Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Deubiquitinating Enzyme UBPY Regulates the Level of Protein Ubiquitination on Endosomes

Monoubiquitination of endocytosed cell surface receptors serves as a sorting signal for their trafficking from endosomes to lysosomes. The sorting of ubiquitinated proteins is executed by concerted actions of class E vacuolar protein sorting (Vps) proteins. Some proteins in the sorting machinery undergo monoubiquitination, suggesting that their functions are also regulated by ubiquitination. The Hrs–STAM complex, a class E Vps protein complex essential for the initial step of the sorting pathway, binds two deubiquitinating enzymes, UBPY and AMSH. Here we examined the effects of inactivating UBPY on protein ubiquitination at endosomes. Overexpression of a catalytically inactive UBPY mutant or depletion of UBPY by RNA interference resulted in the accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins on morphologically aberrant endosomes. Electron microscopy showed that they are aggregates of multivesicular endosomes. Among the sorting machinery proteins that undergo ubiquitination, Eps15 was monoubiquitinated at an elevated level in UBPY‐inactivated cells. UBPY also deubiquitinated Eps15 in vitro, suggesting that Eps15 is a cellular substrate for UBPY. Furthermore, inactivation of UBPY caused the accumulation of Eps15 on the endosomal aggregates. These results suggest that UBPY regulates the level of protein ubiquitination on endosomes, which is required for maintaining the morphology of the organelle.
Human location estimation with multiple microwave Doppler sensors in home environment

We propose an approach to estimating human position using multiple dual-type K band microwave Doppler sensors placed at each corner of the room. The feature of our method is to use two different kinds of information in a complementary style. The one is the change in the distance between the target and the sensor calculated from the signal phase change. It has about the wave length accuracy if the signal to noise ratio is high enough. However, since the absolute distance cannot be obtained, the error accumulated with integration is never canceled. The other is the area in which the target is likely to be derived from received signal power. This is immune from error accumulation. Instead, it provides only a rough area which is too wide to localize the target. The target is tracked with particle filters whose weights are computed from product of these two kinds of observation.
Human Platelets

Summary The rapid incorporation of labeled 14C from U-14C-acetate and U-14C‐ D‐glucose into free glutamic acid, glutamine, aspartic acid, and asparagine shows that human platelets are capable of synthesizing their own amino acids. Differences in the turnover rates of these amino acids indicate that the metabolic pools are localized in compartments. It is also suggested that more than one pool of acetyl CoA and probably at least two separate pools of citric acid cycle intermediates exist.
Local oestrogenic/androgenic balance in the cerebral vasculature

