Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Parkes multi-beam pulsar survey - I. Observing and data analysis systems, discovery and timing of 100 pulsars

limiting flux density of the survey is about 0.2 mJy. At shorter or longer periods or higher dispersions, the sensitivity is reduced. Timing observations are carried out for pulsars discovered in the survey for 12‐18 months after confirmation to obtain accurate positions, spin parameters, dispersion measures, pulse shapes and mean flux densities. The survey is proving to be extremely successful, with more than 600 pulsars discovered so far. We expect that, when complete, this one survey will come close to finding as many pulsars as all previous pulsar surveys put together. The newly discovered pulsars tend to be young, distant and of high radio luminosity. They will form a valuable sample for studies of pulsar emission properties, the Galactic distribution and evolution of pulsars, and as probes of interstellar medium properties. This paper reports the timing and pulse shape parameters for the first 100 pulsars timed at Parkes, including three pulsars with periods of less than 100 ms which are members of binary systems. These results are briefly compared with the parameters of the previously known population.
A comparison of the formation of bubbles and water droplets in vegetable and mineral oil impregnated transformer paper

Bubble formation from paper insulation during overload is important to understand because it can cause a transformer to fail. This phenomenon has been investigated in a mineral oil-paper system, but not in vegetable oil. This study investigated bubble formation during overload in a vegetable oil impregnated paper system and the results were compared to a mineral oil (Shell Diala B) which was studied previously using similar test equipment and method. The limiting hot-spot temperatures for bubbles and water droplets in vegetable oil for paper with water content between 1 - 6 % were determined. The water content of paper measurement which is critical when setting the winding temperature limit was evaluated using both a moisture sensor and Karl-Fischer titration method.
Reciprocal regulation of the nitric oxide synthase/arginase balance in mouse bone marrow‐derived macrophages by TH 1 and TH 2 cytokines

Activation with lipopolysaccharide induces macrophages to produce the enzymes arginase and nitric oxide (NO) synthase. Both enzymes use as a substrate the amino acid L‐arginine, which can be either hydrolyzed by arginase to urea and ornithine or oxidized by NO synthase to NO and citrulline. NO is important in the bactericidal and cytotoxic activities of macrophages. An equivalent functional role of arginase and its products is not known. We tested the induction of arginase in bone marrow‐derived macrophages by endogenous mediators that are known to induce NO synthase, such as interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ), or suppress the induction of this enzyme, such as interleukin (IL)‐4, IL‐10, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). We find that PGE2 and the TH2 cytokines IL‐4 and IL‐10 are potent inducers of arginase. In contrast, the TH 1 cytokine IFN‐γ does not induce arginase. Simultaneous application of both types of mediators leads to reduced induction of both arginase and NO synthase. Exposure of macrophage cultures to inducers of NO synthase exhausts their ability to respond subsequently to inducers of arginase. Conversely, exposure of the cells to inducers of arginase exhausts their ability to respond subsequently to inducers of NO synthase. The results are consistent with a competition of both enzymes for their substrate, L‐arginine, with a reciprocal inhibition in the induction of both enzymes, or a combination of both phenomena. The enzymes NO synthase and arginase appear to define two alternate functional states of macrophages, induced by TH 1 and TH 2 cytokines, respectively.
Generation of micro-J pulses in the deep UV at MHz repetition rates

Although ultraviolet (UV) light is important in many areas of science and technology, there are very few if any lasers capable of delivering wavelength-tunable ultrashort UV pulses at MHz repetition rates. Here we report the generation of deep-UV laser pulses at MHz repetition rates and \mu J-energies by means of dispersive wave (DW) emission from self-compressed solitons in gas-filled single-ring hollow-core photonic crystal fiber (SR-PCF). Pulses from an ytterbium fiber laser (~300 fs) are first compressed to ~25 fs in a SR-PCF-based nonlinear compression stage, and subsequently used to pump a second SR-PCF stage for broadband DW generation in the deep UV. The UV wavelength is tunable by selecting the gas species and the pressure. At 100 kHz repetition rate, a pulse energy of 1.05 \mu J was obtained at 205 nm (average power 0.1 W), and at 1.92 MHz, a pulse energy of 0.54 \mu J was obtained at 275 nm (average power 1.03 W).
APPLICATION OF REAL-TIME REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION PCR FOR THE DETECTION OF BLUETONGUE VIRUS

