Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lack of BIC and microRNA miR‐155 expression in primary cases of Burkitt lymphoma

We previously demonstrated high expression of primary‐microRNA BIC (pri‐miR‐155) in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and lack of expression in most non‐Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes including some Burkitt lymphoma (BL) cases. Recently, high expression of BIC was reported in BL in comparison to pediatric leukemia and normal peripheral‐blood samples. In this study, we extended our series of BL cases and cell lines to examine expression of BIC using RNA in situ hybridization (ISH) and quantitative RT‐PCR (qRT‐PCR) and of miR‐155 using Northern blotting. Both BIC RNA ISH and qRT‐PCR revealed no or low levels of BIC in 25 BL tissue samples [including 7 Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)–positive cases] compared to HL and normal controls. In agreement with these findings, no miR‐155 was observed in BL tissues. EBV‐negative and EBV latency type I BL cell lines also showed very low BIC and miR‐155 expression levels as compared to HL cell lines. Higher levels of BIC and miR‐155 were detected in in vitro transformed lymphoblastoid EBV latency type III BL cell lines. An association of latency type III infection and induction of BIC was supported by consistent expression of BIC in 11 and miR‐155 in 2 posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) cases. In summary, we demonstrated that expression of BIC and miR‐155 is not a common finding in BL. Expression of BIC and miR‐155 in 3 latency type III EBV–positive BL cell lines and in all primary PTLD cases suggests a possible role for EBV latency type III specific proteins in the induction of BIC expression. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
IGFBP-3 reduces eNOS and PKCzeta phosphorylation, leading to lowered VEGF levels

Purpose In models of diabetic retinopathy, insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) is protective to the retina, especially retinal microvascular endothelial cells (RECs), but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. For this study, we hypothesized that IGFBP-3 may reduce vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels through reduced endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity, which may be protective against macular edema. Methods To test this hypothesis, we grew primary human retinal endothelial cells in normal glucose (5 mM) or high glucose (25 mM) for three days, treated with IGFBP-3 NB plasmid (a plasmid of IGFBP-3 that cannot bind IGF-1), followed by western blotting for eNOS, protein kinase C zeta (PKCzeta), and VEGF. Additionally, we treated some cells with recombinant eNOS or PKCzeta, after IGFBP-3 NB plasmid transfection to validate that these pathways regulate VEGF levels. Immunoprecipitation experiments were done with the eNOS antibody, followed by western blotting for PKCzeta, to determine if eNOS and PKCzeta interact directly. Results Our results suggest that 1) IGFBP-3 inhibits the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and protein kinase C zeta (PKCzeta) pathway, which in turn inhibits VEGF production, and 2) that eNOS plays a role in activating PKCzeta to increase VEGF levels in diabetic retinopathy. Conclusions In conclusion, IGFBP-3 may be a novel treatment for macular edema through the inhibition of eNOS and PKCzeta activation, leading to reduced VEGF levels.
0.7–1.0-GHz Reconfigurable Bandpass-to-Bandstop Filter With Selectable 2- and 4-Pole Responses

A 0.7-1.0-GHz reconfigurable bandpass-to-bandstop filter with selectable 2- and 4-pole responses is presented. The proposed filter can act as a 2- or 4-pole bandpass or bandstop filter by changing the coupling paths using zero-value coupling coefficients. The 4-pole bandpass filter mode also includes bandwidth control. The filter is built on a Duroid substrate with ε r=10.2 and h=25 mil. The center frequency tuning, as well as the bandpass-to-bandstop transformation and the selection of the number of poles are achieved using silicon varactor diodes and RF microelectromechanical systems switches. In the 2- and 4-pole bandpass modes, an insertion loss of 4.9-2.9 and 6.1-4.8 dB is measured at 0.71-0.99 and 0.72-1.01 GHz, respectively. The 4-pole bandpass mode also shows a bandwidth tuning of 28-85 MHz at 0.9 GHz. In the 2- and 4-pole bandstop modes, rejection levels of 24-28 and 32-41 dB are measured at 0.64-0.96 and 0.71-0.96 GHz, respectively. The application areas are in reconfigurable filters for wideband radios under high interference environments.
An access optimization algorithm for cognitive networks with imperfect spectrum sensing

