Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Directed polymers with random interaction: An exactly solvable case.

We propose a model for two (d+1)-dimensional directed polymers subjected to a mutual δ-function interaction with a random coupling constant, and present an exact renormalization-group study for this system. The exact β function, evaluated through an e (=1-d) expansion for second and third moments of the partition function, exhibits the marginal relevance of the disorder at d=1, and the presence of a phase transition from a weak- to strong-disorder regime for d>1. The length-scale exponent for the critical point is ν=(2|e|) -1 . We give details of the renormalization. We show that higher moments do not require any new interaction, and hence the β function remains the same for all moments. The method is extended to multicritical systems involving an m-chain interaction. The corresponding disorder-induced phase transition for d>d m =1/(m-1) has the critical exponent v m =[2d(m-1)-2] -1 . For both the cases, an essential singularity appears for the length scale right at the upper critical dimension d m . We also discuss the strainge behavior of an annealed system with more than two chains with pairwise random interactions among each other.
Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine Open Access Hunting Strategies Used in the Semi-arid Region of Northeastern Brazil

Hunting for wild animals is stimulated by the many different human uses of faunal resources, and these animals constitute important subsistence items in local communities in the Caatinga region. In order to gain access to these resources, hunters have developed a series of techniques and strategies that are described in the present work. The principal hunting techniques encountered were: waiting, especially directed towards hunting diurnal birds; calling ("arremedo"), a technique in which the hunters imitate the animal's call to attract it to close range; hunting with dogs, a technique mostly used for capturing mammals; tracking, a technique used by only a few hunters who can recognize and follow animal tracks; and "facheado", in which the hunters go out at night with lanterns to catch birds in their nests. Additionally, many animal species are captured using mechanical traps. The types of traps used by the interviewees were: dead-fall traps ("quixó"), iron-jaw snap traps ("arataca"), wooden cages with bait ("arapuca"), iron-cage traps ("gaiola'), "visgo", multi-compartment bird cages ("alçapão"), buried ground traps with pivoted tops ("fojo"), and nooses and cages for carnivorous. The choice of which technique to use depends on the habits of the species being hunted, indicating that the hunters possess a wide knowledge of the biology of these animals. From a conservation perspective, active hunting techniques (waiting, imitation, hunting with dogs, and "facheado") have the greatest impact on the local fauna. The use of firearm and dogs brought greater efficiency to hunting activities. Additional studies concerning these hunting activities will be useful to contribute to proposals for management plans regulating hunting in the region – with the objective of attaining sustainable use of faunal resources of great importance to the local human communities.
Increased access to palliative care and hospice services: opportunities to improve value in health care.

CONTEXT A small proportion of patients with serious illness or multiple chronic conditions account for the majority of health care spending. Despite the high cost, evidence demonstrates that these patients receive health care of inadequate quality, characterized by fragmentation, overuse, medical errors, and poor quality of life. METHODS This article examines data demonstrating the impact of the U.S. health care system on clinical care outcomes and costs for the sickest and most vulnerable patients. It also defines palliative care and hospice, synthesizes studies of the outcomes of palliative care and hospice services, reviews variables predicting access to palliative care and hospice services, and identifies those policy priorities necessary to strengthen access to high-quality palliative care. FINDINGS Palliative care and hospice services improve patient-centered outcomes such as pain, depression, and other symptoms; patient and family satisfaction; and the receipt of care in the place that the patient chooses. Some data suggest that, compared with the usual care, palliative care prolongs life. By helping patients get the care they need to avoid unnecessary emergency department and hospital stays and shifting the locus of care to the home or community, palliative care and hospice reduce health care spending for America's sickest and most costly patient populations. CONCLUSIONS Policies focused on enhancing the palliative care workforce, investing in the field's science base, and increasing the availability of services in U.S. hospitals and nursing homes are needed to ensure equitable access to optimal care for seriously ill patients and those with multiple chronic conditions.
Molecular organization in phospholipid monolayer domains by correlative fluorescence microscopy and electron diffraction

Lipid monolayer is a half leaflet model for lipid bilayer, which forms the basis of biological membranes. Within a certain range of surface area per molecule of phospholipid monolayers at the air‐water interface, where the compressibility was nearly infinite, two phases with different molecular packings were observable by fluorscence microscopy. Mixed‐phase monolayers of L‐1,2‐dipalmitoyl‐N‐monomethyl‐3‐phosphatidylethanolamine [DP(Me)PE] or L‐1,2‐dipalmitoyl‐N‐dimethyl‐3‐phosphatidyl‐ethanolamine [DP(Me)2PE] were deposited on marker grids coated with Formvar films. The molecular organization in the dark and bright fluorescent areas on the grids was investigated by low dose, selected area electron diffraction. Sharp reflection arcs, at a spacing of 4. 2Å and arranged in a hexagon pattern, were detected from dark domains of both lipids. A diffuse reflection ring at a spacing of 4. 6Å was derived from the bright background areas. Diffraction patterns were obtained from neighboring areas along selected dark domains of both lipids. The orientations of diffraction patterns from areas along smooth and curving boundries of DP(Me)2PE domains were found to turn with the boundaries. In the branching domains of DP(Me)PE, the orientations of diffraction patterns indicated that the branches were formed by twinning. Electron diffraction thus provides an unique way to sample the local molecular packing order and orientation within individual domains in phospholipid monolayers. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
Multiphase High-Velocity Clouds toward HE 0226–4110 and PG 0953+414

