Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ezrin regulated myoblast differentiation/fusion and muscle fiber specialization through PKA-NFAT-MyoD/MEF2csignalling pathway

Backgorund:Neuromuscular diseases are a kind of nervous system diseases that have a high disability rate.Ezrin’ role in skeletal muscle has not been identified. This study aims to confirm the effect and mechanism of Ezrin on myoblast differentiation and fusion, myotube size, and myofiber type.Method:By using immunoassaying and western blot analyses, Ezrin, MyHC,MEF2c, MyoG, PKAα/β/γ, PKA reg Iα, PKA reg IIβand NFATc1-c4 were detected in myoblast cells treated with Ad-Ezrin or Ad-shEzrin. Real-time PCR were used to evaluate MyoD, Myf5, MyHC-I , MyHC-IIa/b and MyHC-IIx in myoblast cells. PKA inhibitor H-89 or PKAreg I activator N6-Bz-cAMP were added into medium to confirm their relationship between Ezrin and PKA during myoblast differentiation/fusion. In vitro, Ad-NFATc1/c2 or Ad-shNFATc3/c4 were respectively transfected into C2C12 cells, myoblast differentiation/fusion, myotube size and myofiber type were assessed by using immunostaining of MyHC, MEF2c and MyoG. In vivo, transfection of Ad-Ezrin into gastrocnemius and soleus muscles for 7 days, the numbers of MyHC-1 postivemyofibers were analyzed after immunostaining of MyHC-1.Results: Ezrin expression were time-dependently increased during myoblast differentiation/fusion. Knockdown of Ezrin by shRNA delayed myoblast differentiation and fusion in a time dose-dependent pattern, as shown by immunostaining of MyHC. Conversely, over-expression of Ezrin by adenovirus time- and dosage-dependently promoted myoblastdifferentiation/fusion, and muscle fiber specialization characterized by increased MyHC I and MyHCIIa/b. Forced expression of Ezrin did not alter PKA, and PKAreg II α levels, but altered the levels of PKAreg I α/β, Myf5 and MyoD, and leading to the accumulation of MyoG+/MEF2c+ nuclei. By contrast, Ezrin knockdown significantly decreased the PKA reg I/II ratio and MyoG+/MEF2c+ nuclei. The PKA inhibitor H-89 remarkably abolished the beneficial effect of over-expressingEzrin on the numbers of MyHC+ myotubes and MyoG+/MEF2c nuclei. These opposite changes mediated by knocking down Ezrin were almost eliminated by PKAreg I activator N6-Bz-cAMP. Furthermore, over-expression of NFATc2 or knockdown of NFATc4reversed the inhibitory effect of Ezrin knockdown on myoblast differentiation/fusion, resulting in the recovery of the numbers ofMyoG+/MEF2c+ nucleiin3-nuclei+myotubes. Meanwhile, overexpression of Ezrin specifically induced type I muscle fiber specialization, which was associated with increased levels of NFATc1/c2. Furthermore, in vivo transfection ofAd-Ezrin into gastrocnemius and soleus muscles increased the numbers of MyHC-1 postivemyofibers. By contrast, knockdown of NFATc4resulted in the recovery to normal levels of MyHC-2b in Ezrin-knockdown myoblast cells, attributingtoregainingMyoDand MEF2c expression. Conclusions: Ezrin trigger myoblast differentiation and fusion, myotube size, and alters muscle fiber specialization through PKA-NFAT-MyoD/MEF2C signalling pathway.
Uniform inlet conditions for the NPS subsonic cascade wind tunnel

Abstract : Measurements of the flow field between the turning vanes and inlet plane for the test blades in the NPS Subsonic Cascade Wind Tunnel to January 1981 are reviewed. Typical velocities in this section are of the order of 100 to 200 ft/sec and the distance is less than two feet. It is concluded that some modification is necessary to achieve one percent uniformity for the mean velocity at the test cascade inlet plane and several approaches are suggested. From a study of simple analyses for turbulent wakes and of the effects of wire gauze screens, it is predicted that the desired uniformity may be obtained by installing a single screen of high resistance coefficient; the necessary pressure drop and turning of the flow would be substantial, Placing the turning vanes at a closer pitch might be adequate, but further measurements and numerical analysis would probably be necessary for design purposes.
Force Feedback Mechatronics in Medecine, Healthcare and Rehabilitation

