Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Partitioning graphs into balanced components

We consider the k-balanced partitioning problem, where the goal is to partition the vertices of an input graph G into k equally sized components, while minimizing the total weight of the edges connecting different components. We allow k to be part of the input and denote the cardinality of the vertex set by n. This problem is a natural and important generalization of well-known graph partitioning problems, including minimum bisection and minimum balanced cut. We present a (bi-criteria) approximation algorithm achieving an approximation of O(√log n log k), which matches or improves over previous algorithms for all relevant values of k. Our algorithm uses a semidefinite relaxation which combines l22 metrics with spreading metrics. Surprisingly, we show that the integrality gap of the semidefinite relaxation is Ω(log k) even for large values of k (e.g., k = nΩ(1), implying that the dependence on k of the approximation factor is necessary. This is in contrast to previous approximation algorithms for k-balanced partitioning, which are based on linear programming relaxations and their approximation factor is independent of k.
Performance of sinking and nonsinking phytoplankton taxa in a gradient of mixing depths

According to a recent dynamical model, the depth of a well‐mixed water column should have contrasting effects on the abundances of sinking and nonsinking phytoplankton taxa. Because of increasing light limitation, nonsinking taxa should decline monotonically with increasing mixing depth, and because of sinking loss limitation at low mixing depths, sinking taxa should peak at intermediate mixing depths. Along a gradient of mixing depths, the position of this maximum should increase with increasing taxon‐specific sinking velocity and decrease with increasing background turbidity. In two field‐enclosure experiments, we investigated the effects of mixing depth and background turbidity on a variety of sinking and nonsinking phytoplankton taxa. We exposed the natural, 100‐µm screened phytoplankton community of a clear, unproductive, but silica‐rich lake to a gradient of mixing depths (1.5‐ 15 m) during 4–6 weeks. To mimic two different background turbidities, the transparent enclosure walls were surrounded by either white or black foliage. Although diatoms suffered from high sedimentation losses at low mixing depths, they dominated biomass at all mixing depths throughout both experiments. Results were largely in accordance with model predictions. Specific gross growth rates of most common taxa were negatively related to mixing depth. In both experiments, the abundances of most sinking taxa showed a unimodal pattern along the mixing depth gradient, while two of three motile taxa declined monotonically with mixing depth. The depths where these taxa reached their maximal abundances were positively related to taxon‐specific sinking velocity and negatively related to background turbidity.
A Leader-based Containment Control Strategy for Multiple Unicycles

In this paper, a leader based containment control strategy for multiple unicycle agents is introduced. Similar results for the single integrator case examined in Ferrari-Trecate (2006) are derived based on the theory of partial difference equations on graphs established in Bensounssan and Menaldi (2005). The leaders converge to a desired formation based on a control law that is independent of the followers' states. Once the leaders have reached the desired formation, the followers converge to the convex hull of the leaders final positions. When the desired leader formation is infeasible, then (as was shown in Dimarogonas and Kyriakopoulos (2006)) the leaders converge to a configuration where they share the same velocities and orientations. We show in this paper that in such a situation, the followers converge to the same velocities and orientations as the leaders, with the same control law that was used for the followers in the initial containment control problem. The theoretical results are verified through computer simulations
MR assessment of changes of tumor in response to hyperbaric oxygen treatment

Enhancement of image intensity, using the T1‐weighted spoiled gradient‐echo (SPGR) sequence, was measured in SCC tumor implanted in the flank of C3H mice while they were subjected to several types of oxygenation challenges inside a hyperbaric chamber designed and constructed to fit in an MRI resonator. The central portions of the tumor gave a positive enhancement, while the periphery showed signal reduction during both normobaric (NBO) and hyperbaric (HBO) oxygen challenges. In the contralateral normal leg, nearly 70% of the region showed a decrease in intensity, and the rest showed a positive enhancement. The positive signal enhancement was markedly greater under HBO compared to NBO. Calculated R1, R2, and M0 maps from multivariate fitting of images acquired by a multislice multiecho (MSME) sequence with variable TR before, during, and after HBO treatment confirm that the source of SPGR signal enhancement in the tumor is associated with shortening of T1. Magn Reson Med, 2006. Published 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mifepristone Prevents Stress-Induced Apoptosis in Newborn Neurons and Increases AMPA Receptor Expression in the Dentate Gyrus of C57/BL6 Mice