Real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR) for the detection of bluetongue virus (BTV) in EDTA treated blood samples taken from BTV infected animals was described. A combination of two primer sets (representing eastern and western BTV serotypes) and two Taqman probes specific for a highly conserved region in BTV RNA segment 1 were used. The assay detected the viral RNA in blood samples collected from seropositive cattle imported to Poland from Germany at the end of 2007. No BTV RNA was detectable in samples from uninfected sheep. The rRT-PCR can provide quantitative as well as qualitative information and is more sensitive and much faster to perform than the conventional RT-PCR. It can be used in large-scale screening, because of its ability to simultaneous analysis up to 96 samples per run. The applied rRT-PCR is an accurate and reliable technique for the detection of BTV in blood samples.
Dietary Supplementation with Watermelon (Citrullus Ianatus) Juice Enhances Arginine Availability and Modifies Hyperglycemia, Hyperlipidemia and Oxidative Stress in Diabetic Rats .

Objective: Watermelon fruit is rich in L-citrulline an effective precursor of L-arginine . It has been shown to have a therapeutic properties. The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of watermelon juice on serum arginine availability, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress in alloxan -induced diabetic rats. Material and Methods: Thirty female albino rats of Sprague Dawely Strain were used. The animals were divided into five groups: negative control group (N=6) and diabetic groups (N=24), which divided into four equal subgroups as the following: Untreated diabetic positive control group, diabetic control group treated with 0.2% L-arginine (as L-arginine- HCl) and treated diabetic groups with either 63% or 94.5% of watermelon juice for 30 days. Results: The beneficial role of watermelon juice was evaluated by orally administration to alloxan -induced diabetic rats. Diabetic untreated control group showed significant reduction in body weight gain as compared to normal and treated groups, enhancement in oxidative stress in rats as indicated by significant elevation p<0.05 in malondialdehyde (MDA) level, significant elevation of serum glucose, TAG, TC, LDL-C,VLDL-C and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels, whereas it was observed a significant reduction in liver glycogen content and serum HDL-C levels with respect to negative control and treated groups. Oral treatment of diabetic rats with L-arginine 0.2% or watermelon juice at 63% or 94.5%, induced significant decrease p<0.05 in serum MDA, ALP, remarkable glycemic control, increase liver glycogen and improvement in lipid profiles parameters as compared with diabetic control untreated group. Serum arginie was significantly increased in diabetic groups treated with 0.2% L-arginine or with either 63% or 94.5% of watermelon juice as compared to diabetic untreated control. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that, watermelon juice enhances arginine availability, increase serum arginine concentration and has a significant hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic effects and significantly modify the oxidative stress with the best effect obtained with administration the high concentration of watermelon juice 94.5% in diabetic rats.
Nursing Home Use by Dual-Eligible Beneficiaries in the Last Year of Life

Research on health care at the end of life has focused on Medicare-financed acute care services. Much less information has been available on nursing home use in the last year of life, particularly for individuals who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. We used Medicare and Medicaid enrollment and claims data to examine nursing home admissions, odds of dying in nursing homes versus hospitals or the community, and variations in Medicare and Medicaid service use and costs by place of death. We found that, in the last year of life, 75% of dual-eligible people use nursing home care, increasing age is associated with greater likelihood of dying in nursing homes, and dual-eligible people who die in hospitals have notably higher costs than other beneficiaries.
Destruction by Anaerobic Mesophilic and Thermophilic Digestion of Viruses and Indicator Bacteria Indigenous to Domestic Sludges

