes for wireless communications without any prior knowledge about the nature of environments has been a very challenging issue, in which the channel state distribution of all spectrum resources could be entirely or partially stochastic or adversarial at different times and locations. In this paper, we propose an online learning algorithm for adaptive channel access of wireless communications in unknown environments based on the theory of multiarmed bandits (MAB) problems. By automatically tuning two control parameters, i.e., learning rate and exploration probability, our algorithms could find the optimal channel access strategies and achieve the almost optimal learning performance over time in different scenarios. The quantitative performance studies indicate the superior throughput gain when compared with previous solutions and the flexibility of our algorithm in practice, which is resilient to both oblivious and adaptive jamming attacks with different intelligence and attacking strength that ranges from no-attack to the full-attack of all spectrum resources. We conduct extensive simulations to validate our theoretical analysis.
Seasonal Variations of C: N: P Stoichiometry and Their Trade-Offs in Different Organs of Suaeda salsa in Coastal Wetland of Yellow River Delta, China

Variations of plant C: N: P stoichiometry could be affected by both some environmental fluctuations and plant physiological processes. However, the trade-off mechanism between them and their influencial factors were not understood completely. In this study, C, N, P contents and their stoichiometry of S. salsa’s plant organs (leaves, stems, and roots), together with their environmental factors including salinity, pH, soil N and soil P, were examined in the intertidal and supratidal habitats of coastal wetlands during the different sampling times (May, July, September, November). The results showed that both plant organ and sampling times affected C, N, and P and stoichiometry of S. salsa in the intertidal and supratidal habitats, however, their influencial conditions and mechanisms were different. In the intertidal habitat, the different slopes of C-P and N-P within interspecific organs suggested that plant P, C:P and N:P of S. salsa were modulated by P concentrations that allocated in the specific organs. However, the slopes of C-N were found to be not significant within interspecific organs, but during the sampling times. These differences of plant N and C:N were related with the physiological demand for N in the specific life history stage. In the supratidal habitat, no significant differences were found in the slopes of C-N, C-P, and N-P within interspecific organs. However, different slopes of C-N among the sampling times also indicated a self-regulation strategy for plant N and C:N of S. salsa in different ontogenetic stages. In contrast to the intertidal habitat, seasonal variations of P, C:P and N:P ratios within interspecific organs reflected the soil P characteristics in the supratidal habitat. Our results showed that the stoichiometric constraint strategy of plant S. salsa in this region was strongly correlated with the local soil nutrient conditions.
Integrated control of cell proliferation and cell death by the c-myc oncogene.

Regulation of multicellular architecture involves a dynamic equilibrium between cell proliferation, differentiation with consequent growth arrest, and cell death. Apoptosis is one particular form of active cell death that is extremely rapid and characterized by auto-destruction of chromatin, cellular blebbing and condensation, and vesicularization of internal components. The c-myc proto-oncogene encodes an essential component of the cell's proliferative machinery and its deregulated expression is implicated in most neoplasms. Intriguingly, c-myc can also act as a potent inducer of apoptosis. Myc-induced apoptosis occurs only in cells deprived of growth factors or forcibly arrested with cytostatic drugs. Myc-induced apoptosis is dependent upon the level at which it is expressed and deletion mapping shows that regions of c-Myc required for apoptosis overlap with regions necessary for co-transformation, autoregulation, inhibition of differentiation, transcriptional activation and sequence-specific DNA binding. Moreover, induction of apoptosis by c-Myc requires association with c-Myc's heterologous partner, Max. All of this strongly implies that c-Myc drives apoptosis through a transcriptional mechanism: presumably by modulation of target genes. Two simple models can be invoked to explain the induction of apoptosis by c-Myc. One holds that death arises from a conflict in growth signals which is generated by the inappropriate or unscheduled expression of c-Myc under conditions that would normally promote growth arrest. In this 'Conflict' model, induction of apoptosis is not a normal function of c-Myc but a pathological manifestation of its deregulation. It thus has significance only for models of carcinogenic progression in which myc genes are invariably disrupted. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Removal of Cesium from Aqueous Solutions Using Crosslinked Amphoteric Starch Prepared by Microwave Treatment

