Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predicting the Geographic Distribution of a Species from Presence‐Only Data Subject to Detection Errors

Summary Several models have been developed to predict the geographic distribution of a species by combining measurements of covariates of occurrence at locations where the species is known to be present with measurements of the same covariates at other locations where species occurrence status (presence or absence) is unknown. In the absence of species detection errors, spatial point‐process models and binary‐regression models for case‐augmented surveys provide consistent estimators of a species’ geographic distribution without prior knowledge of species prevalence. In addition, these regression models can be modified to produce estimators of species abundance that are asymptotically equivalent to those of the spatial point‐process models. However, if species presence locations are subject to detection errors, neither class of models provides a consistent estimator of covariate effects unless the covariates of species abundance are distinct and independently distributed from the covariates of species detection probability. These analytical results are illustrated using simulation studies of data sets that contain a wide range of presence‐only sample sizes. Analyses of presence‐only data of three avian species observed in a survey of landbirds in western Montana and northern Idaho are compared with site‐occupancy analyses of detections and nondetections of these species.
Relationship of events and affect in the daily life of an elderly population.

The relationship between positive and negative events and emotional well-being for depressed and nondepressed residents of a nursing home and congregate housing care facility was examined. For 30 consecutive working days, each of 79 participants was presented with the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Positive and Negative Affect rating scales. Events during the previous 24 hr were elicited by an open-ended format. Results indicated that variations in daily events (e.g., health, family, self-initiated, and social events) were related to residents' affect, and there was congruence between mood and event valence when the effects of psychopathology and residence were removed. Thus, regardless of diagnosis or residential setting, people's moods showed a relationship to the quality of daily events. Findings also indicated that ratings of residents' affect could be translated into audits for institutional quality.
Edge Self-Monitoring for Wireless Sensor Networks

Local monitoring is an effective mechanism for the security of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Existing schemes assume the existence of sufficient number of active nodes to carry out monitoring operations. Such an assumption, however, is often difficult for a large-scale sensor network. In this work, we focus on designing an efficient scheme integrated with good self-monitoring capability as well as providing an infrastructure for various security protocols using local monitoring. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to present the formal study on optimizing network topology for edge self-monitoring in WSNs. We show that the problem is NP-complete even under the unit disk graph (UDG) model and give the upper bound on the approximation ratio in various graph models. We provide polynomial-time approximation scheme (PTAS) algorithms for the problem in some specific graphs, for example, the monitoring-set-bounded graph. We further design two distributed polynomial algorithms with provable approximation ratio. Through comprehensive simulations, we evaluate the effectiveness of our design.
Packet routing in dynamically changing networks on chip

On-line routing strategies for communication in a dynamic network on chip (DyNoC) environment are presented. The DyNoC has been presented as a medium supporting communication among modules which are dynamically placed on a reconfigurable device at run-time. Using simulation, we compare the performance of an adaptive Q-routing algorithm to the well known XY-routing strategy. Both algorithms are adapted to support communication on the DyNoC which is equivalent to routing on meshes with obstacles. In our experiments, Q-routing proves its performance under varying network load while using only local information for its routing decisions.
Reduced function of endothelial prostacyclin in human omental resistance arteries in pre‐eclampsia

