Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gating of aqùaporins by light and reactive oxygen species in leaf parenchyma cells of the midrib of Zea mays

Changes of the water permeability aqùaporin (AQP) activity of leaf cells were investigated in response to different light regimes (low versus high). Using a cell pressure probe, hydraulic properties (half-time of water exchange, T1/2 ∞ 1/water permeability) of parenchyma cells in the midrib tissue of maize (Zea mays L.) leaves have been measured. A new perfusion technique was applied to excised leaves to keep turgor constant and to modify the environment around cells by perfusing solutions using a pressure chamber. In response to low light (LL) of 200 μmol m−2 s−1, T1/2 decreased during the perfusion of a control solution of 0.5 mM CaCl2 by a factor of two. This was in line with earlier results from leaf cells of intact maize plants at a constant turgor. In contrast, high light (HL) at intensities of 800 μmol m−2 s−1 and 1800 μmol m−2 s−1 increased the T1/2 in two-thirds of cells by factors of 14 and 35, respectively. The effects of HL on T1/2 were similar to those caused by H2O2 treatment in the presence of Fe2+, which produced ·OH (Fenton reaction; reversible oxidative gating of aquaporins). Treatments with 20 mM H2O2 following Fe2+ pre-treatments increased the T1/2 by a factor of 30. Those increased T1/2 values could be partly recovered, either when the perfusion solution was changed back to the control solutuion or when LL was applied. 3mM of the antioxidant glutathione also reversed the effects of HL. The data suggest that HL could induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as ·OH, and they affected water relations. The results provide evidence that the varying light climate adjusts water flow at the cell level; that is, water flow is maximized at a certain light intensity and then reduced again by HL. Light effects are discussed in terms of an oxidative gating of aquaporins by ROS.
Is No-Tension Design of Concrete or Rock Structures Always Safe?—Fracture Analysis

Plain concrete structures such as dams or retaining walls, as well as rock structures such as tunnels, caverns, excavations, and rock slopes, have commonly been designed by elastic-perfectly plastic analysis in which the tensile yield strength of the material is taken as zero. The paper analyzes the safety of this "no­ tension" design in the light of the finiteness of the tensile strength of concrete or the tensile strength of rock between the joints. Through examples, it is demonstrated that: (1) the calculated length of cracks or cracking zones can correspond to an unstable state; (2) the uncracked ligament of the cross section, available for resisting horizontal shear loads, can be predicted much too large, compared to the fracture mechanics pre­ diction; (3) the calculated load-deflection diagram can lie lower than that obtained by fracture mechanics; (4) the no-tension load capacity for a combination of crack face pressure and loads remote from the crack front, calculated by elastic analysis on the basis of allowable compressive stress, can be higher than that obtained by fracture mechanics; and (5) an increase in the tensile strength of the material can cause the load capacity of the structure to decrease. Due to the size effect, these facts are true not only for zero fracture toughness (no-toughness design) but also for finite fracture toughness provided that the structure size is large enough. Several previous studies on the safety of no-tension design, including the finite-element analysis of a gravity dam, are also reviewed. It is concluded that if the no-tension limit design is used, the safety factors of concrete or rock structures cannot be guaranteed to have the specified values. Fracture mechanics is required for that.
Validating an episodic UX model on online shopping decision making: a survey study with B2C e-commerce

Existing online shopping decision-making models (OSDMs) do not address adequately the role of experiential qualities in customer satisfaction. The awareness of this scoping issue has become stronger due to the recent User Experience (UX) research. We have developed an OSDM called 'Episodic UX Model on Decision-Making' (EUX-DM) by integrating the established technology acceptance model, emerging UX models, and expectation-confirmation theory. EUX-DM covers three phases: before interaction, after interaction, and confirmation. To validate the model, we designed and conducted a web-based survey, which comprises eight main constructs. Five (i.e. usefulness, ease-of-use, aesthetic quality, trust and experiential quality) were measured in all three phases, two (i.e. usage attitude, intention to purchase, overall satisfaction) were measured in the 'during' phase, and one (i.e. overall satisfaction) was measured only in the 'confirmation' phase. Results from analysing 278 responses suggest the validity of our model. Implications for augmenting EUX-DM are discussed.
The slowdown or race-to-idle question: Workload-aware energy optimization of SMT multicore platforms under process variation

