Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The impact of controlled electric vehicle charging on residential low voltage networks

This papers investigates the impact of electric vehicle charging on residential low-voltage networks. The analysis is based on real life data of both driving patterns and a large number of electricity networks. The focus is on comparing uncontrolled an controlled charging scenarios. The results indicate that a significant number of LV-transformers will be overloaded if no charge control is applied. Moreover, a substantial portion of LV-feeder cables will be overloaded in the case of uncontrolled charging, although much less cables are overloaded than transformers. Controlled charging of EVs can reduce the number of overloaded tranformers and cables with approximately 25 % and 8% compared to the base case scenario of 1% growth of household electricity consumption.
Impact of Norepinephrine on Regional Cerebral Oxygenation During Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

OBJECTIVES Norepinephrine is used to increase mean arterial pressure during cardiopulmonary bypass. However, it has been suggested that norepinephrine could constrict cerebral arteries, reducing cerebral blood flow. The aim of this study, therefore, was to explore whether there was an association between doses of norepinephrine to maintain mean arterial pressure at ≈80 mmHg during cardiopulmonary bypass and cerebral oxygen saturation measured using near-infrared spectroscopy. DESIGN Observational study. SETTING University hospital. PARTICIPANTS Patients undergoing cardiac surgery (n = 45) using cardiopulmonary bypass. INTERVENTIONS Norepinephrine was administered to maintain mean arterial pressure ≈80 mmHg during cardiopulmonary bypass. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS From initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass to removal of the aortic cross-clamp, norepinephrine dose, mean arterial pressure, partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide, partial pressure of arterial oxygen, hemoglobin, and pump flow values were averaged over 1 minute, giving a total of 3,460 data points entered as covariates in a linear mixed model for repeated measurements, with cerebral oxygen saturation measured using near-infrared spectroscopy as outcome. There was no statistically significant association between norepinephrine dose to maintain mean arterial pressure and cerebral oxygen saturation (p = 0.46) in this model. CONCLUSIONS Administration of norepinephrine to maintain mean arterial pressure ≈80 mmHg during cardiopulmonary bypass was not associated with statistically significant changes in cerebral oxygen saturation. These results indicated that norepinephrine could be used to increase mean arterial pressure during cardiopulmonary bypass without reducing cerebral oxygen saturation.
Diabetes and Pancreatic Cancer: Chicken or Egg?

Objectives: Although half of all patients with pancreatic cancer are diabetic at the time of diagnosis, it remains unclear whether the diabetes associated with pancreatic cancer is a cause or an effect of the malignancy. Methods: Epidemiologic studies were reviewed, the geographic prevalence of diabetes and the incidence of pancreatic cancer were examined, and clinical and laboratory studies were reviewed. Results: Long-standing diabetes increases the risk of pancreatic cancer by 40% to 100%, and recent-onset diabetes is associated with a 4- to 7-fold increase in risk, such that 1% to 2% of patients with recent-onset diabetes will develop pancreatic cancer within 3 years. Treatment of diabetes or morbid obesity decreases the risk of pancreatic cancer, and metformin therapy decreases the risk due to both its antidiabetic and antineoplastic effects. Recent-onset diabetes associated with pancreatic cancer likely represents secondary or type 3 diabetes. The discrimination of type 3 diabetes from the more prevalent type 2 diabetes may identify the high-risk subgroup of diabetic patients in whom potentially curable pancreatic cancer may be found. Conclusions: Type 2 and type 1 diabetes mellitus increase the risk of pancreatic cancer with a latency period of more than 5 years. Type 3 diabetes mellitus is an effect, and therefore a harbinger, of pancreatic cancer in at least 30% of patients.
Building damage caused by tree roots: laboratory experiments of GPR and ERT surveys

