Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FLECS: Planning with a Flexible Commitment Strategy

There has been evidence that least-commitment planners can efficiently handle planning problems that involve difficult goal interactions. This evidence has led to the common belief that delayed-commitment is the "best" possible planning strategy. However, we recently found evidence that eager-commitment planners can handle a variety of planning problems more efficiently, in particular those with difficult operator choices. Resigned to the futility of trying to find a universally successful planning strategy, we devised a planner that can be used to study which domains and problems are best for which planning strategies. In this article we introduce this new planning algorithm, flecs, which uses a FLExible Commitment Strategy with respect to plan-step orderings. It is able to use any strategy from delayed-commitment to eager-commitment. The combination of delayed and eager operator-ordering commitments allows flecs to take advantage of the benefits of explicitly using a simulated execution state and reasoning about planning constraints. flecs can vary its commitment strategy across different problems and domains, and also during the course of a single planning problem. flecs represents a novel contribution to planning in that it explicitly provides the choice of which commitment strategy to use while planning. FLECS provides a framework to investigate the mapping from planning domains and problems to efficient planning strategies.
Novel species of Calonectria associated with Eucalyptus leaf blight in Southeast China

Leaf blight caused by Calonectria spp. is an important disease occurring on Eucalyptus trees grown in plantations of Southeast Asia. Symptoms of leaf blight caused by Calonectria spp. have recently been observed in commercial Eucalyptus plantations in FuJian Province in Southeast China. The aim of this study was to identify these Calonectria spp. employing morphological characteristics, DNA sequence comparisons for the β-tubulin, histone H3 and translation elongation factor-1α gene regions and sexual compatibility. Four Calonectria spp. were identified, including Ca. pauciramosa and three novel taxa described here as Ca. crousiana, Ca. fujianensis and Ca. pseudocolhounii. Inoculation tests showed that all four Calonectria spp. found in this study were pathogenic on two different E. urophylla × E. grandis hybrid clones, commercially utilised in eucalypt plantations in China.
Asymptotic Enumeration and Logical Limit Laws for Expansive Multisets and Selections

Given a sequence of integers aj, j ⩾ 1, a multiset is a combinatorial object composed of unordered components, such that there are exactly aj one‐component multisets of size j. When aj ≍ jr−1 yj for some r > 0, y ⩾ 1, then the multiset is called expansive. Let cn be the number of multisets of total size n. Using a probabilistic approach, we prove for expansive multisets that cn/cn+1 → 1 and that cn/cn+1 < 1 for large enough n. This allows us to prove monadic second‐order limit laws for expansive multisets. The above results are extended to a class of expansive multisets with oscillation.
Studies on the expression of mRNA for anion transport related proteins in corneal endothelial cells

Purpose. Chloride and bicarbonate are necessary for maintenance of fluid transport by the corneal endothelium, however there is little information on the identity of anion transport proteins that could serve as anion efflux mechanisms in endothelial cells. Therefore, we ask whether mRNA for the anion transport related proteins, CFTR, CLC-2, ClC-3, ClC-5 and AE2, are expressed in human, bovine or rabbit corneal endothelium. Methods. RT-PCR was performed for CFTR, CLC-2, ClC-3, ClC-5 and AE2 using total RNA from fresh human, bovine and rabbit corneal endothelium as well as cultured bovine corneal endothelial cells (CBCEC). Specificity of PCR products was confirmed by sequencing. Results. RT-PCR analysis gave positive bands at the predicted size for CLC-3 and CLC-5 from fresh human, rabbit and bovine as well as CBCEC. However, for CLC-2, no band was apparent around the predicted size from fresh and cultured corneal endothelium. A band at the predicted size was obtained for CFTR from fresh human, rabbit and bovine endothelium, as well as from CBCEC. RT-PCR analysis for AE2 produced specific bands from fresh human, rabbit and bovine corneal endothelium, but no positive band was obtained from CBCEC. Sequencing analysis further confirmed the identities of CLC-3, CLC-5, CFTR and AE2 in corneal endothelium. Conclusions. CFTR, CLC-3 and ClC-5 are expressed in fresh and cultured corneal endothelial cells. However, consistent with previous immunoblots studies, AE2 is only expressed in fresh corneal endothelium. These results have implications for modeling possible apical anion efflux mechanisms in corneal endothelium.
Prognostic Significance of Interleukin-6 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Genotypes in Neuroblastoma: rs1800795 (Promoter) and rs8192284 (Receptor)

