Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
iGQL: An Intelligent NoSQL Graphical Query Language

The storage of information plays a central role to the design and functionality of applications. Due to the increasing interest and rapid technological growth of the NoSQL Database Systems more developers are using them. It is crucial for data analysts, IT people and even simple users to have access to these data. Our research focuses on the development of a User-Friendly Graphical User Interface for Android smart devices that enables Users without any knowledge on NoSQL or Database Systems to build a query for the NoSQL Database System called Db4o.
The Moderating Effect of Personality Type on the Relationship Between Leisure Activity and Executive Control in Older Adults

We examined the moderating effect of personality on the association between leisure activities and executive control in healthy community-dwelling older adults. We found two distinct personality typologies: individuals with a resilient personality were characterized by emotional stability and self-confidence; whereas, those who resembled an overcontrolled personality tended to be introverted but also low on neuroticism. Resilient individuals were more likely than overcontrolled individuals to demonstrate higher executive function and attention as a result of participation in mental activities. These results suggest that personality might be important to include in studies that test the efficacy of activity interventions for improving cognition.
The Role of CTLA‐4 in the Regulation and Initiation of T‐Cell Responses

The generation of an effective immune response involves antigen-specific T-cell expansion and difTerentiation of effector function. This process involves at least two signals: one mediated by interaction of the T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) with specific antigen in association with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, and the second an antigen-independent, costimulatory signal. Over the past few years it has become established that the primary source of costimulatory signals is the interaction between CD28 on the T cell with members of the B7 family (CD80, CD86) on the antigen-presenting cell (APC). For several years the functional role of the enigmatic CD28 homologue CTLA-4 in T-cell activation has been both obscure and controversial. In this article we review recent results from our laboratory and others that provide compelling support for an inhibitory role for CTLA-4 in the regulation of T-cell responses. We discuss these results in the context of the two-signal model of T-cell activation, and propose that T-cell responses are regulated by a complex and dynamic interplay of TCR, CD28 and CTLA-4 signals at both early and late stages of T-cell activation. We also discuss the potential offered by emerging information concerning CTLA-4 for the development of new strategies for the manipulation of immune responses in tumour immunolherapy and other clinical situations.
The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) Twin Data

Abstract This article describes the design and data availability for samples of genetic pairs in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Add Health provides unique samples of genetic pairs that are nationally representative and followed longitudinally from early adolescence into young adulthood with 3 in-home interviews and a 4th interview planned for 2007 to 2008. The design of Add Health included an embedded genetic sample of more than 3000 pairs of individuals with varying genetic resemblance, including monozygotic twins, dizygotic twins, full siblings, half siblings, and unrelated siblings who were raised in the same household. Add Health has collected rich longitudinal social, behavioral, and environmental survey data, as well as buccal cell DNA from a subsample of the genetic sample (N = 2612). Add Health has an enlightened dissemination policy and to date has released phenotype and genotype data to more than 3000 researchers in the scientific community.
Secuenciación y análisis del gen de la miostatina (gdf 8) en búfalos de la raza murrah y sus cruces para determinar la existencia de posibles mutaciones que se expresen en doble musculatura en el departamento de Antioquia

xi 1. INTRODUCCIÓN . 1 2. PLANTEAMIENTO DEL PROBLEMA . 2 3. OBJETIVOS . 3 3.1 Objetivo General . 3 3.2 Objetivos Específicos . 3 4. HIPOTESIS . 3 4.1 Hipótesis nula . 3 5. MARCO TEÓRICO . 4 5.1 EL BÚFALO (Bubalus bubalis) . 4 5.1. 1 Densidad poblacional en Colombia . 5 5.1. 2 Importancia económica . 6 5.2 MIOSTATINA . 6 5.2. 1 Bioactividad de la Miostatina . 7 5.2. 2 Miostatina y El Ciclo Celular . 8 5.2. 3 Miostatina Bovina . 9 5.2. 4 Miostatina en la especie Bubalus bubalis . 9 5.2. 5 Mutaciones y fenotipos asociados al gen de la Miostatina . 11 5.2. 4.1 Mutaciones que provocan la aparición de un codón Stop prematuro . 12 5.2. 4.2 Mutaciones que afectan a la estructura secundaria de la proteína. 12 5.2. 4.3 Mutaciones que no afectan a la función de la proteína. 12 5.2. 4.4 Mutaciones en otras especies Domesticas y el humano. 13 5.3 DOBLE MUSCULATURA . 13 5.3.1 Características de los individuos con doble musculatura. 14 5.3.2 Problemas asociados a la doble musculatura. 15 6. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS . 16 6.1 Población . 16
Development and application of millimeter wave radar sensors for underground mining

