Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genome-Wide Identification of Small RNAs in the Opportunistic Pathogen Enterococcus faecalis V583

Small RNA molecules (sRNAs) are key mediators of virulence and stress inducible gene expressions in some pathogens. In this work we identify sRNAs in the Gram positive opportunistic pathogen Enterococcus faecalis. We characterized 11 sRNAs by tiling microarray analysis, 5′ and 3′ RACE-PCR, and Northern blot analysis. Six sRNAs were specifically expressed at exponential phase, two sRNAs were observed at stationary phase, and three were detected during both phases. Searches of putative functions revealed that three of them (EFA0080_EFA0081 and EFB0062_EFB0063 on pTF1 and pTF2 plasmids, respectively, and EF0408_EF04092 located on the chromosome) are similar to antisense RNA involved in plasmid addiction modules. Moreover, EF1097_EF1098 shares strong homologies with tmRNA (bi-functional RNA acting as both a tRNA and an mRNA) and EF2205_EF2206 appears homologous to 4.5S RNA member of the Signal Recognition Particle (SRP) ribonucleoprotein complex. In addition, proteomic analysis of the ΔEF3314_EF3315 sRNA mutant suggests that it may be involved in the turnover of some abundant proteins. The expression patterns of these transcripts were evaluated by tiling array hybridizations performed with samples from cells grown under eleven different conditions some of which may be encountered during infection. Finally, distribution of these sRNAs among genome sequences of 54 E. faecalis strains was assessed. This is the first experimental genome-wide identification of sRNAs in E. faecalis and provides impetus to the understanding of gene regulation in this important human pathogen.
Profile-Based Summarisation for Web Site Navigation

Information systems that utilise contextual information have the potential of helping a user identify relevant information more quickly and more accurately than systems that work the same for all users and contexts. Contextual information comes in a variety of types, often derived from records of past interactions between a user and the information system. It can be individual or group based. We are focusing on the latter, harnessing the search behaviour of cohorts of users, turning it into a domain model that can then be used to assist other users of the same cohort. More specifically, we aim to explore how such a domain model is best utilised for profile-biased summarisation of documents in a navigation scenario in which such summaries can be displayed as hover text as a user moves the mouse over a link. The main motivation is to help a user find relevant documents more quickly. Given the fact that the Web in general has been studied extensively already, we focus our attention on Web sites and similar document collections. Such collections can be notoriously difficult to search or explore. The process of acquiring the domain model is not a research interest here; we simply adopt a biologically inspired method that resembles the idea of ant colony optimisation. This has been shown to work well in a variety of application areas. The model can be built in a continuous learning cycle that exploits search patterns as recorded in typical query log files. Our research explores different summarisation techniques, some of which use the domain model and some that do not. We perform task-based evaluations of these different techniques—thus of the impact of the domain model and profile-biased summarisation—in the context of Web site navigation.
Calcium and Magnesium Transport by In Situ Mitochondria: Electron Probe Analysis of Vascular Smooth Muscle

The extent, time course, and reversibility of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake secondary to cellular Ca2+ influx stimulated by massive Na+ efflux were evaluated by electron probe microanalysis of rabbit portal vein smooth muscle. Strips of portal vein were Na+ loaded for 3 hours at 37° C in a K+-free 1 mM ouabain solution, after which rapid Na+ efflux was induced by washing with a Na+-free K+-Li+ solution (1 mM ouabain). Li+ washing Na+-loaded portal vein produced a large transient contraction accompanied by an increase (over 100-fold) in mitochondrial Ca2+ and also significant (p < 0.05) increases in phosphorus and Mg2+. The Ca2+ loading of the mitochondria was reversed during prolonged Li+ wash, and by 2 hours, mitochondrial Ca2+, Mg2+, and phosphorus had returned to control levels. The maximal contractile response to stimulation remained normal, demonstrating that pathologic Ca2+ loading of mitochondria is reversible in situ and compatible with normal maximal force developed by the smooth muscle. Mitochondrial Ca2+ and phosphorus uptake were reduced but still significant when the Li+ wash contained 0.2 mM Ca2+ or when ouabain was omitted. The fact that mitochondrial Ca2+ loading accompanied submaximal contractions during 0.2 mM Ca2+-Li wash suggests "supranormal" affinity of mitochondria for Ca2+ and may be due, in part, to reverse operation of the mitochondrial Na+-Ca2+ exchanger. Mitochondrial Ca2+, Mg2+, and phosphorus uptake were eliminated when the Li+ wash was performed at 2° C or when the wash contained no Ca2+. The lack of mitochondrial Mg2+ uptake during Ca2+-free lithium wash, in spite of increased cytoplasmic Mg2+, suggests that increased cytoplasmic Ca2+ and/or mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake facilitates active mitochondrial Mg2+ transport.
Auditor acceptance of dysfunctional behaviour: An explanatory model using individual factors

