Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the Number of Bouncing Ball Modes in Billiards

We study the number of bouncing ball modes N bb (E) in a class of two-dimensional quantized billiards with two parallel walls. Using an adiabatic approximation we show that asymptotically N bb (E) E for E ! 1, where 2] 1 2 ; 11 depends on the shape of the billiard boundary. In particular for the class of two-dimensional Sinai billiards, which are chaotic, one can get arbitrarily close (from below) to = 1, which corresponds to the leading term in Weyl's law for the mean behaviour of the counting function of eigenstates. This result shows that one can come arbitrary close to violating quantum ergodicity. We compare the theoretical results with the numerically determined counting function N bb (E) for the stadium billiard and the cosine billiard and nd good agreement. y
Improvement of tropane alkaloids production in hairy root cultures of Atropa belladonna by overexpressing pmt and h6h genes.

Atropa belladonna L. is the commercial plant to produce tropane alkaloids including hyoscyamine and scopolamine, which are widely used as anticholinergic agents. In the present study, the genes encoding the key enzymes including putrescine N-methyltransferase (PMT) and hyoscyamine 6 �-hydroxylase (H6H) were simultaneously overexpressed in transgenic hairy root cultures of A. belladonna . All of the nine transgenic hairy root lines ovexpressing both pmt and h6h produced tropane alkaloids at higher levels. The best line T3 produced 2.2 mg/g dry weight (DW) hyoscyamine, which was about 11 times more than that in non-transgenic hairy root cultures and 24 times more than that in the wild type (intact A. belladonna ). Simultaneously, T3 produced 1.0 mg/g DW scopolamine, which was five times more than that in untransgenic hairy root cultures and four times more than that in the wild type. This is the first report of engineering the tropane alkaloids biosynthetic pathway via overexpressing both pmt and h6h in A. belladonna and the result demonstrated that the metabolic engineering strategy of BREAKING can facilitate accumulation of tropane alkaloids in A. belladonna . Further, it is also proved that transgenic hairy root cultures of A. belladonna can be used as bioreactor to produce pharmaceutical tropane alkaloids.
Asynchronous non-invasive brain-actuated control of an intelligent wheelchair

In this paper we present further results of our asynchronous and non-invasive BMI for the continuous control of an intelligent wheelchair. Three subjects participated in two experiments where they steered the wheelchair spontaneously, without any external cue. To do so the users learn to voluntary modulate EEG oscillatory rhythms by executing three mental tasks (i.e., mental imagery) that are associated to different steering commands. Importantly, we implement shared control techniques between the BMI and the intelligent wheelchair to assist the subject in the driving task. The results show that the three subjects could achieve a significant level of mental control, even if far from optimal, to drive an intelligent wheelchair.
Fast Readout of Object Identity from Macaque Inferior Temporal Cortex

Understanding the brain computations leading to object recognition requires quantitative characterization of the information represented in inferior temporal (IT) cortex. We used a biologically plausible, classifier-based readout technique to investigate the neural coding of selectivity and invariance at the IT population level. The activity of small neuronal populations (∼100 randomly selected cells) over very short time intervals (as small as 12.5 milliseconds) contained unexpectedly accurate and robust information about both object “identity” and “category. ” This information generalized over a range of object positions and scales, even for novel objects. Coarse information about position and scale could also be read out from the same population.
An examination of human resource management practices' influence on Organizational Commitment and Entrenchment

Abstract This study sought to understand how the employee perceptions of human resource management practices influence both organizational affective commitment and entrenchment. It represents advancement towards discriminant validity of such linkages that develop between individuals and the organizations they work for. A survey of 307 participants was conducted in an Information Technology company in Brazil. It was found that affective commitment has a strong and positive relationship with perceptions of HRM practices, while entrenchment is also related, but in a very weak fashion. Training and development practices showed better fit with the expected results of such practices in the organization studied, strongly affecting commitment, but not enhancing entrenchment. Even if not generalizable, these results strengthen the research stream that defends that commitment and entrenchment are separate constructs. Key words : commitment; entrenchment; HRM practices.
Interpolation in Digital Modems-Part I: Fundamentals

