Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cell shrinkage evoked by Ca2+‐free solution in rat alveolar type II cells: Ca2+ regulation of Na+–H+ exchange

The effects of intracellular Ca2+ concentration, [Ca2+]i, on the volume of rat alveolar type II cells (AT‐II cells) were examined. Perfusion with a Ca2+‐free solution induced shrinkage of the AT‐II cell volume in the absence or presence of amiloride (1 μm, an inhibitor of Na+ channels); however, it did not in the presence of 5‐(N‐methyl‐N‐isobutyl)‐amiloride (MIA, an inhibitor of Na+–H+ exchange). MIA decreased the volume of AT‐II cells. Inhibitors of Cl−–HCO3− exchange, 4,4′‐diisothiocyanostilbene‐2,2′‐disulfonic acid (DIDS) and 4‐acetamido‐4′‐isothiocyanatostilbene‐2,2′‐disulfonic acid (SITS) also decreased the volume of AT‐II cells. This indicates that the cell shrinkage induced by a Ca2+‐free solution is caused by a decrease in NaCl influx via Na+–H+ exchange and Cl−–HCO3− exchange. Addition of ionomycin (1 μm), in contrast, induced cell swelling when AT‐II cells were pretreated with quinine and amiloride. This swelling of the AT‐II cells is not detected in the presence of MIA. Intracellular pH (pHi) measurements demonstrated that the Ca2+‐free solution or MIA decreases pHi, and that ionomycin increases it. Ionomycin stimulated the pHi recovery after an acid loading (NH4+ pulse method), which was not noted in MIA‐treated AT‐II cells. Ionomycin increased [Ca2+]i in fura‐2‐loaded AT‐II cells. In conclusion, the Na+–H+ exchange activities of AT‐II cells, which maintain the volume and pHi, are regulated by [Ca2+]i.
Honey and Cancer: Sustainable Inverse Relationship Particularly for Developing Nations—A Review

Honey and cancer has a sustainable inverse relationship. Carcinogenesis is a multistep process and has multifactorial causes. Among these are low immune status, chronic infection, chronic inflammation, chronic non healing ulcers, obesity, and so forth. There is now a sizeable evidence that honey is a natural immune booster, natural anti-inflammatory agent, natural antimicrobial agent, natural cancer “vaccine,” and natural promoter for healing chronic ulcers and wounds. Though honey has substances of which the most predominant is a mixture of sugars, which itself is thought to be carcinogenic, it is understandable that its beneficial effect as anticancer agent raises skeptics. The positive scientific evidence for anticancer properties of honey is growing. The mechanism on how honey has anticancer effect is an area of great interest. Among the mechanisms suggested are inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis, and cell-cycle arrest. Honey and cancer has sustainable inverse relationship in the setting of developing nations where resources for cancer prevention and treatment are limited.
Location, synthesis and function of glycolipids and polyglycerolphosphate lipoteichoic acid in Gram-positive bacteria of the phylum Firmicutes

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is a zwitterionic polymer found in the cell wall of many Gram-positive bacteria. A widespread and one of the best-studied forms of LTA consists of a polyglycerolphosphate (PGP) chain that is tethered to the membrane via a glycolipid anchor. In this review, we will summarize our current understanding of the enzymes involved in glycolipid and PGP backbone synthesis in a variety of different Gram-positive bacteria. The recent identification of key LTA synthesis proteins allowed the construction and analysis of mutant strains with defined defects in glycolipid or backbone synthesis. Using these strains, new information on the functions of LTA for bacterial growth, physiology and during developmental processes was gained and will be discussed. Furthermore, we will reintroduce the idea that LTA remains in close proximity to the bacterial membrane for its function during bacterial growth rather than as a surface-exposed structure.
Dynamic Blocking and Collapsing for Gibbs Sampling

In this paper, we investigate combining blocking and collapsing - two widely used strategies for improving the accuracy of Gibbs sampling - in the context of probabilistic graphical models (PGMs). We show that combining them is not straight-forward because collapsing (or eliminating variables) introduces new dependencies in the PGM and in computation-limited settings, this may adversely affect blocking. We therefore propose a principled approach for tackling this problem. Specifically, we develop two scoring functions, one each for blocking and collapsing, and formulate the problem of partitioning the variables in the PGM into blocked and collapsed subsets as simultaneously maximizing both scoring functions (i.e., a multi-objective optimization problem). We propose a dynamic, greedy algorithm for approximately solving this intractable optimization problem. Our dynamic algorithm periodically updates the partitioning into blocked and collapsed variables by leveraging correlation statistics gathered from the generated samples and enables rapid mixing by blocking together and collapsing highly correlated variables. We demonstrate experimentally the clear benefit of our dynamic approach: as more samples are drawn, our dynamic approach significantly outperforms static graph-based approaches by an order of magnitude in terms of accuracy.
Adaptation of SVM for MIL for inferring the polarity of movies and movie reviews