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate individual or personal factors contributing to individual auditor differences in acceptance of dysfunctional audit behaviour (DAB). Dysfunctional behaviour and staff turnover are associated with decreased audit quality, and is characterised as premature sign-off, gathering of insufficient evidence, accepting of weak client explanation, altering or replacing the audit procedures, and under-reporting of time, and have negative effects on the auditing profession. In this study the organizational behaviour and industrial psychology literatures provide the basis for the development and testing of an individual factors’ model of DAB. Design/methodology/approach - Using path analysis for direct and indirect effects, survey results from registered Audit Managers are used to provide support for an explanatory model. Findings - Overall, results indicate that auditors who are more accepting of dysfunctional behaviour tend to possess an external locus of control and exhibit higher turnover intentions. Originality/value - These results suggest that individual factors play a role in identifying those who are more accepting of dysfunctional behaviour. The results can be useful in the operational and management control mechanism of human and social developments relating to dysfunctional behaviour issues.
Serum leptin levels and anthropometric correlates in Ache Amerindians of eastern Paraguay.

Leptin is a recently discovered peptide hormone secreted primarily from adipocytes in humans and other mammals; it is a reflection of fat stores, and has been associated with reproductive function. However, few leptin measurements are available from nonindustrialized populations, including contemporary hunter/gatherer communities undergoing the transition to sedentary agriculture. This investigation reports single-sample serum leptin measurements in healthy Ache Amerindian males (n = 21; average age, 32.8 +/- 3.4 SE) and females (n = 12; average age, 31.3 +/- 4.3) in eastern Paraguay. Ache leptin concentrations were much lower than in industrialized populations, although significant sexual dimorphism was evident (female 5.64 ng/ml +/- 0.91 SE vs. male 1.13 ng/ml +/- 0.08; P < 0.0001). Indeed, female leptin levels were similar to those of anorexic women, despite apparently adequate adiposity. Controlling for fat percentage, no significant sex difference was evident, suggesting that adiposity was the primary source of leptin variation. Body fat percentage was highly correlated with leptin in females (r2 = 0.72; P < 0.0005) but not males, who exhibited a modest negative correlation (r2 = 0.25; P < 0.03). Weight (r2 = 0.45; P = 0.02) and BMI (kg/m2) (r2 = 0.81; P < 0.0001) were also significantly correlated in females but not males. These results suggest that: 1) clinical leptin norms based on industrialized populations may represent the highest range of human variation and may not be representative of most human populations; 2) hormonal priming may underlie population variation in leptin profiles; and 3) the relative importance of leptin as a proximate mechanism regulating reproductive effort during human evolution may have been modest.
Fustin flavonoid attenuates β‐amyloid (1–42)‐induced learning impairment