Two widely used approaches for reducing energy consumption in multithreaded workloads are slowdown (using DVFS) and race-to-idle. In this paper, we first demonstrate that most energy-efficient choice is dependent on (1) workload (memory bound, CPU bound etc.), (2) process variation and (3) support for Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT). We then propose an approach for mapping application threads on SMT multicore systems at run-time, to minimize energy consumption. The proposed approach interfaces with the OS and hardware performance counters to characterize application threads. This characterization captures the effect of process variation on execution time and identifies the break-even operating point, where one strategy (slowdown or race-to-idle) outperforms the other. Thread mapping is performed using these characterized data by iteratively collapsing application threads (SMT) followed by binary programming-based thread mapping. Finally, performance slack is exploited at run-time to select between slowdown and race-to-idle, based upon the break-even operating point calculated for each individual thread. This end-to-end approach is implemented as a run-time manager for the Linux OS and is validated across a range of high performance applications. Results demonstrate up to 13% energy reduction over all state-of-the-art approaches, with an average of 18% improvement over Linux.
CD4 and CD8 T-Lymphocyte Apoptosis Can Predict Radiation-Induced Late Toxicity: A Prospective Study in 399 Patients

Purpose: Predicting late effects in patients treated with radiation therapy by assessing in vitro radiation-induced CD4 and CD8 T-lymphocyte apoptosis can be useful in individualizing treatment. Experimental Design: In a prospective study, 399 curatively irradiated patients were tested using a rapid assay where fresh blood samples were in vitro irradiated with 8 Gy X-rays. Lymphocytes were collected and prepared for flow cytometric analysis. Apoptosis was assessed by associated condensation of DNA. The incidences of late toxicities were compared for CD4 and CD8 T-lymphocyte apoptoses using receiver-operating characteristic curves and cumulative incidence. Results: No association was found between early toxicity and T-lymphocyte apoptosis. Grade 2 and 3 late toxicities were observed in 31% and 7% of patients, respectively. More radiation-induced T-lymphocyte apoptosis was significantly associated with less grade 2 and 3 late toxicity (Gray's test, P < 0.0001). CD8 (area under the curve = 0.83) was more sensitive and specific than CD4. No grade 3 late toxicity was observed for patients with CD4 and CD8 values greater than 15% and 24%, respectively. The 2-year cumulative incidence for grade 2 or 3 late toxicity was 70%, 32%, and 12% for patients with absolute change in CD8 T-lymphocyte apoptosis of ≤16, 16 to 24, and >24, respectively. Conclusions: Radiation-induced T-lymphocyte apoptosis can significantly predict differences in late toxicity between individuals. It could be used as a rapid screen for hypersensitive patients to radiotherapy. In future dose escalation studies, patients could be selected using the apoptosis assay.
The Effect of Cue-Enhancement on Consonant Intelligibility in Noise: Speaker and Listener Effects

Our previous work (Hazan & Simpson, 1998) has shown that increasing the salience of perceptually important regions of nonsense word and sentence materials aids speech perception in noise. This study aimed to extend these findings by investigating the robustness of these enhancement techniques in improving consonant intelligibility for a range of different speakers and for groups of listeners with different language backgrounds. In Experiment 1, nonsense vowel-consonant-vowel (VCV) tokens produced by two female and two male speakers without phonetic training were annotated to highlight segments of the signal corresponding to the consonant constriction/occlusion and vowel onset/offset regions. These regions were selectively amplified to enhance the cues they contained, then combined with speech- shaped noise at 0 dB SNR and presented to normally hearing listeners. Significant improvements in intelligibility were found for all speakers although the extent of the improvement varied across speakers. In Experiment 2, a subset of these stimuli were presented to two groups of learners of English — a Japanese- L1 groupanda Spanish - L1 group —and a new group of native-English controls. Results showed a significant effect of enhancement in all listener-groups and similar speaker effects for the non-native and native English listeners. Error patterns were related to the distance between the phonological systems of listeners' L1 and L2.
The Credit Rating Crisis

