Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Bayesian Method for Upsizing Single Disdrometer Drop Size Counts for Rain Physics Studies and Areal Applications

A time or spatial series of drop counts is but one realization of a multiple stochastic process. In this paper, a method is presented that extracts more of the information contained in the time series of 1-min Joss-Waldvogel disdrometer counts in rain than a simple analysis of the magnitudes of the counts would provide. This is done by greatly increasing the size of a data set using a Bayesian analysis of drop count measurements in 17 size bins. Using the empirical copula statistical technique of probability density function transformations, a 1391-min time series of drop counts was expanded to the equivalent of 40 000 min. This dramatic increase in sample size permits a deeper characterization of the rain. Using this single disdrometer, it also allows one to translate these counts into a 200 × 200 grid filled at each point with drop size distributions of mean drop concentrations consistent with the observed statistical properties of the rain. Such a field can be used for remote sensing studies of the effect of partial beam filling and for algorithm development. Moreover, since there is nothing unique to this set of drop counts, this approach can be applied to any other set of count data, including snow and clouds.
Fertilizer nitrogen replacement value of food residuals composted with yard trimmings, paper or wood wastes

Composting offers an opportunity to recycle food waste as a soil amendment. A three year growth trial was conducted to determine the fertilizer nitrogen (N) replacement value of food waste composts for cool season perennial grass production. Six composts were produced in a pilot-scale project with two composting methods (aerated static pile and aerated, turned windrow). The aerated, turned windrow method simulated “agitated bay” composting systems, which utilize routine mechanical agitation. Compost bulking agents included yard trimmings, yard trimmings + mixed paper waste, and wood waste + sawdust. Finished composts had Kjeldahl N concentrations ranging from 10 to 18 g N/kg. For the growth trial, composts were incorporated into the top eight to 10 cm of a sandy loam soil at application rates of approximately 155 Mg/ha (about 7 yd3/1000 ft2). Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. ‘A.U. Triumph’) was seeded after compost incorporation, and was harvested repeatedly at a late vegetative growth stage (Apri.
Mastitis control program: effect on milk production.

Abstract A 3-year study of 24 commercial dairy herds measured the value of hygiene (teat dipping in 4% chlorine) and dry cow therapy (1million units penicillin, 1gram dihydrostreptomycin) in the reduction of infection and change in milk production. Infection dropped from 28.1% to 7.1% of the quarters. Herds on the mastitis control program produced an average of 477kg of milk per cow more per year for each of the 3 years than the average New York Dairy Herd Improvement herd after adjustment for differences in initial production. A least squares analysis determined factors associated with mastitis that have the greatest effect on milk production. Presence of organisms in the udder caused the greatest decrease in milk production while the genus of organism affected the loss. Quarters infected with Staphylococcus aureus produced approximately 760kg less milk per lactation than uninfected quarters. Quarters harboring other organisms, including some regarded as nonpathogenic, produced more than 500kg of milk less per lactation than uninfected quarters. Quarters infected with more than one pathogen at the same time had an additional decrease in production. Reduction in milk production was most severe when infections began during early lactation. However, infections that lasted less than 40 weeks caused a greater decrease in milk production than those lasting longer.
THE IMPORTANCE OF GRIP STRENGTH By

Many daily functions and sporting events require high activity levels of the flexor musculature of the forearms and hands. These are the muscles involved in gripping strength. From sports like wrestling, tennis, football, basketball, and baseball to daily activities such as carrying laundry, turning a doorknob, and vacuuming, some degree of grip strength is necessary to be successful. For example, without adequate grip and forearm strength, tennis players may run the risk of developing lateral epicondylitis, otherwise known as tennis elbow. Often overlooked or taken for granted, the strength of ones grip plays a key role in injury prevention and overall strength development (2,7,23,29). The purpose of this literature review is to dissect the importance of grip strength and how it correlates to physical performance.
Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors: perspectives on novel therapeutic compounds and strategies for the treatment of HIV infection

