Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perceived neighborhood ethnic diversity and social outcomes: Context-dependent effects within a postindustrial city undergoing regeneration

ABSTRACT This article examines whether perceived neighborhood ethnic diversity is associated with a range of social outcomes in a postindustrial city undergoing regeneration. The research included a survey in 3 types of deprived area in Glasgow: those undergoing regeneration, those directly adjoining regeneration areas, and those further removed from regeneration areas. In areas undergoing regeneration, perceived diversity was positively associated with many residential, cohesion, safety, and empowerment outcomes. This was also true, although to a lesser extent, in deprived areas at some distance from regeneration areas. In areas immediately surrounding the regeneration areas, perceived diversity had mixed associations with residential and safety outcomes and few associations with cohesion and empowerment outcomes. The results suggest that the effects of perceived diversity are context dependent within a city. Moreover, regeneration processes alter neighborhood contexts and therefore enable scale, timing, and duration of diversity to mediate the relationships between perceived diversity and social outcomes.
N ov 2 00 4 The Dynamical Velocity Superposition Effect in the Quantum-Foam InFlow Theory of Gravity

The new ‘quantum-foam in-flow’ theory of gravity has explained numerous so-called gravitational anomalies, particularly the ‘dark matter’ effect which is now seen to be a dynamical effect of space itself, and whose strength is determined by the fine structure constant, and not by Newton’s gravitational constant G. Here we show an experimentally significant approximate dynamical effect, namely a vector superposition effect which arises under certain dynamical conditions when we have absolute motion and gravitational in-flows: the velocities for these processes are shown to be approximately vectorially additive under these conditions. This effect plays a key role in interpreting the data from the numerous experiments that detected the absolute linear motion of the earth. The violations of this superposition effect lead to observable effects, such as the generation of turbulence. The flow theory also leads to vorticity effects that the Gravity Probe B gyroscope experiment will soon begin observing. As previously reported General Relativity predicts a smaller vorticity effect (therein called the Lense-Thirring ‘frame-dragging’ effect) than the new theory of gravity.
Coaching preferences of athletes.

The study examined the coaching preferences of 80 male and 80 female athletes, as measured by the Leadership Scale for Sports (Chelladurai and Saleh, 1978, 1980). In addition, it attempted to assess the applicability to sport of the Life-cycle and Path-goal theories of leadership. Comparisons between groups were made on the basis of sex, age, and type of sport. A MANOVA indicated that athletes in independent sports preferred more democratic behaviour (p less than .001) and less autocratic behaviour (p = .028) than athletes in interdependent sports. No differences in coaching preferences were found which could be attributed to the age or sex of the athlete, or the variability of the sports task. These results partially supported the Path-goal theory, but did not support the Life-cycle theory. Athletes of all groups tended to favour coaches who displayed training behaviour and rewarding behaviour "often", democratic behaviour and social support behaviour "occasionally", and autocratic behaviour "seldom". This consistency may be a useful finding for those organizations and institutions interested in preparing coaches.
Reliable multiple robot-assisted sensor relocation using multi-objective optimization

Wireless sensor networks provide a way to monitor a region of interest. Incorporating a robot into the sensor network provides a basis for other types of functionality to be added. One possibility is the replacement of damaged sensors with excess sensors within the wireless sensor network. This scenario has been defined as the “Robot-Assisted ¡Sensor Relocation” (RASR) problem and focused only on minimizing the length of the trajectory taken by the robot. RASR has been recently expanded on as a multi-objective optimization (MOO) problem to examine a more realistic scenario by considering the reliability and placement location of the passive sensors used for replacement; this new problem is termed “Reliable Robot-Assisted Sensor Relocation (RRASR). In this paper, the possibility of multiple robots servicing the sensor network is considered and the RRASR problem formulation is modified accordingly. In addition, load balancing of robots by adding an objective function to the MOO representation is included. We refer to this multi-robot version as Reliable Multiple Robot-Assisted Sensor Relocation. The performance of six state-of-the-art evolutionary MOO algorithms using sensor networks of varying sizes and inflicted damage levels is examined.
PLASMA TURNOVER OF METHYLDOPA IN ADVANCED RENAL FAILURE