Apparatus is provided for measuring the flow of high temperature fluid through a main line. A shunt path diverts a portion of the fluid flowing in the main line. The shunt path is so designed as to thermally isolate a flowmeter positioned in the shunt path from the transfer of heat from the main line. The flowmeter produces an output signal. This signal, and one produced by a temperature sensor in the main line, are applied to a correction circuit which produces an output indicating the actual flow of fluid in the main line.
Introduction to about: designing - analysing design meetings

About the book: The twenty-one contributions to About: Designing draw on a rich variety of methodological positions, research backgrounds and design disciplines including architecture, product design, engineering, applied linguistics, communication studies, cognitive psychology, and discourse studies. Collectively these studies comprise a state-of-the-art overview of design thinking research. About: Designing will be of interest to design researchers at any level, as well as specialists in a broad range of design disciplines and social studies.
Steady state analysis of HVDC grid in the North Sea with offshore wind power plants

In this thesis, some of economical and technical aspects of expanding the HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) transmission systems in the North Sea are studied at steady state. In the thesis, it is assumed that the expansion of the system is made by connecting WPPs (Wind Power Plants) to the system which is built for power exchange. From the economical point view, it is observed that the system operator can gain from the expansion of the system. The gain can vary depending upon the total capacity of the WPPs, the transmission tariff paid by the WPP (Wind Power Plant) operators and the cost of altering the scheduled exchange powers due to the added WPPs. It is also observed that, in most of the studied cases, significant economic gains can be achieved by reinforcing the systems when the total WPP capacities are higher than 60 % of the total possible WPP capacities from a control point of view. Furthermore, in order to simulate the power from the WPPs in the system, which is a function of wind speed, a standard ARIMA (Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average) based modelling procedure is used. Due to a limitation in the standard modelling procedure to model a time series wind speed data, a modified modelling procedure is proposed which is based on decomposing the data into HF (High Frequency) and LF (Low Frequency) components. In addition, for a 10 minute average wind speed data, a six order AR (Auto Regressive) model structure can be used to model the HF component of the data and a six orderMA(Moving Average) model structure can be used to model the LF component of the data. In order to split the 10 minute average wind speed data into HF and LF components, a cut off period of Tcutoff = 4day was found to be sufficient. Moreover, proposed model structures and the corresponding model parameters that can be used to simulate 10 minute average wind speed data in the Baltic Sea areas, where there are no measured wind speed data, are also presented in the thesis. In addition, a control strategy which is based on local primary controllers followed by a central secondary controller is proposed in the thesis. The proposed control strategy can be used to enable the integration of WPPs into a system designed for power exchange.
Linear and nonlinear optics in coupled waveguide arrays