Abstract. The root growth of trees close to buildings can cause directly or indirectly structural damages and the necessity arises of diagnostic tools to follow their time-spatial behaviour. In this framework, sensing techniques as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) are of relevant interest since they allow in principle the detection and identification of roots in a fast and non invasive way. Here, we present a feasibility study of GPR and ERT by means of laboratory measurements performed in controlled conditions with a plant of peach in a sand-clay box with the aim of identifying tree root system. High resolution images were obtained with both the techniques in this homogeneous soil media and they have clearly shown the presence of soil volumes with a high density of fine and woody roots.
Altered hepatic clearance and killing of Candida albicans in the isolated perfused mouse liver model

The adherence of Candida albicans was studied in situ by using the perfused mouse liver model. After exhaustive washing, 10(6) C. albicans were infused into mouse livers. At the time of recovery, 62 +/- 5% (mean +/- standard error of the mean) of the infused C. albicans were recovered from the liver and 14 +/- 3% were recovered from the effluent for a total recovery of 76 +/- 4%. This indicates that 86 +/- 3% of the original inoculum was trapped by the liver and that 24 +/- 4% was killed within the liver. Chemical pretreatment of C. albicans with 8 M urea, 12 mM dithiothreitol, 2% beta-mercaptoethanol, 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate, 10% Triton X-100, or 3 M potassium chloride or enzyme pretreatment with alpha-mannosidase, alpha-chymotrypsin, subtilisin, beta-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, pronase, trypsin, papain, or lipase did not alter adherence of C. albicans to hepatic tissue. By contrast, pepsin pretreatment significantly decreased hepatic trapping. Simultaneous perfusion with either 100 mg of C. albicans glycoprotein per liter or 100 mg of C. albicans mannan per liter also decreased trapping. Furthermore, both substances eluted previously trapped C. albicans from hepatic tissue. Chemical pretreatment with 8 M urea, 12 mM dithiothreitol, or 3 M KCI or enzymatic pretreatment with alpha-mannosidase, subtilisin, alpha-chymotrypsin, or papain increased killing of C. albicans three- to fivefold within hepatic tissue. The data suggest that mannose-containing structures on the surface of C. albicans, for example. mannans or glucomannoproteins, mediate adherence of C. albicans within the liver. Indirectly, chemical and enzymatic pretreatment renders C. albicans more susceptible to hepatic killing.
Decreased Exploratory Activity in a Mouse Model of 15q Duplication Syndrome; Implications for Disturbance of Serotonin Signaling

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have garnered significant attention as an important grouping of developmental brain disorders. Recent genomic studies have revealed that inherited or de novo copy number variations (CNVs) are significantly involved in the pathophysiology of ASDs. In a previous report from our laboratory, we generated mice with CNVs as a model of ASDs, with a duplicated mouse chromosome 7C that is orthologous to human chromosome 15q11-13. Behavioral analyses revealed paternally duplicated (patDp/+) mice displayed abnormal behaviors resembling the symptoms of ASDs. In the present study, we extended these findings by performing various behavioral tests with C57BL/6J patDp/+ mice, and comprehensively measuring brain monoamine levels with ex vivo high performance liquid chromatography. Compared with wild-type controls, patDp/+ mice exhibited decreased locomotor and exploratory activities in the open field test, Y-maze test, and fear-conditioning test. Furthermore, their decreased activity levels overcame increased appetite induced by 24 hours of food deprivation in the novelty suppressed feeding test. Serotonin levels in several brain regions of adult patDp/+ mice were lower than those of wild-type control, with no concurrent changes in brain levels of dopamine or norepinephrine. Moreover, analysis of monoamines in postnatal developmental stages demonstrated reduced brain levels of serotonin in young patDp/+ mice. These findings suggest that a disrupted brain serotonergic system, especially during postnatal development, may generate the phenotypes of patDp/+ mice.
Kinetics of nutrient uptake by roots: responses to global change

