Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of chain pairing for the production of functional soluble IA major histocompatibility complex class II molecules

Structural studies of cellular receptor molecules involved in immune recognition require the production of large quantities of the extracellular domains of these glycoproteins. The murine major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II-restricted response has been extensively studied by functional means, but the engineering and purification of the native, empty form of the most-studied murine MHC class II molecule, IA, has been difficult to achieve. IA molecules, which are the murine equivalent of human histocompatibility leukocyte antigen-DQ molecules, have a low efficiency of chain pairing, which results in poor transport to the cell surface and in the appearance of mixed isotype pairs. We have engineered soluble IA molecules whose pairing has been forced by the addition of leucine zipper peptide dimers at their COOH-terminus. The molecules are secreted "empty" into the extracellular medium and can be loaded with single peptide after purification. These IA molecules have been expressed in milligram quantity for crystallization as well as for activation of T cells and measurement of MHC class II-T cell receptor interactions.
Road Condition Detection Using Smartphone Sensors : A Survey

Monitoring the road condition has gain significant importance in last few years. There are various reasons for extending research in this field: first, it will ensure safety and comfort to various road users; second, smooth roads will lead to less vehicle damage and government investment; third, the availability of low cost sensors in Smartphones; fourth, the rapid increase in the rate of Smartphone users. Thus, it is necessary to develop systems which are able to detect road conditions using sensors present in Smartphone. Several methods have been proposed towards addressing this problem. This paper reviews the various road conditions detection systems appeared in the literature. This paper also provides the areas which can be further modified to develop a more robust system.
Extending dynamic queries to handle uncertain data

Dynamic querying is a technique which has been used successfully to enable novice users to gain access to and insight into data in databases. Some multimedia archives (such as archives of African art) contain data which have vague locations in time and space, that is, although there is some idea of when and where the entity originated, the precise information is unknown. This uncertainty creates problems with the display and querying of the data and so the data is generally not accessible to novice users. In this study we extend dynamic querying techniques to work with African art data with uncertain origins in time and space. We present methods for storing, visualising and querying such uncertain data within the framework of dynamic querying. Results of user tests indicate that our approach was clear to users and that users could successfully perform simple queries using the visual query tools. A similar approach of extending dynamic querying techniques could apply to other domains with any one-dimensional attribute data with probabilistic uncertainty. In this way we show how it is possible for novice users to query large databases with complex uncertain attributes.
Compaction of Diagnostic Test Set for a Full-Response Dictionary

We optimize the diagnostic data from a fullresponse fault dictionary of a given test set. Compaction is done without loss of diagnostic resolution of a test set. We give an integer linear program (ILP) formulation using fault diagnostic table. The complexity of the ILP is made manageable by two innovations. First, we define a generalized independence relation between pairs of faults to reduce the number of fault pairs that need to be distinguished. This significantly reduces the number of ILP constraints. Second, we propose a two-phase ILP approach. An initial ILP phase, which uses existing procedures, selects a minimal detection test set. In a final phase, additional tests are then selected for the undiagnosed faults using a new diagnostic ILP. The overall minimized test set may be only slightly longer than a one-step ILP optimization, but has advantages of significantly reduced computation complexity and reduced test time. Benchmark results show potential for very small diagnostic test sets.
The rees-sciama effect and the primordial nucleosynthesis

It is known that, theoretically, the Rees-Sciama effect may cause arbitrarily large additional redshifts in the cosmic microwave background radiation due to transparent expanding voids having sizes comparable with the size of horizon. Therefore, again theoretically, eventual huge voids existing immediately after the recombination may essentially change the predictions of the theory of big bang nucleosynthesis. If this eventuality holds, then the dark matter can be dominantly baryonic and, simultaneously, one can be in accordance with the predictions of primordial nucleosynthesis theory. Studying this eventuality one arrives at the result that the observed extreme isotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation rejects the existence of any such huge voids, and hence this eventuality does not hold.
evelopment and initial validation of a self-report assessment tool for nxiety among older adults : The Geriatric Anxiety Scale aniel

Anxiety is a common experience among older adults and can be a cause for major clinical concern. Brief and psychometrically sound screening instruments are needed to detect anxiety in later life. The purposes of this study were to develop a brief, self-report measure of anxiety for use with older adults (called the Geriatric Anxiety Scale [GAS]) and to report on its preliminary psychometrics. The GAS includes 30 self-
Sufficient conditions for decentralized navigation functions based controllers using canonical vector fields

