Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sugar-induced endocytosis of plant 7TM-RGS proteins

Plant cells use sugars mainly as a source or store of energy and carbon skeletons for anabolic reactions and for osmotic regulation. The perception of sugars and their responses are rather complex including the heterotrimeric G protein pathway and a seven-transmembrane RGS molecule. Previously, we found that endocytosis of the 7TM-RGS leads to sustained activation of the G protein pathway in the genetic model Arabidopsis. Here we show that other plants possess similar endocytosis systems of the 7TM-RGS proteins. A phosphorylation site essential for the endocytosis is well conserved in land plant 7TM-RGS proteins. In addition, conifer and tobacco 7TM-RGS proteins are internalized in response to sugar. These results indicate a universal mechanism to activate G signaling by endocytosis in plant cells that have 7TM-RGS proteins.
Variation in length of stay as a measure of efficiency in Manitoba hospitals.

OBJECTIVE To examine the efficiency of Manitoba hospitals by analysing variations in length of stay for patients with similar characteristics. DESIGN Retrospective study. Multiple regression analyses were used to adjust for patient (case-mix) characteristics and to identify differences in length of stay attributable to the hospital of admission for 14 specific, frequently encountered diagnostic categories and for all acute admissions. SETTING The eight major acute care hospitals in Manitoba. PARTICIPANTS Manitoba residents admitted to any one of the eight hospitals during the fiscal year 1989-90, 1990-91 or 1991-92. Patients transferred to or from another institution, those with atypically long stays and those who died in hospital were excluded. OUTCOME MEASURE Length of hospital stay. RESULTS The length of stay was strongly influenced by hospital of admission, even after adjustment for key patient characteristics. Excluding the most seriously ill patients and those with the longest stays, approximately 186 beds could potentially have been saved if each hospital had discharged its patients as efficiently as the hospital with the shortest overall length of stay. CONCLUSIONS A substantial proportion of days currently invested in treating acute care patients could be eliminated. At least some bed closures in Manitoba hospitals could be accommodated simply through more efficient treatment of patients in the remaining beds, without decreasing access to hospital care.
Correlation of Pectolytic Enzyme Activity with the Programmed Release of Cells from Root Caps of Pea (Pisum sativum).

In many plant species, the daily release of hundreds to thousands of healthy cells from the root cap into the soil is a normal process, whose function is unknown. We studied the separation of the cells in pea (Pisum sativum) using an aeroponic system in which separated cells were retained on the root until they were washed off for counting. We found that cell separation is a developmentally regulated, temperature-sensitive process that appears to be regulated independently of root growth. No cells were released from very young roots. When plants were grown aeroponically, cell numbers increased with increasing root length to a mean of 3400 cells per root, at which point the release of new cells ceased. The process could be reset and synchronized by washing the root in water to remove shed cells. Cell separation from the root cap was correlated with pectolytic enzyme activity in root cap tissue. Because these cells that separate from the root cap ensheath the root as it grows and thus provide a cellular interface between the root surface and the soil, we propose to call the cells "root border cells. "
Changing Dimensions of National Security

The post cold war world is facing paradigm shifts in many spheres. In the post cold war world significant changes are taking place in geo-politics, geo-economics, technology, modes of production, lifestyle and culture and the concept of security has undergone a pragmatic shift. Throughout history national interest. in international politics was identified with security and military power. International politics was considered as conflict ridden with war as an endemic disease. As each nation in international politics aims to maximize power, it comes into conflict with others who aspire to the same or who become apprehensive of such policies that can affect their security. Thus, the discourse in international politics throughout history revolved around state power, military security, wars, arms race, etc. There had been other threats to national security as well, which either remained invisible or missing in the discourse of international'politics due to the states focus on national security that was identified with military security.
A Lambert-Function Charge-Based Methodology for Extracting Electrical Parameters of Nanoscale FinFETs

We developed a new Y-based methodology for extracting the electrical parameters in modern nanoscale double-gate and triple-gate FinFET devices. Using the drain-current equation in the linear region, which involves the Lambert W -function of the charge at the source, the nonlinear Y-function in these devices is reduced to the linear one of a traditional long-channel MOSFET. The derived new Y-function can be readily applied and evaluate all electrical parameters in a traditional fashion, since all related curves are now linear and easily extrapolated. The present methodology for extracting the electrical parameters was verified in both simulated and experimental nanoscale FinFETs, demonstrating its simplicity and good accuracy.
Anomalous output conductance in N-polar GaN-based MIS-HEMTs

