Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Is the Grass Really Greener?

The motives, behaviour, treatment and fate of parties which, rather than joining governments provide them with a working legislative majority, are not well studied. In the light of coalition theory, we explore these issues by way of observation research on New Zealand's Green Party - since 1999 a support party to a minority centre-left government. We isolate three factors important in coming to this type of arrangement - ideology, calculation and the institutional environment - all mediated by party system variation. The relative importance of each factor, however, is less significant than the links and trade-offs between and within them. We go on to show how non-institutionalized support arrangements are unlikely to be `win-win' situations, leading to frustrations which themselves may become a factor in the decision to support or join after the next election.
Structural and Biochemical Basis for Development of Influenza Virus Inhibitors Targeting the PA Endonuclease

Emerging influenza viruses are a serious threat to human health because of their pandemic potential. A promising target for the development of novel anti-influenza therapeutics is the PA protein, whose endonuclease activity is essential for viral replication. Translation of viral mRNAs by the host ribosome requires mRNA capping for recognition and binding, and the necessary mRNA caps are cleaved or “snatched” from host pre-mRNAs by the PA endonuclease. The structure-based development of inhibitors that target PA endonuclease is now possible with the recent crystal structure of the PA catalytic domain. In this study, we sought to understand the molecular mechanism of inhibition by several compounds that are known or predicted to block endonuclease-dependent polymerase activity. Using an in vitro endonuclease activity assay, we show that these compounds block the enzymatic activity of the isolated PA endonuclease domain. Using X-ray crystallography, we show how these inhibitors coordinate the two-metal endonuclease active site and engage the active site residues. Two structures also reveal an induced-fit mode of inhibitor binding. The structures allow a molecular understanding of the structure-activity relationship of several known influenza inhibitors and the mechanism of drug resistance by a PA mutation. Taken together, our data reveal new strategies for structure-based design and optimization of PA endonuclease inhibitors.
A Gene Expression Map for the Euchromatic Genome of Drosophila melanogaster

We used a maskless photolithography method to produce DNA oligonucleotide microarrays with unique probe sequences tiled throughout the genome of Drosophila melanogaster and across predicted splice junctions. RNA expression of protein coding and nonprotein coding sequences was determined for each major stage of the life cycle, including adult males and females. We detected transcriptional activity for 93% of annotated genes and RNA expression for 41% of the probes in intronic and intergenic sequences. Comparison to genome-wide RNA interference data and to gene annotations revealed distinguishable levels of expression for different classes of genes and higher levels of expression for genes with essential cellular functions. Differential splicing was observed in about 40% of predicted genes, and 5440 previously unknown splice forms were detected. Genes within conserved regions of synteny with D. pseudoobscura had highly correlated expression; these regions ranged in length from 10 to 900 kilobase pairs. The expressed intergenic and intronic sequences are more likely to be evolutionarily conserved than nonexpressed ones, and about 15% of them appear to be developmentally regulated. Our results provide a draft expression map for the entire nonrepetitive genome, which reveals a much more extensive and diverse set of expressed sequences than was previously predicted.
Threat response: a compelling application for wearable computing

This paper explores the application of wearable computer systems to threat response, exemplified by the multi-functional micro-controllable interface module (MMIM)/digital military policeman (DMP) system. The system consists of a wearable computer, eyewear interface developed by MicroOptical comprising display, camera, and audio, and software incorporating the FaceIt face recognition algorithms developed by Identix (formerly, Visionics). This system will enhance gate security at military installations by enabling guards to use automated face recognition to verify the identity of visitors and check the database of known threatening individuals automatically.
PSA screening among elderly men with limited life expectancies.

CONTEXT Most guidelines do not recommend prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening in elderly men who have limited life expectancies because the known harms of screening outweigh potential benefits. However, there are no large-scale studies of actual PSA screening practices in elderly men, according to life expectancy. OBJECTIVE To characterize the extent of PSA screening among elderly men, including those with limited life expectancies. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Cohort study of 597 642 male veterans aged 70 years and older who were seen at 104 US Department of Veterans Affairs facilities during both 2002 and 2003, without a history of prostate cancer, elevated PSA, or prostate cancer symptoms. Charlson comorbidity scores were used to stratify men into 3 groups ranging from best health (score = 0) to worst health (score >or= 4). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Receipt of PSA testing during 2003 was based on US Department of Veterans Affairs data and Medicare claims. RESULTS In 2003, 56% of elderly men had a PSA test performed. Although PSA screening rates decreased with advancing age, within each 5-year age group the percentage of men who underwent a PSA test did not substantially decline with worsening health. For example, among men aged 85 years and older, 34% in best health had a PSA test compared with 36% in worst health. In multivariate analyses, many nonclinical factors, such as marital status and region of the country, had a greater effect on PSA screening than health, and screening rates exceeded 60% for some subgroups of men in worst health. CONCLUSIONS Prostate-specific antigen screening rates among elderly veterans with limited life expectancies should be much lower than current practice given the known harms of screening. More attention to prognosis is needed when making screening PSA recommendations to elderly men.
A moment-based approach to the dynamical solution of the Kuramoto model

