Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nuclear Localisation Sequence Templated Nonviral Gene Delivery Vectors: Investigation of Intracellular Trafficking Events of LMD and LD Vector Systems

The impact of a peptide that contains a nuclear localisation sequence (NLS) on intracellular DNA trafficking was studied. We used the adenoviral core peptide mu and an SV40 NLS peptide to condense plasmid DNA (pDNA) prior to formulation with 3β‐[N‐(N′, N′‐dimethylaminoethane)carbamoyl]cholesterol/dioleoyl‐L‐α‐phosphatidyl ethanolamine (DC‐Chol/DOPE) liposomes to give LMD and LND vectors, respectively. Fluorescent‐labelled lipid and peptides plus dye‐labelled pDNA components were used to investigate gene delivery in dividing and S‐phase growth‐arrested cells. Confocal microscopic analyses reveal little difference in intracellular trafficking events. Strikingly, mu peptide associates with nuclei and nucleoli of cells within less than 15 mins incubation of LMD with cells, which suggests that mu peptide has an NLS function. These NLS properties were confirmed by cloning of a mu‐β‐galactosidase fusion protein that localises in the nuclei of cells after cytosolic translation. In dividing cells both LMD and LND deliver pDNA(Cy3) to nuclei within 30–45 min incubation with cells. By contrast, pDNA is detected only in the cytoplasm in growth‐arrested cells over the period of time investigated, and not in the nuclei. LD systems prepared from DC‐Chol/DOPE cationic liposomes and pDNA(Cy3) behave similarly to LMD systems, which suggests that mu peptide is unable to influence trafficking events in this current LMD formulation, in spite of its strong NLS capacity. We further describe the effect of polyethyleneglycol (PEG) on cellular uptake. “Stealth” systems obtained by post‐coating LMD particles with fluorescent‐labelled PEG molecules (0.5, 5 and 10 mol % fluorescein‐PEG5000‐N‐hydroxysuccinimide) were prepared and shown to be internalised rapidly (mins) by cells, without detectable transgene expression. This result indicates that PEG blocks intracellular trafficking of pDNA.
Modal logic & ownership types: uniting three worlds

1. Description of purpose 1.1 Problem Description The object-oriented language community is broadly classified into three categories, i.e. class-based, object-based, and role-based [7, 6]. In class-based systems, the only way to describe an object is through its class. In object-based and role-based systems importance is given to objects. The key feature of a role-based system is the dynamic binding of an object to any other roleobject.
Influence of acceleration voltage on scanning electron microscopy of human blood platelets

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used to view a variety of surface structures, molecules, or nanoparticles of different materials, ranging from metals, dental and medical instruments, and chemistry (e.g. polymer analysis) to biological material. Traditionally, the operating conditions of the SEM are very important in the material sciences, particularly the acceleration voltage. However, in biological sciences, it is not typically seen as an important parameter. Acceleration voltage allows electrons to penetrate the sample; thus, the higher the acceleration voltage the more penetration into the sample will occur. As a result, ultrastructural information from deeper layers will interfere with the actual surface morphology that is seen. Therefore, ultimately, if acceleration voltage is lower, a better quality of the surface molecules and structures will be produced. However, in biological sciences, this is an area that is not well‐documented. Typically, acceleration voltages of between 5 and 20 kV are used. This manuscript investigates the influence of acceleration voltages ranging from 5 kV to as low as 300 V, by studying surface ultrastructure of a human platelet aggregate. It is concluded that, especially at higher magnifications, much more surface detail is visible in biological samples when using an acceleration voltage between 2 kV and 300 V. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sound and complete axiomatisations of call-by-value control operators

We formulate a typed version of call-by-value λ-calculus containing variants of Felleisen's control operators A and C that provide explicit access to continuations and logically extend the propositions-as-types correspondence to classical propositional logic. We give an equational theory for this calculus, which is shown to be sound and complete with respect to a class of categorical models based on continuation-passing-style semantics.
Biophysical controls on cluster dynamics and architectural differentiation of microbial biofilms in contrasting flow environments