We study the physical conditions, elemental abundances, and kinematics of the high-velocity clouds (HVCs) along the sight lines toward active galaxies HE 0226-4110 and PG 0953+414 using Hubble Space Telescope Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph and Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer data. No 21 cm H I emission is detected in these clouds, but our observations reveal multiple components of HVC absorption in lines of H I, C II, C III, C IV, O VI, Si II, Si III, and Si IV in both directions. We investigate whether photoionization by the extragalactic background radiation or by escaping Milky Way radiation can explain the observed ionization pattern. We find that photoionization is a good explanation for the C II, C III, Si II, and Si III features but not for the O VI or C IV associated with the HVCs, suggesting that two principal phases exist: a warm (T ≈ 104 K), photoionized phase and a hotter (T = 1-3 × 105 K), collisionally ionized phase; the broader line widths of the high ions are consistent with this multiphase hypothesis. The warm HVCs toward HE 0226-4110 have high levels of ionization (97%-99%) and metallicities ([Z/H] between -0.9 and -0.4) close to those in the Magellanic Stream, which lies 11° away on the sky at similar velocities. These HVCs may well be stripped fragments of the Stream that have been ionized by the pervading radiation field; they have thermal pressures that would place them close to equilibrium in a fully ionized 106 K Galactic corona with nH = 4-9 × 10-5 cm-3 at 50 kpc. The warm HVCs seen at -146 and 125 km s-1 toward PG 0953+414 have [Z/H] = -0.6 ± 0.2 and -0.8 ± 0.2, respectively, suggesting they are not formed from purely Galactic material. A minisurvey of the hot, collisionally ionized HVC components seen here and in five other sight lines finds that in 11/12 cases, the high ions have kinematics and ionic ratios that are consistent with an origin in conductive interfaces, where energy flows into the HVCs from a hot surrounding medium and produces O VI- and C IV-bearing boundary layers. However, the broad absorption wing on the O VI profile toward PG 0953+414 is not completely explained by the interface scenario. This feature may be tracing the outflow of hot gas into the Milky Way halo as part of a Galactic fountain or wind.
An online recommendation system for e-commerce based on apache mahout framework

Selecting a foundational platform is an important step in developing recommender systems for personal, research, or commercial purposes. This can be done in many different ways the platform may be developed from the ground up, an existing recommender engine may be contracted (OracleAS Personalization), code libraries can be adapted, or a platform may be selected and tailored to suit (LensKit, MymediaLite, Apache Mahout, etc.). In some cases, a combination of these approaches will be employed. For E-commerce projects, and particularly in the E-commerce website t, the ideal situation is to find an open-source platform with many active contributors that provides a rich and varied set of recommender system functions that meets all or most of the baseline development requirements. Short of finding this ideal solution, some minor customization to an already existing system may be the best approach to meet the specific development requirements. Various libraries have been released to support the development of recommender systems for some time, but it is only relatively recently that larger scale, open-source platforms have become readily available. In the context of such platforms, evaluation tools are important both to verify and validate baseline platform functionality, as well as to provide support for testing new techniques and approaches developed on top of the platform. Apache Mahout as an enabling platform for research and have faced both of these issues in employing it as part of work in collaborative filtering recommenders.
Fusion of liposomes with the plasma membrane of epithelial cells: fate of incorporated lipids as followed by freeze fracture and autoradiography of plastic sections

