Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) TDC for the Fermilab SeaQuest (E906) Experiment and Its Test with a Novel External Wave Union Launcher

We developed a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) TDC module for the tracking detectors of the Fermilab SeaQuest (E906) experiment, including drift chambers, proportional tubes, and hodoscopes. This 64-channel TDC module had a 6U VMEbus form factor and was equipped with a low-power, radiation-hardened Microsemi ProASIC3 Flash-based FPGA. The design of the new FPGA firmware (Run2-TDC) aimed to reduce the data volume and data acquisition (DAQ) deadtime. The firmware digitized multiple input hits of both polarities while allowing users to turn on a multiple-hit elimination logic to remove after-pulses in the wire chambers and proportional tubes. A scaler was implemented in the firmware to allow for recording the number of hits in each channel. The TDC resolution was determined by an internal cell delay of 450 ps. A measurement precision of 200 ps was achieved. We used five kinds of tests to ensure the qualification of 93 TDCs in mass production. We utilized the external wave union launcher in our test to improve the TDC's measurement precision and also to illustrate how to construct the Wave Union TDC using an existing multi-hit TDC without modifying its firmware. Measurement precision was improved by a factor of about two (108 ps) based on the four-edge wave union. Better measurement precision (69 ps) was achieved by combining the approaches of Wave Union TDC and multiple-channel ganging.
EVOLUTION OF PILED-UP COMPRESSIONS IN MODELED CORONAL MASS EJECTION SHEATHS AND THE RESULTING SHEATH STRUCTURES

We study coronal mass ejection (CME)-driven shocks and the resulting post-shock structures in the lower corona (2–7 R☉). Two CMEs are erupted by modified Titov–Démoulin (TD) and Gibson–Low (GL) type flux ropes (FRs) with the Space Weather Modeling Framework. We observe a substantial pile-up of density compression and a narrow region of plasma depletion layer (PDL) in the simulations. As the CME/FR moves and expands in the solar wind medium, it pushes the magnetized material lying ahead of it. Hence, the magnetic field lines draping around the CME front are compressed in the sheath just ahead of the CME. These compressed field lines squeeze out the plasma sideways, forming PDL in the region. Solar plasma being pushed and displaced from behind forms a strong piled-up compression (PUC) of density downstream of the PDL. Both CMEs have comparable propagation speeds, while GL has larger expansion speed than TD due to its higher initial magnetic pressure. We argue that high CME expansion speed along with high solar wind density in the region is responsible for the large PUC found in the lower corona. In case of GL, the PUC is much wider, although the density compression ratio for both the cases is comparable. Although these simulations artificially initiate out-of-equilibrium CMEs and drive them in an artificial solar wind solution, we predict that PUCs, in general, will be large in the lower corona. This should affect the ion profiles of the accelerated solar energetic particles.
Intrasensory Effects in Simple Reaction Time: A Re-Analysis of Rubinsteins Data

Rubinsrein ( 1964) has recently reported the results of two reaction time (RT) experiments, in one of which, an irrelevant stimulus (Si), a 40-msec. flash to the left eye of luminance 3.1, 0.9, or -1.3 log MI always preceded a reaction stimulus (Sr), a 40-msec. flash to the right eye of luminance 3.1, 0.7, or -1.1 log MI. The effects of manipulating the interval berween onset of Si and Sr (At) were investigated and the results were expressed in terms of the difference (delay) between RT for a particular At and a control condition. It was concluded that "no relationship appears to exist between delays and the luminance of either the irrelevant or the reaction flash. " The mean delay for each Si-Sr combination for each At was reported for each of the two Ss completing the experiment and these figures have been subject to analysis of variance by the present author. In the case of Subject RL rhe mean delays associated with each Si are 17.8, 23.0, and 20.5 msec. , while for Subject JB these are 19.7, 23.0, and 17.2 msec. ; the variances attributable to Si luminance when tested against the triple interaction (Si luminance X Sr luminance X At length) yield F ratios of 7.80 and 11.7, respectively. As these are significant (df = 2/32; 9 = .01, .001), it must be concluded chat there is a decided relationship benveen the delays and luminance of the irrelevant flash. In the case of Subject JB Sr luminance (p < .05) and the interaction of Si luminance X At length (p < .01) also make significant contributions to the variance. The finding of a significant effect due to Si luminance confirms a similar finding by the present author (John, 1964) although the fact that the most intense Si has rather less effect than the middle value is puzzling. The extreme intensity of this stimulus ("the brightest flashes verged on the unpleasant") may have contributed to this result. Although this experiment has shown that RTs associated with small Ats are delayed in comparison with a control RT, i.e., at of 1400, 1500, and 1600 msec. , it is by no means demonstrated that these RTs are delayed in any absolute sense, i.e., in comparison with RT to Sr in the absence of Si.
Health status and life satisfaction among breast cancer survivor peer support volunteers

