Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Malonyl-CoA Synthetase, Encoded by ACYL ACTIVATING ENZYME13, Is Essential for Growth and Development of Arabidopsis[C][W][OA]

Malonic acid inhibits succinate dehydrogenase and is toxic to Arabidopsis seedlings. Biochemical assays demonstrate that ACYL ACTIVATING ENZYME13 (AAE13) of Arabidopsis is a malonyl-CoA synthetase. Characterization of an aae13 mutant indicates that the malonyl-CoA synthetase encoded by AAE13 is required for detoxification of endogenous malonate and for healthy growth and development of plants. Malonyl-CoA is the precursor for fatty acid synthesis and elongation. It is also one of the building blocks for the biosynthesis of some phytoalexins, flavonoids, and many malonylated compounds. In plants as well as in animals, malonyl-CoA is almost exclusively derived from acetyl-CoA by acetyl-CoA carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.2). However, previous studies have suggested that malonyl-CoA may also be made directly from malonic acid by malonyl-CoA synthetase (EC 6.2.1.14). Here, we report the cloning of a eukaryotic malonyl-CoA synthetase gene, Acyl Activating Enzyme13 (AAE13; At3g16170), from Arabidopsis thaliana. Recombinant AAE13 protein showed high activity against malonic acid (Km = 529.4 ± 98.5 μM; Vm = 24.0 ± 2.7 μmol/mg/min) but little or no activity against other dicarboxylic or fatty acids tested. Exogenous malonic acid was toxic to Arabidopsis seedlings and caused accumulation of malonic and succinic acids in the seedlings. aae13 null mutants also grew poorly and accumulated malonic and succinic acids. These defects were complemented by an AAE13 transgene or by a bacterial malonyl-CoA synthetase gene under control of the AAE13 promoter. Our results demonstrate that the malonyl-CoA synthetase encoded by AAE13 is essential for healthy growth and development, probably because it is required for the detoxification of malonate.
Structures of BmrR-Drug Complexes Reveal a Rigid Multidrug Binding Pocket and Transcription Activation through Tyrosine Expulsion*

BmrR is a member of the MerR family and a multidrug binding transcription factor that up-regulates the expression of the bmr multidrug efflux transporter gene in response to myriad lipophilic cationic compounds. The structural mechanism by which BmrR binds these chemically and structurally different drugs and subsequently activates transcription is poorly understood. Here, we describe the crystal structures of BmrR bound to rhodamine 6G (R6G) or berberine (Ber) and cognate DNA. These structures reveal each drug stacks against multiple aromatic residues with their positive charges most proximal to the carboxylate group of Glu-253 and that, unlike other multidrug binding pockets, that of BmrR is rigid. Substitution of Glu-253 with either alanine (E253A) or glutamine (E253Q) results in unpredictable binding affinities for R6G, Ber, and tetraphenylphosphonium. Moreover, these drug binding studies reveal that the negative charge of Glu-253 is not important for high affinity binding to Ber and tetraphenylphosphonium but plays a more significant, but unpredictable, role in R6G binding. In vitro transcription data show that E253A and E253Q are constitutively active, and structures of the drug-free E253A-DNA and E253Q-DNA complexes support a transcription activation mechanism requiring the expulsion of Tyr-152 from the multidrug binding pocket. In sum, these data delineate the mechanism by which BmrR binds lipophilic, monovalent cationic compounds and suggest the importance of the redundant negative electrostatic nature of this rigid drug binding pocket that can be used to discriminate against molecules that are not substrates of the Bmr multidrug efflux pump.
Analysis and Characterization of Different Voltage Follower Topologies in 90 nm Technology

Voltage Follower is one of the most important analog circuits required in many analog integrated circuits. It is used for the impedance matching between high impedance circuits and low impedance circuits. The design of voltage follower becomes an important issue when technology is scaled down. Due to the non-linear behavior of threshold voltage (VT) when technology is scaled down, performance of voltage follower is affected. Many versions of voltage followers have been proposed to achieve desirable output in sub-micron and deep sub-micron technologies. The selection of particular topology is dependent upon the requirements and application. In this paper, we have shown the implementation of different topologies in 90 nm technology using the Mentor Graphics Tool. We have done the pre-layout simulation of three different topologies. We have designed these circuits using ICstudio tool and analyzed their output impedance, voltage gain and power dissipation. We have prepared a comparative analysis about them.
A rewriting framework and logic for activities subject to regulations

