Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automated image analysis for quantification of histochemical detection of reactive oxygen species and necrotic infection symptoms in plant leaves

In plants, the accelerated production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a common response to different stresses. We developed a computer method of leaf image analysis to automatically quantify the and H2O2 staining patterns in leaves. The quantification of histochemically detected ROS is given as a percentage of stained area partitioned according to the staining intensity and hence accumulation. Thus, this method expands the routine histochemical detection of ROS in situ. The same procedure can be also used to assess necrotic infection symptoms. In plants infected with necrotizing pathogens leaves can be simultaneously examined for pathogen-induced and H2O2 accumulation and infection development. This procedure allows rapid and accurate examination of many leaves and provides an advantage over the routine visual assessment of in situ histochemical detection of ROS and infection symptom development.
Mixed results from cancer replications unsettle field.

The first results of a high-profile effort to replicate dozens of influential papers in cancer biology are roiling the biomedical community. Of the five studies the project has tackled so far, some involving experimental treatments already in clinical trials, only two could be repeated; one could not, and technical problems stymied the remaining two replication efforts. Some scientists say these early findings from the Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology, which appear this week in eLife , bolster concerns that too many basic biomedical studies don't hold up in other labs. But others say the results simply show that good studies can be hard to precisely reproduce, because biological systems are so variable.
Rotordynamic and Friction Loss Measurements on a High Speed Laval Rotor Supported by Floating Ring Bearings

Floating ring bearings are the commonly used type of bearing for automotive turbochargers. The automotive industry continuously investigates how to reduce the bearing friction losses and how to create silent turbochargers. Many of these studies involve creating a numerical model of the rotor-bearing system and performing validation on a test bench on which a turbocharger is driven by hot gases. This approach, however, involves many uncertainties which diminish the validity of the measurement results. In this study, we present a test setup in which these uncertainties are minimized. The measurement results show the behavior of the floating ring bearing as a function of oil feed pressure, oil feed temperature, rotor unbalance and bearing clearances. Next to an increased validity, the test setup provides measurement data with good repeatability and can therefore represent a case study which can be used for validation of rotor-bearing models
Lkb1 Deletion Promotes Ectopic Lipid Accumulation in Muscle Progenitor Cells and Mature Muscles

Excessive intramyocellular triglycerides (muscle lipids) are associated with reduced contractile function, insulin resistance, and Type 2 diabetes, but what governs lipid accumulation in muscle is unclear. Here we report a role of Lkb1 in regulating lipid metabolism in muscle stem cells and their descendent mature muscles. We used MyodCre and Lkb1flox/flox mice to specifically delete Lkb1 in myogenic cells including stem and differentiated cells, and examined the lipid accumulation and gene expression of myoblasts cultured from muscle stem cells (satellite cells). Genetic deletion of Lkb1 in myogenic progenitors led to elevated expression of lipogenic genes and ectopic lipid accumulation in proliferating myoblasts. Interestingly, the Lkb1‐deficient myoblasts differentiated into adipocyte‐like cells upon adipogenic induction. However, these adipocyte‐like cells maintained myogenic gene expression with reduced ability to form myotubes efficiently. Activation of AMPK by AICAR prevented ectopic lipid formation in the Lkb1‐null myoblasts. Notably, Lkb1‐deficient muscles accumulated excessive lipids in vivo in response to high‐fat diet feeding. These results demonstrate that Lkb1 acts through AMPK to limit lipid deposition in muscle stem cells and their derivative mature muscles, and point to the possibility of controlling muscle lipid content using AMPK activating drugs. J. Cell. Physiol. 230: 1033–1041, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company
Apprentissage automatique et extrêmes pour la détection d'anomalies

La detection d'anomalies est tout d'abord une etape utile de pre-traitement des donnees pour entrainer un algorithme d'apprentissage statistique. C'est aussi une composante importante d'une grande variete d'applications concretes, allant de la finance, de l'assurance a la biologie computationnelle en passant par la sante, les telecommunications ou les sciences environnementales. La detection d'anomalies est aussi de plus en plus utile au monde contemporain, ou il est necessaire de surveiller et de diagnostiquer un nombre croissant de systemes autonomes. La recherche en detection d'anomalies inclut la creation d'algorithmes efficaces accompagnee d'une etude theorique, mais pose aussi la question de l'evaluation de tels algorithmes, particulierement lorsque l'on ne dispose pas de donnees labellisees -- comme dans une multitude de contextes industriels. En d'autres termes, l'elaboration du modele et son etude theorique, mais aussi la selection du modele. Dans cette these, nous abordons ces deux aspects. Tout d'abord, nous introduisons un critere alternatif au critere masse-volume existant, pour mesurer les performances d'une fonction de score. Puis nous nous interessons aux regions extremes, qui sont d'un interet particulier en detection d'anomalies, pour diminuer le taux de fausse alarme. Enfin, nous proposons deux methodes heuristiques, l'une pour evaluer les performances d'algorithmes de detection d'anomalies en grande dimension, l'autre pour etendre l'usage des forets aleatoires a la classification a une classe.
Cattle Rustling and Dialectics of Security in Northern Nigeria