Abstrucf-Timing adjustment in a digital modem must be performed by interpolation if sampling is not synchronized to the data symbols. This paper describes the fundamental equation for interpolation, proposes a method for control, and outlines the signal-processing characteristics appropriate to an interpolator. The material combines a review of previously known topics, presentation of new results, and a tutorial exposition of the subject. A companion paper will treat performance and implerneuta-tion.
Diagnostic performance of complete lower limb venous ultrasound in patients with clinically suspected acute pulmonary embolism

Summary A limited ultrasound (US) confined to the popliteal and femoral veins is usually performed to detect deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients with clinically suspected acute pulmonary embolism (PE). Our objective was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of complete lower limb US examining both the proximal and distal veins in this setting. In this prospective study, 210 consecutive patients were included. Complete US was performed by independent operators and compared blindly with a reference strategy combining clinical probability, ventilation perfusion scan and pulmonary angiography to a three-month clinical follow-up. Simultaneously,VIDAS D-dimer (DD) assay and helical computed tomography (HCT) of the lungs were assessed independently and blindly. PE was present in 74 patients (35%). Complete US detected DVT in 91 patients (43%), proximal in 51 and distal in 40. Sensitivity and specificity with a 0.95 confidence interval were respectively 0.93 [0.85 – 0.97] and 0.84 [0.77 – 0.89]. Limited US detected DVT in only 46 patients (22%). Sensitivity and specificity were respectively 0.55 [0.44 – 0.66] and 0.96 [0.92 – 0.98]. For DD they were 0.92 [0.83 – 0.96] and 0.24 [0.17 – 0.32] and for HCT 0.84 [0.73 – 0.90] and 0.87 [0.80 – 0.92]. Complete lower limb US has higher sensitivity and capacity to exclude PE than limited US, but a slightly lower specificity. Complete US results also compared favourably with those of HCT and DD.The utility of including this method in diagnostic strategies for PE needs to be assessed in cost-effectiveness analysis and in outcome studies.
Editorial: Organic carbon pools in permafrost regions on the Qinghai–Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau

Abstract. The current Northern Circumpolar Soil Carbon Database did not include organic carbon storage in permafrost regions on the Qinghai–Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau (QXP). In this study, we reported a new estimation of soil organic carbon (SOC) pools in the permafrost regions on the QXP up to 25 m depth using a total of 190 soil profiles. The SOC pools were estimated to be 17.3 ± 5.3 Pg for the 0–1 m depth, 10.6 ± 2.7 Pg for the 1–2 m depth, 5.1 ± 1.4 Pg for the 2–3 m depth and 127.2 ± 37.3 Pg for the layer of 3–25 m depth. The percentage of SOC storage in deep layers (3–25 m) on the QXP (80%) was higher than that (39%) in the yedoma and thermokarst deposits in arctic regions. In total, permafrost regions on the QXP contain approximately 160 ± 87 Pg SOC, of which approximately 132 ± 77 Pg (83%) stores in perennially frozen soils and deposits. Total organic carbon pools in permafrost regions on the QXP was approximately 8.7% of that in northern circumpolar permafrost region. The present study demonstrates that the total organic carbon storage is about 1832 Pg in permafrost regions on northern hemisphere.
A fast and efficient chin detection method for 2D scalable face model design

For scalable and model-based coding of a videophone sequence at very low bit rates, a 2D scalable face model has to be designed. An efficient algorithm is presented for the automatic detection of a chin contour in a human face. The chin is first represented by a deformable template consisting of two parabolas. Then, a cost function is minimized to find the best fit of the template to the chin. Finally, the chin contour is detected using the active snake algorithm, which is initialised by the best fit of the template. In order to obtain the smoother external force of the active snake model, gradient vector flow (GVF) is used, which is derived from the edge distribution. Experimental results show that the proposed method can drive the snake model to the most optimal chin position. This method can be used for 2D scalable face model design and 3D face model adaptation.
Simulating Shuffle-Exchange Networks with P Systems

