Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Protein kinase IKKβ-catalyzed phosphorylation of IRF5 at Ser462 induces its dimerization and nuclear translocation in myeloid cells

Significance NF-κB and IFN Regulatory Factor 5 (IRF5) are required for the transcription of many proinflammatory cytokines in myeloid cells. The protein kinase IKKβ is the major activator of NF-κB but how IRF5 is activated has been unclear. This paper demonstrates that IKKβ also activates IRF5 by catalyzing the phosphorylation of Ser462. The phosphorylation of this serine induces the dimerization of IRF5 and its translocation to the nucleus. The activation of the master transcription factors of the innate immune system by the same protein kinase provides a mechanism for the coordinated control of IRF5 and NF-κB in response to inflammatory stimuli. The siRNA knockdown of IFN Regulatory Factor 5 (IRF5) in the human plasmacytoid dendritic cell line Gen2.2 prevented IFNβ production induced by compound CL097, a ligand for Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7). CL097 also stimulated the phosphorylation of IRF5 at Ser462 and stimulated the nuclear translocation of wild-type IRF5, but not the IRF5[Ser462Ala] mutant. The CL097-stimulated phosphorylation of IRF5 at Ser462 and its nuclear translocation was prevented by the pharmacological inhibition of protein kinase IKKβ or the siRNA knockdown of IKKβ or its “upstream” activator, the protein kinase TAK1. Similar results were obtained in a murine macrophage cell line stimulated with the TLR7 agonist compound R848 or the nucleotide oligomerization domain 1 (NOD1) agonist KF-1B. IKKβ phosphorylated IRF5 at Ser462 in vitro and induced the dimerization of wild-type IRF5 but not the IRF5[S462A] mutant. These findings demonstrate that IKKβ activates two “master” transcription factors of the innate immune system, IRF5 and NF-κB.
Middleware for Internet of Things: A quantitative evaluation in small scale

Recently, there have been a large number of proposals for IoT middleware solutions. In addition, a few recent studies have surveyed and qualitatively evaluated these IoT middleware proposals against functional and non-functional features. A quantitative evaluation is also needed to complement these existing qualitative studies and provide a more in-depth perspective of the state of the art. This paper presents a quantitative evaluation of 4 representative proposals: OpenIoT, CHOReOS, LinkSmart and UBIWARE. The evaluation results, based on a small real-life scenario, show that research is needed in the area of autonomous and scalable service registration, discovery and composition, heterogeneity, and interoperability of IoT middlewares.
Polymorphism and exercise performance

The fields of molecular genetics and molecular biology are of increasing interest in medicine and science. The aim of this article is to describe the current status of genetics in sports, with a special focus on genetic polymorphisms and endurance performance. Results from twin studies suggested a high percentage of heritability for endurance performance and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). Data from large sample sizes of monozygotic and dizygotic twins showed heritability values up to 40% for adjusted VO2max values. Today we are able to use molecular markers to look for specific genes and their implications for phenotypes of interest. The first results for endurance-related phenotypes are available now. Till now we have evidence for association between different types of endurance measures and polymorphisms in the genes encoding the Angiotensin-Converting-Enzyme (ACE), the muscle type Creatine-Kinase (CKMM), and the alpha-2a-adrenoceptor (ADRA2A) gene. The scientific focus in the next years will mainly involve case-control studies and genome analysis with informative markers in known and unknown genes (regions) of interest.
Unique subcellular distribution of phosphorylated Plk1 (Ser137 and Thr210) in mouse oocytes during meiotic division and pPlk1Ser137 involvement in spindle formation and REC8 cleavage

Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) is pivotal for proper mitotic progression, its targeting activity is regulated by precise subcellular positioning and phosphorylation. Here we assessed the protein expression, subcellular localization and possible functions of phosphorylated Plk1 (pPlk1Ser137 and pPlk1Thr210) in mouse oocytes during meiotic division. Western blot analysis revealed a peptide of pPlk1Ser137 with high and stable expression from germinal vesicle (GV) until metaphase II (MII), while pPlk1Thr210 was detected as one large single band at GV stage and 2 small bands after germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), which maintained stable up to MII. Immunofluorescence analysis showed pPlk1Ser137 was colocalized with microtubule organizing center (MTOC) proteins, γ-tubulin and pericentrin, on spindle poles, concomitantly with persistent concentration at centromeres and dynamic aggregation between chromosome arms. Differently, pPlk1Thr210 was persistently distributed across the whole body of chromosomes after meiotic resumption. The specific Plk1 inhibitor, BI2536, repressed pPlk1Ser137 accumulation at MTOCs and between chromosome arms, consequently disturbed γ-tubulin and pericentrin recruiting to MTOCs, destroyed meiotic spindle formation, and delayed REC8 cleavage, therefore arresting oocytes at metaphase I (MI) with chromosome misalignment. BI2536 completely reversed the premature degradation of REC8 and precocious segregation of chromosomes induced with okadaic acid (OA), an inhibitor to protein phosphatase 2A. Additionally, the protein levels of pPlk1Ser137 and pPlk1Thr210, as well as the subcellular distribution of pPlk1Thr210, were not affected by BI2536. Taken together, our results demonstrate that Plk1 activity is required for meiotic spindle assembly and REC8 cleavage, with pPlk1Ser137 is the action executor, in mouse oocytes during meiotic division.
Coronavirus leader RNA regulates and initiates subgenomic mRNA transcription both in trans and in cis

Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), a coronavirus, utilizes a discontinuous transcription mechanism for subgenomic mRNA synthesis. Previous studies (C.-L. Liao and M. C. C. Lai, J. Virol. 68:4727-4737, 1994) have demonstrated that an upstream cis-acting leader sequence serves as a transcriptional enhancer, but the mechanism of transcriptional regulation is not clear. In this study, we constructed a series of defective interfering (DI) RNAs containing the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene behind a differentially expressed transcription initiation (intergenic) sequence (for mRNA2-1). These DI RNAs had different copy numbers of the UCUAA pentanucleotide sequence at the 3' end of the leader. Transfection of these DI RNA constructs into cells infected with a helper MHV, which contains either two or three UCUAA copies at the 3' end of the leader, resulted in differential expression of CAT activities. We demonstrated that the copy number of UCUAA repeats in the leaders of both helper viral and DI RNAs affected the level of CAT activity, suggesting that MHV leader RNA could regulate both in trans and in cis the transcription of subgenomic mRNAs. The leader RNA of subgenomic mRNAs was derived from either the trans- or the cis-acting leader. Furthermore, insertion of a UA-rich sequence (UUUAUAAAC) immediately downstream of the leader in DI RNA, to match the sequence of helper viral RNA, enhanced the CAT activity by threefold, suggesting that this nine-nucleotide sequence is a cis-acting element. Interestingly, when the nine-nucleotide sequence was absent in DI RNA, the leaders of subgenomic mRNAs were exclusively derived from the helper virus. In contrast, when the nine-nucleotide sequence was present in DI RNA, the leaders were derived from both helper viral and DI RNAs. These results suggest that the nine-nucleotide sequence either is required for the leader RNA to initiate mRNA synthesis or, alternatively, serves as a transcription terminator for the leader RNA synthesis. However, when a constitutively expressed intergenic sequence (for mRNA7) was used, no difference in transcription efficiency was noted, regardless of the copy number of UCUAA in the DI RNA and helper virus. This study thus indicates that MHV subgenomic RNA transcription requires the interaction among the intergenic (promoter) sequence, a trans-acting leader, and a cis-acting leader sequence. A novel model of transcriptional regulation of coronavirus subgenomic mRNAs is presented.
Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among obese adolescents enrolled in a multidisciplinary weight management program: clinical correlates and response to treatment.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome at baseline and after 6 months of lifestyle modification among obese adolescents referred to a multidisciplinary weight management program. METHODS A total of 165 obese adolescents were evaluated at baseline, and measurements were repeated in 57 subjects who completed 6 months of the program. Metabolic syndrome was defined as having three or more of the following: a body mass index (BMI) >97(th) percentile, hypertension, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), hypertriglyceridemia, and impaired fasting glucose (IFG). RESULTS The prevalence of a BMI >97(th) percentile, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL-C, and IFG was 92.7, 54.5, 29.1, 26.7, and 2.4%, respectively. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome at baseline was 30.3%. After 6 months of lifestyle modification, BMI z scores, percent body fat, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) decreased significantly from baseline; however, there was no significant change in the number of subjects demonstrating >or=three criteria of the metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS Approximately one third of the study subjects met the criteria of the metabolic syndrome, emphasizing the growing concern for the future development of premature cardiovascular disease in this high-risk population. Our data suggest that new strategies for lifestyle modification may be needed to improve cardiovascular risk factors significantly among adolescents with obesity.
Alice, middle schoolers & the imaginary worlds camps