This paper examines the phenomenon of cattle rustling in northern Nigeria with a view to underscoring its strategic implications for national security. By way of qualitative discourse, predicated on secondary sources, the paper observes that cattle rustling represent a veritable threat to public safety and security in Nigeria. This is in view the dire impacts and repercussions of the phenomenon which negates national security of the country. As the way forward, the paper recommends that the government should recognise cattle rustling as a national emergency and put drastic measures, such as proactive community policing, in place towards mitigating it.
Monte Carlo evidence for need of improved percolation model for non-weibullian degradation in high-κ dielectrics

Dielectric breakdown is one of the critical failure mechanisms and showstopper for ultra-large scale integrated (ULSI) circuits as it impacts the performance and functioning of the transistor, which is the fundamental unit governing the operation of all the advanced microprocessors that we have today. As a reliability engineer, it is essential that the failure mode and mechanism be best described using statistical distributions that correlate with the physical mechanism and driving forces causing failure. In many cases, the distributions used to represent the time to failure data are empirically assumed, without carefully considering its implications on the extrapolated predictions of field lifetime. Application of a wrong distribution can give lifetime estimates that vary by many orders of magnitude, which nullify the very purpose of the reliability study in itself. The Weibull distribution is commonly used to describe random defect generation induced percolation failure of the oxide (dielectric) by means of the “weakest link” phenomenology [1, 2]. While the assumption of a Weibull distribution is well justified for silicon oxide (SiO2) and silicon oxynitride (SiON) materials [3, 4], the application of the same stochastics for high permittivity (high-κ) dielectrics is questionable [5] - [7]. This is fundamentally attributable to the different microstructure of the grown / deposited dielectrics, which we will discuss in detail, along with strong physical analysis evidence. We will present further evidence using Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations to explain the origin of the non-Weibullian trends observed. The key motivation of this study is to caution microelectronics reliability scientists against the use of standard statistical distributions for all scenarios. We may have to resort to the need for non-standard distributions or selectively use the standard distributions only over confined percentile ranges, as material and device failure mechanisms become increasingly complex and interdependent in nanoscale integrated circuits.
Ethyl 3-[1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4-oxo-3-phenylazetidin-2-yl]-2-nitro-1-phenyl-2,3,10,10a-tetrahydro-1H,5H-pyrrolo[1,2-b]isoquinoline-10a-carboxylate

In the title molecule, C37H35N3O6, the pyrrolidine ring adopts a twist conformation and the piperidine ring is in a distorted boat conformation. One of the phenyl rings is disordered over two positions with occupancies of 0.54 (2) and 0.46 (2) and the ethyl carboxylate group is also disordered over two orientations with occupancies of 0.75 (1) and 0.25 (1).
How Do Patent Laws Influence Innovation ? Evidence from 19 th-Century World Fairs

Studies of innovation have focused on the effects of patent laws on the number of innovations but ignored effects on the direction of technological change. This paper introduces a new data set of close to fifteen thousand innovations at the Crystal Palace World’s Fair in 1851 and at the Centennial Exhibition in 1876 to examine the effects of patent laws on the direction of innovation. The paper tests the following argument: if innovative activity is motivated by expected profits, and if the effectiveness of patent protection varies across industries, then innovation in countries without patent laws should focus on industries where alternative mechanisms to protect intellectual property are effective. Analyses of exhibition data for twelve countries in 1851 and ten countries in 1876 indicate that inventors in countries without patent laws focus on a small set of industries where patents were less important, while innovation in countries with patent laws appears to be much more diversified. These findings suggest that patents help to determine the direction of technical change and that the adoption of patent laws in countries without such laws may alter existing patterns of comparative advantage across countries.
Effects of the History of Adoption in the Emotional Adjustment of Adopted Adolescents

