Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improved bounds and new techniques for Davenport--Schinzel sequences and their generalizations

We present several new results regarding λs(n), the maximum length of a Davenport--Schinzel sequence of order s on n distinct symbols. First, we prove that λs(n) ≤ n · 2(1/t! )α(n)t + O(α(n)t-1) for s ≥ 4 even, and λs(n) ≤ n · 2(1/t! )α(n)t log2 α(n) + O(α(n)t) for s≥ 3 odd, where t = ⌊(s-2)/2⌋, and α(n) denotes the inverse Ackermann function. The previous upper bounds, by Agarwal et al. [1989], had a leading coefficient of 1 instead of 1/t! in the exponent. The bounds for even s are now tight up to lower-order terms in the exponent. These new bounds result from a small improvement on the technique of Agarwal et al. More importantly, we also present a new technique for deriving upper bounds for λs(n). This new technique is very similar to the one we applied to the problem of stabbing interval chains [Alon et al. 2008]. With this new technique we: (1) re-derive the upper bound of λ3(n) ≤ 2n α(n) + O(n √α(n)) (first shown by Klazar [1999]); (2) re-derive our own new upper bounds for general s and (3) obtain improved upper bounds for the generalized Davenport--Schinzel sequences considered by Adamec et al. [1992]. Regarding lower bounds, we show that λ3(n) ≥ 2n α(n) - O(n) (the previous lower bound (Sharir and Agarwal, 1995) had a coefficient of 1/2), so the coefficient 2 is tight. We also present a simpler variant of the construction of Agarwal et al. [1989] that achieves the known lower bounds of λs(n) ≥ n · 2(1/t! ) α(n)t - O(α(n)t-1) for s ≥ 4 even.
Harmful phytoplankton ecology studies using an autonomous molecular analytical and ocean observing network

Using autonomous molecular analytical devices embedded within an ocean observatory, we studied harmful algal bloom (HAB) ecology in the dynamic coastal waters of Monterey Bay, California. During studies in 2007 and 2008, HAB species abundance and toxin concentrations were quantified periodically at two locations by Environmental Sample Processor (ESP) robotic biochemistry systems. Concurrently, environmental variability and processes were characterized by sensors co‐located with ESP network nodes, regional ocean moorings, autonomous underwater vehicle surveys, and satellite remote sensing. The two locations differed in their long‐term average physical and biological conditions and in their degree of exposure to episodic wind‐forced variability. While anomalously weak upwelling and strong stratification during the 2007 study favored toxigenic dinoflagellates (Alexandrium catenella), anomalously strong upwelling during the 2008 study favored toxigenic diatoms (Pseudo‐nitzschia spp.). During both studies, raphidophytes (Heterosigma akashiwo) were detected within a similar range of concentrations, and they reached higher abundances at the relatively sheltered, stratified site. During 2008, cellular domoic acid reached higher concentrations and was far more variable at the shallower ESP node, where phytoplankton populations were influenced by resuspended sediments. Episodic variability caused by wind forcing, lateral mixing, internal waves, and subsurface phytoplankton layers influenced ESP detection patterns. The results illustrate the importance of mobilizing HAB detection on autonomous platforms that can intelligently target sample acquisition as a function of environmental conditions and biological patch encounter.
Effect of Reserved Texture on Mechanical Properties of Cold Drawn Pearlitic Steel Wire

In this paper, pearlitic steel wire with/without reserved texture were investigated with the help of mechanical test system, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and XRD. Experimental result shows that: Tensile strength of two wire are almost same. After cold drawn tensile strength of wire with reserved texture are higher than tensile strength of the without one. Before cold drawn, two wires have same microstructure of isometric pearlite and after drawing the wire with reserved texture has less shear deformed pearlitic colony. Intensity of <110> fiber texture in the wire with reserved texture are stronger than the without one at all strains. The stronger <110> texture mean the orientation of α-ferrite lamella were more closely and improve working hardening rate of pearlitic wire.
High-Strain-Rate Deformation: Mechanical Behavior and Deformation Substructures Induced