Activities such as clinical investigations (CIs) or financial processes are subject to regulations to ensure quality of results and avoid negative consequences. Regulations may be imposed by multiple governmental agencies as well as by institutional policies and protocols. Due to the complexity of both regulations and activities, there is great potential for violation due to human error, misunderstanding, or even intent. Executable formal models of regulations, protocols and activities can form the foundation for automated assistants to aid planning, monitoring and compliance checking. We propose a model based on multiset rewriting where time is discrete and is specified by timestamps attached to facts. Actions, as well as initial, goal and critical states may be constrained by means of relative time constraints. Moreover, actions may have non-deterministic effects, i.e. they may have different outcomes whenever applied. We present a formal semantics of our model based on focused proofs of linear logic with definitions. We also determine the computational complexity of various planning problems. Plan compliance problem, for example, is the problem of finding a plan that leads from an initial state to a desired goal state without reaching any undesired critical state. We consider all actions to be balanced, i.e. their pre- and post-conditions have the same number of facts. Under this assumption on actions, we show that the plan compliance problem is PSPACE-complete when all actions have only deterministic effects and is EXPTIME-complete when actions may have non-deterministic effects. Finally, we show that the restrictions on the form of actions and time constraints taken in the specification of our model are necessary for decidability of the planning problems.
MicroRNA expression profiles in patients with acute Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever reveal possible adjustments to cellular pathways

Several viral diseases are associated with altered microRNA (miRNA) expression, which can provide vital information about how cellular pathways respond to infection. However, the miRNA profile of Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHFV) infections are not known. To address this gap, we performed real‐time PCR‐based miRNA analysis in individuals with acute Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHFV) infections, with the goal of identifying pathways that might be associated with this disease. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were analysed in eight individuals with detectable viral RNA and compared to five healthy subjects. A total of 106 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified, of which 19 miRNAs were either fivefold prominently up‐ or down‐regulation. Several miRNAs associated with cytokine expression, some of which were previously associated with Dengue and Hantavirus infections were revealed. Moreover, possible mechanisms related to secretion of adhesion molecules and viral escape from innate immunity were identified. Pathway enrichment analyses further revealed the putative involvement of TNF‐alfa, TGF‐beta, MAPK, WNT, and neurotrophin signaling pathways in disease pathogenesis. J. Med. Virol. 89:417–422, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Annealing Mechanism of HIV-1 Reverse Transcription Primer onto the Viral Genome*

Reverse transcription of human immunodeficiency virus-1 viral RNA uses human \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\mathrm{tRNA}_{3}^{\mathrm{Lys}}\) \end{document} as a primer. The first step of viral replication is, thus, the annealing of the primer tRNA onto the primer binding site located in the 5′ leader region of the viral RNA. This involves large rearrangements of both RNA structures and requires the chaperone activity of the viral nucleocapsid protein. We have developed a novel approach to analyze dynamically such RNA refolding events using heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy of mixtures of 15N-labeled and unlabeled large RNA fragments (up to 50 kDa). We have thus been able to characterize the detailed mechanisms of both heat- and nucleocapsid-mediated annealing and to identify previously unknown key steps. The role played by the nucleocapsid is 2-fold; it facilitates strand exchange at the level of the tRNA acceptor stem, presumably via its basic N- and C-terminal extensions, and it unlocks the highly stable tertiary interactions at the level of the TΨC loop, most likely by specific interactions involving its two zinc knuckles.
Perceptual Grouping as a Function of Proximity

This study was an attempt to quantify Wertheimer's law of proximity in perceptual grouping. The stimuli were 4 X 4 matrices of black 5-mrn. dots drawn in India ink on white cards. In the V-series, the vertical distance between the edges of dots was varied from 5 mm. to 35 mm. by 2-mm. steps, while the horizontal distance was fixed at 15 mm. The vertical-horizontal relationship was reversed in the H-series. The stimulus card was presented behind the square aperture, 22 X 22 cm. , on a white vertical screen, 85 X 85 cm. , standing on a table 115 un. from S, and illuminated by two 60-w daylight bulbs, which were placed above and behind S. The illuminance on the stimulus surface was about 5 ft. -c. Each of four Ss was instructed to continue to fixate binocularly the center of the stimulus pattern during 120 sec. and to press one of two telegraph keys when the stimulus matrix was perceived spontaneously as four horizontal rows and the other when vertical columns were seen. He was to press neither key when he saw other modes of grouping, e.g., four rectangles, a large and a small rectangle, etc., or in the absence of clear percepmal organization. Rest periods of 3 min. were inserted between observations. Each S observed the 15 patterns of the two series twice in the six sessions. The total time for pressing the key that corresponded to the direction of the constant distance was designated T , and that corresponding to the direction of variable distance, T,. As the measure of dominance, the ratio, TJT, was computed from average T , and T, under each condition. Fig. 1 shows log (T,/Tc) as a function of log (D,/D,), in which D, is the variable distance and D, the constant distance. Good linearity is observed both for the empty and filled dots in Fig. 1, which represent the results of the Vand H-series, respectively. A regression formula, log(T,/Tc) = log a + b log(D,/D,), was fitted to these data by the method of least squares. The constant a was 1.82 in V-series and 0.858 in H-series, while b was -2.88 and -2.87 (r = 0.987 and 0.972). From these results i t may be concluded that the relative dominance of each of two modes of perceptual grouping, measured by the time ratio of occurring, varies as a power function of the ratio of spatial separation, and the power ( b ) is about -3. The difference of the value a between Vand H-
A high performance foreground detection algorithm for night scenes

