Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Suppression of Hepatitis C Virus Genome Replication and Particle Production by a Novel Diacylglycerol Acyltransferases Inhibitor

Diacylglycerol acyltransferases (DGATs) play a critical role in the biosynthesis of endogenous triglycerides (TGs) and formation of lipid droplets (LDs) in the liver. In particular, one member of DGATs, DGAT-1 was reported to be an essential host factor for the efficient production of hepatitis C virus (HCV) particles. By utilizing our previously characterized three different groups of twelve DGAT inhibitors, we found that one of the DGAT inhibitors, a 2-((4-adamantylphenoxy) methyl)-N-(furan-2-ylmethyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazole-5-carboxam (10j) is a potent suppressor of both HCV genome replication and particle production. 10j was able to induce inhibition of these two critical viral functions in a mutually separate manner. Abrogation of the viral genome replication by 10j led to a significant reduction in the viral protein expression as well. Interestingly, we found that its antiviral effect did not depend on the reduction of TG biosynthesis by 10j. This suggests that the inhibitory activity of 10j against DGATs may not be directly related with its antiviral action.
Identification of Cucumber mosaic resistance 2 (cmr2) That Confers Resistance to a New Cucumber mosaic virus Isolate P1 (CMV-P1) in Pepper (Capsicum spp.)

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) is one of the most devastating phytopathogens of Capsicum. The single dominant resistance gene, Cucumber mosaic resistant 1 (Cmr1), that confers resistance to the CMV isolate P0 has been overcome by a new isolate (CMV-P1) after being deployed in pepper (Capsicum annuum) breeding for over 20 years. A recently identified Indian C. annuum cultivar, “Lam32,” displays resistance to CMV-P1. In this study, we show that the resistance in “Lam32” is controlled by a single recessive gene, CMV resistance gene 2 (cmr2). We found that cmr2 conferred resistance to CMV strains including CMV-Korean, CMV-Fny, and CMV-P1, indicating that cmr2 provides a broad-spectrum type of resistance. We utilized two molecular mapping approaches to determine the chromosomal location of cmr2. Bulked segregant analysis (BSA) using amplified fragment-length polymorphism (AFLP) (BSA-AFLP) revealed one marker, cmvAFLP, located 16 cM from cmr2. BSA using the Affymetrix pepper array (BSA-Affy) identified a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker (Affy4) located 2.3 cM from cmr2 on chromosome 8. We further screened a pepper germplasm collection of 4,197 accessions for additional CMV-P1 resistance sources and found that some accessions contained equivalent levels of resistance to that of “Lam32. ” Inheritance and allelism tests demonstrated that all the resistance sources examined contained cmr2. Our result thus provide genetic and molecular evidence that cmr2 is a single recessive gene that confers to pepper an unprecedented resistance to the dangerous new isolate CMV-P1 that had overcome Cmr1.
The prognostic value of long noncoding RNA MEG3 expression in the survival of patients with cancer: A meta‐analysis

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in carcinogenesis and cancer progression. lncRNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) is a tumor suppressor that is downregulated in several cancers. However, its prognostic value in human malignancies remains controversial. We have therefore undertaken a meta‐analysis to explore the relationship between cancer survival and the expression of lncRNA MEG3. A systematic literature search identified 13 potentially eligible investigations comprising 1733 patients in nine different cancer types. In the pooled analysis, a low expression of MEG3 was associated with low overall survival (OS) in patients with cancer having a combined hazard ratio (HR) of 0.830 (HR = 0.83; 95% CI: 0.70‐0.98; p = 0.03; random effect model). However, subgroup analysis according to cancer type revealed that MEG3 expression was not associated with better OS in gastrointestinal cancer (HR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.33‐1.03; p = 0.06), and patients with breast cancer (HR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.12‐5.88; p = 0.87). In conclusion, our results demonstrate that only in the pooled analysis, there was a significant relationship between MEG3 expression and cancer survival. Further investigation of other molecular biomarkers involved in tumorigenesis‐related pathways is necessary.
Modeling and Integration of a Lithium-Ion Battery Energy Storage System With the More Electric Aircraft 270 V DC Power Distribution Architecture