We present in this paper a simulation with P systems of the parallel architecture known as shuffle–exchange network. This will lead us to consider a new version of P systems with communication, for which the communication graphs are not fixed, but have a dynamic evolution, and for which different communication rules can be associated to different communication graphs. The simulation of the shuffle–exchange network provides a first, simple example, of such a system.
Firm Value and Managerial Incentives: A Stochastic Frontier Approach

We examine the relation between firm value and managerial incentives in a sample of 1,487 U.S. firms in 1992-1997, for which the separation of ownership and control is complete. Unlike previous studies, we employ a measure of relative performance which compares a firmâ€™s actual Tobinâ€™s Q to the Q of a hypothetical fully-efficientfirm having the same inputs and characteristics as the original firm. We find that the Q of the average firm in our sample is around 10% lower than its Q, equivalent to a $1,340 million reduction in its potential market value. We investigate what causes firms to fail to reach their Q and find that our firms are more efficient, the higher are CEO stockholdings and optionholdings and the more sensitive are CEO options to firm risk. We also show that boards respond to inefficiency by subsequently strengthening incentives or replacing inefficient CEOs.
First-principles calculations for effects of Fluorine impurity in GaN

Fluoride-based plasma treatment has been approved to be an effective technique to make E-Mode GaN-based HEMT by experiments. However, the detailed effect of Fluorine doping in GaN and AlGaN is still unclear and has never been studied theoretically. In this paper, F impurity in GaN material is firstly studied by First Principle Calculations. Sound explanations for the experimental phenomenon are derived from the results and further discuss is presented.
Sexual Assault on the College Campus

Research on college sexual assault has focused on offender behavior to understand why men perpetrate sexual violence. Dominant theories have incorporated forms of male peer support, paying particular attention to the impact of rape-supportive social relationships on woman abuse. In contrast, Gottfredson and Hirschi’s general theory of crime proposes that low self-control predicts crime and other related life outcomes—including the kinds of antisocial peer relationships that the male peer support model contends causes sexual violence. The exclusion of measures of self-control on sexual assault may result in a misspecified peer support model. Accordingly, the current research empirically tests Schwartz and DeKeseredy’s male peer support model and examines the role of self-control in the larger male peer support model of sexual assault. Implications for theory and research are discussed.
Determination of the meter of musical audio signals: Seeking recurrences in beat segment descriptors

We address the problem of classifying polyphonic musical audio signals by their meter: the number of beats between regularly recurring accents (or downbeats). The problem is simplified to a ‘duple ’/‘triple’ decision. Experiments have been conducted on a 70 instances database (20s excerpts from pieces of music without particular genre nor timbre restriction). Our approach aims to test the hypothesis that acoustic evidences for downbeats can be measured on signal low-level features; focusing especially on their temporal recurrences. We experimented several approaches to the problem of feature selection and report some interesting results: measurements of a very small set of beat descriptors (i.e. 4) and subsequent processing (based on autocorrelation functions) permit to reach around 95% of correct classification. Using only the temporal centroid, almost 90% of correct classification can be achieved.
Differentiation between genetic mutations of breast cancer by breath volatolomics

Mapping molecular sub-types in breast cancer (BC) tumours is a rapidly evolving area due to growing interest in, for example, targeted therapy and screening high-risk populations for early diagnosis. We report a new concept for profiling BC molecular sub-types based on volatile organic compounds (VOCs). For this purpose, breath samples were collected from 276 female volunteers, including healthy, benign conditions, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and malignant lesions. Breath samples were analysed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and artificially intelligent nanoarray technology. Applying the non-parametric Wilcoxon/Kruskal-Wallis test, GC-MS analysis found 23 compounds that were significantly different (p < 0.05) in breath samples of BC patients with different molecular sub-types. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) of the nanoarray identified unique volatolomic signatures between cancer and non-cancer cases (83% accuracy in blind testing), and for the different molecular sub-types with accuracies ranging from 82 to 87%, sensitivities of 81 to 88% and specificities of 76 to 96% in leave-one-out cross-validation. These results demonstrate the presence of detectable breath VOC patterns for accurately profiling molecular sub-types in BC, either through specific compound identification by GC-MS or by volatolomic signatures obtained through statistical analysis of the artificially intelligent nanoarray responses.
Synthesis of Nanoscale TiO2 and Study of the Effect of Their Crystal Structure on Single Cell Response