Methyldopa is one of the most useful drugs for treatment of hypertension in patients with reduced renal function. Few data are available on the metabolism of this drug in renal failure, therefore the plasma turnover rate has been determined in 8 patients with advanced renal failure and 11 cases with essential hypertension with no or only slightly reduced renal function. In both groups of patients a biphasic plasma elimination first was obtained after i.v. injection of the drug. The first, and quantitatively most important, part of the curve showed a half‐life of 3.6 hours in advanced renal failure compared to 1.7 in essential hypertension. A fairly good correlation was demonstrated between the half‐life of the drug in plasma according to the initial disappearance rate and the endogenous creatinine clearance. In patients with renal failure only 50–60% of the drug injected was eliminated during the initial phase, the remainder disappeared even more slowly. The slow, second phase of the elimination curve was also exponential with a slope corresponding to a T/2 of 7–16 hours. In patients with a drug was nearly normal renal function about 95% of the drug was eliminated during the rapid, initial phase. Our findings are in good agreement with the drug accumulation occurring in renal failure.
Potent antilisterial cell-free supernatants produced by complex red-smear cheese microbial consortia.

The microbial surface ripening consortia of 49 soft cheeses were investigated with respect to their inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes. When L. monocytogenes EGDe (serovar 1/2a) was cultivated in cell-free supernatants obtained from consortia grown for 8 h in liquid medium, a strong bactericidal activity was observed in several cases. The cell-free supernatants of 2 of these consortia (I and II) reduced an initial L. monocytogenes inoculum of 5 × 10(7) cfu/mL to zero after 24 h of incubation. No inhibitory substances could be washed off the complex consortia when incubated for a 10-min period. A taxonomical analysis of the antilisterial consortia I and II using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy yielded a considerable species diversity, with lactic acid bacteria increasing strongly during the 8-h cultivation. Therefore, 23 lactic acid bacteria bacteriocin genes were assayed using specific PCR primers, identifying 3 bacteriocin genes in both microbial communities. However, no transcription of these genes was found on cheese surfaces or in consortia propagated in liquid culture. Individual lactic acid bacteria isolates of consortia I and II displayed no or only weak inhibition of L. monocytogenes on solid medium. The complex cell-free supernatants I and II, in contrast, exhibited an unusually broad inhibitory spectrum, killing L. monocytogenes ssp. , Bacillus spp. , Staphylococcus aureus, as well as gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli DH5α and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Inhibition could not be abolished by heating to 100°C or by proteinase K treatment. Initial purification of an inhibitory substance from consortium I by solid-phase extraction and HPLC indicates the presence of rather small, extremely stable compounds, which, most probably, are not bacteriocins.
Terahertz micromachined on-wafer probes: Repeatability and robustness

Although progress has been made in the development of submillimeter-wave monolithic integrated circuits, the evaluation of these circuits still relies on test fixtures, which makes testing expensive and time consuming. Based on a W-band prototype, a micromachined on-wafer probe covering frequencies 500–750 GHz is built to simplify submillimeter-wave integrated circuits testing. This paper demonstrates the repeatability and the robustness of this terahertz micromachined on-wafer probe.
Neuropeptide and calcium‐binding protein gene expression profiles predict neuronal anatomical type in the juvenile rat