At present, the nucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitors and protease inhibitors (PI) have dominated the therapeutic options for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. From the initial monotherapeutic strategies, to the widely accepted multi-drug cocktails of today, the use of these two classes of compounds has successfully prolonged patient survival following infection with HIV. The efficacy of the multi-drug cocktails has delayed the onset of disease and generated hope that long-term therapy might allow the natural immune response to HIV infection to control both virus replication and pathogenesis within the context of an intact immune system despite the continuing presence of virus in various reservoirs within the body and the inability of these therapies to completely eradicate virus. However, the use of antiretroviral compounds for prolonged periods of time has also resulted in the appearance of significant drug-induced toxicity and metabolic abnormalities, as well as drug-induced variations in disease progression. Thus, continued research and development to identify new and improved antiretroviral agents will be a critical requirement in the foreseeable future. This ongoing research and development should also consider the challenges of defining more effective use of existing therapeutic agents, including the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs).
Formal synthesis and code generation of embedded real-time software

Due to rapidly increasing system complexity, shortening time-to-market, and growing demand for hard real-time systems, formal methods are becoming indispensable in the synthesis of embedded systems, which must satisfy stringent temporal, memory, and environment constraints. There is a general lack of practical formal methods that can synthesize complex embedded real-time software (ERTS). In this work, a formal method based on Time Free-Choice Petri Nets (TFCPN) is proposed for ERTS synthesis. The synthesis method employs quasi-static data scheduling for satisfying limited embedded memory requirements and uses dynamic real-time scheduling for satisfying hard real-time constraints. Software code is then generated from a set of quasi-statically and dynamically scheduled TFCPNs. Finally, an application example is given to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed TFCPN-based formal method for ERTS synthesis.
Specific Migratory Dendritic Cells Rapidly Transport Antigen from the Airways to the Thoracic Lymph Nodes

Antigen transport from the airway mucosa to the thoracic lymph nodes (TLNs) was studied in vivo by intratracheal instillation of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated macromolecules. After instillation, FITC+ cells with stellate morphology were found deep in the TLN T cell area. Using flow cytometry, an FITC signal was exclusively detected in CD11cmed-hi/major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII)hi cells, representing migratory airway-derived lymph node dendritic cells (AW-LNDCs). No FITC signal accumulated in lymphocytes and in a CD11chiMHCIImed DC group containing a CD8αhi subset (non–airway-derived [NAW]-LNDCs). Sorted AW-LNDCs showed long MHCIIbright cytoplasmic processes and intracytoplasmatic FITC+ granules. The fraction of FITC+ AW-LNDCs peaked after 24 h and had reached baseline by day 7. AW-LNDCs were depleted by 7 d of ganciclovir treatment in thymidine kinase transgenic mice, resulting in a strong reduction of FITC-macromolecule transport into the TLNs. Compared with intrapulmonary DCs, AW-LNDCs had a mature phenotype and upregulated levels of MHCII, B7-2, CD40, and intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1. In addition, sorted AW-LNDCs from FITC-ovalbumin (OVA)–instilled animals strongly presented OVA to OVA-TCR transgenic T cells. These results validate the unique sentinel role of airway DCs, picking up antigen in the airways and delivering it in an immunogenic form to the T cells in the TLNs.
Functional Interactions between Hsp90 and the Co-chaperones Cns1 and Cpr7 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae*