A combination of dual Lyapunov analysis and properties of decentralized navigation function based controllers is used to check the stability properties of a certain class of decentralized controllers for navigation and collision avoidance in multi-agent systems. The derived results yield a less conservative condition from previous approaches, which relates to the negativity of the sum of the minimum eigenvalues of the Hessian matrices at the critical points, instead of requiring each of the eigenvalues to be negative itself. This provides an improved characterization of the reachable set of this class of decentralized navigation function based controllers, which is less conservative than the previous results for the same class of controllers.
QUADRATURE BANDPASS ISOTROPIC FILTERS FOR URBAN ZONES SEGMENTATION IN SATELLITE IMAGERY

This article introduces a new and effective method for urban zone segmentation in satellite imagery. The proposed method consists in filtering a band of the multi-spectral image (from the SPOT satellite) with a quadrature bandpass isotropic filter. The filter bandwith and tuning frequency are determined from the source images by a simple experimental analysis. The final image can be obtained by low-pass filtering the quadrature filter's output, or by a Bayesian method using a Hidden Markov Measure Field Model. Our experiments in SPOT imagery at 10 meters resolution, report classification errors of around 5%. Sea zones containing similar features to those found in urban areas are removed by a neural network. * yolanda@cimat.mx; phone: +52 (473) 732 71 55; fax: +52 (473) 732 57 49.
Potential Broad Spectrum Inhibitors of the Coronavirus 3CLpro: A Virtual Screening and Structure-Based Drug Design Study

Human coronaviruses represent a significant disease burden; however, there is currently no antiviral strategy to combat infection. The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) less than 10 years later demonstrates the potential of coronaviruses to cross species boundaries and further highlights the importance of identifying novel lead compounds with broad spectrum activity. The coronavirus 3CLpro provides a highly validated drug target and as there is a high degree of sequence homology and conservation in main chain architecture the design of broad spectrum inhibitors is viable. The ZINC drugs-now library was screened in a consensus high-throughput pharmacophore modeling and molecular docking approach by Vina, Glide, GOLD and MM-GBSA. Molecular dynamics further confirmed results obtained from structure-based techniques. A highly defined hit-list of 19 compounds was identified by the structure-based drug design methodologies. As these compounds were extensively validated by a consensus approach and by molecular dynamics, the likelihood that at least one of these compounds is bioactive is excellent. Additionally, the compounds segregate into 15 significantly dissimilar (p < 0.05) clusters based on shape and features, which represent valuable scaffolds that can be used as a basis for future anti-coronaviral inhibitor discovery experiments. Importantly though, the enriched subset of 19 compounds identified from the larger library has to be validated experimentally.
Multiwavelength observations of serendipitous Chandra X-ray sources in the field of A 2390

We present optical spectra and near-infrared imaging of a sample of serendipitous X-ray sources detected in the field of Chandra observations of the A 2390 cluster of galaxies. The sources have 0.5-7 keV fluxes of and lie around the break in the 2-10 keV source counts. They therefore are typical of sources dominating the X-ray Background in that band. Twelve of the fifteen targets for which we have optical spectra show emission lines, most of which have soft X-ray spectra. Including photometric redshifts and published spectra we have redshifts for seventeen of the sources, ranging from up to with a peak between . Ten of our sources have hard X-ray spectra indicating a spectral slope flatter than that of a typical unabsorbed quasar. Two hard sources that are gravitationally lensed by the foreground cluster are obscured quasars, with intrinsic 2-10 keV luminosities of and absorbing columns of N . Both were detected by ISO, showing that the absorbed flux emerges in the far-infrared.
Dynamic coupling metrics for object oriented software systems: a survey

Coupling measures are considered important due to their inherent relationships with external software quality attributes. The ongoing research on object oriented software quality has been focusing on devising dynamic metrics for software quality assessment because of their ability to capture the runtime behavior of software. A number of dynamic coupling metrics have been proposed in recent times to measure software quality. This paper is an attempt to fill in the gap between existing work and researchers by providing them essential knowledge about the dynamic coupling metrics, methodologies and techniques proposed in this area. This paper presents a survey of existing research related to dynamic coupling metrics for object oriented software systems. Metrics have been categorized according to some of their major characteristics such as dynamic analysis techniques, validation of metrics, relation with static metrics etc. The capability of these metrics in quantifying external software quality attributes is also studied. The survey found that very few dynamic coupling metrics have been proposed and most of the proposed metrics lack empirical validation limiting their applicability in software quality assessment.
On-Chip Sandwich Immunoassay in an Integrated Magneto-Optical CMOS Microsystem