Reproductive effects of sex steroids are well‐known; however it is increasingly apparent that these hormones have important actions on non‐reproductive tissues such as the vasculature. The latter effects can be relevant throughout the lifespan, not just limited to reproductive years, and are not necessarily restricted to one gender or the other. Our work has established that cerebral blood vessels are a non‐reproductive target tissue for sex steroids. We have found that oestrogen and androgens alter vascular tone, endothelial function, oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in cerebral vessels. Often the actions of oestrogen and androgens oppose each other. Moreover, it is clear that cerebral vessels are directly targeted by sex steroids, as they express specific receptors for these hormones. Interestingly, cerebral blood vessels also express enzymes that metabolize sex steroids. These findings suggest that local synthesis of 17ß‐estradiol and dihydrotestosterone can occur within the vessel wall. One of the enzymes present, aromatase, converts testosterone to 17ß‐estradiol, which would alter the local balance of androgenic and oestrogenic influences. Thus cerebral vessels are affected by circulating sex hormones as well as locally synthesized sex steroids. The presence of vascular endocrine effector mechanisms has important implications for male–female differences in cerebrovascular function and disease. Moreover, the cerebral circulation is a target for gonadal hormones as well as anabolic steroids and therapeutic drugs used to manipulate sex steroid actions. The long‐term consequences of these influences are yet to be determined.
Hypothalamic-pituitary-insulin-like growth factor-I axis dysfunction in patients with fibromyalgia.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) compared to healthy controls and patients with other rheumatic diseases, and to explore possible etiologic mechanisms of low IGF-I levels in patients with FM. METHODS Five hundred patients with FM and 152 controls (74 healthy blood donors, 26 myofascial pain patients and 52 patients with other rheumatic diseases) were studied. All had measurements of acid extracted serum IGF-I. A subset of 90 patients with FM were evaluated for clinical features that might explain low IGF-I levels. Twenty-five patients with FM underwent growth hormone (GH) provocation testing with l-dopa and clonidine. RESULTS The mean serum IGF-I level in patients with FM was 138 +/- 56 ng/ml and in controls 215 +/- 86 ng/ml (p = 0.00000000001). Low levels of IGF-I were not due to depression, tricyclic medications, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, poor aerobic conditioning, obesity, or pain level. Patients with focal myofascial pain syndromes had normal IGF-I levels (236 +/- 68), as did most patients with other rheumatic disorders, unless they had concomitant FM. Patients with FM with initially normal levels often had a rapid decline of IGF-I over 1 to 2 years. Most patients with FM with low IGF-I levels failed to secrete GH after stimulation with clonidine and l-dopa. CONCLUSION Many, but not all, patients with FM have low levels of IGF-I that cannot be explained by clinical associations. These results suggest that low IGF-I levels in patients with FM are a secondary phenomenon due to hypothalamic-pituitary-GH axis dysfunction.
Efficacy of a herbal mouthrinse on oral microbial load in Down syndrome children.

The efficacy of a herbal mouth rinse on the oral microbial load in Down syndrome children. The study design consisted of thirty Down syndrome children aged between 7 and 13 years from Divya down Development Trust in Bangalore. Children were divided into 2 groups consisting of 15 children in each group. Group A were given herbal mouth rinse and Group B were given chlorhexidine mouth rinse, both of which were alcohol free. Mouth rinsing was carried out under supervision. Microbial samples were collected from the dorsum of the tongue at baseline and at different time intervals. The samples were subjected to culturing and quantitative analysis for aerobic and anaerobic micro-organism. Polymerase chain reaction assay was done for the detection of Porphyromonas gingivalis. Significant difference was observed between baseline and following 1 hour of rinsing in aerobic microbial load in both groups. Polymerase Chain Reaction assay also showed marked decrease in Porphyromonas gingivalis with both mouth rinses. Herbal mouth rinse can be a suitable alternative for use in Down syndrome children.
Prospective Study of Postoperative Lumbar Epidural Hematoma: Incidence and Risk Factors

Study Design. Prospective clinical series. Objective. To determine the incidence, volume, and extent of postoperative epidural hematoma resulting in thecal sac compression, and to identify risk factors correlated with measured hematoma volumes. Summary of Background Data. Risk factors for postoperative hematoma development have been retrospectively determined in small populations of symptomatic patients. A prospective study of hematoma characteristics and associated risk factors in a consecutive series of patients could significantly enhance our understanding of postoperative hematoma. Methods. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging and clinical data on 13 pre- and intraoperative risk factors were prospectively collected on 50 consecutive patients undergoing lumbar decompression surgery with or without fusion. Postoperative magnetic resonance imagings were performed within 2 to 5 days of surgery. Thecal sac cross-sectional area was calculated at each disc space. Relative thecal sac compression due to hematoma was calculated at all levels where postoperative cross-sectional area was smaller than preoperative. Hematoma volumes were calculated. Multivariate analysis identified risk factors associated with postoperative hematoma volume. Results. After decompression, 58% of patients developed epidural hematoma of sufficient magnitude to compress the thecal sac beyond its preoperative state at one or more levels. None developed new postoperative neurologic deficits. A mean of 1.4 levels were decompressed. Hematoma extended over a mean of 1.9 levels. Maximal thecal sac compression due to hematoma occurred at an adjacent, nondecompressed level in 28% of patients. Multivariate analysis found age greater than 60, multilevel procedures, and preoperative international normalized ratio to be associated with larger hematoma volumes. Conclusion. Lumbar decompression surgery results in a 58% incidence of asymptomatic compressive postoperative epidural hematoma. Adjacent level compression by hematoma occurs in 28% of patients. Advanced age, multilevel procedures, and international normalized ratio are independently associated with postoperative hematoma volume.
Rising above the rhetoric: mobile applications and the delivery of cost-effective cardiovascular care in resource-limited settings.

