Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
BOUNDED REVISION : TWO-DIMENSIONAL BELIEF CHANGE BETWEEN CONSERVATISM AND MODERATION

In this paper I present the model of ‘bounded revision’ that is based on two-dimensional revision functions taking as arguments pairs consisting of an input sentence and a reference sentence. The key idea is similar to the model of ‘revision by comparison’ investigated by Fermé and Rott (Artificial Intelligence 157, 2004). In contrast to the latter, however, bounded revision satisfies the AGM axioms as well as the Darwiche-Pearl axioms. Two onedimensional special cases are obtained by setting one argument of the two-dimensional revision operation to certain extremal values. Bounded revision thus fills the space between conservative revision (also known as natural revision) and moderate revision (also known as lexicographic revision). I argue that two-dimensional revision operations add decisively to the expressive power of qualitative approaches that refrain from assuming numbers as measures of degrees of belief.
Stereotype threat and older worker’s attitudes: a mediation model

Purpose Taking a social identity approach, the purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which age-based stereotype threat mediates the relationships between older workers’ negative age-based metastereotypes and two negative work attitudes: organizational disidentification and work disengagement. Design/methodology/approach A two-wave cross-sectional design was adopted to collect data from 423 blue-collar older workers of the Portuguese manufacturing sector. Structural equation modeling was used to test the mediation model. Findings The analyses show that age-based stereotype threat partially mediates the relationship between negative age-based metastereotypes and negative work attitudes. Moreover, findings suggest that older workers respond to negative age-based metastereotypes through threat reactions, and undesirable work attitudes. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature by showing the importance of negative age-based metastereotypes and age-based stereotype threat in workplace dynamics. It also provides evidence that age threats impair the relationship older workers keep with their organization and their work.
Reasonable circuit analysis considering comprehensively reliability and variability

Circuit design in advanced CMOS technologies brings significant reliability and variability challenges. It is necessary to effectively handle the delay variation caused by various factors. In this paper, we make good use of the reliability models that have been proposed until now and present new models for simple and practical use. Then, we present an approach for circuit analysis that comprehensively considers reliability and variability. It includes time-dependent factors such as time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB), bias temperature instability (BTI), hot-carrier injection (HCI), electromigration (EM), and random telegraph noise (RTN). Finally, in the analysis of a circuit with a gated clock, we demonstrate that analysis considering both reliability and variability is very important.
Decreased Seizure Threshold in an Eclampsia-Like Model Induced in Pregnant Rats with Lipopolysaccharide and Pentylenetetrazol Treatments

Objective Eclampsia is a poorly understood but potentially fatal complication of pregnancy. Research to date on this disorder has been hampered by the lack of a suitable animal model. To correct this deficiency, this report describes the generation of a rat eclampsia-like model using pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) in a previously established rat preeclampsia model. Method Rats were administered lipopolysaccharide (1.0 µg/kg) by tail vein injection on gestational day 14 to establish preeclampsia (PE). PE and control rats (non-pregnant, NP; normal-pregnant, P) were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with PTZ (40 mg/kg) to induce seizures. In separate experiments, MgSO4 (270 mg/kg IP) was injected in advance of PTZ into PE rats to observe its effect on PTZ-induced seizures. Results PE conditions were verified in rats after LPS administration by significantly higher blood pressure (P<0.01) and urinary albumin excretion (P<0.05), elevated sFlt-1 (P<0.05) and decreased PlGF serum levels (P<0.05), and evidence of hepatic dysfunction compared to control groups. PTZ successfully induced seizure activity in all groups studied. Latency to seizure was significantly (P<0.01) less in the PE-PTZ group (73.2±6.6 sec.) than in PTZ-treated controls (107.0±7.4 sec.). Pretreatment with MgSO4 prolonged (P<0.05) latency to seizure, shortened seizure duration and decreased seizure rates. Significant increased (P<0.05) in the serum levels of the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β in PE and PE-PTZ groups, and decreased (P<0.05) in their levels following MgSO4 administration. Conclusion This PTZ-induced eclampsia-like rat model is comparable to the human condition of eclampsia and may serve as a useful research tool for future studies of this disease. The increased inflammatory cytokines in preeclampsia are coincident with a decreased threshold for PTZ-induced seizures, suggesting that an inflammatory mechanism may contribute to the susceptibility to seizure activity and inflammation might have an important role in eclampsia.
Spitzer View on the Evolution of Star-forming Galaxies from z = 0 to z ~ 3

