Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modulating p56Lck in T-Cells by a Chimeric Peptide Comprising Two Functionally Different Motifs of Tip from Herpesvirus saimiri

The Lck interacting protein Tip of Herpesvirus saimiri is responsible for T-cell transformation both in vitro and in vivo. Here we designed the chimeric peptide hTip-CSKH, comprising the Lck specific interacting motif CSKH of Tip and its hydrophobic transmembrane sequence (hTip), the latter as a vector targeting lipid rafts. We found that hTip-CSKH can induce a fivefold increase in proliferation of human and Aotus sp. T-cells. Costimulation with PMA did not enhance this proliferation rate, suggesting that hTip-CSKH is sufficient and independent of further PKC stimulation. We also found that human Lck phosphorylation was increased earlier after stimulation when T-cells were incubated previously with hTip-CSKH, supporting a strong signalling and proliferative effect of the chimeric peptide. Additionally, Lck downstream signalling was evident with hTip-CSKH but not with control peptides. Importantly, hTip-CSKH could be identified in heavy lipid rafts membrane fractions, a compartment where important T-cell signalling molecules (LAT, Ras, and Lck) are present during T-cell activation. Interestingly, hTip-CSKH was inhibitory to Jurkat cells, in total agreement with the different signalling pathways and activation requirements of this leukemic cell line. These results provide the basis for the development of new compounds capable of modulating therapeutic targets present in lipid rafts.
Impedance matching concepts in RFID transponder design

In this paper, we analyze impedance matching concepts in passive radio frequency identification (RFID) transponders, which are powered by the incoming RF energy and consist of an antenna and an integrated circuit chip, both with complex impedances. The impedance match between the chip and the antenna can be characterized by the power transmission coefficient. We analyze the behavior of the power transmission coefficient and the effect it has on the tag performance. As an example, we consider a specific RFID transponder design, an Intellitag ID card with embedded folded meander antenna operating in 915 MHz band. We present both measurement data and simulation results, which are in good agreement.
Prognostic and Clinicopathological Value of Survivin in Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma

AbstractUp to date, survivin, a well-known inhibitor of apoptosis, has attracted considerable attention as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Nevertheless, there still remains no consensus on heterogeneous results. Herein, a meta-analysis was performed to clarify a convincing significance of survivin status on prognosis and clinicopathology of DLBCL patients.Eligible studies were identified by searching Medline, Embase, Scopus, CNKI, and Wanfang databases (last updated on November 30, 2014). Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Heterogeneity and sensitivity were also analyzed. Moreover, Begg, Egger test, and funnel plots were applied to evaluate the publication bias.We finally included 17 eligible studies with the total number of 1352 patients in the meta-analysis. The pooled results showed that positive survivin expression in DLBCL was associated with inferior overall survival (OS) (HR: 1.880, 95% CI: 1.550–2.270) in patients. Moreover, a significant association was revealed between survivin expression and advanced clinical stage (III + IV) (OR: 0.611, 95% CI: 0.452–0.827), higher International Prognosis Index (IPI) score (Score 3–5) (OR: 0.559; 95% CI: 0.410–0.761), elevated serum lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) (OR: 0.607, 95% CI: 0.444–0.831), presence of bone marrow involvement (OR: 2.127, 95% CI: 1.154–3.921) together with reduced complete remission (CR) rate (OR: 0.478, 95% CI: 0.345–0.662). The results suggest that survivin could be a useful prognostic biomarker, and a promising target for DLBCL therapeutic intervention. Considering limited HR data adjusted for standard prognostic variables could be retrieved, future high-quality studies will be needed in evaluating the independent prognostic value of survivin expression in DLBCL.
Compiling functional languages with flow analysis

We argue for the use of aggressive interprocedural flow analysis to guide optimizations for higher-order languages such as Scheme [Clinger and Rees 1991] and ML [Milner et al. 1990]. Functional languages provide abstraction through firstclass procedures and abstract datatypes. Without sophisticated interprocedural analysis, compilers must make overly conservative assumptions about how abstractions are used in the program. These assumptions often lead to poor performance. We present a strategy for building high-performance implementations that relaxes these assumptions and provides a framework upon which useful optimizations can be built. We describe two experiments that provide some evidence that this approach is viable.
Strong Backdoors to Bounded Treewidth SAT