Division of Cardiology, San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA, USA Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA Centre for Chronic Disease Control & Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi, India *Author for correspondence: kazi@ucsf.edu January2015January 2015
[Association between CYP2B6, CYP2D6, GSTP1 genetic polymorphisms and urinary styrene metabolites in professional workers].

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the influence of individual genetic polymorphisms of metabolic enzymes on urinary styrene metabolites. METHODS 58 workers occupationally exposed to styrene were divided into the high exposure group (≥ 100 mg/m³) and the low exposure group (< 100 mg/m³). The microfluidic chip technology was used to determine the SNPs of CYP2B6, CYP2D6 and GSTP1 and the influence of gene polymorphisms on the metabolism of styrene was statistically analyzed. RESULTS The level of urine styrene metabolites level was influenced by genotypes of CYP2B6, CYP2D6 and GSTP1 [(280.28 +/- 100.60) mg/g Cr vs (183.48 +/- 127.52) mg/g Cr, (233.04 +/- 77.56) mg/g Cr vs (152.46 +/- 95.47) mg/g Cr, (32.88 +/- 7.14) mg/g Cr vs (24.47 +/- 5.59) mg/g Cr, P < 0.05)]. The metabolism of CYP2B6 G/G homozygotic genotype to styrene was more active than G/T heterozygotic genotype and T/T mutation genotype. The level of PHEMA in GSTP1 homozygotic genotype subjects was significantly higher than that in the group of homozygotic genotype [(32.07 +/- 7.32) mg/g Cr vs (25.59 +/- 6.95) mg/g Cr, P < 0.05)]. The influence of CYP2D6 genotypes on urinary metabolites was also observed in the same study [(56.36 +/- 109.72) mg/g Cr vs (177.13 +/- 116.21) mg/g Cr, (118.73 +/- 84.55) mg/g Cr vs (148.48 +/- 99.83) mg/g Cr, (18.29 +/- 13.50) mg/g Cr vs (19.95 +/- 13.30) mg/g Cr, P < 0.05)]. CONCLUSION Genotypes of CYP2B6, GSTP1 and CYP2D6 are related to susceptibility to the metabolism of styrene in human.
Vestibular sensory organs. A scanning electron microscopic investigation.

Using the scanning electron microscope and freeze-drying techniques, the vestibular organs (utricle, saccule, and crista ampullaris) of various experimental animals were examined with results showing that directional arrangement of sensory hairs polarize along the striola. In the utricle, they face each other along the striola, whereas in the saccule, they face away from each other. The sensory hairs in both saccule and utricle are shorter than in the crista ampullaris. The otolithic membrane in the utricle and saccule possesses oval or honeycomb-like holes along the striola. In the cupula, tubules were found with opened top portions. In both the otolithic membrane and cupula, the sensory hairs were not totally embedded in gelatin as was postulated; rather, only the longer hairs were touching the otolithic membrane.
Information security awareness: educating your users effectively

This article investigates the evolution of computing, with specific reference to the security issues involved. These issues are then taken further to determine the need for education in the workplace through an information security awareness program. Techniques borrowed from the field of social psychology, which have been largely ignored in current awareness programs, are highlighted in order to show how they could be utilized to improve the effectiveness of the awareness program.
Adaptive vs. conventional potential field approaches for solving navigation problems of a real car-like wheeled robot

