Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evidence for active transport of melphalan by two amino acid carriers in L5178Y lymphoblasts in vitro.

Abstract Investigation of the mechanism of uptake of melphalan by L5178Y lymphoblasts has been extended with particular emphasis on the chemical specificity of the transport mechanism. Evidence was obtained that uptake of melphalan was an active carrier-mediated process. Uptake appeared to proceed “uphill” against a concentration gradient of approximately eight-fold and was temperature sensitive, partly sodium dependent, and inhibited by ouabain and p -hydroxymercuribenzoate. Drug uptake followed biphasic Michaelis-Menten kinetics suggesting the involvement of at least two carrier systems and was markedly inhibited by a variety of amino acids. Melphalan uptake was strongly inhibited by β-2-aminobicyclo[2,2,1]heptane-2-carboxylic acid, a specific inhibitor of the L amino acid transport (leucine-preferring) system but not by 2-aminoisobutyric acid or 2-(methylamino)-isobutyric acid, specific inhibitors of the A amino acid (alanine-preferring) system. Under conditions in which the L and A systems were saturated by β-2-aminobicyclo-[2,2,1]heptane-2-carboxylic acid and 2-aminoisobutyric acid, drug uptake was inhibited by serine, an amino acid known to be transported by the ASC (alanine, serine, and cysteine) system. In reciprocal experiments with leucine as substrate, melphalan inhibited uptake of the amino acid by both the L system and a second system resembling ASC. All of the carrier-mediated uptake of melphalan could be accounted for by transport on these two systems. In the drug concentration range of 3.33 to 20 µm, carriermediated uptake of melphalan appeared to be almost equally divided between the L system and the system resembling ASC, while in the 20 to 100 µm concentration range, uptake by the L system became increasingly dominant. Uptake of melphalan by the L carrier system had a K m of 8.0 ± 3.0 × 10 -5 m and a V max of 1.1 ± 0.4 × 10 -16 mol/cell/min, while uptake by the second system had a K m of 1.0 ± 0.7 × 10 -5 m and a V max of 2.2 ± 2.4 × 10 -17 mol/cell/min.
Implementing cooperative software with high-level communication packages

The use of appropriate tools is crucial for the development of robust and distributed software. The programming of heterogeneous environments is more demanding than programming single, stand-alone computers. We believe that client/server technology is not a satisfactory solution. Most problems do not naturally decompose into an asymmetric client/server structure. Better abstraction mechanisms are needed. We propose a new coordination framework that we have developed. It supports shared objects as reliable communication media, advanced transactions, and concurrency through processes that form reliable software contracts. For a discussion, we compare the realization of a typical distributed application, that belongs to the domain of cooperative work, with three different tools: our coordination framework; a representative of the classical client/server and message paradigm; and the Linda communication model.
CALL FOR PAPERS Integrative and Translational Physiology: Inflammation, Immunity, and Organ System Physiology Biphasic changes in fetal heart rate variability in preterm fetal sheep developing hypotension after acute on chronic lipopolysaccharide exposure

Lear CA, Davidson JO, Booth LC, Wassink G, Galinsky R, Drury PP, Fraser M, Bennet L, Gunn AJ. Biphasic changes in fetal heart rate variability in preterm fetal sheep developing hypotension after acute on chronic lipopolysaccharide exposure. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 307: R387–R395, 2014. First published June 18, 2014; doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00110. 2014. —Perinatal exposure to infection is highly associated with adverse outcomes. Experimentally, acute, severe exposure to gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is associated with increased fetal heart rate variability (FHRV). It is unknown whether FHRV is affected by subclinical infection with or without acute exacerbations. We therefore tested the hypothesis that FHRV would be associated with hypotension after acute on chronic exposure to LPS. Chronically instrumented fetal sheep at 0.7 gestation were exposed to a continuous low-dose LPS infusion (n 12, 100 ng/kg over 24 h, followed by 250 ng·kg ·24 h 1 for a further 96 h) or the same volume of saline (n 10). Boluses of either 1 g LPS or saline were given at 48, 72, and 96 h. Low-dose infusion was not associated with hemodynamic or FHRV changes. The first LPS bolus was associated with tachycardia and suppression of nuchal electromyographic activity in all fetuses. Seven of twelve fetuses developed hypotension (a fall in mean arterial blood pressure 5 mmHg). FHRV was transiently increased only at the onset of hypotension, in association with increased cytokine induction and electroencephalogram suppression. FHRV then fell before the nadir of hypotension, with transient suppression of short-term FHRV. After the second LPS bolus, the hypotension group showed a biphasic pattern of a transient increase in FHRV followed by more prolonged suppression. These findings suggest that infection-related hypotension in the preterm fetus mediates the transient increase in FHRV and that repeated exposure to LPS leads to progressive loss of FHRV.
The Application Perspective: Seeking Productivity and Performance