There are various approaches to exploiting “hidden structure” in instances of hard combinatorial problems to allow faster algorithms than for general unstructured or random instances. For SAT and its counting version #SAT, hidden structure has been exploited in terms of decomposability and strong backdoor sets. Decomposability can be considered in terms of the treewidth of a graph that is associated with the given CNF formula, for instance by considering clauses and variables as vertices of the graph, and making a variable adjacent with all the clauses it appears in. On the other hand, a strong backdoor set of a CNF formula is a set of variables such that each assignment to this set moves the formula into a fixed class for which (#)SAT can be solved in polynomial time. In this paper we combine the two above approaches. In particular, we study the algorithmic question of finding a small strong backdoor set into the class Wν≤t of CNF formulas whose associated graphs have treewidth at most t. The main results are positive: (1) There is a cubic-time algorithm that, given a CNF formula F and two constants k, t ≥ 0, either finds a strong Wν≤t-backdoor set of size at most 2k, or concludes that F has no strong Wν≤t-backdoor set of size at most k. (2) There is a cubic-time algorithm that, given a CNF formula F, computes the number of satisfying assignments of F or concludes that sbt(F) > k, for any pair of constants k, t ≥ 0. Here, sbt(F) denotes the size of a smallest strong Wν≤t-backdoor set of F. We establish both results by distinguishing between two cases, depending on whether the treewidth of the given formula is small or large. For both results the case of small treewidth can be dealt with relatively standard methods. The case of large treewidth is challenging and requires novel and sophisticated combinatorial arguments. The main tool is an auxiliary graph whose vertices represent subgraphs in F's associated graph. It captures various ways to assemble large-treewidth subgraphs in F's associated graph. This is used to show that every backdoor set of size k intersects a certain set of variables whose size is bounded by a function of k and t. For any other set of k variables, one can use the auxiliary graph to find an assignment τ to these variables such that the graph associated with F[τ] has treewidth at least t + 1. The significance of our results lies in the fact that they allow us to exploit algorithmically a hidden structure in formulas that is not accessible by any one of the two approaches (decomposability, backdoors) alone. Already a backdoor size 1 on top of treewidth 1 (i.e., sb1(F) = 1) entails formulas of arbitrarily large treewidth and arbitrarily large cycle cutsets (variables whose deletion makes the instance acyclic).
DELIBERATION AND DEMOCRATIC LEGITIMACY

Joshua Cohen In this essay I explore the ideal of a 'deliberative democracy'. 1 By a deliberative democracy I shall mean, roughly, an association whose affairs are governed by the public deliberation of its members. I propose an account of the value of such an association that treats democracy itself as a fundamental political ideal and not simply as a derivative ideal that can be explained in terms of the values of fairness or equality of respect.
Cellulase activities in biomass conversion: measurement methods and comparison

Cellulose, the major constituent of all plant materials and the most abundant organic molecule on the Earth, is a linear biopolymer of glucose molecules, connected by β-1,4-glycosidic bonds. Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose requires mixtures of hydrolytic enzymes including endoglucanases, exoglucanases (cellobiohydrolases), and β-glucosidases acting in a synergistic manner. In biopolymer hydrolysis studies, enzyme assay is an indispensable part. The most commonly used assays for the individual enzymes as well as total cellulase activity measurements, including their advantages and limitations, are summarized in this review article. In addition, some novel approaches recently used for enzyme assays are summarized.
A Query Language for a Versioned Object Oriented Database

Many applications require that all data updates be stored on and retrieved from a database. Such requirement is supported on object oriented databases through versioning. While most related work focuses on different aspects of versions concepts, design modeling and efficient processing of versions, there is yet to be a precise definition of a query language for database systems with versions control. Therefore, we define a query language (called VOQL, Versioned Object Query Language) for an object oriented database with versioning support. VOQL extends ODMG and OQL for managing the evolution of different elements of the data. Besides the language main features, we provide the base of a formal definition for VOQL. Finally, we validate the proposed definition by implementing an interpreter for the language.
Designing Incoherent Frames Through Convex Techniques for Optimized Compressed Sensing

The construction of highly incoherent frames, sequences of vectors placed on the unit hyper sphere of a finite dimensional Hilbert space with low correlation between them, has proven very difficult. Algorithms proposed in the past have focused on minimizing the absolute value off-diagonal entries of the Gram matrix of these structures. Recently, a method based on convex optimization that operates directly on the vectors of the frame has been shown to produce promising results. This paper gives a detailed analysis of the optimization problem at the heart of this approach and, based on these insights, proposes a new method that substantially outperforms the initial approach and all current methods in the literature for all types of frames, with low and high redundancy. We give extensive experimental results that show the effectiveness of the proposed method and its application to optimized compressed sensing.
Synergy is achieved by complementation with Apo2L/TRAIL and actinomycin D in Apo2L/TRAIL‐mediated apoptosis of prostate cancer cells: Role of XIAP in resistance

Tumors have an inherent immunogenicity that can be exploited by immunotherapy. However, often tumors develop mechanisms that render them resistant to most immunologic cytotoxic effector mechanisms. This study examines the underlying mechanism of resistance to Apo2L/TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis‐inducing ligand)‐mediated apoptosis.
A test circuit based on a ring oscillator array for statistical characterization of Plasma-Induced Damage

