Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental illumination of a fitness landscape

The genes of all organisms have been shaped by selective pressures. The relationship between gene sequence and fitness has tremendous implications for understanding both evolutionary processes and functional constraints on the encoded proteins. Here, we have exploited deep sequencing technology to experimentally determine the fitness of all possible individual point mutants under controlled conditions for a nine-amino acid region of Hsp90. Over the past five decades, limited glimpses into the relationship between gene sequence and function have sparked a long debate regarding the distribution, relative proportion, and evolutionary significance of deleterious, neutral, and advantageous mutations. Our systematic experimental measurement of fitness effects of Hsp90 mutants in yeast, evaluated in the light of existing population genetic theory, are remarkably consistent with a nearly neutral model of molecular evolution.
Do seed banks confer resilience to coastal wetlands invaded by Typha × glauca?

Historically, seed banks conferred resilience to Laurentian Great Lakes coastal wetlands by providing propagules of many species to replace invasive plants, such as Typha ×glauca Godr. After flooding, the seed bank could allow recovery of wetland composition and structure as the water levels fall. Using the seedling emergence method to estimate seed density, species and guild richness, and floristic quality, we evaluated the resilience of five wetlands along the western coast of Green Bay, Lake Michigan by comparing seed bank attributes in areas invaded by Typha to those of neighboring uninvaded areas and to attributes of the extant vegetation. Resilience decreased from north to south among the five wetlands, mirroring a gradient of decreasing water quality. The invasive Lythrum salicaria L. dominated the seed bank of all five wetlands despite low relative abundance in the extant vegetation. The resilience of Green Bay coastal wetlands is threatened by the overwhelming presence of L. salicaria in the seed.
Injection-Detection Experiments in All Aluminum 1-D Imaging Spectrometers Based on Superconducting Tunnel Junctions

We report on a class of low temperature radiation detectors based on superconducting tunnel junctions (STJs) in which the incoming radiation is absorbed in a long superconducting strip while the readout operation occurs at the two ends of the strip, where two STJs are laterally positioned. These Distributed Read-Out Imaging Devices, or DROIDs, provide spectroscopy, 1-D imaging, single-photon sensitivity, and high quantum efficiency, all in one device. Typically these devices are realized by using Tantalum for the absorber strip and Aluminum for the two STJs. In this way the quasi-particles are created in the Tantalum and subsequently trapped in the Aluminum. As illustrated here, it is possible to fabricate a DROID using a single superconducting material. This choice gives up the trapping effect but has the advantage of eliminating the interface between different superconducting materials. Such a device combines the best quality STJs, large diffusion and lifetime values, with low energy gap for improved energy and position resolution. We report on measurements of current injection done on prototype devices, which demonstrates that STJs can serve as quasi-particle sinks and facilitate charge division in DROIDs. For sufficiently high tunneling rates, DROIDs based on a single material may be able to obtain performances comparable to DROIDs based on two materials.
Does Chronotype Modify the Relationship Between Sleep Duration and Body Mass index in Adolescents

Background/Purpose: Support for an association between sleep duration and body mass index (BMI) exists. However, not all short sleepers are overweight/obese and visa versa. This conundrum may be explained by an interplay between circadian and metabolic processes. In this context, chronotype (as a marker for circadian misalignment) may predict who is at greatest risk for obesity onset when exposed to short sleep. Whether chronotype modifies the effect between sleep duration and BMI is a novel approach to investigating the relationship between sleep duration and BMI. This study examines variations in chronotype among racially/ethnically diverse 9th and 10th grade students and investigates whether chronotype modifies the association between sleep duration and BMI.
Measuring And Explaining Decentralization Across Firms And Countries

We collect original data on the degree of decentralization in several thousand firms located in the US, Europe and Asia. Specifically, we focus on the autonomy of local plant managers from their Corporate Headquarters in their decisions over hiring, investment, production and sales. We find that American and Northern European firms are much more decentralized than those from Southern Europe and Asia, both domestically and as multinationals abroad. Three factors are associated with greater decentralization. First, stronger product market competition, which arguably makes manager’s local knowledge more important because of greater time-sensitivity of decision-making. Second, higher trust in the plant’s region of location (and/or multinational’s home country), which may help to sustain effective delegation because of enhanced co-operation. And third, the prevalence of hierarchical religions, such as Catholicism and Islam, which may lead managers to have weaker preferences for autonomous decision making. These factors appear important across countries, across regions within countries, and for multinationals according to their country of ownership. If - as suggested by the literature - decentralization is complementary to some forms of information and communication technology, Catholic countries with lower trust and competition, like France and Italy, may benefit less from an era of rapid technological change than Protestant countries with greater trust and competition, like Sweden and the U.S.
Automatic Speech Recognition System for Isolated & Connected Words of Hindi Language By Using Hidden Markov Model Toolkit ( HTK )

