Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Higd1a Protects Cells from Lipotoxicity under High-Fat Exposure

Hypoxia-inducible gene domain family member 1A (Higd1a) has recently been reported to protect cells from hypoxia by helping to maintain normal mitochondrial function. The potential induction of Higd1a under high-fat exposure and whether it could protect cells from oxidative stress attracted our attention. Initially, 0.4 mM oleic acid and 0.2 mM palmitate were added to the growth media of HepG2 and LO2 cells for 72 hours. We discovered increased Higd1a expression, and knocking down Higd1a impaired mitochondrial transmembrane potential and induced cell apoptosis. We then identified that elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) is responsible for increased Higd1a expression. Furthermore, we found that ROS promoted Higd1a expression by upregulating HIF-1a and PGC-1a expressions, and these two proteins could exert synergistic effects in inducing Higd1a expression. Taken together, these data suggest that Higd1a plays positive roles in protecting cells from oxidative stress, and ROS could induce Higd1a expression by upregulating PGC-1a and HIF-1a expressions.
Using Log-linear Models for Tuning Machine Translation Output

We describe a set of experiments to explore statistical techniques for ranking and selecting the best translations in a graph of translation hypotheses. In a previous paper (Carl, 2007) we have described how the graph of hypotheses is generated through shallow transfer and chunk permutation rules, where nodes consist of vectors representing morpho-syntactic properties of words and phrases. This paper describes a number of methods to train statistical feature functions from some of the vectors components. The feature functions are trained off-line on different types of text and their log-linear combination is then used to retrieve the best translation paths in the graph. We compare two language modelling toolkits, the CMU and the SRI toolkit and arrive at three results: 1) models of lemma-based feature functions produce better results than token-based models, 2) adding PoS-tag feature function to the lemma models improves the output and 3) weights for lexical translations are suited if the training material is similar to the texts to be translated.
Increased C-Reactive Protein in Brazilian Children: Association with Cardiometabolic Risk and Metabolic Syndrome Components (PASE Study)

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of subclinical inflammation that has been found to be associated with cardiovascular disease risk. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between CRP and cardiometabolic markers in a representative sample of prepubescent children. The objective was to evaluate the high-sensitive CRP (hs-CRP) and its association with traditional and nontraditional cardiometabolic risk factors, as well as metabolic syndrome (MetS) components in Brazilian children. This is a cross-sectional representative study, with participants of the Schoolchildren Health Assessment Survey (PASE). Children from 8 to 9 years old (n=350) enrolled in public and private schools in the municipality of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, were evaluated. Sociodemographic evaluation was performed through a semistructured questionnaire. Anthropometric, body composition, clinical, and biochemical measures were analyzed for cardiometabolic risk assessment. The total mean of serum hs-CRP concentration was 0.62 (±1.44) mg/L. hs-CRP was significantly correlated with several anthropometric, biochemical, and clinical parameters in this population (P < 0.05). hs-CRP was positively associated with the accumulation of cardiometabolic risk factors and MetS components (P < 0.05). Children with excessive weight; abdominal obesity; increased gynoid and android body fat; low HDL-c; hyperglycemia; and elevated uric acid, homocysteine, and apoB had higher chances of presenting increased hs-CRP (P < 0.05). In this study, Brazilian children with cardiometabolic risk already presented elevated serum hs-CRP concentration. hs-CRP was associated with the increase of traditional and nontraditional cardiometabolic risk factors, as well as the accumulation of MetS components.
Byte code Transformations for Distributed Threads in Java

In this paper, we study the shift of thread semantics that arises when adapting a centralized Java program for execution in a distributed environment. More specifically we focus on distributed applications that are developed by means of a distributed control flow programming model like Java RMI or OMG CORBA. The shift in thread semantics causes unexpected execution results or run-time errors if these differences were not taken into account by the programmer. We overcome this semantical gap between local and distributed programming by extending Java programming with the notion of distributed thread identity. Propagation of a globally unique, distributed thread identity provides a uniform mechanism by which all the program’s constituent objects involved in a distributed control flow can uniquely refer to that distributed thread as one and the same computational entity. We have implemented distributed thread identity by means of byte code transformation of application programs.
Sequences of maladaptation: Preadolescent self-regulation, adolescent negative social interactions, and young adult psychopathology

