Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetics and pathogenesis of malignant hyperthermia

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a potentially life‐threatening event in response to anesthetic triggering agents, with symptoms of sustained uncontrolled skeletal muscle calcium homeostasis resulting in organ and systemic failure. Susceptibility to MH, an autosomal dominant trait, may be associated with congenital myopathies, but in the majority of the cases, no clinical signs of disease are visible outside of anesthesia. For diagnosis, a functional test on skeletal muscle biopsy, the in vitro contracture test (IVCT), is performed. Over 50% of the families show linkage of the IVCT phenotype to the gene encoding the skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor and over 20 mutations therein have been described. At least five other loci have been defined implicating greater genetic heterogeneity than previously assumed, but so far only one further gene encoding the main subunit of the voltage‐gated dihydropyridine receptor has a confirmed role in MH. As a result of extensive research on the mechanisms of excitation‐contraction coupling and recent functional characterization of several disease‐causing mutations in heterologous expression systems, much is known today about the molecular etiology of MH. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 23: 4–17, 2000
Insulin-like growth factor-1 regulates the SIRT1-p53 pathway in cellular senescence

Cellular senescence, which is known to halt proliferation of aged and stressed cells, plays a key role against cancer development and is also closely associated with organismal aging. While increased insulin‐like growth factor (IGF) signaling induces cell proliferation, survival and cancer progression, disrupted IGF signaling is known to enhance longevity concomitantly with delay in aging processes. The molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of aging by IGF signaling and whether IGF regulates cellular senescence are still poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that IGF‐1 exerts a dual function in promoting cell proliferation as well as cellular senescence. While acute IGF‐1 exposure promotes cell proliferation and is opposed by p53, prolonged IGF‐1 treatment induces premature cellular senescence in a p53‐dependent manner. We show that prolonged IGF‐1 treatment inhibits SIRT1 deacetylase activity, resulting in increased p53 acetylation as well as p53 stabilization and activation, thus leading to premature cellular senescence. In addition, either expression of SIRT1 or inhibition of p53 prevented IGF‐1‐induced premature cellular senescence. Together, these findings suggest that p53 acts as a molecular switch in monitoring IGF‐1‐induced proliferation and premature senescence, and suggest a possible molecular connection involving IGF‐1‐SIRT1‐p53 signaling in cellular senescence and aging.
Reaftime Decision Making on EO4 Using Onboard Science Analysis

Recent autonomy experiments conducted on Earth Observing 1 (EO-1) using the Autonomous Sciencecrafi Experimezt (ME) flight s o h m e has been used to classify key features in hjgperspectral images captured by EO-1. Futhermore, anaiysis is performed by t h ~ software onboard EO-1 and then used to modi@ the operational plan without interaction from the ground. T’hs paper will o m h e the ovaall operations concept a d protide some details and examples ofthe onboard science processing, science analysis, and replaiiing.
A Life Style Based Friend Recommendation System

: The friend recommendation system in social sites will recommend friends based on geographical locations or number of mutual friends or pages they liked in common. This may not suits the user’s preference or the user recommended to another user may hate each other in real life. This system is a friend recommendation system where the users will be recommended to the other user based on their lifestyles. The lifestyle of a user will be derived using user’s activities using Latent Dirichlet Allocation method. The lifestyle of the each user will be compared with the other user to find the similarities. This will return the user with high similarity values. The user value ranking will be given to each user by the other user who are recommended. The average of the rank will be calculated for each user and the value rank will be used in recommending the friends to a user. This system can be implemented in Android smartphones for implementation and the system can be used in social sites to improve the friend recommendation system
INTRINSIC EVOLUTION OF ANALOG ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS USING A CMOS FPTA CHIP