We propose a test circuit for characterizing Plasma-Induced Damage (PID) based on a ring oscillator array for collecting high-quality BTI statistics. Two types of ring oscillators, PID protected and PID damaged, with built-in antenna structures were designed to separate PID from other effects. A beat frequency (BF) detection scheme was adopted to achieve high frequency measurement precision (>0.01%) in a short measurement time (>1μs) to prevent unwanted BTI recovery. The proposed circuit enables accurate PID-induced BTI lifetime prediction with different Antenna Ratios (ARs) in any type of device with any topology of antenna structure under any fabrication process. Measured frequency statistics from a 65nm test chip shows a 1.15% shift in the average frequency as a result of PID.
Recent advances in IR-UWB transceivers: An overview

Modern Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) regulations have recently been adopted worldwide allowing for unlicensed operation within 3.1 and 10.6 GHz, using an appropriate wideband signal format with a low Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) level. UWB characteristics are suitable to transmit data using pulses instead of continuous-waves such as in narrowband radio links. It has the potential to be the right technology for high data-rate, low-power and short-to-medium range communication systems. We will focus on Impulse Radio-UWB (IR-UWB) systems and show their suitability for many different applications, including sensor networks, ad-hoc networks, cognitive radio, home networking, etc. We will also discuss the difficulties and challenges of designing IR-UWB systems. We present a tutorial overview of UWB regulations and usable signals. We present the existing standards and recommendations, and we review recently published results, highlighting trends in UWB transceiver power consumption and the impact of CMOS scaling on performance.
Wired network services in mobile phones

Mobile communication in today's world means a lot to the human kind, many deals are made and others are broken, within seconds. That is because of our sophisticated methods of transporting the data at very high speeds and to very long distances. That is also because we kept on improving the method of serving the connections as the no of connections kept on increasing. Methods like TDMA, CDMA, and FDMA, etc. are few basic techniques in communication. Also the architecture of wireless communication shows the areas where connections are provided are divided into CELLS, which are the basic blocks for wireless communication. With the intervention of the wireless system for making calls, the wired communication, to which CELL has no relation has almost been neglected. This also forced the communication giants to upgrade to wireless service along with the existing wired networks.
The role of Plasmodium falciparum variant surface antigens in protective immunity and vaccine development

There is substantial immuno-epidemiological evidence that the parasite-encoded, so-called variant surface antigens (VSAs) such as PfEMP1 on the surface of infected erythrocytes (IEs) are important – in some cases probably decisive – determinants of clinical outcome of P. falciparum malaria. The evidence is increasingly being underpinned by specific molecular understanding of the pathogenic processes involved. Pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM) caused by placenta-sequestering IEs expressing the PfEMP1 variant VAR2CSA is a particularly striking example of this. These findings have raised hopes that development of PfEMP1-based vaccines to protect specifically against severe malaria syndromes – in particular PAM – is feasible. This review summarizes the evidence that VSAs are important targets of NAI, discusses why VSA-based vaccines might be feasible despite the extensive intra- and interclonal variation of VSAs, and how vaccines based on this type of antigens fit into the current global strategy to reduce, eliminate, and eventually eradicate the burden of malaria.
Behavior therapy augments response of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder responding to drug treatment.

OBJECTIVE In many patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), residual symptoms persist despite a clinically meaningful response. The objective of this study was to examine whether addition of behavior therapy would augment treatment outcome in these patients. METHOD Ninety-six patients with DSM-IV OCD who had responded to 3 months of drug treatment were randomly assigned to either receive addition of behavior therapy or continue on drug treatment alone for 6 months. Patients who continued on drug treatment alone eventually received addition of behavior therapy for 6 months. Data were gathered from October 1998 to June 2002. RESULTS OCD patients who received addition of behavior therapy showed a greater improvement in obsessive-compulsive symptoms (Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale [Y-BOCS] score change = -3.9 in the completers sample) than those who continued on drug treatment alone (Y-BOCS score change = +3.9 for completers). Significantly more patients who received addition of behavior therapy were in remission compared with those who continued on drug treatment alone (p < .0001 for completers). Patients who received behavior therapy after 6 months of drug treatment alone showed a nonsignificant decline in obsessive-compulsive symptoms (Y-BOCS score change = -2.7 for completers); however, the remission rate found in this group was comparable to the remission rate found in the group of patients receiving addition of behavior therapy directly after responding to drug treatment. CONCLUSION The results indicate that addition of behavior therapy is beneficial for patients who have responded to drug treatment. The data also suggest that the effect is greater when behavior therapy is added immediately after attainment of the drug response.
Impaired brain network architecture in Cushing’s disease based on graph theoretical analysis

