Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FHL2 interacts with both ADAM‐17 and the cytoskeleton and regulates ADAM‐17 localization and activity

ADAM‐17 is a metalloprotease‐disintegrin responsible for the ectodomain shedding of several transmembrane proteins. Using the yeast two‐hybrid system, we showed that ADAM‐17 interacts with the Four and Half LIM domain 2 protein (FHL2), a LIM domain protein that is involved in multiple protein‐protein interaction. We demonstrated that this interaction involved the amino‐acid sequence of ADAM‐17 from position 721 to739. In the cardiomyoblast cells H9C2, ADAM‐17 and FHL2 colocalize with the actin‐based cytoskeleton and we showed that FHL2 binds both ADAM‐17 and the actin‐based cytoskeleton. We found that mainly the mature form of ADAM‐17 associates with the cytoskeleton, although the maturation of ADAM‐17 by furin is not necessary for its binding to the cytoskeleton. Interestingly, less ADAM‐17 was detected at the surface of wild‐type mouse macrophages compared to FHL2 deficient macrophages. However, wild‐type cells have a higher ability to release ADAM‐17 substrates under PMA stimulation. Altogether, these results demonstrate a physical and functional interaction between ADAM‐17 and FHL2 that implies that FHL2 has a role in the regulation of ADAM‐17. J. Cell. Physiol. 208: 363–372, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Uncovering the Human Methyltransferasome*

We present a comprehensive analysis of the human methyltransferasome. Primary sequences, predicted secondary structures, and solved crystal structures of known methyltransferases were analyzed by hidden Markov models, Fisher-based statistical matrices, and fold recognition prediction-based threading algorithms to create a model, or profile, of each methyltransferase superfamily. These profiles were used to scan the human proteome database and detect novel methyltransferases. 208 proteins in the human genome are now identified as known or putative methyltransferases, including 38 proteins that were not annotated previously. To date, 30% of these proteins have been linked to disease states. Possible substrates of methylation for all of the SET domain and SPOUT methyltransferases as well as 100 of the 131 seven-β-strand methyltransferases were surmised from sequence similarity clusters based on alignments of the substrate-specific domains.
Biases in Farm-Level Yield Risk Analysis due to Data Aggregation

We investigate biases in farm-level yield risk analysis caused by data aggregation from the farm-level to regional and national levels using the example of Swiss wheat and barley yields. The estimated yield variability decreases significantly with increasing level of aggregation, with crop yield variability at the farm-level being up to 2.38 times higher than indicated from national data. Our results show furthermore that inference on shape parameters based on aggregated data might be misleading. Using an example of farm yield insurance, we show that using crop yield variability estimates from aggregated levels leads to erroneous insurance contract specifications. Dieser Beitrag untersucht unter Verwendung Schweizer Ertragsdaten fA¼r Weizen und Gerste potentielle Fehler, die bei der Analyse von Ertragsrisiken durch die Aggregation von Betriebsdaten auf regionalen oder nationalen Niveaus entstehen. Die geschA¤tzte ErtragsvariabilitA¤t sinkt signifikant mit einem steigenden Aggregationsniveau, wobei die ErtragsvariabilitA¤t auf Betriebsebene bis zu 2,38-mal grA¶sser seien kann, als dies durch nationale Daten angedeutet wird. Des Weiteren zeigen die Resultate, dass RA¼ckschlA¼sse A¼ber Schiefe und Kurtosis der ErtrA¤ge, basierend auf aggregierten Daten, irrefA¼hrend sein kA¶nnen. Mittels eines Versicherungsbeispiels wird zudem gezeigt, dass die Ausgestaltung einer Versicherung, basierend auf aggregierten Daten, zu falschen Ergebnissen fA¼hren kann.
Isolation optimization and characterization of antimicrobial peptide producing bacteria from soil.

