Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Dual Carboxymethyl Cellulase and Gelatinase Activities of a Newly Isolated Protein from Brevibacillus agri ST15c10 Confer Reciprocal Regulations in Substrate Utilization

A protein showing endoglucanase-peptidase activity was prepared from a newly isolated bacterium (ST15c10). We identified ST15c10 as Brevibacillus agri based on electron-microscopic images and its 16S-rDNA sequence (GenBank accession No. HM446043), which exhibits 98.9% sequence identity to B. agri (KZ17)/B. formosus (DSM-9885T)/B. brevis. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity and gave a single peak during high-performance liquid chromatography on a Seralose 6B-150 gel-matrix/C-18 column. MALDI-TOF mass-spectrometry and bioinformatics studies revealed significant similarity to M42-aminopeptidases/endoglucanases of the CelM family. These enzymes are found in all Brevibacillus strains for which the genome sequence is known. ST15c10 grows optimally on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-gelatin (40°C/pH 8-9), and also shows strong growth/carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase) activity in submerged bagasse fermentation. The purified enzyme also functions as endoglucanase with solid bagasse/rice straw. Its CMCase activity (optimal at pH 5.6 and 60°C/Km = 35.5 µM/Vmax = 1,024U) was visualized by zymography on a CMC-polyacrylamide gel, which provided a strong band of approximately 70 kDa. The purified enzyme also showed strong peptidase (gelatinase) activity (pH 7.2/40°C during zymography on 6-12% gelatin/1% gelatin-PAGE (at approx. 70 kDa). The CMCase activity is inhibited by the metal ions Mn/Cu/Fe/Co (50%), Hg/KMnO4 (100%), and by glucose or lactose (50-75%; all at 1 mM). The observed dose/time-dependent inhibition by Hg ions could be prevented with 2-mercaptoethanol. A comparison of the B. agri endoglucanase-aminopeptidase (ELK43520; 350 aa) with other members of the M42-family revealed the conservation of active-site residues Cys256/Cys260, which were previously identified as metal-binding sites. Regulation of the endoglucanase activity probably occurs via metal binding-triggered changes in the redox state of the enzyme. Studies on this type of enzyme are of high importance for basic scientific and industrial research.
Finite Element Simulation of Temperature Field in Fused Deposition Modeling

Taking into account temperature-dependent thermal conduction and heat capacity, based in the research on the physical property of the material of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), a three-dimensional transient thermal finite element model has been developed in Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). The moving material of ABS by the sprayer on the mold equipment is simulated with the employment of ANSYS parametric design language (APDL) and latent heat is considered by using enthalpy. By the technique of element live and die on ANSYS software and using the nonlinear finite element method, several conclusions according to the simulation results were produced, first of all, the simulation result shows that the temperature field distribution likes an ellipse; secondly, comparing with the previous track, the latter one has larger heat affected region and larger inhomogeneous temperature distribution; the greatest temperature gradient takes place near the edges of deposited part where the sprayer scanning direction changes.
Multiscale Full‐Field Strain Measurements for Micromechanical Investigations of the Hydromechanical Behaviour of Clayey Rocks

Abstract: Digital image correlation techniques (DIC) are applied to sequences of optical images of argillaceous rock samples submitted to uniaxial compression at various saturation states at both the global centimetric scale of the samples and the local scale of their composite microstructure, made of a water‐sensitive clay matrix and other mineral inclusions with a typical size of 50 μm. Various scales of heterogeneities are revealed by the optical technique. Not only is it confirmed that the clay matrix deforms much more than the other mineral inclusions, but it also appears that the deformation is very inhomogeneous in the matrix, with some areas almost not deformed, while others exhibit deformation twice the average overall strain (for a gauge length of 45 μm), depending on the local distribution of the inclusions. In almost‐saturated rocks, overall heterogeneities are also linked to the presence of a network of cracks, induced by the preliminary hydric load. On such wet samples, DIC analysis shows that the overall strain results both from the bulk deformation of the sound rock, with deformation levels similar to those in dry samples, and the closing or opening of these mesoscopic cracks.
Analysis of Flow Cytometric Fluorescence Lifetime with Time-Delay Estimation of Pulse Signals

