Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A flexible brace maintains the assembly of a hexameric replicative helicase during DNA unwinding

The mechanism of DNA translocation by papillomavirus E1 and polyomavirus LTag hexameric helicases involves consecutive remodelling of subunit–subunit interactions around the hexameric ring. Our biochemical analysis of E1 helicase demonstrates that a 26-residue C-terminal segment is critical for maintaining the hexameric assembly. As this segment was not resolved in previous crystallographic analysis of E1 and LTag hexameric helicases, we determined the solution structure of the intact hexameric E1 helicase by Small Angle X-ray Scattering. We find that the C-terminal segment is flexible and occupies a cleft between adjacent subunits in the ring. Electrostatic potential calculations indicate that the negatively charged C-terminus can bridge the positive electrostatic potentials of adjacent subunits. Our observations support a model in which the C-terminal peptide serves as a flexible ‘brace’ maintaining the oligomeric state during conformational changes associated with ATP hydrolysis. We argue that these interactions impart processivity to DNA unwinding. Sequence and disorder analysis suggest that this mechanism of hexamer stabilization would be conserved among papillomavirus E1 and polyomavirus LTag hexameric helicases.
A malarial cysteine protease is necessary for Plasmodium sporozoite egress from oocysts

The Plasmodium life cycle is a sequence of alternating invasive and replicative stages within the vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. How malarial parasites exit their host cells after completion of reproduction remains largely unsolved. Inhibitor studies indicated a role of Plasmodium cysteine proteases in merozoite release from host erythrocytes. To validate a vital function of malarial cysteine proteases in active parasite egress, we searched for target genes that can be analyzed functionally by reverse genetics. Herein, we describe a complete arrest of Plasmodium sporozoite egress from Anopheles midgut oocysts by targeted disruption of a stage-specific cysteine protease. Our findings show that sporozoites exit oocysts by parasite-dependent proteolysis rather than by passive oocyst rupture resulting from parasite growth. We provide genetic proof that malarial cysteine proteases are necessary for egress of invasive stages from their intracellular compartment and propose that similar cysteine protease–dependent mechanisms occur during egress from liver-stage and blood-stage schizonts.
Wishful Thinking - Finding suggestions and ’buy’ wishes from product reviews

This paper describes methods aimed at solving the novel problem of automatically discovering 'wishes' from (English) documents such as reviews or customer surveys. These wishes are sentences in which authors make suggestions (especially for improvements) about a product or service or show intentions to purchase a product or service. Such 'wishes' are of great use to product managers and sales personnel, and supplement the area of sentiment analysis by providing insights into the minds of consumers. We describe rules that can help detect these 'wishes' from text. We evaluate these methods on texts from the electronic and banking industries.
Brain Cancer Stem Cells: Current Status on Glioblastoma Multiforme

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), an aggressive brain tumor of astrocytic/neural stem cell origin, represents one of the most incurable cancers. GBM tumors are highly heterogeneous. However, most tumors contain a subpopulation of cells that display neural stem cell characteristics in vitro and that can generate a new brain tumor upon transplantation in mice. Hence, previously identified molecular pathways regulating neural stem cell biology were found to represent the cornerstone of GBM stem cell self-renewal mechanism. GBM tumors are also notorious for their resistance to radiation therapy. Notably, GBM “cancer stem cells” were also found to be responsible for this radioresistance. Herein, we will analyze the data supporting or not the cancer stem cell model in GBM, overview the current knowledge regarding GBM stem cell self-renewal and radioresistance molecular mechanisms, and discuss the potential therapeutic application of these findings.
ConoDictor: a tool for prediction of conopeptide superfamilies

ConoDictor is a tool that enables fast and accurate classification of conopeptides into superfamilies based on their amino acid sequence. ConoDictor combines predictions from two complementary approaches—profile hidden Markov models and generalized profiles. Results appear in a browser as tables that can be downloaded in various formats. This application is particularly valuable in view of the exponentially increasing number of conopeptides that are being identified. ConoDictor was written in Perl using the common gateway interface module with a php submission page. Sequence matching is performed with hmmsearch from HMMER 3 and ps_scan. pl from the pftools 2.3 package. ConoDictor is freely accessible at http://conco.ebc. ee.
An Overview of Four Futures Methodologies

