Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Behavior-consistent specialization of object life cycles

Object-oriented design methodologies represent the behavior of instances of an object type not merely by a set of operations, but also by providing an overall description on how instances evolve over time. Such a description is often referred to as "object life cycle. "Object-oriented systems organize object types in hierarchies in which subtypes inherit and specialize the structure and behavior of their supertypes. Past experience has shown that unrestricted use of inheritance mechanisms leads to system architectures that are hard to understand and to maintain, since arbitrary differences between supertype and subtype are possible. Evidently, this is not a desirable state of affairs and the behavior of a subtype should specialize the behavior of its supertype according to some clearly defined consistency criteria. Such criteria have been formulated in terms of type systems for semantic data models and object-oriented programming languages. But corresponding criteria for the specialization of object life cycles have so far not been thoroughly investigated.This paper defines such criteria in the realm of Object Behavior Diagrams, which have been originally developed for the design of object-oriented databases. Its main contributions are necessary and sufficient rules for checking behavior consistency between object life cycles of object types in specialization hierarchies with multiple inheritance.
Evaluation of SHADOZ sondes, HALOE and SAGE II ozone profiles at the tropics from SAOZ UV-Vis remote measurements onboard long duration balloons

Ozone profiles from 10 to 26km have been obtained at almost constant latitude (20 ± 5° S) in the tropics using SAOZ UV-vis spectrometers flown onboard long duration balloons in 2001 and 2003. The precision of the measurements is estimate to be better than 2% in the stratosphere (3.5% accuracy) and 5-6% in the troposphere (12% and 25% accuracy at 15km and 10km respectively) with an altitude uncertainty of -30 ± 25m. The variability of ozone concentration along a latitudinal circle at 20° S in the SH summer is found smaller than 3-4% above 20km, but increasing rapidly below in the Tropical Tropopause Layer (TTL). The high correlation between PV and ozone suggests that most of this variability can be attributed to quasi-horizontal exchange with the mid-latitude stratosphere. The performances of the SHADOZ ozonesonde network, HALOE and SAGE II in the tropics have been studied by comparison with SAOZ measurements. In the stratosphere, the main discrepancies arise from differences in altitude registration, particularly sensitive between 20 and 26km in the tropics because of the strong gradient of ozone concentration. In the upper troposphere, the SAOZ measurements are consistent with those of the sondes and the lidar in cloud free conditions, but biased high by 60% on average compared to ozonesondes over the Western Pacific, at American Samoa and Fiji. The likely explanation is the frequent occurrence of near zero ozone layers in the convective clouds of the South Pacific Convergence Zone which cannot be seen by SAOZ as well as all ground-based and space borne remote sensing instruments. Compared to SAOZ, SAGE II displays a 50-60% low bias similar to that already known with the ozonesondes, and a larger zonal variability. However, the significant correlation with PV suggests that useful information on tropospheric ozone could be derived from SAGE II. Finally, the unrealistic large offsets and variability in the HALOE data compared to all others, indicates that the measurements of this instrument are of limited use below 17km.
Influences of Pyriproxyfen on Fecundity and Reproduction of the Pharaoh Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

ABSTRACT The effects of the juvenile hormone analog pyriproxyfen (at concentrations of 0.1, 0.5, and 1%) on egg production, number of ovarioles, and length of oocytes were examined in queens of the Pharaoh ant Monomorium pharaonis (L.). Pyriproxyfen significantly reduced egg production in queens from week 3 onwards. Queens that were exposed to 1% pyriproxyfen stopped producing eggs at week 8. After 8 wk, ovaries were dissected from all queens, and the number of ovarioles and the length of the largest oocytes were recorded. The ovaries of queens in treated colonies were smaller than those in untreated queens, and the number of ovarioles in the ovaries was significantly lower in all pyriproxyfen-treated queens. Queens treated with the highest concentrations of pyriproxyfen tended to have significantly shorter oocytes than untreated queens. Histological studies of the ovaries revealed that pyriproxyfen caused vacuolation in the ovarioles, thickening of the tunica propria, development of small eggs, and underdevelopment of nurse cells and the follicular epithelium. Exposure to pyriproxyfen reduced egg production and induced severe morphological changes in the ovaries of queens, and the effects increased with increased concentration of pyriproxyfen.
Effect of Short-Term Rosiglitazone Therapy in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