summary There is a growing recognition that accurate predictions of plant and ecosystem responses to global change require a better understanding of the mechanisms that control acquisition of growth-limiting resources. One such key mechanism is root physiological capacity to acquire nutrients. Changes in kinetics of root nitrogen (N) uptake might influence the extent to which terrestrial ecosystems will be able to sequester excesses in carbon (C) and N loads. Despite its significant role in determining plant and ecosystem cycling of C and N, there is little information on whether, or how, root nutrient uptake responds to global change. In this review various components of global change, namely increased CO # concentration, increased soil temperature and increased atmospheric N deposition and their eects on kinetics of root nutrient uptake are examined. The response of root nutrient uptake kinetics to high CO # is highly variable. Most of this variability might be attributable to dierences in experimental protocols, but more recent evidence suggests that kinetic responses to high CO # are also species-specific. This raises the possibility that elevated CO # might alter community composition by shifting the competitive interaction of co-occurring species. Uptake of NH % + and NO $ ’ seem to be dierentially sensitive to high CO # , which could influence ecosystem trajectory toward N saturation. Increased soil temperature might increase N and P uptake capacity to a greater extent in species from warm and fluctuating soil habitats than in species from cold and stable soil environments. The few available data also indicate that increased soil temperature elicits a dierential eect on uptake of NH % + versus NO $ ’. Root uptake kinetics are generally down-regulated in response to long-term exposure to atmospheric N deposition. The extent of this down-regulation might, however, vary among species, stages of succession, land-use history and plant demand. Nonetheless, it is suggested that root N uptake kinetics might be an accurate biological indicator of the ecosystem capacity to retain N. The results reviewed here clearly highlight the scanty nature of the literature in the area of root nutrient absorption responses to global change. It is also clear that eects of one component of global change on root nutrient absorption capacity might be counterbalanced by another. Therefore, the generalizations oered here must be viewed with caution and more eort should be directed to rigorously test these initial observations in future research.
Collisions of inhomogeneous pre-planetesimals

In the framework of the coagulation scenario, kilometre-sized planetesimals form by subsequent collisions of pre-planetesimals of sizes from centimetre to hundreds of metres. Pre-planetesimals are fluffy, porous dust aggregates, which are inhomogeneous owing to their collisional history. Planetesimal growth can be prevented by catastrophic disruption in pre-planetesimal collisions above the destruction velocity threshold. We develop an inhomogeneity model based on the density distribution of dust aggregates, which is assumed to be a Gaussian distribution with a well-defined standard deviation. As a second input parameter, we consider the typical size of an inhomogeneous clump. These input parameters are easily accessible by laboratory experiments. For the simulation of the dust aggregates, we utilise a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code with extensions for modelling porous solid bodies. The porosity model was previously calibrated for the simulation of silica dust, which commonly serves as an analogue for pre-planetesimal material. The inhomogeneity is imposed as an initial condition on the SPH particle distribution. We carry out collisions of centimetre-sized dust aggregates of intermediate porosity. We vary the standard deviation of the inhomogeneous distribution at fixed typical clump size. The collision outcome is categorised according to the four-population model. We show that inhomogeneous pre-planetesimals are more prone to destruction than homogeneous aggregates. Even slight inhomogeneities can lower the threshold for catastrophic disruption. For a fixed collision velocity, the sizes of the fragments decrease with increasing inhomogeneity. Pre-planetesimals with an active collisional history tend to be weaker. This is a possible obstacle to collisional growth and needs to be taken into account in future studies of the coagulation scenario.
Prophylactic low‐level light therapy for the treatment of hypertrophic scars and keloids: A case series

Hypertrophic and keloid scars result from alterations in the wound healing process. Treating abnormal scars remains an important challenge. The aim of this case series was to investigate the effectiveness of near infrared (NIR) light emitting diode (LED) treatment as a prophylactic method to alter the wound healing process in order to avoid or attenuate the formation of hypertrophic scars or keloids.
Who are you looking at? The influence of face gender on visual attention and memory for own- and other-race faces

Previous research suggests that the own-race bias (ORB) in memory for faces is a result of other-race faces receiving less visual attention at encoding. As women typically display an own-gender bias in memory for faces and men do not, we investigated whether face gender and sex of viewer influenced visual attention and memory for own- and other-race faces, and if preferential viewing of own-race faces contributed to the ORB in memory. Participants viewed pairs of female or male own- and other-race faces while their viewing time was recorded. Afterwards, they completed a surprise memory test. We found that (1) other-race males received the initial focus of attention, (2) own-race faces were viewed longer than other-race faces over time, although the difference was larger for female faces, and (3) even though longer viewing time increased the probability of remembering a face, it did not explain the magnified ORB in memory for female faces. Importantly, these findings highlight that face gender moderates attentional responses to and memory for own- and other-race faces.
Dynamics of survival of motor neuron (SMN) protein interaction with the mRNA‐binding protein IMP1 facilitates its trafficking into motor neuron axons