We examine the dynamics of the Kuramoto model with a new analytical approach. By defining an appropriate set of moments the dynamical equations can be exactly closed. We discuss some applications of the formalism such as the existence of an effective Hamiltonian for the dynamics. We also show how this approach can be used to numerically investigate the dynamical behaviour of the model without finite-size effects.
Independent Large Scale Duplications in Multiple M. tuberculosis Lineages Overlapping the Same Genomic Region

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of most human tuberculosis, infects one third of the world's population and kills an estimated 1.7 million people a year. With the world-wide emergence of drug resistance, and the finding of more functional genetic diversity than previously expected, there is a renewed interest in understanding the forces driving genome evolution of this important pathogen. Genetic diversity in M. tuberculosis is dominated by single nucleotide polymorphisms and small scale gene deletion, with little or no evidence for large scale genome rearrangements seen in other bacteria. Recently, a single report described a large scale genome duplication that was suggested to be specific to the Beijing lineage. We report here multiple independent large-scale duplications of the same genomic region of M. tuberculosis detected through whole-genome sequencing. The duplications occur in strains belonging to both M. tuberculosis lineage 2 and 4, and are thus not limited to Beijing strains. The duplications occur in both drug-resistant and drug susceptible strains. The duplicated regions also have substantially different boundaries in different strains, indicating different originating duplication events. We further identify a smaller segmental duplication of a different genomic region of a lab strain of H37Rv. The presence of multiple independent duplications of the same genomic region suggests either instability in this region, a selective advantage conferred by the duplication, or both. The identified duplications suggest that large-scale gene duplication may be more common in M. tuberculosis than previously considered.
Balancing Supply and Demand of an Electronic Health Record in the Netherlands; Not too open systems for not too open users.

About twenty suppliers of electronic health records (EHR) battle for the favor of about hundred hospitals in the Netherlands. The Minister of health has been promising for over a decade that every citizen in the Netherlands can have an EHR. Until now this promise has not been met. One of the main requirements for this national EHR is an agreed definition of an open EHR by both vendors and users. This paper first studies the demand side using the results of thirty eight interviews with end users asking them their core processes and their expected value of an EHR. Next we have a look at the supply side with an overview of the Dutch market and a focus on open EHR's as possible overall solution. This solution is further elaborated by using the experience with enterprise application integration (EAT) in industry. The contribution of this paper is twofold. First from a combined analysis of our data our main conclusion is the supply of EHR in the Netherlands is not open yet. Only suppliers with a small market share really offer external process integration. Only if the main suppliers are stimulated (by the government) to open up, a national EHR can arise. Secondly from a detailed analysis the following results stand out: majority of the end users (demand side) do not get support in their relevant working processes. Communication is badly supported and direct patient contact (what they think most important in their work) is even endangered by new systems. Availability, a benefit where all stakeholders agree upon, does not seem to be enough to open the market and create a good diffusion of EHR in the Netherlands. Much more focus should be laid on quality of care and communication with patients and colleagues
Anthelmintic activity of unripe Mangifera indica L. (Mango) against Strongyloides stercolaris

Strongyloidiasis is a parasitic disease, caused by a nematode helminth, Strongyloides stercoralis. The true prevalence of S. stercoralis is likely underestimated because infection is often subclinical. Currently, an estimated 100 million people are infected worldwide in more than 70 countries (Concha et al., 2005 -. Segarra et al., 2007). Though many advances have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of strongyloidiasis, it still prevails as one of the elusive diseases to tackle in the present day world. It is an intestinal nematode, endemic in tropical and subtropical regions. The humidity and clay soils favor the development of larvae stages of the parasite in the environment. The filariform larvae (L3) are the infective stage. Upon skin penetration, they travel to the bloodstream and reach the lung. After ascending the tracheobronchial tree, they arrive in the small intestine, where they evolve to adult stages and females begin the oviposition in the intestinal wall. Rhabditoid larvae emerge from these eggs; they may differentiate into L3 in the environment or to auto infected filariform stage (aL3) in the host intestine, the latter being able to penetrate through the bowel ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 2 Number 5 (2013) pp. 401-409 http://www.ijcmas. com
Injured Nerve Regeneration using Cell-Based Therapies: Current Challenges