Two measures of health‐related quality of life (HRQOL), the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form 36 (SF‐36) and the Satisfaction with Life Domains Scale for Cancer (SLDS‐C), were compared to examine the relationship between health status and life satisfaction among breast cancer survivors (BCSs). A total of 586 BCSs, all of whom were volunteers in peer support programs, met inclusion criteria and completed the self‐report measures. Significant correlation coefficients were shown between life satisfaction and measures of health status. SF‐36 scores were significantly higher for physical functioning, emotional well‐being, and vitality subscales compared to population norms. BCSs expressed greatest dissatisfaction with their sexual ability, physical strength, and bodies in general. Small age differences were found. Results suggest that incorporating multiple measures of HRQOL contribute to the understanding and measurement of the effects of cancer on perceived health status and life satisfaction. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Determination of a saliva cotinine cut‐off to distinguish pregnant smokers from pregnant non‐smokers

Background. Objective validation of smoking status is necessary. Earlier studies have used saliva cotinine concentrations between 14.2 and 30 ng/ml as cut‐off values to distinguish pregnant smokers from non‐smokers. However, these cut‐offs derive from studies including men and non‐pregnant women. This constitutes a problem, as recent studies have reported an accelerated metabolism in pregnant smokers. The aim of this study was to determine the optimum cut‐off cotinine level distinguishing pregnant smokers from pregnant non‐smokers. Methods. An observational study of 620 pregnant women, 359 self‐reported smokers and 261 self‐reported non‐smokers, with complete data on smoking status and saliva cotinine. The study was conducted at a large university hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark. Saliva was sampled at the first antenatal visit to the midwife and analyzed for cotinine level by gas chromatography. Participants completed a questionnaire immediately after the first visit. Results. A saliva cotinine cut‐off level of 13 ng/ml, corresponding to a sensitivity of 0.99 and specificity 0.98, was found to be the optimum cut‐off value separating pregnant smokers from non‐smokers. The sum of the sensitivity and specificity was at its maximum, 1.981. A 95% bootstrap confidence interval for the optimum cut‐off was (8–14 ng/ml). Conclusion. From the present data we recommend that in future studies on smoking cessation and pregnancy a cut‐off level of 13 ng/ml should be applied to distinguish between pregnant smokers and non‐smokers.
When Holding Back Helps

Is the suppression of negative emotions ever associated with beneficial outcomes in relationships? The study reported here drew on research and theory on emotion regulation, self-construal, and sacrifice to test the hypothesis that individual differences in interdependent self-construal moderate the association between negative-emotion suppression and the personal and interpersonal outcomes of sacrifice. In a 14-day daily-experience study of people in romantic relationships, people with higher levels of interdependence experienced boosts in personal well-being and relationship quality if they suppressed their negative emotions during sacrifice, whereas those who construed the self in less interdependent terms experienced lower well-being and relationship quality if they suppressed their negative emotions during sacrifice. Feelings of authenticity for the sacrifice mediated these associations. These findings identify a critical condition under which the suppression of negative emotions may be personally and interpersonally beneficial.
A Theoretical Approach to Online Review Systems: an Influence of Review Components Model