We use a 24 μm-selected sample containing more than 8000 sources to study the evolution of star-forming galaxies in the redshift range from z = 0 to z ~ 3. We obtain photometric redshifts for most of the sources in our survey using a method based on empirically built templates spanning from ultraviolet to mid-infrared wavelengths. The accuracy of these redshifts is better than 10% for 80% of the sample. The derived redshift distribution of the sources detected by our survey peaks at around z = 0.6-1.0 (the location of the peak being affected by cosmic variance) and decays monotonically from z ~ 1 to z ~ 3. We have fitted infrared luminosity functions in several redshift bins in the range 0 < z ≲ 3. Our results constrain the density and/or luminosity evolution of infrared-bright star-forming galaxies. The typical infrared luminosity (L*) decreases by an order of magnitude from z ~ 2 to the present. The cosmic star formation rate (SFR) density goes as (1 + z)4.0±0.2 from z = 0 to 0.8. From z = 0.8 to z ~ 1.2, the SFR density continues rising with a smaller slope. At 1.2 < z ≲ 3, the cosmic SFR density remains roughly constant. The SFR density is dominated at low redshift (z ≲ 0.5) by galaxies that are not very luminous in the infrared (LTIR < 1011 L☉, where LTIR is the total infrared luminosity, integrated from 8 to 1000 μm). The contribution from luminous and ultraluminous infrared galaxies (LTIR > 1011 L☉) to the total SFR density increases steadily from z ~ 0 up to z ~ 2.5, forming at least half of the newly born stars by z ~ 1.5. Ultraluminous infrared galaxies (LTIR > 1012 L☉) play a rapidly increasing role for z ≳ 1.3.
Adaptive Experimental Design for Path-following Performance Assessment of Unmanned Vehicles

The definition of Good Experimental Methodologies (GEMs) in robotics is a topic of widespread interest due also to the increasing employment of robots in everyday civilian life. The present work contributes to the ongoing discussion on GEMs for Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs). It focuses on the definition of GEMs and provides specific guidelines for path-following experiments. Statistically designed experiments (DoE) offer a valid basis for developing an empirical model of the system being investigated. A two-step adaptive experimental procedure for evaluating path-following performance and based on DoE, is tested on the simulator of the Charlie USV. The paper argues the necessity of performing extensive simulations prior to the execution of field trials.
Pain and Masculinity: A Cohort Comparison between Mexican American Vietnam and Post–9/11 Combat Veterans

