Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Caulobacter chromosome in vivo configuration matches model predictions for a supercoiled polymer in a cell-like confinement

We measured the distance between fluorescent-labeled DNA loci of various interloci contour lengths in Caulobacter crescentus swarmer cells to determine the in vivo configuration of the chromosome. For DNA segments less than about 300 kb, the mean interloci distances, 〈r〉, scale as n0.22, where n is the contour length, and cell-to-cell distribution of the interloci distance r is a universal function of r/n0.22 with broad cell-to-cell variability. For DNA segments greater than about 300 kb, the mean interloci distances scale as n, in agreement with previous observations. The 0.22 value of the scaling exponent for short DNA segments is consistent with theoretical predictions for a branched DNA polymer structure. Predictions from Brownian dynamics simulations of the packing of supercoiled DNA polymers in an elongated cell-like confinement are also consistent with a branched DNA structure, and simulated interloci distance distributions predict that confinement leads to “freezing” of the supercoiled configuration. Lateral positions of labeled loci at comparable positions along the length of the cell are strongly correlated when the longitudinal locus positions differ by <0.16 μm. We conclude that the chromosome structure is supercoiled locally and elongated at large length scales and that substantial cell-to-cell variability in the interloci distances indicates that in vivo crowding prevents the chromosome from reaching an equilibrium arrangement. We suggest that the force causing rapid transport of loci remote from the parS centromere to the distal cell pole may arise from the release at the polar region of potential energy within the supercoiled DNA.
Context-Based Defading of Archive Photographs

We present an algorithm for the enhancement of contrast in digitized archive photographic prints. It aims at producing an adaptive enhancement based on the local context of each pixel and is able to operate without direct user's intervention. A relation between the variation of contrast at different resolutions and the local Lipschitz regularity of the image is exploited. In this way, each pixel is defaded according to its nature: noise, edge, or smooth region. This strategy provides for an algorithm that drastically reduces typical, annoying artifacts like halo effects and noise amplification.
FMCW Radar Range Performance Improvement With Modified Adaptive Sampling Method

The nonlinear frequency sweep in frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar systems is analyzed. The main lobe broadens with the fast Fourier transform in the presence of distortion, which makes it difficult to resolve closely spaced targets. A novel modified-adaptive-sampling method is presented. To demonstrate the validity of the presented technique, a computer simulation was conducted, and the results show a marked improvement in the shape of the spectrum and the range resolution.
LIPOPROTEIN-ASSOCIATED PHOSPHOLIPASE A 2 : EFFECTS OF LOW DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN APHERESIS

In addition to hypercholesterolemia, chronic arterial inflammation has been shown to be strongly associated with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD) [1]. The accumulation and oxidation of LDL within the intima trigger inflammatory processes within the vessel wall. Certain markers of inflammation, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L), oxidized LDL, and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) have emerged as novel and potentially useful markers in identifying patients with an increased risk of CVD. These inflammatory markers not only predict the long-term risk of CVD but recently have been added to the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) risk score for enhanced risk stratification in the setting of acute coronary syndrome. Therapies that specifically target such inflammatory markers may help to reduce the inflammatory response, stabilize atherosclerotic plaques, and optimize the treatment options for patients at high risk of CVD.
How does A Firms Choice of Hierarchy Versus Platform Mode of Governance Affect Knowledge Worker Behaviors around Knowledge Creation, Profit Sharing, and Quitting?

Firms seek to: (1) motivate employees to create knowledge, (2) minimize employees profit sharing claims over knowledge so that the firm can appropriate the profits, and (3) attract and retain employees. Hierarchical mode of firm governance faces challenges in achieving these goals simultaneously. We examine how the new platform mode of firm governance addresses these goals relative to hierarchy. In an experiment and a field survey with professional software developers, we find that, relative to hierarchy, platform increases developers behaviors around: (i) knowledge creation; (ii) profit sharing claims; and (iii) quitting the firm. Governance mode choice (hierarchy versus platform) also affects territoriality of developers around the apps they develop, and territoriality mediates the relationships between governance mode and knowledge creation, profit sharing, and quitting behaviors.
Whose Benefit is it Anyway? Public Expectations of Public Benefits from Health Informatics Research