Effective online review component design plays a critical role in facilitating online transactions. Although there is abundant evidence that consumer reviews have significant impact on product sales, the design of consumer review systems and its impact on consumers’ beliefs about online reviews and subsequent purchase decisions have not yet been thoroughly examined. Little theoretical knowledge is available about how review components may influence consumers’ beliefs, attitudes and behavior. In this paper, we develop a conceptual model for measuring the impact of review components on the beliefs and behavior of online customers. In developing the theoretical model (called the influence of review components model, or IRCM), we synthesize the theory of reasoned action with theories in social psychology, consumer behavior, and trust to categorize review components and conceptualize the salient beliefs of consumers toward online reviews. We expect that IRCM and its empirical results provide an initial guideline for a rigorous approach to designing online review systems and testing their effectiveness before full deployment
Influence of prenatal ethanol exposure on cholinergic development in the rat striatum

This study investigated the influence of ethanol exposure throughout gestation on cholinergic development within the rat striatal region. Pregnant Long‐Evans rats were maintained on three diets throughout gestation: A liquid diet in which ethanol accounted for 35–39% of the total calories, a similar diet with the isocaloric substitution of sucrose for ethanol, and a lab chow control diet. At postnatal days 14 and 60 (P14 and P60), the striatal regions of the offspring were analyzed for the number of cholinergic neurons, via choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunostaining. The area of the striatum was also measured in these animals. At P14, P21, and P60, ChAT activity was assessed in the same region. These analyses revealed a significant increase in the number of cholinergic striatal neurons at P14 in the animals which had been exposed prenatally to ethanol. This increase was transient, however, with equal numbers of ChAT‐positive cells found in all three groups by adulthood (P60). The brain weights of the ethanol‐exposed animals were significantly reduced at P14 and P21, but were comparable to controls by P60. There were no significant differences in the striatal area or the overall volume of the region assessed, however, at either P14 or P60. Although there were some increases in ChAT activity across the ages viewed (most notably between P14 and P21), there were no effects of diet on ChAT activity at any age assessed. It is proposed that the increased numbers of cholinergic neurons could be a function of errors in migration, enhanced neurogenesis, diminished cell death, alterations in gene expression, or increased cell survival as a result of alterations in neurotrophic factor production or availability. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Human zona pellucida during in vitro fertilization: An ultrastructural study using saponin, ruthenium red, and osmium‐thiocarbohydrazide

The human zona pellucida (ZP) and its changes during in vitro fertilization in oocytes at different maturational stages and polypronuclear ova at one‐ to four‐cells stages were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and correlative scanning electron microscopy (SEM). To define the microstructure of the ZP, its amorphous masking material was removed using a detergent (saponin), and its structural glycoproteins were stabilized with a cationic dye, ruthenium red, followed by osmium‐thiocarbohydrazide treatment. These methods allowed in all samples the clear visualization of variously arranged networks of filaments composing the outer and inner surfaces of the ZP. These filaments were straight or curved, 0.1–0.4 μ in length and 10–14 nm thick as seen via TEM or 22–28 nm thick as seen via SEM (the difference in thickness was due to the presence of the metal coating for SEM). The filament arrangement was remarkably different between the inner and outer surfaces of the ZP and among the various stages studied. The filaments of the outer surface of the ZP were basically arranged in “large” and “tight” meshed networks. Mature oocytes and fertilized (polypronuclear) ova had a regular alternating pattern of wide and tight meshed networks of filaments. On the other hand, immature and atretic oocytes displayed almost exclusively a tight meshed network of filaments. The inner surface filaments of the ZP of unfertilized oocytes at any stage were arranged in repetitive structures characterized by numerous short and straight filaments anastomosing with each other and sometimes forming at the intersections small, rounded structures. After fertilization, the inner surface of the ZP displayed numerous areas where filaments fused together. Collectively, these data clearly reveal that oocyte maturation and fertilization in humans are accompanied by changes of ZP filaments arrangement, which may be relevant in the processes of binding, penetration, and selection of spermatozoa. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Chaos Suppression and Phase Locking in an $ \hbox{Nd:YVO}_{4}$ Laser by Reshaping Pump Modulation With Dual Waveforms