Natural flavonoids ameliorate amyloid‐β peptide (Aβ)‐induced neurotoxicity. We examined whether the fustin flavonoid affects Aβ‐induced learning impairment in mice. Repeated treatment with fustin significantly attenuated Aβ (1–42)‐induced conditioned fear and passive avoidance behaviors. This effect was comparable to that of EGb761, a standard extract of ginkgo. Fustin treatment significantly prevented decreases in acetylcholine (ACh) levels, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity, and ChAT gene expression induced by Aβ (1–42). Fustin also consistently suppressed increases in acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) activity and AChE gene expression induced by Aβ (1–42). In addition, fustin significantly attenuated Aβ (1–42)‐induced selective decreases in muscarinic M1 receptor gene expression and muscarinic M1 receptor binding activity (as determined by [3H]pirenzepine binding) by modulating extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK 1/2) and cAMP response‐element binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression. These effects of fustin were reversed by treatment with dicyclomine, a muscarinic M1 receptor antagonist, and SL327, a selective ERK inhibitor, but not by chelerythrine, a pan‐protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor. Taken together, our results suggest that fustin attenuates Aβ (1–42)‐impaired learning, and that the ERK/CREB/BDNF pathway is important for the M1 receptor‐mediated cognition‐enhancing effects of fustin. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A modified approach of POMDP-based dialogue management

This paper applies the theory of information space for a study of dialogue management in major approaches, ranging from the classical approach based upon finite state machine to the most recent approach using partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP). After identifying the problems of current approaches, this paper proposes a modified approach of POMDP-based dialogue management. This new approach introduces belief history into the planning process, and uses not only the current but also the previous belief state for the determination of actions. Experiments show that the proposed approach is able to handle uncertainty caused by user's lack of domain knowledge and practical constraints as well, thus becoming more accurate in intention recognition.
Study on effects of network characteristics on cooperation performance in a desktop CVE system

The influences of network characteristics (e.g. latency, packet loss) on the task performance in desktop collaborative virtual environment (CVE) systems were studied. In the experiment, two remote partners worked together to manipulate shared virtual objects over a network, and a network emulator was utilized to simulate the real network. The task in the experiment was to minimize the time to transfer a frame through a rod with no collisions. The performance of human subjects was measured and analyzed quantitatively as a function of network latency and packet loss rate. The experiment results show that the delay had little effect on the task performance while the network latency was less than 200 ms and it was acceptable while the network latency was less than 500 ms; the packet loss had no effect on the task performance while there were 20 state update messages received and it was acceptable while there were more than 10 state update messages received.
Floating-Point Arithmetic on Round-to-Nearest Representations

Recently we introduced a class of number representations denoted RN-representations, allowing an un-biased rounding-to-nearest to take place by a simple truncation. In this paper we briefly review the binary fixed-point representation in an encoding which is essentially an ordinary 2’s complement representation with an appended round-bit. Not only is this rounding a constant time operation, so is also sign inversion, both of which are at best log-time operations on ordinary 2’s complement representations. Addition, multiplication and division is defined in such a way that rounding information can be carried along in a meaningful way, at minimal cost. Based on the fixed-point encoding we here define a floating point representation, and describe to some detail a possible implementation of a floating point arithmetic unit employing this representation, including also the directed roundings.
Context and Cognition: Interpreting Complex Behavior

While the general wisdom has it that behaviorism is dead, it not only survives but is intellectually active in areas such as psychological theory, the analysis of language and cognition, and behavioral economics. It is a successful, albeit limited, source of behavioral science. Its chief difficulty arises when its practitioners look out from their laboratory windows and attempt to explain the complexities of human behavior that will never be amenable to direct experimental investigation. Behavior analysis has failed to establish a methodology of interpretation to deal fully with such complexity. The message of this essay is that it cannot do so without embracing intentional explanation in the form of an interpretive overlay that plugs the gaps in its explanations of life beyond the lab.
Evolutionary approaches to evolve AI scripts for a RTS game

This paper evaluates three different Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) for generating non-player characters (NPCs) via Artificial Intelligence scripts for a Real Time Strategy (RTS) game. The first approach executes only a Genetic Algorithm (GA), while the second and third ones combine GA with a Dynamic Scripting approach. The Bos Wars game is used for testing these EAs, which are able to create and to evolve strategies of this RTS game coded as scripts in LUA language. In order to do this, the EA communicates with Bos Wars' engine by sending scripts, playing matches and capturing statistical data to evaluate its individuals.
The Verbal Communication of Emotions : Interdisciplinary Perspectives