Polarity detection is a research topic of major interest, with many applications including detecting the polarity of product reviews. However, in some cases, the polarity of the product reviews might not be available while the polarity of the product itself might be, prohibiting the use of any form of fully supervised learning technique. This scenario, while different, is close to that of multiple instance learning (MIL). In this work we propose two new adaptations of support vector machines (SVM) for MIL, θ-MIL, to suit this new scenario, and infer the polarity of products and product reviews. We perform experiments on the proposed methods using the IMDb movie review corpus, and compare the performance of the proposed methods to the traditional SVM for MIL approach. Although we make weaker assumptions about the data, the proposed methods achieve a comparable performance to the SVM for MIL in accurately detecting the polarity of movies and movie reviews.
Apport des données thématiques dans les systèmes de recommandation : hybridation et démarrage à froid

Résumé. Des travaux récents (Pilaszy et al., 2009) suggèrent que les métadonnées sont quasiment inutiles pour les systèmes de recommandation, y compris en situation de cold-start : les données de logs de notation sont beaucoup plus informatives. Nous étudions, sur une base de référence de logs d'usages pour la recommandation automatique de DVD (Netflix), les performances de systèmes de recommandation basés sur des sources de données collaboratives, thématiques et hybrides en situation de démarrage à froid (cold-start). Nous exhibons des cas expérimentaux où les métadonnées apportent plus que les données de logs d’usage (collaboratives) pour la performance prédictive. Pour gérer le cold-start d'un système de recommandation, nous montrons que des approches "en cascade", thématiques puis hybrides, puis collaboratives, seraient plus appropriées.
Measurement of knee flexion/extension angle using wearable UWB radios

This paper proposes a wearable system using UWB transceivers to measure the knee flexion/extension angle parameter, who is known to be of clinical importance. First, a pair of very small and light antennas is placed on the adjacent segments of knee joint. Then, the range data between these two antennas is acquired using Time of Arrival (TOA) estimator. We further use the measured distance to compute the flexion/extension angle using the law of cosines. The performance of the method was compared with a flexible goniometer by simultaneously measuring knee flexion-extension angle. The experimental results show that the system has reasonable performance and has sufficient accuracy for clinical applications.
The alignment between information and communication technology (ICT) strategy and business strategy of professional conference organizers.

This study examines factors affecting alignment between information and communication technologies (ICTs) strategy and business strategy in professional conference organizers (PCOs). Adopting the resource-based view (RBV), contingency theory, and value discipline theory, a conceptual model is proposed and empirically tested using online survey data. The results indicated that while most PCOs successfully aligned ICTs with business strategies of operational excellence and customer intimacy, very few achieved a tight alignment for product leadership business strategy, found to be the only strategic alignment component significantly impacting on firm performance. Finally, theoretical and practical implications for PCOs' ICTs application are discussed.
CVD diamond—Research, applications, and challenges

Diamond is a unique material that often exhibits extreme properties compared to other materials. Discovered about 30 years ago, the use of hydrogen in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has enabled the growth and coating of diamond in film form on various substrate materials. CVD diamond research has been actively continued subsequently to develop new understanding and approaches for the growth and processing of this fascinating material. Currently, the study and development of diamond films has enabled a wide range of applications based on the combination of unique and extreme properties of diamond and the variety of film properties obtainable through tuning the microstructure, morphology, impurities, and surfaces. This issue of MRS Bulletin introduces the latest research, recent applications, and the challenges ahead for CVD diamond films.
Development of a Microsensor to Minimize Post Cataract Surgery Complications

This paper presents design and characterization of a microaccelerometer designated for integration into cataract surgical probe to detect hardness of different eye tissues during cataract surgery. Soft posterior lens capsule of eye can be easily damaged in comparison with hard opaque lens since the surgeon can not see directly behind cutting needle during the surgery. Presence of microsensor helps the surgeon to avoid rupturing posterior lens capsule which if occurs leads to severe complications such as glaucoma, infection, or even blindness. The microsensor having overall dimensions of 480 μm x 395 μm is able to deliver significant capacitance variations during encountered vibration situations which makes it capable to distinguish between different types of tissue. Integration of electronic components on chip ensures high level of reliability and noise immunity while minimizes space and power requirements. Physical characteristics and results on performance testing, proves integration of microsensor as an effective tool to aid the surgeon during this procedure. Keywords—Cataract surgery, MEMS, Microsensor, Phacoemulsification.
Complex Dynamical Behaviors in Discrete-Time Recurrent Neural Networks with Asymmetric Connection Matrix