Purpose: Neuroblastoma is a childhood cancer of the sympathetic nervous system and many patients present with high-risk disease. Risk stratification, based on pathology and tumor-derived biomarkers, has improved prediction of clinical outcomes, but overall survival (OS) rates remain unfavorable and new therapeutic targets are needed. Some studies suggest a link between interleukin (IL)-6 and more aggressive behavior in neuroblastoma tumor cells. Therefore, we examined the impact of two IL-6 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) on neuroblastoma disease progression. Experimental Design: DNA samples from 96 high-risk neuroblastoma patients were screened for two SNP that are known to regulate the serum levels of IL-6 and the soluble IL-6 receptor, rs1800795 and rs8192284, respectively. The genotype for each SNP was determined in a blinded fashion and independent statistical analysis was done to determine SNP-related event-free survival (EFS) and OS rates. Results: The rs1800795 IL-6 promoter SNP is an independent prognostic factor for EFS and OS in high-risk neuroblastoma patients. In contrast, the rs8192284 IL-6 receptor SNP revealed no prognostic value. Conclusions: The rs1800795 SNP [−174 IL-6 (G > C)] represents a novel and independent prognostic marker for both EFS and OS in high-risk neuroblastoma. Because the rs1800795 SNP [−174 IL-6 (G > C)] has been shown to correlate with production of IL-6, this cytokine may represent a target for development of new therapies in neuroblastoma. (Clin Cancer Res 2009;15(16):5234–9)
A dynamin-3 spliced variant modulates the actin/cortactin-dependent morphogenesis of dendritic spines

Immature dendrites extend many actin-rich filopodial structures that can be replaced by synapse-containing dendritic spines as the neuron matures. The large GTPase dynamin-3 (Dyn3) is a component of the postsynapse in hippocampal neurons but its function is undefined. Here, we demonstrate that a specific Dyn3 variant (Dyn3baa) promotes the formation of immature dendritic filopodia in cultured neurons. This effect is dependent upon Dyn3 GTPase activity and a direct interaction with the F-actin-binding protein cortactin. Consistent with these findings, Dyn3baa binds to cortactin with a 200% higher affinity than Dyn3aaa, a near identical isoform that does not induce dendritic filopodia when expressed in cultured neurons. Finally, levels of Dyn3baa-encoding mRNA are tightly regulated during neuronal maturation and are markedly upregulated during synaptogenesis. Together, these findings provide the first evidence that an enhanced interaction between a specific Dyn3 splice variant and cortactin modulate actin-membrane dynamics in developing neurons to regulate the morphogenesis of dendritic spines.
Investigating the use of mobile applications in everyday language learning

The development of mobile phone applications has created a multiplicity of additional affordances and new ways of learning. In particular, mobile language learning applications such as online dictionaries and Google Translate combined with the technical affordances of smartphones and tablets are creating a new relationship between mobile learners and smart devices. In this exploratory study, a mixed method research design was used to understand how youth in Malaysia use their smart devices for learning languages and to uncover the extent of these learning experiences in their daily lives. 337 participants took part in a survey of their language learning experiences using mobile learning applications. Additionally, phenomenological interviews were conducted with 12 participants over a period of four months to uncover the lived experiences of their language learning. This paper presents the preliminary findings of the study which suggest learning is serendipitous, fragmentary and purposive, dependent on function and purpose. The findings may yield new understanding that may prove useful in its implications for formal and informal learning.
ON THE SECONDARY COMPRESSION OF SATURATED CLAYS.

Abstract : Secondary compression refers to a volume decrease which occurs under conditions of seemingly constant effective stress at the end of primary consolidation, i.e., after excess pore pressures are essentially dissipated. Experimental data are presented on the effects of stress history and type of stress system on the rate of secondary compression of two saturated remolded clays, namely a lean silty clay (Boston Blue Clay - BBC) and a silty clay of high plasticity (Vicksburg Buckshot Clay - VBC). The stress systems studied are one-dimensional compression with K sub o stresses as represented by the conventional oedometer test and isotropic compression (K = 1) as measured in a standard triaxial cell with a uniform pressure. The oedometer and triaxial test data on BBC yielded the same rate of secondary compression; the data on VBC were inconclusive. Data by Ray (1963) on this topic, which showed a marked effect of the value of K on the rate of secondary compression, are presented and analysed. The effects of stress history and stress system are discussed in terms of soil structure (structure equals fabric plus interparticle forces). (Author)
Contrasted Evolution of the Vomeronasal Receptor Repertoires in Mammals and Squamate Reptiles