Chronic stress produces sustained elevation of corticosteroid levels, which is why it is considered one of the most potent negative regulators of adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN). Several mood disorders are accompanied by elevated glucocorticoid levels and have been linked to alterations in AHN, such as major depression (MD). Nevertheless, the mechanism by which acute stress affects the maturation of neural precursors in the dentate gyrus is poorly understood. We analyzed the survival and differentiation of 1 to 8 week-old cells in the dentate gyrus of female C57/BL6 mice following exposure to an acute stressor (the Porsolt or forced swimming test). Furthermore, we evaluated the effects of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist mifepristone on the cell death induced by the Porsolt test. Forced swimming induced selective apoptotic cell death in 1 week-old cells, an effect that was abolished by pretreatment with mifepristone. Independent of its antagonism of GR, mifepristone also induced an increase in the percentage of 1 week-old cells that were AMPA+. We propose that the induction of AMPA receptor expression in immature cells may mediate the neuroprotective effects of mifepristone, in line with the proposed antidepressant effects of AMPA receptor potentiators.
Repeat Sequence of Epstein-Barr Virus-encoded Nuclear Antigen 1 Protein Interrupts Proteasome Substrate Processing*

The Epstein-Barr virus thwarts immune surveillance through a Gly-Ala repeat (GAr) within the viral Epstein-Barr virus-encoded nuclear antigen 1 protein. The GAr inhibits proteasome processing, an early step in antigen peptide presentation, but the mechanism of proteasome inhibition has been unclear. By embedding a GAr within ornithine decarboxylase, a natural proteasome substrate that does not require ubiquitin conjugation, we now demonstrate inhibition in a purified system, excluding involvement of ubiquitin conjugation or of proteins extraneous to substrate and proteasome. We show further that the GAr acts as a stop-transfer signal in proteasome substrate processing, resulting in vivo in partial proteolysis that halts just short of the GAr. Similarly, introducing a GAr into green fluorescent protein destabilized by the ornithine decarboxylase degradation domain also stops the progress of proteolysis, leading to the accumulation of partial degradation products. We postulate that the ATP motor of the proteasome slips when it encounters the GAr, impeding further insertion and, in this way, halting degradation.
The efficacy of female condom skills training in HIV risk reduction among women: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES We evaluated the efficacy of skills training designed to increase female condom use among women. METHODS We conducted a randomized controlled trial of 409 women, recruited from family planning clinics in northern California, who were randomly assigned to the experimental 4-session female condom skills training intervention or the comparison 4-session women's general health promotion intervention. Participants received condom use instructions at baseline and male and female condoms during the study. They completed audio computer-assisted self-interviews at baseline and at 3 and 6 months. RESULTS At 3 and 6 months, women in the experimental group were more likely than those in the comparison group to have used the female condom at least once in the prior 3 months. The increase in the percentage of sexual acts protected by female condoms from baseline to the 6-month follow-up was greater for the experimental group. The percentage of sexual acts during which any condom was employed was higher in the experimental group at 6 months. There were no group differences in male condom use. CONCLUSIONS Outcomes suggest that skills training can increase female condom use and protected sexual acts without reducing male condom use among women.
Mechanical Properties and Applications of CFRP in Retrofitting and Repairing Reinforced Concrete Short Columns

The mechanical properties of CFRP without epoxy resin were tested by the monotonic load method, and the corresponding stress-strain relationship curve was established. The probability model and the parameter fitting based on Weibull distribution theory were applied, and the characteristic strength parameter and the shape parameter of CFRP were obtained. Three large scale RC short columns were constructed, the specimen not retrofitted, specimen strengthen retrofitted by CFRP and specimen repaired by CFRP which has been damaged by earthquake were simulated respectively. Quasi-static testing was carried out. The hysteretic-loop curve and average framework curve were obtained, furthermore, the performance of ductility and strength were analyzed and compared. The calculational results approximately agree with the experimental results, which prove the validity of OpenSees. The short columns retrofitted by CFRP have superior ductility so as to enhance the seismic performances effectively. The residual seismic behavior of short columns can also meet the requirement of seismic code. The research provides reference to seismic analysis and engineering design of retrofitted reinforcement concrete structures.
Identifying an uptake mechanism for the antiepileptic and bipolar disorder treatment valproic acid using the simple biomedical model Dictyostelium

Valproic acid (VPA) is the most highly prescribed epilepsy treatment worldwide and is also used to prevent bipolar disorder and migraine. Surprisingly, very little is known about its mechanisms of cellular uptake. Here, we employ a range of cellular, molecular and genetic approaches to characterize VPA uptake using a simple biomedical model, Dictyostelium discoideum. We show that VPA is taken up against an electrochemical gradient in a dose-dependent manner. Transport is protein-mediated, dependent on pH and the proton gradient and shows strong substrate structure specificity. Using a genetic screen, we identified a protein homologous to a mammalian solute carrier family 4 (SLC4) bicarbonate transporter that we show is involved in VPA uptake. Pharmacological and genetic ablation of this protein reduces the uptake of VPA and partially protects against VPA-dependent developmental effects, and extracellular bicarbonate competes for VPA uptake in Dictyostelium. We further show that this uptake mechanism is likely to be conserved in both zebrafish (Danio rerio) and Xenopus laevis model systems. These results implicate, for the first time, an uptake mechanism for VPA through SLC4-catalysed activity.
Novel Role of mfd: Effects on Stationary-Phase Mutagenesis in Bacillus subtilis