Adaptive Potential Field Methods (APFMs) have been proposed in this paper and their performances have been compared among them and with that of Conventional Potential Field Method (CPFM) to solve navigation problems of the mobile robot. The performance of a potential field method (PFM) depends on its chosen attractive and repulsive potential functions and the constant terms associated with them. Robots that navigate using the CPFM may not find time-optimal path and may suffer from the deadlock situations. APFM could solve the said problems by changing the constant terms associated with the potential functions to cope with the varying situations of the environment. The performances of the proposed adaptive and CPFMs have been tested through computer simulations and on a real car-like wheeled robot. The proposed PFM is found to perform better than the conventional one.
Learning and Local Knowledge Institutions in African Industry

Drawing insights from firm-level survey, this paper addresses three broad issues relating to the role of learning and knowledge in African industry. First, we examined modes of learning proxied by training in small and medium firms. We found that elementary learning mechanisms such as apprenticeship, resulting in the creation of tacit knowledge, are the dominant forms of learning. While knowledge externalities tend to benefit larger firms, small enterprises with little absorptive capacity are locked into repetitive routines of learning-by-doing and disconnected from both local and global knowledge pools. Second, we looked at the types and nature of the mix of formal knowledge and human skills possessed by firms and how these impact on the learning process. Management and technical training are mostly conducted in-house and are correlated with firm output and export performance. The level of resources devoted to training also correlates with performance. Thirdly, we examine the effect of interaction of local knowledge institutions and small and medium producers to generate autonomous technical dynamism. While small firms collaborate with suppliers and industrial associations, interaction with 'knowledge creators' such as universities is insignificant. We suggest that economic policy has a role to play in stimulating dynamic learning in firms
Designing ternary cocrystals with hydrogen bonds and halogen bonds.

A graded selection of hydrogen bonds and halogen bonds allows for the isolation of 2 : 1 : 1 ternary cocrystals of the general form 4-nitrobenzamide : diacid : 1,4-dihalogenated benzene, which are mediated by the amide-acid and I···O2N supramolecular synthons.
Challenges in PMTCT antiretroviral adherence in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract Background. Women living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa face significant challenges in accessing HIV care and adhering to antiretroviral therapy. Most reports have focused on issues relating to long-term adherence such as those surrounding stigma and disclosure, hunger, cultural factors, lack of accurate health information, lack of social support, medication side effects and overcrowded health systems. Information related to the challenges facing pregnant women when taking antiretrovirals for prophylactic purposes is limited. The “Kesho Bora Study” is a multicentre prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) trial in sub-Saharan Africa evaluating the PMTCT efficacy of triple therapy until cessation of breast feeding compared to short course zidovudine monotherapy in a predominantly breast feeding population. Following unexplained discrepancies during objective adherence assessments, a sub-study was conducted at one site to examine the underlying adherence issues. Methods. The counselling and clinical notes of all 100 enrolled Zulu women were examined. Extracted information was supplemented by unstructured, free-ranging interviews conducted by trained adherence counsellors on 43 consecutive women attending the trial clinic over a two-week period. Adherence was defined as good (>95% adherence), or poor (<95% adherence). Results. Reasons provided for sub-optimal adherence included therapy misconceptions/misunderstandings, antiretroviral use by relatives, domestic violence, poverty and issues relating to disclosure and stigma. About 61% (57/94) of antenatal women had good adherence with their PMTCT prophylaxis, with no significant difference shown between those taking the long and short course. Conclusion. Antenatal women in northern rural KwaZulu-Natal face significant challenges in taking antiretroviral PMTCT prophylaxis.
Dynamic power reduction of microprocessors for IoT applications

Many companies understand the value of the Internet of Things (IoT) and invest considerable time, money, and effort to realize its potential. However, every new technology faces a million challenges in its initial phases. IoT also poses some grave issues that need to be tackled well in order to utilize its fullest potential. One of these problems is the microprocessor power consumption. It is a major factor that limits the performance of the processor and leads to decrease the microprocessor reliability, life expectancy. There are a lot of techniques that reduce the total power consumed by a microprocessor system. In this paper, we use a clock-gating and Architectural alternatives-based power optimization techniques to reduce the power consumption of storm core processor. It is a 32-bit RISC processor which is compatible to ARM's 32-bit instruction set. All experiments are done on Xilinx Spartan 3E. The total power, dynamic and static powers are calculated by Xpower analyzer. The proposed design reduces the power consumption approximately up to twenty percent.
Noise self-filtering K-nearest neighbors algorithms