The fusion of liposomes with the plasma membrane of influenza virus- infected monolayers of an epithelial cell line, Madin-Darby canine kidney cells (van Meer et al., 1985. Biochemistry. 24:3593-3602), has been analyzed by morphological techniques. The distribution of liposomal lipids over the apical and basolateral plasma membrane domains after fusion was assessed by autoradiography of liposomal [3H]dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine after rapid freezing or chemical fixation and further processing by freeze substitution and low temperature embedding. Before fusion, radioactivity was solely detected on the apical cell surface, indicating the absence of redistribution artifacts and demonstrating the reliability of lipid autoradiography on both a light and electron microscopical level. After induction of fusion by a low pH treatment, the basolateral plasma membrane domain became progressively labeled, indicative of rapid lateral diffusion of [3H]dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine in the plasma membrane. Analysis of individual fusion events by freeze fracture after rapid freezing confirmed the rapid diffusion of the liposomal lipids into the plasma membrane, as intramembrane particle-free lipid patches were never observed. After the induction of liposome-cell fusion, well-defined intramembrane particles were present on the otherwise smooth liposomal fracture faces and on the fracture faces of the plasma membrane. Morphological evidence thus was obtained in favor of a local point fusion mechanism with an intramembrane particle as a specific structural fusion intermediate.
Psychodynamic Guided Self-Help for Adult Depression through the Internet: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Background and aims Psychodynamic psychotherapy (PDT) is an effective treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD), but not all clients with MDD can receive psychotherapy. Using the Internet to provide psychodynamic treatments is one way of improving access to psychological treatments for MDD. The aim of this randomised controlled trial was to investigate the efficacy of an Internet-based psychodynamic guided self-help treatment for MDD. Methods Ninety-two participants who were diagnosed with MDD according to the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview were randomised to treatment or an active control. The treatment consisted of nine treatment modules based on psychodynamic principles with online therapist contact. The active control condition was a structured support intervention and contained psychoeducation and scheduled weekly contacts online. Both interventions lasted for 10 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Results Mixed-effects model analyses of all randomised participants showed that participants receiving Internet-based PDT made large and superior improvements compared with the active control group on the BDI-II (between-group Cohen's d = 1.11). Treatment effects were maintained at a 10-month follow-up. Conclusions Internet-based psychodynamic guided self-help is an efficacious treatment for MDD that has the potential to increase accessibility and availability of PDT for MDD. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01324050
Serotonin2C receptors in the nucleus accumbens are involved in enhanced alcohol-drinking behavior

Dopamine and serotonin (5‐HT) in the nucleus accumbens (ACC) and ventral tegmental area of the mesoaccumbens reward pathways have been implicated in the mechanisms underlying development of alcohol dependence. We used a C57BL/6J mouse model with increased voluntary alcohol‐drinking behavior by exposing the mice to alcohol vapor for 20 consecutive days. In the alcohol‐exposed mice, the expression of 5‐HT2C receptor mRNA increased in the ACC, caudate nucleus and putamen, dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), hippocampus and lateral hypothalamus, while the protein level of 5‐HT2C receptor significantly increased in the ACC. The expression of 5‐HT7 receptor mRNA increased in the ACC and DRN. Contents of 5‐HT decreased in the ACC shell (ACCS) and DRN of the alcohol‐exposed mice. The basal extracellular releases of dopamine (DA) and 5‐HT in the ACCS increased more in the alcohol‐exposed mice than in alcohol‐naïve mice. The magnitude of the alcohol‐induced ACCS DA and 5‐HT release in the alcohol‐exposed mice was increased compared with the control mice. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration or local injection into ACCS of the 5‐HT2C receptor antagonist, SB‐242084, suppressed voluntary alcohol‐drinking behavior in the alcohol‐exposed mice. But the i.p. administration of the 5‐HT7 receptor antagonist, SB‐258719, did not have significant effects on alcohol‐drinking behavior in the alcohol‐exposed mice. The effects of the 5‐HT2C receptor antagonist were not observed in the air‐exposed control mice. These results suggest that adaptations of the 5‐HT system, especially the upregulation of 5‐HT2C receptors in the ACCS, are involved in the development of enhanced voluntary alcohol‐drinking behavior.
Synaptic Reorganization in the Adult Rat's Ventral Cochlear Nucleus following Its Total Sensory Deafferentation

Ablation of a cochlea causes total sensory deafferentation of the cochlear nucleus in the brainstem, providing a model to investigate nervous degeneration and formation of new synaptic contacts in the adult brain. In a quantitative electron microscopical study on the plasticity of the central auditory system of the Wistar rat, we first determined what fraction of the total number of synaptic contact zones (SCZs) in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN) is attributable to primary sensory innervation and how many synapses remain after total unilateral cochlear ablation. Second, we attempted to identify the potential for a deafferentation-dependent synaptogenesis. SCZs were ultrastructurally identified before and after deafferentation in tissue treated for ethanolic phosphotungstic acid (EPTA) staining. This was combined with pre-embedding immunocytochemistry for gephyrin identifying inhibitory SCZs, the growth-associated protein GAP-43, glutamate, and choline acetyltransferase. A stereological analysis of EPTA stained sections revealed 1.11±0.09 (S.E.M.)×109 SCZs per mm3 of AVCN tissue. Within 7 days of deafferentation, this number was down by 46%. Excitatory and inhibitory synapses were differentially affected on the side of deafferentation. Excitatory synapses were quickly reduced and then began to increase in number again, necessarily being complemented from sources other than cochlear neurons, while inhibitory synapses were reduced more slowly and continuously. The result was a transient rise of the relative fraction of inhibitory synapses with a decline below original levels thereafter. Synaptogenesis was inferred by the emergence of morphologically immature SCZs that were consistently associated with GAP-43 immunoreactivity. SCZs of this type were estimated to make up a fraction of close to 30% of the total synaptic population present by ten weeks after sensory deafferentation. In conclusion, there appears to be a substantial potential for network reorganization and synaptogenesis in the auditory brainstem after loss of hearing, even in the adult brain.
Shear deformation of binary mixtures of dry particulate solids

