Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Retrospective and statistical analysis of breeding management on the Italian Heavy Draught Horse breed.

This study investigated some aspects of breeding management in the Italian Heavy Draught Horse breed, aiming at improving its efficiency at stud farm level. A first aim was to evaluate the risk of unsuccessful reproduction in mares after an early (3 years) or normal (4 years) age at first foaling, in interaction with different stud rearing systems. A second objective was the examination of the mean time length in which young 2-year-old stallions maintain a genetic superiority on older proven stallions, identifying a 'genetic lifespan' in which young stallions can be safely used for reducing the cost of services. Reproductive performance at first and second foaling of 1513 mares were used. Mares had a normal first foal at 3 (n = 745) or 4 years of age (n = 768) in stud farms on the basis of stable (n = 488), feral (n = 345) or semi-feral (n = 680) rearing systems. Logistic regression analysis was performed by modeling the risk of unsuccessful reproduction in the subsequent season (i.e., results at second foaling), as affected by the interaction of age at first foaling × rearing system (six classes). Genetic lifespan of young stallions was estimated by regressing the least square means from a mixed model analysis for repeated measures of individual differences in 'total merit' estimated breeding values (EBVs) between young stallions (mean no. of 45/year) and the mean EBV of all proven stallions in a given year of genetic evaluation (mean no. of 483/year). Young stallions born between 1999 and 2005 were used, following each generation (i.e., birth year) from 2 to 7 subsequent yearly genetic evaluations. In comparison with the best reproductive success of second foaling at 4 years in stable systems, the greatest risk of unsuccessful reproduction was at 3 years in feral (+167%) and 3 years in semi-feral conditions (+91%). Young stallions showed a 0.50 s.d. greater EBV at the first evaluation than proven stallions, with a mean annual decrease in EBV of 0.07 s.d. /year on proven stallions. Optimal breeding management could be obtained in stud farms by limiting foaling at 3 years, particularly in feral and semi-feral rearing systems, and using young stallions for 3 to 4 years to maintain a perceptible selection differential with older proven stallions and to reduce cost of services. Later, the selection differential with proven stallions become less consistent and genetic improvement could be slowed down.
Mutational analysis of reverse transcriptase and surface proteins of patients with partial virological response during mono and combination antiviral therapies in genotype D chronic hepatitis B

Introduction The mutational pattern of chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is unclear in patients who show incomplete response to antiviral therapy. The aims of this study were 1) to determine the benefit of combination therapy with adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) and Lamivudine (LAM) versus ADV or LAM alone in maintaining virological, biochemical and histological responses and 2) to investigate the patterns of mutations in the reverse transcriptase and surface proteins of HBV with LAM and/or ADF-resistant in partially-responded chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Methods The study group consisted of 186 chronic HBV carriers who were admitted to the Tehran Hepatitis Network from 2010 to 2013. We retrospectively selected 86 patients who partially responded to different nucleoside analogue regimens. After 48 weeks of therapy, five groups of patients were defined including eight Lamivudine (LAM) Group (I), 30 Adefovir (ADV) Group (II), 16 ADV add on LAM Group (III), 32 ADV+LAM Group (IV), and 100 controls (no therapy). Reverse transcriptase (RT) and surface genes were amplified and sequenced for mutational analysis. Results All groups showed differences between mean values for age, gender, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), and HBV DNA levels groups showed significant differences than other groups (p < 0.05). The mutation frequencies for groups were I (1.7%), II (1.39%), III (2.28%), IV (2.0%), and V (0.38%). T54N, L80I/V, I91L/V, L180M, M204I/V, Q215P/S, and F221Y/S showed the highest number of mutations in all groups with different frequencies. Four new, unreported mutations were found. Conclusion Those patients who failed to respond in the first 48 weeks, whether they were receiving mono or combination therapy, should be tested genotypically, for the early modification of treatment.
On the Stability of Very Massive Primordial Stars

The stability of metal-free very massive stars (Z = 0; M = 120-500 M☉) is analyzed and compared with metal-enriched stars. Such zero-metallicity stars are unstable to nuclear-powered radial pulsations on the main sequence, but the growth timescale for these instabilities is much longer than for their metal-rich counterparts. Since they stabilize quickly after evolving off the zero-age main sequence (ZAMS), the pulsation may not have sufficient time to drive appreciable mass loss in Z = 0 stars. For reasonable assumptions regarding the efficiency of converting pulsational energy into mass loss, we find that, even for the larger masses considered, the star may die without losing a large fraction of its mass. We find a transition between the ϵ- and κ-mechanisms for pulsational instability at Z ~ 2 × 10-4 to 2 × 10-3. For the most metal-rich stars, the κ-mechanism yields much shorter e-folding times, indicating the presence of a strong instability. We thus stress the fundamental difference of the stability and late stages of evolution between very massive stars born in the early universe and those that might be born today.
BetrFS: A Right-Optimized Write-Optimized File System

