Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Embedding green infrastructure evaluation in neighbourhood masterplans – does BREEAM communities change anything?

Green Infrastructure (GI) evaluation is reported to improve the sustainability of neighbourhood masterplans, but there has been little research examining the links between GI evaluation and masterplan decision-making. A study of six English masterplanned sites was carried out, with paired case studies reflecting three types of neighbourhood development (estate regeneration, urban infill, and rural-urban extension) to examine whether the sustainable neighbourhood standard, BREEAM Communities (BC), affected GI evaluation and masterplan decisions. In each of three pairs, one site had adopted BC and one had not. Strategy-as-Practice provided a conceptual framework to analyse 13 evaluative episodes, based on 48 interviews and public documents. The analysis revealed that GI-related recommendations were typically deprioritised at later masterplan stages, despite earlier decisions or the application of BC. Potential ways to enhance the embeddedness of GI evaluative practice include improving practitioners’ understanding of GI and increasing accountability at later masterplan stages, such as through sustainability reporting.
Recognition of single‐stranded DNA by nuclease P1: High resolution crystal structures of complexes with substrate analogs

The reaction mechanism of nuclease P1 from Penicillium citrinum has been investigated using single‐stranded dithiophosphorylated di‐, tetra‐, and hexanucleotides as substrate analogs. The complexes crystallize in tetragonal and orthorhombic space groups and have been solved by molecular replacement. The high resolution structures give a clear picture of base recognition by P1 nuclease at its two nucleotide‐binding sites, especially the 1.8 Å structure of a P1‐tetranucleotide complex which can be considered a P1‐product complex. The observed binding modes are in agreement with a catalytic mechanism where the two closely spaced zinc ions activate the attacking water while the third, more exposed zinc ion stabilizes the leaving 03' oxyanion. Stacking as well as hydrogen bonding interactions with the base 5' to the cleaved phosphodiester bond are important elements of substrate binding and recognition. Modelling of a productive P1‐substrate complex based on the solved structures suggests steric hindrance as the likely reason for the resistance of Rp‐phosphorothioates and phosphorodithioates. Differences with the highly homologous nuclease S1 from Aspargillus oryzae are discussed. Proteins 32:414–424, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
An Efficient Structure of Marx Generator Using Buck–Boost Converter

In this paper, a new structure of Marx generator (MG) based on buck–boost converter is proposed to generate high-voltage pulses. In this structure, a single-phase inverter is employed to supply parallel diode–capacitor units by positive and negative values of the input dc source ( $\pm V_{\mathrm {in}}$ ). The main contribution of this paper is proposing a new switching strategy, by which a group of capacitors are charged properly. Finally, the charged capacitors are connected in series such that the output voltage is equal to summation of the capacitors’ voltages. Considering specified value of the output voltage, the number of circuit elements in the proposed structure is reduced in comparison with other topologies of unipolar MG. Furthermore, voltage rating of switches and diodes in the proposed topology is lower than that of other unipolar MG structures. Design of the structure ensures that there is no need to connect the switches in series, when the number of stages is increased. To verify the performance of the proposed MG structure, simulation has been carried out in MATLAB/Simulink. Furthermore, a prototype of the proposed structure has been implemented in the lab. The simulation and experimental results confirm the capability of the structure for generating high-voltage pulses.
Evaluation of Keypoint Extraction and Matching for Pose Estimation Using Pairs of Spherical Images

Keypoint extraction and matching has been widely studied by the computer vision community, mostly focused on pinhole camera models. In this paper we perform a comparative analysis of four keypoint extraction algorithms applied to full spherical images, particularly in the context of pose estimation. Two of the methods chosen for the comparative study, namely A-KAZE and ASIFT, have been designed considering a perspective camera model, but were already applied in an omnidirectional structure from motion pipeline, generating successful results in the literature. The other two algorithms are properly adapted versions of the traditional descriptors SIFT and ORB to the spherical domain, subbed SSFIT and SPHORB. We conduct our tests on captures of omnidirectional cameras, both synthetic and real, arbitrarily translated and rotated with known ground-truth transformations. The extracted keypoints are fed to the well-known 8-point algorithm with RANSAC, allowing to estimate the relative camera poses. These poses (translation vector and rotation matrix) are then compared to the ground-truth transformation parameters, generating the error metrics used in our analysis. Our results indicated that spherical descriptors SSIFT and SPHORB did not produce better results than planar descriptors A-KAZE and ASIFT in the context of pose estimation, particularly in the evaluation with real image pairs.
Quantifying stroke coordination during the breathing action in front-crawl swimming using an instantaneous net drag force profile

