Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automated instrumentation for continuous monitoring of the dielectric properties of woody vegetation: system design, implementation, and selected in situ measurements

The design and implementation of a system for the automated and continuous in situ monitoring of the dielectric constant of woody vegetation tissue are presented. The implementation of both single-channel and multichannel systems is discussed. These systems permit unsupervised continuous and long-term monitoring of vegetation canopy dielectric behavior in remote field sites. Utilizing open-ended coaxial lines, the real and imaginary parts of the microwave dielectric constant of woody plant tissue are inferred from direct measurement of the magnitude and phase of the microwave reflection coefficient. Samples of in situ data from forests in contrasting ecological environments are presented. Measurements obtained with the authors' systems allow new insight into the dielectric behavior of vegetation with respect to the physiological and hydraulic function of trees. The observations provide a significant advance in our ability to link canopy physiological and hydraulic behavior to radar remote-sensing observations.
The maturing architecture of the brain's default network

In recent years, the brain's “default network,” a set of regions characterized by decreased neural activity during goal-oriented tasks, has generated a significant amount of interest, as well as controversy. Much of the discussion has focused on the relationship of these regions to a “default mode” of brain function. In early studies, investigators suggested that, the brain's default mode supports “self-referential” or “introspective” mental activity. Subsequently, regions of the default network have been more specifically related to the “internal narrative,” the “autobiographical self,” “stimulus independent thought,” “mentalizing,” and most recently “self-projection. ” However, the extant literature on the function of the default network is limited to adults, i.e., after the system has reached maturity. We hypothesized that further insight into the network's functioning could be achieved by characterizing its development. In the current study, we used resting-state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI) to characterize the development of the brain's default network. We found that the default regions are only sparsely functionally connected at early school age (7–9 years old); over development, these regions integrate into a cohesive, interconnected network.
Human endothelial cells produce orosomucoid, an important component of the capillary barrier.

The serum protein orosomucoid (α1-acid glycoprotein) is needed to maintain the high capillary permselectivity required for normal homeostasis. It is not known how the protein executes its action, but it seems to contribute to the charge barrier. Moreover, recent studies suggest that the endothelial glycocalyx is essential for the charge barrier. The main site of orosomucoid synthesis is the liver, but we wanted to explore the possibility that orosomucoid was synthesized in endothelial cells. Primary cultures of human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC) from dermal tissue were established. Human liver cells were used as positive controls, and total RNA was prepared from both cell types. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed and demonstrated orosomucoid expression. After RT-PCR, the identities of the PCR products were confirmed by sequencing. RNase protection assay performed on total RNA from the HMVEC confirmed the results from the RT-PCR, i.e., orosomucoid mRNA is expressed by endothelial cells. Synthesis of orosomucoid in both liver and endothelial cells was demonstrated by immunoprecipitation. In conclusion, endothelial cells normally produce orosomucoid, which is essential for capillary charge selectivity. We suggest that orosomucoid exerts its effect by interacting with other components of the endothelial glycocalyx.
A Design Change Metric Derived From Extreme X-Machines

Change management during software development remains a difficult process. Whilst there methods which claim to manage and predict changes they often have poor performance or are empirically untested. We propose a metric which is easy to collect when Extreme X-Machines are used in the design process. Furthermore we present limited empirical evidence in the form of an explorative observational cross-sectional study. It showed that the frequency of these changes overtime follows a Norden/Rayleigh curve that was derived from recording the changes functionality proposed at client meetings. We hope that future research will show that tools developed by others to predict this curve for man power will also work in this special case.
External-memory computational geometry

In this paper we give new techniques for designing efficient algorithms for computational geometry problems that are too large to be solved in internal memory. We use these techniques to develop optimal and practical algorithms for a number of important large-scale problems. We discuss our algorithms primarily in the context of single processor/single disk machines, a domain in which they are not only the first known optimal results but also of tremendous practical value. Our methods also produce the first known optimal algorithms for a wide range of two-level and hierarchical multilevel memory models, including parallel models. The algorithms are optimal both in terms of I/O cost and internal computation. <<ETX>>
Logical Entropy of Dynamical Systems—A General Model