Hsp90 complexes contain a class of co-chaperones characterized by a tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain, which mediates binding to a carboxyl-terminal EEVD region in Hsp90. Among Hsp90 TPR co-chaperones in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, only Cns1 is essential. The amino terminus of Cns1, which harbors the TPR domain, is sufficient for viability when overexpressed. In a screen for temperature-sensitive alleles of CNS1, we identified mutations resulting in substitutions of conserved residues in the TPR domain. Mutations in CNS1 disrupt in vitro and in vivo interaction with Hsp90 and reduce Hsp90 function, indicating that Cns1 is a bona fide co-chaperone. Genetic interactions between CNS1 and another Hsp90 co-chaperone, CPR7, suggest that the two co-chaperones share an essential role in the cell. Although both the TPR and the isomerase domains of the cyclophilin Cpr7 are required for viability of cns1 mutant cells, this requirement does not depend on the catalytic function of the isomerase domain. Instead, hydrophilic residues on the surface of this domain appear to be important for the common Cns1·Cpr7 function. Although both co-chaperones interact with Hsp90 primarily through the carboxyl terminus (EEVD), Cns1 and Cpr7 are mostly found in complexes distinct from Hsp90. EEVD is required for normal growth in cns1 mutant cells, demonstrating for the first time in vivo requirement for this conserved region of Hsp90. Overall, our findings reveal a considerable degree of complexity in the interactions not only between Hsp90 and its co-chaperones, but also among the co-chaperones themselves.
Regensburger DISKUSSIONSBEITRÄGE zur Wirtschaftswissenschaft University of Regensburg Working Papers in Business , Economics and Management Information Systems Testing for Codependence of Non-Stationary Variables

We analyze non-stationary time series that do not only trend together in the long run, but restore the equilibrium immediately in the period following a deviation. While this represents a common serial correlation feature, the framework is extended to codependence, allowing for delayed adjustment. We show which restrictions are implied for VECMs and lay out a likelihood ratio test. In addition, due to identification problems in codependent VECMs a GMM test approach is proposed. We apply the concept to US and European interest rate data, examining the capability of the Fed and ECB to control overnight money market rates.
Synergism between tobramycin and ceftazidime against a resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain, tested in an in vitro pharmacokinetic model

Synergism between two antibiotics is usually tested by a checkerboard titration technique, or by time-kill methods. Both methods have the disadvantage that synergism is determined at constant concentrations of the antibiotics, which do not reflect reality in vivo. In the present study we determined whether synergism between tobramycin and ceftazidime can be found at declining concentrations below the MIC, and whether change in dosing sequence of the antibiotics would result in differences in killing. Three monotherapy and six combination therapy schedules were tested in an in vitro pharmacokinetic model, using a Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistant to both antibiotics. During all q8h dosing schedules the peak concentration (Cmax) was adjusted to the MIC for the strain of both antibiotics. During all monotherapy regimens bacterial growth was present, while all six combination therapy schedules showed significant killing. At t = 24 h there were no differences between all combination therapy schedules, but at t = 8 h the two combination therapy schedules with administration of tobramycin once daily showed a significantly faster killing. By using the area under the killing curve (AUKC) as a parameter for synergistic killing, simultaneous combination therapy starting with tobramycin once daily was significantly better than all other regimens. We conclude that there is synergism between tobramycin and ceftazidime at declining antibiotic concentrations below the MIC, resulting in a pronounced killing of a resistant Pseudomonas strain. Infections due to resistant Pseudomonas strains could possibly be treated by a synergistic combination of these drugs.
Role of Nociceptor αCaMKII in Transition from Acute to Chronic Pain (Hyperalgesic Priming) in Male and Female Rats

We have previously shown that activation of protein kinase Cε (PKCε) in male rats induces a chronic, long-lasting change in nociceptors such that a subsequent exposure to proinflammatory mediators produces markedly prolonged mechanical hyperalgesia. This neuroplastic change, hyperalgesic priming, is dependent on activation of cytoplasmic polyadenylation element-binding protein (CPEB), downstream of PKCε, and consequent translation of mRNAs in the peripheral terminal of the nociceptor. Since α calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (αCaMKII), a molecule implicated in neuroplasticity, is a target of CPEB and can also affect CPEB function, we investigated its role in the transition from acute to chronic pain. Priming induced by direct activation of PKCε can be prevented by inhibition of αCaMKII. In addition, direct activation of αCaMKII induces priming, which was not prevented by pretreatment with PKCε antisense, suggesting that αCaMKII is downstream of PKCε in the induction of priming. Activation of ryanodine receptors (RyRs), which can lead to activation of αCaMKII, also induced priming, in a calcium- and αCaMKII-dependent manner. Similarly, inhibition of the RyR and a calcium buffer prevented induction of priming by PKCε. Unlike activation of PKCε, ryanodine and αCaMKII induced priming in female as well as male rats. Our results demonstrate a contribution of αCaMKII to induction of hyperalgesic priming, a phenomenon implicated in the transition from acute to chronic pain.
Altering Heparin Cofactor II at VAL439 (P6) either Impairs Inhibition of Thrombin or Confers Elastase Resistance