The influence of increasing strain rate on the mechanical behavior and deformation substructures in metals and alloys that deform predominately by slip is very similar to that seen following quasi-static deformation at increasingly lower temperatures or due to a decrease in stacking-fault energy (γsf). Deformation at higher rates (a) produces more uniform dislocation distributions for the same amount of strain, (b) hinders the formation of discrete dislocation cells, (c) decreases cell size, and (d) increases misorientation, with more dislocations trapped within cell interiors. The suppression of thermally activated dislocation processes in this regime can lead to stresses high enough to activate and grow deformation twins even in high-stacking-fault-energy, face-centered-cubic metals. In this review, examples of the high-strain-rate mechanical behavior and the deformation substructure evolution observed in a range of materials following high and shock-loading strain rates are presented and compared with .
Phase II Study of Temozolomide and Concomitant Whole-Brain Radiotherapy in Patients with Brain Metastases from Solid Tumors

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and possible toxicity of the combination of temozolomide (TMZ) with whole-brain irradiation (WBI) in the treatment of brain metastases from solid tumors. Patients and Methods: 33 patients with brain metastases were included in the study and treated with TMZ 60 mg/m2/day (days 1-16) concomitantly with WBI (36 Gy/12 fractions given in 16 days). One month after the end of radiotherapy, 6 cycles of TMZ were administered as adjuvant treatment (200 mg/m2/day for 5 consecutive days every 28 days). Results: Responses were assessed using computed tomography at the end of the 3rd and 6th cycle of chemotherapy. The objective response rate was 54.5% and 57.6% after the 3rd and the 6th cycle, respectively. The median overall survival was 12 months. In patients with metastases from lung cancer the objective response rate was 11/14 (78.6%) after both the 3rd and the 6th cycle of treatment. The most common side effects were anemia (24.2%), thrombocytopenia (18.2%), as well as nausea and vomiting (18.2%). The high incidence of hepatotoxicity (45.5%) might be related to concomitantly administered antiepileptic drugs and not to TMZ. Conclusion: WBI combined with TMZ as concomitant and adjuvant treatment is effective in treating brain metastases, with acceptable mild side effects.
Why Catalan-Spanish Neural Machine Translation? Analysis, comparison and combination with standard Rule and Phrase-based technologies

Catalan and Spanish are two related languages given that both derive from Latin. They share similarities in several linguistic levels including morphology, syntax and semantics. This makes them particularly interesting for the MT task. Given the recent appearance and popularity of neural MT, this paper analyzes the performance of this new approach compared to the well-established rule-based and phrase-based MT systems. Experiments are reported on a large database of 180 million words. Results, in terms of standard automatic measures, show that neural MT clearly outperforms the rule-based and phrase-based MT system on in-domain test set, but it is worst in the out-of-domain test set. A naive system combination specially works for the latter. In-domain manual analysis shows that neural MT tends to improve both adequacy and fluency, for example, by being able to generate more natural translations instead of literal ones, choosing to the adequate target word when the source word has several translations and improving gender agreement. However, out-of-domain manual analysis shows how neural MT is more affected by unknown words or contexts.
Trichinella spiralis‐secreted products modulate DC functionality and expand regulatory T cells in vitro

Helminths and their products can suppress the host immune response which may benefit parasite survival. Trichinella spiralis can establish chronic infections in a wide range of mammalian hosts including humans and mice. Here, we aim at studying the effect of T. spiralis muscle larvae excretory/secretory products (TspES) on the functionality of DC and T cell activation. We found that TspES suppress in vitro DC maturation induced by both S‐ and R‐form lipopolysaccharide(LPS) from enterobacteria. Using different toll‐like receptor (TLR) agonists, we show that the suppressive effect of TspES on DC maturation is restricted to TLR4. These helminth products also interfere with the expression of several genes related to the TLR‐mediated signal transduction pathways. To investigate the effect of TspES on T cell activation, we used splenocytes derived from OVA‐TCR transgenic D011.10 that were incubated with OVA and TspES‐pulsed DC. Results indicate that the presence of TspES resulted in the expansion of CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ T cells. These regulatory T (Treg) cells were shown to have suppressive activity and to produce TGF‐β. Together these results suggest that T. spiralis secretion products can suppress DC maturation and induce the expansion of functional Treg cells in vitro.
Enhancing Economic Sustainability by Markdown Money Supply Contracts in the Fashion Industry: China vs U.S.A