Using twenty-six interviews with Mexican American veterans, this study analyzes cohort effects between Vietnam War veterans to Iraq and/or Afghanistan veterans on the meanings and experiences of pain from combat, masculinity, and how ethnicity affects expressions of pain. Although there were relative similarities between the cohorts, differences arose because of age. Vietnam veterans understood their pain to be long-lasting and have built coping mechanisms around a lifetime of pain, as opposed to younger veterans who have not yet solidified coping strategies. Machismo plays a dynamic part in the expression and daily experience with pain for young veterans, as opposed to older veterans who enjoy relaxed gendered obligations based on their age. Finally, older veterans used family as a base of social support, as opposed to younger veterans who found support from peer-mentor programs. In addition, respondents indicated that machismo acted more as guiding principle and offered them motivations to seek help, and not necessarily barriers to health. Overall, both cohorts are governed by strict gender standards and expressions influenced by their ethnic identity. Findings suggest that the study of race/ethnicity and age plays a fundamental framework from which to understand the experiences and behaviors of pain.
Vision-threatening retinal abnormalities in chronic kidney disease stages 3 to 5.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Retinal abnormalities are common in inherited and acquired renal disease. This study determined the prevalence of retinal abnormalities in chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 3 to 5. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS One hundred fifty patients with CKD stages 3 to 5 and 150 age- and gender-matched hospital patients with CKD stages 1 to 2 underwent bilateral retinal photography. These images were reviewed for incidental abnormalities, microvascular (Wong and Mitchell classification) and diabetic retinopathy (Airlie House criteria), and macular degeneration (Seddon classification). RESULTS Three (2%) patients with CKD stages 3 to 5 had retinal features characteristic of inherited renal disease (atrophy in Myopathy, Encephalopathy, Lactic Acidosis, Stroke-like episodes [MELAS] syndrome; and 2 with drusen in dense deposit disease). Fifty-nine (39%) patients had moderate-severe microvascular retinopathy (hemorrhages, exudates, etc.) compared with 19 (13%) with CKD stages 1 to 2. Forty-one (28%) had moderate-severe diabetic retinopathy (microaneurysms, exudates, etc.) compared with 16 (11%) with CKD stages 1 to 2. Ten (7%) had severe macular degeneration (geographic atrophy, hemorrhage, exudates, membranes) compared with one (1%) with CKD stages 1 to 2. Renal failure was an independent risk factor for microvascular retinopathy, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration. Eleven (7.3%) patients with renal failure and one (0.7%) with CKD stages 1 to 2 had previously unrecognized vision-threatening retinal abnormalities that required immediate ophthalmologic attention. CONCLUSIONS Retinal abnormalities are common in CKD stages 3 to 5, and are more severe and more likely to threaten vision than in hospital patients with CKD stages 1 to 2.
Higher Yang-Mills Theory

Electromagnetism can be generalized to Yang-Mills theory by replacing the group U(1)$ by a nonabelian Lie group. This raises the question of whether one can similarly generalize 2-form electromagnetism to a kind of "higher-dimensional Yang-Mills theory". It turns out that to do this, one should replace the Lie group by a "Lie 2-group", which is a category C where the set of objects and the set of morphisms are Lie groups, and the source, target, identity and composition maps are homomorphisms. We show that this is the same as a "Lie crossed module": a pair of Lie groups G,H with a homomorphism t: H -> G and an action of G on H satisfying two compatibility conditions. Following Breen and Messing's ideas on the geometry of nonabelian gerbes, one can define "principal 2-bundles" for any Lie 2-group C and do gauge theory in this new context. Here we only consider trivial 2-bundles, where a connection consists of a Lie(G)-valued 1-form together with an Lie(H)-valued 2-form, and its curvature consists of a Lie(G)-valued 2-form together with a Lie(H)-valued 3-form. We generalize the Yang-Mills action for this sort of connection, and use this to derive "higher Yang-Mills equations". Finally, we show that in certain cases these equations admit self-dual solutions in five dimensions.
Revisiting learning outcomes from market led ICT outsourcing

Purpose – Today's global business is heavily dependent on information and communication technology (ICT). The reality for most organisations is that the rate of technology change has been extremely fast. To cope with these changes, some organisations are committing a large amount of resources. Such challenges make it difficult for some companies to invest in ICT, resulting in a need to re‐think their business models. One such approach which has proved popular over the last few years is to outsource ICT. However, not all ICT outsourcing projects have been totally successful. The paper aims to explore various constructs in ICT outsourcing.Design/methodology/approach – The aim is achieved by conducting studies on 11 ICT outsourcing projects within the service sector.Findings – In future, customers will be looking for value‐added services while focusing less on outsourcing as a cost‐cutting exercise. There is also an added pressure on the customers and vendors to ensure that the original business case to just.
Peripheral anti-Aβ antibody alters CNS and plasma Aβ clearance and decreases brain Aβ burden in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Active immunization with the amyloid β (Aβ) peptide has been shown to decrease brain Aβ deposition in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and certain peripherally administered anti-Aβ antibodies were shown to mimic this effect. In exploring factors that alter Aβ metabolism and clearance, we found that a monoclonal antibody (m266) directed against the central domain of Aβ was able to bind and completely sequester plasma Aβ. Peripheral administration of m266 to PDAPP transgenic mice, in which Aβ is generated specifically within the central nervous system (CNS), results in a rapid 1,000-fold increase in plasma Aβ, due, in part, to a change in Aβ equilibrium between the CNS and plasma. Although peripheral administration of m266 to PDAPP mice markedly reduces Aβ deposition, m266 did not bind to Aβ deposits in the brain. Thus, m266 appears to reduce brain Aβ burden by altering CNS and plasma Aβ clearance.
A taxol-dependent procedure for the isolation of microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs)