We propose that the anomalous output conductance in N-polar GaN MIS-HEMTs was caused by ionization of donor-like traps from a net negative polarization interface. It is a low-frequency phenomenon that changes the VT of the device with VD, while no evidence of increased output conductance or related device performance degradation was found under RF conditions. Appropriate back-barrier designs are needed to mitigate the DC-GDS in N-polar GaN MIS-HEMTs.
Assisted painting of 3D structures using shared control with a hand-held robot

We present a shared control method of painting 3D geometries, using a handheld robot which has a single autonomously controlled degree of freedom. The user scans the robot near to the desired painting location, the single movement axis moves the spray head to achieve the required paint distribution. A simultaneous simulation of the spraying procedure is performed, giving an open loop approximation of the current state of the painting. An online prediction of the best path for the spray nozzle actuation is calculated in a receding horizon fashion. This is calculated by producing a map of the paint required in the 2D space defined by nozzle position on the gantry and the time into the future. A directed graph then extracts its edge weights from this paint density map and Dijkstra's algorithm is then used to find the candidate for the most effective path. Due to the heavy parallelisation of this approach and the majority of the calculations taking place on a GPU we can run the prediction loop in 32.6ms for a prediction horizon of 1 second, this approach is computationally efficient, outperforming a greedy algorithm. The path chosen by the proposed method on average chooses a path in the top 15% of all paths as calculated by exhaustive testing. This approach enables development of real time path planning for assisted spray painting onto complicated 3D geometries. This method could be applied to applications such as assistive painting for people with disabilities, or accurate placement of liquid when large scale positioning of the head is too expensive.
Multimode Resonator-Fed Dual-Polarized Antenna Array With Enhanced Bandwidth and Selectivity

A novel design concept of multimode filtering antenna, which is realized by integrating a multimode resonator and an antenna, has been applied to the design of dual-polarized antenna arrays for achieving a compact size and high performance in terms of broad bandwidth, high-frequency selectivity and out-of-band rejection. To verify the concept, a 2×2 array at C-band is designed and fabricated. The stub-loaded resonator (SLR) is employed as the feed of the antenna. The resonant characteristics of SLR and patch as well as the coupling between them are presented. The method of designing the integrated resonator-patch module is explained. This integrated design not only removes the need for separated filters and traditional 50 -Ω interfaces but also improves the frequency response of the module. A comparison with the traditional patch array has been made, showing that the proposed design has a more compact size, wider bandwidth, better frequency selectivity, and out-of-band rejection. Such low-profile light weight broadband dual-polarized arrays are useful for space-borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and wireless communication applications. The simulated and measured results agree well, demonstrating a good performance in terms of impedance bandwidth, frequency selectivity, isolation, radiation pattern, and antenna gain.
The Relation Between Visual Acuity and Other Spatial Vision Measures

Purpose To examine to what extent measurement of standard visual acuity allows prediction of other spatial vision measures on an individual basis when high correlations exist between visual acuity and the other measures. Methods A series of spatial vision functions were measured in a sample of 900 community-dwelling older observers. Regression analysis was performed, and correlation coefficients were calculated between standard high-contrast visual acuity and other spatial vision measures including contrast sensitivity, low-contrast acuity, low-contrast low-luminance acuity (SKILL card), and disability glare acuity. Results All measures were highly and significantly correlated with standard visual acuity (r = 0.68 to 0.91). Despite the high correlations, many predictions of the other spatial vision measures from the correlation with standard acuity fell considerably outside of acceptable ranges determined by repeatability. The influence of the range of values in correlations is emphasized. Conclusions Other spatial vision measures cannot be predicted on an individual basis from visual acuity despite high and significant correlations between the measures.
Demographic consequences of the Great Patriotic War

