Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Making Diabetes Self-management Education Culturally Relevant for Filipino Americans in Hawaii

Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify the cultural val- ues, traditions, and perceptions of diabetes risk and self- care among Filipino Americans in Hawaii with type 2 diabetes that facilitate or impede engagement in diabetes self-management behaviors and education classes. Methods This qualitative study used 2 rounds of semistructured focus groups and interviews. Participants included 15 patients with type 2 diabetes recruited from a large health-maintenance organization in Hawaii and 7 health care and cultural experts recruited from the community. The taped and transcribed focus groups and interviews were coded thematically. Participants evaluated example materials for diabetes self-management education (DSME) with Filipino Americans. Results Several aspects of Filipino American culture were identi- fied as central to understanding the challenges of engag- ing in self-management behaviors and DSME: (1) undertaking self-management while prioritizing the fam- ily and maintaining social relationships, (2) modifying diet while upholding valued symbolic and social mean- ings of food, (3) participating in storytelling in the face of stigma associated with diabetes, and (4) reconciling spiritual and biomedical interpretations of disease causa- lity and its management. Respondents also emphasized therole of several qualitative aspects of perceived risk (eg, dread, control) in moderating their behaviors. Participants suggested ways to make DSME culturally relevant. Conclusions Awareness of cultural values and qualitative aspects of perceived risk that influence Filipino Americans' engage- ment in diabetes self-care behaviors and classes may help to improve teaching methods, materials, and recruitment strategies
Billingual Formal Concept Analysis for Cross-Language Information Retrieval

We propose and evaluate a Cross-language Information Retrieval model (CLIR) based on the extraction and the translation of Formal Concepts avoiding queries and/or documents translation. The contribution of this work is the unified formal framework that integrates Formal Concept Analysis (FCA) and information retrieval for effective CLIR. The model is indexing bilingual documents using bilingual Formal Concepts extracted by a FCA. Moreover, the use of noun phrases, in addition to keywords, as indexes is studied. We use two comparable collections: an Italian-French collection and an English-French collection. To evaluate our model, we use three Information Retrieval models: TF. IDF, BM25 and Language Model. Finally, we study the query expansion results. Our main finding suggests that Formal Concept Analysis is effective to align Formal Concepts from different languages. Results indicate that our model performances are comparable to a words translation approach and better than a words embedding approach.
Recent Advances of the Basic Concepts in Geothermal Turbines of Low and High Enthalpy

A few numbers of countries in the world are involved in geothermal exploration and geothermal development projects. In order to provide a stable power supply without increasing carbon dioxide on global environment problem, a basic condition need to be fulfilled. This condition is high reliability and high maintainability for the geothermal energetic pumps and turbines. Effective efficiency improvement and geothermal turbines system upgrading are very important and also fundamental economical factor. This means that CO2 emissions into the atmosphere are minimal and a higher reliance on geothermal power generation would work on preventing global warming.The solution to climate changes threat is based now, mainly, on renewable and ecological sources of energy. Geothermal energy has the potential to play a significant role in moving the Europe and other regions of the world toward a cleaner and more sustainable energy system. In order to increase the reliability of geothermal steam turbines, assessing the materials life under geothermal environment condition will be an important step. The corrosion process in the geothermal turbine and pumps depends on temperature, pressure, chemistry, mechanical and vaporous carryover of impurities and water treatment (distribution between the vapors, the surface film and rotor blades material, heat transfer properties etc). The aim of this paper is to present a new coating method for geothermal turbines and pumps components using multi composite technology in order to obtain a protective layer to reduce corrosion damages. The results were very promising and the technique used, plasma jet spraying is a very good method to be used on the geothermal turbines and pumps components.
Characterization of linear power amplifiers for LTE applications

This paper compares the performance of and analyzes the linearity metrics with different signals for two linear PAs: a single-ended class-AB PA and a linear Doherty PA (DPA). Both PAs utilize the 6 W GaN HEMT CGH40006P at a design frequency of 3 GHz for the class-AB PA and 3.5 GHz for the DPA. Different linearity metrics are studied for a 5-MHz spaced two-tone signal and a 5-MHz Long Term Evolution signal. The DPA has a power added efficiency of 40% whereas the class-AB PA shows 27% given a −40 dBc linearity constraint on the closest adjacent channel (ACPRi). The class-AB PA, however, exhibits better linearity in terms of ACPR2. It is additionally shown that the trends of the linearity metrics for the different signals differ for the two architectures.
Next era of enterprise resource planning system review on traditional on-premise ERP versus cloud-based ERP: Factors influence decision on migration to cloud-based ERP for Malaysian SMEs/SMIs

