Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Finding middle ground: environmental conflict resolution.

Background: Saliva of blood-sucking arthropods contains a cocktail of antihemostatic agents and immunomodulators that help blood feeding. Mosquitoes additionally feed on sugar meals and have specialized regions of their glands containing glycosidases and antimicrobials that might help control bacterial growth in the ingested meals. To expand our knowledge on the salivary cocktail of Ædes ægypti, a vector of dengue and yellow fevers, we analyzed a set of 4,232 expressed sequence tags from cDNA libraries of adult female mosquitoes. Results: A nonredundant catalogue of 614 transcripts (573 of which are novel) is described, including 136 coding for proteins of a putative secretory nature. Additionally, a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of salivary gland (SG) homogenates followed by tryptic digestion of selected protein bands and MS/MS analysis revealed the expression of 24 proteins. Analysis of tissue-specific transcription of a subset of these genes revealed at least 31 genes whose expression is specific or enriched in female SG, whereas 24 additional genes were expressed in female SG and in males but not in other female tissues. Most of the 55 proteins coded by these SG transcripts have no known function and represent high-priority candidates for expression and functional analysis as antihemostatic or antimicrobial agents. An unexpected finding is the occurrence of four protein families specific to SG that were probably a product of horizontal transfer from prokaryotic organisms to mosquitoes. Conclusion: Overall, this paper contributes to the novel identification of 573 new transcripts, or near 3% of the Æ. ægypti proteome assuming a 20,000-protein set, and to the best-described sialome of any blood-feeding insect. Published: 04 January 2007 BMC Genomics 2007, 8:6 doi:10.1186/1471-2164-8-6 Received: 05 August 2006 Accepted: 04 January 2007 This article is available from: http://www.biomedcentral. com/1471-2164/8/6 © 2007 Ribeiro et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Determination of constitutive and morphological parameters of columnar thin films by inverse homogenization

A dielectric columnar thin film (CTF), characterized macroscopically by a relative permittivity dyadic, was investigated theoretically. The CTF was assumed, on the nanoscale, to be an assembly of parallel, identical, elongated ellipsoidal inclusions made of an isotropic dielectric material that has a different refractive index from the bulk material that was evaporated to fabricate the CTF. The inverse Bruggeman homogenization formalism was developed in order to estimate the refractive index of the deposited material, one of the two shape factors of the ellipsoidal inclusions, and the volume fraction occupied by the deposited material, from a knowledge of relative permittivity dyadic of the CTF. A modified Newton-Raphson technique was implemented to solve the inverse Bruggeman equations. Numerical studies revealed how the three nanoscale parameters of CTFs vary as functions of the vapor incidence angle.
Effects of Electro Osmotic Consolidation in South West of Johor: Small Laboratory Scale

Clay soil is one of the problematic soils due to its natural states which have low bearing capacity and high compressibility. The effect and problem of the clay soil characteristic creates a problem for construction especially excessive settlement and this can lead to unstable and potential cracks of engineering structures. At presents, there are few of soil improvement types can be carried out to overcome these problems, and electro osmotic consolidation is one of the options. This method has been applied many years ago especially in european countries. The study encompasses the determination of water content, atterberg’s limits and undrained shear strength after electro osmotic consolidation treatment of clay soils taken from 0.5 m and 1.5 m at southwest part of johor. All the samples were tested according to BS1377:1990. An experimental study was implemented in a pvc cylinder tube having dimensions of 300 mm height and 100 mm diameter. In the results of electro osmotic consolidation tests by installing copper spring electrodes, the measured undrained shear strength was increased considerably at the anodes especially compared to the initial undrained shear strength due to electro osmosis process and consolidation. As laboratory studies of its measurement have shown, the application of electro osmotic consolidation after the application of a direct current applied voltage of 10 volts, at the anodes especially: (i) a decrease by approximately 35% in water content; (ii) an increase around 29% in undrained shear strength; and (iii) a decrease about 21% in index plasticity. The results obtained in this study shows that the electro osmotic enhanced 15 kpa vertical loading consolidation is a feasible approach in strengthening of south west soft clay in johor. It can be clearly suggested that the higher the voltage applied in the system, the higher readings of undrained shear strength and the lower of water content especially at the anodes.
Nonlinearities in Central Bank of Brazil's reaction function: the case of asymmetric preferences