Abstract This study used both an instantaneous net drag force profile and a symmetry timing to evaluate the effect of the breathing action on stroke coordination. Twenty elite swimmers completed a total of six randomised front-crawl towing trials: (i) three breathing trials and (ii) three non-breathing trials. The net drag force was measured using an assisted towing device mounted upon a Kistler force platform, and this equipment towed the swimmer at a constant speed. The net drag force profile was used to create a stroke symmetry index for each swimming trial. Analysis using the symmetry indices identified that the majority of participants demonstrated an asymmetrical instantaneous net drag force stroke profile in both the breathing and non-breathing conditions, despite no significant differences in the time from finger-tip entry to finger-tip exit. Within the breathing condition, the faster swimmers compared to the slower swimmers demonstrated a lesser percentage of overlap between stroke phases on their breathing stroke side. During the non-breathing condition, the faster participants compared to the slower swimmers recorded a reduction in the percentage of overlap between stroke phases and less duration in the underwater stroke on their breathing stroke side. This study identified that the majority of participants demonstrated an asymmetrical net drag force profile within both conditions; however, asymmetry was less prevalent when examining with only the timing symmetry index.
Parental and Coach Support or Pressure on Psychosocial Outcomes of Pediatric Athletes in Soccer

Objective: The purpose of this article was to examine supportive and/or pressuring influences of parents and coaches on young athletes' maladaptive perfectionist tendencies, relationships to friends, and competency perceptions in soccer. Previous research has revealed that parents and coaches may give rise to both enjoyable and stressful sport experiences for the pediatric athlete and that parents and coaches are thus able to influence whether young people decide to quit sport or continue participating. Less is known about the relation of supportive versus pressuring parental and coach behaviors on the quality of athletes' achievement striving, relationships to friends in sport, and their competence perceptions. Such knowledge may help create a better psychological sport experience for pediatric athletes. Data Sources/Synthesis: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional field study was carried out among 677 young Norwegian soccer players (aged 10 to 14 years; 504 boys, 173 girls; mean age: boys = 11.9 years, SD = 2.9; girls = 11.2 years, SD = 2.1) taking part in the Norway Cup international youth soccer tournament in 2001. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) with follow-up canonical correlation was used to examine multivariate relationships between supportive and pressuring behavior and athletes' psychosocial experiences. Results: Joint pressuring behaviors from parents and coaches related positively to maladaptive achievement striving, as indicated by overconcern for mistakes, doubt about one's soccer actions, and lowered perceptions of soccer competence. Mirroring these findings, predominantly supportive coach-created psychological climates were related to a linear pattern of psychological outcomes comprising high-quality friendships, positive competency perceptions, and the absence of specific worries related to achievement striving. Conclusions: Supportive, mastery-oriented coach influence seems beneficial for constructive psychosocial outcomes in pediatric athletes, and athletes experiencing a joint social pressure to excel from coaches and parents may benefit less psychosocially through sport.
Diabetes and hyperglycemia quality improvement efforts in hospitals in the United States: current status, practice variation, and barriers to implementation.

OBJECTIVE To determine the status of diabetes and hyperglycemia quality improvement efforts in hospitals in the United States. METHODS We designed and administered a survey to a convenience sample of hospitals, and the responses were analyzed statistically. RESULTS We received 269 responses from 1,151 requested surveys. The sample was similar to hospitals in the United States on the basis of hospital type and geographic region (P = no significant difference) but not on the basis of number of beds (P<.001). Among responding hospitals, 39%, 21%, and 15% had fully implemented inpatient diabetes and hyperglycemia quality improvement programs for critically ill, non-critically ill, and perioperative patients, respectively. Moreover, 77%, 44%, and 49% had fully implemented protocols for hypoglycemia, hyperglycemic crises, and diabetic ketoacidosis, respectively. Variations in glucose target ranges were noted. The responding hospitals had no standard biochemical definition of hypoglycemia; 47% defined hypoglycemia as a glucose level <or=70 mg/dL, but 29%, 8%, 6%, and 4% used <60, <50, <40, and <80 mg/dL, respectively. Almost a third of reporting hospitals had no metric to track the quality of inpatient diabetes and hyperglycemia care. More than half (59%) indicated that they did not have an automated capability to extract and analyze glucose data. The most frequent barrier to implementing a glycemic control program was concern regarding hypoglycemia (61%). CONCLUSION Hospitals are addressing the issue of inpatient diabetes and glycemic control but face obstacles to implementation of quality improvement programs and vary in their approach to management. Improving the consistency of glucose control practices within hospitals in the United States should help enhance patient care and safety. Future efforts to help hospitals overcome barriers to introducing glucose control programs could include developing standardized glycemic control metrics, improving data collection and reporting methods, and providing improved tools that enable clinicians to control glucose safely.
General and condition-specific essential functions of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Significance There is an urgent need for new antibiotics active against resistant bacterial pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Target-directed drug development provides a potential path to such drugs, and essential gene products represent potential targets. Accordingly, the work reported here defines a highly verified set of such functions for P. aeruginosa required for growth under a variety of different conditions. The essential functions of a bacterial pathogen reflect the most basic processes required for its viability and growth, and represent potential therapeutic targets. Most screens for essential genes have assayed a single condition—growth in a rich undefined medium—and thus have not distinguished genes that are generally essential from those that are specific to this particular condition. To help define these classes for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, we identified genes required for growth on six different media, including a medium made from cystic fibrosis patient sputum. The analysis used the Tn-seq circle method to achieve high genome coverage and analyzed more than 1,000,000 unique insertion positions (an average of one insertion every 6.0 bp). We identified 352 general and 199 condition-specific essential genes. A subset of assignments was verified in individual strains with regulated expression alleles. The profile of essential genes revealed that, compared with Escherichia coli, P. aeruginosa is highly vulnerable to mutations disrupting central carbon-energy metabolism and reactive oxygen defenses. These vulnerabilities may arise from the stripped-down architecture of the organism’s carbohydrate utilization pathways and its reliance on respiration for energy generation. The essential function profile thus provides fundamental insights into P. aeruginosa physiology as well as identifying candidate targets for new antibacterial agents.
Terrorism and tourism demand: a case study of Lebanon, Turkey and Israel