In this note we propose two projects: (1) creating a hierarchical programming model from current models; and (2) extracting application primitives from the “13 dwarfs”. The first topic addresses the need for a unified and manageable framework for very large-scale concurrent execution. This is the productivity part: less complexity will drive better mapping of algorithms to architecture, which will also contribute to better performance. The second topic focuses mostly on the processor and the node with the aim of laying the groundwork for software and silicon optimized kernels. While it is understood that applications primitives are outside the scope of IESP, the motivation for introducing it here is that it is a companion issue and that increasing the efficiency of each processor provides high return for science, at all levels of system size.
One-Class SVM assisted accurate tracking

Recently, tracking is regarded as a binary classification problem by discriminative tracking methods. However, such binary classification may not fully handle the outliers, which may cause drifting. In this paper, we argue that tracking may be regarded as one-class problem, which avoids gathering limited negative samples for background description. Inspired by the fact the positive feature space generated by One-Class SVM is bounded by a closed sphere, we propose a novel tracking method utilizing One-Class SVMs that adopt HOG and 2bit-BP as features, called One-Class SVM Tracker (OCST). Simultaneously an efficient initialization and online updating scheme is also proposed. Extensive experimental results prove that OCST outperforms some state-of-the-art discriminative tracking methods on providing accurate tracking and alleviating serious drifting.
A Split and Merge Based Ellipse Detector With Self-Correcting Capability

A novel ellipse detector based upon edge following is proposed in this paper. The detector models edge connectivity by line segments and exploits these line segments to construct a set of elliptical-arcs. Disconnected elliptical-arcs which describe the same ellipse are identified and grouped together by incrementally finding optimal pairings of elliptical-arcs. We extract hypothetical ellipses of an image by fitting an ellipse to the elliptical-arcs of each group. Finally, a feedback loop is developed to sieve out low confidence hypothetical ellipses and to regenerate a better set of hypothetical ellipses. In this aspect, the proposed algorithm performs self-correction and homes in on “difficult” ellipses. Detailed evaluation on synthetic images shows that the algorithm outperforms existing methods substantially in terms of recall and precision scores under the scenarios of image cluttering, salt-and-pepper noise and partial occlusion. Additionally, we apply the detector on a set of challenging real-world images. Successful detection of ellipses present in these images is demonstrated. We are not aware of any other work that can detect ellipses from such difficult images. Therefore, this work presents a significant contribution towards ellipse detection.
User Dynamics in Mental Health Forums - A Sentiment Analysis Perspective

Individuals around the world in need of mental healthcare do not find adequate treatment because of lacking resources. Since the necessary support can often not be provided directly, many turn to the Internet for assistance, whereby mental health forums have evolved into an important medium for millions of users to share experiences. Information Systems research lacks empirical evidence to analyze how health forums influence users’ moods. This paper addresses the research gap by conducting sentiment analysis on a large dataset of user posts from three leading English-language forums. The goal of this study is to shed light on the mood effects of mental health forum participation, as well as to better understand user roles. The results of our exploratory study show that sentiment scores develop either positively or negatively depending on the condition. We additionally investigate and report on user forum roles.
A review of scalable data sharing techniques for secure cloud storage

Cloud computing is a technology which supplies a shared pool of configurable IT resources such as network, software and database. Cloud Computing provides the facility of centralized data storage, user can access their data online. Cloud storage is very popular now a days. Data which is stored on clouds should be secure from adversaries. In cloud storage data sharing is an important functionality. Data transfer should be done securely and efficiently with others in cloud computing. In this paper we review different scalable data sharing techniques in cloud storage. To minimize the expense of managing and storing secret keys for general cryptographic use is aim of cryptographic key assignment schemes. For supporting flexible hierarchy in decryption power delegation, a encryption scheme is represented which is basically proposed for concisely transmitting large number of decryption keys in broadcast scenario. To protect data privacy is a central question for cloud storage. We illustrate new public-key encryption scheme, which produces constant-size cipher texts such as efficient delegation decryption rights for any set of cipher texts are possible.
Spatial Regulation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Signaling by Endocytosis

Signaling by cell surface receptors appears to be relatively straight-forward: ligand binds to the extracellular domain of the receptor and biochemical changes are communicated into the cell. However, this process is more complex than it first seems due to the various mechanisms that regulate signaling. In order to effectively target these receptors for pharmacological purposes, a more complete understanding of how their signaling is regulated is needed. Here, how the endocytic pathway regulates receptor signaling is discussed, using the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as a model. In particular, the spatial regulation of signaling is examined. Areas of discussion include: how endocytic trafficking affects biology/pathology, varying approaches for studying the relationship between receptor endocytosis and signaling, and developments in how the endocytic pathway controls EGFR:effector communication and EGFR-mediated cell biology.
4 Experimental Results 3.1.1 Texture Feature Extraction 3.1.2 Codebook Design