Contents: S.R. Fussell, The Verbal Communication of Emotion: Introduction and Overview. Part I:Theoretical Foundations. C. Goddard, Explicating Emotions Across Languages and Cultures: A Semantic Approach. S. Planalp, K. Knie, Integrating Verbal and Nonverbal Emotion(al) Messages. R. Fiehler, How to Do Emotions With Words: Emotionality in Conversations (Translated by H.B. Gill, III, Edited by S.R. Fussell). Part II:Figurative Language in Emotional Communication. Z. Kovecses, Emotion Concepts: Social Constructivism and Cognitive Linguistics. R.W. Gibbs, Jr., J.S. Leggitt, E.A. Turner, What's Special About Figurative Language in Emotional Communication? L. Angus, Y. Korman, Conflict, Coherence, and Change in Brief Psychotherapy: A Metaphor Theme Analysis. L.M. McMullen, J.B. Conway, Conventional Metaphors for Depression. Part III:Social and Cultural Dimensions. B. Rime, S. Corsini, G. Herbette, Emotion, Verbal Expression, and the Social Sharing of Emotion. J. Pittam, C. Gallois, The Language of Fear: The Communication of Intergroup Attitudes in Conversations About HIV and AIDS. L. Honos-Webb, L.M. Endres, A. Shaikh, E.A. Harrick, J.A. Lani, L.M. Knobloch-Fedders, M. Surko, W.B. Stiles, Rewards and Risks of Exploring Negative Emotion: An Assimilation Model Account. K. Ferrara, Blocking Emotions: The Face of Resistance.
Living at home or in institution: adolescents' optimal experience and life theme building

A influencia das relacoes familiares no comportamento e desenvolvimento de adolescentes tem sido amplamente investigada. Este estudo examina a relacao entre a estrutura familiar e a qualidade das experiencias de adolescentes nas atividades diarias e contextos sociais, e a percepcao que eles tem das influencias em suas vidas, de seus desafios e metas. Para atingir estes objetivos, Flow Questionnaire e o Life Theme Questionnaire foram aplicados a 50 adolescentes italianas (15-21 anos), 25 vivendo em familias com ambos os pais, 25 em Instituicoes Abrigo. Os dados sugerem que a percepcao dos adolescentes de um ambiente familiar positivo e acolhedor incentiva a busca por atividades diarias desafiadoras e agradaveis e o envolvimento em contextos sociais produtivos. Ao contrario, uma percepcao negativa da familia esta relacionada com falta de engajamento e motivacao e a prevalencia de atividades com baixo indice de desafio como fonte de divertimento e satisfacao. Os resultados, apesar de se ter uma amostra pequena que nao permite generalizacoes, confirmam o papel crucial da familia no influenciar o desenvolvimento psicologico e comportamental dos adolescentes.
Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone during Pregnancy Is Associated with Infant Temperament

During pregnancy corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is released into maternal and fetal circulation from the placenta. Elevated concentrations of placental CRH are associated with spontaneous preterm birth, but the consequences for infant development, independent of birth outcome, are unknown. In this study, the effects of placental CRH on infant temperament were examined in a sample of 248 full-term infants. Maternal blood samples were collected at 19, 25 and 31 weeks of gestation for CRH analysis. Infant temperament was assessed with measures of fear and distress at 2 months of age. Infants of mothers with low CRH at 25 weeks of gestation scored lower in fear and distress at 2 months. CRH at 19 and 31 weeks’ gestation was not significantly associated with measures of infant temperament, suggesting the possibility that there is a sensitive period for its effects. These data suggest that prenatal exposure to CRH may exert influences that persist into the postnatal period.
Implementation of a modified lightweight cryptographic TEA algorithm in RFID system

RFID systems, similar to other wireless systems, are inherently susceptible to security and privacy related attacks. The Tiny Encryption Algorithm (TEA) is a suitable lightweight cryptographic algorithm used in medium security systems such as RFID systems. However, TEA has few weaknesses, most notably from equivalent keys and related-key attacks. So, a Modified TEA algorithm (MTEA) is proposed which uses the Linear Feedback Shift Register (LFSR) to overcome the security weakness of the TEA algorithm against attacks. In this paper an implementation of MTEA algorithm is presented and benchmarked with the standard TEA algorithm considering the area and power consumption.
Reactors: A Case for Predictable, Virtualized OLTP Actor Database Systems