IntroductionPublic benefits serve as a key justification for secondary uses of data in health research. Yet, while it is known that assurances of public benefits are vital for ongoing public support, there is a lack of clarity regarding what constitutes a public benefit. Objectives and ApproachOur research aimed to understand public expectations regarding “public benefits” from health informatics research. In May and June 2017 three full-day deliberative workshops were held with members of the public across Scotland (between 20 and 25 participants per workshop). Participants were selected through quota sampling to represent key demographic characteristics. Workshops were structured around brief introductory presentations, videos in which data scientists presented the ways in which their research was anticipated to lead to public benefits, small group discussions, plenary discussions and activities. ResultsWorkshop participants generally conceptualised “the public” as being “everyone” and had an inclusive view of this often taking an international or global perspective. This led to preferences for research to benefit the widest possible public, however participants also discussed the potential for benefits to be focussed at vulnerable or disadvantaged groups. There were wide-ranging views on what would constitute a “benefit” and participants generally acknowledged the value in keeping this loosely defined. A key theme to emerge was that, while some research might benefit particular individuals or groups more than others, the benefits should be societal benefits. In discussing the various data science projects presented, it was considered important that research had mechanisms in place in order to realise the benefits it was aiming for. Conclusion/ImplicationsPerceived public benefits are crucial for maintaining public support for health informatics research. Our workshops found that there is value in keeping "public benefits" as a broad, loosely defined term. Nevertheless, across each of the workshops the discussions suggested that research should benefit society as widely and fully as possible.
Dual-Task-Related Gait Changes in

Background: Changes in gait patterns due to a simultaneously performed cognitive task have been reported previously and associated with an increased falling risk among older adults. Little is known whether the type of cognitive task performed while walking is important concerning possible gait interference in older fall-prone individuals. Objective: To quantify and compare the effects of two different cognitive tasks on gait in transitionally frail older adults. Measurements: Gait was tested in 30 transitionally frail older adults (mean age 82.6 ± 7.1 years, 90% female) while either walking alone, performing a simple arithmetic task, or performing a task of verbal fluency. Walking time in seconds, number of steps, frequency of lateral line stepping-over, and stops were recorded. Health status was assessed using standard instruments of geriatric assessment. The classification of Speechley and Tinetti was used to define the participants’ degree of frailty. Results: Walking time and number of steps increased significantly under both dual-task conditions compared to walking alone (p < 0.001) without reaching a significant difference between the two dual-task conditions (respectively, p = 0.131 and p = 0.407), whereas lateral gait instability (frequency of lateral line stepping-over) increased significantly in association with counting backward (p = 0.006) but not with the verbal fluency task (p = 1). Conclusion: Among the studied sample of transitional older adults, a walking- associated arithmetic task significantly interfered with lateral gait stability, whereas no lateral gait deviations were seen in association with a verbal fluency task. We, therefore, suggest that the choice of the attention-splitting task in dual-task gait assessment among older adults must be made carefully.
Lamellar Body Phospholipid Content of Amniotic Fluid: A Possible Index of Fetal Lung Maturity

Lamellar bodies, produced by secretory cells in the alveolar epithelium, are the major source of surfactant phospholipid. As the fetal lung matures, the membranous content of the lamellar bodies is secreted into the alveolar spaces and passes into the amniotic fluid, from which it can be isolated in a morphologically recognisable form. A method is described for the rapid isolation of a lamellar body fraction from amniotic fluid using a small air-driven clinical ultracentrifuge. The lamellar body phospholipid content of amniotic fluid increases towards the end of gestation, but the time of onset and the rate of this increase show wide individual variation. Preliminary results suggest that the lamellar body phospholipid content of amniotic fluid may be a useful index of fetal lung maturity.
Worldwide Genetic Relationships among Francisella tularensis Isolates Determined by Multiple-Locus Variable-Number Tandem Repeat Analysis

ABSTRACT The intracellular bacterium Francisella tularensis is the causative agent of tularemia and poses a serious threat as an agent of bioterrorism. We have developed a highly effective molecular subtyping system from 25 variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) loci. In our study, multiple-locus VNTR analysis (MLVA) was used to analyze genetic relationships and potential population structure within a global collection of 192 F. tularensis isolates, including representatives from each of the four subspecies. The VNTR loci displayed between 2 and 31 alleles with Nei's diversity values between 0.05 and 0.95. Neighbor-joining cluster analysis of VNTR data revealed 120 genotypes among the 192 F. tularensis isolates, including accurate subspecies identification. F. tularensis subsp. tularensis (type A) isolates showed great diversity at VNTR loci, while F. tularensis subsp. holarctica (type B) isolates showed much lower levels despite a much broader geographical prevalence. The resolution of two distinct clades within F. tularensis subsp. tularensis (designated A.I and A.II) revealed a previously unrecognized genetic division within this highly virulent subspecies. F. tularensis subsp. holarctica appears to have recently spread globally across continents from a single origin, while F. tularensis subsp. tularensis has a long and complex evolutionary history almost exclusively in North America. The sole non-North American type A isolates (Slovakian) were closely related to the SCHU S4 strain. Significant linkage disequilibrium was detected among VNTR loci of F. tularensis consistent with a clonal population structure. Overall, this work greatly augments the study of tularemia ecology and epidemiology, while providing a framework for future forensic analysis of F. tularensis isolates.
Amplificateur de puissance en classe commutée pour application dans un émetteur multiradio à haut rendement

