Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distributed algorithm and reversible network

Motivated to design a feasible optical network architecture for the future Internet, we address the question of scheduling (wavelength assignment) in an optical network. The key challenge in designing a scheduling algorithm lies in solving a combinatorial optimization problem under very stringent distributed constraints. Specifically, given R random variables x1,. , xR taking integer values, each variable is required to find its assignment so that collectively they maximize SigmarWrxr subject to some linear constraints that Ax les C. In doing so, each variable can only avail of two pieces of information (and nothing else): one, its own weight Wr, two, given its current values (and the values of other variables being unknown), can it increase it by +1 or not. As the main result of this paper, we present a randomized algorithm that solves this problem. Our algorithm builds upon classical theory of reversible networks. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such algorithm for such a stringent distributed problem.
Interactive presentation: Reliability-aware system synthesis

Increasing reliability is one of the most important design goals for current and future embedded systems. In this paper, we will put focus on the design phase in which reliability constitutes one of several competing design objectives. Existing approaches considered the simultaneous optimization of reliability with other objectives to be too extensive. Hence, they firstly design a system, secondly analyze the system for reliability and finally exchange critical parts or introduce redundancy in order to satisfy given reliability constraints or optimize reliability. Unfortunately, this may lead to suboptimal designs concerning other design objectives. Here, we will present a) a novel approach that considers reliability with all other design objectives simultaneously, b) an evaluation technique that is able to perform a quantitative analysis in reasonable time even for real-world applications, and c) experimental results showing the effectiveness of our approach.
On the Complexity of the Saccharomyces bayanus Taxon: Hybridization and Potential Hybrid Speciation

Although the genus Saccharomyces has been thoroughly studied, some species in the genus has not yet been accurately resolved; an example is S. bayanus, a taxon that includes genetically diverse lineages of pure and hybrid strains. This diversity makes the assignation and classification of strains belonging to this species unclear and controversial. They have been subdivided by some authors into two varieties (bayanus and uvarum), which have been raised to the species level by others. In this work, we evaluate the complexity of 46 different strains included in the S. bayanus taxon by means of PCR-RFLP analysis and by sequencing of 34 gene regions and one mitochondrial gene. Using the sequence data, and based on the S. bayanus var. bayanus reference strain NBRC 1948, a hypothetical pure S. bayanus was reconstructed for these genes that showed alleles with similarity values lower than 97% with the S. bayanus var. uvarum strain CBS 7001, and of 99–100% with the non S. cerevisiae portion in S. pastorianus Weihenstephan 34/70 and with the new species S. eubayanus. Among the S. bayanus strains under study, different levels of homozygosity, hybridization and introgression were found; however, no pure S. bayanus var. bayanus strain was identified. These S. bayanus hybrids can be classified into two types: homozygous (type I) and heterozygous hybrids (type II), indicating that they have been originated by different hybridization processes. Therefore, a putative evolutionary scenario involving two different hybridization events between a S. bayanus var. uvarum and unknown European S. eubayanus-like strains can be postulated to explain the genomic diversity observed in our S. bayanus var. bayanus strains.
Depth-dependent flow and pressure characteristics in cortical microvascular networks

A better knowledge of the flow and pressure distribution in realistic microvascular networks is needed for improving our understanding of neurovascular coupling mechanisms and the related measurement techniques. Here, numerical simulations with discrete tracking of red blood cells (RBCs) are performed in three realistic microvascular networks from the mouse cerebral cortex. Our analysis is based on trajectories of individual RBCs and focuses on layer-specific flow phenomena until a cortical depth of 1 mm. The individual RBC trajectories reveal that in the capillary bed RBCs preferentially move in plane. Hence, the capillary flow field shows laminar patterns and a layer-specific analysis is valid. We demonstrate that for RBCs entering the capillary bed close to the cortical surface (< 400 μm) the largest pressure drop takes place in the capillaries (37%), while for deeper regions arterioles are responsible for 61% of the total pressure drop. Further flow characteristics, such as capillary transit time or RBC velocity, also vary significantly over cortical depth. Comparison of purely topological characteristics with flow-based ones shows that a combined interpretation of topology and flow is indispensable. Our results provide evidence that it is crucial to consider layer-specific differences for all investigations related to the flow and pressure distribution in the cortical vasculature. These findings support the hypothesis that for an efficient oxygen up-regulation at least two regulation mechanisms must be playing hand in hand, namely cerebral blood flow increase and microvascular flow homogenization. However, the contribution of both regulation mechanisms to oxygen up-regulation likely varies over depth.
Neurotensin in the posterior thalamic paraventricular nucleus: inhibitor of pharmacologically relevant ethanol drinking