Rosiglitazone, a thiazolidinedione (TZD), is a selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-γ) agonist widely used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (1). In addition to effectively controlling glycemia by improving insulin sensitivity, TZDs have pleiotropic effects on endothelial function, lipids, blood pressure, and inflammation (2). Whether the improvements in various risk factors reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is a matter of debate (3,4). Data on the effect of rosiglitazone on blood pressure, peripheral edema, blood lipids, peritoneal membrane characteristics, and oxidative stress on the peritoneal dialysis (PD) population are scarce or lacking in the current literature (5,6).
Community assembly and functional leaf traits mediate precipitation use efficiency of alpine grasslands along environmental gradients on the Tibetan Plateau

The alpine grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau are sensitive and vulnerable to climate change. However, it is still unknown how precipitation use efficiency (PUE), the ratio of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) to precipitation, is related to community assembly of plant species, functional groups or traits for the Tibetan alpine grasslands along actual environmental gradients. We conducted a multi-site field survey at grazing-excluded pastures across meadow, steppe and desert-steppe to measure aboveground biomass (AGB) in August, 2010. We used species richness (SR), the Shannon diversity index, and cover-weighted functional group composition (FGC) of 1-xerophytes, 2-mesophytes, and 3-hygrophytes to describe community assembly at the species level; and chose community-level leaf area index (LAIc), specific leaf area (SLAc), and species-mixed foliar δ13C to quantify community assembly at the functional trait level. Our results showed that PUE decreased with increasing accumulated active temperatures (AccT) when daily temperature average is higher than 5 °C, but increased with increasing climatic moisture index (CMI), which was demined as the ratio of growing season precipitation (GSP) to AccT. We also found that PUE increased with increasing SR, the Shannon diversity index, FGC and LAIc, decreased with increasing foliar δ13C, and had no relation with SLAc at the regional scale. Neither soil total nitrogen (STN) nor organic carbon has no influence on PUE at the regional scale. The community assembly of the Shannon index, LAIc and SLAc together accounted for 46.3% of variance in PUE, whilst CMI accounted for 47.9% of variance in PUE at the regional scale. This implies that community structural properties and plant functional traits can mediate the sensitivity of alpine grassland productivity in response to climate change. Thus, a long-term observation on community structural and functional changes is recommended for better understanding the response of alpine ecosystems to regional climate change on the Tibetan Plateau.
Correction to “Simulation of hydrologic changes associated with global warming”

[1] In the paper ‘‘Simulation of hydrologic changes associated with global warming’’ by Richard T. Wetherald and Syukuro Manabe (Journal of Geophysical Research, 107(D19), 4379, doi:10.1029/2001JD001195, 2003), several typographical errors have been noted. The corrections are as follows. In Table 2, for the Nile, Africa, the control simulated runoff value should be 55.1 instead of 58.3, and the 2035–2065 period simulated runoff value should be 53.4 instead of 61.3. In the caption of Figure 12, the units should be mm/day instead of cm/day. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 108, NO. D22, 4702, doi:10.1029/2003JD004253, 2003
The GSTT1 null genotype contributes to increased risk of prostate cancer in Asians: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Many studies have investigated the association between glutathione S-transferase T 1 (GSTT1) null genotype and risk of prostate cancer, but the impact of GSTT1 null genotype in Asians is still unclear owing to inconsistencies across results. Thie present meta-analysis aimed to quantify the strength of the association between GSTT1 null genotype and risk of prostate cancer. METHODS We searched the PubMed, Embase and Wangfang databases for studies of associations between the GSTT1 null genotype and risk of prostate cancer in Asians and estimated summary odds ratio (OR) with their 95% confidence interval (95% CI). RESULTS A total of 11 case-control studies with 3,118 subjects were included in this meta-analysis, which showed the GSTT1 null genotype to be significantly associated with increased risk of prostate cancer in Asians (random-effects OR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.15-1.92, P = 0.002), also after adjustment for heterogeneity (fixed-effects OR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.23-1.70, P< 0.001). No evidence of publication bias was observed. CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis of available data suggested the GSTT1 null genotype does contribute to increased risk of prostate cancer in Asians.
The impact of selected water and wastewater treatment process variables on sludge dewaterability