This paper investigates the existence of possible asymmetries in the Central Bank of Brazil's objectives. By assuming that the loss function is asymmetric with regard to positive and negative deviations of the output gap and of the inflation rate from its target, we estimated a nonlinear reaction function which allows identifying and checking the statistical significance of asymmetric parameters in the monetary authority's preferences. For years 2000 to 2007, results indicate that the Central Bank of Brazil showed asymmetric preference over an above-target inflation rate. Given that this behavior may stem from policy decisions in periods of severe crises (e.g., in 2001 and in 2002), we restricted our sample to the 2004-2007 period. We did not find any empirical evidence of any type of asymmetry in the preferences over the stabilization of inflation and of the output gap for this period.
Thickness effect of Al-doped ZnO window layer on damp-heat stability of CuInGaSe2 solar cells

We investigated the damp heat (DH) stability of CuInGaSe2 (CIGS) solar cells as a function of thickness of the Al-doped ZnO (AZO) window layer from the “standard” 0.12 μm to a modest 0.50 μm over an underlying 0.10-μm intrinsic ZnO buffer layer. The CIGS cells were prepared with external electrical contact using fine Au wire to the tiny “standard” Ni/Al (0.05 μm/3 μm) metal grid contact pads. Bare cell coupons and sample sets encapsulated in a specially designed, Al-frame test structure with an opening for moisture ingress control using a TPT backsheet were exposed to DH at 85°C and 85% relative humidity, and characterized by current-voltage (I-V), quantum efficiency (QE), and (electrochemical) impedance spectroscopy (ECIS). The results show that bare cells exhibited rapid degradation within 50–100 h, accompanied by film wrinkling and delamination and corrosion of Mo and AlNi grid, regardless of AZO thickness. In contrast, the encapsulated cells did not show film wrinkling, delamination, and Mo corrosion after 168 h DH exposure; but the trend of efficiency degradation rate showed a weak correlation to the AZO thickness.
Insulin-stimulated amino acid utilization during glucose and amino acid clamps decreases with development.

Neonatal animals utilize their dietary amino acids for protein accretion with high efficiency, and this efficiency declines during early life. The factors responsible for this developmental change are unknown. Our objectives were to determine whether amino acid (AA) utilization is stimulated by insulin in the neonate and whether this response changes during the suckling period. Two hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp infusion studies, using 10-2,000 ng insulin.kg-0.66. min-1, were performed in 7- and 26-day-old pigs. In study I, no AA were provided during the infusion, and the resultant decline in plasma AA levels was defined. In study II, plasma AA were clamped at near-fasting levels, and whole body utilization of exogenous AA was determined by measuring the rate of infusion of an AA mixture necessary to maintain basal plasma lysine concentrations. In study I, the half-maximal effective dose (ED50) for the fall in AA concentrations with increasing plasma insulin concentration was lower in 7- than in 26-day-old pigs, and the nadir in AA concentration was achieved by only 20 microU/ml insulin. In study II, the utilization of exogenous AA during hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic AA clamps exhibited a higher maximum response (Rmax) (49 vs. 26 mumol AAtotal.min-1.kg-1) and a lower ED50 (18 vs. 45 microU insulin/ml) in 7- than in 26-day-old pigs. Plasma urea nitrogen concentrations did not rise with increasing insulin and AA infusion rates. These results indicate that insulin stimulates the utilization of exogenous AA in neonatal pigs and that both the insulin sensitivity and responsiveness of AA utilization decline over the suckling period. The infused AA were likely utilized for protein accretion.
The transcription factor KlF 4 as an independent predictive marker for pathologic complete remission in breast cancer neoadjuvant chemotherapy : a case – control study

