Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Visual search strategies and decision-making in sport.

Describes a series of experiments conducted on the racquet sports of badminton and squash to determine the location of the advance cues that provide critical anticipatory information and to document any expert–novice differences in anticipatory cue usage. Data suggest movement of the arm and racquet and outward flight of the struck ball (or shuttle) as the source of the critical cues for racquet sports, and a close match was found between the visual search sequence and the proximal-to-distal kinematic development of the opponent's stroke. Expert racquet sport players differed from novices in terms of their ability to use the earlier occurring, more proximal arm cues as a basis for predicting resultant stroke speed and direction, but these differences in information pick-up were not matched by differences in visual search strategy.
Nitrogen chemistry and depletion in starless cores

We investigated the chemistry of nitrogen--containing species, principally isotopomers of CN, HCN, and HNC, in a sample of pre-protostellar cores. We used the IRAM 30 m telescope to measure the emission in rotational and hyperfine transitions of CN, HCN, 13CN, H13CN, HN13C, and HC15N, in L 1544, L 183, Oph D, L 1517B, L 310. The observations were made along axial cuts through the dust emission peak, at a number of regularly--spaced offset positions. The observations were reduced and analyzed to obtain the column densities, using the measurements of the less abundant isotopic variants in order to minimize the consequences of finite optical depths in the lines. The observations were compared with the predictions of a free--fall gravitational collapse model, which incorporates a non-equilibrium treatment of the relevant chemistry. We found that CN, HCN, and HNC remain present in the gas phase at densities well above that at which CO depletes on to grains. The CN:HCN and the HNC:HCN abundance ratios are larger than unity in all the objects of our sample. Furthermore, there is no observational evidence for large variations of these ratios with increasing offset from the dust emission peak and hence with density. Whilst the differential freeze--out of CN and CO can be understood in terms of the current chemistry, the behaviour of the CN:HCN ratio is more difficult to explain. Models suggest that most nitrogen is not in the gas phase but may be locked in ices. Unambiguous conclusions require measurements of the rate coefficients of the key neutral--neutral reactions at low temperatures.
Improving recombinant Rubisco biogenesis, plant photosynthesis and growth by coexpressing its ancillary RAF1 chaperone

Significance Using a translational photosynthesis approach, we successfully increased CO2-assimilation in leaf chloroplasts of the model plant tobacco. Phylogenetic analysis revealed parallel evolutionary linkages between the large (L-) subunit of the CO2-fixing enzyme Rubisco and its molecular chaperone Rubisco accumulation factor 1 (RAF1). We experimentally tested and exploited this correlation using plastome transformation, producing plants that demonstrated the role of RAF1 in L-subunit assembly and resolve the RAF1 quaternary structure as a dimer. We show the increase in Rubisco biogenesis translated to improvements in leaf photosynthesis and growth of the plants. The outcomes have application to the growing interest into identifying and implementing strategies to supercharge photosynthesis to improve crop productivity and stem global food-security concerns. Enabling improvements to crop yield and resource use by enhancing the catalysis of the photosynthetic CO2-fixing enzyme Rubisco has been a longstanding challenge. Efforts toward realization of this goal have been greatly assisted by advances in understanding the complexities of Rubisco’s biogenesis in plastids and the development of tailored chloroplast transformation tools. Here we generate transplastomic tobacco genotypes expressing Arabidopsis Rubisco large subunits (AtL), both on their own (producing tobAtL plants) and with a cognate Rubisco accumulation factor 1 (AtRAF1) chaperone (producing tobAtL-R1 plants) that has undergone parallel functional coevolution with AtL. We show AtRAF1 assembles as a dimer and is produced in tobAtL-R1 and Arabidopsis leaves at 10–15 nmol AtRAF1 monomers per square meter. Consistent with a postchaperonin large (L)-subunit assembly role, the AtRAF1 facilitated two to threefold improvements in the amount and biogenesis rate of hybrid L8AS8t Rubisco [comprising AtL and tobacco small (S) subunits] in tobAtL-R1 leaves compared with tobAtL, despite >threefold lower steady-state Rubisco mRNA levels in tobAtL-R1. Accompanying twofold increases in photosynthetic CO2-assimilation rate and plant growth were measured for tobAtL-R1 lines. These findings highlight the importance of ancillary protein complementarity during Rubisco biogenesis in plastids, the possible constraints this has imposed on Rubisco adaptive evolution, and the likely need for such interaction specificity to be considered when optimizing recombinant Rubisco bioengineering in plants.
The Open University ’ s repository of research publications and other research outputs Tracking clones ’ imprint

