Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
REU: Improving straight line travel in a miniature wheeled robot

The TinyTeRP is a miniature robotics platform with modular sensing capabilities. Prior generations of the TinyTeRP have experienced various problems in assembly process, materials selection, and their fundamental design. These problems are addressed by choosing 3D printing as the new manufacturing method and steel wire for the new axle. The TinyTeRP’s ability to travel in a straight line using open loop control is studied. After 1.37 m of travel in the x direction, the TinyTeRP was as close as 4.69 cm to or as far as 31.9 cm from the ideal ending position (a straight line), indicating that open loop control is a poor method for controlling a straight line trajectory. Comparing data on the angle of the trajectory collected from position data from the vision table to data collected from the gyroscope indicated that the gyroscope tracks the robot’s angle of motion well. Hence, using the gyroscope for closed loop control of the TinyTeRP’s motion is possible.
Monocyte-macrophage antigen expression on chondrocytes.

OBJECTIVE To characterize chondrocytes in normal and arthritic joints and compare their phenotype to that of synovial macrophages present in rheumatoid joints. METHODS Using an immunoperoxidase staining technique, we examined the presence and distribution of a number of leukocyte activation and differentiation antigens on samples of cartilage obtained from resected joints of normal controls and subjects with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis. RESULTS Chondrocytes in each group were CD14+, CD68+, Thy-1+, CD11a+, CD18+, MAX.3-, and MAX.24-. Staining was variable for MAX.1 and CD45. HLA-DR and CD71 were expressed only on cells located in the superficial layer of rheumatoid cartilage. We found lower levels of expression of CD14 on chondrocytes in arthritic joints, whereas CD58 was expressed at higher levels. Surface expression of CD14 was confirmed on normal chondrocytes using flow cytometry and further supported by the detection of CD14 mRNA by polymerase chain reaction. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrate that chondrocytes express several antigens that are also found on monocytes and macrophages.
Selection of Causal Gene Sets from Gene Expression Profiles Using GeneFis®, New Software Based on FNN

he Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has developed and implemented a process for tracking benefits that accrue to the Department as a result of UDOT personnel attending the Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board. The research division of UDOT’s Project Development Group coordinates and tracks the progress of the implementation of key ideas gleaned from the Annual Meeting by UDOT personnel. Since the 2003 beginning of the tracking process, UDOT has realized millions of dollars in savings by implementing innovative ideas for contracting methods, safety improvements, accelerated bridge construction, and other areas, proving the value (both in terms of funds and progress) of regularly sending a small team of UDOT leaders to the Annual Meeting. Because TRB’s Annual Meeting covers all modes of transportation and has a large number of technical sessions, presentations, committee meetings, workshops, and poster sessions, UDOT’s benefits tracking process helps focus the efforts of its attendees in gathering innovative, cost-saving ideas as well as their resolve to implement them in their areas of practice. The process continues to be improved and consists of the following main steps:
The Psychology of Transcending the Here and Now

People directly experience only themselves here and now but often consider, evaluate, and plan situations that are removed in time or space, that pertain to others' experiences, and that are hypothetical rather than real. People thus transcend the present and mentally traverse temporal distance, spatial distance, social distance, and hypotheticality. We argue that this is made possible by the human capacity for abstract processing of information. We review research showing that there is considerable similarity in the way people mentally traverse different distances, that the process of abstraction underlies traversing different distances, and that this process guides the way people predict, evaluate, and plan near and distant situations.
Fractional Diffusion in a Solid with Mass Absorption

The space-time-fractional diffusion equation with the Caputo time-fractional derivative and Riesz fractional Laplacian is considered in the case of axial symmetry. Mass absorption (mass release) is described by a source term proportional to concentration. The integral transform technique is used. Different particular cases of the solution are studied. The numerical results are illustrated graphically.
Evolution and speciation in a hyperspace: the roles of neutrality, selection, mutation and random drift

2 The problem of speciation 2 Rugged adaptive landscapes 3 Nearly neutral networks and holey adaptive landscapes 6 The origin of the idea . 7 Simple models . 8 Russian roulette model . 8 Uniformly rugged landscape . 9 Multiplicative fitnesses . 9 Stabilizing selection on an additive trait . 10 NK model . 10 Conclusions from models . 11 Experimental evidence . 11 A metaphor of holey adaptive landscapes . 12 Applications 12 Genetic divergence and molecular evolution . 13 Speciation . 13 Adaptation . 14 Hybrid zones . 15 RNA and proteins . 15 Gene and genome duplication . 15 Canalization of development . 16 Morphological macroevolution . 16
Regulation of the levels of human trabecular matrix metalloproteinases and inhibitor by interleukin-1 and dexamethasone.