Ecology, with a traditional focus on plants and animals, seeks to understand the mechanisms underlying structure and dynamics of communities. In microbial ecology, the focus is changing from planktonic communities to attached biofilms that dominate microbial life in numerous systems. Therefore, interest in the structure and function of biofilms is on the rise. Biofilms can form reproducible physical structures (i.e. architecture) at the millimetre-scale, which are central to their functioning. However, the spatial dynamics of the clusters conferring physical structure to biofilms remains often elusive. By experimenting with complex microbial communities forming biofilms in contrasting hydrodynamic microenvironments in stream mesocosms, we show that morphogenesis results in ‘ripple-like’ and ‘star-like’ architectures – as they have also been reported from monospecies bacterial biofilms, for instance. To explore the potential contribution of demographic processes to these architectures, we propose a size-structured population model to simulate the dynamics of biofilm growth and cluster size distribution. Our findings establish that basic physical and demographic processes are key forces that shape apparently universal biofilm architectures as they occur in diverse microbial but also in single-species bacterial biofilms.
Les incitations à la gestion des résultats des sociétés absorbantes : le cas des fusions-absorptions françaises

Cette recherche etudie les facteurs explicatifs de la gestion des resultats (GdR) des societes absorbantes avant une fusion-absorption. Basee sur un echantillon de 107 societes cotees francaises, elle revele une GdR a la hausse plus forte lorsque l’operation implique une dilution du controle des actionnaires dominants, lorsque les actionnaires de l’absorbante sont a l’initiative de l’operation et lorsque le critere du cours de Bourse est utilise pour fixer la parite. A l’inverse, l’utilisation directe d’un critere de resultats comptables limite la GdR.
Organisationale Fähigkeiten des öffentlichen Sektors: Zur Übertragbarkeit der Capability Based View auf die Öffentliche Verwaltung

The paper explores the explanatory potential of the Capability Based View (CBV) for research on public administrations. It does so by re-examining the - up till now - rather vague concept and sharpening it with a focus on the public sector. Parallels are drawn between the central propositions of the CBV and findings in public administration research. The focus lies on the link between capabilities and performance. Here, special attention is paid to the nexus between capabilities and performance, which originally fueled the interest in the CBV. It is concluded that the CBV is generally a fruitful approach for public administration research, yet with significant shortcomings in respect to its consolidation and clarity. The explanatory power of the CBV could actually be enhanced by applying it to the public sector: the multidimensional and -level understanding of performance in public sector organizations seems to match the propositions of the CBV far better than the one commonly used to evaluate performance in the private sector. The paper concludes with a research agenda summarizing the most important questions and a call for more qualitative empirical research in this emerging field within public management.
Automatic multiview coarse registration of range images for 3D modeling

Automatic registration of different overlapping range images (views) of an object is performed by matching their features. This process, known as correspondence identification, registers the views coarsely and is followed by fine registration. Existing correspondence techniques are limited to a pair of views at a time. In case there are more than two views of an object in random order, these techniques must perform an exhaustive search for correspondences between all possible view pairs. We present an efficient automatic multiview surface matching algorithm for 3D modeling which simultaneously matches a single view with multiple views. Our approach represents local surface patches of each view with multiple tensors. Tensors are indexed by a 4D hash table. A voting approach is used with the help of the hash table to simultaneously identify potential corresponding tensors of different views. Correspondences are verified and used to construct a spanning tree graph with nodes representing the views and arcs representing the rigid transformation that aligns two views. This graph is used to register all the views. Our results show that our algorithm is efficient and robust to noise.
Ecotoxicity of silica nanoparticles to the green alga pseudokirchneriella subcapitata: Importance of surface area