License. The full terms of the License are available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. Permissions beyond the scope of the License are administered by Dove Medical Press Limited. Information on how to request permission may be found at: http://www.dovepress. com/permissions.php OncoTargets and Therapy 2014:7 1963–1969 OncoTargets and Therapy Dovepress
ADAPTIVE OPTICS ECHELLE SPECTROSCOPY OF [Fe ii] 1.644 μm IN THE RW AUR JET: A NARROW SLICE DOWN THE AXIS OF THE FLOW

We present new adaptive optics echelle spectra of the near-infrared [Fe ii] lines in the redshifted and blueshifted jets from the T Tauri star RW Aur. The spectra have an unprecedented combination of high spatial and spectral resolution that makes it possible to trace the dynamics of the flow to a projected distance of only 10 AU from the source. As noted by previous studies, the redshifted flow is much slower than its fainter blueshifted counterpart. Our observations clearly show that both the radial velocities and the emission line widths are larger closer to the source on both sides of the jet. The line widths are 20%–30% of the jet velocity on both sides of the flow, significantly larger than would be produced by a divergent constant velocity flow. The observed line widths could arise from a layered velocity structure in the jet or from magnetic waves. A bright knot in the redshifted jet has no concomitant increase in line width, implying that it is not heated by a bow shock. Alternate heating mechanisms include planar shocks, ambipolar diffusion, and magnetic reconnection.
Distributed and Scalable QoS Optimization for Dynamic Web Service Composition

Web service composition requests are usually combined with end-to-end QoS requirements, which are specified in terms of non-functional properties (e.g. response time, throughput and price). The goal of QoSaware service composition is to select the best combination of services that meet these end-to-end requirements, while maximizing the value of a pre-defined utility function. This problem can be modeled as a multidimension multi-choice 0-1 knapsack problem, which is known as NPhard in the strong sense. Existing solutions that rely on general purpose solvers suffer from poor performance, which render them inappropriate for applications with dynamic and real-time requirements. Moreover, global optimization techniques assume a centralized system model, which contradicts with the distributed and loosely-coupled environment of web services. The aim of this thesis is to develop scalable QoS optimization solutions that fit better to the distributed environment of web services. The idea is to decompose global constraints into local constraints that have to be fulfilled by a set of distributed service brokers. A solution that combines global optimization and local selection techniques is proposed.
The First Placebo-Controlled Trial of a Special Butterbur Root Extract for the Prevention of Migraine: Reanalysis of Efficacy Criteria

This is an independent reanalysis of a randomised, placebo-controlled parallel-group study on the efficacy and tolerability of a special butterbur root extract (Petadolex®) for the prophylaxis of migraine. The original protocol and analysis had a number of major shortcomings. In order to follow regulatory requirements, an independent reanalysis of the original data was performed. Following a 4-week baseline phase, 33 patients were randomised to treatment with two capsules 25 mg butterbur twice a day and 27 to placebo. The mean attack frequency per month decreased from 3.4 at baseline to 1.8 after 3 months (p = 0.0024) in the verum group and from 2.9 to 2.6 in the placebo group (n.s.). The responder rate (improvement of migraine frequency ≧50%) was 45% in the verum group and 15% in the placebo group. Butterbur was well tolerated. This small trial indicates that butterbur may be effective in the prophylaxis of migraine.
Nepali children's ideas about emotional displays in hypothetical challenges.