Foreground detection is designed to separate the objects from a background scene. However, night scenes always contain high dynamic illumination variety so that the performance on detection drops largely. In this paper, we present a new foreground detection algorithm which is applicable to scenes with complicated illumination and shadow. This new algorithm utilizes multiple regions to perform background classification. Consequently human vision can focus on moving objects and the interferences such as night illumination or shadow can be effectively eliminated. Because this algorithm can eliminate most interference, therefore moving objects can be segmented more precisely. As our experiment, the precision of nigh scene foreground detection is highly improved compared with other techniques.
Social Robots vs. Computer Display: Does the Way Social Stories are Delivered Make a Difference for Their Effectiveness on ASD Children?

Background and Objectives: The aim of this exploratory study is to test whether social stories presented by a social robot have a greater effect than ones presented on a computer display in increasing the independency in expressing social abilities of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although much progress has been made in developing interventions to improve social skills of children with ASD, a number of unresolved problems still remain. Social robots received increased attention as assisting tools for improving social skills on children with ASD. Methods: Twenty children with ASD (age between 4 and 9 years old) were randomly allocated to three groups: control group (n = 7), computer-presented social stories (n = 6), and robot assisted therapy (n = 7). Results: Overall, our data indicate that using the social robot to implement social story intervention was more effective for improving the independency of expressing social abilities for the participants, than the computer screen. Limitations: Future studies should include a bigger sample size, more intervention sessions, and a follow-up session in order to see if the effect persists in time. Conclusions: The preliminary outcomes of this exploratory research provide empirical bases for further investigations regarding the effectiveness of robot assisted therapy in improving social skills for children with autism through future randomized clinical trials.
Reading Comprehension Strategy (CSR) and Learners’ Comprehension: A Case Study of FLD Students

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Strategic Reading, specifically the Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) on Taif University. The participants are students from classes of English at the Department of Foreign Languages, of Arts College. The data mainly came from statistical results, including the questionnaire responses. The findings of CSR will be explored to find out the effect, positive or negative on the Taif university learners' reading comprehension particularly in relation to the comprehension questions on getting the main idea and finding the supporting details. The findings of the study will be used to suggest implementing better comprehension strategy instruction for the learners to adopt some degree of strategic reading behaviours, and to take long-term efforts and practices for EFL learners to fully develop their strategic reading abilities. The present paper is an effort to deliver a base for better understanding the relationship between reading comprehension and reading strategies. The results of this paper will be implemented for better reading strategy instruction at Taif University, KSA.
Project management: Past, present, and future — An editorial summary

This Special Issue on Project Management brings together some of the latest research and practices in project management in Europe, South America, and the United States. The papers in this issue deal with organizational structures for project management, the role and authority of the project manager, the use of matrix structures, project control methods, and managing large-scale project risks. To provide a proper context for these papers, it is useful to briefly examine the history of project management, some of its problems, and its future potentials.
PCA-Based Face Recognition in Infrared Imagery: Baseline and Comparative Studies

Techniques for face recognition generally fall into global and local approaches, with the principal component analysis (PCA) being the most prominent global approach. We use the PCA algorithm to study the comparison and combination of infrared and typical visible-light images for face recognition. We examine the effects of lighting change, facial expression change and passage of time between the gallery image and probe image. Experimental results indicate that when there is substantial passage of time (greater than one week) between the gallery and probe images, recognition from typical visible-light images may outperform that from infrared images. Experimental results also indicate that the combination of the two generally outperforms either one alone. This is the only study that we know of to focus on the issue of how passage of time affects infrared face recognition.
Predicting Intention to Remain in College Among Ethnic Minority and Nonminority Students