To study the effect of nanoscale titanium dioxide (TiO2) on cell responses, we synthesized four modifications of the TiO2 (amorphous, anatase, brookite, and rutile) capable of keeping their physicochemical characteristics in a cell culture medium. The modifications of nanoscale TiO2 were obtained by hydrolysis of TiCl4 and Ti(i-OC3H7)4 (TIP) upon variation of the synthesis conditions; their textural, morphological, structural, and dispersion characteristics were examined by a set of physicochemical methods: XRD, BET, SAXS, DLS, AFM, SEM, and HR-TEM. The effect of synthesis conditions (nature of precursor, pH, temperature, and addition of a complexing agent) on the structural-dispersion properties of TiO2 nanoparticles was studied. The hydrolysis methods providing the preparation of amorphous, anatase, brookite, and rutile modifications of TiO2 nanoparticles 3–5 nm in size were selected. Examination of different forms of TiO2 nanoparticles interaction with MDCK cells by transmission electron microscopy of ultrathin sections revealed different cell responses after treatment with different crystalline modifications and amorphous form of TiO2. The obtained results allowed us to conclude that direct contact of the nanoparticles with cell plasma membrane is the primary and critical step of their interaction and defines a subsequent response of the cell.
Saturation mutagenesis reveals the importance of residues R 145 and F 146 of penicillin acylase in the synthesis of-lactam antibiotics

Simon A.W. Jager a, Irina V. Shapovalova b, Peter A. Jekel a, Wynand B.L. Alkema a,1, Vytas K. Švedas b, Dick B. Janssen a,∗ a Department of Biochemistry, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands b Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Vorob’ev Hills, Moscow 119992, Russia
Some perfect matchings and perfect half-integral matchings in NC

We show that for any class of bipartite graphs which is closed under edge deletion and where the number of perfect matchings can be counted in NC, there is a deterministic NC algorithm for finding a perfect matching. In particular, a perfect matching can be found in NC for planar bipartite graphs and K3,3-free bipartite graphs via this approach. A crucial ingredient is part of an interior-point algorithm due to Goldberg, Plotkin, Shmoys and Tardos. An easy observation allows this approach to handle regular bipartite graphs as well. We show, by a careful analysis of the polynomial time algorithm due to Galluccio and Loebl, that the number of perfect matchings in a graph of small (O(log n)) genus can be counted in NC. So perfect matchings in small genus bipartite graphs can also be found via this approach. We then present a different algorithm for finding a perfect matching in a planar bipartite graph. This algorithm is substantially different from the algorithm described above, and also from the algorithm of Miller and Naor, which predates the approach of Goldberg et al. and tackles the same problem. Our new algorithm extends to small genus bipartite graphs, but not to K3,3-free bipartite graphs. We next show that a non-trivial extension of this algorithm allows us to compute a vertex of the fractional perfect matching polytope (such a vertex is either a perfect matching or a half-integral matching) in NC, provided the graph is planar or small genus but not necessarily bipartite, and has a perfect matching to begin with. This extension rekindles the hope for an NC-algorithm to find a perfect matching in a non-bipartite planar graph. � Most results in this paper were originally announced in papers in Proc. 32nd ACM Symposium on Theory of
Phenotypic and Genotypic Analysis of Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates from Sudanese Patients