Since June 2007, the creditworthiness of structured finance products has deteriorated rapidly. The number of downgrades in November 2007 alone exceeded 2,000 and many downgrades were severe, with 500 tranches downgraded more than 10 notches. Massive downgrades continued in 2008. More than 11,000 of the downgrades affected securities that were rated AAA. This paper studies the credit rating crisis of 2007-2008 and in particular describes the collapse of the credit ratings of ABS CDOs. Using data on ABS CDOs we provide suggestive evidence that ratings shopping may have played a role in the current crisis. We find that tranches rated solely by one agency, and by S&P in particular, were more likely to be downgraded by January 2008. Further, tranches rated solely by one agency are more likely to suffer more severe downgrades.
The group structure for ζ(3)

1. Introduction. In his proof of the irrationality of ζ(3), Apéry [1] gave sequences of rational approximations to ζ(2) = π 2 /6 and to ζ(3) yielding the irrationality measures µ(ζ(2)) < 11.85078. and µ(ζ(3)) < 13.41782. Several improvements on such irrationality measures were subsequently given, and we refer to the introductions of the papers [3] and [4] for an account of these results. As usual, we denote here by µ(α) the least irrationality measure of an irrational number α, i.e., the least exponent λ such that for any ε > 0 there exists a constant q 0 = q 0 (ε) > 0 for which α −
Chandra observations of the Mice

Presented here are high spatial and spectral resolution Chandra X-ray observations of the famous interacting galaxy pair, the Mice, a system similar to, though less evolved than, the well-known Antennae galaxies. Previously unpublished ROSAT High Resolution Imager data of the system are also presented. Starburst-driven galactic winds outflowing along the minor axis of both galaxies (but particularly the northern one) are observed, and spectral and spatial properties, and energetics are presented. That such a phenomenon can occur in such a rapidly evolving and turbulent system is surprising, and this is the first time that the very beginning - the onset, of starburst-driven hot gaseous outflow in a full-blown disc-disc merger has been seen. Point-source emission is seen at the galaxy nuclei, and within the interaction-induced tidal tails. Further point-source emission is associated with the galactic bar in the southern system. A comparison of the source X-ray luminosity function and of the diffuse emission properties is made with the Antennae and other galaxies, and evidence of a more rapid evolution of the source population than the diffuse component is found. No evidence for variability is found between the Chandra and previous observations.
Ulnar and Humeral Heads Forming Separate Bellies: A Rare Case of Digastric Flexor Carpi Ulnaris Muscle

SUMMARY: Proper knowledge of muscular variations is essential for both anatomists and surgeons. Variations of the flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) are not very common. We are reporting an unusual case of FCU muscle with two bellies. The two heads (ulnar and humeral) of the muscle continued as two separate bellies and the tendons of which joined each other slightly proximal to the wrist before getting inserted to pisiform bone. Further, detailed literature review of variations of FCU muscle is done and the developmental basis for the variation and its surgical importance are discussed.
Automatic generation control of a two area multi-unit interconnected power system with Proportional-Integral-Derivative controller with Filter(PIDF) optimized by TLBO algorithm