The Be-tree File System, or BetrFS, (pronounced "better eff ess") is the first in-kernel file system to use a write-optimized index. Write optimized indexes (WOIs) are promising building blocks for storage systems because of their potential to implement both microwrites and large scans efficiently. Previous work on WOI-based file systems has shown promise but has also been hampered by several open problems, which this paper addresses. For example, FUSE issues many queries into the file system, superimposing read-intensive workloads on top of write-intensive ones, thereby reducing the effectiveness of WOIs. Moving to an in-kernel implementation can address this problem by providing finer control of reads. This paper also contributes several implementation techniques to leverage kernel infrastructure without throttling write performance. Our results show that BetrFS provides good performance for both arbitrary microdata operations, which include creating small files, updating metadata, and small writes into large or small files, and for large sequential I/O. On one microdata benchmark, BetrFS provides more than 4× the performance of ext4 or XFS. BetrFS is an ongoing prototype effort, and requires additional data-structure tuning to match current general-purpose file systems on some operations such as deletes, directory renames, and large sequential writes. Nonetheless, many applications realize significant performance improvements. For instance, an in-place rsync of the Linux kernel source realizes roughly 1.6-22× speedup over other commodity file systems.
Counterproductive Behaviors: Relations Across Life Domains, Etiology, and Implications for Applied Practice

Previous research on counterproductive work behavior (CWB) has shown that workplace deviance can be predicted from individual differences and environmental variables, but relatively little is known about CWBs’ relations with counterproductive behaviors in other domains of an individual's life. Data from 500 male twins were used to examine relations among counterproductive behaviors from several life domains, including school, non-work, substance use, and work. The results supported the hypotheses that counterproductivity in work and a variety of personal life domains, previous and contemporaneous, are strongly and positively related. A general counterproductivity factor, giving rise to rule- and norm-breaking behavioral repertoire of individuals, accounted for approximately half the variance across measures of counterproductivity in specific life domains. To inform theory and research, the etiology of inter-individual differences in counterproductivity was examined. Biometric analyses revealed that most of the variance in the counterproductivity domains examined, including CWB, is attributable to genetic and unique (nonshared) environmental factors. The general counterproductivity factor spanning different counterproductivity domains was most influenced by genetic factors (75.4%), but was also influenced by unique environmental factors (24.6%). Biometric analyses indicated that 27% of the variance in CWB is attributable to genetic influences arising from the general factor of counterproductivity and 20% from genetic factors specific to CWB. Unique environmental influences associated with the work domain explained 12% of the variance in CWB. For the CWB criterion, regression analyses explored the usefulness of information from other counterproductivity domains for prediction and employee selection. Counterproductivity from academic and non-work domains are potent predictors of counterproductivity at work (multiple Rs ranging between .50 and .54).
A cognitive model of the positive symptoms of psychosis

In the last 10 years a consensus has developed that the symptoms of psychosis may be better understood by linking the steps between the phenomenological experiences and social, psychological and neurobiological levels of explanation. Cognitive models of psychosis are an important link in this chain. They provide a psychological description of the phenomena from which hypotheses concerning causal processes can be derived and tested; social, individual, and neurobiological factors can then be integrated via their impact on these cognitive processes. In this paper, we set out the cognitive processes that we think lead to the formation and maintenance of the positive symptoms of psychosis and we attempt to integrate into our model research in social factors. If this model proves useful, a fuller integration with the findings of biological research will be required (Frith, 1992).
The impact of the primary colours yellow, red and, blue on the perception of greenery

Abstract Colourful flowers and artefacts are frequently used in modern landscape architecture and in site-specific artwork. Despite this, there is limited empirically substantiated understanding of the impact of colour on perceptions of the soft, changing green colour palette of surrounding vegetation, and thus the overall colour perception of green spaces. Applying the CIE 1976 (L*a*b*) colour space, this study showed that the presence of artefacts with different primary colours, shape, size and position significantly changed perceptions of the lightness (L* spectrum) and blue-yellow spectrum (b*) of surrounding green vegetation, while perception of its green-magenta spectrum (a*) remained more or less unchanged. It also showed that colourful artefacts had different effects on different perennials. Overall, the results demonstrate that professionals should pay equal attention to the green hue of surrounding vegetation as to the colour of artefacts or flowers when researching or practising design.
Distributed REScala