This paper demonstrated the suppression of chaos in an Nd:YVO4 laser by reshaping the pump modulation with dual waveforms. When the first sinusoidal modulation induced chaos, the second modulated signal reshaped the modulated profile to suppress the chaos. A chaos-suppressed route associated with double phase locking was observed as the modulation depth of the second modulation increased; the first phase locking accompanied the subharmonic oscillation of the output intensity, and the second phase locking regenerated the chaos. Varying the waveforms of the second modulation to be square, triangle, and sinusoidal reshapes the modulated profile to change the suppression region; therefore, the shape can be used as a parameter to control the dynamics. Numerical simulations were confirmed by the experimental results.
Developing generic criteria and standards for assessment in law: processes and (by)products

This paper reports the outcomes of a School of Law project undertaken in response to issues arising during the implementation of an institutional criterion‐referenced assessment policy. The project involved the development of a set of generic assessment criteria and standards, or rubric, which could be customized to the requirements of individual law subjects. Of significance are the key decisions that shaped the generic resource and additional outcomes or byproducts of the project which include the professional learning experienced by individual members of the project working party and the identification of mutually reinforcing relationships between criterion‐referenced assessment practice and other institutional policies and priorities. The paper concludes that analysis of project processes can produce findings whose value and significance are of equal interest to those resulting from implementation studies.
Inflammatory Chemoreceptor Cross-Talk Suppresses Leukotriene B4 Receptor 1-Mediated Neutrophil Calcium Mobilization and Chemotaxis After Trauma

G protein-coupled chemoattractants recruit neutrophils (PMN) to sites of injury and infection. The leukotrienes (LT) and CXC chemokines (CXC) and their receptors (BLT1/BLT2 and CXCR1/CXCR2) are all known to play roles in these responses. Each system has been studied separately in vitro, but in vivo they act concurrently, and the clinical interactions between the two systems are unstudied. We prospectively studied calcium mobilization and chemotactic responses to LTB4 in PMN from major trauma patients. The responses of the high affinity BLT1 receptor were suppressed at the 3-day postinjury time point, but recovered by 1 wk. Trauma patients had transient elevations of plasma LT and CXC levels. Functional deficits identical with those in trauma PMN were reproduced in vitro by exposing healthy PMN to CXCs at the elevated plasma concentrations found. Functional responses to LTB4 were suppressed by cross-talk with CXC and BLT2 receptors that desensitize BLT1. Since the suppression of intracellular calcium mobilization was prominent, we also studied the role of suppressed cell calcium mobilization in the defective chemotactic responses to LTB4. We noted that PMN chemotaxis to LTB4 showed far more dependence on store-operated calcium entry than on the release of cellular calcium stores, and that store-operated calcium responses to BLT1 activation were markedly inhibited during the same time period as was chemotaxis. The intermittent release of inflammatory mediators after injury can blunt PMN responses to LTs by suppressing BLT1 as well as downstream calcium entry. Diminished LT receptor activity due to cross-talk with CXC receptors can inhibit PMN recruitment to infective sites. This may predispose injured patients to septic complications.
Resistance of Demountable Mechanical Lap Joints for a High Temperature Superconducting Cable Connector

Experiments conducted to determine the resistance of demountable HTS lap joints with variations in compressive stress are reported here. A joint fixture was constructed that enabled the simultaneous testing of multiple joints of different configurations. The joint fixture was installed in a loading facility, comprising a pneumatic press mounted in a vacuum bell jar and connected to a GM cryocooler. The resistance across each joint was measured by means of voltage taps over a range of compressive joint forces. The test results demonstrated that joint resistances less than 2 muOmega were possible with only light joint loading.
Impact of Methoxymycolic Acid Production by Mycobacterium bovis BCG Vaccines