The aim of futures research is to "help inform perceptions, alternatives and choices about the future" (Amara 1991:646). It assists us to understand alternatives or preferences for the future, probable developments and to articulate and work towards a desired future (Bell 1993). The origin of modern futures research can be found stretching back to the 1950's and 60's. Although in the West it was first associated with the military industrial complex, the benefit of such research was soon realized and the tools spread quickly to the private and government sector. We now have a whole genre of research methodologies which assist us to plan for the future.
Quantitation and Characterization of Thyrotropin‐Releasing Hormone in Vagal Nuclei and Other Regions of the Medulla Oblongata of the Rat

Abstract: Since evidence is now available to support a nonendocrine autonomic function for thyrotropin‐releasing hormone (TRH), quantitative measurements of TRH were made in nuclei of the vagal complex and other areas of the caudal medulla oblongata of the rat. Regions containing the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMN), nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), hypoglossal nucleus, dorsal column nuclei, descending nucleus V (DNV), nucleus ambiguus (NA), raphe nuclei (MR) dorsomedial and ventromedial reticular formation, and inferior olivary nuclei were isolated from 300‐μm‐thick frozen sections of medulla by the micropunch technique. Each region was pooled bilaterally, homogenized in 0.1 M HCl, and vacuum‐dried. Extracts were assayed for TRH by specific radioimmunoassay (RIA). TRH levels varied 100‐fold among medulla nuclei. Highest content (ng/mg protein ± SEM) was found in DMN (14 ± 1.38) and NTS (4.7 ± 0.68), whereas lowest levels occurred in the DNV and MR (0.13, 0.06). Nearly 65% of the total medullary TRH was localized in nuclei associated with vagal complex (DMN, NTS, NA). Characterization of tissue immunoreactivity (TRHi) in these regions suggests the presence of TRH, since (1) medullary tissue extracts competed with 125I‐TRH for antibody binding sites with the same affinity as authentic TRH; (2) TRHi in tissue extracts co‐migrated with synthetic TRH when subjected to reverse‐phase high performance liquid chromatography and Sephadex G‐10 chromatography; and (3) rat serum TRH peptidases degraded TRHi and authentic TRH at similar rates. Another group of rats was subjected to unilateral (right side) vagotomy. At 33 weeks post‐vagotomy, the vagal preganglionic cell population in the ipsilateral DMN was depleted 50–75%, while the contralateral side was unaffected. Interestingly, the content of TRH in the ipsilateral (right) DMN remained unchanged, whereas TRH in the contralateral DMN increased by 50%. In contrast, TRH was significantly elevated in the NA on the ipsilateral side of the lesion. TRH in both ipsi‐ and contralateral NTS was unchanged when compared with sham‐operated controls. These results indicate that (1) TRH is present in several specific loci of the medulla; (2) very high levels are found in the vagal complex; and (3) vagotomy may alter TRH in the contralateral DMN and ipsilateral NA.
Reconfigurability-power trade-offs in turbo decoder design and implementation

Reconfiguration between decoding algorithms, employed in the 3rd generation mobile communication standards such as the UMTS, CDMA2000 is an added advantage, which facilitates the selection of the appropriate algorithm in any circumstance. The Log-MAP and SOVA algorithms are the two main algorithms employed in the turbo codes, which are featured in the 3G mobile radio standards. In this paper, the authors examine the reconfiguration between a low power Log-AP decoder and a SOVA decoder, and elaborate the advantages over a conventional Log-MAP decoder, in terms of low power/area consumption and the flexibility offered to a turbo decoder.
The determinants of growth and form.

An animal can only achieve its full genetic potential if it has lived its life in an ideal environment. Few environments are ideal; they may be unfavourable for numerous reasons and for different lengths of time. Indeed, variations on these themes are almost infinitely possible, but concrete examples will be selected and their effects on the lives of animals and of man demonstrated. Time comes into all this, but its importance and the difference between chronological and biological time have not been properly appreciated. The interactions of time and the environment on the growth of animals and of their organs are complex, but recent work on malnutrition and growth has given us some insight into the matter. Theories that have been formulated are discussed, but none of those yet put forward explain all the facts that can be demonstrated experimentally, and studies that might provide clues have been neglected.
State-space embedding as a visualization method for mixed partial discharge activities

It has been known for a while now that partial discharge patterns can be described in terms state-space trajectories that are reconstructed from sequences of measured PD-related quantities such as PD magnitude, phase angle or voltage difference between pulses. The trajectories form geometrical patterns that can be related to the type of PD source for single-source signals. In this article, we show that distinct patterns of mixed PD sources are discernible in state-space trajectories. This observation indicates a new possible direction in the approach to solving the problem of PD source separation.
Plane-based calibration algorithm for multi-camera systems via factorization of homography matrices