This paper surveys the research on intrinsic evolution of analog electronic circuits done at the University of Heidelberg. The aims of the project are discussed with reference to the related fields of evolvable hardware and analog design automation. A Field Programmable Transistor Array (FPTA) is used as the substrate for the artificial evolution process. It consists of 16 16 transistor cells fabricated in a 0:6 µm CMOS process. Static as well as dynamic properties of the programmable transistor array are estimated by characterization measure- ments of the chip. The chip is embedded in an evolution system consisting of a PC running the evolutionary algorithm and a PCI card that connects the PC to the FPTA and provides the con- version between digital and analog signals. As case studies the quasi dc behavior of different logic gates as well as a Gaussian output characteristic are evolved.
Design and Production Aspects of an Electroluminescent Segment Display

The purpose of this study was to get a better understanding of the different ways printed circuits could be constructed and then implemented into creative, visual designs for printed electroluminescent displays. A variety of circuit design variables, such as area and length, were tested that will help create solutions for printed electronics. This study tested different variables of circuit design, such as length of silver traces and the size of the image area, to help optimize ways to build a printed circuit. Then, findings were implemented into a segmented graphic display in order to analyze innovative ways to utilize multiple displays in a small area. Results found that there are a variety of recommendations that can be considered when designing an electroluminescent segment display. However, future testing can be done to develop wiring the power supply to the design. 3 Acknowledgements We would like to thank both the California Polytechnic State University Graphic Communication and Electrical Engineering Departments for the knowledge and support in completing this senior project. The education and skills gained while working on this project are invaluable. Also, thank you for the donations and resources provided to make this experiment possible. A special thank you to our advisor, Professor Xiaoying Rong, for her guidance and patience with us. Without her magic touch we would never have been able to complete the experiment. Thank you for the countless hours of work and knowledge you shared with us. Finally, thank you to my senior project partner for being on top of his work throughout the entire process and making it a lasting memory.
Japanese-English paraphrase corpus

This paper introduces an attempt at collecting a corpus of various usages of Japanese predicates and synonymous expressions in English. We have learned that an effective consideration to exhaustively collect such various usages is to continue to create new sentences until no more sentences can be conceived within one language. We have found that an effective way of collecting synonymous expressions of predicates in JapaneseEnglish or English-Japanese translation, is to create translations of the synonymous expressions and expand them to example sets of multiple pairs. An example of the corpus is given below: J0 Kare-no kikaku-ga atatta. his plan hit “his plan was a success” J1 Kare-no kikaku-ga seko-shita. his plan succeeded “his plan succeeded” E0 His plan was a success. E1 His plan succeded. E2 His plan was successful. Here, the two Japanese sentences and three English sentences have basically the same meaning, and give rise to a bilingual corpus of six pairs (J0-E0, J0E1, J0-E2, J1-E0, J1-E1, J1-E2). The sentences can also be used as examples of mono-lingual paraphrases. Sentence creation becomes problematic when sentences that are collected are arbitrary. However, we can reduce the possibility of collecting only arbitrary sentences by writing down all of the sentences that one can think of, or by having multiple checkers mutually perform a check. In other words, we can have the same objectivity as elicitation experiments carried out in linguistics. We have created example sets of multiple pairs (28,000 Japanese sentences and 27,000 English sentences) for 6,000 Japanese predicates. At present, we are working to expand the sets in order to cover the main predicates of the Japanese language.
Methods for Applying Accurate Digital PCR Analysis on Low Copy DNA Samples

Digital PCR (dPCR) is a highly accurate molecular approach, capable of precise measurements, offering a number of unique opportunities. However, in its current format dPCR can be limited by the amount of sample that can be analysed and consequently additional considerations such as performing multiplex reactions or pre-amplification can be considered. This study investigated the impact of duplexing and pre-amplification on dPCR analysis by using three different assays targeting a model template (a portion of the Arabidopsis thaliana alcohol dehydrogenase gene). We also investigated the impact of different template types (linearised plasmid clone and more complex genomic DNA) on measurement precision using dPCR. We were able to demonstrate that duplex dPCR can provide a more precise measurement than uniplex dPCR, while applying pre-amplification or varying template type can significantly decrease the precision of dPCR. Furthermore, we also demonstrate that the pre-amplification step can introduce measurement bias that is not consistent between experiments for a sample or assay and so could not be compensated for during the analysis of this data set. We also describe a model for estimating the prevalence of molecular dropout and identify this as a source of dPCR imprecision. Our data have demonstrated that the precision afforded by dPCR at low sample concentration can exceed that of the same template post pre-amplification thereby negating the need for this additional step. Our findings also highlight the technical differences between different templates types containing the same sequence that must be considered if plasmid DNA is to be used to assess or control for more complex templates like genomic DNA.
Hodnotenie bádateľských zručností žiakov gymnázia