Crosslinked amphoteric starches (CAS) with quaternary ammonium cationic and carboxymethyl anionic groups were prepared by a microwave heating and traditional heating method, respectively . The Structural of the two CAS particles were characterized with powder X-ray diffraction (XRD)and SEM. Sorption capacity of two CAS were investigated for cesium (Cs) in batch equilibrium studies. Kinetic studies showed that the sorption process were rapid and saturation were attained within 40 min. The two different equilibrium sorption isotherm models applied to the experimental data and the model parameters were obtained from these non linear regressions. The studies revealed that CAS prepared using microwave seems to be one of a promising biosorbents for recovery of cesium from liquid nuclear wastes.
Production Planning for Parallel Machine Working System using Makespan Determination

work developed the method used to plan the production for parallel machines, aiming to achieve the maximum working efficiency condition. There are two types of machines, regular and special. The same type of machine might work independently and/or dependently depending on the processes required but for the different type, machine will work dependently. The model based on the determination of machine makespan was applied in order to assign the works providing the maximum daily working time or the minimum idle time of each machine. The constrained conditions were determined, based on the nature of the production of interest. The developed method could establish the efficient plan according to the former study and provide the working efficiency being higher than 90%, comparing to original plan having efficiency only 60-70%.
Study on the Turbulent Injury Principle of Blood in the High-Speed Spiral Blood Pump

The strongly swirling turbulent flow in the internal flow field of a high-speed spiral blood pump(HSBP), is one of important factors leading to the fragmentation of the red blood cell(RBC) and the hemolysis. The study on the turbulent injure principle of blood in the HSBP is carried out by using the theory of waterpower rotated flow field and the hemorheology. The numerical equation of the strongly swirling turbulent flow field is proposed. The largest stable diameter of red blood cells in the turbulent flow field is analyzed. The determinant gist on the red blood cell turbulent fragmentation is obtained. The results indicate that in the HSMP, when turbulent flow is more powerful, shear stress is weaker, the vortex mass with energy in flow field may cause serious turbulent fragmentation because of the diameter which is smaller than the RBC’s. The RBC’s turbulent breakage will occur when the Weber value is larger than 12.
Machine Translation System Combination by Confusion Forest

The state-of-the-art system combination method for machine translation (MT) is based on confusion networks constructed by aligning hypotheses with regard to word similarities. We introduce a novel system combination framework in which hypotheses are encoded as a confusion forest, a packed forest representing alternative trees. The forest is generated using syntactic consensus among parsed hypotheses: First, MT outputs are parsed. Second, a context free grammar is learned by extracting a set of rules that constitute the parse trees. Third, a packed forest is generated starting from the root symbol of the extracted grammar through non-terminal rewriting. The new hypothesis is produced by searching the best derivation in the forest. Experimental results on the WMT10 system combination shared task yield comparable performance to the conventional confusion network based method with smaller space.
Random effect models for repeated measures of zero-inflated count data

For count responses, the situation of excess zeros (relative to what standard models allow) often occurs in biomedical and sociological applications. Modeling repeated measures of zero-inflated count data presents special challenges. This is because in addition to the problem of extra zeros, the correlation between measurements upon the same subject at different occasions needs to be taken into account. This article discusses random effect models for repeated measurements on this type of response variable. A useful model is the hurdle model with random effects, which separately handles the zero observations and the positive counts. In maximum likelihood model fitting, we consider both a normal distribution and a nonparametric approach for the random effects. A special case of the hurdle model can be used to test for zero inflation. Random effects can also be introduced in a zero-inflated Poisson or negative binomial model, but such a model may encounter fitting problems if there is zero deflation at any settings of the explanatory variables. A simple alternative approach adapts the cumulative logit model with random effects, which has a single set of parameters for describing effects. We illustrate the proposed methods with examples.
Leishmania-Mediated Inhibition of Iron Export Promotes Parasite Replication in Macrophages