Abstract The shear deformation behavior of dry granular materials is of interest in the analysis of flowability, mixing, segregation and degradation. Quite often the particulate systems are mixtures of materials with a wide size distribution. In spite of a large amount of work reported in the literature, the shear behavior of poly-disperse systems has not been widely addressed. In this paper experimental work using an annular shear cell and numerical simulations by the distinct element method (DEM) have been carried out to quantify the normal and shear stress behavior of assemblies made of binary mixtures. The experimental results on mixtures of different sizes of glass beads show a linear relationship between the normal and shear stresses with a slope which depends on the shear rate and particle size ratio. This is an indication of flow in the intermediate regime between the quasi-static and rapid shear flows. The results also indicate a highly non-linear particle displacement distribution across the shear layer. Numerical simulations using the DEM agree qualitatively well with the experimental results for the normal-shear stress behavior.
Social audio features for advanced music retrieval interfaces

The size of personal music collections has constantly increased over the past years. As a result, the traditional metadata based lists to browse these collections have reached their limits. Interfaces that are based on music similarity offer an alternative and thus are increasingly gaining attention. Music similarity is typically either derived from audio-features (objective approach) or from user driven information sources, such as collaborative filtering or social tags (subjective approach). Studies show that the latter techniques outperform audio-based approaches when it comes to describe the perceived music similarity. However, subjective approaches typically only define pairwise relations as opposed to the global notion of similarity given by audio-feature spaces. Many of the proposed interfaces for similarity based music access inherently depend on this global notion and are thus not applicable to user driven music similarity measures. The first contribution of this paper is a high dimensional music space that is based on user driven similarity measures. It combines the advantages of audio-feature spaces (global view) with the advantages of subjective sources that better reflect the users' perception. The proposed space compactly represents similarity and therefore is well suited for offline use, such as in mobile applications. To demonstrate the practical applicability, the second contribution is a comprehensive mobile music player that incorporates several smart interfaces to access the user's music collection. Based on this application, we finally present a large-scale user study that underlines the benefits of the introduced interfaces and shows their great user acceptance.
Chloroplast two-component systems: evolution of the link between photosynthesis and gene expression

Two-component signal transduction, consisting of sensor kinases and response regulators, is the predominant signalling mechanism in bacteria. This signalling system originated in prokaryotes and has spread throughout the eukaryotic domain of life through endosymbiotic, lateral gene transfer from the bacterial ancestors and early evolutionary precursors of eukaryotic, cytoplasmic, bioenergetic organelles—chloroplasts and mitochondria. Until recently, it was thought that two-component systems inherited from an ancestral cyanobacterial symbiont are no longer present in chloroplasts. Recent research now shows that two-component systems have survived in chloroplasts as products of both chloroplast and nuclear genes. Comparative genomic analysis of photosynthetic eukaryotes shows a lineage-specific distribution of chloroplast two-component systems. The components and the systems they comprise have homologues in extant cyanobacterial lineages, indicating their ancient cyanobacterial origin. Sequence and functional characteristics of chloroplast two-component systems point to their fundamental role in linking photosynthesis with gene expression. We propose that two-component systems provide a coupling between photosynthesis and gene expression that serves to retain genes in chloroplasts, thus providing the basis of cytoplasmic, non-Mendelian inheritance of plastid-associated characters. We discuss the role of this coupling in the chronobiology of cells and in the dialogue between nuclear and cytoplasmic genetic systems.
Determinants of Dividend Payout Ratios: Evidence from United States

The paper seeks to extend Amidu and Abor (1) and Anil and Kapoor (2) findings regarding the determinants of dividend payout ratios by examining the same for the American service and manufacturing firms. We find that for the entire sample the dividend payout ratio is the function of profit margin, sales growth, debt-to-equity ratio, and tax. For firms in the Services industry the dividend payout ratio is the function of profit margin, sales growth, and debt-to-equity ratio. For manufacturing firms we find that dividend payout ratio is the function of profit margin, tax, and market-to-book ratio. We also found that the results are different when the dividend payout ratio is defined as the ratio between the cash dividend that the after-tax cash flow, not the after tax earnings of the companies.