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a lethal neurodegenerative disease specifically affecting spinal motor neurons. SMA is caused by the homozygous deletion or mutation of the survival of motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene. The SMN protein plays an essential role in the assembly of spliceosomal ribonucleoproteins. However, it is still unclear how low levels of the ubiquitously expressed SMN protein lead to the selective degeneration of motor neurons. An additional role for SMN in the regulation of the axonal transport of mRNA‐binding proteins (mRBPs) and their target mRNAs has been proposed. Indeed, several mRBPs have been shown to interact with SMN, and the axonal levels of few mRNAs, such as the β‐actin mRNA, are reduced in SMA motor neurons. In this study we have identified the β‐actin mRNA‐binding protein IMP1/ZBP1 as a novel SMN‐interacting protein. Using a combination of biochemical assays and quantitative imaging techniques in primary motor neurons, we show that IMP1 associates with SMN in individual granules that are actively transported in motor neuron axons. Furthermore, we demonstrate that IMP1 axonal localization depends on SMN levels, and that SMN deficiency in SMA motor neurons leads to a dramatic reduction of IMP1 protein levels. In contrast, no difference in IMP1 protein levels was detected in whole brain lysates from SMA mice, further suggesting neuron specific roles of SMN in IMP1 expression and localization. Taken together, our data support a role for SMN in the regulation of mRNA localization and axonal transport through its interaction with mRBPs such as IMP1. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 74: 319–332, 2014
Chlorophyll a Fluorescence Predicts Total Photosynthetic Electron Flow to CO(2) or NO(3)/NO(2) under Transient Conditions.

A model which predicts total photosynthetic electron flow from a linear regression of the relationship between corrected steady-state quantum yield and nonphotochemical quenching (E Weis, JA Berry [1987] Biochem Biophys Acta 894: 198-208) was formulated for N-limited cells of the green alga Selenastrum minutum. Unlike other models based on net CO(2) fixation, our model is based on total photosynthetic electron flow measured as gross O(2) evolution. This allowed for the prediction of total photosynthetic electron flow from water to both CO(2) fixation and NO(3) (-)/NO(2) (-) reduction. The linear regression equation predicting electron flow is of the form: J = I . Q(q)[0.4777-0.3282 Q(NP)] (where J = gross photosynthetic electron flow, I = incident PAR, Q(q) = photochemical quenching, Q(NP) = nonphotochemical quenching). During steady-state photosynthesis, over a range of irradiance, the model predicted a photosynthetic light saturation curve which was well correlated with that observed. Although developed under steady-state conditions, the model was tested during nonsteady-state photosynthesis induced by transient nitrogen assimilation. The model predicted transient rates of gross O(2) evolution which were in excellent agreement with the rates observed under a variety of conditions regardless of whether CO(2) or NO(3) (-)/NO(2) (-) served as the physiological electron acceptor. The fluorescence transients resulting from ammonium and nitrate assimilation are discussed with respect to metabolic demands for reductant and ATP.
Multi-Black Hole Sectors of AdS 3 Gravity

We construct and discuss solutions of SO(1,2)×SO(1,2) Chern-Simons theory which correspond to multiple BTZ black holes. These solutions typically have additional singularities, the simplest cases being special conical singularities with a 2π surplus angle. There are solutions with singularities inside a common outer horizon, and other solutions with naked conical singularities. Previously such singularities have been ruled out on physical grounds, because they do not obey the geodesic equation. We find however that the Chern-Simons gauge symmetry may be used to locate all such singularities to the horizons, where they necessarily follow geodesics. We are therefore led to conclude that these singular solutions correspond to physically sensible geometries. Boundary charges at infinity are only sensitive to the total mass and spin of the black holes, and not to the distribution among the black holes. We therefore argue that a holographic description in terms of a boundary conformal field theory should represent both single and multiple BTZ solutions with the same asymptotic charges. Then sectors with multiple black holes would contribute to the black hole entropy calculated from a boundary CFT.
Pollination mutualism between Alocasia macrorrhizos (Araceae) and two taxonomically undescribed Colocasiomyia species (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in Sabah, Borneo