In the human cognition learning, the noise self-filtering filters the noise data by itself, making the human brain very robust. Although k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN) can decrease the affection of noise data by optimizing the parameter k, noise data still may deteriorate the learning results to an extent on various data. Therefore, this paper proposes the strategy for kNNs. Here, we formalize such training strategies in the context of kNNs, and they are called with “Noise Self-filtering k-Nearest Neighbors” (NSF-kNNs). As its name suggests, it is determined by the model itself based on what it has already learned, as oppose to some predefined heuristic criteria. We derive the mathematical model of the NSF-kNNs, which is an algorithm framework. The NSF-kNNs are compared with the exact kNNs and as far as we know the most efficient approximate kNN [1]. The results show the achievement of improvements in the robustness and generalizability on various data sets.
Directional Bias in the Mental Representation of Spatial Events

Previous research has shown a tendency for people to imagine simple sentences as evolving from left to right, with the sentence subject being located to the left of the object. In two cross-cultural studies comparing Italian and Arab participants, we investigated whether this bias is a function of hemispheric specialization or of directionality of written language (left to right in Italian, right to left in Arabic). Both studies found a reversal of directional bias in Arabs. Italians tended to position the subject to the left of the object, and Arabs tended to position the subject to the right of the object (Experiment 1); both groups were facilitated in a sentence-picture matching task when the subject was drawn in the position that it would usually occupy in the written language (left for Italians, right for Arabs; Experiment 2). In Experiment 2, an additional, language-independent facilitation was observed when action evolved from left to right, suggesting that both hemispheric specialization and scanning habit affect visual imaging.
Development and Validation of a Method to Identify Children With Social Complexity Risk Factors

OBJECTIVES: We sought to develop and validate a method to identify social complexity risk factors (eg, limited English proficiency) using Minnesota state administrative data. A secondary objective was to examine the relationship between social complexity and caregiver-reported need for care coordination. METHODS: A total of 460 caregivers of children with noncomplex chronic conditions enrolled in a Minnesota public health care program were surveyed and administrative data on these caregivers and children were obtained. We validated the administrative measures by examining their concordance with caregiver-reported indicators of social complexity risk factors using tetrachoric correlations. Logistic regression analyses subsequently assessed the association between social complexity risk factors identified using Minnesota’s state administrative data and caregiver-reported need for care coordination, adjusting for child demographics. RESULTS: Concordance between administrative and caregiver-reported data was moderate to high (correlation range 0.31–0.94, all P values <.01), with only current homelessness (r = –0.01, P = .95) failing to align significantly between the data sources. The presence of any social complexity risk factor was significantly associated with need for care coordination before (unadjusted odds ratio = 1.65; 95% confidence interval, 1.07–2.53) but not after adjusting for child demographic factors (adjusted odds ratio = 1.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.98–2.37). CONCLUSIONS: Social complexity risk factors may be accurately obtained from state administrative data. The presence of these risk factors may heighten a family’s need for care coordination and/or other services for children with chronic illness, even those not considered medically complex.
Finite element approximations of nonlinear elastic waves

In this paper we study finite element methods for a class of problems of nonlinear elastodynamics. We discretize the equations in space using Galerkin methods. For the temporal discretization, the construction of our schemes is based on rational approximations of cos x and ex. We analyze semidiscrete as well as secondand fourth-order accurate in time fully discrete methods for the approximation of the solution of the problem and prove optimal-order L2 error estimates. For some schemes a Taylor-type technique is used so that only linear systems of equations need be solved at each time step. In the proofs we need various estimates for a nonlinear elliptic projection, the proofs of which are also established in the paper.