Spectrum sensing has a major effect on spectrum access of cognitive networks. In the paper, considering imperfect spectrum sensing, opportunistic spectrum access (OSA) optimization is researched. Spectrum occupancy and spectrum sensing activity are modeled and analyzed with Markov process first, by which the no-collision probability between primary and secondary users at each channel is derived. Then a cross-layer performance index termed effective transmission capacity (ETC) is introduced by combining the no-collision probability at the MAC layer with the channel capacity at the physical layer. Under the criteria to maximize the ETC of secondary networks subject to a collision probability constraint, an access optimization model is proposed, which leads to an optimal OSA algorithm. The maximum ETC obtained by secondary users is therefore calculated. Simulation results indicate that the proposed OSA algorithm can enhance the achievable ETC of secondary networks.
Stout: An Adaptive Interface to Scalable Cloud Storage

Many of today's applications are delivered as scalable, multi-tier services deployed in large data centers. These services frequently leverage shared, scale-out, key-value storage layers that can deliver low latency under light workloads, but may exhibit significant queuing delay and even dropped requests under high load. Stout is a system that helps these applications adapt to variation in storage-layer performance by treating scalable key-value storage as a shared resource requiring congestion control. Under light workloads, applications using Stout send requests to the store immediately, minimizing delay. Under heavy workloads, Stout automatically batches the application's requests together before sending them to the store, resulting in higher throughput and preventing queuing delay. We show experimentally that Stout's adaptation algorithm converges to an appropriate batch size for workloads that require the batch size to vary by over two orders of magnitude. Compared to a non-adaptive strategy optimized for throughput, Stout delivers over 34× lower latency under light workloads; compared to a non-adaptive strategy optimized for latency, Stout can scale to over 3× as many requests.
Blocking of iron uptake by monoclonal antibodies specific for the Neisseria meningitidis transferrin-binding protein 2.

The existence of epitopes common to different strains in the Neisseria meningitidis transferrin (Tf)-binding protein 2 (TBP2), combined with the ability of polyclonal anti-TBP2 antibodies to inhibit Tf binding and block iron uptake in this species, led to this study on the effect of anti-TBP1+2 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to determine the presence of epitopes inside the Tf-binding region. All MAbs used reacted exclusively with the homologous strain when tested by dot-blots of outer membrane vesicles, with the reaction being specific for TBP2 after SDS-PAGE and electroblotting. In contrast, ELISA and iron-uptake blocking assays were also positive with heterologous strains belonging to Rokbi's group II (high mol.wt TBP2). The results confirmed the two group classification proposed by Rokbi and, in contrast to other studies, indicated the existence of epitopes in the Tf-binding region that are common only to strains of Rokbi's group II. These epitopes may become denatured after drying for dot-blot assays or after SDS-PAGE and electroblotting.
A compact and power-efficient CMOS battery charger for implantable devices

A compact and accurate CMOS charger that exhibits a smooth passage from constant-current (CC) to constant-voltage (CV) regulation loops is introduced. Since both CC- and CV-modes are performed with a sole power-FET, area-efficiency is achieved. The loops also share a unity-gain driving stage at the output of respective error amplifiers. The feedback path through this output stage is determined by a continuous transition of an analog signal, so that no sharp commutation between CC and CV loops takes place, preventing the battery from overcharging. The circuit is oriented for Li-ion batteries in implanted devices and its concept has been gauged by a set of PSPICE simulations based on 0. 35μm CMOS process parameters. The dual-loop system exhibits inherent stability when driving the battery impedance. Considering a 350mAh cell, the circuit delivers constant currents of 35mA and 350mA, through a 250mΩ-power FET. Upon CV-mode, the battery voltage is accurately regulated to 4.104V, with σ = 1.23mV. End of charge (EoC) is detected when the battery current falls to 17.5mA. The charger works from a 4.4V supply, with overall power efficiency of 68.9% and 93.1%, at beginning and end of CC-region, respectively. A deep-depleted cell is fully charged within 2h.
A new starting method of BLDC motors without position sensor

This work presents a novel method to detect the rotor position of the brushless DC (BLDC) motor of a hard disk drive (HDD) at standstill and a start-up method to accelerate the rotor up to a certain speed where the conventional position sensorless control methods based on the back EMF could work reasonably. The proposed initial rotor position estimation method is suitable to avoid the temporary reverse rotation or the starting failure of HDD. The principle of the estimation is based on the variation of the current response caused by the magnetic saturation of the stator core of BLDC motor when the current flows along the magnetic axis. This method can be implemented using only one current sensor at DC link of the inverter, that is prerequisite for HDD drive. It does not depend on the model of the motor, and it is robust to motor parameter variations. By the proposed method, it is demonstrated experimentally that a stable starting can be achieved even with severe mechanical disturbance.
A low-device-count single-stage direct-power-conversion solar microinverter for microgrid

