Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms responsible for F-actin stabilization after lysis of polymorphonuclear leukocytes

While actin polymerization and depolymerization are both essential for cell movement, few studies have focused on actin depolymerization. In vivo, depolymerization can occur exceedingly rapidly and in a spatially defined manner: the F-actin in the lamellipodia depolymerizes in 30 s after chemoattractant removal (Cassimeris, L., H. McNeill, and S. H. Zigmond. 1990. J. Cell Biol. 110:1067-1075). To begin to understand the regulation of F-actin depolymerization, we have examined F-actin depolymerization in lysates of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). Surprisingly, much of the cell F-actin, measured with a TRITC- phalloidin-binding assay, was stable after lysis in a physiological salt buffer (0.15 M KCl): approximately 50% of the F-actin did not depolymerize even after 18 h. This stable F-actin included lamellar F- actin which could still be visualized one hour after lysis by staining with TRITC-phalloidin and by EM. We investigated the basis for this stability. In lysates with cell concentrations greater than 10(7) cells/ml, sufficient globular actin (G-actin) was present to result in a net increase in F-actin. However, the F-actin stability was not solely because of the presence of free G-actin since addition of DNase I to the lysate did not increase the F-actin loss. Nor did it appear to be because of barbed end capping factors since cell lysates provided sites for barbed end polymerization of exogenous added actin. The stable F-actin existed in a macromolecular complex that pelleted at low gravitational forces. Increasing the salt concentration of the lysis buffer decreased the amount of F-actin that pelleted at low gravitational forces and increased the amount of F-actin that depolymerized. Various actin-binding and cross-linking proteins such as tropomyosin, alpha-actinin, and actin-binding protein pelleted with the stable F-actin. In addition, we found that alpha-actinin, a filament cross-linking protein, inhibited the rate of pyrenyl F-actin depolymerization. These results suggested that actin cross-linking proteins may contribute to the stability of cellular actin after lysis. The activity of crosslinkers may be regulated in vivo to allow rapid turnover of lamellipodia F-actin.
TWO AXIOMS FOR EVALUATION MEASURES IN INFORMATION RETRIEVAL

In this paper evaluation measures for information retrieval system outputs are investigated from a measurement theoretic point of view. Two axioms are introduced: the axiom of monotonicity and the Archimedian axiom. It is shown that the measures fullfilling these axioms are exactly the measures equivalent to some measure of the form ~a + ~d where a is the number of relevant retrieved documents and d is the number of nonrelevant not retrieved documents. Some consequences for retrieval tests are discussed.
The portable university model of the atmosphere ( PUMA ) : Storm track dynamics and low-frequency variability

The ability of analysing atmospheric dynamics by idealized experiments using a simplified circulation model is illustrated in three related studies. The investigation s focus on the organization of localized strom tracks, their impact on low-frequency variability, and on the respo nse to external thermal forcing. A localized storm track in agreement with observations is forced by a heating d pole embedded in a zonally symmetric field if the dipole orientation corresponds to the Northern Hemis phere winter case. The interaction of two storm tracks leads to low-frequency variability. Spatial resona nce between a low-frequency large scale retrograde travelling wave and the storm track eddies is identified caus ing the fluctuations. Teleconnection pattern remarkably similar to the observed North Atlantic Oscillatio n (NAO) and Pacific North American (PNA) pattern emerge when the distance of the two storm tracks is set to the bserved value of about 150 ◦. While the spatial resonance mechanism forces the NAO-like pattern, b aroclinic processes are related to the PNA-like teleconnection. Anomalies induced by large scale thermal f orcing strongly depend on the background flow. A non-linear response is observed in the model depending on t he sign of the forcing and its position relative to the storm track. A baroclinic and an equivalent barotropi c component defines the response. In addition, the change of the space-time variability is affected by eddy fee dbacks.
Value Chain Linkages and the Spillover Effects of Strategic Information Technology Alignment: A Process-Level View