The effect of the antimitotic drug taxol on the association of MAPs (microtubule-associated proteins) with microtubules was investigated. Extensive microtubule assembly occurred in the presence of Taxol at 37 degrees C. at 0 degrees C, and at 37 degrees C in the presence of 0.35 M NaCl, overcoming the inhibition of assembly normally observed under the latter two conditions. At 37 degrees C and at 0 degrees C, complete assembly of both tubulin and the MAPs was observed in the presence of Taxol. However, at elevated ionic strength, only tubulin assembled, forming microtubules devoid of MAPs. The MAPs could also be released from the surface of preformed microtubules by exposure to elevated ionic strength. These properties provided the basis for a rapid new procedure for isolating microtubules and MAPs of high purity from small amounts of biological material. The MAPs could be recovered by exposure of the microtubules to elevated ionic strength and subjected to further analysis. Microtubules and MAPs were prepared from bovine cerebral cortex (gray matter) and from HeLa cells. MAP 1, MAP2, and the tau MAPs, as well as species of Mr = 28,000 and 30,000 (LMW, or low molecular weight, MAPs) and a species of Mr = 70,000 were isolated from gray matter. Species identified as the 210,000 and 125,000 mol wt HeLa MAPs were isolated from HeLa cells. Microtubules were also prepared for the first time from white matter. All of the MAPs identified in gray matter preparations were identified in white matter, but the amounts of individual MAP species differed. The most striking difference in the two preparations was a fivefold lower level of MAP 2 relative to tubulin in white matter than in gray. The high molecular weigh MAP, MAP1, was present in equal ratio to tubulin in white and gray matter. These results indicate that MAP 1 and MAP2, as well as other MAP species, may have a different cellular or subcellular distribution.
Hipparcos Period-Luminosity Relations for Mira and Semiregular variables

We present period-luminosity (P-L) diagrams for nearby Mira and semiregular variables, selecting stars with parallaxes better than 20% and well-determined periods. Using K-band magnitudes, we find two well-defined P-L sequences, one corresponding to the standard Mira P-L relation and the second shifted to shorter periods by a factor of about 1.9. The second sequence contains only semiregular variables, while the Mira sequence contains both Mira and semiregular variables. Several semiregular stars show double periods that are in agreement with both relations. The Whitelock evolutionary track is shown to fit the data, indicating that the semiregular variables are Mira progenitors. The transition between the two sequences may correspond to a change in the pulsation mode or to a change in the stellar structure. Large-amplitude pulsations that lead to the classical Mira classification occur mainly near the tip of the local asymptotic giant branch luminosity function.
Pharmacology and Antitumor Activity of ABC294640, a Selective Inhibitor of Sphingosine Kinase-2