The requirements for OLTP database systems are becoming ever more demanding. New OLTP applications require high degrees of scalability with controlled transaction latencies in in-memory databases. Deployments of these applications require low-level control of database system overhead and program-to-data affinity to maximize resource utilization in modern machines. Unfortunately, current solutions fail to meet these requirements. First, existing database solutions fail to expose a high-level programming abstraction in which latency of transactions can be influenced and reasoned about by application developers. Second, these solutions either inhibit or limit infrastructure engineers in exercising low-level control on the deployment of the system on a target infrastructure, further impacting performance. In this paper, we propose a relational actor programming model for in-memory databases. Conceptually, relational actors, or reactors for short, are application-defined, isolated logical actors encapsulating relations that process function calls asynchronously. Reactors ease reasoning about correctness by guaranteeing serializability of application-level function calls. In contrast to classic transactional models, however, reactors allow developers to take advantage of intra-transaction parallelism to reduce latency and improve performance. Moreover, reactors enable a new degree of flexibility in database deployment. We present ReactDB, a novel system design exposing reactors that allows for flexible virtualization of database architecture between the extremes of shared-nothing and shared-everything without changes to application code. Our experiments with ReactDB illustrate performance predictability, multi-core scalability, and low overhead in OLTP benchmarks.
Proposed panel of diagnostic criteria, including the use of ultrasound, to refine the concept of ‘endemic normals’ in lymphatic filariasis

Summary Although living adult Wuchereria bancrofti worms can be detected by ultrasound examination of the scrotal area in approximately 80% of men infected with this filarial parasite, the location of the adult worms in the remaining 20% remains unclear. To determine this, 32 individuals who had W. bancrofti microfilaraemia but no adult worms detectable on ultrasound were treated with diethylcarbarmazine (DEC), either with a single 6 mg/kg dose (n = 13) or with a 12‐day course of 6 mg/kg per day (n = 19). They were then monitored with serial physical and ultrasound examinations. Thirteen (41%) subjects developed small, single scrotal nodules 12 h to 7 days after treatment; this rate was unaffected by the dose of DEC. No nodules were detected outside the scrotal area. All 5 men with lymphangiectasia suspected on ultrasound before treatment developed scrotal nodules, compared to 8 (29.6%) of 27 men without ultrasonographic evidence (P = 0.006). Thus, using both ultrasound and ‘provocative’ treatment with DEC, adult W. bancrofti can be detected in the scrotal area of an estimated 88% of infected men. Because no single diagnostic test for W. bancrofti infection is completely sensitive, a panel of tests, including ultrasound, is proposed to identify with greater accuracy ‘endemic normals’ for immunological and epidemiological studies.
Disparities in HIV Clinical Outcomes among a Cohort of HIV-Infected Persons Receiving Care—Mississippi

Increasing patients’ cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) count and achieving viral suppression are the ultimate goals of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care and treatment, yet disparities in these HIV clinical outcomes exist among subpopulations of HIV-infected persons. We aimed to assess potential disparities in viral suppression and normal CD4 count among HIV-infected persons receiving care in Mississippi using Mississippi Medical Monitoring Project (MMP) data from 2009 to 2014 (N = 1233) in this study. Outcome variables in this study were suppressed, recent and durable viral load, and normal CD4 count. Patients’ characteristics in this study were race, gender, age, annual income, education, insurance, and length of diagnosis. Descriptive statistics, Chi square tests, and logistic regression analyses were conducted using the SAS 9.4 Proc Survey procedure. Our findings indicate that those aged 50 years or older were more likely to have suppressed recent viral load (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) = 2.4) and durable viral loads (aOR = 2.9), compared to those aged 18–24 years. In addition, women were more likely to have a normal CD4 count than men (aOR = 1.4). In conclusion, we found that age and gender disparities in HIV clinical outcomes may be used to develop and implement multifaceted interventions to improve health equity among all HIV-infected patients.