Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structural basis of MHC class I recognition by natural killer cell receptors

Summary: Natural killer (NK)‐cell function is regulated by NK receptors that recognize MHC class I (MHC‐I) molecules on target cells. Two structurally distinct families of NK receptors have been identified, the immunoglobulin‐like family (killer cell immunoglobulin‐like receptors (KIRs), leukocyte immunoglobulin‐like receptors (LIRs)) and the C‐type lectin‐like family (Ly49, CD94/NKG2A, NKG2D, CD69). Recently, the three‐dimensional structures of several NK receptors were determined, in free form or bound to MHC‐I. These include those of unbound KIRs, NKG2D, CD69, LIR‐1 and the CD94 subunit of the CD94/NKG2A heterodimer. Together, these structures define the basic molecular architecture of both the immunoglobulin‐like and C‐type lectin‐like families of NK receptors. In addition, crystal structures have been reported for the complex between Ly49A and H‐2Dd, and for KIR2DL2 bound to HLA‐Cw3. The complex structures provide a framework for understanding MHC‐I recognition by NK receptors from both families and reveal striking differences in the nature of this recognition, despite the receptors’ functional similarity.
Graphical induced structured input / output models

A single nucleotide polymorphism, often abbreviated to SNP, is a variation in a single nucleotide that occurs at a specific position in the genome. Genetic Association Hypothesis testing aims at finding which SNP’s are causal (or associated) vis-a-vis a hereditary disease. In other words, we hope to find out the mapping between genotype and phenotype. Until now, most popular approaches for genetic and molecular analysis of diseases are mainly based on classical statistical techniques, such as the linkage analysis of selected markers; quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping conducted over one phenotype and one marker genotype at a time, which are then corrected for multiple hypothesis testing. Primitive data mining methods include the clustering of gene expressions and the high-level descriptive analysis of molecular networks. Such approaches yield crude, usually qualitative characterizations of the study subjects. However, many complex disease syndromes, such as asthma, consist of a large number of highly related, rather than independent, clinical or molecular phenotypes. This raises a new technical challenge in identifying genetic variations associated simultaneously with correlated traits. In this lecture, we will see several methods to analyze the multi-correspondence mapping between multiple SNP’s and (multiple) symptoms phenotypes.
Embedded System Control : Design and Implementation on Multifunctional Sounding Rocket Ground Testing Equipment

An embedded system is a special-purpose computer system designed to perform one or a few dedicated functions often with real-time computing constraints. It is usually embedded as part of a complete device including hardware and mechanical parts.The application of Embedded System on design and implementation on multifunctional ground testing and control equipment that can support various sounding rocket control actuators unit during assembly and testing is explained in this paper. This project will enable Research institutes, amateur rocketeers and Individuals to design and build their own test equipment according to specification within acceptable cost index using the design approach implemented in this project.
X-linked acrogigantism syndrome

X-linked acrogigantism (X-LAG) is a recently identified clinical syndrome of GH excess with early-onset of gigantism, typically in the first few months of life. X-LAG is more often diagnosed in females. This disorder results from the germline or somatic duplication of the GPR101 gene located on chromosome Xq26.3 which encodes a G-protein coupled receptor. Clinical features include early onset and marked overgrowth. Besides the excess of GH and IGF-1, most patients present concomitant increased prolactin levels without galactorrhoea. Interestingly, around half of the patients demonstrate fasting hyperinsulinemia and 20% present acanthosis nigricans, but no diabetes mellitus. Radiological (MRI) evaluation reveals pituitary tumor or general enlargement of pituitary. Histopathological studies showed pituitary hyperplasia or pituitary adenoma with or without associated hyperplasia. Patients with X-LAG syndrome require multi-modal treatment. Data from literature concerning X-LAG syndrome suggests the highest effectiveness of combined treatment that includes neurosurgery and pharmacotherapy with somatostatin analogues, dopamine agonists (cabergoline) and pegvisomant.
Influence of Sorghum Cultivar, Phenological Stage, and Fertilization on Development and Reproduction of Melanaphis sacchari (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Abstract The sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is an invasive pest of grain sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench (Poaceae). Since its first outbreak in sorghum in 2013, severe infestations have spread throughout the southern USA, causing major economic losses. Whereas insecticide applications can mitigate some of the pest's impacts, a sustainable ecology-based management program is needed to reduce reliance on chemical control. Two greenhouse assays examined the influence of selected host plant characteristics on M. sacchari life table parameters. We studied the effects of silicon (rates equivalent to 0 and 3,360 kg silicon per ha) and nitrogen (rates equivalent to 0, 110, and 224 kg nitrogen per ha) on M. sacchari growth and reproduction on a susceptible cultivar (SP 7868) in 2 phenological stages (5-leaf stage and boot stage). A second experiment examined the same silicon and nitrogen treatments on resistant (DKS 37-07) and susceptible (DKS 38-88) cultivars of grain sorghum. We calculated M. sacchari life table parameters including the intrinsic rate of increase, finite rate of increase, doubling time, and mean generation time for each treatment. Aphid population growth parameters were greater for plants in the 5-leaf stage than in the boot stage. In both experiments, nitrogen fertilization had a positive effect on M. sacchari fecundity, but effects of nitrogen on other parameters were less consistent. Silicon had a negative effect on life table parameters on sorghum plants in the boot stage, but effects were not consistent across treatments. Sorghum cultivar DKS 37-07 showed a high level of resistance, because no aphids survived to adulthood. These results suggest that resistant sorghum cultivars and nitrogen management could have a role in integrated pest management of M. sacchari.
Towards a Theory of Things : Reversal Theory and Design