This paper defines the issues that are required for the development of a successful underground range measurement sensor. It considers various options, including laser and sonar implementations, before focusing on a millimeter-wave frequency modulated continuous wave radar. The implementations of radar sensors for simple ranging and three-dimensional cavity profiling are then discussed before some data obtained in underground mines is presented to verify the radar performance through thick dust and vapor.
A large-scale hidden semi-Markov model for anomaly detection on user browsing behaviors

Many methods designed to create defenses against distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks are focused on the IP and TCP layers instead of the high layer. They are not suitable for handling the new type of attack which is based on the application layer. In this paper, we introduce a new scheme to achieve early attack detection and filtering for the application-layer-based DDoS attack. An extended hidden semi-Markov model is proposed to describe the browsing behaviors of web surfers. In order to reduce the computational amount introduced by the model's large state space, a novel forward algorithm is derived for the online implementation of the model based on the M-algorithm. Entropy of the user's HTTP request sequence fitting to the model is used as a criterion to measure the user's normality. Finally, experiments are conducted to validate our model and algorithm.
Tumor necrosis factor: biology and therapeutic inhibitors.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was originally described as a protein factor capable of killing tumor cells in vitro and causing hemorrhagic necrosis of transplantable tumors in mice.1,2 A serum protein named “cachectin” isolated from chronically infected rabbits with Trypanosoma brucei was later found to be identical to TNF.3 TNF refers to two closely related cytokines: TNF-a and TNF-b (currently lymphotoxin-a, LT-a). Both interact with the same receptors and elicit a variety of responses and have been implicated as pathogenic mediators of human disease.4,5 This article focuses on TNF-a, simply referred to as TNF in the text. TNF elicits a wide spectrum of organismal and cellular responses, including fever, shock, tissue injury, tumor necrosis, anorexia, induction of other cytokines and immunoregulatory molecules, cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis.6 The pathogenic role of TNF has been implicated in many human diseases. In addition to its well-known role in septic shock, it has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic processes such as autoimmunity, graft-versus-host disease, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and the cachexia accompanying cancer and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.7 TNF has also been implicated in insulin resistance, congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis, pancreatitis, and alcohol-induced liver injury among others.8
D 1 A root-structure-regulator peptide in Medicago truncatula : Circular dichroism structure-activity studies

Symbioses between nitrogen-fixing rhizobial bacteria and legumes are of great agricultural importance. We have recently-discovered a 15-amino acid peptide-hormone that contributes to root-nodule formation, essential for rhizobium-legume symbiosis. Manual application of these peptide-hormones increases nodule-formation, as does elevating activity of the corresponding gene in Medicago truncatula. The structure/bio-activity relationship of these hormones has however, until now, remained enigmatic. We report structural characteristics essential for the activity of our hormone, dubbed “D1A”. D1A variants, with alterations in key amino-acids, were analysed via ultraviolet circular dichroism (CD), which generates structure-specific spectra. Spectra were compared to existing literature. Reconciliation of structural data with previously-obtained hormonal-activity data suggests a ‘hairpin’ shape to be biologically-relevant, potentially affecting receptor-binding. We speculate D1A possesses a flexible central sequence of amino acids, facilitating this hairpin structure. Structural stabilisation requires interactions between the distal, aromatic amino acids, with natural hormone-structure also requiring proline-hydroxylation. Mono-hydroxylation resulted in hairpin destabilisation, whilst non-hydroxylation resulted in elevated hairpin character.
Theoretical Limitations of the AOFAS Scoring Systems: An Analysis Using Monte Carlo Modeling