75 years have passed since the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, yet its demographic consequences, felt by Russia throughout all of this time, even now have not been completely overcome. The article traces the fate of the generations who fought (those born between 1890-1926), using general census data starting with the 1939 census. It is shown that 82% of women and only 53% of men registered in the 1939 census survived until 1959. The resulting gender imbalance caused a sharp increase in the proportion of single women as a result of widowhood, and due to a shortage of suitors in the marriage market, the share of non-marital births increased significantly. The war set in motion an oscillating cycle of the annual number of births which continues to this day. A relatively small number of deaths in the postwar decades, due to the fact that a huge number of people killed during the war did not live to a normal age of death, created the illusion of a safe balance of births and deaths in the 1970’s-1980's. Cyclical fluctuations in the size of generations induced by the war resulted in wave-like dynamics of the working population and demographic burden, complicating the functioning of the labor market and the implementation of economic and social programs, the effects of which are felt even at present, for example, in the dynamics of pension contingents.The author discusses the reasons for the huge military losses and suggests that, if the war had not been preceded by erroneous decisions on part of the country’s political leaders, these losses could have been much smaller.
Prognostic Value of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Localized and Advanced Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective and Background Increasing evidence suggests that inflammation plays an essential role in cancer development and progression. The inflammation marker neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is correlated with prognosis across a wide variety of tumor types, but its prognostic value in prostate cancer (PCa) remains controversial. In the present meta-analysis, the prognostic value of NLR in PCa patients is investigated. Methods We performed a meta-analysis to determine the predictive value of NLR for overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and clinical features in patients with PCa. We systematically searched PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Embase for relevant studies published up to October 2015. Results A total of 9418 patients from 18 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Elevated pretreatment NLR predicted poor OS (HR 1.628, 95% CI 1.410–1.879) and RFS (HR 1.357, 95% CI 1.126–1.636) in all patients with PCa. However, NLR was insignificantly associated with OS in the subgroup of patients with localized PCa (HR 1.439, 95% CI 0.753–2.75). Increased NLR was also significantly correlated with lymph node involvement (OR 1.616, 95% CI 1.167–2.239) but not with pathological stage (OR 0.827, 95% CI 0.637–1.074) or Gleason score (OR 0.761, 95% CI 0.555–1.044). Conclusions The present meta-analysis indicated that NLR could predict the prognosis for patients with locally advanced or castration-resistant PCa. Patients with higher NLR are more likely to have poorer prognosis than those with lower NLR.
Arginine Vasotocin Promotes Calling Behavior and Call Changes in Male Túngara Frogs

In the túngara frog, Physalaemus pustulosus, males alter calling behavior with changes in their social environment, adding ‘chucks’ to their advertisement calls in response to the calls of conspecific males. Other studies demonstrate that adding chucks increases the attractiveness of calls to females but also increases the risk of bat predation. In the current study, subcutaneous injections of the neuropeptide hormone arginine vasotocin (AVT) significantly increased chuck production in male túngara frogs. The effects of AVT on chuck production did not depend on the presence of playback stimuli, suggesting that AVT increased either the males’ general motivation to produce chucks or their responsiveness to the calls of distant males. Injections of AVT also increased the probability that males would call and decreased the latency to call after injection, supporting the hypothesis that AVT influences motivation to call. Finally, AVT inhibited a drop in call rate after the termination of a playback stimulus and increased call rate at a lower dose of AVT. The effects of AVT on chucks and call rate appear to be independent of each other, as there was no correlation between change in chuck production and change in call rate in individual males. We conclude that AVT may play an important role in socially-mediated call changes that result from competition for mates. The behavioral changes induced by AVT might increase a male’s attractiveness to females, and also may be consistent with an aggressive response to another túngara frog male.
Opinion Mining Using Twitter Feeds for Political Analysis

Sentiment analysis deals with identifying and understanding opinions and sentiments expressed in a particular text. The masses give their opinion regarding various subjects on social media platforms using tweets, status updates and blogs. By analyzing this very data, we can gain better insight of the public opinion on any subject in specific. On performing sentiment analysis in a specific domain, it is possible to identify the effect of domain information in sentiment classification. Twitter sentiment analysis is difficult compared to general sentiment analysis due to the presence of slang words and misspellings. The maximum limit of characters allowed in Twitter is 140. In this paper, we try to analyze the twitter posts about government issues and political reforms. The proposed framework uses Twitter as the platform to analyze the emotions of the users using Sentiment Analysis. The system will use the opinions of the users, analyze the reaction and then map it to the appropriate region.
Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Protects against Hyperglycemic-Induced Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Improves Myocardial Dysfunction by Suppressing Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase 1 Activity