Badateľsky orientovane vzdelavanie (BOV) patri v poslednom obdobi k najcastejsie skloňovaným pojmom v suvislosti s inovaciou prirodovedneho vzdelavania. Cieľom BOV je okrem konceptualneho porozumenia aj rozvoj žiackych zrucnosti realizovať badanie a vyhodnocovať jeho výsledky. Prezentovaný výskum je zameraný na diagnostikovanie aktualnej urovne rozvoja vybraných badateľských zrucnosti žiakov gymnazia. Vychadzajuc z dostupných testov bol na zaklade klasiﬁkacie badateľských zrucnosti vytvorený test badateľských zrucnosti. Testove ulohy urcene na posudenie urovne zrucnosti planovať postup experimentu (identiﬁkovať premenne a ich vzťah), transformovať výsledky do grafu, urcovať vzťahy medzi premennými, identiﬁkovať možne zdroje chýb a obhajovať výsledky a argumentovať, su vsadene do matematickeho, fyzikalneho alebo informatickeho kontextu. Test bol zodpovedaný vzorkou 751 žiakov 1. a 2. rocnika niekoľkých gymnazii na Slovensku. Kvantitativna analýza výsledkov testovania ukazala nizku priemernu uspesnosť žiakov v celom teste (32,5 %) ako aj v jednotlivých testových ulohach pohybujucu sa približne v rozmedzi 8–50 %. Zo statistickeho testovania vyplynulo, že medzi výsledkami žiakov 1. a 2. rocnika nebol významný rozdiel, zatiaľ co výsledky chlapcov boli lepsie ako výsledky dievcat. Podrobna kvalitativna analýza odhalila mnohe nedostatky, ktore sa najvýraznejsie prejavili v oblasti analýzy a interpretacie výsledkov a žiackych argumentacných zrucnosti.
A Survey of Methods for Moving Least Squares Surfaces

Moving least squares (MLS) surfaces representation directly defines smooth surfaces from point cloud data, on which the differential geometric properties of point set can be conveniently estimated. Nowadays, the MLS surfaces have been widely applied in the processing and rendering of point-sampled models and increasingly adopted as the standard definition of point set surfaces. We classify the MLS surface algorithms into two types: projection MLS surfaces and implicit MLS surfaces, according to employing a stationary projection or a scalar field in their definitions. Then, the properties and constrains of the MLS surfaces are analyzed. After presenting its applications, we summarize the MLS surfaces definitions in a generic form and give the outlook of the future work at last.
Cerebral and behavioural assymetries in animal social recognition

Evidence is here summarized that animal species belonging to distant taxa show forms of social recognition, a sophisticated cognitive ability adaptive in most social interactions. The paper then proceeds to review evidence of functional lateralization for this cognitive ability. The main focus of this review is evidence obtained in domestic chickens, the animal model employed in the authors’ laboratories, but we also discuss comparisons with data from species ranging from fishes, amphib ians and reptiles, to other birds and mammals. A consistent pattern emerges, pointing toward a right hemisphere dominance, in particular for discrimination of social companions and individual (or familiarity-based) recognition, whereas the left hemisphere could be specialized for “category-based” distinctions (e.g., conspecifics versus heterospecifics). This pattern of results is discussed in relation to a more general specialization and processing styles of the two sides of the brain, with the right hemisphere predisposed for developing a detailed, global and contextual representation of objects, and the left hemisphere predisposed for rapid assignment of a stimulus to a category, for processing releaser stimuli and for control of responses.
Not Dead Yet : Viability of Multicast for Content Delivery