Abstract This study aims to test whether adolescent negative social interactions mediate the relation between early adolescent self-regulatory capacities and young adult psychopathology, using a fully prospective mediation model. Data were derived from the Tracking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey, a large population cohort of Dutch adolescents (n = 962). At age 11, three indicators of self-regulation were assessed: low frustration, high effortful control, and high response inhibition. Negative social interactions between ages 11 and 22 were captured twice using the Event History Calendar. Psychopathology (i.e., internalizing and externalizing problems) was assessed at ages 11 and 22. Findings indicate that adolescents’ frustration and effortful control but not response inhibition assessed at age 11 are related to both internalizing and externalizing problems at age 22, after controlling for psychopathology at age 11, sex, and socioeconomic status. These associations were partly (about 22%) mediated by the negative social interactions adolescents experienced. Effect sizes were all modest. This study shows that self-regulation is related to subsequent psychopathology in part through its effect on negative social interactions, providing evidence for sequences of self-regulatory capacities, life experiences, and developmental outcomes.
Virtually Visualizing Vessels : A Study of the Annotation of Placental Vasculature from MRI in Large-scale Virtual Reality for Surgical Planning

We present a case study evaluating the potential for identifying placental blood vessels using MRI in large-scale virtual reality environments in order to improve the planning of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome intervention surgery. Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome is a condition where the blood vessels of twin fetuses are connected on the shared placenta and transfer blood disproportionately between them. This condition is fatal if left untreated as the donor and recipient fetuses will suffer from too little and too much blood, respectively. Treatment of the condition involves endoscopically finding the connections in placental blood vessels and closing them using laser ablation; current clinical practice includes no planning for identifying the locations of these connections before surgery begins. We find that medical professionals are able to identify relevant vessels using our system and that they utilize the larger range of motion allowed by virtual reality, which they do not have while using a traditional endoscope. Our medical professional collaborator and participants believe that by providing surgeons with a way to find these vessel connections before beginning surgery, we can enable them to improve the surgeries and their outcomes.
Urban Expansion Simulation of Southeast England Using Population Surface Modelling and Cellular Automata

The question of where to accommodate future urban expansion has become a politically sensitive issue in many regions. Against the backdrop of ‘urban compaction’ policy, this study uses population surface modelling and cellular automata (CA) to conduct an empirical urban growth simulation for Southeast England. This implementation leads to a consideration of the proper balance between the theoretical abstraction of self-organised growth and empirical constraints to land development. Specifically, we use 1991 and 1997 postcode directories to construct population surfaces. From these, the distributions of developed and vacant (rural) land are derived. Development potential is assessed through accessibility surfaces, which are constructed from the travel/commuting time to major London rail termini, to motorway junctions, and to principal settlements. Through investigating the frequencies of land development in relation to the accessibility surfaces, we can begin to understand the distribution of land development in this region. Based on this empirical relationship, the transition rules of a CA simulation of future urban expansion are constructed. In addition, government population projections at the county level are used to constrain simulation to the year 2020. The study demonstrates the utility of empirical CA in urban growth modelling; in particular the importance of empirically informed CA simulation rules in characterising the distribution of land development.
Emotional experience on facebook site

Although user behavior in the popular Facebook social network site has been intensely investigated since the site came live in 2004, we know little about users' emotions and values weaved in the fabric of their interactions. We report on a diary study for collecting daily accounts of users' most memorable experiences. Outcomes emphasize the distinction between public and private presentation together with user motivation for engaging in each of these roles. Findings also suggest that at their heart, people's most memorable experiences with Facebook are all about positive emotions, in particular those concerned with connectedness and entertainment.
Effect of fresh fruit consumption on lung function and wheeze in children.

