Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determination of Stellar Ellipticities in Future Microlensing Surveys

We propose a method that can determine the ellipticities of source stars of microlensing events produced by binary lenses. The method is based on the fact that the products of the caustic-crossing timescale, Δt, and the cosine of the caustic incidence angle of the source trajectory, κ, of the individual caustic crossings are different for events involving an elliptical source, while the products are the same for events associated with a circular source. The product Δt⊥ = Δt cos κ corresponds to the caustic-crossing timescale when the incidence angle of the source trajectory is κ = 0. For the unique determination of the source ellipticity, resolutions of at least three caustic crossings are required. Although this requirement is difficult to achieve under the current observational setup based on alert/follow-up mode, it will be possible with the advent of future lensing experiments that will survey wide fields continuously at high cadence. For typical Galactic bulge events, the difference in Δt⊥ between caustic crossings is of the order of minutes, depending on the source orientations and ellipticities. Considering the monitoring frequency of the future lensing surveys of ~6 times hr-1 and the improved photometry, especially of the proposed space-based survey, we predict that ellipticity determinations by the proposed method will be possible for a significant fraction of multiple caustic-crossing binary lens events involving source stars having nonnegligible ellipticities.
Fault detection and fault-tolerant control of interior permanent-magnet motor drive system for electric vehicle

This work presents a control strategy that provides fault tolerance to the major sensor faults which may occur in an interior-permanent-magnet-motor (IPMM)-based electric vehicle propulsion drive system. Failures of a position sensor, a dc-link voltage sensor, and current sensors are all included in the study assuming no multiple faults. For each possible sensor fault, a corresponding method of detection or diagnosis is provided. Additionally, once the fault is detected, the control scheme is automatically reconfigured to provide post-fault operational capability. A state observer is used to provide missing current information in the case of current sensor faults. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of both the fault detection algorithm and the reconfigurable control scheme. The resulting IPMM drive system proves to be resilient to sensor failures while providing smooth transition to the post-fault operational mode.
Social behaviour and personality assessment as a tool for improving the management of cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) in captivity

The wild cheetah population is rapidly declining, and the captive population is not self-sustaining. This is of great concern for cheetah conservation and the latter might indicate underlying captive welfare concerns. This research measured the behaviour and personality of cheetahs held in zoo exhibits in the UK and beyond, to investigate the effects of social group housing and personality on the behaviour and reproductive success of captive cheetahs. Behavioural observation indicated that the natural social groupings of wild male cheetahs can be replicated in captivity. Group-housed males displayed frequent affiliative behaviours and few instances of aggression. Females, naturally solitary in the wild, might also be safely housed in groups since overt aggression was seldom recorded. However pacing behaviour, typically associated with poor welfare, was more prevalent in unnatural-type groups. Relatedness appears to be an important factor in captive cheetah social interactions. A new method for correcting indices of association, developed in this research, allowed association indices to be compared for dyads housed in different sized exhibits. Related individuals were observed in proximity more frequently, and displayed higher rates of affiliative interactions, than unrelated individuals. These findings may have welfare implications in the event that captive individuals are separated for management purposes. Social group housing and personality can affect captive cheetah reproductive success. The personality profiles of individuals in successful breeding pairs were more divergent than those of individuals in unsuccessful pairs. In addition, it appears that zoos housing their cheetahs in social groups that occur in wild populations have better institutional breeding success than those housing their cheetahs in unnatural-type groups. This research uncovers some of the factors which may contribute to the poor reproductive success of the captive cheetah population, and offers recommendations for improvements to current cheetah management practices.
A dual-band leaky-wave antenna based on generalized negative-refractive-index transmission-lines