Using a seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) model, this paper examines the impact of domestic and transnational terrorism on tourism demand (as measured by visitor arrivals) to Lebanon, Turkey and Israel. The distinguishing feature of this paper is that we use a dynamic framework that takes into account (i) the intensity of terrorism and (ii) the associated spillover effects. The empirical results, based on monthly data from 1995 to 2007, reveal that terrorism in one country affects visitor arrivals not only to that country but also to other countries. We find that tourists view Lebanese and Turkish tourism markets as substitutes. Terrorism in Israel, of all types (i.e. domestic or transnational) and intensities, affects visitor arrivals to Lebanon and Turkey. In overall terms, terrorism has a much larger negative impact on visitor arrivals to Lebanon.
Structural basis for recruitment of translesion DNA polymerase Pol IV/DinB to the β‐clamp

Y‐family DNA polymerases can extend primer strands across template strand lesions that stall replicative polymerases. The poor processivity and fidelity of these enzymes, key to their biological role, requires that their access to the primer–template junction is both facilitated and regulated in order to minimize mutations. These features are believed to be provided by interaction with processivity factors, β‐clamp or proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), which are also essential for the function of replicative DNA polymerases. The basis for this interaction is revealed by the crystal structure of the complex between the ‘little finger’ domain of the Y‐family DNA polymerase Pol IV and the β‐clamp processivity factor, both from Escherichia coli. The main interaction involves a C‐terminal peptide of Pol IV, and is similar to interactions seen between isolated peptides and other processivity factors. However, this first structure of an entire domain of a binding partner with an assembled clamp reveals a substantial secondary interface, which maintains the polymerase in an inactive orientation, and may regulate the switch between replicative and Y‐family DNA polymerases in response to a template strand lesion.
The LINC complex contributes to heterochromatin organisation and transcriptional gene silencing in plants

ABSTRACT The linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complex is an evolutionarily well-conserved protein bridge connecting the cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments across the nuclear membrane. While recent data support its function in nuclear morphology and meiosis, its involvement in chromatin organisation has not been studied in plants. Here, 3D imaging methods have been used to investigate nuclear morphology and chromatin organisation in interphase nuclei of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana in which heterochromatin clusters in conspicuous chromatin domains called chromocentres. Chromocentres form a repressive chromatin environment contributing to transcriptional silencing of repeated sequences, a general mechanism needed for genome stability. Quantitative measurements of the 3D position of chromocentres indicate their close proximity to the nuclear periphery but that their position varies with nuclear volume and can be altered in specific mutants affecting the LINC complex. Finally, we propose that the plant LINC complex contributes to proper heterochromatin organisation and positioning at the nuclear periphery, since its alteration is associated with the release of transcriptional silencing as well as decompaction of heterochromatic sequences. Summary: The plant LINC complex contributes to heterochromatin position at the nuclear periphery, maintains transcriptional gene silencing and participates in compaction of heterochromatic sequences in cotyledon epidermis and root hair cells.
Financial Integration in a Changing World

Given the rapidly evolving nature of financial globalization, this paper models and predicts financial integration in a changing world. By decomposing integration into global risk, local risk and estimation risk, we argue that greater integration is mainly driven by global factors, not diminishing local effects. The national importance of the global financial cycle varies over time, based upon time varying factor loadings. Financial integration is highly predictable, which is important for international diversification and risk management. We also identify that VIX is a strong predictor of financial integration. This reflects the vulnerability of financial market to extreme events in the United States.
Prognostic significance and interobserver variability of histologic grading systems for endometrial carcinoma