Research indicates that (i) many women who take CS1 feel less experienced than (and therefore at a disadvantage to) their male counterparts at computer programming, and that (ii) by the time they reach high school, many young women view computing as "geeky" and "for nerds. " This paper describes our Imaginary Worlds Camps -- a summer program in which we use Carnegie Mellon's Alice software to address these problems before students reach high school. The preliminary results are quite encouraging.
Variability of Serum Concentration of Calcium, Phosphate and Parathyroid Hormone Depending on Time of Blood Draw for Patients on Nocturnal Home Hemodialysis *

Background: Guidelines for patients treated with conventional hemodialysis patients have been written for target serum levels for calcium (Ca), phosphate (PO4) and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH). No guidelines exist for nocturnal home hemodialysis (NHHD) patients for target values or timing of the blood sample draw. We undertook a prospective cohort study to examine the variability in pre, post and clinic (post-post) serum values for Ca, PO4, and iPTH in NHHD patients to determine if timing of blood draw could affect clinical decisions. Methods: Twenty prevalent NHHD patients collected blood pre and post their usual NHHD session with an additional blood sample drawn in clinic (post-post). Median and interquartile range of pre, post and clinic (post-post) values of iPTH, PO4 and Ca were calculated and compared with Freidman/Wilcoxon test. Serum concentrations were also categorized according to Canadian Society of Nephrology (CSN) guidelines target values for pre and clinic (post-post) samples. The proportion of patients that would be categorized differently by clinic (post-post) samples was determined. Results: There was a significant difference between pre-serum values compared to post and clinic (post-post) values. Overall, iPTH, PO4 and Ca values would be misclassified in 25%, 70% and 50% respectively if blood was drawn at the clinic visit (post-post) compared to pre-HD as per CSN guidelines. Conclusions: Although no specific guideline has been written for NHHD patients, to ensure consistency of management compared to in-centre HD patients, lab values should be drawn pre-HD until clinical evidence suggests that the recommendations should be different for NHHD.
Enhanced energy efficiency through self-organizing femto-relay framework

The tremendous advancement in the field of information and communication technology has escalated energy consumption and environment concerns. At the same time, the backhaul constraints limit high data rate services considerably. These challenges motivated the deployment of low-power femto-cells which act as the most promising energy-efficiency enablers for future networks. However, the increasing number of underutilized femtocells result in unwanted energy consumption and spectrum occupancy. Hence, in the strive towards optimizing the energy consumption profiles, this paper proposes the concept of self-organizing femto-relay network capable of enhancing the system capacity with significant energy savings. It aims at routing the traffic of nearby macro-users through idle femto-users via multi-tier cooperation. Analysis and simulation results project a remarkable enhancement in system performance and at the same time improvement in energy efficiency of the network.
THE GOULD’S BELT DISTANCES SURVEY (GOBELINS). II. DISTANCES AND STRUCTURE TOWARD THE ORION MOLECULAR CLOUDS