Although culture plays an important role in specifying socially prescribed ways to communicate and act in emotional situations, few cultures have been studied. This study describes the ideas of 50 first-grade boys and girls (aged 6-9 years) from 2 different Nepali cultures (Tamang and Chhetri-Brahmin) regarding how they would feel and act in 6 emotionally challenging situations (e.g., peer conflict, family conflict). Significant cultural differences were found. Chhetri-Brahmin children were more likely than Tamang children to endorse negative emotions and to report masking negative emotion. These differences appeared to be related to socialization processes in the respective cultures. Chhetri-Brahmin mothers reported teaching their children about emotion, whereas Tamang mothers reported that children learned by themselves. The children's responses may reflect ideas about emotion regulation that emerge from the differing socioreligious contexts in which they live.
Adaptive Double Subspace Signal Detection in Gaussian Background—Part I: Homogeneous Environments

In this two-part paper, we consider the problem of adaptive multidimensional/multichannel signal detection in Gaussian noise with unknown covariance matrix. The test data (primary data) is assumed as a collection of sample vectors, arranged as the columns of a rectangular data array. The rows and columns of the signal matrix are both assumed to lie in known subspaces, but with unknown coordinates. Due to this feature of the signal structure, we name this kind of signal as the double subspace signal. Part I of this paper focuses on the adaptive detection in homogeneous environments, while Part II deals with the adaptive detection in partially homogeneous environments. Precisely, in this part, we derive the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT), Rao test, Wald test, as well as their two-step variations, in homogeneous environments. Three types of spectral norm tests (SNTs) are also introduced. All these detectors are shown to possess the constant false alarm rate (CFAR) property. Moreover, we discuss the differences between them and show how they work. Another contribution is that we investigate various special cases of these detectors. Remarkably, some of them are well-known existing detectors, while some others are still new. At the stage of performance evaluation, conducted by Monte Carlo simulations, both matched and mismatched signals are dealt with. For each case, more than one scenario is considered.
The AMP-activated protein kinase pathway – new players upstream and downstream

The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) cascade is a sensor of cellular energy status. Whenever the cellular ATP:ADP ratio falls, owing to a stress that inhibits ATP production or increases ATP consumption, this is amplified by adenylate kinase into a much larger increase in the AMP:ATP ratio. AMP activates the system by binding to two tandem domains on the γ subunits of AMPK, and this is antagonized by high concentrations of ATP. AMP binding causes activation by a sensitive mechanism involving phosphorylation of AMPK by the tumour suppressor LKB1. Once activated, AMPK switches on catabolic pathways that generate ATP while switching off ATP-consuming processes. As well as acting at the level of the individual cell, the system also regulates food intake and energy expenditure at the whole body level, in particular by mediating the effects of hormones and cytokines such as leptin, adiponectin and ghrelin. A particularly interesting downstream target recently identified is TSC2 (tuberin). The LKB1→AMPK→TSC2 pathway negatively regulates the target of rapamycin (TOR), and this appears to be responsible for limiting protein synthesis and cell growth, and protecting against apoptosis, during cellular stresses such as glucose starvation.
On the relevance of grasp metrics for predicting grasp success

We aim to reliably predict whether a grasp on a known object is successful before it is executed in the real world. There is an entire suite of grasp metrics that has already been developed which rely on precisely known contact points between object and hand. However, it remains unclear whether and how they may be combined into a general purpose grasp stability predictor. In this paper, we analyze these questions by leveraging a large scale database of simulated grasps on a wide variety of objects. For each grasp, we compute the value of seven metrics. Each grasp is annotated by human subjects with ground truth stability labels. Given this data set, we train several classification methods to find out whether there is some underlying, non-trivial structure in the data that is difficult to model manually but can be learned. Quantitative and qualitative results show the complexity of the prediction problem. We found that a good prediction performance critically depends on using a combination of metrics as input features. Furthermore, non-parametric and non-linear classifiers best capture the structure in the data.
Quantitative Evaluation of the Expression and Activity of Five Major Sulfotransferases (SULTs) in Human Tissues: The SULT “Pie”