We report on an innovative approach to on-chip detection of single fluorescently-labeled magnetic micro-particles by means of Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) arrays. Our system enables particle separation through magnetic actuation and highly sensitive, high signal-to-noise-ratio detection with integrated SPADs. We will present the capability of our system to detect and quantitatively distinguish fluorescently labeled particles. This represents a first step towards a complete lab-on-a-chip system for specific antibody detection. The selection of magnetic micro-particles as the mobile substrate in a bio-assay is motivated by their growing impact on the lab-on-a-chip research area, fueled by their ability of contactless manipulation and a handling that is independent from biological processes.
Amyloid-Beta Interaction with Mitochondria

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of amyloid-beta(Aβ)-induced neuronal toxicity in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The recent emphasis on the intracellular biology of Aβ and its precursor protein (AβPP) has led researchers to consider the possibility that mitochondria-associated and/or intramitochondrial Aβ may directly cause neurotoxicity. In this paper, we will outline current knowledge of the intracellular localization of both Aβ and AβPP addressing the question of how Aβ can access mitochondria. Moreover, we summarize evidence from AD postmortem brain as well as cellular and animal AD models showing that Aβ triggers mitochondrial dysfunction through a number of pathways such as impairment of oxidative phosphorylation, elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, alteration of mitochondrial dynamics, and interaction with mitochondrial proteins. In particular, we focus on Aβ interaction with different mitochondrial targets including the outer mitochondrial membrane, intermembrane space, inner mitochondrial membrane, and the matrix. Thus, this paper establishes a modified model of the Alzheimer cascade mitochondrial hypothesis.
On the Convergence of Chemical Reaction Optimization for Combinatorial Optimization

A novel general-purpose optimization method, chemical reaction optimization (CRO), is a population-based metaheuristic inspired by the phenomenon of interactions between molecules in a chemical reaction process. CRO has demonstrated its competitive edge over existing methods in solving many real-world problems. However, all studies concerning CRO have been empirical in nature and no theoretical analysis has been conducted to study its convergence properties. In this paper, we present some convergence results for several generic versions of CRO, each of which adopts different combinations of elementary reactions. We investigate the limiting behavior of CRO. By modeling CRO as a finite absorbing Markov chain, we show that CRO converges to a global optimum solution with a probability arbitrarily close to one when time tends to infinity. Our results also show that the convergence of CRO is determined by both the elementary reactions and the total energy of the system. Moreover, we also study and discuss the finite time behavior of CRO.
A CHARACTERISTIC-BASED SPLIT FINITE VOLUME ALGORITHM FOR THE SOLUTION OF INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOW PROBLEMS

The characteristic-based split (CBS) method has been widely used in the finite element community to facilitate the numerical modeling of the Navier-Stokes equations. In this paper a CBS-based finite volume algorithm is introduced for the solution of incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The proposed method is implemented on a co-located grid arrangement and employs a transient fractional step method. In the first step, an explicit characteristic-based method is employed to obtain an intermediate velocity field from the modified momentum equations. Using continuity as an equation for pressure, the divergence-free velocity constraint of incompressible flow is also enforced in the second step. To devise a fully explicit algorithm for the solution of the pressure equation, an artificial compressibility factor is also defined and used. The correct, divergence-free velocity field is calculated afterwards using the intermediate velocities and the pressure field. Explicit time iterative solution of the finite volume algorithm discussed above is subjected to time step limitations. To validate the proposed CBS finite volume method, computational results are compared to those of numerical and experimental benchmark solutions. Satisfactory convergence rates and accurate results are obtained in all steady state and transient test cases.
Public policy in the Australian Journal of Political Science: A review

This paper surveys the contribution that articles on public policy have made to this journal in its first half-century. To help organise those contributions, the paper makes a rough distinction between works of a primarily explanatory nature and those that can be thought of as having a substantive focus on analysing particular policy areas or issues. It observes the paucity of policy studies in the 1960s and 1970; the rapid rise in the 1980s; and a plateauing and even perhaps decline after that. It notes the desultory interest in theoretical questions and welcome attempts to employ the comparative method.
Varieties of Capital-Market Crises

In this post-modern world of high capital mobility, countries are being disciplined by the anonymous capital market. One view of the situation -perhaps the prevalent view among economists- is that Wall Street gets into your hair because you are running an unsustainable economic program and crises are bound to happen. A polar view is that countries are at the mercy of the capital market. This paper attempts to bring these views under one roof, putting special emphasis on balance-of-payment crises.
Inhibition of p53 expression modifies the specificity of chromatin binding by the androgen receptor