This paper investigates the discrete-time recurrent neural networks and aims to extend the previous works with symmetric connection matrix to the asymmetric connection matrix. We provide the sufficient conditions of existence for asymptotical stability of fixed point, flip and fold bifurcations, Marotto's chaos. Besides, we state the conditions of existence for the bounded trapping region including many fixed points, and attracting set contained in bounded region and chaotic set. To demonstrate the theoretical results of the paper, several numerical examples are provided.The theorems in this paper are available more than in the previous works.
Investigation of mechanical property of a cell by optical tweezers

Mechanical property of a cell is investigated from reaction force generated on a particle fixed on a cell by moving with optical tweezers. This system is called as cell palpation system. By using of this system we can measure mechanical property at a desired location on a cell surface just by locating the probe particle with optical tweezers. We have investigated focal adhesion formation through mechanical property measurement after initiation of touching by the probe particle.
Gender‐specific disruptions in emotion processing in younger adults with depression

Background: One of the principal theories regarding the biological basis of major depressive disorder (MDD) implicates a dysregulation of emotion‐processing circuitry. Gender differences in how emotions are processed and relative experience with emotion processing might help to explain some of the disparities in the prevalence of MDD between women and men. This study sought to explore how gender and depression status relate to emotion processing. Methods: This study employed a 2 (MDD status) × 2 (gender) factorial design to explore differences in classifications of posed facial emotional expressions (N=151). Results: For errors, there was an interaction between gender and depression status. Women with MDD made more errors than did nondepressed women and men with MDD, particularly for fearful and sad stimuli (Ps <.02), which they were likely to misinterpret as angry (Ps <.04). There was also an interaction of diagnosis and gender for response cost for negative stimuli, with significantly greater interference from negative faces present in women with MDD compared to nondepressed women (P=.01). Men with MDD, conversely, performed similarly to control men (P=.61). Conclusions: These results provide novel and intriguing evidence that depression in younger adults (<35 years) differentially disrupts emotion processing in women as compared to men. This interaction could be driven by neurobiological and social learning mechanisms, or interactions between them, and may underlie differences in the prevalence of depression in women and men. Depression and Anxiety, 2009. Published 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Induced by Hepatitis B Virus Core Mediating the Immune Response for Hepatitis B Viral Clearance in Mice Model

Persistent hepatitis B viral (HBV) infection results in chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). An efficient control of virus infections requires the coordinated actions of both innate and adaptive immune responses. In order to define the role of innate immunity effectors against HBV, viral clearance was studied in a panel of immunodeficient mouse strains by the hydrodynamic injection approach. Our results demonstrate that HBV viral clearance is not changed in IFN-α/β receptor (IFNAR), RIG-I, MDA5, MYD88, NLRP3, ASC, and IL-1R knock-out mice, indicating that these innate immunity effectors are not required for HBV clearance. In contrast, HBV persists in the absence of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) or in mice treated with the soluble TNF receptor blocker, Etanercept. In these mice, there was an increase in PD-1-expressing CD8+ T-cells and an increase of serum HBV DNA, HBV core, and surface antigen expression as well as viral replication within the liver. Furthermore, the induction of TNF-α in clearing HBV is dependent on the HBV core, and TNF blockage eliminated HBV core-induced viral clearance effects. Finally, the intra-hepatic leukocytes (IHLs), but not the hepatocytes, are the cell source responsible for TNF-α production induced by HBcAg. These results provide evidences for TNF-α mediated innate immune mechanisms in HBV clearance and explain the mechanism of HBV reactivation during therapy with TNF blockage agents.
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We explore the challenges of designing RF transceivers for an ultra-low-voltage (ULV) supply with performance that is compatible to commercial standards. The ITRS roadmap projects that the aggressive device size scaling will result in supply voltage reductions to well below 1V, in particular for low-power technologies. The use of alternative energy sources also requires ULV operation in some applications. Achieving sufficient linearity with low power consumption is very challenging for the ULV mixer and baseband circuits. The on-chip LO generation and distribution is difficult due to the low-voltage device bias. We present optimized mixer and filter topologies, and a polyphase LO buffer, used in a low-power ULV receiver for 2.4GHz applications like Bluetooth or Zigbee. The use of spiral inductors is kept to a minimum to avoid their excessive area. The design techniques demonstrated here can enable the continued integration of RF front-ends onto SoC devices in nano CMOS technologies without requiring dedicated supply voltages or thick oxide devices.
Effect of Initial Polymer Concentration on the Crystallization of Poly (Vinylidene Fluoride)/Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) Blend from Solution Casting