Cette these porte sur la conception d’un amplificateur de puissance a haut rendement entrant dans une architecture d’emission pour des terminaux mobiles multi-radio fonctionnant dans la bande de frequences 800MHz – 6 GHz. Une architecture polaire avec codeur d’enveloppe ΣΔ a ete validee, pour un fonctionnement multiradio, avec un signal test respectant la norme actuellement la plus contraignante, WiMAX mobile – IEEE 802.16e. Cette validation montre la pertinence, du fait de la nature invariante en amplitude du signal issu de l’architecture, d’avoir recours a un amplificateur a haut rendement en classe commutee. Une topologie novatrice d’amplificateur de puissance (PA) a ete developpee pour la conception et la fabrication de ce circuit. Le procede de realisation du PA en technologie ST CMOS SOI 130 nm est detaille et les simulations sont validees par une caracterisation complete du PA a l’aide de mesures frequentielles et temporelles. Mesure avec un signal sinusoidal a la frequence de 3,3 GHz, le PA permet d’obtenir une puissance de sortie de +23 dBm avec un rendement en puissance ajoutee de 61% et un gain en puissance de 14 dB. Concu et realise en technologie compatible CMOS, ce PA permet d’envisager une solution type SoC pour l’ensemble de l’architecture
A Survey on Repair Change Notification database

: Each machine parts that go under repair are advised to the supplier for additional repair or substitution purposes. The supplier should not roll out any improvements to their items or procedures without earlier composed assent and endorsement. The supplier might have a formally recorded change management framework, confirms and approves change proposition before execution. In the event that a change is affirmed, the supplier might guarantee that all related reports and records are refreshed to formally send the change inside their association. The parts under steady repair are distinguished by the engineering production. This whole procedure happens by means of email. Our fundamental thought is to give a solitary combined automated perspective of Repair Change Notification procedure to the repair service and engineering production. In the proposed framework, the manual interaction with the other team will be diminished. The precision rate of information being entered is high since we have computerized the tracking and approval process.
Allopolyploidization-accommodated genomic sequence changes in triticale.

BACKGROUND Allopolyploidization is one of the major evolutionary modes of plant speciation. Recent interest in studying allopolyploids has provided significant novel insights into the mechanisms of allopolyploid formation. Compelling evidence indicates that genetic and/or epigenetic changes have played significant roles in shaping allopolyploids, but rates and modes of the changes can be very different among various species. Triticale (x Triticosecale) is an artificial species that has been used to study the evolutionary course of complex allopolyploids due to its recent origin and availability of a highly diversified germplasm pool. Scope This review summarizes recent genomics studies implemented in hexaploid and octoploid triticales and discusses the mechanisms of the changes and compares the major differences between genomic changes in triticale and other allopolyploid species. CONCLUSIONS Molecular studies have indicated extensive non-additive sequence changes or modifications in triticale, and the degree of variation appears to be higher than in other allopolyploid species. The data indicate that at least some sequence changes are non-random, and appear to be a function of genome relations, ploidy levels and sequence types. Specifically, the rye parental genome demonstrated a higher level of changes than the wheat genome. The frequency of lost parental bands was much higher than the frequency of gained novel bands, suggesting that sequence modification and/or elimination might be a major force causing genome variation in triticale. It was also shown that 68 % of the total changes occurred immediately following wide hybridization, but before chromosome doubling. Genome evolution following chromosome doubling occurred more slowly at a very low rate and the changes were mainly observed in the first five or so generations. The data suggest that cytoplasm and relationships between parental genomes are key factors in determining the direction, amount, timing and rate of genomic sequence variation that occurred during inter-generic allopolyploidization in this system.
Activation or frustration of anti-tumor responses by T-cell-based immune modulation.