A composite right/left-hand microstrip leaky-wave antenna exhibits beam scanning from backward to forward end-fire directions and even through broadside as the frequency is swept over the left- and right- handed passbands. In this paper, we propose a novel leaky-wave antenna that possesses a pair of left/right-hand passbands and consequently has two frequencies where broadside radiation can be achieved. A generalized negative-refractive-index transmission-line (NRI-TL) unit cell suitable for this purpose was proposed in [1]. This design featured two left-handed bands and two right-handed bands; the conditions necessary for closing each of the two stopbands was also derived. The unit cell has been physically realized for a dual-band filter application using lumped elements [2], while a fully-printed unit cell has been reported in [3]; this latter work, however, did not achieve closure of either stopband and is thus unsuitable for the present dual-band leaky-wave application. To minimize both the cost and complexity of fabrication, fully-printed implementations are desirable. This paper therefore presents a fully-printed leaky-wave antenna based on the generalized NRI-TL which is capable of scanning from a backward to a forward direction and through broadside over two frequency bands.
3D integration of standard integrated circuits

In this paper we present the process and electrical results of a 3D integration using through silicon vias (TSV). A flash memory chip has been directly connected to a processor die. The TSVs have been applied from the wafer front-side into a fully processed advanced CMOS 300 mm wafers using a via last approach. After dry etching the 20 by 107 μm holes into the substrate an isolation and barrier seed films are deposited and then filled with copper. The electrical connection between the pad level of the processor chips and the interface to the external connections is realized with a two level redistribution wiring. Subsequently the wafer is flipped, temporary bonded to a carrier wafer, thinned and the TSVs are connected from the wafer backside. Finally the flash chips are assembled to the controller die using a die-to-wafer (D2W) technique. Electrical tests have been conducted and a high yield after TSV processing and assembly determined. The isolation properties and electrical resistance was measured. The linear current in stress transistors was used to define a keep out zone.
Improving Behaviour And Attendance At School

Section 1: The context Background Theoretical underpinnings and the causes of poor behaviour Section 2: Improving behaviour Management and whole school policies Behaviour in and around school Home-school relationships Supporting parents through the use of parenting programmes Behaviour in the classroom Alternative curricula Supporting at risk children Approaches to exclusion Section 3: Improving attendance Whole school approaches to attendance Working with persistent absentees Section 4: Overview Overview
Detection of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Serotypes O26:H11, O103:H2, O111:H8, O145:H28, and O157:H7 in Raw-Milk Cheeses by Using Multiplex Real-Time PCR

ABSTRACT Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are a diverse group of food-borne pathogens with various levels of virulence for humans. In this study, we describe the use of a combination of multiple real-time PCR assays for the screening of 400 raw-milk cheeses for the five main pathogenic STEC serotypes (O26:H11, O103:H2, O111:H8, O145:H28, and O157:H7). The prevalences of samples positive for stx, intimin-encoding gene (eae), and at least one of the five O group genetic markers were 29.8%, 37.3%, and 55.3%, respectively. The H2, H7, H8, H11, and H28 fliC alleles were highly prevalent and could not be used as reliable targets for screening. Combinations of stx, eae variants, and O genetic markers, which are typical of the five targeted STEC serotypes, were detected by real-time PCR in 6.5% of the cheeses (26 samples) and included stx-wzx O26-eae-β1 (4.8%; 19 samples), stx-wzx O103-eae-ε (1.3%; five samples), stx-ihp1 O145-eae-γ1 (0.8%; three samples), and stx-rfbE O157-eae-γ1 (0.3%; one sample). Twenty-eight immunomagnetic separation (IMS) assays performed on samples positive for these combinations allowed the recovery of seven eaeβ1-positive STEC O26:H11 isolates, whereas no STEC O103:H2, O145:H28, or O157:H7 strains could be isolated. Three stx-negative and eaeβ1-positive E. coli O26:[H11] strains were also isolated from cheeses by IMS. Colony hybridization allowed us to recover STEC from stx-positive samples for 15 out of 45 assays performed, highlighting the difficulties encountered in STEC isolation from dairy products. The STEC O26:H11 isolates shared the same virulence genetic profile as enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) O26:H11, i.e., they carried the virulence-associated genes EHEC-hlyA, katP, and espP, as well as genomic O islands 71 and 122. Except for one strain, they all contained the stx1 variant only, which was reported to be less frequently associated with human cases than stx2. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis showed that they displayed high genetic diversity; none of them had patterns identical to those of human O26:H11 strains investigated here.
Message Complexity Analysis of Mobile Ad Hoc Network Address Autoconfiguration Protocols