This article describes the automatic generation control of a two area multi-unit interconnected power system with Proportional-Integral-Derivative controller with Filter (PIDF) tuned by teaching learning based optimization (TLBO) algorithm. Each area is equipped with three reheat thermal units with hydraulic amplifiers. The gains of the PIDF controllers are simultaneously optimized by applying a step load perturbation of 0.01 in area 1 considering integral time absolute error (ITAE) as the fitness function. The enhancement of the control behavior of the proposed optimized PIDF controller is proved in comparison with the conventional PID controller. The dynamic responses of the system is compared in terms of settling time, peak overshoots and undershoots. Further the sensitiveness and robustness of system is verified by applying disturbances in both the area simultaneously.
Identification of the mRNA Expression Status of the Dopamine D2 Receptor and Dopamine Transporter in Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes of Schizophrenia Patients

The aim of this study was to detect the mRNA expression levels of the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) and dopamine transporter (DAT) in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) of schizophrenia patients and to explore the relationship between the mRNA expression levels and the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia. The research included 25 cases of acute schizophrenia patients, 27 cases of chronic schizophrenia patients, and 30 healthy controls. In every case, we measured the mRNA levels of DRD2 and DAT in PBLs by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-PCR), and we evaluated the patients’ clinical symptoms using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). DRD2 mRNA levels in PBLs of acute schizophrenia patients, chronic schizophrenia patients, and healthy controls were 0.32±0.13, 0.37±0.19, and 0.34±0.09, respectively, and the difference was not significant. DAT mRNA levels in PBLs of the abovementioned groups were 0.48±0.24, 0.58±0.21 and 0.39±0.24, respectively (F = 4.330, P = 0.017), and comparisons between every group showed that DAT mRNA levels in PBLs of chronic schizophrenia patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (MS interclass = 0.198, p = 0.005). The correlation between DRD2 mRNA levels in PBLs and the positive symptom points of PANSS in acute schizophrenia patients was significant (r = 0.443, p = 0.044). In conclusion, DRD2 mRNA levels in PBLs are correlated with positive symptoms in acute schizophrenia patients, and DAT mRNA levels in PBLs of chronic schizophrenia patients are over-expressed.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is characterized by a delay in cortical maturation

There is controversy over the nature of the disturbance in brain development that underpins attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In particular, it is unclear whether the disorder results from a delay in brain maturation or whether it represents a complete deviation from the template of typical development. Using computational neuroanatomic techniques, we estimated cortical thickness at >40,000 cerebral points from 824 magnetic resonance scans acquired prospectively on 223 children with ADHD and 223 typically developing controls. With this sample size, we could define the growth trajectory of each cortical point, delineating a phase of childhood increase followed by adolescent decrease in cortical thickness (a quadratic growth model). From these trajectories, the age of attaining peak cortical thickness was derived and used as an index of cortical maturation. We found maturation to progress in a similar manner regionally in both children with and without ADHD, with primary sensory areas attaining peak cortical thickness before polymodal, high-order association areas. However, there was a marked delay in ADHD in attaining peak thickness throughout most of the cerebrum: the median age by which 50% of the cortical points attained peak thickness for this group was 10.5 years (SE 0.01), which was significantly later than the median age of 7.5 years (SE 0.02) for typically developing controls (log rank test χ(1)2 = 5,609, P < 1.0 × 10−20). The delay was most prominent in prefrontal regions important for control of cognitive processes including attention and motor planning. Neuroanatomic documentation of a delay in regional cortical maturation in ADHD has not been previously reported.
Joint affine term structure models : Conditioning information in international bond portfolios

In this paper, we propose a simple model for international bond investment. The investor can optimize a government bond portfolio in a discrete time horizon conditional on the common and local factors in international bond returns. The variation in the cross section and time series of treasury yields is captured by a joint affine term structure model (ATSM). Easy closed form solutions for the returns and variances are given. We test our model in an empirical study of US and UK government bonds in the period of 1983 to 2012. An interpretation of the common factors as ’level’, ’slope’ and ’spread’ not only helps to interpret the cross section and time series of the treasury yields but also to understand the evolution of our conditional portfolio weights. Our empirical study shows that common factors in international bond returns are not only an empirical phenomenon. The empirical findings can be supported by the proposed model and the model can link the investor’s decision conditional on the common factors in international bond returns.
Downstream Competition, Foreclosure, and Vertical Integration