It remains unclear in pre‐eclampsia whether or not a functional change occurs in the role played by prostacyclin in endothelium‐dependent relaxation in resistance arteries. We examined this using human omental resistance arteries (obtained from pre‐eclamptic or normotensive pregnant women) in the presence of NG‐nitro‐l‐arginine (l‐NNA, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase). In endothelium‐intact strips from both groups, 9,11‐epithio‐11,12‐methano‐thromboxane A2 (STA2, a thromboxane A2 mimetic) produced a contraction. Diclofenac (an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase) enhanced the STA2 contraction only in the normotensive pregnant group (1.4 times control, P < 0.01). In the presence of STA2, bradykinin (0.1 μm) produced an endothelium‐dependent relaxation in both groups, the relaxation being significantly smaller for the pre‐eclamptic group (P < 0.002). Diclofenac significantly attenuated the bradykinin‐induced relaxation only for the normotensive pregnant group (31 % inhibition, P < 0.001). The bradykinin‐induced membrane hyperpolarization consisted of diclofenac‐sensitive and ‐insensitive components. The former, but not the latter, was significantly smaller in pre‐eclampsia (‐4.3 vs.−2.6 mV, P < 0.05). The concentrations of 6‐keto‐PGF1α (a stable metabolite of prostacyclin) in these arteries were significantly lower in pre‐eclampsia in both the absence and presence of bradykinin (about 0.2‐0.4 times the normotensive pregnant value in each case, P < 0.01). By contrast, both the relaxation and the membrane hyperpolarization in response to beraprost (10 nm, a stable analogue of prostacyclin) were similar between the two groups. We conclude that, in pre‐eclampsia, a reduced part is played by prostaglandins in the endothelium‐dependent relaxation seen in resistance arteries and that this may be due to a reduced production of prostacyclin by the endothelium.
Distinct molecular pathways for development of telencephalic interneuron subtypes revealed through analysis of Lhx6 mutants

Here we analyze the role of the Lhx6 lim‐homeobox transcription factor in regulating the development of subsets of neocortical, hippocampal, and striatal interneurons. An Lhx6 loss‐of‐function allele, which expresses placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP), allowed analysis of the development and fate of Lhx6‐expressing interneurons in mice lacking this homeobox transcription factor. There are Lhx6+;Dlx+ and Lhx6−;Dlx+ subtypes of tangentially migrating interneurons. Most interneurons in Lhx6PLAP/PLAP mutants migrate to the cortex, although less efficiently, and exhibit defects in populating the marginal zone and superficial parts of the neocortical plate. By contrast, migration to superficial parts of the hippocampus is not seriously affected. Furthermore, whereas parvalbumin+ and somatostatin+ interneurons do not differentiate, NPY+ interneurons are present; we suggest that these NPY+ interneurons are derived from the Lhx6−;Dlx+ subtype. Striatal interneurons show deficits distinct from pallial interneurons, including a reduction in the NPY+ subtype. We provide evidence that Lhx6 mediates these effects through promoting expression of receptors that regulate interneuron migration (ErbB4, CXCR4, and CXCR7), and through promoting the expression of transcription factors either known (Arx) or implicated (bMaf, Cux2, and NPAS1) in controlling interneuron development. J. Comp. Neurol. 510:79–99, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nef-induced Alteration of the Early/Recycling Endosomal Compartment Correlates with Enhancement of HIV-1 Infectivity*

human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Nef interacts with the clathrin-associated AP-1 and AP-3 adaptor complexes, stabilizing their association with endosomal membranes. These findings led us to hypothesize a general impact of this viral protein on the endosomal system. Here, we have shown that Nef specifically disturbs the morphology of the early/recycling compartment, inducing a redistribution of early endosomal markers and a shortening of the tubular recycling endosomal structures. Furthermore, Nef modulates the trafficking of the transferrin receptor (TfR), the prototypical recycling surface protein, indicating that it also disturbs the function of this compartment. Nef reduces the rate of recycling of TfR to the plasma membrane, causing TfR to accumulate in early endosomes and reducing its expression at the cell surface. These effects depend on the leucine-based motif of Nef, which is required for the membrane stabilization of AP-1 and AP-3 complexes. Since we show that this motif is also required for the full infectivity of HIV-1 virions, these results indicate that the positive influence of Nef on viral infectivity may be related to its general effects on early/recycling endosomal compartments.
The Sri Lankan Unemployment Problem Revisited