This paper proposes a novel method to perform a quantitative analysis of message complexity and applies this method in comparing the message complexity among the mobile ad hoc network (MANET) address autoconfiguration protocols (AAPs). The original publications on the AAPs had incomplete parts, making them insufficient to use on practical MANETs. Therefore, the first objective of the research was to complete the AAPs by filling in the missing gaps to make them operational. The missing procedures that were filled in have been developed based on the most logical procedures being accurate to the original protocol publications. The research in this paper finds applications in wireless networks that apply reduced addresses to achieve less memory usage, smaller overhead, and higher throughput (for example, the IPv6 low-power wireless personal address network (6LoWPAN)), but, as a result, possess a high address duplication probability. This research consists of two cases, where the first case deals with the message complexity analysis of the single-node joining case (SJC) and the second case deals with the complexity analysis of the MANET group merging case (GMC).
NBER WORKING PAPER SERIES THE MACROECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF RISING WAGE INEQUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES

In recent decades, the US wage structure has been transformed by a rising college premium, a narrowing gender gap, and increasing persistent and transitory residual wage dispersion. This paper explores the implications of these changes for cross-sectional inequality in hours worked, earnings and consumption, and for welfare. The framework for the analysis is an incomplete-markets overlapping-generations model in which individuals choose education and form households, and households choose consumption and intra-family time allocation. An explicit production technology underlies equilibrium prices for labor inputs differentiated by gender and education. The model is parameterized using micro data from the PSID, the CPS and the CEX. With the changing wage structure as the only primitive force, the model can account for the key trends in cross-sectional US data. We also assess the role played by education, labor supply, and saving in providing insurance against shocks, and in exploiting opportunities presented by changes in the relative prices of different types of labor. Jonathan Heathcote Dept. of Economics Georgetown University ICC Bldg. 5th Floor Washington, DC 20057 jhh9@georgetown.edu Kjetil Storesletten Department of Economics University of Oslo Box 1095 Blindern N-0317 Oslo Norway kjetil.storesletten@econ.uio. no Giovanni L. Violante Department of Economics New York University 19 W. 4th Street New York, NY 10012-1119 and NBER glv2@nyu.edu
On models of ‘having friends’ and SN friends distribution: Information propagation on social networks and disaster modeling

Models of friend density in social networks, as a function of population density and geographic distance are discussed, with generalizations over the current models. Next, models of information propagation on social networks previously introduced are extended and refined. Currently, there is no model to explain the traffic features produced as a result of dramatic events. This paper fills this gap. The significance of the research is twofold: it lays down foundations for explaining observed SN traffic features in disaster situations and allows the prediction of the extent and gravity of disaster effects, based on the monitoring of the social network traffic.
Roles of a prostaglandin E‐type receptor, EP3, in upregulation of matrix metalloproteinase‐9 and vascular endothelial growth factor during enhancement of tumor metastasis