Individuals prone to ethanol overconsumption may have preexisting neurochemical disturbances that contribute to their vulnerability. This study examined the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT), a limbic structure recently shown to participate in ethanol intake. To identify individuals prone to ethanol overconsumption, we tested Long–Evans rats in behavioral paradigms and found high levels of vertical time (rearing behavior) in a novel activity chamber to be a consistent predictor of subsequent excessive 20 percent ethanol drinking under the intermittent access model. Examining neurochemicals in the PVT, we found before ethanol exposure that prone rats with high rearing, compared with non‐prone rats, had significantly lower levels of neurotensin (NTS) mRNA and peptide in the posterior (pPVT) but not anterior (aPVT) subregion of the PVT. Our additional finding that ethanol intake has no significant impact on either rearing or NTS levels indicates that these measures, which are different in prone rats before ethanol consumption, remain stable after ethanol consumption. The possibility that NTS directly controls ethanol drinking is supported by our finding that NTS administration specifically suppresses ethanol drinking when injected into the pPVT but not aPVT, with this effect occurring exclusively in higher drinkers that presumably have lower endogenous levels of NTS. Further, an NTS antagonist in the pPVT augments intake in lower drinkers with presumably more endogenous NTS, while NTS in the pPVT inhibits novelty‐induced rearing that predicts excessive drinking. Together, these results provide strong evidence that low endogenous levels of NTS in the pPVT contribute to an increased propensity toward excessive ethanol drinking.
A new instrument for stable isotope measurements of 13 C and 18 O in CO 2 – instrument performance and ecological application of the Delta Ray IRIS analyzer

We used the recently developed Delta Ray Isotope Ratio Infrared Spectrometer (IRIS) to continuously measure the CO 2 concentration c and its isotopic composition δ 13 C and δ 18 O in a managed beech forest in Central Germany. Our objectives are (a) to characterize the Delta Ray IRIS and its performance under field conditions and (b) to quantify the seasonal variability of c , δ 13 C, δ 18 O and the isotopic composition of CO 2 exchange ( R eco 13 C and R eco 18 O) derived from nighttime Keeling-Plot intercepts. The minimal Allan deviation (as a measure of precision) was below 0.01 ppm for the CO 2 concentration and below 0.03 ‰ for both delta values. For repeated measurements of a target gas, the long-term standard deviation from the mean value was 0.2 ppm for c and below 0.3 ‰ for both delta values. The accuracy based on our calibration setup was approximately 0.45 ppm for c , 0.1 ‰ for δ 13 C and 0.6 ‰ for delta 18 O. We used measurements of nine different inlet heights in the beech forest, to evaluate the isotopic compositions of respiration R eco 13 C and R eco 18 O in a three months measurement campaign in autumn 2015. During this period, an early snow and frost event occurred, coinciding with a change in the observed characteristics of both R eco 13 C and R eco 18 O . Before the first snow, R_eco 13 C correlated significantly (Pearson correlation coefficient r pear = 0.55 and corresponding critical value r crit a 0.38 for α = 0.005) with time-lagged net radiation R n , a driver of photosynthesis and photosynthetic discrimination against 13 C. This correlation became insignificant after the first snow. For 18 O, we measured a decrease of 30 ‰ within 10 days in R eco 18 O after the snow event potentially reflecting the influence of 18 O depleted snow on soil moisture. This decrease was ten times larger than the corresponding decrease in delta 18 O in ambient CO 2 (below 3 ‰) and took three times longer to recover (three weeks vs. one week). In summary, we conclude that 1) the new Delta Ray IRIS with its internal calibration procedure provides an opportunity to precisely and accurately measure c, delta 13 C and delta 18 O at field sites and 2) even short snow or frost events could have strong effects on the isotopic composition of CO 2 exchange at ecosystem scale.
Quantum Tests of the Foundations of General Relativity

A new test theory for describing tests of fundamental principles of Special and General Relativity is presented. Using a generalised Pauli equation which may be based on a generalised Dirac equation, possible violations of local Lorentz invariance and local position invariance on the quantum level are described. On the quantum level there are more possibilities to violate these principles than on the classical level. The corresponding terms can be tested by Hughes–Drever type experiments or by atom interferometry. It is proposed that an atom interferometric test of Local Position Invariance will give a three order improvement of existing estimates.
Active and intelligent packaging: The indication of quality and safety