The following thesis is comprised of four main areas of work. These are centred around the experimental observation of phenomena associated with both linear and non-linear optics in silicon photonic-wires. As a comparison, I also discuss a similar coupled-waveguide system; dual-core hollow-core photonic crystal fibre. To introduce the reader to this work, the first chapter will recap some undergraduate level theory; a general introduction to optical waveguides. It is not intended to be a complete theoretical picture, as many beautiful texts on optics already exist [1–3]. This chapter concerns itself only with the aspects of optics with which the author was intimately aware of throughout the completion of this thesis. Thereafter, the chapters become specific to the particular experiments undertaken. Each one follows a simple framework: examination of the relevant theory, extending upon that already discussed in the first chapter, a literature review and finally a discussion of the work I completed within this thesis. Chapter 2 is the only chapter not related to silicon based photonics. Here I discuss dual-core hollow-core photonic crystal fibres; including guidance mechanisms, fabrication methods and the numerical modelling techniques employed in my work. I will compare these numerical results to experimental results taken by colleagues at the university of Bath. Chapter 3 analyses linear propagation in arrays of silicon photonic wires. I extend the simple picture of light propagating in waveguides to discuss the di↵erent types of dispersion inherent in this system and how dispersion tailoring can be achieved; with reference to the other literature on this topic. Experimental results are examined and discussed. Chapters 4 and 5 discuss non-linear propagation in silicon photonic wire arrays; modulation instability and spatio-temporal solitons respectively. In each case I extend the ideas on non-linearity presented in Chapter 1 to explain both modulation instability and optical solitons. Detailed descriptions of the experiments undertaken, and associated numerical modelling completed are then discussed. Whilst the work I present is incomplete, I will discuss subsequent work performed by my colleagues at the University of Bath based on my initial work. Finally, Chapter 6 draws together my conclusions.
OPENFOAM SIMULATION OF GRAVITY-CURRENT HEAD IMPACT ON A STRUCTURE ON THE SEA FLOOR

Large-eddy simulations of a gravity current impact on a circular cylinder were conducted using the twoLiquid MixingFoam open-source solver. The simulations determine the transient development of the drag and lift forces by using five sub-grid scale (SGS) turbulence models: (i) the Smagorinsky SGS model, (ii) the Smagorinsky SGS model with the van Driest damping, (iii) the dynamic SGS model with Lagrangian average, (iv) the wall-adapting local eddy-viscosity SGS model, and (v) the dynamic one k-equation eddy-viscosity model. The comparison of the model simulations with the laboratory measurements has shown the dynamic one k-equation eddy-viscosity model to be superior; it produced the best results in close agreement with the laboratory experiments. On the other hand, the Smagorinsky SGS model has under predicted both the drag and lift forces. The dynamic Lagrangian model and the wall-adapting local eddy-viscosity model have produced acceptable drag force but not the lift force. The drag and lift coefficients obtained from the simulation and the experiment were significantly greater than the known coefficients for uniform crossflow suggesting the dependence of the coefficients on the reflection of internal waves and therefore on the densimetric Froude number.
Small Scale Constructed Wetland Treatment Systems: Feasibility, Design Criteria and O&m Requirements

The expanding use of decentralized wastewater management has resulted in an increased interest in small-scale wetland treatment systems. However, there is limited information available on the use, distribution of and performance of these small-scale systems. The purpose of this study was to address this knowledge gap by developing criteria for the feasibility, design, operation, and maintenance of small-scale wetland treatment systems. Monitoring data from the assembled small-scale wetland database was used to develop sizing criteria for FWS and VSB wetlands. Loading rates and corresponding effluent quality were developed for BOD, TSS, TKN, phosphorus, and fecal coliform bacteria. Where there was adequate data, the variation in monthly vs. annual average effluent concentration was assessed to provide a factor-of-safety approach to wetland sizing. Information on internal processes, hydraulic design, operation, maintenance, cost, and industrial applications of constructed wetlands is also presented in this report.
Open access femtocell business feasibilitywith TV White Space usage

Femtocell technology and TV White Space are two dierent entities that have not been thoroughly researched under the common goal of indoor mobile broadband access. In this thesis the combination of these two technologies is examined through the prism of four dierent actors: Mobile Network Operator, Facility Owner, Wi-Fi operator and TV White Space Only operator.The aim is to discover access benets and evaluate the business feasibility of open access femtocell networks using TV White Space for each individual actor. The work done, diers from related papers which focus on interference analysis, technical design and MNO deployment schemes as by using the business feasibility analysis both technological and economic aspects are taken into account for new market players as well.It is shown with no doubt that national roaming agreements is one of the most important aspects any market player should take into account before proceeding with any business plan. Additionally, the analysis found that the secondary usage of TV white space is technologically and economically feasible but no solid benets were identied that can overthrow existing indoor mobile broadband implementations like the Wi-Fi systems. However the primary usage of femto-TVWS is still recommended for some actors like the mobile network operator and the facility owner and the complimentary usage by the Wi-Fi operator.
Cloud Computing Strategies