The alignment of information technology (IT) and business strategy is a perennial challenge for corporate executives. While earlier studies confirm the value of alignment, there is still some question as to how alignment creates value and the level at which value is created. In this research, we use a series of theoretical arguments based on the interconnected structure of the value chain to consider the extended effects of alignment at the process level. Since processes are often linked to create a complex chain of activities, the absence or presence of alignment in any process could have implications for business performance elsewhere in the value chain. Minimally aligned processes can not only disrupt performance within the focal process, but their effects may also be felt further downstream in the form of bottlenecks and a diminution in the business value of IT. Using a simplified form of the value chain and data from matched surveys of business and IT executives at 317 U.S. and EU firms, we examine how the effects of alignment on a given process spill over into processes further downstream, creating higher IT business value in those downstream processes. We also show that these spillover effects continue along the length of the value chain and do not diminish based on distance from the focal process. Our results reinforce the call for firms to improve the fit between business and IT strategy by showing how efforts to improve alignment in a given process can deliver a stream of benefits along the value chain. This research provides a fresh perspective on the value of alignment, facilitating a deeper understanding and appreciation of the link between strategic IT alignment and firm performance.
American Indian Parents’ Assessment of and Concern About Their Kindergarten Child’s Weight Status, South Dakota, 2005-2006

Introduction Obesity is highly prevalent among American Indians, and effective prevention efforts require caregiver involvement. We examined American Indian (AI) parents' assessment of and level of concern about their kindergarten child's weight status. Methods We collected baseline data (fall of 2005 and fall of 2006) on children and their parents or caregivers for a school-based obesity prevention trial (Bright Start) on an AI reservation in South Dakota. The current study uses 413 parent-child pairs. Age- and sex-adjusted body mass index percentiles were categorized as very underweight (<5th percentile), slightly underweight (5th to <15th percentile), normal weight (15th to <85th percentile), overweight (85th to <95th percentile), and obese (≥95th percentile). Parents or caregivers reported their assessment of and concerns about their child's weight status as well as sociodemographic characteristics. We used mixed-model multivariable analysis to examine associations between sociodemographic characteristics and the probability of parents underclassifying or overclassifying their child's weight status; analyses were adjusted for school as a random effect. Results Children were evenly divided by sex and had a mean age of 5.8 years. Twenty-nine percent of children and 86% of parents were overweight or obese. Approximately 33% (n = 138) of parents underclassified and 7% (n = 29) of parents overclassified their child's weight status. Higher parental weight status and higher concern about their child's weight status increased the probability of underclassification (P for trend = .02 for both). Conclusion In this sample of at-risk children, one-third of parents underclassified their child's weight status. Childhood obesity prevention programs need to increase awareness and recognition of childhood obesity and address parental weight issues.
ToTEM: The Bank of Canada's New Quarterly Projection Model

The authors provide a detailed technical description of the Terms-of-Trade Economic Model (ToTEM), which replaced the Quarterly Projection Model (QPM) in December 2005 as the Bank's principal projection and policy-analysis model for the Canadian economy. ToTEM is an open-economy, dynamic stochastic general-equilibrium model that contains producers of four distinct finished products: consumption goods and services, investment goods, government goods, and export goods. ToTEM also contains a commodity-producing sector. The behaviour of almost all key variables in ToTEM is traceable to a set of fundamental assumptions about the underlying structure of the Canadian economy. This greatly improves the model's ability to tell coherent, internally consistent stories about the current evolution of the Canadian economy and how it is expected to evolve in the future. In addition, ToTEM's multiple-goods approach enables the Bank to gain insight into a much wider variety of shocks, including relative-price shocks. In particular, ToTEM is better equipped to handle terms-of-trade shocks, such as those stemming from movements in world commodity prices. But ToTEM does not mark a radical departure from QPM's design philosophy; rather, it should be regarded as the next step in the evolution of openeconomy macro modelling at the Bank. Indeed, ToTEM adopts most of the features that distinguished QPM from its predecessors, including a well-defined steady state, an explicit separation of intrinsic and expectational dynamics, an endogenous monetary policy rule, and an emphasis on the economy's supply side. However, ToTEM extends this basic framework, allowing for optimizing behaviour on the part of households and firms, both in and out of steady state, in a multi-product environment.
Empirical correlation for estimation of unsaturated soil shear strength