ABSTRACT The food industry has been under growing pressure to feed an exponentially increasing world population and challenged to meet rigorous food safety law and regulation. The plethora of media consumption has provoked consumer demand for safe, sustainable, organic, and wholesome products with “clean” labels. The application of active and intelligent packaging has been commercially adopted by food and pharmaceutical industries as a solution for the future for extending shelf life and simplifying production processes; facilitating complex distribution logistics; reducing, if not eliminating the need for preservatives in food formulations; enabling restricted food packaging applications; providing convenience, improving quality, variety and marketing features; as well as providing essential information to ensure consumer safety. This chapter reviews innovations of active and intelligent packaging which advance packaging technology through both scavenging and releasing systems for shelf life extension, and through diagnostic and identification systems for communicating quality, tracking and brand protection.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE RACIAL DIFFERENCES ON MMPI-2 PROFILES OF INCARCERATED WOMEN

THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES AN EXAMINATION OF THE RACIAL DIFFERENCES ON MMPI-2 PROFILES OF INCARCERATED WOMEN By YEZZENNYA CASTRO A Thesis submitted to the Department of Psychology In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Science Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2004
Excessive Iodine Status among School-Age Children in Korea: A First Report

Background Korea is considered an iodine sufficient country, and several studies have been conducted regarding iodine status in healthy Korean adults, pregnant women, and preschool children. However, data on iodine status in Korean school-age children are lacking. Therefore, the iodine nutrition status of Korean school-age children was investigated by measuring urine iodine concentration (UIC). Methods This cross-sectional study conducted between April and September 2016 comprised 373 school-age children. UIC was determined using a modified microplate method employing ammonium persulfate digestion followed by Sandell-Kolthoff reaction. Results The median UIC was 458.2 µg/L. Excessive iodine intake (>300 µg/L) was found in 286 children (76.7%), with extremely high values exceeding 1,000 µg/L in 19.6% of subjects. Insufficient iodine intake (<100 µg/L) was observed in eight children (2.1%). UIC values were not significantly different between sexes. Conclusion Korean school-age children showed excessive iodine intake. Therefore, education regarding adequate iodine intake in school-age children is needed.
Teacher Quality Moderates the Genetic Effects on Early Reading

Reading Influences and Achievement When it comes to learning to read, children are immersed in a variety of influences. Debate rages over what aspects are affected and what importance to attribute to genetic influences, the effect of good teaching, the tools used, the family environment, and so on. Taylor et al. (p. 512) analyzed reading achievement from kindergarten through to fifth grade in mono- and dizygotic twins from a diverse population. The results show that better teachers allow children to fulfill their genetic potential. Good teachers allow children to achieve their genetic potential; poor teachers do not. Children’s reading achievement is influenced by genetics as well as by family and school environments. The importance of teacher quality as a specific school environmental influence on reading achievement is unknown. We studied first‑ and second‑grade students in Florida from schools representing diverse environments. Comparison of monozygotic and dizygotic twins, differentiating genetic similarities of 100% and 50%, provided an estimate of genetic variance in reading achievement. Teacher quality was measured by how much reading gain the non‑twin classmates achieved. The magnitude of genetic variance associated with twins’ oral reading fluency increased as the quality of their teacher increased. In circumstances where the teachers are all excellent, the variability in student reading achievement may appear to be largely due to genetics. However, poor teaching impedes the ability of children to reach their potential.
Modeling the tool wear rate in powder mixed electro-discharge machining of titanium alloys using dimensional analysis of cryogenically treated electrodes and workpiece

Three grades of titanium alloy TITAN 15, TITAN 21, and TITAN 31 were machined using powder mixed electric discharge machining to study the effect of cryogenic treatment and its effect on tool wear rate (TWR). Thereafter, an attempt has been made to develop a mathematical model for predicting TWR using dimensional analysis using the outcome of the Taguchi model and thermo-physical properties of tool materials. The model shows the significant role of thermal conductivity on TWR in electric discharge machining of titanium alloys. The predicted values from the developed mathematical model were validated and were found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. Microscopic investigations on selected tool samples were performed using scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer, and X-ray diffraction. The results showed transfer of material on the tool surface from the workpiece, dielectric, and the powder.
Excipients used in lyophilization of small molecules

This review deals with the excipients used in various lyophilized formulations of small molecules. Role of excipients like bulking agent, buffering agent, tonicity modifier, antimicrobial agents, surfactants and co-solvents has been discussed. Also, a decision making process for their incorporation into the formulation matrix has been proposed. A list of ingredients used in lyophilized formulations marketed in USA has been created based on survey of physician desk reference (PDR) and the handbook on injectable drugs. Information on the recommended quantities of various excipients has been provided, based on the details given in the Inactive Ingredient Guide (IIG).
ntrepreneurship and income inequality