Reactive programming improves the design of reactive applications by relocating the logic for managing dependencies between dependent values away from the application logic to the language implementation. Many distributed applications are reactive. Yet, existing change propagation algorithms are not suitable in a distributed setting. We propose Distributed REScala, a reactive language with a change propagation algorithm that works without centralized knowledge about the topology of the dependency structure among reactive values and avoids unnecessary propagation of changes, while retaining safety guarantees (glitch freedom). Distributed REScala enables distributed reactive programming, bringing the benefits of reactive programming to distributed applications. We demonstrate the enabled design improvements by a case study. We also empirically evaluate the performance of our algorithm in comparison to other algorithms in a simulated distributed setting.
Aberrant Dopamine D2-Like Receptor Function in a Rodent Model of Schizophrenia

Based on the observation that antipsychotic medications display antagonist properties at dopamine D2-like receptors, aberrant dopamine signaling has been proposed to underlie psychosis in patients with schizophrenia. Thus, it is not surprising that considerable research has been devoted to understanding the mechanisms involved in the antipsychotic action of these compounds. It is important to note that the majority of these studies have been performed in “normal” experimental animals. Given that these animals do not possess the aberrant neuronal information processing typically associated with schizophrenia, the aim of the current study was to examine the dopamine D2 receptor system in a rodent model of schizophrenia. Here, we demonstrate that methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM)-treated rats display an enhanced effect of quinpirole on dopamine neuron activity and an aberrant locomotor response to D2-like receptor activation, suggesting changes in postsynaptic D2-like receptor function. To better understand the mechanisms underlying the enhanced response to D2-like ligands in MAM-treated rats, we examined the expression of D2, D3, and dopamine transporter mRNA in the nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. MAM-treated rats displayed a significant increase in dopamine D3 receptor mRNA expression in the nucleus accumbens with no significant changes in the expression of the D2 receptor. Taken together, these data demonstrate robust alterations in dopamine D2-like receptor function in a rodent model of schizophrenia and provide evidence that preclinical studies examining the mechanisms of antipsychotic drug action should be performed in animal models that mirror aspects of the abnormal neuronal transmission thought to underlie symptoms of schizophrenia.
Performance evaluation of soft real-time scheduling for multicomputer cluster

We consider scheduling soft real-time tasks for a cluster which consists of multiple servers. Each server provides identical services where an incoming task can be assigned to one of the servers. The question we investigate is which assignment produces the best performance given two alternative approaches to queue the arriving tasks: a centralized approach or a distributed one. A missed deadline criterion is used to evaluate these approaches. The influence of dispatching policies on the performance of the distributed approach is also considered.
An online approach for intracranial pressure forecasting based on signal decomposition and robust statistics

Intracranial pressure (ICP) is an important physiological signal for patients with traumatic brain injuries. Accurate ICP forecasting enables active and early interventions for more effective control of ICP levels. To achieve high accuracy, most existing methods require a high sampling rate (100 Hz), which is infeasible for online medical applications. Therefore, we propose an online ICP forecasting method requiring only low rate signal sampling (0.1 Hz). Our ARIMA based forecasting method applies empirical mode decomposition (EMD) to remove non-stationarities from the ICP signal, and robust estimation to mitigate the influence of motion induced artifacts. Experimental performance assessment with simulated and clinically collected data demonstrate that the proposed method is more accurate compared to previously proposed and standard methods.
EEG-based evaluation of cognitive and emotional arousal when coding in different programming languages