This paper covers the design and analysis of a compact inverter for photovoltaic (PV) and fuel-cell applications. The inverter is made up of two isolated Ćuk converters working differentially to create a 60-Hz sinusoidal output. This enables direct dc/ac conversion with low device count and yields a simple drive-circuitry. This configuration will lower converter cost and size and can achieve an estimated efficiency of ≥ 95%. Key topics covered in this paper include analysis of the inverter topology and its design.
OSDC: adapting ODC for developing more secure software

Software defect data provide an invaluable source of information for developers, testers and so forth. A concise view of a software profile, its development process, and their relationships can be systematically extracted and analyzed to deduce adequate corrective measures based on previously discovered weaknesses. This kind of approach is being widely used in various projects to improve the quality of a software system. This paper builds on top of the orthogonal defect classification (ODC) scheme to provide a structured security-specific defect classification. We perform a detailed analysis on the classified data and obtain in-process feedback so that the next version of the software can be more secure and reliable. We experimented our customized methodology on Firefox and Chrome defect repositories using six consecutive versions and milestones, respectively. We found that in-process feedback can help development team to take corrective actions as early as possible. We also studied the correlations between software defect types and software development lifecycle to understand development improvement.
A hybrid evolutionary approach for optimal fuzzy classifier design

One of the important issues in the design of fuzzy classifier is the formation of fuzzy if-then rules and the membership functions. This paper presents a Niched Pareto Genetic Algorithm (NPGA) approach to obtain the optimal rule-set and the membership function. To develop the fuzzy system the rule set and the membership functions are encoded into the chromosome and evolved simultaneously using NPGA. The performance of the proposed approach is demonstrated through development of fuzzy classifier for Iris data available in the UCI machine learning repository. From the simulation study, it is found that that NPGA produces a fuzzy classifier which has minimum number of rules and high classification accuracy compared with the existing methods.
Risk factors for colorectal cancer in man induce aberrant crypt foci in rats: Preliminary findings

ABSTRACT Epidemiological studies have demonstrated clear associations between specific dietary and environmental risk factors and incidence of colorectal cancer, but the mechanisms responsible for these associations are not known. An animal model could facilitate such an understanding. Both genotoxic and nongenotoxic carcinogens induce aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in the colons of F344 rats. F344 rats were provided with diets that contained putative risk factors for CRC: low calcium and low vitamin D, high iron, high fructose, and decreased light (UV) exposure or a control diet for 14 wk. The rats were then assessed with biochemical measures and by topological examination for evidence of colon abnormalities. Circulating ionized calcium was decreased from 2.85 to 1.69 mmol/L, and ACF were increased from 0.7 to 13.6 lesions/colon (both P < 0.001). Rats exposed to the multiple environmental conditions associated with colon cancer, developed ACF similar to the heterogeneous or ill-defined ACF in the human colon. Heterogeneous ACF are the most frequently seen in humans and are also seen in rats shortly after exposure to the non-genotoxic colon carcinogen, dextransulfate sodium. The rodent model could be used to assess the pathways from diet and environment to colon cancer and to provide guidance for clinical studies.
Welldefinedness and Expressiveness of JML Specifications

class B { /∗@ public normal behavior @ ensures (\forall A a; \allocated(a); ! a.m()); @ pure @∗/ abstract void n(); } B.n indirectly specifies A.m. However, if rule 2 is enforced and B.n is called in a specification, it provably does not indirectly specify A.m. This rule does not prevent indirect specification. However, it defines a safe use of specifications that prevents indirect specification. 2.4 Sound Verification Now that we have modularity, we address soundness. In program verification, we want to show that the implementation of a class C is correct, i.e. the program will perform according to its specification, i.e. for every program run all method invocations i are correct:
The Euro Trap: On Bursting Bubbles, Budgets, and Beliefs