The most significant operational cost in a treatment plant is related to the dewatering and disposal of sludge. Coagulation is the most common process in water and wastewater treatment plants and produces sludge as a by-product. The influence of different important coagulation factors has been investigated in this study to assess corresponding impacts on sludge dewaterability. The CST (Capillary Suction Time) apparatus was used as the main tool to measure sludge dewaterability, followed by the turbidimeter, the particle size analyzer, and the SRF (Specific Resistance to Filtration) as a comparison and also for verification. The CST results indicate that the magnetic stirrer produces the lowest CST values, while the other four shapes of mixers produced similar but higher trends. Rapid mixing velocity and rapid mixing time have varying degrees of influence on the CST value and hence on sludge dewaterability. Rapid mixing velocity seems to have a more significant impact on the CST value than rapid mixing time. The coagulants aluminium sulphate and ferric chloride have similar effects on CST values. The performance of aluminium sulphate and Moringa oleifera are affected by temperature, but the performance of coagulant ferric chloride was hardly impacted. Different synthetic water samples do not significantly affect the CST value. The turbidity result correlates well with the CST value. Observations using the particle size analyzer indicate that, in general, the floc size has a direct correlation with the CST value. The larger the floc size, the lower the CST value. Floc size distribution results show that synthetic raw water has a narrow particle size distribution; synthetic domestic wastewater produced a wider distribution than synthetic raw water. The comparison between the CST and SRF results indicates that the CST and SRF are well correlated if different methods (rapid mixing velocity and rapid mixing time) are used, but uncorrelated if different materials (mixers, coagulants, temperature and water samples) are used. Based on the results of this investigation, the working of the magnetic stirrer should be investigated further in order to implement this mixer in the treatment process. The magnetic stirrer does not only produce the lowest CST value but is also the only mixer that produces different CST values significantly. This is because it produces the optimum G value for sludge formation. The implementation of rapid mixing velocity is more important than rapid mixing time in the operation of a treatment plant. Due to its correlation with temperature, ferric chloride is the most appropriate coagulant among the three types of coagulants used in the treatment plant to reduce sludge dewaterability. Based on the results using different water samples, all of these factors can be used for both inorganic and organic water and wastewater to produce lower sludge dewaterability.
Effect of target change during the simple attack in fencing

Abstract The aim of this study was to test the effect that changing targets during a simple long lunge attack in fencing exerts on the temporal parameters of the reaction response, the execution speed, and the precision and the coordination of the movement pattern. Thirty fencers with more than 10 years of experience participated in this study. Two force platforms were used to record the horizontal components of the reaction forces and thereby to determine the beginning of the movement. A three-dimensional (3D) system recorded the spatial positions of the 9 markers situated on the fencer plus the epee, while a moving target was projected on a screen, enabling the control of the target change. The results indicated that when a target change is provoked the reaction time (RT), movement time (MT), and the time used in the acceleration phase of the centre of mass (CM) increases significantly with respect to the attack executed with a straight thrust. The speed and horizontal distance reached by the CM at the end of the acceleration phase (VX(CM) and SX(CM), respectively) significantly decreased, while the errors increased. However, the temporal sequence of the movement pattern did not appreciably change.
Universal oscillations in counting statistics

Noise is a result of stochastic processes that originate from quantum or classical sources. Higher-order cumulants of the probability distribution underlying the stochastic events are believed to contain details that characterize the correlations within a given noise source and its interaction with the environment, but they are often difficult to measure. Here we report measurements of the transient cumulants 〈〈nm〉〉 of the number n of passed charges to very high orders (up to m = 15) for electron transport through a quantum dot. For large m, the cumulants display striking oscillations as functions of measurement time with magnitudes that grow factorially with m. Using mathematical properties of high-order derivatives in the complex plane we show that the oscillations of the cumulants in fact constitute a universal phenomenon, appearing as functions of almost any parameter, including time in the transient regime. These ubiquitous oscillations and the factorial growth are system-independent and our theory provides a unified interpretation of previous theoretical studies of high-order cumulants as well as our new experimental data.
Clinical evaluation of the accuracy of conventional radiography and apex locators in primary teeth.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to clinically evaluate the accuracy of conventional radiography and 2 apex locators (Root ZX and ProPex) in determining the working length of root canals in primary teeth and to compare the results with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). METHODS A general medical and oral history was obtained from 1,600 children and 50 children were selected. The working lengths of the primary teeth root canals were determined with conventional radiography and 2 apex locators (Root ZX and ProPex). These results were compared with the ideal standard using SEM. To determine the difference among means of the different methods, the Wilcoxon test was applied. To determine the accuracy of the methods with the ideal standard (SEM), the Lin interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used. RESULTS Sixty-one canals were evaluated and there were no significant difference in the 3 techniques in accuracy of determination of the working length of the canals. The most accurate method of determining the working length of the root canals in primary teeth was the Root ZX (ICC=0.72), followed by the ProPex (ICC=0.70), and the least accurate was conventional radiography (ICC=0.67). CONCLUSION The apex locators were more accurate than conventional radiography in determining the working length.
Does allergic rhinitis make a difference to the respiratory resistance and reactance of asthma?