To date, (eco)toxicological information on industrial nanoparticles is very limited. In the present study, the hypothesis that the ecotoxicity of nanoparticles (NPs) is related to their surface area and not to their mass was tested using a freshwater green algal species. Particle diameter and morphology were assessed using light scattering and electron microscopy techniques. To assess the toxicity of silica (SiO2) nanoparticles, the growth inhibition of the alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata when exposed to stable silica suspensions was monitored. Commercial LUDOX® suspensions of nanoparticles with 12.5 and 27.0 nm diameter were found to be toxic, with 72‐h 20% effect concentrations for growth rate (ErC20) values ± standard deviation (n = 5) of 20.0 ± 5.0 and 28.8 ± 3.2 mg/L, respectively. The toxicity was attributable to the solid nanospheres, because no aggregation was observed and dissolution of the nanoparticles was negligible. When expressing the concentration as a surface area, the difference in toxicity was not significant. In the latter case, 72‐h ErC20 values ± standard deviation (n = 5) were 4.7 ±1.2 and 3.9 ± 0.4 m2/L. Silica bulk material was found to be nontoxic up to 1 g/L. In an additional experiment with 100 mg/L of 12.5 and 27.0 nm SiO2 NPs, the interaction between the nanoparticles and algal cells was studied using transmission electron microscopy. Although the particles clearly adhered to the outer cell surface, no evidence was found for particle uptake.
Utilization of Oligopeptides by Listeria monocytogenes Scott A

ABSTRACT For effective utilization of peptides, Listeria monocytogenes possesses two different peptide transport systems. The first one is the previously described proton motive force (PMF)-driven di- and tripeptide transport system (A. Verheul, A. Hagting, M.-R. Amezaga, I. R. Booth, F. M. Rombouts, and T. Abee, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 61:226–233, 1995). The present results reveal that L. monocytogenes possesses an oligopeptide transport system, presumably requiring ATP rather than the PMF as the driving force for translocation. Experiments to determine growth in a defined medium containing peptides of various lengths suggested that the oligopeptide permease transports peptides of up to 8 amino acid residues. Peptidase activities towards several oligopeptides were demonstrated in cell extract from L. monocytogenes, which indicates that upon internalization, the oligopeptides are hydrolyzed to serve as sources of amino acids for growth. The peptide transporters of the nonproteolytic L. monocytogenes might play an important role in foods that harbor indigenous proteinases and/or proteolytic microorganisms, since Pseudomonas fragi as well as Bacillus cereus was found to enhance the growth ofL. monocytogenes to a large extent in a medium in which the milk protein casein was the sole source of nitrogen. In addition, growth stimulation was elicited in this medium when casein was hydrolyzed by using purified protease from Bacillus licheniformis. The possible contribution of the oligopeptide transport system in the establishment of high numbers of L. monocytogenes cells in fermented milk products is discussed.
CMOS-on-LTCC integrated fingertip sensor with 3-axis tactile and thermal sensation for robots

This paper reports a fully-integrated, small-footprint fingertip sensor, which allows robots to have 3-axis tactile and thermal sensation. The 3-axis capacitive force sensor is integrated with our original sensor platform CMOS-LSI (sensor platform LSI) including a diode-based temperature sensor. The LSI offers flexible configurability, and the force sensitivity and the sample rate were configured for this fingertip application. The materials of objects were successfully identified by measuring temperature change under the control of contact force. Fitting by a theoretical thermal model was conducted to extract contact resistance, thermal conductivity and thermal capacitance.
Return to Work after Limb Amputations

STUDY DESIGN Vegetative state or minimally conscious state patients at 6 months after a head trauma, cerebrovascular disease or anoxic brain damage will be submitted to a neurological evaluation in order to confi rm the diagnosis. A brain MRI and electrophysiological studied will be then performed to assess if they should be included in the study. The enrolled patients will be treated by a surgical intervention of bilateral electrodes implantation in centre-median thalamic nucleus and after that, in the next days, they will be stimulated by electrical currents with variable intensity and frequency, simultaneously recording from the centre-median thalamic nucleus. If almost one of electrophysiological parameters will improve, the patients will be submitted to a defi nitive stimulator device implantation under the skin of the thoracic region. The patients will be then followed up for one year by Coma Recovery Scale and Coma/Near Coma Scale and electrophysiological studied to test the effi cacy of thalamic stimulation. Primary end point: effi cacy assessment will require a clinical response based on a positive change in the score of Coma Recovery Scale and Coma/Near Coma Scale items, in comparison of pre-surgical time. Secondary end point: increasing of duration in desynchronization pattern on continuous spectral EEG frequency analysis in comparison of that at pre-surgical time. Patients: ten patients selected according to the inclusion criteria will be enrolled in the study. Study duration: 3 years
Recognition of Faces using Efficient Multiscale Local Binary Pattern and Kernel Discriminant Analysis in Varying Environment