The measurement of fluorescence lifetimes emerged in flow cytometry because it is not impacted by the non-linearity, which occurs in fluorescence intensity measurements. However, this significantly increases the cost and complexity of a traditional flow cytometer. This work reports a simple method of fluorescence lifetime measurement of a flow cytometer based on the cytometric fluorescence pulse time-delay estimation and hardware time-delay calibration. The modified chirp Z-transform (MCZT) algorithm, combined with the algorithm of fine interpolation of correlation peak (FICP), is applied to improve the temporal resolution of the cross-correlation function of the scattering and fluorescence signals, which in turn improves the time-delay estimation accuracy. The estimation accuracy is verified by Gauss fitting. Cells that were labeled simultaneously with three-color reagents are measured; the statistical results of 5000 cells are compared with reference values and are verified with the pulse width variation. The results show the potential of fluorescence lifetime measurements in the traditional flow cytometer.
A numerical analysis of the buckling and postbuckling behavior of laminated composite shells with embedded shape memory alloy wire actuators

The numerical simulation analyses were performed on the buckling and postbuckling behavior of laminated composite shells with embedded shape memory alloy (SMA) wires. These analyses using ABAQUS code were conducted to investigate the effect of embedded SMA wires on the characteristics of buckling and postbuckling caused by external and thermal loads. The nonlinear buckling analysis showed that the activation of eccentrically embedded SMA wires increased the critical buckling load when phase transformation of SMA wires occurred. The activated SMA wires embedded in the direction of buckling resulted in a sudden increase of the critical buckling load when both edges were simply supported. However, activated SMA wires embedded in the opposite direction of buckling, resulted in a sudden decrease of the buckling load. The thermal buckling analyses of the composite shells with embedded SMA wires showed that the critical buckling temperature increased and the thermal buckling deformation decreased by using the activation force of embedded SMA wire actuators.
A 9.3 nW all-in-one bandgap voltage and current reference circuit using leakage-based PTAT generation and DIBL characteristic

This paper presents a sub-10 nW bandgap reference (BGR) circuit that implements both voltage and current references in one circuit. The BGR circuit was implemented with a 0. 18μm CMOS process and generates voltage and current references of 1.238 V and 6.64 nA while consuming 9.3 nW. The voltage and current references show standard deviations of 0.43 % and 1.19 % with temperature coefficients of 26 ppm/°C and 283 ppm/°C, respectively.
Analysis on Evolution of Landscape Pattern in Dianchi Basin Based on RS and GIS

With the support of RS, GIS and FRAGSTATS techniques, the landscape pattern has been analyzed quantitatively in Dianchi basin by 16 commonly used landscape metrics, based on remote sensing images of 1988, 1990, 1994, 1999, 2002 and 2008. After performance of principal component analysis (PCA) on the 16 landscape metrics, three principal components (PCs) were generalized: spatial aggregation of landscape patches, landscape fragmentation and landscape diversity. Then, the characteristics and evolution of landscape pattern in Dianchi basin have been explored at the landscape level. The results showed, that, from 1988 to 1994, the landscape fragmentation was serious and the level of diversity was fluctuant. And for some kinds of landscape patches, the integrity was much undermined, the spatial distribution was scattered and the degree of aggregation was fallen. From 1994 to 2008, the degree of aggregation between patches increased gradually. The situation of landscape fragmentation was under control. And, the land use types had a tendency towards diversification and homogenization.
Mechanisms and management of functional abdominal pain