With an abundance of books available that cover the technical aspects of cloud computing, the time is right for a book that helps managers and CIOs understand exactly how cloud computing affects operations in their companies and departments. A guide to managing a cloud project, Cloud Computing Strategies provides the understanding required to effectively evaluate the technology and determine how it can be best applied to improve business and enhance the overall corporate strategy. Based on extensive research, the book examines the opportunities and challenges that loom in the clouds. It explains exactly what cloud computing is, what it has to offer, and calls attention to the important issues management needs to consider before passing the point of no return regarding financial commitments. Illustrated with numerous examples and case studies, the text examines security, privacy, data ownership, and data protection in the clouds. It also: Explains how and why your company can benefit from Open Software and onDemand Services Identifies various cloud providers, their services, and their content as a basis for evaluating cost effectiveness Provides authoritative guidance on how to transition from legacy systems to the clouds Includes helpful tips for managing cloud vendor relationships and avoiding vendor lock-in Whether youre already in the clouds or just considering it, this book provides the unbiased understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of cloud computing needed to make informed decisions regarding its future in your organization. The books strength is that it supplies authoritative insight on everything needed to decide if you should make a transition to the clouds, and if you decide to do so, how to effectively manage relationships with your cloud providers.
Methods for determining power supply requirements based on RF spurious level on consumers

In this project a measurement set-up will be developed, which will enable an injection of a controlled voltage ripple to a dc voltage. The resulting voltage will be feeding a power consumer. The set-up should also enable measurements of the amplitudes of the set spuriouses, which will be available on the output from the power consumer. Most of the power consumers can just allow a certain level of voltage ripple, which will result in a certain level of amplitudes for the spuriouses. Therefore the set-up will be measuring the maximum amplitude of the voltage ripple that can be applied to the dc signal before the spuriouses are becoming too large. Since the spuriouses are spread throughout the RF-system there are specifications for the spurious free dynamic. In other words, there are indirect specifications for how distorted the dc voltage which is feeding the power consumer is allowed to be. The requirements from the power consumer can be plotted in a chart and compared to the output voltage from the power supply and a more optimal solution might be achieved. The set-up will facilitate the whole measurement of requirements procedure. Today power supply output voltage requirement is stated as a peak to peak voltage over a broad frequency range (0-20MHz) and hopefully will the new procedure be better comparing to the previous one. The power consumers are often designed meanwhile the power supply and therefore is it preferable if the input impedance of the consumer is known in advance. An output spectrum from the power supply with an imitated power consumer can then be obtained. In this project a method for measuring impedances, for a frequency range been developed.
Analogy in Language and Linguistics