With an aim to decrease pollution level due to aviation transportation sector, aircraft industries are focusing on more electric aircraft (MEA). The design of MEA is made with an aim to reduce the CO2 emission, noise pollution, increased comfort level for the passengers, and so on. In this paper, a detailed study of the evolution of the MEA along with the load profile for electrical load is presented. Based on the requirements of the electrical load, a high-energy-density lithium-ion “Li iron phosphate” battery is selected, designed, and modeled. The modeling is based on the modified Shepherd curve-fitting model with the addition of the voltage polarization term to have a lower complexity and more proximity with the real battery profile. The phase shifted high power bidirectional dc–dc (PSHPBD) converter is used in the battery energy storage system (BESS) as a battery charger. The modeled Li-ion battery is integrated to the 270- $\text{V}_{dc}$ MEA power distribution bus using the optimal harmonic number-based harmonic model of the PSHPBD converter. Since BESS has to provide the transient loads, the fast dynamic response is required for the PSHPBD converter working as the charger in the BESS. A predicted peak current-based fast response control technique is proposed in this paper for the integration of the BESS with an MEA power system architecture. The proposed control structure provides a maximum limit on the coupled inductor current to the predicted peak current value as well as it gives fast transient response desired in the MEA system.
When is a Tree Really a Truck? Exploring Mental Models of Encryption

Mental models are a driving force in the way users interact with systems, and thus have important implications for de-sign. This is especially true for encryption because the cost of mistakes can be disastrous. Nevertheless, until now, mental models of encryption have only been tangentially explored as part of more broadly focused studies. In this work, we present the ﬁrst directed eﬀort at exploring user perceptions of encryption: both mental models of what encryption is and how it works as well as views on its role in everyday life. We performed 19 semi-structured phone interviews with participants across the United States, using both standard interview techniques and a diagramming exercise where participants visually demonstrated their perception of the encryption process. We identiﬁed four mental models of encryption which, though varying in detail and complexity, ultimately reduce to a functional abstraction of restrictive access control and naturally coincide with a model of symmetric encryption. Additionally, we ﬁnd the impersonal use of encryption to be an important part of participants’ models of security, with a widespread belief that encryption is frequently employed by service providers to encrypt data at rest. In contrast, the personal use of encryption is viewed as reserved for illicit or immoral activity, or for the paranoid.
Design of a System to Measure Spatial Sound Localization Abilities

Hearing ability declines with age. Specifically, it has been shown that sound localization ability becomes increasingly unreliable. This paper describes the design of a system that simulates spatial sound sources to be presented to the user via headphones. Simulation of spatial sound sources are calculated using four increasingly complex methods; (1) Phase adjustment simulation, (2) Amplitude adjustment simulation, (3) Amplitude + Phase adjustment simulation, and (4) Head Related Transfer Function (HRTF) adjustment simulation. The preliminary validation experiment is presented in order to evaluate if the system’s simulated sources presented via noise cancelling headphones is comparable to previous work using simulated sources presented via a loudspeaker array surrounding the user. Eight participants were asked to report the perceived direction of the source for each simulation method. Overall the amplitude simulation performed the best (47.5% accuracy within a ±30° window), however a high accuracy is not needed for these simulation methods to be relevant. Implementing these methods to differentiate between population groups is the main goal. A secondary repeatability experiment was done using the amplitude simulation, which suggests that the method is suitable give the ±30° window constraint. Future implementations are proposed to evaluate if the user interface and accompanying user feedback is able to identify older adults from younger adults. This may lead to a measure of decreasing hearing abilities associated the aging process.
Phase-transition–induced p-n junction in single halide perovskite nanowire