In raw sludges and in mesophilically and thermophilically digested anaerobic sludges, large variations in numbers of viruses occurred over narrow ranges of numbers of fecal coliforms, total coliforms, and fecal streptococci, demonstrating that the bacteria were poor quantitative reflectors of the numbers of the viruses detected. Mesophilic and thermophilic digestion of anaerobic sludges destroyed all three indicator bacteria more rapidly than such digestion destroyed the viruses. The relative rates for the destruction of viruses, fecal coliforms, and fecal streptococci in the digested sludges were consistent over the 17-month study. Fecal coliforms were 7 to 8 times more sensitive than the viruses to mesophilic digestion and 9 to 10 times more sensitive to thermophilic digestion. Total coliforms were even more sensitive. The rates at which fecal streptococci were destroyed by mesophilic and thermophilic digestion of anaerobic sludges approached those at which the viruses were destroyed by those processes; this suggested that the rates at which fecal streptococci in sludges are destroyed by those processes may serve as useful indicators for the rates at which viruses in sludges are destroyed by those processes.
NEURAL CORRELATES OF VISUO-SPATIAL ATTENTION DURING AN ANTISACCADE TASK IN SCHIZOPHRENIA: AN ERP STUDY

The authors investigated the role of visuo-spatial attention in an antisaccade task using event-related potentials (ERPs) in schizophrenia patients compared to healthy controls. ERPs between 80–130 ms (P100) after stimulus onset showed differences between pro- and antisaccades only for controls and can be related to the suppression of irrelevant stimulus features. Between 150–180 ms (N100), a larger amplitude for anti-compared to prosaccades over centroparietal electrodes showed that processes of visuo-spatial attention seem to be engaged in performance of the antisaccade task. Left temporo-occipitally, this activity was only evident in schizophrenia patients, possibly reflecting additional neuronal recruitment in order to perform the antisaccade task successfully.
IA mutant functional antigen-presenting cell lines.

We describe a protocol for the selection of mutant cells with an altered pattern of Ia antigenic determinants and antigen-presenting properties from a homogeneous population of functional antigen-presenting cells (APC). The APC line used in this work was obtained by fusing lipopolysaccharide-stimulated B cells from (BALB/c x A/J)F1 donors with cells from the M12.4. 1 BALB/c B lymphoma cell line. The resulting hybridomas, including TA3, retained the potent antigen-presenting activity of the parental B lymphoma line and expressed Ia antigens and immune response gene-determined antigen-presenting properties of the A/J type. Mutants of TA3 were obtained by subjecting the cells to negative immunoselection with one monoclonal anti-(alpha) 1-Ak antibody and complement followed by positive immunoselection via electronic cell sorting with a second monoclonal alpha I-Ak or alpha I-Ek antibody. Two types of mutants were obtained. One, A8, appeared to have undergone a fairly limited alteration, since it lost only some of the I-Ak antigenic determinants; the second type appeared to have lost the entire I-Ak molecule but to have retained the I-E molecule. Functional studies with the A8 mutant demonstrated that the loss of a limited number of I-Ak determinants correlated with the loss of a specific I-Ak-encoded restriction element, since A8 failed to present a specific antigen, hen egg lysozyme (HEL), to a HEL-specific I-Ak-restricted T cell hybridoma but retained some capacity to present a second antigen, poly(Glu60Ala30Tyr10) (GAT), to a GAT-specific I-Ak-restricted T cell hybridoma. These results indicate that Ia antigens are the products of immune response gene loci. The availability of such mutants should allow an examination of the relationship between the structure of an Ia molecule and the antigens with which it is co-recognized by T cells.
Design of single-phase shunt active filter for three-phase four-wire distribution systems

This study presents single-phase shunt active filter for three-phase four-wire distribution systems to alleviate the overloading of the neutral conductor. The single-phase shunt active filters are installed near the nonlinear diode rectifier loads for each phase. The single-phase shunt active filter system compensates for current harmonics of the diode rectifier load. Furthermore, an integrated pulse width modulator with dead-time generator is adopted to improve output voltage accuracy of single-phase shunt active filter. Simulation and test results are utilized to verify the performance of the single-phase shunt active filter for three-phase four-wire distribution systems.
Spironucleus species: economically-important fish pathogens and enigmatic single-celled eukaryotes