Analogy (from Ancient Greek αναλογια, “reasoning from one point to another”) is a cognitive process involving comparison whereby the information concerning one element is linked to another element through observed similarities. Analogy is related to “iconicity” (both involve parallels of form/meaning): the strong drive language users have to describe their world through signs that have some natural connection with the object the sign refers to. Analogy is concerned with (1) similarities between observable properties (material or horizontal analogy) and (2) causal similarities, i.e., the relations between a material property and a function of that property (vertical analogy). It enables language learning, is involved in language change, and helps in seeking explanations in science (including linguistics) through the spotting of parallels, e.g., the discovery of sound waves on the basis of water waves. Analogy is omnipresent in language but its working through speakers in language use and language change can only be captured after the fact; there are no fixed “rules” to “predict” analogy. It plays an important role in streamlining (“oiling”) the “machinery” (i.e., the “rules” or “patterns”) of language: without analogy, languages may develop too many exceptions, caused by internal changes elsewhere in the system or external factors, such as contact. The cognitive ability people have to analogize is the concern of cognitive scientists. In linguistics proper, a distinction is often made between this ability and the mechanism of analogy, which is concerned with the effects it has on language output, with specific patterns and constraints. This more narrow approach bears most fruit on the morpho-phonological level, where formal similarities play an important role. As soon as higher lexical and grammatical levels are involved, similarities become looser, more associative, making it more difficult to constrain the workings of analogy. Some linguists make a distinction between proportional and non-proportional analogy: the former is seen as more systematic, more concerned with form, and the result of interference from a productive morphological system (as in analogical extension/leveling), while the latter concerns innovations in individual items and constructions, with meaning playing a large(r) role. In morphological studies, analogy is usually seen as strictly proportional, making use of the formula A : B :: C : D, with more sporadic forms of analogy excluded as being non-proportional. Linguists interested in analogy on higher levels (syntax, lexis, semantics), also consider analogy to be proportional but in a less strict sense; here too there is symmetry between the forms and functions of source and target. For example, in the metaphorical use of foot, when there is a symmetry in meaning between referent A (“bottom part of a human body”) and B (“bottom part of a mountain”), this may result in a new formal symmetry between the signs: thus C foot leads to the new use of foot in D (just like work: worked leads to help: helped (replacing earlier holp).
How the Great Pyramid Was Built

A thorough investigation of the Grand Gallery shows, that this room was designed for transportation of building blocks. It is suggested how this transportation could be performed with use of levers. The peculiar walls of the ascending passage show that they were part of a similar transportation machinery. This leads to an understanding of the building process of the Great Pyramid. The extraordinary structure of chambers and corridors in the Great Pyramid can be explained as a consequence partly of Cheops ́ religious reform and partly of traditional burial rituals.
Down-Regulated microRNA-421 Was Associated with the Poor Prognosis of Breast Cancer Patients

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among females with high morbidity and mortality. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to play important roles in the development of cancers. However, the prognostic value of microRNA-421 (miR-421) in breast cancer have not been extensively explored.Methods: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to detect the relative expression of miR-421 in breast cancer tissue samples. Relationships between miR-421 expression and clinicopathological factors were analyzed by chi-square test. The effects of several variables on survival status were tested by Kaplan-Meier curve and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses.Results: MiR-421 expression was significantly decreased in breast cancer tissues, compared with adjacent noncancerous tissues (P<0.001). Moreover, abnormal miR-421 expression was closely correlated with lymph node metastasis (P<0.001), TNM stage (P=0.021), and differentiation (P=0.044) of breast cancer patients. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patients with low miR-421 expression had a shorter overall survival time than those with high miR-421 expression (P=0.001). Furthermore, multivariate analysis demonstrated that miR-421 (P=0.014, HR=2.000, 95%CI: 1.149-3.480) was an independent prognostic indicator in breast cancer patients, as well as lymph node metastasis (P=0.016, HR=1.987, 95%CI: 1.137-3.474). Conclusion: The reduced expression of miR-421 may predict the poor prognosis of breast cancer and miR-421 may be involved in the progression of breast cancer.
Latin America Erupts: When Does Competitive Authoritarianism Take Root?

Abstract:Democratically elected as Bolivia's first indigenous president in 2005, Evo Morales eroded democracy and began a transition to competitive authoritarianism in the 2010s. By November 2020, however, both Morales and his successor, the right-wing president Jeanine Áñez, had fallen after failing to consolidate authoritarian rule. Why do some aspiring authoritarians succeed while many fail? A comparison of Bolivia to Brazil and Venezuela illuminates the challenges of both eroding democracy and institutionalizing new competitive authoritarian regimes. Aspiring autocrats must mobilize and control civil society in both stages of autocratization—a challenge that led to the fall of both Morales and Áñez.
Wind effects on structures : fundamentals and applications to design

This book provides detailed information on the design of wind resistant structures. It includes material on building code provisions for wind loads on low rise buildings. It provides engineers with up-to-date methods and standards for the construction of wind-resistant structures and reflects the increased use of instrumentation and computers to predict structural loading and the creation of more stringent building codes.