We propose a new method for indexing large image databases. The method incorporates neural network learning algorithms and pattern recognition techniques to construct an image pattern dictionary. Image retrieval is then formulated as a process of dictionary search to compute the best matching codeword, which in turn indexes into the database items. Experimental results are presented.
Path optimization and near-greedy analysis for graph partitioning: an empirical study

This paper presents the results of an experimental study of graph partitioning. We describe a new heuristic technique, path optimization, and its application to two variations of graph partitioning: the max_cut problem and the min_quotient_cut problem. We present the results of computational comparisons between this technique and the Kernighan-Lin algorithm, the simulated annealing algorithm, the FLOW-lagorithm the multilevel algorithm, and teh recent 0.878-approximation algorithm. The experiments were conducted on two classes of graphs that have become standard for such tests: random and random geometric. They show that for both classes of inputs and both variations of the problem, the new heuristic is competitive with the other algorithms and holds an advantage for min_quotient_cut when applied to very large, sparse geometric graphs. In the last part of the paper, we describe an approach to analyzing graph partitioning algorithms from the statistical point of view. Every partitioning of a graph is viewed as a result achieved by a "near gready" partitioning algorithm. The experiments show that for "good" partitionings, the number of non-greedy steps needed to obtain them is quite small; moreover, it is "statistically" smaller for better partitionings. This led us to conjecture that there exists an "optimal" distribution of the non-greedy steps that characterize the classes of graphs that we studied.
Genetic diversity at neutral and adaptive loci determines individual fitness in a long-lived territorial bird

There is compelling evidence about the manifest effects of inbreeding depression on individual fitness and populations' risk of extinction. The majority of studies addressing inbreeding depression on wild populations are generally based on indirect measures of inbreeding using neutral markers. However, the study of functional loci, such as genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), is highly recommended. MHC genes constitute an essential component of the immune system of individuals, which is directly related to individual fitness and survival. In this study, we analyse heterozygosity fitness correlations of neutral and adaptive genetic variation (22 microsatellite loci and two loci of the MHC class II, respectively) with the age of recruitment and breeding success of a decimated and geographically isolated population of a long-lived territorial vulture. Our results indicate a negative correlation between neutral genetic diversity and age of recruitment, suggesting that inbreeding may be delaying reproduction. We also found a positive correlation between functional (MHC) genetic diversity and breeding success, together with a specific positive effect of the most frequent pair of cosegregating MHC alleles in the population. Globally, our findings demonstrate that genetic depauperation in small populations has a negative impact on the individual fitness, thus increasing the populations' extinction risk.
On Estimating Impact of Loading Effect on Leakage Current in Sub-65nm Scaled CMOS Circuits Based on Newton-Raphson Method

Different sources of leakage can affect each other by interacting through resulting intermediate node voltages. This is known as the loading effect, hi this paper, we propose a pattern dependent steady state leakage estimation technique that incorporates loading effect and addresses the three dominant sources of leakage, namely the sub-threshold, gate oxide and band-to-band tunneling leakages. We have developed a compact leakage model that supports iteration over node voltages based on Newton-Raphson method. The proposed estimation technique based on the compact model improves performance and capacity over SPICE. We report a speed up of 18,000X over SPICE. Results show that loading effect is a significant factor in leakage and worsens with technology scaling.
Variation-Aware Layer Assignment With Hierarchical Stochastic Optimization on a Multicore Platform

As the very large scale integration (VLSI) technology enters the nanoscale regime, VLSI design is increasingly sensitive to variations on process, voltage, and temperature. Layer assignment technology plays a crucial role in industrial VLSI design flow. However, existing layer assignment approaches have largely ignored these variations, which can lead to significant timing violations. To address this issue, a variation-aware layer assignment approach for cost minimization is proposed in this paper. The proposed layer assignment approach is a single-stage stochastic program that directly controls the timing yield via a single parameter, and it is solved using Monte Carlo simulations and the Latin hypercube sampling technique. A hierarchical design is also adopted to enable the optimization process on a multicore platform. Experiments have been performed on 5000 industrial nets, and the results demonstrate that the proposed approach: 1) can significantly improve the timing yield by 64% in comparison with the nominal design and 2) can reduce the wire cost by 15.7% in comparison with the worst case design.
Measurement of immunofunctional leptin to detect and monitor patients with functional leptin deficiency