Supply chain contracts, such as the markdown money policy (MMP), are commonly adopted in the fashion industry. In this paper, we explore how fashion companies can use MMP to enhance economic sustainability from the cross-cultural perspective. We conduct case studies on two fashion firms (suppliers), one from China and one from U.S.A. , that are adopting MMP in their respective supply chains. Via semi-structured interviews with staff members and some public data searching of the target companies, we find that the cultural factors, such as power distance and collectivism/individualism, affect contract selection, contract management, supplier–retailer leadership, and supplier–retailer relationship. We use the Hofstede’s national cultural dimensions theory to explain our insights. Specifically, in China, a country with a relatively high degree of power distance and collectivism, the companies tend to care more about the group interest and loyalty. The Chinese fashion companies are more willing to play the leading role in managing the relationships with their retailers, and offer MMP to them. In the U.S.A. , a country with a relatively low degree of power distance and individualism, the companies are more likely to emphasize their own interest in trading. In fact, we find that American fashion suppliers tend to bargain with their retailers, and they are less willing to proactively provide the markdown money as a sponsor. Finally, managerial implications are provided, and several future challenges on MMP are examined.
Augmented surfaces: a spatially continuous work space for hybrid computing environments

This paper describes our design and implementation of a computeraugmented environment that allows users to smoothly interchangedigital information among their portable computers, table and walldisplays, and other physical objects. Supported by a camera-basedobject recognition system, users can easily integrate theirportable computers with the pre-installed ones in the environment.Users can use displays projected on tables and walls as a spatiallycontinuous extension of their portable computers. Using aninteraction technique called hyperdragging, users can transferinformation from one computer to another, by only knowing thephysical relationship between them. We also provide a mechanism forattaching digital data to physical objects, such as a videotape ora document folder, to link physical and digital spaces.
The ATP Synthase atpHAGDC(F1) Operon from Rhodobacter capsulatus

ABSTRACT The atpHAGDC operon of Rhodobacter capsulatus, containing the five genes coding for the F1 sector of the ATP synthase, has been cloned and sequenced. The promoter region has been defined by primer extension analysis. It was not possible to obtain viable cells carryingatp deletions in the R. capsulatus chromosome, indicating that genes coding for ATP synthase are essential, at least under the growth conditions tested. We were able to circumvent this problem by combining gene transfer agent transduction with conjugation. This method represents an easy way to construct strains carrying mutations in indispensable genes.
Membrane Distillation of Human Plasma Ultrafiltrate and its Theoretical Applications to Haemodialysis Techniques

Membrane Distillation (MD) is a technique that allows the extraction of water from aqueous solutions. The basic principle is that vapour, but not liquid water, can pass through hydrophobic micro-porous membranes, along a temperature gradient, with consequent separation of water from solutes. In this study we evaluated the possibility to utilise MD to extract water from Plasma Ultrafiltrate (PU) of patients with Chronic Renal Failure (CRF). The experiments were carried out in vitro by a hydro-phobic polypropylene hollow-fibre distillation module; PU was obtained by a CRF patient utilising a high permeability polisulphone membrane. The results show that water can be extracted by MD from PU of CRF subjects at a constant rate and that none of the substances analysed in PU was able to pass through the polypropilene membrane. In the future MD could integrate extra-corporeal blood purification techniques allowing the re-utilisation of plasmatic water thus ameliorating the treatment of uraemia.
Economics of nuclear power and climate change mitigation policies