The most widely used histologic grading system for endometrial carcinoma is the three‐tiered International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) system. Although FIGO grading has significant predictive value, the reproducibility of Grade 2 is limited. Recently, a binary grading system was proposed based on the amount of solid growth, the pattern of myometrial invasion, and the presence of tumor cell necrosis. The authors analyzed and compared the prognostic significance and the interobserver variability of both grading systems and of the three criteria for the binary grading system.
Ascorbyl-2-Sulfate Compared with Ascorbic Acid in Atlantic Salmon: Uptake and Distribution Confirmed by Mass Spectroscopy

Abstract This paper reports an in-depth approach that identifies ascorbyl-2-sulfate (AS) in gastric, blood, liver, and muscle tissues of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). To insure the identity of the AS, the study utilized the latest high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technology plus electron ionization mass spectrometry (EIMS). Just before saltwater adaptation stage, juvenile Atlantic salmon were force-fed AS, ascorbic acid (AA), and a molecular-equivalent combination of the two. After tissue analyses for AA and AS were performed by HPLC separation, the HPLC peaks were identified by EIMS. The data collected in this study indicate that Atlantic salmon can absorb AS through the gastric tissue when forced-fed AA and AS as described. The data also indicate that AS is transported through the blood to the liver. There is evidence to indicate that AS is converted to AA in the livers of these salmon. In addition, the muscle tissue contained a large portion of AA and AS.
Correlation of mast cells in different stages of human periodontal diseases: Pilot study

Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate and correlate the relationship between mast cells counts and different stages of human periodontal diseases. Materials and Methods: The study sample comprised 50 patients, which were divided into three groups, consisting of 10 cases of clinically healthy gingival tissues (control group) 20 cases of dental plaque-induced gingivitis with no attachment loss and 20 cases of localized chronic periodontitis (LCP) characterized by the loss of periodontal support. The samples for control group were obtained during tooth extractions for orthodontic reasons. The specimens were immediately fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin. Conclusion: In this study, LCP cases had higher mast cell counts compared to gingivitis sites or healthy tissues. Increased mast cell counts in the progressing sites of periodontal diseases may indicate the importance of these cells in the progression of chronic periodontitis.
Prototyping in Theory and in Practice: A Study of the Similarities and Differences between Engineers and Designers

Prototyping can be seen as the heart of the innovation process. Typically, engineers and designers both work on prototyping activities, but their diverse backgrounds make for different perspectives on prototyping. Based on earlier literature, this study investigates commonalities and differences in the prototyping behavior of engineers and designers. For this study, semi-structured interviews and workshops with different experiments were conducted. Using low-fidelity prototypes, our results indicated that there are differences in the early phase of prototyping. Engineers focused on the features and functions of a prototype and needed to meet specific goals in order to push the process forward. Designers, on the other hand, used prototypes to investigate the design space for new possibilities, and were more open to a variety of prototyping materials and tools, especially for low-fidelity prototypes. In the later prototyping phases, the prototyping behaviors of engineers and designers became similar. Our study contributes to the understanding of prototyping purposes, activities, and processes across disciplines, and supports the management of prototyping in new product development processes.
Process Outcomes in Breast Reconstruction and the Impact of a Comprehensive Breast Center

Background: Processes outcomes for breast reconstruction (related to access, efficiency, and sustainability) have not been well described. These processes are likely to be impacted by the centralization of breast cancer care into comprehensive breast centers. The authors’ study objectives were to define measures for breast reconstruction processes of care and to determine a breast center’s effect on these measures. Methods: All patients evaluated for postmastectomy breast reconstruction between 2009 and 2013 (2 years before to 2 years after opening of the authors’ breast center) were reviewed. Consultation, surgical, and financial data were compared between the two periods. Results: A total of 614 (45.0 percent) and 750 patients (55.0 percent) were treated before and after, respectively, formation of the authors’ breast center. Between the two periods, the internal referral rate for postmastectomy reconstruction increased from 27.1 percent to 46.0 percent (p < 0.001). The delay between surgical oncology and plastic surgery consultation decreased from 10.5 days to 3.6 days (p < 0.001), as did the delay between plastic surgery consultation and surgery for both autologous (from 45.1 days to 32.6 days; p = 0.003) and implant-based reconstruction (from 34.9 days to 25.5 days; p = 0.004). The immediate breast reconstruction rate increased from 40.1 percent to 52.7 percent (p < 0.001), including autologous reconstruction (from 13.1 percent to 20.8 percent; p < 0.001). Conclusions: In breast reconstruction, a comprehensive breast center improves processes of care. The authors describe their strategy for integration of reconstructive surgery into a breast center.