Most land surface in Malaysia is covered by residual soil with relatively deep groundwater elevation, thus the soil presence in the saturated condition. Stability of slope in such soil is governed by the shear strength of unsaturated soil, for which matric suction plays an important role. The focus of this project is to study the relationship between the matric suction and the shear strength. Five empirical models are adopted to predict the shear strength of unsaturated soil by utilizing the saturated shear strength parameters and soil water characteristic curve of two soils retrieved from two sites in UTM campus i.e. fine-grained soil (Kolej 12) and coarse-grained (Balai Cerapan). Previous studies suggested that the effect of suction is most significant within the transition zone of SWCC curve. In this case, the transition zone is 10-80 kPa for Kolej 12 and 2-60 kPa for Balai Cerapan soil. The saturated shear strength parameters for Kolej 12 and Balai Cerapan soil are (c'=20 kPa, φ'=27°) and (c'=22 kPa, φ'=33°) respectively. Analysis by empirical correlation also shows that for fine-grained soil at first site, the shear strength increase linearly with suction. In this case, φb is 11.7°. on the other site, linear increment of shear strength is depicted by coarse-grained soil with constant φb of 17.9°.
The experience of telepresence with a foreign language video game and video

We investigated the experience of telepresence elicited by foreign language media with different interactivities (i.e., a video game and a video recording of the video game being played) with 10 undergraduates. Self-report questionnaires and open-ended interviews showed that, in general, telepresence was experienced more strongly with the video game. There was some variation in the results, however, depending on individuals' immersion tendencies and other media preferences and habits. Additionally, many participants reported not feeling as telepresent with this project's media as with other media and framed this experience by discussing investment, involvement, narrative, and play. We offer several implications for game designers aiming to create virtual realities for their players.
Leukocytes are primed in peripheral blood for activation during term and preterm labour†

We hypothesized that the priming and activation of maternal leukocytes in peripheral blood is a key component of parturition, and that inappropriate preterm priming of leukocytes might initiate preterm labour and delivery. The purpose of this study was to characterize peripheral blood leukocyte activation during human term and preterm labour. We obtained blood samples from pregnant women at term and preterm, both in labour and not in labour. Leukocytes were characterized according to cell subtype and cell surface marker expression. Additionally, we quantified leukocyte cytokine mRNA production, migratory ability and reactive oxygen species production of neutrophils and macrophages. We found that both term and preterm labour were associated with an increase in monocyte and neutrophil proportion or number—neutrophil migratory ability and cell surface marker expression indicating activation. Messenger RNA expression of IL-1β and IL-8, MCP-1 and TLR-2 was also increased. We conclude that leukocytes in peripheral blood are primed in preparation for activation during term and preterm labour, and that this may contribute to the pathophysiological events of parturition. These data may lead to novel therapies and diagnostic tools for the prevention and/or diagnosis of preterm birth.
Fixing Fuel Poverty: Challenges and Solutions

The book begins by discussing the political awakening to the issue and exploring just who constitutes the fuel poor. It examines the factors that contribute to fuel poverty - low incomes, high fuel prices and poor quality housing - and looks at and evaluates the policies that have been employed to help reduce the problem. The latter part presents a detailed set of proposals based around long-term improvements in the housing stock that must be employed if we are to avoid a dire situation continuing to get worse. Based on detailed analysis of the situation in the UK, the growth of fuel poverty (sometimes called energy poverty) in other countries and the new focus in European policy makes the book timely and provides important lessons for those who now have to produce policies to tackle the issues.
Exposure to secondhand smoke from neighbours and respiratory symptoms in never-smoking adolescents in Hong Kong: a cross-sectional study