In this study, soil bacteria were isolated and characterized including its antimicrobial peptide. For this, soil s amples were collected from agriculture lands. Soil samples were diluted and cultured in nutrient agar plates to obtain the isolated bacterial colonies. Antimicrobial peptide producers were screened by stab overlay, agar well diffusion, cross streaking and lacuna assay methods. The isolated strains were identified through morphological, cultural and biochemical properties. Isolates with significant antimicrobial peptide producing potential, which inhibited the growth of sensitive strains in all applied assays have been identified as pseudomonas luteola with 98 % similarity index by API kit. Maximum antimicrobial activity of the isolated strain was observed at pH 7, 18 h incubation at 35 ˚C in brain heart infusion agar (BHI). Under optimized growth conditions, inhibitory zone was 34-36 mm, almost 20 folds higher than the initial and further increased after particle purification with 60 % ammonium sulfate precipitation. Estimated molecular size of the peptide produced by the isolates was less than 20 kda. These antimicrobial peptides lost antibacterial activity after treating with protinease K . Antimicrobial peptide obtained from producer strain was active against Shigella, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli. Furthermore, this study suggests that clinically and industrially important peptide antibacterial compounds can be obtained from unexplored ecological niches.
Average-case optimality of a hybrid secant-bisection method

We present an average-case complexity analysis for the zerofinding problem for functions from C r ([0,1]), r ≥ 2, which change sign at the endpoints. This class of functions is equipped with a conditional r-folded Wiener measure. We prove that the average-case complexity of computing an e-approximation is of order loglog(l/e), and that a hybrid secant-bisection method with a suitable adaptive stopping rule is almost optimal. This method uses only function evaluations. We stress that the adaptive stopping rule is crucial. If one uses a nonadaptive stopping rule, then the cost has to be of order log(l/e). Hence, the adaptive stopping rule is exponentially more powerful than arbitrary nonadaptive stopping rules. Our algorithm is a slightly simplified version of the hybrid methods proposed by Dekker in 1969 and Bus and Dekker in 1975. These algorithms are still considered as the best algorithms for zerofinding by Kahaner, Moler, and Nash in their book on numerical methods.
A Transaction-Efficiency Analysis of an Internet Retailing Supply Chain in the Music CD Industry

The emergence of the Internet may have fundamentally altered the mechanisms underlying information exchanges between sellers and end consumers. However, little attention has been given to the impact these mechanisms have on the efficiency of supply chain operations. This paper begins to address this deficiency in the literature by evaluating supply chain transaction efficiency effects from Internet purchases by consumers. It develops and empirically tests a theoretical framework examining the role Internet purchases have in establishing transaction-efficiency levels in product exchanges involving sellers, placed at different supply chain echelons, and consumers. The theoretical framework integrates the Transaction-Cost and Internet Economics, Inter-Organizational Information Systems, and Supply Chain Management literatures. Empirical testing, via structural equation modeling, is based on archival data in the Internet music-CD market. The results show that Internet-mediated purchases by consumers allow for greater transaction efficiencies when inventory ownership is postponed further upstream in the supply chain and supply chain echelons are disintermediated. The results also indicate that channel structure configuration, defined by the supply chains' Internet retailing echelon, moderates these transaction efficiency effects.
High HIV Incidence and Socio-Behavioral Risk Patterns in Fishing Communities on the Shores of Lake Victoria, Uganda

Background: We report on HIV acquisition and its associated risk factors in 5 fishing communities on the shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda. A cohort of 1000 HIV-uninfected at-risk volunteers aged 13 to 49 years were recruited in 2009 and followed up for 18 months. Methods: At enrollment and semiannual visits, socio-demographic and risk behavior data were collected through a structured questionnaire and blood samples tested for HIV and syphilis. Detailed life histories were collected from 78 volunteers using in-depth interviews. Results: Of the 1000 volunteers enrolled, 919 (91.9%) were followed up, with 762 (76.2%) reaching the study end points (either seroconverted or completed 4 visits). There were 59 incident cases in 1205.6 person-years at risk (PYAR), resulting in an incidence rate of 4.9 (95% CI = 3.8 to 6.3) per 100 PYAR. The highest HIV incidence rates were among those working in bars (9.8/100 PYAR [4.7–20.6]), protestants (8.6/100 PYAR [5.8–12.7]), those aged 13 to 24 years (7.5/100 PYAR [5.2–11.0]), and new immigrants (6.6/100 PYAR [4.9–8.9]). HIV infection was independently associated with being young (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 2.5 [95% CI = 1.3–4.9]), reporting genital sores/discharge recently (aHR = 2.8 [1.6–5.0]), regular alcohol consumption (aHR = 3.3 [1.6–6.1]), use of marijuana (aHR = 2.9 [1.0–8.0]), cigarette smoking (aHR = 3.6 [1.4–9.3]), and religion (compared with Catholics, Protestants had aHR = 2.7 [1.4–5.3] and Muslims had aHR = 2.3 [1.1–4.8]). Conclusions: These fishing communities experienced high HIV infection, which was mainly explained by high-risk behavior. There is an urgent need to target HIV prevention and research efforts to this vulnerable and neglected group.
Um Novo Método Usando Autocorrelação para Extração da Freq¨uência Fundamental em Sinais de Voz