The events of March 2011 at the nuclear power complex in Fukushima, Japan, raised questions about the safe operation of nuclear power plants, with early retirement of existing nuclear power plants being debated in the policy arena and considered by regulators. Also, the future of building new nuclear power plants is highly uncertain. Should nuclear power policies become more restrictive, one potential option for climate change mitigation will be less available. However, a systematic analysis of nuclear power policies, including early retirement, has been missing in the climate change mitigation literature. We apply an energy economy model framework to derive scenarios and analyze the interactions and tradeoffs between these two policy fields. Our results indicate that early retirement of nuclear power plants leads to discounted cumulative global GDP losses of 0.07% by 2020. If, in addition, new nuclear investments are excluded, total losses will double. The effect of climate policies imposed by an intertemporal carbon budget on incremental costs of policies restricting nuclear power use is small. However, climate policies have much larger impacts than policies restricting the use of nuclear power. The carbon budget leads to cumulative discounted near term reductions of global GDP of 0.64% until 2020. Intertemporal flexibility of the carbon budget approach enables higher near-term emissions as a result of increased power generation from natural gas to fill the emerging gap in electricity supply, while still remaining within the overall carbon budget. Demand reductions and efficiency improvements are the second major response strategy.
Network Models of TEM β-Lactamase Mutations Coevolving under Antibiotic Selection Show Modular Structure and Anticipate Evolutionary Trajectories

Understanding how novel functions evolve (genetic adaptation) is a critical goal of evolutionary biology. Among asexual organisms, genetic adaptation involves multiple mutations that frequently interact in a non-linear fashion (epistasis). Non-linear interactions pose a formidable challenge for the computational prediction of mutation effects. Here we use the recent evolution of β-lactamase under antibiotic selection as a model for genetic adaptation. We build a network of coevolving residues (possible functional interactions), in which nodes are mutant residue positions and links represent two positions found mutated together in the same sequence. Most often these pairs occur in the setting of more complex mutants. Focusing on extended-spectrum resistant sequences, we use network-theoretical tools to identify triple mutant trajectories of likely special significance for adaptation. We extrapolate evolutionary paths (n = 3) that increase resistance and that are longer than the units used to build the network (n = 2). These paths consist of a limited number of residue positions and are enriched for known triple mutant combinations that increase cefotaxime resistance. We find that the pairs of residues used to build the network frequently decrease resistance compared to their corresponding singlets. This is a surprising result, given that their coevolution suggests a selective advantage. Thus, β-lactamase adaptation is highly epistatic. Our method can identify triplets that increase resistance despite the underlying rugged fitness landscape and has the unique ability to make predictions by placing each mutant residue position in its functional context. Our approach requires only sequence information, sufficient genetic diversity, and discrete selective pressures. Thus, it can be used to analyze recent evolutionary events, where coevolution analysis methods that use phylogeny or statistical coupling are not possible. Improving our ability to assess evolutionary trajectories will help predict the evolution of clinically relevant genes and aid in protein design.
2012 International Conference on Lightning Protection ( ICLP ) , Vienna , Austria Comparison of Circuit Models for the Simulation of Soil Ionization

The main characteristic of the transient behaviour of a grounding system is the decrease of the soil resistivity and consequently of the grounding impedance, due to soil ionization phenomena that take place, when the density of the injected current exceeds a critical value. In this paper two circuit models proposed by researchers have been implemented using the ATP/EMTP programme in order to simulate the transient response of a grounding system taking soil ionization into account. The simulation results are compared to measurements received by imposing impulse voltages on soil samples. The accuracy of each model is evaluated according to the level of proximity to the oscillogramms and conclusions are drawn about the effectiveness of each modeling approach. Keywords-transient response; soil ionization; equivalent circuit; simulation I. IONIZATION CIRCUIT MODELS Measurements with high impulse voltages applied by Nor et al. [1] on soil samples yielded current waveforms with two peak values. This led to the formation of an equivalent circuit that consists of two parallel branches representing the preionization and post-ionization stages respectively, as shown in Fig. 1 [1]. The pre-ionization resistance R1 expresses the conduction behaviour related to the thermal effects and their interaction with the properties and structure of the soil. The post-ionization resistance R2 accounts for the final state of conduction after the ionization procedure has reached its full extent of expansion and is therefore always lower than the preionization resistance R1. The resistance values R1 and R2 are calculated using the two peak currents and their corresponding instantaneous voltages as in equations (1) and (2). The inductance element L introduces the required time delay for the expansion of the ionization zone. 1 1 1 peak Ipeak I V R  (1) 2 2 2 peak Ipeak I V R  (2) Figure 1. The ionization circuit proposed by Nor et al. [1] Based on experimental I-V curves Kalat, Loboda et al. proposed the dynamic sand surge conduction model depicted in Fig. 2 [2]. The soil conductance for small current values is taken into account by the linear elements gLDC and gLAC. The looped shape of the curve is interpreted by a non-linear conductance gN which is described by the steady state characteristic (3) and the differential equation (4).
THE PHLOGISTIC ROLE OF C3 LEUKOTACTIC FRAGMENTS IN MYOCARDIAL INFARCTS OF RATS