Significance Functional semiconductor heterojunctions are fundamental units for building up advanced optoelectronics and circuits. Halide perovskites, representing a new class of semiconductors with soft and reconfigurable ionic bonding, hold promise for a variety of applications because of their many unusual, tunable physical properties. This paper reports the formation of the current-rectifying p-n heterojunction in single-crystalline CsSnI3 nanowires via localized phase transition between the n-type yellow and p-type black phases. We attribute the distinction of majority carrier types in these two phases to the different formation energies of the cation and anion vacancies. The present approach to heterojunction formation could inspire deeper understanding of phase-transition dynamics and enable precise control over the design of functional heterostructures using halide perovskite building blocks. Semiconductor p-n junctions are fundamental building blocks for modern optical and electronic devices. The p- and n-type regions are typically created by chemical doping process. Here we show that in the new class of halide perovskite semiconductors, the p-n junctions can be readily induced through a localized thermal-driven phase transition. We demonstrate this p-n junction formation in a single-crystalline halide perovskite CsSnI3 nanowire (NW). This material undergoes a phase transition from a double-chain yellow (Y) phase to an orthorhombic black (B) phase. The formation energies of the cation and anion vacancies in these two phases are significantly different, which leads to n- and p- type electrical characteristics for Y and B phases, respectively. Interface formation between these two phases and directional interface propagation within a single NW are directly observed under cathodoluminescence (CL) microscopy. Current rectification is demonstrated for the p-n junction formed with this localized thermal-driven phase transition.
Security between Dehumidify Dryers and a Monitoring Server in Plastic Manufacturing Control

When moisture over an allowable range is included in material during the plastic manufacturing process, a defective product might be produced, hence management of the dehumidifying dryer process is needed. Therefore, to maintain the material’s optimal humidity, a dehumidify dryer measures data in real time and transfers the data to a server; based on the measurement results, it suggests a smart factory model for appropriate control. However, even if the data is accurately measured, if its integrity and confidentiality are not maintained during the transfer process, control data sent to a dehumidify dryer can cause unintended malfunctions. Therefore, this study suggests an overall encryption mechanism that can maintain the integrity and confidentiality of data at the same time during the transfer process. We confirmed through an experiment with this mechanism that when data is damaged or altered during a transfer process, a person can check this. We expect that the method suggested in this paper will help the productivity of the plastic manufacturing process to increase and defective product rate to decrease.
The Role of Vitamin E in Preventing and Treating Osteoarthritis – A Review of the Current Evidence

Osteoarthritis is a debilitating disease of the joint involving cartilage degeneration and chondrocytes apoptosis. Oxidative stress is one of the many proposed mechanisms underpinning joint degeneration in osteoarthritis. The current pharmacotherapies emphasize pain and symptomatic management of the patients but do not alter the biological processes underlying the cartilage degeneration. Vitamin E is a potential agent to prevent or treat osteoarthritis due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. This review aims to summarize the current evidence on the relationship between vitamin E and osteoarthritis derived from preclinical and human studies. Cellular studies showed that vitamin E mitigated oxidative stress in cartilage explants or chondrocyte culture invoked by mechanical stress or free radicals. Animal studies suggested that vitamin E treatment prevented cartilage degeneration and improve oxidative status in animal models of osteoarthritis. Low circulating or synovial vitamin E was observed in human osteoarthritic patients compared to healthy controls. Observational studies also demonstrated that vitamin E was related to induction or progression of osteoarthritis in the general population. Vitamin E supplementation might improve the outcomes in patients with osteoarthritis, but negative results were also reported. Different isomers of vitamin E might possess distinct anti-osteoarthritic effects. As a conclusion, vitamin E may retard the progression of osteoarthritis by ameliorating oxidative stress and inflammation of the joint. Further studies are warranted to develop vitamin E as an anti-osteoarthritis agent to reduce the global burden of this disease.
Structural and Functional Alterations in the Microbial Community and Immunological Consequences in a Mouse Model of Antibiotic-Induced Dysbiosis