Neocortical neurones can be classified according to several independent criteria: morphological, physiological, and molecular expression (neuropeptides (NPs) and/or calcium‐binding proteins (CaBPs)). While it has been suggested that particular NPs and CaBPs characterize certain anatomical subtypes of neurones, there is also considerable overlap in their expression, and little is known about simultaneous expression of multiple NPs and CaBPs in morphologically characterized neocortical neurones. Here we determined the gene expression profiles of calbindin (CB), parvalbumin (PV), calretinin (CR), neuropeptide Y (NPY), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), somatostatin (SOM) and cholecystokinin (CCK) in 268 morphologically identified neurones located in layers 2–6 in the juvenile rat somatosensory neocortex. We used patch‐clamp electrodes to label neurones with biocytin and harvest the cytoplasm to perform single‐cell RT‐multiplex PCR. Quality threshold clustering, an unsupervised algorithm that clustered neurones according to their entire profile of expressed genes, revealed seven distinct clusters. Surprisingly, each cluster preferentially contained one anatomical class. Artificial neural networks using softmax regression predicted anatomical types at nearly optimal statistical levels. Classification tree‐splitting (CART), a simple binary neuropeptide decision tree algorithm, revealed the manner in which expression of the multiple mRNAs relates to different anatomical classes. Pruning the CART tree revealed the key predictors of anatomical class (in order of importance: SOM, PV, VIP, and NPY). We reveal here, for the first time, a strong relationship between specific combinations of NP and CaBP gene expressions and the anatomical class of neocortical neurones.
A Unifying Framework for Linearly Solvable Control

Recent work has led to the development of an elegant theory of Linearly Solvable Markov Decision Processes (LMDPs) and related Path-Integral Control Problems. Traditionally, MDPs have been formulated using stochastic policies and a control cost based on the KL divergence. In this paper, we extend this framework to a more general class of divergences: the Renyi divergences. These are a more general class of divergences parameterized by a continuous parameter that include the KL divergence as a special case. The resulting control problems can be interpreted as solving a risk-sensitive version of the LMDP problem. For a > 0, we get risk-averse behavior (the degree of risk-aversion increases with a) and for a 0. This work generalizes the recently developed risk-sensitive path-integral control formalism which can be seen as the continuous-time limit of results obtained in this paper. To the best of our knowledge, this is a general theory of linearly solvable control and includes all previous work as a special case. We also present an alternative interpretation of these results as solving a 2-player (cooperative or competitive) Markov Game. From the linearity follow a number of nice properties including compositionality of control laws and a path-integral representation of the value function. We demonstrate the usefulness of the framework on control problems with noise where different values of lead to qualitatively different control behaviors.
The Membrane Proteome of Sensory Cilia to the Depth of Olfactory Receptors*

In the nasal cavity, the nonmotile cilium of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) constitutes the chemosensory interface between the ambient environment and the brain. The unique sensory organelle facilitates odor detection for which it includes all necessary components of initial and downstream olfactory signal transduction. In addition to its function in olfaction, a more universal role in modulating different signaling pathways is implicated, for example, in neurogenesis, apoptosis, and neural regeneration. To further extend our knowledge about this multifunctional signaling organelle, it is of high importance to establish a most detailed proteome map of the ciliary membrane compartment down to the level of transmembrane receptors. We detached cilia from mouse olfactory epithelia via Ca2+/K+ shock followed by the enrichment of ciliary membrane proteins at alkaline pH, and we identified a total of 4,403 proteins by gel-based and gel-free methods in conjunction with high resolution LC/MS. This study is the first to report the detection of 62 native olfactory receptor proteins and to provide evidence for their heterogeneous expression at the protein level. Quantitative data evaluation revealed four ciliary membrane-associated candidate proteins (the annexins ANXA1, ANXA2, ANXA5, and S100A5) with a suggested function in the regulation of olfactory signal transduction, and their presence in ciliary structures was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Moreover, we corroborated the ciliary localization of the potassium-dependent Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCKX) 4 and the plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase 1 (PMCA1) involved in olfactory signal termination, and we detected for the first time NCKX2 in olfactory cilia. Through comparison with transcriptome data specific for mature, ciliated OSNs, we finally delineated the membrane ciliome of OSNs. The membrane proteome of olfactory cilia established here is the most complete today, thus allowing us to pave new avenues for the study of diverse molecular functions and signaling pathways in and out of olfactory cilia and thus to advance our understanding of the biology of sensory organelles in general.
Validation of the Geriatric Depression Scale for an elderly Sri Lankan clinic population