Since the decade of 1980, the model of stress and coping proposed for the assessment of vulnerability of adoptive families emphasizes that the emotional adjustment of those adopted is moderated by variables such as institutionalization, the manner and age at which the adoption was revealed, the change of first name, and the contact with the biological family. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship of these variables to the perceived parenting style, mood, and self-esteem of the adopted adolescents. Participants in the study were 68 adolescents, between the ages of 14 and 15, adopted during infancy through judicial channels. The adolescents responded to a questionnaire about the history of adoption and to scales of Parenting Styles, Depression and Self-esteem. The main results indicated that the late revelation of adoption and the change of the first name are connected to higher levels of depression and low self-esteem and to more frequent perceptions of negligent or authoritarian parenting style. The contact with the biological family was frequently mentioned among those who perceived their parents as authoritative and presented the best indicator of mood and self-esteem. These findings were discussed in light of the necessity for multidisciplinary actions which can improve the psychological adaptation of the adopting families. Desde la década de 1980, el modelo de estrés y afrontamiento propuesto para la evaluación de la vulnerabilidad de las familias adoptivas resalta que la adaptación emocional de los adoptandos es moderado por variables tales como la institucionalización, la forma y la edad en que la adopción se reveló, el cambio del nombre de pila, y el contacto con la familia biológica. El objetivo de este estudio era investigar la relación de estas variables con el estilo percibido de crianza, el estado emocional y la autoestima de los adolescentes adoptados. Participaron en el estudio 68 adolescentes, entre 14 y 15 años de edad, adoptados durante la infancia a través de vías judiciales. Los adolescentes completaron un cuestionario sobre la historia de la adopción y las escalas de Estilo de Crianza, Depresión y Autoestima. Los resultados principales indicaron que la tardía revelación de la adopción y el cambio del nombre de pila se relacionan con niveles mayores de depresión y baja autoestima y a la percepción más frecuente de estilo de crianza negligente o autoritario. El contacto con la familia biológica se mencionaba frecuentemente entre los que percibían a sus padres como autoritarios y era el mejor indicador del estado emocional y de la autoestima. Se comentan estos resultados a la luz de la necesidad de actuaciones multidisciplinarias que puedan mejorar la adaptación psicológica de las familias adoptivas.
No Reasons to Believe the False

I argue that if there are non-disabled reasons to believe p, then there cannot be non-disabled reasons to believe something incompatible with p. I first defend a restricted version of the view, which applies only to situations where the relevant agent has complete evidence. Then, I argue for a generalized version of the view, which holds regardless of the agent’s evidence. As a related result, I show that, given plausible assumptions, there cannot be non-disabled reasons to believe something false.
Tension-free mesh hernia repair: review of 1098 cases using local anaesthesia in a day unit.

The technical problems, early complications and short-term results of a tension-free method of 1098 inguinal hernia repairs in 1017 patients have been assessed. The operation was conducted under local anaesthesia, and the inguinal canal floor was reinforced by a polypropylene mesh. Patients were discharged home the same day. There was no mortality, no urinary complications and one case of venous thrombosis. There was one recurrence after a primary hernia repair and two patients have developed recurrences after repair of a recurrent hernia. The overall sepsis rate was 0.9% and
Understanding the Role of Clergy in African American Organ and Tissue Donation Decision-Making

Objectives. To describe and understand the attitudes, beliefs, and experiences towards organ and tissue donation among African American clergy in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The secondary objective is to understand what messages clergy are providing to their parishioners relative to organ and tissue donation, and what their perceived role is in donation education. Design. A qualitative study in which African American clergy (n=26) participated in four focus groups. Results. African American clergy, though generally supportive of organ and tissue donation in principle, have serious reservations about donation due to perceived inequalities in the donation and transplantation system. The clergy did not personally hold religious concerns about donation, but expressed that these concerns were a major barrier to donation among their parishioners. None of the clergy knew the written position that their religion took on donation; they acknowledged the need for more education for them and their parishioners on this topic. They also felt that as religious leaders, they could play an important role in promoting organ and tissue donation among African American parishioners. Conclusions. African American clergy and religious leaders may play an important role towards improving willingness to donate among African American parishioners, but more education and advocacy is needed to prepare them for this role.
Transcriptional mechanisms underlying life‐history responses to climate change in the three‐spined stickleback

Phenotypic plasticity, the ability of an organism to express different phenotypes depending on the environment, provides an important mechanism by which an animal population can persist under rapid climate change. We experimentally tested both life‐history and transcriptional responses of an ecological model species, the three‐spined stickleback, to warm acclimation at the southern edge of its European range. We explored cross‐environment genetic correlations of key life‐history traits in male sticklebacks exposed to long‐term temperature changes to examine whether the plasticity pattern was variable among genotypes by using a character‐state approach. We also studied gene expression plasticity by analysing both whole‐transcriptome and candidate gene expression in brain and liver. Male sticklebacks that developed under warmer conditions during winter were smaller in size and invested less in nuptial coloration at the beginning of the breeding season, showing similar responses across different genotypes. The lack of genetic variation in life‐history responses may limit any future evolution of the thermal reaction norm in the study population. After long‐term exposure to increased winter temperatures, genes responsible for several metabolic and oxidation–reduction processes were upregulated, and some hormone genes involved in growth and reproduction were downregulated in the brain. In the liver, there was no significantly represented gene ontology by the differentially expressed genes. Since a higher temperature leads to a higher resting metabolic rate, living in warmer environments may incur higher energetic costs for ectotherms to maintain cellular homoeostasis, resulting in negative consequences for life‐history traits. The expression of genes related to metabolism, cellular homoeostasis and regulatory signalling may underlie temperature‐induced changes in life history.
Professional associations and ethical issues in LIS