The aim of this study was to establish continuous therapeutic-dose ampicillin (CTDA)-induced dysbiosis in a mouse model, mimicking typical adult exposure, with a view to using this to assess its impact on gut microbiota, intestinal metabolites and host immune responses. Mice were exposed to ampicillin for 14 days and antibiotic-induced dysbiosis was evaluated by alteration of microbiota and gut permeability. The cecal index was increased in the CTDA group, and the gut permeability indicated by fluorescent dextran, endotoxin and D-Lactate in the serum was significantly increased after antibiotic use. The tight-junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin in the colon were reduced to half the control level in CTDA. We found that alpha-diversity was significantly decreased in mice receiving CTDA, and microbial community structure was altered compared with the control. Key taxa were identified as CTDA-specific, and the relative abundance of Enterococcus and Klebsiella was particularly enriched while Lachnospiraceae, Coprobacillus and Dorea were depleted after antibiotic treatment. In particular, a significant increase in succinate and a reduction in butyrate was detected in CTDA mice, and the triggering of NF-κB enhancement reflected that the host immune response was influenced by ampicillin use. The observed perturbation of the microbiota was accompanied by modulation of inflammatory state; this included increase in interferon-γ and RegIIIγ, and a decrease in secretory IgA in the colon mucosa. This study allowed us to identify the key taxa associated with an ampicillin-induced state of dysbiosis in mice and to characterize the microbial communities via molecular profiling. Thus, this work describes the bacterial ecology of antibiotic exposure model in combination with host physiological characteristics at a detailed level of microbial taxa.
Real-Time Visualization of Urban Flood Simulation Data for Non-Professionals

Perception and understanding of risk in predictive ﬂood simulation data is a key factor in ﬂood risk management. However, scientiﬁc visualizations are often hard to grasp for non-professionals. We present a visualization tool for interactive, realistic ﬂood water rendering, incorporating a variety of optical effects. Our implementation is based on state-of-the-art algorithms of interactive computer graphics using animated texture coordinates. The ﬂood simulation data contains water depth level and a ﬂow ﬁeld. Together with terrain elevation and buildings our tool allows for natural understanding of the data. We maintain interactive frame rates on standard desktop computers. Our results were judged useful by average citizens and political decision makers. Categories and Subject Descriptors (according to ACM CCS) : I.3. 7 [Computer Graphics]: Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism—Color, shading, shadowing, and texture I.3. 8 [Computer Graphics]: Applications—Flood visualization
Development of novel EST‐SSR markers for Rhododendron longipedicellatum (Ericaceae) and cross‐amplification in two congeners

Premise of the Study To investigate the genetic background and population characteristics of Rhododendron longipedicellatum (Ericaceae), a newly discovered and critically endangered species, expressed sequence tag–simple sequence repeat markers were developed, and transferability was tested in two congeners, R. molle and R. simsii. Methods and Results Based on the transcriptome sequences of R. longipedicellatum, 102 primer sets were designed; 48 primer sets were successfully amplified, with 15 showing polymorphisms in 150 individuals from five extant populations of R. longipedicellatum. The number of alleles per locus ranged from four to 18, and the levels of observed and expected heterozygosity for the 15 loci varied from 0.255 to 0.913 and from 0.306 to 0.851, respectively. All 15 loci were found to amplify in R. molle and R. simsii. Conclusions These polymorphic SSR markers can be used in conservation genetic and phylogeographic studies to elucidate the rarity and origin of R. longipedicellatum.
Total-Ionizing-Dose Effects on Al/SiO2 Bimorph Electrothermal Microscanners

Total-ionizing-dose effects on electrothermal micro- scanners are investigated using 10-keV X-rays and 14.3-MeV oxygen ions. The corresponding changes in mechanical displacement are measured using an optical microscope. Applied dc voltage and/or radiation-induced charging lead to changes in the vertical position and resistance of the structures. Radiation-induced changes in the vertical position and resistance and postirradiation recovery or superrecovery of these quantities are sensitive to dc biases applied during and/or after irradiation. Simple electrostatic and computational models are qualitatively consistent with observed trends in device response.
Hand movement parameters calculated by the LEAP based Virtual Glove