BACKGROUND: Fresh fruit consumption and vitamin C intake have been associated with improved lung function in adults. Whether this is due to enhancement of lung growth, to a reduction in lung function decline, or to protection against bronchospasm is unclear. METHODS: In a cross-sectional school based survey of 2650 children aged 8-11 from 10 towns in England and Wales the main outcome measure was forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) standardised for body size and sex. Exposure was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire to parents and by measurement of plasma levels of vitamin C in a subsample of 278 children. RESULTS: FEV1 was positively associated with frequency of fresh fruit consumption. After adjustment for possible confounding variables including social class and passive smoking, those who never ate any fresh fruit had an estimated FEV1 some 79 ml (4.3%) lower than those who ate these items more than once a day (95% CI 22 to 136 ml). The association between FEV1 and fruit consumption was stronger in subjects with wheeze than in non-wheezers (p = 0.020 for difference in trend), though wheeze itself was not related to fresh fruit consumption. Frequency of consumption of salads and of green vegetables were both associated with FEV1 but the relationships were weaker than for fresh fruit. Plasma vitamin C levels were unrelated to FEV1 (r = -0.01, p = 0.92) or to wheeze and were only weakly related to fresh fruit consumption (r = 0.13, p = 0.055). CONCLUSIONS: Fresh fruit consumption appears to have a beneficial effect on lung function in children. Further work is needed to confirm whether the effect is restricted to subjects who wheeze and to identify the specific nutrient involved.
Automatic determination of types number of mixed binary protocols

In the absence of prior knowledge, it is a challenge to determine the number of protocol types in frames, which are completely unknown. These frames might be mixed with multiple protocols from the data link layer to the application layer. In this study, the authors combine the spectral clustering algorithm with a method of determining the number of protocol frame types, and further more design the refinement clustering of different hierarchical protocols based on the eigenvectors of the Laplace matrix. They use three clustering validity indices, which are Calinski–Harabasz index, Davies–Bouldinn index and Silhouette index, to quantify the clustering effect in order to calculate the number of protocol types. Extensive experiments on several open datasets obtain relatively satisfying results without prior knowledge and demonstrate the significant advantages of their methods clearly.
Probing the solution structure of the DNA‐binding protein Max by a combination of proteolysis and mass spectrometry

A simple biochemical method that combines enzymatic proteolysis and matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry was developed to probe the solution structure of DNA‐binding proteins. The method is based on inferring structural information from determinations of protection against enzymatic proteolysis, as governed by solvent accessibility and protein flexibility. This approach was applied to the study of the transcription factor Max —a member of the basic/helix‐loop‐helix/zipper family of DNA‐binding proteins. In the absence of DNA and at low ionic strengths, Max is rapidly digested by each of six endoproteases selected for the study, results consistent with an open and flexible structure of the protein. At physiological salt levels, the rates of digestion are moderately slowed; this and the patterns of cleavage are consistent with homodimerization of the protein through a predominantly hydrophobic interface. In the presence of Max‐specific DNA, the protein becomes dramatically protected against proteolysis, exhibiting up to a 100‐fold reduction in cleavage rates. Over a 2‐day period, both complete and partial proteolysis of the Max‐DNA complex is observed. The partial proteolytic fragmentation patterns reflect a very high degree of protection in the N‐terminal and helix‐loop‐helix regions of the protein, correlating with those expected of a stable dimer bound to DNA at its basic N‐terminals. Less protection is seen at the C‐terminal where a slow, sequential proteolytic cleavage occurs, correlating to the presence of a leucine zipper. The results also indicate a high affinity of Max for its target DNA that remains high even when the leucine zipper is proteolytically removed. In addition to the study of the helix‐loop‐helix protein Max, the present method appears well suited for a range of other structural biological applications.
The misadjustment of the cascaded LMS prediction filter