The androgen receptor (AR) is known to play a critical role in prostate cancer (PC). p53 likely also plays a role given that p53 mutations are commonly found in advanced PC, and loss of wild-type protein function contributes to the phenotype of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Nevertheless, the extent of the contribution of p53 dysfunction to PC remains unclear. Here we analyze the effects of p53 inhibition in PC cells and show that it has significant consequences for both the interaction between AR, and chromatin and the proliferative capacity of these cells. Inhibition of p53 expression enabled LNCaP cells to proliferate independently of androgens. Moreover, it modified the genome-wide binding pattern of AR. ChIP-sequnce analyis (ChIP-seq) revealed that fewer AR-binding sites were present in the context of p53 inhibition, suggesting that wild-type p53 is required for stable binding of AR to certain chromatin regions. Further analysis revealed that a lower AR occupancy was accompanied by a reduction in FoxA1 binding at regulatory regions of AR-dependent genes. Our study also identifies a pool of genes that may be transcriptionally regulated by AR only in the absence of p53, and that may contribute to the CRPC phenotype. Overall, our results point to p53 playing an important role in regulating AR activity across the genome.
Occupancy voxel metric based iterative closest point for position tracking in 3D environments

Many applications for robotics require that the robot know its current position in the environment. While there exist several solutions for localizing a robot, even in a previously unknown environment, they often require an estimate of the robot's motion. However, in many situations, a robot may not have motion encoders, or its encoders may be highly inaccurate. We have developed an algorithm for tracking the position of a robot, based on a rangefinder device, that is robust to temporary errors in the range scan. By aligning each scan to an occupancy grid of prior scan data, we can find the robot's position more accurately than current techniques which only align to the previous scan. In addition, our solution can track the position of the robot based on three dimensional scan data, instead of requiring that the range sensor be fixed in a level plane.
Generation in Context: An Exploratory Method for Musical Enquiry

This paper discusses a method, Generation in Context, for interrogating theories of music analysis and music perception. Given an analytic theory, the method consists of creating a generative process that implements the theory in reverse. Instead of using the theory to create analyses from scores, the theory is used to generate scores from analyses. Subjective evaluation of the quality of the musical output provides a mechanism for testing the theory in a contextually robust fashion. The method is exploratory, meaning that in addition to testing extant theories it provides a general mechanism for generating new theoretical insights. We outline our initial explorations in the use of generative processes for music research, and we discuss how generative processes provide evidence as to the veracity of theories about how music is experienced, with insights into how these theories may be improved and, concurrently, provide new techniques for music creation. We conclude that Generation in Context will help reveal new perspectives on our understanding of music.
Source code plagiarism

Learning programming languages and developing software is important part of curricula at many educational institutions. Directly connected to that is a peer-to-peer sharing of program's source codes which is not always allowed. The article discusses the problem of plagiarism, especially the source code plagiarism and presents an excerpt of the results of the survey among students at Faculty of Education and Faculty of Computer and Information Science at University of Ljubljana and among students at Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at University of Maribor. Results are revealing alarming situation. In addition, advices for the teachers to avoid the plagiarism as much as possible are presented.
Investigating consumer satisfaction for supermarket using information system

This study examines determinants that affect the behavior of consumers' satisfaction. Based on technology acceptance model (TAM) and the SERVQUAL models, the study will implement an information system by a facial expression recognition algorithm. We apply TAM and SERVQUAL models to explain feasibility of this system. TAM and SERVQUAL have showed positive influence of consumers' satisfaction. The goal of this system not only can be realize consumers' satisfaction but also is able to substitute traditional questionnaire. The system has integrated three different domains of applied science that includes information management, marketing and computer science.
Practical least-squares for computer graphics: Video files associated with this course are available from the citation page

The course presents an overview of the least-squares technique and its variants. A wide range of problems in computer graphics can be solved using the least-squares technique (LS). Many graphics problems can be seen as finding the best set of parameters for a model given some data, and usually these parameters can be estimated using a least-squares approaches. For instance, a surface can be determined using data and smoothness penalties, a trajectory can be predicted using previous information, joint angles can be determined from end effector positions, etc. All these problems and many others can be formulated as minimizing the sum of squares of the errors. Despite this apparent versatility, solving problems in the least-squares sense can produce poor results. This occurs when the nature of the problem error does not match the assumptions of the least-squares method. The course explains these assumptions and show how to circumvent some of them to apply LS to a wider range of problem. The focus of the course is to provide a practical understanding of the techniques. Each technique will be explained using the simple example of fitting a line through data, and then illustrated through its use in one or more computer graphics papers.