Summary Heparin cofactor II (HCII) is plasma glycoprotein and thrombin inhibitor of the serpin type previously shown to inhibit thrombin in the absence of its N-terminal 74 amino acids, and to be cleaved by neutrophil elastase (NE) at two sites: I66-F67 and V439-G440, the P6-P5 bond of the reactive center loop. We examined the contribution of Val439 to the reaction of HCII with thrombin and NE. Hexahistidine-tagged HCII proteins lacking residues 1-66 (H6Δ66HCII) containing either the wild-type Val 439 or one of six substitutions were expressed in E. coli. The rates of heparin-catalyzed thrombin inhibition of the V439L, C, or R variants were reduced at least 80-fold compared to wild-type H6Δ66HCII, while those of the F, S, or W variants were largely unchanged. Following controlled exposure to NE in the presence of heparin, these latter variants retained 3.5to 4.5-fold more residual anti-thrombin activity than wild-type H6Δ66HCII treated in the same manner. This resistance arose due to deflection of NE attack from V439-G440 to secondary sites. The F, S, or W V439 variants exhibited a similar or greater degree of NE resistance when re-expressed as full-length hexahistidine-tagged HCII proteins, suggesting that the I66-F67 NE site is not well recognized in non-glycosylated HCII. Of these full-length variants, the V439F was the most active, exhibiting only a 2-fold reduction in its heparin-catalyzed rate of thrombin inhibition. HCII can therefore be made NE-resistant without severely compromising its capacity to inhibit thrombin.
Glyphosate's Suppression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes and Amino Acid Biosynthesis by the Gut Microbiome: Pathways to Modern Diseases

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup ® , is the most popular herbicide used worldwide. The industry asserts it is minimally toxic to humans, but here we argue otherwise. Residues are found in the main foods of the Western diet, comprised primarily of sugar, corn, soy and wheat. Glyphosate's inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes is an overlooked component of its toxicity to mammals. CYP enzymes play crucial roles in biology, one of which is to detoxify xenobiotics. Thus, glyphosate enhances the damaging effects of other food borne chemical residues and environmental toxins. Negative impact on the body is insidious and manifests slowly over time as inflammation damages cellular systems throughout the body. Here, we show how interference with CYP enzymes acts synergistically with disruption of the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids by gut bacteria, as well as impairment in serum sulfate transport. Consequences are most of the diseases and conditions associated with a Western diet, which include gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, autism, infertility, cancer and Alzheimer's disease. We explain the documented effects of glyphosate and its ability to induce disease, and we show that glyphosate is the "textbook example" of exogenous semiotic entropy: the disruption of homeostasis by environmental toxins.
The model of grain-boundary sliding stimulated by intragranular slip

Abstract The theoretical model of grain-boundary sliding (GBS) stimulated by intragranular dislocation slip has been suggested on the basic of experiments on Zn and Cd bicrystals. Lattice dislocations of two grains dissociate in boundary during the spreading time t s and form two families of mobile gain-boundary dislocations (GBDs) with the opposite sign. The motion of GBDs containing a non-conservative component is the main mechanism of GBS. The GBS rate is determined by the GBD density and by the rate of their annihilation or sink to the surface. The increase in GBD density forms additional elastic fields in the vicinity of boundary, which inhibits the entering of lattice dislocations into the boundary and weaken the source efficiency. The GBD density balance determined by the ratio of influx of lattice dislocations and annihilation of the GBDs is established. Thus the boundary demonstrates the behaviour of system with negative feedback. The model allows one to describe the GBS-time dependence in Cd and.
2 Trial Designs and Outcomes to Monitor Novel Therapeutics in Alzheimer ’ s Disease