The aim of this paper is to initiate the development of a “theory of things. ” This would be a theory of the psychological impact that objects of various kinds have on people, especially on their motivation and emotions, and would call on reversal theory for its foundations. On the applied side, it would be relevant to designers looking for a systematic way of developing their creative work. The present paper reviews some ingredients drawn from reversal theory that we might expect in such a theory of things. These include contingent reversal, coming in the form of the innate meanings that have been studied by ethologists, formal aspects of objects such as color and shape, and the cultural and individual meaning that humans learn to associate with different kinds of objects. All of these appear to be able to act as reversal agents, and can be made use of in “the eight rooms” technique for inducing reversals. Other reversal theory concepts can also be brought to bear on the development of a theory of things, including the concepts of protective frame, and cognitive synergy.
Environmental Estrogens Stimulate Gene Transcription in the Prolactin Promoter

The ability of environmental estrogens to regulate gene transcription on model and physiologically complex promoter was examined in GH3 cells, a pituitary cell line. In transient transfection studies, the pGL3 model promoter and the physiologically complex prolactin promoter were both responsive to the xenoestrogen bisphenol A and the phytoestrogen daidzein in a dose related manner. These transcriptional responses were mediated by estrogen receptors, as responses were ameliorated in the presence of ICI 180, 782, a pure antiestrogen. Cotransfection of Pit-1 significantly enhanced the transcriptional response of the prolactin promoter to stimulation by environmental estrogens. The nature and magnitude of transcriptional responses to estradiol sensitive genes following challenge by environmental estrogens is likely dependent on regulatory elements found in the promoter and their ability to recruit transcription factors.
Reducing the minimum range of RGB-D sensor to aid navigation in visually impaired individuals

The introduction of RGB-Depth (RGB-D) sensors harbors a revolutionary power in the field of navigational assistance for the visually impaired. However, RGB-D sensors are limited by a minimum detectable distance of about 800mm. This paper proposes an effective approach to decrease the minimum range for navigational assistance based on a RGB-D sensor of RealSense R200. A large-scale stereo matching between two IR images and a cross-modal stereo matching between one IR image and RGB image are incorporated for short-range depth acquisition. The minimum range reduction is critical not only for avoiding obstacles up close, but also in the enhancement of traversability awareness. Overall, the minimum detectable distance of RealSense is reduced from 650mm to 60mm with qualified accuracy. A traversable line is created to feedback visually impaired individuals through stereo sound. The approach is proved to be with usefulness and reliability by a comprehensive set of experiments and field tests in real-world scenarios involving real visually impaired participants.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF EATING DISORDERS

The objective of this paper is to give an historical overview of the development of psychodynamic theories and to acknowledge their contribution to the understanding of the aetiology of these complex disorders. Relevant psychodynamic and psychoanalytic papers on the historical development of eating disorders were identified through a search of (1) Medline and PsychoInfo, (2) the library of the London Institute of Psychoanalysis, (3) Psychoanalytic Electronic Publishing (PEP), and (4) a number of textbooks on eating disorders.
EVOLUTIONARY TRACKS FOR BETELGEUSE

We have constructed a series of nonrotating quasi-hydrostatic evolutionary models for the M2 Iab supergiant Betelgeuse (α Orionis). Our models are constrained by multiple observed values for the temperature, luminosity, surface composition, and mass loss for this star, along with the parallax distance and high-resolution imagery that determines its radius. We have then applied our best-fit models to analyze the observed variations in surface luminosity and the size of detected surface bright spots as the result of up-flowing convective material from regions of high temperature in the surface convective zone. We also attempt to explain the intermittently observed periodic variability in a simple radial linear adiabatic pulsation model. Based on the best fit to all observed data, we suggest a best progenitor mass estimate of 20 − 3 + 5 M ⊙ ? > and a current age from the start of the zero-age main sequence of 8.0–8.5 Myr based on the observed ejected mass while on the giant branch.
Classi cation and Visualization on the Hepatitis Dataset