Expression levels of the major human sulfotransferases (SULTs) involved in xenobiotic detoxification in a range of human tissues (i.e., SULT “pies”) are not available in a form allowing comparison between tissues and individuals. Here we have determined, by quantitative immunoblotting, expression levels for the five principal human SULTs—SULT1A1, SULT1A3/4, SULT1B1, SULT1E1, and SULT2A1—and determined the kinetic properties toward probe substrates, where available, for these enzymes in cytosol samples from a bank of adult human liver, small intestine, kidney, and lung. We produced new isoform-selective antibodies against SULT1B1 and SULT2A1, which were used alongside antibodies against SULT1A3 and SULT1A1 previously produced in our laboratory or available commercially (SULT1E1). Expression levels were derived using purified recombinant enzymes to construct standard curves for each individual isoform and immunoblot. Substantial intertissue and interindividual differences in expression were observed. SULT1A1 was the major enzyme (>50% of total, range 420-4900 ng/mg cytosol protein) in the liver, followed by SULT2A1, SULT1B1, and SULT1E1. SULT1A3 was completely absent from this tissue. In contrast, the small intestine contained the largest overall amount of SULT of any of the tissues, with SULT1B1 the major enzyme (36%), closely followed by SULT1A3 (31%), and SULT1A1, SULT1E1, and SULT2A1 more minor forms (19, 8, and 6% of total, respectively). The kidney and lung contained low levels of SULT. We provide a unique data set that will add value to the study of the role and contribution of sulfation to drug and xenobiotic metabolism in humans.
Outage probability of multi-hop amplify-and-forward relay systems

The outage probability of multi-hop amplify-and-forward relay systems with multiple relays is analyzed. Previously, the outage probability of the two-hop system with multiple relays had been analyzed. In this paper, that work is generalized by finding results for the outage probability of the multi-hop system, of which the previously found results for the two-hop system are special cases. In the two-hop system, signals from the source are forwarded by the relays to the destination only, whereas in the multi-hop system, signals are forwarded to other relays as well as to the destination. We derive a lower bound, which is extremely tight to the actual outage probability for almost all values of outage probability, and asymptotically tight in the high-SNR region, for all important practical cases. We also derive a high-SNR straight-line approximation that is extremely tight to the actual outage probability at very high SNRs, and often at moderately high SNRs as well, for all important practical cases.
Analysis of Candida albicans adhesion to salivary mucin

Clearance of Candida albicans from the oral cavity is thought to be mediated via specific receptor-ligand interactions between salivary constituents and the fungus. Since surfaces in the oral cavity are normally coated with a saliva-derived pellicle, specific interactions between salivary constituents and C. albicans may also contribute to adhesion of C. albicans to the oral mucosa and dental prostheses. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify salivary constituents to which C. albicans is capable of binding. A solid-phase overlay assay was used in which electrophoretically separated rat and human salivary constituents bound to membrane filters were incubated with radiolabelled C. albicans cells. C. albicans adhered to a single salivary component from each host. Correlation of cell-binding activity with specific monoclonal antibody (MAb)-binding activity indicated that the constituent bound by C. albicans in human saliva was low-molecular-weight mucin (MG2) and that in rat saliva was rat submandibular gland (RSMG) mucin. Further studies showed an identical cell hybridization signal and MAb colocalization by using RSMG ductal saliva and an aqueous RSMG extract in the solid-phase overlay assay. Analysis of cell binding to the aqueous extract of RSMG fractionated by anion-exchange chromatography demonstrated that C. albicans binding was restricted to an acidic subfraction of the RSMG extract, which also bound the RSMG mucin-specific MAb. The Candida-binding fraction contained predominantly RSMG mucin glycoprotein and also a noncovalently associated, chloroform-extractable material. Furthermore, we identified two strains of C. albicans which differed severalfold in the ability to bind RSMG mucin in the overlay assay. These results suggest that C. albicans binds to only a specific subfraction of RSMG mucin and that the two C. albicans strains tested differ in the ability to bind RSMG mucin subfractions.