Cloning imprint is the lasting effect of cloning on applications. This paper aims to analyze the clone imprint over time, in terms of the extension of cloning, the persistence of clones in methods, and the stability of cloned methods. Such level of detail requires an improvement in the clone tracking algorithms previously proposed, which is also presented. We found that cloned methods are cloned most of their lifetime, cloned methods have a higher density of changes, and that changes in cloned methods tend to be customizations to the clone environment.
Optimum Chip-Tape Adhesion for Reliable Pickup Process

An efficient UV-irradiation process plays an important role for a successful pickup of very thin ( $< d = 100~\mu \text{m}$ ) Si chips, such as for integrated circuits, power semiconductors, or microelectromechanical systems devices. Before the UV-irradiation process, a dicing tape is laminated on the back of the wafer to hold it tightly (high adhesion strength), which enables rapid and smooth dicing of the wafer into separate Si chips. In the second stage, the adhesive layer is irradiated with UV light through the front side of the backing substrate, which decreases the adhesion strength to the level where the diced chips are picked up easily for further die-bonding processes. However, various malfunctions during the UV-irradiation process can lead to a different and occasionally insufficient UV dose. Consequently, the adhesion is not sufficiently reduced, which could later lead to pickup problems at the die-attach equipment during assembly. In this paper, we present the consequences of an insufficient UV dose on adhesion behavior and pickup efficiency. Using calculated adhesive energy, pickup simulation was done, and accumulated stress in the chips was evaluated at different UV doses. At lower UV doses, the adhesive energy showed rate-dependent behavior, while at higher UV doses, such a behavior was not shown. The accumulated stress within chips showed a linear correlation to adhesive energy, where at lower UV doses, the strength of the silicon chip was exceeded. In the practical process, with an increased pickup rate, higher energy is needed to delaminate the chip. With higher energy needed, accumulated stress in the chip is increased and could lead to the breaking of the chip.
Vaginal carriage rate of group B Streptococcus in pregnant women and its transmission to neonates.

BACKGROUND Maternal vaginal colonisation with Group B Streptococcus (GBS, Streptococcus agalactiae) at the time of delivery can cause vertical transmission to the neonate. GBS is the leading cause of sepsis, meningitis and pneumonia in the infants. Asymptomatic colonisation of the vagina with GBS varies with the geographical location. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study conducted in 2009 at Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Lower vaginal swabs were obtained from 200 pregnant women at the time of admission in the Gynaecology and Obstetrics Department for term, normal vaginal delivery and swabs from the skin of abdomen and ear canals of their respective neonates immediately after delivery were collected. Swabs were inoculated on blood agar and incubated aerobically and on Group B Streptococcus agar (GBS agar) and incubated anaerobically in an anaerobic jar. Identification of GBS was made on the basis of colonial morphology (beta-haemolytic colonies on blood agar and orange pigmented colonies on GBS agar), Gram stain, catalase test and conformation was done by means of latex agglutination tests. RESULTS A GBS carriage rate of 8.5% among pregnant women before delivery and an acquisition rate of 53% on the abdominal skin and 18% in the ear canals by the neonates of colonised mothers were found. CONCLUSIONS GBS colonisation in pregnant women and its transmission to the neonates is present in our population so GBS infections in the prenatal and neonatal period might not be uncommon in Pakistan, so routine screening should be carried out.
Estimating Network Effects and Compatibility in Mobile Telecommunications