Este artigo descreve o algoritmo de extracao da frequencia fundamental do sinal de voz usado na implementacao do programa P-NAV (Programa Neuro Analizador Vocal), por Brandao (2006). O metodo proposto toma como base o algoritmo descrito por Boersma (1993), que usa o metodo da autocorrelacao, e desenvolve quatro algoritmos obtendo, com isso, um metodo mais robusto para marcar corretamente os periodos do sinal de voz, mesmo em trechos severamente perturbados e diplofonicos.
NONPARAMETRIC ESTIMATION WITH RECURRENT EVENT DATA BU-1568

The problem of non-parametric estimation for the distribution function governing the time to occurrence of a recurrent event in the presence of censoring is considered. We derive Nelson-Aalen and Kaplan-Meier-type estimators for the distribution function, and establish their respective finite-sample and asymptotic properties. We allow for random observation periods for each subject under study and explicitly account for the informative sum-quota nature of the data accrual scheme. These allowances complicate technical matters considerably and in particular invalidate the direct use of Martingale methods. Consistency and weak convergence of our estimators are obtained by extending an approach due to Sellke (1988), who considered a single renewal process (i.e., recurrent events on a single subject) observed over an infinite time period. A useful feature of the present analysis is that strong parallels are drawn to the usual "single-event" setting, providing a natural route towards developing extensions that involve covariates (e.g., weighted log-rank tests, Cox-type regression and frailty models). Another advantage is that we obtain explicit, closed-form expressions for the asymptotic variances for these estimators. This enables for instance the characterization of the efficiency loss resulting from employing only the first, possibly right-censored, observation per subject. An interesting feature of these results is the prominent role of the renewal function. Finally, we discuss the case of correlated recurrence times, propose an estimator in the case where the within-unit interoccurrence times follow a gamma frailty model, and compare the performance of our estimators to an estimator recently proposed by Wang and Chang (1999). CORNELL UNIVERSITY BIOMETRICS DEPARTMENT TECHNICAL REPORT BU-1568-M Nonparametric Estimation with Recurrent Event Data E. A. Pefia*t R. L. Strawderman+ M. Hollander§
Physiological and performance effects of low- versus mixed-intensity rowing training.

PURPOSE To examine the impact of low-intensity and a mixture of low- and high-intensity training on physiological and performance responses in rowing. METHODS Eighteen experienced rowers undertook a 12-wk program of 100% < or = lactate threshold (LT) training (LOW) or 70% training at < or = LT and 30% at halfway (50%Delta) between the V O2 at LT and V O2peak (MIX). Responses were assessed before and after training by a progressive exercise test to exhaustion; multiple "square-wave" rest-to-exercise transitions of 6-min duration at 50%Delta; and a maximal 2000-m ergometer time trial. RESULTS Improvements (P < 0.001) in 2000-m ergometer performance and V O2peak occurred independently of groups (P = 0.8 and 0.42, respectively). LOW improved the power at LT (23.5 +/- 12.2 vs 5.1 +/- 5.0 W, P = 0.013) and power at a [blood lactate] of 4 mM (32.3 +/- 6.9 vs 13.1 +/- 3.7 W, P = 0.03) compared with MIX. The time constant and gain of the primary component were unchanged with training, whereas the gain of the V O2 slow component was reduced with training, but independently of group. CONCLUSIONS Both LOW and MIX training programs improved performance and V O2peak by the same magnitude, whereas LOW attenuated the blood lactate response to a given exercise intensity more so than MIX.
Sexual Addiction in Association with Obsessive – Compulsive Disorder

