Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Architectural criteria for website evaluation – conceptual framework and empirical validation

With the rapid development of the Internet, many types of websites have been developed. This variety of websites makes it necessary to adopt systemized evaluation criteria with a strong theoretical basis. This study proposes a set of evaluation criteria derived from an architectural perspective which has been used for over a 1000 years in the evaluation of buildings. The six evaluation criteria are internal reliability and external security for structural robustness, useful content and usable navigation for functional utility, and system interface and communication interface for aesthetic appeal. The impacts of the six criteria on user satisfaction and loyalty have been investigated through a large-scale survey. The study results indicate that the six criteria have different impacts on user satisfaction for different types of websites, which can be classified along two dimensions: users' goals and users' activity levels.
Development of a Whole-Cell Assay for Peptidoglycan Biosynthesis Inhibitors

ABSTRACT Osmotically stabilized Escherichia coli cells subjected to freezing and thawing were utilized as the source of enzymes for a peptidoglycan pathway assay that can be used to simultaneously test all targets of the committed steps of cell wall biosynthesis. The use of 14C-labeled UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) as a substrate allows the direct detection of cross-linked peptidoglycan formed. The assay was validated with known antibiotics. Fosfomycin was the strongest inhibitor of the pathway assay, with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 1 μM. Flavomycin, bacitracin, vancomycin, d-cycloserine, penicillin G, and ampicillin also inhibited formation of radiolabeled peptidoglycan by the E. coli cells. Screening of compounds identified two inhibitors of the pathway, Cpd1 and Cpd2. Subsequent tests with a biochemical assay utilizing purified enzyme implicated UDP-GlcNAc enolpyruvyl transferase (MurA) as the target of Cpd1. This compound inhibits the first enzyme of the pathway in a time-dependent manner. Moreover, enzyme inactivation is dependent on preincubation in the presence of UDP-GlcNAc, which forms a complex with MurA, exposing its active site. Cpd1 also displayed antimicrobial activity against a panel of microorganisms. The pathway assay used in conjunction with assays for individual enzymes provides an efficient means of detecting and characterizing novel antimicrobial agents.
Interference-Aware Scheduling in the Synchronous Cellular Multi-Antenna Downlink

Abstract —We consider the downlink of a multi-user MIMOOFDM system in a cellular environment, where users arescheduled to the transmission resources in frequency and space.Targeting a practical solution, we assume the use of ﬁxed DFT-based pre-coding beams at the base stations and linear receiversat the multi-antenna terminals. After having received feedback onthe frequency-selective interference conditions from all terminals,each base station schedules the terminals to their resources ofhighest quality while following a fair scheduling policy. It isshown that this rather simple practical concept enables spatialmultiplexing transmission for all users in the system, in particulareven for users at cell edge. This results in a capacity scaling that issimilar to the one known for isolated point-to-point links. Finally,the system is shown to achieve a performance close to the idealcase if proper techniques to estimate the desired and interferingchannels are applied. I. I NTRODUCTION Transmission with multiple antennas both at the transmittingand receiving ends of a wireless link has become increasinglymature in recent years. From theory, the fundamental capacitygain in the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radio link,being proportional to the minimum of the number of transmitand receive antennas, is well understood for an isolated point-to-point link. A fundamental trade-off between different trans-mission modes has been pointed out in [1], which are spatialmultiplexing (SMUX) and spatial diversity (SDIV), revealingthat the mode maximizing the capacity depends on the actualchannel state. This fact motivated the development of anadaptive transmission system, selecting the transmission modedepending on the actual channel quality in order to improvethe error rate performance for ﬁxed data rate transmission [2]or to increase the spectral efﬁciency [3]. To enable ubiquitous broadband wireless access, MIMOtransmission must be made robust against multi-cell inter-ference. However, it has not been fully evident yet how thepotential capacity gains of MIMO can be realized under theseconditions. In fact, early results obtained for a small set oflinear transceiver setups, indicate only small gains for SMUXover SDIV systems [4]. The achievable spectral efﬁciencymay be enhanced by enabling multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO)into system design and thus turning the focus to multi-userlinks [5]. However, base stations (BSs) would require coherentchannel state information to optimally serve their users inMU-MIMO, which is difﬁcult to obtain in frequency division
Reduced uptake and accumulation of norfloxacin in resistant strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated in Japan.