PURPOSE The regulation of the trabecular meshwork's extracellular matrix is poorly understood and may involve a family of secreted proteinases, the matrix metalloproteinases. Because the trabecular extracellular matrix has been hypothesized to affect intraocular pressure, an evaluation was made of the ability of two cellular modulators to change the levels of matrix metalloproteinases in the medium of human trabecular meshwork organ explant cultures. METHODS Trabecular explant cultures were exposed to recombinant human interleukin-1 alpha, dexamethasone, or combinations thereof for 72 hours and the culture medium was collected for analysis. Levels of stromelysin, the 72 kD gelatinase A and the 92 kD gelatinase B enzyme activity in this culture medium were assayed by substrate gel electrophoresis (zymography). Stromelysin and the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP1) media protein levels were analyzed using immunoblots of Western transfers. RESULTS Culture medium of unstimulated explants contains significant levels of the 72 kD gelatinase A and only low levels of the 92 kD gelatinase B, stromelysin, and TIMP1. Interleukin-1 alpha produces a dose-dependent several-fold elevation of gelatinase B, stromelysin, and TIMP1 without changing gelatinase A levels. Dexamethasone produces no significant change in gelatinase A and only small increases in stromelysin, gelatinase B, and TIMP1. When added together, dexamethasone antagonizes the interleukin-1 alpha-induced increase of stromelysin, gelatinase B, and TIMP1 in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION These modulators may be useful in analyzing the roles of this enzyme family in normal trabecular homeostasis and perhaps in the etiology of glaucoma.
Finite-time boundedness and stabilization of switched linear systems

In this paper, finite-time boundedness and stabilization problems for a class of switched linear systems with time-varying exogenous disturbances are studied. Firstly, the concepts of finite-time stability and finite-time boundedness are extended to switched linear systems. Then, based on matrix inequalities, some sufficient conditions under which the switched linear systems are finite-time bounded and uniformly finite-time bounded are given. Moreover, to solve the finite-time stabilization problem, stabilizing controllers and a class of switching signals are designed. The main results are proven by using the multiple Lyapunov-like functions method, the single Lyapunov-like function method and the common Lyapunov-like function method, respectively. Finally, three examples are employed to verify the efficiency of the proposed methods.
Phosphoprotein Associated with Glycosphingolipid-Enriched Microdomains Differentially Modulates Src Kinase Activity in Brain Maturation

Src family kinases (SFK) control multiple processes during brain development and function. We show here that the phosphoprotein associated with glycosphigolipid-enriched microdomains (PAG)/Csk binding protein (Cbp) modulates SFK activity in the brain. The timing and localization of PAG expression overlap with Fyn and Src, both of which we find associated to PAG. We demonstrate in newborn (P1) mice that PAG negatively regulates Src family kinases (SFK). P1 Pag1 -/- mouse brains show decreased recruitment of Csk into lipid rafts, reduced phosphorylation of the inhibitory tyrosines within SFKs, and an increase in SFK activity of >/ = 50%. While in brain of P1 mice, PAG and Csk are highly and ubiquitously expressed, little Csk is found in adult brain suggesting altered modes of SFK regulation. In adult brain Pag1-deficiency has no effect upon Csk-distribution or inhibitory tyrosine phosphorylation, but kinase activity is now reduced (−20–30%), pointing to the development of a compensatory mechanism that may involve PSD93. The distribution of the Csk-homologous kinase CHK is not altered. Importantly, since the activities of Fyn and Src are decreased in adult Pag1 -/- mice, thus presenting the reversed phenotype of P1, this provides the first in vivo evidence for a Csk-independent positive regulatory function for PAG in the brain.
Bacterial Virus Ontology; Coordinating across Databases