The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is an olfactory structure that detects pheromones and environmental cues. It consists of sensory neurons that express evolutionary unrelated groups of transmembrane chemoreceptors. The predominant V1R and V2R receptor repertoires are believed to detect airborne and water-soluble molecules, respectively. It has been suggested that the shift in habitat of early tetrapods from water to land is reflected by an increase in the ratio of V1R/V2R genes. Snakes, which have a very large VNO associated with a sophisticated tongue delivery system, are missing from this analysis. Here, we use RNA-seq and RNA in situ hybridization to study the diversity, evolution, and expression pattern of the corn snake vomeronasal receptor repertoires. Our analyses indicate that snakes and lizards retain an extremely limited number of V1R genes but exhibit a large number of V2R genes, including multiple lineages of reptile-specific and snake-specific expansions. We finally show that the peculiar bigenic pattern of V2R vomeronasal receptor gene transcription observed in mammals is conserved in squamate reptiles, hinting at an important but unknown functional role played by this expression strategy. Our results do not support the hypothesis that the shift to a vomeronasal receptor repertoire dominated by V1Rs in mammals reflects the evolutionary transition of early tetrapods from water to land. This study sheds light on the evolutionary dynamics of the vomeronasal receptor families in vertebrates and reveals how mammals and squamates differentially adapted the same ancestral vomeronasal repertoire to succeed in a terrestrial environment.
Command filtered adaptive backstepping

As the order of the system increases, implementation of adaptive backstepping controllers becomes increasingly complex due to the necessity to calculate analytically the partial derivatives of certain stabilizing functions with respect to the system state. To remove the burden of computation, in this paper we propose a command filtered adaptive backstepping design method. In the proposed controller design method, analytic calculation of partial derivatives is not required. The control law and the update law become succinct. The stability properties of the controllers is analyzed through a sequence of theorems. Effectiveness of the proposed method is shown by simulation results.
Basis for the Age-related Decline in Intestinal Mucosal Immunity

The elderly are characterized by mucosal immunosenescence and high rates of morbidity and mortality associated with infectious diseases of the intestinal tract. Little is known about how the differentiation of immunoglobulin A (IgA) plasma cells in Peyer's patches (PPs) and their subsequent homing to the small intestinal lamina propria (LP) is affected by aging. Quantitative immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated a 2-fold increase in the number of IgA+ cells in the PPs, coupled with significant declines in the numbers of IgA+ and antibody-positive cells in the intestinal LP of senescent rats compared to young adult animals. These data suggest that aging diminishes the emigration of IgA immunoblasts from these lymphoid aggregates, as well as their migration to the intestinal LP. Flow cytometry and lymphocyte adoptive transfer studies showed 3- to 4-fold age-related declines in the homing of antibody-containing cells and mesenteric lymph node lymphocytes to the small intestines of rhesus macaques and rats, respectively. The number of peripheral blood IgA immunoblasts expressing the homing molecule α4β7 declined 30% in senescent rats. This was accompanied by a >17% decrease in the areal density of LP blood vessels staining positive for the cell adhesion molecule MAdCAM-1. Cumulatively, declines in expression of these homing molecules constitute a substantial age-related diminution of IgA immunoblast homing potential. In vitro antibody secretion by LP plasma cells, i.e. antibody secreted per antibody-positive cell, remains unchanged as a function of donor age. Intestinal mucosal immunosenescence is a consequence of reduced homing of IgA plasma cells to the intestinal LP as a result of declines in homing molecule expression.
The Korsakoff syndrome: clinical aspects, psychology and treatment.

AIMS The Korsakoff syndrome is a preventable memory disorder that usually emerges (although not always) in the aftermath of an episode of Wernicke's encephalopathy. The present paper reviews the clinical and scientific literature on this disorder. METHODS A systematic review of the clinical and scientific literature on Wernicke's encephalopathy and the alcoholic Korsakoff syndrome. RESULTS The Korsakoff syndrome is most commonly associated with chronic alcohol misuse, and some heavy drinkers may have a genetic predisposition to developing the syndrome. The characteristic neuropathology includes neuronal loss, micro-haemorrhages and gliosis in the paraventricular and peri-aqueductal grey matter. Lesions in the mammillary bodies, the mammillo-thalamic tract and the anterior thalamus may be more important to memory dysfunction than lesions in the medial dorsal nucleus of the thalamus. Episodic memory is severely affected in the Korsakoff syndrome, and the learning of new semantic memories is variably affected. 'Implicit' aspects of memory are preserved. These patients are often first encountered in general hospital settings where they can occupy acute medical beds for lengthy periods. Abstinence is the cornerstone of any rehabilitation programme. Korsakoff patients are capable of new learning, particularly if they live in a calm and well-structured environment and if new information is cued. There are few long-term follow-up studies, but these patients are reported to have a normal life expectancy if they remain abstinent from alcohol. CONCLUSIONS Although we now have substantial knowledge about the nature of this disorder, scientific questions (e.g. regarding the underlying genetics) remain. More particularly, there is a dearth of appropriate long-term care facilities for these patients, given that empirical research has shown that good practice has beneficial effects.
The three worlds of health information