A case of hypersexual behavior occurring in association with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is described. This patient had non–paraphilic heterosexual multiple partner behavior or sexual addiction. The patient also exhibited nonsexual obsessions and compulsions diagnostic of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The case is presented for its clinical interest, because sexual addiction is rare especially in association with OCD. Another interesting observation from this case was that the symptom of increased sexual behavior in our patient was found to distinctly different from the OC symptoms from psychopathological perspective. We intend to highlight the fact that hypersexual behavior in OCD patients need not necessarily be obsessive-compulsive in nature and as such there is a strong case for considering hypersexual behavior as a separate diagnostic entity in future classificatory systems (German J Psychiatry 2010; 13(4): 171174).
Anonymous Authenticated Car-to-X Communication

Two current trends in the automotive industry are the increasing number of connected vehicles and automated driving. The former enables the use of different applications within the vehicle. These applications might be restricted to vehicles with certain features such as manufacturer or model. To enable automated driving, the vehicle needs information about the road ahead. This information might be provided by an application. In order to keep the street information up to date connected vehicles share their sensor data. This data is then aggregated on a central server. Furthermore, it has a restricted spatial and temporal validity. Therefore, the vehicles also need to provide the corresponding time and position information. When reporting position data, it is possible, for example, to generate movement profiles or to identify sensitive locations. Hence, it is critical which information different applications reveal about the corresponding vehicles. Therefore, in this thesis we propose four different schemes which restrict the information applications can obtain from vehicles. The first scheme addresses the problem how a vehicle can authenticate itself privacy preserving based on attributes at an application without revealing all its attributes. The second scheme provides a solution for the question how two vehicles can authenticate each other for an application and exchange confidential data without disclosing their identity. The third scheme obfuscates the identity of a vehicle while sharing sensor data with a central server. The fourth scheme is related to the question how data can be distributed by a central server to all vehicles equipped with a particular application and located within a certain area without tracking the vehicles and knowing their subscribed applications. In addition, we outline how these schemes can be combined. We demonstrate that each scheme is practical by presenting prototype implementations. Additionally, we simulate the second and third scheme in order to assess the impact on the vehicles privacy.
Far-field antenna characterization in the sub-THz region based on electrooptic near-field measurements

This paper describes an antenna characterization system in the sub-THz region that is based on photonic self-heterodyne and nonpolarimetric techniques. This system shows a stable measurement, with the signal-to-noise ratio of 30 dB and the phase standard deviation of 81×10-3 rad. Far-field horn antenna characterization at 125 GHz is demonstrated. We confirm that the radiation patterns calculated from the near-field measurements are in good agreement with the simulated results.
Dynamic Coattention Networks with Encoder Maxout

We implement a system based on the Dynamic Coattention Network outlined in Xiong et al. to address the Stanford Question Answering Dataset (SQuAD), learning to find continuous answer spans for prompted questions contained in a context document. We further experiment with variations on the original architecture, including the use of BiLSTMs and the addition of a maxout layer in the coattention encoder. We find that our attempts to simultaneously incorporate BiLSTMs and avoid a significant increase in the number of parameters result in reduced performance. We also find that the encoder maxout layer provides a small but consistent performance boost. Our final model incorporates the encoder maxout layer and obtains a test set F1 score of 69.22% and EM of 58.764%.
Genetics, behavior and ecology of a paper wasp invasion : Polistes dominulus in North America

Studies of social insect invasions to date have focused primarily on highly eusocial insects such as ants and yellowjacket wasps. Yet insect societies without fixed, morphological caste systems may be particularly good invaders due to their behavioral flexibility, as demonstrated by the recent invasion of the European paper wasp Polistes dominulus into North America. Here we provide a review of this ongoing invasion in terms of (1) population genetic variation in P. dominulus, and (2) comparative behavior and ecology of P. dominulus vs. the native P. fuscatus. We present new genetic evidence supporting the occurrence of multiple independent introductions of P. dominulus into the USA, confirming previous results demonstrating relatively high genetic variation in introduced populations. We also present behavioral and demographic evidence suggesting that P. dominulus is displacing the native P. fuscatus in at least part of its range, most likely due to the superior productivity and survivorship of P. dominulus colonies. We review data from comparative studies where the two species are sympatric and discuss possible mechanisms contributing to the differences between them. Finally, we discuss the ecological impacts of this invasion and the role of P. dominulus as a model organism for invasion biology.
Product Market Competition in a World of Cross-Ownership : Evidence from Institutional Blockholdings Jie