To investigate the whole functional brain networks of active Cushing disease (CD) patients about topological parameters (small world and rich club et al.) and compared with healthy control (NC). Nineteen active CD patients and twenty-two healthy control subjects, matched in age, gender, and education, underwent resting-state fMRI. Graph theoretical analysis was used to calculate the functional brain network organizations for all participants, and those for active CD patients were compared for and NCs. Active CD patients revealed higher global efficiency, shortest path length and reduced cluster efficiency compared with healthy control. Additionally, small world organization was present in active CD patients but higher than healthy control. Moreover, rich club connections, feeder connections and local connections were significantly decreased in active CD patients. Functional network properties appeared to be disrupted in active CD patients compared with healthy control. Analyzing the changes that lead to abnormal network metrics will improve our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying CD.
Addressing the Antibiotic Resistance Problem with Probiotics: Reducing the Risk of Its Double-Edged Sword Effect

Antibiotic resistance is a global public health problem that requires our attention. Indiscriminate antibiotic use is a major contributor in the introduction of selective pressures in our natural environments that have significantly contributed in the rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant microbial strains. The use of probiotics in lieu of antibiotic therapy to address certain health conditions in both animals and humans may alleviate these antibiotic-mediated selective pressures. Probiotic use is defined as the actual application of live beneficial microbes to obtain a desired outcome by preventing diseased state or improving general health. Multiple studies have confirmed the beneficial effects of probiotic use in the health of both livestock and humans. As such, probiotics consumption is gaining popularity worldwide. However, concerns have been raised in the use of some probiotics strains that carry antibiotic resistance genes themselves, as they have the potential to pass the antibiotic resistance genes to pathogenic bacteria through horizontal gene transfer. Therefore, with the current public health concern on antibiotic resistance globally, in this review, we underscore the need to screen probiotic strains that are used in both livestock and human applications to assure their safety and mitigate their potential in significantly contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in our natural environments.
A test-bed for misbehavior detection in mobile ad-hoc networks - how much can watchdogs really do?

Several misbehavior detection and reputation systems have been proposed for mobile ad-hoc networks, relying on direct network observation mechanisms, so-called watchdogs. While these approaches have so far only been evaluated in simulations and restricted to selfish packet dropping, we are interested in the capabilities of a watchdog detection component in a real network. In this paper, we present our test-bed implementation of misbehavior detection. Following an evaluation of both the feasibility and detectability of attacks on routing and forwarding in the dynamic source routing (DSR) protocol, we present the design of our test-bed. In order to add detection capabilities, we extend the concept of passive acknowledgment by mechanisms for partial dropping, packet modification, and fabrication detection. We combine DSR with Netfilter and APE to enable detection. We implement both attackers and detection and show their feasibility and limitations.
The complexity of end-to-end communication in memoryless networks

End-to-end communication is the problem of sending a sequence of messages from a sender to a receiver when the network through which they communicate is unreliable. The model considered is an asynchronous network in which intermediate nodes are assumed to have no memory. Dynamic link failures are allowed: links can lose messages, but cannot reorder or duplicate them. Two problems are studied: sending a single message through a network and sending a stream of messages through a network. We provide lower bounds and upper bounds on the size of the headers needed to transmit information from the sender S to the receiver R. We prove that, for the complete network of n processors or any network that contains it as a minor (such as the n2 input butterfly), headers of length 52(logn) are necessary to ensure delivery of one message, without ever generating an infinite amount of packet traffic. This lower bound holds even if only static link faults are allowed. It also matches the upper bound achieved by the simple ‘(hop count” protocol that uses packet headers to count the number of hops packets have traveled. For other network topologies, we develop new protocols that use substantially smaller headers. For example, if the network has a known feedback vertex set of size f, then headers of length [log,(f + 1)1 suffice. For the sequence transmission problem, we prove lower bounds as a function of the network topology, implying, for example, that fixed degree meshes with n nodes and the complete graph on n nodes require headers of length n(n) and fl(n log n), respectively. In many cases, including these graphs and all series parallel graphs, our lower bounds match the upper bounds achieved by Dolev and Welch’s bounded sequence number protocol. Pernlission to n~&e djeital or hard copies of all or part ofthis wok for perronal or classrooll~ USC is granted without fee pro~idd [hat copies arc n,,t matic or (listributcd ror profit or cornnlcrcid ad>alltage aid that c<)pics bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. -fo COPY otherwise. to repnhlisll. to post on sewers or to redistribute to lists. requires prior specific permission an&or a fW. PODC ‘99 Atlanta GA USA Copyright ACM 1999 I-581 13-099-6/99/05. $5.00