Bacterial viruses, also called bacteriophages, display a great genetic diversity and utilize unique processes for infecting and reproducing within a host cell. All these processes were investigated and indexed in the ViralZone knowledge base. To facilitate standardizing data, a simple ontology of viral life-cycle terms was developed to provide a common vocabulary for annotating data sets. New terminology was developed to address unique viral replication cycle processes, and existing terminology was modified and adapted. Classically, the viral life-cycle is described by schematic pictures. Using this ontology, it can be represented by a combination of successive events: entry, latency, transcription/replication, host–virus interactions and virus release. Each of these parts is broken down into discrete steps. For example enterobacteria phage lambda entry is broken down in: viral attachment to host adhesion receptor, viral attachment to host entry receptor, viral genome ejection and viral genome circularization. To demonstrate the utility of a standard ontology for virus biology, this work was completed by annotating virus data in the ViralZone, UniProtKB and Gene Ontology databases.
Self-Optimizing Memory Controllers: A Reinforcement Learning Approach

Efficiently utilizing off-chip DRAM bandwidth is a critical issue in designing cost-effective, high-performance chip multiprocessors (CMPs). Conventional memory controllers deliver relatively low performance in part because they often employ fixed, rigid access scheduling policies designed for average-case application behavior. As a result, they cannot learn and optimize the long-term performance impact of their scheduling decisions,and cannot adapt their scheduling policies to dynamic workload behavior.We propose a new, self-optimizing memory controller design that operates using the principles of reinforcement learning (RL)to overcome these limitations. Our RL-based memory controller observes the system state and estimates the long-term performance impact of each action it can take. In this way, the controller learns to optimize its scheduling policy on the fly to maximize long-term performance. Our results show that an RL-based memory controller improves the performance of a set of parallel applications run on a 4-core CMP by 19% on average (upto 33%), and it improves DRAM bandwidth utilization by 22%compared to a state-of-the-art controller.
Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (PL-ACS). Characteristics, treatments and outcomes of patients with acute coronary syndromes in Poland.

BACKGROUND In Poland, together with the transformation of the political system, significant positive changes have been made to the national health care system. This provided a possibility for hospitals to apply current standards of care to patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). AIM To assess contemporary data on epidemiology, management and outcomes of patients with ACS in Poland, and to evaluate adherence to the guidelines' recommended treatment. METHODS We performed an observational study of 100,193 patients hospitalised due to unstable angina, non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), or ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), prospectively enrolled in 417 hospitals from October 2003 to March 2006 in the ongoing Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (PL-ACS). The registry is carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and the National Health Fund. RESULTS The initial diagnoses were unstable angina in 42.2%, NSTEMI in 26.6%, and STEMI in 31.2% of patients. About one-third of patients were treated outside of cardiology departments (mainly in the internal medicine wards). In patients without ST elevation, invasive strategy (early coronary angiography) was used with almost equal frequency in unstable angina (29.4%) and NSTEMI (31.7%). However, in-hospital mortality was low in unstable angina (0.8%), being much higher in NSTEMI patients (6.6%), (p<0.001). In STEMI reperfusion therapy was administered in 63.3% of patients (thrombolysis 7.8%, primary PCI 54.1%, and PCI after thrombolysis 1.4%). In-hospital mortality in STEMI was 9.3%. Median times from the onset of symptoms to invasive treatment were: 37 hours in unstable angina, 23 hours in NSTEMI, and 5 hours in STEMI. The guidelines' recommended pharmacotherapy was used in a high percentage of patients except for thienopyridines and GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS The Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes shows several discrepancies between guidelines' recommended treatment and their utilisation in everyday practice. Particularly, the under-utilisation of invasive treatment in patients with NSTEMI is alarming. Efforts should be made to increase the usage of invasive treatment in NSTEMI patients and to shorten the delay from the symptom onset to intervention.
Control of Gammaherpesvirus Latency by Latent Antigen-Specific Cd8+ T Cells