Objectives To investigate secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure at home from neighbours in Hong Kong adolescents and its association with respiratory symptoms in never-smokers. Design A cross-sectional study. Setting 79 randomly selected secondary schools in Hong Kong. Participants 61 810 secondary 1 (USA grade 7) to 7 students, in which 50 762 never-smokers were identified and included in the analysis of the association between SHS exposure at home from neighbours and respiratory symptoms. Main outcome measures Smoking status, family smoking status, SHS exposure at home from inside the home and from neighbours in the past 7 days, respiratory symptoms and sociodemographic characteristics were reported. Adjusted ORs (AORs) of respiratory symptoms for SHS exposure from the 2 sources in never-smokers were calculated using logistic regression. Results In all students, 33.2% were exposed to SHS at home, including 16.2% from inside the home only, 10.0% from neighbours only and 7.0% from both. The prevalence of SHS exposure from neighbours was 17.1%, including 13.5% for 1–4 days/week and 3.6% for 5–7 days/week. In never-smokers (n=50 762), respiratory symptoms were significantly associated with SHS exposure from neighbours with AORs (95% CI) of 1.29 (1.20 to 1.39) for any exposure (p<0.001), 1.21 (1.12 to 1.31) for 1–4 days/week (p<0.001) and 1.63 (1.44 to 1.86) for 5–7 days/week (p<0.001) (P for trend <0.001). Compared with no SHS exposure at home from any source, the AORs were 1.16 (1.07 to 1.25) for SHS from inside the home only (p<0.001), 1.20 (1.11 to 1.31) from neighbours only (p<0.001), and 1.74 (1.56 to 1.94) from both (p<0.001). Conclusions SHS exposure at home from neighbours was prevalent in Hong Kong adolescents, and was associated with respiratory symptoms in never-smokers. SHS exposure at home may be underestimated by ignoring the neighbouring source. Smoke-free housing policy is needed to protect children and adolescents from harms of SHS.
Social Media, Traditional Media, and Music Sales

Motivated by the growing importance of social media, this paper examines the relationship between new media, old media, and sales in the context of the music industry. In particular, we study the interplay between blog buzz, radio play, and music sales at both the album and song levels of analysis. We employ the panel vector autoregression (PVAR) methodology, an extension of vector autoregression to panel data. We find that radio play is consistently and positively related to future sales at both the song and album levels. Blog buzz, however, is not related to album sales and negatively related to song sales, suggesting that sales displacement due to free online sampling dominates any positive word-of-mouth effects of song buzz on sales. Further, the negative relationship between song buzz and sales is stronger for niche music relative to mainstream music, and for less popular songs within albums. We discuss the implications of these results for both research and practice regarding the role of new media in the music industry.
Life-Cycle Asset Accumulation and Allocation in Canada

This paper documents the life-cycle patterns of household portfolios in Canada, and investigates several hypotheses about asset accumulation and allocation. Inferences are drawn from the 1999 Survey of Financial Security, with some comparisons to earlier wealth surveys from 1977 and 1984. I find cross-sectional evidence for asset decumulation at older ages when annuitized assets like pension wealth are included in the analysis. I also find that the portfolio share of financial assets increases sharply with age, while indicators of risk tolerance appear to decrease. This is consistent with families' desiring more liquid and less risky assets as they age.
Undifferentiated embryonic stem cells express ionotropic glutamate receptor mRNAs

Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) do not only mediate the majority of excitatory neurotransmission in the vertebrate CNS, but also modulate pre- and postnatal neurogenesis. Most of the studies on the developmental role of iGluRs are performed on neural progenitors and neural stem cells (NSCs). We took a step back in our study by examining the role of iGluRs in the earliest possible cell type, embryonic stem cells (ESCs), by looking at the mRNA expression of the major iGluR subfamilies in undifferentiated mouse ESCs. For that, we used two distinct murine ES cell lines, 46C ESCs and J1 ESCs. Regarding 46C ESCs, we found transcripts of kainate receptors (KARs) (GluK2 to GluK5), AMPA receptors (AMPARs) (GluA1, GluA3, and GluA4), and NMDA receptors (NMDARs) (GluN1, and GluN2A to GluN2D). Analysis of 46C-derived cells of later developmental stages, namely neuroepithelial precursor cells (NEPs) and NSCs, revealed that the mRNA expression of KARs is significantly upregulated in NEPs and, subsequently, downregulated in NSCs. However, we could not detect any protein expression of any of the KAR subunits present on the mRNA level either in ESCs, NEPs, or NSCs. Regarding AMPARs and NMDARs, GluN2A is weakly expressed at the protein level only in NSCs. Matching our findings for iGluRs, all three cell types were found to weakly express pre- and postsynaptic markers of glutamatergic synapses only at the mRNA level. Finally, we performed patch-clamp recordings of 46C ESCs and could not detect any current upon iGluR agonist application. Similar to 46C ESCs, J1 ESCs express KARs (GluK2 to GluK5), AMPARs (GluA3), and NMDARs (GluN1, and GluN2A to GluN2D) at the mRNA level, but these transcripts are not translated into receptor proteins either. Thus, we conclude that ESCs do not contain functional iGluRs, although they do express an almost complete set of iGluR subunit mRNAs.
Modeling of Conductor, Dielectric, and Radiation Losses in Substrate Integrated Waveguide by the Boundary Integral-Resonant Mode Expansion Method

This paper presents the modeling of lossy substrate integrated waveguide interconnects and components by using the boundary integral-resonant mode expansion method. The extension of the numerical technique to account for conductor, dielectric and radiation losses is discussed. Moreover, a systematic investigation of the different contributions of loss and their dependence on some geometrical parameters is performed in the case of interconnects and components, aiming at minimizing the losses. The physical explanation of the different effects is also provided. Finally, the validity of the equivalent waveguide concept is extended to the case of lossy interconnects and components.
On the Security of Key-Based Interval Splitting Arithmetic Coding With Respect to Message Indistinguishability

Key-based interval splitting arithmetic coding (KSAC) has been proposed to improve the security of traditional arithmetic coding (AC). Chosen-plaintext attacks have been proposed for KSAC when the same key is used to encrypt different messages. In this paper, we consider a stronger version of KSAC, where different keys are used to encrypt different messages. We then use message indistinguishability to prove that this version of KSAC is insecure under ciphertext-only attacks, a weaker form of attack than chosen-plaintext attacks. Indistinguishability in the presence of an eavesdropper is a security definition equivalent to semantic security. We prove the insecurity over the alphabet {A,B} with <i>p</i><sub>B</sub>=(1/2(1+2<i>s</i>)) and <i>p</i><sub>A</sub>=1-<i>p</i><sub>B</sub> where <i>p</i><sub>A</sub> and <i>p</i><sub>B</sub> are the probabilities of the source generating A and B, respectively, and <i>s</i> is the number of bits in each splitting key.
File System Support for Delta Compression

Delta compression, which consists of compactly encoding one file version as the result of changes to another, can improve efficiency in the use of network and disk resources. Delta compression techniques are readily available and can result in compression factors of five to ten on typical data, however managing delta-compressed storage is difficult. I present a system that attempts to isolate the complexity of deltacompressed storage management by separating the task of version labeling from performance issues. I show how the system integrates delta-compressed transport with delta-compressed storage. Existing tools for managing delta-compressed storage suffer from weak file system support. Lacking transaction support, the traditional file system has only one atomic operation which forces unnecessary disk activity due to copying costs. I demonstrate that file system transaction support can improve application performance and extensibility with the benefit of strong, fine-grained consistency.