Sri Lanka's high unemployment rate has been attributed to a mismatch of skills, to queuing for public sector jobs, and to stringent job security regulations. But the empirical evidence supporting these explanations is weak. The author takes a fresh look at the country's unemployment problem, using individual records from the 1995 Labor Force Survey and time series for wages in the economy's formal and informal sectors. He assesses, and rejects, the skills mismatch hypothesis by comparing the impact of educational attainment on the actual wages of those who have a job with the effect on the lowest acceptable wages of the unemployed. However, he finds substantial rents associated with jobs in the public sector and in private sector activities protected by high tariffs or covered by job security regulations. A time-series analysis of the impact of unemployment on wage increases across sectors supports the hypothesis that most of the unemployed are waiting for"good"job openings but are not interested in readily available"bad"jobs. In short, unemployment in Sri Lanka is largely voluntary. The problem is not a shortage of jobs but the artificial gap between good and bad jobs. Policy efforts should be aimed at reducing the gap between good and bad jobs by making product markets more competitive, by reducing excessive job security, and by reforming government policies on pay and employment.
Different functional modes of BAR domain proteins in formation and plasticity of mammalian postsynapses

ABSTRACT A plethora of cell biological processes involve modulations of cellular membranes. By using extended lipid-binding interfaces, some proteins have the power to shape membranes by attaching to them. Among such membrane shapers, the superfamily of Bin–Amphiphysin–Rvs (BAR) domain proteins has recently taken center stage. Extensive structural work on BAR domains has revealed a common curved fold that can serve as an extended membrane-binding interface to modulate membrane topologies and has allowed the grouping of the BAR domain superfamily into subfamilies with structurally slightly distinct BAR domain subtypes (N-BAR, BAR, F-BAR and I-BAR). Most BAR superfamily members are expressed in the mammalian nervous system. Neurons are elaborately shaped and highly compartmentalized cells. Therefore, analyses of synapse formation and of postsynaptic reorganization processes (synaptic plasticity) – a basis for learning and memory formation – has unveiled important physiological functions of BAR domain superfamily members. These recent advances, furthermore, have revealed that the functions of BAR domain proteins include different aspects. These functions are influenced by the often complex domain organization of BAR domain proteins. In this Commentary, we review these recent insights and propose to classify BAR domain protein functions into (1) membrane shaping, (2) physical integration, (3) action through signaling components, and (4) suppression of other BAR domain functions. Summary: A review of recent insights into the postsynaptic functions of BAR domain proteins. It is proposed that these proteins have four general, not mutually exclusive, functional modes.
Hybrid coding of visual content and local image features

Distributed visual analysis applications, such as mobile visual search or Visual Sensor Networks (VSNs) require the transmission of visual content on a bandwidth-limited network, from a peripheral node to a processing unit. Traditionally, a “Compress-Then-Analyze” approach has been pursued, in which sensing nodes acquire and encode the pixel-level representation of the visual content, that is subsequently transmitted to a sink node in order to be processed. This approach might not represent the most effective solution, since several analysis applications leverage a compact representation of the content, thus resulting in an inefficient usage of network resources. Furthermore, coding artifacts might significantly impact the accuracy of the visual task at hand. To tackle such limitations, an orthogonal approach named “Analyze-Then-Compress” has been proposed [1]. According to such a paradigm, sensing nodes are responsible for the extraction of visual features, that are encoded and transmitted to a sink node for further processing. In spite of improved task efficiency, such paradigm implies the central processing node not being able to reconstruct a pixel-level representation of the visual content. In this paper we propose an effective compromise between the two paradigms, namely “Hybrid-Analyze-Then-Compress” (HATC) that aims at jointly encoding visual content and local image features. Furthermore, we show how a target tradeoff between image quality and task accuracy might be achieved by accurately allocating the bitrate to either visual content or local features.
LRP130, a Pentatricopeptide Motif Protein with a Noncanonical RNA-Binding Domain, Is Bound In Vivo to Mitochondrial and Nuclear RNAs