The AOFAS foot scores are four related outcome instruments based on the use of quantitative interval data and have seen increasing use in the literature. The mathematical construction of the scales is particularly notable for a very small number of intervals available to answer each component item and for quantitatively unequal intervals for some items. Monte Carlo computer modeling techniques were used to simulate the responses to each item for a variety of idealized patient populations with several different means, standard deviations, and levels of interaction between items. The continuous data describing each patient's responses were categorized into the finite number of available intervals in the AOFAS Hindfoot score. The resultant distributions of net scores often demonstrated bizarre, skewed behavior that bore little resemblance to the original distributions of continuous data. The effects were magnified as the ends of the scale were approached and when strong correlations between the items measuring pain and function were present. The distributions did not become distorted when the original continuous data were not rounded off into intervals but were simply weighted by their relative contribution to the AOFAS score and summed. The AOFAS scores, therefore, have inherently limited precision which is entirely due to the small number of response intervals available to answer each component item of the scale. Minor changes in a patient's response to a series of correlated questions can potentially make a drastic difference in their total score. Because the population distributions may be badly skewed, the use of parametric statistics with the AOFAS scores should be regarded with genuine suspicion, and appropriate refinements of the scales should be sought.
Kinematic Calibration of a Multisection Bionic Manipulator

This paper deals with the forward kinematic calibration of a bionic arm inspired from the organic elephant trunk and called compact bionic handling assistant (CBHA). First, a forward kinematic model is developed based on the principle of the constant curvature continuum robot theory. Then, two experimental setups are proposed in order to carry out the model calibration and validation. The first one is based on the trilateration method, while the second one is based on the coupling of the CBHA with a rigid six-degree-of-freedom rigid manipulator. The aim of the calibration is to enhance the precision of the forward kinematic model.
Signal cancellation effects in adaptive radar Mountaintop data-set

This paper studies signal cancellation effects in adaptive radar. Using examples from Mountaintop data, it is shown that signal cancellation occurs when the target of interest is included in the weight vector training. The signal cancellation is due to calibration errors (mismatch between the target signal and presumed steering vector). An eigenanalysis-based adaptive beamformer is shown to have greater robustness to signal cancellation effects than the sample matrix inversion (SMI) method.
Blood Lactate Increase During the Force Velocity Exercise Test

Venous blood lactate concentration was measured during the force velocity exercise test in order to determine whether this test is strictly alactic or whether it draws upon lactic anaerobic metabolism. Nine trained male subjects, aged from 23 to 29 years, participated in this study. Two blood samples were drawn at rest, and then for each work load (1 kg to 10 kg): at the end of each sprint (S1) and at the 5th minute of recovery (S2). From the first braking force, venous blood lactate concentration increased very significantly during the force velocity test (p less than 0.001) and, once the peak of power has been obtained, the venous blood lactate concentration remained steady. The lactate increase for each load (delta[LA]) decreased significantly (p less than 0.01). From the beginning of the exercise to the peak of power, a significant positive correlation between the increase of power and the increase of blood lactate concentration measured at S2 existed (r = 0.71, p less than 0.001), whereas there was a negative correlation between the decrease of delta[LA] and the increase of power (r = -0.45, p less than 0.01). In conclusion, the repetition of sprints during the force velocity test induced a recruitment of lactic anaerobic metabolism. Maximal power must be considered as an alactic and lactic anaerobic power. The consequences of lactate accumulation in muscle may be a limitation of the maximal anaerobic power.
Phosphorylation Site Interdependence of Human p53 Post-translational Modifications in Response to Stress*