Multicast has always been designed with content delivery in mind, providing an efficient distribution transport. Expectations were for it to become the standard. However, today it is still not ready for prime time, with limited penetration, with few end users being able to access multicast content. Meanwhile, peer to peer technologies have skyrocketed, becoming the popular method for content. Some doom multicast to death by atrophy. In this paper, we aim to show that its demise is premature; rather, the advent of highbandwidth end-system access points may precipitate the true rise of multicast, pushing it to the critical mass en route to a more global deployment.
A Fair-Rank Ant Colony Algorithm in Distributed Mass Storage System

In general, a distributed mass storage system is composed of a large number of computing nodes and storage nodes, allowing users to access resources transparently, without knowing where the resources are physically located. For every storage request, the storage system scheduler chooses several storage nodes from the entire storage system in order to organize a substorage system. This kind of scheduling is an NP-hard problem; to achieve the storage system's promising potential, this paper proposes a virtual subsystem quality of service scheduling model and a fair-rank ant colony algorithm. The algorithm provides special incentives to the scheduling results that include new nodes, so the new nodes will have more opportunities to participate in the scheduling system. Tests show that this algorithm performs better in the fairness and load balance than the ant colony algorithm.
Estimated Drug Overdose Deaths Averted by North America's First Medically-Supervised Safer Injection Facility

Background Illicit drug overdose remains a leading cause of premature mortality in urban settings worldwide. We sought to estimate the number of deaths potentially averted by the implementation of a medically supervised safer injection facility (SIF) in Vancouver, Canada. Methodology/Principal Findings The number of potentially averted deaths was calculated using an estimate of the local ratio of non-fatal to fatal overdoses. Inputs were derived from counts of overdose deaths by the British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency and non-fatal overdose rates from published estimates. Potentially-fatal overdoses were defined as events within the SIF that required the provision of naloxone, a 911 call or an ambulance. Point estimates and 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI) were calculated using a Monte Carlo simulation. Between March 1, 2004 and July 1, 2008 there were 1004 overdose events in the SIF of which 453 events matched our definition of potentially fatal. In 2004, 2005 and 2006 there were 32, 37 and 38 drug-induced deaths in the SIF's neighbourhood. Owing to the wide range of non-fatal overdose rates reported in the literature (between 5% and 30% per year) we performed sensitivity analyses using non-fatal overdose rates of 50, 200 and 300 per 1,000 person years. Using these model inputs, the number of averted deaths were, respectively: 50.9 (95% CI: 23.6–78.1); 12.6 (95% CI: 9.6–15.7); 8.4 (95% CI: 6.5–10.4) during the study period, equal to 1.9 to 11.7 averted deaths per annum. Conclusions/Significance Based on a conservative estimate of the local ratio of non-fatal to fatal overdoses, the potentially fatal overdoses in the SIF during the study period could have resulted in between 8 and 51 deaths had they occurred outside the facility, or from 6% to 37% of the total overdose mortality burden in the neighborhood during the study period. These data should inform the ongoing debates over the future of the pilot project.
The function of the soluble interleukin 6 (IL-6) receptor in vivo: sensitization of human soluble IL-6 receptor transgenic mice towards IL- 6 and prolongation of the plasma half-life of IL-6