Context and aims Functional leptin deficiency is characterized by high levels of circulating immunoreactive leptin (irLep), but a reduced bioactivity of the hormone due to defective receptor binding. As a result of the fact that affected patients can be successfully treated with metreleptin, it was aimed to develop and validate a diagnostic tool to detect functional leptin deficiency. Methods An immunoassay capable of recognizing the functionally relevant receptor-binding complex with leptin was developed (bioLep). The analytical quality of bioLep was validated and compared to a conventional assay for immune-reactive leptin (irLep). Its clinical relevance was evaluated in a cohort of lean and obese children and adults as well as in children diagnosed with functional leptin deficiency and their parents. Results In the clinical cohort, a bioLep/irLep ratio of 1.07 (range: 0.80–1.41) was observed. Serum of patients with non-functional leptin due to homozygous amino acid exchanges (D100Y or N103K) revealed high irLep but non-detectable bioLep levels. Upon treatment of these patients with metreleptin, irLep levels decreased, whereas levels of bioLep increased continuously. In patient relatives with heterozygous amino acid exchanges, a bioLep/irLep ratio of 0.52 (range: 0.48–0.55) being distinct from normal was observed. Conclusions The new bioLep assay is able to diagnose impaired leptin bioactivity in severely obese patients with a homozygous gene defect and in heterozygous carriers of such mutations. The assay serves as a diagnostic tool to monitor leptin bioactivity during treatment of these patients.
1 EE 5359 Project Hidden Markov Tree Modeling of the Uniform Discrete Curvelet Transform for Image Denoising

The uniform discrete curvelet transform (UDCT) is a modified version of the curvelet transform based on the filter bank implementation in the frequency domain. In this project, the hidden Markov tree model, which captures the parent-children dependency, is used for the uniform discrete curvelet transform. Also, the image denoising results are shown as an application of the modeling.
The geometry and control of dissipative systems

We regard the internal configuration of a deformable body, together with its position and orientation in ambient space, as a point in a trivial principal fiber bundle over the manifold of body deformations. In the presence of a symmetry which leads to a conservation law the self-propulsion of such a body due to cyclic changes in shape is described by the corresponding mechanical connection on the configuration bundle. In the presence of viscous drag sufficient to negate inertial effects, the Stokes connection takes the place of the mechanical connection. Both connections may be represented locally in terms of the variables describing the body's shape. In the presence of both inertial and viscous effects, the equations of motion may be written in terms of the two local connection forms as an affine control system with drift on the manifold of configurations and body momenta. We apply techniques from nonlinear control theory to the equations in this form to obtain criteria for a particular form of accessibility.
Notice of RetractionSearching for robust optimal solutions by an evolutionary algorithm

When searching for robust optimal solutions in evolutionary optimization, a criterion for robustness estimation is needed. An expectation-based approach and a variance-based approach are highlighted in this paper. Experiments are conducted on a single-objective test function adopting three unequal values of dimension size, solved by an chaotic evolutionary algorithm. In both former low-dimensional cases, graphical results are given to make a visual comparison between the two robustness measures, which shows that their searching ability is complementary. Then a dominance mechanism similar to the definition of domination in multi-objective optimization is suggested, and integrated with chaotic evolutionary algorithm for selection of a survival between two individuals in single-objective evolutionary optimization. In the third high-dimensional case, solved by modified chaotic evolutionary algorithm with variance-based measure approach, good numerical results are reported.
Efficient out-of-plane microphotonic fiber-to-chip coupler designs

Due to the tremendous increase of data rates in optical communication, and as a result the forthcoming reliance on photonic circuits for all-optical switching, routing and signal processing, efficient coupling of light between a nanophotonic waveguide and a fiber has become a critical and interesting issue to investigate. The objective of this thesis is to explore new strategies for efficient fiber-to-chip coupler design and to come up with design rules based on these strategies and a competent device design. Some of the previous research in the area of coupler design is reviewed, and a novel out-of-plane fiber-to-chip coupler design that is based on phase-canceling gratings is proposed. The principle of operation of this grating is explained and may be applied to other grating designs. Thesis Supervisor: Franz X. Kiirtner Title: Professor of Electrical Engineering
Class, Caste and Gender - Women in Parliament in India

Recent reports in India indicating that many women politicians are finding it difficult to participate in politics, let alone equalize the gender gap that exists, point to an increasing need to analyze the role that women play in Indian politics. This has been supported by recent elections. A February 1998 Times of India report corroborates much of what has been discussed in this handbook: namely that “domestic responsibilities, lack of financial clout, rising criminalization of politics and the threat of character assassination” are making it increasingly difficult for women to be part of the political framework. Moreover, women politicians point out that even within the political parties, women are rarely found in leadership positions. In fact, “women candidates are usually fielded from 'losing' constituencies where the party does not want to 'waste' a male candidate”. In this section we examine the results of a study of women parliamentarians in India during the Tenth Parliament (1991–1996). The discussion focuses on three main areas: the social profile of women parliamentarians; the routes they have taken to get to their political position; and the public policy areas in which they were involved.