In this paper, we use a stochastic fixed-point theorem to study the stochastic convergence properties (in mean-squares sense) of the cascaded LMS predictor including conditions on the stepsize for the adaptive algorithm convergence and the misadjustment. An analytic expression for the misadjustment is derived for Gaussian statistical signals and shown to be exponentially dependent on the number of stages in the cascade structure, which is higher than the misadjustment of the conventional LMS filter. It can be observed that a higher misadjusment can be expected if the input signal is extremely uncorrelated.
The scope and strength of sex-specific selection in genome evolution

Males and females share the vast majority of their genomes and yet are often subject to different, even conflicting, selection. Genomic and transcriptomic developments have made it possible to assess sex‐specific selection at the molecular level, and it is clear that sex‐specific selection shapes the evolutionary properties of several genomic characteristics, including transcription, post‐transcriptional regulation, imprinting, genome structure and gene sequence. Sex‐specific selection is strongly influenced by mating system, which also causes neutral evolutionary changes that affect different regions of the genome in different ways. Here, we synthesize theoretical and molecular work in order to provide a cohesive view of the role of sex‐specific selection and mating system in genome evolution. We also highlight the need for a combined approach, incorporating both genomic data and experimental phenotypic studies, in order to understand precisely how sex‐specific selection drives evolutionary change across the genome.
Subcutaneous Adipose Fatty Acid Profiles and Related Rumen Bacterial Populations of Steers Fed Red Clover or Grass Hay Diets Containing Flax or Sunflower-Seed

Steers were fed 70∶30 forage∶concentrate diets for 205 days, with either grass hay (GH) or red clover silage (RC), and either sunflower-seed (SS) or flaxseed (FS), providing 5.4% oil in the diets. Compared to diets containing SS, FS diets had elevated (P<0.05) subcutaneous trans (t)-18:1 isomers, conjugated linoleic acids and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). Forage and oilseed type influenced total n-3 PUFA, especially α-linolenic acid (ALA) and total non-conjugated diene biohydrogenation (BH) in subcutaneous fat with proportions being greater (P<0.05) for FS or GH as compared to SS or RC. Of the 25 bacterial genera impacted by diet, 19 correlated with fatty acids (FA) profile. Clostridium were most abundant when levels of conjugated linolenic acids, and n-3 PUFA's were found to be the lowest in subcutaneous fat, suggestive of their role in BH. Anerophaga, Fibrobacter, Guggenheimella, Paludibacter and Pseudozobellia were more abundant in the rumen when the levels of VA in subcutaneous fat were low. This study clearly shows the impact of oilseeds and forage source on the deposition of subcutaneous FA in beef cattle. Significant correlations between rumen bacterial genera and the levels of specific FA in subcutaneous fat maybe indicative of their role in determining the FA profile of adipose tissue. However, despite numerous correlations, the dynamics of rumen bacteria in the BH of unsaturated fatty acid and synthesis of PUFA and FA tissue profiles require further experimentation to determine if these correlations are consistent over a range of diets of differing composition. Present results demonstrate that in order to achieve targeted FA profiles in beef, a multifactorial approach will be required that takes into consideration not only the PUFA profile of the diet, but also the non-oil fraction of the diet, type and level of feed processing, and the role of rumen microbes in the BH of unsaturated fatty acid.
Optimizing a robust bi-objective supply chain network considering environmental aspects: a case study in plastic injection industry

ABSTRACT In recent years, sustainability has been considered as a growing concern in supply chain network design (SCND). Due to legal requirements, economic profitability, environmental sensitivity, and awareness of customers, sustainable supply chain management has been important for government and industry over the years. The aims of this research are to propose a bi-objective mathematical programming model to integrate the flows of the entire chain to improve performance in conditions of uncertainty associated with the plastic injection industry. The proposed model seeks to minimize total costs including transportation costs, operating costs and fixed costs of setting up facilities and on the other hand, is looking to minimize the environmental emission to increase customer satisfaction. The model proposed based on two scenarios has been solved through the robust optimization approach. Also, to solve the proposed model, some of the multi-objective exact methods such as the weighted sum, weighted goal programming, and LP-metric method are used. Furthermore, a weight sensitivity analysis is applied to find the best set of weights for the objectives. Finally, the results are explained and suggestions for future research are presented.
Improved renal function after kidney transplantation is associated with heme oxygenase‐1 polymorphism