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is considered an important mediator of acute inflammatory responses. Moreover, IL-6 functions as a differentiation and growth factor of hematopoietic precursor cells, B cells, T cells, keratinocytes, neuronal cells, osteoclasts, and endothelial cells. IL-6 exhibits its action via a receptor complex consisting of a specific IL- 6 receptor (IL-6R) and a signal transducing subunit (gp130). Soluble forms of both receptor components are generated by shedding and are found in patients with various diseases such as acquired immune deficiency syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and others. The function of the soluble (s)IL-6R in vivo is unknown. Since human (h)IL-6 acts on human and murine target cells, but murine IL-6 on murine cells only, we constructed transgenic mice expressing the hsIL-6R. We report here that in the presence of hsIL-6R, mice are hypersensitized towards hIL-6, mounting an acute phase protein gene induction at significantly lower IL-6 dosages compared to control animals. Furthermore, in hsIL-6R transgenic mice, the detected acute phase response persists for a longer period of time. The IL-6/IL-6R complex prolongs markedly the Il- 6 plasma half-life. Our results reinforce the role of the hsIL-6R as an agonistic protein, help to understand the function of the hsIL-6R in vivo, and highlight the significance of the receptor in the induction of the acute phase response.
Over-enhancement Reduction in Local Histogram Equalization using its Degrees of Freedom

A well-known issue of local (adaptive) histogram equalization (LHE) is over-enhancement (i.e., generation of spurious details) in homogenous areas of the image. In this paper, we show that the LHE problem has many solutions due to the ambiguity in ranking pixels with the same intensity. The LHE solution space can be searched for the images having the maximum PSNR or structural similarity (SSIM) with the input image. As compared to the results of the prior art, these solutions are more similar to the input image while offering the same local contrast. Index Terms: histogram modification or specification, contrast enhancement
MODEL-BASED OPTIMIZATION OF THE OPERATION PROCEDURE OF AN EMULSIFICATION PROCESS

This work addresses the model-based optimization of the operation procedure of an emulsification process using a stirred vessel in combination with a colloid mill and a recycle. The computation of input trajectories (i.e. the stirrer and rotor speed in time), for reaching a certain predefined drop size distribution in minimal time, is studied. It is argued that gradient based optimization techniques do not give satisfactorily results for this optimization problem. In Stork et al. (2002) the optimization of an emulsification process using a stirred vessel only is studied. In the suggested approach the original minimum time problem is approximated as a Mixed Integer Linear Program (MILP). The solution of the MILP is a good solution of the original optimization problem. In this work this approach is extended to the optimization of the operation procedure of the total system. An optimization study shows the feasibility of the approach and it illustrates the benefit of using model-based optimization for improving the operation procedure of emulsification.
Some Iconoclastic Thoughts on the Effectiveness of Simplified Notices and Icons for Informing Individuals as Proposed in Article 12(1) and (7) GDPR

This article critically examines the effectiveness of the requirement to introduce simplified language in privacy notices (Article 12(1) GDPR) and standardised icons (Article 12(7) GDPR) in the context of informed consent for the processing of personal data. In this context, a distinction between individual and systemic issues is introduced: The former denotes problems with individuals’ cognition, and decision-making; the latter encompasses problems of the organization of the wider system underlying the informed consent requirement in the online environment and the resulting constraints that negatively affect individuals. The importance of the distinction between individual and systemic issues lies in the fact that it draws a line between, one the one hand, the issues that - under ideal circumstances - could be tackled by the proposed measures and, on the other hand, issues that are unaffected by the introduction of the proposed measures, regardless of how they are implemented. Hence, it is claimed that the envisioned push to provide better information to individuals through the use of icons and simplified language in notices only aids in ameliorating the negative effects of individual issues – and this is only in a best-case scenario. At the same time, systemic issues are not affected by the introduction of these measures.
Pos-tagging different varieties of Occitan with single-dialect resources

In this study, we tackle the question of pos-tagging written Occitan, a lesser-resourced language with multiple dialects each containing several varieties. For pos-tagging, we use a supervised machine learning approach, requiring annotated training and evaluation corpora and optionally a lexicon, all of which were prepared as part of the study. Although we evaluate two dialects of Occitan, Lengadocian and Gascon, the training material and lexicon concern only Lengadocian. We concluded that reasonable results (> 89% accuracy) are possible with a very limited training corpus (2500 tokens), as long as it is compensated by intensive use of the lexicon. Results are much lower across dialects, and pointers are provided for improvement. Finally, we compare the relative contribution of more training material vs. a larger lexicon, and conclude that within our configuration, spending effort on lexicon construction yields higher returns.