Face recognition involves matching face images with different environmental conditions. Matching face images with different environmental conditions is not a easy task. Also matching face images considering variations such as changing illumination, pose, facial expression and that with uncontrolled conditions becomes more difficult. This paper focuses on accurately recognizing face images considering all the above variations. The proposed system is based on collecting features from face images using Multiscale Local Binary pattern (MLBP) with eight orientations out of 59 crucial ones and then finding similarity using a kernel linear discriminant analysis. Literature suggested that MLBP can give up to 256 orientations for a single radius considered around a pixel and its neighborhood. The paper uses only 8 orientations for a single radius and four such radii (1, 3, 5 and 7) are considered around a single pixel with (8x4) 32 histogram features thus reducing the computational complexity. Various face image databases are considered in this paper namely, Labeled Faces in Wild (LFW), Japanese Female Facial Expression (JAFFE), AR and Asian. Results showed that the proposed system correctly identified 9 out of 10 subjects. The proposed system involves preprocessing including alignment and noise reduction using a Gaussian filter, feature extraction using MLBP based histograms and matching based on kernel linear discriminant analysis.
Civil disobedience online

The Internet is used for every conceivable form of communication and it is therefore only natural that it should be used as an infrastructure even for protest and civil disobedience. The technology however brings with it the ability to carry out new forms of protest, in new environments and also involve changed consequences for those involved. This article looks at four criminal activities, which are used as active forms of Internet based protest in use today and analysis these forms in relation to the traditional civil disobedience discourse. The analysis is done by studying four basic criteria (disobedience, civil, non‐violence and justification) found in tradition civil disobedience discourse and observing their applicability in online environments. The purpose of this article is to better understand the political protest activities carried out online and to see whether traditional civil disobedience theory embraces these new forms of political activism.
Learning Element Recognition and Academic Achievement of Nursing Student Receiving PBL with Simulation Education

최근의간호환경은정보의다양화와교육수준의향상으로대상자들의간호사에대한기대와요구가증가되고있다. 이에따라간호사는양질의간호제공을위한숙련된기술과더불어의료진및대상자와원활한의사소통능력을요구되고있다. 또한사회적변화의영향으로임상간호현장은반복적인상황에서복잡하고예측할수없는상황으로변화되고있기때문에시대에부응하는간호사를양성하기위해서변화에민감하게대처할수있도록조직적이고탐구를통한학습방법이필요하다(Yang & Jung, 2004). 이에반하여간호교육을위한임상현장은간호학생에게호의적이지않은실정이다. 현임상실습상황은이론과실무의격차,간호기술습득기회의부족,실습지도교수부족,학생들의실습의욕저하등의이유로
MIReNA: finding microRNAs with high accuracy and no learning at genome scale and from deep sequencing data

MOTIVATION MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenes derived from a precursor (pre-miRNA) and involved in post-transcriptional regulation. Experimental identification of novel miRNAs is difficult because they are often transcribed under specific conditions and cell types. Several computational methods were developed to detect new miRNAs starting from known ones or from deep sequencing data, and to validate their pre-miRNAs. RESULTS We present a genome-wide search algorithm, called MIReNA, that looks for miRNA sequences by exploring a multidimensional space defined by only five (physical and combinatorial) parameters characterizing acceptable pre-miRNAs. MIReNA validates pre-miRNAs with high sensitivity and specificity, and detects new miRNAs by homology from known miRNAs or from deep sequencing data. A performance comparison between MIReNA and four available predictive systems has been done. MIReNA approach is strikingly simple but it turns out to be powerful at least as much as more sophisticated algorithmic methods. MIReNA obtains better results than three known algorithms that validate pre-miRNAs. It demonstrates that machine-learning is not a necessary algorithmic approach for pre-miRNAs computational validation. In particular, machine learning algorithms can only confirm pre-miRNAs that look alike known ones, this being a limitation while exploring species with no known pre-miRNAs. The possibility to adapt the search to specific species, possibly characterized by specific properties of their miRNAs and pre-miRNAs, is a major feature of MIReNA. A parameter adjustment calibrates specificity and sensitivity in MIReNA, a key feature for predictive systems, which is not present in machine learning approaches. Comparison of MIReNA with miRDeep using deep sequencing data to predict miRNAs highlights a highly specific predictive power of MIReNA. AVAILABILITY At the address http://www.ihes. fr/carbone/data8/.
Japan ’ s Lost Decade and Decline in Labor Input ∗