We present the results of the Gould’s Belt Distances Survey of young star-forming regions toward the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. We detected 36 young stellar objects (YSOs) with the Very Large Baseline Array, 27 of which have been observed in at least three epochs over the course of two years. At least half of these YSOs belong to multiple systems. We obtained parallax and proper motions toward these stars to study the structure and kinematics of the Complex. We measured a distance of 388 ± 5 pc toward the Orion Nebula Cluster, 428 ± 10 pc toward the southern portion L1641, 388 ± 10 pc toward NGC 2068, and roughly ∼420 pc toward NGC 2024. Finally, we observed a strong degree of plasma radio scattering toward λ Ori.
Noninvasive measurement of bladder muscle activity using radiofrequency ultrasound strain imaging

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common in elderly men. The currently standard urodynamic test for LUTS is an invasive pressure-flow study. This test is however invasive and has potential morbidity. Furthermore, it does not reveal the cause of LUTS but only provides information on one of the symptoms. Therefore we investigated the possibility to assess the function of the bladder muscle (detrusor). In an asymptomatic volunteer and a symptomatic patient population we used radiofrequency ultrasound to estimate deformation of the detrusor and related that to detrusor activity. In the asymptomatic volunteers we found an increase in axial strain at the onset of voiding. And in the symptomatic patients we found a significant positive correlation between axial strain and detrusor pressure (Spearman's coefficient: 0.52, 0.78 and 0.99 respectively, all p<;0.05). The positive correlation between detrusor strain and detrusor pressure indicates that the detrusor thickens during muscle activity. Therefore, ultrasound strain imaging could possibly be used in diagnosing lower urinary tract dysfunctions such as Bladder Outlet Obstruction and Detrusor Overactivity.
Position-specific HIV risk in a large network of homeless youths.

OBJECTIVES We examined interconnections among runaway and homeless youths (RHYs) and how aggregated network structure position was associated with HIV risk in this population. METHODS We collected individual and social network data from 136 RHYs. On the basis of these data, we generated a sociomatrix, accomplished network visualization with a "spring embedder," and examined k-cores. We used multivariate logistic regression models to assess associations between peripheral and nonperipheral network position and recent unprotected sexual intercourse. RESULTS Small numbers of nominations at the individual level aggregated into a large social network with a visible core, periphery, and small clusters. Female youths were more likely to be in the core, as were youths who had been homeless for 2 years or more. Youths at the periphery were less likely to report unprotected intercourse and had been homeless for a shorter duration. CONCLUSIONS HIV risk was a function of risk-taking youths' connections with one another and was associated with position in the overall network structure. Social network-based prevention programs, young women's housing and health programs, and housing-first programs for peripheral youths could be effective strategies for preventing HIV among this population.
Precompensated Second Order Repetitive Control of an Active Filter Under Varying Network Frequency

Network frequency variations cause a dramatic performance decay in repetitive controller‐based shunt active power filters. This problem may be solved by adapting the sampling period in order to keep the ratio between the network period and the sampling period at a constant value. However, these changes may yield closed‐loop instability. The introduction of a precompensator that forces the plant to remain invariant despite sampling rate changes allows the use of standard LTI methods in control design and stability analysis as well. Moreover, in order to improve robustness in the face of network frequency estimation uncertainty and sampling time quantization, the regular repetitive controller is replaced by a high order one. Experimental results show the validity of the proposal.
A mobile multimodal dialogue system for public transportation navigation evaluated

As the technical capabilities of latest mobile devices are combined with mobile broadband internet access, we are ready to make use of free and natural speech in mobile services by utilizing optional and complementary means of input. In these kinds of multimodal dialogue systems the possibility to disambiguate between several input and also output modalities can substantially increase intelligibility of dialogues and robustness of interaction. The combination of natural speech and tactile gestures as input mediums, especially in map-based systems, have shown promising results, although mature commercial applications are still to be developed. In this paper we present the MUMS Multimodal Route Navigation System, which allows users of a mobile device to present public transportation route queries with any preferred combination of speech and pen input, with the system providing navigational information via speech and graphical map representations. We also present the results of a user study, with focus on the users' subjective experience of the MUMS system and especially its multimodal qualities.
Processing of delta-endotoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-1 in Heliothis armigera midgut juice and the effects of protease inhibitors.