Many types of tumors (e.g. virus-induced tumors, melanomas, tumors over-expressing certain oncogenes) often express antigens that can induce T-cell-mediated tumor-specific immune responses. Nonetheless, many such tumors manage to circumvent the induction of an effective anti-tumor T-cell response, as is apparent from the many tumor-bearing patients. Therefore, optimally designed vaccination protocols may evoke a more powerful and competent T-cell-mediated anti-tumor response, allowing the host to effectively deal with at least some cancers. These vaccination approaches might include immunization with whole (tumor) cell-based vaccines, entire tumor antigens or selected T-cell epitopes derived from tumor antigens. This survey is an update of several anti-tumor vaccination approaches employed, and on novel possibilities to target the anti-tumor immune response to preselected tumor-derived T-cell epitopes.
A decentralized algorithm for Network Flow Optimization in mesh networks

In order to evaluate total throughput against given traffics in an entire network, we formulate a minimum cost flow problem with quadratic edge functions, which we call Network Flow Optimization (NFO) problem in this paper. The problem with quadratic flow costs has been proved to be NP-complete. However, by dividing a network into a set of loops that represents a linear vector space, the problem can efficiently be solved. The theory that deals with the nature of loops of a graph is called tie-set graph theory where a tie-set represents a set of edges that constitute a loop. The theory of tie-sets has played a significant role in solving core problems in the domain of circuits and power systems as in applications of Kirchhoff's theory. Therefore, we propose a novel decentralized algorithm based on tie-set graph theory to optimize network flows in a mesh network. Global optimization can be achieved by iterative distributed computation where flows within a loop are locally optimized. Simulation results demonstrate the optimal allocation of network flows and show the superiority over the multi-path routing method.
PTP1B: A simple enzyme for a complex world

Abstract Our understanding of the fundamental regulatory roles that tyrosine phosphatases play within cells has advanced significantly in the last two decades. Out-dated ideas that tyrosine phosphatases acts solely as the “off” switch counterbalancing the action of tyrosine kinases has proved to be flawed. PTP1B is the most characterized of all the tyrosine phosphatases and it acts as a critical negative and positive regulator of numerous signaling cascades. PTP1B’s direct regulation of the insulin and the leptin receptors makes it an ideal therapeutic target for type II diabetes and obesity. Moreover, the last decade has also seen several reports establishing PTP1B as key player in cancer serving as both tumor suppressor and tumor promoter depending on the cellular context. Despite many key advances in these fields one largely ignored area is what role PTP1B may play in the modulation of immune signaling. The important recognition that PTP1B is a major negative regulator of Janus kinase – signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling throughout evolution places it as a key link between metabolic diseases and inflammation, as well as a unique regulator between immune response and cancer. This review looks at the emergence of PTP1B through evolution, and then explore at the cell and systemic levels how it is controlled physiologically. The second half of the review will focus on the role(s) PTP1B can play in disease and in particular its involvement in metabolic syndromes and cancer. Finally we will briefly examine several novel directions in the development of PTP1B pharmacological inhibitors.
Mapping Challenges of the Romanian NGOs. A Focus on Human Resources

Abstract The effectiveness of NGOs, similar to other types of organizations, depends on the quality and implication of their employees and volunteers. The literature highlights the role of learning capabilities, organizational learning, networking and community capacity building in ensuring organizational sustainable development in the NGO sector. In this framework, professional human resources should be an important part of the management strategy. Continuous and personalized training would be also important for NGOs. The present paper presents a qualitative investigation aiming to map the training needs and practices of the NGO sector in Romania, both from the perspective of its representatives and its stakeholders. The findings show a general agreement and concern related to the professionalism of the workers in the sector, as well as related to the lack of explicit responsibility/the feeling of being accountable assumed by the members of the sector. The study also revealed a need for closer cooperation between the members of the Quadruple Helix.
Ontogeny of Peyer's patches and immunoglobulin-containing cells in pigs.

The embryonic development of intestinal lymphoid tissue and immunoglobulin-containing cells (µ-, γ- and light chain determinants) was examined in 55 porcine fetuses. Lymphoid cells in a characteristic follicular distribution were found in Peyer's patches as early as 50 days of gestation, but detection of Peyer's patches from 50 to beyond 70 days of gestation required microscopic examination of serial sections of the intestines. The size of the intestinal lymphoid follicles steadily increased during gestation, but cortico-medullary division was not observed until after birth. IgM-containing cells were first seen in 55-day spleens and were followed by IgG-containing cells in the thymus 10 to 15 days later. These observations are interpreted as support for the hypothesis that the lymphoid follicles in Peyer's patches are mammalian bursa-equivalent sites.