OBJECTIVE--To investigate the alteration of cell permeability toward fluoroquinolones in Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which is a major quinolone-resistance mechanism along with the alteration of DNA gyrase in gram-negative bacteria. The prevalence of fluoroquinolone-resistant N gonorrhoeae strains is rapidly increasing in Japan. MATERIALS AND METHODS--The uptake and accumulation of norfloxacin by gonococcal cells, including six clinical and five World Health Organization (WHO) reference strains, were measured. Of the six clinical strains, two were highly resistant to norfloxacin (MIC 8.0 and 4.0 micrograms/ml), two were moderately resistant (MIC 1.0 and 0.5 microgram/ml), and two were sensitive (MIC 0.063 and 0.004 microgram/ml). All five WHO reference strains were sensitive to norfloxacin (MIC < or = 0.001 to 0.063 microgram/ml). RESULTS--Mean initial norfloxacin uptake in the four resistant strains (104 ng/mg of dry cells) was significantly lower than that in the seven sensitive strains (158 ng/mg of dry cells) (p < 0.05). The mean uptake after 20 minutes was also significantly lower in the four resistant strains (130 ng/mg of dry cells) than in the seven sensitive strains (194 ng/mg of dry cells) (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in mean norfloxacin accumulation after 20 minutes between the four resistant strains (26 ng/mg of dry cells) and the seven sensitive strains (36 ng/mg of dry cells). The accumulation of norfloxacin after 20 minutes was almost zero in two of the four resistant strains, while the remaining two strains accumulated norfloxacin as well as the sensitive strains. CONCLUSIONS--These findings suggest that alteration of bacterial cell permeability is a quinolone-resistance mechanism in N gonorrhoeae isolated in Japan, and that this bacteria may exhibit other mechanisms such as alteration of DNA gyrase.
Motor Inhibition Affects the Speed But Not Accuracy of Aimed Limb Movements in an Insect

When reaching toward a target, human subjects use slower movements to achieve higher accuracy, and this can be accompanied by increased limb impedance (stiffness, viscosity) that stabilizes movements against motor noise and external perturbation. In arthropods, the activity of common inhibitory motor neurons influences limb impedance, so we hypothesized that this might provide a mechanism for speed and accuracy control of aimed movements in insects. We recorded simultaneously from excitatory leg motor neurons and from an identified common inhibitory motor neuron (CI1) in locusts that performed natural aimed scratching movements. We related limb movement kinematics to recorded motor activity and demonstrate that imposed alterations in the activity of CI1 influenced these kinematics. We manipulated the activity of CI1 by injecting depolarizing or hyperpolarizing current or killing the cell using laser photoablation. Naturally higher levels of inhibitory activity accompanied faster movements. Experimentally biasing the firing rate downward, or stopping firing completely, led to slower movements mediated by changes at several joints of the limb. Despite this, we found no effect on overall movement accuracy. We conclude that inhibitory modulation of joint stiffness has effects across most of the working range of the insect limb, with a pronounced effect on the overall velocity of natural movements independent of their accuracy. Passive joint forces that are greatest at extreme joint angles may enhance accuracy and are not affected by motor inhibition.
Robust mechanisms for information elicitation

We study information elicitation mechanisms in which a principal agent attempts to elicit the private information of other agents using a carefully selected payment scheme based on proper scoring rules. Scoring rules, like many other mechanisms set in a probabilistic environment, assume that all participating agents share some common belief about the underlying probability of events. In real-life situations however, underlying distributions are not known precisely, and small differences in beliefs about these distributions may alter agent behavior under the prescribed mechanism.We propose designing elicitation mechanisms in a manner that will be robust to small changes in belief. We show how to algorithmically design such mechanisms in polynomial time using tools of stochastic programming and convex programming, and discuss implementation issues for multiagent scenarios.
Relationships Among Performance of Lateral Cutting Maneuver From Lateral Sliding and Hip Extension and Abduction Motions, Ground Reaction Force, and Body Center of Mass Height