Bombyx mori was found to be more sensitive to the protoxins of HD-1 than Heliothis armigera. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that a large amount of activated toxin was yielded from protoxin by B. mori gut juice while little was yielded by H. armigera. Further degradation of activated toxin was observed in H. armigera midgut juice detected by SDS-PAGE. pH influenced the proteolytic activity of the midgut juice significantly, but there was no obvious effect of pH on the degradation of activated toxin. Specific inhibitor study revealed the presence of trypsin, chymotrypsin, and elastase in the midgut juice. TLCK, TPCK, elastatinal and some general serine protease inhibitors successfully prevented the excessive degradation of protoxin in H. armigera midgut juice. Chymotrypsin inhibitors showed strong inhibitory effects against the further degradation of activated toxin, indicating that chymotrypsin played a major role in the process. It was presumed that the excessive degradation of protoxin in H. armigera midgut juice was responsible for the low sensitivity of the insect to Bt. Further study demonstrated that the excessive degradation in vitro was triggered by SDS treatment. However, all of the tested serine protease inhibitors expressed synergism with protoxin against H. armigera larvae, suggesting that the excessive degradation of protoxin may occur in vivo to some extent and may be triggered by receptor binding of activated toxin.
Technologies and applications for active and assisted living - What's next?

This goal is pursued by covering all major technologies used in the field, including but not limited to smart homes, environmental and wearable sensors, visual monitoring, information fusion, standards and interoperability, reasoning systems and person-environment interaction. On the other hand, AAL applications are important also to healthcare professionals and caregivers. In this part, the book has reviewed tele-care and tele-health, as well as gait analysis, fall detection, support of ADLs, outdoor and indoor mobility, well-being and social interaction and decision support systems. Finally, associated issues such as accessibility, privacy and human-centred design; and study cases for smart cities and smart homes are presented. In this sense, this book gives a unified view of the significant amount of scientific fields that are emerging from and coming together in AAL. As such, it can provide not only a way of precise and direct initiation in the field, but it may also serve as reference for similar state-of-the-art reviews and retrospections in the future.
Increased utilization of fructose has a positive effect on the development of breast cancer

Rapid proliferation and Warburg effect make cancer cells consume plenty of glucose, which induces a low glucose micro-environment within the tumor. Up to date, how cancer cells keep proliferating in the condition of glucose insufficiency still remains to be explored. Recent studies have revealed a close correlation between excessive fructose consumption and breast cancer genesis and progression, but there is no convincing evidence showing that fructose could directly promote breast cancer development. Herein, we found that fructose, not amino acids, could functionally replace glucose to support proliferation of breast cancer cells. Fructose endowed breast cancer cells with the colony formation ability and migratory capacity as effective as glucose. Interestingly, although fructose was readily used by breast cancer cells, it failed to restore proliferation of non-tumor cells in the absence of glucose. These results suggest that fructose could be relatively selectively employed by breast cancer cells. Indeed, we observed that a main transporter of fructose, GLUT5, was highly expressed in breast cancer cells and tumor tissues but not in their normal counterparts. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the fructose diet promoted metastasis of 4T1 cells in the mouse models. Taken together, our data show that fructose can be used by breast cancer cells specifically in glucose-deficiency, and suggest that the high-fructose diet could accelerate the progress of breast cancer in vivo.
Fully Integrated Single Photon Avalanche Diode Detector in Standard CMOS 0.18- $\mu$m Technology

Avalanche photodiodes (APDs) operating in Geiger mode can detect weak optical signals at high speed. The implementation of APD systems in a CMOS technology makes it possible to integrate the photodetector and its peripheral circuits on the same chip. In this paper, we have fabricated APDs of different sizes and their driving circuits in a commercial 0.18-mum CMOS technology. The APDs are theoretically analyzed, measured, and the results are interpreted. Excellent breakdown performance is measured for the 10 and 20 m APDs at 10.2 V. The APD system is compared to the previous implementations in standard CMOS. Our APD has a 5.5% peak probability of detection of a photon at an excess bias of 2 V, and a 30 ns dead time, which is better than the previously reported results.