This paper reviews the recent research progress in the past several years on promoting peripheral nerve recovery using stem and progenitory cells. The emphasis is placed on studies aimed at assessing various stem cells capable of expressing neurotrophic and growth factors and surviving after implantation in the nerve or a conduit. Approaches to improving nerve conduit design are summarized. The contribution of stem cells to axonal regeneration and neural repair is discussed. The side effects associated with cell-based treatment are highlighted. From the studies reviewed, it is concluded that the fate of transplanted stem cells needs further elucidation in a microenvironment-dependent manner.
A simple and effective SNR estimation algorithm for OFDM in Rayleigh Fading Channels

Adaptive modulation and code (AMC) in Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is a promising approach to achieve higher data rates with sufficient performance. However a measure of channel state is desired in order to decide upon transition rates and modulation mode. SNR is such a sufficient measure. In this work, a channel estimator based on transform domain algorithm (TFD) is presented firstly; then a novel SNR Estimation Algorithm for OFDM in Rayleigh Fading Channels is proposed, which is proved simple and effective by theoretical analysis and computer simulation.
Nonrenormalization theorem for the d=1, N=8 vector multiplet

Sigma models describing low energy effective actions on D0-brane probes with N=8 supercharges are studied in detail using a manifestly d=1, N=4 superspace formalism. Two (0+1)-dimensional N=4 multiplets together with their general actions are constructed. We derive the condition for these actions to be N=8 supersymmetric and apply these techniques to various D-brane configurations. We find that if in addition to N=8 supersymmetry the action must also have Spin(5) invariance, the form of the {sigma} model metric is uniquely determined by the one-loop result and is not renormalized perturbatively or nonperturbatively. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Coronavirus genomic and subgenomic minus-strand RNAs copartition in membrane-protected replication complexes

The majority of porcine transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus plus-strand RNAs (genome and subgenomic mRNAs), at the time of peak RNA synthesis (5 h postinfection), were not found in membrane-protected complexes in lysates of cells prepared by Dounce homogenization but were found to be susceptible to micrococcal nuclease (85%) or to sediment to a pellet in a cesium chloride gradient (61%). They therefore are probably free molecules in solution or components of easily dissociable complexes. By contrast, the majority of minus-strand RNAs (genome length and subgenomic mRNA length) were found to be resistant to micrococcal nuclease (69%) or to remain suspended in association with membrane-protected complexes following isopycnic sedimentation in a cesium chloride gradient (85%). Furthermore, 35% of the suspended minus strands were in a dense complex (1.20 to 1.24 g/ml) that contained an RNA plus-to-minus-strand molar ratio of approximately 8:1 and viral structural proteins S, M, and N, and 65% were in a light complex (1.15 to 1.17 g/ml) that contained nearly equimolar amounts of plus- and minus-strand RNAs and only trace amounts of proteins M and N. In no instance during fractionation were genome-length minus strands found segregated from sub-genome-length minus strands. These results indicate that all minus-strand species are components of similarly structured membrane-associated replication complexes and support the concept that all are active in the synthesis of plus-strand RNAs.
Young, Gay, and Suicidal: Dynamic Nominalism and the Process of Defining a Social Problem with Statistics

Since 1989, widely circulating statistics on gay teen suicide in the United States have acted as catalysts for institutional reforms, scientific research, and the creation of an identity category “gay youth. ” While one figure has been replicated scientifically, these numbers originated not from a scientific research study but as risk estimates developed by a social worker and published in a government document. Many people within the public took up these original numbers, attributing their author the status of scientific researcher. In effect, the numbers became “black boxed,” often traveling without citation. Drawing on Ian Hacking’s “dynamic nominalist” perspective, this article utilizes interviews with the author of these statistics and other key claimants, along with textual analysis, to trace the origins, uptake, and effects of these figures. While making vital policy contributions, the numbers have led to some ironic consequences including the fostering of gay youth identification with suicide as a potential correlate of their identity and the potential antigay redeployment of decontextualized numbers. They have also led to a reaction in the form of “resilience” narratives.
Let the tree Bloom: scalable opportunistic routing with ORPL

Routing in battery-operated wireless networks is challenging, posing a tradeoff between energy and latency. Previous work has shown that opportunistic routing can achieve low-latency data collection in duty-cycled networks. However, applications are now considered where nodes are not only periodic data sources, but rather addressable end points generating traffic with arbitrary patterns. We present ORPL, an opportunistic routing protocol that supports any-to-any, on-demand traffic. ORPL builds upon RPL, the standard protocol for low-power IPv6 networks. By combining RPL's tree-like topology with opportunistic routing, ORPL forwards data to any destination based on the mere knowledge of the nodes' sub-tree. We use bitmaps and Bloom filters to represent and propagate this information in a space-efficient way, making ORPL scale to large networks of addressable nodes. Our results in a 135-node testbed show that ORPL outperforms a number of state-of-the-art solutions including RPL and CTP, conciliating a sub-second latency and a sub-percent duty cycle. ORPL also increases robustness and scalability, addressing the whole network reliably through a 64-byte Bloom filter, where RPL needs kilobytes of routing tables for the same task.
K-Λ crossover transition in the conduction band of monolayer MoS2 under hydrostatic pressure