ABSTRACT LRP130 (also known as LRPPRC) is an RNA-binding protein that is a constituent of postsplicing nuclear RNP complexes associated with mature mRNA. It belongs to a growing family of pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) motif-containing proteins, several of which have been implicated in organellar RNA metabolism. We show here that only a fraction of LRP130 proteins are in nuclei and are directly bound in vivo to at least some of the same RNA molecules as the nucleocytoplasmic shuttle protein hnRNP A1. The majority of LRP130 proteins are located within mitochondria, where they are directly bound to polyadenylated RNAs in vivo. In vitro, LRP130 binds preferentially to polypyrimidines. This RNA-binding activity maps to a domain in its C-terminal region that does not contain any previously described RNA-binding motifs and that contains only 2 of the 11 predicted PPR motifs. Therefore, LRP130 is a novel type of RNA-binding protein that associates with both nuclear and mitochondrial mRNAs and as such is a potential candidate for coordinating nuclear and mitochondrial gene expression. These findings provide the first identification of a mammalian protein directly bound to mitochondrial RNA in vivo and provide a possible molecular explanation for the recently described association of mutations in LRP130 with cytochrome c oxidase deficiency in humans.
Targeting the cell cycle machinery for the treatment of cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease represents a major clinical problem affecting a significant proportion of the world's population and remains the main cause of death in the UK. The majority of therapies currently available for the treatment of cardiovascular disease do not cure the problem but merely treat the symptoms. Furthermore, many cardioactive drugs have serious side effects and have narrow therapeutic windows that can limit their usefulness in the clinic. Thus, the development of more selective and highly effective therapeutic strategies that could cure specific cardiovascular diseases would be of enormous benefit both to the patient and to those countries where healthcare systems are responsible for an increasing number of patients. In this review, we discuss the evidence that suggests that targeting the cell cycle machinery in cardiovascular cells provides a novel strategy for the treatment of certain cardiovascular diseases. Those cell cycle molecules that are important for regulating terminal differentiation of cardiac myocytes and whether they can be targeted to reinitiate cell division and myocardial repair will be discussed as will the molecules that control vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) and endothelial cell proliferation in disorders such as atherosclerosis and restenosis. The main approaches currently used to target the cell cycle machinery in cardiovascular disease have employed gene therapy techniques. We will overview the different methods and routes of gene delivery to the cardiovascular system and describe possible future drug therapies for these disorders. Although the majority of the published data comes from animal studies, there are several instances where potential therapies have moved into the clinical setting with promising results.
Catalytic depolymerization of lignin in supercritical ethanol.

One-step valorization of soda lignin in supercritical ethanol using a CuMgAlOx catalyst results in high monomer yield (23 wt%) without char formation. Aromatics are the main products. The catalyst combines excellent deoxygenation with low ring-hydrogenation activity. Almost half of the monomer fraction is free from oxygen. Elemental analysis of the THF-soluble lignin residue after 8 h reaction showed a 68% reduction in O/C and 24% increase in H/C atomic ratios as compared to the starting Protobind P1000 lignin. Prolonged reaction times enhanced lignin depolymerization and reduced the amount of repolymerized products. Phenolic hydroxyl groups were found to be the main actors in repolymerization and char formation. 2D HSQC NMR analysis evidenced that ethanol reacts by alkylation and esterification with lignin fragments. Alkylation was found to play an important role in suppressing repolymerization. Ethanol acts as a capping agent, stabilizing the highly reactive phenolic intermediates by O-alkylating the hydroxyl groups and by C-alkylating the aromatic rings. The use of ethanol is significantly more effective in producing monomers and avoiding char than the use of methanol. A possible reaction network of the reactions between the ethanol and lignin fragments is discussed.
Population based study of early risk of stroke after transient ischaemic attack or minor stroke: implications for public education and organisation of services