Abstract Two taxonomically undescribed Colocasiomyia species were discovered from inflorescences of Alocasia macrorrhizos in Kota Kinabalu City, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia. The aims of this study were to investigate the reproductive ecology of the flies and the plant, ascertain the importance of the flies as pollinators and examine the intimate association between flowering events and life history of the flies. We conducted sampling, observations and field pollination experiments. The flies were attracted by the odour of female-phase inflorescences in the early morning on the first day of anthesis. They fed, mated and oviposited in the inflorescences for 1 day. On the second day, the flies, covered with pollen grains, left the male-phase inflorescences for the next female-phase inflorescences. The immature forms of both fly species hatched, developed and pupated within the infructescences without damaging the fruits, and developed adults emerged when the mature infructescences dehisced. The flowering events and fly behaviours were well synchronized. In field pollination experiments, inflorescences bagged with a fine mesh (insect exclusion) produced almost no fruits, whereas those bagged with a coarse mesh (bee exclusion) produced as many fruits as the open-pollinated controls. These results indicate that these flies are the most efficient and specialised pollinators for their host, A. macrorrhizos. These flies, in return, depend on A. macrorrhizos for food and habitat through most of their life cycle. This study provides a deeper insight into the less recognised, highly intimate pollination mutualism between Araceae plants and Colocasiomyia flies.
NTT SMT System 2008 at NTCIR-7

This paper describes NTT SMT System 2008 presented at the patent translation task (PAT-MT) in NTCIR-7. For PAT-MT, we submitted our strong baseline system faithfully following a hierarchical phrasebased statistical machine translation [2]. The hierarchical phrase-based SMT is based on a synchronousCFGs in which a paired source/target rules are synchronously applied starting from the initial symbol. The decoding is realized by a CYK-style bottom-up parsing on the source side with each derivation representing a translation candidate. We demonstrate the strong baseline for the PAT-MT English/Japanese translations.
Calibration method for periodic surface based chipless tags

The aim of this paper is to introduce a novel calibration method for chipless tags. The proposed tag is based on a periodic impedance surface with an asymmetric unit cell geometry. The method relies on a differential encoding of amplitude or phase of the reflected signal. The unit cell of the tag comprises several concentric loops of rectangular shape which exhibits a different response when interrogated along two orthogonal planes of incidence. The novel calibration procedure is also preliminary verified experimentally for a simple single bit tag configuration. This work opens the way to a more practical implementation of chipless tags reading.
Incidence and Seroprevalence of Hepatitis A Virus Infections among Young Korean Soldiers

This study was performed to determine the incidence and seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections in young soldiers in the Republic of Korea Army. From January 2000 through December 2004, a total of 147 hepatitis A cases were reported to the Armed Forces Medical Command. The annual incidence rates were 7.4 per 100,000 persons in 2000, 1.6 in 2001, 4.4 in 2002, 9.8 in 2003, and 6.2 in 2004, based on the reported cases among approximately 500,000 soldiers. All patients were males with a median age of 21 yr (range, 19-27). The most common symptom was nausea (86.5%), and all patients had recovered without complications. In addition, in order to evaluate the seroprevalence of HAV infection in young adults, serum samples were obtained from randomly selected young subjects among those who had been admitted to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital from September 2005 to February 2006. A total of 200 subjects were enrolled in the study to analyze the anti-HAV immune status. The overall anti-HAV IgG seropositive rate was 2% (4/200, 95% CI, 0.60-5.21%). Given the changing epidemiology of the disease and the associated increase in morbidity, it was suggested that the routine HAV vaccination for Korean military personnel might be necessary.