In the paper by Riecan and Markechova (Fuzzy Sets Syst. 96, 1998), some fuzzy modifications of Shannon’s and Kolmogorov-Sinai’s entropy were studied and the general scheme involving the presented models was introduced. Our aim in this contribution is to provide analogies of these results for the case of the logical entropy. We define the logical entropy and logical mutual information of finite partitions on the appropriate algebraic structure and prove basic properties of these measures. It is shown that, as a special case, we obtain the logical entropy of fuzzy partitions studied by Markechova and Riecan (Entropy 18, 2016). Finally, using the suggested concept of entropy of partitions we define the logical entropy of a dynamical system and prove that it is the same for two dynamical systems that are isomorphic.
Quivers with potentials associated to triangulated surfaces

We attempt to relate two recent developments: cluster algebras associated to triangulations of surfaces by Fomin–Shapiro–Thurston, and quivers with potentials (QPs) and their mutations introduced by Derksen–Weyman–Zelevinsky. To each ideal triangulation of a bordered surface with marked points, we associate a QP, in such a way that whenever two ideal triangulations are related by a flip of an arc, the respective QPs are related by a mutation with respect to the flipped arc. We prove that if the surface has non‐empty boundary, then the QPs associated to its triangulations are rigid and hence non‐degenerate.
A New Technique for Fast Number Comparison in the Residue Number System

A technique for number comparison in the residue number system is presented, and its theoretical validity is proved. The proposed solution is based on using a diagonal function to obtain a magnitude order of the numbers. In a first approach the function is computed using a suitable extra modulus. In the final implementation of the technique the extra modulus has been inserted in the set of moduli of the residue system, avoiding redundancy. The technique is compared with other approaches. >
Comparison of deferiprone and deferrioxamine for the treatment of transfusional iron overload in children with beta thalassemia major.

BACKGROUND Thalassemia major is the most common genetic disorder in Pakistan. The study was done to compare the efficacy and safety of the deferiprone with deferrioxamine for the treatment of iron overload in children with thalassemia major. METHODS This randomized controlled trail was conducted at thalassemia blood transfusion unit of Allied Hospital, Faisalabad (AHF)/District Headquarter Hospital (DHQ), Faisalabad. Thalassemia-Unit Hilal-e-Ahmar, Alizeb Foundation and Blood Bank Services Faisalabad from November 2010 to December 2011.Children with beta thalassemia major of age more than 2 years and less than 16 years with transfusion iron over load were randomly allocated to one of the two groups each comprising of 67 patients. One group received deferiprone given at a daily dose of 75mg/kg in three divided doses orally while the other group received deferrioxamine at dose 50 mg/kg/24hrs for 5 days/week as parental infusion. Changes in the serum ferritin level were assessed. Cardiac function and toxicity were also examined. RESULTS Serum ferritin was significantly reduced after 1 year in both treatment arms (p=0.01). Neutropenia observed in 13 (19.40%) non-splenectomized patients taking deferiprone. Transient elevations in ALT were observed in 3 (4.47%) children taking deferiprone. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) remained in normal range in both treatment arm but has decreased significantly in Deferrioxamine group compliance. Compliance was better in deferiprone as compared to deferrioxamine. Discontinuing percentage 2 (3%) vs 9 (13.43%). CONCLUSION Deferiprone is a highly efficacious and safe chelation therapy for patients with thalassemia major who are non-compliant to Deferrioxamine. Deferiprone have an efficacy profile comparable to standard Deferrioxamine.
Desorption of CO and O2 interstellar ice analogs

