Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multipartite entanglement configurations: Combinatorial offshoots into (hyper)graph theory and their ramifications

Computations in a distributed environment comprising a network of spatially separated nodes may require the exchange of classical and quantum information. The amount of classical communication may be reduced in such computations by using multipartite entanglement. Following the combinatorial approach developed in [25, 27], we study entanglement configurations over a set of nodes, where each entanglement configuration is a collection of multipartite entanglement (CAT or GHZ) states shared within different combinations of subsets of nodes. The main problem is to determine whether LOCC transformations can generate an entanglement configuration B from another entanglement configuration A, written as B < LOCC A. We characterize the resulting partial order introduced on unitarily equivalent classes of entanglement configurations due to LOCC transformations. This study includes the communication complexity of generating higher cardinality multipartite CAT states from smaller sized CAT state configurations. We al.
Reflecting on Oneself and on Others: Multiple Perspectives via SenseCam

Six households were given multiple SenseCams, a lifelogging device, to use over the course of one week. This paper presents an exploration of how the resulting image streams were used to trigger reflections, both on the users’ own lives and on those of each other, and to offer new insights into the everyday. Further, reflection was invited not only by the images that were captured, but also when wearing, or seeing others wear, the camera. These reflections pertained to aspects of everyday life, to elements of one’s own character, and to the way that oneself is presented to others.
Impact of Gender on the Relationship between Job Satisfaction & Psychological Wellbeing of Indian Employees

A central point adding to the capacity of organizations to adapt to the turbulent environment is the advancement of job satisfaction and employee well-being. The purpose of this study was to understand the effect of gender on the job satisfaction and psychological well-being of the employees working in Indian private sector. Consequently, the relationship between job satisfaction and wellbeing was explored. A cross-sectional survey-based research design was adopted using data from 160 employees (equal number of males and females) of private sector organizations in North India. The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) and The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) were administered to gain insight into the levels of job satisfaction and well-being respectively. The results showed that gender did not play a role in determining job satisfaction and psychological well-being in Indian employees. Further, it was seen that job satisfaction and psychological well-being were positively correlated. The study advances the existing work and adds to the limited literature of Indian studies on the relationship between job satisfaction and wellbeing in the Indian private sector.
A Logic Programming Approach to Conflict Resolution in Policy Management

The simple event-condition-action (ECA) rule paradigm of active databases has proved very useful in many AI and database applications. However, its applicability goes beyond data management. ECA rules can be used in network management and monitoring , electronic commerce, security and access management, and other application areas to express policies { collections of general principles specifying the desired behavior of a system. In this paper we use a declarative policy description language PDL, in which policies are formulated as sets of ECA rules. The main contribution of the paper is a framework for detecting action connicts and nding resolutions to these connicts. Connicts are captured as violations of action constraints. The semantics of rules, and connict detection and resolution are deened axiomatically using logic programs. Given a policy and a set of action constraints the framework deenes a monitor that lters the output of the policy to satisfy the constraints. We brieey describe the architecture of a PDL-based policy server being used to provide centralized administration of a soft switch in a communication network and show how it can be augmented to handle connict resolution.
Non-invasive monitoring of adrenocortical activity in European badgers (Meles meles) and effects of sample collection and storage on faecal cortisol metabolite concentrations

Due to the increasing demand for methods to quantify adrenal activity in response to stressors in wild animals, we evaluated whether stimulation with adrenocorticopic hormone (ACTH) increases faecal cortisol metabolite levels in European badgers. We also conducted several experiments to evaluate the effect of storage time and collection methods on cortisol metabolite levels of faecal samples. Faecal samples were collected from five captive European badgers (Meles meles) and cortisol metabolites were quantified by an enzyme immunoassay. Faecal cortisol metabolite levels increased 1-2 days after ACTH injection and dropped to pre-treatment levels 3 days after ACTH stimulation. We found that cortisol metabolite levels were not affected by the 8-hour time lapse from collection in the field until freezing of faecal samples, environmental exposure (temperature 25.66 ± 2.55°C; range 21.2032.20) or mean relative humidity 62.77 ± 9.90% (range 42.00-79.00). Cortisol metabolites were not homogenously distributed in the scats. Cortisol metabolite levels were significantly lower when faecal extracts and samples were frozen for long periods of time (14 weeks or more). Thus, the measurement of faecal cortisol metabolites is a suitable method for the non-invasive evaluation of adrenocortical activity in European badgers. However, some aspects related to the collection and storage of faecal samples should be considered in future studies conducted with this species.
What Words Are Worth: National Science Foundation Grant Abstracts Indicate Award Funding

