Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
T cell-intrinsic role of IL-6 signaling in primary and memory responses

Innate immune recognition is critical for the induction of adaptive immune responses; however the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. In this study, we demonstrate that T cell-specific deletion of the IL-6 receptor α chain (IL-6Rα) results in impaired Th1 and Th17 T cell responses in vivo, and a defect in Tfh function. Depletion of Tregs in these mice rescued the Th1 but not the Th17 response. Our data suggest that IL-6 signaling in effector T cells is required to overcome Treg-mediated suppression in vivo. We show that IL-6 cooperates with IL-1β to block the suppressive effect of Tregs on CD4+ T cells, at least in part by controlling their responsiveness to IL-2. In addition, although IL-6Rα-deficient T cells mount normal primary Th1 responses in the absence of Tregs, they fail to mature into functional memory cells, demonstrating a key role for IL-6 in CD4+ T cell memory formation. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.01949. 001
ON A SYMMETRIC DIVERGENCE MEASURE AND INFORMATION INEQUALITIES

A non-parametric symmetric measure of divergence which belongs to the family of Csiszár’s f -divergences is proposed. Its properties are studied and bounds in terms of some well known divergence measures obtained. An application to the mutual information is considered. A parametric measure of information is also derived from the suggested non-parametric measure. A numerical illustration to compare this measure with some known divergence measures is carried out.
A New Test Paradigm for Semiconductor Memories in the Nano-Era

Due to rapid and continuous technology scaling, faults in semiconductor memories (and ICs in general) are becoming pervasive and weak rather than strong, a weak fault is a fault that escape the test program (because it does not cause an error/system failure). However, multiple weak faults may cause an error during the application. Components with weak faults which fail at board and system level are sent to suppliers, but only to have them returned back as No Trouble Found (NTF). This is because the conventional memory test approach assumes the presence of a single defect at a time causing a strong fault (hence an error), and is therefore unable to deal with weak faults. This paper presents a new memory test approach able to detect weak faults, it is based on assuming the presence of multiple weak faults at a time in a memory system rather than a single strong fault at a time. Being able to detect weak faults reduces the number of escapes, hence also the number of NTFs. The experimental analysis done using SPICE simulation for a case of study show that when assuming two simultaneous weak faults, the missing (defect) coverage can be reduced with 10% as compared with the conventional approach.
How to Securely Break into RBAC: The BTG-RBAC Model

Access control models describe frameworks that dictate how subjects (e.g. users) access resources. In the Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) model access to resources is based on the role the user holds within the organization. RBAC is a rigid model where access control decisions have only two output options: Grant or Deny. Break The Glass (BTG) policies on the other hand are flexible and allow users to break or override the access controls in a controlled and justifiable manner. The main objective of this paper is to integrate BTG within the NIST/ANSI RBAC model in a transparent and secure way so that it can be adopted generically in any domain where unanticipated or emergency situations may occur. The new proposed model, called BTG-RBAC, provides a third decision option BTG, which grants authorized users permission to break the glass rather than be denied access. This can easily be implemented in any application without major changes to either the application code or the RBAC authorization infrastructure, apart from the decision engine. Finally, in order to validate the model, we discuss how the BTG-RBAC model is being introduced within a Portuguese healthcare institution where the legislation requires that genetic information must be accessed by a restricted group of healthcare professionals. These professionals, advised by the ethical committee, have required and asked for the implementation of the BTG concept in order to comply with the said legislation.
Antileukaemic effect of PI3K‐mTOR inhibitors in acute myeloid leukaemia‐gene expression profiles reveal CDC25B expression as determinate of pharmacological effect

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a heterogeneous malignancy. Intracellular signalling through the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K)‐Akt‐mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is important for regulation of cellular growth and metabolism, and inhibitors of this pathway is considered for AML treatment. Primary human AML cells, derived from 96 consecutive adult patients, were examined. The effects of two mTOR inhibitors (rapamycin, temsirolimus) and two PI3K inhibitors (GDC‐0941, 3‐methyladenine) were studied, and we investigated cytokine‐dependent proliferation, regulation of apoptosis and global gene expression profiles. Only a subset of patients demonstrated strong antiproliferative effects of PI3K‐mTOR inhibitors. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis identified two main clusters of patients; one subset showing weak or absent antiproliferative effects (59%) and another group showing a strong growth inhibition for all drugs and concentrations examined (41%). Global gene expression analyses showed that patients with AML cell resistance against PI3K‐mTOR inhibitors showed increased mRNA expression of the CDC25B gene that encodes the cell cycle regulator Cell Division Cycle 25B. The antileukaemic effect of PI3K‐Akt‐mTOR inhibition varies between patients, and resistance to these inhibitors is associated with the expression of the cell cycle regulator CDC25B, which is known to crosstalk with the PI3K‐Akt‐mTOR pathway and mediate rapamycin resistance in experimental models.
Alterations of the glucose metabolism in a triose phosphate isomerase‐negative Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant

The absence of triose phosphate isomerase activity causes an accumulation of only one of the two trioses, dihydroxyacetone phosphate, and this produces a shift in the final product of glucose catabolism from ethanol to glycerol (Compagno et al., 1996 ). Alterations of glucose metabolism imposed by the deletion of the TPI1 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae were studied in batch and continuous cultures. The Δtpi1 null mutant was unable to grow on glucose as the sole carbon source. The addition of ethanol or acetate in media containing glucose, but also raffinose or galactose, relieved this effect in batch cultivation, suggesting that the Crabtree effect is not the primary cause for the mutant's impaired growth on glucose. The addition of an energy source like formic acid restored glucose utilization, suggesting that a NADH/energy shortage in the Δtpi1 mutant could be a cause of the impaired growth on glucose. The amount of glycerol production in the Δtpi1 mutant could represent a good indicator of the fraction of carbon source channelled through glycolysis. Data obtained in continuous cultures on mixed substrates indicated that different contributions of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, as well as of the HMP pathway, to glucose utilization by the Δtpi1 mutant may occur in relation to the fraction of ethanol present in the media. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An Acoustic Analysis on the Allotonic Variation of the Initial Rise in Tokyo Japanese in Native Speakers and Learners

Tokyo Japanese is characterized by an initial rise in pitch, which has an allotonic variation: the rise is weakened or flattened when the initial syllable includes a special mora (i.e. CVN or CVV; geminate excluded). The present study tested and measured the pitch rise of native speakers and learners in read speech. Results showed that both native speakers and learners demonstrated dependency on the existence of the special morae when realizing the initial syllable. Pitch height successfully helped learners enlarge the distinction between the two allotones.
A Brain-Computer Interface Based on Multi-Modal Attention

The amplitude of steady-state evoked potentials (SSEP) can be modulated by switching spatial attention within one modality. In this article, we show that switching attention between different sensory modalities also modulates SSEP amplitude. This could be used to combine classifications in each modality into a multi-modal brain-computer interface (BCI) system. We present the result of combining visual and tactile stimulation. Our investigation also revealed an attention-related power change of the mu-rhythm. Taking this as an additional feature into account results in a three-class BCI system with the same accuracy like an SSSEP-based system with only two classes
Formation of magnetite by bacteria and its application

Magnetic particles offer high technological potential since they can be conveniently collected with an external magnetic field. Magnetotactic bacteria synthesize bacterial magnetic particles (BacMPs) with well-controlled size and morphology. BacMPs are individually covered with thin organic membrane, which confers high and even dispersion in aqueous solutions compared with artificial magnetites, making them ideal biotechnological materials. Recent molecular studies including genome sequence, mutagenesis, gene expression and proteome analyses indicated a number of genes and proteins which play important roles for BacMP biomineralization. Some of the genes and proteins identified from these studies have allowed us to express functional proteins efficiently onto BacMPs, through genetic engineering, permitting the preservation of the protein activity, leading to a simple preparation of functional protein–magnetic particle complexes. They were applicable to high-sensitivity immunoassay, drug screening and cell separation. Furthermore, fully automated single nucleotide polymorphism discrimination and DNA recovery systems have been developed to use these functionalized BacMPs. The nano-sized fine magnetic particles offer vast potential in new nano-techniques.
RingEdit: A Control Point Based Editing Approach in Sketch Recognition Systems

Editing a sketch should be one of the essential features provided by sketch recognition systems to allow people to modify what they have drawn, without having to delete and redraw shapes. This paper introduces a control point based editing approach we call RingEdit. RingEdit differs from other sketch editors in that the user actually draws their own control points on the sketch, rather than relying on control points generated by the recognition system. It provides modes that allow moving, rotating, scaling, and bending on both the shape level and stroke level. RingEdit shows great editing capabilities. Author Keywords Sketch recognition, sketch editing, control points.
CLINICAL TRIALS IN DERMATOLOGY, PART 2: NUMBERS OF PATIENTS REQUIRED