ABSTRACT BCG vaccines are a family of closely related daughter strains of an attenuated isolate of Mycobacterium bovis derived by in vitro passage from 1908 to 1921. During subsequent laboratory propagation of the vaccine strain until its lyophilization in 1961, BCG Pasteur underwent at least seven further genomic mutations. The impact of these mutations on the properties of the vaccine is currently unknown. One mutation, a glycine-to-aspartic acid substitution in the mmaA3 gene, occurred between 1927 and 1931 and impairs methoxymycolic acid synthesis in BCG strains obtained from the Pasteur Institute after this period. Mycolic acids of the cell wall are classified into three functional groups (alpha-, methoxy-, and ketomycolic acids), and together these lipids form a highly specialized permeability barrier around the bacterium. To explore the impact of methoxymycolic acid production by BCG strains, we complemented the functional gene of mmaA3 into BCG Denmark and tested a number of in vitro and in vivo phenotypes. Surprisingly, restoration of methoxymycolic acids alone had no effect on cell wall permeability, resistance to antibiotics, or growth in cultured macrophages and C57BL/6 mice. Our results demonstrate that the loss of methoxymycolic acid production did not apparently affect the virulence of BCG strains.
Toward Prediction of Efficacy of Chemotherapy: A Proof of Concept Study in Lung Cancer Patients Using [11C]docetaxel and Positron Emission Tomography

Purpose: Pharmacokinetics of docetaxel can be measured in vivo using positron emission tomography (PET) and a microdose of radiolabeled docetaxel ([11C]docetaxel). The objective of this study was to investigate whether a [11C]docetaxel PET microdosing study could predict tumor uptake of therapeutic doses of docetaxel. Experimental Design: Docetaxel-naïve lung cancer patients underwent 2 [11C]docetaxel PET scans; one after bolus injection of [11C]docetaxel and another during combined infusion of [11C]docetaxel and a therapeutic dose of docetaxel (75 mg·m−2). Compartmental and spectral analyses were used to quantify [11C]docetaxel tumor kinetics. [11C]docetaxel PET measurements were used to estimate the area under the curve (AUC) of docetaxel in tumors. Tumor response was evaluated using computed tomography scans. Results: Net rates of influx (Ki) of [11C]docetaxel in tumors were comparable during microdosing and therapeutic scans. [11C]docetaxel AUCTumor during the therapeutic scan could be predicted reliably using an impulse response function derived from the microdosing scan together with the plasma curve of [11C]docetaxel during the therapeutic scan. At 90 minutes, the accumulated amount of docetaxel in tumors was less than 1% of the total infused dose of docetaxel. [11C]docetaxel Ki derived from the microdosing scan correlated with AUCTumor of docetaxel (Spearman ρ = 0.715; P = 0.004) during the therapeutic scan and with tumor response to docetaxel therapy (Spearman ρ = −0.800; P = 0.010). Conclusions: Microdosing data of [11C]docetaxel PET can be used to predict tumor uptake of docetaxel during chemotherapy. The present study provides a framework for investigating the PET microdosing concept for radiolabeled anticancer drugs in patients. Clin Cancer Res; 19(15); 4163–73. ©2013 AACR.
Platelet‐derived growth factor is mitogenic for O‐2Aadult progenitor cells

We report that platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF) is a potent mitogen for oligodendrocyte type‐2 astrocyte (O‐2A) progenitor cells derived from the optic nerves of adult rats. Moreover, O‐2Aadult progenitors cultured in PDGF express the range of properties we have described previously for O‐2Aadult progenitors cultured in the presence of type‐1 astrocytes. Similarly, previous studies have demonstrated that PDGF is able to mimic the influence of type‐1 astrocytes on O‐2Aperinatal progenitors. Specifically, O‐2Aadult progenitors and O‐2Aperinatal progenitors exposed to PDGF express differences in average cell cycle time (59 ± 5 h for O‐2Aadult progenitors versus 20 ± 6 h for O‐2Aperinatal progenitors), average rate of migration (4.1 ± 0.6 μm h−1 versus 24.6 ± 5.4 μm h−1), morphology (unipolar versus bipolar), and antigenic phenotype (04+ vimentin− versus 04− vimentin+). Thus, our present results indicate that a single signalling molecule secreted by type‐1 astrocytes produces markedly different cellular behaviours in two related O‐2A progenitor populations.
Linoleate and fatty acid compositions in the serum lipids of Japanese patients with multiple sclerosis

ABSTRACT Serum fatty acid compositions were determined in 21 Japanese patients with multiple sclerosis and 14 neurological controls. No statistical difference was found either for linoleic acid or for arachidonic acid between the 2 groups. It may be that neither serum linoleic acid nor arachidonic acid is inevitably associated with the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.