Context. Aims. Solid O2 has been proposed as a possible reservoir for oxygen in dense clouds through freeze-out processes. The aim of this work is to characterize quantitatively the physical processes that are involved in the desorption kinetics of CO-O2 ices by interpreting laboratory temperature programmed desorption (TPD) data. This information is used to simulate the behavior of CO-O2 ices under astrophysical conditions. Methods. The TPD spectra have been recorded under ultra high vacuum conditions for pure, layered and mixed morphologies for different thicknesses, temperatures and mixing ratios. An empirical kinetic model is used to interpret the results and to provide input parameters for astrophysical models. Results. Binding energies are determined for different ice morphologies. Independent of the ice morphology, the desorption of O2 is found to follow 0 th -order kinetics. Binding energies and temperature-dependent sticking probabilities for CO–CO, O2–O2 and CO–O2 are determined. O2 is slightly less volatile than CO, with binding energies of 912±15 versus 858±15 K for pure ices. In mixed and layered ices, CO does not co-desorb with O2 but its binding energies are slightly increased compared with pure ice whereas those for O2 are slightly decreased. Lower limits to the sticking probabilities of CO and O2 are 0.9 and 0.85, respectively, at temperatures below 20 K. The balance between accretion and desorption is studied for O2 and CO in astrophysically relevant scenarios. Only minor differences are found between the two species, i.e., both desorb between 16 and 18 K in typical environments around young stars. Thus, clouds with significant abundances of gaseous CO are unlikely to have large amounts of solid O2. Conclusions.
The Violent Youth of Bright and Massive Cluster Galaxies and their Maturation over 7 Billion Years

In this study, we investigate the formation and evolution mechanisms of the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) over cosmic time. At high redshift (z ∼ 0.9), we selected BCGs and most massive cluster galaxies (MMCGs) from the Cl1604 supercluster and compared them to low-redshift (z ∼ 0.1) counterparts drawn from the MCXC meta-catalogue, supplemented by Sloan Digital Sky Survey imaging and spectroscopy. We observed striking differences in the morphological, colour, spectral, and stellar mass properties of the BCGs/MMCGs in the two samples. High-redshift BCGs/MMCGs were, in many cases, star-forming, late-type galaxies, with blue broad-band colours, properties largely absent amongst the low-redshift BCGs/MMCGs. The stellar mass of BCGs was found to increase by an average factor of 2.51 ± 0.71 from z ∼ 0.9 to z ∼ 0.1. Through this and other comparisons, we conclude that a combination of major merging (mainly wet or mixed) and in situ star formation are the main mechanisms which build stellar mass in BCGs/MMCGs. The stellar mass growth of the BCGs/MMCGs also appears to grow in lockstep with both the stellar baryonic and total mass of the cluster. Additionally, BCGs/MMCGs were found to grow in size, on average, a factor of ∼3, while their average Sersic index increased by ∼0.45 from z ∼ 0.9 to z ∼ 0.1, also supporting a scenario involving major merging, though some adiabatic expansion is required. These observational results are compared to both models and simulations to further explore the implications on processes which shape and evolve BCGs/MMCGs over the past ∼7 Gyr.
Influence of Freeze-Drying and Irradiation on Mechanical Properties of Human Cancellous Bone: Application to Impaction Bone Grafting

This chapter will cover the influences of various parameters (bone processing, freeze-drying, irradiation, processing sequence and temperature during irradiation) on the mechanical properties of cancellous bone. Mechanical damage due to irradiation will be related to damage of the collagen protein. Benefits of defatting, freeze-drying and irradiation in terms of osteoconductivity and tissue safety will be further discussed. Application of processed freeze-dried irradiated bone to impaction bone grafting technique will be considered. The embrittlement theory and the influence of particle sizes will be presented to explain how processed bone is suitable to meet the mechanical demand of hip revision surgery. Results will be discussed and compared in more realistic surgical situations by observing implant stability after frozen or freeze-dried irradiated bone impaction. Finally, bone graft remodelling will be discussed.
Selective Repression of Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor Expression by SP600125: Coupling of Histone H3-Ser10 Phosphorylation and Sp1 Occupancy