Can word patterns from grant abstracts predict National Science Foundation (NSF) funding? In an analysis of over 7.4 million words covering 19,569 proposals, this article presents evidence that the writing style of NSF grant abstracts corresponds to the amount of money received for the award. The data describe a clear relationship between word patterns and funding magnitude: Grant abstracts that are longer than the average abstract, contain fewer common words, and are written with more verbal certainty receive more money from the NSF (approximately $372 per one-word increase). While such language patterns correspond to award amount, they largely contradict the NSF’s call to communicate science in a plain manner, suggesting an inconsistency between the injunctive norms of the NSF and the descriptive norms of science writing. Broadly, the results support a tradition of research that uses big text data to evaluate social and psychological dynamics.
Resequencing and Association Analysis of PTPRA, a Possible Susceptibility Gene for Schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorders

Background The PTPRA gene, which encodes the protein RPTP-α, is critical to neurodevelopment. Previous linkage studies, genome-wide association studies, controlled expression analyses and animal models support an association with both schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders, both of which share a substantial portion of genetic risks. Methods We sequenced the protein-encoding areas of the PTPRA gene for single nucleotide polymorphisms or small insertions/deletions (InDel) in 382 schizophrenia patients. To validate their association with the disorders, rare (minor allele frequency <1%), missense mutations as well as one InDel in the 3′UTR region were then genotyped in another independent sample set comprising 944 schizophrenia patients, 336 autism spectrum disorders patients, and 912 healthy controls. Results Eight rare mutations, including 3 novel variants, were identified during the mutation-screening phase. In the following association analysis, L59P, one of the two missense mutations, was only observed among patients of schizophrenia. Additionally, a novel duplication in the 3′UTR region, 174620_174623dupTGAT, was predicted to be located within a Musashi Binding Element. Major Conclusions No evidence was seen for the association of rare, missense mutations in the PTPRA gene with schizophrenia or autism spectrum disorders; however, we did find some rare variants with possibly damaging effects that may increase the susceptibility of carriers to the disorders.
Endothelial Progenitor Cell Migration-Enhancing Factors in the Secretome of Placental-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Therapeutic potentials of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) depend largely on their ability to secrete cytokines or factors that modulate immune response, enhance cell survival, and induce neovascularization in the target tissues. We studied the secretome profile of gestational tissue-derived MSCs and their effects on functions of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), another angiogenic cell type that plays an important role during the neovascularization. MSCs derived from placental tissues (PL-MSCs) significantly enhanced EPC migration while BM-MSCs, which are the standard source of MSCs for various clinical applications, did not. By using protein fractionation and mass spectrometry analysis, we identified several novel candidates for EPC migration enhancing factor in PL-MSCs secretome that could be used to enhance neovascularization in the injured/ischemic tissues. We recommend that the strategy developed in our study could be used to systematically identify therapeutically useful molecules in the secretomes of other MSC sources for the clinical applications.
Characterization and Cytotoxicity Analysis of a Ciprofloxacin Loaded Chitosan/Bioglass Scaffold on Cultured Human Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells: a Preliminary Report

AIM: The aim of this study was to analyze the cytotoxicity of ciprofloxacin (CIP) loaded on chitosan bioactive glass scaffold on human periodontal ligament stem cells (PLSCs) in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PLSCs obtained from human third molars, cultures treated with medium containing 15 x 15 mm chitosan/bioactive glass scaffolds without/with different concentration 0, 5, 10, and 20 % of CIP. A total of 15 x 10^3 cells were plated in 6 well plates. The attached cells of each group were harvested from the plates after 1, 4 and 8 days of culture to detect the viability of cells. The cell number was determined using a hemocytometer and the trypan blue dye-exclusion assay. Data was analyzed using normality using Shapiro-Wilk test. Comparisons between groups were made using One-way ANOVA complemented by Tukey’s test. RESULTS: When comparing the proliferation rate of cells in the four groups, no statistically significant difference was found (P = 0.633). With regards to cell viability, no statistical difference was found between the 0, 5, and 10 % CIP concentrations, while the 20 % CIP concentration demonstrated the least viability with a high statistically significant difference (P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Twenty percentages CIP demonstrated the least proliferation rate and viability.
Comparative effect of partial root-zone drying and deficit irrigation on incidence of blossom-end rot in tomato under varied calcium rates