Speech recognition is the process of converting an acoustic waveform into the text similar to the information being conveyed by the speaker. In this paper implementation of isolated words and connected words Automatic Speech Recognition system (ASR) for the words of Hindi language will be discussed. The HTK (hidden markov model toolkit) based on Hidden Markov Model (HMM), a statistical approach, is used to develop the system. Initially the system is trained for 100 distinct Hindi words . This paper also describes the working of HTK tool, which is used in various phases of ASR system, by presenting a detailed architecture of an ASR system developed using various HTK library modules and tools. The recognition results will show that the overall system accuracy for isolated words is 95% and for connected words is 90%.
Compact routing with stretch factor of less than three (brief announcement)

Cowen gave a universal compact routing algorithm with a stretch factor of three and table-size of O(n2/3 log4/3 n) based on a simple and practical model [1]. (The table-size is later improved to O(n1/2 log3/2 n) [11]. ) This paper considers, using the same model, how the necessary table-size differs if the stretch factor must be less than three. It is shown that: (i) There is a routing algorithm with a stretch factor of two whose table-size is (n− √n+2) log n. (ii) There is a network for which any routing algorithm that follows the model and with a stretch factor of less than three needs a table-size of (n − 2√n) log n in at least one node. Thus, we can only reduce roughly an additive √ n log n (i.e., √ n table-entries) from the trivial table-size of n log n which obviously enables shortest-path routing. Furthermore it turns out that we can reduce only an additive log n (i.e., only one table-entry) from the trivial n log n if we have to achieve a stretch factor of less than two. Thus the algorithm (i) is (roughly) tight both in its stretch factor and in its table-size. key words: distributed algorithms, compact routing, stretch factor
A Comparison of Increases in Volume Load Over 8 Weeks of Low-Versus High-Load Resistance Training

Background It has been hypothesized that the ability to increase volume load (VL) via a progressive increase in the magnitude of load for a given exercise within a given repetition range could enhance the adaptive response to resistance training. Objectives The purpose of this study was to compare changes in volume load (VL) over eight weeks of resistance training (RT) in high-versus low-load protocols. Materials and Methods Eighteen well-trained men were matched according to baseline strength were randomly assigned to either a low-load RT (LOW, n = 9) where 25 - 35 repetitions were performed per exercise, or a high-load RT (HIGH, n = 9) where 8 - 12 repetitions were performed per exercise. Both groups performed three sets of seven exercises for all major muscles three times per week on non-consecutive days. Results After adjusting for the pre-test scores, there was a significant difference between the two intervention groups on post-intervention total VL with a very large effect size (F (1, 15) = 16.598, P = . 001, ηp2 = . 525). There was a significant relationship between pre-intervention and post-intervention total VL (F (1, 15) = 32.048, P < . 0001, ηp2 = . 681) in which the pre-test scores explained 68% of the variance in the post-test scores. Conclusions This study indicates that low-load RT results in greater accumulations in VL compared to high-load RT over the course of 8 weeks of training.
Mass Murder, Suicide, and Moral Development: Can We Separate the Adults from the Juveniles?

Mass murder—the sudden, explosive killing of a group of people—when committed by adults often is followed by the offender committing suicide. Recently in the United States, frequent cases of mass murder are reported as committed by adolescents. However, among juvenile mass murderers, there are no reported suicides (or attempts) by the offenders. This article provides a typology of mass murderers and offers a dynamic interpretation of the development of conscience and moral decisional capacity in adult and juvenile offenders. Preventive measures are explored along with methodological techniques that may distinguish between adult and juvenile mass murderers in their propensity to commit suicide after the events.
GTP hydrolysis is required for vesicle fusion during nuclear envelope assembly in vitro

Nuclear envelope assembly was studied in vitro using extracts from Xenopus eggs. Nuclear-specific vesicles bound to demembranated sperm chromatin but did not fuse in the absence of cytosol. Addition of cytosol stimulated vesicle fusion, pore complex assembly, and eventual nuclear envelope growth. Vesicle binding and fusion were assayed by light and electron microscopy. Addition of ATP and GTP to bound vesicles caused limited vesicle fusion, but enclosure of the chromatin was not observed. This result suggested that nondialyzable soluble components were required for nuclear vesicle fusion. GTP gamma S and guanylyl imidodiphosphate significantly inhibited vesicle fusion but had no effect on vesicle binding to chromatin. Preincubation of membranes with 1 mM GTP gamma S or GTP did not impair vesicle binding or fusion when assayed with fresh cytosol. However, preincubation of membranes with GTP gamma S plus cytosol caused irreversible inhibition of fusion. The soluble factor mediating the inhibition by GTP gamma S, which we named GTP-dependent soluble factor (GSF), was titratable and was depleted from cytosol by incubation with excess membranes plus GTP gamma S, suggesting a stoichiometric interaction between GSF and a membrane component in the presence of GTP gamma S. In preliminary experiments, cytosol depleted of GSF remained active for fusion of chromatin-bound vesicles, suggesting that GSF may not be required for the fusion reaction itself. We propose that GTP hydrolysis is required at a step before the fusion of nuclear vesicles.
Democratization and Structured Contingency in Competitive Authoritarian Regimes: A Nested Investigation