Leishmania parasites infect macrophages, cells that play an important role in organismal iron homeostasis. By expressing ferroportin, a membrane protein specialized in iron export, macrophages release iron stored intracellularly into the circulation. Iron is essential for the intracellular replication of Leishmania, but how the parasites compete with the iron export function of their host cell is unknown. Here, we show that infection with Leishmania amazonensis inhibits ferroportin expression in macrophages. In a TLR4-dependent manner, infected macrophages upregulated transcription of hepcidin, a peptide hormone that triggers ferroportin degradation. Parasite replication was inhibited in hepcidin-deficient macrophages and in wild type macrophages overexpressing mutant ferroportin that is resistant to hepcidin-induced degradation. Conversely, intracellular growth was enhanced by exogenously added hepcidin, or by expression of dominant-negative ferroportin. Importantly, dominant-negative ferroportin and macrophages from flatiron mice, a mouse model for human type IV hereditary hemochromatosis, restored the infectivity of mutant parasite strains defective in iron acquisition. Thus, inhibition of ferroportin expression is a specific strategy used by L. amazonensis to inhibit iron export and promote their own intracellular growth.
Model-based and model-free approaches for postural control of a compliant humanoid robot using optical flow

Vision is a very rich sensor with a proven critical role in the control of balance. However, it is widely underused for robotics postural control. This paper presents and compares two approaches, one model-based and one model-free, to ensure stability of the COMAN compliant humanoid robot standing on a moving platform. The model-based approach uses inverse kinematics, while the model-free one relies on a neural network as mapping between sensors and actuators. The sensory information is composed of proprioceptive cues (gyroscope) and visual cues, used separately or together. We present methods of using vision as sensory input without relying on a particular object or feature of the scene, but only on the optical flow. The performance of both approaches are compared systematically in a realistic robotics simulator, for different movements of the platform and using different sensory cues. We aim to see if vision can replace proprioceptive sensors or be fused with them to improve the performance of the stabilizing controller. While both model-based and model-free approaches successfully stabilize the robot, the model-free approach shows better overall performance. Preliminary results on the real COMAN robot are shown.
BrainBench: A Brain-Image Test Suite for Distributional Semantic Models

The brain is the locus of our language ability, and so brain images can be used to ground linguistic theories. Here we introduce BrainBench, a lightweight system for testing distributional models of word semantics. We compare the performance of several models, and show that the performance on brain-image tasks differs from the performance on behavioral tasks. We release our benchmark test as part of a web service.
Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) seeds and oil meal

Safflower, false saffron [English]; cártamo, alazor, azafrán bastardo, azafranillo [Spanish]; carthame des teinturiers, safran des teinturiers, safran bâtard [French]; açafrão-bastardo [Portuguese]; saffloer [Dutch]; Färberdistel, saflor [German]; kesumba [Indonesian/Javanese]; cartamo, zafferanone [Italian]; aspir [Turkish]; [Amharic]; رفصع [Arabic]; [Bengali]; 红花 [Chinese]; עירח [Hebrew]; ベニバナ [Japanese]; [Malayalam]; [Marathi]; گنرلگ [Persian]; Сафлор красильный [Russian]; คคําฝอย [Thai]
Using NEM relay to improve 3DIC cost efficiency

This paper investigates the integration of Nanoelectromechanical (NEM) relays on top of TSVs, to reduce area overhead and also enable possible novel architecture design. NEM relay is used in this work to reduce the cost due to the removal of area overhead caused by TSV redundancy logic and the improvement of TSV reliability. Furthermore, novel memory architecture design with NEM relay is proposed to improve the cost efficiency by leveraging the switch made by NEM relay. The general-purpose memory can be reused in different designs, which allows the memory to be massively produced and thus amortizes the NRE cost. The experimental results show that the 3DIC chip can achieve 13.5% cost reduction with NEM relay integration.