Summary Functional abdominal pain syndrome is characterised by frequent or continuous abdominal pain associated with a degree of loss of daily activity. It has a reported population prevalence of between 0.5% and 1.7%, with a female preponderance. The pathophysiology of functional abdominal pain is incompletely understood although it has been postulated that peripheral sensitisation of visceral afferents, central sensitisation of the spinal dorsal horn and aberrancies within descending modulatory systems may have an important role. The management of patients with functional abdominal pain requires a tailored multidisciplinary approach in a supportive and empathetic environment in order to develop an effective therapeutic relationship. Patient education directed towards an explanation of the pathophysiology of functional abdominal pain is in our opinion a prerequisite step and provides the rationale for the introduction of interventions. Interventions can usefully be categorised into general measures, pharmacotherapy, psychological interventions and ‘step-up’ treatments. Pharmacotherapeutic/step-up options include tricyclic antidepressants, serotonin noradrenergic reuptake inhibitors and the gabapentinoids. Psychological treatments include cognitive behavioural therapy and hypnotherapy. However, the objective evidence base for these interventions is largely derived from other chronic pain syndrome, and further research is warranted in adult patients with functional abdominal pain.
Hardware Implementation of Stochastic Spiking Neural Networks

Spiking Neural Networks, the last generation of Artificial Neural Networks, are characterized by its bio-inspired nature and by a higher computational capacity with respect to other neural models. In real biological neurons, stochastic processes represent an important mechanism of neural behavior and are responsible of its special arithmetic capabilities. In this work we present a simple hardware implementation of spiking neurons that considers this probabilistic nature. The advantage of the proposed implementation is that it is fully digital and therefore can be massively implemented in Field Programmable Gate Arrays. The high computational capabilities of the proposed model are demonstrated by the study of both feed-forward and recurrent networks that are able to implement high-speed signal filtering and to solve complex systems of linear equations.
Cardiac resynchronization therapy in the setting of permanent atrial fibrillation and heart failure

Purpose of review Heart failure and atrial fibrillation have been called the twin modern epidemics. They are often present concomitantly and are believed to directly predispose to each other. They form a sinister synergy, and management of atrial fibrillation in the setting of heart failure is challenging; relatively new therapeutic strategies like cardiac resynchronization therapy and catheter ablation need to be validated in this complex setting. This review will summarize the current management strategies of atrial fibrillation in the setting of heart failure. Recent findings Recent observational studies and a single randomized trial point towards a potential benefit of cardiac resynchronization therapy in heart-failure patients with permanent atrial fibrillation; particularly, biventricular pacing was superior compared with conventional right-ventricular stimulation. However, recent results suggest that even a relatively high-percentage biventricular capture may be inadequate, and that the benefits of cardiac resynchronization therapy may only be extended to chronic atrial fibrillation patients with previous atrioventricular junctional ablation. Summary Rigorously designed clinical studies are needed to clarify the role of ablation, resynchronization therapy and drugs when atrial fibrillation complicates the course of heart failure.
Regional and temporal specialization in the nucleus: a transcriptionally‐active nuclear domain rich in PTF, Oct1 and PIKA antigens associates with specific chromosomes early in the cell cycle