Under high glucose conditions, endothelial cells respond by acquiring fibroblast characteristics, that is, endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), contributing to diabetic cardiac fibrosis. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) has cardioprotective properties independent of its glucose-lowering effect. However, the potential mechanism has not been fully clarified. Here we investigated whether GLP-1 inhibits myocardial EndMT in diabetic mice and whether this is mediated by suppressing poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1). Streptozotocin diabetic C57BL/6 mice were treated with or without GLP-1 analog (24 nmol/kg daily) for 24 wks. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed to assess cardiac function. Human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) were cultured in normal glucose (NG) (5.5 mmol/L) or high glucose (HG) (30 mmol/L) medium with or without GLP-1analog. Immunofluorescent staining and Western blot were performed to evaluate EndMT and PARP-1 activity. Diabetes mellitus attenuated cardiac function and increased cardiac fibrosis. Treatment with the GLP-1 analog improved diabetes mellitus-related cardiac dysfunction and cardiac fibrosis. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that hyperglycemia markedly increased the percentage of von Willebrand factor (vWF)+/alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)+ cells in total α-SMA+ cells in diabetic hearts compared with controls, which was attenuated by GLP-1 analog treatment. In cultured HAECs, immunofluorescent staining and Western blot also showed that both GLP-1 analog and PARP-1 gene silencing could inhibit the HG-induced EndMT. In addition, GLP-1 analog could attenuate PARP-1 activation by decreasing the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Therefore, GLP-1 treatment could protect against the hyperglycemia-induced EndMT and myocardial dysfunction. This effect is mediated, at least partially, by suppressing PARP-1 activation.
Continuous Thermal Measurement of Cardiac Output

A thermal-dilution technique for the continuous measurement of cardiac output has been developed. It employs pulmonary-artery sensing of low-level periodic thermal signals generated in the right ventricle of the heart. A resistive element in a modified Swan Ganz®catheter is energized with a periodic electrical waveform. The resulting thermal signal is diluted by blood flow and attenuated by mixing within the heart. Sensed by a thermistor in the pulmonary artery, the thermal signal is processed by a microprocessor-based instrument using a suitable mathematical model. With multiple signal frequencies, separate estimates of the flow-dependent and mixing-dependent attenuation components become possible, allowing continuous monitoring of cardiac output. This technique works well in anesthetized, mechanically ventilated animals, even with average power levels as low as 4 W and corresponding temperature increases of a few hundredths of a degree centigrade. Based on measurements of pulmonary artery thermal noise spectra in humans, we infer that similar performance levels should be attainable with mechanically ventilated human subjects. However, noise spectra from spontaneously breathing critically ill patients suggest that signal-to-noise ratios would be less than satisfactory in that group unless increased signal power is allowed or improved algorithms are developed.
gCitizen: Using Grids for Creating an Integrated View of the Citizen in an eGovernment Framework

From the point of view of the administration, a citizen is the aggregation of the pieces of information belonging to each of the administrative organizations that compose it. By now this data management has been carried out storing and managing documents in paper. Recently, the governments have invested effort to use the ICT as a substitute of the paper in their procedures. This kind of initiatives has been traditionally denominated as eGovernment, and makes possible a lot of information to be online. This paper reviews the technological tendencies in the public administration, and proposes the usage of grid technology as an information integration method to provide an homogeneous vision of the information about the citizens. It has been used the Globus toolkit 4 WSRF technology to design gCitizen, a grid middleware for the transparent management of the information about citizens, which takes advantages of the features provided by the toolkit, and introduces new services to improve it
Diversity of moderately halophilic bacteria producing extracellular hydrolytic enzymes.

AIMS The aim of this study was to determine the diversity of moderately halophilic bacteria with hydrolase activities. METHODS AND RESULTS Screening bacteria from different hypersaline environments in South Spain led to the isolation of a total of 122 moderately halophilic bacteria able to produce different hydrolases (amylases, DNases, lipases, proteases and pullulanases). These bacteria are able to grow optimally in media with 5-15% salts and in most cases up to 20-25% salts. In contrast to strains belonging to previously described species, that showed very little hydrolase activities, environmental isolates produced a great variety of hydrolases. These strains were identified as members of the genera: Salinivibrio (55 strains), Halomonas (25 strains), Chromohalobacter (two strains), Bacillus-Salibacillus (29 strains), Salinicoccus (two strains) and Marinococcus (one strain), as well as eight non-identified isolates. CONCLUSIONS Moderately halophilic bacteria are a source of hydrolytic enzymes such as amylases, DNases, lipases, proteases and pullulanases. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY Although most culture collection strains are not able to produce hydrolases, it has been shown that environmental isolates can produce these potentially biotechnological important enzymes.