The object of most clinical trials is to determine whether one treatment is better than another. The results are analyzed to determine whether observed differences between groups of patients represent real underlying differences between treatments or are simply artifacts due to limited sample size. The last-mentioned phenomenon is known as sampling error; its effects on the outcome of a clinical trial have been calculated and can be used to plan and evaluate trials. Because the number of patients tested can play a crucial role in deciding whether one treatment is truly superior to another, the choice of sample size is one of the most important aspects of designing clinical trials. Improper choice of sample size often carries with it severe penalties-uncertainties in interpretation of results, poor utilization of time and resources, and the frustration of wasted effort. The basic design of most clinical trials is fairly simple; therefore, an estimate of an appropriate sample size i s easily obtained by consulting published tables. Using these tables, one can decide on the sample sizes required when 2 different treatments (or a placebo and a treatment) are being compared in trials in which the outcome can be mea-
The Reaction of Cyanoacetylhdrazine with Furan-2-Aldehyde: Novel Synthesis of Thiophene, Azole, Azine and Coumarin Derivatives and Their Antitumor Evaluation

The reaction of cyanoacetylhydrazine 1 with furan-2-aldehyde 2 gives the hydrazide-hydrazone derivative 3. The latter compound undergoes a series of heterocyclization reactions to give new heterocyclic compounds. The antitumor evaluation of the newly synthesized products against three cancer cell lines, namely breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), non-small cell lung cancer (NCI-H460) and CNS cancer (SF-268) were recorded. Some of the synthesized compounds show high inhibitory effects.
The Group-Specific Murine Coronavirus Genes Are Not Essential, but Their Deletion, by Reverse Genetics, Is Attenuating in the Natural Host

Abstract In addition to a characteristic set of essential genes coronaviruses contain several so-called group-specific genes. These genes differ distinctly among the three coronavirus groups and are specific for each group. While the essential genes encode replication and structural functions, hardly anything is known about the products and functions of the group-specific genes. As a first step to elucidate their significance, we deleted the group-specific genes from the group 2 mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) genome via a novel targeted recombination system based on host switching (L. Kuo, G. J.Godeke, M. J. Raamsman, P. S. Masters, and P. J. M. Rottier, 2000, J. Virol. 74, 1393–1406). Thus, we obtained recombinant viruses from which the two clusters of group-specific genes were deleted either separately or in combination in a controlled genetic background. As all recombinant deletion mutant viruses appeared to be viable, we conclude that the MHV group-specific genes are nonessential, accessory genes. Importantly, all deletion mutant viruses were attenuated when inoculated into their natural host, the mouse. Therefore, deletion of the coronavirus group-specific genes seems to provide an attractive approach to generate attenuated live coronavirus vaccines.
Double-Stranded RNA Uptake through Topical Application, Mediates Silencing of Five CYP4 Genes and Suppresses Insecticide Resistance in Diaphorina citri

Silencing of genes through RNA interference (RNAi) in insects has gained momentum during the past few years. RNAi has been used to cause insect mortality, inhibit insect growth, increase insecticide susceptibility, and prevent the development of insecticide resistance. We investigated the efficacy of topically applied dsRNA to induce RNAi for five Cytochrome P450 genes family 4 (CYP4) in Diaphorina citri. We previously reported that these CYP4 genes are associated with the development of insecticide resistance in D. citri. We targeted five CYP4 genes that share a consensus sequence with one dsRNA construct. Quantitative PCR confirmed suppressed expression of the five CYP4 genes as a result of dsRNA topically applied to the thoracic region of D. citri when compared to the expression levels in a control group. Western blot analysis indicated a reduced signal of cytochrome P450 proteins (45 kDa) in adult D. citri treated with the dsRNA. In addition, oxidase activity and insecticide resistance were reduced for D. citri treated with dsRNA that targeted specific CYP4 genes. Mortality was significantly higher in adults treated with dsRNA than in adults treated with water. Our results indicate that topically applied dsRNA can penetrate the cuticle of D. citri and induce RNAi. These results broaden the scope of RNAi as a mechanism to manage pests by targeting a broad range of genes. The results also support the application of RNAi as a viable tool to overcome insecticide resistance development in D. citri populations. However, further research is needed to develop grower-friendly delivery systems for the application of dsRNA under field conditions. Considering the high specificity of dsRNA, this tool can also be used for management of D. citri by targeting physiologically critical genes involved in growth and development.
Improved small multiplier based multiplication, squaring and division

This paper presents the design of parameterized fixed-point integer multiplication, squaring and fractional division units. The units are targeted at the Virtex-II family of FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays) from Xilinx and are based on the small 18X18-bit multiplier blocks. New partial product creation and summation techniques that exploit the low level primitives are used that achieve a 20% area and a 30% delay reduction for multiplication. A dedicated squaring component is presented that offers substantial area savings of up to 50%. The division component uses the multipliers for pre-scaling to reduce the delay and complexity of each minimally redundant radix-8 stage.
Mutants of Yeast Sensitive to Ultraviolet Light