Background: Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) has not been validated for the elderly population in Sri Lanka. Aim: To translate, validate, and examine the effectiveness of GDS and to suggest the optimal cut-off scores for elderly Sri Lankans attending a psychogeriatric clinic. Materials and Methods: The Sinhalese translation of GDS (GDS-S) was administered to people aged 55 years and above, attending a psychogeriatric outpatient clinic. The diagnostic performance of the instrument was compared against the ICD 10 diagnosis of a consultant psychiatrist, which was considered the ‘gold standard’. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was carried out to compare the diagnostic performance of the GDS-S. Optimal cut-off scores for depression and sensitivity and the specificity of the instrument was determined. Results: A total of 60 subjects formed the final sample (male/female=16/44) of which 30 were depressed, while 30 were age- and sex-matched controls. The optimal cut-off score for GDS-S was 8 for differentiating non-depressed from mildly depressed, while the cut-off score for moderate depression was 10. Sensitivity and specificity of GDS-S was 73.3% for differentiating depressed from non-depressed. Conclusion: GDS is culturally acceptable, easy to use, sensitive, and a valid instrument to diagnose depression and to differentiate mild from moderate depression in an elderly Sri Lankan clinic population.
Physical Layer Security in Heterogeneous Networks With Jammer Selection and Full-Duplex Users

In this paper, we enhance physical layer security for downlink heterogeneous networks by using friendly jammers and full-duplex users. The jammers are selected to transmit jamming signal if their interfering power on the scheduled users is below a threshold, meanwhile the scheduled users confound the eavesdroppers using artificial noise by full-duplexing. Using the tools of stochastic geometry, we derive the expressions of connection probability and secrecy probability. In particular, the locations of active jammers are modeled by a modified Poisson hole process. Determining the jammer selection threshold is further investigated for connection probability maximization subject to the security constraints. A greedy algorithm is proposed to efficiently solve this problem. The accuracy of the theoretical analysis and the efficiency of the proposed algorithm are evaluated by numerical simulations.
Microstructural changes of the whole brain in patients with comitant strabismus: evidence from a diffusion tensor imaging study

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) using a diffusion tensor imaging technique and whole-brain voxel-based analysis in patients with comitant strabismus. Patients and methods A total of 19 (nine males and ten females) patients with comitant strabismus and 19 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls (HCs) underwent magnetic resonance imaging examination. Imaging data were analyzed using two-sample t-tests to identify group differences in FA and MD values. Patients with comitant strabismus were distinguishable from HCs by receiver operating characteristic curves. Results Compared with HCs, patients with comitant strabismus exhibited significantly decreased FA values in the brain regions of the left superior temporal gyrus and increased values in the bilateral medial frontal gyrus, right globus pallidus/brainstem, and bilateral precuneus. Meanwhile, MD value was significantly reduced in the brain regions of the bilateral cerebellum posterior lobe and left middle frontal gyrus but increased in the brain regions of the right middle frontal gyrus and left anterior cingulate. Conclusion These results suggest significant brain abnormalities in comitant strabismus, which may underlie the pathologic mechanisms of fusion defects and ocular motility disorders in patients with comitant strabismus.
Predicting the sizes of large RNA molecules