A new calibration algorithm for multicamera systems using a planar reference pattern is proposed. The algorithm is an extension of Sturm-Maybank-Zhang style plane-based calibration technique for use with multiple cameras. Rigid displacements between the cameras are recovered as well as the intrinsic parameters only by capturing with the cameras a model plane with known reference points placed at three or more locations. Thus the algorithm yields a simple calibration means for stereo vision systems with an arbitrary number of cameras while maintaining the handiness and flexibility of the original method. The algorithm is based on factorization of homography matrices between the model and image planes into the camera and plane parameters. To compensate for the indetermination of scaling factors, each homography matrix is rescaled by a double eigenvalue of a planar homology defined by two views and two model planes. The obtained parameters are finally refined by a nonlinear maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) process. The validity of the proposed technique was verified through simulation and experiments with real data.
A computationally efficient estimator for mutual information

Mutual information quantifies the determinism that exists in a relationship between random variables, and thus plays an important role in exploratory data analysis. We investigate a class of non-parametric estimators for mutual information, based on the nearest neighbour structure of observations in both the joint and marginal spaces. Unless both marginal spaces are one-dimensional, we demonstrate that a well-known estimator of this type can be computationally expensive under certain conditions, and propose a computationally efficient alternative that has a time complexity of order (N log N) as the number of observations N→∞.
The relationship among beginning and advanced American Sign Language students and credentialed interpreters across two domains of visual imagery: Vividness and manipulation

Given the visual-gestural nature of ASL it is reasonable to assume that visualization abilities may be one predictor of aptitude for learning ASL. This study tested a hypothesis that visualization abilities are a foundational aptitude for learning a signed language and that measurements of these skills will increase as students progress from beginning ASL students to advanced language learners and, ultimately to credentialed interpreters. Participants in this study consisted of 90 beginning and 66 advanced ASL students in five interpreter education programs in four southern states along with 68 credentialed interpreters. Students and interpreters were administered the Vividness of Visual Imagery (WIQ) self-report questionnaire and the objective Mental Rotations Test, Version A (MRTA). All ASL students and their instructors were asked to rate students' sign language competency on the Sign Communication Proficiency Interview Rating Scale. All participants completed demographic questions regarding their age, gender, ethnicity, parental hearing status, number of years using ASL, number of years working with deaf professionals who use ASL, and their interpreting credential(s). Students and their instructors rated students' sign communication proficiency similarly. Beginning ASL students were rated significantly lower than the advanced ASL students by both instructors' rating and students' self-rating. No significant relationships were reported: a) among beginning and advanced students and credentialed interpreters with respect to either the W I Q or the MRT-A, and b) among the students' W I Q and MRT-A scores and instructors' ratings on the SCPI. There was suggestive evidence of an increase in mean W I Q scores from beginning ASL students to advanced ASL students to credentialed interpreters, but not to the level of significance. When advanced ASL students and lower level state credentialed interpreters were removed from analyses, a significant difference in visual vividness was reported. Nationally certified interpreters scored significantly higher than beginning ASL students on the VVIQ, but not the MRT-A. This dissertation is approved for Recommendation to the Graduate Council Dissertation Director:
Wireless network of autonomous environmental sensors

A wireless network based on macro-scale sensor modules (originally 45/spl times/35/spl times/30 mm/sup 3/, currently 14/spl times/14/spl times/18 mm/sup 3/ with integrated coplanar antenna) has been demonstrated. The modules can extract their energy from the environment (e.g., by solar cells), and detect various environmental parameters. The network can be configured as a multi-hop "web" of sensors which builds itself automatically according to configurable optimization parameters, or as a "star" topology, where each sensor module transmits information directly to the base station. Average power consumption for each complete module is approximately 100 /spl mu/W. This ability for drastic miniaturization and the simultaneous addition of power autonomy while maintaining modularity and reusability contrast to existing work where wireless environmental sensor systems are at least one order of magnitude larger in volume or consisted of application-specific systems-on-a-chip.
Safety culture perceptions of pharmacists in Malaysian hospitals and health clinics: a multicentre assessment using the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire

Objective To assess the safety attitudes of pharmacists, provide a profile of their domains of safety attitude and correlate their attitudes with self-reported rates of medication errors. Design A cross-sectional study utilising the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ). Setting 3 public hospitals and 27 health clinics. Participants 117 pharmacists. Main outcome measure(s) Safety culture mean scores, variation in scores across working units and between hospitals versus health clinics, predictors of safety culture, and medication errors and their correlation. Results Response rate was 83.6% (117 valid questionnaires returned). Stress recognition (73.0±20.4) and working condition (54.8±17.4) received the highest and lowest mean scores, respectively. Pharmacists exhibited positive attitudes towards: stress recognition (58.1%), job satisfaction (46.2%), teamwork climate (38.5%), safety climate (33.3%), perception of management (29.9%) and working condition (15.4%). With the exception of stress recognition, those who worked in health clinics scored higher than those in hospitals (p<0.05) and higher scores (overall score as well as score for each domain except for stress recognition) correlated negatively with reported number of medication errors. Conversely, those working in hospital (versus health clinic) were 8.9 times more likely (p<0.01) to report a medication error (OR 8.9, CI 3.08 to 25.7). As stress recognition increased, the number of medication errors reported increased (p=0.023). Years of work experience (p=0.017) influenced the number of medication errors reported. For every additional year of work experience, pharmacists were 0.87 times less likely to report a medication error (OR 0.87, CI 0.78 to 0.98). Conclusions A minority (20.5%) of the pharmacists working in hospitals and health clinics was in agreement with the overall SAQ questions and scales. Pharmacists in outpatient and ambulatory units and those in health clinics had better perceptions of safety culture. As perceptions improved, the number of medication errors reported decreased. Group-specific interventions that target specific domains are necessary to improve the safety culture.
Accelerated homologous recombination and subsequent genome modification in Drosophila

Gene targeting by ‘ends-out’ homologous recombination enables the deletion of genomic sequences and concurrent introduction of exogenous DNA with base-pair precision without sequence constraint. In Drosophila, this powerful technique has remained laborious and hence seldom implemented. We describe a targeting vector and protocols that achieve this at high frequency and with very few false positives in Drosophila, either with a two-generation crossing scheme or by direct injection in embryos. The frequency of injection-mediated gene targeting can be further increased with CRISPR-induced double-strand breaks within the region to be deleted, thus making homologous recombination almost as easy as conventional transgenesis. Our targeting vector replaces genomic sequences with a multifunctional fragment comprising an easy-to-select genetic marker, a fluorescent reporter, as well as an attP site, which acts as a landing platform for reintegration vectors. These vectors allow the insertion of a variety of transcription reporters or cDNAs to express tagged or mutant isoforms at endogenous levels. In addition, they pave the way for difficult experiments such as tissue-specific allele switching and functional analysis in post-mitotic or polyploid cells. Therefore, our method retains the advantages of homologous recombination while capitalising on the mutagenic power of CRISPR.
Exploiting Device-to-Device Communications to Enhance Spatial Reuse for Popular Content Downloading in Directional mmWave Small Cells

With the explosive growth of mobile demand, small cells in millimeter-wave (mmWave) bands underlying macrocell networks have attracted intense interest from both academia and industry. MmWave communications in the 60-GHz band are able to utilize the huge unlicensed bandwidth to provide multiple Gb/s transmission rates. In this case, device-to-device (D2D) communications in mmWave bands should be fully exploited because there is no interference with the macrocell networks and higher achievable transmission rates. In addition, because there is less interference by directional transmission, multiple links including D2D links can be scheduled for concurrent transmissions (spatial reuse). With the popularity of content-based mobile applications, popular content downloading in the small cells needs to be optimized to improve network performance and enhance user experience. In this paper, we develop an efficient scheduling scheme for popular content downloading in mmWave small cells called popular content downloading scheduling (PCDS), where both D2D communications in close proximity and concurrent transmissions are exploited to improve transmission efficiency. In PCDS, a transmission path selection algorithm is designed to establish multihop transmission paths for users, aiming at better utilization of D2D communications and concurrent transmissions. After transmission path selection, a concurrent transmission scheduling algorithm is designed to maximize the spatial reuse gain. Through extensive simulations under various traffic patterns, we demonstrate that PCDS achieves near-optimal performance in terms of delay and throughput, as well as superior performance, compared with other existing protocols, particularly under heavy load. The impact of the maximum number of hops of transmission paths on its performance is also analyzed for a better understanding of the role of D2D communications.
Bmc International Health and Human Rights Something Old or Something New? Social Health Insurance in Ghana

Background: There is considerable interest at present in exploring the potential of social health insurance to increase access to and affordability of health care in Africa. A number of countries are currently experimenting with different approaches. Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was passed into law in 2003 but fully implemented from late 2005. It has already reached impressive coverage levels. This article aims to provide a preliminary assessment of the NHIS to date. This can inform the development of the NHIS itself but also other innovations in the region.