ABSTRACT In this study, we show that exposure of human hepatocellular HepG2 cells to SP600125 rapidly and dramatically reduced global histone H3-Ser10 phosphorylation, without significantly affecting the global acetylation of neighboring lysines. The loss of phosphorylation is not due to changes in cell cycle distribution and/or apoptosis and is mediated independent of either p46/54JNK or MSK-1/2 inhibition. Moreover, SP600125 repressed the basal expression of the endogenous LDL receptor in a gene-specific manner, whereas the expression of squalene synthase, sterol response element-binding protein-1, and β-actin was not altered by SP600125. Finally, chromatin immunoprecipitation and in vivo footprinting assays provided direct evidence that localized histone H3-Ser10 dephosphorylation at the low-density lipoprotein receptor promoter was associated with a significant decrease in the occupancy of the Sp1 binding site, with a slight reduction in the occupancy of RNA polymerase II. Together, our findings show that SP600125 is an efficient inhibitor of histone H3-Ser10 phosphorylation in vivo, and our results led us to hypothesize that this modification plays a novel role in regulating transcriptional control by modulating promoter accessibility to maintain basal expression in a gene-specific manner.
DC-Amplifier-Input-Offset-Voltage Control in a Constant-Temperature Thermoresistive-Sensor-Measurement Instrument

In this paper, the effect of dc amplifier input offset voltage on the static and dynamic performances of a generic constant-temperature thermoresistive-sensor-feedback circuit (CTC) is reviewed. A negative-feedback automatic control circuit for the input offset voltage is proposed in order to assure a stable operation of the CTC and to obtain optimal response time. Experimental evaluation results of the proposed circuit performance are presented
Prenatal Exposure to Bisphenol A and Child Wheeze from Birth to 3 Years of Age

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine-disrupting chemical that is routinely detected in > 90% of Americans, promotes experimental asthma in mice. The association of prenatal BPA exposure and wheeze has not been evaluated in humans. Objective: We examined the relationship between prenatal BPA exposure and wheeze in early childhood. Methods: We measured BPA concentrations in serial maternal urine samples from a prospective birth cohort of 398 mother–infant pairs and assessed parent-reported child wheeze every 6 months for 3 years. We used generalized estimating equations with a logit link to evaluate the association of prenatal urinary BPA concentration with the dichotomous outcome wheeze (wheeze over the previous 6 months). Results: Data were available for 365 children; BPA was detected in 99% of maternal urine samples during pregnancy. In multivariable analysis, a one-unit increase in log-transformed creatinine-standardized mean prenatal urinary BPA concentration was not significantly associated with child wheeze from birth to 3 years of age, but there was an interaction of BPA concentration with time (p = 0.003). Mean prenatal BPA above versus below the median was positively associated with wheeze at 6 months of age [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.3; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3, 4.1] but not at 3 years (AOR = 0.6; 95% CI: 0.3, 1.1). In secondary analyses evaluating associations of each prenatal BPA concentration separately, urinary BPA concentrations measured at 16 weeks gestation were associated with wheeze (AOR = 1.2; 95% CI: 1.0, 1.5), but BPA concentrations at 26 weeks of gestation or at birth were not. Conclusions: Mean prenatal BPA was associated with increased odds of wheeze in early life, and the effect diminished over time. Evaluating exposure at each prenatal time point demonstrated an association between wheeze from 6 months to 3 years and log-transformed BPA concentration at 16 weeks gestation only.
The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance Price Dynamics and Market Liquidity: an Intraday Event Study on Euronext

JEL classification: G14 G10 Keywords: Liquidity Limit order market Informed trading Market microstructure HLOC dynamics a b s t r a c t In this paper, we determine whether intraday price dynamics observed on Euronext help characterize market liquidity in real time. We generate 15-min price movement configurations based on high-low-open-close (HLOC) patterns and measure liquidity in terms of spread, depth, order imbalance, dispersion and slope. We also consider trading activity and volatility measures. Based on an event study methodology, we find that particular HLOC configurations are associated with higher liquidity in the limit order book. Although these effects are short-lived, market participants could benefit from temporary higher liquidity by executing their trades when these price configurations occur.
Zinc supplementation in infants less than 6 months of age.