This study investigated the comparative effects of reduced irrigation regimes—partial root-zone drying (PRD) and conventional deficit irrigation (DI)—on the incidence of blossom-end rot (BER) in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) under three Ca-fertilization rates: 0, 100, and 200mg Ca kg–1 soil (denoted Ca0, Ca1, and Ca2, respectively). The plants were grown in split-root pots in a climate-controlled glasshouse and treated with PRD and DI during early flowering to the fruit maturity stage. The results showed that, in comparison with DI treatment, PRD significantly reduced BER incidence. A greater xylem sap abscisic acid concentration, lower stomatal conductance, and higher plant water status in the PRD in relation to the DI plants might have contributed to the increased fruit Ca uptake, and could have reduced BER development in tomato fruits. Therefore, under conditions with limited freshwater resources, application of PRD irrigation could be a promising approach for saving water and for preventing BER development in tomatoes.
Viral Spread via Entertainment and Voice-Messaging Among Telephone Users in India

We explore how development-related, voice-based, information services could organically spread among low-literate masses in the developing world. We report lessons learned from a remote deployment of "Polly" in India (from the US) to spread job-related information. Polly is an entertainment driven, voice-based service, available over simple phones that is aimed at familiarizing people with speech interfaces and mass-dissemination of development related information to low-literate users. In 2012, Polly had become viral in Pakistan and successfully spread recorded newspaper job ads to thousands of mobile phone users. Remotely deployed in India, Polly did not take off immediately as it did in Pakistan. Instead, it initially entered a six-month long phase of fluctuating, intermittent activity. We experimented with various forms of seeding and it eventually transitioned into a viral phase, with sustained transmission that continued for five months but without (exponential) growth. Finally, interface adjustments in response to user feedback enabling plain-voice asynchronous voice-messaging resulted in an abrupt exponential and viral growth amassing 10,349 phone calls by 1,613 users over a span of seven days. Of these, 299 users also transitioned to the job service. User feedback and surveys suggest possible reasons for each phase. We study the challenges of remote deployment and the interplay of user interface; language of the system; seeding mechanisms and active response to user feedback towards the uptake of the service. We also report a detailed comparison of viral spread in the two countries.
An Internatioal Comparison and Assessment of Maternity Leave Regulation

Provisions for maternity leave are common among industrialized countries, but their institutional design varies distinctly from country to country. Developing our theory on the impact on maternity leave regulations on women's labor market situation, we argue that a woman on leave creates a re-organization problem for her employer. The costs of re-organization will not simply increase with the duration of maternity leave, but display a hump-shaped curvature which peeks at medium-leave duration. More than its expected duration, however, the predictability of leave duration influences the process of re-organization. Employer co-financed maternity pay further adds to the costs of re-organization. We then use this theory to analyze and compare the costs of maternity leave stipulations in the United States, the UK, Netherlands, Japan, Germany, and Denmark by assessing in detail the legal provisions on leave durations, leave predictability and employer-co-financed maternity pay. We rank the countries under consideration according to the re-organizations costs their maternity leave regulations impose on employers and derive hypotheses about the effect on women's labor market situation. Following our theoretical analysis, we review the existing empirical literature on maternity leave: While existing surveys among employers and working mothers are in line with our theoretical considerations, the mixed evidence presented in the existing econometric studies concerning the effect of leave duration on female wages and labor force participation may result from having excluded the issue of predictability of leave duration as well as the question of co-financed maternity pay. We close with (tentative) conclusions for the design of maternity leave provisions, which are currently being discussed and revised in many countries around the world.
Externalizing disorders: Cluster 5 of the proposed meta-structure for DSM-V and ICD-11

Background The extant major psychiatric classifications DSM-IV and ICD-10 are purportedly atheoretical and largely descriptive. Although this achieves good reliability, the validity of a medical diagnosis is greatly enhanced by an understanding of the etiology. In an attempt to group mental disorders on the basis of etiology, five clusters have been proposed. We consider the validity of the fifth cluster, externalizing disorders, within this proposal. Method We reviewed the literature in relation to 11 validating criteria proposed by the Study Group of the DSM-V Task Force, in terms of the extent to which these criteria support the idea of a coherent externalizing spectrum of disorders. Results This cluster distinguishes itself by the central role of disinhibitory personality in mental disorders spread throughout sections of the current classifications, including substance dependence, antisocial personality disorder and conduct disorder. Shared biomarkers, co-morbidity and course offer additional evidence for a valid cluster of externalizing disorders. Conclusion Externalizing disorders meet many of the salient criteria proposed by the Study Group of the DSM-V Task Force to suggest a classification cluster.
Comparison of Nonprecious Metal Cathode Materials for Methane Production by Electromethanogenesis