Six uvr mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with hypersensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) light were isolated after mutagen treatment with ethylmethanesulfonate. UV sensitivity ranges from moderate to extreme, and four of the mutants are also sensitive to nitrous acid. Ranking in terms of UV sensitivity does not parallel ranking in terms of nitrous acid sensitivity. Homozygous diploid mutant strains are somewhat less sensitive than the corresponding haploids. All mutations are recessive. None of the mutants is sensitive to γ rays, and each shows photoreactivation after UV radiation. Complementation tests and tetrad analysis indicate that each strain represents mutation in a different gene. Two of the uvr genes are linked, and two others are centromere-linked.
Children's Somatic Symptoms by Emotion Related Child and Parenting Variables

This study aimed to identify children's emotional variables (anxiety and emotional expressiveness) and parenting variables supporting emotional development (affection and concern for, respect, and trust of children) which influence somatic symptoms. Subjects were 311 6th grade children. Instruments were the Korean version of the State-Trait Anxiety for Children (Spielberger, 1973), Children's Somatization Inventory (Walker & Green, 1991), Emotional Expressiveness Questionnaire (King & Emmons, 1990), and the Parenting Behavior Test by the researcher. Analysis by t-test showed that children's anxiety influenced somatization. The children who perceived that both parents respect their thoughts, feelings and choices and that their fathers trust their behaviors and abilities showed low somatic symptoms. Supporting children's emotional development through good parenting practices was discussed.
The Effects of Response Modes and Cues on Language learning, Cognitive Load and Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Web-Based Learning

an experiment was conducted to examine how different response modes for practice questions and the presence or absence of cues influenced students’ self-efficacy beliefs, perceived cognitive load, and performance in language recall and recognition tasks. One hundred fifty-seven 6th grade students were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: 1) MC (multiple-choice only), 2) MC-C (multiple-choice with cues), 3) CR (constructed-responses only), or 4) CR-C (constructed-responses with cues). The results indicated that students who practiced with constructed-response questions performed better in recalling and recognizing english vocabulary, and reported higher self-efficacy beliefs than those who practiced with multiple-choice questions. This finding adds to our knowledge that constructed-response questions might have helped to increase the students’ confidence in learning the materials. The findings also indicated that the presence of cues improved students’ performance in recall and recognition tasks, and increased their self-efficacy toward learning the materials. In addition, the study extends our understanding about the influence of different response modes and cues on students’ perceived cognitive load in web-based language learning.
Intelligent Scheme Design of High-Rise Structure for K-Means-Based Case Retrieval

In the basic idea of k-means clustering algorithm and its criterion function, step process, the cluster analysis theory and method into intelligent design of high-rise structure was introduced in this paper, the high-rise structure of intelligent design case retrieval method based on the K-Means clustering analysis method was established, and by the given engineering application, the process of clustering results and their spatial distribution, the evaluation function JW with the curves of the increase in the number of iterations and JW monotonically decreasing curve with k( the number of clusters k changes from 2 to 10) were obtained, the weaknesses of the method were pointed out, and the further improvement was given. Practice shows that: k-means cluster analysis method can be effectively used to design case retrieval system in high-rise structures intelligent scheme, and has opened up new ways for the high-rise building intelligent design.
Role of Reactive Oxygen Intermediates in Activation-induced CD95 (APO-1/Fas) Ligand Expression*

Activation-induced cell death of T lymphocytes requires the inducible expression of CD95 (APO-1/Fas) ligand, which triggers apoptosis in CD95-bearing target cells by an autocrine or paracrine mechanism. Although execution of the CD95 death pathway is largely independent of reactive oxygen intermediates, activation-induced cell death is blocked by a variety of antioxidants. In the present study, we investigated the involvement of redox processes in the regulation of CD95 ligand (CD95L) expression in Jurkat T cells. We show that various antioxidants potently inhibited the transcriptional activation of CD95L following T cell receptor ligation or stimulation of cells with phorbol ester and ionomycin. Conversely, a prooxidant such as hydrogen peroxide alone was able to increase CD95L expression. As detected by Western blot and cytotoxicity assays, functional expression of CD95L protein was likewise diminished by antioxidants. Inhibition of CD95L expression was associated with a decreased DNA binding activity of nuclear factor (NF)-κB, an important redox-controlled transcription factor. Moreover, inhibition of NF-κB activity by a transdominant IκB mutant attenuated CD95L expression. Our data suggest that, although reactive oxygen intermediates do not act as mediators in the execution phase of CD95-mediated apoptosis, they are involved in the transcriptional regulation of CD95L expression.