Modification-specific antibodies were used to characterize the phosphorylation and acetylation of human p53 in response to genotoxic (UV, IR, and adriamycin) and non-genotoxic (PALA, taxol, nocodazole) stress in cultured human cells at 14 known modification sites. In A549 cells, phosphorylation or acetylation was induced at most sites by the three DNA damage-inducing agents, but significant differences between agents were observed. IR-induced phosphorylation reached a maximum 2 h after treatment and returned to near pretreatment levels by 72 h; UV light and adriamycin induced a less rapid but more robust and prolonged p53 phosphorylation, which reached a maximum between 8 and 24 h, but persisted (UV) even 96 h after treatment. Ser33, Ser37, Ser46, and Ser392 were more efficiently phosphorylated after exposure to UV light than after IR. The non-genotoxic agents PALA, taxol and nocodazole induced p53 accumulation and phosphorylation at Ser6, Ser33, Ser46, and Ser392. Some phosphorylation at Ser15 also was observed. Modifications occurred similarly in the HCT116 human colon carcinoma cell line. Analysis of single site mutant p53s indicated clear interdependences between N-terminal phosphorylation sites, which could be classified in four clusters: Ser6 and Ser9; Ser9, Ser15, Thr18 and Ser20; Ser33 and Ser37; and Ser46. We suggest that p53 phosphorylation is regulated through a double cascade involving both the activation of secondary, effector protein kinases as well as intermolecular phosphorylation site interdependencies that check inappropriate p53 inactivation while allowing for signal amplification and the integration of signals from multiple stress pathways.
Point Source Inoculation of Mesocyclops (Copepoda: Cyclopidae) Gives Widespread Control of Ochlerotatus and Aedes (Diptera: Culicidae) Immatures in Service Manholes and Pits in North Queensland, Australia

Abstract This study details the novel application of predacious copepods, genus Mesocyclops, for control of Ochlerotatus tremulus (Theobald) group and Aedes aegypti (L.) mosquito larvae in subterranean habitats in north Queensland, Australia. During June 1997, 50 Mesocyclops sp. 1 were inoculated into one service manhole in South Townsville. Wet season rainfall and flooding in both 1998 and 2000 was responsible for the dispersal of copepods via the underground pipe system to 29 of 35 manholes over an area of 1.33 km2. Significant reductions in Aedes and Ochlerotatus larvae ensued. In these habitats, Mesocyclops and Metacyclops were able to survive dry periods, when substrate moisture content ranged from 13.8 to 79.9%. At the semiarid inland towns of Hughenden and Richmond, cracking clay soil prevents drainage of water from shallow service pits where Oc. tremulus immatures numbered from 292-18,460 per pit. Introduction of Mesocyclops copepods into these sites during May 1999 resulted in 100% control of Oc. tremulus for 18 mo. One uninoculated pit subsequently became positive for Mesocyclops with resultant control of mosquito larvae.
An Efficient Algorithm for Generating Truncated Multivariate Normal Distribution

Sampling from truncated multivariate normal distribution (TMVND) is difficult but necessary in many statistical models. We first present an accept-reject algorithm for sampling from a truncated bivariate normal distribution and then propose a direct conditional sampling approach for a class of TMVND where the dispersion matrix possesses a random-effect covariance structure. For the general dispersion matrix, we propose a simple and efficient data augmentation (DA) algorithm to generate a TMVND by creating an incomplete-data structure. The posterior step of this DA algorithm directly generates the samples of whole vector instead of component by component, thus eliminating possible slow convergence in Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. We further show that multivariate normal distributions restricted to some commonly-encountered convex sets can be transformed into some TMVND via a simple linear mapping. The proposed method is applied to bivariate grouped model, multivariate probit models and two-way layout with ordered parameters and is further illustrated with a real example.
Gain and Radiation Pattern Enhancement of the H-Plane Horn Antenna Using a Tapered Dielectric Lens