This paper provides empirical evidence on the extent of network effects and compatibility between networks in mobile telecommunications. We specify a structural model of demand for mobile telephone service, which allows us to identify the parameters of interest from the S-shape of mobile service diffusion. The network effects are measured by the dependence of consumer willingness to pay on the installed base of subscribers. Compatibility is measured by the relative extent of cross- and own-network effects. As such, it indicates whether the network effects operate at the firm level, at the industry level, or at both. We then estimate this model for the Polish mobile telephone industry using quarterly panel data for the period 1996-2001. We find strong network effects, which give rise to upward-sloping demand, and, despite full interconnection of the mobile telephone networks, low compatibility. We show also that ignoring network effects in empirical models of emerging network industries might substantially bias downward the estimated price elasticity of demand. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG - (Schatzung von Netzwerkeffekten und Kompatibilitat in Mobilfunktelekommunikation) Der vorliegende Beitrag bietet empirische Evidenz fur den Umfang von Netzwerkeffekten und Netzwerkkompatibilitat in der Mobilfunktelekom-munikation. Wir spezifizieren ein strukturelles Modell fur die Nachfrage von Mobilfunkdienstleistungen, das die Parameter von Interesse mithilfe der S-formigen Funktion der Dienstleistungsdiffusion identifiziert. Die Netzwerkeffekte werden durch die Abhangigkeit der Zahlungsbereitschaft der Konsumenten von der installierten Abonnentenbasis gemessen. Netzwerkkompatibilitat wird durch den relativen Umfang der Quer- und Eigen-Netzwerkeffekte gemessen. Sie weist darauf hin, ob Netzwerkeffekten auf Unternehmensebene, auf Industrieebene, oder auf beiden Ebenen bestehen. Dann schatzen wir das Modell fur die Polnische Mobilfunkindustrie mit vierteljahrlichen Paneldaten fur 1996-2001. Wir stellen starke Netzwerkeffekte fest, die eine positive Steigung in der Nachfragefunktion verursachen, und - trotz der technisch vollstandigen Querverbindung der Mobilfunknetze - niedrige Kompatibilitat. Wir zeigen auch, dass das Ubersehen von Netzwerkeffekten in empirischen Modellen von neuen Netzwerkindustrien die geschatzte Preiselastizitat der Nachfrage signifikant nach unten verzerren kann.
Cancer mortality among uranium mill workers.

Mortality from all causes was determined for a small group of uranium mill workers. The only specific cause of death which demonstrated a significant excess was malignant disease of the lymphatic and hematopoietic tissue. Data from animal experiments suggests that this excess may have resulted from irradiation of lymph nodes by thorium-230. (auth)
Human relaxins: chemistry and biology.

IT IS more than a decade since the previous and first review in this journal on relaxin (1). There have been many significant advances over this period which have been reviewed by us and others (2–4). The sequencing of the two human relaxin genes termed HI and H2 relaxins, and the availability of these peptides and antibodies have allowed relatively rapid progress in knowledge over the last few years. There is enough accumulated data to warrant specialization within the field and to allow us to focus this review on the human relaxins. Where there are gaps in the knowledge of effects of human relaxin in human systems, they have been filled with data from nonhuman animal experimentation to provide a more complete picture of the status of the field. A summary of the principal advances over the period 1983–1992 is presented in Table 1. Over this period the sequences of the two human relaxin genes as well as their tissue expression were described together with the chemical and recombinant syntheses of their pe.
Climatic niche and neutral genetic diversity of the six Iberian pine species: a retrospective and prospective view

Quaternary climatic fluctuations have left contrasting historical footprints on the neutral genetic diversity patterns of existing populations of different tree species. We should expect the demography, and consequently the neutral genetic structure, of taxa less tolerant to particular climatic extremes to be more sensitive to long‐term climate fluctuations. We explore this hypothesis here by sampling all six pine species found in the Iberian Peninsula (2464 individuals, 105 populations), using a common set of chloroplast microsatellite markers, and by looking at the association between neutral genetic diversity and species‐specific climatic requirements. We found large variation in neutral genetic diversity and structure among Iberian pines, with cold‐enduring mountain species (Pinus uncinata, P. sylvestris and P. nigra) showing substantially greater diversity than thermophilous taxa (P. pinea and P. halepensis). Within species, we observed a significant positive correlation between population genetic diversity and summer precipitation for some of the mountain pines. The observed pattern is consistent with the hypotheses that: (i) more thermophilous species have been subjected to stronger demographic fluctuations in the past, as a consequence of their maladaptation to recurrent glacial cold stages; and (ii) altitudinal migrations have allowed the maintenance of large effective population sizes and genetic variation in cold‐tolerant species, especially in more humid regions. In the light of these results and hypotheses, we discuss some potential genetic consequences of impending climate change.
All in a day's work: a study of World of Warcraft NPCs comparing gender to professions