PTF (PSE‐binding transcription factor) activates transcription of snRNA and related genes. We investigated its distribution in HeLa nuclei by immunofluorescence, and found it spread throughout the nucleoplasm in small foci. In some cells, PTF is also concentrated in one, or very few, discrete regions (diameter ∼1.3 μm) that appear during G1 phase and disappear in S phase. Oct1, a transcription factor that interacts with PTF, is also enriched in these domains; RNA polymerase II, TBP and Sp1 are also present. Each domain typically contains 2 or 3 transcription ‘factories’ where Br‐UTP is incorporated into nascent transcripts. Accordingly, we have christened this region the Oct1/PTF/transcription (OPT) domain. It colocalizes with some, but not all, PIKA domains. It is distinct from other nuclear domains, including coiled bodies, gemini bodies, PML bodies and the perinucleolar compartment. A small region on chromosome 6 (band 6p21) containing only ∼30 Mbp DNA, and chromosomes 6 and 7, associate with the domain significantly more than other chromosomes. The domains may act like nucleoli to bring particular genes on specific chromosomes together to a region where the appropriate transcription and processing factors are concentrated, thereby facilitating the expression of those genes.
Meta-analysis of bariatric surgery versus non-surgical treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background To compare short-term and long-term results of bariatric surgery vs non-surgical treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods A systematic search was conducted in the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). All statistical analysis was performed using Review Manager version 5.3. The dichotomous data was calculated using risk ratio (RR) and continuous data was using mean differences (MD) along with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results A total of 8 RCTs with 619 T2DM patients were analyzed. Compared with non-surgical treatment group, bariatric surgery group was associated with higher rate T2DM remission (RR = 5.76, 95%CI:3.15-10.55, P < 0.00001), more reduction HbA1C (MD = 1.29, 95%CI: -1.70 to -0.87, P < 0.00001), more decrease fasting plasma glucose (MD = -36.38, 95%CI: -51.76 to -21.01, P < 0.00001), greater loss body weight (MD = -16.93, 95%CI: 19.78 to -14.08, P < 0.00001), more reduction body mass index (MD = -5.80, 95%CI: -6.95 to -4.64, P < 0.00001), more decrease triglyceride concentrations (MD = -51.27, 95%CI: -74.13 to -28.41, P < 0.0001), and higher increase density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD = 9.10, 95%CI: 7.99 to 10.21; P < 0.00001). But total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol were no significant changes. Conclusion Bariatric surgery for T2DM is efficacious and improves short- and long-term outcomes as compared with non-surgical treatment.
Depth-weighted correlation method for visual tracking with occlusion detection

Despite the significant progress, it remains a challenging task for a tracker to distinguish a target from the background when the target is occluded. In this paper, we propose a new tracking method, named as depth-weighted correlation method(DWCM), to handle heavy occlusion. The proposed method uses depth cues as the weights of candidate objects and applies the framework of spatio-temporal context (STC). We also propose a scale update scheme for DWCM, so as to obtain an appropriate scale for the target. Encouraging experimental results show that the proposed tracker obtains state-of-the-art results and handles occlusion better than competing tracking methods.
Reverse k-Ranks Queries on Large Graphs

Given a collection of objects, the reverse k-ranks query takes as input a query object q in the set and returns the top-k objects that rank q higher compared to where other objects rank q. This query has been studied in the vector space, however, there is no previous work in the context of graphs. In this paper, we propose a filterand-refinement framework, which prunes the search space while traversing the graph in search for the reverse k-ranks query results. We present an optimized algorithm and an index that apply on this framework and boost its performance. The proposed techniques are evaluated on real data; the experimental results show that our solutions scale well, rendering the query applicable for searching large graphs.
Internal interface diversification with multiple fake interfaces

Malware uses knowledge of well-known interfaces to achieve its goals. However, if we uniquely diversify these interfaces in each system, the malware no longer knows the "language" of a specific system and it becomes much more difficult for malicious programs to operate. This paper extends the idea of interface diversification by presenting a scheme where a fake original interface and multiple other fake interfaces are provided along with the valid interface in order to log the suspicious activity in the system and possibly deceive malware by initiating fallacious interaction with it. We also present a proof-of-concept implementation of this scheme in Linux environment and conduct experiments with it.
Dangerous trends in pet obesity

Obesity is a condition in which an excess body fat has developed to the point that health is adversely affected.1 Dogs that are overweight have a shortened life span,2 their quality of life is adversely affected,3 and they are predisposed to other conditions including osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus and certain types of neoplasia.4 At a recent World Small Animal Veterinary Association One Health meeting, canine obesity was officially classified as a disease, which is consistent with its classification in people.5 The last study to report obesity prevalence in pet dogs in the …
Geographic Patterns of Genome Admixture in Latin American Mestizos