Cyclooxygenase (COX)‐2 is known to correlate with poor cancer prognosis and to contribute to tumor metastasis. However, the precise mechanism of this phenomenon remains unknown. We have previously reported that host stromal prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)–prostaglandin E2 receptor (EP)3 signaling appears critical for tumor‐associated angiogenesis and tumor growth. Here we tested whether the EP3 receptor has a critical role in tumor metastasis. Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells were intravenously injected into WT mice and mice treated with the COX‐2 inhibitor NS‐398. The nonselective COX inhibitor aspirin reduced lung metastasis, but the COX‐1 inhibitor SC560 did not. The expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)‐9 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)‐A was suppressed in NS‐398‐treated mice compared with PBS‐treated mice. Lungs containing LLC colonies were markedly reduced in EP3 receptor knockout (EP3−/−) mice compared with WT mice. The expression of MMP‐9 and VEGF‐A was downregulated in metastatic lungs of EP3−/− mice. An immunohistochemical study revealed that MMP‐9‐expressing endothelial cells were markedly reduced in EP3−/− mice compared with WT mice. When HUVEC were treated with agonists for EP1, EP2, EP3, or EP4, only the EP3 agonist enhanced MMP‐9 expression. These results suggested that EP3 receptor signaling on endothelial cells is essential for the MMP‐9 upregulation that enhances tumor metastasis and angiogenesis. An EP3 receptor antagonist may be useful to protect against tumor metastasis. (Cancer Sci 2009; 100: 2318–2324)
Fresh embryo donation for human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research: the experiences and values of IVF couples asked to be embryo donors

BACKGROUND This article reports on an investigation of the views of IVF couples asked to donate fresh embryos for research and contributes to the debates on: the acceptability of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research, the moral status of the human embryo and embryo donation for research. METHODS A hypothesis-generating design was followed. All IVF couples in one UK clinic who were asked to donate embryos in 1 year were contacted 6 weeks after their pregnancy result. Forty four in-depth interviews were conducted. RESULTS Interviewees were preoccupied with IVF treatment and the request to donate was a secondary consideration. They used a complex and dynamic system of embryo classification. Initially, all embryos were important but then their focus shifted to those that had most potential to produce a baby. At that point, ‘other’ embryos were less important though they later realise that they did not know what happened to them. Guessing that these embryos went to research, interviewees preferred not to contemplate what that might entail. The embryos that caused interviewees most concern were good quality embryos that might have produced a baby but went to research instead. ‘The’ embryo, the morally laden, but abstract, entity, did not play a central role in their decision-making. CONCLUSIONS This study, despite missing those who refuse to donate embryos, suggests that debates on embryo donation for hESC research should include the views of embryo donors and should consider the social, as well as the moral, status of the human embryo.
Hepatitis B Virus Large Surface Antigen Promotes Liver Carcinogenesis by Activating the Src / PI 3 K / Akt Pathway

Of the three envelope glycoproteins encoded by hepatitis B virus (HBV) that are collectively referred to as HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), the large HBsAg (LHBs) glycoprotein is expressed preferentially in HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma. LHBs can act as an oncogene in transgenicmice, but how it contributes functionally to hepatocarcinogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we determined the molecular and functional roles of LHBs during HBV-associated hepatocarcinogenesis. LHBs increased tumor formation of hepatoma cells. Moreover, expression of LHBs but not other HBV envelope glycoproteins specifically promoted proliferation of hepatoma and hepatic cells in vitro. Mechanistic investigations revealed that these effects were caused by activation of the Src/PI3K/Akt pathway through proximal stimulation of PKCa/Raf1 signaling by LHBs. Proliferation induced by stable LHBs expression was associated with increased G1–S cell-cycle progression and apoptosis resistance mediated by Src kinase activation, as established in hepatocellular carcinoma clinical specimens. Importantly, LHBs-induced cellular proliferation and tumor formation were reversed by administration of the Src inhibitor saracatinib. Together, our findings suggest that LHBs promotes tumorigenesis of hepatoma cells by triggering a PKCa/Raf1 to Src/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, revealing novel insights into the underlying mechanisms of HBVassociated hepatocarcinogenesis. Cancer Res; 71(24); 7547–57. 2011 AACR.
Correlated activity supports efficient cortical processing