Abstract Shimokochi, Y, Ide, D, Kokubu, M, and Nakaoji, T. Relationships among performance of lateral cutting maneuver from lateral sliding and hip extension and abduction motions, ground reaction force, and body center of mass height. J Strength Cond Res 27(7): 1851–1860, 2013—Basketball players have to move laterally and quickly change their movement directions, especially during defensive moves. This study aimed to investigate how frontal and sagittal plane hip movements relate to fastness and quickness of lateral cutting maneuvers from sliding. Three-dimensional biomechanical data were obtained for 28 female college basketball players while they performed lateral cutting maneuvers using their left leg after 2 lateral sliding steps. The lateral cutting index (LCIndex) expressing fastness and quickness of lateral cutting maneuvers, peak hip abduction and extension velocities immediately before foot contact, hip abduction and extension velocities at foot contact, peak horizontal ground reaction force, frontal plane ground reaction force angle, and sacrum center of mass position were calculated. Simple and stepwise regression analyses were conducted to predict LCIndex. The former showed that greater maximum hip extension velocity (p = 0.03) and lesser hip abduction velocity (p = 0.04) as well as smaller ground reaction force angle (p = 0.001) and lower sacrum center of mass position (p = 0.001) at foot contact led to better LCIndex. The latter showed that sacrum center of mass position at foot contact and hip extension velocity explained 35.3% (p < 0.01) and 7.3% (p = 0.088) of variance in LCIndex, respectively. Our results did not suggest that hip abductor function is important for lateral sliding moves, instead suggesting that faster hip extension motions to kick the ground and lowering the body center of mass are crucial for better lateral deceleration-acceleration motions.
Comparison of CXC Chemokines ENA-78 and Interleukin-8 Expression in Helicobacter pylori-Associated Gastritis

ABSTRACT Colonization of the gastric mucosa with Helicobacter pylori is associated with a dense infiltration of granulocytes into the lamina propria in the active phase of gastritis. In this study, we investigated the involvement of epithelial cell-derived neutrophil-activating protein 78 (ENA-78) in development of H. pylori-associated gastritis. Antral biopsies from 27 patients with H. pylori-associated gastritis and 25 from H. pylori-negative individuals were first analyzed for ENA-78 and interleukin-8 (IL-8) mRNA by semiquantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR. In H. pylori-positive patients, significantly elevated levels were found for both chemokines (P < 0.05). Only IL-8 mRNA levels differed significantly (P< 0.05) in H. pylori-infected individuals who had serum antibodies for cytotoxin-associated protein CagA versus H. pylori-infected CagA-negative persons. Quantification of ENA-78 transcript levels by competitive RT-PCR yielded a significant 45-fold upregulation for ENA-78 transcripts in biopsies of H. pylori-positive versus H. pylori-negative patients (P < 0.05). In contrast to earlier findings with IL-8, the degree of ENA-78 mRNA upregulation was independent of the grade of activity of gastritis. Immunofluorescence studies on tissues of antral biopsies localized ENA-78 protein expression mainly to the gastric epithelium of H. pylori-positive patients, while control tissues were negative. Upregulation of ENA-78 and IL-8 mRNA and protein expression was also observed in an in vitro system using a gastric adenocarcinoma cell line. Only viable H. pyloriyielded a strong ENA-78 and IL-8 induction, while H. pyloriouter membrane proteins or water-soluble proteins had no significant effect. These data provide evidence for the importance of both IL-8 and ENA-78 in the development and perpetuation of H. pylori-associated gastritis.
Maintaining Statistics Counters in Router Line Cards