Abstract Objective To estimate the very early stroke risk after a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke and thereby inform the planning of effective stroke prevention services. Design Population based prospective cohort study of patients with TIA or stroke. Setting Nine general practices in Oxfordshire, England, from April 2002 to April 2003. Participants All patients who had a TIA (n = 87) or minor stroke (n = 87) during the study period and who presented to medical attention. Main outcome measures Risk of recurrent stroke at seven days, one month, and three months after TIAs and minor strokes. Results The estimated risk of recurrent stroke was 8.0% (95% confidence interval 2.3% to 13.7%) at seven days, 11.5% (4.8% to 18.2%) at one month, and 17.3% (9.3% to 25.3%) at three months after a TIA. The risks at these three time periods after a minor stroke were 11.5% (4.8% to 11.2%), 15.0% (7.5% to 22.5%), and 18.5% (10.3% to 26.7%). Conclusions The early risks of stroke after a TIA or minor stroke are much higher than commonly quoted. More research is needed to determine whether these risks can be reduced by more rapid instigation of preventive treatment.
A New Clock Gated Flip Flop for Pipelining Architecture

The objective of the work is to design a new clock gated based flip flop for pipelining architecture. In computing and consumer products, the major dynamic power is consumed in the system’s clock signal, typically about 30% to 70% of the total dynamic (switching) power consumption. Several techniques to reduce the dynamic power have been developed, of which clock gating is predominant. In this work, a new methodology is applied for gating the Flip flop by which the power will be reduced. The clock gating is employed to the pipelining stage flip flop which is active only during valid data are arrived. The methodology used in project named Selective Look-Ahead Clock Gating computes the clock enabling signals of each FF one cycle ahead of time, based on the present cycle data of those FFs on which it depends. Similarly to data-driven gating, it is capable of stopping the majority of redundant clock pulses. In this work, the circuit implementation of the various blocks of data driven clock gating is done and the results are observed. The proposed work is used for pipelining stage in microprocessor and DSP architectures. The proposed method is simulated using the quartus for cyclone 3 kit.
INTELLIGENT ROBOTIC ASSEMBLY USING MACHINE VISION AND CAD INTEGRATION Summary

This paper deals with the development of an autonomous robotic assembly system capable of operating in a disordered working environment. A fundamental prerequisite for the autonomous robot behavior is the perception of its environment. The machine vision has proven to be the main technology that provides the visual perception to technical systems. The model of the integrated autonomous assembly system developed in this work uses machine vision based on the idea of information integration. The given approach tends to maximize the use of the CAD data and the integration of the subsequent assembly process, i.e. the integration of engineering and process information. The CAD model embodies a description of the product geometry, which determines the parameters of the production and assembly processes, primarily applied for vision system. In accordance with the presented model, an autonomous robotic assembly cell is realized and the required machine vision software and robot control program are developed. The system is verified on real assembly tasks, by using a simple laboratory product.
Breadth of Neutralizing Antibodies Elicited by Stable, Homogeneous Clade A and Clade C HIV-1 gp140 Envelope Trimers in Guinea Pigs

ABSTRACT The native envelope (Env) spike on the surface of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is trimeric, and thus trimeric Env vaccine immunogens are currently being explored in preclinical immunogenicity studies. Key challenges have included the production and purification of biochemically homogeneous and stable trimers and the evaluation of these immunogens utilizing standardized virus panels for neutralization assays. Here we report the binding and neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses elicited by clade A (92UG037.8) and clade C (CZA97.012) Env gp140 trimer immunogens in guinea pigs. These trimers have been selected and engineered for optimal biochemical stability and have defined antigenic properties. Purified gp140 trimers with Ribi adjuvant elicited potent, cross-clade NAb responses against tier 1 viruses as well as detectable but low-titer NAb responses against select tier 2 viruses from clades A, B, and C. In particular, the clade C trimer elicited NAbs that neutralized 27%, 20%, and 47% of tier 2 viruses from clades A, B, and C, respectively. Heterologous DNA prime, protein boost as well as DNA prime, recombinant adenovirus boost regimens expressing these antigens, however, did not result in an increased magnitude or breadth of NAb responses in this system. These data demonstrate the immunogenicity of stable, homogeneous clade A and clade C gp140 trimers and exemplify the utility of standardized tier 1 and tier 2 virus panels for assessing the NAb responses of candidate HIV-1 Env immunogens.