Zinc has often been hailed as a wonder element because of the significant beneficial effects it accords in improving diarrhea related outcomes after supplementation for 10-14 days(1). However, most of the studies have been conducted in children older than 6 months of age(1,2). In children younger than the age of 6 months, few studies have shown that zinc supplementation is not consistently associated with significant benefit for diarrhea related outcomes. Longer term results have also failed to show pronounced effects of zinc on improvement of general anthropometric status(3,4).
Needle Stick and Sharp Injuries and Associated Factors among Nurses WorkingIn Jimma University Specialized Hospital, South West Ethiopia

Introduction: Needle Stick and Sharp Injuries (NSSIs) are the commonest rout by which blood borne infections such as HIV, HBV and HCV can transmit. Such infections serve as high occupational risks and threats to health professionals. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of Needle stick and sharp injuries and associated factors among nurses working in Jimma University Specialized Hospital, South West Ethiopia. Methods: An institutional based cross sectional study design was employed among nurses with at least one year work experience in Jimma University Specialized Hospital from March 31 to April 04, 2014. A total of 173 study subjects were selected using simple random sampling technique from sampling frame using lottery method. Data was collected using pretested English version questionnaire through self-administered interview. To maintain the quality of data pretesting and supervision of data collection process was done. The collected data were checked for completeness, edited and entered into EpiData version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 21.00 for analysis. To explain the study variables descriptive statistics was used. Association between dependent and independent variables was calculated using chi square test. P-value of less than 0.05 was considered as significant association. Results: Out of the total 173 study subjects, 170 were included in the final analysis and giving a response rate of 98.3%. Majority of the study subjects 95 (55.88%) were female nurses. This study indicate that nurses’ sex, monthly salary, marital status, work experience, working Unit/department/, training on IP and patent safety, presence of contaminated needle and sharps materials in the working area, job satisfaction, level of job stress on nurse respondents, use of personal protective and gloves during the practice work by needles/sharps and recapping of needles after use had significant association with the occurrence of sharp and needle stick injury in nurses. In general this study revealed that no single factor accounted for the occurrence of NSSIs. Conclusion and recommendation: This study demonstrated a relatively high prevalence of NSSIs among nurses of JUSTH. The high prevalence of NSSIs highlights the need for developing effective preventing strategies. Training of nurses should be emphasized and essential in preventing high NSSIs risks in the hospital.
Oral Fibrolipoma-A Rare Histological Entity: Report of 3 Cases and Review of Literature

Lipomas are rare benign soft tissue mesenchymal neoplasms in the oral cavity, representing 1% of all benign oral tumors. Fibrolipoma (FL), an uncommon, histological variant of the classic lipoma, mostly affects the buccal mucosa. Very few cases of FL have been reported in the English literature. To the best of our knowledge a review of the English literature showed 33 cases of FL affecting the oral cavity. The diagnosis and differentiation of FL with clinically similar lesions such as fibroma, mucocele and pleomorphic adenoma are very essential for a correct treatment plan and complete follow-up. Due to the rarity of oral cavity fibrolipoma reports, three cases and a review of literature is presented here.
Brain micro-ecologies: neural stem cell niches in the adult mammalian brain

Neurogenesis persists in two germinal regions in the adult mammalian brain, the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricles and the subgranular zone in the hippocampal formation. Within these two neurogenic niches, specialized astrocytes are neural stem cells, capable of self-renewing and generating neurons and glia. Cues within the niche, from cell–cell interactions to diffusible factors, are spatially and temporally coordinated to regulate proliferation and neurogenesis, ultimately affecting stem cell fate choices. Here, we review the components of adult neural stem cell niches and how they act to regulate neurogenesis in these regions.