The effect of initial polymer concentration on the crystallization of a poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blend (mass ratio=70/30) prepared by solution casting was investigated. Confirming by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide angle X‐ray scattering (WAXD), exclusively β phase was observed in the films regardless of initial polymer concentration. Surface film morphologies examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were found to be strongly dependent on the concentration. An increase of concentration resulted in a decrease of the spherulite size and a uniform distribution of PVDF spherulites owing to the fast formation of nuclei at high concentration. Correspondingly, the lateral crystal size and crystallinity of PVDF obtained from high concentration c (>10 wt.%) was less than those generated from low concentration (5–10 wt.%). This was mainly due to the reduced growth of PVDF crystals, which was caused by the increased solution viscosity and entanglement of the polymer chains with increase of concentration.
A ZVS PWM inverter with active voltage clamping using the reverse recovery energy of the diodes

This paper presents a zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) pulsewidth modulated inverter with active voltage clamping using only a single auxiliary switch. The structure is particularly simple and robust. It is very attractive for single-phase high-power applications. Switching losses are reduced due to implementation of the simple active snubber circuit that provides ZVS conditions for all switches, including the auxiliary one. Its main features are: simple modulation strategy, robustness, low weight and volume, low harmonic distortion of the output current and high efficiency. The principle of operation for steady-state conditions, mathematical analysis and experimental results from a laboratory prototype are presented.
α‐β Sialon Ceramics Made from Different Silicon Nitride Powders

Etude du frittage d'une ceramique de sialon α-β a partir de cinq poudres differentes de Si 3 N 4 , les parametres variant etant la teneur en silicium «libre», la teneur en fer, le rapport α/β et la grosseur de grain
Composite Plasmon Resonant Nanowires

We present an experimental study of the polarization-dependent scattering of light from homogeneous and multisegment silver, gold, and nickel nanowires. The metallic nanowires are prepared within a polycarbonate membrane template by a combination of electroplating (gold and nickel) and electroless (silver) growth processes. The size range of the nanowire segments is such that surface plasmon resonances are supported, dominating the optical spectra. We characterize the light scattering properties of individual composite nanowires using an optical microscope configured for single particle spectroscopy. Because of the scattering efficiency associated with the plasmon resonance, very narrow (∼30 nm diameter) nanowires can be readily observed under white-light illumination, with the spectral characteristics of each subsection easily distinguishable. Because of their compactness, these simply prepared multiisegment plasmon resonant nanowires are capable of hosting a large number of segment sequences over a comp.
Mechanical unfolding studies of protein molecules

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) enables the pick up of a single protein molecule to apply a mechanical force. This technique, called “force spectroscopy,” provides unique information about the intermediates and free energy landscape of the mechanical unfolding of proteins. In this review, we introduce the AFM-based single molecule force spectroscopy of proteins and describe recent studies that answer some fundamental questions such as “is the mechanical resistance of proteins isotropic? ”, “what is the structure of the transition state in mechanical unfolding? ”, and “is mechanical unfolding related to biological functions? ”
User-Transparent Scheduling of Structured Parallel Applications in Grid Environments

Abstract The problem of scheduling parallel applications on Grids is notoriously difcult: schedulers must consider theheterogeneity of involved resources and management systems, and they often require the users to provide informationabout the expected application behavior. We suggest that increasingly popular structured programming approaches,using components with well-dened semantics, facilitate a more efcient and user-transparent scheduling. We illus-trate our approach to scheduling using HOCs (Higher-Order Components) that capture typical patterns of parallelism(Farm-HOC, Pipeline-HOC, etc.) and come as Web Services with pre-packaged implementation and middlewaresetup. We take a particular Grid scheduler, KOALA, and enhance it for Grid applications built of HOCs: we proposeand implement a novel scheduling algorithm that optimizes communications in such structured applications. We re-port experimental results of running our scheduler on the DAS-2 Grid testbed combining over 200 nodes at ve sitesin the Netherlands.
Generating transition probabilities to support model‐based software testing

Markov chain usage models support test planning, test automation, and analysis of test results. In practice, transition probabilities for Markov chain usage models are often specified using a cycle of assigning, verifying, and revising specific values for individual transition probabilities. For large systems, such an approach can be difficult for a variety of reasons. We describe an improved approach that represents transition probabilities by explicitly preserving the information concerning test objectives and the relationships between transition probabilities in a format that is easy to maintain and easy to analyze. Using mathematical programming, transition probabilities are automatically generated to satisfy test management objectives and constraints. A more mathematical treatment of this approach is given in References [1] (Poore JH, Walton GH, Whittaker JA. A constraint‐based approach to the representation of software usage models. Information and SoftwareTechnology 2000; at press) and [2] (Walton GH. Generating transition probabilities for Markov chain usage models. PhD Thesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, May 1995.). In contrast, this paper is targeted at the software engineering practitioner, software development manager, and test manager. This paper also adds to the published literature on Markov chain usage modeling and model‐based testing by describing and illustrating an iterative process for usage model development and optimization and by providing some recommendations for embedding model‐based testing activities within an incremental development process. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.