Extending Corneliussen's [2008] study of the gender disparity of World of Warcraft Non-Player Characters (NPCs), this paper examines the relationship between sex and profession of NPCs in in the same game. Because NPCs are understudied to date, we attempt to show where and how normative frameworks are, even if unintended, working very much to marginalize women. Our primary focus is to determine if stereotypical associations between types of jobs and the bodies that are depicted performing these jobs are being reinforced. Our findings show that while there are male and female NPCs for all professions, they are not equally represented. There is no statistically significant pattern linking gender and profession, however, males still make up approximately two thirds of the NPCs associated with a `job' within this particular gameworld. There seems to be subtle hierarchies at work within the distribution of professions within World of Warcraft. For example, ideas of gender in the field of medicine have been transposed into the gameworld through the use of some male first aid NPCs having the title `Doctor', and yet the title given to a female trainer of the same profession is `Nurse'. Ultimately, we argue that there are other forces, influences and processes to consider when examining a sociotechnical system like World of Warcraft, including player preferences and conditioning, the fantasy lore upon which the game draws (as well as produces) and the general presentation of gender roles in the larger sociotechnical context.
Managing Transition with Support: Experiences of Transition from Child and Adolescent Psychiatry to General Adult Psychiatry Narrated by Young Adults and Relatives

Young adults with mental illness who need continuing care when they turn 18 are referred from child and adolescent psychiatry to general adult psychiatry. During this process, young adults are undergoing multiple transitions as they come of age while they transfer to another unit in healthcare. The aim of this study was to explore expectations and experiences of transition from child and adolescent psychiatry to general adult psychiatry as narrated by young adults and relatives. Individual interviews were conducted with three young adults and six relatives and analysed according to grounded theory. The analysis resulted in a core category: managing transition with support, and three categories: being of age but not mature, walking out of security and into uncertainty, and feeling omitted and handling concerns. The young adults' and relatives' main concerns were that they might be left out and feel uncertainty about the new situation during the transition process. To facilitate the transition process, individual care planning is needed. It is essential that young adults and relatives are participating in the process to be prepared for the changes and achieve a successful transition. Knowledge about the simultaneous processes seems to be an important issue for facilitating transition.
Alcohol consumption and PSA-detected prostate cancer risk—A case-control nested in the ProtecT study

Alcohol is an established carcinogen but not an established risk factor for prostate cancer, despite some recent prospective studies suggesting increased risk among heavy drinkers. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of alcohol on prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) levels and prostate cancer risk. Two thousand four hundred PSA detected prostate cancer cases and 12,700 controls matched on age and general practice were identified through a case‐control study nested in the PSA‐testing phase of a large UK‐based randomized controlled trial for prostate cancer treatment (ProtecT). Linear and multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate ratios of geometric means (RGMs) of PSA and relative risk ratios (RRRs) of prostate cancer by stage and grade, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), associated with weekly alcohol intake and drinking patterns. We found evidence of lower PSA (RGM 0.98, 95% CI: 0.98–0.99) and decreased risk of low Gleason‐grade (RRR 0.96; 95%CI 0.93–0.99) but increased risk of high‐grade prostate cancer (RRR 1.04; 95%CI 0.99–1.08; pdifference=0.004) per 10 units/week increase in alcohol consumption, not explained by current BMI, blood pressure, comorbidities, or reverse causation. This is the first large population‐based study to find evidence of lower PSA levels for increasing alcohol consumption, with potential public health implications for the detection of prostate cancer. Our results also support a modestly higher risk of high‐grade disease for heavy drinkers, but require independent replication to establish the nature of the association of alcohol with low‐grade disease, preferably in cohorts with a heterogeneous case‐mix.
The Role of Confirmation in IS Continuance Theory: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis

This paper provides a meta-analysis of Information Systems Continuance (ISC) theory, specifically focusing on the relationships that Confirmation has with Satisfaction, Perceived Usefulness and Continuance Intention. A comprehensive literature review for the years 2001 to 2012 revealed 75 ISC studies from 72 papers. The results of this meta-analysis indicate the robustness of ISC theory and model, with large effect sizes for the three key relationships. Moderator analyses indicate larger effect sizes for nonconvenience samples (versus convenience samples) and educational/eLearning Information Systems and personal Information Systems (versus corporate Information Systems). Implications of the results are discussed, along with implications for researchers and practitioners. Meta-analysis limitations as well as future directions for this meta-analysis are presented.
ATP1A3 Mutations and Genotype-Phenotype Correlation of Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood in Chinese Patients

Alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) is a rare and severe neurological disorder. ATP1A3 was recently identified as the causative gene. Here we report the first genetic study in Chinese AHC cohort. We performed whole-exome sequencing on three trios and three unrelated patients, and screened additional 41 typical cases and 100 controls by PCR-Sanger sequencing. ATP1A3 mutations were detected in 95.7% of typical AHC patients. At least 93.3% were de novo. Four late onset, atypical AHC patients were also mutation positive, suggesting the need for testing ATP1A3 mutations in atypical cases. Totally, 13 novel missense mutations (T370N, G706R, L770R, T771N, T771I, S772R, L802P, D805H, M806K, P808L, I810N, L839P and G893R) were identified in our study. By homology modeling of the mutant protein structures and calculation of an extensive list of molecular features, we identified two statistically significant molecular features, solvent accessibility and distance to metal ion, that distinguished disease-associated mutations from neutral variants. A logistic regression classifier achieved 92.9% accuracy by the average of 100 times of five-fold cross validations. Genotype-phenotype correlation analysis showed that patients with epilepsy were more likely to carry E815K mutation. In summary, ATP1A3 is the major pathogenic gene of AHC in Chinese patients; mutations have distinctive molecular features that discriminate them from neutral variants and are correlated with phenotypes.
Comprehensive Analysis of Tissue Preservation and Recording Quality from Chronic Multielectrode Implants

Multielectrodes have been used with great success to simultaneously record the activity of neuronal populations in awake, behaving animals. In particular, there is great promise in the use of this technique to allow the control of neuroprosthetic devices by human patients. However, it is crucial to fully characterize the tissue response to the chronic implants in animal models ahead of the initiation of human clinical trials. Here we evaluated the effects of unilateral multielectrode implants on the motor cortex of rats weekly recorded for 1–6 months using several histological methods to assess metabolic markers, inflammatory response, immediate-early gene (IEG) expression, cytoskeletal integrity and apoptotic profiles. We also investigated the correlations between each of these features and firing rates, to estimate the impact of post-implant time on neuronal recordings. Overall, limited neuronal loss and glial activation were observed on the implanted sites. Reactivity to enzymatic metabolic markers and IEG expression were not significantly different between implanted and non-implanted hemispheres. Multielectrode recordings remained viable for up to 6 months after implantation, and firing rates correlated well to the histochemical and immunohistochemical markers. Altogether, our results indicate that chronic tungsten multielectrode implants do not substantially alter the histological and functional integrity of target sites in the cerebral cortex.
Chapter 25. Soft Semiconductor Devices Soft Semiconductor Devices

Our group works with soft semiconductors. These are materials comprised of molecules held together by weak van der Waals bonds. In comparison, the atoms in conventional semiconductors are held together by strong covalent bonds. Weak intermolecular bonds offer a tradeoff to engineers. Their disadvantage is an enhancement of disorder and charge localization, yielding relatively poor charge transport properties.