Diplomonads are aerotolerant anaerobic, binucleate flagellates, which are commonly found in the intestinal tract of wild and farmed fish. Of the diplomonad genera, Spironucleus, composed of opportunistic pathogens, poses the greatest threat to aquaculture. Immunocompromised hosts or fish without acquired immunity are thought to be more susceptible to parasitism by these otherwise commensal agents. Accumulation of flagellates along the intestinal tract often leads to systemic Spironucleosis causing high mortality of both ornamental and food fish in aquaculture. The life cycle of these piscine diplomonads is direct, consisting of a motile, parasitic trophozoite and a resilient encysted stage, which facilitates water-borne transmission. Confusion in the nomenclature, as well as numerous reassignments of taxa, hampers our understanding of host range and geographical distribution of fish diplomonads. Accurate identification requires transmission electron microscopy to characterise intricate ultrastructural features. Additionally, sequencing of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene allows identification of cryptic Spironucleus spp. In vitro culture provides a convenient source of flagellates for biochemical and physiological research, allowing the identification of novel parasite-specific molecular pathways such as H2 production within Spironucleus sp. This provides insight into the pathogenicity of these organisms and offers potential new targets for chemotherapy. Restrictions on the administration of the current drug of choice, metronidazole, in aquacultural settings, as well as reported cases of drug resistance, means that control of Spironucleosis is especially difficult. Allium sativum (garlic)-derived compounds have proven highly effective at inhibiting parasite growth in vitro, showing great potential as a novel alternative therapy in the treatment of Spironucleosis. Further characterisation of the biochemistry, pathogenicity and taxonomy of fish diplomonads is required in order to fully appreciate the true impact and economic consequences of Spironucleus spp. in aquaculture.
Canine Hepatocellular Carcinoma

In a study of 110 primary hepatic neoplasms in dogs, 55 hepatocellular carcinomas and two combined hepatocellular and cholangiocarcinomas were diagnosed. These neoplasms were classified into the following 11 groups based on histo-architectural pattern: trabecular, peliod, cobblestone, peritheliomatous, anaplastic, pseudoglandular, pleomorphic, scirrhous, clear cell, solid, and combined hepatocellular and cholangiocarcinoma. The neoplastic hepatocytes varied from almost normal to highly anaplastic spindle cells. Pleomorphic and giant cells were common in some groups, rare or absent in others. Metastasis was found in 61% (35 of 57 dogs), with varied frequencies in the different groups. Cirrhosis was found in only 7% (4 of 57), in contrast to a much higher percent in man, indicating the possibility of a different pathogenesis in the dog.
Light-dependent degradation of nitrophenols by the phototrophic bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus E1F1

Rhodobacter capsulatus E1F1, a phototrophic purple nonsulfur bacterium capable of photoassimilating nitrate or nitrite, grew phototrophically in the presence of mono- and dinitrophenols with acetate as a carbon source, the highest growth levels being obtained under microaerobic conditions. Utilization of 2,4-dinitrophenol was strictly light dependent, was inhibited by O2 and by ammonium, and took place with the simultaneous and stoichiometric production of 2-amino-4-nitrophenol, which accumulated in the medium and was poorly used for further growth in anaerobiosis. Metabolism of mononitrophenols was also light dependent but was activated by O2 and by ammonium. Metabolism of nitrophenols seemed to depend on inducible systems which were repressed in nitrogen-starved cells. Induction of the in vivo 2,4-dinitrophenol reducing system was strongly inhibited by chloramphenicol.
Effect of Environmental Parameters on hydrogen Production using Clostridium Saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4(ATCC 13564)

Problem statement: Hydrogen gas production by Clostridium can be improved by several ways through media formulation, or suitable environment condition. This study was carried out to investigate the environmental factors effects on hydrogen production using Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4 (ATCC 13564). Approach: The environmental factor studied includes initial substrate concentration, initial medium pH, temperature, sparging nitrogen and addition of Fe2+. Results: The result showed that the best yield of hydrogen produced (YP/S) was 3.10 moL (moL glucose)-1 when an initial glucose concentration was 10 g L-1, initial pH 6.0±0.2 at temperature 37°C. The volume of hydrogen produced was decreased when higher initial glucose concentration was applied. The yield of hydrogen increased when Fe2+ added to medium at concentration of 25 mg L−1. The yield and growth were further increased by sparging with nitrogen gas. Conclusion: It was observed that the best condition for highest hydrogen yield when initial pH 6.0±0.2 at 37°C and enhanced by adding ferrous sulfate in anaerobic process.
Association between PARP‐1 V762A polymorphism and cancer susceptibility: a meta‐analysis

Poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase‐1 (PARP‐1 catalyzes poly(ADP‐ribosyl)ation to various proteins involved in many cellular processes, including DNA damage detection and repair and cell proliferation and death. PARP‐1 has been implicated in human carcinogenesis, but the association between the most‐studied PARP‐1 V762A polymorphism (rs1136410) and risk of various cancers was reported with inconclusive results. The aim of this study was to assess the association between the PARP‐1 V762A polymorphism and cancer risk. A meta‐analysis of 21 studies with 12,027 cancer patients and 14,106 cancer‐free controls was conducted to evaluate the strength of the association using odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Overall, no significant association was found between the PARP‐1 V762A polymorphism and cancer risk. In the stratified analyses, however, it was found that the variant A allele of the PARP‐1 V762A polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of cancer among Asian populations (VA + AA vs. VV: OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.01–1.23; Pheterogeneity = 0.210), but a decreased risk of cancer (VA + AA vs. VV: OR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.80–1.00; Pheterogeneity = 0.004) among Caucasian populations, especially for glioma risk (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.69–0.90; Pheterogeneity = 0.800). This meta‐analysis found evidence for an association of the PARP‐1 V 762A polymorphism with increased risk of cancer among Asians, but decreased risk of cancer among Caucasians, particularly of glioma. Further well‐designed studies with large sample sizes of different ethnic populations and different cancer types are warranted to confirm these findings. Genet. Epidemiol. 36 : 56–65 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Analysis of Field Data to Describe the Effect of Context (Acoustic and Non-Acoustic Factors) on Urban Soundscapes

The need to improve acoustic environments in our cities has led to increased interest in correcting or minimising noise pollution in urban environments, something that has been associated with the resurgence of the soundscape approach. This line of research highlights the importance of context in the perception of acoustic environments. Despite this, few studies consider together a wide number of variables relating to the context, and analyse the relative importance of each. The purpose of this paper is therefore to identify the acoustic and non-acoustic characteristics of a place (context) that influence an individual’s perception of the sound environment and the relative importance of these factors in soundscape. The aim is to continue advancing in the definition of an acoustic comfort indicator for urban places. The data used here were collected in various soundscape campaigns carried out by Tecnalia in Bilbao (Spain) between 2011 and 2014. These studies involved 534 evaluations of 10 different places. The results indicate that many diverse contextual factors determine soundscape, the most important being the congruence between soundscape and landscape. The limitations of the findings and suggestions for further research are also discussed.
A choice experiment method to assess vegetables producers’ preferences for crop insurance

Agricultural producers face many risks in their economic activity due to weather conditions, plant or animal diseases, price volatility, policy changes and so on. One of the management tools to deal with some of these risks is the crop insurance system. In Catalonia (North-East of Spain) farmers’ participation in crop insurance for vegetables is low. Only 5 percent of the vegetables area is insured, when in Spain, as a whole, this percentage is around 20 percent. Different reasons have been suggested to explain this low participation ratio such as low risk perception, risk diversification, insurance cost or crop damage assessment rules, among others. However, no systematic research has been undertaken to assess farmers’ preferences for crop insurance in Catalonia. Through a survey of 93 vegetables farmers in the main productive areas in Catalonia, we conducted choice experiments to assess main farmers’ preferences for crop insurance. Each insurance policy was defined by 4 attributes: insurance cost; risks covered; minimum production damage level; and crop damage assessment rule. Results identify that insurance cost and crop damage assessment rules are among the most important factors to explain farmers’ behaviour toward crop insurance. These results allow us to suggest some recommendations specifically addressed to re-orientate the existing crop insurance policy in the vegetables sector in Catalonia.