In this paper we address goals 2 and 3 of those proposed by the donors of the Hepatitis dataset, namely to evaluate whether it is possible to estimate the stage of liver brosis from the results of examinations, and to evaluate the e ectiveness of the interferon therapy. Goal 2 was addressed by learning various classi ers that predict the value of brosis from the values of examinations other than the biopsy. Unfortunately, the best accuracy obtained was only 50.6 %, up only 2.1 % from the performance of the default classi er, thus showing that replacing biopsies is still very hard if not impossible. As regards goal 3, we have plotted the distribution of the values of the di erence in brosis and in activity before and after the interferon therapy. The plots show that the therapy actually reduces the level of activity but not the level of brosis. Moreover, we have also plotted the distribution of the values of the di erence of GOT before and after the therapy. The graph shows that a moderate reduction of GOT is obtained.
Scalable Salient Motions Detection from Skeletal Motion Capture Data

In this paper we introduce a novel method for representing motion captured data in terms of its most salient events. We capture the key poses that can best represent the motion captured data. Our method can determine the salient events at multiple scales depending on the user interest. We apply sliding window Singular Value Decomposition to select a group of representative frames that can describe the important events of motion through a long sequence of 3D skeletal motions. Experimental results on motion capture data prove the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
COGNITIVE COSTS OF BILINGUAL EDUCATION : THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL RESEARCH

Bilingual education is becoming more common throughout the world. There is no doubt that bilingualism comes with important advantages. The benefit of bilingualism has been shown even to extend to basic cognitive functions, namely to an improved ability of executive control. However, educational practitioners need to be aware that bilingual learning also comes with costs. They cannot expect that the information learned in one language can be retrieved in another language as well as in the language of instruction. But only little research has been done on the underlying cognitive mechanisms of learning in bior multilingual pedagogical settings. Despite of the obvious benefits and popularity of immersion education it is far from clear whether or not there are any risks for students who are trained in such programs. The aim of our research is to investigate the possible costs and the negative effects of bilingual education. In particular, it is necessary to identify and investigate the extent of the cognitive costs in situations when languages of instruction and of application are different. The formulated problem is fundamental, both in national and international contexts. The above situation arises, for example in secondary schools of Russia with native (Yakut, Tatar, North Ossetian, Circassian etc.) language of instruction, in which mathematics is taught bilingually by means of Russian and native languages. The teachers are using bilingual mode of teaching mathematics due to the fact that the Unified State Exam in mathematics is compulsory for all students of the Russian Federation, and it is conducted in Russian language. The interpretive approach was used in which data was collected by the transcription of video recordings of lessons and analysis of interviews with students and teachers. The data was analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Cognitive costs were investigated in the process of solving mathematical problems using two languages (Russian and Tatar) by students and pupils of schools and Universities in Tatarstan. The hypothesis that the negative effects from language-switching occur in the form of a time delay and deterioration of the accuracy of the solution of math problems was confirmed.
Pragmatic Approach to Automated Testing of Mobile Applications with Non-Native Graphic User Interface

—This article addresses the problem of automated smoke testing for mobile applications with hand-drawn non-native graphic user interface (GUI) within the context of continuous integration pipeline. In such applications the traditional approach to define and test situations triggered by appearance of certain GUI elements accessed programmatically does not work, so we need to apply image recognition and pattern matching algorithms to testing both the application interface and its major functional features. We introduce one example, which is a Unity-based mobile game “World of Tennis: Roaring ’20s”. Our idea is to classify GUI elements (including buttons, game control elements, static and movable objects) with respect to their appearance in different type of game scenes, as well as to find pattern recognition methods providing the best similarity values to increase GUI element recognition quality and therefore to suggest a reliable support for test script writers.
Solution Conformation and Thermodynamic Characteristics of RNA Binding by the Splicing Factor U2AF65*

The U2 auxiliary factor large subunit (U2AF65) is an essential pre-mRNA splicing factor for the initial stages of spliceosome assembly. Tandem RNA recognition motifs (RRM)s of U2AF65 recognize polypyrimidine tract signals adjacent to 3′ splice sites. Despite the central importance of U2AF65 for splice site recognition, the relative arrangement of the U2AF65 RRMs and the energetic forces driving polypyrimidine tract recognition remain unknown. Here, the solution conformation of the U2AF65 RNA binding domain determined using small angle x-ray scattering reveals a bilobal shape without apparent interdomain contacts. The proximity of the N and C termini within the inter-RRM configuration is sufficient to explain the action of U2AF65 on spliceosome components located both 5′ and 3′ to its binding site. Isothermal titration calorimetry further demonstrates that an unusually large enthalpy-entropy compensation underlies U2AF65 recognition of an optimal polyuridine tract. Qualitative similarities were observed between the pairwise distance distribution functions of the U2AF65 RNA binding domain and those either previously observed for N-terminal RRMs of Py tract-binding protein that lack interdomain contacts or calculated from the high resolution coordinates of a U2AF65 deletion variant bound to RNA. To further test this model, the shapes and RNA interactions of the wild-type U2AF65 RNA binding domain were compared with those of U2AF65 variants containing either Py tract-binding protein linker sequences or a deletion within the inter-RRM linker. Results of these studies suggest inter-RRM conformational plasticity as a possible means for U2AF65 to universally identify diverse pre-mRNA splice sites.
Possible Mechanisms for the Role of Dietary Supplements in Management of Alzheimer ’ s Disease in Aged Rats