We experimentally demonstrate the direct-to-indirect bandgap transition of monolayer MoS2 under hydrostatic pressure. Monolayer MoS2 is a promising material for optoelectronics applications owing to its direct bandgap, enhanced Coulomb interaction, strong spin-orbit coupling, unique valley pseudospin degree of freedom, etc. It can also be implemented for novel spintronics and valleytronics devices at atomic scale. The band structure of monolayer MoS2 is well known to have a direct gap at K (K′) point, whereas the second lowest conduction band minimum is located at Λ point, which may interact with the valence band maximum at K point, to make an indirect optical bandgap transition. We experimentally demonstrate the direct-to-indirect bandgap transition by measuring the photoluminescence spectra of monolayer MoS2 under hydrostatic pressure at room temperature. With increasing pressure, the direct transition shifts at a rate of 49.4 meV/GPa, whereas the indirect transition shifts at a rate of −15.3 meV/GPa. We experimentally extract the critical transition point at the pressure of 1.9 GPa, in agreement with first-principles calculations. Combining our experimental observation with first-principles calculations, we confirm that this transition is caused by the K-Λ crossover in the conduction band.
Reducing Process-Time for Fingerprint Identification System

Fingerprints are the most widely used biometric feature for person identification and verification in the field of biometric identification. Fingerprints possess two main types of features that are used for automatic fingerprint identification and verification: (i) Ridge and furrow structure that forms a special pattern in the central region of the fingerprint and (ii) Minutiae details associated with the local ridge and furrow structure. In a traditional biometric recognition system, the biometric template is usually stored on a central server during enrollment. The candidate biometric template captured by the biometric device is sent to the server where the processing and matching steps are performed. This paper presents an approach to speed up the matching process by classifying the fingerprint pattern into different groups at the time of enrollment, and improves fingerprint matching while matching the input template with stored template. To solve the problem, we take several aspects into consideration like classification of fingerprint, singular points. The algorithm result indicates that this approach manages to speed up the matching effectively, and therefore prove to be suitable for large database like forensic divisions.
Tensile Properties of the Murine Ventral Vertical Midline Incision

Background In clinical surgery, the vertical midline abdominal incision is popular but associated with healing failures. A murine model of the ventral vertical midline incision was developed in order to study the healing of this incision type. Methodology/Principal Findings The strength of the wild type murine ventral abdominal wall in the midline was contained within the dermis; the linea alba made a negligible contribution. Unwounded abdominal wall had a downward trend (nonsignificant) in maximal tension between 12 and 29 weeks of age. The incision attained 50% of its final strength by postoperative day 40. The maximal tension of the ventral vertical midline incision was nearly that of unwounded abdominal wall by postwounding day 60; there was no difference in unwounded vs. wounded maximal tension at postwounding day 120. Conclusions/Significance After 120 days of healing, the ventral vertical midline incision in the wild type mouse was not significantly different from age-matched nonwounded controls. About half of the final incisional strength was attained after 6 weeks of healing. The significance of this work was to establish the kinetics of wild type incisional healing in a model for which numerous genotypes and genetic tools would be available for subsequent study.
The Compact Conformation of Fibronectin Is Determined by Intramolecular Ionic Interactions*

Fibronectin exists in a compact or extended conformation, depending upon environmental pH and salt concentration. Using recombinant fragments expressed in bacteria and baculovirus, we determined the domains responsible for producing fibronectin’s compact conformation. Our velocity and equilibrium sedimentation data show that FN2–14 (a protein containing FN-III domains 2 through 14) forms dimers in low salt. Experiments with smaller fragments indicates that the compact conformation is produced by binding of FN12–14 of one subunit to FN2–3 of the other subunit in the dimer. The binding is weakened at higher salt concentrations, implying an electrostatic interaction. Furthermore, segment FN7–14+A, which contains the alternatively spliced A domain between FN11 and 12, forms dimers, whereas FN7–14 without A does not. Segment FN12–14+A also forms dimers, but the isolated A domain does not. These data imply an association of domain A with FN12–14, and the presence of A may favor an open conformation by competing with FN2–3 for binding to FN12–14.