Cognitive psychology is a study of the brain, an organ that behaves as a complex computing system. The brain signals generate electrical signals, which can be interpreted meaningfully in line with the actions performed by the brain using various computational devices and measures using electroencephalography methodology. In this thesis, the signals obtained from the brain are processed to quantitatively study and compare the brain activities of coders while programming in two different programming languages. In this research, we have chosen the structured programming language C and the scripting language Python for comparison. Previous empirical research comparing various programming languages in a controlled manner identified attributes such as correctness, robustness, syntax, efficiency, etc. as parameters that characterize those programming languages (see e.g., Nanz and Furia, 2015; Garcia Jarvi, Lumsdaine, Siek and Willcock, 2003). This thesis aims to build upon the previous findings and compare the psychological effects during programming tasks. Emotiv Epoc is a Brain Computer Interface device used for reading and analyzing brain signals in this study. Understanding the usage of the Emotiv device and the corresponding software tools is an essential part of this thesis work. Thus, in this thesis a pilot study is planned and a controlled experiment is conducted in order to collect and evaluate the data collected from the Emotiv Epoc device and self-reports to derive meaningful statistical results and interpret the emotional and cognitive activity of the participants. The pilot study aims to understand how emotions and/or cognitive load vary while coding in C and Python. Initial study involves understanding the EEG method, principles and complexities involved with the collection of data. The core part of the thesis consists of planning and conducting a lab experiment, which involves six participants performing predefined tasks in C and Python, and answering a series of questionnaires. The collected data is analyzed in SPSS tool based on factors like time, performance (correctness), and questionnaire-based self-reports. EEG signals are analyzed in this thesis up to the point of artifact removal (Filtering and ICA using MATLAB and EEGLAB). The results of the thesis reveal findings from emotional and EEG data analysis which have been captured from an experimental setup using the Emotiv device, software developers as participants and software programming tasks. The thesis helps to understand the steps to perform such an experimental study and to assimilate the emotional and cognitive load that affects the brain when performing programming. The particular comparison of C and Python as programming languages shows the high correlation between the programming language characteristics (such as syntax and time to code) and emotional and cognitive behavior of the programmers.
The spreading of volatile liquid droplets on heated surfaces

A two‐dimensional volatile liquid droplet on a uniformly heated horizontal surface is considered. Lubrication theory is used to describe the effects of capillarity, thermocapillarity, vapor recoil, viscous spreading, contact‐angle hysteresis, and mass loss on the behavior of the droplet. A new contact‐line condition based on mass balance is formulated and used, which represents a leading‐order superposition of spreading and evaporative effects. Evolution equations for steady and unsteady droplet profiles are found and solved for small and large capillary numbers. In the steady evaporation case, the steady contact angle, which represents a balance between viscous spreading effects and evaporative effects, is larger than the advancing contact angle. This new angle is also observed over much of the droplet lifetime during unsteady evaporation. Further, in the unsteady case, effects which tend to decrease (increase) the contact angle promote (delay) evaporation. In the ‘‘large’’ capillary number limit, matche.
Which Scientific Knowledge is a Common Good?

Abstract In this article, I address the question of whether science can and should be seen as a common good. For this purpose, the first section focuses on the notion of (scientific) knowledge and examines its main characteristics. I discuss and assess the core view of analytic epistemology, that knowledge is, basically, justified true belief. On the basis of this analysis, I then develop an alternative, multi-dimensional theory of the nature of (scientific) knowledge. Section 2 reviews and evaluates several answers to the question of what to understand by the notion of a common (or public) good. It discusses both economic and socio-political interpretations of this notion. In Section 3, I develop an alternative account of the common good of scientific knowledge. This knowledge constitutes a common good if it is both non-exhaustible and in the public interest. The two notions are equally important, but in this article, the focus is on the former. For reasons of space, a detailed discussion of the latter is impossible; it will be provided in a forthcoming book. My answer to the question posed in the title of this article builds on the critical discussion of extant views in Sections 1 and 2: some aspects of these views are included in this alternative account, while others are shown to be unhelpful or untenable. The final section discusses some practical implications of this account for the politics of science. The main conclusion is that scientific research should not be privatized through patenting its products.
Improved Vascular Engraftment and Graft Function After Inhibition of the Angiostatic Factor Thrombospondin-1 in Mouse Pancreatic Islets

OBJECTIVE—Insufficient development of a new intra-islet capillary network after transplantation may be one contributing factor to the failure of islet grafts in clinical transplantation. The present study tested the hypothesis that the angiostatic factor thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), which is normally present in islets, restricts intra-islet vascular expansion posttransplantation. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Pancreatic islets of TSP-1–deficient (TSP-1−/−) mice or wild-type islets transfected with siRNA for TSP-1 were transplanted beneath the renal capsule of syngeneic or immunocompromised recipient mice. RESULTS—Both genetically TSP-1−/− islets and TSP-1 siRNA-transfected islet cells demonstrated an increased vascular density when compared with control islets 1 month after transplantation. This was also reflected in a markedly increased blood perfusion and oxygenation of the grafts. The functional importance of the improved vascular engraftment was analyzed by comparing glucose-stimulated insulin release from islet cells transfected with either TSP-1 siRNA or scramble siRNA before implantation. These experiments showed that the increased revascularization of grafts composed of TSP-1 siRNA-transfected islet cells correlated to increments in both their first and second phase of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. CONCLUSIONS—Our findings demonstrate that inhibition of TSP-1 in islets intended for transplantation may be a feasible strategy to improve islet graft revascularization and function.