ABSTRACT Previously, using a chromosomal reversion assay system, we established that an adaptive mutagenic process occurs in nongrowing Bacillus subtilis cells under stress, and we demonstrated that multiple mechanisms are involved in generating these mutations (41, 43). In an attempt to delineate how these mutations are generated, we began an investigation into whether or not transcription and transcription-associated proteins influence adaptive mutagenesis. In B. subtilis, the Mfd protein (transcription repair coupling factor) facilitates removal of RNA polymerase stalled at transcriptional blockages and recruitment of repair proteins to DNA lesions on the transcribed strand. Here we demonstrate that the loss of Mfd has a depressive effect on stationary-phase mutagenesis. An association between Mfd mutagenesis and aspects of transcription is discussed.
Financing constraints of SMEs in developing countries: Evidence, determinants and solutions.

The invention relates to such semiconductor devices comprising: a wiring layer with a predetermined pattern formed over a major surface of a semiconductor substrate through an insulating film, a diffusion layer formed under a contact hole formed in said insulating film in an adjacent region of the wiring layer, and a conductive layer deposited into said contact hole in a state of being connected to said wiring layer.
Estimation of ocular volume from axial length

Background/aims To determine which biometric parameters provide optimum predictive power for ocular volume. Methods Sixty-seven adult subjects were scanned with a Siemens 3-T MRI scanner. Mean spherical error (MSE) (D) was measured with a Shin-Nippon autorefractor and a Zeiss IOLMaster used to measure (mm) axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD) and corneal radius (CR). Total ocular volume (TOV) was calculated from T2-weighted MRIs (voxel size 1.0 mm3) using an automatic voxel counting and shading algorithm. Each MR slice was subsequently edited manually in the axial, sagittal and coronal plane, the latter enabling location of the posterior pole of the crystalline lens and partitioning of TOV into anterior (AV) and posterior volume (PV) regions. Results Mean values (±SD) for MSE (D), AL (mm), ACD (mm) and CR (mm) were −2.62±3.83, 24.51±1.47, 3.55±0.34 and 7.75±0.28, respectively. Mean values (±SD) for TOV, AV and PV (mm3) were 8168.21±1141.86, 1099.40±139.24 and 7068.82±1134.05, respectively. TOV showed significant correlation with MSE, AL, PV (all p<0.001), CR (p=0.043) and ACD (p=0.024). Bar CR, the correlations were shown to be wholly attributable to variation in PV. Multiple linear regression indicated that the combination of AL and CR provided optimum R2 values of 79.4% for TOV. Conclusion Clinically useful estimations of ocular volume can be obtained from measurement of AL and CR.
Towards a miniaturized brain-machine-spinal cord interface (BMSI) for restoration of function after spinal cord injury

Nearly 6 million people in the United States are currently living with paralysis in which 23% of the cases are related to spinal cord injury (SCI). Miniaturized closed-loop neural interfaces have the potential for restoring function and mobility lost to debilitating neural injuries such as SCI by leveraging recent advancements in bioelectronics and a better understanding of the processes that underlie functional and anatomical reorganization in an injured nervous system. This paper describes our current progress towards developing a miniaturized brain-machine-spinal cord interface (BMSI) that is envisioned to convert in real time the neural command signals recorded from the brain to electrical stimuli delivered to the spinal cord below the injury level. Specifically, the paper reports on a corticospinal interface integrated circuit (IC) as a core building block for such a BMSI that is capable of low-noise recording of extracellular neural spikes from the cerebral cortex as well as muscle activation using intraspinal microstimulation (ISMS) in a rat with contusion injury to the thoracic spinal cord. The paper further presents results from a neurobiological study conducted in both normal and SCI rats to investigate the effect of various ISMS parameters on movement thresholds in the rat hindlimb. Coupled with proper signal-processing algorithms in the future for the transformation between the cortically recorded data and ISMS parameters, such a BMSI has the potential to facilitate functional recovery after an SCI by re-establishing corticospinal communication channels lost due to the injury.
Eye movement dysfunction as a biological marker of risk for schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE Our aim was to review smooth pursuit eye movement (SPEM) studies in schizophrenia and groups at high risk for schizophrenia, with a view to evaluating the utility of SPEM dysfunction as a biological marker of risk for schizophrenia. METHOD Smooth pursuit eye movement studies, related saccade function and the unresolved issues in this area of schizophrenia research were addressed. The different perspectives on the trait marker status of SPEM dysfunction, provided by both high-risk studies and related developmental research were considered. Attention was also given to the relationship between eye movement dysfunction and symptom profiles. RESULTS Converging evidence points to the robust and specific nature of SPEM dysfunction in schizophrenia, and highlights the role of frontal lobe and a related network dysfunction. The vast majority of 'high risk' studies support the view that SPEM dysfunction is also genetically specific to schizophrenia, and is not simply due to the overt expression of this illness. Studies assessing SPEM in relation to symptomatology show an association with the Disorganisation syndrome in particular. CONCLUSIONS Evidence for the specificity of SPEM dysfunction to diagnosed schizophrenia, as well as to healthy individuals with a genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia, suggests that the SPEM task has efficacy as a test of gene carrier status in schizophrenia, and therefore as a trait marker of risk for schizophrenia. Future studies should seek to explore the relationships between SPEM and other eye movement dysfunctions (antisaccades, express saccades), in view of evidence that some of these dysfunctions also show specificity for schizophrenia.
Cocaine Detection by a Mid-infrared Waveguide Integrated with a Microfluidic Chip Lab on a Chip