The trend of new era for ERP has been evolved from On-Premise to Cloud-Based. This move is inevitable as traditional ERP platforms facing intense pressure of migration move to cloud computing which may result in obsolete support for the on-premise version. Therefore, there is an urgent market needs for this migration switch. Companies need to be well-prepared for this change in order to stay competitive amongst the competitors. This paper aims to study main differences between two types of ERP system — Traditional On-Premise ERP and Cloud Based ERP; as well as critical factors influencing organization's decision towards cloud-based ERP migration. This paper first reveals basic concepts of ERP, followed by comprehensive reviews on three most popular and most adopted ERP platforms in current market. In addition, this paper discussed the benefits and issues of cloud-based ERP versus traditional on-premise ERP through various aspects coverage. A comparison chart and table between traditional against cloud-based is produced to aid of better understanding and decision making prior the migration.
Delay-Efficient Energy-Minimized Data Collection With Dynamic Traffic in WSNs

Data collection is one of the most important applications in wireless sensor networks where sensed data are gathered from sensor nodes to the base station. Reporting redundant data leads to the wastage of time and energy, the sensors therefore report only meaningful information to the base station, which are independent and distinct with the lasted ones. This assumption leads to unpredictable changes of data traffic over different sampling intervals in data collection process. In this paper, we first formulate the tight constraints of the problem and then propose a delay-efficient traffic adaptive (DETA) scheme for collecting data from sensor nodes with minimum energy consumption. The DETA scheme minimizes data collection delay by constructing delay-efficient, collision-free schedule, and by using a special mechanism to enable every node to self-adapt with the changes of data traffic. We also conducted simulations to evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme, and the results shown that the proposed scheme significantly decreases data collection delay and energy consumption compared with the existing schemes.
Current generation circuit to functional electrical stimulate foot-drop patients

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is an assistive neuro-rehabilitation technology which uses low level electrical currents to stimulate nerves innervating paralyzed muscles. Until now, FES is one of the most effective treatment for foot drop or drop foot which is a gait deviation resulted in inadequate activation of dorsiflexion muscles of lower limbs. In this paper, we introduce design of a circuit to generate pulse current using for stimulating or activating dorsiflexion muscles of foot drop patients.
Evolution and Development of the Inner Ear Efferent System: Transforming a Motor Neuron Population to Connect to the Most Unusual Motor Protein via Ancient Nicotinic Receptors

All craniate chordates have inner ears with hair cells that receive input from the brain by cholinergic centrifugal fibers, the so-called inner ear efferents (IEEs). Comparative data suggest that IEEs derive from facial branchial motor (FBM) neurons that project to the inner ear instead of facial muscles. Developmental data showed that IEEs develop adjacent to FBMs and segregation from IEEs might depend on few transcription factors uniquely associated with IEEs. Like other cholinergic terminals in the peripheral nervous system (PNS), efferent terminals signal on hair cells through nicotinic acetylcholine channels, likely composed out of alpha 9 and alpha 10 units (Chrna9, Chrna10). Consistent with the evolutionary ancestry of IEEs is the even more conserved ancestry of Chrna9 and 10. The evolutionary appearance of IEEs may reflect access of FBMs to a novel target, possibly related to displacement or loss of mesoderm-derived muscle fibers by the ectoderm-derived ear vesicle. Experimental transplantations mimicking this possible aspect of ear evolution showed that different motor neurons of the spinal cord or brainstem form cholinergic synapses on hair cells when ears replace somites or eyes. Transplantation provides experimental evidence in support of the evolutionary switch of FBM neurons to become IEEs. Mammals uniquely evolved a prestin related motor system to cause shape changes in outer hair cells regulated by the IEEs. In summary, an ancient motor neuron population drives in craniates via signaling through highly conserved Chrna receptors a uniquely derived cellular contractility system that is essential for hearing in mammals.
Constraints on HIV-1 evolution and immunodominance revealed in monozygotic adult twins infected with the same virus

The predictability of virus–host interactions and disease progression in rapidly evolving human viral infections has been difficult to assess because of host and genetic viral diversity. Here we examined adaptive HIV-specific cellular and humoral immune responses and viral evolution in adult monozygotic twins simultaneously infected with the same virus. CD4 T cell counts and viral loads followed similar trajectories over three years of follow up. The initial CD8 T cell response targeted 17 epitopes, 15 of which were identical in each twin, including two immunodominant responses. By 36 months after infection, 14 of 15 initial responses were still detectable in both, whereas all new responses were subdominant and remained so. Of four responses that declined in both twins, three demonstrated mutations at the same residue. In addition, the evolving antibody responses cross-neutralized the other twin's virus, with similar changes in the pattern of evolution in the envelope gene. These results reveal considerable concordance of adaptive cellular and humoral immune responses and HIV evolution in the same genetic environment, suggesting constraints on mutational pathways to HIV immune escape.
Distributed Convergence Detection Based on Global Residual Error Under Asynchronous Iterations