The contribution of the latent antigen-specific CD8+ T cell response to the control of gammaherpesvirus latency is currently obscure. Some latent antigens induce potent T cell responses, but little is known about their induction or the role they play during the establishment of latency. Here we used the murine gammaherpesvirus system to examine the expression of the latency-associated M2 gene during latency and the induction of the CD8+ T cell response to this protein. M2, in contrast to the M3 latency-associated antigen, was expressed at day 14 after infection but was undetectable during long-term latency. The induction of the M291–99/Kd CD8+ T cell response was B cell dependent, transient, and apparently induced by the rapid increase in latently infected cells around day 14 after intranasal infection. These kinetics were consistent with a role in controlling the initial “burst” of latently infected cells. In support of this hypothesis, adoptive transfer of an M2-specific CD8+ T cell line reduced the initial load of latently infected cells, although not the long-term load. These data represent the first description of a latent antigen-specific immune response in this model, and suggest that vaccination with latent antigens such as M2 may be capable of modulating latent gammaherpesvirus infection.
Local Regulation of Arterial L-Type Calcium Channels by Reactive Oxygen Species

Rationale: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are implicated in the development of cardiovascular disease, and oxidants are important signaling molecules in many cell types. Recent evidence suggests that localized subcellular compartmentalization of ROS generation is an important feature of ROS signaling. However, mechanisms that transduce localized subcellular changes in redox status to functionally relevant changes in cellular processes such as Ca2+ influx are poorly understood. Objective: To test the hypothesis that ROS regulate L-type Ca2+ channel activity in cerebral arterial smooth muscle. Methods and Results: Using a total internal reflection fluorescence imaging–based approach, we found that highly localized subplasmalemmal generation of endogenous ROS preceded and colocalized with sites of enhanced L-type Ca2+ channel sparklet activity in isolated cerebral arterial smooth muscle cells. Consistent with this observation and our hypothesis, exogenous ROS increased localized L-type Ca2+ channel sparklet activity in isolated arterial myocytes via activation of protein kinase C&agr; and when applied to intact cerebral arterial segments, exogenous ROS increased arterial tone in an L-type Ca2+ channel–dependent fashion. Furthermore, angiotensin II–dependent stimulation of local L-type Ca2+ channel sparklet activity in isolated cells and contraction of intact arteries was abolished following inhibition of NADPH oxidase. Conclusions: Our data support a novel model of local oxidative regulation of Ca2+ influx where vasoconstrictors coupled to NAPDH oxidase (eg, angiotensin II) induce discrete sites of ROS generation resulting in oxidative activation of adjacent protein kinase C&agr; molecules that in turn promote local sites of enhanced L-type Ca2+ channel activity, resulting in increased Ca2+ influx and contraction.
When to Hold That Thought: An Experimental Study Showing Reduced Inhibition of Pre-trained Associations in Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia encompasses a wide variety of cognitive dysfunctions, a number of which can be understood as deficits of inhibition. To date, no research has examined ‘conditioned inhibition’ in schizophrenia - the ability of a stimulus that signals the absence of an expected outcome to counteract the conditioned response produced by a signal for that outcome (a conditioned excitor). A computer-based task was used to measure conditioned excitation and inhibition in the same discrimination procedure, in 25 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of schizophrenia and a community-based comparison sample. Conditioned inhibition was measured by a ratio score, which compared the degree to which the inhibitory stimulus and a neutral control stimulus reduced conditioned responding to the excitatory cue: the lower the ratio, the greater the inhibitory learning. At test the ratios were 0.45 and 0.39 for patient and control groups respectively, and the relevant interaction term of the ANOVA confirmed that the degree of inhibition was reduced in the patient group, with an effect size of r = 0.28. These results demonstrate for the first time that inhibitory learning is impaired in schizophrenia. Such an impairment provides an attractive framework for the interpretation of the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. However, we were unable to demonstrate any relationship between the level of conditioned inhibition and medication. Similarly, in the present study it must be emphasised that the available data did not demonstrate any relationship between individual variation in inhibitory learning and the level of positive symptoms as measured by the PANSS. In fact inhibitory learning impairment was relatively greater in participants with a predominantly negative symptom profile and their excitatory learning was also reduced. Accordingly the next step will be to investigate such relationships in a larger sample with a priori defined sub-groups displaying predominantly positive versus predominantly negative symptoms.
Identification and functional analysis of a nitrate assimilation operon nasACKBDEF from Amycolatopsis mediterranei U 32