An improved method is described for extraction from rat myocardium of an enzyme that cleaves the third component of complement (C3) into leukotactic fragments. Direct cleavage of C3 has been shown by the use of a radiolabeled preparation of human C3. The enzyme elutes slightly beyond (retarded to) an albumin marker in gel filtration. After surgical ligation of a coronary artery, leukotactic activity can be extracted from infarcted rat myocardium. Described in terms of its time of appearance in infarcted tissue, the leukotactic activity has been identified as cleavage products of rat C3. The C3 fragments are of low molecular weight and heterogenous in size. Rats, if treated with the C3 inactivator (isolated from cobra venom) so as to ablate serum C3, fail to develop leukotactic activity in the infarcted myocardium. In turn, few if any of the usual intense accumulations of neutrophils in response to infected myocardium are seen during the first 48 hr after coronary artery ligation. These studies suggest a nonimmunologic role for C3 in the mediation of the acute inflammatory response in nonspecific tissue injury.
NR‐grep: a fast and flexible pattern‐matching tool

We present nrgrep (‘non‐deterministic reverse grep’), a new pattern‐matching tool designed for efficient search of complex patterns. Unlike previous tools of the grep family, such as agrep and Gnu grep, nrgrep is based on a single and uniform concept: the bit‐parallel simulation of a non‐deterministic suffix automaton. As a result, nrgrep can find from simple patterns to regular expressions, exactly or allowing errors in the matches, with an efficiency that degrades smoothly as the complexity of the searched pattern increases. Another concept that is fully integrated into nrgrep and that contributes to this smoothness is the selection of adequate subpatterns for fast scanning, which is also absent in many current tools. We show that the efficiency of nrgrep is similar to that of the fastest existing string‐matching tools for the simplest patterns, and is by far unmatched for more complex patterns. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Unexpected Dual Task Benefits on Cycling in Parkinson Disease and Healthy Adults: A Neuro-Behavioral Model

Background When performing two tasks at once, a dual task, performance on one or both tasks typically suffers. People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) usually experience larger dual task decrements on motor tasks than healthy older adults (HOA). Our objective was to investigate the decrements in cycling caused by performing cognitive tasks with a range of difficulty in people with PD and HOAs. Methods Twenty-eight participants with Parkinson’s disease and 20 healthy older adults completed a baseline cycling task with no secondary tasks and then completed dual task cycling while performing 12 tasks from six cognitive domains representing a wide range of difficulty. Results Cycling was faster during dual task conditions than at baseline, and was significantly faster for six tasks (all p<.02) across both groups. Cycling speed improved the most during the easiest cognitive tasks, and cognitive performance was largely unaffected. Cycling improvement was predicted by task difficulty (p<.001). People with Parkinson’s disease cycled slower (p<.03) and showed reduced dual task benefits (p<.01) than healthy older adults. Conclusions Unexpectedly, participants’ motor performance improved during cognitive dual tasks, which cannot be explained in current models of dual task performance. To account for these findings, we propose a model integrating dual task and acute exercise approaches which posits that cognitive arousal during dual tasks increases resources to facilitate motor and cognitive performance, which is subsequently modulated by motor and cognitive task difficulty. This model can explain both the improvement observed on dual tasks in the current study and more typical dual task findings in other studies.