Convergence of classical parallel iterations is detected by performing a reduction operation at each iteration in order to compute a residual error relative to a potential solution vector. To efficiently run asynchronous iterations, blocking communication requests are avoided, which makes it hard to isolate and handle any global vector. While some termination protocols were proposed for asynchronous iterations, only very few of them are based on global residual computation and guarantee effective convergence. But the most effective and efficient existing solutions feature two reduction operations, which constitutes an important factor of termination delay. In this paper, we present new, non-intrusive, protocols to compute a residual error under asynchronous iterations, requiring only one reduction operation. Various communication models show that some heuristics can even be introduced and formally evaluated. Extensive experiments with up to 5,600 processor cores confirm the practical effectiveness and efficiency of our approach.
Isolation of Polyvalent Bacteriophages by Sequential Multiple-Host Approaches

ABSTRACT Many studies on phage biology are based on isolation methods that may inadvertently select for narrow-host-range phages. Consequently, broad-host-range phages, whose ecological significance is largely unexplored, are consistently overlooked. To enhance research on such polyvalent phages, we developed two sequential multihost isolation methods and tested both culture-dependent and culture-independent phage libraries for broad infectivity. Lytic phages isolated from activated sludge were capable of interspecies or even interorder infectivity without a significant reduction in the efficiency of plating (0.45 to 1.15). Two polyvalent phages (PX1 of the Podoviridae family and PEf1 of the Siphoviridae family) were characterized in terms of adsorption rate (3.54 × 10−10 to 8.53 × 10−10 ml/min), latent time (40 to 55 min), and burst size (45 to 99 PFU/cell), using different hosts. These phages were enriched with a nonpathogenic host (Pseudomonas putida F1 or Escherichia coli K-12) and subsequently used to infect model problematic bacteria. By using a multiplicity of infection of 10 in bacterial challenge tests, >60% lethality was observed for Pseudomonas aeruginosa relative to uninfected controls. The corresponding lethality for Pseudomonas syringae was ∼50%. Overall, this work suggests that polyvalent phages may be readily isolated from the environment by using different sequential hosts, and this approach should facilitate the study of their ecological significance as well as enable novel applications.
Characterization of Five Fungal Endophytes Producing Cajaninstilbene Acid Isolated from Pigeon Pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.]

Five fungal endophytes (K4, K5, K6, K9, K14) producing Cajaninstilbene acid (CSA, 3-hydroxy-4-prenyl-5-methoxystilbene-2-carboxylic acid) were isolated from the roots of pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. ]. CSA is responsible for the prominent pharmacological activities in pigeon pea. The amount of CSA in culture solution varied among the five fungal endophytes. K4 produced the highest levels of CSA (1037.13 µg/L) among the endophytes tested after incubation for five days. Both morphological characteristics and molecular methods were used for species identification of fungal endophytes. The five endophytic isolates were characterized by analyzing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rRNA and β-tubulin genes. The K4, K5, K9 and K14 strains isolated from pigeon pea roots were found to be closely related to the species Fusarium oxysporum. K6 was identified as Neonectria macrodidym. The present study is the first report on the isolation and identification of fungal endophytes producing CSA in pigeon pea. The study also provides a scientific base for large scale production of CSA.
A Molecular Epidemiological Study of var Gene Diversity to Characterize the Reservoir of Plasmodium falciparum in Humans in Africa

Background The reservoir of Plasmodium infection in humans has traditionally been defined by blood slide positivity. This study was designed to characterize the local reservoir of infection in relation to the diverse var genes that encode the major surface antigen of Plasmodium falciparum blood stages and underlie the parasite's ability to establish chronic infection and transmit from human to mosquito. Methodology/Principal Findings We investigated the molecular epidemiology of the var multigene family at local sites in Gabon, Senegal and Kenya which differ in parasite prevalence and transmission intensity. 1839 distinct var gene types were defined by sequencing DBLα domains in the three sites. Only 76 (4.1%) var types were found in more than one population indicating spatial heterogeneity in var types across the African continent. The majority of var types appeared only once in the population sample. Non-parametric statistical estimators predict in each population at minimum five to seven thousand distinct var types. Similar diversity of var types was seen in sites with different parasite prevalences. Conclusions/Significance Var population genomics provides new insights into the epidemiology of P. falciparum in Africa where malaria has never been conquered. In particular, we have described the extensive reservoir of infection in local African sites and discovered a unique var population structure that can facilitate superinfection through minimal overlap in var repertoires among parasite genomes. Our findings show that var typing as a molecular surveillance system defines the extent of genetic complexity in the reservoir of infection to complement measures of malaria prevalence. The observed small scale spatial diversity of var genes suggests that var genetics could greatly inform current malaria mapping approaches and predict complex malaria population dynamics due to the import of var types to areas where no widespread pre-existing immunity in the population exists.
Cyclic Di-GMP Regulates Multiple Cellular Functions in the Symbiotic Alphaproteobacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti

ABSTRACT Sinorhizobium meliloti undergoes major lifestyle changes between planktonic states, biofilm formation, and symbiosis with leguminous plant hosts. In many bacteria, the second messenger 3′,5′-cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP, or cdG) promotes a sessile lifestyle by regulating a plethora of processes involved in biofilm formation, including motility and biosynthesis of exopolysaccharides (EPS). Here, we systematically investigated the role of cdG in S. meliloti Rm2011 encoding 22 proteins putatively associated with cdG synthesis, degradation, or binding. Single mutations in 21 of these genes did not cause evident changes in biofilm formation, motility, or EPS biosynthesis. In contrast, manipulation of cdG levels by overproducing endogenous or heterologous diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) or phosphodiesterases (PDEs) affected these processes and accumulation of N-Acyl-homoserine lactones in the culture supernatant. Specifically, individual overexpression of the S. meliloti genes pleD, SMb20523, SMb20447, SMc01464, and SMc03178 encoding putative DGCs and of SMb21517 encoding a single-domain PDE protein had an impact and resulted in increased levels of cdG. Compared to the wild type, an S. meliloti strain that did not produce detectable levels of cdG (cdG0) was more sensitive to acid stress. However, it was symbiotically potent, unaffected in motility, and only slightly reduced in biofilm formation. The SMc01790-SMc01796 locus, homologous to the Agrobacterium tumefaciens uppABCDEF cluster governing biosynthesis of a unipolarly localized polysaccharide, was found to be required for cdG-stimulated biofilm formation, while the single-domain PilZ protein McrA was identified as a cdG receptor protein involved in regulation of motility. IMPORTANCE We present the first systematic genome-wide investigation of the role of 3′,5′-cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP, or cdG) in regulation of motility, biosynthesis of exopolysaccharides, biofilm formation, quorum sensing, and symbiosis in a symbiotic alpha-rhizobial species. Phenotypes of an S. meliloti strain unable to produce cdG (cdG0) demonstrated that this second messenger is not essential for root nodule symbiosis but may contribute to acid tolerance. Our data further suggest that enhanced levels of cdG promote sessility of S. meliloti and uncovered a single-domain PilZ protein as regulator of motility.
BBA - Molecular Basis of Disease

The nuclear receptor farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is the master regulator of bile acids (BAs) homeostasis since it transcriptionally drives modulation of BA synthesis, in ﬂ ux, e ﬄ ux, and detoxi ﬁ cation along the enterohepatic axis. Due to its crucial role, FXR alterations are involved in the progression of a plethora of BAs associated in ﬂ ammatory disorders in the liver and in the gut. The involvement of the FXR pathway in cholestasis development and management has been elucidated so far with a direct role of FXR activating therapy in this condition. However, the recent identi ﬁ cation of a new type of genetic progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) linked to FXR mutations has strengthen also the bona ﬁ de bene ﬁ cial e ﬀ ects of target therapies that by-pass FXR activation, directly promoting the action of its target, namely the enterokine FGF19, in the repression of hepatic BAs synthesis with reduction of total BA levels in the liver and serum, accomplishing one of the major goals in cholestasis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled
Successful Treatment of Intestinal Mycosis Caused by a Simultaneous Infection with Lichtheimia ramosa and Aspergillus calidoustus

A 53-year-old woman was hospitalized due to septic shock after developing pneumococcal pneumonia after undergoing esophageal cancer surgery. Her transverse colon became perforated after receiving antimicrobial chemotherapy; therefore, emergency subtotal colectomy was performed. Fungi detected in both her colon tissue and a drainage sample indicated intestinal mucormycosis. Early intensive treatment with high-dose liposomal amphotericin B was successful, and she was subsequently discharged from the hospital. The fungal isolates were identified to be Lichtheimia ramosa and Aspergillus calidoustus via gene sequencing using panfungal primers as well as species-specific primers against elongation factor 1 and beta-tubulin for detecting Lichtheimia and Aspergillus, respectively.
Envelope tracking power amplifier with static predistortion linearization

An efficiency enhanced power amplifier is presented. The amplifier uses envelope tracking (ET) technique and static predistortion to achieve high linearity. The effects of drain voltage modulation to experimental amplifier's gain, phase as well as bandwidth are measured using simple single-tone tests and discussed. Then the amplifier's ET performance is evaluated. The complete envelope tracking system uses 16 QAM modulated 1 MHz bandwidth signals. The amplifier's single-tone power added efficiency (PAE) was measured to be 38% with 20 dBm output power and average PAE for 16 QAM was 39% with average output power of 20 dBm. The amplifier achieved roughly 25 dBc ACPR, which improved to roughly 50 dBc after adding predistortion.