The aim with this study is to empirically investigate explanations behind different levels of democracy in a competitive authoritarian setting. My theoretical perspective is based on a structured contingency approach, since I argue that the common dichotomy between structural and actor-oriented causes behind democratization is unfruitful. Moreover, I use a nested research design that combines cross-national analyses with case study research. The main finding of the quantitative analysis is that diffusion effects and opposition mobilization are significant when it comes to explaining variation on the dependent variable. Among these factors the small-n analysis focuses on the latter, which is motivated by the fact that the statistical result concerning opposition mobilization is relatively more secure. The case study investigates the bulldozer revolution that occurred in Serbia (2000). In this analysis I demonstrate that the ousting of Milosevic can be understood from a background of low regime legitimacy and international inspiration effects. These structural circumstances enabled actors within the Serbian opposition to mobilize massively, which in the end led to splits between the incumbent regime and the state security forces.
Consumer Behavior toward Counterfeit Sporting Goods

We proposed and tested an extended model based on the theory of planned behavior to probe the mechanisms driving the purchase of counterfeit sporting goods (CSGs). Consumers ( N = 333) in Taiwan completed surveys, and the results showed that subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and consumers’ attitudes had a positive influence on purchase intention. In terms of extended variables, the results revealed no relationship between price-quality inference and consumers’ attitudes, whereas risk averseness had a negative impact on consumers’ attitudes. Differences were also found between the Internet and street vendors as purchase channels. These findings open a new direction for understanding CSGs purchasing behavior.
Effect of hygroscopic seeding on warm rain clouds – numerical study using a hybrid cloud microphysical model

Abstract. The effect of hygroscopic seeding on warm rain clouds was examined using a hybrid cloud microphysical model combining a Lagrangian Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) activation model, a semi-Lagrangian droplet growth model, and an Eulerian spatial model for advection and sedimentation of droplets. This hybrid cloud microphysical model accurately estimated the effects of CCN on cloud microstructure and suggested the following conclusions for a moderate continental air mass (an air mass with a large number of background CCN). (1) Seeding can hasten the onset of surface rainfall and increase the accumulated amount of surface rainfall if the amount and radius of seeding particles are appropriate. (2) The optimal radius of monodisperse particles to increase rainfall becomes larger with the increase in the total mass of seeding particles. (3) Seeding with salt micro-powder can hasten the onset of surface rainfall and increase the accumulated amount of surface rainfall if the amount of seeding particles is sufficient. (4) Seeding by a hygroscopic flare decreases rainfall in the case of large updraft velocity (shallow convective cloud) and increases rainfall slightly in the case of small updraft velocity (stratiform cloud). (5) Seeding with hygroscopic flares including ultra-giant particles (r>5 μm) hastens the onset of surface rainfall but may not significantly increase the accumulated surface rainfall amount. (6) Hygroscopic seeding increases surface rainfall by two kinds of effects: the "competition effect" by which large soluble particles prevent the activation of smaller particles and the "raindrop embryo effect" in which giant soluble particles can immediately become raindrop embryos. In some cases, one of the effects works, and in other cases, both effects work, depending on the updraft velocity and the amount and size of seeding particles.
Exploring student understandings of belonging on campus

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to build upon existing literature regarding student engagement by exploring belonging on campus as an aspect of this. It examines how students understand, experience and articulate belonging at the university wide level and aims to incorporate the student perspective and voice into discussions on engagement.Design/methodology/approach – The exploratory research employed a mixed method, but largely qualitative approach, to examine the understandings, experiences and perspectives that people hold and make use of. An online questionnaire (using open and closed questions), several snap‐shot interviews and seven in‐depth semi‐structured interviews were used to establish the central issues via thematic analysis.Findings – A number of key themes are presented in relation to how and why students felt they belonged, and indeed why some students felt that they did not belong, were not included or even excluded. The findings revealed that the campus is a factor worthy of attent.
Kinetic Gating Mechanisms for Bk Channels