Background. Currently, mutations in rpoB, KatG, and rrs genes and inhA promoter were considered to be involved in conferring resistance to rifampicin, isoniazid, and streptomycin in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Objective. The aims of this study were to detect the prevalence of first-line tuberculosis (TB) drug resistance among a group of previously treated and newly detected TB patients, to determine the association between prevalence of multidrug resistance (MDR) and demographic information (age and sex), to explain genes correlated with MDR Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and to characterize MTB via 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) analysis. Methods. A hundred MTB isolates from Sudanese pulmonary TB patients were included in the study. The proportional method of drug susceptibility test was carried out on Löwenstein-Jensen media. Multiplex PCR of rpoB and KatG genes and inhA promoter was conducted; then rrs genes were amplified by conventional PCR and were sequenced. The sequences of the PCR product were compared with known rrs gene sequences in the GenBank database by multiple sequence alignment tools. Result. The prevalence of MDR was 14.7% among old cases and 5.3% among newly diagnosed cases. Conclusion. Mutations in rrs could be considered as a diagnostic marker.
Development of plough-able RFID sensor network systems for precision agriculture

There is a growing demand for implementing low-power and low-cost wireless sub-soil sensing systems to support precision agriculture. This paper describes an RFID sub-soil system that is capable of hosting a range of sensors and communicating their measurements wirelessly to farming vehicles. In addition to providing an overview of the system, the paper presents the high-level design of the RFID reader and the RFID sub-soil sensor node. This paper also describes the implementation of a prototype sensor node and the implementation of the RFID reader using National Instruments PXI RF modules controlled using LabVIEW.
Protective role of synthetic sialylated oligosaccharide in sepsis-induced acute lung injury.

Proper engagement of leukocyte and endothelial cell selectins with their counterreceptors is an initial step in neutrophil trafficking to sites of inflammation. Certain fucosylated carbohydrate determinants such as sialyl Lewis-x are proposed to act as these counterreceptors. We studied the effects of a synthetic sialyl Lewis-x analog, CY-1503, on the course of hemodynamic derangements and acute lung injury during experimental gram-negative sepsis. Anesthetized ventilated swine were made septic with an infusion of live Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A treatment group received an initial bolus of CY-1503 (60 mg/kg) before sepsis, followed by continuous infusion of CY-1503 (15 mg.kg-1.h-1). Treatment with CY-1503 did not prevent the development of pulmonary hypertension, systemic hypotension, decline in cardiac output, or severe neutropenia. However, CY-1503 significantly attenuated lung injury, demonstrated by decreased bronchoalveolar lavage protein content and neutrophil influx, lowered lung myeloperoxidase activity, and improved arterial oxygenation. Neutrophils from septic and CY-1503 animals showed significant activation, reflected by upregulated CD18 expression and priming for oxidant burst compared with control animals. This study suggests blockade of selectin interactions as a potential therapeutic intervention in sepsis-induced lung injury.
The Relationship between Total Bilirubin Levels and Total Mortality in Older Adults: The United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2004

Objective Due to its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, bilirubin has been associated with reduced cardiovascular risk. A recent study demonstrated an L-shaped association of pre-treatment total bilirubin levels with total mortality in a statin-treated cohort. We therefore investigated the association of total bilirubin levels with total mortality in a nationally representative sample of older adults from the general population. Methods A total of 4,303 participants aged ≥60 years from the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2004 with mortality data followed up through December 31, 2006 were included in this analysis, with a mean follow-up period of 4.5 years. Results Participants with total bilirubin levels of 0.1–0.4 mg/dl had the highest mortality rate (19.8%). Compared with participants with total bilirubin levels of 0.5–0.7 mg/dl and in a multivariable regression model, a lower total bilirubin level of 0.1–0.4 mg/dl was associated with higher risk of total mortality (hazard ratios, 1.36; 95% confidence interval, 1.07–1.72; P = 0.012), while higher levels (≥0.8 mg/dl) also tended to be associated with higher risk of total mortality, but this did not reach statistical significance (hazard ratios, 1.24; 95% confidence interval, 0.98–1.56; P = 0.072). Conclusion In this nationally representative sample of older adults, the association of total bilirubin levels with total mortality was the highest among those with a level between 0.1 and 0.4 mg/dl. Further studies are needed to investigate whether higher total bilirubin levels could be associated with a higher mortality risk, compared to a level of 0.5–0.7 mg/dl.