The design of a high-gain and low-profile <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$H$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-plane horn antenna embedded into a large metallic platform is proposed. The antenna is composed of three parts: coaxial-to-ridged transition, wideband <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$H$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-plane antenna, and dielectric lens. The coaxial-to-ridged transition makes an efficient conversion from TEM modes in a coaxial probe to the fundamental TE<sub>10</sub> mode in a ridged horn, and by choosing the ratio between horn aperture and length and suppressing the TE higher mode, the optimal design of the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$H$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-plane horn antenna can be obtained. Then, a tapered dielectric lens is located in the end-fire direction, which converts the TE wave into the leaky-wave mode, enhancing the peak gain. A prototype of the proposed antenna is finally fabricated and tested. The measured results are in good agreement with the simulated ones, which show that the proposed antenna has a very wide bandwidth from 2.5 to 20 GHz for the voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) < 2.5 and exhibits a low thickness of only 8 mm (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.066\lambda _{L}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\lambda _{L}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is the free-space wavelength at the lowest operating frequency). Good radiation pattern and high gain can be achieved over a wide frequency band.
Beam Domain Optical Wireless Massive MIMO Communications with Transmit Lens

We present beam domain optical wireless massive multiple-input multiple-output communications, where base station with massive transmitters communicates with a number of user terminals through transmit lens simultaneously. We focus on LED transmitters, and provide an optical channel model, where the light emitted from one LED passes through the transmit lens and generates a narrow beam. Based on this channel model, we analyze the performance of maximum ratio transmission and regularized zero-forcing linear precoding schemes, and propose concave-convex-procedure based transmit covariance matrix design to maximize the sum-rate. Then, we design the transmit covariance matrix when the number of transmitters goes to infinity, and show that beam division multiple access (BDMA) transmission achieves the asymptotically optimal performance for sum-rate maximization. Compared with the case without transmit lens, BDMA transmission can increase the sum-rate proportionally to $2K$ ($K$ is the number of users) and $K$ under total power and per transmitter power constraints, respectively. Motivated by the asymptotic results, for the non-asymptotic case, we prove the orthogonality conditions of the optimal power allocation in the beam domain and propose beam allocation algorithms satisfying the conditions. Numerical results confirm the significantly improved performances of our proposed beam domain optical massive MIMO communication approaches.
Bandwidth‐guaranteed QoS routing of multiple parallel paths in CDMA/TDMA ad hoc wireless networks

This paper investigates the issues of QoS routing in CDMA/TDMA ad hoc networks. Since the available bandwidth is very limited in ad hoc networks, a QoS request between two nodes will be blocked if there does not exist a path that can meet the QoS requirements, even though there is enough free bandwidth in the whole system. In this paper, we propose a new scheme of using multiple paths between two nodes as the route for a QoS call. The aggregate bandwidth of the multiple paths can meet the bandwidth requirement of the call and the delays of these paths are within the required bound of the call. We also propose three strategies by which to choose a set of paths as the route, namely, shortest path first (SPF), largest bandwidth first (LBF), and largest hop‐bandwidth first (LHBF). Extensive simulations have been conducted to evaluate the performance of the three strategies in comparison with a traditional single path routing algorithm. The simulation results show that the proposed multiple paths routing scheme significantly reduces the system blocking rates in various network environments, especially when the network load is heavy. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nod2 Mutation in Crohn's Disease Potentiates NF-κB Activity and IL-1ß Processing

Variants of NOD2, an intracellular sensor of bacteria-derived muramyl dipeptide (MDP), increase susceptibility to Crohn's disease (CD). These variants are thought to be defective in activation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and antibacterial defenses, but CD clinical specimens display elevated NF-κB activity. To illuminate the pathophysiological function of NOD2, we introduced such a variant to the mouse Nod2 locus. Mutant mice exhibited elevated NF-κB activation in response to MDP and more efficient processing and secretion of the cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β). These effects are linked to increased susceptibility to bacterial-induced intestinal inflammation and identify NOD2 as a positive regulator of NF-κB activation and IL-1β secretion.