The applicability, validity and usefulness of Karl Popper’s ‘Three Worlds’ epistemology is examined, with specific reference to health-care information and knowledge. It is concluded that Popper’s ideas provide a valuable way of understanding this domain and that, in particular, Popper’s controversial ‘World 3’ of objective knowledge is a valid concept.
The Cupae of Iberia in their Monumental Contexts: A Study of the Relationship Between Social Status and Commemoration with Barrel-Shaped and Semi-Cylindrical Tombstones

a particular identity in death: the content of the epitaphs may have conformed to Roman traditions, but the style of the monuments did not. If this type of analysis is applied to the funerary monuments of the other three main sites, those of Beja, Mérida and Sintra, it will be possible to build up a picture of how the ‘barrel’ and ‘cask’ types of cupae were used by different social groups at those sites
Pharmacological uncoupling of androgen receptor-mediated prostate cancer cell proliferation and prostate-specific antigen secretion.

The androgen receptor (AR), a member of the nuclear receptor family, is a ligand-inducible transcription factor. In the prostate gland, androgens regulate the transcription of several genes that ultimately result in cell growth and differentiation. With a goal of developing tissue-selective AR modulators that can be used to treat prostate cancer and other androgenopathies, we have taken an approach to identify androgens that function in a manner distinct from the physiological androgens testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. Classical AR agonists function by binding to and inducing a conformational change in the receptor. This facilitates the obligate interaction of the amino and carboxyl terminus of the receptor, recruitment of coactivators, and subsequent regulation of target genes. On the basis of this paradigm, we screened a library of potential AR agonists for compounds that induce an "activating" conformational change in the receptor structure but that do not facilitate a high-affinity intermolecular interaction between the amino and carboxyl terminus. Compounds identified in this manner behaved as partial agonists of AR-mediated transcription in a variety of assays. Additional compounds were identified in this screen that did not allow the activation function-2 coactivator pocket to form and were demonstrated to function as weak agonists of AR-mediated transcription. Surprisingly, when we examined the ability of these compounds to induce cell proliferation, we observed that despite having different degrees of partial agonist activities on classical transcriptional responses (i.e., induction of prostate-specific antigen), these compounds were as efficacious as dihydrotestosterone in stimulating proliferation. The unexpected finding that AR-mediated transcription and proliferation can be uncoupled suggests that AR is not used in the same manner in all androgen-regulated biological processes.
Sustaining Effect of Intensive Nutritional Intervention Combined with Health Education on Dietary Behavior and Plasma Glucose in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients

Diabetes mellitus is very common in elderly Chinese individuals. Although nutritional intervention can provide a balanced diet, the sustaining effect on at-home dietary behavior and long-term plasma glucose control is not clear. Consequently, we conducted a long-term survey following one month of experiential nutritional intervention combined with health education. Based on the Dietary Guidelines for a Chinese Resident, we found that the food items met the recommended values, the percentages of energy provided from fat, protein, and carbohydrate were more reasonable after one year. The newly formed dietary patterns were “Healthy”, “Monotonous”, “Vegetarian”, “Japanese”, “Low energy”, and “Traditional” diets. The 2h-PG of female participants as well as those favoring the “Japanese diet” decreased above 12 mmol/L. Participants who selected “Japanese” and “Healthy” diets showed an obvious reduction in FPG while the FPG of participants from Group A declined slightly. “Japanese” and “Healthy” diets also obtained the highest DDP scores, and thus can be considered suitable for T2DM treatment in China. The results of the newly formed dietary patterns, “Japanese” and “Healthy” diets, confirmed the profound efficacy of nutritional intervention combined with health education for improving dietary behavior and glycemic control although health education played a more important role. The present study is encouraging with regard to further exploration of comprehensive diabetes care.
Mechanical control of the time-course of contraction of the frog heart

Changes in load during most phases of an isotonic contraction of the frog and turtle heart increased or decreased the duration of the twitch. It was abbreviated by a maintained increase or by a brief decrease in load. The relaxing effect of these procedures developed with a delay lasting more than a second under some conditions and will be called lengthening deactivation. The reverse procedures, a maintained diminution or a brief increase in load, increased the duration of the twitch. This effect will be called shortening activation. Although the termination of relaxation may be delayed or advanced by the mechanical interventions mentioned, the normal time- course of isotonic relaxation was always resumed later, regardless of the starting level of the load, making it possible to measure accurately changes in the duration of the twitch. The responses to changes in load produce positive feedback during the isotonic contraction and explain, at least in part, the difference in the time- course of isotonic and isometric contraction. The effects of changes in load were much smaller and briefer in the atrium than the ventricle.