Abstract Background: Concomitant allergic rhinitis (AR) in asthmatic patients can contribute to increased asthma exacerbations and poorer symptom control. A recent study indicated that impulse oscillometry is a more sensitive measure of change in airway function than spirometry, but this has not been used to compare asthmatic patients with or without AR. Objective: We used impulse oscillometry (Mostgraph-01) to examine the impact of AR on asthma. Methods: Impulse oscillometry and spirometry were assessed in 50 patients with asthma only and 95 patients with asthma and AR. Results: Mean age in the asthma only group was significantly higher than in the asthma with AR group. Therefore, analysis of covariance adjusted for age was used to compare between these two groups. Percentage of mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), respiratory resistance at 5 Hz (R5) minus respiratory resistance at 20 Hz (R20), and resonant frequency (Fres) in the asthma with AR group were significantly less severe than in the asthma only group. Parameters of resistance and reactance were correlated with age and body mass index only in the asthma with AR group but not in the asthma only group. Correlations were observed between rate of change of maximum mid-expiratory flow and impulse oscillometry values of R5 and Fres in the asthma only group, but not between the rate of change of FEV1 and impulse oscillometry values. Conclusion: Asthma with AR was associated with higher lung function and better values of resistance and reactance than asthma only.
Impact of early disease factors on metabolic syndrome in systemic lupus erythematosus: data from an international inception cohort

Background The metabolic syndrome (MetS) may contribute to the increased cardiovascular risk in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We examined the association between MetS and disease activity, disease phenotype and corticosteroid exposure over time in patients with SLE. Methods Recently diagnosed (<15 months) patients with SLE from 30 centres across 11 countries were enrolled into the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) Inception Cohort from 2000 onwards. Baseline and annual assessments recorded clinical, laboratory and therapeutic data. A longitudinal analysis of factors associated with MetS in the first 2 years of follow-up was performed using random effects logistic regression. Results We studied 1150 patients with a mean (SD) age of 34.9 (13.6) years and disease duration at enrolment of 24.2 (18.0) weeks. In those with complete data, MetS prevalence was 38.2% at enrolment, 34.8% at year 1 and 35.4% at year 2. In a multivariable random effects model that included data from all visits, prior MetS status, baseline renal disease, SLICC Damage Index >1, higher disease activity, increasing age and Hispanic or Black African race/ethnicity were independently associated with MetS over the first 2 years of follow-up in the cohort. Conclusions MetS is a persistent phenotype in a significant proportion of patients with SLE. Renal lupus, active inflammatory disease and damage are SLE-related factors that drive MetS development while antimalarial agents appear to be protective from early in the disease course.
Biophysics of magnetic orientation: strengthening the interface between theory and experimental design

The first demonstrations of magnetic effects on the behaviour of migratory birds and homing pigeons in laboratory and field experiments, respectively, provided evidence for the longstanding hypothesis that animals such as birds that migrate and home over long distances would benefit from possession of a magnetic sense. Subsequent identification of at least two plausible biophysical mechanisms for magnetoreception in animals, one based on biogenic magnetite and another on radical-pair biochemical reactions, led to major efforts over recent decades to test predictions of the two models, as well as efforts to understand the ultrastructure and function of the possible magnetoreceptor cells. Unfortunately, progress in understanding the magnetic sense has been challenged by: (i) the availability of a relatively small number of techniques for analysing behavioural responses to magnetic fields by animals; (ii) difficulty in achieving reproducible results using the techniques; and (iii) difficulty in development and implementation of new techniques that might bring greater experimental power. As a consequence, laboratory and field techniques used to study the magnetic sense today remain substantially unchanged, despite the huge developments in technology and instrumentation since the techniques were developed in the 1950s. New methods developed for behavioural study of the magnetic sense over the last 30 years include the use of laboratory conditioning techniques and tracking devices based on transmission of radio signals to and from satellites. Here we consider methodological developments in the study of the magnetic sense and present suggestions for increasing the reproducibility and ease of interpretation of experimental studies. We recommend that future experiments invest more effort in automating control of experiments and data capture, control of stimulation and full blinding of experiments in the rare cases where automation is impossible. We also propose new experiments to confirm whether or not animals can detect magnetic fields using the radical-pair effect together with an alternate hypothesis that may explain the dependence on light of responses by animals to magnetic field stimuli.