Abstract Models predicting ethnic minority and nonminority students' intentions to remain enrolled in college were tested for equivalence. On the basis of previous research, the predictors were coping with college, self-esteem, academic integration, identification with the university, and experience of disrespect because of race, ethnicity, or religion. Participants were 139 ethnic minority and 507 nonminority students at a U.S. university. Results indicate similarities and differences in the models for predicting commitment for ethnic minority and nonminority students. The relationship between academic achievement and commitment to remain in college was strong only for ethnic minority students. Identification with the university was positively related and experience of disrespect was negatively related to commitment for all students. When students perceived the environment as unwelcoming because of race, ethnicity, or religion, their desire to continue attending college diminished. Ethnic minority studen.
A Personalized Collaborative Filtering Recommendation Using Association Rules Mining and Self-Organizing Map

With the development of the Internet, the problem of information overload is becoming increasing serious. People all have experienced the feeling of being overwhelmed by the number of new books, articles, and proceedings coming out each year. Many researchers pay more attention on building a proper tool which can help users obtain personalized resources. Personalized recommendation systems are one such software tool used to help users obtain recommendations for unseen items based on their preferences. The commonly used personalized recommendation system methods are content-based filtering, collaborative filtering, and association rules mining. Unfortunately, each method has its drawbacks. This paper presented a personalized collaborative filtering recommendation method combining the association rules mining and self-organizing map. It used the association rules mining to fill the vacant where necessary. Then, it employs clustering function of self-organizing map to form nearest neighbors of the target item and it produces prediction of the target user to the target item using item-based collaborative filtering. The recommendation method combining association rules mining and collaborative filtering can alleviate the data sparsity problem in the recommender systems.
Molecular alterations and tumor suppressive function of the DUSP22 (Dual Specificity Phosphatase 22) gene in peripheral T-cell lymphoma subtypes

Monoallelic 6p25.3 rearrangements associated with DUSP22 (Dual Specificity Phosphatase 22) gene silencing have been reported in CD30+ peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL), mostly with anaplastic morphology and of cutaneous origin. However, the mechanism of second allele silencing and the putative tumor suppressor function of DUSP22 have not been investigated so far. Here, we show that the presence, in most individuals, of an inactive paralog hampers genetic and epigenetic evaluation of the DUSP22 gene. Identification of DUSP22-specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms haplotypes and fluorescence in situ hybridization and epigenetic characterization of the paralog status led us to develop a comprehensive strategy enabling reliable identification of DUSP22 alterations. We showed that one cutaneous anaplastic large T-cell lymphomas (cALCL) case with monoallelic 6p25.3 rearrangement and DUSP22 silencing harbored exon 1 somatic mutations associated with second allele inactivation. Another cALCL case carried an intron 1 somatic splice site mutation with predicted deleterious exon skipping effect. Other tested PTCL cases with 6p25.3 rearrangement exhibited neither mutation nor deletion nor methylation accounting for silencing of the non-rearranged DUSP22 allele, thus inactivated by a so far unknown mechanism. We also characterized the expression status of four DUSP22 splice variants and found that they are all silenced in cALCL cases with 6p25.3 breakpoints. We finally showed that restoring expression of the physiologically predominant isoform in DUSP22-deficient malignant T cells inhibits cellular expansion by stimulating apoptosis and impairs soft agar clonogenicity and tumorigenicity. This study therefore shows that DUSP22 behaves as a tumor suppressor gene in PTCL.
Love and Videogames: Negotiating Relationships with Cultural Ideals and Consumer Practices

Purpose – In this chapter we consider how two apparently disconnected practices – one very human (loving relationships), another the apparently alienating outcome of consumer technology (videogame play) – may turn out to be linked in very intimate and perhaps surprising ways. In making this connection we hope to comment on how consumer practices may be understood in the context of dynamic human relationships and cultural ideals. Methodology – We conducted 36 phenomenological interviews with adult videogame players in order to elicit everyday experiences of videogame play in the context of the individual's lifeworld. This chapter deals with aspects of data that explore relationships with partners and children. Findings – We illustrate that consumer practices, ideals, and even couples are not stable things, but are subject to routine reconfiguration throughout life. We suggest the possibility of a triadic theory of human relationships that consists of the people themselves, their consumer practices, and ideas about what love means. Originality/value of paper – Previous questions about the value of videogame consumption have tended to ask about violence or the normalcy of how we might spend our time. In this chapter we have attempted to shift the focus to questions about human relationships and how they might be enacted with consumer technologies. By understanding the interactions between human actors, their consumer practices and their ideals we are able to comment on existing critiques and celebrations of the impact of consumer culture on human relationships.