This paper attempts to clarify the cause of the decline in the labor input during so-called Japan’s lost decade. For this purpose, we pay attention to the increase in the ratio of part-time workers. We calculate the taxes for part-time and full-time workers; these taxes distort the incentive for employment. We then measure the constant labor effort of part-time workers and the total factor productivity (TFP), which takes into account the effect of the lower labor effort of part-time workers. Finally, we simulate the Japanese economy during 1988–2004. We find that although the average growth rate of the measured TFP is considerably higher than expected, the simulation predicts the lost decade and the decline in labor input. This result indicates that the main cause of the lost decade was the decline in the labor input due to the deterioration in tax rates, in particular, of pension taxes, and that the Japan can possibly reverse the damages caused during the lost decade. JEL classification: E2; O4; O53; J2
Cortisol binding globulin: more than just a carrier?

In the current issue of the JCEM, Torpy et al. (1) describe the case of a 9-yr-old boy from Chile with recurring, severe headaches and postexertion fatigue. The boy's complaints did not prevent him from participating in regular school activities, which is a hint for a seasoned pediatrician to look for true pathology (sick kids often want to attend school, whereas children with psychosomatic complaints display school avoidance) (2). The boy's mother and his two older sisters were healthy, whereas the father had a history of migraine headaches. Parental concerns about his growth and stature triggered a referral to a pediatric endocrinologist (V. Mericq; Ref. 1), who assured the patient and his family that he would achieve normal adult height based on her general assessment and, more specifically, based on his delayed bone age in combination with his father's history of constitutional delay of growth and development. However, the previous diagnosis of migraines (a head magnetic resonance imaging had been normal) and the complaint of fatigue raised the physician's suspicion to go beyond a basic work-up; a low plasma morning cortisol and inappropriately normal plasma ACTH levels were followed up with an ACTH stimulation test, which showed an insufficient plasma cortisol response. Thus, the overall picture was consistent with secondary adrenal insufficiency. Lack of clinical response to steroid replacement and continued parental worries led to another consultation and consideration of an exceedingly rare condition. The latter brought Mericq and Torpy (now on opposite sides of the world) together again, both having received further training at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Research Center in Bethesda, Maryland, where rare conditions are common and common conditions are rare. In collaboration with their colleagues, they identified a single base mutation in the gene encoding corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG). This mutation in exon 2, which they named “Santiago,” caused a frameshift and premature stop codon at amino acid 26. As expected, CBG plasma levels were approximately 50% of normal. The father and both daughters were heterozygous for the same mutation; however, this boy's other allele was affected, too. He and his asymptomatic mother shared an amino acid substitution (Ala246Ser) reported to be possibly associated with chronic fatigue and somewhat elevated CBG levels (3).
Neural robust adaptive hypersonic flight control without back-stepping

In this paper, one robust adaptive controller is proposed for hypersonic flight dynamics with high gain observer (HGO) and neural networks (NNs). For the attitude subsystem, it contains flight path angle, pitch angle and pitch rate. To avoid the complex back-stepping design, the dynamics are transformed into the normal feedback form. With HGO estimating the newly defined states, the controller is proposed with error feedback, NN approximation and the robust item. It is proved that the NN weights and filtered tracking error are guaranteed in the semiglobal sense. The simulation with March 15 is conducted to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.