The fraction of U.S. public firms held by institutional blockholders who simultaneously hold large blocks of other same-industry firms has increased tremendously from below 10% in 1980 to about 60% in 2010. In this paper, we analyze whether and how institutional cross-ownership of same-industry firms affects product market behavior. Our baseline results show that crossheld firms experience a significantly higher market share growth than non-cross-held firms. We establish causality by relying on two identification strategies: a difference-in-differences approach based on the quasi-natural experiment of institution mergers and a two-stage least squares approach using the geographical distance between firms and their same-industry peers’ institutional blockholders as an instrument. Finally, we identify several mechanisms through which a firm’s institutional cross-ownership improves its product market performance: withinindustry joint ventures and strategic alliances, within-industry acquisitions, pricing power, and interlocking boards whose members sit on the boards of same-industry firms. Overall, our evidence suggests that cross-ownership by institutional blockholders offers strategic benefits by fostering product market coordination.
[In vitro studies on antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of polysaccharide from Lycoris aurea].

OBJECTIVE To study the preliminary antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of polysaccharide extracted from Lycoris aurea. METHODS The scavenging activities of the polysaccharide in vitro on superoxide radical (O2-*), hydroxyl radical (*OH), alkyl radical (R*) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were investigated by modified chemical systems. Meanwhile, the antimicrobial activities were tested using paper-discagar diffusion method. RESULTS In general, the antioxidant activities of the polysaccharide were lower compared with Vc. However, the scavenging effects to *OH and H2O2 were parallel to Vc. Meanwhile, polysaccharide from Lycoris aurea had strong antimicrobial activities against Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus pumilus and Staphylococcus aureus. CONCLUSION The polysaccharide extracted from L. aurea can scavenge *OH and H2O2 effectively and inhibit Gram-positive bacterias.
Coevolution of the Mammalian Middle Ear and Neocortex

Phylogenetic analysis with x-ray computed tomography of fossilized and recent crania implicates differential growth of the neocortex in the evolution and development of the mammalian middle ear. In premammalian tetrapods, the middle ear evolved as a chain of bones attached to the mandible and cranium, but in adult mammals the chain is detached from the mandible and lies behind it. The neocortex evolved concurrently with detachment of the chain. In mammalian development the auditory chain arises connected to the mandible but later detaches, recapitulating the phylogenetic transformation. In modern didelphid development, the auditory chain reaches mature size by the third week after birth and is then separated from the jaw and displaced caudally as the neocortex grows for another 9 weeks.
Platelet-rich plasma encapsulation in hyaluronic acid/gelatin-BCP hydrogel for growth factor delivery in BCP sponge scaffold for bone regeneration

Microporous calcium phosphate based synthetic bone substitutes are used for bone defect healing. Different growth factor loading has been investigated for enhanced bone regeneration. The platelet is a cellular component of blood which naturally contains a pool of necessary growth factors that mediate initiation, continuation, and completion of cellular mechanism of healing. In this work, we have investigated the encapsulation and immobilization of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) with natural polymers like hyaluronic acid (HA) and gelatin (Gel) and loading them in a biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) scaffold, for a synthetic-allologous hybrid scaffold. Effect of PRP addition in small doses was evaluated for osteogenic potential in vitro and in vivo. BCP (10%) mixed HA–Gel hydrogel with or without PRP, was loaded into a BCP sponge scaffold. We investigated the hydrogel-induced improvement in mechanical property and PRP-mediated enhancement in biocompatibility. In vitro studies for cytotoxicity, cell attachment, and proliferation were carried out using MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblast cells. In in vitro studies, the cell count, cell proliferation, and cell survival were higher in the scaffold with PRP loading than without PRP. However, in the in vivo studies using a rat model, the PRP scaffold was not superior to the scaffold without PRP. This discrepancy was investigated in terms of the interaction of PRP in the in vivo environment.