Large conductance calcium-activated K+ channels, also referred to as “BK” or “maxi K” channels because of their big single-channel conductance (∼300 pS in symmetrical 150 mM KCl) are widely distributed in many different tissues ([Latorre 1994][1]; [Kaczorowski et al. 1996][2]). A signature
An RFID indoor positioning system by using Particle Swarm Optimization-based Artificial Neural Network

Indoor Location information service (ILS) has been the hot topics of research in recent years. However, localization cost and positioning accuracy is still a challenge for indoor positioning system (IPS). RFID positioning technology is low cost but high positioning accuracy which is usually used for an IPS. In this study, a RFID indoor positioning algorithm is proposed, which is based on the Particle Swarm Optimization Artificial Neural Network (PSO-ANN). The algorithm uses PSO to optimize the weight and threshold of ANN network, and establish an accurate classification model that can learn the relationship between the Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) and tag position. In addition, in order to reduce the impact of the environmental factors on the position estimation effectively, the Gaussian Filter is adopted to process the RSSI information. The experimental result demonstrates that the proposed algorithm has better performance than other artificial neural network.
Implicit causality as implicit salience.

In past research, Ss attributed interpersonal actions more to agents than to patients and interpersonal experiences more to stimuli than to experiencers. For example, in the sentences «A cheats B» and «A shocks B,» the act of cheating and the experience of shock were attributed more to A than to B. These and related findings are explained in terms of salience. In Study 1, people reading simple 3rd-person sentences judged agents to be more salient than patients and stimuli to be more salient than experiencers. In Study 2, the usual pattern of attributing actions primarily to agents and experiences primarily to stimuli was eliminated by manipulating sentence form so that the reader was depicted as actor rather than observer
Calculation of system availability using traffic statistics

System availability is defined as the fraction of time that a system provides the service for which it is specified. For a system that can exist in only two states, such as “up” or “down,” the measurement of system availability is relatively straightforward. However, for more complex systems that can operate in various states of reduced performance, the calculation of system availability becomes more complex. This paper discusses a methodology that uses traffic statistics to relate component failures to traffic served. The traffic statistics can be representative of voice, data, or some combination of both. This more accurately models the parameters that telecommunications service providers are concerned with, such as revenue and end-user satisfaction. This methodology, which differs for partial outages from techniques described by Telcordia and others, has been used to calculate the availability of the OneBTS™ base station, which is Lucent Technologies' next-generation radio access platform.
Personality characteristics in childhood and outcomes in adulthood: Findings from a 30 year longitudinal study

Objective: Personality has been associated with a variety of outcomes in adulthood. Most of the literature related to mental state disorder and personality is cross sectional. Methods: Data from more than 900 participants of the Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS) were examined. Extroversion and neuroticism were measured at 14 years old and social outcomes at age 30. The presence of mental state disorder between 18-30 years old was identified. Multiple potential confounders in childhood were included in the analysis. Results: Neuroticism at fourteen was significantly correlated with multiple environmental exposures whereas extroversion had relatively few associations. Regression analysis found that neuroticism at 14 predicted depression, anxiety, suicidality and overall mental health problems at 30 as well as poor self-esteem but not relationship quality or wellbeing. Extroversion at 14 predicted alcohol and drug dependence and overall mental health problems, but also predicted improved social wellbeing, self-esteem and relationship quality at 30. Conclusions: In this analysis extroversion interacts with significantly fewer environmental factors than neuroticism in predicting adult outcomes. Neuroticism at 14 years predicts poorer mental health outcomes in adulthood. Extroversion in childhood may be a protective factor in the development of mental disorder other than alcohol use disorders. Extroverted adolescents have more positive social outcomes at 30 years.
Development of predictable periapical lesion monitored by subtraction radiography.

Forty-eight teeth of two baboons were used to establish a methodology for the development of predictable periapical lesions. The canines and third molars were used as controls. All pre- and post-operative radiographs were taken using modified Precision® X-ray beam guiding to maintain exposure geometry. After routine endodontic access preparation, the pulps were damaged 3–4 mm short of the apex, dental plaque was introduced and mixed with pulp debris, and the access opening was closed with amalgam. Control radiographs were taken at 7-day intervals. Ten experimental and two control teeth were used for each observation period of 1, 4, 8, and 20 weeks. The radiographs were analyzed using computerized temporal subtraction. After the animals were killed, the specimens were processed for histologic examination. In all cases, pulpal necrosis and bacteria were present in the root canal, and in the periapical area adjacent to necrotic tissue. The periapical lesions had a mixture of inflammatory cells, with predominance of plasma cells, lymphocytes and multinucleated cells. Racliographic analysis by subtraction radiography showed hard tissue changes as early as 7 days. The method predictably developed periapical lesions, which could be monitored by subtraction radiography, and there was a correlation established between radiographic and histologic findings.