Hand rehabilitation therapy is fundamental in the recovery process for patients suffering from post-stroke or postsurgery impairments. Beside traditional approaches, that require the presence of therapist during the sessions (with high costs and subjective measurements), alternative approaches can be employed. A novel multi-sensor approach, the Virtual Glove (VG), is based on the simultaneous use of two LEAP motion controllers to track the hand motion and to reconstruct a numerical hand model in real time. In this paper, we illustrate how the VG can be used to calculate and represent graphically static and dynamic hand numerical parameters used to assess the Ranges Of Motion (ROM) of the hand articulations, which are the basis for objective evaluation of a rehabilitation task.
An exploration of the relationships between work tasks and users' interaction performance

This paper reports a study on the relationships between work tasks and users' performance when they interact with information systems, that is, interaction performance. An experiment with 24 participants was conducted to explore the issue. The participants were asked to search for useful information to support the completion of six simulated work task situations from operational information systems. Users' interaction performance is measured based on users' search effectiveness and efficiency. The results indicate: 1) Work tasks and time sufficiency for the search dramatically affect users' interaction performance. 2) Information sufficiency affects users' perception of their interaction performance. 3) The two facet of work tasks, i.e. product and objective work task complexity, significantly and interactively affect users' interaction performance to different degrees. 4) In contrast to product, objective work task complexity is more influential on users' interaction performance. 5) In addition, the study identifies some indicators of work task characteristics, for example, the number of items users select to support their work tasks and the search time they spend in locating useful information for a work task. The results shed light on the role of work task in information search and retrieval. The findings help improve interactive information systems design and personalization of information retrieval.
SAVE - SPACE ALTERNATING VARIATIONAL ESTIMATION FOR SPARSE BAYESIAN LEARNING

In this paper, we address the fundamental problem of sparse signal recovery in a Bayesian framework. The computational complexity associated with Sparse Bayesian Learning (SBL) renders it infeasible even for moderately large problem sizes. To address this issue, we propose a fast version of SBL using Variational Bayesian (VB) inference. VB allows one to obtain analytical approximations to the posterior distributions of interest even when exact inference of these distributions is intractable. We propose a novel fast algorithm called space alternating variational estimation (SAVE), which is a version of VB(-SBL) pushed to the scalar level. Similarly as for SAGE (space-alternating generalized expectation maximization) compared to EM, the component-wise approach of SAVE compared to SBL renders it less likely to get stuck in bad local optima and its inherent damping (more cautious progression) also leads to typically faster convergence of the non-convex optimization process. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm has a faster convergence rate and achieves lower MSE than other state of the art fast SBL methods.
Further Spread of a blaKPC-Harboring Untypeable Plasmid in Enterobacteriaceae in China

The wide spread of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing Enterobacteriaceae is great threat to public health in China. Plasmids are among the major factors mediating blaKPC gene dissemination. A total of 156 carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) isolates were identified in a tertiary hospital in China. Six KPC-producing isolates, namely, E. coli (n = 2), E. asburiae (n = 1), C. freundii (n = 1), C. portucalensis (n = 1), and C. koseri (n = 1), tested positive for the pCKPC18-1-like untypeable plasmid, which was described recently in C. freundii. All 6 plasmids could be easily transferred into E. coli by chemical transformation or conjugation and were confirmed by sequencing to harbor blaKPC−2. Multilocus PCRs and EcoRI-RFLP revealed that the 6 untypeable plasmids belonged to 2 isoforms. High-throughput sequencing of representative plasmids (pCP40 and pEC86) led to the identification of 2 plasmids that shared the common backbone genes repA, DnaJ, StpA, and yafB, which were characteristic of the untypeable plasmid, and had similar blaKPC−2 genetic contexts of the Tn3-Tn4401 chimera. Nucleotide comparison revealed high sequence identity of the 2 plasmids with previously reported blaKPC−2-carrying untypeable plasmids. In particular, the pCP40 plasmid from C. portucalensis and the pHS062105-3 plasmid from K. pneumoniae differed by only 20 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a blaKPC-harboring untypeable plasmid spread into E. coli, E. asburiae, and C. koseri strains in China.