We present a theory of the dependence on sequence of the three-dimensional size of large single-stranded (ss) RNA molecules. The work is motivated by the fact that the genomes of many viruses are large ssRNA molecules—often several thousand nucleotides long—and that these RNAs are spontaneously packaged into small rigid protein shells. We argue that there has been evolutionary pressure for the genome to have overall spatial properties—including an appropriate radius of gyration, Rg—that facilitate this assembly process. For an arbitrary RNA sequence, we introduce the (thermal) average maximum ladder distance (〈MLD〉) and use it as a measure of the “extendedness” of the RNA secondary structure. The 〈MLD〉 values of viral ssRNAs that package into capsids of fixed size are shown to be consistently smaller than those for randomly permuted sequences of the same length and base composition, and also smaller than those of natural ssRNAs that are not under evolutionary pressure to have a compact native form. By mapping these secondary structures onto a linear polymer model and by using 〈MLD〉 as a measure of effective contour length, we predict the Rg values of viral ssRNAs are smaller than those of nonviral sequences. More generally, we predict the average 〈MLD〉 values of large nonviral ssRNAs scale as N0.67±0.01, where N is the number of nucleotides, and that their Rg values vary as 〈MLD〉0.5 in an ideal solvent, and hence as N0.34. An alternative analysis, which explicitly includes all branches, is introduced and shown to yield consistent results.
Intelligent nebulizers in the age of the Internet: The I-neb Adaptive Aerosol Delivery (AAD) system.

The I-neb Adaptive Aerosol Delivery (AAD) System is among the most technologically advanced and sophisticated nebulizer systems in clinical use. In the United States, the I-neb AAD System is approved for the delivery of inhaled iloprost, whereas in Europe it is approved as a multipurpose nebulizer that is employed for specific applications where it is included in the drug license. This special supplement is sponsored by Philips Respironics (UK) Ltd, and contains eight articles that comprehensively review technical details of the I-neb AAD System and provide data on patient use in domiciliary settings. (1–8) This issue, focused exclusively on a single aerosol delivery device, is a unique publication for the Journal. Hopefully, this will be a harbinger of other supplements to follow so that the medical community may learn detailed and peer-reviewed information about newer aerosol delivery devices. Conventional nebulizers have several well-recognized drawbacks that make them unsuitable for administration of therapy with expensive medications, especially those that require precise dosing. (9) The unique features of the I-neb AAD System overcome many shortcomings of conventional nebulizers. (1) Some of the distinctive features of the I-neb AAD System are its ability to provide: (1) precise dosing, (2) feedback to the patient, (3) ability to log information about device use and performance, and (4) data for transmission over the Internet to remotely monitor patient's adherence to the drug regimen and device performance. (1,3)
Benzimidazoisoquinolines: A New Class of Rapidly Metabolized Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) Ligands that Induce AhR-Dependent Tregs and Prevent Murine Graft-Versus-Host Disease

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that plays multiple roles in regulation of immune and inflammatory responses. The ability of certain AhR ligands to induce regulatory T cells (Tregs) has generated interest in developing AhR ligands for therapeutic treatment of immune-mediated diseases. To this end, we designed a screen for novel Treg-inducing compounds based on our understanding of the mechanisms of Treg induction by the well-characterized immunosuppressive AhR ligand, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). We screened a ChemBridge small molecule library and identified 10-chloro-7H-benzimidazo[2,1-a]benzo[de]Iso-quinolin-7-one (10-Cl-BBQ) as a potent AhR ligand that was rapidly metabolized and not cytotoxic to proliferating T cells. Like TCDD,10-Cl-BBQ altered donor CD4+ T cell differentiation during the early stages of a graft versus host (GVH) response resulting in expression of high levels of CD25, CTLA-4 and ICOS, as well as several genes associated with Treg function. The Treg phenotype required AhR expression in the donor CD4+ T cells. Foxp3 was not expressed in the AhR-induced Tregs implicating AhR as an independent transcription factor for Treg induction. Structure-activity studies showed that unsubstituted BBQ as well as 4, 11-dichloro-BBQ were capable of inducing AhR-Tregs. Other substitutions reduced activation of AhR. Daily treatment with 10-Cl-BBQ during the GVH response prevented development of GVH disease in an AhR-dependent manner with no overt toxicity. Together, our data provide strong support for development of select BBQs that activate the AhR to induce Tregs for treatment of immune-mediated diseases.