This book offers a critical assessment of the history of the euro, its crisis, and the rescue measures taken by the European Central Bank and the community of states. The euro induced huge capital flows from the northern to the southern countries of the Eurozone that triggered an inflationary credit bubble in the latter, deprived them of their competitiveness, and made them vulnerable to the financial crisis that spilled over from the US in 2007 and 2008. As private capital shied away from the southern countries, the ECB helped out by providing credit from the local money-printing presses. The ECB became heavily exposed to investment risks in the process, and subsequently had to be bailed out by intergovernmental rescue operations that provided replacement credit for the ECB credit, which itself had replaced the dwindling private credit. The interventions stretched the legal strictures stipulated by the Maastricht Treaty which, in the absence of a European federal state, had granted the ECB a very limited mandate. These interventions created a path dependency that effectively made parliaments vicarious agents of the ECB's Governing Council. This book describes what the author considers to be a dangerous political process that undermines both the market economy and democracy, without solving southern Europe's competitiveness problem. It argues that the Eurozone has to rethink its rules of conduct by limiting the role of the ECB, exiting the regime of soft budget constraints and writing off public and bank debt to help the crisis countries breathe again. At the same time, the Eurosystem should become more flexible by offering its members the option of exiting and re-entering the euro - something between the dollar and the Bretton Woods system - until it eventually turns into a federation with a strong political power centre and a uniform currency like the dollar.
Genetic algorithms in chemometrics

This review covers the application of Genetic Algorithms (GAs) in Chemometrics. The first applications of GAs in chemistry date back to the 1970s, and in the last decades, they have been more and more frequently used to solve different kinds of problems, for example, when the objective functions do not possess properties such as continuity, differentiability, and so on. These algorithms maintain and manipulate a family, or population, of solutions and implement a “survival of the fittest” strategy in their search for better solutions. GAs are very useful in the optimization and variable selection in modeling and calibration because of the strong effect of the relationship between presence/absence of variables in a calibration model and the prediction ability of the model itself. This review is not a complete summary of the applications of GAs to chemometric problems; its goal is rather to show the researchers the main fields of application of GAs, together with providing a list of references on the subject. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Information Processing of Foreign Exchange News: Extending the Overshooting Model to Include Qualitative Information from News Sentiment

In a globalized world, the volume of international trade is based on both import and export prices, thereby making a country's economy highly dependent on exchange rates. In order to study exchange rate movements, one frequently exploits the so-called Dornbusch overshooting model. However, the model is controversial from a theoretical point of view: it presupposes the processing of information, though this is not directly reflected by the underlying variables. As a remedy, this paper investigates a potential information bias by including textual news content, thus adjusting for information dissemption. As such, we perform a multivariate analysis to compare the classical overshooting model with an extended variant that includes news sentiment. Our results show that news has a substantial explanatory power of 11% of the exchange rate forecasting error variance. In addition, we also find statistical evidence that a shock in news sentiment could lead to overshooting.
E-Satisfaction--A Comprehensive Framework

As more and more e-retailers promise their customers that online experiences will be satisfying ones, understanding what creates a satisfying customer experience becomes crucial. Even though this understanding appears crucial, no studies have comprehensively examined the factors that make consumers satisfied with their e-retailing experiences. To partly fill this void, the author examines the role that consumer perceptions of online convenience, merchandising, serviceability, site design, and financial security play in e- satisfaction assessment. And finds that convenience, site design, and security are the dominant factors in consumer assessments of e-satisfaction.
Mining Group Movement Patterns for Tracking Moving Objects Efficiently

Existing object tracking applications focus on finding the moving patterns of a single object or all objects. In contrast, we propose a distributed mining algorithm that identifies a group of objects with similar movement patterns. This information is important in some biological research domains, such as the study of animals' social behavior and wildlife migration. The proposed algorithm comprises a local mining phase and a cluster ensembling phase. In the local mining phase, the algorithm finds movement patterns based on local trajectories. Then, based on the derived patterns, we propose a new similarity measure to compute the similarity of moving objects and identify the local group relationships. To address the energy conservation issue in resource-constrained environments, the algorithm only transmits the local grouping results to the sink node for further ensembling. In the cluster ensembling phase, our algorithm combines the local grouping results to derive the group relationships from a global view. We further leverage the mining results to track moving objects efficiently. The results of experiments show that the proposed mining algorithm achieves good grouping quality, and the mining technique helps reduce the energy consumption by reducing the amount of data to be transmitted.
Definition and Categorization of Dew Computing

Dew computing is an emerging new research area and has great potentials in applications. In this paper, we propose a revised definition of dew computing. The new definition is: Dew computing is an on-premises computer software-hardware organization paradigm in the cloud computing environment where the on-premises computer provides functionality that is independent of cloud services and is also collaborative with cloud services. The goal of dew computing is to fully realize the potentials of on-premises computers and cloud services. This definition emphasizes two key features of dew computing: independence and collaboration. Furthermore, we propose a group of dew computing categories. These categories may inspire new applications.