Nitrate assimilation has been well studied for Gram-negative bacteria but not so much in the Grampositive actinomycetes up to date. In a rifamycin SV-producing actinomycete, Amycolatopsis mediterranei strain U32, nitrate not only can be used as a sole nitrogen source but also remarkably stimulates the antibiotic production along with regulating the related metabolic enzymes. A gene cluster of nasACKBDEF was cloned from a U32 genomic library by in situ hybridization screening with a heterogeneous nasB probe and confirmed later by whole genome sequence, corresponding to the protein coding genes of AMED_1121 to AMED_1127. These genes were co-transcribed as an operon, concomitantly repressed by ammonium while activated with supplement of either nitrate or nitrite. Genetic and biochemical analyses identified the essential nitrate/nitrite assimilation functions of the encoded proteins, orderly, the assimilatory nitrate reductase catalytic subunit (NasA), nitrate reductase electron transfer subunit (NasC), nitrate/nitrite transporter (NasK), assimilatory nitrite reductase large subunit (NasB) and small subunit (NasD), bifunctional uroporphyrinogen-III synthase (NasE), and an unknown function protein (NasF). Comparing rifamycin SV production and the level of transcription of nasB and rifE from U32 and its individual nas mutants in Bennet medium with or without nitrate indicated that nitrate assimilation function encoded by the nas operon played an essential role in the ‘‘nitrate stimulated’’ rifamycin production but had no effect upon the transcription regulation of the primary and secondary metabolic genes related to rifamycin biosynthesis.
Insulin and Glucagon Secretion After Pancreatectomies Correlation of Secretion and Hormonal Contents of Remaining Pancreas

We studied whether insulin and glucagon secretory capacities change in relation to the corresponding hormonal contents in the pancreas remnant after pancreas resection. The following groups of dogs were used: sham operated (S-O), left pancreatectomized (L-Px), right pancreatectomized (R-Px), subtotal pancreatectomized (St-Px), and total pancreatectomized (T-Px). Endocrine functions were assessed by intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT) in each dog under anesthesia before surgery and 1 wk after. In these five groups, the insulin secretory capacities, assessed as the integrated incremental secretion of immunoreactive insulin (ΣΔIRI) from the IVGTT, decreased to 95 ± 11, 78 ± 9, 48 ± 8, 12 ± 8, and −4 ± 4% of the respective preoperative values, and these values were proportional to the percentage residual weight (100, 64 ± 2, 35 ± 2, 13 ± 2, 0%) and IRI content (100, 59 ± 4, 45 ± 3, 10± 2, 0%) of the pancreas remnant. After surgery, glucagon secretory capacity, the integrated incremental secretion of immunoreactive glucagon (ΣΔIRG) during the ITT, decreased significantly in the L-Px, St-Px, and T-Px groups but not in the R-Px group. The ΣΔIRG values as percentages of the preoperative values were 109 ± 25, 46 ± 11, 89 ± 13, 19 ± 11, and 3 ± 3%, respectively, for the five groups. These values were proportional to the percentage residual IRG contents of the pancreas remnants (100, 48 ± 6, 65 ± 8, 12 ± 2, 0%) rather than to the percentage residual pancreatic weights. Significant correlations were found between the percentage ΣΔIRI and IRI contents (r = .876, P <.001) and the percentage ΣΔIRG and IRG contents (r = .775, P <.001) after surgery in individual dogs. The results indicate that the hormonal secretory capacity of these dogs was influenced by the hormone-containing functional mass rather than the weight of the pancreas itself after surgery and that the uneven distribution of glucagon in the pancreas (predominantly concentrated in the tail of the pancreas) should be taken into consideration when discussing hormonal deficiency after pancreatectomy.