This paper analyses the impact of competition among downstream firms on an upstream firm's payoff and on its incentive to vertically integrate when firms on both segments negotiate optimal contracts. We argue that tougher competition decreases the downstream industry profit, but improves the upstream firm's negotiation position. In particular, the upstream firm is better off encouraging competition when the downstream firms have high bargaining power. We derive implications on the interplay between vertical integration and competition among the downstream firms. The mere possibility of vertical integration may constitute a barrier to entry and may trigger strategic horizontal spin-offs or mergers. We discuss the impact of upstream competition on our results.
A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Survey of Trachoma among Migrant School Aged Children in Shanghai, China

We investigated the prevalence of clinical trachoma in 154,265 children aged 6 to 16 years in 206 Shanghai migrant schools. Clean water availability in school, each child's facial cleanliness, eyelids, corneas, and the presenting distance visual acuities were examined. Trachoma was clinically diagnosed in accordance with the World Health Organization simplified classification. Eyes diagnosed with trachoma were swabbed to test for ocular Chlamydia trachomatis infections (OCTI) with a rapid latex immunochromatographic test. Among 153,977 students, no blindness was found related to trachoma. Trachoma was diagnosed in 8029 children (5.2%). In 87 schools clinical trachoma prevalence was higher than 5%. OCTI was confirmed in 2073 of 6823 trachoma diagnosed children (30.4%). Clinical trachoma prevalence was higher among females than males (p < 0.001), but gender comparison showed no statistical difference in the prevalence of OCTI (p = 0.077). Age and clinical trachoma (r = −0.014; p < 0.001) or OCTI (r = −0.026; p = 0.031) prevalence were negatively correlated. Clinical trachoma was different in different districts and counties (p < 0.001). Trachoma warrants close attention in Shanghai migrant children because the condition remains endemic in some schools.
Chytrid Fungus in Frogs from an Equatorial African Montane Forest in Western Uganda

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the causative agent of chytridiomycosis, was found in 24 of 109 (22%) frogs from Kibale National Park, western Uganda, in January and June 2006, representing the first account of the fungus in six species and in Uganda. The presence of B. dendrobatidis in an equatorial African montane forest raises conservation concerns, considering the high amphibian diversity and endemism characteristic of such areas and their ecological similarity to other regions of the world experiencing anuran declines linked to chytridiomycosis.
Rule based machine translation combined with statistical post editor for Japanese to English patent translation

Since sentences in patent texts are long, they are difficult to translate by a machine. Although statistical machine translation is one of the major streams of the field, long patent sentences are difficult to translate not using syntactic analysis. We propose the combination of a rule based method and a statistical method. It is a rule based machine translation (RMT) with a statistical based post editor (SPE). The evaluation by the NIST score shows RMT+SPE is more accurate than RMT only. Manual checks, however, show the outputs of RMT+SPE often have strange expressions in the target language. So we propose a new evaluation measure NMG (normalized mean grams). Although NMG is based on n-gram, it counts the number of words in the longest word sequence matches between the test sentence and the target language reference corpus. We use two reference corpora. One is the reference translation only the other is a large scaled target language corpus. In the former case, RMT+SPE wins in the later case, RMT wins.
An Assessment of the Relative Importance of Criminal Justice Learning Objectives

This study examines the relative importance of the different learning objectives for criminal justice education as identified by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS). Three different populations (students, faculty, and professionals) completed a survey exercise in which they were required to rank order hypothetical job applicants who varied in competency on each of the ACJS learning objectives. In addition, students completed the same exercise pre- and post-completion of their required internship to determine if experience in the field affected their responses. Conjoint analysis was used to identify the relative importance of different learning objectives. While results indicate some similarities in responses across all three populations, several interesting differences were observed, and these may have important curricular implications for criminal justice programs.