Presents a literature review covering the ethical principles of librarianship and codes of ethics or conduct in the context of professional associations in the field of librarianship and information science. Describes and compares the history of the American Library Association (ALA) and the Library Association (LA) with particular reference to selected, recent ethical issues. Reports results of a questionnaire survey, to examine the attitudes and actions of the ALA, LA and Institute of Information Scientists (IIS). One questionnaire survey was sent to the chief executives of the three associations, while another was sent to certain elected Council members of each body. Three main areas were investigated: ethical issues of current concern to the library associations; level of help provided by the library associations to their members; and level of help given to those members of the associations experiencing specific ethical problems. Other questions concerned self-regulation, discipline and future ethical considerations. Results indicate that the ALA has been noticeably more active than the LA in ethical matters and has defended both librarians and users through its battles over loyalty oaths, the Library Awareness Programme and the social responsibilities of librarians. The Library Association only started addressing ethical issues after its centenary, possibly due to the LA having had less cause to fight for major intellectual freedom causes but more likely because it has chosen a less combative role for itself, due partly to the different political and social environment in the UK and partly to its status as a charity. Sets out recommendations for the ALA and LA for the future.
Endothelium-derived relaxing factor inhibits hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction in rats.

The hypothesis that endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) modulates hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) was tested in isolated, blood-perfused rat lungs ventilated with gas mixtures of 21% O2-5% CO2-74% N2 (normoxia) or of 3% O2-5% CO2-92% N2 (hypoxia); 30 microM NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), an inhibitor of EDRF production, caused a reduction in the endothelium-dependent relaxant response to acetylcholine (ACh) from 62 +/- 7, 88 +/- 4, and 100 +/- 4% to 26 +/- 8, 49 +/- 12, and 75 +/- 7% at ACh concentrations of 1, 10, and 100 microM, respectively (p less than 0.05 at all concentrations), indicating that L-NMMA acts via the inhibition of EDRF production. L-NMMA induced a concentration-related augmentation in HPV of 20 +/- 5, 32 +/- 8, and 34 +/- 8% at concentrations of 30, 300, and 1,000 microM (p less than 0.05, compared with a vehicle control group at all concentrations). The pressor response to a dose of angiotensin II (A-II), which produced the same increase in pulmonary artery pressure as that induced by hypoxia, was also significantly augmented (2 +/- 0.6%), but to a lesser extent. The augmentation of HPV by 30 microM L-NMMA was completely reversed by 1 mM L-arginine (a precursor of EDRF), but not by D-arginine (an isomer of L-arginine). One and 6 mM L-arginine, but not 6 mM D-arginine caused a significant inhibition of HPV by 20 +/- 2 and 47 +/- 12% (p less than 0.05, compared with the vehicle control group) and a small but not significant reduction in A-II-mediated contraction. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Problem of Comforting the Grieving in the Funeral Sermon

The author of this article presents the following observation: despite widespread agreement that the funeral sermon should comfort the grieving, research among the bereaved in the Slovak Republic does not indicate that they perceive the funeral sermon as a factor helpful to them in the period following the funeral. The study comes to a negative answer of whether this was a denominationally-conditioned observation, through a comparison of results from other church environments. After revealing the tension between an identified goal of bringing comfort and its non-achievement (according to the reactions of the bereaved), it is believed that occasion-specific homiletic research is necessary, with a focus on the following questions: Does the concept of comforting the grieving in the funeral sermon belong to the theologically legitimate tasks of the proclamation of God’s Word at the funeral? Should this be answered in the affirmative on the basis of a biblical-theological approach, research of the following areas will also be necessary: How one may delineate the factors which support or block the comforting of the bereaved in the funeral sermon, so that conditions may be created for a purposeful use of tools in order to effectively fulfil this task.
Is Settling Good for Pastoralists? The Effects of Pastoral Sedentarization on Children's Nutrition, Growth, and Health Among Rendille and Ariaal of Marsabit District, Northern Kenya

Introduction The settling of formerly mobile pastoral populations is occurring rapidly throughout East Africa. Pastoral sedentarization has been encouraged by international development agencies and national governments to alleviate problems of food insecurity, health care delivery, and national integration. Although the majority of pastoralist households in many areas remain committed to a nomadic livestock production system, many formally pastoral families have settled near towns or on farms to pursue alternate livelihoods that include cultivation, agro-pastoralism, trade or wage labor.