The various etiological hypotheses for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) need to be tested in patients using designs and outcomes that are appropriate. This chapter reviews the principles of symptomatic treatment versus disease modification, the natural history of AD, and designs to slow down its progression. It should be noted that the diagnosis of AD implies first a diagnosis of dementia, followed by an assessment of its etiology. The accuracy of the clinical diagnosis of AD is in the order of 85% once dementia is clinically detected, but less than 50% in the predementia stage of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) using clinicopathological correlations (Petersen et al., 2006).
Price Hedonics: A Critical Review

This paper was presented at the conference "Economic Statistics: New Needs for the Twenty-First Century," cosponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Conference on Research in Income and Wealth, and the National Association for Business Economics, July 11, 2002. The main objective of this paper is to make a start in the evaluation of price hedonics. The author describes the hedonic model and reviews its main uses, because the credibility of price hedonics depends in part on the current state of academic research. This is a brief overview. The author then turns to some of the standard criticisms of price hedonics and moves into the uncharted waters of the political economy of price measurement.
Scalable Discriminative Learning for Natural Language Parsing and Translation

Parsing and translating natural languages can be viewed as problems of predicting tree structures. For machine learning approaches to these predictions, the diversity and high dimensionality of the structures involved mandate very large training sets. This paper presents a purely discriminative learning method that scales up well to problems of this size. Its accuracy was at least as good as other comparable methods on a standard parsing task. To our knowledge, it is the first purely discriminative learning algorithm for translation with tree-structured models. Unlike other popular methods, this method does not require a great deal of feature engineering a priori, because it performs feature selection over a compound feature space as it learns. Experiments demonstrate the method's versatility, accuracy, and efficiency. Relevant software is freely available at http://nlp.cs. nyu.edu/parser and http://nlp.cs. nyu.edu/GenPar.
Upper abdominal ultrasound in general practice: indications, diagnostic yield and consequences for patient management.

BACKGROUND Abdominal ultrasound (US) is frequently performed in Western societies. There is insufficient knowledge of its diagnostic value in terms of changes in patient management decisions in primary care. OBJECTIVE To assess the influence of upper abdominal US on patient management in general practice. METHODS A prospective cohort study with 76 GPs and three general hospitals in The Netherlands. A total of 395 patients aged >or=18 years referred by their GPs for upper abdominal US were included. The main outcome was change in anticipated patient management assessed by means of questionnaires filled in by GPs before and after abdominal US. RESULTS Mean age of the patients was 54.0 +/- 15.8 years, 35% were male. Clinically relevant abnormalities were found in 29% of the abdominal US, mainly cholelithiasis. Anticipated patient management changed in 64% of the patients following abdominal US. Main changes included fewer referrals to a medical specialist (from 45 to 30%); and more frequent reassurance of the patient (from 15 to 43%). However, this reassurance was not perceived as such in almost 40% of these patients. A change in anticipated patient management occurred significantly more frequently in patients with a prior cholecystectomy (82%). CONCLUSION Anticipated patient management by the GP changed in 64% of patients following upper abdominal US. Abdominal US substantially reduced the number of intended referrals to a medical specialist, and more patients could be reassured by their GP.
Study of protein membranes formed by interfacial crosslinking using microfluidic flow

II Acknowledgements . III List of Figures . XII List of Tables.XVIII List of Symbols and Abbreviations . XX Chapter1: Introduction . 1 Chapter2: Literature Review . 8 2.1 Protein membranes.8 2.1. 1 Bovine serum albumin . 8 2.1. 2 Fibrinogen . 11 2.1. 3 Protein – protein comparison . 12 2.1. 4 Crosslinking agent.13 2.2 Copper for protein membranes.16 2.2.1 History.16 2.2.2 Antimicrobial property with copper . 17 2.2.3 Copper and membrane applications . 21 2.3 Nanoindentation . 22 2.3. 1 Basic principles . 22 2.3. 2 Berkovich Indenter.22 2.3. 3 Vickers Indenter . 23