The large and diverse population of Latin America is potentially a powerful resource for elucidating the genetic basis of complex traits through admixture mapping. However, no genome-wide characterization of admixture across Latin America has yet been attempted. Here, we report an analysis of admixture in thirteen Mestizo populations (i.e. in regions of mainly European and Native settlement) from seven countries in Latin America based on data for 678 autosomal and 29 X-chromosome microsatellites. We found extensive variation in Native American and European ancestry (and generally low levels of African ancestry) among populations and individuals, and evidence that admixture across Latin America has often involved predominantly European men and both Native and African women. An admixture analysis allowing for Native American population subdivision revealed a differentiation of the Native American ancestry amongst Mestizos. This observation is consistent with the genetic structure of pre-Columbian populations and with admixture having involved Natives from the area where the Mestizo examined are located. Our findings agree with available information on the demographic history of Latin America and have a number of implications for the design of association studies in population from the region.
Long Forward Probabilities, Recovery and the Term Structure of Bond Risk Premiums

We show that the martingale component in the long-term factorization of the stochastic discount factor due to Alvarez and Jermann (2005) and Hansen and Scheinkman (2009) is highly volatile, produces a downward-sloping term structure of bond Sharpe ratios, and implies that the long bond is far from growth optimality. In contrast, the long forward probabilities forecast an upward sloping term structure of bond Sharpe ratios that starts from zero for short-term bonds and implies that the long bond is growth optimal. Thus, transition independence and degeneracy of the martingale component are implausible assumptions in the bond market.
Development of a New Barrier Membrane for Guided Bone Regeneration: an in Vitro and in Vivo Study

53 INTRODUCTION Guided Bone Regeneration (GBR) is a clinical technique developed by Nyman and Dahlin to generate sufficient bone volume . This technique is based upon the phenomenon that the application of a membrane creates a secluded space in which to facilitate the proliferation of angiogenic and osteogenic cells from the basal bone into the space in which bone volume is required without interference by fibroblasts. The membranes currently used for GBR are mainly divided into three types based upon their primary material: expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), synthetic biodegradable polyester and collagen membranes . Although all 3 Development of a New Barrier Membrane for Guided Bone Regeneration: an in Vitro and in Vivo Study
Multigene testing for breast cancer risk assessment: an illusion of added clinical value.

The discovery of breast cancer (BC) predisposing genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, is apparently the most impressive example of the triumph of translational medical research. BRCA1 and BRCA2 were initially identified through the linkage analysis of uniquely large cancer pedigrees, but their contribution to BC and ovarian cancer (OC) morbidity turned out to extend beyond clearly familial cancer cases: indeed, frequency of BRCA1 and BRCA2 germ-line mutations approaches close to 10% in BC and 15% in OC patients, being even higher when the affected women are selected for young age, presence of multiple tumors, specific tumor histology, etc. BRCA1 and BRCA2 play a role in cancer incidence worldwide, although significant country- and ethnicity-specific variations in frequency and spectrum of these mutations are recognized. Great efforts were invested into the estimation of BRCA1- and BRCA2-associated disease risks; based on these calculations, appropriate guidelines for BC/OC screening and prevention were formulated and subjected to clinical validation. Finally, novel drugs, which were intentionally designed to target vulnerabilities in BRCA1/2-driven cancers, recently entered clinical practice. Virtually all current standards of clinical management of healthy people and cancer patients carrying BRCA1/2 germ-line mutations rely on solid medical evidence (1-4).
The Influence of Integrated Strength on Bulging Cracking of Tailor Welded Blanks

The uneven deformation can decrease formability of Tailor Welded Blanks (TWB). The integrated strength is a key factor that determines the uneven deformation besides the technological conditions. In this paper, the influences of integrated strength on cracking trend and cracking type are investigated through bulging simulation and experiments. It is proposed that the integrated strength should be considered as a crucial factor during the TWB designing. Reasonable integrated strengths matching of base metals can improve the formability of the tailor welded blanks and reduce the trend of cracking. In the case that the integrated strengths of base metals are significantly different, the cracking occurs in the weaker side and is parallel to the welded seam; while the cracking appears in the welded seam and is vertical to it under the condition that the integrated strengths match well. The corresponding technological measures can be adopted as the guidance for materials selection and reasonable matching in the designing.