A network device stores and updates statistics counters. Using an optimal counter management algorithm minimizes required SRAM size and ensures correct line-rate operation for many counters. We use a well known architecture for storing and updating statistics counters. This approach maintains smaller-size counters in fast (potentially on-chip) SRAM, while maintaining full-size counters in a large, slower DRAM. Our goal is to ensure that the system always correctly maintains counter values at line rate. An optimal counter management algorithm (CMA) minimizes the required SRAM size while ensuring correct line-rate operation for a large number of counters.
Cloud Computing Adoption for Business Development: A TOE Perspective

paper explores the factors impacting cloud computing adoption in the South African financial services sector. Through a literature review the merits and relevance of the Technology Organization Environment (TOE) model is shown. Using the three contexts of the TOE model eight variables influencing the intention to adopt cloud computing is examined. An online survey of IT and business managers working within the South African financial services sectors was conducted. The results of a PLS-SEM analysis of the data shows that top-management support and compatibility are significant predictors within the sample and context of the research. The research builds upon previous technology adoption studies and adds new findings in a developing country context. The growing relevance and adoption of cloud computing makes the results relevant to a broader organizational audience within similar contexts.
Birth outcomes among offspring of adult cancer survivors: A population‐based study

Do cancer and cancer treatment influence patients' subsequent pregnancies and outcomes for the offspring? In this study, we compared birth outcomes in 3,915 female and male survivors and 144,653 controls from the general population with similar parity, by merging data from the Cancer Registry and the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. The cancer survivors were diagnosed at age 16–45 in the period 1967–2004. Subgroups of nulliparous survivors (childless before cancer) and primiparous (one pregnancy before and one after cancer) were analyzed, using logistic regression to compare birth outcomes with controls, focusing perinatal death, congenital anomalies, preterm birth (<37 gestational weeks) and low birth weight (LBW, <2,500 g). We adjusted for maternal age, birth period and educational level. Nulliparous female survivors' offspring had increased risk of preterm birth (OR = 1.30 [95% CI 1.05–1.61]) but similar risks of LBW and perinatal death as their controls. Primiparous female survivors differed from their controls, with higher frequency of preterm birth (OR = 1.89 [95% CI 1.40–2.56]) and LBW at term (OR = 2.02 [95% CI 1.15–3.55]). A borderline significant increase of perinatal death was seen among offspring of primiparous female survivors, with OR = 1.92 (95% CI 0.98–3.76). Offspring of male survivors did not differ from their controls. For all cancer types combined, no increased risk of congenital anomalies was seen among either female or male survivors' offspring. Pregnant female cancer survivors should be offered close follow‐up, as there is an increased risk of adverse birth outcomes, in particular among those with higher parities.
Infusion of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Attenuates Experimental Severe Acute Pancreatitis in Rats

Background & Aims. Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) remains a high-mortality disease. Bone marrow (BM) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been demonstrated to have plasticity of transdifferentiation and to have immunomodulatory functions. In the present study, we assessed the roles of MSCs in SAP and the therapeutic effects of MSC on SAP after transplantation. Methods. A pancreatitis rat model was induced by the injection of taurocholic acid (TCA) into the pancreatic duct. After isolation and characterization of MSC from BM, MSC transplantation was conducted 24 hrs after SAP induction by tail vein injection. The survival rate was observed and MSCs were traced after transplantation. The expression of TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA in the transplantation group was also analyzed. Results. The survival rate of the transplantation group was significantly higher compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Infused MSCs were detected in the pancreas and BM 3 days after transplantation. The expression of TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA in the transplantation group was significantly lower than in the control group in both the pancreas and the lungs (p < 0.05). Conclusions. MSC transplantation could improve the prognosis of SAP rats. Engrafted MSCs have the capacity of homing, migration, and planting during the treatment of SAP.
Characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated from Human and Animal Sources