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is now the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. This study aimed to explore new markers for AD as total homocysteine (tHcy), insulin, insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), interleukin-1β (IL-1 β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα); to determine the modulatory effects of vitamin E (VE), acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) and α-lipoic acid (LA) on the investigated parameters and to evaluate the possible mechanisms for the role of these nutraceutical in regression of AD that is induced in female rats. Our results revealed that brain acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity and tHcy levels were significantly increased in AD model. Folic acid, vitamin B12 levels and Na/K ATPase activity were markedly reduced. Plasma insulin and IGF-1 levels were noticeably decreased while plasma TNFα and IL-1β concentrations were significantly increased, indicating that abnormal inflammatory response is associated with AD. Treatment by VE, ALC or LA restored the above mentioned parameters to nearly normal levels comparable to those achieved by donepezil. These findings indicate that tHcy, insulin, IGF-1, IL-1β and TNF-α may be considered as new biomarkers for AD. The present study sheds light on the potential restoring effects of VE, ALC and LA in AD model with special focus on the possible mechanisms. Our study provides evidence for the importance of dietary supplements in delaying the progression of age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
The Analysis of Modeling and Simulation on Inventory Management

According to the rapid development of science and technology, which bringing the new means of modern society production was the economic germ that causes the coming knowledge economy age. Meantime, the simulation of industry got developing flourishingly. The research of simulation system has made contributions to the economic development. In this paper, it was proposed to solve strategy for the management which based on the simulation model of inventory management. The theory of simulation system can solve practical problems, and provided reliable basis for decision-making of enterprises.
Prevalence and Correlates of Human Herpesvirus 8 Infection Among Peruvian Men Who Have Sex With Men

Background:Infection with human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is common among men who have sex with men (MSM) in North America and Europe and is also found to be endemic in some regions of South America. Little is known about HHV-8 prevalence and its correlates among MSM in the Andean region. Methods:We assessed HHV-8 seroprevalence among 497 MSM recruited for the 2002 Peruvian HIV sentinel surveillance program using a combined HHV-8 enzyme immunoassay and immunofluorescence assay algorithm. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to determine the association between selected covariates and HHV-8 seropositivity. Results:One hundred thirty-one (66.5%, 95% CI 63.1% to 69.9%) of 197 HIV-infected and 80 (26.7%, 95% CI 24.4% to 29.0%) of 300 HIV-uninfected MSM had serologic evidence of HHV-8 infection. Factors independently associated with HHV-8 infection were education <12 years (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.7), anal receptive sex with the last partner (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2 to 3.3), self-reported sexually transmitted infection symptoms during the last year (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2 to 3.0), coinfection with HIV (OR 4.2, 95% CI 2.8 to 6.4) and chronic hepatitis B (OR 4.9, 95% CI 1.5 to 15.8). MSM with long-standing HIV infection were more likely to have serologic evidence of HHV-8 infection when compared with men with recently acquired HIV (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.7 to 9.1). Conclusions:HHV-8 infection is common among both HIV-infected and HIV-negative MSM in Lima, Peru. HHV-8 seropositivity is correlated with anal receptive sex, self-reported sexually transmitted infection symptoms, and HIV infection among these MSM and thus seems to be sexually transmitted. HHV-8 infection seems to be acquired after HIV infection, suggesting that future studies should evaluate the mode of HHV-8 transmission and prevention strategies among HIV-uninfected MSM.
A pH-sensitive xylan-based superabsorbent hydrogel for the removal of methylene blue from water

A novel porous xylan-based hydrogel was prepared using methacrylated xylan and acrylic acid via free radical polymerization. The structure, morphology, and thermal stability of the hydrogel were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The pH value had an important effect on the swelling and dye-adsorption properties of the hydrogel. When methylene blue was used as a dye model, the dye adsorption of the hydrogel followed the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second order kinetic model. The calculated maximum adsorption capacity reached 4720 mg/g. Besides, the hydrogel retained about 90% of its adsorptive capacity even after 4 cycles of usage. Therefore, the xylan-based hydrogel presented excellent dye adsorption performance and could be a promising superabsorbent for wastewater treatment.