In methanogenic microbial electrolysis cells (MMCs), CO2 is reduced to methane using a methanogenic biofilm on the cathode by either direct electron transfer or evolved hydrogen. To optimize methane generation, we examined several cathode materials: plain graphite blocks, graphite blocks coated with carbon black or carbon black containing metals (platinum, stainless steel or nickel) or insoluble minerals (ferrihydrite, magnetite, iron sulfide, or molybdenum disulfide), and carbon fiber brushes. Assuming a stoichiometric ratio of hydrogen (abiotic):methane (biotic) of 4:1, methane production with platinum could be explained solely by hydrogen production. For most other materials, however, abiotic hydrogen production rates were insufficient to explain methane production. At −600 mV, platinum on carbon black had the highest abiotic hydrogen gas formation rate (1600 ± 200 nmol cm–3 d–1) and the highest biotic methane production rate (250 ± 90 nmol cm–3 d–1). At −550 mV, plain graphite (76 nmol cm–3 d–1) performed similarly to platinum (73 nmol cm–3 d–1). Coulombic recoveries, based on the measured current and evolved gas, were initially greater than 100% for all materials except platinum, suggesting that cathodic corrosion also contributed to electromethanogenic gas production.
Directions in Tax and Transfer Theory

As the theory of public finance evolves in response to new insights and empirical evidence, opportunities continually arise to modify national fiscal systems to reflect these new insights. The ultimate objective of such innovation is to improve the equity-efficiency tradeoff by making more informed choices. In this chapter, I consider several areas in which theory and evidence have evolved in recent decades, in each case drawing implications for the design of tax and transfer policy. I start with a review of what one might call the traditional ‘accepted wisdom’ as of, say, the late 1960s, recognising of course that there have always been disputes within the profession and that my characterisation oversimplifies the state of knowledge at the time. I then discuss how thinking, evidence and, in some cases, policy as well have developed in the years since.
Genetic influences on alcohol use across stages of development: GABRA2 and longitudinal trajectories of drunkenness from adolescence to young adulthood

Longitudinal analyses allow us to understand how genetic risk unfolds across development, in a way that is not possible with cross‐sectional analyses of individuals at different ages. This has received little attention in genetic association analyses. In this study, we test for genetic effects of GABRA2, a gene previously associated with alcohol dependence, on trajectories of drunkenness from age 14 to 25. We use data from 1070 individuals who participated in the prospective sample of the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism, in order to better understand the unfolding of genetic risk across development. Piecewise linear growth models were fit to model the influence of genotype on rate of increase in drunkenness from early adolescence to young adulthood (14–18 years), the change in drunkenness during the transition to adulthood (18–19 years) and the rate of change in drunkenness across young adulthood (≥ 19 years). Variation in GABRA2 was associated with an increase in drunkenness that occurred at the transition between adolescence and adulthood. The genotypic effect was more pronounced in females. These analyses illustrate the importance of longitudinal data to characterize how genetic effects unfold across development. The findings suggest that transitions across important developmental periods may alter the relative importance of genetic effects on patterns of alcohol use. The findings also suggest the importance of considering gender when evaluating genetic effects on drinking patterns in males and females.
Changes in pollinator fauna affect altitudinal variation of floral size in a bumblebee-pollinated herb

Geographic trait variations are often caused by locally different selection regimes. As a steep environmental cline along altitude strongly influences adaptive traits, mountain ecosystems are ideal for exploring adaptive differentiation over short distances. We investigated altitudinal floral size variation of Campanula punctata var. hondoensis in 12 populations in three mountain regions of central Japan to test whether the altitudinal floral size variation was correlated with the size of the local bumblebee pollinator and to assess whether floral size was selected for by pollinator size. We found apparent geographic variations in pollinator assemblages along altitude, which consequently produced a geographic change in pollinator size. Similarly, we found altitudinal changes in floral size, which proved to be correlated with the local pollinator size, but not with altitude itself. Furthermore, pollen removal from flower styles onto bees (plant's male fitness) was strongly influenced by the size match between flower style length and pollinator mouthpart length. These results strongly suggest that C. punctata floral size is under pollinator-mediated selection and that a geographic mosaic of locally adapted C. punctata exists at fine spatial scale.
Polarimetric 3-D Reconstruction From Multicircular SAR at P-Band

Multicircular synthetic aperture radar (SAR) (MCSAR) is an extension of circular SAR (CSAR) characterized by the formation of a synthetic aperture in elevation with several circular flights. This imaging mode allows an improved resolution in the plane perpendicular to the line of sight ( LOS⊥), thus suppressing the 3-D cone-shaped sidelobes that are formed when focusing with CSAR. This letter presents the first polarimetric MCSAR airborne experiment acquired at P-band by the German Aerospace Center (DLR)'s F-SAR system over a forested area in Vordemwald, Switzerland. This letter also includes a phase calibration method based on the singular value decomposition (SVD) using ground signatures to estimate constant phase offsets within a stack of 2-D images. Focusing methods, such as fast-factorized back projection (FFBP), beamforming (BF), and compressive sensing (CS), described in previous publications are used to solve the complex reflectivity in the (x, y, z) space.