Visual recognition is a computational challenge that is thought to occur via efficient coding. An important concept is sparseness, a measure of coding efficiency. The prevailing view is that sparseness supports efficiency by minimizing redundancy and correlations in spiking populations. Yet, we recently reported that “choristers”, neurons that behave more similarly (have correlated stimulus preferences and spontaneous coincident spiking), carry more generalizable object information than uncorrelated neurons (“soloists”) in macaque inferior temporal (IT) cortex. The rarity of choristers (as low as 6% of IT neurons) indicates that they were likely missed in previous studies. Here, we report that correlation strength is distinct from sparseness (choristers are not simply broadly tuned neurons), that choristers are located in non-granular output layers, and that correlated activity predicts human visual search efficiency. These counterintuitive results suggest that a redundant correlational structure supports efficient processing and behavior.
Quinolone Resistance: Much More than Predicted

Since quinolones are synthetic antibiotics, it was predicted that mutations in target genes would be the only mechanism through which resistance could be acquired, because there will not be quinolone-resistance genes in nature. Contrary to this prediction, a variety of elements ranging from efflux pumps, target-protecting proteins, and even quinolone-modifying enzymes have been shown to contribute to quinolone resistance. The finding of some of these elements in plasmids indicates that quinolone resistance can be transferable. As a result, there has been a developing interest on the reservoirs for quinolone-resistance genes and on the potential risks associated with the use of these antibiotics in non-clinical environments. As a matter of fact, plasmid-encoded, quinolone-resistance qnr genes originated in the chromosome of aquatic bacteria. Thus the use of quinolones in fish-farming might constitute a risk for the emergence of resistance. Failure to predict the development of quinolone resistance reinforces the need of taking into consideration the wide plasticity of biological systems for future predictions. This plasticity allows pathogens to deal with toxic compounds, including those with a synthetic origin as quinolones.
A globally convergent regularized ordered-subset EM algorithm for list-mode reconstruction

List-mode (LM) acquisition allows collection of data attributes at higher levels of precision than is possible with binned (i.e., histogram-mode) data. Hence, it is particularly attractive for low-count data in emission tomography. An LM likelihood and convergent EM algorithm for LM reconstruction was presented in Parra and Barrett, TMI, v17, 1998. Faster ordered subset (OS) reconstruction algorithms for LM 3-D PET were presented in Reader et al., Phys. Med. Bio. , v43, 1998. However, these OS algorithms are not globally convergent and they also do not include regularization using convex priors which can be beneficial in emission tomographic reconstruction. LM-OSEM algorithms incorporating regularization via inter-iteration filtering were presented in Levkovitz et al., TMI, v20, 2001, but these are again not globally convergent. Convergent preconditioned conjugate gradient algorithms for spatio-temporal LM reconstruction incorporating regularization were presented in Nichols, et al., TMI, v21, 2002, but these do not use OS for speedup. In this work, we present a globally convergent and regularized ordered-subset algorithm for LM reconstruction. Our algorithm is derived using an incremental EM approach. We investigated the speedup of our LM OS algorithm (versus a non-OS version) for a SPECT simulation, and found that the speedup was somewhat less than that enjoyed by other OS-type algorithms.
The intensive care unit and the suicide attempt patient

ABSTRACT Forty consecutively admitted suicide attempt patients, their 70 significant others, and the intensive care unit's personnel were interviewed about their feelings and reactions during the patients' stay on the intensive care unit. The patients belonged to three diagnostic groups. The most prominent feelings and reactions were shame and resistance towards the personnel in the neurosis group, anger and uneasiness in the abuse group, and indifference and apathy in the p re psychosis/psychosis group. The personnel did not observe the patients' underlying feelings and primarily responded to the patients' observable behaviour with different types of reactions, ranging from empathy to distancing and aggression. The latter reactions were due, in part, to the difficulties in dialogue between the patients and the personnel which aroused fear and anxiety in the personnel. The personnel's difficulties in communication with the patients, and the resulting problems are discussed. Significant others did not receive any support, in spite of their need for psychological help.