Abstract: Heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) has a microsatellite polymorphism based on the number of guanosine‐thymidine nucleotide repeats (GT) repeats that regulates expression levels and could have an impact on organ survival post‐injury. We correlated HO‐1 polymorphism with renal graft function. The HO‐1 gene was sequenced (N = 181), and the allelic repeats were divided into subclasses: short repeats (S) (<27 repeats) and long repeats (L) (≥27 repeats). A total of 47.5% of the donors carried the S allele. The allograft function was statistically improved six months, two and three yr after transplantation in patients receiving kidneys from donors with an S allele. For the recipients carrying the S allele (50.3%), the allograft function was also better throughout the follow‐up, but reached statistical significance only three yr after transplantation (p = 0.04). Considering only those patients who had chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN; 74 of 181), allograft function was also better in donors and in recipients carrying the S allele, two and three yr after transplantation (p = 0.03). Recipients of kidney transplantation from donors carrying the S allele presented better function even in the presence of CAN.
Diacylglycerols Modulate Human Polymorphonuclear Neutrophil Responsiveness: Effects on Intracellular Calcium Mobilization, Granule Exocytosis, and Superoxide Anion Production

The synthetic diacylglycerols (DG), sn‐1,2‐dihexanoylglycerol (diC6), sn‐1,2‐dioctanoyl‐glycerol (diC8), and 1‐oleoyl‐2‐acetylglycerol (OAG) stimulated the release of granule constituents from and superoxide anion (Of) generation by human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN). The DGs did not induce a rise in the cytosolic‐free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i), as monitored by the fluorescence of PMNs loaded with the fluorescent CA2+ indicator, Fura‐2. DiC6, diC8, and OAG inhibited PMN degranulation elicited with the receptor‐specific ligands, N‐formyl‐methionyl‐leucyl‐phenylalanine (FMLP), acetylsn‐glyceryl‐3‐phosphorylcholine (AGEPC), and 5(S),12(R)‐dihydroxy‐6,14‐cis‐8,10‐trans‐eicosatetraenoic acid (LTB4) and the calcium ionophore, A23187. In contrast to their inhibitory effects on granule exocytosis, diC6, diC8 and OAG enhanced FMLP‐, AGEPC‐, LTB4 and A23187‐stimulated O2 ‐ production. Activation of the respiratory burst with phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA) was unaffected by the DGs. DiC8 inhibited the rise in [Ca2+]i elicited with FMLP, LTB4, and AGEPC; this effect, as well as the DG‐mediated suppression of degranulation, could be reversed with the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, 1‐(‐5‐isoquinolinesulfonyl)‐2‐methylpiperazine hydrochloride (H‐7). These data indicate that in addition to possessing the intrinsic capacity to activate PMNs, DG may function in a PKC‐mediated autoregulatory mode to influence PMN activation in a response‐specific manner by affecting certain components of receptor‐coupled and receptor‐independent signal transduction systems in a stimulus‐specific manner.
PLC-based photovoltaic system management for smart home energy management system

This paper describes a photovoltaic (PV) system management scheme. A typical PV system installed in home monitors only the status values at the inverter. It has difficulty in localizing failures in the PV system for maintenance. To overcome this, we propose a PLC-based management scheme that consists of a PLC modem, a renewable energy gateway (REG), and a smart device application. The PLC modems measure the status of PV modules. The REG aggregates the measured status values from the PLC modems. The smart device application displays the status of the whole PV system. A user can easily localize failures in the PV system for better performance and maintenance. The proposed scheme enhances a PV system management and can create synergy with smart home energy management system.