2 Abstract: A total of 409 samples were investigated bacteriologically to detect the occurrence of staphylococci among the diseased animals and human, the highest isolation rate was observed in human samples (36%) followed by dog (28%), bovine (24.8%), ration (14.7%) and chicken (12%) samples. A total of 78 S. aureus isolates secured from different animals and human origins were characterized and identified using the most important conventional biochemical tests as anaerobic glucose fermentation, catalase, coagulase, acetone production, novobiocin sensitivity and mannitol fermentation. SpA was extracted from 17 S. aureus isolates (5 bovine, 6 human, 2 dog, 2 concentrated ration and 2 chicken isolates) as well as from Cowan 1 strain to estimate the molecular size of SpA by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis. As well as antibiogram patterns of 15 S. aureus isolates have been fully studied.
The media's influence on college females' body satisfaction

College females have been shown to be at risk for problems such as eating disturbances (Schwitzer et al., 2008), body dissatisfaction (Altabe & Thompson, 1993), and depression (Abramson et. al., 1998). Further, some aspects of the media have been shown to have negative effects on females' body image (i.e., Altabe & Thompson, 1993). The present study investigated the relationships among body satisfaction, body anxiety, eating disturbance, social comparison, internalization of sociocultural attitudes, body mass index (BMI), and depression. Results (N=56) indicated that higher body satisfaction was related to less body anxiety, and that body anxiety was related positively to eating disturbances, social comparison, internalization of sociocultural attitudes, and BMI. Comparisons between females who were randomly assigned to watch images of overweight (OI group) or underweight (UI group) individuals suggested no differences on body anxiety and satisfaction at post-test, however, some interesting within group trends emerged. First, body anxiety scores for participants in the OI group decreased significantly from pre- to post-test, while there was no significant pre-post change in scores for the UI group. In addition, there was a non-significant trend indicating that body satisfaction increased for participants in both the OI and UI groups. Implications and future directions, as well as limitations, will be discussed.
Japanese Involvement in Central Asia: An Early Inter-Asian Post-Neoliberal Case?

This paper looks into the role of policy-making carried out by various government officials in the Japanese financial community who contributed to the formulation and implementation of Japanese “Silk Road Diplomacy” in the 1990s and 2000s. Furthermore, it examines the role of key Japanese ministries in the overall Japanese geopolitical engagement in Central Asia. When the five Central Asian republics of the USSR became independent in 1991, they soon encountered a proactive engagement of Japanese diplomacy toward them. Besides boosting bilateral assistance and economic ties, official Tokyo has vigorously promoted the Central Asian states’ eligibility in many international financial institutions and provided extensive advice on reform policies. Both Japanese and Central Asian officials shared a preference for gradualism in economic reforms as a popular approach alternative to the Western neoliberalism in Central Asian countries, although the extent of embracing gradualism varied upon individual republics and advising officials. Spurred by the failures of the Washington consensus and financial crises of the 1990s, Central Asian gradualism can be regarded as an early precursor attempt at post-neoliberalism.
41Ca in Tooth Enamel. Part I: A Biological Signature of Neutron Exposure in Atomic Bomb Survivors

Abstract The detection of 41Ca atoms in tooth enamel using accelerator mass spectrometry is suggested as a method capable of reconstructing thermal neutron exposures from atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In general, 41Ca atoms are produced via thermal neutron capture by stable 40Ca. Thus any 41Ca atoms present in the tooth enamel of the survivors would be due to neutron exposure from both natural sources and radiation from the bomb. Tooth samples from five survivors in a control group with negligible neutron exposure were used to investigate the natural 41Ca content in tooth enamel, and 16 tooth samples from 13 survivors were used to estimate bomb-related neutron exposure. The results showed that the mean 41Ca/Ca isotope ratio was (0.17 ± 0.05) × 10−14 in the control samples and increased to 2 × 10−14 for survivors who were proximally exposed to the bomb. The 41Ca/Ca ratios showed an inverse correlation with distance from the hypocenter at the time of the bombing, similar to values that have been derived from theoretical free-in-air thermal-neutron transport calculations. Given that γ-ray doses were determined earlier for the same tooth samples by means of electron spin resonance (ESR, or electron paramagnetic resonance, EPR), these results can serve to validate neutron exposures that were calculated individually for the survivors but that had to incorporate a number of assumptions (e.g. shielding conditions for the survivors).