Sphingolipid-metabolizing enzymes control the dynamic balance of the cellular levels of important bioactive lipids, including the apoptotic compound ceramide and the proliferative compound sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P). Many growth factors and inflammatory cytokines promote the cleavage of sphingomyelin and ceramide leading to rapid elevation of S1P levels through the action of sphingosine kinases (SK1 and SK2). SK1 and SK2 are overexpressed in a variety of human cancers, making these enzymes potential molecular targets for cancer therapy. We have identified an aryladamantane compound, termed ABC294640 [3-(4-chlorophenyl)-adamantane-1-carboxylic acid (pyridin-4-ylmethyl)amide], that selectively inhibits SK2 activity in vitro, acting as a competitive inhibitor with respect to sphingosine with a Ki of 9.8 μM, and attenuates S1P formation in intact cells. In tissue culture, ABC294640 suppresses the proliferation of a broad panel of tumor cell lines, and inhibits tumor cell migration concomitant with loss of microfilaments. In vivo, ABC294640 has excellent oral bioavailability, and demonstrates a plasma clearance half-time of 4.5 h in mice. Acute and chronic toxicology studies indicate that ABC294640 induces a transient minor decrease in the hematocrit of rats and mice; however, this normalizes by 28 days of treatment. No other changes in hematology parameters, or gross or microscopic tissue pathology, result from treatment with ABC294640. Oral administration of ABC294640 to mice bearing mammary adenocarcinoma xenografts results in dose-dependent antitumor activity associated with depletion of S1P levels in the tumors and progressive tumor cell apoptosis. Therefore, this newly developed SK2 inhibitor provides an orally available drug candidate for the treatment of cancer and other diseases.
Generalized additive partial linear models for clustered data with diverging number of covariates using gee

We study flexible modeling of clustered data using marginal generalized additive partial linear models with diverging number of covariates. Generalized estimating equation based estimators are derived after we approximate the nonparametric functions by polynomial splines. We establish the asymptotic properties in a “large n, diverging p” framework. More specifically, we establish the consistency and asymptotic normality of the estimators for the linear parameters under mild conditions. We further propose a penalized estimating equations based procedure for variable selection, which can identify non-zero components to obtain the final selection and estimation results. The proposed variable selection procedure is shown to have the oracle property and allows the number of parameters in the linear part to increase at the same order of the sample size under some general conditions. Extensive Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that the proposed methods work well with moderate sample sizes. A real dataset is analyzed as an illustration.
WebACT - an online companion for the Artemis Comparison Tool

UNLABELLED WebACT is an online resource which enables the rapid provision of simultaneous BLAST comparisons between up to five genomic sequences in a format amenable for visualization with the well-known Artemis Comparison Tool (ACT). Comparisons can be generated on-the-fly using sequences directly retrieved via EMBL database queries, or by entering or uploading user sequences. Furthermore, pre-computed comparisons are available between all publicly available, completed prokaryotic genomes and plasmids currently contained within the Genome Reviews database (372 sequences, representing 175 different species). The system is designed to minimize the volume of downloaded data and maximize performance. Genome sequences, annotation and pre-computed comparisons are stored in a relational database allowing flexible querying based on user-defined sequence regions, from whole genome to a defined region flanking a specified gene. Comparison and sequence files, whether computed online or retrieved from the database of pre-computed genome comparisons, can be viewed online using ACT and are available for download. AVAILABILITY Freely accessible at http://www.webact. org. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION User guide and worked examples are available at http://www.webact. org/WebACT/docs.
ERKI/II Regulation by the Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Neurons

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) are known to be involved in learning and memory, but the molecular basis of their involvement is not well understood. The availability of new and specific biochemical tools has revealed a crucial role for the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family in learning and memory. Here, we examine the link between mAChRs and MAPK in neurons. Using the MAPK kinase (MEK)-specific inhibitor PD98059, we first demonstrate a necessary role for active ERKI/II in long-term potentiation in vivo. Using phospho-specific antibodies that recognize the activated form of ERKI/II, we find that the level of ERKI/II activation in brain is regulated by mAChRs. Carbachol, a muscarinic agonist, induces prolonged activation of ERKI/II, without effect on the related kinase SAPK/JNK (stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase) in primary cortical cultures. ERKI/II activation is Src-dependent and partially phosphoinositide-3 kinase- and Ca2+-dependent but is PKC-independent. M1–M4 mAChR subtypes expressed in COS-7 cells can all induce ERKI/II activation using a signal transduction pathway similar to that operating in neurons. The nature of the signal transduction suggests that ERKI/II can serve as a convergence site for mAChR activation and other neurotransmitter receptors.