Entrepreneurship research highlights entrepreneurship as a simultaneous source of enhanced income mobility for some but a potential source of poverty for others. Research on inequality has furthered new types of models to decompose and problematize various sources of income inequality, but attention to entrepreneurship as an increasingly prevalent occupational choice in these models remains scant. This paper seeks to bridge these two literatures using regression-based income decomposition among entrepreneurs and paid workers distinguishing between self-employed (SE) and incorporated self-employed (ISE) individuals in Sweden. We find that the proportion of self-employed in the workforce increases income dispersion by way of widening the bottom end of the distribution, whereas the proportion of incorporated self-employed contributes to income dispersion at the top end of the distribution. Implications for research are discussed. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Blocking PI3K/AKT signaling inhibits bone sclerosis in subchondral bone and attenuates post‐traumatic osteoarthritis

PI3K/AKT signaling is essential in regulating pathophysiology of osteoarthritis (OA). However, its potential modulatory role in early OA progression has not been investigated yet. Here, a mouse destabilization OA model in the tibia was used to investigate roles of PI3K/AKT signaling in the early subchondral bone changes and OA pathological process. We revealed a significant increase in PI3K/AKT signaling activation which was associated with aberrant bone formation in tibial subchondral bone following destabilizing the medial meniscus (DMM), which was effectively prevented by treatment with PI3K/AKT signaling inhibitor LY294002. PI3K/AKT signaling inhibition attenuated articular cartilage degeneration. Serum and bone biochemical analyses revealed increased levels of MMP‐13, which was found expressed mainly by osteoblastic cells in subchondral bone. However, this MMP‐13 induction was attenuated by LY294002 treatment. Furthermore, PI3K/AKT signaling was found to enhance preosteoblast proliferation, differentiation, and expression of MMP‐13 by activating NF‐κB pathway. In conclusion, inhibition of PI3K/AKT/NF‐κB axis was able to prevent aberrant bone formation and attenuate cartilage degeneration in OA mice.
Proscriptive vs. Prescriptive Health Recommendations to Drink Alcohol Within Recommended Limits: Effects on Moral Norms, Reactance, Attitudes, Intentions and Behaviour Change

Aims Health advice can be framed in terms of prescriptive rules (what people should do, e.g. you should drink alcohol within recommended limits) or proscriptive rules (what people should not do, e.g. you should not drink alcohol above recommended limits). The current research examines the differing effect that these two types of injunction have on participants' moral norms, reactance, attitudes and intentions to consume alcohol within moderation, and their subsequent alcohol consumption. Methods Participants (N = 529) completed an online questionnaire which asked them to report their previous 7 days' alcohol consumption. They then read either a proscriptive or a prescriptive health message and completed measures of moral norms, reactance, attitudes and intentions to drink alcohol only within recommended limits. Subsequent alcohol consumption was reported 7 days later. Results The results showed that across all participants, the proscriptive message elicited stronger moral norms than did the prescriptive message, which in turn were associated with more positive attitudes and intentions to drink within recommended limits. For male participants who reported drinking more alcohol than recommended at baseline, the proscriptive message elicited more reported alcohol consumption over the subsequent 7 days. Conclusions Proscriptive messages may be effective at eliciting stronger moral norms to drink within government recommended guidelines. However, reactance may occur for high relevance groups. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.
The impact of lifestyle factors on age-related differences in hair trace element content in pregnant women in the third trimester.

BACKGROUND Trace elements play a significant role in the regulation of human reproduction, while advanced age may have a significant impact on trace element metabolism. The objective of the present study was to assess the impact of lifestyle factors on age-related differences in hair trace element content in pregnant women in the third trimester. METHODS A total of 124 pregnant women aged 20–29 (n = 72) and 30–39 (n = 52) were ex- amined. Scalp hair trace element content was assessed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry at NexION 300D (Perkin Elmer, USA) after microwave digestion. RESULTS The results showed that the elder pregnant women had 36% (p = 0.009), 14% (p = 0.045), and 45% (p = 0.044) lower hair Zn, V, and Cd content, and 16% (p = 0.044) higher hair B levels – in comparison to the respective younger group values. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the age of the women had a significant influence on hair V and Zn levels. B content was also significantly influenced by age at first intercourse, smoking status, and specific dietary habits. None of the lifestyle factors were associated with hair Cd content in pregnant women. Hair V levels were also affected by following a special diet. Interestingly, alcohol intake did not have a significant impact on hair trace element content. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that lifestyle factors have a significant influence on age-related changes in hair trace elements during pregnancy that may impact the outcome of pregnancy.