A germanium (Ge) strip waveguide on a silicon (Si) substrate is integrated with a microfluidic chip to detect cocaine in tetrachloroethylene (PCE) solutions. In the evanescent field of the waveguide, cocaine absorbs the light near 5.8 mm, which is emitted from a quantum cascade laser. This device is ideal for (biochemical l sensing applications. Chemical detection and identification based on mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectroscopy has been widely used for samples in gases, liquids, or solids. In the condensed phase, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) can conveniently probe the analyte in the evanescent field, but it was often limited to laboratories due to its large footprint. During the last few decades, the progress of mid-IR spectroscopy with mid-IR fiber probes 3 or planar waveguides has largely reduced the device size and the sample volume. These waveguides are based on silver halides, chalcogenide glasses, GaAs, or hollow waveguides. 4–8 In addition, mid-IR quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) provide light sources with high power, high tunability and compact sizes, which can further reduce the size of sensor systems. 9 Microfluidic systems have been used in combination with IR-detection. The most commonly used techniques are chromatography 10–13 and electrophoresis 10,14,15 on a separate microfluidic chip for sample preparation and preconcentration prior to the conventional IR-detection. A microfluidic device integrated with a planar chalcogenide glass waveguide on a silicon substrate was presented for the detection of N-methylaniline at a wavelength of 1.55 mm. 6 Commercial products combining QCLs and flow cells for the detection of oil in water are also available. 16 Here, we demonstrate a chemical sensor utilizing a mid-IR single-mode strip waveguide in liquid environments. It is integrated with a microfluidic chip 17 and evaluated with a QCL at a wavelength of 5.8 mm. This is the first integration of a Ge strip waveguide with a microfluidic chip and evaluated at a mid-IR wavelength. The laser wavelength is chosen to be at one of the absorption peaks of cocaine, 18 which is our example analyte to demonstrate this technology. The sensing scheme is illustrated in Fig. 1a, where the light is injected into the waveguide. The analyte in the evanescent field has absorption peaks overlapping with the laser wavelength. The analyte concentration can be determined by measuring the output light from the waveguide. The mid-IR waveguide is made from a mono-crystalline Ge layer on a Si substrate with standard photolithography and reactive …
Behavioral Heterogeneity in the Option Market-Preliminary Draft-March

This paper develops and tests a heterogeneous agents model for the option market. Our agents have differing beliefs about the level of volatility of the underlying stock index and trade accordingly. We consider two types of agents: fundamentalists, who are assumed to expect the conditional volatility to return to the unconditional volatility, and chartists who respond solely to noise from the level process. Agents are able to switch between groups according to a multinomial logit switching mechanism. The model simplifies to a GARCH-type specification with time-varying parameters, which depend on the distribution of agents across types. Estimation results for index options on the German DAX30 reveal that different types of traders are also actively involved in trading volatility. We find evidence that the observed patterns in option prices are the result of heterogeneity in expectations about future volatility.
Summarizing and measuring development activity

Software developers pursue a wide range of activities as part of their work, and making sense of what they did in a given time frame is far from trivial as evidenced by the large number of awareness and coordination tools that have been developed in recent years. To inform tool design for making sense of the information available about a developer's activity, we conducted an empirical study with 156 GitHub users to investigate what information they would expect in a summary of development activity, how they would measure development activity, and what factors influence how such activity can be condensed into textual summaries or numbers. We found that unexpected events are as important as expected events in summaries of what a developer did, and that many developers do not believe in measuring development activity. Among the factors that influence summarization and measurement of development activity, we identified development experience and programming languages.